"I'm going to have one of the nurses bring you something for the pain, okay?" April tied off the last replacement suture.
"It's not going to be morphine or Demerol will it? 'Cuz they make me throw up," Elizabeth asked.
April applied the new bandage. "I remember. You can put your pants on now." She helped Elizabeth stand and handed her jeans.
Elizabeth struggled a bit with the thick fabric. "When do you think I can start running again?"
She needed to run as much as she needed oxygen. Running had always been an outlet for her emotions. And it liberated her from the intrusive thoughts that came with the flashbacks. Two flashbacks in less than twenty-four hours, after not having a single one for the last eight months, made for too much confusion in her head. She needed some room to sort it all out.
"Well, I'll need to check the stitches in a few days to make sure you're not popping them again. Then it'll be another week before I can take them out. I don't want you running before then," April replied. "You'll still probably have some pain after I remove the stitches, but as soon as you're pain free it should be okay for you to run. Now, that doesn't mean take an extra dose so you don't feel any pain. Pain free means pain free without the meds."
"Hey, that thought never even crossed my mind!" Elizabeth protested, sitting back down on the exam table.
"Honey, you're a Green. If it hadn't already crossed your mind, it would have within the next five minutes. God knows how many times Jake and Eric have tried that." April picked up her stethoscope from the end of the exam table and put it around her neck. "I have to go check on everyone else. Is it okay if I send Jake in here when he's done with Stanley?" Elizabeth nodded. April headed to the door, opened it, and disappeared into the hall.
A minute later Jake walked in. "Hey. How's Stanley?" Elizabeth asked him.
"Good. Making Spiderman jokes." Jake rolled his eyes as he sat down next to Elizabeth. "How're you doing? What'd April say?"
"She had to put in a couple new stitches. She's sending a nurse with painkillers."
"Soon, I hope," Jake replied as Elizabeth grimaced. "Did she say what she's giving you? Morphine, maybe? You're in a lot of pain. Morphine works fast and lasts longer."
"Last time I had morphine it made me throw up all night." 'Oh, crap.' "Hey, would you raise up the head of the table for me?"
"When were you given morphine?" Jake asked as he stood up and worked the crank.
'Damn.' "A couple years ago," she replied, shrugging. "Can you go check on Dad for me? He's been coughing a lot lately. I'd go myself, but April's making me stay here." Shifting on the exam table she folded her good leg under the other, trying to find a more comfortable—and less painful—position.
Jake realized she was avoiding his question but decided not to press it, yet. Instead, he gave her a look that promised a talk in their near future. After making sure she was comfortable, Jake left the room and wandered down the hall.
He stopped just short of another exam room where he heard his parents talking.
"I can run this town without my pants," Johnston said.
"And it wouldn't be the first time," Gail agreed.
"All right, that's a story I never want to hear." Jake stepped into the room.
"Hi, sweetheart!" Gail exclaimed, leaving Johnston's side for the first time since she'd found him on the floor in his office. "How're you feeling, honey? Where's Elizabeth?" she asked, giving him a hug.
"My leg's a little sore," Jake admitted. "El's down the hall. April's having one of the nurses bring her some painkillers. How's everything here?"
"Her leg?" Johnston asked before he was overcome by a coughing fit. Gail returned to his side, supporting him as he tried to catch his breath.
"Your father has the flu," Gail announced.
"It's nothing," Johnston argued. "Her leg?" he repeated.
"Yeah. She and Emily decided it would be a good idea for her to run to the neighbor's for help," Jake grumbled. "I don't know what those two were thinking with the pain she's in."
"Oh, and you wouldn't have done the same thing, Jake?" Gail shot back.
Jake stared at her for a moment. He couldn't really be mad at Elizabeth. He would have done exactly the same thing. "I suppose. Given the situation, they actually did come up with a good plan," Jake admitted. "I just wish I could have kept her from seeing that guy's body."
"Is she okay?" Johnston asked before he gave into another coughing fit.
"She's pretending she is; but I know she's not. She wasn't as bad as last night but she definitely wasn't herself in the shelter," Jake answered. "Mom, I hate to take you away from Dad, but can you come with me to see her? Something more than the dead guy is bothering her and she won't talk to me. Maybe she'll talk to you about it."
As long as she didn't move too much, Elizabeth could control the pain. Sitting back with her eyes closed, she heard someone enter her room. She opened her eyes when she heard the curtain being pulled back and saw her friends. "Hey, guys," she said, wincing as she turned so her feet were hanging off the side of the exam table again.
They returned the greeting. Danielle sat down next to Elizabeth while Michael took a swivel chair. Jordan pressed a quick kiss to Elizabeth's lips, then leaned against the exam table on her other side.
"Why are you guys so dirty?" They looked like they'd lost a fight with a sandbox.
"Salty is more like it." Danielle grinned. Seeing the confused look on Elizabeth's face, she continued. "We ended up in the salt mine. You didn't hear?"
"Uh, I think I heard Jake mention something about that," Elizabeth said.
"Yeah. Mr. Rennie died," Danielle told her. "He started panicking, then Mr. Cale and Mr. Anderson separated him from the rest of us. April thinks he had a heart attack."
Elizabeth, shocked by the news about one of her favorite teachers and family friend, could not say a single word. Mr. Rennie was one of those teachers whose passion for helping kids made school fun. When he realized that Elizabeth had been unchallenged by the normal class curriculum, he had given her extra, more advanced, homework to keep her involved. He hadn't been threatened by her intelligence; instead, he'd fed it. Completely opposite of Cutler.
"It was so cool though," Jordan said as intertwined his fingers with Elizabeth's. "Well, not about Mr. Rennie," he added after he saw his friends stare at him. "But what your brother did was pretty cool."
Michael nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Jake blew the entrance up with dynamite. It was like we were in a movie or something."
"Definitely," Jordan agreed. "I'd take radioactive rain every day if it meant I got to see him do it again."
Elizabeth and Danielle looked at each other. "Boys," they said, rolling their eyes. The boys looked at each other and grinned. Jordan straightened up and rummaged through a supply drawer. Finding a rolled ACE wrap, he took it out of the drawer and tossed it to Michael. Michael caught the bandage, and returned it in a smooth volley.
"I hate to interrupt your…game," April said, coming into the room a minute later. "But Elizabeth needs to take these." She stepped around the boys, carrying a bottle of water in one hand and two pills in the other. Reaching the girls, she handed the water and pills to Elizabeth, who popped them in her mouth immediately. "Codeine. Vomiting is a possible side effect with this as well, but I think you'll be okay. If it upsets your stomach, take your next dose with food or milk."
Elizabeth swallowed and nodded. "I thought you were sending a nurse."
"They were all too busy and I had a free moment. I'll bring your prescription over to the house later. For now, I better get back to my other patients," April said, turning to head out of the room. Passing the boys, she turned back around. "Don't do anything that will aggravate your leg. Like join these two in their antics."
"Thanks, April," Elizabeth said, laughing.
As soon as April left the room, Michael rolled himself over to the door and pushed it closed. He and Jordan resumed their game. "So, your leg's pretty bad, huh?" he asked.
He felt stupid for saying it. He knew Elizabeth had a high tolerance for pain—Topeka had proven that. For Liz to be taking the pills without protest spoke volumes about how bad she felt.
"Yeah," Elizabeth agreed. "But it's my own fault. I really shouldn't have tried to run for help with it as bad as it was."
"Help? Weren't you with your parents at Town Hall?" Jordan asked, halting their game to stand in front of Elizabeth, so close his legs touched her knees. He felt like an ass. He'd been so excited about the bus rides and the explosion that he'd never worried about where Elizabeth was. The thought that she could have been in danger hadn't crossed his mind.
Belatedly, he remembered that she and Bonnie had planned to set up for her party today. "Oh, God! You were at the Richmonds' today!"
