Hi folks!

Update time! There's only 6 chapters left till the end of this story in the Jessie Saga but you'll all be pleased to know that I am now writing up chapter 52 of the next story! Woohoo! It's my plan to try and finish it before I start uploading but I'll have to wait and see what happens. If I don't finish by the end of my uploading Old Demons, Uncertain Futures I'll be sticking to a tight once weekly uploading schedule until I do. I'm really excited to share with you all the next story in this Saga, I hope you will all enjoy it as much as this one.

In this chapter we learn a little more of Lisa's past *winks* and have a decent amount of quality Jisa time. I really enjoyed writing this chapter with the two of them, I think it shows too.

The song used at the end is I'll Stand By You, I don't own the lyrics or claim too.

Enjoy!

The house was quiet and still, the clock softly ticking by the minutes of the early morning. A gentle glow flickered from the fireplace, bathing the room in a soft orange and red light. Outside, the storm howled and roared but inside it was warm and bright. Cougar lay on the hearth beside the fire, flicking her tail gently as she purred with contentment. Everything was peaceful, a calm inside a raging storm.

Lisa looked down at Jessie, glancing over across at Jack who was still awake too. They'd taken up a bed on the floor in front of the fire now that Jessie had started to warm up and the heat wasn't a shock to her body. The girl was sleeping peacefully between them, wrapped up in blankets to keep her warm. She too had blankets wrapped around her, sitting up as she kept a careful vigil over the girl.

It was Jack who finally broke the silence, looking down at the child. 'Her breathing is stronger.'

'She's warming up too.' She replied, gently touching the girl's forehead. Her skin was warmer, not quite as warm as it should be yet but a remarkable improvement on how she had been when they'd found her stranded in the snow. Carefully she slipped out from under the blankets, moving over closer to Jack so they could talk without disturbing the girl. Jack smiled as she came over, placing his arm around her as she leant against him. 'What do you think? Will she be okay?'

'I think she'll be fine, she's strong and she's showing improvement rapidly. The only thing I think we need to be concerned about now that she's out of considerable danger is the possibility of frostbite.' He looked back at the sleeping girl, content to just sit and watch her sleep. They had come so close to losing her again, everything seemed to be trying to get in the way of her having a part in their lives. If she had been out much longer in the storm- He tried not to think of it. Jessie was okay, and she was going to be okay now. 'We'll need to keep a close eye on her for the next couple of days though.'

'I don't think I'm going to let her out of my sight again.' She sighed, her head resting against his shoulder. Jessie looked so peaceful, so beautiful as she lay sleeping in the firelight. After everything she had been through, everything they had been through together how could she say goodbye? They had both risked their lives for her, and they would gladly do it again. Lisa loved her with her whole heart and she knew that Jack cared for the girl just as much as her. 'What are we going to do if they say no Jack? How can we say goodbye? Jessie almost died twice today because she doesn't want to go to that foster home, are we partly responsible for that? Is it her yearning to stay here that caused her to run away?'

Jack kissed her head gently, his arms wrapped around her as he rested his head on hers. 'Lisa, we cross that bridge if it comes to it. There is no sense in borrowing trouble by thinking of what if-s. If they decide that our request is denied, we will get through this just as we have gotten through hard times before. We go on, we move forward. Only Jessie knows why she ran away, until she tells us we won't know.'

'I just want to know that she's safe and happy Jack, even if she isn't with us.' Her eyes glistened with tears in the firelight. 'Maybe we should have told her that we're trying to get her guardianship. Maybe she wouldn't have run away if she knew that we want her back.'

'But what if we tell her and they say no?'

'What if we don't tell her? She's going to run again Jack if Clint tries to force her to go to this foster home. Maybe she won't be so lucky next time.' Her voice choked up slightly on the last sentence. Seeing Jessie like that in the snow, pale and helpless- It brought back memories of another girl she'd had in her life. She couldn't bear it if she lost Jessie. Jessie meant the world to her, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose her too. 'I just want her to be safe, to be happy. To have people who love her and would do anything for her.' She did, she loved her with her whole heart. She would do anything for her. 'What kind of life will she have in foster care Jack? We could give her so much, so much more than anything that kind of life could give her.'

