Title: Resolutions

By: Kasandra

Rating: K

Pairing: Heather/Jake

Summary: There's one woman who doesn't look forward to the New Year. The long awaited sequel to "The Choices We Make."

Spoilers: "Vox Populi", S1.E.11 with references to "Long Live the Mayor", S.1.E07.

It was nowhere near midnight, yet Bailey's Tavern was filled to the brim with the residents of Jericho. It had been a long road but they had survived the attacks and everyone was eternally grateful for that.

However, despite the pending festivities, there was one resident who was not to be found in the packed bar – Heather Lisinski. Instead, the elementary school teacher was sitting atop an old water tower on the outskirts of the town.

Heather looked up at the sky, the stars brightly twinkling above. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, and for a brief moment, felt a sense of calmness around her. However, it left as soon as it came and she took a sip of the beer she had brought with her and wiped a tear away that had begun to slip down her cheek.

'Stop crying; he's not worth it,' her mind chastised quietly and though she knew she should take her own advice, her heart disagreed. There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm. And when it came to Jake Green, Heather found herself drowning in emotions.

It seemed as if the minister's daughter had her heart stolen by the former Mayor's prodigal son. However, as much as he had stolen her heart, he had broken it too when she saw him dancing with Emily at Bailey's only a few weeks ago. She had fled from the scene while everyone else spilled to help the refuges that were staggering into town.

Tears spilled down her cheeks faster now, and this time she didn't bother to brush them away. Instead she let the drops fall, wetting her jeans as she continued to think about Jake.

"Heather!"

Hearing her name being shouted shook Heather from her thoughts as she peered down with her flashlight in hand. It was pitch black, save for her flashlight and she could vaguely make the shape of a person standing below.

"Heather!"

This time she recognized the voice – it was Jake.

"What?" she shouted in return. 'Damnit, I was hoping that no one would find me, lest of all Jake.'

"What are you doing up there? Emily and I have been looking all over for you!" Jake yelled. Heather rolled her eyes as she opened her mouth to respond, however, Jake cut her off before she could. "Stay there – I'm coming up!" And before she could protest any further, Jake began to climb up the water tower's legs.

Heather wiped at her face furiously; she didn't want to give Jake any indication that she was crying. She said a quick prayer before chugging the remains of her beer in hopes that it would give her a small amount of courage.

It didn't take Jake too long to reach her and she scooted over so he could wedge himself in between her and the available space. "Hey," Jake replied breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

Heather felt the warmth of his body heat and faintly smelt a mix of his cologne with something that was uniquely and naturally his own. Sighing, she tried to ignore the ache in her heart as butterflies fluttered in her abdomen as Jake looked at her in concern. "I… I… just wanted to have a quiet moment to myself to reflect on the past year," she admitted truthfully, her voice cracking. She hoped he didn't notice or if he did, wouldn't probe further.

Jake's mouth formed a silent 'o' as he listened intently. "It's been one hell of a year," he quipped with a half frown to which Heather nodded. "Do you have any regrets?"

"No," Heather replied, shaking her head slightly. "If there's anything I learned this past year, is that there are no time for regrets because you don't know when it's all going to end."

Jake nodded approvingly. "How'd you get so wise Miss Lisinski?" he teased.

She shrugged as she tapped her temple gently with the beer bottle before tilting the neck of the bottle towards the town. "Jericho can teach you a lot when you least expect it." That part was true – Heather had learned a lot, especially from recent events. She learned how to survive physically; now she was on a journey on how to survive emotionally. Heather may have been a small town girl, but she didn't need a fancy movie or romance novel to teach her that in a love triangle, the 'tomboy' isn't the one who gets to be with Prince Charming at the end.

Jake nodded once more. "That it can," he replied quietly. "So there really isn't anything that you regret?" he questioned once more.

"No," Heather replied softly. "You?" The implication and slight lilt in her voice was not missed by Jake – he knew what she was asking. He chose not to respond and they sat in silence for a few moments.

Finally Jake cleared his throat, in an attempt to break the tension between them. "Yes, yes, I do."

Heather turned to face him, puzzled. "Oh?" she wondered softly. "Such as?"

Jake shifted, clearing his throat as he turned to face her. "Heather…" he growled her name quietly; his voice was devoid of anger rather, it was filled with lust. Jake grasped her arms gently as he swept her into his arms, kissing her soundly.

Heather didn't respond at first; it was all too much for her to handle, but soon she found herself relaxing in his embrace and kissing him back with equal, if not more, passion. He explored her mouth. For Jake, she tasted sweet; innocent and he could vaguely taste her cinnamon flavored lip balm. Heather found herself becoming dizzy as he continued to kiss her. The kiss hit the spot, ceasing the painful ache in her heart immediately.

They pulled away hesitantly with Heather licking her lips instinctively. She let out a small whistle, "Wow."

Jake smirked, his hand now resting on her jean clad thighs, rubbing small circles with the pad of his thumb. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I felt sooner."

"What about Emily?" Heather questioned, though she didn't want to out of fear of what he would say.

"Emily has Roger," Jake replied. He didn't miss Heather's eyebrow arching disapprovingly. "When I saw them together, I realized that was what I wanted. Emily and I have history but we broke up for a reason. And yes, it's easy to get swept back in, but I could never be with her for the long run. I care for her… but my feelings for you…" There was a pregnant pause. "I want to be with you. It took me awhile to realize it, but you're the girl for me."

Heather looked at him in shock. "Wow," she mused. She looked at her watch – it read 12:01 A.M. "Talk about starting the New Year right."

Jake smirked. "Is it New Year's already?" Heather nodded and gulped as she saw glint sparkle in his eyes as he leaned in closer. She felt his breath on her lips. "Happy New Year," he murmured before kissing her once more.

"Happy New Year, indeed," Heather murmured, cupping his face gently, before pressing her lips against his once more.

FIN.