Resolutions
Chapter Three
"Jess!" Sarah answered the door. "Cody said you were working all night."
"I still am. Is Cody around?"
"He's chopping wood in the back. You need him?"
"No, I need to talk to you."
"They called you didn't they?"
"Yeah. They want us to come to Hugh's hearing."
"Yeah, me too."
"I was hoping to keep Cody out of this."
"Keeping it from him will only make it worse Jess. I know you're all about protecting him but he'll be more hurt if we go behind his back."
"I know." Jess sat down. "It's going to tear him apart." Sarah looked at her sister in law.
"Cody's a different man then who he was four years ago Jess. You know that. Ava and the boys, they made him stronger, more in control."
"I think you had a part in that too Sarah. Ava saved him but you made sure he never sunk back into that hole. I can't live with myself if anything put him back there."
"Then we should all go together. The four us can stand together. Hawkes united and all that." She laughed.
"Yeah." Jess smiled as she heard the back door. "You ready for this Sarah?"
"It's better then the alternative." Taking a deep breath she smiled as Cody walked into the room. He looked at his wife and sister.
"I was only gone twenty minutes. What did I miss?" Sarah looked at Jess. Jess stood up. Sarah took a step and took Cody's hand. "You two are scaring me. What's going on?"
"Hugh has a parole board appearance on Thursday." Jess saw the anger flash in her brother's eyes and his fist ball up. Sarah put her hand on his shoulder and instantly his fists relaxed but the storm in eyes remained.
"He hasn't done nearly enough time for what he did."
"His lawyer thinks he has. Cody we can go and fight this. But you need to go in there with a clear head. And you need to check your temper at the door." He looked at her.
"You think I can't handle this?"
"I think your judgment is clouded by your emotions."
"I can control myself Jess." He looked at Sarah and took her in his arms. "I won't do anything to screw this up. Hugh McKnight will not set foot out of that prison if I have anything to do with it."
"If any of us have anything to do with it." Jess remembered what Hugh had done to Cody like it was yesterday. He had been bruised and broken. You could still faintly see the scars the knife made on his right side. "I have to get back to work. We'll talk more tomorrow." Jess turned and headed out the door. Cody caught her better arm as she headed off the porch.
"I can handle this Jess." She turned around.
"I believe you." She turned to leave but he didn't let go of her arm.
"I need you to know I can do this Jess." She took a step up and stood in front of him.
"I sat by your bedside and prayed ever day that that bastard would pay for what he did to Sarah, Ava and you. I watched him laugh when the jury found him guilty and lean over to his lawyer and tell him he'd be out in half the time they gave him. I watched you get angry and I watched you lash out at all of us. Then it was over and I thought it would stay over. I can't deal with that man Cody. The man you became because of Hugh was not my brother. Sarah changed you, made you the person you are now. The man I grew up with."
"Jess I would never do that to Sarah or you. I learned from my mistakes." Jess went back up the steps and took Cody's face in her hands.
"I'm holding you to that Cody. Because I'm not strong enough right now to hold you back. Or pick you up if you fall. Hell I can't even pick up a friggin' gun if the bastard tries to escape." He kissed her forehead and leaned his against hers.
"I promise I'm stronger then I've ever been. I can handle anything McKnight throws at us." He hugged his sister. "You better get back before boss man thinks you headed for higher ground." She pushed herself away.
"Go take care of your wife. She'll need all the support we can give her." Flynn was waiting for her on his snowmobile. She got on and waved to her brother. She hoped he was strong enough because if she had a chance she'd kill the bastard.
"You think he'll be okay?" Flynn asked.
"God I hope so." She leaned her head against Flynn's back and prayed that it would all work out.
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Matt sat across from Jess at the kitchen table. She had a cup of tea and looked a little pale. He assumed the trip to Cody's hadn't gone well.
"He wants to come."
"There's nothing we can do about that Jess. He was one of Hugh's victims."
"It's not going to be pretty Matt."
"Life is messy Jess. Cody's stronger when we're together."
