Vacation

"Because if I didn't anyone could walk in at any moment, and well...that might be a little embarrassing for us both."

Giving one last squeeze to Reese Angelica lets go and backs up a few steps. Bringing her hand to Reese face one more time to run her thumb over his cheek she lets her hand fall. Moving back to her desk and sitting down she gives a nod.

"I look forward to dinner tonight. I'll make sure we talk about work before we leave as well so our night is not interrupted with work."

Giving a wink to Reese and a smile Angelica new she had to get back to work now or at least talking about work and her mind back into gear too.

"Well at least Alec will be happy to hear that, and thats one less thing you will have to worry about. But there is always something huh? I think we need a vacation."

Feeling herself tense up at his comment of not seeing him again Beth's mind runs. Was he going to lecture her again? Try and be her councilor? She didn't know what was going to come next. Almost like a panic mode her mind reels. But letting him finish and hearing him tell her to keep the bench warm she gives a little nod.

"I can do that. Good Bye Justin."

Turning Beth takes her path back inside like so many other days. Knowing it so well now if blind folded she would have no problem making her way through the building.

Standing back with her brother Ryan's arms were crossed over her chest as a large smile was across her face. It took all she could not to let her laughter roll again. Eli had done a great job and the flowers on the sides looked great too. She truly couldn't wait to see the look on Roth's face.

"Hey maybe Roth will like it so much he'll keep it."

Giving a side long glance to her brother Ryan finally breaks the silence and lets her laugh go. If Roth ended up like this than Ryan didn't know what she would do. There was just no way Mr. Maco would enjoy being embarrassed like this.

Turning to her brother again she holds her fist out to him for a fist pound. She couldn't help but feel the pride inside of her that this was her brother.

"So is your girl gonna be home in time to enjoy this sweet little victory or is this one of those she wont know what kill her things?"

If I don't see you again...

Reese smiles as Angelica admits her love as well. When she mentions her aunt and uncle though, he sighs. "Why did you have to remind me we were in the middle of working?"

He kisses her forehead and lets her go. "We'll just have to pick up where we left off at dinner tonight. As for this whole ordeal... keep me informed and in the meantime, I guess I'll give Alec what he's been wanting all along so we've got the extra space around here."


"Okay." Justin holds his smile, having known Beth would turn him down. "These girls won't scare the fish too much - they just like to splash around in the water and I make them do that far enough away not to interfere."

His chuckles and rubs Danitza's head before speaking to Beth again. "Have a good day, huh? And if I don't see you again..." He cocks his head a little, knowing that's how he'd started out yesterday. "...keep the bench warm for me."


"Well... there she is." Eli gives one last polishing swipe to the front of Roth's car, the paint shiny and dry. "Hellooooo, Kitty."

The car was finished, done up with a pink base, white and yellow flowers, and on the hood, proudly staring back at viewers was a very happy looking Hello Kitty, bow on the head and all.

Eli stands back and folds his arms, surveying his work. He nods, glancing to his sister, the only one present for the unveiling. "And tonight, once Alec gets to our place, this gets put back in her own garage." He grins. "I think this is one of my best jobs yet. Pitty I'm sure it won't last long."

Who is Who

Seeing Zora wanted a little more attachen Destiny rubs behind her ears before giving her a soft pat to the head. They were really nice dogs and now seeing a few of there differinces Beth tried to memories them quick so if they ever saw them again she could get there names right.

"I'll remember who is who for next time."

Standing up again and hearing Justin offer Beth thinks for a moment. She new she would say not today because after she was done seeing her sister she had to work, but she was wondering if she didn't if she would feel comfortable or not.

Searching Justin's eyes for a moment Beth finally looks away not know what she would of done. Giving a little shake of her head she looks up again.

"Sorry, I can't today. Once I am done here I have to head to work. Have a good time though and don't let these guys scare your fish away."

Just continuing to look up at Reese Angelica's smile holds. His words warming her heart as she can feel the color coming to her face. Wrapping one of her own arms under Reese's shoulder to hold him as well.

