Disclaimer: I do not own JA or any of the characters.
Chapter 21: Saved
Vincent was aimlessly looking out of the taxi, wondering what the reaction of his family was going to be when he arrived on the door step. He saw a car on the side of the road which looked like Amy's, and a woman who looked like Amy sitting on it. At first it didn't quite register, and they were quite a way past it when he finally asked the driver to stop the car.
Amy looked up at the taxi as it screeched to a halt and began reversing. Her heart rate increased and she started to edge her way back to the car door. Ready to jump in if she needed to. But breathed out a sigh of relief as she saw that it was Vincent.
"Amy?"
"Hi Vinc. What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing sitting here outside of town. Not going to do anything stupid are you?" He turned to the driver and handed him some money.
"No, just thinking."
"About doing something stupid?"
"Maybe, don't know why it's stupid though." The taxi disappeared back the way it had come and Vincent moved closer to Amy.
"So what happened?"
"Why don't we talk about why you are here?"
"No, we were talking about you first." Vincent sat on the front of the car.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Well neither do I."
"Well...."
"Amy, if you are thinking about doing something stupid, you have to tell me. So I can at least say goodbye."
"You aren't going to try and stop me?"
"No, there is no point. Once you set your mind to something, nobody can change your mind, or stop you."
"You could at least try."Amy joined him.
"Why waste the energy?" She smacked his arm. "And you won't be able to do that anymore either."
"Hey."
"So what's bothering you? You normally sit on the swing when you need to think."
"I can't be at home right now."
"Why?"
"Mom said something really nasty, and I had a hard enough time leaving without hitting her, going back.... I don't think I could restrain myself from killing her."
"What did she say? It can't have been that bad, I mean you've said all this before but you were over-reacting."
"No she really went too far this time."
"What did she say?"
"I don't want to repeat it."
"Come on, it must have been pretty bad if you won't even tell me."
"Fine.... I was upset, and mom came up and said I need to stop bottling things up. She was just prying. Then when I said I didn't bottle things up, I release my emotions, just because I don't do it in front of her doesn't mean I bottle them up. And she said.... that...."
"She said what?"
"She said and I quote: 'thats right you go have sex with the first bloke you can find.'"
"I see. What did you say?"
"I left before I could do or say anything I would have regretted."
"So what else is up?"
"That's not enough?"
"I know there's something else." Amy looked at her brother and smiled. He knew her so well.
"Well you know I was going out with a guy called David."
"Yeah."
"Well he gave me a heart shaped pandant. Bruce said that it meant that I was now in control of his heart. That it was more than just a pendant."
"Did he engrave it?"
"Yeah, and he also put it on me."
"Ok...."
"So you agree with him?"
"Well that is kinda what it means. Although I could be wrong."
"Well then Bruce went and bought me a bracelet with the same pendent and he engraved it with the word always and then some kisses."
"Kisses?"
"Friends kiss."
"They do?" She hit his arm.
"Yes they do but...."
"These kisses weren't friends kisses and David guessed that?"
"Sort of. I dumped him."
"And now you are going out with Bruce?"
"No, I feel guilty when I'm with either of them."
"So you have been with Bruce?"
"No.... well sort of."
"Ok, so now you're confused."
"Yeah, it would help if I didn't feel guilty, if I maybe just loved both of them. But I love them both and when I'm with one I feel like I'm cheating on the other one."
"Uhuh."
"What uhuh?"
"And what else?"
"I'm not telling you, you'll get mad."
"Tell me."
"Well Michael called."
"You didn't go back to him, please tell me you didn't go back to him. He is such a two faced jerk!"
"No I didn't go back to him, but he asked me to when I went round to his."
"You went to his place? Why did you do that?"
"He called and said he wanted to talk."
"When?"
"Before I came here."
"Amy when did all this happen?" Amy looked at her feet. "Amy?"
"Over the last few days."
"No wonder you're confused. I think you need to slow down a bit."
"Slow down?"
"Take a break from it all."
"What?"
"Leave Hartford, go someplace on your own."
"I can't, I have work, and Lauren."
"I'm back so I can look after Lauren, and work can wait. You need to relax."
"I don't. I like the speed things move at in my life. It keeps me on my toes and stops me being bored."
"Amy, it is not healthy to never be bored. Being bored gives you a chance to look at the direction your life is moving in. Look at how you are, and gives you a chance to look after yourself. You look exhausted, you need some rest."
"I don't need to slow down."
"Amy, you were thinking about doing something very stupid earlier, which would have slowed you down a hell of alot. In fact stopped you dead in your tracks.... excuse the pun."
"I...."
"Don't argue with me, I know what you were thinking of doing. Get a doctors note and take some time off work."
"It's not that simple."
"Yes it is."
"I have nowhere to stay tonight."
"Stay in a motel or something. Get away from it all. You don't need any complications in life anymore."
"You'll have to pick Laurens up from Bruce's.... you know where that is right?"
"Why is she there?"
"Sleepover with Rebecca and Megan."
"I'll ask mom about where it is. Can you give me a lift home?"
"Sure, I suppose I should just go home, and avoid mom. She's probably asleep now anyway."
"No, she is probably worrying about you. Why do you need to go back?"
"I might as well pack. She will be home tomorrow anyway, so I might as well go now."
"Come on then."
They got in the car, and Amy feeling alot calmer having spoken things through, smiled. She felt like the heavy weight resting on her chest had been lifted slightly. It just wouldn't have been right talking to a stranger, they wouldn't have understood and they would probably have told her to forget about Bruce because he was her CSO and told her to go with David.
She turned to Vincent, "I missed you."
"I know." He replyed simply as they continued into the city.