Chapter One: Starting Over [ATWT/Grey's x-over] PT.1

[docwarnerfan]

Title: Starting Over

Pairings: Callica [GA] & Margo/Jessica [main characters], but others will be present [ATWT]

Disclaimer: We don't own any of the used characters, they belong to ABC & CBS..we'll return them back in prefect condition.

Timeline: This story [ATWT time] deals in 2004 when Tom/Margo are separated & Ben & Jess aren't together either, a lot of the show's other characters will show up at points in this story as well. As for Grey's timeline Callica got back together and Erica never left Seattle.

Author's Notes: Nothing really. We just hope you guys enjoy this story. Kenpogirl & I worked on this together for a longtime so we'd love some feedback.

Chapter One:

It had been a week since Tom moved out and Margo was still sleeping on the couch every night because when she tried to sleep in the bed she had shared with Tom, the memories of flooded her mind, making sleep impossible.

It is eight pm and Margo is thoroughly exhausted as she lies on the couch trying everything she can think of to find to sleep, but is once again denied. She groans in irritation as she hears a knock at the door. She struggles to drag herself over to answer it.

Upon opening it, though she has no desire to see anyone, she is somewhat relieved that it is her best friend, Jessica. Jessica's face reads deep concern as she notes how worn and haggard Margo's appearance has become. Her hair is uncombed, her eyes and nose are red, and her clothing is rumpled.

MARGO (weakly) : "Hey, Jess."

JESS (frowning with concern) : "Hey, Margo. How are you holding up?"

Margo's expression says "Are you kidding?"

MARGO (still weak, rubbing her neck tensely) : "Come on in. I could use a friendly face and a little pleasant conversation. Maybe it'll relax me."

JESS (gently) : "I'll do whatever I can. I'm guessing you haven't been sleeping very well."

Margo purses her lips and shakes her head wordlessly.

She then turns, leads Jess into the living room and drops herself heavily back on the couch. Jess takes a seat across from Margo and regards her friend closely. She feels a tug at her heart seeing the emotional condition of the other woman. Margo sniffles, produces a tissue from her pocket and blows her nose.

JESS (sympathetically) : "Aw, Margo, I wish there were something I could do to make you feel better."

MARGO (appreciatively) : "You are. You're sitting here talking to me and keeping me company."

Jess can't help but smile.

MARGO : "I'm sorry. I'm a terrible host." (starting to stand) "Do you want something to drink?"

Jess reaches over and gently takes Margo's hand.

JESS (searching Margo's face) : "Hey, it's okay. Relax. It's just me. You don't have to worry about pleasantries with me. I'm your best friend."

Margo looks back into Jess' eyes and feels a bit of relief. The two friends lock eyes for a brief moment before looking away simultaneously.

MARGO (gratefully) : "Thanks, Jess. I'm glad you're here."

JESS : "No problem. Do you want to talk about it?"

Margo shakes her head.

JESS (gently) : "Okay." (Jess becomes thoughtful for a moment) "Well, you haven't been sleeping. We've established that. Have you been eating at all?"

Margo drops her gaze to the floor almost guiltily without a word. Jess can read Margo's expression.

JESS : "That would be a "No." on the eating as well. Margo, you can't go like this much longer. You have to eat something. Come on. I'll get you whatever you want and you can eat it right here. You won't have to move a muscle, but I want to see you eat something."

MARGO (starting to protest with a shake of her head) : "Jess…"

JESS : "Nope. Not taking excuses today. Just tell me what you want to eat."

MARGO (defeated) : "Well, maybe just something light. A sandwich or something." (starting to get up) "I'll go make it."

JESS (quickly getting to her feet and putting her hands on Margo's shoulders to urge her back into her chair)

"You relax. I'll make it for you."

MARGO : "You don't have to…"

JESS (firmly, looking intently into Margo's eyes) : "Sit."

Margo obediently sits back down.

JESS (as she heads into the kitchen) : "What do you want to drink?"

MARGO : "Milk is good. Thanks."

