Title: Colorado Nights

Author: D.C. Lakes

Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of its characters. I also do not own the song "Make You Feel My Love" written by Bob Dylan, excavated by Adele.

A week after Spencer went home PJ got the flowers. He was back on the registers at Kwickie Chickie and bored out of his skull. It had been a slow night; customers trickled in a few at a time most of them ordering carry out. The only people in the store were an old couple sitting at a corner table bickering about something that he couldn't follow. When the delivery boy came through the door PJ perked up. Anything that broke up the monotony was welcome with open arms.

The guy walked through the door, his arms loaded down with a enormous cluster of flowers coming out of a clear vase. He looked a couple years older than PJ, probably a student at DCC. He walked up to the counter and sat down the flowers and glanced at his clipboard.

"PJ Duncan?" He called out. PJ's eyes bugged out of his head as he looked down at the bouquet then back up at the delivery boy. "Delivery for PJ Duncan?" PJ's friend Justin sidled up and elbowed him in the ribs.

"I…I'm PJ." He blurted blinking rapidly as his brain struggled to catch up with his mouth.

"You're PJ?" The guy asked smirking. "I thought that was a funny name for a girl." He shook his head and walked back out through the door. PJ stared down at the flowers. There had to be at least two dozen red roses, nestled in the middle was a single yellow one.

"Dude, who sent you flowers?" Justin asked reaching for the card. PJ jumped and snatched it from underneath his fingers. He knew who the flowers were from; there was only one person who would send him flowers. He slid the card in his pocket and grabbed the roses in the crook of his arm.

"Justin, you got to cover for me." He said heading for the door.

"But your shift is up in ten minutes." Justin called after him.

"I know, I've just got to get out of here." The door swung closed behind him before Justin could respond. He jogged out to his car, pushed the bouquet into the passenger's seat and tugged the card out of his pocket. His hands were shaking as he lifted the flap on the envelope and teased the card out.

/I'd go hungry/ I'd go blind/ for you/

~Spencer

PJ didn't recognize the song, but the words still caused something in his stomach to wriggle pleasantly. The flowers…..the flowers were stupid. Who sends a boy flowers? Spencer had obviously spent too much time trying to date girls. That didn't stop him from plucking the yellow rose from the center of the vase and hold it up to his nose. It didn't smell like a flower. It smelled like Spencer's cologne. PJ whimpered and poked the rose back into the vase, pulling the car into gear.

When a week had gone by without Spencer doing anything PJ had figured he'd given up. The disappointment had nearly blotted out the relief but it was still there. Teddy hadn't said a word to him about what she and Spencer had talked about. When she was gone she pretended he'd never been there at all. PJ took that as a hint. Now that he was driving down the highway with proof of Spencer's continued interest sitting in the passenger's seat he was even more torn.

Spencer still wanted to be with him. That simple fact exploded through his body like a super nova, he was slightly surprised that the car didn't brighten with the surge of joy. But there was still Teddy; obviously she didn't want him dating Spencer. If she was okay with it she would have said so by then. A small part of him wanted to mad at her, for keeping them apart. But he pushed it away. She had her reasons, they were good reasons. He just really wished Spencer had asked him out first. Sighing he glanced at the roses. It would be a good idea to get rid of them. If Teddy saw them she would probably be hurt. But who knew if he would ever get flowers again? It had been stupid….but really sweet.

He sat in front of the garage for a long time trying to figure out what to do. He suddenly ran out of options when Teddy came out of the house and opened the passenger door. She knelt down and looked at the flowers then at her brother. PJ winced. She snapped her fingers and held her hand out. He stared at her for a moment in confusion then pulled out the card attached to the flowers and handed it to her. She read it and shook her head.

"Nice try, Spence. But this is minor league stuff." She handed the card back to PJ and went back into the house. He stared after her his mouth hanging open. What the crap was going on?

Teddy grabbed her cell phone and flopped down on the bed. She and Spenser had been texting back and forth since he left. It mostly involved him fishing for hints and her laughing at his general lack of subtlety. She had expected talking to him to dredge up bad memories. Instead the transition from ex-boyfriend to new friend had been quick and painless. Of course he was still listed as Clumpnugget in her phone.

TD: Weak!

Clumpnugged: What I do? O.0

TD: I tell you to prove your love and you send flowers and a song lyric. What are you twelve?

Clumpnugget: What's wrong with flowers?

TD: PJ isn't a girl.

Clumpnugget: Boys like flowers too. I like flowers!

