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The Return of Tess Brennan
by Morganperidot

The car's tires screech to a stop.

Silence, then a raven caws in the distance.

A black cat meows.

And somewhere a clock chimes 12 o'clock - high noon.

The door of the silver Jag pops open, and a black leather boot comes into view. Then a black-gloved hand appears, and the woman stands up in the afternoon sunlight, dressed all in black like a demon freshly escaped from hell. Her long blond hair swirls around in a sudden warm breeze. She goes to the trunk of the car and opens it, takes out a black case, shuts the trunk, and pushes the car door closed as she walks by it. Her heels click on the pavement as she walks slowly and steadily toward the building. When she reaches the door, Tess Brennan delivers one sharp kick with her right foot, sending it crashing inward. And then she stands staring at them, the two who tore her life apart - her sister and the man for whom her sister betrayed her. They are the two whose selfish plotting led to the death of Tess's soulmate, Nash.

But their time is past. For Tess, it's payback time.

She walks into the building. The two of them stand there silent and still, as though they are in shock, and perhaps they are. Finally her sister Natalie says something, and Tess feels nothing in response to the pleading. Instead she moves swiftly, delivering a deft blow that sends the redhead sprawling unconscious on the floor.

Then Tess turns to the man, Jared Banks, the one who had pretended to be part of Jessica's family. Their eyes lock for a moment, and she can see that he is afraid. She feels no pity for him. She undoes the clasps on the black case and throws the lid back. She picks up the big revolver and drops the case, then holds the gun steady with both hands.

There is a moment of utter silence and stillness, and Tess absorbs it for eternity, burning it into her heart next to the image of her dead husband.

Then a single gunshot echoes in the emptiness.

It is clear to the judge that Jessica Brennan is legally insane. Everyone knows it, and premeditation or murder per se is never an issue. But Tess knows the truth, and she won't forget. And she won't be forgotten either, not this time - not ever again.