bailey jansen (outofthehole) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-01-18 19:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | #january 2018, bailey, bailey x kane, kane |
Who: Bailey and Kane
When: Evening, Friday, January 12th
Where: Their mother’s house
Status: Complete
Bailey finished her shift shortly at eight o’clock. It had been a somewhat uneventful day for her, for which she was grateful because she was nursing a rather awful hangover for most of the day. Bailey rarely got hangovers anymore, but occasionally she pushed herself past her limits and suffered for it. She didn’t like to stop and think about why that was. Maybe it was a form of self-punishment. Bailey was not a religious person, but maybe feeling like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her head while she vomited non-stop was her own version of saying a hundred Hail Marys.
She was feeling somewhat human by the time she clocked out and said goodnight to those lingering in the station. There would be no drinking tonight. No, tonight she would go see her mom and then drive home, order Chinese takeout and then eat in bed while she watched some garbage show on television. For a brief moment she considered calling up Nick, but that would undoubtedly lead to another bar, so she would have to put that on hold for another night.
It didn’t take long to get to her mom’s house, but she paused when she saw the dark SUV parked in the driveway. Bailey thought about driving right by the house and then home, but she was trying to check in on her mom daily in case the nurse left any messages or she was needed somehow. So she parked out front and reached into her pocket to pull out one of her mints. She fumbled with it until it opened, and Bailey popped it into her mouth before turning off the car and climbing out.
Snow crunched under her boots as she headed to the door on the side of the house that led into the kitchen. It was warm in the house and Bailey stomped her boots on the floor mat before unzipping and tugging off her coat. She hung it up on the hook on the back of the door and then checked the cabinets and fridge. The caregiver had gone shopping, which was a relief, because Bailey had completely forgotten to do it the other day.
With the collar of her uniform feeling tight, Bailey tugged the shirt from her pants and unbuttoned it. She wore a white undershirt beneath it and thought about taking the uniform shirt completely off, but instead left it on as she headed to the back room in the hall on the first floor where they had set up her mother’s bed. The door was open, and she expected to see her brother sitting there with their mother, but the chair was empty. Her mom was sleeping, her frail chest lifting and rising, her breath sounding like someone had taken sandpaper to her throat. With her hands in her pockets, Bailey watched her mother for a minute or two before her curiosity got to be too great for her to stay still.
Moving away from the door, Bailey began to wander through the house, wondering where Kane could possibly be. There was some noise above her in the living room and Bailey glanced up at the stained, yellowing ceiling, listening closely before she decided to head upstairs. She nearly took her gun off to leave it on the table, but she knew better than to do that. It might not be her brother upstairs at all. It could be an intruder, someone who knew her mom was sick and decided to find some family heirlooms hidden away in the drawers. If that was the case they were going to be sorely disappointed when all they came across was old socks and some stale cigarettes. The Owen Family Heirlooms.
Bailey smirked softly to herself and then found Kane in the bathroom. She stood in the doorway, her gaze shifting from him, to the tool box open on the floor. Fixing the leak in the toilet, she assumed. Or the leak in the faucet, or the drain in the bathtub. Maybe all three. “Well, aren’t you the handyman,” Bailey said, leaning against the doorframe, her mint tucked between her gum and cheek.
The house was quiet and still enough that Kane had heard the car door in the driveway, and the side door open and close again. It sounded like a keyed entry and not a forced one, so he hadn’t been concerned. Nor was he surprised when he sensed a presence coming and his sister appeared in the bathroom doorway. He was sitting backward on the closed toilet lid while he worked on the guts of the thing. The drip in the sink was fixed now, and he planned to do the tub drain next. It was the least he could do.
Maybe it was the good fuck from the night before softening him up, but Kane had decided as soon as he’d woken up that he wanted to go see his mom that day. He’d done some rides around town through the early afternoon, paying lip service to his ‘job,’ but there hadn’t been many bites and the obligation to his family had felt heavy. So Kane had gone to the house and he’d been there since before dark. He’d watched some late afternoon TV with his mother, some Golden Girls, and HGTV and those greedy preachers she liked to listen to, then made her some soup and tucked her in while the caretaker went to the store. After she’d left, he’d just sat with the old lady for a while and listened to her breathe. Then he’d gone puttering around to find things to tinker with. The upstairs bathroom had definitely needed the attention.
“Gotta make myself useful somehow, right?” he replied, glancing over with a faint smirk. “If you know of anything else needs fixed, make me a list.” Kane still planned to contribute money, of course, he had a wad of cash he’d planned to leave behind for Bailey, but this was a good way too, he guessed. It would at least make the place easier to sell when the time came and their mother passed on.
