What it felt like

Looking up at Rosetta as she comes around to him, Dylan swallows hard. Even though he hadn't been into bad stuff until he'd been pulled into it, he hadn't appreciated his family very much and had been in and out of trouble with his mom and stepdad all the time. Having Rosetta believe him... having her look at him like that and be okay with putting her hand on his shoulder... maybe it affected him down deeper than he'd like to admit.

Biting his lip, he stares at her eyes, perhaps now realizing why his dad had always held her in such high regard. It wasn't so hard to understand anymore why his dad had come back here... back to Rosetta after everything had gone sour.

Dropping his gaze, Dylan picks at a tear in his jeans. More action later on? Like what? Even if he knew who had done the physical force on him, he had no proof, and he never had figured out who was doing the paying or why. What action was there? Regardless though, he was willing to do his school here and he wouldn't buck it, so he nods. "Okay. Dad's gonna have questions I can't answer though. I just... I don't know if I-"

His words are cut off as the door opens. "Hey, Rosetta, would you..." Mick's sentence trails off as he sees Rosetta and Dylan. It was unusual to say the least, and his quirked eyebrow displays his curiosity. "Sorry... Interrupting?"

Dylan stands up slowly and gives Rosetta an uneasy glance before looking to his father. "No. We were just... talking." Shifting his weight awkwardly, he looks to Rosetta again for help. Was now a good time? Should they wait? He couldn't read his dad like she could - she'd know if now was a good time to talk or not.

Mick cocks his head, sensing an odd sort of tension in the air and he looks to his wife. "I can come back later," he offers. Though dying to know what this was about, he trusted Rosetta and did respect his son's privacy to a certain degree. If Dylan was actually carrying on a conversation with his stepmother then Mick didn't want to interfere - if Dylan talked to anybody, it would be a miracle.


Slowly, Ariel begins to realize that Trey was not finding the humor in this situation like she was. Her smile fades somewhat and she cocks her head, studying his eyes. It was a little hard to see in the dim lighting, but she could tell that he wasn't very happy - embarrassed perhaps?

Quirking a new little smile, she shakes her head. "You can go back if you want, but I'm not done walking. You want to leave a poor half-wet girl stranded out here, be my guest, but I'll fee slighted if you do."

Covering the distance between them, she takes his hand. "Tom's like an overprotective big brother," she assures quietly. "He'd come to my rescue if I was yelling at my own mother." It was that thought alone that was Ariel's own confidence in being out here with Trey alone. She didn't think he was the type to try and pull anything, but if he did, there were several guys in this group that would not tolerate it and could get to her quickly if she screamed - mainly Tom and Pete.

Giving Trey another smile, she turns to walk backward and tugs at his hand. "Come on. It takes three strikes to go out and you're only one in."


"...So yeah. Seeing Quinn was weird. Just... still trying to process it."

"Mm-hmm." Carson nods at Axel. Mom and Pop's was closed and Bible study was over, but the two sat and talked like they usually did on this night of the week. "Guess I can't relate. I mean... I got a brother... kinda, but-"

"No 'kinda.' You do."

"Okay, I do. But it's not like we have a history or anything. He's just a butthead."

Axel can't help a wry grin. "Maybe." He knew this topic wasn't going to go much further, so a pause allows a shift in the conversation. "So how are you and Misty doing anyway?"

"Good." Carson's answer is easy. "Love every minute. Well... almost." He laughs, his eyes twinkling with humor. Axel was the only one he'd really talk to about his marriage, and he was also the only friend who knew about the downs as well as the ups. "And... you and Jess?"

"What about us?"

Carson shrugs and looks across the table at Axel, giving him a little grin. "You tell me."

Axel chuckles and shakes his head, taking another sip of his pop. "We're close."

"Mm-hmm... how close?"

"Close."

Carson's grin widens into a smile. "Close, close?"

Axel throws him a look. "Maybe."

"Got a ring?"

"Carson!"

Carson laughs and leans back, not being able to help but tease his friend. "I was just curious."

Axel smirks, but isn't bothered. "Not that it's any of your business, but no... I do not have a ring yet."

"Oooh, "yet" huh?"

"Yes, yet."

"When?"

Axel picks up his crumpled napkin and throws it at him. "When I'm good and ready." Smiling, he swirls his straw in his pop - or what was left of it. It was almost gone, and when it was, it would be time to leave, so he didn't finish it too quickly. "Naw, just... waiting."

Carson nods, ceasing the silliness. "Still waiting on her commitment?"

"Mm-hmm." Axel thinks for a long moment, then glances up at Carson. "I'm not saying you were wrong with Misty or anything, I just... for me and what I hold to, I can't sway from that. Jess has come a long, long way - that would be obvious to anyone. But... I need to know she's just as committed to the Lord as she would be to me - more so, in fact. And that has to come first. I'm not going to go into it unequally yoked." He searches his friend's eyes. "How do you do it?"

