Set Fire to the Rain

I was finally home. Jack was being an overprotective pain in my ass, but I would rather that than the alternative. The alternative being that I would either still be In the hospital, or I would have an armed detail staying at the house along with a live in nurse. Of course, none of those were necessary but Jack is as stubborn as they come, and I would rather deal with him on a daily basis, than a couple of strangers. 

When Jack came by the hospital to pick me up on Monday morning, he took one look at my face and was immediately all over me asking questions. 

  Flashback...
    "Alright Eliza, what the fuck is up with you?"

    "I am so excited to be going home, you have no idea Jacky."
  
  "Unuh. That's not it. There is something else going on with you. You look, I don't know, different this morning. You are kind of glowing or something."

   "What could possibly be going on with me Jack? I have been stuck in this damned hospital room since Friday, because someone didn't feel comfortable letting me go home yet. Jack." I said with my arms folded across my chest, as I sat on my bed patiently waiting to leave. My crutches laying next to me, ready to go, I had already signed the appropriate paperwork and talked to the doctor about what I was and wasn't allowed to do until the cast came off of my left ankle. The next 6 weeks were going to be thrilling, then I was going to have to undergo physical therapy. Oh the joy. 

   "I still don't think that's the whole story here, but because I really want to get you home, I will let it go, for now." he grumbled. that is the super short version of what happened. It was more like the Spanish Inquisition.

Present time

Of course Jack being the amazing detective that he is, he never lets things go for long. He is like a dog with a damned bone. At least once a day he will pester me about what was up with me at the hospital, and being just as stubborn as my brother, I tell him absolutely nothing. That pisses him off, and it's so much fun. However, my mood has gone downhill since then because I haven't heard word one from Shannon. Though it shouldn't surprise me, it is what I expected would happen. What I didn't expect was for it to hurt so much. Well, my head knew it would but my heart hoped it wouldn't. Wishful thinking, I guess. 

I have been trying to keep myself occupied by planning Jakes birthday party. It is fast approaching, and the short hospital stay put a hold on the planning temporarily.. Now that I am working from home for the next couple weeks, I am able to work on the party too. Jake wants to go to a local place called, The Karaoke Bar. It's one of the better karaoke places in the area and you can rent it out for parties, which is perfect, since I don't want the extra worry about strangers wandering in, and of course the threat of the one specific unwanted guest. I have the venue booked for Friday night, I just need to send them the guest list by Wed. Shit that's tomorrow. I already know that Jared, Tomo, Vicki, Emma, Liz, Zoe, Kym, Errik, Ari, Evan, Ryan, my parents (but i don't think they will come. They enjoy peace and quiet. So maybe a family party for them), of course all of Jakes friends and I'm am so unsure about if I should invite Shannon or not. If I do and he turns me down, I don't know if my heart can take it. Then again it would be extremely rude to invite Jared and not him. I will have to think on that. Maybe I will ask Zoe. Ugh.

Hearing footsteps, i looked up and saw Jack walking into the room with a serious expression holding something rolled up in his hands, then came over to sit on the table in front of me. Jake was in the garage studio with his band practicing, so it was just the two of us right now. "Jacky, what's wrong?"

He gave a frustrated sigh, before speaking. "Eliza, I need to go out for a little while. Somethings come up with your case, and Aaron wants to meet me at the crash site. He says the crime scene guys found something, and wants me there in case I recognize it." He was in detective mode and I was honestly scared. All thoughts going back to that horrifying night. 

"Ok. Well Jake and the boys are downstairs, I can ask them to stay until you get back."

"I will stop and talk to them on the way out. I want you staying off this foot El. Oh and while I'm gone, I picked this up while I was out the other day, for you to look over. Just read it over and think about it." handing me a brochure for a car, no it was for a fucking tank. My jaw must have dropped.

"A HUMMER!!? You cannot be serious! That is a tank, not a car. No way in hell am I driving that thing! I won't be able to get into the drivers seat let alone see over the dash!" I threw the brochure down onto the table next to where Jack was sitting and folded my arms over my chest.

"Oh come on sis. At least look at the thing. I want you safe when your on the road. And there would be no way in hell anyone could drive you off the road if you were driving that machine."  Worry laced his deep voice.