Jack didn't reply directly to her, instead just continuing to hold her as silence descended upon them. After the longest time, he found himself speaking again. 'Lisa, we've done the best we can. There is nothing more we can do until we know what the decision they have made is.'

'If they say no, I'm going to fight it Jack. I can't let her go. Not now. Not after everything we've been through. Jessie loves us, she loves being here. She belongs here. I'd do anything it takes for her to be able to stay. Jessie deserves a good life, to have the life that she's never had.' The girls words from their conversation that morning repeated over and over in her mind. Everything Jessie longed for, yearned for was right here. 'You know what she said to me this morning, before Clint arrived?' He shook his head. 'She said 'I just want to not be strong anymore. I just want this pain to go away. I want to be happy.' Jack, she's so broken and hurt inside. This life is what she longs to have. To have a family, a house that she can call home. She poured her heart out to me when she finally spoke this morning. She saw what Cindy had, the way her grandmother loves her and she knows that she'll never have that. Jessie is crying out for affection, for belonging, for love. It's the only thing that she has to live for. She has nothing else.'

'Lisa, are you okay?' Jack asked gently as she began to cry and he wiped the tears from her cheeks. This wasn't just about the girl, it went much deeper. When she had been speaking it was like she had stopped talking about Jessie and was talking about herself, not the girl. Lisa shook her head, and he held her tighter as she sobbed gently. Lisa, oh beautiful. It's okay. It's okay sweetheart. He'd seen her close to tears a few times, had seen her cry too but this was something else. This wasn't something he had seen before. She'd never been this open, this vulnerable in front of him. 'Lisa, this isn't about Jessie is it honey?'

She shook her head again. 'I've been where she is Jack, I can remember feeling how she feels now like it was yesterday. Everything she said to me today brought me back to when I was young, reminding me of my own broken childhood. The cry of a child wanting to be loved breaks my heart, because for as long as I can remember all I ever wanted was to be loved.'

'Oh Lisa.' He whispered gently into her hair as he kissed her again. She had never revealed much about her past to him, never spoke of it to anyone if he came to think of it. All he knew about her was that her mother had died when she was young and she'd lost her father a few years back. She seemed so strong, so confident. It had never occurred to him that life for her was anything but childish games compared to his own upbringing. He didn't know what to say, what could he say to what she'd revealed?

'When I look at Jessie, I see myself in her eyes.' Lisa continued, her voice wavering between strong and confident and completely breaking down. 'After my mother died I felt so lost, so alone. I had my father, but I didn't really have him, if you know what I mean. He was always so busy working that he never had any time for me. It didn't make things any easier that my sister was his favorite either. I always felt so out of place, so unwanted. I'd try and do everything I could to please him, to earn his love but nothing I did was ever enough. I gave him everything I had, I tried to show him I loved him but he never seemed to acknowledge my attempts. All I remember wanting was to be loved and I was never good enough for him.'

She paused for a moment, gathering strength from Jack's strong arms holding her. 'I might have had a father growing up but he wasn't the kind of father I longed for. In reality, I was just as much an orphan as Jessie is. I had no one I could really count on, except for my aunt who was the only person who showed any care for me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be who I am today. I don't want Jessie to live the way I did, to have no one there for her. I want to change her future, I want to be a part of her future. I want to give her everything I never had when I was her age but I'm scared that I'm not good enough for her.'

Jack looked down at her, the woman falling silent again as she gazed at the child. 'You are Lisa.' He replied softly. 'You are good enough for her and you are good enough for me too. You don't have to worry about that. Jessie loves you, I can see it whenever she is around you. Her eyes sparkle, her smiles light up the room. You mean everything to her. I wouldn't be surprised if she ran away just so that she could stay here to be with you. She might be scared of going to the foster home but she could just have easily run off weeks ago and never looked back. She didn't though, because she had a reason not to. That reason was you. I could see it in her eyes when you were holding her on the horse. She loves you so much. You never have to worry about being good enough for her or me, because you are. You are kind-hearted, gentle, compassionate. Everything she needs in a person in her life.' He smiled as he cradled her face in his hands. 'Everything I could ever ask for in a woman too.'

