Title: The Love Inside
Summary: Jennifer Lindley had a daughter, Amy, who was left to be raised by Jack and Doug. Not everyone is very open to the idea of her having gay parents. How will she deal?
Author: Yelak.
Disclaimer: Though I would like to be, I am not the creator of Dawson's Creek and the only profit from this story is having you guys review, hint hint. ;-)
Reviewers:
damien455 - Well thank you very much! The flashback was fun to write, even though I felt so sadistic when I wrote it. Thanks for reviewing.
Laura - And yet again, thanks! Who knows what he wants? Guess you'll have to read. :-D
Sam - T'ank you! And yes, I remember what you said and I am trying to work some more of those scenes in. :-) Expect a lot of reminiscing this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
WiccanWillow23 - OKAY. I'm going to tell you something. I'm really shallow. I wait to see if I can get at least ten reviews before I post chapters. That may be why I take so long. Hehe. :-D Oh well, what can ya do, right? And yes, Doug's fathers a jerk (to me anywho). Thank you soooo much for reviewing.
lulabell - The whole story? I'm impressed. Well, thanks so much! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this. Your reviews just brighten my day. :-D
Cassie - Oh yes, her father. :-D I'm pretty interested to see where I take this, too, lol. :-D
Tabitha - Sttiiiiilllll addicted, eh? Well, I hope it's at least a healthy addiction. Don't want a stalker on my hands. ;-) And also, I can completely relate to the things you say. I was never a huge Dawson fan either. Bbbuuuttt . . . I mean, the show IS named after him. And mucho gracias, amigo. :-)
The Queen of Snape - Aha, fantastic you say? That's really nice. :-D But, alas, if you don't mine me quoting titles, "All good things must come to an end." Which means this story, too (not that I'm saying it's good or anything.) But, fortunately, the end is in the far future and I am planning to have a bunch of more chapters - until you guys all lose interest anywho. Thanks a million!!!!
kayfanatik - Well if you can't say it, I surely can: AND THE PLOT THICKENS. There we go. Thanks a bunch!
Shelly - Awww, thank you! You really think it's great? I'm reallyreally glad. :-) But, I must act all motherly and say schoolwork is important, too! ;-) Actually, I'm pretty honored that you ditched a class to read my story, lol! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
A/N: Okay, I left ya hanging last chapter with Amy's biological father appearing on her doorstep. What does he want? What will happen? Find out in this chapter! And thaaaanks for reading! Oh, yeah, and this chapter will probably be solely devoted to Amy's father.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"You're my . . . what?" Amy repeated, her eyes large and round. She thought maybe she was on a hidden camera show, or this man had his dates mixed up and thought it was April first, or something like that. But . . . could he really be her father? She turned to Jack, to see what his reaction would be.
He, like Amy had anticipated, looked dumbfounded, but he also looked something Amy didn't expect to see in her father's face: he looked angry. Turning to Mike, or her supposed father, she could see he was surprised at Jack's expression.
"Amy, go inside, please," Jack finally spoke, probably harsher than he meant, and his cheeks a little red.
"But -" she said, wanting to stay and see what happened.
"Now!"
Sighing, she turned to go in, but she still caught the small smile Mike flashed her. Instead of going in and staying in, though, Amy rushed around to the back, went over to the side, and hid behind a large bush where she could see and hear the two men perfectly.
"What are you doing here?" Jack growled, glaring at the other man.
"I'm here to see my daughter," Mike replied, his words calm and smooth. He obviously tried to lighten the situation by smiling at Jack as well, but if anything that only made Jack glare even more.
"Your daughter?" Jack repeated incredulously, throwing his arms up. "Your DAUGHTER? Man, you haven't seen this girl for fifteen years, and you show up on my doorstep and have the nerve to call her your daughter?!"
"I helped create her, didn't I?!" Mike snapped back, now growing angry for the first time. He took a step towards Jack as though that would intimidate him.
