Something Left Unfinished (Rayne)

[Cole Kessler]

Cole was happy to be home. That little fact was a given. What he wasn't happy with was being single. Sure, he played into it while he was on stage; took part in one-night stands here and there and the like. But, still, something in his life was missing and had been for a while. It was something no amount of Sex, no matter who with, would fix. He'd had a stable relationship before he'd left Pilot Ridge, but when she went to visit her real parents, she was forced to be gone for too long.

The agreement to call it off was mutual, but Cole never really wanted it to happen. He tried all through their tour to get her of his mind, but never truly could. The only time he really tried to think of her was while singing. The emotional pain was enough to boost his performance and bring some meaning into the lyrics. Sometimes it would even bring emotion out of the crowd. Regardless of what happened while he was gone, Cole was back now. He knew there was something unfinished between the two of them, but the only way it would be finished would be if she was back too.

Shifting his focus back to the now, Cole flicked away his cigarette and walked up onto the stage. His bandmates were taking time off as he should have been, but Cole wasn't about to let his job go to waste and not do anything while home. He grabbed a stool and his acoustic guitar before sitting in front of the microphone. "Hey, everyone! For those of you who don't know me, which are few and far between, my name is Cole Kessler. I'm gonna be flying solo tonight and doing some acoustics.... Seeing as how the rest of my band is MIA for the moment."

Cole paused only to bring his guitar up and begin.

When you were standing in the wake of devastation
And you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
And with the cataclysm raining down
Insides crying "Save me now"
You were there, impossibly alone

Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go. Let it go

And in a burst of light that blinded every angel
As if the sky had blown the heavens into stars
You felt the gravity of tempered grace
Falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go. Let it go

Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go. Let it go

Let it go (x2)

Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure’s all you’ve known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go. Let it go

[Rayne DiSalvo]

It hadn't been a full year that she was gone, but it was long enough to still feel like she was a stranger. Walking through Pilot Ridge was strange now after being in such a busy part of New York City. She forgot how much she enjoyed the small town feel of it and she'd missed her family and friends that she left behind after going off to New York. It was all for a good reason though so she couldn't fret on it too much. After all, she had two sets of parents now and they both cared for her equally, though she'd always hold a little more affection towards her adoptive parents.

Now that Rayne was back home, she decided to go around to all of the places she'd missed since her absence. Kali's was first on the list and it had been with her best friend. Also her parents' home because, well she was still living there for the moment. Today she had decided to go to the club scene. It wasn't because she necessarily felt like drinking up a storm (because she still had her fake ID), but rather because it held a certain sense of sentimental value to her. It was the club where her and Cole often spent time together while he performed and dedicated songs to her. Though they weren't together anymore, she did miss him.

The whole break up had been for the best. They both agreed that a long distance relationship wasn't good for anyone. It caused doubts and jealous where it wasn't needed and Rayne just couldn't handle more stress than what she was being pushed into with her parents. Besides, the whole thing with her parents, once it was resolved would actually help her in the long run and that was most important to her. She told herself time and time again afterwards that it was a good thing, but that didn't keep her from feeling the pain of a broken heart. It left her with an emptiness in her chest that hadn't been replaced by anyone.

Eventually as her time in New York extended, the pain was put to the back of her mind and it was almost bearable. On occasion she had gotten asked out by different guys that she met, but she hadn't taken any of them up on it. Dating just wasn't what she needed because she knew she wanted to go back to Vermont and she wouldn't get into a new long distance relationship. It all changed when she came back though. Especially when her adoptive parents asked her if she'd heard from him and she had to say no.

All of these thoughts went through her head as she stepped into the club, giving the bouncer a smile when he let her in. Rayne had gone out shopping earlier in the day to find a new clubbing outfit for the night and was quite pleased by the reactions she got from it. Heading towards the bar, she glanced up towards the stage and caught sight of someone walking out with an acoustic. She hadn't gotten a good look at him, but then he announced his name and she practically tripped over her own feet, accidentally bumping someone.

The song began, and she slowly made her way towards the stage. It was like she was being dragged there by some unseen force because she couldn't turn away. It didn't help that the song just reminded her more of him. Rayne stopped when she was a few feet away from the edge of the stage. All she could do was watch him until he finished. Part of her hoped he wouldn't see her, but the small part that had been pushed back so many times hoped that he would.

