"They're everywhere Joey? And I mean everywhere…long lenses the whole nine. "She muttered shooting a dirty look at the clusters of cameras loitering about.
"I know they're parked outside your house too. Got mobbed when I went back for the clothes Luke wanted."
"How're we going to get him out of here?" she backs away from the window and clutches the phone to her ear. "Hang up Joe don't drive and talk."
"Blue tooth's in. We'll figure it out."
"I'm going to see if John has a plan. He's used to this." She turns back from the hallway and walks back into Luca's room.
Sounds good...move fucker! Stupid people. Douchebag hit his breaks to take my picture, turning into the lot now! Be up in a second."
"John, how are we supposed get him out?" Cam asked balancing to sit on the footboard.
He glanced up at her from the chair that had been her bed for the better part of a "Good diversion's half the battle Cam." He answers as she gracefully keeps her balance on the tiny space.
"Are you part bird?" John teases.
"Ex cheerleader." John looks at her in surprise how'd he not know that.
Luca had been transferred back to children's post-surgery to recover John had been released days earlier and they wait for Luca's papers to be drawn up again. Luca walks around the hospital telling all of his friends and doctors good bye. Nikki trails him telling him to slow down every five minutes.
"How much time before we go?" John asked fiddling with his phone.
"Thirty minutes tops." She answers staring at the two boxes on the bedside table that held everything important to Luca while here.
"I'll get a couple more decoy cars here." She nods still lost in her thoughts.
"Bubba I got your clothes." Joe yells to Luca. "And slow down!" He sits the bag of clothes on the foot of the bed. "Hey babe." Joe kissed her.
His lips landing on hers knocks her from her reverie. "John has a plan."
"Glad one of us does because I was going to punch people." He grins at her and her nerves ease up. As happy as she is too be leaving this place behind she's scared for the future.
"Alright, two more are coming. You're going home and I'm heading to a condo not far that Nikki and I are renting for a couple of weeks until the heat on all this dies down. She'll have to go back to work and so will Joe."
"Okay, I have to re-enroll Luke in school and get back to work myself." She murmurs mostly to herself switching gears getting to her feet.
"Why don't we all get Luke settled in at home then John and Nikki can come by and we can work out a plan." Joe suggested.
"Sounds great." She said hopefully.
"How'd you do that?" Nikki asked Joe as Luca dutifully picked up his clothes to get dressed. "He stopped dead in the hallway."
"It's all about inflection with Luca you use a certain tone he falls in line." He ruffles the boy's hair as he hurries past.
"Hi Joey!"
"Hey Big Man."
"I'm just glad he wants to run around again." Cam said as he shuts himself in the bathroom.
Minutes later he exits the bathroom in jeans a white see shirt and a blue plaid button down with the sleeves rolled up. "I want to walk out Mom."
"Okay but if you get tired…."
"Use the chair I know." He says impatiently.
Luca lasted to the end of the hall and needed his chair. They wheeled Luca towards the underground parking structure where three blacked out SUV's were waiting alongside Joe's truck.
"I hope this is the last time we see this place for a while." Cam said while holding Joe's hand even the parking lot made nerves jangle.
"Well this is it for a bit Bud, but I will find a way to come finish the Model MG with you okay?' John said.
"Okay. Bye." He awkwardly gives John a one armed hug around the waist. "See you later Nicole."
"Bye Luca." Nikki smiled.
"Ready Momma?" he gave her a wide grin as Joe stowed his stuff in the truck bed.
"Born that way kid." She retorts with a soft smile.
"Can I drive?"
"It's a new kidney not a license." Joe returns as they load up.
"I had to try." He glances over in the general direction of Joe.
"Wear your seat belts, those guys out there are whack jobs." Joe said getting his truck.
"Gotcha." Cam said sliding into the seat next to Luca. She shoots Joe a reassuring wink anything is easier than almost losing your child.
"Holy Crap Mama! That is a lot of people." Luca said as he noticed the cars and cameras lining both sides of their quaint suburban streets\.
"Language. I know buddy. Just ignore them. Joe is going to get you out while I open the house."
Joe appears on Luca's side and pulls him gently from the car. They all make a run for it while questions are shouted and camera's flash. Despite the fact the Luca's face is hidden on Joe's shoulder they still jockey for their shots.
Once inside Cam locks the doors. "Stay away from the windows Luca."
"It's like being a Zoo attraction. I thought the transplant was going to give me freedom." He grouses as Cam and Joe exchange silent glances.