"Yeah, and that's about it! Where were you when she was born? Where were you for her first birthday? Where were you when Jen was preparing to have her baby?! You weren't there! But you know what? I was! And so I am more of a father to that child then you could EVER be, no matter if you spent the next twenty years of your pathetic life trying to make up for it." Secretly wishing that the men would quit referring to her as a child, Amy leaned up trying to get a better view, but still managing to stay silent.
"Listen!" Mike shouted. Amy, from behind the bush, was worried that this would turn into a full out brawl. It was loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear - in fact, she could see a couple of the neighbors on their doorsteps, peering over and trying to see what all the commotion was. "I wasn't there then, but you know what? I'm here now! And it's better late then never!"
"But fifteen years late?! I'm starting to think never is much better. 'Cause now, you're too late. She's all grown up," Jack said. His voice was more sharp then loud now. "You lost your chance, fifteen years ago when you should've been there for Amy. And for Jen. But instead, you ran. You ran like a baby. You didn't even give her child support. I'm just surprised you stayed around long enough to put that sperm in Jen!"
Amy was completely embarrassed when he said that, and praying no one else heard. But she was also extremely nervous now.
"I loved Jen!" shouted Mike, his voice cracking. "I loved her with all my heart and soul. So don't even make a judgment about me -"
"You loved her, huh? Is that while you up and hightailed it the night she told you she was pregnant? Is that why you didn't even bother to make it to her funeral?" Jack said, and then both men's expressions softened greatly. Amy felt tears warming up in her eyes, and even know she knew she should probably have some resentment toward Mike, she couldn't help but feel like she wanted to get to know him better. Finally, after dreaming about if for years and years - her biological father was standing less than twenty feet from her.
"I was scared," admitted Mike, in a near-whisper that Amy had to strain her ears to hear. "God, I was so scared. I was young. I wasn't ready to have a baby. A baby was a responsibility. I wasn't ready for responsibilities! But don't even say that I didn't love Jen - she was the most important thing in my life."
"Then do something about it," Jack said coldly, putting a hand on the railing as though he were trying to steady himself or maybe even hold himself back from lunging at the man. Just then, the front door swung open and Doug appeared, looking confused at all the racket he had been hearing.
"What's going on, Jack?" Doug asked, looking in between the two men curiously. Amy, from behind the bushes, watched her three fathers carefully, and then nearly laughed at the thought of having three fathers.
"Mike, this is my husband, Doug . . . or, shall I say, Deputy Doug," Jack introduced him, even though Doug wasn't the deputy even more. Doug looked confused still. If what Jack had said was supposed to frighten Mike, it obviously wasn't working - instead, he merely nodded politely and shook Doug's hand. "And Doug, this is Mike . . . Amy's - father." He said this as bitterly as he could muster, and Doug's eyes grew big and wide.
"Look, Deputy," Mike began, and Doug looked at Jack oddly, "I just wanted to maybe - you know, take Amy out for lunch or something. Two hours is all, I promise. I just want to talk to her. Please." He looked between Doug and Jack, his eyebrows raised hopefully.
"No," Jack said at once, but Doug put his hand on Jack's arm.
"Maybe we should let Amy decide. She's fifteen, Jack. She's old enough to make this decision on her own," Doug said tenderly, to which Mike nodded.
"Fine," he muttered, only praying that she would say no. He didn't want this stranger corrupting his little innocent angel. Amy, if she decided to go, was going to be a lot different once she returned. He could feel it. Opening the door, he ducked his head in and called out, "Amy! Come here!"
Amy made one quick movement from the bush, and within seconds she was at the back, flying into the door. "Yeah, Dad?" she asked casually, walking in as though she'd been in the kitchen the whole time.
"Come out here for a second, please."
"Sure." Walking outside, she acted like she hadn't caught any of the conversation and nodded to Mike and Doug.
"Amy. Hi. Yeah," Mike said, talking nervously as Jack fixated his glare on him. "I was just wondering if . . . maybe you'd want to go catch lunch or . . . something. And just like, you know, maybe, uh . . . talk, or something."
