Unbroken

Summary:

A Louie fic. When Louie meets Daisy, a young woman who is on vacation and visiting the island, it is love at first sight, and soon the two of them are deeply in love and Louie, keen to impress his new love, decides to take her on a flight to how her the sights of other nearby islands – but disaster strikes when the plane crashes, leaving Jake to set off in search of his missing friend.

But unknown to Jake, Sarah has a guilty secret – before he met Daisy, Louie had a brief but passionate affair with her, and when she learns Louie is missing, Sarah struggles to hide her true feelings.

Then Jake - accompanied by Bess, a doctor who was on vacation on Boragora and volunteered to help with the search - finds the plane, and the pilot is dead but Louie and his new girlfriend are alive, Daisy is seemingly unharmed save for a few cuts and bruises, but Louie is seriously injured, and Jake flies him to the mainland where he is taken to hospital.

But while her concern should be for Louie, his new lover seems to be concerned only for herself, which makes no sense to Jake, and then he recalls how Sarah had been cold towards Daisy and wonders if perhaps she knows something, as there must be a reason why Sarah has never seemed to like Louie's new love...

When Jake returns to Boragora, Sarah is devastated to learn that Louie is badly hurt, and as she breaks down and he asks her a question, she confesses all – leaving Jake devastated as he wonders if he can ever forgive either of them.

Will Jake and Sarah's relationship survive her confession, and can Jake ever forgive his close friend for what he has done? And why is Daisy behaving so strangely, is she planning to simply walk away, or will she stay and give badly injured Louie the love and care he needs to recover from the crash?

Rated T

Warnings: Not really 'warnings' here but expect an intense emotional rollercoaster. Also expect some content containing scenes of passionate love. Also some scenes of angry and emotional confrontations.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love of fan fiction writing.

Author Note:

I noticed there were very little in the way of fics in this section! So I decided to add one of my own, I am a professional writer and my own books are rather intense and I'm sure this will reflect in this fic, ( want to know about my own books, ask me, I write fan fiction under a different name to my novel writing name). It is T rated and is one for all the Louie fans out there – I am a huge fan of Roddy McDowall and always loved the Gold Monkey show, so I thought it was about time a Louie fic was added to the collection on this website :-)

Chapter 1

Sarah's world had been tipped upside down more than once. The first time had been after a kiss that never should have happened, that kiss between her and a man who was not Jake, and that kiss had led to so much more on a hot, close night on the island, when Jake had crashed out drunk after a lively night at the bar had turned into a party night – and then, upstairs in a room above the Gold Monkey Bar Sarah had spent the night in the arms of the man whose kiss she could not resist.

That man had been Bon Chance Louie.

She had not set out to deceive Jake and nor had Louie, but agreeing to never let it happen again was easier said than done.

It had not been about lust or stolen moments of sordid thrills.

It had been an affair of deep, heart wrenching pain and regret that nether could easily break free from. A look or a touch was all she needed to melt into his arms, she had suffered sleepless nights while she lay beside Jake and hated herself for yearning for another man.

Louie had also been tormented by guilt, and it was Louie who had finally ended it.

Sarah knew she would always regret the moment they had crossed that line.

She knew she would carry the guilt forever, just as Louie did – all they had shared, as Louie had reminded her, was a beautiful and frighteningly perfect love, the kind that had the power to shatter both their hearts if it ended – but he could not live with deceiving Jake, and neither could she. It had ended sharply and painfully, as Louie had told her he wanted to be nothing less than loyal to his close friend Jake, even if it mean breaking his own heart and hers in the process.

That had been the first time her world had been shaken to the core, and Sarah's thoughts were still on that day as she stood alone on the beach on the island of Boragora, right on the spot where she had been waiting months ago when Louie had walked up the sand to meet her, looking so handsome in his white suit, but with such sadness in his dark eyes as he had told her their love affair had to end.

Now she stood on that same spot alone and despite the heat of the day, the breeze that carried across the sea seemed to bring with it a chill as she looked across the water.

So much had changed since that day when Louie had ended their affair. He had probably been hurting as much as she was at the time, but he did not allow that hurt to show. And a few months later, he had met Daisy, a young woman visiting the island whilst on vacation, and to the surprise of everyone, it had been love at first sight for both of them.

Sarah had found it almost impossible to be civil towards Daisy, feeling a painful sting every time Louie looked at her with such love in his eyes – love that was even deeper than the love she had once seen shining there. She knew she ought to be happy for him, but it was difficult. Jake had been happy to see his close friend so in love, and so she had tried to pretend to be happy too, keeping the awful truth from the man she knew she belonged with.

