Code 736: A Runner

Chapter 10

(Cool we're in the double digits.) 

You sighed rubbing your brow with the back of your hand. You smiled happily, it was finally done! Your house was finally cleaned, scrubbed, and repainted in some parts. You puffed another sigh and turned to Rick and Triss. 

"Hey," you said tossing the rag to held on the counter, "To thank you would you let me take both of you out to dinner?" You paused, "Or lunch, it doesn't matter to me. Anyplace you want, not to expensive through." You laughed seeing the mischievous gleam die in Triss eyes 

"I have plans tonight," she scratched the back of her neck, "how bout lunch tomorrow?" She asked 

"That's fine with me." You said turning to Rick acting like he wasn't listening, "And you rick?" 

"Hmm?" He looked up, "Yeah, yeAH. Dinner toniGHt sounds fine." He grumbled looking back at his nails. 

"Ok...umm.." you paused, "6:00 sound like a good time to pick you up?" 

"YeAH. Whatever." He hummed not looking at you 

Sighing you pulled out a post-it note and found a pen, with your messy hand writing you handed it to him, "My number, in case your plans are changed." 

He stared at the note for a few moments then took it. You hummed slightly and smiled. 

"Ok now please leave," you said, "I would like to get everything set up." 

(Timeskip) 

You pulled on a sweater and smiled at your self. You pushed some stray hairs behind your ear. You hummed to yourself a toon you really didn't recognize and hopped down your stairs. You grabbed your keys and wallet, shoving those items into your pocket you walked out of your front door. You gazed down either side of the street and walked across it with a slight skip. You hopped onto the front step of their door and knocked. It was Beth who answered. 

"Oh! (Y/n)!" Beth seemed surprised, "we were just beginning dinner, do you want to join us." 

"Actually I'm sorry, I'm here to pick up rick for dinner to thank him for helping me today." You hummed slightly

"See Beth I told you!" Rick called probably from the dinning room. 

Beth rolled her blue eyes, "Well, ok." She gently pushed Rick towards you as he walked towards the door, "Have fun I guess." 

You shrugged slightly stepping aside to let him walk into the night air. He sighed slightly as the door closed behind him. He followed you to your truck. You hopped in and he sat down in the passenger side. You clicked your buckle in and looked at him. He cocked part of his eyebrow.

"What?" He asked sounding soberer than this morning

"Your life to risk." You hummed starting the truck

This confused him even more but he shrugged it off as you backed out of the driveway. All was quiet for a few minutes as you started down the road. You hummed quietly drumming your fingers on the steering wheel.

"So... where do you want to eat?" You asked not taking your gaze from the road 

"Doesn't matter to me really." He replied blandly, "where ever you like to eat should be fine." 

You remained silent at his reply and continued to drive. The silence was almost unbearable. With a quick motion to clicked on the radio.

"-And that my friends is why I don't eat fish on tuesdays." The Announcer laughed, "And now we have 'whiskey lullaby' by brad paisley." 

The toon started and you couldn't help but humm along. 

"She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette

She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin' to forget. 

We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time." 

You quietly mumbled along to the lyrics taking a sidelong glance at Rick smiling softly. 

"But he could never get drunk enough to get her off his mind~

Until the night.~" 

The chorus was beginning and you were singing slightly louder, not noticeable but louder. 

"He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger.

And finally drank away her memory.

Life is short, but this time it was bigger.

Than the strength he had to get up off his knees.~" 

Rick's ears perked slightly when he heard your voice quietly singing a long, he knew you took no notice in his enjoyment in the soft sound of your voice. 

"We found him with his face down in the pillow.

With a note that said 'I'll love her till I die.~ 

And when we buried him below the willow

The angels sang a whiskey lullaby.~" 

You dared not sing any louder, no matter how much rick was silently willing you too. He wanted to listen to you sing your heart out. He had never heard a voice so sweet and pure before this. 

"The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself. 

For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey in her breath." 

You paused for a slight breath 

"She finally drank her pain away a little at a time

But she could never get drunk enough to get him off her mind.

Until the night."

You blinked and cracked your window open a little

"She put the bottle to her head and pulled the trigger,

She finally drank away this memory.~

Life was short, but this time it was bigger

Than the strength she had to get up off her knees.~ "

You sighed quietly 

"We found her with her face down in the pillow 

Clinging  on to his picture for dear life~

We laid her next to him beneath the willow.~

While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.~" 

The song slowly played its last note and you quickly closed your mouth. The announcemer told a corny joke then played the next song. And the next. And the next. Each time Rick hoped you would start to sing again, hopping, wanting it to happen, but it didn't happen. You soon pulled to a stop at the restaurant you parked it and looked at rick. You nodded your head towards the restaurant.

"Letz go." You hummed