Note: I have no idea if Eric or Brett can drive, but for the purpose of my story and the fun of artistic liscense, they can and they both have cars. I remember an ep with what I think was Eric's brother driving a pick-up truck, so now, for my purposes, Eric possesses that very same pick up truck.
Notable Note: Oh yeah, also in my world, Will doesn't exist. Caitlin's Way wasn't given particularly fantastic air time in the UK, so I never really saw much of Will, and therefore, he does not exist in my little world!
Caitlin didn't move. She remained standing, staring at the door, as if willing it to open once more and for Eric to come back in. Why doesn't he get I'm trying to protect him? She thought angrily. He so… so… infuriating! She felt a hand on her shoulder. Brett.
"Caitlin? Are you okay? You want anything?" She looked down at the floor, noticing the dirt and dust all over her clothes.
"Take me home?" She replied quietly. Brett nodded. He took her elbow and steered her out of the locker rooms and out of the gym. They turned down a different path to that which Caitlin had used earlier, and walked towards the front of the school.
Eric pushed the doors to the gym open violently. They slammed off the walls, causing a loud banging sound to reverberate down the corridor. He stomped angrily to the doors of the locker rooms. Outside the door he paused, forcing himself to calm down. Don't let her see how pissed you are. He told himself. Resolutely he opened the door, dangling the rucksack from one hand. He looked over to the bench that he had sat Caitlin on and was shocked to see it empty, the entire room in fact, contained only him.
"Caitlin?" He called. "Brett?" When he received no answer he realised that they had left. You'll see her Monday, give her the bag then. He told himself, turning towards the door. He paused.
"But what if she needs something inside it?" He spoke aloud. A warning signal went off in his brain. No! Don't go to her house! Bad! Don't do it…
"I'll just drop off her bag and then head home." He told himself, exiting the gym.
Caitlin went to unlock her front door, Brett hovering beside her. He had refused to leave until he saw that she was at home and okay. Caitlin knew she should be flattered by his concern, but at the moment her mind kept returning to Eric's back disappearing through the doors of the locker room.
"Oh crap." She suddenly blurt out, her tone resigned.
"What is it?" Asked Brett.
"My keys." She explained. "They're in my bag. And my bag is still where I dropped it when I got attacked."
"Oh." Said Brett, rather unhelpfully in Caitlin's mind.
"Yeah." She commented.
"Do you want to go back to school and get it?" Asked Brett. "I'll take you, it's no problem." Caitlin chewed her lip thoughtfully. Finally she shook her head.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I just want to collapse on the couch. Dori will probably take me tomorrow. I think she needs to do some grocery shopping anyway." Caitlin raised her hand and knocked on the door, hoping someone would be home, but also hoping it wouldn't be Jim who greeted her and saw her bloodied appearance. After a couple of moments the door opened, and much to Caitlin's relief, revealed Griffen.
"What happened to you?" He exclaimed.
"Hi to you too Griff." She sighed, pushing past him into the house. Couch. Was all her mind said to her, over and over. Couch, couch, couch! She looked towards the object in question and headed towards it. Vaguely aware of Brett and Griffen following her, and Brett's voice explaining what had happened.
"Couch." She muttered, flopping down on the afore-mentioned item. "Couch good." She murmured, sinking into the soft cushions.
"I should call dad." She heard Griffen say. She reached out very quickly and grabbed the leg of his jeans in an iron grip.
"Don't even think it." She warned, a dangerous edge to her voice.
"What?" Asked Griffen, apparently horrified at this decision. "You're losing it Caitlin, you're totally losing it. Dad is a sheriff, you were assaulted. In such cases you call the police!" Caitlin shook her head, dragging Griffin towards the couch by his leg. Though the situation itself was serious, Brett couldn't help but laugh at Griffen hopping on one foot towards Caitlin, fighting to retain his balance. Finally he collapsed onto the comfy seat beside Caitlin, who released his leg when he was finally down at her level.
"I don't want him involved." She told Griffen. "He'll insist on pressing charges, and I don't want that to happen. The more people involved the more complicated this will get, and it doesn't need to get any more complicated." Griffen looked over to Brett pleadingly, desperately trying to make his friend agree with him and convince Caitlin that her logic was more than a little bit flawed here.
"I've already had this conversation. She made up her mind on this back at school." Brett sat on the armchair beside the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. "I don't plan to listen to that argument again." Caitlin stood suddenly, heading towards the kitchen.
"Where you going?" Called Griffen. She turned back to him, one eyebrow raised quizzically.
"To get some ice for my lip. Is that okay with you sir?" She mocked.
