Chapter 31.

31..

Conner was really nervous. Jason had sat him back behind the desk, on the chair, and he realized that they weren't going to leave just yet, even though he wanted to. He chewed on his fingernails anxiously as he watched Jenna and Jason talk.

Jason was leaning against the front desk with his arm resting across the countertop. Every minute or so he would look towards the door expectantly. Conner wasn't sure what they were talking about, whether it was about today or catching up on the past, because they were speaking in such low tones. Were they trying to hide their conversation from him or was it just a coincidence? He had no idea.

This coincidence kind of bothered him, and he wasn't sure why. Just the whole way that things had worked out seemed really weird. There was just way too much going on, and way too much that could possibly still happen. He felt like crying but figured it would seem like he was a big baby if he started, so he tried to hold it back. As long as he could keep quiet he would be fine.

The police were coming. Kevin was coming. They didn't know who would arrive first. Conner really didn't want to see either of them. He kind of wanted to wait somewhere else, to get away from it, but was too afraid to ask. Besides, he didn't want to go outside by himself, and he couldn't think of anywhere else that he could really wait.

He watched Jason and Jenna. Jenna was smiling a little bit, and Conner wondered just how anybody could be smiling right now. He kind of liked her, mostly because she'd been able to get Jason here, but there were enough new people in his life right now. He preferred she just go away.

Sirens were faint in the distance, and Conner looked at the door. He knew there would be no sirens when the police arrived here, but it still made him worry. It was then, looking at the door, that he saw a familiar character approaching from outside.

He froze for a second and then managed to voice a worrisome, "Jason�"

Jason looked at him. "What, Conner?"

Conner didn't need to say anything. Jason heard someone enter and turned from the counter, straightening.

Kevin had a key in his hand, ready to check out, and Conner wondered what his plan had been. Would he have looked for him more or just left after checking out? Maybe he would have gone back to the house to see if he returned. If he'd gone through all this trouble to get him back, he couldn't see him just leaving empty-handed. If he was able to find him the first time, there was no saying what he would be capable of next.

Conner didn't care if this could end now.

Kevin spotted him behind the counter immediately and clenched his fists. "You. I knew you were here. C'mon. We're leaving, you brat."

Conner felt himself go rigid in his chair, bracing himself for what came next as Kevin approached the counter.

He wasn't sure why he winced when Jason stepped forward from the counter and swiftly slugged Kevin in the face.

"Jason!" Jenna hissed.

Conner was just wide-eyed.

The key in Kevin's hand clattered to the floor as his hand flew up to touch his face where he'd just been hit. He looked at Jason incredulously. "Who the f**k are you?" He gave him a quick shove.

Jason's face was red with anger. He glared at the man, retorting, "I'd like to ask you the same question."

"Do you work here?"

"No," Jason answered.

"Then we're done. You really don't want to start something with me." Kevin looked over behind the counter, giving Conner a look. "Conner, you better get over here, we're leaving this place." As Kevin bent down to pick up his key, Jason caught him off guard with another punch, right in the jaw.

Kevin grunted, stumbling back a bit. After a pause to regain balance, he straightened, and gave Jason a deadly look, shoving him back again. "Okay. You wanna start something, son? I told you�"

"He's not going anywhere," Jason answered.

"Is that was this is about?"

Conner felt like he was watching a movie. He couldn't move at all, and he suddenly felt like somebody was drowning him. It was all fuzzy, but a second later, he saw Kevin swing back, and then the fight really picked up. He'd never really seen a fight like this, except for on TV, and he wasn't sure what to do. Maybe it wasn't real. Maybe he was just imagining it.

It was a mixture of sounds, but the loudest was his heart beating hard. He could hear Jason and Kevin yelling at each other, and the sounds of their scuffling and punches, and then there was Jenna, yelling at Jason to stop.

Conner wasn't sure what to do, or even if he was supposed to do anything at all. They were on the ground now, and he couldn't see them from behind the front desk. He swallowed and stayed where he was. He felt a little nauseous but didn't want to move.

