Rafe Cameron Angst - Tumblr Posts

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

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

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

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

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

"Are you gonna miss Tanneyhill?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- - -

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

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

"Country cluuuub!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"But Jessie you need to be with-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Jessie, hold him."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You bitch, I knew I-"

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

"Let's go, Rafe."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Huh, oh yeah, right."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jessie knew what she needed to do.

"Come with me."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"For what?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh come on Rafe I did not-"

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

"And?"

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

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

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

"... you're weak."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Make him pay."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 55

Those words were enough for Rafe. He got up from his chair, inevitably taking Jessie with him as he grabbed the whiskey and walked out of the room with a determined stride and puffed chest.

He wasn't weak. He was sure of that. He was about to prove Jessie wrong. She tried to catch him as he marched down the hallway.

"Rafe... Rafe wait!" She finally caught up to the man and grabbed his arm. He turned and looked at her with rage, although she knew it wasn't totally geared toward her.

"Listen... I'm the brains, you're the braun. Just like old times, we don't need words, just focus on me, and I'll tell you when he's about to crack." Jessie pleaded with kind eyes. "Look, you can't swing blindly okay? This still has to be tactical."

All Rafe could muster was a head nod indicating he understood. He was still frustrated with Jessie's poor choice of words, but he was more angry at himself for not doing what needed to be done sooner. Jessie always had that ability to light a mental fire in Rafe, sometimes one of list, sometimes one of anger. In an odd sense, he felt Jessie was just doing what she had to do. And even if she somehow meant what she said, Rafe could never quite fault her completely. She was always his Achilles heal, and he was hers.

Jessie leaned up to give Rafe a quick but passionate kiss to solidify that they were in fact in this together, no matter how it seemed in the moment. More importantly, they were in this for Charley.

Rafe now took the bottle in his hand, opened it swiftly and took one big drink from it, clearly trying to numb whatever he was feeling. He walked down the rest of the hallway and opened up the door to the basement once more, marching down the cold stairs and to the dimly lit steel door. He opened it up to reveal a still shocked drug dealer sitting only slightly more comfortably in the metal chair. However, he immediately shifted to attention when he heard the crack of the door open. Jessie was convinced he would've saluted if his arms weren't chained down.

This time, Rafe didn't hesitate. Jessie said not to. He strutted into the small room over to the side and pressed a button that released the restraints from the chair itself and then jerked Barry up by the wrists to wear he was now dangling on his tiptoes. He groaned at the sudden movement, clearly indicating it hurt him.

"Bitch you gon pull my damn arms outta socket!"

"Shut up." Rafe replied immediately after, quickly followed by a reared back punch to the gut. It all happened so quickly Jessie didn't even notice Rafe had set the bottle down in the corner close to the controls he was just messing with. She had to stop herself from correcting him, but mentally she was thinking what happened to the brains and the braun?

Barry groaned even more at the sudden contact, now having the breath knocked out of him, but he had to remain focused and steady on his feet to avoid excruciating pain in his wrists.

"Careful..." Rafe said in a low tone as he got merely inches away from his ex drug dealer. "If you get side tracked, you'll snap your own wrists."

Jessie finally butted in, only putting her hand to Rafe's stomach, indicating she wanted him to back up so she could take over. She stared at Barry with not an ounce of remorse.

"Whatcha got on ya?" Jessie asked plainly. Barry just laughed with what little breath he had.

"Bitch you ain't getting shit." Barry replied almost comically. It wasn't but a second after that remark that he was met with another punch, this time to the face. That one also took Jessie by surprise.

"Call her a bitch again and I will break your wrists." Rafe seethed as he backed up once more and rubbed his cracked knuckles out of anger. Jessie just focused back in on Barry with a smirk.

"You really expect me to believe you don't have at least a little weed on you? Come on, Barry... how long have we known each other?"

To that Barry didn't have a response.

"Right... long enough to know that I'm always gonna get what I want." Before Jessie finished her sentence she was rummaging through Barry's cargo shorts, eventually finding exactly what she was looking for.

Rafe watched as she pulled the joints out of his pocket and held them up to the light to inspect them. He couldn't see her face but he knew she was smiling. He studied her every movement, from the confident pop of her hip to her fingers toying with the blunt ever so carefully. He prayed she wouldn't do what he thought she was about to. But sure enough, his breath got caught in his throat as he watched her reach for her zippo in the pocket of her Manhattan Mayhem jacket. Shit. Here we go again he thought. Jessie turned slightly to the side, giving Rafe a perfect side profile of his wife sticking the joint between her lips and the flame flickering in front of her face. Despite his disappointment, he couldn't help but think she looked beautiful as the flame illuminated her features. Years ago he used to think that was his favorite view.

Jessie turned back around to Barry, intentionally blowing the cloud of smoke a little too close to his face, making him cough. Both of them could hear the struggle in his lungs and stomach as he gasped for air through coughs.

"You sons of bitches..." Barry gasped. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!"

"Yeah well what can you do." Jessie shrugged as she held the joint in her fingers, looking him up and down. She slid on the heels of her boots and turned around to face Rafe with a content smile. Rafe wasn't smiling.

"What?" Jessie asked defensively. "If we're gonna do this we might as well have a little fun. Lighten up, country club."

That nickname immediately took Rafe back to the night he first heard it. The night him and Jessie met and they smoked that first blunt on the beach. Nothing could compare to that feeling. But Rafe was confused now, just a moment ago she was telling him to take this more seriously... now she wanted him to lighten up? Regardless, Rafe took her words literally and without even thinking grabbed the joint from her hand and inhaled deeply, making sure to maintain eye contact with Jessie as he blew out the smoke, as if to show annoyance. His eyes were dark. Jessie liked it. She could tell he was getting into the right head space to get the job done.

Rafe liked it too. He could feel the power returning back to him that he had somewhat lost since Jessie entered the picture. The power that kept him safe for years, the power that got him respect... or fear, whatever you wanted to call it. This time around, the smoking and drinking wasn't to forget... it was to remember. To remember the adrenaline rush Rafe always got from moments like this. Jessie knew she was playing a dangerous game trying to get him to remember this feeling. Unfortunately, she knew it was deep inside him, and she needed to pull it out.

"Are y'all done having sex with your eyes over there?" Barry butted in, albeit through a weak voice. It was almost comical how the both of them sighed and rolled their eyes almost identically. Jessie quickly shifted and walked over to Barry and Rafe moved back over to the control. He quickly jolted the chains up even more, now leaving the poor man dangling just mere inches above the concrete just enough to where he couldn't hold himself up by his legs anymore. Barry screamed in excruciating pain as he felt his shoulders tighten above him and his wrists bend so unnaturally. Jessie just looked at him with a hard glare for ruining the moment.

Rafe stood by the controls contently waiting for Jessie's signal that he had had enough. After a few more seconds of Barry writhing in pain, she finally looked over at Rafe and nodded slightly. With that, Rafe let up on the tension, allowing Barry just enough slack to return back to dancing on his tip toes, which for him felt so much better compared to what he just endured.

"Let's get one thing clear," Jessie started in an eerily hushed tone. She got inches away from his face. "You don't get to have an attitude. I'm in control."

"Oh yeah?" Barry asked through labored breaths. "And what makes you so sure I don't got people looking out for me? Huh?"

Jessie didn't have a response. She only backed away slightly and rocked back on her heels, clearly not intimidated. She clicked her tongue as she observed the person in front of her.

"You don't." She simply stated, this time with not an ounce of a smirk, only a calculated look of determination.

"What makes you so sure, princess?" Barry replied, not with a flirty tone, but one of disgust. Still, Rafe didn't let it slide. Of course, he made his presence known by decking the guy again square in the jaw with his fist. This time his knuckles started to crack and bleed a little more. Rafe didn't care.

"Cut it out with the nicknames." Rafe seethed as he grabbed Barry's face and squeezed, not giving Barry any time to react to the punch he'd just been thrown. By now his lips and mouth were bleeding and he just flashed Rafe a quick grin.

"You don't have anyone looking for you, Barry." Jessie said simply, trying to get things back on track. She got closer to him as Rafe backed off and adjusted the collar of his shirt and crossed his arms. "You know how I know that?" Jessie asked as she slowly started making a circle around the man. As she was talking she pulled a switchblade out of her coat pocket and flung it open with one hand, toying with it between her fingers. "Because you've always been a one man band. You never needed anyone else. You never wanted anyone else... that would only be less money in your pocket." Jessie whispered as she drug the knife along Barry's shirt. He couldn't see Jessie, but he sure could feel the blade gliding across his back and his side. "And Ward didn't have anybody with him. He couldn't afford to. He had to be dead to everybody else. He said it himself." Jessie made her way back around, this time with a cocky grin. She knew she was right. Barry did too. "You're lying, Barry."

He didn't have a response, he only looked at the ground for a moment, not knowing what to do. He knew Jessie well enough to know that anything he did or did not do was a tell as to his real story. He loved and hated that about Jessie. She always had this supernatural instinct at reading people.

"You know I hate liars." Jessie finished as she took a small step back and fidgeted with the knife. By this point Jessie knew the room just well enough to be able to tell where the chains could and could not go. She decided to use that to her advantage.

"Rafe." Jessie commanded. He was already listening and watching intently, yet he still stood straighter when he heard her electrifying voice echo through the room. She didn't have to look behind her to know he was paying attention. "Move him to that wall over there." She pointed towards the wall behind Barry. Rafe understood and went back over to the panel to move the chains dangling overhead to the back wall, allowing Barry's weak body to slam against it with a groan.

"You know what I do with liars, Barry?" Jessie asked, now examining the blade in her hand that was now catching the light perfectly. Barry didn't have an answer, he only swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to get mentally or physically prepared for whatever was about to come next. Rafe took notice of his legs shaking a little more. Jessie laughed as she admired the switchblade. Without a seconds notice, she flung the blade straight at Barry's head, which landed less than an inch from his left ear. He froze as he realized where it had landed. She could see a newfound fear in his eyes, the same fear she had grown used to seeing in Manhattan.

"When I was in Manhattan I had fun with liars... because they never had to tell me they were lying... I just knew." Jessie said as she reached for the pocket on the left chest plate of her jacket. She pulled out another free blade, one that was just open and not attached to a knife handle like the previous one. By this time, Rafe was so intrigued that he moved over to get a better angle. He couldn't decide if he was petrified or turned on, maybe a little of both if he was honest.

"And ya know... sometimes I had do some things to get them to talk, because even if I knew they were lying, some of them were stupid enough to still try and make me figure out what they were hiding." Jessie continued through a laugh as she paced back and forth slowly. "But the difference with you is... you don't have anything to hide that I care about. So I don't have to rip out your fingernails or put out my cigarettes on you... because you have no value to me."

The words sent chills up Barry's spine. Rafe's too. He had never seen her work before, yet she looked like a pro.

"So really, I could just kill you." Jessie simply stated as another blade flew across the room and landed an inch away from Barry's right ear. He froze again and darted only his eyes over in that direction. Although he didn't have to, the blade was so close he could feel the wind off of it as it stuck to the wall. Both him and Rafe watched as Jessie pulled out yet another blade and continued to pace.

"But you know what I thought was the funniest thing... is that all those liars that I dealt with thought that every time I did this very thing that I'm doing to you right now... that I was missing." Jessie stated with a wide smile. She looked like she genuinely enjoyed this. "But they always found out in just enough time... that I never miss."

With that, her last blade was thrown unmistakably harder than the first two. Rafe didn't have time to react as he shifted his eyes over to see the blade had already pierced perfectly through Barry's neck, now allowing blood to flow down his chest like a waterfall. Jessie took her time in walking over to the man and leaning in to make sure that his last sight was straight in her narrowed eyes. He was still cognizant enough to register the hot breath on his face, and yet it chilled him.

"I never miss."

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 56

Those were the last words Barry heard before his eyes watered and his ears started to ring as the life was literally choked out of him. Jessie observed his lifeless body hanging from the ceiling for just a moment, eventually peeling her eyes away to look at her husband, who was undoubtedly in a state of shock. She slightly laughed as she noticed his mouth hung wide open and his eyes popping out of his head. She walked over to him and physically shut his mouth for him, which brought him back to reality. She gave him a kiss on his cheek, which at the moment felt like a kiss of death to him considering how unpredictable his wife was.

"Earth to Cameron." Jessie joked as she got a little closer, wrapping her arms around Rafe's neck and swaying back and forth like nothing had happened. Rafe finally swallowed the lump in his throat and wrapped his arms around Jessie, now looking her in the eyes still with shock.

"What the hell was that?" Rafe asked, his eyes still wide.

"What, you didn't like it?" Jessie retorted with furrowed brows and a slight smile.

"Oh I didn't say that." Rafe whispered as he leaned in for a kiss. Truth is, he loved it, a lot more than he should have. Maybe it was the alcohol or the weed, but the adrenaline rush was hard to deny for the both of them. Jessie just giggled against his lips and eventually pulled away. "I just... where did that come from?" Rafe asked as he nodded, hinting at the scene behind them.

"Rafe... I told you... I was- I am in a gang. In the wise words of JJ... I've knocked some heads." Jessie tried to lighten the mood, it seemed to have worked.

"Well yeah but..."

"But nothing, Rafe. We did what we had to do. You and me against the world, remember?"

Rafe stood there and contemplated the scene in front of him for a moment, still not believing how easy that was for Jessie. He looked back at her and smiled.

"Right, baby."

That was enough for Jessie to crack another smile and push herself off of his large frame.

"Alright, so we're gonna need lime, salt, and worms." Rafe mouthed as he clapped his hands together and stood looking at Barry's lifeless body that was still clinging to the wall.

Jessie looked surprised, but also relieved that Rafe was finally thinking strategically.

"How do you know this?" Jessie asked with knitted brows.

"Jess... you're not the only one that's had to hide dead bodies."

It was then that Jessie realized he was right... he was doing Wards dirty work long before she ever entered his life. Who knew what horror stories he had locked up in his mind? She shrugged it off and helped Rafe get the body out of the restraints.

- - -

Rafe and Jessie now had the body wrapped securely in an old rug, making sure to sprinkle it with the remnants to decompose it faster. They were now carrying the body out into the woods miles from Tanneyhill. As the two of them struggled, Jessie got a phone call.

"Shit!" She complained as she looked over at Rafe, signaling to him to set the body down. She caught her breath for just a moment long enough to answer.

"Hello?"

"Holy shit, Jessie?! Thank god, I thought ya'll were both goners! Are you guys okay?!"

"Ugh, JJ, it's so good to hear your voice." Jessie sighed and smiled as she wiped a little bit of sweat off her forehead and looked over at Rafe who now decided to start digging. "Yes we're fine. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, we just made it to Nassau. This place is huge! Charley's running around the house right now and Sarah's trying to stop her from breaking shit."

That was exactly what Jessie needed to hear. Although she had worked really hard at being laser focused on the situation at hand, of course she still had her precious daughter in the back of her mind.

"Ugh, I'm so glad. We'll be there as soon as we can okay?"

"Sounds good... is everythiiiiiing?" JJ was trying to ask the very obvious question, but thankfully he knew not to go into specifics over a phone that could see easily be tapped and tracked.

"Everything is just fine. We gotta go. We'll be there soon." Jessie answered, hoping that her brother could read between the lines.

"Good, let us know if you need anything."

"I will, Jayj, thanks. Tell Charley I love her!"

Jessie hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief as she looked back at Rafe, who seemed to still be focused on digging.

"Is Charley okay?" Rafe asked through labored breaths as he heaved the shovel into the ground. Jessie noticed the sweat on his face that was now illuminated by the moonlight. To her he looked beautiful.

