The tires of a sheriff's cruiser crunched on the gravel as it pulled up and squeaked to a stop. River's jaw dropped as a slim and uniformed version of Pete climbed out. "Holy moses! You two okay?"

Jackson nodded and let go of her hand, walking towards the vehicle. She followed. "How's everything in town?"

Pete nodded. "It stayed north of town, thank God."

"North? How far north? Pete, my folks' place...that's where Jilly—"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Your folks are fine. Your Mom called worried, said you'd left quite a while ago and she's been tryin' to reach ya but your phone was goin' straight to voicemail."

"My car broke down a few miles outside town and I left my phone at home," she explained.

"Well I'm glad to see you made it here. And that our second missing person is accounted for." Pete looked at Jackson pointedly.

"Ma call?"

"Ya. She's worried sick. I tried tellin' her anything that falls on your head would get hurt worse than you but she just couldn't see the sense in that."

River snorted.

"See, she can," Pete commented, nodding at River with a grin and crossed to her, chuckling. He wrapped his arms around her in a fierce bear hug and lifted her off her feet, then set her back down again. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Ugh, don't rub it in." She winced but managed a smile, stepping back and giving Pete a once over. "You look great!"

Pete's grin widened and he stuck out his chest dramatically, hands on hips. Jackson snickered and shook his head. "Oh, God help us, don't encourage him."

"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous." Pete winked. "You all want a ride in my chariot?"

After Pete radioed that he'd found them both, they shot the shit until another deputy arrived to secure the Oasis. They piled into the cruiser and Pete pulled away.

In the back seat of the sheriff's car with Jackson Powers was definitely not a place she'd ever pictured herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jackson's hand on her knee, rough thumb slowly moving back and forth against her skin, his face turned towards the window.

She watched him, blond hair still wet and mussed, dirty and marred from both work and the storm. By contrast, she noticed, aside from being wet from the rain and a few scratches on her forearms, she was virtually unscathed. He had seen to that.

"How's your head?" she asked and he turned to face her and smiled. The area around the bandage she'd applied was raised, and starting to bruise.

"It's fine. Like I said, I've had worse." His expression turned serious. He looked back out the window again and it dawned on her that this probably wasn't the first time he'd ridden in the back of a sheriff's car.

She turned that over in her head for a minute, various scenarios taking turns playing in her mind until Pete pulled into Jackson's driveway.

"Let me just grab the keys to the truck. I'll take you out to your car and take a look at it." He removed his hand from her leg as Pete opened the door from the outside.

"Okay, that'd be great. Thanks." She climbed across the seat, following him out of the car. Her boot splashed down into a puddle on the long driveway and she stretched languidly, breathing in the petrichor emanating from the thoroughly quenched ground.

"Daddy!" Stella shrieked and tore across the yard. She jumped up and Jackson caught her, plopping her on his hip and tapping her nose as he carried her with him up onto the porch. Stella looked back over his shoulder at River standing in the drive next to the cruiser and waved excitedly. "Hi, Uncle Pete! Hi, Miss River!"

River waved back and Pete honked the horn, as they disappeared inside.

"Sure is cute, ain't she?" Pete commented from inside the car.

River walked to his door and stood, arms crossed. "Ya, she sure is. And boy does she love her Daddy."

"Ain't that the truth." Pete looked up at her, considering. "You know, Riv, he's not the same Jackson you used to know."

She nodded slowly. "Ya. I'm starting to see that." What she wouldn't give to be the River they all used to know.

"He'd do anything for those kids. Hell, he'd do anything for just about anybody."

She squinted and looked down at Pete. "Trying to talk me into something here, Pete?"

Pete put his hands up innocently. "Would I do somethin' like that?"

She smirked. "Last time I listened to you, I got a snake bite and a visit to the ER."

"Well, Jackson's no snake. And it didn't look like I need to talk you into anything, seeing as how you two were attached to each other when I pulled up to the Oasis," he added, grinning slightly. She rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm just tryin' to say, I've been here to see it when you haven't. He's a good man, River. Give him a chance."

Her eyes wandered back to the house and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Ya, okay," she agreed, then squinted an eye and leaned back to look into the vehicle, pointing at the shiny badge on her old friend's chest. "You owe me $20 by the way."

He smiled. "I was wondering if you'd remember that. I never would have believed in a million years that I could do it. You always believed in me, friend. Thank you for that."

She shrugged, her heart swelling as memories they'd shared together flooded in. "Back at ya."

He pulled his wallet out from his back pants pocket and held out a crisp $20 bill. She reached for it and he pulled it back, grinning. "How's about you let me hang onto this and use it to buy you lunch tomorrow? R&R? High noon?"

She lowered her hand. "Deal," she agreed and he pocketed the cash and started the engine, waving as he backed out of the drive and pulled away.

Jackson jogged down the front steps and motioned to his pickup sitting in the drive. "Ready?"