Chapter 1: Bring me to Life.

This fanfic is dedicate to my old and new friends, specially to Josefa, thanks for your unconditional friendship.

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She shook with fear. All these years, she tried to forget-- but she couldn't. When she came home today, like every day, and opened the door and stood looking at the floor, there it was: a little piece of paper waiting to change her life forever…again. When Lisa reached for it, she couldn't stop feeling that something was wrong, but she nodded her head, thinking that now she was getting paranoid. But women have a sixth sense for a reason.

There she was, standing numb in the door, with the rain outside hitting her back like a shower and she didn't feel it. Her eyes were open to what was written in the piece of paper.

"After all this years, you are still alone. You shut everybody out because deep down you know that I'm the only one for you. You beg for me every night, and I know, because I can feel it. And the wait is over, my love, because if you are alone, is because you wait for me. If you were with someone, I could understand and leave you, but how can I leave you when I know that you wait for me? No more Lisa, I'm coming for you.

Jake."

Lisa froze and felt panic for the first time in many, many years. Suddenly, she felt that someone was behind her and she screamed and turned around… just to see green eyes meeting baby blue ones which looked at her in shock. She trembled and turned pale, almost like a ghost. Rick stood there, and tried to reach for her arm, when she gave a fast step back and fell to the floor, not recognizing him at first view.

- Lisa? Lisa, what's wrong with you? - asked Rick, concerned, watching her in that unusual state. It was as if she wasn't herself. He had never seen her like that. He tried to reach to her and she stepped back, hitting her head into the near table.

- Lisa! C'mon…it's me, Rick, tell me what happened!!

Lisa looked at him and suddenly recognized him. She opened her big eyes and breathed hard, like it was the first time she'd ever drawn breath- "Oh Rick!!….I….I…." she tried to calm herself when reality hit her, she tried to stand up from the floor but couldn't move yet. Rick kneeled next to her and touched her cheek in concern. - Lisa…what the hell happened! I just came to give you this report because I can't go early tomorrow and I know you need it, and when I came here I saw you, standing in the doorframe, getting wet, and when I called you screamed and looked at me like I was a madman! What's wrong!! Tell me! - he said, almost shouting.

She looked at him and the first thing she thought was "he can't understand, I don't want his pity" and she looked at the floor and just mumbled, "Please, help me stand up".

He did, and as he helped her he realized how cold her hands were. He helped her sit on the couch, walked to the door and closed it. He knew her more than he even knew, and noticed that her eyes had come back to their old selves. They were arguing a lot this days, and those were the eyes he knew well, but this time he wouldn't leave until knew what the hell had happened.

Rick walked next to her and helped her get out of her soaking coat. Then he walked to the little kitchen, put some water to boil and came back to the couch. He took her hands in his.

-Lisa, please tell me, what's going on…- he whispered.

Lisa looked at the floor, trying not to cry in front of him. She sighed and nodded. She had no idea how she could hide this from him, and if he knew, then Gloval, Claudia, Roy, even the girls from the bridge would know.

Rick followed her eyes and then noticed the little piece of paper on the floor, and before she could reach it, he took it and read it faster. Lisa's eyes were wide and angry, but then she looked resigned and ashamed.

The water started boiling far away, but Rick didn't notice. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her to ask, "Lisa, what's this letter? Who's this guy?"

Lisa didn't look at him and then put her hand on her face, trying to hide what she felt, what she did...

- Rick, it's a long story, with a very bad end…I…I don't want you to know…- she said.

- Well, that's pretty bad - he said as he came to sit next to her, with a new rush of determination - because I'm not going to move from here before you tell me.

Lisa sobbed into her hands and then Rick felt a little panic. "Lisa don't sob…Lisa don't cry!" and then he slowly reached for her hands to make her look at him.

-Tell me, now.

Her eyes were red and had a confused look.

- I need Claudia, Rick…please, don't make me tell you this…please - she begged.

- No way! - he said, getting a little upset - you will talk to her as much as you want, but you are going to tell me what's going on… WHO is Jake.

He couldn't stop feeling that this guy, this name, wasn't anything good. Lisa sighed, and took a big breath.

- Ok, all right, I'm going to tell you, but please, can you give me first a cup of tea…I feel so cold - she said.

Rick drop her hands and stand up slowly, he walked to the kitchen and a few minutes later he came back with two mugs with hot tea and placed one in front of her.

- Thanks- Lisa murmured, and took the mug into her hands to let the hot water bring the life again to her body.

Rick took his own mug and after a sip, he looked at her, waiting for her to start, not leaving room to argue about if she would or would not tell. She would. She had to.

Lisa read his eyes and sighed - Jake…Jake…when I was younger, after Carl died, I…I met Jake in a bar one night. We talked, and he seemed nice at first view. After that I got very drunk and well…you can imagine the rest - she said not looking him in the eyes.

