Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay in updating guys. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I've been a little busy with the remodel on my house, and this chapter was the hardest to write. I've rewritten it like six times and just couldn't get it to the point I wanted it. It's tricky. In the end I combined a couple chapters and came up with this one. Good thing I'm not a complete perfectionist LOL otherwise you guys may never read my stuff lol
Shoutouts: Jeremy Shane- Got more for you! Hope you like it!
Shievi- Sorry you can't read this story again until you come back. Hopefully by the time you get back to read this again I will have it completed. There's still more happening with this story.
brankel1- Yes, Jason needs Kat and so does everyone else... but sometimes life isn't always the way it should be...But this time you are correct, she isn't... For now anyway.
Ghostwriter- It would have been immense drama if I had let Kat die. It's funny that you said that because in my rough draft she did die in Jason's arms in the woods. Her last words were "Don't let your heart die with me." She had accepted she wasn't going to make and was trying to comfort Jason with her last few moments. The epilogue was Jason standing over her grave a few years later promising her that he had indeed kept going and then he went home to his pregnant wife. But on the mantle above the fireplace was Kat's picture and the ring he'd bought for her. I had liked it, Daisy didn't. LOL But what I have in store is so much better! I feel anyway. And if you think this story is dying down, you got another thing coming. Stay with me here, round two of my roller coaster, coming up!
DragonKnightRanger- Thank you so much for adding this story to your favs! I love getting those emails! They totally make my day!
Chapter 29
"Hey, he's eyes are fluttering!" a female voice echoed in the darkness of his mind. Jason tried to follow the sound of her voice but found it hard to do.
"Hey Jase, wake up." a male voice called.
Tommy? Jason thought, as he recognized the voice.
"Yeah I'm here bro." Tommy said. Jason hadn't realized that he'd actually verbalized his thoughts. "Open your eyes."
Jason fought against the heaviness and finally blinked open his eyes. Tommy stood beside his bed, grinning. On the other side of his bed was his mother, she had tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips. Trini and his father were standing toward the end of the bed.
"You had us worried Jason, you've been unconscious for almost three days." Linda said with a small laugh. "The doctor said the bullet nicked an artery when you were doing chest compressions. You almost bled out."
"How's Kat?" Jason croaked out. His throat was scratchy and dry, he almost didn't recognize his own voice. Everyone in the room exchanged looks. "Out with it, how is she?"
"Jason... dear." Linda began. She looked over to Tommy who chewed on his bottom lip.
"No! She made it, didn't she?" Jason cried. "Didn't she?"
"They managed to get her heart going again, yeah." Tommy finally nodded. Jason relaxed a little, but only a little.
"What's wrong?"
"She's in rough shape Jase." Tommy shook his head. "They're not sure how long she'll hold on."
"No." Jason shook his head. "How bad is it?"
"She lost a lot of blood for starters." Linda shook her head sadly. "And she isn't responding well to the blood transfusions."
"She's on life support." Trini's eyes glazed over. "Her left lung was punctured."
"Severe hypothermia, the doctor said she's having a hard time regulating her own body temperature now." Terence Scott added sadly.
"She broke her foot too, but that's the least of it. They said her heart must of just barely stopped beating when you found her." Tommy said.
"She was still alive when I found her. She even spoke to me." Jason nodded slowly.
"What did she say?" Trini questioned.
"That she knew I would find her and that she loved me." Jason choked back his tears as he played the scene in his mind. "Then she... She went limp in my arms."
"Oh Jason." Linda squeezed his hand. "She alive for now though, thanks to you."
"If she pulls through this, she's got a long road of recovery ahead of her. And that's just the physical recovery." Tommy rubbed at the back of his neck.
"There's more?" Jason shrank back into his bed. Tommy nodded sadly, wishing that he wasn't the one delivering the news.
"Jase... Kat's gonna need a lot... a lot of help to get through this..."
"He... he raped her didn't he?" Jason felt his throat tighten up as Tommy slowly nodded. Linda covered her mouth with her hands and her watery eyes threatened to overflow. "Dammit! If the sonofabitch weren't dead already I'd kill him again! And fucking Rachel... I want to see Kat." Linda placed a hand on her son's shoulder.
"You just barely woke up, I think you need to take it easy."
"For God's sake Linda, let the boy go." Terence shook his head. "He's head strong enough to fight you tooth and nail, no sense coddling him."
Jason grinned at his father, a former marine commander. It was his father who brought him up saying Ma'am and Sir to all his friends' parents, old habits die hard. "Thank you, Sir."
"You think you can walk or should I grab a chair for you?" Terence raised an eyebrow at his son.
