Hey guys! So, sorry that i wrote this oneshot instead of updating one of my other stories, but i woke up this morning and had this idea in my head so i just had to write it down. I really hope you enjoy it at least a little bit but it's quite, um, unusual for me to write something like this but as i said i had to write it down to make peace with it lol. this oneshot if for 4everkandy because she was so nice and read it for me cuz i wasnt sure if i should post it or not. thanks x33

tell me what you think !! xxxxx

Jen

-

Who hasn't heard of them?

The story of how they fell in love during their best time of life: Their hearts were young, their souls clean and their mind only occupied with each other.

Who hasn't heard of the story of the two people, the two only people you could be sure of they were meant to be, who died for their love?

Who hasn't followed the tragedy of their lives, the tragedy of the course destiny had decided to take?

I never understood what the big, incredibly talented and history-writing author and amazing man had felt when he wrote those lines down, never understood why he chose the words he chose, until I saw them together. I suddenly understood faster than I wanted.

They had felt for each other the way they did way longer than these few months. They had probably never not felt that way, they just hadn't admitted it to themselves or the blindfold their families and friends had pulled over their eyes to "protect" them from getting hurt had done its job very well.

Until they met for the very first time and the sparkles in their hearts and the butterflies in their stomachs released the famous "click".

Oh, and it did click.

They had tried to hide it, tried to deny it- though not for long, because they knew they had hopelessly fallen.

For each other.

Although they would never be able to live the life they both wanted, they were happy with the rare moments they got together. They knew they would never be allowed, never be able to tell anyone about the love they shared because both weren't as free as they needed and desired to be, but they would live the moment, live together- It would be their little secret.

The couples' shared vocabulary was different and it makes me smile to think about it, but it had the same passion and unconditional love written between the lines. You just needed to try harder to read and find it.

"I love you"

It was probably the only thing that stayed the way it was over the decades.

But those three most powerful words were enough to say everything two people who would die for each other needed to express their feelings.

"Je t'aime"

"Te quiero"

"Ti amo"

"Ich liebe Dich"

It didn't matter which language the lovers really spoke back then or which language they were able to speak now- the meaning of those precious words could leave every sense of logic behind and survive any fence or obstacle.

It was the passion a sincere lover had in his voice when he spoke those few syllables that made it impossible for their one true love to not understand them.

-

Now, as he thought about it again, their story seemed even more dramatic and heartbreaking to himself. Maybe because he had loved his woman as much as he had loved his and maybe because their love was meant to fail as much as their love had.

Their families were enemies; their friends had fought each other.

Their families lived too far away, their friends supported them, but she wasn't fourteen anymore and he was not as free as he had been before they met.

How ironic was it?

How heartbreakingly ironic was it that two people would fall in love who really shouldn't, who really couldn't and whose love was failing before they even realised it was there?

It wasn't fair and it hadn't been fair back then, but who cared?

They were found dead next to each other and everything the people saw, were their beloved on the ground, next to the enemy.

Nobody even tried to see how her hand was still tightly clasped in his, nobody tried to understand what happened, nobody could feel the love they had held for each other until death tore them apart in the room.

All they felt was the coldness of the stonewalls around them. All they smelled was the odor of death that was sticking to their lifeless bodies. All they saw were their beloved's dead body next to the enemy. They didn't understand the way they didn't understand when they found out that this wasn't just a daydream, a phase, a mood swing but true love their children shared.

But who cared in the end? They were dead and they didn't need to attempt to understand what they felt for each other anymore. It was too late. For their beloved.

Now when he flipped through the rest of the pages and looked at the beautiful brunette who had fallen asleep against his shoulder, he thought of how ironic it was that his gorgeous girl had asked him to read that very story to her on that very day.

The day he had to make this final decision.

Was it worth to fight for love if that love is meant to fail?

Or is it better to give up a love that is just meant to be?

Did it make sense? Was it fair?

He didn't know. And the drama he had read to his daughter hadn't helped him.

