Rayner and I sat in his driveway for a long while, I took notice that his yard was quite overgrown, his shrubs were growing wild, and the ivy on the bricks had taken over a large portion of his home. All the lights were out and his porch was dark and uninviting. "Are we going to go in?" My voice was quiet but it sounded much louder in the silence. He jumped to attention nodding his head immediately shutting off his car. I tossed my bag over my shoulder holding Kato by his collar leading him to the front door Rayner had shoved his key into.
He turned around his cheeks tinted red. "I haven't been home in awhile..." I wasn't sure what that meant but when he stepped to the side I saw what he was talking about. His place was quite messy, random articles of clothing spread around the living room. His couch had his comforter laid across it along with a pillow from his bed. There were also a few fast food bags on his coffee table that he quickly crumpled and threw in the overflowing garbage can. I wasn't even going to mention the slight odor emanating from the kitchen. He immediately tied the bag of trash rushing it outside to his can. I waited in the space between the kitchen and the living room trying to decide whether I should start helping or if that'd be crossing boundaries.
Once he was back inside he went back to work grabbing at the laundry around the room tossing them into the washing machine that was behind sliding doors in the kitchen. "Rayner, you don't have to worry about all that tonight. I don't care." I told him while he was shaking out a fresh trash bag. He lined the can with the bag nodding his head quickly washing his hands in the sink.
"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" I shook my head but he wasn't one to listen to me. He opened the fridge sniffing a few containers before finally shutting it then plucked a menu for a 24 hour Chinese take out from under a magnet. "I'm gonna get a few things for us, you should eat something." He decided leaving me in the kitchen to make the phone call to the restaurant.
The tension was thick and I wasn't sure how to act now after everything that had happened between us. I decided to let Kato outside in the overgrown grass not that he minded and sat at Rayner's small dining table taking deep breaths. My mind was finally grasping everything I'd seen in that small envelope trying to process what it all meant for me. I was so deep in thought I hadn't noticed Rayner watching me from the entry way. "We are going into the station first thing tomorrow. We will go straight to my commander. I trust Chief Beck with my life he wouldn't do us dirty Tori." Rayner crossed his arms waiting for me to respond negatively I assumed. I didn't have it in me to argue his opinion anymore.
I nodded my head running my hands through my hair. "Okay." I agreed and the shock was evident on Rayner's face but he didn't say any snide remarks. "Shouldn't you be on Eliza duty tonight?" I remembered suddenly and immediately felt guilty for making him come to my rescue when his career was at stake. His jaw clenched like it often did.
"Yeah... I'm going to be in deep shit." He shrugged making eye contact with me and I felt my entire being shutter with pleasure. "I'll go make up the air mattress you can take my bed." Just like that I felt my body go cold, he wanted to sleep separately. I didn't want to seem like his decision had bothered me too incredibly so I just nodded my head offering a smug smile.
We ate in silence and then I'd locked myself away in his room. I showered washing with his soaps allowing tears to slip from my eyes for the first time in a very long time. The smell of Rayner was too much and I knew I was just feeling sorry for myself when I'd royally screwed this up. He had definitely contributed to the fall of us but I was overwhelmed with the feeling we wouldn't fix this and I didn't know why.
Once I was out and dressed I curled up with Kato in Rayner's bed. I knocked back a sleeping pill and laid back waiting for it to take effect. I was still feeling sorry for myself and found myself still pouting the next morning in the bed because Rayner hadn't even so much as peeked in. I'd been awake for about thirty minutes and probably could have laid around longer but there was loud banging on the door much like the last time I was here.
Kato growled beside me following me out of the room as I jumped up running down the hall just in time to see a man in full uniform bust in the second a shirtless Rayner unlocked the door. "Linehan are you mad?!" I could just make out his name badge that read Chief Beck. "I could have your job for this, if I didn't respect you so much I'd have you turn your badge in right this instant. Explain yourself you better be down with the flu and two broken ankles or so help me-" He cut himself off mid sentence seeing me in my oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts gripping Kato's collar as if my life depended on it. "Miss." His cheeks were red as he assessed the living room seeing the air mattress and various blankets then he gave Rayner a look.
Rayner turned to me immediately, "Tori would you give us a minute? Fetch me a shirt would you?" I nodded my head eagerly despite the fact I wanted to hear what Rayner had to say. I left his bedroom door open trying to eavesdrop. Their voices were hushed but I could still make out what they were saying because Chief Beck's inside voice was still quite loud.
"I can't keep cleaning up your mess Rayner. You're my boy you know that, I was able to turn my head when you became involved with a client, I was able to forgive the fact said client escaped through a window to her eminent demise while under your supervision, but leaving your post in the middle of duty is insane. You're lucky there were other officer's on standby or I'd have your ass, the fact that you didn't come back or even so much as make a call is what really is pissing me off. So please enlighten me on what was so damn important." Chief Beck concluded audibly huffing.
"Firstly I understand that what I did last night was incredibly unprofessional and I will personally apologize to Eliza and any officers I put in a bind but I feel as though what I did was not unnecessary. Let me get my shirt and then we can talk." Rayner concluded and I quickly ran to his closet before he could see me standing there listening. I grabbed the first shirt I saw and sat on the unmade bed waiting nervously.
Rayner entered the room taking a deep breath and I knew my shenanigans had gotten him into trouble but he didn't seem upset with me. I handed him the gray t-shirt slowly hoping he'd ask me to be apart of the conversation but he didn't. "Stay here, I'll put Kato out. We haven't talked about all of the details just let me handle this okay. We don't want him to know the... liable parts." He chuckled quickly clothing his bare torso. "Stay put." I chewed on my thumb nervously promising not to intervene.
***
Once an entire half hour had passed I decided to get dressed and ready. I took my time changing and brushing my hair putting on a little makeup that I'd packed in with my toiletries. I threw my hair up in a messy bun and saw that it had only been twenty minutes. I was thoroughly losing my mind waiting in this room and even though I was pretty sure they were not inside the house anymore I stayed put like Rayner told me.
When he finally returned I jumped because he'd frightened me and my nerves were on edge. I stood in attention waiting for him to spill. He had Kato with him and looked... angry? "Get your things Tori." He commanded not saying anything else looking around the room grabbing things that were mine helping me shove them back into my small duffel. "What's going on Rayner?" I demanded tired of always being kept in the dark.
"They're sending you away again." He admitted his hands stilled. My stomach dipped with anxiousness. "Where are we going?" I gulped wondering how I was going to pass the semester when I could potentially be several states away. "We aren't going anywhere." His eyes were serious now, and I understood now what he'd meant. "You aren't my assignment anymore Tori, because we were involved you can no longer be placed under my protection. It would be too much of a liability." I felt sick to my stomach with nervousness. I didn't want to be sent away. "They are still working out the details, but as of now there will be an officer assigned to watch you at your apartment. Please work with him and listen. I will give him the run down of your schedule with school and everything will be fine I promise. I won't let anything bad happen to you this time." I believed him but everything still felt wrong.