It's been 15 years (what the heck) since I first wrote this story. Since writing this story I have completed my degree, been working in the NHS for 10 years, got married and had 2 sons. How life has changed!
This is an updated, brushed off, improved version of Forever is Over. When listening to music, Snow Patrol plays frequently, especially the album Eyes Open, and it always reminds me of Jess and Callum. That then starts me off rereading my fics with them, and when I reread Forever is Over I knew I could make it better than it was before. So here it is.
The whole thing is rewritten, with lots more words, and ready to upload chapter by chapter. It sticks closely to the original with some big(ish) changes. I hope you enjoy it, and would love it if you let me know what you think!
It was an early Saturday morning in June when PC Jessica Waite changed into her civilian clothes and made her way sleepily out of Sun Hill police station to her car. Jess had just worked the Friday night shift with Tony and unsurprisingly it had been non stop. It hadn't helped that there had been a full moon as well- that always guaranteed a busy night. They had spent most of their night in the town centre dealing with drunks and breaking up fights. She always enjoyed being paired with Tony, listening to him complain about how things were different in his day and how they did proper policing back then. As the sun started to rise over the city, Jess and Tony drove back to the station to clock out and change. It still gave her a thrill even now to drive through the streets of Sun Hill.
As she walked to her car she waved to Sally, who had also just finished the night shift. She unlocked the car, chucked her bag on the passenger seat and started the engine. She sat for a minute with her eyes closed and took a deep breath. She had a mouthful of the coffee she had made before she left the station and pulled off heading towards home. She couldn't wait to get home, see Luke and give him a big cuddle. The worst thing about the job was the shifts and the fact that she was never guaranteed to finish on time. It meant she missed out on seeing Luke, and Dan, and she hated it.
Jess had moved to Sun Hill six months ago with her husband Dan and son Luke, from Newquay in Cornwall. She had been a police officer in the Devon and Cornwall police for three years, and Dan worked as a lawyer for the CPS. It had been a big decision to make the move to London, away from their family and friends and everything they had known but they were both ready to further their careers and be challenged. The change from a small mainly quiet town to a bustling suburb in London had been jarring at first, but they soon got used to the noise and lights and different pace of living and working.
Jess was lucky and managed to find a parking space right outside her house. She grabbed her bag from the passenger seat, got out the car, locked it and headed towards the house. She unlocked the door quietly, hoping as she stepped into the hall that Luke had been good for Dan. Dan would be grumpy if Luke had kept him up, and Dan being grumpy affected everyone.
She placed her handbag on the console table, putting her keys in the dish next to her bag. She sat on the chair, kicking off her trainers and rubbing her sore feet. What she needed was a hot shower, a cuddle with Luke and then to get into bed and sleep for a few hours. She smiled to herself, getting up and slowly climbing the stairs. She paused as she got to her bedroom, peeking in to see Dan still asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief and slowly pushed the door open, moving through the bedroom to the ensuite. She stripped off her clothes, tossing them in the wash basket before turning the shower on. She stepped under the hot spray, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth as the water hit the knots in her shoulders. She hung her head and stood with her eyes shut, relishing the feel of the water on her tired body. She quickly washed her hair and body, turned the shower off and stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel. She moved back into the bedroom where Dan still slept, drying herself off and pulling on a vest and some shorts. Towels now hanging up to dry in the ensuite, she left her bedroom and walked to the door at the end of the corridor, to Luke's room. She quietly opened the stair gate which Dan had put on a few weeks ago. Luke woke up early so having the gate gave them the peace of mind that he wouldn't be able to get out of his room and potentially fall down the stairs or get up to mischief. Jess stepped into Luke's dinosaur themed bedroom and tiptoed over to his bed.
Luke was sleeping peacefully, laying on his back with one arm flung above his head and one arm resting on his chest. Jess sat on the edge of his bed, pushing back his sweaty dark brown hair. She lay down next to him, placing one hand on his chest whilst the other one held his hand that was above his head. Jess' breathing soon slowed down so that it matched the rise and fall of Luke's chest, and before she knew it, she was asleep.
An hour later, Dan woke up, his arm searching Jess' side of the bed. All he could feel was the duvet and her pillow, which were cold. He checked his phone; it was half past nine and Jess should have been home already. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched. His grey eyes searched the room for any sign that Jess was home, but he saw none. He sighed, knowing that she had probably been caught up at work, but he wished that she would text him when she would be late.
He pulled back the dark blue covers, getting out of bed and heading into the ensuite. He noticed the water on the shower screen- Jess must be home then, but where was she. He walked out their bedroom, about to head down the stairs when he saw Luke's door was open. He frowned, knowing that he had shut the door and the gate. He crept down the corridor, pushing the door open wider. He smiled as he saw his wife on the bed, her arms laid protectively over their son. Her wet blonde hair was fanned out on the pillow, a contrast to Luke's dark hair, so much like his own. He leaned against the door frame, watching them sleep.
Jess woke up to someone licking her face. She brought her hand up, trying to distinguish what it was. She felt the soft hair of her son, and she laughed. He was trying to kiss her, not lick her. She opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw her own eyes looking back at her. Luke may have got Dan's hair, and most of Dan's facial features, but the eyes were all hers. Bright green eyes sparkling with fun and mischief.
"Morning honey. Did you sleep ok?" Jess asked, yawning as she sat up and hugged Luke as he climbed onto her lap. Luke nodded, tucking himself into her lap. "Good. Shall we go and see if daddy is awake? We'll all have breakfast together. Does that sound good?" She felt Luke nodding under her chin, so scooped him up in her arms and carried him out of his room and down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw Dan standing there, pouring her out a coffee. On the table was breakfast and a drink for Luke. Jess walked over to Dan, kissing him on the cheek.
