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halfamoonTitle: Life Changes
Fandom: Beverly Hillbillies
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Jed/Jane
Rating: G/K
Summary: There's a hole in the Clampett family.
Word Count: 1,999
Written For: HalfAMoon Day 12: Caregiving and 100Ships 98. Honey
Warnings: Character Death
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Author's Note: Looks like I need another fandom tag, please and thank you! :)
She could not say that she had never pictured this moment for surely every little girl had. Jane herself had certainly imagined a popular boy or, at the very least, a cute classmate on whom she'd had a crush asking her to dance. In her fantasies at that age, they'd never quite made it as far as the alter, but as she'd matured, so, too, had her dreams, as did every person's. She had rarely had a serious beau, but she had often imagined herself marrying a famous, sensual radio voice or an author with whom she'd fallen in love through his poetry.
She'd even imagined herself, a few times -- okay, more than a few times, marching down the aisle with young Jethro on her arm. Honestly, she would have more likely had to run the boy down the aisle. But never once had she imagined this moment, or pictured herself with the man who now stood before her, trying to lower himself down to one knee. She knew that was what her former beau's father was now attempting to do, and recognized the courage it took for him to make this decision. It wasn't just the way his gray mustache wiggled on his handsome, grave face that gave J. D. Clampett away. She had known the man, known his entire family, for quite some time now.
And if she was honest with herself, she, too, was grieving. It had been some weeks since they had laid Granny to rest, but the feisty, little, old lady had left a gaping hole in all their lives. Jane was not about to fool herself into thinking that she could fill such a hole, or that there was any other reason behind Jed's pending proposal. She knew she was lucky to have him laying such trust in her. She knew that any other woman would envy her greatly and jump at the opportunity to take her place. But in caring for the Clampett family, Jane had come to genuinely care for each one of them. She had fallen in love with every one of them -- the woman who was no longer there leading everything and caring for all within her abode, the gallant, strong, and quiet, if, at times, somewhat dumb, man before her, and both their children, domineering, masculine Elly Mae and enchanting, naive, and sweet Jethro. Why, because of the Clampetts, she'd even come to care for the smallest skunk!
So much had changed in their lives since Jane had first been introduced to the hillbilly family -- yet, as was so oft the case, so much had stayed the same too. Elly was married now, and Jethro actually had a steady sweetie. Granny's death was, of course, the biggest difference in their lives. But Jed -- dear, sweet patriarch J.D. Clampett, who had only moved out here to Cali to provide better futures for his entire family, he was as scared and unnerved as he'd been that first day here in Beverly Hills, that first day when he had reached out to her with that impromptu gesture of friendship and changed her life forever.
She could have found another job, Jane knew, looking back now. It might have taken her weeks, months, maybe even close to a year or longer, but she would have eventually found another job, and another boss, and another paycheck. She would have found different friends, perhaps an entirely different calling. But no one -- absolutely no one -- could have ever touched her life and heart as the Clampetts had. Even her boss had been touched by them. Jane had been shocked at the donation he'd made in Granny's name, but she knew of everything the banker could give or do, sacrificing his own bank account was truly, to him, even a greater gift than chopping off his own hand.
So much had changed. So much had stayed the same. But never, ever could she have pictured Jedediah Clampett bending down to one knee to propose to her. Realizing that he was almost in position, Jane reached out with a cry and grasped his arm. His muscles, though old, were surprisingly strong underneath the startled grasp of her fingers -- surprisingly, if one did not know of what this man was capable. Jed was the last of a dying kind, a man who cared more about his family than his own pride, a man who worked, despite his wealth, from sun up to sun down, a man whose earnest honesty knew no ends. He was truly the last of a dying breed, and any woman would be incredibly lucky to call him her husband.
But Jane did not love him, and she knew he did not love her, at least not in that way. She had often called his nephew her honey, often chased blatantly after the boy, but she'd never once considered Jed in such a light. There wasn't much of an age difference between them; there was considerably more between herself and Jethro, to be sure. She had just never considered Jed in such a manner before -- until now.
He'd taken his hat off at some point during their conversation. They'd been talking about Elly and the coming baby, Jethro and his education or lack thereof, whether or not his new girl could provide him with a proper future, and how it was not at all the woman's place to provide but it was a new time and things were constantly changing... They'd spoken of Granny and how much they missed her, and Jed had related that he regretted keeping her out here in the city Hills so long. They'd spoken of so much in the last... Blinking, Jane realized she did not even know exactly how many hours they had been talking before their conversation had turned to Jed's own fears of not being able to provide, for Elly in her time of need, for Jethro and his lack of a clear future, and for the baby whose birth was drawing ever constantly nearer. He was old, and afraid, and felt ever so lonely without Granny's guidance.
