Chapter Six
ONE LAST BREATH BY CREED
Jack felt a soft, breeze sweep over the warm contours of his chest as he rolled over beneath the smooth blankets reaching out to the warmth beside him, only to find himself met by a cool, empty sheet. Feeling the memory of Alison fading in his head, he opened his eyes finding only her faint perfume on the pillow beside him. A sigh fell from his lips as he touched the silken pillow cover wondering if it had all been nothing more than a beautifully sweet dream. However as he recalled the magic of having her in his arms, he realized she must have waken before him.
"Alison," Jack whispered her name a smile washing over his handsome features as he remembered what it had been like to hold her, to be able to share his love for her in ways he'd only dreamed of before last night. While they'd started off as friends, something more had transpired making their relationship grow, blossom into something sweet and magical as he could still taste her kisses lingering on his lips, feel her arms swept around him, her eyes fixed on his as they lost themselves time and time again to the love that had beckoned them, daring them to take their friendship to a new, extraordinarily wonderful level. He was in love and for the first time in a long time everything felt right. The only thing bothering him was the thought of not waken up with her in his arms. That had been the one thing he'd vowed to be sure of last night when she'd drifted off to sleep in the safe confines of his body.
"You'll just have to work on that for the future," Jack made a mental not to himself as he slipped out from beneath the blankets feeling the steady tropical breeze slip in past the window causing the curtains to stir as he searched the room for his pants. Looking around the room, his eyes cast upon the scattered remains of the time he'd spent with Alison. Somehow in the midst of their love making, Jack and Alison had made quite a mess of the bedroom, but luckily Chris hadn't returned yet to discover just what had become of Jack and Alison's reunion. Suddenly wondering if Chris had returned and somehow prompted Alison out into the living room, Jack slipped into his pants before making his way out of the bedroom ready to greet his brother and see Alison once again.
"Okay you all," Jack opened the door to the bedroom, "I appreciate you letting me sleep, but I would've liked to be awake before the teasing begins," Jack offered with a hint of laughter as his eyes came upon an empty room. A frown tugged over his features, "guys? Alison?" he called out to her searching the rest of the pueblo before he finally returned to the bedroom unable to keep his eyes from the scattered remains of his one night of magic with Alison. As the winds began to pick up outside the pueblo, Jack turned towards the window ready to close it when a piece of paper on the floor captured his attention.
"What in the...." Jack bent over reaching for it as he noticed Alison's handwriting on the page. Suddenly in that instant Jack folded the note in his hand already knowing what was inside as Alison's things had seemingly vanished with her. He carried the paper with him over to the bed as he took a seat on the edge and sighed knowing that somehow in one night he'd allowed the greatest thing in his life to slip right through his fingers without even realizing it.
Please come now I think I'm falling
I'm holding to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I'm trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down
Alison stood near the water looking out into the ocean. Somehow everything in her life had made sense less than twenty four hours ago. She'd come to Bermuda in the hopes of having some kind of resolution to the argument with Jack, but by the end of the night she'd encountered so much more than she ever imagined possible. Closing her eyes, she thought back to their night in one another's arms as the tears swelled deep within her.
"I love you, Alison," she could hear Jack's words vibrating in her mind as her heart ached with the knowledge that soon he would awaken and his heart would be broken with her departure, "I'll always love you," he'd promised her and now as she stood near the ocean waiting for her departure time to come around, she realized that perhaps she'd made a mistake.
Perhaps she should've stayed with Jack, waken up in his arms and given up any notion of returning to Port Charles. There was really nothing she could do to save Rafe as he'd already sold his soul. You couldn't go back on deals like that, right? She was just a woman clearly incapable of going up against the heavenly powers that be. She couldn't make all the difference, or could she? Rafe had given up heaven to be with her, to return to her and she'd drifted so far away from him, wandered straight into Jack's arms and clearly that meant she shouldn't be with him, right? Making love to Jack was clearly a sign that she wouldn't be able to come back to Rafe knowing that Jack was out there. She couldn't very well claim true love after having spent a night with Jack. Certainly someone out there would understand that the fate of Rafe's soul was beyond her control, right?
A sigh fell from her lips as Alison reopened her eyes and the tears that threatened finally exploded from deep within her. No matter how she tried lying to herself Rafe had given up eternity to be with her and while things hadn't gone like they'd hoped, she had to save him. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have paid such a high price and he'd be happy somewhere else in a place where all was magical for him. Rafe gave his eternity up for him and she owed him more than what she'd given. So what if he'd married Livvie and she'd made love to Jack. Rafe deserved someone to help him, to bring back his soul and Alison owed him that much. She'd loved him so desperately and that's what had convinced him to give forever up, so she owed him her helping hand. Rafe needed her and she knew that was something she couldn't ignore. Yet.....
