Forever
By Ami!
Oh! I forgot about Lance the Dragon trainer! Sorry. I already named James' father 'Lance', after a different Lance. I don't want to change it now, so keep in mind that Lance is James's Dad, Nina, his mom, and that I've given the butler the full name 'Foote Hopkins'. Sorry to be so confusing!
*Bring, bring, bring! Bring, bring, bring! Phone call, phone call* Whoever invented that ring should be drug out into the street and shot. It was the third ring, anyway. What was taking them so long? "Probably stuck in their coffins." Jessie grumbled as the phone re-started the annoying cycle.
"Good evening. This is the Sassaké residence, I am Hopkins, the main butler. The Master and Mistress are currently unavailable. Might I take down a message for them?" The butler's stuffy voice crackled over the phone line.
"Hello, Foote. This is Jessie..." before she could even finish her name, the butler cut her off.
"Mistress Jessibel?!" The voice bellowed. "Allow me to get Lady Nina. She would be delighted to hear from you." On the other side of the line, Jessie grinned. So they were home, after all. A pleasant miss-understanding for her. She nearly spoke when Hopkins continued. "Lady Nina has been trying to speak to you for quite some time. You will be most happy to know that she has decided to get rid of James's... paramour."
"What?!" Jessie hardly managed to keep her voice in check. "Now heavens, Foote..." She stumbled. "Why on earth would she want to do a li'l thing like that?" "Better play along...." She thought grimly.
"We've found out where Master James is hiding. We knew that the harlot would lure him out some time. Lady Nina says that's the only reason why she's spared the girl this far. He's grown rather attached to her daughter." The butler cleared his throat, as if he seemed uneasy about what he was going to say next. "Lady Nina says that the child can be used as 'bait' to make sure the master listens. But Miss Jessica must go. Nina frightened the poor girl half to death, and she apparently made it clear that Master James was not to get anywhere near her or her daughter. That way, he won't be able to help." He coughed a little, growing more nervous. "Master James is obsessed with her... And little Jasmine." He paused for a minute, losing his train of thought, then changed the subject. "So, would you like to speak to..."
Jessie hung up the phone numbly, without bothering to answer him. "Has to go?" She whispered, sliding down the wall. "She's going to have me..." Her eyes widened with fear. "No!" She crumpled into the smallest ball she could manage, quivering slightly with fear. "No, I don't want to die!"
"Jessie, what's wrong?!" Mary yelled, running through the door. "Jessie?!"
"Mommy!" Jasmine flung herself across the room, into her mother's arms. "What's goin' on, mommy?" Jessie might have answered, had Jasmine not already knocked the wind out of her. "Who was that on the phone?" Jasmine seemed more curious than afraid. "What did they want?"
Jessie hugged her daughter tightly against her chest. "Grab what you can, Mary. We're leaving. Now." She said quietly, determinedly. "I'll try to get a car..." She grabbed the phone, then hesitated. Who did she know that had a car? James, but she'd never find him. Finally, she decided on a number. "Becky? Can you be here in ten minutes?" She asked nervously.
"Five." Becky said quickly, hanging up the phone. She had no idea what was happening, but she could guess it was serious. She ran for her car. "I'm comin'..."
As it turned out, it took Becky exactly four minutes and thirty-eight seconds to get there. Not that anyone was counting. "What happened?" She asked as she swerved onto the grass, jumping out the door. "Where am I taking you?"
"I don't know, I don't care." Jessie said, pushing several books at Becky. "Is your trunk empty?" She pointed to a small pile of stuff beside the door. "I want as much as we can take..." Her eyes watered slightly at the small group of possessions.
"Jessie..." Becky said quietly. She knew full well how hard Jessie had worked to get her house the way it was. She couldn't even begin to realize how hard it would be to leave everything she'd worked for. "I'll see what I can do." She opened her trunk. It was full of all the stuff from her shopping spree the day before... She had forgotten to take it all out. Becky cringed, biting her lip. Then, she slowly began to throw the bags in a nearby, snow-covered bush. "Maybe I can come back for them..."
"Oh, Becky, don't..." Jessie protested. "All your stuff..." Becky looked up. "I'm sorry... We just have to leave. Nina's planning to kidnap Jasmine... and..."
"It's okay, Jess. I can get more clothes. These..." She motioned to the books, and suddenly realized what they were. "Are priceless..." She finished, picking one up.
"There's too many." Jessie said apologetically. I can put some of them back.."
"Jessie... These are all your pictures!" Becky's eyes were starting to water. "Are these for James?" Each book was filled with hundreds of pictures of Jasmine. Every pose, every outfit, every activity you could imagine was carefully documented, with little notes and comments scribbled in the margins. "It's like a diary..."
Jessie blushed. "I wanted him to know what it's like to be a parent." She admitted. "I wanted to make him feel like he was part of her childhood." She set down a box stuffed full with video tapes. "Her birth, her birthdays... Everything I could get on tape. I only have a few other things." She said softly.
