Questions

Jared was pleased that Grace would move close to him. One, it was enjoyable, and two, it proved she trusted him, even if he didn't yet trust himself. 

As she moved onto his lap, he wrapped his arms around her and smiled. He didn't care if it hurt - there was no way he was passing this up, and he wouldn't complain. Having her in is arms felt too good. 

Returning her kiss again, he just held her close and took his time. He didn't know how long it had been before he eventually pulled away, and even then, it was only to catch his breath. He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled, still holding her close as one hand absentmindedly rubbed her back.

"Thank you," he whispered. "For believing in me." 

Gunner couldn't feel worse about what was happening. He hated seeing Bree worried, and wished he could just forget about everything and move on. But every time he tried, it was as if an invisible force took over and pulled him right back in again. 

"I hope I find it too," he responded lamely. "I guess I just don't understand what the big deal is if I obsess a little. I mean, who cares? So I throw papers around and study them. So what? Reese shouldn't care as long as I'm getting my other work done, and nobody should care about what I do in my own apartment." 

He knew he was just going around in circles. He knew Bree was on his side, and arguing was pointless. And he also knew that he had much bigger issues than just obsessing over a buried case. He had no control over his nightmares, and they were getting the best of him lately. But what could Hope do about that, other than keep him on something to help him sleep? He couldn't go the rest of his life on meds for that - or at least, he didn't want to. He'd rather solve the stupid case so he could forget about it. Maybe if he solved it, he'd quit feeling like he wanted to jump off a bridge too.

Realizing he'd fallen quiet, he looked to Bree again and tried to smile. It didn't come out very well though. "I took you away from your pizza." 

A taxi pulled up to the curb and parked, its engine still running. A thinly built man, perhaps looking somewhat weary, exited the back seat and put his cowboy hat back on his head before grabbing his single duffelbag. After paying the driver, he walked slowly towards the house, his boots clicking lightly on the sidewalk.

Once up the porch and in front of the door, Trent raised his hand, hesitated, then rang the doorbell. After a second try with no answer, he assumed everyone was at work. Not surprising, since it was early afternoon, and anyone would have told him to call first, but he'd preferred to keep his coming here a surprise. He hoped no one would mind. He figured Jasmine would be glad to see him, and Ryder probably wouldn't have any complaints, and Katie was most likely busy with work and her boyfriend.

At least it was a nice day out today. Easing down on the porch, he stretched out his legs and used his bag as a pillow, tilting his hat down to shade his face. He didn't mind waiting for someone to come home. After the trip, he was a bit tired anyway.

"So it was nice?"

"Of course." Jason sipped a Mountain Dew and leaned his elbows on the dining room table while staring at the chess board. 

Con looked back at him and cocked his head. "Well, you haven't said much about it."

Jason chuckled while continuing to study the black and white pieces. "It was a wedding. I sang. Phil and Jen sang. Kyle and Alice said 'I do.' It was great."

Con still wasn't convinced there wasn't more. "Then why have you been moping ever since you got here?"

"I haven't been moping!"

"Yes you have." 

"Have not!" Jason finally decided to move a pawn. "Your move."

Con concentrated on the board again. "Have fun showing off your girlfriend while you were there?" 

Jason quirked an eyebrow and waited for Con to look up at him. "I always have fun going out with her."

Con grinned. "Did you dance?" 

"Sure. Well, as much as I dance. So did Kyle." Jason laughed. "I haven't seen him have so much fun in ages."

"Didn't he and Misty date once?"

"Yeah. I'm glad they can still be friends. Even Kyle's old friend Hunter was there and they got along great. All in all, it was a neat wedding, and the weather was great to have it outside."

"So..." Con moved a knight. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing!" Jason moved another pawn. 

"Well, there's something going on with you." Con moved his queen. 

"You're imagining things." Jason took no time in thinking before moving a knight. 

Con rolled his eyes and pointed at the board. "You just left yourself wide open for checkmate, and you say nothing's going on?"

