I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 50

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 50

Rafe woke up around noon the next day. He awoke to Jessie still asleep right beside him, naked of course, after the long night they had. Rafe couldn't forget it even if he tried, and of course he didn't want to. It was just like when they were teenagers, the Coke doing its job of taking over their mind and bodies, creating a never ending night that would leave them with the best sleep of their life. Strung out sex was always their favorite, and as much as Rafe didn't want to admit it, that fact still remained true no matter how much he hated it. He couldn't believe he actually gave in. Then again... Jessie always had her ways.

Rafe was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Jessie stir beside him. He looked down to see her turning her head over to face him, slowly opening her eyes and blinking away the blurriness. She had a sweet smile on her face that suddenly made all of Rafe's worries take a backseat. He reciprocated by propping himself up on one arm and tilting his head, displaying a loving smile as he swept some hair out of her face. Jessie couldn't help but notice how perfectly his arm was flexing as he held himself up.

"Hi." Jessie said sweetly as she scrunched her nose up a little. Suddenly Rafe remembered his second favorite thing about nights like last night... the Jessie he got the next morning. She always seemed particularly lovey the next morning, although it was always short lived back then considering one of them always had to leave almost immediately to sneak back into their respective houses.

"Hi." Rafe responded simply, barely above a whisper. Jessie quickly brought herself closer to Rafe, snuggling up into his chest and wrapping a leg around his torso. Rafe simply laid back down and cuddled her closer, knowing this was customary for Jessie after long nights like the one they just had. Jessie brought her hand up to one of Rafe's that was laying contently on his chest, slowly intertwining their fingers and playing with them. Rafe didn't dare say anything, out of fear of ruining such a perfect moment of just being together with no interruptions. In the entirety of their relationship, that was something they never got much of. Peaceful moments like this were odd for them, and both of them were too scared to break the silence because of it. But of course, leave it to Jessie to never let her fear determine her next move.

"Did you have fun last night?" Jessie asked, not bothering to look up at Rafe. She felt the subtle rise and fall of his chest, indicating a slight laugh. She could almost bet he was smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

"Yes I did, baby." Rafe replied. Jessie now brought her face up to meet his with a shit eating grin. Rafe could read her mind.

"I knew you would!" Jessie responded knowingly with a subtle point of her finger upwards. Rafe just scoffed and shook his head once more at Jessie.

"You need to get that cocky little attitude under control." Rafe demanded as he grabbed the pillow behind Jessie and started whacking her with it, not enough to hurt of course. Jessie just kept screaming and trying to block the blows through laughter. Eventually Rafe let up on the brutal beat down and found himself back in the same position he started in, staring down at Jessie once more. He sighed in contentment as he noticed a peculiar look on his wife's face.

"What time is it?" Jessie asked, suddenly growing a little more concerned. Rafe looked over at his phone and grabbed it.

"Almost noon." He said with surprise laced in his voice.

"Oh my gosh!" Jessie exclaimed as she sat up. "I didn't realize we had slept that late! JJ's probably blowing up my phone!" Jessie said as she frantically rummaged through her bedside table to find her phone and take it off the charger. Jessie's surprise turned into disappointment as she realized she had no missed calls or texts from her brother. Rafe noticed her change in demeanor and he looked a little closer at her, bringing his hand to her face.

"Hey..." Rafe whispered, trying to get Jessie's attention. She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes.

"He hasn't called... not even a text..." Jessie trailed off, concern evident in her words. Rafe just smiled and tilted his head.

"Well maybeeee that's because he's trying to give you some time to actually enjoy yourself. You'll hear from Charley tonight I bet."

"But what if somethings wrong, what if-"

"Jess, they're adults. They can handle it. That's what you've been trying to convince me of this whole time, right?" Rafe insisted. Jessie just sighed and let go of the tension in her back.

"Yeah..." She admitted with a hint of embarrassment as she realized how dependent she was on her child. Rafe didn't mind at all, though, of course. He secretly worried too, but that wasn't for Jessie to see. He made sure to send his brother in law a quick text to encourage him to send some pictures of their daughter her way just to ease her mind.

"Let's go get some breakfast." Rafe suggested as he got up from the warm bed, quickly regretting his decision and scrambling to put some clothes on. His feet hit the cold wood floor and the cold mountain air that couldn't help but seep through the cabin walls gave his shirtless chest goosebumps. Jessie followed suit, quickly finding a sweatshirt and pants for the same reasons.

The two of them headed downstairs and as Jessie was walking into the kitchen she noticed Rafe stopped in the living room. She turned her body back around with an inquisitive look.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm starting a fire, it's cold in this bitch." Rafe said as he rubbed his hands together for dramatic effect. Jessie just laughed in agreement as she watched Rafe put the cut up wood in the wood stove. After a few minutes of coaxing the kindling, they finally had a fire that would roar all day.

Rafe met Jessie in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she admired all that was in the fridge.

"How do we have food when you haven't been here in years?" Jessie asked, not letting her eyes wander from the plethora of fresh food in front of her.

"Baby... my dad had someone specially hired to iron his business ties... you think I can't call someone to get some groceries delivered?"

Jessie just laughed and shook her head at the statement. She wasn't even surprised.

"Kook shit." Was all Jessie could muster through a judgmental chuckle as she turned her body to see Rafe laughing along with her. He knew it was Kook shit too, but sometimes it has its perks. Jessie wrapped her arms around Rafe's neck and began to rub her hands along his back. He reciprocated by pulling her closer and looking contently into her eyes with a smile. Suddenly Rafe saw Jessie's eyes turn a little darker and her smile turn into a smirk.

"I know what we could do to keep us warm." Jessie hinted. Rafe returned the look with a smirk as well.

"What's that?" Rafe asked as he gently swayed them back and forth. Of course, the question was rhetorical. He knew exactly what they could do to keep themselves warm... or he thought he did.

"Those high noons in the fridge will keep us nice and toasty." Jessie replied with a cheeky smile and an innocent nod. That's not where Rafe was expecting the conversation to go, and of course he was a little let down for more than one reason.

"Jessie..." Rafe sighed with an eye roll. Clearly he was judging her, and Jessie could tell. She suddenly became defensive.

"What?" She snapped with a disgusted look on her face as she leaned back a little more from her husband, not enough to get out of his grip, but enough for the both of them to notice the newfound distance.

"We're not getting drunk, okay? That's not gonna help anything and you know it. Besides, when we get drunk... one thing leads to another... you know that... you saw that last night."

Rafe prepared for the impending lecture based on the storm brewing behind the eyes he was staring at.

"First of all... I don't need to get drunk to make the decisions I did last night. I don't even need alcohol in general to make those decisions, so I don't regret it, and neither should you. This is our trip where we get to do what we want when we want and we don't have to explain ourselves to anyone." Jessie explained.

"Yeah, but..." Rafe sighed as he searched for the right words to say. "You and I both know that nothing good comes out of what we did last night."

Jessie understood where Rafe was coming from, but this was always the game they played. Jessie teaching Rafe to live a little more, and Rafe teaching Jessie to live a little less. Rafe still thought that Jessie wasn't afraid enough of the consequences of her actions. Even after years of growing up, that never changed.

"You need to change your definition of good." Jessie simply said. The answer threw Rafe. He didn't understand what she meant by that. Jessie decided to ignore his look of confusion and shimmy out of his grip and back to the fridge to grab some milk and chocolate syrup.

"So the question is..." Jessie asked nonchalantly as if she hadn't just had a serious conversation about impending consequences. "Since it's past noon, are we gonna eat breakfast or lunch?" Jessie asked as she grabbed the contents she was looking for and set them on the counter, looking up at Rafe for an answer. He still had his brows furrowed in confusion, clearly still trying to figure Jessie out. He was still always amazed at how she could just flip a switch and change the conversation like nothing just happened. Although, he knew her well enough to know it was simply a defense mechanism. This time, he wouldn't give in and change the subject. This was important... this was why he was here: to get Jessie back on the right track. She seemed to only be regressing further into the woman he had seen before she left. The wild child once again trying to convince the wallflower to "live a little", and he had seen that movie before... and hated the ending. Rafe shook his head to try and pull himself out of his thoughts.

