"We're down here," Gavin said sharply, sounding not unlike
"Have a seat."
"I don't even know how to start."
"Then maybe we can just skip
this whole thing and get on with our lives."
"Don't sit there and be a bitch or you'll be moving out," Gavin
said, furious. "Do you even *realize* the seriousness of what you've
done??"
"I'm sure you'll explain how
the family is going to self destruct all because I went and started working for
"I was thinking more along the lines that WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS
ILLEGAL! Nevermind the millions of times your mother and I have risked our
lives to keep you from that!"
"Risked your lives doing the
exact same thing I'm doing now!"
"NO,
"I didn't forget about
"And do you remember when I spent four months in a coma? It was
before you were one. Or the times your mother was kidnapped by them? Do you
know what it's done to your cousins' family? DO YOU FUCKING CARE?!?"
"OF COURSE I CARE! WHY THE
HELL DO YOU THINK I'M DOING THIS???"
"IF YOU CARED YOU'D STAY AWAY FROM IT AND NOT DO THE SAME THING TO
YOURSELF!"
"I WANT TO STOP THEM FROM
TORTURING OUR FAMILY ANY MORE THAN THEY HAVE!"
"Well you're failing. They've left us alone,
"How long did you actually
think they were going to leave us alone,
"You don't understand what they're capable of,
"I'm not a child."
"You don't know what they've done in the past. Sit down." Gavin
sighed. "You've got some listening to do."
"You'd have another cousin, did you know that?"
"I wasn't referring to
"And the director of the IMF
is your half uncle."
"What?"
"Your mother's maiden name was - well, not exactly. Your mother and
"Who's mom's father
then?"
"
"Oh."
"Who interestingly is the one who sent your cousin to your uncle in
a box in addition to kidnapping your mother & raping your aunt."
"He's dead, isn't he?"
"Your uncle killed him.
"But if we kill Kincaide
before he gets Zack, the IMF will fall apart, won't it?"
"Not anymore. He's got a girlfriend now and she's about to have
herself a baby."
"But if Kincaide's taken out
before the kid's old enough, there'll be no one to take over."
"You're missing the point, Chelsea! You're bait, you're a bartering
chip. By doing what you're doing, you're endangering your own life, our family
- largely your brother - as well as your unncle's family."
"You're wrong."
"Chelsea, they'd use you to kill Garrett and take your
brother."
"No they wouldn't."
"What do you think they're gonna do with you, Chelsea, invite you
for tea?!? You're probably the most powerful thing short of Garrett they could
get their hands on!"
"If that were true, don't you
think they would have come to me instead of me going to them?"
He sighed. "The IMF has been searching for you for years, Chelsea.
Your uncle has the records. Fortunately, your aunt tipped us off once you
became a target."
"Why me?"
"Because certain other young men they'd like to get their hands on
would go after you... namely, Zack and Garrett.
All of you girls are targets."
"I can take care of myself
you know, it's not like if they come after me I'm just going to let them."
"You think your mother can't take care of herself? Or your
aunt?"
Chelsea shrugged.
"They can, Chelsea."
"So can I,
"Not like they could."
"What do you want me to say,
dad? That I'll stop working? Because I'm not going to."
"Damn straight you will."
"No. I won't."
"Chelsea, do NOT be difficult with me about this!"
"I'm not being difficult! I
like what I'm doing. And I'm good at it!"
"I DON'T CARE! I DON'T WANT YOU BROUGHT HOME TO YOUR MOTHER IN A BODY
BAG!"
Gavin's outburst had caught
Chelsea off guard. She was stunned.
Gavin sighed, then pulled her into a hug. "Chelsea, I love you. I
don't want you hurt and I don't want you used by those scum.'
"I'll be careful."
"No matter how careful you are, the same fate meets all of them,
Chelsea."
"
"Chelsea. Please. I can't in good conscience let you be involved in
all that."
"It's my choice, though,
"I won't let you have that choice."
"But it's mine to make."
"No. It's not. Not so long as you're my child."
Chelsea sighed.
Gavin kissed her forehead. "No more of it, Chelsea."
"
"No more."
"
"No, Chelsea. I'm sorry."
"So am I." She stared at
the ground.