As Jess disappears into the kitchen, Margo realizes that this is the first time in months that she doesn't feel completely alone. She realizes that she's actually breathing easier and not sobbing, and she can't help, but wonder at the change.

Minutes later, Jess returns with the sandwich and glass of milk and places them on the coffee table before Margo.

MARGO (gently) : "Thanks, Jess. You're a great friend."

With that, Jess suddenly feels a rush of tenderness for the woman before her. She can hardly believe the sensation of butterflies in her stomach as she gazes upon her.

She takes her seat and watches Margo eat, mystified by her own feelings. She frowns unconsciously at her own confusion. Minutes later, Margo has eaten three-quarters of the sandwich and is now slowing down.

JESS : "Uh-uh. Finish that."

MARGO (smiling weakly and rolling her eyes) : "Okay. Okay."

Margo dutifully finishes the rest of the sandwich as well as the milk. She wipes her mouth with a napkin.

MARGO (speaking softly) : "Thanks. I needed that."

JESS (looking intently into Margo's eyes and putting a hand over Margo's) : "What are friends for?"

For a moment, the two women lock eyes and fall silent as all kinds of emotion rush through them. After a minute, both women look away and Margo clears her throat uncomfortably.

JESS (getting to her feet again) : "You should try to get some sleep. If you want, I'll stay until you fall asleep and then I'll let myself out."

MARGO (slowly getting to her feet) : "That would be great. I'll feel better knowing you're here."
JESS can't suppress a smile.

JESS (affectionately, urging her upstairs) : "Go on. Get."

Margo starts up the stairs, but continues to watch Jess pick up the plate and glass from the coffee table and head back into the kitchen. She sighs as she watches Jess disappear into the other room with a strange sense that she was missing the dark-haired beauty already.

A few minutes later, Margo has come back downstairs after washing, and changing into her pajamas and robe. She finds Jess asleep in a chair and can't help but smile. She finds her mind thinking about how attractive her friend is. In fact, she's downright beautiful. Suddenly she mentally shakes herself. What am I thinking?, she wonders to herself. She takes a deep breathe and approaches the sleeping woman.

MARGO (whispering as she gently shakes Jess) : "Hey, Jess. Hey, sleepyhead."

Jess stirs and slowly opens her eyes.

JESS (remorsefully) : "Oh, hey, sorry about that. Didn't mean to fall asleep on you. Guess I haven't been sleeping too well myself lately."

MARGO : "It's okay. Listen, why don't you just spend the night? The couch is pretty comfortable and that way neither one of us has to be alone."

As the two women lock eyes once again, both of their hearts flutter.

JESS (softly) : "Okay."

MARGO : "Okay." Margo turns and goes back upstairs to retrieve some blankets and pillows for Jess. She brings them back down and sets up the couch for Jess.

MARGO : "Okay. There you go."

JESS : "Thanks."

MARGO : "No. Thank you for keeping me company."

JESS : "We're keeping each other company, remember?"

MARGO (chuckling) : "Right. Well…" (shifting uncomfortably as she stands) "Good night."

Margo reaches out and the two women come together in an embrace.

JESS : "Good night”

The two women exchange a kiss on the cheek and then slowly, reluctantly start to pull back from each other, but before they completely let go of each other, their faces come close together. Their breathing becomes labored as their lips hover within millimeters of each other. Suddenly both women avert their eyes and clear their throats uncomfortably as they drop their arms from around each other and step away.

MARGO : "Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything."

JESS : "Hey, I'm supposed to be here for you. You let me know if you need anything."

MARGO (smiling) : "Well, we're here for each other, right?"

JESS (smiling) : "Right."

The two women held each other's gaze for a moment before looking away.

MARGO (reluctantly starting back up the stairs) : "Well… good night then."

JESS : "Good night."

Jess settles into the couch and tries to relax, but can't quiet her mind.

She recalls many moments with Margo; having dinner, meeting for coffee, watching movies together on the couch. She relives the good night kiss over and over. She allows her mind to wander and imagine the kiss going further, lasting longer.

