Hey all! I've been working on this one-shot quite a bit and it is finally done! FYI- it is a 're-do' of a one-shot I did over the summer called "From up Above," so if you read that, some parts may sound familiar. I changed the characters, situations, and details around so it won't be like reading the same thing over. The first song used is "Grace Alone" by Scott Brown and Jeff Nelson; the second song is "Those Nights" by Skillet. Please comment and let me know what you thought! <3 emily
Love from Above
Love is a powerful word. Too many men have used the word without meaning it. Nick Jonas was different. To him, love represented a multitude of things. It stood for commitment, honor, faith, care and concern, and dedication. Nick loved his music, he loved his family, but he was in love with a girl.
Catherine stole Nick’s heart the first time he laid eyes on her. Dark, chocolate brown hair fell around her shoulders in loose curls and her dark eyes sparkled from the lights. They did not meet in a glamorous place, or a very clean one for that matter. She was heading into the local CVS Pharmacy as he was walking towards the checkout counter with his brothers. As she walked by, she caught Nick’s attention. Her beauty entranced him. Even under the harsh fluorescent lights of the store, she seemed to glow. Time seemed to pause as Nick watched the girl walk past. Without thinking, his feet led him away from his brothers and towards the girl. She wandered down a few aisles, but he let her be. He remained by the end of aisle eight, pretending to look at the items on the shelves. When he noticed the girl reaching the end of the aisle, he grabbed an item off the shelf and turned the corner. He planned to bump into her “accidentally;” it was his way of starting a conversation. His plan started well, both parties immediately apologizing for running into the other. Nick found the girl’s eyes entrancing, but he forced himself to stay calm.
“Oh! I am so sorry!” her voice rang sweetly in his ears.
“No, no. Don’t be. It was all my fault. I’m sorry,” he said.
She giggled slightly and looked down as an awkward silence fell between the two.
Nick extended his hand in an attempt to break the silence. “Hi, I’m Nick.”
A beautiful smile spread across the girl’s face. “Hi!” she replied as she shook his hand. “I’m Catherine.” She paused from shaking his hand, but never let go. “Wait- are you Nick Jonas, music producer and rock star?” she asked.
He gave a quick, uncomfortable smile. “Uh, yeah,” he answered quickly, unsure if her knowing him would be beneficial or harmful.
“Well, don’t be so shy about it! I used to love your music when I was younger. I never made it to any concerts, but I owned all the CDs,” she laughed as she gained more confidence around him.
“Thank you,” he said nonchalantly. Nick proceeded to talk to the girl for the next fifteen minutes. After talking with her, he knew they had a connection- what he felt was not just physical attraction. Putting on as much charm as possible, he asked her out to dinner and she agreed.
“I only have one question though, Nick.” She pointed to the box in his hands. “Why do you have a box of tampons?”
Nick’s eyes widened as he looked at what he was holding. A blush immediately rose into his cheeks. In his rush to talk to Catherine, he had not bothered to pay attention to what he was reaching for. “Uhm-” he stumbled over his words as he fished for a good excuse.
Catherine put up a hand, silencing his mumbling. “No, it’s ok. I’m probably better off not knowing.”
“No, honestly, I was so taken by your beauty that I really wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing,” he joked.
Playing along with Nick, Catherine curtsied and spoke in her best English accent, “That was very nice of you, kind sir!”
“Well, it’s the truth,” he replied seriously, but with a smile.
Two days later, Catherine and Nick went out on their first date. They decided to go some place fun and delicious, so the obvious choice for them was Romano’s Macaroni Grill. While waiting for dinner, the two drew and wrote all over the paper table cloth with the supplied crayons.
“It must look funny to see two 21-year-olds playing with these crayons so much,” Catherine commented.
Nick just laughed as he continued to draw. Soon, he noticed the waitress coming with their dinner, so he quickly scribbled something and covered it with his plate. Catherine was curious, but she did not bother asking about it.
When their dinner dishes were removed, Nick’s message was revealed. Catherine casually glanced down and gasped when she saw what he had written: Be my girlfriend?
Four years had passed since Catherine and Nick met and began dating. Nick had continued to work on his musical career, switching titles from performer to writer to producer as often as a new song idea came to his mind. While he worked with the creative side of his brain, Catherine was more scholastic and “left brained.” She attended UCLA for her masters in elementary education. She loved children and teaching, so joining the two passions together was an obvious choice. Luckily, Nick spent most of his time in LA working with his older brothers producing up-and-coming musicians’ first albums. Only about three months of each year were spent touring- and it was usually during the summer so Catherine could join.
