Dexter's Metamorphosis
Chapter Four
"Daddy's Tummy and Wedding Bells"
Dexter and Rita waved goodbye as he walked out to go home. The Miami heat and high humidity were starting early today. The sky was blue with a few clouds scattered about as Dexter drove to his apartment. He drove with his windows down to feel the hot air and listen to the sounds of the city. His Dark Passenger was aroused and let Dexter know by making him feel the urge to fill the void. He needed to go on the hunt, he felt the urge rise up inside. Dexter needed this, he thought, it was time again. He also felt the urge to be with Rita and his little baby growing in her tummy. This last urge overwhelmed him for an instant making him take a short deep breath as if he had been startled. What was happening?
The first thing he did when he walked into his apartment was go to the air conditioner and pull out his slide collection. He felt comforted by this normally as he opened the case and ran his fingers across the slides. It seemed for the first time that he felt something different. His mind had other things now to deal with. That was it! His urge to fill the void was not the all consuming single most important item now for him. A substitute, something else that was important to Dexter had made its way inside. It was uninvited but it was there. He didn't ask for this but yet he wanted it. He knew he would keep on wanting it, he knew it.
Dexter thought about Rita, the kids, and the baby. His initial interest in Rita was to have a girlfriend to appear normal. Over time his attraction to Rita had become more than just a façade. His interest in her had grown into something bigger; actually a true relationship had developed based on each of their needs.
His was to have a person to turn to outside of work and be with between his nightly journeys. He had come to enjoy, in his own way, his time with her and the kids. She was there for him and this was comforting, like his slides at times. He became more aware of this as time went on and his need for Rita in his life was becoming stronger. Then the news about the baby and his reaction, feeling a connection the way he had with his heart racing. This was all new to him but it was there and had taken over a part of him that wanted this and would not let go.
Hers was to have a stable boyfriend in her life that was not demanding or demeaning in anyway. She needed this to help with her healing process, to get past Paul and all of the problems he had caused her and the kids. She needed stability and understanding. She needed to feel safe and protected. Dexter gave her all of this. This beginning had grown for Rita, also, into something much larger, true love for Dexter. Then the baby and Dexter's connection to the baby; he had stepped forward to support her and the baby plus Astor and Cody. She was truly grateful for the new direction her life was heading.
His Dark Passenger went into a rage letting Dexter know there would be nothing else inside to share him with. Dexter's head felt a jolt of pain that made him feel faint enough to sit down on the floor and cup his head in his hands. He sat there rocking back and forth with his eyes shut, as the pain kept throbbing in his head for several minutes as the Dark Passenger did its' best to teach Dexter a lesson, don't change anything! He didn't know it then but he had just experienced his first encounter with his conscience which had just awakened from a 30 plus year hiatus; gone since he was 3 years old. Dexter's new feelings that were emerging for Rita, the kids, and the baby had set off an internal struggle that he was just becoming aware of. His conscience was waking up and starting to deal with the opposing forces inside of Dexter. This struggle would get worse, as Dexter would painfully learn the hard way.
After the pain subsided enough for him to feel stable enough to stand, he got up slowly, walking into the kitchen to make some coffee hoping that would make him feel better. "What had just happened" he thought. Man oh man. He shook it off and drank some freshly brewed coffee as he sat there in the kitchen calming down. After he felt strong enough he called Deb.
Deb answered her cell phone in a straight forward monotone voice, "Morgan here." Dexter thought maybe she was on duty so he asked "Are you available to talk?"
Deb responded, "Dexter, you must have the wrong fucking number, this is your sister, Deb. Remember me? The one that you never talk to, asshole!"
Dexter grinned and responded "Oh. I thought I was calling Lundy. I wanted to get some advice on how to talk to my sister, but I can't remember her name."
Deb barked "Fuck you! What's up?" as she grinned.
Dexter continued, "I need to get together with you as soon as we can, maybe for lunch. There's something I need to tell you, in person. When can we get together?"
"Lunch will be good. Meet me at the bar across from the station in about an hour. If you have to tell me something in person I may need a flicking drink!" Deb replied and smiled. She hung up and sat at her desk thinking, what is all the fucking mystery about? Did Rita break up with his stupid ass again? Shit!
