So, you guys like the cliffhanger? huh? huh? Anyway, thankyou for all the reviews:
Revan Jerrod: Thank you, is my story that different? I didn't realize i was spelling "realize" wrong... hehe, my word processor said it was the same thing, just call me gullible. But thanks so much for the tips! I do check my work through, but I should probably get a second opinion if the spelling is right! Anyway, glad you liked the story!
J.C.: well then i guess i'm a bit of a lame arse! But don't worry it won't be all sunshine and happy, it is a tragedy after all.
Okay so because of the different reviews i got i was confused as to whether to bring Jack back or leave him dead. But since my original story line was this, i'm gonna stick to it, it's just simpler that way. I have to say i'm probably somewhat predictable (. Oh well... here it is...
23. Lost time
"I was right though, wasn't I?" Ann asked, trying to justify the argument she had had with Karen earlier that evening. Popuri shrugged and took a sip of her drink, usually she hated alcohol but on this occasion she needed it to calm her nerves.
"A little more please Poe." Ann said in frustration. Popuri looked up at her, trying to find the words with her slightly limited vocabulary.
"Well... you weren't not right." She said unhelpfully. Ann groaned and poured herself a beer.
"God I was wrong, wasn't I? I mean she's going through a really hard time and I just gave her an ultimatum, I hate ultimatums..." She babbled angrily.
"Ulti... what?" Popuri asked, twiddling a strand of her shining pink hair.
"Oh god, she must hate me, should I go apologise?" Ann asked quickly, placing her beer down on the table. Popuri shook her head.
"Nah, it's too late. We'll both go tomorrow morning, that'll give her a chance to cool down." Popuri said. Ann sighed and nodded gently.
"You're right, we'll go tomorrow." She said. Popuri smiled and hiccupped, blinking quickly.
"I'm cutting you off Poe, you know how you are with drinking." Ann said, prising the glass out of Popuri's hand.
"I'm fine," she whined, pulling hard against the glass. In the end Ann pulled it away, drained the last few drops and washed it up.
"Let's go to bed, is Kai expecting you home, or do you want to stay here?" She asked, fixing them a mug of hot chocolate each.
"I'll stay. I don't want Kai to see me drunk, besides every time he does see me drunk I end up agreeing to something stupid." Popuri said with a grimace. Ann smiled at the memory of Popuri agreeing to run through the town in just her underwear, she'd never live that one down.
Karen looked up at the face she hadn't seen in over a year, it was different and yet exactly the same as before. His brown eyes shone with worry and she felt his gentle hands support her as she began to sway.
"T... this is a dream." She managed, forcing her to stand up. Jack shook his head and forced a smile onto his worried face.
"No it's real, that blood on your hands is real." He said softly. She looked down at the blood that was now being transferred onto his clean shirt.
"Sorry." She said guiltily. He shook his head, "don't be," he murmured softly. He hurried into the kitchen and searched around the cupboards.
"Where do you keep the first aid kit?" He asked, rustling through the drawers.
"Third cupboard from the left." She said keeping her eyes fixed upon him. She couldn't let him out of her sight, if she did he might disappear again. He came back with the green first aid kit and pulled out some bandages, he gently wrapped them around each arm, stopping the blood flow.
"It's not as bad as it looks." She said gently after the bandages had been wrapped. She groaned, she had never dared to hope that he would come back to her, and in her dreams when he had, this wasn't how she had pictures his welcome.
"That's good, 'cos it looks pretty bad." He said, sitting down with her on the couch. She smiled gently, looking into the eyes that she had missed for so long.
"You know... this wasn't how I pictured ever seeing you again." She said softly, looking at the floor. She didn't want to see the reaction in those eyes.
"Likewise," he said softly. She kept looking at the floor and they were silent for a few minutes.
"You were dead." She said, looking up at him as though to check he was definitely alive.
"No I wasn't."
"Yes you were, I set up a grave for you, I visited that grave almost everyday. You were dead to me, dead to everyone here." She informed him, pain obvious in her voice.
"Well you didn't bury my body." He said, unable to look at her.
"We never found your body, your parents were devastated." She said softly, she didn't want to focus the conversation on her, on them. How could she tell him about everything that had happened? That she was married.
