A story in the Grains of Time Saga. For an introduction to this saga, I recommend reading my mini-guide
(continued from part one..)
****** “What now?” Frank asked, as he popped down on the couch beside Rachel. Amanda had somehow found them a house to stay in, and Frank had a sneaking feeling that woman had contacts everywhere.
“I don't know yet. I just had to know if David would become Immortal, Frank.”
“I would have come with you if you had told me,” he insisted
“Maybe. I didn't want to ask,” she whispered
He looked at her. There was a distance between them, and he knew very well what it was.
“Rach..” He hesitated, wondering how to phrase it. “Maybe I won't get to live as long as you, but that doesn't mean I don't know what I want with my life. I'm looking at it.”
She stared into his face and saw nothing but honesty. He meant it. She didn't have the strength to push him away too. Not now. What would she do when she eventually had to face losing him? Pushing the thought away, she hid it in the deepest corner of her mind.
“I'm afraid,” she whispered. He blinked in surprise. It wasn't the reply he'd expected.
“So am I,” he whispered, taking her hand, “so am I.”
******
Jack Christey groaned, fighting an urge to hit his head against the surface of his desk. Jeff had dumped a ton of cases on his desk since he got back from London, and some of them were plainly bizarre. Death by beheading wasn't your run of the mill way to die.
“Knock, knock,” Helen announced “Jack! There's a homicide case here you might wanna take a look at.”
“Why?”
“Just look at it,” Helen replied, and he did.
“Jonathon?” he muttered, staring at the paper Helen had given him. “David's missing?”
The urge to hit his head on the desk grew stronger.
“It gets better,” Helen told him, “Two rental cars were seen leaving the scene. One of them was rented out to a certain Amanda Montrose.”
“The name sounds familiar.”
“Remember the two friends of Frank you asked me to check out when you were in London?”
“Yeah. One was an ex-cop named Nick-something and the other..” he paused “Amanda Montrose.”
“The very same,” Helen stated grimly.
*******
“Ouch!” Amanda exclaimed as Nick wiped the blood off her arm, accidentally coming in contact with the wound in her arm where Carolyn had stabbed her.
“Sit still,” he ordered, grabbing a new clean cloth.
“It'll heal on its own,” she told him, but he kept at it. A mortal habit he still had, wondering about wounds. It should have annoyed her, but she found it hard not to smile.
“So exactly how far do you and Carolyn go back?” he muttered, pretending not to notice that she was staring.
“Centuries. She's.. changed.”
“Living hundreds of years will do that to you,” he replied, gently beginning to apply a bandage.
“Not just that.. she's stopped caring.”
He met her glance and saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.
“We were friends once,” she explained, a hint of sadness in her voice, “She was different then. She cared for the world. Then, one day, she met Stephen. He was mortal, but she loved him. She loved him very much.”
“And he?”
She shook her head. “Once he learned her secret, he wanted nothing to do with her. It devastated her, I didn't realise how much at the time. She doesn't know how to take no for an answer. Her mind.. It's so strong, so focused. She can have a power over people. Sometimes she uses it to..” she trailed off.
“I noticed,” Nick replied dryly, finishing the bandage and giving her arm a light squeeze.
“You were sloppy work. She must have been in a hurry.”
“I'm sorry, I..” he hesitated, wanting her to know he could never have harmed her, much less killed her.
“I know,” she smiled at him reassuringly, “Let's just establish that I was right all along and you were a big jerk for running off to Sydney without me!”
“Amanda!”
“You were! I could have told you..” she stopped herself mid-sentence, realising she had said too much. Her slip didn't go unnoticed by Nick
“Told me what?”
“Nothing.”
“Amanda! What aren't you telling me?” She squirmed slightly under his harsh glare.
“I knew David was pre-Immortal,” she admitted finally, and she watched his eyes widen in anger.
“You knew? It didn't occur to you Rachel had a right to know? That I had a right to know?”
