Jim's Folly

Woah. That last chapter was deep, hey? It was hard to write, I'll tell you that…I'm sorry if you all hate Simon. That's what I was hoping to achieve…but don't think he's gone forever. Raven shall be tortured some more…

Abby, I apologize that the past chapter was all about Raven…but hey. She's the second main character, right?

Chapter 24

Jim, in his uniform, danced with Amy, who was also in uniform.

He couldn't help but notice how happy she looked. "Having fun?" she asked him, her green eyes sparkling.

He nodded. "Yeah…"

She noticed his hesitation and grinned. "I know you miss her," she commented quietly.

Jim looked at her, stunned. "What?"

"You do. Something's up, though." Amy frowned, pausing for effect. "Something happened between you two lately, didn't it?" She paused again, studying his face. "You can tell me."

He sighed heavily. He knew she wouldn't let up unless she was told anyway.

"The other night I walked her home…and yeah."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Continue…"
"We went onto the roof for some air and…I kissed her."
Amy's eyes sparkled with delight. "FINALLY!" she exclaimed, drawing the attention of some of the other dancing graduates around her.

"I mean, finally!" Amy laughed happily. "Did she kiss back?"

"Yeah…and it was nice and all, but ever since then…it's been really weird…"
"Is it awkward to be around her?" Amy asked, fully knowing the answer but asking the question to humor herself.

Jim nodded. How did she know? Must be a girl thing…

Amy sighed. "Well, have you two talked about this?"

Jim shook his head. "No. Every time we try to talk we end up talking about Simo…something else. It's…stupid, really."
"You really like her, Jim. You finally kiss her and now you're afraid to talk about the next step." She looked into his eyes. "You're ready, Jim. You want to kiss her again. I can see it in your eyes, so don't lie to me."
He nodded, averting his gaze. She was right on the mark. He longed to have Raven in his arms again. He wanted to feel her touch, her skin, he wanted to feel her lips again. He missed the way she smelled, the way she touched his arm when she talked to him, the way she crinkled her brow when she was upset…

Jim's expression grew pained and Amy reached up a hand to clear some hair from his face. "Jim, I know you miss her. You have to go tell her how you feel."
"I think…"

"You can't tell me she knows, Jim. Girls are…funny that way. They have to hear it from the guy first before they can fully accept anything."
Jim mulled that thought over. It made sense enough.

She smiled faintly. "Well?"

"I'll talk to her…tomorrow."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Tonight is better, but…tomorrow's as good a time as any, I suppose."

---

Simon grinned from where he sat in his motel room. The plan was set.

Cocking the plasma gun in his hand, he smirked wickedly. "Wouldn't it be fun to see how plasma reacts to someone's brain?" he asked himself as he glanced in the mirror.

He knew for whom the bullet was intended. He knew, and he couldn't wait to pull the trigger.

---

The next afternoon, after school, Raven greeted her son as the Admiral and Andrew entered her office. Andrew had plenty to talk about, happy to let her know about his day and what he'd learned. "We sang songs and learned about sharing…I finger painted!"

Raven grinned as he showed her his tiny fingers. The nails were caked with dried paint.

Admiral LeighArc nodded. "I'm not sure what we'll do for the rest of the afternoon, Raven, but rest assured, he's safe with me."
"Sure thing, Admiral." Raven nodded, saluting. "Thank you, Sir."
"Raven, it's my pleasure." The old man smiled, wrinkled creasing his eyes and making him look even friendlier.

Raven resisted the urge to hug him.

She kissed her son on the cheek and hugged him. "See you later tonight, honey."
"Have a good practice, Mama," he replied happily as he prepared to color with some crayons on some paper at the Admiral's desk.

Raven left the room and headed to her office to prepare for the afternoon's three o'clock extra-curricular choir practice.

--

3:30 PM. Raven was instructing choir practice by now, Jim realized, cursing to himself silently.

He should have planned this better…maybe if he waited for her in her office? No, that was too sneaky.

Sighing, he headed towards her office anyway.

---

3:40 PM. Simon entered the Admiral's office and smiled as he came face to face with the little boy. "Hello, Andrew," he said quietly. Andrew frowned. "Who are you?" he asked, before adding, "Hello."
Simon smiled pleasantly, deceivingly as he nodded to the Admiral. "Admiral, if I could have a word with you outside?" Admiral LeighArc followed suit and shut the door behind him.

