"Somewhere Out There"

ok as of now my stories are gonna have song title titles. starting with an Our Lady Peace song.

The group had gone out to the bar, sans Angel. Kat had jumped over the bar, and poured them all shots. There were drinking games, naturally. And deja vu as Alex told Jack she could 'drink him under the table'. The boys just grinned widely. Boys will be boys. It had been a slow night, so not many were in the bar. After, they started back out to Bobby's car.

"I kinda wanna walk." Jack said. "I feel like I kinda need to unwind. I'll see you guys at home."

"Want me to join you?" Alex asked.

"Sure, baby. Come on." He outstretched his arm, which she put around her shoulders. She put her arm around his waist, and he kissed her. "I love you." He said as they were walking. Alex smiled, genuinely happy to have a guy like Jack. He would always protect her, never let anything hurt her, or at least die trying. Which is pretty damn close to what happened next. Two men came out as if from nowhere, blocking their way.

"Mercer?" said one man.

Jack stepped in front of Alex. "Who the hell wants to know?"

"Someone from your past. A while back, you made a very powerful man a very angry man. You got him in big trouble."

"I piss a lot of people off. Apparently the cute face isn't always enough. I'm gonna need you to elaborate."

"You may not remember him," said the second man, "but he's certainly not forgotten you. And he wants his revenge. He needs his payback." With that, the first man pulled out a gun. Jack froze. He was unarmed. Alex...would they get her too? Too many thoughts came to him to react. "RUN, Alex!" The man pulled the trigger, and Jack took a bullet to his right chest. He did all he could, and rushed the man with the gun. The second man started to go after him, and Alex jumped him. Jack was getting weak, losing blood, and to make things worse, he was then stabbed by the man, who had lost his gun, somewhere in the dark alley. He was taken to his knees, then fell forward onto the ground. The second man threw Alex off him, and they sparred briefly, before both men beat her to the ground. She had a busted lip, and was spitting blood. These were gonna leave bruises. That is, if they didn't kill her. But they beat her to the point where she had about passed out. Then one man, Jack didn't know which one, his vision was blurry, death was close, but one man went over to Jack, stabbed him, leaned down to his ear, and whispered, "And on the off-chance you live, you mess with us again, we're coming back for you, and the girl."

Alex fought with all she had to maintain consciousness, and crawled over to Jack, after the men had left them there to die.

"Jack. Jack..." Tears streamed down her face. "Jack, don't leave me, please. Stay with me. Oh, God, Jack, you gotta stay! Baby..."

Jack's eyes met hers for a few seconds, before they closed.

"Jack no! Jack!"

His eyes opened once more, and they were full of pain, exasperation, and love. Love. He didn't want to die, but he couldn't stay awake. He just wanted to rest for a bit, Alex in his arms. But that wasn't a choice. He could do that now, but that would be the end. But as they say, all good things must end, and what better way then now. A bittersweet last moment. He only wished he had something uplifting to say to her, to whisper to her before he died. But his eyes said it all, in every way better than he could have ever explained in words. It also took less energy and time, energy and time he used trying to stay with her. And he tried to stay with her, he did. He gasped and cried in pain, but she couldn't help him. "Jack! Please no please baby. Oh God please." But alas, his eyes closed once more. Alex froze. No...Why? She cried, sobbed, and finally, kissed Jack sweetly, and took off his cross necklace. She gripped it in her hand, until it hurt, until she thought she would bleed. That's what she wanted. She wanted to know she could. And she wanted to hold onto him, to Jack, with everything she had. She backed against a wall, and passed out. Was this the end? And for who?

short intermission to build up anticipation

feel free to go get some concessions

bathroom break, perhaps?

does this annoy you?

ok, then, now to get down to business

Alex opened her eyes, still stained with tears, and mascara. She instantly found it hard to breathe. Her eyes open wide, in that same way she did when the scarring trauma kicked in. Jack had that same look.

"JACK!" she yelled, and cried. She screamed, or at least in her brain, she really couldn't separate anything anymore. She crawled over to the spot where Jack had previously lie. They must've taken him. She lie in the spot where Jack had fallen, and tried to grip onto any part of him. She sobbed, in disbelief. She screamed. It was killing her, all this.

"No..Jack..." she neared closer to the ground. "My love..." she whispered to the empty space. She sobbed more, muffled screams escaping from this poor troubled girl. Life should not be so rough, nor so mean, to this beautiful girl, of only nineteen. But she didn't feel nineteen. Jack...Jack was too young too. Alex was falling apart, and yet, blankly, she stood. She started walking, never thinking about to where. But she knew where. She was going home.

"Where the hell are they?" Bobby was pacing now. PACING. Bobby doesn't pace. Kat actually pointed that out. But was also worried about her brother and his girlfriend.