They weren't talking just about David any more, she realised with a sinking feeling. They were talking about her never telling him he was pre-Immortal until he died from a gunshot and woke up again, confused and resentful at her for not telling him. There was pain in his face now. Just as it had been then , and he'd taken a step away from her. She remembered the words he'd spoken then, they still burned somewhere in the back of her mind.
“I was protecting..” she began, dreading the conversation, yet knowing they had to have it.
“Bullshit, Amanda!” He starred at her angrily, before stomping out of the door. The door slammed hard behind him. A second later he opened it again.
“Is it always going to be like this?” he asked simply, something very much like regret filling his voice. She desperately wanted to tell him no, but she owned him the truth.
“I don't know,” she whispered, knowing it wasn't the answer he wanted. But it was the only answer she had to give him now. Oh, how she wished there was another.
He closed his eyes for a brief second, looking like he wanted to throw a very large object at and through the wall. She wanted to walk up to him, to embrace him, but she was afraid he'd turn and walk away. Again.
They all walked away from her eventually. Even Mac, and she had loved him for longer than anyone else. A small part of her still loved him, and always would. Nick must have seen something in her eyes, because his face softened.
He couldn't help it. He loved her. Despite everything, he loved her. He wasn't a part of the damned Game, but for her, he played it nevertheless. He was in the business of protecting lives, not taking them. And somehow, it had all changed when he met her.
And God help him, he loved her.
There was a knock on the door. Letting out a small groan, Nick walked up to the door. He gave Amanda one more look as he opened the door, a look she didn't know quite what to make of.
Cops. A man and a woman who looked sternly up at him as he opened the door. He knew the look. It meant bad news, the kind he'd delivered himself occasionally.
“Amanda Montrose?” one of them asked.
“Yeah?” Amanda stepped forward
“We have some questions regarding the murder of Jonathon Goldstein.”
Rachel heard their voices through the door. The feeling left her body. Her hands fell to her side, and the coffee cup fell from her hand and to the floor. It shattered with a loud crack, a thousand pieces going everywhere. Seconds later, the door opened and she looked straight at Helen Blakemore.
******
Time is all about perception. Sometimes it passes fast when the moments count most, and sometimes it seems to freeze.
For Helen Blakemore, it froze. She felt her heart pound widely, her breath stop dead in her throat. Her eyes felt like they would pop out of her head at any moment.
“Rachel,” she whispered.
“Helen,” Rachel replied softly. Helen just stared, then slowly stretched out a hand and touched her arm.
“It is you..”
Letting out a sob, Rachel fell into her arms and the two women just held each other for a long time. Frank watched with half a smile, half of him happy for them both, the other half worried what this would mean for Rachel's future. He exchanged a glance with the other officer, who had to be a new one. Being gone so long meant new faces, he knew that, yet it would have been nice to see nothing had changed. Everything else changed, one constant would have been comforting.
“How?” Helen got out “How..?”
“It's a long story, Helen. I promise I will tell you. But you said something about Jonathon..” Rachel wiped tears away.
“He's dead, Rachel. Shot down. David seems to be missing.”
“Oh God,” Rachel muttered, “Any idea who did it?”
“The only suspect we had was her,” Helen pointed to Amanda. “The car she rented was seen leaving the murder scene.”
“She was with me,” Frank decided to enter the conversation, “She's a friend, Helen.”
Not taking her eyes off Rachel, Helen seemed to regain some composure. “Simon, phone the station and tell them I'm following a new lead in the Goldstein case. Don't mention any names… I'll deal with this.”
Simon nodded and left the room feeling none the wiser.
“New guy?” Frank asked.
“New guy,” Helen confirmed. She still hadn't taken her eyes off Rachel, as if she would disappear in smoke the second Helen looked away. “I can't believe it's really you. What the hell have you done with your hair? It's dreadful.”
