Chapter 1
The sudden, piercing ringing disrupted the quiet house, rousing its sleeping occupants from their deep slumber.
Neal disentangled himself from his wife's warm body, feeling the cool sheet against his skin as he turned in bed, intent on silencing the persistently offensive noise. His eyes were drawn to the glowing bedside clock and he grumbled; who the hell would be calling at 2:30 in the morning?
'Hello?' he mumbled into the phone as Sara stirred next to him.
'What?' he said, sitting up and getting his bearings. He felt his heart thumping madly in his chest, his brain still foggy as his body reluctantly went from a blissful state of sleep to harsh, brutal wakefulness.
'Give me the address' he groused as the light by the bed came on and he grabbed for a pen.
Sara squinted in the unwelcome brightness, suddenly wide awake; this couldn't be good news and her first thought was of her mother-in-law whose health had been on the decline as of late.
'I'll be right there' she heard Neal say, swearing under his breath.
She felt the chilly night air brush against her skin as he threw the blankets off and climbed out of bed, rummaging around the bedroom for something to wear. She watched, her vision still blurry, as he poked around the laundry hamper, coming up with a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and slipping them on as he grumbled.
'Jesus Christ!' he howled as his toe collided with the unyielding metal bed frame. He let out a couple more colourful expletives as he hopped around the bedroom on one foot, rubbing his injured toe as he went.
'I swear I'm going to kill her' she heard him mumble.
The fog finally lifted and Sara slowly came to the realization that she wasn't dreaming after all.
'What's going on?' she asked, voice still raw with sleep.
'What do you think is going on?' he grumbled, taking his mounting anger out on his poor, unsuspecting wife. 'Your foster daughter is at it again.'
Sara barely had time to react before Neal recovered and hobbled out of their bedroom, walking straight into Liam who was standing there in the hallway outside his room looking bleary-eyed in boxers and a t-shirt, hand scratching listlessly at his crotch.
'What's the matter?' he asked his dad.
'Caitlin!' Neal grumbled, his eyes full of fury. 'She's dead drunk at some party…'
He moved towards the stairs as Liam called out after him. 'Wait! Dad! I'll come with you, just give me a minute to throw something on.'
'Hurry up!' Neal called back over his shoulder, already halfway down the stairs.
Sara was up, grabbing for her robe on the bedside chair. She was hovering in the hallway right outside the bedroom when Liam reappeared, hair disheveled but fully dressed.
'Don't let him kill her' she urged her son, only half joking as the young man jogged down the stairs to catch up to his old man.
Neal had already thrown on his coat and was scrounging around the usual spots for the car keys when Liam appeared, slipping into a pair of well worn sneakers and grabbing for his jacket.
He heard the familiar jangling of the keys and turned to face his dad, noticing the tightness in his face and the shallow, halting sound of his breathing.
Neal opened the door and the nasty north wind blew in, sending a shiver down Liam's back.
'Let's go' Neal said.
WCWCWC
The frost on the windshield slowly began to melt away against the warmth of the car's heater on what was undoubtedly one of the coldest nights of the year. There was dead silence except for the rhythmic sound of the wipers as they swayed back and forth hypnotically, snow magically reappearing after each swipe of the blades. Liam knew better than to ask too many questions when his dad got himself this worked up; a rare occurrence for the usually cool, calm and collected Neal Caffrey and yet not completely unprecedented when it came to dealing with the antics of one Caitlin Somersby.
Christmas had been busy with Liam back from his first semester at university, Emily visiting from Chicago and Hope in and out of the house, to say nothing of the fact that Neal's mom had spent a few days in hospital right before the holidays. Luckily, the June Ellington School of Art was closed over the holidays and things had been rather slow at the gallery, freeing Neal up to spend some quality time with family and friends while juggling his filial responsibilities and the many social obligations of the season.
Not surprisingly, as Linda's health had begun to deteriorate, Caitlin had begun to spiral, reverting to her old ways, partying, lying, sneaking around and just plain misbehaving and it appeared that Neal's patience had just about run out.
