Chapter 24 - Moonlight and Magnolias.

Friday, February 10th, 2006.
"OK, say aah."
"Ahh..." Ellie said as her doctor, a short man with white hair by the name of Richards, placed the tongue depressor in her mouth and shined a small flashlight to see the back of her throat.
"I'm going to have to take a throat culture, but I'm pretty sure it's strep throat." Dr. Richards lightly massaged her jaw. "I'll prescribe you a course of antibiotics, then call you when we get the results in from pathology." He went over to the cabinet above the sink in his office, taking out a sterile pack encasing a large cotton swab. He made a tray up of rubber gloves, a fresh tongue depressor and the swab and placed them beside her. He washed his hands and put the gloves on, ripping apart the package. "Open up." He tilted her head back, turned on the light above her, pressed down her tongue and wiped the swab on the back of her throat. He placed the swab into a test tube and sealed it into a snap lock bag.

"Was it a nice wedding?" he asked as he wrote her name on the bag.
"Just a little thing. We had the ceremony here in New York, and the reception down in Florida. Surname is now Chasez," she corrected him, "C-H-A-S-E-Z."
"Spanish?"
"French. Louisiana Cajun surprisingly. At least we think."
"Didn't think you had to come all the way up here to find yourself a nice Cajun boy, did you?" Dr. Richards joked. He slid the bag over the counter. "Please check if the information is correct."
"Everything's correct." Ellie awkwardly rubbed her arm.
"Great." He scrawled out a prescription, ripping it off of the pad and handing it to her. "Take one with water every six hours on an empty stomach, either one hour before food or two hours after. Even if the symptoms stop, do not stop the antibiotics until you have completed the full course I have prescribed you. I would advise that you use a second method of contraception during the next few weeks as penicillin has been known to interfere with the effectiveness of the pill."
"We normally use condoms, anyway."
"How often do you use them, every time?"
Ellie paused. "...yes."
He sighed. "Make another appointment with Susan in another few weeks." He got up and opened the door to his office. "If you need anything else, just call. Please try to take care of yourself. I would use the weekend as an opportunity to rest, get your immune system up. Have a good day."
"You, too. Thanks."

Ellie walked up to the back door of the nondescript building in Spanish Harlem. She pressed the buzzer by the door in four short bursts, then waited for the door to open. "Hey.
"Hey." Emerson greeted her, motioning down the hall, "last door on the left."
"Thanks." She made her way down the hall, waiting for Emerson to lock the large steel door again. She tapped lightly on the window looking into the studio, waving as she caught JC's eye.
"Hey." He kissed her as he opened the heavy door to the studio.
"Hi."
"I didn't think you'd come in today."
"My appointment wasn't that long, thought I might as well stop by since I don't need to be in the office for a while."

He took her hand and sat down in front of the mixing board, sitting her on his lap. "So, what's going on?"
"He thinks it's strep throat. He just put me on a course of antibiotics and told me to rest."
"Have you eaten?"
"I don't really feel like eating, frankly."
He gently rubbed her back. "I wish you would take the day off. I would prefer it if you were home in bed instead of trekking around the city."
"I'll live." She kissed his temple, rising out of the seat. "I better get going."
"That's a pity, considering I'm sitting here all alone until everyone comes back from lunch."

JC walked with her to the back door. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"
"Nah, it'll just irritate my throat further."
"I'll take you home, tuck you in with a bowl of oatmeal."
"I need to get back to work."
He gently kissed her forehead. "Are you sure?"
"I'll be home by six. That's only five hours away."
"But I don't know when I'm going to be home."
"What do you mean?"
"Justin's in town. He might swing by later to work on something."
Ellie made a disgruntled sigh. "Oh, I see." She adjusted her clothes for the cold weather outside.
"What?"
"It doesn't matter." She started out the door, turning back only to shake her arm free after he had grabbed it.
"Baby..." he called after her, her only response being a brief middle finger as she walked around to 136th Street.

