– AARON & JACKSON –
– BORN AGAIN–
"The Final Goodbye"
This fanfic follows on several hours later after My Gift To You
Characters belong to ITV
This chapter I felt needed to be a stand alone, however short or long it turns out to be :) x
...
Jackson and Aaron sat alone, Paddy hadn't been gone long. "Jackson..." Aaron said quietly with a different look in his eyes.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Let's go for a walk"
"At this time of night?" he frowned.
"Please?" Aaron asked with urgency in his tone.
Then all of a sudden it clicked. "No..." his tone whispery as he shook his head.
Aaron nodded. "I have too and I'm keeping up my end of the bargain, we can have our proper goodbye"
Jackson simply cried and Aaron placed his arm around him to soothe him. "You won't get over my death if I'm around you gorgeous...I'm doing this for you, please Jackson just walk with me? One last time"
"I can't let go" he sobbed against Aaron's chest.
"You never will, I promise...I just have to go away now"
Jackson sighed, wiped his eyes and stood up.
...
The cold night air was refreshing as they stopped walking by the entrance to a field under the light of the full moon. Aaron smiled.
"What you smiling at?"
"Just remembering you slapping my backside at the garage when no one was around"
Jackson smirked. "And if I remember rightly you loved it"
Aaron nodded. "Always...I-I often think about how my life would have been had I not met you and all I keep thinking is that I would have met you anyway at some time or another" he smiled. "Because we were meant to be together"
Jackson smiled, fighting back the tears. "I like to think we were too"
"A-And I know it wasn't perfect, a fairytale...but when it was good, it really was, you were and I was..."
Jackson tightened his grip on Aaron's hand. "You are so special to me"
Aaron turned and smiled. "And you are too, I want you to have the best life Jackson, because you deserve it" he smiled through his tears which glistened under the moonlight.
"And I want too..."
"What's stopping you?"
"The thought of feeling like I'm betraying you"
Aaron quickly shook his head. "You won't be, not a chance...if you do find someone they'll realise how special you are too, I want you to be happy Jackson and that will mean you falling in love with someone else"
Jackson shook his head.
"Hey...no, don't do that, you will and I know you'll always love me so it's fine" Aaron reassured him. "It is Jackson" he nodded.
"Maybe one day..."
Aaron nodded with a smile. "I love you"
Jackson's shoulders jerked up and down as he cried. "Don't go"
"It's time Jackson...you have to be able to grieve properly and like I said me being around won't help you do that, but no drinking excessively"
"No drinking" Jackson said with a nod.
"We had a good run didn't we? Wasn't so bad really..."
Jackson shook his head slowly as he looked into his husband's eyes. "I-I'm scared I'll forget the little things, things we've said to each other, how we were, and it kills me Aaron, it hurts so much"
Aaron himself was struggling but he had to keep his composure for Jackson's sake. He stepped closer to Jackson and pulled him in close by placing his hand on his back and his lips locked against Jackson's. When they parted, Jackson knew it was time, he couldn't stop it...he had to say goodbye.
Aaron stood with his arms around Jackson's waist. "Do you remember the poem Adam read at my funeral?"
Jackson nodded.
"I don't know the words exactly but...all you have to do is look for me in everything you see and I'll be there...I'll be there on the good days and the bad, I'll be with you all the time, beside you" Aaron smiled through teary eyes.
Jackson nodded. "You better"
"Count on it" Aaron smirked. "You helped me so much Jackson...It was like I was born again, now..." he took a breath. "Now I'm helping you, I want you to be happy, whoever he is...I approve" Aaron smiled at him and stared into his eyes. Jackson was numb, he didn't want this but he understood Aaron's reasons. "You changed my life"
Jackson lowered his head and let his tears fall. "From the first time I saw ya, I knew you were the one, I love you so, so much!"
Aaron smiled warmly. "I-I'm trying to keep it together but I can't..." Aaron now sobbed. "I-I'll be waiting for you gorgeous...I'll see you again one day...I will always love you..."
Jackson nodded. "I know you will"
Aaron leaned in and kissed him one final time, and he stepped away and picked up a stick off the ground. "Call him babe, you won't know unless you do..." he nodded as a faint bark could be heard.
Jackson frowned. "What's that?"
Aaron smiled widely. "It's Clyde"
Jackson couldn't believe it and he smiled. "Good...look after each other"
Aaron nodded. "We will" he told him as he walked backwards away from Jackson. He gave him a wink and his charming smile before turning away from him. "Come on Clyde" Jackson watched Aaron raise his arm and throw the stick as more faint barks could be heard, every step Aaron took he faded more and more. "Oh..." his words now became an echo "It's not a test Jackson just say yes...I love you..." and with that he was gone.
Jackson fell to his knees and stared at the spot he last saw Aaron. He was gone; the love of his life was gone. He was in shock. Jackson had to grieve now and find the strength to move on in some way.