| Title: Timeless Author: Priscilla Chapter One: Darkness Johnny Depp was devastated. The room seemed devoid of sound, movement, air, as the doctor's words registered. "Vanessa has a malignant tumor in the arterial lobe of her brain, Johnny. It's already spreading. If we try removal through operation it might result in a number of devastating consequences. She may encounter hemorrhaging, she could lose movement of the left part of her body or become a vegetable." Johnny's mouth went dry, his mind trying to wrap itself around the devastating news. "How long?" He asked, his voice cracking. "We don't think she'll make it past this year. I'm sorry." He couldn't believe it. His wife. His beautiful, caring, loving, Vanessa was dieing and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His hopes and dreams of growing old with her, of watching their daughter blossom together, had been taken away from him. ************** It was now three months later, and Johnny was about to begin the darkest day of his life. Vanessa's funeral was today. He drained the last of his scotch and closed his eyes briefly as the liquid burned its way down, picking up his clothes to begin dressing. Someone knocked on the door and Johnny sighed to himself. "Come in." He said softly, while trying to get the knot on his tie right. The door slowly opened and Emma poked her head through the door. She was properly dressed in black, her hair combed up in a neat bun. "Hey, how are you doing?" She asked coming over and giving him a tight hug. Johnny returned the hug with equal ferocity, taking comfort in the trust he felt for the woman in his arms. "I'm so sorry Johnny." She said looking into his dark eyes. Johnny nodded his head slightly and looked down at the ground, clearing his throat. "Whe-Where's Lilly-Rose?" He asked, effectively changing the subject. "She's with Giselle. It's almost starting, Johnny, everyone's waiting." Emma said reminding him gently of what was to come. Johnny's face darkened and a muscle in his jaw tightened. "Let them wait. I'm supposed to bury my wife today, they can wait a little while." He said as calmly as possible. Emma nodded her head and turned to leave but Johnny caught her wrist. "I'm really glad you're here Em, there's nobody I need more right now." He said giving her the slightest of smiles. Emma smiled back lightly and left the room. He could recall the first time he'd met. Her brother Rick had introduced them in hopes that they would get together. It didn't work out. Not that Johnny hadn't tried. Emma was beautiful, smart, funny, and caring among other things. She just would have no of his advances. So in the end, what resulted was one of the strongest friendships he'd ever formed with anyone. After a few more minutes of delaying the inevitable, Johnny made his way down the stairs and out to the courtyard where the ceremony was to take place. He spotted Emma, her brother Nicholas and Giselle, Lilly-Rose�s nanny, with the little girl in her arms. Both his and Vanessa's parents were present, as were his sisters and brother. A knot formed in his throat, he shouldn�t have kidded himself into thinking that he could be happy. Happiness was an unattainable goal. He made his way through the people gathered and nodded his hello to some of them. Sitting down next to his family he sighed, and nodded for the priest to begin. ************** "I need you to come to Paris as soon as possible. I'm going to read Vanessa's will to the family." Mark Wallace, the Depp's lawyer, said. "Ok." Emma replied, but got the impression that the lawyer was holding something back. Like he wanted to say something more. "Anything else Mark?" �It�s Johnny, Emma. He hasn't gone out of his room since the funeral, not even to see baby Lilly-Rose. I do not know if he has eaten because the staff tells me they never get to see him. He doesn't respond to my calls or any of the staff's. I do not know what to do, but maybe you can help him?� Mark asked, obviously desperate for some assistance. Emma looked around her paper-laden desk. Proposals for various contracts, documents that still needed her signature, were stacked in sloppy piles. Her schedule was packed with meetings and luncheons. Sighing, she said the only thing she could say. �Ok, Mark, I�ll be there as soon as possible.� �Oh thank you Ms. Chapman!� The lawyer said relived. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Then Emma called her secretary into her office. �Yeah, Em?� Maria said poking her head into her boss�s office. Emma waved her in and waited until she sat down to drop her bomb. �Maria, I need you to do me a huge favor.� "Ok what is it?" �I need you to book me a flight to Paris as soon as possible, preferably leaving in a couple of hours. Then I need you to call and cancel all my meetings and try to clear my schedule." Emma said looking Maria in the eyes. "For how long?" Maria asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. Emma sighed and rubbed at her temples. She was fighting a losing battle against a mother of a headache. "I don't know.... two weeks, maybe more." "WHAT?! Do you know how many things you are scheduled for? I'd have to be on the phone for a week!" Maria said exasperated. "What's going on anyway? Why do you have to go to Paris?" "Johnny's in some kind of trouble and he needs me. I can't let him down, so I need you to do this for me M. Please?" Maria looked into her friend's, and more importantly, her boss's eyes and sighed nodding her head in agreement. "Ok, but you owe me. Big." She replied smiling. Emma returned the smile and got up give her a hug before grabbing her car keys and walking out of the office. Maria agreed to call her with the info on the plane tickets at home. A couple of hours later, she called Emma to let her know that she got a flight tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. Emma thanked Maria and hung up to begin