A/N: Okay. This chapter is kind of strange, but I hope you all like it. Sorry it took so long to post!
Elizabeth awoke the next morning to a relatively empty hotel room. Obviously, she was befuddled... kidnappers did not tend to leave their victims alone where they could escape easily. And yet, Jack's bed was neatly made, his pajamas folded on the dresser next to the TV, and no sound was heard from the direction of the bathroom. There was, however, a piece of paper taped to the TV screen, right in front of Elizabeth's bed.
She arose curiously, wondering what could possibly be going on. Maybe this is some sort of trick, she thought, uneasily. But it wasn't. Written on the Caesar's Palace stationary in a nearly unreadable scrawl was the following series of words:
Lizzie,
I've gone out to run a few errands, and won't be back 'til two or three
in the afternoon. Don't pick up the phone if anyone calls, and make
sure not to answer the door. There's some "E.L. Fudge" cookies on
the dresser -- I tried them the last time I was here and they were quite
good -- and more conventional foods in case you want a breakfast
like you're at home. Try not to get into too much trouble... (Here there was a small smiley face drawn)
P.S. -- There's a Women's Entertainment channel that I noticed,
and they're playing a movie you might like at 11:00am...
The note was signed "J.". Elizabeth supposed Jack didn't want to arouse suspicion, just in case their room was searched any time in the near future. She quickly scanned his words again, looking sourly at the mention of her home. It could certainly be mockery, although without Jack here intoning it was hard to tell. She glanced at the clock, and found (much to her surprise) that it was very nearly 11:00. Then she glanced at the food on the dresser. There was the pink package of cookies, staring at her innocently as all chocolatey products do. And sitting forlornly next to the colorful cookies were a grapefruit and a small spoon.
Ahah, Elizabeth said to herself. Mockery. For some reason, that thought comforted her. Mocking Jack made the idea of the previous night's Jack seem utterly ridiculous.
She grabbed the cookies and the remote control, and switched the TV to Women's Entertainment. She turned it on in time for the opening credits: A black screen and what looked to be chalk drawings in various colors while very interesting music played. Then the title appeared... Drive, She Said.
Jack was shopping. He strolled around the clothes in some obscure little Goth store near the Strip, staring heavily at the excessive amounts of black. It wasn't that he didn't like black... but this was Nevada. If you were going to wear black anything in Nevada it'd have to be a wifebeater and your skivvies. Jack chuckled to himself at that, remembering fondly a particular escapade of his... it had ended with him not being allowed in Canada anymore.
A rather depressed-looking sales clerk tapped Jack on the shoulder, her pale face giving him a bit of the heebiejeebies.
"Is there anything you're looking for?" she asked, sounding rather testy. " 'Cause if there isn't, stop breathing my air and go back to your vintage clothing, pop-music crazed life."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Actually," he said, "I'd love to stop breathing your air -- it's rather musty, to tell you the truth. However, I happen to be looking for some clothing, so I don't think I'll leave just yet."
The girl stared at him for a moment, not sure if she could come up with something angsty enough to get him out of there. Strangely enough, she couldn't, and Jack delivered the final statement with superb indifference:
"You can go be evil somewhere else now." he said. "I think I saw a little girl with ice cream sitting on a bench across the street -- maybe you can go lecture her on the horrors pastel colors will wreak on her pathetic little life."
The girl flipped Jack the "bird", and walked away, scowling even more than usual. He snickered, continuing to browse. Annoying people was one of his favorite things to do...
Elizabeth stared blankly at the closing credits of the movie, her heart skipping beats every once in a while.
Drive, She Said was a movie about a bank teller who is kidnapped at gunpoint by a man who needs money to keep his mother in the hospital. The two of them drive across everywhere together -- he even gets her to shoot a police officer -- until they're finally apprehended at a hotel. The bank teller returns to her boyfriend of five years in the end, but she's not happy. It ends with her going to find her kidnapper. They had fallen in love.
Elizabeth blinked, and sighed. It had been a strange movie. But then again, she could be gone by now. She could be gone, and yet she wasn't. Heavens, she could have eaten the grapefruit, but she hadn't! She was more influenced by her kidnapper than she had thought, and her head suddenly felt as though it were spinning. The only question was, if Jack asked her to pull the trigger of his pistol, would she do it?