"Jessie, they're wonderful!" Becky smiled through her tears. "He'll love them!" Jessie beamed at that, and headed back in for the last armload of stuff.
"Hiya, Aunt Becky!" Jasmine giggled running up and squeezing one of Becky's legs. "We're all goin on vacation!" She grinned up at her. "Are you coming, too?" Becky nodded. "Yaaay! We're gonna have a party!" Jasmine broke out into an impromptu song. "An' we're gonna have, FUN! And we're gonna, play!" The song didn't rhyme, or even have a melody, but the cheery mood helped everyone.
"Good for you, Jasmine." Mary laughed as she loaded her small suitcase into the back. "I think we have everything we need..." She turned to Jessie. "Are you ready to go, hun?" Jessie nodded, nudging Jasmine towards the car.
"We have to go now, Jasmine..." She said gently. "Say goodbye to the house, now."
"Bye bye, house!" Jasmine yelled, waving at it. "I'll miss ya!" She blew it some kisses. "Be a good house, now. I don't wanna live in a bad neighborhood." She said it sternly, and everyone laughed again. "Bye!"
"Oh, wait!" Jessie yelled. "I forgot something!" Becky looked at her nervously. "It'll only take a minute."
"But Jessie..." Becky shook her head as Jessie cut across the grass to the front door. "She gets it from her mother." She grumbled. "This isn't safe..." She looked in the rearview mirror. "Oh, my God..."
Jessie ran into her bedroom, looking around. She grabbed the picture on her bedstand, then opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Reaching in, she pulled out a small cardboard box. Slowly, she opened the lid, drawing in her breath.
At first glance, the box seemed to full of nothing but thin, wispy material. With closer inspection, however, you might notice a few seams or beaded designs. And, upon removing the object, you would find that it was a beautiful wedding dress. Her mother's wedding dress. "How could I forget this?" She chided herself, her eyes welling with tears.
The walls, the furniture, the curtains... The house and everything in it had been chosen and bought by Nina. Even after six years, she had always considered this her house. Never her home. Only a few precious things in this pathetic building meant anything to her. This was the most important of them. She clutched it to her chest, whimpering. "Mommy..."
A wild honking interrupted her. She turned to the window to see Becky honking desperately, waving at Jessie to hurry. A glance down the road showed why. A black car swerved around the corner, aiming for the small car parked outside her house. "Just Go!"She screamed, waving. She hadn't expected them to get here so quickly... They must have realized that was had been her on the phone. Becky shook her head. "Now!!" she hollered. "GO!" Becky shook her head again, but slammed on the gas.
"What about Mommy?!" Jasmine screamed. "We have to wait for Mommy!" Mary shook her head, hugging Jasmine against her. "Mommy!" She started pounding on the window. "MOMMY!!!" She sobbed. "MO-MMMMY!"
"Jasmine please!" Becky protested. "You're making things harder! We can't..." She glanced in the rearview mirror. The car sped on their tail, closing in on them, but a second car had also rounded the corner, stopping in front of the house. "Oh, no..."
Jessie heard the sound of gravel flying as the dark car screeched onto the lawn. So much for that way out. She ran to the window and looked down. Second story... A few years ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. Now.... She held her breath, clutching her precious box to her chest. "Here goes nothing..." She squeezed her eyes shut, leaping out.
*Pop!* Something in her ankle displaced, and she fell to the ground. No time to worry about it, though. She could already hear the men running through the house. They would see the open window... She painfully got to her feet, running for the back fence.
"There she goes! After her!" A voice from behind her yelled, hardly audible over the sound of barking dogs. She looked up to see several ferocious growlithes leaning out of the window, barely restrained by equally- ferocious looking masters. "Calm down." The leader said. "She can't escape. Let's go around... Leave someone in the front, so she doesn't double back."
Jessie gulped. This looked bad. Really bad. She gingerly made her way over the fence, stumbling to the ground in the alleyway behind her house. Groping around, she found her beloved package again, hugging it tightly. She held it against her, struggling to rise. Her ankle screamed in violent protest, then gave out entirely. "No..." She fell into a frigid puddle of half-melted snow.
"There she is." One of the men said menacingly, walking towards her. Jessie cowered back against the fence, shivering from the intense fear and cold. "No more running, eh?" He bent down, reaching one hand out for her... She leaned away, closing her eyes.
"James.... I love you." She thought sadly. "Jasmine, I'm sorry I wasn't the mommy you deserved..." Suddenly, she heard the sound of a growling dog. She opened one eye to see the largest of the dogs biting the man's leg.
"Awww, hell." The man griped, kicking it away. "Who let that one in?" He kicked it again, and it ran in front of Jessie, growling dangerously.
"Growlie?" Jessie whispered, touching his warm fur softly. He turned, licking her hand quickly, then resumed his protective stance. "Growlie..." He had been so wary of her at first, during her brief stay at the manor. However, they had quickly learned to tolerate each other. She had never expected this, though.
As the men drew closer, He threw himself at one, barking savagely. He knocked one over, then went for the arm of another. "Dammit! Somebody get that friggin' dog!" One of the men yelled, reaching for his pistol.
