Ben Jackman strides off a small twin prop plane into the Waco Regional airport. A scant few steps into the tiny terminal and his cellphone is out and pressed to his ear. Jackman walks casually across the terminal as the phone rings dully in his ear, a knee length leather jacket whistling nearly inaudibly back and forth at his knees. Just as Jackman reaches the outer door of the terminal and steps out into the cold Texas afternoon, the phone is picked up on the other end.

"Keith Garner. Attorney at Law. How may I help you?"

Jackman smiles to himself.

"Keith, it's Ben. I just happened to be in Waco this afternoon and I have a little legal business I'd like to discuss if your schedule is free this afternoon.

"Ben? Ben Jackman? Yeah, my schedule is clear you. Come on by. I assume since you have the number you know where to find me."

Jackman reaches into his pocket producing a faded and bent business card.

"Yeah, Keith. I know where to find you."

Jackman looks down at the card, and recites the addres back over the phone.

"Helton Rainey Garner and Associates Law Firm. 601 Franklin Ave. 4th Floor?"

Keith's voice comes back over the line.

"Yeah...thats the place. See you in about fifteen minutes. Take you about that long to get from the airport."

Jackman laughs.

"How in the hell did you know I was at the airport?"

Keith bellows with laughter.

"Lucky guess?"

Jackman shakes his head, hanging up the phone, and sliding it into his pocket before jumping behind the wheel of his rental car.

Fifteen minutes later Ben Jackman walks into the Helton, Rainey, Garner and Associates offices a bottle of water in his left hand. He takes a few short steps toward the main desk before an office swings open to the rear of the room, and Keith Garner steps out ushering Ben toward his office.

Keith leads Ben into the office pointing him toward a chair across the desk from his own. Keith sits down with a relaxed sigh, and looks across at Ben with an arched eyebrow.

"Well Ben. What can I do for you?"

Ben looks down at the floor for a moment, before looking back up to meet Keith's gaze.

"I want to file for custody of my son."

Keith leans back in his chair as the full weight of Jackman's statement sinks in.

"Little Jonny? When was the last time you even saw him, Ben?"

Ben grimaces.

"I spent quite a bit of time with him and Stephanie between Thanksgiving and New Years. But before that I hadn't seen him in years."

Keith nods in understanding.

"And what exactly makes you suddenly want your son put in your custody?"

Ben looks at the floor again, finding himself completely unable to meet Keith's eyes.

"I've spent long enough not knowing my son, and it tears me up inside knowing I gave up the first seven years of his life for nothing. I would've been just fine staying with his mother but now apparently thats not what she wants, and from what I've come to understand she either doesn't want the kid, or just treats him like shit to get my attention."

Keith reaches into his breastpocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He shakes one out and lights up, taking a deep pull before replacing the pack in his pocket.

"She's been treating him like shit? How do you know this Ben, have you seen it with your own eyes?"

Ben shakes his head, his eyes still glued to the floor.

"But I do have this. A message from him where his mother caught him on the phone."

Jackman reaches into his pocket pulling out his cellphone and handing it across the desk to Keith who listens intently for several moments, a look of pure disgust sliding across his face moments before he hands the phone back across the desk.

"See what I mean?"

Keith nods, his hand resting against his chin in thought for a moment before he speaks again.

"You're in a hell of a fix, Ben. You're career isn't very condusive to caring for a seven-year old. That's gonna be hell if we take this to court."

Ben nods in understanding.

"I understand that, Keith. But I'm willing to do anything to get my son away from that...that bitch."

Keith smiles, still deep in thought.

"How have you been doing on child support payments in the seven years between his birth, and when you saw him again at Thanksgiving?"

Jackman finds the strength to lift his head, a wane smile crossing his lips.

"Never missed a payment, Keith. Sent triple most of the time."

Keith nods.

"Well Ben, that'll definitely help your cause. Although I still don't know how much that'll matter in the end, you're career is gonna fuck you, Ben. I don't see anyway around it, especially with some of the shit I've seen you do. Thats not the kind of environment a judge is going to want to even consider putting a seven year old kid into. But then again, he wouldn't want him in the position he's in now."

Jackman's eyes return to the floor, unsure of what to do or say next.

"Well, what are you telling me, Keith?"

"I'm telling you, Ben, that if you want to do this, I'll be glad to back you up but I'm warning you right now, that is not gonna be easy. In fact I'd say your situation is bordering on the impossible, but its worth a shot, for your son, right?"

Ben nods slowly, his eyes still glued to the floor.

"You're goddamned right it is."

FADE.