A/N: Chapter six, here we come! Thanks to everyone that's reviewed so far. It's almost over (sob) so I hope you'll all let me know what you think of the final few chapters. Onwards...
Jessie sobbed into her knees for a few moments before uncurling herself and finding her cellphone. She needed something to take the edge off the hate and anger she'd just received from Roderick. The buzz from her fix was slowly wearing off and she couldn't let that happen, couldn't face reality without something dulling the pain. She knew just who to call, too.
"Kevin? It's Jessie. I need a fix... please? You gotta help me." Jessie whispered into her phone. She dreaded what would happen if the others heard her.
"Jess... why the hell are you calling me directly? Talk to Austin if you need a fix." Kevin brushed her aside suspiciously.
"I... I can't go to Austin. I broke things off with him... please just help me?" Jessie pleaded again.
"Are you trying to get me busted? I can't deal to you, Jess. You've got to be fucking kidding me." Kevin laughed nervously before hanging up on Jessie.
"Fuck!" Jessie hissed as she threw her cellphone across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and landed behind a chair in the corner of the room.
Jessie pulled her legs to her chest and began sobbing into her knees once more. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't help her, why she was being kept prisoner in this hotel room. She had to get out, had to breathe. She couldn't think. Why was this happening?
"Jess, are you okay?" Cassidy asked after coming in to the room to check on her after talking to Roderick.
"I can't do it. I can't breathe... you have to let me go. Please?" Jessie pleaded, looking up into Cassidy's green eyes.
"Come here. It's going to be okay. You've got to calm down, though. If you keep working yourself up, you're going to make yourself sick." Cassidy soothed as he sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm already sick. I'm a fucked up junkie, didn't you know?" Jessie retorted, mocking Roderick's sentiments perfectly.
"You're just... confused. Everything will get clearer now. You just have to give it time." Cassidy tried to encourage her.
"What if I don't want it to get clearer? At least if it's fuzzy I can't tell that I'm alone." Jessie pointed out.
"You're not alone." Cassidy replied quietly. Jessie laughed hollowly.
"Not yet but, I will be. As soon as the drugs wear off, you and Raven will figure that I'll be fine on my own and you'll go back to living your lives. Roderick doesn't want to know me anymore. Lacey will agree with him as soon as he calls her and lets her know what's happening. Face it, I'm alone." Jessie pushed.
"You need some sleep. Lie down." Cassidy ordered, brushing aside her concerns. He understood where she was coming from but figured that it was mostly just drug induced ramblings.
"But... this is your room. I can't take your bed." Jessie refused.
"It's okay. I'll take the couch. Unless Jackie decides to stay because then Raven would give up his room for her and he'd take the couch. I'll take the floor out there if that happens." Cassidy mused.
"No... please don't leave me in here by myself. I... I don't want to be alone yet." Jessie stammered.
"I'll stay until you're asleep." Cassidy offered.
Jessie nodded and slowly lay down. Cassidy pulled the covers up over her and tucked them in around her tightly. He was about to go get the chair to sit in but Jessie grabbed his arm and pulled him down onto the bed beside her. Figuring it wasn't worth getting her upset over, Cassidy settled in and let Jessie curl herself into him. She was asleep within a matter of minutes.
Some time later, Jessie was woken by the sound of her cellphone ringing. Rolling over, she realized that Cassidy was no longer beside her. Climbing out of bed, Jessie made her way to the corner of the room and knelt down to retrieve her phone from behind the chair. Sitting down with her back to the wall, Jessie stared at the call id. Pressing the button to answer the call, Jessie slowly raised the phone to her ear.
"Austin?" She queried.
"Yeah, it's me. I know Raven doesn't want me calling you but I just talked to Kevin. He said you were in a bit of a state and thought he'd give you something to take the edge off." Austin stated flatly. Jessie cringed at the lack of emotion in his voice.
"Yeah, so?" Jessie asked, wondering what the point of this call really was.
"I've got a little something here for you. But you have to do something for me before I'll give it to you." Austin informed her.
