Ever since Rieka got home from Joseph's place and Jacob whispered 'I love you' into her hair, he has been distant. His kisses are quicker and shorter, he leaves the house earlier and comes home later. Rieka has pinned it down to stress but she would be lying if she said that it wasn't bothering her. She went on with her duties, patching up all of Jacob's men, but she was starting to feel worn down.
Whether it was the stress that the Deputy was causing, or the fact that Jacob was being distant, or the possible pregnancy that was always on the back of her mind. She was feeling tired, finding it hard to focus on her job.
Jacob was working and Rieka was by the training area, patching up Jacob's men who had gotten hurt. Rieka just finished patching up the last of the men and packed up her bag, just before she walked away she asked one of the cultists where Jacob was. They told her that he was by the cages.
Rieka thanked them before walking down to the cages, her bag hanging from her shoulder. She smiled when she saw Jacob standing in front of Pratt's cage, he was talking but she couldn't hear him. She walked up to him and waited for him to finish up with Pratt. He was basically taunting him about how he is going to kill the Deputy.
Jacob finished and stepped backwards, turning and seeing Rieka. "Excuse me" he mumbled before walking past her. Rieka opened her mouth to say something but she lost the words, she just stared speechlessly at the floor in front of her.
"R-Red..." Pratt stuttered from his cage, pressing against the bars and looking up down at her.
"What was he staying?" Rieka asked with a sigh, walking over to the cage so that she was standing in front of him.
"He told me that Rook's training is over...that he is going to fulfil his purpose. Jacob told me that he is going to confront Rook...he said that Rook won't be coming for me" Pratt told her. He liked Rieka, really liked Rieka. He wanted to help her like she helped him.
Rieka just nodded before sitting down on the floor and leaning her back against the bars. Why didn't Jacob tell her about confronting the Deputy? Why is he avoiding her and being so cold towards her? "I guess this thing is finally going to end..." she hummed before hearing Pratt move behind her.
Pratt turned and sat down on the floor like Rieka, he lent his back on the other side of the bars that she was leaning on. "What will happen to me...if Jacob does kill Rook?" Pratt asked quietly.
"Honestly, I don't know. I guess you will be treated the same way as you are now or become a soldier, one of Jacob's men, because he won't have to use you as leverage" Rieka told him, not actually knowing what Jacob planned to do with him after all of this.
"I'm not cut out to be a soldier...he is going to kill me isn't he? I'm weak and he culls the herd, he is going to cull the herd and that means killing me" he whispered, hanging his head.
"I'm not going to let him kill you Pratt, you will be fine" she assured him. She felt a little guilty and selfish about it but she wasn't concerned for Pratt at the moment like she usually is, she is more concerned about Jacob and his stupid plan to confront the Deputy.
"...Go and talk to him Red..." Pratt sighed.
"What are you talking about?" she asked and turned to him with a confused expression.
"You are upset about Jacob...a-anyone could see that...go" he turned and smiled at the girl in the red hood.
"I hope things turn out alright for you" she smiled at him before jumping up to her feet and walking off to find Jacob.
Rieka drove home and saw Jacob's truck parked outside. As she walked into the cabin she wondered whether she should tell him about her little secret or wait until everything blew over. That's when she froze, she only just shut the front door behind her and couldn't walk any further. She just started at the floor while she thought over every bad thing that could happen.
What happened if the Deputy killed Jacob? What if she never saw him again? She would be left alone, their child wouldn't have a father, she couldn't do it alone. Rieka couldn't even comprehend how fast the tears began to fall down her face. She sank to the floor and lent back against the door, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her forehead on her knees as she cried.
Jacob furrowed his brow and stood up from his chair when he heard the sound of crying. He slowly walked out of the living room and towards the front door where he saw Rieka curled up against the door crying. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to refrain from rushing over to her and embracing her.
He sighed and gave in before walking over to her, he never said anything he just sat down beside her with his legs stretched out in front of him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. "W-why have you been ignoring me?" Rieka asked as she turned and cried on his shoulder. "I know that you have been busy but you seem so cold now..." Red sighed as she wrapped her arms around Jacob's waist.
"I'm not ignoring you. Sorry if I've been distant" he spoke but his voice was emotionless.
"Jacob...please just talk to me, just this once" she pleaded and looked up at him. She could see that he was having some sort of internal battle.
"Alright...I'm confronting the Deputy tomorrow-" Jacob started as if it meant nothing.
"Tomorrow!" Rieka pulled away and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yeah...tomorrow. It's going to be alright though" he assured her, trying to pull her back into him.
"No it isn't" Rieka shook her head and stood up, looking down at him.
"What makes you say that?" the Soldier asked as he climbed to his feet.
"You told me that you loved me when you thought I was sleeping...you are scared Jacob. Tell me why" she demanded. Jacob has never seen Rieka this angry and this upset, he hated seeing her like this.
"I am not scared" he raised an eyebrow at her and stepped towards her.
"Jacob, I know you better than anyone. I know you are scared and you know that you can be honest with me. What is happening?" Red asked, refusing to drop the topic.
"Fine. I might die tomorrow" Jacob stated blankly.
"I know that Jacob! I am fucking terrified of that, it's all that I've been thinking about. I wanted to talk to you about it but you won't talk to me" She began raising her voice, the tears beginning to fall again.
"But I might not die, I could kill the Deputy" he shrugged, as if that would ever reassure her.
"I don't want to risk that Jake...please don't do this" she begged, her voice quiet as she was afraid that it would break if she spoke any louder. She walked towards him gently held onto his jacket.
"I am a soldier Rieka, this is my job. I am not afraid of dying, it's what I was made to do" Jacob shook his head.
"Then why are you scared? Don't say that you aren't because I know that you are" she asked, her voice cracking slightly, as she looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"...I'm scared of loosing you...I'm afraid of leaving you alone" he admitted, finally completely opening up after all of this time.
"Then don't, just forget the Deputy" Rieka begged him, trying one last time to keep her Soldier by her side.
"I can't Rieka, it's my job. I have to do this" Jacob sighed, caressing her cheek gently.
"Fine...I have to tell you something" she sighed, suddenly adverting her gaze and staring at his chest.
"What is it?" he asked, running his hand through her hair.
"I...I..." she began but then she looked into his eyes. She saw the sadness, the fear and the loss in his eyes. "It doesn't matter" she smiled and shook her head, she couldn't give him something else to loose.
"You can tell me" he told her, just like she had told him earlier.
"Really, it's nothing. I just want you to be with me tonight" she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked into his eyes again and realised what she had to do. He was a soldier and he was just doing his job. Her job is to look after him, to care for him, and she was going to do her job.
"I can do that Little Red" Jacob smiled and lent down to kiss her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.
That night they stayed in bed together, it was one of those rare moments in their relationships where Jacob was open and vulnerable. She lay against his chest while he stroked her hair and down her back. They talked about their memories with the rest of the family and about the first time they met. It was sweet and kind of embarrassing for Jacob but he suffered through it.
If only he knew that after he fell asleep Rieka stayed up most of the night thinking through her plan of action.