AN: Okay... Because I'm super paranoid, I'm gonna give a lil warning. I honestly don't think it needs it, but here it is nonetheless. There is a confrontation in this chapter. Nothing graphic, because I just don't do that. It's honestly more suspenseful than anything else.

The day had started out rather promising with clear skies and a mild breeze. But as the hours passed, dark clouds began to emerge overhead; and by the time Amy left, the skies were near black and ominous. The previous gentle and mild breeze began to pick up in intensity and turned almost bitter. The sudden change in weather had slowed business down to almost nonexistent, but Rose didn't mind all that much. For almost a week, she had only slept roughly twelve hours and barely eaten anything. And what she did manage to eat, she could barely keep down. She was exhausted and still on edge, so she appreciated that customers were sparse. Something kept prodding at Rose to let John know that she was alone, but she stubbornly forced it to the recesses of her mind. She was tired of feeling weak, of feeling afraid. She kept telling herself that it was only three hours—what could happen in three hours' time?

But sometimes all it takes is the blink of an eye for everything to change...forever.

xxx

Something was coming. John could sense it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but that didn't change the fact it was most unsettling. He was currently in a meeting with several of the firm's editors and a few members of PR, but he was barely participating in the discussion. His mind kept going back to the warning sensation that was plaguing him. John couldn't determine if it was just him being paranoid or if he was being astute to the circumstances. He knew Rose was beginning to have difficulty with being constantly watched by them. She obviously felt more at ease when they were with her, but at the same time, he could see that she was becoming frustrated by it. She had told the three of them that it was starting to make her feel weak and helpless, like she wasn't in control of her life. And no matter how much they tried to convince her it was for her own protection, she was beginning to resist them in little ways.

The meeting drug on late into the evening, and before he knew it, it was ten of seven. John attempted to end the meeting prematurely and head over to The Cuppa, but there was no possible way for that to happen. It was the final meeting before his book went to press and there was no leaving—his hands were tied. But he wasn't going to leave Rose on her own. He knew Amy was working there today, so that eased his anxiety to a lesser degree, but it wasn't enough. John knew that he wouldn't truly be at ease until he was certain Rose would be taken care of that night. If he couldn't be there, then he had to ensure that someone else would take his place. He managed to excuse himself to make a brief phone call, feeling the room's collective annoyance as he exited the room.

John decided to call Jack and ask him to pick up Rose tonight. Martha's frequent doctor's appointments had caused Mickey to fall behind at the garage. Though he knew that Mickey would drop what he was doing to take care of Rose, John also knew that Mickey didn't need any added anxiety from work. Plus, Jack was always all too keen to help his new sister-to-be. He pulled out his mobile to call Jack, only to find that his battery had died.

Of course it's dead…because having a working phone would mean something's going right. And we can't have that now, can we?

He grumbled about and went over to a deserted receptionist's desk and dialed the number.

What else could go wrong?

xxx

The alleyway behind The Cuppa was deserted save for one individual huddled near the shop's back entrance. He carefully manipulated the lock on the backdoor. A few more moments and he would have it rigged just like he wanted. The bitter wind of the approaching storm nipped at his exposed fingers as he worked. Though the blackening skies were hindering his vision, he was still able to swiftly disable the locking mechanism. It was child's play—by far, one of the easiest attempts he'd ever made. He wasn't going to act at this moment; it was too early. No, he was just preparing. When the time came, there wasn't going to be anything to stop him.

xxx

The wind continued to pick up in intensity and thunder began to clap, but the skies held back their imminent downpour. Every so often, a sharp gust of wind would blow and the shop lights would momentarily flicker. It was ten minutes till close and still no word from John. That earlier prodding that Rose had managed to ignore was starting to reemerge.

I'm just being paranoid. Everything's fine…I'm fine…John'll be here soon.

The weather was so foreboding that there hadn't been any customers for almost over an hour. The lights flickered again, this time the dark holding out a little longer than before. All of a sudden, lightening crashed and the clouds opened up, releasing a torrential downpour and the wind blew fiercely. Rose decided to go ahead and lock up the shop; clearly no one was going to come in in the next ten minutes with the weather being so horrendous. She went to the front entrance and locked the door. Lightning began to streak across the sky and the rain beat heavily against the door and window panes.

