Disclaimer: All recognizable characters from WTR and SOT belong to Chuck and Aaron Norris and Top Kick Productions. Anything else belongs to the author.

**

The last eight hours had been a blur, but Trent’s heart skipped a beat when they pulled up to the old farmhouse. Getting out and stretching, they were met by a frantic Eve. Something was definitely wrong.

"Oh Trent! I am so glad you’re here," Eve said, breathlessly. She didn’t even seem to notice the mess that was Trent’s battered face. "Jessie’s gone!"

It took but a fraction to register the words. "Gone? Where?" Trent asked.

"That’s just it. We don’t know." Quickly the words spilled out as Eve explained she had left here daughter and had gone out to the fields. When she had come back a few hours later, Jessie was no where to be found. "Brian is calling her therapist to see if she said anything that might help."

Moving in to the house, Trent heard Jessie’s brother on the phone, his voice increasing in pitch.

"Look, I know anything said is confidential but she’s gone and we’re afraid she might be in danger…. Is there anything she might have said? Anything?…. Okay," his tone was dejected. "Thanks anyway." He hung up the phone and nodded to Trent, startled by the mass of purple bruises. "She wouldn’t tell me anything except that Jessie had mentioned about going to see Trent. You okay, Trent?"

"Yeah, looks worse than it is." Brian didn’t miss the look of fear that had crossed Trent’s face at the mention of what Jessie had told the therapist. Carlos didn’t miss it either and was immediately thinking the same thing.

Eve was grasping, "Do you think she is headed to Dallas?"

Brian responded. "Maybe, Ma. Look, why don’t you stay here, while we check out the roads nearby?" Brian’s gaze never left Trent. "C’mon guys." He headed for the door, with the two visitors behind him. Once they were out the door he turned. "Okay, what’s wrong?"

Trent looked at Carlos and then into Brian’s clear blue eyes that matched his sister’s. "She thinks I’m dead, Brian. If she said she is going to see me, I’m afraid she might…" He couldn’t finish the thought.

Carlos spoke up. "Is there anyplace around the farm that she used to go to as a kid? Any place special?"

"There’s two," Brian and Trent said in unison.

**

She loved this place. From the time she was a kid, she would come here when she wanted to get away, when she wanted to be alone. Here, the only sound that was heard was the waters below, rushing by in a great hurry to catch up with the mighty Rio Grande. She had brought Trent here, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. Now he’s gone, she thought. And I killed him. It had been her dream that had come true, that had resulted in Trent’s death. It’s all my fault, she thought. But soon, no one else will be hurt. She climbed up on the bridge railing, looking down to the turbulent waters below.

**

He knew he had been pushing the horse but he also knew there was no time to lose. As he rounded the hilltop, he saw her. She was standing on the railing, looking down at the river. As he pulled up on the reigns, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Her dark hair was blowing in the breeze, and she wore the same Dallas Mustang shirt he had seen her in last. Somehow, he knew she had picked it on purpose. Quickly, he pulled the walkie-talkie Brian had given him from his belt and whispered quickly, letting Brian and Carlos know he had found her. She was turned away from him and he momentarily wrestled with how to call her without startling her. His decision was made by the whinnying of the horse. As she turned to see, he called her name.

It took a moment for her to realize the face she saw. Time seemed to hang in the balance, as did she. Finally, she spoke. "You can’t be here. You’re dead."

"No, Jess, I’m here, I’m alive. He tricked you." Trent moved slowly, purposely towards the bridge, towards Jessie.

She seemed to wrestle with this before speaking. "If you were alive, how come to never came for me?"

The words struck Trent like a blow to the stomach, freezing him in his tracks. He had failed her and she knew it. "I…" he hesitated, "He tricked me too, Jess. I didn’t know where you were. And when I finally did know, I couldn’t come. I was in jail."

"Why were you in jail?" She was holding on to the side railing, looking down at the water racing below.

Trent hesitated for only a fraction of a second before telling her. "Because I killed him, Jess. He won’t ever hurt you again."

She smiled, looking at him with deep sadness in her eyes. "But I can still hurt people." Trent watched as she let go of the side railing. "NO!!! JESSIE," he screamed, moving faster than he thought humanly possible. As his hand shot out, he grabbed, catching a foot. Her weight pulled him against the railing, his broken ribs screaming as they hit. The broken bones of his left hand shot daggers up his arm as he tried to brace himself.

"Let me go!!" she screamed, "Let me go!" Her free leg tried to kick his hand gripped around her ankle.

"NO! Jessie, I need you," Trent yelled through gritted teeth. His battered muscles were straining; the stitches in his side being ripped open once again. "You weren’t to blame, Jessie. It was all his fault, not yours. Don’t give up. I need you!"

