The Greens of Jericho

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the television show Jericho or any part of it. The characters are not mine in any way. I am just borrowing them for a bit. I am not affiliated with CBS, the television show Jericho or the writers of Jericho.

I would again like to give credit to my husband for helping me get in the mind of a man for parts of this chapter. He is a great sounding board for my story.

                                                                   
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The weather over the next few weeks seemed as confused as most of the residents.  As if it too didn't fully understand what had happened.   There had been a few days of biting cold and then a quick warm-up.   The temperature in Kansas should never be in the 70's in December.
 
The past few nights had brought thunderstorms.   Nothing severe but enough to make Jake wonder what would happen when the weather changing storm came.    There was no way to predict weather now.       There was no neatly dressed weather man on the 6 o'clock news forecasting tomorrow's temperature .   They were on their own.    All day today it was as if the wind was competing for direction.    First it would blow from the South and then it would change and come in from the northwest.    It was also muggy, like in mid-August.    Jake had a feeling that tonight's storm wasn't just going to rumble and blow itself out.    Tonight would be bad.
 
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Jake and Heather walked in the door of the Green home accompanied by a loud rumble of thunder.    The antique clock on the mantel read a few minutes past nine.     They had been at Bailey's but Jake wanted to get home before the storm got bad.
 
"Have a seat," Jake said to Heather, "let me run up and check on Jake.   Storms really scare him.   This one is gonna be a bad one."
 
He went quietly upstairs.   There was a line of light under his parent's bedroom door.   Someone must be reading.   He peaked into his and Jacob's bedroom.    Jacob was asleep with the pillow over his head.    His arm was wrapped around Dreyfuss's neck.   Jake smiled and went back downstairs.
 
Heather had lit some candles and was looking at an old picture album of Jake and Eric when they were young.     Jake walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder.   She was smiling at a picture of him and Eric and Mickey Mouse.    He sat down beside her on the couch, their legs touching they were so close.
 
"Jake, it really is amazing how much Jacob looks like you," Heather said.
 
Jake smiled, "I guess it would be hard to deny him.   Eric was so scared of those characters.   Mom would have to bribe him to get a picture.   Look at the pictures again, he is never standing directly beside any of them.   We had meals with the characters and Eric spent most of the meal hiding under the table."
 
"Poor, Eric," Heather said, laughing.
 
There was a clap of thunder so loud the glass rattled and the living room was washed white from the lightening.    The wind shrieked.
 
"Wow, that was impressive," Jake said, blinking his eyes.   He sat down on the couch beside Heather.
 
"I looked all thru the barn and in the attic at my grandparent's house.   There is no heater or wood stove of any kind," Jake said.  "I did find a old hand crank washing machine at the house.   You would have thought Mom had won a prize.    I guess it is better than a washboard though.    I told Stanley what we were looking for and he is going to look around his place for something that'll work for you."
 
"Thanks, Jake," I really appreciate it.   "We'll figure something out."
 
There was an even louder clap of thunder with near simultaneous  lightening.  The storm now virtually over the top of the house with a  pounding sound announcing that the rain too had now arrived.
 
"I miss the Weather Channel," Jake said, blinking at the sudden brightness.
 
He and Heather continued looking at the album as the storm got worse.   The thunder rolled and the wind shrieked.    Lightening streaked across the sky.    Jacob came running downstairs.    He was unable to block the storm out with a pillow anymore.
 
"Hey, Buddy," Jake said, settling Jacob down on the couch beside him.
 
"It's a real bad storm, Dad," Jacob said, with a quick, shakey voice.
 
"Yeah, it is.   It's a lot different from storms at the beach, isn't it?"
 
"Yeah, it's a lot louder with more lightening," Jacob said, yawning.
 
Heather had been watching them quietly.   They were obviously very close.   She could see how much Jake loved his son just by looking at his eyes when he was with him.
 
 Fortunately, the storm was as swift to move away as it was vicious to come.
 
"Ya know, I think the storm is starting to go away," Jake said reassuringly.
 
"How do you know?"
 
"Because I can count," Jake said.  "Know what you do?   When you see the lightening you count til you hear the thunder.   If you can count higher each time the storm is moving away.   Wanna try?"
 
"Yeah," Jacob in a small voice with a slight nod.
 
Lightening flashed.
 
"Wow, that's a big one," Jake said.    "Ok," he said, with a reassuring nod.
 
"One, two," they said together.    Thunder rumbled.
 
"I bet next time you are going to get to three and four."
 
