Homecoming [Savannah; ASK]

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

Home.

Or, rather, as close to home as he was probably going to get. Jasper was finally back in New Orleans, having finished his various overseas tours. The military had a way with dragging you all over the world, except to the places you actually wanted to be. And that was just as an enlisted rank! Since he'd become an officer, it seemed like he was always jumping all over the globe; he never even got to see any of the sights.

But now his "official" military days were over. On paper, he was a former Navy Seal now, but that didn't mean he was down and out. Instead, he was part of something different now, something that didn't exactly leave a paper trail.

It had been a rare opportunity, something that was just way too good for Jasper to pass up. And plus, how many secret operations had you stationed in your hometown? That was a bonus.

And now that he was home, that meant visiting a couple of people from his long lost past. Well, maybe not that long lost, considering how he had just talked to her last week. Of course, he hadn't mentioned coming back to Louisiana; that was a surprise. Which was, of course, why he was standing in front of her house looking like a complete and utter idiot.

Sucking in a deep breath, Jasper forced his reluctant feet forward, and strode up to the house slowly. It was been years since he'd physically seen Savannah, even though they had kept it touch through various methods. He'd known her always all his life, and she was his closest friend. The military might be able to break a lot of things, but it had never been able to break the bond they'd always shared.

The house looked almost exactly as he remembered it. To think, so many memories of his past were invested here, so many emotions. Just thinking about it made him nostalgic.

He knew if he didn't knock now, he'd never sum up the courage to do it later. So, after taking another cleansing sigh, Jasper rapped his knuckles on the door softly, mentally preparing himself for the shock.

And then the door opened, and he said the first thing that came to mind. "Surprise?"

[Savannah Stephens]

This is my life, it's not what it was before
All these feelings I've shared
And these are my dreams
That I'd never lived before
Somebody shake me
'Cause I, I must be sleeping

(since I'm a dork, I stayed with the Staind theme)

Savannah was relaxing, enjoying a quiet day at home. She was currently stretched out on the couch with a Dr. Pepper, a large bag of peanut M&M's, a magazine and her iPod. There was absolutely no plan for the day. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, she had on a pink tank top that said 'Princess' in blue letters, ratty old blue jeans and she was barefoot. She lay there with her feet crossed and propped up on one end of the couch, one foot tapping out the beat of the song that was playing.

Suddenly her foot stopped moving and she brought the magazine down to rest on her stomach as she thought she heard someone knocking at the door. She frowned slightly, she wasn't expecting anyone today. Probably a stupid salesperson or someone going door to door trying to 'save her soul' or something.

With a sigh and a bit of a grumble she set the magazine and the M&M's down on the coffee table next to the bottle of Dr. Pepper and reluctantly got up. She moved to the door, preparing herself to brush off whoever was there, wanting to just get back to her day of doing nothing.

Opening the door, she pulled out one of the ear-buds at the same time. She was just about to speak when she looked up and saw the person standing there and her mouth dropped open.

"Surprise?"

The voice and the man standing there were as familiar to her as her own family. Maybe even more so.

After a slight delay due to shock, she squealed in delight and a little gust of wind swirled up around them. Savannah practically threw herself at him. Jumping up and wrapping her arms and legs around him, hugging him as tightly as she could manage.

"JAZZ!"

Shouting out his name was all she could manage at first. Finally she got a hold of herself and unwound herself from him and stood on the porch, smiling but looking a little sheepishly at him. She took a deep breath and the little whirlwind around them dissipated.

"Sorry about that... What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming home!"

Shaking her head she punched him playfully on the shoulder, then grabbed his hand to tug him inside. Savannah nudged the door closed as she pulled him along. She sat down on the couch, tucked her legs up underneath herself and offered for him to have a seat.

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

If he expected anything, it definitely wasn't almost getting tackled to the floor! But he felt same sense of elation that apparently Savannah felt at seeing him, though he didn't make as much of a spectacle as she did. Same old Savvy.

Though slightly off-guard, Jasper caught her deftly, swinging her around a bit playfully before they disentangled from each other. He ignored it, but he could feel the happiness and joy rolling off her in waves, so strong that it momentarily broke through the emotional shield he had set. But, like he'd done for years, the shield went back up, and his mind was quite again, unyielding.

Mirroring her sheepish grin, he straightened himself up. "Nice to see you too Savvy," he commented with a laugh. It had been a while, but standing there like they were, made it feel as if they'd never been apart.

