Chapter 5: When Push Comes to Shove
The morning sun rises and it's a good day! It's Friday and everyone is ready to have fun. Jake wakes up. He notices that he's well tucked in by the fact that there was a blanket on him. He looks around and sees a paper crane on the coffee table. Jake realizes that someone woke up in the middle of the night to tuck him in nice and tight. He smiles and then looks at the time. It was 8:00 AM. "Oh crap! I need to hurry and cook breakfast for dad or I'm going to be screwed!" he thought to himself. He takes his bag and leaves a note on the table for everyone to read. He departs the house and rushes to the trailer park.
Lincoln wakes up half an hour after Jake leaves. He decides to check on Jake again. He doesn't wake up Veronica as he gets up. He opens the door to get out of the room he is in and looks into the living room. He sees that Jake is gone but notices a note on the table. He picks it up and reads it. It says:
"Dear Mr. Burrows and Mr. Scofield,
Thank you for allowing me to spend the night on your sofa and for the great dinner you provided. I'm sorry to leave you without seeing you first but I just remembered I had prior engagements that I need to get to. If it's ok with you, I'll be back later as I've misplaced my keys and my father won't be home till the evening. Thanks again.
Jake.
Lincoln makes his way in to the kitchen to start their breakfast, surprising himself as the small joy he finds in cooking for the people he loves. He hears someone shuffle in to the kitchen and turns to find LJ rubbing his eyes and walking around like the living dead.
"Didn't get enough sleep last night?" he asks, smiling at the sight of his son.
"Uncle Mike was at it again last night so it was hard to, well, sleep."
Lincoln chuckles. "Well, Jake was gone when I woke up, left me a note; said he had some stuff he needed to get done."
"Did he say what this stuff was?" LJ asks, unable to suppress the yawn.
"No, he didn't, just said he had prior engagements that he needed to get to and that he'd be back later on since he's lost his keys and his dad isn't home." LJ nods and watches as his father pulls out a pan and place it on the stove.
"So what's everyone else up to for the day?"
"Well," Lincoln replies, pulling out the eggs, bacon and the butter from the fridge and the hash browns from the freezer and taking them back to the bench, "Veronica is back at work today her old firm are more than happy to have her back." The bacon sizzles in the pan, "Michael and Sara are headed to the bank for some financial advice for the firm we want to get up and running and for Sara's clinic."
"Do you guys know where you want to open the firm and the clinic?" LJ asks as Lincoln scoops the bacon out of the pan and cracks the eggs for cooking.
"We're taking this one step at a time, bud. That will be discussed soon though."
They sit in silence as Lincoln continues making breakfast. He puts some toast in the toaster and plates the eggs and bacon. While they wait for the bread to toast, he makes a fresh pot of coffee and pulls out the cereal, some bowls and milk and sets them on the dining table. A few moments later, the toast pops out and Lincoln catches it right on to the plate. He catches LJ's bemused gaze and they share a laugh as Lincoln places the food before them on the table and they begin to eat.
Several moments later, Michael, Sara and Veronica join them in the dining room, all three still dressed in their pajamas. God mornings are muttered among the group and Veronica makes her way over to Lincoln to give him a good morning kiss.
Inhaling deeply she smiles. "Mmm, smells like Linc's cooked up a great meal for us again."
"Or burnt it and then replaced the smell with food at the store." Michael teases.
They all laugh. "I'm not a bad cook once you realize it bro."
"Come on Scofield, give your brother some credit!"
"Alright, I'll give him the credit of being a good cook. But you need to give me some credit as well." He and Sara share a smile and he plants a soft kiss on her lips.
"Come on and eat. You all have things to do," He motions for them to join him and LJ at the table and they take a seat. "For those of you who don't wish to eat a heart attack for breaky, there's the healthier alternative, Doc I know you'll appreciate that." He smiles at Sara who returns the smile and they dig in to the breakfast.
"Speaking of things, Vee?" Michael asks between mouthfuls of cereal.
"Yeah Michael?"
"I need you to do me a favor and look at Jake's file."
"I was already planning on that. Lincoln and I talked about it last night."
"So were Michael and I. That was before…" Sara notices LJ's head moving left to right. "Never mind."
They all sit at the table and finish eating all the food. LJ took the responsibility and washed the dishes while everyone else went to get dressed and ready for their day. Finishing up with the cleaning, LJ heads in to his room get dressed and ready for his day.
Veronica was the first to come out, followed by Sara and Michael. Michael had a black suit, white shirt, and a red tie on. Veronica came out in a brown suit and matching skirt with a pale blue blouse. Lincoln and LJ were both dressed casually in jeans and a polo top. Sara wore a white plaid blouse with pink pants. When Michael took a look at Sara, he was amazed. Sara stood right next to him and he leaned over. "You look beautiful, babe."
"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself, Scofield." They both smile warmly at each other. They lock eyes a moment and he leans forward and plants a soft kiss on her lips, a light touch of skin on skin.
Lincoln looks at Veronica. "It's been forever since you wore that."
"Four months don't count as forever Linc."
"It's still makes you look great." Veronica smiles and Lincoln kisses her on the lips.
"What did I walk into?" LJ asks. They all pull off of each other. "I want a kiss too!" Everyone leans in towards LJ. "I was kidding!" Everyone pulls away and laughs.
"Are we set to go?"
"Yeah, let's go." They leave the apartment and pile in to Linc's car.
Jake had just arrived at the trailer, getting there late because of car traffic and people traffic. He steps inside the trailer and finds it dark inside. "Dad?" he calls in to the darkness.
A bat comes crashing down on Jake's head, effectively knocking him to the floor. He grunts but his dad keeps him down on the floor. "You're late again boy!" He roughly yanks at his hands, pinning them behind his back and clicks the cuffs around his wrists. Dragging him roughly through the trailer, he pushes him in to his room and another set of cuffs is produced, connecting the pre-existing ones to the bed, deeming him immobile.
"You said not to come home until it was dinner time!"
"Are you disrespecting me, boy?" Jake keeps quiet after that.
"You know the rules kid, and you know the punishment for breakin' the rules."
"No, dad, please no! Don't do it! Don't!!" Jurell walks out of the room.
Jakes back is facing the door and he hears his father stomping out the bedroom only to return a moment later. He feels the white hot heat of the metal before it makes contact with his back, the heat emanating of the rod as his father hovers it dangerously close to his skin.