Why did she ask him to read it to her now? He had never done it before and she was almost old enough to not need her dad to read stories to her anymore- so why now? Why today when he needed to make a, THE, decision that could change so many lives.

Some lives wanted to be changed, some wanted to stay exactly the way they were.

Was it a sign? A warning of what his, hers, their families' and friends' future could look like?

Or was it supposed to remind him of what true love was worth no matter what the world threw at it?

He hadn't known if to cry or laugh at the pure irony when his baby had asked him to read it to her after she had found him sitting alone in the living room after her mother had gone to bed. He had tried to hide the tears that had started to fill his eyes the moment he came back from work and knew he had to make the most difficult decision of his life, but his baby hadn't needed any excuses or fake smiles to see whatever was bothering him didn't want to be discussed. So she had disappeared in her room for a few seconds before she had come back to sit on the sofa next to him, the book in her hand.

"Daddy? Would you read it to me? I can't sleep," she had said but secretly he knew it was a good excuse for cuddling him happy again. He had thought it was adorable and agreed before his eyes fixed on the clearly printed, black letters of the book's title.

He kissed her forehead as he watched her lying next to him.

Her innocent, soft snores filled the room the same way hers always did after they made the sweetest love. Her brown long hair tickled his arm every now and then as she was leaning against him- the same way hers always did when he buried his head in the back of her neck and smelled the scent of her shampoo in her long blonde curls.

When they first started seeing each other, he had felt happier than ever before. Now that he had to make the final decision, he felt pressured by her and he hated her for it and for being like…her. But mostly he hated himself for loving her so much when he was supposed to love his daughter's mother.

Dramatic Irony, he whispered sadly to himself as he stroked his daughter's hair. When they lay together on the couch, it was the first time he noticed how much his baby had grown over the years and deep down he felt guilty for realising it so late.

She wasn't a baby anymore, his baby, yes, but not for everyone else. She had grown to be a beautiful, bright girl who followed her dreams- and he had helped raising her. How could it not make him the proudest man alive?

Still, there was so much to consider, so much to think about. They were still so young, well young enough to make an impulsive decision you would regret later. As much as he had argued with his mother every time she had said, "You are a kid. You don't know what you want", he knew how true the statement was now.

Sometimes he wished that he could see his whole future spread out on the table for him so he could see where certain decisions would lead him. The worst thing he could think of was destroying his daughter's life by taking her mother or her father away just because he gave another hopeless marriage a try.

Rebecca. Oh, how much the had loved her when their relationship was fresh and carefree- oh, how often he had thought he loved her that much when their relationship was new.

They were happy together, enjoyed their days together at Berkeley and she was the friend he needed after he left everything safe he knew behind in New York. She was his saviour, his rescue. She gave him the reassurance he needed and he loved her for it.

They'd reached the peak of their relationship, were happier than ever, when she discovered that she was pregnant- with his child.

At that point, it was impossible for him to even entertain the thought of leaving he woman he loved, the woman who was carrying his child. He was raised differently, knew better, than to leave her.

But now that he thought about it, it was one of those stupid, impulsive decisions only a child could make- and he was still a child as he was back then.

He hadn't regretted it after he held his angel in his arms for the very first time. Even his relationship with Rebecca survived the many obstacles on their way together but after one year, it had started to change between them- not because they didn't get to spend enough time together, because their sex life had become boring or because they had an affair- the classic reasons for an unhappy relationship- it was because he hadn't felt like her boyfriend anymore, not like anything apart from their perfect little girl connected them anymore and it was the classic reason that counted more than all the others together. Now when he was thinking back to these days, he thought of how stupid he was. How childish he had behaved. If he had promised Rebecca his support for the baby but had told her to give him some time to think, he would have made another decision, he knew that.

Everything got worse when he walked along campus one day, lost in his thoughts.

He had just finished studying for his last few exams when he made his way outside to get home, ha, home- he wished he didn't need to call the small apartment in Berkeley, he and his girlfriend could barely afford their home.