Nick and Amanda had been having a quiet argument throughout the conversation, and now Amanda raised her voice.
“It has to be Carolyn who did this. She would know David was a pre-Immortal. And she wants my head.”
“Pre-Immortal?” Helen repeated, looking from Rachel to Amanda with a look of utter bewilderment on her face.
“Nick and I..” Amanda shot an annoyed glance at him, as he had insisted he would come along “We will find her. We'll deal with her.”
“No.” Rachel shook her head. “He's my son.” Planting her hands on her hips, she looked every bit as determined as Frank remembered her from their days together in the Sydney Water Police. Whatever daze she had lived in since her life had changed, it had been lifting for a while now.
“How about I help you find this.. Carolyn?” Helen suggested, “And can someone please explain to me what the hell you're all babbling about?”
Where do the grey skies end?
Should I stay or fly away?
The wings that I begin to grow
Will surely let me know
How far I have to go
And I'll be there
~~~~~~~
“This is her address,” Helen confirmed, as they pulled up in front of what could only be called a mansion. The gate was closed and looked cold and uninviting.
“Right,” Nick pulled the car up by the sidewalk, “Can you sense anything?”
Amanda shook her head as she got out of the car and walked up to the gate. Frowning, she stared at the house through the iron bars.
“Immortal radar,” Frank muttered to Helen, “They'll know if she's in the house.”
“How..?” Helen began, but was interrupted as Nick, Amanda and Rachel all seemed to stare at something far, far away or nothing at all.
“She's home,” Amanda stated the obvious. The gate suddenly swung open soundlessly.
“We're invited, how sweet,” Nick remarked as everyone got back into the car. Getting the car into gear, he drove up the driveway towards the house. The gate closed behind them as soundlessly as it had opened.
As soon as they exited the car, Amanda's sword emerged from its hiding place under her trademark black leather trench coat. Nick too was carrying a sword - Carolyn's to be exact. It suddenly occurred to him that only a few weeks ago he would have sworn he would never even consider carrying a sword. When he had been Mortal it had seemed like such an antiquated weapon – a gun was much more practical, to the point, an efficient weapon. Not so anymore. His life could only end with a beheading, and suddenly practising the art of sword play seemed much more logical.
And Mortal or Immortal – some things would never change. He still wanted to protect her.
“Friendly place,” Frank remarked. He threw a glance at Helen, who seemed very collected despite the situation. But she never left Rachel's side, glancing over at her every now and then. He couldn't really blame her. It would take her a few weeks before it all sunk in – if it ever did.
Amanda kicked the front door open with a sudden motion, and everyone jumped.
“Knock, knock,” she remarked dryly. Nick just stood looking exasperated and shook his head before stepping into the hall. It was empty, dominated by a large stairway. There was an odd silence; the kind there is just before everything explodes in an inferno.
“She's in the garden,” Amanda stated with confidence. “She and I have something to finish.”
“No, you don't,” Nick stared at her, “And this time you can forget the 'Immortals only' bullshit you used to pull on me.”
“We'll check upstairs,” Frank suggested, “David's probably there.” At the mere mention of the name, Rachel made an involuntary shiver. He had to be alive, he had to. She climbed the stairway two steps at a time, not even looking back to see if anyone would follow. The buzzing in her head was intense.
She felt the sheath in her belt without thinking. It wasn't a sword, but a long dagger Amanda had given her. If necessary, she would do something she thought herself incapable off. For David, her sweet innocent son, she could kill an Immortal.
******
“This is it?” Jack asked. Alex shrugged.
“Why would Helen just go off on her own?” It was Jack's turn to shrug.
“Must have been important,” he remarked. As they pulled up to the estate, the gate to the driveway opened.
“We must be expected.”
“We're not the only ones, I think,” Alex pointed to the car already parked.
“Great. A party.”
Stepping out, he took a good look at the house. Carolyn Richard. Jonathon's newest client. It sure looked like she could afford him. Or rather, she had been able to afford him. He wasn't going to take on any more clients now
He was about to remark on the size of the house, when the words froze on his lips.