Bailey didn't remark on his usefulness. She figured just visiting their mom would be enough, but things around the house did need fixed, especially if they planned on selling the place once their mom passed. Bailey had figured she could do it herself, or hire someone, but this was just as good. And free. It was just a surreal feeling, being back in this house. Throwing Kane in the mix just made Bailey feel like a kid again. She just couldn't decide if it was a good feeling, or a bad one. It landed somewhere in between, which made her feel uneasy in the pit of her stomach. But she didn't let the discomfort show. "Was she lucid enough to talk to?" she asked finally, biting into the mint now that it was thin enough. "I mean, she knows you're really here and not some hallucination?"
Being “home” was a little strange for Kane, because it didn’t feel like home anymore. Not the house, not his family, definitely not the town. Of course, he hadn’t felt at home anywhere in a very long time, so that was probably a moot point. People like him didn’t get to have homes, and he was mostly okay with that. He had what he needed to get by, and he had his duty. Kane tightened down the last nut in the toilet tank and nodded slightly. “She got a little fuzzier and upset around sundown, thought I was Dad as I was puttin’ her to bed. But mostly lucid, yeah. She knows I’m here.” Whether she would remember that next time or not, Kane didn’t know, but that was the nature of the beast. He put the lid back on the toilet and stood up, dropping the tools into the toolbox again. “You just come over to check in? What’s-her-name did some shopping.”
Bailey wasn't surprised to hear that. Kane took after their dad, physically, so of course Ellen would mistake him for her deceased husband when she was feeling disoriented. "I try to check in every night when I get off," Bailey explained. She wasn't exactly lying if she said she tried, because she did. She just didn't always make it. "And what's-her-name's name is Carmen." Or Carla... no, Bailey was pretty sure it was Carmen. She would pay more attention next time they spoke. And obviously pay the woman for the shopping trip, although she figured it would end up on the bill at the end of the month. Bailey pushed away from the doorframe and walked into the bathroom, glancing down at the toolbox. "Do you need help?"
Carmen. Kane tried to make a mental note of that, even though he’d only seen the woman in passing. He trusted Bailey’s judgement on getting care for their mom, so he was sure she’d done her homework on the woman, or the agency she came from or whatever. Kane wasn’t going to be around every single day, he was pretty sure, but he wanted to be present while he was in town. When Ellen did know who he was, she’d expressed over and over again how much she missed him, getting very emotional as she did so. That sort of thing made him uncomfortable, of course, but he would deal with it for his mother’s sake. He laughed a little at Bailey’s question, glancing between her and the toolbox. “You know your way around some tools? You can tackle that tub if you want to.”
"I know my way around the tools. I don't know anything about plumbing." Bailey smirked. "I just thought I'd, you know, hand them to you." Pierce had always dealt with stuff that fell apart wherever they lived. And since she had been on her own, Bailey had always had a landlord to fix leaks. Obviously she knew she ought to learn how to do certain things on her own, but she simply hadn't needed to yet. Bailey was pretty content with her lot in life, even if that meant the occasional drip from the kitchen sink. Although she had put a wrench through the drywall once, but that had been out of anger rather than an attempt to be handy. "Or I can just sit on the sink and watch you, and tell you everything you're doing wrong. Whatever's most helpful for you, of course."
“Some independent woman you are,” Kane fake-chided her, clucking his tongue a bit. He was just giving her shit, of course -- she was a cop and a good one, she was tough as hell, and he knew that. “It’s been a while since I was critiqued though, so maybe it’d do me good.” Smirking, he stepped into the tub and straddled the outer edge of it to settle in. It looked like a problem with the drain switch, so he held a hand out and looked at his sister again. “Phillip’s head, please. The big one.” As he got to work taking the metal cover off of part of the drain, he wondered idly if their dad would be proud of him. Probably not. Joel had been a hard man, especially on his only son, and praise had never been something he’d given out easily. He would probably be bitching at Kane for staying gone so long, if nothing else. “How’s your piece of shit ex?” he asked Bailey to take his mind off of it. “You ever talk to him anymore?”
Bailey knew he was just poking at her, so she let it go, finding the right screwdriver and handing it to him. She could absolutely critique him though. She had grown up with Joel Owen as a father, so Bailey was pretty skilled in unnecessary judgement. As he got to work, she leaned back against the sink, folding her arms across her chest and wishing she had brought in her cigarettes. Her nose wrinkled instinctively at the mention of Pierce and Bailey watched Kane work on the drain for a moment before answering. "He calls me a lot. Sometimes I answer." She lifted one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I think he's somewhere in Nevada right now. I don't know. What about you? How many piece of shit exes have you left in your wake over the years?"
