Serria nodded, hooking a piece of wavy hair behind her ear. "But what is going on Kevin!?" she asked gently, glancing toward the house. "What's happened? You just called the police...." she had heard him faintly talking to the authorities over the phone, but what their conversation had been about she didn't know.

*

David heard the ringing blast of a gun, and he turned around, seeing three bullets lodged in his back windshield. Growling in displeasure, he floored the gas peddle speeding down the street at an almost wild pace. He finally stopped in a empty parking lot, leaning back in his seat with a painful sigh. Using his hands he parted the torn fabric at his side and saw the wound. It wasn't deep, but the bullet and torn the skin, and he was bleeding. He took a breath, and considered the situation. He had a moderate amount of medical knowledge, and a chest full of supplies at his apartment. "But I'm not finish yet!" he whispered vehemently. He programmed a coordinates into his GPS. 'Ditto Town Hospital, 5 miles'

"Well, I'm glad." Jack smiled, and sighed. "I'd best be getting home." he locked eyes with Ro, for a minute, staring into them, he wished he didn't have to but he knew. "Goodnight Rosamunde. I have a lovely day." he opened his trucks door and slipped in, looking at her through the rolled down windo.

**

"Ju-Justin you are 23. You have a daughter!" Maralyn said, gently, confused as she led him to his room.

Justin could feel the pain in his head soaring and put his hand to his head. "Why does my head hurt? Why am I almost bald?" He looked to Maralyn, who said she was his wife. MAybe she was. Maybe he was twenty thrre. Shutting his eyes, he tried to think of anything that happened before 23 and after ten. He couldn't. "What happened after I was ten? I don't..." Pain erupted even more through his head. "Am I going to die?"

Rosamunde smiled as Jack climbed into his truck. She leaned against the open window and said, "I'll meet you at the park, by the fountain, at 11 tomorrow."

After a few seconds, she pushed off the truck and patted the side. "Have a safe drive home."

Buck finally got into his cop car... he checked the clock... he'd better get going. It would look bad on his resume if he was late for a trial...
**
Kahlynn, meanwhile, was speedwalking down the sidewalk. She was in such a rush that she was nearly trotting. She had on her nice dress, that she only wore to the most formal of occassions. It wasn't too over the top, rather simple, velvet, with an embrodiered design swirling down the chest and back. It was a good legth too, down bye her ankles, and it flowed in the breeze as she rushed around the corner. At last she made it too the building and walked up the steps...
**
"Well, Micah," Jackson said, "I think we had better head to the courtroom. Don't worry..." he said as he opened the door, "every thing will turn out all right..." He stepped outside and waited for the boy to follow.

