Chapter twenty-six:

In Jail

"Hey." A voice said as a body plopped down next to me. I shivered due to the low temperature of the morning. A sudden warmth enveloped my body and a warm mug set in my hand.

"Hey, thanks but you know I'm just going to suck the heat out of your coffee." I answered. I smiled up at Buck.

He took the mug back and for a moment watched the sun. "Your loss." He answered. I nodded and drew my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms and jacket around them as well. "Why are you up this early?" He asked when he finished his coffee.

"Dally had to talk to me about something so he woke me up. Guess I just didn't feel like going back to sleep."

"You want to practice?" He asked when the sun was too high in the sky to watch anymore. I nodded.

"Just let me go change first. And then we'll practice." I told him. I changed and looked around to see Steve still sleeping on the mattress. I bent down and kissed him softly before going outside. When I got there Passion was saddled and waiting.

Around noon Buck called me to the fence and I rode over before dismounting. "What's up?"

"Rodeo this weekend. You ready?" Buck asked.

"There's a horse race this weekend." I said.

"Rodeo is on Friday and the race is next Saturday, Robert said he'd meet us there."

"Alright." Then I noticed Steve was also watching.

"Have you seen your brother since you got mad at him?" Steve asked.

"He's out of town for the next couple of days. Said he'd be back in at most a week."

"Did he say where?" Steve asked.

"Just out of town." I answered trying not to lie. Passion nuzzled me in the side. Although he was a sweet horse, he was very antsy when he was saddled. "Should I put him up or can I continue?" I asked.

"Go ahead and continue." Buck answered. About an hour later, according to Steve, Buck told me to get off his farm for the rest of the day. Steve apologized and said that he had to work so we hitched a ride down to the DX.

"Hey Soda." I said when we walked into the store.

"Hey." Soda answered. "Did you have a nice night?"

"It was alright." I answered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Steve smirk.

"Just alright?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?" I could feel my face start to heat up so I walked outside and let Steve tell Soda whatever he wanted. After a bit of watching them through the front window I felt a presence behind me. I turned around and saw Danger standing there.

"Hi." I squeaked.

"Hey girly." He answered.

"What are you doing on this side of town?"

"Technically this is neutral territory so I thought take a walk. Remember what I said about sweet talking and charming you? I'm probably the only one in the gang that wouldn't get harassed on this side of town. How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright I guess. I got a boyfriend."

"Good for you. Is anyone giving you grief?"

"No." I answered. "Danger, you know you're my favorite PR member right?" I said sweetly.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Can do me a favor?"

"Depends. What is and what are the conditions?"

"What makes you think there are conditions?"

"I have an older sister, now tell me."

"Take me to Sand Springs."

"What's there?"

"Can you do it or not?"

"I could but I also need a very good reason not to walk in there and tell those two guys standing there."

"Come on Danger. Live up to your nickname."

"Alright."

We got in the car and he drove following my directions.

When he stopped I looked at the large building across the street. "The Jail? Who's in there?" He asked.

"Can you wait twenty minutes?"

"No more than an hour girl." Danger answered.

"You're a life saver." I said shutting the door and heading across the street. As soon as I stepped inside a cop at the desk looked up. "Um hi." I said stepping up to him.

"How can I help you young lady?" He asked. I looked at his name tag which read Thomas.

"Well Mr. Thomas I was wondering if I could speak to Dennis Winston." I said. He flipped through some sheets of paper on his desk before looking at me.

"He's never had a visitor before. He also doesn't get much attention except for what he brings on himself. What's your relationship to him?"

"It's none of your business." I answered.

"Wait a minute, don't I know you?"

"Can I see him or not?"

"Wait here." Thomas said. Ten minutes later he came back and dug through the sheets of paper before handing me one on a clipboard. "You'll have to sign and date this." I nodded and signed the paper and handed it back to him. "Follow me." He led me back to a room and sat me down at the table only to come back a few minutes later with my father.

"Victoria?" Father asked sitting across from me. "Your brother won't be happy you're here."

"Well duh. Why do you think I didn't tell him?" I spat.

"He wouldn't let you near here. How'd you get away from him?"

"I have my ways, don't I?" I asked.

"You always managed to get away from me when I was angry."

"Yeah but I'm lucky enough I didn't have to employ those tactics. He's out of town for a day or two." Something flashed in my father's eyes but I before I could tell what it was, it was gone. "A friend brought me here."

"Oh, well baby-girl why are you here?" He asked, his hand flicking out to touch my cheek.

"No contact!" Thomas hollered. In the blink of an eye Father's hand dropped back to the table.

"You're a smart man. You tell me." I sassed. Danger flashed in his eyes but once again it slipped back behind a mask.

"You better start talking you little punk."

"I don't have to do anything." I said leaning back in the chair on two legs.

"Listen here you little ..."

"Don't go calling me names or I'll plead to a judge that you're the reason my folks are dead. You'll be locked up for a really long time."

"Then maybe you should just leave." He hissed looking away from me.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a no good man who doesn't deserve to even look at you anymore."

"You're right about one thing. You're the same no good, self-absorbed man you were when I was little. You never cared, hell you still don't. You think I'm nothing more than a mistake and Dally's a drunk jerk, but you're wrong, Dally's a good big brother and you're the jerk. I guess I'm lucky you're locked up so I don't have to deal with your crap." I nodded to Thomas and he dragged my father out of his chair.

"Time to go back, Winston." The guard turned to me and smiled. "You sit tight now. I'll be back in a few minutes." I nodded and watched him almost drag my father away.