Elizabeth nodded. "Long story short: there were two escaped prisoners at Stanley's with guns. We think they killed the sheriff last night. They wanted to get gas from the tank but Stanley wasn't there and he keeps the key." Elizabeth stopped for a breath. "So, I ran to get help. From what I pieced together, Jake heard Emily when she called over the radio and he came flying to the rescue. Jake shot one guy, Emily the other." Remembering the body in the yard, Elizabeth turned her attention to her hands resting in her lap. Her friends looked at her, mouths agape. Jordan reached out and held her cold hands.
When she could finally speak, Danielle changed the subject, much to Elizabeth's relief. "So, does that mean your party's off?"
"Uh, I guess so. I mean, there are two dead guys in Stanley's yard, and Bonnie and I didn't get a chance to finish getting everything ready."
"She seems to be doing fine to me," Gail said, as she and Jake observed El and her friends through the window.
"Yeah," Jake agreed. "But you didn't see her at Stanley's. She had an exaggerated startle response to the thunder and then she withdrew inside herself. Much like last night, but it seemed more…intense. I had to keep telling her she was safe and get her to focus on her breathing. What's going on with her, Mom?"
Jake wasn't stupid. It was obvious he knew something about PTSD and that he was beginning to associate Elizabeth's symptoms with the disorder. It was only a matter of time before Jake started demanding answers regarding Elizabeth's episodes; but Gail was going to stand by the promise she had made to Elizabeth four years ago to let her be the one to tell Jake.
After the accident Gail had called Jake's number and left him a voicemail, not knowing when he'd hear it. In it she told him that Elizabeth had been in an accident on the way back from Topeka; and she was home from school for a few days recovering from her injuries. Elizabeth had convinced Gail and Johnston to let her give Jake the details when he checked in. But when he called three days later, she only told him that she was okay and she'd be going back to school in a week.
After she hung up, she admitted to Gail that she'd chosen to keep quiet when she realized where he was. When Gail pressed her for why Jake's location would make such a difference, Elizabeth told her what she knew.
Ever since Jake had told her a little of what he did, she'd started paying attention to the news. And she started to see the patterns. Even though he didn't actually tell her where he was assigned, she'd guessed he was in Iraq.
Elizabeth wasn't supposed to tell Gail about him being there; it was the first and only time she had betrayed his trust. Gail saw the guilt of having done so was eating away at Elizabeth, so she agreed to let Elizabeth tell him when she was ready. Gail made sure no one would utter a word about the details of the accident before then.
"Jake, honey, I wish I could. But this is Elizabeth's decision. She'll tell you when she's ready."
Just then, Elizabeth looked out through the window, saw Gail and waved. Jordan dropped her hands but stayed by her side. Gail figured now would be a good time to enter the room. Gail patted Jake on the arm before she opened the door and stepped inside.
"Hi, kids," Gail said.
"Hi, Mom."
Gail walked over to Elizabeth and hugged her. "How are you feeling?"
"I think the meds are starting to kick in, so I'm okay," Elizabeth replied. "How's Dad?"
"April's confirmed he has the flu, but he'll be fine," Gail told her. Turning around to face the other teenagers, she asked "So, are you all still coming to the party?"
"The party's off, Mom. We didn't get a chance to set up and there's…"
"Your father and I were thinking we could move the party to our house. Obviously, we won't have room for everyone but there's still a cake and food that needs to be eaten."
"Really? We can still have the party?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, you can have the party. If you still want to, that is."
"Of course I do! Thanks, Mom, you're the best!" Elizabeth said as she hugged Gail.
Leaving his mother with the teenagers, Jake returned to his father's room. Walking into the room, Jake saw Johnston pacing back and forth across the room as he tried to get some information about the dead prisoners out of Bill.
"Good thing Mom's with El," Jake said, smiling as he took another step into the room. "I think she'd end up handcuffing you to that bed if she saw you working."
Bill smiled a 'thank you' at Jake and raced out of the room. Jake closed the door then proceeded further into the room.
"It's just the flu; I don't see why I have to sit here," Johnston grumbled. "There are a hundred things I should be doing right now."
"About that, Dad. I meant what I said; we need to go out there and get information."
"I know we do, but it's still dangerous."
"All I really need are people who can handle a gun and ask questions first. They'll have to be flexible; I can't say for sure how long we'll be gone. But I don't think any of them should have a family. Just in case."
"No one with a family, huh?" Johnston asked, giving Jake a look.
"Dad," Jake started to protest. "This will be nothing compared to what I used to do."
Jake left Bailey's and headed for Town Hall after sorting out the volunteers for the reconnaissance trip. Jake stepped through the front doors, aiming for his father's office.
"Hey, Mom" he said, smiling at her.
"Hey. Are you ready to leave?" Gail asked.
"Nearly. But I've hit a snag. My car's still out on the side of the road. Can I borrow yours?"
Gail stared at him. "Are you going to total it, too? You know, every time I loan you my keys…"
"Mom, that was ten years ago! I'm not going to be racing it. I'm past that. I'm only driving to Wichita." Jake had hoped she'd gotten over that little incident with her brand new Monte Carlo.
She held his eyes for another minute, letting him sweat. Pulling her hand out of her pocket, she tossed the keys to him. "Just be careful, honey. It's a long walk back from Wichita."
"Thanks, Mom. I'm just going to run to the house and pack my bag. Do you need anything?"
"Make sure Elizabeth is behaving herself. She's home alone since her friends were busted for being in the wrong place when the storm hit. She's been through a lot in the last couple days and she needs to rest."
Lost in his thoughts regarding Emily's accusation outside Bailey's, Jake missed seeing the movement of the curtain as he walked up the front walk to the house. Reaching for the doorknob, his hand closed on air when it was quickly opened from inside.
"Good, you're home. Let's do something," Elizabeth said as she pulled him inside the house. "Play a game, throw a ball around for awhile, anything. Something. Please."
Shutting the door behind him, Jake replied: "I can't. I just came home to pack my bag."
"But, I want to go running, and April said I can't. I've got to do something." Elizabeth followed Jake up the stairs.
"El, I'm sorry to hear that but I really can't. What about going over to Danielle's?" he said, walking into his room, Elizabeth on his heels.
"I can't leave. I'm on house arrest. Mom thinks I need to rest my leg," Elizabeth replied, rolling her eyes.
"Well, she's right," Jake said, as he grabbed his duffle bag out of the closet. "And, considering no one else is home and you haven't made a break for it, you know she's right too."
'Damn, he knows me too well.' Elizabeth slumped down on the end of the bed as Jake went to the dresser and pulled out some clothes. She played with the fabric of her skirt, shifting it back and forth over her leg. "Where are you meeting Emily?"
"She's not going anymore," Jake said. "She's convinced herself that Roger's dead after we saw a Chinese newsfeed on Bailey's satellite dish. I didn't get a good look at the map, but Denver looked to be the closest to us. I want to see what I can find out for her."
"And I'll bet she blamed you for his death too, didn't she? She's such a—"
"Don't say it, El. Don't even think it," Jake interrupted, as he stopped what he was doing to look at her reprovingly.
Looking him in the eye, she realized Emily was still a forbidden subject. Jake was obviously still frustrated about the way their relationship ended. He looked ready to punch a wall.
"So, who's going with you?"
"A few other men are heading out in different directions, but I'm going to Goodland by myself."
"Is that safe? Shouldn't someone go with you?" The gears in her head were already turning as she formulated a plan to get out of the house.
"I'll be fine. This won't be the first time I've done a recon mission," he reminded her. Making eye contact with her, he continued. "And, before you ask; no, you can't go with me."
She opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it. Instead, she just watched as Jake filled his bag with the essentials he would need for the next few days.
"Trust me, recon work is boring. You'll have more fun here," Jake said trying to break the silence. "All I'll be doing is a lot of driving, and hopefully getting some news."
"I'm not so sure. Besides, 'boring' worked for you for five years," she pointed out.
"You're right; it worked for me. It doesn't anymore. If we didn't need information I wouldn't even be going."
"Is that why you came home?" she asked hesitantly. Although Jake had confided in her about certain aspects of his job, she learned long ago not to ask questions that would inevitably lead to discussion about his work. If she needed to know something, he would tell her.
