AN: Firstly, I would like to apologize and grovel for the forgiveness of my loyal and patient readers. I did not expect to be absent for so long but real life has been relentlessness with its demands from work to home life. Thank you for your get well wishes - I have recovered from my illness and appreciate your heartfelt messages through emails and PMs.

We are approaching the end of this novel chronicling the AU relationship between Jeannie and Steve but the journey is far from over as there will be a sequel to follow (perhaps even a third installment). This has been my biggest fan fiction story to date and I've enjoyed writing every chapter and appreciated hearing your thoughts through the reviews you have kindly posted.

I can't promise when the next chapter will be posted but I sincerely hope to update again in within 1-2 weeks, if not sooner.

I know I still owe many of you replies to PMs and emails - please bear with me. I will catch up on those too.

This chapter is for "Helenem" and "JEM" - thank you so much for your supportive nudges & for keeping in touch.

Tanith


Chapter 62

Once the two guards had surrendered their weapons, Whitney ordered them to step back then he all but dragged a frightened and confused Jeannie toward their plane. From the corner of his eye, he caught movement and noted a third security guard was standing by the plane next to their pilot. That was going to complicate things as he would have to take his attention away from the other two to take care of this one. From the periphery of his vision, he tried to make out if he was holding a gun but it was too difficult to tell. Fortunately, the man was too far away to take a shot at him anyway without risking hitting anyone else at the scene.

"Whitney, let me go!" Jeannie cried out and she began to struggle in earnest as the scene before her grew in clarity.

"Jeannie, you're delirious and you're not well. I'm taking you away with me to get some help!" Whitney lied.

"No! I am not going anywhere with you!" Jeannie shot back. Tears rolled down her face as her strength diminished and it was all she could do to stay on her feet.

"Stop it! You're causing a scene, Princess!" Whitney snapped, twisting her wrist into a painful position and holding her tighter against him.

The two guards standing by, began to inch their way toward their weapons as they watched the young man struggle to regain control of his hostage.

Whitney's eyes caught the frightened, confused and pained look in Jeannie's blue orbs. His heart wrenched and slowly he released his hold. How did things get to be so wrong? Everything was perfect. Now he was losing control as his whole universe came crashing down on him.

"Step away from him ma'am!" came the stern voice of one of the security personnel who had successfully retrieved his weapon in Whitney's moment of distraction.

"Son, don't do anything stupid!" the second guard warned as he, too, now held his pistol steadily in front of him.

Jeannie remained stationed between the two armed men and the man who was to be her husband. The anger she felt toward Whitney was replaced with fear and anguish as the situation escalated and the possibility that Whitney was going to lose his life became more real. Facing Whitney, she pleaded with him once again, "Whitney, whatever is going on, we'll work it out together. Just, please, please drop the gun!" Tears streamed down her face, her voice choking and her legs felt like jelly.

"I can't, Jeannie. I've done...some things…things I just…I can't go back," Whitney croaked. Sweat coated his palms and the gun started to grow heavy to hold in one hand. He brought his other hand up and gripped his wrist to keep his arm from dropping.

"It doesn't matter! Whatever you did….just… Please, just drop the gun!" Jeannie implored, reaching out with a trembling hand for the young man but he stepped away, shaking his head.

"Whitney, come on man, don't do this!" a new, yet familiar voice joined the scene.

Jeannie spun around and saw Steve walking toward them, his hands held out in front him in a placating gesture. He looked out of breath and his hair was dishevelled.

Whitney let out a dry mirthless chuckle. "Oh, Stevie boy, you are the last person to tell me what to do!"

"Okay, you're right," Steve said carefully. "I came here to talk. That's all."

"Well, I'm done talking," Whitney grated.

"What's your plan, Whitney? You've got two guns on you that you can see. A sniper on the roof...where are you gonna go?" Steve voiced his questions in a caring tone rather than a challenging one, hoping to negotiate them all out of the precarious situation. "Think about what you're doing. This isn't the way to go."

"Shut up. It's all your fault. If you hadn't...it doesn't matter. I'm done talking!" Whitney snapped. The gun shook violently and he took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his shattered nerves.