"Yeah, she's fine. They should be getting her settled in."

Rafe simply nodded his head in satisfaction and continued to breath hard as he dug the trench needed. Jessie stood there awkwardly twiddling with the skin on her fingernails.

"Why're you so nervous?" Rafe asked, less as a question and more as a statement, not bothering to look up from shoveling. He could always feel the tension radiating off of Jessie even when she didn't mean for it to be.

"I'm just... ready for this all to be over with. I'm ready to see Charley." Jessie admitted. Rafe thought that confession was easier than expected. He didn't complain. He was grateful he didn't have to pull it out of her like usual. He stopped what he was doing and wiped the sweat off his face as he walked over to his wife. He looked at her with lust. Now he was the one that seemed calm, cool and collected. He cupped her face with aggression and moved his other hand to her coat pocket.

"If you're so nervous why don't you just relieve some stress?" Rafe said as he showed Jessie the joint in his hand. She completely forgot that she took her fair share of those from Barry. Despite her longing for one, she figured it was best if she didn't. After all, they didn't need to make this a habit. She simply nodded her head. Rafe shrugged in response.

"Suit yourself." He said as he stuck the joint in between his teeth and lit up with her own zippo. He must've dug that out of her pocket as well. His sleight of hand was impressive.

Jessie couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was like a switch had flipped within Rafe. All the times before it took a very slow burn to lead up to this type of behavior from him, but now it just seemed natural. Jessie didn't know whether to attribute that to the adrenaline or something else. Then again, she was the one who told him not to be weak...

She had to brush off the thoughts and continue with their plan. She watched intently as Rafe dug the hole with the smoke billowing out of his mouth.

- - -

The couple finally made it back to Tanneyhill around midnight in Rafe's truck. However, once they rolled up they quickly realized they didn't have a plan after that. Despite Rafe turning the truck off neither one of them moved from their seats. They both were a little drunk and stoned, which didn't help their inability to commence the next phase.

"What do we do now?" Jessie finally spoke up as she looked over at Rafe, who was undoubtedly zoned out. How he even made it home she had no idea. Rafe finally looked over at her and shrugged.

"I'm not tired... are you?" He asked, to which Jessie replied with a head nod indicating she wasn't. Rafe looked back at the big empty house.

"Well the plane can't get here until the morning... and neither one of us wanna go to sleep..."

Jessie didn't know where Rafe was going with this, but she could see he was deep in thought as he stared at the house.

"What're you thinking?" Jessie asked hesitantly, leaning forward a little more to try and get a better read at the smirk on Rafe's face. He finally turned to face her with a smile.

"My bike is still here..." Rafe said in a hushed tone. "Remember when we used to ride?"

Jessie couldn't help but smile herself. She let out a playful scoff as she sunk back into her seat. Of course she remembered.

"You and I are way too drunk and stoned for this shit." Jessie joked.

"Baby, that was always our favorite time to ride!" Rafe replied with a pleading tone. He was so unserious... just like he used to be. Jessie couldn't help but love that side of him. She missed it. Riding late at night on Rafe's bike years ago was the peak of their relationship. Nothing was wrong when they were riding, even if they were nowhere near sober enough to be doing it responsibly. But Jessie hesitated this time, because they most certainly had responsibilities now.

"Rafe Cameron..." Jessie flirted as she leaned over the console to play with his shirt. She looked him up and down with lust. "We have a daughter to raise. Do you remember how many times we almost killed ourselves doing that shit?" She only half joked despite her clear smile and joy filled eyes.

"Jess, come on, I won't do stupid shit, I promise." Rafe responded, this time lazily putting his hand up as if to swear. Just like years ago, Jessie knew better than to believe him. Their adrenaline always kicked in on those rides, making them feel invincible... untouchable. She gave him a knowing look.

"I promise!" Rafe reiterated through a flirty smile. "Come on Jessie... you and I have just about eight hours to ourselves... no responsibilities... only you and me, taking the edge off any way we can. Our daughter is safe and sound asleep in the Bahamas along with the rest of our tenants, I mean... family." Rafe joked, trying to lighten the mood. Jessie just gave him a side eye and a smirk. Still Rafe continued with his speech as he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "Just you and me."

Rafe knew Jessie would always come running back to the nostalgic feeling she chased every day since she found out she was pregnant, and Rafe chased it every day since she left. Now was another opportunity to run wild with no responsibilities and little consequences. Jessie breathed deeply as she eyed Rafe, who had her hand to his lips, clearly begging at this point. She could tell how much he missed it, and she couldn't lie because she did too.

"Fiiine." Jessie finally gave in through a smile.

"Yesss!" Rafe whooped and hollered as he finally got his way. He looked like a little kid with how happy he was, and Jessie felt then and there that it was worth it to give in just for that. She'd always give in to Rafe.

Jessie exited the truck considerably slower than Rafe, and by the time she made it halfway through the yard she could already see Rafe coming back around the corner on his bike. Of course, she heard it before she saw it. Rafe stopped right in front of her with a shit eating grin.

"You're lucky we don't have a daughter sleeping, otherwise you would've just woken her up." Jessie nudged Rafe playfully.

"Yeah, well the one thing we don't have to worry about is being quiet anymore. No more trying to sneak past the Warden!" Rafe replied enthusiastically as he revved the bike harder as Jessie placed herself comfortably behind him. She made sure to put a hand on his shoulder to signal him to wait. He looked back with a curious expression. She rolled her eyes with a playful smile as she searched for something in her jacket pocket.

"I wasn't going to tell you about this but..." Jessie began as she pulled a bag out of her pocket. Rafe recognized it immediately. Although this time, he wasn't upset... not even shocked. "You know I had to search the rest of Barry's pockets... and what's a ride without mixing drugs, right?"

Rafe snickered, as he knew she was right. Every single ride they were slightly strung out on more than one substance, it made it more fun. Not enough to make them pass out or lose control, just enough to enhance the experience. Rafe turned around enough to grab Jessie's face and give her a kiss.

"You're a genuis." He said with a boyish laugh as he ripped open the bag and rubbed a little bit of the powder onto his gums. He figured he was being responsible by not snorting an entire line given the weed and alcohol he had already consumed. Jessie did the same and stuck the coke back in her leather jacket. With that, the both of them were off.

The two of them rode around for hours, Rafe loving the adrenaline rush of straightening out sharp curves and doing burnouts and wheelies along county roads. Jessie remembered the feeling just as much, as she let the wind whistle through her hair and extended her arms to feel the night air catching her fingers. She especially loved holding onto Rafe a little tighter when he did something especially stupid, like seeing just how fast he could go. She thinks he tapped out at 102.

"Let's go to our spot." Jessie suggested as she leaned over Rafe's shoulder so he could hear. He simply nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

Just a few minutes later and Jessie could see the familiar scene in sight. As they rounded the corner she caught a glimpse of the moonlight shining on the large rocks covering the hidden cove they always loved to swim at. It was the one place they could count on that would hide them from tourists, judgemental Pogues and Ward Cameron especially.

They both hopped off the bike and started winding their way through the small caves and cracks in the rocks, eventually finding the all too familiar water fall that cascaded beautifully into a perfect swimming pool size body of water. The spot was always buried so far in the depths of the rocks that no tourist cares to venture there, and it seemed that no Pogues or kooks knew about it. Hell, the only reason Rafe and Jessie knew about it is because of a night just like this one, when they were too strung out to care about the consequences of going too far into the tunnels.

Rafe and Jessie both breathed a sigh of contentment as they looked up to see the cracks of light coming through the top of the rock. Jessie looked over at Rafe with a smile and they embraced. With no words needing to be said, Jessie pulled away with a smirk on her face. Rafe knew exactly where this was going.

Jessie tossed her beloved jacket aside and undid the button of her jeans, allowing them to peel away from her skin as she kicked them off along with her socks and shoes. Rafe was too busy watching her to remember that this would be the point where he undressed as well. She noticed his distraction and laughed.

"Some things never change." Jessie joked as she stood there in just her underwear and tank top looking at a fully clothed Rafe. He raised his eyebrows as he snapped back to reality, making a silent "oh" with his lips. He quickly followed suit by unbuttoning his shirt. He removed his gun from his waistband before stripping down to just his boxers. By this point they were both in nothing but their underwear.

"You know it's a little different when we didn't already come in swim suits." Rafe laughed as he looked down at the water.

"I don't need a swimsuit." Jessie shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah but then you're gonna be riding around in wet underwear." Rafe replied back.

"I didn't say I needed underwear either." Jessie responded barely over a whisper as she leaned over and planted a sweet kiss to Rafe's lips. The adrenaline zipped through his body once again as he realized what she meant. He felt her slip her fingers in the band of his boxers, hinting she wanted them off. Rafe certainly played into it and wrapped his arms around Jessie, now fondling with the hook on the back of her bra. He effortlessly snapped the fabric, eventually taking the rest of what she had on with it off. He followed suit and they both got in the water.

The moment wasn't heated, wasn't overly sexual... it was simply intimate. It was something the both of them needed. They contently swirled around the clear body of water, which was just the perfect temperature. It always was considering it was almost always untouched by the elements.

The moment was perfect, neither of them talking for fear of ruining it. This time there would be no figuring out a plan, no serious problem to resolve, just the two of them enjoying the short day and long night that was given to them.

They couldn't ignore how much they loved the feeling of letting go, and they relived their teenage years as best they could that night, knowing that it was oh so fleeting.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 57

It was the next morning, and Rafe and Jessie decided to ride until their plane landed, and that they did. They rolled up to the tarmac on the same bike they were on all night. They couldn't help but admire the beautiful sunrise over the tree tops as they watched the plane land.

"You ready to do this?" Rafe asked, not bothering to look back at Jessie. Neither one of them wanted this to end, but of course, they were adults at the end of the day.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Jessie said as she took a deep breath in.

Once the plane landed, Rafe and Jessie rode up to the entry way and made their way in, this time with no one left on that island to stop them. They both held their breaths for the fear that once again the moment might be ruined as they walked up those steps, but it wasn't. They both breathed a sigh of relief as they plopped into their plush leather seats.

"Can you believe it?" Rafe asked, pulling Jessie out of her thoughts. They heard the plane start up and take off right at that moment.

"Believe what?" Jessie asked, now kicking her head off the seat to look closer at her husband across from her.

"We did it, Jess." Rafe whispered with a smile. "No more running. Just you and me, going to Nassau to get our little girl and get this cross sold... and we're done!" He exclaimed through a beaming smile. Jessie had a hard time believing it herself. After all, she never seemed to catch a break. She couldn't settle into the idea that it really was over. No more Ward. No more Rose. No more Barry. No more Luke. No more secrets. No more lies.

She tried her best to accept it and sink down in her seat with a content smile. Although she couldn't help but still grip the tan leather a little too tight, for fear that this moment could be stripped away from her. Rafe noticed her demeanor wasn't quite as calm as he'd like, and he didn't blame her for it. He just had to give her time. He still needed time as well. But this time, they would get through this together.

- - -

"Welcome... to my humble abode!" A shirtless JJ yelled from the grand entrance of the Cameron mansion as he watched Jessie and Rafe get out of the car. They could both tell he was already a little tipsy, and the drink in his hand wasn't what gave it away. They both laughed at the sight.

"Your humble abode?" Rafe asked cockily as he walked up the steps. JJ tilted his sunglasses down with a sheepish smile and looked back and forth between the two.

"Uh... our humble abode?" JJ replied more as a question. That still wasn't the answer Rafe was looking for, and that was written all over his face as he pursed his lips and knitted his brows, letting out a slight "hmm" waiting for his brother in law to try again.

"Your humble abode..." JJ sighed defeatedly as he marched back into the house. Jessie couldn't help but laugh at the exchange.

"You couldn't let him have it just once?" Jessie jokingly whispered after JJ had put some distance between them.

"Never." Rafe simply stated as he slung his arm around his wife and walked into the house. She rolled her eyes and laughed in response.

"Where's everyone else?" Jessie asked as they sauntered to the living room, where JJ was grabbing the open bottle of champagne to fill his cup once more. Jessie really didn't know why he bothered with the glass, knowing that bottle was all for him.

"They're all out by the pool." JJ mumbled as he clearly had to concentrate on the drink he was pouring. Rafe clicked his tongue and nodded his head as he watched the blonde, noticing something about that particular bottle he had in his hand.

"So I see you found the cellar." Rafe hinted in a clearly judgmental tone with his hands in his pockets. There went JJ with that sheepish grin again as if he had been caught red handed.

"How was I not supposed to explore the place a little bit, I mean... come on!" JJ defended himself with an innocent shrug.

"I just think it's funny that you managed to pick the most expensive shit we have in the house." Rafe sassed with a shrug of his own.

"What can I say, Rafey boy, I've got a refined pallet." JJ teased as he pinched his fingers together and brought them closer to his lips to kiss them, clearly mocking at this point.

"Refined pallet my ass." Rafe retorted as he slapped JJ on the back and laughed. JJ couldn't help but laugh as he watched Rafe and his sister walk out to the pool to see Charley, and the others of course. He stumbled behind them.

"Charleeeeyyyy!" Jessie sing songed as she watched Charley swim toward Sarah in her arm floaties. The rest of the pogues were lounging around in the chairs that lined the olympic size swimming pool. Palm trees littered the yard, and there was even a man made rock waterfall that was perfect for climbing and diving into the deep end of the pool. Thankfully, Charley was nowhere near that end.

"Mommyyy!" Charley responded back, however, the statement distracted her just enough to wear she found her head slipping under the water due to forgetting to kick. Luckily, Sarah was right there with arms outstretched and ready to pull Charley into her.

"Don't forget to swim, silly girl!" John B joked as he watched the scene in front of him. The pogues all greeted Jessie and Rafe and admittedly were glad to see them, albeit each for their own reasons.

"Is this not the kookiest shit you've ever seen?!" JJ yelled from atop of the waterfall, which instantly made everyone nervous.

"James Maybank! Get down from there!" Jessie demanded with a stern look as she glanced up at the drunk blonde wobbling at the top.

"You're not my mom!" JJ corrected as he pointed down at his sister. Before he could hear anyone else protest, he front flipped directly into the pool, splashing everyone whether they wanted to get wet or not. They all watched as JJ bubbled to the surface and slung his hair everywhere like a wet dog.

"I feel like I need someone to be feeding me grapes right now or some shit." JJ said through euphoria as he swam over to his niece.

"I'm out on that." Kiara sassed.

"You like this, just wait until we start bidding that cross off to buyers!" Pope chimed in.

"Oh, speaking of that!" Rafe piped up, seeing as he now remembered something important. He jutted over towards Pope's direction and sat down on the lounge chair beside him. Jessie took the opportunity to go back inside and change. Her leather jacket and combat boots weren't exactly fit for the Bahamas. Rafe just opted to take his button up off for the time being.

"On the plane I was able to talk to a few potential buyers. I think I can have some meetings lined up as soon as tomorrow." Rafe said, his tone shifting to one of business. He couldn't help it, it was instilled in him.

"Great!" Pope exclaimed through a smile.

"Uncle JJ!" Charley yelled from across the pool. "I wanna do dat!" She hinted at the precious front flip through her broken English.

"Aaabsolutely not." Rafe intervened before JJ could say anything.

"Ugh, why not?!" JJ whined.

"One, because you're drunk. Two, because she's three and three... she can't swim!" Rafe corrected his brother in law as if it was obvious. The Pogues all laughed, but JJ just scoffed.

"Minor details." He dismissed Rafe.

"Well then you can explain the concussion to her mother."