TD: I'll mention that to PJ if you ever stop fooling around and get serious.

Clumpnugget: I'm trying! I've never had to do anything like this before.

TD: My point exactly.

Clumpnugget: You had a point? I thought you were just being cruel because girls are mean.

TD: You've never had to fight for anything. Everything you've ever wanted just fell in your lap because you're pretty, popular, and rich. But you're going to fight to get PJ. Maybe you won't be so stupid if you have to work for it.

Clumpnugget: One hint. Plz, plz, plz!

TD: Think about PJ. You're trying to win him, not just impress me.

Spencer groaned tossing the phone down onto his bed. He was frustrated; the fact that Teddy was right only made it worse. He really hadn't ever had to fight for anything, learning to dance and play guitar had come easily, like a second nature to him. He had a job but that was basically for extra spending money. He sat down and pressed his hands against his temples.

The flowers had been a bad idea. And if he kept throwing generic gestures at PJ he would eventually get irritated and call the whole thing off. He had to do it right and do it soon. He had watched the other boy at school, doing his best to keep from being noticed. PJ didn't look good. When he was around his friends he acted happy enough. But as soon as he was alone his shoulders drooped, his face went blank, and the light went out of his eyes. Spencer wasn't happy either, but he knew that it would eventually be over, they would eventually be together. PJ didn't.

Groaning with frustration he stood and began pacing the room again. He'd been pacing a lot lately. There was a strip of carpet down the middle of his bedroom that was beginning to look decidedly flattened. He was on his third trip between his bed and dresser when he stopped and picked up a flyer from the dresser. It was perfect.

"What do you mean we're not doing the talent show this year?" Emmett demanded following PJ into the basement. "We play every year."

"I'm just not up to it this year." PJ shook his head. "Maybe you could enter by yourself?" He flopped down on the couch and stared down at his hands clasped between his knees.

"How am I supposed to win the talent show by myself? Drummers never win." Emmett said standing over his friend.

"We never win, Emmett." PJ said shaking his head. "Maybe you could dance, you're good at that."

"Yeah, maybe." Emmett sighed and flopped onto the couch beside PJ. "What's going on, man?" PJ went stiff, his hands tightening on themselves. He still hadn't told Emmett he was gay. He had no idea how his friend would react. Right then he didn't want to know.

"I've just got a lot going on right now." He said shaking his head, hoping that Emmett would let it drop for once. He didn't.

"Like what? Are you still bummed that Skylar moved to New York. I know you liked her but it's been like three months. It's time to move on." PJ swallowed a bitter laugh. He would love to move on and find someone new. The problem was he was hung up on Spencer and it didn't look like he was going somewhere anytime soon.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"This isn't like you, PJ. You tell me everything." Emmett said reaching over to put his hand on PJ's shoulder. When the blonde boy stiffened he took it away.

"There are some things you just don't want to know." PJ said quietly before standing. "I'm kind of tired; you think we could skip practice today?" He said without looking at Emmett.

"Sure, no problem. Whatever." He got up off the couch and headed upstairs. PJ rolled onto his side and pulled his legs up to his stomach. He had to get over it eventually, he knew he did. He couldn't shuffle around like a kicked dog the rest of his life, but he wasn't ready. It still hurt.

PJ didn't go to school Friday. He slept through the alarm and Amy didn't bother waking him. She was worried. Instead of things getting better with time they had gotten worse. PJ had been picking at his meals for the past week and not matter how early he went to bed he still looked exhausted when he got up the next day. So she just let him sleep, hoping that just maybe, he would have some peace in his dreams. When Teddy came downstairs she stopped her.

"Teddy…"

"I'm going to talk to Spenser today." She said as she sat down on the couch. The way she said 'talk' entailed more violence than conversation.

"Oh…okay." Amy said shrugging.

"I didn't think PJ would take this so hard." Teddy said shaking her head. "I thought there would be more time, but he's…."

"More time for what?"

"Never mind, I've got to go." She got up and went through the kitchen and out the backdoor to her car.

She couldn't find Spenser before the tardy bell rang, but she planned to hunt him down before second period even if she had to miss the class. Finding him after first period was easier than she thought. As soon as she stepped out of the classroom Spencer grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her aside.

"Where is your brother?" He asked, his eyes were wide and his voice strained.

"He stayed home today." She said shaking her head. "Listen, Spence, I'm calling it all off. You can date PJ, teaching you a lesson isn't worth this."

"No! Today's the day; he has to be here today. I've got everything ready." He said still looking slightly panicked.

