I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 64

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 64

"Are you girls ready to go?" Rafe yelled up the stairs, now dawning a loose black button up and jeans. As he fixed the cuff of his sleeve he heard his wife yell back down.

"Coming!"

The two girls walked down the stairs to see what little luggage they had on hand already at the door.

"The rest of our stuff is already on the way to the penthouse." Rafe replied, managing the perfect amount of cold interest. Jessie squinted her eyes with a curious smile.

"Penthouse?" Rafe never mentioned anything about a penthouse. Then again, she never gave him the chance in between her protests and his defenses. He pursed his lips and raised his brows. Jessie could tell some serious sass was about to roll out of his mouth.

"Only the best for my girls." He snapped back with the prissiest smile on his face as he extended his arm for Jessie to wrap herself around. This was something Jessie was not used to... playing house. However, Rafe knew exactly what it meant to play the part of a loving, not at all stressed out husband who has his family perfectly in order and his life completely figured out... he learned from the best.

Despite Rafe playing the part so well, Jessie couldn't get the icky feeling out of her stomach as she walked down the hall of her old apartment arm in arm with her husband. She looked back at the wooden door as she watched it disappear in the distance. This wasn't Jessie. It was so unlike her to be fake. How long was she supposed to keep this up? It was already exhausting. No wonder Rafe is so overwhelmed. On the outside she seemed poised, but on the inside she was screaming.

As they made their way to the car out front the three of them piled in, Charley completely oblivious to the tension and merely just excited about the new adventure her parents told her about. Rafe on the other hand, was once again enraptured in his phone, furiously texting away as if he had only seconds to respond. Jessie gave a subtle side eye to not seem like she was staring, taking notice of Rafe's lip in between his teeth in thought and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He finally sent the novel he was typing and looked up at Jessie.

"The museum Pope chose now has the cross in their possession, and the transaction went through."

"Oh, well that's good." Jessie didn't know what else to say, still clearly at a stalemate with her husband. He simply nodded his head in response.

"Tomorrow Pope Hayward and the Pogues should be millionaires." Rafe said plainly looking out the window and up at the skyscrapers.

"I'll try to tell JJ not to spend it all in one place." Jessie attempted a joke to lighten the mood.

"What, like the liquor store?" Rafe reciprocated with a light smile. They both laughed a little and looked down, both of them suddenly becoming nervous at the fact that they just let their guard down a little. They were supposed to still be mad at each other, and yet the act was always so hard for them. Still, Jessie wasn't completely sure they would be able to get over this. Would time heal them? Rafe wondered the same. Yet neither of them were willing to take the blame, or at least willing to admit that they weren't who they used to be. Neither of them could tell who was truly at fault for that anymore.

Both of them played with the skin on their fingers awkwardly to avoid blowing any more holes in their angry facade. The car ride from then on was silent and the air was thick with tension and confusion.

"We're here." Rafe stated monotonously, not bothering to look at Jessie before exiting the vehicle. She noticed the extra force behind the pop of the door handle as he opened it. As Jessie unbuckled the toddler sitting in between them she heard her door open, revealing her husband holding the handle to her surprise. His face was still solid... immovable, yet she read him loud and clear. Even in his frustration, nobody else was going to open the door for his girls while he was around. Rafe was filthy rich, but he wasn't rude. He swallowed the lump in his throat and eyed Jessie as he waited for her to exit.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Jessie slipped out of the car with Charley on her hip. Charley smiled bashfully at her father as she watched him close the door, Jessie didn't crack the tiniest grin, feeling that this was all a game anyways.

"Mr. Cameron! So nice to finally meet you!" A stocky, clean shaven doorman greeted Rafe as he led the two up the marble stair case that was of course lined with red carpet. Jessie thought priceless marble and red velvet was a little much for an outdoor entry way... but hey... when in Rome.

Rafe plastered a smile on his face as he shook the doorman's hand.

"I'm Tony." The doorman introduced himself to Jessie by shaking her hand, he then turned his attention to the girl in her arms, giving her a friendly gentle wave with a wide smile. He seemed like a very sweet man.

"Hi, Tony, I'm Jessie and-"

"And this is Charley. Our daughter." Rafe finished the sentence for her with a bright smile that clearly was only used to annoy Jessie. And it worked, because she wanted to smack the smile right off of her husband's face right then and there for speaking over her... or for her. Rafe knew she didn't need anyone to speak on her behalf, yet he did, just to get under her skin a little more. All Jessie could seem to think is that Rafe was not doing a good job at proving that he wasn't like his father. Jessie remembered the fair share of complaints that came from a teenaged Rafe, specifically about his father always speaking for him. Still, she held her tongue— literally— and faked a smile towards the kind gentlemen.

"Well it's freezing out here! Let's get you inside!" Tony exclaimed with excitement as he rubbed his white glove clad hands together. The second Jessie stepped out of the car she felt the frigid cold temperatures and secretly wished she had the trench coat on that Tony did. Winter in Manhattan was much different than winter in outer banks. She couldn't wait to unpack their stuff.

Rafe guided his wife up the stairs with a hand on her back. Jessie didn't feel it was placed there out of love, but out of control, which she was growing increasingly aware of. Each tiny detail that Rafe was displaying was another tick on the time bomb of Jessie's rage. She physically squirmed at the attempt to control her, and of course, Rafe picked up on it. Oddly enough, he wasn't terrified of Jessie's anger anymore, he no longer felt like constantly walking on egg shells. That feeling was one that he hadn't felt in about four years when they called it quits. He could feel his own disregard for pleasantries coming on at any point as well, and although he should've been afraid, he wasn't. He liked how it broke her down, the same way she would break him down slowly. It was almost as if he was waiting... looking... for a fight.

"Mr. Cameron! Pleasure to meet you!" A prestigious looking man who introduced himself as Mr. Salimony greeted the family in the grand lobby, which was adorned with Christmas trees, live piano, and warm lights. It was then that Jessie just remembered it was almost Christmas. God, she needed to look at the calendar. What would she even buy Charley? Did she even have time? And how much money-

"Jessica?" Rafe waved his hand in front of his wife's bewildered face. He could see that although she was staring at the Christmas decor she was deep in thought about something else. She clearly didn't hear him introduce her to the man the first time, which in his eyes warranted the full name. She snapped her head back towards the conversation.

"Huh! Oh, I'm so sorry! My name's Jessie, it's so nice to meet you." She replied with a half smile. "I was just... amazed at the... beautiful decorations!" She wondered if that was what she was supposed to say. She had never been in a place so extravagant. All of it felt so fragile.

"Yes, well it is our busy season here in Central Park. But not to worry, you will have a private penthouse with your own elevator so as to not be disturbed by our other guests."

Disturbed. The very word made her laugh out loud. Jessie was already disturbed, and it was by the lack of freedom she felt from the place alone. A private elevator? She kind of wished she could do something normal with the rest of the public, especially something as simple as taking a damn elevator up to the right floor... her floor apparently. Every passing second that she learned more about this place seemed to be feeling like a trap... an expensive, prestigious trap.

"Look mommy! At the trees!" Charley finally exploded, not being able to take the excitement from all the things she had to look at. Jessie giggled as she pulled her hand down so as to not point. Apparently that's rude in a place like this. She could see her eyes fluttering wildly in between all the masterpieces. Oh how she wished to be that innocent and in love with beauty.

"Yeah, baby, I see it! Isn't it pretty!" Jessi replied with a joyous tone. Mr. Salimony admired the moment and couldn't help but lean over to Rafe.

"You have a beautiful family. If those girls need anything while you're here please do not hesitate to call me day or night." The owner whispered as he slipped Rafe his card from the chest pocket of his suit. Rafe nodded in understanding and patted him on the back to show appreciation for the sentiment.

"Well, let's get you up to your floor!" The bald man whistled over a bellhop, who of course came running right away.

"Right this way." The young man exclaimed as he lead the way to the private elevator. The walk towards the private hall seemed like a maze that Jessie would definitely have to get used to. Charley was still mesmerized by the beautiful, intricate detailing found everywhere, even in their elevator. As they went up to the top floor, which seemed to Jessie to take forever, Charley traced the fine print wallpaper with her fingers. Jessie could tell she wanted to treat it like a coloring book and scribble all over it with her crayons. She made a mental note to always have her arts and crafts supplies put away when they used the elevator, knowing just how quick Charley could be with her antics. The thought brought her to another question in her head: was this place even meant for a child to stay in? Surely Rafe had thought of that? Before Jessie could dive deeper into her questions the door was opened, revealing a gorgeous cream colored hallway, adorned with the finest carpet and the most warming lights.

The bellhop took them down to their door, opening it with the key to reveal what Jessie thought was an illusion. She expected fancy... but this...

Rafe walked through the door first, Jessie had to remind herself to pick up her now heavy feet. He could see she was struggling to comprehend the sight, and he could also tell his daughter was getting squirmy. He decided to take the toddler from her grasp and plant her on his hip, knowing she wasn't ready to be let loose in the house just yet. Rafe had to lay a few ground rules for the little girl.

"You'll find that all your luggage is here. Your things have been put away. Lunch is ready in the dining room when you are, sir."

"Thank you... Timothy." Rafe said kindly, taking a moment to read the young man's shirt before slipping him a twenty dollar bill. The man nodded his head with a closed mouth smile and shut the door quietly, leaving the family to themselves.

Jessie had no words, despite the bright white walls and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the vast New York City, she couldn't help but feel the walls were caving in. Even though Rafe and her still weren't on good terms, Rafe knew her inside and out, and could tell she was crumbling under the weight of it all from the swallowing in her throat to rapid eye movements. He watched her fingers fiddle with the hem of her dress, clutching it tighter and tighter as she slowly walked around the living room.

"What do you think?" Rafe broke the silence. Just like this morning, Jessie paused to choose her words carefully.

"It's... a... amazing." Jessie lied. Rafe knew it.

"What're you concerned about?" He asked, his face expressionless, not wanting to show anymore interest then he needed to for tactical reasons. He observed Jessie smoothing out the white fabric of the back of the couch, boring her soul into it as well.

"It's... it's a white couch."

"And?"

"We have a three year old."

"Well then she'll just eat in the dining room like she's supposed to."

Jessie didn't like that answer, suddenly forgetting her good graces and giving Rafe a look that said really? He couldn't help but look down and laugh at his Jessie coming out in that moment. There she was.

"Orrr we can get a new couch." He reasoned with a slight smile. He immediately bit his lip trying not to seem too overjoyed. He looked out at the city below him and brought his daughter to the glass. Charley immediately fell onto the window, allowing for all kinds of prints to be left on the once immaculate glass. Rafe just laughed as he watched her look down below with her face smushed up against the barrier that she wished wasn't there.