Feeling Reese's lips brush her Angelica's eyes fall shut and she softly return it. Than feeling Reese return in again for a more passiont kiss once again Angelica returns it her arm tighting around him. Just letting her own passion flow through her and to Reese returning her approval.

As he pulls away and his words hit her ears Angelica pulls away a little more to look up into his eyes. Seeing his meant his words Angelica's smile grew even more her eyes twinkling.

"I never thought throws words would ever feel so good to hear. I do believe I am falling...no...I know I am falling in love with you too. And once I call my Aunt and Uncle back I'll fill you in on the rest of the details."

Invitation

As Angelica draws near, Reese is a little surprised. He hadn't really expected her to like his suggestion or to have been worried about her. But apparently he'd been wrong.

A grin toys at the corner of his mouth as her hand glides down his face. "You being special has nothing to do with me. Maybe I just recognize it quicker than others."

His hands slip around her waist, pulling her against him. "I'm glad I do though... otherwise someone might have whisked you away before I had a chance."

Smiling, his eyes grow softer as he looks down at her. It was a look reserved only for her... one that only ever was shown to someone he cared for deeply. Bringing his face closer, his lips brush hers lightly before returning for a more passionate kiss.

Pulling back, his eyes search hers. "I do believe I'm falling in love with you, Angelica. I'm glad you agree about Trey - otherwise I'd worry way too much."


Justin could hear a bit of timidity in Beth's voice, and sensed that a barrier had been raised again. It frustrated him, but he didn't lead on to his feelings. He'd gain back her trust... somehow.

"Kinda like a mother having twins I guess." He chuckles. "See Danitza there has more spots on her ears and Zora... she's just a little bit smaller. Once you're around them enough though, it's easy to tell whose spots belong to who. Their personalities are different too."

Justin lets Zora lick his hand before she turns back to Beth's attention. "Danitza is more adventurous. Zora has a natural ability to sense when someone is distraught - she catches on a little quicker than Danitza and doesn't get as board as quickly. When it really comes down to it though, both are good dogs and they know when it's time to work. So yeah... I think they did some good last night and this morning. They'll be back."

Quiet for a few moments, Justin watches Beth as she stands. He quirks a little grin. "Yeah, I'm still coming. I, uh... couldn't give up, ya know? Even if I did get frustrated."

He cocks his head, squinting a little in the sun as he looks up at her. "I'm taking these girls fishing this afternoon. Wanna come along?"

Special

Hearing the dogs didn't bite Beth gives a little nod as she looks at the dogs for a long moment before squatting down. Putting her hand out to let the dogs sniff it Destiny moves it slowly to pet the one dog's head and than to pet the other one.

"Pretty names. They both look a lot alike how do you tell them apart?"

Beth's voice sounded a little different today than it had days before almost like starting at square one again. But she was still putting forth some kind of effort to make any kind of conversation with Justin.

"I hope they were able to help since they stayed with you."

Petting the dogs still and talking to them a little asking how they were Beth finally stands. Returning her hands into her pockets again Beth shifts a little awkward before looking to Justin again. Studying him for a long moment she lets out a short breath. Not sure what else to say.

"I guess I better get going. I'm glad to see your still coming here for now."

Stopping her pacing and turning to Reese with her arms crossed Angelica just looks at him for a long moment. Not to long ago a suggestion like that would have upset her and maybe even offended but something had happened over the months. Slight changes had been made and now Angelica couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she stepped closer to Reese her eyes searching his.

"I could yell at you and insist he stays with me, but...I think your to darn hot to bother. Not to mention its kind of nice feeling that someone cares. I wont argue with you he stays here. I do want to stay in the loop on everything though the best I can!"

Bringing a hand to the side of Reese face Angelica searches his eyes for a long moment a smile still on her lips. Running her thumb over her cheek she just takes in everything about him she had fallen for.

"Thank you for making me feel so special."

Meet a friend

Chance laughs as he's splashed and has no trouble splashing right back before he springs off the wall to get further away. Ducking under the water, he disappears skillfully holding his breath while swimming down deep and coming up behind Destiny. "Boo."


