Final Thought

Yay! A mushy gushy, romance one-shot! I haven't written one of these in a while, especially a NW one. This is Jez/Morgead, and I tried to end it on a light-hearted note. It's supposed to be a bit sad, as Jez is visiting her mother's grave. If you remember, the mother's side of the family are the Goddards.

Review please!

The day held no promises for Jez. The sky was a bruised grey that was slowly turning to charcoal – the clouds above warning of the storm that was brewing. She paid no attention. Her head was bowed and her attention was focussed on the clad of lilies she held in a posy.

They were already drooping by the time it began to rain.
Morgead glanced at Jez. Her wild and fiery hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, allowing him to view her face completely. Her blue/grey eyes were silver, her lips turned down in a frown. She was pale, and looked tired – physically drained.

He steered her down the path on his right, sighing and brushing his hair back with his free hand. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, green eyes wavering on the many tombstones he was passing. Jez nodded wordlessly.

She'd withdrawn from him, fallen inside herself, from the first moment they'd stepped out of the limousine parked at the cemetery gates. Morgead wasn't used to her silence. Jez was the strength in his life – she was the fire, the light – powerful, strong-willed, confident. Yet now… she was a shadow of her former self.

She didn't look like a fierce and beautiful warrior. She was just another human, come to mourn the passing of a loved-one. One who had passed away long ago. There were no signs that told them of where they were, but Morgead could tell by the names on the gravestones that they were in 'F'.

Just one more path to go and finally their cemetery visit would be over. He could smuggle Jez out, take her back to the Daybreak sanctuary and comfort her there. He wouldn't be able to stand seeing her break down in public.

He sent a fleeting glance over his shoulder at Nilsson and a couple of other Daybreak guards. They had their hands tucked into their pockets, ready at the slightest instant to draw their guns from the holsters at their hips. Guns loaded with bullets of varying textures.

One had an iron-bullet gun; the other had one loaded with silver, and the other wood. Effective against witches, werewolves and vampires. Morgead frowned, seeing the three guards and Nilsson as imposing fates of doom.

He knew without question that it was dangerous to be out like this, but Jez needed this. He saw his soulmate's hands clamp tighter onto the lilies. She looked up, her eyes cold.

The rain was coming down harder now, pelting down on Morgead's hair and pressing it to his face in strands. His emerald eyes brightened, narrowing in silent disapproval. He zipped up his leather jacket, and sombrely stared at Jez – who did nothing to shield herself from the rain.

She tilted her face heavenward, letting the rain wash away the tears threatening to run from her eyes. Thunder clapped above. Nilsson, behind them, frowned and glanced at a watch on his wrist. He tightened the ponytail in the nape of his neck, silently glowering.

Morgead scowled. "Jez, you're going to be soaked by the time we get home – come on," he tugged her, making her walk faster. They turned down row G, Morgead ahead as he led Jez down the row of gravestones.

Some were old, some were new. The stone ones were mostly mossy and cracked, whereas the others were marble and shone like angels amongst their dull neighbours. One gravestone had an image of Jesus stood above the grave, praying for the departed.

There was nothing special about the one Jez abruptly stopped at. "This is it," she said, speaking for the first time since they'd stepped out of the limo. Morgead's head jerked in the direction of the gravestone. It was an old grave, yet seemed clean and fairly new – as plain as the other graves but beautiful in its own way.

There were no flowers at its base.
Jez stared down at the grave with mascara eyes, the black shadow of her makeup tracing beneath her eyes and bleeding down her face. She frowned and mouthed something indistinguishable. Morgead glanced at her in sympathy.

He stepped back, giving her some space. Jez knelt down, placing the lilies on the grave. She bowed her head, sighing. She didn't cry – she couldn't cry. It had all happened so long ago and now all of her anger was spent. She knew that if she cried now, she would never be able to stop – and that was wrong because she had every reason to be happy.

She had Morgead. She was alive. And she was also the princess of Circle Daybreak – the first discovered Wild Power. She had everything she could possibly want… except her parents.

She wrapped her arms around herself, strands of her hair coming loose around her face and dripping down beside her face. She stroked the gravestone in wonder, thinking back to her childhood. The men who had killed her parents… who she had always believed to be vampire hunters. Except they weren't vampire hunters – they were vampires. Just like her father.

Jez bit back a cry of anger. It was all her fault… her parents were dead because of her – the hybrid. She clenched the fist of one hand while digging her nails into the gravestone with the other. She shut her eyes in silent remembrance.

Morgead dropped down behind her, resting his head in between her shoulder-blades. He wrapped his arms around her, comforting her.
Don't blame yourself, Jez, he told her. It's all in the past…

Jez didn't reply. She opened her eyes, staring at the grave marked 'Goddard' without really seeing it. She was looking through it, into the distance. Her face was expressionless.

Morgead's grip on her tightened. Don't freeze me out, Jez. I'm just trying to help. He mentally whispered, unwinding a hand from her waist and using it to brush through the hair in her ponytail.

Jez nodded and turned to face him. She grabbed his hand before he had a chance of running his fingers through her hair again and locked her fingers in his. She smiled sadly. "What would I do without you?" she thought aloud, her eyes wavering.

Morgead wanted to wipe away that grim smile, he wanted to hold her and not let anything hurt her ever again. "Oh, Jez," was all he managed to say – the only thing that could sum up how he felt. Her name was the only thing he could think of – there was a monotonous rhythm pounding in his head, playing along to the only name he treasured so dearly: Jez.

She turned in his grip and buried her head into his shoulder. She sobbed without tears, gasping for breath in his arms. He held onto her tighter, temporarily forgetting where they were and that other Daybreakers were with them. It was just the two of them in the world, and all they needed were each other.

