Chapter 22.

22...

Jason said Judy would be home within the hour and Conner took his word for it. They sat on the couch in front of the TV, like the other night, except this was different. This somehow seemed less uncomfortable than before.

Partially it was because he hadn't just been caught stealing.

Partially it was because it was no longer his first day.

But there were other reasons too. And there were a lot of maybes also. For instance, Conner had decided he might actually trust this guy. Maybe, just maybe, this guy was telling the truth about things.

Something seemed wrong about trusting him. But Conner felt like he almost wanted to.

Conner listened to him talk about Ian and how he couldn't decide whether he should go get him or not. Conner didn't really know how to answer. He knew nothing about their situation. He wasn't sure he wanted Ian back right away because that might mean more fighting and more Jason getting mad. So he stayed quiet.

He didn't really have to answer anyway. Jason was being pretty good at carrying on the conversation by himself.

Then Jason moved onto the subject of the girl, Sofie, whose house Ian was apparently at. Jason didn't seem to like Sofie at all, but Conner wasn't sure why. It was hard to guess without even knowing who she was.

Then Jason told him how Judy was a really good cook and that all he really felt like was dinner.

That was when Conner got the nerve to speak up. "I'm hungry."

Jason eyed him, as if surprised he was actually talking.

"Really hungry," Conner added softly.

Jason scratched his head. "Well, whattaya want? We'll probably eat in a couple hours, y'know. That too long?"

Conner shrugged. Once he went two whole days without eating anything. Two hours didn't seem too bad. "Okay."

Jason eyed the TV for a moment, then Conner again, realizing something. "Wait. You didn't eat breakfast. You eat lunch?"

"No�" Conner admitted.

"Why not?" Jason asked, despite the obvious reasons in his head that the kid hadn't been home and was only eleven years old. Typical eleven year olds didn't make themselves meals.

"I dunno."

"Well, f**k. Hungry? You must mean starving."

"I guess."

"You guess? I'd've been eating anything by now if I were you. I'll make you something. What do you want?" Jason pushed himself off the couch and stood up.

Conner shrugged, surprised Jason was actually doing anything about his hunger.

Jason sighed. "Just tell me, and I'll make it."

Conner slouched down a little. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what they had. He didn't know what was reasonable.

Jason watched the kid sit there with hunched shoulders and a brow-furrowed face. "Are you afraid to answer questions? You always just don't say anything. If you don't know what we have, just ask," he said.

"You have cereal?" Conner asked.

"Yeah, but we got other stuff too. Want a sandwich?"

"Okay."

Jason shook his head as he got up, realizing he could ask the kid if he wanted dirt and the kid would probably just agree because he didn't know any better. Suddenly he was glad he was home. He loved Ian and Michal but they were so busy right now at this time in their lives. And slightly selfish. He knew they'd be nice to Conner, but they weren't going to spend the time with him that he needed.

Ma came home a little earlier than planned. Just as Jason was smearing peanut butter messily unto bread, assuming all kids liked peanut butter, she walked in and set her purse down on the counter. "Hi, sweetheart. How are you doing?"

"Hey, Ma," he answered. "How was work?"

"It was fine. Mary had her new baby in, and we spent the whole day fawning over her. I told her I'd do any babysitting she needs, so we might have a baby around here soon if we're lucky. I see Conner is back?"

Jason nodded, licking peanut butter off his fingers. He rolled his eyes at his mother wanting to baby-sit another child when she had her hands full already. "Yeah, he got back not too long ago."

She eyed him. She knew Jason. She knew how frustrated he'd been. At the same time, she trusted him. And Conner had seemed fine enough, sitting on the couch inside. "You okay with him then?"

"I didn't get mad at him, if that's what you mean," he answered. "I mean, not very mad."

"So he's fine?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I told him not to just walk off without saying anything."

"Where'd he go?"

"Hell if I know."

She looked at his sandwich. "Jason, you know we're eating in like an hour�" she said disapprovingly.

He shook his head. "For him." He pointed to the other room in explanation. "I realized he hasn't eaten all day."

"Okay," she replied, moving to close the container of peanut butter. "Well, I'm making dinner within the hour."

"He'll eat it," Jason assured, noncommittally. He stuck the two pieces of bread together and put it on the plate. Then he hesitated. "I'm sorry about what I said before too," Jason began, rubbing at his arm awkwardly. "Earlier on the phone."

Judy just gave him a look, eyes sparkling. She wasn't sure where he was going with this. "What'd you say?"

"I dunno� I was just bitching about like babysitting and stuff� I was just mad I didn't know where he was, and all. But I didn't mean it. It's okay� I don't mind him at all. I like him."

She smiled at him. "I thought you might."

"And I�" he continued. "I kinda told him what we talked about this morning. Just to tell him that, like, I knew� Do you think that was the wrong thing to do?"

She paused. "I don't know, Jason. You've always been honest. It's whatever you're comfortable with."

"It's just�" Jason sighed. "He's really afraid of me. So I�m trying to get him not to be afraid of me. But he doesn't talk much."

"Maybe if you're just patient, Jason."

"I am patient," he insisted.

"Go give him his sandwich, Jason. We'll talk later."

Jason picked up the plate and then paused. "We gotta talk about Ian too, Ma�"

"Why? Where is he? Upstairs?"

