Winter Jackets

Chapter 16 - The Plot Twist

The days went by faster, with me being able to talk more now that Jack was back, and seeing him everyday - that was obviously the main cause of my happiness.

The other reason was something I didn't realise until a few days after he came back.

I realised that I had never believed him to be dead.

That was why I didn't cry the day the letter came.

That was why I had The Sickness - not because he was dead, but because I had a strong feeling that he was alive, but couldn't come home, and that had terrified me. I never recognised that feeling of mine, and dismissed it, thinking it to be grief.

But that feeling was on point.

And even though Jack didn't tell me what his capturers did to him, I could tell that it was bad - really bad.

Coming back to the point - Jack picked me up from school on most days, after which we would hang out at the park, or the ice cream shop, or the library. And when we went somewhere for the first time, he would go, 'Wow, this place has changed so much!', to which I would respond with, 'Yes, Jack, places do change in five years.'

Every. Single. Time.

But I don't mind, because he is still there with me, and I feel...calm, like I hadn't rested completely in five years, and I was finally taking a break.

****

Jack

Life was calm.

Peaceful, especially now that I was spending a part of every day with Lisa, and I didn't have to go to sleep wondering if I would never wake up.

But everything changed, because, well, the one thing that does not change is change itself.

This time, it started because I hadn't put my communication device in the attic, and had left it on my bedside table. And yes, I was sleeping in my own room, for three months had passed since I had returned, and I only slept in Lisa's room for the first two and a half weeks.

Just as I had gotten into bed and turned off my bedside lamp, I heard a faint crackling noise.

Before I knew what was happening, I had jumped out of the blanket, and was holding my communication device to my ear, because that was one of the habits that would die down after a long time.

After a lot of crackling, I started to hear some words:

Jack...help...me, Reid...capture...help...you were.

And then it went off.

I stared at it in shock, and realised that someone had been captured (where I had been captured too?), and that someone...was Reid.

Oh god, Reid...what would I do now? But even as I asked myself that question, I knew that I would have to go and rescue him...but should I tell my family in person, or leave a note explaining everything?

I decided on telling Lisa first, and then my parents. They needed to hear from me directly, that it was urgent.

I had to go.

Lisa

Just like all good things, I knew that this...paradise...wouldn't last forever.

It ended when Jack came to my room the next morning.

It ended when he crouched by my bed and woke me up.

It ended when he told me, 'I'm leaving.'

'What? Where? Why?' I fired him with questions. He couldn't be leaving leaving, as in leaving-for-good-and-never-coming-back leaving!

Jack sighed. 'Remember my friend, Reid? Last night, I found out that he's...in trouble, and I have to go and help him. I didn't leave at night, because I wanted to tell you...'

'So you're going? Just like that? What if it's a...a trap, and-and you'll be captured again? Jack, you can't-'

'Lisa, I'm sorry, I don't want to leave you, but Reid has helped me so many times, so I owe him my life, and-'

'Your LIFE?!'

'I-I meant that I need to help him...'

So he was just going to leave us? When I had promised myself...

'I PROMISED MYSELF THAT I WOULDN'T LEAVE YOU, DAMMIT!'

That silenced Jack - because I had never uttered a word stronger than 'dumb', and now...?

I sighed. Jack had a seriously unhealthy emotional effect on me.

Anyway, Jack had frozen, so I took the opportunity to speak. 'Jack, you can't go again, what if you...die?'

I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. And yes, I know I was being selfish, but that's better than losing my brother again!

But then I looked at Jack again, and saw...something other than sadness, but I couldn't tell what it was exactly. Was it...urgency? It looked like urgency. Reid must be a very close friend, if he wanted to go so badly.

I sighed. This was not going to be easy.

'Jack, you can go...but I'm coming with you.'

'What? No! I'm not letting-'

'Jack, I frankly don't care if you let me or not, but I am coming.'

'Lisa, no. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not on my watch.' Looking at his face, I could tell that he meant it. And I knew that what I was going to do was the right thing, no matter what he thought. 

A/N: Oopsksksksksk

Plot twist! Heh..heh....heh......

...

Sorry, I don't like plot twists either, but...

yeah.

- Fox