The Past Returns

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Disturbing Themes

Rating: FRT

Italics and/or // indicates a flashback

The Past Returns
Chapter 15


Jesse stood at the window of Aaron Bass' house, watching his youngest as he sat on the banks of Lake Jennifer. The last week had been rough on all of them, but it had been the hardest on Cody.

"It's hard to watch them hurting, isn't it?" Aaron asked as he joined him at the window. "Coffee?"

Jesse accepted the offered cup with a grateful smile, "I was hoping being here would help him, but it's not. The nightmares aren't stopping and each one seems worse than the one before it."

"His or your's?"

"I won't deny I've had my share of bad dreams in the last week. His have been a lot worse, they've gotten worse since Matt went back to the Ranger station."

Aaron made a disgusted sound in his throat. Ever since he'd joined the Rangers, Matt had gotten on his nerves. He didn't do things the way his father had, or the way Merlin Pierce did them for that matter. They'd had a way of making a person feel like they had a choice, some control, over their own fate. Not Matt though, he told you how things were and just expected you to do what he told ya to. Boy needed to learn more respect for his elders. Just because he had a college education and had the training to lead the Rangers, didn't mean nobody else knew anything. At least he had the good sense to listen to his father, in most cases anyway.

Jesse shot him a look. He knew Aaron and Matt had butted heads for years, probably would continue to for years to come. "He had to go back Aaron, he's got a job, responsibilities."

"That's bull Jesse, and you know it," Aaron argued. "His first responsibility is to his family. That boy out there," he nodded towards the lake, "needs his brother here, not off playing Ranger."

Jesse sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, "Actually Cody needs the break from Matt."

"Now why would you think he needs that?"

"Because every time he looks at Matt he feels guilty, no matter how many times Matt tells him there's no reason for it."

Aaron's eyes lit up with understanding, "He's blaming himself over Jackie being in jail."

"Matt's told him that the only one to blame for that is Jackie, but Cody feels like he's taking her away from his brother."

The old man shook his head sadly, "That boy...he breaks your heart doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Jesse quietly replied. "I don't know what to do Aaron," he admitted. Turning away from the window, he sat down at the small table Aaron kept in his kitchen.

Aaron joined the man who was like a son to him. Laying a weathered hand on Jesse's arm, he gave a supportive squeeze. "You'll do the same thing you've always done Jesse. Be there for him, love him, reassure him as often as he needs to hear it."

“I hope that will be enough.”

“It will,” Aaron assured him.


Cody stared out at the water of Lake Jennifer, lost in thought. He wanted to pray that his mother and uncle would take the plea deals they were being offered, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. How could he ask that they do something that would guarantee them prison time just so he wouldn't have to testify at their trials? A small whimper escaped him as he wondered again, when he had become such a coward?

“How much?”

Cody jumped, startled by the unexpected voice, as much as by the question Looking up, he was surprised to see his grandfather standing there. I should've known by the coldness in his voice that it was him, he thought to himself. “What do you mean?”

“Come on boy, you can't be that naïve,” Charles Kern scoffed. “What will it cost to get you to drop these charges?”

Cody looked at him in disbelief. How could the man think he was doing this for money? “You think that's what this is about?”

“Well either these lies you're telling are about getting a payday or just plain old-fashioned revenge. Which is it boy?”

Cody stood up, glaring at the older man. “You know what? I used to be jealous of Matt for having the chance to get to know you. I'm not anymore, if this is what you're like then I feel sorry for my brother for having to deal with you at all.”

“That's a very pretty speech boy, I suppose I'm supposed to be hurt now and begging your forgiveness?” he scornfully spat the question. “I'm afraid that if that's what you're after, you'll have a long wait. You still haven't answered my question.”

“I don't want your money and it's not about revenge. The only thing I want is justice for what they did to me.”

“So you won't be bought off?”

“No way,” Cody firmly replied.