"Some days are harder than others," Carson admits. "I mean... I know Misty has accepted Jesus and she's really enthusiastic... she and I have fantastic Bible studies together, just the two of us. But sometimes it's hard talking about baptism. I see it as the next step... you believe and accept, then follow through with that seal. It's like... well, like marriage. I could have just moved in with Misty, but why not get married? Someone can try to "move in" with God, but why not go the whole way? There's simply no reason not to, unless there's a lack of commitment."

Axel nods slowly, a little grin on the corner of his mouth. He remembers back to when Carson had barely started to read the Bible, let alone becoming so on fire. It was incredible. "So what do you do?"

"Wait. Pray." Carson purses his lips and shrugs again. "Sometimes I wish I would have waited to marry her, so we'd both be on that same level of experiences together. Don't get me wrong - I'm incredibly happy and I love Misty more than anything! But there are days I think about this, and I just gotta know that God's the one who has to work on hearts, not me and... I gotta be patient and give it to Him." He nods. "I respect you for sticking to your guns though. When you feel that strongly about something... you can't compromise. I went ahead and married... and I'm very, very happy. But I'm also very excited and just waiting to see the next step Misty takes, and I can't wait. I'm not worried about her or where she stands with God... she's in His grasp... but I'm just really looking forward to her being there beside me and knowing that we're the same... even more connected."

Axel's smile widens, seeing the excitement evident in Carson's eyes. The change in his friend was truly amazing - enough so that only God could be credited. Here was a cold-blooded killer, turned on-fire Christian. Who ever would have guessed? It warmed Axel's heart.

He stirs up the ice in his glass and nods again. "I'm happy for you. You and Misty are perfect for each other." Grinning, he lets his thoughts wander back to Jess again. "I just know I gotta be careful... 'cause I don't want Jess doing anything for me... I don't want it to be about her and me... it's gotta be between her and God and then she and I will fall into place later. I just want to see her live her life to the fullest like God intended... I want to see her eyes shine even brighter and know that I will never, ever really have to say goodbye to her."

"But it's not something she can do just to please you," Carson agrees. "That's tough, I know. But with us praying for our women, anything is possible, ay?"

Axel smiles again in agreement. "I'll say amen to that." He lifts his almost-empty glass for a toast. "Here's to Christian family."

Carson clinks his glass, smiling too. "And friendships."


...It was late and the house was dark, except for the television lighting the living room. Carson slips off his shoes and sets his keys down quietly, wandering to the couch where he sees Misty asleep. Alec must have been gone already for quite a while.

Smiling, he watches her for several minutes, perfectly content just to stand and watch her sleep so peacefully. Eventually, he moves around to the front and sits down beside her, running a hand down the side of her face. "Hey, Missy... sorry I'm so late."

Rousing her a little, he gets her to sit up enough so he can lie down with her, then pulls her on top of him, letting his chest be her pillow and he kisses the top of her head. He'd make it to bed eventually after he'd wound down from the day.

"I am so in love with you," he whispers. Wrapping his strong arms around her, he holds her close. "Thank you for being my wife."


It was a nice ride back to TJY. Susanne felt such an odd mixture of peace and happiness, along with a little sadness, knowing that the night was just about over. She'd enjoyed herself more than she thought she would with Chuck, and she was even starting to like the motorcycle. There was a odd sense of peace, knowing that she was safe behind Chuck, able to hang on and watch the world go by.

Once they were in the TJY parking lot, Susanne wouldn't want to admit that she was sad the ride was over already. Getting off the bike and returning the helmet, she straightens herself out and gathers her purse, ready to simply leave. But Chuck's hand stopping her surprises her yet again. Looking down and seeing the paper with his number on it, her heart skips a beat. She'd never been given a man's phone number before... not like this. Why would he do that? She almost wished he hadn't - all it did was get her hopes up that she knew would be dashed sooner or later. And then for him to say he'd call her? She knew he wouldn't. He was probably a very good actor and after tonight he'd go back to his every day life and think of what a ridiculous woman she was.

But forcing a smile, she nods, blushing slightly. It was too dangerous to hope, but she'd be polite and accept what he said. "I had a good time too," she admits. "I'm sure Darlene will be calling me tomorrow and hounding me for details - that will be even more fun stringing her along."

Grinning, she gives Chuck's hand a little squeeze before letting go, slipping his number into her pocket. "Thank you, Chuck. Goodnight."

Though all she had to do was turn around and get into her car, it seems her feet don't want to do. And for a moment, she suddenly felt very awkward again, as if the parting should have something else to it, but she knew better. So just offering one last smile, she finally turns around to get in her car. Starting the engine and buckling up, she gives Chuck a little wave then drives away.

Arriving home a short while later, she parks in the driveway and wanders to the front of her one-story house. Ambling up the porch steps, she plucks a few dead leaves off one of her bushes then grabs the mail, making the box's hinges creak. Unlocking the door and getting inside, she flips on the light and tosses her keys aside, hearing the whistled greetings from her birds. Smiling, she whistles back before crooning. "Hey babies... did you miss me today, huh?"

