Chapter 8: Love Rescue Me

Set-up: Valentine's Day is approaching and the Daria side of Dorian's brain isn't feeling the love. Between battling hormones, helping Amy and Lillian moving in, and tutoring most of the football team frustration has kicked in. Add to the mix Quinn riding him about his upcoming plans for the holiday and his parent's "wanting to talk", and you have a Dorian ready to go hide in a cave. Can Dorian stop the insanity before it ruins Valentine's Day for him and Jane?

Legal Stuff: "Love Rescue Me" is a song by U2 and was written by them and Bob Dylan.

Daria is owned by MTV/Glenn Eischer

References to the episode "Murder, She Snored" will be used.

Love rescue me
Come forth and speak to me
Raise me up and don't let me fall
No man is my enemy
My own hands imprison me
Love rescue me

During Saturday's early practice, Mr. DeMartino came to talk to Coach Smith. Jane watched from the stands as the coach began rubbing his temples. Whatever is going on can't be good. Oh crap, now he's motioning for Dorian to join them. Great ... now Dorian is starting to pace. Jane flinched as she saw Dorian lower his head and nod. Coach Smith and Mr. DeMartino shook his hand. After blowing the whistle, the coach barked at several players on the team to come to the bench. Pointing at the players and then Dorian, the coach ended practice. While heading to the locker room, Dorian walked with Coach Smith. Jane left the bleachers to find Mr. Morgendorffer talking to Trent and Jesse.

"Hey Jane-O! Amy called and wants us to help her move. According to Helen, the movers Amy hired had to cancel. Want to join us?"

"Sure thing Mr. M." Jane looked behind her to see Dorian coming. Looking at his face, Jane sighed. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days.

Jake popped open the trunk and Dorian threw his gear inside. He glanced at the extra passengers in the vehicle. Why in the hell are Trent and Jesse here? Patting the seat beside her, Jane moved over for Dorian. Jesse had called shotgun. Wrapping his arm around her, Dorian pulled Jane into a hug. Trent stifled a small laugh at the two of them.

"Why were you talking to Coach Smith and Mr. DeMartino after practice? I swear every time you two chat, some kind of crap goes down. I could tell by your body language it wasn't good."

"Kevin, Robert, and a couple of other players on the team are seriously close to being put on academic probation if they fail Mr. Demartino's test next Friday. Since we have a bye week, instead of practicing, he wants me to tutor them for the test." Dorian closed his eyes and sighed.

Jane lifted her head from his shoulders. "Are they crazy?! They can't really expect you to be able to pull this off. We are talking about Kevin here. He wouldn't know the difference between Teapot Dome and the Superdome."

A little light flickered on inside his brain. Jane's onto something. What if I taught them history as though I was talking about a football game. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Jane ... have I told you lately that you're brilliant."

"Umm ... no but I'll remember to mark this day on my calendar for future reference." Jane smirked.

"So ... Trent ... did the 'blue bomber' bite the dust?" Dorian asked.

"Your Aunt Amy's movers backed out so we are going to help her move." Trent answered before falling asleep.

Jane looked at her older brother and laughed. "Trent has a tendency to fall asleep if he isn't the one driving or playing his guitar."

Staring at his dad, Dorian's face showed concern. "You're just going to drive and supervise right?" The last thing he needs is to give himself another heart attack.

"That's the plan kiddo. I will be loading up some of the lighter boxes and stuff like that but you, Trent, and Jesse will be doing most of the harder manual labor."

I'm glad we had weight training this morning. Dorian felt Jane's head fall against the side of his rib cage. Stroking her hair, Dorian couldn't help but smile.

"It looks like your brother isn't the only one who does a good Rip Van Winkle impersonation."

Amy answered the door with relief in her eyes. Dorian, Trent and Jesse began moving the larger furniture. Amy and Jane finished getting the last of the boxes ready. Making sure all of the crates were labeled, Jake loaded them onto a hand truck and wheeled them into the moving van. A couple of hours into the job, Amy left to get lunch for everyone. When the last box was out of the house, Amy and Jake did an inspection of the now empty apartment. Realizing that everything was in the van, the group packed up into three different vehicles. Trent drove the moving van while Jake and Amy followed in their own cars. Dorian rode with Jake while Jane jumped at the opportunity to ride with Amy.

