Psychotic Break-out

Hi everyone! Homework's been getting on top of me again I'm afraid! Bit more "setting the scene" for this chapter but it does mean a quicker update I suppose! Hope you enjoy!

All Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 7 : Recess

The early morning sun lit up the city of Los Angeles so that it was basked in some sort of heavenly glow. Mark Sloan never tired of it. He stood out upon his deck, facing the ocean and revelling in the glorious breeze that ruffled his hair and acted as a coolant against the burning hot sun.

It had been a month since Chloe Marsden had escaped, and three weeks since Jesse had been released from Community General. Life had returned to normal, with no news of the escaped mental patient.

Jesse had visibly begun to relax, something which pleased Mark, but also made him worry. He didn't want his young friend to drop his guard; Chloe could be laying low, planning something. Every time he thought about it he felt uneasy, something wasn't quite right.

Steve had exhausted all of his leads regarding Chloe and was notably exasperated at himself for letting her get away. He would pore over police files in the evening armed with a jug of strong coffee until he involuntarily fell asleep on top of them.

Nobody had spotted Chloe Marsden, and where she was now was anyone's guess; and Mark's guess was that she wasn't far away, but of course, it was just a hunch. He leant forward against the railing and felt his brow crease into a frown. He hated it when he knew something was wrong but couldn't do anything about it.

"Dad?" Steve's voice interrupted his thoughts, he turned to face his son as he stepped onto the deck.

"Morning son" he said brightly. He looked curiously at the unusually happy expression on his son's face. "Okay what's going on?" He gave in to temptation.

"Yoshe's coming home today!" Steve gushed, his smile widening.

"Of course!" Mark smacked his forehead in mock anger, he had been so caught up in Chloe Marsden that he had forgotten that Steve's girlfriend Yoshe Wiseman was coming back from Japan that day. American born Yoshe's mother lived in Japan while her estranged father lived in New York. Yoshe had spent the past 3 months with her mother.

Steve and Yoshe had been dating for 11 months, and were looking very serious. Mark had never seen his son so smitten with anyone, something that Jesse had been very quick to pick up on. Unsurprisingly, he began to tease Steve and unsurprisingly it had annoyed him. Mark could remember laughing that day in BBQ Bob's when Steve took a swipe at his friend's head, but had missed and ended up sending a huge plate of Barbecue ribs to the floor.

He chuckled at the memory.

"What are you laughing at Dad?" Steve smiled a little self-consciously, he could always tell when his father was laughing at him rather than with him.

" Oh! Nothing Steve. So when's her flight arrive?"

"In a couple of hours, I'll bring her round by Bob's later on" Steve relished the words.

"Won't she be tired? It's a pretty long flight" Mark enquired, concerned. He certainly didn't want Yoshe burning herself out, he was pretty fond of the young woman himself.

"Dad!" Steve whined, like a small child who thought he might not get his own way. "She's done it a million times, she'll be fine"

"Hmm" Mark lapsed into thought for a while.

"You're thinking about her aren't you?" Steve asked, his expression darkening.

"I've been thinking about nothing else for weeks" Mark responded.

"Look Dad, what if she really has gone? I can't keep up that police watch on Jesse's apartment much longer, the Captain's starting to nag about it. There's no sign of her"

"It just doesn't feel right"

"I know what you mean, but the facts speak for themselves. Chloe Marsden is gone" Steve said firmly, though not quite believing it, but he didn't want anything to spoil this day.

"I wish I could believe it" Mark called over his shoulder as he went back inside to get ready for work.

Steve was left alone on the deck. He turned towards the sand and surf, blissfully enjoying the view. He watched the various joggers and walkers on the beach, wishing he could be out there with them, but work called. He took one last look at a pretty blond woman walking along the water's edge and followed his father back inside.

* * * *

Jesse Travis handed out what felt like the millionth plate of barbecue ribs. The old man, with a young boy – presumably his grandson – smiled at him and thanked him with a hungry look in his eyes. "Enjoy!" Jesse said heartily, smiling back.

As he stepped back behind the counter, his friends Mark Sloan and Amanda Bentley walked in. "Hey guys!" Jesse called as he rang up a payment for a customer on the till. "Here you go, Have a nice day!" He said to the departing customer, and then turned to his friends who had sat down in front of the counter. "Where's Steve?" He enquired curiously.

