Chapter 17

1st Friday 2:30 pm

Bobby sat downacross fromMakenzee and turned off the TV. "Hey, I was-"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Huh?"

"About your parents. Why didn't you tell me? You know you can trust me."

"I thought I could trust you but you proved that wrong, didn't you?" She stood up and stormed up the stairs. Bobby didn't hesitate to follow her.

"Makenzee, you're not getting away that easily. And I'm not apologizing for lying to you. You know why I did."

"I know why, but that doesn't make it O.K."

"You're not making this about me, Mak. This is about you not telling us that you knew who was stalking you."

"I don't know! What do you want me to say?"

"That you'll tell me who killed your parents."

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can, Makenzee." Bobby followed Makenzee into her bedroom.

She screamed, "No! I can't! Don't you get it! Even if I give you a vague description he'll kill Aiden! Got it! You want me to kill my own sister! I can't, I already got my parents killed! It's my fault that Aiden never knew her mom! Or never got a piggy back ride on her daddy's shoulders! I can't take away her life, too." She slumped down onto the cushioned bench by the window. She dropped he head into her hands and began to sob. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Bobby's heart filled with sorrow. He slowly walked over to her and picked her up. He sat down and pulled Makenzee onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her so tight he was afraid that he might crush her. "I'm sorry, Mak. I'm so sorry."

"Why?" She leaned back and looked at him.

"Because I didn't protect you, I could've helped you get through this."

"No, Bobby, you couldn't. I was barely in kindergarten. I had a tough childhood, alright. But luckily me and Aiden found good foster parents, they were real nice. A little on the old side, but they both had hearts of angels." She smiled faintly, but it died quickly.

"I'm here now, if you need anything, just ask. Okay?" He asked.

"Okay."

"Promise?"

Makenzee rested her head on his shoulder. She whispered, "Promise."

He lifted her chin with a finger. "Can I get a smile from you."

"Can I get a rain check?"

"Nope."

She involuntarily smiled.

He smiled back, "Much better." Their eyes connected. He leaned his head forward, then stopped, to see if she would respond. She did. Makenzee's head leaned forward. When their lips touched it was like everything dire and evil was destroyed. It felt like the very first kiss again. Bobby's hand pulled her closer, resting on the back of her head. She ran her fingers along Bobby's jaw. His free hand rested on her thigh sending electricity shooting through her veins. When the kiss ended, Bobby held Makenzee's frail body in his arms. She relaxed her head on his shoulder, Bobby's arm around her back. They sat there until Makenzee fell asleep. Bobby lowered her onto the bed. He stared down at her, taking in her beautiful features. He inhaled, then bending over, kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door.

1st Friday 6:45 pm

Sue scrubbed the pot with all the strength she possessed. A hand touched her shoulder, she turned her head towards Jack.

"Need help?"

Sue let out a puff, "Probably. I didn't know what I was getting into when I volunteered to wash the dishes."

Jack laughed and rubbed Sue's arms. He took the pot from her hands, he said, "Why don't we just let the dishwasher take care of this, hmm?"

"Hey, if you can get a machine to get the food off of that thing, all the more power to you."

"Of course I can." He opened the dishwasher and pulled out the racks. After he moved around a few other dishes, he fit the pot in snuggly. He turned on the dishwasher.

"Simple as pie."

"We'll see." Sue clapped his hands together. "So! Do you feel like a walk?"

Jack looked deep into Sue's clear blue eyes. "I feel like I'm falling for a beautiful angel who just happens to be standing in front of me when she should be floating in heaven."

He said softly.

Sue read Jacks lips intently as she was given what she had wanted so desperately and dreamt about a countless amount of times. He continued, now also using ASL which made it that much more intimate.

"A very wise man once told me it was falling in love because you feel like everything is spinning around but when you are in love everything comes into focus. Well, I'm completely focused now, my heart is clear. He also said that you get this feeling that keeps you from breathing when you see your woman, but now… I can hardly move." He paused. "I am truly, madly, completely and wholly in love. I love you, Sue Thomas."

Jack could swear that the heavens in which she belonged had opened up overhead when he saw her lips part into the most gorgeous smile he's ever seen.

"Jack, I don't know when exactly when I fell in love with you, but," Sue let out a frustrated sigh, searching for the right words to come to her. When her brain failed, she allowed her heart to take over, "just kiss me, Jack, kiss me now."

He did.

Lips touching, mouths exploring, heart and soul joining.

Sue not only tasted Jack, she tasted freedom, utter happiness, and completion. With the sun shining through the window onto her sun kissed hair, her body wrapped in Jacks arms and him in hers, she truly felt like she was walking through the gates into the Promised Land. Only Jack was her honey, and love her milk.

The kiss ended and they searched each others eyes for what their tongues would not reveal.

Sue whispered, "It gets better every time."

"I can't wait for the next one," Jack agreed.

"Patients, Jack, Patients. You can't have everything all at once." There was a smile behind the voice but it still disappointed Jack vastly. She turned around and began walking to the stairs leading downstairs; before she got there she turned around and asked, "Where did you learn all that sign language?"

"Uh, I, sort of, knew what I wanted to say so I practiced."

Sue laughed lightly, I can always expect you to come prepared. And she was gone.

1st Friday 12:30 pm

Makenzee swallowed a bite of her sub. "His hair was blonder, like he had been in the sun all summer long. You know, brown, but he had blonde streaks." She paused while Tara made the adjustments on the computer. After twenty minutes of a heated discussion (More like Makenzee screaming at Bobby, Bobby sitting there, saying a few words here and there) Bobby had persuaded Makenzee to give them a description, which really was all that Makenzee could give her. She saw her enemy form in front of her eyes. "His eyes were darker." Cruel.

Tara looked at Makenzee for an explanation. "How is it?"

Makenzee swallowed the lump in her throat, she put the rest of her sub on the dinning table and said, "That's him." She stood up and left the room. His face remained in her mind, refusing to let her see the tall man standing right in front of her.