Reunion (Tallulah)

Damn. It was getting harder to walk in and out of that household everyday. I quietly close the door, sneeking one last peek at Jacks mother who, I knew, even as she was sleeping, was fighting back tears. Jacks father was so ill, I shudder a the thought as seeing him throw up, with nothing left in his stomach. I let a hand slide over my restless eyes. I let it rest about a milimeter from my face, feeling the warmth and closing my eyes. I return my hand to my side, looking up and I see Michael pulling infront of the house in the firetruck. Michael is about 50 and has been letting me stay at his place. "Hop in!" He yells over the pur of the truck. "We have a mission!" I think he says that, seeing as the other men, wave me over, telling me to hurry up. I run over, litterally jumping into the truck. Immediately, they begin driving off. By mission, Michael obviously means a fire or emergency.

I open my eyes and I'm still in the back of the truck, only, I'm lying down against the cold back of the pickup truck they call the firetruck. Exactly where I had been before. We seem too be in the middle of, pretty much, no where. I sigh. I suddenly had a head ach and everytime we run over a rock, I slam back against the metal floor of the truck. I realise, I can feel the wind whipping past my feet, nipping with chills. In shock, I sit up and, smack my head against a pipe with a ping! metalic rebound. "D-damn..!" I let out, quietly. That, was going to leave a mark... This time, I'm careful to duck around the pipe when I look at my feet where, from the knee down, their now hanging over the edge of the truck. Evidentally, I had forgotten my shoes. I lie back down, both hands clutching my head. My eye was blind again, that stupid medication wasn't helping anymore. It only seemed to work when Jack was around.

Of course. Jack. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing back the tears that slowly filled my eyes just thinking about him. I tell myself, it's the pipes violent act to my face but, who was I kidding? I missed Jack. I missed the way he held me and, kissed me. I missed the times we laughed together, even had adventures. Adventures is what stole him away from me, and I had lost the heart to hope for his return. I had become a cold woman, cold glances at anyone who had known him. I actually slept outside, the first night I ran off from my fathers. I didn't intend to go back to that hellhole ever again. I rather just stay wih Michael. I curl in my toes, crossing my legs over the edge of the truck. Like a wall was holding up my knees. I cover my eyes with the back of my hands and images of Jack filled my head. Stop tormenting me. He will come back, no he won't. Yes, he will. It's been months, Tallulah! He won't come back. He won't...? Who knows...

Legs still hanging over the edge of the truck, I'm getting tired of not even being able to hear myself think. Of course, the firetruck-pickup truck wasn't THAT loud. It was more of the obnoxious laughter I could hear from the front seat, inside the warm car. Meanwhile, I was out in the trunk of this truck (without the lid on it, of course), freezing. I didn't have a jacket on, I had ditched the black one. Right now, I was wearing jeans which I had managed to jack from my house without my dad home, a shirt whos sleeves were slightly too long and neckline perhaps a little too low, my necklace filling in that space though and, I don't have shoes on. My hair is loose, splayed all around me and I rub a bit of it between my fingers. It was long. Much longer than last time I had seen Jack. Again, I freeze, finger twisting a piece of hair, frozen mid-turn. I slowly crush my fingers through it. Jack. I was a lot thinner than I had been. I was very thin before. Jack wouldn't be happy I had been starving myself so his mother could feed his father. Jack ... Where are you?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I drop my hair, placing both my hands on my stomach. I relax, looking up at the grey sky and a snowflake lands on my nose. A little shock of chill hits me when it instantly turns to water and gently, more snow descends. A mist of magic surrounded me when I thought of snow. The delicate little things simply flosting down to earth. I hope Jack was safe. I didn't want him nearly half as cold as I was. I feel shivers ripple down my spine and I tuck my hands inside my sleeves, balling them into fists and shrugging my shoulders against me. I don't bring my legs in, though. They were cold enough already. I look at the silver pipe that I had just recently smacked my head on and I want to throw it off the car in sheer fury. But, I can't take my anger out on a pipe. It isn't the pipes fault I hadn't seen Jack in months.

Suddenly, I feel the car purring to a slow. What could possibly be going on? Maybe we ran out of gas? I didn't think it was likely. Maybe one of the firemen needed to pee after finishing up their 'mission'. If that was the case, there was no way in hell that I was going to look. I gently close my eyes, I didn't want to hear anything or see anything. I gently cover my ears, my hands still balled up in my sleeves. My ears felt like they were going to freeze. I knew the tin matireal wouldn't help at all. I hear Michael shout over; "Jack!"

