Hey, all. I know, I know, I've been gone for a while. I didn't really have any ideas for this fandom. And I know I made it seem like this story would be up a long time ago. But school got really crazy and I really didn't have time to even think about fanfiction. Now, though, school's out, and I'll have a lot more time to write. This story is going to focus, of course, on Jackson and Melissa (it's me, could you expect anything else?) and I'm not quite sure how much of the other teens you will see. I promise, though, I'll give it my all as long as I have people reading it. So here it is, after a personal hiatus, my new story. Beauty in the Breakdown.

Oh, and this story is dedicated to Brandi for giving me the idea for this story and just for being the awesome person that she is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to Flight 29 Down. Please don't sue.

Chapter 1: Worth Fighting For

Home. Wow. We're really going home. That was the thought crossing each of the minds of the teenagers who sat on the plane as they soared over vast oceans. After crashing onto a deserted island, the idea that the ten of them would ever get to return to their lives in California seemed completely crazy, much like their "beloved" pilot. For twenty-eight days, they had seen no sign of life or rescue. No, that wasn't true. They had seen one boat, one godforsaken boat, but it hadn't seen them. It was rather ironic that the plane that had come to save them arrived just as their world was about to burn to the ground. Literally.

Now, they were each silently preparing themselves to see the families they thought they had lost for good and to face the hoards of reporters they all knew would be waiting at the airport, ready to attack like hungry vultures for anything that would feed their ever-growing appetites for gossip. It didn't matter who it hurt. As long as the news stations could put out a good story, they were happy, and the teens weren't totally sure they were ready to deal with that.

Jackson leaned back against his nicely cushioned seat, wondering when the pilot would give them an update on their estimated time of arrival. It couldn't be too much longer. They had been on that plane for almost eight hours, and no amount of food the three stewardesses shoved in their faces was going to change that. While regular food was nice, it wasn't like they were completely emaciated, and Jackson just wanted some space and for everyone else to just leave him alone.

But not Melissa. God, Jackson didn't think he could ever get tired of that girl. While anyone else being next to him constantly would drive Jackson mad, he was comforted by her presence. She always knew what to say, when to say it, or simply when not to speak at all. After only knowing him for three months, Jackson couldn't understand how she managed to comprehend his every feeling, his every need.

He had so many questions to think about while they were on the plane, though, and they were questions not even Melissa could know the answer to. They were about his foster family and his life there. Would they take him back? Had they already taken in another kid? Would he be uprooted again? Jackson shut his eyes. Oh God, he did not want to leave this city, these people. They meant too much to him now. More importantly, he was worried about the charges. Jail was the last place he could afford to go. The rare letters from his mom had told him enough about the hell that it was. He may be known as a hoodlum, but Jackson wanted something better than that. He wanted to do something more with his life than what so many people he knew had done.

"God, please just save me from this." It was only after he said those words that Jackson had even realized he had spoken. He didn't mean to. His words had ripped through their silence like a knife. They all stared at him, wondering what he was referring to, but seconds later, Melissa realized what he was thinking about.

"It'll be okay, Jackson," she whispered softly, setting her hand on his knee. "I'm here for you." When she gave him a sweet smile, he couldn't help but smile back. "It'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"No, I don't," she agreed, "but sometimes I just make myself believe it. Remember what I said. I'll be here for you as long as you need me."

"I know," he replied, his voice laden with secret disbelief. There was a lot about his past she still didn't know. How was she supposed to guide him through a life her parents had purposefully sheltered her from?

"Jackson." He leaned forward at the sound of his name and found Nathan staring back at him from across the aisle. "Maybe my dad can help. He is one of the most powerful DAs in California."

"We'll see." He shrugged. Something he learned very early in life was to never get his hopes up.

Naturally, Daley chimed in, "Nathan, we don't even know if he'll need your dad's help, or anyone's help, for that matter. Everything may work out to be just fine."

Yeah, because my life has always worked out to be 'just fine'. Sometimes these people are so pathetically naïve. He thought back to the night of the big storm. It was the night that he told Nathan, Daley, Eric, Taylor and Lex the basics of what happened to him. He had told Melissa so much more, but they learned enough to ease their worried minds that he was not as horrible as they thought. Surprisingly enough, they understood. More importantly, they accepted it. That was all he needed. After that night, Jackson learned what it meant to feel safe with a group of people. He finally felt at peace on the island, but on that plane toward home, the peace he had become accustomed to was leaking away.

Oh well, he thought. I should be used to it by now.

-Beauty in the Breakdown-

Four U.S. Marshals and a media representative greeted them in the terminal, fully prepared to brief them on what to expect when they opened the door to the rest of the airport. The antsy teens weren't in the mood to listen, however. Taylor annoyed the representative until he rushed through everything that he had to say and then knocked him over as soon as he was done. He must have understood that she just wanted to see her parents, for he didn't complain as one of the Marshals helped him up off the ground.

