Chapter Eight
"Not Me" from Aida
I once knew all the answers, I stood on certain ground
A picture of true happiness, confidence so effortless
No brighter could be found
I never asked the questions that trouble me today
I knew all there was to know, love worn lightly, put on show
A conquest on display
"So how do you feel?" Eve questioned her voice barely above a whisper as she watched Juliana sleeping peacefully in Chris' arms.
"In this particular moment, I feel pretty darned good," Chris confessed a goofy grin washing over him as Juliana shifted on his lap nestling her head against his chest enjoying the warmth it provided her, "though I didn't think I'd bore her this easily that she'd fall asleep on me. Then again," Chris turned his eyes towards Eve, a hint of mischief brewing behind them, "her mother did often have the same very habit time and time again in the past."
"Can we help it you make us feel so comfortable?" Eve questioned scooting in closer to them as she reached out to touch Juliana's baby fine hair. Noting how at ease Juliana was in Chris's arms, Eve settled in beside Chris laying her head against his shoulder.
"I told you a long time ago that my hands worked miracles," Chris boasted proudly, "and even my arms held a certain sense of wonder."
"So they do," Eve agreed feeling his arm slip around her drawing her against him as she turned her eyes towards Juliana.
"You know Lambert, I must confess, never in my wildest dreams of being with you again, did I imagine it would be just like this," Chris confessed his voice soft as Juliana's tiny finger curled over a piece of his shirt holding it tightly in her little hand as a soft snore fell from her tiny features.
"Oh?" Eve raised a curious brow, "so this wasn't something you'd imagined then?"
"No, not like this," Chris shook his head as if he'd pondered it for a moment, "as vivid as my dreams were, they never could quite live up to this kind of promise that holding my little girl has in store for me."
"She's waited a long time to be with you," Eve offered up honestly, "she deserves a chance to know her father. She needs you in her life," she hesitated feeling nervous anticipation build from deep within her, "just like I need you."
"Eve, just hearing you say that means everything," Chris squeezed her closer to him knowing that the two most important women in his life were within his reach protected by his arms as the months of loneliness and misery came to a close. He'd found the missing part of his life that had been away from the moment he'd heard he'd lost Eve. Losing her had brought forth something dark and twisted inside of him as it had taken away so much of his will to live, to move forward in a world without the only woman who'd ever caused him to feel anything about love. He'd started to sink down a path into misery, but now as Juliana lay over him and Eve remained at his side, it felt like destiny was finally back on the path it was intended for long ago.
"Chris, I want to give you all the things that you didn't have before," Eve confessed a sigh falling from her lips, "I know how difficult things have been in Port Charles. I'd heard the stories of the chaos that had been going on there after I'd gone. While I'd thought being locked away from the world while DV held me hostage was the worst possible fate, knowing what you had to endure breaks my heart. Time after time I wanted to reach you, to let you know I was alive, that I was here waiting for you to find me, but each time something came up. Something always stood in the way until I found out about this trip you and Jack were making."
"But how? How did you find out about it?" Chris finally asked recalling their mysterious meeting on the beach, "how did you know I'd be here?"
"I'd taken a chance, a risk hoping that in the end it would payoff, that somehow we could connect again and that you wouldn't believe I wasn't real, that you wouldn't think I was crazy," Eve offered up honestly as he touched her face gently.
"Eve, I was starting to believe I was crazy. Here I was on the beach blitzed out of my mind and suddenly you appear like an angel," Chris whispered his eyes tracing over her features wanting to memorize the beauty before him, "it was almost as if you were a dream, a dream that I wanted to keep with me forever and never let go of, but now," his gaze traveled back to Juliana, "now that I'm here with the two of you, I realize this isn't just another dream. This is a reality and it's one that I don't ever want to let go of again. We have a family, a real family and I wouldn't trade this for the world," he blurted out swept away by the knowledge that the three of them had something beautiful between them, something that no one would ever be able to take away again.
