Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CBS Jericho characters.

Author's Note: Welcome new reader ~ and reviewer ~ Shadowflame! I apologize for the random numbers in the first few chapters; they correlate with pictures that are posted at my Live Journal site: [ .com]. I was hoping to tie them in here, but was unable. There is also a "Families of Jericho" chart that helps keep all of the OC's straight. The 9 page chart and a timeline of events appear between chapters 10 and 11 there, and have pictures of most of the actors *I* would choose to play the characters. It might make more sense when you see it. I'm not sure if any of the readers are interested in having me continue that because there has been minimal feedback.

Chapter XXI: An Eventful Weekend

December 13-15, 2002

The next morning when Jake woke up, he realized the head congestion he had been ignoring and the cough he had been suppressing were more than just his imagination. He had joined Heather and E.J. for breakfast, and immediately gained Heather's attention when he coughed once and she thought he looked flushed. She had insisted upon taking his temperature - 100.2°F - and declaring that he should stay home for the day. He had stubbornly dismissed her recommendation, insisting upon driving her to school on his way to the Sheriff's Department to square things with Jimmy and Bill. It had occurred to him that he would have a hard time keeping any kind of personal privacy once the BAU visit and hog farm arrests became known. He figured he might just as well be proactive and tell the good people of Jericho what he wanted them to hear rather than allowing them to come to their own conclusions.

He had started out at Town Hall, telling Jimmy, Bill, and other assorted staff that he had been with the FBI since he had graduated college, initially being a pilot, and then taking on the full responsibilities of an agent when he had left Jericho almost two years before. He concluded by telling the group that the FBI had currently assigned him to language school in California. When he was done at Town Hall, he decided to stop by the market to tell Gracie Leigh the full story. Once Gracie Leigh was entrusted with information, it was only a matter of hours before the whole town knew.

He considered visiting his Mom, but decided she would give him a hard time if she heard him cough, so he headed instead toward the Richmond Ranch. Stanley had been up early doing farm chores, and was just going toward to the house when Jake drove up.

"Jake!" Stanley greeted his childhood friend. "Are you hungry? I was about to have lunch."

"Sure, that would be great," Jake replied.

They continued into the kitchen of the cheerful yellow farmhouse. Stanley had kept the house almost exactly as it had been when his parents had died, saying it was good for Bonnie to have the continuity. Everyone knew he liked the continuity, too. Lillian Montgomery and their Aunt Ginny had been frequent visitors to the house, helping to cook and clean; helping Stanley to raise Bonnie and teach her the things a mother would teach a daughter. Stanley knew he would never have been able to get through those first few years without their help, and they were so unobtrusive that they allowed him to maintain his pride. Now that Bonnie was older, the two of them were better equipped to cope on their own. Stanley tried to repay the kindness by pulling his own weight on the property and being available to help with their farm work as needed.

"Mm, something smells good," Jake said, sniffing the warm air in the kitchen approvingly.

"Lillian Montgomery brought over a crock pot of stew this morning, but it won't be done until tonight." Stanley replied. "For lunch, we have potato soup and ham sandwiches. The kind of soup Annie McCall used to make when we were growing up and playing at the ranch. Remember playing with Will and Matt and Pete? Will and Matt would want to play 'cowboys and Indians', Eric and Pete would want to play 'pirates' and you and I would insist on playing 'army men'. We sure had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, those were some good times," Jake said a faraway look in his eyes as he thought briefly about the prospect of having his own children play at the ranch one day. "I took Heather out to the patch to pick blackberries when I was here over the summer," Jake told Stanley, unsure if his friend knew the extent of his interest in the Jericho schoolteacher.

"So, you and Heather," Stanley gently teased him, "how's that working out?"

"Really well, actually." Jake replied with a smile. "I've never met anyone like her. We haven't spent that much time in the same place, but we videoconference on the computer almost every day. I really like her a lot."

"I'm happy for you," Stanley said wholeheartedly, "both of you. Now, does she have a sister? Or a cousin? Or a single friend? She invites her best friend to live in Jericho, and the friend is already married. That stinks," Stanley concluded with a wry laugh.