To everyone who knew them, Catherine and Nick were the perfect couple. Some of Nick’s relatives had said, at the last family reunion, that they had not seen two people get along so well since Nick’s parents met. The Jonas family treated Catherine as if she were a part of the family. Even though she and Nick were not married, the families treated them as if they were. At times, they even asked when the couple was going to start having children!
Kevin and Joe treated Catherine like the little sister they never had. They teased her as older brothers would, but they were always very protective of her and if she was not with Nick, one or the other was always calling to make sure she was safe. Catherine was even a bridesmaid in Kevin’s wedding to his long-time love, Stephani. Joe’s fiancée, Crystal, was planning to have Catherine in their wedding as well.
While Nick’s older brothers were starting to settle down with their future families, Nick had just started thinking about having a family of his own. He and Catherine had discussed many times what type of family they wanted. Both had come from large families and wanted at least three children of their own. Nick wanted a larger house in a gated community near an excellent private school. Catherine hoped to move some place slightly more modest than what Nick was hoping for, but she was willing to compromise as long as the up-keep on the house would not be too expensive. She, like Nick, hoped to live near a good school where she could work. They had dreams to fulfill together and with the money saved from Nick’s career along with the portion Catherine had saved from her meager school paycheck, the 25-year-olds were ready to move on with their lives and start working on their dream family.
After many discussions with Catherine, Nick was finally sure he was ready to propose. His music career was still doing well, and although there were slightly less fans, there were still enough in each city to sell out shows at theaters and clubs. Nick enjoyed the atmosphere of the small venues and he relished in the opportunity to be so close to the devoted fans. As time moved on in his life and career, the fans matured and gave him more space and privacy. He had been looking for the perfect engagement ring for nearly a week, yet neither fan sites nor tabloids reported about his search, which lessened the stress that he was feeling. Nick’s plan was to buy the ring early and hold onto it until Christmas day when both of their families would be together for dinner.
Mid-August in Hollywood brought hot and humid weather, but it did not deter Nick from his search for the perfect ring. It was Thursday and the day marked a full week of research and browsing for a ring. It also marked the day that his search would end. Nick had studied a few styles the jewelry store clerk showed him, but none compared to the first one he saw. It was not overly extravagant or pretentious; it was perfect, just like Catherine. The jeweler placed the ring in Nick’s hand so he could examine it closer. The center stone was a stunning 2.05 carats with two smaller diamonds on each side. Nick thought the ring was beyond gorgeous- there was one stone for every year he knew Catherine. He handed the ring back to the clerk so she could package it for him. Nick was finally going to have the chance to marry the girl who took his breath away; the only one he really loved. It was going to be a hard four months while he kept the secret from Catherine, but it was something he felt he had to do.
September rolled around and the Jonas Brothers were on a break from their club tour to spend time with their families. Kevin and Stephani were expecting their second child while Joe and Crystal were planning for their future wedding. Catherine started working at a private school teaching math to first through fourth graders. It was her dream job and she could not be happier. To spend as much time with her as possible, Nick would drop her off at work early in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon, occasionally stopping by midday for a visit.
October arrived and while the leaves started to change colors slightly, neither Catherine’s nor Nick’s colors changed; they were closer than they had ever been. On the weekend, Nick and Catherine would take off from LA to explore somewhere new and exciting. Seventeen-year-old Frankie began dating Brianna, the girl he had been crushing on for a while, so the family never heard the end of how amazing she was. Joe and Crystal were finalizing their wedding plans and both of their stress levels were at their peaks. Halfway through the month, tragedy struck close to the Jonas family. Catherine’s father, with whom she was very close, passed away after suffering from a severe heart attack. She was devastated but managed to get through the grieving with Nick and his family by her side.
The clear November sky set in and the Jonas family seemed to be consumed with the last minute details of Joe’s wedding. A week into November, the day everyone had been waiting for arrived. Crystal walked down the aisle in a beautiful, flowing gown that fitted her curves perfectly. Her brown hair was in loose curls and fell gracefully around her shoulders. Even in extremely high-heeled shoes, she stepped down the rose petal lined aisle with grace and sophistication. By the end of the service, not a dry eye was left in the chapel. Taking part in Joe’s wedding made Nick even more anxious to propose to Catherine. Just another month of waiting, he told himself.