"This will go away soon. It's just because of your Dad. Speaking of which, are you okay with them coming for dinner tonight?" She shoots for sensitivity.
"Mom I barely like the guy. Don't call him that. It's fine if you want to have them for dinner. I don't care." He grumbles stomping off.
Joe sits the boxes he'd gone back for down. "That went over like a fart in church." Joe said once Luca had gone to his room. Cam laughs she can't help it.
"So eloquent Joe." She retorts.
"Give John a call and tell him and Nikki to be here by 7." He cements their plans and slumps into the couch.
"Babe if you aren't comfortable with this just say so and we'll figure it out."
"I don't like the guy, and I didn't before I knew he used you and tossed you aside but he is Luca's Dad and if we want to build something healthy for him I'm going to have to man up and deal. I love you and thank you for asking, Call him." He said resolutely,
"I love you too." She mouths as he dials the phone. "Hi John, I just thought to start things off right we should try a family dinner of sorts? My place? Seven. Ok see you then." She hangs up.
She goes over to where Joe's sitting on the couch staring at a blank TV. "You can't turn it on with power of your mind." She straddles his lap. "I'm not even attracted to him anymore. If it helps any." She loops her arms around his neck.
"Wasn't even a thought." He pulls her closer to him.
"Just making sure, you know how important you are." She kissed him. "I need to shop for dinner." He pulls her back in and kisses her deeply. "What was I doing? My brain just went gooey." She asked eyes still closed as she licks her lips.
"Shopping." He kisses her jawline softly in a wonky little line.
She smiles. Oh forget that, we're going for takeout. I'm geared in a totally different direction now." She said as he tossed her beneath him on the couch. "He's awake and in the next room…" she giggles.
"We'll be quick and quiet."
-/-/-/-
John and Nikki pull up to Campbell's red brick craftsman's style bungalow on a corner street.
"This is cute." Nikki took note of the exterior.
"It's very Cam." John notes as he steps over Luca's tiny hands in imprinted in the concrete of the first step. John read the date below his hands. "He was three." He points down showing Nikki.
"If this is going to be really hard on you, maybe we should go home." She offers.
"It's only hard because I made it that way, I gotta pay my penance if I want Luca's respect." He steps up and knocks.
The door open's to find Cam on the other side in jeans and a shirt that says" Happy girls are the prettiest." Her hair is down and her makeup is lightly done. She steps back. "Hey y'all come in." John notes she's barefoot. "Joey you owe me a dollar it's not the flirty pizza kid."
"Damn I like watching the kid blush and try not to look at your boobs.' He forks over the dollar kissing her cheek. "Hey guys." Joe said as they looked around the living room with its overstuffed furniture and homey yet modern kitchen and dining area. This house is different than John's its homey warmed and lived in.
John feels something like jealousy stating to take seat.
"We ordered pizza because I haven't been to the store and I got sidetracked trying to leave." She hides a shy smile John knows the meaning of.
"Is that what we're calling it?" Joe replied smirking at her.
"Shut up Joesph. "She walks up the stairs. "Wanna see Luke's room?" she steps on a tiny LEGO. "OW! Fuuudge! Luca what I've I told you about the LEGOS!" She shouts up.
"They only hurt because you don't believe in shoes!" Luca retorts.
She rolled her eyes and glanced back at John a step below her. "He is so your child sometimes."
She leads them down a hall painted the same soft denim blue as the living area down stairs both walls of the hall covered in pictures. John moves forward as Nikki stops to look.
She knocks on Luca's door frame. "Bub, John and Nikki are here." She sticks her head in and then leaves John and Luca alone.
John steps into the room with slate grey walls orange and gray bedding on a metal bunk bed. The area rug is a deep jewel blue. Luca sits at his desk stationed where the lower bunk bed should be.
"Hey." He said not looking up from the model car.
"Hey bud, need help?" John offers.
"Nah I got it, Mackie got me these magnifiers that clip on to my glasses so I'm good now maybe later." He glances at John.
John looks around the room on his bed side table are battered copies of the works of Mark Twain and a dog eared copy of The Chronicles of Narnia. Luca's closet door is painted with Chalkboard paint. Cam has scrawled. "Courage is not a lack of fear but simply the ability to face it." Across the door in bright red chalk.
"Your Mom always has liked leaving notes in odd places." John states feeling awkward in Luca's space.
