Costing Hearts
Aug. 31st, 2022 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apachefirecatTitle: Costing Hearts
Fandom: Saved by the Bell
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Slater/Jessi
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: This wasn't what they thought their futures would bring.
Word Count: 1,519
Written For: 1 Million Words Torrid Tuesday: Unexpected Stripper and 100 Fandom Hell Fandom #16
Warnings: Future Fic
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
"Come on, Mister B," Slater groused as he reluctantly followed his old Principal and classmate into the bar. "This isn't what real men do!"
Not, he couldn't help reflecting, that they were actually real men. Poor Screech had never been a "real man", and although his mind could give him so many opportunities, he had chosen to stick it out here in Bayside, mainly because he knew, Slater realized, that Belding had no other friends. Screech knew that pain. It was a pain to which Slater, too, was slowly, sorrowfully becoming accustomed. He had never thought he would not be popular, but when you wake up one day and realize that sports is all you have, and you can't quite make the big leagues no matter how hard you try, it's a sad, harsh slap of reality. These two guys were all he had left, too. Sure, he could probably have any woman in this bar, but he didn't want any of them.
He knew who he wanted, who he had always wanted, but he had made certain to send her from this town. He had insisted that she not be held back by him, even breaking up with her to make certain that he never held her back. He had dated many women since her, even came close to marrying one, but none could compare. Oh, he'd had girls hotter than Jessi, but he'd never known anyone else with a mind who could come close to hers -- well, other than Screech, but his brilliance was entirely different.
He looked at the little buddy trotting beside him and wondered how Screech was going to react when he found out that he and Belding had sent some of his work to NASA. It wouldn't have been possible if not for Kevin, the robot friend Screech had built when they had been only children, long before Slater had even came into his life. Screech was unique in many ways, and Belding and Slater had agreed long ago that he should never have his talents have to be squandered in this mediocre town. So what if it was close to LA? Hollywood was not the life for a mind like Samuel Powers', or like Jessica Spano's.
He'd lost track of Jessi while they'd still been in college, and he had done so purposefully. Any day now he expected to see her name emblazoned on the headlines as having cracked some huge case for the government. That was the kind of brain those two had. They didn't deserve to be held back because they chose to love or befriend the wrong people. Slater sighed and signaled the bartender as Belding and Screech made their way through the crowd. It was kind of surprising to see that the little guy had actually finally found a way to hit it off with girls, but even women loved a good brain.
He should have found a way to go with her, he thought, sighing into his beer. He'd never truly been happy since he'd broken away from her, but he had always known that he would only hold her back from all the great things she could accomplish if unhindered by a man, especially a stupid jock. There were tears in Slater's luminous, dark eyes as he sipped his beer, and they only grew as the night went on and the beers poured down his throat.
He lost track of his surroundings. Belding and Screech back to him from time to time, each at various times trying to hook him up, but Slater just didn't feel it tonight. All he could think about was Jessi, just as every truly sweet dream he'd had since high school always centered around her. He would have given anything to stay with her, anything to be able to support her by standing beside her as the old songs went, but that hadn't been the kind of support she'd needed, not from the likes of him. She'd needed him to push her to leave this town, to leave their friends, especially when she'd once considered to attend whatever pathetic college he could attend -- that was actually what had led to him breaking up with her. He couldn't let her drown with a moron like him.
Slater leaned back. He'd wandered throughout the bar a few times, going to the bathroom most of the time and once, rescuing Screech from a near fistfight. He'd wanted the same girl as another guy, but the moment that guy had taken a look at Slater, his muscles ripping in his wife beater, he'd quickly changed his mind and route. He might not be good for much, Slater thought, sniffing, but he'd never let harm befall his friends while he could stop it -- and most of the time, with his muscles, he could.
But if they had been brains... If God had blessed him with the same amount of brains as Screech or as that of the muscles He'd blessed him with, Slater could have gone with her. They could have done anything together, righted any wrong, stopped any mastermind criminal, solved any mystery, created... well, any device. For a moment, Slater found himself wishing they could have created a time traveling machine. To hear Screech tell it, there were all kinds of restraints that would have to go into a functioning time device, but still, if he'd had the means to time travel, he could have gone back and...
What? he thought, his head subconsciously tilting to the side. What would he have done? Messed up Jessi's life? No, it was far better that he was there in this stupid bar in this stupid town, and she was off... What? Throwing the book at the world's worst criminals? Solving mysteries that no one else could? Creating new devices for the government? Finding answers for the Environment and animals that no other Scientist could?
