(notes: I don't own any of the rights to Cyborg 009)
Breaking down the walls between us:
Once returning to his apartment Jet flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. It didn't matter what was on, he wasn't watching it anyways. As he lay back, his mind was still a swirl of thought.
"I still love 003 ..right?.." He closed his eyes in remembering his night at the diner. "But tonight...tonight for the first time in a long time I felt happy. She really is a wonderful woman once you get to know her, beautiful green eyes... "
"Wait! what am I thinking!" He shouted in his mind rolling over in disgust,trying covering the rest of his feelings. "I'm so confused"
It was sometime around 11:30 when Kathy and her son left the diner, the streets where now barren and darkened. Dark alleyways loomed over what little street lamps reminded lit. Jimmy clinged tightly to his mom's hand as they turned the street conner close to their home.
"Almost home" His Mom thought thankfully as they rounded the final conner. "Jimmy when you first go in try not to wake "
Her words where finished by a hand grabbing over her mouth from behind and shoving her into the dark ally way by their apartment house.
The strong hand threw her up against the dingy ally wall. Stumbling back a few step she tired to gain her footing to fight back but he was too strong for her. The man leaned over slapping her against the wall once more, before she could grab her son to run the man over powered her pinning her to the wall.
" I'll be taking your tips tonight dear waitress" The man grinned leaning over her.
She finally saw the face of a dirty dingy scoundrel to horrible to even want to remember.
"Run Jimmy!" Kathy screamed.
"No momma!" Charging at the dingy man Jimmy did his best to try to protect his Mom but his efforts where hopeless, Jimmy's Mom watched in horror as her son was knocked uncontious to the ground.
"No..Jimmy!" She sobbed in disbelef as the scoundrel shoved her against the wall once more.
He took a small switch knife from his pocket as he leaned over whispering in her ear.
"You're pretty sweet looking love.." The dingy man started kissing down her neck as he held the knife close to her chest. " Perhaps I should take something else from you besides money..."
Tears began flowing faster from Kathy's eyes as the dirty man loomed closer over her. Feeling the knife touch closer to her skin it was yet another reminder that her pride was dieing faster everyday.
"..Jet.." His name was the last words she whispered as the knife butt smacked her in the head knocking her to the ground, but the dingy man also fell too.
As she lay on the dirty ally floor the world around her fading away to black, she recognized the pair of jeans and black shoes from earlier that night.
Jet quickly took of his jacket warping Kathy in it, holding her close trying to hide her from anymore harm "It's ok I'll make sure that son of a bitch pays for what he's done to you." He said gritting under his breath.
Weakly Kathy spoke to him" Please make sure Jimmy is" She faded into his arms.
"I'll protect both of you always." He whispered scooping Kathy and her son up in his arms.
An hour or so had passed since the horrible incident, Jet had brought Jimmy and his Mom to his apartment to recover. Jimmy was doing fine and resting fast asleep in Jet's bed. His Mom still lay uncontious resting on the sofa bed he's folded out for her in the living room. Covering her with a thin blanket, it was the best he could do for her until she came to. Still Jet never left her side the whole time, making sure he did everything he could for her. He reached out to wipe away some of the dust from her face.
"She's such a strong hearted woman, she's like a fireball that never dies." He thought to himself "strong but "
Slowly her eyes fluttered open to contiousness.
Whispering out to him softly. "Jet I " She couldn't finish what she wanted to say when he quickly scooped her in his arms hugging her tight.
"God, I was worried about you. "He said burring his head in her shoulder keeping her close to him as if he was going to loose her.
She hung onto him as if her life depended on it, resting her head on his shoulder as well.
Whispering softly he pleaded to her "Don't ever scare me like that again Kathy, please I don't know what I'd "
Jet felt tear drops running down the back of his shirt. He let his grip slip on her just enough so he could see her face, tears began to flowing faster down her slender cheeks. She never realized when he began to wipe them away with his hand.
He knew she was still badly shaken from the incident. "It's ok Kathy" He never took his eye off her as he spoke."You're safe now and I'll see "
She looked into his eyes, but tore away from his embrace warping his jacket around her tighter.
"Kathy..!" Jet tried to reach out to her.
"No, you don't understand! " She sobbed more than before." I can't do this anymore! I can't keep up with this kind of life anymore, working day in and day out to make whatever little money it is to keep a roof over my son's head. No one or nothing is ever there for us. We can't even stand up for ourselves!"
Jet tired to hold her once more, Kathy closed her eyes as his strong arms embraced her. There was something about him holding her that somehow made things seems a bit more bearable, but she still felt like she was falling apart.
"Kathy... "He brushed her golden hair back trying to confront her as she rested crying in his embrace. "You're never alone you have friends ..." Then pausing for a moment "..you have me to relay on for support."
A gentle summer's breeze came in from the window knocking the small picture from the table beside it leaving the frame shattered on the floor. Kathy left Jet's embrace to pick up the picture from the shattered frame. Once seeing the picture on the floor she began she began to cry again.
" You already love someone else .." She let the pieces of the frame that she's picked up drop back to the floor." So how could you possibly make any promises to me!"
Slowly Jet walked over to her and sat beside her looking down at the shattered frame.
"Loved, but she never loved me." Jet sighed out of remberance.
Kathy looked at him confused it seems she's found his pain too.
