Jace wasn't sure if he liked living in the city it seemed to busy to him, to many people. Sarah told him San Antonio was almost the way it once had been. She had lived in the city all her life and watched it fall and crumble and then slowly rebuild. It was evening now and the hot sun was slowly setting allowing colder evening air to cool off everyone. He walked with one hand in his pocket while Sarah held onto his other. She wore a soft yellow sun dress her baby bump just starting to show. They were walking in the San Antonio River Walk you could hardly see any scars from the recent wars left anymore. People were returning to the city, smells of the near by restaurants.

"I can't believe we are able to afford two cars now." Sarah spoke as they walked, "It's like all the things I never dared dream of having again." She smiled at him, "You have given to me again."

Jace glanced down at her and smiled back, "It's nothing really the government pays well."

"Still." She told him, "You don't remember what it was like that time in between the bombs and the war. Before government was reestablished. The world was a hard place. Our home was taken from my family, everything we ever had. I never thought we would be able to re build. I was so scared back then." She paused, "I really always had that fear in me until I met you."

Jace looked at her not hiding the surprise in his face, "Me. What did I do to take the fear away."

"The moment I saw you in that hospital." She told him, "I could tell you fought for us, you were fighting for a better world." She shrugged her shoulders, "I just saw you and felt like if that ever happens again. If those awful people come back to this city that you would protect me."

"For all we know I could have been an I.T. guy." He told her.

"The injuries you had, the scars." She shook her head, "Jace you fought for this country and even if you can't remember you won. I can see it in your eyes you're a protector, something I need." she placed her hand on her stomach and smiled, "That our child needs."

He smiled softly not convinced he could do much of anything if the world fell apart again. But if she wanted to believe that he would let her, if that was what she needed to believe then he would allow her to.

"This place is beautiful at night." Sarah told him. "Once the baby is born we won't get many nights like this."

Jace nodded his head in agreement, but he couldn't see the beauty she spoke of. Yes this place was nice, but there were to many people to many noises and to many smells. All the colors from umbrellas over tables and the music playing out of the different bars none of it truly appealed to him. When he imagined a nice evening it was jumping in the car and driving out to an empty field so far from town there seemed to be no lights left in the world. Then laying on the hood of the car and using the windshield as a backrest he would look at the stars. Pointing out the different constellations to her. When he closed his eyes it was almost like he could imagine that exact moment. He could almost make out the girl laying next to him as she laughed when he told some stupid joke. Her hair was blonde with a soft curl to them, her smiled was infectious. She would lean up against him as the night air was colder then here in San Antonio. He smiled. That was what he saw as a beautiful night.

"Jace?"

"Yeah?" He asked being brought out of his imagination.

"Is everything alright?" She asked and he saw worry flash across her face. He didn't want to worry her so he nodded his head.

"Yes." They drew close to a bar that had an outside set up. A song came over the speakers, it was a slow song so he pulled her softly closer to the music and spun her around in front of him.

'It's been seven hours and fifteen days since you took your love away.'

Together they glided across the dance floor as the old song began to play.

'I go out every night and sleep all day since you took your love away.'

Sarah laughed throwing her head back slightly as he grinned watching her, and then it happened almost like he was somewhere else dancing with someone else. Years ago when he was much younger. It looked almost like a prom night those eyes from his dreams came into view laughing in her place echoing every move she made. As quick as the image came it went and he was staring back at Sarah who hadn't noticed the change in him she was still in the moment of the dance.

'Since you been gone I can do whatever I want I can see whomever I choose.'

They moved together knowing exactly each other's movement.

'I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant but nothing I said nothing can take away these blues.'

He spun Sarah watching as she moved, and again it happened he seemed to be removed from the crowed he was currently in and moved into another, people were watching him dance, but he was spinning someone else, those eyes with blonde hair.

Once again the image left him and he saw Sarah spin and he couldn't help but smile at her.

'Cause nothing compares nothing compares to you.'

She laughed as he wrapped her in his arms again brining her close after the spin. He wanted to be as happy as her in this very moment, but her smile seemed off he usually loved her smile, but right now he longed for another.

'It's been so lonely without you here like a bird without a song.'

He pushed the thoughts of being unhappy from his head as their eyes locked, he loved her she was his family. He smiled down at her as she looked to him.

'Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling tell me baby where did I go wrong?'

He spun her again as onlookers smiled at the happy couple.

'I could put my arms around every boy I see, but they'd only remind me of you.'

He continued to spin her as he walked around her grinning. It seemed as she spun the image changed from her smile to the one he couldn't forget, her strait brown hair flashed to blonde hair with a slight wave to it.

'Cause nothing compares nothing compare to you.'

Not long ago he would have thought this to be the perfect moment, a once in the life time moment, but he felt as if he had been here before dancing to this song with the person he loved in his arms only the person wasn't Sarah. And the person was someone he couldn't remember.

