Was hoping to cover more ground in this update, but the first scene took me a little bit to get right. Written in 59 minutes. See you Tuesday!

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Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Webber House: Master Bedroom

The light patter of raindrops was her first conscious thought as Elizabeth woke the next morning. The bedroom was still dark and quiet, and she considered just letting herself drift back into sleep, curled up next to Jason who continued to sleep — one of the rare times he wasn’t already awake.

She closed her eyes, absorbing the comfort of being wrapped up with the man she’d loved since she was eighteen, sometimes with her whole heart, and others with only a piece reserved for him. Last night had felt like some sort of break through, even more than their argument the previous day when she’d learned Jason had considered confessing to free Elizabeth from the charges. She finally felt like they were both committed to being together — not just as parents, but as two people who loved one another.

Jason’s breathing changed, and he shifted in bed, his arm that had been laying beneath her, splayed out along the mattress came up, curling over her shoulders, his fingertips stroking slowly. “You should sleep longer.”

“Thought about it,” she said, keeping her head tucked into the curve of his neck. “But my mind is awake now. Remembering what we have to do today.” Make sure Danny got back to school, put Cameron on a plane, go to work for a few hours because the nursing schedule needed to be handled and then — “Spinelli kept saying today was important, and I just…what if he finds something that gives us a real suspect — what if he finds out who put that gun in my trunk?”

“There’s no guarantee it’ll happen today,” Jason said, his tone cautious. “He said there was a lot of data and video to go through.”

“I know. I know. And he’s working as fast as he can. Just…the thought that the truth is in some file that’s just sitting in an office. That there’s proof someone did this to me. I’ve tried so hard not to think about it, to keep it this academic fact that doesn’t mean anything except making it over.”

“But?” he prompted when she fell silent.

“I can’t stop thinking that it’s someone we know. That knows me. Knows us.” Elizabeth sat up,  bracing herself with a hand lightly on his chest, finding his gaze in the shadows. “I keep going over and over that week in my head, thinking about everyone I came into contact with, who was at the house, who was at the hospital, and I just—I can’t think of a single reason any of them would have targeted me.”

Jason leaned over, switched on the lamp next to the bed, illuminating the room with just a little bit of light. “I don’t think anyone seriously thought the FBI would go after you like this,” he said. “This was to get at me—”

“So that you’d confess and the cops wouldn’t keep looking. I know. I know. But then it’s someone who knows you—”

“But not well enough to know you. Not really. Yes, I considered turning myself in,” Jason said, and she made a face. “But I didn’t. Because I didn’t want to, and because I’m not guilty. And you would never have let me go through with it. Because we’re both innocent. This isn’t like Michael. I confessed to something I did, and it was a loophole that got me out after his release.”

“I just—there’s the fear that we’ll know the truth from what Spinelli gets today — and then a whole other fear that we won’t. That it’s data and footage, and somehow, it won’t have any answers. That Diane will have to go trial with what we know now.” She sighed, swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Maybe I should tell her to do whatever she can to delay things. Until we get something—”

“Let’s get through today,” Jason interrupted. He slid across the bed so that he could be on her side, then sat next to her, pulling her against him. He kissed her temple. “We’ll get through today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Let Spinelli work.”

“I know. I’m just…” She sighed, relaxed against him, feeling comforted by his warmth and arms around her. “We finally have this. But I’m so afraid it’ll be like it always is. We’re strong, you and me, when it’s just us, in this warm little bubble where everything is perfect. And the rest of the world—”

“Not this time,” Jason promised. “This time will be different.”

“I almost believe it when you say it.” She smiled at him, touched his cheek, kissed him, then touched her forehead to his. “I might need you to say it a few more times.”

“Whenever you need it. I love you,” he murmured, and her smile deepened.

“You know, you didn’t say that before last night,” Elizabeth said, tilting her head back slightly so that their eyes could meet. “Neither did I. Strange, isn’t it? But I love you, too.”

He kissed her again, long, lingering, then sighed when they heard a shower switch on above their heads.

“Back to real life,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. She slid off the bed and moved towards the master bathroom door on the other side of the room.

“Don’t worry,” Jason said when she’d reached it, and she turned to look back at him. He tapped his temple. “I’ll remember where we left off.” She grinned, then closed the door.

Webber House: Kitchen

Danny’s palms were sweating as he approached the kitchen where he could hear his dad and Elizabeth talking quietly — happy tones, he thought, and wondered if it that’s what it meant to be an adult — being able to be happy even when the world sucked.

He reached the doorway, then nearly doubled back when he caught his dad leaning down to kiss Elizabeth in front of the fridge, and she was laughing. But before he could make a decision, Elizabeth saw him. “Danny. Hey, you’re up early.”