And who would have thought his love could be so good
Not me, not me
My secrets and my passions understood
Not me, not me
Who would have guessed he'd throw his world away
To be with someone till his dying day
Not me, not me
I shall not envy lovers, but long for what they share
An empty room is merciless, don't be surprised if I confess
I need some comfort there
"Livvie, just what do you intend to do to me?" Alison questioned trying to keep her voice even as she watched Livvie cross the room, a determination in her stride as she stepped towards the window. Alison tried to struggle against the ropes Livvie had tied her to the chair with, but the knots were tight seemingly leaving no room for escape as Alison watched Livvie peering out the curtains offering up a thin beam of light into the otherwise darkened bedroom, "Livvie, you can't kill me?"
"Can't I?" Livvie questioned releasing her hold on the curtain letting it fall back against the window pane with a long, thick swoosh. Livvie shook her head holding the gun firmly beside her as she stepped towards Alison, "Honestly what reason would you possibly be able to give me right now in order to motivate me into keeping you alive?"
"Livvie, we were friends once," Alison pleaded with her, "best friends and I know deep in your heart you don't want to do this. You and I haven't seen eye to eye, but I know you. If you do this, you won't be able to live with yourself. It'll eat away at you."
"On the contrary Ali, killing you wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep at night," Livvie snapped bitterly, "given the fact that you've taken everything away from me, I have no reason to feel sorry for you. I have no reason to want to keep you in this world."
"Livvie, would you listen to what you're saying? If you kill me, you'll lose everything," Alison pointed out trying to let things sink in with Livvie, "if you do this, it'll change everything."
"Everything has changed Alison," Livvie snapped at her, "when you couldn't leave well enough alone, you ruined my life. First you took Jack when you started using those stupid candles. I warned everyone, but they wouldn't listen to me. I told you all that they were no good, that they were dangerous, but no one listened and then you turned Jack against me. You made him believe I was crazy when all that time I was right."
"Livvie, I didn't turn Jack against you," Alison tried to reason with her, "I didn't do that. I just wanted to help people with my candles."
"Well you failed miserably Alison," Livvie growled at her, "you failed in your quest to save the world, but then again it didn't matter did it because at the end you were still beautiful, wonderful Alison that the world adored no matter what. You had everyone in Port Charles catering to your every whim kissing your feet. My own step-mother was singing your praises while my life was turning to hell. Even when I was mourning the loss of my father, you were there stealing Jack from right under me, playing on his sympathies in order to have him all to yourself."
"Livvie, it wasn't like that," Alison tried to explain.
"Shut up Alison!" Livvie snapped at her, "I don't want to hear it. I've already heard enough from you," Livvie silenced her as she pointed the gun at Alison, "you know I really, truly thought that you'd learned your lesson when I took Rafe, but you couldn't just accept the punishment for your actions, could you? You just had to keep taking what was mine."
"Livvie, think about your baby," Alison offered up, "think about that child inside of you. You can't kill me because if you do, that child will be without a mother."
"If you live then my child will be without a father," Livvie challenged with a bitter laugh, "and we both know from experience that it isn't good to be without your daddy when you really need him. My child deserves a father that loves her and will protect her from people like you."
"Livvie please," Alison felt the hot tears burning behind her eyes as Livvie pointed the gun at her head.
"Please what?" Livvie raised a curious brow, "give you back your precious Rafe? Is that what you want or maybe perhaps you're begging me to spare your life so that you and Jack can be together again?" Livvie's eyes shot daggers at Alison, "or maybe you want them both?"
"I want to help Rafe," Alison started to explain, "there are things you don't know about his return, things that he needs help with."
"He doesn't need your help Alison and neither does Jack," Livvie snapped at her, "Jack was mine. He loved me, not you."
"Livvie, Jack is my friend, my best friend," Alison defended, "I would never, ever hurt him."
"I saw you," Livvie hissed at her, "I saw what you were doing last night. I followed you here from Port Charles and I watched as you made love to him. As you turned him against me because I have your precious angel. I watched you seduce Jack into seeing things your way."
"No, it wasn't like that Livvie," Alison argued with her as Livvie stepped over towards the bed that Alison and Jack had shared less than twenty four hours ago, "it wasn't like that at all."
"Let me guess then," Livvie let out a bitter laugh as she ripped the comforter from the bed, "you were just saving him from the wicked, wicked person that I've become. Is that it? Or maybe just maybe you weren't happy with having every other man in Port Charles falling at your feet so you had to take Jack from me too. Is that it?"