And then of course, Savannah decided to play the normal routine, and after giving him a slight punch, pulled him inside the house. He feigned a mock expression of pain at the punch, but then laughed it off as he followed, or rather was dragged, into her living room.

"I know, I should've said something in my last letter," he began. Pausing for a moment, he plopped down on the couch opposite her. "But I wanted to surprise you. I mean, how many surprise opportunities like this do you think I'd get?" He ran a hand through his hair, and leaned back into the comforting material; they definitely didn't have couches like this in the naval ships! "So, I assume you're happy to see me?" A playful grin washed over his features.

[Savannah Stephens]

Now that we're here, it's so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes one life contained
They all finally start to go away

And now that we're here, it's so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
And I can't forget that I'm not ashamed
To be the person that I am today

Savannah watched him carefully as he sat down. It had been a long time since they had actually seen each other. But, he looked pretty much the same, with a few notable exceptions. His eyes had a hardness in them, his face had a few little worry lines etched in it, and she could tell he was holding things at bay, there was tension inside him, even though he was trying to act happy and relaxed. Same old Jazz, she sighed at the thought.

"Yeah, it's nice. I'm glad you surprised me. AND... of course I'm happy to see you."

She unclasped her iPod from her waistband and set it down on the table. Then she turned her attention back to Jasper. It was almost impossible for her not to smile at him. Even though she knew that their talk would have to turn serious at some point. She knew him too well, knew his secrets and could tell he was still struggling with them. For now, she just wanted to be happy and glad he was home in one piece. She hated the war and the thought of him out there in it. She understood that it was a necessary evil, but she didn't know if she could handle it if he had been seriously injured or worse, killed.

"So... How long are you here for? On leave or something? They aren't going to send you back overseas are they? I really hate that."

OK, so THAT thought wiped the smile off her face and she frowned slightly. She just wanted to hug him again. Protect him, keep him safe. Letting out a breath she shook off the melancholy feelings. Putting the smile back on her face as she looked at him.

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

As much as he trusted Savannah, Jasper knew that he couldn't tell her everything, about why he was back. He could give her a general idea, but the details would have to remain unsaid. In the military, you learn that there are certain things that you just didn't talk about, no matter what. And since this operation was classified, it fell under that description.

And even if he had decided to screw caution to hell, and talk about it with her, there wasn't much he could say. Even he didn't know too much about anything at this point. Everything was extremely hush-hush, and what they did tell him was on a need-to-know basis only.

Part of it worried him. He wasn't a fan of secrecy too much, but because of his own reasons, he understood the need for it. Truth, although a preference, wasn't always the best thing. There was a certain bliss to be found in ignorance; he knew that bliss all too well.

Thankfully, Jasper was a master at managing his emotions, so any worry or concern he felt was masked from being seen. "Nope, no more overseas," he informed her joyfully. "From what I know, you're going to be stuck with me for a while. Ain't that a bitch?" He laughed.

It was all too plain to see how much Savannah had grown in his absence. She'd always been the strong one, independent to the bone. He could see that she'd done well for herself at college, and like always, was completely at home in her own skin. She'd never had an issue accepting her life for what it was, and was quick to defend that in the presence of those that might question it. Jasper wished he could have that same confidence in himself.

"But yeah, I'm here for good, as far as they've told me." Hopefully, he thought to himself. He wanted things to work out, so that way he could stay here. "I'm not out yet, but at least I'm home." Pausing for a moment, he decided to switch the subject. "So what have you been up little lady?"

[Savannah Stephens]

These are my words
That I've never said before
I think I'm doin' okay
And this is the smile
I've never shown before
Somebody shake me
'Cause I, I must be sleeping

An immense feeling of relief flooded over her when he said he wasn't going back overseas. The grin on her face widened when he continued on and explained that he was home for good as far as he knew. Smirking she replied jokingly.

"Yeah, that's a total bitch. Whatever am I going to do, having you around?"

She rolled her eyes at him. That was the best news she had heard in a long time. The sound of his laugh made her happy. Damn it, she had missed him. They had been friends forever, but now... There were some strange feelings cropping up now that he was back. Now that they were older, they'd both built lives for themselves. They weren't kids anymore and the feelings definitely weren't childish ones.

Savannah chewed on her lip, suddenly a little nervous and slightly confused with the thoughts that had gone through her head. She supposed there may have always been something 'more' between them, but they were so young back then, and had been friends for so long, they never talked about it. His sudden appearance on her doorstep though...