Jake spent the ride back to Lawndale with Dorian talking about school, football and mainly about Jane. Cringing in his seat, Dorian tried his best to block out the words coming from his dad's mouth. I wonder how fast death would come if I jumped out of the window while dad's doing seventy. Great ... now he's talking about condoms. Okay, forget the window, I'll just open the car door and dive in front of the next vehicle over. Dorian's thoughts were broken by Jake repeatedly tapping his shoulder.

"Dorian ... I know you and Jane have started getting a lot closer lately and Valentine's Day is coming. I'm taking your mom out of town for that weekend. Have you and Jane made plans yet? Look, I'm sure this isn't a conversation you want us to have, but I know how one thing can lead to another. Even if nothing happens next weekend, I want you to be prepared for when it does."

"We haven't made plans dad. Mystik Spiral has a show that night so we'll probably go there. As for anything else, we haven't talked about it." Dorian hesitated a moment before continuing. "If something was to occur, would you and mom be upset about it?"

"No son, we like Jane. We just want to make sure precautions are taken that's all."

The rest of the drive home was quiet. Dorian leaned back and gave the conversation some thought. Jake had made a couple of good points. Valentine's Day was coming and these damn hormones aren't making my life any damn easier. I know that Jane is on the pill. She and I had that conversation when she started dating Tom. I can't believe I am sitting here thinking about having sex with my best friend, wait not my best friend - my girlfriend. Damnit, I don't need this right now. Dorian closed his eyes and tried not think about Jane.

When they arrived in Lawndale, it was already after dark. They headed over to the Morgendorffers' house and decided to finish the job the next morning. Amy offered to drive Jesse, Trent and Jane home. Jane could tell from the way Dorian slammed the car door that he was in a bad mood. She decided to ask him tomorrow about his ride home with Jake. Thanking the Lanes and Jesse for their help, Amy told them to be up at ten. She drove back to her older sister's house. Walking into the kitchen, Amy heard Helen and Jake talking about their Valentine's Day mini-vacation. Grabbing a drink, Amy wished Helen and Jake a good night. Climbing up the stairs, Amy stopped in front of Dorian's room, but found his light already off.

The next morning, Amy picked up Trent, Jane and Jesse while Jake drove Dorian over to Amy's house with the van. Helen and Quinn followed Jake. Getting the key from Amy, Dorian was able to start unloading boxes into their respective rooms. By the time Amy and the others arrived, Dorian, Helen, and Quinn were wheeling totes in left and right. While Amy and Helen set themselves to the task of unpacking the kitchen, Jane and Quinn tried to figure out why Dorian hadn't spoken all morning. Knowing that Dorian wouldn't talk about whatever it was until later, Jane shelved the thought. Five hours, four pizzas and three pots of coffee later, Amy was officially moved into her new home.

That night, Jane sat beside Dorian in the Lanes' gazebo. His face was stressed and distant. Leaning against him, she asked him about why he was upset. Hesitating, Dorian decided to tell Jane about his conversation with Jake. Jane flinched as Dorian gave her a play by play of the car ride home. He left out the part about arguing with himself. She apologized for causing the awkward scene, but Dorian reassured her that she was not the one at fault. They sat quietly for a few more minutes before Dorian stood up to leave. Jane apologized one more time which caused Dorian to let out a small laugh. After a quick kiss goodnight, Dorian flashed a half-smile at her.

"Look at it this way ... at least we know they like you."

Dorian walked into Mr.DeMartino's room and stared at the sight before him. Kevin and several other members of the football team were sitting with lost looks in their eyes. Just shoot me now and get this over with. I won't have to worry about Valentine's Day if I'm dead. Just as he was about to start the lesson, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see the entire cheerleading squad standing in front of them. Brittany explained that Coach Morris wanted them to take part in the tutoring so they could improve their chances on getting a better grade. Dorian moved out of the way so they could sit down. Great just what I need a little more undue pressure to make this go from bad to worse. Clearing his throat to get the group's attention, Dorian glared at everyone before him.

"Let's talk about the Teapot Dome Scandal..." Dorian began as he walked towards the chalkboard.

"Teapot Dome ... isn't that where the New England Patriots play?" Kevin asked.

