Disclaimer: Characters belong to Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, Gary Tomlin, NBC, et al and are used here strictly for non-profit entertainment purposes.
Rating: T
Genre: Drama
Spoilers: Everything through Episode 134, then it drifts into AU
Summary: During a blizzard, a relationship comes full circle.
February 5, 2010
"Did you hear the Post named it 'Snowmaggedon'?"
Olivia looked up from her iPhone and glanced out the window. Fat snowflakes swirled beyond the glass, the sky an ominous shade of the palest gray. She and Ken had been in the taxi for less than ten minutes before the flight cancellation alerts came into their phones. Now, they were slowly making their way through a roundabout and heading back to the hotel they checked out of earlier that morning. She was never going to hear the end of it from Gregory. He had wanted her to take the late flight the night before, but she and Ken had one last meeting today. "That sounds ominous," she murmured as they passed the Spanish embassy.
"This is why I left Chicago," Ken sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I despise winter."
She smirked and pulled the wide collar of her coat around her neck. "Gregory too," she remarked as she clutched her phone. "I don't know though…I've always liked it."
He groaned. "Tell me that's not why you pushed for us to meet with the Enforcement Bureau now. It could've waited until April, at the latest."
"Of course not," she sniffed as she guiltily looked away. "The sooner those two idiots finish their suspension, the sooner the F.C.C. will renew our license." The bane of her existence, the hosts of the radio station's morning show, had been suspended and fined after they went on a racist tirade the week before Thanksgiving. "We're still going to release them next month, aren't we?"
"Yes, due to them violating the morals clause in their contracts," he replied as he held the phone up to his ear. "Just a minute. They finally picked up."
She turned back to the window, vaguely listening as he explained their predicament to the concierge at the Four Seasons. As she heard him re-booking their reservations, her phone buzzed. Her husband's name flashed across the illuminated screen and she bit back a smile. "Are you in the pool?" she asked by way of a greeting. Her husband was a creature of routine. That gave her a measure of comfort whenever they were apart.
"Still in bed actually. I had a late call with the Hong Kong office." He sighed sleepily and she instantly regretted not taking yesterday's flight. She would've been home by now and curled up next to him. "I heard the phone," he sighed and she angled away from Ken.
"We're stranded," she whispered.
Her eyes turned up to the snowfall as he said through a yawn, "I told you so."
She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes."
"You're not stuck at the airport, are you?"
"No, we didn't even make it that far. We're on our way back to the hotel. Ken's taking care of the reservations."
"That's something, at least."
She listened to the sound of his breathing for a long moment. She pictured him in their dark bedroom, laying on his back as he held the phone to his ear. "It could be days before I'm home," she murmured.
"But, you love the snow," he pointed out through a yawn.
"You don't sound sorry for me at all."
He chuckled softly. "Of course I am. But, I did tell you to take the flight last night."
"Yes, yes," she sighed petulantly as the taxi finally pulled up to the hotel. The door man jumped forward, opening her door and extending his hand in one fluid motion. An icy vortex slammed into her, the cold burning her throat as she gasped. He led her to the revolving doors, pushing her through gently. "You would hate it here," she said, swallowing back a sigh of relief as she stepped into the warm lobby. "It's freezing."
"And, that's why we live in California."
She chuckled as she wandered over to the gilded mirror to examine her reflection. Snowflakes clung to her dark hair and she brushed them away as she sighed, "Evy will be upset with me. I'm missing her game tonight."
"Liv," he grunted and she pictured him pushing himself up, "she'll understand. It's a blizzard."
"Maybe." She tilted her head. When she was Evy's age, she would've been furious with her mother. After all, twelve-year-olds still thought the world revolved around themselves.
"It'll be fine," he said and she bit back a retort. He'd realize the reality of the situation as soon as he delivered the news to their daughter. "Are you back in your suite?"
She turned to the lobby desk and watched as the concierge passed room key cards to Ken. "Not yet. Soon."
"Let me go shower and then I'll call you back."
"Ok. I love you."
"I love you too, Liv." She had heard his reply for more than thirty-five years, but she still beamed as if it was the first time he ever uttered it.
