Hey guys! Chapter 6 is finally here!
So I was dead set on updating this because hadn't it been by the end of the week, you wouldn't have gotten this for another week.
But as always, your reviews were my fuel and really, I honestly have no words to describe how greatful I am. Thank you. Your words always bring huge smiles to my face and leave me feeling giddy all day!
So this chapter is Jack centered and may be a little depressing too. Honestly, until now I've been trying to balance it out with the flashbacks but that could be both a bad and a good thing.
Bad because I understand that it can leave you feeling worse for them and honestly, in response to a reviewer who asked if I was trying to kill them, LOL, just hang in there!
I'm so happy to know you are so engaged with this story! You guys are literally the best!
Okay, I will shut up now! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kickin'it. Had it been mine, a movie would've been out by now.
Stone Cold
It was dark. It was cold. It was all empty.
He couldn't see anything, it was pitch black. Not even the outline of his hand in front of his face was visible to him.
What was wrong? Had he gone blind in his sleep?
Pattering. He heard it just now. The harsh and thunderous pitter-patter of what had to be rain now reached ears, making them perk up at the only sound that signaled something other than the void.
What was this place? Why couldn't he see anything?
He shuddered violently as a sudden chill ran down his whole body, making it shake with...cold. After that one strong shiver, there came even more of them, giving his body no time to get used to it and warm up.
What was happened? He couldn't even feel the breeze but just his icy cold surroundings.
Maybe, he would just wake up if his body shook hard enough. Was he even dreaming? He had to be.
Never had he even felt this cold in all his life, with nothing to cover up with. He was just there, seemingly naked even with his clothes on, weak and vulnerable.
"Jack" His head snapped up at the sound. At the voice. At the call.
He jerked his head in all directions, but once again, saw nothing. Was he hearing things now?
"Jack" Again. This time, he felt like he knew the general direction it was coming from. That, and the place didn't seem so dark anymore.
From right ahead of him, something was advancing his way. A light, a walking light that was slowly making it's way to him, gradually illuminating the surroundings of it's path.
But Jack didn't want to admire the place, he wanted to look directly at the source of such strong light. Maybe that's why at some point, he couldn't keep his eyes open no more because of the intensity the light was getting at.
It's like you stare into the sun. You never can.
So he shut his eyes, really thinking that he had been blinded now until he felt it stop. It was directly in front of him, he sensed it. He just couldn't see it, he didn't want to.
"Jack" The sudden cracked voice made him force his eyes open though. He knew that voice. How didn't he realize it before?
His eyes flew open and he expected to see just complete whiteness this time, the last he saw before losing his sight for real.
But he didn't. Instead, his eyes immediately focused and he could clearly see who was in front of him, clear as a day.
"Kim?" He wanted to shout, ask what was going on and if he could just wake up.
Didn't he want to stay here with her? No.
But why? He had his reasons. All this, it didn't feel right. The emptiness, the coldness, the darkness.
They and Kim didn't mix up. This was not a place for her, much less for the both of them. In fact, he would bring her along with him if he could.
"I-I don't-" Then it hit him. He looked right into her face and just realized how...broken she looked.
Her whole head was wet, drenched blonde locks plastered against the sides of her face. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks looked so smooth and glided, a few drops of what seemed to Jack as not rain, but tears were dropping from her jaw.
And the look in her eyes just said it all. It looked like her pupils were broken in half, like she was just on the verge of breaking completely, shattering to the ground.
And so, he couldn't help himself. With a sudden rush of worry and concern, he reached out with an arm, in an attempt to get her into his embrace but just before he could touch her, she jerked away.
Her shoulder went backwards as she avoided his touch, an action that left Jack petrified.
Never had even Kim refused his touch.
He stared at her wide eyed, arm frozen in mid air, "Kim-"
"No!" She suddenly snapped, her raised voice echoing in the empty place. She began shaking, eyes widening even more.
"Don't" She hissed out, starting to back away. Jack composed himself and went to reach out to her again, but she just jerked back.
"You're wrong" Her eyes suddenly settled, she stopped shaking a bit as he face almost turned back with seriousness. But her backwards walk didn't stop, and Jack was just left to run after her.
"I don't know you" That made Jack freeze to the spot but it made Kim wheel around and take off into a sprint.
Farther and farther she went, taking the light with her, depriving the place of brightness. She continued on until nothing more was left, the darkness feeling as heavy and dense as ever, the rain harder that ever.
And Jack, he just stood rooted to the spot, slowly feeling his insides dying. Her words had stabbed his heart four times, one stab for each word until he was left bleeding, supposedly to death.
