Goodbyes

Carson gave Misty a slight nod. "You're welcome. It won't be the last." 

He turned to leave, but as he got halfway, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Tilting his head to see her over his sunglasses, he quirked one eyebrow. "And since when have I ever played fair?" 

Making it to the door this time, he left without another word. Once in his car, Carson aimed for the Elite. He wanted to get in some work before going to the restaurant. His mind was distracted though. This hadn't gone quite as planned. He wasn't sure what his goal had been, but he felt...irritated. Frustrated. He was glad he understood better now. And at least Misty admitted she still needed him. But mixed in was a new determination... If she wanted him, she was going to have to make an effort too. There was little more he could do to earn her trust - it was her turn. 

Maybe this wasn't quite what Herb had had in mind. And maybe he shouldn't have been quite as short with Misty. He'd wanted to make progress, not do more harm...and he felt a bit badly for behaving as he had. But..it was done. And in order to stay sane...he needed to move on and hope Misty would join him.

 
Garret finally glanced over at Nate. "The Agency always has a plan. A point. A purpose. Justin wasn't targeted randomly just because he's working on the side for you guys. Medridge took something personally." He shrugged. "I'm just working on the pieces. Scott was a trophy because of the assimilation. Justin interfered as Scott's counselor. So did Hope, but not like Justin. Justin rewired the Agency's programming - he toyed with a masterpiece that Medridge was planning to use again later." 

Yes...he knew all about that scenario. He looked back out at the passing scenery. "There may have been an Agency operative at Brookshire the entire time Scott was there, as well. Which may or not mean they're still there." 


“Kip?” Gram knocked on the closed bedroom door. “Kip, are you still asleep?” It was mid-morning and she hadn’t yet heard him stir. Not that it was unusual. After his breakup with Karla, he'd hardly eaten anything and hibernated in his room when he wasn't at work. He'd completely withdrawn from the world, and both Gram and Gramps were rather concerned about him. She pushed open the door and peeked in before stepping inside. And what she saw made her heart sink. The bed was neatly made. The nightstand and dresser held none of Kip’s belongings. The floor was clean. There was no trace of him.

Gram eased down to sit on the bed, her eyes showing sadness as she picked up a little handwritten note from the pillow.

I hate goodbyes. But I need to move on. Find myself. You two have been great, and I can’t thank you enough. You’ve done more for me than I ever deserved. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Love you both. Kip

Along with the note was some cash folded together – it had to be at least a full paycheck’s worth. Gramps and Gram had never asked for a cent, nor had they ever accepted his offers. But Kip had gotten the last word in on this one.

Gram wiped a tear from her eye as she stood back up. Kip had become like her own grandson, and it would be awfully quiet around here without him.

Back in the kitchen, she picked up the cordless phone and stared at it for several thoughtful moments. Kip wanted time. Space. But her heart simply wouldn’t allow her to leave things just like that. Finally she looked at the short list of numbers on the refrigerator door and dialed.

“Hi, Erik?” She smiled. He’d recognized her voice. “I know you’re probably busy.” She knew Kyle and the band were on a short tour. Nothing that would take them more than a state or two away, and they'd be back in a few days, but she was sure they were all working very hard. “I just thought there was something you should know…”


“…Hey, Kip, look, I know you probably don’t want to talk to me right now, but at least listen before erasing this message. Gram called. Don’t blame her for telling me what happened – she just cares and is worried about you. And so am I. Whatever’s happened, all I really care about is knowing you’re okay. So give me a call or something.” Erik ended the call on his cell phone and groaned before flopping back on the hotel bed. The rest of the band was quiet – they’d all heard the news as well, and were just as worried.

Kyle stood near the window, arms folded as his mind worked. It felt like a lifetime ago now that he’d let Kip walk away from the band, and a glance at Alice proved that he was now feeling guilty for it. “I shoulda tried harder to keep him here,” he mused quietly.

“It’s not your fault,” Erik assured. “If anyone could blame themselves, it would be me. I always looked out for him, but since he walked away, I’ve been so wrapped up here that I didn’t make much time for him. I thought he was okay though.”

“Hey…” Twila was sitting on the edge of the bed, and patted his arm. “You did more than you ever needed to. This is all on Kip himself. We all tried to help him, and we all thought he was doing better. This was his choice, and none of us could have prevented it.”

“I know it. Still feels rotten.”