AH! I'm almost done! *heart attack* this is preeeetty crazy...anyway, TONS of love and wuv and supreme adoration go out to my wunderfful reviewers as always :) :
Rhapsody - YAY! You're back! *shakes fist at system* stupid glitch...anyway - je t'aime, mon amie, et merci d'avoir ete si manifique! Awww I love old memories! *cue cats and luciano pavarotti* meeeeeeemory, all alooone in the moooooonligghhhtt..... thanks for the review kiddo! :)
Oh nameless one - thank you for the review! Leave your name next time so that I can thank you properly! :)
Vioshine - hahahahahhaa that's really funny because I was actually entertaining that idea myself! Lock walks in on his girlfriend making out with his best friend - OH NO! But then...well...he didn't. He was too busy beating up Grubbs. Poor boy :( um...of course Jake didn't die in the fire...umm...he's happy, now...in a better place. With the X-Men! Yes, that's it. He's with the X-Men. I could come up with a whole back story for that...but I think Marvel would sue me for being stupid :( oh well. I can't say that I get any less cruel in this chappie...I wanted SO badly to be nice! Anyway - let me know what you think, okay? Merci beaucoup beaucoup for the review! YAY! :)
Dreamer - I *like* Key and Spot together - and I'm glad that someone else does too!!! Puddles are the only way to go, my dear. Happy puddles. Yes. They're the best kind :) I'M SORRY!!! I really do love my reviewers...that's why there must be a sequel. I'm not cruel, I swear...okay, mebbe just a lil bit. But it hurts me JUST as much as it hurts you guys. I just didn't want this to turn into another "Sealed with a Kiss" and have it be painfully sappy. I'm sorry *puppy dog eyes* forgive me? Pwease? Thanks for the review!! :)
Raven's Wing - She SHOULD break Lock's heart, dammit! ... people don't always do what they should. :( Thank you for the review!!! :)
Raeghann - I KNOW that this took me forever! ACK! I'm sorry!!! But oui oui it's up and I'm updating rather soon afterwards - aren't you proud of me :) I'm so flattered that you loved that chapter! *blushes* AH! I like it too - well, the middle bit. The bit with all the love :) lol wow I'm so predictable. Hopeless Romantics R Us. Thank you for the review and the praise! YAY! ... now stop being so cruel to cameo and spot and MAKE IT ALL BETTER!!!!!
Hold on to your hats, kiddies...
Closing the door softly behind her, Key rested her head against the cool wood and sighed. Lock had finally fallen into a fitful sleep in the sickroom. He was blaming himself for Jake's death and was so repentant about what had happened with Grubbs that her heart broke to see him. He had rambled on for hours about neglecting his responsibility, punctuated with fits of wild sobbing and self-hatred.
And despite it all, it was only beginning to kick in.
Jake was dead.
...Will he ever be able to get over this?
A husky voice startled her out of her thoughts.
"Key." Spot moved out of the shadow of the bunks. Standing in the moonlight, he looked exceptionally noble, even with eyes red from tears shed in secret. He moved over to the window and gestured to the fire escape,
"Come up on the roof with me?"
Glancing at the slumbering forms of the others, she nodded.
Neither spoke as they climbed the fire escape to the roof. Even the very night seemed to mourn for their loss; the normally noisy streets of Brooklyn were eerily silent.
They reached the rough stones of the roof and stood side by side surveying the street below. Then, Key couldn't hold it in any more. She threw herself at Spot, covering his mouth with hers violently. He barely kissed her back before pulling away. His eyes were a confused grey as they stared into hers, but she cut him off before he could speak.
"Please, Spot. I just need to feel something other than this."
Her lips tempted him terribly, but he somehow managed to move away.
"I can't let you do something that you'll regret."
Her eyes widened and she tried to make him look at her.
"Spot, I wouldn't regret it. I could never regret this."
Her voice was so earnest that it broke his heart to push her gently away.
"Everything is different now." He placed his hands palm down on the rough brick of the wall, trying to find the strength for what he needed to say. "Lock is downstairs, and he's hurting. And...and I think that you should be with him."
He tried not to hear the quick intake of breath that indicated tears soon to come.
Sure enough, when her voice broke the silence it was low and salty-wet with sadness.
"But I want to be with you."
He could tell from the way that she spoke that her heart was already cracking. He hadn't known that he held it until mere hours before, and now he was destroying it of his own will.
"Key, don't you see that that can't happen?" There were tears pricking at the backs of his eyelids, but he forced himself to concentrate. If he wasn't strong now...it would be so easy to just drown in her. To forget his responsibilities to Brooklyn, to Lock...to her.
"Lock needs you. Now more than ever. With - with Jake gone, you're all he's got left." His voice was dangerously close to cracking but he ploughed forward somehow, "I can't take you away from him."