Smacking his forehead as he turned around, Dorian drew a long deep breath. Why did I ever agree to this? Dorian began to write on the chalkboard. A couple of hours later, Coach Smith walked in to let them know that it was time to leave. As he was about to ask how the tutoring session went, he looked at Dorian's face and decided against it. Walking home alone, Dorian tried not to think of the disaster movie that was in the making at school. Slamming the front door, Dorian headed up to his room and stared at the ceiling. About an hour after coming home, there was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in Quinn," Dorian sighed.

Quinn sheepishly entered the room. She grabbed the computer chair from the desk and wheeled it over next to Dorian's bed. Watching with concern as her brother laid there rubbing his forehead, Quinn finally worked up the nerve to get his attention. She lightly tapped the top of one of his boots. Dorian opened his eyes and faced her. Somehow she knew what side of him was frustrated.

"Daria ... are you okay?"

"No. Between dad wanting to get all fatherly, my hormones kicking into beyond high gear, and having to try to teach Lawndale's version of the living dead - I just want to take a 2x4 and give myself a permanent brain vacation."

"I'm sorry. Umm ... wait ... dad being fatherly?"

"Yeah, mom and he think that Jane and I have 'extra special' plans for Valentine's Day." Dorian buried his head in his hands.

Quinn thought about what Dorian said for a moment before she blushed. "How do you feel about that? I mean, I've watched you and Jane. Do you think you're ready for that?"

"My mind is screaming no, but my hormones sure as hell aren't listening. I just don't want something to happen that we might regret."

"I can understand that. So, what do you have planned for Friday? This is your first Valentine's Day as a couple. You have to make it unforgettable."

"We haven't made plans. Mystik Spiral's playing that night. I figured we would go see them and get some pizza afterwards."

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! It's a good thing I'm here to rescue you from getting one of Jane's boots shoved up your butt. Jane may not ever admit it to you, but she's going to want to go someplace nice. Fortunately for you, little sister has connections." Quinn grabbed the phone. After an intense and lengthy conversation with the person on the other end, Quinn hung up the phone with a look of triumph on her face. Walking over to his closet, she pulled out the black suit and hung it on the door. "This will go great with Jane wearing the dress you got her for Christmas. You have a five-fifteen reservation at Chez Pierre."

Dorian sat up. "Chez Pierre? How did you pull that off?"

"Like I said - I have connections. When is the test that you're helping the football players with?"

"Friday - Kevin needs to make at least a ninety to avoid academic probation. I don't think I can pull this off with just a week. I mean all the boy really knows is football. I tried teaching some of what was going to be on the test as though we were going over a playbook, but I don't know if it sank in."

"What if you tried to teach it as though you were an announcer at a football game? Maybe that might help."

"You know ... that might work. There is usually more than one announcer at a football game though. Care to help your big brother out?"

A huge smile came over Quinn's face as she looked at Dorian. "You want me to help you? I'll call Sandi right now and let her know I won't be able to attend any Fashion Club meetings for the rest of this week."

"Good. When you're done, let me know. I'm going to call Jane and let her in on the act as well." Dorian grabbed his notebook and began writing down a script.

Dorian and Quinn arrived at Jane's about ten minutes earlier than usual. Trent was pulling into the driveway and let the two Morgendorffers in. Jane came bounding down the stairs with a duffle bag in her hands. Dorian opened it to see some grey blazers circa 1975. Perfect. Dorian handed Jane and Quinn their copies of the script. They practiced it on the way to school. As they entered Lawndale High, Mr. DeMartino flagged Dorian down. Following the teacher, Dorian feared the worst.

"I listened in on your tutoring session yesterday. You really are trying to get them to understand. What do you have planned for today's chat?"

Dorian pulled out the folder he was carrying. After reading the contents over, Mr. DeMartino nodded his head in approval. As Dorian left the classroom, Mr. DeMartino looked up from his desk.

"Tomorrow's script needs to be about the Teapot Dome Scandal. Thursday, give them a mock test and go over the answers. I will grade the tests Friday before the end of school."

