Chapter 9 Pretty good reason

"You shouldn't be smoking Rae, your father hates it" Hunter piped up dead on six, Raven had the door open while she was in the kitchen, smoke in mouth while she made a salad, salad would be stretching it, it was pumpkin, green and red capsicum, celery and hot sauce, not much of a traditional salad but at least she could eat it and keep it down.

"He also hates it when I punch his friends but it hasn't stopped me" Raven served her dinner up and took it to the table, sitting down with her uncle felt so weird, she hadn't done it in almost three years, now he was sitting there while she had a smoke, waiting for her cooked pumpkin to cool, another reason why salad wasn't the right word.

"So you wanted to talk, well talk"

"I don't even know why I'm explaining this to you"

"Because gettin to Jamie means going through me and I won't make that easy"

Hunter let out a wry chuckle, he knew all too well. Raven could inflict damage but what made her different was the fact that she was willing to take a hit, she wasn't fooled into thinking that she was invincible, because she was willing to take a hit and keep going through it, thats what made her so invincible, or close too it.

"Yeah I remember. May I borrow a smoke? If you're gonna sit there with it, I may as well join you"

Hunter was surprised that she gave him one, "So talk, I'm quickly losing patience and interest"

"They thought it was me"

"Who thought what was you?"

Hunter let out a sad sigh, the memory of that day would stick with him forever. "The police thought I attacked Jamie, I bought her in and after she was stable they started asking me all these questions, they thought I had raped and beat her"

Raven didn't say anything, she just waited for Hunter to go on,

"This is what happened, I came over to see Shawn, the door was open which was weird for him, I saw the blood and Jam on the floor, I rung the ambulance and made sure she was kept alive. The police have a darker version"

"Which is?"

"I came over to see Shawn but instead raped and beat my neice, I freaked out and called the ambulance"

"You're a lot of things Hunter, but you're not a rapist," It wasn't meant to be a compliment but it was, it was also cold hard fact that Raven pointed out.

"Anyways, I was under investigation until a mystery tape showed up at the station, it was a confession from that whore and her sleazy boyfriend, right before they were butchered and cut into tiny peices and flung around their trailer park home."

"Ah, I see what Storm meant by loving Izzy a little bit more, she knew that you were innocent and she proved it."

"After I was cleared, I did try and see her but it was too hard, it seemed tainted. Everyone would look at me, not believing my innocence," "They would think, you're the reason she's here" Raven finished for him. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"There was never a right time, there was something always going on and eventually you just made up your mind about the situation and shut me out"

Raven put her smoke out and promptly grabbed another one, sparking it up "Hunter she got her long term memory back and when she did, she kept asking for you, well not by name but we knew it was you she was talking about, blonde hair and really big nose could only be you, anyways she kept asking when you were going to visit and it broke my heart everytime I told her you were at work and you would stop by when you could, one day she just stopped askin, she gave up hope and that girl needs to keep all the hope she can"

"I am sorry for that, but can you understand why I stayed away"

"Yes I can but I'm still mad about it. Luckily, I'll get over it and if you still wanna see her then I won't stop you, maybe if she hears the same old speech from you, she'll believe it"

"I don't think its a speech, I know it will happen, she will pull through this"

"And what possible reason could you have for knowing that"

"Because you would pull through it" Hunter said simply as if that was only proof Raven needed,

"Wanna run that by me one more time?"

"Jamie adores you, she worships you, her first word was Raven, she learnt to walk because you taught her, that girl is your shadow and she knows that you could pull through this and so she will too, because if Raven can do so can she"

"That actually makes sense." Raven said, still a little amused that Hunter had something right for once. "And for what its worth, I am sorry about my attitude, but surely you can understand why I was being a bitch"

"Yeah I can" Hunter let out another chuckle, "Thats what I like about you Rae, you can admit when your wrong possibly because it don't happen often"

"Thank Christ for that. Oh and I'm sorry for punching your friend, I hope he's ok."

"Ric's fine, he liked it actually" Hunter laughed "He was wondering if you had a boyfriend, I told him to back off"

"Thank God, cause thats more than a little creepy" Raven shuddered "Eww Ric Flair! Saggy man boobs! Gross"

"Raven don't be mean"

"I'm not being mean, its just fact. He's flabby and its gross. If he ever had to shoot himself in the heart just below his left nipple he would shoot himself in the hip"

Hunter rolled his eyes before looking to his neice, "I'm going to pop by and see Jamie in the morning."

"Oh and congrats on the new baby, she looks just like Steph thank Lord for that"

"I thought I told you to stop being mean? Do you ever listen to me?"

"No, last thing I heard you say was, 'Raven, turn off those power rangers and go to bed"

"And how old were you then?"

"Twelve I think"

"Good-night Raven,"

"Night Uncle"