Disclaimer: I do not own The Red Road.
A/N: This is semi-AU of S2 (mostly because only one episode has aired). Phillip did not cause trouble with the guys at the paving company, and Mac has not been murdered.
"No," Phillip grunted, "it's not happening."
The soft tinkle of metal against metal rang out as Marie settled her hands on her hips, ever the mother. "Did I ask?"
Fingers curled sharply against the doorjamb, "No."
Marie's brow lifted at the almost subservient answer. Phillip had never been a soft child. That wasn't to say there hadn't been times when he had been sweet and warm, but those days had long since passed. Recent years had seen Phillip develop into a mountain; he was always immovable, passive in an ominous way. Marie knew that the times he did as she asked it wasn't because he was obeying her, it was because he would come to do as she asked of his own volition given time.
"So you'll come," Marie confirmed.
Muscle rippled beneath firm, tan skin as Phillip dropped his head, rolling it to the side in fond exasperation, "Do I have to?"
Holding back the moan of annoyance, Marie nodded once, concise movement in both time and space. "It is a family dinner," the older woman intoned, eyeing him sharply.
"Yeah," Phillip shook his head, "I thought I wasn't family."
"You're my son," the assertion was met with a patented snort of disbelief.
Chin lifting, Phillip caught Marie's eyes, "Really, sometimes it gets difficult to figure out which days you are denying it."
"I want you there," Marie entreated, "I want all my boys there, Mac, Junior, and you."
The tall man was silent, face blank. "I'll see you at half past six, and you're bringing dessert," Marie told him matter-of-factly as she spun on her heel and started off towards home.
"Yes, Mom," Phillip called after her, voice heavy and saccharinely sweet.
A hand raised in the air, wrist twisting sharply in a dismissal of him and his tone. Taking a deep breath Phillip couldn't help the wince that wracked his torso and made his breath a sharp hiss. Hand dropping from the doorjamb, Phillip cupped it warily against the wound in his side, the fabric of his t-shirt already beginning to soak with blood.
"Great," the man grumbled, face darkening.
Kate had managed to avoid being grounded by playing innocent. Her father had eaten it up, rushing to the rescue. So instead of being forced to stay home, Friday afternoon found Kate volunteering at the local senior center. Kate was tasked with helping Jason, one of the older volunteers, take a small group shopping. Mostly Kate and Jason were just there to make sure everything went smoothly, which it always did. That, Kate supposed, was one of the benefits and disadvantages of living in a small town.
It was as Kate was smiling softly and nodding along to an elderly man as she helped him fill his cart that she saw him. Kate froze, blinking blankly, shocked to see Phillip Kopus in such a mundane place. Of course Kate knew he must have gone grocery shopping before, he had to have, but it was the difference between knowing and seeing. Nodding mutely to her charge, Kate kept one eye on the man who walked purposefully through the nearly empty market.
While Kate expected Phillip to be like most of the men in her experience and just grab whatever and go, Phillip defied those expectations. He stopped in front of the bakery case, his back to Kate. His hands were tucked in his pockets and his back was rigid, a clear sign of discomfort.
With a little cleverness on her part, Kate had maneuvered her charge towards the taciturn man contemplating desserts. Sidling up beside him, Kate bit her lip to hide her smile.
"You know I'm a fan of the apple pie," Kate suggested as she leaned closer to Phillip, barely grazing his arm with hers.
Phillip's head snapped towards her, dark frown melting away, "Apple?"
She nodded, hair shifting over her shoulder and falling in her eyes, "Yeah, with a little cinnamon whipped cream on top."
Turning to face Kate, Phillip lifted one hand to brush the hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear, "That does sound good."
"It is," Kate reiterated, color rising in her cheeks as Phillip's fingertips traced the shell of her ear. "So, craving something sweet?"
"Mm," the tall man hummed, "more and more. What are you doing here?"
"I volunteer at the senior center, it's grocery day," Kate smiled and glanced over her shoulder, checking on the man she was escorting.
Phillip smiled broadly at the young woman in front of him. "You're friend there is giving me a dirty look," Phillip inclined his head slightly beyond Kate.
Following his gaze Kate found Phillip was right. Mr. Jessup was indeed staring at the duo, glaring really, under the guise of checking the selection of fresh bread. Phillip couldn't help the smirk that played along his mouth as he raised a hand and gave a little finger wave to the old man. Kate gasped as she caught him and grabbed his hand, pulling it down.