Dorian closed the door with the rest of his week's planned out ahead of him. The rest of the day went by quickly. Right after the last bell rang, Quinn met up with Dorian and Jane at their lockers. Jane slipped off her traditional red jacket and donned one of the ancient blazers, Dorian put on the other. Quinn ran to the girls restroom and came back in her sideline reporter dress. They watched as the last of the football players and cheerleaders filed into Mr. DeMartino's classroom. Looking through the glass on the door, Dorian waited til everyone in the room had sat down before turning to Jane and Quinn. The three burst into the room and sat down behind the teacher's desk. Jane had 'borrowed' three of Trent's old microphones.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Tuesday Night History. Tonight's game is going to be a slobber knocker. It's Warren G. Harding vs. James M. Cox and Eugene V. Debs in the Presidential Election of 1920. Let's see how the opponents shape up. Jane Lane...?"

"Thank you Dorian Morgendorffer. It's a battle of Ohio Pride. You have Republican Candidate Warren G. Harding; a former Senator, going up against Democrat and former Governor James M. Cox. Throw into the mix Socialist Party Candidate Eugene V. Debs from Illinois and you've got one big mess on your hands."

"This could get ugly folks. Now ... the 1920 election brought a new element to the playing field. For the story on that, let's send you to our sideline reporter Quinn Morgendorffer. Quinn ..."

"I'm here with Captain of the Cheerleading Squad Brittany Taylor. Brittany ... what do you think made the Presidential election of 1920 so important?"

Brittany looked down at the notes that Dorian had made for the group the day before. "It was the first time that women were allowed to vote for the Presidency?"

"That is absolutely correct. Thanks to the 19th Amendment women were now able to vote." Dorian responded.

"Whoa ... so like girls weren't able to vote before then?" Kevin asked.

"Whoa is right. Before then, women could run for office, but not vote for themselves." Jane responded to the question on the fly. Dorian looked at her and smirked.

The football players and cheerleaders seemed to pay more attention to what was being talked about. Mr. DeMartino and Coach Smith listened outside of the classroom with smiles on their faces. An hour and a half later, the tutoring session ended. What surprised the two teachers the most was that the students were still talking about what was discussed as they left. Dorian was complementing his two partners-in-crime when Coach Smith and Mr. DeMartino entered the room.

"You three did a fantastic job. They might just pass this test yet." Coach Smith said with pride in his voice.

"Well, Quinn came up with the idea to make it sound like a football game was being announced while Jane gave me the playbook idea for the notes." Dorian replied pointing to the two girls.

"Dorian wrote the scripts and we read over everything on the way to school so we would be prepared." Jane smirked.

"Well your dad is waiting outside Dorian. See you tomorrow." Coach Smith left the room.

Mr. DeMartino turned to the students. "Ms. Lane and Mr. and Ms. Morgendorrfer ... good job." He locked the classroom door as they left.

Jake was in the parking lot waiting for the three to exit. He laughed when he was the gaudy blazers Dorian and Jane were wearing. Once inside the car, Jake informed the three that Lillian would be arriving tomorrow. The movers her daughter hired confirmed their arrival for tomorrow morning. After the tutoring, Dorian, Trent, and Jane would go to Amy's house and help move any unnecessary furniture to a storage building Amy had rented.

Dorian got out with Jane and walked into Casa Lane to begin working on the next day's lesson plan. They put the blazers back in the duffel bag. As Dorian wrote, Jane looked at him with concern. She could see the exhaustion creeping over him. Grabbing his notebook and pencil from him, Jane smacked Dorian's hand when he went to take them back. A look of sheer annoyance fell over his face. As he tried to stand up, Jane stopped him.

"What time did you go to bed last night?"

"Three this morning."

Jane frowned at his answer. "And the night before?"

"Two-thirty. Now give me back the damn notebook so that I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting to sleep before midnight."

"I'm worried about you. Promise me you'll get to bed early tonight. Valentine's Day is Friday and I don't want my date showing up like he's trying out for the role of a zombie in 'Night Of The Living Dead'."

Wednesday's tutoring session ended up being a little longer than usual so that Dorian could rehash everything. Dorian, Jane and Quinn were surprised to see Trent and Jesse in Jake's car. Trent explained that Helen wanted to make sure they used a vehicle that would get them to Amy's without breaking down. They arrived to see several pieces of furniture sitting in the driveway with a small moving van parked at the curb. Amy and Lillian met the group outside. While the three guys loaded up the van, Jane and Quinn helped unpack the boxes. About two hours later, Trent knocked on the door to get the keys for the U-haul.