Dexter changed his shirt and freshened up a bit, then took off to meet Deb. He arrived first and got a booth in the back. He ordered coffee out of habit and two waters. The bar maid gave him an odd look but went on about her business as Dexter just shrugged and smiled. A few minutes later Deb walked in and slid into the booth. The bar maid came back with the three drinks and asked Deb what she wanted.
She said "I'll have the same as him." So the bar maid brought her a cup of coffee and two glasses of water. Dexter and Deb looked at each other and tried not to laugh while the bar maid was still in hearing range.
"Ok Dex, what's so fucking important that you had to haul my ass out of work to hear straight from your mouth?"
Dexter knew that once he told Deb the whole world would know. She was not one to harbor good news. She was very outspoken and Dexter knew she would tell everyone at work as soon as she could! "Here goes," he thought. He looked at Deb, very serious, head down a bit, looking at her, and said, "I'm pregnant." It had slipped off his tongue before he could catch it and knew immediately that was exactly what Deb would tell everyone. He would never live this one down.
Deb started to laugh so loudly that everyone in the bar turned to see what the commotion was about. Dexter gave everyone a short wave and shook his head as Deb laughed until she couldn't catch her breath. She finally gained enough control to ask "Okay. Please tell me who your fucking daddy is!" as she started to laugh again. Dexter had to smile and was at Deb's mercy until she could stop laughing.
She got it together after a bit and with a more serious tone asked, "Is Rita the father?" She almost went into hysterics at this point and Dexter wondered why God had invented humor.
After she calmed down and got her breath back, she said" Dexter, this is why I love you the way I do. You know that, don't you?" She didn't wait for an answer, "Congratulations! How far along is Rita?"
Dexter honestly didn't know. "About two months, maybe, not really sure." As he gave Deb one of his puzzled looks. "Rita just told me last night. She went to the doctor and had it confirmed before she told me. Looks like I'm going to be a dad!" He was grinning now and looked as happy as Deb had ever seen him. Deb thought that her brother might be human after all. He was even talking to her for real.
Deb got out her cell phone and called Rita. Dexter was just starting to see that he was third on the list here, first was the little one, a very close second was Rita, and a distant third was the "Dear old dad to be."
The Dark Passenger was angry with everything that was happening that would move Dexter away from their way of life. It needed to fill the void over and over again and Dexter had been there for it all of these years doing its' bidding, until now. The Dark Passenger was ready to fight back and let Dexter know that filling the void was the only way for them both to survive. Nothing else was acceptable. It would fight to the death if necessary.
Dexter went into work Monday morning as usual but he knew it wouldn't be the usual. He hoped maybe Deb would be late and at least he would have a chance to get into his little office and close the door, but not today. As he stepped out of the elevator he saw the banner that had been hung over the doors leading into the pit.
"Dexter is Pregnant and proud of it!"
The banner had pictures of little babies dressed in pink all over it. Pink! "Oh God," he thought, it's just getting started. He walked across the hall and into the pit when Angel walked up.
Angel stuck out his right hand and grabbed Dexter's and shook it as his other hand went up onto Dexter's shoulder. Angel looked Dex in the eye and gave him his patented man to man expression and said, "Bro, I'm so proud of you, you lucky bastard. I wish I could have been the first, but no, it's you. Numero uno. The first Dad Mom." Angel couldn't keep a straight face any longer and started to laugh. Dexter smiled and thought "I've lived my whole life to have it come to this, Dad Mom. Oh God."
Masuka walked up before Dexter could take a step and leaned towards Dexter to have a little privacy and asked "Dude, tell me how you did it and I can set up a web site and we can make millions!" Masuka laughed and walked away looking around with a big smile on his face.
Lt. LaGuerta was standing in her office door and asked Dexter ever so sweetly, "Can you come in here, sweetie, I have some forms you need to fill out for your maternity leave." She smiled as Dexter walked on by with a slight grin as he looked down shaking his head trying to hurry without looking too obvious.
When he walked into his office he found a package of maternity underwear laying on his chair, marked "His or Hers." On his desk was a Pink maternity dress with yellow flowers all over it marked "For the man that has everything." Oh God. He had to laugh when he found the feminine wipes with a note that said "Use as needed, to wipe your ? Dad Mom."