Puttering in the kitchen then getting into the living room, another light is turned on and she wanders to the bird cages, twittering along with the birds while she feeds and waters them. "Yes, I'm sorry I wasn't home sooner, but I had quite the day."

Finished with them, she heads down the hall, leaving the lights on as she always did. It was a habit to always keep the lights on, regardless of those who might say she was wasting electricity. Half an hour later, she was in the bathtub surrounded by soothing hot water and bubbles. Her tub was nice and deep so she just lies back and closes her eyes, enjoying herself for a short while. Indeed, it had been quite the day.

Opening her eyes, she shakes her head at herself. How silly she had been. It all felt like a dream, really. There were so many things she'd done for the first time today that it seemed unreal. Flirting, going on a date, riding a motorcycle, being kissed - well, it was more like a lingering peck but still it had given her goosebumps and even now when she thought about it. She sighs. Nothing like this ever came her way. Even though Chuck's phone number was now on her refrigerator, she knew it was pointless to consider what the future might hold. He was a big flirt and had better things to do than keep up the sweet talk. It had made her feel good though...

A tear surprises her and she wipes it away quickly. "Silly emotional woman," she mutters. But she knew the core of her feelings... and it was that she knew she'd kept herself in a box for years, never venturing out beyond that safety. Her friends were right that she was a stick in the mud, and even if after tonight they changed their minds, it was still true. Tonight had just been a ruse to fool them. In reality, she was the same old Susanne that flourished as a secretary and Reese's right hand "man," but that was it. Apart from work... she had church and she enjoyed fellowship there... apart from work and church then... she had.... She draws a blank. And that was why the tear had appeared. Inside, she did want more... she knew there was more out there, but to actually step out and grasp it - that was something entirely different, and something for which she'd never had the guts or the strength. If Chuck hadn't been so insistent today, she would have backed out without a second thought. Maybe he should have let her, so she wouldn't be having these depressing thoughts now.

Blowing some bubbles with frustration, the froth floats on the air before popping on the tiled wall. That was her evening... she'd floated for a short while, pretending she was someone with a life, then when it had ended, the dream had popped, reminding her of reality.

But it wasn't really so bad was it? She was happy, right? Sinking further into the water, she convinces her mind to simply be void for a while. Otherwise, she'd never get any sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day at work. She had to catch up on what she hadn't gotten done today, call Brown for Reese, collect those reports from Jason and Pete, check and see if Rick was coming in, make sure that that stack of records had been flagged and...

...The next morning was just as predicted. Rising early, Susanne makes it to work with a cup of coffee in hand, immediately diving into her work. Surrounded by paperwork, phone calls and more, she throws herself into her work. Between everything she had to do, it was easy to not think about the night before. She'd convinced herself that unless she wanted more music, she probably wouldn't see Chuck again, so it wasn't hard to move on and pretend nothing had changed. Every once in a while though, she'd hear her new CD playing softly in the background of her office and she'd allow herself for just a moment to remember what it felt like to hold his hand.


Justin eases down on the Brookshire bench, letting the dogs lie at his feet. Both were with him today and obediently settled down, sensing that their master was weary. It had been several days since he'd been here and he'd hoped that perhaps Scott would have cooled off, but no such luck. Jenny had told him that Scott was still determined not to see Justin and had already scheduled appointments with Dr. Hawks from now on. It disappointed Justin... he knew that they'd finally been getting somewhere, and now all his work was going down the drain. His uncle was good, but wouldn't use the same methods - the methods Justin had found to work, and apparently Scott didn't care. So really, being here was pointless. Unless... he wanted to see Beth.

It had been several days since he'd seen her as well. After the other night at her place, he'd wanted to make sure she still had her own space and he wasn't going to invade, so he'd remained quietly in the distance until today. His free time had been spent with Rebecca anyway, but that was another story, and one from which he gained back a sense of happiness. Scott may have rejected him, but at least he was finding a new friendship and possibly... love? He dared not hope, but he could feel it welling up from deep down. Within just a few days, he felt as though he and Rebecca had spent years together. The conversations they had, what they talked about, how they interacted... it all made Justin feel good. A while back, he would have frowned on how quickly their relationship had developed but... being in that position now... he couldn't deny how he felt, and if he read Rebecca correctly, she felt the same way. He finally had the sense of purpose back again after things went sour with Renee, and even his mother was happy, bless her heart. So maybe he'd failed with Scott, but... at least this was going right.

Danitza lifts her head, making her tags jingle on her collar, and her tail wags, rustling in the grass. Justin looks up to follow the dog's gaze and he sees that she has spotted Beth. A smile forms on his lips. Just like clockwork - she never failed. He was anxious to see how she was after letting things sit for a few days. It would be interesting to see if she still wanted to get together, or if she'd gained back some confidence in herself. He lifts his hand for a little wave.