She should have known he was about to propose, Jane realized, mentally kicking herself. She should have known he would see how she had been there, steadfast and faithful, to his family since their arrival in the city and realized that he would take her caregiving to be more than what it was. She should have realized that she would seem, especially now in his time of grief and need, like the ideal... No one could replace Granny, she realized even now, but perhaps, matriarch was the term for which her flustered mind was panickingly searching?
She was not made to be a maternal figure! She could not marry this man, who was clearly putting all his trust in her! She could not disappoint or abuse his trust in such a way! Yet, for just a moment, with his warm breath washing over her startled face, his strong arm grasped firmly in her hands, and especially with the way those bright, beautiful blue eyes of his were gazing into hers... For just a moment, Jane wondered what might happen if she did marry Jedediah Clampett. She wondered if they could perhaps be a match, if she could be a mother to Elly Mae, and become an aunt to Jethro rather than a sweetheart. She wondered if she could help to mend their family, and if perhaps she and Jed could prove to be loving and supportive of each other as a husband and wife should be.
She was still puzzling over all this and more when Jed's deep, strong voice broke into her refrain, "Miss Jane? There's something I'd like to ask you, but I'd like to ask it of you properlike, ma'am, if you'd just let go of my arm?"
"No!" she cried, finding her voice. "No, Mister Clampett, that will not be necessary." She pulled from strength she did not realize she had and pulled him back up to his booted feet. "Now what I have been considering for some time now is... I believe I shall take a leave from the bank while Elly Mae concludes her pregnancy." Releasing his arm, she felt a small shift as though she'd lost a wonderful piece of some unspoken, and until now unknown, prize, but clasped her hands before her as she so often did while speaking from her heart.
"I believe I shall serve as a kind of nursemaid to her, if you will," she continued, before she could allow herself to dwell on the gnawing absence of his muscles between her fingers. Mister Drysdale, she knew, would surely pay her for such a feat, but she wasn't signing up to help the Clampetts any longer out of a necessity to keep her job or a desire to one-up her boss. No, she was doing this... She was doing this because she loved the Clampetts, every one of them, and she knew they needed her help. She could never replace Granny, nor would she ever dare try, but she could be a friend to them even now in their greatest hour of need, perhaps even better than she had been since this entire time they'd known each other.
"Miss Jane, I can't -- " His mustache was bristling again, twerking with his nervousness. How had she never realized before how fetching that one piece of hair seemed to be?
"No, no, I quite insist! You will need help, a woman's help, and I'll be there for you. If, something more should grow while I am there, well, then -- " She swung her hands, and looked away from him. "Then we shall discuss it in due time."
"Granny was right as always," he spoke softly, gazing thoughtfully at her.
"Right? The dear lady was almost always right, but about what might this particular reference be, Mister Clampett?"
"She used to tell me all the time that if we were still here in this city, and something happened to her -- mind you, she was thinking at the time of going home alone -- but she always told me, if she couldn't be here to help me, to reach out to you. She always said you had a good head on your shoulders and an even bigger heart."
Jane smiled and, for a change, found herself quite at a loss for words. At length, she spoke quietly, "She was a wonderful woman, Mister Clampett."
"Yeah," he nodded, his mustache seeming to almost glide across his grizzled face in glad agreement, "she was. Well, I reckon we should go home." He offered her his arm.
"Very well, Mister Clampett, but you realize this is only temporary?"
"Of course, I do. We can't keep you from the bank. Mister Drysdale would be lost without you!"
"Oh, I dare say -- "
"Aw, no, he would be. He might not ever say it, but that man counts on you more than you realize, Miss Jane. You are kind of a little like Granny in that regard."
"In what regard?"
"In the regard that your friends can always count on you to do the right thing."
"Mister Clampett, I -- I don't quite know what to say."
"I'd say it's about time you started calling me Jed," he said, and pressed his offered arm against hers.
She took his arm, wrapping her long fingers around those firm, strong muscles. Blushing, she very nearly whispered, "Only if you call me Jane." Her heartbeat was in her ears as they walked together from the park. She didn't know what was happening. She did realize she'd just made some humongous decisions, and something told her that her life was never going to be the same again. Something told her, too, that there was an Angel looking down upon them from Heaven, and as the wind kicked up behind them, she could have sworn she heard a familiar cackling and the slapping of an aproned knee.
