Scarecrow 1: Swing Low, Chapter 2
#2 of Scarecrow 1: Swing Low
The Scarecrow 1:
Swing Low
Chapter 2: Saying Good Bye
Warnings: References to the things that happened in the last chapter, but this particular chapter isn't nearly as rough.
Notes: Things will pick up significantly in the next chapter, but I feel this scene's important for setting material and character building.
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Jessica felt numb as she sat between her parents and Heather's at the funeral. The sun was beating down on the massive crowd, not a cloud in the sky to offer a sense of somber sympathy for the mourners. To Jessica, it felt like a sick sort of joke that the day was so beautiful.
There was *almost* one redeeming factor; Heather's death had affected everybody. Jessica knew it was more because of how it had happened than that it had happened to Heather. Still, it seemed to give some sort of meaning to the otherwise senseless crime. School had let out early today, so those who wanted to attend the funeral to pay their last respects could. The counselors had been making the rounds, putting in extra time for the students who needed to talk, and they still had appointments lined up for days.
It still felt empty. Jessica had heard the people talking in hushed tones in the hallways. Some of them didn't care, and most who did were scared, not grieving. It was still gratifying to see that most of the people in Heather's classes were here, along with the rest of the cheerleaders and the jocks who'd known her.
It was just that none of it even started to fill up the hollow feeling inside.
"Mr. Cochrane," Sherriff Ericson said respectfully, his hat in hand.
"Jake," Abe nodded, shaking the overweight Basset's free hand. "Thank you for coming. I know you're busy on the case."
"This actually might help with it," the Sherriff admitted. "See how people handle seeing her, see who shows up, who doesn't... somebody might give something up, give us a better shot at solving things more quickly."
"Do you have any leads?" Jessica's father asked for her, looking down at the much shorter Basset Hound.
"Nothing I can talk about," he said, shaking his head. "We've got some evidence off at the crime lab in Madison, but it'll take a while to process. Beyond that, we have to keep the rest quiet so we can debunk the rest of the usual cranks who'll confess to everything."
"You've had people trying to confess to *this* who didn't have anything to do with it?" Jessica asked incredulously, as the Sherriff turned to watch the crowd going by the open casket.
"We've got one guy in town who's confessed to being on the Grassy Knoll," he said absently. "Wasn't even born until the 70's."
Oblivious to the nearby conversation, Josh Harnell stood at the coffin, his tail twitching nervously as he looked in at Heather's body. Her throat had been stitched back together expertly, her entire body repaired, at least above the lower lid of the casket. He had to wonder how Johnny would feel about seeing his handiwork undone.
He glanced at the Sherriff nervously, wondering if he'd be able to talk to him without anybody knowing. Johnny had given him all the details when Josh had asked him about the murder. The poor Mouse had just been expecting an incredulous denial. Instead, he'd gotten nightmares that still hadn't ended, imagining the young Wolf re-enacting the crime.
Sometimes, re-enacting it on *him*, if he was stupid enough to talk. If Johnny didn't get hold of him, Mike or Tony would... and the cops wouldn't *find* a body after that.
Jessica noticed him looking over at the group, and the scowl she gave him started him out of his reverie. He moved on quickly, heading back over to where his parents were sitting after giving the Cochrane's their own condolences.
Trixie was the next up to the coffin, the Vixen biting her lower lip as she reached out to take the edge of the coffin in her hands. Her eyes were shining with tears as she reached down, stroking back Heather's hair to fix a spot where the wind had blown it out of place. Swallowing hard, she turned to hug Tony behind her, before hurrying off to her seat with the rest of the squad and their families. Not a single girl from Ravenwood had come here alone, the cheerleaders least of all. Even those who could drive were being escorted around by their parents like they were all five or six again.
Not that any of them particularly minded, with the people responsible still on the loose.
The buff Tiger was swallowing hard too, his long, striped tail curled slightly around his leg as he looked down at Heather briefly. He crossed himself, uttering a brief prayer under his breath before going off to sit on the side of the crowd. He glanced up at the lot of the Church, where his car was parked, but stayed to listen to the rest of the service.
