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More stories to tell about this adorable couple, Evangeline and John.  




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

 

The JOVAN Saga – A Collection of One-Shots

 

Author’s Note: Well hey guys!  I’m back!  It seems that there are many more stories for Evangeline and John that fit more as one-shots than multi-chaptered stories so I’ve decided to continue ‘The JOVAN Saga’.  So relax, cozy up with a cuppa and enjoy the read.

 

 

Chapter 16  Action after Inaction

 

“I had a life before John and I’ll have an even better one without him.”

 

Evangeline responds to her sister Layla while they sit in the diner talking about Evangeline’s constant bad moods since her breakup with John.

 

What Evangeline doesn’t realize is that at that exact moment John is standing within earshot and hears every word she says.  Layla does notice John standing in the aisle near them and motions to Evangeline to turn around and that’s when she sees John and their eyes meet.  Surprisingly enough Evangeline sees the hurt in John’s eyes but she does not react to it.

 

John says to Evangeline, “I’m glad to see that you are okay and out again.”  

 

Evangeline nods in response to his comment and adds, “Thank you.  Any further word on the investigation?”

 

John says his head, “No but I don’t want you to worry about anything.”

 

Evangeline smirks and concludes the conversation, “Don’t worry.  I won’t”

 

Evangeline then turns and resumes her conversation with Layla. John takes that as a dismissal and turns to leave.  Although he came to the diner to get something to eat, this encounter with Evangeline has taken away his appetite.  Feeling sad and lonely he walks back to his office. Perhaps drowning himself in work will take away some of the pain of that encounter. It is a lot better than going back to his apartment and drowning himself in liquor.

 

Upon returning to his office John checks his status board on the Killing Club Killer (KCK) case.  There are still no new developments on finding Natalie so John diverts his attention to the other case files on his desk.  He can’t really concentrate on anything other than his encounter with Evangeline, ‘I had a life before John and I’ll have an even better one without him’.  Her words reverberate in his brain causing an echo that crashes between his ears and strum throughout his body, ‘I’ll have an even better one without him’.  She’s already put him in her past when he has her in the forefront of his present and future.  Even with the furor of the KCK case John stills holds out hope that he and Evangeline can reconnect.  He needs to talk to her.  She always helps him to process things better.  He does remember that time in his office when she tried to help him early on with the KCK case and he told her that he’d rather try to process things by himself.  What a mistake that was because he can really use her now.

 

John smirks to himself at that thought because he knows that he needs her for more than just the case.  He misses her.  He misses being around her, talking to her, holding her, making love to her and just having her in his life.  What can he do to make her change her mind about moving on without him? Of course his actions involving her and Natalie didn’t make it easy for her to stay.

 

That day when she told him it was over between them he didn’t rush after her begging for another chance.  Later that same day he told his brother Michael that Evangeline ended things and John said that he didn’t expose his feelings not because he didn’t love her but because he felt backed into a corner.  Just that alone should have opened his eyes to the error of his ways.  Evangeline would never back him into a corner.  Whenever things got even a little uncertain between them she was always the one giving him an ‘out’.  But he never availed himself of that ‘out’ and instead led her on as if he was committed to her.  So why would she not express hurt and confusion when he professed his love to another woman.  Something he never professed to her.  Were the sides reversed John probably would have done the same thing that Evangeline did, end the relationship.

 

Sitting in his office thinking all of these things John realizes that he’s not accomplishing anything.  Deciding to make better use of his time John leaves and heads home.

 

---------------------

 

A quiet evening alone is just what Evangeline needs.  A nice hot shower, comfy leisure clothes, a light dinner and a good book all allow her body and mind to relax.  With determination not to think about anything too heavy she finds herself relaxing and before she knows it she falls asleep on her sofa with her book on her lap.

 

Two hours later she awakes confused as to why she’s on her sofa and not in her bed.  Remembering how she got there she smiles and realizes that evidently she was more tired than she thought.  Placing her book on the end table next to the sofa she rises to head for bed. Before she makes it to her bedroom door she hears a knock at her apartment door.  Who would visit her at this late hour?  Fear envelops her when she thinks that the killer may have returned to recapture her.  She looks around for something to use as a weapon, but finding nothing, she grabs her cell phone to call for help.  Just as she presses the ‘9’ on her phone she hears,  “Evangeline.  It’s John.  May I come in?”

 

Evangeline hangs up her phone and walks to the door. Opening it she finds John McBain standing there dressed in jeans, a black tee shirt and sneakers.  She catches herself before she smiles because that’s one of her favorite outfits for him to wear.  She always thought that he looked so relaxed when he dressed like that.  It was as if he ‘lowered his shields’ just for a little while and allowed her to see the John McBain, raw and real.  Not the John McBain with the mask and armor that he usually hid behind most of the time.

 

“What is it John?  Why are you here so late?  Is there news on the KCK case?”

 

“No.  I just want to see you.  I just want to talk to you.”

 

“It can wait until tomorrow John.  It’s late and we both need our rest.  Tomorrow you can call my office and make an appointment and then we can talk.”

 

"Is it really that bad Evangeline that I have to make an appointment to talk to you?”

 

“John I can’t deal with this now.  Either make the appointment or just leave me alone.  Let me get on with my life.”

 

“I can’t Evangeline.  I can’t get on with my life without you.  Earlier today when I heard you say that you will have a better life without me that hurt me.  All I can do these days is think about us, what we were when we were together.  I looked forward to another day.  It may not seem to you that I care but I do.  I know that I told you that this case was everything and the only thing that I could concentrate on now but I was wrong. I made so many mistakes with us and I don’t know how to fix them.  I hurt you that I know.  But in hurting you I hurt myself too.  You made me feel things that I never thought that I would feel again and now that you and I are no longer together I feel so hollow, so empty.”

 

Not knowing how to respond or even what to say Evangeline just sits on her sofa.  So many times before she would try to get John to open up about his feelings and now that he is she is stumped as to what to do so she doesn’t do anything.  The moments pass and neither of them say a word more.

 

John begins to feel uneasy when Evangeline doesn’t respond so he decides to leave.  Rising from the sofa he heads for the door.

 

“And just where to you think you’re going Lt. McBain?  What did you think would happen here?  Was I just to welcome you back with open arms after your speech?  Now you know how I feel, empty and hollow.  So what do you plan to do to make things better?  I’m not putting myself back out there for you to hurt me again John.  I won’t do that. I think better of myself than to do that.  I might love you John, I will admit that I still do, but I love myself more than to allow you back in my life to hurt me again.”

 

“Evangeline now that I know what it is to live without you let me assure you that I don’t want to continue to do so.  I love you Evangeline.  I love you so much that it scares me.  I ran away from you, yes.  I was a coward.  I thought that putting barriers between us would give me time to make sense of what I feel for you but it backfired.  You left me.  I want you back. I want us back Evangeline. Please tell me that there is ‘a chance’ for us and I will do whatever I have to do to prove to you that I am ‘in this all of the way’ as you once told me.  I know that it’s late in the evening and we both have busy days ahead of us but don’t give up on us Evangeline.  Give us another try and I promise that you will not regret it”

 

The silence is deafening (if that is possible).  Neither of them can move from their spots. Evangeline still sits on the sofa and John stands at the door.  Who will talk first?  Who will concede to try again?  They both have much to lose but they also have so much to gain.

 

 

 

A/N: I’ll let you imagine what happens next.  This is a one-shot. Now on to the next.












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.