Tell me

Laura doesn't say a word at first, just watching Nate's reaction. She was scared to death, giving him this kind of news. It was life-changing, and unplanned. Would he be happy? Upset? Sad?

But seeing the look in his eye as he turns to her, all fear seemed to vanish. She saw happiness. She saw an excitement she had never seen there. Fear, yes, but they were both scared of this new step. But there was excitement... true excitement. And that look alone made her beam. Nate was happy. This was making him happy. Maybe she still was unsure and she still needed to come to terms with this, but knowing that this was making him happy made it all worth it.

Wrapping her arms around him as he hugs her close, she trembles from all of the overwhelming emotions. Being pulled back to see his eyes once more, her face hurts as she can't quit smiling. A tear runs down the side of her face and a laugh comes out. "Me? The strong one? That's a switch."

She sniffs and is glad when he embraces her again. "I love you too... so much."

Taken into his kiss, she doesn't hold back any passion from him. All she wanted right now was to be the wife he deserved and make sure that the things she did pleased him and made him happy. She had loved him when she had married him, but each day it had grown more and more. She hadn't thought she could love him any more, but today, she did.

Her eyes were closed and she cocks her head the other way, reaching up through his embrace to let her fingers slide through his hair. She loved the way it felt on her fingertips and how warm and strong he felt against her as he kept her close.

This was their moment. This was their time.


"Another dead end." JT hangs up the phone and sinks into a kitchen chair. "Another dead end, Gunner. How can people have so much power?"

"Because they're cheats and liars," Gunner states flatly. He leans against the doorway, looking at Bree's uncle. He himself hadn't eaten anything in two days and sleep was something he no longer wanted.

JT sighs. "What about you?"

"I got everything I need."

JT looks up to see Gunner's eyes. "What do you mean?"

Gunner grits his teeth. "I don't think you want to hear about it."

JT knew all too well what he meant. "I told you-"

"I don't care." Gunner's eyes flash. "It's been too long, JT, and you know it. Who knows what kind of shape Bree is in by now. Do you know what kinds of medications they've got her on? Do you know the schedule of shock therapy they're putting her through?"

"No."

"Well, I do." Gunner takes some folded papers from his back pocket. Dalton had given them to him earlier. "See these? These are records. And there's more where they came from. We've got a tap on their security cameras. We've got security schedules. We've got doctors' names and sample IDs. We've got the works. Now when are you gonna give in and see this is the only way?"

For once, JT doesn't yell. "I just don't want to lose her... One wrong step and I will lose my niece forever... can't you understand that?"

"And I'll lose the only person that I've ever loved."

JT's eyes flicker. He didn't know that Gunner's feelings ran so deep. "You think I don't want to go along with your plan? You think I haven't wanted to since the beginning? I'm itching to grab my shotgun and go. But think about what will happen if we fail."

"Then we don't."

"But how can you be sure?"

"Do you really want to hear about it?"

JT sighs deeply. He was at his wits end. He had stuck the side of the law through this whole thing, fighting Gunner tooth and toenail to stay on the right side. And every day he had fought with himself, battling his own disagreements with what to do. Could he give in so easily now? After he'd been so firm with Gunner? Could he really give in now?

The phone rings. Jumping, he answers it immediately. It was his lawyer. But it wasn't good news. They'd taken several steps backward today. There was more than one judge under the control of money but they couldn't prove where that money was coming from whether they thought it was Bree's father or not. And JT's lawyer was getting scared. He was ready to back out.

JT hangs up the phone, feeling as though they'd hit the last brick wall. If his lawyer backed out, they were done. He looks up at Gunner, who was still standing in the doorway, having listened to half the phone conversation. It was obvious by the look on his face that he knew it wasn't good. JT swallows hard, looking back down to his phone.

When he glances up again, there was an anger in his eyes that he had held at bay up until this point. His voice comes out as cold as ice. "Tell me your plan."


Ty trudges down the sidewalk, kicking an abandoned pop can as he went. Maybe it was a childish thing to do, but it was better than kicking people in the head like he wanted to. He'd worked half the night cleaning at TJY and was getting pretty tired of emptying garbage. Not because he hated it, but because he knew that's all he was smart enough to do.

His bike still had not been repaired and he'd given up taking his driving test anymore, so he was stuck walking everywhere. Wyatt offered to take him places but he didn't like that idea either. At least with walking he was getting exercise and not mooching.

One more swift kick and the pop can goes too far out of his path to bother chasing it down. He sighs. He'd taken the long way home today, gotten a bite to eat, tried to find something good on tv, taken a nap then had headed out again for no apparent reason. He had no friends. He had nothing he enjoyed doing. His parents had invited him to the ranch for Christmas, but he didn't really feel like he fit there either.

Continuing down the sidewalk, Ty stops by the lighted window of the video arcade. He passed by here every once in a while, but bad experiences on his tail always pulled him away before he could get himself in trouble. One memory stuck in his mind though, of a young woman who had been very nice to him. He'd like her, but hadn't seen her since she'd given him a ride. He did remember she'd mentioned the arcade though.

Feeling he had nothing to lose, Ty pulls open the door. At the very least, he could grab a soda pop and hang out. He was pretty out of practice when it came to any of the games.