"In two days she's going to be one of my fellow team mate's wife. I was invited to the wedding but I don't know if I can bare to be there. As much as I tried to show my feeling for her.." He paused for a moment for some reason he wasn't as bitter about it as he had been. "I guess she just saw something in him I didn't have or preahps.."
Kathy just looked at him in surprise.
Putting a hand on his shoulder she apologized to him. "..I'm so sorry I had no idea."
Jet helped her back to the couch to rest and sat beside her. He smiled as he gave her an extra pillow" No more worrying over my stupid problems, you've already got enough on your mind tonight."
It's when she looked up at him and smiled back is when she did it again, it was the same look that made his heart leap from before.
Perhaps he'd been starring too long because she began to question him." Jet? Are you sure you're ok I'm so sorry I got upset over that picture.I shouldn't have judged you like that."
Jet jumped in suprize but quickly tried to hide it by starring at the floor. " O yeah, I'm fine.. wow! Just a hectic night"
It was quite the alkward moment.
What made him jump even more was when she wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you again Jet" She nuzzled closer to him. "Thank you for saving my life again and my son's."
His heart raced for the moment something felt so different about her. It took a minute to even register to hug her in return, but once hugging her everything seemed complete to him.
Kathy cuddled closer to him resting securely in his embrace, she touched her hand over his heart." Jet, I know you're not fully human but you're heart feels completely human to me."
Hearing her words Jet embraced her tighter, never in his life had he heard words so pure.
"You're heart is beating so fast.." She said curiously as she rested in his arms.
Jet looked down at her resting causing her to sit up to look at him.
Looking deep into her eyes, he tried to explain to her. "My heart, my feelings are all human."
Kathy stood paused by his words not knowing what to say but perhaps nothing right could be said.
Her hand brushed across his cheek as she spoke to him." I never trusted anyone since the day my husband left me but I trust in you. "
Jet stood perfectly still feeling his cheeks grow hot in her touch.
His eyes fluttered closed as her hand continued stroking his cheek, his heart raced faster than before.
Jet sighed deeply."I trust in you too. I'll never hurt or lie to you I can promise you that, even if I can't do anything else right."
Jet however was caught off guard when her lips graced his.
Her lips felt like silk to his, instantly he found himself taken in by her kiss as he found himself kissing her in return.
Jet sighed against her kiss as her lips let go of his. By this time it felt as if his whole body were on fire with only a single kiss.
He lay back against the couch arm as he tried to gain control over his emotions. Her eyes were still fixed on him as she held him by the waist.
"What are you doing to me..."His thoughts screamed.
She crawled into his lap holding him close to her body, his arms were trembling as he wrapped them around her in return.
" It just feels so nice to be held." She whispered softly in his ear. "I'm sorry to have been so forward I haven't been held in a long time"
Her breath made him shiver.
She continued whispering softly in his ear. "I can't explain it ..but everything feels so right with you."
Suddenly he felt her kiss behind his ear, his whole body was aflame more than ever before.
" I haven't been held in over forty years" He felt a small tweek of sadness at thought.
" Forty years?"She brushed back a few small strands of hair hanging in his face "How could life be so curl to you."
Knowing more and more about him, he became to her the most wonderful person she'd ever met. It seemed he only grew more wonderful all the time. He lay her gently down on the sofa bed, her arms brought him down with her as he began to kiss her again. Kathy felt his desires growing as she felt her own need crying to be with him. Their kisses intensified growing more deep more needing. To her every inch of him felt like heaven.
Jet closed his eyes once more taking in the feeling of her hands running down his back as they kissed, but upon closing his eyes all he could see was the shattered picture of him and 003. His thoughts saddened as he pulled back from her. He'd never dream of hurting Kathy by drowning his own pain in a fit of lust.
" What's wrong?" Kathy asked looking at him in question.
Still confused by what happened, he tried to give her a reply.
"Nothing" He sat up next to her " Just..what are we doing so fast I don't think we're ready for this under the sercumstances."
Slightly embarrassed she looked down at the bed.
"Throwing yourself at him like a common whore to hide your own pain. Stupid! " She thought in disgust.
Kathy was suprized when he lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
He smiled warmly at he as he spoke "Perhaps for tonight, we should just get some rest it's been a long day for you"
" You're right." She nodded in response.
The two held one another close trying to drift off to sleep. Jet lay wake still thinking. There was nothing he could do about 003, would it really kill him to try to move on with life? Kathy still tried to hide from having thrown herself at him. All she wished for was to just have someone care for her like a guy is suposed to and not leave or have it be something fake, but it was stupid to think that way because love and dreams never come true right?
Kathy was suprized when Jet rolled over taking her hand in his.
"Kathy?" He asked timidly. "Kathy are you still awake?"
" Yes? What's up?" She replied sleepy.
" Um.. are you. Ugh! This is horrible .. .." Jet tried to get his words out. "...Would you mind going on a date with me tomorrow night?"
Kathy's eyes shot open wide awake. A date, after all the stupid things she'd done tonight! After all she did owe it to him for saving his life. Did it mean he was really taking intrest in her? Did she really feel the same way? Could she really be falling for him?
Kathy responded in disbelieve. ".. Sure is 8:00 tomorrow night ok?"
" Sure" Jet kissed her goodnight on the cheek" I'll meet you at your apartment 8:00."
Falling asleep holding one another one thought rang though both of their minds.
"..What am I getting myself into."
(to be continued ...)
