Unchained
by Amastre

Feedback:  Yes, please! :-) You can mail to  Amastre_1981@gmx.de 
Disclaimer:  Most of these characters aren't mine and I'm just borrowing them for a while, so they can do those things all the others don't let them do.
Summary:   Challenge Response. "Jessie & Katie", a tragic love story (following Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet"), so definitely an AU Fic. *lol*
Author's Note:   Not that I can't think of another story, but I LOVE "Romeo & Juliet", so I just had to rewrite it with female characters... *g* I'm sorry I had to change the place (because... where is Once & Again taking place? Chicago?): The story is set in Italy, to be precise at the coast of Sorrento, near the isle Capri and the beautiful town of Amalfi. ;-) More sun, more heat... you know. And: I still don't know how the names of Katie's brothers are! :-/
Authors Note 2:  I don't know if I have enough time to finish it within a few weeks... but I will... at some time or other... hopefully. By the way: Some passages of the conversation follow the film version by Baz Luhrman (German version and probably terribly translated!)! ;-)

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Once upon a time there were two families. Both rich and powerful, both proud of what they've achieved. And their pride made them blind, blind for which stars they could reach together. Instead of supporting the other one, instead of helping each other and working together... there was just hate. There was dull, vain hate, that was creeping through all of their hearts.

The small lanes of the town where dark and sticky. The sun has started to set, but the heat of the day was still slithering through the streets. Above the citizens' heads the sky was coloured in dark blue with shades of red and orange, the moon already shining creamily onto the rushing sea.

Katherine, only daughter of the Singer family, was wandering through the streets followed by her boys, Tad, a charming, young man, and Ben, her oldest brother. They were laughing and making fun of the people staring at them.

No one, who passed them, said anything, no one criticized their irresponsible and disrespectful behaviour. Why? On the one hand, because everyone knew they were members of the Singer family, so even the boldest man wouldn't risk his life in evaluating the behaviour of a Singer and challenging his pride. And on the other hand, because the three were armed with guns and everyone knew they would use them. Tad's silver gun, worn in an holster around his neck, was glistening in the last rays of the sun, the cold metal was touching his bare chest.

"Kat, I'm on the edge... I'll beat up every Sammler I see... tonight... tonight..."  Ben screamed, pulling his gun out of the waistband of his trousers and pointing it on several people on the marketplace.

"But it down, bro. There'll be no Sammlers here tonight."  His sister stated. She took his gun and put it back, where it had been before.

The sun was reflecting on her velvety, tanned skin. Her face was suddenly dark and her smile faded, the boys didn't seem to notice.

"My blood's rushing... my heart's bursting... I'm on fire... I need... I need flesh! A pretty, pretty piece of flesh,"  Tad laughed, licking his lips. His eyes followed two girls who were passing them, "hmm... what do you say, Kat? One for me, one for you... and we have one hell of a night!"

She had fallen completely silent, lost in her own thoughts and just shook her head.

"Crybaby! Ben... come on! Let's show those girls what a guy-"

Ben interrupted him.

"Stop it! Leave those girls alone," he turned to his sister, his hand firmly placed on his gun, "what's up, sis?"

She again shook her head, her eyes starring somewhat dreamy into the distance. She didn't want to answer this question... she didn't want questions anymore. She wanted... she didn't know what she wanted, but suddenly all this... this... what they were doing every night... seemed so senseless... their fights with the Sammlers... this violence. She touched the holster around her neck... felt the hard, icy metal of her guns under her fingertips... then the soft fabric of her black tank top... cruelty had its own beauty... power had its own beauty...

"Don't tell me you're in love again?"  Tad sighed.

This woke her up.

"No! I have never been in love."

"What's with... Mary... Kelly... Jules... and how all their pretty names were? What's with them? You declared you endless love to all of them..."  Ben suggested.

"Love of flesh. Amor's arrow never hit me... I suppose. I've never loved, my brothers."

"So what have you've been thinking about?"

"That it's the love that I'm missing. I've got it all, the money, the power, the flesh... but no love."

All the fire, all the desire had vanished from the sparkle in her eyes.

"I can't take this, Kat... No! We have to distract her mind from those strange worries. I know where we have to go."  Tad grinned broadly.

Ben hesitated and looked at his friend.

"Where will that be?"

Tad laughed out loud.

"There, where all the Sammlers are... There's a ball, a mask ball, on the Sammler estate. That's were we will go."

Katie raised her voice... but suddenly all protest faded into the dark of the dusk.



The music filled the air all around them, when they arrived at the Sammler mansion. The high stone walls around the park-like garden were lit with thousands of little lights. People were coming to the entry from all over the town.

"Sorry, no gun's allowed, you have to leave them over there."  The young man pointed to a tent on the other side, where tons of guns have been left by the guests.

Katie touched her arms, where just a second ago, her guns had been.

"Feeling kind of naked without your babies, Kat?" Ben grinned.

"Somehow."  Katie smiled back at him.


