Fix Me, Fix You: A Jesse Pinkman Story

Chapter Twelve

Silence and darkness surrounded the Quinn property, but it wasn't the usual peaceful and calm atmosphere that Jesse always appreciated; it was eerie. Though it was early in the afternoon, the sky was unsettling and ominous. Thick murky clouds rolled over the lake as Jesse watched the storm brew from the porch, feeling unnerved for the first time since he had arrived in Louisiana.

As if on cue with his thoughts, rain started to fall from the grey clouds. It was light at first but quickly grew heavy, as did the wind. Humidity enclosed on his skin as thunder rumbled above.

He was about to experience his first hurricane.

"It's starting," Linda announced as she peered out the front door. "Finish up your cigarette then come on inside, honey."

Jesse looked down at his hand to see swirls of smoke rising from his lit cigarette. He had forgotten all about it, which was apparent from the growth of ashes on the tip.

"Yes ma'am," he replied appropriately, looking over at her for a moment.

When she shut the door, Jesse flicked the ashes off of his cigarette then took a long drag, trying to calm his nerves.

When Jolie had mentioned hurricanes during their trip to New Orleans, she brushed them off like they were harmless – at least, that was the impression Jesse had gotten. But the family's reaction was much more worrisome when the weather channels and news stations began alerting the southern coast about a hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Three days before, meteorologists predicted the path of Hurricane George to pass right over New Orleans and Madisonville, and that was when the craziness started. Jolie and Linda took the girls to the grocery store to stock up on things like nonperishable food items, bottles of water, flashlights, and batteries. Then Jolie and the girls packed a few days worth of clothes to stay at Coop and Linda's house until the storm passed so that everyone would be together in case of an emergency. Coop recruited Jesse to help him board up the windows of both houses then secure all the equipment and projects in the shop by moving them off of the ground and onto the tops of the desks and shelves to avoid damage if the shop flooded.

"You okay?" Jolie wondered as she walked out onto the porch. "My mom said you seemed a little anxious."

"I am," he laughed as the beautiful blonde approached him. At the sight of her, all the gloom and doom instantly faded into the background. "You made it seem like hurricanes were a walk in the park, but it feels like we're preparing for the apocalypse."

She chuckled, remembering this was his first time dealing with a hurricane. "We've been under-prepared for a storm before. We learned our lesson the hard way, so we'll always be over-prepared from now on, because with hurricanes, you just never know what's going to happen. It's better to be prepared for the apocalypse and experience a little thunderstorm than to prepare for a little thunderstorm and experience the apocalypse."

"Good point," he nodded, blowing smoke out of his mouth. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"Exactly," she agreed.

Though he liked the way her hair was flowing in the wind, the gusts were getting stronger, so he flicked his cigarette into the rain. "Let's get inside before we blow away."

She smiled, noting that he seemed to be easing up a little.

Jesse held the door open for Jolie, guiding her inside with his hand on the small of her back. Lately, he found himself coming up with any excuse to touch her, even if it was only briefly. He couldn't control himself; he simply found his hands constantly drawn to her like magnets to metal.