“Well then I suppose I have no choice but to try something else,” Charles smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. “I'll speak to you later boy,” he warned him as he walked away.

Cody shuddered, the tone of his voice and the coldness of his smile sending chills down his spine.

Charles stopped, as if he'd a thought had just occurred to him. Turning back to the boy, he shot him a sympathetic look, a look that failed to reach his eyes. “You know, with your mother about to go to prison, I hope nothing happens to your father. Of course, if it did, I'm sure the state would see to it that you were placed with your nearest living relative. I would imagine that would be me, after all your brother is in a dangerous occupation and a young boy like yourself should be in a stable environment.”

“You leave my dad alone,” Cody growled. Crossing his arms over his chest, he did his best to hide the fear that was running through him.

“Me?” Charles asked, feigning innocence. “Why grandson I was only expressing my concern, I'm sorry if you took that as a threat.” Though the words were right, the apology reeked of insincerity. “I do hope, however, that you'll change your mind about continuing with these lies.”

“I'm not lying! Uncle Roy hurt me and Mom knew about it. She didn't do anything to stop him, she even told him where my Dad's cabin is so he could come up there. He hurt Matt and my Dad to get to me. He was going to...” Cody trailed off, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Jen, Aaron's granddaughter, saw Cody talking to an older man. The man looked completely out of place up here in his suit and tie. That wasn't what bothered her though, it was the look on Cody's face. Worried for her friend, she ran into the house. “Mr. Hawkes there's a man talking to Cody and he looks upset,” she said in a rush.

“What man? Where is he?” Jesse barked as he jumped to his feet.

“I don't know who he is, but they're down by the lake.”

“Thank you sweetheart.” Hurrying out the door, Jesse ran down to the lake.

“That's a lie, probably cooked up by your father. There is no way my boy would do something like that,” Charles protested.

“He did it,” Jesse firmly informed his former father-in-law. “Are you okay son?”

Cody nodded, grateful for his father's presence as he felt a strong arm laid across his shoulders.

“What are you doing here Charles?”

“That is no concern of yours Hawkes,” Charles sneered.

“He wants me to drop the charges against Mom and Uncle Roy.”

“Of course he does. You're actually speaking to the wrong Hawkes about that,” Jesse coldly informed him. “You see, since Cody is a minor, it's up to me whether or not charges are proferred against your children.”

“I know that Hawkes, but if the boy isn't willing to testify they won't have a case.”

“But they will,” Jesse smiled. “Matt will testify about being hit in the head by Roy. The Rangers that came to my cabin that day will testify as to what they saw. Then of course there's my eyewitness testimony and the testimony of the doctors who treated all of us at the hospital. If you want to help Roy and Jackie, your time would be better spent finding a good lawyer. Not that it'll do any good, not with the evidence against them. Come to think of it, I guess all you can really do is get ready to spend the next couple of years visiting Jackie in prison. As for Roy, I imagine it'll be quite a few years longer that you'll have to visit him behind bars.”

“This isn't over Hawkes,” Charles sneered.

“I don't know how you found us, but I'm warning you now that if you bother my son again I will have you up on charges.” Jesse waited until Charles had left, before turning Cody back towards the house. “I'm sorry you had to deal with him on your own son.”

“It's not your fault.”

“What did he say to you?”

Cody swallowed hard, licking his suddenly dry lips. “He offered me money to drop the charges, accused me of lying.”

“I can't say I'm surprised by that offer, it's the way he operates.”

Cody nodded. Chewing on his lower lip, he silently debated with himself as he tried to decide if he should tell his dad the rest.

Jesse watched him carefully, he knew there was more to tell. With effort, he patiently waited for his son to fill him in.

“He threatened you,” Cody finally whispered.

“Don't you worry Cody, he's all talk.”

Cody turned frightened blue eyes on his father, “Are you sure? He said that if mom goes to prison that it would be a shame if anything happens to you. Then he said that if it did the state would make me go live with him cause Matt's job is too dangerous.”