"I was shot in the arm, not my leg." Jason shook his head. Tommy handed him a pair of hospital pants and helped him to sit up. Trini and Linda looked away as Jason quickly slipped on the pants with Tommy's help. Tommy then hooked an arm through his good arm and helped him to stand. Once he was steady on his feet, Tommy grabbed the IV pole and walked with him down the hall.
"It's a circus outside." Tommy stated as they walked together. "There's reporters swarming the parking lot and front door trying to get a statement from anyone willing to talk. The story about Kat's abduction is making headlines everywhere. You're a hot topic too. So if I were you I wouldn't go anywhere alone for awhile. You're going to get mobbed."
"Damn bastards. Can't they leave well enough alone." Jason groaned. "Kat's going through hell right now, and all they can think about is selling their next issue."
"The 'Angel Killer' is a top story Jason. They've been hunting him for a long time and now the lead investigator is nearly killed by the creep and a PD Lieutenant from California is suddenly involved... It's only natural that the press is going to want some details."
"Since when are you on their side." Jason gave a short laugh.
"I'm not. Just stating the facts." Tommy grinned.
"Either way, I'm not talking to any of them any time soon." Jason shook his head.
"You know, I'm getting really tired of hospitals." Tommy joked trying to change the subject. "In the last six months, I've been to three hospitals for three different occasions. I had been doing a great job of avoiding them."
"No you weren't bro." Jason laughed lightly. "Hayley and your students had to take you to one when you wouldn't wake up."
"Okay, so that was once." Tommy shrugged.
"Where's Lilly?"
"Still in Angel Grove with Rocky and Tanya."
"Who all came?"
"Just your parents, Trini and I." Tommy answered. "Adam stayed to watch the kids and help Rocky. Anna was nice enough to go stay with Tanya and Rocky to help out too... Tanya is taking this pretty hard, and she can't fly with the baby and all...Kimberly wanted to come, but the doctor said flying wasn't good for Kyle and she couldn't leave him behind. So of course if Kim can't come, Zack isn't going anywhere."
"He's whipped." Jason laughed.
"Yeah, you know it and I know it, but trying telling him that." Tommy shook his head. "Hell, I think Kimberly has us all whipped. Who challenges her? She's a little runt sized punk, and we all do everything she says to do."
"She's scary when she's mad." Jason cringed. They fell silent as they reached the ICU door. Tommy called the desk and the receptionist buzzed them in.
"Kat's parents are in a meeting with the doctor right now, they'll be back soon." Tommy said as he led Jason to Kat's room. Jason stopped dead in his tracks as he laid eyes on his beloved Katherine.
"Oh God." He whispered as he looked her over. She had tubes and wires coming from all different directions all over her body. She looked to be more machine than Kat at that moment.
Tommy left Jason's side and moved over to Kat. "Hey Angel Eyes, I brought Jason to see you." He looked up at Jason, silently calling him over. Jason grasped the pole in his good hand and finally moved next to Tommy. He reached down and took her slender hand into his own, she was still freezing cold.
"Hey Snowflake." Jason said softly as the tears welled up in his eyes. He bent down and kissed her cold hand. "Please don't leave."
Tommy quietly left the room, giving Jason some privacy. He knew Jason well enough to know he'd sit there with Kat until someone, most likely a doctor or nurse, made him leave.
After Tommy had left Jason settled into a chair next to Kat's bed, still holding her hand. He laid his head down on her bed, listening to the reassuring beeping coming from the heart monitor near her head, and shortly thereafter fell asleep.
"Jason." A soft accented voice called in his foggy dream. "Jason dear, wake up."
"Kat?" He mumbled sleepily.
"Sorry sugar." the voice replied sadly. Jason sat up and blinked his eyes a few times.
"Mrs. Hillard. I... I'm sorry."
"It's alright dear." Sophia offered him a small smile that didn't light up her eyes like it usually did.
"Good to see your doing well, Son." Micheal said from behind Sophia. "When you weren't in your room we figured you'd be here."
"Yeah, I just... I had to see how she was." Jason nodded, his gaze shifting to Kat.
"We were told you nearly killed yourself getting to her." Sophia said as she slid into the seat next to Jason.
"I uh... I got shot before... while we were trying apprehend the perp..." Jason stammered.
"We greatly appreciate everything you did to find her Jason." Micheal cut in.
"I just couldn't leave her out there. She was still alive when I found her." Jason's gaze shifted back to Kat for a moment before he looked back up at Micheal. "Tommy said you had a meeting with the doctor, how did that go?"
"We..." Sophia shook her head as tears filled her bright blue eyes.