Kane didn’t know much about his sister’s marriage beyond the fact that it had failed. He’d met Pierce only once that he recalled, at some random Christmas gathering. He hadn’t made it to the wedding, and he’d always gotten the impression that Bailey hadn’t wanted him there anyway. She hadn’t talked to him much about the divorce, but they rarely talked about anything of substance in the first place, so that wasn’t too surprising. Kane kind of admired her for getting married, for trying, because that wasn’t something he’d ever wanted to do. Her question made him chuckle a bit. “Oh, plenty. None I signed papers for, but ... I’m usually the piece of shit in that equation,” he said, shooting Bailey an amused look. She surely wouldn’t be surprised. “Mostly I don’t bother no more. It’s never been worth it.”
That wasn't surprising. She couldn't see Kane falling in love with anyone, let alone getting married. And she definitely couldn't see him leaving a woman on amicable terms. Then again, Bailey was pretty sure she hadn't ever been in love either. There was just a desperate need to escape, and Pierce had been able to give her that. "Definitely not worth it," Bailey agreed. Just to have something to do, she crouched down beside the tool box to poke through it. The tools looked like they had been bought in the early nineties. Which was probably true. "Can't even change my name back without a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit." Bailey smirked as she glanced up at her brother. "Try not to leave behind too many pissed off ladies in this town. Word travels fast, you know."
The name thing was just one more detail that made Kane really glad to be a man. If he ever did lose his mind and get married, at least he wouldn’t have to go through all that shit. He sincerely doubted that was in the cards for him, though. Even if he found someone he actually fell in love with, no one with all their marbles would accept the life he lived, the things he had to do ... and the things he wanted to do. Some people were just built to be alone, and Kane felt like one of those people. He didn’t wish it on his sister though, she deserved better than that. But it wasn’t his business to tell her that. “No complaints so far,” he said with a lazy grin, only half-joking. As he fiddled around with the drain, Kane glanced at her again. “No worries baby sis, I know not to shit where I eat. I’m not here to whore around, I got bigger fish to fry.”
He had such a way with words. Bailey went back to digging around in the toolbox, just to see what there was. Just to have something to do with her hands. She paused briefly to dig her roll of mints from her pocket to open one and pop it into her mouth. "You're not going to tell me about those fish, are you?" She already knew the answer to that. Kane was as closed off as Bailey was, and while she was sure he was here for reasons beyond seeing their ill mother, she had a feeling she wouldn't find out what those reasons were until he was on his way back out of town. She could admit to herself that she hoped that would happen sooner than later.
Kane had wondered to himself once or twice what Bailey might think of what he did for a living. She was a cop, but she’d never struck him as some sanctimonious asshole. Kane killed monsters. He was making the world a safer place, and that’s something his law-upholding sister ought to appreciate. Especially since they were both in this evil-magnet of a town. But she didn’t know what he was, what he could do, and the things he’d gone through overseas to get even better at it. It was just a whole can of worms that neither of them wanted to open up. “You don’t wanna know about those fish,” Kane murmured, his eyes on his work for the moment. “But I’m here for Mom, too. Once we’re done here, I’m gonna give you some money for her bills and shit.”
That was the thing. She did want to know. If they weren't currently living in the same town, Bailey probably wouldn't care. But she seemed to be in Point Pleasant for the long haul, even if Kane wasn't, and she didn't need him doing anything stupid or dangerous. Then again, some part of her was grateful for his secrecy. If Bailey didn't know what he was up to, she didn't have to be a part of it... she didn't have to have it on her conscience, if it was something bad. Which it probably was, otherwise he would probably just tell her. Maybe. It wasn't like they shared anything about their lives with each other. Bailey's head was starting to hurt, and she wondered if there was any liquor left in the cabinets downstairs. Their dad had been gone for a while now, but she doubted their mother had tossed out anything that had belonged to him, alcohol included. When Kane mentioned leaving some money, Bailey frowned, lifting up an old hammer with a wood handle. Parts of the metal had rusted. "You don't have to do that," she muttered, although it would be helpful. Having someone come around to care for their mother was expensive, and her health insurance didn't cover all of it. Bailey liked her job, but she also didn't make a ton of money. "Fixing shit around the house is helpful enough."