"Jessie..." Rafe scoffed as he looked around the room in disbelief. "You can't ignore this conversation. You're slipping- slipping back into old habits that made you leave in the first place and-"

"My habits was not what made me leave Rafe!" Jessie interrupted with a pointed finger at her husband and venom in her words. "Are we seriously still on this? You're seriously still throwing it back in my face that I left?!"

Rafe grunted as he threw his hands up in the air and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand on his hip, clearly unsure of what to say. Finally, he found the words.

"Jessie." Rafe snapped. "I'm not blaming you for leaving, I'm just saying I've seen where this leads, and you have to! We can't keep doing this! We have a daughter now. We can't keep getting drunk, we can't keep smoking weed, we can't keep doing coke! Don't you get it?!"

The room went silent as Rafe caught his breath, his chest heaving slowly up and down. Jessie took notice of his chest becoming slightly more defined under his white tshirt and the veins in his arms sticking out a little bit more. She looked down at the counter in front of her and swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that he had a point.

"It's just that..." Jessie squeaked out, now looking up at Rafe. "I've lived my whole life being the adult for everyone in my life. My dad, JJ, and especially Charley... you were the only one I didn't have to be the parent to. Doing all the things we used to do just... just brought that feeling back. That weightless feeling." Jessie explained through a broken voice. No tears. She had no tears left to cry. After all, she was never a cryer. Still, Rafe never took her lack of waterworks any less seriously when she opened up like this. He moved a little close to her with sympathy in his eyes.

"Jess..." Rafe whispered with a slight laugh and a smile that she didn't understand. "You've always been weightless. Before you met me. You never needed drugs, you never needed alcohol." Rafe explained as he cupped the side of her face, begging her to understand. Jessie just looked away from his chest and up to his eyes, this time with tears brimming and an angry frown.

"That's what you think." Jessie simply replied as she played with the skin on her lips. In all their late night talks, their marriage, and their reunion, and Rafe just now understood what she meant. Jessie had never made it so clear before. She partied. She did drugs. She drank alcohol. All to numb the pain and relieve the pressure of the parentification she had been a victim of her entire life. No words needed to be said, and yet Rafe understood. He felt like he had unlocked a new level in their relationship and gone into the deepest part of Jessie's soul. Jessie felt the same way, and she physically felt the hurt it brought her to do so. But Rafe could see the pain in her eyes, and all he could do to try and stop the aching of her heart was to hold her precious broken face in his calloused hands. He slowly and gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her delicately into his chest. Suddenly he felt unworthy of holding such beauty in his arms. Rafe understood Jessie better than he ever had before. Yet she didn't cry, hardly a sniffle, only falling into the warm embrace of her tenderhearted husband. When Rafe felt it was time, he finally broke away, but not before taking Jessie's face in his hands once more and looking deep into her eyes with a look that showed he really wanted her to listen.

"We don't have to be those people anymore." Rafe whispered with tears in his eyes. Jessie's lips quivered and quickly turned into a sob, this being the first time anyone had ever really told her she did not have to hold onto any semblance of her past to keep her safe. Rafe held her there, finally proving to her that she didn't have to fall prey to a vice of any kind, and that he would be her safety.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 54

Barry, Rafe, and Jessie pulled up back to Taneyhill right before they lost all daylight. Rafe had his gun securely against Barry's head in the backseat while his wife drove. No words were said the whole way there, yet Rafe and Jessie understood the assignment. Oddly enough, high tension situations were always where they thrived, both somehow always coming together. They got out of the truck and Jessie was suddenly grateful she had her leather jacket on, as she felt a sudden chill across her face from the night air.

Jessie walked closely behind the two men, making sure to kick the 'For Sale' sign right out of the ground. Once they made it to the front door, Jessie unlocked it. She didn't dare to turn on any lights, she knew Barry didn't need any crystal clear views of the house in case he tried to escape.

"You not even gonna give me a tour?" Barry sassed with a slight laugh. He flinched at how quickly Jessie turned her back around to face him, now uncomfortably close to his face. He could see her features illuminated by the moonlight, being sure to drink in her angry eyes and gritted teeth.

"The only reason you're not knocked out cold is because we don't want to carry you. But if you say one more word I won't hesitate to lay your ass out. Got it?"

Barry didn't have a response, at least not one with words. But his smirk was clearly visible. Jessie was disgusted. She rolled her eyes and scoffed as she continued walking to what would be the basement. The dark room was exactly how one would expect. It was the room Ward would occasionally use to "negotiate" with difficult clients. Rafe was only fourteen when he got a first look at what that basement was really used for. And now suddenly he was more than happy to "negotiate".

Just like out of a movie, Barry was put into a single metal chair in the middle of the concrete room, but not without some struggle of course. Regardless, Barry's attempts were no match for Rafe. Furthermore, Jessie would've put a hole in his head if he ever wiggled out of her husband's firm grasp. Rafe put his ex drug dealer firmly in the chair.

"Jessie, hold him."

With that, Jessie took over once Rafe planted Barry's wrists firmly in the restraints on the chair. If Jessie didn't know any better she'd say it was custom made just for "negotiations." Although, she wasn't too phased by it considering some nights in Manhattan were spent just like this, with Tom and Maci by her side. The adrenaline rush she was currently feeling was hard to forget, for her it was like riding a bike. She stared into Barry's soul as she caught her husband grabbing the chains above his head and bringing them down to click in place on the metal restraints. The look of pure fear and regret in Barry's eyes got Jessie's heart racing. She hated to admit it, but she loved the feeling of power. It was all too familiar.

Once Rafe was done they both stepped back and admired the man in front of them, sweating either from nerves or from the single bright light shining on him. He breathed quick, shallow breaths. Jessie was very well versed in reading the signs of people in stressful situations just like these. Maci and Tom took her already natural ability to read people and turned it into a skill that would take her far in the Manhattan Mayhem. She had a unique talent for being able to tell when people were about to crack or when they were bluffing... or when they were about to pass out or even die. Rafe had seen his fair share of negotiations as well, but he was more so the braun of this operation whereas Jessie was the brains. Rafe never missed an opportunity to think with his fists, and Jessie never missed an opportunity to play games with the mind.

"Can I please..." Barry begged through labored breaths and restless limbs. "... have... a cigarette." Barry finally choked out as he swallowed hard. Jessie figured it was to keep himself from throwing up. She had seen a good deal of people puke from the stress, and she could tell he was nearly there. That was the only reason she was about to grant his request.

Rafe and Jessie looked at each other with hard glances and then back at Barry with balled fists. Jessie inhaled deeply and reached in Barry's right pocket of his khaki cargo shorts.

"Considering you look like you're about to puke..." Jessie said in a low, intimidating tone as she slid a Marlboro out of the package and ran it through her fingers slyly. "I'll allow it."

Jessie stuck the cigarette in between Barry's lips. She dug around her leather jacket pockets and eventually found the zippo she never seemed to get rid of. Rafe watched intently as she stuck the flame out just enough for Barry to lean forward and light the Marlboro between his teeth. One hit was enough to calm Barry down just enough to get cocky all over again, albeit not by much.

"So when am I gonna get my money." He asked with narrows eyes and an annoyed expression.

Jessie just laughed and looked up at her husband, who also now shared the same amused expression.

"You really haven't figured it out by now?" Rafe asked. Barry just looked confused. Jessie had so much to say about Barry's clear lack of intelligence and inability to read the room. However, she decided to keep it to herself in the name of tactical intimidation. She just clicked her tongue and laughed.

"You're not getting any money." Jessie simply stated with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders. By now she made her hands comfortable in her jacket pockets, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Barry's eyes went wide as he realized the jig was up. He knew he shouldn't have trusted them.

"You bastards, this is horseshit!" Barry yelled as he leaned in closer. It was obviously ineffective considering his wrists were still secure to the chair.

"Look, if you're gonna yell we're gonna leave." Jessie replied calmly, still not feeling the need to remove her hands from her jacket.

"You bitch, I knew I-"

Barry was cut off by a swift hand to his cheek, but surprisingly, it wasn't Rafe's. Jessie beat him to the punch, literally. She slapped Barry square across his left cheek, undoubtedly catching him off guard. He didn't manage to finish the sentence, instead he just looked at his former customers as if to say "really?"