Jessie decided to take the opportunity to dismiss herself, suddenly feeling like she was about to throw up. She went to what she assumed to be the master bedroom, not paying it much attention as she zipped right past the California King to the master bathroom. Before she could lean over the toilet to puke she stopped in her tracks when she noticed all of her stuff meticulously placed in cabinets and shelves. She realized the bellhop wasn't kidding when he said they had put everything in its place... she got a closer look by rummaging through the drawers in annoyance, finding things like her hair dryer, medicine, and everything in between wrapped up perfectly in its place. She was disgusted at the thought. She imagined she would at least be able to rearrange the cage— or house— like she wanted it, but even that had been stripped from her. She suddenly darted back into the bedroom, sure enough finding all her clothes had been perfectly folded and put away how Central Park Towers must have thought it should be. She backed away from the dresser in confusion, eventually running into the bed and having no choice but to sit down on it. She took a deep breath to settle herself and put her head in her hands at a loss of words. Suddenly she realized that sweet Charley's room was probably in the same manicured state. Her eyes went wide and she plundered through the house, her shoes clicking on the true hard wood across the living room as she went over to her daughter's room. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Rafe looking her up and down in confusion at her reckless state. She disregarded it and opened the door to what she assumed was Charley's room, it wasn't. It was the office. She scoffed and went to another door to find the toddlers room, and yes, it was magically set up too. Her toys in a stupid little basket that didn't have her favorite princesses on it, her blankets neatly folded on top of her dresser instead of tangled up in her unmade bed like usual, and the bed was a big girl bed, one that did not match her previous island theme at all, one that was bland and was sure to bore her.

Jessie huffed and puffed and whizzed out of the room with fury written on her face and in her movements. She didn't get halfway out of the door before running into a brick wall that was her husband. She stumbled back.

"Woah, hey..." Rafe exclaimed as he tried to catch her with his one free hand. "What is up with you-"

"Why does my daughter's room look like it came straight out of a damn Sears magazine?" Jessie seethed with a stomp of her foot and point of her finger.

"Woah woah woah." Rafe tried to soothe as he set his child down to walk into her room and explore. He knew nothing was breakable in there. "What's wrong with it looking like that?" He asked innocently holding his hands out.

"It's ... its..." Jessie muttered as she frantically looked around for the words with narrowed eyes. "It's boring! Charley is not boring. And she's gonna get bored of a room that belongs in a black and white film!"

"Jessie, it's the first day... we can get her room rearranged how she wants it." Rafe tried to reason with a clearly softer tone than the one he had previously used. This was not the fight he was looking for today, and he did somewhat understand his wife's frustrations this time.

"Thats the problem, Rafe! They already did all the shit for me! I didn't even get the chance to get the house like I wanted! I just come in here and all my stuff is put away and there's lunch on the table like their..."

Rafe's face said it all. He wasn't quite understanding what the problem was. Jessie sighed as she looked at his confused eyes, knowing she was getting nowhere. Although this time Rafe seemed more receptive than he had been the last 24 hours, which was something she was grateful to see.

"I'm sorry, I'm really not understanding the issue here, Jess. I thought... I thought you'd appreciate one less thing for us to do? I know I sure do."

Jessie sighed again and put her hands up in defeat, clearly unable to articulate what's going on in her head.

"It's not..." Jessie grew frustrated, as she now tapped on her temples like her husband does when he's trying to think. She began to sway back and forth. "It's not that I don't like the idea of having things done for me... it's the principle... of coming into a new house that I didn't get to pick, that I didn't get to decide when we moved, and now I didn't even get to make it ours..."

"Is this really about control right now, Jessie?" Rafe asked now with more disbelief and annoyance in his tone. She grew visibly frustrated as she realized that she once again didn't convey the right message.

"No, it just... ugh... it just, feels like less of a new house and more of a prison sentence... I mean I can't even use the same damn elevator as everyone else like I'm some sort of celebrity!"

"But I thought you'd like the kook-"

"I never wanted full kook, Rafe! Everyone else did! I wanted you!"

The silence was loud between them, and Jessie began to tear up.

"I never fell in love with you because you were a kook! You know I hated that shit! Still do! All the Pogues wanna be kooks and that's fine but not me. That's why I wasn't afraid to leave all those years ago... being broke is what made me rich, Rafe."

Rafe took a step back and sighed in frustration. Jessie could see his jaw clinch as he scratched the back of his head and put the other hand on his hip. He finally looked up with sharp eyes.

"Rafe..."

"What."

"It's not that I'm not grateful," she whispered, "it's just that I wish we could have decided together. Then maybe this wouldn't feel so... transactional."

Rafe looked down and clicked his tongue, now shaking his head slowly in understanding.

"Okay," He replied in a hushed tone. "I hear you." He was still clearly trying to come up with a solution. "Look, Christmas is coming up in a couple of weeks. How about we get the pogues over here and spend Christmas with them. While they're here they can even watch Charley and we'll go Christmas shopping for her? Sound good?" Rafe asked, although he didn't move from his spot across from her. Despite his warm words, his tone and his body language was cold. Still, Jessie tried to take the win.

"Th- that'd be good." She uttered shakily, frantically looking at Rafe's body just to not look him in his disappointed eyes. She could take his sadness, his confusion, even his anger, but not his disappointment.

Rafe simply nodded and sniffled as if to get himself back together with a quick swipe of his nose and adjustment of his button up.

"Alright well..." Rafe cleared his throat, looking back at Jessie with a newfound poise. "Let's go eat."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 58

"Well I don't care what you have to do to keep her! It's always cheaper to keep them than to replace them. If she won't move to New York, make it an offer she can't refuse." Rafe demanded over the phone as he walked through the kitchen the next morning. He leaned up against the counter to watch Jessie make breakfast for Charley, who was still fast asleep in the king size bed. Jessie whipped her head away from the stove long enough to put her finger to her lips to tell her husband to quiet down. It was way too early for him to be yelling, especially over work. He simply nodded his head with pursed lips and furrowed brows, clearly agitated but listening to his wife. She giggled at the sight as she went back to making breakfast.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes until Rafe abruptly hung up and flung his phone down beside him. He never moved from his spot on the counter, instead he folded his arms up, clearly in thought as he looked down at the ground. Jessie decided to lighten the mood as best she could by walking over to him and leaning on him with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"It's wayyy too early to be this frustrated." She simply said with a soft smile.

"Yeah well working out of three different time zones makes stuff like this kinda hard." Rafe explained through frustration. He wrapped his arms around Jessie's waist, albeit a little more aggressively than usual, looking at her soft eyes with stern ones. She dismissed the look, knowing it wasn't for her and kissed his lips gently.

"What's the problem now?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"My secretary doesn't want to move." Rafe simply stated through a short temper.

"So find a new secretary." Jessie replied as if the answer was obvious. Rafe just paused for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate explanation.

"She knows too much." Rafe responded with a guilty look. At that Jessie couldn't help but giggle a little. She then decided to pause to come up with a solution of her own.

"Well then you'll just have to kill her." Jessie joked with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's a very real possibility." Rafe cracked a smile as he joked right along with her, to which she laughed. He brought Jessie closer to him to kiss her harder, this time getting a little more heated, until they were rudely interrupted.

"Oh god, okay, ya know what? It's sickening enough for me to be hungover and now I have to watch you two play tongue hockey!" JJ mumbled as he walked in the kitchen with squinted eyes. Jessie couldn't tell if that was due to the massive hangover or the fact that the two of them were making out right in front of him. "Seriously get a room." He sassed.

"Our room is occupied by a three year old little girl." Rafe sassed right back as JJ took a seat at the bar.

"And so your solution is to have sex in the kitchen? Seriously there's dozens of rooms in this house." JJ mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. The couple just couldn't help but laugh. Jessie dismissed his snide remarks and went to the fridge.

"Hey grab me a beer outta that." JJ said mindlessly pointing over that direction still holding his head.

"Seriously, Jayj? You know a beer is not gonna help." Jessie scolded as she opted for the milk.

"Yeah, and kooks don't typically drink this damn early." Rafe joked. JJ just groaned in annoyance as he laid his head on the cold marble counter. He looked quite comical they had to admit.

"You're getting toast instead." Jessie exclaimed as she went to grab the bread from the pantry. JJ knew better than to argue, especially when he was this hungover.

"Rafe will you go wake Charley up? I don't want her sleeping all day." Jessie asked. Rafe gave her a look that said he really didn't wanna do that. Jessie noticed.

"Oh come on, you're gonna have to be the bad guy at some point. She'll live." Jessie reiterated. Much like JJ, Rafe knew better than to argue. Instead, he marched back to their room.

Jessie slid the cinnamon sugar toast over to her brother, who's head was still laying on the counter. She figured he was asleep, so she snapped her fingers to get his attention. It worked, and he jolted his head up with eyes open, but not for long considering the pounding headache he just remembered he had.

"Eat up, I don't want you puking on the floor. This shit's probably priceless." Jessie joked as she pointed to the toast. She then brought him a glass of milk as well.

It wasn't but a few more moments until Rafe rounded the corner with a sleepy Charley clinging to his hip. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder and Jessie could tell she was almost back asleep. She sleeps just like her uncle: anywhere at anytime. Rafe looked smitten as he just rubbed her back, wanting her to choose when to wake up. Unfortunately, he had to let go considering he got a call as soon he as he entered the kitchen. He huffed and gave Jessie a sympathetic look as he had to pass her off.

"What?" Rafe snapped as he walked out of the room. JJ watched as he marched away and looked back at Jessie.

"Does that not bother you?" JJ mumbled as he took another bite.

"What?" Jessie asked.

"The constant phone calls, the bad mood he's in, the stress?"

"That's all just a season. We're all going to find a new normal at some point and he won't be this busy." Jessie said dismissively with a head shake. JJ just shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at his food.

"How many times did you see Ward on the phone, stressed out, talking about business, and all that other shit?" JJ asked, allowing for a pause for his sister to think. "Right, a lot. Probably almost everytime you saw the man. That man had been running that company for decades and never got a break. The only time that man was ever off his phone was when he was entertaining all the other rich goons around him. You're kidding yourself if you think that's gonna change, sis."

Jessie just sighed deeply with an annoyed look on her face as if she knew a lot more about this situation than JJ did. She hated that he was so confident in his speculation. He decided to back off.

"Alright, alright..." JJ said as he held his hands up in surrender. "But all I'm sayin is... if I ran the same business he was running, I'd do hard drugs too."

JJ meant that as a joke, but to Jessie it was anything but. She didn't even want to think about the path her husband could go down if he didn't draw some boundaries and take a break every once and a while. But then again, Rafe had seen first hand the man that his father had become, so she liked to believe that he would be self aware enough to not let that happen. After all, he already revolved his life around Charley and her the second they came back into his life. She had to hold on to that truth to not let her mind run wild with doubt and fear.