Now is NOT the time for that she thought. Savannah shifted a bit in her seat , tuning back into what he was saying. Nodding her head she gave him a little sideways glance and shrugged.

"Me? Pretty much up to the same old things I've told you about in my letters. I've been writing my books. I got the house when mom and dad decided to retire off to Florida somewhere and spend most of their time cruising around the world. Sooooo... I've taken to redecorating it a bit. You know, make it more my own place now."

Her life was fairly settled these days. She was busy with the writing, there were things she had to do sometimes. Dealing with the publishers and editors and the like. But, she wrote under a Pen Name and tried to keep a low profile as far as that went. A lot of people didn't know she was the one writing a series of popular supernatural/fantasy fiction books, which weren't really fiction at all. However, the majority of the world didn't need to know that.

After a few minutes a thought occurred to her and it made her smile again. She raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

"You still like chili cheese dogs? We could cook some on the grill outside. I got soda, tea, beer or something stronger if you'd like. We can sit on the back porch. Go swimming later if you want. Let's do something FUN! We need to celebrate you being back home."

Savannah found herself excited at the thought. It wasn't a big thing, but it was something simple and they could still be comfortable and talk while they ate and goofed around. Let themselves get reacquainted.

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

It definitely sounded like Savannah had made a nice, solid life for herself. He knew she'd always loved writing, so it was no surprise that she was so good at it. Even though he hadn't had much time to read her books, he had a copy of each one, and had sifted through them frequently. She didn't know though.

In confession, he'd kind of purposely neglected to read them. He knew Savannah was as good a writer as they came, but her genre of choice always hit a little too close to home.

He understood why she liked to write about all that supernatural and fantasy stuff; it was her life after all. They both shared that strange heritage with the unknown, even if the specifics of it were different. And while Jasper himself had rejected that heritage, he knew that Savvy had always embraced hers. Out of respect for his wishes, she'd always kept that part of her life separate, but that fascination was always apparent in her writings.

There was whole other world out there, after all. The things that went bump in the night weren't as harmless as they were made to sound, and too often the things hiding in the shadows and claws and teeth and such. Whether by willful ignorance, or plain stupidity, the normal people ignored that other world; Jasper counted himself among those "normal" people, through his willing negligence.

Despite his qualms, he was definitely happy for her. "I'm glad to hear those books of yours have taken off," he told her honestly. "When I have a chance, I'll pick a couple up and see if I can burn through them now that I have the time." There was no hint of the lie in his tone.

Seeing her after all this time was definitely plus, despite being a little awkward. They been close before he'd left for the military, walking that thin line between best friends and something else. And time hadn't solved that issue at all; it had only made it more confusing.

"Chili-cheese dogs and beer sounds great to me!" He couldn't resist saying yes to two things he loved like that, now could he? Plus, he needed the rec time; chances to kick back and relax were often too far and in between for him. "Anything you want to do to celebrate, I'm definitely down. I've been in desperate need of fun for a while now." A mischievous grin lit up his expression.

[Savannah Stephens]

Now that we're here, it's so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes one life contained
They all finally start to go away

And now that we're here, it's so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
And I can't forget that I'm not ashamed
To be the person that I am today

Savannah gave him a small smile when he said something about picking up her books and reading them. She knew it wasn't exactly his favorite topic.

"It's OK Jazz. I didn't really expect you to read them. I know it's not your thing. Otherwise I would have sent you copies myself."

Grinning she got up and headed into the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder she called out to him.

"You can come keep me company while I get the food together. I've got frozen french fries. What else do you want?"

Savannah continued on into the kitchen. She started going through the cupboards and the fridge. Grabbing the items she needed. Hot dogs, a can of chili, a block of cheese, the bag of fries. She also grabbed a sauce pan for the chili and a cookie sheet for the fries. As she went along she placed everything out on the counter. She figured they could have chips and salsa or something too. Whatever Jazz wanted, it was his homecoming.

The whole time she was moving around the kitchen she couldn't help but have that smile on her face. Just the fact that Jazz was home made her happy. That he was home permanently or at least the foreseeable future was even better.

She was setting something on the counter when she paused for a minute. A thought coming to mind. Looking up she glanced over at Jasper. Chewing on her lip a bit as she thought about it. Not sure if it was something she should bring up or not. That strange feeling popped up again. The one that had her a little unsure. But, damn it. He was her best friend. What would be wrong with making the offer? So, she decided she might as well.