"No!" Jessie screamed, reaching out one hand weakly. "Don't hurt him..." Her body was going numb from the intense cold, she felt so weak... She was beginning to feel tired as well. "Noooo...." She mumbled again, falling back into the ice-cold slush. "I..." Things were going dark around her. She felt numb, she felt exhausted... No longer could she feel the intense pain from her ankle. She couldn't feel her legs at all... She couldn't even keep her eyes open anymore. "I...." She let go of the last of her consciousness.
The first thing Jessie noticed upon waking up was that she was alive, not dead. Things could only go up from there. The second thing she noticed was how surprisingly warm she felt... Another good sign. Was she in a bed? That's what it felt like. But she was almost naked... That certainly went on the minus side of the score board. In fact, the only thing she was wearing was her underwear... She attempted to roll onto her back, but a sharp pain in her ankle stopped her. It didn't feel broken, thank goodness, but it certainly didn't tickle to move it. She winced in agony, turning back onto her side. As she snuggled into the blankets she became aware of breathing behind her.
She froze. There was someone else in the bed?! She didn't want to turn, she had learned her lesson earlier. But, what should she do? She reached out with one hand, groping around. She felt an arm... and hit it as hard as she could.
"Owch!" She heard a familiar scream as the not-so-phantom other person slid out of the bed, slamming his head on the floor. "Owwwww...." James grumbled, sitting up. "Did you have to?" He shook his head, tapping it lightly, then looked over.
"James!" She yelled, turning to look at him despite her pain. "I, you... How...How?" She pulled the blankets slightly closer, covering herself defensively. "What's happening?" He looked at her, then leapt to his feet. "How did I get here?" She asked, leaning back more. As he stood up, Jessie noticed he was in a suit. "James..."
"Jessie!" He gulped, stepping towards her. "I'm so sorry..." He stepped back, giving her space. "I, I... was just watching on you, when I fell asleep. I guess..." He said uncomfortably. "I was going to your house, when I saw those men going after you... I panicked and called out Victreebel. He used his sleep powder, and I guess it got you, too..."
"He listens to you, now?" Jessie asked, genuinely impressed. James blushed and shook his head, and she smiled. He smiled too, and they both grinned at each other until Jessie remembered the current circumstances. Suddenly she became stern. "Where are my clothes, James?" He blushed furiously.
"They were soaked. You were getting hypothermic, but I was afraid to take you to the hospital. I wasn't sure if Mom would find you there, so I brought you here." He paused, then said slowly. "I took off your clothes because they were freezing, and it was making you even colder. I wrapped you up in blankets. And I didn't look." He seemed almost proud of himself, but then he blushed. "Not that much, anyway..." He admitted guiltily
He looked at the floor for a moment, then back at her. He gazed into her eyes, clearing his throat. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable first, before he talked to her. After a few more seconds of looking at her soft blue eyes, he couldn't wait. "I was coming to ask you to forgive me... for not doing my part." He said quietly, looking around on the floor. He grabbed a slightly-wilted bouquet of beautiful flowers off the ground, resting them in her lap...
"Your part?" She asked. He leaned forward, taking her hand gently. She gulped, unsure of how to react as he began kissing the tips of her fingers, lightly brushing them against his soft lips. "James..." She had been dreaming of this for years, but she wasn't sure how to react. After all this time, she could hardly believe he was even there.
"Jasmine..." He stopped kissing for a moment, holding the hand against his chest. "I've thought of every man it could be, and..." He held his breath. "There's only one I can think of...." He looked straight into her eyes. "Is it...?"
She looked away. "I can understand only being able to think of one man... Jasmine's father was the only man I ever truly loved. The only man I ever will love... And..." She looked back to him. "I love you, James."
"Jessie..." He leaned forward a little more, leaning on one hand as he stroked her face. "Oh, Jess...." She rubbed her cheek against the soft warmth of his hand, letting a single tear slip down her cheek.
"I've wanted to tell you... I wanted to so badly... For so long...." She looked down slightly. "That's why I was so mean to you, that first day. I was afraid I would say it... That I would throw it all away." She cleared her throat. "Although, it didn't do any good at the end. I hated being Nina's pawn like that, but I just wanted to protect Jasmine." She looked back up at him. "James, are you..."
"Are you mad at me?" he cut her off, half finishing her sentence, half asking it himself.. "If you are, I can understand..." He began toying with her hair absent-mindedly. "I've been a horrible father, a horrible dad." He turned away in shame. "I've neglected Jasmine.... I've let her down as a parent. And that's horrible..." He hung his head in shame, then glanced at her nervously. "But I've neglected you, too." His eyes welled with tears. "You don't need to forgive me, neither of you do. I know I don't deserve it."
She touched his cheek. "I left you, remember? I'm the one who should apologize." He shook his head.
"I said things I shouldn't have, and I should have waited for you to try to explain yourself. I understand why you left..." He looked straight into her eyes. "Will you forgive me?" He pulled out a small velvet box. "Can I make it right, now?"
