I FINISHED IT! I'm actually really proud of this because I've been juggling spending time writing this and spending time writing my school speech and I managed to complete it relatively fast! Here ya go, enjoy:
Jo drove to the river with Lt Reece in the passenger seat and Hanson in the back. Neither of them talked during the trip, and Jo was anxious to get to the river so that they could see that Henry really was alive, and that they hadn't imagined it.
Jo managed to get a park right near the river, partly due to the late time. It was past 8pm and most New Yorkers had headed home. Once parked Jo gathered up the clothes and towel Abe had given her and ran to the waterfront, dimly aware of Lt Reece and Hanson following her.
'Henry!?' She called, her voice echoing across the water. 'Where are you?' Abe had told her roughly where he would be, but Jo wasn't exactly sure where she would find him.
'Here.' A voice came from the bushes to her right. Turning, she made eye contact with a very wet, cold, and naked Henry. 'You took your time.' He said, talking the towel an clothes she held out. Jo rolled her eyes.
'Some people are never satisfied.' She said. 'Would you just hurry up and get dressed?' He grinned at her through the leaves, his teeth white in the darkness. Soon he was standing next to her, drying his hair with the towel. Hanson and Lt Reece were staring at him like he was a ghost, and Jo didn't blame them. Seeing someone die and then reappear… it was weird. Henry smiled at them.
'So, the explanation is good now?' He asked, referring back to their earlier conversation. Lt Reece nodded slowly, her eyes wide and confused.
'I understand your explanation now, but I don't understand why.' She said. Henry frowned.
'You don't understand why you understand my explanation?'
'No.' The lieutenant shook her head. 'I don't understand why you don't die.' Henry gave a short chuckle before replying.
'I don't understand my curse either. It just happens and there is nothing I can do about it.
'So you're over 200 years old?' Hanson asked, an incredulous look on his face.
'Yes, I'll be 236 in September.' Henry replied. 'I know it's hard to believe but I haven't aged since I was shot in 1814 when I was 35. I will be 35 forever, I guess.'
After picking Henry up for the river they had come back to Jo's house. Lt Reece had left earlier, after Henry had asked her not to tell anyone else of his secret. Hanson however had remained. He had questions for Henry.
'And Abe knows of your condition?'
'Yes. He found out when he was quite young. His mother and I hadn't wanted to tell him until he was slightly older, but we felt the time was right.' Henry smiled at the memory. Abraham had confronted him when he was around 10, asking why he never looked older, like his friends fathers. He and Abigail hadn't planned to tell him until he was 16 but with him beginning to ask questions they decided to explain his condition to him.
'Wait, you and his mother? You knew Abe when he was growing up?' Hanson frowned.
'I knew him very well when he was a child. Not so much when he was a teenager, but I think that's the same for most parents.' Henry replied.
Of course. Hanson thought. He's Abe's father. I always thought maybe it was the other way around, they always seem so at ease with each other.
Hanson had told Karen, his wife, he was working on a case and would be late, and asked Henry questions until around 11pm.
'I've run out of questions.' He said with a laugh as he stood up. 'And I should probably be getting home now anyway.'
As Jo showed him to the door Henry sagged in relief.
They believed me. Both of them. The relief that engulfed him was immense. It swept over him before crashing down, surrounding him, making him feel safe. 'They both believed me.' He said out loud as Jo walked back into the room. She raised an eyebrow in surprise at him.
'Well duh. They saw you disappear.'
'True.' Henry shrugged. 'But you forget I'm used to people locking me up when I tell them.' Jo sat on the couch and leant against Henry, her warmth reassuring him that he was here, in the present, not in the past.
'Know that my secret is out, do you think… you know… I have feelings for you, Detective.' Henry fiddled with a lock of Jo's hair nervously. She batted his hand away, sitting up.
'Don't call me that! I don't call you doctor.' She bit her lip. 'And I know it was me who started all this when I kissed you in the shop, but…' She trailed off uncertainly. 'I'm not sure if I'm ready for another relationship, after Sea-Sean' her voice shook slightly on his name. She gathered herself and continued. 'After Sean. I still miss him.'
Henry pulled Jo back down until she was leaning on him again, and this time it was his warmth that reminded her she was in the present, not the past.
'I still miss Abigail.' He said quietly. 'I know what it's like, Jo. I'm here for you. But I think Sean, and Abigail, would want us to move on. Be happy. Live life. Abigail will always be in my heart, but there is room there, in my heart, for you as well.'
Jo smiled against his chest.
'You're right. Like always.'
The kiss, when it came, was worth the wait for Henry. Worth the stress and worth the terror of having to tell three people his secret.
It's finished. C'est fini. Finisimo! (By the way I have no idea if that actually is a word). My next story won't be posted on here for a while yet because of exams and stuff :( But I have an idea for it! And I'm really excited for it ;)
Also I made a tumblr- it's about my life and Forever and just stuff in general. If you wanna follow me my username is slowlyfadingdaydream. I currently have no followers so I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow me... I'll follow back :)
Love you guys and I hope you enjoyed this story and hopefully I'll have my next story up soonish... no promises