Jake chuckled with his friend. "I'll have a word with Heather about that. One of these days, Stanley, the perfect woman is going to ride into town and you'll be waiting to sweep her off her feet. I can just see it now."

During their conversation, Stanley had heated their bowls of soup and put sandwich material out on the table. They ate in silence until Stanley asked Jake about the raid on the hog farm and Jake had to make explanations. The hot soup felt good on Jake's throat, which he now realized was growing raw. Being out in the cold air during the raid had probably not helped his condition.

Soon it was time to pick Heather up from school, so Jake thanked Stanley for lunch and bade him good bye, agreeing to meet at Bailey's the following evening for more catching up.

Jake had the good grace to wait in the car outside Heather's building so as to avoid further exposure to the elements and running the risk of infecting others with his supposed illness. He admitted to himself, while he waited, that he was feeling a bit under the weather, but would be fine by morning. The air had become increasingly cold and damp during the day, and snow was starting to fall as Heather made her way out of the school building and toward the car where Jake waited.

"How are you feeling?" Heather greeted Jake suspiciously. "I'll bet you didn't rest at all today."

"Now that's not true," Jake said with a smile, "Stanley and I rested while we ate soup for lunch and reminisced about the good old days. And I've been resting here in the car."

They drove home in silence, Jake trying not to talk so he wouldn't start coughing in front of Heather. The usual Friday evening gathering was planned at the bunk house; the last one before out-of-town guests started arriving for Christmas at the Ranch. As they walked into the ranch house, Heather had declared her intent to re-check Jake's temperature and ban him from the festivities if he still had a fever.

"101.6°F," Heather announced, taking the beeping digital thermometer from under Jake's tongue. "For the sake of public health, you should go straight to bed and stay there until morning. I'll bring you some Nyquil in a few minutes."

Jake silently kicked himself that he hadn't asked Stanley for Tylenol to take down his fever. "O.K., but tomorrow, we're decorating for Christmas around here, and tomorrow night, we're going out to Bailey's with Stanley."

"We'll see," was all Heather had said.

E.J., sitting in the great room reading the paper, had watched the exchange over the top of his reading glasses and laughed to himself that Heather already had this much influence over his stubborn grandson.

By morning, Jake was actually feeling worse, but he would never have admitted it. He had been up quite a bit of the night coughing, and was happy that his room was at the opposite end of the house from Heather's, hoping she had not heard. He had taken Tylenol when he was up around six to get a drink from the bathroom, so his fever was low-grade when Heather checked it at breakfast.

"See, good as new!" Jake assured her, trying to ignore the pain as he took each breath. Time to take some ibuprofen, he thought to himself, all of the tricks he had learned in his military medic training coming back to him.

Heather looked at him skeptically, but didn't comment. She made sure he had plenty of juice and water to drink throughout the day as the three of them brought in the tree and decorated it. Thanks to the ibuprofen, his temperature was back to normal when she took it at lunchtime.

They completed the decorations after lunch and Heather left to go to the Bennett farm to pick something up from Hope. Jake and E.J. sat in front of the fire drinking hot cider and talking.

"I don't want to go putting ideas into your head, Jake," E.J. began awkwardly, "but I want to give you something. In case you need it."

Jake looked at E.J. with a puzzled expression. His head was feeling thick and he was happy to be sitting down. "O.K., Grandpa," Jake answered hesitantly.

E.J. pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Jake. "I want you to have this. It is the set of rings I gave to your Grandmother when I married her almost 60 years ago now. I have a feeling you may need it one day soon. If not, keep it for whenever you do. It would mean a great deal to me for you to have them. Your Grandmother loved you so much, Jake, and she would have been so pleased with the fine man you have grown up to be."

Jake looked at his Grandfather in awe. The man always seemed to know what he was thinking, even before he was really sure he was thinking it. "Thank you so much, Grandpa. This means a lot to me, and I know it will mean a lot to Heather, too. I've been thinking about asking her to marry me a lot lately, but I'm not sure if we have known each other long enough."

