Please

"Aw, Katie." Jason was upset, but he hadn't wanted to make Katie cry. He couldn't stand it when he saw her tears. 

Shoving his plate aside, he reaches over to take her other hand holding them both together in his. Desperation shown in his eyes - desperation for her to understand and for him to understand. What had happened to them? How had it happened so quickly? 

"I'm not trying to tell you not to have a friend," he counters firmly, his hands gripping hers. "I get it that you need or want a friend - who doesn't? But I'm your boyfriend..." He stares her in the eye, trying with all his might to get his point across. "...And you're spending time alone with another man. Not only another man, but one you just met. If he were an old friend or somebody like Kyle or something, maybe I'd feel differently. But Katie..." 

He shakes his head, not even knowing what else he could say. "How would Wyatt feel if Aerith all of a sudden met another man and started spending time alone with him? Would you tell him just to chill and not feel bad? Or what if Nikki all of a sudden found another guy to hang out with? What would Pete think? There's not a man on earth who wouldn't feel as if he were losing his girl like I feel I'm losing you." 

There. He'd said it. But the hurt still lingered. Jason swallows hard, keeping his gaze on Katie's eyes. "I understand what you're saying about me and my friends - I guess I didn't even know you felt left out like that. But... but at least I've simply been spending time with a group of old friends... not having dinners and late-night time alone with another woman." His jaw tightens. "It just wouldn't be right, Katie. You have to see that." 

His eyes begged her. "Please... please, if you still care about us at all... stop spending time alone with Hunter. I'm not asking you to not be friends. I'm just asking that you don't go out alone with him. Please." 

Cindy nods at Trey, unsurprised by his response. "I understand. And Derek would too. In his defense though, he didn't even know I was pregnant. He dumped me, yes, but I never gave him the chance to turn away his unborn children. I was too afraid to tell him." 

She shrugs. "And... I guess... somehow after all these years, I've been able to forgive him for what he did - taking advantage of my love like he did. I've seen how he's changed. His daughter Liz, your half-sister, took to Jason pretty quick and I know when she was here recently she wanted to meet you, but it wasn't the right time." 

"Food!" Kaylee furrows her brow unhappily and bangs her hands on her highchair. 

Cindy smirks. "Now, Kaylee, you know better. You have to be patient." 

Kaylee shakes her head stubbornly and looks to Trey instead. "Food!" 

Cindy tries not to laugh. "And going to your brother instead will do you no good." 

Justin keeps his eyes on the pond and he swallows hard. Somewhere nice? It really was a date then. This Zach guy was a fast worker. Was he really to be trusted? Justin hoped so, for Beth's sake, but he couldn't go and hold her hand. 

"That sounds... fun." Wow yeah, what a great response. But what else was he supposed to say? He didn't like this. At all. He didn't like Zach and he didn't think Beth should go out with him. But he had no reason for either one of those things. No logical reason anyway. But was it logic or emotion that was causing the strange pang somewhere deep in his chest? 

Missing another fish, he growls. Reeling in his line, he opts to switch lures and focuses on cutting and retying. He felt badly though. He didn't like not supporting Beth like he usually did. 

"Ouch!" Sticking his bleeding finger in his mouth, he glares at the hook that had torn his skin. "Hey, Beth..." He sucks on his minor wound and checks it again to see that it wasn't going to stop bleeding very easily. "You got a bandaid?" 

"Mmm... that sounds good." Sparky brushes Faith's cheek with his hand. "And thanks. Dylan's had quite a day."

Nodding, he finally releases her so she can get back to her work. "What time should I tell him?"

Understand

   "I understand you need your friends Jason so I am not condemning you. I get that, and thats fine with me. But I need you too and I'd like to go out once and a while with you and your friends. I am sorry you don't understand that I would like to be included too Jason."

Katie did her best to keep her own voice calm. She was angry, she was hurt and it felt like her chest was being ripped out. She didn't understand anything that was going on or why. It was so confusing and it hurt completely.

   "Seeing as I am doing nothing wrong with having a friend who I spend time with I guess I don't see that its wrong. I'm sorry you feel that way, and you think its wrong I have a friend. I don't have anyone else Jason."

A tear rolls down Katie's cheek. She just wanted him to understand. She wanted a friend like he had, and thats it. It made her sad he didn't understand.

Genuinely Surprised

Katie's words stung more than Jason would want to admit. He hadn't expected her to get so upset, and her hand under his felt like ice, as did her tone. His eyes grow dim as he listens, hardly able to believe what she was saying. What was happening here?

