AN: Double update!

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The plane landed in London in the early morning. hours, and they were whisked off to their hotel, where MJ fell into another bed, alone this time, and slept another few hours. She woke up to the sounds of people talking, and the clinking of cutlery. It was nearly noon.

She took a quick shower in her en suite bathroom, and went out to see who Heath was talking to. The suite he'd booked for them was beautiful, spacious, and just the right combination of the modern and the old-fashioned.

She entered the main living area, her nose picking up the smells of breakfast, tea and coffee. She could see a woman with long, brown hair sitting with Heath. They were eating, and talking a mile a minute.

"There she is," Heath said with a smile, rising and gesturing MJ over.

MJ moved to where Heath was standing, taking his hand to face the woman.

"MJ--erm--Jave-jujubee, this is my sister, Penelope, known to one and all as Poppy," Heath said with a grin.

"Hello, I'm MJ Jassemolada," MJ said with a smile, reaching out to grasp Heath's sister's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Hi," Poppy replied, taking her seat again, looking at MJ out of her brother's dark blue eyes.

"Idiot," she said to her brother.

Heath made a face at his sister. "It's difficult to remember," he explained.

MJ sat, and Heath poured her a cup of coffee as Poppy gestured to the food on the table.

"Please, fill your plate," she said, and MJ nodded and did so.

"I'm so sorry we're meeting under these circumstances," MJ said.

"Yeah, it's absolutely awful," Poppy agreed. "I couldn't believe it when I started getting notifications about it yesterday. I was going to go with Heath Michael tomorrow, but he has you, so I'll stay away, I think."

"No, no, please, you should go," MJ said, putting her coffee cup down. "You're his family, you're much more important than me!"

But Poppy was shaking her head. "Absolutely not, MJ. I really didn't know him, I was just a child, you know? I'd be going just for moral support for Heath Michael, so he wouldn't be alone. He brought you with him, from half way round the world, specifically for that purpose, so I'm definitely not needed, which is just fine." She looked from her brother to MJ and nodded, as if it were decided.

"I can, however, accompany you to go shopping for your dress, what do you think?" She looked at MJ for her opinion. "I'm sure I know more about dress shopping than idiot over there, and probably more about what looks better as well, you know?"

"Hey, shut it, you brat," Heath said to his sister. "I happen to know quite a bit about women's fashion, I'll have you know," he huffed, very offended.

"Yeah, well, we'll be looking at more than ladies' knickers, so probably not," Poppy returned.

MJ was getting so embarrassed at the turn the conversation had taken that she was finding it hard to eat. She knew she was getting all blotchy, and she could feel herself starting to sweat.

Poppy, however, was obviously feeling fine as she smirked at her brother and took a sip of her tea.

Why didn't Heath say anything? Why didn't he correct the misunderstanding that was out there?

But he didn't, he just laughed at MJ and his sister, and took an absolutely huge bite of toast.

"We can go as soon as you've finished eating, if you like? Will that suit you, or are you still tired and jet-lagged and that?" Poppy asked.

"No, I'm fine, I can go whenever is best for you," MJ replied.

So half an hour later found MJ in a car with Poppy, sitting in London traffic, headed out to shop for a dress, and whatever accoutrements would be needed to go with it.

"I don't know if you realize," MJ began without preamble. "But your brother and I aren't dating or anything." MJ was almost fainting from nervousness, drawing many deep breaths. She had to get this said immediately.

Poppy just looked at her.

"You know, what you said earlier about the women's underwear?" MJ continued, wanting to die. "About your brother and shopping for knickers or whatever? Heath and I would never, ever, go shopping for lingerie together. I mean, can you imagine him wanting to see me in my underwear?"

Poppy continued to stare at her.

Oh, god.

"He's Heath Spencer," MJ said, though it should've been obvious. "And I look like, well, this." She gestured to herself. MJ rolled her eyes. "He's dated Meredith Renner, you know?" MJ contemplated opening the car door and just jumping out into the street.

"Meredith wears things called 'teddies,' whereas I wear things that would be called 'grizzlies,' if they even made them in my size, which they probably don't." MJ tried a little laugh, but Poppy didn't join in.