She dropped the cell phone into her purse as she met Ken in the center of the lobby. "The blizzard is keeping new guests from arriving," he explained as he passed her a pair of key cards. "So, we're back in our same rooms. The bellhop will bring up our luggage."
"Home sweet home," she sighed drolly as she followed him to the elevator.
"Gregory jealous of you having all this winter fun?"
"Ha." The doors whooshed open and she stepped in, the golden light glowing on the mirrored walls. As she turned, she caught the eye of a guest stepping off the opposite elevator. She blinked as the breath died in her throat, forgetting Ken. Cole Deschanel's dark eyes burned into her, the surprise on his face no doubt a reflection of her own. Her head spun before the elevator doors mercifully closed.
"Are you alright?" Ken asked as he touched her elbow.
She leaned back against the wall as she exhaled shakily. The shrieking in her ears began to subside as she heard the sound of her own thundering heart. "Yes. J-just dizzy."
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
But, hadn't she?
"Cole, are you listening?" He looked up to find Marie-Hélène watched him closely. "Cole?"
He nodded and reached for his wine, taking a deep sip. "Yes, sorry. So, what did the Dean say then?"
She sniffed dismissively and continued, "He agreed he should have postponed the reception before we left Geneva. I told him to make arrangements to be responsible for the additional days we will be here." She sat back in the chair and sighed deeply as she turned to the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Merde."
He nodded, glancing at the blizzard raging beyond the glass. The wind howled against the windows, the snow swirling in plumes. They arrived yesterday and seemed to be the only guests checking in while others left. Everyone else, it seemed, wanted to beat the blizzard home.
Except Olivia and her male companion.
Olivia.
He clenched his jaw, recalling the way their eyes locked together earlier in the day. The way her violet eyes flashed and her lips parted in a silent gasp. It had been more than ten years since he had seen her. She was older, but still the same. Then, the doors to her elevator closed, sucking her away. Leaving him to stand, dumbstruck and gazing at the closed doors, like a fool.
"These Americans overreact," she mused, cutting a small piece of lamb. "It's just a bit of snow."
"Hmm?"
Her fork and knife hit the plate with a loud clink. "What is wrong with you?" she hissed.
I saw a woman I had an affair with years ago.
He sighed and leaned forward, reaching for her hand. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his fingers gently prying her tight fist apart. "Between jet lag and the blizzard, I'm just…off." He already decided he wasn't going to tell Marie-Hélène the truth. Five years ago, she accepted his womanizing past like the French woman she was: with a shrug and a bored sigh. He explained away the jewel thieving as the reckless misadventures of a profoundly bored and wealthy youth. The one piece of information he never confessed was Olivia's daughter.
"A girl!"
He flinched, remembering the way Caitlin's excited shriek echoed through Grand-Mère's apartment all those years ago. The way her face lit up as she nodded excitedly, listening to Gregory on the phone. "Evelyn Frances," she sighed dreamily as she closed her eyes. "Oh, Daddy, it's perfect. How's Mom?"
Caitlin flew home the following day, determined to not wait until Christmas before she met her new sister for the first time. She returned to Paris a week later with several envelopes of pictures. "Mom already started calling her 'Evy'. Isn't that a sweet nickname?" she asked from the living room floor, surrounded by dozens of photos. He frowned, remembering the way he reluctantly sat across from her and took the picture she held out for him. Next to them, the fireplace popped, casting dancing light over the glossy 4x6 of the sleeping newborn. He stared down at the photograph, feeling empty. The calm expression on her face gave him pause as his index finger unconsciously traced over her chin. This could be his daughter. "I think this is the one I'll frame," Caitlin said decisively, holding up a photo. "What do you think?" He looked up at it briefly before he stood, mumbling that he needed to call his lawyer.
On that quiet evening, the image of her happy family in the photo seared to his memory, where it remained for the subsequent years. The way the baby was nestled against Gregory's chest as Caitlin and Sean flanked him. The way Olivia leaned behind him, her arms draped around her husband.
Marie-Hélène ripped her hand away and stood decisively. "I have a headache." He started to push himself up when she continued, "Don't bother."
Cole watched her snatch the key card off the table and leave, her shawl drawn tightly around her slender frame. He sighed deeply and pushed his plate away. He never should have gone to California all those years ago. He didn't get the jewels as he had planned. Nothing good came from that jaunt.
