Jericho Fic: Do Not Go Gentle (13/14)
Title: Do Not Go Gentle (13/14)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Fandom: Jericho
Pairing: Eventual Jake/Heather
Rated: PG-13 for violence and language
Genre: Angst, drama, romance
Author’s Note: This is an alternate universe version of “Casus Belli.” Some of the dialogue is from the episode. The rest is mine.
Thanks to my awesome beta skyrose!
Prologue | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | The Conclusion
Do Not Go Gentle (Part Thirteen)
A day and a half had passed and a couple of times she was certain the building would come crashing down on them, but it hadn't yet. The fighting outside was closer now, loud, rapid gunfire and more explosions on the street, followed by screaming that she wished she could block out.
She lay quietly, wrapped in Jake's arms as they listened to it. She shivered involuntarily and he pulled her closer.
"Jake?"
"Hmm?"
"Where were you? Before." She knew she didn't have a right to ask. Not really. But her curiosity tended to get the better of her and now was no exception.
He was silent for a moment. "Before the bombs…San Diego. Before that…Iraq." His voice was low.
Somehow she wasn't really surprised. "You know that…she doesn't hate you right?"
"Who? Emily?"
She nodded a little, ignoring the ache in her chest.
"I know." He paused. "But she hasn't forgiven me and I don't blame her."
"You haven't forgiven yourself."
"I guess not. The things I did--"
"Are in the past, Jake," she said gently. "You're a different person now."
"Am I? Sometimes I'm not sure," he said distantly.
Heather lifted her head to look at him. "Well, I am. This town would be in serious trouble if you weren't here. Your dad would be dead. Eric and I, too."
He gazed at her for a moment. "You have a lot of faith in me."
She dropped her gaze. "I've never met anyone like you before."
A smile tugged at his lips. "Ditto that."
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "She will forgive you."
"Maybe. Maybe not. I accepted that a long time ago. We have a long history. And I owe her a debt I may never be able to repay."
She chewed her lower lip.
"Heather, there's something you should know." He gazed at her. "I'll always care about Emily. And I'll do whatever I can to keep her safe and see that she's happy. But we're not together."
"You could be."
"Emily's engaged to Roger. You should've seen the look on her face when she saw he'd come back from New Bern."
Heather didn't respond.
"I've moved on," he told her. "And so has she. There's too much history between us to consider going back. It would never work. And I don't want it to."
She looked at him, startled.
He smiled at her, then gently tucked some hair behind her ear. "Do you get what I'm saying?"
Heather swallowed hard, afraid to let herself believe him. Before she had a chance, his lips brushed against hers softly, his hand against her cheek.
Her eyes drifted shut and she kissed him back. Hoping she wouldn't regret it later.
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Fandom: Jericho
Pairing: Eventual Jake/Heather
Rated: PG-13 for violence and language
Genre: Angst, drama, romance
Author’s Note: This is an alternate universe version of “Casus Belli.” Some of the dialogue is from the episode. The rest is mine.
Thanks to my awesome beta skyrose!
Prologue | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | The Conclusion
Do Not Go Gentle (Part Thirteen)
A day and a half had passed and a couple of times she was certain the building would come crashing down on them, but it hadn't yet. The fighting outside was closer now, loud, rapid gunfire and more explosions on the street, followed by screaming that she wished she could block out.
She lay quietly, wrapped in Jake's arms as they listened to it. She shivered involuntarily and he pulled her closer.
"Jake?"
"Hmm?"
"Where were you? Before." She knew she didn't have a right to ask. Not really. But her curiosity tended to get the better of her and now was no exception.
He was silent for a moment. "Before the bombs…San Diego. Before that…Iraq." His voice was low.
Somehow she wasn't really surprised. "You know that…she doesn't hate you right?"
"Who? Emily?"
She nodded a little, ignoring the ache in her chest.
"I know." He paused. "But she hasn't forgiven me and I don't blame her."
"You haven't forgiven yourself."
"I guess not. The things I did--"
"Are in the past, Jake," she said gently. "You're a different person now."
"Am I? Sometimes I'm not sure," he said distantly.
Heather lifted her head to look at him. "Well, I am. This town would be in serious trouble if you weren't here. Your dad would be dead. Eric and I, too."
He gazed at her for a moment. "You have a lot of faith in me."
She dropped her gaze. "I've never met anyone like you before."
A smile tugged at his lips. "Ditto that."
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "She will forgive you."
"Maybe. Maybe not. I accepted that a long time ago. We have a long history. And I owe her a debt I may never be able to repay."
She chewed her lower lip.
"Heather, there's something you should know." He gazed at her. "I'll always care about Emily. And I'll do whatever I can to keep her safe and see that she's happy. But we're not together."
"You could be."
"Emily's engaged to Roger. You should've seen the look on her face when she saw he'd come back from New Bern."
Heather didn't respond.
"I've moved on," he told her. "And so has she. There's too much history between us to consider going back. It would never work. And I don't want it to."
She looked at him, startled.
He smiled at her, then gently tucked some hair behind her ear. "Do you get what I'm saying?"
Heather swallowed hard, afraid to let herself believe him. Before she had a chance, his lips brushed against hers softly, his hand against her cheek.
Her eyes drifted shut and she kissed him back. Hoping she wouldn't regret it later.