"We've decided to give Kat another week to improve." Micheal explained, tears threatened to overflow from his own eyes. He laid a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder as he looked to his daughter, his only daughter.
"A week? Then what?" Jason asked, trying to contain the sudden rage he felt boiling up inside of him.
"If Katherine doesn't show any improvement... we're... we're going to let her go." Michael answered quietly as Sophia buried her face into her hands.
"You can't do that!" Jason argued. "She's a fighter, she'll pull through."
"I know she is Son." Michael looked sadly at Jason. "But there is only so much a human body can handle. Katherine is right on the edge, her body is failing right now. Her right kidney shut down this morning. She's in organ failure. It's not fair to hold her in this state just because we're not ready to say good-bye."
"Please, no." Jason shook his head. "Let me take her back to Angel Grove. I'll take care of everything... give her... I don't know... a month, with me, there. Please! I'm begging you! I can't loose her."
"She's already dying Jason." Sophia cried.
"Please, don't do this. I didn't give up on her in the woods, I didn't give up on her in the chopped. Please, don't make me give up on her now. I'm begging you. One month."
"Son, we..." Micheal began only to be cut off by his lovely wife.
"One month Micheal, that's all he's asking for. For God's sake, he loves her. Let him take her to Angel Grove. It's where she would want to be anyway."
"I..." Micheal took a deep breath. "One month."
"Micheal..." Sophia narrowed her eyes at her husband.
"He asked for one month, I'm giving him one month. That's longer than I want my baby girl to suffer" Micheal argued.
"I understand sir, thank you!" Jason nodded appreciatively. Again his gaze fell back to Kat. You'll show them Snowflake, you're a strong fighter. You'll come back to me.
XXXXXXXXXX
Tom sat with Russ and the assistant District Attorney, Barry Hale, as armed guards escorted Rachel into the room. She looked pathetic, weak, and broken in her orange jumpsuit and her chains. She stared down at the table as she was sat in the chair opposite of them.
"I already told you guys everything." Rachel said quietly without looking up.
"We found Katherine." Tom said. Rachel looked up at them, hope filled her gaze.
"Is she alright?"
"No, she's not alright." Russ shook his head. "She's alive for now, but just barely."
"I didn't want this to happen." Rachel shook her head sadly.
"No matter if you wanted it to happen or not, you're still responsible to a point." Russ remarked.
"How bad is she?"
"She's dying, slowly and painfully." Tom narrowed his eyes at her. "Jason's at least going to be just fine."
"What happened to Jason?"
"You're brother shot him, the bullet nicked his artery." Russ answered, trying to remain as neutral as possible. "I was informed that he woke up this morning."
"You have to believe me that I had no idea Tyler is as bad as he is."
"He killed lots of women Rach, he was worse than you think he was."
"You said 'was', is Tyler..."
"Dead." Tom nodded as he glared at her. Rachel sighed and bit on her bottom lip. "You used me Rachel."
"I didn't Tom, I swear..." Rachel shook her head. "I never meant... That's not..."
"Save it Rachel." Tom crossed his arms.
"I swear Tom, I never meant to hurt you. I... I loved you."
Tom scrubbed a hand over his face and looked up at the ceiling. "I loved you too, but you did hurt me." His eyes fell back to the brunette in chains before him. "You hurt all of us Rachel. Why couldn't you have just said something?"
"He was my brother." Rachel shook her head. "You have a sister Tom, is there anything in the world you wouldn't do for your sister?"
"I wouldn't let innocent people die for her." Tom snapped.
"Easy Dunham." Russ laid a hand on the distraught PD Lieutenant.
"I thought I could help him Tom. I really did. What good is a masters in psychology if I couldn't help him?"
"But you didn't help him Rachel." Tom argued.
"I never had the chance to try." Rachel replied as tears streaked down her tanned cheeks. "You have no idea what he went through for me. I had to at least try." Rachel had told them of her mother's death, but not the circumstances leading up to her murder.
"What did he go through for you? What could your mother have possibly done to him?"
"She raped him repeatedly for years, and he put up with it because she threatened to send me away if he fought her! He put up with her abuse for years until one night he couldn't take it anymore! He did it all for me!" The group fell silent as Rachel sat there breathing heavily.
"Ah, there's your attorney." Barry stated. "Everything discussed here in my presence is off the record Ms. Dawson. I promised Agent Thomas that much." Rachel's eyes snapped over to Russ, who just gave her a slight nod and gestured to Tom. Tom remained stone faced with his arms across his chest.
The group fell quiet as a guard led over an older gentleman dressed in a suit. "Sorry to be late Ms. Dawson. I hope that you gentleman weren't questioning my client in my absence."
"No, we were answering her questions." Tom glared at Rachel.
