A single pair of headlights swirls along the wet road, as Dean navigates the twists and turns leading him back to the house. He yawns, shaking his head to wake himself up, and looking all around to keep himself from getting hypnotized by the road. The sky was darkening, going from light gray to a darker, blue-ish gray...and he half-laughs at how he has to gauge the grays to determine what time of day it is. Just then, it starts to rain...again...and Dean sighs, disgusted, as he hits the wipers...flip, flop, flip, flop...
God, I can't wait to get outta here...can't wait 'til this stupid job is over, he thinks, running a hand through his hair, growing longer on top now. A fleeting thought about another cut and dye job, then back to the road, stretching out in front of him. He suddenly sees Tea's face in his mind, at the horizon line...the end of the road...
...home?
He rolls his eyes at that. Stupid. The house is just a way station...a hiding spot for both of them. When the job's done, he'll disappear...and Tea...Tea would undoubtedly find somewhere else to go, whether it was back to that mental-patient husband of hers, or someplace else entirely. So it would be stupid of him to even think...
...think what? WHAT are you thinkin', genius? That she's gonna run away with YOU? He half-laughs again, not believing he's having this conversation with himself...again. But he couldn't deny that several times during the day, as he pored over blueprints and schematics, as he immersed himself in the details of the job...he'd thought about her. He sighs, glancing around...getting closer to the house now. Tonight would be the first time they'd have to spend an entire evening in each other's orbit...voluntarily. Man...talk about weird, he thinks, trying to think of things to talk about.
Then he shakes his head, answering himself. Nothing to say. No...he wouldn't be the one to start chatting away like an idiot. This wasn't any kind of 'normal' relationship, anyway...so 'normal' things wouldn't apply. No...best to stay quiet...and let her think. That's what she'd come there for, anyway...not for him, or his conversational skills. He sighs again, staring back out at the road...and he makes a face, squinting...seeing something up ahead.
It looks like somebody walking toward him, but he couldn't see well enough yet. He slows down as he approaches, curious...finding it odd to see anyone taking a walk in this god-forsaken place. He gets closer...and as the car coasts by, he sees someone bundled up, carrying what looks like two big baskets, or something. He passes them, continuing on down the road for a bit...looking in the rearview mirror.
That's weird…
The person starts to disappear into the mushy darkness, blending in. Dean looks back at the road, but is edgy now...bothered...
...oh, shit…
Dean slams on the brakes, and throws it in reverse, speeding backwards along the slippery road. Up ahead, Tea hears the squealing brakes and turns around. She sees the car coming back toward her, and starts panicking. Is it him? She doesn't know...she can't remember what kind of car he has. It could be him...or it could be some psycho...or it could be some nice person just wanting to help. She was so confused now...so uncertain, so afraid...
...oh, shit...what do I do?
She looks down at the boys' seats, weighing heavily on her. She'd only been walking for maybe a half-hour...but already, she was cold, and tired...and now it was raining. The twins are completely covered with blankets, but she knows they have to be freezing, too. It was crazy to be out here with them...but as hour after hour had passed, she became convinced...that she'd been stranded. Left to her own devices...left to die...just...left. The only thing she could think of to do was to just start walking, find the nearest house, and call...someone.
"...ohgod...please help me..." she whispers, as the car comes to a stop in front of her. All she could do now was pray...pray that whoever was inside would help her. She swallows hard, and stares intently at the window, unable to see inside. Then the car door opens...and Dean gets out. Tea's eyes widen, and her mouth drops open, instantly relieved...and infuriated. A cloud of her steamy breath covers his face as he looks back at her, with eyes just as wide.
"What...what're you doing out here? Are you NUTS?" he says, reaching for one of the seats...but she recoils, tripping backward with the twins' weight. Dean stares at her, confused...then he steps toward her again. And again, she steps back, into the tall weeds beside the road.
"Tea...what's the matter with you? You're gonna freeze to death...c'mon..." he says, trying to help her with the boys yet again. But Tea snatches the seat back, glaring at him.
"Why did you leave me??" she yells, angry...but relieved, too.
Dean does a take, haunted by that question...one that she had asked him before. It sends a chill through him, colder than the air. Shaking it off, he suddenly realizes why she's asking it now.
"Ohh...shit," he sighs, putting his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, okay?"
Tea stares at him, unsure, as a soft cry floats up from one of the seats...Evan, expressing his discomfort. She sighs, feeling sick to her stomach with guilt. Her head drops down, as warm tears mix with the rain on her cold skin.
"I thought you left me," she says, softly, still looking at the ground. Then she sniffs, as she lifts her head, switching gears rapidly, too rapidly...sick-sad-scared-angry...
"Do you know what I've been through all day?? Huh?? DO YOU?? I have NO idea where the fuck I am, and you go and LEAVE! Without a word, without a note, NOTHING!! I didn't know where you were, or if you were ever gonna come back!! How could you DO that?? What were you thinking??!!"
Dean's mouth falls open a bit, surprised at her sudden lashing out. "Tea, I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to SCARE you, I just...I..." he starts, stuttering, then finally shrugging. Tea nods, laughing in a pissed-off way, mocking his shrug.
"You just...what? Figured I'd just KNOW?? I'm not a fucking mind-reader!!"
