Chapter 25.

The 25th chapter

Conner sat outside in the dark on the front step long after Judy had said good night and gone upstairs. He waited for Jason-like instructions on not to go anywhere, but didn't get anyway. He almost felt like he mentally had though, considering how guilty she made him feel earlier before about disappearing.

He sat there quietly, smoking and watching cars drive by in the night and going over the day's events in his head. A lot had happened that day. And then there was Anthony's phone call. He really wanted to know what he'd said to Judy about him.

When a car pulled up in the street and parked in front of the house, he recognized it as Jason's car in the dim streetlight. Conner just watched as three emerged and he realized they must have convinced Ian to come back. They'd been gone for a pretty long time.

They were talking in hushed voices as they walked up the driveway.
Ian approached the doorstep first, muttering, "F**k!" when he saw the boy sitting there. He'd seen the form of somebody and was startled at first before realizing who it was.

"What?" Jason asked in concern, immediately drawing his gun from his back, where it was tucked into his waistband.

"Nothin'," Ian said, giving Conner a glare. "Sorry. It's just the kid."

Jason walked up behind them and gave Conner a look as he shoved his gun back into his waistband. "It's late for you. Put that out." He pointed to the cigarette that he knew Conner was hiding with his hand behind his back.

"Put what out?" Conner asked.

"Don�t make me have to tell you again. Put it out."

"Ain't you a little young to smoke?" Michal asked him.

"No," Conner replied. "And I can't put it out. It's my last one."

"Put it out," Jason persisted. "Now."

Conner tossed it aside, next to the sidewalk in some grass. He watched Jason move to step on it and put it out completely. Jason seemed to be in a bad mood; it was written all over his face, and his voice was impatient. Maybe he was always in a bad mood.

"It's late, I'm going to bed�" Michal said, a solemn look on his face as well as he walked up the steps, around Conner, and opened the front door.

"Does Ma know you're up?" Ian asked Conner.

Conner shrugged.

"Well, then go to bed�" Ian replied. "I want to talk to Jason."

Conner set his jaw. Why should he have to leave and go to bed? And what right did Ian have to tell him what to do? He looked at Jason, who was looking off at his car, seeming to ignore both of them. Conner noticed his shirt.

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" he asked.

"Huh?" Jason turned his head back to look at him. Then he looked down at his shirt where there was a red stain. He'd probably have to throw out the shirt. He ran his hand over it. "No reason."

No reason? Conner didn't get that.

"Jason. Tell him to go to bed," Ian persisted. If Conner didn't listen to him yet, maybe he listened to Jason. Most people listened to Jason.

"You should go to bed too," Jason returned. "You're in a terrible mood."
Ian set his jaw. "Gee� I wonder why." He shook his head. "But I wanted to finish this with you. And I want to talk out here. Tell him to go to bed."

"It's over for now."

"It's over for tonight."

"Well, for now, tonight, whatever." Jason shook his head. "I think we're done for the night, Ian. We've talked all I can talk about it for tonight."

Ian had a sullen look. Conner wondered if his face would look better in the morning. He still looked pretty beat up. He wondered how Judy would react to that. It could go both ways. Maybe she was used to him looking like that. He wondered if that would make her yell. Did anything make her yell? He was curious.

Ian was heading inside, with Jason now walking up the steps behind him. "C'mon, Conner. Inside. It's late."

"No."

Jason stopped next to him and looked down at his disheveled hair. Ian had just stepped inside and wasn't waiting for them. "I mean it. Please don't test me now. It's not a good night."

"I don't want to come in."

"Conner. I mean it."

Conner said nothing.

Jason sighed. "I'm counting to three. And you better get up. One�."

Conner looked up at him in surprise. "You said you wouldn't hurt me."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jason persisted. "But you are pissing me off." He shook his head. "Fine. Okay, if you want to stay outside, stay outside. Who am I to tell you what to do, right?"

Conner set his jaw as Jason brushed passed him and walked inside. Why would anybody count to three in a threat if they weren't going to do anything? Part of him wanted to follow him, but he was afraid. The other part of him wanted to just sit out here. Think things out more. He wanted to find out what had happened between the three that night, be he didn�t feel brave enough to ask.