Jessie was pulled out of her thoughts by a clearly flustered Rafe coming back into the kitchen, now breathing a sigh and scratching the back of his neck. He came to stand right beside his wife, putting his hands on the countertop and stretching his neck with his eyes closed. JJ noticed it too.

"You alright there, big guy?" JJ asked with knitted brows. Rafe just opened his eyes slowly to give JJ a subtle glare and brought his eyes over to Jessie, who had the same look of curious concern on her face.

"I'm fine." He muttered. "I'm going to get in the shower, if Pope comes down tell him I've got people coming at noon and he needs to be ready."

The siblings simply nodded their heads, trying not to push it.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Jessie asked with sympathetic eyes, genuinely trying to be of any assistance she could. Rafe picked up on her fragile tone and immediately shifted his attitude as best he could.

"No, baby, I'm fine, it's all gonna be fine." Rafe whispered as he cupped her face and gave her a reassuring look. He admired her beautiful face for just a moment, and took in his favorite sight of his two girls. He planted a sweet kiss to Jessie's lips and slowly peeled his fingers away. JJ tried his best not to ruin the moment by being disgusted with the public display of affection. With that, Rafe backed away and headed for their master bathroom. Jessie watched as his back muscles tensed as he clinched his fists on the way out. She could tell he was still deep in thought about anything and everything.

- - -

"Pope, I'd like you to meet Mr. Singh. Mr. Singh, this is Mr. Heyward." Rafe introduced the two men who were now standing in the grand living room, both dressed in collared shirts and perfectly ironed pants. Not Pope's preferred wardrobe, but he knew he had to dress to impress-- literally.

Rafe had his driver take the rest of the crew out for a day at the beach, with security standing back modestly of course.

The two men shook hands and exchanged nods of approval.

"So, Mr. Heyward." The man spoke up in a thick Bahamian accent. "I hear you have something of great value to me."

Pope had no idea what to say, after all, he'd never done this before. Pope's words got caught in his throat for fear of saying the wrong thing or giving off the wrong vibe. Despite Rafe's brief teaching before the meeting, Pope still forgot everything, now only looking at Rafe to rescue him. Thankfully, not too much awkward silence lapsed before Rafe quickly stepped in.

"That's correct, Mr. Singh." Rafe played it off as he rubbed his hands together and dawned a confident smile, making sure to look the man directly in the eyes. "It's a cross. Seven foot long made of pure gold and adorned with diamonds and other precious stones. Appraisers say it's priceless."

"Your father and I have been business partners for a long time now, Cameron. And although he hasn't screwed me yet, I would like to know... how did this young lad get involved?" Mr. Singh asked with furrowed brows in Pope's direction. He ran his hand mindlessly through his beard waiting for an answer. Rafe didn't waver.

"This cross— the cross of Santo Domingo— was found by this young man. And he wants to make sure that when this artifact is sold that it's sold to the right partner. Someone who's... going to appreciate it as much as he does. And of course I thought who better than you Mr. Singh?" Rafe calmly stated through a kind smile that Pope couldn't help but tell was fake. That's all these pleasantries seemed to be... fake. But Rafe told him it would be. These were negotiations, nothing more.

"Well that is a fair point but I still do not see how this man found you, Mr. Cameron? And if you found him then... why aren't you wanting this "priceless artifact" all for yourself?" The Bahamian asked with a knowing smirk. Rafe expected the man to always be looking to get under his skin.

"Well that's really none of your concern, Mr. Singh. Because what I have in front of you right now is much more important than any backstory you claim to need."

Pope just watched as the two men eyed each other up and down, clearly playing a silent game of dick measuring. He thought he was ready for this, apparently he wasn't. Still, he couldn't stand the thought of not saying something. He finally cleared his throat.

"It's worth at least 500 million dollars."

Rafe just pursed his lips just enough to keep himself from scolding Pope. No straight answers was what he was told, and yet here he was, spewing a cold hard number to this man. Luckily, Rafe was good at not letting anyone see that he was upset. Now was not the time to lose it.

Mr. Signh was visibly shocked that Pope spoke up. He raised his eyebrows and let out a slight chuckle as he leaned back in his chair, now feeling like he had the leverage.

"Well well well... he speaks!" Mr. Signh exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

Rafe looked at Pope with a grin that he knew held so much sarcasm. Rafe decided against saying anything else, feeling like Pope needed to sort this one out now. Pope felt the judgement, and just decided to roll with it.

"Yeah I do..." Pope stated calmly, now inhaling deeply and rubbing his sweaty palms on his perfectly starched khakis. "And I want you to know that this cross isn't to be altered in any way if I sell it to you. I want this in a museum on display somewhere. I feel that that's what it deserves."

"Fair enough, Mr. Heyward..." The man leaned in once more with his hands folded together neatly, giving Pope an oddly genuine smile. "But I feel that Mr. Cameron has yet to inform you that... I'm more interested in... off the record purchases. One's that don't get put in museums but... ones that put 500 million dollars cash in your pocket today. Is that something you'd be interested in, Mr. Heyward?" He whispered. Pope looked over at Rafe, unsure of what to say or do. Rafe gave no physical indication of what to do. After all, this was his cross. Rafe's input or previous coaching clearly didn't matter to Pope.

"Well yeah but-"

"But what, Mr. Heyward?" Mr. Signh asked with harsh eyes and a tilt of his head. Pope just sighed.

"If it's not going in a museum or to a good cause... then I can't sell it to you." Pope said sternly, finally finding his voice. Mr. Singh looked down at the floor and tapped his freshly polished leather loafer against the expensive rug.

"Very well, Mr. Heyward. But just a word of advice." Mr. Singh said as he stood up from the couch and looked between the two men in front of him. "Mr. Cameron... doesn't do honest deals either."

With that, the man strutted out of the mansion with his goons in tow. Pope and Rafe both watched as he ominously walked out of the room. Suddenly, Pope whipped his head back around with fury as he looked at Rafe with narrowed eyes and a puffed chest. He looked like he was trying to control his breathing.

"What?" Rafe spat with arms slightly extended.

"What does that prick mean by not doing honest deals? You know what? Never mind, I know exactly what he meant by that! That guy's not from some museum! He's not a collector!" Pope fumed as he now paced around the room.

"Oh he's a collector..." Rafe corrected defensively. Pope had to physically stop and ball his fists in that moment to contain himself. He pursed his lips and let the pent up air out slowly through his nose. Suddenly the collared shirt he had on felt suffocating, and he hastily unbuttoned the top button.

"That's not what I meant, Rafe. He's a black market collector and-"

"And he'll make you more money than you ever thought possible if you give up the damn merit! Dude, I understand you're new to all this, but you gotta understand, I'm not... and I'm telling you... this is what gets you and your little friends to full kook just like you all wanted!" Rafe seethed as he now met Pope where he was standing, being sure to point a finger towards his chest.

Pope had to pause once again to contain his anger.

"My little friends are also your sister and your brother in law. God, Rafe, I thought you understood by now!"

"Understood what?!"

"... We're not friends... we're family... you're family. We all let you in on this despite having our reservations about you because we love Jessie and chose to trust her. You still don't get it! You're still trying to do things your way and you're not understanding that we can sell this cross to the right people, make money, and still keep the moral high ground! We may want to be kooks... but we're not gonna be sell outs to get there..."

"If you're gonna be a kook you're gonna have to-"

"What you just did was not treating me or anyone else like family. This is not just a transaction, Rafe."

Rafe matched Pope's demeanor, now eyeing the man in front of him up and down with fists planted firmly by his side and his chest slowly heaving up and down. Pope could tell he had so much left to say, yet he didn't. Instead he walked away still fuming. Despite everything that just happened, Pope had to admit he was impressed. Not a punch thrown, not a shove, not even one more venomous word.

Rafe marched back to his hidden room, planting himself firmly on the bed and rubbing his eyes furiously as if to try and forget the memory of what just happened. Rafe felt like he had been punched in the gut with all the family talk.

"This is not just a transaction, Rafe."

Rafe didn't understand family... he understood transactions. That was the problem, and it broke his own heart. After all, that's all he was ever taught. Life was not a journey, but a game, a game that his father taught him to win. Ward toured around as a "family man" but Rafe knew he was anything but. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever view life as more than just transactions as well. He needed Jessie here to prove him wrong, but she wasn't. Rafe started to sob with his head in his hands as he grasped the weight of Pope's words. Jessie and Charley were clearly his family, but the Pogues? Maybe he wasn't as open minded as he thought. Years of hatred and a brainwashed narrative will do that to a person. Then again, he thought he was doing the right thing by Pope and the others by trying to make the most money, not giving much thought to Pope's true intentions. Maybe that was his problem, he was never taught to move morally, only strategically. The sudden rush of emotions and flood of childhood traumatic memories overwhelmed Rafe. He needed Jessie, but she wasn't there.

Before he could process what he was doing, he felt his legs move towards the pantry right outside his hidden door. His mind was numb, only processing what felt like weights around his feet weighing down his legs. He felt drunk and out of his mind and yet he had nothing in his system. He scoured the cabinets for anything he could find, of course, all the wines, champagnes and whiskeys one could possibly imagine were right where they were supposed to be. He quickly grabbed the closest whiskey he could find, not even bothering to grab a certain brand and downed one big swig. The burn down his throat still wasn't enough to drown out the pounding in his head. He held his eyes once more trying to forget. He stumbled back into his bedroom and towards the master bath, not from drunkenness, but from losing his senses altogether due to the overwhelming anxiety he felt. He managed to catch himself as he placed his arms on the marble sink, slowly looking up at himself in the mirror. He took notice of the blown out pupils and wet bloodshot eyes.

"Be a man, men don't cry!"

Rafe heard his dead father ring in his ears the same way he heard him when he was ten years old. He physically groaned at the thought and put his head down feeling like the weight could snap it right off. Given the migraine he was suffering from, he wished it would.

Speaking of migraines, Rafe remembered he was in the bathroom, and behind the mirror would be some medicine that could help. With that he sniffled, wiped his face and tried to pull himself together despite nobody being around to see. Suddenly the suit jacket he had on felt like a straight jacket, and he immediately pulled it off. He rummaged through the cabinet sure enough to find the bottle of pills he was looking for, but when he opened it up, it was not Tylenol he found. It was a plastic baggy of the all too familiar powder. God, why'd he have to hide that shit everywhere he wondered. Even after he decided to get clean he still couldn't seem to escape his former self who undoubtedly had the best hiding spots. Still he stopped in shock as he looked at the contents of the bottle. He expected to immediately throw the bottle down and run out of the bathroom out of fear. Instead, he gripped it tighter out of anger for contemplating his next move. He still felt drunk to his senses, yet now he was filled with rage. Rage that this bottle had so much control over him in the moment. He gritted his teeth at the thought of the cocaine undoubtedly taking his headache away... and all the other pain he was feeling. He needed his Jessie... but she wasn't there.