"Oh god," the blush was swelling to a peak. "Don't do that!"
Phillip chuckled lowly, and curled his fingers around Kate's hand, squeezing before he let her hand drop from his grasp, "I think he may be jealous."
"Ugh," Kate groaned, "he's a nice old man."
"Yeah, a nice old man who keeps staring at you backside," Phillip's smirk deepened, the skin around his eyes crinkling in amusement.
A shudder ran through Kate's body, eyes squeezing closed, "Ew, why would you say that."
Leaning down, Phillip whispered in her ear, "Because it's true."
Kate rolled her eyes, a smile stretching across her face. Phillip had a very odd influence on her. She didn't say anything.
Phillip licked his lips as an awkward silence began to build between them, "I'm sorry. I mean, I don't think I ever said sorry, for scaring you that day."
Eyes softening, and body almost curled in Phillip looked vulnerable. Kate felt oddly powerful in that moment. A fleeting memory rushed past her eyes, of Phillip crouching before her, baring his soul. In that moment Kate was decided, "You didn't."
"You're sweet," Phillip shook his head, eyes shifting away, "But I did, and I'm sorry…and before you say anything, just know that I don't apologize. Ever."
Kate bit her lip again, tugging at the fullness, "It's okay."
"It's not," Phillip grumbled, "You didn't deserve that Kate, you don't. I should never have told you what I did."
His low voice made Kate pause, there was no easy answer. "Look, Phillip," Kate let her hand fall against his tattooed arm, pretense falling to the wayside, "You're right, you did scare me, but you don't anymore, and I'm not mad." The tension drained from his body, Kate could feel his muscles relaxing beneath her hand, "If I was, I probably wouldn't be over here talking to you."
The smile returned, teeth flashing and eyes sparking. As Phillip straightened he jolted, his face tightening in sudden pain.
"Are you okay," she asked worriedly, eyes roving Phillip's body for some hint.
Kate's search found nothing, but Phillip's posture betrayed him. He was favoring his right side, his arm positioned protectively. Phillip's grunted assurance of being okay went unheard as Kate stepped closer to him. She wormed her way under his guard and gently lifted the dark wife-beater up.
The fabric was wet to the touch, damp and sticky, a lump formed in Kate's throat, her teeth worrying her lip. She gasped, mouth falling open in silent horror as she revealed the angry red wound.
A hand covered hers, pulling his shirt back into place. "I'm fine," Phillip told her, his voice a low whisper, eyes scanning their surroundings.
"No," Kate's voice matched his, "you're not. That is infected! You need to take care of yourself."
"It's fine," Phillip repeated, "Don't worry about me."
Shaking her head sharply Kate let out a heavy breath, "Not really a choice. I'm going to get some gauze and stuff, meet by flowers in ten."
For the second time in Phillip's experience, Kate walked away from him in a flurry of red hair and quick steps.
After begging off the rest of the day to Jason, Kate had bought a whole mess of supplies and walked furiously towards the man who was half-heartedly looking at flowers. When Kate was close enough, she reached over to Phillip, grabbed his hand and tugged him with her as she started off again. With a surreptitious glance, Kate dragged the older and larger man with her into the bathroom.
The look on Phillip's face oscillated between stunned and impressed. Quicker than Phillip believed possible, Kate had turned toward him and reached passed him to flip the lock.
"Shirt off," Kate demanded, not giving Phillip a chance to speak.
To most Kate came off as timid, and she was to a point, but when Kate had her heart set on something no one could stop her. Phillip watched the petite redhead, when she tossed him a pointed glare Phillip held his hands up in surrender and began to lift his shirt up and over his head. He waited for her to turn around, his shirt hanging limply from his hand. The tall Lenape man was honestly puzzled about what Kate intended to do. Someone honestly helping him was a foreign concept.
"Okay," Kate let out a slow breath as she spun around. "This is probably going to hurt…a lot."
He laughed, "Can't be much worse than when I actually got stabbed."
"Right," her voice was airy, an attempt to maintain her composure. "So, um, hold still," Kate's command was more of a question.
Her cool hands came to settle on the skin of his side, carefully framing the yawning flesh. Phillip gritted his teeth and tilted his head back, looking up at the stained ceiling tiles. Of all the dreams and musings Phillip had happened to have about Kate touching him, none of them involved a grocery store bathroom or her intending to patch him up.
