Disclaimer: Lethal Weapon is the property of FOX and Shane Black. I do not own the characters, I just like playing with them. :)
Key:
"Hi" – Speech
'Hi' – Thoughts
Hi – Text Message
This chapter has shifts in POV.
~8~
Chapter 4: The Kids Have It
~8~
During 'There Goes the Neighborhood' and 'Ties That Bind'.
Harper POV
Today is a pretty day. It's quiet too. Dada and RaJ are gone. I haven't seen RiRi. I wonder if she will play with me later. She always does the tickle game I like.
Right now, I'm in my chair. Mama keeps trying to make me eat my food, but I'm not that hungry. The door opens and it's just Rigy. I like Rigy. He talks funny and he lets me play with his face hair. Dada and RaJ don't have face hair like Rigy does. Rigy says something that makes Mama smile like she does when Dada does something silly. When she messes up her top, she even tells Rigy to feed me like she does Dada. His face says he's a little scared, but that's just like when Dada gave me to him to hold a while ago.
He picks up my bowl and says that my food doesn't look good. I give him my spoon and he tries it. Mama and Dada have done that before to try to get me to eat. It was funny when they tried to smile when they didn't like it. Rigy doesn't make one of those faces. His face does go a little funny and says that it's really good. Finally, someone who likes what I like! But then he starts eating more of my food!
Then, he just stops, looking at something behind me. It's kinda like when Dada stops when Mama finds him doing something she doesn't like. "She didn't want any," he says, then looks down at me. "Right?"
That's not really right, but I don't mind sharing. I reach for my bowl and Rigy puts it back in my tray. Now that I got the bowl, I reach out my hand for the spoon Rigy is holding. I open and close my fingers so that what I want gets across to him. Rigy looks from my hand to the spoon and back, then says, "Uh, Trish? I think she wants her spoon. Is that okay?"
"Go ahead. Just be ready to duck in case she gets fussy," Mama tells him. Rigy's got that scared face again, but he gives me the spoon finally. I manage to scoop up some of the food from the bowl. My fist around the handle, I hold out the spoon for Rigy to get some of it. The scared face is gone, but I don't know what his new face means, but his mouth is open. I lean forward in my chair and put the spoon in his mouth. His mouth closes on the spoon, he leans back and takes the spoon out of his mouth. "Looks like someone decided to share! Good girl!" I hear Mama say over me. I look up in time to get a kiss on my forehead. I giggle at the touch. I love getting kisses; I like Mama kisses best though.
I look back at Rigy and he is smiling now at me. "Well, thank you very much, Lil' Harp," he tells me. He holds the spoon out for me. I open my mouth and he puts the spoon in. He is still smiling.
I like it better when Rigy smiles.
R.J. POV
You know, this is what I get for listening to Dad. "You need to stay connected to the old hood. It'll teach you some things," he had said. Yeah, it taught me something all right.
Don't let an old friend kick you out of the car on the edge of the not-so-good part of town. I have been walking for about two hours. I tried texting and calling Marcus with no response. I still can't believe he ditched me like this. With the sun starting to set, I start to realize that I need to start thinking about who else can come pick me up. I try some of my other friends. One by one, they tell me they can't either because either they don't have the car or their parents won't let them out with the car.
I hit the 'End' button on my phone with a little more force than necessary in my frustration. I really don't want to call my parents, but I may not have a choice. As I'm scrolling through my Contacts one last time before giving in, I see Riggs' name. Dad said that he was only giving Ri and I Riggs' number in case of an emergency and to only use it if they couldn't get him or their Mom in that event. I know that this isn't technically an emergency and Dad will kill me if he found out. I look around at my surroundings and the people passing me on the sidewalk.
I swipe right on Riggs' name to make the call.
Thankfully, I manage to talk Riggs into coming to get me. Since he said it would take him about fifteen or twenty minutes for him to get here, I find decent (aka lit) corner to wait for him and to try to get my story together for why I'm so far from home. While lying isn't really my strong suit (according to Ri, I suck at it), I think I came up with a pretty convincing story where Riggs won't ask me too many questions.
Of course Riggs pokes a hole through my story two minutes into the telling.
Then, he tells me that I had to tell my parents where I was. Damn it! That's the whole reason I called him in the first place; I kindly inform him of that fact. I know that I am really venting my frustration about the situation at the wrong person, but maybe that's what I needed. Riggs isn't loud or even angry at my outburst like I know that my Dad would be. Riggs is just direct when he rebuts my irritation. As much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point. I have to take responsibility for my mess if I ever want Mom and Dad to see me as an adult.
