Author's Note: Greetings, Gentle Reader! Okay, I want to make this clear: I am Team Jimmy ALL THE WAY. But after watching the finale, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had it been Abby and Henry at the end, so I decided to figure it out.
Also, I will probably add more to this, I just sort of wanted to get a feel for what people would think of this. For all my big talk, I'm very sensitive when it comes to my writing. It's important to me that people like it. So let me know what you think, if you would!
Thanks, and enjoy!
-Manda.
Over
Henry thought about Abby as he walked back to the house. Jimmy had agreed to sign the confession, but only if he could see Abby one last time. Henry didn't blame him in the least for this request. Abby was beautiful, who could blame a man for wanting her to be the last thing he saw on the earth? And Jimmy deserved to hear her confess that she'd loved Henry all these years from her own mouth. Sad, really, how she'd pretended with Jimmy all those years, when it was Henry she really loved. No matter, that would all be put right soon.
He couldn't help but be pleased with the way it had all turned out. Dad had thought he was crazy for wanting to keep Jimmy alive. Henry smiled smugly to himself; it had worked out just the way it should have. It was a good idea—his idea—to let Jimmy live. And now the payoff was finally here, just as he'd always known it would be. Henry had someone to pin the murders on, and he got Abby, all to himself, forever.
Abby. He whispered her name, inhaling deeply in contentment. He loved everything about her. He loved how she refused to be a victim, how she'd fought to stay alive, even when that meant fighting him. He didn't hold it against her—she didn't understand yet. But she would. In just a few hours she'd truly be his. He couldn't wait to tell her everything: how he'd cared for Trish, but could never bring himself to love her; how every time he kissed her, he'd imagined it was Abby in his arms. He couldn't wait to hold her, the way he always should have been.
His turn had finally come.
--
Abby lay on the bed, exhausted but unable to sleep, all her tears cried out, contemplating the whole horrific week. How had this happened? How could she have been so stupid to think she could come back here and it all be the same? She sighed deeply, feeling helpless.
Suddenly, the door opened and closed again softly. A few moments later, the bed lowered as someone sat on it. Abby didn't bother to turn over; she knew who it was. Henry lay a hand on her head and played with her hair softly.
"I just want things to be the way they were. Before all of this," she whispered.
"They will be. Jimmy agreed to sign a full confession. It's all working out, just like I promised," he replied. She could hear the smile in his voice. "But he won't do it unless I let him say goodbye to you."
"I can't."
"You have to," he murmured. Then he got up. "I'll wait for you downstairs."
For several minutes she just lay there, considering not going down at all. Then she remembered the nail.
It was a chance she had to take, both for herself and Jimmy.
--
Henry watched Abby approach Jimmy and waited for her to tell him how she loved Henry.
Instead, she apologized for leaving. That wasn't so unthinkable, Jimmy probably wouldn't have pined the way he did had she said goodbye and ended it outright.
"I thought about calling everyday," she whispered. Henry got a little angry there, the remembered this was Abby. She didn't want Jimmy to die knowing the truth. She knew he'd at least feel he was doing it for something real if she lied to him. That was honorable. Sort of like how he'd lied to Trish about wanting her to at least have her dream wedding before dying for his cause.
But he had to admit, he wasn't at all prepared for the passionate kiss that followed. Something snapped inside of him, made him reach out and yank her away. And when she said she loved Jimmy, that had been the end of his restraint, and he slapped her roughly. He regretted it the second she hit the ground and tried to help her up.
He still believed she loved him even after she rammed the screwdriver into his foot and ran out the door.
She wasn't ready to believe it, she couldn't let go. That was okay, he'd help her come around. She just needed coaxing.
That's what he was telling himself as he grabbed the boarding knife and took off after her.
--
Abby ran, praying Henry had followed her instead of staying to finish Jimmy. She heard his footsteps pounding after her and sped up. He finally caught her at the cliff.
She felt her resolve crack just a little as he broke down, telling her how much he loved her and couldn't live without her. Him throwing the boarding knife almost made her believe he could really change. He didn't want to hurt her, he needed her help. Then she thought of her father, and Nikki, and everyone else he'd killed. She thought of Jimmy.
"I don't want you!" she screamed. The look on his face almost broke her heart. He was still her best friend, she couldn't make herself hate him for what he'd become. She didn't have anymore time to think about it, though, because a split second later Jimmy tackled him and they both went tumbling off the cliff. Momentarily shocked, she just stood there, staring after them. Then she ran down to the rocky beach.
She ran to Jimmy first. He was knocked out by the fall. Tapping his face lightly, she tried to wake him up. He opened his eyes for a few moments, smiled weakly, then closed his eyes again. Her heart stopped as he went completely still.
"No. No no no no no..." He wasn't dead. He couldn't be gone. They couldn't come together after all this time, just to be torn apart again. She shook him, lightly at first, then harder. "Jimmy!" she cried. "Wake up, wake up...come on..." Nothing. She heard footsteps behind her but didn't turn. There was no point.
"Abby," Henry said softly. "I'm...I'm sorry." She turned and looked up at him. Henry gazed back down at her, looking as helpless as she felt.
She turned back to Jimmy. Henry knelt beside her, taking her in his arms and pulling her up. She didn't fight him. All of her resolve was gone. Any fight she had left evaporated from her body.
It was over.
--
Henry paced the kitchen nervously. Abby was still in her room. She'd been up there for four hours now. Part of him wanted to go up and check on her, maybe bring up some food.
But no, maybe this was better. He needed time to regroup, figure things out. Taking a deep breath, he sat at the table. Okay, first things first.
Jimmy had died. Not so bad, seeing as Henry had planned on taking care of that anyway. Maybe it was even better—he'd promised Abby no more killing. Now he could truly keep that promise to her.
He'd landed next to the boarding knife. Henry had gone back to plant a few of Jimmy's fingerprints on it, then put it in his hand. Now, if someone came along and found him, they'd assume he'd done it, set the fire, then run off. Maybe he'd fallen off the cliff trying to get away.
That brought Henry to the hardest part: Abby. She'd said she didn't want him. Somewhere inside of him, he knew that she'd never be able to forget that'd he killed everyone she loved.
But she still had him. He wouldn't leave her in her time of need, and she was in need. She had no one left in the world now, except Henry. He'd once told her he'd always be there for her, through thick and thin, and he planned on keeping that promise.
Forever.