Finally unable to take the pressure that kept building in his skull and in his mind, he created the perfect line of coke that would carry him through until his girls got home.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 70

Rafe couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation the two siblings were having. What started as genuinely trying to make sure everyone was settled in turned into calculating his breaths and trying not to creek the wood floor to give away his whereabouts.

"And he's not gonna want you be anything else other than that."

The words cut Rafe deep, but what twisted the knife was the fact that Jessie didn't refute it. He only heard an undoubtedly awkward hush come over the two siblings. Without even seeing his wife, he knew exactly what she was doing. She was looking down at the floor with her lips sewn together trying not to say what she really thinks.

Rafe knows what she thinks.

JJ was right, though. Rafe didn't want Jessie to be anything else other than herself... but what he needed her to be... well, that was a different story. The same went for Rafe, what he wanted to be was not the same as what he needed to be. Rafe wanted to be the present father that wasn't so damn wrapped up in work all the time. But he needed to be the business man his father created him to be. He needed to be the breadwinner for the family. He needed to give his girls the best life had to offer, as he felt like anything less was a disservice to them. Not to mention, anything less is something he didn't grow up to be proud of. The Cameron's were always the best in their class, no matter what that looked like. If he was going to carry out the life he was destined for, he was gonna do it right.

Rafe didn't want to be addicted to cocaine, yet he needed a hit now more than ever due to the sudden feeling of inadequacy he felt once again. It was a feeling that was becoming familiar to Rafe all over again. He'd like to think that the past week of a stalemate between him and his brooding wife would have helped him kick the habit, but it only sucked him in more, soon enough he found himself using the same amount as he did before Jessie left. The memory scared him more than he could explain... yet he couldn't stop. Rafe felt worse about the using this time around. This time around it felt like he was cheating on Jessie, as she still had no clue he had fallen into bad habits. Yet the cocaine suddenly became more tantalizing, more seductive. The drug now was doing better at making him happy than Jessie was. The thought killed him, but ironically, the only thing that could convince Rafe to stop thinking about the disappointment would be to hit a line. So that's exactly what he did. Christmas wasn't supposed to be like this... his life wasn't supposed to be like this. But suddenly he couldn't see any other way he could smile for the pictures and get through this day knowing what his wife thought of him behind closed doors.

Rafe creeped over into his office just a few doors down and managed to form a neat white line. The same white line managed to block out Jessie's long hair, perfect lips, and curves every time. Once he recovered from the high, he decided to sneak back out as if nothing had happened, even though he would feel the effects of his rendezvous for hours.

"What're we doing?" Rafe asked as he walked back into the kitchen. Of course, the question was rhetorical, as he could clearly see what was going on.

"Making gingerbread houses." Jessie replied as she set the icing down and looked over at her husband.

"Daddyyyy" Charley squealed.

"Yes, darling?"

"Mommy and me and you have to make one togetherrrrr."

Why the toddler insisted on all three of them making a gingerbread house together? Nobody really knew, but Rafe didn't dare deny his child's wishes.

"Alright, sweetheart. What can I do to help?"

"Well you can help me hold the house in place while I glue it together." Jessie stated, to which Rafe obliged. He took notice of how everyone had paired off... he raised his eyebrows at the flirting coming from JJ and Kiara... that was a new development. Or maybe it wasn't, and he just hadn't looked up long enough to notice. He also noticed that Sarah and John B had their own gingerbread house to make... leaving Pope all alone.

"Hey Charley." Rafe spoke up, to which his daughter turned her attention up to him.

"Uncle Pope is all alone, why don't you go help him make his house, yeah?"

Charley looked in between her father and Pope, who was now smiling from ear to ear at the thought of not being the seventh wheel.

"I could really use your help, Charley!" He exclaimed. Everyone could tell the toddler was seriously considering the offer. She looked back up at her father with determination behind her eyes and a point of her finger.

"Okay... but you have to help mommy!" Charley demanded as she pointed at her father with narrowed eyes. The threat somehow worked, and yet Rafe couldn't help but giggle. She was just like her mother. Everyone else snickered at the very same realization. Rafe simply held his hand to his chest and the other in the air, taking the threat rather seriously.

"I promise." He replied. Charley folded her arms and nodded her head and marched over to her uncle Pope. The two extra wheels ended up winning the contest for best gingerbread house...

- - -

"Alright, everyone! Gather around! We're all gonna open one gift!" Jessie yelled throughout the house as everyone made their way in the living room, getting comfortable on the couches and some sitting on the floor closer to the tree. Of course, the ones sitting closer to the tree were Charley and JJ, both for the same reason... pure excitement.

"Alright, Char Char..." JJ rubbed his hands together in angst as he leaned down to his niece. "So the way this works is we all get one present tonight, and then we'll open the rest in the morning. Got it?"

"Got it!" The toddler exclaimed, who was now bouncing up and down, clearly unable to contain her joy.

Rafe sauntered into the living room with a bottle of champagne and glasses, setting them down carefully and walking over to his wife with a smile. He wrapped an arm around her and she did the same. Show time.

"Alright, so I know you guys all came here with your gifts for each other... but Jessie and I wanted to do something a little different this year."

The pogues looked up intently waiting for his next words.

"Since this is our first Christmas together as a family... and Jessie and I's first Christmas... ever... we wanted to just give each of you guys a present from us for tonight."

"So each of you have a present underneath the tree, so go find it!" Jessie exclaimed. The couple watched as their friends dug through the presents, looking for the one that belonged to them, and ripping them open with fury. Despite this being Jessie and Rafe's first Christmas together... they could both agree on one thing: a free for all was necessary when it came to gift opening. They both hated the idea of everyone opening their gifts one at a time. Nobody in that room had the patience for that. Especially not their three year old.

A slough of oohs and ahs filled the room as everyone gawked at their presents, JJ got a new hat and a pack of beer, John B got a hat rack (since his hats were always thrown everywhere), Kie got a turtle themed skateboard, Sarah got some new sneakers she had been wanting, Pope got a new book he has also been eyeing, and Charley got a new treasure chest for her toys, one that was much more colorful than the one she had in her room currently.

"Mommy, look!" The toddler screamed as she pointed to her new toy and peddled her feet up and down. Her parents both smiled as her father went to go open the champagne.

"I see it, baby! How cool!" Jessie replied as if she hadn't seen it already.

"And guess what Charley?" Sarah spoke up as she crawled over to her niece with a mischievous smile. "Santa's gonna bring you more tomorrow morning!"

Charley erupted in cheers and applause as she ran around the living room, which caused everyone to laugh.

"I wanna go put toys in it nooooow!" She begged as she ran back over to her treasure chest.

"Well then let's get to it!" John B responded as he jumped up to grab the box. It was too big for one person to carry, but thankfully, JJ understood the assignment and helped him carry it out. Charley stood underneath it, her arms barely tall enough to touch the bottom of it to try and help. The boys let the box down just slightly so Charley could "carry" it as well. The Pogues all followed the little girl to her room to help her redistribute her toys, which would undoubtedly turn into show and tell.

Jessie and Rafe both laughed as they watched the scene unfold, and after everyone finally made their way out of the living room, Jessie turned back around to see Rafe standing there with two glasses of champagne in his hands. He extended one to his wife. Her smile faded just slightly as she remembered her new vow not to drink since that night at her old apartment when everything broke loose. She still didn't want to mess with any gateway drugs, even alcohol. Rafe picked up on the subtle change of demeanor as he watched his wife eye the drink in her hand.

"You don't have to drink it." He said simply. Jessie darted her eyes back up to her husband, feeling like her secret was out. Rafe just chuckled. "I know you haven't been drinking, Jess. Don't think I haven't picked up on it."

A silence feel between them and Jessie let an awkward laugh escape her lips.

"Do... you have something you want to tell me?" Rafe asked softly, trying not to intrude. But he couldn't ignore the fact that his wife had stopped drinking cold turkey. Whether she realized it or not, Rafe knew her inside and out. She looked up at the man in front of her with furrowed brows, now suddenly really confused.

"Like what...?" She trailed off. Rafe just shrugged and looked around the room, unsure of what to say. He stared at Jessie with an inquisition that gave away exactly what he was looking for. Jessie's mouth dropped open and she choked on the words trying to come out of her mouth.

"O-oh... I'm not pregnant." Jessie assured as she exhaled deeply and shook her head frantically. Rafe let go of the breath he was holding in too followed by a slight laugh.

"Well good... I guess." Rafe tried to joke. He would love to have more kids with Jessie, but he knew now sure as hell wasn't the time. Jessie laughed and looked down at the floor awkwardly, playing with the shaggy carpet underneath her bare feet.

"I just... uh... haven't been drinking since..."

"Since the fight..." Rafe finished the sentence for her, now looking at her with kind eyes and a soft smile. "Yeah... I know." He whispered, now taking his free hand and cupping her face. This is the first genuinely gentle touch Jessie had felt since everything happened. For the past week every touch felt motivated out of lust or manipulation. This time, Jessie knew Rafe had his guard down.

"It's just that... drugs and alcohol was kinda what got us in this mess in the first place and... I just don't wanna give me or you anymore chances to mess this up again."

Jessie had her guard down too, and Rafe could tell by her words. He nodded his head and swallowed the lump in his throat. Not being able to look her in the eyes knowing his secret, he let go of her face, his hand suddenly feeling cold and heavy. He looked down at the ground, only being able to look at her red painted toenails. He nodded his head slowly, managing the strength to look back up.

"Yeah... I know." That's all that he could manage to say. He had to divert the conversation. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath as if to internally recollect himself. Jessie could tell he was ready to move on from the potentially deep conversation, and she wasn't surprised. "So I know you've seen that big ass box wrapped behind the tree." Rafe said with a smile and a nod of his head in that direction.

"How could I not? I know I didn't buy whatever that is." Jessie joked right back, getting back into character like nothing happened.

"It's for you." Rafe replied with a chuckle. Jessie just looked at the long, thin box that came up to her waist in confusion. "Go on... open it." Rafe insisted as he stepped aside.

Jessie showed clear hesitation on her face but slowly began walking over to the present, carefully setting down her champagne she still hadn't taken a sip of. She carefully slid the box across rhetorical floor just enough to get it out from behind the massive tree. She looked at Rafe, who silently implored her to go on. She ripped open the beautiful dark green paper and revealed a box with bright colors printed on the front of it. She gasped, and couldn't help but kick her head back in laughter, joy now spread across her face as she looked at her sneaky sneaky husband.