'I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard, but I'm willing to give it another try.'

He pushed the thoughts from his head and brought his face so close to his Sarah's that their noses touched. She played with the collar of his jacket as they danced grinning up at him.

'Nothing compares nothing compares to you.'

She helped him pull his jacket off and toss it aside they were generating so much heat dancing they way they were.

'Nothing compares nothing compares.'

He felt like he could look into her eyes forever, her beautiful eyes. Even as the thought went into his mind he knew it wasn't true, he could look into the beautiful enchanting eyes from his dream forever, but Sarah's eyes were not those eyes..

'Nothing compares nothing compares.'

He spun her as they moved down the dance floor, and then walked a circle around her as she spun watching her every move.

'Nothing compares to you.'

He placed a hand on her back and lowered her into a slow dip.

'Nothing compares nothing compares.'

He picked her up and spun her like she weighed nothing, then lowered his lips onto hers in a passionate kiss.

'Nothing compares nothing compares to you.'

It seemed like his mind was dreaming even while he was awake. The song finished playing, but he wasn't in Texas anymore. He was in an old gym with a beautiful blonde girl in his arms everyone around them looked like they were in high school, all the girls in fancy dresses. He realized he was at prom. Pulling the blonde back to her feet after he had kissed her.

'That was ridiculously romantic.' She said to him

'Good.' He grinned, 'Cause we got to get out of here, I just beat up the prom king.'

They both looked in the direction of the principal who was headed in their direction.

He took her hand and the two of them took off running out of the gym both laughing perhaps a little to hard.

'Jake.' The girl said shaking her head her smiled fading to a frown. Everything around them seemed to fall away as if she was surrounded in darkness. 'Jake.' She said again but she sounded so far away. Her hand slipped out of his as she seemed to be pulled away from him. 'Jake!' Her voice kept calling until it faded away from him becoming a whisper.

"Jace?" Sarah's voice broke through. He looked down at her she didn't seem to notice what ever happened to him while they danced. "Where did you learn to do that?" She asked.

"I-" he shrugged.

"It was perfect." She smiled at him.

"Ridiculously romantic?" He felt himself ask using the girl's words from his mind.

"Yes." She leaned into his chest and stood on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on his lips. "It was. And I loved it."

He smiled at her and wished he could really feel something. So many times lately he felt like he was going through the motions. He knew how to make her smile he knew how to be romantic but deep down he felt like something was broken within him. The part that could really feel much of anything.

"Come on." She said to him, "Let's go home."

He nodded his head and led her to where they had left the car in one of the parking lots on the side of the street. He brought her to the passenger side and as she leaned against it he stood close to her pushing up against her so she was between him and the car.

She grinned "I love you." She told him kissing him. When they broke apart he said what he knew he should.

"I love you too." But couldn't help but feel that maybe it was a lie. That maybe there was someone else in the world that he loved more. He knew even if the girl in his dreams was real there was a strong possibility she had died in the war. There was also another possibility that she wasn't real and his heart was just chasing a dream.


She had finally given in to Roger slightly. He wanted to move out of a small town and into a big city. His job brought him to San Antonio most of the time so that was the city he wanted to move to. Emily wasn't sold on the idea she felt like Chris should be around his family, Jake's family. Yet perhaps it would be easier to move on without being in Jericho if she left the small town maybe that meant she could finally put Jake in her past.

She knew that was why she never moved in the past even when she was with Roger the first time before the bombs before the war. Even when she thought she hated Jake there was always a pull to keep her in Jericho. She still remembered the moment when she saw Jake for the first time in five years. She remembered stopping next to her car as their eyes met. And the feeling she tried to ignore well after the bombs went off. Yet she knew in the moment she saw Jake again anything she felt or had with Roger had ended. And that was why she never left in the past. She knew deep down in her heart she had wanted Jake to come back. She had wanted to love him again. And now she was doing the same thing she was waiting around for a man who wasn't going to come home this time. He was gone. Always the foolish man who ran right into danger she knew it was going to be his undoing. She also knew that if Jake was alive if he had survived the war he would have found a way to come home. Just like before.

So Emily had agreed to go with Roger on this business trip to see the city. She knew he was hoping she would love it and want to uproot their life. She didn't think she would, but the more she thought of moving the more it started to make sense. She knew it wasn't healthy when ever she found herself watching the street just waiting to see that old Roadrunner Plymouth pulling into town. Chis was fighting more in school and over all just not happy. Maybe they all just needed a fresh start.

She looked out the window of the car that Roger had rented it was some flashy little red car, brand new. Something that seemed to say look at me, look what I can buy. She hated it, but Roger loved the car. Emily liked classics, she like old muscle cars. To her this car felt in a way to perfect. Looking out the window she couldn't see much it was night now so it was hard to see make out more then the beautiful lights. Even now she could see that the city did have life. Maybe she would enjoy living here. It could be different from any place she had ever lived before. It would allow her to re-invent herself maybe it would allow her to breath again.