"Let's go, Rafe."

Jessie slowly turned around, making sure to bore her eyes into Barry once more before turning for the door and walking away, making sure every click of her boots were heard on blood stained concrete. Rafe did the same as he followed behind her.

"Walk him like a dog, sis." Barry joked, just having to have the final word as the steel door shut, leaving Barry with nothing but an echo.

Jessie and Rafe both stopped right outside the door, leaning against it after it closed. They both knew Barry couldn't hear them, so they didn't mind.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Rafe asked, clearly annoyed.

"Whatever we do, we can't lose our heads. Look, I know you and I would much rather be on that plane with Charley but we've gotta take care of things here, alright?" Jessie tried to comfort Rafe, as she could see in his eyes that his mind was elsewhere. He was torn to say the least. He wanted nothing more than to hop on the next plane to be with his daughter, yet he couldn't bear the thought of leaving this unfinished, or even worse, leaving his wife to deal with it. He knew she was more than capable, but they needed to do this together.

"Rafe." Jessie snapped her husband out of his racing thoughts. He physically shook his head and brought his eyes back into focus on her face.

"Huh, oh yeah, right."

Jessie wasn't so convinced that Rafe was as dialed in as she needed him to be. He seemed frazzled, much like he used to look years ago. She didn't like the look. She just studied his features a little more, looking for any sign of an attitude adjustment. She didn't find one.

"Let's go upstairs." Jessie suggested with a tone of hesitancy.

"Jessie, no... we can't... somebody's gotta watch him." Rafe retaliated. Jessie couldn't believe he actually thought tactically for a moment considering how out of touch he seemed just moments ago.

"Rafe, you know that room better than I do... has anyone ever escaped?"

Rafe didn't have a response to that. Despite Jessie never having seen that room before, she knew there was no way Barry was getting out of the thick chains and the bolted steel door. Furthermore, Rafe had never known anyone to make it out of that room... alive. Jessie took his silence as understanding and simply kept walking, expecting Rafe to follow. They both walked up the concrete stairs, eventually making their way to the long corridor on the main floor of the mansion. The two of them stopped in the hallway awkwardly, each of them deciding to throw themselves along the wall and kick their heads back, breathing a deep sigh to attempt to relieve some tension. They faced opposite of each other, and Jessie was the first to open her eyes. She noticed Rafe's eyes were closed and his head could've sunk into the wall with how heavily he was relying on it to hold him up. He looked like he wanted to collapse from the stress. He swallowed the lump in his throat, still not managing to open his eyes. Jessie couldn't help but notice the veins popping out of Rafe's arms and hands just a little more as he fiddled with his fingers.

"You're hot when you're stressed." Jessie admitted with a goofy grin. Rafe finally opened his eyes at those words, looking across the small hall at his wife, who didn't seem to have a care in the world. He simply shook his head with the small laugh he could muster.

"You're something else." Rafe admitted in a low tone, whether it was because he was still thinking deeply or he was turned on, Jessie couldn't pinpoint just yet. She kicked herself off of the wall and flung herself onto her husband. Despite not being in the mood, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, immediately finding the back pockets of her jeans and sticking his hands in them. Jessie played with the collar of his shirt, finding it buttoned up too much for her liking. She didn't exchange any words, instead, she looked him up and down and undid one button. She patted his chest once she was satisfied and brought her hands up to his face, rubbing over his cheeks gently with her thumbs. Rafe melted into the touch as best he could, but Jessie could tell he wasn't completely relaxed. Knowing he needed more, she leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss that was sure to distract him. That it did, but only for a moment. Rafe was just about to fall further when he was pulled back into his racing thoughts. Jessie was so good at reading Rafe she could feel the difference without him even murmuring against her lips or moving his body a certain way. She huffed and leaned away, clearly annoyed.

"You need to calm down." She insisted, not in a rough way, just in a way that showed genuine concern. Rafe sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his other hand finding his own front pocket.

"I know, Jess... I just... can't."

Jessie knew what she needed to do.

"Come with me."

With that, Rafe took Jessie's soft hand as she guided him through the dark hallway and into one of the rooms, a room that Rafe knew too well. Jessie turned the knob on the light switch to reveal a dimly lit office... Ward's office, which was adorned with books the man probably never read and pristine paintings he probably never appreciated.

Jessie sat her husband down behind the cherry oak desk situated on the far side of the hollow room. Despite the leather chair being one of the most luxurious pieces of furniture in the house, Rafe couldn't help but feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He was so anxious he couldn't stand himself... and his wife was growing tired of him too. She gave him a look of reassurance as she slowly backed away and slunk over to the glass cabinet that housed the most expensive liquor she'd ever seen. Despite the extensive collection of bourbons and tequilas and everything in between, she opted for the number 7 whiskey at the very back of the cabinet. Ward was ashamed to like such "cheap" liquor, but he couldn't help that it was one of his favorites. Jessie remembered that from one of their many nights spent smoking on Rafe's balcony. She knew Rafe had the same taste for cheap whiskey.

Jessie grabbed two glasses from the same cabinet and began to pour the whiskey achingly slow. Rafe took in every detail, to the half smile on his wife's face as she poured to the grip she had on the bottle.

"You remember when we snuck in here and drank from your dad's cabinet?" Jessie asked, not even bothering to look up.

"How could I not? I didn't think I would ever be high enough to cross that line but of course you made it happen." Rafe replied with a content smile on his face. He licked his lips in thought as he became more relaxed in the chair thinking of the memory.

"I always get what I want." Jessie only half joked as she closed the bottle and set it on the desk. She looked at Rafe who now had a knowing smile on his face as he swiveled slightly in the chair with his arms draped lazily on the sides.

"Yes you do." Rafe responded. Jessie took the glasses in each hand and made herself comfortable on Rafe's lap. She handed him a glass as she took a drink for herself. He swished the copper colored drink around and looked up at Jessie with a curious look.

"What're we doing?" He said barely above a whisper, almost afraid of the answer.

"We're getting you lose." Jessie simply stated as she took another drink. It always amazed Rafe how she never grimaced at hard liquor. It always kinda concerned him too.

"For what?"

"For you to either admit to me what's on your mind or for you to forget it enough to go back downstairs and do what we gotta do."

Rafe just sighed and looked back down at the drink. He finally decided to cave in as he downed the glass and set it back down on the desk. Not what Jessie expected, but she didn't complain.

"Last time we did this... you and I both messed up..."

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked, now looking directly into Rafe's eyes, genuinely curious as to what he meant. Rafe just looked annoyed. He looked around the room and rubbed his face.

"Jessie you..." He sighed, not completely sure how to word his sentence. "When I killed Ward, I lost my mind... and when you killed Limbrey and Rose... you lose yours too."

"Oh come on Rafe I did not-"

"Yes, you did Jessie. You and I may have lost them in completely different ways but... you were different after that... and so was I."

"And?"

Rafe didn't know what to say to that. Did she really not know that they had changed? She knew... she just didn't care.

"So what if we're different, Rafe? Maybe we're just now two people who are willing to do whatever the hell we have to do to keep our daughter safe? Did you even consider that? What we're doing isn't weakness... it's strength! So what if we need to drink a little or smoke a little to get through some real heavy shit? God, what happened to you? Just months ago I heard you were the toughest guy around, not giving a shit what you did or who you hurt and now..."

Jessie stopped to contemplate if she wanted to finish that sentence. She knew first hand that words could never be undone. But who was she kidding? Of course she wanted to say what was on her mind.

"... you're weak."

"I'm not weak, Jessie. I'm just trying to find a balance in who I once was and who I need to be..." Rafe replied with hurt, confusion, and anger all rolled into one.

"Fair enough, Rafe. But you and I both know we don't have time to hesitate. Hesitation gets you killed. You and I against the world, remember?"

Rafe breathed deeply as he searched Jessie's eyes. He had no clue what he was looking for. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pursed his lips, now looking more determined.

"Right." He simply replied. "So what're we gonna do?"

Jessie's rage turned into a smirk as she cupped his face.

"You said it yourself... that bastard made your daughter cry."

The memory burned in Rafe's head as if it was playing on the big screen. He couldn't get his precious Charley's cry out of his head as he was forced to not look back. Jessie could see the thought was making him tense up. She took the opportunity and ran with it as she traced her fingers along his jaw and whispered in his ear.

