Love

Scott looks down as Dalton talks, his thumb playing with the pop can tab. "Yeah... they treat me alright I guess." He shrugs. "Be better if they just let me be though. 'Cept they'll just keep hounding me 'til they think I'm better or something. Just like Hope."

He didn't mean for his last sentence to be as harsh as it came out, but it did sound cold after he'd said it. He takes another small sip of Mountain Dew. "I hate this whole thing, Dalton. Every last bit of it. I wish no one would come and see me. I'd rather be left alone in this miserable place. I want my life back but no one is willing to give it to me."

He taps a finger on the pop can. "How's TJY?"


Jade giggles at Dan and shakes her head as he leaves, letting her eyes follow him until he's out of sight. Flopping back onto one of the throw pillows, she curls up again and yawns. She wasn't quite ready to get up yet. But she'd get up soon. She wanted to help Dan with chores and then maybe they could at least go for a ride later if not get lost in the bushes.

A smile crosses her lips again.


Mick nods and offers the best smile he can. "Okay." Standing back up again, he leans down to give Rosetta a quick kiss. "I'll be in the barn probably, if you need me. I'll catch up to you again in a while."

Taking a last look at BJ, he finally turns to leave, even though a part of him wanted to stay and sit with Rosetta and look after the boy.

Once he's back outside again, Mick heads for the barns, but stops halfway. There was something nagging at him and he needed to resolve it. He wouldn't be able to stay sane throughout the day if he didn't get this issue taken care of. Maybe some would think he wasn't doing the right thing, but it's what he thought best and what he needed to do. The games were over.

Turning, Mick aims for the bunkhouses instead.

Dylan looks up as his bunkhouse door opens. He'd risen early, unable to sleep, and had been sitting on the floor by the window, not daring to leave, lest Mick see him. Apparently it didn't matter though - Mick had come to him. His face pales slightly. Last night his father would have taken him outside and beaten him to a pulp it if hadn't been for Luke. But Luke wasn't here right now.

Mick steps inside and looks down at his son grimly. "Stand up, please, Dylan." His tone was not angry or loud, but very firm.

Dylan swallows hard and stands up. He musters up the courage to look up at his father, searching for the reason why he was here.

Mick folds his arms across his chest and sighs. "I've been thinking a lot," he starts. "And I have come to a conclusion. I am finally ready to give up." He purses his lips, his eyes tired with the disappointment only a father knows. "I have done everything I can think of to help you, and nothing has worked. You continue to be rebellious, deceitful and lazy. And I can' take it anymore."

Dylan blinks. What was his father saying? "So you're... you're telling me to leave."

"No, I'm not. I'm not going to tell you what to do anymore." Mick shakes his head. "You don't listen to me anyway. So you're free, Dylan. You can stay, you can leave, you can do whatever you want. I wash my hands of you."

Dylan's mouth hangs open slightly. What did that mean? "I..."

"You're free. Just don't steal again or I'll be forced to call the police. You can leave whenever you want. But if you stay, I expect you to earn your keep by working around here just like anybody else. The choice is yours. I'm not going to stop you anymore." Mick shrugs lamely and turns to leave. "Just make up your mind quick so we know if this bunkhouse will be empty or not."

Dylan stares at the closed door for several minutes after his father had left. He wanted to get angry and go tell Mick were to go, but for some reason... it wasn't anger that he felt. For the first time since he'd gotten here, he felt utter defeat. His father had just given up on him. Just like everybody else. He really was no good.

Not even sure how to react, Dylan reaches under his bed to retrieve his backpack. It looked like this was it.


Gunner doesn't want to look away, but as the judge enters the room, the proceedings must begin. He breaks his gaze with Bree to look ahead and play his part. It was going to be a long hearing...


"I have viewed the surveillance videos myself and I'm sorry but everything about it says that the defendant was perfectly sane while breaking Miss Conner out of Northside. This leaves me no choice but to-"

"Your Honor!" David stands up, interrupting the judge, even though he knew it was completely unacceptable. If this thing went to trial, they'd be sunk. He and Angelica both had done their very best and had thought they'd gotten through to the judge. It had already taken way too long and people were tired of being in court. But the prosecutor had done a good job too. Now David was arguing, trying to buy time as it looked like the judge was not going to lean in their direction. "It's obvious that no one in their right mind would attempt such a thing. How can you-"

"Order!" Judge Bartowski raps his gavel on the stand. "I have made my decision. This case will be transferred to-"

"Your Honor, I'd like a chance to speak." Without warning, Gunner stands up from his chair, boldly addressing the judge for the first time.

The prosecutor's eyes widen. "Objection! The judge has already ruled. Your Honor, I insist that this be taken to trial before a jury."

David gives Angelica a quick glance of worry before laying a hand on Gunner's arm and whispering to him. "Gunner, what are you doing? Just play it cool. It'll be okay."

Gunner shrugs off David's hand and continues to look at the judge. "Please... let me speak."

"I say it's not right!" the prosecutor insists.

The judge sighs deeply and looks between the two. "Alright. But make it fast Mr. Franklin. I don't allow this for everyone. Speak your piece and be brief."

The prosecutor glares at them and sinks back down, muttering under his breath. David throws up his arms and shakes his head at Angelica, not able to believe Gunner was doing this. It would only make it worse for him once this thing did go to trial, even though they'd tried to avoid it. David sits down again, giving up. They'd done all they could.

Gunner moves around the table and approaches the bench, looking up at the judge. The bailiff stood nearby, keeping a close eye on him, even though he was in handcuffs.

Gunner doesn't blink. "My lawyers... they're right, Your Honor. I was crazy when I broke Bree out of that place. Crazy in love. And I still am." He looks the judge square in the eye. "There are people out there every day who get away with stealing other people's lives, all in the name of greed. Yet this court system is determined to put away a man who saved a life in the name of love. You tell me what went wrong."

He pauses for just a moment, letting his words sink in. "Yeah, I broke into Northside. I can't deny it - you have proof. But my lawyers have also provided proof of why Bree was in there in the first place. So I scared a few guards and I trespassed on the hospital property. The real injustice wasn't that - it was that an innocent woman was being kept there in the name of greed. Now her parents get a slap on the wrist and a restraining order. I'm not going to complain about my fate here. If I have to go to prison and serve time for what I did, then I'd still do it gladly because the woman I love is safe. But I just want to ask you... when you go home tonight, are you gonna feel good about sending a man to prison because he acted out of love? Who do you love, Your Honor? And how far would you go to save them?"

In the silence that follows, anyone in the courtroom could hear a pin drop.