Title: Roads Not Taken – Timestamps
Author:Bj Jones
Rating: FRM
Disclaimer:Don’t own a thing. They are their own persons and I don’t have any claim on their real life. This is all a figment of my imagination.
Summary:Time stamps set inside Roads Not Taken
Pairings/Characters: Jensen/Jared; Robert Downey Jr; Christian Kane…
Series: Paths Not Taken
~ Set before Captain America Premiere ~
Chad worried about his friend; over the past several months he had become more and more desperate to get ahold of Jensen fucking Ackles. He knew Jared loved Jensen, and wanted desperately to make amends, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth the stress.
“Are you sure you want to go through all this for the prick?” Chad asked as they made their way towards the Premiere Party.
Jared grabbed Chad’s arm and pushed him against the wall. “Ifucked up here Chad, not Jensen.”
“He’s ignoring you.” Chad pointed out. “Won’t hear what you have to say, the dude is just …”
“NO.” He glared at his friend. “I love you man and I appreciate you being by my side and helping, but you will notturn this on him. I was the idiot who didn’t make the right decisions, and I can’t blame his friends for protecting him. I humiliated him in front of the entire cast and crew.”
Chad nodded as Jared let him go. He smoothed his shirt down. “It’s just…” He sighed. “You’re my friend and have stood by me through my stupid fucked up mistakes, and you’re not a bad guy.”
“I’m not a bad guy.” Jared agreed. “But I am the guy that broke his heart and now I have to face the fucking family to get to him, and I don’t mean his mother.”
Jared turned and took a deep breath. “Let’s go. We have a Premiere to crash.”
~ Set after Captain America Premiere ~
Jared tossed the room key onto the dresser. He didn’t think it would be that hard to see Jensen for the first time. But seeing the coldness in the green eyes, the hard tone when he had spit out Jared’s name…
“Buck up Jared, you started this and you will finish this.” He moved over to the bed and pulled out the carry-on bag. It had taken everything in his power to get the information about Jen’s flight from Misha.
He owed the other man a lot. Misha listened to Jared ramble on about everything. After he smacked him upside the head and gave him a piece of his mind, he agreed to help. Jared knew the man was risking his friendship with Jensen; he was just hoping it would all work out and Dean won’t try to kill an Angel of the Lord.
Jared startled when there was a knock at the door; only Chad knew where he was staying.
It was like a bad scene in a mystery movie.
The intended victim staring at the door in fear and trepidation wondering if the person who was behind that door had been sent there to kill him.
“Open the fucking door Padalecki.”
‘How the fuck did they find me?’ He stared at the door in shock.
“I willbreak this door down.”
Jared opened up the door and stared at the person on the other side. “Hi.”
“Don’t you hi me.” Samuel L. Jackson stared at the younger actor. “Care to explain your actions at the Premiere?”
“No.”
“I’m the calmest of the bunch you do realize that.” Samuel pushed past him and into the room. He looked around then turned towards Jared. “If I was Bob you would be flat on your ass; if I was Kane you would be out cold and bleeding.”
Jared just looked at him. “Why are you here?”
Samuel stepped up into his personal space. “I’ve talked to people. I know things.” He poked Jared in the chest. “So this is a warning. Fuck this up and I’ll let Bob off his leash.”
He moved past a shocked Jared and opened the door then turned around. “That is, if I don’t get to you first.” He paused at the door. “I would watch out for snakes… they like warm, dark places.”
Jared stared at the closed door, before his eyes moved to the bed.
The couch looked comfortable.
~ Morning Jensen leaves Jared at the Hotel ~
Jensen had boarded the plane, grateful for Robert’s influence to get him on the first flight out of Kansas. He settled into the first class seat and ignored everything and everyone around him.
The moment he had woken up next to Jared, he knew it was a mistake. He had gotten up, gotten dressed and grabbed his stuff. He was halfway through packing when his phone had gone off.
‘Airports are open.’
“Good. Can you book me a flight out of Kansas City; I’m about an hour out.” He finished packing the bag and headed for the door.
‘Why are you whispering?’
“Let’s just say I did something stupid and you can yell at me later.” Jensen hung up the phone and opened the door just as Jared stirred. He hurried down the stairs and into the cab. He looked up at Jared, part of him wanting nothing else but to go back up the stairs and hold onto him, but he couldn’t. He needed to figure some things out.
Jared didn’t cheat on him.
Genevieve was a conniving bitch.
But he’d still been left heartbroken on the side of the road, and he just couldn’t forget that.
‘Treehuger caught. Flying to Comic Con. Need time – please.’
The cab had pulled out the parking lot when he got a text message back.
‘See you at the panel?’
Jensen sat and looked at the text for a few moments. No matter what he decided to do with his personal relationship with Jared, he knew Sam and Dean needed closure. That and he was scared to death of Kripke.
‘Dean needs his Sammy’
He hung up the phone and settled into the ride, the driver filling him in on how they caught the treehugger asshat, ironically while fleeing from the police in a Hummer.
Jensen settled in his seat as the plane took off. Everything was going around in his head, back and forth.
Elation that Jared hadn’t cheated on him.
The wonder of why Jared didn’t trust him enough to come to him.
Hatred towards Genevieve for being such a selfish bitch.
He wanted to hold and comfort Jared for being hurt and used by her, but smack him for his naïveté, yet at the same time he admired him for being upstanding…
Even if it was the stupidest thing to do.
At least he knew he could work with Jared again.
Sam and Dean could ride off in the Impala towards the sunset.
But would he have hishappy ending?
Could he forget?
Maybe he needed to forgive and learn from all of it.
Jensen sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He was exhausted and really shouldn’t be planning out his future.