"Make him pay."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 52

"What the hell do you think they're talking about in there?" John B asked looking between Rafe and JJ.

"If I know Jessie," JJ answered with a sigh and a run through his hair. "She's probably setting her straight."

"You don't think she'd actually do that do you? I'm sure she's just trying to reason with her." Sarah said, saying that last part as more of a question than a statement.

JJ and Rafe just looked at each other with a face that showed they weren't so sure Jessie was reasoning.

"Yeah, well..." Rafe replied as he held Charley in place on his lap and held her plate steady. "Jessie's got a a way with words."

"And a way of getting what she wants." JJ only half joked with a crooked smile, always trying to lighten the mood as he took a sip of his beer.

"Come on guys, if anyone can get Wheezie turned around, it's her and you know it." Pope commented. All the Pogues seemed to just nod either out of understanding or hope that he was right.

"I don't know..." Sarah interjected. "Wheezie's pretty persistent."

Rafe and JJ both laughed and hung their heads. It was almost freaky how they did it at the same time. What was even freakier was what they were about to say in unison.

"Not like Jessie."

"Woooooah" Charley finally piped up through a mouth filled with food. "You said that at the same time as uncle JJ!"

Rafe simply laughed at his daughter who was so bewildered. The Pogues were really just astonished at how much JJ and Rafe seemed to be on the same page now more than ever... literally. Suddenly they all turned their heads when they heard the distant creaking of the unmistakable screen door to reveal Wheezie and Jessie, who now was dawning her Manhattan Mayhem jacket. Rafe took notice of it, and knew she definitely just handled business. JJ took notice of it, and was once again reminded how badass his big sister was.

Wheezie came out looking somewhat neutral. The Pogues, especially Sarah, studied the teenager ever so closely, looking for any sign of anger, sadness, joy, or anything in between. Wheezie simply looked at everyone. Jessie stood behind her with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.

"So when do we leave?"

Wheezie's question was enough to pull everyone out of their concern and turned their faces immediately to smiles and laughs. On the other hand, Wheezie wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked exchausted, mentally and physically. Jessie made her way back over to Rafe and Charley and before she could trade places with the toddler on Rafe's lap, she heard Wheezie speak up once more.

"It's late... shouldn't I be going to bed?" Wheezie asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Jessie could tell she was still feeling a little defeated and was probably looking for a way out of the impending conversation.

"You're an adult..." Jessie stated calmly as she moved Charley to set beside the couple and took a spot on Rafe's lap. "you can decide when you go to bed."

Wheezie realized once more that Jessie really wasn't playing. She was going to treat her like an adult, and was going to advocate for the others to do the same. However, Wheezie's first lesson in adulting was playing out right then and there. She wasn't sure if she liked the feeling. Sure, she had always wanted to be an adult, but now... it all seemed too much. Nonetheless, the teenager took it in stride and sassily replied back.

"Fine then I'm going to bed."

"Alright." Jessie sassed back with a shrug of her shoulders, clearly not caring whether Wheezie actually stayed up or not. Wheezie just shook her head and turned back around, but not before hearing her brother speak up behind her.

"Goodnight Wheez." Rafe spoke up loud enough for her to hear as she was walking away. "I love you." He yelled a little louder.

"I love youuuuu!" Charley chimed in, of course being the perfectly timed comedic relief in the situation. The pogues all laughed despite them being worried about the kid they just watched stomp off in defeat. Wheezie swatted her hand back at them and only murmurs could be heard from her mouth as she went back inside. Once she was gone the pogues felt comfortable speaking up.

"What the hell did you do, Jessie?" Sarah asked, clearly annoyed and feeling like she needed to come to the defense of her little sister.

"I told her that if she wanted to be treated like an adult, she was going to have to act like one." Jessie retorted as if it was basic knowledge as she kicked back her beer.

"Well she looks like you scared the shit out of her, Jess." John B spoke up through a slight laugh.

"You shouldn't have done that." Sarah broke in with furrowed brows. "Now that you've given her all this freedom she's going to take it and she's going to abuse it! Do you know what you've gotten us into?!"

Jessie didn't waver. Rafe didn't speak up, secretly he worried the same way that Sarah did, but he had to trust that Jessie saw something in Wheezie that neither one of them did. He just looked at his wife, who never broke eye contact with his sister as she took another big sip of her drink.

"She's not gonna do shit. I'm telling you. She's not half the adult she thinks she is. She's scared shitless, trust me." Jessie responded nonchalantly.

"Sometimes that's all a kid needs... a little tough love and some hard truth." JJ commented. "And Jessie's right, Wheezie hasn't been exposed to a third of the shit that Jessie and I were exposed to at her age. She's definitely not as hard as she thinks she is."

Sarah sighed and looked down at her plate, still not fully convinced. Jessie could tell, and she looked at Rafe, who clearly had the same worries.

"Guys..." Jessie spoke back up, her words clearly indicated for the two Cameron kids. They both looked up at her. "To you she's your little sister, to me, she's a cocky little teenager who needs a reality check. This is either going to make her grow up or make her realize she needs to rely on us. But I promise you, she'll be fine either way. She's got all of us to make sure that she doesn't screw her life up."

Rafe and Sarah looked at each other and took a deep breath, indicating to the other that they were choosing to trust Jessie on this one.

"But... there is one more thing Rafe and I wanted to talk to you guys about." Jessie said with hesitation as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

"Oh my god if y'all say you're having another kid I'm gonna-" JJ was never able to finish that sentence.

"Absolutely not." Jessie refuted with a hand up in defense. Jessie took the accusation seriously, Rafe, on the other hand just found it funny. He tried to hide his laughs in his hand as he looked away from his wife. The Pogues breathed sighs of relief as they got confirmation that that is not where this conversation was going.

"Ok well then what is it?" Kiara asked through giggles as well.

"Well... Rafe and I talked and... we've decided that wherever you guys go... we're not gonna go with you." Jessie replied, physically wincing as if she was ready to catch a jab from anyone at any second. Her ears were immediately filled with judgmental murmurings and questions.

"What do you mean? Rafe? Where's Wheezie gonna go?" Sarah asked, clearly more worried now than ever. John B placed a hand gently on Sarah's leg and gave her a comforting look to try and ease her mind. It didn't work very well.

"We're gonna go with you guys and get you settled wherever you need to go but... we're not staying." Rafe began to explain. "We can't."

"And why can't you?" Sarah asked defensively, venom clear in her voice.

"Because the business-"

"The business can go to shit, Rafe! Are you seriously gonna let your little sisters run off to some foreign country and live on their own?"

"You're not living on your own, Sarah," Jessie butted in, now spewing venom in her words as well, as she felt it was unfair for Rafe to get the brunt of her wrath. "This was a decision that Rafe and I came to together. It's what's best for our family at this moment. It's not to say that we can't move down the road but for now, to keep the business in tact, we have to keep things as localized as possible."

"Too big of movements looks suspicious Sarah, you know that." Rafe interjected.

"And besides, you guys have been playing treasure hunting for the past year clearly not caring where you go, who you meet, or what kinda trouble you get yourself into... so this is your chance... you can go full kook wherever the hell you want. And Rafe and I, being the legal adults for now, will support you however you need us to. We want to take Wheezie with us but there's no way she can live a good life here in the US while everyone thinks she's dead."

The Pogues all looked around, knowing that Jessie had a point. Here she was, treating them like the adults they wanted to be as well. The only person who didn't seem to hesitate about this arrangement was obviously JJ.

"Yukatan anyone?" JJ butted in, and suddenly Jessie realized where exactly Charley got her perfectly timed comedic relief. She laughed at her brother, yet all the Pogues just groaned.

"There's no way you guys are serious." Pope chimed in, "What're we gonna do with the cross?"

"What do you wanna do with it Pope? It's your family's heirloom." Kiara replied.

Suddenly Pope realized, he really didn't know what he wanted to do with it. He had spent so much time actually finding the cross and worrying about keeping it safe and now he had no clue what to do with it. For once, Jessie wasn't going to tell Pope to forget about the cross. Now was his actual opportunity to be strategic with the treasure.

