Newfound Clarity

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!

Summary: Starting with the aftermath of the flight, both Jackson and Lisa turn their lives around, just missing each other. They don't know it yet, but their destinies revolve around each other.

Prologue

"There's bullet holes where my compassion used to be…" ~ My Violent Heart by Nine Inch Nails

The sirens grew louder.

Jackson Rippner tried to take a deep breath, but his chest refused to cooperate. The wild shot from Lisa's father had clipped his chest, just missing his heart. But even his rib cage couldn't protect his lungs.

She stood just a few feet from him, close enough to kick if he had the strength to use his legs. But Lisa'd seen to that when she drove a heeled shoe into his thigh.

At least she hadn't flattened him with the fucking car like she did his associate. No, Little Miss Doormat finally got up the courage to fight back. Years of suppressed aggression boiled over and Jackson ended up caught inside the shit storm of the century.

This was supposed to be an easy job. She was the perfect mark on paper. Even more boring in person. No friends or life. Just a demanding job and a father. Her mother lived across the country, estranged from her only child. No one seemed to understand the enigma that was Lisa Henrietta Reisert.

Instead of caving to his demands like a sensible bitch, Lisa grew a back bone. She rebelled in simple ways before stabbing a novelty pen into his trachea. Pretending she spoke to her colleague, writing 'help' messages inside a book and on a lavatory's mirror, and being uncooperative.

Still, he admired her. She'd fought him tooth and nail, coming down to his level by the end of their battle of wills. She bested him.

Sure, Jackson got a few hits in. The damage he inflicted was less than a rug burn compared to what she put him through. Vases, heels, a flying fire extinguisher, and a damn hockey stick were just the beginning of her resourceful weapons.

Glass shards crunched underneath booted feet. Help had arrived.

A grim smile crossed his face as her green eyes met his. Sorrow filled her face. She didn't want it to end like this anymore than he did.

"Hang on, okay? Hang on, Jack…" hissed a familiar voice as Jackson faded, the pain overwhelming him.

Author's Notes:

Here's my next long JxL fic! I don't know how long it will take to finish writing. I've got a basic plot outline sketched out at the moment, but be prepared for some waiting time between the chapters. It won't be nearly as bad as my two current fics—Guilty As Charged and Total Strangers.

I'm hoping to make this a believable relationship, so there will be a lot of time jumps and it'll be several chapters before Jackson and Lisa begin to get together. So buckle up and settle in. It's gonna be a long ride.