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:   Ok, what I have so far: fancy party, balcony scene, angst... lots of angst... two fathers giving each other a hard time. Now, what's missing?
And: Thanks for your feedback! :-)
 

PART 4

When she stepped through the heavy, wooden door into the church, a children choir was singing. Brother Dimitri stood close to the altar and watched them. The intense scent of incense filled the air. Katie took a few steps towards the pulpit, blood was dripping from her lower lip onto the marble slabs. But the pain in her shoulder forced her on her knees. When the sound of her lifeless body hitting the floor disturbed the impressive solo of a young boy, Brother Dimitri noticed that someone was there.   He realized that it was Katie, who had passed out on her way to him. He sent the choir away and hurried to the other side of the church.

Her face was pale, the only colour it showed was the blood the covered her cheeks. The wound where the bullet had hit her shoulder had soaked her shirt with blood.

"Katherine! Talk to me!"  Brother Dimitri begged and squeezed her hand.

As Katie didn't answer he began to examine her body. He pulled the holster over her head and ripped the tank top apart... flesh wound... a shot... right through her shoulder... several bruises and scratches on face and stomach. How could someone ever dare to beat up a girl like Katie? Brother Dimitri shook his head... cause such pain. The thought of Katie suffering made his own blood boil. He carried her into his chamber, he had to still the blood, care for the wounds.

**********

When Katie opened her eyes, she felt sore. Her shoulder was itching, a bright, white bandage made it impossible to move her arm. Someone had washed her face, but she could still smell the blood on her skin.

"They're searching for you."

A low voice behind her said. Katie immediately recognized Brother Dimitri and closed her eyes with relief. She was safe.

"Don't close your eyes, Katherine! You won't disappear, just by closing your eyes. Tell me what happened!"

Katie opened her eyes again, but the sudden memory of Jessie, who had been held brutally by her brother... screaming, crying... made her close them again. She couldn't really have lost her. This must be some cruel nightmare. But the pain... the pain was so damn real...

"I suppose you already know."  She whispered.

Brother Dimitri shook his head.

"No, I just know what the police says. And when I look at you, I know that it can't be the whole truth... So, you shot the governors son?"

Katie nodded.

"Yes... but it was him... who did this to me."   She answered.

"Why?"

Katie smiled, the pain still visible.

"Because I stole his girl."

"Who?"

"Jessica Sammler."

Brother Dimitri sighed and let himself fall down into a chair, which stood close to him.

"Jessica Sammler? You're in love with Jessica Sammler?!"

"Yes, and she's in love with me."

"Great, great... fantastic. I would be really, really glad for you Kat, if I knew... if I knew that she wasn't a member of the Sammler family."

Katie stood up. An agonizing pain overcame her and she sat down again.

"Names! It's just names, Brother Dimitri! Nothing more than names!"  She shouted.

"Don't tell me! Tell your families... but maybe... maybe your love is a chance for peace."

Katie leaned back on the wall and closed her eyes. There were no more chances, she screwed it all up by killing Zak. She remembered her fear... her anger... her despair... when she fired her guns...

"It was self-defence."  She said quietly and searched for understanding in Brother Dimitri's eyes.

"They've already demanded your punishment... death."  He answered.

"It was self-defence." She stated again. Tears slowly filling her eyes. It couldn't be all over... It just couldn't be.

Brother Dimitri stood up and went to her. He took her hand.

"You have to leave the town... you can't stay here. They'll search for you here sooner or later. You're not safe here... And you have to leave alone!"

Katie's eyes shot open.

"No! I'll never leave without her. I'd rather die than leave without her."

**********

Jessie stood on the balcony, from which she could look down to the swimming pool of the Sammler mansion. There were no tears left she could have cried. Until now she didn't even know if Katie was alive, if she survived Zak's assault. Watching her experience such pain made Jessie's heart shatter into pieces. She couldn't help, she couldn't do anything... and that was something she hated her own brother for... her only brother, the half grown boy she had always admired and respected. He had lost all her trust.

They couldn't just sentence her to death without even having heard her version of the story. It wasn't a murder... Katie didn't kill without a reason. It was self-defence. She wanted to protect herself from Zak's rage. Everyone must have seen it, everyone must have seen the horror in her wide-open eyes, when the bullet hit her shoulder.

Someone knocked on her door. Jessie neither answered nor did she move. The light breeze coming from the sea, brushed through her white dress and made her long, blonde hair slightly go with the gentle wind.

"I'm sorry, Jessica."   Eli said, regret clearly showing in his voice.

He shut the door and went towards the balcony. His heart sank, when he realized that his sister didn't care about him being in her room. He had heard her cry all night, he had heard her call out for this Singer girl. Even though he didn't understand her feelings, even though he still felt the dull hate for this family, a hate that he had seen in his parents eyes for his whole life, he still worried about his sister. He had never intended to hurt her. He had thought that what he had done was right... he had thought his sister was in danger...

