Coming To You

[anjfan]

Cassandra pulled up to PVPD and cut the engine. She knew if there was something she couldn’t talk to her mother or father about she could certainly go and talk to her step-father about. But… She beginning to think that maybe coming to Jesse wasn’t the best idea, wondered if maybe she should have just talk to her mother and get it over with. “No,” she sighed, shaking her head. Her mother would have a fit if she came to her with this. She nearly had a fit when Frankie did it and he was twenty five, but she was just twenty and she wasn’t going to be as close as Frankie was.

“Let’s do this Cass,” she mumbled, taking her keys from the ignition, slipping on her coat, grabbing her purse and getting out.

“I hope this is a social call.”
Cass turned around and smiled when she saw the “stranger” was Bryce. “Hey Bryce!” They embraced. Every since her mother’s accident, she and Bryce had been pretty cool. When her father was having one of his days and Jesse… Jesse had seemed to fall off the face of the earth as well as Frankie, she called Bryce and he helped her see things differently. “How have you been?”
“Pretty good. I was just about to go out to do my thing.”
“Oh! Well you go do your thing.” She giggled.
Bryce chuckled and nodded. “Aye’ ma’am!”
“Go on! Wait… Is Jesse here?” She asked looking around him and toward her step fathers closed office door.
“Last I checked he was. Seriously, everything alright?” He asked, his eyes full of concern.
Cass looked up and shrugged shyly. “Yea! I mean if you’re asking if I’m in any trouble the answer is no. I needed to talk with him about something.”
Bryce glanced over his shoulder before he pulled her off to the side. “Is this about that conversation we had?”
“Yea.”
“So I’m going to assume you’ve made your decision,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m leaning toward going.”
“You’re just not sure whether your mother will approve. Right. You have to give your mother a little more faith. Maybe she won’t be all that heated about it.”
Cass shook her head. “Maybe and maybe not, but still.”
Bryce nodded. “Well you know how to reach me if you need me.”
“Thank you.” And with that she headed toward Jesse’s office and rapped on the door.

After hearing his reply she pushed the door open and poked her head inside. “Hey. You got a minute for your favorite step-daughter?”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Jesse had just gotten off the phone with his wife when somebody knocked on his door. He knew his officer didn't believe in knocking on the door anymore so he knew it had to be somebody else.
"Yea!" He called and seconds later looked up to see Cass looking in. "Hey you." He greet standing up and going around his desk.

"I can spare you more than a minute and let's not forget you're my only step daughter. Come in, take a seat." Jesse helped her out of her jacket and turned to hang it up.

When he turned back around something in his head clicked. Cass never came down to the station. Now that he thought about it Cass hadn't set foot in PVPD since 2008. Jesse leaned against his desk, worry sketched on his face. "Everything alright?"

[anjfan]

Instead of taking a seat Cass stood and twiddled her thumbs. Her mind was taken off the real reason of her coming there when Jesse began to worry and ask if everything was alright. Laughing lightly she nodded and waved him off. “Yea, I mean no, but yes,” she answered before taking a deep breath. “Okay, uh… I’m here to talk to you about something, but me and trouble are not in the same sentence this time,” she cleared up.

Cass finally took a seat. “My best friend from Paris called and said after graduation she and Ivan are moving to the states. At first I thought it was all talk, but then they started talking about coming out during their spring break and checking out some places. And it was then I thought it would be a good idea if the three of us got a place together.”

“It’s not that I don’t like living with you and mommy because I really do. It’s just I think it’s time I went out and did my own thing. Did a little more growing up. You know?” She asked.

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Jesse nodded and once again gestured for her to take a seat. He wasn’t saying he expected any trouble from her it was just her coming to him had caught him off guard. He would have acted the same had Frankie came in.
“Ok. What’s up then?” He asked crossing his arms and giving her his full undivided attention.

After hearing what Cass had to say Jesse’s first thought was Frankie and him moving out awhile back. It took Angie sometime to adjust to it and in a way he wasn’t sure if she had full adjust to not having him with her. They’d been inseparable for almost 20years, at least up until the time Frankie went off to Iraq. “I understand.” Jesse said rubbing his chin. “You want to be your own woman and not have to worry about answering to a certain someone when you come in late.. I find nothing wrong with that.”
Shoot when he moved to Pine Valley he felt the same way she did. Didn’t want to answer to anybody felt it was none of their d**n business.
“Well I mean nothing is wrong with you wanting to take that step and I think your mother would feel the same way. She would probably put up a fight or give you that saddened look to win you over but if this is something you really want to do then I know your mother will support you. You know I got your back.”

