Only 10 more days until Season 5! Are you as excited as I am?!...an update to tide us all over until then! Feedback most welcome!
8
"Ok! Listen up people, here's the plan!" The small crowd of Middletonians that have congregated outside of the Bell, Book and Candle all grow quiet, turning to face her. Abigail addresses the crowd. "Cassie and Sam will be here within the hour, and the plan is to have them arrive to see us in full swing, coming together to help one of our own." The crowd claps, and she smiles. "Ben and George, you're in charge of replacing the windows and door. Brandon and Derek, you're on removing the spray paint on the store front. Tara, you've got the clean up inside and ensuring that anything that can be salvaged, is. Everyone else, lend a hand where you think you can!"
The crowd disperses in front of her, and she exhales, satisfied with herself.
"And what exactly are you going to do?" Stephanie questions.
"Someone needs to be in charge," she reasons.
Stephanie rolls her eyes, heading inside to help Tara. Fishing out her phone, she sends a quick text to Sam.
Everything is under control here. How are things on your end?
His response is immediate, and she appreciates his promptness.
We're getting there.
Abigail chews her lip. Grey House had been teeming with her cousins grief, so much so that it was almost suffocating.
Is it bad? She texts back. When he doesn't respond right away, worry settles inside of her. One thing she's come to intuit about her cousin is that her emotions are strong; she loves hard, whole-heartedly, caring to a fault.
When she's hurting, she hurts.
Scale of one to ten? She texts.
10. You take care of things at the shop, I'll take care of things here. Trust me.
Tears have unexpectedly welled in her eyes and she quickly wipes them away. Sure, she's put on her confident face and ordered everyone around but on the inside, she's just as shaken as everyone else; things like this don't happen in Middleton.
And not to Cassie.
When she had seen the damage herself a sense of loss filled her she hadn't been expecting. The hateful words spray painted across the store front had stirred an anger inside of her she's yet to let go of because she knows they're the furtherest thing from the truth. She knows how they are eating at Cassie, how they have crippled her otherwise confident spirit.
She can feel it.
Wiping her eyes again, she texts back. I trust you. See you soon.
. . . . . . . . . .
He's trying to be patient and not hover, but she's moving around Grey House with no apparent purpose. She's frazzled, he can tell, and it's so uncharacteristic of her he's not sure what to do.
"Have you seen my keys?" She finally questions.
He grabs them off the side table in the hall, where she always keeps them. "Right here." She gives him a grateful look, and he gives her a patient one of his own. "Talk to me."
She exhales, sweeping her bangs out of her eyes. "I don't know how to fix this, Sam. Financially, I don't even know if I can fix this; there is so much damage. I'm a single parent and I need that second income…I've come close to losing my shop before and I think….I think this time I just might."
Tears have welled in her eyes and he tugs her into his arms. Her head rests in the crook of his shoulder and he just holds her for a few minutes.
"We need to take this one step at a time, Cassie," he reasons gently. "Right now, we can work on the clean-up. That's what we can focus on right now."
"You're right." She pulls back, wiping her eyes. "My mind has been going in a million different directions and I need to just focus on what I can do right now."
He rubs up and down her arms, feeling the tension fall from her just a little. "I love you."
A smile slips across her lips. "I love you too. Thank you for just…." She exhales, shrugging a shoulder. "…being here. Being you."
"No thanks required."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Abigail spots Sam's SVU as he pulls up in front of the Bell, Book and Candle. As the passenger door opens the look on her cousin's face at the sight of them all there, manages to bring tears to her eyes for the second time. Everyone halts what they're doing as Cassie and Sam walk through the door George and Ben have fixed back to its hinges.
Cassie looks around at them all. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Martha offers. "You've done so much for this town that we knew we had to do something for you."
Her hand goes to her chest as she wipes her eyes. Sam is there, sliding an arm around her. Her cousin leans into him and it's such a simple gesture, yet it means more than she thinks even Cassie understands.
"Thank you. All of you, Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Now that you're here, you can tell us what you want to do with everything," Stephanie comments, gesturing to the piles of broken and salvageable merchandise.
