This is Gonna Require a Little Finesse

((Kari’s POV))

Pulling into the driveway of my new home I put the car in park. I stretched, feeling my muscles stretch gratefully and my joints pop out of their stationary positions. I’m not really supposed to be sitting that still for a while. Physical therapist said it’s a no-no. I have to try and stay limber, I guess. I flexed my left leg a bit to warm up my knee; the bullets had messed me up pretty bad, but Helen said I was lucky. Any more to the right and I’d have a permanent, and very noticeable, limp.

I hustled as quick as I could to the front door and opened it with my set of keys. I felt a bit bad, I couldn’t lift any of the boxes out of the moving trucks or arrange any of the furniture. So the moving guys had to do it as I sat around and watched them.

Talk about awkward.

After they left I spent a few hours setting up and cleaning my room. By four in the afternoon I was happy enough with my progress to allow myself a break to go meet my neighbors.

I treaded very carefully across the icy sidewalk; the last thing I needed was to slip, fall and a cause more damage to my shoulder and leg.

I stood outside of the porch and rang the doorbell twice before anyone came to the door.
Bobby stumbled to a halt halfway to the porch door when he finally recognized his visitor. We stood there, looking at each other through the screen door; me with a jovial grin from ear to ear and he with a mouth that looked like it would extend and smack the floor like a cartoon.

“Howdy neighbor.”
The sound of my voice seemed to snap him out of his trance because Bobby threw open the door and pulled me into a stranglehold – I mean hug.

“God we were so worried, Legs. Don’t do that to us ever again.” He commanded without letting me go.

“I’m sorry, Bobby.”

He finally, and a bit reluctantly, let me out of his grasp. He smiled so genuinely at me it almost moved me to tears. You don’t see The Michigan Mauler smiling like a little boy on Christmas very often.

He ushered me into the house, “Angel get down here for a sec.”

“Why man? What’s up?” I heard him yell from upstairs.

“Just get your ass down here!” Bobby hollered.

He trudged to the top of the steps, “Wha-!” he stopped mid complaint as he set eyes on me.

“What?” I asked Bobby, “Am I really that damn good-looking that I leave you all speechless?”

Angel came barreling down the steps to pull me into a hug not unlike the one Bobby had given me. He held me at arms length and gave me a once over, “You’re ok?”

“I’m fine.” I reassured them both, “A bit stiff, sore, and scarred but that stuff just builds character right?”

Bobby chuckled.

We spent the next hour or so talking in the living room, the most popular topic being Jack. They were really worried about him. Apparently he didn’t leave his room much at all, Bobby had to nag him nonstop to eat anything, and he was having terrible nightmares that kept the whole house up at night. The most disturbing news was that he’d stopped playing guitar. Bobby knew how much Jackie loved that guitar and his band – something had to be done and soon

He wasn’t home right now, Bobby explained, because they had finally forced him to go out and buy some food and beer. Jack was the only one who could cook and Angel and Bobby were sick of eating cereal three meals a day.

“So when’s he gonna be back?”

“Should be home soon actually. Maybe Fairyboy got lost.”

“You’re still teasing him? Seriously?” I chided.

“Why? You got proof he’s straight there, Legs?” Bobby said with a mischievous grin. Angel laughed loudly next to me as I blushed.

“Relax. We know he’s fucking crazy about you. Not all those dreams that keep us up are terrible nightmares you know.”

“Oh God.” I groaned, covering my face as I felt my blush spread to my ears and down my neck. The two laughed even more at my discomfort.

I lifted my head suddenly as the front door opened and someone walked in, stomping the snow off of his shoes. I stayed frozen in my seat, my back toward the front hall, and listened to the footfalls. They were normally paced at first and then started to slow before they squeaked to a stop on the linoleum of the kitchen.

“Angel, how ‘bout we go visit Jerry and the girls, hm?” Bobby spoke up in the shockingly silent kitchen.

They were both rising to their feet as Angel answered, “Yea.” They disappeared a moment later. I heard the man behind me move and put some things down on the counter with a thunk.

More silence. More stillness.

I gathered what strength I could and forced myself to stand on shaking legs. I slowly rose from my seat and turned to gaze upon him. His eyes were wide, his mouth was slightly agape, and he looked like he’d been through Hell and back. …He looked like he’d been through Hell and back and had almost not made the return trip.

Why isn’t he smiling and sweeping me into a hug like Angel or Bobby? I worried.
His body seemed to deflate as he let his knees, which must have been shaking like mine, give way and he slid down to sit on the floor, his back against the cabinets. I knew then, this was my turn to be smiling and hugging.

Without speaking a word I crossed the room and sat in his lap, facing him. Ever so gently I pulled his head forward and rested it in the crook of my neck, I placed one hand between his shoulder blades and the other intertwined in his soft hair.

He spoke so softly I could barely hear him, but the pain and defeat was clear in his tone, “I don’t care how worse it is when I wake up, please don’t let go.”

“Jackie, you’re not dreaming baby.”

“I’m hallucinating then. I see you everywhere; I know I’m going crazy. Still, I don’t care. Just don’t move; you don’t know how real this feels.” He nuzzled his face into my neck more and brought his sinewy arms up to wrap them around my waist to cling to me tightly.

I stroked his jaw comfortingly and he emitted a soft sigh. His glazed eyes fluttered open and after a moment his serene brow furrowed in what seemed to be confusion.

“What’s wrong, Jack?”

He caught hold of my wrist carefully and looked at my forearm where the word BITCH was carved violently into my skin. “That’s not normally there.”

“It’s always there Jack. It’ll never go away, you know that.” I told him, a bit uncomfortable having to explain such a thing.

“Well, I know but… it’s never there in any of my dreams…” he gasped as he brought his eyes up finally to meet mine in understanding, “Kari.”

“Mhmm…”

His dead eyes suddenly filled with energy and I thought I saw some glow return to his face.
“You’re alive.”

I nodded with a flurry of soft giggles at his surprise.

“But, how?”

I shrugged and explained just what had taken place from the moment I saw Evelyn Mercer in the White Land, all the way up to moving in earlier today into my old house.

“You moved back?” He smiled, “You’re staying for good?”

I nodded, “That’s the plan, Cracker-Jack.”

“Promise me. Promise you won’t leave me, again. I don’t feel any kind of good when you’re not around.”

I looked into those blue eyes. He was serious. He wanted me. Even with all the scars, bruises, insecurities and history between us. He wanted me. And I wanted him. “I promise, Jack. I’m not going anywhere with out you.”