Just When I Needed You Most (Sequel to Forever & Always)

Chapter 15

FAITH POV: I cry after Tim talks about how he hates feeling hopeless. He's almost lost everything that he cares about. The girls are all he has left. I leave the room and give me a minute to recollect myself. Carrie's perfect for him. He's never opened up to anyone, besides me, like that. I walk back to the room to see that things are getting heated between the two, but this time she looks comfortable with what's happening. I smile, and walk away. I go sit at the breakfast bar when I hear the backdoor. 

I walk over to where I can see the backdoor. And I see him. 

Derek picked both locks on the door and is now in the house. He's not here to chat. I can tell, because he has a large gun, rope, and other supplies in his bag with him. I hear Tim and Carrie laugh from upstairs. Derek hears them too. He smiles. I need to do something now. I grab a lamp and throw it. Derek panics, thinking he knocked it over, but Tim and Carrie don't hear.  I panic as Derek pulls out a gas can and starts dumping gasoline all over the first floor. 

Tim! I yell, but it's still not enough. I run upstairs to their room. Tim! They still can't hear me. 

I begin to scream at the top of my lungs, but nothing is audible to them. I enter the room and begin to throw everything I can to get their attention. They stop and both freak out at the various things flying around the room. I stop and try one more time.

"Tim..." I say, standing in the doorway, but they both look at me. Carrie begins to scream but Tim covers her mouth and tells her to be quiet.

"Derek's here. There's gasoline everywhere and he's going to set the house on fire." They get up and begin to put clothes on, Tim reaches for the door. "Don't!" I scream.

'Why? How are we supposed to get out?" He says. 

"Tim, he has a gun and a thousand other things he can use to hurt you two. He messaged the girls from your phone downstairs. They are on their way here. I can't let them find you dead too." I say. "There's a gun in the closet behind my old sweaters. I put it there after Jack threatened you. It's loaded. Just try to go through the window or something. Don't try to come face to face please."  I beg. Tim nods and grabs the gun from the closet. Carrie still looks horrified. If I were her, I'd be horrified too."He knows you two are up here. I can try to lead him to a different part of the house." I say. 

"Alright." Tim says as he takes Carrie's hand. "Be careful and be quiet okay?" He says leading her through the doorway. I run past them on the stairs and attempt to get Derek's attention.

"Derek!" I yell. He drops the gasoline and pulls out a smaller gun. "What do you think you're doing there?" I say pointing to the gas can. He pulls the safety. "Now, now Derek. You can shoot me all you want, but sweetie, I'm already dead." His hand begins to shake. He fires two rounds, but nothing happens to me. I try to play the guilt game. 

"See Derek, you and Jack already killed me. So now, it's my time to seek revenge. If you dare come near my family ever again, I will end you." He laughs nervously.

"How so?" He says, tauntingly as he puts down the gun and strikes a match. I burn out the flame by pinching it between my fingers. No pain.

"Oh, you're going to play that game aren't you?" He says, as I see headlights in the window and hear the girls. It makes me cringe associating the two together. He grins as he moves quickly towards the front door. I need to think of something quick. Just then, I see Tim come back into the house, barely missing him.

"What are you doing?" I ask him. I begin to cry. "The girls are here. He's going to shoot the girls. Betty isn't here." I said. He grabbed the gun Derek laid on the table and ran to the front of the house. But when Tim and I reach Derek, he has Carrie in a headlock with the gun right against her head. 

"If either of you come any closer, I'm blowing her head off." I hear Gracie begin to unlock the door. I run over and hold the door shut. I can't let this happen to them again. But I'm not as strong as they are. I scream for Tim, as Derek aims the gun at him. Carrie's crying. 

"If you move I will blow both of your heads off." Derek says grinning. 

I turn around and push the door as hard as I can. My foot slips. Then two gunshots ring in the air. The girls scream in terror.

"Run..." Tim cries. I hide behind the door, so the girls can't see me. I don't know how to hide myself again. With Tim it took a few days to go away. I close my eyes as I see Derek aim the gun at the girls.

"If anyone moves, they're getting shot alright?" I can hear Carrie whimper.

"Dad! Dad, please stay alive." I hear Audrey yell to Tim. My heart breaks. 

"Hey, did I say you could talk to him? Come here." Derek yells. Audrey does as he says, and he aims the gun at her. 

"No! Please... I'm begging you, please don't shoot her." Tim says. Again, he's left hopeless.

"What was that line that Jack used with you last time?"

"Dad please." Audrey's sobbing.

"Shut up!" Derek says pulling the safety. "Oh yeah. Here's something you gave to me, Tim. Desperation." He says with the devils voice.

"Take me instead!" Gracie screams and steps forward.

Derek puts the gun down, something Jack would never do. This is an opportunity. Tim needs to do something. I look behind me, and see a heavy clay vase sitting on a shelf. I grab it and hurl it as hard as I can at Derek. It hits Derek's stomach, doing nothing but anger him, but then Tim pulls out his gun and shoots him in the head. The girls scream as they run for Tim. Carrie's bleeding a lot.

I grab a phone out of the study behind me and dial 9-1-1. They don't hear me of course, but they'll still come. As I stand there waiting for the ambulance arrive, I hear the kids and Tim's chatter seize as five shots ring off, and then... silence.