CHAPTER 1

Doing enough.

She woke up from her thoughts finding Mary starring at her, with a very concerned look. She was helping Mary putting the bar together. Now that the Army was finally retreating to Texas, so they could get ready for a thing Beck avoided telling her the town was starting to get back to normal.

'Sorry… I was…'

What could she say? I was remembering what is like to feel violated and alone? Suddenly no words felt right. So she simply said nothing.

'Something you want to share with the rest of the class?'

Mary asked with a smirk and showed the empty room, doing what she was pretty sure a good impression of a teacher. Mary didn't want to push Heather into doing something she didn't want. Heather smiled at the woman she had grown really close to and nodded, taking three glasses away to the kitchen.

'Nothing that needs to be said, Mary… but thanks anyways.'

Mary wasn't dumb. Her life had been reading people and she knew there wasn't just something bothering Heather. The girl was hurt. Eric had told her how men treated women in New Bern, but he also told her Constantino's orders were to kill Heather. She held her breath. She couldn't avoid thinking about what Eric had been through and what he had seen. She tried to support him and hug him, but he still felt distant and closed.

Holding those thoughts, she never realized Major Beck entering her establishment and serving himself with a good bottle of whisky she held open when the bar was closed.

'Sorry, Major. We are closed.'

She had nothing against him; the man was good, sane and fair. She tried not to think about the fact he trusted Heather so much with no apparent reason that it was awkward when both were in the same room.

'C'mon, Mary, I'm going away. Can't a guy have a last shot before going to war?'

He was sure Jake had told Eric and this one had told Mary. That was why he didn't understand her stunning look. She was shocked and holding back. So, following the direction of her eyes, Beck turned back and saw Heather standing by the kitchen's door.

'War?'

Was all she could ask as she rushed towards him and hugged him tight, with him still sitting. Mary excused herself and left for the kitchen, but not before collecting the towel Heather held. For seconds Mary tried to ignore the conversation, but it was just so hard not to snoop when you've done that your whole life.

'Are you going to explain to me? Don't you think I at least deserve it?'

Mary was sure their relationship was nothing to do with love. Sometimes she caught Heather looking at Beck with admiration, but nothing more. It wasn't like when Heather glanced at Jake and a light lit up in her face. It was a lot like owning and respecting Beck above everything.

'Don't make things harder, Heather.'

'Harder? I'm making it harder? Please, I've been through hard things and you know they don't even compare to this.'

'You were strong and you are strong. You'll make it.'

Mary heard Heather hold her breath and she could almost imagine the woman signing. Less she knew what Heather had been through. The young teacher didn't talk much about those days in New Bern.

'I was and am strong because you were there. You held me when I cried and when I had nightmares. You were the one that took care of me when I was crashed…'

There was this pause and Mary could feel the mood tensing. She felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn't imagine someone wanting to hurt someone like Heather. What a twist little world.

'You are the only one who knows what I've been through in New Bern.'

Mary caught a glimpse of the scene and saw Beck hugging Heather. She noticed the way he held her now, and the way he touched her sometimes. It was almost like she was about to break.

'Maybe it's time you let people learn.'

She wasn't crying. She had already cried enough when the soldiers got her safe from the car crash. However she still felt like crawling and curving in a corner. Memories could hurt so much when you had them to vivid.

'What is this about a war?'

She ignored every thought that ran through her mind. She ignored the rumors she heard about Emily and Jake being back together. She ignored her own feeling considering Beck's going away. She ignored the fact Bonnie, that sweet little girl, was dead. She wanted to be useful now.

'Texas and East are fighting against the actual government. I've been reassigned. Jericho's no longer priority.'

She wanted to kick herself for not know that. But she guessed it was bound to happen. Many soldiers had been sent away. She remembered saying good bye to really good men she liked. So maybe she should do her own part. No more wasting life or the second chance Beck and his men gave her.

'I want to go.'

Mary opened her eyes when she heard that. She was feeling dizzy for a moment, but all bad feelings went away and were covered by other terrible feelings. She couldn't imagine Heather fighting in a war. She was a teacher for God's sakes. She taught kids and made jokes about farm animals.

Mary heard Beck laugh and felt closer to guy. Someone had to teach Heather the world was different and fighting in a war wasn't something for a lady like her..

'You are ridiculous. This is absurd. You don't even know how to hold a gun!'

'You are right!'

She quickly answered.

'Teach me!'

Mary was ready to hear Beck's no and another good laugh. When no answer came, she too a peek and saw them standing up. Beck put a lock of heather's dark hair back her ear. Heather never told anyone that was the most intimate reaction she had from a man. Jake came to her mind and she brushed him away.

