If Not For You

Chapter 35

Ben and Jackie made it back to the apartment.  There was a note from Lucas and Jenna saying that they were at the house.  Ben convinced Jackie to drop him off there and to come back and rest before she had to start her shift at the local diner.  Lucas was in the driveway when they pulled up.  He was putting some rifles in the bed of his truck.  He smiled when he saw Jackie and came to her open window to kiss her.  "Ben gave me strict orders to go home and rest."  She stuck her lip out in protest.

Lucas reached in and touched her check gently.  "Then you should do what the man says.  Don't bother making dinner before you go to work, we'll figure something out.  Just rest."  She honked as she backed out of the driveway and turned in the direction of her home.  Ben thought about where his home was.  He couldn't stay here.  He couldn't stay in the woods.  He wasn't sure what his plan was.  Lucas interrupted his train of thought.  "I came to get the guns out of the house.  You know just as a precaution.  Jenna decided that we should clean up the mess.  I told her to just leave it.  That they should have to face the mess they made.  But she insisted.  When she has her mind made up there is no changing it."

Ben laughed.  "You don't need to tell me that."

"She really is something else Ben.  You did good."  Lucas and Ben walked through the door.  Ben's eyes were immediately drawn to where the bloody handprint had been.  "She scrubbed but it wasn't doing too much.  So I just painted over it.  I found some paint in the garage.  It isn't the exact same color but it is better than just leaving it there."  The kitchen was spotless.  The rugs were missing but they too were a casualty.  The blood was just too much.  Even after washing them they were still stained.

"I'm going to check the rest of the house for his hand guns.  I don't know if they are hidden or if he pawned them.  Jenna is in your room."  Lucas stopped Ben before he could turn to go to her.  "It was bad Ben.  There was blood splattered all over the walls."

Ben walked down the stairs.  He saw Jenna just sitting in a daze.  He stood in his doorway looking around.  The walls had fresh paint on them and there wasn't a drop of blood in sight.  The whole room reeked of bleach.  Jenna stood up and walked towards him.  "When I saw it I just cried.  I think your brother thinks I'm crazy.  I had to fix it.  I couldn't let you come back to that."  He reached out and he hugged her.  He held her tight.

"My brother thinks you are amazing."  Ben laughed.  "And he pretty much hates everybody."

Jenna kissed Ben.  "What are you going to do now?"

Ben shrugged.  "I'm not sure yet.  David took my mom to the courthouse today.  She isn't going to press charges.  He is going to call when he knows what's going to happen to them."

Jenna kissed him again.  She didn't know what else to do.  "I am sorry Benny."

Ben grabbed her hand.  "I'm not."

As he turned to pull her up the stairs she stopped him.  "Is there anything more that you need out of your room?  You know in case you won't be able to come back for it later?"

He smiled at her, tugging her again towards the steps.  "I already have everything I could ever need."

When they all climbed into Lucas' truck David called.  He was telling them that their mom refused to press charges, which they all figured and was being charged with assault of a minor.  David said that her public defender stated that the charges won't stick.  They are more of a scare tactic.  Her bail was posted and a court date was picked for 3 weeks from now.  None of them even had close to what it took to bail her out so at least that decision had made itself.  They coincided the court dates one right after the other, so it would be first their mother and then their father.  David said that he didn't talk to his father's public defender and he didn't stick around for his hearing.  The worst part was that they all had to testify.  As much as they wanted to pick up and move on they had to face the monster once more.  David said he was going to stay at the house until he could make arrangements for his new job.