"Mmm, how are they?" He asked, looking at her again, he seemed glad that the focus was shifting.
"Why haven't you seen them yet?"
"No... I er... came to see you first." He said, shifting the focus back onto her.
"They're both fine, they missed you, but they're okay... how did you know I would be here?" She asked softly, had he come a second later... it would have been too late.
"I don't know, somehow I just knew." He said looking into her eyes again.
"You didn't check my old house?"
"Didn't need to." He said simply, they both knew what was coming next. "Are you married?"
"Who?" She asked, she knew very well who, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"You and Rick, are you... are you married?" He asked, his voice low, he couldn't bear to say it as much as she hadn't been able to bear living it.
"Yes." She said simply, she didn't want to elaborate, she couldn't hurt him, not now she'd just got him back.
"Do you love him?" He asked, pain in his eyes fringed with understanding.
"No, I hate him." She said bitterly. He sighed deeply, it was all such a mess. He leaned back further into the couch and she made herself more comfortable too.
"Tell me, what's been going on?" He asked eagerly, she sighed, it was going to be a long story.
After she had finished reliving the horrors of the last two years of her life she sat staring vacantly at him. They sat in silence for a moment, unable to say anything else.
"Right," Jack said, wanting the silence to end desperately. He felt so guilty for having left her, not on purpose. He hadn't exactly planned what had happened to him either.
"Yeah, it's not all bad, I mean, I was almost happy... for a bit anyway." She told him, she could almost feel his guilt radiating off him in waves.
"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have left." He said taking a deep breath, if he'd just stayed with her both their lives would have been better.
"Not at all, in your position I would have done the same. I met your father, he's a great man and I would have so done the same." She told him, looking into his deep chocolate brown eyes, she could drown in those eyes. She looked at him and for the first time in two years she was home.
"Maybe, but none of this would have happened..." He said breathing hard, he couldn't face this yet, he couldn't face her. She was married, the woman he loved more than anything was married to someone else.
"Maybe not, but it doesn't matter now. You're here, you're alive and right now that's all that matters to me." She told him smiling. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. She wanted to break down and cry, cry that they couldn't get back the time that they'd lost. But she had to stay strong, she knew that if she broke down now she wouldn't be able to get back and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him more.
His first sight of her had been with blood dripping down her arms with her facing a length of rope with a noose at the end. Talk about bad timing, he could have walked in when she wasn't about to commit suicide. Then again it had been good timing, one second later and... she didn't want to think about that.
"I... what happens now?" He asked softly, she felt his chest rumble as he spoke and felt like giggling. She didn't know how to answer, what was a married woman to do when the love of her life came back from the dead?
"I don't know." She admitted. She had no idea what to do, she just wanted to hold him in her arms forever and never let go. But she couldn't, she still had Rick. They sat for what seemed like hours, just listening to each others breathing. Karen still remembered the steady breaths he took, it was such a sweet music to her ears. Eventually she spoke up, as much as she would have liked to listen to him breathe forever.
"So, erm what about you?" She asked curiously, shifting into an upright position against the couch.
"What about me?" He asked, chuckling slightly. She hit him gently on the arm for his stupidity.
"I told you what's been going on with me, but what about you? How did you survive? You still haven't told me." She said impatiently. She'd almost forgotten to ask him, she had been too overjoyed at his return. He sighed and shook his head slowly, all of a sudden he looked tired.
"It's a long story, I'm too tired to tell you tonight. Another time, maybe?" He said softly. She looked into his eyes, when he was being distant that was the place she'd usually find the answers. She could see hurt behind them, she knew she couldn't comprehend what he had been through, but she wanted to hear it.
"Okay, I'll hold you to that." She told him with a slight nod. Jack yawned and stood up, stretching in a cat-like manner.
"Well it's getting late, I think I'll go to my farmhouse." He said. He then cocked his head at Karen's shocked look.
"Well, you see everyone took your furniture. When you di... I mean were gone, your parents let everyone have your furniture and the rest they sold. Then Matty came... you know about him... and he took all his furniture." She told him, upon seeing his face she had to suppress a giggle.
"I guess, I'll stay at the inn then. But I kinda wanted to keep a low profile." He said running a hand through his messy hair.
"Ah yeah, Ann'll be pretty shocked." She said, imagining her friends... ex-friends shocked face.