Amy had to give him credit. He was here, wasn't he? "Yeah," she said quickly. "I'd like that." The muscles in Jack's face tightened, and he looked at Doug, who only shrugged back.
"Great. Well, I'm not from here but do you have any, uh, suggestions for where to go?"
"The Ice House," Jack butted in, before anyone could say anything. "Great restaurant. Capeside is famous for it." Mike looked at him suspiciously, but nodded nonetheless. He pointed to a black sports car that was parked in the driveway, and he and Amy started to go for it, but Jack yanked his shoulder back.
"Listen to me," Jack breathed, "my brother-in-law owns that restaurant, and I assure you he will be keeping a very close eye on you. If you try anything - ANYTHING -"
"I won't. You have my promise," Mike said sincerely, walking off, though he could still hear Jack mutter, "Like that counts for something."
"It's a really nice car," Amy informed him as he threw his bag into the backseat.
"Thanks," he replied, and smiled at her. "It's pretty new. Well, all buckled up?" She nodded, so he started the car and drove off in the direction of the Ice House, with Amy pointing out which way to go.
The first thing that both noticed as they entered the restaurant was that a man behind the cash register that was staring at them, rather intently. While Amy gave her uncle a slight wave, Mike slowly recognized that he must have been Jack's brother-in-law. Too right he was.
Pacey reached out and grabbed the arm of a young waiter who was heading over to Mike and Amy's table with menus, and told him kindly, "I'll handle that one." The boy nodded and handed over the menus, then returned to work.
"Hello, Amy," Pacey said as he approached their table. He was looking pretty stiffly at Mike, who was seated opposite Amy.
"Hi Uncle Pacey," Amy returned, and then paused slightly at how she would make her introductions. "This is my . . ." Father? She didn't have the guts to say father. "This is . . ."
Fortunately, Mike took over for her and said, "I'm Mike Hoffman."
"Yeah," Pacey said, not shaking his hand. "I think we met. A long time ago. Back when . . . you know." He meant to say when you and Jen were dating, but that would only bring heartbreak to the table, and who wanted a side platter of heartbreak with their lunch?
"Oh, right."
"Well, can I get you guys anything?" They chose their lunches and finally, to everyone's relief, Pacey stalked off to the kitchen, even though he continued to keep a watchful eye on the two.
"I, uh, I don't know where to start . . ." Mike said, scratching at the place just above his ear and staring into his coke that Pacey not-so- graciously delivered.
"From the beginning," Amy instructed, stirring her own sprite with a straw. "Tell me when my mom told you she was . . . pregnant."
So, gulping, Mike did just that.
((A/N: This is back when, where Mike and Jen are dating.))
"I don't know if I can tell him, Jack," Jen said, laying on her stomach and pushing one of her blonde curls out of her face. Looking up at Jack, who was on the couch, her face twisted with worry.
"You have to, Jen. If he's gonna be your daughter's -"
"Or son's," Jen interrupted.
"Daughter's daddy," Jack insisted, coming down to lie next to his best friend.
"I . . . I promised him that I was taking birth control," Jen stuttered, hanging her head. He began to give her a comforting backrub, when the door opened.
"Hon? I'm home!" Mike's voice drifted through the hallway.
"Oh my God," Jen whispered, and both she and Jack hoisted themselves off the ground. She smiled when he entered the room, and kissed and hugged him.
"I'm gonna go," Jack said, giving Jen a squeeze and kissing her forehead. "Nice seeing you," he said vaguely to Mike as he left. To tell the truth, Jack was never close to any of Jen's boyfriends. Not that he didn't support them. It was just he didn't think anyone really deserved a girl that great.
"How was your day?" Jen asked, sitting down on the couch by where Mike was sitting.
"Good. Yours?" Mike responded, sorting through some mail.
"Well, I went to the doctor," she said nervously. He glanced up from the mail and arched an eyebrow at her. "I found out some things . . ."
"Like what?" he asked worriedly, then, "Please, God, tell me you're not sick." His voice was full of concern.
"No, no, nothing like that."
"Oh, good."