'What is it this time?' Liam asked, shivering in the seat next to his dad.
The wipers continued their monotonous cadence, brushing away the falling snow as fast as it fell.
'Jenna called and said Caitlin passed out at a party at her place' Neal explained, navigating the quiet snow covered streets.
'Jenna?' Liam repeated, recognizing the name. 'Jenna Moore?'
'Yeah, why?'
'She's bad news, Dad. She's a real party girl… she was always getting into trouble at school. Word is she deals drugs.'
Neal glanced at his son and exhaled loudly, his steely eyes shining with anger. 'For crying out loud, what is it with Caitlin lately?' he asked rhetorically. 'She was doing so well up until a few months ago.'
'You mean right around the time Grandma started getting really sick' the younger Caffrey reminded him.
Neal sighed. 'I suppose.'
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the direct link between the two seemingly unrelated developments. When September had rolled around, Caitlin had remained uncertain about her choice of major and Neal and Sara had agreed to give her a year off before starting university - as long as she agreed to bump up her hours at the Blue Skies Day Care Centre where she'd been employed part time for the past couple of years.
Liam, on the other hand, had been eager to take the plunge and with the basketball scholarship he'd gotten from Syracuse, he'd been ready to leave the nest and move upstate. But Caitlin seemed to lack direction, unsure about her future and with some expanded hours of work at the day care centre as well as a few hours at a local coffee shop, Neal and Sara had been satisfied that she was acting responsibly while she pondered her future - a future they had worked hard to ensure would be a successful one.
But shortly before Christmas, Linda Bennett had landed in hospital with pneumonia and this unforeseen event had thrown Caitlin into a tailspin, heralding the return of some rather disturbing behaviour patterns the Caffreys had dared to hope their foster daughter had left behind.
'It's coming up here on the right' Liam said as his dad slowed the car, and gave his son a look of consternation, wondering how he knew where Jenna's house was located.
'I picked her up here once before' Liam explained in response to the unasked question.
The closer they got, the more obvious it became which house was hosting the rollicking party. Three patrol cars, complete with flashing lights, were parked directly in front of the last house on the block from which music blared despite the late hour. Several kids were hanging around outside the front door, smoking, the smell of weed immediately discernible the moment Neal opened the car door and prepared to step out.
An officer stood like a sentinel at the front door, seemingly directing traffic as kids came and went, undeterred by the police presence. Liam followed his dad directly into the chaos and as they arrived on the front stoop, the ear splitting music stopped suddenly followed by shouts of disappointment from the partygoers.
'Can I help you, sir?' the uniformed man asked Neal as he and Liam stood there, shivering on the front porch of the house.
'I believe my daughter is in there' Neal said, none too proudly.
'We're making some arrests' the officer informed them as Neal glanced over at Liam with a look of worry.
'On what charges, officer?' Neal asked.
'Some drug related charges, public disturbance… disorderly conduct. What's your daughter's name?'
'Caitlin, Caitlin Somersby' Neal said, peeking over the man's shoulder, trying, as best he could, to get a glimpse inside the house.
'All right, Mr. Somersby' the officer said, pointing to another uniformed officer who was roaming around inside, 'Go talk to that officer over there and see if your daughter is one of the kids being charged.'
Neal didn't bother to correct the man as to his name and he stepped inside with Liam following close behind. The place looked like a war zone, bottles and cans littering the floor and kids lying around drunk or high, oblivious to the fact the place had just been raided. Neal and Liam sidestepped one of the officers who stood between two disorderly young men, trying to keep them from beating the crap out of each other and they glanced around the open space, noting that Caitlin was nowhere to be seen.
'There she is!' Liam called out, pointing to a redhead nearby. 'That's Jenna.'
The two men made their way over to the young woman who stood arguing with another uniformed officer about the bust - from the determined look on her face, this didn't appear to be her first rodeo. She stood, bickering with the police officer who towered over her small frame, her finger wagging in his face in defiance as he attempted to reason with her.
Neal took a deep breath and without hesitation, he stepped in between them and without bothering to introduce himself, he insinuated himself into their conversation.
