Four Years Later...[James/Ash/Luke]

Evelyn eyed the candy cane Luke was offering her. "Lucas, you...uh, never mind." She patted his head and he scowled.

"Actually, never mind James. I'm being babysat by um...freaks," she muttered, watching the ball of pink floss land in Natasha's head. Her flaming head with pink looked kind of like a Barbie fire, and Evelyn stifled a giggle.

"Don't you have to leave soon in a while anyways?" she asked James.

"Yeah I'm leaving tomorrow night Ev and I kind of wanted to see you before then as well. Umm I don't get why you're being so cold to me, you seemed to be fine at the hospital is something up?" James asked.

"I'm not being cold," Evelyn replied, watching with some worry as Luke attempted to ride a mechanical donkey, the wrong way.

"Besides, don't you have that two week vacation, anyways?" she asked James.

"I do but--". James' phone beeped and he sighed, "Hold on a sec, I have to read this message." James looked at his phone at the message he recieved from Dante.

Ay man, coach cut all of our vacations short.
they want us back in NY tomorrow night.
Training starts the day after.
Sorry dude this really sucks but yeah see you back home then aiight?
Peace

James groaned silently to himself, "Damn it." He put the phone back up to his ear and sighed, "Ev I have to leave tomorrow cause the message I just got said our vacation has been cut and we have to go back tomorrow cause we start training the day after."

Evelyn swallowed. "Um, alright. I'll, uh, talk to you later then, I guess?"

James arched an eyebrow, "Is that all you're going to say? I mean is there something you want to tell me? Why are you being so distant?"

Evelyn shook her head no, and sighed as Luke placed the ice cream soda in front of her. He walked back to wher Natasha was waitng, and Evelyn seated herself on a bnnch, watching them head off on a round of basketball.

"James, what do you want me to say?" she asked, quietly.

James sighed, "Listen Ev is it this whole distance thing that's bothering you? Because believe me it bothers me too and I hate that I have to leave so early but why do I feel like were okay one day and the next you're being all I don't know..."

Evelyn rubbed her head. "James, I haven't seen you, in what, all year till now? I barely feel like I know you, okay? I don't feel like I can be...be myself around you. I don't know why, but I just do." She suddenly realizzed her eyes were tearing up, and wiped them on her sleeve.

"You got yoru answer," she finished.

"How can you even say that? I've done nothing but spilled my hear to you. There is not one thing I haven't said to you about me that you don't know. Ev if anything I feel like I barely know you, I always feel like once I start get my way in, that there's always another wall in my way, and its always harder then the last one I mean I don't know what you want from me." James confessed his voice faltering slightly.

"This wasn't going anywhere," Evelyn told him, hating how her voice faltered. She inhaled deeply. "And James, the last serious conversation I had with you was back in December, okay?"

James scoffed, "Unbelievable, you know I feel like you're always finding some reason to keep our relationship from working out. You know what, if you want it to be over then fine I'll end it this time its over. I'll catch a really late flight home tonight and you can go on your way."

James looked to his suitcase remembering where he lef the ring Sams's voice ringing in his head.

"Are you nuts?!"

"No! James you're making a huge mistake I mean... you barely see her anyway how could you buy her that?"

He knew this would bite him in the ass and Sam was right all along he sighed, "I've left something for you here by the way, and who knows maybe since I'm ending things this time it won't hurt as much. Goodbye Evelyn have a nice life." James hung up shoving his phone in his pocket.

Evelyn was staring down at her cell phone when a very red-faced Luke slumped by her.

"Did you talk to him?" he asked softly.

Evelyn raised her eyes to the night sky. She'd done what she had to, right? Now James wouldn't be pissed about her running off to England.

"Ev?" Luke was asking.

"I talked to him," Evelyn said hoarsely. Luke rested a cautious hand on her shoulder.

"And?"

He'd expected a lot, but never had he thought he'd see Evelyn Mathesson fling her arms around his neck and burst into tears in the midst of a public park.

Who was he kidding? This had hurt him a lot worse, knowing that he hurt Evelyn when he promised he never would drove him nuts he had wanted nothing more than to toss himself over that balcony and just end it now.

