Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D May indeed include fictional shops and stores.
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W
Chapter Twenty TwoThe wintery morning had almost deterred him from the task at hand. As he picked up a buried stone, Will took a deep breath and heaved it at the window. After a couple more stones, Will finally saw a touch of movement. It was a couple more minutes before the porch door opened, revealing a shivering and groggy Caitlin.
She had her hand tucked inside her pink flannel cow pajamas, and as she looked at Will, Caitlin rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Will?" she said confused. "What are you doing here?"
He felt foolish for coming. It had been months since Will had even acknowledged Caitlin. He'd gone about his business and tried his best not to think about her. Finally last night after watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' for the hundredth time, Will had come to the conclusion that the situation had gotten way out of hand. Will wasn't ready to give up on his relationship with Caitlin.
"I need to talk to you," he stated, dismounting Sinbad.
"Wait," Caitlin whispered and then suddenly disappeared from the door.
After a few minutes, Caitlin reappeared with earmuffs, Jim's winter coat, that had Sheriff embroidered on the shoulder, and gloves. Caitlin walked to the front of the porch, and stood at the top of the stairs. "What…what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked again, shuffling her feet.
The words seemed to lodge in Will's throat and he seemed to stand in the new fallen snow, speechless. Will took a few steps forward, trying to find his voice. "Merry Christmas?" he said sheepishly. Judging from Caitlin's response, Will could tell it wouldn't be enough. "Did I also mention how stupid I've been acting lately?"
Suddenly Caitlin's body seemed to release a hidden weight. She took a step down and brushed away the fallen snow from a small area on the porch. Caitlin sat down. "What do you think I'm supposed to say to that Will?" Caitlin sighed.
Will found a place beside her on the porch. He swallowed before answering. "You could say great and forget what a jerk I've been?" Will joked, hoping that it might actually happen. He just wanted to forget about the kiss and Eric.
Caitlin shook her head. "I…I don't think it's that easy," she replied. "Maybe if it had been a couple of weeks, but two months Will!"
Will leaned back and looked up into the clear blue sky. "I know," he sighed. "I didn't think it would be this hard for me to get over this. A few days turned into weeks and then suddenly months. I didn't mean for it to get this messed up."
Will felt empty after their conversation in the countryside that day. Part of him thought Caitlin was the reason for the aching, so he just simply stayed away. But as the weeks passed by, the emptiness seemed to grow and expand. Nothing seemed to help.
"Things aren't the same between us," Caitlin whispered.
The words struck deep. He'd messed up badly. Will lifted his right leg up on the porch and looked into Caitlin's eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, taking her hands in his. "Please give me a second chance."
***
Never had Caitlin wanted to do something so badly. 'Give him a chance!' a little voice cried.
Caitlin gazed into Will's brown eyes. They pleaded with her as his words did. Why can't I give him a second chance?
She couldn't understand the gut feeling in her stomach. It seemed to protest the slightest notion of getting together with Will. Caitlin couldn't quite explain it. Tell him the whole truth.
"Will before I say anything about that, I have to tell you the truth," Caitlin said carefully.
Caitlin stood up rubbing her numb legs; the affect of the cold weather enveloped her. Nervously adjusting her earmuffs, Caitlin took a deep breath. Just say it!
Will joined her on the porch, drawing nearer to her. "What?" he asked, warming his thinly gloved hands with his hot breath.
Exhaling, the frosty air mingled with her warm breath creating a white cloud. "I liked it," Caitlin blurted out suddenly. "I mean…"
Caitlin stared at the somber Will. Anxious for his thoughts, Caitlin paced on the porch and began rambling. "I mean, I didn't like it, it's just, well, it wasn't a quick kiss like I might have led you to believe," she explained, trying to gage what kind of damage she was doing to any chance of a relationship she might or could have had with Will. "I kissed him back." She said finally.
There she'd said it.
Silence abounded and it worried Caitlin. She'd never seen Will this calm before. "Say something," Caitlin exclaimed.
Will rubbed his face, which was reddened from the cold. "What…what can I say?" he sputtered. "Obviously it was stupid of me to come here. I was right the first time. I should have my losses the first time."
Caitlin watched as Will began backing away from her. "Will," she called to him, the hurt in his
eyes haunted her. "Please, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Will cried, throwing his arms up into the air.
"I should have told you the first time," she explained timidly.
"No need. I mean I'm not hurt!" Will exclaimed backing down the porch steps. "You give yourself too much credit. I'm just embarrassed that I bothered to come here in the first place."
Caitlin's heart drowned at the sound of the pain and hurt in Will's voice.
"Eric can have you!" he yelled as he mounted Sinbad.
Caitlin's head jerked up. She walked down the porch steps and grabbed Sinbad's bridle. "I'm not with Eric," Caitlin spat as she looked up at Will. "Don't put words in my mouth."
Will glared down at her, his eyes shooting darts at her. "Well if you liked kissing him so much," Will said through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom, "I should think you're already together. Of course, you could be just leading him on like you did with me, until you decide you like kissing someone else more!"
Caitlin was stunned at his contempt for her that she didn't notice Will reigning in Sinbad and nudging him quickly towards the road. The force of the horse and the change in direction flung Caitlin to the ground. She watched Will ride towards the warm bright sun.
***
"Caitlin!" Eric called from the porch.
He'd awakened to raised voices coming from outside. By the time Eric had gotten his coat and boots on, he'd arrived in time to see Caitlin falling to the ground as Will rode away.
Eric stood behind her and grabbed Caitlin from under her arms and pulled her up. "Are you okay?" Eric asked.
Caitlin nodded her head as she continued to gaze toward where Will was last seen. After taking one last glance, Caitlin brushed the clinging snow from her pajama bottoms and looked up at Eric. "Yeah," she replied dismissively. "I'm fine."
He could hear the pounding of footsteps and groggy voices coming from the house. Eric guessed that the yelling had awakened more than just him. "Are you sure?" he asked once more.
Caitlin sighed and smiled half-heartedly.
Eric nodded and walked her back into the house. Somehow Eric knew that this wasn't the right time to ask her what had happened.
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