A/N: I know technically I should be working on the Forgiver and I am I promise, the last chapter almost done and it's fabulous, and the first chapter of the sequel is also almost finished! But I could not help but write some Sky/Jack goodness.
Disclaimer: All hail Melissa De La Cruz who created and owns all things Blue Blood.
Schuyler was laying on the warm grass in Central Park. Closing her eyes against the sun she relaxed and let the light warm her. Dressed in her typical black it did not take long for her clothing to heat up but she was still freezing. Rolling over onto her stomach she opened the heavy linen envelope that she had clutched in her hand. She reminded herself that this was what she wanted wasn't it? This was the only way to save him, even if it meant losing herself to grief.
You are cordially invited to…
But Schuyler could not continue reading the flowing calligraphy besides she had already committed it to memory. The letter had come several weeks earlier and Schuyler did not need to know that Mimi had done it on purpose, just a little reminder. Not that Mimi ever let her forget it.
Schuyler was curled up in the library at Duchesne reading up on something or other for one of her classes. When a shadow fell across her page she looked up to see Mimi Force lording over her.
"Hello Schuyler," Mimi cooed sweetly. Schuyler flipped her book closed and stood up shoving the thick volume into her bag. She brushed past Mimi giving Mimi the upper had was never a good thing. "Wait," Mimi called still in that sickly sweet tone.
"What?" Schuyler asked whirling around.
"I did not receive you RSVP card and I needed to know if you were coming-"
"No I'm not that's, usually what it means when you don't send an RSVP."
"But as Allegra's daughter shouldn't you come to represent your mother?"
"I have other things to do that day." That comment more than anything Schuyler could have said infuriated Mimi. That was her day how dare anyone else have anything planned for her big day.
"Like what?" Mimi asked dropping her sweet tone and returning to her regular get out of my way voice.
"Oliver and I are—"
"Jack there you are," Mimi cried interrupting Schuyler. She wrapped her long frame around her twin and smiled sharply at Schuyler. Schuyler looked at the ground she was not going to look at Jack because she might not be able to continue with this lie.
"I've got to go," Schuyler replied brushing past the "happy" couple.
Jack was pacing back and forth in the small space, he was taking a break from being "Jack Force" he just needed to be himself for a few minutes until he gave into his angelic nature.
"Oh," a voice said rounding the corner that segregated Jack's hiding spot from the rest of the place. Bliss Llewellyn stood her red hair pulled low in a pony tail and curled in a simple deep purple dress. The heavy chain that she always wore wrapped around her neck, made her skin glow. "Jack sorry I didn't know—"
"It's alright," he shrugged leaning back against the wall. What was he doing here anyway? He knew Schuyler was not going to be there, she had told Mimi as much in the library, add that to the fact that Mimi liked to drop it into their daily conversation.
"I was just looking for something for Mimi."
"What is it this time?" He asked out of amusement. It was her idea to do this whole big party, she always wanted large declarations of love. Jack would have preferred a smaller ceremony, this was not about how it looked to public this was supposed to be about them. But it was starting to look, like it always did, like it was all about Mimi.
Bliss shrugged and looked around, "Something or another and by the time I get back she won't even want it anymore."
"That sounds like Mimi." Jack smiled to himself, even when she was like this he could not help but love her because that was Azreal all over. "You have a date tonight?"
"No I was going to ask one of my friends but he had something else to do."
"What could be more important than this?" Jack asked curiously, Mimi did not like it when people planned big events on her special days.
"Umm," Bliss looked around uncomfortably. Then it hit Jack, like a bucket of cold water, Bliss had spent that past several weeks spending tons of time with Sch—her and Oliver and Dylan. One of those people was now deceased and the other two—Jack did not think about. Mostly because it hurt too much.
"Sorry," he amended feeling stupid for even asking.
"It's alright, I was going to meet up with them later but their leaving town for awhile."
"Really?" Jack asked now intrigued.
"Yeah they're going to Paris," Bliss volunteered without much pushing. "Some sort of vacation I think."
"I see." Jack felt the cold rage that was his angelic nature settle over himself, it was what was keeping him going. Bliss shrugged and walked past him, she was half way down the hall when she whirled around and marched back up to him.
"You know I was not going to interferer because I never supported this thing from the beginning, because obviously it's killing both of you—"
"I think this is none of your business, but Schuyler clearly let me go."
"Well I guess you don't know her as well as you think you do," Bliss snapped spinning on her heels like the model that she was and marched down the hall.
The memory was still vial enough to make Schuyler feel sick to her stomach. She took several calming breaths trying to force the feeling away. She heard the grass next to her crunch as someone sat down next to her.
"I'm fine Ollie I promise," She said without opening her eyes. "I just want to be left alone if you don't mind."
