Lapsing Time

Chapter Two

  I rip out of Derrick's embrace and spin around looking for Jason. I see someone running away and it looks like they're taking Jason. I go to run after them but because of the skates I'm wearing I fall onto my face. "BAILEY!" Derrick rolls over but I point in the direction that the person ran in. "GO GET JASON!" I scream. Derrick skates after the culprit as two people help me to my feet.

  They help me out of the rink and I kick off the skates as fast as possible. I chase after Derrick but I find him rolling his way back from the parking lot. "I- I'm sorry... I lost them..." I see tears welling up in his eyes and I know that he tried his best. "I..." I can't think of anything to say, I lost my son. The realization hits me then and there.

  I. Lost. My. Son. I crumple to the ground and tears spill out of my eyes. Derrick sits down with me and pulls me into his lap, I don't push away. I need all the comfort I can get. I feel something hit the top of my head and it feels wet. I hear a sniff and I realize Derrick is crying. "I'm so sor-rry. If I hadn't been dis...distracting you Jason would still b-be here." I sit up in his lap and lay my head on his shoulder. "It's ok, we'll file a report, if they ask for money I'll pay for it, we'll get him back."

  I murmur. Derrick holds me in his arms tightly. "Just, don't do anything stupid." He says softly. I'll only do stupid things if I have to. We stay like that for a while until I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and see the person who checked us into the roller rink. "Uh, we need the skates back." She says. Derrick kicks off the skates and stands up holding me in his arms.

  "Derrick-" "It's easier to carry you, so just let me do that." I close my mouth and grudgingly let him carry me. Derrick grabs our shoes and carries me to the car. "Keys?" I fish around my coat pocket until I find them, handing them to him. He sits me in the passenger seat after unlocking the car. Derrick quickly pulls on his shoes before going over to the driver's side and getting in.

  He drives us to the police station in silence, I look at the building sadly. I never wanted to have to do this, I've been moving around all my life to stay away from the government because they want to figure out my secrets to immortality. When Jason came around I knew he would need structure, so I built a life here, for him. I would leave every so often to place false trails for the government to follow.

  Guess they finally got a brain. "Bailey?" I look up at Derrick, one of my few friends. "Yeah, I need my son back." We go into the police station to file a missing person's report.

  Once we're done I'm so emotionally drained that I fall asleep on the car ride back to my apartment. I have faint memories of being carried upstairs, put into a bed, and a "good night" from Derrick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake to the smell of bacon cooking, I open my bleary eyes and sweap my messy hair off to the side. I crawl out of bed and stumble into the kitchen, basically in zombie mode. I see Derrick standing at the stove, his shoulders slumped, and steam rising from in front of him.

  "Macoffee..?" I mumble at him. "Huh?!" He turns around and looks at me a surprised look on his face. "Oh, g- you look... terrible..." I just stare at him. "Coffme...?" "Uh, yeah." He points over at the coffee pot that has the amazing black Liquid of Life in it. I quickly walk over to the machine, grab a mug, and pour a bunch of coffee into it. I stare into the dark depths of the coffee, remembering what happened yesterday.

  Suddenly I collapse onto the floor. "BAILEY!" Derrick falls to his knees beside me and pulls me close to him. Tears fall out of my eyes, leaving warm wet trails down my cheeks. "H-he's gone..." I whisper, not wanting to believe it. "He's actually g-gone..." Derrick runs and hand through my hair, trying to sooth me. "Shhh, I know, but we'll find him. I promise." He lays his head on top of mine and mumbling about finding Jason.

  I barely hear him, my negative thoughts filling my brain.

You lost him!

You let him get taken.

YOU weren't paying attention!

YOU got distracted!

It's YOUR FAULT!

  "No, no, nonono..." I murmur. I push Derrick off of me and shakily stand up. "Get off! I have to find him!" He scrambles to his feet quickly and grabs my wrist. "BAILEY! Please! We'll find him, but not like this. Not in your condition. How about we sit down and-" "Have a nice breakfast while Jason suffers somewhere?! HELL NO!" I yank my arm out of Derrick's grasp. "YOU'RE NOT HIS FATHER! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

  Derrick glares at me. "YOU THINK I DON'T UNDERSTAND! I FEEL HORRIBLE! IF ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He screams at me. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND?!" "NO YOU DON'T! YOU BARELY SPENT TIME WITH HIM! YOU WERE PRACTICALLY GONE ALL THE TIME!" My stature crumbles as I realize he's right. I was never there for Jason, I was always gone. Laying a false trail for the government to track.

  Derrick drops his shoulders as he realizes what he said. "Bailey I-" He holds a hand out towards me but I step back. "You're right... I was never there for him... it was always you. You're more of a father to him then me..." I feel more tear prick my eyes and I run my sleeve across my face. "I- I didn't mean it! Even if you weren't always there you're still his Father." Derrick steps closer and I look away from him. Too upset to move away, but still defensive enough to look away from him.

  "Bailey..." He murmurs, almost a whisper. His hand gently find my cheek and moves my head to look him in the eyes. I see a sad shimmer in his eyes and I know he's on the verge of tear. "I didn't mean what I said, you understand that, right?" I nod a little. He leans closer to me. "Good, I don't want to push you away.." He gives a small smile and leans even closer. I so badly want to push him away but at the same time pull him closer.

  Suddenly I become aware of the smell of something burning. "Derrick... your bacon is uh... burning." His half closed eyes snap open and he looks over his shoulder. "FUCK!" He darts towards the stove and tries to salvage the bacon. I watch as he tries and fails to save whatever bacon is left, burning himself in the process. Once he trashes the charcoal that was once our breakfast I walk over to him and give him a hug.

  I lay my head on his chest and I hear his heartbeat is going crazy. "Bailey? You ok?" "No I lost my son. But you need this as much as I do." He relaxes and places a hand in my hair and the other around my waist. "So... about us-" I groan and shove myself out of Derrick's hold. "Why? WHY?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO RUIN A NICE MOMENT?!" He looks at the floor and rubs the back of his neck.

  "I- I'm sorry... I just love you so much-" He stops in the middle of his sentence as he hears what he just said. "You- me- love- huh?!" I stare at him confused, he always said he liked me, but not love, never love. "I'm sorry! I started talking and I wasn't paying attention- it just kinda slipped out..." He looks at me with an awkward grin on his face. "You don't say that by accident. Not without reason." I murmur. He sighs.

  "Well... I've always said I liked you but the truth is, even since I've been spending time with you, ever since you first dropped Jason off. I've been in love with you, and when I see how you are around Jason. It made me love you more! I've been in love with you for years!" He looks at the floor and sighs. "I have a feeling you hate me now..." "I-" I don't know what to say.

  Derrick groans and puts his face in his hands. I step forward a hand outstretched when my phone rings. I grimace and run over to it picking it up. "Hello?" "Hi Bailey." "Oh fuck..." I turn to Derrick with a worried look on my face. "Remember me?" Askes the voice. "Of course... Terance."