Part I
The blaring sound of the alarm clock jolted Tru from sleep. She looked at it through bleary eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She'd overslept. Throwing the blankets off, she raced for the bathroom. So much for New Years Resolutions of being on time more often. As she climbed into the shower, she couldn't help but think about what had happened over the last week. It didn't seem possible that she'd been so happy on Christmas. She'd been civil to her father, gotten to spend time with her friends and most of all; she and Jack had worked together without killing each other.
Some ten minutes later the phone began to ring loudly. The water shut off and Tru stuck her head out of the bathroom. She had a feeling she knew who it was.
"Learn to tell time, Harry," she grumbled as she wrapped herself in a towel.
"Hello?" she said, picking up the phone.
"Tru," Davis replied from the other end.
"Oh, hey Davis. I thought you were Harrison. He likes to call this early."
"Oh...sorry...I just wanted to tell you that I had a really great time at the party on New Years."
"I'm glad...but you couldn't have told me that when I got in tonight?"
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Maybe you should take a few days off."
"Davis, I don't need a day off. I'm fine. Besides, if I don't come in to work, who is going to stop Jack from messing with the order of things?"
"Right...of course."
Just then the phone beeped, signaling another call.
"Hey Davis can I call you back? I've got a call on the other line."
"Sure. You know...I'll just see you at work."
"Bye." She clicked over to the other line. "Hey, Harry."
"Damn how do you...is it one of those days?"
"No. You just have a habit of calling me right about now. What's up?"
"Could I maybe get a ride to work?"
"What happened to your car?"
"Well you know...you can't drive a car without a license."
"Harry what did you do?"
"Nothing! Look...I kind of met this chick last night...I wake up this morning and she's gone...so are my wallet and keys."
"Jeez, Harrison. It's always something with you isn't it?"
"Can you give me a ride or not?"
"Yeah...I'll be there in like ten minutes. But you owe me."
"Thanks, Tru. You're the best."
Tru ended the call and shook her head. Harry couldn't keep himself out of trouble for long. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't do it. Tru hurriedly pulled on clothes and a jacket. She was going to have to speed if she wanted to make it to class on time.
By the time she reached Harrison's new apartment, there was no way she was going to be on time. She watched as her brother wandered down the stairs at his own pace. She finally rolled down the passenger side window.
"Harry, come on! I'm already late for class."
He gave her an apologetic smile as he jumped the last few steps. "Sorry sis. So...any Jack sightings lately?"
"No. Not since Christmas."
"Maybe he realized you're right. Maybe he gave up."
"Not likely. He knows I've stepped up my game. Jack isn't the kind of guy to just give up."
"Wishful thinking, I guess."
Tru nodded as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
"So you have any New Years Resolutions?" Harrison asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Beat Jack."
"And that's different from last year, how exactly?"
"It's not but it makes me feel better. What about you?"
"Nothing. I mean...we both know I'm not very good at resolutions."
"You can if you really try, Harry. Just have a little faith in yourself."
"I guess I have one...spend more time with Mer. She needs our support, Tru. I feel like we've let her down since she went back into rehab."
"Yeah...I think I might have to join you on that one."
They pulled up to their father's law firm and stopped. Harry gave Tru another smile and a half hug before climbing out.
"Harrison, you should call the cops. Report your stuff stolen."
"Who knows...maybe today will be tomorrow and you can just tell me before she leaves."
"See you later, Harrison."
Tru sped off towards the next light, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. Her mind drifted back over the holidays. She'd spent the evening with Jensen the day after Christmas but somehow it had seemed awkward and uneasy. She couldn't help but feel like he was extra needy and clingy since she'd saved his life. She'd thought it was the right thing to do at the time but the more she let it stew in her subconscious, she was finding it harder to justify. She'd been so determined not to let Jack take someone else she cared about, she'd done what she had to just so she could keep Jensen alive.
Fifteen minutes later she snuck into the lab, heaving for breath. Jensen was the first to spot her and waved her over to their cadaver.
"Hey, thought maybe you weren't coming."
Tru set her bag down and gave him a smile. "Sorry. Harry needed a ride to work."
"Take a breath. You didn't miss anything important," Avery said.
"Well except watching Kyle getting elbow deep in this guy's bowels."
"Damn. Wish I could have seen that," Tru said with a laugh.
Tru did her best to concentrate on the work they were doing but she was failing miserably. It appeared that just being near Jensen made her jumpy. Unfortunately, Jensen seemed oblivious to her nervousness. Kyle was too busy trying to get the cadaver's bowels untangled to notice either.
"Hey," Avery whispered, nodding her head that they should sneak out into the hallway.
"What's up?" Tru asked once they were out of earshot of the guys.
"You look a little...freaked in there."
"Freaked? No. It's cool. Just...distracted I guess."
"What's bothering you?"