Jake abandoned his packing. Sitting down next to her, he answered. "There are several reasons why I came home. That's one of them." Seeing the questions forming in her eyes, he continued. "Baby, it's past time for me to settle down; the constant relocating and the assignments themselves were exhausting. The only vacations I ever had were when you came to visit and, even then, I had all those last-minute meetings."
He hesitated for a moment as he considered whether he should tell her the next part or not. She already knew he'd lost people on other assignments so he figured he'd go ahead and tell her. "I lost some friends in Japan. Losing people you care about on every assignment puts things into perspective. I couldn't be away from my family anymore." He waited for whatever question her ever-inquiring mind would ask next.
"I'm sorry about your friends," she finally said.
"Me, too." Jake got up and walked to the dresser. "Now, scoot so I can change. These clothes reek."
Elizabeth giggled as she moved to the hallway. Jake closed the door, leaving it open just enough so they could finish talking.
"How long are you gonna be gone?" Elizabeth asked, leaning against the wall outside his door.
"Not sure. A few days maybe," Jake replied, his voice muffled as he pulled a shirt over his head. "Depends on what I find." He continued to change in silence as Elizabeth waited outside his door. Grabbing his bag, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "All right, I need to go get some stuff from Town Hall before I leave. Do me a favor? Do as Mom says while I'm gone, okay? Even if you are bored. After all, she's been through it all with me."
"Okay" Elizabeth promised. He turned away to go down the stairs but was stopped by Elizabeth hugging him. "Be safe, Jake. And come back soon. I missed you."
Gail met her son at her car. "Where's Emily?"
Shifting his grip on his supply box so he could open the back door, Jake answered her. "She's not going." He put the box in the back seat, followed by his duffle, keeping only the walkie-talkie.
"Good," she said. Then she demanded, "you're not going alone, are you?"
Closing the door, he gave in to the urge to roll his eyes. "You and El are quite the pair; she's already tried that, Mom." He reached for the handle on the driver's door. Gail touched his arm. Dropping his hand, he turned around to face her once again.
"Speaking of Elizabeth…" she said, her voice dropping to avoid being heard by passers-by.
Before she could continue, he spoke quietly. "What's going on with her? And I'm not just talking about her problems at school, or her language. Seriously, Mom, how long has she been having those episodes?"
"You ask me that, but you're still going." Gail fussed with his jacket a moment. "Is this really a good time to discuss this?"
"Do you really think I want to go? That I wouldn't rather be here…with you, with her?" Jake argued as he opened the car door and climbed inside. As much as he didn't really want to go, he felt he owed it to Emily and his father to do so. He knew his worry for Elizabeth and her inner turmoil would be a distraction. But he didn't see a better option. Looking back at her he saw what he expected to. "Don't give me that look."
"What look?" Gail asked, puzzled.
Pointing at her face with the radio still in his hand, he put the key in the ignition. "You know what look. That look."
She leaned in the open door. "Hey, after the seventy-five hundred times I have watched you drive away, not knowing if you were coming home, I've earned a look," she said, reaching in to grab his hand.
"I'm coming back, Mom" he promised, locking his eyes with her. Dropping his voice, he continued. "I'm going out there to see what I can find out, then I'm coming back to take care of my family."
"Well, just make sure you can, okay?" Gail finally relented, giving him a little smile. Reaching in, she gave him a kiss. "Bye, honey." She stepped away and closed the door for him.
Closing the front door behind her, Gail removed her jacket and hung it on the coat rack. Not finding Elizabeth in the living room or kitchen like usual, she headed up the stairs. She finally found Elizabeth in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub with her skirt hiked up to expose her leg. She was removing the bandage covering the stitches.
"What are you doing, young lady?"
Looking up, Elizabeth shrugged. "It's bothering me."
Gail moved into the room and sat on the toilet, positioning herself within arms' reach of Elizabeth. "Bothering you how?" She pushed Elizabeth's hands out of the way and continued to unwrap the bandage.
"It itches. These things always make me itch," Elizabeth replied. "Can I leave it off for awhile?"
"Just let me clean it again for right now," Gail replied, standing up to reach into the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some swabs and set them on the sink. She poured a mixture of half water and half hydrogen peroxide into a cup, and sat back down. She dipped a swab into the solution and started to clean around the sutures.
"Mom, are you okay with Jake leaving again?"
"I don't think any mother is ever okay with their kids leaving. Besides, he's not leaving. He's only going to try to find out what happened. He'll be home in a couple days, honey."
"He wouldn't even be going if Emily hadn't guilted him into doing so," Elizabeth grumbled.
Gail stopped what she was doing to look Elizabeth dead in the eye. "You don't know that for sure. Even if it was true, it's not your, or anyone else's, business so—"
"She did guilt him, Mom, and you know it. She's been doing it ever since Chris died—"
Gail had heard enough. "Stop it, right now! Whether or not you agree with how Emily treats Jake, you need to stay out of it. It's Jake's business. Or do I need to remind you of what happened the last time you felt the need to stick up for Jake?"
Two years ago, Elizabeth had been placed in Emily's freshman English class. Emily had tried to get Elizabeth involved, but she would have none of it. Instead, she chose to sit there, ignoring Emily, until a parent-student-teacher conference was scheduled. That ended when Elizabeth verbally attacked Emily for the blame she had placed on Jake. After being asked several times why she refused to participate in class, Elizabeth finally responded by calling Emily every name in the book, going so far as to say the guilt Emily had placed on Jake had chased him away from town. Shocked, Johnston and Gail had made damn sure Elizabeth knew her behavior would not be simply dismissed with a slap on the wrist.
Elizabeth spent the rest of the semester going nowhere but home and school, and, for extra punishment, Gail had made Elizabeth accompany her every Saturday for her weekly get-togethers with Emily. It had been pure hell for Elizabeth. In frustration, she made the mistake of making a snide remark once. Spending the next three afternoons with Emily as her assistant had ensured it wasn't repeated.
Elizabeth sighed. "Fine," she replied. Gail sighed, then finished cleaning Elizabeth's sutures. After a few minutes, she couldn't stand the tension in the air.
"So, I was talking to Mrs. Leigh. She's got a lot of meat about to spoil and we decided to have a cookout tonight. It's going to be a big block party on Main Street," Gail said. "I know I told you to stay here but I was thinking, if you agree to lie down and rest until I get back from setting up the tables, we could move your party to the cookout. That way, there will be enough room for everyone."
"Let's do it!" Elizabeth replied quickly, the disagreement about Emily forgotten.
Laughing, Gail returned her attention to Elizabeth's leg. "I knew that'd be an easy sell. But, just remember it's on one condition," Gail reminded her.
"I'll go lay down as soon as you're done," Elizabeth promised. "I want to reread Lord of the Rings, anyway."
"I'm going to wrap this up again. I'll make it a little looser so it won't bother you as much." Gail started to wrap the bandage around Elizabeth's thigh. Elizabeth nodded reluctantly. Gail finished, then cleaned up the mess as Elizabeth stood up and let the full skirt settle over her legs again.
"Mom, why don't you take the food and cake and donate it to the cookout? No point in keeping it all here for us."
"Are you sure?" Gail asked as they moved down the hall towards Elizabeth's room.
"Yeah." Elizabeth's face acquired an impish grin. "But I'll bet Jake's gonna wish we kept the cake for ourselves."
"For himself, you mean," Gail corrected, as she helped Elizabeth get comfortable.
Main Street was bustling. Countless lanterns cast light over the tables where family and friends were gathered, both to celebrate their survival and mourn the people who had perished the prior evening. The tables had been placed up and down the street while grills lined the sidewalk. Nearly the whole town had gathered. The last time it had been like this was three months ago, at the annual Jericho Fourth of July celebration. Like then, they were now grilling steaks, burgers, chicken, ribs. But this time, instead of celebrating their country, they were focusing on each other and enjoying what could be—for all they knew—the last decent meal they would eat for awhile.