"But . . . I'm pregnant," she said slowly, and the letters in Mike's hand dropped to the floor.
Frozen, he said after a long, unsettling pause, "W-what?" Looking him straight in the eye, Jen repeated what she'd said. Mike, taking a deep breath, simply stood and walked away.
((A/N: Back to present time.))
"And, uh, the next morning I . . . left." Seeing the disappointed look on Amy's face, Mike quickly added, "Look, I'm not proud of it. But it was many, many years ago . . . And, if I could take it back, I would." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I would," he repeated, softly, like he was talking to himself.
"Why now?" Amy asked, looking down at the table.
"Huh?" he said, his eyes still closed.
"Why did you choose now? To come?"
Slowly, his eyes opened and he watched her. "I missed you. I didn't know you, but I wanted to so bad. I wanted to see my baby girl." He reached out a hand and touched her face gingerly, and Amy didn't even oppose it. From his spot by the counter, Pacey watched them closely, his eyes narrowing.
"I missed you too," Amy said, and Mike's eyes grew a little bit wider. "When I was little, I always dreamed of you coming to find me. You were like Prince Charming, really."
"So, am I disappointing?" Mike asked, flashing her a grin.
She paused, and then answered truthfully, "Not at all."
---
"Calm down, Jack," Doug said, watching Jack pace around the room, stomping his feet with each step deliberately, acting like a little boy.
"No!" He whirled around so he was facing Doug. "He had NO RIGHT . . . to show up here, and . . . shouldn't be that easy . . . he doesn't deserve it . . . after what he did to Jen . . ." he fumed.
"It's her father, Jack!" Doug replied, raising his voice a bit now.
"What?! Wait, you're not . . . you are! You're sticking up for that man! I don't believe you! Do you not remember?! That's the man that . . . he left Jen to raise a baby by herself! I'm her father! Not him!"
"You?" Doug said loudly, shaking his head. "Just you, huh? We can't all be Super Dad!"
"That's not what I meant - !"
"Then maybe you should think before you talk next time," he snapped. Face softening, Doug went over and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders. "It's her biological father. Everyone needs something to hold on to. It wouldn't kill us to let her visit him once a while."
"I guess so," Jack sighed, thinking it would very much kill him.
---
"Tell me about my mom," Amy said finally, which was the main reason she had wanted to come. Mike looked at Amy and grinned.
"Well, for one . . . you look identical. Well, except for my eyes . . . you've got my eyes."
"Yeah," Amy nodded, smiling.
"And, uh, well . . . she was a feisty chick. Always got her way in bed . . ." Amy's face changed to a look of disgust, and Mike's turned bright red. "Uh, well, not - you know, but - never mind." They both laughed.
"But the main thing you should know is that she wanted you so much. Every night, she talked about having a baby. She wanted a little girl more than anything in the world. She'd picked out the name Amy a long time ago . . . and once she even brought home this baby doll she had named Amy to convince me how great you'd be. But I, uh, I wouldn't have any of it. Like I said, I was scared of responsibility. I got a letter from her once. After you were born. She loved you to death, Amy, and to tell you the truth . . . I did too."
He looked up when he was done, and saw that tears were streaming down Amy's face. They prickled in his eyes, too.
"Amy . . . I wanna make it up. I wanna be there for you. Would you ever consider letting me?"
"Yes," said Amy through her tears, "I would. I want to get to know you better . . . Dad."
Mike's heart burst with pride when she called him Dad. He'd never heard a simple word that meant so much to him before then. He loved the little girl already.
"And Amy . . ." he took a deep breath. "I want you to come stay with me."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
A/N: Okeydokey, chapter twelve is done with. Will Amy say yes? Will she say no? Well, I know. Do you want to? Then you're gonna have to review and tell me!
How was this chapter, by the way? Was it okay? I hope so. But PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review and tell me what you thought. I'll love you.
Seeya at Chapter Thirteen. Oooh, unlucky. :-D
Summary: Jennifer Lindley had a daughter, Amy, who was left to be raised by Jack and Doug. Not everyone is very open to the idea of her having gay parents. How will she deal?