"I say we melt that bitch down and sell the gold piece by piece." JJ piped up with a smirk on his face and a greedy glint in his eye.

"JJ, no, that's a terrible idea." Pope retorted. "This- this cross is much more valuable than just the gold and diamonds it's made out of... it's... it's priceless to me."

"You could sell it in a museum." Rafe hinted with a shrug of his shoulders. At this point he was just spit balling with the rest of the group.

"Okay, but guys, you still haven't figured out where you're gonna go. You might want to do that first." Jessie only half joked as she looked around the fire. All the Pogues stared at each other. Rafe and Jessie couldn't take the silence, as they clearly had a better plan in their head, one that they had thought up long before they got back from their trip. But they both agreed they would let the Pogues decide. Jessie could see the tension in Rafe's face as he bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He began to bounce his leg as he heard the Pogues argue in front of him.

"Okay, can I please make a suggestion." Rafe finally spoke up, not being able to take it anymore. Everyone could tell there was clear annoyance in his tone and his face. They all went silent, hanging on his words.

"You need to at least start in the Bahamas. We have a house there with Cameron hired security so you know it's air tight down there and you all will be safe until you can actually do something with that damn cross."

The Pogues say there silently, realizing that Rafe's plan was actually a good one.

"That's... actually a good idea..." Sarah admitted. Rafe just looked at his sister with an expression that said duh.

"If I were you, I'd sell the cross to a museum with the rights and name tied to the Hayward's." Rafe continued, mainly speaking to Pope at this point. "That way the cross stays tied to your family but you also get the money out of it. I'll even help you sell it."

It was clear on Pope's face that he wasn't sure if he should be grateful for the offer or terrified. He felt bad for not trusting Rafe completely in the back of his mind. Rafe could tell he had a hint of hesitation. He didn't blame him. Him and Pope had just as much of a checkered past as him and JJ, and just like his brother in law, he had to take baby steps.

"I think that sounds like a win win to me." JJ said as he shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing else to consider.

"Look, Pope, we're gonna be in the Bahamas with you guys anyways at first just to get you guys settled in. Will you at least let me set up some meetings for you so you can meet with some buyers? You can make the final decision, I'm just trying to help."

Pope was seriously considering his words as he looked around at the Pogues, who all seemed to be on board despite their slight hesitation as well.

"Pope..." JJ whispered as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "I think Rafe's the only one that can really help us here."

That was JJ'a attempt at giving Rafe the benefit of the doubt, although it didn't make Pope much more confident. Jessie cursed JJ in her head and wondered why it was so damn hard for him to just say something nice about him.

"I think what JJ meant to say," Jessie spoke up, giving JJ a side eye. "Is that Rafe would be a great help considering he's had a lot of experience with multi million dollar deals. Pope, you're still gonna make the final decision on where it goes or if it goes anywhere, but you're only gonna get contacts through Rafe."

Pope sighed and looked down, his leg bouncing in thought.

"But what about my parents? W-what are they gonna think? What if I never get to come back home and-"

"You'll get to come home, Pope. I don't know when... but you will." Jessie said assuredly.

"Yea, Pope," Rafe reiterated, "you just all need to stay the hell out of dodge until everything blows over. I think that'll be just enough to get the cross sold, get comfortable somewhere else and then decide how you wanna come back."

"Or if we wanna come back." JJ jumped in. All the Pogues looked at him as if he was crazy for not wanting to come back... all of them accept for Jessie. She understood exactly what JJ was hinting at, as him and her both had dreamed of the day they could leave OBX and never come back. Now was their chance, and Jessie assumed JJ wouldn't pass up such a perfect opportunity.

"Look I know the rest of you got families and shit to come back to..." JJ said as he jumped up from his seat. "But my family is all right here, okay? Jessie, you and I both know how long we've dreamed of skipping town and never coming back. Guys! This is our chance! To go full kook!"

The pogues knew JJ was right, this was the stuff they had dreamed about all their lives, especially after they started searching for treasure. Were they really going to pass up their perfect exit plan? John B finally decided to stand up alongside his best friend.

"I'm with JJ... my family's right here." John B said as he looked over at Sarah, who decided to join him with an arm wrapped around his waist. By this point all Jessie and Rafe could see was the three teenagers standing in front of Kiara and Pope, the only two with parents that would actually care about this escapade.

"My parents would kill me." Pope spoke up.

"I think they'd forgive you when you come back with half a million dollars to their name." JJ smirked. "What do I always say, Pope?"

"Bad ideas..." John B started the infamous saying.

"Have good outcomes all the time." JJ completed.

"Hey, you got that from me!" Jessie chimed in. They all chuckled in response, knowing that Jessie was definitely the original ring leader for the friend group's bad ideas. At this point Pope just looked over at Kiara.

"Don't look at me..." Kie responded with a slight laugh, "the second I get home my parents are sending me to military school."

Pope took one more deep breath as he contemplated the faces of every person there, all of them hanging on the edge of their seat waiting for the teenager to agree. Pope got up from his seat, went to the cooler and grabbed his favorite beer.

"To going full kook?" Pope asked as he raised his drink in the air with a slight smile.

"To going full kooooook!" JJ screamed as the rest of the group whooped and hollered various things out of excitement. Jessie and Rafe both were happy to see the pogues so excited, like they were kids again.

Everyone got up to grab another drink and they all brought them together, inevitably spilling most of it, but drinking it nonetheless.

Rafe held Jessie in his arms and looked down at her after watching the scene unfold before them.

"To going full kook?" Rafe asked. Jessie just smiled, despite being a Cameron for four years now, she hadn't technically ever been a kook. She dreamed of that just as much as JJ and the others did. In fact, she was the originator of the idea years ago.

"To going full kook." Jessie replied with a grin.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 53

Jessie stood in the perfectly manicured lawn of Tanneyhill, overlooking the towering white castle in front of her. She had a moment to herself to drink in her final vision of the house that, oddly enough, meant so much to her. Her eyes wondered to the far left of the front of the house, the balcony that she stood under throwing rocks at the window praying that it was Rafe's room. She looked into the large windows of the first floor one last time as she reminisced on the times she'd see Rafe and Ward arguing over god knows what... most likely being her. She then looked over at the unmistakable 'For Sale' sign tucked perfectly in the billowing hydrangeas that covered the front of the house. She took a deep breath as she said goodbye to the familiar sight, knowing she probably wouldn't see it again. She had mixed feelings about that fact. Before she could turn around she felt a pair of muscular arms softly wrap around her.

"You ready to go?" Rafe whispered gently in his wife's ear. She nuzzled just a little closer up to Rafe's chest as he laid his head on top of hers admiring the house as well.

"Yeah..." she whispered with a half smile, still somewhat concentrated on something else. "Rafe?" Jessie asked.

"Hm?" Rafe replied, not bothering to move his arms or his head out of place.

"Are you gonna miss Tanneyhill?"

Rafe had to think about that question. Up until this point he really hadn't had the time to ponder it. He had been so busy trying to sell the house, get things lined up simultaneously in the Bahamas as well as Manhattan, and business of course went on as usual. So between the constant phone calls and emails and the daughter he had to raise and the wife he had to consider and not to mention the teenagers he and his wife were now responsible for, he hadn't really considered how he felt about selling his childhood home.

On the one hand, he couldn't forget the memories he made on the property. The football games with Topper and Kelce on the front lawn, the parties he threw, the endless summer nights on the balcony with Jessie, the play fights (and real fights) he used to have with Sarah and Wheezie. On the other hand, he also had plenty of terrible memories to pull from that he wouldn't mind putting behind him. The conversation he had on the couch when Ward told him his mom had passed away. The introduction to Rose, which always felt more than a little off in his mind even at such a young age. The fights with his father about anything and everything. The drug induced comas he would get himself into after said fights. He started to think the bad outweighed the good in that house.

"Maybe just a little." Rafe admits. "But nothing compares to the memories that were gonna get to make far away from this island." Rafe finished as he spun Jessie around and connected his forehead to hers.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Jessie whispered.

"We're bigger than this island, Jessie Cameron." Rafe whispered back as he took her face in his hands and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. They would've continued but they were rudely interrupted by yet another phone call, one of many recently due to Rafe's newfound position as the owner of Cameron Enterprises. Rafe groaned as he broke away and dug in his back pocket for the thing he was sure was gonna explode one day. He secretly hoped it would.

