Part 401: A Daughter's Love
January 26th, 2009
The funeral was beautiful as funerals go.
Jenny stayed with Sarah the whole time. Her older sister couldn’t stop crying. The younger blonde couldn’t stop crying either but all that happened was tears running down her face. Jack was kind enough to stay with them and despite what their other relatives said, Jenny insisted that a few other people sit with them. Kristy had flown in from London to be with her good friend. Claire and Aaron sat next to her as a well, plus Charlie sat behind them with Seth, Tanya, Shanna, Mia, John, little Shelley and Locke. All of her other friends from the crash showed up as well. She wasn’t sure if anybody was missing.
As the preacher began to give the sermon, Jenny could hear the background that someone was entering the church. The young blonde slowly looked back and managed to curl up a smile. Sawyer slowly walked in and sat in the last row. He still wore his jeans and his leather jacket but he did bother to put on a good shirt and tie. Jenny and him locked eyes for a minute and she smiled. She was happy the redneck thought enough of her to attend her mother’s funeral.
Later in the day, after the funeral was over, Jenny and Sarah were at the funeral home attending to various formalities. Jack stayed with them in case they needed them. Jilly wasn’t sure if she should stick around because of the fact that Jack and Sarah had a history but the former Mrs. Shepard insisted it was okay. Sarah even told the deaf woman that she admired her for what she had done to help battered women and plus, she knew for a fact that her mother admired her as well. The deaf woman embraced Sarah, never feeling more honored in her life.
Jenny sat down in one of the many couches, looking at all the plants. Various friends and other family members had sent many flowers and potted plants to pay honor to her mother. The young police officer then looked up as John, and Mia wanted up to her. Locke was standing behind them, holding the sleepy Shelley in his arms. Mia immediately embraced the young woman. Jenny kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for coming,” she whispered.
“We’re always here for one another.” Mia promised her.
“If you need anything, Jenny, you just call us, okay?” John assured her.
“Thanks, John,” Jenny sighed, “Could you two . . .do me a favor? Take one of these potted plants, please.”
“You sure?” the Lakota girl asked.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to do with all of them and I know what a green thumb you have, Mia.” Jenny laughed slightly trying to make a joke.
The young woman understood. She looked around and helped herself to a lovely fern. Mia took off the card and gave it to Jenny; kissing her on the cheek. The family then began to leave, allowing Locke to wave goodbye to Jenny. The young blonde smiled, happy that they were able to form their own family. The police officer sat back down and took a deep breath. She needed some air.
She began to leave the viewing room and as she did, she walked past the breakroom of the funeral home. Jack was still with Sarah and Jilly was bringing them coffee. The young blonde was happy that her adoptive “older brother” was looking out for her sister. She would need help through this trying time. Jenny wiped a soft tear from her eye, wondering if Sarah blamed her for this. In the end, it didn’t matter because she slightly blamed herself. She tried to tell herself that Ortega was a psycho and psycho’s are unpredictable. But she couldn’t help but feel responsible. The plan was for him to attack her, not her mother.
Jenny stepped outside into the cold air. Much to her surprise, Sawyer was out there. The redneck was propped up against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He looked at Jenny, then calmly offered her one. Jenny thought about taking it for a second but changed her mind. “I ain’t that far gone yet, Sawyer.” She whispered.
“Good. It’s a bad habit,” he admitted, puffing away.
“I want . . .to thank you for coming.”
“You’re my friend, Jenny,” he said, moving away from the wall, “ What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t be here for you?”
“Is that why you are still here? Making sure I was okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, dapping his cigarette ashes into the wind.
“Thank you,” she said, moving forward and hugging him.
Sawyer held onto her for a few seconds and then gently parted from her. He finished off his cigarette and then tossed it to the ground; snuffing it with his boot. “I hope you find the bastard who did this, Jenny,” he calmly said.
Jenny sighed. “I will.” She replied, “I am not going to rest until I make him pay for what he’s done.”
“I know. Because you’re like me. You want vengeance for your mother and to make sure no other Mothers die at this guy’s hand.”
Jenny wiped her tears and shook her head in agreement. “I guess we’re more alike than we though, eh, redneck?” she half grinned.
“You bet, slugger,” he playfully pushed her jaw with his fist, “You take care, now.”
“You too, Sawyer.” She said, watching him leave toward his vehicle.