He wondered who was winning. He'd been on the receiving end of Kevin's fist himself but he figured Jason could hold his own a little better than that at least.

He felt himself in another world, a silent world, which was then brutally interrupted when the doors to the office burst open, slamming against the walls, and three policemen entered, one of them pulling out his nightstick.

"Break it up!" he yelled, moving quickly towards the middle of the room, where Conner guessed the two were on the floor. He still couldn't see, and really didn't want to move.

"He said," one of the other officers shouted, "break it up!"

A moment later, each being held back by an officer, Kevin and Jason reappeared in Conner's view, rising from the floor. He couldn't tell how Jason really looked, other than extremely angry, but Kevin had blood dripping from his nose, down his chin.

He looked wild.

They both had their arms held behind their back by the cops.

"Jason, just calm down," Jenna said insistently. "C'mon, it's not worth this."

"Yes, it is," Jason retorted, eyes flashing.

"Sir, I have to ask you to compose yourself," the officer said to Kevin roughly, pushing him towards the wall to hold him up against it. Kevin was still struggling to get away. "You are resisting a police officer."

"He attacked me!" Kevin shouted, trying to reel around to look at Jason. "That man, right there, he attacked me!"

"Which one of you is Kevin Harris?"

"This is ridiculous!" Kevin tried to push the officer off. "He attacks me, just as I'm only trying to check out, and I'm the one being restrained! I�"

"Sir, are you Kevin Harris?" the officer struggling with him asked.

"I'm Kevin. What does it matter who I am? I have rights! I have rights just like anybody else!" Kevin persisted. He succeeded in shoving the officer away from him roughly, just as the third police officer rushed over, pulling handcuffs out.

"Sir! Please face the wall, place your hands up, and interlace your fingers behind your head!" he directed.

Kevin hesitated, he stared at the two police officers in front of him, as if shocked that they were turning on him. His eyes flitted to Jason, who was now unrestrained, standing next to the last officer. Their eyes met briefly and Kevin growled,

"Officers, that man assaulted me, unprovoked. He�"

"Sir, please face the wall!" the third officer barked. "Interlace your fingers behind your head!"

Startled, and eyeing the officer's hand hovering over his weapon, Kevin spit out a mouthful of blood and slowly turned around, raising his hands behind his head. Roughly, the officer grabbed his left arm and pulled it down to his back, clicking the cuff on before he pulled his other arm down as well.

"Sir, you are under arrest for the assault of a police officer. We are also aware that you violated the mandates of a restraining order with the breaking and entering of a residential home and the kidnapping of a minor."

"This is f*****g insane," Kevin muttered as the officer began to read him his rights. "I can't believe this."

"You'll have plenty of time to give us your side of the story�" the officer answered unsympathetically. "Not that it will make a difference."

The two officers began to pull him towards the door. Kevin turned his head towards Jason as he left, and said, "You'll have to answer to this, you b*****d� You'll see�"

The third officer was talking to Jenna now, as she had placed the call. Jason's eyes darted to the front desk and behind it to view Conner, simply sitting there in exactly the same spot, looking pale as a ghost and unblinking as he stared at the floor.

Jason started towards him and the officer briefly broke off from talking to Jenna. "Son� Don't go far� I still have to talk to you� I'll have you know that we'll have to take you to the precinct as well, both for your statement� And I'll let you know right now that there is a chance that man could press for assault charges from what this young lady is telling me�"

"Whatever," Jason answered, just shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You'll have to excuse him," Jenna interjected. "This has been a really bizarre morning� And�"

"I understand," the officer agreed. "I'm on your side. I'm just telling it like it is�"

Jason walked around the desk and approached Conner slowly. "Hey�"

Conner didn't look at him. He continued to stare at the floor, kicking his foot at an invisible spot in the tiling. "Hey," he murmured.

"I'm sorry about that�" Jason began. He reached down and tousled Conner's hair awkwardly. "But they'll take care of him. You'll never see him again, Conner."

Conner didn't believe him. Jason had also told him that no one would ever hurt him again and that wasn't true. He didn't want to believe anybody about anything. It was hard to make sure. "Can we," he asked a little shakily, "go now?"