On the first Saturday of December, Nick went with Catherine to her school to help her decorate her classroom. Halfway through their joyful decorating, Catherine began to feel extremely light headed. She sat down behind her desk while Nick got her water. He was panicked by seeing Catherine feel ill, but he remained calm. What he did not know was that Catherine had been feeling light headed and dizzy more and more over the past week. Part of her wanted to tell Nick, but the other part decided that he would worry too much. After a few minutes of rest, the dizzy spell passed and they were able to get back to work.
When the students walked into Catherine’s classroom on Monday, all of their mouths fell open at the room’s beauty. Glittering snowflakes hung from the ceiling, a large, plush snowman sat in the corner of the room next to the counting blocks and calculators, and a cup of hot chocolate with a peppermint stick sat on each student’s desk. Catherine and Nick had successfully created a winter wonderland for the children in the middle of California. It seemed that with every minute the couple spent time together, their relationship grew stronger and stronger. Christmas and the proposal could not come sooner for Nick.
Paparazzi began to hound Nick about when he would propose to Catherine, but he remained tight-lipped. Every time the reporters would ask, it would get harder and harder to keep the secret to himself. He was afraid that his love and passion would build up so much that he would pull a stunt much like Tom Cruise did on “Oprah” to confess his love. What made the secret so hard for Nick was that not even his family knew what he was planning. Unfortunately, the paparazzi did not only hound Nick about his relationship. When Catherine was out, photos were constantly being taken- everyone knew she was dating Nick- and with the engagement rumors floating around, she was being followed more than ever. Catherine continued to feel faint every so often- once, she even fainted, but Nick was right by her side- and the constant presence of paparazzi did not make it any easier. Catherine did not enjoy the paparazzi, but on December 15th, she was grateful they were around.
Catherine was out shopping for Christmas presents when some paparazzi found her. She ducked into a nearby boutique to avoid them, hoping they would get bored and leave. After thoroughly examining the store and purchasing a few items, she ventured back outside and was met with a large crowd of reporters and paparazzi. She attempted to navigate through the crowded sidewalk, but soon she was overwhelmed. Her breaths came short and difficultly. Her heart began to pound harder and harder. Quickly, she became light headed and felt as if she was going to faint. Luckily, a photographer noticed that the color had drained from her face. He cleared a pathway through the press and guided Catherine into the open air. She took a few breaths and immediately felt better. Once the photographer noticed she was feeling better, he left her to continue her journey home. That night, reports of “Nick Jonas’ girlfriend falling severely ill in public” ran on all the entertainment news segments. The next morning, Nick made a public statement assuring the public that Catherine was perfectly healthy and she had only become overwhelmed by the amount of paparazzi and reporters surrounding her.
Catherine assured the Jonas family that she was fine and that she got dizzy because she had not eaten anything yet that day. On December 18th, however, Catherine’s statement was proven as a lie. While home with Nick, she passed out in the middle of his kitchen. Nick panicked and called 911. The EMTs rushed her to the hospital when they noticed that her heartbeat was irregular.
Doctors immediately ordered that test be run in an attempt to diagnose what was wrong. After a few tests were run, the doctors discovered what had happened. When Catherine was born, there was a small hole in her heart. Surgeons were able to repair the hole and she was told she could live a healthy, normal life. As doctors could tell from the tests, the area where the hole was reopened slightly and became infected. The infection quickly traveled through her bloodstream, eventually taking over and causing her to lie in a state of unconsciousness. Nick was devastated, but he had hope that she would recover. As he sat by her side, he thought about the four years they had spent together. He bowed his head and said a silent prayer to God that He would not take his love away. As Nick finished the prayer, one of his favorite worship songs came to mind. He picked up Catherine’s limp hand and began to sing softly.
Ev’ry promise we can make,
Ev’ry prayer and step of faith,
Ev’re difference we will make
Is only by His grace.
Ev’ry mountain we will climb,
Ev’ry ray of hope we shine,
Ev’ry blessing left behind
Is only by His grace.
Grace alone, which God supplies,
Strength unknown, He will provide.
Christ in us, our cornerstone;
We will go forth in grace alone.
Ev’ry soul we long to reach,
Ev’ry heart we hope to teach,
Ev’rywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace.
Ev’ry loving word we say,
Ev’ry tear we wipe away,
Ev’ry sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace.