Rick was shocked. He couldn't believe that Lisa could ever have a one night stand with a stranger, but then again, she was probably devastated by the loss of her boyfriend, and when people are in that state, stupidity always seems like a valid option. But he still couldn't believe that Lisa "his Lisa" could so something like that. He tried not to look so shocked and waited for her. She took another sip of her tea.

- I…well…the next morning I was disgusted by what I had done, so I escaped and I didn't leave a note or anything. But it looks like I told him more than I should have… and he found me the next day, when I was leaving to go home. In that time I used to live with Claudia. He caught me in front of my apartment and told me that he liked me, that what had happened was special, that he had this "vibe" that we were meant for each other… he was a freak! I mean… first I tried to get away politely, and told him that I wasn't interested in him, that I was sorry, but he wouldn't take a no for an answer. Then, he started becoming a little more aggressive. That was when Roy came in, he was going to pick up Claudia for a date and he separated him from me, and scared him…for the moment. - Lisa looked at Rick for the first time, trying to see what was in his mind, if he was too shocked. He looked back at her, encouraging her to continue. She frowned.

- After that, he started to follow me everywhere. He was obsessed with me, he called and hung up when I answered and I got very scared. He was… stalking me. There were special orders from Claudia and myself not to let anybody come close to our apartment. This continued for more than six months, every day, all the time. - she put her hands over her face again. She looked like she was trying to forget - Roy helped me a lot; he went with me everywhere. That was the time when we become close friends, and he acted like a big brother around me - she smiled a little and then her sad smile vanished… - But it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. After those six months, he stopped suddenly and I felt relieved and happy… but he was just waiting. One night I was in the late train and when I got back home, late at night, he kidnapped me. He got into the taxi I took and when it stopped in a red light. He jumped into the car and shot the driver and he hit me in the head. He took me away and I was unconscious for several hours, it was awful…. I…I…-and then her voice turned into a sob, Rick reached her hand and let her cry for a little. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt angry, powerless, but he had to hear the rest, he had to know.

- Lisa, tell me. Did this guy rape you? - he asked, spitting out the word as if it was poison.

She cried harder and then shook her head

- No, thanks God no, he…he's crazy. He put me in this bed in satin sheets and just watched me. He talked to me, touched my face. - She looked disgusted - but he didn't rape me. He said he wanted me to want it, but after a while, he changed, he turned aggressive. And when I didn't let him go any further, he hit me, he almost killed me. - She cried more - that was when someone came and he ran away. They found me a month after kidnapping. Just in time, otherwise I would be dead. - she looked like a ghost. Rick just held her and let her relax in his embrace. Lisa put her head to Rick's chest and felt secure when she listen his heart beat. She let him put his arms around her and he rested his cheek on her head, smelling her hair.

- I'm so sorry Lisa, I didn't know…I don't know what to say, that was awful…I'm so sorry…- he was genuinely concerned. After a while she sat up, a little more calm, and Rick took the letter again.

- Are you sure this letter is from him? - He asked. Lisa just nodded the affirmative and looked now to the now tea in the mug. The rain outside was harder and slammed against the windows with fury, a thunder invading the silence. Rick looked at her, trying to think. The young pilot stood and went to the phone, and when she asked him what he was doing he didn't answer her. He waited for a long moment before the other end replied.

- Hello? Claudia, this is Rick Hunter - he waited for some seconds while she answered, then added - Listen Claudia, I'm in Lisa's home and something very bad happened, no, no, she's alright now, but it looks like this Jake guy is back. - He stayed silence for a while, probably because Claudia was too shocked. - Listen, I'm going to stay here but I think it will be better if you came here, with Roy…Lisa is not right and I think we need to figure it out what are we going to do…

Rick kept talking with Claudia. Lisa just listened to him. She wasn't acting like herself and she knew it-but she was surprised to see Rick taking control of the situation. After all this time, after everything, Rick was acting like a grown man, and not just the overgrown, selfish child who licked the floor that Minmey walked on. Lisa was upset in some ways, because he was taking the situation out of her hands. But a little voice in her head told her that in her state, she couldn't make a very wise decision; especially because running was for cowards, and that was exactly what she felt like doing. The same voice told her that Rick wasn't doing anything bad either, so she let him take control for once. She looked at the window and saw the drops hitting hard against the glass. "Why is he back? Oh God, why… If you are alone it is because you wait for me…for me….for me." Lisa thought over and over again and the words pounded her mind as hard as the rain outside pounded the pane. "No, it's not true," she said aloud, shaking her head hard and burying her face in her hands. Then a warm hand held her shoulder, and Rick sat next to her, just looking at her, not speaking. Rick thought a moment about those green eyes, those beautiful eyes, so full of life and determination and now just looking scared, and he promised himself that he would not let those eyes change again, not matter what. He let her cry on his shoulder. More importantly, she let herself cry for the first time in years.