Remedy

Walking into the bedroom Callie let a small laugh escape her lips upon seeing Jamie's suitcase sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed. No doubt in her mind it was still packed to the brim. Jamie never liked to unpack after getting home from a road trip right away, most of the time his suitcase would be somewhere much more conspicuouis until he felt like unpacking so that Callie didn't see it and do it herself. She left the house phone on the dresser top and walked over to the suitcase, unzipping the top she laughed. Not only was it still unpacked, but it was packed so tight the top nearly bounced off when she unzipped it.

Callie grabbed a handful of folded shirts and jeans, and put them back into the dresser, before she reached back in the suitcase for the plastic bag that she knew Jamie tossed dirty clothes into. As she picked it up she heard something bang against the floor, so she set the clothes down on the end of the bed before she got down on her knees and stuck her hand under the bed. The minute her fingers clasped around the circular shape she knew exactly what it was.

Dropping it onto the bed she glared at the small metal can, before she closed his suitcase and walked out into the hall. She knew Jamie wasn't home yet from going out with the guys, so she made her way into the garage, where he kept his practice bag by the stairs leading into the house. She had never been one to snoop, in fact this was the first time she had ever gone through Jamie's things without him knowing or to clean up after him.

Her eyes spotted it first, the familiar red label of a can of Copenhagen. A sigh slipped past her lips, and she grabbed the can, leaving his practice bag by the stairs as it usually was before she gathered the other can and walked into the guest room, tossing them on the bed.

She heard the front door close as she was heading out of the guest room, and didn't greet Jamie with the normal smile. Instead with her eyes hard she walked right past him and into the bedroom, before he could step foot in their room she shoved his pillow into his chest and without so much as a word she closed the door between them.

Jamie stood outside the door, pillow in one hand, staring at the white wood confused. It wasn't until the lock clicked that he realized she wasn't kidding, he glanced at Kelly who was standing in the kitchen with a mug, she shrugged and walked past him to go upstairs. Reluctantly he followed, parting ways with her to head further down the hall to the guest room.

A sigh slipped past his lips and he tossed the pillow on his bed, running his hands through his dark hair. Finally he picked up the two cans, and set them on the desk, before he sat down on the end of the bed. He wanted to go downstairs, break down the door if he had to, he'd done it before, but he knew that Callie wouldn't talk to him either way, so instead he yanked his shirt off, tossing it onto the dresser top, dropping his jeans before he crawled into a much colder bed, more alone than he was used to.

- - -
“So, you're not talking to me?” Jamie asked, watching as Callie simply narrowed her eyes at her mug, before she turned wordlessly and sat down across from Kelly at the kitchen table. He sighed, pushing his hair from his face before he tried again, “Callie we can't just spend the rest of our lives not talking.”

“Watch me.” Was the only thing that came from her otherwise pursed lips.

Kelly glanced between them awkwardly, wanting to slip out of the kitchen unnoticed but at the same time not wanting to disturb them. Jamie finally reached forward, grabbing the mug from the table and dumping the coffee down the sink, making Callie glare at him before she walked away. Jamie stuck his foot in the door before she could slam it in his face, and almost grinned in triumph as she turned and narrowed her dark eyes once again. He watched her sit down on the edge of the bed, and after closing the door he sat beside her, keeping his eyes on her hands, which were clasped tightly together on her lap.

“I don't really know what to say.” Callie rolled her eyes as Jamie said this, she wanted to remain icy and cold toward him for as long as she felt she needed to, but she knew she couldn't. She and Jamie never fought, and if they did it was never this serious, they never went to bed in seperate rooms, or even angry for that matter.

“I thought you said you quit.” Callie said softly, making Jamie sigh and run his hand through his hair.

“I did.”

“Why'd you lie to me?”

Sighing again Jamie explained, “I didn't exactly lie. I did quit, and then a few road trips ago one of the guys brought it out at the bar.”

Prusing her lips tightly Callie said nothing to his revelation for a long time. They sat in silence, Jamie keeping his eyes on her, Callie keeping her eyes on the door. He could tell by one look she was fighting herself, and he knew it was because she didn't know whether to be angry with him or disappointed in him.Finally she said, “I'm not gonna tell you what to do anymore. You're a grown adult, I don't care what you do anymore.”

Before he could take them back the words tumbled out of his mouth, “obviously you do.”

Callie turned sharply, eyes narrowed and harsh, “yeah you know what I do. I'm sorry I care about you Jamie. I'm so sorry you lied to me. I'm sorry that I thought you meant your promise. I'm sorry I want you to be around when we have a family.”

He sighed, “that's a little dramatic.”

“Is it? It's still tabacco. The effects don't change just because you don't smoke it.” Callie watched him for a moment before she added, “if you honestly can't do it for me do it for the kids you want. Or has that changed too?”

He shook his head slowly, “I meant that Callie.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.” She sighed and put her head in her hands for a moment before she pulled her hair back with her fingers. It had been hard enough to get him to quit the first time, they had argued for days over it, and in the end Jamie quit simply because he couldn't stand the way Callie looked at him after that. He had never really thought much of chew, it was just something the guys in the locker room did, they'd been doing it since juniors.

“I'll quit. I'll throw it all out tonight.”

Callie almost rolled her eyes, instead she turned back to look at him and said, “do what you want Jamie, but so help me god you even think of bringing that into this house again it won't just be our bedroom door that's closed to you.”