AJ rushed into the master bedroom, where Terri was brushing her long, thick hair.
"AJ? What's going on?" Terri asked as he slammed the door shut.
"Where is the key?" AJ asked frantically as Nancy pounded on the door.
"Huh-what?" Terri asked, totally shocked.
"Where is the fucking key?!" AJ shouted at her, still leaning against the door to keep it shut.
"All the keys are at the locksmith's. They were the wrong kind, remember?" Terri replied.
"AJ, what the hell is going on?!" She asked urgently.
"Nancy is out there with a pistol." AJ replied as Nancy slammed against the door.
"I'll call the police." Terri muttered, reaching for the phone. She pushed the talk button and the line was dead. "Oh my God…do you have your cell?" Terri asked, trying to keep her cool. It would be of no help to AJ if she let her hormones get the best of her right now.
"No…the line is dead?" AJ asked, though it was more of a statement.
"Yes." She replied, then a gunshot was heard and a hole was at in the door, only inches from AJ's face. "Shit!" Terri screamed, pulling AJ away as another shot fired out. Terri grabbed a chair and as she was placing it AJ pulled her away and took over, but they were too late and Nancy got through the door. AJ and Terri rushed to the corner of the room that faced the street, the two walls had windows in the corners and the blinds were open. AJ and Terri both prayed someone would realize what was going on.
"Hello, hello! You need to work on your people skills AJ." Nancy told him, pointing the pistol at the two. "That wasn't a very warm welcome." She told him with a smile.
"Oh yeah, she's a psychotic bitch…" Terri thought, clutching AJ against her.
"What the hell do you want?" Terri asked, keeping her voice calm, sarcastic and sharp.
"For you to pay what you did to Andy and I." She replied.
"What I-Jonathan was the one to blame, you killed him and framed me. You nearly ruined my relationship with my family and friends…basically my life. What more can you ask for?" Terri asked sarcastically, trying to pull from AJ to talk to her face to face, but AJ refused to let her go. Terri had always said what was on her mind, and never held anything back. That is what AJ was afraid of.
"Really? What about the times you helped Jonathan screw Andy over? Huh?" Nancy replied, becoming even more emotional and psychotic than before.
"You think I wanted to?" Terri replied sharply.
"You think I'm gonna believe you?" Nancy retorted with a snort.
"What are you going to do to make me pay?" Terri asked skeptically.
"Oh, little old me? I might do this," She told them and shot the window right beside where the two were standing. They flinched as glass flew, holding each other tightly. "Or this." She added and shot the framed ultrasound that was by the bed on the nightstand. Terri reached her hand out for it, her face full of sorrow. It had been her first ultrasound. "Or maybe this." Nancy then shot a picture of AJ and his grandmother, who had recently died. AJ dropped his head, resting it against Terri's as the glass from the frame hit the mahogany floor. AJ shifted his weight nonchalantly, making Terri slightly in front of him as they stood in each other's arms. "Oh, two more bullets…better make them good shots." She told them and pointed, then shot at Terri.
"NO!" AJ cried out and swiftly spun Terri behind him, dropping to the ground as the bullet punctured his chest.
"OH MY GOD! NO!" Terri screamed as she dropped to AJ's side. She held his torso against her own as she sat on her knees, rocking him. Terri looked down at AJ and he smiled.
"You're so stubborn, you almost got killed. Stubborn as a pig, you fat cow." He chuckled, wincing with pain. Terri smiled best she could. "Hey, if I don't make it, I love you." He told her.
"Don't say that, you're gonna be fine." Terri told him, still rocking him back and forth.
"Boo fucking hoo. Get up, I still have one more shot!" Nancy told her. Suddenly Nancy dropped as a large "clang" was heard. Lexi and Nick were standing right behind where she had been, two large skillets in their hands.
"What?! What are you all doing here?" Terri asked, tears in her eyes.
"I tried to call you about Nancy and I couldn't reach you cause the phone line to your house was out of service. We couldn't reach AJ on his cell, so we came over. We heard gun shots and knew something was going on." Lexi told her.
"My God, what happened?" Nick asked, dropping beside AJ and Terri.
"He-he saved me." Terri choked out, looking down at AJ.
"Please, you would've done the same, babe." AJ replied.