Yup, Slater thought, tossing back another beer, that was the one. That was his Jessi: always seeing to the protection and improvement of the only truly innocent souls left in this bitter, cruel world. That's what she'd be doing! She wouldn't be working for Uncle Sam or any other government; they were all far too corrupt. She'd be risking life, limb, her beautiful brain, and her even more beautiful body to fight for animals and trees who couldn't fight for themselves.
Slater swallowed hard as he suddenly pictured her deep in a rainforest somewhere, standing on top of a thick branch and holding a vine in her hand. She'd see somebody coming to cut down the endangered trees or kill the animals, and she'd swing down to stop them -- but not with violence. Never with violence! Her beautiful mind would stop them, leave them dazzled and scared out of their wits, and would ultimately send them packing behind bars.
Slater sighed and guzzled another beer. He had done the right thing, no matter how hard it hurt.
The neon lights were flashing again. The loud speakers were booming something over the questionable music. He started to move through the crowd again, hoping to find the door, and that's when he felt something bump into him from behind. He whirled around, expecting to have to put down another guy who thought he was younger and, therefore, stronger or perhaps crazier than himself, but instead he was being bumped by a table... And on top of the table was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Long, bare legs kicked over his head before wrapping around the pole as the dancer leaned backwards over her audience. Her long hair fell in a sensational tidal wave before Slater, but it was her face that stopped him and held him completely captive for a full minute. He stared in shock, but then he snapped back to himself and to reality. There was no way Doctor Jessica Spano was dancing in a bar! He'd made damn sure of that! He'd helped Jessi take all the opportunities that she should have been given and run with them, at the cost of his own heart! The woman before him couldn't possibly be Jessi!
He turned and ran, leaving a perplexed Jessi barely holding onto the bar. She heard familiar whistles and looked to see that Belding and Screech were both sorrowfully out of their minds. But she knew who it was that had ran from her, and she knew why. Suddenly embarrassed, Jessi cut her dance short and all but ran from the stage.
"HEY! YOU CAN'T QUIT!"
"I ALREADY HAVE!" she shouted back to her manager as she blindly grabbed her clothes. She'd given up too much, and was too good, to stay in this awful place another night. She'd find another way to pay back her college dues, and she'd find a way to do what she was supposed to be doing, which was saving lives, not sacrificing everything she'd ever held dear in a crummy, sleazy joint. She ran into the night from the back door, never seeing Slater hailing a cab in the front.
The End
Fandom: Saved by the Bell
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Slater/Jessi
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: This wasn't what they thought their futures would bring.
Word Count: 1,519
Written For: 1 Million Words Torrid Tuesday: Unexpected Stripper and 100 Fandom Hell Fandom #16
Warnings: Future Fic
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
"Come on, Mister B," Slater groused as he reluctantly followed his old Principal and classmate into the bar. "This isn't what real men do!"
Not, he couldn't help reflecting, that they were actually real men. Poor Screech had never been a "real man", and although his mind could give him so many opportunities, he had chosen to stick it out here in Bayside, mainly because he knew, Slater realized, that Belding had no other friends. Screech knew that pain. It was a pain to which Slater, too, was slowly, sorrowfully becoming accustomed. He had never thought he would not be popular, but when you wake up one day and realize that sports is all you have, and you can't quite make the big leagues no matter how hard you try, it's a sad, harsh slap of reality. These two guys were all he had left, too. Sure, he could probably have any woman in this bar, but he didn't want any of them.
He knew who he wanted, who he had always wanted, but he had made certain to send her from this town. He had insisted that she not be held back by him, even breaking up with her to make certain that he never held her back. He had dated many women since her, even came close to marrying one, but none could compare. Oh, he'd had girls hotter than Jessi, but he'd never known anyone else with a mind who could come close to hers -- well, other than Screech, but his brilliance was entirely different.
He looked at the little buddy trotting beside him and wondered how Screech was going to react when he found out that he and Belding had sent some of his work to NASA. It wouldn't have been possible if not for Kevin, the robot friend Screech had built when they had been only children, long before Slater had even came into his life. Screech was unique in many ways, and Belding and Slater had agreed long ago that he should never have his talents have to be squandered in this mediocre town. So what if it was close to LA? Hollywood was not the life for a mind like Samuel Powers', or like Jessica Spano's.
He'd lost track of Jessi while they'd still been in college, and he had done so purposefully. Any day now he expected to see her name emblazoned on the headlines as having cracked some huge case for the government. That was the kind of brain those two had. They didn't deserve to be held back because they chose to love or befriend the wrong people. Slater sighed and signaled the bartender as Belding and Screech made their way through the crowd. It was kind of surprising to see that the little guy had actually finally found a way to hit it off with girls, but even women loved a good brain.