'Where's Caitlin?' he asked, his voice loud, in order to be heard over the buzz of confusion surrounding them.
The young woman looked Neal up and down and frowned, seemingly forgetting that she had called him in the first place. She noticed Liam lurking behind him and recognizing him, she smiled flirtatiously, her eyes sparkling, the result of a lot of partying.
'I remember you' she said her voice slightly slurred as she touched Liam's arm. 'White Plains High, right?'
Liam smiled back and nodded, all in an effort to get the woman to cooperate.
'That's right' he said, as Neal stepped aside to let his son handle things. 'We're here to pick up Caitlin Somersby.'
The woman's expression changed from flirty to disappointed. 'Is she your girlfriend?' she asked with a frown.
Liam shrugged and gave her a shy smile, unwilling to give her chapter and verse about how Caitlin Somersby was the furthest thing from his girlfriend, how he didn't swing that way anyway and how she would be the absolute last person on earth he would ever be interested in even if he did like kissing girls instead of strapping young men. Jenna gave him one last loopy smile and pointed listlessly in the direction of a dark corner of the large living room where Caitlin was sprawled out on one of the couches, passed out and drooling unbecomingly.
The sound of his heartbeat drummed in his ears as Neal got his first glimpse of Caitlin, looking like some common junkie, a far cry from the young woman he knew and loved. He and Liam made their way over to where she lay listlessly, Neal teetering between concern for her wellbeing and just plain, outright fury at finding his foster daughter in such a pitiful state. She wasn't some wayward sixteen-year-old anymore and she knew better than to carry on and let herself get so wasted.
He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest as he approached her, stepping over a couple of girls who were making out, oblivious to the pandemonium surrounding them; a real shit show all around.
'Caitlin! Caitlin!' Neal called out over the confusion as he stood looming over her inert body. He leaned in and gave her a couple of slaps on the cheek in an effort to bring her out of her stupor. 'Come on, open your eyes.'
He turned to look at Liam. 'Try to find out if she took any pills or… anything else' he directed as Liam glanced over towards the hostess who was still looking in his direction; her eyes lingering on Liam's jeans clad butt.
He took a few tentative steps in her direction while Neal continued to try to rouse his foster daughter, shaking her vigorously as she moaned in response.
'Mr C?' Caitlin slurred as she opened her eyes halfway and saw Neal staring down at her. 'What are you doing here?'
'Did you take any drugs?' he asked her, trying to evaluate if she needed medical attention or just the cold shoulder followed by a stern lecture.
Sleeping off a night of drinking was one thing but Neal knew all too well that there were countless substances out there for which an overdose would require some sort of immediate intervention; perhaps a good, painful stomach pumping would be just the thing to bring her to her senses. He was furious but there was no way Caitlin was checking out on his watch - or without him first having the chance to properly chew her out.
'What?' she muttered, her eyes unfocussed. 'No… no drugs…'
Neal was helping her get to her feet, holding onto her to keep her from doing an inelegant face plant when Liam reappeared, grabbing Caitlin by the other arm in order to help her stay vertical. Neal spotted her coat and purse on a nearby chair and grabbed them with one hand as he continued to hold his foster daughter with the other.
'Well?' Neal asked.
'She says Caitlin did a bunch of jello shots and smoked some pot, no other drugs' Liam declared, although it was difficult to know for sure if the report was credible.
The few police officers lingering nearby had their hands full trying to re-establish order to the chaotic situation and it seemed like a good time to slip out. Neal gave a head nod towards the front door and he and Liam proceeded to drag Caitlin's dead weight in that direction, intent on getting out of there before the police had time to ask any questions.
'Let's get her out of here' Neal said as they began to drag her out, stepping over some broken furniture and a couple of passed out kids.
The men in blue didn't try to stop them, no doubt relieved to have one less unruly teenager to deal with and Neal and Liam all but carried Caitlin out to the car, dumping her in the back seat as she moaned incoherently.
'Keep an eye on her' Neal instructed as Liam stepped into the back seat with her. 'Make sure she doesn't choke on her own vomit.'
