Jennifer and Jonathan had a relaxing evening, just the two of them.
She totally reworked her article, and got to a good stopping point.
They headed to bed just before the news came on.
Jennifer was staring at the tv, but she wasn't exactly listening to it.
The weather came on, and they mentioned that the weather was going to be nice and sunny.
"Feel like having a picnic tomorrow?"
She looked at him like he was nuts.
"Absolutely not!"
"Ok, ok, I was just asking".
The meteorologist mentioned that the temperatures were going to drop overnight, so Jonathan got up and got an extra blanket to put on the bed.
When he closed the closet door, Jennifer's eyes grew about 10 sizes.
"Jonathan! Don't ever do that again! What are you thinking?"
He climbed into bed and put his hands on her shoulders.
"What are you upset with me about?"
"Don't ever close that door again! All the doors have to stay open".
"Ok, ok. I'll go open all the doors".
He went through the house opening all the doors to all the rooms, and then came back to bed.
"Ok, all the doors to all the rooms are open".
"I just….can't get that noise out of my head".
He began to understand.
"Jennifer, this is not a prison. These doors can be opened again by anyone, after they've been shut. It's ok. I'm not exactly positive why you are against a picnic, but I understand about the door thing".
"I know, I know. I just want to stop hearing that noise. And if we have a picnic, we will be outside…among all the people. I don't want everyone looking at me".
They got settled again, and she eventually fell asleep on his shoulder.
He wrapped his arms around her and just held her, as he fell asleep with her.
Middle of the Night
Jennifer and Jonathan were fast asleep. Jennifer was dreaming.
She was back in the prison, and T-Rex kept coming towards her over and over.
She sat up and screamed, waking up Jonathan.
"Hey, hey. It's alright. It was just a nightmare".
She was panting.
He grabbed her water glass and went and refilled it as quick as he could.
"Thank you".
It took her a few minutes to calm down. She glanced over at the clock. 3:47.
"Want to talk about it?"
"That guy…T-Rex…he kept coming towards me".
He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.
"Baby, he can't hurt you anymore. None of them can. You're safe".
"I know, I know".
She settled down and snuggled up with him again, and finally fell back asleep.
A storm rolled in during the early hours, and the thunder woke her up.
She eased off of Jonathan, and quietly headed to the living room.
By the time he woke up a few hours later, she had finished her article and had started two others.
"Hi".
"Hey, I didn't hear you get up".
"It was storming, so I woke up with the thunder. And I decided to get some work done."
"Make any progress?"
"Oh yes. I've decided to turn this into a series. One that highlights Jared Watkins and his crimes, and puts the spotlight on the tenacity of his victims, who really and truly were the ones responsible for his case being kept open. The next is going to talk about the prison riot and Martez. And the final part is going to talk about prison reform, and how the riot could have been avoided."
"You're brilliant".
"There's coffee if you want some".
"Want a refill?"
"Absolutely".
She handed him her mug, and then he disappeared into the kitchen.
He reappeared a few minutes later with freshly made coffee for each of them.
"Thank you".
Jonathan made a phone call to his lawyer, who was just about to meet with the DA.
He disappeared into the office for about 20 minutes.
"Darling, can you come in here? The DA wants to ask you some questions".
"Alright".
"Ok, she's in here".
"Hi, Miss Edwards. This is District Attorney Jeremy Perkins. I listened to the tape that you made, and I need to ask you some questions."
"Ok, go ahead".
"Did Worth Truman approach you to make a tape for him?"
"No, he did not. He and I ended up in the same cell together, briefly, after I had been forced by Jared Watkins to make a tape for him. And that's when Worth told me what he was in there for, and I suggested to him that he use the camera that Jared Watkins had smuggled in, and he agreed".
"Was Worth Truman in any way related to the riot activities?"
"He was staying out of it, at first. But later on, Jared appointed him in charge of a few things, so he complied".
"Do you know if Worth Truman planned or helped to plan the riot?"
"No, I was told by more than one person that Jared was the sole planner. He had promised the guys a cut of the money he had hoped to receive, but that was just to keep them from ratting him out to the guards".
"Mr. Perkins, is Worth trying to make a deal?"
"Yes, he is. He is claiming to have saved Jennifer's life, and that he was a hero by holding Jared Watkins at gunpoint, until the SWAT team came in".
"He is 100% lying. He didn't do any of those things. He was kind to me, he was very polite and mannerly and respectful towards me, but he didn't save my life and he never got the upper hand with Jared Watkins. I never saw him with a weapon in his hands, at all. And just to be sure that someone knows, he has extensive knowledge of all things computer related and electrical. He was able to hack into the prison computers, with ease. When they turned off the power to the prison, he fiddled with the electrical panel and turned it back on. He should probably be kept under very close watch".