Jane and Quinn looked out the front window with concern on their faces. Dorian was leaning against the van, his face starting to pale. Jane asked Trent if he thought Dorian was okay, but Trent just shrugged. After watching the van drive away, Jane and Quinn sat down and worried. Their fears were confirmed when the guys returned about an hour and a half later. Trent was helping Dorian to the house. Dorian had passed out at the storage building. Still unsteady on his legs, Dorian barely made it to the couch. Amy quickly called Helen while Lillian checked on Dorian. Helen arrived a few minutes later to take Dorian home. Everyone decided that the rest of the things could be moved the next day. Trent, Quinn, and Jane followed Helen.

Dorian walked upstairs to his room and laid down on his bed. A couple of minutes later, Jane and Quinn entered the room. Dorian could see the anger in Jane's eyes. Quinn sat down on the computer chair while Jane knelt down. Dorian braced himself for the bitching that was about to ensue.

"Quinn told me that she heard you typing at four this morning. We know you want Kevin and them to pass but driving yourself into the ground isn't right."

Dorian tried to sit up, only to be stopped by Jane. "It's not a want, Jane. It's a need. They need to pass this test - not just for the team, but for themselves. I want to help them to see that with a little studying, they can pass without byes."

"I understand that Dorian, but you can't do that if you aren't at your best. Now, what I don't get is you were done writing the session out when you left my house last night. Why did it take you until four to type it? You're the fastest typist I know."

"I didn't start typing until two forty-five. I just couldn't stop my mind from thinking."

"About what?" Quinn asked.

"I'm not sure I want to answer that right now." Dorian's unease came through in his voice.

"What's wrong Dorian?" Jane pushed.

"You ... you Jane. Every time I see, talk or even just think of you, wild thoughts escape. My hormones are driving me past the point of frustration. I have one side of my brain that can't wait until we are alone while the other side wants to make me jump out of a thirty-story window for thinking that way. You want to know what the real kicker is??? It isn't the same side of the brain thinking the same way each time. Between that, the pressure to get Kevin and the others to pass and the fact our cover story is kinda blown now that Amy lives here, I am about to lose my fucking mind. The only time I can block all of these thoughts from my head so that I can actually get something accomplished is when I am too exhausted to think about anything else but the task at hand." Dorian drew a long deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"I'm sorry, Dorian." Jane stood up to leave.

Dorian grabbed her hand and stopped her. "You have nothing to apologize for, this is all on me. I love you Jane."

"I love you too, Dorian. If you really love me, then prove it. Close your eyes and get some sleep."

"I can't ... I have to write that damn practice test." Dorian sighed.

"I'm sure Mr. DeMartino will let you write it during his class tomorrow." Quinn said as she left his room.

"She has a point Dorian. We'll ask him before class. If he says no, then we'll write it during lunch." Jane watched Dorian as he let out a long yawn. "Lie down on your stomach, rest your head on your arms and close your eyes. This seemed to work the last time, let's hope it works now."

Dorian looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. After a moment, he relented and took off his glasses. As his eyes shut, he felt Jane's hands begin to massage his shoulders and upper back. He began to relax as her fingers worked their way down his back. Soon, his breathing began to steady out and he was asleep. Jane continued to rub his back for a couple more minutes before getting up to leave. As his head shifted, she gave him a light kiss on the forehead and walked out of the room.

Hearing her brother's door close, Quinn stepped into the hallway. Jane signaled for Quinn to follow her downstairs. Jake was in the living room watching a basketball game. Jane informed him and Quinn that Dorian was asleep and asked them not to make too much noise. Quinn told Jane she would check on him before she went to bed. As Jane headed for the front door, Quinn joined her.

"Has Dorian talked to you about Valentine's Day?"

"No - with everything that has been going on I've been trying not to push it. Why?"

"Let's just say you'll finally get to put your Christmas presents from me and him to use."

A huge grin came over Jane's face. "Thanks Quinn. I'll pull it out of my closet tomorrow." Walking home, Jane looked up at the sky. Looks like I won't have to send Cupid another evil e-mail to his Holiday High address.