"Please dad," he whimpers, barely above a whisper, "please don't do it". He hears a snicker from behind him and doesn't have to see his father's face to know a sickening grin is plastered across his lips.
"You whimpering little bastard, you think my father ever let the rules slide?" His father's voice is low and full of malice. He whispers so close to Jake's ear he can feel tiny flecks of spit on his skin. Without another word, he brings the iron crashing down on Jakes back, the sizzling of flesh drowned out only by the screaming if the young boy.
"Shut your mouth you little piece of shit." He yells at Jake over the screaming as retracts the iron and curls his mouth in to a wicked smile when the charred sign on his sons back comes in to his view. He watches it closely a moment longer and listens at the screams begin to dwindle, noticing his son's skin begin to pale and the boy begins to shake slightly beneath him.
Leaning forward and over his son's back, he pulls the tiny cuff keys out of his pocket and unlatches the boy. His hands drop limp to the floor and Jurell moves his head so that his mouth is by his son's ear. "You belong to the Kyubor now, boy," he whispers into Jake's ear, "Ain't no turning your back on them kid." He straightens himself up walks towards the door, pausing before he steps out of the room, not bothering to turn back to face his son. "And Jake, get the heck out of my trailer, I don't want to see your sissy face for the rest of the night."
Jakes does not move from his position on the floor. He had known the branding was coming but he didn't know it would be so soon. His father had just signed his life away and coupled with the blinding pain from his back wound, silent tears begin to fall down Jake's face.
He remains seated on the floor by his bed, his body continues to shake and the tears continue to fall. He brings his legs up and pushes himself slowly off the floor, holding on to the bed for support. He manages to pull himself up off the ground, supporting himself on the frame of his bed. Though he pulls himself up agonizingly slowly, his head begins to spin and he feels himself falling.
His eyes flicker open and he is shocked to find himself face down on the floor. He moans at the pain in his head and brings his hand up to the source of the pain. An electric shock of ache courses through his body at the slight movement in his arm and suddenly the fuzziness of his memory clears up and he recalls the torture his father had inflicted on him.
"You little wimp," he jumps at the sound of his father's voice above him, "I told you get the hell out of my trailer." He feels his father's hand on his shirt and he is roughly yanked off the ground. He can't help but wince at the pain and emit a slight hiss at the violent act. He is dragged through the house, barely able to move his feet properly, and then thrown, literally thrown, out of the trailer, landing awkwardly on the hard ground.
"You know what happens next if you forget to follow the rules again!" He slams the trailer door behind him, causing it to shake slightly from the impact. He can hear his father cursing and crashing about within the thin walls. He takes a moment to prepare himself for the pain, and then slowly struggles up off the ground. He almost falls down again but manages to steady himself, then walks out to the shower blocks to clean the blood of his head and face. Several minutes later he emerges and walks out of the trailer park.
Jake heads to the store and buys a new black jacket to hide the brand mark on his back. The storeowner asks what happened but Jake tells him nothing and takes the jacket. He tosses his old one out and puts the new one on. He can finally walk normally, but he still feels pain on his back and on his head. As he walks, he passes by a display and looks at the bruise on his head. "Great, if I go back to them, they're going to get involved in my troubles." He sighs and walks aimlessly around the city.
Lincoln drops off Michael and Sara at the bank to talk about opening their new business. Afterwards, he drops off Veronica at her law firm which was only a few blocks away from the bank. Lincoln and LJ are the only two left in the car.
"So your school first?"
"Nope." LJ responds casually.
"What do you mean nope?" Lincoln asks baffled by his son's nonchalant response. "It's Friday, LJ, you have school Monday to Friday."
"I know, dad, but today is Teacher's Workday and we students get the day off. I just remembered that when we dropped off Uncle Mike and Sara."
"Oh, well ok then. So," Lincoln taps the driving wheel with his fingers, "What do you feel like doing then?"
He doesn't stop to think about the answer, knowing what he wanted to do immediately. "Let's go watch Iron Man, I hear it's awesome."
"Sure thing, bud, I had that in mind for this weekend but we don't have to tell Mike we already saw it." He winks at his son then maneuvers the car towards the theatre.
He parks the car at the side parking lot and they make their way around to the entrance. As they are approaching the booth, LJ sees someone slowly walking some feet ahead of them. As the person gets slightly closer, he realizes it's Jake.
"Hey dad, that's Jake over there." He tells his father, pointing at the figure. "Should I tell him to join us?"
"Sure thing LJ, go grab him and I'll wait in line."
LJ heads off in Jakes direction and calls out to him. When he hears his name, Jake freezes, not wanting to be seen injured, he goes to turn around and walk away but suddenly the world is spinning and he is falling in to oblivion once more. He stumbles on his feet and then crashes to the ground. In the distance he hears the shouts of his friend as he calls for his father to come help, then all goes black.
Chapter 6: The Papers and the Phone Call
Michael and Sara walk out of the bank, holding hands. They are both smiling about how well the whole thing went.
"Well it looks like Linc and I will be set as soon as we get the call."
"Now let's go look for buildings so we can find one that's just right for a clinic." Michael and Sara start looking around for buildings that are up for sale. After about five minutes of walking, they come across one that was too small, another in a bad location, and one that was way too big.
"I wonder if there's one close to Veronica's place."
"Maybe. But speaking of Veronica, we're almost at her law firm. Let's visit her and see if she came across anything about Jake." Together, they hold hands and walk towards Veronica's work.
"Hey, want to go somewhere after you get the letter of acceptance for your firm? Just the two of us?"
"Where would you want to go?"
"I don't know, Hawaii maybe?"
"Hawaii… those tickets are expensive. But if it's just the two of us, then sure. But on one condition."
"What condition?"
"You and I have to decide on a house. We can't stay in Veronica's house. I want us to have our own place. A place we can call home; where we can build a family and have everything that we talked about last night." He smiles at Sara.
"A family. I would absolutely love that Michael." She smiles warmly back, squeezing his hand gently in hers
"Hey, you stopped calling me Scofield."
"I figured that maybe I should stop calling you by your last name." They approach Veronica's work and walk inside. They go to the front desk and ask if they could see Veronica. The person at the front desk tells her that Michael and Sara are there and she tells them to head down the hallway and the last door on the right. They head over there and walk inside.
"Hey."
"Hey Veronica. So, how's that research on Jake coming?"
"There's not much. But what I did see was that he wasn't just sent to Juvenile Hall once, but rather several times in the past. But you'll never guess what the reasons those were for."
