In the Line of Duty
"Kyle, it's just security work, I'll be fine." Oliver assured his husband.
"No matter how many times you say that, I do and I will always worry about you. Plus,
Sierra's coming home from the academy this weekend."
2022-Sierra's senior year of high school.
It was the night that Sierra and her fathers were having "the talk"-about her future.
Colleges, majors and (perspective) careers. Kyle had cooked Sierra's favorite dinner,
Blackened chicken pasta with her other favorite dishes, salad and green bean casserole as
sides.
"hey." Oliver said walking through the door jingling his keys in his hand.
"hey handsome." Kyle checked the oven clock. 4:00pm "you're home early." Kyle felt
Oliver wrap his arms around his waist and kiss his neck.
"If you keep that up, dinner will burn and Sierra's due home from the library in an hour"
"You remember what we used to do when we were supposed to be "studying in the
library", Oliver?" Kyle asked seductively.
"Kyle!"
"You're no fun!"
Oliver looked at the clock. "Kyle, its 4:45, you need to get dinner finished and on the
table. There's 15 minutes before Sierra gets home!"
By 5:00, dinner was plated and on the table. Everyone was seated, and unbeknownst to
everyone, they were about to get news that was going to shock them to their cores.
"So, Si, have you decided on college?" Kyle asked his daughter.
"I'm going to LU"
"What about your major?" Oliver asked.
Sierra pushed her food around her plate.
"Si?"
"Sierra…"
"We have a right to know young lady! We're paying your tuition…" Kyle said.
"Actually…" the door opened. "you're not, we are.."
Hearing the man's voice made everyone turn around.
"What are you doing here?" Oliver stood up.
"I just wanted to make it up…"
"Make up for what? Treating your son horribly for all these years through our daughter?"
Kyle stood up next to Oliver.
"Dad, Papa, please…Grandpa's trying to say sorry for everything he's done." Sierra
pleaded with her parents.
"Sierra Rose, your grandfather wouldn't know the meaning of the word even if it bit him
in the ass!" Kyle ripped the napkin off his lap, threw it on the table and walked away.
"Kyle…" Oliver ripped the napkin off his lap, threw it on the table, mouthed "sorry" and
chased after his husband who was in their bedroom.
"From the beginning! From the beginning, Oliver! You were dead set against having your
parents near our daughter! What the hell changed your mind? Sierra has Roxy! If you
were dead set on having her know her "biological grandparents", we could find Liam and
Diane Morasco. Remember them? The deserve to know her as well!"
"They're dead, Kyle!" Oliver said sitting beside Kyle on the bed.
"Yeah, so says Gigi. Sierra doesn't even know about them!"
"I know my father is a bigoted asshole." Oliver lowered his voice. "I know that, believe
me! He's Sierra's grandfather and he loves her.." Oliver took Kyle's hand in his, but
Kyle pulled away.
"Why are you on his side, Oliver?"
"I'm not! I'm just saying it's not about us!"
"Oh, it is!"
"No.. Kyle, it's not! It's about my father doing something nice for his grand daughter!"
"He's trying to redeem himself, and as far as I'm concerned, there is not, nor will there
ever be, redemption for George Fish-Sierra's grandfather or not" said Kyle.
George knocked on the door frame. "We can hear you fighting from the kitchen, and if
you don't mind continuing that later, Sierra Rose would like to finish the conversation
she was having with her…" George inhaled and exhaled a breath and smiled a little.
"fathers."
Oliver looked at Kyle. "What? It wouldn't be the first time the door was open!"
George walked away as Kyle continued to stare at Oliver. "No, did you hear him? He said
fathers." Kyle smiled.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he did." Oliver smiled. "We did good." he kissed his husband. "Our
baby girl is about to start college in a few months. I wonder who she's gonna take after?"
"Lets hope it's not her mom!" Kyle laughed.
Oliver playfully hit him in the chest. "Well, there's only one way to find out."
"Sorry about that, Sierra. Everything's okay now." Oliver said walking out of the bedroom holding Kyle's hand. They broke apart so they could each take their seats but
Kyle stayed standing.
"Dessert anyone?"
Oliver and Sierra nodded "yes."
"Detective Fish?"
"Yes, please."
"Be right back. Oliver could you assist me please?"
"I'd be happy too. Excuse us."
A few minutes later, they emerged with homemade desserts in hand. Sierra's favorites,
chocolate cake and pumpkin pie as well as peanut butter cookies and a peach crumb
cobbler. They put everything on the table and passed knives, forks, and plates around.
"I'll get the coffee." offered George.
"I'll do it.." Kyle got up.
"No, sit. Relax. Enjoy dessert. You've been in the kitchen all day." George said.
When everyone had everything they needed, Sierra began to speak as she looked at her
fathers.
"You know I love and admire you both very much. I want you both to know that I've
thought about this for a long time, and I've read the curriculum more than once so I know
what I'm getting myself into, but before I get into that, I have other news, that, depending
on how you look at it, may or may not upset you…"
With that, there was a knock on the door.
'I'll git that.." Kyle said, getting up and opening the door.
"Hi Kyle!"
"Barbara, hi!" Kyle hugged her. "It's great to see you ag'in."
"You too, Kyle." they pulled apart. "Sorry, I couldn't join George, I'm in the middle of
the semester at Iowa state, so getting a professor to fill in can be difficult." Barbara told
everyone as she walked over to her son and grand daughter and hugged them both. "but
when George told me his idea of coming for a visit, I couldn't say no." Barbara sat down,
pouring herself a cup of coffee and cutting a slice of cake.
"Sierra, you were saying…" said George.
Sierra looked at everyone as she continued.
'I went to the courthouse yesterday and petitioned to have my name changed…well, not
changed, just altered." announced Sierra.
"I don't understand…" Barbara said.
"Let the girl finish, Barb." said George.
"I petitioned the court to have my name changed to Sierra Rose Lewis."
The room fell silent. Sierra looked from her father to her Papa unable to read them.
"Oliver, are you okay?" Barbara asked her son as she noticed he was blinking back tears.
"I'm sorry, I just don't understand. Papa and I both raised you. Why would you want to
completely erase my name?" Oliver asked Sierra.
"She said she had other news, Oliver…" Kyle said taking his husbands hand.
"I don't think there's anything she could say that can take away this pain. Why does she
want to completely erase me from her life?"
Sierra got up and went to her room. A few minutes later, she came back with a folded
piece of paper in her hand.
"What's that Sierra?"
"My college papers." Sierra handed them to Oliver.
"Why are you giving me these? You obviously no longer want me in your life."
Sierra took them, opened them and read them to Oliver. "Intended major: criminal
justice." Sierra took Olivers hand. "Dad, do you really think the LPD can handle two
"Officer Fish's? It's bound to get confusing." Sierra broke into a smile and Barbara
started to silently cry. "I declared criminal justice because I want to take after you, Daddy.
I want to be a police officer."
Oliver hugged his daughter.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I knew I wanted to be a police officer from the first day you took me to the
station with you as a little girl. Are you okay about me dropping your name?"
"You're right, it will get confusing, so yes. Did you ask Papa about taking his?"
"I'm honored." Kyle hugged his daughter.
Years later, Oliver was promoted to commissioner when John McBain was killed in the
line of duty.
THE END