"If you go back to that... I won't have you in my house."
"What do you want me to do,
work for you?"
"Fine. I don't care what you do as long as it doesn't involve
them!"
"Fine."
"Thank you."
Chelsea sighed resignedly.
Gavin smiled a bit.
She was able to hide all the
emotions she was feeling and just stare blankly and annoyed at the floor.
"We love you, Chelsea."
"Mmmhmm."
~*~*~*~
Chelsea looked around the office
and sighed. This is what she was being forced to do...become a secretary
basically. The only good thing about the job was the cute intern she worked with.
"Feel like going to lunch?" He asked brightly as he passed by
the desk.
"Sure." Chelsea smiled
and got up.
"I'm Michael, by the way."
"Chelsea."
"Nice to meet you, Chelsea."
She nodded and grabbed her coat.
He seemed nice enough...at a quality about him that seemed easy to trust.
"So, what brings you to the wide world of law?" He asked, with
a slight snort.
"My dad, actually." Chelsea
told him. "Said I needed direction in my life."
"Funny, that's what brought me here too. Except my dad."
Chelsea nodded. "He said it'd
look good on a grad school transcript."
"Also true."
Chelsea shrugged. "Doesn't it
get boring for you?"
"Yeah... it does. But... well... from what I can tell, it gets
better if you stick with it."
"Must really be something to
stick with it. I was ready to quit before I even started."
"Aww."
Chelsea shrugged.
"For what it's worth I'm glad you didn't."
"Thanks. But it's still
boring as hell."
"Yeah... I know."
"So...where are we going to
for lunch?"
"There's a nice little place down the street."
"Cool."
He opened the door for her as they arrived.
Chelsea smiled and walked in.
"So. What do you do when you aren't stuck here?"
"I...." Chelsea paused,
not quite sure how to answer the question. She couldn't exactly tell him she
secretly worked for her uncle as an intel agent. That'd just be stupid. She
shrugged. "I'm at home or something, I guess."
"No hobbies? Or special guys?"
Chelsea shrugged. "No special
guys. They've always been too afraid of my parents. I like playing sports and
stuff."
"Favorite sport?"
"Basketball. But I like
watching hockey the most."
"I play hockey." He smiled.
"Do you? Who do you play
for?"
"UCLA, where I go to school."
She nodded. "I'll have to
come see you play sometime."
"That'd be great." He grinned.
"Just tell me when your next
game is."
"I'll get you the schedule if you really want."
"I'd like that."
He smiled again. I'd love to see you there."
"I'll be your personal
cheering section."
"I'm a goalie, I take pucks to the face. I could use it."
"Well then I'll be
there."
"Thanks."
Chelsea hesitated and slipped her
hand into his.
He squeezed it gently.
"What about you? What do you
like to do other than play hockey?"
"Well being pre-law I study a lot. Hockey, computers. I'm sort of a
half-assed programmer."
"Sounds interesting."
"Sometimes." He smiled.
"And when you're not in
school? Any girlfriends?"
"Nope. A single guy, I'm afraid."
"Aww, poor you."
"Guess so." He grinned.
"Maybe we'll have to change
that."
"I think I'd like that."
"So would I."
He leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Chelsea blushed.
He smiled.
"So do you have a last name,
or are you just Michael?"
"Michael Damon. And you?"
"Chelsea Spencer."
"Wow. Your dad's part of the firm."
"Yeah."
"Nice."
Chelsea shrugged. "Not
always."
"I imagine not."
"Yeah...kind of explains how
I got the job."
"Guess so."
"How long have you worked for
the firm?"
"About six months now."
"And you like it?"
"Yeah."
"So there's hope for me
yet."
"I'd say so."
She smiled. "This was a nice
little break, thank you."
"You're welcome. We better go back, don't wanna be late."
"Yeah."
He paid the check and got the door for her once more, offering her his
arm.
Chelsea took it and smiled.
~*~*~*~
Cassidy bounced Nathan on her leg gently. "You said you had
news?" She asked her sister with a slight smile.
"I'm pregnant." Grace
was practically glowing.
Cass smiled. "Good for you!"
Gavin squeezed her hand with a smile.
"Thanks." Grace grinned.