"What were they?" Sara asks as she takes a seat. Michael sits down on the chair next to her.
"Attempted robbery," she tells them, watching as their eyes widen slightly in shock. "But the thing is, the seven times he was caught prior to his hacking conviction, he was caught trying to steal food." She places emphasis on the last word and sees they are as shocked as she was when she first found out.
"Why would he do the same crime every single time?" Sara asks.
"That's what I would want to know. It also says his dad here works for an insurance company called Kyubor. He currently resides in a trailer park two miles away from here."
Michael stays quiet the entire time, trying to piece together the clues that Veronica tells him. "Why would he do the same crime several times and get caught for it? Wouldn't he be smart enough to figure out another way to sneak food out? And his dad resides in a trailer park two miles away. Jake said he lost the keys to the house." Those were the questions and thoughts that came to his mind. So far, he's found no way to connect the dots.
"Michael, are you listening?" Veronica snaps her fingers at him and then waves her hand.
"Yeah. I was just thinking, that's all."
"Well, all I have are these papers and no way to put them together."
"Maybe we can call Alex and ask him to help?" Sara suggests. "I mean he did manage to piece your plan together Michael. What difference does it make with this?"
"I would call Alex to help, but before we left him, he said he was going to make amends with his divorced wife to bring the family back together. I don't want to bother him for something we can figure out ourselves."
"Well, we can figure this out later when we get home. So, how did the meeting at the bank go?"
"Everything is great. Michael just has to wait for the letter. Also, we're looking for a nice spot to open a small clinic for me and a house so we don't have to stay in yours 'til death do us part." She winks at her and they share a quick smirk.
"Well there is a nice spot for a clinic that is only-" The phone rings, causing her to stop mid-sentence. Veronica picks it up. "Hello?"
"Veronica, it's me." Linc sounded stressed.
"What's going on? You sound stressed out."
"Jake has passed out near the theaters and there's a huge contusion on his head. I'm at the emergency center."
"Okay, we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Wait, who's "we"?"
"Michael and Sara are with me. We'll be there as soon as we can." Veronica hangs up the phone.
"What happened?" Sara asks.
"Jake passed out near the theaters and he has a really bad contusion on his head. We need to head to the hospital nearby." Veronica packs the papers in her suit case and all three of them rush out and get a cab.
Chapter 7: Truth Unveiled
At the Swedish Covenant Hospital, Lincoln and LJ wait outside for the doctor to allow them to see Jake. "Something has been happening at home and Jake didn't tell us."
"It must've been something that he probably doesn't want to get out but now it's starting to hurt him."
Michael, Sara, and Veronica run into the emergency center to find Lincoln and LJ sitting around, worried.
"What happened?" Michael asks.
"We don't know." The doors open and the doctor in a white coat, with a name tag clipped to the front identifying her as Dr Nikki Cordell, makes her way towards them. She's not very tall, barely reaching Lincoln's shoulders when she stands close to them. Her dark red hair is pulled back in a slick bun and oval shaped glasses hang around her neck. Her pale blue eyes are serious as she looks back at them.
"Is Jake alright?" LJ was the first one to approach her.
"He's going to be fine. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation but the worst of it is definitely over." An aura of relief ran right through LJ, Lincoln, Veronica, Michael, and Sara. "But there are a few conditions that need to be brought to your attention, considering how I'm assuming you all are taking care of him in his father's absence."
Everyone stays quiet and ready to listen to Doctor Nikki.
"When we treated Jake, we saw that not only was there a contusion on his head, but there were a large amount of bruises all over his body and his arm is sprained. Also, there was a branding that appears to be recent. We found some black cloth burned into his skin. The brand mark, however, reads KM. I need to know exactly what happened here." She stares back at the group patiently, waiting for someone to tell her how the poor boy came to have such intense injuries.
They stare back at her, blank expressions on their faces. Lincoln offers her the only truthful response he can give her. "We don't know."
Sara remembers what happened last night. "He came over last night because he was locked out of his home. He lost his keys. I remember that he was holding his arm when he knocked on our door. He told us that he tripped because it was raining last night."
"Well that's one way of hurting your arm. But all the damage done to him is really serious."
"Can we see him?" LJ asks.
"Sure. He's through those doors." She points at the doors she came through. "And the second door to your left in the hallway."
"Thank you for everything doc." Lincoln shakes her hands and everyone goes to visit Jake.
Jake is sitting up in the hospital bed, trying to remember everything that happened to him. Then he hears people laughing outside. It triggers the memory of his cruel father. He feels the brand mark on his back. Every single painful memory came back. His head and shoulders begin to hurt again. Just as he put his hand on his head, right on the contusion, the whole Burrows and Scofield family walks in.
"Jake, are you alright?" The first question comes out of LJ's mouth. Jake was starting to realize that there's only one way out of this. But he knows it isn't the best way out and figures he'll wait and gamble his chances.
"I'm fine. My body just hurts, that's all."
"Jake, I want you to tell us who did that to you." Lincoln says as he stands in front of the bed. Michael and Sara stand at one side of the bed, opposite to LJ. Veronica stands next to Lincoln.
"I… I can't. There's too much for all of you to be dabbling in my troubles. If I tell you, you'll be in trouble. All of you have been great to me these past few days, but this is just something I have to deal with."
"Look, if you don't tell us who's been hurting you these past few days, you don't know what could happen to you next. Just trust us." Jake takes Michael's words and considers everything that could happen to him. He remembers that his dad has been hurting him for awhile; quite frequently as he was growing up and if he's being honest with himself, for as long as he can remember. Every time, his dad beat him for just being a second late. But that still didn't overlook the fact that he doesn't want to hurt the family that he wishes he was born in.
"Trust me. If you take me away, you're putting yourselves in danger. I don't want them to touch you." He just thought about what he said. He realizes he just hinted the word "them".
"Who's "them?" Veronica asks. "Is it anyway in relation to the mark on your back?"
"No one." He tells them quickly, trying to cover his little slip up. Jake feels the brand on his back again as it starts to bother him.
"May I?" Sara goes behind and looks at the brand mark. It was right there in bold letters, "KM". "Does this mean anything?"
"… Am I able to leave later this afternoon? I need to get home. I found my keys." Jake tries to avoid all confrontation about his problems.