E.J. grinned at Jake, pleased at the response the ring set had elicited. He had always been able to read the boy. "Can you imagine your life without her?" E.J. asked thoughtfully.

"No," Jake said hastily, shaking his head.

"Well, then, I think you have your answer. You don't marry someone because you want to live with them; you marry them because you can't live without them."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Jake said, a big smile forming on his face. He no longer cared about the pains when he breathed or the thickness in his head. He had the answer to the question that had been keeping him up at night for quite a while now.

As they heard Heather's car in the driveway, Jake and E.J. exchanged conspiratorial grins and Jake crammed the small box into the pocket of his jeans. Heather walked into the great room to find them grinning like cats that had eaten a canary.

"O.K., what's going on?" she asked, growing a bit nervous.

"Nothing at all, but we have to get going before it gets dark." Jake stood and ushered her toward the stairs while she protested.

"Where are we going?" Heather asked in confusion. "I want to check your temperature one last time before you go anywhere."

"No, really, I'm fine now," Jake assured her, continuing toward the stairs. "Can you be ready to go in 10 minutes? Bundle up, it's cold out," he admonished as she reluctantly went up the stairs ahead of him.

Indeed, 10 minutes later, they were driving north toward town. When they passed the medical center, Heather wondered idly if they were heading back to Riverside Park. Indeed they were. Someone must have plowed the parking lot since their last visit at Thanksgiving, because there was only a light dusting of snow from the evening before. Jake and Heather were warmly dressed, and Jake retrieved a blanket and a thermos from the trunk on his way around to open Heather's door. He held her arm protectively so she wouldn't slip on the ice, and they made their way back to the bench where they had sat and enjoyed the wildlife on their first trip. Jake cleared the snow off the bench and laid the wool blanket out for Heather to sit on. He sat next to her for a few minutes and they enjoyed the silent snowy landscape around them. Jake really hadn't said much during the trip, between nerves and trying not to cough. Now he fumbled with something in his pocket and spoke to Heather.

"Grandpa and I talked while you went to Hope's. He helped me to see a different perspective of a question I've been mulling over for a while now. He said one shouldn't marry someone because one wants to live with them, but rather because one can't live without them." With that, be slipped off the bench and onto one knee, taking her hands in his.

"Heather Lisinski, I love you. I know we haven't known each other very long, but I don't think I could live without you. Will you marry me?"

Heather had started to tear up as Jake had started to speak of E.J.'s philosophy. She now had tears rolling down both cheeks as she responded: "Yes, Oh, yes! I will marry you, Jake Green. I love you, too, and I couldn't live without you, either." Jake stood up and she threw herself into his arms, almost knocking him off of his feet in the snow. They enjoyed a passionate kiss before Jake encouraged Heather to sit down again.

"Part of the reason this happened today is that Grandpa gave me these while you were at Hope's. He had given them to my Grandma when they got married, and he wanted us to have them." Jake opened the small velvet box and held it out for Heather to see the simple engagement and wedding ring set nestled therein. "I don't know how you will feel about this," Jake continued hesitantly. "We can go shopping and get you different rings if you would rather . . . . "

Heather cut off Jakes words by exclaiming "Oh, they are beautiful! I will cherish them! They are just perfect!"

"Those are Celtic knots on the rings. Our family is mostly Irish with a little German and a little Scottish. Grandma Catherine was completely Irish, and very traditional," Jake informed Heather.

Jake took the engagement ring out of the box to try on Heather's finger. It fit perfectly, and she beamed at him while tears rolled down her cheeks and she threw her arms around his neck again. Jake took that as a positive sign. They sat in silence for several minutes as they considered what had just occurred. Then Heather broke the silence.

"I want E.J. to give me away at the wedding," she announced. "I'm not that close to my Uncle, and he is the only living male relative I have. Do you think he will do it?" She asked breathlessly.