"Not to interrupt," Phillip spoke slowly as Kate's breath against his bare torso caused the skin to tighten, "but is this such a good idea?"
"It's infected," Kate told him emphatically, head shaking ever so slightly in disbelief.
Gaze dropping to the curve of Kate's back, Phillip frowned, "I mean dragging me into a public bathroom, if somebody saw us…"
"Seriously," Kate looked up at him, "you're going to talk about my father right now?"
"Kate, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me."
Pulling back, Kate doused a clean stack of gauze with isopropyl alcohol, "I'm not some little girl. Any trouble I get into is my own fault."
Without any warning the gauze was pressed against his wound, causing Phillip to stiffen sharply and a grunt to issue from between clenched teeth at the stinging. Just as quickly as the pain lanced through him, it disappeared. Kate blew a stream of cool air onto the wound, soothing away the sting of the alcohol. Small hands worked steadily, cleaning and setting fresh gauze over the wound, taping it in place.
Despite the clear annoyance Phillip had caused, Kate's touch had never lost its tenderness. "I know you're not a little girl," admitted Phillip as he let his fingers thread through the long strands of Kate's hair. "But that doesn't mean you should be hanging around me, if your father found out, this wound would be the least of my worries."
Kate straightened and pushed her hair back over her shoulder, "You have a point."
"I know," Phillip laughed. "Your dad is kind of scary, and I know scary."
Scoffing Kate began to clean up the mess, "You need to go to the doctor, today."
"Yeah, that's not happening," said flatly as he began to slip his shirt back on.
Less than impressed with his answer Kate scowled at Phillip. The retort died on the tip of her tongue as she finally noticed how, well, hot, Phillip looked. He was all muscle, a smattering of dark hair coated his chest, and a thin trail led down from his bellybutton. Kate's breath evaporated, leaving her lungs starving as she traced the contours of his muscles with her eyes.
Phillip was more observant than people gave him credit for. He knew exactly what had Kate's tongue caught between her teeth, pupil's dilating. Sliding his shirt the rest of the way down, Phillip smirked, "Were you saying something?"
"What," green eyes widened sharply before Kate relaxed, "You need stitches, you're going to the doctor."
"Thanks for patching me up, Kate," the tall man offered her a smile as he turned to the door, flipping the lock open, "but you can't make me go."
If Phillip had been any less formidable of a man, Kate might have termed his exit as stomping off like a child. But Phillip was formidable, and he was a grown man not a child. Without a huff of irritation Kate stormed after him.
Kate crossed the parking lot following Phillip, her boots tapping against the pavement and her arms swung furiously as she marched. While Kate was too short to match Phillip's long stride, her indignation fueled her speed, bringing her to level with Phillip's truck just as he was getting into it. Without wavering Kate yanked the door open and pulled herself up into the truck.
"Jeeze," Phillip started, dropping his hand from the ignition, "get out, Kate."
"No," she crossed her arms stubbornly, "I'm not going anywhere until you agree to go see a doctor."
"It's not happening," Phillip returned.
"Well then I guess I'm not getting out."
Curling his hands around the steering wheel Phillip tapped his booted foot against the floorboards. It had taken all of his willpower to walk away from Kate. She was persuasive in a very unique way. One look from Kate had Phillip bending to her will. Her touching him, taking care of him, had been too much. He didn't want her to leave, but Phillip was losing control. He wanted to do more than casual touch her hand or her hair. He wanted to bury his face in her neck, wrap his hands around the curve of her hips and pull her against him.
"Fine," he grunted out, "I'll go. Now get out."
"I'm not an idiot, unlike some people," Kate snorted, unaware of Phillip's dilemma, "I'm going with you, to make sure you actually get seen."
Kate jumped as the heel of Phillip's palm slammed down on the steering wheel. "Put your seat-belt on," Phillip told her as he turned the key in the ignition.
They drove in near silence, Phillip flipping the radio on and tuning it haplessly to a soft rock channel. It was more to fill the silence as they drove than for pleasure. Admittedly Phillip wasn't quite sure what to say, so he focused on the road, being more careful than he usually was. It boiled down to the fact that he was nervous. It was an unfamiliar feeling, not something he had truly felt since he was a teen.
