Ben Jackman pulls his car to a stop, swinging into an open parking space directly in front a squat gray rock building. Jackman's driver side door swings open and he steps out into the warm Texas spring sunshine. He looks around slowly, almost cautiously for a moment, his hand still wrapped around the edge of the door, almost as if he wants to get back inside and just leave. Jackman pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head, his eyes still slowly scanning over the building in front of him eventually coming to rest on a sign. Connally Elementary School. Grades K-3 Jackman stares solemly at the sign for a moment before he finally loosens his grip on the car door, and lets is slam closed behind him. Jackman jams his hands down into the pockets of his blue jeans and walks slowly up to the front door of the school, still a little uneasy with the sitation, although he's not sure why. He pulls his right hand out of his pocket and wraps it around the front door handle wincing backward more in shock than pain, as an arc of static electricity jumps from the door to his finger. Jackman pulls the door open and walks inside, the door settling softly closed behind him as he looks slowly around the schools foyer, his eyes immediatly leading him to the secretary's desk where he leans over placing his massive forearms against the ledge for support. "Yes, sir. How may I help you?" "Yes, my son is Jonny Jackman. I'd like to talk to him for a few minutes if I could." The woman looks across the desk at Jackman uneasily, a hint of recognition on her face as she reaches out blindly and hits the intercom button on her desk phone. "Mrs. Simon, this is Carol at the front desk. Could you send Jonny Jackman up here please, his father needs to speak with him." A voice crackles back over the line, and almost instantly a door opens at the end of the long hallway, and Ben Jackman turns to see his son flying down the hall toward. Jackman kneels down out of instinct and sweeps his son up into his arms pulling him close and squeezing him tight against his chest. After several moments, Jackman lets his son down, and the questions come in a flood. "Daddy, where've you been? When you coming home? Are you home now? Why doesn't mommy want you around?" Jackman holds a single finger up to his lips, urging his son to at least stop to catch his breath. "Calm down, Jonny. I don't know what happened to your mommy, but you've gotta listen to what she tells you for now. I'm gonna try to take you home with me in a few weeks." Jonny's eyes light up. "Really? Can't we just go now?" Jackman chuckles softly, a smile lighting up across his face. "Nope, you've gotta stay here at least until we get this all straightened out. I haven't done much the right way since you were born, but I plan to change all that now. We're gonna do this the right way. Gotta go to court, but thats what you have to do. You understand, Jonny?" Jonny looks at the ground, shuffling nervously on his feet "Yeah. Mommy told me you didn't have a prayer to win. But I've been praying anyway Daddy. I know you love me, even when mommy says you don't." Jackman tries to smile, but his smile trembles and a single tear rolls slowly down his cheek. "I do love you Jonny. And I'm gonna do everything I can to get you with me." Jonny steps closer to his father, wiping his tear away and throwing his arms around his kneeling father's neck. "Can't I just tell the people in the court that I want to go with you." Jackman pauses for a moment as a police cruiser pulls to a stop outside the front door of the school. Jonny's back is to the door, but Jackman is looking right at them as they step out and point directly at him through the glass doors of the school. The first policeman signals to the second to wait, and they lean up against the hood of their squad car and fall quickly into an easy conversation. Jackman turns his attention back to Jonny, but keeps a steady eye on the cops. "No, its not quite that easy, Jonny. Where you're thirteen you can tell them that, but until then they have to decide for you." Jonny's lips trembles heavily a coupla tears rolling down his face at this. "But...why, daddy? I know what I want. Why won't they let me decide. I'm not a baby." Jackman nods wordlessly, knowing full well that anything he attempted to say would be strangled back with a sob and then it would be all over with, the tears would come in a torrent for both of them with no end in sight. He missed his son terribly and it hurt him horribly just to see him without being able to take him away. "I've gotta go now. I love you Jonny." Jackman ruffles his son's hair back and plants a gentle kiss on his son's forehead. Jonny smiles at his father sheepishly and throws his arms around his father one last time before turning back down the hall to his classroom, tears welling in his eyes. Jonny stopped at his classroom door pausing to look back down the hall at his father. Jackman caught his look, and waved back a smile breaking across his tear stained face. Jonny's classroom door closed, and Jackman struggled to his feet, and headed for the door where the police stood waiting. At his first hint of movement they became ridgid, the conversation ending immediatly. As Jackman walked back outside through the glass doors, the policemern approached a look of stony dissaproval on his face. "Ben Jackman?" Jackman stopped, going increasingly uneasy with the police prescense. "Yes sir, what can I do for you." The policeman's hand slides to his hip and a pair of handcuffs. "Mr. Jackman you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent." Jackman rolls his eyes, and silently wondered if he knew the Miranda Warning better than these cops did, he certainly didnt' doubt. