Never Forgotten

Part 29

Part 29

"Don't worry they will be here." Jack said when he noticed Alice glance at her watch. Actually he was starting to wonder where they were, them being 30 minutes late was not typical of his father. He knew they would never miss this unless something had happened and if that was the case, his dad would have called. He just hoped that they were stuck in traffic, but something told him otherwise.

"Maybe they got cold feet" Alice nervously laughed, trying to cover up the saddening feeling of being abandoned that was starting to stir inside of her.

"No...never..." Jack said without a doubt in his mind. ". They are probably just stuck in traffic. I probably shouldn't be the one to tell you this, but from what I understand, you are the child they always wanted".

"I am?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. You are the result of a love so deep, so strong that one would be exceptionally lucky to ever find love like that. And it's still as deep and strong today as it was then." Jack looked down, suddenly feeling sad. He was not a love child like Alice, but the result of his dad's heartbreak and rebound. "They love you so much even though they have never met you" He said and looked up at her again with a hint of sadness in his smile.

                               ———-

The ringing in his ears was so loud that it forced him to close his eyes and hold his head in his hands. The smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils. 'Did the gun go off?'' John thought and thought back to a moment ago. He was trying to get Rebecca to let go of the gun but she had resisted. His heart started racing at the realization that he, Rebecca or anyone else had been shot.
Forcing his eyes open, he felt dizzy as the bright sunlight blinded him, making the surroundings blurry. He quickly scanned his body to see if he was bleeding before he lifted his eyes and looked up to see the back of a car, racing from the scene and Rebecca on where in sight.

John didn't hear the panicked voice yelling his name.

"John!!!" Marlena yelled as she ran towards him faster than she had ever ran before.

It wasn't until she threw her arms around him from behind that he realized she was there.

"Doc!! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He yelled and scanned her body with both his hands and eyes. Realizing she was okay, he sighed deeply and wrapped her in his arms. He could feel her breath in his ear, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.

"I can't hear anything, the ringing is too loud." He pulled away from her and pointed at his ears.

A large smile appeared on Marlena's face. There he was, being the one who had been close to getting hurt and all he cared about was her and her safety. " I'm fine darling...Are you hurt?" She said, drawing out the words so he could read her mouth. As he had done moments before, she looked over his body for any signs of wounds. Relief washed over her when she didn't find any blood. "When I heard the gunshot I thought that I had lost you." Her voice shivered with the horrifying thought of him being taken away from her.

Taking her in his arms again he buried his nose in her hair, her scent immediately calming him down. "You are never going to lose me sweetheart..never". He whispered.

The ringing in John's ears subsided but was soon replaced with the loud sound of sirens coming closer.
Before he had time to register what was happening two police cars came towards them, stopped and two armed officers jumped out of the cars.

"Don't move" One yelled and pointed a gun at John's back.

                                  ———