Reese stands up with Angelica, his shoulders squaring a bit as he hears her suggestion. "Well, if Trey doesn't want to come but they get them here, then that's one less thing we have to worry about. However... I'd prefer it he not stay with you."

His tone implies that he's serious. "As Elite chief, I think it would be better to keep him under custody at least until we figure out where his loyalty lies. And as... as someone who cares about you, I'd prefer you not be in that position."


Justin had seen Beth coming up the walk, and he had wondered if she would stop. Whether she did or walked on would hint if there were any consequences from yesterday's little episode in the rain. He still knew no more - he had thought about it all night, wondering if he'd missed something... missed signs or looks in her eye. But his uncle was right... he couldn't paint an accurate picture without all the pieces and he couldn't get those pieces until he discovered where they were.

Not wanting to maker Beth uncomfortable, Justin doesn't make eye contact, but rather focuses on the ground until he hears her voice. A smile curls on his lips, relief hidden somewhere down deep.

Looking up, his smile meets her gaze. "Naw... they don't bite unless I tell them to." He gives Beth a wink before giving a little tug on the leashes. "C'mhere, girls... I want you to meet a friend of mine."

The dogs stand and come to Justin's legs, both sitting and sniffing at Beth with curiosity.

"The one on the right is Danitza, my morning star, and this one is Zora, the dawn. They came to spend the night here with me last night." He gives Danitza a loving scratch behind her ear before looking back up at Beth. "You can pet them if you like."

Bite

Thinking again for a second Angelica was happy that Reese though this would work. She didn't want to try and pull anything over on anyone but maybe this was the better of two evils. For all she new maybe Trey was willing and think would be all a lot easier than she though.

"I honestly don't know if he's willing or not. Hope would make think he is willing and just got with the flow but my common sence says thats not how its gonna work. He's got everything living with his parents. They are respected in Mexico so in turn they respect him. He eats off a gold plate always having money and getting what he wants. I'd say he is going to be a little less than happy."

Letting out another sigh Angelica stands and starts to pacing her office, it always helped her to think better when she was weighing options.

"I can let him stay with me so you dont have to worry about him getting into trouble here or so we don't use up the room we need for more important things. As for how he would get here, my Aunt and Uncle would be having him come by plane and have his items and stuff shipped. Than we would just have to pick Trey up at the air port."

Coming up the side walk Beth's stride shortens a little as her eyes meet Justin on the bench. She didn't know how she felt about seeing him today after yesterday. She was happy she liked Justin he was nice but...would he try and lecture her today too?

Swolling her own feelings Beth tried to tell herself what Justin said shouldn't matter but for some reason it did and for some reason walking past him without saying hi would make her feel sad.

Catching movement down by Justin's feel Beth sees the two dogs and a little smile forms inside. Those must be his dogs he was telling her about. They were very pretty and looked like they behaved very well.

Drawing closer Beth puts her hands in her jacket pocket fiddling with her keys for a moment. Before clearing her voice a little.

"Your dogs are very pretty. Do they bite?"

Watching Chance Destiny just laughs not even trying to beat him in. Giving a little clap as he goes for the dive she makes her way over to the water. Walking down the steps and finally getting all the way in she goes under the water getting her hair wet before coming back up again and swimming over to deepened where Chance was.

"Mmmm...the water really does feel good on a day like this. Nice a relaxing that for sure."

Giving a little grin Destiny brings her hands in front of her and gives a little splash twords him a laugh following.

Breakthrough

Chance chuckles and leads the way outside. "Maybe we'll get lucky and we won't have to share too much."

Getting to the pool , it was a pleasant surprise to find only a few people. Having come at just the right time, apparently, most of the few who were there were simply lounging and socializing in the patio area where there were tables and chairs.

Paying, entering and finding a good spot at a table for their things, Chance keeps an eye out, taking in all the people, who was there, what they looked like, and traffic on the nearby street. "Everything looks good," he comments to Destiny. Pulling off his shirt and shedding his jeans to be in his swimming trunks, he looks at the almost-empty pool. "Last one in is a rotten egg."