'You are right…'

Heather felt a mixture of happiness and sadness when he agreed. She would leave Jericho again. She would probably never come back. No Jake to saying good bye, no more teaching classes. She felt numb, but somehow proud of her decision. She promised making a difference when she thought she was done, so she would keep her vows.

'It's the right thing to do, Beck. I'm a really fast learner. I'll fight for this country… or what's left of it.'

Mary was about to step in. That was insane. She wouldn't let that mad man take Heather away when this town needed her and when she needed this town. Suddenly a strong hand held her back and she turned to find her love standing a step away. Apparently he had come in from the back door and heard half of conversation. His finger reached his lips and he required silence.

'I think you misunderstood me, Heather. I'll teach you to use a gun but you are not fighting with us. This is no request. This town needs you and I won't take you away. Even though I would do it, if I was selfish enough.'

Eric smirked at Mary, almost saying "I told you so". Suddenly she smiled back and gave him a quick kiss. She loved that man and hoped to marry him one day. Ignoring the nausea and feeling dizzy, she heard from the bar:

'Mary! I'm leaving for two hours. Do you think you can survive?'

It wasn't dark, yet, and then she considered Beck had few hours before leaving. He had to teach Heather everything he knew. The Major wanted to keep the brunette safe. So Mary gave her loudest and falsest laugh and answered, from the kitchen, holding Eric in a tight hug:

'I'll try. Take care, Heather.'

_____________________________________________________________

Beck had been gone for almost a week and even though she'd been spending some good time with Eric, Mary, Stanley and Mimi, she didn't feel comfortable being the only one without a company, so she would spend most of her time divided between Gail and the Bar and Kunchy and the medical center.

'You should take a break, Heather.'

With Gail wanting some time alone to fix some things at the Barn, Heather directed herself to the medical center to help Kunchy and Mimi. She hadn't been able to sleep well. It had been a week without news from Beck, and more than two weeks without news from Jake and Hawkins.

She still kept in touch with Emily about those things. She figured that, if something happened with Jake, the blonde would be the first to know. Even though that hurt her, she always kept it all together. She wasn't going to put her feelings before the town preservation. If her male best friend and female best friend were together again, then she would let them be.

'I'm fine, Mimi. Kenchy needs me in room three. Do you think you can go in my place?'

'If that means you'll take a break I'll do it.'

Heather laughed. Both women wore those blue clothes and had their hairs tight up. They were growing closer, but they still had issues. With Mimi's personality combined with the loss of Bonnie, Heather always held herself to not punch the woman, sometimes. Patience was something the teacher always had, after all she taught kids. But nowadays she felt anxious and short on patience. Mimi knew that better than anyone.

'I won't. I have to boil some sheets and you know how I hate to ask nurses to do it. Who's helping Mary with the bar?'

Mimi knew that. Heather was a kind hearted woman and was always avoiding asking favors or ordering people. Kenchy Duawlia and her friend didn't get along, but they sure respected each to her. It was clear that, for a correct working of the team, they had to, at least, get along.

'Emily is. You know something, H., one day you'll meet a guy who'll boil sheets for you…'

Heather suppressed all thoughts about Jake and laughed out loud, very distant.

'Yeah, Jericho is full of those.'

On her way she thought of how she was brought to believe in true love and fair. Now the world she knew was in war and the guy she liked didn't like her back. She wasn't supposed to like him and things shouldn't be that complicated.

She met some nurses outside the center, boiling sheets too. They tried to engage her in the conversation, but it didn't work. Noticing the brunette needed some space, they got back to their own chit char and gossip. Just when people started rushing towards main street and gathering was that the nurses left and Heather thought about doing the same. She held back: she would get her shot gun first. Beck taught her better than going out unprepared.

When she arrived the main street, a black SUV was parked right in the middle. Being so short, she saw Eric's tall head smiling excited and talking to Gray Anderson. She looked around looking for Mary's head and saw her curly hairs rushing towards someone, together with Darcy Hawkins. She kept passing by people and suddenly noticed the two women reaching a hurt Robert Hawkins. He smiled, kissing his wife and being guided, with Stanley's help, to the medical center.

'It's good to have you back, Robert.'

She said with a smile and he nodded. He sounded drugged, maybe morphine. She didn't mind. The important thing was that he was okay.

She met Emily's blonde head and followed her until the moment she met someone and hugged him tight. Heather knew that was the moment, but she couldn't move. When the crowd opened space and she saw the couple kissing, her heart skipped several beats and she caught her breath. Eric met her eyes, but she was hypnotized.

Strong hands held her and shook her gently.