'Do you mean that?' She asked timidly, her voice breaking. 'Am I good enough for you?'

'Yes, Lisa Stillman, you are.' He replied, her vulnerability almost making him cry. She had carried this burden inside her all her life, questioning if she was good enough. She was. She was good enough. She was everything he ever wanted. The sun, the moon and the stars. 'You are good enough for me.'

A soft moan from Jessie broke their tender moment up as Lisa quickly composed herself and was at the girls side in a moment. Jessie was awake, her eyes searching the room as she gently placed her hand on her shoulder. 'It's okay Jessie, it's okay. I'm here.'

'Lisa.' Tears ran down her cheeks. 'It hurts so bad.'

'What hurts honey?' She asked urgently, fear clutching her heart. Had the girl hurt herself and it slipt passed her notice? 'What hurts?'

'My feet and my legs, my hands. My ribs too.' She bit her lip, trying to hold back another sob. 'It feels like a million pins and needles are poking me.'

Jack came over beside Lisa, gently lifting the girls arms out from under the blankets so he could look at her hands. They were red and warm, the girl wincing in pain when he touched them. 'They're thawing out honey, they're a bit frostbitten. They're not blistering yet though, that's a good sign sweetheart.'

'I thought so.' Jessie whimpered, feeling so extreamly stupid. Why had she ever thought running off was a good idea? She should have just sucked it up and got over it and gone with him instead of running away and ending up like this, a complete invilid again. She felt so embarrassed, they must think her an absolute idiot. 'I'm such an idiot, I shouldn't have been out there in the first place.'

'Your not an idiot Jessie.' Lisa gently reprimanded her. 'Don't say you are honey.'

'I feel like one.'

'Your not sweetie.' Jack agreed, placing the blanket over the girls arms again. Carefully he took the blankets off her legs, the girls feet just as red and swollen as her hands. It wasn't any surprise that she was in pain. 'I'm going to go get you something to help you with the pain ok?'

Jessie nodded. 'Thank you.'

Lisa brushed the hair out of the girls eyes, caressing her cheek tenderly with her fingers. She was relieved to see Jessie looking better, color returning to her cheeks. 'You had me so scared darling, why did you have to run away like that?'

'Because I don't want to leave here.' She whispered, her voice crackling with emotion and pain. 'I love it here Lisa, I've never been happier in my entire life then I have been here. I just couldn't leave with Clint and go to a place that I'll never belong in.' She blinked for a moment, biting her lip. Could she say what she wanted to say? 'Lisa, please, don't make them make me go away. I want to stay here. I want to stay with you and Jack.'

She felt her eyes watering again with Jessie's plaintive plea. 'I want you to stay too sweetheart but it's not up to me or Jack. It's up to the authorities.'

'But would you really want me?'

'Of course we do.' Lisa touched the girls cheek gently again. Jessie needed to know the truth, regardless of how things might turn out. 'Honey, a couple of weeks ago Jack and I applied for joint guardianship of you sweetheart so that you wouldn't have to leave.'

'You-' Jessie paused for a moment. 'You never said anything. Why? I thought you and Jack wanted me to leave. I thought that was why Clint came early. I thought I'd done something wrong.'

'Jack and I had nothing to do with Clint turning up and you could never do anything wrong that would make us have you leave.' She gently assured her. 'We didn't say anything because we were worried if we did and they say no that you'd be devastated and we wanted to spare you that.'

'They said no?' Her eyes looked up at her, searching.

'They haven't told us their decision yet, we're still waiting to hear back from them. Till they decide, it still stands that you have to be in foster care. It's the law.'

'The law is stupid.'

Lisa chuckled softly, the tension of the conversation easing a little bit. 'Yes honey, I couldn't agree more with you.'

'But what happens now?'

'We have to wait. There's nothing more we can do.'

'And I still have to go to the foster home?'