packing. The next day Emma woke up really early to drive to the airport. She lugged her bags into her car and drove off making it to JFK Airport with half an hour to spare. Once they were in the air, Emma looked down at her watch. It was 7:45 a.m. hopefully she would reach Paris by 12:00 p.m. for her meeting with Mark. Title: Timeless Author: Priscilla Chapter 2: Woman On A Mission The ceremony seemed to have flown by. He vaguely remembered the parade of people who had risen to speak about the wonderful woman his wife had been, of the people who had spoken soft words of condolences and well wishes, for he had not taken his eyes off the casket that held his love�s body until it was lowered into the earth. Johnny�s eyes burned with unshed tears of grief, but he held them at bay. He had to be strong now. He watched from his study as people milled about the house, a tumbler filled to the rim with rum held firmly in his grasp. He hadn�t touched liquor in years, but the recent turns in his life had left him with an unquenchable thirst for something that could numb the pain, at least for a little while. Johnny heard the doorbell ring and voices coming from downstairs. Emma smiled when Giselle opened the front door. She looked more than happy to see her. "Oh, madam Emma, I am so glad you are here." "How are you Giselle? You look good." Emma said giving the woman a hug. "I am fine, though I worry for Mr. Depp." She said glancing slightly to the stairs as if she expected him to be standing there. "Well, I hope I can do something to help him. Umm, where's Lilly-Rose? I'd love to see her." "Oh I just put her down for a nap." "Oh, ok where's Johnny?" Emma asked taking off her coat and handing it to Giselle. The nanny closed the front door and pointed to the spiraling stairs that led to the second floor of the house. Emma followed the nervous nanny upstairs. They stopped at a door and Giselle knocked lightly. "Mr. Depp? I have someone here to see you." Both women waited for a response. When they didn't get one, Emma told Giselle to let her handle it. She knocked on the door herself before entering the dimly lit room. "Johnny?" He heard the door open softly, but didn�t turn around to see who it was. He knew who it was. Always had been too aware of her presence in a room, before Vanessa had come along that is. �Go away Emma, leave me alone.� He said softly, his back to her. Emma was worried; Johnny looked so unlike himself she had to do a double take when he spoke. She didn�t know if he had eaten anything, but became somewhat upset when she saw the glass he held in his hand. He'd had some issues with alcohol growing up and it had taken him a long time to get over that hurdle. �I can�t leave you like this. You need to let it out, Johnny. Let me help you.� She said, closing the distance between them. Johnny didn�t respond, he only put the glass down on the windowsill and braced his arms against the wall. Tears sprung to her eyes when she realized that he was crying. His trembling shoulders the only indication. �I can�t do this Em, I�m so fucking scared.� There he�d said it. He was scared for himself and for Lilly-Rose. Scared that he would fail her just like he had her mother and it was killing him. Emma put her hand on his shoulder. She hated seeing him like this. �I know you�re scared Johnny, but you�ve got to be strong. For Lilly-Rose and for yourself.� Johnny snorted through his nose and turned his burning ebony eyes on her. Emma held back the gasp that threatened to escape. Johnny looked like a something you would tell stories about on Halloween to scare little children. He was pale, dark smudges under his eyes said he had not slept in days, and he looked thinner that she remembered. �What should I do then?� He asked almost in a whisper, his dark eyes shinning with tears. �You have to start living your life again, try to move on.� "That's just it. I don't WANT to fucking MOVE ON. Vanessa was my wife Emma. She and Lilly-Rose were my world for more than three years!" "I'm not asking you to forget that but now Vanessa's gone Johnny and there's nothing we can do to bring her back." Emma said quietly. She regretted saying that to him the instant the words left her mouth. What the hell was she thinking? "Leave." Johnny seethed between clenched teeth. Emma tried to move closer to him, but he turned away. "Johnny--" "I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!" He roared, throwing the glass in his hand against the wall. It smashed into a million pieces. Emma steeled herself against the sudden urge to flee from the room. Johnny had one hell of a temper that was for sure, but she knew he'd never hurt her. "No." She said simply, watching his reaction. Johnny turned to stare at her. He seemed both surprised and amused by her stubbornness. "I won't let you tear your life apart. Not while I have something to do with it." "This conversation is over." "I'm not leaving this room without you." Johnny looked at her again. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. Glow with determination and anger and Johnny knew better than to argue with her when she was mad. Must be the Irish in her blood. He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Ok, ok. Just don't hurt me." Emma let out a squeal of joy before wrapping her arms around him as best she could. �It�s going to be ok, you�ll see.� She whispered before leading him out of the room. **************** After thoroughly stuffing Johnny�s stomach, Emma practically dragged him to take a shower. After that, time for bed. �You're staying right?� Johnny seemed very interested in her answer. Emma only smiled. �Yeah, there�s nowhere else I�m needed.� �I love you darlin�. Thanks for sticking with me.� Johnny said grabbing hold of her hand and squeezing. �I love you too Johnny. Now get some rest, we�re going on a trip tomorrow.� Emma said, kissing his forehead and walking out of the room. |