"Only if you forgive me, too." She whispered, falling into his arms. "Oh, James..." She whimpered gently, crying freely as she buried her face in his neck. "Only if you'll forgive me..."
"Oh, Jessie." He cried back, squeezing her against him. "Of course..." They leaned into each other's arms, crying on each other over the lost years, and over finally being re-united. After all those years, it was indescribable. She could hardly believe this was happening... As she pulled back, he caught her lips with his. "Jess..." He opened the box. "It's the same ring, but I made a few changes... I thought it was appropriate, since I'm getting a better deal." Jessie gasped. The original diamond was now nestled on the side of a small ruby heart, with a matching little stone on the other side.
"James..." She wasn't sure whether to be shocked or ecstatic... maybe both? Definitely both. "It's beautiful..." He slid it on her finger, and she started crying again. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her. Six years... For six years she had been waiting... She'd been totally alone. "James, I love you." He answered her with a sweet smile and another kiss, letting his lips gently caress her cheek. "I..." She closed her eyes. This was heaven... Suddenly, he pulled back. For a second, she was afraid she had done something wrong, but he smiled.
"Your clothes are probably dry, now." He said quietly. "I'll get them for you. Besides.." He was cut off as Growlie nudged him aside to get onto the bed, nuzzling Jessie's hand. "He's worried about you, too." He flashed her an adorable grin, then headed for the door Growlie had just come in. "Later. When we're alone." He turned to look at her one last time, then forced himself to turn away.
He stepped out of the room, leaving Jessie with Growlie and her thoughts. And boy, did she have a lot of them. She sighed. "Nice going, mutt." She said in half jest. "Since when did you start getting between us?" She looked at her feet quietly, wondering what she should do. Growlie watched her, panting happily. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?" He licked her hand in response.
"Jessie?" She jumped slightly, spinning to face him. "Where is Jasmine, now?" He put a small pile of clothes on the bed, then turned away. "She's safe, right?" He asked, staring out the window as he did his best to avoid the distracting sound of clothes rumpling as she put them on.
"I think so..." She slipped her jacket on, looking at him. "Your mother doesn't want to hurt her. But, if she's got her... We need to find out." She looked around, her eyes landing on his. "Before we worry about ourselves.." She said quietly, attempting to convince herself. James nodded sullenly. "But how..." Her eyes brightened. "Becky has a cell phone!" She exclaimed, reaching for the phone. "We can call her!"
James looked at her. "I have to talk to her... I hope she forgives me.." He took Jessie's hand gently. "As easily as you did..." She smiled timidly as she dialed the number.
"I'm sure she will, James." He gave her a relieved grin as she held up the phone, listening to the rings. "I'm sure..." A female voice answered. "Becky, I... Mrs. Nina!"
"Mom?!" James yelled, jumping to his feet. "Jessie, let me..." He reached for the phone, but she yanked it away. "Mom, if you touch her I swear...." He stopped, unsure of what to say. His parents scared him way too much for him to actually threaten them...
"Hello, child." The cold voice on the other end answered. "Is my son there?" Jessie stammered something, and Nina smiled. "Tell him his daughter wants to talk to him." She said smugly. Jessie went totally pale, wordlessly handing the phone to James. "James." Her voice was warm and dripping with false sweetness. "You have a charming daughter..." a faint struggling could be heard in the distance, and Nina let out a small grunt as if someone had kicked her. "She's got horrible manners, though." She said more coldly. "You'd think she'd been raised by a banshee."
"Let her go, Mom." James said as forcefully as he dared. "You'll never get away with this." Her cackle sent chills down his spine.
"Son, son, son..." She laughed. "I already have." James went slightly tense. "James." She was suddenly rather angry. "I expect to see you and that little whore of yours at our house tonight." James gulped slightly. "Don't be late." The line went dead.
"James?" He turned to look at her. "What are we gonna do?" He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. "James? We can't let her do this..." Jessie pleaded, reaching out for his shoulder. "She can't win..."
"We don't have a choice." He whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. He turned to her, his eyes were running over. "I can't let her hurt Jasmine..." He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly against his chest. "Or you... I'm sorry, Jessie." He squeezed her until she gagged slightly. "Jess...." After all these years, would he have to say goodbye again so soon? His heart was pounding, his mouth was totally dry.
"James?" He looked down at her. "It's okay, James." She said quietly. She had forgotten this feeling, too... like Jasmine, James needed her. As much as she needed both of them. She closed her eyes, her cheeks warm with a gentle blush. "We can do this, James... We always come out on top."
"I don't know, Jessie..." He whispered. "After all this time looking for you... To lose you again..." He held onto her for a few more seconds, then released her. "But then... To lose Jasmine..." She looked into his eyes. "...Before I could talk to her... That would be even worse." He hung his head sadly. "I guess I have no choice."
"We don't." Jessie agreed. "Except to hope for the best... and never get separated." She stood hazardously, resting all her weight on her good foot, and looked up expectantly. "We haven't got much time. It's already getting dark." He nodded, offering her his arm, and she gingerly limped with him to the door.
