True Love Never Dies, Part 7

Lassiter -- the swings

Jake walks over to the swings and sits on Vicky’s swing.

*****

Vicky walks over to Jake.

V: “About this soulmate thing -- how about you and me?”

J: “Well, we’ve been friends long enough.”

V: “Yes, we have. We’ve helped each other through all the, you know, all the times. All
the times that really mattered. Like when you were in love with Paulina.”

J: “You were in love with Ryan.”

Jake pauses when he sees the look on Vicky’s face.

J: “You think we should be getting back now?”

V: “Nope. I found all my answers.”

J: “You did? Good, good for you. Good.”

V: “I’ve been making this too complicated. I had all the pieces, I just didn’t know how to put it together. But Bridget helped me.”

J: “Bridget?”

V: “Mm-hmm.”

J: “So, how do all the pieces go together?”

V: “Like this.”

They kiss.

V: “And like this.”

They kiss again.

Jake pulls away.

J: “Vic, what are you doing here?”

V: “Jake McKinnon, will you marry me?”

(fade to...)

J: “So, you talked to Shane?”

V: “Yes.”

J: “And?”

V: “Jake, he wants to marry me. He thinks if I marry you I’ll be making a terrible mistake for both of our lives.”

J: “And what did you say to that?”

V: “I told him that I was sorry he felt that way because I was going to marry Jake McKinnon. If he’d have me. So...”

She starts to get down on her knee, but Jake stops her.

J: “Uh, no. Before you do this, I have one little thing.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his ring.

V: “Jake...”

J: “What?”

V: “‘Little’? I can’t--”

J: “No... this... no, Vicky, this is not for you. This is for me. I mean, you’re extravagant, but I’m worth it.”

V: “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You are so worth this. You are worth absolutely anything.
Everything.”

She gets down on her knee.

V: “Jake McKinnon, will you marry me?”

J: “Yes, Vicky Hudson, I will marry you.”

(fade to...)

V: “Jake.”

J: “Wait a minute. You called me Jake.”

Jake tries to walk towards Vicky, but she screams and backs away terrified.

J: “No, no. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m not trying to scare you.”

V: “You’re not... you’re not...”

J: “Not... I’m not... I’m not Jake?”

V: “You’re not... you’re not... you’re not dead.”

Vicky faints and Jake catches her.

J: “Hey. Hey, beautiful, wake up. Wake up, okay? Wake up. Wake up. Let me see those big blue eyes. Wake up and give me a kiss, okay? Wake up and give me a kiss?”

Jake moves Vicky’s hair out of her eyes.

J: “Wait a minute. That tree over there. I used to wake up underneath that tree in the
morning and I would have to brush the hair out of my eyes only it wasn’t my hair. It was
blonde, like yours. You used to think that you could swing higher than me! But you couldn’t. We were kids. We were kids. Come here.”

Jake picks Vicky up and sits on the swing with her in his lap.

J: “We were kids. Man, you weigh like two pounds. What? Don’t you eat? Eat. Eat.
Jelly doughnuts. We snagged a bag of jelly doughnuts from the bakery and you ate them all before we could get over here. I was so mad at you and then you kissed me and you got jelly on my face and on my jeans.”

V: (coming to) “Jelly doughnuts.”

J: “Look at me. I’m back and I am never going to leave you again.”

They kiss. After a few minutes of enjoying the kiss, Vicky realizes who she’s kissing and pushes Jake off the swing.

(fade to...)

Jake and Vicky sitting on the swings. Vicky stands up and walks away from Jake.

V: “Just don’t. Don’t, okay? It’s--”

J: “What’s the matter?”

V: “I wanted to hear your voice for so many months. Say it again.”

J; “Vicky. Vicky. Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky.”

V: “You know, it’s just that no matter who else we loved, it was always Jake and Vicky. And then, when you died, I just felt so alone. I just didn’t feel safe anymore.”

J: “You don’t love me anymore?”

V: “Jake, after you died, I realized I would never love anybody the way I love you.”

J: “Hey, Vic. I’m not dead.”

V: “Honestly and truly?”

J: “Blood brothers forever.”

V: “Jake!”

Vicky jumps into his arms.

*****

The tears come streaming down Jake’s face as he closes his eyes.

J: “Oh, God, Vic, I miss you so much. I would give anything, anything if I could just hold you in my arms again. And the twins. Oh, our beautiful little girls that I will never meet. I love them. And I love you. I’m never going to stop.”

Jake dissolves into tears and sobbing, puts his face in his hands.

Vicky stands off to the side of the park, next to the fence. Tears are falling down her face
after hearing her husband speak. She quickly wipes the tears from her face and walks up to Jake, so she’s still a few feet away.

V: “Hey, that’s my swing you’re sitting on.”

Jake slowly takes his hands from his face and looks up. Seeing Vicky, he slowly stands up.

J: “Please tell me I’m not imagining this.”

V: (smiles with tears in her eyes) “You’re not, Jake. You up to holding me in your arms right now?”

Vicky runs into Jake’s arms. They both cry as they hold each other.

J: “Oh, my God. I can’t believe it’s really you. Everybody thought you were dead.”

Jake pulls Vicky away from him and looks at her.

J: “What happened? Where have you been?”

V: “Oh, Jake. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

J: “Try me.”

V: “You know the bodyguard we hired?”

J: “Yeah, after Alec threatened you and the kids.”

V: “Right. Well, the bodyguard worked for Alec.”

J: “What?”

V: “The bodyguard was ordered by Alec to make me disappear. So, he drugged me on our way to the airport. They hid me in this old warehouse here in Lassiter.”

J: “Woah. He drugged you? What about the twins? Are they okay?”

V: “They’re fine. I guess they had some doctor on their payroll check me out.”

J: “Well, when we get home, I’m taking you to BCUH. No questions asked.”

V: “No way. The first thing I’m going to do is see Steven and Kirkland. Are they okay?”

J: “Uh, yeah. We brought them home from London yesterday. But, they are going to be so much better after they see your most perfect face.”

They pause and just look at each other. Tears form in Jake’s eyes.

J: “I thought you were dead.”

Vicky takes Jake in her arms.

V: “I know you did, sweetie. I know you did.”

J: “I didn’t want to, pumpkin. You gotta believe me. I didn’t want to believe it.”

V: “Jake. It’s all right. I’m fine. I’m right here.”

Jake and Vicky look at each other.

J: “Do you know what today is?”

V: “Are you kidding me? Two years ago today, I married my best friend and the love of my life. I could never forget.”

Jake takes Vicky’s hands in his own.

J: “I love you. I love you. Today you are making my biggest dream come true. We were kids together and now we’re going to have kids together. We got our family, and I promise you that I am going to take care of you and the guys in good times and in bad and I’m going to do my best to make everybody here laugh once a day. We’re going to grow old together... not soon. I give you all I have, all I am, and all I ever will be because without you, I’m not anyone. You know something, Vicky, when we’re together, my life is complete. So, wherever we are, as long as we’re together, that’s home.”

V: “We love you, Jake. And thanks to you I know what love is again. It’s been standing right by me my whole life, sometimes standing so close I couldn’t even see you. But I see you now and my eyes are wide open. I see the man I’ve been looking for, a man who accepts me exactly the way I am, doesn’t try to change me, just to help me be myself in so many better ways. You’ve made me honest with myself. That’s not always easy. You brought me to my family and now we’re going to be a family. And I promise you that this is only the beginning of all the happiness that we’re going to share. So, I can’t promise to laugh at all your jokes, but I promise to listen to them all. And I share everything that I am with you. Today, tomorrow, forever.”

They kiss

The End