"What do you want me to do?" Jessie inquired after pondering the offer for a moment.
"I want you to come back to Milwaukee with me. I've got our tickets sorted already. Just tell the others that you're going home to clear your head or something, okay? Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes." Austin told her before hanging up.
Jessie stared at the phone for a moment before crawling over to her suitcase. She pulled out some clothes and changed into them quickly before grabbing her Journal and ripping out a blank page. After locating a pen, she scrawled a hurried note for Cassidy, Raven, Jackie and Roderick.
Once that was done, she threw her Journal back into the suitcase, zipped it up and located her carry on bag. She carried the suitcase and bag to the door of the bedroom and opened it a crack, just enough to see that it was dark out there too. She crept out the bedroom door quietly and spotted Cassidy asleep on the couch.
After dropping the note onto the table, Jessie made her way out of the hotel room, closing the door after her as carefully as she could. She was finally free. She caught the elevator down to the lobby and found Austin quickly. He smiled when he saw her coming and opened his arms to her. She let him pull her into a hug and didn't look back as he led her out of the hotel.
The next morning, Cassidy woke to sunlight coming in through the curtains in the living room. He groaned and put an arm across his face, trying to block out the brightness. Realizing that it wasn't going to go away and that he had to get organized to fly home to New Orleans this afternoon, he slowly got up and headed to the kitchen to make a hot drink to wake himself up.
As he passed by the table, he spotted a piece of paper on it. Picking it up and taking it with him into the kitchen, he glanced over it before dropping it on the bench. He brushed a hand over his head and sighed.
"Damn it, Jess. What have you done now?" He muttered before picking the note up and heading for Raven's room.
He banged on the door a few times and then went in, not waiting for a reply. Raven was slowly waking up, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked up at Cassidy and groaned at the look on his face. He just knew something wasn't right.
"This had better be damn good, Cass." Raven muttered.
"She's gone. She went home." Cassidy explained as he shoved the note towards Raven. Raven took the piece of paper and tried to focus on it enough to read it.
'Raven, Cassidy, Jackie and Rods,
I'm sorry for leaving like this but I need to clear my head. I need to do it my way. I've been a burden on all of you for too long as it is. If anyone needs me, I'm heading home to Milwaukee. I'm sorry.
Jessie.'
"Well that's short and to the point." Raven figured after reading it. He sat up and brushed a hand over his head.
"Call Rod and see if she's called him or anything." He decided.
Cassidy nodded and went back into the living room and grabbed his cellphone. He located Roderick's number in a matter of seconds and let the phone dial it as he put it to his ear. It took a while but Roderick finally answered.
"What?" He mumbled, clearly still half asleep.
"Jessie's gone. She left a note saying she was going back to Milwaukee. Raven wants to know if she's called you or anything?" Cassidy blurted.
"She's what? Why would she go back now? She didn't call me. Hang on... I'll call Lacey and get her to call Jessie to find out what's going on." Roderick offered.
"Thanks, man. Let us know if you hear anything, okay?" Cassidy requested.
"Sure. Bye." Roderick farewelled before ending the call. Cassidy turned around and shook his head at Raven, who had just wandered into the room.
"He hasn't heard anything. He's calling Lacey and asking her to call Jessie." Cassidy informed him. Raven nodded.
"Alright then. Guess we just have to wait and see what's going on." Raven figured. Cassidy's phone rang, interrupting any further conversation.
"Rods, what's up?" Cassidy answered.
"Austin's gone. Alex was sharing with him so I called and asked him to check. I just thought I'd let you know that before I call Lacey. If Jess is with Austin... fuck." Roderick swore, realizing that the situation could be very bad.
"Don't stress yet. Call Lacey and see what she can find out." Cassidy reasoned calmly.
"I'll do that now. Talk to you again soon." Roderick agreed. Cassidy said goodbye and ended the call. Raven was watching him with a raised eyebrow. Cassidy let out a dispirited sigh.
"Austin's gone too." He told Raven. Raven groaned.
