Jack

Putting her beer down on the counter the commotion from the other side of the bar catchs her attachen for the fourth time since she had come into the bar.

It had been a long day and all she wanted was some peace and quit but she couldnt even get that here. Tossing some money down on the bar and pushing the beer bottle aside the tall brunette stands starting to walk pass Alec.

As Alec stumbles to the floor the girl stops only a few steps from stepping on him. Her hair fell around her broze colored face as she looks down at Alec. Giving a sidelong glance to the bartender she shakes her head.

"You let just about anyone in here now-a-days eh Jack?"

Looking back down at Alec again Ryan just gives a short laugh. She couldnt help but laugh at how stupid Alec looked and how hard he was going to get pummeled if he didnt get out of the bar.

"Eather your friends want to blow your head off or not you better get out of here before Jack here does it for them."

She voice was a bit stern and help not to much emotion but humor was laced in her voice.

Looking up as the door opened Thirteen stands as she see Ryder. It had been a while since she had been told to wait here for him, and though she kept herself busy watching Susanne and than looking away when she looked at her Thirteen couldnt help but worry what Reese would tell Ryder.

"Is everyrthing ok?"

Starting to walk with Ryder out of the office Thirteen once again falls in step with him. What would happen now? Was she going to be left alone that thought of that scaired her.

"Ryder are...are you going to keep me alone now? I dont want to be alone."

Fr'nds

"Mmm..." Reese studies the screen as Ryder points to it, showing him what had been discovered. "You're right. There's definitely a shadow there. Someone slipped in, timed themselves and walked under the cameras, thinking they wouldn't be detected."

"Exactly." Ryder straightens as he stands on the other side of the desk, and folds his arms. "There, you see? Thirteen didn't do it. It was someone else."

"And what's to say that she still wasn't an accomplice?"

"Oh come on! You can see-"

"Ryder." Reese cuts him off, showing his palm. "Enough. There is reasonable doubt here. Now... I'm man enough to admit when I've changed my mind, opinion, or been proven wrong. As it stands, there is reasonable doubt here of Thirteen's guilt. Therefore-"

"Don't put here through anymore!" Ryder insists loudly. "You're gonna-"

"Therefore!" Reese warns Ryder again not to interrupt. "I'm not going to put her through an interrogation right now. As adamant as she was about not lying, plus this evidence, she's on the suspect list, but I won't put her through anything else unless we find more that points to her."

Ryder's shoulders drop with relief. "What about Dani?"

"She's been here several times during the last few weeks. That note could have been dropped any time. I'll have Wyatt make sure she isn't going anywhere, but I don't want her tipped off, if she was involved. We'll play it cool and keep an eye on her until we either fine more evidence, or we come up with nothing else and I decide to bring her in. We're going to keep searching for Alec, and keep investigating here. We'll figure out who it was. Believe me... we'll figure it out."

After concluding the short meeting, Ryder exits Reese's office to find Thirteen in Susanne's extra chair, right where he'd left her. He forces a smile to the surface and stretches out his hand. "Come on. No one's gonna put you through any more today. Will you come back to your room with me?"


Jason shakes his head. "I've stuck with you since you got here... what makes you think I'm ready to leave now when I finally got you back?" His eyes wore dark circles, and his face was drawn. But his gaze had a new brightness to it. He wasn't going to leave... not yet.

It isn't long before the doctors are alerted, along with others who had been waiting. Jay calls Rosetta to go in together and he can't hold back his tears. A hug to his daughter just doesn't seem enough, but that's all he can do, along with thanking God over and over and over again.

Jason makes a couple calls to let other people know, and he knows that tomorrow will probably be a busier day with traffic. But after a while, the room is quiet again. Katie can go home in a couple days if nothing else happens, Jay will be returning to Texas along with Rosetta soon, and the rest of everything that went on was a fog.

Jason leans his head back in the chair, his eyes feeling so very heavy. But he just had to keep watching Katie. There were so many more things he wanted to tell her, but he'd already told her so much, he knew she must be overwhelmed. The rest could wait.

Don't ever do this again, eh? I don't think I could live through another one of these events.


"They'd be there, they said. Yesssssirree, they said they'd be there." The shot glass clanks on the bar counter. "Bartnnndrr! Gimme 'nother round!"

"Money first, wise guy."

"Ha!" The cackle is followed by a belch, which is followed by money being slapped on the counter. "Frrsttt time I got cash and I'm waishtin' the whole thing. Cheers!"

Alec grabs the next shot of whiskey and downs it all at once. He winces and shakes his head, then laughs, still talking to no one in particular, but being quite loud about it. "Said if I's ever 'n trouble to call an' they'd com'n get me, they did. Warehouse, they said, yessssir. They'd get m' out an' take me back 'cause I got loads of information!"

Somewhere in between slurred phrases, some beer is gulped down. He swivels around on the bars stool, almost losing his balance, and waves the annoyed bartender over. "Met me with a shotgun, they did. 'Bout blowed my head off. Ha! I got a group of fr'nds, I do! What're fr'nds for oth-r 'an to try'n kill you? Ha!"

This time when he spins, gravity takes over. Blinking, Alec looks up from the floor. "E'thr I jus' got a wholellot shorter or the fl'rr jus' came up 'n to meet me."

The bartender rolls his eyes. "Get out of here before you make a mess of things."

Alec can't get his feet under himself, so he just stays on the floor, clueless as to how ridiculous he looks. "And where would you sug'gest I go? My fr'nds wanna... they wanna..." He claps his hands together, mimicking a gunshot. "...my head off, r'm'ber?"

