Jericho Fic: Do Not Go Gentle (14/14)
Title: Do Not Go Gentle (14/14)
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 Fourteen)
Things outside were quiet now. Too quiet. Eerie, still. His stomach growled and his throat was dry. The beef jerky was long gone, and they'd drank all but a little of the water, as well. He was saving the rest for when she needed it.
"Jake?"
"Yeah?" he asked softly.
"It's not an act."
His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"The tough girl thing. It's not an act."
Jake kissed her temple, letting her continue.
"It's survival. My family…it wasn't like yours."
"What was it like?"
"Hell," she murmured and he shut his eyes, stroking her hair. "My father was…"
He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to tell him, but she needed to. He could feel it.
"Cruel. Abusive."
"To you?" he asked quietly.
"And my mom." Heather closed her eyes.
"Why do you think you're like him?" he asked in confusion, realizing the answer before she spoke. His stomach tightened.
"He killed her, Jake. Shot her. We were gonna leave, but he came home early from work and caught us. He was furious, screaming at her."
Jake pulled her closer. "God, Heather. In front of you?"
"And then he shot himself." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I've always wondered why he didn't kill me too. Maybe it was his final act of cruelty."
He cringed. "Don't say that," he whispered, kissing her temple again. "How old were you?"
"Eight." She let out a shuddering breath.
It all made sense to him now. Ted's comment about her fear of guns, her nightmares, her desire to do everything in her power to help everyone she could because she hadn't been able to help her mother.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he whispered, his hand lingering on her cheek. "Ted knows?"
"He was my foster brother," she said quietly.
Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you for telling me."
She nodded silently.
"I can't change what happened, but I can promise I'm going to take care of you. You're not alone. Not anymore."
She lifted her head to gaze at him. "Neither are you."
He smiled a bit, then kissed her gently.
"Jake! Heather!"
He pulled away reluctantly, looking toward the cave-in. "Stanley?"
"We're gonna get you out of there!"
Heather's eyes were wide.
"Stanley, what's happening out there?"
"You won't believe it. The United States Army just showed up!"
"Is everyone all right?" He rose to his feet, helping Heather up as well.
"There were casualties on both sides, but you're family's all right, Jake."
"Thank God." He shut his eyes.
"What about Emily?" Heather asked anxiously.
"She's helping Mrs. Green at the Med Center. She said you two disappeared before the first mortar was launched and she thought you may be down here."
"The fighting's over?" Jake called, glancing at Heather sideways.
"Yeah, some damage to the town, but nothing we can't recover from. Hang in there. This is gonna take awhile!"
Jake turned to look at her and she smiled a bit, shyly.
"We're gonna be okay," he said, reaching out and taking her hand.
Heather met his eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. "I know."
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 Fourteen)
Things outside were quiet now. Too quiet. Eerie, still. His stomach growled and his throat was dry. The beef jerky was long gone, and they'd drank all but a little of the water, as well. He was saving the rest for when she needed it.
"Jake?"
"Yeah?" he asked softly.
"It's not an act."
His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"The tough girl thing. It's not an act."
Jake kissed her temple, letting her continue.
"It's survival. My family…it wasn't like yours."
"What was it like?"
"Hell," she murmured and he shut his eyes, stroking her hair. "My father was…"
He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to tell him, but she needed to. He could feel it.
"Cruel. Abusive."
"To you?" he asked quietly.
"And my mom." Heather closed her eyes.
"Why do you think you're like him?" he asked in confusion, realizing the answer before she spoke. His stomach tightened.
"He killed her, Jake. Shot her. We were gonna leave, but he came home early from work and caught us. He was furious, screaming at her."
Jake pulled her closer. "God, Heather. In front of you?"
"And then he shot himself." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I've always wondered why he didn't kill me too. Maybe it was his final act of cruelty."
He cringed. "Don't say that," he whispered, kissing her temple again. "How old were you?"
"Eight." She let out a shuddering breath.
It all made sense to him now. Ted's comment about her fear of guns, her nightmares, her desire to do everything in her power to help everyone she could because she hadn't been able to help her mother.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he whispered, his hand lingering on her cheek. "Ted knows?"
"He was my foster brother," she said quietly.
Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you for telling me."
She nodded silently.
"I can't change what happened, but I can promise I'm going to take care of you. You're not alone. Not anymore."
She lifted her head to gaze at him. "Neither are you."
He smiled a bit, then kissed her gently.
"Jake! Heather!"
He pulled away reluctantly, looking toward the cave-in. "Stanley?"
"We're gonna get you out of there!"
Heather's eyes were wide.
"Stanley, what's happening out there?"
"You won't believe it. The United States Army just showed up!"
"Is everyone all right?" He rose to his feet, helping Heather up as well.
"There were casualties on both sides, but you're family's all right, Jake."
"Thank God." He shut his eyes.
"What about Emily?" Heather asked anxiously.
"She's helping Mrs. Green at the Med Center. She said you two disappeared before the first mortar was launched and she thought you may be down here."
"The fighting's over?" Jake called, glancing at Heather sideways.
"Yeah, some damage to the town, but nothing we can't recover from. Hang in there. This is gonna take awhile!"
Jake turned to look at her and she smiled a bit, shyly.
"We're gonna be okay," he said, reaching out and taking her hand.
Heather met his eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. "I know."