Early the next morning, JC crept into the apartment's front door. He quietly placed his bag on the couch and tried to not trip over Linus as he made his way up the stairs. He carefully pushed on the bedroom door, cringing as it creaked open.
"Shit!" he cursed as he ran into the railing on the foot of the bed, quickly covering his eyes as Ellie turned her lamp on.
"Where the fuck have you been?" she asked in a rasp.
"I got caught up in something." He sat on the edge of the bed as he undressed.
"What? It's 2am."
"I said I got caught up!" He slipped into the bed beside her, leaning over her to turn the lamp off.
"Is that weed? Have you been smoking weed?" She snapped the light back on.
"No!"
"Then why do you fucking smell like it?"
"How the fuck do you know what weed even smells like?!"
"Because I'm not a fucking child! Where the fuck have you been that you're fucking drunk, possibly stoned, and you smell like a Grateful Dead concert?"
"I WAS AT THE FUCKING CLUB, OK!" He threw the bedclothes off him and stood up. "JUSTIN WANTED TO GO OUT AFTER THE SESSION, OK? TO COOL DOWN, YOU KNOW!"
"WHY ARE YOU FUCKING YELLING AT ME?"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE FUCKING YELLING AT ME!"
She thrust her finger at the door. "DOWNSTAIRS, NOW! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED IN THIS BED TONIGHT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A PIECE OF SHIT!"
"NO! YOU CAN'T THROW ME OUT OF MY OWN BED!" He slammed his hand on the foot of the bed.
"THIS IS MY BED! I PAID FOR IT! RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE ONLY A FUCKING GUEST IN IT!"
"THIS IS OUR BED! IT BECAME OUR BED WHEN YOU MARRIED ME!"
"GET THE FUCK DOWNSTAIRS!"
"Fine!" He ripped the quilt of the bed, bundling it up before he stormed out of the room.
"FINE!" Ellie snapped the lamp off, flopping back into bed and violently throwing the covers over her head. "JERK!"
"ASSHOLE!"

Saturday, February 11th, 2006.
Ellie struggled to swallow before she tiptoed down the stairs.
"You look like shit," JC commented from his place on the couch.
Ellie stuck her middle finger up at him as she made a tight-lipped snarl. She walked over to one of the kitchen cabinets, taking a spiral notebook out of a drawer with a thick, black marker. She turned the notebook on its side and flipped it open, removing the marker cap with her teeth as she scrawled out a response. "I feel like shit." She turned the notebook over, showing him her message.
"I can't read without my glasses," he said in a pointed tone.
She huffed before she slammed the notebook down, picking up and digging through his bag by the couch for a small red case. She threw the case at him, writing a few more pages as he slipped his glasses on.
He read her notes out loud. "I feel like shit." He continued as she flipped the page. "I've lost my voice...All the yelling last night...Why didn't you call me to tell me you were going...out?...Did you get stoned, or was it...someone you were hanging out with?...Justin?"
He answered her, "Do you want me to tell you the truth?"
She scrawled out an answer. "Yes."

He sat up. "Justin thought it was a good idea to go out, since I didn't have a bachelor party."
She scratched out an interjection. "Bullshit."
"I know, but you know how guys are, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't."
She pointed at her "bullshit" scribble.
"I just wanted a night out...Justin said some shit that if you really loved me, you would get over it."
She tapped violently on the page that bore the word "bullshit," flipping it over to scrawl out: "Justin's a stupid cunt."
"I know." He sighed. "I just wanted to have some fun, be a shitbag, you know."
She scribbled out: "Did you meet anyone?"
"I don't know what you mean."
She drew and showed him a picture of two stick figures having sex.
"No, I danced with a few girls-"
She showed him what was obviously a female stick figure performing oral sex on a male stick figure sitting on a chair.
He smiled. "Well, we know someone who can illustrate an edition of the Kama Sutra."
She stuck her finger up at him before she wrote another note. "Answer my question."
"No, I didn't want to. Are you going to ask me this every time I go out?"
She flipped back to her "yes" page. She flipped back to a blank page, writing out: "So I can learn when you're telling the truth."
"I would never do that."
She shrugged, mouthing the word, "Miles."
He got up and took her into his arms. "Baby..."
She turned up to look at him, trying to speak but only managing to get out a raspy "I..."
"Shhh. You need to rest your voice." He lightly kissed her. "It's OK. I didn't do anything. I only want you, now."

Sunday, February 12th, 2006.
Around noon, Ellie tapped JC on the shoulder. Once she had his attention, she stuck her right pinkie out her fist, twisting her wrist until her pinkie was underneath her fist, signing the letter "J."
"Are you OK?" He sat up off the bed.
She flipped through her notebook, showing him a page with the word "hungry?" written on it.
He shook his head. "No, are you?"
She flipped to her well-used "yes" page, then to a page with "soup" written on it.
"OK"-he kissed her forehead-"give me a bit."

After a few minutes, he emerged from downstairs holding a large blue mug. He carefully passed it to her. "Did I get the pepper right?"
She took a small spoonful of the chicken and vegetable soup. She nodded and gave a thumbs up.  After he had settled back under the covers, she flipped through her notebook to a blank page. She scribbled out: "Tell me a story," holding it up for him.