Making a dash to the diving board, he's up, on, bounces once and flips a somersault in the air before straightening for a sleek dive into the water. Surfacing, he finds Destiny and laughs. "Water's great."


Reese nods absentmindedly. "I think if we bring Trey officially to question him, we could get away with it. Perhaps under the truth, that your relatives contacted you, and it's a perfect 'in' for us to gain information on a drug ring that most assuredly brings drugs into the US at some point. Even though it's not a current case, why should we not follow up? No one should have a problem with us at least investigating this."

He thinks for a moment longer, truly wanting some way to work this out. He cared about Angelica and her sister and brother-in-law. He didn't know how someone could threaten that Bret or Charlotte could wind up in jail, but anything was possible with people as ruthless as this. "How are we going to get Trey back here though? Do you even know if he's a willing party?"


Justin stands at the window and sips a cup of coffee with ice. He'd been told he was strange, but he never had enjoyed hot drinks. It was the caffeine he wanted this morning.

A light fog had enveloped Brookshire, making it feel as though it were some fanciful wonderland.

Hearing movement, Justin turns from the window and sees Scott pulling himself up to sit on the bed. Zora hops off onto the floor, sensing her overnight duty was done. Justin wanders over and eases down next to Scott. "Morning." He cocks his head to study Scott's tired, dark eyes. "You alright?"

Scott nods numbly. He didn't remember Justin coming last night, but he remembered being calmed. "I think so."

"Want some breakfast?"

Scott shakes his head.

Justin looks in his cup. "Cold coffee?"

Scott glances at the ice and a slight laugh surfaces before he shakes his head again.

"Okay, well, why don't you get cleaned up and... I'll go get you some apple juice, alright? It'll be easy on your stomach, but you need something."

Scott nods obediently and stand a little unsteadily to head to the shower.

Justin finishes off his coffee then takes Danitza and Zora out, getting some apple juice from Jenny on his way back in.

Half an hour later, Scott is sitting on the bed again, cleaned up, clean clothes and working on keeping down the juice. Looking at Justin, who was now sitting on the floor with the dogs, Scott's eyes move to Zora and he lightly pats the bed. She obediently gets up and comes to him, wagging her tail and licking his fingers. He scratches her head and enjoys her pure affection. "I miss Domino," he mentions quietly.

Justin could understand. "I can bring her to visit if you want."

Scott shakes his head. "It would just confuse her." Sipping the last of his juice, he succeeds in finishing it, and sets the glass down on the nightstand. Thinking a moment and petting Zora some more, he finally looks back to Justin. "I want to play the matching game."

Justin tries to hide his surprise. "You sure?"

Scott hesitates then nods. "Yeah. I'm... I'm ready for the rain."

Justin's heart skips a beat. Scott had heard him. "Okay. You want to go outside?"

"Yeah. Can the dogs come?"

Justin smiles. "Sure..."


...The cards are spread face down on the table. One of Scott's hands rests on Zora's head, the other hovering over the cards. Justin sits across from him and waits patiently as the morning sun brings the warmth for the day. Scott's pulse races, but he knew he had to do this. Justin was right. He could either face this or let himself die.

Justin says nothing and simply waits. If it took Scott all day or even if he gave up before turning over a single card, Justin had seen a step forward today.

A bead of sweat rolls down the side of Scott's face, his hand still hovering. Whose face would he see? What kind of trigger would it be? What would he experience? Swallowing hard, his hand lowers, his fingertips resting on the smooth card. And finally, with great determination, the card is flipped over and Scott's hand retracts quickly as if the card were on fire.

Though the card was now face up, Scott's eyes had closed and he just sits for another several moments before mustering up the courage to face this giant. Staring down, he sees a face that he would not recognize, had it not been for the Agency data. He had a rough look, and a jagged scar down the side of his face, adding to he glare he had for whatever camera had taken his picture.

Scott sucks in his breath. As the data emerges. Name, birthdate, rank, number, history...

