Here's the 3rd chapter! Yay! Hope those of you who were waiting for
it enjoy! I haven't said this before, but I don't own
anything or anyone. Wouldn't it be nice though? ^_^ And I know nothing
about New York or where these characters live,
so if I get something geographically out of place, you can correct me.
Enough of that, now go read!
~~~~
Will was silent as he and Jack exited the building. Once out on the sidewalk, the noises of the city filled that silence a little and Will was glad. The two started to walk down the street towards a small park a few blocks away that Will often visited. He knew it would not be crowded nor distracting. As they walked, Will looked over to his left at Jack. He reminded him of a lost puppy. Looking straight ahead again, Will reached over and gently took Jack's hand, entwining their fingers and closing some of the distance between them. Jack smiled a little. He knew it was unlike Will to do something like that, but he was grateful for the contact.
They soon reached the park and Will knew he would have to speak. His mind still racing, he tried to think of how and what
he was going to tell Jack.
Jack's mind was also racing. *He said she was coming back, right? But when?! And why did she leave?! Things were going so great! Or were they? Did I say something wrong?....*
The sound of Will's voice brought Jack out of his reverie. "Do you want to sit here?" he asked, gesturing to a bench that was a few feet off the path. Jack nodded and they went over to it and sat down.
Figuring it was best to just begin, Will looked deep into Jack's eyes and took a breath. Jack braced himself for what he was about to hear, his imagination running wild.
"This is hard for me to tell you," Will began, "because it doesn't make much sense in the first place." Jack gave Will a confused look, but silently urged him to keep going. Will nodded.
"Right before Karen left, she pulled me aside and told me she was going...." Will paused, thinking of how ridiculous this was going to sound and smiling slightly. Seeing that Jack was about to burst, he continued quickly. "..'to find herself'." Will braced himself for Jack's reaction and tried, for the millionth time since Karen left, to make the reason sound rational.
"What?" Jack questioned dryly.
Will sighed. "I don't know, Jackie, but that's what she said. She told me she had some things to work out, and for me to tell anyone that asked, that they had to do with some affairs that Stan left behind." Will took a breath. "She didn't specify on what they were really about..the things...but she was adamant that she was leaving to find..." Will couldn't finish. Jack's expression melted his heart completely. He looked totally lost, and not to mention confused. They were silent for a moment.
"Okay," Jack finally said, emotionless. "That made perfect sense. In some sort of alternate universe that is my life, what you said makes sense. Why? Because nothing in my life ever works out right. Why should this?" He stared at the ground in front of him and tried to control his emotions. "Are you sure she didn't say anything else? Do you know where she went, or when she's coming back?" Jack choked back a sob at the end of his last sentence, determined not to feel anything just yet. He was failing.
Will sighed and scooted closer to Jack, placing his hand on his back. "No, I don't know where she went. Honestly, I don't think she knew either, when she told me." This scared Jack. *Was Karen out there all alone? What was she thinking just leaving?*
"Will, why didn't she tell me?" Jack asked, turning to look at Will. Will saw that Jack's eyes were brimming with tears that threatened to fall at any moment. He hugged him closer and tried to think of what to say.
"I really don't know, Jackie," Will finally answered, his voice almost a whisper.
When Jack regained some composure, his mind began filling with questions once again.
"Will, it has been two months since she left," he said, his voice even, "and I'm just now finding out the reason. And now that I do know, I'm still as lost as I was before. This makes no sense, Will!," Jack's voice suddenly filling with emotion. "I have lost my best friend and I don't even understand why!" He started to say more, but he was shaken by uncontrollable sobs. He rested his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands.
"Hey, calm down some, Jackie," Will soothed, rubbing Jack's back and massaging his neck.
Jack shook his head and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then looked up at Will, with tears glistening in his ocean blue
eyes, and said, "You don't understand, Will, I love her."
Will's eyes widened in surprise, not at just at what his best friend had admitted, but at the way he had said it. At that
moment Will saw something flash in Jack's eyes and it was like a mirror into his soul. Will suddenly understood why Jack had been
so down since Karen had left; he understood why he had not questioned her whereabouts until now, and most of all, Will now
realized that he had to do everything in his power to get Karen back.
