Promise

Ty wasn't sure if Ryan had reacted to the news of Alec's activities or not. He was a little surprised, perhaps, that she hardly batted an eye. Did she really even care about the guy? Maybe she wasn't surprised - maybe Alec had made a habit of running around on her. No matter the reason, Ty shrugs it off. This whole thing really was none of his business.

Thinking for a moment or two, he finally shrugs. "Yeah, I can help you. Wouldn't be the first time I did something under their noses around here. I'll need a couple days though so nobody gets suspicious."

He grabs his broom again, letting his glasses fall back on his face, and he sweeps up some dirt he'd missed earlier. "Come back here two days from now... but come later than this. About one in the morning is when it's the most dead. I'll have something for you."

He pauses his work and looks at her again. "In the meantime, lay low. The last thing we want is any attention drawn to yourself if you're gonna hook up with someone from the Agency."


Jason sighs a little and lets his thumb run over Katie's hand in slow circles. "You're right... there's absolutely nothing for you to be sorry about. If anyone should apologize, it's me."

Thinking a few moments, he tries to pull himself up to sit a little straighter. Hiding the pain, he manages not to wince like he wanted to. "You really should see your family though. I'll be fine here for a little while - I promise." He lets go of her hand to brush her cheek softly. "One day you'll run out of 'see them anytimes.' I'm probably in better health than your dad is anyway."

He tries to prompt Katie to stop worrying so much. "I'm awake now, I feel fine, and I'm not going anywhere. Besides all that, this thing won't kill me in the next couple hours so you have plenty of time to go enjoy your visit then come back. I'll still be here."


Walking slowly up the sidewalk with Danitza and Zora, Justin spies Scott to the far right on the familiar picnic table. Jenny had told him that Scott had been sitting there for the past several days - a sign that he was not only willing to see Justin again, but wanting to.

Approaching cautiously, he takes a seat across from Scott and quietly tell the dogs to lie in the grass. Looking at Scott for several moments, he cocks his head. "Hi."

Scott looks back at him, then lowers his gaze, his hands staying safely tucked in his pockets. "Hi."

"So what's up? Heard you wanted to see me."

"Yeah, I... I guess so."

Justin lets a pause linger. "Still hate me?"

Scott's eyes shoot back up again. "Just partly."

A wry grin curls the corner of Justin's mouth. "Fair enough. So what is it you want to see me about then?"

"You already know." Scott's look is a dry one. "Dr. Hawks called you, told you everything, and you just want me to explain so I'll verbalize it."

Justin leans his arms on the table and gives a little sigh. "Back to that again, are we?"

Scott shrugs. "I just..."

Justin waits. "You just what?"

"I'm still mad at you for not telling me about Hope. But you're the only one that has any idea how to help me."

Justin manages a small smile. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not telling you about Hope."

Scott's eyes wander then come back up to Justin. "I thought you figured it was best."

"I did it because I knew it was Hope's wish to not make things harder for you. If I hadn't respected her so much, I probably would have told you. I know it felt awfully unfair when you found out. And for that, I apologize."

Scott mulls it all over for a few moments before shrugging. "I guess I... well I guess I can't stay too mad at you then."

Though Justin's facial expression and body language showed a quiet confidence and understanding, inside he was relieved and happy... happy that perhaps he was getting a second chance with this. "What about your sister? And Dalton?"

Scott's jaw tightens.

Justin wishes Scott could have seen the look on Dalton's face when he'd informed him that Scott didn't want to see him anymore. "Wasn't easy telling them not to come back here."

"Why not?"

"Because they care. I knew it hurt them." Justin cocks his head. "My own mother has rejected me. I know how it feels. But I did it to those who love you anyway because I knew you'd just get upset if they did show up."

"I still would."

"Why?"

"They betrayed my trust."

"So did I."

"That's different."

"Why?"

Scott sighs. "I don't know why. It just is."

"Maybe it's because you care about them so it hurt more."

Scott picks at a splinter on the table. Maybe. He loved his sister. And Dalton was his best friend. He could understand Justin keeping something from him, but not them. They should have told him about Hope.

Justin watches quietly for a few minutes before reaching into his backpack and pulling out the familiar deck of cards. "How ya feeling today?"

Scott eyes the cards as a shiver of fear runs down his spine. But instead of shrinking away, he looks back up at Justin. "I'm feeling like kicking some Agency butt."

Justin's smile couldn't have been wider. Determination. It really was there. Finally, finally after so many long months, Scott's will was returning. "Sounds awfully good to me."

Scott nods and watches as Justin spreads out the cards face-down on the table to begin the matching game of Agency-related faces that would trigger his data. "I... I guess maybe I realized the other day that... that if I could control this thing then maybe... I could use it against the Agency. I was able to retrieve some data on my own to help with a case and... maybe I realized it would be a waste of a whole lot of valuable information if I gave up."

Justin sits back, his head cocking slightly. Even with a revelation like that, Scott's attitude change was still a miracle. It wasn't going to be easy. No, just because he was determined today didn't mean he would be tomorrow. But it was a step - a definite step. And with or without the change in Hope's condition, or Scott helping with a case, Justin knew that when it really boiled down to it, God deserved the credit for this one. He'd always had hope for Scott and knew that a breakthrough was possible, but if looking at the raw facts and going over all that Scott had been through - he should be in the permanent mental ward here, not still trying to get out. Yes... today marked the day of one small step. And now Justin felt the burden of making sure that no steps were taken backwards. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Scott nods then looks down at the cards. Though his hand trembles, he reaches for the first one and turns it over...


It was a couple hours later that Justin is finally walking back down the sidewalk. Satisfied but weary, he eases down on the same old bench, the dogs automatically lying in the grass. He sighs deeply and runs his hand over the back of the bench. He'd met Beth here so many times - it really was amazing to see how far they'd come since then... to see how much Beth really had grown.

Opening his backpack, he fishes to find a granola bar to temporarily satisfy his growling stomach. He'd already made plans to meet up with Beth here while she visited her sister, then they would meet later for supper.