Justin sees Scott getting lost in a stare. He remembered all Alec had told him about diverting Scott's mind and helping him concentrate on something else to keep him from going into overload or shock. When Scott remains motionless, Justin looks to Zora and give her several short nods while snapping his finger. She gets the signal and her ears perk up as she gives a short bark.

Scott is startled from his stare as the data vanishes. He blinks and tries to breath again, his hands having started to shake. "That's... that's Patrick Deluthe."

Justin nods. "Can you find him again?"

Scott knew the odds weren't good for him to find a match before any other cards had been turned over, so it takes him a few moments to gather his nerves once more. Turning over another card, this time, it's a woman. Again, the data surfaces, taking over Scott's thoughts as he begins to murmur. "Angela Hobring. Agent three three two. First of the-"

Zora's bark makes Scott flinch, though again, he's brought quickly back to reality. It was amazing, even to himself, that without having worked at this, he had no defenses built up at all. It was an instant reaction to the visual stimulations, over which he had no control. It was even more instantaneous than it had been before - a grim sign that time was running out.

Drawing in his breath, Scott turns the unmatched cards back over. "Your turn."

As long as Scott didn't back off, Justin would let the play continue. So he goes for his first card and quickly the second. Again, Scott has no control, automatically starting to rattle off information before again, Zora provides the distraction needed. Justin hadn't known if the dog would help, but seeing that it worked, he would continue to use her.

Back and forth, the matching game continues. By the last round Scott can take, he's managed to hold off reciting the data for a couple seconds after seeing the faces. It was just a little achievement, but it was an achievement nonetheless, and it brought something even more important than that: hope. Hope that eventually, he really could overcome this.

"I... I'm tired." Scott wipes sweat from his brow, still trembling as his stomach churns.

Justin immediately calls the game to a close by gathering up the cards. Looking to Scott, he offers a smile. "You did very well, Scott."

"Did I?" Scott licks his lips, not realizing his hand was still petting Zora's head. "I... I feel like I just got run over by a truck but... but I don't remember everything I talked about."

"It's okay. Your mind needs time to adjust. This is the first time you've used it like this."

"I didn't black out... did I?"

"No, you didn't." Justin smiles again. "No blackouts, and you didn't even run away." He knew this had been a very painful process, but he was proud of Scott. "Let's go for a little walk, okay? After that, you can go rest."

Scott looks up at him, fear in his eyes. "I'm going to have nightmares tonight, aren't I?"

"You might. But they're only dreams, Scott. They can't hurt you."

"But they can stimulate triggers and I could-"

"You won't," Justin states firmly. Scott had yet to fall into shock because of a dream. "Believe in yourself, Scott. You just proved you're strong enough to overcome this."


...An hour later, after a walk and getting Scott back inside, the sun had risen to welcome mid-morning. Justin was exhausted. He'd gotten little sleep last night, and this ordeal had drained him of all his energy. Scott's case was far from normal - if this morning didn't prove that, nothing would. No other case had worn Justin out quite like this before and he just hoped that he had the endurance to see it through, now that Scott was showing signs of improvement.

Justin walks wearily down the sidewalk, Danitza and Zora at his side. It was rare he used them with clients, but when he did, he was always glad he had put them through a training program. They could be troublemakers and goofballs at home, but once again they'd proven they could get down to business with the drop of a hat.

Needing to just sit and regroup before heading home, Justin finds the familiar bench along the sidewalk, and eases down with a sigh. The dogs lie down at his feet, yawning and panting just a little in the warm morning temperature.

Maybe the only way

Destiny gives a laugh before grabbing her towel and some tanning lotion. She was happy she packed stuff just in case. Never hurt to have just in case stuff.

Giving a smile to Chance and linking arms with him Destiny leans over to give him a slight kiss on the cheek. This was going to be a good afternoon she could tell already.

"Ok, lets hit the road, catch some sun, and I'll try not to yell at people for hogging the pool. I'm not sure to having to share one."

Giving a grin one could tell she was only joking about yelling at anyone in the pool. It was still a nice thought though, and it would be different sharing one but she could hope it wasn't to busy.

