Biggest mistake

Jade walks alongside Dan, finding herself forgetting about her worries for a little while. With nerves calmed and not so intent on trying to wear a mask, her outright flirting seemed to dissolve into more relaxed chitchat, as she shared about her mom, friends and finishing high school. She found it easy to talk to Dan... she'd been trying hard to find out how she should act around him, when in reality, just being herself was the easiest. And she liked it.

Come supper time, she almost didn't want the walk to end. Dan had helped settle her nerves and she almost wished they didn't have to go eat. But she knew they did, and so they joined the others for the evening meal.


The hours slip slowly by as afternoon becomes evening, and evening approaches nightfall. The ranch was slowly closing up for the evening. Supper was over, horses were put away, and little ones were tucked in for the night. It was quite as the sun sank below the horizon. A chill was in the air as darkness descended. Warmer days were still present, but the nights were cold.


"Ahh! Katie, you rat!" Jade throws down her cards with disgust, but the teasing twinkled in her eyes. Jeff and Katie were creaming her and Dan. She smirks at Dan from across the table. "I'm telling you, they're cheating."

"Cheating?" Jeff takes up the cards to shuffle them. "If we were cheating, we woulda had you five hands ago."

Jade sticks out her tongue, but finally laughs before taking a sip of her ice tea. She taps the table with her palm. "Alright, one more round. Dan, we got 'em this time." Tonight was fun. The only worry she had was knowing that Sparky wasn't back yet, and they'd heard nothing from him or her dad. But she tried to ignore that little knot in her stomach and just have a good time. It wasn't too hard with this small group.


Play the ace. You know you want to.

Jason grins as he tosses his tennis ball against his bedroom wall, catching it, and sending it flying again, over and over. Insomnia had caught up with him tonight, and snoring Trooper wasn't offering much help. Jason had shifted his thoughts to Katie, and somehow, had known they were playing cards. He wasn't sure how... he couldn't normally do that, but tonight it seemed easy.

Emotions are shaped into laughter and sent Katie's way.

I hope you're having fun while I'm sitting at home... alone... bored.


Lights from a pickup come into view and bob as the truck comes up the driveway. Parking near the main house, when the engine is cut, it isn't silence that comes, but the sound of the loud argument from inside the vehicle. It only gets louder as two men exit.

Sparky gets out of the truck and slams the door. "I don't care! You're being stupid!"

"I...I amnot!" Mick slides from his seat and stumbles, remaining standing only by grabbing the open door. "Jst shut up an' lemme be." He gives the door a shove to shut it, and staggers towards the house.

"I will not shut up! I'm your brother and I have a right to speak."

"Y'r on mmy ranch now," Mick counters, his speech slurred. "You wanna fight... go 'head, but I am not... not..." He teeters a little as he points at Sparky, forgetting what he was going to say. "I'm not lissn'ng to you."

Frustrated, Sparky throws up his arms. "You're an idiot! So you got a problem, and you fall to pieces. Nice, Mick. Real nice."

"It's my son!" Mick barks. Whiskey induced tears form in his glazed eyes. "I know it's Agency and you jst wan' me t' sit back an' watch? I've had it w'th th're stupid plots. I'm finding him, Sp'rky... I'm finding him. Now get outta my way."

Sparky folds his arms across his chest, standing in Mick's way. "You calm down before going inside."

"I am calm!"

"You are not."

"Get outta my way," Mick warns. "I've been p'shed 'round by my ex, p'shed 'round by the pol'ce and I'll be hanged if I get p'shed 'round by my own broth'r."

Sparky glares back at him. He'd figured out most of the story. Dylan was missing and the police would not allow Mick to be involved in the case, even though it was his son. Mick believed it was Agency after one officer had slipped and mentioned Medridge. "You're not thinking straight. Let's go sober you up and talk some sense before you go an-"

A brutal fist to the mouth cuts Sparky off, sending him stumbling to the side. Grabbing the porch railing for support, he puts a hand to his bleeding lip. There was a deeper pain there than just his lip though. He stares at Mick. "You don't deserve to be on the case," he hisses. "They don't need a drunk messing things up."

Somewhere Mick knows what mistake he just made, but his mind is too cloudy to overcome it. He just glares at his brother. "G't out of here."

"This is my home too."

"N't anymore. G't out!"

"I will not! You don't know what you're saying!"

Mick points down the driveway, his anger high. "Out!"


Jade's head shoots up as she hears the shouting outside, and a cold chill runs down her spine. Her face turns a shade of red as she recognizes her father's voice, then she pales. She'd never heard tones like this before and it scared her. She looks across at Dan, her eyes wide. It was her turn to play, but her mind was suddenly captured by the unseen argument going on outside.