[anjfan]

“Thank you. That really means alot to me,” Cass said softly. Now for the next part of the conversation. The part she hoped Jesse would agree with her on and be able to help her out with. “There’s a little more to it, Jesse,” she started, looking back up and giving him a shy smile. “My friends and I aren’t talking about living in Pine Valley or even Pennsylvania for that matter. We’re uh… We’re looking at places in San…” She sighed heavily. “San Francisco.”

Cass had looked away for a minute and when she retuned her gaze to Jesse’s she saw a look on his face. Usually Cass could read Jesse like a book just like she’d been able to do her mother but this time she couldn’t. And that didn’t sit right with her. “Say something Jesse… Please!”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Jesse thought that Cass just wanting a place of her own was it. Thought maybe she wanted his input on it but then after hearing the little bit of her wanting to go to San Francisco, Ca he knew there was more to her just wanting his input.

Shaking his head he went around and took a seat in his chair. “What do you want me to say Cass?” Jesse asked with a chuckled.

He leaned back in his seat and tapped his chin. What could he say about this.
“Want me to say oh Cass your mother won’t have a problem with this or Cass your mother knows such and such and she’ll completely understand?” He asked looking at her. “Your mother is going to have a fit! Right you’re a grown and it’s time you spread your wings and fly all that good stuff but you know how she is.” Jesse sighed.

“You know every since that wreck she hasn’t been totally ok with letting either of us out of her sight for a long time. Especially you since you were in the wreck with her and at a time you put all the blame yourself for what happened.” He looked around the office before locking eyes with her. “Look I’m not saying she isn’t going to support your decision because your mother isn’t like that. She will support you in anything that you do but Cass it’s going to take her sometime to let you go. Don’t expect her to just accept this overnight.”

[anjfan]

Cassandra rolled her eyes, of course she didn’t want him to say that. She wanted him to say… Oh hell she didn’t know! She just couldn’t stand the silence! When her step father went on to say her mother was going to have a fit she nodded, she knew that already. “I know,” she replied twiddling her thumbs and waiting for him to finish speaking.

At the mentioning of the wreck Cass’s mind went back to that afternoon and then many afternoons after that. After a moment she shook the memory, came to her feet and started pacing the office. “I don’t expect her to let go like that. I don’t!” She assured. She knew her mother all to well and to ask her to accept something like that in a small amount of time would be just completely asinine. “Jesse, really I don’t expect her to accept at the drop of a dime. The problem Jesse is that I’m afraid she won’t ever accept it. Right, she supports us and wants us to be happy but this… I mean it was different while I was in Paris because I had daddy but now I’m going into unfamiliar territory and… Well you know!” She scoffed and shook her head. “Listen, you’ve always said you wanted to help me with whatever well I need your help now.”

“Right every since the wreck she’s been keeping a tight reign on us… But I need your help and loosening that reign.” Cass stopped pacing and sat back down in front of his desk. “See every since the wreck you have been able to help her see things a bit differently, help her understand certain things and help her let go of alot… Well…” Cass was never one to beg, but if she had too, she would. And Jesse didn’t want that. “I need you to help me, help her see this differently, understand this and let go.” Cass stood up and went around the desk and placed her arm across his shoulder, the move a daughter pull when she wanted something from dear ole’ dad. “You’ve always said I was your daughter. Loved me like I was your own. Well Jesse… Your daughter is asking you to help her.”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Jesse furrowed his brows when she said she needed his help. He did say he was there to help but at the moment he didn’t know how he could help her with this. All set to ask her what did she want him to do she looked to him and then sat back down.

“Well what?” Jesse asked when she stopped talking and got a look in her eyes. Before he knew it Cass was standing by him with her arm over his shoulder, he looked at her out the corner of his eye and smirked. He always pictured his kids doing that exact move but he never really thought it would happen. Not until that very moment.
“Well Cass my daughter is asking of an awful lot.” Jesse stated turning to look at her. “I have been able to do all of those things but Cass this is a hell of a big difference from the other stuff. You’re asking me to..” He sighed and laid his head back against his chair. “Don’t give me those eyes. Please don’t.” He begged.