Angelica thinks for a long moment. She understood completely what Reese was saying and didn't blame him at all. She was a lawyer she new how it worked and how much trouble they could get into for keeping Trey with them knowing the background.

"I've never met my cousin, he's twenty four and dealing with who knows what because of his parents. I guess the only thing I could say he might be able to offer is other names of drug rings and its possible he might even know a little about the Agency but for that I don't know. As for wanting out maybe if he was here long enough he would see it was wrong and change."

Leaning back in her chair Angelica brings a hand to her chin deep in thought. She'd never want anything bad to happen to the Elite. This was her home and he place to work, this was were she belonged. But seeing the willingness in Reese eye to try and helped warmed Angelica's heart even more. It was nice to see he wanted to help as long as they could find a way.

"Maybe we can bring him in and give him some time to help us and if he dosent end up helping us at all..."

Angelica lets out a long sigh it turned her stomach thinking about it but it could be the only way.

"...than we could turn in him. Technically that its still offering him protection, they never said to keep him out of jail."

It's all going to be okay

Seeing that Angelica had something more serious to talk about, Reese enters her office all the way and sits down to listen. As the story unfolds, he stiffens just a little, not liking the situation at all for more reasons than one.

Looking back at her, he leans back in the chair and thinks for a long moment. "Well... my gut says to have nothing to do with this. But my first reaction is to help because I don't want anything to happen to you or Charlotte."

Reese sighs deeply and shakes his head. "I don't know what to say, Angelica. You know as well as I that it would be nearly impossible for the Elite to offer protection to someone like that - we're under obligation to arrest, not keep them from harm, especially when you know Trey's involved in a drug ring. But..." He taps a finger on his leg, still thinking. "It's for the benefit of the innocent - you and Charlotte - to offer safety."

He searches Angelica's face, seeing the worry in her eyes. "Is there any way Trey could benefit the Elite? Does he want out? Would he help us in any way? Even if we have some small reason to keep him here for a while, that would be enough. Otherwise, we'd just be harboring a criminal and it would be better to offer protection to Charlotte and Bret than house Trey."


Chance is pleased when Destiny agrees to go swimming. Going with her inside, he makes quick work of slipping on a pair of trunks under his clothes. Seeing Destiny emerge, a smile creases his lips. "I don't know... you almost look too cute to take out."

Still grinning, he makes sure he has everything he needs before giving instructions. "Okay... the pool should be a safe place, one, because there are witnesses around, and two, there's a lifeguard that sees everything that's going on. Someone would have to be awfully stupid to try and pull a stunt there. So... I'm confident you'll be fine."

He holds out his arm. "Shall we?"


"Well what did you want from her?"

"I don't know. I guess... I don't know. I thought she'd started to trust me enough to open up. I guess I was wrong."

"Have you ever asked her about her situation?"

"No. She's been unapproachable. One look in her eye and I see this steel wall ten inches thick. Asking her point blank about her past would be suicide."

"And this wasn't?"

Justin smirks a little and looks across the porch at his uncle. "Dr. Hawks, you realize how weird it is to be having this conversation, right? If we sit here long enough, our brains might implode from trying to figure out what's not being said."

Ben laughs and takes another sip of his tea. It was rare he came by Justin's, but today he'd had the afternoon off and needed to run some errands in this area so he had stopped. Their conversation had reverted to Beth, to Ben's surprise, but it was obviously something that weighed heavily on his nephew's mind. "They might. But if they did, we might become normal."

Justin grins and shakes his head, leaning back against the railing, the rain having stopped since this morning. "So what did I do wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... about what I said to her. What part of it was wrong?"

"I don't think anything about it was wrong."

"Well then why did she walk away as though I'd just cut her heart?"

Ben runs a finger along the rim of his glass and pushes the swing slightly. "Maybe it was just the timing that was off."

"Timing? But... when else could I have said it?"

"When she was ready."

"But..." Justin groans in frustration.

Ben cocks his head. "Why does this vex you?"

