Rare

Rocky returns Jess' smile with his own. "I don't know what you're thanking me for, but I guess you're welcome."

During the rest of the meal, Rocky keeps conversation light, asking Jess more surface questions about a few of her likes and dislikes, concerning anything from food to music, and sharing some about himself too.

By the time he glances at his watch, his plate has been long-empty, and the lunch crowd has already dwindled. His eyes widen as he sees the time. "Ohhhh no." He grimaces. "I am so dead, and I'm sure I've made you late too. At this rate, I'll be on the road until six with deliveries."

Sliding from the booth, he grabs his hat to slap back on his head. Grabbing his wallet, he takes out enough money to pay for both meals. Heading off any refusal, he states simply, "My treat."

Smiling, he pauses, giving Jess a nod. "Been fun, Jess. See you around?"


Scott almost gives a scoffing laugh. "You may be photogenic, but I don't think anybody would want the face of me anywhere permanently."

Pausing, he traces the threads on his jeans with a finger. "Rick is waiting," he mentions quietly. He really didn't feel like talking much more today. He was getting even more tired, and a headache had formed.

Getting up from his chair, he takes one last glance down at the photos, then finally back to Hope. "Seventeen point one," he muses. "It's...a rare number."

Artist

Eating a little bit of her food Jess is a tad saprised when Rocky informs her that Carson had been the one who informed Rocky. In a way she felt a little betrayed that he would talk about it, but as soon as the feeling came the feeling passed as well. Jess had been close to Carson and he'd never done anything to harm her and was her friend. If Carson didnt trust Rocky that he wouldnt have said anything to him.

Giving a small smile to asure Rocky she was not to upset, but stays silent as she continues to eat her food. Listing to Rocky talk about his special spot Jess gives her head a little nod. She never really just stoped and looks at the stuff around her. She'd always though she was to busy for that not to mention to her eyes there wasnt much in this world that look pretty to her. Maybe it was the error of her own ways that blinded her eyes, or maybe it was simply the world was full of so much hate that it blocked out the nice stuff to some. But for some reason when Rocky said it, Jess could almost feel the warmth that raideated off of it.

Jess ear perk up at the mention of Rocky hanging out at her house again sometimes and that he liked playing cards. The look of excitment pass through Jess eyes as a grin curls on her lips.

"I think I would like that, but you better watch out I am pretty good at card playing."

Thanks back for a moment to the time when Carson and her use to practice. Another smile forming on her lips. A look passing through her eyes. A look of remembering. The past had been bad, but it had some bright spots that Jess would always remember.

"Thank you by the way Rocky."

Looking up Jess eyes meet Rocky's as a small fire burns in them. One that wasnt there before. Where it came from some might not know, but deep in Jess heart she new and it felt differnt, but good.

Seeing the grin on form slightly on Scott's face a flutter happens inside Hope's heart. With every passing moment, here and there she caught a glimps that what she was doing really was helping and it gave the the curage, and the confadince that was was doing on good.

Giving a nod Hope replys to Scott a bit of excitment in her voice.

"I'd like that, and thank you."

Hope thinks for a moment before speaking again.

"I'd like maybe a picture with you as well. Art of the artist is a good memorie."

Photogenic

Rocky grows quiet for just a moment, thinking as their food comes. Picking around his chicken, he finally looks up at Jess again. "I... have a confession to make."

A sheepish grin rises. "Carson and I had a nice chat last night, and... I asked him about who you were." His tone remains casual, his eyes still lit with interest, not disapproval. "I hope you're not offended. I just..." He shrugs. "...wanted to know more about you."

The look on his face shows sincerity. His intentions were pure. "As for not having a special spot, I didn't for a long time either."

Rocky shifts the conversation right back around again, always casual and warm, not missing a beat to draw attention to anything. "Then I discovered a little spot out on the river a ways from here. There's an old wooden dock at a nice gentle bend in the river. And on a nice day it's just a breeze and the sound of water and the sound of birds. Secluded from the world, and never closer to God."

His smile broadens a little. "I should take you there sometime. I don't mind sharing." A wink is quick to follow. "In the meantime though, next time I come over to your place, I could go a hand or two at a card game. All I've had to play with lately is Max and... he's not much of a challenge." He chuckles. His mention of going back over to Jess' place had just rolled off his tongue without a second thought.