"It's a TV... for the living room... so we can all watch our shows together." Rafe explained softly. What seemed like such an impersonal gift to outsiders was just what Jessie needed to see the human side of Rafe again. She could tell he had put thought into this one. She scoffed and shook her head as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You are unbelievable." She stated with a laugh as they swayed back and forth.

"Yeah, well... I figured we could give up the museum look anyways..." He joked back as he leaned down to kiss Jessie passionately. Through laughs, Jessie deepened the kiss, now bringing her hands to his face. Rafe smiled into the kiss as he realized what she was doing. He wrapped his arms tighter around her body, trying not to let her escape as he kissed her harder and began backing her up towards their room.

"I bet Charley's keeping them busy with her toys... we have a while." Rafe whispered in between kisses as he continued to walk his wife back. Despite clearly enjoying it, Jessie shook her head and moved her hands towards Rafe's chest to push him back.

"Uh uh." Jessie replied with a cheeky grin. "Just our luck they'll be out any minute wondering where we are." She said as she pulled away from his tight grip, sending him into a fit of groans. Jessie just giggled and walked back towards the living room, passing it and going towards her daughter's room.

"And fix your pants." Jessie hinted as she pointed down towards her husband's crotch.

"Well if you didn't make us all wear paper thin pajama pants we wouldn't have this problem now would we?"

Jessie just laughed and shook her head as he made her way to Charley's room to see her new set up.

The rest of the night was spent eating homemade cookies and watching Christmas movies. Jessie and Rafe managed to put Charley to bed, albeit it was extra difficult to get her to settle in given that her favorite people were still awake and Santa was coming. Eventually the Pogues turned into their rooms as well, leaving the couple to finally be able to set out the rest of the gifts for everyone. Of course, before they could even get one gift out, Jessie shushed her husband, as she heard the creak of a door and tiny little footsteps coming down the hall. She looked at Rafe with a smirk as she turned around to reveal none other than their daughter. Rafe watched as his wife stuck her hands on her hips with sass and gave his child a knowing look as she cocked her head.

"And what are you doing up, missy?" Jessie asked, already knowing the answer. She began to round the corner of the couch to get closer to her daughter. Charley of course had a shy smile on her face as she rocked back and forth. God, Rafe couldn't take the cuteness. Suddenly he thought maybe one more hour of staying awake with her wouldn't be so bad?

"I don't knoooooow." Charley replied as she retreated her face behind her hands.

"Yeah right," Jessie bantered. "You know you're not supposed to be up!" She said with feigned aggravation as she picked her daughter up and set her on her hip. Charley giggled, knowing her mother was just playing alone, and rested her head comfortably on Jessie's shoulder. Charley looked over at her father with her big doe eyes.

"You know I can't help you out of this one, princess." Rafe answered his daughter's silent plea as he stuck his hands in his pockets and shook his head. Charley looked up at her mother.

"I can't sleeeeeeep... Will you sing to me?"

"Of course I can, baby."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 68

Jessie whizzed up to the top floor, uttering things under her breath about wishing that stupid elevator was faster.

As Jessie strutted down the hallways she attempted to compose herself with some slow breaths. Feeling put together enough, she opened the door slowly so as to not disturb the party that was going on in the living room. Despite her best efforts, the door opening did not go unnoticed, and suddenly she was met with the eyes of many men all different ages staring at her. Unlike Rafe, their stares were not ones of contempt, but one of curiosity and even joy.

"There you are, sweetheart!" Rafe exclaimed as he got up from the couch with a glass of whiskey and Coke in his hand. His words were disguised as ones of excitement, although Jessie knew better. He was anything but joyful behind his facade.

"Hi..." Jessie replied as sweetly as possible through a sheepish grin as she was met by the door by her husband who confidently strode over to her in khakis and a button down shirt. The smile on his face was haunting, as she could tell it was clearly fake.

"I was beginning to worry!" Rafe commented as he brought his wife's face up to his with a subtle pull of her jaw with one hand. His touch should have felt soft... maybe even sensual... but it felt stern as he pulled her in for a kiss. She reciprocated, although Rafe could feel the hesitance... no... the fear... on her lips. Their first kiss in days and it should have been filled with love... instead they had to fight the butterflies in their stomach and play the game. Rafe disconnected and looked her in her eyes with a jarring sense of control. "Go get changed." He said simply, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. To the other men it sounded like concern, to her it sounded like a command.

Rafe watched as Jessie rushed over to their room, making sure to give a polite subtle wave to the men on the couch that watched her leave. Rafe could see the dark looks in their eyes that they couldn't hide. He suddenly got possessive over the wife he was locked in a war with.

"Manhattan Mayhem huh?" One of the older gentlemen asked as he sipped on his brandy. He had modest gray facial hair and was dawning a white button up and jeans.

"Yeah, she uh... she's..."

"Part of a gang?" The man finished the obvious sentence for him with a laugh. "I could tell."

"She's not... involved with them anymore so..." Rafe tried to play it cool as he waved off any worries they could have and leaned back against the couch. To convey comfort, he then crossed his leg one over the other and took another sip of his mixed drink.

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing son... we might could use some hard asses in a job like ours." Another man spoke up jokingly. This man looked slightly younger than the previous, more clean cut in a suit jacket and jeans. Rafe just decided to take their laughs in stride and hoped that they would forget about the fact that his wife was a rather prestigious gang member. Although he did notice that the third man, the one closest to his and Jessie's age, was quiet about the fact.

Rafe heard the click of their door to reveal his wife in a red silk slip dress that he laid out especially for her. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't indulging himself by wanting her to wear that particular outfit, as it left little to his imagination... and to the others unfortunately. He didn't consider that. However, he was still grateful that she read his message he had left on the bed regarding the outfit. He felt he was owed this considering how much hell she was putting him through the past few days. If she wanted him to forget about his anger... this sure was a great way to do it.

Jessie sauntered over to the couch, every click of her heels an agonizing cry for Rafe as he had to contain himself for at least a few more hours.

"Gentlemen..." Rafe sighed as he stood up and meet Jessie half way and take her hand. She was cold. He brought her over to the couch. "You've heard me talk about my wife. This is Jessie. Jessie, this is Luca, Simon, and Fowler."

The men stood up promptly, fixing their shirts and coats and clearing their throats. Each extended their hands ceremoniously to shake hers. It seemed that with each handshake she could feel the grip Rafe had on her back getting tighter and closer to her butt. For the first time her smile was actually genuine as she knew that the attention from the men was getting to him. She intended to use that to her advantage. She could see the men picking her apart with their eyes, and she knew Rafe could too. The thought didn't intimidate her... it electrified her. As she sat down she only had one thing on her mind.

"Where's Charley?"

Rafe looked over at his wife, clearly having to remain focused as he completely forgot his child wasn't in the room.

"Oh, the nanny put her to bed early."

"The nanny?"

"Yeah. The nanny." Rafe reiterated, now with stern eyes begging... no... demanding that his wife not start an argument over the help she claimed to not need. The nanny he wouldn't have needed three hours ago if she had shown up on time. Well played, Rafe. Jessie simply nodded her head as she fixed the slit of her dress which she suddenly felt was running too far up her leg.

To cut the very visible tension, Luca, the oldest gentleman, decided to speak up.

"So, Jessie!" He exclaimed surprisingly very kindly. "As the top shareholders in Cameron enterprises, we were just discussing how wonderful it would be if we threw a party for all our investors and employees alike! All who could come!"

"Like a family holiday party." Simon, the second oldest man chimed in. Before Jessie could object she found a glass of red wine in her hand that Rafe had poured for her. Ever since a few nights ago when Rafe and Jessie had reached their boiling point she hadn't touched drugs or alcohol, and wasn't planning on starting now. She simply took the glass and held it in her hand as she looked at the men across from her. After all, she hated red wine and Rafe knew it. Yet another dig at his wife as he insisted that she fall in line with even the simplest of formalities.

"We think it'd be a good way to ease the mind of our investors given that the company just went under so many... major changes recently." Rafe explained as he closed the bottle and set it on the silver dish in front of him.

"Well... I uh..." Jessie began, still fiddling with the hem of the silk unsure of what to say. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." She silently cursed herself for not having it together. She was always good at this sort of thing, but something about knowing her daughter was put to bed by a complete stranger, and one that Jessie had no say in choosing, really messed with her head. However, Jessie remembered she was also currently messing with Rafe's head just by her appearance alone, and that gave her a newfound confidence to take the conversation in stride. With that, she picked her head up just a little more, arched her back and stopped playing with her dress as she looked dead into the icy blue eyes of her husband to her left.

"How about a New Years Eve party?" Jessie inquired. "We could make it a family affair! It'd be a great way to mix business with pleasure." She smirked, now looking at the men across the coffee table.

"Well, ya know... I don't think it's the best idea to bring family into this, I mean-" Rafe was cut off.

"Well of course it is!" The oldest man interjected. "It gives the shareholders an opportunity to see the more vulnerable side of the business!"

"I don't particularly like the idea of shareholders seeing us as vulnerable, Luca." Rafe insisted as he poured himself another drink, clearly feeling like he needed one. The stress on his face was eminent.

"Well, maybe vulnerable is not the right word..." Jessie came to the man's defense. She scooted a little close to her husband and laid a delicate but intentional hand on his thigh, albeit a little higher up than Rafe would have liked considering the crowd. He paused and looked down at her ring clad hand and then back up at her. "Maybe just... more... human."

The word seemed to fall over the rest of the crowd perfectly, however, to Rafe, it was nothing more than a dig at his recent robotic behavior. He looked over at his wife with eyes that showed he wasn't in the mood to be trifled with, but Jessie stared back at him with the same look. Here they were, both trapped in their dance for control once again.

"And who would be the family that you invite, Mrs. Cameron?" The younger, red bearded gentlemen, Fowler, finally spoke up as he brought his glass to his lips with wide, numb eyes. Jessie picked up on his body language, and could tell that for some reason his question was pointed.

"Well I'd probably invite some family from around here, like Mama and Tom." Jessie said that last part more towards Rafe.

"No no no, absolutely not, we can't-" Rafe was once again cut off, this time by the man not much older than him, who had now shifted his position to lean in.

"And who is this... mama and Tom?" He asked with knitted brows and hands folded together on his knees. However, it was almost as if he already knew the answer.

"Oh, Maci and Tom are their real names. They were like parents to me when I moved here." Jessie kept it simple, she was used to not giving the full story on her family in New York. After all, now would not be the time to casually mention that she was the nonbiological daughter of the cofounders of one of the deadliest gangs in Manhattan.