As she quiets, Jason's eyes lower. He didn't know whether to withdraw, stay, leave, say something or say nothing. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt so confused. And it hurt.

"I've never been, or ever will be ashamed of you." He responds calmly even though he was deeply upset. "I can't believe you just asked me that." His fingers move around hers a little, but he wasn't even sure if she wanted him to caress her hand or pull away.

Swallowing the urge to yell at her, he finally raises his eyes again. "Since I was in high school, TJY has been my life. I had friends but never had time to get close to anybody or socialize. I never knew until now how much I missed out on. Since meeting back up with some of those old friends, I've been able to reconnect... get to know them again... fill in the blanks from when I was a kid." He shakes his head. "It's something I need, Katie... It's helping me learn to feel things again... and I wish you wouldn't condemn me for it."

He pauses, still trying his hardest to keep control over his emotions, as rampant and strange as they all felt. "I'm sorry you've apparently felt left out - that wasn't my intention. But to me, there's a difference between spending time with a group of friends and going out alone with someone. I trust you, Katie, but I don't trust Hunter, and I'd feel a whole lot better if you'd quit spending time alone with him. It just... dates or not, it just..." He sighs, fishing for the right words and fearing he was just making things worse. "I didn't say anything before because I figured it would pass. But now... with you still seeing him... it isn't right... and I'm genuinely surprised you don't see that."

Confustion

Letting her hand just lay on the table Katie searched Jason's face. It felt like his hand had been on fire with his world and her stomach churned. Dates? Her going on dates? She really couldn't believe what she was hearing.

   "I have not been going on dates thank you very much. I've been going out with a friend, as a friend and nothing more. As for seeing him without other friends I don't have any other friend I can go out with like you do with your own. You want to come with Hunter and me thats fine, we both would have no problem with that. You've never even asked me to come with you. Have the other asked there girlfriends? Something tells me yes."

Katie couldn't help how upset she got. It hurt that Jason would say something like that and all the emotions she had seemed to pour over now. She couldn't help it there was pain written all over her face from his words, from his actions.

   "I understand you don't want me always around and thats the main reason you wanted our connection broken. I get it Jason, and I am not asking to be around all the time...but it would be nice if once and a while you considered asking me to hang out with you guys too so I can get to know them as well. Are you ashamed of me or something? Is that why you never ask?"

She could feel the tears that wanted to build in her eyes though she kept them at bay. No not now she wouldn't shed them. She was to upset, she was to hurt, and she just felt sick. Katie hated fighting with Jason and even more so she hated being at odds with him too.

Finally turning her head she lets her fingers link with his lightly as she looked down at the table. Why, why had they come to this? Why did it have to happen to them? At least with the antidote they could still feel each other a little.

Trey gives a nod willing to try the pizza with all the toppings on it. Even if he ended up not caring for it he'd still eat it. He was hungry and he wouldn't turn down food when it was offered. Something told him though he would like this combination. He liked them all individually so together it sounded even better.

Once Carson was gone and Cindy talks about his dad Trey just looks at her for a long moment. How could she talk so ok about his father? From what she told him he left her before Jason and himself were even born. It made no sense to him why would he want to meet a father that did abandon him?

   "I don't think I'll ever be ready for that one. He really did abandon me, and you. Thats wrong no matter who you are."

As there was a silence that fell between them Beth just watches Justin's for the longest moment. There was a strange vibe she got from even after he started talking again. It was like he was upset or he wanted her to have a bad time with Zach for some reason but she didn't understand why. If he'd told her he liked her than she would understand, but he hadn't, not even made a move twords that. She'd waited for a while not for him to do so but nothing ever happened she just figured they were friends.

Hearing Justin's question Beth gives a little shake of her head. She didn't know where they were going and in a way that excited her a little bit more because it would be a nice surprise.

   "No, I don't know where we are going. It's going to be a surprise. Zach said I should get dressed up nice though so I am guessing that means a nice restront or something."

Beth wasn't sure what else to say about the whole thing at this point. She didn't want to upset Justin anymore about it though it did bother her that something about it was bothering him. But she wouldn't ask not now.

Smiling and open her eyes once again Faith new she better keep cutting the apples for the pie or it would never get done in time for after dinner. She liked to bake them slow it helped the apples bring out more juice and make them softer. 

   "I don't mind at all if Dylan comes over for dinner. I found a nice roast at the store that I was going to make so the more the merrier."