AN: All Garret parts are written by the wonderful and talented Alison (thenewmoo)
AN2: I'm ignoring the last scene in What Happens in Vegas, and she's only 5 months along, instead of the 7 or 8 she was in the ep, because it won't work out right otherwise
And because I just remembered this…-sticks out tongue- that's for anyone who said she couldn't get pregnant when they reviewed Too Soon?
Mindless rant: STUPID GODDAMN FUCKING WRITERS!!! AHH! I hate them for having the kid not be his, but that's where this chapter comes from, because that had to be changed.
The Truth Comes Out
Garret and Renee just watched the computer over Nigel's shoulder. "Did he do it or not? It's all I need to know."
"Give me a moment." He finished inputting the data and ran the program. "Given the force of the blows, everyone's position, and the damage...I'd say yes, he did it."
"Took you that long to tell me that? Thanks."
Garret just looked over at Renee. "For some reason I would think details are important to building a strong case...not just a yes or a no."
"And the details would be in the file. I just needed a yes or no, because if it were a no, I wouldn't have anything to hold him on at the moment. Is that a problem for you?"
"Not unless it's a problem for you." Garret just shot her a look. "My people take their time to help you prosecute this bastard, the least you can do is give them a few minutes to explain what they've got."
Nigel looked between them, getting up and exiting the room.
"What the hell is your problem Garret?" She glared at him. "Am I not doing my job to your standards?"
"I don't have a problem with your performance. I have a problem when you come in here acting like you own the damn place." Garret crossed his arms over his chest.
"Then you should be happy when all I need is one word. Gets me away from you faster." She raised an eyebrow slightly.
Garret just glared at her. "You think I'm HAPPY that you slept with your ex and got knocked up?! You have got to be kidding me." He shook his head and looked away from her.
"Woah. Where the hell did that come from? One minute we're talking about work...then that!? Where do you get off?" She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything else.
Garret exhaled sharply. "Where the hell did that come from?! The fact that I'm sick and tired of holding my tongue about the subject. And it CAME from the "gets me away from you faster" comment. You act as if I WANT you gone." He just shut his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "Where do you get off telling me I should be happy right now?"
She looked at him for a moment before speaking softly. "Let it go Garret. It was a mistake. They happen." She turned around and left the room, heading down the hall now that she had all she needed for her case at the moment
Garret stood in the hallway, oblivious to the fact that other people were around. "Just walk away huh? Just like the song. You know I honestly thought you were a better person than that."
She put on a blank expression as she turned around. "Then you thought wrong."
"And that's a crime? Thinking that someone..." He walked over to her, lowering his voice. "I'm not the kind of man to think that the woman I'm sleeping with will turn around and cheat on me with their ex-husband, and be...stupid enough to get knocked up."
"Come on Garret! It wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant. Ever. But guess what? I did." She ground her teeth. "And don't ever call me stupid."
"Oh, so you just decided to sleep with him, because nothing would come of it?!" Garret glared at her. "Well newsflash Renee, something DID come of it. That night in North Carolina..." He trailed off as he noticed various staff members staring at them. "Do you think I pay you to stand around?! Find somewhere else to be, NOW!" He snapped and watched as the hallway cleared. "That night in North Carolina, I thought I saw a shred of decency in you. Was I wrong in thinking that too?"
Taking a deep breath as she pushed her hair behind her ear, she spoke softly. "I was drunk Garret. It was a stupid, stupid thing to do. I know that!"
"Then why did you wait so long to tell me?" He hissed softly. "You KNOW I wouldn't cheat on you. Not after I nearly lost you when I made that god damn mistake with Lily." Garret just shook his head. "I deserved to know that we were done the day you found out your little drunken escapades had turned into this." He motioned down at her stomach. "Oh but wait. Had you not gotten pregnant, would you have even told me you slept with him, or would you have waited another five months to tell me that too?"
"That's not fair Garret. I didn't know how the hell I was supposed to tell you that I screwed up. I spent four months trying to figure it out." She blinked hard to hold back the tears. "You know what? I don't need to justify myself to you."