"Maci and Tom huh? How did you meet them?" Fowler asked with feigned interest. Jessie cocked her head, now letting her smile slip into a solid line. Fowler must have picked up on her confusion because he went on to explain himself. "Could it have been through that gang you're apart of?"

"Ohhh..." Jessie smirked and nodded her head with a slight laugh. "So you saw the jacket."

"We all saw the jacket." The young man bantered. "Tell me, Mrs. Cameron? How does such a... fine... young lady like yourself get caught up in such a... nasty childish habit of gang violence?"

"I suppose the same way you get caught up in being congratulated on being a master of the universe, Mr. Fowler." Jessie said in a seductively hushed tone.

Rafe choked on his drink. The rest of the men laughed lowly at the embarrassment the young man had to have been feeling. Still, Jessie's glare remained hard and focused on the red head in front of her, patiently waiting for his response.

"It's Mr. Hartman."

"Oh I'm sure it is." Jessie snapped right back, dripping with sarcasm. "Are you insinuating that you don't appreciate the art of gang leadership, Fowler? Because you should know, there is nothing more impressive in your prestigious realm of whims and words than having an entire city bow at your feet just at the mention of your affiliation."

Rafe wanted to butt in, but he couldn't. One of the reasons is because the words were stuck in his throat from intimidation, another was because he missed watching Jessie work. God, she was perfect for a role like this, she just didn't realize it. The way she word vomited so eloquently and always seamlessly intimidated anyone she needed to... it was tailor made.

"I don't think mercilessly killing innocent human beings for crossing over your imaginary territory is an art, Mrs. Cameron."

Jessie turned her lips into a maniacal smile, now being able to put the puzzle pieces together. The men, including Rafe, picked up on her haunting shift.

"We don't kill innocent people, Fowler. We kill offenders. Offenders that had their fair share of warnings and knew just who they were dealing with. I'm sure being in this business you understand that sometimes your hand is forced to... eliminate... the competition." She whispered, by now having all the men in the room eat out of her hand looking for her next words.

"Well yes of course, Mrs. Cameron but... we always have a good reason, and are typically not near as trigger happy."

"Well, congratulations, I suppose... you have a much higher tolerance for bullshit than I do."

A silence fell among the party, although Lucas gave a look that clearly said oh shit as the words flew. It was almost comical. Rafe's eyes were wide as he couldn't figure out what to do.

"Speaking of bullshit, I think I'll dismiss myself. I don't prefer sitting at the same table as an enemy." Jessie explained surprisingly lighthearted as she popped up and smoothed out her dress. "Gentlemen, I do apologize for skipping out early, but I have most enjoyed my time with you this evening. I hope to see you all at the New Years Eve party." Jessie said calmly as she exchanged hugs and cordial kisses with each man, finally walking over to Rafe and putting her hands on his shoulders behind the couch. She leaned down as she felt his back tense up. She couldn't see the front of his face but she knew his lips were pulled tight and his eyes open wide. She could see him white knuckling his glass. "I'll be waiting." Jessie whispered just loud enough in Rafe's ear for him to hear. He tried his best to not let the shiver running down his spine show. He also tried very hard not to let something else show...

It wasn't less than an hour later before Jessie could hear the party die down as the men exchanged goodbyes and left. She laid on the bed reading a magazine still in her perfect little silk dress minus the uncomfortable shoes. She heard the heavy footsteps from her husband as he marched his way to the door and opened it harshly. As she suspected, there he stood in the doorway fuming.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, now closing the door and walking towards the bed to take his shoes off.

"That was the brother of the man I killed for my initiation." Jessie fired back, ready to spew that information for over an hour now. Rafe just looked confused.

"I-I thought your initiation was just that stupid tattoo..."

"Rafe..." Jessie laughed now throwing the magazine across the bed and sitting up. "You really think that was my initiation into the most respected gang in the state? We got our street cred for a reason."

"You're insane, you know that?" Rafe replied, now with his hands on his hips and pacing back and forth. He secretly loved it, but now was not the time. "And why the hell were you late? And where the hell is all the gifts?"

"I lost track of time shopping, I'm sorry. So to get back here quicker and avoid rush hour I called mama and had her pick me up and take me back. Mr. M will be back tomorrow with the presents."

Rafe stopped his pacing and showed panic.

"You called Maci?! Jessie, what the hell?!"

"What did I do wrong? I was trying not to waste any-"

"You can't call the MM anytime you're in trouble! They're not here to protect you anymore! I am! I wouldn't have been as angry if you had just been late!"

"Now you know that's a lie."

"No, it's not, Jessie! God, don't you get it? You've gotta start putting some distance between yourself and that damn gang! They're not good for our reputation!"

"I don't give a damn about our reputation... and you just don't like that I can still be independent!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rafe scoffed, now just plain annoyed.

"Oh don't act like I don't know exactly what you're doing! You're trying to keep me all primped and proper and not allowing me to lift a finger all so I can be your perfect little wife for your perfect little investors to run your perfect little business. Well I didn't sign up for that, Rafe Cameron!"

"Jessie, you're delusional! Can you not just take the help?!"

"Can you not just accept the fact that I want to find happiness in my own home and doing things my own way?!"

A silence fell between them, both of them looked helplessly at each other.

"God, Rafe! Don't you get it?! This house... it's not mine... it's not ours! The food we eat, the rooms we sleep in, there's no tv in the living room for us to watch our shows, our own daughter can't even eat on the damn couch because she can't spill anything on the exp-"

"I already said we would get a new couch!" Rafe yelled, thankfully they were far far away from their sleeping daughter's room.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DAMN COUCH!" Jessie screamed. She brought her hands to her hair in frustration. Rafe watched as she tried to form more words. He couldn't help but notice she adopted his mannerisms as she paced back and forth.

"I wake up, the house is pristine. I go to the kitchen, there's strangers cooking me food I didn't even want. I go to my closet and find clothes that are worth more than my rent was! I go shopping, I get chauffeured around like I'm some doll! This isn't me, Rafe! And you know it! This isn't home. This is prison. And that's exactly what you wanted." Jessie said through tears as her voice became achingly low. Rafe's face was stolid, only playing with his lips out of anger.

"You're not a pogue anymore, Jessica. You're a kook."

"And since when did you wanna grow up and be a kook, Rafe?"

He knew his wife had a point, he looked down at her red dress clearly to contemplate her words. She stepped closer and looked him in the eyes, hers now filled with anger and confusion. She didn't dare touch him, he felt that if she did she would burn him with her rage or melt him with her love.

"What happened to not turning into our parents?" Jessie whispered. "What happened to all those nights we dreamed about becoming more... becoming better than our parents?"

Rafe stayed silent until he could find the words. What felt like hours was merely seconds as he finally met his wife's eyes.

"Grow up, Jessie. We don't get a choice. We just fooled ourselves into thinking we did."

It was then Jessie realized she had lost Rafe more than she had thought. Without hope there is no promise for the future. Jessie gave Rafe hope all those years ago, but she was also the one to take it away on more than one occasion. Jessie didn't know who Rafe had become, but she knew he wasn't the man she had seen deep down inside. Where was that man? The man who believed Jessie wholeheartedly when she told him that he didn't have to be like his father. The man who gleamed with excitement every time he got to see his Jessie, even if it was to do things his family would never approve of. The man who once begged for a chance to tell his father off when he demanded he never see Jessie again. This was a man who felt trapped, but by what? He now had more freedom than ever.

"Fine... maybe we don't... but it's been weeks and I haven't gotten your undivided attention once!" Jessie pleaded lower than before. She saw something grow dark behind Rafe's eyes, like his anger was now mixed with an uncontrollable lust.

"You couldn't handle my undivided attention right now." He growled. Jessie knew exactly what he meant by that, and suddenly she felt a familiar heat rise on her face and a weakness in her core. Rafe let out a deep chuckle as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him to kiss her shoulders and neck. She melted immediately. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't help but give in when Rafe touched her like this, especially considering how touch starved the both of them had been. They ached for each other, this night being too much for them to handle. Jessie moaned as her head became weak. Thankfully, Rafe still remembered her queues, and found his large hand grasping her head to keep her from falling back.

"You missed me." Rafe said, this time no tone of questioning evident in his voice. Jessie was a mess, and she could only moan and clinch her fingers around her husband's shirt for stability. She knew they were both still angry, but they knew all too well that angry sex was one of their favorites, and something she felt was going to become a new normal for them.

"Rafe." Jessie moaned, unsure if she was trying to implore him to stop or keep going.

"Shh" Rafe cooed through sloppy kisses along her jawline. He unzipped the back of her dress painfully slow. "You think you're trapped? Fine... I'm going to love you like a hostage."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 71

One thing Rafe never forgot about was Jessie's angelic voice. After all, her singing was what drew him in in the first place... how could he not remember that beautiful voice singing freely at the Island Club that fateful night? Rafe seemed to think his wife didn't sing enough. He always wished she was one of those girls that sang mindlessly throughout the house as she cooked or cleaned or one of those girls that sang ballads in the shower... but she wasn't. Jessie seemed to like to keep that party trick reserved most of the time, Rafe figured mostly due to fear of putting herself out there in that way. As bold as Jessie was, Rafe could never figure out why this was the thing she was hesitant to bring to light. She always seemed to need a good reason to sing, such as having too much alcohol or her sweet toddler asking her to do so. Rafe was grateful his daughter got to hear her mother's voice from time to time. He couldn't get the sweet picture out of his head. He loved how the bond between the two. Although he wanted to give the girls their privacy, he couldn't help but want to hear his wife sing just one more time.

Rafe crept down the hall, waiting mere moments for his wife to get settled into the white rocker in the corner of their daughter's bedroom. He didn't dare peek around the corner for too long, for fear that his wife would see him and suddenly get stage fright. From what he managed to see, it appeared that Jessie was now settled in the rocker with only her side profile visible. He noticed how she had Charley perfectly swaddled in the blanket of her choice, laying comfortably in her lap as she started rocking back and forth.

"You comfortable, baby?" Jessie asked as she finished tucking the blanket underneath the little girl. Charley nodded in silent response as she nuzzled in closer to her mother's side.

"What do you want me to sing this time?"

This time. She had been singing to Charley for god knows how long. The thought made Rafe's heart flutter. He teared up at the idea that Jessie might have sang to his child many a night. God how he wished he could've been there.

"Rainbow!" The toddler exclaimed, to which Jessie chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"When It rains, it pours, but you didn't even notice. It ain't raining anymore, it's hard to breathe when all you know is..."

There's that voice. The voice that Rafe had only heard in his mind for the past four years. The voice he heard in his dreams, and even in his every day interactions. It was impossible for him to get away from some days. She sounded like an angel then, and somehow she only got better over time. Years ago she sang like a free spirited girl, this time... she sang like a mother.

