Any Day Now: Chapter 5
Word Count: 2,509
Writers Note: I lost steam on the Tupelo fic, but this one is coming out better!
Warning: Language, death
Pairing: POC OC x Elvis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Taglist
@darkmoviesquotespizza
@sissylittlefeather
@richardslady121
@thegettingbyp2
@presleyenterprise
@sissylittlefeather
@dkayfixates
@rjmartin11
@thetaoofzoe
@your-nanas-house
@zayurir
@60svintage
@sillybookmarks
Las Vegas 1970
"Don't see why you're sorry, sugar. You didn't lose the greatest Blues singer as a daddy," She giggled a little as she began to cry,
"Want me to leave the bottle?"
"Please..." Cecelia said. The more she drank the whiskey, the better she felt. She was giggling and flirty and forgetting her troubles, but deep down in her drunken state, she was still sad, angry even at herself. She started with half of the bottle, slurring her words, and her accent was thick, "Y-You, You know whaddya thank of Elvis?" Cecelia asked, "I Thanl he's a swell fella, and-and I-I-I says to him I love you Mr. Presly!" Her hand swaggering on as she talked, the patrons at the bar nodded along, lucky enough to be in her presence. After a minute, Cecelia was down to the bottom of the bottle. She was falling out of chairs and stumbling falling out of fe m "Ya knowww my daddy dieeeed, that's right he did, a-a-an I wasn't there 'hen 'e died," She laughed, "Some 'aughter I am 'ight?" she could feel her heart beating
fast and the room spinning. Her breathing was getting faster, and she felt lethargic. "A.. An... Anor... Bott.." Cecelia dropped to the floor, bottle in her hand. That was all she could remember. Elvis was pacing in the hotel room. No one had seen her since she walked out, and she could have been anywhere, but he didn't want to think the worst. He then remembered that Cecelia told him back in the 60s. She was battling depression and thoughts, and now he was terrified.
"I couldn't find her son." Vernon groaned,
"Shit..." Elvis began to shake. His anxiety was kicking in, and it had been an hour now.
"Where the hell is she!" Denise sighed,
KNOCK
�� KNOCK
KNOCK
Vernon opened the door as Jerry stood there. He was silent til Elvis pushed past his dad. Jerry held Cecelia as he looked at Elvis, "Keep an eye on her. She's had a lot." Placing her on the bathroom floor for when she woke up, "Jerry, where was she."
"At the bar where she."
BLAGH!"
"Drank an entire bottle of whiskey," Jerry said. Elvis ran to the bathroom as he heard her throwing up her guts. Cecelia was clinging to the toilet as Elvis was holding her hair back, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." she kept saying in between her throwing up, "Shush, it's okay, I'm here,"
"I don't ever want to ACK! Drink again," Cecelia shuttered. She felt sick to her stomach, and the room was spinning. She couldn't get up much, and she felt ashamed and weak.
"Need me to get Doctor Nick?" Vernon asked,
"No, she just needs a cold rag and rest," Jerry said as Denise stood there with gritted teeth. Elvis had undressed her and put on her pajamas.
"Elvis..." Her eyes were closed,
"Let's get you to bed,"
The morning after, Cecelia felt her head pounding as she was in the bathroom again. She almost felt pregnant, but worse,
BLEGH!
"Honey, are you okay?" Elvis asked,
"I feel like shit... What happened?"
"Well, you got drunk last night." Elvis mentioned as Cecelia looked horrified, "I don't... I didn't..." Elvis kissed her hand, "I didn't sleep much. You were talkin in your sleep about your daddy," When he mentioned him, Elvis could see the tears in her eyes.
"Come here, come here." He wrapped his arms around her as she took his morning scent, "Is he really gone..." Cecelia asked,
"I'm afraid so," Elvis said as she curled into him. He remembered how he was when Gladys passed. Elvis wouldn't eat. Talk, he'd cry, and Cecelia was there for him the entire time, holding his hand and letting him cry in her chest. Now it was his turn, "I don't think I can go to his funeral. I-"
"How dare you be so irresponsible," Denise said, walking into the hotel room. Cecelia looked at Denise. It was as if she were a little girl again, "Mommy..." she reached out as Denise turned her back to her,
"Look at you drunk like your..."
"Denise, don't you dare..." Elvis glanced at her,
"Father, you'll kill yourself just like him!" Denise said. Elvis wasn't happy when she said that. He knew Denise was grieving her husband, but this wasn't the right way to go about it.
"Already sing blues just like him!"
"HEY! Cecelia is havin a hard time too. Give her a little slack instead of being on her ass so much!" Elvis said,
"She's gotta be strong, Elvis. Her mistakes can cost our label..."
"She's human, she'll make mistakes," Elvis sighed,
"STOP TALKIN ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!" Cecelia sobbed as he hugged her tightly,
"CECELIA!"