"That is the only good reason you've given me not to." JJ said through laughter. Rafe couldn't help but snicker as well.

"What're we talking about?" Jessie now came back outside right on time in a hot pink bikini and sunglasses.

"Nothing." Both JJ and Rafe said simultaneously, obviously causing suspicion. Jessie just raised her eyebrows out of curiosity but decided not to push it. Rafe took the opportunity to get up from his chair.

"I'm gonna go get changed." Rafe said mainly to Jessie, but not before grabbing her exposed waist and planting a kiss on her lips.

Jessie opted to lay out on the lounge chair that Rafe just got up from, not feeling quite hot enough to get in the pool just yet.

"How was the plane ride?" Pope asked.

"It was fine. Rafe spent practically the entire time on the phone." Jessie replied as she laid her head back and closed her eyes.

"About the cross?" Pope asked.

"Well yeah but also just about business in general. He's currently got his business in three different locations so he's trying to manage as best he can."

"And like his dad, he probably has a hard time delegating tasks and trusting other people to do them." Sarah butted in with a knowing smile. Jessie simply pointed at her sister in law as if to silently agree.

"He's under a lot of stress. He pretends like he's not... but I know he is." Jessie replied. The Pogues didn't quite know what to say to that. It was then that Jessie realized she was still talking to a bunch of teenagers who were still learning a lot about responsibility.

"But he'll be alright. We'll get it figured out." Jessie tried to leave the conversation on a positive note for the sake of the people around her. Although in her heart she wasn't so sure Rafe would be okay. She had seen the phone calls, the emails, the heavy sighs, the looks of concentration on Rafe's face. She knew he had a lot going on in his mind.

"He said he might have some meetings lined up tomorrow for potential buyers." Pope tried to change the subject.

"Oh yeah! I heard about that on the plane. I think he's really excited to try and help." Jessie admitted.

"Well if he gets this thing put in a museum, he damn sure can have a cut." Pope responded with a soft smile. At that Jessie found it hard to form a response. She looked down, trying to form her words. Pope could tell.

"What?" He asked. Jessie stopped playing with the straw on the lounge chair and finally spoke up.

"Are you sure you want this thing in a museum? You probably could get a lot more money out of it by selling the diamonds and the gold piece by piece."

Pope sighed in defeat and looked down at the ground to contemplate what to say.

"Jessie... don't get me wrong... I'm grateful for everything that you and Rafe are doing... but, this is more than just diamonds and gold for me... this is my family's heritage."

"And I get that but-"

"But without some solid backing as to the history of this cross, no museum is gonna wanna touch it." Rafe came in at the perfect time, now in just royal blue board shorts and aviators. He also managed to pour some champagne into a glass of his own. As he made his way back over he brought a glass for Jessie as well. "You've gotta have proof that this thing is real, and that it actually belonged to Denmark Tanney. These museums see people trying to pass shit off all the time. But, gold... real gold... melted down into bars and pawned off... anybody will take that." Rafe finished as he sat on the end of Jessie's chair. They both could see Pope was pondering their words.

"I don't know guys I just... I feel like there's a bigger mission with this cross. It's not just gold and diamonds... it's a relic." Pope exclaimed.

"Yeah but dude," JJ butted in from the pool, his sunglasses lopsided on his face. "It's still mostly gold and diamonds."

Jessie knew what JJ was trying to say, but she didn't feel like Pope needed to listen to his drunk wisdom.

"Look, Pope, at the end of the day, it's yours. It's whatever you wanna do with it. We're gonna help no matter what. But I think you'd be wise in heeding some of Rafe's advice... he's done this a time or two." Jessie reiterated through kind eyes.

"And seen it done a time or twenty." Rafe chimed in as he took a drink from his glass. Pope just nodded in understanding.

"Okay." JJ yelled. "I can't take the business talk. We're doing kook shit today, no exceptions! Someone get me some grapes!"

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 59

There they all sat at the presidential grade dinner table that night overlooking the beach from their porch. The pogues, Wheezy, Jessie, Rafe, and Charley all scattered around the table eating their dinner contently, albeit, with some obvious tension. Despite the crashing waves and the beautiful sunset, nobody could seem to focus on anything except for the fact that Rafe was completely silent and zoned in on the food in front of him, making sure to stab the steak with a little too much force to ignore.

Jessie was immediately transported back to that first night she met the Cameron's, she couldn't forget the way Ward ate either, always with a chip on his shoulder and something business related bugging him.

However, Rafe didn't speak not out of anger, but out of fear that his wife would be able to tell that he was slightly high. He was embarrassed of the fact just like he was years ago when he first started. Only this time, he wasn't hiding it from Ward. Somehow, the fear felt stronger this time.

Pope, on the other hand, was undoubtedly not speaking due to anger. Everyone around the table could tell, except for sweet Charley, who sing songed her way through dinner and insisted her mother cut up her steak into smaller pieces. Rafe was still angry though, and what should've been music to his ears was like nails on a chalkboard. He wished his daughter would catch the hint, but of course, like her mother, she never was afraid to be heard.

Jessie could see Rafe's fingers grip the fork tighter and his chest rise higher as she could tell he was getting annoyed. She came home and expected to be met with many questions at dinner by her husband about their day, instead, she got a stone cold look of focus. She didn't dare ask what about, but she would later once they were alone. For now, she just had to keep the peace.

"Charley." Jessie piped up, and the sound visibly scared everyone as she heard the subtle clanking of people's forks against their plates and jerking their head upwards to meet her. She cleared her throat and set her fork down, but before she could say a word she heard the all too familiar ring of her husband's work phone to her left. She jolted her head towards Rafe to find him about to take a bite but instead heaving a loud sigh as he let his fork hit the plate and forcefully scooted himself away from the table. Without a word or even a glance in Jessie's direction, he walked towards his office with the phone to his ear.

Jessie watched as his arms bulged out of his white button up, which had now been untucked from his khakis since his meeting earlier. She watched his back muscles flex as he brought the phone to his ear and walked away. She could tell he was tense. Then again, everyone could.

"You're excused!" JJ sassed right after Rafe was out of ear shot, clearly unhappy with his attitude. Jessie was grateful he didn't try to push that boundary while Rafe could still hear him, because she was certain it would've ended with her brother laid out across the table in front of them.

Jessie finally peeled her eyes away from where her husband had just disappeared to and went back to eating. She couldn't get one bite chewed before she looked up and was met with an overwhelming amount of eyes. She didn't have to ask why they were all looking at her with looks of confusion and guilt. She merely huffed and deflated her posture.

"You guys are excused." Jessie retorted in defeat as she lazily put her arms up on the table, clearly not caring about appearances anymore.

"Oh may we?" JJ replied with too much snark for his sister's liking. Thankfully, Kiara made sure to slap him hard for the comment, to which he winced in pain.

"Jessie..." Sarah spoke up from farther down the table. "We're not gonna leave you here-"

"Sarah, don't try to be the hero. We all know none of us want to be here when he blows up, but if it's gonna be around anyone it needs to be me."

At that no one has an answer, until finally John B spoke up.

"What the hell happened Pope?"

Pope still seemed oddly unphased, as he was the only one still eating mindlessly. He simply shrugged as he looked up and around at everyone through chewing his food.

"Ask Rafe." He simply said, to which everyone rolled their eyes as they leaned back in their seats in defeat. The two were being impossible.

"Just go." Jessie said through annoyance with a quick wave of her hand and scrunched face. In unison, the pogues and Wheezy jumped up from their seats, unintentionally making as much noise as they could as they stuffed their plates full of more food and took it with them back inside. Charley tried to follow along, but her mother stopped her.

"Charley, you're staying with me."

All the teens looked back at Jessie with shock.

"Seriously?" JJ inquired. "You're gonna let your daughter just watch him lose his shit?"

Jessie just sighed, clearly feeling even more defeated by the judgement coming from her brother. She looked at him with pleading eyes silently begging him to withhold the attitude.

"She's not your responsibility, she's mine. And you guys won't be around forever to whisk her away from conversations like this. Rafe's going to have to learn how to be frustrated around his child."

What Jessie said made sense, yet the Pogues couldn't in good conscience leave the toddler there knowing what could happen. They all looked around at each other and exchanged knowing looks.

"Yeah well..." JJ said as he cleared his throat and walked back towards his niece with an extended hand. "We're here now and I'm not leaving my niece with that..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Jessie gave her brother a look that reminded JJ that he was talking about Charley's father, not just his previous nemesis. He picked up on the silent chastisement and fixed his tone and his face as he looked down at Charley.

"That very nice man! Come on Char Char!"

Jessie watched as JJ held Charley's little hand in his and a full plate of food in the other. The sight made her sad at the thought of separating the two by leaving for Manhattan. Although, she thought maybe the sadness was also due to the fact that she'd be leaving to follow a man that isn't emotionally intelligent enough to convey his feelings, or at least hide them correctly around his kid. She had to put the thought away and glanced over at the rolling waves on the beach. She took notice of the clouds that were now in the sky after the sun had set and loved how the world around her seemed to fade into a comfortable powder blue. Right between sunset and night time was always Jessie favorite sight, and she never felt the feeling lasted long enough, so she was grateful it came around once a day. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes and allowed her senses to feel the crisp ocean breeze on her face and the cool night air on her arms. She took notice of the feeling of her white sundress floating in the wind behind her chair. Before she could get caught further in her trance, she heard a pair of strong footsteps waltz towards her. She looked back to see Rafe planted halfway between the table and the door with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Where's everybody?"

"They left."

"Did they even eat?" Rafe asked with annoyance written clear on his face as he sunk back down in his chair and sassily fluffed the cloth napkin by his side before fanning it out on his knee.

"They took their food with them." Jessie simply stated, trying to balance the perfect amount of eye contact with her husband and her food. She tried to continue eating like nothing happened.

"What the hell is their problem?" Rafe asked as he stabbed his fork back into the food in front of him with an arm laid lazily over the table.

"They're afraid of you." Jessie replied numbly as if it was common sense, not daring to look up at Rafe. Despite not looking, she heard the fork clammer against the porcelain and could feel the hard gaze Rafe had on her.

"And why's that?" He responded immediately with bite behind his tone. He sounded as if he was accusing Jessie for whatever reason.

"You tell me, Rafe. Your attitude is less than stellar so I'm assuming things didn't quite go your way today." Jessie bit back, but not with near as much venom, just enough to get the point across without sending Rafe into a complete tailspin.

"No! They didn't! And you wanna know why?"

"Yes! We'd all love to know why!"

"Because your little friend didn't exactly heed my advice today, and he's gonna dig himself a real deep hole if he doesn't listen!" Rafe yelled, now with narrowed eyes and pointed finger.

"My little friend? God, Rafe! You sound like they're all still your enemies! Stop acting like they're not family to us now!"

"Family?! Family?!" Rafe screamed in bewilderment as he pushed his chair away from the table. Causing the champagne glasses to spill and an aching noise to come from the chair as it scooted across the concrete. Rafe stood up with fury and balled his fist as he walked towards the edge of the balcony, now looking into the dim sky. "Did you even see Pope at dinner tonight?! He wasn't the only one with a chip on his shoulder! He doesn't exactly view me as family either, and he certainly didn't treat me like that today! God, Jessie, don't you get it! At least I'm trying to help the kid out! He's not listening to me!" Rafe said through rage as he paced back and forth, pulling on his clothes occasionally and running his hands over his short hair. His eyes were now wide with anger as he pleaded for Jessie to understand.

"I don't know what went down today!" Jessie started as she got up from the table, matching the same energy as her husband. "But it doesn't matter! You don't get to lose it just because someone didn't listen to you or because things didn't go your way! You're throwing a hissy fit over something stupid and now everyone is walking on eggshells trying not to set you off! Well I'm not gonna raise my family like that, Rafe! You're gonna learn to control your emotions or you can-"

"Or I can what?!" Rafe challenged, this time getting close to his wife with balled fists. Jessie knew Rafe wasn't about to swing though. She got closer. Right as she opened her mouth to speak she heard the unmistakable ring of Rafe's phone. She looked down at his pocket and so did he. She looked back up to see her husband roll his eyes and huff and puff in annoyance. He growled and put his hands to his head.

"Oh my god, I swear, if this damn phone rings one more time!" Rafe screamed as he dug the phone out of his pocket and raised it to his ear.

"What!" He yelled, not even caring to look at who was calling. He was fuming still. Jessie could see it, and suddenly it all made sense. Her gaze softened as she slowly reached up to Rafe's phone clad hand. Rafe felt the delicate hand weasel around his to take the phone. He looked over to find his wife silently pleading with him to let her do this. He couldn't help but oblige. Without breaking eye contact, Jessie took the phone and ended the call, the both of them still breathing heavily as they looked at each other with soft eyes.

"You're tired." Jessie simply stated with sympathy.

Rafe had no words, anything he could've thought to say got stuck in his throat. Jessie took one step closer to wrap her arms around her husband lovingly. She took one hand and cupped his face and rubbed her thumb against his cheek. She could feel him melting in her touch.

"I know you're tired, baby. You won't be forever. I know you think that everything needs to be done immediately but I'm telling you it doesn't."

"But Jessie, you don't understand-"

Jessie shushed him and took his face in both her hands.

"It's gonna be alright. This isn't you, and I see that. I know this is all coming from being overwhelmed... but Rafe... we've gotta work on this. We've gotta teach Charley to handle emotions better than our parents taught us, okay?"

That last sentence cut Rafe deep. If only Jessie knew how he was really handling his emotions... suddenly he grew scared to look in her eyes for fear that she would see the Coke induced haze deep within them. He looked down and sighed. He knew she was right, and he couldn't help but admire that Jessie still remained so stolid in the midst of the chaos. Charley needed that. He needed that.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 60

"Alright, that should be everything." JJ said as he loaded the last of the luggage in the car for Jessie, Rafe, and Charley. All the Pogues were now standing on the glorious front porch of the Bahamian villa with tears in their eyes as they watched the little family say their goodbyes.

Jessie took a deep breath and gave all the teens a sympathetic look. She could tell they were nervous despite their constant statement that they were adults.

"You guys will be just fine, I promise. Just because we're not here physically doesn't mean we aren't one phone call away." Jessie assured as she looked up at the group. They nodded their heads, yet some looked more convinced than others.

"I've got emergency response on speed dial if you guys need anything immediately." Rafe chimed in with just as much sympathy. "Sarah, you know where everything is." Sarah nodded in hesitant understanding as she swallowed the lump in her throat and held tightly to Wheezie.

"If you guys need anything... anything at all... you know we'll come running." Jessie said calmly, trying to be the voice of reason.

"No questions asked." Rafe reiterated.

Despite Jessie and Rafe's reassurance, the Pogues still held somber faces. Jessie looked up at her husband, both of them equally at a loss for words.

"Look guys..." John B piped up. "It's not that we're worried we're not gonna be able to take care of ourselves... we've done that for years... it's that... we're gonna miss you."

The words pierced through the couple like an arrow through flesh. They both could have sworn they felt their heart tinge and ache. Jessie deflated her posture and changed her face to one of sadness as well.

"I know guys..." Jessie said barely above a whisper as she went back up the steps to give even more hugs than they had previously. "But this isn't forever. We'll be coming back regularly and have you guys flown into Manhattan. We're gonna miss you guys even more. But we're gonna make it through this." Jessie said as she held Wheezie's tear stained face in her hands with a soft smile. The smile was clearly fake, but Jessie did her best to put on her mom face just like she did with Charley, even when her whole world was crashing and burning around her.

"Come on guys." JJ spoke up through a low tone as he walked back up the steps as well. "We gotta let them go."