As Cassie, Tara and Stephanie begin to sort, Abigail snags Sam, pulling him aside. "So, was that you I saw sneaking out of Grey House this morning?"
"I wasn't sneaking," Sam defends.
Abigail smirks. "So it was you! You're having sleepovers now?"
Sam shakes his head, blushing a little. "It wasn't like that-"
"-like what?" She teases. "Are you two being safe?"
Sam gives her a pointed look and she can't help but laugh a little. "I'm teasing you. Relax."
"She didn't want to be alone and I didn't want to leave her."
Abigail softens. "Cassie's been alone for a long time. I'm glad she has you to support her."
Sam exhales, rubbing his jaw. "If she'll let her guard down and let me."
"Sam, we could use your help over here," Ben calls.
She lets him go to help Ben, George and Brandon replace the broken windows. Cassie is busy with Tara and Stephanie, sorting through what she thinks is left of her essential oil collection, otherwise she would snag her cousin for a little conversation about Sam. Instead, she heads outside to oversee Derek and the pressure washer.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
In-spite of the uncertainty that seems to emerge whenever she stills, she's still manages to find comfort in the fact that there is more still standing than not.
She's still standing.
Ben and George have done wonders to replace the broken windows, while Derek and Brandon have managed to remove the spray paint from her store front. Tara and Stephanie have been nothing but patient as she's gone through most of what's left of her merchandise. Unable to stay, Martha made sure to send Jared with coffee and snacks like clockwork.
As overwhelmed as she is with their generosity, she's grateful.
She doesn't have to do this alone.
The bell above her door dings, and she hadn't noticed when Ben had replaced it, and it warms her heart. Jared smiles, holding up another carafe of coffee. "I've got freshly baked cinnamon roles this time, complements of the Bistro!"
There's a collective hum of approval across her shop as everyone welcomes the break. It's a bustle of movement and she looks among the small group for Sam.
"Cassie, do you want a coffee?" Brandon questions.
She shakes her head. "I'm fine, thank you though. Have you seen Sam?"
Brandon nods to the door. "He's outside."
She spies him pacing, his phone to his ear. Making her way outside, the bell chimes again as she catches his conversation.
"…has he been sent for an EKG?"
His back is to her and she steps next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. She can feel the shift in him, the way he softens slightly with her next to him. His free hand coasts up her arm gently.
"…No, he needs one now. His blood pressure shouldn't be that high."
There's an urgency in his voice she recognizes, one that makes him such a great doctor. His hand stills on her arm, and it's then she notices the inflammation on her forearm. He turns in her arms and although his phone is still pressed to his ear, his focus is hers as he inspects further.
She twists her arm to get a better look, and she's surprised she didn't notice it earlier.
"….alright, keep me updated." He hangs up, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You didn't have this, this morning."
She shakes her head, checking her other arm.
"Do you have any allergies?" He questions.
"No, not that I know of." The wheels are turning in his head as he brow furrows. "…I've just spent the last hour or so going through essential oils; it's probably just from that." He's not convinced, she can tell, and she changes the subject. "Is everything alright?"
He lets go of her arm, placing his hands on his hips. "One of my patients was just brought in with chest pains."
"You should go."
He shakes his head. "He's in good hands-"
"-you're concerned about him. Go."
"I cleared my schedule to be here with you-"
"-and I appreciate that, I do." She takes his hands in hers. "I'll be fine."
"Cassie-"
"-Sam, it's alright," she reassures. "Your patient needs you."
It's a minute before he concedes, leaning in to give her a kiss. "I won't be long."
"Ok."
"Call me if you need anything?"
She nods. "I will."
He gives her another quick kiss before heading to his car.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Abigail scurries from her perch at the window, heading back over to to the counter as Cassie enters the shop again. She recognizes the facade she slips into, the warm smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
Her cousin easily blends back into work, and she makes her way over to her, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible, like she hadn't just been watching her entire exchange with Sam. There's a box of candles beside her, and she helps to place them on the shelves.