Suddenly, she bolts upright, irritably shaking her head. Stop, Jess, she chides herself. She's your best friend and she's in love with her husband. Leave it alone. With a heavy sigh, she lies back down and closes her eyes.

Hours later, Jess has finally started to doze off. Suddenly, Margo appears at the top of the stairs. She slowly, cautiously, silently makes her way down the stairs and straight towards the couch. She leans down, gingerly puts her hand on Jess' shoulder and gently shakes her.

MARGO (almost tearfully) : "Jess? Jess, wake up. I need to talk to you."

Jess stirs, rolls over and slowly opens her eyes.

JESS : "Hey, Margo. You okay?"

MARGO : "Ummm. Not really."

JESS : "What's the matter?"

MARGO (tears beginning to fill her eyes) : "Uh… I… I'm scared, Jess. I haven't been alone since I was a kid. I don't know if I can handle this."

Jess sits up, reaches over, and takes Margo on her arms.

JESS (sympathetically) : "Shhhh. It's okay, Margo. You're not alone. I'm here."

MARGO : "I haven't been able to sleep all week. I'm falling apart."

JESS (holding Margo closer in her arms) : "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

MARGO : "Thank you. If I could just sleep for a little while… but I feel so alone and scared…"

With that, Jess pulls back, lies back down, and holds the covers up in invitation for Margo to lie on the couch with her.

Slowly, deliberately, Margo lies down with her back to Jess. Once Margo is settled, Jess brings the covers back down and cautiously lets her arm drop around Margo's waist.

Before long, both women are finally overtaken by sleep. Six hours later, it is 2 a.m. and Margo has woken up refreshed. She carefully rolls over onto her back.

She carefully rolls over onto her back, making sure to keep Jess' arm around her. Jess gradually stirs and opens her eyes to find Margo watching her intently. She gives Margo a shy smile.

JESS (whispering) : "Hey. How are you?"

MARGO (staring into Jess' eyes, whispering) : "I'm good. Really good. I haven't slept that well in a long time."

JESS : "Good."

MARGO (still staring into Jess' eyes) : "I owe you for this." (reaching out and caressing Jess' cheek) "Thank you."

JESS (staring back into Margo's eyes) : "What are friends for?"

The two women lock eyes. Their breathing becomes labored. They feel a force pulling them together. Slowly, almost fearfully, Jess starts to lean down until her lips meet Margo's.

After a moment Jess leans back and searches Margo's face for some clue as to how her best friend might be feeling about this new development in their relationship. Margo puts her hand behind Jess' neck and gently urged her back down for another kiss.

Jess shifts to lie directly on top of Margo as they deepen the kiss. Margo reaches up and begins unbuttoning Jess' blouse as they continue kissing. Jess reciprocates, unbuttoning Margo's pajama top.

The two women continue to kiss and undress each other for the next several hours as they go from friends to lovers.

Four hours later, the sun is beginning to peek up over the horizon. Both women are still on the couch with Jess lying on her back holding Margo in her arms. The silence is comfortable, though each woman has a million questions running though her head about this turn of events.

Jess gently caresses Margo's back, causing Margo to look up into Jess' face. As their eyes meet, both women smile.

JESS : "Hey."

MARGO : "Hey. How are you?"

JESS : "I'm okay. How are you?"

MARGO : "I'm okay."

Jess reaches up and runs her fingers through Margo's hair.

JESS (slightly uncomfortable) : "So… are you okay with… with what just happened here?"

MARGO (smiling) : "Yeah. I think so. Are you?"

JESS (smiling) : "Yeah. I think so. But you realize we have a lot of talking to do."

MARGO : "Yeah."

Margo tilts her head up and the two women share a kiss.

MARGO : "Do you have to go to the office today?"

JESS (frowning) : "Yes."

MARGO : "Do you have enough time for breakfast? You must be starving."

JESS (smiling) : "Thanks. I'd love some breakfast."

Margo leans up on one elbow and plants one more gentle kiss on Jess' lips.