Elizabeth and her friends occupied a table just outside the Cyberjolt. Under normal circumstances, none of them would be enjoying the cookout after the stunt they pulled, but considering the events of the last 24 hours, their parents had allowed them to come. When Jimmy had informed Jordan's parents of their son's actions back at the mine, they were shocked. He probably wouldn't be seeing daylight for quite some time after today. Maybe when the school reopened. Danielle and Michael were under less severe restrictions for their infractions. They had only disappeared for the day, and not come home to wait out the storm. But Michael was still smoldering about his computer being impounded and had suggested that they sit as far away from his parents as they could. Completely sympathetic to Michael's pain, Elizabeth agreed to join them. An added benefit was that she and Jordan could sit together without having to endure the watchful eyes of Eric or Stanley.
Realizing they were still in public, with the entire town swirling around them, Elizabeth and Jordan had restrained themselves to holding hands under the table. But Jordan had rested his hand on her thigh now, and was slowly massaging it. Elizabeth knew that if she didn't walk away from him for a few minutes, they'd wind up in Stanley's barn once again. As much as she wanted to disappear with Jordan, she realized that wasn't the smartest idea tonight. She was still feeling the after effects of the day and wasn't sure how much control she could, or wanted to, maintain over herself or Jordan. And if Stanley were to find them in his barn, it would be just plain bad. Gently giving Jordan his hand back, she stood up and announced she was going for more food. Danielle decided to accompany her, leaving the boys together.
On their way to one of the grills, they passed a table where the rich kids were playing poker. "Hey, Elizabeth! Danielle!" Skylar Stevens called out, waving to them as she dealt the cards.
Elizabeth went over and greeted Skylar's friends, Danielle following. When she was younger, Skylar Stevens wasn't someone Danielle ever imagined she would be friendly with. Thanks to being one of the Mayor's daughter's best friends, she now knew nearly everybody in the school. There were many things about Skylar that she and Liz didn't like, especially the way Skylar and her friends treated Dale Turner and some of the other less-fortunate kids; but that didn't keep them from being amicable towards her. Liz had known Skylar nearly all her life, and even though they didn't hang out together any more, she missed the old Skylar. Danielle knew Liz hoped it was only a matter of time before Skylar stopped defining herself by the friends she kept. Out of the corner of her eye, Danielle saw Dale passing by one row over. It looked like he was helping to pass out food to the people seated there. Elizabeth had seen him too.
"So, we'll have to have a party at my place soon since you couldn't have—" Skylar offered, trailing off as Dale slowly walked by and caught her eye.
Elizabeth nodded. "Sure, that'd be great." Turning towards him, she got Dale's attention. "Hey, Dale."
"Hey," he returned uncomfortably as Skylar's friends stared at him. "I'm sorry about your party."
Elizabeth shrugged. "No big deal. We're actually on our way to get some of the party food and cake, if you want to join us," she suggested, stepping a little closer to the buffet tables. She wanted to get Dale, and herself and Danielle, out of the awkward position they now found themselves in. Dale nodded and Elizabeth said goodbye to Skylar.
After dinner, Elizabeth and the gang were playing cards when she looked up to see Jake heading for Town Hall, his duffle slung over his shoulder. As he passed their mother, Gail handed the corn in her arms to Dale and followed. Curious, Elizabeth quickly abandoned the game to head after them, Jordan joining her. Entering Town Hall, she heard Jake and Eric, who had been manning the radios, talking about Smoky Hill Bridge. Jake wandered around the bullpen gathering tools while he explained how he'd obtained the large metal object that had replaced his clothes in his bag. It was the black box from an airplane, but it was painted bright orange.
Gail asked about the passengers, and Jake hesitated. He glanced over and saw Elizabeth and Jordan had joined them in the Sheriff's Department, with more people streaming in behind them.
"There was a commuter plane that didn't make it and a 757 that was empty."
"Well, where are they? Where'd they go?"
He finally just looked back to his mother, and shook his head. "I don't know."
Bill broke the silence, asking how they could listen to the tape inside the box. Jake sent him after the old reel-to-reel machine and Gail left to get Johnston. Elizabeth moved up to lean against the counter where Jake was opening up the outer case. Eric focused on updating the crowd while she watched Jake. He was moving in quick, choppy motions, nothing like his usual smooth, controlled movements. She spoke quietly, not wanting to interrupt, but concerned.
"Jake, you okay?"
Jake sighed. "Yeah, I'm a little freaked." Glancing up, he saw Jordan standing right behind El, his hands on her shoulders, watching everything intently. Pointing to a clear spot on the back wall, he looked back at her. "El, he needs to go stand over there. I don't want to deal with him tonight." He returned to the task of removing screws.
As Elizabeth looked up and started to ask why, she saw Eric had moved back behind Jake and was shaking his head. He mouthed the word "no" over Jake's shoulder and indicated the wall as well. Giving up, she turned around to Jordan.
"You heard him. Why don't you go ahead and just wait for me over there?" Seeing he wanted to object, she tried again. Taking one of his hands, she shrugged. "Well, you could go tell Michael and Danielle, instead…" He finally gave in and went over to stand next to Bill's map, looking pissed.
Bill brought the tape player in and set it down on one of the back desks just as Jake finished with the screws. Carefully removing the reel from the box, he took it over and mounted it on the player. He called Elizabeth over, asking if she had ever seen how a tape deck worked. He started laughing when she just stared back at him. Catching his breath, he indicated the tape's path and explained how the heads were able to read the information encoded on the ribbon of tape. By the time they had everything set up, and Jake had listened to the tape once, a small crowd had gathered in the room.
Johnston worked his way through the crowd to join his family by the desk. Emily followed the Mayor in; seeing Heather, she joined her. Jake's eyes followed her. Heather reached out to hold Emily's hand. Eric drew Jake's attention away from the women.
"Dad's here."
Stopping the tape, Jake removed his headphones and quickly ran down what they were going to hear. Pulling the headphone plug out, he leaned forward to start the tape, but was halted by Johnston.
"Wait, the kids." Several parents escorted their children outside. Elizabeth had no intention on heeding his words, so she stayed put. Until Gail tapped her on the shoulder.
"That means you, too." she said, pointing to the door.
"Mom, let her—" Jake started to interrupt until she shook his head at him.
Lowering her voice, she said quietly: "She doesn't need to be here for this."
Jake raised one eyebrow, promising he'd question her about her statement later. He looked over at Elizabeth to get her reaction. She didn't look happy, but she walked away, stopping to collect Jordan on her way. He shook his head at whatever she said, pointing to the tape. She continued outside without him.
After his discovery of Roger's plane landing safely, most of the listeners had trailed out after Emily to tell others what they'd heard. Jake left Town Hall after listening to the cockpit voice recorder a few more times with his father and Eric. He joined the party on Main Street, looking for Elizabeth. Searching the moving crowd was complicated every time he was stopped by someone thanking him for helping with the salt mine, or information, or just to welcome him home. Distractedly, he thanked everyone, without really focusing on them. Finally, he spotted Elizabeth sitting at a table with her friends, groaning when he saw Jordan.
"Can I steal you away for a few?" Jake asked Elizabeth when he reached their table. She nodded but held up a finger to him as they continued their hand. She folded after the river card was dealt, then stood up and followed Jake to a spot on the sidewalk a few yards away.
"What's up, Jake?"
"I just wanted to check on you; see how you're doing," he answered.
"I'm good," she told him. "What was on the tape?"
"I don't think Mom would want me to tell you that; though I'm sure Jordan already has." Hearing her exasperated sigh, he continued. "Look, I'll talk to her. See if I can convince her it's okay for you to listen to it. It is okay if you hear it? I mean, you can handle it, right?"
"Yeah, I can handle it, but if Mom doesn't want me to know—" she trailed off, looking past Jake towards Jordan and the poker game she'd abandoned. "Hey, why were you so harsh on Jordan earlier?"
The question caught him off-guard, and Jake stuttered. "I…he…did he tell you he stole a stick of dynamite out of the storage shed at the mine, and tried to bring it back to town? And that he ignored me when I told him to go inside the mine—several times?"