And then Louie had wanted to take Daisy on a flight around the nearby islands, but Jake had been busy flying cargo and told him to hold off until the weekend. But Louie was impatient to impress his new love, and had asked a favour from another pilot, the owner of a small light plane – and that was the day Sarah's world had come crashing down for a second time.

It was Jake who had told her the news, as he stood there holding back tears as he said the words that shook her to the core:

"I have to go, Sarah. I have to join the search party. Louie's plane went down."

And as a roar sounded overhead, she shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun, looking up as the Cutter's Goose rose into the blue sky, heading out to sea.

The words Jake had said still rang out in her mind as she thought of the man whose love she had once shared in secret, and as she thought of him her heart ached as she recalled Jake's words once more:
"Louie's plane went down..."

Many miles across the blue water on a small uninhabited island, the wreckage of the light air craft was almost intact, having almost made a safe landing. After the engine had stalled and then briefly stuttered back into life before dying out once again, the plane had made a rough descent and then clipped heavy foliage before hitting ground, the front of the plane was crushed against a tree, it was a mess of buckled metal and shattered glass, and the pilot was dead.

The two passengers were still in their seats, and it was Daisy who first heard the sounds of the birds chirping in the treetops, and slowly opened her eyes.

Then as the young woman with bright green eyes and bleached golden hair that fell to her shoulders recalled the moment the engine had stalled, she drew in a sharp breath, then felt pain all over as she leaned forward and shook tiny shards of glass from her hair. There was more of it in her lap and her blue dress was torn and her bare arms were cut and bleeding. She recalled the moment the plane had headed sharply down, and Louie hand put his arms around her, doing the only thing he could do to try and shield her from the impact.

Then a wave of panic washed over her as those birds sang and sunlight filtered through broken tree boughs and into the wreckage.

"Louie?" she said in alarm, and she struggled with her belt and freed herself from her seat and turned around.

"Louie?" she said again, and this time her voice was a frightened whisper.

But Louie was unable to answer, he was unconscious in his seat, a trickle of blood ran from his temple and had stained the jacket of his white suit.

She said his name again, then she cautiously picked glass from his hair and picked more shards from his suit, and as she did that he still did not wake.

"Louie...the plane went down..." she looked forward, where the pilot's body was still, the glass a bloody mess and the remains of it sliced deeply into his throat. Blood covered the shattered front of the plane as far as she could see, and the man was not breathing. She looked back to Louie.

"The pilot's dead...did you hear me? Louie please, wake up!"

She curiously and carefully shook his shoulder, and as he gave a groan relief flooded through her.

"Wake up, come on honey...please! Stay with me!"

Then she blinked away tears as she ached all over and guessed she had come out of this lightly compared to the man she loved, who was lying still with his eyes closed.

"Please don't die, Louie!" she said as her voice was broken by tears and she tenderly touched his cheek.

Then he heard her, and slowly opened his eyes, struggling to see as his vision stayed burred and her voice sounded distant.

She said his name again and he turned his head.

"Daisy?" he whispered, and then she started to cry and for a moment he wondered why, and then he recalled those last terrifying moments as she creamed into his jacket as he wrapped his arms around her as the plane fell out of the sky. He turned his head and for a moment, she came into focus and he felt too much pain to move even though she was gripping his hand and all he wanted to do was get out of the wreckage and take care of her – but he knew at once he would not be able to get out of the crashed plane.

"Tell Jake something for me," he said weakly as he struggled to focus again "Tell him..." and he drew in a breath and pain registered on his face, and he knew he was slipping away - into death or unconsciousness, he did not know which – and one thought stayed clear in his mind as she put her arm around him and gently cradled him.

"What are you saying, Louie?"

He felt her stroke his hair as he closed his eyes and rested his head heavily on her shoulder.

"Tell him... tell Jake..."

She was still weeping.

"Jake? You want me to tell Jake something?"

"Tell him I am sorry," Louie whispered, "I am so very sorry, tell him for me." And then Louie slipped back into unconsciousness, and the sun shone down through the broken tree boughs and the birds sang in the treetops all around, and the only other sound that could be heard on the small, empty island was the sound of Daisy sobbing as she held Louie in her arms and begged him to stay with her.

As Jake took the plane over blue water and looked out, searching the small islands dotted about and hoping not to see wreckage underwater instead, he had three passengers on board the plane. One was Corky, his mechanic, who had been hoping for a day off doing nothing after drinking heavily the night before but as soon as he had heard the news about Louie, he had decided suffering a hangover was nothing when a friend's life could be at stake. And now he was beside Jake, trying to ignore his headache and thoughts of going back to bed, as they searched the water for signs of wreckage.