"Jack needs me too," she reminded herself as tears continued to flood down her face, "he showed you how to laugh again, how to feel free and this is what you do to him. You leave him after you make love," she chastised herself, "Alison, what were you thinking? You were thinking about Rafe's soul. That's what you were thinking," she argued with herself, "yet....." she trailed off looking out onto the ocean wishing there was a simple answer to all of this, that somehow things would just fall into place and the right choice would come to her making the solution to this dilemma she'd found herself in painfully clear.
I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down
Finding the strength to open the note Alison had left him, Jack let out a long breath as he read her words. He tried to feel nothing about the situation, but her laughter and her smile flooded his mind making this simple task of reading her letter all the more painstaking as he pushed himself on to read it.
Jack,
I came here to tell you things, to let you know why I was so insistent upon helping Rafe, but now, well now I need to do the right thing by him. I need to save him and I hope you can understand that. So much is riding on my returning to Port Charles. As for last night, I never planned on us making love, but now that we have, Jack, it changes so many things and the truth is that I'm terrified about what happens next. I don't know what we're supposed to do or say or how to feel.
When I woke up this morning all I thought about was being with you, sharing this morning in your arms dreaming about the future, but until I resolve what's going on back in Port Charles, I fear that I'll never be able to give you what you need. I have to go back and while you might not understand it now, maybe someday soon you'll see why I had to leave. For what it's worth you are the best friend I've ever known and I do love you Jack Ramsey. That much I'm sure of.
Love always,
Alison
"I wish I could say I understand," Jack sighed crumpling the page in his hand before tossing it aside, "but I don't and I can't let you leave like this. I can't let you slip away like this," Jack thought it over for a moment before reaching for the phone. Knowing the tiny airport had few flights back to Port Charles he checked the time for the next departure as he pulled his shirt on determined not to let Alison slip out of his life.
Once he'd finished talking to the man on the phone, he reached for his shoes, tossing them on as he vowed to find Alison and let her know just how much he loved her. He'd been unlucky in love once before, but he refused to do it again. Alison meant too much to him to lose her now. He jotted down a quick note to Chris saying he would return later and with that he left in a race to find Alison before it was too late.
Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there's something left for me
So please come stay with me
'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me
For you and me
For you and me
Jack raced out of the taxi once they'd arrived at the airport and as he hurried inside, he noted the time. He was cutting it close, but he hoped he would make it in time. He had to find Alison and talk to her before she walked out of his life forever. As he rushed past one of the gates, a security officer snapped at him chasing him as Jack pressed forward determined to reach Alison, but alas, his efforts were in vain as he arrived at the gate just as the flight to Port Charles took off leaving him with nothing but the memories of the magic they shared for just one night. Once again fate had dealt him a horrible blow and Alison had left him. He'd lost not only a beautiful love in the making, but somehow in one might of passion, he'd lost his best friend as well. Now he'd finally found what he'd feared all along. He was alone again and this time nothing could take away the pain that filled his heart.
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
As Alison looked to the plane leaving overhead, she let out a pained cry as there was a sharp sting in her ribs. She had changed her mind and decided she needed to be honest with Jack. At the last minute, she'd gotten off the plane determined to make things right, but now as she looked back to her capture in terror as a muffled cry filled from her lips. She'd seen it all in that brief moment Jack had rushed from the taxi into the airport, but she'd been silenced by the barrel of the gun that was not firmly pressed into her ribs.
"You don't want to do this," Alison pleaded realizing now that Jack had seen the plane leave, he would assume she'd left him like her letter had stated, but now as she was being lead to the back area of the airport, she heard the bitterness in the voice the spoke out to her.
"You may have had Rafe's heart, but I won't let you do the same to Jack. I won't let him hurt like you did with Rafe."
"Livvie, you don't want to do this," Alison pleaded with her as Livvie shoved Alison once again.
"On the contrary Alison," Livvie explained harshly, "you may have had Rafe's heart, but I'll be damned if I let you have Jack too. Once I found out where you were, it made me realize that you were trying to hurt me, trying to take away what was mine, but I have news for you Alison, you won't ever see Rafe or Jack again. You have my word on that. Now move!" Livvie finished sharply as Alison reluctantly let Livvie lead her out of the airport and away from the dreams of a happily ever after with Jack.