Dorian woke up as the alarm went off. Looking at the clock in disbelief, he started stretching. I can't believe I got ten hours of sleep. I need to have Jane give me a massage more often. Maybe if I get to school a little early, I can use one of the library computers to write up a quick mock test. Wasting not time, Dorian quickly showered, ate two Pop Tarts and ran out the door. As he jogged to Jane's house, he began to come up with questions for the test. He was surprised when he knocked on the door and saw Jane ready to go with two cups of coffee in her hands. Taking the cups of coffee out of her hands and setting them on the porch, Dorian pulled Jane into a warm embrace.

"I take it you got plenty of sleep last night," Jane smirked.

"Someone just had to put me to sleep for ten hours last night. Who taught you to give a massage, because I seriously need to thank them."

Jane laughed. "Believe it or not, my mom. When I was a freshman, she taught a massage class at the community college. Sometimes she would bring me to class with her if Trent had practice. I just kinda caught on from there."

"Well, I will have to thank her the next time I see her for more than five seconds."

They both broke out in laughter. Jane handed him a sheet of paper. "I thought this might help you out a bit."

Dorian looked over the sheet. "These are really good questions. You did a great job summing up the two days you helped me. Now all I have to do is add a couple of questions from what we reviewed Monday and I can type this up. You don't know how much I appreciate this." Dorian wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked to school.

The school day came and went. As the last of the cheerleaders walked into class, Dorian handed out the mock tests. He gave them thirty minutes to answer the questions. Much to his surprise, many of the students turned them in early ... including Kevin and Brittany. Dorian and Jane began checking the answers. They would make little notes if more than five people got the same question wrong. Dorian was very pleased to see that he would have only three questions to go over. Taking out his calculator, Dorian began to grade the tests. If Mr. DeMartino's test is even closely similar, they will pass this thing. Dorian went over the three most missed answers and reminded everyone to study their notes one more time tonight. The players and cheerleaders left the room confident about the next day's test.

Amy picked Dorian, Jane, and Quinn up from school. She was relieved to see Dorian in good spirits. Trent and Jesse were already at the house. Amy dropped off Jane and Quinn, then she and Dorian followed the van to the storage building. As the three guys finished unloading everything into the room, Amy kept an eye on her now favorite nephew. As the last of the boxes were unloaded, Amy told Trent and Jesse to head back to her house while she and Dorian picked up dinner. Not wanting to pass up a free meal, the two friends left. Amy and Dorian drove towards Pizza King for a couple of pies.

"So ... what are you and Jane going to do tomorrow?"

"Quinn was able to get Jane and I reservations at Chez Pierre. Then we're going to listen to Trent's band."

"Have you picked her up a card or flowers or anything?"

Dorian shook and lowered his head. "I figured as much. Let's see if we can find a florist before getting dinner."

Amy pulled into a strip shopping center. As the florist hit on Amy, she took advantage of the flirting and was able to get his last dozen of red roses and some forget-me-nots. As the florist was wrapping the flowers up, Amy sent Dorian to the pharmacy next door to pick out a card. He found a rather humorous one that he thought Jane would appreciate. As he walked to the front check-out, he passed the family planning aisle. Knowing that his hormones were beyond the point of sanity, an internal struggle between the two sides of his brain began. Several moments of indecisiveness later, Dorian nervously grabbed a box of condoms and brought them to the front to be rung up. As he left the store, Amy was waiting in her car. She asked to see the card. As he pulled the card out of the bag, the box of condoms fell. A blush redder than the car he was riding in came over Dorian's face. Amy gave him a sympathic smile.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about Dorian, you're just doing the right thing."

Dorian nodded. After picking up a five pizzas, they returned to Amy's house. Amy had Dorian bring in the food while she put the flowers and other stuff in her trunk until after dinner. After stuffing themselves on pizza - Jane, Trent, and Jesse left. Quinn asked Amy and Lillian if she could stay over their house this weekend considering Helen and Jake would be gone. Amy looked over at Dorian to scope his reaction before agreeing. Amy reminded her niece to bring anything she needed for work with her and to pack for the entire weekend.

After pulling up into the driveway, Quinn ran out of the car so she could begin packing. Amy pulled everything out of the trunk. She told Dorian to give Jane the flowers before school and that everything would be okay. Dorian thanked his aunt and walked into the house. Dorian showed off the flowers that Amy picked out. Helen, Jake and Quinn were impressed by the arrangement the florist had made for him. Helen brought the roses into the kitchen and sat them in some water until the next day. Dorian walked up to his room, took the condoms out of his wallet, stared at them for what seemed like an eternity, then placed them in his nightstand.