"She might not be with him. Maybe he went home with his tail between his legs after what happened yesterday. We can't assume anything, here." Cassidy jumped to her defense.
"Keep thinking that. You'll be the only one." Raven figured.
A few hours later, Raven and Cassidy had descended into an uneasy silence, each of them fearing the worst for Jessie's safety yet hoping for the best at the same time. They both jumped when someone banged on their door. Raven recovered quickly and walked over to open the door. He let Roderick in silently and closed the door after him. Cassidy got up from the couch and waited to hear what Roderick had to say.
"Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I called Lacey and she said she hadn't heard from Jessie. I asked her to try calling Jess and she tried a few times – so did I. Jess didn't answer either of us, it just rang and went to voicemail. Lacey called me back and said she was over at Jessie's place. It was still all locked up, no one there, nothing changed from when she checked it yesterday. She's going to stay there for a while to see if Jess turns up." Roderick explained in a rush.
"Fuck. Give me her number and let me try calling her. She could just be avoiding you. She won't know my number." Cassidy figured.
Roderick recited Jessie's cellphone number and Cassidy dialed it into his phone before hitting the call button. Roderick and Raven watched Cassidy's face, hoping for a sign that Jessie may have answered her phone before he actually spoke to her. No such luck. Cassidy's face clouded over as Jessie's voicemail kicked in.
"Jess, it's Cassidy. Call me back when you get this." Cassidy left a message, remembering to state his number, just in case she didn't get it off her phone.
"Where the hell is she?" Roderick mused, starting to pace around the hotel room.
"I could answer that but I think you already know what I'm going to say." Raven replied seriously.
"If she's with Austin, she's in trouble. We have to do something." Cassidy stated firmly.
"And what do you suggest we do, oh wise one?" Raven mocked Cassidy slightly, wondering if he really had any idea.
"Go after her." Cassidy answered before walking into his room to get his suitcase. Roderick and Raven shared a glance before Roderick shook his head and called after Cassidy.
"She made the choice to leave. She has to make the choice to call for help if she needs it." He reasoned. Raven went into his own room and grabbed his, already packed, suitcase – expecting what Cassidy said next.
"And what if she can't call for help because she's too busy getting the shit beaten out of her?" Cassidy queried.
"I'll meet you at the car." Roderick agreed before leaving their hotel room and heading for his own in order to grab his own suitcase.
Less than ten minutes later, the trio met up again in the parking garage. Cassidy loaded all their suitcases into the back of Raven's rental car as Raven and Roderick got in to the front seats. When he was done, Cassidy jumped into the backseat and put his seatbelt on as Raven revved the engine and spun the wheels. The car tore out of the parking place, out of the garage and onto the road, headed for the airport.
"I'll call ahead and book tickets." Roderick decided, needing to distract himself from thoughts of Jessie being hurt. Raven nodded as Roderick pulled his phone from his pocket.
"I'll try Jessie again." Cassidy spoke up, his phone already in his hand.
"How about I drive, then? Sound like a plan?" Raven joked, not getting a reply from either of the younger men.
Once they reached the airport (Cassidy having gotten no reply from Jessie), the three men each grabbed their suitcases before Raven locked up the car. They headed into the terminal, returned the rental and then made their way to the booking counter.
Roderick had reserved tickets for them on the next available flight, which was leaving within the hour. They paid for their tickets and checked their suitcases before being directed to the gate their flight would be leaving from. They were soon ushered onto the plane and tried to settle in for the flight from Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Once the flight landed and they'd managed to disembark (being stopped for autographs every few steps didn't help them much), Raven, Roderick and Cassidy headed out to find a car. Finally, they decided to just get a taxi to take them to Jessie's house so they could meet up with Lacey and see if anything had changed. After the taxi had pulled up outside Jessie's place, Lacey came out to meet them.
"Rods, I'm so glad to see you. Have you heard from her yet?" Lacey wondered as she gave Roderick a hug.
"No, nothing. I'm guessing she hasn't called you either. Lace, this is Cassidy and Scott, or Raven. They've been trying to help Jessie. Guys, this is Lacey Bordeaux." Roderick introduced his friends to each other.