Jason looked back at the board quickly, then slouched in his seat. "Oops."

"Yeah." Con started setting the board back up again. "So what's with you? Other than being lonely since Misty's having an evening with Alec and Mackenzie." 

Jason smirked. He took another swig of pop before retrieving his own pieces. "Nothing's with me. Nothing's going on, and nothing is wrong. I've just been thinking, that's all." 

Con paid close attention to make sure he was catching everything being said. "About what?" 

"I dunno." Jason shrugged. "Just watching Kyle and Alice get married...got me to thinking."

Con's eyebrows rose. "About...marriage?" 

"Well, yeah." 

"As in...you getting married?" 

Jason's gaze snapped back up. "No, not me. Just marriage in general. Like..." His brow furrowed as he tried to put into words what he'd been feeling all evening. "Like how important it is. I mean, Kyle and Alice just promised to spend their lives together until death. It's serious business." 

Con had a hard time not laughing. "Um...yeah, that's...that's how it works there, Jase."

Jason threw him a smirk before making the first chess move. "I just mean that maybe I look at married couples a little differently now. Like it's nothing to be disrespected or toyed with. I see people like you and Jamie, and if you two ever had trouble or something, I'd realize how serious it was. Not that I didn't take marriage seriously before, it was just sorta a lightbulb moment or something." He rolled his eyes. "And now I feel stupid." 

Con finally laughed, but tried not to tease too much. It was obvious that Jason was having trouble processing something. He met Jason's pawn with his own. "Don't feel stupid. I've had a few lightbulb moments of my own, you know." As a whiff of something good hit his nose, he lifted his head. "Hey, Jamie!" he yelled towards the kitchen. "Are you just gonna torture us with the smell of those chocolate chip cookies all night, or do we get to eat any?" 

Jason bit his lip to keep from laughing. He was glad his big friend was on an upswing. After being down for so long, it was nice to see Con smiling again. A new and more comfortable hearing aid had helped, as did some steady income from his job at the lumberyard. Jason could tell that Con was still somewhat unsettled and dissatisfied with the work he had, but at least things were a little better than they had been after he'd left the Elite team.

"Well?"

Jason snapped back to attention, realizing it was his turn again. "Oh. Sorry." He opted to move his bishop.

"So...that's it? Just a lightbulb moment today?" 

Jason shrugged again. "I dunno. Just...thinking about...people...like..."

Con waited for Jason to finish his slow sentence. 

"Misty." 

"Oh?" Con made another move. "She and Carson are divorced now, aren't they?"

"No...not yet. Carson hasn't signed the papers yet."

"I see." Con wasn't sure yet if he understood Jason's angle or not, but it was apparent that something really was bothering him. "So...?"

Jason sighed and abandoned the game to look up at Con once more. "So I guess maybe I got to thinking about Misty still being married. I mean...she's all set on the divorce and everything, and I don't think we've done anything wrong, but..." 

Con continued to wait patiently. 

"Well I see Carson once in a while and I talk to Alec and Mackenzie, and it sounds like Carson's doing just awful. He misses Misty so bad, and he's stuck with his story about never meaning to mess things up. I was really angry with him before. I care about Misty - always have, so to see her wronged like that, it just really turned my stomach. Carson was stupid, no doubt." 

"But?" 

"Well...after seeing the wedding today...maybe I thought about me being somebody hindering Misty and Carson getting back together." 

Con blinked in surprise. "You think they should?"

"What I think doesn't matter, does it? I mean, that's the whole point. I decided Carson was wrong, and opted to step in for Misty. Figured I was doing the right thing. But it was never my place to judge, was it?" 

Con leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's as tough one, Jase. It's obvious that Carson made some bad decisions, and he's paying some pretty hefty consequences. It isn't our job to judge, but we do need to choose to act accordingly. You think dating Misty wasn't the right choice?"

"I...don't know anymore. I thought it was, but...now I'm not so sure." 

"Not happy with her?"