"There is no turning back now,
And someway, somehow,
I have to show you
How much you mean to me
How much I love you
And how you complete me
And I know that I'm…" He sang softly the song he had written for her, but didn't finish the last sentence. His body went limp in her arms and his beautiful brown eyes no longer had the flame in them that they had possessed.
"AJ?" Terri muttered. "AJ?!" She shouted, "No…God, why?! Oh no…" She sobbed uncontrollably, holding AJ's dead body to her own body. "I love you, don't leave Ismene and I…don't leave, please AJ…" She cried. Tears were pouring form Lexi's eyes now, and Nick tried to hold back his tears. "AJ…please speak to me…" Terri sobbed on.
"I once was lost
But now I'm found
Once was blind
But now can see…" Terri sang at AJ's funeral. All eyes were on her as Brian took over the melody. Terri's voice had begun to shake as she sang, and was grateful it was Brian's turn to sing, she was sure she wouldn't have made another line. Terri and the guys went and sat back down as the priest continued. The service was outside and was private. The graveyard was gated and no fans had been let in, though many crowded the streets sobbing in their loss of a role model and what some would call "angel." Terri wore her wedding ring still, and had AJ's on her thumb, she kept his other jewelry in her wood case at home. Terri had also brought dried white rose pedals from their wedding that she had kept. She had at least a plastic bag full, and brought about half with her. At the end of the funeral she walked to his grave, where they had already let down his casket. She sat down on her knees and spoke.
"Well…certainly a nice day for a funeral." Terri commented dryly. She could see the guys near their cars, waiting for her. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "We got you a pale yellow casket. I hope you like it, and your hair is red. You're favorite." She sighed. "Ismene isn't alone, you know. I just found out yesterday that you got your wish. Alex Jr. is on the way too. They didn't notice him before because Ismene was right on top of him, blocking him from sight… It's only been a week," She sighed, tears beginning to roll off of her cheeks, "and already I'm going through withdrawal of your touch, your smile, your eyes…especially the sound of your voice. You know, I can't help but think that I killed you. I know I didn't fire the bullet, God knows I'd rather kill myself and burn in hell…but the fact that Nancy killed you was because I met you. I really did try to fight what I felt for you, I didn't want you to get involved with me because of my past…but you know, there was something about you that made me fall in love with you. You gave me a chance when no one else in the world would have, and you cared so much about me. Maybe the things you did didn't seem that big of a deal to you, like holding doors open, trying to keep me safe, saying I love you…but they meant so much to me, I never knew happiness like that before I met you." She began to sob, "I don't know what Ismene, Alex and I will do without you. I really don't…I guess the real reason I wanted to come here was to tell you how much I loved you. And I still do, I am so sorry-so sorry for screwing up your life… I hope you were proud of me-I don't know what for, but I hope you were. I bought a piece of property in St. Pete. I'm gonna open a little café down there. Amber and I are gonna have it, we figured after our coffee shop was closed we should do something like that again, only better. It's gonna be called "AJ's Beach House." Oh, and I'm painting a picture of you…it's of you smiling with a teddy bear in your hand. It's a great shot. You weren't looking at the camera, but a little towards the right, you have on a red baseball cap that you wore backwards and the bear is right under your chin. It's my favorite…we are going to hang it in the café…I gotta go, I love you Alexander James McLean. Thank you for all that you gave me…" Terri cried, taking a few handfuls of the rose pedals and sprinkling them on the casket below. "Tell me why, it ain't nothing but a heartache…" Terri softly sang as she walked away.
Terri's eyes fluttered open and she looked around her. It was still dark out and she was in bed. She looked at the clock and it was 2:47AM. She sat up, hearing her back crack. She folded down the covers and clambered out of bed. She was due in three weeks and was ready for the two munchkins to leave her whale-sized body. She waddled towards the door when she heard the movement of air behind her. She whizzed around to see something like a figure standing in her bedroom corner. It didn't look whole though, almost translucent.
"Is anyone there?" She asked, her eyes searching the room, trying to tell if there was something/someone there.
"Hey babe." She heard a voice, but it couldn't have been…
"AJ?" She asked aloud, gasping.
"Oh my God, I'm back again." He, or what she thought was him, sang with a chuckle. Terri stood there for a moment, not knowing if her eyes were playing tricks on her, then fainted.
Chapter 17
Index Page
Hosted Stories
Home Page