"Yeah, he told me while we were still at the clinic. Right after Jimmy told his parents. They were so pissed; they chewed him out right there in my room. We 'discussed' it and he knows it was dumb for him to take that dynamite. He said he'd come apologize tomorrow. 'Course, I'm pretty sure he's going to apologize to Jimmy and Eric, since they're the ones who busted him." she admitted. "And it's not like you never did anything stupid," she reminded him. Seeing him flinch at her comment, she realized it had come out a little too harshly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have—"
"No, it's okay," he interrupted her. "I'll let you get back to your friends." He waved his hand in the direction of her friends before he turned to walk away.
"Jake," Elizabeth said, reaching out her hand to touch his. Jake turned around to face her again. "I had Mom save a few pieces of my cake for you. Since it's your favorite and all—Triple Death chocolate." She hoped he'd take her birthday cake as a peace offering after her comparison between him and Jordan. He did.
"Thanks," he replied, smiling. "Have fun with your friends; I'll talk to you later." He turned and walked back to the grills, passing a table where Heather was sitting alone. She still looked shaken over her friend's death. He decided that he wouldn't be the only one getting some of the cake. His mother's baking was considered some of the best food therapy in town. Jake claimed two of the saved pieces of the chocolate cake from Gail in exchange for a promise to escort Elizabeth home, and made his way back to Heather.
"Thanks," she said.
She looked startled by both the cake appearing over her shoulder and the person delivering it to her. He took the smile she gave him as permission to join her. Jake eased into the chair on Heather's left, giving him a clear view of Elizabeth and her friends.
Elizabeth had only mentioned her friends in passing when she'd visited, leaving Jake curious about who she hung out with at home. He was especially curious to find out if El's feelings for Jordan were stronger than just friendship. Their body language at the hospital and Town Hall today said yes. He hoped his suspicions were wrong.
Jordan's rashness irritated Jake. He was worried that El would get caught up in it, and get herself into trouble—maybe more than being a Green could fix. Just like he had at her age. If El was going to start dating, then it should be somebody who wouldn't embarrass the family. That was the drawback of being the Mayor's children.
Heather took a bite of the cake, searching for a safe subject to talk about. She understood she needed to quit thinking about Scott's death and the explosion yesterday. But she knew very little about Jake Green other than he lived in New York, had a broader range of knowledge than many here in Jericho, and once dated Emily. Her eyes fell on Emily, smiling and laughing with some of her friends. Considering Jake knew her, she figured that might work.
"She looks so much better." Jake followed her line of sight and realized that Heather was actually referring to Emily. "You really made her happy," she continued, looking down at her plate, missing Jake's fixed stare.
"I owed her," he said, quietly.
"Well, I'd say this makes you even." Heather looked at him again.
"Not even close," Jake admitted. His eyes had remained fixed on Emily the entire time. Heather realized that Jake and Emily were a subject she shouldn't have gotten into. She wondered if he still loved Emily and if he was just being polite to her. It hadn't seemed that way every time they'd wound up on the school bus, but she sure wasn't going to test that theory anytime soon.
The silence that followed his comment broke him out of his reverie. He realized he'd freaked Heather a little bit when he saw the fixed smile on her face. Feeling guilty, he tried to lighten the mood. As Emily walked away, she passed El's table. 'That'll work.' "So, how exactly do you know Elizabeth?"
Heather breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the topic change. "Over the summer I started a reading program; a mini-summer school, if you will. The first day more kids showed up than I expected, so I started to look for volunteers. Elizabeth and a few other kids from the high school showed up, but she was the only one to stay for the entire summer. The kids enjoyed it so much; she thought it'd be a good idea to continue the program during the school year. We got permission from the principal and started an after-school reading and tutoring program."
"Oh," Jake replied. "I didn't know about that."
"She's really good with the kids, and they love her," Heather continued, taking another bite of cake. "So, two days a week until four-thirty we're with the kids; then we go running."
"Did you run in high school too?" Jake asked.
Heather nodded. "And college. But never like her."
Jake nodded knowingly. "She could run for days trying to find the end of an endless road. Even when she was little she had to run everywhere; she never walked." He took a bite of his cake as he glanced over to Elizabeth again. "She just hurt her leg in the car accident and she's already growing restless about not being able to run."
"I can understand that," Heather acknowledged, nodding down towards her broken leg. She took another bite of her cake. "This cake is really good."
"Courtesy of El," Jake said. "It's her birthday cake."
They fell silent for a few minutes, enjoying the illusion of tradition. Jake watched El as she won a hand, and smiled to himself.
"So, uh, are you a better runner than you are a skater?" Heather asked him.
"What?" Jake stopped his fork in midair, halfway to Heather's plate.
"If I remember correctly, you spent more time kissing the ice than actually skating at Rockefeller Center last Christmas."
"She told you that?" Jake asked, choking on the piece of cake he had stolen from Heather's plate.
Laughing, Heather said, "No. She e-mailed the pictures to your brother and I happened to walk by the Cyberjolt when he was showing them to Stanley." 'Oh my, he actually looks embarrassed.' The little boy expression was too much for her and she started laughing again.
Shaking his head, Jake avoided Heather's eyes by directing his own back to Elizabeth. He had intended on keeping a close eye on her, but seeing an empty table where she had been sitting only minutes ago, Jake realized his conversation with Heather had thoroughly distracted him. He didn't really want to leave Heather thinking he was a klutz, but it was getting late, and he figured he'd better find Elizabeth before his mother did.
"Uh, oh, I better go track her down. Mom will have a cow if El gets home after she does." Jake stood up and gathered up their plates.
"Would you like some company?" Heather stood up quickly, and nearly tripped over the crutch on her right, having forgotten about it while talking with Jake. "Uh, I mean, you still haven't answered my question…not that I can talk," she finished lamely, feeling a blush starting.
Jake raised his eyebrow. "You sure you're up for a walk? I don't know where she's gone, and I'm out a car, now."
"I'll make you a deal. If or when we get near my place, I'll say goodnight. Same deal if I start to wear out. Work for you?"
Sitting on the top step of the church, Elizabeth yawned, fighting the urge to scratch her itchy leg. If she hadn't promised to leave it on, the bandage would have been off hours ago, as soon as Mom had let her out of her sight. The meds were starting to wear off and she was exhausted. But she'd deal with the pain if it meant she didn't have to be alone with her thoughts. Or the dreaded nightmares.
"So, 1 a.m.?" Michael asked Jordan, continuing the discussion on when to meet up after bed-check.
Looking down the street, Elizabeth saw the familiar form of Jake walking with Heather towards them. She needed to end the current conversation fast. "Looks like I'm out tonight, guys."
Her friends gave her odd looks. Usually she jumped at any opportunity to roam the streets after dark. Before they could question her, she continued. "My leg's bothering me. You guys have fun tonight; maybe I can join you tomorrow." She then waved as Jake got closer. Spotting him, her friends knew it was going to be more difficult for Liz to get away now that her brother, the light sleeper, was in the next room.
"Hey, what are you guys up to?" Jake asked as he and Heather broke off their conversation.
"Just talking," Elizabeth said, almost masking the annoyance she felt that he had come looking for her. Her friends nodded in agreement.
"Okay. Well, it's getting late. I think we should head home before Mom and Dad do. I don't think you'd want them to find you're not there."
Heather chimed in, "C'mon, you three. I'll bet your parents are looking for you again. From what I heard earlier, you don't want to make things worse."
Grumbling, the kids followed Heather. Just before she turned the corner back to the party, Heather looked back to Jake and Elizabeth, and caught Jake's smile.
Catching the look that passed between them, Elizabeth grinned. "She's really nice, isn't she?"
"So what, Jake? You're blaming me for Scott Rennie's death? You're the one that blew up the entrance to the mine two days ago!" Eric asked as he stood outside the downstairs bathroom in the Green house. He had stopped by an hour earlier for what he thought would be a peaceful and quiet respite from the events of the past two days. Instead, he had spent the entire lunch butting heads with Jake, and, from the way it looked, they'd be at it for awhile.
