How Black Jack should have ended:
"Your just going to leave? Right now?" he asked her with disbelief
"It wont be for long, just a few days. I have to do this, Jake. I can really help" she laughed with a sweet smile
Jake shook his head
"I don't think this is a good idea" he crossed his arms
Heather paused, reflect for a moment
"You know why things didn't work out between us?" she asked "I'm not dangerous. I'm crossword puzzles, and flannel pajamas and the occasional light beer. It's never going to be hazardous enough for you. That's how you tick." She shrugged
"No it's not-" he tried to explain to her
"Of course it is. But that's okay. Because if it wasn't, your dad would probably be dead right now. You and I would've never met on that bus. So I'm taking a page out of your book. I'm throwing caution to the wind. I'm going to help turn the lights on for everyone back home." She nodded as she began to back away.
He grabbed her hand.
"I don't think you get it Heather" he said slowly
"Get what?" she whispered
"I'm not letting you go" he said coldy.
Heather chuckled
"Well Jake, I don't remember asking for permission-"
"Your not going with them" he said again, his voice elevated.
The guys in the truck, waiting for heather, peered out.
"Whatever Jake" Heather rolled her eyes as she began to walk away but Jake grabbed her again. This time, with two hands he grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Let go of me!" she struggled to turn and look at him. "Your hurting me Jake!" she complained.
"Heather" he growled her name, catching her off guard "I don't want to hurt you. But I'm not letting you go. So either get back in the truck, or I'll put you in the truck" he whispered
"How dare you" Heather whispered "I don't have to listen to you" she pushed against him.
With one more quick thrust she managed to slip out of his grasp and march towards the big truck. But what happened next was a shock to everyone, Jake included.
Jake lurched after her, grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.
As Heather began to scream the guys jumped out of the truck.
"She's not going with you! Just get back in the truck!" he said as he held a flailing Heather close and drew his gun, pointing it at them.
"Jake!" Johnston tried to get his sons attention. He didn't know what had come over the boy. Dale simple remain silent.
"Open the door Dale!" Jake shouted and Dale threw open the passenger door to the truck.
Jake shoved Heather in forcefully but she repeatedly tried to get past him.
"Would you stop it? Stop it!" he demanded as he slapped the door shut, locking her inside.
He took in a deep breathe and let it out slowly, trying to collect his thoughts. He paused, leaning against the front of the truck, he watched as the larger truck disappeared down the road. He could here Heather inside, sobbing.
"He has no right, Mayor! He can't do this!" she argued with his father "He can't keep me here!" she cried
"Alright, just come down, I'll talk to him" he heard his father say and than he heard the car door open.
"Don't bother!" he pointed to his father as he walked back around and got inside.
As soon as he got in the car, heather took a swipe at the back of his head.
"What the hell?!" he shouted
"Let me out of this car right now Jake Green! So help me god!" she hit the back of his seat with her fist.
His heart was thawed for a moment as tears streamed down her face. She had wanted to go to New Bern so badly, to make a difference.
"Jake!" she shouted his name again.
He looked back at her.
"heather" he whispered, with tears in his eyes "I will tie you up" he whispered
A look of horror came over Jake, how could she ever have had feelings for him. A man full of hatred and violence was no man at all. More tears began to fall as she backed away from him, scooting as far into the corner of the car as she could.
Dale looked back and forth between the two adults who were stairing at each other intently. Finally, after once seemed like a life time, Heather gave in. She stifled her cries and turned away from him, resting her head on the window. Her sobs sounded like stifled hiccups as she held them in, her chest rising and falling erradictly as she experience what she assumed was the feelings of betrayal.
Jake squeezed his eyes closed tightly as he turned back in his seat.
He started the car and they set out on the journey home.
Hours later they slowly pulled on to Main Street, the truck sputtering from lack of gas. It seemed as though they always just made it. As soon as he turned the car off and paused for a moment, resting his head on the steering wheel, he heard the door slam.
Heather was out. He sighed as he sat back up, he watched her run down the street towards her house.
"You cant tell me that after what happened back there, that you aren't going to go after her?" Johnston whispered.
Jake looked over at his father. He was right. He jumped from the truck.
"Jake!" Emily ran out of Baileys, happy to see him.
"Not now!" he pointed to her as he ran down the street.
"Heather!" he called after her but she didn't stop. He was strong and faster and caught up to her.
"Leave me alone, please" she sobbed
"Let me explain-"
"There's nothing you could say" she laughed as they approached her house.
He jumped out in front of her "Stop it!" he grabbed her again.