Later he opened one eye and saw her giving him that look. That look the women in his life knew to use on him when they wanted something. The source of that look.. Angela Marie Baxter-Hubbard. She used it on him many times years and years ago and she still used it. Even taught her daughters to do as such.

“Cassandra Renee Foster.. I am.” He stopped talking and raised his head to look at her. “Alright!” He breathed heavily and rotated his shoulders. “It won’t be easy but I’ll talk to her. Under one condition.” He said holding up a finger and giving her a look of his own.
“When you both finally speak about this don’t do that thing you both do when you’re having one of your moody female days.” He shuddered. “Both of you talk. Hear each other out, speak from the heart even when she seems like she doesn’t want to hear the voice of reasons.”

“The same thing I just told you. I’m going to tell her. So don’t worry.”

[anjfan]

When it seemed as if Jesse was about to tell her no Cass turned on the charm and gave him that pout. The pout her mother taught her when she was just a few years old and over the years perfected it. It worked like a charm with her father, Frankie… And she was hoping Jesse too. “Pwease,” she begged, switching to her baby voice. When Jesse called her by her full name and looked at her, she put her bottom lip out and finally fell for it, she then pulled back and smiled.

Cass was about to give him a hug when he said the last three words she wanted to hear. “Okay, what?” She asked crossing her arms. Jesse began to speak and at one point Cass couldn’t help but laugh. “Moody female days,” she repeated watching him shudder. After a few more words from him Cass clapped her hands and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you!” She exclaimed, pecking his cheek and pulling back once again.

“Seriously, Jesse… thank you. And I will not do the whole moody female thing you say I do. Which I know nothing about.” She gave him a big smile. She knew her coming to him about this and getting his help with trying to talk with her mother was a very good idea. If anybody could get through to Angie it would definitely be Jesse.

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Angie walked into the station with a million dollar smile on her face and a plan up her sleeve. With it being Valentine's day along with the day she would remember until the day the Lord called her home, of course. And because the holiday fell on a Monday she and Jesse initially made plans to go out for a nice romantic dinner and see where the night took them, but Angie wanted it to be a bit more special. Plus they hadn’t been able to celebrate his birthday because he was called to New York so tonight she would be combining valentines day and his belated birthday.

“Dr. Hubbard!” Marcus called as he was coming out of the interrogation room and walked up to her.
“Hey sweetheart”! Angie exclaimed giving him a hug. “How are you? How’s the wife and kids?”
Marcus smiled. “I’m good. The kids are at their grandmother’s tonight and the wife is at work awaiting my arrival. We’re going out tonight.”
“Well you give the wife my love and the kids kisses for me. I didn’t make it in to work today so I didn’t have a chance to chat with her.”
“Dr. Hubbard missed work?” Marcus asked, putting a look of shock on his face.
Angie swatted his arm and laughed. “Well I had to take care of a few things,” she said. She wasn’t going any further than she had to. “Is my husband busy?” She asked looking toward his closed door.
Marcus followed her eyes. “Well I just got in from my round about ten minutes ago. I hadn’t had a chance to check in.”
“Oh okay, I guess I’ll just pop in and see. Hey, we’ll talk again soon.”
“You know Doc,” he said giving her a mock salute. Marcus gave her another hug before heading down toward the cells.

Angie spoke with a few more officers before she stepped up to her husband’s door. She was all set to knock and let herself in when almost as if Jesse knew she was coming the door opened. Only instead of staring into the eyes of her husband she stared into the eyes of… “Cass?”

[anjfan]

Cassandra slipped on her coat and grabbed her purse. “I should be heading out. I’m sure you have a lot of work to catch up on,” she said with a smile. She and Jesse had sat and talked for about half an hour maybe an whole hour, she couldn’t be totally sure, before she remembered she needed to stop by the store and then head home. Since her mother had plans that evening she, Adrian and Jocelyn were going to have a little fun. No parents and only one rule, bed at regular time.