"It'll be nice."
"A little friend for you, Nathan, won't that be nice?" She
kissed the baby's forehead. He cooed.
Garrett nodded.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks." Gavin smiled at Grace.
Cassidy placed baby Nathan in his father's lap. "Play with
Garrett took the boy.
"Chelsea doing good at your office?" He asked Gavin.
"Yeah... she's getting along with everyone well. Got a boyfriend to
boot."
Garrett nodded. "I still
think she would have done well here, Gavin."
"I don't want her here."
"Why not?"
"Because we don't."
Grace spoke up. "We know what she'd be involved in, and we don't want her
to be."
Cassidy sighed.
"You're still involved with
the organization." Garrett pointed out.
"No. We keep in contact with you two," Gavin corrected.
"You were the one who
kidnapped Kincaide's girlfriend."
"Which was different entirely. It was vengeance."
"Vengeance?"
"For what Dylan has done to my family."
"Nevermind the fact that by
kidnapping her we gained the upper hand?"
"Had nothing to do with that. Not to me."
"Sure."
"Fuck off."
"Why? I'm right. What makes it alright for you to
be involved with the organization but no one else?"
"Because I was fated to it by the shittiest parents to grace the
earth - except maybe you."
"Well that would make sense
if you were really my brother! Not just some illegitimate prick that was a
result of our father not being able to keep his pants on around one of the
female agents!"
Gavin blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You're only my half brother.
Seems dad had an affair with one of the female agents."
"I don't believe you."
"Why do you think mom was
always so horrible to you? Why she hated you?"
"Cause she was a bitch, period."
"You're a sign of our
father's infidelity. You really think she liked being reminded of that every
day she raised you?"
"Shut the hell up. I suppose they told you?"
"I found out when you were in
your coma like twenty years ago."
"Splendid."
"Honest to God, Gavin."
"I don't fucking believe you."
"Go check the medical
records."
"Fuck you."
"Go ahead and check."
"Grace, I'll see you at home." Gavin got up and swept out of
the house.
Grace sighed.
"I'll call you later,
Cassidy." She said before following him out.
Cassidy sighed, picking up a fussy Nathan from Garrett's lap. "I
never knew. About Gavin..."
"Yeah. I didn't believe it at
first...." Garrett replied.
"Gavin! Wait."
She sighed... and then kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry things got ugly
between you two."
Gavin stopped and turned to her. "Hi."
"Me too." Garrett
replied.
"Where are you going?"
She asked.
"Home."
Cassidy settled Nathan down and gave him back to Garrett. Nathan knelt in
his father's lap while Cassidy gently rubbed Garrett's shoulders.
"I'm sorry...." Grace
trailed off, squeezing his hand.
"It's fine," Gavin said firmly.
Garrett sighed. "Thank
you."
"Gavin...."
"You're welcome, baby."
"It's fine, Grace! I knew from the moment I was born I was unwanted
in that house, now I know why. That's all."
Grace took a step backwards,
surprised. "I'm sorry..." She said again before walking ahead of him.
Garrett looked up and kissed her
softly.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you." He sighed.
Cassidy gently kissed back.
"It's fine." She waved
him off. "I shouldn't have asked or said anything." She muttered.
"Shh, Grace. Let's... just go home."
Grace hugged him tightly.
Garrett sighed. "I've got to
get back...."
"Not right now you don't. You work too hard."
"I have to work hard."
"Not as hard as you do."
Gavin sighed, just accepting the comfort.
"I have to."
"Come on..." She pulled
him towards the door.
"You don't." She sighed, wanting to make him stop working.
"Come to bed."
Gavin led the way.
"What time is it?"
Garrett asked.
"Nine.
"Yeah...I
gotta....yeah..." Garrett trailed off.
"No. You have to come upstairs... to bed early... with your
wife."
"Are you okay?" Grace
asked almost timidly once they'd gotten home.
Garrett sighed.
"Yeah..."
"I'm fine," Gavin said.
"Sure?"
"Your slightly playful wife."
"Cass..."
"You'd rather go play in your office? Not a good answer. Only
acceptable excuse is you're too tired... in which case you should come to
bed."