"Why, yes, I guess so," Jake said uncertainly. His mind was still reeling over becoming engaged, while Heather's had clearly made the transition to wedding planning. Jake briefly entertained the thought of eloping, but wisely decided not to say anything on that topic. He had a feeling the term 'wedding' meant something entirely different to the bride than it did to the groom; at least in the beginning.

The wind had picked up and it had begun to snow again. Heather pulled her cell phone out of her coat pocket and held it out to take a picture of the two of them, sitting on the park bench grinning, just having gotten engaged. Madelyn, Erin and Hope must be rubbing off on her as she concluded she really must start taking more pictures.

Jake gathered the blanket and the forgotten thermos and they made their way back to the car. He poured hot cider to warm them up as they sat in the car laughing together over their secret. They decided they had time to go back to the ranch to tell E.J., and then stop by quickly to tell Gail and Johnston before they met Stanley at Bailey's.

E.J. was still sitting in front of the fire, admiring the Christmas tree, when Jake and Heather returned. He congratulated them abundantly on their engagement, and assured Heather he would be honored to give her away at the wedding. His eyes were moist as the two left the ranch house to continue on with their plans for the evening; he was so pleased they had found each other and had the good sense to recognize it.

As they approached the Mayor's home, Heather was relieved to see both of the cars in the driveway. She felt like she was living in a dream sequence, and didn't want anything to set things awry.

She and Jake knocked on the front door rather than just going in the back, like either of them would usually have done. Johnston soon came to the door.

"Hi, Dad, do you and Mom have a minute?" Jake asked.

Johnston looked at Jake curiously, and ushered them into the living room where Gail was seated in front of the television watching the news. Jake and Heather took seats on the couch and the news was turned off.

"We have an announcement to make," Jake started. "I have asked Heather to marry me, and she has accepted."

Gail came flying out of the chair where she had been seated and engulfed the two in a hug while she enthusiastically endorsed their engagement. Jake could almost see his mother calculating grandchildren in the back of her mind, and chuckled to himself. Johnston stood and waited for Gail to get over her excitement, then hugged both Jake and Heather, congratulating them warmly and welcoming Heather to the family once again.

"Well, we won't interrupt any more of your evening, we just wanted to share our news with you," Jake said. "We had plans to meet Stanley at Bailey's, and if the news gets out there, it will be all over town. We wanted you to know first."

Gail had caught Heather's hand and looked at her ring. Now both women had tears streaming down their cheeks as they acknowledged the original owner of the ring. Johnston nodded his head in approval once he realized it had been his Mother's ring.

"Grandpa gave them to me this afternoon, in case we needed them in the future," Jake explained. "I figured there was no time like the present."

"Congratulations again." Johnston said as the two made their way toward the door. He couldn't help but think what a better fit Heather was for Jake and for their family than Emily Sullivan had ever been. He was pleased that Jake had come to the same conclusion.

As they made the short drive to Bailey's, Jake noted that the ibuprofen must be wearing off because he was feeling warm and his chest wall hurt with each breath. He was determined, however, not to allow a common cold to put a damper on the excitement of their engagement announcement. Jake found a convenient parking spot and came around to open Heather's door.

"It's good that we got engaged at the beginning of vacation," Heather mused as she got out of the car, "we have weeks together to celebrate and tell everyone before you have to go back to California."

Jake smiled and nodded so he wouldn't risk coughing when he breathed in the cold air. He made a mental note to pull Mary Bailey aside and ask for Tylenol as soon as he could.

As the two walked in the front door of Bailey's, a whiff of cigarette smoke hit Jake's lungs and racked him with a coughing spell. He laughed as soon as he was able, mumbled something about the smoke going down the wrong pipe, and continued in to the booth where Stanley was waiting for them. Heather gave him a sideways look, but was so excited about the engagement that she did not push the issue with Jake.

As they removed their coats, Stanley noticed the grins they both wore. "What's going on?" he asked curiously.