"Livvie, look Jack will be back soon and when he gets here...."
"He'll see you dead on the sheets you used your feminine wiles to turn him against me on. He'll see you for what you really are and then, well, then we'll all be free of you and life can go on as it should've always been," Livvie laughed wickedly.
"Livvie, no it's not supposed to be like this. You can't kill me and get away with it. They'll know what happened here and then you'll be taken away. I know you don't want that. I know you don't want that kind of life...."
"What I wanted was a life with Jack or even a life with Rafe, but you made sure to it that neither one of them gave me that, so now I'm just here to return the favor and believe me Alison," Livvie pressed the barrel of the gun to her head, "I will return that favor."
"Livvie no," Jack's voice interrupted as Alison looked up to find Jack standing in the bedroom doorway, "Livvie, don't do it."
"Jack," Livvie gasped seeing him standing before her. Her voice was shaky as she kept the gun pressed to Alison's head.
"Livvie, put the gun down," Jack stepped forward raising his hands in the air to show her of his intentions as he began to approach her.
"Don't move!" Livvie shouted at him, "Stay right there!"
"Okay, okay, but Livvie, please put the gun down. Let's talk about things," Jack suggested fighting to keep his voice even as he glanced over at Alison briefly.
"You don't want to talk to me," Livvie shook her head defiantly, "you just want to save your precious Alison. You don't care about me or what she's done to me."
"That's not true. I do care about you Livvie. You should know that by now," Jack took another step forward, "you are very special to me."
"Not special enough for you to listen to me," Livvie remarked painfully, "I saw you with her Jack. I know she's turned you against me. It's too late for me to convince you how evil she is."
"Livvie, no one has turned me against you," he moved in closer still, "I just want to help you. Please, let me help you."
"No, I don't believe you Jack," Livvie's voice wavered with emotion, "this is the only way. This is what must be done. I have to get rid of her."
"No, Livvie, you don't want that," Jack's voice remained even and smooth as he stepped in towards the two women in his life, "I know in your heart you don't want to hurt Alison. You just want the pain to end, and believe me Livvie, this isn't the way to make it stop. You know I'm right."
"Jack, I just want things to be like they used to be," Livvie confessed painfully, "I want to be happy again and not have her take everything from me."
"Livvie, if you put the gun down, I can help you. I can help you find that happiness you lost, if you only give me a chance. Please, just let Alison go and we'll talk about this, just you and me."
"It's too late for us," She argued with him, "I saw you with her last night. I know why you're pretending to care about me."
"I do care about you Livvie," Jack glanced over at Alison briefly, "I never stopped caring about you."
"Why should I believe you?" Livvie questioned uneasily.
"Because it's the truth," Jack confessed holding his arms out towards her, "you have to believe that."
"No, you lie. You're just like everyone else," Livvie shook her head as she kept the gun close to Alison.
"No, it's the truth, Livvie," Alison piped in momentarily as she very quietly began to work out the knots in the rope Livvie had tied her in with. She could feel her wrist moving a bit more freely as she'd called out to Livvie, but for the moment she remained as still as possible hoping to reach out to her one time best friend, "we both care about you and we both want you to get the help you so desperately need."
"You don't give a damn about me Alison, so don't you even pretend," Livvie turned towards Jack, "and you, you're even worse using my emotions for you to save Alison."
"Livvie, look I know we aren't together anymore, but I never, ever wanted this for you," Jack blurted out honestly, "I only wanted you to find some kind of happiness in your life. I wanted you to rise above everything that happened with your family."
"All lies Jack," Livvie shook her head, "I don't buy it for a minute."
"Livvie, you know me. You know my heart," Jack began as he realized Alison had made some ground with the restraints she'd been in. Jack boldly reached out to her touching Livvie's face to distract her as Alison started to slip her hands out of the rope that had bound them before, "I would never hurt you. Tell me you still know that."
"Jack I," Livvie stopped as she heard a sound behind her and she realized Alison was free of the restraints. She gasped pointing the gun at Alison as her hand pulled back on the trigger as the shot rang out through the air as Alison screamed.
