A/n

This is just a little one shot that's been spinning in my mind for a while that I wanted to get out. I'll be carrying on with Relit flames soon. The next chapter is nearly finished. But I hope you, kind reader, likes this. Enjoy. Reviews are fun ;)

MBRB'ox

Reba watched as Barbra Jeans hand casually slipped to Brocks and wrapped her fingers in his. It was one thing to take her husband from her when their marriage had a chink in it's twenty year armour, but to come to her house and flaunt the fact that she had won was a whole other thing. She shook her head slightly and tried to reapply her attention to the conversation that was playing our before her, but her mind kept on clouding over and focusing on the thumb that gently caressed the back of Barbra Jeans hand. He used to do that to her. It was always something that he didn't even realise he was doing and she had loved the feeling of him drawing slow circles on the base of her thumb. It had been a four years since Brock and Reba's divorce has been final and he had remarried to Barbra Jean. Reba could no longer say that she didn't like the blonde. She had quickly come to the realisation that she was completely harmless and hadn't intentionally been the straw that broke the camels back of their marriage. How could you despise someone who was consistently so sweet and large eyed? But it still brought bitter tears of past memories to her eyes as she sank further and further into her thoughts, blocking out the voices that spoke at her. Realisation hit her suddenly that there was no way in hell that she was going to allow her tears to fall. Apart from anything else, there would be no reason anyone would be able to see that would cause her to burst into tears at such a random moment. She pulled her lip between her teeth and bit it lightly in an attempt to stop her tears from welling up even more. Brock saw this oh so small action and frowned slightly. Why was the redhead sat in front of him suddenly biting her lip like she usually did when she was about to cry? He knew her so well, he could tell before she did it that her hands would soon curl into tight fists and her eyes would lower to the floor. It was a routine that he had seen many times when they had had ferocious arguments and she forced herself to be the strong one. There they were… the fists. The lowered eyes.

'Ex-' her voice cracked harshly as she interrupted whatever it was the Barbra Jean was drawling on about. She cleared her voice, forcing away the weakness and vlnerability. 'Excuse me' she said again, this time sounding much more the like the redhead they all knew, rose from her seat and made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

I might bite my lip.

Look down at my shoes.

I might clench my fist.

Or just leave the room.

But I'm not gonna cry.

Not one single drop. Cos once I get started I,

I may never stop.

Reba perched on the edge of her bed, her back to the bedroom door staring blankly at the floor. She was no longer supposed to have any form of feelings towards Brock but here she was getting teary at the fact that he was holding another woman's hand. A soft knock on her door and footsteps across the floor caught her attention and Brocks golden, gentle face frowning in concern startled her. How had he known that she had been upset?

'Will you be okay, Reba?' he asked her softly. His voice was laced with worry and the emotion clearly heard cause a bitter laugh to involuntarily pass her lips.

'I'll be fine Brock. I always am, aren't I?' their eyes met and a million and one messages passed between them.

'You shouldn't have to be fine all the time. You should be able to show what you're thinking like every other person in this family.' Reba shook her head slightly.

'Doesn't work like that though does it'

'Are you gonna be okay, Reba?' he asked again, taking her hand in his and absentmindedly rubbing her hand in the very same way that he had done to his wife a couple minutes before. Reba swore that he wasn't even aware that it was something he always did. She looked down at her hand down for a second and then back up at him. She couldn't help it. She laughing in his face once more, her eyes closing. Her laugh was harsh and not the usual love filled giggle that escaped her. Brock looked at her harshly, hurt that she had now laughed at his concern twice.

'What?'

'Brock. I'm not your concern anymore. I don't know who you knew that I was feeling upset, but next time just ignore it. Pretend that I'm fine and ignore it' her eyes filled again and she forcefully blinked away the tears. If it was the last thing she did, she would stop this man from seeing her crying. She was not going to allow him to break the armour that she sculpted so carefully. It wasn't going to happen.

I might even laugh,

Right in your face.

When you come out and ask me,

If I'll be okay.

But I'm not gonna cry,

Not one single drop.

Cos once I get started I,

I may never stop.

'Reba, you may think that you can put up your big old steel walls and close all the doors, locking me out, but I can see through them. I know you too well and I can see right now that you're doing everything you can do to stop those tears that are in your eyes from falling, so just speak to me?'

'I don't have tears in my eyes' she muttered, looking at their joined hands.

'Yes, you do. You're eyes always drop to a deeper shade when they're sad. They're the shade of blue denim at the moment, not their usual sky' he gently put a finger under her chin and pulled her head up to look at him.

'You know the different shades of my eyes?' she asked, a short disbelieving laugh escaping her as Brock nodded, a smile at the corner of his lips.

