Name: Mine Again

Rating: PG

Summary: Abby was forbidden from seeing him ever again, because their love is what legend is made out of; a love that transcends time. Her parents do not approve and never will, she fears. Her thoughts are filled daily with him. What happens when she sees him again, never expecting how it came to part?

A/N: This is based off a dream about a man that I once loved. And it’s a songfic to Mariah Carey’s new song, Mine Again.

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Everything on the table was color-coordinated.

Abby Finch fumbled with the delicate china plates gripped in her hands, gently setting them in the correct place on the vanity table but cringing each time the pieces clinked together. The Christmas plates, with snow-covered scenes painted on them, nicked with the others items on the table—including glass champagne glasses and utensils—every time she set them in between the others. The tablecloth underneath the china was red silk with threaded patterns while the napkins were green, matching the festive colors of the season. The glasses, purely crystallized, had small charm ringlets attached to the neck of the glass, a trick that told everyone where to sit. Two tables had been fit together in the vast dining room so the table could hold twelve chairs, as Abby had counted a second ago when given the task of setting the table.

Christmas music played from the stereo, just softly peaking over the hushed chatter that was a Christmas Eve socialite party. Everyone that had confirmed his or her presence early was accounted for. Abby glanced up as she was straightening a set of silverware on the other side of the table when an elder woman, her longtime neighbor, bid good evening to her. She smiled politely then retreated back into the kitchen, leaning briefly against the bar as her older cousin rushed out with her fiancé.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Abby offered, inching closer to her mother bent over the oven, getting last preparations done before dinner was to be served at eight.

Her mother looked at her, skimming Abby up and down, then pursed her lips together in thought. This once a year event was important to her, so Abby knew better than to do something without her approval. Abby winced at the thought of that word, approval; it had gotten her into trouble not long ago.

Mrs. Finch finally spoke, drawing something out of the oven, a rush of heat spilling into the kitchen. "You’re dressed, so then no." she commented, indicating her appearance in black pants and red halter top with a rippling V-neck and open back. "Before you go up to your room at least make an effort to mingle on your way up."

Abby rolled her eyes and nodded. She poured herself a glass of Dr. Pepper, for the younger people at the forced party, then swayed herself out of the room, into the large throng of adults crowded in the living room. She maneuvered around all the people, stopping at each patch to make her appearance and talk a moment before continuing. She had to attend enough of these type dinners to know how to work them, and they were supposed be to handled, in their routine. Every family member of the people responsible for the get together were to show their face at least once before dinner, no matter whether you wanted to be there or not.

She moved away from her present group and let her eyes rove over all the groups, searching for something more interesting. A young man cornered in a discussion, a pretty blond college guy, caught her eye. He looked over, flashing a smile, and she couldn’t help but smile softly at him, her fingers fingering the chain choker around her neck. Her fingers trailed down the smooth skin of her neck, looking her best to attract his attention longer. She smiled at him again before flipping her hair and elegantly striding up the stairs, motioning at a few people as she went up.

She moved immediately into her room, looking across the hall into her brother’s room, before clicking the heavy door shut. She set her glass down, untouched, and collapsed in her chair at her desk. She checked her e-mail, insects beginning to crawl in her stomach when she saw she had one new message. His face appeared in her head in that moment. She clicked on the message, taking a breath. The name of her best friend was displayed in bold black letters. She slumped back in her chair, disappointed, and read the five simple words: Be there in five minutes.

She grabbed her stereo’s remote and turned it on, switching from radio to CD. She flipped through three of the songs on Mariah Carey’s new CD then settled on song number four, her favorite and most appropriate in her situation.

Abby’s eyes ventured over to the framed photo sitting on her nightstand, free of dust and perfectly clean. Tears filled the rims of her eyes at the very sight of his face. Her hands covered her face as she thought back to everything that had happened to get her in such a bad attitude. This song was very dear to her heart because, in her mind, it was their song. Their, being herself and him, Logan. She thought she had met an angel when she first saw him. He was everything a then insecure Abby needed; he was secure, protective, sweet, compassionate…and three years older than her. The age difference never mattered to her, no matter how far in their relationship they got, but her family had a different view on that.

"He’s too old." they all complained more they saw him and talked to him. Not one person in her family could stand him; they had this persona dressed up about him, that he was a pervert looking for a young woman, that he was playing her. Abby thought about it and she knew she had been the one playing games. When their romantic relationship was new, she had found her confidence and she was suddenly safe from no one. She cheated on him once, with a wrestler. She had cried after she’d done it, in fear that he would never forgive her and would dump her at any second; she was already in love with him and she knew well she wanted him forever. But he never took that action. He forgave her instantly and their love had strengthened from there. Nothing could come between them.

For a year they were inseparable, quietly working through their fights and differences. A year after he graduated high school and went off to college, they decided they were going to marry when she graduated. She was more than ecstatic, but she had to keep her excitement concealed from her family. She knew what they would do. They worked out the plans in secret for a while until it was figured out. Unfortunately, their secret was spilled out through the mouth of her tattling older sister who was jealous of her little sibling.

