Chapter 5
"...Rach, I'm at the library, can you meet me here?" Jack sounded winded and upset.
"Yup, on my way... are you alright, Jack?"
"Yeah, I just... I need to talk to you..." Jack's voice trailed off, and then he hung up. Rachel hung up the phone and grabbed her keys when she heard a knock. She opened the door to find Angela standing in the hallway.
"Ya know, as much as I'd LOVE to talk to you right now, this isn't the best time," Rachel said hurriedly. Angela walked past Rachel and sat down on the couch.
"Is Jack here?" Angela asked nonchalantly.
"As a matter of fact, he's not, so if you'll excuse me, I have to be going."
"Where're you rushing off to?" Angela crossed her legs and rested her arms along the back of the couch.
"To a homo anonymous meeting, I'm trying to cure myself of my secret lesbianism... so if you could leave so I can..."
"Funny. That's what I always liked about you Rachel. You have such a great sense of humor. You know, I hear Jack has a great sense of humor too. I think him dumping you for Eric is the funniest..." Angela abruptly stopped speaking when she saw Rachel take a few steps toward her. Rachel nimbly grabbed a fist full of sweater around Angela's collar and picked her up. She dragged Angela from the couch to the door and tossed her into the hallway.
"It was nice chatting with you, Angela. Let's do this again REAL soon," Rachel said sharply. She turned and locked the door behind her and walked to the elevator, Angela sat where she landed, stunned.
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"Hey, everybody, how's she doing?" Shawn walked into the hospital room. Amy walked over to Shawn and hugged him.
"She's stable. For now."
"Hey, Shawn. Nice of you to stop by," Alan walked over to Shawn and hugged him too.
"Where's Cor?" Shawn asked as he sat down.
"We sent him home a couple of hours ago, he needed a break," Amy said as she stood by Topanga's bed and held her fingers.
"That's cool. He's been here since they brought her in."
"A husband belongs at his wife's side," Alan said as he walked up behind Amy and rubbed her arms and shoulders.
"So how are you guys holding up? I haven't seen you since... since Eric's funeral." Shawn looked down at the ground as he thought about what he said.
"We're doing... okay. We sure miss Eric though," Amy's voice cracked a little.
"We all do, I know it's really tearing Jack apart. He blames Angela, Corey, and Topanga for what happened to Eric," Shawn looked up to watch their faces. Amy looked at Alan.
"Jack? Why would your brother blame... isn't he dating Rachel?" Alan asked a bit confused.
"Uh, he was. He broke up with her a few weeks ago. Just before Eric..."
"Wait, you're not telling us that... that Jack returned Eric's feelings?" Amy asked skeptically.
"Actually, yeah. He realized that he felt the same way about Eric." Amy and Alan were quiet for a few minutes while they absorbed the information.
Amy grabbed her husbands hand and squeezed it tightly,"Oh, Alan. All I wanted was for my son to be happy," Amy had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Shawn, did Jack tell Eric before he passed on?"
"Yeah, he did. He told Eric just before... he died."
"I'm... glad," Amy smiled. "How is Jack doing?"
"He's not so good, but doing better gradually. It's been pretty tough for him, not that it hasn't been tough on everyone." Shawn stood up and walked to the foot of the bed. "I think I'm gonna go. Maybe I'll catch Corey at home. I'll see you later."
"Thanks, Shawn... For everything." Alan patted Shawn on the back. Shawn smiled at them before he left.
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"You'll never guess who I ran into before I left..." Rachel sat down across from Jack. He had his head down on the table, his arms stretched out in front of him.
"Angela came by and..."
"Angela? What did she want... I need to talk to Angela..." Jack finally sat up and looked at Rachel.
"Are you kiddin'? She's just lookin' to get a rise out of us. Forget her and Corey."
"Corey isn't a problem anymore. He was bad to Eric." Jack's expression was distant.
"What are you talking about? Why are you here anyway?" Rachel grabbed Jack's hand and it was ice cold.
"I need to find Angela, I'm almost done..." Jack finally got up and headed for the door. Rachel followed him.
"Jack, what's going on? Where are you going?"
****************************
Shawn found Corey and Topanga's apartment door ajar. He knocked as he gently pushed the door open, "Hello? Cor?"
Shawn froze when he saw Corey lying on the floor in a pool of blood and glass.
"COREY!" Shawn yelled, but it was too late. He checked his pulse and listened for breath. He was gone.
"This can't be happening... THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!" Shawn screamed.
"Jack..." he whispered under his breath, tears ran down his cheeks.
Suddenly, he felt a shock of fear, "Angela..." Shawn ran out of the apartment.