Jessie shuddered as they reached the huge cast-iron gates that lead to the inner driveway. James offered her a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he pressed the button to call the butler. "I don't like this..." She said quietly, leaning against his shoulder. From the back seat, Growlie barked angrily at the door.
"Neither do I." He admitted as Hopkins came on the line. "Hi, Foote. It's..."
"Welcome, master." Foote said coolly. "We have been expecting you. Please enter." With a clang, the doors swung open.
"He's awfully quiet..." James noted. "When he's not yelling, you know it's bad." Jessie gulped, clinging harder to his arm until it was hard to steer. As he pulled into the inner court, he turned to her. "Are you ready?" He said quietly. She nodded rapidly. "Never let go of my arm." He reminded her. "If they separate us..." He didn't even want to know what would happen. "Just remember." He added more quietly. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me to raise a child alone." With that, he leaned over, kissing her softly. "We'll make it together, right?"
"We always do..." She whispered, savoring his hot breath against his lips. She really wasn't sure. His parents were insane... But in his arms, anything was possible. She hugged him tighter, wishing this moment could last forever...
But, no. They had put off growing up for too long already. It was time to become the real family she had always wanted for Jasmine... A mommy, and a daddy... And, at least for these few short minutes, they would be.
James stepped out of the car, letting Growlie out the back door, then opened the door for Jessie. "Here goes nothing..." He muttered, helping her to her feet and putting his arm around her waist for support. "If she's touched Jasmine, then I'll..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I'll do." He looked at her. "She wouldn't... Would she?"
"It's your Mother we're talking about, here. I don't know..." She nearly yelled at him, but then caught herself. "She's crazy, James." He nodded. "I don't think she'll hurt her yet, though." Jessie tried to comfort him. "I think..." She was cut off as the heavy door opened in front of them.
"Good day, Master James." Foote greeted coldly. "Hello..." He stumbled over a word to call her, and finally just settled for a nod in her direction. "Your mother will be quite happy to see that you've finally decided to take your role in the Sassaké family seriously. Come in, please." As the two walked in, Hopkins slammed the door, locking Growlie out. "Just the two of you." He explained.
"I'm not here to become your stupid spokesperson." James grumbled through clenched teeth. "I'm here for my daughter." Foote snorted slightly, but wordlessly lead them into the main hall. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"I'm right here." A rather sinister voice called from behind them. James turned to his mother, instinctively pushing Jessie behind him for protection. Which was just what they wanted...
"Jammmmph!" Jessie screamed as the butler's hand came down on her mouth.
"Jessie!" James screamed, turning to her. "Let her go!" He stepped forward, running to help her, but felt his mother's arms wrap around him. "Get your hands off of..." He felt her press a slightly damp cloth against his mouth. "No... Jessie! Jasmine...." His voice trailed off as his eyes became dull. "Jasmine..."
"You'll thank me for this later, son." Nina grinned as the young man fell to the floor. "Hopkins?" She turned to the large butler holding Jessie's limp body. "Look at how cute James is, all curled up on the floor. I always liked my children best when they were unconscious." She mused, looking him over. "Lance? Where are you, dearest? Your son's come home!"
"I don't know about this, precious." The elder man said nervously. "After all, the boy is a grown man. Shouldn't we let him...?" She cut him off.
"A grown man never would have gotten into this sort of mess, Darling." She said coldly. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this from the girls? 'Oh, Nina darling, Where is that adorable son of yours? Has he finally settled down?' What am I supposed to say to them?!" She stamped her foot. "Hopkins, take the little demimondaine away. I'm calling Jessibel."
"Jessibel? But precious..." She turned and gave him a warning look, and he went quiet. She stalked out of the room. Foote withdrew, taking Jessie with him and leaving Lance to his own dark thoughts. "Why, son?" He mused aloud to his sleeping son. "Why did you have to let it go this far?" He stood up, pacing back and forth as if he were giving a lecture. "Why couldn't you have just settled down with Jessibel? Why are you doing this to your mother and I? Do you like to torment us?!" He demanded, but James, of course, gave no answer. Lance sighed and sat back down. "What are we going to tell your daughter?"
As if on cue, a bubbling giggle echoed through the hall. Lance sighed bittersweetly. It had been so long since there had been laughter in the manor. Sometimes, he questioned his Precious' logic, raising a child to be perfect. Perfection was meant for paintings and floor plans and designs, and things like that. It was never meant for people, and certainly not for little boys. "Did we do this to you?" He finally asked.
"Hi, Grandpa!" A sweet voice called from the entrance. "What'cha doing?" Her eyes widened. "DADDY!" She screamed happily, jumping onto James. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" She chanted, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd come back, Daddy!" The young man barely stirred.
"Hello, Jessibel speaking." A voice with a soft southern accent answered the phone. "May I help y'all?" She asked nicely.
