Request

Con chuckles and returns the hug, sending Katie away with a “Goodnight, sleep well.” He watches her go just to make sure she gets to her bunk alright, then pulls up his jacket collar and heads down the other trail to the cabin for the night.

A lightning bolt streaks across the sky, followed but such a loud clap of thunder that it shakes the ranch. Rain comes down in sheets – a stark difference to the day before, putting just a little damper on the spirits that were so high last evening.

It takes a while for people to stream into the mess hall, most sleeping a little later after getting to bed so late.

Clint dashes in out of the rain, hanging up his jacket as he enters, which makes a puddle on the floor. He goes immediately to get some coffee and settles down at one of the tables to wake up before heading to Wes’ shop.

The women join in the kitchen as usual to prepare breakfast. Sparky and Mick come in together, talking about the case, and Mick grabs a chair near the fireplace, glancing around for Rosetta. Cindy comes in a little later, looking tired, though she helps in the kitchen. Austin joins the group as well, fairly quiet as he has been lately, but joining in the discussions, and bringing up some ideas for more research.

Jason throws on a clean set of clothes and grabs his cane instead of crutches again. Grabbing his jacket, he heads out into the rain, rolling his eyes. They’d had so much rain lately – would it ever stop?
He makes it to the mess hall and grabs a seat at a table apart from Austin after getting some orange juice. Yawning, he gives a little wave to his mom, who smiles her greeting.

Jade enters soon after, shaking the water out of her hair, and scanning the room. Seeing Jason, she smiles and approaches, just a little shyly. Sitting down across from him, she immediately searches his face for reassurance that last night hadn’t just been an act in the heat of the moment. His grin and nudge with his foot under the table puts her mind to ease, and her smile widens. “Good morning. Sleep well?”

“Yeah.” Jason nods. “You?”

“Mm-hmm.” Jade’s face reddens slightly. “I was gonna ask you about a picnic today, but…” She giggles. “Looks like we’ll have to postpone that.”

Jason chuckles. “I doubt a picnic in the rain would be that much fun.”



Con trudges through the rain, his boots sloshing on the muddy trail. His baseball cap is pulled down low providing a small shield against the pelting water. His jacket pulled tight around him, he finally makes it to the mess hall porch, though he doesn’t enter right away. Instead, he looks in the window, scanning the faces. Spotting Jason, he enters, making a beeline in his direction. His face is hard, showing a strange tenseness. “Jason…”

Jason looks up, surprised at Con’s serious tone. “Yeah?”

“Talk to you a minute?”

“Sure.”

Con motions for the door. “Outside.”

Jason raises his eyebrows and glances at Jade. “I’ll be back.” Rising, he limps behind Con until they’re outside on the porch.

The driving rain against the roof causes their voices to be raised slightly in order to hear each other clearly, and Con looks sternly at Jason out from under the brim of his dripping hat. “Got a call from Reese this morning.”

Jason straightens a little. “Oh?”

“Yeah. He wondered what decisions had been made so he could get the right names filed and get a report to Carter.”

Jason quirks an eyebrow, hoping this wasn’t about what he thought it was. “What are you talking about?”

“You know good and well what I’m talking about,” Con answers tersely. “You never told anybody about that request from Carter, and you’ve been sitting on it for almost three weeks! I can’t believe you haven’t talked to Katie about it!”

Jason’s face grows hot as his anger begins to rise. “I have my reasons.”

“It was a direct request!” Con raises his voice further. “What reasons could you possibly have?”

“Look, it wouldn’t work, okay?” Jason throws up his arm in disgust. “I was going to call Reese today and tell him to cancel it out.”

“You what?!” A roll of thunder seems to agree with the lightning that flashes in Con’s eyes.

“You heard me!” Jason scowls at him. “It’s not a good idea. It won’t work, and I don’t think Carter was wise in making this request. And because it was asked of me, I have the right to turn it down.”

“Jason, how could you say he wasn’t wise? It’s a perfect setup and you know it! Why would you turn it down?”

Jason rolls his eyes, his words coming out before he thinks. “Do you really think it’s as good idea for me to have a partner who has a crush on me? It would be a disaster!”

Con’s eyes widen. “A crush…is that what you’re calling it?”

“Well what would you call it?” Jason shakes his head. “Katie’s too involved. Carter may think we’d make a good team, but we just wouldn’t. Not as long as she’s got ideas about me that will never happen.”

Con lets his mouth hang open, speechless for several moments. “Are you out of your mind?!” he finally states, almost shouting. He studies Jason’s face, giving into a slight scoff, his volume lowering. “You’re serious aren’t you? You really are blind to what’s going on around you. I thought you were smarter than that.”

Jason glares at him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you’ll find out…trust me.” Con frowns. “But let me tell you this – You have a chance to have Katie as your ‘right hand man’ and you’d be crazy to turn that down. There’s only one other person I know who has a sixth sense like her, and it’s you. If you’re going to be gallivanting around on cases, you need someone to watch your back, and who else fits the job better? If you accept this, you two would be elected as part of the Elite down at TJY – isn’t that what you want?” He shakes his head. “And if you deny Katie this opportunity – this chance that she’s been wanting – just because you’re too prideful to work with her, then you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Another rumble of thunder shakes the porch, and a driving wind blows the rain in on the two men, but it goes unnoticed as the silent staredown continues.