The other passenger was a doctor named Bess Gregory, who happened to be staying on the island and frequented the Gold Monkey, and had offered to accompany Jake on the search. The final passenger was Jake's four legged friend, his dog Jack, who, although well used to flying, was today rather jittery as he picked up on the humans concerns for their missing friend.

"I don't see any wreckage," Corky said as he wiped sweat from his brow and seemed oblivious to the odour of stale alcohol that was pouring off him, "I sure hope we don't find anything – under the water, I mean, because that would only mean one thing -"

"Don't say it," Jake replied as he too watched the passing waters, "There are lots of small islands around here – we just have to hope they made it to one of them."

And Bess leaned in between the seats and also looked out to the blue water and the small islands looming up in the distance.

"Jake," she said kindly, "You need to prepare yourself for the worst here."

He glanced around at the doctor, who was a little older than Sarah, with long dark hair tied back and pale eyes that reflected the sky.

"I won't give up," he replied, "I'll never give up on a friend."

"I can understand that," Bess replied, "And I've seen you and Louie talking and laughing together in the bar. I can tell you're pretty close. But you have to think about the fact that the plane went down, there would have been a heavy impact even if the pilot managed to land."

Jake concentrated his gaze on the view ahead as he spoke again.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They could all be dead or at the very least badly hurt. If we find anyone alive, it will be a miracle."

"And I'm not ready to give up on that miracle," Jake replied, and determination burned in his eyes as the nearest of several islands grew closer, and he watched carefully, hoping to spot the crash site.

Daisy had lost track of time as she held Louie in her arms as he remained unconscious. She had tried everything to wake him up, talking to him, stroking his face begging him, but he gave no response. She could feel him breathing and that was her only consolation as she sat there in the wreckage weeping quietly.

She thought about their life together, the one they had planned before the crash, and then she thought about her own life and how she never wanted to go through the pain of losing the one she loved, but ow it seemed to be happening, she was holding him and he was slipping away and the damned sun was shining down as if it was just another beautiful day.

She wondered why the world kept on turning when for some it just ended in a split second. And then she blinked away tears as she looked down at Louie.

"I do love you," she whispered "But I have to get out of the plane now..." and she gave a sob as she kissed his cheek and tearfully told him again that she loved him.

"I have to find help," she added, "It's all I can do, try and find some help."

And then as she carefully shifted him over so he was leaning against his seat, she struggled with the door of the plane and then it came open, groaning on damaged hinges as it flew wide, and she looked out into a clearing and saw trees beyond and then, a short distance away, the sea rolling to shore.

She listened some more and heard birdsong, but nothing else... Were they all alone here?

And then she heard an engine and saw the plane pass over head.

"Help us!" she yelled, leaning out of the doorway as she waved so hard her cut and bruised arm ached terribly.

The plane passed by, and she froze there, watching that patch of sky as she prayed silently.

And then as the plane flew over again, she gave a sob of relief:

At last she felt a spark of hope, at last there was a chance of rescue...

"They're okay, I know it, I saw someone down there...I think it was Daisy..."

"Jake, slow down!" Bess complained as he and Corky hurried through the jungle towards the clearing where the wreck was visible, and Jack scampered at their heels to keep up.

"I can't slow down."

"If you trip and fall and knock yourself out," Bess remarked, "Who will fly us home, the dog?"

And Jack pricked up his ears and looked at her with one bright eye, while the other was covered with a patch.

Jake forced himself to slow his pace a little, and just in time as he narrowly missed tripping on a fallen tree branch.

"Okay, point taken," he replied, "But I just want to get there I want to know they're all okay."

"Jake, they most likely will not be okay, the plane crashed," Bess reminded him, "Please be realistic about this."

Jake did not know the doctor very well, but from what he had seen of her in the bar he had gathered she was one to speak her mind and be totally honest, and right now it was the last thing he needed.

"I'd rather live in hope even if its for a few more minutes only," he replied and then he led the others through the clearing and over to the wreckage of the plane.

Daisy was still in the passenger seat, with the door of the plane wide open. She blinked away tears as she looked to Jake.

"The engine stalled. Louie put his arms around me as we went down, we just fell through the sky and then suddenly the engage started up again and for one minute I thought we were going to make it...we didn't..." And then she started to cry.

Bess stepped closer and as Daisy struggled, and then succeeded in climbing out, she looked at her closely, noticing she looked pale and shocked, but apart from the cuts and bruises, she seemed okay.

"Were you knocked out?" she asked her.

"I think so...I don't know how long for. I don't know about Louie he woke up and then he slipped away again, I couldn't wake him a second time..." and she ran her fingers through her hair with a shaking hand and gave a sob as Jake climbed into the wreckage and Corky waited outside, putting his arm around Daisy as she wept.