MARGO (seductively) : "How about a shower first?"

An hour later, Margo and Jess have finished showering and having breakfast, and Margo is now walking Jess to the door.

JESS (putting on her jacket) : "So… can we have dinner tonight?"

MARGO : "Sure. Come over after work. I'll cook."

JESS : "Great. I'll call you later."

The two women look into each other's eyes and fall into each other's arms. They share a final kiss before Jess exits.

MARGO : "Bye."

JESS (halfway out the door) : "Bye."

Four hours later, Margo is sitting at her desk at the precinct when her cell phone rings. She smiles as she reads Jess' name on the caller id.

MARGO (smiling broadly) : "Hey."

JESS (shyly) : "Hey. How are you?"

MARGO : "I'm good. How are you?"

JESS : "I'm good." (there's a silence for a moment) "I've been thinking about you."

MARGO : "I've been thinking about you, too."

JESS : "I can't wait till tonight."

MARGO : "Me, too. I miss you, sweetie."

JESS : "I miss you, too, baby."

MARGO : "What time are you getting off?"

JESS : "I'm hoping by 5. You?"

MARGO : "I think I can be out by 5 if you are."

JESS : "Great. So, see you back at your place?"

MARGO : "Be there or be square."

JESS : "Great. See you in a little while, baby. Bye."

MARGO : "Bye, sweetie."

Two hours later, back at the firm, Jess' cell phone rings. She can't suppress the smile upon reading Margo's name on her caller id.

JESS : "Hey, baby. You okay?"

MARGO : "Hi. Yeah, I'm okay. I just wanted to hear your voice."

JESS : "I'm happy to hear your voice, too. You're day going ok?"

MARGO : "Yeah, except that it's going too slow. I can't wait for it to be over so I can see you again."

JESS : "I know, baby. I want to see you, too."

Four hours later, Jess has gone back to her apartment and changed and is now at Margo's door. Margo opens the door in a rather seductive ensemble. Jess notes the candlelight and soft music.

MARGO (giving Jess a smoldering look) : "Hey, you."

JESS : "Hey, beautiful. How are you?"

The two women embrace and kiss in greeting.

MARGO : "Fine, but I missed you."

JESS : "I missed you, too, baby."

The pair walks in, keeping their arms around each other as they go.

MARGO : "Are you hungry?"

JESS : "Starving."

MARGO : "Good."

Margo leads Jess to the dining table where an elegant meal has already been served.

JESS : "Wow. This looks fantastic."

MARGO (smiling proudly) : "Thanks."

Over the next hour, the couple eats, drinks, and engages in pleasant conversation at the table. Dinner over, they retire to the living room. They sit close together on the couch, sipping wine. Their eyes meet, Margo inches closer and leans into Jess. Jess slowly, carefully, puts her arm around Margo holds her close.

MARGO (looking into Jess' eyes) : "Yes, I know. But not tonight, okay? Tonight let's just spend time together… see how we really feel about each other?"

JESS (smiling, speaking softly) : "Okay."

Margo leans in and kisses Jess softly.

The pair deepens the kiss and hold each other closer.

MARGO (breathlessly, breaking the kiss) : "Come to bed with me, baby."

Jess breathlessly nods. Margo stands and holds her hand out to Jess. Jess takes it and stands, following Margo into her bedroom.

Once they are inside the room, Margo closes the door behind them. She turns back to Jess, eyes dark with desire. The two woman fall back into each other's arms and resume kissing.

Their hands begin to wander. Jess moves her mouth from Margo's lips to her neck as she holds the other woman closer. Margo reaches up and begins unbuttoning Jess' shirt. Jess begins unbuttoning Margo's shirt. They both unzip each other's pants at the same time.

They finish undressing each other. Margo leads Jess to the bed, gets in, and holds the covers up for Jess to join her.

Jess gets into bed with Margo. They resume kissing and relive the previous night's lovemaking.

Hours later, they lie together; Margo snuggled into Jess' arms.

JESS (giving Margo a kiss on the forehead and caressing her back) : "You're amazing, do you know that?"

