Law and Family Relations, a cape fanfic

"Law and Family Relations"

By: Wtchcool

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Cape," Slow Club's song, or anything else you recognize here.

"How about Romeo and Juliet?" Dana Faraday asked, holding up a DVD. The Cape shook his head.

"A movie that ends with two newlyweds committing suicide-" because one didn't know that the other had faked her death-"pass." If he wanted to feel guilty about his secret, he'd talk to Trip. (The fifteen-year-old had discovered his secret a couple of weeks ago.) His son was quite adamant that it wasn't right for The Cape to date Dana without revealing his secret identity. Trip probably had a point. Not that Vince had set out to court his wife as Palm City's vigilante. It just sort of happened…

Flashback

"Wait!" Dana called after The Cape. He had just seen her safely home and was already poised to leap off the rooftop.

One of the members of Tarot had thrown the Palm City Public Defender's Office into chaos in the afternoon. (What did he say his name was; Hammer? They didn't know who had sent him, but she was willing to bet that Orwell would be doing his best to lay the blame at Fleming's feet.) Apparently, the assassin was targeting the attorney handling Raoul's appeal, but Dana was caught in the middle of the craziness. Then The Cape showed up and saved her. He was making a habit of that. Speaking of habits…

"Why won't you look at me? Do you think I don't notice the way you always pull your hood up and turn away whenever I'm around?"

"Uh, no-"

"Do you find me so repulsive that you can't stand looking at my face?"

"Mrs. Faraday-"

"And why are you still calling me 'Mrs. Faraday'? I think you've known me long enough to call me Dana. You're deliberately trying to remain aloof and I don't know why and it's driving me crazy. Obviously the attraction isn't mutual since you can't stand to remain in my presence-" The Cape stopped her babbling with a kiss. It was the first time the vigilante had kissed her, the first time anyone had kissed her like that since before her husband had passed away. Dana wanted it to last forever, but the crime fighter finally pulled back.

"Believe me, the attraction is mutual," he rasped. "It always has been." Dana blinked.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that? The only time I ever see you is when you're saving my life or on the news. Every time you come to see Trip you leave before I can speak to you. Why have you been avoiding me?"

"Vince and I were close." The Cape measured his words carefully. "What would Vince think of me if I tried to seduce his wife?"

"I think," Dana paused. "No, I know Vince would want me to be happy. I loved him; heck, I still do. But he's been gone for over five years. I don't think he would fault me for moving on." Were those tears in The Cape's eyes?

"I don't know. Vince could get pretty jealous. Not that I blame him; I wouldn't like the thought of you with another man, either." As he spoke, his head bent closer to Dana's and she finally closed the gap between them. Only this time, their kiss was interrupted by a horrified shout.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Vince sighed. Trip had impeccable timing.

End Flashback

That had been a few nights ago. Now, here they were in the Faraday apartment, as if they were a normal couple trying to settle on a movie to watch and failing miserably.

"The Count of Monte Cristo?"* The Cape's left eye twitched.

"I don't think so."

Dana put the DVD back and went back to rummaging through her collection. She picked up another and held it out for inspection.

"Fool's Gold?" Vince frowned; a vague memory of going to the movies with Dana years ago surfaced.

"Isn't the husband left for dead while his wife has their divorced finalized?"

"You've seen it?" Dana looked surprised.

"Yes, I think once was enough."

"How about The Good Wife?"

"What's that about?"

"It's a legal drama." Dana often didn't have time to watch it during the week, so she would catch-up by getting the DVDs.

"You don't get enough of that at work?" Dana ignored his interruption.

"In the beginning of the series, the State's Attorney is sent to prison on corruption charges. He's later acquitted, but in the meantime his wife, Alicia, goes back to work as an attorney to support herself and the children-"

"You don't say? Let me guess, she waits for him to come home after his name is cleared?"

"Yes and no… She does wait for him to come home after the charges are dropped…"

"But?"

"But she winds up throwing him out of the house and starting an affair with her boss."

"Maybe we should just forget about the DVDs." The last thing Vince needed was to picture Dana with Travis Hall. He'd learned years ago that it was best to avoid the green-eyed monster…

Flashback

Vince snuck into the back of the classroom where the moot court team was practicing. After Dana's less-than-stellar Law School Admission Test score (153-not bad considering it was her first time and she hadn't had the time to take a class to prepare for it), she enrolled in the University of Franklin School of Law. Actually, the University of Franklin was probably the best choice for her. It was affordable and it was nearby, so they wouldn't have to move. On top of that, Dana always raved about her professors, though Vince had never met one before. He watched as Dana was interrupted by the mock judge.

"And what's your authority for that?" Dana's mouth opened and closed.

"My authority? Uh, just a second…" she shuffled through her notes.

"Sometime today, counselor," the judge prodded, though there was the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Yes, Your Honor. Here it is! It's a decision issued by the Franklin Supreme Court in 1999..."

Vince tuned out the rest as he took a closer look at the judge. He was tall, with dark hair and brown eyes framed by a pair of glasses. He wasn't wearing a jacket, but he did have a green tie to match the dress shirt he wore. Perhaps he was a third-year student on the moot court team? He looked rather young to be a professor. Vince glanced at the students in the audience. Some of them were watching Dana's performance, but more than a few females were gazing at the man grilling her. Vince's eyes narrowed as he began wondering just why there were so many people that tried out for the moot court team at this school.

