Hey guys, new chapter. FINALLY I know hehe. Hope you like it I would appreciate lots of feedback. I really do appreciate it all even if its just one word ;)

Charlie

End of previous Ch.: Jesse stomped on the gas and slammed his door shut as the car burned out and screamed out of the parking space like the fighter jets his brother always talked about. He glanced at Miles as they neared the bushes, ready to get yelled at for damaging his brother's baby. Just as he was about to apologize in advance, Miles cut him off, "Just do it, I don't wanna have to deal with you crying like a sad puppy for the next thousand years if we don't catch her."

Jesse was starting to think it wouldn't have made a difference if they had waited in the hour-long line to exit the airport like everyone else. Even with the bother of them eyeing every car they passed on the highway, neither Jesse nor Miles had seen Winnie or her car anywhere. Jesse had a feeling they were both thinking the same thing: They had just frightened everybody in the small airport, simultaneously taking the chance of getting themselves in trouble with the law for inciting panic, reckless driving or, maybe even leaving the scene of the crime, hell, Jesse thought, maybe all three.

Without looking at Miles he could see his brother rub his eyes and run his hands through his hair. The expression Jesse knew he would see if he looked over, and the gesture itself would have been more fitting for an eighty year old man than his young-looking brother. Thinking to himself while scanning the road, Jesse wondered if he acted that old as well.

"I'm sorry this was awful timing…with Mom and everything." Jesse said glancing at Miles who was sitting, arms crossed, in the passenger seat

"Jess, don't worry about it. She's waited this long, and you know we all understand especially after everything we saw you go through since we left Treegap."

"Thanks Miles."

Miles sat silently for a few moments, then said, "You know, as awful as it sounds, maybe it's the best thing that's happened to one of us since all this started."

"I don't know Miles," Jesse sighed. "Maybe, but for someone like mom, and the way I feel too, I think there's too much beauty and joy…and goodness in the world to be ok with or happy with…letting go, even after all this time.

We've all had so much time to get use to the idea of not being able to die and idealizing the…relief of dying. I think once it came down to it, we'd be more scared and unprepared than most people. Everyone else, they know they have to die, and there's nothing they can do to fight it, so in some aspect all of them are prepared, in their own way, to die."

Jesse couldn't quite read Miles' silence or expression, so he waited. Finally his brother answered as Jesse checked the mirrors to change to the lane closest to the shoulder. "Jess, you talk about all this beauty and happiness. But it's all in your head, you haven't really seen the world you don't know anything." His brother's words were charged with venom. Before Jesse could shoot back, his brother charged on, louder than before until he was nearly shouting. "You've always been sheltered! We've always lived in small towns, for you I might add, and you don't even care about what else is out there. You're perfectly happy in your own little world, God Jesse. I've seen war, it's my fault children are dying, I've killed them, you don't know how it feels! Don't you get it? There are people out there and they need help and most of the people in this God-damned country are exactly like you!" Miles quieted then put his head in his hand and said softly, "You don't know what it's like to see the one person you love most in the world, hate you, take your children away, watch the one thing that makes this fate ok get taken away from you."

"Miles, I'm…" Jesse started, his brother was right he had no idea.

"Um, Jesse, look." Miles interrupted, pointing to the car pulled over on the side of the road.

"Well, one of us got pulled over for reckless driving anyways," Jesse said to himself.

Miles laughed humorlessly, the tempest was over…for now. "I'm surprised after your 'off-roading adventure'"

Jesse got in the slow lane, as Winnie got out of the car, walked to the front and put her hands on the hood of the car. He couldn't think straight now that she was finally so close, he just wanted to stop and have Miles throw her in the back seat and run. But he knew they had caused enough trouble, there had to be a better way to handle this.

"I have an idea, chill," Miles told him, noticing the intensity in his brother's demeanor. "Just pull over a ways in front of the cop and stop, let me do the talking and please, don't get out no matter what. We both know you always tend to make situations worse than they need to be, Mr. Temper."