"Mister Cochrane?" Abe turned towards the thickly accented voice of the Tiger who towered above him; Tony's father. "We wanted to say how sorry we are for your loss. Tony was shocked when he heard the news; he's been watching his sisters closely ever since."
"Can't blame him," Megan said softly, the Coyote woman's eyes still puffy from all her crying through the week. "Are they here?"
"No, we didn't think it was right to bring them here," the Tiger admitted. "Heather was one of Tony's friends, and we had met her before, but they didn't know her well, and we didn't want to explain what had happened if they heard any details."
"Can't blame you, Mr. Sehgal," Abe said, shaking the Tiger's offered hand. "Thank you for your condolences, and let Tony know that he's doing the right thing, keeping an eye on his sisters."
"We will, Mr. Cochrane," the Tiger said, nodding briefly before turning with his wife to join the rest of the mourners.
Abe looked back at the dwindling line as Becky sobbed, the Otter taking her seat next to Trixie. The Vixen hugged her close, rubbing her shaking shoulders gently.
"At least somebody else cares," Jessica murmured softly. Her mother put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her lightly.
"They all do, honey. If they didn't, they wouldn't be here," she reminded her softly.
Abe didn't say a word. He was focused on the last of the teens in the line for the viewing, Johnny and Mike, the Keyne boys. The younger of the two Wolves was completely fascinated by what he saw: the perfectly repaired throat, the peaceful expression on the face, the ease with which the damage he'd done had been undone. He started to reach up towards the casket when he heard Mike's voice.
"Get a move on, twerp," the older Wolf growled lowly. That snapped him out of his reverie, and into the fact that he was in public. He moved along, letting Mike pause by the casket to bow his head and cross himself before joining his brother.
The glances that Johnny kept giving the casket reminded Abe of something though. He remembered about ten years back, when they'd started losing barn cats more regularly. An owl would get one occasionally, he was used to that. But this was more regular, more common. When a couple of them had limped up to the house with pellets in their haunches, he'd assumed the Landers were taking shots at them. The family of Rats never did have much use for cats, four legged or otherwise.
Now, he was thinking about the look in Johnny's eyes, the mix of guilt and fascination. It was the same look he remembered seeing the day Heather had come running up to the house, distraught over the Keyne boys showing her one of those missing cats they'd found. And ever since that day, he'd had to wonder if it really had been the Landers who were taking potshots.
"Abe?" He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard one of the voices he hadn't been expecting here. He looked over at Fred Landers, the current patriarch of the clan, the Rat dressed in his somewhat shabby best, his hat in his hand.
"Hello, Fred. Didn't expect to see you here," Abe admitted.
"Carl Engel called this morning and said he couldn't make it," Fred explained gently. "Heart attack; he's up at Meriter right now. I wanted to come and offer to take his place as one of the pallbearers."
Abe swallowed hard, then reached up to take the Rat's shoulder gratefully.
"Thank you," he said softly. "You don't have to, though."
"No, but I want to," Fred said firmly. "We haven't always gotten along, Abe, but I remember what you and Meg did for us after Luke got his arm caught in the combine last year. If it hadn't been for you and everybody else here, we'd have ended up in bankruptcy, and I haven't done much to thank you for it since then. Your girl deserves a full contingent to send her off."
"Thank you," Abe choked out. "This means a lot to me, Fred."
"It does to me, that you'll accept," the Rat said, taking Abe's shoulder and squeezing it before moving to join Mike and Johnny in the front row on the other side of the congregation.
Reverend Gottlieb smiled sadly as he stepped up in front of the casket. The aged Badger was carrying his septuagenarian frame with the same quiet strength and presence he'd had when he'd married Abe and Megan over thirty years before. It was sad to see what it had taken to start mending fences between those two families, but at least there was the chance of something good coming from it.
"Thank you all for coming here today," Reverend Gottlieb started, his hands on the small podium in front of him with his notes, adjusting his reading glasses. "Before I begin the services proper, I would like to take a moment to make a personal plea. You all know me. I've baptized, married, or buried somebody in almost every family here. This isn't the first time I've buried somebody gone before their time, and it isn't likely to be the last. But it is the first time I've had to bury such a young victim of such a horrific crime. If anybody has any information about the people who took Heather Cochrane from our midst, please, come forward. If you aren't comfortable speaking with the police, then please come speak with me. I will maintain your privacy as best as I can, while helping see that the people responsible for this come to justice."
