December 23rd 2014. Britain.| Zachary.

Oh yeah, she can't really walk in this state...

I could just carry her.

No, I'm not supposed to do this. Whatever this is.

It's nearly Christmas and she is going to be locked up for a while.

Silently, I bent over, slid an arm under the bend of her knees and another around her exposed back, and gently got up. She jumped slightly with surprise and hesitantly placed her arms around my shoulders, looking downwards to avoid my eyes.

Talk about awkward.

For the five minute walk to the yard, we remained silent, avoiding eye contact at any cost. It was too bizarre. After all just a week ago or so, we had been screaming bitterly at each other, crimson-faced. Yet here I was holding her hair back as she puked and then carrying her to the garden so she could have as okay of a birthday as she possibly could. I wondered if she was even aware that she had just turned 21 years old since she had stayed in that room for so long, but I wouldn't dare to ask. And I couldn't bring myself to wish her.

As we reached the garden, I gently set her down. Her expression seemed to brighten under the moonlight, as she stepped onto the wet grass. She clumsily walked on for another meter and then let herself fall back onto the grass with a small giggle.

She looked over at me, her blue eyes glimmering with joy as she nodded at me to come and join her.

"No way, my tux-".

"Since when does Steele worry about some mud getting on his fancy-shmancy suit?", she asked jokingly.

"Shmancy?".

"Oh shut up and just sit.", she grinned at me before looking up at the sky.

With a sigh, I walked towards her and lay down as well, looking up to find the jet black tapestry of the sky, embellished with stars. The bright jewels happily danced along the sky, tugging at the corners of my lips into a smile. It was hard to shove aside thoughts and doubts on what I was doing, but eventually, I just... stopped thinking.

As I glanced at her and wondered if she knew... if I should wish her. But then, she shut her eyes closed and whispered so quietly that I nearly missed it:

"Happy Birthday, Jack."

May 20th 2010. USA.| Jacquelyn.

The sunlight glared harshly at me, forcing my eyelids to gradually open. I placed a hand in front of my eyes, but my failed attempt to shield them from the sun ended up making me realize that my head was leaning on a guy's exposed chest, while my hand lay across his stomach. Then, I realized that his hand was on my back, and somehow it was a pretty comforting gesture.

Jacquelyn, why are you describing things so complexly?! Get a hold of your stressed nerdy-self and just say that you were cuddling with Zac!

Ok. I was cuddling with Zac freaking Steels. How did I end up in this bed? No idea.

I attempted to wiggle out of his arms, but the more I struggled, the more his embrace tightened.

How do I end up in these situations?! First, we accidentally kiss, now we accidentally-Wow. Hang on- I'm in his bed.

Shit.

Shit.

Freaking poo.

Please tell me that I didn't fuck him.

Nervously, I peeked down at my thankfully covered figure.

Thank god.

Slowly, I picked up one of Zac's arm and dropped it gradually on the bed and did the same for the other. I glanced as his angel-like face... a few strands of his soft chocolaty hair fell over his forehead shadowing closed lids, while his lips wore a tender smile.

After my- um observations, I got up, but a sharp pain sped through my head, and instinctively I brought my hands to my forehead and massaged my temples.

Great, I even drank last night. Well, it explains why I don't remember anything, plus I wouldn't do anything with Zac while sober.

Really?

The kiss doesn't count, it was an accident.

You mean the kisses.

Trying to ignore the pain, I scrambled off the bed and picked up clothes, making sure not to wake him up. I pulled my clothes on and stumbled to the door, while an unbearable pain shot through my head.

As I opened the door, a floor stranded with red solo cups, party strings and drunk high school kids revealed itself, making me scrunch my nose in disgust.

Oh god, why did I agree to coming to Alec's after-party. I should've known it wouldn't go well.

I walked along the hall, stepping between empty spaces, until I reached a staircase.

Hurriedly, I climbed down the stairs and found my way to the entrance. Just as I lay my hand on the door knob, a voice spoke behind me, making me jolt in surprise.