"I know that they probably have a place for you on the base or whatever it is you call it. But, when you're off duty or whatever, if you need a place to stay... Ummm... Well, you know. This place is pretty big, plenty of room and it's just me now. You could stay if you wanted."

Savannah let out a little breath she didn't really know she was holding. Shrugging slightly she went back to sorting through the items on the counter. Putting the pot on the stove. Keeping herself busy a bit so she didn't seem so nervous.

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

Jasper stood there for a few moments, just watching Savannah move through the kitchen fleetingly. It was...nice to see her again, but there was still an air of awkwardness, a thickness that surrounded them. It wasn't negative or damaging, merely strange.

They'd been apart for so long...and he knew it wouldn't be oh so simple to just put the pieces back together. Yeah, they'd kept in touch through letters, e-mails, and other methods, but that could only connect them so much. It had been years since they'd physically seen one another, and that social bond between them was suffering because of it.

Plus, there was also that other awkwardness, which had only intensified since they were older. They'd only been 17 when Jasper first left for the military, barely adults. That teenage stage was barely behind them, and they had had their entire future, emotions and personality including, waiting ahead of them. And in those many years each had grown in their own way.

Could they rekindle that bond that both time and space had been unable to break? Or would it remain as it was now, distant and strange? It was a thought that worried him.

And then Savvy came out with it, the invitation to stay at her place whenever he wanted. "Oh well..." he trailed off, instinctively sucking in a deep breath. What was he supposed to say to that?

Since he'd been back to New Orleans, Savvy had been the first person he'd come to see. And at the moment, that was the only person he was planning on seeing. Yes, his family lived in New Orleans, but that didn't mean he was going to drop everything and go see them. There was...a lot of baggage there.

It had been a while since he'd talked to his sister, Cass. Despite being close as children, they'd eventually drifted apart, and then they'd had a falling out of sorts not long before Jasper had shipped out. That had been the final straw for him, and he'd barely talked with her since. Every time they talked, Cass always tried to drag him back into that strange world she'd immersed herself in, that very world he's previously rejected. And honestly, dealing with her had become too much of a pain in the ass.

Of course there was also Leon, Jasper and Cass's younger brother, but he knew that Leon always had a tendency to idolize Cass. To consort with him would mean talking with Cass, which was something he refused to do. Sure, he missed his younger brother, but getting back in touch with him was going to have to be a slow process, and he wasn't ready to dive into that.

Because of that, besides that base, Jasper really didn't have a home to go back to. It was hard to call a place with family a home when you couldn't even talk to any of the family that you had there.

"I'd be glad to," Jasper finally answered after a brief, thought-filled moment of silence. It opportunity to reconnect with Savannah, to fall into that old bond that the two of them shared. The though of it brought a weak smile to his lips. "So," he changed the subject. "You need any help making anything?"

[Savannah Stephens]

I'm so afraid of waking
Please don't shake me
Afraid of waking
Please don't shake me

Savannah kept working around the kitchen as they talked a bit. Opening the can of chili and dumping it into the pan on the stove. Then pouring some frozen fries out of the bag and onto the cookie sheet and putting it into the oven. She just wanted to keep an air of normalcy going. Like the question of staying at her place was no big deal. AND... it shouldn't have been a big deal, they had been friends for years, but... there was that strange feeling that came over her again.

A moment of panic started to wash over her when he was slow to respond and when he did it was a tentative.

"Oh well..."

Sucking in a deep breath she was about to say it was OK. That she hadn't meant to put him on the spot or anything. It was just a friendly offer if he needed a place to stay or something. Then he continued.

"I'd be glad to,"

A slight sigh of relief escaped her and she smiled a bit at him.

"OK, then. That's settled."

Whew, she thought, that was good. At least now she didn't feel like such a fool for suggesting it. Her mind was kind of running away from her. She wasn't sure exactly what to do. Damn, she wished she could read minds. She had no idea what he was thinking. Above all else, she didn't want to put their friendship in jeopardy, but she couldn't deny that there were other feelings mixed up in there.

Looking up from what she was doing, she was glad when Jasper spoke again and changed the topic. Savannah glanced around the kitchen and the things she had laid out on the counter. With a grin she picked up the hot dogs and tossed them to Jasper. Then she went to the fridge, grabbed a six pack of beer and handed that to him as well.

"You can take the hot dogs, fire up the grill on the back patio and get those started. Then sit down, relax and have a beer. I'll bring the rest out in a few minutes."