"That's a quote from some air force big wig." Luca shrugged. "Affirmations helped, Mama keeps me positive, even when she thought I was going to die? She made sure I was going to do it with a smile on my face. "He said softly not looking up and John's guts clench.
"Pizza's here Luca! Go wash your hands. Using my makeup wipes will not count! "Cam shouts up.
"that was one time!" he retorts kicking toys out his way to travel to the bathroom.
John watches him stand his tiptoes to use the pedestal sink. "Yes I'm very short." He states the obvious while looking at John in the mirror.
"So was i." John washes his hands too. "You'll find your thing that sets you a part. I did."
"Wrestling? Yeah not happening." He said with a small smirk drying his hands on the fancy hand towels he's not meant to touch.
"No I lifted weights because I got tired of being picked on for being short and skinny." He dries his hands.
"I can't do anything that will stress out my body." He states even though John knows that already.
"I know. Being smart is okay too you know? It'll take you farther than my skill set can." John said following him down stairs.
-/-/-/-/-
They eat dinner in near silence. It's beyond awkward. Nicole and Cam try to start conversation but it falls flat. The hard won conversation with Luca earlier stalls out as he stares sulkily at his plate and picks the mushrooms of his slice of pizza. Cam taps out a short S.O.S. on the table and Luca looks up and smiles at her and uses sign language in answer to her unspoken question. Joe laughs; it's the first sound he's made the entire dinner. He signs something back.
"I didn't know you knew sign language Luca." John states.
"It's in case I go deaf from the Alport's." He said honestly.
The statement hits John like a sucker punch. "Is that a possibility still?"
"Anything's possible." Cam answers cryptically. She twirls pasta around the tines of her fork and stares at him.
"That's helpful." He growls out.
"Look what Cammie means is-"Joe tries to bridge the awkward gap.
"Cammie can speak for herself that was just an underhanded way to cut us out of the conversation." He gestured between himself and Nicole. "Now, what are the chances Luca can go deaf even after what we we've done?" he pushes feeling his ire rise.
"Why are you looking for a reason to bail again?" Luca asked and it's like a knife in the gut.
"Luke Babe-"Cam tries to soothe his already bruised feelings.
"No Mom I'm done!" he says he gets up and runs upstairs.
Cam sighed.
"I got him." Joe said. "I wasn't afraid of you and him. I was afraid of that." He addresses Campbell and points up the stairs after Luca.
"What's that mean?"
Joe shoves to his feet and growls out. "It means hell would freeze over before you'd admit you felt something for anyone but yourself and that just because did the right thing? It doesn't mean he fucking belongs to you…You are not his father you're just the guy who knocked Cammie up and walked away. He may not be mine either but I've done a fuckload better by him than you! Are you really gonna be there if he's sick again? Somehow I don't see you as the hold him even as he throws up on you type."
Cam sits there with tears in her eyes as Joe follows after Luca. "Oh crying will really help? You're the whole reason we're here in the first place. You made him sick!" John spits out angrily. Joe had cut him down to size in a way that hurt more than his ego.
"John Stop it!" Nikki pipes up.
"Get out of my house right now." Campbell demands. She's so angry her whole body goes hot and cold.
"Maybe everyone needs to take a deep breath and think before you speak." Nikki said.
"Its way too late for thoughtful words….Joe I'm going for a walk." Cam walks out of her own house to get away from John.
As Cam strolls down the street she's honestly not sure where that blow up came from. Maybe they had just set aside the tension considering the circumstances of the surgery day but now true colors and feelings show.
John blames her and she blames herself too but there's so much rage bubbling up in her about the whole thing she can barely see. The old wounds of not being enough for John start surfacing for the first time in years, as she thinks back on that call where John said he'd step away from Luca. She felt like somehow she'd failed her child.
Meeting Joe had changed her, she doesn't love John anymore but she'd thought Joe had that fear but it was just the fear of losing his rightful place in Luca's life. Their relationship had come together so quickly she understands how unsteady Joey must feel.
John she can't even begin to understand him so she doesn't really try. Funnily enough she actually likes Nikki and harbors her no ill will.
She must have been walking for some time because she hears Joe's diesel truck's growling motor behind her.
"Hey Mama!" Joe says as he pulls alongside her.
"Hey Mama!" Luca parrots from the passenger seat.