He shot her an ‘oh please’ sort of look. “Don’t give me that shit,” Kane said amiably enough. He understood the niceties of it all, but it was unnecessary. “You’re a public servant, I know you don’t get big fat checks. I got the cash, I’m gonna help.” He could pay for things and help fix shit at the same time. Ellen was his mother too, and maybe part of Kane felt guilty for being away so long. When she knew who he was, when she was feeling good, she still tried to dote on him like he was her little boy. Kane knew his life couldn’t have gone any differently, not really, but he still felt bad that he’d left her with his asshole father. Bailey too, but that guilt was different, harder to parse out. Part of him wanted to be honest with her, thought maybe she’d even be on board, but Kane knew how fucking stupid that was, so it would never happen. “I’m no good at any of the paperwork, insurance bullshit though, so ... you can hang onto that responsibility,” he added, smirking at her a tiny bit as his hands kept working.
A prideful, stubborn part of Bailey wanted to protest and tell Kane to keep his money because she could handle it. But... she knew the extra cash would help, and having it meant Bailey wouldn't have to worry about having to move back in with Ellen. "That's fair," she said finally, not meeting his eyes as she dropped the old hammer back into the box. Straightening, Bailey wiped her hands together. "I'm going to go check on her. See if she's awake. Do you need anything?" He had his hands full with the repairs, and Bailey didn't think she could just hang around in the bathroom for much longer. She could do this whole sibling thing in small doses, and Bailey felt like she was reaching her limits.
It was like there was a timer between them, with a limit of maybe twenty minutes at most, and when it dinged, they had to separate or they’d explode. Kane wanted to think he was the more laid back of the two and he could stand to be around his sister for as long as she wanted to stick around, but it never lasted long, so who knew. Guilt gnawed at him again. Maybe she resented him for all the things he felt bad for, and more. Maybe she hated him, and when Ellen died he truly wouldn’t have any family left. If Kane was being honest, that was probably for the best for everyone. “Nah, I’m good,” he answered, his focus on the drain again. “Only gonna be a few more minutes here, then I’m outta your way.”
Bailey knew the mature thing to do would be to stick it out and talk and try to find some kind of common ground with her brother, but she wasn't at a place mentally where she felt she could. And a part of her didn't want to either. It was bad enough being back in this town, but her mother was dying and she didn't know how to feel about it. Kane was here, and she didn't know how to feel about that either. And her life was much easier to deal with when she was avoiding everything unpleasant. So Bailey was ready to remove herself from the room, and the situation. With any luck her mom would still be sleeping and Bailey could just sit in the room with her for an appropriate amount of time and then leave. "You're not in my way," she said simply, before heading for the door. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
It was kind of weird-feeling, how she kept repeating that ‘if you need anything’ offer, like Kane hadn’t grown up in this house too and he was just a guest. Hell, maybe he was. Maybe all this stepping up as a son to his fading mother was stupid play-acting on his part. Maybe he should’ve stayed gone and let his mother’s spirit find its way across the veil on its own. That thought hurt his chest though, so he didn’t entertain it for long. He owed her that much; she’d given birth to him, he could escort her over in death. His father hadn’t deserved that comfort, but his mother did. He just couldn’t explain that to anyone. Kane finished up in the tub, putting everything back together and dumping the tools back in the box. He washed his hands and headed back downstairs to put the tools away in the mud room, then left three hundred dollars in twenties on the kitchen table. That done, Kane walked quietly to the open door of his mother’s room and leaned a shoulder against the frame. “I’m headed out,” he said softly to Bailey. “Money’s on the table. If you can think of anything she needs me to pick up, text me, okay?”
Bailey was lounging in the chair by the bed, staring out the window to her left when Kane appeared in the doorway. His voice, as soft as it was, startled her, but Bailey recovered quickly, though her muscles still felt tense. "Sure," she said with a nod. "Thanks." The money would help, as would non-leaky plumbing. It was strange, thinking of Kane as being helpful, but her entire time back in town was strange, so it was par for the course. "See you later," Bailey added, almost as an afterthought. She had no idea when she would see him again, but that was okay. He had a key to the house. He could get in and out to see their mom whenever he felt like it. Bailey would just have to make sure Carmen knew he might come by, so she wasn't frightened by a stranger's arrival.
Kane thought about stepping in to kiss his mother’s sleeping forehead, but he’d already said goodnight to her earlier and that seemed like it would feel like a show for Bailey or something, so he brushed the urge away. He definitely wasn’t going to go show affection to his sister. Gods only knew how that would be received. She sounded done with him, so it was time to go. “Later,” he agreed, straightening up a bit. He wondered if she’d eaten dinner already, but Kane pushed that thought away too. He wasn’t here to make amends with her, and her feelings about him were her own to deal with. Turning to go, he tapped lightly on the doorframe and then headed down the hall. He would see if anybody wanted a ride anywhere for a few hours, then go back to the motel to drink and sleep.