"Seriously, what have you got planned?" She asked cocking her hip and staring at him dubiously.

"It's a surprise, you have to go home and get him." Spenser said pleadingly.

"Let me get this straight: you want me to skip school, run home, drag my depressed brother out of bed, and drag him kicking and screaming to the school?" She sighed pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." He said smiling apologetically. "It's worth it, I promise." He said clasping his hands, ready to get down on his knees and beg.

"Clumpnuggets." She groaned turning and heading towards the exit. "If I get suspended for cutting class I'm going to kill you." She threw over her shoulder as she slipped outside and headed towards the parking lot.

PJ was still in bed. Everyone thought he'd been sleeping all the time but that wasn't it. He hadn't been sleeping at all. He lay in bed staring at the wall, staring at the ceiling, staring out the window. Even if he wanted to sleep he couldn't, but he didn't want to sleep, didn't want to dream. He was afraid if he fell asleep he would dream about Spencer. And he was too raw and ragged to dream about Spencer, it would be like rubbing salt in an open wound. When Teddy burst into his room he barely reacted.

"Get out of bed; you're coming with me to school." She said nudging his blanket covered body. He groaned something unintelligible and flailed at her feebly with one arm. She grabbed his arm and started pulling. He was dead weight, but he wasn't resisting, she managed to pull him off the bed and into the floor. The sudden emergence from his warm cave of misery caused a reaction.

"Go away." He grumbled grabbing a hold of the blanket and dragging it over himself on the floor. "I don't want to go to school. Mom said I don't have to."

"Right, one broken heart and you revert into a four year old." Teddy sighed reaching down to snatch his blanket away. He whimpered and put an arm over his eyes. "If you get up and come with me I'll buy you ice cream." She cajoled. He moved his arm and looked at her. When Teddy had broken up with Spencer she had inhaled ice cream like a vacuum cleaner. Maybe there was some intrinsic anesthetic properties to the creamy desert.

"I get the ice cream before I go to school and I'm not changing clothes." He was wearing a pair of pajama pants and the hoody that Spencer had been wearing the day they talked on the porch. He had acknowledged how pathetic it was when he pulled the hoody out of the hamper.

"You'll probably regret it later, but that works for me." She said tugging on his arms. "Come on, shoes!"

After five minutes of constant prodding and barked orders Teddy finally managed to get PJ in the car. Their mother had followed the forced migration watching bemusedly. She didn't ask any questions though. PJ stared out the window as they drove back towards the school.

"Hey I said ice cream first." He grumbled as they pulled into the high school parking lot.

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea." She said shaking her head. "In the mood you're in you'd get it all over yourself, get and ice cream headache, and end up crying in history class."

"What's your point?" She grimaced and reaching over to scrub his hair with her hand, trying to fluff it up so it didn't look so lank. "You're going to hate yourself by the end of the day anyway; I'm trying to minimize the damage."

"Why, because people might see me?" He asked rolling his eyes. "I don't care, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Get out of the car, go inside, if you leave before the end of the day I will find your deepest fears and use them to drive you into a mental institution." She said darkly. "Do you understand me?" She asked smiling way too brightly. That managed to blast through the shell of misery and pity PJ had managed to pull around himself. It was pure, 100%, classic Amy Duncan and it was aimed at him. His mother only aimed the worst of her crazy at total strangers. But he knew Teddy wasn't above leveling it at him, they had been trading vendettas since they were old enough to walk.

"Crystal." He said trying to keep his voice from shaking. She nodded once, opened the car door, and headed into the school.

The last two classes were canceled for the talent show. It was at least one good thing in PJ's day. He showed up halfway through second his second class and did the bare minimum to allow him to fly under the teacher's radar. When everyone was released to go to the auditorium he almost went to the library. He wanted to be alone; he didn't want to be trapped amongst the swelter of humanity that would be jammed in the small auditorium like sardines in a can.

But Teddy had anticipated such a move. It had become fairly obvious that Spencer was planning to pop his big surprise during the talent show. She made a beeline from her class to PJ's and scooped him up as he lumbered out the door like a sleepwalker. He sighed but didn't protest as she led him to the auditorium. Surprisingly enough she sat down beside him when he slouched into the first seat available. They hadn't interacted at school …like ever.