The next morning, Dorian woke up early. He took out the black suit Quinn had picked out for him and hung it on the closet door. Quinn knocked on his door and smiled when she saw the outfit. After getting ready for school, Dorian helped his parents load their luggage into Helen's SUV. Knowing that Jane had her license, Jake handed Dorian the keys to the Lexus. Dorian thanked his parents and told them to drive carefully. Going back inside, he grabbed his book bag, the flowers, and the card and headed to Jane's.

Before knocking on Jane's door, Dorian took several deep breaths to calm down. Trent answered the door and gave Dorian a pat on the back. "Janey's going to love those ... Forget-me-nots are her favorite." Trent called upstairs, "Janey, Dorian's here."

She came down the steps and froze. With a huge smile on his face, Dorian walked over and handed her the flowers. Trent went into the living room and grabbed one of Amanda's homemade vases. Then he helped Jane cut the stems while Dorian put water in the vase. Making up a lame excuse about needing to sharpen a guitar pick, Trent left the room. Jane wrapped her arms around Dorian and gave him a long kiss. When they finally came up for air, Jane placed her head on Dorian's shoulder.

"They are beautiful Dorian - no one has ever given me flowers before. Except for Trent once for my birthday."

"I'm glad you like them. My dad gave me the keys to the Lexus and thanks to Quinn; we have a five-fifteen reservation at Chez Pierre. Oh, I almost forgot." Dorian handed her the card.

Jane read it and laughed. "Only you would be able to find a 'Sick, Sad World' Valentine's Day card." Jane looked up at the clock. "We better get going or we'll be late for school."

They made it to class with two minutes to spare. Mr. DeMartino gave a slight chuckle as his now two favorite students entered the classroom hand in hand. Immediately after they sat down, the bell rang and the tests were handed out. Dorian finished the test quickly and watched as several of the cheerleaders and football players soon followed. Even Jane turned in her test earlier than usual. Mr. DeMartino began grading some of the tests while waiting for the rest to be turned in. Kevin handed his test in with about ten minutes left in class. Mr. DeMartino started checking his answers. As the bell rang, Mr. DeMartino pulled Kevin and Dorian to the side.

"You did GOOD Dorian. CONGRATULATIONS Kevin, you won't have to WORRY about ACADEMIC PROBATION." Mr. DeMartino showed them the 91 that was written on the top of Kevin's test.

Kevin gave Dorian a high five and ran out of the room. "So far, the lowest grade of the people you helped has been an 85. You should be proud of yourself. Now hurry up ... I see Ms. Lane is waiting for you." Mr. DeMartino let a rare genuine smile come over his face.

Jane could tell by the look on Dorian's face and Kevin's reaction as he left the room that Kevin was going to be able to continue playing football. The rest of the school day meant nothing. Amy dropped Dorian, Jane, and Quinn off and waited for Quinn to rejoin her. Dorian went upstairs and took a shower before putting the suit on. As he walked back into the living room, Jane couldn't take her eyes off him. Dorian handed her the car keys and they headed for Jane's.

As she got ready, they talked through the closed door. "What are our plans after Chez Pierre?"

"I thought we would listen to Mystik Spiral's first set."

"Sounds good to me. I rented a couple of movies yesterday. Maybe we can watch them after the show." Moments later, a cry of frustration came out of Jane's room. "Can you help me zip up this dress?"

Dorian entered the room, took one look at Jane, and felt his feet plant into place. Jane was wearing the dress Dorian had bought her for Christmas. As he came out of his momentary stupor, Dorian slowly made his way to where Jane was waiting. Carefully zipping up the dress, Dorian looked into the mirror that Jane was standing in front of. Staring at Dorian's reflection, Jane could see the smile on his face. Holding the door open for her, Dorian slightly bowed as Jane sauntered out of her room. As they were leaving the house, Trent and the rest of Mystik Spiral came out of the basement. Trent tried to give Dorian the protective big brother stare down before shaking his head and telling them to have a good time. Trent took a couple of pictures of the couple before they left.