"Where are you running off to, Jackie? Leaving your beloved Zac alone, I see.", Luciano's annoying voice questioned with smugness oozing from his words.

"Luciano.", I gritted out, "Or should I say Alec Woods?".

"Mia cara, I'm glad that you still remember me.", his lips wore the same smirk that always made me want to slap it out of his face.

"How could I forget an asshole like you?!", I said, feeling fists clenching by my side.

How could I forget what he did?

How I could I forget his face... the one that could do anything for money, power and status?

True, it had been two years since his jealousy prevailed and crossed all the limits in the world, but how could I ever forget the night he ki-....

How could he dare to even look at me in my eyes, after his shameless acts?!

He tsk-ed shaking his finger in front of my face, and mocked, "My, my. Zia Jocelyn wouldn't be very happy with that dirty little mouth of yours."

"Oh you mean the aunt you killed?!", I spat venomously at the murderer.

An expression of hurt flashed across his face, but soon swapped back to his usual poker face.

"My hands are not tainted with her blood, Alessandra. You know very well who gave the orders...", he spoke with a cold tone.

"My name is not Alessandra. It's Jacquelyn ", I hissed at him, "How ironic that he named me Alessandra, he thought it would be funny to name me that, didn't he?! Since it means 'defender of mankind' although I had been born for quite the opposite."

"Jacquelyn... You actually chose the name your mother gave you.", he paused as though analyzing the sound of the name. " You chose Jacquelyn Richardson for this town right? Has a nice ring to it. But so did Adriana Fray, Victoria Roberts, and Jessica Roth."

Ignoring his confession of having kept tabs on us, I managed to whisper, "You could have stopped them from killing her...", feeling a lump growing in my throat, "But you didn't. She treated you like her own son, and how do you pay her back? By killing her. That's not all, you cold-heartedly murdered Jack two years back, just for the position! How could I forget that?!".

He avoided my eyes, and glanced at the floor.

"You are disgusting! You claimed that you were his best friend, and yet... Because of you, I don't trust anyone anymore! Whenever I tell myself that I might be able to trust my friends with anything, I recall what you did and realize how wrong I am...", I couldn't stop the words flooding out my mouth and neither the tears from my eyes that I had kept in during the hard years, cruel months, painful weeks and agonizing days.

With his eyes cast down, he stayed mute, not daring to contradict what I was accusing him of.

Hurriedly, I wiped my cheeks trying to get rid of the tears being wasted for an unfaithful creature who doesn't deserve to be called a human.

"Alessan-"

"Don't."

"Fine, Jacquelyn. Happy?!".

I shook my head with revulsion and gritted out, "I hate you, Luciano."

"Wait, who the fuck is Luciano?", a familiar voice erupted from behind me, compelling me to whip around.

Zac.

December 23rd 2014. Britain.|Jacquelyn.

Words and tears flowed out uncontrollably, probably as a result of that wine I had chugged down earlier. Either way, here I was pouring out my feelings to the person who despised me the most, as I watched the star-freckled sky.

Amidst the gentle sound of the breeze and the slight rustle of the trees, I spoke:

"My twin brother wasn't the intimidating, murderous dude that my...my father", I paused and said the word with disgust," had made the world believe him to be, you know. That's probably what you thought of him from your background checks but he wasn't. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

I thought of Jack's shrieks when he spotted a spider and chuckled, "I wouldn't say the same thing for spiders, though. He hated those."

I felt Zac's gaze on the side of my face as I looked up at the sky and continued, "He was such a nerd. Like a real one, unlike my whole high school act. Said he wanted to be an astronaut", I felt myself smile broadly as I thought of all his sketches of spaceships and the solar system model that hung off his childhood room's ceiling, "I remember this one time when we were nine, he said he wanted to go to the stars and see what was up there. In my signature sarcastic and pessimistic demeanor, I asked what he would do if there was nothing."

I turned around and faced Zac, "And he said the wisest thing a nine year old could possibly say. With his big, blue eyes and Harry Potter-style round glasses, he whispered with awe, 'What if there was everything.'"