One, two, three gunshots.
******
As Rachel reached the last step at the top of the stairs, a loud click instinctively made her duck. A second later a bullet whizzed over her head, then another and another.
“Stay behind me,” she hissed to Frank and Helen. Helen had already lifted her own gun, peeking over the railing.
“He's in the doorway on your left,” she whispered. Rachel threw a quick look. A big brute, she could see his shadow on the floor. He was behind the door, but if he was going to fire a shot, he would have to leave his shelter.
“I'll distract him,” she instructed. Taking a deep breath she braced herself and jumped out into the open.
The first shot missed her. The second slammed into her chest just as Helen's shot hit the brute. Cursing, Rachel staggered and fell. The pain was overwhelming.
“Get David,” she muttered to Frank through clenched teeth. “Get him!”
He hesitated only a second before nodding and heading off down the hallway. Helen's face came into view.
“Rachel?”
“Just.. a .. second..” Rachel gasped, feeling the last of her air disappearing from her lungs. She tried taking a few more breaths, before finally gave in. The world went blissfully black and silent.
Helen felt for a pulse. There was none, and the blood.. Surely she couldn't have survived this. She was dead. She..
“Helen!” Frank called from down the hall, “We gotta find David, or Rachel will skin us alive when she comes back.”
“But she's..”
“Helen! Trust me,” Frank insisted, and she tore herself from Rachel's side. But she kept looking over her shoulder as they walked into the room the man had been guarding. The brute lay in a pool of blood behind the door.
“He's not dead,” Frank said as he checked the man for a pulse. “Let's check the other rooms.” Indicating the door leading further into the house, he approached with caution.
There was a loud series of cracks as bullets slammed into the door.
“We're popular today..” Frank muttered under his breath.
In the hallway, Rachel opened her eyes with a gasp. The ceiling came into view. She heard Frank and Helen's voices in the other room. Lifting her head, she looked straight into a pair of very familiar eyes.
Jack. He stood like he was frozen, his one leg still lifted. His eyes were drilling holes in her, and she realised he'd seen her wake from the dead. Her shirt was covered in blood, her blood. His eyes went from her face to her chest, staring.
“Rach..?” he finally got out.
******
“You know, you're the most pig-headed man I've met in centuries,” Amanda muttered, scouting the garden. Carolyn's taste hadn't improved in the last century. She was still tacky. The garden was nothing more than a pale imitation of Versailles.
“Nice to know I've made one lasting impression,” Nick replied. She noticed the sword he carried remained sheathed, and his hand were resting on the gun holster at his hip. Old habits were hard to change.
“What's with you and Rachel?” Amanda asked, trying to keep her tone deceptively light.
“What do you mean?”
“You've become best friends within weeks.”
“Not really, we just…” he hesitated. “Share the same fate.” he continued, throwing a glance at her. “We both have to adjust to a new life”
“One you didn't want,” she countered, her mouth forming the words before she'd had a chance to think. She bit her lip, seeing him tense up.
A sudden crack behind them broke the tension
“Amanda my dear, what do you think of my humble home?” Carolyn stepped forward, spreading her arms in a falsely welcoming gesture. The blade of the sword she held in her right hand glinted dangerously in the sun. “Nice seeing you again, Nick.”
“Wish I could say the same,” he replied.
“You know, after I've taken Amanda's head, you and I are going to have a lot of fun.”
“Somehow, I don't think so,” Nick finally lifted his sword, “To get her head, you have to get through me.”
Carolyn laughed. “I swear, the men you pick, Amanda. You always did go for the honourable ones.”
“Stephen had honour. You just corrupted him. I helped him see you for what you'd become.”
Carolyn shook her head. “You STOLE him!”
“But why take the kid, Carolyn? He had nothing to do with this.”
