You Won't Regret This
"So, what's this girl like?" Steve asked as he dried a glass with a dishcloth.
"She needs all the help that she can get, and Jesse is just the beginning," Mark told Steve.
"Pardon?" Steve asked, wondering what cryptic message his father was telling him now. "What does that mean?"
"It means that this kid has been through something that no one wants to go through at any age, and I think she's finally being pulled out of it."
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure, but something has been going on, to do with her father, and now that she is living with Jesse I think she has left all that behind now."
"Wrong," Jesse called into the kitchen.
"How did you get in?" Steve asked.
"Through the door," Jesse replied sarcastically. "Ally was desperate for the bathroom, so she ran in here and has hopefully found it."
"Now that we have established how and why Jesse got in here," Mark began, "can you tell us why you said 'wrong' just now?"
"Because it is not the end of what Ally has been through in the past," Jesse told them. "It's more like the beginning."
"That's bad?" Steve asked, not really having any idea of what was going on.
"That's bad alright," Jesse told him.
"I think you had better tell us everything, right from the beginning," Mark decided.
"Not with Ally in the room, and not without Amanda," Jesse said, laying down his terms.
"Agreed," Mark said.
Ally walked into the kitchen at that moment. "Hey Ally, find the bathroom okay?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, just fine," Ally replied, seeing the new face.
"Steve," Jesse began the introductions, "this is Ally, and Ally, meet Steve, the friend who is the cop."
Ally nodded shyly. "Nice to meet you, Ally," Steve said.
"Ditto," Ally replied. She turned to Mark. "This is a great place, Dr. Sloan."
"Glad you like the house," Mark replied.
"I don't think the word 'house' covers it. I think a better word would be 'palace.'"
Mark, Steve and Jesse were still chuckling when the doorbell sounded. "Probably Amanda," Steve told them, heading to answer the door.
Meanwhile, Ally had gone to the window. "That's the ocean, right?" she asked, pointing to the tumbling waves.
Jesse came up behind her. "Yeah, it is," he said. "It's great, isn't it?"
"Too right it's great," Ally agreed. "Is it okay to swim in?"
"The ocean was made for swimming in," Jesse chuckled. "You know how to swim, right?"
"I had some lessons at school," Ally said. "Not loads though."
"By the end of the summer, I'll have you swimming like a dolphin," Jesse promised her. "We'll wait before we do that, though. Mark appears to have lunch ready."
Ally turned around at that moment, and came face to face with a new person, that belonging to a woman.
"Hi Ally," the woman spoke to her. "I'm Amanda, I'm pleased to meet you."
"Hi," Ally replied. "I'm pleased to meet you, too."
After the lunch prepared by the Sloan men, Jesse took Ally down to the shore. He stayed with her for about half an hour before leaving her to paddle to join the others on the deck. He kept a watchful eye on her from up there.
"So, what do you think?" Jesse asked as he sat down.
"I think she's great," Steve said. "Kinda shy, though."
"Of course she's shy, she's meeting all these new people," Amanda retorted.
"Well, you know what I mean," Steve said.
"Jesse, was she always this quiet? I know you've only looked after her for about six weeks now, but…"
"No, Mark. She started off being loud, proud and with an attitude."
"I think that even in this short space of time, living with you has done her a lot of good, Jesse."
"So, okay Jess," Steve said, cutting in after remembering something from earlier. "Why did you say, 'it's just the beginning?'"
"Now would be a good time to tell you the whole story," Jesse replied. He told them everything, even the deal he made with Skelley. "I haven't even told Ally about that deal yet," he added.
The other three listened intently to the tale. After Jesse had finished, Mark was the first one to speak.
"Jesse, why didn't you tell us all of this earlier?"
"It wasn't the most easiest thing I've ever had to say," Jesse remarked.
Mark nodded, mentally kicking himself for asking such an awkward question.
After that, they did not really know what to say to Jesse. In the end, Steve said, "Jess, I can't believe you did all that! You could have been arrested for some of the stuff out there, like not reporting the death of Blake to someone, and then there's all the stunts that Ally seems to have pulled." He was getting worked up towards the end of his outburst.
Jesse looked like a puppy that had lost its bone, but he kept his cool. "What would you have done, Steve? Would you have let this girl go into some kind of kids home, make her easily traceable, and let her get killed?"
This question made Steve feel uncomfortable. "Well, you know, I guess…"
"Face it, Steve. You would have done the same thing as me."
"I would have not!" As soon as he said it, Steve felt like a child.
"Fine then. If you think it's so illegal, you're a cop. Arrest me."
"Jesse…" Mark began, but he was interrupted.
"I am not going to arrest you, Jesse," Steve said firmly.
"Then you'll help me see Ally through this?"
"I don't know…"
"I'll help you," Amanda cut in. "I can't do much to help, but I will do what I can."
"Me too," Mark added.
All three turned their heads to Steve. He sighed, and rolled his eyes. "If the Captain ever finds out about this…"
"He won't," Jesse told him decisively. "I told you, now that those papers are drawn up, Ally living with me is legal."
"Well, what do you need help with then?"
"The guys who are possibly out looking for her."
"Frankie Pasco?" Steve asked.
"That's the one."
"All right, I'll help you. At least that part is something relating to my job."
"You won't regret this," Jesse said.
"I'll remember that," Steve muttered.
Hi readers! I am still writing this story but I haven't been updating so much lately because my Dad saw my report from school recently and since I've got my GCSEs (those big life-threatening exams) coming up soon he wants me to do better than I am doing right now. Anyway that's another story… Keep reviewing! :) -- Bec
"So, what's this girl like?" Steve asked as he dried a glass with a dishcloth.