"NO, Mama, you can sit on your high horse, or you can feel for at least one damn minute, but you will not tell me how to feel!" Cecelia cried,
"Don't you talk to me like that!" Denise grabbed her face. She looked into her daughter's eyes as she saw Alfonso in them. Denise laughed, "If you'll excuse me a bit..."
Denise walked out as she cried. Midge saw her,
"Finally grieving Mrs. D,"
"I lost my husband, my best friend, my manager, my business partner." Denise cried, "Almost lost my daughter."
"What did Cece do..."
"Nearly drink herself to death..."
Valmos Manor Nashville 1970
"Come here, babies," Ruby said as she held onto the twins. They were still traumatized a little from the hospital, but with Eleanor and Ruby, they'd be okay, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost my mama or papa." Elaine sniffled. Eleanor had Elaine on her lap as she smiled, "Well, don't think about it too much. Think about..." Ruby looked at Jessie as he was playing with,
"Oh my God, Denise still kept that Elvis doll." Ruby laughed as Eleanor laughed,
"A what?" Jessie looked up as Elaine went to hold it,
"So, back before you two were born and your mama and daddy were sneakin around dating, I bought your mama this doll in 1957."
"It was the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Eleanor smiled as Jessie and Elaine laughed, "But Ruby thought it would bring comfort."
"Did it?" Elaine asked,
"Your mama loved that ugly ole thang." Eleanor chuckled,
"I think it's handsome." Elaine hugged it tight. "I wish they were back. I miss them." Jessie said as Elaine nodded in agreement. Jessie then walked to the fireplace as he saw a picture. It was in black and white, and it was Cecelia and Elvis at the Lousiana Hayride in 1955.
"Papa looks funny!"
"I think he looked handsome," Ruby smiled,
"Let me see!" Elaine smiled, looking, "They look like they had a crush on each other,"
"They might have, but I tell you, I liked that look better than the sideburns," Eleanor mumbled,
"What about my sideburns?" Elaine and Jessie froze, running to the door and hugging their daddy as he kissed their foreheads, "See, you found that ugly behind doll." He joked,
"Elaine loves it," Ruby laughed,
"Just like her mama,"
Cecelia walked in as the kids ran and hugged her. There was an odd shift of wind in the house. Cecelia couldn't look at the pictures or awards.
"Mama!!!!"
"My babies," She hugged them both. "Laine, J, are you two okay?" She asked as they nodded,
"Grandpa's not coming back, is he..." Jessie asked,
"I don't think so..." Cecelia tried to hold it together,
"Okay, Ruby, Eleanor, we need to view the body..." Denise said, "And then I need to figure out who's taking over his half of Paradise and his funeral plot in North Carolina." Denise smiled, Midge, Elvis, and Cecelia looked at each other,
"Well, don't stand there! Let's go!
"Cecelia..." Ruby said,
"I'll stay with the kids," Cecelia smiled, "Maybe stop by the studio."
"I'll stay with you." Elvis smiled, taking her hand and kissing it. As everyone left, Cecelia stood on the steps thinking of memories, but one stood out the most.
1957
Cecelia put on her red heels and went downstairs. "Mornin Daddy," she kissed his cheek, "Morning, Mother," she hugged her as Denise looked at her,
"That dress and the red lipstick..."
"I can take it off if you'd like ..."
"No, keep it. If you want to look like a woman of the night."
"I was going based on my album for the interview," she mumbled, putting the plate of food on the table,
"Where did Mr. and Mrs. Presley go?"
"They went to the store. They'll be back." Alfonso said as he looked at Denise, smiling at her,
"Speaking of Presley's your uh friend Elvis, how's he doing?"
"He's still asleep. He doesn't get much of it with Tom Parker around." she smiled.
"I see, but damn can he eat!" Alfonso responded, laughing a bit.
Soon after, all the camera crew had set up shop in their living room. Cecelia was sitting next to the tree as her parents were on the couch, snuggled nice and cozy, and talking about their cover of Baby It's Cold Outside.
"We've been married for so long. That the chemistry is still there." Denise smiled. Cecelia couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.
"Is it true you two are separated?"
"Separated from this ol girl, never!" Alfonso smiled as he kissed Denise's hand, and she slowly glared at him. Cecelia sighed, hoping maybe someone would acknowledge her existence.
"Cecelia, tell us about your Christmas album! Not only do you have Little Richard. And a duet with BB King, but Elvis Presley! On Jingle Bell Rock, how did you manage that?
"Well, you know Aaron Pres and I. We go way back to the Hayride days. We got noticed at the same time. We're great friends really and...." The stairs creaked as the attention turned to Elvis, who was rubbing his eyes still from sleep as he was halfway dressed,
"Hey Nel, is breakfast ready..." he paused as he slowly went back upstairs, Cecelia chuckling as her parents were fuming in anger,
"Like I said, we go way back."