With that, everyone backed away and let Jessie and Rafe and Charley get into the car. As the door closed Rafe looked over at Jessie with a close mouthed smile as he grabbed her hand and squeezed gently, silently trying to reassure her. It didn't work, as she finally let down her facade just enough to hang her head and look down at her lap.

"I can't look back." She choked out, not daring to look anywhere else.

"I can't either." Rafe admitted with a sigh.

They both knew the scene that was unfolding behind them, undoubtedly leaving their family in tears, worry, confusion, and everything in between. But they had to trust the process. And even more so, trust that they knew the plan.

Jessie remembered this gut wrenching feeling all too well, the same guilt she felt when she left JJ on her front porch four years ago. She thought in an odd way this time around it would be easier. Boy was she wrong. She couldn't determine which one stung worse. Before she could even register the tightness in her throat and the heat on her face, she felt Rafe wipe a stray tear from her cheek.

"It'll be okay, baby." He whispered as he leaned over the middle seat with her hand still in his. Jessie finally locked eyes with her husband, still seeing the same stress behind them she saw just a week ago when they first got to the island.

That was just it. Jessie didn't cry, and certainly not in big sappy moments like the one she was just apart of. Jessie wasn't crying because of what she was leaving behind. She was terrified of what she was bringing home. Throughout the past week the work calls didn't stop, they didn't even decline. Neither did the business meetings, which were always filled with yelling from Rafe's office. Inevitably, the bad attitude came along with it, whether Rafe meant for it to or not. It had just been one week and Jessie could already see that the stress was taking a toll on their relationship. And here she was about to try and build a life with this man and this company while also taking care of family halfway across the world. Jessie wasn't sure if it was a good thing that it had only been a week, maybe it wasn't enough time for things to subside just yet. That's what she chose to tell herself anyways.

She finally pulled herself far enough out of her racing thoughts to give Rafe a half hearted smile, although the sadness behind her eyes was still evident. Even though Rafe spent most of his week stressed out and a little tipsy, he still knew his Jessie, always had, and it didn't matter what he had in his system. Some things never change. He could tell she was holding back, for what reason he had no clue. After all, she was never one to hold back. Still, given the gravity of the day he just decided to let it go.

"Are you excited to see Mama and Tom?" Rafe asked. "I know they're ready to turn those phone calls into face to face visits. And hey! We're still gonna be in the same building as them until I can get us a place. And I'm already working on that!" Rafe tried to be reassuring, but the thought of one more move, especially one in an upscale glass house condo on the tip top floor of some swanky apartment complex that was on the complete opposite side of town from the Manhattan Mayhem was not at all what Jessie was prepared for. Still, she could see Rafe just trying to give the best to his girls, and she appreciated that. She tried to show that on her face. Before she could answer she heard Rafe's phone ring, and with a sigh he answered it. That thing always had the worst timing.

"Hello?"

Jessie could hear mingling on the other side of the line, and for once Rafe didn't seem irate or intensely focused on the other end. He simply nodded his head and murmured in understanding, voiced some gratitude and then hung up with a smile.

"Tanneyhill just sold!" Rafe exclaimed with a grin as he leaned further over to Jessie, looking her up and down. "And we are 7.2 million dollars richer." Rafe whispered seductively as he slowly planted a tantalizing kiss on his wife's cheek, to which she couldn't help but giggle. One thing that Rafe did manage to get done for them this week is merge their bank accounts. Suddenly the thought sunk in that she was about to have 7 million dollars in her pocket...

"What do you even do with that much money?" Jessie asked innocently as her mind raced. Rafe took notice of her wide eyes and big smile. He laughed at her adorable demeanor and cupped her face with his hand while running his thumb against her cheek.

"Whatever you want to do baby."

- - -

"Yeah if you could just have all of our stuff shipped to Central Park Tower that would be great." Rafe instructed with the phone in his hand and his suitcase in the other, not to mention a stray coat hanging off one arm and a laptop thrown into the mix. He clearly had his hands full walking down the tight hallway towards Jessie's old apartment. Jessie had her own struggle as well, as Charley insisted on being carried and she had her own luggage to tote down the awkward space. She disregarded yet another phone call that she wished Rafe wouldn't have been on. She wanted to tell him to get off the phone and help her but she knew he was simply helping in other ways.

The three of them finally reached the end of the hallway and Jessie set her toddler down to rummage through her jacket for her keys, eventually finding them. Due to all the other stuff she had in her hands she ended up dropping them amongst the luggage that was now sat on the floor for both of them. Unable to find them, Rafe finally got the hint and started looking himself as he continued talking on the phone. He finally found the keys and still through murmurs managed to unlock the door and swing the door open. Rafe was too enraptured in his phone call to notice what was happening right in front of him.

"Surpriiiiise!"

The yells rang through the tiny apartment and out into the hallway for all to hear. Jessie and Charley both gasped as they saw almost every member of the MM standing in her living room with joy filled faces and a banner that spread the width of the place. Balloons were everywhere, food on the table, and yet all Jessie could do was look over at Rafe as he awkwardly held an appreciative smile but was still clearly focused on his phone call. He felt horrible to say the least, and Jessie could see that, but boy did she wish he would just hang up the damn phone now. Rafe gave a slight wave in an attempt to be nice to everyone before him.

"Yeah, but I really need those papers sent today so I can sign them." Rafe explained a little quieter as he slowly shut the door. Of course it wasn't quiet enough considering everyone had gone silent from the awkward encounter. Jessie just tried to brush it off the best she could. Thankfully, Charley was oblivious.

"Pop pop!" The toddler screeched with the most excitement as she ran up to her grandparents. Jessie still couldn't believe the party they had thrown. Mama and Tom leaned down just in time to accept the hug Charley was about to give them. With a grunt Tom slowly got up off the ground and held Charley close.

"Hey baby doll, we sure did miss you!" Tom exclaimed. Maci simply looked toward Jessie with love as she stuck out her arms looking for a hug. Everyone else around them went back to bantering and laughing amongst themselves.

"How in the world did you guys manage all of this?!" Jessie asked with bright eyes and a beaming smile. "It's... it's perfect!"

"We couldn't stand not seeing you for one more second! Everyone else also wanted to meet Rafe..." Mama said with a smile. Although Jessie could see the joy on her face, she knew she was secretly wondering what had Rafe so distracted out in the hall. Jessie didn't dare speak about the last week she had had with her husband in front of Maci and Tom. She knew they would try to defend her and it would only turn into an argument. Besides, she could handle herself just fine and would most certainly be talking to Rafe about what just happened later.

"He's just... trying to tie up some loose ends. He'll be in in a minute I'm sure." Jessie replied with not as much confidence as Maci and Tom would have liked. They picked up on the hesitancy, and Jessie picked up on their facial expressions. Still, she chose to ignore it and walk around the party saying hello to the rest of her friends. Luckily, only a few minutes passed before Rafe sheepishly walked through the door with a guilty wide smile written all over his face. Jessie looked over to the doorway to see Rafe standing there awkwardly with his mouth open trying to figure out where his wife and daughter were. Jessie excused herself from the conversation she was having with a girl that was not much younger than her. She looked at her husband who now had one hand in his pocket and the other scratching the back of his neck.

"Hey! There you are!" Rafe beamed, trying to act as if nothing ever happened.

"Here I am." Jessie replied with a shrug of her shoulders and a half smile.

"What's wrong?" Rafe asked with furrowed brows. He was about to pull Jessie in for a hug but she dodged it by stepping back subtly. Although Rafe picked up on the minuscule act, he couldn't respond in time before he was met with a very loud shout from Maci from across the room.

"There he is!" Mama shouted as she made her way over to the tall man standing in the door. He then decided to close the door and give the blonde woman a large smile, one that was clearly fake. He bent down a little to give her a warm hug.

"How's my favorite son in law?" Mama asked with a shit eating grin as she poked at Rafe's chest playfully.

"I'm good I'm good." Rafe responded. "You guys really outdid yourselves! This place looks amazing! I'm sorry I was a little busy earlier I-"

"No need to apologize son." Tom butted in as he made his way over with the toddler in his arms. "We've had to handle business a time or two and haven't had a choice when we get to handle it."

Rafe gave Tom a half smile of appreciation. Jessie tried doing the same, but she wanted to scream. All she kept thinking was "if only you knew, Pop." This wasn't sometimes. Jessie would understand if it were. But this was all the time... at the worst times.

With that being said, they all decided to disregard the conversation and begin mingling around to all of Jessie's friends. She made sure to introduce Rafe to every one of them, and he quite enjoyed getting to see who had been taking care of his girls all these years. After an hour or so of small talk the both of them heard Maci yell over the crowd to get everyone's attention. The typical clanking of silverware against glasses would be far too fancy for the Manhattan Mayhem. Why be formal when you could scream?

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Mama said as everyone began to quiet down and look intently at the blonde at the front of the room. "I just want to take a moment to say how happy we are that you're home, Jessie."

Home. The word resonated with Rafe. All of a sudden Rafe understood why Jessie called this place home. Despite Rafe calling OBX home his entire life, in this last hour he felt more welcome than he ever had in that island paradise. No amount of banquets, no amount of midsummers, no amount of kind words from socialites and news outlets could have made Rafe feel more at home than this moment with these people in this tiny apartment. He knew Jessie felt the same way. Sure, she had the pogues... but OBX was never home to her for the same reasons as Rafe. Jessie and Rafe both saw right through the bullshit of figure 8, and they had for a long time, it was what brought them together in the first place.

"And Rafe..." Maci sing songed as she raised her solo cup. "We are so happy that Jessie has found you. Thank you for taking good care of her while she was away. We're proud to call you officially apart of our family."

Everyone raised their cup in agreement as they toasted to the reunion of the couple and of Jessie and Charley being back home. Rafe grabbed Jessie's shoulders as she stood in front of him and looked up at him with a genuine smile. He could tell she felt so loved in that moment... more loved in that moment than she had been in the past week by him...

Although Rafe should have continued to feel the warm fuzzies, all he could think about was the fact that he hadn't been loving Jessie right. He just couldn't quite figure out how to fix that just yet.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 61

"Thanks for staying to help clean up, Mama." Jessie stated as she put the last of the clean plates up where they belong.

"No problem, dear. It was kinda our mess to clean up." Mama joked as she walked around the bar and over into the living room where they both found their husbands watching football.

"Alright, Tom, come on, let's go home." Maci demanded as she snapped her fingers and pointed to the door.

"Oh come on, mama, can't we just finish the game?" Tom whined. Rafe couldn't help but snicker, but he tried to hide it through putting his hand over his mouth and playing with his lips. Jessie knew the silly argument that was about to ensue. Tom loved his football.

"These kids are tired and ready to go to bed. Come on, let's go!" Mama insisted as she put on her shoes by the door. Tom merely groaned and got off the couch, making sure to give Rafe a firm handshake as if to say they would do this again sometime. He also gave Jessie a big hug before he put on his shoes as well.

"Thanks for the party, I... we really needed it." Jessie said, immediately thinking to correct her word choice to not raise any suspicions.

"Of course doll. And you know, if you need us, we'll come running."

"I know." Jessie nodded with a smile as she hugged the pair one last time before seeing them out the door. As she closed it she looked back at Rafe, the grin immediately gone, only leaving a scowl. Rafe leaned over the back of the couch and sighed, knowing exactly what it was about.

"I'm sorry, okay, Jess?"

"Don't call me that." Jessie replied with a straight face and a hand still comfortably on the door knob. It almost looked to Rafe as if she was contemplating leaving. Thank goodness Charley was safe and sound in bed upstairs. At her words Rafe just sighed and rolled his eyes, now glancing back down at the couch he was sitting on.

"Jessie, come on. It's not like I knew about the party, I was-"

"I don't care what you were doing Rafe! We open the door, are welcomed by family and you don't think to immediately hang up the phone? Hell, you don't even think to say a few parting words! You just close the damn door as if they're inconveniencing you!"

"Do you even realize the phone call I was on?"

"What, like it matters?"

"Jessie! I was closing a contract for our new apartment here! With Central Park Towers! If I were to hang up I would've lost the only spot available!"

"We're moving?! Already?" Jessie said a little too loudly through anger. She looked up the stairs suddenly remembering their daughter was fast asleep and didn't need to be woken up. Rafe did the same. To avoid yelling, he got up from the couch and now met Jessie closer to the door.

"Yes, Jessie! You knew this was coming! We talked-"

"Yeah, but... but I didn't realize it would be so soon!" Jessie was still heated, but she was trying her hardest not to yell at this hour.

"Well you're starting to sound like a... like a..." Rafe couldn't finish the sentence despite his scrunched up face and his clear train of thought. Jessie could tell he was holding back. She always hated when people did that. She was nothing if not honest, and she always appreciated when people did the same.

"A what, Rafe?" Jessie answered with her arms crossed and leaning in as if to hear him better. "Say it with your chest!"

Rafe couldn't take it anymore. He put his hands to his head and raked his fingers through his slightly longer hair and gritted his teeth.

"An ungrateful spoiled little brat!"

"Really?" Jessie said with a laugh that was anything but humorous. "Well you know what you're acting like?" Jessie retaliated way too quickly. Rafe didn't say anything, instead he replied by putting his hands on his hips and raising his eyebrows to silently implore his wife to go on. He could tell she struggled with her next sentence just as much as he did with his previous, which in an odd way, made him grateful. It showed that she was capable of understanding the weight of her words and for once might actually be trying to spare feelings.

"Your father!"

Well, so much for the spared feelings. Rafe's mouth hung open just slightly out of shock. He closed his mouth immediately and looked at the ground. He inhaled a deep breath and started nodding his head. It looked as if he was trying carefully formulate his words, but as he picked up his head to look at Jessie she realized it was really because he was trying not to let the tears fall. Rafe looked around the room, only playing with his lips and nodding his head. Jessie was too scared to say anything else. She felt like Rafe's behavior in that moment could either make him break down crying in her arms or make him start swinging. That fear was familiar. Rafe finally brought his wildly numb eyes back to his wife, staring at her intently for a couple seconds blinking back tears.

"How so?" He choked out, not out of sadness, but out of pure rage. His straight face gave that straight away. Still, Jessie thought it an odd question to ask at a time like this. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked herself back to reality to try and form an answer. She feared that Rafe would snap any moment if she didn't respond quick enough.

"How many times did Ward miss a birthday... a recital... a football game... because of work? How many times was he there physically, but not mentally? How many times was Ward too busy to work through deep shit with you and Wheezie and Sarah? Hm? How many times did you feel like you were drowning and nobody even looked up?" Jessie could see her words cutting deep and opening a wound in Rafe's soul she never wanted to reopen. The pain in Rafe's face twisted the knife in her own heart, as she couldn't stand to see the love of her life so hurt, even if it was the truth. "I was willing to accept this a couple weeks ago. I knew this was gonna come with the territory of being your wife and the mother of your child. I knew this years ago when I married you, Rafe. And I'd do it again. But you have been more angry, more irritable, and less present for me and Charley to a point that I can't ignore. Last week it was just dinner, today it was just a few minutes of a surprise party thrown for us... next thing you know it could be Charley's first day of Kindergarten or our anniversary." A dark hush came over them, both contemplating the words spoken. With tear filled eyes, Jessie slowly walked her bare feet over to Rafe. She wrapped her arms around his neck, making sure to play with his hair. Rafe didn't reciprocate the gesture, only keeping his hands sewn to his hips and boring his angry eyes into hers. "You and I said long ago that the one advantage we have over our fathers is that we are determined to not be like them. I call you out because I love you, Rafe. I'll never stop loving you. But you have got get your priorities straight... for me... for Charley."