Except, possibly, a child.
He narrowed his eyes, forcing that thought from his mind. He had wondered about the child more often than he would care to admit over the last twelve years. About what she looked like. About if she was happy. About if she was his daughter.
As he looked up, he saw the man leaving the restaurant. The man Olivia was with. His heartbeat began to increase as he stood slowly, the napkin in his lap falling to the floor as he scanned the restaurant. The lights were dim, candle light flickering from each of the tables. There, at a corner table on the far side of the restaurant, was Olivia. He stood frozen, gaping at her before he finally moved away from his table.
Olivia sat quietly, riveted to the snowfall. The light from the street lamp glowed from behind the curtain of flakes. The windows groaned against the maniacal shrieking of the wind and, despite the warmth of the hotel's restaurant, she couldn't help but shiver. She remembered her father telling her tales of the howling banshees who roamed the Irish countryside, looking for human souls to steal away for Death. The way she cowered beneath her sheets, fearfully watching the dark corners of her small bedroom for a pair of glowing eyes.
Her phone beeped and reached for it, swiping the screen in order to read the text message. Evy scored at 56'. Winning by 1. She beamed, quickly typing out a reply to her husband. With a sigh, she clutched the phone to her chest and glared out at the blizzard. Mother Nature was a cruel bitch. She remembered the incredulity in Gregory's voice when he relayed how angry Evy became when she found out she wouldn't be home. His reaction was unsurprising. After all, he had never been a hormonal pre-teen girl.
The air shifted around her and she glanced up. Cole was making his way to her and her spine stiffened. She knew this moment would come. Just as she anticipated her daughter's mood, she knew he would seek her out. It was only a matter of when. She inhaled deeply and placed her phone on the table as the distance between them diminished. Then he was there. "Hello, Olivia," he said softly and she jumped in surprise. His voice was exactly as she remembered it.
"Cole," she said softly. He hovered next to the chair Ken vacated, his hands resting on the back. The shadow of stubble on his face and the cut of his clothes gave him a European air. She couldn't help but think how much he looked like AJ. She immediately chastised herself. That was the very thought that led her beyond the point of no return with him in the first place.
"Some weather, hmm?"
She nodded dumbly and followed his gaze to the window. The night turned the glass into a mirror, allowing her to watch as he slowly turned his attention back to her. Her phone beeped again and she met his eyes for a long moment before she looked down at the screen. Gregory's text message swam before her, the words blurring together as she heard herself ask, "Would you like to sit?"
He hesitated. "Is your friend coming back?" She shook her head and watched quietly as he slipped into the chair. She watched him carefully, noticing the lick of grey at his temples. His expression was sterner, suggesting a newfound maturity that didn't exist when she knew him all those years ago. She glanced down at his left hand, seeing no wedding band. "So, what brings you to Washington, D.C.?"
She cleared her throat as she reached for her water. "Business," she said, the ice water shocking her back to the moment. Her head cleared and she refocused her gaze on him. "My lawyer and I are here to get the station's license renewed. You?"
"My girlfriend is accepting an award from Georgetown. She got her law degree there."
Cole watched Olivia nod as she bit the corner of her lip. He shifted, remembering she bit her lip the same way as he stripped her of the pale lavender suit she wore that first night. Now, he saw her lips moving and he shook himself loose of that memory. "-live in Paris?"
"No, no. We live in Switzerland. Marie-Hélène works at the U.N. office in Geneva." Her eyebrow arched as her finger traced the length of her water glass' stem. The silence grew between them and he watched as she drummed the fingers of her left hand, her diamond catching on the candle light.
"How is your mother?" He looked up, surprised, as she continued, "I haven't kept in touch with her the way I should have after she moved to San Diego."
He nodded. "Elaine's good." She may have been his mother, but she was still just Elaine to him. Long ago, he had tried to mentally refer to her as Mom, but…it just didn't work. "She sold the Waffle Shop a few years ago." She nodded and he felt dumb for saying something so obvious. Of course, she knew about the sale. She still lived in Sunset Beach. "She's spending her retirement looking after Paula's children."
"Grandchildren," she said softly, a small smile on her face.
