Nothing lasts forever

"J-jimmy?"

There stood my best friend. The man who helped me through my darkest times. The man who loved every single person he came in contact with. The man who brought light into everyones lives. There stood Jimmy.

"Hey chickadee." His voice was so soft yet so rough.

His messy black hair clung to his face like a child to their mother. He towered over me by at least a foot and his smile brightened up the room instantly. His piercing shone against the light just like his crystal blue eyes. Jimmy was exactly how I remembered him.

"Sully? But...how?" My voice was just above a whisper. I can't believe it. After four fucking years I can talk to my true best friend. The guys were amazing and always there for me, but Jimmy and I had a special connection. An amazing bond that nobody could break. And finally, I got to see Jimmy again.

"I just wanted to say hi..." He trailed off while looking into my eyes. "That new kid, Arin... I like him. Keep him."

That made me burst into tears. I had no clue what was happening. Jimmy. Jimmy was here? How? I was so happy yet so sad. He was here but he wasn't. That made no sense to me. I must be going off the deep end. What was I feeling? I don't know if these are tears of joy or tears of sorrow. What the fuck is going on right now. Jimmy pulled me into his embrace and chills ran down my spine. His touch was cold but inviting. He gave off no body heat but you could still feel the warmth he gave off while he was alive. You could still feel the warmness he kept in his heart and soul. You could feel his heart beating but it wasn't. Everything about him was so cold yet so warm. His presence was so mind boggling that it could just drive you mad. And I think that's what's happening to me. Surely he can't be here. But it all felt so real. His smile, his touch, his voice.... him. He was here.

"I'm here babe. It's me. Sully's here." Jimmy said as he kissed the top of my head.

"I miss you Jimmy. We all miss you. So fucking much. There's so much you missed."

"I never left. You just never saw me."

I started to cry even harder. "What was it like?"

"I was scared. It all happened so fast... I mean one second I'm chilling in my house drinking a beer and the next I'm fucking dead! I watched you come in my kitchen and break down at the sight of me. I watched Jason call the cops as you shook me and screamed for me to come back. I watched you beg the Lord for me to come back and take you instead. I watched the paramedics pry you off of me and take my body away. I watched as you called the guys, crying hysterically, and told them I was gone. I watched it all. I even watched you cry yourself to sleep in my kitchen with Brian. I tried so hard to reach you. But every time I got close, I slipped away. Every time I called your name, you never heard me. None of you did. Every fucking time. And finally, after four terrifying years, I finally reached you. I tried everybody. I even tried Mike Portnoy! But finally somebody can hear me. And I'm so happy that it's my little chickadee." I felt tears hit the top of my head.

My god. It must've been horrific. This felt surreal. Me and Jimmy are sitting on the floor, crying in each other's arms. I tried so hard to tell myself I was dreaming but every part of me wanted to believe this moment. It felt right. Like he was still here. And that's when it hit me. He never left. His body did but he didn't. He stayed with us but we fought with ourselves to believe he didn't. Jimmy's spirit has been with us since the second it left his body. Jimmy was our guardian angel and he was never gonna leave us.

"Jimmy." I looked up at him. His beautiful blue eyes stared into mine as if he was searching for something. "Jimmy I love you."

"I love you too little one. I love all of you."

"Please don't leave me."

"Never."

I squeezed him tighter pulling him as close as possible. I felt like if I let him go he would slip away again. I looked back up at him and he was fading. His bright blue eyes now a dull grey color. I grabbed his shirt and let more tears fall.

"Jimmy please don't leave!" I cried out trying to keep him from disappearing.

"It's alright baby girl. If you can see me than Brian can. And Matt can. And Zacky and Johnny can. And everyone can. I just wanna say hi..." Jimmy sent me a sad smile.

"Ok Jimmy. Goodbye."

"No. Not goodbye. Never goodbye. It's see you later."

I smiled weakly at him. "See you later Sully."

"See you later Chickadee."

And just like that he was gone again. I close my eyes and let a sob leave my body. Then I felt somebody kiss my forehead. But when I opened my eyes nobody was there. No let me rephrase that. I couldn't see anyone. I know now that Jimmy is always here and is never leaving. Then I cried. But it was different this time. These were tears of joy. That empty feeling in my heart is finally gone and I can't be happier.

"Jacqueline?" Arin called out from my front door. I realized that I was slumped against the wall crying with the door wide open. "What's wrong."

I smiled so wide I thought my cheeks would burst. "Oh Arin... it's Jimmy."

By this time, Arin was sitting next to me and pulled me into his lap. "What do you mean?"