He couldn't bring himself to wrap his head around what had just happened. All he knew now was that he wouldn't get to see any more light because his own had been estinguished.
He stood and stared, his eyes meeting only black but he didn't care. He didn't need to yell out, to run after her because it was useless.
So would be just stay there in the dark? Yes.
Because darkness had never felt more welcoming, he couldn't have chosen a better way in which to dissapear.
He didn't know if he was even breathing but the pain in his heart seemed to go numb as he slowly, blended in with this darkness.
Welcome Nothingness.
*Crack*
The booming and cracking shook the household as the elder Brewer woke up. His eyes flew open and he was met by darkness again and he realized that it was really raining outside.
It seemed to be pouring ice buckets and by the sounds of it, the lighting and the thunder were trying to spilt the sky apart.
Jack breathed in deep and slumped back down onto the couch, after all there wasn't much he could do with a weight laying on him. He looked down and saw the blonde mass of hair spread across his chest and suddenly became aware of little hands clutching at his sides.
He brought his arms back around Olivia and kissed her head, before deciding that it was better to lover to a bed. So, he carefully rose up from the couch, his arms still around his daughter and carried her upstairs.
He moved in the darkness with quite ease as he had this whole house committed to memory and in no time, was standing in his room. He didn't know why, but he just left like putting her in his bed.
He rested her on the bed and covered her will blankets, tucking her in for good so she would not get cold. It was almost summer, May was at it's ends but with this storm, the temperature seemed to have dropped dangerously low.
After Olivia was taken care of, he changed into some comfier clothes, dumping his shirt and jeans into the hamper and opting for an old t-shirt and some sweatpants. In vase he got cold, he grabbed a hoodie and without staying there any longer, he walked out and shit the door behind him.
How could he sleep now? Sleep felt like something far, far away, a dark hole he both wanted and didn't want to fall in.
Reaching the living room again, he slipped on the hoodie and made a beeline for the left side of the room. There, he dropped down onto the loveseat that faced the whole window covered wall.
During day time, it was beautiful because all natural light was provided by the outside and there was a clear view of the spacious backyard, and really, the estetic plus it brought to the whole amazing on it's own, with glass that ran from ceiling to floor.
He smiled ruefully as he thought about Kim's excellent choice in style and fashion. After sitting down, he proceeded in doing absolutely nothing.
He just sat and stared out the glass, swearing he could almost see the rain drops pouring down from the sky. He didn't even bother to turn on the light, pitch back was what he needed. Besides, random flashes of light were curtesy of the lightning now.
His shoulders slumped as his eyes refused to close, fearing anything at this point. If there was one thing he had learned in the last couple of days was that going to sleep just left you scarred.
Closing eyes was trouble, and waking up didn't help at all. It was like emerging from a nightmare and going straight into another one.
Sure, up until now he had only had reminiscings of what used to be but they just rubbed raw against his still fresh wounds and they stung.
But this...this was just too much. He didn't even have any power in him left to try and solve this another mystery, his head was screwed up to the point of no return.
What had this been, he didn't know and didn't even want to find out, didn't want to dwell on it. He had already cried so much, he felt drained.
Hollow.
So he just let the darkness and emptiness consume him. He just hoped that the rain outside could somehow wash away his worries, so he and Olivia could go back to how it used to be before all this.
Olivia. The little girl that just two nights ago had come to him starting all this.
Jack let a small smile stretch on husband lips because he was sure he had been forgiven now. He knew from the moment he woke up and saw her sprawled out on him.
Maybe this meant she had let go of these fantasies. She was just a five year old after all, she shouldn't be worrying about these things!
*Crack*
Another crack resounded and practically cut through his own thoughts as lightning shined too, making him see for a split second the wet and torn outside world.
And once again, his thoughts took on a more depressing note, as his eyes blankly stared off into the distance.
No good memory seemed to have the courage to pop up in his mind. They weren't daring to. Instead, they left clear place for everything else, something that Jack had kept locked up for a quite a while.
He still remembered it. That one day. That one day that had left him feeling drained like he was now.
Jack swing his tie around his neck as he shuffled around in his room looking for some socks. Once he found them, he hopped on his feet while tugging them on. He glanced down at himself again and remembered that his dress shirt was still unbuttoned.
He had just raised his hands up when his phone went off. He cursed under his breath and rushed over to it, hastily picking up.
"Hello?" He wanted to make this quick. He had to finish getting ready.