She gave him a look that said 'get moving'. Then she went back to finishing up in the kitchen. Stirring the chili as it started to simmer. Puttering around the kitchen everything started to come together. Quickly Savannah grated some cheese into a bowl. She grabbed a tray and set it in front of her, putting the bowl of cheese on the tray. Back to the fridge she found a container of potato salad , grabbed the mustard and other condiments and put them on the tray as well.

Going back to the chili she stirred it again then put it into another bowl. She looked around the counter. Making sure she wasn't missing anything. She pulled the fries out of the oven, dumping them onto a platter. Everything went onto the tray. Then she went to another cupboard and found her little picnic basket. That had everything in it they would need, plates, utensils, napkins and all that.

Making sure the oven and the stove were turned off. She placed the pan and cookie sheet into the sink. Then she picked up the tray and the picnic basket and made her way through the house out to the back patio. Smiling as she caught Jazz's eye she set everything on the patio table.

"Well... I think we're good on food here."

Grabbing a beer from the six pack she opened it and took a long swallow as she looked over at Jazz again.

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

Honestly, it was kind of strange to be just casually grilling, cooking things up like some kind of suburban husband of sorts. Jasper knew enough about grilling to get the hot dogs done without burning them, but the notion of just casually hanging out and chilling like there no tomorrow was somewhat foreign to him. Well, that's what almost a decade in a military would do to you, right?

The smell of meat cooking brought his mind back to the task, and kept it from wandering again. Just because he felt like a kid experiencing things for the first time, though it definitely wasn't his first time, didn't mean he should let himself be distracted. Though distraction was something he should allow, he wasn't comfortable with the notion anymore. In his line of work, distraction never ended in anything good.

Just then Savvy came back out, and set her portion of the food down on the table, kicking back and grabbing a beer. Jasper couldn't help but smile back, her cheery mood infectious.

"Well the hot dogs can probably sit on the grill for a few more minutes," he told her casually. Following her protocol, he kicked back on one of the other chairs, and cracked open a beer. "So we have some to relax."

For a moment, Jasper was at a loss of what to say next. They'd gone through the simple small talk, and busied themselves with making lunch...what else could they talk about. It was this physical interaction that he'd lost touch with, that sense of charisma he'd once had. He'd spent so long isolating his emotions, keeping his mind his own in the face of danger, that now it was like he was some kind of lock box, impenetrable and wrapped in silence. To be blunt, this sucked.

"I hope I'm not distracting you from doing anything today." It was kind of an idiotic thing to say, but it was the first thing that came to mind. He felt nervous, and kind of stupid. Here he was, a hardened soldier wise in the ways of war and death, and yet he was terrified of small talk, and of this blond little whirlwind sitting next to him!

[Savannah Stephens]

((Sorry for the delay.))


Now that we're here, it's so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes one life contained
They all finally start to go away

And now that we're here, it's so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
And I can't forget that I'm not ashamed
To be the person that I am today

Savannah sat back and sipped at her beer. Her eyes followed Jasper as he came over and sat down at the table. She nodded when he told her it would be a little bit longer for the hot dog and they could relax. It made her wonder as she looked at him. Was he relaxed? Or was he just really good at faking it.

Taking a few chips she munched on them as she looked him over again. He had been gone so long. Been through so much, she knew he wasn't the same. As much as he might have wanted to act like it. Sure, he was still Jasper, but... There was no way in hell that there weren't some significant changes lurking under the surface.

In contrast to his life, Savannah's life hadn't really changed all that much. Well, except for the normal things that came along with growing up and becoming an adult. She still lived in the home she grew up in, though it was all hers now. Even though she had gone off to college, lived in the dorms and embraced the college life, it wasn't like she was very far. LSU had been close enough that she could come home on weekends if she had wanted to. Which she did on occasions.

Savannah had known she wanted to be a writer since she was young. Always writing in her journals. So, for her, life just was continuing on the same path. Getting a book deal while she was still in school, graduating college, just steps forward in her life. No real drastic changes for her. She sighed a little while she got lost in her thoughts.

Jasper's voice brought her back into the moment. She smiled at him and shook her head. Giving him a bit of a funny look. Distracting her from something? What, did he seriously think that she wouldn't drop anything she had planned to see him after all this time? They were best friends for all their lives. Regardless of anything else that might happen, that was the bottom line, they were friends and always would be.

