Broken

Jade burst into the house, not even thinking twice. All she could think of was the safety of her grandmother, praying Andrew hadn't gotten bored and decided to hurt her. "Nanna!" she cried out, desperate.

"We're in here." Andrew's voice was cold. She found them in her grandmother's room, walking in just in time to see her ex pistol whip her grandmother in the room. She slumped over, eyes wide and glassy, unconscious.

"You fucking bastard!" She lunged at him but he raised his gun to her head, stopping her cold.

A gun. The one thing she wasn't ready for, had no defenses for. Never, in her wildest nightmares, had she ever considered the fact that he would have a gun. If there was anything she knew about Andrew, it was that he preferred to inflict pain himself, up close, personal. If he had a gun, it was nothing but bad news. She might lose her life tonight, not just carry new scars.

"What do you want?" Jade was surprised at how even she managed to keep her voice.

"Oh, honey, I think it's a little late to be asking that question." Andrew's smile was the epitome of evil. "Thank you for coming so quickly! And alone! I was expecting you to ignore my instructions, as you always did."

"Why? Why can't you just let me go, let this go? I won't report you, I swear, just please ..."

His laugh was hollow. "You think it's that easy? That I could possibly let you go? Back to that oaf that hasn't left your side for months now?" Andrew shook his head sadly, scratching his temple with the gun. "No, honey, it is far too late for either of us now."

Jade started crying, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. If she wasn't going to survive this, she would spend her last moments thinking of the one person that gave her comfort. She could hear the hammer snap into place as he cocked it. Tommy, you saved me, you fixed me. Tommy, I love you.

-----

"FUCKING FASTER, JORDAN!"

"God dammit, the pedal is to the floor!"

God, if you fucking exist, please save her, Tommy prayed, desperate for help wherever he could get it. You weren't there for ma, you weren't there for us when pop was in the bottle, you weren't there in the desert. Just not her, please don't take her.

-----

A strange click resounded through the small room. "Shit." His voice was quiet, but she could hear the rage boiling beneath it. "Shit!"

Jade opened her eyes, watching Andrew struggle with the gun. It was jammed. She didn't think, launching herself across the room to tackle him before he could get the gun working again. It was her only hope.

But he got it functional again. He fired a round into her stomach, pain exploding through her body, blood spraying, but she didn't stop. The next one would be through her head. She tackled him, his head and back hitting the wall with a thump as she went for the gun. They struggled, it was a mess of blood and tears and profanity and she couldn't get a grip on the gun, couldn't get a grip on his wrist.

The gun fired again.

-----

The car hadn't stopped before Tommy was out, sprinting across the lawn. A gunshot rent the air. No! He launched himself up the stairs, nearly ripping the door off its hinges. Another gunshot. NO!

"Jade!" he yelled, voice cracking in panic. "Jade, God dammit, where are you?"

Her voice was soft. "Tommy?"

He followed her voice into Nanna's room, taking in the scene. Blood, everywhere, pooling beneath her body as she lay slumped against the bed. Andrew's head half-missing. Nanna unconscious. Jade shaking, eyes glassy, a smile on her lips. Sirens started echoing through the neighborhood, lights flashing shadows across the walls.

She was so pale. "Jade," he weeped, crouching next to her, scared to take her into his arms. So much blood, so fragile. "Don't. Don't leave me."

"Tommy, I love you." Her voice was quiet, barely there, a whisper. She wasn't crying, just looked pleased to see him as she sat before him dying. "You fixed me, you know that? I was broken and you fixed me."

Tommy reached a hand out to stroke her cheek, tears flowing freely down his face. "I love you, Jade. Just hang on, don't leave me."

"In here!" a voice cried out behind him. "We need a stretcher!"