Up In Flames

Chapter 14

"Do you really have to be here?"

Rory stepped into the kitchen to find Half-Sack had already made coffee. It was day six of his and Phil's babysitting and she was tired of it by the end of day one. Emma was still sleeping so Rory helped herself to some of Sack's coffee and headed toward the patio.

"You know I do." He said with a tiny smile. "Do you really prefer Phil? We can trade days? Maybe he'll take the whole assignment on himself."

Rory laughed and shook her head. "No you at least talk to me. He's scared, I think, like he thinks I'm as nuts as Happy."

"You are."

"Insulting!" She feigned offense. "I'm going to sit outside, can you let me know if you hear anything?" Pointing to the monitor Rory smiled as Sack nodded.

Not long after the patio door opened but it was Happy standing before her. "Hey." It was the first word spoken between them in about three days.

"Hi."

"How are you?" He asked, standing planted in his spot. "How's Emma?"

"We're just fine. I'm surprised to see you so early though."

"Haven't been sleeping much." Happy once relished the silence of his empty home but he'd quickly gotten used to the crackle of the monitor and all Emma's toys, Rory was far from quiet as well. He couldn't sleep in the silence.

"Me either. She's sleeping like a champ though. Always does." Turning her chair towards him she smiled slightly.

"We should talk."

"What?" Rory wasn't exaggerating her shock. She looked at him with her mouth hanging open.

"I want to talk to you."

"Okay. Talk."

"That shit with the Russian stripper." He began to pace as he recited the speech he'd worked so hard on. Happy knew how important communication was to Rory. "That was fucked up I shouldn't have done it, or let her do it, whatever. This shit with us never changed the way it was out there, I never had to get the pussy whipped jokes or turn down good head before. I was pissed and so I took a page out of Clay's book."

"Good head?" She scoffed. "You knew I'd be mad if I found out but you were willing to risk hurting me for good head."

"I'm sorry."

Rory smiled a little at that although she was hurting deeply. "That's only about the second time I think you've said that and actually meant it."

"I love you but this shit is fucking weird and I'm still pissed at you about Oregon."

"And I'm pissed at you for never asking me what I wanted to do about the baby. You knew I wasn't okay with that, didn't you?"

"Maybe. I was fucked up. I didn't know shit."

"Whys don't really matter. It's all done now. We can either honestly get over it or chose to cut our losses."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted you but what you did is bullshit. We're living together, raising our daughter in this relationship that I thought was solid and the be all end all. I was really fucking wrong."

"You weren't." He said simply. "You think what you did was really easy to get over?"

"So you were getting even?"

"Shut up and listen to me, Ror." Happy glared at her and Rory nodded knowing her smart mouth was only exacerbating the situation. "Let's just start over. Squash the shit we're holding onto with Emma and this last week and just be us."

"I miss us." She began to cry. "I've missed you but Hap I just don't know."

Happy nodded and headed over toward the table. "It's always been you." He mumbled and pulled her to stand.

"I'm sorry about all that shit with Emma. I'm so sorry."

"Me too." He kissed her with surprising gentleness. "How long till she's up?"

"I don't know, she doesn't usually sleep this late." Rory buried her face in his neck. "It still hurts."

"I know. Should make you happy to know I went to get checked out." He stroked her hair. "No STDs."

"You are so romantic." Looking up at him Rory smiled a little. She was still feeling the betrayal but she was following his lead for once and trying to forgive him the way he forgave her.

"You were going to go back north weren't you?"

"Yep. I am, I was, really mad."

"Head wasn't that good." He admitted with a low chuckle as Emma's voice began to flow from the monitor. "Let me get her. I fucking miss her."

Rory nodded and watched as he headed into the house and toward the steps. She didn't feel any differently about what had happened and a part of her still wanted to leave but Rory ignored it and focused all her energy on forcing herself to forget it. Love was all that mattered and she loved him, she knew that much was true.

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Alright so the next chapter is a pretty big one and I want to post it early but only if my usuals read this first. I hate double posting in a day before anyone can read the previous chapter! I'll see how many of you guys have read it and if I get enough (or maybe some influx of comments!) I'll post it in a few hours or so... I know it's still early! Enjoy! Xoxo!