Jason felt kind of bad leaving Conner outside. Mostly because he kept thinking to himself how easy it would be to just give the kid a couple slaps and make him come inside. If it were Ian or Michal he would probably do just that, but with Conner it was different.
With Conner he was trying so hard to be patient and not just succumb to his normal reactions. When he felt his anger swell up and felt the urge to smack him, he reminded himself that it was probably exactly what Conner expected him to do. And he could be better than that.

Jason collapsed on the couch and kicked off his sneakers. He laid his gun on the end table and stretched out his legs. He was exhausted. Between being home, and having Ian in trouble, and now having Conner to figure out, he was both mentally and physically exhausted. It had been quite a night. Calming Ian down at Sofie's, getting on his side, and then finding the 'friend' that had gotten him into the whole mess�

Tomorrow would be stressful too, as soon as Ma saw Ian's face. That would be a whole new mess.

He heard Ian in the kitchen for a few minute, getting a drink or something. Then the younger brother came out long enough to say good night.

"I'm sorry about tonight, Jason," he said gently.

Jason just shook his head. "It's fine."

"It's like every time you come home I've got some kind of mess."

"Man. I said it was fine." Jason gave him an earnest look. "Why would I start lying to you at this point? I mean it. Go to bed."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. We'll talk for real then tomorrow?"

"You gotta talk to Ma tomorrow too."

"I know."

"What time's work tomorrow?"

"I got the afternoon shift."

"Good." Jason nodded. "Cool."

"Night."

Jason watched him leave and then just sat there for a few minutes. Ian was a good kid. This would all be straightened out. He hoped. It was a matter of keeping Ian in line. Making him grow up a little bit. That was the hard part.

Jason sighed tiredly and shifted his gaze to the front door.

He'd been waiting to hear the door open and close to make sure that Conner came inside. He wanted to just go to bed and forget about today, but he realized the least he could do was make sure that the kid came inside.

He'd give him ten minutes.

Jason turned on the TV for a few minutes, watching some late-night reruns. Then he got up and got a glass of water from the kitchen, leaning on the counter as he drank it and wondering how late he could get away with sleeping tomorrow. That was if he slept. Recently sleeping had just been a problem, leading to constant fatigue.

It seemed like it had been at least ten minutes when he put his glass down in the sink and decided to head out to the front.

He opened the door slowly, wondering what he'd do if Conner wasn't there and wasn't inside. But he didn't have to wonder long as he found Conner right away.

Sleeping.
Conner was sitting on the bottom step, slumped over with his head resting on his arms, leaning onto the upper landing. Jason just stared at him for a minute, looking out at the dark street for a moment, before crouching down beside him.

"Hey." He poked Conner in the shoulder.

Conner immediately woke up and jolted up into a sitting position. He pulled something out of his pocket and flipped it open, and Jason immediately recognized it as a sharp pocket knife. When Conner realized it was Jason beside him, he paused for a minute, looking confused.

"Hey," Jason objected. "Give me that."

Conner quickly closed the knife and moved to shove it back into his pocket but Jason quickly snatched it from his hand. Conner tried to grab it back but was too slow. Jason pocketed it.

"That's not yours," Conner said.

"No," Jason agreed. "Safekeeping."

"I need it."

"For what? Are you a boy scout?"

Conner punched Jason in the leg. "It's not yours," he insisted.

"You don't need it," Jason retorted, pushing his hand away. "Ma doesn't like weapons around the house. In fact, really doesn't like them." He waited for the criticism that he carried a gun with him. Ma was never pleased when he did that. But Conner was too tired to make the connection.

Conner rubbed his eyes tiredly. "But it's mine."

"Then I'll hold onto it for you." Jason stood back up. "You were sleeping out here. Get up. It's time for bed."

Conner hesitated for a moment but then caught Jason's eye and stood up right away. Jason did not look like he'd handle any protests well right now.

"You sleep anywhere, huh?" Jason mumbled. "Closets, sidewalks�" He started inside and Conner followed him. "Can't be comfortable."

"Wasn't," Conner said. "I had a weird dream."

"Really? 'Bout what?" Jason turned to lock the door behind them.

"That someone was watching me."

"Out there?"

"Yeah�"

"Doubt that. Although we do have some really nosy neighbors�" Jason answered. He pushed Conner towards the stairs. "You go up. I gotta clean up down here quick."

Author's Note

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