"Whitney, please don't..." Jeannie begged. She started to walk toward Whitney but he continued to back away then all of a sudden guard number one lunged forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her away. "No! Let go of me!"

Rage filled Whitney and with a steadier hand, directed his weapon at the man who had his paws on his fiancé.

"Whitney!" Steve called out, desperate to defuse the situation. He made a mental note to wring the neck of the reckless idiot for playing hero when this was over.

Whitney swung the gun back into Steve's face, his finger firmly positioned over the trigger.

Steve stared down the barrel and swallowed hard. Whitney was about to go to a place of no return.

"Whitney!"

Steve didn't need to turn his head to know the voice behind belonged to his partner and mentor.

Mike had his gun drawn and levelled on his future son-in-law. The creases on his face betrayed the profound concern he had for the group of people in front of him. Whitney was pushed over the limit and teetering on the edge of a dangerous proverbial cliff. It wasn't going to take much to bring him over and that thought made him feel very ill to his stomach. "Don't make the biggest mistake of your life."

"Stay out of this! Just like everyone else, you couldn't stand the thought of me being with your daughter. You're just like my father. Nothing I do is good enough is it? Well screw you! Screw all of you!" Whitney growled then without taking his aim away from Steve, he looked at his fiancé and said in a pained voice, "Jeannie, I've loved you all my life. I never wanted this. All I ever wanted was to be with you. To be the one to make you happy."

Tears streamed in rivulets down Jeannie's face in earnest. She continued her struggles to free herself from the guard who held her back even as her physical strength waned. "Whitney, please! Please don't do this!" She choked through the tears and blinding pain. What had led him to this?

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love him!" Whitney jerked his head in Steve's direction, unable to contain his jealousy.

Jeannie was too distraught she couldn't find any words that would convince Whitney. Or was it that she did bear feelings for Steve and she knew if she tried to deny it, Whitney would see through the lie? Stealing a glance at Steve, she caught his eye and a slight shake of the head.

"Just as I thought," Whitney scoffed, biting back his own tears as his heart broke into a million pieces. Jeannie didn't need to say a single word. He could see it in her eyes. Her concern was for Steve. And so was her heart. "I knew it! Knew it all along that I'll always be in second place."

Jeannie felt like all the air was sucked out of her. "Whitney, please, just stop! I love you! Only you!"

But Whitney was beyond listening. Ignoring Jeannie, he returned his attention to the cop who stood with his hands held up in front him.

"Son, it's getting cold out here. Why don't we go inside and talk about this? Whaddya say, huh?" Mike began conversationally in a last ditch to diffuse the situation. The light breeze picked up and threatened to lift the fedora from his head.

"Tell you what, Mike? I'm gonna let you decide who walks your daughter down the aisle since she can't make that choice on her own," Whitney said in a dangerous tone levelling his gun at Keller's chest.

Mike realized the implications behind Whitney's proposition and he swallowed hard but the burning lump at the back of his throat refused to go away. Whatever his feelings were for Whitney, the last thing in the world he saw himself doing was pulling the trigger on the young man who had played a notable role in his daughter's life. He couldn't deny he would choose Steve over Whitney as a son-in-law but how could he make the choice between them when it came down to which one of them earned the right to live?

"Whitney, if you truly love my daughter, you would not ask this of me," Mike firmly stated, his voice thick with emotion. Drawing in a deep breath, his cop instincts took control. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Put the gun down. Let's talk about this." Steadying his own grip on his revolver, Mike prayed for the young man to make the right choice.

Whitney stole a glance Jeannie's way. He knew his eyes spoke more than words ever could.

Whatever colour that had remained in Jeannie's face, drained away and her features contorted into one of agonizing pain. "No!"

Whitney returned his gaze to the man he bore a deep hatred for. Keller. His rival. The bastard who took everything away from him. Without any further thought of the consequences he aimed for Steve's heart and squeezed the trigger.

It all happened so fast. Too fast.

Mike barely even felt his own finger clamping down on the trigger.

With renewed strength, Jeannie wrenched herself free from the security guard. By the time the sound of two gunshots cut through the air she had already reached the space between Whitney and Steve.

Mike's jaw dropped in a silent scream. His fedora flew forcibly off his head, carried away by the wind.