"I heard Caitlin got married a few years ago." Their eyes met and he saw the question swirling in her eyes. He knew she was wondering how he knew about Caitlin. Was he keeping tabs on them? What did he know about them? What did he know about her youngest child? He watched her mounting curiosity until he finally explained, "I ran into a mutual friend from Paris who still keeps in touch with Caitlin. I guess she thought I was dying to know how her life ended up."
The relief was evident as she nodded. "Yes, she's been married for…" she trailed off, narrowing her eyes as she mentally did the math, "…seven years now."
It never would have worked with Caitlin. He realized that when he didn't go back to California with her after her semester in Paris ended. At the time, he lied that his passport was locked by INTERPOL. In reality, Grand-Mère's lawyers had gotten the travel ban lifted two weeks before they were due to depart. Olivia held up her end of the bargain; she kept Gregory distracted and, without his involvement, INTERPOL's case fell apart. He spent that Christmas holed up in guest room at Grand-Mère's chateau in Fontainebleau with a case of cognac. He never went back to California again and that was the beginning of the end of his relationship with Caitlin. Not going back was the only way he could keep his end of the bargain, not that he ever truly forgot about their affair or her child. But, if he never had to lay eyes on them, it was easier to live with himself. "Does she have any children?" he found himself asking. He was curious. He hoped she was happy. After everything he and Olivia did to her, she more than deserved it.
She smiled and he recognized it as the same proud grin Elaine would flash whenever he asked about Paula's children. "Three. Two boys and a girl."
As he opened his mouth to reply, his waiter appeared. "Mr. Deschanel, I see you switched tables. Would you like your meal and wine moved?"
"No, I'm done." When the waiter nodded and glanced curiously at Olivia, he said firmly, "Thank you."
The waiter nodded and turned away, only to be replaced by Olivia's waiter. "Mrs. Richards, can I interest you in coffee or dessert?"
Olivia shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll be going up shortly." It wasn't as if she intended to stay here and catch up with Cole all night. Her phone beeped again and she glanced quickly at the message. Evy's team won 1-0. She looked back up at the waiter. "Please bill everything to my room. Suite 510."
When her waiter left, Cole leaned in. "I have a son," he said quietly.
She glanced up sharply, infinitely surprised. For a vague moment, she realized that if she kept in touch with Elaine, she would have already know that about. "Oh?"
"Édouard, after Marie-Hélène's father. I call him Teddy though. He'll be three in May."
Her throat tightened as she nodded. That explained the maturity. Cole was a father now. He was responsible for another human being. His child. He wasn't anything at all like AJ, which was one of the cruel accusations she rubbed in his face years ago in the grotto. At the time, she was desperate for him to be gone and out of her life. Her gaze fell as she felt shame flush in her throat and face. "Cole, I-"
"I didn't abandon him."
Of course he remembered. She looked up slowly, his face mysteriously blank. But, his eyes…in them, she saw the same hurt she remembered seeing in the grotto during their last meeting. "I'm sorry for what I said that night," she said softly as her phone beeped. But, she didn't look down. "But, I was trying to protect my daughter from the truth."
He chuckled and leaned in, the candle casting ominous shadows on his face. "None of this was about protecting Caitlin. You were protecting yourself."
Cole watched as she sat back and defiantly squared her shoulders. "Yes," she admitted. She raised a trembling hand and brushed her hair back. "Surely, I wasn't the first of your flings to be worried about her husband finding out?"
He sat back too. "No," he conceded. Silence fell between them as she looked away again. He cleared his throat as he asked, "How is…your other daughter?"
Time froze. His beating heart slowed. This was the moment he had waited for for the last twelve years. He watched her sigh deeply, one that went through her entire body. "She's perfect," she whispered. She turned her eyes up, one painstaking millimeter at a time. "Even when she's furious at me for missing her football match because I'm stuck here."
"Football?" He couldn't imagine Olivia allowing her daughter to play such a rough sport.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. "Soccer," she said, forcing an American accent.
He forced a half-smile. "What's- what's she like?"
Anguish washed across her face as she leaned forward slightly. "Cole, I-"
"I stayed away," he hissed as he leaned back across the table. His heart raced and he could feel his carotid pulsating. "It was the best I could do since forgetting about her was impossible."