It was already quite late and he felt a little bit guilty when he realised he wouldn't get to kiss his daughter good-night- It was then when he stopped in his tracks. For god's sake, he was a college student, one of the brightest in his year, he was a daydreamer, a young, not so bad-looking man, walking about on campus, he was 22, how much had he grown up within 4 years? It wasn't fair that he had to think about things like teaching his daughter the important things she had to know to be ready to live her own life later when he was still learning himself!

He couldn't remember the last time he had read a magazine or when the last time was he had talked to his buddies about anything but Rebecca or the baby. He knew he couldn't blame her or them but he was twenty-two and felt like forty- at least.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden feel of shooting pain all over his legs and he felt a hot liquid burning its way through his jeans. He dropped his books and cried out in pain before he realised what had caused it.

"OHMYGODIAMSOSORRY, IALMOSTFELLANDMYCOFFEE…ISITHOT?"

Sandy heard a female voice ramble her apology. And he thought he was the only one who could make several words sound like one.

"Well it's not cold" he joked after the pain had stopped and he found his voice back.

"I am sorry" he heard again, this time with a slight bit of relief swaying in her words.

He looked down at his books and had just kneeled down to pick them up, when the girl did the same, trying to make the situation better by helping him.

He was surprised and looked directly into her eyes. He had never been speechless in his entire life before, not even when his 18-year-old girlfriend had told him she was pregnant with his child, but now that he looked into these enticing ocean-blue eyes that mirrored his own, he couldn't even bring himself to say "thanks".

The girl looked back at him, she had seemed a little bit distracted for a moment herself, before she smiled warmly at him and picked two of his book up before standing up.

He hurried with picking up the others before he stood back up himself, still being mesmerised by her beautiful, sparkling eyes.

"If you are wondering about this" the girl said suddenly and motioned to the mask that covered half of her face- he hadn't even noticed she was wearing one! "It's for a party".

He studied her half-covered face for a few moments thinking she had probably noticed how he was staring at her for so long when she thought he was looking at her mask.

"Oh, okay, cool" he said quickly, pretending that the mask and not her gorgeous eyes had caught his attention earlier.

"I'm Kirsten, by the way, and I'm sorry for ruining your trousers and your books and probably your shirt too. OH, and your shoes. Wow I should really stop talking shouldn't I?" she said nervously and he could hear that she had definitely grown up in California- such a cute accent, or maybe her accent wasn't that strong but his was? Unfortunately her sweet voice had distracted him so much that he had failed to pay attention to what exactly she said, so he simply said "Yeah, me too" hoping it was an appropriate answer.

The girl in front of him looked confused for a moment before she started giggling- the most perfect giggle he had ever heard probably: It was so innocent and cheeky at the same time and he loved it.

"OH, interesting, I didn't know Kirsten was a name for a guy as well. Well, you learn new things every day" she said cheekily and Sandy chuckled: So his answer had not been appropriate!

"Um…no sorry, I'm Sandy" he corrected himself and wanted to hold out his hand when he realised both their hands were still full with his books.

"Sandy? Are you joking? It's as much of a guy-name as Kirsten is," she said thinking the boy was teasing her.

Sandy's jaw dropped and his eyebrows went to the sky "HEY! It is my name" he said and had to chuckle. It was the first time someone didn't believe he was called Sandy!

"Really? Wow, I guess you do learn new things every day" she said cheekily and joined in his giggles.

"Well it's actually short for Sandford" he said wondering why he had felt the need to explain himself.

"Thank god" she sighed exaggerating "and I was wondering how I should explain to you that your mother thought she had a girl when she named you without hurting your feelings" she joked and Sandy was once again speechless. How did this girl do that? He didn't even know her and she had, once again, knocked him down.

He was still thinking of a good way to answer her when he watched her looking at her watch.

"Oh god, I should really hurry. I'd say "or I'll be late" but I'm already and always late so umm… sorry, S-A-N-D-Y but I should really, well, go to that party thing" she said motioning again to the classic mask that covered half of her face.