"No need for sarcasm." He muttered bitterly. Once in the kitchen, and out of view of Griffen and Brett, Caitlin slumped to the floor. One hand clutched her stomach while her other hand balled into a fist. She gripped so hard her knuckles whitened, and when she finally released her grip and looked at her palm, small half-moons decorated it where her nails had dug into her flesh. She scrunched up her eyes, refusing to let herself cry, and bit her already tender lip, an action which caused her to inhale sharply in pain. She stood slowly on shaky legs, and gently peeled her leather jacket from her shoulders, placing it on the bench beside her. She lifted the bottom of her, now incredibly dirty, black t-shirt and glanced at the skin where she had been kicked. She gasped in shock at what she saw before her.
The once pale skin was now darkened, vicious patterns of black and purple lucid on their fleshy canvas. Caitlin touched her hand to the skin over her lowest rib, and swiftly drew her hand back as pain radiated from the tender spot.
"That's broken then." She whispered under her breath. She made her way over to the fridge-freezer and took a handful of ice from the lowest compartment of the freezer. She placed the ice on a tea-towel and wrapped it up, making a mock-icepack. She pressed it to her swelling lip. A knock sounded at the front door.
"I've got it!" Called Griffen. Thank heavens for small mercies. Thought Caitlin, glad for the moment that she didn't have to answer to anyone else. She listened to the faint murmur of voices at the door, and when she heard the door shut, re-entered the living room.
"Who was it?" She asked. Griffen placed her rucksack on the coffee table.
"It was Eric." He replied. "He was dropping off your bag." Caitlin looked over to Brett.
"Guess you won't have to go to school tomorrow after all." He commented. Out the window Caitlin could see Eric heading towards his pickup, parked in front of the house.
"Be back in a minute." She said quickly, racing towards the door.
.-
Eric pulled up and parked his pickup truck in front of the Lowe Ranch, noticing Brett's jeep also parked there. So he took her home then.
"I'll just drop off the bag and go." He murmured, as if repeating the phrase would enforce him to adhere to it. He picked up Caitlin's bag from the passenger seat and opened his door. He climbed out of the truck and walked very slowly towards the front door. "Just get it over with." He murmured.
Once outside the door he paused. Why is this so difficult? He asked himself, getting rapidly more annoyed that he was being so weak. Quickly he knocked on the door. He waited a moment and the door began to open. He held his breath without realising he was doing it. The door widened and revealed…
Griffin.
"Hey. What you doing here man?"
"I… uh… I." Eric held out Caitlin's bag. "I was just dropping this off." Griffen took hold of it.
"Thanks. You want to come in?" He said, stepping out of the threshold to allow room for Eric to enter.
"Nah… Umm… I got to go." He replied. "Thanks anyway." Griffen glanced at the torn expression on Eric's face as he made to turn.
"Did you want anything else?" He asked, a small smile worming its way onto his features as he noticed his friend's awkwardness. Eric looked back at Griffen. Just ask if she's alright. His mind shouted at him. Just ask!
"No that's it." He replied. "See you Monday." Griffen nodded.
"See you." He replied, shutting the door as Eric turned away.
"Stupid." He chastised himself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." He made his way back across to his truck, kicking small stones and gravel at his feet, as if the pointless task would erase his discontent. He pulled open the drivers side door and was about to climb in when he heard the faint creaking of the front door. He looked over his shoulder and saw Caitlin running over.
"Eric!" She shouted. "Wait!" He shut the door and turned to face her. She pulled up in front of him and just as he opened his mouth to ask what she wanted her fist flew and connected heavily with his bicep. She just punched me! His mind recognised indignantly.
"Hey!" He protested, rubbing the sore spot. "What was that for!"
"For storming out on me, and then coming here and not even saying hello." She replied.
"You pissed me off!" He yelled angrily.
"You always piss me off, but I would have asked if you were alright if the roles were reversed!" She retorted heatedly. He noticed the tea-towel in one hand.
"You came home and dried the dishes?" He asked, indicating the offending article. She stepped towards him and involuntarily he cringed. She lifted the tea-towel and pressed it to his cheek.
"Hey!" He complained. "That's freezing." She nodded her head and addressed him as she would a small child.
"That's because it's an ice pack for my lip."
"Oh." Eric looked across to Caitlin who seemed now to steeling herself for something. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm as good as could be expected." She replied. "I am grateful you know." She added. "In fact…" She leaned over and kissed Eric on the cheek.
"Thank you." Eric stood in shock, unsure how to react. Caitlin Seeger, tough, kind of scary street kid Caitlin Seeger, just kissed me on the cheek? Well isn't that a turnout for the books?
"Umm… You're welcome…" He replied lamely.
"I'll see you round?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Definitely."
Well that's that chapter done! Hope you enjoyed, and as always, please review!