Grace alone, which God supplies,
Strength unknown, He will provide.
Christ in us, our cornerstone;
We will go forth in grace alone.
Grace alone, which God supplies,
Strength unknown, He will provide.
Christ in us, our cornerstone;
We will go forth in grace alone.
Tears slowly rolled down Nick’s cheeks as he watched his love lay unconscious. For days, Nick remained by Catherine’s side- the only constant company he had was the steady beeping of her heart monitor.
Early on the morning of December 22nd, Nick awoke to the sound of an alarm. Catherine’s heart monitor was no longer beeping steadily. Nurses rushed into the room with a doctor by their side. The doctor looked at the heart monitor, all color draining from his face. The heart monitor told the room that Catherine’s heart was no longer beating. The doctor tried to get her heart beating again, but nothing worked. Nick lowered his head, praying that his love would make it through. She was such a large part of his life, and without her, Nick was not sure he would be able to move on. His thoughts were interrupted by the doctor’s hand on his shoulder. The three words the doctor spoke to Nick after silencing the alarm made his heart shatter into a million pieces: “I’m sorry, son.”
~~
Catherine’s dark brown hair framed her pale face beautifully. She wore her favorite dress that Nick had given her. He always told her that the shining emerald green color made her eyes sparkle a thousand times more. She looked down at her left ring finger. An engagement ring should have been in the spot she looked at, but she left him before he had the chance to place it on her finger. She let out a small sigh as she adjusted her dress and positioned a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. She applied one last coat of her and Nick’s favorite lip-gloss; she loved the color and he loved the taste.
She looked down at Nick. The light that typically shone in his eyes was gone, his skin had become pale, and dark bags hung low under his eyes. His brothers remained by his side, Joe keeping his arm tight around Nick’s shoulders.
Nick walked up to the microphone that stood next to where Catherine lay. “Uh- this-this song was one of Catherine’s favorites.” He looked over at her still body. “This is for you, Baby.”
I remember when
We used to laugh
About nothing at all;
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems
We’re going through.
Forget ‘em all.
Cause on those nights we would stand
And never fall.
Together, we faced it all.
Remember when we’d
Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We’d listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
I remember when
We used to drive
Anywhere but here
As long as we’d forget our lives.
We were so young and confused that we didn’t know
To laugh or cry.
Those nights were ours
They will live and never die.
Together we’d stand forever.
Remember when we’d
Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We’d listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Those nights belong to us.
There’s nothing wrong with us.
Those nights belong to us.
I remember when we used to laugh,
And now I wish those nights would last
Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We’d listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We’d listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Tears welled in Catherine’s eyes, but they would not fall. “You were really lucky to have Nick,” her father said from behind her. All she could do was nod- she was too overcome by watching Nick grieve to speak. A few tears rolled down Nick’s cheek after he finished playing Catherine’s favorite song. His head hung low as he walked over to her body. He knelt down beside her and took her cold hand in his. With his free hand, he adjusted her curls that had slipped from their original spot. To him, Catherine still looked beautiful. She was not smiling, her eyes were closed, and her face was covered in an inch of heavy funeral make-up, but she was still the amazing girl he had fallen in love with five years prior. As he looked at Catherine, memories of their time together flashed through his mind. He ran his hand over the spot where her engagement ring should have been. The memory of buying the perfect ring for her and his excitement to see it on her hand came back to him. His head fell, as a result from the sadness that coursed through his body, against the wood that held Catherine. Nick lifted up his head at the realization of what he had hidden in the suit jacket he was wearing. He briefly let go of Catherine’s hand to fish a small box out of the inside of his jacket. He carefully opened the jewelry box to expose the sparkling ring. Nick carefully picked up Catherine’s left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.
“I’ll never forget you, my dear. Will you marry me?” he whispered to Catherine as tears streamed down his face. He placed her hands back together and wiped the tears from his face before he joined his family again. Catherine’s mother pulled Nick into a tight hug and they said a prayer to God to keep Catherine safe. Joe, Kevin, Stephani, Crystal, along with Mr. and Mrs. Jonas, and Frankie joined the embrace as Nick began to hum “Amazing Grace.”
Catherine looked at the ring that Nick had slipped onto her finger. The five diamonds sparkled majestically.
“Yes, Nick, I will always be yours.” Catherine choked on her words as her tears finally began to fall.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Catherine’s father called as he pulled her away from watching Nick, “it’s time to go.”