"You could have told me. God dammit I wish you had. I wish I hadn't spent four months getting avoided and the door slammed in my face when it was going to get me nothing." He looked at her, and noticed she was near tears. "But you know what? You don't have to justify yourself. I don't need anything from you except for your people to work with my people, and to get things done right." Garret paused, lowering his voice. "I honest to God thought I meant something to you."
"You did." Her voice cracked, on the verge of tears. "You still do."
Garret looked at her for a long minute and then sighed. "Then why the hell are we fighting, and why the hell are you pregnant with another man's child?"
"Because it's what we do." She sniffed quietly, unwilling to start crying. "And because I fucked up. I fucked up big time." Her voice grew softer. "And I'm scared." She shook her head and looked down for a moment. "Anyway, I have to go." Renee nodded slightly. "Bye Garret." She said, turning to leave again.
Garret reached out and caught her arm, and turned her to face him, his eyes searching her face for something that even he was unsure of.
Renee looked away from him. "Let me go Garret."
Garret released his hand from her arm. "I...I'm sorry. I thought I saw..." He shook his head and then dropped his arm back down to his side. "Nevermind. You've gotta get back."
She pressed her lips together and nodded slightly, moving away, finding that she was fighting tears again. Goddammit woman! Just tell him! What's the worst that could happen?
"Renee, wait." He sighed softly and prayed she'd stop.
"What is it Garret? I have work that I need to get done today."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you stupid...and I can't be a hypocrite and I was." He smiled slightly. "I'll see you around?"
"I lied." She said quickly, before her eyes widened and she clamped a hand over her mouth.
Garret froze in his tracks. "About what?"
She didn't say anything, as she looked away, distressed.
"What...what did you lie about?" He took a few steps towards her.
"A lot." She looked at him and shook her head. :"I thought it'd be easier this way...but it's so much harder."
"Come here." Garret motioned for her to follow him and they walked down the hall, and he opened the door to the stairwell. They climbed the few flights of stairs until they were on the roof, and he let the door shut behind them before looking at her. "It's not Dan's is it. You met someone new, didn't you..."
She crossed her arms when she looked at him, smiling faintly. "You could say that..."
Garret shook his head. "I should have seen it...I should have known when you didn't return my calls...why the hell was I such an idiot." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Someone you sleeping with someone new is...better than you sleeping with your ex."
Stepping forward, Renee uncrossed her arms and cupped his face. "When was the last time we were together?"
"Five months ago..." Garret looked down, and then it hit him when he saw her stomach. "Five...five...months..."
She nodded and pulled away, sitting hard on of the stone steps and dropping her head into her hands.
Garret just watched her sit down and then felt like he was going to black out. He'd been dealing with two days of utter hell because of that lie. "Why...why couldn't you just say it?"
"Because it was easier that everyone thought you and I were done? That I was having another man's child?" She looked up at him with tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey...hey...don't cry." He walked over and knelt in front of her. "It's okay. Yeah I'm hurt that you didn't tell me, and yeah I'm a little angry, but I'll live." Garret looked in her eyes. "I've spent the past two days in a living hell because I thought I'd lost you again."
"Two days? You think that's bad? Try four months Garret." She sniffed softly. "God...you have....no idea...how hard this has been."
"It didn't have to be four months and you know that." Garret looked at her. "I'm sorry you couldn't tell me earlier."
"I have to go." She stood up and walked quickly to the door, heading back down the stairs.
"Renee!" God dammit woman get back here... Garret went down the stairs after her. "Come here. We need to talk about this."
She stopped at the door to the ninth floor. "There's nothing to talk about."
"You're kidding, right?" Garret just looked at her. "You're pregnant, it's mine. There's obviously some issues here."
"What issues?"
"What are we gonna do about this?"
"You don't have to do anything about it."
"Don't lie to yourself." Garret looked at her.
"I'm not."'
Garret visibly flinched, hurt. "You actually think I'm that kind of man?"
"Garret...":
"No." Garret just looked at her, shifting his jaw slightly. "You actually think I'd leave you to go this alone?"