"Cole, she's not your daughter," she gasped as the rosy blush drained from her cheeks. Her hand flew to her throat and she sucked in a breath as her eyes melted. "She's not."
He shook his head. "You said that years ago and all you had to go on was a wish," he retorted. "But, wishing doesn't make things so, Olivia!"
"It's not a wish this time," Olivia sighed. She watched his brow furrow. "I know."
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "How?" he finally asked.
She swallowed, folding her trembling hands in her lap. "Evy is allergic to dogs – just like Gregory." He sat back, exhaling deeply before he slowly shook his head. "And, when I look at her, she's the mirror image of him."
Cole froze. Allergies didn't prove anything. If he dug far enough, he could probably dig up a Deschanel ancestor with a canine allergy. Neither did looks. After all, he remembered that neither Caitlin nor Sean looked much like Gregory or Olivia. But, that revelation softened the blow of the next question he asked. "May I see?"
"See what?" she asked softly, even though her eyes revealed that she knew.
"A picture."
She hesitated for the briefest of moments before she slowly nodded. He gripped the ends of the arm rests as she reached for her iPhone.
Olivia's fingers fumbled as she unlocked the phone. After she did, she saw the picture icon attached to Gregory's last text message. She touched the bubble and a photo of Evy popped up on the screen. The twelve-year-old's arms were raised victoriously over her head as she grinned at the camera. She sniffled as she held out the phone to Cole. He reached slowly for the phone and turned it around so the screen was facing him. "Gregory just sent that," she murmured as she watched him examine the photo.
Cole gripped the black phone in his hand, gazing at the screen. It must've been some game, he mused. Her sky blue jersey was streaked with grass stains and dirt smudged her cheek. She was blonde like Caitlin. For some reason, he always pictured her having dark hair. When he imagined her being his daughter. But, Olivia was right. She resembled Gregory. He tapped the screen over her face and the photo instantly zoomed in.
There it was.
That smile. He remembered seeing it on Gregory's face in the family photo Caitlin showed him all those years ago in Grand-Mère's apartment. Evy wore it now to celebrate her team's win.
She wasn't his daughter.
She wasn't.
Olivia watched as he put her phone on the table and slowly pushed it across. "I see," he said quietly.
She lay her palm over her phone and pulled it back to her. Perhaps she should have told him ten years ago when she realized the truth. But, she was selfish. She had been so relieved when the allergy results unknowingly confirmed Evy's paternity. She though only of herself and what it meant for her youngest child and her husband. She never considered that Cole would have continued to wonder for all these years.
She severely underestimated the depth of his feelings.
Cole heard himself exhale as she said, "I'm sorry. I should have found some way to tell you-"
"It doesn't matter." He heard the strain in his voice. Judging by the way she flinched, she did too. "Congratulations. Everything worked out exactly as you wished."
She nodded slightly and looked back out the window. He didn't want to be here any longer. He wanted to go back to his room. He wanted to call Marie-Hélène's parents in Chamonix and wake them from a sound sleep. He wanted them to put the phone next to his sleeping son. He had a sudden urge to hear the sound of Teddy's breathing and the occasional way he murmured in his sleep.
"I've taken up enough of your time."
Olivia glanced up as he stood, looking bewildered. "Cole?" He looked down at her, his face blank. "I am sorry."
"Yes." The single syllable echoed in the swell between them. He frowned, his eyes full of longing, and reminded her of the twenty-something she bedded thirteen years ago. Then, he turned on his heel and walked away. She exhaled deeply and slumped in the chair.
Next to her, the window pane moaned against the blustery gusts. She squinted out at the darkness, a chill racing down her spine as she heard the shrieking wind. On the table, her phone began to chime and vibrate as a call came in. She reached for it, grateful for the distraction, as she answered Gregory's call. "Darling?"
"It's me, Mom!"
She smiled and stood, holding the phone to her ear. "Daddy was very good about sending me updates during the game."
"Yeah, he said he would. Did you see the picture?"
Her ballet flats were quiet on the marble floor as she walked out of the restaurant and over to the bank of elevators. "I did," she lied. It wasn't a lie that would last for very long. As she turned the corner, she saw Cole waiting for the elevator. "And, you scored the winning goal?" she asked quietly as he turned. Blessedly, the elevator doors opened at the same moment and he stood back, gesturing her in first.