"All I'm saying is that you should have let more people in the shelter at town hall," Jake yelled back across the open door as he continued washing up.
"Dammit, Jake, you know full well that I couldn't let any more—" Eric started before he was pushed into the small bathroom by Elizabeth. Before either of the Green boys could respond, Elizabeth had pulled the door closed. They heard the turning of the key as she locked the door.
"Elizabeth!" they both shouted.
"This isn't funny. Let us out," Eric said before Jake jumped in.
"Elizabeth Green! Unlock this door right now!"
"No! All you guys have done for the last hour is argue," Elizabeth said from the hallway. She heard footsteps behind her and she turned to see Johnston and Gail approaching.
"What's with all the yelling?" Gail asked.
"Uh, sorry. I'll, uh, let them out," Elizabeth stammered. She knew her parents would figure out who had locked Jake and Eric in the bathroom. There would be only one culprit, after all. She had hoped she could have gotten back to her room first, though. She turned to unlock the door but was stopped by Gail's second question.
"Honey, why did you lock them in the bathroom?"
Dropping her hand from the door, Elizabeth replied, "They're still fighting about Mr. Rennie and the town hall shelter." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued. "I thought maybe they could use some time…to talk. I'm sorry. I'll let them out."
"No, you know what? Maybe that's not such a bad idea," Johnston said, trying to stifle a laugh. "Maybe that's exactly what they need." Elizabeth looked at Gail who took a moment to respond. When she did, Elizabeth was surprised to see a nod of approval.
Moving to the door, Gail said "One of us will be back later to let you out." Before she followed Elizabeth and Johnston down the hall, she added: "You two play nice now." As she walked away, Gail heard a string of protests from her sons. She didn't even try to keep the smile from appearing on her face.
Shaking his head, Jake said, "Where the hell does she get these ideas?" Then he leaned back against the sink and glared at Eric leaning against the door.
"Maybe you'd know if you'd been around the last five years," Eric muttered, glaring back at Jake.
"Is that why you've been acting like a jerk all day? You're mad that my job took me away from here?" Jake asked.
"Me? Acting like a jerk? You're the one who has been on my case ever since I showed up for lunch. You're acting like it's my fault—" Eric shot back.
"You didn't answer my question!" Jake interrupted. "Are you really mad at me for being gone for five years? Because, if I remember correctly, you had no problem admitting you wanted me to leave town after Chris died. And I don't remember you putting up a fight for me to stay here when I told you that I had to relocate."
"This isn't about me, Jake. Never was!" Eric argued as he moved to sit on the edge of the tub.
"Then what is this about, Eric? And don't give me some bull about it being Mom and Dad because they understand why I left. And, yeah, I know they worried about my leaving, but they supported my decision."
"This isn't about Mom and Dad, either! It's about Elizabeth. Do you have any idea what she's really like? Mr. Cutler has had more conversations with Dad about her than you can count. Some of her other teachers are beginning to be concerned about her schoolwork as well. Her mouth is getting her in trouble more and more. And now she's sneaking out of the house after midnight. Jimmy's brought her home a few times; so have I." Eric stopped for a moment, running his hands through his hair. "You should've been here but where were you? Off caring more about some damn foreign kids than your own daughter! I get you were trying to be noble and heroic, but your priority should have been her! You should have been here for her; instead you were off saving the world!"
"Do you really think it was easy for me to be away from her? Do you really think I left without considering the consequences?" Jake realized how loud he'd gotten. Sitting down next to Eric, he continued in a more controlled voice. "Dammit, Eric. That was the hardest damn decision I've ever had to make. It was hell being away from her. I missed out on a lot in the last five years, I know, but don't you ever say I don't care about her! If I didn't care do you think I would've talked to her almost every week? Have her come visit me? Send her letters and email? I missed her every single day and I questioned my decision to leave every single day. She is my priority, Eric. She's why I took the job, but she's also the reason I regretted taking it." He shook his head. He couldn't believe Eric was questioning his love for his daughter. Then something Eric had said struck him as odd. "What exactly had you out of your house in the middle of the night?"
"Elizabeth! If you do not stop that right now I will find a way to tie you to that bed!" Gail snapped, standing in the doorway of Elizabeth's room.
Like a deer caught in headlights, Elizabeth stopped pacing and turned to look at her. "What? I'm not doing anything."
"You've been up here pacing for going on twenty minutes. I told you to sit down and rest your leg, not wear a hole in the carpet," she countered. Ever since they had left Jake and Eric in the bathroom, Elizabeth had been quiet, too quiet for Gail's liking. And restless. She had wandered around the house, aimlessly, for the first fifteen minutes until Gail sent her upstairs. Gail had hoped Elizabeth would take that as a hint to find something to do that did not involve the use of her leg. At first, Gail had tried to pass off the occasional sound of moving feet. But then the movement became more consistent and louder, and Gail decided to act on it.
"I don't know what to do." Elizabeth said. Running was out. Even if she could have gotten past the dragon lady, she knew she ran the risk of more damage, and thus more restrictions.
At the party last night she had been tired, but when she had tried to fall asleep later, she couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes she had seen the dead couple in the car, then the dead guy in Stanley's yard. So she'd stayed awake, using her iPod to distract her brain, until the battery ran down. She knew if she did fall asleep without the aid of total exhaustion, the flashbacks would come. Running would have cleared her mind, and worn out her body.
"Well, you better not be thinking about leaving this house. If you do, I'll make sure to tie you to that bed until you get those stitches out," Gail threatened. "So find something to do. Got it?"
A few minutes later, Gail finally let her sons out of the bathroom. Before she had a chance to gauge how their time in lock-up had gone, Jake asked her where Elizabeth was.
"In her room, probably fuming because I threatened her with bed rest if she didn't stop walking around," she told him.
He headed up the stairs interested in finding out more about what Eric had told him, from the source herself. When he knocked at her door and entered her room, she was lying on her bed, head propped on a pillow, reading.
"Ah, Catcher in the Rye, the classic novel of teenage angst. I thought you already read that one," he said, as he closed the door behind him, making sure it latched.
"I have. Multiple times," she answered as she peered over it to look at Jake. "We're supposed to have a book report due on it in a few weeks," she explained. "But I guess it's pretty dumb of me to be thinking about school. It's not like it's gonna be back in session anytime soon."
"You're not dumb," Jake told her, as he pulled her desk chair over so he could straddle it and face her. "But, considering you're probably right about school, I think you should put down that book for a little while. I need to talk to you about something."
"About what?" she asked, setting the book on the bed next to her.
"Something Eric and I talked about downstairs. How often does your mouth get you into trouble?"
"You know, speaking of mouths, Eric's got a big one," Elizabeth replied, deliberately avoiding his question.
"Uh, uh. That's not going to work."
"It doesn't matter how often." She picked up the book to continue reading. Jake reached over and grabbed it out of her hands.
"Yes, it does. So tell me," he demanded as he leaned back to put the book on her desk.
She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Fine. Usually every Sunday at dinner, and once or twice throughout the week. It's no big deal really."
"I think it is kind of a big deal; you were never like that when you came to visit me."
"That's because I was away from here."
"Yeah? What's so different about Jericho that makes it hard for you to watch your mouth?"
"Hmm, let's see. Jackass, incompetent teachers. Eric and Stanley breathing down my neck about things. The constant comparisons to you and Eric. Oh, and I don't know, maybe the fact that everyone thinks I'm gonna turn into the screw up you were before I was born," she told him, ticking off each reason with her fingers.
"First off, who is everyone?"
"A few of my teachers, my guidance counselor, Mrs. Leigh. I swipe a few things and all of a sudden—"
"You stole stuff?!" Jake exclaimed.
"Just some candy bars and sodas" she said, brushing it off with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's not like I'm the only one who did it; I'm just the only one that got caught. Like I said before, no big deal."