"I couldn't help but notice Sam tip-toeing out of Grey House this morning," She comments. Cassie stills a minute, before busying herself again arranging candles. Abigail waits, knowing that her silence will entice her to engage in the conversation.
"It wasn't like what you're thinking," Cassie replies softly.
"And what is it that I'm thinking exactly?" She questions.
Sweeping her bangs out of her eyes, Cassie exhales. "I didn't want to be alone last night and Sam….he stayed just to comfort me. Nothing happened."
Abigail takes a minute to rearrange a few of the candles she's already placed on the shelves. "Did you want something to happen?"
Cassie shakes her head, rubbing her forehead. "Are we really talking about this?"
"Yes, we're really talking about this." Taking her hand, she pulls her towards the back of the shop out of earshot. "That man is head over heals for you, Cassie, and I'm not saying you have to do anything you don't want to….but it's alright to open up, let your guard down, you know?"
"I'm trying."
"Are you? Because I sort of watched you push Sam away just now."
"I didn't push him away," she defends. "He had a patient-"
"-he cleared his schedule to be here, Cassie. He made sure all his patients were taken care of."
"Were you eaves dropping too?"
"I didn't need to; he told me this last night."
Confusion crosses Cassie's face.
"Who do you think brought us all here today?" She questions. "Who do you think is paying Ben's wages for the day? Who's paying for the windows to be replaced? Who rented the pressure washer? Who made sure Stephanie made cinnamon rolls today because he knows they're your favourite?"
"Sam," she sighs.
"Yeah, Sam." She sinks into the couch, and Abigail sits beside her. "Look, I know that you've had to be the strong one ever since you were a little girl. And you've been so strong, Cassie." Reaching for her hands, she takes them into her own, levelling her gaze to hers. "You're allowed to need him, to want him….depend on him, love him, whatever it is you need."
Cassie squeezes her hands, nodding. "I love him."
"Then…love the heck out him!" She manages to get a laugh out of her and Abigail smiles at this. "Not everyone get's a once in a lifetime Cassie; I think you may have just gotten two."
Her gaze holds her own, and although she might not see it right now, Abigail is certain she will. She saw it between them when she first arrived in Middleton and has only watched it grow since.
"….he's pretty special," Cassie admits.
"You're pretty special," Abigail corrects. "And deserve nothing less."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" Stephanie questions.
She shakes her head. "I'm sure. Sam said he's on his way. You've all really, done so much today."
Stephanie envelops her into a hug to which she returns gratefully. "You're always there for us; we just wanted to return the favour." Stephanie gives her a quick squeeze before pulling back. "If you're sure then?"
"Positive," she reassures.
Stephanie grabs her purse, heading for the door. "See you later then."
There's a knowing look in her eyes and perhaps a little mischief, but she gives her a grateful smile nonetheless. "Thank you for all your help today, Abigail."
She stills just short of the door, holding her gaze. "That's what family is for, right?"
Cassie nods, seeing them out.
It's just her, the silence, her thoughts and the shop and she just takes a minute to exhale.
She's still standing.
The presence she had felt the day before still lingers, but the laughter and the love that has filled her shop the entire day permeates all around her, causing a reassuring warmth inside of her. There are a few boxes that have to be taken out back, things that couldn't be salvaged, and she takes the few minutes until Sam arrives to do just that.
The bell chimes just as she's setting them down, and she heads back to the store front expecting to find Sam.
"How's your patient?" She questions immediately, only to stop abruptly at the sight of Jackson Weld. "Mr. Weld."
"Please, call me Jackson," he corrects. "I couldn't help but notice what happened to your shop."
She takes a few steps towards him, feeling the change in the air around him instantly. It causes her steps to falter for a second.
His eyes flash, a slow smirk crossing his face.
"I'm actually closed right now."
"Are you?"
She heads to the counter where she's left her phone, reaching for it. "Yes and I'm going to have to ask you to leave, please."
He's coming towards her and it's instantaneous; nausea sweeps over her and she grips the counter as it nearly brings her to her knees.
"Not a problem. I'll be back later."
She takes it for how he's meant it: a warning.
tbc