Tru bit the inside of her lip. How was she supposed to tell Avery about the possibility of a break up with Jensen?
"Thinking is all. You know how a while back I kind of saved Jensen's life?"
"Yeah."
"Well...he's been kind of...clingy."
Avery nodded slowly, the idea sinking in. "You're going to break up with him, aren't you?"
"Don't get me wrong...I just...I think I need some space right now or something."
"He cares about you, Tru."
"I get that. Believe me. I just...things are a little complicated...family stuff and I need to focus on that. Meredith is getting out of rehab in a few weeks and my Dad is...well my Dad."
"Just try and let him down easy. We know how hard it was for him before."
"Yeah. I will."
Tru let out a breath as they walked back into the classroom. The rest of the class dragged on for what felt like hours. Finally, they were dismissed and headed out.
"You guys want to grab lunch?" Kyle asked.
"No thanks. I think we're just going to do our own thing," Tru answered, wrapping her arm through Jensen's.
Avery shot them a worried glance before dragging Kyle off in the other direction. Tru and Jensen continued on their way for a while before hitting the cafe.
"Something bothering you?" Jensen asked as they sat down at a table.
Tru couldn't meet his gaze. She hated having to do this. But she needed her space, more time to focus on her calling.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Ok...well we're kind of doing that right now, aren't we?"
Tru nodded. "Yeah...I guess we are. Look...I think...." Why was it so hard for her to say this? "Maybe we should take some time off."
"You want to break up."
"Yeah. Look...it's not that I don't like you because I do...a lot. I just need some space and time to deal with stuff."
"That guy was telling the truth. You aren't over him."
"Luc and I...yeah I still think about him...miss him. But don't I deserve that? I mean he died in my arms."
"I get that it was a really trying time for you, Tru. But I thought we were doing so well. We connected."
"Yeah...I know this has to be hard for you, Jensen I just...I don't think it's fair to you to be in a relationship when I have to straighten things out in my life."
"I want to make this work, Tru."
"Well maybe it can't right now. I have to go."
She couldn't deal with this right now. Without a backward glance, Tru walked out, making her way through the New York streets until she reached the end of the block. Waiting for the light to change, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
"Hello?" Harrison answered.
"Hey, Harry. My car's at Hudson. You can borrow it tonight if you want."
"That's generous of you, Tru. Something happen I don't know about?"
"No. Just...get back to me tonight."
"Thanks."
The light changed and Tru started across the street, hitting another number on her speed dial. She reached the other side of the street just as the person on the opposite end picked up.
"Tru?
"Hey, Davis. Do you think I could come in a little early today?"
"How early?"
"Now."
"I…yeah sure."
"See you in like twenty."
Tru arrived at the morgue in a little under twenty minutes, crashing on the couch in Davis' office. She heaved a breath as he walked in.
"So, why the early shift?"
"I needed to get away from stuff."
"Stuff?"
"I broke up with Jensen."
"Oh." Davis cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "I thought things were going well…you know after you…"
"Saved his life? Yeah well he's gotten really clingy. I just…can't handle clingy."
"I'm guessing it didn't go well."
"I sort of walked out on him…partway through."
Before either could say anything else, one of the new drivers knocked in the window, wheeling a body past.
"Let's get to work," Tru said, jumping to her feet.
"Poor guy didn't stand a chance," the driver said, handing over the notes he'd taken at the scene.
"What was manner of death?" Davis asked.
"Vehicular homicide."
Tru unzipped the body bag and the breath caught in her throat. Davis peered over her shoulder and gasped as well.
"Is that-?"
"Jack."
"Whatever hit him did a number on him," Davis murmured.
"You don't think…he'll ask for my help?" Tru asked.
"I don't know. Clearly being run over is an unnatural death but maybe it was his time?"
"I doubt it."
"If he asks, are you're going to help him?"
"Davis, this is Jack we're talking about. The reason Luc is dead. He almost killed Jensen and Harrison."
"Right well…you have a duty to the people that ask for your help."
"Not this time. I can't." Tru turned her back and began to walk away from the dead man lying on the table. She couldn't help Jack. It was principle. He'd made the point once that some people just can't be saved. Maybe now that meant Jack.
"Tru," a very familiar voice called out.
She tried to keep walking but the voice only got louder. It was if Jack was shouting at her through a megaphone. His voice echoed everywhere until she finally turned around.
"Tru, are you alright?" Davis asked.
Tru didn't hear his question. "Don't, don't ask me," she begged, looking at Jack's corpse.
Too late. Jack's eyes popped open and his head turned to look at her. "Tru, help me."
Like so many times before the day seemed to fly by in reverse, pulling Tru with it as the hours rewound themselves. Her conversation with Jensen, her early morning phone call from Harrison. It all flew by until the loud blaring of her alarm resonated in her ears again. She smacked the alarm to shut it up and let out a breath.
"Damn."