DISCLAIMER: Walker and the gang don't belong to me. But man would I love to have Gage around for a while.

SUMMARY: Sydney's in a coma. Jessie's afraid that Gage hates her now and blames her for Sydney's state. Alex has taken Jessie out to the ranch and Walker brought Julie out there to help with Jessie. Can Gage pull himself together enough to convince Jessie that he doesn't hate her?

FEEDBACK: I thrive on it. I'll write without it but it won't be as fast or as often.


Jessie sat on the couch when Julie arrived. When Julie entered the room and saw her little sister sitting on the couch in tears, she turned to Walker. "Can I take her for a horseback ride? I promise we won't go far."

"Of course. I'll go saddle up a couple of horses for the two of you. You talk to her."

Walker left the house and Alex followed him in order to give the sisters time to talk.

"Alex, are you okay?" Walker was worried about his wife.

"I've never seen Gage like this. Walker, I can't lie to you. It scares me." She had tears in her eyes. "Jessie told me about how Gage always used to call her and let her know that he was okay and make sure that she was too. She didn't stop crying the whole way here."

Alex found herself wrapped in her husband's arms. "Gage will work this out in his head, Alex. You have to believe that. Before you know it, Sydney will be fine and Gage will have pulled himself together enough to talk to Jessie."

"She seems so lost without him," Alex cried.

"I know. But he'll find his way back." Walker silently hoped that was the case. His friend needed to pull himself together.


Jessie was in tears and Julie was angry. "I can't believe he hasn't tried to talk to us yet. He just walked away from us." Julie was pacing back and forth in front of her sister.

"Jules, he's just worried about Sydney. I'm worried about her too."

"So am I, Jess. But he could have at least tried to comfort us too. You've been blaming yourself. He knew it."

"Julie, it is my fault. I did nothing when he was giving her those shots. I just stood by and let him continue drugging her. I think it was worse for her knowing that eventually he would take her and she couldn't do anything about it than if he had actually done it every time he threatened her." Jessie sniffled. "I just stood there."

"Jess, don't. Don't do this to yourself." Julie couldn't stand to see her little sister like this. It had been years since she had seemed so helpless. Julie remembered it as though it were just yesterday.

FLASHBACK

Jessie was so young to be trying to go through this. She had to learn how to get around without her eyes. Julie had been told not to do everything for her; that she needed to learn to do for herself because there wouldn't always be someone with her to do things she needed done.

She watched almost helplessly as Jessie stumbled and fell repeatedly. The bruises on her shins were growing daily instead of fading. Julie had to bit her tongue hard many times to keep from speaking out to direct her baby sister. Frank had left the room just as often to keep from running over and picking her up.

The first time Jessie tried to stand after the accident, she fell almost immediately. After a few tries, she was able to stand up but not walk.

Days later, she finally took her first steps. Two steps and fall down. Pulled herself back up, took another two steps and fell again. Julie felt the tears well up in her eyes as she watched helplessly as her little sister fell again and again.

"I can't do this," Jessie cried at one point, sitting on the floor and punching her legs.

Frank knelt in front of her, taking her hands. "I know you can do this, Jessie. You're strong and brave and you're my sister. That's how I know you can do this."

"You're not me. Other kids will laugh at me. They'll think it's funny that I can't run and play like they do."

"No, Jessie. They'll think it's neat that you can get around without seeing the things that they have to. They'll think it's neat that you don't have to have the lights on to find your way around a room."

"I can't do it, Frank. I just can't!" She curled up on the floor and cried heartbrokenly for hours. Frank and Julie just sat with her and kept their hands on her so that she knew they were there and not leaving her.

END FLASHBACK

All Julie could do is sit next to her sister for a moment and put an arm around her shoulders to demonstrate that she would be there for her no matter what.

That's how Alex found the two girls when she came to tell them that Walker had saddled two horses for them to ride.