MARGO (looking up from where her face is in the crook of Jess' neck and shaking her head) : "You are." The two women smile at each other and lean in for a soft kiss.

As they pull back and begin to snuggle closer again, Margo yawns. Jess laughs.

JESS : "Ok. Ok. I get the hint." (giving Margo an adoring look, speaking softly) "We should probably get some sleep."

MARGO (chuckling) : "Ok."

JESS (smiling) : "Good night, baby."

MARGO : "Good night, sweetheart."

The pair share a final gentle kiss and settle back into each other's arms, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning, Jess awakens with Margo still in her arms and smiles contentedly. She gives Margo a gentle kiss on the forehead. Margo stirs slowly and opens her eyes. Her smile grows as she looks into Jess' eyes.

JESS : "Hey, gorgeous."

MARGO : "Hey, beautiful. Sleep ok?"

JESS : "Wonderfully. You?"

MARGO : "Best night's sleep I've had since… well, since last night."

The two women chuckle.

JESS (becoming serious, troubled) : "You know… I've loved… making love with you… but…"

MARGO (concerned, brow furrowed) : "What is it?"

JESS : "I really think we need to talk about all this. What we're doing. What it means. Where we're going with this."

MARGO (concerned) : "You're right. You're absolutely right. Ok. Before we spend another night together, we'll hash this out, ok?"

JESS (softening) : "Ok."

MARGO : "Ok. In the meantime… breakfast?"

JESS : "Terrific. I'm starving."

MARGO (seductively, leaning in to kiss Jess) : "I bet you are."

JESS (laughing) : "Oh, you are so bad."

MARGO (smiling and sitting up) : "Ok. Ok. You go shower. I'll make breakfast."

JESS (kissing Margo as she begins to sit up as well) : "Ok." (kissing Margo again) "I'll miss you, though."

MARGO (smiling) : "So, hurry."

.Twenty minutes later, Jess has come downstairs, fully dressed. Margo is standing at the stove scrambling eggs in a robe. Jess comes up behind Margo and puts her arms around the redhead.

Placing a kiss on the shorter woman's neck, Jess whispers in her ear.

JESS : "Do you know that I'm absolutely crazy about you?"

MARGO (jokingly) : "Funny. I was going to tell you the same thing."

Both women smile.

Jess kisses Margo on the neck once again and Margo leans back into Jess momentarily. After a minute, Margo has finished cooking the eggs. She reaches for a plate.

MARGO : "Ok, honey. Have a seat. Everything's ready."

Jess sits while Margo brings the plates with eggs, toast, and bacon to the table.

Margo takes her seat and the pair begins eating.

JESS : "So, are we seeing each other tonight?"

MARGO : "Yes. We're going to have that talk."

JESS : "Ok. Let's go get some air… someplace quiet. Do you want to go walk around the park?"

MARGO : "Sounds good."

The couple enjoy the rest of their meal as they engage in light conversation. Half an hour later, they have finished eating, Jess has cleared the table, and now both women are preparing to leave for work.

JESS (grabbing her purse and keys, walking with Margo towards the door) : "Ok, babe. I'll call you later, ok?"

MARGO (grabbing her own purse and keys) : "Ok. Have a good day, baby."

JESS : "Thanks. You, too."

Jess leans over and kisses Margo.

JESS : "Bye."

MARGO : "Bye."

Ten hours later, Jess and Margo have arrived at the park. It is deserted and the only sound is the rustling of the leaves in the wind.

The night creates a secluded, private atmosphere within the park for the pair to have the discussion that they need to have.

As they stroll down the path, Jess puts her arm around Margo's shoulders and Margo slips her arm around Jess' waist.

JESS (taking a deep breathe before beginning to speak) : "So… about this… about… us… how do you feel about this?

