Dark Days

Dealing with Deception

©JRF2016

Conner stands there over his daughter watching her sleep.  He looks around the lonely, cold room.   Rachel didn't come back last night.  Maybe he shouldn't have told her that he loved Gwyn but he did and it just slipped out.  It was never his intention to lead her on, he was going to tell her so many times but he just never found the time, or the words.  He never wanted to hurt her.  He lets Riley sleep and walks out into the cell block to find Rachel but runs into Reid instead.  He is smiling as he sips his coffee.  "I owe you a big thank you," he says slapping Conner on the back, "Rachel came to my room upset last night.  She's still there, in my bed, sleeping."  Conner glares at him, "Hey, man it's not like we did anything, she just cried in my arms.  You broke her heart and I want to thank you for screwing up so bad.  You sent her straight to my arms.  I couldn't have come up with anything better to get her there."  Conner stormed off back toward his room peeking in on Rachel right where Reid said she'd be.  Riley is sitting up on the bed when he gets back.  "When did your mom get bit?"  He asks.  Riley's head fell.  "I'm sorry, kid."  Conner adds quickly as he notices her sadness.  "Towards the beginning, she saved me." Riley slowly brings her gaze up from the floor, "She let them get her so I could get away."

"She sacrificed herself for you.  She always put you ahead of her own needs.  She loved you so much, you know that right?"  Conner notices a smile on her face now as he tells her about her mother. 

"She loved you too daddy.  We both did and now I have you back." 

"What's goin' on here," Darrick asks as he sits down next to Conner and puts his arm around his little brother. 

"You're an uncle, Darrick."  Conner told him pointing to his daughter.  He cocked his head confused.

"That a fact?  I didn't know you and Rachel had a kid."  Conner drops his head as Darrick continues talking, "Little brother, why ain't you ever told me about this?"

"She's not Rachel's."  Darrick looks at him angrily now.  "Oh, you're gonna be pissed at me too?" 

"Well, she ain't Rachel's that means you cheated on her before the world went to shit and made a baby with another woman.  You don't think that's going to warrant some anger from people?" 

"Yeah, maybe but I figured she would let me explain it to her before running into Reid's arms."

"You remember when you got here and you found out that her and Reid were kinda starting something up and you didn't talk to her for a while?  Well, multiply that by a lot, and tell me you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in her shoes."  Conner stares at his feet.  He knew his brother was right but he didn't want to admit it.  He wanted his anger at Rachel to be justified but he knows it can't be. 

Rachel walks into the cafeteria after crawling out of Reid's bed to see him holding Grace.  She smiles as she walks up and takes a seat across from him.  "Feeling a little bit better?"  He smiles at her and she gives him an unsure shrug.  "That little girl turned out to be bad luck for you and Conner's relationship and I shouldn't be happy, but I am because now it's freed you up to be with me." 

"Really?  You think because I'm mad at Conner right now that I'm open for you to move in.  He broke my heart and you think I'm just going to move on just like that."  I stare at him with a straight face. 

"Yeah, I was kinda hoping it would go something like that."

I've been staying with Reid for the last two days.  I can't even look at Conner right now. I follow Reid out to the field where the pig pen is holding Grace and I see Charlie walk outside and down to the fence where Riley is watching the zombies on the other side, snapping and grabbing at her through the fence.  "Hey," he said startling her, "So you're Conner's daughter?"