A/N: My second PoI fic. Its a little longer than the first one. Thanks to all who reviewed and/or read!
This may turn into a small series if I muse co operates, otherwise it will be a stand alone.
As always, if you read, I hope you like.
Carter and Reese discover they have something else in common.
Genesis
"Hello Detective."
Carter recognized the voice immediately but did not turn to it.
"John" she said as she turned her face away from Reese.
Reese, coffee in hand sat down on the bench next to Carter and looked straight ahead as her scent floated up his nostrils.
"Nobody to save today?" she inquired as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Nobody to arrest today?" he returned as he looked down at the coffee cup in his hand.
Carter let out a humorless laugh. "Nobody's been murdered… yet" she said sarcastically as she turned and looked straight ahead. "But then it's only 7:30."
The morning air was brisk and cool and the sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in sight. It was a beautiful morning but Carter's mood did not match it.
"Is that why you are crying?" Reese said gently as he turned and looked at her profile.
Carter thought about denying it but instead decided to change the subject.
"So what brings you here?" she said. "You don't seem like the stroll in the park type."
"Is Taylor OK?" he said softly, refusing to let Carter change the subject.
"He's good" Carter said as a tear rushed down her cheek and she rushed to wipe it away.
"Then why are you crying?" Reese persisted.
Carter remained silent for several moments. Any other day, she would have snapped at John for his meddling but today… she needed, she wanted to lay down her heavy shield and just be vulnerable.
Carter knew she could trust Reese. The moment he promised to get her son back… the moment he delivered on that promise, she had a knowing that she could trust John, that she could be vulnerable with him if only she would.
Though this day was getting easier and easier to face each year, this year it was not easier because she was not grieving for herself but for her son.
"Today's my husband's birthday" Carter started with a slight shake in her voice.
Reese was taken back but remained silent.
…
…
…
"How long has he been gone" Reese reached for her hand and covered it with his when Carter did not continue.
"He was killed when Taylor was 2."
"How long were you all together?" Reese asked, wondering if her relationship with her husband was anything like his relationship with Jessica.
Carter laughed, a genuine laugh and that made Reese smile.
"We met in first grade and it seemed like we were together forever" Carter said in a bittersweet tone. "We got married young and had Taylor 6 months later" she revealed.
"6 months later?" Reese jokingly inquired. "I thought it took 9 months for a baby to germinate" he teased.
"And if you ever breath a word to Taylor, I will kill you with your own gun" Carter teased.
"I'll remember to keep the chamber empty then" Reese chuckled.
…
…
…
"Has it gotten easier for you?" Reese asked turned serious again after several moments.
"It has" Carter admitted. "Even though I miss him, remembering the good times don't hurt as much but..." Carter paused. "Taylor's becoming a man. I can't teach him how to be one and his father isn't here to show him. For so long it's just been us and he's been my baby. But now…" Carter continued. "It's hard to think of him as a baby when he is taller than I am" she smiled.
"And when there is hair on his face" Reese said.
"That too" Carter returned.
"And when there is base in his voice …"
"Ok! Ok! I get It" Carter laughed. "He's not a baby anymore!"
"No he's not" Reese smiled, wondering again what it would be like to have a child, have a son. "If you ever need me to talk to Taylor, I'd be glad to step in."
"As long as you promised not to teach him how to break any laws" Carter teased.
She was pleased that Reese was willing to be a father figure to Taylor.
"I won't make any promises I can't keep" Reese teased back. "But I will promise to teach him to go for the knee caps instead of center mass."
With his hand still covering hers, they both laughed for a few seconds before letting silence return.
…
…
…
Today was a hard day for Reese too.
"Today's Jessica's birthday too" he finally broke their silence.
Carter turned and looked at Reese's steely profile and waited for him to continue.
Reese remained silent for several moments. Any other day, he would have shut down emotionally, which was easy for him to do, but today… he needed, he wanted to lay down his heavy mask and just be vulnerable.
Reese knew he could trust Carter. The moment she let him escape Snow's clutches… the moment she saved him from the FBI's grip, he had a knowing that he could trust Carter, that he could be vulnerable with her if only he would.
"It's hard as hell" Reese finally said. His profile remained hard but his voice betrayed his hurt.
Carter slipped her hand from beneath his hand, covered his hand with hers and squeezed tight.
She never told him about her trip to Rochelle so it would have been natural for her to ask Who is Jessica but Carter would not feign ignorance so she remained silent.
Squeezing her fingers a little tighter and looking down at the forgotten coffee in his other hand, Reese finally spoke.
"You know about Jessica" he said, more as a statement than a question.
No tears were in his eyes but Carter heard the tears in his voice.
"Yes" Carter confirmed said softly.
Reese correctly surmised that Carter knew everything and for a moment, he wondered why she had not put the cuffs on him…
"I am so sorry" she said remembering the picture she had of Reese and Jessica.
…and in the next moment, he felt her protection.
"Does it really get easier?" he asked with such unbelieving hope.
"It does" Carter said, wanting to cry for the pain she knew he was in. "Day by day it will get better… if you let it."
Reese never deserved Jessica's love… he never deserved Finch's salvation … he never deserved Carter's protection.
"You have to let your guilt go John" Carter said, as if she had read his mind. "You have to let yourself heal. Jessica would want that and you deserve it."
"No I don't" Reese refuted.
"You're not that man anymore John" Carter said confidently. "And that's something you need to accept" she said authoritatively.
In unison, Carter turned from Reese's profile as Reese looked up from his coffee and they both returned to looking straight ahead.
Still grasping each other's hand, they sat on the park bench in silence for several long minutes... one trusted friend to another, they had chosen to share a piece of themselves … they had chosen to be vulnerable.
…
…
…
"Finch" Reese said after tapping his ear piece.
Their silent vigil interrupted.
"We have another number Mr. Reese."
"I'm on my way" Reese said then tapped his ear piece again. "Duty calls" Reese said, still looking straight ahead.
"So I heard" Carter responded.
They remained where they were for a few moments before allowing their hands to disengage.
"Call if you need me" Carter, still looking straight ahead, said as Reese rose from the bench.
"You do the same" Reese, still looking straight ahead, said just before he turned to head to the library.
Trusted friends parted ways knowing that something special, something unbreakable had been born between them.