The minute Ivy flopped down on the other side and began clattering at his sister he tuned out. He might not have any choice whether he was there or not, but Teddy could drag him to the show, she couldn't make him pay attention. He heard Emmett's name called during the early part of the show but he hadn't been able to muster up enough attention span to watch him perform

When the emcee announced Spencer's name an electric shock slammed into his body, just about the same time as Teddy's elbow slammed into his ribs. He sat up straighter in his seat and forgot to harp at Teddy for elbowing him when Spencer walked onto the stage. He was wearing a sleeveless hoody that was zipped down to his sternum. He walked across the stage and straight up to the microphone.

"I've been thinking all week about the perfect way to say I love you." He began. PJ slumped a little in his seat, suddenly aware of Teddy's presence. He hazarded a glance at her from the corner of his eyes. She was grinning, which was way more disturbing than anything else she could have done. "I finally realized there may be no perfect way to tell the perfect boy that you love him. But I thought I'd try anyway." PJ twitched in his seat as a crescendo of whispers rose in the audience. Spencer had just come out in front of the entire school.

"Oh my god." He heard Teddy whisper beside him. The opening chords of a song he didn't know swelled from the audio system and PJ's heart thudded frenetically against his ribcage.

/When the rain is blowin' in your face/ And the whole world is on your case/ I could offer you a warm embrace/ to make you feel my love/

PJ's heart ground to a stop, fell into his stomach, and burst into flames. The sudden wave of heat that blossomed behind his navel caused his breath to catch in his throat. Hot tears pricked at the corner of his eyes.

/I know you haven't made your mind up yet/ but I would never do you wrong/
I've known it from the moment that we met/ No doubt in my mind where you belong/

The tears slipped from the corners of his eyes and blazed down his cheeks. A strangled sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh bubbled out of his throat. Out of the periphery he could see several people in the rolls around him turn to look at him, but he just stared at the stage.

/The storms are raging on the rolling sea/ and on the highways of regret/ The winds of change are blowing wild and free/ You ain't seen nothing like me yet/

PJ clasped his hands over his mouth sniffling as a earth shattering smile spread across his face. He was afraid if he didn't cover it that it would flash out across the auditorium like a searchlight. For a moment he wondered why he cared.

/I could make you happy/ make your dreams come true/ Nothing that I wouldn't do/ Go to the ends of the earth for you/ To make you feel my love/

PJ stared as Spencer turned and walked off stage without waiting for applause. The clapping came slowly, first one set of hands then another until it filled the auditorium like the sound of rain on a tin roof. PJ sat in stunned silence. Teddy drove her elbow into his ribs again. He jumped and turned to her, his face showing the first emotion it had in weeks.

"Go!" She hissed pointing at the small door that stood in the front corner of the room. It led backstage.

"But…."

"Move fool!" Ivy snapped poking her head out from behind Teddy. He jumped, slipped out of the aisle, and jogged down the sloping floor towards the door. Every eye behind the curtains was trained on him when he slipped through. He stopped in his tracks blinking under the intense scrutiny. Emmett stood to one side with a shocked look on his face. Finally the emcee, a short girl clutching a clipboard, cocked her thumb over her shoulder towards the exit door. PJ ran for it.

Spencer was standing outside, the first snowflakes of the year drifting down around him. PJ came flying out of the door and grabbed him, pressing a hand to either side of his face, he did the only thing he'd wanted to do since he'd seen Spencer in Abernathy. He kissed him. His heart rose out of his stomach back into his chest, carrying the heat with it. Anyone watching could have seen the snowflakes melting as they floated down around the two boys. But no one was watching.

PJ finally had to come up for air. He would have gladly gone without oxygen for the rest of his life if it meant that kiss never had to end, but it did. He sighed quietly falling back onto his heels without even realizing he'd been standing on his toes. Spencer brought his hand up to PJ's cheek, wiping the tear stains away with his thumb. PJ stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Spencer's rib, and buried his face against his shoulder. When Spencer's arms came around and clamped behind his back he let out a low shuddering sigh.

"I have to say you look good in that hoody." Spencer said after a few moments of silence.

"I think there's room in here for both of us if you're cold." He said smiling against Spencer's shoulder. Spencer laughed then nestled his face into the blond hair under his lips. "You do realize you just came out into the entire school, right?"

"Mmhmm," Spenser murmured into his hair.

"You might get kicked off the football team."

"Mmhmm."

"Is that all you're going to say?" PJ asked pulled back to look at him.

"Nope, two more words." Spencer said shaking his head, a smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Worth it."

A/N: I really hope this is not the conclusion to Colorado Nights, but it is the ending of the plot line I had figured out in my head. Maybe now I can get some real work done. As always read and review. I may think of new adventures for Spence and PJ yet.