"Ok, thank you. So, in light of what I heard on the tape, I am going to drop the charges against you, Mr. Hart. You are no longer restricted to just New York or Los Angeles, and you are no longer suspected of these charges. You will be issued a refund for what you paid for the ankle monitor".
"Thank you, I appreciate it".
"Thank you. And thank you, too, Miss Edwards. For the record, I am going to recommend to the judge that no special considerations be made towards Worth Truman in regards to the riot, and that he still be sentenced in accordance with the original guidelines. And I will also recommend to the Federal Bureau of Prisons that he be placed under very close watch".
"Thank you very much".
They hung up and Jennifer kissed Jonathan and threw her arms around him.
"Darling, I know that our relationship suffered greatly because of the charges, but even though I seriously doubted that we would ever get back together, I never doubted that you were innocent. Not for a second".
He kissed her again and held her.
"As soon as the rain clears, let's go visit your dad".
She nodded.
The Next Day
It had rained all day, so they weren't able to fly again till the next morning. Jennifer wanted them to leave early and make it there in time for breakfast, so Jonathan agreed to get up at 3 a.m.
They boarded the plane and got settled.
She noticed Jonathan was giddy.
"What is it?"
"I'm so excited to meet your father, darling."
"Ha! He's tough. I'm pretty sure you two will get along, but he's going to put you through the wringer, that's for sure".
"What do you mean?"
"Darling, my first boyfriend was when I was 15. I was home from boarding school, and he lived just down the street. He was a really nice boy named Wright Stewart, and he came from a really good, very successful family. He came over for dinner, to meet my father. Pa was so tough on him that Wright broke up with me before we even finished the main course and ran out the front door and all the way home. And when he met my next boyfriend, a guy I dated in high school, at school, he full on lectured him about all kinds of topics from religion to politics."
"Has he ever liked any of your boyfriends?"
"He's liked almost all of them. But he's been tough on all of them. I know he's going to love you, you two think so much alike. But I want you to be prepared for the test he's going to put you through. And he's also probably going to insist that we stay in separate rooms".
"I can handle that".
They landed at the airport, and found a rental car waiting for them.
They had a nice easy drive, and she gave him the best directions.
As they pulled onto the property, Jonathan was amazed at how beautiful and vast the property was.
"This is gorgeous".
"You should see it in the snow".
They parked out front and went inside.
"Jennifer, sweetheart! Is that you?"
"It sure is, Pa".
She gave her father a nice long hug, and then took his hand.
"Pa, this is my boyfriend, Jonathan Hart. Darling, this is my dad, Stephen Edwards".
"Nice to meet you, sir".
"Nice to meet you too, son. Breakfast is almost ready. Walter has been cooking up a storm making all of Jennifer's favorites".
"I can't wait".
"Jennifer, sweetheart, are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm getting there, Pa. I'm getting there".
They all went and sat down at the table.
Walter came in with breakfast.
"Walter! Hi!"
"Hello, Miss Jennifer! So good to see you!"
"Walter, this is my boyfriend Jonathan Hart. Darling, this is Walter. He takes the best care of my dad".
They shook hands and then Walter finished bringing their breakfast into the dining room.
"Ok, we have bacon, eggs, sausage, biscuits and fresh-squeezed juice and freshly made coffee. Enjoy!"
"Thank you, Walter".
"So, Jonathan. How did you meet my lovely daughter?"
"Through some friends. When they got married, we were both in the wedding party".
"When was this?"
"The wedding was about a year and a half ago. That's when we met, we didn't start dating till this past August".
"I see. What are your intentions where my Jennifer is concerned?"
"I love her with all my heart and soul, sir. Whatever I can do for her, I want to".
"What kind of work do you do?"
"Have you ever heard of Hart Industries?"
"The big corporation? Yes, I have".
"I am Jonathan Hart, the founder and CEO".
"Well, you've done very well for yourself".
"Thank you".
"Did Jennifer tell you about this latest prison thing she was involved in?"
"Pa, of course I did! And I didn't have to do that-he was waiting for me outside the prison when I walked out the door. He's been by my side ever since that happened".
"Darling, how did you get caught up in that?"
She told him the story of Jared Watkins and what he had done, and how he had requested that she interview him.
"So, at the end of my second interview with him, I was told to go to the warden's office to straighten out some paperwork. And he was taken away first, in one direction, and I was directed to go in a different direction. And then he somehow escaped from where he was and came and took me. Turned out he had been planning this for months, and wanted me for his insurance policy. He thought if he took me hostage, they would give him a plane and millions of dollars and we would escape the prison and get away".
"Delusions, if I've ever heard any".
"Yes, I think by the time it actually took place, he was so adamant that it go off a certain way, and he didn't expect the response he got from the police".
"Like what kind of response?"
"Like that they turned off the power. He sent another inmate to the fuse box to rig it and the power came back on, but then it went off again".
