Falling in Love
-Chapter 4-
Falling to Pieces...
1:30 AM...
Jack has gently taken Beth back to the safe house after she had cried herself to exhaustion. Beth sits on the sofa, looking blank and dazed with eyes that are red and swollen from crying and are still tearful.
Jack walks out of the kitchen with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. He walks over to Beth and puts the cup in her hands. "Drink this." He tells her softly.
But instead of grabbing onto the cup, Beth grabs onto Jack's hand with both her hands and refuses to let go.
Jack silently puts the cup on the empty coffee table before pulling her close to him. Beth lets her head drop onto Jack's chest weakly as a few more tears rolls down her cheeks hurtfully.
"I can stay tonight..." Jack tells her softly as he raises a hand to wipe away her tears gently. "If you want me to..."
Beth clings onto Jack tightly. "Please..." She cries in a weak, small voice as she buries her tear-stained face in his chest.
"Come on." He says as he stands up and picks her up bridal-style. "You need to get some rest..."
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While Beth's sleeping, Jack sits on the leather chair in the room next to Beth and turns on the computer...
While he waits for the computer to turn on, Jack calls Amanda. "Hello?" Amanda picks up the phone call.
"Hey, it's me, Jack." Jack says. "Listen, I know for Ethan's music festival tomorrow, I should probably come alone, but Beth has just had one hell of a night..." He goes on to tell Amanda about how Ray and Perry burnt down Beth's house.
"Oh my god..." Amanda says, horrified. "Yeah, Jack, bring her alone. I'll just tell Ethan that you're bringing a friend who's in a bad situation." She tells Jack encouragingly. "Beth clearly needs something to get her mind off of those creeps."
"Thank you." Jack says sincerely before hanging up.
"Jack?" Beth's voice makes Jack turn around quickly. "If you have plans tomorrow..."
"Don't worry about it." Jack shakes his head quickly, interrupting her before walking over to her. "What are you doing up? You should be in bed."
"It's no use." Beth mutters tiredly before looking at Jack sadly. "I haven't slept in days."
"You'll be okay again, Beth." Jack nods at her as he holds her hand.
Beth steps toward him, but the fatigue is really getting to her. "Whoa.." Jack catches her before she can fall to the floor. "I got you."
"I'm just so... tired." Beth says as her eyes grow tearful again. "I don't know how much longer I can... I just want them to stop..."
"We'll get them, Beth. I promise." Jack tells her before touching her cheek softly. "But for now, what can I do for you?"
Despite the all consuming pain and fatigue within Beth, Jack's words makes her smile as her tears flow out of her eyes helplessly. Beth leans up and kisses him on the cheek. "You're already doing a great job, Jack..."
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Saturday Morning 9:00 AM...
"So who is he bringing?" Ethan asks Amanda after she told him that Jack's bringing Beth. As it's Saturday, even the TAU is off work unless there is an emergency call.
"Her name is Beth." Amanda tells her son. "Technically, she's his boss, but they're also friends. She's going through some tough situations, and Jack is just trying to keep her mind off of it for a little while. So remember to be polite, make her feel welcome. Remember, she's also my colleague."
"Sure." Ethan replies reluctantly. He really wants Jack to spend some time not just with him, but also with his mom. But if Jack's bringing another woman...
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11:00 AM...
Jack takes Beth downtown where Amanda and Ethan has invited him to a music festival. "Jack!" Amanda calls out to him loudly as Ethan runs over to Jack to give him a hug.
"Hi, Amanda." Jack smiles before looking down at his son. "Hi, Ethan."
"Hi, Beth." Amanda smiles at Beth softly. "How are you?"
"Okay." Beth lies as she tries to smile back. Then, she looks down at Ethan. "Hello, Ethan."
"Hi." Ethan gives Beth a half-hearted reply before smiling at Jack. "Come on, let's go see the electric violins!" He says as he eagerly pulls Jack away from Amanda and Beth.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come..." Beth starts to Amanda.
"It's fine." Amanda reassures her.
"But Ethan..." Beth says. "I feel like I'm imposing..."
"Don't worry about Ethan." Amanda shakes her head. "He might be a little grouchy that Jack brought you along, but he'll get over it."
"Do you bring Ethan to these festivals often?" Beth asks her.
"As a treat once in a while." Amanda shrugs before smiling widely at Beth. "Now that you're here, you should have some fun..."