"Yeah?" Rafe asked, clearly annoyed, not even looking at the caller ID, instead keeping his furrowed eyes locked on Jessie, who just smiled and laughed a bit. He was grateful she didn't have a problem with how busy he's been.

"Alright, we're on our way." Rafe responded to the person on the other end of the phone before abruptly hanging up.

"Plane's ready. Charley's in the truck."

"I'll text the Pogues and tell them to meet us there." Jessie replied with a wide grin as she took a deep breath and took Rafe's hand in hers. Rafe smiled back as they walked hand in hand away from the house that made them both the closest of friends and the worst of enemies at times.

- - -

"Alright, load up." Rafe commanded as he rounded up everyone on the tarmac. All the Pogues filed in one by one with murmurs of excitement and beaming smiles. Charley of course marched right behind them with the same attitude. Jessie and Rafe watched her struggle to get up the steps, having to take them one at a time. Although they both found it adorable, Rafe eventually just walked up behind her, grabbed her arm and dangled her from his side as he walked up the rest of the steps, leaving her in a laughing fit.

Before Rafe could make it all the way up the stairs with his daughter and Jessie following quaintly behind, the two of them both heard a voice they couldn't help but recognize immediately.

"Country cluuuub!"

Before the sentence was even finished Jessie and Rafe were both spun around with guns drawn at the man that to them was nothing more than their former drug dealer. Thankfully, JJ wasn't too far in front of them, so he grabbed the toddler innocently and patiently waiting at her father's feet.

"Woah!" Barry yelled from across the tarmac, still suantering up to them now with hands raised in mock surrender. "No need for all that now, it's just me!" Barry said with a gold toothed shit eating grin. Rafe secretly wondered where his security was and made a mental note to fire every damn one of them when this escapade was over. Once again, it was up to him and Jessie to defend their family, and of course they didn't think twice about doing it.

"What the hell do you want, Barry?" Jessie spoke up through laser focused eyes and a venomous tone, her gun still steady with the man's head in sight.

"Oh, nothing..." Barry replied, now a little lower due to the fact that he was closer to the two people he wanted to see.

"That's close enough." Rafe corrected Barry, as he clearly thought he was getting far too comfortable.

"Calm down, country club! I'm not here for that little girl of yours! I'm here for my payment." He said with a smirk.

"I don't owe you shit." Rafe seethed as he held the gun tighter in his hands.

"Oh yes you do... and I get to determine how much."

Rafe and Jessie both had no clue what the drug dealer was referring to, yet neither one of them showed it on their faces. They always did have their shit locked up tight, and even if they hadn't rehearsed it beforehand, they were always each other's alibi, ready for anything anyone could throw at them. This was no exception.

At this point the pogues all piled into the plane, looking through the tiny windows to see the pending fire fight. JJ, of course, was keeping Charley occupied on the other side, although it killed him not to be out there right in the middle of it... or at least looking to see what was happening.

"Bullshit, Barry." Jessie said. "What makes you think I won't put a bullet through your skull right now?" She asked with raised eyebrows and a slight tilt of her head.

Barry just laughed a little and eyed the girl up and down seductively, which Rafe of course picked up on and tightened his trigger finger because of it.

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter, Mrs. country club."

"When have I ever been known to bullshit?" Jessie sassed back with her head cocked to the side as she clicked her tongue. To that Barry didn't have much of a response, it was in that moment he realized she was right. Jessie never bluffed. Still, Barry remained stolid as he kept his gaze on the gun clad girl in front of him with a smirk.

"Oh I know you don't bullshit, Jess... You didn't bullshit when you made Ward Cameron disappear and cover for your boy did ya?"

Now Barry was the one to cock his head and click his tongue as if this was a game. Before Barry could even finish the action Jessie butted in, now seeming plain angry.

"What're you talking about? Ward died on the druthers along with his wife and daughter." Jessie played it cool. Years of experience working for her in this moment. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work this time. Barry just laughed and looked around the airstrip.

"Don't be stupid, Jess. I know what you did. And it's okay... ya know I really didn't give a shit what happened to that son of a bitch... as long as he paid me..."

"You don't know shit." Jessie snapped back with furrowed brows.

"Oh I know enough... I know the second your boy threw me up against that table and embarrassed me in front of god and everybody that he really didn't need me anymore, and it's a good thing too... because you know who did?"

Barry didn't have to finish that sentence, both Jessie and Rafe knew exactly who found Barry at just the right time.

"Shit." Only Jessie could hear Rafe mutter under his breath. Although she couldn't see him behind her, she knew he was cracking under pressure. Thankfully, she was still in control.

"Yeah that's right... Ward Cameron... called me that same day matter of fact and gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. I tailed your asses, told him exactly where he could find you. After that I got so excited to see the downfall of Rafe Cameron that I just stuck around waiting to see what would happen... and what do you know? I see you and all your little teenage friends robbing and killing like your Smokey and the Bandit!" Barry yelled with a maniacal laugh. He really thought he had won, and Rafe thought he had too. But Jessie never faltered, she had been in rooms with people who thought they won over her plenty of times. This was no different.

"You done now?" Jessie retorted with a look of annoyance. Barry paused, not believing that's all she had to say. He knew he didn't have much leverage considering it was just him on that tarmac, but he had to take his chances.

"I own you now. And I want my hush money. And I know you got it."

"Jessie..." Rafe finally spoke up behind her, gun still drawn and a shaky finger rested on the trigger. "I want you to get on that plane and take-"

Rafe couldn't even finish the sentence before Jessie took matters into her own hands. She knew she had a better way of handling this. She simply lowered her gun and walked down the steps of the plane and closer to Barry. All the pogues were still watching from the windows and couldn't believe what she was doing.

"You think you got us all figured out huh? Well, let me tell you something." Jessie started as she slowly walked over to her former drug dealer. "That money you think we got? Aint on this plane. You really think I'm that damn stupid to put that cash on the same damn plane? Come on Barry, you know we're both better than that." Jessie laughed looking back at Rafe, who was confused to say the least. "You want money? Fine. Name your price. But you're not gonna get it right now because it's not here. You're gonna have to come back with us to Tanneyhill."

"Hell no, Jessie, you think I'm stupid?" Barry replied with clear offense written all over his face.

"Well then I guess you're out of luck, Barry. Because the only options you have are to trust us to get you the money... or I can put a bullet through your brain right now... and I know you know I will." Jessie smirked, now holding her hand comfortably on the gun situated on her waist band.

"You're not really gonna let those pogues jet off to god knows where with your daughter are you? Sounds like a shitty move-"

"Don't worry about my damn daughter." Jessie seethed as she gritted her teeth and got in Barry's face, tightening her grip on the cold metal to her side. "Worry about the fact that your life is in my hands... and I've killed bastards over way less than this."

Barry had no more words, knowing he really shouldn't push his luck if he wanted to get any further. He knew he was taking a risk approaching such a volatile couple like Rafe and Jessie with nothing but his self confidence and an airtight story, but of course, Barry was always willing to risk his life for some money. Jessie took his silence as an opportunity.

"Rafe," Jessie yelled, not daring to peel her eyes away from the man in front of her. "Tell them to go on without us."

"But Jessie you need to be with-"

"They'll be fine. They know what to do."

That was the truth. The Pogues had rehearsed this plan front to back and it was for this very reason. Jessie knew they always had to be prepared for shit to hit the fan. Jessie stared down Barry with a cold look of concentration. It wasn't but just a few seconds later and Jessie could hear Rafe's footsteps coming to meet her. Unfortunately, she also heard her daughter's distant sobs in the background as she realized her parents weren't going with her.

It broke Rafe's heart to hear Charley, yet that only made him more angry... so angry that he pulled his gun once more and stuck it to Barry's head. He shuttered at the sudden contact of the cold metal.

"You made my daughter cry." Rafe said with a clinched jaw and fist. "Now start walking."

So um I can’t handle this today

need that

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 47

"It's not what it used to be but..."

"Rafe, it's still a chalet in the woods... it's amazing!" Jessie replied as she stood in awe of the cabin in front of her. She was pulled out of her trance by Rafe setting their bags down in the gravel beside her and admiring the sight with her.