The End
Fandom: Beverly Hillbillies
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Jed/Jane
Rating: G/K
Summary: There's a hole in the Clampett family.
Word Count: 1,999
Written For: HalfAMoon Day 12: Caregiving and 100Ships 98. Honey
Warnings: Character Death
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Author's Note: Looks like I need another fandom tag, please and thank you! :)
She could not say that she had never pictured this moment for surely every little girl had. Jane herself had certainly imagined a popular boy or, at the very least, a cute classmate on whom she'd had a crush asking her to dance. In her fantasies at that age, they'd never quite made it as far as the alter, but as she'd matured, so, too, had her dreams, as did every person's. She had rarely had a serious beau, but she had often imagined herself marrying a famous, sensual radio voice or an author with whom she'd fallen in love through his poetry.
She'd even imagined herself, a few times -- okay, more than a few times, marching down the aisle with young Jethro on her arm. Honestly, she would have more likely had to run the boy down the aisle. But never once had she imagined this moment, or pictured herself with the man who now stood before her, trying to lower himself down to one knee. She knew that was what her former beau's father was now attempting to do, and recognized the courage it took for him to make this decision. It wasn't just the way his gray mustache wiggled on his handsome, grave face that gave J. D. Clampett away. She had known the man, known his entire family, for quite some time now.
And if she was honest with herself, she, too, was grieving. It had been some weeks since they had laid Granny to rest, but the feisty, little, old lady had left a gaping hole in all their lives. Jane was not about to fool herself into thinking that she could fill such a hole, or that there was any other reason behind Jed's pending proposal. She knew she was lucky to have him laying such trust in her. She knew that any other woman would envy her greatly and jump at the opportunity to take her place. But in caring for the Clampett family, Jane had come to genuinely care for each one of them. She had fallen in love with every one of them -- the woman who was no longer there leading everything and caring for all within her abode, the gallant, strong, and quiet, if, at times, somewhat dumb, man before her, and both their children, domineering, masculine Elly Mae and enchanting, naive, and sweet Jethro. Why, because of the Clampetts, she'd even come to care for the smallest skunk!
So much had changed in their lives since Jane had first been introduced to the hillbilly family -- yet, as was so oft the case, so much had stayed the same too. Elly was married now, and Jethro actually had a steady sweetie. Granny's death was, of course, the biggest difference in their lives. But Jed -- dear, sweet patriarch J.D. Clampett, who had only moved out here to Cali to provide better futures for his entire family, he was as scared and unnerved as he'd been that first day here in Beverly Hills, that first day when he had reached out to her with that impromptu gesture of friendship and changed her life forever.
She could have found another job, Jane knew, looking back now. It might have taken her weeks, months, maybe even close to a year or longer, but she would have eventually found another job, and another boss, and another paycheck. She would have found different friends, perhaps an entirely different calling. But no one -- absolutely no one -- could have ever touched her life and heart as the Clampetts had. Even her boss had been touched by them. Jane had been shocked at the donation he'd made in Granny's name, but she knew of everything the banker could give or do, sacrificing his own bank account was truly, to him, even a greater gift than chopping off his own hand.
So much had changed. So much had stayed the same. But never, ever could she have pictured Jedediah Clampett bending down to one knee to propose to her. Realizing that he was almost in position, Jane reached out with a cry and grasped his arm. His muscles, though old, were surprisingly strong underneath the startled grasp of her fingers -- surprisingly, if one did not know of what this man was capable. Jed was the last of a dying kind, a man who cared more about his family than his own pride, a man who worked, despite his wealth, from sun up to sun down, a man whose earnest honesty knew no ends. He was truly the last of a dying breed, and any woman would be incredibly lucky to call him her husband.
But Jane did not love him, and she knew he did not love her, at least not in that way. She had often called his nephew her honey, often chased blatantly after the boy, but she'd never once considered Jed in such a light. There wasn't much of an age difference between them; there was considerably more between herself and Jethro, to be sure. She had just never considered Jed in such a manner before -- until now.
He'd taken his hat off at some point during their conversation. They'd been talking about Elly and the coming baby, Jethro and his education or lack thereof, whether or not his new girl could provide him with a proper future, and how it was not at all the woman's place to provide but it was a new time and things were constantly changing... They'd spoken of Granny and how much they missed her, and Jed had related that he regretted keeping her out here in the city Hills so long. They'd spoken of so much in the last... Blinking, Jane realized she did not even know exactly how many hours they had been talking before their conversation had turned to Jed's own fears of not being able to provide, for Elly in her time of need, for Jethro and his lack of a clear future, and for the baby whose birth was drawing ever constantly nearer. He was old, and afraid, and felt ever so lonely without Granny's guidance.