"The doctor said you had to stay overnight for observation." LJ's words feel like a blessing and a curse at the same time. He's so happy to be spending a night away from his father, but knows it's dangerous for him to be here. If his father were to find out he were here, he'd automatically think he told them about the beatings, and the one waiting for him at home would be a thousand times worse than the one that put him here in the first place. LJ's vice brings him out of his stupor "Jake, you need to tell us everything we need to know about you, man. There's one thing that's important to my dad and my uncle, and that's family. You're family and we want to help you."
"If only it were true…" He mutters to himself. LJ was the only one who heard it as everyone else was trying to figure out who was hurting Jake.
"Jake, you're like a brother to me. I don't want to see you get hurt." LJ whispers to Jake.
"Thanks, but this is just something I gotta deal with." He whispers back.
The nurse walks inside. "Jake, it's your father. He said he's home now." Jake dreads those very words that came out of her mouth. They send a chill up his spine and he knows there's no escaping his father tonight. "I told him we wanted to keep you here overnight but he said he wanted to take care of you at home. Since your wounds aren't life threatening, we could only suggest you stay the night but your father was adamant about having you at home with him."
"Thanks." He utters and she smiles warmly back before retreating and leaving the room.
LJ's tries once more to get Jake to talk about his injuries but he doesn't budge, keeping tight-lipped about everything. He gets up off the bed, wincing a little in pain as he grabs his bag.
"Thanks for coming guys. But I think I'll just go back home." He offers them a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"I'll drive you there." Lincoln offers.
"No, it's fine. I can walk from here."
"Jake, you don't have to lie to us. We know where you live." Veronica says.
"…Alright then." Jake was afraid of letting them know about his dad. Everyone gets in the car and leaves the emergency room. They stop at the trailer park and Jake gets out. "Thanks." He closes the door behind him to tread right back into the lion's den. His father is going to kill him for going to the hospital. Lincoln drives off and heads back to Veronica's house.
In the car, everyone is still talking about Jake. Only LJ remains silent the entire time. He never felt like this before. He loved his dad a lot as well as his uncle, Veronica, and Sara. But he also feels like Jake is a part of the family as well. He stares out the window as they drive, deep in thought. Then he remembers what happened when he invited him over to his house last night. He rushed him past the trailer park. He thinks that someone in there is the one hurting him, but he has no evidence at all. They stop in front of Veronica's house, get out, and walk inside.
"I wonder who could possibly be hurting Jake." Veronica wonders. She puts the papers on the table. "All I have is who his father is, what he does, and the amount of times Jake was sent to Juvenile Hall. Also their insurance."
"Wait, Veronica, did Jake's father ever visit him in Juvenile Hall?"
Veronica takes a look at all the papers about Jake's time in Juvie. "No, not a single time."
"That's weird. What kind of father doesn't as least visit his son once in Juvenile Hall?" Lincoln spits out in disgust remembering how hungry Jake was when he came over last night. "What if Jake was hungry all those times because his father didn't feed him?"
"That's inhumane Lincoln." Sara said. "But it's possible. I mean he was very hungry last night."
"Also, these papers say that he was caught for stealing food out of a number of stores." Veronica holds the paper in her hand. "He must've been hungry and in Juvie, they actually feed you some food."
"So," Michael begins, suddenly realizing something he hopes is only a theory, "what if Jake was so unbelievably hungry his only option of satiating that hunger would be to either steal some food and get away with it, or purposely let himself get caught in the act." His presumption has them all thinking that maybe this was more than a "what if."
"Hey, where's LJ?" Lincoln asks, suddenly realizing his son is nowhere to be seen.
LJ took one of his bikes that he left in Veronica's house from the past four months and decided to visit Jake. It was already getting late at night. "Jake, your dad is trying to kill you." He thought to himself. "I'm not going to let him."
Jake is in the trailer, tied to the same pole where he received his branding, waiting for his dad to punish him. He knows what the last punishment is. His father walks in. "You did the worst possible thing ever and that was to get yourself sent to the hospital you little wimp! You now know what I have to do right?"
Jake closes his eyes. "Yes." He avoids looking into his father's eyes.
LJ gets to the trailer park and leaves his bike outside. He looks inside each of the trailers through their windows to see which one Jake is in. So far, he went through about ten trailers until he saw one at the far end of the park, completely isolated from the rest. He takes a look at that one and sees Jake inside. He was tied to a pole. His dad had a huge knife. "Oh my god." LJ thought to himself. His dad slashes Jake in the back and he starts bleeding. His dad unties him and pulls him out. LJ just witnessed the harshness of Jake's dad and realizes that he's the one who did everything to Jake. He hides on the other end of the trailer and his dad throws Jake out. Jake tries to get up but then gives up until LJ appears.
"LJ…" he said.
"I'm going to get you out of here." He helps Jake get up. As they start walking away, it starts to pour on them.
"You shouldn't have seen that." Blood continuously starts to drip down his back.
"God is there anything you have to stop the wound from bleeding?"
"LJ, why are you here? You should be at home with your family."
"I know and you should be with us to. You're a part of my family already man. Look, I realized that you were lying about your dad being away. I witnessed everything. You're not safe with him. I'm letting my dad know."
"No don't. It's… not wise…" LJ continues to help Jake walk.
"What's not wise is you leaving the hospital and heading back to your dad. I gotta get you back there and I don't have my phone. Just try to hang on until we get there." As LJ and Jake walk on the sidewalk, Lincoln drives up behind them. "Dad?"
"LJ! What the hell were you thinking? Leaving us back at the house without your cell phone and not letting us know where you were heading!"
"Dad, not now! Look!" LJ shows Lincoln the wound on Jake's back.
"Who did this to him?!"
LJ looks at Jake. "It was-"
"My dad." Jake interrupted.
"What? Never mind, give me the details later. We need to get you to the hospital." Lincoln puts Jake in the back and LJ sits in the passenger seat. "Call your uncle, Sara, and Veronica and tell them to meet us at the hospital." Lincoln drives off to the hospital as fast as he can. Jake lies in the back seat, wincing in pain at what was dealt to him, but he can't help but feel relieved that there are people who do care for him. But he feared about what was to become of him and everyone else around him. But what he also felt was the warmth in his heart from a family and a friend who are willing to go to lengths to help him out. He smiles and then passes out in the car.
Chapter 8: The Truth Sets Him Free
Everyone stayed overnight at the hospital to wait for Jake to recover from surgery on his back. His dad had cut him pretty badly and they had put stitches all over his back. . They brought him get well cards, chocolates, balloons and flowers. Jake wakes up at nine in the morning, only to feel pain in his back, but nothing else. Everyone was sleeping in the chairs inside his room. Michael was sleeping in a weird position and Lincoln's face was close to his as well. LJ wakes up but doesn't make a noise because Jake tells him not to.
