I am so, so sorry. Your crushed hearts feed my soul.

Disclaimer: Janette Oke and Hallmark own WCTH but I own a sadist's pen, as you could probably tell by the last couple of chapters.

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The Negotiator: Chapter 25 - Of Closure and Hearts

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Elizabeth had known she had to choose a job that was far away from Jack, and you couldn't get much further than the North.

In a matter of days, her belongings had been packed and shipped - set to meet her there - and all she had left to do was to say goodbye.

To say her heart had broken when she made the decision would be an understatement of mass proportions. Elizabeth''s heart had shattered. It had broken when Jack's truth had been revealed to her, it had been crushed through the hours of prayer and self-discovery shortly after, and it had completely shattered when she witnessed Jack's reaction to her news.

She had dreaded breaking up with him. It had been the hardest moment of her life, and it was all she could do to not start sobbing as she told him she wasn't brave enough.

And she wasn't. She knew what would be expected of her - that more things like this would occur, that it was even possible Mary and Jon might get involved. That was not okay. She couldn't handle Derek's fate given to any other of her family or friends, including Jack.

And if she was being honest with herself, Jack would be a lot less distracted if she would just leave. He would be able to focus on himself and not worry about her safety. He wouldn't have to bug her.

The thought still made her angry - that he had and lied by omission about it - but Elizabeth pushed it aside.

She would take the job in the Yukon, and he would be free. He had been wise to steer clear of relationships in his line of work, but they had both just ignored the facts and paid dearly for their mistake.

Their huge, messy, glorious mistake.

When she had told Jack she was moving, it was like he had become a ghost. He had slowly stood up, stared at her with no expression on his face whatsoever, Elizabeth couldn't tell what he had been really thinking.

"Is this what you want?" he had asked.

Elizabeth didn't want to hurt him anymore than she had already, but still, she nodded her head. "I do want this," she lied. I don't want to leave you but I have to.

He either didn't catch her pleading eyes or he just didn't care anymore.

"When do you leave?" Elizabeth had noticed Jack's voice quaked.

"Three days."

Jack had visibly swallowed.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth," he said softly.

Not Goodnight or See you tomorrow, or name calling. Elizabeth's heart ached. She almost broke down and changed her mind but she fought to remain strong. I can do this. Instead, she turned her back on Jack, staring through her tears out the window. Please just go away. She felt his heat as he rose from the bed and drew nearer, just for a moment, before changing his mind and retreating out the door, moving quickly.

Only when she had heard the front door shut quietly did she let out a sob.

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Jack was going to be sick.

The moment he left Jon'a apartment he ran to his own, slamming the door shut behind him and collapsing against it. The sobs that erupted were ugly, painful as they wrenched from him.

Elizabeth was leaving.

That very notion didn't startle him so much. He had planned for that eventuality - they would still have a long-distance relationship, or he would eventually move out to be with her.

It had never crossed his mind that Elizabeth would break up with him.

His heart was tearing, ripping apart.

What have I done?

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Some hours later, there was a knock at Jon's apartment door.

"I'll get it," Mary called cheerfully through the house and pulled the door open. "Jack," she gasped.

He looked horrible. His eyes, bloodshot, his hair a mess, his shirt buttoned crooked and a scowl was permanently on his face. "Mary, I'm sorry to interrupt. But I need to see Elizabeth."

Mary started to shake her head, fearing this. "Jack, she won't want to see you - "

"It's about the case," he interrupted, voice turning rough, "I know perfectly well how she feels about me."

Mary inhaled softly. "Very well. Let me go and find her." She hesitated for a moment. "Come on in, Jack."

Jack nodded and stepped inside, storming to the couch. This was a man determined, on a mission. If only, Mary thought wistfully, It was for the right things.

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Elizabeth took a few deep breaths, trying not to panic. No, this was too soon. She wasn't supposed to see Jack again, not ever. While she needed to know what had happened, she still hesitated before entering the living room, steeling herself for whatever he had to say, and hardening her heart.

Then she saw him, and it all fell away, leaving her as vulnerable as he looked.

Elizabeth bit back a gasp and took a seat at the couch opposite him, eyes intent on the floor. Jack looked terrible. Surely this hadn't been because of her?

"I'm requested to take your statement." Jack's voice was steady, if a little rough.

"Of course," she replied slowly, eyes finally rising to meet his. They looked bleak, and her heart broke just a little bit more.

"I was at the apartment here, when I got a text from your phone," she began, taking a deep breath, "It said that someone would be arriving in your car to pick me up for dinner. Also it said to dress casual."

Jack's eyes were intent on hers as he wrote this down.

"A man arrived, waving your keys."

"Can you describe this man?" It was like she was just another victim, another witness and never anything else.

"He seemed very nervous," she told him, "Which I thought was odd. He kept mopping his face with a handkerchief. He had round glasses…" she broke off when Jack stood upright.

"Was he the man who kidnapped you?" he asked tightly.

"I - yes. He led me to your car, was very gallant and everything. The next thing I remember I was waking up in a deserted building in the darkness attached to a pole."

Jack began pacing. "What else do you remember?" he pleaded quietly.

"He did say something very odd," she admitted, "In the dark, he told me that you had become an annoyance, and that he wanted to kill you 'that day', whatever 'that day' was, and that his accomplice had lost his nerve. Jack, does that mean something to you?"

"I believe it might," he murmured, then walked over to face her, the determination in his gaze making her tense. "Elizabeth, this must be goodbye for real, musn't it?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply, but he gently placed a finger on her lips, stilling her words.

"Let me talk."

With a nod, Elizabeth let him, eyes on his.

"Elizabeth, I understand your concerns, I can even understand if you don't love me anymore. I understand you're leaving and I even understand that you're breaking up with me."

Elizabeth waited in tense silence as he stopped.

"I understand all of these things. So may I just have one last request?"

Elizabeth slowly nodded, even as she feared it.

"May I please say goodbye properly?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, full of tears and anguish, and she slowly opened them again, then gave a slow nod. This was something she needed too - something that she wanted above all else right now, that she hadn't known until he said it. Closure.

Jack took his time, perhaps because he realized this was their last time, perhaps because he wanted to torture her. His fingers brushed her cheeks, then ran all the way down to her neck, then up to her forehead. Elizabeth trembled at his touch, and she was glad she was sitting down already for she knew she wouldn't have been able to stand through this.

He leaned in, ever so slowly and she could feel his breath quickening against her skin.

Elizabeth closed her eyes again, finally giving in to just savour this feeling.

Finally, his lips brushed hers ever so gently.

Elizabeth felt the fire rage inside of her, felt what had always been there emerge with a passion that made her gasp against his lips, that caused him to pull away as if that had been a proper goodbye. She grabbed his shirt, tugging him to her as for the final time, her lips crashed into his, this kiss painful as they both explored each other desperately,

Jack's hands cupped her head so gently, she barely felt it, she was so lost in his taste, his scent, his powerful demand.

When they each felt dizzy, Elizabeth was the first to pull away, resting her head against his forehead to gasp for breath, her eyes still closed. She had barely touched him before he was gone, a blur of movement before the door slammed shut and she was once again alone.

Elizabeth bit her lip, tears finally spilling over.

If that had been closure, why didn't it feel like it?

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