Chapter 25: A New Moon Rises

TJ had just finished up his talk with Mikey and walked into the living room. There Ashley stood in the middle of the room looking at her father, tears running down her cheeks. She had heard all that had been said but she said nothing. She gave her father a hug and clung on to him for a few moments before fled to her room, the tears falling silently.

TJ couldn't tell if she was happy, worried, or even afraid. She had overheard the entire plan she of all people knew that once TJ made up his mind he would follow through with it. Not even Ashley had the power to make him stray from his set course.

Miserably TJ had climbed up the stairs and went to his room to prepare himself. He methodically cleaned his already neat room, packing things away into the closet, leaving the room barren. TJ stripped the room of everything that belonged to him and stuffed it into his duffel bag. In turn the duffel bag was thrown into closet leaving out only the things he needed; his pistol, folded costume, ammo, smokes and flask. All of these were laid out on the bed.

"Where are you going?"

TJ was sitting on his bed, back to the door, loading his gun at the time and froze at the voice. It was soft, curious and hinted at sorrow. TJ didn't look back. He could tell by just the voice that it was Spinelli.

"Who said I'm going anywhere?" TJ asked as he resumed loading his weapon.

"Why else would you clean out your room? Why else would you pack up your things?" Spinelli swept her hand over the spotless room to prove her point.

"I know you're going somewhere and it isn't back to the army. Your leave isn't up for another month."

"How are you so sure that I'm not headed back to a cozy fox hole?" TJ replied as the loud clink of clip being secured in the pistol followed by the sharp sound of the weapon being cocked and a bullet being settled into its chamber.

Spinelli was a bit unnerved about being in a room with a loaded weapon, even if it was TJ who had the gun. "You don't have your uniform on and I can't see it on the bed. And Ashley told me. She was crying in her room about you leaving for somewhere. And… she asked me to talk you out of going."

"And how… do you plan to do that?" TJ asked somewhat irritated. He had things to do and talking to Spinelli was not going to make things any easier.

"I'll find a way. Besides you can't just leave." Spinelli started.

"Why not? I'm a free man and this is MY castle after all." TJ said loudly.

"Well what about you daughter? You can't just leave her here. None of us know who or where her mother is. You can't expect us to take care of her." Spinelli retorted with equal volume.

TJ was on his feet and was facing Spinelli in an instant. "YOU!... you should not concern yourself in affairs that are not yours. Need I remind you this is my house that you live in? You live here because I allow it. I am not abandoning my daughter. You may not want to care for her but I have made arrangements with other, more caring spirits that will take care of her here in this house." TJ's voice lowered to into a low cold drawl that had carried more force then out right yelling.

"And so you're just going to pack up and leave again? If not for Ashley what about the other people that have been waiting for you and now you're just going to abandon them?" Spinelli started.

"I'm leaving everything taken care of. Ashley will be taken care of and there are no other people that ever were waiting for me." TJ said as he got up and gathered his things. He slowly walked to the door and passed Spinelli, headed down the stairs and was stopped at the door by Spinelli's voice.

"WAIT!" Spinelli had called from upstairs. She flew down the stairs and stopped breathless right behind TJ. She was so close that TJ could feel her breathe on his back.

"What is it? I have things to do." TJ spoke with his back to her, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Wh-what about the people that have been waiting for you? Worrying about you?" Spinelli started again not knowing what else to say.

"We've been over this upstairs. There is no one waiting for me save my daughter." TJ responded. TJ started for the door again.

"What about me?" Spinelli said weakly.

TJ stopped in his steps. He didn't turn around out of fear that he would see her big dark eyes all watery and the tears rolling Spinelli's cheeks. "What… about you?" TJ spoke slowly.

"I've been waiting for you ever since you left. You have no idea how terrible it was for me when you went missing or all the times you got injured." Spinelli spoke trying to keep her voice level. She had never thought that this was how she would reveal her feelings for TJ, but if it was the only way to keep him here then it would be worth it.

"I thank you for your sympathy and evidently, your pain as well. But it is nothing compared to the pain that I have survived." TJ responded coldly.

"You're not the TJ I know. Whatever is eating at you TJ, is changing you. At first I thought it was the shock from coming from a combat zone but it's something else. Ever since you've been here you've been really nice to Vince, Gretchen and little Jeremy. You've been a great father to little Ashley and become excellent buddies with Mikey but you've left me out in the cold. The old TJ would have done all the same things except he wouldn't have let me drift away." Spinelli told TJ in a quiet voice.

TJ merely stared at her.

"This is the most I've spoken to in several weeks, say something to me TJ."

At long last the LockDown has posted again you all cheer. Well this is the second to last chapter. The last one has the biggest twist in it for all you Recess fans. That will be posted in a week.

LockDown over and out…