Jason shook his head. "Sofie's I think. We had a fight, kinda. He came back all fucked up again, from work. Someone jumped him after work."

Judy stared at him, pressing her lips together. She remained calm though, nothing at all like Jason had reacted. He didn't understand how she never looked worried. She always waited until she had more information. "Is he okay?"

"Looks like hell." Jason shrugged. "Pride wounded, I guess is the worst of it. I dunno. Looked like they got him pretty good."

Judy patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Jason. Just worry about Conner. We'll take care of Ian later."

"If you want me to go get him. For dinner or whatever. I can go get him," Jason persisted.

"It's fine, Jason. We'll handle it later. Go take care of Conner." She gave him a look. "Honestly, Jason, don't take everything on your shoulders, okay? Stop holding everything in."

"I'm not."

"Okay, just go check on Conner then."

Jason took her advice and walked out of the kitchen, moving back towards the family room. Conner had drawn his knees up to his chest on the couch, but when he saw Jason he immediately sat up straight again, dropping his legs back down to sit properly.

"No one cares if your feet are on the couch," Jason told him as he rolled his eyes. He handed him the plate. "I didn't get you a drink. You want a drink?"

"No," Conner answered, taking the plate and eyeing the food happily.

Jason sat back down, deciding that even if peanut butter made you extremely thirsty, he'd take the kid's word on it. He watched the kid eat and realized he did everything quietly and carefully. He took off the crusts of the bread but then ate them anyway. He was very methodical.

"Want more?" Jason asked when the sandwich was nearly done.

"No," Conner answered. Conner said no a lot.

"Was it good?"

Conner nodded.

"See, I'm a good cook too," Jason joked. He leaned over to take the plate from him and just set it on the end table beside him.

When Michal arrived home in the next twenty minutes, Camille was with him. Jason loved having Camille around and got up to give her a hug when she and Michal entered the room.
"Camille," he said happily.

Camille smiled as they hugged. "Jason O'Riley. I feel like it's been ages. How've you been? Taking care of yourself?" She patted his upper arms teasingly. "Still working out, I see, you big Meathead."

"Yeah, you just wish your boyfriend had a little bit of this�" Jason flexed his arm jokingly.

"Oh, f**k you," Michal laughed. "I can take you."

Jason put his fists up in a jesting boxer imitation. "Right, here, cupcake. C'mon. Let's see." He punched the air.

"All brawn, no brains," Michal muttered.

Jason just smirked at him. He was about to say something else but Camille had just caught sight of Conner on the couch and grew excited. "Is this him?" she said, looking at Michal in question.

"Yeah." Michal nodded. "Conner, this is my girlfriend Camille."

Conner just swallowed and didn't say anything. He was kind of on edge at there now being four people in the room. Camille had sat down next to him and had her hand out, like she wanted him to shake it.

"Hi, Conner, I'm Camille," she said. "Michal told me about you."

She was smiling and looked friendly enough, but Conner just stared at her hand.

"I'm sorry," Jason began. "Camille, he's really shy."

"That's okay," she answered. She dropped her hand and continued to smile at him. "Honey, I understand, this is all new to you. And if these boys give you any trouble, you let me know. I can control that one pretty good now." She indicated Michal, who rolled his eyes at her. "And Jason's just a big teddy bear. So you just tell me if you need anything."

"Okay, mother hen," Michal responded. He knew she loved kids and was amused at how fond she immediately was of his new brother.

Camille ran her hand through Conner's shaggy blondish hair before she stood up again. "I mean it, anything you need, Conner."

Conner didn't dislike her. He didn't like her either.

"I have to talk to Judy, too," Camille said as she started for the kitchen. "I haven't seen her in a couple weeks either, and here I am inviting myself to dinner."

"You know it's fine," Michal said as she left.

Conner ran his hand over the hair that she'd touched. Now it was just three.

"So you came back, huh?" Michal gave Conner a smirk. "You had old Jason here kind of fired up for a while."

Conner didn't answer. How did taking a walk turn into such a huge deal that everybody knew about?

Jason sat back down heavily on the couch. "Remember how I said today was just going to be a terrible day?"

"Uh-oh." Michal crossed his arms. "What else happened, man?"

"Ian."

Michal laughed. "What'd the screw-up do now?"

"You gotta see his face and ask him yourself."

Michal's smile faded. "No s**t, what happened?"

Jason glanced over at quiet Conner for a moment and then replied, "We'll talk about it after dinner. We might have to follow-up on some stuff."

"'Kay, no problem, man," Michal answered. "Where's he now?"

"His w***e's."

"Jason," Michal objected.

"Sorry. She's no good for him," Jason muttered.

"Drop it."

Jason looked up at him and smirked. "Okay, little brother. Dropped."

Michal just laughed. "Sometimes I do got more sense than you, bro."

"Never." Jason looked at Conner again. "Change the subject, Michal."

"So what'd you and him," Michal asked, "do all day?"

"This."

"Exciting, man. Real exciting."

"Don't you know it."

"Never went to Dan's?"

"No. Maybe tonight." Jason rubbed his eyes. "Once we figure out Ian's deal."

Author's Note

Conner's starting to trust Jason!