1"Hey, Leese," Jackson Rippner said, standing up. "Have a nice sleep? Doubt it, seeing how you tossed and turned the whole time."
Lisa backed herself against the wall, feeling around for the doorknob. No, no, this couldn't be happening, she was delusional, Jackson was dead.
"But then again," Jackson's voice diminished to a whisper as he stepped even closer to her. "You've been doing that for the past six months."
Lisa finally found the door and wrenched it open, running down the stairs of her apartment and stumbling into the kitchen. She looked to her knife/fork drawer for a weapon, but they were all gone. She quickly settled on the first thing she could find, a ceramic cookie jar. She lifted it to run and hide, but before she could do so a strong pair of hands slammed it to the table, grabbing Lisa's wrists and holding them behind her back.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you, Leese," said the too-familiar voice in her ear.
"W-what are you doing here?" Lisa croaked, finally finding her voice. "You're supposed to be dead."
"Aw, I missed you too," Jackson sneered in false empathy, spinning Lisa around and slamming her against the wall. She struggled against his strong grip pinning her arms to her sides but it was to no avail. Jackson's face was a mere inch from hers as he spoke.
"I came back because I said I would," he snarled. "Remember?"
"No," Lisa lied stiffly, setting her jaw.
"Oh really? Cause I remember oh-so clearly," he breathed. "I said I was gonna steal you. That jog your memory?"
Lisa shook her head, her eyes flashing in defiance. "Look, if you're going to kill me, just hurry up and do it."
Jackson smiled and clicked his tongue. "Lisa, Lisa, Lisa," he crooned. "In all of the years I've known you, I've never wanted to kill you."
"Oh yeah?" Lisa yelled, struggling again at the arms that held her. "What about when you threw me down the stairs and held a knife to my throat? THAT jog YOUR memory?"
Jackson shrugged in a nonchalant way. "Self-defense."
Lisa continued to squirm, but Jackson finally snapped and slapped her harshly across the face. She stopped struggling, but only out of shock.
"Look, Leese," Jackson began as tears began to pour from her eyes. "I saw what that other bastard did to you four years ago, and I want to kill him for hurting you."
"You probably should kill yourself then, because what you did was almost as bad," she retorted. "Why are you here?"
Jackson sighed. "You wouldn't understand." He feigned hopelessness.
"Yea? Try me," she snapped. Jackson leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, one that was so gentle it surprised her. Yet she wouldn't let him get what he obviously wanted. She wrenched her face away and spat at him.
"Go to hell!" she screamed.
Jackson smiled his usual cocky grin at her. "Suit yourself, but you're coming with me."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She cried as Jackson calmly wiped the saliva from his face and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a tiny box and Lisa knew with a horrible, sinking feeling in her throat exactly what it was.
"Till death do us part, right hon?" he said, opening the box. Lisa took the opportunity in which she was free to kick him in the shins and run away. The ring fell to the floor with a clatter as Lisa ran down the steps into her garage. She opened the door where her keys were already in the ignition of her car and tried to start it up. It wouldn't start, and her panic rose with every roaring sound the engine made. She locked the door next to her and kept on trying to start it as Jackson sped jauntily down the steps to her car.
"Come on," she urged the car. "Come on, please, start!" Jackson sauntered up to the car, and, grinning at a horrified Lisa, pulled a key from his pocket. Lisa realized in terror that it was the spare key she kept under the car. That bastard thought of everything.
Jack Rippner unlocked the door and jerked Lisa from the seat. She began to scream, hoping the neighbors would hear, but Jackson clamped a hand tightly to her mouth and carried her inside.
His eyes flaring up with the usual annoyance, he threw Lisa down on the couch and held her down with his arms.
"Now, now, Leese," he said calmly. "What was the one thing you learned on the plane?"
"That I hate you!" she spat back.
"Someone hasn't been studying," Jackson tsked, pushing his arms tighter into hers. "I think the correct answer there is it hurts less if you cooperate."
"What do you want?" Lisa screamed, her arms aching with the weight of his body.
"Well, I don't think it's quite wise to tell you now, while you're having one of your fits, so let's wait, shall we?"
Lisa no longer cared. Whatever his plan was, she would not be happy, so what did it matter?
Jackson lifted her limp body and carried her to her room, where he dropped her on her bed.
"Get some rest, Leese," he said simply, locking the door and turning out the lights.
Lisa had not realized how tired she had been as she finally awoke to the setting sun. Jackson was watching her from the corner of the room, where he sat in her armchair.