A curse slipped out before Jesse could stop it. “That won't happen Cody, I promise you. He's only hoping that if he can scare you enough then you won't testify. Your grandfather knows the law Cody and he knows that without you the prosecutor doesn't have much of a case, making it harder to get them to agree to a plea deal.”

“I hope you're right,” Cody softly responded. “How'd you know he was here?”

“I didn't know it was him, but Jen came in and said there was somebody upsetting you.”

“I'll have to remember to tell her thanks.”

Jesse smiled, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately, “You do that son.”

“I wonder how he found us,” Cody mumbled.

Jesse scowled, he wondered that himself. “I don't know, but I suppose it was inevitable that he would sooner or later.”

Cody nodded, he might have lived his whole life on the mountain but that didn't mean he didn't understand the way things worked in other places. A man like his grandfather, with money and power, wouldn't have much trouble finding somebody who would be willing to tell him what they knew. The only thing he was sure of, was that it hadn't been any of the Rangers to spill the beans.



“Dad?” Cody called as he stepped outside a week later.

Jesse turned from where he sat watching the ducks playing on the mountain lake. “What is it son?”

“I was wondering if...” he trailed off, suddenly uncertain of his father's reaction. Stop it Cody, he ordered himself, he won't think you're weak. “Do you think maybe I could go see that counselor the doctor recommended?”

“I can call and make an appointment right now,” Jesse offered, coming to his feet. He was relieved that his youngest was finally ready to talk to somebody about what he'd been through. He knew it would take time, but this was an important step if Cody was ever going to recover from the ordeal he'd been put through.

“Thanks Dad,” Cody smiled, glad his father didn't think he was weak for seeking help. He had thought he could handle this on his own, but after what had happened earlier today, he knew he'd been fooling himself.

//Cody knew his father was anxious to get back home, back to their own cabin. Feeling bad about keeping the older man away from home and if he were honest, wanting to reclaim the home his uncle had violated, he sneaked away from the lodge. At first his hike had been uneventful, but the closer he had come to the cabin, the more anxious he became. By the time he arrived at his home, he was shaking so badly that he could barely stay on his feet. Standing outside the cabin, too afraid to go inside, the memory of his uncle's voice and the feel of his hands on him, were pushing aside the reality of the moment.

The screech of a barn owl snapped him from his daze. Turning from the cabin, he ran back to the lodge as if the devil himself were nipping at his heels. Gasping for air and covered in sweat, he stood behind the lodge, bent over with his hands on his thighs, he worked to get himself under control.//

He had spent the hours since thinking about what had happened, both today and two weeks ago. Finally, though he didn't want to, he came to the conclusion that he needed help to deal with what had happened. Unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life hiding from reality and memories. Being his father's son, he couldn't bring himself to do that, although a part of him desperately wanted to. He knew it would take a lot of work, and be a long road, but he hoped that the counselor could help him to go home again.


Cody had soon found out he was right, six weeks into therapy and he felt like he was just barely started on the road to recovery. Though the counseling was helping, more than he could have imagined when this had all started, there were limits to what the counselor could do. The one thing he had learned, the counselor said it was the most important thing, was that he couldn't do this on his own. If he wanted to move past the betrayals of both his uncle and mother, he would have to let those who loved him most help him. He had thought he was letting them help, but he saw now that he had only been letting them help him with the surface problems. A part of him held back from them, he had told himself it was to spare them the difficult details. He realized now that it was fear that had held him back. Fear that, they too, would betray him as his mother and uncle had. He supposed robbing him of that trust in his father and brother was the worst thing they'd done to him. With help from his counselor he saw that now and he was determined that he wouldn't give into the fear that was their legacy to him. It helped that his mother and uncle had accepted their plea deals and both were now on their way to prison. The sheriff had personally delivered that bit of news just three days ago, along with the news that his grandfather had left town. Cody couldn't help being relieved that the older man had proven to be all talk, just as his father had said he would.