This time, her hand slipped free and she slapped him hard, across the face.
In shock, he put his hand to his cheek, it stung badly.
"Don't you ever" she growled "Put your hands on me Jake Green" she pushed him and ran up the front porch.
Jake quickly recovered and followed her up the porch.
It was days like these when she wished she hadn't had so many key chains. She couldn't get a hold of the key to the door with her shaking hands.
"I was wrong Heather, but I'm not going to apologize!" he shouted, standing next to her.
Finally she got in the house and slammed the door in his face, but she didn't lock it so he simply walked in behind her, slamming the door behind himself.
But by the time he had gotten into the house, she had disappeared. Having never been in the house before, he slowly walked through the rooms looking for her. The eerie quiet that had taken over the towns since the bombs allowed him to hear her crying, coming from upstairs.
He slowly marched the stairs. She wasn't in the bath room, or in a room that appeared to be a guest room. The only room he hadn't yet seen was a her bedroom. Finally he stumbled upon a closed door. He could hear Heather crying inside.
He sighed, leaning against it. As he raised his hand to knock, a wave of exhaustion came over him. He decided that shouting would get him no where and that he didn't have the enrgy.
"Heather" he knocked softly
"Go away" she shouted
"Heather, I'm not going to hurt you" he told her
"You already have" she tried to say with a steady tone, but she was hysterical.
Jake closed his eyes, "I didn't want to, I never meant to" he told her.
Inside the room, Heather paced back and forth across her room.
"You should have let me go Jake! You should have let me go" she shook her head
Jake sighed.
"How Heather? How could I let you go?" he laughed
"What?" she said confused
"What would I have told everyone?" he laughed "The kids? Emily? My mother? The whole damn town? What would I have said?" he laughed harder, the lack of sleep getting to him.
"that I let the best thing that ever happened to this town, walk into a war zone?" he whispered
Heather paused.
"They would kill me, Heather. They can live without lights, they cant live without you. I can't live without you" he whispered.
She walked closer to the door, placing her hand on the door knob.
"Heather…" he whispered "Don't you get it…you have to be here, with me, by my side. To stop me from doing stupid things and making dumb decisions" he explained
He had noticed that the crying from within had stopped.
"You're a good person Heather, to good. Better than me, because you wanted to go. But I was selfish. I don't want you here Heather, I need you" he whispered, his owns eyes welling with the raw emotion that he was experiencing for the first time.
He was startled when the door opened, Heather stood in the door way, her face wet with tears.
"Anything else?" she whispered
"Yea" he nodded as he took a step closer and backed her into the bed room.
"Well?" she whispered as they stood dangerously close.
"I cant sleep at night, if I don't know your safe" he said honestly "And I cant keep you safe, unless you're here with me." His lips hovered just above hers.
"and?" she whispered, just barely able to contain herself.
"And I do the crossword, in pen. And I think you would look cute in my flannel. And…" he whispered as he pushed her coat of her shoulders.
She mimicked his actions, dropping his coat to the floor. "And?" she asked he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I would drink a light beer with you any day, any time" he whispered as he finally pressed his lips against hers.
This kiss was much more passionate than the last. For the second time today he wrapped his hands around her waist, picking her up again, this time with ease. She wrapped her legs around his waist, deepening there kiss as he laid her down on the bed.
He pulled away for a moment, surprised that she had let him kiss her. He rubbed his nose against hers.
"heather…" he whispered, his eyes closed
"Jake…" she nodded as she tried to read him.
Heather could hardly belief it when a tear slipped down his cheek. It was a tear that he had been trying to hold back since he first checked the pulse of the man and wife who had demolished his car.
"I don't want to be dangerous" he tried to say it with dignity but it came out as more of a sob.
They sat up for a moment, Jake trying to regain control over his emotions.
"I want to be safe" he nodded as she wiped the tears from his face.
"You can have anything you want" Heather reminded him.
He smiled. She was always positive.
"Even you?" he asked as placed his hand on her cheek.
Heather smiled for the first time in hours.
"Even me" she whispered
"Good" he whispered before kissing her again.
The made there way to the top of the bed, both loosing their clothes in the process. Suddenly Jake paused for the second time, his eyes closed, as if he was thinking intently.
Was this a good idea?
"Jake" she cupped his face, "Open your eyes, please" she asked
He did, meeting her soft gaze.
"Your safe with me" she promised
Jake smiled, a smile that grew wider and wider with each passing moment.
"What?" she smiled back.
He shook his head.
"that's my line"