"I'm really sorry."  He stuttered again.

Jessie span around.

"I don't care whether you are sorry or not. No one ever caused such pain in my life than you and Zak did yesterday. When I heard her cry out in agony, my world went dark, darker than you can imagine a night."

She turned around again and looked down, down to the place where Katie had sworn her love.

"I didn't know... sis, I didn't know you were in love with her. I really couldn't imagine you could ever give your heart so freely to a foe. We grew up with the hate this family had for us and we learned to hate them, too. When Zak and I decided to search for you, we thought you were in great danger..."

She wanted to cry, but she still couldn't. Her eyes were deep red and aching from the tears she had cried all night.

"But you know I didn't love Zak... you know I would never have agreed to marrying him. He wasn't even a good man... and you know that too, don't deny!"

"It was the best for this family..." He said quietly.

"How do you know? Maybe it was Katie's and my love that was the best for this family. How could you let Zak beat her up? How could you let him shot her?"

" We thought she rap-" He mumbled, but Jessie interrupted him. She had turned around again, rushed towards him and slapped him hard.

"Don't dare to speak this out loud! You've got eyes, brother! You can't tell me you haven't seen, we've been holding hands... we've been kissing... we've been holding each other close..."

Eli tried hard not to cry. His sister was his one and only, he loved her more than anything and it scared him that he was loosing her. At this very moment she had such power over him... not as usual. This wasn't the sister he knew, the sweet, innocent girl. Grief and fury had changed her already. What could he do? What could he do to make his sister smile again, give love and happiness back to her heart?

Silently he left the room and suddenly there were enough tears to cry. And so did Jessie... she started to cry all over again.

**********

A loud knock on the door caused Katie to jump up and hide behind a cupboard. She heard as Brother Dimitri opened the door.

"I want to see Katherine Singer." A voice said.

"She's not here."  Brother Dimitri answered with firm voice.

"I know she is, her brothers told me."

"Her brothers?"  Katie noticed that this really bewildered Brother Dimitri.

"Yes... I... know... well, you know... there had been enough time of hate... it's time for love."   The voice whispered, barely audible for Katie.

"Ok, come in. But if anything happens, I have my Lord's agreement to use these."   Brother Dimitri lifted his white gown and two golden 9mms became visible.

**********

The door was closed.

"Katherine, here's someone who wants to see you."  His voice echoed through the small chamber.

Katie stepped out of her hiding-place behind the cupboard, what she saw confused her. A girl about her age stood in front of her. She had seen her face some long time ago.

"Oh, my god... you're... you're Grace Sammler... Brother Dimitri! How could you let her in?"

"Let her speak before you judge her!"  Brother Dimitri smiled at Grace and the girl shyly lowered her eyes.

"I came... I came to... I want to bring you to my sister."

Katie's heart skipped a few beats. This couldn't be true, this must be a trap... a trap.

"No!"  She simply answered, sitting down on the bed again.

"I know, you don't trust me, I wouldn't trust you either... I've heard my sister cry all night and I couldn't stand it, maybe the rest of my family can, but I can't, so I decided to help... I grant you and Jess one night. I'll take care that no one will notice your presence and tomorrow morning your brothers and me will help you to leave the town and flee. Zak's death isn't a big loss, it seems to me... but your death would be... not for me... not for any other member of my family, but it would be for Jessie. And I can't see her in such sorrow,"  she looked at Katie questioningly, she couldn't believe that it had been a loyal friend of her family who had hurt this beautiful creature so badly, and then added, "you don't have a lot of options. You can see Jessie again for a night and leave or you can wait here for your death. Decide!"

**********

"Come, night, close your dark lashes, lovers' night, and give Katherine to me, and when I die, take her and cut her into little stars, and she can make heaven's countenance more beautiful, so that the whole world would fall in love with the night and no one ever wants to see the glaring sun again."  

Night had fallen a second time since Jessie had seen Katie. She was sitting on her bed, tired from grieving and torturing her thoughts with the question whether her love was still alive or not.

She heard a door close, but she didn't pay attention. No one of any importance would visit her, but the only human being with importance had been snatched from her.

All of a sudden a warm feeling spread in her chest. A feeling she hasn't forgot although it wasn't with her for more than a few hours. She knew this scent and she knew who's velvety skin was touching hers right now.

Jessie didn't dare to turn around, she didn't want this moment to end... she didn't want this dream to end. Even though tears were rolling down her cheeks, it started to become the most wonderful moment in her life.

A thin body hugged her from behind and hold her close. She felt lips against her neck, a deep sigh escaping from them. Jessie closed her eyes and grabbed the hands that had been placed firmly on her stomach. Their fingers entwined and Jessie relaxed somewhat. She heard a silent cry, when tears were dripping on her shoulder.