“Hello Cody,” Dr. Jenkins smiled as the boy stepped into his office.

“Hey doc,” Cody greeted him, flopping down into one of the comfortable chairs in the office.

“How are you feeling today Cody?”

“Relieved,” he answered, not needing to give it any thought.

“That was quick,” the doctor smiled. “Why are you relieved?”

“The sheriff came to see us a few days ago, my mom and uncle took the plea deals. They're going to prison, they can't hurt me anymore and my grandfather left town too. My dad said his threats were just talk, but I was kind of worried that they weren't.”

“You're not now?”

Cody thought about it, knowing the doctor would want more than a simple yes or no. “No, I'm not. The thing is, he really hates my dad and I guess me too now,” he added as an afterthought. “Anyway, he seems like the type that would hire somebody else to do his dirty work, but he'd want to watch. So if he's left town it means he won't be doing anything.”

“I see, sounds like you've thought this out.”

“Yeah, it helped once I started thinking about it logically.”

“So you're relieved and did that bring up any feelings of guilt?”

“Yeah, but I kept telling myself the things we've talked about until I started to belief I don't have anything to feel guilty about. They're the adults and they knew that they were doing wrong, it's not my fault that they're in trouble. They could have made different decisions, either one of them could have, and then they wouldn't be going to prison. It's they're fault, not mine.”

“You're absolutely right Cody, I'm glad you realized that on your own. That's a big step for you,” he smiled. “Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?”

“I want to go home.”

“How close have you gotten?”

“I managed to make it inside and into the kitchen and my bedroom, but I can't go into the living room yet.”

Dr. Jenkins nodded, making notes. “How long were you in the house?”

Cody smiled now, “I was there for two hours.”

“Very good Cody, I'm proud of you,” the doctor smiled encouragingly. “I've been thinking about your situation. I know how important it is to you that you're able to go back home. However, I also understand that it doesn't feel like your home anymore. The space was violated every bit as much as you were, is that accurate?”

“Yeah, that's it exactly.”

“Cody, how do you feel about Native American spiritual practices?”

“I've got friends that are Native American's and my friend Jamie's grandfather is a shaman,” he replied, confused by the question.

“Really? That's perfect then. You need to reclaim your home, but you haven't been able to. Your uncle's presence lingers like a malevolent spirit, correct?” At the boy's nod, he continued. “I want you to ask your friend's grandfather, or somebody else if you're not comfortable with him, to spiritually cleanse your home. Perhaps if you feel that the space has been, metaphorically speaking, scrubbed clean of your uncle's presence, you'll be able to reclaim it.”

Cody thought about it, mulling the idea over carefully. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. “I'll do it,” he firmly decided.

“Good boy,” Dr. Jenkins smiled. “I think that will be enough for today, I look forward to hearing how it goes at our next session.”

“Thanks doc, see you next week.”

Cody wasted no time when he left the counselor's office. His dad, after hearing the doctor's idea, liked it too. Driving away from the office, they quickly made their way to the Logan home. Everything moved quickly after that. He spoke with Jamie's grandfather, telling him what had happened to him and what he needed. He wasn't surprised when the old man agreed to cleanse the cabin as he watched him with wise old eyes.

The next morning, at sunrise, the old man met them at the cabin. Insisting that both Cody and Jesse needed to be involved, he had led them through the ritual cleansing of their home. When it was over, Cody felt, for the first time since the attack, as though he were once again standing in the home he'd always known.

That night, as he lay in his bed, looking up at the moonlight streaming through his window, Cody quietly sent a prayer of thanks skyward. He knew there was still plenty of work to be done, it would take him a long time to become the boy he'd been before. No, that wasn't right. He would never be that boy again, but with time and the help of his family and friends, he knew that he would be okay.


The End

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