And who would have thought his love could be so good
Not me, not me
My secrets and my passions understood
Not me, not me
Alison felt the breath knocked out of her as she tumbled to the ground. Hearing the room fill with a silence at the aftermath of the gun going off, she was at a loss not quite understanding what had taken place until her eyes drifted to Jack and Livvie on the ground in a mound of bodies. She tried to steady herself pulling herself to her knees as she noticed the puddle of blood before her.
"No!" she cried out rushing over to the two of them as Livvie lay on top of Jack.
"Livvie," Alison touched her realizing Livvie was out as she gently eased Livvie off of Jack. Livvie sank into the ground, the front of her blouse covered with blood as Alison's eyes widened with fear. "No Livvie, you can't die," Alison pleaded with her tearing open the bottom part of her friend's blouse only to realize that the blood on Livvie wasn't hers. Livvie was fine and the blood....
"Oh God no," Alison cried out turning her eyes to Jack as he lay coughing on the ground barely aware of his surroundings as Alison knelt beside him, "Jack, Jack listen to me. Can you hear me?"
"Alison," he choked out her name as his gaze lackadaisically eased up towards her, "Alison, is Livvie...."
"She's fine, but you've been shot....." Alison touched his face, "I have to call for help. I need to get someone here."
"Alison, I...." Jack began as she rose to her feet.
"Jack, just stay put," Alison rushed over to the phone quickly dialing for an ambulance before moving in beside Jack again, "Jack, hey!" she called out to him seeing his eyes were closed as she reached for him, "Jack!"
"Alison," he whispered her name as she reached out to him drawing him into her arms squeezing his body close to hers.
"I'm here and I'm not leaving you," Alison promised him kissing the temple of his forehead, "I'm right here with you."
"I was so afraid I'd lost you," Jack coughed out as his eyes filled with tears. He reached out to her touching her face gently as he drew in a breath, "but you're here like my angel...."
"Don't talk about angels," Alison interrupted, "you aren't going anywhere. I'm not going to lose you Jack. I refuse to let it happen."
"Alison, it's so cold in here," Jack began to tremble in her arms as the sound of an ambulance rose from outside in the distance, "it's so very cold."
"I'll keep you warm," Alison squeezed him tighter using her hands to apply pressure to the wound, "Help is in the way, Jack. Just hold on."
"Alison," Jack reached for her touching her face as he let out a labored breath, "I just need you to know...."
"Jack, you can tell me anything when we get you to the hospital," Alison promised him, "just try to keep your strength until we get you there and the doctors can help you."
"Chris....where's Chris?"
"I haven't seen him since last night, but I'll find him," Alison pledged tearfully, "I'll find him and have him come to you."
"And Livvie," Jack began with another winded gasp, "she didn't mean for this...she didn't mean to...."
"I know Jack," Alison nodded, "she would never have hurt you if she'd been thinking clearly, if you hadn't tried to get in the way of her shooting me."
"I couldn't let her kill you. I couldn't lose you...." Jack closed his eyes again feeling lightheaded.
"Jack, don't you dare leave me," Alison pleaded with him, "Jack look at me."
"Alison, I...." Jack reopened his eyes again, "I need you to know that I...I love you. I know that I should've made you believe it last night, but now.....Alison, I love you so very much and I'll always keep that with me even now that we may never...."
"Don't say it. Don't you dare say it Jack!" Alison snapped at him as she squeezed him tighter, "Jack, you aren't leaving me. I love you, Jack. Last night wasn't just something we did to pass by because of our broken hearts. Jack, I felt the magic too. I love you Jack Ramsey and I need you. I can't lose you now....I won't let you go. I love you, Jack. Hold on. Please hold on for me," she cried out as she placed a kiss over his forehead, "please Jack."
"I love you..." Jack whispered as his body grew limp in her arms.
"Jack no," Alison sobbed squeezing him in his arms, "please, don't leave me...I love you Jack. I love you," she sobbed holding him as if she'd never let go realizing that her love had to keep him holding on. It had to bring him back to her as the sirens grew outside and she prayed that fate wouldn't take Jack away from her now that they'd found one another.