"Hey, push Michael and Lincoln's heads together." He whispers to LJ. LJ snickers at the chance he has and does what Jake tells him to. Veronica and Sara woke up to find LJ sneaking up to them and they realize what LJ was about to do. They both were smiling, trying to hold back any laughter from bursting out. LJ pushes Michael and Lincoln's heads together and their lips were practically close to each other. He creeps back to Jake's side. Veronica and Sara take out their phones, waiting for the right moment to take the pictures.
"I can't believe I just did that."
"Well, at least you'll get a laugh out of it. I did that to two guys last time at football camp a year ago. They chased me all over the place, trying to kill me. Everyone had pictures too. They never let them forget it."
"Jake, if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." They both smiled. Everyone was waiting for Michael and Lincoln to accidentally kiss, but they weren't waking up.
"Veronica, Sara, tempt them to kiss so they wake up, thinking that it's the two of you." LJ suggested.
They both chuckle. "Okay." Veronica walks up to Lincoln and Sara walks up to Michael. They kiss as close as they can to their mouths. Lincoln and Michael wake up but don't open their eyes.
"You missed." Michael said. He and Lincoln kiss and then when they opened their eyes, they jumped away from each other and screamed. They wipe their lips and try to wash their mouths. Sara, Veronica, Jake, and LJ were laughing hysterically at them. Michael and Lincoln didn't find it funny.
"Man you two are so easy to prank." Jake sits in his bed laughing. LJ was practically dying of laughter.
Sara and Veronica had pictures. "We're never going to let you forget this!" The two of them laugh extremely hard.
"Who set us up?" Michael asks.
"It was my idea."
"But I put your heads close enough so that you would kiss accidentally." The laughter starts to die down.
"LJ, you're grounded for a week, and Jake, when I get full custody of you, you're grounded as well."
"Aw man." LJ groans. "I had something planned next week." He looks at Jake and gives him a mean look, one with "I hate you for getting me into trouble" look.
"Hey, you listened to my instructions. And at least this will be the first time I'm grounded and not being injured for the first time for doing a stunt like that." He smiles at LJ.
Sara and Veronica look at the pictures and giggle. They look up to see Michael and Lincoln staring at them. Their faces turn straight and they put the phones away.
Looking away from the women, Lincoln turns his attention to Jake, who's lying silently on the hospital bed, smiling at them despite his injuries. "I think you need to start talking, Jake."
The smile fades from Jakes face and he somberly nods his head at Lincoln as he begins to tell them everything that had happened to him over the past few days as well as his full past with him being sent to Juvie. Lincoln and Veronica hoped that with the amount of evidence, along with Jake's and LJ's testimony that he would get full custody of Jake. Michael and Sara had hoped that as well. It nearly killed Michael that Jake almost died.
"So Veronica, when can you get the date for the court for Jake's custody?" Lincoln asks her once Jake has finished talking.
"I'm not sure but within the next couple of weeks if I can pull some strings. We're going to need to plan this well if we're going to give Lincoln full custody of Jake however given the circumstances surrounding Jake and his home life right now, I'd say anyone with half a brain would want him out of there quick smart. First thing we need to do is get on to DOCS and let them know about this. Then we file a police report against your father." She sees the fear in his eyes about having to take the matter to the police and is quick to reassure him. "I know you're scared about all this, Jake, but trust us to take care of you," she squeezes his hand lightly, hoping to bring him some comfort, "your father and you won't cross paths at all and he won't know you're with us. You'll be safe."
"Jake, you're going to school and home with LJ. There's no way you're going back to that trailer with your dad." Lincoln said.
"No offense, but I'm not going to consider him my father. But I want to let you know something about the branding he gave me."
The room falls silent as everyone gives Jake their full attention.
"It stands for the Kyubor Mafia. I was supposed to get the branding when I turned 18, but I was planning to escape as soon as I finished high school. This brand on my back means that I'm their property."
Michael, Sara, and Veronica remember the name "Kyubor" from the research they'd done on Jake's father earlier.
"So this is in relation to the Kyubor Insurance Company?" Michael asks.
"It's not even a good insurance company. It was a way to hide from the government. They were a mafia before I even was born. They killed my mother after she found. She'd written it in her journal and my father found it and ran to his cronies and they decided to "take care of her" I guess. I was only two when she died, so I don't remember her much and we have no photos of her in the house. I found her journal, though, which I thought was odd, and my father had caught me reading it, so he burned it and punished me harshly.
"I've grown up in a harsh environment, without a loving mother. I've also been branded with their mark, so that makes me their property. So whatever happens, they're going to try and take me back. The reason I didn't tell you all about this was because I didn't want to ruin what was given to you. Lincoln, you and your brother have just been fully exonerated as well as Sara. You've also recovered the love of your life, Veronica. Not to mention everything you've all been through. You just have been given the chance to relax and get your lives back on course. I didn't want to ruin that at all."
They were all touched by his words. Lincoln was happy at most along with Michael. He knows that Jake was pretty mature for his age and that he is very concerned about how others feel. Jake reminded Lincoln of Michael and how he always has to be very involved with others.
"But, as the past few days went by, the more relevant it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I found people who actually cared about me. And the more I kept thinking about it, the more I felt like I wanted to be a part of that. It really has occurred to me that I want to be a part of this family, this loving, caring family more than anything that I have ever wanted in my life. It's like what LJ has said before, family means everything."
Everyone was happy to finally have some news on Jake and his family life as they were now more equipped to help get Lincoln full custody of Jake and away from the monster he unfortunately had as a father.
"Whatever it takes Jake, I will make sure that I get full custody of you. You have shown me, no, you have shown us that you want to be a part of our family." Lincoln hugs Jake.
"Already acting like a true Burrows." LJ smiles and gives Jake a hug. Jake was already about to cry, not out of sadness, but out of true happiness.
"If you ever need a doctor, you know who to call." Sara reassured Jake. She hugs him.
"You already have a lawyer, in case you run into trouble. Just don't get yourself into a lot of trouble like what Lincoln and Michael did." Veronica hugs Jake.
"You're a smart and bright kid for your age. You and LJ make the perfect brothers. And I'm pretty sure Linc agrees with me. You two are exactly like us." Michael hugs Jake. After that, Jake burst into tears of happiness.