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Jackman nodded his understanding. "You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you by the State of Texas." Jackman nodded again, holding his wrists outward. The first police smiled haggardly and snapped the cuffs around Jackman's wrists, as they hustled Jackman toward the squad car, he turned to the first police officer. "So, tell me. Whats the charge, officer?" The policeman looked back at him and uneven grin on his face. "Failure to heed a restraining order." Jackman eyes light up in shock. "RESTRAINING ORDER?! From who?" The cop looked back at Jackman as he pulled the rear door open, and shoved Jackman inside. "You are not allowed within fifty feet of your son, until your set court date, Mr. Jackman. I thought you knew." The squad car door shuts with a slam, and the car pulls away from the curb. As they pull away the driver reaches over and turns on the radio, a country station comes on. Theres someone I've gotta to talk to can't get him off my mind. He is just a kid but hes in a pretty rough spot. Two dimes'll make a phone call but thats about all I've got." "Hows my boy, today? I know its been three weeks. But you know how far I've got to go these days to make ends meet. Hows your mama now? With her new live in friend. Oh how I hate the wounds that never seem to mend" "You said 'I don't call him Daddy, but he takes care of things. When you pick me up on Friday are you gonna bring me anything? Oh, don't worry Dad, you know it don't matter what we do. Cause I don't call him Daddy, he could never be like you'." "God Bless the little hearts, there the ones who really pay When mom and dad can't get along and they go their seperate ways In a way I'm glad theres someone there to fill the empty space Tears of understanding stream down a dirty face." And I don't get to see him half as much as I had planned There so much I to tell him so precious little time A little rain on the window and a little wave...goodbye." Fade out ************************************************************* Ben Jackman awakes from a tumultuous sleep to the sound metal striking metal, followed quickly by the sound of a key in a lock, and a door sliding back on its tracks. Jackman rolls over on the small cot afforded him at Highway 6 Jail, about ten minutes East of Waco, his sleep-blurred eyes closing on a thickly built corrections officer standing in the entrance to his cell, baton in hand. Jackman rolls back over on to the bed again closing his eyes and trying to go back to sleep, not caring about the man inside his cell. The sound of the baton strking the bars again causes Jackman to roll over now more than a litle annoyed. Jackman sits up halfway on the bed, his steely gaze training on the man across the cell. "What the fuck do you want?" The officer cleared his throat, and spat onto the cell floor. "You're outta here Jackman. Someone's come to bail you out." Jackman throws his feet over the side of the bed suddenly showing an increased interest in what the officer has to say. "Oh?" The officer nods slowly. "Yeah, so get your shit, and I'd appreciate a little respect." Jackman stands up, stretching his arms upward toward the top of his cell, his shoulders and back popping audibly, and follows the officer wordlessly out of the cell. An hour later, Ben Jackman walks out into the warm Texas afternoon, he squints his eyes momentarily against the harsh sun, totally unused to it after a week in a jail cell. A car pulls out of a parking spot near the service entrance of the jail, and Jackman watches as it swings toward him. The car pulls to a stop right in front of Jackman and the passenger side window rolls down. Jackman leans down looking into the car, his eyes again having to adjust to the cool darkness inside, after a few seconds the driver speaks a smile lighting up his face. "Well you gonna stand there and stare or are you gonna get in?" Jackman staggers backward in suprise, realizing that the driver of the car is in fact SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Champion, OutKast. Jackman reaches forward and opens the passenger door sliding into the front seat, still more than a little shocked by the latest turn of events. 'Kast hits the gas, and pulls out on to eastbound Highway 6, and heads back toward Waco. After several minutes, Jackman turns toward Kast still totally shocked. "So..you came all the way down here from where? Carolina? Just to bail me out." Kast only nods, his eyes trained on the road ahead. Jackman waits for words but realizing none are coming, he continues. "I know I said, if you need anything I had your back, but what the...well what the hell is this?" Kast smiles, never taking his eyes off the road. "The street runs both ways, Ben. I'd figure a man like you would know that by now." Jackman nods, a look of deep thought shadowing his face. After several miles of road pass under the tires, Kast turns toward his passenger a somber look on his face. "Thinking about your kid?" Jackman only nods, not even bothering to search his brain for words. Kast smirks, and continues. "I know where you're coming from, bro. I've been through hell for my daughter and I'd go through anything to keep her safe." Jackman offers a wane smile. Kast's eyes go back to the road, but he continues a grimace on his face. "Erik Boyer hit my pregnant wife in the stomach with a chair, tried to kill our unborn daughter. But I suppose all's well that ends well." Jackman leans back in shock, he'd heard something of this before, but for some reason it had never quite struck home until now. His voice comes in a thin whisper. "Jesus Christ." Kast nods again, only one word escpaing his lips. "Yeah." Several minutes later, Kast pulls the car to a stop outside the Tow King Wrecker Service, he kills the car and turns to Jackman. "This is where they had you're car towed to. So I guess this is where we go back to our business." Jackman nods, reaching out to open the passenger door. Kast stops him before he opens to the door fully. "Ben, if you need anything, just give me a call. You've got the number." Jackman nods stepping fully out of the car, before leaning over again and extending his hand back into the car. Kast seizes his hand, and the two shake. A thin smile spreads across Jackman's face as he offers his thanks. "Hey, thanks alot, bro." Kast returns the smile, turning the key in the ignition and firing the car back up. "Anytime, bro. Anytime." Jackman shuts the car door behind him and trudges slowly up to the entrance of the wrecker service. FADE OUT. 
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