In a heartbeat.
That's wrong,
I know it's wrong! I said I'd do it, not do it and like it...
When Jack had returned home from his shopping trip, he had quickly changed clothes and then been on his way. He could tell Lizzie had watched that movie by the way she regarded him -- almost fearfully, as if he might shoot her. But he wouldn't. And she knew that...
Wanting to loosen up a bit before his meeting with Toxic Records and Daniel Dakota, Jack had gone down to the bar for a drink. Sadly, this casino/hotel was a piece of crap as they didn't house Captain Morgan's... so he had to settle for Mike's Hard Lemonade. It wasn't nearly as tasty, but it was alcohol, and that was enough for dear Captain Jack.
Some French lounge music was playing in the background, which made the atmosphere that much more fun. After a few hours of being hit on by foreigners, however, Jack started to lose his appetite for the place. He was thinking about slipping into the casino for a quick game of craps, when two people walked in that he wasn't expecting for another half hour...
The first one he recognized as Daniel Dakota, the famed teen movie actor-cum-singer, who was very close to being as pretty as Jack himself. And the second was a very frail-looking old man carrying two large brown briefcases. The two men looked around for a moment, and then made their way to the back table, as Jack had specified in his e-mail.
Carefully sliding some ice-blue colored contacts onto his eyes and adjusting a safety pin on one of his sleeves, he approached them with ease.
"Gentlemen," he said, smoothing out his accent so that he sounded much more sophisticated. "Are you looking for the Captain?"
This time, Jack walked away with one-hundred-thousand dollars, and a three-month supply of Krispy Kreme donuts. He strolled cheerfully down the corridor to the hotel room, two leather briefcases clutchet tightly in his hands. This had to be the best deal yet. He had maneuvered splendidly, avoiding their attempts at bribery until they had reached their limit... and here he was, rich not only in money, but in donuts as well! There was nothing that could possibly spoil his mood.
Then he opened the door and saw Lizzie.
Her eyes were wide and red-rimmed, and she was still in her pajamas... her face was pretty pale, except for two patches of pink on her cheeks... she looked exhausted, and Jack found himself prolonging his celebratory dance.
"Liz..." he said, quietly.
"May I ask you a hypothetical question?" she replied, equally soft.
"Sure,"
"Let's say that the police find us... what will happen to us?"
He stared at her. "Erhm..." he mumbled. "Well, I thought we discussed this last night..." She was making him uncomfortable again, blast her. "Besides, what does it matter? We aren't going to be found, you know. I am a professional criminal."
She looked right up at him, her eyes starting to water. "So. I'll be imprisoned in my house, and you'll be imprisoned in a jail cell. But, Jack, I've been with you for a while now, and I don't think that life will ever be the same without you,"
"Liz, darling... I think you're being a bit unreasonable," She started to cry. Softly, at first, and then large hiccupping sobs. Jack dropped the briefcases -- gently -- and quickly advanced, placing his hands on her shoulders carefully.
She dropped her head so that her chin hit her collar bone. "Don't touch me," she whispered shakily.
She didn't protest any further, however, and Jack pulled her towards him, resting her head on his shoulder and carefully holding her in place.
"It's alright, luv," he said. "If those police blighters do come after me, I won't be in prison for long. I swear..."
A/N: Drive, She Said is a real movie I saw on We, and is partially what I based this fic on. I thought Lizzie should watch it. *winks*
rythmteck: It's fine you haven't reviewed -- I'm not mad! *smiles* Thanks for your compliments. I know a few people who have eye-twitches sometimes, and I think it's hilarious. I thought Jack would be the kind of person for that.
Aelimir: Thanks!
luvlyGRLofLIFE: Thanks! And yeah, Will needs... something, anyways.
Pirate: Haha, thanks! Will does suck at lying, but it won't be too much longer before he stops. :)
hpdancer92: Thanks!
Clez: Thanks! And yes, I did smile! Lol.....
PirateWannabe: Thanks! I'm glad you liked Will... he was fun to write in that chapter. Hope you liked this one as well, even though Will was absent...
KawaiiRyu: Thanks! And I'm glad you liked it so much!