In an unspoken decision they ended up at a clinic in the town over. It was obvious to both of them that they couldn't go to a clinic in Walpole. The town was just too small for that to go unnoticed.
Even as Kate slid from the truck she knew this was a dangerous line to cross, "Go on, I'll be there in a minute."
Phillip didn't argue for once, he just nodded and started towards the clinic doors. Kate took that chance to lean back against the truck and pull her phone out. She tapped the screen sharply before putting it to her ear.
"Hey, Dad," Kate tucked her free arm under her chest, supporting her other arm. "Yeah, I just finished, anyway, Janey, my chem partner, wanted to go see that new horror movie. I don't have to go if you need me home," Kate trailed off, knowing that her father would tell her to go. "Thanks, Daddy, I'll text you when the movie ends, love you too."
Tucking her phone back into her purse, Kate looked towards the clinic, and there he was, standing outside, watching her. Arms hugging her torso, Kate strode across the short distance.
"I thought I told you to go in."
"Like I was going to leave you alone in a parking lot by yourself in a strange town," Phillip snorted.
Kate couldn't be mad at that, so she walked towards the door, Phillip pulling it open for her before she could reach for the handle.
It smelled like a clinic, the sharpness of cleaning products heavy in the air. The waiting room was half-full, but the receptionist seemed all too happy to help any and everybody.
"I need to see a doctor," Phillip said lowly as they reached the desk.
Rolling her eyes Kate smiled, "Hi," she glanced at the woman's nametag, "Sarah. He has an infected wound, I think it needs stitches."
Sarah was a woman edging in on middle-age, but she was perky. She nodded and gathered a few forms and stacked them on a clipboard. Sarah held the clipboard out to Phillip, "Here you go, just fill these out and bring them back."
A grunt was all Sarah got before Kate flashed an apologetic smile and followed Phillip over to a small couch. Phillip sat down and flipped through the stack of papers, "What the hell is this crap?"
"Here," Kate tugged the clipboard from his hand, "let me help."
With an odd ease, Kate filled out the form, pausing briefly in her writing to ask Phillip questions, or confirm information. The whole scene was oddly domestic. Phillip was enjoying Kate leaning in to him and whispering to him, as though it happened all the time.
"Phillip," Sarah called after almost half an hour of waiting. Standing, Phillip glanced down at Kate who gave him a soft, encouraging smile. "Your girlfriend is welcome to come back with you," Sarah tipped her head at Kate.
Phillip looked down at the redhead who was once again blushing, god she was beautiful. "You heard the lady, Kate," Phillip offered, not denying the connection between them.
Cheeks flaming in embarrassment Kate rose to her feet and walked beside Phillip, biting back the smile as his arm curled around her back, hand resting against her hip.
Phillip's arm dropped from around Kate the moment Sarah left the room. He probably should have rejected the assumption, but was enjoying pretending Kate was his. It was easier to justify in his head, and in front of people who already assumed, but alone, Phillip didn't have a reason to keep up the charade.
The doc, after poking and prodding Phillip unnecessarily, determined that stitches were indeed required, and a dose of needles shoved into the already irritated flesh. Lying back on the exam bed, Phillip twisted so he could see Kate. She was biting her lip as she waited for the doctor to return and stitch the man on the table up.
Lips curled upward in humor, Phillip quirked a brow at her, "Aren't you going to hold my hand?"
He was teasing her, and Kate wasn't about to let that pass. Rising, Kate set her purse down on the seat and walked over to the table, and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. With a little sass Kate extended her hand, daring him to take it. To Kate's surprise he did, his hand sliding around hers. Neither heard the door open or saw Sarah walk in.
"You can sit on the table if you like," the older woman offered, causing both occupants of the room to jump. "Just put his head in your lap and we should be good, it'll keep you out of the way, Kate."
Making the decision for them, Phillip sat up a little, and used his grip on Kate's hand to pull her closer to the table. As soon as Kate was seated on the table, her back against the wall, Phillip's head came down on her lap and he reclaimed her hand, pulling it to rest against his shirtless chest.
"Comfy," Sarah asked sweetly.
"Very," Phillip smiled up at Kate.
Nodding wordlessly, Kate gave a faint grin, trying to force the storm in her stomach to settle before it turned to nervous laughter. Despite the burning in her lower belly, Kate couldn't help but feel safe and warm, that sitting here with Phillip's head nestled in her lap was right. Feeling brave, Kate dipped the fingertips of her free hand into his dark hair, finger combing it. Phillip always made her feel braver and braver. Nails lightly scraping against his scalp, Kate felt warmth seep through her body as Phillip's eyes slipped closed and his face relaxed.