I hope John makes it okay in this…

Rose pulled out her mobile from her back pocket and dialed his number. She just wanted the peace of mind knowing he was safe. There wasn't even a ring before the phone went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, babe…it's me. I just wanna make sure you're safe. See ya when ya get here. Love you."

Putting her phone back in her pocket, she walked back into the kitchen. Another clap of thunder echoed across the skies, startling her slightly. She entered the kitchen and walked over to the three bowl sink. Her steps slowed as she sensed something was off about the room. The air held a slightly outdoor smell—not the usual air-conditioned quality. For some unknown reason, her eyes darted over to the back door, water clearly pooled in front of it.

The air in her lungs solidified and her senses heightened to the extreme as the wheels began to turn in her mind. She knew—she couldn't see him, but she knew he was there.

"You're here, aren't you?" Rose said to the emptiness, her voice surprisingly steady. She steeled herself as she waited for him to answer.

Jimmy stepped out from beside the refrigerator, hands in pockets, soaking wet and grinning sadistically. His eyes locked with hers, his flashing with icy hate.

"Ahh…you ruined the surprise," he said in mock disappointment. "And after I went through so much trouble, too."

John'll be here…he's coming…I just gotta hang on a lil longer.

"Sorry to disappoint," Rose replied with muted sarcasm. Though in her nightmares fear had consumed her, she was surprisingly, if not a little unnaturally, calm.

"Nothin' new," he said with a shrug, keeping his eyes fixated on her as he did so. "Ya always were a disappointment."

The words stung Rose as he uttered then, though not as harshly as they would have previously. They were familiar words to her, ones Jimmy hade made sure to say to her on a regular basis in the short time they were together. Hearing them again reminded her of all those times, but things were different now. She wasn't a battered sixteen year-old anymore, no longer willing to believe that such snarled insults were fact. Rose knew what it felt like to love someone with your entire being and to have that love reciprocated.

"You're wrong," she whispered.

Jimmy's expression froze, not one muscle moving even the slightest. "What did ya say?"

Fear mixed with courage as she answered. "It wouldn't 've mattered what I did—nothin' was ever gonna make you happy. It wasn't me who was the disappointment…"

Jimmy's face continued to harden at her perceived insolence. The soul left his eyes, leaving a cold and inhumane husk in its place. Even his words were void of emotion as he spoke.

"Look at you all big 'n brave…don't ya remember what happened last time ya tried that with me?"

Rose took a hard swallow at the sudden lump in her throat. She was trapped in the shop with this deranged being and couldn't think of a way of escape. She fought to remain clearheaded; if she was going to make it out of this alive, she had to keep her wits about her. She just had to keep him away long enough for John to make it to her. She believed in John implicitly when he said that he would always be there for her, that he would protect her. It was that faith that kept her from succumbing to fear and apparent hopelessness of the situation.

"I remember all of it—every single detail...and it's not gonna happen again," she said, keeping her voice steady.

Rose honestly wasn't trying to provoke him. She just knew she had to keep him talking, keep him preoccupied. The thunder rumbled and lightning cracked, causing the lights to flicker again.

"John'll be here soon...ya can still leave an-"

"Y'think I'm scared of your lil pretty boy? What makes y'think anyone cares one bleedin' bit 'bout you? Your idiot parents saw ya everyday 'n didn't say nothin'...he's no different!" he snarled through gnashing teeth.

Rose felt a blazing heat course through her body when Jimmy spoke disparagingly of her parents.

"Don't ya dare talk 'bout my parents! I hid it from them the entire time...Dad was sick and Mum was pregnant...they didn't need more weighing on 'em. It nearly killed 'em when they found out! As for John...ya don't know anythin' 'bout him. He's nothin' like you! He'd never hurt me...and he's always there for me!"

Jimmy leaned forward just slightly, eyes coal black and lifeless. "But he's not here now, is he?"

In that instant, Rose could sense it was the end—the time for words had ceased and action was imminent. It was all a matter of who would move first.

