Day-to-Day

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!

Chapter Nineteen

A few days later, after cleaning up Lisa's apartment and disposing of the hit men's bodies, Jackson wound up at Joe Reisert's house with baby Jack in tow. It pained him to realize what he had to do.

He knew that Lisa and Jack's capture had been a ploy to catch him. Lisa had died because of his job. He had sworn to protect her and failed. He was not about to let the same thing happen to Jack. His infant daughter was all that he had left. She was the only reminder of Lisa that remained.

Lisa's body had been collected the same day that Jackson disposed of the hit men's bodies. Afterwards, he had hid in one of his many places to allow the media to die down before approaching Joe. Jack did not seem to realize that Lisa was missing and smiled every time she noticed him. Jack did not know that her father was a killer and that he was the reason that her mother was gone.

Jack was the only reason that he was still alive. She gave him something to live for. Had Jackson been alone following Lisa's untimely demise, then he would have surely killed himself.

"It's okay, Jack. Daddy won't be gone long. You'll like Grandpa Joe," he cooed as they headed up the front walk, the pink diaper bag hanging on his shoulder. He was causally dressed in jeans and a pain tee shirt, and reeked of baby spit-up. He was still learning how to care for Jack, and he had yet to master the usage of a burp cloth.

Jackson rang the doorbell and prayed that Joe would not kill him on sight.

A moment later, the front door opened, and Joe appeared.

"You!" Joe yelled, angry once he realized who stood before him. "You killed her! You killed Lisa!"

"No! I swear I didn't! I love Lisa! I tried to save her!" Jackson protested, cradling Jack.

"I should kill you…who is this?" Joe's eyes fell up Jack, who was curled tightly against Jackson, shaken by the yelling.

"This is Jack…my daughter. Well, Lisa and mine."

"You—Lisa had a child?" Joe was shocked.

"Yes, a few months ago. I didn't know until the day before she died. Her full name is Jacqueline Kyra Reisert Rippner."

"You married my daughter, you piece of shit?"

"No, Lisa and I never married. I don't know why Jack has my last name."

"I want no part in this," Joe said, shaking his head and moving to close the door.

"I know you hate me, but how could you hate her? She didn't do anything except be born. Please, keep her safe. Not for me, but for Lisa and for her," Jackson was begging Joe.

This was second hardest decision that he ever had to make. He was giving away his baby daughter. He knew that he was not fit to raise an infant and he would have to hide. If he were lucky though, leaving Jack behind would give her a chance to grow up as a normal child and keep her safe from the men who ruthlessly murdered her mother.

Monsters just like him.

Joe Reisert sighed as he examined Jack, who was still smiling at her father. Jackson was smiling back and Joe knew that Jackson would not have killed Lisa. This child had changed him. This was not the same man that he had met several years ago.

"I'll keep her safe for you," Joe agreed with a sigh. He was doing this for Lisa.

"Thank you, Joe. I just need to disappear for a while and I can't stand to watch her get hurt."

"When will you be back?"

"Once I find out who ordered the hit. I'll come back for her then."

Joe nodded. Jackson lifted Jack up in the air, the girl gurgling in joy, and gave her a noisy kiss. Joe sadly took the infant from Jackson. The younger man's face fell as he let go of Jack for good.

"Da?" Jack called after him, speaking for the first time. "Da!"

"Daddy'll be back, Jackie. Daddy'll come back for you," Jackson whispered softly, tears in his blue eyes.

"Da!" shrieked his daughter as he quickened his pace. He had to leave that second or else he would never be able to leave. He had to leave in order to save Jack. She was in greater danger the longer that he stayed around her.

He had to protect Jack and leaving was the only way to do so.

Jackson carried Kyra's limp body to the health room. He then proceeded to ransack the room in search of a first aid kit and a needle and thread. He could not find what he needed to stitch the wound, yet he found the supplies to clean it.

He neatly cut her shirt around the knife wound, exposing the flesh. Fresh blood flowed as he shifted her body around slightly until she was lying flat with her feet propped up. He then swabbed the wound, trying to get a better sense of the damage.

The knife, he assumed that's what had cut her, had gone in rather deeply. There appeared to be no lasting damage and Jackson had become an unofficial expert on stab wounds—he had suffered many in his career. She would survive if he could stop the bleeding and wake her up.

Once the wound was clean, Jackson began pressing a dressing to it, trying to end the bleeding. Kyra whimpered slightly; stirring.

"Jack, wake up," he urged.

"The name's Kyra…" she snapped weakly.

"Wake up, wake up, damnit!"

Jackson chucked the blood-filled dressing aside and reached for a fresh one. He was not going to let her die. He had come too far to lose her now. He may still blame her and hate her for Lisa's death, but he had made a promise to Lisa. He was not about to fail Lisa.

"Dad?"

"Jackie…talk to me," he ordered, forcing her to look at him. "Jack!"

"Daddy," she smiled, like she had as a baby. "Dad."

"Keep talking," he said, returning to applying pressure on the open wound.

"Where's mom? Is she with you? Mom?" Kyra called out faintly.

"Jack, Lisa's dead. She's been dead."

Kyra shook her head slightly. "She's alive… she's alive. It was a ringer."

"Jack, we'll discuss this later." Jackson did not want to discuss Lisa's death at this moment. If he had to, then he might very well allow his daughter to bleed to death. Losing Lisa had nearly cost him his sanity.

"Where've you been?"

"Hiding and saving your ungrateful ass."

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, right."

"The only reason I left you was to protect you. I planned to come back as soon as I hunted down those responsible."

"But you never came back!" Kyra exclaimed, scowling. She was trying her best to ignore the pain coursing through her body.

"Yeah? Then why am I here saving your life now?"

"What made you decide to come back?"

"Jackie, it took me fifteen years to help myself. It was not safe to be around me—I was unhinged, deranged even. My search was unsuccessful. I faked my death to hopefully spare you, but rumors reached me of a plan involving you. I blamed you for everything, yet I knew that I could not let you die."

"This is just like you. You were never there when mom needed you either," snorted Kyra.

"Lisa knew what she was getting into…"

"I doubt she knew that it would kill her."

"Do you realize how ungrateful you are? I should really let you bleed to death."

"Go for it," Kyra dared him, smirking.

Father and daughter exchanged icy glares, and neither wanted to back down first. Jackson knew that Kyra did not really care if she lived or died. She was suicidal, after all! He had seen the scars.

"I know you hate me and I really don't give a damn. But I made a promise to Lisa and I intend to keep it," snarled Jackson, before harshly applying pressure to the wound and wrapping it tightly.

Kyra stared at him in shock and amazement. Why did he care if he broke an aged promise? He was a killer for crying out loud! Killers did not worry about breaking promises. They lived beyond the reach of a moral code.

"Come on," he said, yanking her to her feet. "We're leaving now."

Author's Notes:

This ended up being rather long. The next chapter is going to contain a twist and a possible cliffie. Not entirely sure yet. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed!

Oh, to answer hm's question, Kyra remembers the murder because it is stored in her unconcious, but the memory's still there. She doesn't actively remember it, but it still comes to surface and she still knows it. I've spent too much time reading Freud and Jung.