Rosie was sitting at the lookout in Rocklin. She was in California. It was Sunday. She had been there since the day before. Lexi's court case was starting tomorrow, and she was here to go on the stand and say what she saw. She had a lot going through her head. She hated court since everything happened. And she had to deal with everything about what Beatrice and Darrell had done to her. And yes this court case wasn't about her. She was just a witness. But it was a lot of the same people. She was nervous. Because if she didn't say the right thing it could hurt Lexi's chance at getting justice.
She was in California with Hunter. Dave had been called on a case. And they needed everyone. It was something big and she could tell that her dad had been trying to decide if he should say no and go with Rosie, but Rosie told him it was okay. Hunter had helped him realize it was a chance for him and Rosie to get the one-on-one time that he knew they desperately needed.
Before Dave had left he made it very clear to Rosie that if he found out she was not respectful in court that papa knew all about what had happened between her and Paige the last time they were on opposite sides of the court room. Rosie had promised her dad that she would never do anything like that again and she meant it. She was not about to do something that could hurt Lexi's case and she knew she hadn't been respectful to the judge, and she wasn't that same girl anymore. She knew better and she had a feeling there would be a list of people ready to tan her hide if she pulled anything like that again.
Her sisters were at their moms this week so it was just her and Hunter anyways till her dad got back but part of that would be in California. They flew into Sacramento and got a hotel there. That was where the court case was being held in the big city. When they had gotten there the day before Rosie had sat down with Lexi's lawyer and gone over her testimony. It was cut and dry what she had to say, and she had that down and the questions that lawyer was going to ask she could answer no problem with yes and no answers. But where she was worried was the lawyer for Mr. Lowery. She had a lot of baggage that could be brought up and she had been warned that this lawyer was a shark, and she would likely be legally attacked on the stand. After her meeting with the lawyer she had been pretty quiet. Hunter had tried to get her to talk, and she had respectfully told him that she wasn't ready to talk about it and he had accepted it.
It was the next day and Rosie needed some time to think. And she knew her favorite place to do that was in Rocklin. She had told Hunter she needed to get some air and do some thinking on her own and he told her it was fine and to just keep her phone on her and let her go. It was to far for her to walk so she got a cab and went to Rocklin. And now here she was sitting at the lookout her feet hanging over the side. Like she had been the night her dad found her. She didn't feel the same way she did that night thought.
That night she had been so scared. She didn't know what was going to happen. Her ankle had hurt too after she had jumped out the window at the police station. Thankfully it obviously had only been twisted because it had felt better the very next day. Everything she had ever known had been a lie. But everything ended up working out and now she had an amazing family. Her dad and his team and the newest additions of her papa and her sisters. And since that day in therapy things had gotten better. She had been getting closer to all her sisters. No one had come into her room without knocking first. The family time on Sunday's had been a lot of fun. And the check-ins with her dad and papa at the end of the day had helped a lot. She had been honest with them about everything and all in all things were getting better.
The last couple days had been the hardest since with worrying about this case. She would be seeing Paige in court she was sure of that. And while she wanted nothing to do with her anymore, she had been one of her best friends for so long. She had shared a lot with her. Nothing she was worried about coming out because if it hadn't already come out it wasn't something that her sixteen-year-old self cared if people knew. Things about old crushes that meant basically nothing now.
She was excited that when she got home her grounding from dating was up. Nolan had something planned and in true Nolan fashion she didn't know much about what they were doing. But that had to be put in the back of her mind right now. Her focus had to be on this case.
She had been sitting there alone for over an hour till someone came up behind slowly.
"Rosie?" The female voice asked. She recognized the voice
She looked back to see an officer she recognized. She smiled abit
"Hi Officer Casey." Rosie said
"How are you doing?" She asked
"I'm okay." Rosie said and it clicked. "Someone saw me and thought I might be jumping?"
"Yes." Officer Casey said
"No. You are welcome to join me." Rosie said, "I'm just thinking."
Officer Casey went and sat next to her.
"Thinking about what?" the older woman asked
"I'm here. Well in Sacramento for a case involving people I grew up with and molestation and sexual assault. I'm not the victim I was a witness a long time ago and it has come out recently. I don't like going to court and I know while I'm not the one who the court case is for that my past and choices I have made will likely be brought up to try and make me look like I'm not a good person, so my testimony wont be credible. And I'm not looking forward to it." Rosie said
The officer nodded. "The Lowery Bender case."