"Could you maybe go in and warn her?" Jack asked hopefully. Karen bit her lip and shook her head, she couldn't face Ann again tonight.
"Erm, Ann and I kinda had a little fallout, I don't think she wants to see me again. You'll be fine... after she gets over the initial shock." She told him, hoping that it was true. Jack nodded slightly, looking very nervous.
"You'd better go then, it's getting late. Besides, Rick will be home soon." She said glancing at her watch, in fact he was late.
"Right, night then," he said leaning down to give her a light kiss on the cheek. She placed her hand to her cheek and smiled, feeling sparks where his lips had touched her skin, god she missed that kiss.
"Night," she whispered as he walked out of the door. She hurried to get ready for bed, knowing she had to act completely natural. She wondered how Rick would react when he knew the love of her life had returned, well he probably wouldn't throw Jack a welcoming party.
Jack knocked on the inn door, glad that it was locked and everyone else was headed home. The red haired girl opened the door, her hair a complete mess and wearing a light pink nighty. Her blue eyes widened as she opened the door and she suppressed a gasp.
"What the hell? Are you a ghost or a Jack look alike?" She managed, she had always been brave.
"Neither actually, I'm the er... real deal." He said running his hand through his hair nervously.
"Oh... OH! Oh my god Jack, you're alive, it's a miracle!" She said throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
"Yeah, I guess it is, seeing as everyone here's under the misconception that I'm dead." He chucked, returning Ann's hug.
"Does Karen know?" Ann asked, her blue eyes wide with shock and happiness mixed. She released him from her hug and beckoned for him to follow her inside.
"First person I went to." He said, following her inside and sitting down at one of the oak tables.
"So you know she's married then," Ann said chewing her lips. Jack nodded silently, he had guessed she wouldn't wait around for him, but he'd just hoped.
"Ah right, well I'm guessing you want a room since all of the stuff is gone, since Matty left... Karen's caught you up on all the news, right?" Ann asked hoping that she wouldn't have to relive the pains of the past few years.
"Yeah she caught me up, life hasn't been good lately has it?" He asked. Ann shook her head and slumped down next to him.
"No, things haven't been good since you left. I mean they've been the worst for Karen, Popuri's been fine, but they haven't been great for me either." Ann said looking down at her hands.
"Karen didn't tell me about your troubles." Jack told her, his chocolate brown eyes filled with concern.
"No well she wouldn't, seeing as she doesn't know any of them." Ann said, her sky blue eyes filled with regret. Jack gestured for her to elaborate and she continued. "Well I didn't tell Karen anything, she's been so wrapped up in her own troubles that they're all she ever talks about. So our friendship's been kinda shaky."
"Yeah, she told me you had a fight. She didn't tell me why though." Jack said.
"Yeah last night I told her that she didn't care about us anymore. I was kind of hard on her, so I think I'll apologise tomorrow, she seemed really upset." Ann said. Jack nodded, she didn't know the half of it, but it wasn't his place to tell her about her best friend's suicide attempt.
"Yeah, she seemed really upset. You should talk to her about it. But tell me, what's up with you?" He asked, slumping further into the stool. Ann grinned, happy that someone was finally taking an interest in her.
"You seem tired, I'm sure you don't want to be bombarded with girly problems on your first night back." She said smiling, although she wanted an audience she knew this probably wasn't the time.
"You'd be surprised, I haven't heard any girl talk in two years, it's weird how much I missed it." He said chuckling slightly. He gave her a warm, reassuring smile encouraging her to continue her tales of woe.
"Well alright then, if you insist," she said flashing him a smile. "Well every girl in the town is now married, except for me and Cliff still hasn't proposed! He's been so busy working that he hasn't really been paying attention to me. It's like... like he's fallen out of love with me and I don't know how much more I can take. I thought he'd propose, we'd get married and then live happily ever after, but now it looks like I'm going to die an old maid!"
"Are you sure he knows you want to marry him, maybe he thinks you're not ready..." Jack suggested. Ann shot him an angry look that could make stampeding rhinos stop and turn the other way.
"What? How could he not know? He'd have to be blind, deaf and stupid not to see that I want to marry him!" Ann protested angrily. Jack backed into his seat for protection against hurricane Ann.