Rafe's eyes went from disgust to despair.

"You're wrong."

Jessie paused in bewilderment as she looked into the sad eyes that she loved so much. Despite his clear dejection written all over his face he still insisted on being tough, just like his father. She laughed at the realization, but her face didn't dare crack a smile. She released her arms from Rafe's shoulders and backed away nodding her head slowly. She didn't have to say anything else, she had proven her point, and sadly Rafe knew it. He was angry at himself for responding just like his father would have. Still, he watched as the love of his life grabbed her leather jacket, phone, and keys, and walked out the door, leaving him with only his thoughts and his daughter still sleeping soundly upstairs.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 62

Jessie shut the door behind her, leaning up against it ever so slightly and resting her head comfortably. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and her throat tightening as she was trying to stifle her sobs. She felt the uncontrollable heaves of her rib cage up and down as she silently cried, now looking down and closing her eyes. She attempted to catch her breath so as to not let Rafe hear her on the other side of the already thin door. But she doubted he would come if he heard her. She doubted he was even still standing there.

Little did she know, he sure was. And in the same position against the door as she was, with his head hung low and tears flowing. The both of them cried uncontrollably just mere inches from each other. It's a wonder neither one of them heard the other.

Jessie just put her hand to her mouth to try once more not to make any noise, the other hand making its way to her knee for support. She felt her legs shake and buckle and she was convinced the stress was about to make her pass out. She had never felt this feeling before, not even when she found out she was pregnant. This time was different. This time she had a daughter who knew her father, and who thought he hung the moon. This time Rafe knew about his daughter, and was smitten with her. This time it was much more complicated. Four years ago Jessie was convinced that wasn't possible, but she proved herself wrong. She couldn't take the guilt, knowing she allowed the situation that just occurred and everything leading up to it. She should have never left the Pogues in the Bahamas, she should have never let them find the cross. She should have never let Rafe back into her life after she got the gold. She should have never even said yes to the stupid plan in the first place. She should've kept to herself. As frustrated as she was with the whole situation, she couldn't shake her biggest regret.

She shouldn't have ever lit up that first joint. She should have never offered it to Rafe. And she wasn't even thinking about the time in the hot tub just weeks ago. She couldn't stop thinking about that night she met Rafe for the first time, just the two of them on that lonely beach. She regretted it more than she could express. She knew she created the mess she was in, but how could she not when that's all she's ever known? Her father only taught her one way to cope, and she had tried so hard to break the generational curse, and she did... until Rafe walked back into her life. He was always her Achilles heal. Years of pent up rage and regret were coming out all in this moment. However, this time, she didn't want to do a line. She didn't want to smoke a joint. She didn't even want a beer. The idea of drugs and alcohol in her system made her sick to her stomach. The deep emotions she was feeling right now seemed to be enough to make her sober up indefinitely. She swore in her heart and mind that she would never touch the stuff ever again. Instead, she would find a familiar high, one that was not found in her husband or her old habits, but one that was found on the open road of Manhattan, coasting through the city streets on the bike she road away on years ago.

Rafe on the other hand, couldn't get away from the thought of drugs even if he tried, and of course, he tried. He slid down the door with his head in his hands. He then heard the distant foot steps of his Jessie walking down the hallways to god knows where to do god knows what. This time, he didn't want to run after her, he didn't have the energy. He was exhausted from the mental gymnastics he's been playing for weeks, in a constant game of chess trying to keep everyone just happy enough for him to make his next move. It wasn't a choice, it was a calling... the last few weeks made it feel like a curse.

Despite Rafe's uncontrollable crying, it only lasted for mere minutes before he picked his head up and looked over at the stairs. He imagined his sweet daughter walking down them, undoubtedly being able to hear the pitter patter of her feet before he ever saw her with her bed head, squinted eyes, and favorite blanket in her arm. The realization that his precious little girl could come down at any second and see her father crying on the floor with her mother nowhere to be found was enough to pick him up off the ground and dry his eyes. He changed his demeanor on a dime. He wondered if Jessie even would come back. After all, she's left before. Surely she wouldn't leave her daughter? Either way, Rafe devoted himself then and there to being the dad he needed to be for his little girl, whether it was for this night or for this life. But god the pain he was feeling couldn't be ignored. The stress he felt over work and trying to do right by his family. The anxiety he felt over Jessie being out on the streets of Manhattan alone at night. He knew she could take care of herself, but some things just shouldn't be done. He felt like a terrible husband for letting her leave. But he also couldn't overcome the anger he had towards her for her crass words. The tension was all too much. If he was going to truly forget and move forward for his daughter he knew what he had to do. He had to start by getting some sleep.

With that in mind, he turned off the TV, knowing Tom was probably pissed considering the score of the football game, turned out the lights and went upstairs, careful with his footsteps to not wake his daughter across the hall.

Rafe stripped down to nothing as he hopped in the shower, trying to make it quick in case Charley woke up from a bad dream or wanted a midnight snack. Despite the hot shower, Rafe still didn't feel any less stressed and angry. In fact, the only thing the shower did was make him reflect on it all more, making him even more anxious to just get in bed. He slipped on some boxers from his suitcase and got in the bed, pulling the covers over his shoulders to try and get good and comfortable to coax him into a deep sleep. Of course, to no avail. Rafe simply tossed and turned for an hour, only imagining his Jessie out in the city and not in their bed. No matter how hard he tried, sleep would not come. He leaned one way and all he saw was an empty, cold pillow, he leaned the other way and felt cold himself with Jessie not being right on top of him. He couldn't stand it anymore. There was only one thing he knew would put him to sleep.

Rafe slipped out of bed and over to his suitcase. He walked so carefully and rummaged through his belongings so tediously one would have thought he was hiding something despite nobody being in the room. However, Rafe felt like he needed to hide what he was about to do. He was ashamed. But he couldn't shake it. He finally found the plastic bag he was looking for and went back to his bedside table, but not before locking the door just in case a toddler decided to come in. Charley... that was the whole reason he was doing this. He was no good if he didn't get some damn sleep one way or the other. At least, that's what he convinced himself of. If her mother wasn't gonna be home tomorrow morning he had better be well rested and ready to make his daughter's favorite breakfast, and he definitely wasn't planning on showing an ounce of sadness, anger, or remorse in front of his child. He always tried his hardest to never let Charley see him upset, and this was just one way he could make sure that he came through on that promise.

As Rafe stared at the perfect line of coke on the wooden table, he contemplated what he was about to do, taking a deep breath of disappointment and pursing his lips.

"Shit." Rafe whispered under his breath. He was so annoyed with himself, but he had to do it. This time, not for the high, but for the mellow. He needed to chill the hell out. With one final groan of aggravation Rafe smacked himself as if to pull him out of his trance and snort the line without a second thought. With a few sniffles and deep breaths, Rafe sat on the edge of the bed with his hands on his knees trying to stabilize himself and let the drugs take over. Once he was ready, he went back to unlock the door and crawl back in bed.

Rafe still couldn't get Jessie out of his head, the anger, the worry, the confusion. But he knew he would fall asleep soon enough. He looked over at the clock to see that it was almost one in the morning. Damn he thought. Would he ever get to sleep? And where in the hell could Jessie be? Before Rafe could think anymore he heard the creaking of the door and an unmistakable angelic voice. He jerked his head towards the door, focusing his eyes on a moonlit face.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?" Rafe asked barely above a whisper as he propped himself up with one arm and looked intently. He watched as Charley approached the bed.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Rafe let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and let out a small chuckle.

"Of course you can, baby." He replied as he sat up completely to grab his daughter and lay her comfortably on the other side. He laid back down with her and looked her in the eyes. She did the same.

"Where's mommy?"

The question broke Rafe's heart right in two. He held back tears as he wondered how many times Charley would have to ask that question in her lifetime. He hoped just this once.

"She's... she... went for a walk." Rafe didn't have the heart and say that she'd be back soon. He didn't know that for sure. And he couldn't lie to his little girl. He could see the confusion in Charley's face, but he dismissed it by cupping her tiny face with his hand.

"Is she coming back?" Charley asked innocently but clearly with an ounce of concern laced throughout. It broke his heart to know that she even knew how to be worried. Still, he couldn't bare to lie to her.

"I-I'm sure she is, baby. For right now it's just you and me." Rafe replied softly with a fake half smile. He tried to distract her from the previous conversation. "Why'd you wanna sleep with me, doll?"

"I don't know." She shrugged innocently. "I just missed you and mommy."

Rafe tried his hardest not to let the tears fall, but his lips sure did quiver. But he had to be strong, his daughter was not going to see him break, ever. To avoid the pitiful sight, Rafe simply scooped up the girl and laid her on his chest for a warm, safe hug. Charley loved lying on her father's chest so the act didn't seem unusual to her.

"I miss mommy too, princess."

Those were the only words Rafe could utter, yet his daughter's words rang in his ears like bells. She didn't know why she came in that room, but Rafe knew exactly why. He needed her, whether she realized it or not.

As the father and daughter drifted soundly to sleep, Jessie was still out riding her motorbike down 5th avenue, catching glimpses of the lively night clubs and the occasional person walking down the street. It was late enough to not be bombarded with people, and it helped that it was a week night so there was no outrageous noise or crowds. This was the one thing Jessie missed doing. After she had Charley it was pretty much nonexistent for her to be able to get up and go ride without a care in the world. Besides, this was her way of releasing after what had just occurred, and she thought Rafe should be grateful considering she was staying away from her old vices in doing so. The only reason Jessie for once felt comfortable with leaving and doing something like this is because she knew Rafe was there. Sure Rafe was unpredictable and emotionally high when she left, but she knew she could always trust him when it came to their daughter. Charley was safe, and she planned on thanking Rafe in the morning.

As Jessie came to a stop light, she looked around at the buildings that billowed around her. She became mesmerized by the lights of the neon signs. As she looked to her right she could see herself in the reflection of the glass of a store that was of course closed. She looked closer at herself. For the first time in a long time she noticed she looked different, and it was a difference that only she could see. She looked tired, not physically, but mentally. She could see the numbness behind her eyes and her lips sat in a frown. It was as if she lost her natural inclination to live freely and even her face showed it unintentionally.

For once, Jessie couldn't escape the noise in her head. She may have walked out physically, but Rafe walked out mentally. She could see the darkness consume his eyes and knew what that meant all too well. There's no reasoning with Rafe at that point. The point which she drove him to. Thats what killed her the most: the fact that she did it... again. The guilt ate away at her. She inevitably blew up the family she was trying to preserve when she left.

Although Jessie may have left for the night, she had every intention of coming back... she couldn't say the same for Rafe. She didn't know if he would ever come back from the man she saw just hours ago.

There was one other reason Jessie couldn't leave for good. Her own mother did the same to her. Left her as a toddler with her pothead father and never looked back. Jessie could never quite comprehend why. Now that she's older, she assumes it had everything to do with the man she was married to... Jessie understood, but she still could never justify abandoning her child. She knew she would come back, she just needed some time— some time to love the girl in the reflection more than she loved the father of her child.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 63

Around three in the morning is when Jessie finally decided to dawn the doors of her apartment. To her surprise, she didn't see a single light turned on downstairs, let alone a disassociated Rafe waiting up for her. She didn't expect him to. She was glad he was getting some sleep.

Jessie quietly set her keys on the kitchen table and took her jacket off to hang it on the rack and kicked off her boots right beside it. Feeling exhausted, she trudged up the stairs with her posture crumbling with each step.

She rubbed her eyes as she walked down the hall, noticing the moonlight coming from the open door of her bedroom. She also noticed Charley's door was open. Already she could tell the situation was even more off than when she left, and her heart raced at the idea that something could be wrong. She began to pick up the pace to get to her room. She swung through the door to see Charley sound asleep on Rafe's chest, who was also out like a light. She sighed in relief and held her hand to her chest as she was warmed by the sight. She knew Rafe would take care of her. The sight before her was enough to put her mind at ease in knowing that Rafe really was trying to do his best. She had to give him credit where it was due. Still, time would tell if he would keep that promise.

Not wanting to disturb their sleep, she quietly changed out of her clothes and walked back downstairs to sleep on the couch. She was sure Charley probably wanted to sleep with both her mommy and daddy, but Jessie wasn't ready to sleep in the bed with Rafe just yet. She wasn't one to act like everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. She needed him to know that she meant business, so on the couch she stayed.

As she lay on the small knitted sofa she looked up at the popcorn ceiling. As she curled up with the warm blanket she kept in the basket in the living room she realized that she wouldn't be having too many more nights in this apartment. It was a bitter sweet reality. She remembered in Rafe's outburst him telling her that he had an apartment all lined up... in Central Park. She thought they might as well have stayed in the Plaza. Central Park Towers was one of the kookiest places someone could stay in Manhattan, and although she should have been excited... she just wasn't. This would be the first time she actually lived in such a lavish lifestyle... not vacation, not sneaking in and out of Tanneyhill... she was a permanent resident to the lifestyle she used to despise people over. The Pogues always wanted to go full kook, always wanting what the rich around them had, but not Jessie. To her it always seemed like a glass house or a fancy cage, and the more she got to know Rafe, the more she was convinced of that fact. Jessie wondered if there was a way she could somehow break the generational Cameron curse of perfect poise and prestige. She hadn't been able to do it yet, but she came pretty damn close a few times. Now that she was Mrs. Cameron, she thought maybe... just maybe... she could change the trajectory of a lineage that was always hell bound for destruction and greed. If she couldn't stop it all at once (and she figured she couldn't), she just had to slow it down... somehow. Regardless, she had to put the worry out of her mind and get some sleep. Who knew what tomorrow would hold?

- - -

Rafe awoke surprisingly before his daughter. He figured it was because Jessie still wasn't beside him and he knew it subconsciously. Through all his toss and turns even with Charley safe beside him he still felt that the bed was cold... empty.

When Rafe couldn't take laying in the bed wide awake anymore, he decided to gently lay the toddler over on her moms side of the bed, making sure to tuck her in extra tight so she'd stay warm and cozy. He gave a soft kiss to her forehead before he exited the room to make his way downstairs. He didn't bother with putting on a shirt or even sweatpants, opting for just boxers as he was a little hot from having a child sleep on top of him. Although he never complained. Rafe rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he thumped down the stairs, it wasn't until he made it down that he realized he should've been quieter, because there his wife was, sleeping soundly on the couch. Although Rafe wanted to be upset that she was not in bed with them, he couldn't help but feel relieved that she was even home. He didn't expect her to be. He creeped towards the living room to admire her further, seeing as she was dead asleep with her body curled up into as best a fetal position as she could manage being on the couch. She was cold. He couldn't bear the thought of her trying to warm herself with nothing but her own body heat and a thin blanket. Out of habit, Rafe scrambled to find another bigger blanket in the hall closet, quickly fanning it out to lay on top of her. He didn't want to wake her up, especially considering he was still mad at her. But god, he couldn't let her be cold. Thankfully, she didn't stir.

Rafe went back towards the kitchen for his original mission, which was to find something to eat. He opted for some muffins that Jessie always kept on hand for Charley's lunches. He had to admit, his kid had good taste. He grimaced at the fact that there was only four little muffins in the prepackaged bag, so of course he had one or two more. By the third bag Rafe lost all manners and ripped it open not nearly as quietly as he had been. Now making himself comfortable in an island chair scrolling through his phone, he opened the bag that would make enough noise to pull his wife out of her sleep.

