Unbeatable Loner

Eli squints a little, thinking he heard just a slight change in Ryan's voice. He might have been apart from her for a few years, but he still knew his sister, and something told him she was worried about Leo too. But this wasn't the time or place to discuss it.

Ron rolls back under his car. "Well, we got these junkers here and Polly Nelson brought her jeep back - it's parked out around the side."

"And we got a Mustang out back," Jed chimes in. "I've got dibs on that one."

Ron snickers. "First one done with their car here gets it."

"Not fair! You've been on yours for hours."

"So? All's fair in love and war."

Jed smirks and sticks his head back down into the engine, clattering around with his tools. "Great. Axel! Where are you when I need you?!"

But Axel wasn't in the shop today. He couldn't help them much anyway, and it was getting rarer to see him around the garage. Instead, he went for walks, spent time with Jess, or simply sat, waiting to know if he would get his life back or if he needed to start a new one.

Eli waits around a while, but knowing he wasn't doing any good just standing there, he finally ambles to the door. "Later, Speedy," he calls over his shoulder. "Pizza supper tonight, on me."

Gage downs a glass of water, leaving it in the sink when he's through. He'd only had to work the morning today, joining a couple other prison inmates to clean up the shrubbery around the city park. It hadn't been pleasant. The other two guys were rough and tough and only out for a fight. It was as wonder they'd gotten the privilege of getting out into the fresh air.

They'd taunted Gage for a while until he'd whacked one of them in the gut with a rake. A short brawl had ensued until the guards had broken them up. Gage rubs the base of his neck where a nightstick had landed. At least his face remained clean of bruises... maybe he wouldn't have to tell Sapphire about this one.

Ambling to the living room, he bypasses the chair and goes straight for the mattress. His eyes fall to the Christmas tree like they usually did. Christmas was just around the corner. It seemed people had been preparing for it forever, and now it was almost here. Whenever he was out, he'd see people laughing, talking and shopping. But each time, it made him just a little sad. There was only one person he cared about and he couldn't even afford to get her anything.

From what he'd learned about the real meaning of Christmas, he knew the gifts weren't important. But he knew the tradition and Christmas or not, he wished he could give Sapphire a gift. What could he get her though? He had four dollars and twenty-seven cents in the jar on the table. Buying her a meal at Burger King would hardly be a Christmas gift.

His eyes roam the room. He set up everything so naturally that he never noticed how every piece of furniture was straight and the living room was set up to be very balanced. It was a crappy apartment, but he kept it relatively clean, and everything was in it's place. A few pictures were on the wall - ones Sapphire had helped him find. None were crooked. The television and the tree filled one corner, his mattress another, and the chair and table were evenly spaced at the other end.

Just now realizing his quirk, he rolls his eyes. Why couldn't he be obsessed about something else, like staying out of trouble or keeping his bills paid? Well, the latter required more than an obsession, but the point was the same. Was everything he knew useless?

Sighing, Gage picks up a pencil to fiddle with. Spying a blank piece of paper, he grabs it, along with a book and starts to play doodle. He'd done all the puzzles in the newspaper, he'd read all his books, and nothing good was on television. Resorting to doodling? It really was pitiful.

JT feels as thought his heart is being ripped in two as he sees the look in Bree's eye. She was the only person he'd ever cared for or took care of, and seeing her hurt like this... it was almost unbearable. He just wanted her to be happy again.

"Yeah... yeah, you can go outside. Just don't go too far, okay? There's a few people around but they're all okay. But if you see anyone drive up, come back here right away."

JT watches as she starts to leave, but he stops her. "And Bree..." His voice was a little more stern this time. "It was not your fault in any way shape or form. I don't want you to ever think that and you know that Gunner wouldn't either. We're going to get him out."

David leans back in his chair, the phone in one hand, a pen in the other that tapped his leg. "You sure? I'll come down if you want me to."

Anything to get out of this office. His fax machine starts to beep at the same time his computer sounds to alert him of a new email, at the same time the other phone line rings. He gives a growl and slams his laptop shut, snatches the fax paper and ignores the intercom call from one of the secretaries.

"Seriously... this office is going to be the death of me."

Running a hand through his hair, his mind works overtime, calculating everything he needed to send Angelica and trying to figure out all that they would need to win the case. "I can FedEx, but it would be faster if I hopped on a plane - I could get there tonight..." His hint lingers in the air. Since Angelica had given up their partnership to work for the Elite full-time, things just hadn't been the same. David was holding his own as a successful lawyer, but the unbeatable team was missed. It wasn't the same being an unbeatable loner. "Besides, a lot of the stuff is hard to explain... lots of loose ends and it would be a whole lot faster for me just to give you the rundown in person. Not to mention since I'm JT's lawyer and you're Gunner's... we're sorta partners in this, don't you think?"