[Cole Kessler]

As Cole finished the first song, he paused and looked back behind him. It was as if singing like this, especially in his club, made his mind believe that if he looked back he would see Rayne standing there. He thought back to his last concert at the club. He and Sam shredding away to a song that defined the two of them together; looking back and seeing his girlfriend at the time standing there in support. He almost couldn't hold back the tears when she wasn't there.

Yet, he managed to keep them from falling and he began to pick at his guitar. His eyes lingered but a moment longer before turning back to the crowd. As he continued to pick randomly at the strings of his instrument, Cole felt something change in the air. He stopped playing and scanned over the crowd again. He could feel eyes upon him, but it wasn't like there was any lack of them among his audience. But the feeling wasn't the same. It was as if someone was watching him intently. Someone who knew him well outside of the club was here, but where he knew not.

Shaking the feeling as best he could he began to strum once more. "This song is called Watch Over You by Alterbridge. I hope you enjoy it." With those words, Cole sent the opening bridge of the song into full swing.

Leaves are on the ground
Fall has come
Blue skies turning grey
Like my love

I tried to carry you
And make you whole
But it was never enough
I must go

[Chorus:]
Who is gonna save you
When I'm gone?
And who'll watch over you
When I'm gone?

You say you care for me
But hide it well
How can you love someone
And not yourself?

[Chorus]

And when I'm gone
Who will break your fall?
Who will you blame?

I can't go on
And let you lose it all
It's more than I can take
Who'll ease your pain?
Ease your pain

[Chorus:]
Who is gonna save you when I'm gone?
Who'll watch over you?
Who will give you strength when you're not strong.
Who'll watch over you when I've gone away?

Snow is on the ground
Winters come
I long to hear your voice
But You're long gone

[Rayne DiSalvo]

The memories that came with this place weren’t necessarily welcome, but they came anyway. One right after the other, his face kept flashing in her mind, different moments of them together, fighting the world. Or his ex. That memory was one that did have her smirking a bit. The psycho bitch hadn’t lasted long when trying to insult Rayne and it had actually been sort of funny seeing the midget try to stand up to the artificial redhead. She didn’t stand a chance.

But the memory was gone as fast as it had appeared and was replaced with another memory of Cole taking care of her after she got the flu. It had been miserable for both of them, and yet he’d stuck around to make her better and the thoughts that came with it made her chest ache and the area under her eyes to sting. It was memories like that, that made her regret leaving.

He announced another song and she continued to watch him. It was comforting hearing his voice again, but it was different. Cole was no longer singing to her like he used to and she had to admit, she missed being the girl that he sang to. Now Rayne figured he had another girl who had become his muse and who took her place. It would have been understandable…but she wouldn’t like it.

[Cole Kessler]

As Cole finished the song, he felt it again. The certain eyes upon him moreso than the rest of the crowd in the building. He couldn't shake it anymore. No matter what he tried to do it was there. He reached down and grabbed his bottle of water and looked up as he did. It was then, that very moment by chance he happened to meet the gaze that had lingered so heavily on him only moments ago. Cole had to triple check his line of sight.

He thought for sure that his mind was playing tricks on him at this point. Thinking that because he almost desperately wanted to see her again, his mind made him see her. "Rayne...." He whispered, the movement of his mouth barely visible. Cole rose up the rest of the way, knocked his head back and gulped down some water before looking back down. To his pure surprise she was indeed there. His mind was not playing any tricks on him. He just almost pit his water all over the crowd the realization.

Not wanting to stop the show, Cole continued as if it was just someone trying to talk to him. Hopefully she wouldn't get upset. He wanted to talk to her, but it would have to wait until after he'd finished the last two songs in his set. And even then it might not happen. Surely she had another boyfriend by now. Maybe he was from New York. Or maybe she was still single and was here for him. Cole smiled at that thought, but knew it was a major longshot.

Strumming the strings of his guitar, Cole began to play another song. This time, playing "Breathe you In" by Thousand Foot Crutch.