"I have a huge behind, have you noticed?" MJ tried. "And thighs? I jiggle when I run?" She couldn't believe she was saying these things to someone she'd just met. She put it down to nervousness over the shopping that was coming up. "Heath would never want to be involved with someone who looked like me, you know?"

"Have you quite finished?" Poppy finally said, her tone cold.

MJ nodded, defeated.

"So first of all, I want to ask who you're talking about?" Poppy asked, tilting her head to the side, looking a lot like Heath, actually. MJ could tell no response was required of her.

The car inched forward a little bit.

"Because you couldn't possibly be talking about Heath Michael," Poppy went on, shaking her head, brown hair swishing. Poppy leaned forward, putting a hand on MJ's leg for emphasis. "MJ, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've got quite a bit going on, derriere-wise myself, you know? And I used to cry about it. And it was my big brother who told me that I had to learn to love myself just as I was, including my arse, and that anyone else who couldn't wasn't worth one second of my time."

Poppy leaned back. "Oh, I know how he chased anything in a skirt when he was first in The Jacks, believe me, I remember. But he got over it. And since then, he's kept his private life to himself, and he's dated real women, who look like real women!

"I'm not saying you have to date Heath Michael, MJ. I'm not even saying you have to like him. I'm just saying don't you dare eliminate him because of faults you perceive within yourself, do you hear me?" She poked MJ in the chest to emphasize her words.

MJ nodded wordlessly, and Poppy nodded back, satisfied.

"Ace. Now let's get a stunning black dress that'll have his eyes out on stalks for this horrible, sad, funeral, okay?"

They entered the first store, with MJ feeling she'd been put in her place.

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Shopping with Poppy turned out to be okay. It couldn't exactly be called "fun," because they never forgot that they were shopping for a dress to wear to a twenty-four year old boy's funeral. But Poppy was knowledgeable without being overbearing, and critical without being judgmental, and in the end they found a dress that somehow made MJ look nice without making her ass look huge and didn't make her look like a grandma. They got her tights and flats to go with it.

The only cross words of the day came when it was time to pay. Apparently, Heath had told Poppy not to let MJ pay for it, which MJ thought was ridiculous.

"No, MJ, you only need these things to accompany my brother to this funeral, of course he's going to pay, so be quiet, please," Poppy said in her bossiest voice, which was pretty bossy. "People are starting to stare!" Poppy hissed, knowing this would stop MJ, which it did.

She stood back and let Poppy pay finally, looking daggers at her as she did.

Poppy just stared back, cocking her eyebrow, looking so much like her brother that it kind of freaked MJ out.

They went back to the hotel to meet Heath for tea, which they had at the hotel. They were nearly finished when MJ's phone pinged with a text from Meredith.

"Oh god, what should I do?"

"She said she didn't want to see you or hear from you until Rome, which is three days away," Heath said, putting a hand on MJ's arm. "I say you take the stroppy cow at her word and ignore her until then."

"Really?"

"Oh god, MJ, you poor thing, your eyes are the size of saucers," Heath said with a little laugh. "Yes, really, I think it's best for all involved."

"Do you think she knows I'm here? With you?"

Heath considered. "The only person on the tour who knows is Sally, and I'm sure she wouldn't tell, so the only way she could find out would be if someone posted photographs of us, which I really don't think has happened yet, so no," he concluded, bopping her nose with his fingertip.

MJ resolutely didn't look at her phone.

They said goodbye to Poppy in the lobby.

"Not for too long, though," Heath said. "When the tour comes to London, I had plans to see the whole family, including my ugly and dull-witted sister here, so you'll have to suffer through another visit with her then, I'm sorry to say.

"Goodbye, brat," he said fondly.

"Bye, wanker," she replied.

When they got up to the suite, MJ was going to go into her room, but Heath stopped her.

"I want to talk to you," he said.

MJ looked at him.

"You told my sister that we, that is to say, you and I, aren't--erm--dating? Seeing each other? Involved? Rom--"

"I know what you mean," MJ interrupted with a laugh.

"Oh, thank god," Heath said, making a show of wiping his brow.

He pulled her to the sofa so they were sitting side by side.

"So?" he continued.

"So what?" MJ asked. "We aren't, are we? All we did was kiss once. That doesn't mean anything, does it?"

Heath put a hand over his heart. "Well, it might not to you, MJ, but it means a great deal to me," Heath said with a smile. "Contrary to popular belief, Heath Spencer does not run around kissing random girls, you know?"

