InsaneJournal

Who: Elliot Reid and JD
What: Bed, Banter and Beyond
Where: JD's Bedroom
When: Day 25, February 2002
Rating: R (excessive fricks)
Status: Complete

Elliot awoke to the unfamiliar and shrill sound of an old fashioned alarm clock. She snapped her eyes open, surprised not only to be lying in a room lit up by sunlight but also to find herself naked in a bed with rose colored sheets. She turned over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling while her mind tried to process where she was and what she was doing there naked when she felt the bed shift beside her. She turned towards the movement slowly, terrified of what she might find.

"Great job last night, buddy."

Elliot's breath caught in her throat as she sat up, clutching the sheets around her. "JD?!"

JD, also naked, made a face and shook his head looking defeated as he sat up beside her, reaching out to touch her knee on top of the sheets. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I don't kow why I said that." He pressed his lips together for a moment. "Not that you weren't good, because you were," he said quickly. "So good, but..."

Elliot made a small whimpering sound as her face fell. "Oh my God, it's really you," she said shakily before throwing her arms around him. Elliot squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him even harder when she felt his arms wrap around her in response.

"Uh...yeah," JD said, into her hair. "It's me."

Elliot pulled back, gripping JD's arms. "What happened?"

This time it was JD's face that fell. His brows furrowed as he seemed to search her face. "You don't remember?" Elliot shook her head, still trying to process that he was there beside her and she was in the safety of what she recognized as JD's room. "You said you were jealous of Alex and then not to sound vain, but you sorta jumped me and then we had the most amazing sex ever..." He paused and looked down, mumbling slightly. "That you don't remember."

"Alex?" Elliot asked, trying to sort out her thoughts. She knew she should be more alarmed at waking up naked in bed with JD, but she was so shocked about not waking up in the Gym that she couldn't be bothered with the thoughts that were bound to come with that yet. Wait a minute, what he was saying did sound familiar. "Wait...Alex, the druggie that stole that Percocet from the hospital?"

"Well, yeah," JD said, giving an uncomfortable shrug, clearly not over his ex-girlfriend's betrayal.

"But that was years ago!" Elliot said, her eyes widening. She shook her head, her reflection in a mirror against the wall catching her eyes. "What the frick?" She pushed herself off the bed and almost tripped herself up in the sheets before making it to the wall mirror where she regarded her reflection with awe. "My hair!" It was the same cut that she'd had in her first year as an intern. The one with the bangs that people had said made her look like a chipmunk and her mother had said made her look butch.

"That was six hours ago and did you just say frick?" JD asked with a laugh, watching her move to the mirror. "That's pretty adorable." Elliot's gaze moved away from her hair and to the reflection of JD's smile in the mirror. "Elliot, don't worry about your crazy bed hair." He pointed to his own lopsided hair. "I'm not gonna judge."

She turned towards him and shook her head. "JD...I don't know what's happening. I don't know what I'm doing here." Had she been sent back in time?

JD was off the bed and standing in front of her in record time. "Hey, it's okay," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I mean, I know we don't know each other that well, but I like you." He locked eyes with hers. "I mean, I really like you, Elliot."

"I know," Elliot said, unable to look away from him for a moment. For the first time since before he'd broken her heart in front of Turk and Carla's wedding party she allowed herself to acknowledge the warm feeling she got in the pit of her stomach when he was around. It'd never really gone away, it had just been muted out by her hurt and rage. It was so good to see him. She'd been afraid that she'd never be able to see him again. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands before pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss. She pulled back to find his eyes closed and she smiled for a moment before it faded. "JD, if I tell you something, you promise not to think I'm crazy?"

"I promise," JD said, opening his eyes and reaching out to squeeze one of her hands.

Elliot took a deep breath. "Okay...I'm from the future."

"Okay," JD said, not breaking eye contact.

"Four years in the future," Elliot said, half afraid that he would stop her. "We're...roommates. Well more than that, we're best friends. You're Chief Resident and I just got my job back after leaving for a study on a disease that was solved after four days." She pressed her lips together. "Freaking Charlie."

JD didn't blink, instead he just gave a short nod. "...Okay, and Charlie is?"