Well one thing for sure is there was no way in fucking hellGenevieve Cortese was going to be playing Ruby. He had clout now and the CW could kiss his ass if they balked at the request. He’d just sick Robert on them.
~ Set after Jensen talks to Chris and Robert ~
Another hotel.
Jared dropped the bag on the floor, flipped the bedding back just in case, then crashed face first. He was exhausted. The past few days had worn him out.
He felt lighter than he did in New York.
Jared knew it wasn’t going to be that easy to fix, but they were starting down the path. He was worried about what Jensen was thinking, and how he was responding to everything.
He was even more worried about how Jen was going to react to Genevieve tomorrow at the panel. Hell, Jared was wondering how hewould react.
Jared had moved past blaming her for all of it. Yes, she had manipulated him and lied, but Jared had made the wrong decisions and he had to make up for those.
He needed a shower and food.
He stood up when there was a knock on the door.
Deja vu.
He stared at the door, really not wanting to answer it.
“Jared!”
“Fuck.” Jared wondered if he would survive the twelve story drop to the ground below.
“Open the door, man. I’m not going to kill you.”
He opened the door with the chain on it. “Can I have that in writing?”
Chris glared at him. “I would have done it way before this asshole, open the door.”
He closed the door and unhooked the chain. As he opened it, Chris stalked into the room.
“Wow, this seems so familiar.”
Chris just looked at him, “Jensen told me what happened. First off – you’re a fucking idiot. Second – I want you to tell me to my face what you plan on doing now.”
“Loving him for the rest of his life.” Jared said simply. “I know I screwed up. I know I have to work to get him back. All I want is a chance.”
Chris looked at him a few moments. “Dude, why didn’t you just come to one of us?”
Sometimes he didn’t understand himself why he hadn’t gone to any of his friends. He knew any one of them would have listened and tried to help, but he was just so scared. During the past months he had thought long and hard about what had happened and realized some of his own insecurities had really played into the situation. He was so scared of losing Jensen, that he had pushed him away by making stupid decisions. When he had woke up next to Genevieve, he had run out of the house and promptly thrown up. He stillwasn’t sure how he’d gotten home, but all he kept thinking was he was going to lose Jensen over this, and he would deserve it. He knew how Jen felt about being cheated on, especially when one of his only other boyfriends had cheated on him for months.
“I was freaked and felt I deserved to lose him.” Jared answered honestly.
“You’re an idiot, Padalecki.” Chris patted him on his shoulder then squeezed it. “You hurt him again…”
“Samuel L. Jackson already threatened me with Robert Downey Jr.” Jared tried not to roll his eyes.
“Dude.” Chris leaned forward and whispered into his ear. “That would only be the beginningof the pain.” He chuckled and walked out of the hotel room.
~ Set after Supernatural Panel at Comic Con ~
Robert sat in the oversize chair waiting for his victim. He chuckled lightly to himself: all he needed was a scotch in his hand and Favreau could easily be filming a scene with Stark.
The Marvel Panel finished hours ago, the fans taking to Jensen’s Captain America easily. They had all laughed and had a good time at the panel. At times Jensen looked like he wanted to bolt, still not at ease with the movie star status he’d stepped into.
After the panel, Robert just gave his shoulder a squeeze for support as security escorted him towards the green room to prep for the Supernatural Panel. They had talked most of the night, neither getting much sleep. He had a feeling Jen would collapse by the end of the day.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact Jensen was giving the big dork a second chance. Though he really couldn’t say much, and Susan had smacked him and just given him a look.
Hey, he could be hypocritical. Jensen was a good kid and he’d kinda got attached to him. And Jared had better watch it if he fucked up again.
The door unlocked, pulling Robert out of his thoughts.
He waited for the moment the lights flicked on and he was noticed.
Action!
“What the hell?”
“Genevieve.” He stood up from his chair and walked over to her. “I’m going to put this as simply as possible. I don’t believe your bullshit story of not knowing they were together…”
She rolled her eyes and moved past him. “I didn’t know they were fucking fags.”
“I’ll also ignore the tone and homophobic attitude.” His own voice dropped into a deadly tenor. Favreau would be squealing like a little girl by now. “Even if you didn’t know about their relationship, you knew of their friendship. You knew that was Jensen’s home. You knew they were close. Jared asked you not to make an announcement. Asked you to be discreet.”
“Is there a point here?”
His eyebrow went up, but he just continued. “Do you even care how many lives you destroyed with your selfish act? Wait, don’t answer that. So this is what we’re going to do. You’re going to pack up the rugrat and leave. You will never show your face in Hollywood again.”
“You can’t do that!” she screamed at him.
“Seriously?” Robert smirked as he smoothed his suit front down, then turned towards the door. “Already did. Every agent in town knows not to represent you. Casting Directors know not to even take your calls. Producers will ignore your name. Directors won’t even look at you to appear as an extra.”
Genevieve seethed at him. “There’s no way you have that much power.”
“Me, probably not. But add in a few other friends who are invested in one Jensen Ackles? Oh hell yeah.” Robert smirked at her. “Oh, before you get it in your little pea brain that you can take this story to the press, I’ve had my lawyers call Jared’s lawyers. They’re already chatting with Jensen’s and the CW’s lawyers. It’s just one big lawyer get-together.”
He turned, opened the door and left.
Robert eyed the door as he heard the crash against it. He smirked and walked down the hall towards the elevators. Now he just needed to find the damn Winchester Brothers, pray they weren’t hanging with the Leverage group, and get them down for drinks with the Avengers.
He paused at the elevators…
Wait.
Wait.
That sounded like a bad fanfic.