He paused at the doorway and I heard him say, "I'm sorry baby girl. I never meant to hurt you or your parents." I sneered and rolled my eyes.

As Thomas led me back to the lobby I tossed and idea back and forth in my head. "Sign this please and you'll be free to go." I nodded signing it. When I didn't leave immediately he looked up again. "Something else?"

"If I wanted to write a letter to an inmate here, how should I address it?" I asked.

Just because I took the address he offered didn't mean I was going to write him, did it? And if I did write that didn't mean I forgave him, right? I shrugged off those thoughts and walked back out to Danger.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, could you drop me off by the theater?"

"Sure." I looked out the window for most of the ride until he touched my arm. When I glanced back at him, he sighed. "You know Bigdog and Mike will let you crash at headquarters if you need it, right?"

"No, I didn't." I answered as he pulled up outside of the theater. "Why would Bigdog want anything to do with me after he lost?"

"Because he still cares about you. Hey Sugar, you sure you're alright?" He asked again.

"I'm fine Danger. Just leave it." I snapped reaching for the door handle.

"Hey," he said touching my arm and causing me to look at him. "I'm a big brother, Jamie acts just like you when she's upset, she won't look at me and she'll use my nickname. I may be a hood but I know things. You look upset and it may calm you to talk about it. You'll get hurt if you don't calm down."

"I'll be fine Danger; I just need to stop thinking so much." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the ride, Seth."

"Sure." He said letting go of my arm and I climbed out of the car.

Danger sat there as I shut the door and his look grew to match his nickname as I felt a presence behind me. I slowly turned around and saw that it was just Billy standing there. I turned back and waved at Danger for him to go but he shook his head. "Hello Billy, something I can do for you this fine day?"

"Slummin' with hoods now?" He snapped.

"You saying I can't?"

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't."

"Shepard wouldn't like that too much, but if I shouldn't hang with hoods then bye." I said starting to walk away. He grabbed my arm and I was pulled back sharply.

"Hey, I'm talking to you don't walk away from me." Billy snapped.

"Watch where you put your hands." I snapped back at him. His grip tightened on my arm and I winced. I heard a car door open and then boots on the pavement.

"You may want to let her go." Danger suggested.

"You want to start something, hood?"

"Only if you don't get your hands off her, hood." Billy stepped back and dropped his hands to his sides. A shocked look came over his face as he looked from me to Danger.

"You really are friends with JD's." Billy whispered.

"Billy it's not like that."

"It's not like what, Sugar?" Danger snapped.

"I—It's—I—" I stammered looking between the two knowing no matter what I said one of them would get hurt and mad. If I denied it, Danger would be pissed, but if I confirmed it Billy would tell Tim. I didn't know what to say so I ran for the DX and walked inside.

"Toria, where'd you go?" Steve asked.

"For a walk." I answered before walking over to Steve.

"What's wrong Tore?" Soda asked. I looked up at Soda and sighed hoping there weren't tears in my eyes.

"Nothing really. I've just come to realize something."

"And what's that?" Steve asked wrapping an arm around my waist.

"All Winston men are jerks."

"There's what? Two of them?"

"Three." I said then panicked as I realized what I said. "Wait, two men sorry misinterpreted the question." Soda raised an eyebrow and I felt Steve shrug.

"Come on, Dally's not that bad."

"Sure he is. It's genetic. Look at what my father's done."

"Yeah, but it can't be all genetic. Look at my family, Darry looks like my dad but now he's almost nothing like him, I look like my mom but act almost like my dad, and Pony is a mixture of both. Some of it's environmental." Soda said.

"Now you're getting into nature versus nurture argument Soda, you don't want to go there." I answered.

"What makes you say that about Dally?" Steve asked.

"When I need him the most he's up and left me to fend for myself; 'course I really didn't expect him to stick around he's never done it."

"Dally's gone?" Soda asked.

"Yeah this morning, said he had to go out of town and he'll be back in a week at most." I said. I guess he didn't expect me to know where Dally had gone because he didn't ask.

"How do you know?" He asked instead.

"He um ... he told me at like sunrise this morning." I said glancing down and then back up. Something in Soda's eyes made it darn near impossible to lie to him.

"See he's not a total jerk, he told you he was leaving; normally he just up and leaves." Soda consoled, sliding a hand to my shoulder. I let out a heavy sigh. "Look, Steve and I could spend the rest of the day telling you how Dally's changed but you'd never believe us. You only have to believe that Dally would never hurt you like your father did."

"Randle, back to work." An older man snapped as he came into the store. "Who are you?"

"Mr. Wells, this is my girlfriend Victoria. Toria, this is my boss." Steve said.

"She's not going to be a distraction like that Evie was, is she?"

"No sir, right Tore?" Soda answered.

"No problems from me." I answered innocently.

Mr. Wells shook his head and walked towards the back and Soda started laughing. "You sound so innocent." Soda said.

"I do try sometimes." I answered. "I should go outside." I said pointing over my shoulder. They both nodded and I walked outside. As I plopped down in a chair near the door to await the end of their shift, I realized what I could have said to Billy so that neither he nor Danger would've gotten mad. I should have said 'You're a JD and so is Shepard, so why is hanging with PR hoods any different? You're all the same: big, evil, stinkin' hoods.'

Have you ever had those moments where you think of the right thing like ten or so minutes after you walk away from a conversation? I hate when that happens. Especially when it's really good, like the perfect comeback. Oh well. Nobody's perfect.