"I don't know. I guess because last week she gave me the impression she didn't have time for anything but the 'hi and goodbye' relationship we've formed. I wanted to be more... be a friend. 'I don't have time for anything else,' she said, quite confident that she liked her life the way it is. She's lonely and won't admit it. But she won't do anything to change it. She wants someone to wait around for her, but she's not even willing to take the first steps. She wants the burden to lie on the other person so she can take her sweet time and it's the other person's fault if they try to push too soon. So they're forced to wait and hope that one day something happens. Beth is... she's stubborn and.. and..."

"You like her, don't you?"

Justin looks up quickly. "She's alright."

Ben tries not to smile too broadly. "You really think she's all that irritating and stubborn?"

"I've added up everything I know. We've talked together, sat together, laughed - she even took me to the hospital where we chatted and she brought me back. I would think by now I'd get more than hesitation when offering a handshake. I'm not that undeserving of trust am I?"

"Not to me. But maybe to her."

"But why? I don't get it. I mean... I see something in her eyes that... that breaks my heart, honestly. She's been through something. She's got a sister in Brookshire - that alone could do it. But... she likes being alone. She likes going through life alone and yet... her eyes don't say so." Justin sighs. "She can stare me in the eye and tell me those lies."

"Do you think she knows she's lying?"

Justin furrows his brow. "I thought about that - about her not realizing what she really wants, that is. But she's got a good head on her shoulders. All I can figure is that she's somebody with a past that's not so great and she's wallowed for years, throwing herself into taking care of her sister, believing it will somehow cure the emptiness she holds. Then when she's challenged, she backs up and defends herself so she won't be wrong."

Ben sits back and watches as the wheels turn in his nephew's mind. "Well... sounds like you've met one of the most typical people there are in this world. You've put the pieces together quite logically, in a believable pattern. So. What's out of place?"

"I don't know." Justin frowns.

"Hurt your feelings a bit, did she?"

Justin shrugs. "I guess... when she said she didn't have time for anybody, it made me realize that meant me too."

"But all you were doing was seeing her when you came for Scott. She had time for that."

"Yeah but..."

"You wanted more?"

"Maybe sometime. Coffee would have been nice. Lunch. Something. But she's unapproachable."

Ben takes another sip of his tea. "So why was her reaction today surprising?"

"I don't know. I guess maybe I figured she would see I cared. But instead, I think there's part of her that despises me for being judgmental or something."

"I don't think it had anything to do with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't take so much credit. You haven't shaped her past. You're not the one that has built distrust. Her reaction to you is just aftermath of whatever it is she's going through, you know this. But if it wasn't the response you expected then... did you miss something?"

"That's what I can't figure out." Justin squints a little at his uncle. "What about her sister? All I know is that she's at Brookshire and has been for quite a while."

"You know I can't tell you anything about that. But... do you think there's a connection?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've put a pretty shallow limitation on Beth's pain, haven't you?"

"She hasn't given me any reason to think otherwise."

"How many people have you met that are the same, Justin? How many people react the same way in a situation? How many people are predictable?"

Justin purses his lips. "So you're saying there is a connection... that there's more to Beth than some little tragedy that makes her so frightened and alone."

"Some little tragedy?"

"Oh, you know... the typical. Parents divorced... bad boyfriend... whatever. Things that people need to get over and move on from after a while. They need to heal... need to live again."

Ben lets a pause occur before going on. "If it was more than that, do you really think Beth would have told you?"

"Wouldn't I have seen the signs?"

"If she's locked up that tightly?"

Justin's shoulders slouch a little more. "So I was wrong."

"I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that at all. I think the words you said to her were true and maybe they needed to be said. But I think perhaps it was just too soon. If her pain is indeed deeper than you know, would you have done the same thing?"

"No... I would have waited. Been more patient. I wouldn't have let her wanting to be alone bother me so much I suppose. Wouldn't have taken it personally like I did." Justin searches Ben's eyes. "It is connected to her sister, isn't it? Is that the key?"

Ben leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "What do you want, Justin? Do you want to be her friend, or are you trying to be her counselor?"