"It is pretty beautiful, I haven't been here in years." Rafe sighed with a content smile as he put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels.

The sight before the both of them was a beautifully wood adorned three story cabin, with wrap around porches on each floor. Jessie noticed the wooden rocking chairs on the decks and couldn't wait to sit in them. She took a few steps closer with her mouth still wide open in bewilderment as she noticed the perfectly painted canvas of mountains cascading behind the home. It was truly breathtaking. Despite the beautiful scene, Rafe couldn't help but notice Jessie, specifically how sweet it was that she was so entranced. For a moment, he felt like he took all her stress away just by bringing her there.

"You ready to go inside?" Rafe asked as he walked towards Jessie with the bags in his hand. Jessie cracked a smile and managed a frantic nod of approval and Rafe led the way towards the beautiful double green doors.

Rafe set the bags down as he walked through the door, Jessie followed suit and her mouth only dropped back down to it's original state of disbelief as she laid her eyes on the grandest, coziest living room she'd ever seen. This one was much larger than the one in the Bahamas and the couches somehow looked even fluffier and comfier than the ones she had laid on in the island paradise. She was most impressed by the large stone fireplace that ascended upwards towards the vaulted ceilings. She took notice of the wooden staircase that led to the second and third floor, each of them with their own respective indoor balconies to overlook the living room. Jessie couldn't help but think about how much their sweet Charley would love to peek through the rails... and how she would get her head stuck in between them.

Jessie was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of warm, strong arms around her torso. She returned the favor by wrapping her arms around Rafe's and leaning her head into his chest. Rafe slowly brought his head down, placing gentle kisses along her neck and trailing up to her face.

"You wanna see our room?" Rafe whispered seductively as he swayed the two of them back and forth. Jessie, for once at a loss for words, simply giggled and nodded. To his behest, Rafe reluctantly released Jessie from his grasp and took the bags once more and brought her upstairs to the master suite. This one was much different from the one in the Bahamas. Unlike the island mansion, this bedroom was adorned with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the most breathtaking view of rolling green hills and valleys. Jessie was particularly fond of the French doors in the middle of the glass wall. Although Rafe immediately plopped himself on the California king, Jessie went straight for the balcony, opening the double doors and breathing in the mountain air. Her husband would've joined her but he enjoyed his own show of watching his wife release all tension just standing there and looking over the mountains.

Jessie finally turned her head away from the view long enough the look around the porch. She gasped when she looked to her right and immediately walked back inside.

"There's a hot tub out here!" Jessie yelled in disbelief as she pointed back outside.

"Yeah." Rafe nodded simply with a giggle. His arms were now crossed over and resting on the back of his head as he admired his Jessie get excited like a little kid. Rafe had to remember that Jessie had only ever been on trips with him, so she really wasn't used to vacations. He didn't ask, but he assumed she never went on trips with Charley either for the simple fact she probably couldn't afford it. The thought made him sad and yet also determined to make more vacations happen for them as a family once all this blew over.

All this... he was quickly snapped back to reality as he wondered if the view alone was enough to pull Jessie out of her trance of emotional unavailability. He was hoping for the best, but still preparing for the worst.

Jessie just continued to look around the room, admiring the beautiful true wood, the vaulted ceiling, and the master bathroom that she felt belonged in the White House.

"There's a hot tub in here too?!" Jessie yelled from the bathroom. Rafe laughed a little harder, not bothering to get up and go see what she was talking about.

"It's called a jacuzzi tub, baby." Rafe corrected her innocently, thinking it was sweet she was so mesmerized. Right after the words left his mouth he heard the determined waddle of Jessie's bare feet trudging along the hard wood right back to him. She came out of the bathroom and leaned over her husband with a judgy look.

"It's called a jacuuuziiiii-" Jessie mocked with her eyes squinted and her hands on her hips, but she couldn't even complete the sentence before she was met with strong arms slinging her over the bed and on the opposite side of Rafe to be tickled. Jessie laughed uncontrollably and screamed for help as Rafe kept hitting her with a feather down pillow.

"Quit it... quit it!" Jessie begged through laughter as she kept dodging the bullets of Rafe's throws. She finally wiggled out of Rafe's strong grasp just long enough to grab a pillow herself. Before Rafe knew what hit him... literally... he felt a cold pillow across his face as well. He over exaggerated a bit as he let go of his pillow in mocked anguish and crashed on the bed as if his wife had killed him with one blow. Jessie giggled at her husband playing dead and only scooted closer to him and shook his chest lightly, to which he responded with one eye opening.

"You act like you're playing with our three year old." Jessie joked as she propped herself up over him.

"Oh trust me baby, I'm about to treat you like a grown ass woman." Rafe smirked as he raised his eyebrows. Jessie just scoffed and rolled her eyes with a slight smile.

"Come on, let's get unpacked." Jessie said as she was about to get up, only to be stopped by Rafe's arm around her waist. He propped himself up to meet Jessie with a look of determination and pure desire.

"I think you mean undressed." Rafe whispered as he licked his lips and leaned closer.

"No, I mean unpacked." Jessie did not budge as she scooted away from Rafe. "There's a hot tub out there and you think I'm gonna stay in here like a loser?!"

Rafe couldn't be defeated in that moment for the simple fact that Jessie was making him laugh. So he got up off the bed to grab his bag and started unpacking. The both of them put their bags on their respective sides of the bed. However, Jessie didn't get very far before she pulled out her black string bikini and held it up for Rafe to see. She let the fabric dangle in front of her as she looked at Rafe with lust.

"Wanna join me?" Jessie asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah." Rafe simply stated as he nodded his head slowly with a cocky little smile. Only moments later and both of them were changed into their swimsuits. Right as Rafe was about to step into the tub after Jessie, he heard his phone ring. Both of them expected Rafe to check who it was, for fear that something could've happened to Charley. But when Rafe went to check the caller ID, he noticed it was a guy from work. He stood outside the hot tub with the ringing phone in his hand, looking back and forth in between his phone and his wife. Jessie didn't show a look of disappointment, just one of curiosity wondering what he was about to do.

"It's work... I really need to take this..." Rafe trailed off with guilt written all over his face. Jessie only nodded with a soft smile as if to show she understood. She really did understand. After all, Rafe was still the sole owner of Cameron enterprises, and frankly, she was surprised he hadn't been taking more call and emails. She knew this would come with the territory.

As she watched her husband turn the corner of the wrap around porch, she decided to sink further into the hot tub, letting her mind wonder to the inevitable: Charley. She sure was having fun and really enjoyed the time with Rafe, but she couldn't help but wonder what her daughter was doing and if she was safe and having fun. She already missed her so much and couldn't wait to call her that night to see her pretty face and hear her sweet voice. The very thought only overwhelmed her more with longing to be back with her. She tried to put the homesick feeling out of her mind as she wondered about Rafe. What business did he have to conduct today? Was that going to take up the rest of his afternoon? Would he be busy for the next couple of days? Weeks? Months? Years? Jessie knew she needed to get her mind under control, but she couldn't help but worry about the stress that he might be under... or the stress that she was putting herself under. She then thought about why Rafe took her here in the first place... to relax, but the only thing she felt could truly make her relax was... smoking. She hated to admit it, but she felt like she was right back in highschool, needing to bum a smoke just to take some of the edge off of her crazy messed up life. After all, she had just been through yet another traumatic event or two that she could just add to the list. Surely she deserved a smoke, right? Jessie convinced herself anyway.

With that, Jessie snuck out of the hot tub and inside the bedroom to her duffel bag, surely to find the blunts that she had stashed away for the trip, ya know... just in case. Jessie's philiosphy was always to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. Even though she had no intention of using them while she was away, she knew she could never be too cautious. As she grabbed one, she couldn't help but grab a second, just in case Rafe came back from his phone call particularly on edge. But what was she talking about? She left Rafe because of the drugs in the first place... that all started out with a little weed. There was no way she could take an extra out there just for him. That would be totally insensitive, counterproductive, and not to mention extremely hypocritical. Jessie was battling with too many demons at that moment to care about what she put into her body, but what she could offer Rafe? That was totally off the table.