Rosie looked up.
"Small town. You are all well known at this point because of everything that came out." Officer Casey said.
Rosie let out a huffed laugh and shook her head.
"You're here with your dad?" Officer Casey asked
"Step dad to be. My dad is getting married in a few months to him. My dad had some case that he had to be there for." Rosie said
"You like your step dad to be?" Officer Casey asked
Rosie nodded. "Already call him Papa."
Officer Casey smiled.
"And he comes with six girls. So I have gone from being an only child to the oldest of seven." Rosie said
"Wow. That's big." The woman said
"Yes. Its been a lot of changes. They moved in a couple months ago so its been a lot of changes. And I didn't handle them very well at first but doing much better now." Rosie said
"Good." Officer Casey said
"But I'm just here thinking. I have no intentions of jumping. I'm nervous about everything but not suicidal." Rosie said
"Okay. Good." The officer said
Rosie took a breath.
"Anything I can do to help?" Officer Casey asked
"No. What happens in court is going to happen. I'm nervous but I know that no matter what the outcome will be what it is." Rosie said
"Very mature thinking." The woman said
Rosie shrugged. Her phone started to ring. She looked at it and sighed and didn't answer it.
"Your papa know where you are?" Officer Casey asked she had seen the caller ID said 'Papa Hunter'
"Not exactly. He knows I needed time to myself to think but not exactly where I was going." Rosie said
"You staying in Rocklin? I would assume Sacramento would be where you would stay." The officer said
"We are staying in Sacramento." Rosie said
"How'd you get here?" Officer Casey asked
"Cab." Rosie said
"How long have you been here?" The officer asked
"Few hours." Rosie said
The woman nodded. "How about you call him. Let him know where you are and that I will take you back."
Rosie let out a breath.
"At least let him know where you are and that you are safe." Officer Casey said
Rosie nodded and called him back.
Hunter was at the hotel and starting to worry. He had called her, but she didn't answer. He was about to try again when she called him back he answered.
"Hey Rose. Where are you exactly?" Hunter asked
"Rocklin. At the lookout here." Rosie said
"Rocklin. Isn't that like a half hour drive. How did you get there?" Hunter asked
"Cab." Rosie said.
Hunter sighed. "Why don't you let me come get you?"
"That okay. Um. I guess someone saw me sitting on the edge and made assumptions and called the police. There is an officer here I know. She offered to drive me back." Rosie said
"Okay. What is her name?" Hunter asked
"Officer Casey." Rosie said
"Amanda." Officer Casey said
"Officer Amanda Casey. Dad has met her." Rosie said
"Okay. Well I'd like for you to come back soon." Hunter said
"Okay. Will head out now." Rosie said
"Thank you." Hunter said
They hung up and Rosie and the officer got up and went out to the police car.
Officer Casey called in to the station.
"Casey, everything workout?" Captain Franklin asked on the speaker phone in the car
"Yes Captain. Teen girl we know. She wasn't going to jump." Officer Casey said as she started the drive
"We know?" The Captain asked
"Rosie Rossi. She is staying in Sacramento for the Lowery vs Bender case and just came to the lookout to think." Amanda told her boss
"Ah. Yes she has been found there before." Captain Franklin said
"Never to jump sir." Rosie said
"Glad to hear it Miss Rossi." The Captain said
"I am driving her back to her hotel in Sacramento." Casey said
"Okay. Sounds good." The Captain said. "I will see you in court Miss Rossi."
"You are going?" Rosie asked
"Yes. I have to be on the stand as well." The Captain said
"Oh. Okay. See you than sir." Rosie said
The call ended and Rosie and the officer talked about random things till she got to the hotel. The officer parked.
"You don't need to bring me in?" Rosie asked
"I'm going to make sure you get to her step dad. I think he will appreciate that." Officer Casey said
Rosie chuckled and nodded.
The two went inside and Rosie went to the room and unlocked the door. "Papa. I'm here. Officer Casey is with me."
Hunter came to the door. "Hello. Thank you for bringing her back."
"My pleasure." Officer Casey said
The two talked for a minute before the officer left.
Hunter look at his daughter arms crossed. "You're okay?"
"Yes. Sorry. I should have told you where I was going." Rosie said
"Yes. You should have. I assumed you would go for a walk or stay close." Hunter said
"How much trouble am I in?" Rosie asked
"Just don't do it again." He said with a sigh
Rosie nodded and looked down. She knew he was frustrated with her. "I wont."