He should have found a way to go with her, he thought, sighing into his beer. He'd never truly been happy since he'd broken away from her, but he had always known that he would only hold her back from all the great things she could accomplish if unhindered by a man, especially a stupid jock. There were tears in Slater's luminous, dark eyes as he sipped his beer, and they only grew as the night went on and the beers poured down his throat.
He lost track of his surroundings. Belding and Screech back to him from time to time, each at various times trying to hook him up, but Slater just didn't feel it tonight. All he could think about was Jessi, just as every truly sweet dream he'd had since high school always centered around her. He would have given anything to stay with her, anything to be able to support her by standing beside her as the old songs went, but that hadn't been the kind of support she'd needed, not from the likes of him. She'd needed him to push her to leave this town, to leave their friends, especially when she'd once considered to attend whatever pathetic college he could attend -- that was actually what had led to him breaking up with her. He couldn't let her drown with a moron like him.
Slater leaned back. He'd wandered throughout the bar a few times, going to the bathroom most of the time and once, rescuing Screech from a near fistfight. He'd wanted the same girl as another guy, but the moment that guy had taken a look at Slater, his muscles ripping in his wife beater, he'd quickly changed his mind and route. He might not be good for much, Slater thought, sniffing, but he'd never let harm befall his friends while he could stop it -- and most of the time, with his muscles, he could.
But if they had been brains... If God had blessed him with the same amount of brains as Screech or as that of the muscles He'd blessed him with, Slater could have gone with her. They could have done anything together, righted any wrong, stopped any mastermind criminal, solved any mystery, created... well, any device. For a moment, Slater found himself wishing they could have created a time traveling machine. To hear Screech tell it, there were all kinds of restraints that would have to go into a functioning time device, but still, if he'd had the means to time travel, he could have gone back and...
What? he thought, his head subconsciously tilting to the side. What would he have done? Messed up Jessi's life? No, it was far better that he was there in this stupid bar in this stupid town, and she was off... What? Throwing the book at the world's worst criminals? Solving mysteries that no one else could? Creating new devices for the government? Finding answers for the Environment and animals that no other Scientist could?
Yup, Slater thought, tossing back another beer, that was the one. That was his Jessi: always seeing to the protection and improvement of the only truly innocent souls left in this bitter, cruel world. That's what she'd be doing! She wouldn't be working for Uncle Sam or any other government; they were all far too corrupt. She'd be risking life, limb, her beautiful brain, and her even more beautiful body to fight for animals and trees who couldn't fight for themselves.
Slater swallowed hard as he suddenly pictured her deep in a rainforest somewhere, standing on top of a thick branch and holding a vine in her hand. She'd see somebody coming to cut down the endangered trees or kill the animals, and she'd swing down to stop them -- but not with violence. Never with violence! Her beautiful mind would stop them, leave them dazzled and scared out of their wits, and would ultimately send them packing behind bars.
Slater sighed and guzzled another beer. He had done the right thing, no matter how hard it hurt.
The neon lights were flashing again. The loud speakers were booming something over the questionable music. He started to move through the crowd again, hoping to find the door, and that's when he felt something bump into him from behind. He whirled around, expecting to have to put down another guy who thought he was younger and, therefore, stronger or perhaps crazier than himself, but instead he was being bumped by a table... And on top of the table was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Long, bare legs kicked over his head before wrapping around the pole as the dancer leaned backwards over her audience. Her long hair fell in a sensational tidal wave before Slater, but it was her face that stopped him and held him completely captive for a full minute. He stared in shock, but then he snapped back to himself and to reality. There was no way Doctor Jessica Spano was dancing in a bar! He'd made damn sure of that! He'd helped Jessi take all the opportunities that she should have been given and run with them, at the cost of his own heart! The woman before him couldn't possibly be Jessi!
He turned and ran, leaving a perplexed Jessi barely holding onto the bar. She heard familiar whistles and looked to see that Belding and Screech were both sorrowfully out of their minds. But she knew who it was that had ran from her, and she knew why. Suddenly embarrassed, Jessi cut her dance short and all but ran from the stage.
"HEY! YOU CAN'T QUIT!"
"I ALREADY HAVE!" she shouted back to her manager as she blindly grabbed her clothes. She'd given up too much, and was too good, to stay in this awful place another night. She'd find another way to pay back her college dues, and she'd find a way to do what she was supposed to be doing, which was saving lives, not sacrificing everything she'd ever held dear in a crummy, sleazy joint. She ran into the night from the back door, never seeing Slater hailing a cab in the front.
The End