Inside the air was thick with heat and sounds of basses and laughing people. The three of them hid behind their masks and looked around.
It took just a short amount of time until Tad had disappeared into the crowd with two beautiful girls in his arms. Even Ben began to enjoy himself... just Katie watched the people dancing and having fun. It seemed so lifeless, so unimportant. Even the fact that they were on an enemies party couldn't make her feel alive. This arrogant party could not distract her from... wow, wait a second!

Something hit her. Something hit her deep down in her heart. A warm, smooth feeling spread in her chest, when a pair of bright blue eyes met hers. Hid behind a mask... she saw those eyes smiling tenderly at her. She couldn't leave... she just couldn't breath... couldn't move... she was completely drawn away.

She's leaving... Damn! Now she could move! Katie pushed and pulled through the crowd and followed the girl upstairs.

Jessica, daughter of the Sammler family, was dancing with young man named Zak. He was the man her parents want her to marry, even tough they knew her interest in men was less than existent,  but his family was rich... and powerful, not as powerful as the Sammlers, but powerful enough to heighten the Sammlers reputation with this marriage. She didn't enjoy this party at all until she saw this girl at the other side of the hall. Her eyes were bright, but sad. Her mask barely hiding her beauty. Eventually her heart began to ache... ache for this girl she had just seen a second ago. Then this girl noticed her and all worries had gone astray.

Jessie moved away upstairs... hoping the other girl would follow her... and she wasn't disappointed.

"Wait!"  A low voice shouted behind her.

Jessie stopped behind a wall next to the elevator. Both girls just looked at each other, then revealed the faces behind their masks. Katie moved close, she couldn't resist and kissed Jessies cheek shyly.

"I'm sorry, if I diminished this sacred face with outrageous lips," she whispered, seeing Jessie smile, "but I'll atone for my sins with a gentle kiss."

Katie tried to be as bold as possible, although her heart was racing, and tried to pull Jessie into a deeper kiss. But Jessie grinned playfully and moved away a bit. Should I? Shouldn't I? Jessie's thoughts were running wild, when she looked into the angelic face in front of her. The touch of Katie's hands on her hips made her feel incredibly weak. The girl wouldn't try again, she was sure... but she wanted her to... damn, she really wanted her to. Nothing happened, time stood practically still... and then it began running away, when Jessie grabbed Katie's neck and pulled her into a long kiss.

The kiss ended too soon, to really call it a kiss.

"Your lips free mine from all sins."   Katie says softly.

"Now my lips have all the sins yours have lost."

"My sins? On your lips? That can't be! I want them back!"

Once more they fall in each others arms, kissing again and again, only stopping for taking a short breath. Totally lost in each other, in the touch of their bodies, the warmth of their lips... they loose track of time and space.

"Oh my god!" A voice screamed behind them.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Another voice stammered.

Katie hardly recognized them. Then a hand touched her shoulder and pulled roughly Jessie and her apart.

"Don't you dare, sis?! Are you completely out of your mind?!"  Katie looked in Ben's horrified eyes.

She didn't understand. She really didn't. Then she looked around... down the balcony they were standing on... down on the dancefloor... there was an uproar... the crowd was panicking... She looked at Jessie, deep into her bright blue eyes. Goddness, how she wanted back into those arms...

"Kat, we have to leave! NOW! They recognized us!"  Tad screamed in terror, feeling completely helpless as unarmed as he was now.

Suddenly Jessie stopped dead. Kat? Kat? They recognized us? Katherine Singer?

"Oh my god... you're a Singer."  She stammered horror-strucked.

Then it hit Katie like a flash of lightening... She had kissed a Sammler. Damn it... who cares? She took Jessie's face in her hands and kissed her intensely.

"Yes, I'm your father's enemy only daughter... but I..."

"Stop this shit! Come on!"  Ben stated aggressively and grabbed his sisters arm.

They hurried out of the Sammler mansion, they just stopped at the small tent where they have left their guns and while putting their holsters on again they were running towards the beach. They heard gun shots and screaming voices coming from the house. They ran for their lives.


After minutes of running they finally felt save enough to stop. Katie was still hypnotized by Jessies kiss... her scent... her tenderness... She fell into the sand and starred dreamily into the dark blue sky.

"The sweetest lips I've ever kissed... They bluest eyes I've ever seen... I've never loved... until now."

"Forget about it! She's a Sammler. If she won't, her family will kill you, when they notice you've laid hand on one of their daughters."  Ben sat down next to his sister.

Tad was still restless. He had pulled his gun out of the holster and ran around looking out for anyone coming close to them.

"Sammlers! Damn Sammlers! I'll kill 'em! I'll kill 'em all! Come here, if you dare to!"  He was shouting nervously running around.

Katie shook her head and jumped up.

"I have to go back. I have to know if she loves me like I love her."

"No, stay here! They'll kill you."   Ben ran after her.

"Probably, but if she doesn't love me back, I'll die anyway. Go out of my way! Don't tell anyone where I'm heading."  Katie just said and rushed back into the town.

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