Ready?

Carson watches Misty leave, a strange tug at his heart. He didn’t recognize it. He wasn’t sure he’d ever felt it before. It made his feet want to follow her…yet he could not.

So he just stands, watching her walk away and join Kyle. But the words are whispered anyway. “See you soon…”

Turning, he pulls his jacket tighter around himself and ducks his head against the rain. It was a fair distance back to Mom and Pop’s. By the time he got back, he’d have just enough time to get into something dry before the evening rush. Maybe he’d call Jess later too…he felt like needing a distraction tonight.


Jason finds himself a little glad that Katie wants him to stay. Their lack of interaction just within the past few days had become a strange sensation, and at least able to be with her for a few minutes now seemed to ease the confused feelings just a little.

He places his hand over hers, just letting her sit…understanding her need to stay. He knew that Katie and Scott had been going through a rough time, and he’d figured out that they had probably decided to part ways. But their friendship had still been there…and love had still existed. Jason couldn’t imagine how Katie must feel now, to have lost that so suddenly.

Buried deeply enough to not be known to anyone else lay his own rampant feelings of this event, laced with emotions from other circumstances too. They confused him…a bewildering web of hurt, worry, fear, doubts, love… it was just writhing beneath the surface, begging to be sorted through, and Jason simply didn’t know how to do it. He didn’t know why he felt the way he did…he didn’t know why he did some of the things he did…he wasn’t understanding himself at all.

His mind reverts back to the night with Katie at Mom and Pop’s. He had denied her yet again. He’d justified it perfectly in his own mind. Yet he was still not at peace about any of it. He did have a longing…he did have a love…and yet he’d even lied about it once more when questioned point blank by Scott. What was his problem? Why was he continually messing things up even more? He didn’t understand…he didn’t know why his actions didn’t follow his heart anymore… he was frustrated that he couldn’t even figure himself out anymore.

And now…today…his best friend was hurting more than ever, and he didn’t even know how to comfort her. Not because he couldn’t be there…not because he couldn’t talk…but because of his ridiculous actions, he’d created this strange rift. It was a rift that had formed boundaries between them, that threw concern of appropriateness in their faces. Instead of just being able to be themselves, he’d stupidly made this tension himself, and now didn’t even know how to get rid of it.

Katie’s movements bring him back to the present, and he focuses on the dismal surroundings once more. He was getting cold, and the rain was soaking through to him.

Standing with her, he waits for her to finish, then catches her eye as she turns to leave. His emotions begged to form some sort of message and they were on the brink of being released, but instead, they all crumbled into a garbled heap.

Giving a little sigh, Jason stretches out his arm to put around Katie’s shoulders, walking her to his truck. I’ll give you a ride home.



“…yes, the files are here on my desk.” Jason rolls his eyes as he throws a couple things into his already-packed backpack.

Reese runs a finger down his notepad, following Jason around his office. “Well what about Brown’s…”

“I got that to him yesterday.” Jason stops and looks at him. “Reese…you’re the boss, remember? You’re in charge here. I think you can survive with me gone for a few days.”

“Yes, but…” Reese heaves a weary sigh. It had been a long week. Everything had been so topsy turvy after the case gone wrong, and now it had been several days after Scott’s funeral, and things were still a mess. They had a tech guy coming up from Arizona, but it wasn’t a permanent deal, and in the meantime, everything imaginable had been going wrong. All Reese wanted was some support around him, and now Jason and Katie were taking off for Texas. “I know, I know…you guys need the time off.”

“You can call,” Jason assures. “I was gonna say no communication, but after seeing you like this, I don’t have the heart.” He zips up his backpack. “I’ll have my cell phone with me.”

“What about Katie?”

Jason pauses, then shakes his head. “Don’t call her, Reese. She doesn’t need to be thinking about work right now.”

Reese purses his lips, brought back down a little bit. “Yeah…you’re right. I haven’t seen much of her.”

“Me either.” Saying that sounded a little strange, but it was true. Jason shrugs. “She’s been at Scott’s house a lot.”

“You think she’ll be okay?”

“Yeah.” Jason nods. “She will. She’s too tough not to be. It’ll just take a while.”

Reese cocks his head. “What about you?”

Jason shrugs again. “I’m always fine.”

Reese looks him in the eye skeptically, then gives his shoulder a pat. “Once a hotshot, always a hotshot. I know you better than that, but I won’t push it. Get out of here before I think of something else that I need.”

Jason grins a little and slings his backpack over his shoulder. “Wyatt’s taking care of Trooper and Domino…if he has trouble, have him call me.”

“What? I’m taking messages now too? You haven’t told him this?”

“Calm down!” Jason starts down the hall. “He’s out with Aerith right now, and I was just saying it so you didn’t worry when he complains.”

“Oh. Well why didn’t he tell me he was gone today?! Doesn’t anybody tell me anything anymore?”

Jason stops and turns for a moment. “Go…talk to Angelica or something to calm down, will ya?”

Reese bites his lip. It had been a long time since he’d felt this scatterbrained. “That bad, huh?”

Jason quirks an eyebrow. “Take an aspirin and call Rick in the morning.”

As Jason walks away, Reese throws up his hands. “I can’t help it that everybody is abandoning me!”

Jason gives a slight smile, heading onto the main floor. It was nearing noon…he was running just a little late.

Getting to Katie’s cubicle, he knocks on the wall and leans over the top. “Ready to go, Hero? Plane’s ready when we are.”


Carson runs a comb through his hair and takes one last look in the small mirror before tucking in his t-shirt and tightening his belt. He felt good…better than he had in a long time. His weight was about back down to where it used to be, his head and eyes were clear, and he was starting to regain some confidence that maybe things would eventually look up.

His morning jogs had helped. He’d finally gotten used to it again, and now had three different routes he took. Usually it was twice a week that he wound up passing by Misty’s. It never failed that he had an urge to stop, but of course, he never did. Companionship was satisfied though, in the afternoons and evenings when Jess would come by Mom and Pop’s. Carson enjoyed the company, and found her presence something he not only appreciated, but simply liked as well.

Heading to the kitchen, he swings the door open and grabs for an apron. “Morning, Herb. What do we got going today?”


Cindy bustles around the kitchen, stirring, pouring and baking. The house was clean, Kaylee was fed, changed and asleep, the laundry was done, and now supper was almost ready to throw in the oven later in the day.

She wipes the sweat from her brow then stops and smiles as she hears Wes come in the back door. It was close to noon, and he was probably hungry for lunch.

Meeting him in the entryway, she greets him by throwing her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. Drawing back, she smiles, her eyes sparkling. “Hi. Hungry? I got your lunch, and I got everything ready for when Jason gets here, and..” She stops, realizing she’s chatting excitedly, and giggles. “Sorry…” She was so thrilled to know her son was coming, that it was hard to hold it in. “Have a good morning in the shop?”