He lifted her chin. "I'm not angry."
"You're frustrated." Rosie said
"Because it feels like you ran as far as you could without getting in trouble." He said
"I should have told you where I was going. But I told you I need space on my own. I just went where I got used to going when I lived in Rocklin. It was my safe place. And yes I know I am safe with you I just knew I could get some clear air and would be able to think through everything there." Rosie said. "I wasn't running. I was always planning on coming back. I didn't expect to be gone so long."
Hunter nodded.
"And I can tell you what's going on in my head now. I needed the time to really figure out what I was feeling." Rosie said
Hunter nodded and led her to the two chairs in the room and they both sat down, and Rosie told him everything she was feeling and such. Hunter gave her some advice but mostly just listened.
When she was done she looked at him. "I think that's it." She said
"Okay. Thank you for telling me." Hunter said
"You still upset with me?" She asked
"No. I realize that sometimes we need to figure out how we feel before we can tell people. Its normal. I'm glad that you know you can come to me with things." Hunter said
"I do. And I'm glad that I have so many people. You included that will listen." Rosie said. "And I will tell dad about everything too."
"Good. I think he would want to know." Hunter said
"Do you know what this big case is about?" Rosie asked
Hunter shook his head. "No."
"I feel like he is hiding something." Rosie said
"I do to. But you know he usually cant talk about the cases he works." Hunter said
"Yes. I get that. But it doesn't usually seem like he is hiding something. The only other time he didn't tell me something about work and I knew he was hiding something. Was when Emily came back after having faked her death. And I didn't even know Emily at the time. I knew he had lost a team mate not long before I was found but not much about it." Rosie said
Hunter nodded. "Well. We need to respect that his work needs to be kept private from us. If its important for us to know he will tell us when he can." Hunter said
Rosie nodded. "Okay."
"He doesn't keep us in the dark to hurt us or because he wants to exactly. Its just what he has to do. Think about it this way. When you are a journalist. You will likely have informants who help you get the information, and you will have to keep that to yourself to protect not only that person but the people you love." Hunter said
"I get that. And most of the time there is nothing I think he is hiding that I feel I should know. But I'm pretty at reading people. I know there is something that I should know or that involves me." Rosie said
"Well. Maybe its connected to the pictures that were posted online. Which means when he can, he will tell you. But you need to let it go until he or someone else tells you." Hunter said
Rosie nodded. "Yeah. That is where my mind went with it. I'll drop it for now."
"You have enough to think about right now. Don't make it harder on yourself." Hunter said
Rosie nodded.
"Now. Its time to get some food." Hunter said. The two of them went to a restaurant and ate when they were done they went back to the hotel. And Rosie's phone rang with a video chat.
Rosie answered it. "Hey Emily."
"Hey sweet girl. How are you doing. Uncle Aaron told me you are in court tomorrow for Lexi." Emily said
"I'm okay. As ready as I'm going to be." Rosie said
"You nervous?" Emily asked
"Yup." Rosie said
Rosie noticed Emily was walking somewhere outside.
"Ooh. Where are you going?" Rosie asked
"Home. Just left work." Emily said
"Ooh." Rosie said "Has anything been figured out with Charles? Is there going to be a court case for that?"
"Yes and No. He admitted everything he did. He will be in court for sentencing, but you will not need to be there." Emily said
"Good." Rosie said.
Emily shook her head.
"What is it?" Rosie asked
"Just a text." Emily said
"From whom?" Rosie asked
"Not important." Emily said
"That guy who has been bugging you for a date?" Rosie asked
"Drop it." Emily said
"That's a yes." Rosie said
"Rosie." Hunter said warningly
"Dropping it." Rosie said
"You're there with Hunter." Emily said
"Yes." Rosie said, "Dad would have come too but there is some big case that is happening that he has to be there for."
Emily nodded. "Know where the case is?"
"DC." Rosie said
"Well. I will let you go. You make sure you don't repeat what happened in court when it was your case." Emily said
Rosie chuckled "You are the third person to tell me that."
Emily chuckled. "Your dad and Hunter as well?"
"My dad. Hunter knows what happened but hasn't said much about it. And Uncle Aaron." Rosie said
"Ah. Yes. That makes sense." Emily said
"I wont do that again." Rosie said
"Good." Emily said. "Talk to you later." Emily said before they hung up.
Rosie and Hunter watched a movie and went to bed fairly early.