Author: Yelak.
Disclaimer: Though I would like to be, I am not the creator of Dawson's Creek and the only profit from this story is having you guys review, hint hint. ;-)
Reviewers:
damien455 - Well thank you very much! The flashback was fun to write, even though I felt so sadistic when I wrote it. Thanks for reviewing.
Laura - And yet again, thanks! Who knows what he wants? Guess you'll have to read. :-D
Sam - T'ank you! And yes, I remember what you said and I am trying to work some more of those scenes in. :-) Expect a lot of reminiscing this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
WiccanWillow23 - OKAY. I'm going to tell you something. I'm really shallow. I wait to see if I can get at least ten reviews before I post chapters. That may be why I take so long. Hehe. :-D Oh well, what can ya do, right? And yes, Doug's fathers a jerk (to me anywho). Thank you soooo much for reviewing.
lulabell - The whole story? I'm impressed. Well, thanks so much! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this. Your reviews just brighten my day. :-D
Cassie - Oh yes, her father. :-D I'm pretty interested to see where I take this, too, lol. :-D
Tabitha - Sttiiiiilllll addicted, eh? Well, I hope it's at least a healthy addiction. Don't want a stalker on my hands. ;-) And also, I can completely relate to the things you say. I was never a huge Dawson fan either. Bbbuuuttt . . . I mean, the show IS named after him. And mucho gracias, amigo. :-)
The Queen of Snape - Aha, fantastic you say? That's really nice. :-D But, alas, if you don't mine me quoting titles, "All good things must come to an end." Which means this story, too (not that I'm saying it's good or anything.) But, fortunately, the end is in the far future and I am planning to have a bunch of more chapters - until you guys all lose interest anywho. Thanks a million!!!!
kayfanatik - Well if you can't say it, I surely can: AND THE PLOT THICKENS. There we go. Thanks a bunch!
Shelly - Awww, thank you! You really think it's great? I'm reallyreally glad. :-) But, I must act all motherly and say schoolwork is important, too! ;-) Actually, I'm pretty honored that you ditched a class to read my story, lol! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
A/N: Okay, I left ya hanging last chapter with Amy's biological father appearing on her doorstep. What does he want? What will happen? Find out in this chapter! And thaaaanks for reading! Oh, yeah, and this chapter will probably be solely devoted to Amy's father.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"You're my . . . what?" Amy repeated, her eyes large and round. She thought maybe she was on a hidden camera show, or this man had his dates mixed up and thought it was April first, or something like that. But . . . could he really be her father? She turned to Jack, to see what his reaction would be.
He, like Amy had anticipated, looked dumbfounded, but he also looked something Amy didn't expect to see in her father's face: he looked angry. Turning to Mike, or her supposed father, she could see he was surprised at Jack's expression.
"Amy, go inside, please," Jack finally spoke, probably harsher than he meant, and his cheeks a little red.
"But -" she said, wanting to stay and see what happened.
"Now!"
Sighing, she turned to go in, but she still caught the small smile Mike flashed her. Instead of going in and staying in, though, Amy rushed around to the back, went over to the side, and hid behind a large bush where she could see and hear the two men perfectly.
"What are you doing here?" Jack growled, glaring at the other man.
"I'm here to see my daughter," Mike replied, his words calm and smooth. He obviously tried to lighten the situation by smiling at Jack as well, but if anything that only made Jack glare even more.
"Your daughter?" Jack repeated incredulously, throwing his arms up. "Your DAUGHTER? Man, you haven't seen this girl for fifteen years, and you show up on my doorstep and have the nerve to call her your daughter?!"
"I helped create her, didn't I?!" Mike snapped back, now growing angry for the first time. He took a step towards Jack as though that would intimidate him.
"Yeah, and that's about it! Where were you when she was born? Where were you for her first birthday? Where were you when Jen was preparing to have her baby?! You weren't there! But you know what? I was! And so I am more of a father to that child then you could EVER be, no matter if you spent the next twenty years of your pathetic life trying to make up for it." Secretly wishing that the men would quit referring to her as a child, Amy leaned up trying to get a better view, but still managing to stay silent.