He was so enraged, and upset with himself. He took his rage out on the large mirror near the door, the mirror shards shattering around him while his knuckles bled he shook his hand grabbing his suitcase and tugging the ring box into his pocket, he wrapped his hand in tissue and went downstairs to the lobby.

He handed the ring box to the man and gave him Evelyn's name, James scribbled a note to give to Evelyn along with the ring.

Here's a reminder
of what you have lost.

James.

He sealed it writing Evelyn's name across the front of it and handing it to the manager, he had gotten a cab and went to the airport now he was for sure that he never wanted to step foot into this town ever again.

When Evelyn arrived home, the receptionist in the front lobby bid her greetings and handed her a special delivery box.

"Ev, uh..."

Evelyn turned to face a frowning Lucas. She stuffed the package into her hand bag.

She forgot Luke was a basketball player and he'd snatched her bag out of her hand.

"Ev, wait," he told her. Evelyn blinked.

"Lucas, what are you doing."

Luke studied the departure address. "Shit, shit, shit, that idiot..."

"Luke, what are you—?"

"Tasha, you get Ev upstairs, I have to go do something," he told her, handing Evelyn the bag bac but keeping the package in hsi pocket. A horrible sense of dread rose inside him.

Evelyn hadn't told him yet exactly what James had said. All she'd done was cry, in the park, on the ride home, and now, her eyes were red-rimmed and wet.

He'd never really realized that it had to have been something really serious to make her break down her walls of steel like that.

"Luke, can I please just have that back? I'm really not in a good mood," Evelyn asked, softly. Luke shook his head and walked back out, ignoring her sigh.

He opened the package int he cab ride to James' place.

"Oh fuck..."

Luke whipped out his cell, scanning through all the millions of numbers till he reached James' roaming number, the cellphone accessible anywhere.

"Pick up, Darko, pick up now, before you both do something you'll regret."

***

"Evelyn please," Natasha begged. Evelyn ignored her, staring down at the city below.

What was England like? WOuld she ever have come back? Her family wouldn't have let her...she knew that.

"Evelyn, just...don't do anything rash okay?"

"I won't," Evelyn replied quietly, as a cruel wind scattered her hair. "I'm pretty sure I know what it feels like to die."

James looked out the window, the whole scene just replaying in his head over and over. Who was he kidding? He had hurt so much more he didn't want to leave Evelyn, he never wanted to hurt her after promising he never would, but he was so sick of always being the one to have all the hope and faith in their relationship while Evelyn questioned it and doubted it.

He bit his lip, tapping his fingers on the door. He wanted nothing more then to have this cab turn around so he could find Evelyn and beg her to take him back; at the same time he just wanted to get as far away as possible.

His phone vibrated in his pocket as he reached for it seeing Luke's name on the screen he sighed picking up the phone, "Yes Luke?" His voice sounded so distant to him and hoarse.

He looked down at the hand he had carelessly wrapped with tissue in order to keep the blood from pouring out of his wound, another mistake made by his stupid temper.

"Dude, where are you? This is freaking urgent. I'm headed to yoru hotel room right now," Luke replied. "And hello to you too."

James looked down at the floor of the cab, "I um.. I'm on my way to the airport Luke."

"Dude, turn back, will you? Just to hear me out." Luke sighed.

"Give me a reason to have this cab turned around Luke." James said quietly into the phone.

"Don't you want to knwo what went wrong?" Luke asked lightly.

James sighed, "I can guess it pretty clear, I mean Ev doubted that any of this would work out between us like she always has, I guess instead of sitting here and fighitng for it I decided that maybe it was time I gave up too since were hopeless."

"James, we have a lot to clear up." Luke got out of the cab,, looking up at the hotel. "Now don't leave me standing here. I just got off the plane a couple hours ago, and I've been entertaining Evelyn the whole while, so I'm about to drop. Just hold up a bit. I won't convince you to get back with her. It's not why I called. I just wanted you to know WHY this happened. And you got it wrong, by the way. Evelyn wasn't doubting it before. But she has been now. Ever since you came to town again."

James let out a slow breath and nodded, "Okay Luke I'm like half way there I'll have the cab driver turn me back around just hang tight alright?"