And Deb wasn't even there yet. What next?
A moment later Deb opened Dexter's office door without knocking and stepped in. Dexter looked up, at first surprised, then shot her the look, frowning with his head tilted to one side with his eyebrows raised a bit; nodding first to her, then to the door, then back to her. She had broken the 'Rule,' again.
She grinned and said, "Fuck you, come out here for a minute." She led Dexter back out into the pit that he had just escaped from. There was Rita wearing one of his shirts! Angel stepped into Dexter's office and picked up the maternity dress and went to Dex. Masuka had his camera out and everyone gathered for Dexter's Dad Mom pictures. Angel helped Dex put on the maternity dress as everyone laughed.
For once in his life Dexter was not in the background just blending in. He was smiling and didn't fear for the moment that someone would look into his eyes and just see the emptiness. He felt good, happy in fact, all new feelings that were as much of a surprise to him as his reaction to the news about the baby had been.
Rita was so excited by all of the attention for her and Dexter that she couldn't stop smiling. This was truly a happy and defining moment for the both of them. She had waited for this for so long and here it was. They were being accepted and treated as a loving couple, with a happy future that everyone wanted for them. It was so right. Her heart was so full of love at that moment for Dexter and their little baby that she thought her heart might explode.
They positioned Dex and Rita side by side and started taking pictures. They looked surprised for one picture, kissing for another, pointing to Dex's tummy in one, Rita kissing Dex on the cheek with her hand on his tummy in another. They got a bunch of group shots with the crew, some with Deb and Dex, and Rita and Deb. Dexter was having fun. He felt it. He liked it and wanted more. Dexter was truly in the moment just like everyone else. He thought about that again, "just like everyone else."
His head received another painful jolt that seemed to start at the base of his skull and travel around to his forehead, then to his temples. His vision blurred and he became faint and unsteady on his feet. He grabbed onto Rita's arm for a moment as she turned to look at his ashen face, with startled concern, then he passed out and headed toward the floor.
Angel grabbed Dex on the way down and broke his fall a little, but not enough to keep Dex from ending up with a big knot on his forehead. Dex started to come out of his fainting spell almost immediately to be greeted by the worst headache he had ever had. As Dex lay there for a moment he looked around to get his bearings and saw all of the familiar but troubled faces looking down at him. Rita was crying and was being held by Deb as they both watched Dex wake up and grimace.
Rita went down on her knees by Dexter as she put one hand on his head and the other on his chest to feel his heart and asked him, "Are you okay?" She still had tears in her eyes with a look of concern that made Dexter worry about her! She was the one that was really pregnant and here he was the one on the floor that had passed out.
Dexter smiled past his throbbing headache and asked Rita, "Are you okay?" He went on, "I'm fine. My head hurts though," as he looked at Rita and crossed his eyes and made a funny face. He wanted Rita to be okay and not worry about him. Everyone felt relief as Dex showed signs of being his own goofy self again.
Rita replied with great relief, "Yes! Now I am." And leaned over and kissed Dexter lovingly on his cheek.
As Dexter sat up Angel asked him, "Is Dad Mom having some sympathy pains in his little head and tummy?" as he laughed along with the rest of the group.
Masuka couldn't hold back and told Dexter, "Don't move, maybe we can get a shot of you going into labor!" as he grinned from ear to ear.
Deb made a crack to Masuka, "Jesus Christ, Masuka, you never stop, you will use any excuse you can to get a woman to spread her legs!" as the group went into hysterics, once again at Dexter's expense.
Dexter and Rita made eye contact at this point and without a word being spoken they acknowledged their commitment to each other with their loving and caring expressions. This moment between them was not lost by everyone there as they all looked on and felt the loving connection between Dexter and Rita.
Four weeks later after a lot of planning, their wedding day had finally arrived. Dexter was more than ready. This was their day to become one, a united couple, to get married! He hoped one of his headaches wouldn't start up again. He hadn't passed out from his reoccurring headaches, his migraines, since that day when Deb had set up the photo shoot at the department along with all of the other gags. He wanted this day to be perfect. Today was the day. "Man oh man," he thought. Angel was his best man. Dear old dad was there to give away the bride. Cody and Astor were behaving like little angels, which made Dex think "What have they planned for later?" Everyone from work and Motel Z were there, all dressed up and looking good.
