Pity party

For the last few days? Sparky's eyebrows lift just a little. "Angel must be offering quite the perks for being her nurse," he muses. It was obvious that his humor had returned, and he couldn't believe that she would have sat all this time just because she wanted to. "I'll have to look into changing careers and working for her to see what I'd get for sitting and watching patients."


Gunner straightens up and folds his arms, knowing that he could trust these two men. "There's a young woman who was taken to Crescentview Mental Facility. Problem is, she doesn't belong there. She's not crazy or unstable in any way. It has something to do with her parents and money, but we're still trying to figure out those facts."

Scott interrupts. "Who's we?"

"Me and Dr. Jack Timble, her uncle."

"Jack Timble..." Scott furrows his brow. "I've heard that name."

"Could be. He used to help out the Texas gang years back." Gunner purses his lips. "He and I are trying to get Bree out of that place before they ruin her. They've got high security though, and they've got the both of us tagged. We couldn't get in there if we had permission from the president."

Scott tries to process the information. "Alright... so what do you want from us?"

"Information. I've tried to get all I could but I just can't get very deep. I know computers, but not that well. JT's been trying to go through legal channels - but we're both getting frustrated, and we've been talking about getting in by other means. Things like using security cards or using businesses that have clearance."

"Like electric companies or delivery trucks."

"Exactly. Thing is, we don't know what companies they use. We don't know what their security cards are. We don't know what their ID badges look like. We don't know the names of their staff who have high clearance."

Scott glances to Dalton again before thinking it through. "This is gonna take some hacking... and some time."

"I know. That's why I'm asking you two. If you can't or don't want to, then JT and I will have to find a different route. But you're the best. I'm hitting too many dead ends to keep on by myself. And time is running out. We have to get Bree out of there."

Scott takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I know you don't usually ask for favors... so this must be pretty important. I'll do what I can..." He turns to Dalton. "What do you say?"


Gage hears the key turning in the lock, but he doesn't get up. Sapphire was the only other person with a key, so he trusted it was just her. And he was right. But even as she enters, he makes no move to stand. He just sits, looking at the tree or down at the floor. It was the first time in quite a while he'd felt anywhere close to miserable.

At Sapphire's question, he shrugs lamely. "Yeah, I'm fine... I will be."

Picking at a hole in his jeans, he keeps his head resting on the wall. He knew he couldn't get away with not explaining. Sapphire was his friend, and friends talked to each other. "I just had a run-in with some punk on the street today."

He sighs and shrugs again. "I was picking up trash. The cop I was with got a call - he trusted me to keep working so he went a ways away... had his back turned. Guy came up to me and started picking on me about what I was doing... making fun of me. At first I didn't care, ya know? I know why I have to do it, and I'm just lucky I'm not in jail."

Gage pauses, not liking the lingering anger in his gut. "I told him to leave me alone, and he kept at it. He was just looking for a fight. I don't know if he was on something or what. But he shoved me."

A thread snaps from the hole in his jeans his finger had been working on. "I just... I don't know... I got mad. I was trained to fight, ya know? There was a lot of stuff I didn't realize in the Agency, but one thing they made sure of was that if I ever got caught, I could get out of it. Combat and torture... that's what they wanted my specialty to be."

Stopping again, his eyes finally drift up to Sapphire's face. It was obvious that he didn't feel good about what had happened. "So... I shoved back. The guy's first strike I didn't see coming." He gestures to his lip. "After that though..." He sighs again. "...I did what I knew to do. That guy didn't stand a chance. I just... in my mind, I was the old me again, looking out for number one, and not caring about what happened to anybody else. He deserved to get knocked down so I did it. Next thing I knew, the cop was pulling me off the guy and ordering me to stand down. I came to my senses so I obeyed. The 0ther guy wasn't in great shape... bleeding everywhere, I think I broke his nose. Cop wanted to call for someone to take him to the ER to get cleaned up, but all the guy wanted to do was get out of there. I think he was scared of the police, to tell you the truth."

Looking back down again, Gage tries to sort through the disappointment in himself that was mixed with a bit of pride of putting someone else in his place. They were conflicting feelings.

"Thankfully, the cop had seen that I hadn't started it. And since the guy didn't want to go to the hospital, I got away with a stern warning was all."

Trying to find some comfort in the pretty, glowing tree, Gage looks at it. "I guess it felt good but I feel bad for feeling good." He cringes at how mixed up that sounded. "I don't like missing the control I used to have... I know it was wrong, the things I did, but... when they'd put me in a room with a victim, I was in charge. Even if I really didn't have the freedom I thought I did on the outside, in those moments, I was the one with the job to control the victim. Now... now everyone is in charge of me... all I get to do is say where to put decorations on a Christmas tree." He scoffs at himself. "And have pity parties... I'm sorry."


Ryder laughs and straightens to model his new "hat," prancing around to the front of the couch to flop down next to Thirteen. He was just as glad that so far, she didn't question where the money came from for all the things they could do and buy. Ryder kept very good track of everything that came in from Trent, and at any given time he could show where the money had been spent and how much was left.

"Mom and Pop's it is then. And you are looking at the worst bowler on the planet - but if you want to bowl, then bowl we shall."

Grinning, he takes the boxers off his head, tossing them on the pile of laundry. Leaning closer to Thirteen, he kisses her lips. "All I gotta do is get my shoes on and we're out of here. Worry about the laundry later."