James hung up and looked up from the floor, "Hey, sorry man do you think you can turn around and take me back to the hotel, there was a change of plans, I'll pay you extra."

The cab driver nodded, James sat back sighing, not noticing the evil smirk playing on the corner of his lips.

James stared out the window watching the exit for the hotel fly by him, he arched an eyebrow, "Hey man, you missed the exit."

"Sorry sir, but were making a slight detour."

James saw the evil glint in the cab driver's gray eyes, he knew something was wrong here and he wasn't going to stick around to figure it out, even if it meant breaking a bone rolling out of the car it was a chance he was willing to take. James slowly reached for the door handle when all of sudden he heard the doors lock.

He looked up at the cab driver, "Hey listen if you want money I'll give it to you just let me out." James tugged on the door handle reaching down and pressing the button for the automatic window to roll down, which they hadn't assuming he locked the windows as well.

"I don't need your pocket change, because by the time I'm done I'll have it all little brother." The cold voice said maliciously from the front.

James' eyes widened, "Chris?"

Chris turned back to face James, "Say goodbye James." James watched the speed on the car increase as Chris acclereated further down the road, James pulled the lock up on his door opening the door the wind whipping his face, he saw Chris fly out from his door. James looked back and saw him roll onto the freeway.

James squeezed between the cage between the back seat and the front and attempted to stear the car to safety but lost control, the car skidded towards the passenger side swerving towards the side of the road, James hit his head on the roof of the car, the car flipped over and James fell out from within rolling onto the side of the road hearing a hard crack in his arm and feeling some thing shatter on his chest.

His head colliding with the cement he felt the blood pour out from the back of his head, his eyes fluttered as he saw the cab he was in go up into flames.

James looked up at the night sky and felt everything around him growing dim, he muttered to himself the tune he had stuck in his head before the car crash,

Can you hear me?
Are you near me?
Can we pretend to leave and then
We'll meet again
When both our cars collide...

His eyes closed on the dark world after finally giving into the numbing pain from his body.

Luke waited.

And waited.

He tried James' number again.

"Shit...it's engaged."

He paced around, and then decided to take the way to the airport, hoping to find James there in case he changed his mind.

***

"Okay, give me that, Ev," Natasha said gently but her expression was firm. Evelyn shook her head, tossing back the last chocolate piece into her mouth.

"I get the right to comfort food, Tasha," she replied, slouching back on the couch. Natasha groaned.

"No you don't! Not if it makes you spew blood! Ev, you just got discharged!"

"Apparently that wasn't very important," Evelyn told her. Natasha sighed.

"Is this about James again?"

Evelyn said nothing, only unwrapping another chocolate bar. Natasha nsatched the near-empty box of Galaxy bars away from her.

"Okay, stop before—"

Evelyn coughed once. Then twice, more violently this time. She doubled over, grimacing.

"Ev, I told you!"

"I'm fine," Evelyn snapped, shoving chocolate into her mouth with a sort of angry determination.

***

The redhead shook her head. "No, officer, I have no idea how he came here. I only called you when I got here."

"Thank you, Miss Hayden," the officer said, as the ambulance carted James away to the local hospital. The girl nodded.

"Can I...uh, go see him?" she asked. "Just cause, to make sure he's going to be alright."

"His wallet was found, so we know who he is. Not that that's a big problem. Not sure who to call though."

The redhead was already in her car, heading off behind the ambulance.

***

"No, I don't know where hsi family is," the redhead told the nurses.

"We'll have to wait till he wakes. Permission needed from his family, Miss Hayden."

James' cellphone rang and the policeman answered it.

"Hello? Yes this is his cellphone. I'm sorry, there has been an accident."

***

"Shit!" Luke fumed. What else could have gone wrong? In a fit of frustration, he dialled Evelyn's home phone an was informed by Natasha that Evelyn had thrown up yet again, and wasn't in a state to go anywhere.

"Great," Luke muttered. He dialled Ashlee as he reached the hospital.

"Ash, long time no chat. I'd say more, but for right now, apparently JEv share the same bad luck. It's the hospital again," he told her briefly, and hung up.