"Jessibel, darling." Nina gushed. "We've finally gotten James to come home. We'll take care of his little mistress and her deplorable little child tonight." She smiled wickedly. "And you two can be married by tomorrow. It's a perfect plan. Without her, James will be too pathetic to protest... He'll be easy to tame."
"Mmhmm..." Jessibel said quietly.
"And then, you and James can become the perfect heirs to the Sassaké family." Nina finished with a flair. "Like you were always meant to be." she paused, waiting for Jessibel to comment. "Dear? Are you still their?" she questioned.
"Don't call me anymore, ma'am." Jessibel said tiredly. Then, she began to hang up the phone. "It was nobody, darling." She called as she hung up the phone. "Just a wrong number, dear. I'm comin' back to bed."
"You little tramp!" Nina hissed. "What about the engagement?!"
"Listen here, Missus Nina!" Jessibel yelled back, taking the phone to her ear again. "James-Dea... James had her daughter. He's made his li'll choice. I know when I'm beaten. You should learn..." Jessibel's voice was tainted slightly with sadness. "The minute I saw that li'll girl, I knew I'd lost... James is a gentleman!" She said defensively. "And if a gentleman has a lady's daughter, so help me, God! He will do whatever it takes to marry her. An' that's just what James is doing! He can marry that girl until he turns blue, for all I care! Good day!" Then the line went dead.
"Why, that little...." Nina growled, clenching the phone. "How dare she!" With an aggravated scream, she tossed the phone at a nearby mirror. "Well, James, it looks like you'll be staying with your 'family' after all." She growled, storming back towards the room her son was in.
"Dad-dy." Jasmine said teasingly, tickling him under the nose with the tip of her hair as she sat on his chest. "Dad-dy." He shooed her hand away, sneezing slightly. "Wake up, Daddy!" Jasmine said, slightly more frustrated. "Wake up!" She turned to Lance. "What's wrong with Daddy?" She asked exasperatedly. "Why won't he wake up?" Lance shook his head.
"He's sleeping?" He offered lamely. "Your Daddy has had a big day." On 'daddy', he shivered slightly. "Why do you call him 'Daddy'?" James had always referred to him as 'Father', even from a very early age.
"Because he is my Daddy." She said simply. "He's my Daddy 'cause he loves me, and he loves my Mommy, and to-later, when I get bigger and we go home, he's gonna marry Mommy!" She spread her arms and bounced on his chest a little. "And we're gonna have a party, and I'll have flowers, and then.... we'll all eat lots of cake!" She laughed, pretending to shovel food into her mouth. "Yum, yum, yum... Until it's all gone!"
Lance laughed painfully. "It sounds like you really love your parents." He commented nervously. She nodded. "And it sounds like they really love you..." She nodded again.
"Oh course." She said confidentially. "All kids love their parents, and all Mommies an' Daddies love their children. Right?" He gulped quietly.
"That's what we like to think." He said uncomfortably. "Unfortunately, it's not always that simple..." Just then, James stirred again. Lance held his breath, frozen as the young man mumbled something groggily, then opened his eyes.
"Father!" He yelled. "Jasmine!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. "Jasmine... Oh, Jazz, you're safe!" He held her tightly. "Thank God you're alright." He snuggled his head into her neck, fighting back tears. "My little girl... My daughter." He nearly choked on the words. "My little angel."
Lance looked down at his child. "Son?" James didn't answer. "James, about what's happening..." He turned even further away. "James?"
"Jessie." He growled. "Where is she? What have you done with her?" He turned to his father. "What did you do to Jessie?!" He turned, his eyes full of hurt. "Father, how could you..." He hugged Jasmine tighter to his chest, as if her were afraid that his father would try to rip her out of his hands.
"It's what's best for you, son!" Lance protested weakly. "We only want you to become the heir this family needs!" James glared back.
"Like hell it's what's best for me!" James yelled, then calmed slightly. "Father, I love Jessie. I love Jasmine." He said, his voice faltering. "No matter what you do to them, I'll never become what you want. I'm sorry." Lance looked up, surprised. "I know I've never been that perfect son you wanted. I tried, Father, really... I just couldn't. I just couldn't fit the image you wanted. I tried so hard... I still do. I'm just a loser..." He looked straight into his father's eyes. "But please, Father. Don't take it out on my family. Don't take it out on the people I love most."
"Gandpa?" Lance turned to the little girl. "Where is my Mommy?" Lance gulped. "When is she coming here? She misses Daddy, too." She looked at him innocently. "Will she be here soon?" Lance looked at the young child, then at James.
"I.... I..." He had always assumed that James had goofed off as a kid. He had never realized that James had done anything in his life to try to please him and Nina. This whole thing was getting horribly out of hand. He stood up. "I had nothing to do with this. You should go, James. Take Jasmine and leave. Then, at least she'll be safe." He turned. "If you stay, I can't promise anything."
"And leave Jessie?! Over my dead body!" James yelled, rising to his feet. "I'm not going until..."
"It WILL be over your dead body if you don't get out of here!" Lance yelled. "Don't you see?! Precious has lost her sense. I don't want to see you get killed!"