"No� Unfortunately," Jason answered, "I think we're going to have to go with the cops at first."

Conner paused. That was where Kevin was being taken. Suddenly all the stress began to break on him and he felt his eyes well up.

Jason's noticed the change in his expression and breathing and saw the oncoming tears. "Conner," he objected. "Don't. We'll go home as soon as possible."

Conner wanted to point out that it wasn't home. It wasn't home at all. Not yet at least.

Jason sighed as tears began to roll down Conner's cheeks. He didn't know what to do. He realized just how traumatic and tiring the whole experience must have been for Conner, as it had been enough stress on himself. He put his hands out, as if to pick him up again, and immediately Conner pushed his hands away.

"No�" he whimpered.

"Okay, fine." Jason dropped his hands to his side. "Look, Conner, I want to go home too� And we will. We just need to tell them what happened. It won't take long. Let me ask them."

Jason started to walk away and Conner panicked. He reached up and grabbed his shirt. Jason paused and looked at him frowning. "What, Conner? I don�t know what you want�"

"Let's go�" Conner insisted softly.

"We can't,� Jason answered gently. "Why would I lie to you?"

Conner didn't know. Technically Jason had already lied to him. He didn't know really what he wanted to believe, but he wanted to at least trust Jason. He just didn't understand why they couldn't leave this place and get going. He continued to hold Jason's shirt in a tight grip, trying to figure out what to do.

Jenna was still talking to the police officer, and she was agreeing to open up some motel directory records for him and print off a copy of Kevin's room information. She was saying how she didn't really know if she was supposed to do that, but she looked like she was cooperating anyway.

"Sir," the officer met Jason's eye, "we're going to have to get going shortly."

"Yeah, that's fine," Jason agreed. He turned to Conner who was still quietly crying, his chin pressed against his chest. "Conner." He gave him a sympathetic look. "C'mon. Why are you crying?" He realized what a stupid question that was and figured Conner should cry all he wanted. "We're gonna go in a second with the cop, alright?"

Conner just shook his head.

Jason sighed. He leaned down again and pulled Conner off the chair. Conner didn't resist this time, trying to decide how he felt about what had just happened between Jason and Kevin. He was extremely confused, and tired. He didn't know how much he'd slept last night.

Somehow Judy met them at the police station. Conner was sitting, waiting, extremely angry and upset that Jason had left him, although in reality it was the police officers that had separated them, taking Jason into another room to question him. He was so upset by it in fact, that he blurted out his new plan to Judy as soon as he saw her,
"I'm not telling them anything," he said.

"Honey�" she sank down into the chair next to him. "Are you okay? They called me when you got here� Michal and I have been sitting by the phone worrying like crazy� I'm so glad Jenna was able to call Jason�"

"I'm not telling them anything," Conner persisted, sniffling.

She reached out to put an arm around him and he pushed her away. She ignored the cold gesture and persisted, "We've been so worried, sweetheart. Are you okay?"

"No," Conner replied stiffly.

"Where's Jason?"

Conner shrugged.

Judy sighed and gave him a compassionate look. She couldn't imagine how he must feel, and what else might have gone on that she didn't know about. She knew not to take his mood personally as much as deep down it did hurt her. He didn't mean it. "Okay, honey. I'm going to go ask the officers a couple of questions, okay? You alright sitting here?"

"I guess," Conner murmured.

Judy gave him the once over again before she spotted a police officer walking by the seating area and got up to talk to him. She just wanted to know what the status was on Conner and Jason and when they could be leaving.

Within a few minutes, Jason returned to the room, looking frustrated and running his hands through his hair. He looked up, surprised to see Judy, and glanced at Conner before walking up to her.

"Thank you," she said to the officer as he started to walk away. Then she saw Jason and murmured, "Oh, thank God. Both of you are alright. Jason�"

"Ma, it's been quite the day�" he answered, returning her hug. "And it's still early?"

