The Scarlet Letter

A/N: I have to confess I didn't really outline this chapter the way I usually do with my stories. It's been a "feel it out as I go" kind of story, but I think the end is near. I would say there are probably two, maybe three, chapters left to the end.


Thanks so much for all of your reviews! You guys are the best, and I mean that with all of the sincerity in my heart. I really do love you guys. And if you haven't read my profile page, I just wanted to let you all know that Vera and I have started a myspace page to highlight our writing and some other stuff. I'd love to have you stop by and take a look around. You can get there by clicking on the "homepage" link on my profile page.

As always, Enjoy!

The loud musings of Dashboard Confessional filled the room that Meredith had converted into her art studio. The natural light flowing throw the windows on the back side of the house had been the selling point for her. She had chosen a career in fashion design as a way to capitalize on her love for the latest trends, blended with her keen eye for colors and textures. But her heart would always return to the serenity of brush strokes against a blank canvas.

Less the punk rock princess, and more the frumpy artist, Meredith was dressed in baggy overalls and a tank top, her hair thrown into a haphazard ponytail on the top of her head. Though she knew it was ironic that she found solace in the words of a song called "Screaming Infidelities," she couldn't stop herself from singing along to the song blaring from her stereo.

"Maybe I'm way outta line here," a deep voice sounded from the doorway of the studio, "But I'm thinkin' a single woman, living all by herself, might wanna lock her doors." Meredith turned and smiled at the young man in her doorway. "Never know what kinda scum might walk in and take advantage of a hot body like yours."

Dropping her brush into a nearby cup, Meredith moved toward Daniel's oldest son, Jaden, and accepted his friendly hug. "Hey you," she breathed when he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"What's up, Mom?" he asked, his blue eyes dancing as he smirked at the name he knew she hated.

Meredith pulled back and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, careful not to smudge the green color on her fingers over her face. "Cute," she commented, wiping her palms over her pants in the hopes of cleaning them slightly. "So what's up, Jay?"

He followed her out of the room and down the hall, stopping against the wall when she stepped into the bathroom and held her hands under the streaming water. Studying her carefully, Jaden forced himself to look away before she caught his eyes boring into her. "I was on my way to the beach house and I thought I would just stop by and check out the new digs."

Meredith cut the water and wiped her hands on the towel by the wall. When she met his eyes, she was instantly reminded of his father. She knew that Daniel had worried, in the beginning of their relationship, that Jaden would use his charisma and good looks to steal Meredith away from him. While she had assured her husband time and time again that her affection was his alone, it was hard to deny Jaden's charm, and the subsequent bond that the two had shared.

"Approve?" she asked, holding his gaze as she stepped into the hall, until she brushed past him.

Jaden cleared his throat and nodded. She was his father's wife. His step-mom, though she had always seemed more like an old college friend. He was a happily married father of two. Of course, rumor had it, she was kind of fond of that these days. Shaking his head, he ran a hand over his disheveled brown locks. "It's nice," he answered finally. "I like it."

"Thanks," Meredith smiled, leading him into the living room. "You want a beer?"

Jaden nodded enthusiastically. "That would be great," he answered, lowering himself to the couch and pushing aside the enormous sweatshirt that had been left over the arm. A few classic car magazines were scattered on the coffee table. Evidence of the new boyfriend was all around, and he wasn't sure he liked that so much. "So, did you get the new Damien Rice record yet?"

"Downloaded it," Meredith responded from the kitchen, materializing once more with two long-neck bottles. Offering him one, she took a drink and tucked her hair behind her ear. "What do you think of the new Snow Patrol?"

Jake rolled his eyes and gulped a giant swig from his bottle. "Little too girlie for me," he said, bouncing his knee comfortably. Meredith nodded as though she had suspected as much. "Have you heard the Green Day/ U2 collaboration?"

"I was giddy," she admitted with a slight blush. Two of her favorite bands teaming up to cover an anti-war ballad? It was like her musical wet dream come true.

He smiled and took another drink. "Made me think of you."

If any of Daniel's kids took the time to get to know Meredith and her interests, it was Jaden. Due mostly to their close proximity in age, they had talked extensively about music, movies, and books. Jaden had several pieces of art in his home that Meredith would have killed to get her hands on. Any outside observer might think that they were actually brother and sister.

But as she watched his eyes skimming over the roses Dave had sent her a week ago, she knew the truth. She wasn't his sister. She wasn't his mother. And she wasn't his father's wife anymore. "So," she finally said, grasping for anything that might make the awkward silence less suffocating. "How are the kids?"

Jaden snapped his attention back to the woman in the chair to his left. "They're good," he nodded, drinking from his beer again. "Jack's gone PS3 crazy," he smiled proudly when Meredith rolled her eyes. Like father, like son. "And Emma's pretty much just crazy."

At the mention of little Emma, Meredith felt unexpected tears. The little spitfire had spent more than a few weekends keeping Meredith company when Daniel was on the road. She had always imagined that, had she and Daniel ever had a child, she would be just like Emma. "It's a good crazy, though," she sighed, staring at a spot on the table.

