12 October, 2014
The Return

Adelaide's flight had just landed at the LA airport and she felt emptier than ever. Half of the filming for Season 3 of Reign was done and when she would return back on sets, she'd be alone. Toby and Torrance wouldn't be returning for Season 4 and all their scenes for Season 3 had already been filmed in the past two months. So when Adelaide would return to sets in January, she wouldn't have her buddies beside her, the people she had started the show with, the trio wouldn't be there. It would be just her. The only consolation she had was that she would still have Rachie and Megan there, at least.

If that wasn't enough reason for her to be disheartened, the internet was being cruel about this article that a news outlet had published two days ago except for her one-sided texts to Joseph and conversation with Daniel, Adelaide had been avoiding all other calls and texts because she couldn't find it within herself to lie to everyone about how she was 'fine'. Besides, all her friends would be able to see right through her anyway.

As her and Rachel grab their luggage and walk towards the same terminal she had left him on, Adelaide finds herself reminiscing how he had promised saying, "promise I'll be right where we said goodbye when you come back, waiting for you." Adelaide plays with her snowflake necklace that she hadn't taken off even once since he had given it to her, and she catches a part of herself still holding onto hope that when she'd walk out of these doors, he'd be there waiting for her with a big smile on his face.

But alas, as soon as the automated doors open and the LA warmth brings her to reality, it's as though the winds were whispering to her about how he wasn't here. He had promised and yet, he wasn't here. And it was her fault. Just like she always did, she ruined this too.

"Heyy, there you are," Daniel's voice echoes through as she turns around to see him walking over to her and wrapping her into a tight hug, "welcome back home! We missed you."

"I miss you guys too," she mumbles as they break away from the hug, "where's Lottie and Rachel?" she asks while looking around, trying to find them.

"Oh yeah, about that. Lottie came down with a fever last night so they had to stay back," he replies as Adelaide's eyes widen in shock.

"What? Why didn't you tell me? Dan, you don't need to be here-"

"I know," he cuts her off, "but I want to be here. So, let's get these bags in the car and grab lunch, hmm? Oh, welcome back to you too, Rachie," he greets as they haul the bags to his car's trunk before driving off.

༆☼︎☾︎ꨄ︎☽︎☼︎༆

Lunch
6:00 PM

"Oh, would you stop sulking for one second?" Rachel snaps as her and Daniel continue to gossip but Adelaide stays quiet the entire time.

"Yes, it's freaking depressing," Daniel agrees.

"Well, I'm sorry if my misery isn't entertaining enough for you," Adelaide quips sarcastically as Daniel sighs.

"Is this about him?" he asks as Rachel rolls her eyes, "of course, it's about him. It's all been about him for the past two months," she says as Adelaide shoves her in frustration.

"What?" Rachel goes on, "it's true. The first three days, she came into my room every night and cried because of how much she missed him. And then she'd cry whenever they missed their scheduled calls due to the time zone issues. And of course, the classic 'why didn't I tell him I love him?' cry. All for this asshole to now ignore her," Rachel rants as Daniel chokes on his wine at her words.

"Wait wait, back up," he coughs, "you love him?"

"Like that wasn't obvious," Rachel states as Adelaide glares at her.

"I do, of course I do," Adelaide admits, "and I realized the night before I left."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HIM?" Daniel yells out in frustration as the other customers glare at them.

"I...I wanted it to be special when I told him. Dinner, flowers, wine- you know, all that jazz," Adelaide sighs, "but it doesn't matter anymore. I messed up."

"No, you didn't," Daniel whisper-yells, "you're both such big doofuses, I...he loves you, Addy. He loves you more than anything. I talked to him last night, okay?"

"Is he alright?" Adelaide interrupts, causing Daniel to shush her.

"He's as good as ever," Daniel chimes sarcastically, "no, he's miserable. Holed up in his house, getting day-drunk and shit. I bet he smells of alcohol even. Anyway, the point is- JoMo is paranoid. He read this shitty article and he thinks you've fallen back in love with Toby and that's why he's been distancing himself from you. He's scared of hearing it from your mouth so his solution is to just ignore you until he can't anymore."

"W-what? Why would I fall back in love with Toby?" Adelaide frowns in confusion and sorrow.

"Because of the article that said you were getting cozy with blondie and it also called Joseph a rebound," Daniel answers, "honestly, I'm pretty glad you haven't read it. Please don't."

"But...I, I was out with Toby and Torrance because we were saying goodbye to our trio," she explains.

"What goodbye?"

"Toby and Torr aren't coming back for Season 4," Adelaide answers as Daniel gasps in surprise, "and it's confidential news," she reminds him as he nods.

"So they're finally killing off Francis?" he asks as Adelaide glares at him and Rachel laughs at his words.

"Okay no," Daniel shakes his head vigorously, "that doesn't matter. What matters is you and JoMo need to talk and confess and make up, make love whatever. Just tell each other!"

"He's right, Addy," Rachel agrees, "if you really love him, you can't just give up on him when he's never given up on you and waited for you for all these years."

"How do I tell him if he doesn't even answer my calls or texts?" Adelaide groans.

"Show up at his place, dummy!" Daniel exclaims again, "have you not learned anything from romance movies?"

"You sure about this?"

"Do you love him or not?" Rachel quizzes in a frustrated tone.

"Of course I do," Adelaide answers immediately and without hesitation.

Daniel slaps her arm in excitement, pulling her to her feet and out of the restaurant as Rachel pays and follows them out.

"Then get in this car, drive to his place and tell him that!" Daniel instructs while shoving the car keys into her hand and opening the driver's door open for her to get in.

"But what about you guys?" she asks in hesitation.

"We'll find a way home," Rachel assures, "this is more important. Now go!"

Adelaide slowly nods with a smile as she gets in the car and Daniel shuts the door after her. And then, she drives off in a flash, on her way to her lover's place. Her best friend, confidant...the person she was in love with. 'It was him. It's always been him,' she thinks to herself and suddenly, she had the perfect gesture in mind for how to confess her love to him. But he needed resources. So, Adelaide takes a retour to come up with the perfect confession before she drove to his place.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Rachel get themselves an Uber to get home.

"Man, I feel like the gay best friend  in the movies that talks sense into the oblivious couple and gets them together," Daniel grins as Rachel laughs at his words.

"Except you have a wife and daughter waiting for you at home. But regardless, we are those friends, though. I hope everything works out for them," she sighs as Daniel nods in agreement.

"The others are going to be so pissed they missed this," Rachel speaks after a while as Daniel shrugs.

"You snooze, you lose. It's the beauty of cinema that there's always going to be some regrets. Not for us or the hopefully happy couple, though," he retorts as Rachel agrees.

"How do you think she's going to start her speech?" she then asks.

"I don't know...walk up to him and say 'Hello, I Love You' and then they kiss and make up?" Daniel suggests as Rachel laughs again.

"Knowing Addy, she's going to make it big," Rachel states.

"Well, whatever she does and however she does it, I'm just hoping it ends well for these two. They're meant for each other," Daniel answers as the two continue to manifest a perfect ending for them- Joselaide.

Author's Note

I think that's enough slow-burning, don't you? ;)