Jessie walked down the hall to Patrick's bedroom door. She put her hand on the doorknob and leaned forward, resting her forehead on the door, wanting to open it and go in, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Why did you have to go?" She whispered. "I'm trying Dad, but I need you. I need you here. I need Sal here." Her eyes watered and tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks in streams. Her chest hitched and she covered her mouth with her hand to keep from making noise. Not wanting to wake anyone, she quickly walked down the hall to the living room. Choking back a sob, knowing if she let go it wouldn't stop, she took long, deep breaths to settle herself. Wiping her face with her shirt sleeve, she went to the bar, poured herself a shot of Southern Comfort and downed it. Calming and warming her inside at the same time, it felt good. Preferring the burn of the Southern Comfort over her inner turmoil, she did three more shots. When she felt like she could keep herself together, she went upstairs.

"John okay?" Joey asked as Jessie walked into her bedroom.

"Yeah, he's good. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep." Jessie sat down on the edge of her bed, exhaustion seeping into her every fiber and yawned.

Joey, who had been sitting at her desk playing a game on the computer, walked over and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "How are you?"

"Tired." She yawned again. "It just kinda hit me all at once, how tired I am."

"Let's get you to bed then." Joey stood up, pulling her with him. He pulled off his shirt, laid it on the bed and watched as she took off her shirt and bra, then put his shirt on. "Do you want me to get you some Pj bottoms?" He asked as she slid off her sweatpants and sat down on the bed.

"No, I'm fine like this."

Joey took off his jeans and crawled past her, to the other side of the bed. Lying on his back he waited for Jessie to curl up by his side before covering them both with the comforter.

"Hey, where's my kiss goodnight?" Joey asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Jessie looked up and smiled at him. She inched forward, raised her head up, leaned over his face and kissed him, deeply.

Joey tasted the Southern Comfort immediately but he kept the kiss going until she ended it. "Were you and John havin' a party down there.?" He smiled, trying not to come off like he was judging her, but it didn't work.

Jessie sat up and looked down at him, her face a mask of guilt, and then looked away. "No," She answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "After I left John's room I...I went to Dad's." She looked down at him again and a tear ran down her face. "I want to go in, I tried too...but I couldn't. I can't get past the doorway. I felt like I was gonna fall apart right there in the hallway...I needed something to keep it together, so I did a few shots. I just needed..."

Joey sat up, put his arm around her, pulled her to him, and kissed the side of her head. "It's okay." He told her. "I didn't mean anything..."

"I don't know why I can't go in. I want to...I want to be close to him, but I can't. I just lock up." She started to cry and she wished she had brought the bottle of Southern Comfort upstairs. She wiped the tears from her face with the back if her hand and took a long quivering breath. "Don't be mad..."

Joey pulled her closer. "I'm not mad, Jess, it's okay, " He leaned in and put his hand on her face, urging her gently to look at him. "I promise."

"Thank you." She said quietly

"Do you want to go back to Patrick's room? I'll go with you. We'll do it together."

"No," Jessie shook her head. "Not tonight. Maybe after tomorrow or in a few days.."

"When you're ready, I'll be right there with you." He smiled, moving his hand from her cheek to play with the curls in her hair. He was hoping that she would feel relieved and smile back at him, but she didn't. He smiled again to reassure her. "You need to get out of your head and get some sleep."

Joey slid down onto his pillow and under the comforter, gently pulling Jessie along with him. He buried his hand in her hair and made slow, small circles along her scalp, as she moved her hand back and forth across his chest.

"Forget about everything else for now." He told her. "Just think about us, right here...right now...together. You and me at this moment...everything else is just fading away."

Jessie sighed happily, letting her need for sleep take over.

Joey smiled. "That's it." He could feel her body relax against his. "That's good. Are you okay, Jess?"

"Uh-huh."

Joey kissed the top of her head. "I love you so much."

"Love you too..." She mumbled sleepily.

Five minutes later Jessie's body went limp against him and the hand that was rubbing his chest stopped moving and fell to his side. She had let go and gave in to exhaustion.