Justin thinks for a moment. "I get tired of being a counselor sometimes. All I want to be is a friend who can perhaps ease her pain. She deserves to have more joy in her life than she does. Can't a friend help with that? Or do I have to be a counselor?"

"You tell me."

"I think it's the place of a friend that can truly help someone. Some people need the counselor... but... not Beth. She just needs understanding. But without all the pieces, I simply can't understand."

Ben drinks the last of his tea and gets to his feet, wandering a little closer to look down at Justin. "I think you'll find her last name in connection with some old news articles very helpful. The internet is full of archives. At least... that's where I would go if I were in your shoes." He offers a smile to his nephew. "Quit blaming yourself for doing things wrong. You're one of the best I know, even if you don't do everything you've been told. But even the best don't always have all the pieces. So don't blame yourself. Just find the right pieces and put them together to make another picture."

"What if I get that one wrong too?"

"Then find more pieces and make another picture. Unless you're going to give up."

The conversation is brought to a sudden halt as Justin's phone rings inside the house. He really didn't want to answer it, but something told him he should. Standing up, he heads in through the screen door, jogging into the living room to grab the phone before the answering machine picks up. "Yeah? What? Yeah, okay. It's gonna take me a while, but I'm on my way."

Hanging up again, he grabs his shoes on his way back outside. "That was Jenny," he informs Ben. "Scott broke down and she thinks I should come."


Jenny goes back to Scott's side as he sits on the floor by the window of his room. She hadn't been able to get him to move ever since she'd found him here, curled up and sobbing. From what she could tell, he was still okay, but apparently very much emotionally overwhelmed.

Putting her arm around him again, she rocks him a little, her hand running up from his forehead and through his hair. "Shhh... it's okay," she soothes. "It's all going to be okay."


It takes Justin less than the normal hour and a half to arrive back at Brookshire after pushing the speed limit the whole way. Emerging from his pickup, this time he isn't alone. Danitza and Zora accompany him on their leashes, both obediently at his side as they walk at his heel with purpose.

Once inside, no one balks at Justin having the dogs there, even if he did get a few strange looks. Up the three flights of stairs and down the hall, Justin pays no heed to anything else going on. His mind was focused only on one thing.

Entering the room and seeing Scott, he's only glad that so far Scott was still conscious and crying - at least he had not lapsed into an unresponsive state. "Okay, Jenny... you can go now."

"But-"

"It's okay."

Jenny reluctantly stands and backs away from Scott, not wanting to leave, but doing as she's told. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks." Justin waits until the door is shut again before making any move. "Sit." Both dogs sit obediently and Justin goes alone to Scott, kneeling in front of him. "Hey, buddy... what's wrong, hmm? Can we talk?"

Tears stream from Scott's eyes and he shakes his head, drawing in ragged breaths.

Justin just wanted to calm him down at this point, talk or none. Giving a quite whistle, he's joined by the dogs. "Easy," he commands softly. "Keep him company."

Danitza takes Scott's left side and Zora his right, lying down beside him. Danitza puts her head in Scott's lap and both dogs just lie still, neither begging for attention or getting excited, but just being quiet.

Scott sits a little straighter, startled at first. He knew these must be Justin's dogs that he'd talked about, and they were not aggressive at all, so they formed no fear. One of his hands falls to Danitza's head, his palm resting against her soft coat. His breathing starts to relax. His other hand finds its way to Zora's warm back and his fingers stroke her a little. His tears begin to slow.

For the next few hours, that's all there is. Quiet crying, petting and silence. Justin squats in the far corner just watching and giving Scott space, saying nothing at all unless spoken to. By nightfall, Scott is exhausted and Justin manages to get him onto his bed. Curling up next to Zora's warm body, he falls asleep almost immediately, exhausted from the emotional overflow. Justin remains, stretching out on the floor with Danitza as a willing pillow. He would stay until either Scott talked or it was sure that he was okay. Justin wasn't positive what had just happened. It appeared to simply be a bad day for Scott and his emotions from this whole thing had gotten the best of him. Or maybe Justin's desperate prayer had been answered. Only the morning would tell.