Heather held out her left hand, and Stanley noticed the engagement ring. He stood up and engulfed them both in a bear hug, then called loudly for the attention of the tavern. Jake and Heather rolled their eyes at each other, but continued grinning.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make," Stanley started. "It would seem that my best friend Jake Green and our own third grade teacher Heather Lisinski have gotten engaged. Let's give them a big round of applause!" The crowd started to clap as Stanley continued, "The next round of drinks is on Jake."

"Thanks a bunch, Pal," Jake said dryly, steering Stanley back toward his seat in the booth and Heather toward the opposite side. Evidently, Stanley had arrived early and was already taking advantage of the refreshments Bailey's Tavern had to offer.

"Hey, what are best friends for?" Stanley asked with a broad grin, oblivious to the jibe. "So, I guess you weren't kiddin' the other day when you said you liked her a lot," he continued in a voice a notch louder than one used by someone who was totally sober. "You know, Jake, Heather doesn't have a big brother. We have all gotten pretty close over the past few years, and she has gotten to be kinda like another little sister to me. I want to warn you that you will have to answer to me if you make our Heather unhappy for any reason. Are we clear?" Stanley asked, waving his index finger in Jakes general direction.

"Crystal clear," Jake replied with a smirk, wondering if Stanley would remember the conversation the next day. Stanley didn't usually drink to excess, making Jake wonder briefly if everything was alright with his friend.

"Hello, I'm right here," Heather said with a laugh, waving her hands at the two men.

He excused himself from the booth and made his way over to the bar, ordering a soda for Stanley, a light beer for Heather and a beer for himself in addition to hamburgers to soak up some of the refreshments Stanley had already consumed. Mary said she had ibuprofen in the storeroom, so Jake followed her to the back.

Jake was engrossed in thoughts of Heather and Stanley when he noticed Emily Sullivan seated at one of the tables with another teacher from the high school. Their eyes met, and Jake smiled hesitantly. Emily returned his gaze, but not his smile; her blue eyes as cold as ice.

"Hi, Em," Jake started, pausing as he reached her table. "I'd like to get together with you and talk about . . ."

Emily interrupted before he could complete his sentence. "Why are you here?" she asked indignantly. "Chris is dead because of you. You are the one that should be dead. Not him. No one is safe around you."

Jake was taken aback by the venom in her tone, but not really surprised. "O.K.," he said, putting his hands up in acquiescence. "Let me know if you change your mind."

Mary had returned with the ibuprofen, which Jake gratefully accepted. They returned to the bar where one of Mary's assistants had filled Jake's drink order. He took the drinks back to the table, telling Heather and Stanley the hamburgers would be out shortly. The ibuprofen kicked in quickly and Jake was able to enjoy the evening. They talked about everything from Jake and Stanley's childhood pranks to the longstanding New Bern – Jericho football rivalry. Stanley was soon coherent enough that Jake felt he would remember the conversation they were having.

"So, Stanley," Jake started, "Heather and I really haven't talked about the wedding much yet, since we only got engaged a few hours ago, but I want to ask you to be my best man. Are you up for that?"

"You bet, Jake," Stanley answered, suddenly serious. "I guess this means we're grown-ups now, huh? Kind of a sobering thought. I guess I never thought it would happen."

"I wasn't sure we'd live long enough for it to happen," Jake put in. "Between the stupid things we did and the poor decisions we made, I guess it's a wonder we did. What will we do if our kids want to do the same things we did?"

"We may be grown-ups, but at least I won't have to worry about having kids of my own any time soon," Stanley replied, having returned to his jovial self. "Bonnie has been enough for me to worry about. I've gotten her this far, with a lot of help. Hopefully we can get through the next few years without any major crises so she can be a grown up and make her own mistakes."

The hour was growing late, and Jake was beginning to feel worn out. "I just want to let you both know that I ran into Emily earlier when I was placing our order," he said, having saved this part of the conversation until the end of the evening. "She wasn't very happy to see me, to put it mildly. She still blames me for Chris' death. Heather, it would probably be best if you avoid her as much as you can. Stanley, use your judgment, but be forewarned."