"He was here. I saw him. I thought I was going crazy but he held me and told me I wasn't. He never left us Arin. We just couldn't see him. He told me he was always with us and was never ever leaving! And right now he's at Brian's holding him and telling him it's alright." Arin smiled widely and held me closer.

"I believe you. Normally I'd think the pain got to you but I believe you. You have it in your eyes." He spoke softly.

"And guess what he said about you." Arin raised an eyebrow at me. "He said he likes you and that we should keep you."

Arin chuckled softly and I joined him. We sat there laughing quietly then it went silent. It wasn't the least bit awkward though. I felt contempt. I felt happy. I felt...okay. I felt like it was all gonna be okay.

"You wanna stay here? We can always reschedule the date. I have a feeling Brian's gonna need you soon." Arin suggested.

I nodded slowly. "Sure... but can you stay here with me? You're good at hugs."

Arin laughed and nodded. "Sure thing. Maybe we can eat here instead."

"LET'S MAKE COOKIES."

I jumped off Arin's lap and ran into the kitchen giggling. I pulled out a shit ton of ingredients and a huge mixing bowl.

"There's only two of us y'know." Arin said from the entry way of the kitchen.

"Yeah... but these cookies are gonna be FUCKING GIANT."

"OH MY GOD. I have a super fantastic idea. Ready? Watch this..." Arin dipped his hand in the bag of flour and flashed me a shit-eating grin. He flung the white powder right at me and it covered my face.

"OH IT'S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG." I screamed.

Soon, just like the floor, we were both covered in flour. Throwing it at each other and screaming like little kids. I don't know how, but some how we got all the ingredients in a bowl and had it mixing. While we were at an all out flour war, of course. Suddenly I got a devilish idea. I grabbed an egg and put it in my back pocket, careful not to crack it. I strutted over to Arin, grabbed his face, and smashed my lips against his. The second he grabbed my hips, I grabbed the egg and cracked it over his head. He jumped back and squealed like a little girl.

"That's cooolllddd!" Arin whined while wiping the yolk out of his hair.

I burst out in laughter and almost cried from laughing too hard. He fake pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. What I didn't realize was that he had an egg too, and before I could react, I had egg yolk running down my face and flour sticking to it.

"DAMNIT ARIN!"

His laughter filled the room and I couldn't help but smile. I grabbed the bag of flour behind me and poured the whole thing on him. He screamed but was cut off by the doorbell.

"I'll get it." He said before walking to the door.

"TRY NOT TO SCARE THEM AWAY FLOUR BOY."

I looked at myself in the mirror and jesus fuck, I look like an idiot. My body was covered in withe powder, except for my face because that's where Arin cracked the egg and the flour clung to it, making it a yellowish color.

"Uh... Jacqueline?" Arin called.

"Yeah?"

"Can you uh, can you come here?"

I walked into the front room and saw Brain and Jimmy in the doorway.

"What happened chickadee? When I left you were clean and now you look like a powdered donut!" Jimmy squealed like a little boy.

Arin leaned over to me, not breaking his gaze from Jimmy. "You see him too, right?"

"Yes Arin I do."

"Ok. Just checking." The look on Arin's face was priceless. He looked so flabbergasted it was amazing.

"So I'm not crazy..." Brian mumbled.

I smiled softly and took Brian's hand. "Come inside guys."

I pulled Brian over to the couch and sat down with him. "So what did Jimmy say to you?" I asked quietly.

"He explained what it was like to die. He told me what he saw the night you and Jason found him in the kitchen. And when me and you cried ourselves to sleep at his house that same night. Then how he tried to talk to us for years and we can finally hear him. Then he told me he never left and he's never leaving." Brian explained with a raspy voice. You could tell he's been crying.

"He said the same to me too."

"So I'm not hallucinating."

I laughed and shook my head. I was about to speak but Arin cut me off.

"THE SUPER MEGA COOKIES ARE DONE."

"You two want to hang out with us tonight?" I asked/yelled so Jimmy could hear me too.

"Sure, I like cookies." Brian chuckled.

"YOU KNOW IT BABY. WE COULD SPOON." Jimmy screamed.

I laughed loudly and smiled. Boy, the rest if the band is in for a story tomorrow.

Notes

I literally cried during while writing the Jimmy part. I wanted to make Jimmy's arrival really special and it brought so many feels I can't even think right now.
I hope I made up for the feel explosion with their little food fight.
How will the guys react to Jimmy paying them a visit?
Will something go wrong?
Stay tuned and enjoy<3

-a7x_deathbats6661