Micah nodded, following Jackson to the courtroom. His eyes lookedaround, towards the thousands of people watching him and could hear their whisperes echoing like a tunnel. HE sat in his seat, waiting for the proceedings to being
~~~~~~~
Peter walked in with Jen. His shaggy dark hair was combed neatly and he was wearing a navy blue shirt with khaki pants. Jen's beautiful long hair flowed down her back and she was wearing a black dress. Because he needed to be a witness, he had to leave Jen to sit somewhere while he stood in line with some witnesses. He spoted Kahlyn, which was good. There were a few strangers he did not know and took the intiuative to glare at them just incase they were against Micah.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The judge asked Jackson who he would like to call as a witness.

"Thanks. I will." Jack said, grinning from within the shadows of his truck. With a parting wave, he pressed on the gas. "I'll be there at 11!" he called, as he drove away, his truck engine sounding loud in the hush of the late evening neighbor hood. His trip back to his farm went smooth, but before his eyes through the whole ride was Ro's smiling face. She's different... he thought to himself, his hands sliding over the steering wheel. But in such a good way....

He pulled into his drive after about 15 minutes. The horses heard and nickered a hello. He grinned and got out, slamming his truck door. "Tomorrow, at 11, by the fountain."

*****

"No, of course you aren't Justin!" Maralyn gasped, lying him down. She heard Sarah crying in the other room. She bit her lip and bent down, pressing her lips into Justin's ."You're gonna be okay."

Rosamunde waved as he pulled out of her drive and made his way down the street. She waited till he disappeared and then she sauntered to the door, pulling it open and then shutting it behind her. Leaning her back up against the door, she grinned. In just a few hours, Jack Alton had captured her heart.

"You know, that was the exact same look I had on my face when your daddy asked me to prom." Taylor's voice broke into Rosamunde's thoughts and her eyes snapped open as her cheeks reddened with a blush.

"Mama..." Rosamunde said, walking toward the stairs.

Taylor laughed. "He's a sweet boy, Rosie. I can't deny it. Your father likes him, too, but he wants you to be careful, you know that, right?"

Rosamunde sat on the bottom stair and looked up. "Yes, of course, Mama. I know that."

Taylor smiled and said, "I know you're probably gonna stay up a little later tonight to write an extra long entry into your journal, so I left a plate of cookies on the table for you."

"Thanks, I won't be up for much longer." Rosamunde said, heading up the stairs. Her mother followed her and they said their goodnights at the top of the stairs.

Rosamunde grabbed her journal, a couple different colored pens and then went back downstairs to the kitchen table. After grabbing a cookie, she cracked open her floral-patterened journal and began to write a re-telling of the events of the day on the light blue pages.

The next morning, which was graced with a sun-kist skies, no clouds within the sight of human eyes, and temperatures what were comfortably warm, Jack was at the fountain. He had arrived there several minutes before 11, just in case Rosamunde had a habit of showing up early. The atmosphere of the park was light, and cheery, and very few people were there. A few couples strolled here and there, and on a bunch he saw a young woman reading. Besides those, the place was quiet.

Jack leaned against the edge of the stone fountain, dipping his fingers into the water, watching the droplets roll down his skin. Within the shadow of his stetson hat, which was placed upon is head, his mouth formed a grin. He knew that in just a few moments a very lovely young lady would join him, and make this already wonderful morning, shine like the sun above. He thought back in his moments with her yesterday, and how, last night, he had replayed them within his head. He had never met someone as fun as she was. There was something very much like him he had seen in her....but also, something unique and beautifully different. He sighed happily, waiting for her to come.

Rosamunde entered the park grounds, a smile on her lips. The wind lifted her blonde hair and she skipped slightly toward the direction of the fountain.

It had taken her an hour to get ready, with her mother's help. Finally, after different outfits and a frustrated outburst, she had settled on a pair of fringed denim shorts, a Coca-Cola t-shirt and a pair of Converse. Her hair wasn't styled, but she wore a yellow headband with a tiny bow on the side.

She entered the courtyard of the park, on the opposite side of the fountain that Jack was one. He was facing away, but she knew that Stetson and green shirt anywhere. Biting her bottom lip as she smiled, she stepped onto the low fountain wall and walked around to his side. "Hey, cowboy."

Jack looked up at the sound of Rosamunde's voice. "Ro!" he said, stepping back and chuckling. "Do you usually start your walks in the part with first standing on the fountain wall?" he laughed and reached out a hand for her to use to step down. "Good-morning."

Rosamunde chuckled. "Not usually, but there is a pretty good view from up here." She took his hand and stepped down. "Now the question is: lunch first or ice cream? Or do you want to work up an appetite before we eat?"

Justin laid down on their bed and asked, "Is she okay? Is that my daughter?"

"Oh, very good question." Jack mused, rubbing his chin and looking at her with a charming smile. "My father always told me it's best to work up an appetite before eating any sort of meal, that way, no matter how terrible the food is you'll always be hungry enough to eat it." he chuckled. "But it's whatever you'd like to do, Ro." he said, tipping his hat back.

*****

"Yes. She's fine...she's just hungry." Maralyn patted his arm. "I'll go get her"

Rosamunde smiled. "Alright. Well," Rosamunde looked around, "let's see what kind of mischief we can get in for an hour and then we'll eat." She looked back at him, a playful glint in her eyes.

"I don't think that shall be very hard for either of us." Jack said, turning around, looking into the park, at the flowers and the trees dotting it's area. He thought for a minute how charming it was, in beauty, but then again, how much more free the country was in comparison. "You know Ditto Town a bit better than I, what sort of trouble can we get into!?"