"I hope so." She looked down at her cup. "I have a bad feeling about this Matt. A really bad feeling."
"I guess we just have to play it out."
"I know. I just can't get the picture of Cody lying on that cliff bleeding. He would have died to protect Ava."
"And McKnight would have killed his own child. We have to make the parole board see what kind of monster he really is."
"I'll pull all the files. I have them upstairs." He looked at her.
"You weren't spending your time rehashing bad memories up there?"
"No I wanted them safe if something like this ever came up."
"You pent up anger isn't healthy Jess. For either of you." He motioned to her still flat belly.
"I'm fine big brother. Really."
"I'm staying here tonight. I fell better if I have your back."
"You need sleep Matt."
"I'll sleep better knowing your right under me if something comes up. I know, don't say it. But until Derek gets back I feel like I need to take extra special care of the both of you." Jess smiled.
"Your trying to beat out Cody for best big brother aren't you?"
"I'm I getting close?" She looked into his eyes.
"Neck and neck. Go to bed Matt." Jess got up and put her cup in the dishwasher and headed to the lounge.
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"HMR Jess Hawkes how can I help you?" It was midnight and Jess wasn't in the mood for lost, drunk snowmobilers.
"Hey how's my girls?"
"How do you know it's a girl?"
"I just do."
"We're good. Missing daddy."
"Not as much as I miss you mama." Jess smiled. "Something's wrong, I can hear it in your voice."
"Sarah's ex has a parole board appearance on Thursday."
"How are they taking it?"
"Better then I expected but I have a feeling things are going to get worse before they get better."
"Just take it one day at a time. Cody's stronger then you think. He got us off that mountain and he stayed cool till the end. I think he can handle it."
"I wish you were here to hold my hand."
"Me too baby. How's the wedding plans going?"
"Slow. I had to stop a million times today for work stuff." Derek laughed. "How about you?"
"Got it covered. We caught a case in Arizona. We leave in an hour."
"Bad?"
"Bad enough to call us."
"Tell everyone I said hello and to stay safe. Call me when you can."
"You know I will. You really should get texting on your phone."
"Then all the kids would want it and the bills would sky rocket."
"Just admit you're afraid of technology Ranger Hawkes."
"Hey I have a lap top and the internet."
"And if you didn't have to use it for work you wouldn't even turn it on."
"I would to. How do you think I order Cutler his porn?"
"Jess what I'm I going to do with you?"
"Marry me and have beautiful babies together?"
"Sounds like a plan. Rossi's chomping at the bit I need to go. I love you and talk soon."
"Love you too. Be careful."
"You know I will." He hung up and Jess did the same. Flynn came and sat across from her.
"You look like dog poo my friend."
"Always the charmer Benji."
"Cooper and Hart are making rounds. Why don't you let me take over the phones and you head upstairs. Shep will ground you till spring if he sees those black spots under your eyes."
"I have a mother. You met her. About five six, blond, makes a kick ass cherry pie. I don't need another one."
"I can call her. She comes here and sees the way you look she'll drag your ass to bed herself."
"Okay…I'll go. I now know why you're single and staying that way." She got up. "Just don't be a hero. You need something Matt and me are right upstairs."
"Yeah, yeah." Jess slowly made it up the stairs. Instead of going to her old room she went to the bunk room and laid down on the cot next to Matt's.
"Flynn send you up here?"
"Yes."
"Yeah he pretty much kicked my ass out of my office. I think he's planning a rebellion."
"I think he wants your job. He likes bossing people around more then you do."
"You wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't such a hard ass." Jess laughed. Matt never even raised his voice if he didn't have to.
"That's it. That's why I've stuck around all these years. I love the abuse."
"Night Jess." Matt said sleepily.
"Night Matt. Sweet dreams." They were both out in minutes.
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Thank you all for reading and taking the time to tell me how I'm doing. As always I don't own anything or pretend I do. The voices in my head are the only things that belong to me alone. Keep reading and enjoy because it's always fun to share!!