He got behind the wheel as Liam settled in next to Caitlin, the young woman totally oblivious to her surroundings. Except for the occasional moans coming from the back seat, the ride back to their quiet Prospect Park neighbourhood was carried out in silence. Liam knew better than to try to make small talk when his dad was this angry. Instead, he just kept his eyes on Caitlin and shook his head in disbelief; as far as he was concerned, she was more trouble than she was worth.
Ever since Caitlin Somersby had come into their lives, there'd been nothing but drama and chaos in the otherwise orderly Caffrey home and Liam hated the messed up teen for all the worry and heartache she was causing his parents. The decision to take her in, made over four years earlier, had seemed innocuous enough; she needed a place to stay and the Caffreys were her last hope, her last chance at a better life. Liam and Hope had been willing to go along with the plan but Liam had watched with sadness as Caitlin took advantage of his mom and dad at every turn, stringing them along, playing them for fools while they gave her one opportunity after another to redeem herself.
He had to admit that before he'd gone away to university, he'd begun to notice some improvements in the way she behaved; mostly since Linda Bennett had relocated to the Blue Skies Nursing Home in nearby New Rochelle. For some reason no one had yet been able to explain - or had seen coming - the elderly woman and the wayward teen had instantly bonded and Caitlin had been eager to do right by her surrogate grandmother. When Neal had hit a rough patch following Hope's horrible car accident, Caitlin had risen to the occasion and Liam had been relieved to see that she'd finally been toeing the line. But since he'd come home for Christmas break, she'd reverted to behaviour he hadn't seen since her early years with the Caffrey family: lying, drinking, sleeping around and not respecting the rules Neal and Sara had set out for her.
His gaze moved to look in the rear view mirror, seeing his dad's steely blue eyes staring out at the snow covered road ahead. He worried about his old man; he wasn't getting any younger and all Liam ever wanted was for his dad to be happy… and proud of his kids, all his kids.
WCWCWC
'That was so much fun' Hope said as she followed Cam into his apartment and took off her shoes, throwing them in a corner of the living room with a sigh of relief. 'I hadn't seen those guys is ages.'
Cam threw the car keys onto the small table by the door and turned towards his fiancée, her hair and make-up mussed after a night of dancing and partying. His arms were instantly around her waist as he pulled her in to him and kissed her with fervour.
He lived for the weekends when Hope usually crashed over at his place. He couldn't wait for her to move out of her parents' house for good so they could finally settle down and get a place of their own. In the meantime, they were saving up the money they were making at their jobs so they could finally get married and move into a nicer place, somewhere in Brooklyn. They had begun to scope out neighbourhoods and had their eye on apartments in the Bay Ridge area; hopefully, they would find a decent place before long and they could move on with their lives.
Cam continued with the enthusiastic groping and Hope's hands moved up and down her boyfriend's back, caressing him, her small frame dwarfed by his tall, lanky body. It didn't take long for him to start manoeuvring her towards the bedroom, Hope following willingly and in an attempt to move things along, he lifted her off the ground and proceeded to carry her into the bedroom but not before he hit his shoulder punishingly against the door jamb, cursing loudly in her ear.
'Cam, it's two thirty…' she complained half heartedly. 'We can make out in the morning before we go over to my folks.'
They hit the bed, the springs creaking in protest under their combined weight and he moved his hands to the zipper of her dress, eager to get her naked.
'Don't want to wait' he murmured as his lips moved from her lips to her neck and down towards her breasts. 'Been looking at you all night in that sexy outfit and now it's time to get you out of it.'
Hope chuckled, amused by his unbridled enthusiasm. It had taken a long time for her to get her confidence back in the bedroom but the last six months had been great in that department, especially now that all but one of her reconstructive surgeries were behind her.
She heard the sound of the zipper and momentarily felt the cool night air on her back. In a flash, Cameron had positioned her on her back, covering her body with his own, his mouth moving steadily to roam to any and all parts of her body he could get at.
