[ OPEN ]

[hostage]

Date & Time: Evening of April 30 (forward-dated)
Location: Unit 409
Characters: Jesse & anyone who wants to join him in baking cookies
Summary: Getting baked. The cookies are, that is. Here is the IC invitation.
Notes: Party/meme-style. Tag in your characters. Tag around. Whatever. Fun times. Remember this is taking place during the mission, so sorry to anyone who's in Australia. You're missing it!!!
Warnings: Put warnings on your thread subject lines. But seriously...

Jesse treats his kitchen the same way he treats the lab: it's spotless, sanitized, and organized. He's laid out many more supplies and ingredients than he would need if he were doing all the work himself. A few extra tables have been brought in and set up like an assembly line, so that each step of the process can be taken care of in order without people tripping over each other. After a few months of trials with this baking thing, he's gotten it all down to a science. The ingredients include items that can't be found easily in the city: various frostings, colorful sprinkles, some rarer nuts and chocolates and such. All things he picked up on a special shopping trip in the past, courtesy of the Initiative. The bakeware, too, is state-of-the-art. And there's a stolen stereo playing 80s-90s hip hop at a volume just loud enough to fill the silence.

Comments

[hostage]

I just though, um... Like if something happened, maybe you'd know. But I guess it didn't.

[...Yet?]

So...

[5055034455]

Something?

[He squints.]

Like what?

[hostage]

[Does he have to say it? It's hard to say it with Saul doing the whole concerned parent thing. Despite everything. Jesse gives Saul an uneasy look and fidgets with his hands. They knew it was coming, right? They sort of had that feeling? After the prison murders?]

[5055034455]

[The silence speaks volumes. Saul isn't sure what, exactly, Jesse's not talking about, but he knows it's not good. It's so not good that it makes his stomach do a little flip.

He could guess, but he doesn't want to.]

Jesse, what is it? Tell me.

[hostage]

I think he killed me.

[5055034455]

[It's the wording that really surprises him.

Saul was talking about convincing Walt to have Jesse killed, not kill the kid himself. So what Jesse says isn't just surprising — it's hard to believe.

Walt had refused absolutely. What the hell could Saul have missed...?]

What makes you think that?

[hostage]

What you just said, about how you thought he was being sentimental but he wasn't. Like... That's it, right? I was out, I wasn't doing anything for him, so... He came to my house. And, I mean, he had no reason to be there, right? He just showed up. And that's it. That's all I remember is opening the door.

[5055034455]

I know what I said.

[Saul can't argue with that logic, especially since Jesse has a point that's completely in-line with what he's been saying all along.

So why does he want to tell Jesse otherwise?]

I have no idea what Walt's capable of at this point. If he finally snapped and went full Heisenberg... yeah, I guess it's possible.

[hostage]

Yeah. So I was just... wondering if you knew.

[He rolls his shoulders into a helpless shrug and goes back to picking at his hands.]

It's good. That'd really suck, if you found me.

[Who's he kidding? He'd never be found. But Saul would be the only one looking. Which makes Jesse suddenly very sorry for being such an asshole.]

[5055034455]

[Saul looks down again and watches Jesse's hands. He's fidgeting, too — biting his lip, considering his next words carefully.

Not that there's much to consider.]

So you see why I can't let you do what you're planning to do.

[hostage]

This is my chance to stop all of it. To stop him.

[5055034455]

[When Saul glances up to meet Jesse's gaze again, he looks angry. His jaw is tense his eyes are narrowed and as soon as he speaks, his voice cracks.]

The only thing that's going to stop Walter White is death, Jesse. Whether someone kills him or the cancer finally catches up — that's the only way. That's it. Taking yourself out won't change anything. You're a variable. You're replaceable in that equation. It won't matter.

What about that don't you understand?

[hostage]

[Saul's right. Of course Saul is fucking right about this, but Jesse doesn't want to admit it because that truth either makes him helpless to stop anything or it means he's going to actually have to do it. He'll have to kill Walt himself. He can't think about that choice right now, so he shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

And then he nods.]

...Okay.

[5055034455]

[And Saul exhales like he's been holding in one very deep breath this entire time.]

Okay.

[hostage]

[Jesse takes a small step back. Awkward, like maybe he should say something more, something meaningful, or at least apologize for being a pain in the ass. Instead, he gestures toward the kitchen.]

So are you gonna help out, or..?

[5055034455]

[His eyes follow Jesse's hand and he leans to one side, glancing into the kitchen.

He doesn't really feel like sticking around.

But.]

Yeah, okay. Sure.

[One awkward pat on the shoulder later, Saul takes off for the kitchen to steal a few cookies before Jesse can stop him.]