"Well then maybe he just hasn't found the right time to propose..." He suggested. Ann's face calmed slightly and she nodded.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. Shall I set up a room for you now, you must be tired and lord knows I could use a few winks." She said with a wink, before heading upstairs to set up a room. When Jack finally sunk into his bed he was so exhausted he could barely stand, immediately he sunk into a dreamless sleep. Though had he dreamed, it would have been about the beautiful, green-eyed love of his life.
The morning was hectic, Jack awoke to Popuri embracing him in a huge hug and crying about how much she'd missed him. After he'd changed and showered he'd found all of Mineral town's residents waiting to greet him. He gulped and headed down the oak stairs, knowing it would be one hell of a day. First he greeted everyone, getting a hug from each of them. They each promised to return his furniture and help him with whatever he needed. After a swift breakfast he headed out to look at the damage of his farm. He was surprised to find there was none, apart from the farmhouse being empty everything was still intact.
"Happy... Silver..." He swallowed; he'd left them both behind. Suddenly he heard a bark and a neigh behind him and turned around to see his beloved animals and his smiling faced ex.
"Hey, I thought you might want these back, Barley took great care of them, they've missed you." She said softly. He smiled and looked up at her in thanks, she looked even more beautiful this morning, her face was pale but her cheeks were rosy and her dirty blonde hair glinted in the sunlight.
"I've missed them... and you." He said smiling happily. "Guess what, the kind people are bringing back my furniture!"
"That's great, so everyone knows you're in the land of the living then?" She asked smiling.
"Yep, pretty much, I just have to call my parents..."
"You haven't told your parents you're alive yet!" Karen asked in shock, she couldn't believe that his parents still though their son was dead.
"Well... I kinda came to you first." He said awkwardly.
"Well I bet they'll want to come and see you! Go call them now and tell them to get their butts over here, god Jack..." She said, touched that she'd been the first person he'd come to but also rather annoyed that he'd neglected to tell his parents.
After the call Jack headed back to the farm to find all of his furniture back in the right place and a banner saying welcome home Jack on it. He was amazed, he'd really missed the people's hospitality. Karen smiled when he entered, she'd helped with the setting up of his house and had stayed when everyone else had left.
"So how did your parents react?" She asked, smiling nervously.
"How do you think?" He asked chuckling. Karen shrugged, they'd probably had the same reaction as her, except she'd seen him in person.
"Well they were really happy, not at all angry I'd come to you first, apparently they would have done the same. Mom may have cried, with what I hoped was happiness and that said "that's my boy" many, many times. They'll be over in a few days." He said smiling. She smiled back, she had almost forgotten what it was like to smile at him and in return to see his smile, it was so amazing.
"Karen?"
"Mm?" She asked looking at him in concern. Her emerald eyes were sparkling with happiness, he'd missed those eyes so much. He'd never seen anything greener, even the purest, greenest emerald couldn't match the colour of her eyes for him.
"Can...? This is kinda weird, but could you show me my grave?" He asked, shifting his feet nervously on the plush carpet. Karen gasped slightly, how weird was it to show her ex boyfriend his grave?
"Umm, sure... are you positive you want to see it? I mean... wouldn't that be weird?" She asked, beginning to shift her feet too.
"Most probably," he said with a laugh. "But I dunno, I just want to see it, is that okay?" He asked, he didn't want to freak her out more than she was, but he just had to see it.
"Of course, we'll go now if you like... or we could go with your parents, you know, whatever..." She said softly.
"Now would be good." He said walking over to her. He didn't know why but he had to be closer, as though being apart would make her disappear. Karen nodded and lead him through town to the place where she'd buried him, well buried a casket that didn't contain him.
They walked into the churchyard and he immediately spotted the grave as being the whitest, newest grave. They walked over to the pale stone and knelt before it, like visiting a dead ancestor that they had never actually known. Jack reached out and touched the grave, stroking the letters with his fingers.
"Jack Hunter, 1984-2005. Kind son and loving boyfriend, nothing will replace you in our lives." He read as he felt the carving. He looked at her, tears glistening in his eyes. He laughed slightly though, probably more from nerves than actual funniness of the situation Karen guessed.
"I visited it all the time, when I needed to talk to you... or whatever, I guess you didn't really get any of those messages, huh?" She asked smiling softly.