Sandy nodded, catching himself being, in fact, disappointed.

"DOYOUWANNACOMETOO" she asked so fast that the sentence sounded again like one single word.

Sandy smiled to himself before he looked down at his clothes- Coffee everywhere.

"Umm…"

"Don't worry about the clothes. We can go to your dorm so you can change first you know and you don't really need a mask, it's just the dress code for the girls- and well you could be my…date?" she said and Sandy felt like the happiest guy on earth when he realised that he couldn't go. There was no dorm and he couldn't be anyone's date. He lived in a tiny apartment with a woman who didn't love him and he didn't love anymore but who he had a child with.

"Kirsten I'd really love to come but…"

"No it's fine, if you have other plans—that's…that's fine" she said but he could tell how disappointed she was- her little accident had led to a really nice, innocent flirt- something he had missed for so long.

Kirsten gave the books back to Sandy and apologised for ruining his clothes again. She was just about to turn to leave when he called her name. She turned back around to face him.

"How am I supposed to find you again when I don't know what you look like underneath your mask?" he asked and Kirsten smiled "Maybe I'll just find you" she said, turning back around.

"Kirsten". He didn't need to say anything else.

She turned towards him, lifted her mask for a few seconds and smiled at him through her eyes and her lips and the sight that met Sandy's eyes was so much more than what he had expected- she was utterly beautiful, perfect to be exact.

Kirsten had slowly begun to walk away, she walked backwards, to finally leave when Sandy did something he really didn't plan.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can… I don't know… get a cup of coffee tomorrow or something," he shouted to make sure she heard him before he could stop himself- what was he doing? Why was he doing what he was doing?

"Yeah, sure" she said and her face lit up under the golden mask. God, he didn't need to see her whole face to be reminded of how gorgeous she was- a typical Californian beauty plus so much more than that.

The next day.

He paced up and down the room in his suit not knowing what to do. She had changed his life but so had his daughter and he had responsibilities, needed and wanted to protect her from getting hurt. Why was this so difficult? His heart was supposed to know what to do.

He had made his decision, he knew how much he'd hurt one of the most important people in his life, but he had to do what his heart told him. And it finally gave him the answer he needed.

-

As Sandy was slowly walking up the few steps towards the altar, he thought of how she'd walk these exact steps only minutes later. He looked around for a while until he saw her sitting lonely in the third row- he had always claimed it was the best one because the pastor couldn't tell if you were singing along with the other guests but you were close enough to see everything perfectly.

He sat down next to her and took her hand without a second thought, telling her silently what he had decided in his head.

She didn't even know what issues he had to solve inside his body but she smiled up at him and he smiled back, kissing her cheek gently.

Sandy Cohen had to make the right decision. He was young but had grown up so much within the last four years that he knew better than to make an unreasonable decision like he had done when he told Rebecca he'd marry her one day.

It was Juliet who killed herself by swallowing the potion that wasn't even poisoned. She killed herself because her lover Romeo found her lifeless body and drank his own, real toxic potion without knowing that his beloved was still alive. She killed herself because her one love had killed himself because he thought she was dead and because he was dead and she couldn't live without him, she killed herself as well by plunging the dagger into her innocent, warm flesh.

Sandy Cohen knew he had killed himself by watching her marry James Cooper as well. He died inside as he watched her hurt expression when she walked up to the altar, Caleb's arm linked with hers, as she realised he was there to watch the ceremony, not to stop it.

He was dying inside because she was and he couldn't live without her.

When she said the words "I do", her voice laced with pain, it was like the final thrust Juliet's hand took before the knife slipped from her grasp.

-

Sandy Cohen opened the newspaper the next day and tried to ignore the tears that dampened the page he was reading as he tried to read the blurry becoming letters.

The wedding announcement for Mr. and Mrs. James Cooper's wedding was right next to the advertisement for the new "Romeo & Juliet" theatre piece.

It was bittersweet irony, wasn't it?

-

Thanks for reading. So, what did you think? mwah x