A Lesson Learned?

Rue watched from the bleachers

The final show.

Why she came she didn't know

Perhaps it was her curiosity  about

Whether or not Jacob was really

Planning to go.

She knew he said he'd chosen to stay

To give Josie a stable life in some way

She found out he had another sister in town

Brandy Vine... the name made her frown.

That was a problem for another time.

Both their performances were sublime.

It almost made her wish she could run away

To this circus herself someday.

She walked around to the cages

To the panther, she asked to say goodbye

The mood was so somber

And it wasn't hard to see why.

The troupe, the tribe was losing

Not one but two who had been by their side.

She understood what such a loss

Could do to someone inside.

When she got back to the hotel it was quite late

She once again found Jacob in a drunken state.

She walked over to the bar, took his bottle away.

He looked about to give someone hell until

He saw her, he gave a sloppy grin instead

And said..."Hey."

"Hey, yourself. I see you don't learn your lessons well."

"What? Your bar is still intact as far as I can tell."

"You can't keep drinking your problems away.

You're just creating another one to fight along the way."

"Well, thanks for those sage words from the Shaman of the West.

You've done your good deed for the day so I should leave, I guess?"

Ruechari reached out and took his hand.

"You don't know me well enough but I get it,

I've been where you are, I understand."

"Really you lost your parents to cholera on a wagon trail?"

"I've lost both my parents, I'd tell you how but it's a rather gruesome tale."

"Have your siblings been taken never to be seen?"

"My tribe is broken if that's what you mean?"

My sisters were forced to whore, Ruechari."

"Your sisters are survivors and now you have Brandy."

"Lou didn't survive, I didn't get to even know her when she was alive."

Rue held on to his hand and said, "Come with me."

She led him to her office. "Have a seat."

She sat next to him,

Jacob reached for her face.

Rue pulled his hand away

"That's not why I brought you in..."

"I thought you..."

Ruechari knew,

But shook her head no.

"Does that mean you want to go?"

Jacob knew she was testing him

If he kept his mouth shut

he may just learn somethin'

But it still didn't stop Jake

from pulling her close to snuggle in.

Ruechari sighed but let it go

She had something to show

Rue pulled out a locket

She kept close to her heart,

Not entirely sure where she should start.

She opened it for him to see.

"These are my parents they were both taken from me.

The same man who killed my mother when I was just a babe

Left a shotgun whole in my grandfather's chest one day.

I watched as he expired in my arms.

Both him and my father I could not keep from harm.

My father gave his life for me, so I could become who

I was meant to be.

Without their chief, my people disbanded.

All because of a dirty deal my brother had done

Which was underhanded.

He sold out my people, my family, my tribe.

I lost them all, I wanted to die.

The darkness within me wanted to me to give in

To become a hollow shell he can live in.

And when I say he...

I mean literally.

A demon Jake, who killed my father

And had my family murdered for his own sake."

Jacob's head rested on her shoulder.

She reached out and touched his face.

"Demons are demons, alive or our own

Inside us, they will make a home.

Don't let it happen to you,

Please, Jacob be strong."

She looked at his expression

He was already gone.

When he had succumbed to sleep she

Did not know, she gently slid him

Down upon a pillow.

She covered him with a blanket

Rue tucked him in.

She kissed his temple

And watched him grin.

She was about to stand

To walk away,

When Jacob grabbed her hand

"Please, stay."

Rue sighed and sat down,

ran her fingers through his hair

All he could do is stare.

"Sure,

why not,

it's not like you'll remember anyway."

Jake was woken up by Ronan.

Not a sight he expected to see.

He had the damnedest dream

About Ruechari.

"Get up, your sister is worried about you.

Against my better judgment, it would seem you two

will now be working for Rue. I imagine 2 or 3 nights

should do?"

Jacob felt like a train wreck

Had a hard time processing what was being said.

What the heck? He is in Rue's office... how did he get here?

"Did you not hear?"

"Yeah, Yeah, I heard you. I'm working for Rue.

Seems like for some reason you still are too."

Ronan grinned. "That's right flame boy which means

You step out of line, and I'll get the pleasure

Of throwing you out this time.

Since I'm the manager of this place."

Ronan laughed, knowing Jacob's look

The look of someone who'd like to

rearrange his face.

"I'd love to tell you to go for it, kid.

You'd make my life SO much easier if you did.

But Ruechari has been through enough

So I'd think twice before deciding to get all tough.

Do I make myself clear?

Or are we going to have a problem here?"

Jacob stood up. "No, we're fine."

He'll let it go this time.

He needed the money to take care of Josie.

"Tell Rue, thank you for making me all cozy."

Jacob couldn't resist this last little dig.

Ronan stopped him in his tracks.

"You really need to learn how to pick your fights, kid."

Rue came in smiling but it turned to a frown

She could feel the tension of something going down.

"Do we have a problem here?"

"None at all. Just filled him in on the news.

So we're clear?"

Jacob gave Ronan a curt nod.

Ruchari found both their behavior odd.

Ronan smiled. "See no problems, Boss.

Now I think it's best we both get lost."

Ronan went to usher Jacob out the door.

"Wait, Ronan, I want to talk to him."

Jacob didn't even bother to hide his grin.

Ronan glared but left them alone.

"Thank you, Rue. For what you've done."

"You mean the job for you and Josie?"

"You have no idea what this means to me."

Rue nodded. "How much do you remember of last night?"

Jacob became concerned, "Why what did I do?

If I did anything inappropriate, I'm so sorry Rue.

I know you asked for space. I drank so much that most

Of what happened is erased. Last I remember we were

At the bar but how I got to sleep in your office

I don't remember that far."

"You're fine Jake. You can go."

Rue sat behind her desk but he needed to know.

"Rue, please tell me I didn't make some mistake."

"No, you're fine, this time, but if I were you.

I'd cut back on the moonshine. It's just going

To get you into trouble Jake."

"Okay." Jacob got to the door when he heard

her say...

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you've decided

to stay."

"I am too. Thank you, Rue."

He walked away whistling a tune

Thinking maybe he could ask

For that second date soon.