Tru Calling: I'm Sorry It's Like This
Written by Cherrygurl1225
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I'm afraid I've run out of creative disclaimers this time around. Tru and Jack aren't mine. None of the characters are. Nor do I own the title of the story, which is explained at the end of this chapter.
Summary: In the aftermath of Jensen's death, Tru suffers from a panic attack while Jack discovers something horrifying about Tru's recent past. My first multi-chapter Tru/Jack fic.
Author's Note: Yes, I'm back again! This time hopefully with some more exciting Tru/Jack goodness or at least as much as I can muster. This is my first multi-chapter Tru/Jack fic, so please bear with me. I usually only like doing one-shots for them, but there are some really good (but few) multi-chapter T/J fics out there and I thought I should give this a try. I still don't know where exactly this story is going, but I'll tell you what I do know. I love writing. I love psychology. So I wanted to play around with another type of anxiety disorder most commonly known as the panic attack. It has some similarities to PTSD, but I'm going to try very hard NOT to make this a carbon copy of what "An Affair of the Heart" was despite the fact there will be a lot of commonality. So… on your mark. Get set.
Read & enjoy!!
Prologue: Ripples
To anyone else, this scene would've been considered serene. Calm. Peaceful. Tranquil. A place to reflect, not only by gazing at the flowing stream running down the muddy bank, but also in the mind – a sacred place that holds a plethora of dreams and a lifetime of memories.
But for her, it was different. Very different.
Her reflection glazed over the top of the crystalline blue waters, but her mind plunged farther into its shadowy depths, not yet ready to surface. Her mind now trapped somewhere far below while her reflection was kept afloat amidst the sparkling ripples of rushing water.
"You see it, too, don't you?" an eerily calm voice echoed from behind her.
She shivered with a distinct uncertainty. "See what?"
He came to stand beside her. Her reflection met his as they were joined together for a union unlike any other.
Was this Fate? Or was this Destiny? Or maybe both?
"Ripples."
Jack Harper's voice echoed again. "Ripples of Fate. Ripples of the consequences of our actions."
He paused.
"Ripples of you and me."
Tru Davies shuddered, his words suddenly clearly etched in her mind.
Ripples of you and me. What did that mean?
She caught him looking at her out of the corner of her eye and turned to face him.
Her enemy. Her sworn nemesis. Her opposite.
A ripple. The ripples between them.
"What's that supposed to mean, Jack?" her voice came out in an almost inaudible whisper.
Jack gazed steadily at Tru, grinning widely. "What do you think it means?"
She turned back quickly; her eyes darted towards the water, probing it carefully as she seemed to search its penetrating depths for an unknown answer.
He had talked about this before. Before she knew who he really was. Before she saw his agenda, his motives, his deceitful cleverness.
Warmth instantly rushed through her as she felt his hand upon her shoulder, his fingers offering her a gentle caress. A delicate touch.
A warning.
His voice was hushed when he spoke. "I'm sorry it's like this."
Suddenly, it was as if his voice was drifting farther and farther away…
"Tru… Tru…"
The voice was closer… even closer and closer still as Tru was gradually pulled out of her black oblivion to find Jack's icy blue eyes staring deep into her frightened brown ones. A hand upon her shoulder, a gentle caress along her cheekbone with his thumb. His voice slipped towards her in an almost dream-like fashion.
"Tru, what's wrong?"
TBC…
Author's Note: Apologies for the shortness of this chapter, but I thought this scene worked best standing alone. Like I said earlier, I don't really know where this story is going, but I guess y'all will find out soon enough. Oh, and the title of the fic comes from a song lyric in the song "They" by Jem. A really good song and highly recommended if you haven't heard it yet! Updates will be slow in coming, so please be patient. Reviews are soooo appreciated! Thanks, and see you at the next chapter!