"I didn't say that. On the contrary, I love being with her. She's great and she and I really seem to click." Jason went to take another sip of Mountain Dew, only to find his can was empty. "I guess maybe today I started to wonder if me being happy was wrongly taking priority over someone's marriage. I mean, if Carson signs the papers and all, and it's over, then that's something else. But they're still married... Well, I suppose if later down the road I saw Kyle and Alice split, I'd think about seeing them as they were today, and about their promises. And maybe I owe that to Misty and Carson too." 

Con was quiet for several moments as a caring smile spread on his lips. "That's quite a switch there, Hotshot." 

"You think I'm crazy?"

"No, but I do wonder what you'll do now."

"That's a good question." Jason tried to focus on the chess game again, but found he still couldn't. "I really care about her, Con. And she needs someone, especially with the baby coming and all... What would you do?" 

"Mm..." Con moved his rook, giving him time to think. "I'm not sure. While you are afraid now you're hindering a commitment between two people, you yourself have also made a commitment." 

"Yeah." Jason scooted back to fold his arms on the table, then rest his chin on his hands. "When did life get so complicated?" 

Con chuckled. "When Adam and Eve sinned." He waited until Jason looked up at him. "But for what it's worth, I think maybe you had that lightbulb moment for a reason - whether to change your actions or just give you some insights. My advice is to sit on it a wile and see how you feel again in a few days."

No worry

Giving a smile to Jared Grace moves slowly. She had no fear of him and what he once was. There was something in his eyes that told her that no longer was he like that and with her, things were completely different.

   "Mmm...lets see if I can do this without hurting you."

Moving Grace gets over Jared and lowers herself down on top of him. Wrapping her arms around his neck Grace leans into him again and places a kiss on his nose before backing away and leaning her for head against his.

   "I dont think you have to worry about keeping me happy. You do just fine with that and being..you."

Kissing his nose and than working her way down to his lips Grace presses them to his once more. Soaking in the moment Grace just let it continue. She was enjoying this attachen, this time alone with Jared it was really nice and she was going to enjoy it.

Continuing to look up at Gunner Bree can see the look in his eyes and in a way she did understand what he was saying. But she understood where the others were coming from too. Its not that Gunner would implode or she thought they just worried.

   "They are just worried that the way you are going about everything, and being obsessed is unhealthy. In a way...it is. I do understand where your coming from in wanting to find the missing piece its just..."

Bree stopped there she didn't know what she was trying to say. She was bad at explain herself sometimes, and this was one of those times. She new what she wanted to say she just didn't know how. She just hoped that soon Gunner would be done with this and they could move on with life. Till than life would be on a stand still.

   "I hope you can find it soon."

Implode

A grin made Jared's mouth twitch. Yes...he'd been told before that he was a good kisser. He moved his hand to gently caress Grace's cheek, while his eyes searched hers. "I only care about your opinion," he finally answered. "My only problem now is keeping you happy..." 

Returning once more to her lips, he allowed his kiss to deepen and linger. Kissing her was different from kissing other women. Perhaps it was her. Perhaps it was because he actually cared. Maybe it was a combination of the two. No matter...he was enjoying this and didn't want it to end. 

It wasn't as easy as he'd like - being unable to move around presented few options, and none were very comfortable. Gently breaking their kiss, he ran his hand through Grace's hair and smiled. "I may not be able to use my legs much," he whispered, "but they make a great place to sit." If she'd sit in is his lap, he could actually hold her, but he'd leave it up to her.

Gunner wrapped his arms around Bree too, and sighed before nuzzling is face down into her neck. "I know you want to help," he mumbled. "And I really appreciate it. It's just...talking has never helped. And I don't even know what kind of research anybody can do at this point." 

He lifted his head to finally look at Bree. "I just know there's a missing piece, and nobody will just let me be enough for me to find it. It's like I'm either held back or there are too many cooks in the kitchen - I just need room. But Hope and Reese think I'm gonna implode or something, I dunno."