Arriving early at the already packed restaurant, Dorian and Jane began making jokes about everything from the decor to the music being played. An older couple sitting next to them soon joined in. After several minutes of the four of them laughing, the older couple asked how long Dorian and Jane had been dating. After answering, Jane posed the same question to them. The couple gazed at each other with loving eyes and told Jane that this was their sixtieth Valentine's Day together. The couple went on to talk about how their relationship survived despite him serving in two wars and her having a triple bypass five years earlier. The younger couple looked at the older one in amazement. The older gentleman turned to Dorian and Jane and gave them the one piece of advice he was given by his grandparents when he and his now wife first started dating. Love each other as much as you can everyday 'cause you don't know which one will be your last and never go to bed angry with each other 'cause the floor's too hard to sleep on. The old man gave a light chuckle at the end. The hostess informed both couples that their tables were ready. As they stood up, both pairs shook hands and the gentleman told them that he fully expected the younger couple to give the exact same advice to another couple sixty years down the road.

Throughout the meal, Dorian and Jane continued on with their conversation. When they asked the waiter for their bill, they were told that it had been taken care of. Turning around, they saw the older couple waving. Dorian and Jane walked over to their table and thanked them. They in turn thanked the younger two for reminding them of how they were when they were first dating. After leaving the restaurant, Dorian and Jane headed to the Zon. Finding one of the corner tables empty, they sat down lost in thought. Dorian would watch as every so often a small smile came over Jane's face. About halfway through the set, Dorian put his arm around Jane as she leaned against him. As Mystik Spiral finished their first set, Dorian and Jane approached them. Trent informed Jane that Monique was coming over after the show was over. A look of disappointment came over Jane's face. They told Trent that they were heading out. As they got back into Jake's car, Jane let out a long sigh.

"There goes our movie night ... and I was looking forward to falling asleep on your shoulder again."

"Ummm ... we can watch the movies at my house. My parents and Quinn are gone for the whole weekend." The last few words barely came out of Dorian's mouth as they pulled into the driveway at Casa Lane.

Jane's mind began to fully register what had just been said. The two of them would be in Dorian's house alone. Dorian waited for Jane in the kitchen while she grabbed the movies from upstairs. Dorian sat down, stunned that he was even able to get the sentence out of his mouth. Meanwhile, Jane threw the movies and a change of clothing into her small duffle bag. When she returned downstairs, Dorian asked her if she was ready to go. Nodding, they left Casa Lane to head to the Morgendorffers. On the drive to Dorian's, Jane could see the inner battle raging in his mind. It seemed to have ended though, when they pulled up into the driveway.

Walking inside the quiet house, Dorian and Jane headed up to his room. They decided to listen to a little music before starting the first movie. Dorian pressed play and the sounds of U2 began to encircle the room. Dorian held out his hand and asked Jane if she wanted to dance. As they slowly moved across the room, Dorian began kissing Jane's neck. Jane pressed tighter against him. As the song ended, Dorian spun Jane around and gazed into her eyes. As they began to kissing each other passionately, Dorian could feel Jane's hands unbuttoning his shirt. Dorian reached for the zipper of the dress but hesitated as the Daria side of his brain still fought to stop the events that were about to occur. Dorian's side won out as his hand slid the zipper down.

Jane woke up a couple of hours later when the human pillow she was using shifted slightly. Lying there in the darkness, Jane thought about the events of that night. She glanced down at the clothes that were strewn all over the bedroom floor. Visions of what she hoped would be her future with Dorian filled her mind. Lifting her head to check to see if he was still asleep, Jane saw two closed eyes and a content smile. She moved to where she was lying next to him, her arm resting on his chest. She listened to the CD that had been accidentally put on repeat. As the words filled the silence of the room, Jane listened as she thought about how the lyrics applied to not only Dorian, but to herself as well. Jane nestled against him and her eyes grew heavy. Before drifting back to slumber, Jane kissed Dorian's cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Happy Valentine's Day. I hope that this was the first of many for us."

Jane eyes closed and her breath began to even out as the last lines of the song she had been listening to came out. She wasn't awake to see the smile on Dorian's face become wider.

I've conquered my past
The future is here at last
I stand at the entrance
To a new world I can see
The ruins to the right of me
Will soon have lost sight of me
Love rescue me.

End