Jessie heard something crinkle, but couldn't pinpoint if it was a dream she was having or if it was her unsupervised child ripping into something. Even half asleep her mom senses were tingling. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up to look behind the sofa, only to find an almost naked Rafe shoving muffins in his mouth two at a time. She was convinced he was about to choke. The thought made her get up, trying not to make a sound— or eye contact— as she walked to the fridge right in front of her husband. He took notice of what she was wearing, some old plaid pj shorts and a tank top. He assumed she dug the clothes out from the very back of her pajama drawer, bound and determined not to wear a sweatshirt of his to bed like usual. No wonder she was cold. He studied the back of her as she opened the fridge door to grab the milk, swinging herself over to him and looking him in the eyes as she silently poured a glass. Both of them had the same expression: calculated straight faces. It was just like they were back in the Bahamas when they reunited, both of them feeling each other out as if this was a game of chess. Jessie made the next move as she slid the cup over to Rafe for him to take. Rafe didn't dare pull his eyes away from the woman in front of him, only swallowing the rest of his food and giving her a suspicious side eye as he took the milk and brought it to his lips.

Jessie laid her hands on the counter in front of her, her eyes looking just as fiercely at the man in front of her. She tapped her nails against the granite and played with the skin on her lips, pulling them in between her teeth. It was clear neither one of them were going to break first, just like when they were kids... volatile as ever.

Just like old times, both of them were too angry to ever believe that they could have done something wrong. Once Jessie realized that Rafe really wasn't going to budge and speak to her, she took a deep breath, showing her clear annoyance for the situation and slunk around the counter to sit in the island chair beside him, no longer allowing him eye contact. However, she made sure to make herself a bowl of cereal before taking a seat. With that she plopped into the chair dramatically and hunched over her food as if to close Rafe off. Rafe picked up on the pouting, and looked over at his wife with judgement as he clicked his tongue and shook his head. He also couldn't help but let a chuckle escape his lips at how ridiculous she was being. Suddenly, the words escaped his mouth faster than he could catch them.

"Don't unpack anything... we're moving today."

Jessie looked up from her bowl and stared at the kitchen in front of her, for once at a loss for words. She slowly chewed the rest of the food that was in her mouth as she contemplated her words, trying very hard not to cause another blow up like yesterday. She still couldn't bare to look in Rafe's direction, so she let the spoon fall with a loud clank on her bowl. She rubbed her hands on her legs as if to give her mind and body something to do.

"I'm really trying to choose my words here." Jessie admitted with a timid tone, a new development for her. She had to make this work, no more running.

"Smart girl." Rafe sassed back as he looked down at his wife with a face and tone that showed he was fed up. Boy how the tables have turned. Suddenly Jessie found herself in the same position she was in four years ago, walking on egg shells so as to not piss Rafe off. She felt like he was ticking time bomb once again. Still, she got annoyed with his blatant disrespect and her face showed it.

"You're not making this any easier." Jessie retorted with venom. Rafe just shrugged as if he didn't care. Jessie was convinced he didn't. Still, she had to remain as neutral as possible. They had a daughter sleeping upstairs and even though they weren't on the same page about most nowadays, they always had the silent understanding they would never make their daughter listen to them fight. She sighed as she mustered up the courage for her next words.

"I feel like this is all happening way too fast. I really wasn't prepared to come back home and just move to a new building that's not surrounded by our family."

"Your family."

The allegation cut deep despite Rafe saying it with numb eyes and solid face.

"Rafe, they're not just my family. You know that. They wanted to visit with you yesterday just as much as they did me. You just won't give them the time of day unless it's convenient-"

"Convenient?" Rafe interrupted with raised brows. "Jessie, nothing about anything I'm doing right now is convenient! Did you think it was convenient when I dodged the rest of my calls yesterday to spend time with your family? Do you think it's convenient this morning for me to be ignoring my phone calls because you and Charley are sleeping? You don't know a damn thing about convenience."

Oh how wrong Rafe was. Jessie knew all about being inconvenienced the last four years. Hell, her whole life. But she didn't have the energy to fight, not when she knew Rafe wasn't ready to listen. They both would be talking to brick walls, and from experience that got them nowhere.

"It's not that I don't appreciate it Rafe it's just-"

"Really?" Rafe laughed, "cuz that's exactly what it sounds like."

"Rafe I just-"

"No ya know what? Save it, Jessie. I'm tired of the complaining. The least you could do is show a little support as I try and get all this figured out. And you-"

Rafe couldn't finish that sentence, his eyes got wide as he heard the subtle rumbling of little feet down the stairs. He swung his shirtless torso around to see his daughter slowly making her way down the steps. She seemed to be getting better at those every day as she wobbled less and less.

"Morning sweetie." Jessie exclaimed with a bright smile on her face, immediately getting up out of her chair to scoop her daughter up in her arms.

"Mommy!" Charley replied as she danced in place with her arms stuck in the air waiting to be picked up. Rafe couldn't ignore that smile on her face as she saw her mother. Even though he was beyond tired of Jessie's shit, he couldn't ignore their bond, having no choice but to be touched by it. Jessie may have her moments of being a terrible partner, but she was a damn good mom, and Rafe would never take that title away from her. He softened his stare as he looked over at his two girls. Jessie and Charley both looked at him as they embraced with huge smiles and giggles, clearly in their own little world.

"Good morning, princess." Rafe said softly with a fake smile that was not nearly as big as his wife's.

"Daddy, look, she came back! I told you!"

The accusation hurt Jessie. What hurt even more is not knowing what Rafe was saying to his daughter about her outing. Yes, she left abruptly... but did he really think she wasn't coming back? And did he really allow his three year old to think that as well? That was a whole different can of whoop ass that Jessie planned to unleash later. For now, she dismissed the rage and held her daughter tighter while swinging her back and forth.

"I will always come back, Charlotte. I'll never leave you. I will always come running if you need me, do you understand?" Jessie said rather seriously as she looked at her daughter with kind eyes. Charley nodded in understanding as she buried her head bashfully in her mother's neck and stuck the baby blanket she had in her mouth. Jessie looked at Rafe with a fierceness.

"And so will daddy." She said, not as a promise, but as a threat. Rafe only nodded with awkward pursed lips as if he felt just a tinge of guilt for possibly letting his daughter believe otherwise. He was technically still new to consoling a child... his child... especially under the duress he currently found himself under.

Rafe simply tried to ignore the piercing gaze of his girls as if they weren't boring into his soul with the same exact eyes and got up from his chair to make his way upstairs.

"I'm gonna go get ready for the day. Be ready at noon." Rafe responded with an oddly stable tone. As he said the last sentence he leaned down to Jessie to land a soft kiss to her cheek. Although the kiss didn't feel like one of love, not even of lust, but a kiss that was planted only in the name of saving face in front of their daughter.

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 65

"Princess," Rafe began to speak to his daughter who was sitting to his right at the dining table, his wife to his left watched intently. Charley's eyes buzzed with charisma as she looked up at her father waiting for more words. "Starting today you can only eat at the table, okay? No more eating in your room or on the couch."

Jessie didn't have the energy to protest, opting to raise her eyebrows as she ate her perfectly prepared lunch. It was clear by the look on the child's face that she didn't quite understand why the new rule was in place, but she didn't protest. Rafe didn't expect her to know immediately, but he trusted she would learn over time. He went back to eating.

"I've got some meetings later tonight after Charley goes to bed. You're welcome to wait up for me but I just want you to know it's gonna be a late night." Rafe thought he was being kind by giving Jessie a heads up, yet the words felt sharp, especially considering they were not accompanied by eye contact. She hesitated to speak, but she mustered an answer.

"Why're they so late?"

"Because they're in different time zones." Rafe responded quickly as he chewed his food, not seeming annoyed, just trying to keep it simple.

"Oh." Jessie exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding and went back to eating.

"Daddy, can we play later?" Charley asked in her broken English as she played with the kids fork in her hand. Rafe was quick to correct her hand movement as he pointed the fork back down to the food gently.

"Not today, sweetheart. Daddy's got work to do."

Charley had no words, only a look that could make anyone melt. Her lip quivered a little as she looked down at her food that she was suddenly uninterested in eating. Rafe noticed, and he had to look away.

"I'll play with you, baby. Whatever you wanna play." Jessie answered with a conjured smile.

"But I wanted to play wrestllllle... only uncle JJ and daddy play thaaaat."

Charley was right, her father and uncle were always the best at "wrestling" with the toddler. They could always throw her around like a rag doll and she thought it was the best game ever. It didn't help that Charley of course missed her uncle, so she was leaning on her daddy especially more.

"I can wrestle just as good daddy!" Jessie said with a scoff as she pretended to be hurt. Charley laughed.

"Ain't that the truth." Rafe uttered under his breath as he quickly took a bite of his food. The sarcasm was dripping from his tone, knowing that he wasn't talking about physical wrestling. Touché Jessie thought.

"Maybe we can call uncle JJ later. Sound good, doll?" Jessie asked, to which Charley immediately gasped and nodded frantically with newfound bright eyes once again.

After a few hours of getting settled and playing around of course, Jessie got Charley tired enough to get ready for bed. The two girls hadn't seen much of Rafe since lunch due to him being shut away in his office. Although, from time to time they could certainly hear him.

As Jessie bathed her daughter she tried her hardest not to miss the man she wished was sitting next to her. She tried not to let the mental distance get to her. Jessie saw this as an opportunity to make her bond with Charley even stronger, feeling that once again her daughter was her strength... her reason to keep going. Although, this time around, the distance hit much harder. The rift between her and Rafe was no longer only thousands of miles apart, it was 18 inches apart from their head to their hearts, both breaking in two at the moment. This time the distance was much harder given that Jessie now had to balance an unhealthy family dynamic rather than just being a healthy single mom. This was her worst nightmare... and the whole reason she left. She could see Rafe turning into the emotionless man he once was. Although, she didn't let the worry show on her face and merely put her energy into taking care of her daughter like she always had.

Despite Rafe being busy, Jessie knew he wouldn't be too busy to tell his daughter goodnight. At least she'd hoped. With that, she took a freshly cleaned, pajama clad girl into his office, not before softly knocking on the door and poking her head in to hopefully take the brunt of whatever frustration he might have in the moment. She opened the door to see a disheveled man with papers strewn all over his desk and a pin tapping furiously in his right hand. He jerked his head up with wide eyes of curiosity when he heard the door open.

"Charley wants to say goodnight."

Rafe's face immediately went soft as he pushed his desk chair back to accept the impending snuggles.

"Well bring her in here." He replied quickly with a smile. For once Jessie could see that it was real, as he really could use a sweet distraction right now, or at least something to bring him back down to earth. Jessie cracked a smile and opened the door a little wider to reveal a shy little girl hiding behind her legs looking for approval to come running. Rafe caught on to her silent plea and opened his arms wide. Suddenly the toddler ran furiously to her father with hands swinging and giggles flying.

"Come herrrrre!" Rafe growled jokingly as he scrunched up his face and picked up his daughter to sit her in his lap as he bear hugged her, throwing her into a fit of more giggles. He then tickled her which sent her head backwards and feet flying aimlessly. He got up from his chair and spun her around the room.

"Daddy! Airplane!"

Rafe knew exactly what that meant. Jessie watched as he held Charley up out in front of him and she extended her arms like the wings of an airplane. He then made the plane noise with his lips and "flew" her all the way to her room across the hall, to which she couldn't help but laugh. He "crash landed" her right into her bed and sat himself comfortably beside her as he tucked her in. Jessie joined them quietly, trying not to disturb the moment Charley was getting with her father.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you." Rafe said softly as he swiped some hair out of his daughter's face and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

"Yuv you too, daddy!" Charley replied with a grin as she buried herself shyly into the pillows. Jessie told her goodnight as well and brought some of her neatly folded blankets over to snuggle up with like she always liked. With that, they both went to the doorway.

"Ya know what I say, princess. If you need mommy or daddy, just yell..."

"Cuz you come runnin!" Charley finished the sentence, to which they both nodded and turned out the light and softly shut the door.

There the two adults stood across from each other, Rafe putting his hands in his front pockets and Jessie rubbing her hands together. They both inhaled sharply and looked at each other, not really sure of what to do or say.

Jessie was silently begging for Rafe to come around, to say something, anything, that had even a hint of emotion behind it. But the words wouldn't come, instead, she watched as her husband nodded his head and looked everywhere but his wife's eyes.

"Well..." Rafe hushed as he clapped his hands together. "I should uh... get back to work."

Jessie just nodded her head with a half smile, although Rafe definitely picked up on the defeated look on her face. He had to disregard it as he trudged behind her back to his office. Jessie looked back as she watched him hang his head low. She assumed he didn't know she was watching, but she of course caught on to his exhaustion. She took a deep breath trying to decide what to do next.

Jessie slowly walked back down the hallway, her bare feet now taking the time to feel the soft expensive carpet underneath her. Her toes curled up around it as she admired it for just a second before making her way over to the kitchen.

She looked around at the gold crusted faucets and handles. She ran her hand over the no doubt priceless marble island in the middle of the cream colored kitchen. It was simply her and the single warm light above the island to keep her company in the otherwise dark room. She took the opportunity to pretend like she was back in her old apartment... her old home... and opened the fridge as if she was sneaking a midnight snack. This time, the fridge was filled with the best fresh fruit and veggies, more cheeses than she knew existed, and any flavor of drink she could want— definitely not her old fridge, but it would work for what she wanted. She decided to make Rafe a sandwich, knowing he didn't bother coming down for dinner and was undoubtedly hungry even if he didn't say so.

This seemed to be the time she had most enjoyed today, considering the chef went home and the house was quiet. She streets outside were also quieter. She grabbed the plate full of food and walked out towards the living room, stopping to look out the large window. She looked down at the city below her, feeling like she was miles away from the life she once lived down there. She used to be right in the middle of the hustle and bustle, and now she was so far removed she felt sterile. She thought the city was quieter, but really, it was just her own home... her own mind. After all, New York never sleeps...

Jessie pulled herself away from the windows, deciding to take the long, heavy curtains and shut out the city below her, no longer being able to take the fear of missing out. She was not Jessie, she was Mrs. Cameron. And she convinced herself she needed to get used to that. Bringing her husband this sandwich was the first way to do that.

She knocked on the door ever so slightly before hearing a stern "come in". She popped her head through just like before to reveal a once again laser focused man. He looked up still with furrowed brows. Jessie laughed to herself as she realized Rafe couldn't fix his face even if he tried, and now that his daughter was in bed across the hall, he certainly was no longer trying. She was somewhat glad he let his guard down, even if it was to reveal imminent frustration towards her.

"Can I come in?" Jessie asked politely with innocent eyes and a half smile.

"Yeah." Rafe said more as a question than a statement as he sat back in his chair to try and stretch out his back.

"I, uh... I knew you didn't come around for dinner so... I made you a sandwich." Jessi replied as she set the plate down gently, feeling like the clack of the porcelain on the wood would have given Rafe a headache. He looked at the sandwich, it had everything he liked on it. Jessie remembered. It even had strawberries on the side, one of Rafe's favorites, cut in halves like he prefers. Not even a private chef could have made something so perfect.

He swallowed as he contemplated his next words, now looking Jessie in the eyes. However, he couldn't look for long, as even in her timid state she was still so captivating... so intimidating to him. He cowered at her attempt to get closer to him. He knew what this was. She missed him, but she couldn't say it with words. Neither could he. He blinked a few times to regain his thoughts.

"Thanks." He uttered through a crack in his voice, immediately clearing his throat and going back to his papers. Jessie didn't say anything else, she only nodded and walked slowly back towards the door, praying he would say something else. She tried to give him all the time in the world to do so without making it obvious. But of course, Rafe knew his Jessie inside and out, and what she didn't know is that he was watching her every move as she left, drinking in every detail until he felt drunk off of her presence. Her hand touched the doorknob.