"I've got to look at the
report that's been sitting on my desk....."
"I'll sit on your desk."
"I'll fall asleep with my
head in your lap rather than with it on my desk."
"Yes Grace."
"And for once maybe you'd look at me."
"I look at you."
"Yes. If I happen to be in your line of sight."
"Gavin...I don't know what I
can do to help you....not when you're like this....when you get really
upset....you shut me out...and I can't help you if you shut me out...."
"Not true." Garrett
protested.
"Completely true. You haven't kissed me - honest to god kissed me -
in at least a week. You're working too hard, baby."
"I'm fine, Grace."
"You're not, Gavin. But
you're shutting me out, so I can't help you, and I want to."
"I'm a dedicated man."
"I don't need to talk right now."
"You're working yourself into your grave, Garrett! You don't sleep
and hardly eat!"
"Then tell me what you do
need."
"Time."
"I...." Garrett paused,
it was true. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually had something
other than a cup of coffee.
"Time?"
"To think about it."
"You need to sleep."
"I do." Garrett agreed.
"Okay....do you want to go to
bed?"
"Yeah."
Cassidy led him upstairs. "And in the morning... a nice breakfast, I
think." She kissed him.
"Sounds good." Garrett
kissed back.
She smiled a little bit, snuggling close to him beneath the blankets.
"Come on." Grace led him
to their room.
Gavin flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.
Garrett wrapped an arm around her.
Cassidy kissed his forehead. "Sleep."
Grace sighed and pulled off
Gavin's shoes. She pulled the blankets back and covered him before climbing
into bed next to him.
Garrett sighed.
"Sleep," Cass insisted. "What do you need?"
"Nothing...I'm trying to
sleep."
She made him roll onto his stomach and then began to massage his
shoulders.
In the middle of the night, Gavin, in the middle of a nightmare, flailed
out... and managed to shove Grace off the bed.
Grace hit her head on the corner
of the nightstand and hit the floor with a loud thud.
Gavin sat bolt upright. "Grace?"
Grace was sitting on the floor,
carefully touching the cut on her head. "You pushed me."
"Shit. I'm sorry..."
Garrett fell asleep a few minutes
later.
"You were having a nightmare
and I tried to wake you up...but you pushed me and I hit my head."
Cassidy smiled and curled up next to him. She was just dozing when the
door was pushed open... by Nathan, who was crawling around. Cass picked him up
and cuddled him between her and Garrett.
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
Garrett rolled over and placed his
arm on Cassidy's side.
She smiled slightly and then fell asleep.
"I need to get this cleaned
up." Grace got up and went into the bathroom.
"Let me help." Gavin followed her.
"What were you dreaming
about?" She asked, turning on the light.
"I don't remember," he said, suddenly looking old in the dim
light.
Grace sighed and place her hand on
his cheek. "This isn't the first time this has happened."
"I know... and I never remember them."
"This isn't the first time
you've pushed me, either."
"I know..."
"I'm worried about you,
Gavin."
"I'm alright, Grace."
"No...Gavin, you're not. As
long as I've known you, you've never had nightmares this bad. Or this
frequent."
"And I can usually remember them."
"And you never were this
violent while you slept....what were they about? The ones you remember?"
"I don't, that's the thing."
Grace sighed. "We have to do
something about them."
"Yeah... I know."
Grace rubbed her eyes.
"Maybe...maybe you need a vacation."
"I guess I should, huh?"
She nodded. "Might do you
some good."
"I guess it might."
"That way you could get some
actual rest."
"Or be followed by my nightmares."
She shook her head. "You
won't be."
"I guess we'll see."
"Do you want to take a
vacation?"
"Yeah."
Grace paused. "Do you...do
you want me to come with you?"
"Of course."
"Okay."
"We'll go after this week."
Grace nodded. "Zack and
Chelsea can stay by themselves."
"Alright." He smiled.
"Well... good."
She nodded. "Want to try and
get some sleep?"
"Yeah. We're having a
baby..." He smiled.
"We are..."
He smiled and kissed her.
Gavin lifted her and deposited her on the bed. "There. Now we can
sleep."
She cuddled up in his arms.
"Sleep, baby."
He kissed her forehead. "I'll try."