Dark Days

Kiss and Make Up

©JRF2016

        It's been three days since the Reid incident and Conner has been avoiding me all day every day. Every time I get close to him he runs off. He isn't even staying in my cell anymore. He is out in the fields this morning. I walk in that direction. I need to talk to him. He looks up to see me walking toward him and he glares at me as I near. The look on his face tells me he is not in the mood to deal with me. He drops his head as soon as he sees me stop dead in my tracks from his stare. He just goes back to the crops so I walk over to where Darrick and Reid are sitting and plop down on the bench in between the two of them. Darrick smiles at Reid and they both look at me. "What?" I ask them.

"You and boss man ain't kissed and made up yet?" Reid asks me.

"Are you kidding? He won't even look at me let alone kiss and make up." Reid drapes his arm around my shoulder, "He still bein' a jerk about our little misunderstanding? You want me to straighten his ass out for ya?" I laugh and shake my head.

Darrick spoke up now, "Conner just needs some time to stew. He knows you love him and he loves you too. He's just stubborn, that's the way my little bro has always been."

"Thanks guys," I say as I throw my arms around them. I catch a glimpse of Conner as I do and he was staring at the three of us intently again. His anger seemed to show even more as he drops his tools and storms off to the fence. "Maybe I should go and try a little harder to talk to him. Maybe he's just waiting for me to initiate the conversation and get us back on track."

Darrick nodded, "Yeah go give his ass a push. Let 'im know what he's missin' by being a jackass." The three of us laugh at that. I take a deep breath in and stand up, "Here goes." I whisper as I start walking down to the fence. Conner was in a frenzy stabbing corpses in the head one after another without a pause in between. "Conner," I say as I approach him. He didn't stop or even turn around to acknowledge me. "Conner!" I shout after a minute thinking maybe he just didn't hear me. He stops this time but just stares at the ground catching his breath. "Talk to me Conner," I plead with him, "Please." He still didn't move. After what seemed like an eternity of silence I throw my hands up, "So you're just going to keep pouting? You're just gonna keep ignoring me? You're not going to give me a chance to explain anything?" Not a word from his lips. "Fine, just keep acting like a big baby." I could feel tears welling up in my eyes but there was no way I was going to let him see that. If he could act like he didn't care so could I. I turn and walk back up to the prison. I had only gotten a few steps away when someone grabbed my arm. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, "Conner..." I said with excitement in my voice as I turn to see Martha, "Oh hey Martha. What's up?" All the excitement left my voice as she stares at me with sadness in her eyes. "You okay?" I nod and continue my walk back to the cell block.

{Conner's POV} She was mad and I don't blame her. I know I'm being an asshole but I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. It's better this way. It's not fair to her, I was gone. She thought she had lost me forever and she started to move on and then I come back and expect everything just to pick up where we left off. I turn around and see her as she was leaving Martha. She never even looked back over to me. Suddenly I hit the ground. I look down at my foot and this dumb dead bastard has a hold of my ankle and is snapping at the fence trying to get to this fresh meat. I kick its head through the fence trying to get it to let go when an axe came down on its wrist separating its hand from the rest of its body. Martha holds out a hand to help me up. "Thanks Martha," I said, "Boy, I'm glad you showed up." I laugh but she just glares at me. "What?" I ask her. She drops the axe down by her feet, "Go talk to her before it's too late." {end Conner's POV}

Inside the cell block Charlie was with Grace in Reid's cell. I drop my head and walk by them. I figure if I was going to be with Conner he probably doesn't want me hanging around his kids. "Hey Rachel," Charlie calls out to me. I freeze for a half a second before continuing to walk back to my cell. My heart was aching and I didn't want to put that burden on Charlie. "Rachel stop!" Charlie calls out to me again as he catches up with me and grabs my hand, "What's wrong with you?" I turn to him forcing a smile onto my face. He had Grace in his arms and she was cooing and reaching for me. "Gracie's missed you. You haven't been around us in days, you were the one that always watched her while dad was out doing his stuff."

"Sorry kid, just been...uh...preoccupied. Gracie's missed me huh?" Charlie smiles and hands his baby sister to me.

"Yeah I guess I've missed you too," he smiles up at me. I ruffle his hair as Grace was playing with a stray strand of my hair.

"You guess you've missed me too!" I say in a sarcastic sound of shock, "And here I thought you loved me." We both laugh and then Grace joins in.

"Well I'd love you more if you stopped calling me kid," he says as he continues to smile at me.

I stick out my bottom lip in a playful pout, "But it's cute, just like you!" I lightly punch his arm. "Okay, but seriously, I asked you what was wrong and you never really answered my question."

I look him, "Actually I did answer. I told you I was preoccupied. That's an answer and it's the best one you're gonna get from me kid." I chuckle, "You don't need to be dragged into this mess I've gotten myself into."

"I don't mind. I can talk to dad for you. He'll listen to me and besides we're a family. It's what we do."

"You're a good kid, me and your dad are lucky to have you watchin' out for us. Honestly, though your dad is being reasonable, it's Conner that is still being a jerk. I'm hoping he will come around soon. I love him."

"We love you too." Charlie said as he wrapped his arm around me in a big hug.

"Ma Ma," Grace squeaked causing Charlie and I to look at each other with eyes wide just as Conner and Darrick walk in. They started chuckling. "Did I just hear munchkin say somethin'?" Darrick asks as him and Conner close the gap. "Yeah, she just called Rachel mama!" Charlie was so excited over this and I still wasn't sure what to think.

"Well, munchkin's a smart one," Conner says, "She knows a good woman when she sees one." I felt like I was made of lead. I couldn't move and I couldn't talk. Charlie stuck his nose in the air at Conner's comment. "Hey I'm smart too. I know Rachel's a good woman, so does my dad. Do you? Because you sure aren't acting like it."

{Reid's POV) I had slipped into the cell block unnoticed by Rachel and Charlie and I stayed out of sight as I listened to their conversation. I could see Rachel holding Grace and she looked even more beautiful to me in that moment than ever before. Seeing her with Charlie and Gracie made my heart melt. The kids loved her so much. I can't keep them away from her. Hell, I can't keep myself away from her. Every second of every day since Conner came back and I walked away from her my thoughts have been consumed with her. I love her. "Ma Ma," I jerk my head up from staring at the floor when I hear Gracie say her first word. She just called Rachel mama. My eyes began to water as Conner and Darrick walk up behind them. I wanted to go to her now. Conner standing there staring at her the way he was stopped me. I walk around the corner and my eyes immediately lock with Rachel's. "Hey Chief," she smiles. I hated being called chief but whenever she said it I felt my heart flutter. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now but your daughter just said her first word." I walk over to her without saying anything, I wanted to kiss her. I stare into her blue-green eyes and I whisper, "I heard." I take Grace from her as Conner moved in. He cups her face in his hands and leans his forehead against hers. I could feel my insides trembling. He was realizing what a good thing he was about to lose and my shot at having her was dwindling away the closer his face moved in to hers. I saw a tear roll down his cheek, "I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me for being such a jerk?" She raises her hand and wipes away that lone tear. "As long as you promise not to make a habit out of it," she laughs and he kisses her. That's it, I'll never hold her, kiss her, she'll never be mine. "Promise," he whispers against her lips as I turn away. {end Reid's POV}