"I was thinking," Jaden said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "If you want, I could bring her by some time. Maybe you guys could hang out at the park or something."

She nodded and blinked back the tears before they could fall. "That'd be great, Jay," she managed to say around her constricting throat.

While his impromptu visit disspelled her fear that every member of the Casey family would hate her for eternity, it also reiterated the fact that she hadn't just left Daniel. She had walked away from all of them.

Before she could bring up the subject of the divorce, or offer any kind of unsolicited apology, there was a knock at the front door just before it swung open. "Knock, knock," Dave's voice pierced the silence. He saw Jaden first, and then turned to Meredith, a question in his eyes. "Hey, you."

She smiled awkwardly and stood, unsure of what to say or how to explain either of them to the other. "Hey."

"I didn't realize you had company," he smiled, though Meredith thought it seemed a little forced.

Nodding, she looked beyond him. Two shy, miserable-looking girls stood behind their father. Obviously, the tension in the room wasn't palpable only to adults. "And you brought some company of your own," she said, a little stunned by seeing Dave's daughters.

"Alright, so I'm goin' now," Jaden announced, standing from his seat and running his hands over his jeans.

She turned and accepted the hug that he was offering. "It was good to see you again, Jay," she whispered, taking comfort in the feeling of his arms around her. If she closed her eyes and used her imagination, he felt like Daniel.

He nodded and kissed the top of her head. Turning, he offered a hand to Dave. "I'm Jaden Casey," he introduced himself, taking a sick sort of pleasure in the fact that this brick wall of a man was squirming under his scrutiny.

"Dave Batista," Dave said, coolly regaining his composure before anyone could notice it slipping. "Nice to meet you, Jaden."

He nodded, noting immediately the way Dave seemed to position himself between his daughters and the strangers before them. It was subtle, but a father noticed a protective stance when he saw one. And he appreciated the fact that this guy's first thought was to shelter his kids. Sure, the guy had also stole Jaden's father's wife, but he knew, better than anyone, that the marriage had been on the road to "over" before Meredith had ever met Dave.

"Take care of my mommy, okay?" he smiled brightly, cringing when he felt Meredith's hand strike the back of his head. "Ouch, woman! Child abuse!"

"Your family is waiting for you," she laughed, pointing to the door. "I think you should go to them."

"Alright, fine," Jaden shook his head. "Bye, Mommy," he waved one last time, his chuckle filtering through the air one last time as he shut the door behind him.

She shook her head again and turned to her boyfriend. "So I didn't know you were coming over today," she said, trying her best to choose her words wisely. She didn't know how much his girls knew, but she didn't feel like accidentally filling them in on anything more than he had.

Dave moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head. "We're not staying long," he assured her. "We were just wondering if you wanted to catch a movie with us tonight."

Meredith took a deep breath and finally met the eyes of the two people in the world she knew could make or break their relationship. Whether Dave admitted it or not, they wouldn't last if his daughter's didn't approve.

She smiled at the girls and then looked up at Dave. "Don't you think you should introduce us first?" she whispered.

Nodding, Dave stepped away from his girlfriend slightly. "Okay," he started, clapping his hands and thinking of who to introduce first. "Meredith Casey, this is my youngest daughter, Eden," he smiled, grabbing his ten-year-old daughter and hitching her onto his hip.

Eden hid her face in her father's shoulder. Her petite frame suggested that she was much younger than her ten years. Her full lips and high cheek bones were identical to her mother's, but her dark eyes were a mirror-image of her father. She was adorable, but the blush in her cheeks said that she was less-than-comfortable with this entire situation.

"Can you say 'hi,' Edie?" Dave whispered, rubbing his daughter's back softly as she shook her head. "Come on, Sweetie. We talked about this, remember?" When she didn't respond, Dave turned to his eldest. "This is Rebekah," he said.

Rebekah Batista was nearly fifteen, and already clearly past her awkward stage. She had her mother's curves and her father's height, already standing eye-to-eye with Meredith. Her flawless skin seemed to be fashioned out of porcelain, and matched her father's creamy, mocha hue. She was, quite possibly, the most stunning young woman Meredith had ever seen.

The bored look on her face reminded Meredith of herself at that age. "I'm Meredith," she said, offering a hand to the teen. When Rebekah took it, she breathed an inward sigh of relief. "It's nice to meet you, Rebekah."

"You, too," she whispered, looking at the floor awkwardly. She knew that her parents had been having problems for awhile, that her mother hated the fact that father got to see the world while they stayed home and lived normal lives.

Dave inclined his head as the whispered sound of Eden's voice brushed the air. With a smile, he set her feet on the floor and watched as she grasped his hand with both of her tiny ones. "I'm gonna show her to the bathroom," he said, leading his youngest down the hall.

"So," Meredith started, motioning toward the couch and following when Rebekah perched on the edge of the cushion. She flopped into the chair and released her hair from the ponytail. "This is really awkward, isn't it?"