MJ smiled, and nudged his shoulder. "I know that. I just didn't want to presume anything, you know?"

"No no, please, be as presumptuous as you like," Heath assured her.

MJ laughed. "What do you want me to presume, exactly?"

Heath pulled her so they were both lying down on the couch. He put his arms around her, and they moved around, getting comfortable.

"Please presume that I like you, MJ Jasse-bougainvillea," he said.

MJ laughed.

"My god, MJ, your skin is absolutely beautiful," Heath murmured, running a finger across her brow and down her cheek. "Have you ever had a spot in your life?"

MJ thought for a moment. "Oh, you mean acne? Zits?" She shook her head. "Actually, no. That was the one scourge of being a teenager that skipped me. I had braces, glasses, all that, but no pimples, amazingly enough.

"Why, did you?" she asked, her voice soft.

Heath nodded. "Not too bad, but bad enough," he murmured.

MJ swallowed. "Look, Heath Michael Spencer, you're going to have to cut me a little slack over here, okay? It's going to take me a little time to adjust to all of this."

"All of what?"

"This whole 'you liking me' thing."

"Why is it so hard for you to believe?" Heath's voice held only curiosity.

MJ considered.

"Okay. I guess I could believe that you like me, like who I am. It might sound egotistical, but whatever. I'm smart, I'm funny, I'm nice, we have common interests, like music or whatever, so okay, I can buy that. But--" she hesitated.

"But what?"

"Are you saying you're attracted to me? Physically?"

MJ swallowed.

"I am."

MJ let out a deep breath.

"How? How can that be?" MJ's voice held many emotions; curiosity, anguish, anger, resentment, to name but a few. "I'm ugly, I'm fat, I've been told that all my life, Heath, by everyone!"

Now Heath let out a deep breath. "Okay. I'm not going to lie, and tell you I was blown away the moment I saw you, okay? But the more I got to know you, the more attracted to you I became. Your smile, the little dimple that pops, just there--" and he broke off and touched her face. "Your lovely, huge eyes, with the eyelashes that curl so beautifully, the arch of your brows, your perfect skin, like I was just saying."  He smiled at her.

"And your arms are so graceful when you play your guitar, and they're the same beautiful color as the rest of you. And your hair smells marvelous, like flowers and grass--"he leaned in to smell it, and pulled back. "So we're getting into dangerous territory here, you want me to continue?"

MJ bit her lip, and nodded, smiling.

Heath began to smile as well.

"Here we go, then. I've never seen them, but the shape of your body under your clothes is absolutely lovely. Your breasts are perfectly round, always, and sway just a little when you walk, and I'm dying to see what they look like--" he ran his hand down her side, letting his fingers trail very close to the body parts in question. And your bum is just round, bubbly perfection as far as I'm concerned--"

MJ interrupted him with a snort.

"Hey! Stop that!" Heath chastised. "You wanted this, so let me finish." He ran his hand down her back, until his hand was resting at the base of her spine. "Like I was saying, bubbly perfection, just right in every way." He looked into MJ's eyes and nodded.

"So, there you have it. We haven't even covered your legs yet. Of course, I can't really talk about your body, because I haven't really seen it, so we'll have to have this discussion again after I've seen you in the altogether, I think."

MJ's eyes widened. Just the thought of Heath seeing her "in the altogether" was enough to make her feel like she was going to throw up.

"But for today I'll settle for just kissing you for a little bit?" he said, his voice getting soft as his eyebrows rose. "And maybe just cuddling you a bit?"

"That sounds really, really nice," MJ said, closing her eyes and leaning into Heath.

He lifted his hand, pressing the back of her head into his as he pulled her closer, saying an anticipatory "yum," as he kissed her.

MJ found out that afternoon what it felt like to have a man's hardness pressed against her, and she found she liked it.

She found she enjoyed kissing someone until she was so out of breath she thought she was going to faint.

And after mere minutes, she found herself wishing she weren't wearing so many clothes.

And, even though they were in London on this somber errand, she realized that what they were doing was maybe an antidote to that, a way to chase away the darkness, even if it were just for a little while.

Here, Heath, have this, have me, let's affirm life together on this dark and dismal day.

And he did, as he held her and kissed her and cuddled her.