"Is this Mr. Jackson Brewer?" The deep voice said from the other end of the line and Jack's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Uh yes. Who am I talking to?" He had stopped bouncing on his feet now and had turned serious.
"This is the head officer of Los Angeles Police Department speaking. I'm calling to let you know that..." The slight hesitation didn't go unnoticed by Jack as his heart began hammering against his chest even faster. He had stiffened just at 'police department'.
"Yes?" And the urge was just what had made the cop spill it.
"That your wife Kimberly Brewer has gotten into a severe accident near a river here in LA and..."
But the rest just didn't reach his ears. In that single moment, Jack felt his whole world crashing down upon him, a world he had worked so hard to build...with Kim.
He felt as if he couldn't bring in enough air, he didn't even know if he was breathing. Everything had stilled.
"I'm sorry Mr. Brewer" He didn't need to ask anymore, that was just it. She was...gone.
Something fell onto the ground, a loud wail was heard from the other room.
Everything broke.
Yes, he remembered it as clear as a day, his eyes briefly feeling alive as he recalled the events. It had been just a normal day, him and Kim were supposed to go out and he was just getting dressed for that. Kim had gone to LA to run some errands, saying she'd be back in a short while but obviously...she never did.
They never found her. Were never able to find her body and that just made so much more worse for everyone. They couldn't even see her for one last time.
She was gone, off the face of the earth...but still was worming around in their hearts and minds.
And no matter how hard he tried, Jack just couldn't escape it.
He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, starting to feel drowsy. He guessed thinking just wore him out way more than anything else. He run his hands over his face and was momentarily surprised by the lack of water on it.
He wasn't kidding when he said he was drained, there was nothing left to cry about anymore. These were just raw truths, truths that he as a mature and responsible adult should accept.
And with a final look at the lightning struck backyard, his eyes slipped closed.
"Daddy?"
"Mhh" Jack groaned as he felt his body being shaken, a small voice calling out to him. He tried to turn over but found it difficult as there was not much space in which to move in.
Finding himself in an extremely uncomfortable position, Jack groaned again and finally pried his eyes open, seeing his kid looking down at him.
He slowly sat up and winced with every moment because all is muscles seemed to be sore. Sleeping on the loveseat maybe had not been a great idea.
"Morning Olivia" He muttered as he rubbed his eyes, hearing Olivia shuffle around.
She didn't answer, instead climbed on top of him until she was his lap and took his face in her hands. Jack stared back at her and they sat like that for God knows how long, just looking at eachother.
Then, Olivia simply threw her arms around his neck as Jack's arms cradled her small body into him. He didn't know what made Olivia forgive him yesterday but he could just sense it made her upset. The last thing he wanted now was another impact Brewer.
He cupped the back of her head and kissed her temple, rising up from his seat and glancing over at the clock. She needed to be at kinder in roughly thirty minutes and she was still in her clothes from yesterday.
Jack pulled back and began walking upstairs, "Come one sweetheart, you need to get ready" Olivia just nodded and once he set her down in front of the bathroom, she went about her business as Jack set some clothes out for her.
He himself went to the bathroom downstairs to freshen up a bit, as he could just drive Olivia in these clothes and then get ready for work.
It didn't take long before she was racing back down again, a comb in her hand. Jack carefully combed her hair and then they both went to have some breakfast.
While cutting up an apple, he looked over to her and saw her with her head down, eyes glaring at the ground.
"You okay Pumpkin?" He was worried, Olivia was never this quiet. She was yesterday but because she was mad, but she wasn't now so didn't that mean she had let the matter go?
Or was she still thinking over it? He didn't need his daughter to think about this stuff now, he had been an idiot just to let it slip out of his damn mouth.
Olivia looked up and for the first time in the morning spoke up, "Yes daddy" He eyed her unsure but before he could ask anything else, she beat him to it.
"Can I bring another chocolate bar with me today?" Instantly, Jack's mind cleared and he chuckled.
"Of course" Father and daughter smiled at eachother as Jack finally finished with the small and quick breakfast, telling Olivia to be fast.
Amd as they left the house a little while later, both rushing out so they weren't too late, Jack laughed as he watched Olivia run to the car with him searching for his keys.
This scenario wasn't a first with the both of them rushing around because they were late and at one point, it just got funny.
When he finally found the keys, he locked the door behind him, thinking, hoping, praying that maybe things could really go back to as how they used to be.
And there you go! As always, hope you enjoyed and please, tell me what you thought! Like I said before, more reviews, the faster I update!
Thanks and unti next time,
-Alex