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1:30 PM...
Beth is watching a little further away as Jack and Amanda are playing with a bunch of different instruments with Ethan. They look so much like an actual family...
Beth feels her inside stirring unsettlingly. She should be happy for them, but Jack...
Just then, someone suddenly grabs Beth from behind. "Hello Michelle." Ray's voice makes an icy chill run up Beth's spine. "I've missed you..."
"Ja..." Beth is about to call for Jack, but Ray's next words stops her.
"You don't want detective Larsen to get hurt, do you?" Ray whispers in her ear. "I can make him suffer, Michelle, or I can let him go. It all depends on you."
Beth's eyes quickly grows wet with tears. "Don't hurt him, Ray." She whimpers desperately.
"Come with me quietly." Ray whispers to her...
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2:10 PM...
Ray drives Beth to a secluded house in a small forest. "What is this place, Ray?" Beth tries to sound as calm as she can as Ray stops the car in front of the house.
"Just a temporary hide out for me and Perry." Ray shrugs as he gets out of the car before walking over to the passenger side and pulling Beth roughly out of the car.
Ray forcefully pulls Beth up the front porch before opening the front door of the house and pushing Beth inside aggressively. "Get in."
"You're back." Perry's voice says as soon as Ray and Beth are inside the house. Beth watches as Perry steps out of the shadows. "It's nice to see you again, Michelle..."
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Jack and Amanda are both smiling as they're watching Ethan happily playing with a group of youth band performers.
Jack looks around for Beth. He remembers seeing her a few meters away from them by a little shop that sells string instruments.
But when Jack's eyes land on the shop, Beth is nowhere in sight. "I'm gonna go find Beth." Jack shouts to Amanda loudly over the loud music.
"Okay." Amanda says loudly...
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Jack's starting to get worried as he's continuously calling Beth's cellphone, but no one's answering. Jack has been walking and asking around the people in the festival, but no one has been paying attention...
"Oh yeah, that woman." Finally, an elderly man in a straw hat responds when Jack asks him about Beth. "She left with some scruffy looking man. He looked real happy when he grabbed her. She didn't though, if anything, she looked a little terrified."
"Did you hear her say anything?" Jack presses on VERY worriedly. "How old was the guy?"
"Now that you mention it..." He says, frowning. "I think I heard her say "Ja...", but nothing else. The guy looked around early thirties..."
An image of Ray quickly pops up in Jack's mind as his insides distorts fearfully. Beth was going to call out to Jack for help... Ray must have threatened her to stop her from getting his attention... Jack promised Beth that he would keep her safe... Ray... Ray has Beth...
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4:50 PM...
Beth watches as her cellphone rings continuously as Ray and Perry sit across from her with twisted expressions on their faces. "Why don't you answer it?" Perry asks her with fake innocence.
Jack has been calling her consistently for over two hours. He must be worried...
Beth glances at Ray quickly before looking away. The expression on Ray's face looks as if he wants to rip someone's insides out.
If Beth answers Jack's call now, what is she supposed to say? What can she say? Between Ray and Perry, Perry's definitely the easier one to handle, but Ray...
If she answers Jack's call now, with Ray staring right at her, Ray will make Jack a target...
Beth tries to smile as convincingly as possible. "He can wait." Beth looks up at Ray. "I don't want him to interrupt our time together..."
As she said those words, Beth's insides twists in nauseating disgust as she can taste her salty tears clogging up at the back of her throat.
Beth forcefully pushes those feelings down. She has to hold herself together, at least until she gets away from them...
"Well, if that's how you felt..." Ray smiles unpleasantly before a dark expression takes over his face. "Then why did you let them lock me up?"
Panic rises within Beth. "Ray, I..."
"Why?!" Ray stands up as he smashes his fists on the table furiously. There is nothing on the table except a set of kitchen knives.
Beth sees her chance. She quickly pins one of Ray's hands onto the table and speedily grabs a kitchen knife and stabs it right into Ray's hand.
Ray screams in pain. "You bitch!"
Perry seems shocked for a moment, but quickly runs and tries to grab Beth by her arm, but Beth grabs his head and smashes it against a wall.
Then, Beth grabs her cellphone before kicking open the front door and making a run for it...
Beth runs until she far enough that she can't see the house anymore. She doesn't stop running, but she pulls out her cellphone to call Jack.
