"You haven't changed one bit," Sasha said, looking Jackson over and then focusing back on his blue eyes that seemed to be hypnotizing her.

"Neither have you," Jackson spat back. Besides the fact that you're visibly pregnant.

They both stood there in an awkward silence, just looking at each other.

"Am I allowed in or should I take this as a no?" he sarcastically asked her.

"I want to know what you're doing here,"

"I was in town and I've stopped by to sit and have a talk with Bryan. Hang out, like guys do. Do you have a problem Mrs. Greenley?"

"Something tells me otherwise. That's my problem, Mr. Rippner."

She quickly threw open the door and walked away, leaving Jackson stand at the now fully open front door.

She doesn't know a damn thing. Shake it off.

"So much for a warm welcome," Jackson thought, stepping inside the house and shutting the huge door behind him.

"Bryan, my man!" Bryan shouted as he walked into the main foyer where Jackson was standing.

Sasha said that he hadn't changed one bit but, neither had Bryan. He didn't look any different than Jackson remembered him from 19 years ago. He still had the same short golden brown hair and green eyes. He was still as skinny as Jackson, just about 3 inches taller. Jackson had a hard time believe that the Bryan Greenley he was seeing before him was White House head security material.

"How've you been!" Bryan said, giving Jackson a huge, manly hug.


"I've been good. Just living life, ya know."

"Good to hear, good to hear. I'm guessing Sasha let you in. I was outback and I guess I didn't hear the door."

You knew I was coming, asshole. "Oh, that's okay. All I did was get bashed at the front door." Jackson said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry about her. She's leaving anyway. In a couple minutes actually. God damn, it's already 4. She has a teacher's convention in West Virginia she has to go to. Emma's at an aunt's house. I've got the whole house to myself. We can just hang out here for a bit. Here, let's go into the kitchen and make up some drinks. You want me to take that bag for you?"

"No, that's okay. I'm fine."

They started walking to the kitchen, which seemed a mile away. The house was even bigger from the inside. It consisted of a huge, open floor plan with hardwood floors. The house was centered around a huge, spiral staircase that led to who knows how many floors. A majority of the rooms didn't have doors to separate into the next room and as far as Jackson could see, all the rooms were white, with very little color.

How dysfunctional.

"You have a very nice house," Jackson said randomly, as they finally reached the kitchen.

"Thanks, Jack. It took about 3 years to build. It was all we ever wanted in a house."

Don't. Call. Me. Jack.

Jackson's temper was quickly thinning but, he was trying his best to stifle it.

"What'll ya have?" Bryan asked him.

"I'll just take a rum and coke," Jackson replied sitting down on a barstool.

"Rum and coke it is."

Bryan turned his back to Jackson to grab the coke out of the fridge and the rum out of the cabinet. Jackson began looking around, analyzing his surroundings. He looked over to the living room and saw a giant gun safe with a huge glass front. Bryan kept a nice collection of revolvers and shotguns. He noticed the safe had a key lock on it.

"Oh, come on, Bryan," Jackson thought to himself. "A key lock? You're making my job too easy."

He continued looking around until his eyes came back to the counter that he was sitting at. He noticed a dish of pennies on the end of the counter by a stack of paperwork and envelopes. Everything looked to be in place but, if it wasn't for Jackson's observant eye, he wouldn't have noticed a portion of a brass key hidden in the pile of pennies.

You just made my job from easy to easier.

Bryan and Jackson both turned their heads to the living room when they heard heels clinking across the floor.

"I'm leaving now, honey," Sasha said, as she reached the kitchen.

"Okay," he replied, setting the coke bottle down on the counter.

Sasha dropped her bags and Bryan walked over to Sasha to give her a hug and kiss goodbye. Jackson just looked the French glass doors leading outside. The last thing he wanted to do was watch Bryan and Sasha kiss. It angered him beyond belief. After he was sure that they had stopped, Jackson returned his attention to them. Sasha just looked at Jackson but, then walked over to him.

Oh great.

Jackson stood up, as Sasha gave him a hug.

"Nice seeing you again, Jackson," she whispered in his ear and walked back to pick up her bags.

I hate mixed signals.

"Bye boys," she said to both of them and walked towards the front door.

Bryan and Jackson both acted like nothing happened, as Bryan handed him his rum and coke. Soon after, he fixed a drink for himself and took a seat at a barstool next to Jackson.

"So, what have you been doing with yourself lately?" Bryan asked.

"Just rotting my life away, you know. The usual," Jackson replied as he always did.

"You always say that, Jackson,"

Jackson spotted Joe outside the French door and in secret code, signaled for the call. Two seconds later, Bryan's cell phone started ringing, just as planned. Bryan took his cell phone out of his belt clip and looked at the number.

"Excuse me a moment," Bryan said, as he quickly walked out of the room.

Jackson took one last sip of his rum and coke.

It's showtime.

He looked around the doorway to make sure that Bryan was nowhere in sight. Jackson began digging through the penny dish until he felt the brass key and grabbed it. He held it in his hand and ran over to the gun safe in the living room. Frantically looking around, he stuck the key in the door, and to his surprise, it actually opened. He grabbed a revolver and stuck it in his inner coat pocket. Then, he heard footsteps.

SHIT. SHIT. SHIT.

He put the guns back where they were and closed the door. He turned the key to lock it and then the footsteps stopped.

"Jackson. What are you doing with my gun safe?"

"I was just looking at your collection. It's quite nice," Jackson said nervously.

Jackson still had the key is his hand and he went to slip it in his pocket. But, under the sweatiness of his palms, he missed his pocket and key fell to the floor with a cling. Bryan's eyes fell with the key.