"I'll lay the cards on the table for you Ms. Dawson." Barry stated as he neatly folded his hands in front of him. "Tyler Jacobson, AKA the 'Angel Killer' is dead. The state wants someone to pay for the murder of seventeen innocent women and the abduction of Agent Hillard, although we're praying she pulls through so we don't have to add her to victims. The DA wants to charge you with accessory after the fact. You knowingly withheld his identity causing two deaths in California and Agent Hillard's abduction. There is also the added charge of accomplice to murder for your biological mother's death, in Florida."
"Those charges will never stick. Ms. Dawson did not have a hand in the 'Angel Killer' murders nor did she assist in abducting Ms. Hillard. She couldn't even be one hundred percent certain that her brother was in fact the 'Angel Killer'. And to the charge from Florida, Ms. Dawson was a minor at the time of the crime, you cannot hold her responsible for something that happened twenty years ago while she was a juvenile. Need I remind you that no body was ever recovered, this is circumstantial, if not complete hearsay." Rachel's lawyer stated as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "You can charge obstruction of justice, at best."
"It's not hearsay when it's a confession to Federal Agents. She admitted to Federal Agents that her brother killed their mother and she assisted in disposing of the body, as well as that she knew her brother was the 'Angel Killer' during the time she was still on assignment in California. Even if she hadn't been one hundred percent sure she still should have reported her suspicions to her supervisor, Agent Hillard. That was both her duty as a Federal Agent and as a human being. Two murders could have been prevented if Ms. Dawson would have spoken up, making her just as responsible for the deaths as if she'd actually participated."
"Two murders in California, Ms. Dawson should be being tried there. She had no knowledge of the fifteen murders here in New York, as she was continuing to work the case. The most you can charge her with here in New York is obstruction of justice."
"This political argument is pointless." Tom shook his head. Both attorney's glared at him.
"Why are you even here?" Rachel's lawyer asked as he glanced between Tom and Russ.
"He's right." Rachel said quietly, all eyes looked to her. "I am just as responsible for the murders as Tyler was. If I had told the truth about our mother all those years ago..." Rachel bit on her bottom lip, willing herself not to cry. "Tyler could have gotten the help he needed and none of this would have happened. I've been involved, before the beginning."
"Ms. Dawson, as you're lawyer I'm telling you to remain silent." her lawyer hissed. Rachel glared at the older man, but did as he ordered.
"I have already been in contact with California. If you wish to have the case tried there for jurisdictional purposes, by all means move it there. The DA there wishes to try Ms. Dawson as an accomplice before the fact. Which means that she will be treated as if she were indeed the 'Angel Killer' himself. If you would like the case to stay here, I'm willing to work something out. Keep in mind, California is seeking the death penalty."
"I will discuss your offer with my client and get back to you."
"I'll leave you two to your business and I await your answer." Barry nodded. He gestured to the other men and they rose from the table. "Good-bye Ms. Dawson."
"Rachel." Russ gave her a curt nod, but his eyes remained cold.
Tom met her gaze for the first time since he confronted her. There was such sadness and emptiness behind her soft brown eyes. Tom resisted the urge to comfort her. She's the bad guy Tom, don't forget that. Tom scolded himself as she tore away from her look and followed Barry and Russ out of the room.
"What now?" Russ asked.
"I've already petitioned the court ahead of time to make this a multi-jurisdictional trial. Essentially no matter where she is tried she'll be tried for all charges, since the 'Angel Killer' has victims in more than one state. The only difference is that if she decided to go to California, I won't be the one to play in the the courtroom."
"So, what's going to happen to Rachel?" Tom asked as he glanced through the window at her once again.
"It's hard to say. If she wants to stay here, I'll offer life as a plea agreement. I know others want the death penalty, it'll satisfy the victims families. Ms. Dawson was correct in there, she has been involved in this case before Tyler Jacobson even became the 'Angel Killer'. She even, later on, taught him the ability to become someone else. She hid his identity from the world, effectively giving him free reign. She helped to create him, and she sure didn't do anything to help bring him down." Barry explained.
"I'm not sure if I feel sorry for her for going through everything, or if I just despise her for what she did." Tom sighed. Russ places a calm hand on her shoulder.
"We all feel that way Tom. She's our Rach, the smart ass profiler. The woman who we had to hide all the guns from during PMS, or else someone would get shot. None of us saw this coming, and none of us know what to do with it." Russ shook his head. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Tom nodded slowly and followed Russ and Barry out of the jailhouse. Only once he was back in the privacy of his hotel room did he let his emotions run their course. For the first time in many years Thomas Dunham cried himself to sleep.