There were several moments of silence as the congregation glanced around, as if expecting somebody to stand and speak out, but of course nobody did. Instead, after collecting his thoughts, Reverend Gottlieb continued.
"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
"For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
"O Eternal God, our Father, from whom we come and to whom we go, grant us the favor of Your divine presence at this time in our earthly pilgrimage; assure us by Your Spirit that the one we serve, even Jesus, has conquered death and is alive forevermore; enable us to view our temporal lives in the light of the eternal; and so may our spirits grow calm and our vision clear. Through Christ we pray, amen."
"Amen," echoed the congregation. From the church nearby, the organ began to play as his daughter heard the invocation through the monitor he'd set up in the podium. There was a moment as everybody consulted the small, printed hymnals they'd been given, and began to sing.
_Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see._
Almost everybody in the congregation sang along as best they could, and those who didn't clearly didn't trust their voices to hold out through the song. The Badger continued the service once the graveyard was still again.
"From the Book of Wisdom:
"The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.
"For if in the eyes of men, indeed they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality. Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them, and found them worthy of himself.
"As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. Those who trust in Him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with Him in love: Because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect.
"Heather Cochrane was tried greatly in her life," he continued. "Though she was taken from us young, already she had faced trials of faith beyond many of her peers. Like many of our young people, Heather had a hard time finding her place in the world. She felt isolated and alone, and struggled to find meaning amongst the wild din of conflicting messages that fill our world. I spent many hours with her as we studied the Bible and discussed what we found there, and she found her peace with God. Through these sessions, she demonstrated wisdom and understanding beyond her years. Her faith was reaffirmed by these trials, her faith in the limitless love of God and Christ, and in God's mercy. Even in her last moments, Christ was with her, watching over her. When she died, He took her up from her mortal shell, and into the Kingdom of God, where she waits for her loved ones to join her.
"From the letter from Paul to the Romans:
"Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
"We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
"If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him."
He paused for a drink, taking up his hymnal as the organ began to play again, and the congregation began the second hymn.
_Beautiful Savior,
King of Creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love Thee,
Truly I'd serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.
Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer;
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels in the sky.
Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be Thine!_
He looked over at Jessica and the Cochranes. Megan's voice was sweet and quavering as she finished singing, her eyes wet with tears. Jessica's alto voice had broken up during the last verses, and she looked like she was still fighting a lump in her throat. She'd been the subject of many of his discussions with Heather. He would have to try to reach out to her after this, to guide her through her grief.
"Heather's passing will be a time of challenge to all of us, as well. It may seem that a merciful God would not allow her to be taken from us in the way that she was. And yet, God has a place for her in heaven, with Him. She has left behind the trials of this Earth, the temptations, and gone on to her reward. His mercy is greater in her departure from this realm, for now she is beyond suffering. One day, we shall join her, so long as we believe in God's love.
"From the Gospel of John:
"Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.'
"Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise.'
"Martha said to him, 'I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.'
"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'
"She said to him, 'Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.'"
"Amen," echoed the congregation, more subdued now than before.
"Would the congregation please rise," the Badger said, motioning with his hands for the pallbearers. Johnny, Mike, and Fred Landers stepped forward, along with Abe, Jessica, and her father. The congregation was clearly a little surprised to see Jessica joining them, and a low murmur passed through them as they put it together with the earlier parts of the service. Fortunately, as Reverend Gottlieb closed the casket over Heather's face, the organ started in the church again. As the pallbearers lifted the casket to carry it to the waiting grave, the congregation began to sing, Abe and Jessica's voices strongest among them.
_Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
Sometimes I'm up, and sometimes I'm down,
(Coming for to carry me home)
But still my soul feels heavenly bound.
(Coming for to carry me home)
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
The brightest day that I can say,
(Coming for to carry me home)
When Jesus washed my sins away.
(Coming for to carry me home)
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
If I get there before you do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
I'll cut a hole and pull you through.