As soon as the door opened, cameras started flashing and filming, and nine families began crying as their sons, their daughters, their brothers, their sisters ran towards them with open arms. And then, there was Jackson. He towered back by the door, searching for the suit he had expected to be waiting for him. It may have been past ten o'clock at night, but Travis Rhodes would never miss an opportunity to harass Jackson, especially with what he had been trying to get to him about when he left.

Ah, there he was. His suit and trademark red tie stood out against the mass of reporters who all seemed to be dressed in the most comfortable clothes they owned. He decided to wait for Travis to approach him as the representative, a guy who had yet to tell them his name, spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm David Novak. I will be representing the survivors. These children have been through an unimaginable nightmare. Please, give them and their families enough respect to let them have this night in peace. We will make another statement in the morning. Now, leave, or there will be hell to pay." Jackson already kind of liked this guy. He didn't seem to take no for an answer.

Soon enough, the crowd dispersed, and the Marshals escorted them all through a hallway into a very private room. They could tell that by the sign that said 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' in enormous letters. The kids sat at the table and their parents, or in Jackson's case, their social worker, stood behind them. Two of the Marshals stayed with them, and the other two led the various siblings into a room next door to wait while 'the serious conversation happened.' The kids looked around at each other nervously, wondering why they were all being held up instead of going to their homes, something they all desperately wanted to get back to.

"All right, guys. This won't take long, I promise. I just had to get you back here to talk to you about doing a press conference tomorrow," David announced.

Daniel Hagan immediately objected. "No, that's impossible. These kids need to spend time with their family, not be hounded by the media."

"While I understand your concern, Mr. Hagan, and how important it is for you all to have privacy with your kids, you have to understand that they have become America's children over the past month. We owe it to them to show them that these kids really are safe."

"We don't owe this country a damn thing!" Mrs. McGorrill screeched. "It's because of this country that my baby and his friends were stuck out there for so long!"

"Now, now, Denise," Nathan's father, Jason, stepped up to talk, "it might be a good idea to give the press a short period of time. That way, they can just get out all they need, and if they bother us after that? Well, they all know who I am. If they cause any of these kids trouble, I won't hesitate to sue them so hard their grandkids will be feeling my wrath." Jason and Tiffany McHugh and Scott and Denise McGorrill had been friends for years, even if their kids didn't get along; it was no surprise that Jason would be the first to calm Denise down. "Let's just give them…..thirty minutes."

"Yes, thirty minutes is fine," David added. "I promise, after thirty minutes, I will kick the press out, and you can all go on with your lives." The parents all began nodding their heads and agreeing to his terms.

"Hey, hold on," Daley said, "did you ever think to ask how we," she motioned to her friends, "might feel about doing it? All you've been doing is talking to our parents, when we're the ones who would have to talk to the press, and we're the ones who were stuck on an island for a month!"

Her father, Brian, rested his hand on her shoulder and answered her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Daley. I guess we did get caught up in the moment. Are you kids okay with this?"

"I don't know," Melissa said. "I mean, we just got home, and I've never been good in front of crowds. Part of me just want to, you know, go home and just relax and sleep and get used to being home."

"Mel, it'll be okay," Nathan replied. "You may not even have to say anything. We'll all be right there with you, anyway. It'll be okay, I promise." As he spoke, Jackson gently rubbed her leg under the table to comfort her, and while no one else noticed, a smile came across her face. They always knew how to help one another feel better.

"Okay," Melissa acquiesced.

"Great," David chimed in. "I'll set up the conference for four o'clock tomorrow afternoon in the conference room at the Marriott Hotel on South Figueroa Street. Cars will be by each of your houses at three to take to you to the hotel. Okay, go home. Relax. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Jackson and Melissa exchanged smiles, and he softly said, "Wait for me outside." She nodded and headed out with everyone else. He turned to Travis and sighed. "So what'd I miss?"

"Well, we're going to have to have a meeting in court on Monday to drop the charges against you from the…incident from before you left. Two of the fools you used to hang out corroborated your statement that you had nothing to do with the stabbing, so that's no issue. But there's actually something else I need to talk to you about." Jackson cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "When you disappeared, Sam and Kerry Parker took in another kid. They thought you were dead, and so they asked to take in another foster kid. They can only house one kid, so you can't stay with them anymore."

"Okay. We never really got along, anyway." Jackson learned to never get freaked out by the first thing Travis said. There was always more coming.

"Well, here's the thing. Los Angeles County Foster Care can't seem to find a family in the district that's willing to take you in."

"So where am I gonna go?" Now, he was getting a little worried.

"Well, one of our workers contacted a friend works for an agency in Texas, and he found a family that wants you, but that won't be ready for another week. So you'll be going to a group home till next week, and then we'll be sending you to San Antonio."

"What? And I don't get a say in this? You're just gonna ship me off to Texas, just like that. I mean, screw the fact that this kid finally has a good life; let's just rip it out from under him because he doesn't matter," Jackson snapped.