Who would have guessed he'd throw his world away
To be with someone till his dying day
Not me, not me
But not me, oh not me
"Not Me" from Aida
I once knew all the answers, I stood on certain ground
A picture of true happiness, confidence so effortless
No brighter could be found
I never asked the questions that trouble me today
I knew all there was to know, love worn lightly, put on show
A conquest on display
"So how do you feel?" Eve questioned her voice barely above a whisper as she watched Juliana sleeping peacefully in Chris' arms.
"In this particular moment, I feel pretty darned good," Chris confessed a goofy grin washing over him as Juliana shifted on his lap nestling her head against his chest enjoying the warmth it provided her, "though I didn't think I'd bore her this easily that she'd fall asleep on me. Then again," Chris turned his eyes towards Eve, a hint of mischief brewing behind them, "her mother did often have the same very habit time and time again in the past."
"Can we help it you make us feel so comfortable?" Eve questioned scooting in closer to them as she reached out to touch Juliana's baby fine hair. Noting how at ease Juliana was in Chris's arms, Eve settled in beside Chris laying her head against his shoulder.
"I told you a long time ago that my hands worked miracles," Chris boasted proudly, "and even my arms held a certain sense of wonder."
"So they do," Eve agreed feeling his arm slip around her drawing her against him as she turned her eyes towards Juliana.
"You know Lambert, I must confess, never in my wildest dreams of being with you again, did I imagine it would be just like this," Chris confessed his voice soft as Juliana's tiny finger curled over a piece of his shirt holding it tightly in her little hand as a soft snore fell from her tiny features.
"Oh?" Eve raised a curious brow, "so this wasn't something you'd imagined then?"
"No, not like this," Chris shook his head as if he'd pondered it for a moment, "as vivid as my dreams were, they never could quite live up to this kind of promise that holding my little girl has in store for me."
"She's waited a long time to be with you," Eve offered up honestly, "she deserves a chance to know her father. She needs you in her life," she hesitated feeling nervous anticipation build from deep within her, "just like I need you."
"Eve, just hearing you say that means everything," Chris squeezed her closer to him knowing that the two most important women in his life were within his reach protected by his arms as the months of loneliness and misery came to a close. He'd found the missing part of his life that had been away from the moment he'd heard he'd lost Eve. Losing her had brought forth something dark and twisted inside of him as it had taken away so much of his will to live, to move forward in a world without the only woman who'd ever caused him to feel anything about love. He'd started to sink down a path into misery, but now as Juliana lay over him and Eve remained at his side, it felt like destiny was finally back on the path it was intended for long ago.
"Chris, I want to give you all the things that you didn't have before," Eve confessed a sigh falling from her lips, "I know how difficult things have been in Port Charles. I'd heard the stories of the chaos that had been going on there after I'd gone. While I'd thought being locked away from the world while DV held me hostage was the worst possible fate, knowing what you had to endure breaks my heart. Time after time I wanted to reach you, to let you know I was alive, that I was here waiting for you to find me, but each time something came up. Something always stood in the way until I found out about this trip you and Jack were making."
"But how? How did you find out about it?" Chris finally asked recalling their mysterious meeting on the beach, "how did you know I'd be here?"
"I'd taken a chance, a risk hoping that in the end it would payoff, that somehow we could connect again and that you wouldn't believe I wasn't real, that you wouldn't think I was crazy," Eve offered up honestly as he touched her face gently.
"Eve, I was starting to believe I was crazy. Here I was on the beach blitzed out of my mind and suddenly you appear like an angel," Chris whispered his eyes tracing over her features wanting to memorize the beauty before him, "it was almost as if you were a dream, a dream that I wanted to keep with me forever and never let go of, but now," his gaze traveled back to Juliana, "now that I'm here with the two of you, I realize this isn't just another dream. This is a reality and it's one that I don't ever want to let go of again. We have a family, a real family and I wouldn't trade this for the world," he blurted out swept away by the knowledge that the three of them had something beautiful between them, something that no one would ever be able to take away again.
