Here's another installment. I don't know how much longer the fandom's going to be around, but as long as I have viewers I'll keep updating... sporadically.

"You're doing it wrong!"

I looked up from the carved chest I was currently staining a very dark brown to my girlfriend, staring down at my work, scowling.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It isn't dark enough."

"It'll get darker, I swear. Worst case scenario I add another coat after it dries."

Her face still flashed annoyance, but she reluctantly went back over to her side of my driveway. Every inch not occupied by my RV was covered with Jade's props, or materials to make them, though the inside of my home on wheels hadn't escaped her reach either.

"Beck! Darker!"

I smiled up at her and slapped an enormous amount of the sticky viscous liquid onto the chest before she got the message and went back to her painting. Jade had spent the past three months writing and perfecting a play. Still upset about Clowns Don't Bounce never making it onstage, she was determined to make this one absolutely perfect.

Opening night was in exactly one month, and just yesterday both of her parents had announced they were coming. This had invariably sent Jade into a nervous frenzy, and she'd decided that all set designs, costumes and props had to be finished this weekend.

"Babe, this one's finished! You want to come check it out before I leave it to dry?"

Jade slowly stood up and made her way back over to the chest.

"It good?"

"I guess."

"It's the colour you chose at the store."

"I know it is!"

"So it's done?"

"Yes, Beck. Do I need to give you a gold star?"

I placed the chest on a tarp laid out on the driveway to it could dry in the sun and joined Jade.

"So, what do you want me to do now?"

"Help me paint the backdrop navy."

"You know I'm not the best painter…"

"It's one colour Beck. If you don't want to help anymore just leave!"

"Hey, calm down. You know I'm here to support you."

She sheepishly returned to her painting while I went to grab another paint brush. Even with her usual perfectionism, having her parents, especially her dad, come to see her show was definitely stressing her out. And making her slightly more, umm, irritable. If that was possible.

Two hour later I'd finished the navy back drop, and Jade had added white and grey to turn it into a stormy night sky. I hung it up to dry in my parents garage, and checked on all the furniture spread out around my driveway and front yard.

"Anything big left for us to do?"

"No. The furniture's done, and Sinjin is making all the walls and structures."

"Perfect. How about we bring everything into the garage for the night and go get something to eat?"

"Eat? Beck, I don't have time to eat, nothing's ready!"

"Babe, you just said that we were done with all the big props."

"Yes, but…."

She looked around the yard wildly, willing some major task to appear to keep her working. Finding none, she turned back to me and let out a sigh of frustration.

"I can't just do nothing!"

At this point Jade looked close to tears, a sign that she was way too stressed about this performance. I took a step closer to her, opening my arms until she slowly leaned in and rested her head on my chest.

"We're good, ok? You worked hard all day painting and crafting, and now it's time to stop. How about we go get something to bring back here, and we can work on the costumes a bit inside the RV?"

We both got into my truck and drove through L.A. a bit before stopping at a Chinese restaurant for take-out. I had suggested pizza, but the thought of greasy fingers near her garments had earned me a slap on the arm.

Once back in my RV Jade began laying out all of her fabrics and half finished costumes.

"Did you make these?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I just didn't know you could sow so well."

"Well it's not like I could ever trust other people to do things properly."

"You're trusting Sinjin."

"Sinjin understands that his life is on the line."

At this I could only chuckle, and sit back on the couch watching my girlfriend work on the female leads dress. By the time I was done eating she had finished crafting it, but then spent another hour carefully and methodically staining and ripping it, creating an elegant yet bloody gown.

"It looks great."

"Yeah, whatever."

"You want to watch a movie tonight?"

"A movie! Are you an idiot? I have work to do!"

"Jade."

At this point I got up off my sofa and wrapped my arms around her before continuing.

"You have like, five characters in this show. We worked all last night and all day today, and all the props and sets are done. We have all day Sunday to finish the costumes, ok? You need a break."

"No, I don't. If you want to quit on me that's fine."

Exasperated I went and changed, then set up a movie while Jade wrapped up her gown and put it away, getting ready to work on the male's clothing.

I sat on the couch until 11, playing on my phone and watching Jade work out of the corner of my eye. Her hands were as steady as ever in their tearing and pouring, but her eyelids were growing visibly heavier, and every once in a while a yawn escaped from her lips.

"He babe, you mind coming here for a minute?"

"Why?" She growled, only briefly looking up from her work.

"I want to show you something on TheSlap."

She slowly got up and made her way over to where I was lying on the couch, stopping next to me and leaning down to peer at my cell phone's screen.

"What is i- Beck!"

As soon as she was low enough I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her down on top of me. Though a bit awkward at first, thanks to her incessant squirming I quickly had her head on my chest and her legs entwined with my own.

"I don't have time for this."

"It's The Scissoring! You love the opening of the Scissoring."

"I love all of The Scissoring, that doesn't mean I'm going to watch it now."

"The first fifteen minutes. Please. Just for me."

My request was meant with a few mumbles and eye-rolls, but luckily she made no attempt at leaving.

True to form, after all of her protesting, not even ten minutes into the movie Jade was sound asleep, her costume left abandoned on my coffee, table waiting for tomorrow.

R&R please!

-J