1970
"Is Mama okay?" Jessie asked as Elvis nodded, "She's thinking about something." He smiled, ruffling up his hair, "Like what?"
"Memories." He smiled, " A lot of memories happened in this house," Cecelia grinned as she stepped on the creaking step. Elvis shuddered as he remembered the many times he'd stepped on it. "EL! MY ROOM IS STILL THE SAME!" She giggled. He ushered the kids upstairs. As they went inside her bedroom, "It's so pink..." Jessie laughed as Elaine flopped on the bed, "Who's that?" Elaine pointed to a poster, "Uncle Dean and Uncle Frank." Cecelia had smiled as Elvis playfully rolled his eyes at how she swooned out their names,
"And who's that with all the lipstick on him," Jessie asked as Cecelia turned red,
"That's uh..."
"That's Daddy!" Elaine smiled, "But why kiss that when you had the real thing?"
"Well... You'll understand when you're older." Cecelia smiled,
"You too, Jessie," Elvis said. The two then laughed and scrambled off as Elvis closed the door. He leaned against it as Cecelia smiled, "I feel like I'm twenty again." sitting on her bed, "Why twenty?" Elvis asked out of curiosity, and then it hit him, "Oh, twenty..." he smirked as she blushed harder, "Finally understood what you meant about good rockin'." She smirked,
"Now we can't stop rocking," He walked to her, kissed her, and pulled her close,
"CECELIA, ELVIS, KIDS, WE'RE BACK!" Midge shouted as they ran downstairs. Denise glanced at Cecelia and Elvis as she sniffed her daughter,
"You smell like Elvis..."
"Thank you," Cecelia blushed,
"Wasn't a compliment."
North Carolina 1970
"El, thank you for being here," Cecelia sighed. They were at the repass of Alfonso. Her family was there, his friends, and of course Elvis, "Baby, this is just as much my family too." he kissed her hand as she smiled. Walking by was Irene, the cousin Cecelia loathed, "Sorry for your loss," her nose in the air as Cecelia wanted to chop her in half,
"See, you bought Elvis." she laughed,
"That's what you do when you're married to the man who's the father of your kids, Irene." Elvis glanced at her as she walked away. Cecelia chuckled. The twins were playing with their cousins and walking up toward Elvis,
"BB," Both Cecelia and Elvis said, smiling a little,
"If it and Mr. and Mrs. EP," He hugged them both, "Sorry 'bout ya pops." He hugged her,
"Thank you. I know he would've loved to have seen you again." She smiled, "He will. Someday honey, say you make this sweet potato pie."
"I made 99% of that plate. My mama was too distraught to cook." Cecelia laughed as Elvis was eating, too,
"EP, you better cherish this woman. They ain't makin 'em like her."
"Believe me, I know," He kissed her forehead. Denise watched in the corner as she smiled. This was family to her, supportive even on the bad times like this,
"AYE Cousin Crudup made it!"Cecelia gasped, running to him. Arthur Crudup and Alfonso were best friends. He was like a big brother to her daddy. And to Elvis, a big inspiration,
"Cece, you didn't tell me you were related to Big Boy Crudup..."
"He's like an Uncle to me." She smiled,
"Mr. Presley,"
"Sir." He shook his hand, "I'm a huge fan..."
"I know, little bit here told me, all them years ago." He smiled. As he sat down, "You know I ain't never seen my song get dat big til you did it." He laughed, "Course me an Alfonso wrote it half drunk," he then hugged Cecelia as she hugged him back,
"Be strong,"
A few hours later, everyone was singing. Denise, Eleanor, and Ruby were by the piano singing gospel songs. And then Elvis joined in. Cecelia had come with her daddy's guitar, and she strummed it as she shed a small tear.
"In honor of my daddy." Cecelia smiled as she began to sing That's Alright. Elvis looked over at her as Denise laughed, a few through tears. Cecelia was so much of her and her father, so in a way, his legacy never died.
"This song here is one that I cherish. I remember being eleven and hearing it, knowing my daddy had something to do with it, que 1954, and I'm listenin to some guy sing it," Cecelia laughed, looking at Elvis, "Y'all know him as Elvis. I know him as my best friend and my husband and the guy who eats my fries." She laughed. Elvis kissed her cheeks.
As everyone left, Cecelia, Elvis, and the kids were packed into the car as they drove to where they'd be staying for the night. It was a white house with a porch swing on a big piece of land, a bit bigger than Elvis's house in Tupelo, "What's this place, mama?" Jessie asked as Cecelia got out of the car and cried,
"Home..."
10 notes
·
View notes