"I've never felt this happy in my life." Jake sniffs. He takes a moment to get his emotions under control. "Please get me in your custody dad." Lincoln's heart was warmed up from that word "dad". He loves to hear it out of LJ's mouth and now he hears it from his soon to be son, Jake.
Jake's doctor, Nikki, walks in to the room with a concerned expression on her face. "We heard a lot of noise from outside and we were wondering if everything is alright?"
Jake and LJ look at Lincoln and Michael and smile. "Want pict-"Lincoln puts his hands over Jake's mouth. She couldn't hear anything except a muffled noise.
"We got good pict-"Michael puts his hands over LJ's mouth. She also couldn't hear anything except a muffled noise. Veronica and Sara both walk up to Nikki and show her the pictures of Michael and Lincoln on their phones. She starts laughing hysterically.
"Oh my god!" She continues laughing hard. Every nurse and doctor starts to wonder what's with all the laughter so they enter Jake's room. They look at the cell phones and watch the pictures and they start to laugh hard as they look at Michael and Lincoln. They blush out of embarrassment of the laughter. It was hard to not join in with the laughter so Veronica, Sara, LJ, and Jake start laughing as well.
"You two are so grounded when we get home." Lincoln whispers to Jake and LJ. They drop their heads down in shame. As the laughter starts to die down, they all disperse and head back to their jobs. Nikki waits in the room, checking out Jake's back and changing the dressing on his wound before she relates to them his progress.
"Well," she says, stepping back from the bed, "the wound appears to be healing rather nicely and I'd say Jake's free to go home today. I've changed the dressing, which needs to be done each and every day to keep it from infection." She smiles at the group before her face turns serious. She still has a small matter that needs addressing before she can let him go home.
"I need to know how he got a gashing wound on his back?" she looks from one pair of eyes to the other. "He was brought here yesterday with extensive injuries covering his body. This is no coincidence and I have to know what's going on here. I'm suspecting foul play from somewhere and there's no possibility of Jake being released until I get answers."
She doesn't wait long before Jake takes it upon himself to tell her the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about his current state. He tells her about his father, his unfortunate real father's mistreatment of him and how his injuries were inflicted on him and why. He hears her gasp audibly as he speaks and he sees the sadness in her eyes.
"I need to go to DOCS and to the police with this." She tells them, a hint of anger in her voice.
"I've got that covered." Veronica tells her, taking her cell phone and stepping out in to the hall to make the call.
"Can he be released now, Doc?" Lincoln asks, wanting nothing more than to take Jake home and erase all the terror and pain his father had caused him.
"Once he's given his statement to the police and DOCS have assessed the situation, he'll be good to go."
"How long will that be?"
"Actually, they'll be here in about twenty minutes." Veronica tells them, stepping back in to the room and coming to stand beside Lincoln.
"Ok, but you do know I won't be able to release him in your custody until DOCS have given me the all clear since you're neither related to him nor a legal foster parent, are you?" He shakes his head in answer and she nods hers, smiling before retreating from the room to follow up on the rest of her patients.
"What if they won't let me go home with you?" Jake asks; the sadness in his voice heart-breaking.
"Don't worry about that, kiddo, there's no way you're going back to that ogre at the trailer park." Lincoln smirks, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah he's more ogre than Shrek!" LJ laughs and Jake can't help but join them, agreeing with all they've said.
"You know he'll have one of his guys find out where I am; he won't leave this alone, especially once the police get involved." His mouth turns down into a frown as he realizes how hard it's going to be to get away from his father and the Kyubor Mafia.
"They're dealing with Linc the Sink," Michael pipes up, winking at his brother as he refers to his old prison name. "I say good luck to them; they've got no idea what they're in for!"
They talk for a while about everything and anything until the authorities arrive. Two men of about the same height and build, one with jet black hair, the other a lighter brown, stand just outside in the door. Beside them another man walks, taller than both, wearing the funkiest clothes he'd expect to see a teenager wearing. His green eyes are on Jake's instantly and he guesses he's the DOCS representative. His demeanor carries with it a certain aura and Jake, nervous as he is about the meeting, immediately likes him.
With the police and Dr Nikki in tow, he makes his way in to the room and introduces himself to the small group, smiling widely at them. "Hi, I'm Michael Jackson and it doesn't matter if you're black or white I'm here to help you." LJ bursts in to a fit of laughter at the man's attempt to relax the mood in the room. He stops suddenly when he realizes everyone is watching him with strange expressions on their faces. "I'm glad someone found that lame joke funny." The DOCS guy winks at him then continues. "Actually, my real name is Simon Tulley, I'm a case worker with DOCS, as you've probably already guessed."
"Hey man," Lincoln extends his hand and Simon takes it, shaking it as Lincoln introduces himself and his family, pointing out each member as he goes. "I'm Lincoln Burrows," he notices the Simon's eyes widen a little but he says nothing, "This is my brother, Michael Scofield, the love of his life, Sara, sorry Dr Sara Tancredi, this here is the love of my life, Veronica Donovan, and the buffoon who laughed at your joke earlier would be my son, LJ."
Simon smiles as they each mumble a quick, "hi, nice to meet you" when they're introduced, laughing at his referral to LJ as a buffoon.
"Well it's definitely nice to meet you all. This here is Senior Constable Eric Flannery," he points to the dark haired policeman who nods his head at them, his expression friendly but harder than the one Simon is wearing, "and Constable Jamie Bryant." He too wears the same expression as his partner as they stand with their hats in their hands, waiting for Simon to take the report.
"Ok, Jake, Dr Cordell has already explained to us that you were admitted here yesterday with extensive injuries covering your body but you were released only to be returned that same night. Now, what I need from you is to tell us everything that's happened to you at the hands of your father. Not just the recent stuff, as far back as you can remember please." His tone is professional not in the least unfriendly. "It's extremely important we know as much of your situation as possible." His voice is kind as he speaks, inviting Jake to tell him everything about his life with his father. He has no trouble opening up to the man; he almost can't help but want to spill the beans on everything.
He tells them everything he can remember from the first time he was beat severely right up until his beating from the night before. It feels good finally being able to get everything off his chest and though he knows it's dangerous to be talking, he also knows it's his only hope of surviving and that Lincoln and his family will do anything to protect him, just like they'd promised. He trusts them with his whole heart and so he talks and lets it out, feeling the pressure lift from his shoulders immediately.
Simon and the police officers take notes as they listen to the horrible fate the poor boy was dealt. It sickens them, no matter how many times they'd heard it in the past, child abuse was something they could never and would never understand.