"Jessie."

She swung her body quicker than either one of them anticipated with bright eyes and a smile Rafe hadn't seen in a while.

"Yeah?" She asked in anticipation. God, Rafe knew exactly where Charley got her excited eyes from. It killed him that they both hung on to his every word like this. He tried to play it cool as he allowed for a slight pause. He contemplated his words as his lips found his teeth in thought. He began to click the pin again furiously, looking down at the carpet.

"I've got some executives coming in tomorrow night for drinks and to discuss business, I'd like you to be there." Rafe said as more of an emotionless statement. Jessie's posture weakened and she exhaled.

"Okay." She simply said as she walked right back out with a stride that left no time to waste.

As soon as the door closed, Rafe groaned and put his head in his hands in defeat.

"Are you stupid?" He whispered to himself as he hit his head repeatedly with the palm of his hand. He reclined back in his chair as he exhaled deeply and closed his eyes to block out the painful memory of what just happened. All the words he could have said... all the words he wanted to say... and he said that. He shook his head as the words kept replaying over and over. More importantly, his wife's face... her look of rejection played in his mind on loop. He couldn't distract himself no matter how much work was on his desk and no matter how big of a meeting was coming up. Shit, the meeting. Rafe widened his eyes as he looked frantically at his watch. He only had a few minutes. He quickly put all the papers in their respective folders and tried to file them away in his desk. In his haste to look for his laptop charger, he opened his center desk drawer, where he found more than what he bargained for. Amidst the imported cigars and the felt pins, he found the bag of cocaine he slipped in the desk earlier that day. He hasn't touched it all day, yet suddenly he felt like he needed a hit to get him through this meeting, especially after he just embarrassed himself in front of his estranged wife. Unlike all the times before, it didn't take much convincing for Rafe to form a neat line right on the cherry oak and snort it in seconds. He had to have some relief from the war going on in his mind. As expected, he immediately began to feel better, now feeling as if he was awake and alert and ready for his coveted meeting.

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.

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 67

"Charley, I'm leaving!" Jessie called out as she adjusted her leather jacket while walking out of her and Rafe's shared room. The thud of her converse could be heard padding against the hard wood as she made her way to the Fourier. As she heard little footsteps she began to put on her knitted hat, scarf, and gloves. She bent down to meet the toddler dancing towards her, with Rafe following closely behind still in nothing but his sweatpants. Jessie knew he wasn't going to get any work done today, but that wasn't for her to worry about.

"Mommy, where you goiiiiing?" Charley asked innocently as she reached in for a hug.

"I'm going shopping!" Jessie said, not a lie, but she couldn't tell her the whole truth for obvious reasons.

"So just me and daddy?" Charley asked, this time with a beaming excitement as she looked up at her father and clapped her hands together.

"That's right, sweetheart. Just you and daddy." Rafe reiterated as he leaned down to get on the same level as his girls. Charley screeched in excitement and the two couldn't help but laugh at her. The mom and daughter exchanged hugs and kisses... Jessie and Rafe opted out.

"You have your card? The one I gave you last week?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, the driver should be out front when you get down there."

"Driver? I don't need a driver."

"Come on, don't be stupid." Rafe said nonchalantly as he shook his head. "Who else is gonna carry all the bags?"

"I... wasn't planning on getting enough stuff to where I would need help... Charley doesn't need that much... she's three."

The two of them both look at each other with looks that showed they were clearly not on the same page.

"What, we're not allowed to spoil her?" Rafe asked in an accusatory tone.

"She doesn't need to be spoiled. She's been perfectly fine with everything that she's gotten over the years, and she has had just enough stuff to play with." Jessie became defensive, thinking suddenly that maybe she didn't provide enough of the years of christmases for her daughter. But then again, she was doing her best, and the thought only made her angrier that Rafe didn't seem to understand that.

Rafe didn't feel like arguing. Instead he just pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head while looking at the floor with a hand on his hip.

"Ya know what? Fine. Just... take the car, okay? It's icy out there."

Jessie simply nodded her head, a little taken aback that Rafe showed some form of concern.

"I also need to buy for the Pogues too... since they're coming in... or have you already forgotten about that?"

"No." Rafe sassed with narrowed eyes and a mocking tone. "I did not forget thank you..." Rafe now looked out the window and then back at Jessie, making sure to look her up and down with judgement. "Did you forget that we have guests coming over tonight?"

Jessie cocked her head in reciprocated judgement.

"We don't have guests coming over... you have guests coming over. And no I didn't forget."

"Well they're our guests because I need you here, before dinner that way you have time to change."

Jessie looked down at her dark jeans and signature leather jacket.

"Why do I have to change?"

Rafe just laughed and played with his tongue in his cheek while looking out the window once more.

"Jessie, come on..." He said, expecting her question to be a joke. Once he realized the look on her face showed genuine confusion he decided to expound further. "These people are top executives of the company... they'll be dressed... nicer."

"Ok... and what does that have to do with me?"

Rafe just sighed and went back to pinching the bridge of his nose. Jessie implored him to go on as she brought her head forward a little bit and looked with sharper eyes.

"Jessie... it's about appearances. You're my wife and-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, noise noise, appearances, bullshit, what's new." Jessie sassed with a scoff as she layered more clothes on to keep her warm from the elements, now feeling like she could dismiss this conversation knowing it wasn't going anywhere. She clearly wasn't going to get her way.

"Look, just be back before dinner."

"Fine."

The silence was loud between them, as neither one of them had the strength for a loving goodbye. They both just looked at each other, Rafe now having his hands on his bare hips as he looked at his wife with pursed lips and wide eyes.

"Bye?" Rafe finally spoke up as he threw his hands in the air, not really understanding what Jessie was waiting for. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the door.

It took Jessie a moment but she finally found her elevator and used it accordingly, she still hated it just as much as yesterday.

She stepped outside of the building to be met with frigid temperatures and Tony of course coming to her beck and call.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cameron!" Tony interjected from across the steps as he hurried to extend his glove clad hand. Jessie noticed the redness in his cheeks, clearly he was cold.

"Good morning, Tony. Just call me Jessie." She replied as she took the sweet man's hand down the carpeted steps. She took it not out of need, but out of kindness... and obligation.

"Oh, best not to be doin that miss... Mr. Cameron has a protocol." Tony responded shyly. Jessie gave him a knowing look.

"What Mr. Cameron doesn't know won't hurt him, will it, Tony?" Jessie smirked with a mischievous side eye. Tony paused and rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Well I supposed if that's what you prefer... maybe just when Mr. Cameron's not around... for your sake, miss." Tony replied hesitantly yet still with a charm to him.

"I insist." Jessie said through a bright smile, to which Tony tipped his hat to her as he helped her into her black SUV.

"Where to, miss?" The driver, looking around the age of a retiree, asked.

"Umm... to Manhattan mall, please."

- - -

Jessie had been shopping for hours on end, of course taking a break for some lunch. She had managed not to call or text Rafe all day... and he had managed to do the same. She had hoped he would at least update her with a picture of their daughter or at least a quick text of what she was up to, but she didn't dare text first.

As Jessie made her way back out into the night air, she took notice of the beautiful Christmas lights lighting up the otherwise dark city. She knew it got darker much quicker this time of year, but she wondered what time it was.

Shit.

Jessie looked at her phone to see it was a little past seven, which meant a little over two hours since she should have been home and changed and ready to entertain. She quickly walked back to the chauffeur with her bags in hand, careful not to slip on the slick sidewalk.

"Mr. M! I need to go home right away!" Jessie demanded as she buckled her seat belt.

"Of course miss! But, I must tell you... Friday night in New York... especially before Christmas... always means traffic."

Shit. Jessie knew he was right. In her years of living here she never had to worry about such a thing, given that she always rode around on her motorcycle.

Motorcycle. That's just it! Jessie had an aha moment as she quickly pulled out her phone to call Mama.

"Hello?"

"Mama! It's Jessie! I really need a favor!"

- - -

"Thank you so much for the ride, mama. Rafe's already gonna kill me for being late for his meeting, I didn't need to add anymore time." Jessie said frantically as she hopped off the bike and gave the helmet back. She brushed herself off  and was about to turn around to go up the grand staircase before she heard mama speak up.

"Well that man can wait, babe. You've got your own schedule too, ya know? Where'd all those presents even go after I picked you up anyways?"

"Oh, Mr. M is gonna drop them off later, once he beats the traffic."

"Mr. M?" Mama said slowly conveying a tone of judgement.

"Mavis. I'm supposed to call everyone..." Jessie didn't want to finish that sentence, as she knew it would become even harder to explain in what little time she had to mama as to why she was under such strict guidelines. She could already tell mama was worried. "Well, it doesn't matter. He likes to be called Mr. M. Now, look I really appreciate the ride and I'd love to stay and chat but I really have to go." Jessie said as she gave mama a quick kiss on the cheek and a soft hug. With a smile, she quickly walked up the steps.

"Jessie." Mama called back, to which the young girl jolted her head back. "If you need us, we'll come running."

Jessie gave a half smile and a genuine nod of appreciation as she made her way up the steps with quickness.

Mama just watched, seeing the tension clear behind Jessie's eyes and movements and suddenly wondering why she was so adamant about being on time...

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 69

A week had gone by and Jessie and Rafe were still at a stale mate, and just in time for Christmas Eve too. After their one night stand with each other they both found it in their hearts to at least table the argument enough to get through the holidays, and then they would deal with what life would look like afterwards. Surprisingly, the agreement actually satisfied the both of them, and allowed them to put on genuine smiles and laughs as they went about their days and raised their daughter.

Of course, they still had their rifts, the main one for Jessie being that Rafe felt it was necessary for her to distance herself from the Manhattan Mayhem due to keeping up an image she didn't care about. The main rift for Rafe being that she didn't want the life he promised her... the life she was made for because of her upbringing. If he was honest, Ward himself would have wanted Jessie as his wife, considering how poised her words could be and how unashamed she was of conflict. Although she was a little rough around the edges, Rafe just figured she needed more time to get used to the role, so he stayed persistent despite her clear disappointment.

"Charleyyyy..." Jessie woke her daughter up from her sound sleep. "Guess what day it iiiiis." She whispered as she gently shook her daughter awake. She invited Rafe to help her, but he still struggled with waking his little girl from her sleep knowing how grumpy she got. The child groaned and rolled over away from her mother.

"Uncle JJ is coming in today!" Jessie finally spilled with excitement, to which the toddler flipped back over and gasped.

"Uncle JJ?!" She asked as she sat up with wide eyes and an unforgettable grin.

"That's right! Him and aunt Sarah and everyone else are coming in for Christmas!"

"Christmas?!" Charley asked once more. Jessie laughed because her and Rafe had discussed Christmas with her plenty of times this past week, yet she always forgot and was amazed all over again every time the idea was reintroduced. "Yayayayayay!" Charley rang throughout the house as she skipped out of her room and all the way into the kitchen with Jessie following close behind with a smile.

Charley rounded the corner to find her father standing at the kitchen counter.

"Daddyyyy!"

"Good morning, baby." Rafe replied with a smile as he stirred a cup of coffee in his hands. He gave his wife a smile as he walked over to her, handing her the mug and kissing her on the cheek softly. She was surprised at the gesture, but took it as a sign that they were getting better each day, little by little.

"Thank you." She cooed, but their little moment didn't last long as their daughter pulled on her father's sweatpants to get his attention.

"Daddy." She said once more.

"Yes, darling." He responded as he looked down at the toddler.

"I want breakfast."

"Well what do you want?" He asked, even though the both of them already knew the answer. Charley gave Rafe a shy smile and wild eyes. "Let me guess... the same thing you've wanted every morning this week?"

The child nodded her head frantically and began to bounce up and down out of excitement. Rafe laughed and pulled his daughter up to sit on his hip.

"Strawberry toaster strudels it is." Rafe answered his own question as he paraded around the kitchen with the toddler to get the toaster and the pastries out of the freezer. Thankfully, Charley had done her part in making sure her father knew she didn't need any professional chefs. Her palate was not near refined enough to need such fancy meals. Besides, to Charley, nothing could compare to the toaster strudel her father would make her each morning. Knowing the routine, Rafe went ahead and made a whole box for all of them.

"I've got the driver going to the airport today to pick up the Pogues." Rafe said as he stayed focused on the task at hand.

"Alright, sounds good, what time should we be expecting them?"

"How about right now!" Suddenly an unmistakable voice billowed through the kitchen as Jessie jerked her head towards the entryway, sure enough to see a tan, blonde haired, bright eyed boy strutting through with a jacket and bags in hand and the pogues in tow. Jessie gasped and immediately rushed to her brother.

"Oh my gosh, JJ!" Jessie screamed as she embraced the man in a hug that she had longed for more than ever nowadays. JJ picked up on her intensity, and didn't intend on letting go. As much as he was ready to hug his sister, he could tell... she needed to see him much more. He wasn't completely sure why, but he always had his suspicions. He looked over at Rafe with wide eyes that suddenly had some semblance of threat behind them, as if to silently conclude that his brother in law was the reason behind Jessie's unusually tight grip on him. Rafe didn't pick up on the narrowed eye contact, and if he did, he sure didn't let it show.

"I'm not gonna disappear, Jess." JJ joked, taking the opportunity to break the silence, although he also chose those words specifically to remind Jessie that he wasn't going anywhere for the time being. He felt his sister let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in through a slight laugh and finally break loose.

"I know, I just..." Jessie said quietly with tear filled eyes and a smile on her face. She cupped her brother's face, still trying to convince herself that he was real. "I just missed you."

JJ could tell she meant that, but she said it in a different tone than usual. He squinted his eyes to study her words further, but Charley didn't let him study for long as she broke in.

"Uncle JJ!" Charley yelled as she pranced right up to her favorite person. The tall man immediately squatted down and let go of his belongings to welcome the little girl into his arms.

"There's my Char Char!" JJ replied as he scooped the toddler up with a fake groan of agony.

"Oh my goodness, kiddo! You've already grown so much!" JJ poked at Charley with his fingers, to which she retracted into herself. "But you're still just as ticklish as your mommyyyyy." He finished as he began to tickle the girl, sending her into a fit of giggles. As JJ played with his niece, Jessie made a point to immediately hug the rest of her friends, missing them just as much as well. She, of course, gave an extra motherly hug to Wheezie, squeezing her face and giving her a look that silently communicated how proud she was of her.

"Good to see you man, I know my girls missed you." Rafe said with a smile as he patted his brother in law on the back and pulled him in for a quick hug. The blonde let his niece down and reciprocated the gesture.

"How did you guys get here so fast! I thought you weren't supposed to be here until later!" Jessie said, still in disbelief. All the pogues just looked at Rafe, who suddenly felt shy and stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked down at the floor. Jessie picked up on it and scoffed with a smile.

"Did you know about this?" Jessie asked her husband as she walked over to him. He looked up at her with a sheepish smile and a shrug of his shoulders as he took his hands out of his pocket to pull her into his chest.

"Know about it?" Sarah said with a chuckle. "Jessie, he planned it."

Jessie just looked at her husband and shook her head. She noticed his now shit eating grin.

"Do I still got it or what?" Rafe smirked as he looked down at his wife swinging mindlessly in his arms. The banter back and forth was refreshing for the both of them, considering the last week of their life certainly wasn't filled with it.

"Oh, whatever!" Jessie dismissed the comment as she heard the pogues laughing behind her.