"Nice nap?" he sneered. Lisa didn't reply. "Are we ready to know what the plan is now?"
Lisa still showed no sign of answering. Jackson quickly strode up to her and clutched her chin in his hand. "Are we?" he repeated. Lisa nodded apathetically.
Jackson checked the door to make sure it was locked and pulled his chair up to Lisa's bed.
"I've been out of jail for six months," he began. "And luckily, my superiors have forgiven me for my little misdemeanor. However, they are fascinated with you. They want you in."
"Work for them?" Lisa sputtered. "No!"
Jackson sighed and shook his head. "I told them that's what you'd say. But luckily, they know my feelings for you, so they made a bargain."
Lisa clenched her jaw and forced herself to look forward into those familiar eyes.
"You marry me and get the life of luxury I'm sure you've always dreamed of, and come to work with me, and they won't kill one of your closest relationships," Jackson smirked as Lisa grew even paler.
"Don't you dare touch my dad," she said, her voice rising. "He's been through enough."
"Oh, don't worry about your dad, Leese," Jackson said in mock sympathy. "It's Cynthia who'll die."
"No!" Lisa screamed, jumping from the bed and running to the door, realizing suddenly that it was locked. She pounded on it with her fists, then sagged into it and began to sob. "No, no, no..."
"Aw, Leese," Jackson whispered, taking her into his arms. "You'll learn to love me."
'And what if I don't?" she cried, flinching at his gentle touch on her arms.
His face hardened slightly. "You don't say I do at that wedding, and my sharpshooter from across the street gets Cynthia."
Lisa closed her eyes, hoping this was just an elaborate nightmare.
"Relax, Leese," Jackson consoled her. "Worst comes to worst, at least you'll get some children out of it. I've seen those single parent adoption forms in your room."
Lisa sobbed harder at the thought of having Jack Rippner's kids. "If you love me so much, then why do you treat me like this?" she asked him.
Jackson shrugged. "Tough love."
"So what do you say?" he asked her again. "Do we have a deal?"
Lisa nodded, finally giving up.
"Peacy," Jackson grinned as he reached again into his pocket. He opened the box up, revealing a thin silver band with a huge rock.
It was beautiful, Lisa had to admit. But she'd rather it be coming from anyone else in the world.
"Lisa Reisert, will you marry me?" he asked her. She could see how happy it made him to say that.
Lisa nodded in compliance and bit her lip to keep from crying out. He slid the heavy ring onto her long ring finger. It felt smooth and comfortable on her hand, but her mind was numb and unfeeling.
Jackson cocked his head as he saw the unmoving expression on Lisa's face. "What do you think?" he asked her quietly.
Lisa decided to tell the truth. "It-it's beautiful," she whispered, looking at the floor.
"Then why are you crying?" Jackson noticed the tears dripping slowly, silently, down her face.
Lisa finally looked up into his eyes. "Why do you want me?" she asked him, hoping he'd reconsider. "This." She gestured to her now slightly-chubby figure.
Jackson smiled that secret smile of his and moved his face closer to Lisa's.
"Honestly, Leese, I don't care what you look like. I love you and your original personality," he said, gently touching her face. "Although you are still the prettiest girl I've ever met."
"Don't you care?" Lisa cried, trying to wrench out of his grasp. "Doesn't it matter, if you love me so much, that I be happy?"
"Frankly, Leese, I do," Jackson sneered, pushing her tighter against the wall. "But I care more that I be with you. And that's not gonna happen cause you'll never agree."
Lisa sobbed harder. "Leese, Leese," Jackson consoled her, his mood switching back to that in the Tex Mex. "What is it that y ou're running from? Tell me."
Lisa shook her head and took a breath. "You hold me hostage, tried to kill me, my father, and god knows who else," she cried, flaring up in fury, wrenching herself finally from Jackson's grip. She ran to the bathroom floor and flung it open, pushing herself inside and locking it behind her. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, head in hands, trying to devise a plan. She knew Jackson would never kill her, but she had a feeling he would hurt her until she was almost that.
A few hours later, Lisa awoke, head and back aching. She realized that some how she'd fallen asleep on the bathroom floor. Her stomach growled and she knew it was finally time to face Jackson Rippner.
She trekked out to the kitchen, her eyes blurred with a mixture of sleep and tears. She glanced at herself in the hall mirror. Her curly hair was almost back to its originally wavy state, and her face was red and blotchy.