(Coming for to carry me home)
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.
If you get there before I do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
Tell all my friends I'm coming too.
(Coming for to carry me home)
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home._
Now gathered at the gravesite, the six pallbearers set the casket into the rig that would lower it into the open grave.
"Inasmuch as Almighty God, in His wise providence, has taken out of this world our beloved child, we therefore commit this mortal body to the ground, looking for the general resurrection in the last day and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose Second Coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth and the sea shall give up their dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in Him shall be changed, and made like unto His own glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself," Reverend Gottlieb spoke, finishing the service as the casket was lowered. He took up a handful of earth as it reached the bottom.
"In sure hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commit the body of this child to the ground. The Lord bless her and keep her, the Lord make His face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her, the Lord lift up His countenance upon her and give her peace, both now and evermore. Amen."
"Amen," spoke the congregation as he sprinkled the earth onto the casket in the form of a cross.
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen."
"Amen," the congregation murmured softly.
"Reverend?" Jessica asked softly. "May I say a few words?"
"Of course, my child," he nodded, motioning for her to approach the graveside. "Anybody who wishes to remain and offer any last wishes to the deceased, please do. Everybody else may retire to the Church basement, where a luncheon has been provided by the friends and family of the deceased."
Most of the group started back to the church, as Heather stepped forward to the grave and pulled out a partial pack of cigarettes.
"I'm sorry, honey," she whispered. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, and I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about the smoking sooner. I'm sorry I didn't know how long you'd been struggling with who you were, and I'm sorry I don't know who it was who did this to you." She tossed the pack in with the casket, and swallowed the lump in her throat with some effort.
"I'm never going to forget you, and I'm never going to let you be forgotten. I promise you that. And this is a promise I'm going to keep the way you would have wanted me to, not the way I can wiggle around it." She stepped back, struggling to maintain her composure as her parents both embraced her warmly.
"She wouldn't hold it against you, Jess," Abe said, giving her a gentle hug of his own when he had the chance. "She never did hold a grudge, especially when it was something beyond a person's control. You didn't know what was going to happen, and you couldn't have been there any faster than you were."
"Doesn't make it feel any better," Jessica whimpered.
"Let's go inside with the others," the Reverend said, coming to take Jessica's hand. "You'll feel better with other people around you. I... hope you'll be a more regular member of the congregation, Jessica, but even if you're not ready for that, I'm here to talk any time you wish. I knew about Heather's feelings for you, and anybody who wants to hold them against either of you will have to go through me."
Jessica looked down at the Badger, and bit back a laugh that she was afraid would be somewhat hysterical.
"I'm starting to think that everybody else knew before I did, almost... we'd only actually been dating for a couple months."
"It took her a long time to become comfortable with herself," he explained, "and then to be comfortable enough to approach you. You've been at ease with yourself much longer, but much less comfortable in dealing with others. It is no shortcoming on your part," he reassured her.
"I'm a little surprised that you supported her," Jessica admitted quietly. "I mean... girls being into girls isn't exactly a traditional value."
"I believe in the true traditional values," he chuckled lowly. "Values like love, honor, and faith, not persecution and hate. I had battles with my colleagues over marrying Wolves and Ridgebacks in the Sixties, and I'm sure I'll have them in the future over marrying gay and lesbian couples as soon as somebody decides to make it legal."
"He also helped us come to terms with it, when we started getting hunches about Heather's interests," Abe admitted.
"Lately, we'd both been assuming that she'd tell us in her own time," Megan agreed. "We suspected that the two of you were more than just friends, but... we didn't want to push her to talk to us about it if she wasn't ready."
"We didn't want to talk about it yet," Abe sighed. "I only hope she forgives us, and that you can, for letting her think that we could ever do anything but love her as our daughter."
"If I'd pushed her to say something we'd have known sooner," Jessica shrugged. "Nobody's fault in the end."
"And something probably best not discussed at the luncheon," Reverend Gottlieb offered. "You may want to speak with some of Heather's friends from school, Jessica; it could do all of you some good. Several of them are almost as upset as you are."
"There are a couple of them I want to talk to," Jessica nodded slightly, moving ahead along with her parents.