Heather smiled.   Her father had told her the same thing when she was a little girl. She was a little embarrassed to admit that she still found herself counting when a storm came thru Jericho.
 
After about 20 minutes, Jacob started dozing off.
 
Jake gently shook him, "Ready to go back to bed?"
 
"I guess," he said, stifling a yawn and getting up.   "Good night, Miss Lisinski."
 
Jake looked at Heather and smiled, "I'll be back in a few minutes.   Let me get him back in bed."
 
Jake followed the boy upstairs.   Even though she knew she shouldn't, Heather followed.   She stood back in the shadows and watched.
 
Jake got Jacob settled in bed and tucked him in.   He sat down beside him.
 
"Do you think you're gonna be able to go to sleep?", he asked, rubbing his back.
 
Jacob yawned, "Um hmm," already starting to drift off, or at least Jake thought he was.   He started to get up but a small hand grabbed his.
 
"Dad do you think Santa got blowed up?"
 
"Nope.   I think the North Pole was safe.   Who would want to hurt Santa?"
 
Jacob got quiet again and just as Jake was getting ready to get up he started talking again.
 
"Dad, do you think it's coming a bad storm where Nana and Brandee and Sara are?", Jacob whispered.
 
Jake looked down at him and saw tears on his cheeks.   "Come 'ere," Jake said, pulling his son into a hug.
 
"No, I don't think it comes bad storms there.   I think it is always perfect there.   You don't need to worry.  O.K.?", Jake said quietly, with a choked voice.
 
Heather crept quietly back down the stairs.  Filled with emotions, and a little guilt for eavesdropping.  She had never seen Jake like that before.   She didn't know what to do.   "Who is Sara?" she thought, "A friend of Jacob's or someone special to Jake?"
 
Jake came slowly down the stairs a few minutes later.   Heather was back on the couch looking at the picture album as if she had never moved.    
 
"Is everything alright?  Was he able to go back to sleep?", Heather asked.
 
"Yeah.   He wanted to talk for a few minutes but he drifted off pretty quick," Jake said.   He was digging thru the pockets of his coat.    He pulled out a battered pack of cigarettes and a lighter.  
 
Heather had no idea he smoked.  
 
Jake looked at Heather and smiled a tight pained smile, "I officially quit smoking a year ago.    This is only the second time I've fell off the wagon.   I'm gonna step outside just a minute.   I'll be right back."
 
Heather nodded.   She knew he needed a friend.    She wondered how she could go to him without him knowing she had overheard him talking upstairs.   She walked slowly to the door, took a deep breath and went outside.    The storm had passed.   All that was left was the rain.   It was a moonless night so it was almost totally dark.   She could barely make out a dark shape in the porch swing.   If it wasn't for the lit cigarette she would never have known he was there.
 
"I'm over here," Jake said quietly.
 
Heather walked slowly to the porch swing and sat down beside him.
 
"Are you alright?", Heather asked.
 
"I'll be fine.    Jake asked me if there were bad storms in Heaven," Jake said quietly.  "It just kinda got to me.   With everything we're doing to survive here and now, I sometimes forget what he's lost.     I think he's getting over everything and then he stops me cold with a question like that."
 
"That must have been hard," Heather said, taking his hand and giving it a slight squeeze.
 
Jake leaned back in the swing , put his arm around her and pulled her close.   He leaned down and lightly kissed her.     They sat in silence for a few minutes.    Jake shifted around in the swing until his back was leaning against the chain.   Heather leaned back against his chest.                                      
 
 "I can feel your heartbeat,"  she said.    In the darkness, she was just sure she felt him smile.  He held her with one arm and shook out another cigarette.  
 
"I promise this is the last one and I am back on the wagon.  But I have to confess, it's been a really slippery wagon lately."    As Heathers eyes began to adjust to the darkness, she did indeed see a sly smile.
                                                                   
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"Did I ever mention I have a sister?" Heather asked.    "That part was true enough," she thought.
 
" No, I don't think so", Jake said, sounding distracted.
 
Now Heather could feel her own heart beat.    It felt like it was about to explode out of her chest.   Speaking again, this time rushing her words more than normal.
 
"Yeah, Sara, she's 2 years older than me.  We had a bit of a falling out. Hadn't spoken in years.  She lived in California."   A line that was somewhat less than true but she had to know who Sara was.
 
Heather could feel Jake tense briefly.
 
Exhaling a large puff, Jake paused for a moment and very quietly said, "I knew a girl named Sara once."
 
"Really!" Heather said, with a gust of emotion greater than Jake would have expected, "Someone you want to talk about?"
 
"No," Jake said, lighting another cigarette................

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