“I've been looking for a partner. He will do nicely, in a few decades. Besides, I knew you'd come chasing after us.”
“Let's settle this then.” Amanda walked up to Nick. The two exchanged a glance, and Amanda saw determination in Nick's eyes. He wasn't going to back down. Fine. Neither was she.
Carolyn looked from one to the other, finally settling on Amanda.
“You're much too fine to loose your head yet,” she told Nick, smiling at him in a way that made him uncomfortable and Amanda hot with anger. With her usual flair for the dramatic, Carolyn and plunged her sword deep in his gut. He was too slow to block it - not seeing it coming. Seconds later, Amanda brought her sword crashing down onto Carolyn's.
Nick saw the two women staring at each other with swords locked, face-to-face. He fell to his knees with a curse. Damn, it hurt. He struggled not to faint as the two pushed away from each other and began fighting. Amanda moved fast, but Carolyn seemed to anticipate her every move. Blow met blow, but it was clear Amanda was on the offensive.
Nick groaned as he felt his healing beginning to kick in. Holding onto his sword, he managed to stagger onto his feet. Amanda had always told him he shouldn't interfere in another Immortal's fight, and he had always ignored her warnings. He wanted to run over and help, but his legs threatened to buckle under him.
Shots. Not taking his eyes of the fight, he realised the sounds came from inside the house. A part of him wanted to run inside and find out what had happened, another part of him wouldn't leave Amanda's side for the world.
A wave of pain through his body ended his inner discussion. It took all his strength just to remain standing. Amanda and Carolyn had moved out of view. He could only see their swords flashing through the air behind a wall of green shrubbery. He heard a curse, and the metallic clang of a sword hitting the ground.
And then there was a silence. He waited, holding his breath. Even the sky seemed to wait.
Hidden from Nick's view, the two women stood and stared at each other. Carolyn was breathing hard, her arm covered in blood. Amanda had disarmed her with a mighty swing, one that Carolyn could not match. Flying through the air, Carolyn's sword had landed just a few metres away. But between her and salvation stood Amanda, her sword raised.
“I'm sorry,” Amanda whispered and meant it. Closing her eyes, she finished the blow.
******
Giving Helen a sign, Frank ripped the door open. Guns lifted, they both walked in. David was the first one Frank noticed. Hiding in a corner, the kid looked up at him and actually smiled. God, how he looked like Rachel. That smile..
Other than that, the room was empty.
“Where did they go?” He shook his head, and walked up to David. Bending down, he smiled.
“Hey buddy. You've been real brave, okay? We're gonna leave now. Did you see where the men went?”
Fearfully, David nodded. “That door.” He pointed to the opposing wall. It had the outline of something that could be a door.
“How does it open?”
Frank felt David's small hand taking hold of his. “I'll show you,” the boy told him in a small voice.
******
Hundreds of thoughts ran through Jack's head as he stared at a ghost. It had to be a ghost. It couldn't be.. No. She had died. He'd seen her die.
“Jack..” she said, and it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. It was her. God Almighty, it was her. Alive. Breathing, even though her shirt was soaked in blood. An angel.
He didn't even hear the gunshot, just felt it hit. And another. He saw a brief shadow at the end of the hall, holding a gun. He wanted to warn Rachel, until he saw Helen coming up behind. The man fell. And Jack's strength disappeared too. He staggered and fell forwards into her arms.
“Rachel!” His eyes widened, and he reached out to touch her face. “You.. You..”
“Yeah,” she muttered through tears. He smiled, a smile that filled his face and lit up his eyes. His hand touched hers briefly, once. And then the light in his eyes went out.
She froze, her heart stopped and she couldn't feel her breath anymore. A shadow seemed to pass through the room. As it passed, she felt her heart break into a thousand pieces. No! He wasn't supposed to die, not for her.
Not for her.
“Jack..” she muttered, resting his head in her lap. “Jack..” She stroked his hair affectionately, fighting a million tears that wanted to escape.