"All I see is a man with no spine!" James screamed back. "You're worse than I'll ever be! I refuse to leave Jessie, I refuse to leave Jasmine's mother to die! I'm not leaving without her!!" Jasmine started to cry, and he picked her up.
"Daddy, why are you yelling?" She gulped between sobs. "Why are you so angry? Where's Mommy?" He hugged her tightly. "I wanna go home..." James looked at her sadly. "I wanna see Mommy..." James turned from her, to his father, then back.
"Jazzy..." He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry I yelled." He bounced her slightly in his arms. "Cheer up. Jess... Your Mommy will be okay." Jasmine sniffled, then looked up at him. "Really. It'll be okay, Jazz. I won't abandon you or your Mommy. I..." Before he could say anything else, Nina stormed in. "Mother!" he gasped, standing up. Jasmine clung to his leg, hiding behind him slightly.
"Don't 'Mother' me, James." Nina growled, taking Jasmine by the collar. James rushed to grab her, but was restrained by Foote. "I'd suggest you come quietly, James. If you get cocky with me, I can assure you you'll never see your little whore again as long as she lives!" Nina warned, holding Jasmine's shoulder tightly.
"Get your hands off of her, mother!!" James screamed, struggling against his butler's iron grip. "You can't do this!"
"I can, and am." She said coldly, dragging Jasmine after her. "Come along." James, stuck in a headlock, had no choice but to follow. Mr. Sassaké followed worriedly from a distance.
"James! Jasmine!!" Jessie exclaimed as the door opened. She had been locked in a small bedroom, and was pacing furiously as she searched for a way out. Nina threw Jasmine in, then beckoned Hopkins. Jessie slid to the floor, grabbing Jasmine. "Oh, Jazz... I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered.
"Not for long." Nina replied coldly. "I should have known this would happen. James will never learn to accept the responsibilities cast on him. And you..." Nina pulled a pistol out of her purse. "Shall never become his wife."
"Mother! No!!!" James shrieked hoarsely. "No!" He struggled against Hopkins again, finally freeing himself. "Mother, you can't!" He stood in front of her. She glared back.
"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young man." She growled back. "Wait your turn." He looked at her, shocked. "She's the one that ruined your chance at ever being a gentleman. She goes first. Then your little daughter. And then..." She grinned wickedly, leveling off the gun. "Mommy always knows best, dear. You should have listened to me."
"Mother..." James backed up, feeling his legs go weak. "You wouldn't..." He fell back into a sitting position on the bed. "Jess?" He reached for her hand, and found out she had fainted. "Jessie?" His vision was clouding over... He felt himself losing consciousness.
"Daddy." His hand touched a tiny finger, and he looked over. "What's wrong, Daddy?" She asked, taking his hand. "Are you okay?" He shook his head. "Awww... You need a hug, don't you?" She hugged him tightly. "There you go. Is that better?"
"Jazz..." He said, disoriented. "Jasmine?" He hugged her back, crying. "Jasmine, I'm so sorry. I'm the worst Daddy in the world." He sobbed. "Can you forgive me?"
"Nu-uh, Daddy." He froze, but she continued. "You're not the worst Daddy in the world. You're the best!" He grinned sadly.
"Thank you, Jasmine." He said. "You have no idea how much that means to me."
"How touching." Nina said coldly. "That's right, get a nice goodbye." She aimed the gun again.
"Precious, that's enough!" Lance yelled. "Stop this insanity immediately!" She turned to him.
"Dad?!" James said quietly. In all the years he'd lived here, he'd never seen his father stand up to his mother. Lance smiled back weakly.
"Dearest, what do you mean?" Nina said, shocked. "Insanity? I'm only doing what's best!"
"What you're doing is punishing James for the best thing he's done in his life. Back when he was a common criminal, you merely called him a delinquent. Now, he's supporting himself and trying to marry the woman he loves. He's taken on more responsibilities then he'd ever have here. And for that, you want him dead?"
Nina looked from her son to her husband. "I..." Her gaze drifted to the young woman lying on the bed, and her gaze hardened. "I can't let this happen." She leveled the gun off at Jessie. "Not in my family."
"No!" James and Lance both yelled at the same time.
The next few seconds slowed to a sickening crawl. James pushed Jasmine out of his lap, shoving her onto the bed behind him, and dove in front of Jessie. At the same instant, Jessie awoke slightly and raised herself into a sitting position to try to see what was happening. In the meantime, Lance grabbed Nina's hand, trying to take the gun away, and her hand jerked upwards. Involuntarily, she pulled the trigger...
"JESSIE!!!!!" James caught her as she fell back against the bed. "JESSIE!!!" She gave no response.
"Hopkins! Call an ambulance!" Lance ordered. "Keep an eye on Nina, too!" He ran to get a first-aid kit. Jasmine ran after him, asking what happened.