As Jake leaned over Louie, he felt a flicker of fear as his close friend lay there still strapped into his seat, pale and unconscious.

"Louie?" he said, and then he was joined by Bess, who set her doctor's bag down on the seat beside him.

"Get out of the way Jake, let me take a look at him."

Jake obeyed, climbing forward briefly to check the pilot, and one look was all he needed to see the man was already dead.

"The pilot's gone," he said, "Is Louie going to be okay?"

And she gave no answer. Jake turned back to see she had opened up Louie's shirt and was listening with a stethoscope from her bag. Then she put it away and carefully released his seat belt, before cautiously checking him over some more.

"Jake," she said, and her voice was hushed and measured at the same time, as if she was about to break bad news, and that frightened Jake more than he cared to show, because Bess was a doctor and clearly knew how to break bad news when she needed to...

"Is he going to make it?" he asked her.

"If we fly him to the mainland he may stand a chance. He has internal injuries and most likely a head injury too. We need to get him back to the plane and you have to radio through to the mainland, tell them we need an ambulance standing by."

Jake felt a spike of fear run through him as he looked at Louis, deeply unconscious in the wreckage of the plane.

"You didn't answer my question, Bess. Do you think he will make it?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know," she replied honestly, "But we have to get him out of here now, we can't waste time. And be careful how you move him."

A short while later the plane was back in the air as Jake headed for the mainland. As Bess stayed on the floor of the plane on her knees beside Louie, Daisy, who was knelt down the other side of him, looked up at Bess.

"I'm really scared," she said quietly.

"Try and keep calm, I'm sure the hospital will do all they can for him," Bess replied.

"And what about me?"

As Bess looked at her she felt confused.

"You? But you're fine -"

"I don't know that! You didn't even check me over properly!"

"You're walking and talking and complaining while Louie is on the floor of this plane barely alive, I'd say that says a lot about you, Daisy!"

And hurt registered in Daisy's eyes.

"No, you don't understand – I just need to know I'm okay."

"You should be worrying about Louie," Bess replied as she checked his pulse again, "He's seriously hurt, you could lose him."

"And I probably will," she said quietly, and then she looked away as Bess shot her a stony look.

Overhearing the conversation, Jake looked back briefly, wondering what the hell Daisy was talking about, because she seemed to be making no sense.

"Why are you worried for yourself?" he asked her, "You were lucky, you walked away from the wreckage!"

Daisy said nothing in reply as she knelt beside Louie, and as Jake turned back and saw the mainland in sight, he concentrated on landing as he silently wondered why Daisy, who had seemed to love Louie with all of her heart, had suddenly become concerned about herself instead.

The wait back on the island was a long one for Sarah. The bar had been closed for the rest of the day after the news of the plane being lost had got out – maybe the bar would be closed forever, she thought, and then as she looked around and thought of Louie her heart ached as echoes of the past came back in ways that made her recall their stolen nights and the love they shared and she recalled it too sharply, so much that it seemed as if they had only parted yesterday, and then her eyes stung with tears.

She left the bar and went up a hallway and then up a flight of stairs, then she walked along the upper hallway to a door that was unlocked, and as he went inside she looked around a bedroom that she never should have known so well.

Her gaze shifted to the bed and the night she had fallen on to that bed as Louie took her in his arms and kissed her as passion burned dark in his eyes and he had whispered softly to her, telling her how he had always longed to be with her, always wished they could have been together, and always thought how cruel fate had been to see Jake get there first and claim her as his own.

"I have always loved you Sarah," Louie had whispered as he looked into her eyes, "And God forgive me for loving you, but I could not stop if I tried. We will both regret this in the morning, you know it and I know it,. But let us make the most of the time we have stolen, for we will never have this night again..."

But of course, they had enjoyed many stolen nights after the first one – because letting go was harder than they had ever imagined at the start.

Sarah gave a heavy sigh as she sat down on Louie's bed, and then as more memories flooded back, she looked to the open window where outside the sky was turned down black as coal and starlight glimmered, and she thought of Louie and wondered if Jake had found the plane.

He had been gone for hours, the day had turned to night and still she had heard no word from him.

The fact that Jake's plane had not returned yet told her something had happened – they had at least found wreckage, or Jake would have been back by now, he would have had to abandon the search when the daylight faded out...

Sarah gave a quiet sob as she wondered what news the morning would bring and then as she sat alone in Louie's room, she picked up a pillow that carried the scent of her former lover, and hugged it tightly as she tried not to think about that plane at the bottom of the sea, or smashed to pieces on some lonely deserted island miles from home.

"Please be okay," she whispered into the pillow, and then she stayed there as the clock turned midnight, still hugging the pillow that carried the scent of a man who she feared she would never see again.