It was a month later and yet no word from Logan. For weeks after the incident, Abby prayed she would get to see him, or at least hear his voice, but when another day went by with her prayer unanswered, she’d lie in her bed and cried herself to sleep. She became mute around her whole family, firmly intent on never speaking to her family again. They had caused her enough grief and pain that she couldn’t bear anymore from them. They tried everyday to get her to talk, but she never dared respond to them. She only talked when absolutely necessary. She would only talk to her best friend about it, who willingly listened and became a shoulder to cry on; truth was, she had utterly liked Logan.

There was a knock on the door. Abby wiped away the lingering tears and granted the person entrance, making her voice as stiff as possible. The door creaked open, revealing her best friend—Kimmy—leaning on the doorframe.

Kimmy tried to smile. "Hey chick." she muttered.

Kimmy closed the door and paced the room, offering no words of sympathy for the girl who lost her love. "Heard anything from him?"

Abby shot a look of stupidity at her. "What do you think? It’s been a month…if he hasn’t before now, he won’t."

Kimmy shrugged and walked around the long room, looking at pictures and the DVD’s piled on the dresser. Her hands found a small red and green origami rose sitting on the nightstand, beside the picture of Abby and Logan beaming happily at the camera in each other’s arms. Kimmy picked up the paper flower and twirled it in her fingers, holding it up to show Abby.

"Where’d you get this?" Kimmy asked.

Abby looked up and saw the rose. She smiled, remembering the occasion that the flower was for. "Logan made it. The first Valentine’s Day we were together."

Kimmy smiled. "It’s cute. Sweet." She put the rose in its place and spun on her heel. "So, this party’s a dud, huh?"

Abby laughed. "Yeah, tell me about it."

Before she could launch into a rant about all that had to be done for this party and the results that would come out of it as always, the intercom in her room, attached to the one downstairs, buzzed and a feminine voice came on. "Abigail, darling, there’s someone downstairs here to see you." Mrs. Finch commented.

Abby rolled her eyes and stood, abandoning her glass, heading to the door. She grabbed Kimmy’s hand, determined to not be left alone downstairs, and the two skipped down the stairs, laughing and talking to each other. Abby looked around and saw Brooke at the front door, leg hiked back as she talked to a handsome blond man waiting by the door. Abby rolled her eyes, disgusted with her older sister’s set of examples, when the man looked up and smiled at her. Abby halted at the bottom of the stairs.

Her stomach dropped and her heart skipped a beat before speeding up. Standing back in her life, beaming at her, was Logan.

No, no it ain't over yet
I just can't accept the possibility
We were made for each other's arms
I know you're my destiny
We can't erase what was meant to be
Part of you and part of me
If we try one more time
Maybe somehow we'll survive

Everyone else in the room seemed to disappear as Abby ran forward and launched herself into Logan’s arms. Tears came to her eyes immediately as she held Logan tightly, arms clamped on the back of his neck. His arms wound around her waist, pressing her to him, breathing in her scent that he’s missed so much. Gathering herself, Abby stood back and gazed up at Logan, stroking the side of his face. Logan cupped her face and wiped away the tears, making her laugh and beam.

"What are you doing here?" Abby asked.

Logan smiled and opened his mouth to reply, when Brooke jumped in. "I invited him."

Abby turned in Logan’s arms and gawked at her sister. "You did that?"

"I hear you every night, you know. You cry every night and it breaks my heart. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I caused that large amount of pain. I’m so sorry." Brooke explained, covering her mouth in the end to muffle a sob.

Abby tilted her head and embraced Brooke, whispering a ‘thank-you.’ The two sisters laughed at each other, each happy, then Abby hugged Logan again. "I missed you so much." Abby confessed against Logan’s neck.

"Oh, baby, you have no idea." Logan said, laying a kiss in her hair.

Kimmy shouted Abby’s name and the couple parted to look at her. Kimmy’s eyes lifted to the mistletoe over their heads. They both chuckled and gazed at each other. Logan hooked Abby’s chin and drew her towards him, capturing her lips in a long-awaited kiss. Abby heard the heaven’s themselves singing.

Logan parted first. He blushed and took Abby’s hand in his own, setting the present in his hand down under the tree, then led her through the house, towards the back door. Once safely outside, hidden away from all the eyes, he twirled Abby under his arm then kissed her again with more power, enveloping her in his arms. He folded his jacket around her to keep her warm and tugged on her lip with his tongue when they parted. He sat in the lawn chair on the deck and pulled Abby into his lap, holding her.

Abby rested her head on his shoulder, gazing up at the stars above them. "Hey Ab?" Logan breathed. Abby moaned. "Still want to get married?"

Abby smiled against Logan’s shirt, cuddling closer to his warm body, and continued to watch the stars. The Gods really do answer prayers, she thought blissfully.