"Don't cry," she whispered, "I've cried enough for both of us."

The crying didn't stop, so Jessie tried to turn around. But she was held tightly.

"Don't turn around,"  a husky voice begged, "please, don't turn around!"

"I want to see you. I already know that they've hurt you... I've seen you bleed."

"I know... But I don't want you to remember me this way."

Suddenly Jessie broke free of the embrace. She turned around and looked into her lover's face. She saw the bruises and scratches, the bandage over her shoulder... and the tears in her eyes. And she immediately knew. Katie had come to say goodbye. She pulled her close again.

"How long do we have?"  She asked quietly.

"Tonight."  Katie answered and new wave of tear found its way.

"Who brought you here?"

"Grace."   Jessie sighed, because she had hoped it had been Eli. She had hoped that he really regretted and would try to help, but it seemed that he didn't.

For what seemed to be an eternity they sat still on the bed, consuming each others warmth and closeness. How to spent a last night? What to do if one thinks it's the last time you'll see? What if the Damocles sword of death was upon one's heads?

It began with a simple kiss on the cheek. It turned into a breathtaking, heart-aching, overwhelming kiss... They silenced each others worries and doubts with sweet lips. They lost all fear in just one touch... in just one simple night.

**********

Their naked bodies were wrapped around each other, when the first sunlight found its way through the curtains. Katie wakened her lover with a tender kiss... which became as overpowering as it just could be as one knows it could be the last kiss. Jessie moved and covered Katie's chest with her own arm.

"Don't leave! Don't leave me now! It's not yet morning."  She mumbled half-awake.

Katie opened her eyes and sat up, to stroke Jessie's back.

"I'll stay to die or leave to live."

Jessie opened her eyes to look at her. It was still hard not to cry when seeing who much Katie had been hurt. She sat up, too and took Katie's hands, kissing each fingertip with endearing gentleness.

"That's not daylight," she kisses Katie's cheeks softly, "I'm sure. It's a meteor, sent from the sun to lighten your way out of the town tonight. Stay! You don't have to go now."

Katie pulled her close into another deep kiss.

"They shall catch me! They shall kill me! It's ok to me, if you want it that way."

All of a sudden Jessie jumped up and pulled Katie to her feet.

"What's up, my love? That's not daylight!"  Katie tried to smile, tried to keep it as playful as possible. It was their last night... their only night... she didn't want to leave... allowing this thought broke her heart...

"Yes, it is! Hurry! Leave! Please, hurry and live!" 

The fall into each others arms again and kiss pasionately, when suddenly voices in the halls of the Sammler manor began to scream und shout. The voices grew louder, came closer.

"I don't want to... I... I'd rather die than be without you."

They kissed again and again, short, sweet kisses that ripped their hearts apart.

"And I'd rather see you far away from me and alive than dead and close to me."  

They heard footsteps on the marble floor outside of Jessie's room. The voices had grown even louder.

Katie jumped into her clothes and pulled the window open. Outside the sun was already heating up the air. Jessie rushed to her lover and grabbed her hand.

"I'll find you. Please tell me, you'll wait for me, wherever you are!"

"I will... Jess, I can't... I just can't..."

The tears were impossible to stop, when Katie closed the distance between them with one last kiss. Then she climbed down the balcony and hurried through the garden to the other side, where the wall was. Jessie had put on some of her clothes to and watched her lover run away. She didn't notice the people bursting into her room... she just felt her heart slowly break with every step Katie went further away.

Just when Katie had reached the walls, it hit her. Why doesn't she go with Katie? Why doesn't she just run away, too? She shouted for her, her voice all trembling and shaking, and Katie immediately stopped dead.

They didn't care about what happened around them. Jessie climbed down balcony and ran towards Katie. Just when they fell into each others arms again and kissed fiercely, Eli had reached the balcony and stepped out. He had shouted for his sister, he had screamed, but she hadn't heard. Now he watched as the two of them forgot all time and space, all lost in their embrace and their kiss. And he knew everything he did was right.

The whole Sammler family was standing behind him in Jessie's room, discussing and shouting at each other. The only one calm and at ease was Eli, who smiled at the couple that was standing next to the swimming pool.

"I declare... in the name of the Sammler family and with the right of this town... that you, Katherine Singer have been exonerated from the accusation of murder. You acted out of pure self-defence. With this you are free!"  Eli screamed, not sure whether they heard him or not.

It didn't matter anyway, because as the story tells: They nevertheless ran away. Not so far away... just a few miles... just up to the beach... just to watch the sunrise, just to be on their own for a while... Their families didn't become friends, but they started to get along... they started to realize that love had more future than hate.


THE END