Ch 21

Same disclaimer applies. And mpcp13...this chapter is for you! Read on to find out why!

Jake could feel his body dropping away from him. Or was his essence levitating? It didn't matter. He wasn't in that crappy apartment anymore. He felt no pain. Hew saw a blue aura, then an old man.
Ellimist.
HELLO, JAKE.
I should have known, Jake muttered to himself. I can't even die in peace.
DO NOT BE AFRAID. YOU WILL NOT DIE.
And why, of all times, should i trust you now?
BECAUSE I BENT THE RULES OF THE GAME SO THAT YOU COULD LIVE, JACOB. SHALL I SAY, YOU BENT THE RULES OF THE GAME.
Now Jake was confused.

RACHEL, YOUR DAUGHTER, WAS AN ACCIDENT. SHE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO POWERFUL PEOPLE DECIDE TO CONTINUE THEIR LINES. SHE IS WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL A WILD CARD'. WE DID NOT EXPECT FOR YOU TO PROPAGATE WITH CASSIE. BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE CREATED ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL PIECES OF THE GAME IN THE UNIVERSE. CRAYAK WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO HAVE HER.
Jake was blown away. his daughter, his little girl, one of the most powerful beings in the universe? She was only two! She couldn't even go to the potty without help!
No offense, but what does that have to do with my situation?
I CAN EXPLAIN THAT. A huge red eye came out of the aura.
Jake spat.
YES. HOW NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MY HUMAN FRIEND.
Crayak looked at the Ellimist.
TOOMIN.
CRAYAK.
YOUR DAUGHTER'S EXISTENCE REQUIRED THAT ELLIMIST WOULD LOSE A PIECE TO THE GAME. AND WHEN YOU DESTROYED MY ULTIMATE CREATION, THE ONE', AND THE FREEING OF AXIMILI, WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD DIE FROM YOUR INJURIES.
BUT YOU SURVIVED. SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE A DEAL. YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO MORPH OUT OF YOUR INJURIES, AND YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO TRAP YOURSELF AS ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. THIS WAY, THE GAME CAN GO ON WITHOUT INCIDENT. YOU LOST THE USE OF YOUR LEGS, AND IN RETURN, THE ONE IS DESTROYED AND AXIMILI IS FREE.
That is the most fucked up thing I have ever heard. Why do both of you keep on bothering me? Just let me be. Let us be.
DON'T WORRY JAKE, WE WILL MEET AGAIN.
Then the Crayak disappeared.
NOW, JAKE, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHY YOU CANNOT GIVE INTO YOUR ADDICTION.
The Ellimist took Jake to another plane of existence.
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Jake was walking down his old street. Walking! He couldn't believe it! He burst into a run, trying to reach his old house. Oddly enough, his house looked like it did all those years before the war. He wondered if his parents were home.
Will they love me now that I'm whole again?
As he got near the door, his jaw dropped.
Rachel and Tom were sitting on his stoop.
What's up, midget? Tom asked.
Watch it, he's bigger than YOU now, Tom, Rachel warned.
Rachel, Tom, you're...
Alive? Nope. Rachel stated.
So I'm dead?
No way. Just piss drunk and unconscious. Tom informed him.
And an idiot. Did you really think beer would solve your problems? Rachel rolled her eyes.
What would you do in my situation?
Be thanking my lucky starts that I'm alive. If I could live again for just 24 hours, I would be satisfied for eternity. As it is, we're here to show you something, because you're a friggin moron.Rachel told him.
Jake, you never knew what you had anyway. If I had a girl like Cassie, man, I would, I would...let's not get into that right now. Tom said,
Jake sat down next to them.
This is about Cassie, isn't it? he sighed.
No doubt. You did her dirty, cuz. Just look at her. Rachel pointed to the ground.
Somehow, they managed to see into her house from the higher plane they were on.
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Cassie opened the door to her house, and Katie came right away.
Hi Miss Branch.,
Hey, how was Rachel today.
I'm sorry, Miss Branch, but she was a real handful. She wouldn't listen to me at all. She got into just about everything in the kitchen, and she broke your Tiffany vase in the hallway. I had to put her in her room for punishment.
Cassie rubbed her head and frowned.
Well, I pay you double for tonight. I hope you won't stop working for me.
Oh no! Usually Rae and I get along great. It was just today...something seemed to really take hold of her. Thank you again.
Cassie paid Katie and Katie then left.
Rae! Come on out! Mommy's here. Cassie opened Rae's door.
Instantly, she ran to the TV.
Katie mean!
No Rae, no TV right now, we need to eat dinner.
I DON'T WANNA! Rae screamed.
If you won't eat, you'll go back to your room. I don't have time to play games with you tonight. Come to the table. YOU'RE. EATING. DINNER.

