Unexpected Return

Jason grins a little.

Nah - I won't go cry in a corner or anything. Sounds like Rosetta needs you.

"Jason, can you come to my office please?"

The boss summons... gotta go. Talk to ya later.

Jason is quick to close off his emotions just halfway, signaling that he needed to pay attention to his work at the moment, and would be in touch with Katie later.


Chatter in the auto shop dies down a little, several of the men noticing the look on Ryan's face. No one needs to say it - they knew she was looking for Leo.

"So, who wants as donut?" Miles holds up the box, trying to create a distraction. The others gather around, pulling Ryan with them, while Axel, quite out of character, starts singing "Welcome back to the shop" to the tune of Happy Birthday.

Eli sticks around, not having anywhere else to go, and making sure Ryan is able to make it through the day. Darrel shows up a while later, not minding that Eli was around, and welcoming Ryan back as well.

Customers come and go and cars come in one after the other. Darrel comes in several times looking for Leo, but so far, the mechanic had not shown up. It's late afternoon, when a bit of unrest starts to rise. Over lunch, Jed had gone to drive by Leo's house, finding his car not there. But Leo wasn't answering his phone, and none of his friends seemed to know where he was either. Now several hours later, worry filled the shop, and even Darrel started growing concerned. Leo could be out of town, or with relatives or had a family emergency - but it wasn't like him not to check in. Come four o'clock, the mechanics were all looking at each other, wondering if they should be more concerned, or just let it go.

Jed and Miles are speaking quietly in one corner.

"You said he was at the races?"

"Yeah. Ticked about something."

"That the last anybody's seen him?"

"Well at least from here. He's gotta just be out of town or something."

"Could be, but... I'd hate to not do anything if it's more than that."

"You want to start calling hospitals or what?"

"I don't know, I just... I don't know."

They hush their conversation as Ryan is nearby, not wanting to lead on that they were worried about Leo.


Gunner looks left down the street, then right. He'd declined a ride, but hadn't called for one either. Finally he goes right. It would take him about an hour to walk home. But the fresh air felt good. Two more good sessions with the doctor, and he'd been released. It seemed a little odd... a little too easy, and Gunner wondered if Hope had something to do with that. He would thank her later.

For now, he had a destination in mind. At least he had his own clothes on again, back in his jeans, tee and denim jacket. Walking alongside the road, he ignored the cars, lost in his own little world until one car pulls onto the shoulder just ahead of him. Getting closer, Gunner recognizes the driver as he gets out.

JT walks to the back of the car, waiting for Gunner. "Need a lift?"

Gunner quirks an eyebrow and holds out his arms. "I might have a knife."

JT gives him a wry grin. "Yeah well... I kinda have the feeling I don't need to be scared of you."

"I just came from Northside, ya know... scary place full of scary people. There's even a rumor going around that I'm a vampire."

JT chuckles. "You know... I could say we got off on the wrong foot, but... I think it was the right foot until somebody stumbled. I know you didn't mean any harm to me, and I understand a little more now. Maybe it was right of me to turn you in - maybe not. But I'd like to start over."

Gunner stops and cocks his head. "Why?"

JT had a lot of reasons. One, he felt sorry Gunner had been through so much, and that he may have made it worse by making a big deal out of the whole incident with the hospital records. Had he known what torment the man was going through, he would have handled things differently. Two, Bree liked Gunner and she had a good head on her shoulders. She wouldn't trust someone unworthy. And three, he wanted to get to know Gunner too. After all these years, it was neat to reconnect, and he had enjoyed the night they'd all had pizza together. "We all need a few friends in the world." He shrugs. "Why as questions like "why" when we can just accept the fact that we like to help out, lend a hand, and get to know someone?"

"Bree been talking to you?"

"She's mentioned you a few times. I meant to come see you once, but I got pulled into surgery."

"Did they make it?"

"Yeah." JT smiles. "They did. Now are you gonna get in the car or not?"

Gunner thinks a moment, then shrugs. "Why not? I'll show you where my apartment is."

Once the two were in the car and on their way, JT reaches to speed dial Bree on his cell's speaker phone before getting both hands back on the wheel. He figured she might be getting up right about now. "Hey, it's me... wondering if you wanted to do supper at my place tonight? We got company."

Gunner's eyebrows raise. "Wha-"

"I'm thinking pizza."

"But I-"

"I can call it in, if you wanna pick it up on your way over."


Jade smiles as she takes the cup of coffee. "I used to hate it," she admits before taking a sip. "Then my grandma got me hooked. Mmm." She closes her eyes and breathes in the potent smell. "Nothing quite like it to awaken the senses."

She was trying really hard not to think about her dad right now. Tagging along with Dan was a nice distraction, and she enjoyed being around him more every day. Getting to know him had been fun, and they got to laugh a lot. On a day like today, she was more than willing to help with the horses, clean or pitch manure, as long as it meant keeping her mind busy.

"Alright, you da boss." She grins, downing the rest of her coffee. "Lead the way, oh, valiant cowboy."

The day at the ranch moves surprisingly fast. There's an odd feel in the air, but things function as normal. Chores are accomplished, people are taken care of, and meals are prepared and eaten in the dining hall. Everything seems to be going fine, despite the still feeling that something was amiss. By nightfall, bodies and minds are tired, ready for another night's sleep.

Out back behind the barn, Jade sits with Dan on a couple hay bales, admiring the view of stars against the foothills. Bed time was half an hour ago, but the quiet night was too nice to pass up. "When I was a little girl, I used to wonder what it would be like to look at earth from one of those stars." Jade leans back against the barn, staring at the sky. "Then I learned they were a bazillion light years away." She laughs, shaking her head. "After that, I figured maybe it might be just as nice to be in an airplane at night to see all the lights below."


It's dark. A few lights shone here and there at the ranch, but for all practical purposes, things were closed up for the night, apart from a few final conversations before bed. At the end of the driveway, it was too far away for anyone to notice the cab that had pulled to a stop and let out two figures. They walk side-by-side into the ranch, their feet crunching on the gravel. The dogs don't bark - one newcomer was someone they knew, and there was no point in alerting anybody.

The figures stop, speak for a moment, and one heads to one of the empty bunk houses. The other makes his way slowly to the main house, his duffel bag over one shoulder. Stepping up on the porch, he reaches for the doorknob, but finds it locked. Not surprising, since he was gone. Ringing the doorbell, Mick waits. His shoulders were dropped, his eyes half-closed and tired. But he was here... and he would have to take things as they came.