'Breath, Heather…'

She knew it was Eric and she knew he had made his way by the crowd. He had once told her how fond of her he was. They've been through hell together, in New Bern. With her closer to Mary and helping in the bar, they got to know each other better. He said she was the little sister he had never had, and that he and Jake felt terrible when they thought she was dead. She tried to ignore that idea.

'In and out, Heather. In and out…'

She wanted to slap him, or better yet, shoot him. She knew how it was done, but she didn't want to do it. She was right before: hearing Emily tell her things about Jake was something. She could hold herself even though it certainly hurt. However words weren't as difficult as seeing them being greeted by people, like they were a famous couple or something like that.

Someone bumped into her, and she snapped. Looking up she saw a guy she swore it worked for Beck. Then she remembered the episode and how Hawkins clamed him to be CIA: the man was Chavez Parker. It didn't matter, he didn't matter.

'Oh my God.'

A woman screamed and got away from Chavez. Eric pulled Heather away and both saw blood staining his shirt. With so many thoughts running through their minds, both got to each other. Eric spoke first:

'I'll get people to move him.'

'I'll check on him…'

She gave him the shot gun and he caressed her head in a brotherly way, before leaving her and the crowd behind. Heather kneeled down, by Chavez side, and raised his shirt. Someone had made really bad stitches and they were opening. Too much blood staining her uniform, she took a deep breath.

'Hey there, Mr. Parker. I'm Heather and I'll take good care of you…'

He smiled at her and trembled. She was sure he had been through worse and maybe that was why he tried to reach her face and caress it. Such an intimate move made her loose focus for a moment. She couldn't remember the last time she saw that look in someone's face. She kissing Jake came to mind. Suddenly, she heard a voice form behind:

'What happened?'

She didn't have to turn to know it was him. She also didn't have to turn to know he was companied by Emily. So she simply didn't. Taking her shirt form her uniform, which she was pretty sure it was clean, she started pressing on the wound. She never thought that her, a minister's daughter, would be half naked in the middle of a street.

'What happened to him?'

She asked Jake and glanced at the wound. It was bleeding furiously, and though she was no doctor, she knew someone had stabbed him with something. Jake let go of Emily and kneeled by Chaves, not knowing what to do to help him.

'He'd been stabbed. We went after Hawkins and freed him. Texan doctors said he would be fine. What's wrong? Why is he bleeding that much?'

She tired to ignore the fact Jake had glanced her naked tummy and chest a few times. She didn't know what to do, she wasn't a doctor. She remembered Kenchy advising Mimi about using her own sterilized clothes to hold bleedings. People were starting to open space and she asked God to be Eric with help.

'I'm no doctor, Jake.'

That was all she could say, lowering her voice.

'We are here, Heather.'

Eric brought three men with him. All of them used the same clothes Heather did. They transferred Chavez pail body to a board and carried him to the medical center. The crowd chose to follow it, or to leave to their own homes, having already experienced enough. Suddenly there was only Eric, Emily, Jake and Heather behind, with a few teenagers commenting about the happening. Heather couldn't hear them; she was too shocked with her first attending a wounded man alone.

'He'll be fine, Heather.'

Eric assured her and squeezed her naked shoulder. Suddenly she felt some comfort in a leather jacket resting on her shoulders. She thought it was Eric's in the beginning, but then she realized the smell, moisture of salty sweat and blood, and felt sick, betrayed.

Reaching it, she got it off and handed to Jake. Emily was stunned, but could already see it coming. Heather would just have to get used to the idea that she and Jake were meant to be. They had a history together. Of course Mary had already told Emily that history never held a couple long enough.

'What's wrong with you?'

He asked her, trying to cover her up once again. She stepped back, finding Eric's reassuring coat and smiling at him, a little nervous. Getting back to Jake, she was neutral. She wasn't supposed to be mad at him. However, she could think several reasons to be. None of them included his growing relationship with Emily.

'How could you travel with him in that state, Jake?'

'He was fine moments ago!'

He tried to ignore the fact she was zipping the coat just now. She had a great body, he had to admit that. Of course such a nice feature didn't show through coats and baggy clothes she used to use.

'Admit why you're angry. Admit it has to do with me and Emily.'

He knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as Emily and Eric shot him those reproving looks, and Heather's terrified face turned into angry. Eric held her back, when she simply smiled at Jake. That smile held not only anger, but sadness. She really thought their relationship was better than that.

'Go home Jake.'

He ignored her. As she walked away with Eric, Jake decided to follow her and was held by Emily. Eric and Heather stopped and both turned to Jake. Eric raised a hand, asking him to stop. He did, but asked what he needed to know:

'Tell me what I can do to help him.'

Heather turned her backs to him.

'I think you've done enough.'