"I hope she'll be able to move on," Megan sighed, watching Jessica go. "Thank you, Reverend, for everything you've done to set this up."
"Meg, moving the service outdoors and stepping outside the hymn list isn't a problem," the Badger smiled softly. "You're welcome though," he added, leading them back into the church and down the stairs into the reception area. "I didn't want to ask before, but would you mind explaining why you wanted the changes?"
"'Swing Low' was always Heather's favorite spiritual, and she'd have much rather spent her last moments under the sun than in church... no offense, Reverend," Abe added.
"None taken," the elderly man reassured him. "Now, go get something to eat, sit down, and try to remember the happier times." He reached up to squeeze Abe's shoulder, then stood back as they went down to join the people who had stayed for lunch.
Meanwhile, Jessica had made her own way through the line of the luncheon. Her plate was loaded with the minimum to be polite as she finished and looked around for where the cheerleaders were sitting. She spotted Becky, the slender Otter's rounded head sticking up above those of the rest of the group. Moving that direction, she was glad to see a spare seat next to Becky, one that the cheerleaders and their boyfriends hadn't filled yet.
"Mind if I sit here?" She asked, looking at Mike and Sandy. Her ears were lowered submissively, her tail down... for once, putting on a submissive attitude in front of the two Alphas wasn't hard for her at all. From their perspective, she was asking them to recognize her right to be with the pack. Even if most of the two teams weren't Wolves, the fact that their leaders were made all the difference. She was asking them to recognize a relationship they hadn't known existed.
It was almost funny. A week ago, Jessica couldn't really care less about Mike and Sandy knowing if she was dating Heather or not. Going to the party with her had been something she was looking forward to because she wanted to do things with her girlfriend in public. Now it was all about recognition, about quietly letting Heather's friends know what had been between them. And that meant getting Mike and Sandy to accept a very square peg fitting into a round hole; a gear-head chick sitting with the jocks and cheerleaders.
She didn't have the energy to fight about it, especially not here, but hopefully they wouldn't make her fight.
"We'd been saving it for... well, we'd been keeping it open as a nod to Heather," Sandy explained.
"You can sit there," Mike told her. "Assuming the rumors I've heard...?"
"Yeah... they're true," Jessica nodded, taking the seat with subdued gratitude. "She was going to take me to the party as her date," she explained. "Let everybody know then."
"I'm so sorry," Becky said, leaning over to give Jessica a hug. "She was really looking forward to it."
"Yeah, she was," Jessica choked out, hugging Becky back. "Are you okay?" She asked the Otter. "I saw how upset you were upstairs... I'll be honest, it meant a lot to me."
"We've been best friends since middle school," Becky said quietly. "It just doesn't seem possible that she's really gone. I'm glad you've come out, about the two of you. I just wish she'd come out to *me* before...."
"Josh was the only person who really knew, and he'd only just found out," Johnny offered, working his way through a thickly-stacked ham sandwich. "He told me about it," he explained quickly when Jessica and the other girls looked over at him. "After... y'know, after we all heard about what happened," he added at a look from Tony and Mike. "He said he saw you two being... uhm... friendly."
"*Just* being friendly," Jessica said, frowning as she glanced over at the Mouse at a nearby table. "Nothing we shouldn't have been doing."
"It doesn't matter," Mike reassured her. "Nobody meant anything in saying it, and Josh didn't say much, just that he saw you two together. It's no big deal, right?"
"Right... no big deal. I was just about to cream him after I caught him watching us," Jessica admitted. "I suppose I should probably apologize... be back in a couple minutes?"
"Sure thing," Mike nodded slightly, ignoring Johnny tugging lightly on his dress shirt. "We'll save the spot for you, have some happier memories to go back to when you're back?"
"Right," Jessica nodded, getting up and heading over to talk to Josh.
Meanwhile, Abe was taking his own seat, putting on a smile that wasn't entirely fake at some comment nearby.
"Hey, Abe." He looked over at Jim Straker, the Raccoon who ran the local Shell, and a longtime friend.
"Hello, Jim. Glad you could make it," he said, shaking his friend's hand, squeezing his forearm fondly.