Mark smiled knowingly at Amanda before answering. "He's picking up Yoshe from the airport, in fact he should be here soon" He checked his watch as he spoke. "But until then, I would like some barbecue ribs"

"Comin' right up! What about you Amanda?" Jesse was back in business mode.

"I think I'll take a Caesar thanks Jesse" She replied, smiling at the young doctor. Jesse had eventually persuaded Steve to put some salads on the menu, and he had grudgingly admitted – when they had sold well – that they had been a good idea.

"Salad Amanda? You don't want Jesse getting any ideas! What ever happened to a big plate of barbecue ribs!" Said a voice from behind.

"Steve!" Jesse exclaimed happy to see his best friend, "Yoshe! How was the flight?" Jesse leaned over the counter to give the petit woman a friendly hug.

"Long! But I'm used to it I guess!" She laughed, her dark hair framing her heart shaped face, and he hazel eyes twinkling. Steve put a comforting arm around her shoulder as she answered, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good to see you Yoshe!" Mark jovially patted her on the shoulder, his white teeth glittering as his mouth stretched into a grin.

The newcomers settled, conversation turned to Yoshe's stay in Japan, all were eager to know how she had spent her time. Every so often Steve would giver her a sly glance, and she would smile shyly back at him. Jesse watched this happy scene from behind the counter; Steve deserved to have Yoshe, his days as the unluckiest batchelor in LA seemed now to be over, and Jesse had been the first person to congratulate him. But Jesse couldn't prevent a feeling of envy from escaping. Steve had a beautiful girlfriend, and Jesse had Chloe Marsden on his tail. Jesse knew fine that Mark believed him to be over it, but he was far from that.

At night, dreams haunted him, and during the day he saw her everywhere – a bank teller, a hospital patient, a cleaner. It drove him crazy, he almost wished she would just come out and do something – anything was better than this endless game of cat and mouse, not knowing what she was planning.

Soon Mark, Steve, and Yoshe were the last "customers" inside the restaurant, Amanda having excused herself earlier to get back to CJ and Dion.

Business hours were certainly over, but the pile of dirty plates waited for him in the kitchen. Jesse had let the staff go home early as it was a Friday night, and so he knew he would remain here for a while. Oh well he thought as he wiped the counter with a wet cloth, at least it will keep my mind of Chloe. Work was one of the only things he enjoyed anymore; if he kept busy then he didn't have time to worry about the mental patient who was after his blood.

"Jess?" Mark's voice interrupted his silent musings.

"Sorry Mark! I was just uh, lost in thought for a while" he tried to explain to his mentor and close friend.

"Me and Steve'll do the cleaning up, you need a break, you've been working all night"

Jesse didn't have the strength to argue. He found himself sitting next to Yoshe at a small table in the corner of the restaurant. The Japanese woman was silent for a while – Jesse presumed she was jet-lagged – until Mark and Steve disappeared into the kitchen, when she suddenly came out of her trance.

"Jesse, you free tomorrow afternoon?" She whispered softly.

"Uh, yeah, I think so" he whispered back, a little bemused by her forward nature. "Why?"

"I have something really important to talk to you about" She sounded urgent, but not desperately so. Jesse was intrigued, if a little suspicious.

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"Because Steve can't know, not now anyway. I'll come by your apartment at 3 okay?" This having now been said, she lapsed into silence once more, leaving a bewildered Jesse struggling to guess what this was all about.

* * * *

This was killing her inside.

She didn't even know why she was waiting anymore.

All she had to do was get a shotgun, walk into his apartment and blow him to pieces.

Something stopped her. Shooting him would be too easy.

She had been watching him for weeks now, trying to find the perfect moment to strike, the perfect situation to sabotage, the moment to perfect her art.

An interesting development had occurred that evening it seemed. Chloe could feel the anticipation building inside, like a flower raising its petals, ready to burst into bloom.

She watched their little brigade troop out from inside the restaurant, feeling safe behind the darkened windows of her sedan.

The yellow streetlight illuminated Jesse for just a moment, and Chloe's breath caught in her throat. He really was something. The desire almost overcame her. The thrill of the chase was overwhelming, and she knew instinctively that the next stage was close. She had been patient, and now it was time for some fun.

To Be Continued…

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