When he finally met her eyes, he tried to hold himself back. She looked so lost and every inch of his soul was screaming at him to hold her. But now there could be no turning back.
"I want you to go to him. Forget me. I'm...I'm nothing."
"You're trembling." The pain in her voice cemented the splinters in his heart. "Look at yourself - you're trembling! I don't believe you, Spot." Her voice broke as tears began to pour down her face, "You don't want me to leave. I don't want to leave you."
He turned away as she reached for him, knowing that she would see the truth in his eyes. She managed to grasp his arm, however, and pulled him to her.
"Look at me. Look at me!" He raised his eyes to hers, and she could finally see his heart laid bare in their blue-grey depths.
"You're not nothing, Spot. You're my everything." Her lips reached up towards him, her words ensnaring him, pulling him closer...but he managed to pull away yet again, gathering the shards of his heart to him.
"Key, we can't do this." He whispered once more, and he could tell by the way that she stiffened against him that she understood.
Understanding isn't the same as accepting, however, and so she couldn't stop the words that tumbled out of her lips;
"I'm in love with you. I meant it when I said it. I meant it with all of my heart! And now you're going to walk away from this? From me? Spot...I love you."
His fingers brushed gently across her cheek, stopping the flow of words.
"I love you too," he murmured, "But so does Lock. And I can be strong. I can try to live without you. I don't know if he can."
She nodded mutely, her spirit finally broken by the truth of his words.
"So go to him." His voice trembled and he gripped the brick wall as if trying to anchor himself there. After a never-ending pause of hesitation, she turned, and walked slowly back towards the fire escape.
His voice splintered the silence suddenly , and he spoke without looking at her.
"Key?"
"Yeah?" she whispered, afraid of what would happen if she spoke any louder.
"If you're ever let go...I think I'll be waiting."
His softly spoken words hit her like a thunderbolt, and her eyes overflowed again.
"I love you." she slipped something over her head and hung it over the topmost rung of the fire escape. And with that, she was gone.
"I love you." His words hung in the air for an eternity. When he couldn't restrain himself any longer, he walked over to the fire escape just in time to see her head disappearing in through the window.
Something glittered in the moonlight, and he picked it up in wonderment. As the cool metal pressed against his fingers, he smiled a smile that was one part grateful recognition, one part bitter regret.
******
Somehow, she made it back into the sickroom before letting the glorious sobs overcome her body. As she collapsed by the window, she tried to stifle the sounds of her pain.
A pair of eyes watched her silently from the bed.
Maybe he wasn't as oblivious as they thought.
AN: To continue or not to continue? ... that is the question.
Rhapsody - YAY! You're back! *shakes fist at system* stupid glitch...anyway - je t'aime, mon amie, et merci d'avoir ete si manifique! Awww I love old memories! *cue cats and luciano pavarotti* meeeeeeemory, all alooone in the moooooonligghhhtt..... thanks for the review kiddo! :)
Oh nameless one - thank you for the review! Leave your name next time so that I can thank you properly! :)
Vioshine - hahahahahhaa that's really funny because I was actually entertaining that idea myself! Lock walks in on his girlfriend making out with his best friend - OH NO! But then...well...he didn't. He was too busy beating up Grubbs. Poor boy :( um...of course Jake didn't die in the fire...umm...he's happy, now...in a better place. With the X-Men! Yes, that's it. He's with the X-Men. I could come up with a whole back story for that...but I think Marvel would sue me for being stupid :( oh well. I can't say that I get any less cruel in this chappie...I wanted SO badly to be nice! Anyway - let me know what you think, okay? Merci beaucoup beaucoup for the review! YAY! :)
Dreamer - I *like* Key and Spot together - and I'm glad that someone else does too!!! Puddles are the only way to go, my dear. Happy puddles. Yes. They're the best kind :) I'M SORRY!!! I really do love my reviewers...that's why there must be a sequel. I'm not cruel, I swear...okay, mebbe just a lil bit. But it hurts me JUST as much as it hurts you guys. I just didn't want this to turn into another "Sealed with a Kiss" and have it be painfully sappy. I'm sorry *puppy dog eyes* forgive me? Pwease? Thanks for the review!! :)
Raven's Wing - She SHOULD break Lock's heart, dammit! ... people don't always do what they should. :( Thank you for the review!!! :)
Raeghann - I KNOW that this took me forever! ACK! I'm sorry!!! But oui oui it's up and I'm updating rather soon afterwards - aren't you proud of me :) I'm so flattered that you loved that chapter! *blushes* AH! I like it too - well, the middle bit. The bit with all the love :) lol wow I'm so predictable. Hopeless Romantics R Us. Thank you for the review and the praise! YAY! ... now stop being so cruel to cameo and spot and MAKE IT ALL BETTER!!!!!
Hold on to your hats, kiddies...