"If you could see what I see, you'd be blinded by the colors, yellow, red, orange, and green, and at least a million others."

Rafe rounded the corner, feeling it was safe to stay and watch for just a moment. He couldn't help himself. He watched as his daughter slowly closed her heavy eyes and fell to sleep. He noticed Jessie rocking back and forth as she simply looked at Charley with kind eyes and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand soothingly.

Jessie loved singing to Charley, but this song always had a special meaning for her and the child. It was the first song Jessie sang to her daughter when it was just the two of them alone in an endless New York hospital. It was the song she always sang when she had had a rough day at work or was a little extra home sick. It was the song she sang to Charley when she was robbed of sleep or hurt in anyway. It always seemed to soothe the both of them, sometimes for totally different reasons.

"Oh tie up the boat, take off your coat, and take a look around... everything is alright now."

Jessie always sang those words more to herself than to her daughter, and the song singlehandedly got her through more hard times than anything else could. In the midst of her fight with Rafe, she couldn't help but feel like this song once again met her where she was at in life like it always had managed to do so perfectly.

Despite being stuck out in the same storm again, Jessie sang this song to her daughter, knowing that a rainbow was always shining over the two of them, and no matter what happened, the two of them would always make it through. She had more strength now then ever to keep going with this new life, knowing that at the end of the day it really would all be alright, no matter what her relationship looked like with Rafe, or what her life looked like as a newfound socialite. Had the sky finally opened for Jessie? She wasn't so sure, but she knew that her and Charley would make it.

Rafe now couldn't help but bring himself into full view by the time the song was over, now planting himself on the doorway with his hands in his pockets and tears in his eyes. He wished he could stay right there forever, watching his girls feel safe enough to tune out the outside world and share such an intentional moment.

Jessie stroked her daughter's cheek, knowing that she was now sound asleep. She looked up and breathed a sigh of relief, also expressing a look that showed she felt that moment was grounding for her as well. She needed to sing that song to herself more than anything. Rafe could see that too. Jessie finally swayed the rocker just enough to face closer to the doorway, where she met Rafe's tearful eyes. She pursed her lips and exhaled, showing sympathy to her husband. Rafe was grateful she wasn't upset.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping." Rafe choked out with a slight smile. Jessie just laughed slightly and shook her head.

"It's okay."

"You sounded beautiful."

Jessie was never able to take that particular compliment well, and even though Rafe knew his girl inside and out, he had never managed to figure why she was so guarded about her singing. Jessie looked down, clearly trying to collect herself, and looked back up with a half smile.

"Thanks." She simply replied. With that, she slowly arose from the rocker and laid their daughter softly in her new big girl bed, carefully tucking her in. Rafe went over to the corner to turn off the lamp and walked his wife out of the room. Once he had closed the door they both stood in the hallway looking at each other with soft expressions. Both of them were tired, physically and mentally, yet they couldn't deny the need for intimate moments like this. Their eyes gave that away, the both of them looking at each other with a love and desire that still burned so bright. The hope behind their soft smiles couldn't be ignored.

"Let's get these presents under the tree and get to bed." Rafe said sweetly as he took his wife's hand to lead her back to the living room.

- - -

JJ felt a sudden heaviness on his shirtless chest the next morning. In his sleep induced coma he couldn't help but think maybe all that smoking finally caught up to him? Wait, no, that was a child... it was Charley. He opened his eyes just enough to see the toddler sitting comfortably on his chest with her head bent down looking intently for any sign of life.

Once Charley saw her uncle's head move just slightly, she poked his cheek softly.

"Uncle JJ..." the child whispered with a sheepish grin. He opened his eyes a little more.

"What?" He groaned, the facade of the happy go lucky uncle clearly fallen when he was woken up. Charley didn't care.

"Time to wake uuuuup..." she cooed, still gently enough so as not to wake up the sleeping Aunt Kie right beside them. JJ tried not to get upset as he realized his niece was simply excited because it was Christmas. He opted to get up and take his niece out of the room.

"Hey Char Char... I've got an idea..." JJ said with a smirk on his face as he wiggled his eyebrows at the toddler on his hip. She smiled wide waiting for his answer.

"How about you go wake up mommy and daddy and I'll wake up everyone else, yeah? But you gotta promise me you will walk straight past the Christmas tree and go only to mommy and daddy's room, okayyyy?"

"Okayyyy..." Charley replied bashfully. JJ wasn't fully convinced the toddler could come through on such a big promise, and the doubt was clear on his face. After all, this was the spawn of Jessie and Rafe... did he really expect her not to get into the presents that would be right in front of her and only her? Yeah, right.

"Iiiiii will just walk you over there." He replied. "Cover your eyes!" He pointed with determination, to which the child obliged.

"I may have to cover my eyes too." JJ said with disgust as he walked closer to his sister's room, not knowing what in the world he would walk into. It wouldn't be the first time he walked into more than he bargained for with those two. Thankfully, Charley still had her eyes closed as well as he opened the door with one eye hesitantly opened. They were sleeping. Thank god. With that, JJ let the little girl down on the ground and silently motioned for her to go in there and do what she does best: disrupt their sleep. He closed the door and went back to do the same to the pogues. Any other day they'd be pissed that they were woken up so early, but the truth is, they all knew they wanted to wake up with Charley to open gifts with her... like a real family.

Charley's footsteps could be heard paddling against the carpet, and pretty soon Rafe felt a slight dip in the bed at his feet as he realized his daughter was trying to get up on the bed. When she realized the bed was too tall for her to get up on by herself, she went to the very end and used the cushioned seat to get a step up. Little did the toddler know her dad had put that there for that very reason. He felt her crawl in between him and Jessie, but she didn't lay down of course. She was too excited. He knew she would be. The next step was no surprise. Even though Rafe had his eyes closed, he knew exactly what his little girl was doing: eyeing him like a hawk, waiting for any sign of stirring, any quickened breath, any twitch of an eyelid, literally anything. She wouldn't find it this time, despite her father being wide awake unbeknownst to her.

The toddler stuck her tongue out and furrowed her brows, clearly thinking about her next move. She slowly leaned into her father, ready with her little finger to poke at his face like she always did. Right as her hand was mere inches from her father's face, she heard a voice that startled her.

"We're gonna have to work on your sneaking around, kid." The low raspy voice of her father finally muttered, now with one eye open and a smirk on his face. Charley jumped at the sudden noise and retreated backwards with her hands to her chest, hoping her father wouldn't have caught on to what she was planning on doing before he so abruptly woke up. She giggled at the man in front of her and buried her head in the crook of his neck looking for a hug. Rafe of course wrapped his arms lazily around his daughter and sat up in the bed with a groan. He set the girl comfortably on his lap.

"Merry Christmas, Charlotte." Rafe whispered with a kind smile and a kiss to her forehead.

"Merry Christmas, daddyyy." Charley replied with a slight lisp. The words were enough to draw Jessie out of her sleep as well, and the father and daughter both darted their eyes over to the woman of the hour stirring awake with an exaggerated stretch. She rolled over to see one of her favorite sights: her daughter fixed safely in her father's strong arms with a smile on both of their faces as they looked at her expectantly.

"Merry Christmas, mama." Rafe whispered to Jessie as he leaned in and locked eyes on her lips. She caught his drift and she cupped his face with a smile. The nickname always made her heart flutter.

"Merry Christmas." She replied softly as she kissed him deeply. By now Charley was up out of her daddy's lap and jumping on the bed.

"It's Christmas, mommy!" She exclaimed as she kept bouncing through excitement. Despite the couple only trying to deepen the kiss, the constant moving of the bed was making it very difficult.

"Mommy!" Charley protested once again, this time much louder and now with a fierceness to her tone. The toddler crawled towards her parents, clearly trying to get their attention. It worked.

"What?" Jessie sighed with a playful smile on her face, showing fake annoyance. At least Charley saw that it was fake. Rafe could tell it wasn't. But he was just as distracted, needing Jessie arguably more than she needed him in that moment, especially considering they never finished what was started last night after their little gift exchange. Rafe continued to pepper soft but intentional kisses along Jessie's jawline and down her neck, knowing that always got her.

"It's time to open presents! Daddy! Get off mommy!" Charley said in her broken English.

"Yeah, daddy..." A different but familiar feminine voice billowed through the door. It was none other than Sarah, with her arms folded, hip cocked, and eyebrow raised. "Get off mommy." She responded playfully. Her brother turned his head, now with actual annoyance written on his face, his hands still managing to find more of his wife's body by the minute. Jessie just snickered at the exchange between the siblings.

"Daddy's about to open his present." Rafe snapped right back at his sister, which earned a disgusted look from Sarah and a swift slap from his wife.

"You're ridiculous!" Jessie laughed as she got out of bed, earning a groan from her husband. She picked up Charley and took her to the living room, but not before stopping at the door with her sister in law.

"We'll be waiting." Sarah said obnoxiously.

"Yeah, well, you're gonna have to give me a minute." Rafe said nonchalantly as he rested his head on the headboard, clearly in no rush to get out from under the covers. Both Jessie and Sarah knew why.

"Oh god." Sarah scoffed as she rolled her eyes and walked the rest of the way out of the room to meet the Pogues by the tree. Jessie once again couldn't help but laugh. Rafe was too easily flustered sometimes.

"Hey Jessie, wait here?" Rafe asked before she could close the door.

"Rafe, I'm not-"

"That's not what I meant... I meant, I have something for you out in the living room but I don't want you to see it without me."

Jessie hesitated, feeling like this might definitely be a trap to get her back in bed, but she could tell he had a new plea on his face, a sincere one. So, she handed the toddler off to Sarah and waited for Rafe.

Once Rafe got out of bed and put his sweatpants on, he took Jessie's hand in his with a smile and led her out to the living room, where all the Pogues awaited. Of course, once again, Charley and JJ were seated perfectly by the tree Indian style waiting patiently. Jessie couldn't hold her focus on them for too long due to the obvious new addition in their living room. 

"Oh my gosh! Rafe!" Jessie gasped as she looked at the new sectional couch that replaced the stupid white cashmere one she hated. This one was much darker, and was a soft material that could withstand the whims of a three year old. Jessie laughed at the thought that her husband had put into the gift. Rafe beamed as he saw how excited she got.

"Why're you freaking out, Jess? It's just a couch?" JJ sassed, clearly not impressed and more so confused. The Pogues didn't want to admit it, but they were confused as well. It was just a couch... right?

Oh how wrong they were, much like the tv, this was another step in the right direction. Another chance for Rafe to prove that he was listening to his wife. Another reason for her to believe that she wasn't just some pawn in this game of business, but his partner in life. Jessie's face showed that gratitude. She shook her head in disbelief with a smile on her face as she pulled Rafe in for a passionate kiss. He accepted it by pulling her in by her waist. JJ couldn't help but let out a clear groan of disapproval.