And who would have thought his love could be so good
Not me, not me
My secrets and my passions understood
Not me, not me
Who would have guessed he'd throw his world away
To be with someone till his dying day
Not me, not me
I shall not envy lovers, but long for what they share
An empty room is merciless, don't be surprised if I confess
I need some comfort there
"Livvie, just what do you intend to do to me?" Alison questioned trying to keep her voice even as she watched Livvie cross the room, a determination in her stride as she stepped towards the window. Alison tried to struggle against the ropes Livvie had tied her to the chair with, but the knots were tight seemingly leaving no room for escape as Alison watched Livvie peering out the curtains offering up a thin beam of light into the otherwise darkened bedroom, "Livvie, you can't kill me?"
"Can't I?" Livvie questioned releasing her hold on the curtain letting it fall back against the window pane with a long, thick swoosh. Livvie shook her head holding the gun firmly beside her as she stepped towards Alison, "Honestly what reason would you possibly be able to give me right now in order to motivate me into keeping you alive?"
"Livvie, we were friends once," Alison pleaded with her, "best friends and I know deep in your heart you don't want to do this. You and I haven't seen eye to eye, but I know you. If you do this, you won't be able to live with yourself. It'll eat away at you."
"On the contrary Ali, killing you wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep at night," Livvie snapped bitterly, "given the fact that you've taken everything away from me, I have no reason to feel sorry for you. I have no reason to want to keep you in this world."
"Livvie, would you listen to what you're saying? If you kill me, you'll lose everything," Alison pointed out trying to let things sink in with Livvie, "if you do this, it'll change everything."
"Everything has changed Alison," Livvie snapped at her, "when you couldn't leave well enough alone, you ruined my life. First you took Jack when you started using those stupid candles. I warned everyone, but they wouldn't listen to me. I told you all that they were no good, that they were dangerous, but no one listened and then you turned Jack against me. You made him believe I was crazy when all that time I was right."
"Livvie, I didn't turn Jack against you," Alison tried to reason with her, "I didn't do that. I just wanted to help people with my candles."
"Well you failed miserably Alison," Livvie growled at her, "you failed in your quest to save the world, but then again it didn't matter did it because at the end you were still beautiful, wonderful Alison that the world adored no matter what. You had everyone in Port Charles catering to your every whim kissing your feet. My own step-mother was singing your praises while my life was turning to hell. Even when I was mourning the loss of my father, you were there stealing Jack from right under me, playing on his sympathies in order to have him all to yourself."
"Livvie, it wasn't like that," Alison tried to explain.
"Shut up Alison!" Livvie snapped at her, "I don't want to hear it. I've already heard enough from you," Livvie silenced her as she pointed the gun at Alison, "you know I really, truly thought that you'd learned your lesson when I took Rafe, but you couldn't just accept the punishment for your actions, could you? You just had to keep taking what was mine."
"Livvie, think about your baby," Alison offered up, "think about that child inside of you. You can't kill me because if you do, that child will be without a mother."
"If you live then my child will be without a father," Livvie challenged with a bitter laugh, "and we both know from experience that it isn't good to be without your daddy when you really need him. My child deserves a father that loves her and will protect her from people like you."
"Livvie please," Alison felt the hot tears burning behind her eyes as Livvie pointed the gun at her head.
"Please what?" Livvie raised a curious brow, "give you back your precious Rafe? Is that what you want or maybe perhaps you're begging me to spare your life so that you and Jack can be together again?" Livvie's eyes shot daggers at Alison, "or maybe you want them both?"
"I want to help Rafe," Alison started to explain, "there are things you don't know about his return, things that he needs help with."
"He doesn't need your help Alison and neither does Jack," Livvie snapped at her, "Jack was mine. He loved me, not you."
"Livvie, Jack is my friend, my best friend," Alison defended, "I would never, ever hurt him."
"I saw you," Livvie hissed at her, "I saw what you were doing last night. I followed you here from Port Charles and I watched as you made love to him. As you turned him against me because I have your precious angel. I watched you seduce Jack into seeing things your way."
"No, it wasn't like that Livvie," Alison argued with her as Livvie stepped over towards the bed that Alison and Jack had shared less than twenty four hours ago, "it wasn't like that at all."
"Let me guess then," Livvie let out a bitter laugh as she ripped the comforter from the bed, "you were just saving him from the wicked, wicked person that I've become. Is that it? Or maybe just maybe you weren't happy with having every other man in Port Charles falling at your feet so you had to take Jack from me too. Is that it?"