ONE LAST BREATH BY CREED
Jack felt a soft, breeze sweep over the warm contours of his chest as he rolled over beneath the smooth blankets reaching out to the warmth beside him, only to find himself met by a cool, empty sheet. Feeling the memory of Alison fading in his head, he opened his eyes finding only her faint perfume on the pillow beside him. A sigh fell from his lips as he touched the silken pillow cover wondering if it had all been nothing more than a beautifully sweet dream. However as he recalled the magic of having her in his arms, he realized she must have waken before him.
"Alison," Jack whispered her name a smile washing over his handsome features as he remembered what it had been like to hold her, to be able to share his love for her in ways he'd only dreamed of before last night. While they'd started off as friends, something more had transpired making their relationship grow, blossom into something sweet and magical as he could still taste her kisses lingering on his lips, feel her arms swept around him, her eyes fixed on his as they lost themselves time and time again to the love that had beckoned them, daring them to take their friendship to a new, extraordinarily wonderful level. He was in love and for the first time in a long time everything felt right. The only thing bothering him was the thought of not waken up with her in his arms. That had been the one thing he'd vowed to be sure of last night when she'd drifted off to sleep in the safe confines of his body.
"You'll just have to work on that for the future," Jack made a mental not to himself as he slipped out from beneath the blankets feeling the steady tropical breeze slip in past the window causing the curtains to stir as he searched the room for his pants. Looking around the room, his eyes cast upon the scattered remains of the time he'd spent with Alison. Somehow in the midst of their love making, Jack and Alison had made quite a mess of the bedroom, but luckily Chris hadn't returned yet to discover just what had become of Jack and Alison's reunion. Suddenly wondering if Chris had returned and somehow prompted Alison out into the living room, Jack slipped into his pants before making his way out of the bedroom ready to greet his brother and see Alison once again.
"Okay you all," Jack opened the door to the bedroom, "I appreciate you letting me sleep, but I would've liked to be awake before the teasing begins," Jack offered with a hint of laughter as his eyes came upon an empty room. A frown tugged over his features, "guys? Alison?" he called out to her searching the rest of the pueblo before he finally returned to the bedroom unable to keep his eyes from the scattered remains of his one night of magic with Alison. As the winds began to pick up outside the pueblo, Jack turned towards the window ready to close it when a piece of paper on the floor captured his attention.
"What in the...." Jack bent over reaching for it as he noticed Alison's handwriting on the page. Suddenly in that instant Jack folded the note in his hand already knowing what was inside as Alison's things had seemingly vanished with her. He carried the paper with him over to the bed as he took a seat on the edge and sighed knowing that somehow in one night he'd allowed the greatest thing in his life to slip right through his fingers without even realizing it.
Please come now I think I'm falling
I'm holding to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I'm trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down
Alison stood near the water looking out into the ocean. Somehow everything in her life had made sense less than twenty four hours ago. She'd come to Bermuda in the hopes of having some kind of resolution to the argument with Jack, but by the end of the night she'd encountered so much more than she ever imagined possible. Closing her eyes, she thought back to their night in one another's arms as the tears swelled deep within her.
"I love you, Alison," she could hear Jack's words vibrating in her mind as her heart ached with the knowledge that soon he would awaken and his heart would be broken with her departure, "I'll always love you," he'd promised her and now as she stood near the ocean waiting for her departure time to come around, she realized that perhaps she'd made a mistake.
Perhaps she should've stayed with Jack, waken up in his arms and given up any notion of returning to Port Charles. There was really nothing she could do to save Rafe as he'd already sold his soul. You couldn't go back on deals like that, right? She was just a woman clearly incapable of going up against the heavenly powers that be. She couldn't make all the difference, or could she? Rafe had given up heaven to be with her, to return to her and she'd drifted so far away from him, wandered straight into Jack's arms and clearly that meant she shouldn't be with him, right? Making love to Jack was clearly a sign that she wouldn't be able to come back to Rafe knowing that Jack was out there. She couldn't very well claim true love after having spent a night with Jack. Certainly someone out there would understand that the fate of Rafe's soul was beyond her control, right?
A sigh fell from her lips as Alison reopened her eyes and the tears that threatened finally exploded from deep within her. No matter how she tried lying to herself Rafe had given up eternity to be with her and while things hadn't gone like they'd hoped, she had to save him. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have paid such a high price and he'd be happy somewhere else in a place where all was magical for him. Rafe gave his eternity up for him and she owed him more than what she'd given. So what if he'd married Livvie and she'd made love to Jack. Rafe deserved someone to help him, to bring back his soul and Alison owed him that much. She'd loved him so desperately and that's what had convinced him to give forever up, so she owed him her helping hand. Rafe needed her and she knew that was something she couldn't ignore. Yet.....