"Well, let me see..." He wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled into him. "Once there was a king by the name of John, and he had five sons: Christopher, Joseph, James, Joshua, and Justin, and they all served him as his royal guard. At first, all five of them were equal, but after a while, King John started to play favourites with his youngest son. Prince Justin was not happy being equal to the others; he wanted to lead them as second in command. Though Prince Justin was not as able, King John foolishly made Prince Justin head of the royal guard.
"Well, after awhile, Prince Justin went up to King John and said, 'Father, if you do not free me from my post and make me your only heir, I will desert this kingdom and find one that appreciates my talent as a knight and small penis.' King John, who foolishly believed that Prince Justin was better than all the others, banished the other four from his kingdom to wander the countryside."
After many years of loneliness, the second son, Joshua, had travelled across many lands, and knew many heartaches. He came across a secret garden, growing the finest roses in all the land. The garden did not belong to a king or queen. Instead, it belonged to a old knight and his lady who now supplied the various kingdoms with horses.
"Completely taken in by the smell, he scaled the wall and found their daughter, a fine, educated, young maiden by the name of Elizabeth. There she was tending to the roses. Once he saw her, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Unfortunately, she was once promised to a dastardly character who had broken her heart, thus taking a vow of celibacy.
"But the second son had now fallen in love with her and insisted that he could make her fall in love with him. So, he went off to find a wine as fine as her. Once he did, he scaled the walls of the garden again and waited for her to appear. When she did, he offered her the wine, but it did not win her heart. But, as she was insane with thirst, she continued to drink it, until she was completely shit-faced. She then offered him her body and proposed that they make love underneath the moon, the night before the red roses came into bloom."
"Little did they know, that if you make love underneath the moon on the night before the red roses bloom, a spell will be cast, and you will fall in love. So they fell in love."

She held up her notebook. "Then what happened?"
"Well, three seasons went by, and as the first snowflake fell over the kingdoms, they ran away to marry, and they lived happily ever after."
She flipped through her notebook. "I love you."
"I love you, too."

Somewhere between the thirteenth and the fourteenth of February.
Ellie delicately held the lace of her gown in her hands as she strolled through the garden as the full moon shone overhead. She enjoyed the smell and the feel of the soft petals of the roses as she passed them by. She was shaken as she saw a figure by the red roses. She spied a gentleman bathing in the fountain by the garden wall, his hands washing water down his thick, black hair. She felt a yearning in her, a pull in her waist as she watched his hands glide along his wet skin, his milky white ass breaking the reflection of the moon skirting across the water. He turned to her. She gasped as she saw JC's face, his blue eyes twinkling with the moonlight, his chest hair slicked down. He slowly emerged from the fountain, stepping out onto the grass as his manhood delicately dripped water onto the stone surrounding the pool.
"Fuck me," she growled, in a pointed tone. He took exactly six broad steps, grabbing her face as he passionately kissed her. She looked down and took his hardened member into her hands, running her hands along the bulging head and shaft. She tightened her legs as she felt her wetness come across her lips. He slipped a finger down her bodice, untying the strings of her corset. He pulled away the white ribbon and ripped open her dress, baring her heaving bosom. Layers upon layers of silk and lace fell to her feet. She slowly stepped out of the dress and pushed him to the ground. She straddled him as he kissed every millimetre of her neck and breasts, softly biting her nipples. She guided him into her and started grinding into his lap, grasping his shoulders as she fucked him.

Ellie awoke suddenly. She gasped as realised she was not in the rose garden, but lying on the couch in her apartment. She turned onto her back and stared at the light the full moon was projecting onto the ceiling. She squeezed her thighs, feeling her wet pussy. She pushed Linus off the couch and went upstairs.
She opened the bedroom door to see JC's back facing her as he slept. She gently crawled onto top of him and kissed his cheek, turning his head to kiss his lips.
"Baby..." he murmured as she continued to kiss him. "What's wrong?"
She slipped her hand into his sweatpants, running her fingers along his length.
"Ellie!" He pulled her hand away from him, holding both of her wrists. "What the fuck is up with you?"
She swallowed, finally whispering, "I need you."

She lifted her sweatshirt above her head, leaving herself in only a pair of panties. She kneeled and slid her panties down her thighs, grabbing the top bar on the head of the bed as she started to pleasure herself. She gasped as her fingers ran along the sweet petals of skin.