'Unless we hear back from them before, I'm afraid so.'

'I guessed.' Jessie bit her lip again. It certainly was a lot to digest in a short span of time. 'I think I'll be able to survive a small stint away but I won't be too happy about it.'

'Here you go Jessie.' Jack came back in, sitting down beside her. Gently he and Lisa placed another pillow under her head, propping her up so she didn't choke. He handed the cup to Lisa. 'I think you're better at this than me. Jessie will get a bath if I try and give it to her.'

Lisa rolled her eyes, taking the cup and placing it to the girls lips. 'Slowly Jessie, don't gulp it.'

'Ugh, that tastes awful.' The girl complained after taking a sip. 'It's horrible.'

'Afraid so. Sorry.' He watched Lisa giving the medicine to the girl, she was so gentle and patient with her. 'It'll help ease the pain though.'

'How long does it take to kick in?' Jessie asked as she finished the cup, grimacing from the taste. 'It's almost as bad as Robert's coffee was.'

'It won't take long.' He assured her. 'Are you warm enough?'

'Yeah, I think so.' She looked around, as if searching for something. 'Where's Cougar?'

'She's right here honey.' The mountain lion padded over to the girl upon hearing her call her name and nudged her gently with her nose. The girl smiled as the cat licked her face, Cougar purring loudly. 'She's been sleeping at your feet the whole time.'

'She used to do that all the time, when I was on the run.' Jessie wanted to pat her but a smile at the cat had to suffice instead. 'Cougar saved my life more than I care to remember. Both her and Warrior.'

'She probably saved your life again today.' Jack interrupted, taking the empty cup. 'If it wasn't for Warrior and her keeping you warm I doubt you would have made it till we found you. You were very lucky.'

'I know.' Her face sobered. 'I won't run away again, I promise. I'm sorry for causing you both so much trouble. It was never my intention for all this to happen. I thought by running away I wouldn't have to leave, now look at me. Stuck with frostbite. Lovely.'

'Just don't do it again Jessie. I highly doubt Lisa would handle it.' He winked at her but there was some truth in his statement. He had seen how close to breaking she had come when they were looking for her. He glanced over at the clock, it was almost two in the morning. 'You need to get some sleep Jessie, you'll feel better in the morning.'

'Only if Lisa sings to me.'

Lisa chuckled, a smile across her face as she snuggled down beside her, taking her into her arms. 'What do you want me to sing?'

'I'll Stand By You? I like that one, I heard it from Mallory playing music on her ipod the other day.'

'Okay, sure.' She started to sing softly, her rich voice comforting the girl. Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes, come on and come to me now. Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through cause I've seen the dark side too. When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do. Nothing you confess could make me love you less. Jessie closed her eyes, letting her body relax as she listened to her sing. I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you. So if you're mad, get mad. Don't hold it all inside, come on and talk to me now. Hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too. Well, I'm a lot like you. When you're standing at the crossroads and don't know which path to choose, Let me come alone 'cause even if your wrong I'll stand by you. She smiled as she looked down at her, the girl already almost asleep before she'd made it halfway through the song. I'll stand by you, wont let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you. Take me in, into your darkest hour and I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you. And when, when the night falls on you, baby. Your feeling all alone, you won't be on your own. I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you. She kept singing till the song was finished, Jessie sound asleep in her embrace. She looked at Jack, he had a smile on his face as he looked at her. She smiled. 'What?'

'You and Jessie together are really something.' He replied, watching them together warmed his heart. Anyone could see they were meant for each other, they both loved each other dearly. Lisa looked so beautiful in the firelight, sitting with the sleeping child in her arms. Jessie mightn't have her mother around anymore but Lisa was sure stepping up to the role. She needed someone too, someone she could look up to as a mother. 'It's so beautiful watching you two together.'

Lisa blushed, looking down at Jessie. The girl was off in dreamland again, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she slept. She stroked her cheek gently, overwhelming love for the girl flooding her heart. The girl was okay, she was safe and she was with her for now. She kissed her head gently, slipping out from under her and lying her down on her bed again. 'Sleep well honey, I love you.'