Though Scott doesn't respond, Hope's words don't fall on deaf ears. Scott knows. He knows that even though he'd never felt lower in his life, that people around him still cared. Even though in his mind he didn't think it was worth living right now, somewhere, deep in his heart, he knew that there was a reason to go on. There was light under that door... that could only mean that something better really did exist.

Realizing that Hope had walked around to be in front of him, he raises his eyes just enough that he could see her own, and searches her face for a moment. Why did she care? What made someone like her want to help someone like him?

Even though he suddenly shuts down, unwilling to be open anymore for now, his eye seems to glimpse something more, almost like a realization of something he hadn't noticed before. An ever-so-slight grin curls the very corner of his mouth. "Next time I come..." He hesitates. "Can I take your picture? You're very photogenic."

Hope

Looking up quickly at Rocky's comment Jess locks eyes with him for a moment. She wasnt to sure but his comment made her wonder that he new about her more than she thought but how? Jess felt a bit at easy yet a bit uptight not even sure how Rocky new. Seeing the look on his fae and the smile though made her feel better that even though he new about he past it still did not bother him.
Still it bothered her, maybe she had yet to come to terms with it, or maybe it was just the shame she felt that haunted her still.

Looking down at her plate once again after Rocky's comment she is silent for a long moment. The look in her eyes was almost empty as if longing for something that just wasnt there. There was a feeling missing, an emotion that just was not known. Thinking for a long moment Jess finally looks up at Rocky again. A look of sadness, empty, and lonlyness pass through her eyes for only a bref moment as she replys.

"I, dont have any special spots I like to go, and I..like to play cards, but I havent played in a while. Other than that I work, come home..and thats it. Yesterday was the first time I ever had someone over to my house to just hang out that wasnt a boyfriend. I dont really have any friends."

Hope falls silent as her eyes follow Scott around the room. Listing to what he was saying Hope was glad he was opening up, but it stung even her to hear the words he said. So much he had bene through, so much pain...and all he was harboring inside. Hope new Scott must feel so alone in the world and lost.

As Scott sits down again Hope looks down at the pictures once more and than back up at her pashent.

"You are lucky to be alive Scott and that counts for something right? I know some days it feels like you wish you wernt alive but you have so many people who love you and care about you and a VERY happy that they still have more time with you."

Drawing silent again Hope searchs Scott's eyes.How she wanted to help him so bad and wish she could do more than she was.

"Even if you dont think so, you are a wonderful and smart person. Don't let them win this one. So far I have enjoyed getting to know you. I can only imagen how those who have known you longer must care for you. You might feel alone but your not. Your friends, and the people who care are with in your reach, you just need to find the curage to take the first step again to open the door holding the light."

Standing Hope walks to the front of her desk and leans on it for a moment before squating down in front of Scott.

"The path lays infront of you Scott. I am simply here to help you along the way.With out even relizing it you have started to take the steps already, and even though they are small they are apart of the big picture and I am so proud of you."

Hope offers Scott a soft smile.

Unfolding

Clint musters up the best reassuring smile he can for Wendy. "Don't think twice about me being tired, alright? I'm just fine."

He gives her a little squeeze. "Yes... we do have the rest of our lives together, and I'm very much looking forward to it."

Leaning down he gives her a tender kiss. "No matter what happens, we have each other."

Finally he withdraws, even though he doesn't want to. "I need to keep working on that engine... If you need anything juts let me know, okay?"


Rocky keeps his gaze on Jess as she talks, truly interested in every word she said. As she allowed him any questions, he just studies her for a moment. An uneasiness had risen - one that hadn't been there before he'd asked her about herself.

"I just want to know what makes you you today, Jess," he responds. His voice is gentle...almost reassuring for some reason - as if he knew more than he had let on. The corner of his mouth upturns slightly, proving no displeasure. "You don't have to be afraid of the past - I'm certainly not." It was suddenly clear that he knew. Somehow he knew about Jess' immediate past.

Interrupted by the waitress again, it's several minutes before Rocky revisits their conversation, but he moves on as if there had never been a break. "Boring or not, you have to do something for fun," he prompts. "What do you like to get out and do? Where are your favorite spots to go?"


Scott can't help the brief look of surprise when Hope asks to keep some of the pictures and he just shrugs. "I don't care," he answers. "There's no reason for me to keep them."