"So what're we doing today? I mean, it is Christmas Eve." Wheezie finally spoke up. Jessie and Rafe both noticed that she seemed to have settled into her new role a little better, and she certainly looked much more confident. Luckily, the two parents had managed to successfully discuss exactly how they should celebrate this unusual Christmas. They both knew this would be a much different holiday for all of them. They came up with the perfect balance of old and new traditions.

"Weeeellll..." Jessie sing songed as she wiggled out of Rafe's arms. "Since this is our first Christmas... as a family..." Jessie tried to say those words with more confidence than hesitance as she looked back over at her husband. "Rafe and I were thinking we could all start by doing something fun! Like making gingerbread houses!"

"That's what we used to do back home..." Sarah chimed in, not with sadness, but with a soft smile on her face as she realized the intentionality behind the gesture. She looked at Rafe with soft eyes and he reciprocated, both of them understanding the sentiment.

"Yeah... it is." Rafe whispered, trying to keep it together for the sake of his sisters who were tearing up as well.

"And I also figured we could each open one present tonight, and then the rest in the morning!" Jessie interrupted with joy.

"That's what we used to do, Jess!" John B spoke up with excitement. Much like Sarah, he now understood exactly what Rafe and Jessie were trying to do. And it was working, as the Pogues now felt some sense of normalcy and had something to look forward to after the whirlwind of a year.

"Yeah..." JJ spoke up, now looking at the kitchen counter with evident sadness. "You guys always got Jessie and I more gifts than dad did."

Jessie remembered it well. Every Christmas Eve was spent with the Pogues, typically sitting around the Chat with Big John cooking up whatever he caught. Each kid would draw a name out of a hat and that would be the person they bought for. It wasn't much, but for Jessie and JJ, it was the only gift they got each Christmas, besides the gift they would get for each other regardless of what name they drew.

"Yeah... and I remember one year you were pissed when I drew your name out of the hat and didn't get you a separate gift." Jessie teased looking at her brother. JJ just looked down and laughed, a little embarrassed as he remembered exactly what she was talking about.

"So how about you guys go unpack and when you're done we will have everything ready." Rafe piped up. The Pogues nodded in agreement and were off to their respective rooms.

"Holy shit, Jess! This place is huge!" JJ billowed through the hall as she looked around in amazement at the vaulted ceilings and patterned carpet.

"I didn't even know a hotel could have literal houses within the building." Pope chimed in.

"I didn't either." Jessie jokes back with a laugh as she walked behind everyone.

JJ quickly claimed a room and plopped on the bed, disrupting the pristinely pressed white duvet.

"Don't put those dirty boots on the bed... the cleaning ladies will kill you." Jessie said only half joking as she propped herself up against the door frame work her arms folded.

"The cleaning ladies will kill youuuu!" JJ mocked in a high pitched voice and a scrunch of his face only he could master. His sister just laughed and looked down at the ground. "I always knew you'd make it here one day, sis." JJ replied as he sighed and placed his hands comfortably behind his head to pay down on the pillows and look up at the ceiling. Jessie rolled her eyes.

"No you didn't." She retorted as she squinted her brows.

"Well... that's true... I didn't. I always took you for a shack on the beach kinda girl."

"And that hasn't changed..." Jessie uttered under her breath as she kicked her foot against the doorway, clearly trying to avert her eyes from her brother. Despite the attempt, JJ picked up on her hesitancy. He knew she was off.

"Hey..." He responded as she got up to sit on the side of the bed. "What's up with you? You've got it made, Jessie."

Jessie just stayed silent for a couple seconds as she tried to form her words, she still managed not to make eye contact with her brother as she shrugged and just walked around the guest room.

"Doesn't this all seem just..." Jessie began, but she couldn't find the right word.

"Not you?" JJ completed the sentence for her. "Yeah, without a doubt... but Jess... this is what's best for you... and Charley. You two deserve this."

Jessie still didn't have a response. Despite her brother's words, she didn't want to let him in on how she truly felt about the arrangements. She knew if she did there's no way she'd be staying here... or that JJ would never leave. He wouldn't be able to if he knew how imprisoned she felt in her own home and in her own marriage.

"Jessie." JJ pulled her out of her thoughts, to which she darted her wide eyes over to him, waiting for his next words. "I know you might not wanna hear this... but you're made for this."

"Perfect for what?" Jessie asked with annoyance in her voice as she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, feeling defeated.

"This life! You're the wife of a millionaire whose soul earnings come from underground "sales". You're a gang member, you might as well be in the mafia! You know how to negotiate. You know how to read people better than anyone else in this world. You and Rafe have always been like Bonnie and Clyde. How do you not see this?" JJ asked in disbelief.

"It's not the job that I have a problem with, Jayj." Jessie whispered as she finally unfolded her arms and walked over to her brother to sit beside him. "It's the fact that the job comes with appearances and prestige. I'm not some prim and proper, clean cut, lady like, socialite. I'm just Jessie."

"And Rafe fell in love with Jessie..." JJ assured. "And he's not gonna want you be anything else other than that."

Oh how wrong JJ was. Jessie couldn't help but think if only he knew just who Rafe wanted her to be.

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 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 72

Rafe looked in the mirror of the master bathroom as he adjusted his black tie against his white collared shirt, making sure it was just as tight and perfectly ironed as his father taught him. The time had finally come for this damn New Year's Eve party that the shareholders— and Jessie— insisted on having. What started out as a small intimate party that would be held in their new upper west side home was now a large event that had to be held in the grand Central Park hall on the first floor of the building. That was mostly thanks to Jessie inviting her overly extended family from the Manhattan Mayhem. That was a whole new argument that carried on the day after Christmas and lasted up until this very moment. Rafe clearly wasn't happy about the arrangement, mainly for fear of mixing too much business with pleasure, but Jessie insisted it would be a good way to mix her world and his.

"Charley!" Rafe heard the thundering voice of his wife through the bedroom as she walked into the bathroom to find her earrings she had left by the sink. There she stood, putting in her gold earrings. She was wearing a white, form fitted, strapless dress with matching silk gloves. Rafe couldn't deny that she looked stunning, but he peeled his eyes away from the girl in the mirror to focus back on himself. Like she had done most of the week, she dismissed him as she fixed her jewelry and put on his favorite perfume. God, she still was playing that game oh so well. She still knew how to break him down. Despite the two still not seeing eye to eye all week, they still didn't need words to say exactly what they were thinking... good or bad.

Suddenly he heard his favorite footsteps running down the hall and into their bedroom, stopping at the bathroom door to look up at her mother, waiting for further instruction.

"Come here, baby, I've gotta fix your hair." Jessie answered as she grabbed the toddler to set her up on the sink, getting the last few curls perfect. In the meantime, Rafe went to go grab his suit jacket, but not before giving a subtle but important reminder to his girls.

"We've gotta be downstairs in five minutes." He simply said as he walked out of the bathroom, not bothering to give his wife more than a glance. He heard Jessie mumble in simple understanding as he walked to his office. Before he could get there he ran smack into a blonde boy who clearly wasn't paying attention as he came out of Charley's room.

"Woah! Dude, sorry." JJ exclaimed with a small chuckle as he bounced off the slightly taller figure, adjusting the cuffs of his white button up and the hem of his black vest. To his behest, he was dressed to the nines as well. All the Pogues were. If they wanted to be apart of a black tie event, they had to be in dress code, and that was nonnegotiable.

"Watch it." Rafe seethed as he shuffled right past his brother in law.

"Easy dude." JJ snapped back, grabbing a firm hold of Rafe's arm to turn him around to face his serious expression. "I was looking for Charley because I heard Jess call for her... do you know where she is?"

"She's in the bathroom with Jessie."

"Ok good..." JJ replied, now having let go of the man in front of him. Rafe took his first trudge forward but was stopped again by the blonde's words. "Rafe... just because Jessie's on edge about this party doesn't mean you have to be. You guys have been walking on eggshells all week... give it up dude..."

Rafe simply rolled his eyes and exhaled, blowing off the suggestion and walking away. But of course, Maybanks always got the last word.

"Rafe..." JJ said once again, causing his brother in law to look back with a locked jaw out of annoyance. "Partying... it's what you and Jess do best..." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders and a sentiment behind his voice that showed he was hoping Rafe would lighten up and let loose. Rafe could tell JJ wanted to see the couple genuinely have fun tonight. But Rafe couldn't help but feel like partying was what him Jessie used to do best. Nowadays, they were anything but carefree. Nowadays there were far more secrets, endless responsibilities... and one special little girl to consider. Still, Rafe blew him off once again and marched to his office.

The wooden door opened with a squeak as he walked in and found his suit jacket lying comfortably on the back of his chair. He quickly put she rest of his ensemble on and reached for his desk drawer. As he opened the drawer he studied the contents of it intentionally... his keys... his wallet... ah, there it was. Rafe reached down to grab the black velvet box that he had stowed away so perfectly until the time was right.

* * *

The truth was, when Rafe had sold Tanneyhill, before he had the house all packed up, he looked through his mother's old stuff once more. He knew exactly where Ward used to keep her belongings. Even though Ward of course loved Rose, he still felt it was only right to hold onto some things that belonged to his first wife. After all, she was the mother of his children. As Rafe rummaged through all of his mom's things he found exactly what he was looking for... her wedding ring. He opened the modest box to find a pristine gold band with a single, perfectly placed, four prong square diamond right in the middle. As he looked at the ring that he hadn't observed in years, he was reminded how much of a simpleton his mom was, much like his wife. Classic, timeless, and of course not a scratch or smudge on the thing.

* * * The day that Jessie walked back into Rafe's life he couldn't get the thought out of his head. Frankly, even before the Bahamas he had always dreamed of one day giving her the ring she deserved. She still had no idea where the first ring came from, but this time he had every intention of telling her from where this one originated. He just knew the timing had to be right... no, it had to be perfect. Despite the disagreements between the two of them, Rafe was confident tonight would be a perfect night for Jessie to receive the gift that he had been so anxious to give her for years. He had high hopes that this would be yet another step in the right direction. He stuck the box securely in his pocket.

As he was about to shut the desk drawer, he couldn't ignore the coke sitting there... calling to him, like it had been for months now. But Rafe was proud of himself, he hadn't used all day. He had hoped to be completely sober minded for the first time in a long time as he looked into Jessie's eyes to give her that ring. He also hoped to be that way considering all the guests he would have to impress. Being strung out, no matter how good he was at hiding, wasn't exactly the ideal state for him to be in at such a high stakes event. He wanted to be alert and ready for whatever was to come, and with known gang members mixing with ruthless business men, who knows what could occur, right?

Still, as the stress of the impending night weighed down on him more with each breath, he couldn't stop staring at the little white bag of cocaine. He narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips, and clinched his fist so tight he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms. He currently had one foot in each camp at the moment, trying to determine if he could make it through this night without at least a little hit.

Rafe grew only more frustrated with himself as he waged the war inside of him. He set his hands on the desk and hung his head and closed his eyes, looking for some relief, but he wouldn't find it considering the tension in his back was impossible to release. He popped up in an instant and smacked himself on the cheek, trying to get himself back in the mental game. He needed to stay focused.

"Come on!" He whispered to only himself as he paced behind his desk. He put his hands on his hips and exhaled as he looked one last time at the coke in front of him. Without one more thought, he snatched the coke in his hand and shoved it straight into the other pocket of his pants and walked out the door. He almost did the motions quick enough to convince himself he never did it at all, but of course, he wasn't that good at fooling himself. He grabbed his keys and his wallet as well, stuffing them into the same pocket.

Rafe slammed the desk drawer shut out of anger and determination, allowing the contents to rattle around aimlessly, still telling himself that he wouldn't use the drugs, but he'd keep them close by just in case. He cleared his throat and wiped his face as he marched out of his office, somehow even more pissed than when he walked in.

He walked down the hallway to see his wife and daughter in beautiful white dresses. He also noticed all the Pogues were dressed handsomely and ready to go. As he laid eyes on them he attempted to calm himself down and keep his composure.

"We ready to go?" Rafe asked as he close his hands together with a half smile. Everyone turned to face him with smiles of their own, each pairing off with one another. Much like during the gingerbread contest, Pope held Charley on his hip and considered her his plus one for the night, seeing as he was the only one without a date. Jessie was secretly hoping to get him a girl tonight.

"Yep!" Jessie replied with enthusiasm. Rafe simply extended his arm, allowing Jessie to wrap hers comfortably through it and walk in step out the front door and down to the grand hall.

- - -

Hours had passed and the party was finally starting to get just a little bit looser, however, not too much, considering this was still very much a game of appearances. Rafe made it very clear this wasn't supposed to turn into the midsummers after party.

However, that didn't stop Sarah Cameron from having a good time.

Jessie walked up to the open bar, where she found the teenager utterly drunk and laying her head down on the high top. She pushed her brows together in concern as she touched her sister in laws back to try and alert her that she was there.

"Sarah? Are you okay?" Jessie asked with concern laced in her voice. Sarah snapped her head up in shock, but quickly head her forehead and tried to regain her focus. Jessie could tell the room was spinning for her. She gripped her shoulders and looked a little closer at her.

"Huh? What, y-yeah, I'm fine." Sarah mumbled as she tried to lay her head back down on the bar in front of her.

"Sarah!" Jessie snapped, just barely over a whisper so as not to alarm anyone. "Where's John B?"

"I think he went to go get me some more wine."

"Sarah..." Jessie said with raised brows with clear worry across her face at how shit faced this girl was. Sarah opened her eyes just a little bit more, waiting for Jessie's next words. "You are at the bar."

Sarah looked around and suddenly was amazed.

"Huh... I guess I am... well then I don't know where John B is." Sarah replied with a slight giggle. But Jessie found the situation anything but funny.

"Sarah! You've gotta sober up! Rafe is going to kill you if you embarrass him or ruin this for anyone!" Jessie demanded, but by the time she finished her sentence Sarah was already out like a light on the table once again. "I'm going to get you some water... don't move." Jessie scoffed, knowing Sarah wouldn't dare to go anywhere. If she did she'd end up on the floor in seconds. She looked frantically around the party, trying to steer clear of her husband and stay on her mission to find some water and maybe even some carbs to get the girl grounded. Unfortunately, she was pulled out of her thoughts by stumbling into a man in front of her.

"Oh!" Jessie cried, trying to stop herself from stumbling back. Luckily, Rafe wrapped his hands around her arms to stop her.

"Woah, there, babe. Watch where you're going." Rafe joked as he held his wife steady with a beaming smile.

"Sorry." She laughed awkwardly. She really wanted to stay on task, but she knew now she couldn't.

"I feel like I haven't seen you all night..." Rafe whispered kindly as he stepped closer to brush some hair out of her face. He brought her chin up for her gaze to meet his. He had a genuine love behind them that she hadn't seen in months. He seemed... more clear headed... than usual. Jessie didn't know what to say, for she was too wrapped up in her husband's beautiful blue eyes. They seemed especially piercing tonight, and this time, not out of an anger or passiveness that was fueled behind them. "Wanna dance?" He asked with a hope in his voice. Jessie hated to cut the moment short, but all she could think about was how Rafe was sure to blow a fuse if he saw his sister splashed out at the bar.

"Uh... w-where's Charley?" Jessie asked, trying to look for any reason to go do something else.

"She's with Pope... remember?" Rafe responded, suddenly with a little confusion as he looked deeper into his wife's eyes.

"Oh, yeah." She replied with a nod of her head and looking down at the floor, feeling like she had been caught. Rafe decided to brush it off.

"So may I have this dance?" Rafe said in a feigned British accent as he cleared his throat and "fixed" his tie. The exaggerated action made Jessie laughed, and she admired the man who now had his hand extended in invitation. She took it with gratitude.

"Of course you may." She replied.