A Lonely Road

Bloodstains and Swollen Lips

 Britta stood, asking them if either of them would want anything to drink before turning to enter her kitchen and then Jace felt like everything went in slow motion. He heard the shattering of the glass first, the newspaper tearing inwards, and shards glittering in the sunlight like dust motes before tinkling to the floor. He heard it next, the thundering boom that was becoming all too familiar to him, and then the wet pop of Britta's skull as it burst.

He felt the blood spatter across his face, burning hot, too thick, and an iron smell filled his nostrils. He sat there. He didn't move, just watched as Britta thudded to the floor, her green eyes emptier than they'd been before. He didn't move when Ben shouted in his ear to get down, or when another shot rang out, grazing his ear, slicing it, but leaving him alive. Ben was still shouting angrily but Jace could not make out any of the words. He felt Ben grab his arm and yank him roughly to the floor.

Jace wasn't sure how long they stayed there before he felt Ben start pulling him to crawl towards the door. He reached up slowly to turn the knob and pull it open, and Jace noticed that there were new holes in the wood from the bullets. They crept through the doorway on hands and knees and then Ben was pulling him behind him on to the bike and starting it with shaking hands before he tore away from the sidewalk and up the street. He didn't slow until the chateau came into sight, speeding all the way up to the bridge and then kicked up dirt as he slid to a stop in front of the door.

Jace got off the bike gingerly and followed Ben into the house. Kaelie was inside, red hair tumbling down her back, made bare by the open backed sweater she had on, marred only by the band of a black bra. "Yes, of course," she said smiling into the phone she held pressed to her ear. "Yeah, yeah, he's okay, I think they just got back. Thanks again, and be careful."

She tapped a button on the phone and Jace realized that Ben had disappeared to find the others, that Kaelie was the only one in the foyer with him. She turned around with a smile still on her face that dropped immediately when she took in his shell shocked appearance, the blood on his face.

"Jace," she gasped out, her face draining of color. "Jace, what the fu-"

Jace crossed the room in two strides, tangling his hands in her hair and bringing her face up to his, a little rougher than he meant. He kissed her hard, enough to bruise her mouth if she had been normal, and he drank in the the surprised gasp that left her mouth like it was his only source of air.

She pulled away, "Jace, that's blood, that's blood, Jace, are you okay?" came out strangled before Jace laid claim to her lips again.

"S'not mine," he mumbled, finally stopping his assault on her mouth to bury his face in her neck, the clean, floral scent of her shampoo and perfume clearing the metallic smell from his nose. He was aware now that his whole body was shaking and Kaelie tightened her arms around his neck, clutching him to her body and stroking her hand down his back.

"It's not mine," he repeated. "You. You're mine. Right? You're mine?"

"Okay, Jace. Okay," Kaelie said, her voice low and hoarse. "C'mon. We'll get you cleaned up. You need to tell me what happened."

She pulled her head back and looked at him imploringly, trying to will him to move. He shifted forward to follow her up the stairs, catching Michael's confused eyes, and Ben's, watching him from the hall. Kaelie sat him down on the toilet, turning on the water and leaving it to warm and fill the room with steam. She left the room briefly, grabbing a towel and a set of clothes that she'd been gifted by the shop owner for Jace. She tugged his shirt over his head, her swollen bottom lip tugged between her teeth in concentration and all Jace wanted was to kiss her again because that's when he knew he was alive.