"I understand what you are saying, but I am still not driving that gas guzzling, nightmare. I will compromise and look at other SUV type cars, ok? I think I'm done with convertibles for a while."

"God woman, you are stubborn."

"Yeah well, so are you. Now, we can talk cars later, your colleague  is waiting. Please be safe. And just let me know if Jake and his friends are ok with staying or not."

"Will do. And will you please do us all a favor, and behave yourself while I'm gone?" He said as he stood up and looked down at me with that knowing smile of his. Ass.

"Fine, pain in my ass." I grumbled, and looked away from Jack as he started to laugh at me. 

"Good. I will call you when I am on my way back ok? I love you Eliza." Jack walked to the hall closet to grab his brown leather bomber jacket and and shrugged it on over his shoulders giving a wave before he jogged down the stairs and walking outside. 

Not too long after Jack had left me I received a text from him saying that the boys were more than happy to hang at the house until he got back. We would order out or something depending on how late it got. I felt immediately more at ease knowing I would have people surrounding me, and I wasn't going to be alone. Not long after Jack texted me, I also heard from Liz and Zoe, I invited both of them for a visit, and they were both more than happy to oblige. I was really excited to see the two of them, but especially Liz since she was heading home to California at the end of the week. She told me that she had to head back on Saturday morning, so I don't think she will be able to come to JT's party, for obvious reasons. So I plan on enjoying the time I have with her. A little girl time was definitely in order.

Jack's POV

When I arrived at the accident scene, I was on edge. Saying my nerves were shot would be a gross understatement right now. I stepped out from my car, and spotted Aaron standing with one of the crime scene guys near where Eliza's car had gone off the road. I strode over to stand next to them and nodded my head in acknowledgement, waiting for someone to fill me in. I knew that being a guest of sorts here, I would be better off going that route, instead of ploughing right to the heart of the situation. 

Aaron and Jones talked about something amongst themselves before turning to face me. Aaron said, "Come, let's talk." 

"Alright." And we started to walk back towards his work vehicle.

"I had the CSI guys come out here earlier to give another look around. I wanted to make sure that nothing was missed, and they found something. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with this case, that's why I need you here. I want to show this to you and see if you recognize this or not. It may be completely insignificant, but I wanted to confirm it with you first."

"Ok. You know I will do anything I can to help." 

"Alright Jack, I want you to take a good look at this and tell me if you recognize this." Aaron opened the back door to the car and  pulled from the black case a small plastic bag marked evidence. Handing the bag over to me, i took the bag and lifted it to eye level. I could easily see the shiny object held inside of it, and my heart sank. "Son of a fucking bitch. I swear to all that is holy I will kill the fucking bastard." I took a couple of deep breathes before I blew a gasket. There was one thing I knew I had to do, and prayed that Aaron would go along with it. "I need a pair of plastic gloves. I need to see if there is anything on the inside of this." 

Aaron quietly and quickly gathered a pair of gloves for me and handed them over without saying anything.  I slipped the gloves on expertly, then pulled the object from the bag. I held it in my hand, then opened it. Within seconds I felt as if the weight of the world had come crashing down on my shoulders, and I had never wanted to hunt someone down and commit murder as badly as I did at this very moment. The only thing holding me back was my sister and the fact that I wanted this done by the book and to make sure that there was no way in hell this fuck would ever hurt my sister again. Sliding the object back into the bag, I sealed the top and handed it back to Aaron. 

"Look familiar?" he asked.

"You have my confirmation. That does belong to my sister, though it's been missing since the last time David attacked her." Aaron's eyes raised in question.

I filled him in on all the horrible details, and the fact that she had declined yet again, to report it. We talked over the plan of action and the fact that no one had heard or seen from David since that night actually. With the exception of Eliza and the night of the accident. Aaron had to head back to the station with the evidence, and was going to work on the case for a while. I however, had this overwhelming need to be with my sister, so we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

On the drive back to Eliza's house, I couldn't help but think of how this whole thing may come down to a small piece of jewelry that my sister loves so much and believed she lost at the concert that night. The heart shaped locket that held pictures of her kids on the inside, could be the connection that we need to place David at the scene of the accident. Now we need to wait and see what the forensics team finds. If its the last thing I do, David Richards is going to pay.