Jake wasn't sure how to respond. The kid he left behind five years ago would never have committed theft, no matter how minor it was, or how much pressure her peers put on her. The girl sitting in front of him now was a far cry from the one he remembered from last December. Eric had been right when he said her behavior and attitude had gotten worse since she got back from New York. What the hell had happened while he was gone?
"Well, it is a big deal. Remember, Dad's the Mayor. What you do reflects on him." Jake tried to lighten the lecture. "Or haven't you heard enough about my screw-ups from everybody?"
It seemed to work. Elizabeth giggled. "I know that, Jake. It's why I decided to not get involved in anything more serious. And, the way they make it sound, it's a wonder you ever stayed out of jail long enough to go to school."
Jake looked uncomfortable at that. He rubbed the stubble on his jaw self-consciously. "Yeah, it was a pretty wild time. I'm amazed Dad even talked to me before now. Maybe if I hadn't decided I knew it all back then, I'd have done better for myself. You know how Grandpa had set aside that money for us to use for college?"
Elizabeth nodded.
"Well, mine was earmarked for Embry-Riddle. I was going to be a pilot. Instead, I convinced myself that I could handle anything, and screwed myself out of school." Jake realized how harsh he was being on himself. "Now, don't get me wrong, I've done well in the long run. And I wouldn't change anything—except for having missed the last five years with you guys. But it was a lot of hard work and long days away. I just don't want you to learn this lesson the hard way. Believe me, there's plenty of hard lessons out there."
El looked lost in thought, but at least she wasn't trying to blow him off any longer. Jake decided to try his luck one more time.
"Hey, El?"
She glanced up at him. He looked confused now. "Why would Eric and Stanley be breathing down your neck?"
The last few days were finally catching up to him; Jake was exhausted. The house was so much quieter than anywhere he'd stayed in over a year. It was taking all his willpower and training to stay awake as he waited for the inevitable. He lay in bed fully dressed, including an old pair of running shoes that he'd found in his closet. He hadn't left his door open since he was fifteen; claiming Eric's snores were too much for him. Now it was barely ajar so he could hear any movement in the hallway.
Finally, two hours after everyone had turned in for the night, Jake heard Elizabeth as she walked by his room, hitting the loose floorboard, and then down the stairs. Getting up, he slowly opened his door a little wider, listening to determine where she was headed. He heard the front door open, then close. He followed her.
Jake stood in the shadowed doorway of the old Pizza Garden watching El for ten minutes. She checked her watch for what must have been the fifteenth time. Out of all the places she could have gone, she had stopped outside of Town Hall. 'Who is she waiting for?' That question was answered when Jake saw Jordan hurrying towards her. 'You have got to be kidding me!' They hugged for far too long as far as Jake was concerned. He didn't want El to know he had followed her, or he would have dragged the boy home to his parents that minute. He watched as Jordan pointed his finger down Main Street but Elizabeth shook her head 'no'and said something. Finally they sat down on the steps of Town Hall and started to talk.
After awhile, Elizabeth stood up, pulling Jordan up with her. She said something to him and he pulled her in for another hug. Breaking the hug, they automatically found each other's hand, then started walking and talking quietly. Jake followed them as they walked through town, to The Pines and back, finally making their way back to the house two hours later. After another full-contact hug, El headed into the house. Jake breathed a sigh of relief when Jordan didn't kiss her. It didn't appear to be as serious as he'd thought, but he would still be putting an end to her late-night excursions. He waited until Jordan reached the end of the street before he stepped out of the shadows and slipped inside to get some much needed rest.
"Late night?" Johnston asked as Jake walked into the living room with a cup of coffee and collapsed, tiredly, into the recliner. It was after lunch; Gail and Elizabeth had left over an hour ago to have April check her stitches. Even though Jake had never been an early riser—the last two mornings were the rare exceptions—Johnston had never known him to sleep this late.
"Yeah," Jake confirmed. "El…she—"
"Snuck out again?" Johnston asked. This morning when he had entered the kitchen before Elizabeth—a rarity—he'd had a feeling she had spent some time outside after dark. The one-sided conversation confirmed his hunch. He'd questioned her, but she denied stepping foot outside the house. Instead, she chalked her tardiness up to a restless night of sleep.
He knew it was a lie and that he should've called her on it. But, he was confused by her blatant disrespect. Up until recently Elizabeth would never have dared lie to him; during the last few months she'd lied to him more than she had her entire life. Somewhere over the course of the last six months or so they had lost her, and he didn't know why.
Jake nodded. "I'll handle it, Dad." Johnston had no doubt that he would. Jake opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by the front door opening. Gail and Elizabeth walked in, followed by Elizabeth's friends. Gail stopped to close the door as the kids made their way down the hallway, chatting and laughing. She stepped into the living room.
"Good to see you're finally up," she told Jake, as she sat down next to her husband on the couch.
"He had a long night," Johnston told her, and, much to Jake's relief, left it at that. "What are those four up to?"
"Off to play football in the backyard," she replied. Then, to stop the string of protests she knew both men were going to make, she continued. "April checked her leg; she's doing fine. Elizabeth promised to take it easy and she knows better than to go back on that promise."
Jake waited until he heard the shouting and laughter come from the backyard. He put his coffee down on the side table. Convinced they wouldn't be overheard; Jake asked the question he'd been wanting to ask since he'd gotten back from his fact-finding trip. "Mom, why did you make El leave Town Hall the other night? Why couldn't she listen to the tape?"
Gail had been expecting the question, but, even so, it didn't make this conversation any easier to have. She looked to her husband, for support and strength, knowing that Jake was not going to be happy with the answers.
"She's been through a lot, son," Johnston said. He hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "More than just the last few days."
"Before you left for Goodland you asked me about her odd behavior," Gail spoke up, taking over for her husband. "She's had spells like this for a few years now. But she hasn't had an episode since she got back from New York…until the day of the bombs."
"A few years? How come I didn't know about them? What's the trigger? What the hell happened to her?" Jake was getting pissed, and scared, again. He knew his parents were stonewalling him; that they had no intention of actually telling him the truth. "I have a right to know, damn it!"
"Jake, honey, we know that," Gail agreed.
"Then stop stalling and tell me!" Jake yelled at her as he stood up and began to pace across the room.
"Sit down," Johnston demanded. "Sit down and calm down." He waited until Jake threw himself back in the chair. "Look, when she's ready, she'll tell you. All we can tell you is that, aside from the occasional nightmare or flashback, she's fine. She's safe."
"Did someone hurt her?" Jake said, quietly, finally voicing one of his chief concerns. "Did some sick—"
"No, Jake. No one hurt her."
After another hour of pacing the house, and somehow not putting his fist into the wall, Jake gave up and left. His parents had refused to discuss the matter any more and he wanted nothing more than to drag El into the house and demand the truth from her; even though he knew that was the worst possible approach. Instead, he headed out the front door and started walking until he found himself at Bailey's.
Jake was surprised to see how crowded Bailey's was. Holding the door open for the couple walking out, he spotted Stanley sitting at the bar, nursing a bottle of beer. He made his way through the crowd, finally sliding into the barstool next to his friend.
"Hey, Stanley." Jake caught Mary's attention and signaled for a round.
"Hey, Jake," Stanley replied as Mary brought him a new beer and placed Jake's first one in front of him. They nodded their thanks and sat quietly as they observed the scene around them. "Kinda crazy, huh? Even the world going to hell can't keep the crowds away."
"Yeah," Jake agreed. "So, how are you doing?"
"Good. Although, I'm slightly disappointed that my spider powers haven't kicked in," Stanley replied, chuckling.
"You know, after five years, I thought you'd actually grow up," Jake told him, laughing.
"You know, after five years, you're still secretive as hell," Stanley said.
While he had meant it as a joke, it came out just the opposite. He didn't know what Jake was planning when he dragged him off his stool and to the now empty booth on the back wall. He relaxed when Jake grabbed a rag from the bucket under the wait station, wiped down the table and signaled Mary for another round.