"Jessie...." James shook her gently. "Jessie... You have to live, Jess!" You can't leave me, not like this." Her face was getting whiter by the second. "Jessie, please..." He gulped. "Can you hear me?" Still, nothing but the labored sound of her breathing. He went quiet, his eyes stinging with tears, lost in thought and sorrow. He had never dealt with death before... he had no idea what to do. "Jessie, I'm so sorry..." Finally, he picked her up gently. He could at least bring her to the main hall, where the paramedics could find them. "Jessica, you're the only reason I have to live." He whispered. "You can't go."
"That's... not true." He looked at her face, hanging on her every word. "You have.... Jasmine." She whispered, her voice so hoarse he could hardly understand. "Promise me..... you'll take care... of her..." For a second, she forced her eyes open.
"Anything." He set her down on a large overstuffed couch and hugged her. "Anything at all." She said nothing, and he continued. "Jessie, if you died, I'd be lost forever. I'd hate my life so much. But...." She looked into his eyes, and he cleared his throat. "For Jasmine's sake, I'd never let it show." Even with her waning strength, she managed to smile.
"Thank you..." Her breath was slow and heavy, and her face was whiter than the silk pillow her head was resting on. "I... love... you..." Her eyes closed, and he felt her body going limp.
"Jessie?!" He became acutely aware of the unbearable silence in the room as Jessie gave one last strangled gasp for air. "JESSIE!!" Even the men in the ambulance could hear him as he called her name one last time.
"Why do I hafta dress like this?" Jasmine complained. "This is so itchy..."
"It's one of those things, Jasmine." Mary said gently. "There are going to be a lot of relatives that you haven't seen in a while. The ones you meet only on special occasions. You have to look your best."
"Don't call me Jasmine." Jasmine said. "I wanna be 'Jessy' now. Like Daddy always called Mommy." She looked at Mary. "I had a dream last night. I dreamed Mommy came home from the hospital." She looked at her feet. "I miss her, Auntie."
"Oh.... I know you do, honey." Mary said quietly. "But remember. You have to be really nice for your daddy. He's been at the hospital for days, and he's hardly been sleeping. He'll want you to act like the angel you are so often, and make him feel better."
"I guess." Jasmine said. "But I still wish Mommy would come home."
"I know, Jass.. Jessy." Mary said. "I..." The phone began ringing. "That's probably your daddy on the phone now!" She said, rushing for it.
Jasmine looked at the wall, admiring the pictures. The wall was covered in them. The moment James had seen Jessie's albums, he had wanted to plaster the house with them. This wall had pictures of her as a little girl... All except the last one.
"Yes, of course." Mary replied. "I understand... Really?! Oh, Jessy will be thrilled... No, no, not her... Jasmine wants to be called Jessy now. I know. She thinks it's wonderful... What?! I thought the doctors said she had hours left! ...I guess...Yeah... They can be... Oh dear... Are you okay? Good. You're taking this so well... Well, I'll tell her that now... Uh-huh... Bye, James."
"Auntie Mary, is something wrong?" Jasmine asked, walking over. "You're crying."
"Jasmine... Jessy... your mommy... well..." Mary hesitated.
"Yeah? What about Mommy? Jasmine asked.
"Well... You have a little sister!" Mary burst out sobbing. "Jess had a little girl. Remember, the doctor said she would be here this afternoon? Well, She's early! You're a big sister! It's so sweet..." Mary wiped her eyes. "Your father was so excited... he started laughing, because he's so happy. I promised him I'd bring you down there to meet her as soon as possible."
"Yes! Yahoo!" Jasmine yelled, spinning around. "I gotta little sister! I gotta little sister! I gotta little sister!" She started doing a chicken dance. "I gotta little sister!" Mary laughed.
"Come on, dear. Your mommy is waiting."
As they headed out the door, Mary's eye caught another of the pictures on the wall. It was her favorite... Jasmine was feeding James a piece of wedding cake while Jessie stood by laughing. Her mother's dress looked gorgeous on her. You could hardly tell she had almost died.
Just two months before the wedding, the doctors had successfully removed the bullet from her ribcage, and sewed her back up. James had offered to postpone it, but Jessie had been so excited she had insisted. Somehow, she made it.
Looking at the picture, Mary almost started crying again. It was hard to believe that was almost two years ago... And now, there was another child. It was so beautiful.
But then, they had earned it.
^_^ Scared ya. Admit it. ^_^
I'm still here... I know it's been a while, but I think it was worth it. I really liked this one. I don't normally like 'em, but this one turned out really well, eh? That 'I always liked my children best when they were unconscious' quote is also from the play 'Nina in the Morning', where I got most of the names. My niece says 'to-later', when she means 'sometime that isn't right now.' I think it's adorable. I also taught her to chicken-dance, which is why I made Jasmine do it.
Lessee... There were some pretty big words, too. Like that demimondaine. It's just fancy talk for 'loose woman', though. A big hand goes out to TheGreatNat, who's been my editor for several stories. Thanx! ^_^ I'm gonna go finish The Dance like a good girl now, but after I finish some of the stories I've planned, I'll most likely add onto this series. Probably the wedding. I didn't explain it much, but it was cute. ^_^ I luv weddings.