Quick, Goodbye Kiss - It's the almost late for work kisses when their lips just peck yours, like an unfinished goodbye.Her legs pumped up the large hill, eyes hard and reserved. Her mind flashed back to the training- Jacob's training. her tears still stained her cheeks, and Rook wanted nothing more than to show him how successful he had been. She pulled back on her bow, loosing an arrow into the nearest cultist that ran out into her path.

Jacob watched Rook- his Rook- as she climbed the hill he stood on. His gaze followed her through his scope, a sense of pride swelling in him. Rook was his best creation- a ruthless killer whose heart he'd held for such a short amount of time. Jacob found that it actually hurt- the knowledge that he had betrayed her so fully causing a dull ache in his chest where his heart had been.

his mind flashed to a conversation he'd had just a few short days ago with Stacey Pratt.

'she'll never become what you want her to be!' He told Jacob, a defiant smirk on his lips." She's gone. away from you! Safe!"

Jacob had shaken his head, leaning down to grip his chin. " oh dear Stacey. She's already mine... didn't you know? we met by moonlight and she let me fuck her until morning..."

" she wouldn't!" He said with only the barest trace of disbelief.

" she would, and she has." Jacob smiled as Pratt squirmed from his taunting. He hit a button, beginning the video of Pratt right after he'd released Rook. " you'll be happy to know that I made her scream with pleasure as she came around me."

he'd walked to the door, stiffling his laughter at the sounds of anger from the man behind him.

shifting his line of sight just in front of her, Jacob snapped off a shot. watching as she paused at the puff of smoke before hiding behind a boulder. He raised the radio to his lips. " There's no win for you here, Rook. it all ends bloody. for everyone." He smirked, shouldering his rifle and moving to the zip line he'd rigged. In his mind's eye, she had reached the bottom of this hill. climbing up to meet him, to take her revenge on him. " you die now, or you die later. its all up to you. But either way, you won't die a hero."

even as he finished speaking, he saw Rook begin to run up that last log and burst out onto the top of the hill. Jacob jumped, taking the zipline down as Rook drew back her bow and fired.

the arrow pierced his leg, and a groan of pain fell from his lips. the second arrow hit him in the back, pain exploding there. The zip ride was quick and soon enough he was on the ground, limping slowly away towards the river. He heard a thump as Rook landed on the ground behind him.

Raising his voice, refusing to be beat like this; Jacob spoke. " Y'know my brother saw all this coming." He groaned again, seeing the river just a little ways away. The river where he'd made so many happy memories- a good place to die. A boulder sat just a few feet before him, and he paused there, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his back and the pain radiating from his thigh. " I don't know if he talks to God."

He just needed to rest a moment- to gather his strength to make it to the water's edge. His eyes falling shut before opening to reveal her right there, standing before him as pretty as a picture.

the bow was held at her side, no arrow notched there. his wavering gaze moving up to see the tears falling down her cheeks and the rage behind her eyes. He was dying, but damn if an Angel wasn't about to be his last sight.

" I wanted to save you, Jacob." she said, stepping closer with each passing second.

" you couldn't save me."

" I wanted to try at least!"

" You did try." Jacob groaned as he leaned back, eyes falling shut for a second. " it just didn't matter. He was right. Humanity is once again in crisis." He coughed, raising an arm to see blood splatter across his palm.

" it doesn't matter what we build or achieve, we will always find a way to break it down." Jacob took a shuddering breath, his body shivering a moment as he opened his eyes to see her right in front of him. the Angel he'd found, yet had been to vain to allow her to lead him to the promise land. " Babylon. Rome. Empires rise. Empires fall. America's no different."

He coughed, beginning to feel numb. Jacob wanted her closer, wanted to feel her warmth one more time before the end. his hand moved, gesturing her to within arm's length. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her closer. " we think we're indestructible. World war 2- the War on Terror- we survived it, but it only brought us closer to the edge."

He pulled her down and gave her a peck on the lips, barely a brush of skin. his words were coming faster, the end getting closer. the darkness was pressing on the edge of his vision.

it was almost over.

" and this is where we are- on schedule- just waiting for someone to push us..." A smile pulled at his lips. " and oh, Boy. if you push us.."

He laughed, the sound turning into a cough a moment later. Rook gripped his arms, staring at him with sad, tear filled eyes. " Let me help you, Jacob- please..."

He met her gaze, letting her see the man under the mask He had always kept up. his eyes soft, smile genuine, and his peace finally clear along the hard lines of his face. Jacob couldn't tell her that she had saved him- in ways she probably wouldn't understand. " You did everything that he said you would do, and you didn't even know it."

Jacob brought her closer again, his Angel, His Sin, and his pride. Another brush of his lips against hers as he shuddered violently with a breath. His head rolling forward, eyes turning to the ground as he whispered. " you had no fucking clue."

Rook stared at him for a moment as his form went still, the tears in her eyes making it difficult to see. his hands had slipped from her arms, and Rook stepped forward quickly to grab his key. She wanted nothing more to do with the corpse of the man she had fallen so deeply in love with, and Rook was surpised that she couldnt think of that as him either. Just like with Eli. She didnt wait, simply bolted into the woods.

She never saw the men come out of the woods to collect Jacob's body. or the look of pure hatred they sent at her as she made her way to his bunker to save Pratt.