Author's Note: Hey everybody who might be confused because of the sudden re-appearance of this story; I've revised the whole thing thoroughly with the help of my beta, Romany. The last chapter turned out to be suitable to split in two and thus this is now the last chapter.

Final revisions made 01-23-07

Thanks for reading everyone. Please, let me know what you think, and especially what you think of the last two chapters and if the split works.

//Nicolina.

-

Chapter 11 Don't Leave Me

Jackson snapped his mouth shut and stared at her. Her words had hit him like a stab in the heart.

Afterwards? What the he-

Then he leaned closer. "Leese," he rasped. "I'm came to kill you. I'm not gonna RAPE you."

To his surprise, Lisa relaxed visibly underneath him. Trembling so hard, she couldn't keep her lips and chin still, she finally let her tears flow freely.

She'd rather die than be raped again...

Stunned, he sat back a little and regarded her.

It hurt him to see her.

To his surprise he felt dirty and spent. Why did I come here? He had never really had the intention to kill her, not before she stabbed him anyway. She had gotten to him, grown on him, during all those weeks he'd been watching her, and he knew he'd been everything but professional around her.

I just wanted to see you... to see you regret what you did to me... and now... see what you've made me do!

His hand started moving on its own accord. He reached out and pulled some strands of hair away from Lisa's cheek. She flinched and looked up at him, the first glimpse of her eyes was painful to see – she looked so forlorn. Then it changed into open surprise, and for the first time since the beginning of the flight, she showed no fear.

Yes...

He liked her strong and independent, when her will matched his own, when she put up a fight. He watched as she bit her lower lip and, with the fire back in her green eyes, gave him a challenging stare that stabbed him right in the chest.

"Lisa, I…" he swallowed hard. "I never meant for this to happen," he mumbled, not knowing himself what he actually meant. Then he leaned in and kissed her. This time they were in a bed, and he could feel a bolt of arousal surge through him at the thought of what he really wanted to do with her.

But he wanted her willing…

-

-

He was kissing her.

Again.

Jackson's lips had waited, as if asking a question, just barely touching hers. Lisa's lips had quivered, almost involuntarily, in response, and then he'd claimed her mouth.

Fully.

Completely.

Possessively.

Lisa responded more immediately this time. Her whole body ached from their fight, and she was high on adrenaline. There was something so intimate about having fought for life and death like they had, making life itself so crisp, almost palpable.

She had nearly jumped out of her skin when he'd touched her cheek, expecting a killing blow and instead receiving a caress. Then she had looked up into his blue eyes, they had seemed dulled with pain and – if she allowed herself to interpret it – a look of regret.

And then his full lips had descended upon hers.

It felt like an explosion.

She didn't want it, didn't expect it, and she couldn't resist it.

Yes, she had felt the attraction, the 'what if's' that had tortured her throughout the latter part of the flight. It just came as such a surprise that he'd felt it too.

They kissed fiercely, as if the battle between them continued. He still held her hands above her head, immobilising her, adding to the tension between them by making her more vulnerable, making her tremble in his hold. Making her more his...

He tasted good; sweet, male... HIM... her heart pounded harder as his body covered every inch of hers. She had wondered how he tasted. Not her conscious mind, no, but subconsciously, deep down in the recesses of her mind she wondered what he'd feel like; how his body would fit hers; if beautiful eyes would sparkle like they'd done when they had just met.

They didn't.

He looked just as cold and dangerous but with an added glint that made her tremble in his embrace.

With his free hand, he caught her hair, pulling her head back enough to make her scalp tingle. The sensation of his kiss, his touch, and his body made her lightheaded and sparked a flame within that she had forgotten about ever since...

...then.

No, no, no, no... NO!!

"Liar," she whispered into his mouth, then bucked her hips forcefully upwards, sending the unsuspecting Jackson halfway off her.

Lisa shoved him to the side and jumped off the bed, her cheeks flushed, and she refused to think of what they'd just been doing. Jackson flung himself after her and caught her in the upper hallway, just above the stairs. He slammed her into the wall and pressed against her, letting her feel his arousal, his blue eyes flaming.

His closeness made her tremble, and she fought to keep him off her, but finally lost as he held both her wrists against the wall. For a second they just stared at each other, panting heavily, then the moment broke and Jackson smirked, knowing he'd eventually win this game, mentally or physically, either way.

The look of superiority and cockiness on his face made her stomach lurch with both want and anger. Fuck you.

"You're pathetic," she sneered. It was the only thing she could come up with. She wasn't even sure if she meant him or herself.

Jackson's nostrils widened in sudden anger. Pressing his lips together, his smirk twisted and she saw how the light in his eyes suddenly went out. With one vicious yank, he threw her around and shoved her over the railing.

Lisa screamed as she fell, feeling every single step as they hit her in the head or in the back. Dizzy, she landed at the foot of the staircase. The world spun, and in a blur she saw Jackson at the top of the stairs, looking down at her.

Is he still around?

When she saw him move, she moaned and started to drag herself to her knees. Her chest hurt and she was sure she had broken a rib; each movement intensified the sharp pain and every breath sent agonizing spikes through her body.

Hearing more than seeing him coming down the stairs, her eyes suddenly fell on a gun that lay halfway under a cupboard in the hallway. It must have been the hitman's. Lisa dragged herself closer and grabbed it, twisting around just as Jackson reached the lower part of the stairs. He stopped dead only a couple of steps from her with an incredulous look on his face.

Jackson held the knife in his hand, and Lisa pointed the gun at him.

Time froze and they stared at each other.

How did they end up here? Somehow it was all so bizarre; wouldn't their meeting have been a match made in heaven under ANY other circumstances? Now they were just a breath away from actually killing the other.

They were pulled out of their trance as the sounds of sirens approached in the distance.

Jackson cocked his head and almost smiled. "We'll talk again," he wheezed.

NO! Not again!

"Don't move," she said through clenched teeth. Don't leave. No, leave. DAMN you for doing this to me!

He regarded her and gave her a half-smile, then he started towards her – and Lisa shot.

Oh, God! It was as much a surprise to her as it was to him. The bullet hit him far to the left in his abdomen and a small red stain spread slowly on his shirt. Jackson dropped his knife, but still made it to Lisa and kicked the gun out of her hands.

Lisa whimpered and tried to scramble away from him on her hands and knees. Jackson snatched the knife up from the floor and went for her. Gripping her by the hair, he pulled her head back until she gasped.

The hair on the back of her head stood straight up in fear; there was nothing that could save her now. She felt the sharp edge of the knife as it pressed against her throat, and the pain in her scalp was excruciating. "Oh, oh, ahh… Jackson, please," she whispered.

"HEY!"

They both looked up, surprised, at Lisa's dad, who held the gun in his hands. A second shot shattered the air and Jackson fell.

Lisa blinked and looked at Jackson, who lay gasping on the floor, and then at her dad, who had showed up at the absolute last moment.

Joe stretched out a hand as he glared cautiously at Jackson. "Come on, sweetheart. Come on."

Lisa didn't take it, though; she turned to Jackson and crouched next to him. They looked at each other, Jackson obviously in pain, gasping for air, and Lisa in agony, tears filling her eyes once more. She pressed her hands over the bleeding wound to the right on his chest, desperately trying to stop the blood flow.

"Why, Jackson?" she whispered, only for him to hear. "Why?"

Jackson was too weak to answer, but his eyes said more than words: he was in pain, and it wasn't only from the wounds.

-

-

I'm sorry, Leese...

-

-

THE END