John Dorian's Final Realization

Chapter 19: My Final Stand

[AN: This story hs been discontinued since my last official update in late 2019 on AO3. But for the sanity of my old readers I am releasing the drafted final chapter here. It is unedited and unfinished like this fic because I wasn't happy with it.]

    "Let goooo," JD whined halfheartedly. Pushing away from David as the cloth around his neck bit into the back of his neck. "C'mon.. Stop being a dick. Just-" He ducked down and slid out of his shirt with a little bit of a struggle. Fratelli stopped and twisted on his heel to stare down JD. The shirt in his hand crumpled in his clenched fist. JD stepped back warily.

    Fratelli stepped towards him until their faces were only a breath away from each other. "What is it you want from me, huh? What can I do for you to quit your shit?" The sound of car doors shutting echoed in the sparse trees around them. "Is it an apology? Is that what you want?!" He rubbed a hand over his sweaty face and looked past JD. "Okay. Alright. I'm sorry, okay? Happy?"

    JD squinted at him. "..Why?" He shivered and looked around as well. "Oh man. Where did we go? Are we lost?"

    "No," he jerked JD in front of him and curled an arm around his throat as he reached behind himself. His sharp eyes counted 2- No, 3 silhouettes in the darkness in front of them. He licked his dry lips. "BACK OFF."

    "Ow! You're so loud." His hands tugged uselessly at the arm around him.

    Slowly, three officers emerged before them with their guns drawn and raised. "Hands in the air, Fratelli!"

    David felt JD stop struggling before gawking at him. "WHAT?" He sighed. "I knew you looked familiar! I just didn't know you were him! How strange." He laughed and felt the room spin. "Woooah.. I feel like a top. Round and round and round and-!" Fratelli tightened his choke hold. JD gasped and he could feel his pulse in his ears as he fought for each breath.

"Stay back and I don't kill him." His finger's behind himself slid around the grip on a gun in his waistband. What was really stopping him from doing so anyways? Now that he thought about it he really didn't care enough how the annoying little shit died just that he did and if he just- The front-most officer lowered her gun and motioned for the other's to do the same. David felt tears leak onto his arm from JD and he loosened up a little.

"But-" The taller of the two behind her began but one glance silenced him.

Dorian no longer rambled to Fratelli's relief. Instead he coughed roughly and seemed to focus his efforts of taking in each breath instead. He smiled.

"Fratelli," the officer stepped cautiously forwards. "You and I have known each other well for years. Small towns like these, well, it's hard not to get to know everyone, y'know? You're going to need to trust us and let John go." She placed her gun on the ground. "C'mon now, I bet Barbara's missin' him. Let us take him to her and we can ensure your sentence is the shortest possible. Put a good word in for you with the judge. You just to need to put down the weapon and let him go."

David's smile twisted into a frown. She noticed, of course she did. Officer Barnes and Coach Fratelli both waited on baited breath for any sign for either's movement. An idea came to mind and his arm fell away from JD's throat. He put on his best and most charismatic of faces he could manage. "Fine, Julie," he pushed Dorian towards her. "You can have him."

With the other two officers distracted by the stumbling mess falling at their head officer's feet, Fratelli raised his gun and emptied two rounds as he fled. The image of one of the bullets catching one officer's legs and Dorian's back filled his mind. Adrenalin and a strange soft of euphoria coursed through him as curses and shots sounded around him.

A tree beside him burst as a bullet met its bark and sent splinters flying all over. He ducked behind another tree as nervous laughter escaped his lips. He had to give it to her, she was one clever asshole. She had somehow hidden another lackee on the other side of him when he wasn't looking. And now that dark-haired officer slunk silently closer to where he hid.

Was there really any point hiding anyways? He now wondered. With Dorian dead there was no one around anymore to the whole truth besides himself. And it was all finally done and finished. He had a new wife, kids, and for God's sake grand kids. He may still be in his fourties but he felt he had lived long enough and done enough. He was satisfied and honestly? Going out from heart failure or old age or whatever else didn't suit him. This way though, with his wife none the wiser? Perfect.

David Fratelli jumped out from behind his tree at the startled officer with his gun raised.

===

Bang!

    A flash lit up their surroundings. Then two more. Julia swallowed her fear and turned to her subordinates. "Yuen, back up Fellows. I have this covered." The two dashed off as she took Dorian's pulse. "John? John Dorian, can you hear me?" The man lying in a heap at her feet didn't respond. There was a pulse. Strong yet unsteady. She leaned down and held a hand just over his lips and felt ragged breathes brush against her. The officer let out a relieved sigh and began making calls over her radio and phone as she checked over her other officer beside her. He had fallen unconscious but seemed relatively alright despite the hole in his leg.

    Officers Yuen and Fellows jogged back out to her. Yuen had given up her jacket to her partner who now held it tightly to his shoulder. Fellow's smiled bashfully at her. "I'm alright, Captain. Just a graze."

    "Finally some good news for once," she muttered. Yuen tourniquited Hanson's leg who cursed deliriously through his haze."And Coach?" He frowned and shook his head. "Thought so." Sirens blared in the distance.