"Thank you for telling us everything, Jake." Simon smiles down at him and Jake smiles back, relief sweeping over him when he knows he should feel worried slightly.
"It's ok; I just want him out of my life and in prison where he belongs." He's silent a moment then remembers what Nikki had said about not being able to go home with Lincoln and worry creeps in on him. "Simon, I want to go home with Lincoln and his family, they're my family now. They've been better to me than anyone my whole life and he's more of a dad to me than Jurell ever was and ever could be. Please, I want to go home with my family." His begging eyes are glazed with tears as he contemplates having to go to some random strangers' house to live.
"We just need to ask him a few things first. I can see how much you love them, Jake." His reassuring smile calms him only a little as Lincoln steps out of the room with the three other men. He returns ten minutes later with a huge smile plastered across his face.
"You're coming home tonight, kiddo." He beams at Jake and bends down to hug him. They each take turns in hugging Jake, careful not to aggravate his wound. "It's only temporary they said, but I'll get custody of you before long so let's not think of it as a temporary arrangement. They'll be keeping in touch, letting us know what happens. They've gone to the trailer park to arrest Jurell now." He expects himself to feel some remorse for what's about to happen but he feels nothing but relief and happiness.
"He should have been locked up a long time ago." He tells them. A few minutes later, Nikki walks in with the discharge papers in hand.
"If you just fill these out, you can take Jake home." She tells Lincoln. As he fills out the forms, LJ grabs Jake's belongings and helps him out of the bed. Handing him his clothes, he guides Jake to the small bathroom so that he can get changed.
"Shout out if you need anything little bro." They share a smile then Jake heads in to the bathroom and closes the door while LJ waits for him outside.
Twenty minutes later, they're heading out of the hospital and going home. He can't wipe the grin off his face as he thinks how lucky he is to have found such a loving family who willingly took him in, adopted him as though he were born right in to their clan.
Chapter 8 Extra: Father and Sons Bonding
When they arrive back at the apartment, they set about getting Jake settled in. Bar a few items in his backpack, his belongings are still in the trailer and they decide to wait until they hear from the police about his father's arrest before they go there to retrieve them. He sets his bag in LJ's room and they agree that, for the time being, he would sleep on the sofa bed in the lounge.
Sara takes him aside and checks his back and the other injuries his father inflicted on him. She works with a frown on her face, slightly shaking her head at the thought that anyone could be so cruel to want to cause such pain to a child. It isn't the first time in her career she comes across such child abuse cases, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear witness to the wounds.
It takes her only a few minutes to check him over and when she's done, she wraps her arms around him and engulfs him in a hug, careful not to make contact with his wounds. The hug takes him a little by surprise but he welcomes her caring arms, hugging her back just as warmly.
"I'm so glad you trusted us enough to let us help you, Jake." She tells him, pulling out of the hug to look him in the eyes, a smile lighting her face. "Welcome to the family."
"Thanks, Sara," he smiles, his voice choked with emotion. "You guys are more family to me than my own father." She gives his hand a slight squeeze before they head back to join the others in the lounge room.
"Hey Sara, I just got a call from the realtor." Michael tells her, walking towards her as Jake takes a seat beside LJ to watch TV with him. "He says he's got a place not far from here and he wants us to see it. Says it just got on the market and thinks it's perfect for us." His eyes are lit with what Sara can only describe as happiness.
"That's great, Michael." Sara says, with palpable excitement in her voice. "What time did he want us to meet him?"
"Actually, he said as soon as we can. He wants us to see it before any other clients do so what do you say we head off?"
"Yeah, sure, let me just grab my bag and we'll go." Grabbing her bag from the kitchen table, she walks to where Michael is at the door. After saying their goodbye's to the rest of the family, they head off to see the house, excited about its potential.
"I should go, too." Veronica tells them, getting up from the sofa she was sharing with Lincoln and pulling her bag on to her shoulder. "If we want a court date within the next couple of weeks, I've got to get to working on the case and gathering the information we've got."
"How long do you think you'll be?" Lincoln asks, pulling her in to him and placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"Oh, come on guys, there are children in the room." LJ clicks his tongue and shakes his head at them "Have you no shame?" He mockingly chides them.
"Yeah, don't you think one traumatizing experience a day is enough?" Jake adds, grinning cheekily at LJ.
"Oh you guys are such babies." Lincoln calls back, looking down at his wrist as though checking the time on the watch that's not there. "Oh, look, it's three-thirty! Gear up boys, the Teletubbies are on. I'll go heat your bottles and get your blankies." Veronica's laughter is cut off by Lincoln's lips capturing hers in a soft kiss again. "Don't be late, babe." He tells her, retracting his arms from around her waist and setting her free.
"I'll be home before seven hopefully with some idea about the trial." She turns and heads out of the lounge, calling out her goodbye's to the boys on the couch.
Lincoln heads in to the kitchen and throws together a few sandwiches, grabbing three cans of soda from the fridge. Placing the food and drinks on a tray, he takes it in to the lounge and sets it down on the coffee table. They flick through the channels, deciding on a re-run of 'Friends' as they eat.
"Who's up for a movie?" Lincoln asks when they've finished eating and the credits are rolling. "
"'Ironman'? LJ asks, remembering they were on their way to watch it when they found Jake yesterday.
"Sounds good to me." Jake agrees and Lincoln nods his agreement.
"Right, I'll just clear the dishes and we'll head out." Five minutes later they're making their way down the apartment building to the car.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright walking?" Lincoln asks, remembering Jake's injured back as the boy slowly walks beside him.
"Yeah, it's fine. I just need to well get used to moving around with these painful stitches in my back." He moves along slowly, his hands on his back slightly rubbing at the stitches.
"You walk like an old man." LJ comments.
"Shut up." He tells him, annoyed that what he said was true.
Lincoln and LJ both laugh. "Come on, let me carry you again."
"No, don't. It makes me look childish in front of everyone."
"Who are you trying to prove to that you're mature?" LJ asks.
"The whole community." Jake continues to walk forward but he has to stop and relax.
"Forget this." Lincoln thinks to himself. He slows down so that he comes to stand behind Jake and lifts him up, cradling him in his arms like he would a baby.
"Let me go!" He tries to struggle.
"If you keep struggling, you'll even look more childish than usual."
"…Fine." Jake puts his hood up to avoid showing his face. LJ chuckles at the sight of it.