Jenny calmly tucked her arms against one another. She proceeded back inside now that she had gotten her fresh air and her talk with Sawyer made her feel better. She wanted Ortega dead for what he had done.
But catching him would be another matter.
Jenny had finally gotten home and felt drained. She calmly put some of the flowers away and a few of the potted plants. She got out of her dress and put some pants on with a t-shirt. She went down to the kitchen and looked under the sink. In the back from all the tubberware was a bottle of vodka. Jenny never thought she’d use her Christmas give from Sawyer but tonight she felt like she needed it.
She calmly sat down on her couch and proceeded to drink from her glass. The liquor burned down her throat but she ignored the pain. Squishface jumped up on the couch and came over, sitting down his head in her lap. The little pug could tell that something was wrong and wanted to comfort his owner. Jenny loved the little dog and gently petted him. “I’m gonna miss her, Squishie,” she whispered, “ I hope . . .I hope I made her proud of me. I wish . . .oh, God, I wish she didn’t have to die this way.”
Squishface sighed and licked her hand. Jenny held him close as she sipped on the Vodka. The phone gently started to ring across the room. The young officer didn’t feel like answering it so she just waited for the answering machine to take it. After four more rings, it finally picked up. After the beep, a voice came on as expected. However, it wasn’t the voice Jenny expected it to hear. “You buried your mom, warrior?” Ortega whispered.
Jenny leaned up abruptly, dropping her glass of vodka. She stared at the answering machine as the psycho continued to talk. “I gave you the three days to mourn your loss and bury your mother,” Ortega whispered, “Now you are ready . . .ready to defeat the evil . . .ME! I’ll be at the top of the Nike Warehouse at Pier 4. I’ll be there waiting for you. Let’s finish it, Jenny.”
Ortega hung up the phone and by the time the sound of the ring was over, Jenny was already getting her sneakers on. She quickly tied her hair back and grabbed her jacket. Squishface wined but didn’t get off the couch; wondering what Jenny was doing. The young officer then walked over and picked him up; hugging him. Just in case she didn’t make it back, she wanted to hold her dog one last time.
Jenny then grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. She then paused at the nunchucks on the wall. She quickly dismounted them and opened the door.
It was time for Justice.
The funeral was beautiful as funerals go.
Jenny stayed with Sarah the whole time. Her older sister couldn’t stop crying. The younger blonde couldn’t stop crying either but all that happened was tears running down her face. Jack was kind enough to stay with them and despite what their other relatives said, Jenny insisted that a few other people sit with them. Kristy had flown in from London to be with her good friend. Claire and Aaron sat next to her as a well, plus Charlie sat behind them with Seth, Tanya, Shanna, Mia, John, little Shelley and Locke. All of her other friends from the crash showed up as well. She wasn’t sure if anybody was missing.
As the preacher began to give the sermon, Jenny could hear the background that someone was entering the church. The young blonde slowly looked back and managed to curl up a smile. Sawyer slowly walked in and sat in the last row. He still wore his jeans and his leather jacket but he did bother to put on a good shirt and tie. Jenny and him locked eyes for a minute and she smiled. She was happy the redneck thought enough of her to attend her mother’s funeral.
Later in the day, after the funeral was over, Jenny and Sarah were at the funeral home attending to various formalities. Jack stayed with them in case they needed them. Jilly wasn’t sure if she should stick around because of the fact that Jack and Sarah had a history but the former Mrs. Shepard insisted it was okay. Sarah even told the deaf woman that she admired her for what she had done to help battered women and plus, she knew for a fact that her mother admired her as well. The deaf woman embraced Sarah, never feeling more honored in her life.
Jenny sat down in one of the many couches, looking at all the plants. Various friends and other family members had sent many flowers and potted plants to pay honor to her mother. The young police officer then looked up as John, and Mia wanted up to her. Locke was standing behind them, holding the sleepy Shelley in his arms. Mia immediately embraced the young woman. Jenny kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for coming,” she whispered.
“We’re always here for one another.” Mia promised her.
“If you need anything, Jenny, you just call us, okay?” John assured her.
“Thanks, John,” Jenny sighed, “Could you two . . .do me a favor? Take one of these potted plants, please.”
“You sure?” the Lakota girl asked.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to do with all of them and I know what a green thumb you have, Mia.” Jenny laughed slightly trying to make a joke.