“Oh Jack..” her voice cracked and a sob escaped, “What did I do to you?”
She felt strong hands on her shoulder.
“Rachel,” Helen muttered, “I'm sorry.”
“Did you find him? David, is he..?” Rachel forced the tears away. There would be time for them later.
“Mum?” came a terrified voice from behind her, and she turned to look at David. He was holding Frank's hand, looking alone and afraid, but he was still the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
“Jack?” came a voice from downstairs, “Jack?” Alex was straining to look from the bottom of the stairway, her gun raised. A loud explosion from the garden made her turn. Fireworks. Lightning. She had to close her eyes, it was too bright to look at.
In the garden, the last lightning bolt struck, and Amanda dropped her sword. The Quickening was always exhausting, having to take another Immortal's Essence. Nick came limping towards her, clutching Carolyn's sword.
“You all right?” he asked gently. She nodded, as he put an arm around her and they began making their way back towards the house. She had a dreadful feeling there would be quite a mess there. There always was when Mortals got involved in Immortal life.
If love never lasts forever
Tell me what's forever for
~~~~~~~
The sun hung low on the sky, as if it was grieving too. It was a sad day in the Sydney HQ. Barely a year after loosing one of their finest officers, another one had been killed in the line of duty.
Jack Christey.
Alex was silently crying in Mick's arms, and his own eyes didn't feel too dry. Helen was looking at them, but not really noticing. Her thoughts were a mile away. She knew the truth.
Immortality. She closed her eyes, remembering.
“So Nick.. Amanda.. Rachel.. All Immortal?” Helen shook her head in disbelief.
“It's hard to believe, I know,” Frank let out a sigh, “I've seen it happen. I've seen them die and then come back to life with no signs of injury.”
“It sounds impossible.”
“It is. But it's true”.
“Everyone thinks she's dead, and she's alive.”
“You cannot tell them,” Frank insisted, “Immortality is scary. And someone would always want what she and David has. They would hunt her down. Please.. help me protect her.”
Opening her eyes, she realised he was right. She couldn't say anything. For Rachel. And for David.
Most of all for David.
******
“David's asleep,” Rachel said with a sigh, leaning against the doorframe. ”What am I going to do? What kind of childhood can I give him?”
“You can give him a mother,” Nick replied, glancing into the room. “Where's Frank?”
“Down at the station.” Her voice faltered. “He and Helen are.. They're.. ” She didn't want to say Jack's name. If she said it, she was afraid she could never stop crying.
“Rachel.. I'm sorry..”
“It's not fair!” she pounded on his chest for lack of a better channel for her frustration. “I never asked for this! I don't want eternal life! I didn't want Jack to die for me, I didn't want Frank to sacrifice everything for me. I didn't want David to..”
“Shh..” Nick told her gently, and held her. He recognised the anger and the sadness. He'd seen his partner die too, taking a bullet for Amanda. The memory still stung.
“I have to find out why this happened to me,” she muttered, “I have to know why.”
“I'll help you find out,” he promised, and meant it.
The door opened, and Frank stepped in. Nick waved him over, and Rachel fell into his arms instead.
“I'll be upstairs with Amanda,” Nick told him quietly and slipped away.
“I can't do this, Frank,” Rachel muttered. She was sick of trying to be strong, sick of failing to be strong.
“Yes, you can,” he said confidently. “For David. For Jack. For me. Don't worry. Helen and I have arranged for a new identity for you and David. You can start over.”
“How can I with all of these memories?” she wanted to say, but the words didn't leave her lips. She almost wanted to slug him for trying to be her knight in shining armour. Closing her eyes, she cried without tears for Jack and everyone else she had lost and would lose.
Including herself.
******
Nick opened the door to Amanda's room. It was dark and quiet inside.
“Amanda?” he called out.
