Authors Notes: Chapter One of the final installment, R&R :
Disclaimer: Owns nothing.
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Ever since she was born, Ally had Michael's eyes, those deep pools always shadowing complex thoughts, even though she was only five. She had gotten my hair for the most part, except a tad darker, and Michael's devotion to everyone that she loved, constantly looking out for others, especially Tara. They had grown closer than most sisters ever did, even though they were only cousins. They'll be starting school soon, and I honestly don't think I'm ready for it. I'm already imagining it's going to be an emotional breakdown from hell, I'll be completely lost. I've ben trying to prepare myself for it, tell myself that it's inevitable, but the breakdown threatens to come early whenever I think about it, so I try to stay busy, enjoy it while it lasts. Whenever I saw her and Michael together, it was almost too much to take, my eyes would well up with tears every time. They shared a bond that I'd never known existed. She had his shyness for the most part, but when she said something, she put it tremendously blunt, there weren't any gray areas for what she said. I loved it, though, how she spoke exactly what was on her mind when she wanted to. She bottles things up, just like him, but I keep hoping it's just a phase that she'll grow out of, even though I know she probably won't.
"Mom! Look at me!" I'd had my elbows propped up on the kitchen counter, spacing off until Ally started yanking on the hem of my shirt.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"Look at me, I dressed myself!" She was wearing a skirt/short set over a pair of overalls and a white t-shirt, and I couldn't help but laugh at her.
"I see that. Where's your Uncle Linc?"
"Sh, he's napping on the couch again, come on." She took my hand in hers and drug me along through the kitchen into the living room and sure enough, Lincoln was fast asleep.
"Honey," I whispered, crouching down beside her. "What'd you do to Uncle Linc?"
"Daddy had to go to work so I couldn't put make-up on him, but I knew Uncle Linc wouldn't mind." She beamed an "I'm so innocent" smile at me, her eyes twinkling.
"Did you ask him first?"
"I tried to, Mommy, but he didn't wanna wake up."
"Where's Tara and Veronica?"
"I dunno," she shrugged, walking off towards her bedroom, leaving me alone with Lincoln. I grabbed a pillow from under his feet and threw it at him, causing him to shoot off the couch.
"Don't you have your own couch to sleep on, Lincoln?"
"I, uh, no?"
"Where's Veronica?"
"She took Tara to the park or something. Maybe it was the beach, I dunno."
"You're about as helpful as Ally."
"Yeah, where is that little squirt anyway? Ally!" She came running out of her room, now equipped with a sombrero Sucre had sent her.
"Yes, Uncle Linc?" She asked sweetly.
"Gimme a hug, kid, I gotta get going."
"Aw, but I didn't get to finish your make-over."
"What make-over?"
"Uh, Lincoln, go look in a mirror," I said, covering my mouth with my hand, trying to contain my laugh. He walked down the hallway and admired himself in the bathroom mirror.
"Whoa, I look ten years younger, your Aunt Veronica won't even recognize me."
"I don't think she'd recognize you anyway, you're always over here sleeping on my couch," she said hotly, with special emphasis on the "my".
"First of all, I'm not always here, Miss Alexis. And secondly, I don't sleep, I rest." He was trying to dig himself out of the hole, and Ally let him off easy.
"I don't care, Uncle Linc, you can 'rest' on my couch whenever you want. Now give me my hug!" He lifted her up and she wrapped her arms around him, planting a big, wet kiss right on his forehead before hopping down and taking off.
"Your daughter's a lunatic, Sara."
"Only because she grew up around yours," I said with a wink, walking him to the door. "So are you guys coming by when Michael gets off work?"
"As far as I know. Take it easy."
I walked over to the couch, straightening it up a bit, and then grabbed my purse.
"Ally, do you want to go see Daddy?" I called across the house, grabbing my keys off the table at the sound of her feet thudding on the carpet.
"Yes!" She was jumping up and down, smiling ear to ear.
"Okay, come on," I said, taking her hand in mine like she'd done earlier. I'd just opened the door and saw Veronica, her hand posied, ready to knock, her eyes red rimmed. "What's wrong, V?" I asked, my face contorted with concern. "Uh, Ally, you and Tara go play in your room for a few minutes, okay? I'll call you when it's time to go see Daddy." I let go of her hand and watched the two of them run off before urging Veronica over to the couch. "Sit down, sweetie, what is it?"
"Lincoln's been having an affair, Sara." She started crying and my mind filled up with confusion.
"What do you mean? When would he even have time for an affair? He's either at work, at home, or over here sleeping on the couch."
"I don't know, but he is. Tara and me got home from the park and his cell phone was ringing, so I answered it without thinking. She asked for Lincoln, said she was his girlfriend. By that time, I was just angry, so I asked her how long, and she said for the past three months. What am I gonna do, Sara?" I was at a loss for words, so I just pulled her to me and let her cry on my shoulder as I worked out my thoughts.
"Have you talked to him about it?"
"No, I, I can't. You don't know how hard it is for me to even think about him with another woman, much less talk about it, to him of all people."
"I know, honey, but you're going to have to do it. You can't just not let him know why you're upset with him."
"He cheated on me, Sara! He fucked another woman while I was taking care of our baby!" She pushed away from me and wiped her eyes furiously, crossing her arms. "I don't have to tell him a damn thing." I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, trying to tell myself that her anger was making her stubborn.
"What are you going to do then?"
"I'm kicking him ouy, or me and the kids are leaving, one way or another."