"I know, Jason. But you should have called me," she scolded. "Do you know how worried I've been? And to hear you were here. And now I find out that you assaulted the man? Jason, I�"

"Oh, Ma... We have Conner back... We�"

"Sweetheart, it's not just that... Things could be more serious now..."

"You don't get it," Jason objected. "Let's not do this here, Ma."

"No, I get it perfectly," she persisted. "You were angry. That's all there is to it. Jason, any sane man would have wanted to do the same thing as you. Wanted. I understand where you were coming from, but you don't think. You could have gotten hurt. You could have gotten Conner hurt."

"No." Jason shook his head. "I sized him up. I knew I could take him. I�"

"You don't have to 'take' anybody, Jason," she persisted. "Don't you get that?"

"That man deserved what he had coming to him," Jason answered stiffly. "He deserved even more."

"I'm not disagreeing," she answered. "I despise that man, and I'm disgusted by him, as much as you are. But it's not your place, Jason, and you didn't need to get yourself in trouble."

Jason shook his head.

"You think he needs to see you like that?" she asked softly, indicating Conner, still quiet behind them. "Huh, Jason? You think that's what he needs to see to trust you?"

"He trusts me," Jason said irritably.

"Does he? You think he wanted to see you engage Kevin?" she persisted.

"Ma� Let's not do this."

She sighed and then nodded. Her worry didn't need to turn into anger. "Okay. Okay, Jason. I'm sorry, I just have been worried sick all morning. We'll talk later."

"Okay," he replied. He turned back to Conner. "Hey. Kid. They want to talk to you in a few minute, okay, buddy?"

"Not saying anything," Conner replied.

"To them? Why?"

Conner just shook his head.

"I just told them everything I know," Jason pointed out. "It's harmless. It just takes a few minutes for a statement. I wasn't gone long, right?"

To Conner, Jason had been gone an eternity. He felt like he'd been sitting alone for a long time. "I don't want to."

"Conner." Jason walked over to him and sat down in the seat beside him. "It just takes a minute."

Conner didn't answer. Wouldn't that be a minute sooner that they could leave then?

"They need to hear your side," Jason persisted. "Don't you want them to know what Kevin did last night? Did he hurt you?"

Conner shrugged.

"Did he?" Jason clenched his fists. As angry as Ma was, and as annoyed as the cops were, he didn't regret at all the five minutes he had to take care of things with Kevin. Even though Ma was right, and it didn't accomplish anything or move things along, it made him feel better.

Conner shrugged again.

Jason sighed. "Conner�"

"Didn�t you tell them everything?" Conner asked softly.

"Well, from my side�" Jason replied gently. "I don�t know what happened between you and him from when he took you."

Conner just swallowed. He shrugged. "Nothing. We can go."

"Conner," Jason said. He looked up at Judy, who was watching them. "Do you want me to just have someone talk to you out here? You don't need to be alone with anybody."

"I won�t say anything," Conner warned. "No matter what."

Jason sighed. The police had mentioned to him the necessity that Conner get even a physical exam, just to ensure that he was not hurt, not just for a case. He wasn't sure how any of this was going to work.

"Listen..." Jason sighed. "We can't go anywhere until you say something, understand? As soon as you tell them anything, then you can go."

Conner had heard them question Kevin last year. He knew he didn't have to say anything if he didn't want to. "There's the five things," he objected.

Jason frowned at him. "Five what?"

"Five things," Conner answered. He sniffled stubbornly. "I don't have to say anything."

"I think he means the Fifth Amendment..." Judy said softly.

"He can change his mind though, right?" Jason spoke to Judy now. "We can go home and then he can tell them later?"

"We can talk to them about that..." Judy said with a hint of worry in her voice. "Do you think that's the best thing?"

"Ma, he hasn't been home all night. After he rests maybe he'll be more cooperative."

"So we can go?" Conner asked.

"Maybe." Jason wiped a tear off of Conner's cheek gently. "Only if they let us, and only if you promise us you'll think about telling them what happened while you're at home, okay? Because it's important."

"Thinking is easy," Conner answered quietly.

Jason couldn't disagree with that. Thinking about it, all of it, was inevitable.

Author's Note

Review please!