My whole body freezes and my eyes shoot open. My unhopeful heart suddenly begins pounding and I'm terrified everyone can hear it. Without meaning to, I mouth the name to myself; Jack.

I blink away the tears that threaten to spill from my glassy eyes. Jack wasn't here. I was just hearing things, I should get my ears checked or, better yet, my brain checked. A hot liquid slides down my cheek, a snowflake caputered inside it, melts away, giving the tear a chilled whisp to it as it slides down my cheek. I wipe away furiously at it, cutting the trail. I was stronger than this.
But still, just his name against my lips could send me into this state, maybe I was in need of help. I hear crunches of gravel coming at me but, all I can do is stare up at the gentle snowflakes, slowly resting on my hair and eyelashes. The crunches stop. I watch as one spirals down and land on my nose, freezing there, then melting. I hear a sudden bang and look up, my body following until I'm sitting up.

And my heart stops. For a moment I can't breathe. I hear my heart pounding as it restarts, all over my body and my world freezes. "...Jack...?" I whisper, tears coming back, filling up my eyes as I lean forwards, just in time to press myself against Jack. He's saying my name over and over but, I can't stop whimpering out his. Maybe not as many times as he's calling mine but, I feel pain, hope, cries of joy when I hear my own pitiful voice, mumbling his name into his neck.
He pulls me back and, for a minute, I see him. His soft hair is longer, he looks so much stronger then I remember, his beautiful green eyes looking at me, right back. His cold hands pull me into a kiss which I drown myself into. A few tears spill from my eyes, this was my Jack. This better not be a dream.
"Jack, I love you, too! God, I missed yo-" I cut myself off, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him over and over, until I was out of breath. He's so cold... I hope he can't hear my heart beating so heavily against my chest. 

So many questions fill my head, where the hell have you been?! Where did you go?! Are you okay?! Did you get the medication?! But, for now, I try to catch my breath as I push his hair out of his face, I scan him. His legs, I notice, don't seem to work. I bite my lip, and ask, "Jack, where did you go...?" It sounds quite breathless and I can't pull away from his eyes.
I can't move away from him, not now, as the truck is speeding down the road and bumping around us. In my world, there's only me and him, right now. I could care less about everything else. I keep one hand on his neck but, slide the other to his cheek. I missed you so much...

I return the pressure of his fingers, now locked between mine. He can't be real. It was so sudden, I can't think properly. His jacket is warm but, his lips are all I want right now. His beautiful face, so close to mine but, I resist kissing him and it takes everything in me, to do so. I lean into him, snuggling myself into him. I
 can see the town, far off, sort of like a mirage in my icey paradise, right now. Average people with average lives. Some, out preparing for the rest of winter, others inside by a fire. Right now, my fire was Jack. As cold as he was. He was also warm. He was so warm, I stop, tears glistening, slowing down my cheeks. I hear his heart beat and, I know mine is beating heavily, but, I don't want him to hear it. I don't want him to hear my silent sniffling, whispering his name once or twice, or anything. I didn't want to ruin this moment.
With the back of my free hand, I wipe at my tears. I feel his head rest against mine and I close my eyes, hand resting on my lap. It smells like him, that was an odd thought but, it was calming, as well as embarassing and I blush, despite. 

He doesn't tell me where he went just yet. A bit of annoyance creeps up a me but, quickly disapears. There was no way I could be mad, I open my eyes, eyelashes feeling heavy. "I'm too happy to be angry at you. Everyone thought you were dead..." I shudder at the thought, pulling into his warm hug.
It fills me up and I don't want to leave this moment. This beautiful moment where there's silence and everything is perfectly fine, I have my Jack back and he's leaving me breathless. I squeeze my shoulders together, trying to hold in what was left of my warmth. The only warmth I had, though, was in my heart.
I tilt my head up, once more, meeting his lips again, giving him a very heartful kiss. Then, I rest my head on his chest, curling up in his arms, shifting to fix my position so I could look up at Jack at anytime but, still have my arms clasped around him.

With that, I let out a sigh. "When did you get back?" And, after that, more questions bubble up. "Did you get hurt?" "When did you get this jacket?" "Did you get the medicine?" I halt my curiosity when I see his expression. I killed the mood, I bet. But, I didn't mean to, and I snuggle my head on his shoulder, and blink, tiredly. It was getting later in the day, I noticed.