"

Taking hold, breaking in
The pressures all need to circulate
Mesmerized and taken in
Moving slow, so it resonates
It's time to rest, not to sleep away
My thoughts alone, try to complicate
I'll do my best, to seek you out
And be myself, and not impersonate

[Chorus:]
I tried so hard to not walk away
And when things don't go my way
I'll still carry on and on just the same
I've always been strong
But can't make this happen
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in
The fear of becoming
I'm so tired of running
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breath you in
I want to breathe you in

I'm going in, so cover me
Your compass will, help me turn the page
The laughing stock, I'll never be
Because I won't let them take me

[Chorus]

Took awhile to see all the love that's around me
Through the highs and lows there's a truth that I've known
And it's you

I've always been strong
But can't make this happen
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in
The fear of becoming
I'm so tired of running
‘Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe you in
I want to, I want to
I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe; I want to, I want to
Wanna breathe
I want to breathe you in
I want to breathe you in
I wanna breathe

"

[Rayne DiSalvo]

Unable to keep it up much longer, Rayne eventually looked away. Not much time passed before she looked back up to watch him more. How was it that she had gone nearly a year without being near him? She remembered back when they were together and she had constant physical contact with him. Now it was just incredible to be looking at him. He hadn’t changed a bit since when she left him, in appearance at the very least.

Just as she had looked back up at him, her eyes didn’t settle on the side of his face, instead she was caught in his eyes. The bright blue eyes that were filled with shock, utter and complete surprise. Rayne could see it, that he was debating on whether she was real or not. As they continued watching each other, his lips moved and she recognized her name as it passed through. She couldn’t figure out what her face was reflecting because she didn’t know how to feel. Inside her heart was breaking all over again, but to see him was so amazing that it almost didn’t hurt.

He announced another song and she shook her head slightly and headed back through the crowd towards the bar to get a drink. She knew she wasn’t able to talk to him, not now and probably not later, so what was the point in torturing herself further?

[Cole Kessler]

As Cole sang, his eyes caught her turning and walking away. The pain of watching the opening distance between them grow once again was almost enough heartbreak to make him stop and chase after her. His mind thought back to the day she told him she was leaving for New York; how she had told him it was only for a couple of weeks. He had watched her walk away once with words left to be said. That was something he was not ready -or willing for that matter- to let history repeat itself this time.

He stood from the stool he'd sat on for the entirety of his set. His bottle of water fell over as he stepped forward to the edge of the stage. With the crowd so tightly packed there was no way he'd make it to her before she was out the door and out of his reach once again. He had to think fast, or she was lost to him. He thought back to their first Christmas together, the song he had sang and how it had made her feelings manifest in a transfixed gaze on him and her body rocking from side to side.

He strummed the guitar in his hands. This was his last chance and his last shot all in the same song. If this didn't make her come back, he wasn't sure what would. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this'll be my last song of the night. I thank all of you for coming out and enjoying my presence." With those words, Cole locked his eyes onto Rayne, hoping she would look back and catch his gaze. He set the tune of his guitar and began the last song of his set:

What do I have to do
I've been down and out doin' without the love that got me through
What do I have to say
I just want you to know that I know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
It takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

What do I have to do
I've been thinkin' about dreamin' about the things we used to do
And what do I have to say
I just wanted to know that you know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
It takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

I would walk across the ocean if I could
If it would bring you back to me
I would steal feather from an angel's wing
Don't you know it's true that I'd do it all to prove my love to you

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
It takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

[Rayne DiSalvo]

Rayne pushed through the crowd a little more violently just to get away from the drooling girls and their jealous boyfriends. It frustrated her hearing them talk about her boyfriend...or rather ex boyfriend, but the thought just couldn't penetrate its way through her mind. How could she think of him as her ex when she still loved him so much? He may not be hers, but she would always want him to be and listening to a bunch of drunken skanky girls talking about him still made her blood boil.

The last song was announced just as she made it to the bar and she glanced over her shoulder, catching his eye, but quickly looked away. She couldn't take looking at him anymore. Rayne sat on one of the barstools and ordered a beer. Her hands wrapped around the bottle and she stared at the glass. She hadn't even tried talking to the bartender that clearly recognized her from before, she didn't have it in her to hold a conversation with someone from the past that knew her through Cole.

As she took a drink, she heard him singing the song from the first Christmas they had together and she about choked. Rayne set the bottle back down and placed some money on the counter. Before she heard anymore, she slipped off the barstool and headed for the exit. She couldn't take it. Not now, not ever. He must have been trying to torture her for leaving him the way she had. Tears filled her eyes and she slipped through the last few people and out of the door, leaving behind the painful song and her ex.

Maybe she shouldn't have come in the first place. She didn't make it far before she slid down the wall and curled up in a ball.