Bodies entwined as much as possible in the situation, Kate comforted Phillip as the doctor sutured the wound closed. Phillip, who was not typically a passive man, was more relaxed in those long moments than he had been in his memory. Kate's scent and her skin pressed against his and her hand in his hair were lulling him into calmness of mind that Phillip hadn't ever known except in physical exhaustion.
With a great deal of reluctance Phillip had removed himself from Kate's hold and they had exited the clinic. Once more Phillip drove Kate home, taking the longest route he knew. Once more Phillip parked a little ways from the Jensen house and turned to Kate.
"You didn't have to do that," Phillip told her, trying to express his gratitude for holding him, being his comfort.
In another fit of bravery, Kate leaned across the cab and wrapped her arms around Phillip's neck, hugging him tightly. Even though she released her hold on him before he could react, the heavy, warm, scent of man and a subtle smokiness that was all Phillip rooted itself in Kate's senses. Licking her lips as she pulled away, scrambled from the truck, flashed Phillip a brilliant smile that had her whole face shining.
Pausing, she leaned back into the truck, appraising the shocked man, "If you don't take care of yourself, I'll never get to see the mountain."
Kate backed away and closed the truck door. She walked away from him again. Her words were meant as a joke, a jibe to make him take care of himself, but to Phillip they were a silent promise.
He was late. Phillip knocked sharply on the door, holding an apple pie in one hand. The door swung open to show Marie, scowl set in place.
"You're late."
"I know," Phillip didn't bother arguing, "I brought dessert."
A soft snort and an eye roll were his reward as Marie pushed the screen door open to let Phillip in.
"You're lucky Mac was held up by the council still isn't here," Marie continued. "So why are you late?"
"I was at the doctor."
Marie led him further into the house, into the kitchen where Junior was already sitting at the table. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Ma," Phillip told her, an indulgent smile settling into place. "How are you Junior?"
"Fine," it was terse reply. But, at least it was a reply.
Phillip had no illusions about how awkward this dinner was going to be. Putting the pie on the counter, Phillip offered to help, something he wasn't prone to doing often, but he figured he was already on thin ice. It earned him a smile and a hug. It wasn't the best hug Phillip had gotten that day, but it was nice nonetheless.
Dinner was awkward as expected, but it had been civil. Marie had seen to that. After dinner Phillip had retreated to the backroom to fix a hinge Marie had complained about. Junior, while polite, had taken the first chance he had to escape the house. So, while Phillip set to repairing a broken hinge, Marie and Mac cleaned the kitchen up.
"He looks happy today," Marie's voice filtered down the short hall to Phillip.
Mac's heavy sigh was barely audible, "I checked up with his job, he's been behaving, but I don't like him being here."
"We've written him off almost all his life, Mac, what if he's really trying to turn over a new leaf," Marie pleaded. "I wasn't the best mother, Mac. He deserved better, maybe if I had been what he needed, he wouldn't have ended up like he has."
"Marie," Mac hummed, "that boy has been trouble since the day he opened his eyes."
"I don't want to lose him, if we keep pushing him away, if I do, I'll lose him for good," Marie's voice was sharp with sorrow. "He's a good boy at heart. He tried to protect Junior in the end. He deserves a fair chance."
"Which is why he has a job and a roof over his head," Mac told his sister. "We'll see what happens, Marie, but I'm not just going to reinstate him, no matter how much you ask. He needs to earn that. He needs to earn the trust of the tribe."
"He will," was the confident reply, "he's different. Ever since he's come home, he's been different."
"I'll give you that," mused Mac, "something is different."
Resuming his work, Phillip couldn't help but have a little bit of hope. Marie was right, he was different. He was trying to be a good man. All for Kate. Yes it stung that he had been dis-enrolled from the tribe, that Junior hated him, that he had proved Mac right about him, but all Phillip wanted now was for Kate to look at him and smile like the world didn't exist and it was just the two of them.
Kate was everything to Phillip.
A/N: Ah! I was so happy to see Kate back in the latest episode. Anyway, this has been in progress for a few days. Shout out to all my lovely reviewers, I can't wait to hear what you think of this dose of Phillip & Kate.