Rebekah nodded but refused to smile. "My dad told me that he started dating you before he left my mom." She bit her lip and turned her head toward the woman at her left. Her dad told her that she had been blessed and cursed with her mother's inability to keep her mouth shut, and he was right. "He said that they hadn't been happy together for a long time, but that he didn't want to leave me and my sister."

Inexplicably, Meredith felt a bond with Rebekah, as though she knew exactly where the young woman was coming from. "And you think that I made the decision that much easier for him? That he met me and then it was easy to walk away from you guys, right?" Rebekah nodded and licked her lips nervously. "Can I tell you something? Honestly?"

"I know you don't have any kids, Meredith, but we tend to have a pretty good bull shit meter. So anything you have to tell me better be honest." She raised an eyebrow and earned an appreciative grin from her father's girlfriend in response.

"Fair enough," Meredith admitted, holding her hands up as if to surrender. "I don't know what your mom has told you about the divorce, but I know your dad fought tooth and nail to make sure he didn't get cut out of your lives. You and your sister mean the world to him." She leaned forward and twisted her fingers together. "Your parents split up, Rebekah. But your dad didn't leave you. He could never leave you."

She chuckled slightly, running her fingers through her silky locks and leaned back on the couch. "You're as sappy as he is," she sighed, rolling her head to look at Meredith.

"Sweetie, nobody's as sappy as your dad," Meredith smirked, leaning back in her own seat and feeling the tension in the room begin to dissipate.

They were quiet for a moment and Rebekah looked down the hall to where her father had disappeared with her sister. "Eden doesn't understand why Dad doesn't love Mom anymore." Pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, she blinked her eyes to disguise the tears she wasn't ready for this new woman to see. "I don't really get that part, either."

There were a million thoughts coursing through Meredith's head, not the least of which were the reasons Dave had fallen out of love with his first wife. They had talked about their marriages ad nauseum, and she knew so many things that this child would never be ready to hear. But even the inherent sensuality Rebekah possessed couldn't cover the innocence in her wide eyes. She didn't need to be exposed to adult issues she couldn't understand.

"My mom's not a bad person," Rebekah seemed to read Meredith's mind. "She has a temper, and she likes to have things her way, but," she shook her head and shot a look at Meredith, "who doesn't?"

"Alright," Dave's deep voice entered the room before he did. He was holding Eden again, but she wasn't hiding anymore. "Eden," he kissed his daughter on the forehead and pointed. "This is Meredith."

Wiping her red-rimmed eyes, she waved shyly and muttered a soft "hi" before running the back of her hand over her tear-stained cheeks.

"Hi, Eden," Meredith said, standing to greet the small girl. "It's nice to meet you."

Her sad face finally broke into a hesitant grin. "It's nice to meet you, too," she finally answered, blushing wildly once again. "Daddy says we can get pizza before the movie if we leave soon," she informed her father's new girlfriend.

Meredith smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "I'll tell you what," she sighed, turning to look at Rebekah and then back at Dave. "I need to take a shower. And since I know y'all don't get a lot of quality family time together, why don't you go get pizza while I get cleaned up, and I will meet you at the theater for the movie?"

Dave could barely contain his smile as he sat Eden on the floor. "Bekah, take your sister to the car. I'll be there in a second."

"Can I drive?" Rebekah asked, giving her father her best puppy dog eyes.

Dave smiled and nodded. "Hell. No." When she pouted, he shook his head. "You are fourteen years old," he reminded the girl.

"Only for another month. Then I'll have my permit," she argued back, her hands one hand on her hip while the other gripped her younger sister's hand.

But Dave wasn't phased. "And then you can drive," he winked, knowing it would only serve to further piss her off. "You can start the car," he finally compromised, handing the keys over. "But if you're in the driver's seat when I get out there, I will move you myself, Rebekah Kristine."

She rolled her eyes and snatched the keys from her father's grasp, leading her sister from the house. "You're so freakin' boring!" she shot before shutting the door.

Meredith wrapped her arms around Dave's neck and smiled up into his dark eyes. "I'm so glad I'm not her mom," she whispered, resting her chin against his chest.

Dave rested his hands on her waist and pulled her even closer. "Why's that?" he asked with a chuckle. Sure, he'd had a hell of a time convincing Eden to come out of the bathroom and meet his friend, but other than that glitch, he was thrilled with the way his weekend home was starting.

"I like her. There's no way I could punish her. Ever," she winked. "And because I'm way to young to have a daughter that old," she added.

For a moment, he had feared that she would say that Rebekah had mouthed off while they were alone, that she had said something horribly unforgivable. Hearing that Meredith liked his daughters gave him hope that they might make it after all. "You'd definitely be one sexy momma," he murmmered, running his hand up her back to stroke the back of her neck.

"Maye someday," she sighed, resting her cheek against his chest and revelling in the sound of his heartbeat. They had weathered every storm that had rumbled their way, and they had conquered them so far.

They had no idea that the greatest challenge was yet to come.