MARGO : "I… I'm not sure. I mean… you've been my best friend for so long and I've felt love for you as my friend all this time, but at the same time… the truth is that I've always felt…" (smiles shyly) "attracted to you. I mean, I've always found you beautiful. I've always felt excited any time I had any contact with you or talked about you or even heard your name. Of course I've been married to Tom all this time, so I never let myself think about that, but now…"

JESS (dropping her gaze to the floor) : "I know what you mean. Looking back, I've always…" (face goes bright red) "well… wanted you. I can recall times when we were having lunch together and you would mention having plans with Tom for the evening and I'd feel…" (shrugs) "I don't know, like I was missing you already and you hadn't even left yet. I would dread your leaving. And after you were gone, I'd actually be… jealous of Tom for getting to be with you. I know it sounds bizarre…"

MARGO : "No, no. Not at all. I guess in a strange way… as unlikely as it sounds… this has been a long time coming."

JESS (smiling and chuckling) : "Yeah, maybe so. Maybe so."

MARGO : "Ok, so I guess we've gotten some clues as to how we got here. The question is, where are we going?"

JESS (speaking softly) : "Where do you want this to go?"

MARGO : "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet. I just know that I love spending time with you, I've loved getting closer to you, and I want to continue doing that. How about you?"

JESS : "That's how I feel, too. All I know is, I feel happy when I'm with you, I'm even happier when we're getting closer, and I'm lonely when I'm not with you. Beyond that, I don't know yet."

MARGO : "Ok, so… we take this one day at a time, keep spending time together and continue to see how we feel about each other?"

JESS (smiling) : "I can live with that."

MARGO (smiling) : "Me, too."

Margo stops walking and turns to stand directly face-to-face with Jessica. She reaches up and slips both arms around Jessica's neck. Without a word, the pair looks intently into each other's eyes. Margo lowers her head and presses her forehead to Jessica's.

Jessica slips both arms around Margo's waist, turning her face to be cheek-to-cheek with Margo. After a moment of just holding Margo close and breathing her in, Jess sighs contentedly. Then she drops her head to kiss Margo's shoulder.

She continues up her neck, across her cheek, and over to her lips. The couple tightens their grip on each other and deepens the kiss. After several minutes, both women are breathless.

MARGO (breathing heavily) : "Ok. So now we've talked everything out, right?"

JESS : "Yes."

MARGO (giving Jessica a smoldering look) : "Can we go back to my place now?"

JESS (smiling softly) : "Yes." (leaning in to give Margo another kiss) "Let's go."

Jess drops her arms from around Margo's waist and returns one arm to Margo's shoulders.

The couple walks briskly back to Jess' car to return home.

Several weeks later, Margo and Jess have continued seeing each other. They have been spending most nights together, alternating between their two homes, each bringing the necessary belongings to the other's home. This particular night, they are cuddled up in bed, discussing the day's events, when Margo's phone rings.

.Jess looks at Margo questioningly. Margo shrugs and picks up the phone.

MARGO : "Hello?..." (Margo looks at Jess, slightly uncomfortable) "H-Hi, Tom. How are you?... I'm fine. " ( getting flustered) "I'm…I don't…I mean, I guess I'm free tomorrow night if you have something you need to talk to me about. How about having dinner here?" (Margo looks back towards Jess and shrugs) "Ok. 8 o'clock? Perfect. See you then. Bye."

JESS : "He… He wants to see you?"

MARGO (matter-of-factly) : "Well, yeah. I mean, legally, we're still married."

Jess visibly winces. Margo rushes to reassure her.

MARGO (jumping back into bed with Jess, gently touching the other woman's arms) : "No, no, baby. That's not what I meant. I just meant that we have some issues to resolve… unfinished business, you know?"

JESS (unconvinced) : "Yeah."

Margo settles back against the headboard and leans into Jess urging Jess to put her arm around the police chief.

MARGO (looking into Jess' eyes, caressing her cheek) : "Baby, listen to me. I'm with you. I want you. Only you. I don't want anyone else, ok?"

JESS (trying desperately to believe, clutching Margo to her side possessively) "Ok. Ok."

MARGO (sighing, still caressing Jess' cheek and looking into her eyes) : "Sweetheart…"