"...Rach, I'm at the library, can you meet me here?" Jack sounded winded and upset.
"Yup, on my way... are you alright, Jack?"
"Yeah, I just... I need to talk to you..." Jack's voice trailed off, and then he hung up. Rachel hung up the phone and grabbed her keys when she heard a knock. She opened the door to find Angela standing in the hallway.
"Ya know, as much as I'd LOVE to talk to you right now, this isn't the best time," Rachel said hurriedly. Angela walked past Rachel and sat down on the couch.
"Is Jack here?" Angela asked nonchalantly.
"As a matter of fact, he's not, so if you'll excuse me, I have to be going."
"Where're you rushing off to?" Angela crossed her legs and rested her arms along the back of the couch.
"To a homo anonymous meeting, I'm trying to cure myself of my secret lesbianism... so if you could leave so I can..."
"Funny. That's what I always liked about you Rachel. You have such a great sense of humor. You know, I hear Jack has a great sense of humor too. I think him dumping you for Eric is the funniest..." Angela abruptly stopped speaking when she saw Rachel take a few steps toward her. Rachel nimbly grabbed a fist full of sweater around Angela's collar and picked her up. She dragged Angela from the couch to the door and tossed her into the hallway.
"It was nice chatting with you, Angela. Let's do this again REAL soon," Rachel said sharply. She turned and locked the door behind her and walked to the elevator, Angela sat where she landed, stunned.
****************************
"Hey, everybody, how's she doing?" Shawn walked into the hospital room. Amy walked over to Shawn and hugged him.
"She's stable. For now."
"Hey, Shawn. Nice of you to stop by," Alan walked over to Shawn and hugged him too.
"Where's Cor?" Shawn asked as he sat down.
"We sent him home a couple of hours ago, he needed a break," Amy said as she stood by Topanga's bed and held her fingers.
"That's cool. He's been here since they brought her in."
"A husband belongs at his wife's side," Alan said as he walked up behind Amy and rubbed her arms and shoulders.
"So how are you guys holding up? I haven't seen you since... since Eric's funeral." Shawn looked down at the ground as he thought about what he said.
"We're doing... okay. We sure miss Eric though," Amy's voice cracked a little.
"We all do, I know it's really tearing Jack apart. He blames Angela, Corey, and Topanga for what happened to Eric," Shawn looked up to watch their faces. Amy looked at Alan.
"Jack? Why would your brother blame... isn't he dating Rachel?" Alan asked a bit confused.
"Uh, he was. He broke up with her a few weeks ago. Just before Eric..."
"Wait, you're not telling us that... that Jack returned Eric's feelings?" Amy asked skeptically.
"Actually, yeah. He realized that he felt the same way about Eric." Amy and Alan were quiet for a few minutes while they absorbed the information.
Amy grabbed her husbands hand and squeezed it tightly,"Oh, Alan. All I wanted was for my son to be happy," Amy had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Shawn, did Jack tell Eric before he passed on?"
"Yeah, he did. He told Eric just before... he died."
"I'm... glad," Amy smiled. "How is Jack doing?"
"He's not so good, but doing better gradually. It's been pretty tough for him, not that it hasn't been tough on everyone." Shawn stood up and walked to the foot of the bed. "I think I'm gonna go. Maybe I'll catch Corey at home. I'll see you later."
"Thanks, Shawn... For everything." Alan patted Shawn on the back. Shawn smiled at them before he left.
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"You'll never guess who I ran into before I left..." Rachel sat down across from Jack. He had his head down on the table, his arms stretched out in front of him.
"Angela came by and..."
"Angela? What did she want... I need to talk to Angela..." Jack finally sat up and looked at Rachel.
"Are you kiddin'? She's just lookin' to get a rise out of us. Forget her and Corey."
"Corey isn't a problem anymore. He was bad to Eric." Jack's expression was distant.
"What are you talking about? Why are you here anyway?" Rachel grabbed Jack's hand and it was ice cold.
"I need to find Angela, I'm almost done..." Jack finally got up and headed for the door. Rachel followed him.
"Jack, what's going on? Where are you going?"
****************************
Shawn found Corey and Topanga's apartment door ajar. He knocked as he gently pushed the door open, "Hello? Cor?"
Shawn froze when he saw Corey lying on the floor in a pool of blood and glass.
"COREY!" Shawn yelled, but it was too late. He checked his pulse and listened for breath. He was gone.
"This can't be happening... THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!" Shawn screamed.
"Jack..." he whispered under his breath, tears ran down his cheeks.
Suddenly, he felt a shock of fear, "Angela..." Shawn ran out of the apartment.