Him & I

That's What Friends Are For

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
In good times and in bad times
I'll be on your side forevermore
That's what friends are for
——That's What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick

October 20, 2018

The nightmare came again. But this time, the mist cleared. And the pieces finally fit.

Cait didn't scream. Just sat bolt upright in the bed, hands over her mouth.

But it couldn't be, could it? This was crazy. She was crazy. She had to be.

Grayson was still sleeping and she didn't want to disturb him. So Cait got out of bed and went to the living room.

This had to be the product of an overactive imagination, right? Cait wasn't the kind of person to believe that dreams were harbingers of the future. She was too practical for that.

She was worried, anxious, hadn't been sleeping well. And she was cracking up. Either that or her subconscious had registered something that she hadn't realized.

It had been a year, almost exactly, since Stacy sent that tweet. Since she'd tried to interfere in their relationship. Since that night when Cait had cried and Brennan had laid into her. Stacy hadn't been heard from since.

Which was why this was completely fucking batshit. Wasn't it? That couldn't possibly have been who she saw.

Cait wrapped herself in a blanket and tried to sleep on the couch. But she couldn't. She laid there until it was starting to get light out and then went back in the bedroom to get some running clothes and left a note that she'd gone for a run. But running wasn't the only thing on her agenda.

Three miles into her run, she stopped to catch her breath.  And she found a contact on her phone.

*****

Justin Robinson was not thrilled that his phone was ringing at 9:00 a.m. on the day after the Countdown.  There had been a bit of celebrating the night before and he wasn't necessarily ready to be awake yet. And he had an hour before he needed to be up for practice. But he reached for the device, planning to either ignore the call or tell whomever was on the other end to fuck off.

But he saw the name and frowned.  What the hell?

"Caitlin?" he answered.  "What in the name of all that is holy possessed you to call me the morning after Countdown?"

"Oh shit, I forgot," she breathed out.  "I'm sorry J-Rob.  Don't tell me what happened.  Gray and I are gonna watch it tonight.  Do you want me to call later?"

"Zion happened. That's all you need to know. And I'm awake now," he told her.  "But it's two hours earlier in Utah.  What the hell, Cait?"

"I need to talk to you," she said simply.  "I need some information and I'm hoping you guys can help me.  But what I'm about to say is going to sound crazy . . ." she started.

*****

"You think I'm bananas, don't you?" she finally whispered after she'd laid it all out.