Closing the door softly behind her, Key rested her head against the cool wood and sighed. Lock had finally fallen into a fitful sleep in the sickroom. He was blaming himself for Jake's death and was so repentant about what had happened with Grubbs that her heart broke to see him. He had rambled on for hours about neglecting his responsibility, punctuated with fits of wild sobbing and self-hatred.
And despite it all, it was only beginning to kick in.
Jake was dead.
...Will he ever be able to get over this?
A husky voice startled her out of her thoughts.
"Key." Spot moved out of the shadow of the bunks. Standing in the moonlight, he looked exceptionally noble, even with eyes red from tears shed in secret. He moved over to the window and gestured to the fire escape,
"Come up on the roof with me?"
Glancing at the slumbering forms of the others, she nodded.
Neither spoke as they climbed the fire escape to the roof. Even the very night seemed to mourn for their loss; the normally noisy streets of Brooklyn were eerily silent.
They reached the rough stones of the roof and stood side by side surveying the street below. Then, Key couldn't hold it in any more. She threw herself at Spot, covering his mouth with hers violently. He barely kissed her back before pulling away. His eyes were a confused grey as they stared into hers, but she cut him off before he could speak.
"Please, Spot. I just need to feel something other than this."
Her lips tempted him terribly, but he somehow managed to move away.
"I can't let you do something that you'll regret."
Her eyes widened and she tried to make him look at her.
"Spot, I wouldn't regret it. I could never regret this."
Her voice was so earnest that it broke his heart to push her gently away.
"Everything is different now." He placed his hands palm down on the rough brick of the wall, trying to find the strength for what he needed to say. "Lock is downstairs, and he's hurting. And...and I think that you should be with him."
He tried not to hear the quick intake of breath that indicated tears soon to come.
Sure enough, when her voice broke the silence it was low and salty-wet with sadness.
"But I want to be with you."
He could tell from the way that she spoke that her heart was already cracking. He hadn't known that he held it until mere hours before, and now he was destroying it of his own will.
"Key, don't you see that that can't happen?" There were tears pricking at the backs of his eyelids, but he forced himself to concentrate. If he wasn't strong now...it would be so easy to just drown in her. To forget his responsibilities to Brooklyn, to Lock...to her.
"Lock needs you. Now more than ever. With - with Jake gone, you're all he's got left." His voice was dangerously close to cracking but he ploughed forward somehow, "I can't take you away from him."
When he finally met her eyes, he tried to hold himself back. She looked so lost and every inch of his soul was screaming at him to hold her. But now there could be no turning back.
"I want you to go to him. Forget me. I'm...I'm nothing."
"You're trembling." The pain in her voice cemented the splinters in his heart. "Look at yourself - you're trembling! I don't believe you, Spot." Her voice broke as tears began to pour down her face, "You don't want me to leave. I don't want to leave you."
He turned away as she reached for him, knowing that she would see the truth in his eyes. She managed to grasp his arm, however, and pulled him to her.
"Look at me. Look at me!" He raised his eyes to hers, and she could finally see his heart laid bare in their blue-grey depths.
"You're not nothing, Spot. You're my everything." Her lips reached up towards him, her words ensnaring him, pulling him closer...but he managed to pull away yet again, gathering the shards of his heart to him.
"Key, we can't do this." He whispered once more, and he could tell by the way that she stiffened against him that she understood.
Understanding isn't the same as accepting, however, and so she couldn't stop the words that tumbled out of her lips;
"I'm in love with you. I meant it when I said it. I meant it with all of my heart! And now you're going to walk away from this? From me? Spot...I love you."
His fingers brushed gently across her cheek, stopping the flow of words.
"I love you too," he murmured, "But so does Lock. And I can be strong. I can try to live without you. I don't know if he can."
She nodded mutely, her spirit finally broken by the truth of his words.
"So go to him." His voice trembled and he gripped the brick wall as if trying to anchor himself there. After a never-ending pause of hesitation, she turned, and walked slowly back towards the fire escape.
His voice splintered the silence suddenly , and he spoke without looking at her.
"Key?"
"Yeah?" she whispered, afraid of what would happen if she spoke any louder.
"If you're ever let go...I think I'll be waiting."
His softly spoken words hit her like a thunderbolt, and her eyes overflowed again.
"I love you." she slipped something over her head and hung it over the topmost rung of the fire escape. And with that, she was gone.
"I love you." His words hung in the air for an eternity. When he couldn't restrain himself any longer, he walked over to the fire escape just in time to see her head disappearing in through the window.
Something glittered in the moonlight, and he picked it up in wonderment. As the cool metal pressed against his fingers, he smiled a smile that was one part grateful recognition, one part bitter regret.
******
Somehow, she made it back into the sickroom before letting the glorious sobs overcome her body. As she collapsed by the window, she tried to stifle the sounds of her pain.
A pair of eyes watched her silently from the bed.
Maybe he wasn't as oblivious as they thought.
AN: To continue or not to continue? ... that is the question.