Dexter had moved in with Rita and the kid's right after the big event at work where he had been nicknamed the Dad Mom, DM for short, sometimes pronounced as "Damn," or as "Mad Damn" by his co-workers. They never let an opportunity go by where they could add a comment. When he turned in a report he would get, "You misspelled your name, Morgan, shouldn't it be Mad Damn Dexter Morgan?" Or when he would walk in with a cup of hot coffee in the morning someone would say, "Coffee, tea, or DAMN!" usually followed by a wink and a cat whistle.
This was something new to Dexter along with the baby and his commitment to Rita. He had actually moved in with her! He had to store his special tools and his slide collection. All of these changes in his life had been piled one on top of the other leading up to the wedding, today. He was having feelings now and the Dark Passenger was still trying to stop everything that was happening. It wanted Dexter to return to his former unfeeling self where they could hunt and kill whenever they wanted even though it was restricted by Harry's code.
Dexter was painfully aware of the internal struggle but had been doing everything he could do to suppress it. He had his headaches and was at odds with his other urges, old familiar urges that would tear him away from his new path. He was exerting his willpower to fight off the Dark Passenger and it had become emotionally and physically draining. He was using every fiber of his body today to keep himself up for the wedding. Dexter was not going to allow the urge to fill the void to get in the way today, no matter what.
Rita was waiting in the dressing room with Deb, Maria, and Susan, from the motel. She was standing in front of the mirror looking at her reflection. Her wedding dress was floor length, bellowing out a bit from the waist down; snug but not too snug around the middle with her shoulders and all of her arms covered by soft satin material and a lot of pretty lace. Her hair was perfect, her makeup complete. She felt and looked like the prettiest bride ever. Her love for Dexter made this day so very special. She wanted the ceremony to start!
She had been nervously talking to the other ladies about how she and Dexter had first met then having a relationship build over time with Dexter being so supportive in the beginning by not demanding anything from her. Just being there for her, listening and caring, letting her heal at her own pace. Then over time she opened up more and more to him while he let her take the lead, with him there by her side, every step of the way.
Rita told Deb, "I have loved your brother for long time, Deb. He is such a wonderful man, so good, so warm. God, I love him!" as she made her hands into fists pumping the air with short jabs of joy as she smiled, then laughed with love in her voice.
Rita went on, "He asked if he could move in with me, did you know that? After all of my hints and urging over months, that felt more like years, he finally just said, "What do you think about me moving in? I think it's the right time.", "Like he thought of it all on his own!"
Rita looked at Deb with a smirk, "I wanted to punch him right there on the spot but I just looked at him and said, I think that's a good idea, Dexter," as I hugged him so hard he asked me to lighten up!" All of the ladies laughed knowing exactly what she meant. Men had to be led to the well but they had to feel it was their own idea to get a drink of water. They were happy for Rita and Dexter, this was their day.
CJ knocked on the door for Rita and the ladies to come out. It was time. Everyone took their places as dad and his lovely daughter waited at the foot of the aisle. The wedding song started. Rita saw Dexter waiting at the base of the steps leading up to their spot on the pulpit in front of the Pastor. Their wedding party was there. Cody was the ring bearer and Astor was the flower girl. The men all wore black tuxedos with white shirts and bow ties. The ladies were wearing Ivory colored dresses, which matched the color of her gown, all floor length as hers was.
The light coming in from the stained glass windows added colors that splashed about all over the interior of the church. The lighting from the beautiful chandeliers highlighted the wood beams and the high arched ceiling and lit the interior decor perfectly. Rita's vision of their perfect wedding was before her. She was glowing inside and out with happiness.
They walked down the aisle to her husband to be. When they arrived, CJ proudly turned to his little girl, all grown up and so beautiful.
The pastor asked "Who gives this bride away?"
Dear old dad proudly stated for the world to hear, "I do, her Father."
Rita took her spot next to Dexter and could feel his warmth as their hands touched.
The ceremony went ahead flawlessly, perfectly. Pictures, videos, and all that were there captured the wedding for Mr. and Mrs. Dexter and Rita Morgan.
Continue on to chapter five