Reassure (Jay Halstead x OC.)

11

Coming down the steps from her building owner's office, back onto her floor, Reign moved to unlock her door. Only to step back in shock...... "You have got to be shitting me."

"What's wrong?.....ah."

It had been two weeks since Reign had left her apartment with Jay. And there she was back again- after a long and hard second shift back at work, since her injury.

And it had been flooded completely.

There was so much water built up that some appliances and even her coffee table and chairs were floating up off of the ground. The water had soon began to swiftly pour out of the door as she squelched her way inside. Making sure to check there were no live wires that had ended up in the water that could kill her.

Jay walked in behind her carrying her gear bag for her a similarly shocked look on his face. "Well I guess that means you're finally gonna move out then?" He joked slightly making her scowl back at him- he was only trying to relive the tension.

"Move out? Move where? All my savings are tied to this piece of shit..." she her empty coffee cup into the waves, "....fucking apartment." She kicked out at the front door in frustration her leg barely making a splash in the water. Her jeans soaked through to her mid shin. Her combat boots well and truly sodden.

"Wanna come back out into the nice, dry hall and talk to the landlord?" He asked suddenly soothing in his tone reaching to catch her flailing arm as she writhed in frustration- guiding her gently by her elbow back to the drier corridor. "Yeah fine." She grumbled back- calmer. But her face remained one of fury.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Fucking burst pipe upstairs. Been dripping in for two fucking weeks." Reign groaned as she paced the space between her door and the stair case. Her land lord had just left again to call a plumber.

Jay sat with his elbows braced on his knees watching her helplessly. "What is he gonna do? Your land lord?"

"Fuck knows- never gonna compensate me the prick. He said I should've called sooner."
"You didn't know sooner." He reminded her and she groaned. "Because I didn't already know that- gee thanks Jay." She sarcastically snapped back at him.

"Okay, you need to calm down. Come on- you can come back to mine- wait to get the place sorted until then and then I'll help you look for a new place- or you can just move in full time- I could use a room mate and it takes some rent stress off." He tried to coax her to join him sat on the stairs.

"I don't need charity Jay."
"I'm not a charity- I'm your best friend." He told her and she glared back at him, her face one he had seen countless times growing up. "Reign you need a place to stay- and you're still fighting with-."

"Don't say her name." She cut in.
"-your sister. So maybe staying with me will be best. We won't bother each other between our different shift times- we survived two weeks with out incident and we get along great. We both make enough for rent and groceries and it's closer to both of our works so we can car pool and save on gas when we can."
"You're not gonna let me say no are you?" She sighed.

"When have I ever?" He smirked up at her.

She always gave in to that cheeky smirk.

"Uhhhh.....fine! But I'm not letting you do hand outs- I'm paying my way."
"Don't worry, I'm holding you to that."

"Now come on- let's go home."

"Yeah fuck Clint and his shitty apartment." She scoffed tossing the paper with numbers on it that her boss gave her onto her only non-submerged table.

Before she slammed the door behind her.

-.-.-.-

Fiona sighed as she came back into the kitchen. Seeing Ian and Lip watching her expectingly. "Did she answer?" Ian asked with baited breath. She shuck her head defeatedly.

"It's getting ridiculous Fiona! What the hell did you say to her!?" Lip snapped suddenly slamming his coffee mug down on the table as she stood up.

"Nothing that wasn't true." Fiona snapped back, equally as thunderous. "You need to apologise to her- just because you were being a bitch and ian was off his meds doesn't mean me, Debs, Carl and Liam deserve the silent treatment too." He seethed.

"That's a her problem not a me and ian problem."
"A problem you caused!.....again!"

Suddenly lips' flip phone buzzed in his pocket, he retrieved it to read.

Rei
Don't come knocking at the apartment, I've moved out and into Jay's cause it flooded. Cheaper this way. Hope everyone is well. Tell the bitch to stop texting me. Call if you need anything xx

"She's moved in with Jay." He read aloud. "What do you mean moved in?"
"That's what she said.....she also said you should stop calling." He looked up at Fiona who scoffed.

"She wants to know if we need anything but she won't talk to me?"
"No Fi, she wants to know how we," he referred to himself and the other three 'innocent' siblings, "are doing."

"Well she can go to hell for all I care."
"You're not helping your case Fiona." Ian spoke up bitterly. "She hates me cause of what I said and for what you said and I want to try and fix that." He sighed.

"We can go see her maybe? Have an adult conversation- on our meds and with out dredging up the past?" Lip coaxed. "Who are we going to see?" Debbie suddenly appeared at the foot of the back stairs. "Just Reign, Debs- go back up stairs." Fiona tried to shoo her away.

"Okay! When are we seeing her she hasn't been here in weeks! Oh! Can we go to the fire house again?!!!!" The younger girl beamed but the three older siblings all looked at her almost pitiful of her naivety and how unaware she was.

"I don't know Debs.....now go check on Liam for me."

By now, Debbie had turned 15. She was curious and headstrong and opinionated.....

And hiding a massive secret. She looked at her older three siblings with watery eyes. "But what about seeing Reign- and-."

"Debbie not now."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Two days later, Reign had successfully moved into Jay's apartment with the help of Will and Kelly who had insisted as they left the fire house one afternoon.

She made her way out of the door with her newly cut key, early on the Wednesday morning. Jay was still sleeping in until he had to leave for his 10am start. It was only half six.

She left him a note next to the coffee pot with a banana and a cereal bar next to it- knowing his habit to not eat and only down a coffee before he left on the mornings.

Morning,
Eat up. Don't you dare try and pass coffee off as a meal again. Stay safe.
-R x

Before she made her way into work.

"How're you settling in?" Kelly asked across the three lockers between theirs as he and Reign stood unpacking their civilian clothes into their respective spaces. "Not bad. Just getting used to forcing Jay to eat because he forgets." She giggled to herself.

"You happy there yeah?"
"Yes Kelly, I'm very happy." She smiled back at his brotherly expression.

"Come on, let's go eat."