Still quiet, he almost doesn't seem to hear Hope ask how he is. But finally he stands up, wandering back to the window he'd been drawn to the last time he'd been here. How was he? "I'm tired and sick to my stomach," he finally replies.

After a moment, he turns around, leaning his back against the wall beside the window and finally looking at Hope. "Not much different than any other day after another night of nightmares. I've come to expect nothing more."

He turns back around, his eyes seeing his own reflection in the glass. Slowly, his hair was getting a little longer. The markings on his face from the beatings were receding. If he weren't so gaunt, he might almost recognize himself.

"They didn't even plan on taking me, you know..." He had no idea why he was talking about this. She hadn't asked. He still hadn't even told anyone the whole story, or even written up the report he'd been asked to. But he was so tired of reliving it every night. Every night, the whole thing played through his mind over and over again. The images were a horror he despised.

His voice is so quiet, one would have to strain to understand. "The Agency watches everyone... all the time. I wasn't supposed to live through that explosion. I should have died."

He sees it again as if it had just happened yesterday. He could still hear the desperate voices of his team over the mic, urging him to get out of the house. "I tried to get out." His eyes have lost their life and he stares into nothingness. "There was someone who had already been shot... he was dead... blood everywhere."

Scott swallows hard. "I couldn't get out.... the house was locked down. But I remembered a passageway in the basement I'd see in the blueprints. I almost made it. The pressure from the bomb sent me in the rest of the way. When I woke up, my left eye's sight was gone - it had been a piece of debris. I don't know how long I'd been in there... but I crawled the rest of the way until I came out at the other end. It was several blocks away in an empty lot. I didn't know what was going on, so when someone offered to help, I didn't refuse. I blacked out. I didn't know it was the Agency. By the time I woke up, we were halfway to...their setup. And it was too late...I couldn't escape."

The rest was too horrific for him to want to talk about. It still hurt too much. It still frightened him too much. He had seen so much and experienced so much that it made him sick just thinking about it. Scott just stands, a picture of sheer despair of one who had given up all hope... of one whose fight was completely gone.

Eventually he turns back around to wander back to Hope's desk. Reaching down, he finds the picture of the broken mirror and picks it up, just looking at it. He sets it back down, then once more sits on the edge of a chair, his head hanging.

How are u

Wrapping her own arms around Clint Wendy nuzzles her face into his shoulder. Some might think she was strange for even bothering to hug him when he looked and smelled like grease, but to Wendy it was almost a comfort. Knowing he was close, and smelling him was almost soothing to her and she didnt mind it a bit.

" I know you do, and I love you very much as well. I know your so tired all the time, and this is all alot of stress on you. So I try not to worry about it to much. We have the rest of our lifes together right. So I figured a little sacrifice now is ok."

Wendy is silent for a moment as many things run through her mind. Moving her head just a little Wendy looks Clint in the eyes giving a smile.

"Thank you Clint."

Drinking her eat and taking a few bits of food here and there Jess listens as Rocky talk a little about himself. As the questions turns to her Jess can feel herself become a little bit nervouse. She still wasn't use to shearing her story with many people. But keeping her cool Jess knows that sooner or later this question would of come up.

Giving a grin Jess voice is laced with a bit of humor as she replys to Rocky.

"Well I dont know much about Jemmm Ferchen but...I do know a little about Jessica Fisher."

Jess cant help but chuckle again taking another sip of her tea.

"My life is pretty boring. You know where I work, I come home...dont really have any friends I had out with. I use to date Carson, I met Axel, met you...work and go home. Life is pretty boring for me now. But I dont mind to much."

Jess hopes maybe that will satisfy Rocky for now without giving to many details on her past. Jess didnt know why but talking about it still made her a bit uneasy though sooner or later she would tell him.

"Lets see...what alse would you like to know?"

Hope listens to Scott as he describes the pictures taking in his every word. How he described the pictures was so deep and for a moment Hope could see maybe a glimps of who the real Scott was.

Waiting for him to finish talking Hope smiles and looks up at him. A glint of amazment in her eyes.

"You have quite an eye I can tell you that. These could pass as being done by a perfeshinel. Do you mine if I keep a few to hang on my wall?"

Hope continues to offer Scott her friendly smile. All she wanted was him to feel comfrotable. Talking would come naturly once he was.

Waiting before she continues again she looks down at the picture of the light under the door, the bars on a window and the smashed merror. The pictures said more than one would think.

"How have you been today Scott?"