"Apparently she hasn't gotten the memo that you're one of the good guys," Stanley said with a wry laugh.

"Good thing we teach in different levels of the school," Heather replied, "I don't think we've ever had a full conversation, more like just nodding if we pass in the office. I think she was suspicious of me from the beginning when I moved to the ranch as soon as I came to Jericho. The school only has staff meetings for the teachers of all grades once each semester, so our contact is minimal."

"That's good," Jake responded, "try to keep it that way for now until she gets over being upset with me. May be a while, she can carry a grudge."

"Good thing I have plenty of other friends then," Heather said with a smile, leaning her head on Jake's shoulder.

With that, they rose and said their good nights. Jake remembered to hold his breath as he went through the smoky area near the door, and take shallow breaths once he got outside into the cold, damp air. He was determined not to let a cold derail the fun of their engagement weekend.

Sunday morning dawned sunny and clear, but the air was still crisp. Heather, Jake and E.J. arrived at the church just in time to take their seats before the service began. Gail must have arrived early enough to have a word with Pastor Young, because he encouraged everyone to congratulate Heather and Jake on their engagement as he announced the 'Handshake of Friendship". Church members came from every corner of the church to congratulate them and admire Heather's ring; many of the older ladies recognizing it as having belonged to Catherine Green. Gail and E.J. stood by and beamed at their handiwork.

After the service, the entire family adjourned to the Green home for lunch. Gail had scrambled to make a festive meal on short notice, and had prepared prime rib with creamy au gratin potatoes, caramelized Brussels sprouts, and lemon meringue pie for dessert. Everyone had enjoyed the meal and was sitting around the table drinking coffee afterward when Gail noticed that Jake looked more flushed than he should.

"Jake, are you feeling alright?" Gail asked suspiciously.

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine," Jake responded too quickly.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Jake, you told me you were better," Heather said, clearly irritated. "He's been running a fever and coughing on and off for days now. He told me he was better or I wouldn't have let him come out today," Heather said defensively.

Gail shook her head, "Welcome to the world of stubborn Green men, my dear. April, will you please have a look at him?"

"Sure, Mom," April responded. "I'll just get my bag from the car."

Gail went to the kitchen and returned with a thermometer, which she stuck under Jake's tongue before he could protest further. He rolled his eyes as Johnston, Eric and E.J. looked on with smirks. Each of them had been in his shoes at one time or another. The thermometer beeped as April returned.

"102.6°F. Jake, what were you thinking being out in public with a fever like this," Gail asked him, shaking her head.

April warmed the bell of the stethoscope before placing it on Jake's back and asking to take a few deep breaths; the deep breaths caused a paroxysmal coughing spell which he had avoided for the past several days by taking shallow breaths.

"Well, you have crackles in your left lower lobe," April announced. "We could get an X-ray to be sure, but I'd say you have a pretty good case of pneumonia. You can come with me to my office on the way home for an injection of PEN-G to get you started, and then take a course of Augmentin. You're not allergic to penicillin, are you?"

"No," Jake answered a bit sheepishly, "But I don't think I have pneumonia. It's just a cold. I'll be fine in a couple of days."

Heather was almost as flushed as Jake was. "And when did you fit medical school into your busy schedule, Jake? April is the doctor in the family, and she says you have pneumonia. If you hadn't been so stubborn the past few days, you might have been able to rest and not let it get to this point."

Jake's head was a bit foggy, but he realized that he and Heather were having their first quarrel, and that she was right. He had allowed his stubbornness to get the better of him. He would talk to her about it later. In the meantime, best to go along with April's plan.

The family meal now concluded, Heather drove Jake and E.J. to the clinic where April met them and fixed Jake up with medications and strict instructions to rest for the remainder of the week. She made sure Heather and E.J. heard the instructions as well, so Jake would be held accountable.

As they headed home to the ranch, Jake thought to himself that it wasn't exactly how he had planned for the weekend to end, but that it had been a good weekend nonetheless.