a zara+jax story: independently gone bats, part 2/4 (F/f eventually)

a relatively short part--no worries tho, the last 2 are plenty long and rambling and psycho-babbling
will post the next as soon as i give up my obsessive and futile efforts to scale it down a bit (same goes for part 4)...

~~~~~~~~~~

...Jackie slammed into the house.
In tow were two very reluctant young adults, and a scowling adolescent who at times possessed more maturity than either.
That would not appear to be the case today.

"Zara, GET!" Jax barked, pointing to the stairs.
Z was already halfway to her bedroom.

"Your father will deal with you two," she spat out at the thoroughly sheepish Hailey and Caroline.
"Which you should consider a blessing from the angels above--because I am of half a mind to turn the both of you over my knee right here and now."

With that, Jackie slammed back out the front door, to take, what would surely be, a long drive to simmer down.

The older sisters stared wide-eyed after the crazy lady.
"Bonkers," they agreed.
"Totally off her rocker."


~~~~~~~~~~


Jackie arrived back home about two hours later.
A note from Taylor said he had taken Hailey, Caroline, and Issac out to dinner. They would probably go see a movie afterwards.
Hmm, real subtle Tay, Jackie thought with a half-hearted smile. He always did know when to clear house.

Her anger had subsided; but it had only been a cover for her fear anyway--and that had NOT abated.

It was not so much what HAD occurred--but WHY it might have and what COULD have that scared her.
So Zara had a drink or two. Ok, not good, clearly--but it is doubtful Jackie would have 'gone crackers' as she had if it had not been Zara.

Because nothing is ever simple with Z.

This was not your average teenager experimenting with her peers or trying to impress some older kids.

For one, Z only "experimented" with her own sanity (and/or mortality).
In addition, she didn't really give a damn about "impressing" hardly anyone.

It was likely to be 'one of those nights,' and a long one, for Z and Jax...


~~~~~~~~~~


Hearing no answer when she knocked, Jackie went ahead and opened Zara's bedroom door.
She could see Z from the back, sitting on the porch roof that was right outside her window.

She was smoking a cigarette.

Jax could only shake her head.
One thing you gotta say for my Zara, she thought ruefully. As the little one herself would put it, she sure does got ovaries.

Z may not care about "impressing" people, but she does very much want to please those select few she allows to truly know her--and Jax of course most of all.
But, well, you see...there is always that little part of Z that simply cannot stomach being "too good."
It makes her nauseous.
So she says.

The occasional, *ahem* well-timed, smoke was Zara's most recent ploy to psuedo-provoke.
Jax knew it; Z knew she knew it; and they both knew it wouldn't be long until she moved on to something else.

~~~~~

Jax climbed out the window and sat down next to Zara in silence.
When she casually lit a cigarette herself, Z's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"We've already all gone off the deep end today," Jax shrugged at her, trying hard not to laugh (or cough) as Z picked her jaw back up off the ground.


"So, you want to tell me about it?"
"Not particularly."
"I do always set myself up with that one, don't I," Jax sighed.
"I'll rephrase: We're going to go inside now Zara, and you will tell me everything that happened today."
"Oh, allright," Z grumbled.


Zara bit her lip nervously as Jax sat next to her on the bed, the both of them with their legs stretched out in front and backs against the pillows.

"Ummm..."

"From the beginning little one and no skipping details."
Yes, they both knew the routine well...

- posted by unquiet @ 10:07 AM

oh no don't you put me in that box you know what you can do with those locks bet your life i'll come crawling out again you'll have to deal with me then you'll hear me in the wind...