"Morning." Jess said, looking into those grey eyes that she loved so much.
"Good morning my beautiful wife. Good night at work?" Dan asked, placing Jess' coffee on the table and taking Luke from her arms, giving him a quick kiss.
"Yeah, really busy though. I am so ready for a good sleep." Jess said, stifling a yawn as she drank her coffee.
"Well you can go back to bed in a minute, just eat something first." Dan said gently. She didn't eat enough as it was, and it frustrated him when she didn't look after herself, especially doing the job that she did.
Jess nodded, "What would I do without you, eh?" she said, placing her hand on his cheek as he handed her a slice of toast.
"God only knows." Dan replied, placing Luke in his booster chair and handing him his breakfast. "What do you say?"
"Thank you daddy." Luke said, his fingers already shoving pieces of toast in his mouth.
"People would think we didn't feed him!" Jess said, watching her son.
Dan ruffled Luke's hair, "He just has a good appetite like me! Something you could learn!"
"I just don't get that hungry! Especially after a night shift." Jess said, finishing off her toast and washing her plate and mug up. "Right then, I'm going up to bed. Wake me up an hour before you're due in ok?" Jess kissed Dan slowly on the lips as she walked past.
"Will do. Sleep well honey." Dan called after her.
"Mummy sleep." Luke said, nodding.
"That's right, mummy's gone to bed because she works too hard doesn't she. She doesn't spend enough time with us does she." Dan said quietly, sighing.
If you told a 15 year old Jessica Hunter that in ten years she would have a son and be married, she would have laughed at you and told you where to go. Jess had never envisioned her life being like this. She had always seen herself as an independent woman, someone who didn't listen to anyone else and didn't have time for anyone else. But that changed when at 18 she met Daniel Waite. She had just started her police training and was on a night out with the girls when they met. At 23, he was five years older than her, but Jess had always liked an older man. Jess loved the way his dark hair fell just in front of his eyes, how his grey eyes sparkled with laughter at something his friend had said to him, how she had to reach up on tiptoe to kiss him. She had loved the way his hands roamed her body when they were dancing, and she had loved the way he walked her home to make sure she got there safely.
They exchanged numbers and the following day she got a text from him, asking her out on a date. She agreed, and after a few more dates they were officially a couple. At first her parents had been against it as she was supposed to be concentrating on her career and he was five years older than her, but then they saw how Dan looked at her, like he would do anything for her. They couldn't fight love, and Jess wouldn't have listened to them anyway, so they let her do what she wanted, which was to stay with Dan.
Two years later Jess had fully qualified as a police officer and Dan had finished his law degree and decided to work within the police as a CPS lawyer. Soon enough they had enough money to buy their own flat. Neither had been so happy, nor had they felt so lucky. But that changed when they were out and some guy was trying to chat up Jess. She told the man that she had a boyfriend and that she wasn't interested, but the man was persistent. Dan had exploded with anger, punching the man so hard he fell to the floor, blood streaming out his nose. Jess had screamed at Dan, not believing that the gentle, kind man she knew was capable of being so violent, even if it had been in her apparent defence.
Jess had stormed back home, not letting him in the flat. She knew that she couldn't stay there that night, that she didn't want to see him yet, that she needed to wait until he was sober before talking to him. How could he have so quickly flipped? Risking his job over a situation that didn't need to happen, risking their relationship because he had seen red. She had packed her bag and was about to walk out the flat when she tripped over something. She flicked on the living room light which shone out into the communal hall, and Jess realised she had tripped over Dan. He had been laying there waiting for her to come out. He had apologised, and apologised, and apologised. He had begged her not to go, to stay with him. He told her it was a one off, that he was sorry, that he was drunk, that he couldn't stand seeing someone else trying it on with her when she had said no, that he had never done that before and didn't intend to do it again, that he was just trying to protect her. Jess had caved in, because she loved him, and she believed him.
Jess was 22, Dan 27, when they got engaged. They had just found out that they were having a baby, and Dan had spontaneously proposed to her. Of course she had accepted, because she loved him and now they were going to be parents. They had gone out for dinner to celebrate at a beautiful little Spanish style restaurant. Jess had gone up to the bar to order some drinks and had got chatting with the barman who she used to go to school with. They were talking and laughing for ten minutes by the time she got the drinks to head back to Dan. She had returned to the table with her non alcoholic cocktail and Dan's beer when he said he wanted to leave, a strange look on his face. Jess couldn't understand his sudden change of mood but just went along with it, thinking maybe he was tired.
They got home and Jess had just pulled the chain across on the door and turned to walk through to the kitchen when Dan pushed her hard against the wall. She hit the wall and stumbled, before righting herself and slowly turning to face him. Her eyes were wide with shock, her face pale. She rubbed the shoulder that had hit the wall, knowing it would bruise. Her other hand came to her stomach for protection. She looked up at him through teary eyes, her shock turning to disbelief. They were engaged, they were having a baby, and he had attacked her. Dan moved towards her, his eyes filled with apologies, but Jess recoiled from him. That was the first time Dan had abused her, but not the last.
Jess was pulled back to the present by Dan whispering in her ear.
"Jess, come on, wake up." Dan whispered, stroking her hair. He bent down, gently kissing her lips.
"Why can't you wake me up like this every day?" Jess asked quietly, her eyes still shut but a smile on her face.
"Because then it wouldn't have such a big impact would it." he said, kissing her again.
"Mummy!" Luke's voice came from the door, and then she heard a pattering of feet against the carpet, and then a soft weight fell on her stomach. She opened her eyes to see her husband tickling her son. Today was a good day.