Another crash of thunder and lightning roared overhead and the power finally failed. In that moment, Rose rammed the metal prep table at Jimmy with all her might. She heard him topple to the ground and she bolted through the door and towards the front of the shop. She twisted and pulled at the knob for a split second before remembering she had locked it. She heard angry movement and ducked behind one of the leather chairs, putting a hand over her mouth to silence her haggard breaths.

"Rose? ...Rose?" he began to taunt sadistically.

Each lightning strike continued to illuminate the darkened shop, casting an eerie bluish light. Rose moved her head just enough to see Jimmy's location. She saw him in the far back of the shop, his back facing her. She looked directly across from her and noticed the wrought iron chairs encircling the tables. Her eyes then flitted over to the large glass pane door. Rose knew she had to act—it was her last chance. Though quite strong, she knew she'd never be able to fend Jimmy off for long. In an instant, she grabbed the chair and swung at the door, causing the pane to splinter and crack. She heard Jimmy's footsteps rushing towards her. Summoning every bit of strength she had, Rose swung again and the glass gave way just as Jimmy rammed into her back, catapulting them onto the sidewalk and into the raging storm.

Rose landed face down on the concrete, shards of glass cutting into her face and palms. Her vision was slightly blurred and her body ached from the impact. The icy rain pelted relentlessly against her skin. Her senses began to come into focus and she staggered to her feet and took off running down the sidewalk. She was going on instinct, not knowing exactly where she was going but knowing she had to distance herself from the ongoing threat. She turned her head back, trying to see through the blinding downpour if she was being followed. As she did so, she didn't notice the person rushing towards her till her body made contact with his. Rose fearfully jerked her head upwards at the person now holding her, ready to fight.

"Jack?" she cried.

He looked down at her, clearly shaken at her appearance, and pulled her into a protective embrace. She tightened her arms around him and sobbed into his chest.

"It's okay," he said reassuringly. "I've got you, Rosie."

xxx

The rain continued to fall, though now less intensely than earlier. Rose sat in the back of the ambulance, soaked through to the bone. A blanket uselessly covered her shoulders as a medic tended to the gashes in her palms and face. Flashes of red and blue illuminated the surroundings, making the police's presence known. Rose watched them lift Jimmy's stretcher into the other waiting ambulance, and let out a ragged sigh of relief as the doors closed and they drove away. Her focus jerked back to the medic and she winced as the antiseptic began to burn at her wounds.

"Where's Rose?" came a distant voice.

Her eyes darted upward and began searching through the still blinding rain for the glorious face that belonged to that voice. She swatted away the medic and stepped out of the ambulance and into the rain as she looked for him. She darted her head around, trying to see past the current frenzy. Finally, her line of sight cleared and John came into view, their eyes immediately locking.

He's here…

It was unclear which one of them moved first, but in an instant they were in each other's arms. They tightened their embrace, clutching each other desperately, unable to get close enough for comfort.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," John repeated over and over again, his words wracked with guilt.

Rose shook her head. "Don't…just don't. You're here…you…" She trailed off as she cupped the back of his head, and drew his face towards hers, kissing him fervently. John reached a hand up and cradled her head, his fingers entangled in her wet locks. He reciprocated her kiss with a blazing intensity. But then he suddenly broke away and shook his head, reluctant to let his guilt go.

John moved his hand from her hair and cupped her cheek, ghosting his thumb over her cuts. "He…you could've…I should've been here. I shou-..."

"You were," she cut him off. The rain continued to pour down, but Rose refused to break her gaze. She looked at him, conveying all the love she had in her soul for the man standing before her. She took his hand, kissing his knuckles, then his palm, before settling it over her heart.

"You were here," she insisted. "You…you kept me fighting. I will always fight to get back to you…"

John stared at her in awe a few moments before pulling her back into a deep and ardent kiss. The rain continued without letup, chilling them both to the bone, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they were together, that they would always be together. They refused to be defeated. The Universe could throw whatever it wanted at them. Whatever the obstacle, they would overcome it. No matter how bruised or bloodied they became, they would keep fighting for each other. Always.

AN: Jimmy is gone FOR GOOD! So...this is the last angtsy thing I have written for this family. I think I've explored enough of that for a good while. The remaining stories I have written are fluffy and I have two more yet to be written. Either way, I will be posting those soon. The next one is called Additions. Thanks so much for everything! I appreciate the response. ∞ Ash