No one here would look at her like the poor girl that lost the love of her life after she had finally gotten back again. No one would see her as the girl waiting for a ghost to come home left with a child to raise on her own. People could see her married to Roger, a happy wife and they would be able to send Chris to a bigger school where no one knew his father, no one told him how great his father was no one to remind the boy that he would never know his dad. Chris could make new friends, he could be happy here. Right?

She looked over at Roger and he looked over at her and smiled, "It's beautiful here isn't it?"

"Yes." She told him taking his hand in her's. "It is." She looked back out the window, "What's that over there?" She asked

"That's the San Antonio River Walk." He told her, "We can go there tomorrow. I think you would like it."

She nodded her head and was about to turn away from the window when he eyes caught on a car. A car that made something deep within her wake up. Wake up in the way it only had once before when she saw Jake for the first time. She felt her breath catch, but luckily it was quiet enough that Roger didn't notice over the radio.

She tried to fight the tears that came to her eyes. She had dreamed of seeing a car like that one for a long time that she had started wondered if she would ever see one again she hadn't really expected to. She only wished that car had driven into Jericho and that she wasn't seeing it sitting on the side of the road. With a couple making out leaning on it.

Her mind flashed to the many times she had leaned on a similar car while Jake pressed up on her their lips locked, like that couple not caring who saw. She couldn't count the times she remembered making out, sitting on, laying on, leaning on, or inside of a similar car. She had lost her virginity in that car. She turned away and looked strait ahead of her not wanting to play over all the memories she had of the similar car they were passing.


Jace opened the door for Sarah and let her slip inside before closing the door. He started around the car to the driver's side when a new sports car seemed to speed by. It was defiantly a car to catch the eye. His eyes followed the car as it drove by, something about the car made him watch it go. Something seemed to pull at him about the car, but he didn't know what it was. He knew he never wanted a car like that, but something about watching the sports car drive by almost seemed like he missed something important. He sighed as the car disappeared down the road and ducked inside his own.


"Here we are." Roger said as he pulled up to a huge house inside a neighbor hood.

"I thought we would be going to a hotel." Emily said getting out of the car taking in the house. It seemed like one from those houses in the show she had once watched called desperate housewives. The neighborhood looked like they had block parties in the summer and Christmas decoration competitions in the winter.

"This is the house that comes with the job." Roger said, "Did I not tell you that?" He pulled the luggage out of the car.

"I believe you forgot to mention that part." She couldn't help the small bit of a anger that flared up. How could he not mention he was already staying in a house meant for a family. As if he seemed to know she could be coming here.

"Come see inside." He told her grinning.

She hesitated for a moment and then closed the door of the car nodding her head she walked inside.


Jace pulled into the driveway and put the car in park.

"That was a great night." Sarah said looking over at him placing her hand on her stomach. "We might not get many of those once this little one comes."

Jace smiled and put his hand on her stomach allowing himself to smile. He did love Sarah in the best way he could. Perhaps love wasn't like what he imagined in his dreams. Those dreams he had of holding the blonde woman in his arms, those feelings weren't real they were only what his mind made up. He never even got a clear image of the woman's face in his dreams it was as if a camera was out of focus every time he tried to remember.

Perhaps this was what love really felt like. Being with someone that you enjoy spending time with, what more could anyone want?

"I hear they take up a lot of time." He agreed.

Sarah yawned, "Well she's already using up a lot of my energy."

"She?" He asked raising his eye brow.

She shrugged, "I feel like she is a she." Then she yawned again.

"Let's get you inside before you turn into a pumpkin." Jace said opening his door and walking around to open her Sarah stepped out of the car he couldn't help but look up and noticed down the street he saw every house was the same almost identical with pretty much the same car in each driveway. All except his house because of the car he bought. The car Sarah still didn't like. He could tell his wife hated that it stuck out hated that it didn't have all the new features of a new car. She wanted one like everyone else, she was perfectly happy fitting into this life, but deep down Jace felt like it wasn't real. This all felt like some dream he needed to wake up from.

At night when he closed his eyes and thought of home it wasn't this place he saw, or this city. No he saw open green fields farms with wide open spaces. And sometimes he could almost see a town, a small town with it's people standing together strong, proud and waiting. A crowd of people beckoning him home.

"Jace?" Sarah's voice called he turned to see she was already at the front door waiting for him to come unlock the doors. He chased the thoughts of the small town from his mind and hurried to catch up to her.


AN- Sorry for the delay if anyone is still interested in this story. I'm back on binge watching and re watching Jericho so I'm back to writing it again. This was mostly a filler chapter to help the story move forward.