Cassie picked up a kicking and screaming Rachel.
I want TV! I want TV! she babbled
You're so stubborn! Just like your father! she told the little child.
I WANT DADDY! HE NICE!
Anger boiled in Cassie. She was usually very calm, especially when it came to Rae. But today, this day, had stretched the limits of her patience. Dealing with two irate Berensons really set her off.
She put Rae down on her bed and locked her door.
You can't come out unless you want to be a big girl!
Cassie went back out to her living room.
I need to call Ron, I'm really stressed out...
She dialed his number.
Ron baby?
Who is this?a females voice said from the other end
I'm calling for my fiancé. Who the hell is this?
This is Stacey. And Ron doesn't have a fiancé, do you baby?
Cassie couldn't take any more. She hung up the phone, and put her head in her hands.
Goddman you, Jake, Goddamn you Ronnie, she whispered.
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If you did not feel like a complete ass before, you should now, Rachel said.
Oh shit...

Yes. Oh shit' is right. Cassie always cared for you. In fact, when she was pregnant, every night she waited by her window to see if a falcon would fly by. Even now, she has every reason to hate you. You left her pregnant. A teenage mom. And now, when you see her, you try to push her away. I don't understand you, man. Tom said.

But I still have feelings for her. I really do. She and Rae, they're the only reasons I'm still around. I don't want to be friends with her. I want to feel her luscious lips on mine. I want her to wrap me up in her warm embrace. I want to make sweet, sweet love until the end of time. I want to give her back massages when she's stressed, and kiss away her tears when she's feeling sad. I want to raise out daughter together, and have more kids...I just want her to be my soul mate. But Ronnie...nevermind. Even if she dumps that loser, she'll want a real man. A man who can walk.
Jake leaned back, defeated.
I missed my shot, guys. I lost out.
No, you didn't. The wonderful thing about Cassie is that she still has feelings for you. And she's always willing to forgive. It if were me, buddy, I'd dumped your ass a LONG time ago.
How do I make things right between us again?
Tell her how you feel, midget. Then everything will fall into place.
Then Rachel and Tom disappeared.
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With that, Jake woke up with the worst headache in the world.
Good morning sunshine, Marco joked.
Oh crap...where am I? Jake asked, groggily.
On your couch. Sober. It could be worse. You could be lying in a pool of you own barf. Marco said as he walked towards Jake with a cup of coffee.

Jake obliged.
How come I remember nothing?
Oh, you DON'T want to remember what you did last night. You'd REALLY want to kill yourself if I told you.
Try me. he started to drink.
You yelled at her for being Black, among other stupid things.
He spit out the coffee in disbelief.
What? I would NEVER! Our relationship-
Is OVER. She is LIVID, Jake. That is the one area where you don't even think about going to. And you know that. You don't press that issue with her.
She probably wants to kill me right now.
Well, you know what you have to do to get on her good side, if that's even possible. Marco went to go get another cup of coffee.
Yes, I do. Jake looked out the window thoughtfully. I sure do.