"I...I wish you would."
"Well, you thought wrong." Garret swallowed hard.
"Garret...please. Don't do this." She opened the door and walked into the hallway.
"Do what?!" Garret followed her. "Give a fuck?!" He snapped and then glared at the various people who froze in the hallway. "Get!" He barked and watched as they all ran again. "What the hell do you think I'm gonna do? Sit back and watch you go through this?"
"You won't have to watch me go though this then. I can send someone else to get files, and you won't have to see me."
"But that's not what I want, Renee." Garret looked at her. "I want to see you. I want to help you. I want to be there."
"Don't make this harder than it has to be." She felt her stomach flip and sighed. "Excuse me."
Garret watched as she walked away towards the restrooms, and just stood there, shock still, by the elevator.
Coming back a few minutes later, she pointedly ignored him and hit the button for the elevator
Garret felt his heart in his throat as he looked at her and his unborn child. "Don't. Leave."
"Garret...I don't want to fight with you."
"I'm not fighting. I want to talk."
"So talk. You have about thirty seconds, so I'd make it fast." She said softly.
"Renee." Garret looked at her. "I am not letting you do this alone. This is my responsibility too. This is my child just as much as it is yours."
"Trust me Garret. You've done quite enough."
Garret felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest, and he just stood there in shock for a few seconds. "Fuck. You." He muttered softly before turning and taking off towards his office, slamming the door behind him hard.
She looked down at her stomach. "You know, I think you've already done that." She said softly, before turning and walking to his office, tapping lightly on the door.
"Go away!" Garret snapped his chair turned from the door.
She sighed, leaning against the wall beside his door.
Garret sighed and turned his chair around, seeing her leaning against the wall. He picked up a pen and hurled it at the door to get her attention.
She turned around and raised an eyebrow
He nodded his head for her to come in.
She slowly opened his door and walked in, shutting it gently behind her.
Garret just looked at her for a long minute, before nodding his head at the chair across from his desk. "Sit."
"I think I'll stand."
"Fine." Garret tapped a pen on the desk. "That hurt. More than anything. I just wanted you to know that."
"What? that I don't need anything from you? That I already have everything figured out?"
"Thanks for including me!" Garret snapped up at her. "You think...why...how could you..."
She winced slightly at his tone. "Don't do this right now Garret...I can't take it."
"I'm sorry, just the fact that I'm not being included in this pisses me off."
"Like I said Garret...you've...done enough." She smiled softly.
"But...I...but..." Garret trailed off, confused.
"But you what?"
"I've known for five minutes. How could I have done anything besides freak out?"
"Well...Garret...if you hadn't done something in the first place, what would there be to freak out about?"
"Are you blaming me?" Garret looked up at her sadly.
"God no.'
"Then...what...what have I done enough of?" Garret felt his head pound.
Sighing she moved and sat in the chair. "I tried for five years Garret. Five years. And then by some fluke a few years later I get pregnant?"
Garret shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "I've got strong swimmers...I guess?" He smiled slightly at her. "Do you want this?"
"Right now? More than anything in the world."
Garret just nodded. "Then...you're welcome?"
She laughed softly as she looked away. "I'm sorry Garret..."
"What...what are you sorry for Renee?" He looked at her, confused.
"Being such a bitch all the time." She turned her frosty blue orbs on him. "I just feel really....lost right now."
"You're not a bitch." Garret smiled softly. "You're scared and your first instincts are fight or flight."
"I should go." Renee said softly, looking at the door.
"You want to grab dinner tonight?" Garret asked quietly.
"What time?"
"Seven okay?" He smiled slightly.
"Yeah."
"Okay. Do you wanna meet somewhere over to my place..."
"Doesn't matter. You pick."
"Seven. My place." Garret smiled. "Stay safe."
Renee nodded slightly as she got up to leave. "And...Garret?"
"Yeah baby?" He looked up at her.
Don't tell anyone?"
Garret crossed his heart and nodded. "Scouts honor."
"Thanks." She looked at him for another moment before leaving.