Page 19 of Rough Night

Sage had nothing in this town. He had sold his apartment when he left for Florida. He didn’t have any intentions of ever coming back; he didn’t even have his bike which he longed for. He wouldn’t have minded getting a little fresh air so he could get his mind straight. He had been thinking about Mia and just how much she had started to mean to him, but he also couldn’t let his mind focus on that while there were bigger issues at hand. Only once they were back in Florida would he let himself think about how much he wanted to be with Mia. It was too much of a distraction and he had to focus on getting them back there. He still hadn’t admitted to himself how much she meant to him and he really wasn’t ready to even think about it too much.

He called for a cab and made his way to the club. He had already called Grier to check where he could find Fiona. He would’ve preferred going to Fiona's house rather than the club. He hadn’t been there since he had been taken from just outside the front doors, but he knew Fiona would be in the office there. The office where he had also had sex with Mia for the first time. This town held so many memories for Sage, both good and bad. He couldn't deny that being physical with Mia was exciting, and the passion that flowed between them couldn't be ignored either.

He arrived at the club and stood outside for a while just so he could compose himself. His head and knees ached with the memory of getting hit over the head and behind the knees. His mind gravitated back to the well. He would never be able to let those memories go. He knew they weren’t as bad as what he had been through before, but it was yet another traumatic experience for him to go through. Although the Omens hadn't done much to him physically, the scars of the event were burned into his mind. He would always remember the darkness and the loneliness of those two days he was trapped, constantly wishing for death. He hated the fact that he had gotten that low. He had never really wished for death before that, and he felt as if he had been weak for thinking of it at that time.

It’s okay, you’ve got this, he told himself. He couldn't let his memories overtake the mission he had at hand. The sooner he told Fiona about what he had, the sooner he could be out of Pine Hill. That was the only goal he had in mind. The moment he could leave, he could also leave all of his bad memories behind, hopefully once and for all.

He walked into the club and headed straight for the office. He had a stack of files in his hands that he had printed with all the information he needed to give to Fiona. It felt heavy in his hands due to the amount of hope he had in them. He silently clung to the hope and willed it to be what he needed to get out of shit creek.

Let this be our ticket out of here, he thought. He would do anything to go back to the place he called home.

He knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter. His heart had picked up in his chest, threatening to land on the floor in front of him.

“Come in!” Fiona yelled from the other side. Sage opened the door and walked into her office. Fiona was sitting behind her desk, staring at her computer. She looked up as Sage entered the room.

“Ah, Sage, what can I do for you?” she asked. She indicated for him to sit across from her, which he did.

“Well, actually it's more about what I can do for you,” he replied. Without wasting any time he handed over the files he had in his hands. “I think you’ll like what I’ve got.”

Fiona raised her eyebrows, intrigued by what he had said. She glanced at the files, and her eyes widened as she read more carefully some of the information that was on them.

“Wow, Sage. This is wonderful, this is what we need to get the feds off our backs,” she breathed as she continued to look the files over. Sage smiled to himself as he knew he had gotten what was needed to help with the heat back in Florida.

“Do you think this will be enough to allow us to go back to Florida?” he asked.

“I think it’ll be more than enough. There’s enough dirt here that anyone who messes with us should be scared,” she replied. Sage had looked at the files before he had arrived, so he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Sage was extremely happy to have gotten that kind of answer from Fiona. He already knew that the files would be what they needed, but he had also tried not to get his hopes up. Anything could've happened, and after all, Fiona could've already had the information he had, and it could've still not been enough.

“Sage, are you still comfortable with what we do? This isn’t exactly what you’re used to considering it’s nothing like the army,” she said.

He was a little taken aback by her question. He hadn’t expected her to ask him something like that. He knew that being in the army was nothing that he had expected, although who could really know what to expect when movies had been played out so dramatically, and the news had so much propaganda. The army hadn’t made him a better person, and he knew that there were things that had happened that could never be undone, but he also wasn’t as naive as he was when he joined. He was a different person back then, and he was a different person every day that had passed since. He knew he was stronger in some ways and weaker in others, but if anything, he had joined the army with an open mind.

Fiona and Grier felt like a family to him. He felt like no matter what he did, he'd always have people who cared for him and who would also do anything for him whereas when he had been in the army, it had been every man for himself.

He knew he had his team to rely on or to talk to while he was out in the field, but when it came to crunch time it didn't matter how close you were to someone, they would look after themselves before they would help anyone.

“I am comfortable. I know how things work, and I know the value of life. I’d do anything it takes to protect those I care about,” he replied. He knew he had given the right answer, the answer Fiona had wanted to hear when she had asked the question. She nodded her head in agreement. He felt like maybe it could've been a test. Fiona had known he was in the army when she had hired him, she knew he had been exposed to a different life.

“I’m happy to hear that. We will always look out for you, no matter where you are, so never forget that. Now you can go back to Mia and tell her the good news. You two can go home,” Fiona said with a smile.

Sage couldn’t wait to tell Mia. He knew that she would be extremely happy with the news.

He thanked Fiona for her time and left. He wanted to get back to Mia so they could finally make their way home. The thought of calling Florida home and a home with Mia there made Sage that much more excited to see her. He couldn't wait to see the excitement on her face.

He called a cab and went to Mia. The excitement in his chest grew as he got closer to their temporary place.

He walked into the house and found Mia curled up on the couch watching a movie. It seemed like a romantic comedy. Clearly she had tried to choose something to lift her spirits up. She looked so sad as she watched the movie, hardly even reacting to anything that happened on the TV.

“I have great news,” he said as he walked into the room without fully announcing himself.

Mia looked up from the TV, half shocked to see him. She hadn’t heard him enter. He made his way to the couch and sat next to her.

“Oh, you’re back,” she replied. Not taking in what he had said. She looked half dazed.

“Yes, I am back. And I have great news,” he said again, making sure she heard him.

“I heard you the first time… what’s that?” she asked. Her interest building.

“Well, pack your bags, we’re going home,” he replied with a huge grin.

Mia’s mouth popped open as she stared at him with wide eyes, completely shocked, and taken aback. Sage wanted to laugh at her reaction, it was even better than what he had pictured.

“Are you serious?” she asked as she got off the couch.

Sage nodded his head. “Yes, I’m dead serious. Fiona has given us the green light to go back to Florida,” he replied.

He could see the excitement in Mia’s eyes as she took it all in. Within a few seconds, she jumped on the couch and started bouncing on it, completely ecstatic.

“That is the best news I’ve heard all day,” she shouted as she continued to jump on the couch.

“Haha, now get off there and pack!” Sage said as he headed for the room so he could start packing himself.

Mia soon joined him and started packing up her things. He could tell she wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible. They both did.