"Livvie, look Jack will be back soon and when he gets here...."
"He'll see you dead on the sheets you used your feminine wiles to turn him against me on. He'll see you for what you really are and then, well, then we'll all be free of you and life can go on as it should've always been," Livvie laughed wickedly.
"Livvie, no it's not supposed to be like this. You can't kill me and get away with it. They'll know what happened here and then you'll be taken away. I know you don't want that. I know you don't want that kind of life...."
"What I wanted was a life with Jack or even a life with Rafe, but you made sure to it that neither one of them gave me that, so now I'm just here to return the favor and believe me Alison," Livvie pressed the barrel of the gun to her head, "I will return that favor."
"Livvie no," Jack's voice interrupted as Alison looked up to find Jack standing in the bedroom doorway, "Livvie, don't do it."
"Jack," Livvie gasped seeing him standing before her. Her voice was shaky as she kept the gun pressed to Alison's head.
"Livvie, put the gun down," Jack stepped forward raising his hands in the air to show her of his intentions as he began to approach her.
"Don't move!" Livvie shouted at him, "Stay right there!"
"Okay, okay, but Livvie, please put the gun down. Let's talk about things," Jack suggested fighting to keep his voice even as he glanced over at Alison briefly.
"You don't want to talk to me," Livvie shook her head defiantly, "you just want to save your precious Alison. You don't care about me or what she's done to me."
"That's not true. I do care about you Livvie. You should know that by now," Jack took another step forward, "you are very special to me."
"Not special enough for you to listen to me," Livvie remarked painfully, "I saw you with her Jack. I know she's turned you against me. It's too late for me to convince you how evil she is."
"Livvie, no one has turned me against you," he moved in closer still, "I just want to help you. Please, let me help you."
"No, I don't believe you Jack," Livvie's voice wavered with emotion, "this is the only way. This is what must be done. I have to get rid of her."
"No, Livvie, you don't want that," Jack's voice remained even and smooth as he stepped in towards the two women in his life, "I know in your heart you don't want to hurt Alison. You just want the pain to end, and believe me Livvie, this isn't the way to make it stop. You know I'm right."
"Jack, I just want things to be like they used to be," Livvie confessed painfully, "I want to be happy again and not have her take everything from me."
"Livvie, if you put the gun down, I can help you. I can help you find that happiness you lost, if you only give me a chance. Please, just let Alison go and we'll talk about this, just you and me."
"It's too late for us," She argued with him, "I saw you with her last night. I know why you're pretending to care about me."
"I do care about you Livvie," Jack glanced over at Alison briefly, "I never stopped caring about you."
"Why should I believe you?" Livvie questioned uneasily.
"Because it's the truth," Jack confessed holding his arms out towards her, "you have to believe that."
"No, you lie. You're just like everyone else," Livvie shook her head as she kept the gun close to Alison.
"No, it's the truth, Livvie," Alison piped in momentarily as she very quietly began to work out the knots in the rope Livvie had tied her in with. She could feel her wrist moving a bit more freely as she'd called out to Livvie, but for the moment she remained as still as possible hoping to reach out to her one time best friend, "we both care about you and we both want you to get the help you so desperately need."
"You don't give a damn about me Alison, so don't you even pretend," Livvie turned towards Jack, "and you, you're even worse using my emotions for you to save Alison."
"Livvie, look I know we aren't together anymore, but I never, ever wanted this for you," Jack blurted out honestly, "I only wanted you to find some kind of happiness in your life. I wanted you to rise above everything that happened with your family."
"All lies Jack," Livvie shook her head, "I don't buy it for a minute."
"Livvie, you know me. You know my heart," Jack began as he realized Alison had made some ground with the restraints she'd been in. Jack boldly reached out to her touching Livvie's face to distract her as Alison started to slip her hands out of the rope that had bound them before, "I would never hurt you. Tell me you still know that."
"Jack I," Livvie stopped as she heard a sound behind her and she realized Alison was free of the restraints. She gasped pointing the gun at Alison as her hand pulled back on the trigger as the shot rang out through the air as Alison screamed.