"Come on, Veronica, don't do that. I know, I know, what he did was beyond wrong, but you two have a beautiful family. Just...try to keep that in mind, okay? For Tara?"
"She'd be better off without him. He can still see them, though. That's it. Just, uh, don't tell anyone about any of this, okay? I'm sorry, I gotta go," she said, standing up and calling for Tara. They left me standing in the living room in a confused stupor, Ally looking up at me with concern.
"What's wrong, Mommy?"
"Uh, nothing," I said, shaking the cobwebs from my mind. "Ready to go?"
"I guess." She sounded almost depressed, as if she knew I was keeping something from her, and it made me think of the disappointment that was in my father's voice on more than one occasion. Her expression seemed to change in a heartbeat when she saw Michael, though, her eyes getting huge as she ran and jumped into his arms.
"How's my big girl doing?" He asked, kissing her forehead.
"Fine. What are you doing, Daddy?"
"Getting ready to close up the shop and go home so we can have our big dinner."
"Oh." The depression was back.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" She looked over at me, then back at him, motioning him to turn his back on me. He threw me a questioning glance and I shrugged, so he turned around.
"Something's going on and I don't think Mommy wants me to know," I heard her whisper, close to tears.
"Want me to talk to her for you?"
"Yeah," she said with a sniffle, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
"Okay, go play in the back for a second."
"Okay, Daddy." She hopped down and took off again, leaving me and Michael alone.
"What's going on, Sara?" I tried holding his gaze, but his eyes were burning a hole through me, even though they held nothing but concern.
"I, nothing," I muttered, looking at the ground.
"Sara..."
"Veronica doesn't want me to tell anyone, Michael."
"Tell anyone what?"
"I can't tell you!" I whispered loudly, gritting my teeth together, wanting to tell him so badly.
"Is it a surprise?"
"Oh, it'll be a surprise," I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
"Do I even want to know?"
"Yes and no. I'm sorry, Michael, but she doesn't want me telling anyone." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him, his chin resting on top of my head, his hand running smoothly down my back.
"Don't apologize, Sara. I was doing just fine without knowing whatever it is, I'm sure I can continue doing just fine." I let out a weak laugh against his chest and reluctantly pulled away.
"What are you going to tell Ally?" She burst back through the door just then, cutting our conversation short.
"Improvising, I guess," he said, scooping his daughter up again.
"What's wrong with her, Daddy?"
"She's uh, she's just sad that you have to start school soon, sweetie."
"Why?"
"Because you've spent nearly every day with her for the past five years, now she's--,"
"No, why do I have to start school? Why can't I just stay home with Mommy forever? I don't ever want her to be sad."
"Well, you have to go to school to make new friends, and to learn new things."
"Tara's my friend, and you and Mommy can teach me whatever you want." It broke my heart to hear her logic, to know that Michael would have to tell her no.
"We'll figure something out, okay Allycat?" He knew this was a losing battle for him, but he gave her his sweetest smile anyway.
"Okay, Daddy. Can we go home now?"
"Sure thing. You two go wait in the car, I'll lock up and meet you out there," he said, putting her down.
"Come on, sweetie, let's go get you buckled up and everything." The drive home was short and restless, for me at least, tension seeming to hang over the car, keeping me nervous and on edge. The feeling only got worse when we pulled into the driveway and saw Veronica give Lincoln one final shove out the door, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, obsceneties flying out of his mouth at a mile a minute. Since I knew what was going on, I rolled up the power windows as quick as I could and told Michael to keep Ally entertained. I didn't give him a chance to argue or question me, I just bailed out of the car and ran across the lawn.
"Can you believe this shit, Sara?" He shouted, slamming his fist against the door, his eyes filled with a rage I'd never witnessed before. "She has the fucking nerve to think she can keep MY son, well she's got another thing comin'."
"Calm down, Lincoln, it's going to be okay, okay?"
"Can I use your phone? V fuckin' threw mine out the back door, I don't know where it is."
"Uh, yeah," I said hesitantly, pulling it out of my purse. "Can you try to be a little more quiet, though? Ally's in the car, and she already thinks something's wrong."
"Something IS wrong," he said, turning away and waiting for the call to connect. I sighed and jogged back over to the car, telling Michael to take Ally inside, let her play for a bit.
"Why's Uncle Linc standing outside with that backpack, Mommy?"
"He's uh, he's going camping," I said quickly, my cheeks burning red.
"Can I go?"
"Uncle Linc needs some grown up time, honey, okay?"
"Okay," she said, her voice sounding disappointed again, like she knew I was keeping secrets. Once they were inside, I went back over to Lincoln and caught the end of his conversation, him telling LJ to get over to mine and Michael's house. He absentmindedly handed me the phone, his eyes looking like a myriad of thoughts were racing through his mind.
"Mike," he said over my should, "Can me and LJ crash here for the night? We'll be gone first thing in the morning."
"What, you plan on disappearing again?"
"So what if I am?"
"What about Tara?"
"What about her?"
"You're not even going to fight for her? For your own daughter?" Their voices were quickly rising with anger, their faces inches apart, and I knew this was a fight I needed to stay out of.
"I don't need this shit from you, or from anyone, I'm out of here."
"Do you plan on abandoning her, like you abandoned LJ when he needed you the most?"
And that's when I saw Lincoln draw back and launch his fist at Michael's face, connecting with the side of his chin, sending him to the ground, and filling my chest with a panic attack.