"NO, NO, NO," she screamed, struggling as Trent tried to maintain his grip.

"Jessie," he yelled. "You didn’t hurt me. I’m here, I’m fine. Help me, Jessie. I love you and I need you. Help me pull you up."

As she continued to kick, Trent felt his strength waning. He just had to hold on until Carlos and Brian got there. He had to keep talking to Jessie. "Please, Jessie. Don’t fight me. I can’t lose you. Help me."

Quietly, he said a prayer to hurry Carlos and Brian. Almost as in response her heard the other horses and voices. "OVER HERE," he yelled. "HURRY!!!"

He felt hands reach around him and help to pull Jessie to safety. As she was pulled back onto the bridge, she collapsed, sobbing into Trent’s arms. "I’m sorry," she said. "It’s all my fault."

Trent hugged her tightly, sinking to his knees on the bridge. "Shhhh," he comforted, running his fingers through her hair. "It’s going to be okay, Jess. It wasn’t your fault. You’re safe now."

**

59 Days Later

"Well, well, well. It’s a Friday night and you’re not in Albuquerque," Butch said with a broad grin on his face. Without asking, he pulled a bottle of beer from the fridge and plunked it on the bar in front of the smiling blond.

"Brian’s friend, the one that owns the commuter jet, couldn’t fly out tonight. We’re heading out tomorrow."

"How’s Jessie doing?" Butch asked, earnestly.

"Much better. She’s been going home on day passes from the hospital and hopefully will be ready to come home soon."

"That’s great, Trent. We were awfully worried about her. Tell her I’m thinking about her."

"She knows everyone is," Trent said as he took a long swallow from the bottle. Butch’s next question was cut off by a voice from the door.

"HEY!" Carlos bounded over to the bar. "Time for a party!!" he yelled. As Butch pulled another bottle from the fridge, Carlos slapped his friend on the back. "How does it feel to be another year old, manno?"

Butch looked at Trent questioningly. "Your birthday?"

"Yeah," Trent muttered. He had always hated making a big fuss about birthdays.

"Well," Carlos started, "I took the liberty of calling a few friends to help us celebrate, seeing as you aren’t in town on a weekend too often. They should be here any minute."

As if on cue, Kim, Sarah, Trivette and Walker, walked through the door, quickly coming to give their wishes to Trent. The party had begun.

As the night progressed, more people arrived and the party was soon in full swing, the bar crowded. However, when one figure arrived, Carlos was immediately aware.

"What do you want?" he asked Alex as she headed to the bar. "I don’t think you are welcome here."

"Hi, Carlos. I just want to talk to him for a moment." She knew she had taken a chance at coming.

As Carlos was about to answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "It’s okay, buddy." Carlos gave Trent a questioning look before heading back to the bar. Trent turned to Alex. "Thanks for coming."

"I’m sorry, Trent," she started. "I…I just wanted you to know that it’s over."

"He’s not going to ask for another extension?" He was referring to the 30-day extension that had been added to the Crown’s ability to press charges against him.

"No," she told him. "I think he finally realized the futility of it. Actually, I think he asked for it the first time just to draw it out in hopes the public would lose interest. I think it worked." She tried to smile.

"Well, thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it," Trent said honestly. An uneasy silence fell between them as Alex searched for the words to say.

"Trent, I want you to know that I am sorry things have come to this between us. I wish things were the way they were in the past. But they never will be, will they?"

"Maybe someday, Alex. I’m sorry, too." Each struggled with their feelings over friendship lost.

Alex broke the uneasy silence. "Please tell Jessie I hope she is better soon. I better go." Alex turned and walked away, knowing that it would be the last time she set foot in Uppercuts. A deep melancholy surrounded her as she left the sound of laughter behind her.

Back in the bar, Carlos took up position, standing up on the bar, asking for quiet. After a few catcalls and yells, the bar finally quieted. Raising a glass, Carlos began. "Tonight, my buddy is celebrating his birthday. Now, I won’t tell anyone his age, but I will tell you that today, he is officially ‘old’!" The crowd laughed as Trent reddened. Carlos hushed them again. "On a serious note, things have not been easy for my buddy in the last little while so we all decided that this party was definitely needed." To Trent, he added, "I know you were never big on birthdays but somehow I thought this was right. Happy Birthday, Trent." As they all started singing ‘Happy Birthday’, Carlos motioned towards the back stairs that led to their office. Slowly, coming down the stairs, Trent saw the cake before he noticed who was carrying it. His embarrassment was forgotten as he saw Jessie’s smiling face. As Carlos took the cake, Trent wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Happy Birthday, Trent," she whispered.

"It is, now."