"Jackson, you're still a minor. That means you're still a ward of the government, and you know that being put in foster care means that you can be sent anywhere, anytime. This isn't new to you," Travis reminded him.

"That's not the point! It didn't bother me before because I hated living those other places, but here? I have a life here! I have friends, and they're actually the 'good people' you suits have been insisting I hang out with. I have people I care about here, and I can't give that up." For the first time, he showed emotion. He was scared; he didn't want to leave his friends, or Melissa.

"Jackson, I told you. We can't find a family in this entire county that can and will take you in. I don't know what to tell you. Unless we can find a qualified foster family before July 6th, and I doubt we will, you're going to Texas. I'm sorry. Now, excuse me. I need to go give that rep the address of where you'll be staying tonight so that he knows where to send the car tomorrow."

"I'll be outside." He knew Melissa would still be waiting for him, and he needed to feel her security just then. He stormed out of the room, not caring that the door slammed behind him, and immediately called out, "MEL!"

She came around the corner, looked at him, and knew something was wrong. "What happened? I was wondering what was taking so long in there." Without saying anything, he ran to her. Taking her up in his arms, he held her tighter against him than ever before. He pressed his face down into the crook of her neck and took in everything about her as fast as he could, full of fear that he only had seven more days to be with her. She was getting a little worried; he was suddenly clinging onto her like he was going to drown if he let go. "Jackson, what happened? You're scaring me."

"I'm scared, too," he whispered. He sighed and stepped back as he tried to prepare himself to tell her the news he was still trying to grasp. But first, "Were your parents okay with you waiting for me?"

"Well, they weren't too happy about me wanting to be with you, but I know you have no one else, and once I explained to them that the guy with you was actually your social worker and not your father, they understood. They left me my dad's car and said they'd meet me at home. Now what is going on? Don't change the subject again."

"Well...ugh, okay. Remember Sam and Kerry?" Melissa nodded. "Well, when we disappeared, they kind of assumed I was dead and took in another foster kid. They can only house one kid, so once they found that out, Travis said the foster care people tried to find a new home for me in case I did return, but there's no other qualified family in Los Angeles County that want me. So a worker contacted a friend in….Texas," he watched her eyes widen in shock, "and there's a home for me in San Antonio that I'll be leaving for next Saturday unless they can find me a home here by then. He said that all on one breath, and he finally exhaled, nervous to hear her response.

"Oh my god," she muttered.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so sorry, Mel. Travis said the only way I'll be able to stay here is if a family changes their mind or they somehow find a previously missed family to take me in. I don't know what I'm gonna do," he sighed. Suddenly, Mel began to smile. "Mel, what's making you smile? Because I feel like I'm going to hurl right about now, so the smiling thing…yeah, it's not really making sense."

"Okay, I have to tell you something you don't know about my family, but you have to not promise to say anything to anyone until at least tomorrow. I'll let you know if it will work tomorrow at the press conference, okay?"

"All right, just tell me what's going on." He was getting a little anxious. If she was smiling after the news that he had just given her, it had to be something good.

"My family used to take in foster kids. They haven't done it in a few years, but I'm sure it couldn't be too hard to renew their license or something. The foster care agency probably just didn't think to ask my family because they knew I was missing, too. I'll have a talk with my parents tonight, as long as you're okay that I tell them your story. That way they know you really aren't a bad kid or anything. Is that okay?"

"Sure, sure, do you really think that they'll go for it?"

"I don't see why not, especially once I tell them how…important you are to me." As soon as she said that, she began to wonder if it would scare him. Instead, he smiled.

"Thank you, Mel. Just…thank you." He hugged her again. "Now, go home. You should be with your family."

She smiled, and was about to leave when another thought came to her mind. "Wait. Where are you staying?"

"Travis said they have to send me to a group home," Jackson shrugged.

"Oh no!"

"It's not that bad, really, Mel. I've been in one before, and I was a lot younger than this. I'll be fine," he assured her. "You know I can take care of myself."

Melissa sighed. She knew that once his mind was made up, he wouldn't change it. "Okay. I really should get going. I'll see you tomorrow at the press conference." She leaned up and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Night, Jackson."

"Night, Mel." She released her hold on him and started to walk away, but she had only gone a few steps before he called out, "Wait, Mel!" She stopped and turned back to look at him. He stepped up to her nervously and said, "I know we've been through a lot lately, and this may seem kind of weird considering where we are right now, but I was wondering if….I could kiss you?" He knew he had to ask. He wouldn't dare violate her trust and do something she wasn't comfortable with.

A meek smile formed on her lips, and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He took two fingers and gently lifted her chin up to him, and their lips gently met. And with that connection, that touch, Jackson felt a bolt of electricity shoot through him that gave him a whole new determination.

He'd fight for this. He'd fight to stay. Because he had someone worth fighting for.