"You timing just happens to be perfect. Today was a planned day of nothingness. I was just going to chill out and hang around the house."

Savannah took another pull of her beer. Then figuring that the hot dogs were about ready she motion for Jazz to stay seated and she took an empty plate over to the grill. Using the tongs she plucked the hot dogs off the grill, shut the lid and turned everything off. Setting the plate down on the table she plopped back into the chair.

"Don't be shy. Serve yourself."

She smirked at him as she began to do just that. Piling food on her plate and fixing herself a very messy chili cheese dog. Licking some spilled chili of her hand she chuckled and sipped some more of her beer. Taking some time to swallow a mouthful before she spoke again.

"I know the small talk thing is kind of awkward. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. So, just say what's on your mind or enjoy your food, whatever you want to do. It's just me here, you don't have to put up any fronts for me."

Savannah took some time to eat a bit more from her plate. Drained the last of her beer and grabbed a fresh one. Opening it up and taking another long refreshing drink.

"I would like to hear about some of your adventures. I mean... I know you can't tell me about some things. But... man... you've been all over the world. There has to be some cool stuff you've seen too. You had to have had some time to see some sights or something. I mean look at me. I'm still here, you had the guts to go out and do something different with your life. I'd really love to know about that life."

[Lt. Jasper Owens]

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

Jasper couldn't help but smile at Savannah's words. She'd always been so attuned to him, always on the same wavelength. It was like she knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling. But it wasn't due to any kind of extra-sensory perception; Savvy just knew him all too well.

Smiling, he followed her lead and served himself some food. Of course it all smelled delicious, no doubt having been made my Savvy. Plus, everyday grub like this was a treat far and in between for him. Being abroad meant either dining on the base, or dining locally, where the food wasn't always up to par and normal.

With a hotdog plated, and a copious amount of chilli and cheese added, Jasper sat down again, popping a few chips into his mouth. That greasy, saltiness was delicious, and he couldn't help but stuff a few more pieces into his mouth greedily. In a bit of a weird fashion, he actually crumbled a few chips on top of his chilli-cheese dog, and took a quick bite. Of course, it tasted twice as good as it smelled.

"Savvy, this is so good, I think I could kiss you right now," he said with a small laugh. "I haven't had a chilli-cheese burder like this in a couple of years, and man, I think I'm going to have to stop by here every week just for one." He winked at her slyly. The chilli-cheese dogs were delicious, but he wouldn't just visit her for her chilli-cheese dogs.

He took another swig of his beer after a few more bites, mulling over his thoughts. There were just so many places he'd been, he didn't know where to start in terms of talking to Savvy about it! Sure, there were a couple of black ops things that he couldn't mention, so those were off the list, but there was still plenty more that he couldn't choose between. From Japan to Australia, to Africa and to Russia; he'd been almost all over the world!

Finishing off his beer, Jasper lounged back comfortably, an idea coming to his mind. "Well, there's just way too many places I've been to just randomly pick one to talk about," he started, smiling coyly. "So let's turn this in a game. Pick a continent, hell a country, and we'll start from there. How about it?"

[Savannah Stephens]

Savannah was glad that Jasper was enjoying the impromptu semi-picnic meal that had been thrown together. It just made her wonder all the more what his life had been like. What had he missed out on while he was away. She was sure he had things in his life that were good, but what did he have of stability. What kind of friends? They had known each other forever it seemed, you didn't just build friendships like that overnight or while you were traipsing around the world. She supposed it had it's benefits though.

She smiled at his comments and compliments on the food. Pushing her own empty plate off to the side Savannah sat back and sipped at her beer. He looked like he was mulling over some thoughts in his head after her barrage of questions.

Finally he gave her that mischievous little smile of his before he spoke. Arching an eyebrow as she listened to him. Leaving it on her, to make a game out of it. She narrowed her eyes a bit in thought for a moment.

"Fine, OK. How about Russia. That's got to be an interesting one. Is it as dreary there as it is made out to be for the everyday citizen?"

"What at about the history there. The ballet? OK, maybe you were not interested in the ballet. But, there had to be museums with history on the old Russian Czar's. The statue of Lenin in Red Square. Hell do they even call it Red Square anymore?"

"What's it's like? "

Savannah gave him a grin. Again she was firing questions at him She just couldn't help herself. It was a natural curiosity that was in her. Plus, she hadn't seen him in years. She wanted to know what he had been up to all this time. If this was the only way she was going to find out then he would have to suffer with her incessant questions.