"Out" – Part 7

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! FYI, this is the penultimate chapter of this story!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi! (Though that would be awesome...)


7-

The morning progressed quickly and Adam found himself in need of food. He grabbed his jacket and headed down the row. He wasn't sure where he was going yet. He figured he would decide once he got outside.

"Hey Adam," Katie said to him. He paused. "I was about grab lunch too. Mind if I tag along?"

Adam blinked surprised. He wasn't sure how lunch would go, but he was delighted that Katie seemed no different than she did yesterday. "Sure," he told her. As they walked to the elevator he asked, "Anywhere in particular?"

She shook her head. "I'm easy. All I want is something quick."

Adam thought about it. "How about that sandwich place around the corner?" he suggested.

Her face lit up. "I'm sold!"

While they were waiting on line Katie got quiet. Adam could tell she wanted to say something, but didn't press the matter.

Katie fidgeted. "I looked you up on Google the other day," she finally confessed. She grimaced at her words and hoped he wouldn't be mad.

Adam looked at her amused. He was expecting this, every since he mentioned who his father-in-law was. "See anything interesting?" he teased.

She looked at him surprised. "You're not mad? I mean, I know it's kind of rude…"

Adam heartily laughed. "My wife is a socialite. If I was upset every time someone snapped a picture or wrote an article about us, I would walk around angry 24/7."

Katie smiled. After a moment she spoke. "Yesterday I was really surprised by what you said. I had no idea and I was puzzled as to why you even brought it up… But now I understand."

"I'm not hiding who I am. Even if I tried, it would eventually come out at some point," he told her. A simple web search for Fiona's name yielded countless articles that identified him as her transgendered boyfriend or husband.

She quickly nodded. "Yeah, I know." She watched as he placed an order for a roast beef sandwich. She followed suit and ordered a turkey sandwich.

They walked over to the side and waited for their food.

"You're wife is very pretty," Katie told him.

Adam smiled broadly. "Thanks."

"So, you guys got married in the South of France?" she asked, steering the conversation towards lighter fare. She had read about it online. "Why there?" She supposed rich folks could get married anywhere, but she was curious if there was some significance behind it.

Adam nodded. "Yes. We decided to do a destination wedding. We flew in our nearest and dearest for a long weekend. The wedding party stayed for the full week," he revealed.

"Wow! That's amazing," she commented.

He grinned. "In the first year Fiona and I dated, I stayed with her family during the summer. At the end all of us went on a trip to Europe. The first stop was Italy and it was incredible. Next we went to the South of France. I loved it! Fiona and I had a wonderful time. On the last day her dad commissioned a professional photographer to take family photos. There was this one shot with the four of them – she was in the frame with her parents and brother. Then her dad motioned for me to join them. For years the first photo was displayed on the mantle at their home. The day after we got engaged, her dad replaced it with the version I was in." Adam paused. "France holds good memories. It reminds me of the first time I really felt like part of her family, so we both agreed there was no place better for us to formally become joined."

Katie was moved by his words. "That's just… I'm happy for you guys."

Adam smiled.

-oOo-

As he and Katie walked over to their usual table, Adam felt a little apprehensive. Katie was accepting and Brandon also seemed to be yesterday evening, but he wasn't sure how he would be received by the others. Already seated were John, Shelley, Natalie, Eric, and Jose. They all looked up.

"Hey guys," Katie said brightly. She took an empty seat next to Eric.

"Hey," Adam greeted everyone. He found an open seat across from her. On his right was Jose.

"What did you guys get?" Jose asked them.

Adam and Katie smiled.

"I got my usual turkey," she revealed.

"Ooh, very fancy!" Eric joked.

"And I got roast beef," Adam stated.

"Tell me you got mustard on it! Roast beef and mayonnaise don't go together," Brandon commented as he placed his lunch on the table. He took a seat next to Adam.

"Of course. Why would you ever doubt it?" Adam quipped.

They laughed.

"So, did your wife drag you to that show?" Brandon asked as he opened his container of food. He had brought back sushi.

Adam sighed. "You know, it wasn't that bad." Brandon gave him a look. "She really liked it and we went out for dinner later. All in all, it was a pretty good night."

"You had a date night?" Jose surmised.

Adam laughed. "Yeah, an impromptu one," he affirmed.

"I met his wife yesterday, when I was leaving work," Brandon told the group.

"Oh really? What's she like?" Shelley asked curiously.

Brandon looked at Adam. "Pictures don't do her justice," he smiled. "She's really great and the two of them managed to warm my cold, cynical heart," he deadpanned.

"Wow, you got Brandon to admit he has a heart!" Eric joked. He and Shelley high-fived as everyone laughed.

Natalie looked at Adam. She still couldn't believe he was married to a Coyne. She vaguely remembered last year there was a bit of talk about an unusual marriage but she hadn't put two and two together until he revealed his transgendered status. It was weird knowing her co-worker was the subject of gossip rags. He seemed like an ordinary guy. He was kind and pleasant to be around. She felt bad that his business was out there and commented on.

He glanced at her and she looked away guiltily. Thanks to the internet, she now knew way more about him then she should! As a result, she wasn't sure how to act around him.

Adam sighed. He could tell Natalie seemed a little uncomfortable. 'You can't win over everyone,' he reminded himself.

"So, Adam, what kind of show was it?" Katie asked.

"It was a musical about factory workers set in to 1920s," he responded. He took a bite of his sandwich.

"And are you a fan of musicals?" John grinned.

Adam shook his head. "Not particularly," he said dryly.

John laughed. "My wife has dragged me to see Mama Mia five times! I feel your pain!"

Shelley rolled her eyes. "Like you guys don't have any interests that bore women to tears," she retorted. Katie and Natalie nodded in solidarity.

"Is this turning into some men versus women thing?" Eric asked. He knew he had a ton of interests that his girlfriend could care less about. He was a huge fan of comic books and video games, whereas she preferred reading classic literature and painting.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Apparently so, which is quite ironic," he deadpanned.

The table was quiet for a moment before they all burst into laughter.

Brandon and John shared a look conveying, 'Did he really just say that?' Any lingering tension at the table faded away.

.

tbc


A/N: Next chapter is the last! It's short, but resolves this story nicely!

Reviews are cool :D


Thanks for the review AAe! I'm glad that line made you laugh! Personally I love musicals! The three I've seen are RENT (twice!), Memphis, and the Phantom of the Opera. All were very good but RENT holds a special place in my heart! I know almost all the lyrics to the soundtrack :D (I drove my roommates crazy with singing it all the time back in college, lol) I couldn't pick a favorite song from it if I tried!