February Sucks - Matter of Fact

"Security could have been called just as easily. There were about a hundred people at that event. Any of them could have seen what was happening." Jim sighed. Right again.

"Alright, so maybe they could have, but I still stand by what I did." He stepped closer to her. "I did that to protect you."

"I didn't need protection. I was handling myself pretty well!"

"Right, because him putting his hands on you was doing that well on your own."

"Yea, and getting hurt in the process was part of the plan." She took the bag from his hand and placed it on his ribs. Causing him to wince and gripe. "Oh hush." She huffed.

There was a moment of calm. She would occasionally grab another iced bag and place it on his exposed skin, where the bruises were swelling.

"Look, Jim." She caught his attention. "Other women may be happy to know you're willing to fight another man for them. But that isn't me. I know now you have the strength to do that. But your biggest strengths lie everywhere else. You're better than that." She kissed his forehead. He sighed.

"I know. He just...pissed me off."

"I know. He pissed me off too." She was truthfully glad she wasn't there to see their fight. However, she had to put him at ease. Though she hated what he did, she knew that it was ultimately for her, and she would let him know it didn't go unnoticed. "Thank you for standing up for us." She kissed his lips, softly.

"I would do it again." He said.

"I know. Just be smarter about it in the future, Mike Tyson." They chuckled at her little joke.

They went to bed together. Her parents had the kids for the weekend, so they didn't worry about them seeing their father in such a state. Once in bed and undressed. He turned over to her and kissed her neck, before she turned to him and pressed her hand against his chest, smirking at him.

"Not tonight, buster. I'm not a prize you have won after a fight." She teased.

"Aren't you?" He grinned as he kissed her neck.

"Kissing only. And that's it." She moved in to do so. He chuckled against her lips at a realization. "What?" She giggled.

"You're not walking on eggshells anymore." He reminded her. Thinking about it, he was right. They'd had a healthy fight, come to a disagreement on something, and she arguably held her point the entire way without giving him what he wanted. She smiled and cuddled herself up to him comfortably.

"You're right. Thanks Dear Jim." She kissed the bottom of his chin. "Don't think this means you're getting any noogie though."

"Dammit." He laughed as they eventually fell asleep in one anothers embrace.

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"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her. "You bought it with your own money. You already deleted the journal." He propped himself on a sledgehammer.

"Yeah. It just feels right." She had a shovel behind her neck, with both hands on opposite ends. "Plus, I know you like that scene from Ted 2, so. Bonus?" She laughed along with him as they smashed her Ipad over and over again

Jim then started a fire inside their firepit, throwing all the bits and pieces and swept glass into it. After that,they let it burn until it was all ash before collecting the remains of it and throwing it out along with the rest of the trash.

"There, all done." She said as she closed the lid, only to turn back around to see Jim on one knee. "What are you doing?" She smiled nervously and hoped that it was what she was thinking.

"Linda. Almost three years ago, you did the worst possible thing a wife could do. And I've resented you for the longest time. I then divorced you over it. And I don't regret that one bit." Her heart panged at that part. "But as I have come to see you change for the better, and do everything in your power to do so, I'm happy to say that after all that, you've managed to become an entirely different and better person. The best of the Linda I thought I knew, with the best of the one I have now." He smiled as he took out her old wedding ring, along with a new one. "Make me the happiest man alive. Be my wife, Linda, and we can continue to grow together into the future. You, me, and our kids. And whoever and whatever else joins our family." He held it out to her.

"Jim..." She smiled and caressed his cheek as tears ran down her cheeks. This is what she had wanted. What she had worked so hard for and it has paid off because she had put the honest effort through it all. Even if he wasn't down on his knees and never would have either, she would still have remained devoted to him. But this was the best thing ever. "Yes...YES!" She proclaimed as she threw herself onto him, assaulting him with kisses all over his face.

"Forever and ever?" He smiled sweetly at her.

"Forever and ever!" She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him deeply.

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Marc had woken up to the support of his team. Initially this had been a good thing, only for them to break the news to him that his injury would mean he'd never be able to run professionally again. He wasn't paralyzed, but the amount of weight he'd be able to put in his leg was severely limited. Not even being able to teach dancing was in the cards for him. He'd end up as a less than stellar commentator that would eventually eventually lead him to obscurity. He did eventually find a good woman to settle down with. After a few divorces that is.

Dee basked in the spotlight for a while, eventually able to turn her brief encounter with Dave and Marc in the alley into a decent selling novel. She had become somewhat of a hated author, and often ridiculed by others of the same profession, and she did not handle well under scrutiny, but managed to get out of it all relatively unscathed. However, she never was able to reconnect with Linda after Jim showed her the recording. After losing her last and only friend, she decided to use her earnings to leave the state and do some soul searching. Occasionally sending letters and some money to Dave wishing him well, admitting her faults and role in what had happened.

Speaking of, after the incident, he was arrested not twenty minutes after fleeing the scene. He'd ended up serving the amount of prison time deserving of a man who'd committed assault. In prison he'd come across other like minded individuals who viewed women as the bane of their existence as well. Overtime, however, he got tired of being surrounded by such hate. Initially he'd been ripping the letters Dee had sent him, before he ultimately started to read them. His heart broke over what he'd lost and how he ended up. He was eventually let out on good behavior. With little else to do, he used the last of his savings and some of Dee's money to get a dog and a boat. He'd made his own farewell letter to her, wishing her well in her endeavors.

As for Jim and Linda, their family became one once more. Jim would soon become Co-Owner of his company as Linda became the official owner of the bakery she'd been working at. Together, money would never be an issue again. So much so, that they even became volunteer instructors at Loose Ends and became friends with Seymour and Sarina. Both even served as witnesses to their small wedding ceremony at city hall. Both parents stood proudly with Emma and Tommy in their arms, a noticeable bump on Linda's belly, indicating their soon to be arriving third as they posed for their picture. Just as the picture was taken, Jim and Linda got the same idea and turned to kiss each other. Cementing their first kiss as the perfect married couple they worked so hard to become.

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Finally done with these two mfs. I have a soft spot for them, but a writer has to move onto other things. Hope those of you that enjoyed the last one enjoy this one too. Those of you that didn't, hope you enjoy it too and are more satisfied with this one. And to those of you that just hate for hate's sake, stay seething.

But if you're a hate reader and just hate read I just got something to tell you. Go to therapy or go outside and touch grass or something cuz I can't help you.

Now, as much of a dickrider as this makes me sound, I truthfully want to thank GA once more for this story because simply making an open ended story with such a unique premise and permission to do as one pleased opened the floodgates to so much good stuff. KitDeLuca164's being one of them and the one that got me to push myself out the door and take a stab at this story. I've been in love with for nearly two years. It really feels great, but also scary putting this story to a close. Oh well, gotta move on. Have a good one, everybody!

Once more, I hope these songs I used as a playlist to make this story also helps some of you too. And if nothing else, to share a bit of myself in my musical preferences and to just expand other's horizons.

Wicked Games - The Weeknd

Tainted Love - Broken Peach

Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande

I Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash

Perdoname - La Factoria

Love Me Like You - Little Mix

Fuck u Betta - Gabriel Antonio

Love Lock Down - Kanye West

Bridging the Gap - Nas

Dragula - Motionless in White

Me Harto el Pendejo - Los Inquietos del Norte

I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby - 3OH!3

La La Lainey - Forever the Sickest Kids

Everyday Normal Guy 2 - Jon Lajoie

Kill This Love - BLACKPINK