Silent hello

"Mmm..." Carson reaches for the coffee, taking a big swig before shaking his head at Misty. "No... nothing... I keep going deeper and deeper and... nothing."

He groans and leans back in the chair, rubbing his hands over his face. "Reese would kill me if he know how many times I've risked my hacking being spotted."

Taking Misty's hand, he gives it a kiss, then rubs her arm lovingly. "I got a little while left... and maybe they won't convict Scott anyway." But he doubted it. With no evidence of innocence, Scott was still a threat.


Good morning.

Jason keeps his eyes closed, the lights this morning giving him a headache. He had felt an increase in the pull on his emotions and he knew Katie must be awake now.

A low rumble of thunder signals the rain that is on its way.

Wanna go for a motorcycle ride?


Reese walks down the long corridor, searching for the right meeting room. Finally finding it, he stops, just in time to see Hope arrive as well. He waits, and escorts her inside, neither saying much. The judge is waiting and so is Brown. The room is comfortable with a large table and about a dozen chairs. Though Judge Barkley seemed a bit serious, he was also friendly, helping calm the atmosphere somewhat. When questioned where Scott was, Reese assures them that he will be there soon... Gunner would be bringing him. And so, they wait.


Scott splashes cold water on his face and lets it drip down into the sink before reaching for a towel. Part of him dreaded today, while another part of him was glad it was finally here.

Drying his face, he stands straighter to look at himself in the mirror. He'd often wondered lately who that man was... where he was headed... where he was running to. Giving a little sigh, Scott brushes his teeth after having showered and shaved, wanting to look the best he could for the hearing. He'd been told it would be fairly informal, not taking place in a courtroom. He was glad for that - maybe it wouldn't be as intimidating as he'd thought it would be.

Finished cleaning up and finally dressed, it's back to the mirror. He takes his one contact and puts it in, covering up his blind eye. Blinking as it goes in a little crooked, he cringes until it's right. Looking at himself again, it appears he was normal. No one would know any difference unless they looked really close. That was the whole point. But...

"Scott? Fifteen minutes."

He looks to the door where Gunner's voice could be heard. "Yeah..." He looks back to the mirror. He'd fought to be normal for such a long time, but had never seemed to have accomplished it. But was that really the point? Or was it that he was supposed to accept himself for who he was, rather than trying to conform to other people's molds? It felt like a heavy revelation to gain while standing in front of a bathroom mirror, but it was there nonetheless. No one could ever plan the timing of these things.

Slowly, Scott reaches up and removes his contact to expose the lifeless gray eye. It made him stick out. It made him different, maybe even strange. But it was a battle scar from a fight he had survived. It was a reminder that he had fought and won. It was... him.

Staring at himself a few moments longer, his hand aims for his glasses then stop and go for his other contact case instead. Putting one in his good eye, he blinks while it adjusts and everything becomes a little bit clearer. He puts his glasses in a case and puts them in the cupboard. Back to the sink, this time a pair of scissors is in hand. His hair was already wet and he knew what he was doing. Snip. Short locks of hair fall into the sink, shaping into the look that wasn't for anybody else... this time, it was for him.

Finished within minutes, he cleans up, then runs his fingers through his hair, not bothering to comb it straight. It was shorter on the sides and trimmed on the top and back... it would do.

Exiting the bathroom, his navy collared shirt has two buttons undone, and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Tucking it into his jeans showed how thin he was, but he didn't care. He was through covering up. He puts on a belt while he walks into the living room to find Gunner. "Ready?"

"Yep." Gunner stands from the couch and heads to the door, letting Scott go out first. His sidearm was in place and he locks up the house before ambling to the car.

The ride to the courthouse is quiet, each man in his own thoughts. Scott wondered where he would be just hours from now, while Gunner wanted to reassure his friend but didn't know how.

Pulling up to their destination, a two-word prayer is all Scott can manage to think of. God... help.

Gunner is the first to get out of the car and he waits for Scott, knowing he was meant to be the escort, whether he liked it or not. Once inside, they're met by another officer who has the orders to see them to the room. Scott was no threat, but procedure was procedure.

Finally entering the room, all eyes look up. Scott can feel heat in his face, being the center of attention. His eyes go from Brown to Reese to Barkley to... Surprise flashes in his eyes as they rest on Hope. Something inside him immediately calms, while another part of him sends a chill down his spine. He wants to go talk to her, to greet her, to maybe even hug her... but he knew that nothing would be acceptable in this setting, other than to simply take his seat. So instead, he settles for mouthing, 'Hi.'

Sitting down in an empty chair, Scott's eyes fall to the floor. Gunner takes his seat on one side, the officer on the other.


Luke makes his way across the short distance between the house and the cozy medical building. It was early morning and a light fog covered the ranch. He normally wasn't up at this time... usually he could barely get out of bed before ten o'clock. But today he'd woken with enough energy to beat Angel out of bed and make coffee for her for once. With the help of his braces, he'd opted for a short walk, if he could make it, and had decided to check on Wendy, leaving Angel to some much-needed sleep.

He knew that Clint had finally been convinced to sleep a few hours in his own bunk as well, in order to get a little bit of good sleep. So entering the next building, he knows it will be quiet. But a new sound catches him by surprise. Stopping, he cocks his head. Was that... Wendy... crying?

Luke's heart leaps into his throat. No, it couldn't be... not yet....

Walking slowly, cautiously to the door, he knocks lightly with his knuckle before pushing the door open just a little. Then seeing his stepdaughter with her baby, his heart felt as though it were being torn in two. He knew.

Part of him wanted to turn right around and call Angel. But something made him stay this time, just for a few minutes before alerting anyone else. He didn't know why... but slowly his legs carry him over to the bed where he sits down on the edge.

Not knowing what else to do for the grieving mother, he gradually, gently reaches over to take Cecilia from her arms, placing her into the small cradle that had been her bed for only a few days. Then turning again, he wraps his arms around Wendy just to hold her as a tear of his own runs down his cheek. "Shhhh..."