Lincoln takes Jake into the car and sits him in the back. LJ takes the front seat and they drive towards the movie theatre. LJ and Lincoln reminiscence about the past and laugh about what they did and what they should've done, while Jake keeps to himself, thinking silently in the backseat. As they drive, they pass by the trailer park. Jake stares at it, turning in his seat to watch it fade in to nothing but a dot in the distance. "We have no idea what we're in for after that court hearing." Jake thinks to himself.
"Do you both have school on Monday?" Lincoln asks, bringing him out of his reverie
"Yeah, we should." LJ tells him uncertainly.
"Yeah, we do." Jake's response is much more certain than LJ's and Lincoln nods back at him in the rear view mirror as he drives into the theater parking lot and parks the car. LJ gets out of the car and Lincoln decides to pick up Jake again.
"This really does not feel right." Jake tells him, grabbing hold of Lincoln's neck as he picks him up. "Maybe we should've grabbed some crutches from the hospital. You think we can swing by later and ask Dr. Nikki for a pair on the way back? It'll help me get around school better I suppose." Jake brings his hood over his head to hide himself again, burying his face in the crook of Lincoln's neck for further cover.
"Yeah, that's fine. And don't think so much about me carrying you." Lincoln tells him, kicking the door shut and making his way towards the theatre entrance. "Besides, you're extremely light for your age."
"Can you blame me for being light?"
"Nope, not really. We can blame your father for that." They all head for the booth and buy the tickets for the movie. They walk inside the building and head over to the young teen, giving him their tickets to clear them for entry. He tells them their movie will be playing in theatre eight and hands them back their tickets
Jake was in awe as he looked around. "So this is what a theater looks like…"
"Well at least this one." LJ tells him, snapping his head to Jake as though suddenly realizing what he had just said. "Wait, you've never seen a movie before?" His eyes are wide with shock that's present in his voice.
"No. I never had the time to go to the theater or watch a movie. It was just working as a slave for my… for him. It did make me kind of lonely when all the new kids were watching the new flicks and I was always in the dark about what they were discussing. I could've downloaded the movies online but then the only access to a computer I had were public ones."
Lincoln is saddened by the amount of youthful experiences Jake has been forced to miss because of his wretched father. He makes a silent promise to himself as they head to the food counter that Jake will be in his custody and when that happens, he'll make sure the boy doesn't miss out on any more experiences he should have enjoyed through his childhood.
They make their way to the counter and check the menu boards to see what's on offer. "So what would you both like to eat?" Lincoln asks, gently placing Jake on the floor beside him but keeping an arm on his shoulder for support
"Popcorn and a soda would be good for me. Nothing more than that because I want to leave some space for dinner."
Jake's eyes were roaming over the menu boards, internally debating what he felt like. He didn't want to ask for too much and in the end decided on a hot dog and a soda.
"Jake?"
"Sorry I was just thinking and I'll just get a hot dog with a soda."
"Hi, how can I help you?" The young girl behind the counter smiles at them.
Lincoln slowly makes his way to the register, guiding Jake beside him. "Yes, I'll have two large popcorns, three sodas, and a hot dog please." As she makes herself busy getting their food, Jake looks around and realizes people are not so much staring as they are unashamedly gawking at Lincoln and LJ.
"This is starting to get really awkward. Everyone's staring at both you and dad." He whispers to and oblivious looking LJ.
"Did you just call my dad 'dad'?"
"Yes, and look around." LJ takes a look around and notices people staring at them. "I still think that you two are a flight risk to be in public."
"This is really getting annoying too. Now I know how actors and actresses feel when they walk out into public. This is like having the paparazzi on your ass."
"I have an idea." Jake tells them as their order is set on the counter in front of them. Lincoln pays the cashier and gives his and LJ's order to LJ to hold, and hands Jake his food.
"Thank you kind sir. I really appreciate that you're letting me watch a movie with you and you're giving me food for the theater, especially since I can't walk." Jake stares at him and lets him know to look around.
"What are you doing?" Lincoln whispers.
"Just go along with it. People are staring and they think you both still belong in prison. Now lift me up and carry me into the theater."
Lincoln carries Jake. "It's no problem kid." Everyone around them sees that they're really not bad people but they don't take their eyes of the ex con, enthralled by the scene playing out before them.
"Well that takes care of that." Lincoln laughs, shaking his head at the genius move. "You're a real actor, you know that?"
"You should've seen what I did to get out of getting detention and getting suspended last month. It was a little bit more dramatic than what this was. I nearly made the principal cry as well as my history teacher."
"It was really dramatic?" LJ asks as he eats some of his popcorn.
"Most of the stuff that came out of my mouth was total bull. Everyone around me started to shake their heads and laugh since we were in the classroom when it happened. They all knew I was BS'ing my way through the whole scene." They walk into theater Eight and stop to look at the available seats.
"Wow… so many seats." LJ exclaims, looking around the near empty theatre. "Where do we sit?"
"How about the top row because I don't feel like looking up at the screen and getting a sore neck from it?" Lincoln suggested.
"Fine with me. How about you Jake?"
"I'm up for it." They walk up to the top floor and sit in the seats. LJ and Lincoln start to chew down their popcorn. "The movie hasn't even started. Shouldn't you save your popcorn?"
"No." Lincoln and LJ both reply.
Jake chuckles and shakes his head. "Well looks like the movie's starting so I guess it doesn't matter now." The previews pass by after 15 minutes and Ironman starts. They could hear some girls chuckling beside them about how hot Robert Downey Jr. was as Tony Starks.
Jake started eating his hot dog and he absolutely loved watching the movie, but he loved it more that he had a family to watch it with. After the movie had ended, they were all talking about it. Jake caught the end of the girls' conversation about Robert Downey Jr and laughed as they practically drooled in their empty drink cups about him. They drove back home to Veronica's house but not before stopping at the hospital to pick up a pair of crutches.
As Lincoln made his way back home, Michael and Sara left the café they had gone to for coffee and begun walking the few blocks back to Veronica's house. "I didn't much like the second house, and that third one was too small to be a doll's house." Michael tells her, his mind stuck on the first house they had been called out to see. "The first one's perfect for us, Sara. It's really close to Veronica's and that way we can be near to them in case anything bad happens. It wouldn't hurt either way."
"I thought that too, Michael." She tells him, sliding her hand through his as they continue to walk down the street. "It's the perfect size for everything and close enough to everyone so that if we ever have kids, they'll be able to visit their uncle and cousins." As they continue walking back to Veronica's apartment, a familiar face passes by Michael.