The young woman understood. She looked around and helped herself to a lovely fern. Mia took off the card and gave it to Jenny; kissing her on the cheek. The family then began to leave, allowing Locke to wave goodbye to Jenny. The young blonde smiled, happy that they were able to form their own family. The police officer sat back down and took a deep breath. She needed some air.
She began to leave the viewing room and as she did, she walked past the breakroom of the funeral home. Jack was still with Sarah and Jilly was bringing them coffee. The young blonde was happy that her adoptive “older brother” was looking out for her sister. She would need help through this trying time. Jenny wiped a soft tear from her eye, wondering if Sarah blamed her for this. In the end, it didn’t matter because she slightly blamed herself. She tried to tell herself that Ortega was a psycho and psycho’s are unpredictable. But she couldn’t help but feel responsible. The plan was for him to attack her, not her mother.
Jenny stepped outside into the cold air. Much to her surprise, Sawyer was out there. The redneck was propped up against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He looked at Jenny, then calmly offered her one. Jenny thought about taking it for a second but changed her mind. “I ain’t that far gone yet, Sawyer.” She whispered.
“Good. It’s a bad habit,” he admitted, puffing away.
“I want . . .to thank you for coming.”
“You’re my friend, Jenny,” he said, moving away from the wall, “ What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t be here for you?”
“Is that why you are still here? Making sure I was okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, dapping his cigarette ashes into the wind.
“Thank you,” she said, moving forward and hugging him.
Sawyer held onto her for a few seconds and then gently parted from her. He finished off his cigarette and then tossed it to the ground; snuffing it with his boot. “I hope you find the bastard who did this, Jenny,” he calmly said.
Jenny sighed. “I will.” She replied, “I am not going to rest until I make him pay for what he’s done.”
“I know. Because you’re like me. You want vengeance for your mother and to make sure no other Mothers die at this guy’s hand.”
Jenny wiped her tears and shook her head in agreement. “I guess we’re more alike than we though, eh, redneck?” she half grinned.
“You bet, slugger,” he playfully pushed her jaw with his fist, “You take care, now.”
“You too, Sawyer.” She said, watching him leave toward his vehicle.
Jenny calmly tucked her arms against one another. She proceeded back inside now that she had gotten her fresh air and her talk with Sawyer made her feel better. She wanted Ortega dead for what he had done.
But catching him would be another matter.
Jenny had finally gotten home and felt drained. She calmly put some of the flowers away and a few of the potted plants. She got out of her dress and put some pants on with a t-shirt. She went down to the kitchen and looked under the sink. In the back from all the tubberware was a bottle of vodka. Jenny never thought she’d use her Christmas give from Sawyer but tonight she felt like she needed it.
She calmly sat down on her couch and proceeded to drink from her glass. The liquor burned down her throat but she ignored the pain. Squishface jumped up on the couch and came over, sitting down his head in her lap. The little pug could tell that something was wrong and wanted to comfort his owner. Jenny loved the little dog and gently petted him. “I’m gonna miss her, Squishie,” she whispered, “ I hope . . .I hope I made her proud of me. I wish . . .oh, God, I wish she didn’t have to die this way.”
Squishface sighed and licked her hand. Jenny held him close as she sipped on the Vodka. The phone gently started to ring across the room. The young officer didn’t feel like answering it so she just waited for the answering machine to take it. After four more rings, it finally picked up. After the beep, a voice came on as expected. However, it wasn’t the voice Jenny expected it to hear. “You buried your mom, warrior?” Ortega whispered.
Jenny leaned up abruptly, dropping her glass of vodka. She stared at the answering machine as the psycho continued to talk. “I gave you the three days to mourn your loss and bury your mother,” Ortega whispered, “Now you are ready . . .ready to defeat the evil . . .ME! I’ll be at the top of the Nike Warehouse at Pier 4. I’ll be there waiting for you. Let’s finish it, Jenny.”
Ortega hung up the phone and by the time the sound of the ring was over, Jenny was already getting her sneakers on. She quickly tied her hair back and grabbed her jacket. Squishface wined but didn’t get off the couch; wondering what Jenny was doing. The young officer then walked over and picked him up; hugging him. Just in case she didn’t make it back, she wanted to hold her dog one last time.
Jenny then grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. She then paused at the nunchucks on the wall. She quickly dismounted them and opened the door.
It was time for Justice.
posted by Jason | 7:52 AM
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