Now it's Dean's turn to laugh right back at her. "What is WITH you? Look, I screwed up, okay?? I should have said something or wrote you a note, but I didn't. I wasn't THINKING anything. So...I'M SORRY, okay? Can we just..." he says, gesturing toward the car.
Tea hesitates, downshifting from angry back to scared for a second...considering, debating with herself. Should I trust him? Do I have a choice? Evan's crying gets a little louder now, more insistent, and suddenly, all thoughts turn to the fact that she's endangering her children's lives, and that she's done nothing BUT endanger them for the last two days, despite all her good intentions. Frustration...directed at herself, and anyone else in range...
"No..." she replies, firmly. "...no...fuck you."
Tea turns on her heel and starts walking again, slowly. Dean watches her go for a second, stunned...then he quickly reaches into the car and shuts it off, grabbing the keys before chasing after her.
"Hey!! What the...Tea, would you STOP??" he yells. Tea keeps going for a few steps, out of spite...and only spite, since she had no clue where she was going or what she was doing. But finally, she tires again, and puts the boys down. Dean walks around her, cautious...keeping a distance. Then he gets in front of her and stops, looking at her lowered head...hearing her labored breaths, seeing them in the air.
"Alright..." he says, quietly. "Would you just...tell me WHY you're doing this?"
The sound that comes from her seems like a laugh...a tired, fed-up one. She looks up at him, tears and rain freezing on her face.
"I made a BIG mistake in coming here. That's obvious to me now. I can't trust you. Seems I can't trust anybody," she replies...suddenly realizing how much she sounds like...Todd.
Dean makes a face at her, mystified. "What?? Ohh, y'know...you gotta stop, okay? Just...STOP."
Tea makes the same face back at him, as he continues. "Think about what you're doing, okay? About where you are, RIGHT NOW. You...are out in the middle of nowhere, in a country you've never been to, it's probably about forty degrees out here, and it's only gonna get colder. AND...you have two kids with you. Two BABIES. So excuse ME, but what, in the FUCK...are YOU thinking??"
Her jaw sets, changing her face from confused back to enraged, just like that. But Dean holds up a finger, not done yet.
"I'm not gonna bullshit around with you, Tea. I know you've been through a lot, but...you're being stupid...and reckless. I mean, look at your kids! They're gonna catch fuckin' pneumonia if you don't get them back inside. And so will you."
Tea's expression changes again, to surprised now. Exasperated, Dean sighs, grabbing the two seats away from her.
"Look, you..." he says, with a soft laugh, "...have NOTHING to fear from ME, okay? For the millionth time, I want to HELP you...and that's all. But if you still think you can't trust me, then, fine. Get in the car, I'll drive you to Heathrow right now, and you can go home. Or...wherever."
The rain hits the ground around them softly, as a strange and powerful silence passes between them. Tea looks at him, speechless...she feels as if he just reached out, and shook her awake. Everything around her seems clearer now, colder, and more real. And she realizes, fast...that he's right. So she nods, giving over and following him back to the car without another word. He opens the door for her, and as she gets in the back with the twins, he bends down to look at her. Tea tries to ignore him for a moment, busying herself with the boys' hands and faces, trying to warm them up. But she feels his eyes on her as she puts Brendan's little hand to her cheek, kissing it.
"So...where are we goin'?" he asks.
Tea rolls her eyes upward, feeling more tears coming. Then she looks at Brendan, who stares back at her with his father's eyes. She shakes her head, sniffling, an ache inside of her ... tap, tapping. But she can't think about it now... don't listen to it, she tells herself. Bigger things to worry about ... smaller things. The babies. Not him ... no ... she repeats, over and over, getting lost in her son's eyes...thinking she sees a flicker there, a spark of orangey-red...just for an instant.
"Guess I don't have much of a choice."
"You always have a choice."
She laughs. "Yeah...right."
Dean tips his head slightly, looking at her with a sort-of amusement. "Look, Tea...you're making this a lot more complicated than it has to be."
Her eyes dart over to him at that, finally looking at him. "Yeah, well. My LIFE is pretty damned complicated at the moment...and I just...I don't know if I'm doing the right thing."
He takes that in...takes her in, lingering on her tear-stained face, as the rain falls with a gentle patter. Then he shrugs, giving up with a slight shake of his head. "Fine. Airport it is," he says, starting to shut the door.
A million choices rush through Tea's brain at once...spinning madly on a wheel of fortune, too fast to see clearly. But she knows she must make a choice...and make it now. Reach out...and stop the wheel.
"Dean."
He stops, looking back in...both of them suddenly taken aback, their worlds having just changed with that one little word.
"Just...let me know where you're going next time...okay?" she asks, softly.
Dean almost smiles, feeling a sudden, almost dizzying rush of relief. He doesn't nod, or say anything...he just looks at her. And Tea finds that she's not uncomfortable with it anymore. Because things are different now...it's not kidnapper-to-hostage anymore...it's more like...
...friend-to-friend.
She holds his gaze for a second, then turns her attention back to the boys, lifting a fussing Evan out of his seat and cradling him. Dean watches her for another moment...then nods, to himself, as he shuts the door, and takes them back to the house.