"You sure?" Ollie asked leaning back on his hands.
"Yes."
"Too bad."
"Please?"
"Sky when has begging ever worked, besides what else would I do? Who else would I hang out with if you've forgotten we're the only two left of our golden trio?"
"Go find Bliss," Schuyler replied shortly rolling over.
"Um no, because that would require me having to pay my respects—"
"I get it Ollie no need for the gritty details." She could feel the color rise in his cheeks as his blood pulsed through his veins. "I'll be okay I'm just relaxing."
"I'll pick you up around six our flight is at—"
"See you then Ollie," Schuyler said quickly anything to get him off her back, she just wanted to be alone. She heard him get up and leave finally peace. Today was about letting go of the past and moving on she had bigger tasks to find, like the Van Alen Legacy. She had it and now the only thing she needed to do was to get it and to think that it was Jack who had made her find the answer for herself.
Schuyler was seated in the library, reading. She was alone but most days she was; it had become the norm. A week since she had broken up with Jack. The blade that sliced her heart every time she thought of him threatened to rip her apart. She reminded herself to keep breathing that constant flow of air into her lungs reminding her that she was in fact still grounded.
Alone that word meant so much now. She had lost her love, her grandfather, and her best friend. Well technically Oliver was still there, she was just ignoring him. So her torture was partially self-imposed. At school everything was normal, and that was all a lie. She needed to pretend that it was Oliver who could feel the gap in her heart. The gap she had cut into it. And while attending Duchesne she was all smiles and happiness. Then the bell rang and she was allowed to assume her true self.
She turned the page studying the writing carefully. If anything Schuyler was just being stubborn. Lawrence Van Alen had told her that the secret of the Van Alen legacy was with Charles Force. Schuyler was however not going to concede and ask him. She would find it on her own.
"Oh." Schuyler looked up from the page to see Jack Force standing between the shelves holding a book. He rocked back and forth on his heels and turned to go. It was the first time they had been alone together since she told him.
"Don't bother," Schuyler said, shoving the book she was looking at into her bag. "I was just leaving." She shouldered her bag and brushed past him her arm connecting with his. "Sorry," she said pulling back as if she was burned the electricity that he sent through her might as well have burned the soul out of her.
Jack shrugged not looking at her. Holding her breathe, she walked away.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied in a whisper.
"Not too lonely?"
"No." She shook her head to add emphasis attempting her best smile. Although it was only a stretch of her lips, nothing lit her eyes.
"Good."
It was her turn to nod. "You should look up the history of the French Blue Bloods," Jack volunteered. Schuyler did not want to know how Jack knew about what she was looking for but she just nodded again and disappeared into the shelves.
Schuyler recalled what she had found was now going to lead her to the Van Alen Legacy and she could save everyone, at least everyone but herself.
She felt another shadow and the movements of another next to her.
"Ollie I said I was fine, six o'clock and I'll see you then good bye." She said without opening her eyes, sometimes all she wanted was to be alone. But the person did not move or seem to respond to what she had just said. "Ollie go, enjoy the day in New York I'll call if I need anything."
"Who are you talking to?" Came a familiar voice, Schuyler's eyes shot open, what was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be getting bonded?
"No one," Schuyler replied sitting up. Jack Force was seated next to her his tie undone his shirt tails pulled out and his sword glittering next to him in the grass.
"Well it sounded like something." He picked at a piece of grass peeling it slowly into slivers. "Six o'clock where you going Sky?"
"Paris, Oliver and I are going to see some art."
"I thought the art you wanted to see was in Vienna?"
"No" she replied flatly. "What are you doing here?"
"Well actually interesting story," he bowed his head looking intently at the grass in front of him. "I was standing there waiting for the ceremony to begin, when I realized that if I went through with this I was going to lose part of myself. I was going to lose the one thing that has always meant more than anything to me." He met her eyes for the first time and there was no lies in them "I can't marry her when my heart belongs to another."
"I—Jack I'm not going to be the one who ends your life."
"Well you may not want to be but you get to be."
"You'll be killed or worse end up in a coma like my mother."
"I don't care, I would rather spend one day with you than face the endless years of eternity with Azreal."
He leaned in and kissed her without asking for permission, if he was going to jump off the deep end he was going all in. Schuyler let herself drink in the moment, this was it, she was going made, he was just a mirage. But her skinned warmed under his touch and she was alive.
"Come away with me," he pleaded.
"Where?"
"Where ever we want to go," he whispered. "I would give you the world."
"I don't want the world, I just want you."
"Come on." He pulled Schuyler to her feet and they raced out of Central Park. The thought of getting out of the city as fast as vampiracly possible was racing through both of their minds. One did not anger Mimi Force and expect to get away with it, but it did not matter because they had each other.