"Yeah!" Olivia reached out and pressed the fifth button as Cole pressed the seventh one. She held the phone closer to her ear, as if that would somehow diminish the sound of her daughter's excitement. Standing next to her in the enclosed space of the elevator, he was surely able to hear everything. Perhaps this was the moment the shrieking wind had been foreshadowing. The three of them together – in a way. "Their defense was super good! They were ALL over me! One of their center backs got thrown out of the game after she pulled my jersey and punched me in the side!"
Her eyes met Cole's in the reflection of the closed doors. "But, you're alright?" she murmured. He watched her closely, his arms folded tight against his chest. She asked the question of her daughter, but it was his reply she waited to hear.
"Oh yeah!" Evy exclaimed as he nodded slightly. She turned to him, listening as her daughter continued, "I paid them back when I knocked a header right past their sorry excuse for a goalie!"
He glanced over, an amused smirk on his face. She shrugged helplessly, knowing her daughter craved the thrill of victory. Yet another trait she inherited from Gregory. The elevator slowed to a stop as she reached out, her hand brushing against his arm. This would be the last time they would ever see each other. She knew that with every fiber of her being. "That's my girl," she said softly.
Cole reached up, his own hand covering hers for the briefest of moments. "Goodbye," he said in a barely a whisper.
"Goodbye," she mouthed as she gently pulled her hand back.
"Helloooo? Mom? Are you there?"
"I am," she reassured her daughter as she stepped off the elevator without looking back. "Sorry, darling. What are you and Daddy doing now?"
"Hang on." She listened as she heard a click, followed by the unmistakable sound that came with the call being placed on speaker. "Can you hear us, Mom?"
"I can."
Olivia smiled as she walked down the hallway, listening as she heard her daughter say, "Daddy is taking me to Fruit Bar!"
She slipped her key card into the room's lock as she heard Gregory say, "Smoothies for dinner when Mom is away."
She rolled her eyes as she closed the door and tossed the key card on the coffee table. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," she teased as she kicked off her shoes. With a sigh, she curled up in the overstuffed armchair next to the crackling fireplace. "Just remember, darling, Evy and I eat samosas and chicken tikka masala every night when you're away." He detested Indian food with a passion.
He chuckled. "Whatever makes you happy, Liv."
She smiled quietly and tucked her feet beneath her. "This does," she sighed as she gazed into the fire. "I miss you both."
"We miss you too, Mom!" She closed her eyes, a content smile on her face.
Cole leaned against the door jamb and rapped on the door of his suite. Several moments later, he heard the lock click and the door opened slightly. He sighed and pushed it open, stepping into the dim hotel room. By the time he got to the bedroom, Marie-Hélène was already climbing back into the bed. "Are you still feeling off?" she asked as she turned her back to him and pulled the sheets up to her chin.
He kicked off his loafers and raised his arms, pulling off his navy sweater. "I don't think so," he whispered as he crawled into the bed. He pressed his chest against her back as he leaned up, kissing her neck.
She glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes narrowed. "You were a real asshole at dinner," she sniffed, gently elbowing him away.
He wrapped his arms around her as he whispered in her ear, "I'll make it up to you at dessert." Softly, he kissed his way up her neck as he continued, "And, for the digestif. And, for the midnight snack." She chuckled and turned onto her back, her rosebud mouth curled into a smirk.
He smiled back at her, brushing her dark hair away from her face. "Would your parents be mad if we called them?" he asked.
"Now?" she gasped.
"I want to make sure Teddy is alright," he whispered.
"Of course he is! He's probably asleep and-" She broke off abruptly, watching him for a long moment. Could she see the longing on his face? The gratefulness for her and their son? The finality of putting Olivia behind him for good? That years of painfully wondering about Olivia's daughter had been obliterated in seconds? She sighed deeply as she cupped his face. "Ok," she replied finally.
He pushed himself up as she sat up, bunching up the pillows behind her back. "Hey."
She looked up, confusion rippling through her expression. "What?"
"I love you."
She smiled back, sending a warm current through him. "I love you too."
A/N: The title is inspired by the song "California Dreamin'" (written John Phillips and Michelle Phillips).