Straining, he tried to see in the dark room. The window was open, the curtains drifting slowly in the mild breeze. He could hear Amanda breathing somewhere in the room, and her Presence was strong and clear in his head.
“You all right?” he asked into the darkness.
“Go away,” came the quiet answer.
“No.” He took another step into the room, finally getting a glimpse of her still form sitting on the bed.
“Go away,” she repeated, refusing to look in his direction
“It wasn't your fault. Carolyn made her own choices. It wasn't your fault,” he told her, and she turned, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
“No, I blame you!” He had to hide a smile at the familiar heat in her voice. So like her to turn and throw it back in his face. All in an effort to mask her true feelings. But in doing so, he could see her vulnerabilities more clearly shining through the anger.
“My fault?”
“You made me have all these feelings, and.. damn you! My life was so easy before I met you!”
“You're one to talk,” he remarked, sitting down beside her. And as quickly as her anger had surfaced, it disappeared again. She took a deep breath and met his glance.
“Nick..” She fell against his chest, and he held her while stroking her back. She cried silently, his shoulder becoming wet with tears. It was a side of her he didn't see often, softer, more vulnerable. She rarely let her defences down, even for him.
“I was her,” she muttered, thinking of Carolyn, “I did what I liked, what I wanted. If she became..”
“You're not her,” he told her firmly.
He planted a kiss in her hair. It smelled slightly of paint, tickling his nose. She pressed herself against him, seeking comfort in his arms. Memories of Carolyn flashed through her head, good and bad. So many deaths. She didn't know why they were effecting her so. Maybe it was David. Seeing what she could never have. A part of her actually envied Rachel.
“Don't do this to yourself,” Nick whispered, as if he could read her thoughts. A sudden fear of losing him too came over her, and she pressed her face against his broad chest. She couldn't lose him.
“I love you.” She wasn't even sure if she said it out loud. He let out a quick breath, but said nothing. His hands had began to trace slow circles on her bare back, and it felt wonderful. She had loved many men over the centuries, but Nick.. He was her opposite. Her conscience and her heart.
Lifting her face, she kissed his nose, his forehead, his cheek, and finally, his mouth. He let her take initiative, exploring his mouth inch by inch. She was gently teasing him, knowing it would drive him nuts.
He broke of the kiss long enough to pull her on top of him, then she recaptured his mouth with a new intensity. His beard scraped against her cheek, and she wondered for a second if she should ask him to shave it off.
No, she decided as his hands wandered from her back to her front, he was fine the way he was. He pulled her down on the bed and as she closed her eyes she thought she heard a faint whisper.
“I love you too.”
Maybe it was enough to make it last. Maybe it was enough to make him stay.
It just had to be.
******
Frank slept. He had an arm around Rachel's waist like she had an arm around David. He too slept. It felt good to look at him. Her son. There were still tears on his face, tears cried for a father who wouldn't raise from the dead. Like she had.
“Are you an angel, mom?” David had asked when he'd seen her, alive and breathing.
“Yes, David. Your guardian angel,” she had told him, “I'm gonna stay with you, always.”
She desperately hoped she would get to keep that promise.
Taking his hand, she pulled him a bit closer, needing to feel near him. Her son. It was so good to hold him again, but the price she'd paid.. A terrible, terrible price.
Jack. She closed her eyes as she remembered him. He had died for her. It hurt too much to think about it, but she knew she had to. She had tried escaping ever since she had died, but if she were to live it was time to fight for it
There was so much chaos in her life, but she had two constants she would fight to keep. She had her son. And she had Frank.
Maybe they could be a little family, just the three of them. For a little while. It would have to be long enough.
It just had to.
And the house was silent as everyone there slept, each holding onto the most precious thing there is. A reason to live. A reason to be.
Sometimes.. It was enough.
I would not let myself believe that you might stray
I would stand by you no matter what they’d say
I thought I’d be with you until my dying day
Until my dying day
~~~~~~~
Please fill out my feedback form