"Listen!" Mike shouted. Amy, from behind the bush, was worried that this would turn into a full out brawl. It was loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear - in fact, she could see a couple of the neighbors on their doorsteps, peering over and trying to see what all the commotion was. "I wasn't there then, but you know what? I'm here now! And it's better late then never!"
"But fifteen years late?! I'm starting to think never is much better. 'Cause now, you're too late. She's all grown up," Jack said. His voice was more sharp then loud now. "You lost your chance, fifteen years ago when you should've been there for Amy. And for Jen. But instead, you ran. You ran like a baby. You didn't even give her child support. I'm just surprised you stayed around long enough to put that sperm in Jen!"
Amy was completely embarrassed when he said that, and praying no one else heard. But she was also extremely nervous now.
"I loved Jen!" shouted Mike, his voice cracking. "I loved her with all my heart and soul. So don't even make a judgment about me -"
"You loved her, huh? Is that while you up and hightailed it the night she told you she was pregnant? Is that why you didn't even bother to make it to her funeral?" Jack said, and then both men's expressions softened greatly. Amy felt tears warming up in her eyes, and even know she knew she should probably have some resentment toward Mike, she couldn't help but feel like she wanted to get to know him better. Finally, after dreaming about if for years and years - her biological father was standing less than twenty feet from her.
"I was scared," admitted Mike, in a near-whisper that Amy had to strain her ears to hear. "God, I was so scared. I was young. I wasn't ready to have a baby. A baby was a responsibility. I wasn't ready for responsibilities! But don't even say that I didn't love Jen - she was the most important thing in my life."
"Then do something about it," Jack said coldly, putting a hand on the railing as though he were trying to steady himself or maybe even hold himself back from lunging at the man. Just then, the front door swung open and Doug appeared, looking confused at all the racket he had been hearing.
"What's going on, Jack?" Doug asked, looking in between the two men curiously. Amy, from behind the bushes, watched her three fathers carefully, and then nearly laughed at the thought of having three fathers.
"Mike, this is my husband, Doug . . . or, shall I say, Deputy Doug," Jack introduced him, even though Doug wasn't the deputy even more. Doug looked confused still. If what Jack had said was supposed to frighten Mike, it obviously wasn't working - instead, he merely nodded politely and shook Doug's hand. "And Doug, this is Mike . . . Amy's - father." He said this as bitterly as he could muster, and Doug's eyes grew big and wide.
"Look, Deputy," Mike began, and Doug looked at Jack oddly, "I just wanted to maybe - you know, take Amy out for lunch or something. Two hours is all, I promise. I just want to talk to her. Please." He looked between Doug and Jack, his eyebrows raised hopefully.
"No," Jack said at once, but Doug put his hand on Jack's arm.
"Maybe we should let Amy decide. She's fifteen, Jack. She's old enough to make this decision on her own," Doug said tenderly, to which Mike nodded.
"Fine," he muttered, only praying that she would say no. He didn't want this stranger corrupting his little innocent angel. Amy, if she decided to go, was going to be a lot different once she returned. He could feel it. Opening the door, he ducked his head in and called out, "Amy! Come here!"
Amy made one quick movement from the bush, and within seconds she was at the back, flying into the door. "Yeah, Dad?" she asked casually, walking in as though she'd been in the kitchen the whole time.
"Come out here for a second, please."
"Sure." Walking outside, she acted like she hadn't caught any of the conversation and nodded to Mike and Doug.
"Amy. Hi. Yeah," Mike said, talking nervously as Jack fixated his glare on him. "I was just wondering if . . . maybe you'd want to go catch lunch or . . . something. And just like, you know, maybe, uh . . . talk, or something."
Amy had to give him credit. He was here, wasn't he? "Yeah," she said quickly. "I'd like that." The muscles in Jack's face tightened, and he looked at Doug, who only shrugged back.