"I saw Impact. I was really hoping it would make a difference but... god, I hope she's okay." Lacey fretted as she led the way into Jessie's house.
She'd been given Jessie's spare key years ago and Jessie had often told her to treat the place as a second home. Now she opened that invitation to Raven and Cassidy. The house was modest, by most standards, but had been furnished in a way that made it feel warm and homely.
There were photos of Jessie's friends and family - and Austin - all over the place. Cassidy took the time to look at a few of them as Raven and Roderick talked to Lacey. Jessie looked so happy and carefree in all the photos Austin wasn't in. She barely smiled in the ones she was in with him. Cassidy had to look away, he couldn't bare to see the sadness in her eyes.
"Lacey, why don't you try calling Austin and see if you can get anything out of him? I doubt that he'd talk to any of us." Raven suggested.
Lacey nodded and dialed Austin's cellphone number on Jessie's house phone. She put it onto speaker so the guys could listen in. After ringing a few times, the phone was answered at the other end.
"Hello?" Austin asked hesitantly. He was wondering why someone was calling him from Jessie's house.
"Austin, it's Lacey. I was just wondering if you knew where Jessie was. I've been trying to get in touch with her about Shadow but she isn't answering her phone. Rods doesn't know where she is either." Lacey told Austin calmly, making up a story about Jessie's beloved cat, Shadow.
"I haven't seen her since Impact, Lace. She's probably hiding out somewhere." Austin replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
"But why wouldn't she answer her phone? I'm really worried about her." Lacey pressed.
"Ask Roderick to look for her then. I've got my own problems." Austin suggested before hanging up. Lacey turned to look at the three guys and was surprised to see a similar look on all their faces.
"He's hiding something." Cassidy put voice to what they were all thinking.
"Can we borrow your car, Lacey? We're going to go pay Austin a visit." Raven decided.
"Sure, but you might want to let Rod drive. It can be a little temperamental." Lacey agreed, handing her keys to Roderick.
"Stay put and call me if anything changes here, okay?" Roderick asked.
"I'm not leaving until I see Jessie." Lacey assured him. Roderick gave her one last hug before the guys headed out to her beat up old car.
"Does this thing actually go?" Raven wondered, taking in the sight of it.
"It does if you know how to start it. Knowing how to keep it running helps, too, of course." Roderick laughed as they piled into the car.
He got the car running within a matter of seconds and set off towards Austin's house. Cassidy was fidgeting in the backseat nervously. Raven turned back to look at him and waved a hand in front of his face.
"Earth to Cass. Anyone in there?" He teased. Cassidy looked up at him and faked a smile.
"Yeah, I'm still here. Just wondering if Jessie is." He replied seriously.
"Jessie's tough. She won't give him the satisfaction of breaking her." Raven figured.
"She's already broken, man. Seriously, if you'd met her back when I did, you'd know that she's not the same person anymore. She's given in to him so many times, she doesn't know how not to give in anymore." Roderick pointed out.
Raven watched as the expression on Cassidy's face got even darker. He reached out a hand and squeezed Cassidy's shoulder, hoping to offer him a little strength. Cassidy looked up at him in confusion but Raven merely nodded to let him know he understood what Cassidy was feeling – even if Roderick hadn't seen it yet.
"So what's the plan when we get there?" Roderick asked, filling the silence that had descended upon the car.
"Wing it." Raven decided. He'd been trying to think up some sort of plan of action but wasn't sure what Austin's reaction would be when they turned up. Unpredictable elements make for impossible planning.
"Wing it? Boy, that's original." Roderick smirked. Raven almost laughed, despite the tension of the situation.
A/N2: Look, a cliffhanger. Um, anyway, this is the third to last chapter, although the last chapter is just an epilogue. So, really, this is the second to last chapter. All the good stuff gets played out in the next chapter. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. Are you as annoyed by cliffhangers as I usually am when I'm reading a fic? Thanks,
Phoenix