Watching over her, Joey lay awake for a little over an hour. He alternated between running his hand through Jessie's hair and rubbing her back, keeping her comforted as she slept.


Hours later...

Jessie sat up, suddenly. Something felt wrong. She looked over at the other side of the bed. She was alone, Joey was gone.

"Joe?" She called out to the darkness. Getting no response she moved to the edge of the bed and turned on the lamp. Jessie was puzzled by what she was wearing. She went to bed in Joey's t-shirt, but now she was wearing her own shirt and her Snoopy pajama pants. "Joe?" She called out again, a little more anxiously.

Jessie stood up, went to the bathroom and opened the door to a dark empty room. She then went down the hall to her den. It was also dark and empty. She started down the stairs slowly at first, heard a familiar voice, then started running. Stopping on the landing, she smiled at Patrick and Sal.

Patrick who was sitting on the couch, wearing his "lucky'" Celtics sweatshirt, drink in hand, turned to face her and Sal, who was standing off to the side, gave her a half-smile and spoke first.

"Hey, kid."

"I just had the craziest dream," Jessie told them as she walked closer. "You both-" She stopped noticing two other men in the room. Sean O'Doyle was sitting across from her father, looking as stern and mean as ever, and Roy Langston was gagged and bound in one of the kitchen chairs. Taking a step back, suddenly afraid, she looked at her father.

"Dad?"

"It's alright," Patrick said simply. He was talking to her, but looking at his father. "No one's here to hurt you."

Sean O'Doyle stood up and walked towards Jessie. "Patrick's right, no one's here to hurt you...not really. I'm here to teach you." He told her.

Jessie looked at her father nervously. "Dad?"

"It will be alright," Patrick told her, indifferent to Jessie's obvious discomfort.

'I'll be running the show today, young lady, so don't look for your Daddy's help." Sean O'Doyle said matter-of-factly. "He and his sidekick over there," He nodded towards Sal. "Have done quite enough, I think when it comes to you and I'm here to undo it. We're going to wipe the slate clean and start all over with you, understand?"

"What-"

Sean slapped her in the face. "I know for a fact, that is not how you were taught to answer me. I asked if you understood, so all I want is yes or no for an answer, got it?"

"Yes sir," Jessie said quietly. "Yes, I understand." She didn't, though, not at all.

"Good. Now the days of your Father and Sal..and the lawyer..and anyone else indulging you in your weak and reckless behavior are over. You are an O'Doyle, Jessie, and you will start acting like one. Do you understand?"

"I...no," Jessie answered hesitantly. She looked past her Grandfather. "Dad, please, whatever I did wrong, I'm sorry."

Sean slapped her again. "What part of I'm running the show, don't look to your Dad for help, did you not understand? I thought I was pretty clear."

Jessie wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer him or not, so she chose not to. Holding her stinging cheek, trying hard not to cry because she knew that would make it worse, she looked at Patrick who's face was still a mask of indifference, then at Sal, who looked down at the floor sadly when their eyes met.

"Jessie, look at me," Sean ordered.

Jessie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before she did as she was told. "I'm sorry, Grandfather."

Sean nodded. "Good, thank you." He stepped closer to her and reached out to touch the side of her face he had slapped, but she instinctively flinched and leaned back. "Okay.' He said taking a step back. "Look, Jessie, I know you don't believe me, but disciplining you is not something I enjoy...it is, however, necessary to teach you what I expect of you. I don't blame you, understand that, I blame my son." He turned towards Patrick. "Because had you left her in my care, she would not be the mess she is today." Turning back towards Jessie, he smiled. "I'm just here to clean up the mess."

Not caring about getting slapped again, Jessie looked at her Father. "Is that what you think too? " She asked him. "That I'm a weak mess? That's why you brought him here?"

"No, it's not what I think," Patrick answered.

"That's enough of that," Sean told them both before either of them could say anything else. "We don't have much time. We need to get started, but first, Jessie, empty your pockets."

Jessie looked at him confused. She had just gotten out of bed and was wearing pajama pants, she didn't have anything in her pockets. She slid her hands into her pockets and it felt like someone punched her in the stomach. She felt two little plastic bags in her right pocket. She pulled them out slowly and held them out to him. "How did you know?"