[Cole Kessler]

Cole had barely finished the song when he saw Rayne's silhouette slip through the exit doors. He fought back the tears and hurriedly removed his guitar before hopping off of the stage and attempting to give chase. However, it would prove difficult to do so. As soon as his feet met the floor, Cole found himself being touched, grabbed, and sometimes even held by the thralls of patrons in the club. Even as he tried to push on, he could feel people trying to pull him back.

He continued to attempt to leave the stage, but still found himself being held. Cole growled and used a bit more strength, eventually he was able to tear himself away from the first group that had held him back. "Fucking hell....." Cole said, panting slightly in exhaustion, "This part I didn't miss." He smirked and continued through the crowd. It wasn't long before another group of drooling admirers had surrounded him. This batch even more persistent than the first, "Let me through, dammit....." Cole sneered as he tried to push through them.

The group of women continued to grab hold of him. It was starting to get out of control, though. Cole could feel someone's fingernails digging into his wrist and jerked his arm away. He growled again, this time loud enough that the patrons could hear him, but they were otherwise unfazed. Finally, Cole couldn't contain himself anymore, "Get the Hell off of me!" He roared. This time, his words were well-heeded as he felt the fans let go of him.

Cole cleared his throat, straightened his jacket and headed for the door. He stepped into a light jog before finally coming free of the polluted air. He looked around to make sure no one else was trying to get to him and then lit a cigarette. He took a drag and inhaled deeply, "Fucking animals sometimes........" He whispered as he looked back into the club as the music picked back up. He leaned against the wall and took another drag of his smoke before realizing that he still hadn't found Rayne.

He pushed off the wall and started looking around; scanning every little thing he could in the dark. "Shit.... Where did she go?" Cole said as he began walking. It wasn't a few minutes after he'd began to walk that he heard someone sobbing nearby. He slowed his pace and rounded the next corner. That was when he saw the source of the sobs. It was a woman, he could tell, but as he approached, her identity became clear. It was Rayne. Cole stopped dead in his tracks, he didn't see any signs of a scuffle, so hopefully she wasn't hurt. God help whoever had hurt her if she was. He took a few more steps and tossed away his cigarette before speaking, "What do I have to do, Rayne?" He finally asked to break the silence.

[Rayne DiSalvo]

The first idea that came to mind in order to escape all of the torture she was putting herself through was to drive back to New York and just stay there for good. It was possible that she just didn't belong in Vermont anymore. Her life very well could be in New York. But then her mind drifted to one other person that was keeping her in Vermont. Mia needed her to stay because she'd promised that she would. If Rayne broke her promise and something happened to the younger girl, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. This wasn't just about her and Cole, she had to think of her best friend as well.

That being said, she couldn't stay at the club, sitting outside and crying. It was only making things worse and she didn't have it in her to keep up with the pain. Just as she was about to stand, she heard footsteps rounding the corner and she tensed. The last thing she needed was some drunk guy trying to hit on her or something worse. The smell of smoke drifted towards her and she assumed it was from the club, but the person stood there and she sat in the same position, refusing to move until the stranger left.

But it wasn't a stranger.

Rayne's fingers clutched at her skin and she squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of his voice. It was his cigarette that she smelled, his feet she heard hitting the ground. Her whole body was rigid and she didn't look up until she was sure she wouldn't cry anymore. Rayne's cheeks were tear-streaked and makeup-smudged. She stared at him for a while, unable to say anything. He was really there in front of her asking what he had to do. But she didn't even have the answer to his question. She gulped and bit down on her lip, averting her eyes. Her voice come out as a soft whisper, "I don't know, Cole."

[Cole Kessler]

The wind caught his skin and sent an unnoticed chill across him. He stood there looking at the girl he so deeply, desperately wanted to call his once again. Would she accept him, though? He wasn't sure of that, but he was willing to take the risk of getting hurt. He stepped forward and offered her his hand, "Well, one thing I'm not gonna do is let you sit here vulnerable where someone could kidnap you." He said firmly.

He helped her up and his hand cupped her cheek. "Crying?" He said as he did his best to wipe the streaking stains from her face, "Yeah, I'm not gonna let you do that here." Cole told her with a smile. He hesitated a moment then removed his hand from her cheek.

His held held hers for a few silent moments before he finally spoke again, "So....," Cole paused trying to find words to say. He wasn't sure what to talk to her about. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to start off with asking her to be with him again. No matter how much he wanted to. Hesitation held his tongue for a moment longer before he finally found words, "How was New York? Was the Big Apple insane? Or just bleh?"