Moonlight spilled onto his features as his warm, brown eyes stared at me intently, his nose just inches from mine. In the silence of the night, I could hear my heart thumping against my chest as our breaths mingled. He seemed to lean in, but I suppose realization dawned as he abruptly sat up and cleared his throat.

What was I thinking?

"We should get back to the party. Do you want to go rest in your room or you can come along if you're hungry...", he said with a poker face.

At his words, my stomach grumbled loudly.

Way to go, Jacquelyn. Way to go.

"I suppose that answers my question", he said, attempting to cover up the smile in his voice.

Clumsily, I scrambled to my feet but a sharp pain in my head caused me to stumble backwards. Zac slipped his arm around me in time and held me up, causing me to jump slightly as his hand pressed against my bare back, exposed by my dress. With a silent nod, we came to an agreement that it was probably best if he helped me to the dinner hall.

Wordlessly, we were walking along the long corridor (that is if my awkward stumbles count as walking ) when we were ambushed by the ever-so-charming Becca Clington.

"Zac, there you are! I was looking for yo- Why are you covered in mud and why are you with her?", she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Don't worry, Becca. I didn't hook up with him behind a bush or something.", I let out with a chuckle.

"Shut it."

Zac simply rolled his eye and replied nonchalantly, "She got lost and ended up on the backyard. I was going to bring her back, but I slipped. Hence, the mud."

Thank god he didn't mention my great puking episode.

Becca seemed relieved but then in her typical try-to-ruin-everyone fashion, she grunted, "Where were Tyler and Jacob? They were in charge of keeping an eye on her."

Zac nervously glanced at me, gesturing me to pitch in.

"It's not their fault," I said, "I was talking to the David guy so they probably thought it was OK."

Becca turned back to Zac and started, "Zac , who on earth disappears from their own promotion party?."

"Promotion?!", I snorted, "From and to what? Junior Jackass to Senior Jackass."

"You'll see."

******

David Letterman's jolly voice called out as we entered the dinner hall, "Ah! Mr.Steele, you're back... muddier than last time but anyways, shall we get to business?".

Zac simply nodded as he guided me to the chair next to Tyler, who looked more confused than ever. As he eyed my mud -soaked gown and raised an eyebrow curiously, I simply shook my head and mouthed "Later."

I stared at Zac as he walked up to the end of the dinner table, with confidence in spite of his muddy tuxedo. As he drew nearer, Letterman stood up wearing a broad grin as he clutched a wine glass in his right hand and clinked a spoon against the sound of it, silencing the entire hall. Every single person gave him their full attention, except for me since I was busy chomping down some of the chicken parmesan.

His voice boomed across the silent hall as he spoke, "Ladies and Gentlemen. I thank you all for being here for this pre- Christmas dinner and for joining our celebrations."

"Wow, you people are so polite and fancy for a gang of murderers, thugs and smugglers," I blurted out, causing hundreds of eyes to glare back at me as I continued to eat.

Letterman simply let out hearty laugh and retorted, "Well, Miss. Jacquelyn, I must say that I am very flattered. After all, this is the nicest thing you've told me throughout this evening."

"You're welcome, David", I answered with a grin, provoking a wave of gasps from the guests, "Don't mind me, continue your long and boring speech. By the way, the chicken parmesan is really good "

"I'm glad you like it. Now back to my apparently long and boring speech," he started, sending a wink at me, "I am very happy to announce that I will finally be retiring this year and go off to the Bahamas for a well-deserved vacation. However, I before doing so, I have chosen a new leader for you. One who I believe could even be a better leader than I, for he has unfaltering loyalty and a strong backbone. And with him in control, I rest assured that the Serpents will be in good hands. Ladies and Gentlemen...".

He paused for dramatic effect which made me roll my eyes as I drank some water.

"Zachary Steele."

That is when I spat out a mouthful of water all over Tyler.

Happy Birthday, Jacquelyn.