"She needs all the help that she can get, and Jesse is just the beginning," Mark told Steve.
"Pardon?" Steve asked, wondering what cryptic message his father was telling him now. "What does that mean?"
"It means that this kid has been through something that no one wants to go through at any age, and I think she's finally being pulled out of it."
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure, but something has been going on, to do with her father, and now that she is living with Jesse I think she has left all that behind now."
"Wrong," Jesse called into the kitchen.
"How did you get in?" Steve asked.
"Through the door," Jesse replied sarcastically. "Ally was desperate for the bathroom, so she ran in here and has hopefully found it."
"Now that we have established how and why Jesse got in here," Mark began, "can you tell us why you said 'wrong' just now?"
"Because it is not the end of what Ally has been through in the past," Jesse told them. "It's more like the beginning."
"That's bad?" Steve asked, not really having any idea of what was going on.
"That's bad alright," Jesse told him.
"I think you had better tell us everything, right from the beginning," Mark decided.
"Not with Ally in the room, and not without Amanda," Jesse said, laying down his terms.
"Agreed," Mark said.
Ally walked into the kitchen at that moment. "Hey Ally, find the bathroom okay?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, just fine," Ally replied, seeing the new face.
"Steve," Jesse began the introductions, "this is Ally, and Ally, meet Steve, the friend who is the cop."
Ally nodded shyly. "Nice to meet you, Ally," Steve said.
"Ditto," Ally replied. She turned to Mark. "This is a great place, Dr. Sloan."
"Glad you like the house," Mark replied.
"I don't think the word 'house' covers it. I think a better word would be 'palace.'"
Mark, Steve and Jesse were still chuckling when the doorbell sounded. "Probably Amanda," Steve told them, heading to answer the door.
Meanwhile, Ally had gone to the window. "That's the ocean, right?" she asked, pointing to the tumbling waves.
Jesse came up behind her. "Yeah, it is," he said. "It's great, isn't it?"
"Too right it's great," Ally agreed. "Is it okay to swim in?"
"The ocean was made for swimming in," Jesse chuckled. "You know how to swim, right?"
"I had some lessons at school," Ally said. "Not loads though."
"By the end of the summer, I'll have you swimming like a dolphin," Jesse promised her. "We'll wait before we do that, though. Mark appears to have lunch ready."
Ally turned around at that moment, and came face to face with a new person, that belonging to a woman.
"Hi Ally," the woman spoke to her. "I'm Amanda, I'm pleased to meet you."
"Hi," Ally replied. "I'm pleased to meet you, too."
After the lunch prepared by the Sloan men, Jesse took Ally down to the shore. He stayed with her for about half an hour before leaving her to paddle to join the others on the deck. He kept a watchful eye on her from up there.
"So, what do you think?" Jesse asked as he sat down.
"I think she's great," Steve said. "Kinda shy, though."
"Of course she's shy, she's meeting all these new people," Amanda retorted.
"Well, you know what I mean," Steve said.
"Jesse, was she always this quiet? I know you've only looked after her for about six weeks now, but…"
"No, Mark. She started off being loud, proud and with an attitude."
"I think that even in this short space of time, living with you has done her a lot of good, Jesse."
"So, okay Jess," Steve said, cutting in after remembering something from earlier. "Why did you say, 'it's just the beginning?'"
"Now would be a good time to tell you the whole story," Jesse replied. He told them everything, even the deal he made with Skelley. "I haven't even told Ally about that deal yet," he added.
The other three listened intently to the tale. After Jesse had finished, Mark was the first one to speak.
"Jesse, why didn't you tell us all of this earlier?"
"It wasn't the most easiest thing I've ever had to say," Jesse remarked.
Mark nodded, mentally kicking himself for asking such an awkward question.
After that, they did not really know what to say to Jesse. In the end, Steve said, "Jess, I can't believe you did all that! You could have been arrested for some of the stuff out there, like not reporting the death of Blake to someone, and then there's all the stunts that Ally seems to have pulled." He was getting worked up towards the end of his outburst.
Jesse looked like a puppy that had lost its bone, but he kept his cool. "What would you have done, Steve? Would you have let this girl go into some kind of kids home, make her easily traceable, and let her get killed?"
This question made Steve feel uncomfortable. "Well, you know, I guess…"
"Face it, Steve. You would have done the same thing as me."
"I would have not!" As soon as he said it, Steve felt like a child.
"Fine then. If you think it's so illegal, you're a cop. Arrest me."
"Jesse…" Mark began, but he was interrupted.
"I am not going to arrest you, Jesse," Steve said firmly.
"Then you'll help me see Ally through this?"
"I don't know…"
"I'll help you," Amanda cut in. "I can't do much to help, but I will do what I can."
"Me too," Mark added.
All three turned their heads to Steve. He sighed, and rolled his eyes. "If the Captain ever finds out about this…"
"He won't," Jesse told him decisively. "I told you, now that those papers are drawn up, Ally living with me is legal."
"Well, what do you need help with then?"
"The guys who are possibly out looking for her."
"Frankie Pasco?" Steve asked.
"That's the one."
"All right, I'll help you. At least that part is something relating to my job."
"You won't regret this," Jesse said.
"I'll remember that," Steve muttered.
Hi readers! I am still writing this story but I haven't been updating so much lately because my Dad saw my report from school recently and since I've got my GCSEs (those big life-threatening exams) coming up soon he wants me to do better than I am doing right now. Anyway that's another story… Keep reviewing! :) -- Bec