The rest of the ride is in silence, the city flying by. I look over at the man Dad calls unstable and a menace. I'm not quite sure I would call him that. Sure, he's a little rough looking and he seems to love giving me and Ri bad advice (though I think that is more to see Dad's eyes bulge out in consternation than what he actually believes), but when it counts he's there and willing to at least listen.
It isn't long before we pull up to my house. I open my door and step out of the truck. I'm about to push the door close when Riggs reiterated, "R.J., be upfront and learn from them. All right?" I nod, not sure if I completely believe this is going to work. It must have shown on my face because he continues, "Buck up, kid. They love you! They aren't going to murder you."
"Uh, you have met my Dad, right? Tall, bald, tells jokes that are so old they have kids older than me?" I question him.
That gets a full-blown chuckle out of the auburn haired man. "Good point. Well, your mom can handle him just fine. She won't let him kill you. Just be honest about it and it shouldn't be too bad. A slight maiming at most." This time I laugh too. I push the door close, about to head to my front door when I remember something.
Knocking on the window, I wait for him to wind it down and say, "Thank you, Mr. Riggs, for bringing me home and for listening."
For a minute he looks pretty shocked at my thank you, then he just smiles and replies, "No problem, kid. And just Riggs is fine. My daddy's the Mister in the family and he's still in Texas!" He pulls off after that.
I turn and walk to my front door, house keys in hand. My hand on the doorknob, I take a deep breath, stand up straight, unlock the door and step inside.
Riana POV
"I love you too, Dad," I say to him. He smiles and makes to stand up. "Is it true that Riggs went with you to talk to Chauncey?"
He snorts, which evolves into that soft smile he was just giving me. "Yeah and can you believe he was the voice of reason in that whole situation?" he asks. To be honest, I can believe it, and I don't think Dad is truly surprised by it either. True, Riggs is reckless, but from what Dad's told us that reckless abandon only applies to his life. Dad's life, or us, not so much.
"Really?" I question, deciding to keep my thoughts to myself.
He nods, "It was a weird experience. That man… he is crazy in a lot of ways and he has good reason to be, but if he would just give himself the chance, he could have a life here," he expressed, his focus not on me anymore. He stares off like that for a few seconds, then shakes himself out of his fugue and sighs. He shifts back to me and smiles. Patting my knee through the afghan covering me, he tells me not to stay up too late, get up and heads for the stairs.
I shout out "Good Night!" as he heads up the stairs, snuggling deeper into the couch. Rubbing my forehead, I sigh as I think about the last couple of days. I still can't believe Chauncey put my picture on his FB page! That idiot! I'm so glad that Mom got him to take it down (I think she hinted at the possibility of child porn charges or something), though mostly because I don't want anyone knowing I dated that moron. I mean, really?! What nineteen year old would put a sexy pic of their UNDERAGE girlfriend as the cover of their FB page and not expect trouble?!
Shaking my head at Chauncey's stupidity, I think about my Dad. I'm really not surprised he found out about Chauncey (Hmm, that reminds me, I need to have a talk with R.J. the suck-up about that), and I'm not really all that mad about their little confrontation. I mean, it was bound to happen. I think I'm more embarrassed about he had Chauncey thieving for him. A plan that Riggs came up with according to Mom.
I lean over toward the table, grabbing my cell. Opening the messaging app, I begin my text.
Hi, Mr. Riggs. This is Riana M. Thx 4 keeping my dad from killing C-Dawg. I send the message. I was about to set my cell back on the table, not expecting an immediate response when surprise, surprise, one came in.
Hi, Riana. NP about Rog. Also, just Riggs, please. Aren't kids these days supposed to disrespect their elders? What's with all the manners? :)
Blame Mom & Dad. & I'll call u that only if u call me Ri. :D
You got yourself a deal! Night, Ri!
Night, Riggs!
I smile as I look at the convo history with a small bit of disbelief on my part. I'd told him to call me 'Ri'. I mean, that's weird for me since I only let family call me that. I mean, Riggs has only been Dad's partner for close to six months… Maybe it's 'cause Riggs is over so much or maybe 'cause even though Dad complains non-stop about him, it's obvious he trusts him with more than just the work stuff.
I shrug and put the cell back on the table. Well, whatever. It's nothing to really stress myself out about. Riggs is Riggs. As I lay back and listen to the sounds of the house and my family settling in for the night, I reflect back on what Dad said. I hope that Riggs realizes that he has more than a life here.
He also has family.
~8~
End of Chapter 4 of Piece By Piece!
Now, y'all have a little in-sight into what the Murtaugh clan think about Riggs!
My timeline is a little weird, though I blame the show for that mostly. :) By the end of Ties That Bind, I estimate that Riggs and Roger have been partners for about five-six months since the show has them meeting in March 2016 (six months after Miranda died). If you're curious about my timeline for the eps, PM me or ask in a review.
Until next time!