Jessie finally came to an understanding in her mind that she was just going to light up one for herself and not make it a big deal when Rafe came back, even though she knew he would be worried at the sight of it. However, that only made her crave the hit even more. She couldn't take it any longer, as she finally just lit the bud between her lips and inhaled deeply, taking in the euphoria that was soon to come. Sure enough, she blew a cloud of smoke and got back in the hot tub with the joint in hand.

Jessie wasn't even half way done with her joint before Rafe came walking back around the corner of the porch, his face showing deep thought as he looked at his feet gliding across the wooden deck. Jessie knew this couldn't be good, but she secretly had hoped that Rafe somehow would be so enraptured by his own thoughts that he wouldn't see or smell what was in between her fingers.

Without fail, Rafe brought his eyes up to Jessie, and immediately was drawn to her left hand that was propped comfortably on the side of the tub. Rafe displayed a look of disappointment, and Jessie was surprised that there wasn't even a hint of anger. It was as if he wasn't surprised at all, just defeated.

"Really?" Rafe pleaded with a dejected sigh.

"What?" Jessie said defensively as she threw her hands a little in the air. "It's not like I'm offering any to you... although you look like you could use some."

Rafe only shook his head in disbelief that this was actually a real conversation.

"Did you just actually tell me that I needed to smoke some weed, Jessie?" Rafe asked with furrowed, slightly angry, eyebrows.

"I'm not telling you to do anything, Rafe." Jessie reiterated with a shrug. "Now come on, get in. Relax." Jessie said as she brought the blunt to her lips once more. Rafe seemed still visibly upset but only pursed his lips and sunk in the tub with Jessie. He made it a point to sit on the opposite side of her. Jessie didn't seem phased.

"Where did you even get that?" Rafe asked with disgust. Jessie didn't falter as she blew the cloud of smoke directly in Rafe's direction, never breaking eye contact with him.

"I brought it from the Chat. JJ always keeps some around..." Jessie trailed off with a smug smile and a slight giggle. "He learned it from the best." Jessie stated confidently, becoming visibly more relaxed by the second.

"You don't need that, Jess. You've gotta stop." Rafe whispered as he looked down to play with his fingers and run them through the water.

"I know that, Rafe. I can stop whenever I want." Jessie snapped back. Rafe knew that in a weird way, Jessie was right. Jessie had so much self control that she really could drop old habits just as easily as she picked them up. Rafe didn't have that luxury.

"Why don't you wanna stop now?" Rafe simply asked as he looked up at Jessie and swallowed the lump in his throat. Jessie just sighed and threw her head back, only thinking about how Rafe was seriously ruining her high.

"Because, Rafe. I'm stressed. Why did I ever smoke in the first place? Because I was stressed. I've got a kid to take care of, well, now two, if you count Wheezie. I'm on the run again. I've gotta figure out where the hell we're gonna go. I've gotta think about JJ and all the other Pogues that are wrapped up into this and-"

"It's not just you, Jessie. Stop acting like you're the only one that's gonna save the day."

"Well so far I'm the only that has."

The two of them both went silent, Rafe not knowing how to respond to that. He breathed deeply and put the inside of his lips between his teeth to contain his anger. He finally looked back up at Jessie, making sure to look her dead in the eyes.

"You're gonna have to let go of the fact that you did what you did. That doesn't win you some type of award. Were all doing the best we can now trying to figure out what to do next. And you're gonna have to learn to cut us in on that."

Thankfully, Jessie was still high as a kite, otherwise Rafe could've counted on her retaliating in some form or fashion, either with venomous words or leaving the scene completely. Instead, Jessie paused for a moment and nodded as she looked off into the mountains.

"Ok, well, I'm not gonna brainstorm with you while you're like this." She simply stated.

"Like what?" Rafe asked, genuinely curious as to what she was referring to.

"Like... all stressed out." Jessie reiterated as she made her away across the water to her husband's side. Rafe clinched his jaw as he felt Jessie prop herself perfectly on his lap and straddle him with her arms around his neck. She played with his hair using the hand that wasn't holding the joint. Rafe noticed the smell of the smoke just inches away from him.

"You're the reason for my stress." Rafe only half joked as he looked at Jessie with a look that showed he needed her to touch him more but also that he needed her to chill the heck out.

"We both know that's not true, baby." Jessie whispered with a smirk as she made herself more comfortable by shifting a little in Rafe's lap. "Why don't you tell me what's really got you stressed? It's the business isn't it?"

Jessie's eyes couldn't lie, and Rafe knew exactly what she was planning, and he couldn't complain. He couldn't look away. He only nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Yeah... it's just... everyone needs everything from me and... I can't stop thinking about how I'm gonna run this... or where I'm gonna run this. But I gotta do it... for you... for Charley." Rafe whispered, clearly lost in his own head.

"You don't have to do any of that for me or Charley, baby. You and me against the world, remember? It doesn't matter if you give up the business and we don't have a dollar to our name, as long as we have you." Jessie soothed as she continued to trace small circles on the Rafe's back. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah, I know, I just..." Rafe said with a shake of a his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose in thought. "I just... can't shake the worry. The worry that Charley deserves better, ya know? Like do I keep the business and miss out on special events and milestones? Or do I get rid of it but not be able to give Charley the world? Part of me is selfish and thinks that I've missed too much already... but I also can't shake the feeling that Charley's missed a lot too... and so have you." Rafe finished with tears in his eyes, the weight of his thoughts finally spilling out, Jessie didn't mind.

"You are our world. We don't need anything else. But I do understand your reasoning for wanting to keep the company. The way I see it... you won't be this busy forever. One day everything will even back out and you'll get used to running it all. Everything's still knew for you babe." Jessie reassured.

"Yeah, but that's the thing, Jess... that work never stopped for my dad... and I'm terrified it's never gonna stop for me. I've already missed too much... I don't wanna miss another second." Rafe said with pleading eyes as he looked up at Jessie, to which she sighed and nodded in understanding.

"You and I have one advantage in this life over our fathers...." Jessie said softly as she paused, Rafe was listening to every word. "We're both determined not to be like them. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it... you are not a bad man. You are not your father. You can and you will do things differently for your daughter."

Rafe nodded his head and looked down at water, still clearly deep in thought. Despite Jessie's sincere words, he couldn't shake his true worry, the concern that he hadn't quite been brave enough to voice yet.

"I don't know, Jessie. You sure seem a hell of a lot like your dad right now." Rafe whispered as he looked back into his wife's eyes. "I just... feel like I'm losing you."

Jessie didn't need a quick come back or a sarcastic question to ask. She knew exactly what her husband was referring to. The coldness, the bitterness, the drugs, the alcohol, she remembered the feeling— that's what kept her safe for so long. Despite her throat tightening, she managed to not show her cracking under pressure.

"So find me..." Jessie begged with a half smile as she brought the joint back into Rafe's line of sight. "Right where you left me."

Rafe admired the joint as it slowly faded into ash. He remembered those nights all too well where he found Jessie in a similar spot as this: stressed, desperate, and feeling like nobody else understood the weight of their situation except each other.

"Jessie..." Rafe whispered fighting back tears. His face showed a silent plea for Jessie to stop.

"Rafe..." Jessie replied softly as she played with the blunt in between her fingers, peeling her eyes away from the man in front of her to examine the vice. "Don't you ever want to escape just one last time? Just like we did when we were kids?" Jessie asked as she brought her eyes back to Rafe. His look was one of sheer panic as he darted his eyes back and forth between his two drugs of choice. "When we thought we had real problems? God, if those kids could see us now they'd be proud we weren't even worse stoners." Jessie laughed, trying to lighten the mood. However, that did anything but. Despite Jessie's words holding truth, all Rafe could think about was if he was a drug addict before he had "real" problems, imagine the power they could have over him now.

"Who's to say we can't both quit after this weekend? It can be our little secret, just like old times." Jessie pleaded with a sly smile.

Despite the internal war, Rafe did want the stress to go away. Those nights with Jessie always seemed to do that for him. All those feelings welled up inside him once more, almost subconsciously leading him to extend his hand and take the blunt in between his fingers, gently inhaling. He felt totally out of control, like his body was moving for him and he was just watching it all unfold. The hit alone scared him even worse than the first time that night on the beach, but as he was exhaling he remembered exactly why he did it in the first place.