"Darling, I don't think I ever told you this. But Hart Industries created, patented, manufactured and sold a product called the Robomaster 2000. It's used on electrical poles. Basically, the power company can come shut off your power, and you can walk outside and go turn it back on, if you know how to do that. If you have the RoboMaster 2000 in place, there is a switch the power company can access, that prevents you from turning it back on. So, the police captain turned off the power. Then we noticed it was back on. So, I went over there and fiddled with it, and engaged the RoboMaster and it went off again".
"I can't believe you did that! Were you out there the whole time?"
"I was out there the entire time the police were negotiating with Jared".
She patted his hand.
"I'm touched".
"Jonathan, did you have a hand in rescuing my daughter?"
"Indirectly, I suppose. I flew there by helicopter, and I offered my plane and my pilot to be offered up in the negotiations. I also ordered steak and baked potato dinners for all of the inmates and the police officers, but only 40 were delivered".
"What happened when they were delivered?"
"Complete chaos, Pa. Jared didn't have enough to go around, and a brawl began."
"Sweetheart, I know that you enjoy writing about social issues and things that need attention, but I enjoy our visits. So, stick to happy topics, alright?"
She chuckled.
"Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind".
"Jonathan, please allow me to express to you my gratitude for being there to save her and help her through this. I'm thankful that she had someone waiting on her outside the prison".
"My pleasure".
"Pa, how did you find out about me being in the hospital?"
"Your aunt saw you on tv and called me. I called the state police, and they promised to call me back with an update. And when they did, they said you were alive and that you were taken to the Briar Creek General Hospital. So, I contacted the hospital and asked them to put me through to your room and they wouldn't do it. So, I finally said if you won't put me through to her, then bring her to the phone".
She leaned over and patted his hand.
"Jonathan, what do you do when you aren't saving my daughter or running your company?"
"I enjoy the Dodger games, and watching the Rams play, as well as the occasional hand of poker".
"The Dodgers? What about the Yankees?"
"The Yankees don't have a prayer at the pennant, even if they had the best players from all the other teams! They don't have a good enough coach!"
"Oh, horse feathers. We are just going through a slump, that's all".
"You call 20 years a slump?"
"I'd rather be in a slump than have a team full of rookies from the junior college".
"You know what rookies get when they have a good coach? Homeruns".
"Darling, what do you say to a morning horseback ride?"
"I would love it".
"Ok, let's go. Pa, we'll be back in a little bit".
"Jennifer, sweetheart, are you sure you're up to it?"
"I'm fine, Pa. I swear it".
They headed to the stables, hand in hand, and selected their horses.
Jennifer saddled up Copper, a beautiful chestnut colored horse, while Jonathan picked a light brown horse named Angel Wings.
They had a nice ride, and Jennifer showed him as much of the property as she could, and all her secret places, and then they headed back to the stables.
They washed and groomed the horses, and gave them some treats before they headed back to the house.
"I wondered when you two would get back. How was your ride?"
"Wonderful, Pa. I've missed being on a horse".
"You have a gorgeous estate, Mr. Edwards".
"Thank you, son".
After lunch, Jennifer and Jonathan played a cutthroat game of checkers while Stephen did some reading.
"Ok, that's it, I have now beat you twice in a row".
"No, darling. You beat me one time. This past time was a draw".
"A draw? No way it was a draw!"
"Yes, it was. You did a move too early, because it was still my move. Therefore, that invalidates your win".
"Says who?"
"Says me, and the official rules of the International Checkers Players Society".
"The International what?"
"The International Checkers Players Society".
"Is that a real society?"
"Possibly".
"I see. I'll tell you what. How about we say 1 for you, 1 for me, and play a final game that will decide the winner once and for all?"
"You're on".
They shook on it, and played another game which Jennifer won.
"Ha! I win!"
"Yeah, I'll get you next time. Make no mistake about it".
"I'm happy to rematch you anytime you want".
Jennifer picked up a magazine and began to read it, while Jonathan and Stephen played a cutthroat game of poker, and discussed politics.
She was thrilled her dad and Jonathan were getting along so well.
Around 4 p.m., they began to get ready for dinner.
"Oh, darling, we need to get our bags out of the car."
"Jennifer, you are staying in your room. Jonathan can have his pick of any of the guest rooms upstairs".
"Got it, Pa".
They went to the car and got their bags and then headed upstairs to get ready for dinner.
Jonathan came into Jennifer's room just before they went downstairs.
"You've handled him well so far, darling".
"You think so?"
"I know so. He loves you, but not as much as I do".
He wrapped her in a hug.
"You sure are awfully quiet".
"I was just thinking there was a time where I didn't think you'd ever tell me you loved me again".
"I felt the same. But I think you and I have turned a corner. And now, we get to turn another one, with you winning my father over".