"We should search for them. Go look."

"Where would they be?"

"I dunno. Check the bar again, uh, Jack's friends' places, uh, well, we can start with those, at least."

"I don't wanna hafta search the hospital for my family, damnit. They'll be fine, and then, I'll kick their asses for not calling."

"OK. Sounds like a plan. Uh, where's Angel?"

"Upstairs, asleep. He and Sofi did a lot of making up last night, you know."

"Ah, make-up sex. It's awesome. Hey, should we call YOUR girlfriend, have her help?"

"Kerrie? She's not my girlfriend."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Shut up. YOU are annoying, you know that?"

"I AM your little sister, technically. That's my job. Now, let's go find our baby sister."

So they separated, Kat going one way, toward the bar, Bobby heading over to Jack friends'.

Alex just walked, blankly, numbly, nothing had effect anymore. And what did, the effect was pain, devastation. Alex walked in to the empty house. She went upstairs, collapsed on Jack's bed, and again, began to sob. She couldn't hardly breathe. But somehow, she pulled herself together, and went downstairs. For one moment her thoughts went to the rest of the family. She picked up the phone, and dialed. The ringing was like audio poison, passing so slow, she just wanted it all to stop. And it did. That is, the ringing stopped when Bobby answered. "Yeah. This is Bobby."

She managed to choke out a few gasp-like sounds, but nothing distinguishible as actual words. The only thing she could get out was a whisper, of the sweetest name to pass her lips, and ears, and run through her brain. "Jack..."

"Alex? Where the hell were you? You're home now? Good to know you didn't go and get yourself killed."

Alex anxiously sighed, inhaled quickly. "Jack..."

"What about Jack?"

"They took him, Bobby. He's supposed to be here, with me. That's how it was always supposed to go. Now I--" Her voice shattered off from there.

"Alex what's going on? What about Jack? Who took him, what?"

"Oh God.."

"Alex! Where is Jack? Tell me! Tell me where my brother is."

"HE'S DEAD, OK! THEY KILLED HIM!" And with that she dropped the phone, and collapsed on the ground. She screamed, in agonizing sorrow. Angel ran out of his room, downstairs, and sprinted over to Alex.

"What?"

Alex just kept on crying silently, breaking down.

"Alex!" Then he picked up the phone. "Bobby!"

"Oh God..I-I'm coming home. We've gotta work out all, the...details...and...call Kat..oh God..."

So Angel did, not hardly explaining anything to her, just telling her to get her ass down there. As he did, Alex ran. She ran outside, Angel following her after a few seconds. She ran outside, and collapsed on her knees in the snow. She cried out for Jack. But Jack never came. He couldn't. Not where he was. Angel was confused, and overwhelmed. What the hell happened? Was Jack really dead? He tried questioning Alex, but she didn't say anything. She was dead silent, that same traumatized face, once again, the one she shared with Jack. Angel was so confused, he just sat, blankly, next to Sofi on the couch. Not a word was spoken. Alex was still outside, until she ran past them back in, upstairs. They didn't bother trying with Alex. They would wait for Bobby and Kat and Jerry. Jerry arrived first, Kat had called him, then Kat, followed by Bobby behind her a few minutes after Jeremiah arrived. They all stood, looking at one another. "She ran upstairs a little bit ago." Angel started.

"C'mon." Sofi led the way. The five walked upstairs, and into Jack's room.

"Alex?" Bobby called. "Alex, where are you?"

They heard sniffling from Jack's closet. Angel slid the side door open, and there, in the corner, was Alex. She looked so fragile, so broken. Bobby and Jerry kneeled down by her.

"Alex..." Jerry said, softly. "Alex, what happened to Jack?"

She was silent. So was everyone else, already on edge.

"Alex, is he..." Jerry couldn't form the words to ask if his youngest brother was dead. "Did someone...is he dead?"

Alex said nothing, only opened her hand, showing them the necklace. She then buried her face in the sweater she was wearing. It was Jack's. Bobby looked away, wincing sorrowfully. Kat felt as if her very breath had been stolen. Angel's face went to cover up his face, and Sofi clung to his arm. Jerry went from kneeling, to sitting on the ground, his back to the wall. He ran his hand through his hair. Alex just observed. This was the only time she looked up at them, when they were all reacting to this small token, the sign of their lost brother, the only time they weren't looking at her. She pulled her knees even closer to her body, uneasy. The tears were coming less now. She was a bit relieved, yet distressed, maybe this meant something, that she didn't mourn anymore. But she would mourn for a while. Poor Jack Mercer. He was so young. So innocent. As someone once said, "Only the good die young." But how good is Jack? Bad(-ass) enough to dodge death?