And who would have thought his love could be so good
Not me, not me
My secrets and my passions understood
Not me, not me
Alison felt the breath knocked out of her as she tumbled to the ground. Hearing the room fill with a silence at the aftermath of the gun going off, she was at a loss not quite understanding what had taken place until her eyes drifted to Jack and Livvie on the ground in a mound of bodies. She tried to steady herself pulling herself to her knees as she noticed the puddle of blood before her.
"No!" she cried out rushing over to the two of them as Livvie lay on top of Jack.
"Livvie," Alison touched her realizing Livvie was out as she gently eased Livvie off of Jack. Livvie sank into the ground, the front of her blouse covered with blood as Alison's eyes widened with fear. "No Livvie, you can't die," Alison pleaded with her tearing open the bottom part of her friend's blouse only to realize that the blood on Livvie wasn't hers. Livvie was fine and the blood....
"Oh God no," Alison cried out turning her eyes to Jack as he lay coughing on the ground barely aware of his surroundings as Alison knelt beside him, "Jack, Jack listen to me. Can you hear me?"
"Alison," he choked out her name as his gaze lackadaisically eased up towards her, "Alison, is Livvie...."
"She's fine, but you've been shot....." Alison touched his face, "I have to call for help. I need to get someone here."
"Alison, I...." Jack began as she rose to her feet.
"Jack, just stay put," Alison rushed over to the phone quickly dialing for an ambulance before moving in beside Jack again, "Jack, hey!" she called out to him seeing his eyes were closed as she reached for him, "Jack!"
"Alison," he whispered her name as she reached out to him drawing him into her arms squeezing his body close to hers.
"I'm here and I'm not leaving you," Alison promised him kissing the temple of his forehead, "I'm right here with you."
"I was so afraid I'd lost you," Jack coughed out as his eyes filled with tears. He reached out to her touching her face gently as he drew in a breath, "but you're here like my angel...."
"Don't talk about angels," Alison interrupted, "you aren't going anywhere. I'm not going to lose you Jack. I refuse to let it happen."
"Alison, it's so cold in here," Jack began to tremble in her arms as the sound of an ambulance rose from outside in the distance, "it's so very cold."
"I'll keep you warm," Alison squeezed him tighter using her hands to apply pressure to the wound, "Help is in the way, Jack. Just hold on."
"Alison," Jack reached for her touching her face as he let out a labored breath, "I just need you to know...."
"Jack, you can tell me anything when we get you to the hospital," Alison promised him, "just try to keep your strength until we get you there and the doctors can help you."
"Chris....where's Chris?"
"I haven't seen him since last night, but I'll find him," Alison pledged tearfully, "I'll find him and have him come to you."
"And Livvie," Jack began with another winded gasp, "she didn't mean for this...she didn't mean to...."
"I know Jack," Alison nodded, "she would never have hurt you if she'd been thinking clearly, if you hadn't tried to get in the way of her shooting me."
"I couldn't let her kill you. I couldn't lose you...." Jack closed his eyes again feeling lightheaded.
"Jack, don't you dare leave me," Alison pleaded with him, "Jack look at me."
"Alison, I...." Jack reopened his eyes again, "I need you to know that I...I love you. I know that I should've made you believe it last night, but now.....Alison, I love you so very much and I'll always keep that with me even now that we may never...."
"Don't say it. Don't you dare say it Jack!" Alison snapped at him as she squeezed him tighter, "Jack, you aren't leaving me. I love you, Jack. Last night wasn't just something we did to pass by because of our broken hearts. Jack, I felt the magic too. I love you Jack Ramsey and I need you. I can't lose you now....I won't let you go. I love you, Jack. Hold on. Please hold on for me," she cried out as she placed a kiss over his forehead, "please Jack."
"I love you..." Jack whispered as his body grew limp in her arms.
"Jack no," Alison sobbed squeezing him in his arms, "please, don't leave me...I love you Jack. I love you," she sobbed holding him as if she'd never let go realizing that her love had to keep him holding on. It had to bring him back to her as the sirens grew outside and she prayed that fate wouldn't take Jack away from her now that they'd found one another.
Who would have guessed he'd throw his world away
To be with someone till his dying day
Not me, not me
But not me, oh not me