She should have known he was about to propose, Jane realized, mentally kicking herself. She should have known he would see how she had been there, steadfast and faithful, to his family since their arrival in the city and realized that he would take her caregiving to be more than what it was. She should have realized that she would seem, especially now in his time of grief and need, like the ideal... No one could replace Granny, she realized even now, but perhaps, matriarch was the term for which her flustered mind was panickingly searching?
She was not made to be a maternal figure! She could not marry this man, who was clearly putting all his trust in her! She could not disappoint or abuse his trust in such a way! Yet, for just a moment, with his warm breath washing over her startled face, his strong arm grasped firmly in her hands, and especially with the way those bright, beautiful blue eyes of his were gazing into hers... For just a moment, Jane wondered what might happen if she did marry Jedediah Clampett. She wondered if they could perhaps be a match, if she could be a mother to Elly Mae, and become an aunt to Jethro rather than a sweetheart. She wondered if she could help to mend their family, and if perhaps she and Jed could prove to be loving and supportive of each other as a husband and wife should be.
She was still puzzling over all this and more when Jed's deep, strong voice broke into her refrain, "Miss Jane? There's something I'd like to ask you, but I'd like to ask it of you properlike, ma'am, if you'd just let go of my arm?"
"No!" she cried, finding her voice. "No, Mister Clampett, that will not be necessary." She pulled from strength she did not realize she had and pulled him back up to his booted feet. "Now what I have been considering for some time now is... I believe I shall take a leave from the bank while Elly Mae concludes her pregnancy." Releasing his arm, she felt a small shift as though she'd lost a wonderful piece of some unspoken, and until now unknown, prize, but clasped her hands before her as she so often did while speaking from her heart.
"I believe I shall serve as a kind of nursemaid to her, if you will," she continued, before she could allow herself to dwell on the gnawing absence of his muscles between her fingers. Mister Drysdale, she knew, would surely pay her for such a feat, but she wasn't signing up to help the Clampetts any longer out of a necessity to keep her job or a desire to one-up her boss. No, she was doing this... She was doing this because she loved the Clampetts, every one of them, and she knew they needed her help. She could never replace Granny, nor would she ever dare try, but she could be a friend to them even now in their greatest hour of need, perhaps even better than she had been since this entire time they'd known each other.
"Miss Jane, I can't -- " His mustache was bristling again, twerking with his nervousness. How had she never realized before how fetching that one piece of hair seemed to be?
"No, no, I quite insist! You will need help, a woman's help, and I'll be there for you. If, something more should grow while I am there, well, then -- " She swung her hands, and looked away from him. "Then we shall discuss it in due time."
"Granny was right as always," he spoke softly, gazing thoughtfully at her.
"Right? The dear lady was almost always right, but about what might this particular reference be, Mister Clampett?"
"She used to tell me all the time that if we were still here in this city, and something happened to her -- mind you, she was thinking at the time of going home alone -- but she always told me, if she couldn't be here to help me, to reach out to you. She always said you had a good head on your shoulders and an even bigger heart."
Jane smiled and, for a change, found herself quite at a loss for words. At length, she spoke quietly, "She was a wonderful woman, Mister Clampett."
"Yeah," he nodded, his mustache seeming to almost glide across his grizzled face in glad agreement, "she was. Well, I reckon we should go home." He offered her his arm.
"Very well, Mister Clampett, but you realize this is only temporary?"
"Of course, I do. We can't keep you from the bank. Mister Drysdale would be lost without you!"
"Oh, I dare say -- "
"Aw, no, he would be. He might not ever say it, but that man counts on you more than you realize, Miss Jane. You are kind of a little like Granny in that regard."
"In what regard?"
"In the regard that your friends can always count on you to do the right thing."
"Mister Clampett, I -- I don't quite know what to say."
"I'd say it's about time you started calling me Jed," he said, and pressed his offered arm against hers.
She took his arm, wrapping her long fingers around those firm, strong muscles. Blushing, she very nearly whispered, "Only if you call me Jane." Her heartbeat was in her ears as they walked together from the park. She didn't know what was happening. She did realize she'd just made some humongous decisions, and something told her that her life was never going to be the same again. Something told her, too, that there was an Angel looking down upon them from Heaven, and as the wind kicked up behind them, she could have sworn she heard a familiar cackling and the slapping of an aproned knee.
The End