The Admiral frowned. "Who are you, young man? Are you new to the school?"

"No, sir. I just came to pick up something that belongs to me."
Admiral LeighArc blinked. "And what is that?"

"My son," Simon replied coldly, unfeeling. He brought the gun to the Admiral's head and pulled the trigger.

---

Jim heard the shot and felt his muscles tense. It came from the instructor's wing, near the Admiral's office. He started to run.

---

"Come with me, Andrew," Simon cried frantically. "Someone just came up and shot the admiral!"

Andrew frowned, his eyes widening. "What happened?!" he asked. Simon didn't want the boy to see his 'uncle' bleeding on the floor, but he couldn't prevent it. Andrew scurried into Simon's arms and buried his face in his shoulder. "What happened to him, mister?"

"Andrew, my name is Simon. Call me Simon."
Andrew nodded, not removing his face. Simon's heart soared. This little boy was his flesh and blood, and he was finally in his arms. He had never felt so alive.

Simon saw Jim running towards the office and grinned. Perfect.

Lifting Andrew's head, Simon whispered in his ear. "I saw him. It was that boy. He shot the Admiral."

Andrew's eyes widened as he realized to whom Simon was referring.

It was Jim. Not Jim. Jim wouldn't hurt anyone…

Andrew's eyebrows creased together. "No, not…Jim…"
Simon shook his head. "I saw him. Don't listen to him, Andrew. He's going to lie to you. We have to go!"

Jim cried out to Andrew before he saw the Admiral. Simon was running. Andrew was in Simon's arms.

Andrew was also crying. Jim didn't know what to do first. At Simon's speed, he couldn't catch up. Simon was escaping through the rear doors. Jim thought of the first thing to do and called the robocops from the Admiral's phone on his desk. His next call was to the hospital, but he knew it was too late. As he hung up the phone, knowing that the medics were on their way, he felt the Admiral's pulse. There was no pulse. The Admiral was dead.

Simon had murdered LeighArc. And now, he had taken Andrew.

Jim's heart beat at an unusual pace. He needed to alert Raven.

Standing to his feet, he called to a secretary in a nearby office to wait for the ambulance and told her what to tell them.

Jim took off in the direction of the music hall.

---

3:50 PM.

Raven sighed heavily. The pitch was off by the slightest bit.

"No, no…try it this way." She stood up straight and held her hands over her diaphragm. "You know the sound has to come from here. Let it flow, let your tongue follow, and your voice will soar like eagles. From the top!"

The students followed her fingers and opened their mouths. They'd not gotten out two notes of the song when the doors burst open and Jim stood between them, panting.

"Raven!" he cried, catching her attention. He also caught the attention of many of the students.

No student was authorized to call their instructor by their first name…

"Simon's shot the Admiral and taken Andrew!"

Raven gasped, as did many students. Some started to wail. A couple of girls started to cry. "The Admiral's been shot?" many of them questioned. Raven glanced at Angel McLeod. "Handle this!" she commanded, running up to Jim.

"What happened?!" she cried, her eyes wild with fire. Jim's frown told her he wasn't lying to her.

"Simon shot the Admiral and kidnapped your son, Raven." His words were soft, gentle. But the truth behind them stabbed her like knives. Her son had been kidnapped. Simon had taken her son.

Raven didn't know whether to scream or cry.

She knew she'd end up doing both eventually, so she followed Jim to where the Admiral was being covered with a body bag.

"Wait," she asked, leaning over. "Admiral…" she whispered, touching his face. He was still warm, which frightened her. His expression was peaceful, she realized. He was in a better place by now.

Tears crept up on her as she watched the medics cover the Admiral's face with the rest of the bag.

He was gone. He wasn't coming back. Her father-figure, the man she admired more than anything, was gone.

Jim's hand was on her shoulder, trying to be a comfort.

Raven's tears did nothing to her composure as she looked at Jim. "Which way did they go?"

Jim nodded. "That way. The cops are already searching."
Raven sighed and returned the nod. "Good. We will go, too. You have a solar surfer?" she asked rhetorically. He frowned. "You…know how to ride one?"

"You won't let me fall," she commanded.

Jim got the message.

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