"Beth?" Jack answers his phone in a very hopeful tone.
For some reason, just the sound of Jack's voice is enough to make all the tears Beth has been holding back rush up into her eyes. "Jack, it's me..."
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6:15 PM...
Beth enters the old, empty church she and Jack agreed to meet in. She has already called a unit along with Janice and Ben and a forensic team up to the house Ray and Perry had taken her to. Though knowing Ray, they're probably long gone by now...
Beth sits down on an empty wooden stool, waiting for Jack... She grips the knife in her hand tightly when she hears footsteps...
It's probably Jack, but if it's not... Beth can feel her heart racing... "Hey." Jack says as he walks up to Beth. She quickly drops the knife in her hand.
For a moment, Beth just stands up and stares at Jack breathlessly. But then, all of her tears... All of the pain and fear that has built up within her rushes out through her in a strangled cry. "Jack..."
"Shh..." Jack says as he quickly pulls Beth into his arms in an attempt to comfort her. "Come here..."
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"I don't understand it." Beth says tearfully to Jack as her head is resting on his shoulders. "Why people feel the need to terrorize and hurt each other? I do what I do to try and understand it, but..."
"Ray... He's changed." Beth continues as she lifts her head and turns to look at Jack.
"What do you mean?" Jack frowns.
"The first time, Ray was just romantically fixated." Beth says as she wipes her tear-stained face. "But this time, there's a rage..."
Beth takes a shuddering breath as she feels a wave of anguish within her. "He... He wants to make me suffer..." Beth looks at Jack with tearful eyes as her voice cracks.
Jack squeezes her hand softly. "And Perry?" He asks her quietly.
"I don't know." Beth shakes her head with a weak cry. "Perry's obsessive... And unpredictable..."
Beth sniffles and wipes her face before continuing. "I... I was finally starting to feel okay again... Before this... The pain... It was finally..." Beth lets out a quiet sob as she hides her face in her hands. "But then, Perry... And Ray..."
"Beth, look at me." Jack says as he gently grabs her hands and moves them away from her face. Beth tries to hide her face from Jack as she feels a sense of helplessness wash over her.
"Beth, look at me." Jack repeats firmly as he tilts her face back to him, making Beth look at him through eyes that are overflowing with tears.
"I... I don't know... What to do..." Beth sobs as she chokes through her tears.
Jack's heart aches at the sight of Beth's tears and the way she's crying... Jack touches her tear-stained face with a reassuring gentleness. "You'll be okay again, Beth."
For a moment, Beth just stares up at him with glassy eyes. Then, she slowly raises her hands up to touch his face. "What are you..." Jack starts in confusion.
"Shh..." Beth interrupts him as she stands on her tip toes. She slowly wraps her arms around Jack before she plants a long kiss onto his lips...
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8:40 PM...
"You were right." Ray says to Perry as they're in a rental car together. "Michelle has certainly gotten more powerful since the last time I've seen her."
"We can fix that." Perry says as he's driving. He reaches a hand into the backseat and grabs a brown folder. "If Michelle is isolated..."
"Then we can drain all of her strength." Ray interrupts with an understanding smirk.
"Exactly." Perry nods as he gives the folder to Ray. "And we'll start with the one closest to her, Jack Larsen. I've done some research. Apparently, Jack Larsen has always been a ladies' man. But he's always had trouble with commitment. He's cheated on every one of his past girlfriends, except for one."
"Gloria Windsor." Ray says after he opens up the envelope and is reading a printed-out profile. "She's a journalist."
"According to my research, Gloria Windsor is Jack Larsen's childhood friend and first love." Perry tells Ray. "She is the only woman he never cheated on. He doesn't know it, but she currently lives in LA."
"Why did they break up?" Ray asks.
"I'm still doing my research on that, but I do know that it's due to complicated family issues on both their sides." Perry says before smirking. "Now, think about it. If Jack finds out that Gloria Windsor lives in LA, and her new boyfriend also happens to be the stalker of his new potential girlfriend, wouldn't he be concerned? And if his focus on Michelle is shifted..."
"Michelle becomes a much easier target." Ray nods with a smirk. "Looks like I'm going to get myself a new girlfriend..."
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Author's note: hey guys, here's another chapter! I always appreciate your reviews, so please remember to continue to review! Many thanks in advance!