Un-betaed

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The JOVAN Saga – A Collection of One-Shots

Chapter 15 The Plain Truth

Why is the kidnapper having us to put on these uniforms?  What does cheerleading uniforms have to do with anything and where is he taking us?  Darn he has tied my hands behind my back and that will make it difficult for me to untie the knots.  I smell it already, the chloroform.  Here he comes.

Coming to I’m in a gymnasium tied to a basketball pole and a fire is starting to blaze around my feet.  What kind of sick, perverted and deranged scene is this?  I have to untie myself and get out of here.  I see Natalie at the other basketball pole but she doesn’t look like she’s fighting to get loose.  Maybe she’s not shaken off the chloroform yet.  I don’t see the kidnapper so perhaps he just left us here to burn up.  I keep trying to get my hands loose.  The rope is giving a bit so I have to continue to put pressure on it and then ease my hands out of the noose.  Concentrating on loosening the knot I don’t notice until the last minute that someone is opening the door to the gym.  I hope that it is not the kidnapper returning.  It is John!  He looks at me and then turns and looks at Natalie and then runs over to her to release her from the pole and put her on the floor and then returns to release me and puts me on the floor.  He then returns to check on Natalie.  By that time I have released my hands from the noose and untied the rope around my feet.  

Thankful that I am free from the pole and the fire I start to stand when I notice someone moving in from the shadows.  It’s the kidnapper and he heads toward John who’s still working on Natalie.  John has his body turned away and cannot see the kidnapper approaching him.  Turning quickly I pick up a log from the fire and rush with it toward the kidnapper and hit him with it.  The blow causes him to drop his gun but then he rushes towards me.  Seeing his gun at my feet I pick it up and shoot at him hitting him in the shoulder and both of his knees.  I don’t want to kill him I just want him to stop coming toward me.  The shots to his knees cause him to fall backwards and by that time John has regained his wits and handcuffs the kidnapper.

The gym quickly fills with more police officers and EMTs.  The EMTs check Natalie, the kidnapper and me and transport us all to the hospital.  Once they check me over at the hospital I have to stay overnight so that they can give me oxygen to clear the smoke out of my lungs.  All I really want is first a nice hot shower where I can shampoo my hair, then a soaking bath, some hot food and then a nice long sleep.  I feel so dirty and tired.  My mother is here with me and I am so glad to see her.  I know that she has been so worried.  

“Mommy I’m so glad to see you.  I know that you have been worried sick but I am okay now so don’t worry any more.”

“Evangeline I am your mother so I’m supposed to worry about you.  Now just rest.”

“Mom I want you to do something for me.  I know that the police will want to interview me about the kidnapping as soon as they can but I don’t want to talk with anyone just now okay.”

“No one will bother you baby don’t worry about that.  Mommy will handle it.”

“There’s more Mom.  I especially don’t want John to interview me.  Any other officer but John can you do that for me.”

“Of course my dear.  I will handle it.  Now rest and ease your mind.  I’m going out to make certain that you are not disturbed.”

“Thank you mommy.”

Evidently my mother took care of everything because no one comes to my room to interview me until after I had a nice long nap.  When the officer did come it is not John and for that I am relieved.  Now it is morning and time for me to go home.  

Arriving at home I get to do all of those things that I wanted to do when I was in the hospital so a shower, hair shampooed, bath, food and a good sleep I am ready to face another day.  Mom and I are sitting on the sofa talking about much of nothing when someone knocks at my door.  Mom answers the door and I can hear her trying to get the person to leave so I get up and go to the door and see John standing there.

“Mom it’s all right let John come in there are some things that I need to say to him anyway.  Mom how about you go the store and get us some celebratory desserts.  I’ve already ordered dinner delivery for later but I forgot dessert.”

“Evangeline are you sure you want me to leave you here with him?  I can stay until he leaves.”

“No Mom that’s not necessary because I do want some dessert. I’m not just trying to get you to leave. Unlike the last time when I had you to go get me some hair spray.”

“Okay baby you know best.  I will return soon.”

“Take your time Mom everything will be all right.”

My mother leaves and I invite John to come and sit on the sofa.  I sit on the chaise in front of him.

“What do you want John?  Why are you here?  I’m surprised that you’re not glued to Natalie now that you have found her.  I am fine as you can see.”

“Evangeline I’m sorry that all of this happened to you.”

“I too am sorry that it happened John but you have to admit that you had a hand in how it all played out.  The kidnapper was aiming to hurt you.  He saw how you went back and forth between Natalie and me and he used that to make you decide between us and you decided.  You rescued her first and then came to rescue me.”

“Natalie looked in worst shape than you did so I made a split second decision and rescued her but I still got to you in time.”

“That doesn’t make a bit of difference to me John.  You rescued her first and that showed to me that for you she is first.  Now I will ask you again what do you want?”

“I still want you Evangeline.  I still want a relationship with you.”

“But you don’t love me John that is clear so why would you want a relationship with me?  You told Natalie that you love her so go be with the one that you love.  John you didn’t rescue me by the way.  Did you notice that when you pulled me from the pole that my hands were free?  No you didn’t.  How else could I have picked up the log from the fire and hit Barber with it or pick up the gun and shoot him?  While you were tending to your precious Natalie, Barber was going to knock you out and take one of us back with him.  His torture of you wasn’t over but I was not going back with him. I saved myself and it’s a good thing that I did because you weren’t going to do it.”

“I came in to rescue both of you and I’m so sorry that I didn’t get to you first.”

“We’ve already established that you are sorry John so you don’t have to repeat that but let me tell you what happens now and I need for you to listen very carefully so that I don’t have to say this again and so that you understand beyond a shadow of a doubt what I expect from you.  This is the PLAIN TRUTH:

-I expect nothing from you because that’s all that I get from you, nothing

-I left instructions for you not to bother me so you are the one who wanted this CONFRONTATION

-You say that you want a relationship with me and I won’t give in NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT

-Now that I have survived this ordeal I label this time in my life, ‘LIFE AFTER THE STORM.

-For me it is TIME FOR A CHANGE

-And we cannot TRY AGAIN or

-Have a relationship ONE MORE TIME

-WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS John and for me you are

-SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW so that means that

-John and Evangeline or JOVAN as Layla calls us (John and Vange) will not have a life that one can write about in THE JOVAN SAGA

So in plain terms John we are over.  There is no need for you to call me or talk to me other than when and or if we have a mutual police case to discuss.  For me John from this point on you are just ‘a face in the crowd’.  So now I have said all that I need to say.  You can leave now.”  And so he did.

THE END

A/N:  Please note that in Evangeline’s ‘Plain Truth’ she lists all of the stories that this author has written about these two characters although not in the order in which they were written.

Thnx for reading The JOVAN Saga story.  This ends the collection of one-shots about Evangeline Williamson and John McBain from the television series, One Life to Live.  Even if you never saw the show I hope that you enjoyed reading the stories.  Come back often and read them again.  Thnx for your support.