He watched as the moonlight glistened across her form, as she lifted her body with every stroke. He slipped his fingers beneath his waistband, feeling his cock as it engorged at the sight of Ellie silently crying out in pleasure. He kicked off his pants and kissed her waist, rising up to his knees. He grabbed her and pulled her legs until she was lying beside him. He slipped her panties over her feet then lay on top of her, his thighs lying either side of her. He kissed her as he slipped into her. He laid her head on his arm. She gasped as she felt his cock caress her clit, grabbing his hand as he went to touch her.
"This works for me. You're doing it at the right angle," she whispered.
"I'm not in deep enough to hit your G-spot."
"Your cock is brushing along my clit. Keep going the way you're going; you're going to make me come."

He intertwined his fingers with hers as he continued, deeply kissing her. Her chest heaved in sync with his movements: gasping as he withdrew, inhaling as he pushed down into her. She sharply inhaled as she started to climax. "Go a little faster," she encouraged him.
He increased his speed, biting his lip as he grinded into her. "Are you coming yet?"
She nodded. "Yeah, just keep this going."
"I don't know how long I can."
"Is it working for you?"
"I'm not sure."
She giggled. "Now you know how I feel when I'm on top. Do you want to try another position?"
He tried to pull himself up, attempting to continue. "I'm not in deep enough. I feel like I'm fucking your legs."

He withdrew and motioned for her to turn over. She pulled a pillow underneath her arms as he reentered her. He pulled her ass further towards him.
She guided his hand beneath her. "Rub my clit hard and fast," she requested, playing with her nipple as he pounded into her. They simultaneously gasped as they both came, both collapsing as she tightened around him as he pumped his seed into her.
"Has that ever happened before?" she asked as he kissed her.
"A few times." He gently ran his fingers along her side.
"Is it still the thirteenth?"
He peered up at the clock. "8 past 12. Happy Valentine's."
She smiled as he kissed her. "Happy Anniversary and Valentine's."
"I thought I would have to wait ten months to hear you say that."
"How has it only been a year? We've done so much in shit in only twelve months."
"We've also done some of the best things we'll ever do, Mrs. Elizabeth Chasez."
"Mr. Joshua Chasez."

Tuesday, February 14th, 2006.
Ellie tiptoed down the stairs in an oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants. She found JC cooking breakfast in a long sleeve shirt and jeans.

She wrapped her arms around his waist as he waited for the kettle to boil. "I had the most amazing dream about you last night."

"I see that you're talking again."

"I'm feeling a little more up to it now, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

She moved around the kitchen, pulling out some paper and a jar full of crayons in various stages of use. She sat down at the counter and folded a piece of paper into half, then half again.

"What are you doing?"

"It's still Valentine's, right? I'm making you a valentine."

"You don't need to do that." He poured the boiling water into a mug with a tea bag. "Do you want coffee or tea?"

"Tea with a little bit of honey, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Anything else? What do you want for breakfast?"

"Just some oatmeal, if you don't mind."

"Are you sure that's all you want?"

She looked up at him from the red heart she was colouring in. "Are you doing the romantic breakfast thing?"

"If you don't mind."

"Oatmeal will be fine."

"OK." He stirred her tea and placed it beside her at the counter.

She quickly covered up what she was doing. "No peeking."

"I already know what it is." He measured one cup of quick oats and two cups of water and stirred them into a microwave bowl with a pinch of salt. He placed the bowl into the microwave for two minutes.

"No, you don't."

"I think I do. Do you want the paper?"

"Suit yourself."

He placed the Times next to her. "It seems rather thick for a Tuesday," he commented as he took the oatmeal out of the microwave and divided it up into bowls. "Honey?"

"Sure," she answered him as she finished the valentine.

She smiled as she saw the heart he had drawn in honey on the surface of her oatmeal. "Aww." She leaned over and kissed him as he sat next to her. "Is there anything special you want to do tonight? A warning, though, you'd be lucky getting a reservation if you want to go out."

"I'd be OK just staying at home."

"When do you think you'll be home tonight?" She took a sip of tea.

"I don't know. That's all dependant on Justin and Tim."

"Do you think they would be willing to let you leave early? You were out most of yesterday; we pretty much missed our first anniversary."

"You're the one who fell asleep on the couch."

"Only because I was waiting up for you. You're the dickhead who left me there and went upstairs to bed without waking me up."

"I don't know...Sometimes, you don't feel like-"

She cut him off. "Don't feel like what?"

"I'm under a lot of stress right now."

"Why do you keep referring to me like I'm a burden?"

"Last year, I didn't have a lot going on, career-wise. So I had a lot more time to dedicate to us, to you. Now, since I'm cutting a record, I don't have that much time now."

"Can you make time?" She watched as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Why are you trying to push me away?"

"I'm not trying to push you away."

