A/N: For Hannah, my jiberty loving friend :)
It only takes a minute. In one minute, 250 babies are born, lightning strikes the earth 350 times, 3 violent crimes are committed in the USA, 750,000 gallons of water tumbles over Niagara Falls and in one minute, 107 people die. It only takes one minute.
It only took one minute for Liberty Van Zandt to be hit by a car when crossing the street.
Liberty was busy speaking to a co-worker on her cell phone about an ongoing case they had going on that she hadn't bothered to look both ways when crossing the street. Taking the chance she began to cross, not seeing the headlights of the car zooming down the street.
It only took a minute of her not paying attention. It only took a minute for the light to leave her eyes. It only took a minute for her to be pronounced dead on scene. Only one minute
Liberty looked at the world around her. Where was she? All she could see was a bright light all around her. What happened? Why was she here? Racking her brain, she tried desperately to recalled it happened before but drew blank; she couldn't remember a thing. Liberty began walking around and called out, "Hello is anyone there?"
There was a silence until an eerily familiar voiced spoke. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my talented inamorata." Liberty's head snapped up, hardly believing her eyes as she laid them on JT Yorke. "JT? She said softly, her eyes wide. "This… is it really you? Am I dreaming…?"
"Nope." He smirked. "It's me in the flesh... well, not really, but you understand."
"How…how is this possible?" Liberty asked, her eyes still wide in amazement, hardly able to comprehend she was standing here with JT; something she only got to do in her dreams.
JT's smile turned into a frown. "I'm sorry, Liberty. I'm so sorry." Liberty merely crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "I tried to look out for you, like I always do, but I couldn't stop it."
"What do you mean?"
JT sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Liberty… you got hit by a car today… you were talking on the phone and you didn't see it coming… I tried to warn you, but you couldn't hear me…. you were pronounced dead at the scene…."
"I'm dead?" Liberty asked in horror, shaking her head. "N-no I can't be dead…" JT pulled Liberty towards him into a hug. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "I'm so sorry." Both JT and Liberty remained silent, just holding onto each other. Liberty buried her face into the crock of JT's neck, breathing in his familiar and calming scent.
"So, if I'm dead..."She spoke slowly. "Does that mean I'm in heaven…?"
"Heaven… or whatever you want to call it." JT smiled, offering Liberty is hand. "Come with me, I want to show you something." Liberty smiled and took JT's hand and closed her eyes. Once she opened them, a lot of time at when they were dating. The park was empty except for them, and her heart leapt at the tree that still stood there with their names carved into it which JT had done years ago as a romantic gesture. "I can't believe this," Liberty said. "I went to the park months ago, and this tree had been cut down."
"Well, technically, we aren't on earth anymore, so in our world, it's still here." JT piped up. He sat down at the base of the tree, patting the spot beside him for Liberty to sit. She joined him, both of them sliding down to lay on their backs, looking up at the sky. Memories of watching the sky flooded back into Liberty's brain, remembering the times they would look at the stars, at the clouds, or just lay in each other's arms, perfectly content. She had only come back to the park a few times after JT's death, unable to deal with the many moments she had with him here.
"I missed this," Liberty said, her head leaning on JT's shoulder. "I missed being with you, being able to see you, touch you, talk to you. I missed everything."
"I missed you too," JT said honestly, smiling up at her. "I watched over you… but it just wasn't the same as actually being with you… and holding onto you."
"It just wasn't fair…" Liberty said, holding back a sob. "One minute you were there, and the next you were gone… it just hurt so much. "
"Hey… hey…" JT said in a comforting tone. "I'm here… and you're here now. No one is going anywhere." He interlaced their fingers together. "And this time… we're going to have much, much longer than one minute.