Jesse snorted quietly but pulled over a ways in front of Winnie's RX-8. She looked up in surprise and curiosity as the cop handcuffed her, obviously wondering at the flashy unknown car, interfering in the unfortunate situation.

Miles unhooked his seatbelt, got out of the car then looked at Jesse, "I don't know what your little girlfriend did, but it was a hell of a lot more than just speeding." Then leaving the door open, walked slowly toward the back of the car.

Jesse heard him say something he couldn't quite hear to the police officer letting the cop know that he was standing there. Jesse could see the suspicion in the cops eyes turn to respect when he saw the army uniform. Miles walked toward the officer and shook his hand, Jesse watched Winnie standing by the police Charger, she had such an odd look on her face, looking at Miles. It was a cross between joy, relief and something else…apprehension maybe? She glanced at the mustang then away, towards the woods.

"No Winnie, please…" He said shaking his head. Jesse knew she couldn't see him but spoke to her anyway. If she ran, it would make everything worse. He knew Miles, noticed her edginess as well because he put a hand on the cops back and walked him towards Winnie until they were right next to her. Jesse saw her look down, resigned.

It was driving Jesse crazy just sitting in the car, it was taking forever. He could tell Miles and the cop were…negotiating or something because of Miles stance and the way the cop was pointing at his papers. Finally almost 17 minutes later (Jesse counted) Miles turned and gestured toward the car. The cop huffed and stuck out his arm, motioning them to go ahead, the motion transparently saying 'I give up'. Miles grabbed Winnie's arm as the cop undid the handcuffs. The policeman handed her a thick wad of papers and turned back to her car as Miles pulled Winnie toward the Mustang, shaking his head and grinning.

The cop stuck a sticker on Winnie's car, a non-tow order probably, as Miles pulled the seat up and motioned for Winnie to get in. Jesse felt like he was going to explode, he couldn't believe he was finally this close to her again. She got in avoiding looking at Jesse as though he was the sun and her eyes were dilated. She squished herself as far into the corner on the passenger side, as far away from Jesse as she could be as Miles forced the seat back into place.

He fell into the seat and shut the door. Jesse looked at Miles oddly as he sat looking at his lap. Just as he was about to ask if Miles was ok, his brother burst out laughing. The great big, carefree laugh Jesse just now realized he missed so much.

"So much for calming down as you get older, huh Win?" Miles said.

Even she couldn't manage to look completely angry, Jesse saw a small smirk pull at the corner of her mouth before she turned toward the window, trying to be angry again. Miles put his seatbelt on as Jesse merged into traffic.

"Your little spitfire back there has to be turned in by tomorrow afternoon. And I have to make sure she gets there, so no scheming either one of you…" Miles told them, sounding like a big brother to both. Then, dropping the façade like a practiced actor, he looked at Jesse with a look that had an almost childish excitement to it. "Dude, she has a warrant. She got caught with a concealed weapon and no permit. Here's the crazy part. She pulled it on some biker. Who would've thought little Winifred…"

Winnie snorted loudly. "I did not pull a gun on anyone. I was at a bar with a guy from school and the big biker guy thought he'd intimidate me. Obviously it looked better to fight than get beat up and wait for help while I healed in front of everyone, so I fought him. It wasn't hard; a knee in the crotch and an elbow to the nose and the big baby was out," Jesse could hear the pride in her voice when she said this. "The only problem was, my dad's antique holster snapped because the leather was old and my gun fell out. That, of course was when the cops showed up and I was holding a gun and the douche bag was on the floor."

I looked at Miles with a raised eyebrow then looked back at Winnie trying to catch her eyes but she was already facing the window. Shaking my head and laughing quietly to myself I turned back to the road.

"Miles, that was kind of mean telling the cop your mom was dying, you should've just let him take me in since I have to go in tomorrow anyways."

Miles looked at Jesse; an unreadable expression in his eyes, but somewhere in there was the pain they were both feeling.

"I didn't lie Winnie. We don't know how but, Mom is dying."