'I have since that first fight and I hadn't realised how upset you were until I walked into your room and you were bawling your eyes out. God, I had just thought that you were mad at me, not that I had upset you so bad. I promised myself that I would find a way to tell if you were upset or angry. Your eyes were my clue for upset. I didn't realise until a couple years that you bite your lip, clench your fist and stare intently at anything on the floor' Reba couldn't keep the smile off her face. She couldn't help it. He was so sweet, she had never known that he had known when she was upset. Whenever she felt that she needed to cry, he had never been there unless she asked him to be. She had just thought that she had been able to hide her tears well. Obviously not. He had just known that she would want to be alone and had given her the space that she had wanted and needed. Why was her heart breaking that little bit more at the realisation?

'What about when I'm angry then?'

'Huh?' Brock asked dumbly. He hadn't been paying much attention since the silence after what he had last said had wrapped its arms around them, he had been too lost in her.

'You said you could tell when I was mad and when I was upset. When am I mad?' Brock laughed as he realised what she was talking about.

'That ones easy. Your hair glows' Reba raised an eyebrow sceptically. Her hair glowed? That wasn't even possible.

'Your hair seems to take on a life of its own and the red stands out more then it usually does, which is saying something' he took a strand of her red curls into his fingertips and played with it, deep in thought. 'It doesn't matter how perfect you have done your hair or how hairspray you've sprayed onto it, when you're really, really angry, little curls seem to fall free. And your cheeks blush red. Your whole face lights up when your mad' Brock stopped speaking and laughed lightly causing Reba to cock her head slightly in a questioning way.

'What?'

'I used to try and make you mad on purpose. Just do little things so that you'd shout at me. You always looked so gorgeous when you were angry'

'Are you crazy?' Reba asked softly. She didn't want to speak to loudly because of the risk of breaking the comfortable calm atmosphere that had settled between them. He still played with the strand of hair that feel from the ponytail she had shoved her hair into, twisting it round his finger again and again careful not to pull it and hurt her.

'No. I used to leave the seat up, or the toaster out so that you would shout at me and I could tell you I was sorry and then we could make up' he took his eyes from the hair that was spiralled round his finger and into her eyes. She knew that if there was ever a time that she needed to be strong and hold back any tears was now. He was being so caring and sweet and all she wanted to do was close the tiny gap between then and meet his lips, but she couldn't. she needed all the strength from god that she could get.

Its gonna take an act of God,

And all I got to keep the first tear from falling down.

But if I don't hold the waters back,

The dam is gonna crack and ill be damned if I'm gonna drown.

So I'm not gonna cry,

If that's what you thought.

Cos once I get started I,

I may never stop.

'Did you leave it out that last time on purpose?' she asked softly, their eye contact never breaking.

'what?' it was Brocks turn to be puzzled.

'That last argument. When you left because I shouted about the toaster. Did you leave it out on purpose so I'd get angry?' the memory of that last argument, that last door slam, haunted her mind. Brocks hand finally dropped her hair and the back of his index finger gently traced her cheek and jaw line before dropping to his lap and his head nodded a little.

'I knew that we were arguing too much, and I just wanted a reason to tell you that I was sorry and that I love you and to hold you' Reba allowed the words to sink in for a minute, his confession waving over her and making her feel sick to her stomach. He had done it on purpose. He had wanted to have an excuse to make up for everything and to kiss her. Everything had been for nothing and as they sat there now, so much had passed between them and moments had been lost. All for nothing.

'I'm gonna regret that for the rest of my life, aren't I' Reba said softly, a sad smile on her lips as she met his eyes again. Brock leant forward and met her lips, oh so gently. Just a tender, fleeting kiss which melted both their bodies and shot them back to a million past kisses, laughs and hands laced together. It lasted only a couple seconds but it was enough to make them both aware of the love that still nestled between them crystal clear with no words being used. They didn't need to say the three words that were at the forefront of their minds because they knew it was not allowed, but those three one syllable words were lying heavy in the air.

'You wont regret it as much as I did Reba. Not as much as I do. You know, I stayed outside that door for a half hour trying to convince my feet to move and walk back through it, but I couldn't. I was so sure you didn't want me and I was doing the best thing for you by staying away. I always was stubborn' he laughed slightly trying to ease the tension. Their foreheads still rested gently together and their eyes were glued to the others.

'We're both as bad as each other' Reba smiled. There was always that sad tone to her lips and words.

'Always have been' Brock finished with the same tone to his voice as Reba had used.

He leant forward once more closing the gap between them, kissing her soft lips gently. They both knew it would be the last time they could do this. This would be their last kiss. Kiss hand cupped her cheek pulling her closer to him. Love oozed from the both of them but when they separated, the denim blue shade was firmly back in her eyes. Her fists were clenched. Her eyes were staring at the floor. Brock stood up from the bed and walked towards the door looking back at the flaming red haired woman who sat on the bed that they once shared.

'I love you Reba' his mind screamed, but his lips didn't allow him to form the words.

'I love you too, Brock' she yelled back as the door was closed.

Another door closed on a relationship they both wanted so much. Another chance gone.

No, I'm not gonna cry.

Not one single drop.

Cos once I get started I,

I may never stop.

So I might bite my lip,

Look down at my shoes.