Rain Check?

~61~

Dempsey tossed and turned so much through the night that even Star had felt the effects from it, finally looking for a reprieve, ending up in her dog bed across the room from where her owner stares blankly up at the ceiling. She'd been so emotional over the clan of Evans that showed up on her step that she had refused to leave her room to even see if they had indeed locked up.

It's 3 AM when she finally decides to leave a message for the school secretary, requesting another two days off, promising she'd return Wednesday morning just in time to prepare the kids for Valentine's fun.

Sitting up she begins her sub plans for the next two days, hoping that the light of her computer screen would eventually make her eyes tired enough to sleep. One would think that crying constantly until the action turns to silent, heaving sobs would be enough to wear ones body down enough to sleep for days. However, it seems that her brain apparently short circuited during her fall for Chris that it can't even function enough to know what to do when exhausted.

Emailing the plans off to the secretary and her pod lead, Dempsey decides to slip into her tub, praying that the warmth will relax her enough to finally rest.

Thirty minutes and two pruned hands later, she's redressing, relishing in the heat that has stayed with her body from the water. Wrapped in her Bruins hoodie and sweat pants she breathes a contented sigh, truly believing she's at the point that she can fall asleep.

That is until she steps out of the bathroom to find Star sitting at the closed bedroom door, whining to go out. "Sorry, sweet girl. I guess I did forget to take you out last night." She scurries out of the door as soon as Demi opens it, but stops at the guest room, whining again before pawing at the wood of the closed door.

"Did you leave a toy in there or something?" Dempsey pads behind her, pushing the door open but remaining in the hallway. "Get it and let's go, Star. Mama's tired."

The thud of her heavy feet stop once inside the room. She barks, making Demi nervous as she flicks on the light.

There at the foot of the bed, sitting on the floor is Chris. His knees are pulled up while his arms rest across his knee caps, his head lifting from its spot on his arms.

  "What the hell, Chris?" I yell, grasping at my chest, my heart racing. "I told you to go! Get out of my house."

  He stands, looking much less confident than the last couple times I've seen him. "Demi," he mumbles, getting ready to continue speaking.

  I hold my hand up, stopping him. "You don't get to call me that anymore." I start down the hallway, continuing the earlier mission. "Star!" Her feet come clonking behind me.

Dempsey POV

  An anger like no other fires through my veins, furious that he's here in my house, uninvited and unwanted. Latching the leash onto Star's collar, I'm reminded that I need to find her a new one, as my stomach threatens to revolt at the reminder of Captain America's shields covering the material. Slipping on my rainboots I snatch my keys up, along with my pepper spray and whip the front door open, immediately shivering from the cold February air. 

  We head towards the right, her nose sniffing away to find the perfect spot for her to do her business.  Although after a good fifty steps I'm realizing she may have been begging to leave my room because of sensing Chris just down the hall. 

  "Come on, girl!" I hiss. "It's frickin freezing out here."  

  She finally stops under a street light and decides now is the time to completely relieve herself. I reach into the pocket of my hoodie and realize I forgot a baggy. "Mother trucker," I mutter, hearing footsteps coming up behind me. 

  I wrap my fingers around my pepper spray, ready and waiting as I continue to let Star finish her business. Swallowing, I will my heart rate to return to a normal pace as the steps get closer. I give a knee jerk reaction as I feel a strong hand grip my arm, turning around I immediately spray the weapon in the person's eyes.

  "Ahh! Damn it!" Chris yells out into the night.

  "Oh, ship!" I cry out, now making Star bark. "What the hell are you doing, Chris?" 

  He's rubbing his eyes with his left hand, grunting through the pain of the pepper spray that's burning his eyes. "I didn't want you out here alone! Ugh," his moan low in his chest. "And thought you'd need this." He shoves a doggy poo bag out in front of me. I snatch it from him, holding back a small grin as I clean up Star's mess, tying it off while I still carefully hold the leash.

  "You should know better than to touch a woman, late at night, on a sidewalk, Chris." I keep my voice stern while listening to the laughter running through my brain. I shove the bag into his chest making him grunt. I start the trek back home, smiling widely.

  "I can't see, Demi!"

  "You couldn't keep it in your pants either, but neither of those things are my problem anymore, jackass."  

  I hear him stumbling behind me, following my steps. I fight back the urge to lead him into the street but at almost four in the morning it would be pointless as the streets are still sleeping. I let it go, heading straight for my house but grow aggravated when we reach the steps and Star refuses to climb them.

  "Get in the house, Star!" She just sits at the bottom of the steps, whining, looking back and forth between myself and Chris who is constantly blinking and rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hands. She heads to Chris once he's closer, causing me to toss the leash at him. "Fine, go home with him."

  Chris groans loudly, swiping at the leash as it drops down his chest. "I can't drive like this, Demi."

  "Again. Not my problem. And once again, don't call me that."

  "It is your problem! You sprayed me with pepper spray!" He yells, matching my tone.

  "And you said you loved me! Guess we both made a mistake, Masshole." I turn quickly, unlocking my door and shutting it quickly behind me, locking it.

  But once I'm behind closed doors, the dam releases and all resolve falls away. My heart breaks all over again, knowing that as much as I hate Chris Evans the actor, I'm still in love with Chris Evans, my student's uncle.  

  

*unedited

*Maybe that's a tad bit of justice for Demi ;)

*One can only stay strong for so long.