Every Waking Moment
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Yes, you can see him," Tidwell consented, but doubt showed clearly on his face. Dani's temper and her father's in the same small room could spell trouble. Both Detectives smiled appreciatively at the news.
"You," he pointed at Dani, "not you," he pointed at Crews and his look was much more grim. "I still think this is a bad idea," he said sounding like he was being forced into something he thought was a bad idea. To be truthful, he sounded like that a lot when it came to the two of them.
"You, Dan…Detective Reese and your mother," Tidwell said acquiescing as though the act was causing him physical pain. "Because you are family and only because you are family," he continued saying as they walked out on him. "And I still think this is a bad idea," he shouted after them.
"I won't go in, but I'm coming and I'll be watching out for you," Crews told her under his breath as he put his gun and badge on his belt, readying himself to go. "I'll be just outside if you need me."
She shook her head at him and held his eyes, "No, you want me to trust you? Then you trust me. I'm going - alone. Well, with my mother…but mostly alone."
He had to admit she was tough, his partner, and she was right. He nodded and she left him alone in the squad bay. He sat at his desk and watched her walk out. She was going to county and he'd have to wait for her to return. Part of him was relieved because the act of returning to a prison always caused his heart to beat faster and palms to sweat. His stress level still rose for this time it was his turn to worry about her.
The guards led him in an orange jumpsuit and cuffs. Dani's mother gasped at his appearance. Despite the rule against touching, which they'd both been briefed on, she recovered quickly and hugged her husband. No one said a thing; Jack Reese was still a cop, still segregated from the rest of the prisoners and still afforded a degree of respect.
Dani stood with her arms crossed and displeasure plain on her face.
"Dani," he greeted her coolly, she nodded at him.
Her lips were pursed and he knew she knew what this was about, "Dad."
She greeted him levelly, but the fear and deference his daughter had always shown him was gone. She'd changed, she was stronger and yet, calmer than he'd ever known her to be. It was like she'd matured five years in the one he'd been gone. The fierce little girl had grown up; she was a rock now – like her mother. Stone fired and forged in hell but rock solid and unbreakable. She was ready for what he needed to tell her.
"I need to tell you both something, before you hear it from someone else," he admitted. "I'm not proud of myself and some of the decisions I've made, but I need for you both to know that I did what I did - because I thought I was doing something good for us – our family."
"Dad," Dani interrupted sounding exasperated at him like her mother. "Can it," she demanded, "we got time for your mea culpas later." She was in control of the situation and herself. The anger that ruled her affect was sublimated and she was confident like he'd never seen her.
"What happened to you Dani? You're different," he observed with a hint of pride in his voice. "It's like you've…" he paused unwilling to say the words.
"Grown up?" she finished for him. He nodded.
"I have," she pronounced. "What I need to know, what you need to tell me is why you're here, why now? Why come back? You'd left and we were doing okay, so what's this about Dad? Is it about Crews?"
Jack's face turned to ash. He looked like he'd swallowed turpentine before he spat an angry answer at her, "What? No! This is about us – our family - not some complete stranger. I don't give a damn about Charlie Crews." His voice bordered on shouting as his tone became elevated.
"You had better give a damn about Charlie Crews," Dani's mother hissed at her husband. Now that the initial joy at her husband's safety had worn off – anger flooded her. "Your daughter does," her fury at the situation reached the boiling point as she shouted at her husband.
She tried to stop her mother, but she knew that to be impossible. She shook her head just before her mother said the words, but it was too late. Their secret was out. Her father looked at her disgust filled his features.
Ordinarily, she would have reached for anger, but she found her center. Dani went the other direction; she got quieter. As the chaos of her parents' anger spun around her; she heard Charlie's voice in her head and it grounded her.
"Shhh," she said calmly. Her soft tone drew both her parent's attention, because it was entirely uncharacteristic for their mercurial daughter. "Do you want to live? Do you want to live together? Are you willing to go anywhere to make that happen?"
"What the hell kind of question is that?" her father barked.
"A really important one, maybe the only important one left for you," she held his eyes and responded.
His heavy sigh filled the room.
No one said anything until Dani's mother responded with a simple one-word response, "yes." This drew Jack's attention. He nodded.
At least they agreed on something, Dani thought wryly.
"Then when the time comes," she whispered as she walked closed and hugged her father, "be ready."
"Could you be more cryptic?" he tersely replied.
"You'll know because they'll tell you Charlie Crews says not to worry," she smiled, enjoying the fact he was going to owe his life and freedom to the man he'd wronged so horribly. She released him and enjoyed the horror in his eyes. Yes, this might actually be enjoyable to watch, she thought.
"Well, that's just fuckin' great," he shot the dirty comment under his breath.
"He could just as easily have you killed," she replied. "But he's not like you, he's nothing like you," she swore softly at her father.
"He's a killer and don't you think any different. He may not have been one when he came in here, but he became one Dani. Make no mistake – that man is not innocent," her father shouted.
"I know what he is, I know who he is, which is more than I can say about you," she gritted through clenched teeth fighting to control her anger. "He's my partner," she vowed, "and he always will be."
"I don't know about that," he father tried to laugh off her loyalty.
"You could fill a volume of encyclopedias with the things you don't know," she shot back caustically.
"Enough," Dani's mother shouted and they both shut up and glowered at each other.
"Will you come with me? Leave this behind and make a new life?" she asked her husband. He nodded mutely. "Then you will do as she says and you will trust her partner because she does," she pronounced regally.
Jack Reese opened his mouth to respond and his wife shut him down with a stern look. "What other choice do you have really? You can stay and die in prison – if they let you live – or hope that someday they," she gestured at Dani, "will bring your grandchildren to visit."
"What?" Jack snapped. "What grandchildren? She's not even dating anyone," the elder Reese argued.
Dani simply groaned, "Mom," like she was sixteen again.
"Oh, but she is. She's already in love with him and this man will be in her life for a long time, perhaps forever and you already know him," she hinted haughtily. "The time for secrets in this family is past. I will not stand for it any longer. Tell him Dani or I will," her mother threatened.
"Who?" her father narrowed his eyes and skeptically examined her.
She returned his glare, breathed deeply and then willed herself to relax. She unkinked and uncoiled her tense muscles, her sense of calm returned and with it her smile. Charlie's gift to her was patience, calm and inner strength; his belief in her restored her faith in herself. She smiled, looked her father right in the eye and told him her future in a single word, "Crews."
He shook his finger at her and said one word, "no."
"We're leaving now, Dad." Dani smiled at her father from a position of strength and confidence. Nothing would change, she'd disappointed her father yet again, but she knew in her heart that her choice was sound. She was in love with Charlie Crews – her mother knew and approved of her choice - her father knew and didn't, but the world still hadn't ended – not yet.