'You looked beautiful tonight, babe' he cooed, taking a moment to gaze into her eyes in the moonlit room.
And for a change, she believed him.
WCWCWC
'Oh, shit!' Liam called out from the back seat. 'Pull over, Dad. She's gonna throw up.'
Neal stared ahead, trying to navigate to a spot where he could safely pull over. Traffic was light at this hour, especially on the weekend between Christmas and New Years but it took a moment to bring the car to a complete stop, alas, too late. He heard the familiar sound of retching coming from the back seat and more colourful language from his son as he tried as best he could to deal with the unfortunate situation.
The car had barely come to a complete stop when Neal heard the car door open and another loud heaving sound as Caitlin leaned out and emptied the rest of the contents of her stomach by the side of the road. He climbed out of the front seat and moved to help Liam so they could minimize the mess in the back seat - but it was too late and he felt his own stomach lurch at the foul odour.
'Damn it, Caitlin!' he shouted as she looked up at him, bleary-eyed.
After a couple more feeble attempts, her body gave out and she seemed to pass out again as Liam struggled with getting her settled once again in the back seat of the car. Neal swore under his breath - a litany this time, the likes of which Liam had seldom been witness to. His father was one of the most patient people he'd ever met; he was kind and soft-spoken, rarely losing his temper and always willing to lend a helping hand - often to his detriment.
Liam knew better than to add fuel to the fire by complaining; the truth was, he just couldn't understand why his parents still hadn't given up on the messed up young woman. He watched his dad climb back into the front seat of the car and despite the cold night air, they both cranked down their windows in the hopes of counteracting the disgusting smells emanating from the back. Luckily, they were almost home and they rode in silence, Caitlin moaning as she floated between drunken stupor and brief bouts of consciousness.
Neal took a few deep breaths, the chill from the outside air hitting his nostrils and providing temporary relief from the stench in the car. He was livid and he reminded himself to keep breathing; losing it wasn't going to help resolve the situation. He was at his wits end and he wondered, not for the first time, if it was time for him and Sara to cut Caitlin loose.
There was an awful lot happening in their lives these days. Although he seemed to be adjusting well, Liam was still young, just shy of nineteen, and he still needed his parents' support in order to navigate life as a college freshman in a strange new city. Hope, on the other hand, was still struggling with the vestiges of her horrific experience, facing one last surgery before finally being able to turn the page and look ahead to her future. She was still in speech therapy for heavens sake and Neal had begun to suspect that she and Cameron had secretly settled on a wedding date and were just waiting for the right moment to spring it on him and Sara. When they'd all been together at Christmas, the young couple had announced that they were planning a visit upstate to visit Cam's parents in a few weeks - a sure sign something was up.
As if that wasn't enough, the doctor had read Neal the riot act during his last medical check-up. After a few years of coping with borderline hypertension by using relaxation techniques and sticking to a good healthy diet, Neal's blood pressure had recently gone through the roof. For the past few weeks, he'd been struggling with finding the right type of medication as side effects such as headaches, dizziness and insomnia continued to plague him.
To top it off, Linda's latest health challenges had left her hanging on by a thread and for a while there before Christmas, it had been touch and go. Since her move to New York, her health had continued to deteriorate to such an extent that she was now bedridden and Neal was growing increasingly worried, fearing the end might be near for the woman with whom he'd just recently reunited.
Meanwhile, there was Caitlin. Sucking the life out him. Maybe it was time to finally let go.
The unbidden image of a tumbler of fine scotch flittered through his mind; he imagined bringing the glass up to his lips, its comforting aroma as he took a deep breath, the cool sensation in his mouth as the amber liquid lingered on his tongue, the coolness morphing into warmth as it passed his throat and entered his gullet and finally that glow as it finally hit his stomach, leaving him feeling relaxed and serene.
He blinked, shaking the pesky thought away as they entered their quiet neighbourhood and Neal looked around at the many brightly lit homes welcoming them back home.
As he got closer, he noticed that the lights were still on at 4788 Meadowbrook Street and that could only mean one thing: Sara was up and waiting.
TBC