He came out of his thoughts as Dana came up to him, the practice session apparently over for today.

"Vince! I wasn't expecting you. Where's Trip?"

"He's still at the day care center. I thought we'd pick him up together."

Yet another benefit of attending the University of Franklin was that there was a free day care center on the law school campus so that students with children could drop the little ones off while they attended classes. On the days that Vince had to go into work, Dana would often leave the toddler there. She tried to visit him in between classes, but still felt frustrated that she couldn't spend more time with her son. Oh, how she looked forward to having her law school days behind her!

"Hey, Dana: who was the guy playing the judge?" Vince asked as they walked down the hallway.

"You mean Professor Kirchner?"

"Dana, I've told you to call me 'Jack.' Everyone else does." Vince turned around. "You must be Dana's husband." Dana made the introductions as they shook hands.

"Jack, this is my husband, Vince. Vince, this is Jack Kirchner."

"Kirchner; you're teaching Dana criminal procedure?"

"That's right. I hope to see Dana in the criminal defense clinic next year. Nice to meet you, Vince. Dana, I'll see you Friday."

"What's on Friday?" Vince asked as they continued towards the day care center. Dana didn't have any classes on Fridays this semester.

"The moot court team is having a match on Friday."

"Isn't Friday the 14th?"

"I don't know, wh- oh no. No, don't say it!"

"Friday's Valentine's Day! Dana, how could you forget Valentine's Day?"

"I'm a law school student, that's how! Look, Vince, I'm sorry. We'll celebrate afterwards. Okay?" Vince just nodded as they reached the day care center.

VDVDVDVDVDVDVDVDVD

Later, after Trip had been tucked in, Dana was in the middle of one of her casebooks.

"Hey, I'm trying to study for a quiz we're going to have in Family Law. Want to help me?" She gestured to a set of flashcards strewn on the table. Vince picked one up at random.

"Define constructive abandonment." Dana did and they went through a few more cards before Vince rounded on her.

"Jack is your crim pro professor?" Dana shrugged.

"He's right; most students at the law school do call the professors by their first names."

"Doesn't he seem a little young for a professor?"

"Well, I guess he looks good for his age. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I saw the way some of your classmates were ogling him-"

"Oh, that. Yeah, some of the girls have crushes on Jack."

"Are you one of them?"

"What?" Dana's eyes widened. "You're jealous!"

"You didn't answer the question. Do you find him attractive?"

"I can't believe you're jealous!"

"Dana…"

"Okay, maybe he's a little attractive in a nerdy sort of way. That doesn't mean you should be jealous."

"Doesn't it?"

"Vince, you idiot! Don't be ridiculous. He's my professor! You're my husband. You're the man that I love."

"And yet you forgot Valentine's Day."

"Vince." Vince recognized that tone; it meant one more word and he was sleeping on the couch.

"I guess I was being a bit silly."

"More than a bit. Besides," Dana smirked, "Jack's too old for me."

End Flashback

"Fine, we won't watch a DVD. So what are we going to do? It's not like we can go out to the movies," Dana pointed out.

"I have an idea." Vince pushed the coffee table to the side so they'd have some room, before turning on the radio. (He resisted using the cape to do it; that would just be showing off. Besides, he might accidentally break the radio that way.)

"Let's dance." The Cape wrapped his arms around Dana as a song started playing.

"It's okay to have scars.

They will make you who you are.

It's okay to have fear,

As long as you're not scared of coming here.

And in the middle of the night, just call if you wanna talk,

'cause you know that I wanna talk, too.

It's not bad of you to think of what might go wrong,

But you can't blame me for secretly hoping that I'll prove you wrong.

It's okay that I pray that you will miss your flight

And have to stay with me another night.

…

When we're out in the market and out on the streets,

I've got a pocketful of problems and a pocketful of seeds,

Hoping something good might grow out of this mistletoe

And I won't have to erase your memory.

I like the way that our arguments stop when we fall asleep

And the way that your body feels when it's wrapped around me

And I'd like it if you made it to mine by Christmas Eve,

So you can hold me

And we'll watch Christmas TV.

And it's brutal; it's brutal; why can't you see?

It's brutal; it's brutal; where have you been?

'Cause we're far apart and my lonely heart

Finds it hard to get through the night.

You pull me out of the dark and now it's light.

So come on home.

Just come on home.

Just come on home…"

Vince sighed. He had hoped that by now he'd have been able to go home to his family. He had to stay positive. Eventually, his life would return to normal. In the meantime, this was as close as he would get to being home.

"I love you, Dana," The Cape revealed, before kissing her softly.

"…Just come on home.

Just come on home.

Just come on home…"

THE END

*Aw, but wouldn't it have been perfect for them to watch The Count of Monte Cristo, specifically the version starring James Frain? No? Maybe I do have a sick sense of humor.

(Yes, "Chuck" fans, that was the song that played during Ellie & Awesome's wedding.)

As you may have noticed, this fic is pre- "Son of The Cape."

I know this fic is Dana/Vince (which I still love), but if any readers are also open to Peter/Vince, a.k.a. Pence, please check out my current fic, "Black Bird; Green Arrow."