"No, I guess not." He said, his voice was quiet and distant. She placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"We also did a kind of ritual by the sea for you so I visited the sea often too. I thought it had swallowed you up, but here you are alive." She said pulling him into a hug. He relaxed in her arms, like a small child needing to be comforted.
"I'm so sorry Karen," he said crying harder now. Karen made soothing noised and kissed his head.
"Why?" She asked softly, she couldn't take him apologising to her.
"I should never have left you." He said, turning around and hugging her tightly as though afraid to let go.
"But you came back. You came back and that's all that matters." She said softly. He nodded and she swallowed hard. But it wasn't all that mattered, how could they make up for so much lost time? She wanted the last three years back, but with him in her life.
"I love you Karen." He said softly, crying into her shoulder. She gulped, and stroked his back gently.
"I love you too." She said, trying to hold her own tears back, she wanted so badly to cry, but she had to be brave for him. "Now let's get you back to the inn, I think we both need some sleep." He nodded and she helped him up and to the inn.
When they arrived she found Ann sitting at the table with three mugs of hot chocolate laid out for them.
"I had a feeling you'd be here soon, so I figured I'd be prepared." She said with a smile, gesturing for them to sit down. Karen smiled, whenever Ann apologised she always made some hot chocolate or cookies to go with it, they helped anyone to swallow down their pride and accept the apology.
"Karen I'm sorry." Ann said hanging her head low. Karen smiled, there it was, the apology.
"I should be sorry too Ann, I really haven't been a great friend lately, have I?" Karen said softly. Ann opened her mouth to speak but Karen silenced her quickly. "It was rhetorical!"
"I know, I was going to say that I haven't been that great a friend either." Ann admitted.
"No you've listened to my constant whining, but I haven't listened to your problems and I promise we'll have a girly night soon and you can tell me all about it. I promise, it's new and improved Karen time!" She said with a smile.
"I don't want a new and improved Karen; I just want the old one back!" Ann protested and Karen smiled.
"I think I could swing that." She said and she and Ann erupted into giggles. They gave each other hugs and laughed at the amused expression on Jack's face.
"What are you laughing at Chuckles?" Karen asked, her eyebrows raised. Jack pretended to wipe a tear from his eye and smiled.
"I love a happy ending." He said jokingly.
"Oh this is only the beginning." Karen told him mysteriously and he smiled. Ann hurried them to finish their hot chocolates and they talked for a while, basking in the glow of each other's friendship. Karen didn't want to worry about what she was going to do about Jack being back, she just wanted to enjoy him while she could.
A few days later Jack's parents arrived to make a huge fuss of him and Karen. They were ecstatic to see their son alive and were happy to see Karen looking cheerful for once. She was really happy, despite Rick's grouchiness about her ex-boyfriend being back from the grave. But she was still curious about exactly how it was that her boyfriend had returned from the dead. She knew now that he had settled down a bit and his parents were there he might be able to shed some light about his whereabouts for the last three years.
She took her chance when they were all sat down at the inn, Jack's parents, her, Ann, Popuri and Jack. Ann had made them all drinks and they were all calmly chatting about things that were going on, they were just chatting about Mr. Hunter's new love of golf when she took her chance.
"Jack, you still haven't told us where you've been for the last three years, or how you got there." She said, looking pleadingly into his brown eyes. Immediately the laughter stopped and everyone looked intently at Jack, she could tell that they'd all been waiting for someone to ask the question. Jack sighed at the curious looks on everyone's faced, he'd known he'd had to tell them sooner or later, but he'd hoped it would be later.
"Fine, I guess I'd better tell you what happened, where should I start?" He asked, giving in.
"Well I haven't heard what happened after you left Mineral town." Popuri told him, her eyes wide with interest. Ann and Karen nodded in agreement, they hadn't heard that part of the story either, and Karen had never been bold enough to ask the Hunters for the whole story.
"And I wouldn't mind hearing it again, even though I experienced it." Mrs Hunter agreed. Mr Hunter nodded and Jack sighed.
"Fine, I'll tell you, from the beginning..."
Sorry if i'm Miss. Predictable shrugs, and also sorry if you hated this chapter... But I couldn't kill Jack... yet...