Go anywhere

Smiling up at Jason Katie holds her tears back though they wanted to break free again with how happy she was to see Jason. She wast so sure about the beautiful part but to him maybe she was.

Hearing the news about Jason joining her in the walk with the Lord a new smile spreads wide on her face. It was one thing to see him again, and it was another to know no matter what they would always see each other again. New tears now filled her eyes as she pulled Jason into a hug.

"Oh Jason, thats so great to hear. Thats, such great news. I new I felt some kind of peace about you now."

Pulling away an leaning back on the pillow her eyes felt so tired even though she wanted stay awake her eyes felt so tired.

Keeping her hand in his she give it a gentil squeeze she new he had to be tired as well...He's been here so long.

"Go get some sleep J, I wont be going anywhere."

No saying no

Jason blinks, really quite unsure as to whether or not Katie was serious about him marrying her. She’d never brought it up before. He’d always figured in the back of his mind that someday… but… well…

He shakes his head a little, clearing his mind. He needn’t let her feel confusion at this point. He’d just wait and see what she said tomorrow, or at least when her own head was a little less foggy.

He grins and can’t help but brush her cheek again. "You look beautiful," he assures.

Sitting back, he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "We were all scared that you... well.. I always knew you were gonna pull through." He squeezes her hand. "I don't know what I would have done without you. You can thank Rick I'm still alive, but... without you, there would have been a whole lot less to live for."

He tries to keep more tears from filling his eyes. He'd been so scared... so very scared.

"Your dad is here... and Rosetta too. She's been back and forth a bit. Doesn't feel like a month has gone by, yet it seems like it's been forever since I've heard your voice."

Jason's thumb rubs her hand absentmindedly, almost as if making sure she was real and he wasn't dreaming. "Lots of people have been here to see you. Carson... Ryder... Scott... they all have come every day. And Reese... well, I think he'll be one happy camper to know you're awake." He chuckles. "There's just too many of us around for you to leave yet."

He realizes that there's one important thing he hadn't mentioned. It could wait, but he really didn't want it to because he'd been waiting oh-so-long to tell her. "But... even if you had...." He cocks his head. "I know I woulda seen you again." His smile is soft and he knows she'll understand. "There was just no saying 'no' to God anymore."

Look

Katie gives a little smile as she continues to look at Jason. Bringing a hand to his face she runs her thumb over his cheekbone. If she had been in his shoes she wouldnt have believed it eather.

"For now, I'll drop it, but tomarrow I will ask and the day after I will ask too untill you tell me yes or no."

Bringing her hand through Jason's hair and to the back of his head she pulls just a little to bring his lips to her basking in the glory of his kiss for a moment before pulling away and leaning her head aganst his. Tears forming in her eyes again for a moment.

"So do I look as bad as I feel?"

Reaction

Jason's eyes widen a little as Katie repeats what she'd already asked. He knew now he hadn't misinterpreted the first time.

Giving a little laugh, he leans down and gives her a tender kiss on her lips, more careful this time not to move her around. Straightening again, his hand rakes through her hair.

"I think you're on one too many pain medications," he teases. Shaking his head, he bites his lip. "You have been... for over a month now, Hero. But you're back... that's all that matters right now."

Short explanation

Being pulled into the hug Katie winces just a little as her body was still healing just a little still, but not drawing away. It had been so long since she felt Jason, it had seemed like forever and almost was.

Looking into his eyes as her pulls her away tears filled her own. She remebered what happend, and why she was here. She had been so scaired she would never see Jason again and it had almost become true but now she was here.

"I'm here for good. I am not going anywhere."

Quiet again for a moment Katie searchs Jason's eyes.

"I...I want to be even closer to you if you'll let me. Your everything and I thought I was going to lose you and in that moment...I relized what I wanted and I very well might die without ever asking. I had lots of time to think while I was in there, and dealing with what I did. For a while I even though I had lost you, but I new that couldt be true. When I drifted in and out of countiusness I only ever saw you and the times we shaired. I couldnt leave you but I was slipping. I want to spend my life with you J, will you...marry me?"

Katie's eyes sparkled with the love for the one she thought she had lost, the person who had been so far and was unable to talk to for so long.

Please

Giving a nod, Ryder offers a small smile to Thirteen, encouraging her that he was proud of her bravery. "Alright. Come on."

Back up to the main level and down the hall. Reaching one of the offices. Ryder sets his hand on Thirteen's back, guiding her beside him as they walk, then stop in the doorway. "Dalton?"

He looks in at the big man. "Is there a computer I can use to look over that footage you gave Reese? I have reason to believe Dani Banks was here last night. I need to find out for sure."


Jason has been drifting in and out of sleep, lost in the world he'd been wandering in for the past month. He didn't care about time anymore or what was happening outside of these four walls. It was almost like a dream, but too frightening to be.

His head down and his eyes closed, he automatically turns his face a little, leaning into the soft stroke that he felt. Then the words come. Silent, but the emotions were there, and it was a stronger message this time.

Jason's eyes fly open and his head jerks up to stare at Katie. Her eyes were open. Oh, her eyes were open and seeing him with clarity. The darkness was gone.

"Katie...?" He's almost too afraid to hope that this wasn't a dream. Something between a laugh and a sob catches in his throat and his grip tightens around her hand. Tears fill his eyes.

Oh, Katie... you're back. You're really back.

Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, he reaches down to pull her into a hug, burying his face against her hair as a tear finally escapes.

I have never been so scared in all my life.

Drawing back, he brushes aside her hair with his hand, a smile finally coming. His emotions are going haywire, but they're all good so he doesn't hold them back. Too overcome, he doesn't even realize what her first words to him were.

"Holy cow it's good to see you," he breathes aloud. "Please tell me you're back for good."