Chapter 41

B: Over the next few days Jess had spent them alone and in her room. The only people who saw her were Blake and Seth. A few times Dara would come with Seth but usually it was just him. She had been avoiding most of the people because she did not want to get anyone's hope up that she had been fighting with herself about staying. Over this time, she had lost sleep and weight. She had stopped eating on a normal bases. She did not know what to do. She had packed everything and then unpacked it all three times.

Jess had been in her room packing things up, but she stopped when she heard a knock. Isaac's voice came through her door. She tried to focus on her task but couldn't. When he finished talking, she walked over and opened the door. She was wearing a light gray baggy shirt with black jogging shorts. Her hair was in a very messy bun and she looked like crap. Jess looked down at Isaac as he fell onto her floor and she shook her head.

"Congratulations on making captain, Captain Isaac." She said using a formal way. She tried to keep it like that, but she couldn't. She respected Isaac but it pissed her off that the day she was supposed to be leaving does he then only come to say goodbye and tell her he loves her.

"So, you wait till now to come say goodbye? The day I am supposed to leave." She said her voice was weak and rough. She looked at him and her once bright eyes were dull from the lack of sleep. Her body had lost a little weight and she looked unhealthy. Her room was mostly unpacked. Only her closet was slightly packed. There were three packed boxes and one-half packed box. Other than that, the rest of the boxes scattered in her room were empty. She did not want to leave. She just couldn't bring herself to walk the halls and find Alex.

I: "Thank you." He said after dusting off his pants. He looked around her room, and gently went beside her to enter the room as if he was invited. "On the day you are leaving huh?" He asked as he saw all of the unpacked items. "You are moving all of this today without your brother or your uncles help? I think I should stay then." Isaac began to remove his leather jacket, and he tossed it on the bed. He began to roll up his sleeves, and he smiled at her as he ran his fingers through his hair to keep it out of the way.

Silently, he began to pack up the larger parts of her room. After a while, he turned his attention to her, his hands full of books he was packing up into a box. "You could have called me for help Jess. I know we cannot seem to be in a loving relationship but that does not mean we cannot be friends. I want to be your friend Jess, I need you in my life even if not as a partner. Please at least grant me that, even though I do not deserve it. Is it so bad that I want to be near you?"

He placed the books into the box and picked it up easily and brought it toward the door and gently dropped it down. He turned to her and took her hand. "Jess? Is it so horrible to at least let me make you smile again? I just want you to be happy no matter what you do. Leave, or stay, I just want you to be safe."

Zack pulled her close and hugged her and placed his face on her shoulder and softly kissed it. "You have always been special to me, even if I keep screwing up." His arms pulled her even closer as the warm hug filled him with hope. he knew that he truly came to convince her to stay.

"I would love to go to Paris with you...if you would not mind me there. Being a captain, I can travel to where my services are needed, and of course Paris has a position. It may be nice to have a friend nearby. But if you do not want me to go, then I will stay Jess. You need a fresh start, I know that is what you are searching for. I will do whatever I can to make sure you have that." He took her hand and kissed it.

B: Jess pushed his hands away. "Don't act like you have been there for me all this time." She looked at him and sighed. "I can handle myself. I don't need to come in here and do this. Just because you are a captain does not mean I have to allow you to do as you wish with my things." Her voice was coldish.

"I did not want to call someone who does not care." She said slightly pushing him away from her things. She did not want to deal with this all. She was still deciding what to do. "You want to stay in my life? You want to just keep an eye on me. Make sure I am fit into your standards of a hunter. Isaac, us being friends or anything was ruined when you brought my parents into our relationship. You don't know how they were. You may have known them, but you did not KNOW them like Seth and I. So, you had no right to say that you wanted something like them." She said looking at him. There was more to why she got upset about him bringing them into it. They had a horrible relationship. Yes, they loved each other but her father was possessive and controlling.

"Oh you want to make me smile? You want to know I am safe?" She said putting her books back on the shelf. "Also, I have a system, to packing." She said and moved back to the small box she was working on. When he hugged her and kissed her shoulder she froze. "Isaac....never mind." she said pushing away softly. Not like she normally did when they had been fighting but more like she was confused on why she was pushing him away.

"Isaac, you can't go to Paris." She said and she saw his face and she held her hand up. "You can't go there because of me because I don't know If I am going myself. That is really why my room is not packed. I am struggling to decide if I want to go or not. I don't want to leave Seth, or Blane, or even you. My whole life has been here, and I want the rest to, but I can't keep fighting with you and trying to protect this city and keep myself alive." She said with a soft voice.

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I: Isaac decided to leave the poor woman be. He went instead to pick up his jacket and he sighed as he looked at her sadly. "I guess I should leave you alone then." Isaac didn't want to leave her alone. He didn't even care about her packing, he just wanted to be near her.

"Jess? They are throwing a small appreciation ball. I know dancing in a long dress and small talk with everyone may be a little boring for you but, I would appreciate it if you came. They are going to honor me, and besides my brother I don't have anyone else at my table. You are not my family but, you are still the best friend I have ever had. I would like to take you with me to the ball if you are willing to go, and when it comes time for my speech, I want you to be there watching me. Please Jess, just come and dress really nicely. You didn't pack all of your dresses, did you?" He took her hand and kissed it. "I will pick you up tomorrow at 8pm. Unless, you plan to get there on your own. Just call me to pick you up." He waved goodbye and left her room after.

B: Jess watched him ramble and leave. Now she was fighting with herself to go or not. She looked in the closet to look at her three dresses. Two were pure black. One was used when she went clubbing on hunts and the other was used for funerals. The last dress was something that no one had ever seen. It was something no one expected Jessie to wear.

Later that night she was in her bathroom putting on her make up. The floor length pink and white gown hung on the back of the door. She was wearing a mid-thigh black silk robe. Her hair was curled, and part was braided back. She had just finished her lips when she grabbed her nail polish and started to work on her nails. After they dried, she opened her small jewelry box and pulled out her mother's diamond necklace and matching earrings. She also grabbed two brackets. One was a bunch of hearts and the other was twisted rope looking. The ring Isaac gave her caught her eyes and she picked it up gently. She slid it onto her ring finger and smiled. She went back to the bathroom and put in her hair bow and the jewelry she had picked out. She slipped out of her robe and slowly put her dress on. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror and smiled softly. She walked over to her bed and sat down and put on her white and silver heels and grabbed her bag.

By the time she had gotten down to the ball it was in full swing. She looked around the large entrance and smiled. Everyone was having fun. Her brother danced with Dara. Blane was chatting with some of the older hunters. Jess could not see Isaac, but she knew he was with someone. Her eyes meet with Alex's and he smiled. She slowly walked down the steps and over to him. "Ah, Miss Jessie, you look beautiful. Have you made up your mind?" he asked looking at her. She nodded. "Yes, I have Alex. I will be..." Before she could finish Isaac got up on stage. She turned to him and tried to keep herself blended into the crowd.