"You'd be surprised at what I know, young lady." Sean held the bags up for Patrick to see. "I was right." He told Patrick." Don't ever doubt me, son." Focusing on Jessie again, he stepped closer and said. "It ends today, Jessie, these and any other pills you take to stay awake...no more, you're done with it. If you take them again and trust me I'll know, I promise I'll beat you within an inch of your life...and that little punk that gives them to you, I will kill him...slow and painful, understand?"

"Jimmy- " She started to say, but was quieted and knocked off balance when Sean slapped her again, harder than before. Tasting blood, she wiped at the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, as she straightened up, and winced when she saw the streak of blood that ran across her hand.

"Are you just stubborn like your Daddy or do you just like pain?" Sean shook his head. "I'll ask you again. Do you understand what I just told you? Do you understand what will happen if you don't do as I say?"

"Yes, sir. I understand."

"See, that wasn't so hard." Sean smiled and patted her shoulder, then said seriously. "People die, Jessie, sometimes maybe before they should, but it happens. We're all gonna die, that's a fact. What happened to your Mother and Travis was a tragedy, I know...believe it or not I do have a heart. I care about family deeply, which is why I'm here now. Do you believe me?"

Jessie didn't, but she couldn't tell him that. "Yes, Grandfather."

"We've all lost someone close to us, Jessie, the difference is we mourned and moved on, you have not. You're won't let go and it's making you weak.. and it's going to make the O'Doyle name, my name, weak and I can't have that. I will not have that. So, you will sleep, you'll dream your dreams, you'll face them and you will move on and be stronger for it. It's been almost 10 years, Jessie, it's time you let Travis go and move on to who you are supposed to be now...the head of the O'Doyle family. You can not...you will not, let the respect and fear that my family has worked for and earned just die because you can't handle death. You're going to step up and take over, do you understand?"

Jessie looked to her Father briefly hoping he would say something, anything, but he said nothing. "Yes, Grandfather." She answered. What choice did she have?

"Good. Now, let me hear you say it. Tell me you will not make our family weak."

"I will not make our family weak."

Sean shook his head, then slapped her. "Not good enough. Say it again."

Jessie took a deep breath, trying to shake off the stinging pain coming from her cheek. "I will not make our family weak." She repeated.

Slapping her again, harder, he said. "You are not very convincing."

The left side of her face, throbbed and she tasted blood in her mouth again. It was getting hard to keep her composure, but she managed to settle herself before repeating what he wanted her to say. "I will not make our family weak."

Again, Sean slapped her."I could do this all day, Jessie. I don't believe you."

She yelped and was knocked off balance again, but managed to remain upright. The left side of her face hurt so much she didn't want to touch it to wipe away the tears that slipped from her eyes. Her voice shook from pain and frustration. "I don't know what you want." She flinched after saying it, anticipating another slap.

Sean raised his hand to hit her, then changed his mind. "I want you to make me believe you. How can I believe you if you don't believe it yourself."

She nodded and took a couple of deep breaths to pull herself together, then looked him in the eye. "I will not make our family weak."

Jessie knew it was coming, she hesitated. Just before she finished her sentence, she looked away from him, just for a second, but he had seen it and it was enough. What she didn't expect was for him to step into it and hit her hard enough to knock her to the floor and bloody her nose.

Patrick stood up, unable to sit back and watch any longer. "That's enough."

"Easy son," Sean said looking down at Jessie. "She's not hurt that bad."

Patrick was by his Father's side in an instant. "I said she's had enough. You made your point."

"I'm okay," Jessie said as she started to get up from the floor. Patrick reached for her arm to help her, but she shook him off. "Don't."

Not bothering to wipe the blood from her nose, Jessie straightened up, a little unsteady on her feet, and stood so close to her Grandfather, their bodies were almost touching. Looking into his eyes, her voice steady and unwavering, she repeated herself, for what was going to be the last time, one way or the other.

"I will not make our family weak."


to be continued...