~~~~
Will was silent as he and Jack exited the building. Once out on the sidewalk, the noises of the city filled that silence a little and Will was glad. The two started to walk down the street towards a small park a few blocks away that Will often visited. He knew it would not be crowded nor distracting. As they walked, Will looked over to his left at Jack. He reminded him of a lost puppy. Looking straight ahead again, Will reached over and gently took Jack's hand, entwining their fingers and closing some of the distance between them. Jack smiled a little. He knew it was unlike Will to do something like that, but he was grateful for the contact.
They soon reached the park and Will knew he would have to speak. His mind still racing, he tried to think of how and what
he was going to tell Jack.
Jack's mind was also racing. *He said she was coming back, right? But when?! And why did she leave?! Things were going so great! Or were they? Did I say something wrong?....*
The sound of Will's voice brought Jack out of his reverie. "Do you want to sit here?" he asked, gesturing to a bench that was a few feet off the path. Jack nodded and they went over to it and sat down.
Figuring it was best to just begin, Will looked deep into Jack's eyes and took a breath. Jack braced himself for what he was about to hear, his imagination running wild.
"This is hard for me to tell you," Will began, "because it doesn't make much sense in the first place." Jack gave Will a confused look, but silently urged him to keep going. Will nodded.
"Right before Karen left, she pulled me aside and told me she was going...." Will paused, thinking of how ridiculous this was going to sound and smiling slightly. Seeing that Jack was about to burst, he continued quickly. "..'to find herself'." Will braced himself for Jack's reaction and tried, for the millionth time since Karen left, to make the reason sound rational.
"What?" Jack questioned dryly.
Will sighed. "I don't know, Jackie, but that's what she said. She told me she had some things to work out, and for me to tell anyone that asked, that they had to do with some affairs that Stan left behind." Will took a breath. "She didn't specify on what they were really about..the things...but she was adamant that she was leaving to find..." Will couldn't finish. Jack's expression melted his heart completely. He looked totally lost, and not to mention confused. They were silent for a moment.
"Okay," Jack finally said, emotionless. "That made perfect sense. In some sort of alternate universe that is my life, what you said makes sense. Why? Because nothing in my life ever works out right. Why should this?" He stared at the ground in front of him and tried to control his emotions. "Are you sure she didn't say anything else? Do you know where she went, or when she's coming back?" Jack choked back a sob at the end of his last sentence, determined not to feel anything just yet. He was failing.
Will sighed and scooted closer to Jack, placing his hand on his back. "No, I don't know where she went. Honestly, I don't think she knew either, when she told me." This scared Jack. *Was Karen out there all alone? What was she thinking just leaving?*
"Will, why didn't she tell me?" Jack asked, turning to look at Will. Will saw that Jack's eyes were brimming with tears that threatened to fall at any moment. He hugged him closer and tried to think of what to say.
"I really don't know, Jackie," Will finally answered, his voice almost a whisper.
When Jack regained some composure, his mind began filling with questions once again.
"Will, it has been two months since she left," he said, his voice even, "and I'm just now finding out the reason. And now that I do know, I'm still as lost as I was before. This makes no sense, Will!," Jack's voice suddenly filling with emotion. "I have lost my best friend and I don't even understand why!" He started to say more, but he was shaken by uncontrollable sobs. He rested his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands.
"Hey, calm down some, Jackie," Will soothed, rubbing Jack's back and massaging his neck.
Jack shook his head and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then looked up at Will, with tears glistening in his ocean blue
eyes, and said, "You don't understand, Will, I love her."
Will's eyes widened in surprise, not at just at what his best friend had admitted, but at the way he had said it. At that
moment Will saw something flash in Jack's eyes and it was like a mirror into his soul. Will suddenly understood why Jack had been
so down since Karen had left; he understood why he had not questioned her whereabouts until now, and most of all, Will now
realized that he had to do everything in his power to get Karen back.