"Get a room!" John B spoke up, now hopping on the bandwagon with his best friend. The couple laughed and looked at their daughter, who looked like she had ants in her pants. Jessie could tell she simply couldn't wait any longer, and the silence was killing the toddler.

"Go on Charley!" Jessie answered her child's silent plea, which resulted in her of course ripping into everything she saw like a tornado.

Jessie and Rafe took a seat on their brand new comfy couch as they watched their new family open all the gifts they deserved. For once in a long time, the two of them felt like they really were going to be alright. Even the magic of Christmas was able to mask the rift between them, at least for one day.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 66

Rafe closed his laptop and immediately folded his arms over the desk to lay his head down on them. He sighed as he realized he was done for the day, almost midnight. After a few minutes he picked his heavy head up and looked around. He wasn't quite sure what to do now. Should he get more work done? Should he just go to bed? Surely the latter was the better option.

With that, he got up from his desk, taking notice of how stiff his legs felt and how heavy his back seemed as he made his way over to his and Jessie's room. As he passed through the living room he noticed all the lights turned off and the curtains closed, the only noise being the hum of the air conditioning. He paused for a moment as he realized that Jessie didn't wait up for him like he had hoped. But then again, why would she? He had given her no hope either. Still, he hung his head a little lower after the realization.

Despite Jessie lying comfortably on her side of the bed, she only pretended to sleep for the hour and a half that she was in bed. She immediately perked up only in her mind as she heard the door open. Her body was facing towards the door, so she shut her eyes tight to make it seem like she was sound asleep. She figured Rafe must have noticed, because upon entering he stumbled to the bed and sat down and sighed. Jessie peaked to see his head in his hands as he played with his hair. He finally picked his head up to remove his suit jacket, followed by his button up. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to remove the under shirt herself, and not just because Rafe seemed too exhausted to do it. She wanted him bad, she held her love for him like a grudge in this moment. She had to resist. Even in their anger, they still couldn't resist each other, that's what kept them in perfect toxicity. Still, she didn't falter, only choosing to watch his back muscles flex as he threw the shirt in the floor.

She watched as Rafe got up from the bed lazily rubbing his eyes and taking his belt and jeans off, kicking them mindlessly on the floor with his shirt. She observed how he walked towards the bathroom with his feet barely being lifted up off the ground. She could tell he was tired in more ways than one, his movements giving away more than he would have liked if he had known she was awake.

Once Rafe shut the door to get ready for bed Jessie took the opportunity to roll over, now staring out of yet another window that covered the entire wall, this one she didn't have the courage to pull the curtain over. She liked looking out at the lights even if she yearned to be underneath them instead of above. The click of the door once again distracted Jessie from the sight before her, and she quickly feigned sleep once more. She then felt Rafe slide in the bed in nothing but his boxers, and she was in nothing but one of his shirts. Although, she was sure he hadn't noticed yet, as he was lying in the bed as still as could be, as if he was afraid to get too close to her side. Even though she couldn't feel him, she could tell he was trying not to cuddle up against her like they always did. She also could tell he wasn't going to get any sleep because of it, which is not what her husband needed. Still, she made her effort, now he had to make his.

Rafe looked over at his Jessie sleeping soundly beside him. Once he studied her further he noticed the gray shirt she was wearing... his. God, she looked good. He hated that he was so attracted to her right now, considering they both were at an impasse with their feelings. He tried to put the lust out of his mind as he slunk further into the bed, but no matter how comfortable he tried to get, he still was too focused on staying on his side. Sides never really worked with Jessie and Rafe, as they both slept so restlessly that they always ended up tangled up together or one on top of the other, both of them finding comfort in the dance they did throughout the night. When one moved, the other did too, even if it was in a half asleep state, they both were aware enough to feel it every single time. Tonight was no different, and Rafe knew he wouldn't get enough sleep if he didn't move with Jessie like usual. So, he gave in, and decided to assume the first position. He finally cuddled up against her smaller figure and wrapped his arms around her, one absentmindedly crawling up her shirt, which was their typical way of falling asleep together. Rafe knew this was a stretch considering how distant they had been, but he took his chances, and he wasn't turned down, for he could feel Jessie mindlessly wrap her arms around Rafe's in her sleep filled state.

Little did Rafe know, his Jessie wasn't asleep.

- - -

Rafe woke up the next morning to an empty bed with Jessie nowhere in sight. Although, he could hear his daughter in the living room making all kinds of noise with the toy cars she must have been playing with. He laughed to himself as he looked up at the ceiling thinking about the havoc that she was wreaking in that living room, undoubtedly giving her mother a run for her money trying to keep her quiet so "daddy can sleep."

Out of excitement, Rafe popped out of bed and put on some sweatpants, not feeling cold enough to put on a sweatshirt just yet despite it being a frigid winter outside. In fact, as he looked out the window of their bedroom he could see the light flurries of snow, something that he certainly wasn't used to living in OBX, but he felt he could definitely get used to it here. Their penthouse was so high up they were in the clouds, undoubtedly making the snow even more magical as he watched it fall. Given the cold hardwood he knew he was about to step out on, he did opt for some socks.

Rafe opened the door to a sight he only imagined until now. There his wife was, folded up on the couch in her pajama pants and one of his shirts, drinking her oh so necessary coffee while watching her daughter play on the rug in front of her with a smile from ear to ear. Rafe could only see her side profile, as she was seated on the couch that had her back toward him, so she couldn't see that he had entered the room. Rafe was glad she didn't, because he enjoyed seeing the true happiness on her face. Although, he wished he could've made that smile appear on his own, but he just couldn't bring himself to forgive and forget just yet.

Sure enough, he watched his wife scold their little girl for being too loud.

"Charley! Keep it down!" She whispered as she leaned in, still holding her coffee mug secure in her hands for warmth. "Daddy's still sleeping!"

"Daddy's right here." Rafe announced as he sauntered into the living room. Charley and Jessie both turned their heads to see him making his way to the couch to sit by his wife. Maybe he was ready to forgive her after all. The look on Charley's face sure convinced him of that.

"Daddyyyy!" The toddler screamed as she ran up the man and jumped in his arms, swallowing him in a hug as best she could. He groaned as if she was crushing him, yet he only pulled her further up onto his lap and cuddled her more.

"What're you doing in here, giving mama a hard time?" He asked his daughter as she nuzzled her head into his neck with a shit eating grin indicating that her father was right. Rafe just looked at Jessie and Jessie right back at him, both with knowing smiles. "You gotta listen to mama!" Rafe reiterated as he poked at Charley to make her squirm. "Or else..." Rafe said with a lower tone as he looked at his daughter with a playfully serious face. Charley knew exactly where this was going. "I'll tickle youuuuu!" Rafe finished as he went to ticking his daughter in her stomach and her feet and her neck. She laughed uncontrollably and shouted for her father to stop through giggles. He eventually did, but only to get up from the couch and throw her up into the air and then back down on to the adjacent couch. Before she could get up and chase him he scurried back over to Jessie and grabbed her in his arms, to which she couldn't protest due to his strength. But she also didn't want to. Charley made her way back over to the both of them, trying to climb in her daddy's lap.

"Nope, I get to cuddle with mommy now." He said as he hinted over at her toys. The child huffed and puffed but once she realized she wasn't getting her way she inevitably went back to her toys. To his behest, Rafe scooted away from his wife just enough to give her the space he figured she needed. They both piled on the couch comfortably and looked at each other, Jessie now having one hand propped on the back of the couch and Rafe mirroring her stance.

"What'd you guys have for breakfast?"

"I made us some breakfast sandwiches with the stuff in the fridge."

Rafe made a face at that answer, one that showed pure confusion. Jessie knew it was coming.

"The chefs didn't make you anything?" He asked as he cocked his head.

"I sent them home. And the maids too." Jessie said simply with a shrug of her shoulders as if her statement was no big deal. She took a sip of her coffee.

"You- you what?"

"I... sent..."

"No no, I know what you said." Rafe sassed right back as he put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide his frustration. There went his desire to forgive and forget. "Why did you send them home. And don't be a smart ass." Rafe demanded, now suddenly filled with a crassness that Jessie wasn't expecting. She pulled her head back and furrowed her brows, perplexed by his outburst. Still, she didn't let him see her get flustered.

"I don't need them, Rafe." She answered now with just as much vengeance as her husband mustered. She looked at him with an expression that showed she thought this would be the hill to die on today.

"I never said you needed them but... but they're here to help." Rafe reiterated, now standing up from his spot on the couch to look down on his wife.

"And I don't need their help!" Jessie insisted as she got up to stomp off into the kitchen, coffee still in hand. Rafe followed her.

"What the hell did you put in your coffee this morning?" Rafe asked seemingly as a joke, but it was anything but. Thankfully, the two of them were now far out of ear shot of their toddler.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jessie snapped right back as she went around the island of the kitchen to the breakfast sandwiches she had made. They were homemade versions of the chicken McGriddles that Jessie and Charley loved to eat before... everything happened.

"It means that you're being a bitch when I'm just trying to help." Rafe replied.

"Well you're being an asshole when I keep telling you I don't need help. I'm perfectly capable of running a house by myself, thank you." Jessie said as she assembled another sandwich and slid it over to her husband, clearly sending a message as she cocked her hip and planted her hands on the counter, giving him a look. "See."

Rafe just rolled his eyes at the sudden sass and took the plate of food in his hand, suddenly frustrated because he remembered his stupid rule about not eating on the couch. He decided to pull an island chair out, the screech of the chair on the floor being hard to ignore. He plopped down but before he could take a bite he looked up at a still sass filled Jessie, who had every intention of watching him eat every last bite of the sandwich she made for him. He breathed deeply as he figured out her game.

"You wanna do something by yourself? Fine. Go Christmas shopping for Charley today. My treat." Rafe said. Although the sentiment should have been sweet, the words came out as if he only wanted to get her out of the house.

"What're you gonna do with Charley?"

"I'll watch her." Rafe replied as if it was the most obvious answer through a bite of food and a shrug of his shoulders. He had to admit the sandwich was delicious.

"Oh I thought you were too busy." Jessie snapped, venom clear in her tone.

"Don't-" Rafe declared as he slammed his hand angrily on the counter top. Before he could say another word he balled the same hand into a fist and closed his mouth tight to avoid a bigger outburst. He sighed as he brought the fist to his forehead to focus. He then slowly released his fist and waved it around. "I got it all under control. Go."

"Fine" Jessie gave in as she turned her nose up and walked out of the kitchen to get ready.

"Please." Rafe whispered through irritation under his breath as he watched his wife leave. He shook his head at her newfound confidence.