If the sun went down and the stars refused to shine, it was okay – because they would still be together. For all Morgead cared, it could have been the end of the world – but so long as Jez was safe and by his side, then he would let it pass without a glance. Just for that one moment.

The soulmate connection thrummed between them – a silver thread without frays or splitting ends. It was as large as a rope, starting and ending in one another's hearts – connecting them. Morgead could feel the pound of Jez's heart as if it were his own.

He buried his face in her hair, suddenly overwhelmed. He couldn't bear to see her like this – he just wanted her to be happy, that was all he'd ever wanted since he was a kid. He'd always loved her, always cared for her – and only now could he prove it, only now could he show it.

And he would love her till the day he died – he vowed. Scooping her up in his arms, he helped pull her to a standing position. They were both soaked to the skin, but neither cared. Jez pulled back, her eyes a ghostly silver that held no traces of their original blue.

Morgead's own eyes were dark. He held out a hand to her and she took it without saying a word. The two began to walk back to the other Daybreakers, Morgead nodding in Nilsson's direction.
Nilsson smiled gratefully. He waved a hand at the other guards and soon Jez and Morgead were locked in on all sides by a guard.

They walked in box-formation back to the limo, Morgead's gaze sometimes landing on the many graves they passed. None held any promise – they were of no one he knew. Still, most of the people here had no flowers from mourners. Nor did they have any visitors.

Morgead frowned, folding his arms inside his leather trench coat. The rain was slowly easing up, fading to nothingness. He wasn't as wet as Jez; her coat was open and billowing in the wind – her white jumper soaked. She didn't seem to notice.

Morgead's jeans were sticking to his skin from where he had sat down on the path. He didn't feel the cold. He knew Jez did – she was still living as a human without blood. He frowned and took off his own coat, then draped it over Jez's shoulders – leaving his MCR t-shirt to the mercy of the weather. He didn't care; anything was better than seeing Jez suffer.

Jez wrapped the coat around her, feeling Morgead's presence inside the coat. It was warm and smelt of his cologne. She grinned. "Thanks,"
"Anything for you, kid." Morgead smiled back. "You say 'jump', I say 'how high?' – and all that crap,"

Jez bit down on a giggle. It was so unlike her to giggle. She kept a straight face. The sleek limousine loomed in the distance, hovering outside the entrance to the cemetery. She sighed. "Looks like we're back under lock and key," she grunted.

Morgead frowned, placing one arm around her shoulders. He nodded at her, and then motioned to Nilsson – calling him over. The vampire turned.
"Can we have a moment alone? Me and Jez, I mean." Morgead began hesitantly. "No one's around and you can keep watch inside the limo. I just need to talk to her for a minute,"

Jez raised her eyebrows at Morgead. Nilsson searched Morgead's face for a moment, and then nodded. "We'll wait by the limo – but don't wander off. Thierry will skin me alive if anything happens to you two,"

I wonder why? Jez thought, sarcastically. Morgead's eyes snapped in her direction and he smiled. The three guards climbed into the back of the vehicle, while Nilsson leant on the edge of the limo.

He couldn't hear them speaking from his spot, so Morgead was content. The rain had completely stopped now. The borrowed coat around Jez's shoulders was slack in her grip.
Morgead brushed back his hair. "Jez…"

"I know you didn't want to come, Morgead. I'm sorry I had to drag you along," Jez sighed, beginning to walk towards their ride home. Morgead grabbed her arm before she got any further. He frowned. "That's not what I was going to talk about, and I did want to come. I wouldn't leave you to come here alone – I just didn't want you to get upset."

Jez didn't reply. She wasn't facing him when he spoke again.
"Jez, I don't care that you're half-and-half. I don't care, I really don't. I love you for who you are, you know that right?"

Jez sniffed and looked down at the ground. "You love me because it's fate,"

Morgead scowled. "Is that why you love me? Because you have to?" Fear was slowly engulfing him. He felt uncomfortable, the blood in his veins running like ice water. He did feel the cold for a moment then – whilst Jez had her back turned. But then his soulmate faced him and all doubts were pushed away.

She brought a hand up to his face and brushed his cheek. "No. That's not true," she whispered, smiling. Morgead grinned into the palm of her hand and kissed it, once. "I really do love you, Jez Redfern." He sighed, defeated.

Jez flashed a brilliant smile. "And I love you, Morgy."
Morgead growled as she pulled her hand away. "Don't call me that."
Jez laughed, straightening. "I think it's cute,"
"It isn't a compliment for a man to be called 'cute'," Morgead frowned, trying hard to keep a grin from his face. Jez ruffled his hair.

"Whatever, Morgy."
"Stupid cow," he sniffed.
"Arrogant pig," Jez retorted, slipping her hand in his.

On a final thought, Morgead suddenly leant over and kissed Jez on the cheek. She blinked furiously in surprise, and tilted her head in his direction. "What was that for?" she snapped.
Morgead just shrugged, smiling. "Come on. Let's get you home,"

"Uh, uh. Not until you tell me what that was for, mister."
"Can't I kiss my soulmate?" Morgead replied, innocently.
"Not without a reason, 'cause then you'll just do it all the time and I'd be humiliated,"
"Huh? Why, what the hell is wrong with me?"
"Quit whining, Morgy."

"You first, Jezebel."
"Stop calling me 'Jezebel'!"
"Stop calling me 'Morgy'!"

Nilsson shook his head in exasperation, climbing into the driver's side of the limo.
He was so glad he hadn't found his soulmate…