It's Not Over - Chapter 10 - Shadow & Light

[madbottoms]

Title: It’s Not Over

Chapter: 10/? – Shadow & Light

Genre: AU, Jack/Ennis

Warnings/Rating: PG to NC17.

Summary: Jack and Ennis are reunited following four years apart after being forcibly separated. Can they rebuild and move on?

Disclaimer: Jack and Ennis belong to Annie. Any original characters I claim as my own.

A/N: Hanky warning. L But also some happy memories and some hope. J Thanks as always to Jodi for the beta. Any remaining ‘oops’ are mine. In a few parts again becuase LJ hates my size chapters. Grrr!!! I'll try to make the transitions as painless as possible.

 ~~~

 

 

 

“Jack! Jack, where are you?”

 

“En... Ennis?” Jack slurred through a drunken haze. Blurry images flashed through his mind before reality hit him again.

 

“No, Jack, it’s me, Rufus.”

 

“Huh… what're ya doin' h're?”

 

“I haven’t seen you in a few days and I got worried. Looks like I shoulda’ been. Are you drunk, Jack?”

 

“Appar... apparently not ‘nough. I can still stan' up. Care for one?” Jack offered the whiskey bottle to his friend, splashing some on Rufus' boots. He looked down, trying to focus. "Oops."

 

“No thanks, Jack. I think you’ve had enough.”

 

“Nope, not nearly ‘nough, my friend.”

 

“Okay, Jack, I'm thinkin' it's time for you to go to bed. Sober up and we’ll talk later.”

 

“Fuck you, Rufus. You can fuck off, too. Everybody's always thinkin’ they know wha’s best fer me. I can take care o' myself.”

 

“Yeah, you’re doin a bang up job, Kid.”

 

“You wanna take care o' me? F'ck off. You and yer fuckin’ perfect life, perfect wife and perfect kids. Just pissoff. Go home to yer family and leave me alone,” Jack snickered. “I don’t fuckin’ want ya here.”

 

“Whatever you say, Jack. Let’s go.” Rufus attempted to take the bottle from Jack’s grip and Jack pulled back and toppled heels over head, dropping the bottle and spilling its contents.

 

“Fuck you, Rufus, look wha' ya made me do.”

 

“Better on the carpet that in you. You’re in no fit state to be drinking, Jack. Now snap the fuck out of it! You’ve been like this every day for more than two months. You’re gonna fuckin’ kill yourself if you don’t stop. You want to die, is that it?”

 

“It’d be a relief. Nothin’ here for me no more anyway.” Jack struggled to get up, swaying a bit before grabbing onto the back of the chair.

 

“How can you say that? What about the farm? And what about Ennis?”

 

Jack stumbled over to Rufus and got in his face. “You shut th' fuck up abou' him! Fucker left me. Why should I care abou' him anymore? Why should I care abou' anything?” Jack screamed.

 

“No, Jack, he never left you because you never really came back to him,” Rufus said calmly. “Look... I know this is hard for you, but damn it, Jack, it’s killing me to see you like this.” Rufus put his hand on the back of Jack’s neck and squeezed. “Please, Jack, you gotta snap out of it.”

 

“You don’ know how fuckin’ bad it is. I hurt so bad, Rufus, and I jus' need to numb the pain. I need to forget.” Jack pulled out of his grip. “I jus' need to forget.”

 

“Does that include forgetting those who depend on you, too? You seem to have forgotten you have a business to run now. For what it’s worth, I’ve sorted out some stuff with the customers and the hands are working well. They’re good boys, they like it here. I’ve put on another hand to take up the slack. I’ll need you to sign another business cheque for me so I can pay the workers. There’s been another couple of big deposits from a couple of buyers, so there should be enough to cover expenses again this month.” Rufus went on to inform Jack of the progress of the business, whether he cared or not. “I’ve done what I can, but you need to take charge now.”

 

After Rufus had realised Ennis had actually left, he wasn’t really surprised. Rufus realised it was for the best, even though he knew how much it would hurt them both. The hardest part was watching his friend come undone. Jack broke down totally and Rufus was forced to step in and help out otherwise the business would have fallen apart, too. So he made sure things on the farm continued and bills were paid. But as hard as he tried, he couldn’t get Jack to snap out of it. His friend was depressed and he was killing himself. He’d lost the will to live and was slowly drinking himself to death, it seemed. Each day another piece of him slipped away. How could Rufus make Jack see that he needed to live and do what he had to get back with Ennis and move on with his life?

 

Rufus looked around him, seeing that bottles were strewn everywhere and it looked liked the house hadn’t been cleaned in a month. As much as Rufus had helped, it seemed it was a losing battle, but he wouldn’t give up on his friend. He had to find a way of making Jack see it wasn’t all lost.

 

“Come on, Kid, please? Don’t do this to yourself.”

 

“He fuckin’ left me, Rufus. He left me. What the fuck am I gonna do?” Jack cried, falling back into a lounge chair and putting his face in his hands.

 

“First thing you’re gonna do is stop poisoning your body with all this crap,” Rufus said, indicating the scattered bottles. “And the next thing is to have a fuckin’ shower because you stink and so does this place.”

 

Jack looked around the room and then took a whiff of himself. His nose wrinkled at the smell. “I’ve really fucked things up again, haven’t I, Rufus?”

 

Rufus knelt in front of him. “You have to snap out of it, Kid, and take back your life. You need to get help, professional help. And then you need to go and find Ennis and make him take you back. You need to remember all the things that are important to you. You need to come home.”

 

~~~

  

Link -  http://madaboutms.livejournal.com/17802.html

 

Comments

[torry28.livejournal.com]

It was a natural reaction for Jack to hit the bottle trying to drown out all his pain. He was lashing out at Ennis and at Rufus, like a child when you try to offer help when it is hurt and confused,it will refuses help out of fear of the on known and will through a temper tantrum. I'm glad Rufus stepped in and helped out and I'm sure he will be able to get through to him. Jack is strong he will survive he just has to cry for a life lost and start a new one.
Thank you
Hugs
Torry