"Get in before the mosquitos carry you off." Luca advises. "I saw one the size of a Volkswagen earlier." He adds. She gets in the backseat, "Luca? I'll never bail on you. You're everything to me." She leans up and kisses his cheek.
"Me and you against the world." He says lowly.
"Always baby." She answers catching sight of her mascara streaked face.
She looks behind them and its wall to wall photographers. "How'd I miss them?" She wonders how much of their drama was caught on film,
"Tuned em' out cause you're pissed they kept their distance until John left." Joe answered.
-/-/-/-
Cam's getting ready for work in the downstairs bathroom when there's a knock at the door. She notes the time 6:35 am. "Jesus Christ if that's a fucking photographer he's dead." She strides over to peer out the window. John stands at her door. He's waiting patiently even as the press encroaches. She toys with the idea of leaving him at their mercy but her better angels prevail. She yanks the door open. "What?"
"I brought coffee. And bagels. Can we talk?" He holds up the cups and bag.
About?"
"Last night. I'm sorry. I want to work something out while I'm here and then if things work out, something more permanent. With Luca's permission of course." He said his word earnest but she doesn't fully believe him.
Her eyebrows wing up in question as she leans on the door. "Huh, you're sorry? I want to believe that, hell I wish I could but I don't. You blame me, I blame myself, and do you think I wanted this?" She asks and stares him down waiting for him to dare to have the right words.
"I-"He starts and a Cameraman creeps closer.
"Come in John, there's a TMZ camera on your six." He looks at her oddly. "I've been watching the Marine 4 dallies I fucking hate Summer Rae even more now." She said in answer as she shut the heavy wooden door.
"She's not very likeable I'll give you that. I am sorry you know? Those things I said came from place of insecurity. Look I'm not sure I loved you because I didn't really give myself a chance but seeing the life you built? The one we could have had if I just tried harder… it just hurt, I want know Luca and he's so moody and…"
"He's ten and confused John." She justifies crossing her arms as he leans on the wall opposite her.
"You literally have your own language with him and I have to work for a hello." He replied quietly.
"You're used to little kids clamoring to be near you and your own child wants zilch to do with you, I know it has to sting and I know your life's changing and you can't keep your balance but as God as my witness you throw that blame on me one more time? " She points at him. "I'll hurt you the best and deepest way I can it's a goddamned promise. Now, apology accepted. Luca's getting ready for school you can take him for breakfast and school. He goes to Uplifting Christian Academy." She allows turning to the stairs.
"Mother!" Luca shouts down.
"Child!" She retorts.
"Can I wear Joey's cologne for school?"
"One spritz of Curve do not bathe in it!"
"Cologne?" John gave her an odd look.
"His teacher is pretty." She explains softly smiling.
When He troops down the stairs in a red polo shirt and khaki's he doesn't see John. He's standing off to the side where Luca's vision fades out.
"Mom you can take your picture if you want. I'll even hold the little chalkboard thingy but no showing people." He sits on the bottom step to tie his shoes and John steps into his vision field. "Hey Buddy!"
He jumps. "I have trouble with peripheral vision please don't sneak up on me." He said quietly.
"I didn't mean too Bub, I'm sorry." John sits next to him on the stairs.
"Whatever…Whatcha doin here?" Luca asked tying his left shoe.
"Can I take you for some breakfast then to school?"
"I guess if you want but no walking me or something I'm not a baby." He stands up and picks up his backpack and goes outside,
He goes over and stands by the tree. "Hurry Mom I feel stupid." He complains. John shoots the photographers approaching a severe glare and they back off.
"Fine if you smile you don't have to hold the sign."
He crosses his arms and smiles while leaning on the tree. She snaps the picture. "There thank you."
"You're welcome I sort of hate you." He jokes.
"I sort of love you. Have a good day," she kissed his cheek. "Learn something and have fun."
"I will…You do not get to kiss me." He said eying John as they walked to his car.
"I wasn't planning on embarrassing you or anything. Waffle House or iHOP?" he john puts his arm around him.
"IHOP I want pancakes." Luca moves out his reach but John takes it in stride.
"Ahh the hangover mecca. You may just be my child after all."
Cam snaps a picture of the waving goodbye as they drive off. "Here's to baby steps." She sends it to Joe and Nikki. She sends Joe Luca's picture. "First day back at school. We missed you. He wore your cologne! Lol! It was cute. Love you."
She goes back in and shuts out the press to start her day.
AN: I own nothing but Luca, Cam and the idea. If you liked it please review!-Meg