Jason stepped back, reached for his coffee cup. “You’re usually the last one down.”

“Yeah, well, I wanted to, um, talk to you before everyone else. And I know you gotta leave to take Cam—” Danny shoved both hands in his pockets. “We were up talking last night before you got back. About what you said about being normal and just ignoring all of it.” He took a deep breath. “And we decided it was bullshit.” He winced. “I mean—um—”

“It’s wishful thinking,” Elizabeth supplied, with a smile he thought looked a little like a smirk. “A nicer way of saying bullshit,” she added, and he found himself smiling back at her. “And you’re right. We can’t be normal or ignore it.”

“But you’re still going to school and so is Jake and Aiden,” Jason said. “And Cameron’s getting on that plane. Whatever you guys decided—”

“No, that’s not—I mean, yeah, all of that is happening. It has to. I get that part. You need us to be doing all the right stuff for the court,” Danny said. “Cameron explained that to us — that we gotta prove that we’re better with you here. Not in jail. So we have to do the right stuff. And if they wanna use me to make you go back—”

“They’re not using you,” Elizabeth interrupted, then winced. “I’m sorry—I just—I can’t let you blame yourself for any of this, Danny. This isn’t your fault—”

“I was stupid and selfish, and I dragged Aiden into it—” Danny pressed his lips together. “But I gotta prove to the court that I’m doing better or that I’m trying to, so we talked about it, and me and Aiden wanna tell the judge everything. About you not knowing anything, and how you were both so mad at us, and that you’re the one who found me a doctor,” he told Elizabeth, “and that you’re the one that made Mom let me go,” he said to his father. “And that I never even saw you that night. Or any other night we were supposed to be with you. I wanna tell them so they know this isn’t your fault.” He barely made to the end of his prepared speech before his voice broke and he lifted his chin because maybe then he wouldn’t cry.

Jason came around the counter, crossing the kitchen to Danny’s side, and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” Danny thought about pulling away, but didn’t when his dad pulled him into a half hug, rubbed his shoulder.

“We talked about that before we came home from Syracuse. With Diane, and then we discussed it,” Elizabeth said. She came towards them, but stopped a few feet away. “Yes, there’s a chance you or Aiden might have to talk to the judge. We don’t want to lie to you about that. But your dad and I told Diane to find any other way to keep that from happening. To see if maybe Dante or Dex or someone else can tell the judge what happened.”

“I can do it, though. I’m not a baby you have to protect—”

“You’re my son,” Jason said, and Danny felt something turn in his stomach. “I don’t care if you’re fifty or two months old, I am always going to protect you. I don’t think that the best thing for you is to get up on the stand and let some prosecutor or judge question you about what happened. It’s none of their business.”

“Mom—Mom made it their business—”

“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean we have to cooperate,” Elizabeth cut in. “I don’t want Aiden involved either. We don’t want any of this to touch you more than it already has. I’ve testified more than once—and your dad—”

“I’ve spent more time in a court room than I want,” Jason said. “Neither of us want that for any of you. To make you part of the system. You’d be admitting to crimes, Danny. Under oath. Drinking, smoking weed — you put that on the record, and someone can use it against you.” He hesitated. “You’re my son, Danny, and you’ve got my last name. That’s two strikes against you before you even walk out the door—you saw what happened with the FBI. They assumed you were lying, that you and Jake were protecting me. They went after you both once. I’m not in a hurry to let it happen again.”

“I—” Danny closed his mouth. “I didn’t think about that,” he muttered, dropping his gaze. “That really sucked.” He nodded. “And now Aiden’s connected to you, and he’s Elizabeth’s son, and they all think she’s lying to protect you, too. Okay. So you don’t want me to testify. But I’m ready. If you need me.”

“That means a lot to me,” Elizabeth told him. “But don’t think for one minute that there’s a single ounce of blame on you for any of this. You were a stupid teenager, Danny. You did something irresponsible, and so did Aiden. You have every right—” Her voice broke slightly, and Danny felt his dad’s arm around him tense. “You have every right to make those mistakes and not have to pay for it the rest of your lives. No one has any right to hurt you.”

“Elizabeth?” Danny said, when she had turn away, and his dad went to her, took her by the elbows. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“It’s not you, it’s not—” Elizabeth closed her eyes, shook her head slightly. “I wasn’t that much older than either of you, and I did something stupid one night, and it—something terrible happened because of it. I blamed myself for a long time.” She looked at Danny. “This isn’t your fault, Danny. And any one who tries to blame you or Aiden or even Rocco — they’re wrong. No one is going to use you or any of my boys to hurt me. I won’t let it happen. I appreciate your offer to testify, but believe me, it will only happen if we have no other choice.”

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