"Had to leave Amy at her sitter's place, but I couldn't miss this," Jim said, returning the gesture before he sat down. "How are you and Meg holding up?"
"About as well as can be expected... I've got an idea how you felt when you lost Mary," Abe murmured.
"At least when God took my Mary back, he left Amy with me to keep me grounded," Jim countered. "I can't begin to imagine what it feels like for you."
"Hope you never can," Abe told him. "If I knew who'd done it.... I don't know what I'd do to them. Part of me says to make sure they go to prison, the other part...." He trailed off, looking down at the pulled beef sandwich on his plate and starting to eat slowly.
"If you do find out... call me, okay?" Jim asked him. "I've been talking to a few of the guys, we're setting up a local watch, just to make sure this doesn't happen to anybody else," he said casually. "I don't want Amy growing up in a town where we have to worry about this sort of shi- trouble," he said, correcting himself when he noticed the Reverend walking near them.
"Just be careful you get the right person, Jim," Abe said firmly. "Anything happens and... well, I'm friends with the Sherriff too. Hate to have to make choices like that at a time like this."
"Don't worry, we're a watch, not a lynch mob," Jim pointed out. "If you want to join in, you're welcome to... might help take your mind off things, but it's up to you."
"I'll think about it," Abe promised. "Give you a call if I decide to join in."
"Good," Jim smiled slightly. "By the way, we're going to be heading out to Sparky's Tavern this weekend, if you want to get out for a bit. My treat," he offered. Abe returned the smile, squeezing Jim's shoulder lightly.
"That, I will do. Just keep me from making you regret it."
"Why do you think it's on *my* dime?" Jim smirked. "My sister's agreed to take Amy for the night... Meg?" He called out, leaning back to look at Abe's wife. "She's said you'd be welcome to come over too, if you want some company."
"Thank you, Jim," Meg smiled. "I'll give her a call tonight and set up the details. I think it'll be a good idea to get out of the house for a while."
"Good," he nodded. "You both need something else to think about besides the farm and what's happened. So... what was up with Jessica, before?"
"At the grave?" Abe guessed. "She and Heather were good friends, she wanted to say goodbye one last time... I wasn't about to refuse her."
"We both know there's more to it than that, Abe," Jim frowned. "With what Gottlieb was going on about?"
"Jim, don't," Abe said seriously, looking at his friend. "Heather's always going to be my little girl, and I'm always going to respect her right to make her own choices about who she's close to. Just leave it at that, okay?"
"All right," the Raccoon nodded, backing off and focusing on his own meal. He would have to let Abe get around to wanting to talk at his own pace. He was about to settle into his own thoughts when he heard a snarl from the other side of the room and looked over, along with everybody else, to see Jessica holding Josh Harnell aloft by his lapels.
"You miserable little... it's all your fault, you sorry piece of shit, isn't it?" She snarled at him, before Mike and Tony rushed over to pull her back, Josh's parents quickly getting between the enraged she-Wolf and her target. "I can see it in your eyes, you little -"
"Jessica!" Abe snapped, rising to his feet and walking towards her purposefully. Her ears went flat as she realized what sort of a scene she was making, her body starting to shake as the initial rush of rage passed through her.
Then she turned, shrugging off the hands on her shoulders and bolting for the stairs out of the basement with a sob.
"Abe, Mr. and Mrs. Harnell, I am so sorry for Jessica's behavior," her father said sincerely, swallowing hard as he came over with his own ears flat and tail tucked contritely between his legs. "I don't know what happened, she's been... she's been very upset, with what happened... I, I hope you understand?"
"We understand, Mr. Carter," Mrs. Harnell said crisply. "But you'll understand if we don't want her anywhere near our son as well. All he said was that he was sorry for what happened, and she exploded at him!"
"I understand, ma'am," he said, nodding his head.
"Go check on her," Abe said softly. "Thank you for coming, and I won't hold this against any of you... she's upset, like you said. Take this the right way, but I hope you can get her to talk to somebody soon. I think she needs more time and space from this than she's giving herself."
"Thank you, both of you," Mr. Carter said, turning to go see just what the Hell had gotten into his daughter.