“Talk with you later.” Cass gave Jesse a kiss on the cheek and afterward opened the door. “Ma,” she gasped and instantly placed a hand over her heart. There was no space for screw-ups with a momma who was a human lie detector. “You scared me.”
Angie looked from Cass to Jesse then back to Cass. “Is everything alright?”
Cass looked back at Jesse and nodded. “Yes ma’am,” she answered, turning back to her mother. She stared at her and Cass cleared throat, you're not technically telling a lie, just not telling the whole truth, she thought. “One of the students I’m tutoring had some questions. He’s taking criminology and I promised I would help him out. So of course my first thought was to come to Jesse,” she said, more than a little surprised that she hadn’t broke eye contact, hadn‘t broke out in a swear, nor gave a guilt filled look.
Angie eyed Cassandra closely before stepping forward. “Are you sure? Honey if you are in--”
“Ma, I’m fine. Really.” She chuckled.
Angie’s first thought when she saw her sweet girl was that maybe something had happened. She wasn’t saying her child was a trouble maker or went out looking for it, but felt maybe it came to her. And because she knew how she would react she decided on not telling her. It wouldn’t be the first time Cass kept something like that from her, nor Jesse. And she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last but every since then she sharpened her detecting skills, she couldn’t handle the lies, the secrets anymore. Giving her daughter a weary smile she looked to Jesse.

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Masking his shocked look Jesse stepped closer to Angie and rubbed her arm. “Baby everything is good. Really. You worry to much.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Jesse knew his wife was watching them closely probably waiting for the word lie to pop up on their foreheads. There was no chance of that happening because in reality he and Cass did talk about her friend who was taking criminology. He did give Cass some information to give to her friend. So they weren’t really lying, just not telling the whole truth. Something his wife would find out later on when the time was right.

“Look if Cass was in any trouble I would have called you when she first arrived. I learned my lesson the last time. Trust me.”

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

She still wasn’t all that convinced. Not until Jesse told her he learned his lesson the first and last time he kept something like Cass getting into trouble from her. Angie looked over her shoulder at him and let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry,” she sighed again, turning back to her daughter.
“For what?” Cass asked.
“For assuming something was up. I should have thought more about it before I jumped to conclusion. I mean we talked earlier today and I know you would have told me then if something was wrong. Or I would have at least heard it in your voice. It’s just… Forgive me okay?”
Cass pulled her mother into her arms and smiled. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just worried and it’s completely understandable--”
“But you and Jesse have gotten closer and it’s normal for you to come to him. And,” she looked back at Jesse, “it’s normal for you to help. And I need to remember that.”
Cass squeezed her mother’s shoulders and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Relax ma. You worry way too much… Well I need to get out of here. I have a few things I need to take care of before I head home.” Cass winked at her mother before waving and finally walking out. She knew Jesse wasn’t going to be doing any talking today so she had sometime to get her mind right before she had to face her mother and then later her father. She knew her mother and knew before she made anything really finale when it came to her she would talk to him. Cass was grown, they both knew that but she was also their little princess and neither of them had easy times parting with her.

Moments after Cassandra left Angie took her husband’s hand and led him to his office. Once behind closed doors she turned around. “Again, baby, I’m sorry about jumping to conclusions. I’m really trying to do better.”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Once Cass left and he and his wife went to his office and he heard her apologize again he chuckled and cupped her face. “Stop it alright. You did nothing wrong.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Trust me baby.”
Jesse dropped his hands and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I got something to tell you.” He winked as he grabbed her hands and pulled her with him behind his desk. He sat in his chair and pulled her onto his lap.

“So I thought about it and I picked the perfect place for us to have dinner tonight and a perfect place for us to be alone.” He leaned in and kissed her neck. “I’m going to cut out of here early, get home and pack an overnight bag, change and we’re going to be out of there at a certain time.”

“None of that Jesse what about this dress or this dress, I need to change. Ok?”

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Angie shook her head. “Cancel everything. This morning actually not long after you left for work I started making some plans of my own,” she said, giving him a shy look. “I took the day off just to put everything in motion.”

“Now, before you go and say anything I need for you to hear me out,” Angie said, putting two fingers to his lips to keep him from saying anything. “There is this thing that says men have to plan everything for this day and go all out and such and such, well… I’m one of the few who believes it should go both ways. I think a woman should take time and show her husband some love on this day. I mean a woman and a man should show each other every day that they truly love each other, this day shouldn’t really be any different, but because… Because of what this day truly symbolizes for us, I wanted to do this. So I planned something extra special for us. If involves you, me…” She leaned in and whispered the rest in his ear.

When she finally pulled back, she stared into his eyes trying to read him. Wondering what he was thinking. What he was going to say. “What do you say?”