"Creepy fellowship doctor who solved the disease during the five seconds he wasn't making my life a living hell." She shook her head. "Not important. " Elliot swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to control the feeling of anxiety creeping up on her at just thinking about first Charlie and then the glass cage. "But then I was kidnapped and taken to this place, this terrible place where they kill and torture people. I've been there for almost two weeks."

"Okay..." JD said, raising his eyebrows. There was a moment's pause and Elliot had opened her mouth to continue when JD spoke. "Wow. That is detailed. I mean, I've never really role played before, but that is very specific. Did you just come up with that or do you just like hold onto it until you get a chance to act it out?"

"JD, I'm serious!" Elliot said, knitting her brows as she dropped his hands and stepped back from him.

"I am too!" JD said, giving her his mock serious face. He sat down on the bed and waved his hand. "Keep going. Do I get to rescue you? Karate chop some bad guys? And then you're so happy to see me that we make unabashed love in the sand as the surf comes up around us?"

"What?" Elliot asked, staring at him.

JD shrugged. "I just always wanted to do that. You know, like in that movie."

For a moment all Elliot could do was look at him and then she shook her head. "Never mind." She started picking up her clothes on the floor, dropping the sheet to yank them on.

"Hey, come on," JD said, pushing himself off the bed. "Elliot, I was just kidding."

"I'm not," Elliot said, moving away from him. She stopped, pushing her bangs out of her face. "God, JD I'm losing my mind. One minute I'm fine, the next in that place and the only thing keeping me sane is Andy, and even then..." She trailed off, her eyes growing wide. "Oh God, Andy."

Was he looking for her? Did he think she was dead? Would she ever see him again? Elliot suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

"Who's Andy?" JD asked, looking confused.

"He's..." Elliot swallowed. "He's my new roommate. Sort of." She paused. It was more than that. Some days, okay most days, he was the only thing that kept her going. "He's my best friend there."

"So, he's me," JD asked, one eyebrow cocked in question. "I mean, future me?"

"No..." Elliot said, shaking her head before it slowed to a standstill and her face fell guiltily. "No, it's different."

"Good, for a minute there I thought you'd swapped me out for someone on Temptation Island."

"JD, it's not an island!" Elliot said, rolling her eyes. "It's more of a ghost town, surrounded by freaky woods." What about the others? Lexie, House, Chris? Were they still back ther or had they gone back to their own times too? Was she stuck here four years in her past?

"Okay, seriously," JD said, wearing that smile that meant he was uncomfortable but didn't want to admit it. "How long have you been thinking this fantasy up? How about we keep it simple and play doctor, Doctor?" He grinned at her, reaching out and touching her shoulder.

Elliot sighed, tired of talking in circles. How was she supposed to explain that she'd already lived out this day and the four years that had followed? She already knew that she'd leave his apartment after a full day in bed feeling like she'd finally met someone who understood her and in three weeks time they'd drive each other away because they didn't know each other well enough to make it work. Then they'd start all over again. Wash, rinse, repeat. "JD...wait." She shook her head. "I can't."

"Can't what?" JD asked, his expression turning from playful to something more serious.

"I can't do this again," Elliot said with a small sigh. "Me and you, we're great as friends, but everytime we try to be something else...it doesn't work out."

"Again? We're just starting out." JD gave her a smle. "Do you know how long I've wanted to kiss you? Since the minute I saw you."

Elliot looked away from him and sank down on the bed. "That's not enough." She looked up at him. "JD, I want someone that's going to love me."

"I could..."

"No, you can't," she said firmly, remembering I don't love you being whispered in her ear. "That's the problem."

"Elliot," JD said, sitting down beside her. "We could be really good together."

Elliot swallowed. "We are really good together. Just not together. You're still my best friend."

JD ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the floor. "You know, this is probably the wierdest 'just friends' speech I've ever gotten."

Elliot gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," JD said, reaching up to tuck a stray bang behind her ear. "Me too."


Elliot awoke to the not so unfamiliar and shrill sound of an old fashioned alarm clock. She turned onto her back, her eyes moving to the left where she knew JD would be waiting for her.

"Great job last night, buddy."

She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the rose colored sheets up over her head. "Frick."