They spent a few minutes talking about how Jericho had changed since the last time Jake was there, most of which Jake already knew from Elizabeth, but he didn't tell Stanley that. Stanley told him about the cute but bitchy IRS agent that had visited him the day of the bombs. Jake told him, briefly, about what it was like living in New York and San Diego. Since Elizabeth had gone to visit him in both cities, his location stateside had never been a secret. It was just his reasons for living there that Jake couldn't talk about. But, somehow, their conversation kept coming back to the girls they loved more than anything.
"You know, I just don't get it," Jake said after a few minutes of silence and half his beer. "When I left town, she was this well-mannered, respectful kid. Now, her mouth needs a filter, she hates school, she sneaks out of the house…" he trailed off to finish his beer. "Just since I last saw her in December, she's changed so much."
"Yeah," Stanley agreed. "Thankfully, Bonnie's not tearing it up like Elizabeth, but she's decided that she likes this punk kid from the Pines. I keep trying to tell her he's not what she wants, but I don't think I'm getting through. Short of tying her to the front porch, I don't know what to do with a moony girl." He drained his bottle and let the empty join Jake's at the edge of the table.
"You know, I wonder if maybe she's upset with you and Eric moving away," he said. He'd been around Elizabeth more these last five years than Jake; he might be able to help his friend figure out what was going on with her. Holding up his hand to stop Jake from speaking, he continued. "Now, wait a second, Jake. Just bear with me. Remember how much trouble I had with Bonnie about starting kindergarten? How she didn't want to leave me? I finally resorted to taking her to a therapist up in Rogue River because it was interfering with my running the farm. I was still learning the business end of it all, and you know that's never been my thing.
"Well, after we met with the head doc a couple times, she told me she thought Bonnie was suffering from an abandonment issue from our parents dying. That Bonnie was afraid if she went to school, one day I wouldn't be there for her. It took us a long time to get her to believe that I wouldn't leave her as well. That's why I decided against that evening class. She couldn't sleep if I wasn't home at night.
"When Eric got married, he and April moved into their house. Then shortly after that, you took that promotion and got relocated. Elizabeth was what, ten or eleven, when you left? If Emily handled it badly, how do you think a kid would? You're her family and you left her."
Mary replaced their bottles with fresh ones as she walked the booths. Jake sat back in the corner and thought over Stanley's theory. He didn't know enough about psychology to just accept it, but he could see the parallels to Bonnie's case. And El was acting a lot like he used to, before she came along. There had to be something buried pretty deep in her brain that was causing her to stay angry. Stanley interrupted his thoughts.
"Man, remember when we thought having to get up in the middle of the night to sit with a sick kid was tough?"
Jake nodded, grinning. "I swear I only got, at most, two hours of sleep every night senior year. El either had an ear infection or her colic kept me up. Mom and Dad offered to help, but she was my responsibility. And her crib was in my room."
"Is it bad if I would take a million of those nights again if it meant I didn't have to deal with raising a teenage Bonnie?" Stanley asked.
"If it is, then I'm just as bad," Jake admitted. "At least then we knew what to do to help them when they needed it."
Clinking bottles in agreement, they drank.
"You know, I never really did understand teenage girls, but it's worse now."
Elizabeth pulled a sweatshirt over her head as she limped out of her room into the darkened hallway. Passing Jake's bedroom, she heard a creak as she stepped on the betraying floorboard. For the last three years her window had been her means of escape into the night, but her injury was forcing her to improvise. And for two nights in a row now, she had forgotten she needed to slide along the wall outside Jake's room. She held her breath and stopped in place, hoping no one had heard.
"El, is that you?" she heard Jake say. 'Damn it! Why'd he have to leave his door open?' She stepped into his room to find his shadow sitting up in bed.
"Sorry if I woke you, Jake."
"I wasn't sleeping." Jake turned on the lamp on the nightstand. "Going someplace?" he asked.
"Kitchen. I'm thirsty."
"With your shoes on?" Jake said with a smirk. He had no intention of letting her off easy.
Elizabeth didn't reply; she just stared at him. Jake accepted the challenge. It had been ten months since their last staring contest.
El had just come for her visit over Christmas break. They'd spent the day doing the tourist bit, and were just settling down to dinner at home when Jake was called to another last-minute briefing. In a rush to get to it on time, he'd left the operations file he'd reviewed out on his desk instead of returning it to the safe. After two long hours of nothing, he'd come back to the apartment. The file was still on the desk, but several of the pages had been shuffled out of order. El knew not to go through any of his business file; she'd been read the riot act every time she visited. He had walked into her room and asked her if there was anything she wanted to tell him. The battle had lasted five minutes before Elizabeth broke and admitted she had looked at the file.
Jake predicted that she'd be the first to break tonight as well. He was right.
"Why weren't you sleeping?" she asked, toeing off her running shoes. She pushed at him until he moved over to let her sit down next to him on the bed, their backs resting against the headboard. She pulled the pillow out from behind her and clutched it in her lap.
"It's too quiet," Jake answered, opting for the lesser reason.
"So, Japan was loud, I take it?"
"Bright, too. My apartment was in the heart of downtown Tokyo. The lights and noise were like…"
"New York?" Elizabeth finished, remembering Jake's luxury apartment near Central Park. She loved the apartment, not only for its beauty and the breathtaking view it offered, but for being right in the heart of New York. The floor-to-ceiling windows in his 35th floor apartment offered an extraordinary view of the city, but it had been difficult to get used to nights filled with lights.
"Yeah," Jake said, nodding.
"I have a confession to make" Elizabeth said. She glanced at Jake, then looked down at the pillow in her lap. "The other day I told Stanley that you had been in Japan. He doesn't know any details. Just that your flight came in from Tokyo. We were talking about the night of the bomb and then he asked when you got back to town." She plucked at the pillow. "And I didn't mean to tell him. It just kind of slipped out. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," she said quickly, all in one breath, as she avoided his eyes.
"It's okay," Jake said.
"I'm sorry. I promised that I wouldn't…" she started before Jake put his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him.
"It's okay, El. You don't have to apologize. Really. It's okay," he reassured her. "Okay?" She feigned a smile. Finally conceding she wouldn't be leaving the house tonight, she took off her sweatshirt and tossed it on the end of the bed.
"So, who were you going to meet?" Jake asked.
"What?"
"Who were you sneaking out to meet?"
"No one," she replied. From the way she said it, Jake knew she was telling him the truth.
"So why…"
"I couldn't sleep, okay?" Elizabeth interrupted him. "And, before you ask, I don't know why. Okay?"
"Okay." He put his arm around her and hugged her to himself. Jake knew there was more to the story. After everything she'd been through the last few days, though, he didn't want to upset her by prying. He'd do that at a later time. Jake broke the silence a few minutes later. "Can you do something for me?"
Elizabeth looked at him.
"Next time you can't sleep and want to sneak out, come get me. I don't want you out by yourself after dark, so I'll either go out with you or we'll stay here and do something. Okay?"
She thought for a moment. If she agreed, it would prevent her from spending time alone by herself or with Jordan. If she didn't agree, she suspected Jake would be leaving his door open every night. Either way, it appeared that her late-night solo runs and private time with Jordan wouldn't be happening anymore. Not seeing any options, she finally agreed, hoping she could find a loophole later on.
"Yeah, I guess it'd be nice to have another running partner. With her leg out of commission for the next few weeks, Heather won't be able to go with me." She laid her head against his shoulder like when she'd been a kid, just focusing on the rhythm of his breathing. She could feel her body relaxing finally, falling into the same rhythm.
"Hey, El? I'm sorry your birthday didn't go as planned."
Elizabeth shrugged. "No big deal. The people that matter most were there and everyone was safe. That's all that matters."
"You know who I didn't see there?" Jake said. Elizabeth looked at him again. "Sara and Lauren." Elizabeth stiffened at the mention of her childhood friends, then pulling away from his arms, stood up and walked towards the door.
"El?" Jake said, concerned as he got up to stop her. He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She avoided his eyes, instead focusing on the carpet. "El?" he repeated.
"They died. In Topeka," she replied before she pulled loose of Jake's grasp and left the room.