"You keep holding me at arm's length and warning me something is going to go wrong. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," he said curtly.

"I think you are."

He stood up and started to gather his things. "I need to be at the studio soon."

"If you keep avoiding it, you're only going to make it worse."

"You have no fucking idea what's happening right now!" he snapped.

"I know that you're being really shitty right now!"

He walked over to the counter, flipping open the paper to reveal an envelope. "Happy fucking Valentine's." He grabbed his keys and stormed out of the apartment.

Ellie huffed as she checked her watch. "22:42," she muttered to herself. She propped her feet up on the coffee table as she continued to watch the nature documentary depicting the conception process of some animal. Her stomach turned as the CGI sperm made their way to the computer animated egg. She flinched as they showed them burrowing through the jelly-like substance around the egg. "Ew..."

She turned her head as the door opened. JC removed his hat and scarf as he entered the living area.
"Hey." He removed his coat.
"Yeah..." She turned back to the TV.
"Are you OK? Are you feeling better?"
"I guess," she muttered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She turned up the volume on the TV.
He pursed his lips. "Did you like the flowers? I know that magnolias are out of season right now, but I thought it would be nice to get them for you. Are you OK with that?"

She sighed. "It's our first Valentine's together, and you spend most of it with Justin."
JC tried to explain the situation. "Justin isn't in town long. I've already wasted most of it-"
She cut him off. "WHAT? YOU WASTED MOST OF IT WHAT?" She turned the TV off and got off the couch. "If I was you, I would fucking step lightly right now," she hissed.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"Why are you yelling?"
"MAYBE BECAUSE I WANTED TO SPEND TONIGHT WITH YOU!"
"WE'VE ALREADY FUCKED TODAY-"
She cut him off again. "THIS ISN'T ABOUT FUCKING!" She stormed over to the kitchen counter and flung the bouquet of roses and magnolias onto the floor. "THIS ISN'T ABOUT DEFROSTED FUCKING MAGNOLIAS. THIS IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT MY HUSBAND, MY FUCKING HUSBAND WOULD PREFER TO SPEND VALENTINE'S DAY WITH SOMEONE WHO TREATS HIM LIKE SHIT THAN WITH HIS WIFE!"
"I'VE WORKED WITH JUSTIN-"
"I'M SORRY. IS JUSTIN THE ONE WHO HAS TO SUCK YOUR COCK? IS JUSTIN THE ONE WHO CLEANS YOUR FUCKING TOILETS? IS JUSTIN THE ONE WHO MAKES SURE YOUR CLOTHES ARE CLEAN AND YOU'RE WELL FED? NO! HE'S JUST A FORMER CO-WORKER WHO MIGHT PRODUCE A HIT FOR YOU!"
JC grinded his teeth. "If we want to meet the fourth quarter release window, we need to start working on things now."
"That's nice. Maybe our fucking divorce will be finalised by then so the two of you can run off together." She stormed upstairs.

JC creaked the door ajar. "I'm sorry. I knew this was going to happen. I was sitting there all night knowing you were slowly getting angrier with me. I know this isn't a good explanation, but with guys, no one really expects you to care about your personal relationships, or at least they think that your work is always going to be more important." He sat on the edge of the bed, behind her as she stared out the window. "I always used to put *NSYNC before everything else. Justin thinks that it's the same now, that my need for a hit is going to come before you."
"Why can't you just tell him that this is more important?" she asked.
He sighed. "Because I'm a piece of shit. I don't know. I think I love you as much as I possibly can, but then I do shitty things like this, and I..." He wiped his hands through his hair. "I don't deserve you."
She sat up. "Baby..."
"You don't understand."
"Tell me. I want to."
"It's not easy to do this. I'm going to be away a lot."
"I know-"
"NO, YOU DON'T!" He collapsed onto the floor. "It's not just going to be a week here and there. It's going to sometimes be months at a time."
"I know."
"No-"
"No, I fucking do! I've read God knows how many biographies of quote, unquote 'rock widows.' It's not the most revolutionary concept that you're going to have to tour."
"Well, what do we do then?"
She rose up to her knees. "We work through it. If we're OK with something, we're OK with it. If we're not OK with something, we fix it. We'll work through."
"What if we can't?"
"I don't know. We try to work around it, or we start making sacrifices. Come here." She slid to the edge of the bed, waiting for him to scoot over to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "We're young, we're stupid and we're in love. There is no force on this Earth stronger than we are." She kissed him. "We can do this. We just never stop fighting for us. We come first now; Joshua and Elizabeth Chasez come first. Everyone else, including JC, comes second."