"Jack needs me too," she reminded herself as tears continued to flood down her face, "he showed you how to laugh again, how to feel free and this is what you do to him. You leave him after you make love," she chastised herself, "Alison, what were you thinking? You were thinking about Rafe's soul. That's what you were thinking," she argued with herself, "yet....." she trailed off looking out onto the ocean wishing there was a simple answer to all of this, that somehow things would just fall into place and the right choice would come to her making the solution to this dilemma she'd found herself in painfully clear.
I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down
Finding the strength to open the note Alison had left him, Jack let out a long breath as he read her words. He tried to feel nothing about the situation, but her laughter and her smile flooded his mind making this simple task of reading her letter all the more painstaking as he pushed himself on to read it.
Jack,
I came here to tell you things, to let you know why I was so insistent upon helping Rafe, but now, well now I need to do the right thing by him. I need to save him and I hope you can understand that. So much is riding on my returning to Port Charles. As for last night, I never planned on us making love, but now that we have, Jack, it changes so many things and the truth is that I'm terrified about what happens next. I don't know what we're supposed to do or say or how to feel.
When I woke up this morning all I thought about was being with you, sharing this morning in your arms dreaming about the future, but until I resolve what's going on back in Port Charles, I fear that I'll never be able to give you what you need. I have to go back and while you might not understand it now, maybe someday soon you'll see why I had to leave. For what it's worth you are the best friend I've ever known and I do love you Jack Ramsey. That much I'm sure of.
Love always,
Alison
"I wish I could say I understand," Jack sighed crumpling the page in his hand before tossing it aside, "but I don't and I can't let you leave like this. I can't let you slip away like this," Jack thought it over for a moment before reaching for the phone. Knowing the tiny airport had few flights back to Port Charles he checked the time for the next departure as he pulled his shirt on determined not to let Alison slip out of his life.
Once he'd finished talking to the man on the phone, he reached for his shoes, tossing them on as he vowed to find Alison and let her know just how much he loved her. He'd been unlucky in love once before, but he refused to do it again. Alison meant too much to him to lose her now. He jotted down a quick note to Chris saying he would return later and with that he left in a race to find Alison before it was too late.
Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there's something left for me
So please come stay with me
'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me
For you and me
For you and me
Jack raced out of the taxi once they'd arrived at the airport and as he hurried inside, he noted the time. He was cutting it close, but he hoped he would make it in time. He had to find Alison and talk to her before she walked out of his life forever. As he rushed past one of the gates, a security officer snapped at him chasing him as Jack pressed forward determined to reach Alison, but alas, his efforts were in vain as he arrived at the gate just as the flight to Port Charles took off leaving him with nothing but the memories of the magic they shared for just one night. Once again fate had dealt him a horrible blow and Alison had left him. He'd lost not only a beautiful love in the making, but somehow in one might of passion, he'd lost his best friend as well. Now he'd finally found what he'd feared all along. He was alone again and this time nothing could take away the pain that filled his heart.
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
As Alison looked to the plane leaving overhead, she let out a pained cry as there was a sharp sting in her ribs. She had changed her mind and decided she needed to be honest with Jack. At the last minute, she'd gotten off the plane determined to make things right, but now as she looked back to her capture in terror as a muffled cry filled from her lips. She'd seen it all in that brief moment Jack had rushed from the taxi into the airport, but she'd been silenced by the barrel of the gun that was not firmly pressed into her ribs.
"You don't want to do this," Alison pleaded realizing now that Jack had seen the plane leave, he would assume she'd left him like her letter had stated, but now as she was being lead to the back area of the airport, she heard the bitterness in the voice the spoke out to her.
"You may have had Rafe's heart, but I won't let you do the same to Jack. I won't let him hurt like you did with Rafe."
"Livvie, you don't want to do this," Alison pleaded with her as Livvie shoved Alison once again.
"On the contrary Alison," Livvie explained harshly, "you may have had Rafe's heart, but I'll be damned if I let you have Jack too. Once I found out where you were, it made me realize that you were trying to hurt me, trying to take away what was mine, but I have news for you Alison, you won't ever see Rafe or Jack again. You have my word on that. Now move!" Livvie finished sharply as Alison reluctantly let Livvie lead her out of the airport and away from the dreams of a happily ever after with Jack.