"Great. Well, I'm not from here but do you have any, uh, suggestions for where to go?"
"The Ice House," Jack butted in, before anyone could say anything. "Great restaurant. Capeside is famous for it." Mike looked at him suspiciously, but nodded nonetheless. He pointed to a black sports car that was parked in the driveway, and he and Amy started to go for it, but Jack yanked his shoulder back.
"Listen to me," Jack breathed, "my brother-in-law owns that restaurant, and I assure you he will be keeping a very close eye on you. If you try anything - ANYTHING -"
"I won't. You have my promise," Mike said sincerely, walking off, though he could still hear Jack mutter, "Like that counts for something."
"It's a really nice car," Amy informed him as he threw his bag into the backseat.
"Thanks," he replied, and smiled at her. "It's pretty new. Well, all buckled up?" She nodded, so he started the car and drove off in the direction of the Ice House, with Amy pointing out which way to go.
The first thing that both noticed as they entered the restaurant was that a man behind the cash register that was staring at them, rather intently. While Amy gave her uncle a slight wave, Mike slowly recognized that he must have been Jack's brother-in-law. Too right he was.
Pacey reached out and grabbed the arm of a young waiter who was heading over to Mike and Amy's table with menus, and told him kindly, "I'll handle that one." The boy nodded and handed over the menus, then returned to work.
"Hello, Amy," Pacey said as he approached their table. He was looking pretty stiffly at Mike, who was seated opposite Amy.
"Hi Uncle Pacey," Amy returned, and then paused slightly at how she would make her introductions. "This is my . . ." Father? She didn't have the guts to say father. "This is . . ."
Fortunately, Mike took over for her and said, "I'm Mike Hoffman."
"Yeah," Pacey said, not shaking his hand. "I think we met. A long time ago. Back when . . . you know." He meant to say when you and Jen were dating, but that would only bring heartbreak to the table, and who wanted a side platter of heartbreak with their lunch?
"Oh, right."
"Well, can I get you guys anything?" They chose their lunches and finally, to everyone's relief, Pacey stalked off to the kitchen, even though he continued to keep a watchful eye on the two.
"I, uh, I don't know where to start . . ." Mike said, scratching at the place just above his ear and staring into his coke that Pacey not-so- graciously delivered.
"From the beginning," Amy instructed, stirring her own sprite with a straw. "Tell me when my mom told you she was . . . pregnant."
So, gulping, Mike did just that.
((A/N: This is back when, where Mike and Jen are dating.))
"I don't know if I can tell him, Jack," Jen said, laying on her stomach and pushing one of her blonde curls out of her face. Looking up at Jack, who was on the couch, her face twisted with worry.
"You have to, Jen. If he's gonna be your daughter's -"
"Or son's," Jen interrupted.
"Daughter's daddy," Jack insisted, coming down to lie next to his best friend.
"I . . . I promised him that I was taking birth control," Jen stuttered, hanging her head. He began to give her a comforting backrub, when the door opened.
"Hon? I'm home!" Mike's voice drifted through the hallway.
"Oh my God," Jen whispered, and both she and Jack hoisted themselves off the ground. She smiled when he entered the room, and kissed and hugged him.
"I'm gonna go," Jack said, giving Jen a squeeze and kissing her forehead. "Nice seeing you," he said vaguely to Mike as he left. To tell the truth, Jack was never close to any of Jen's boyfriends. Not that he didn't support them. It was just he didn't think anyone really deserved a girl that great.
"How was your day?" Jen asked, sitting down on the couch by where Mike was sitting.
"Good. Yours?" Mike responded, sorting through some mail.
"Well, I went to the doctor," she said nervously. He glanced up from the mail and arched an eyebrow at her. "I found out some things . . ."
"Like what?" he asked worriedly, then, "Please, God, tell me you're not sick." His voice was full of concern.
"No, no, nothing like that."
"Oh, good."
"But . . . I'm pregnant," she said slowly, and the letters in Mike's hand dropped to the floor.
Frozen, he said after a long, unsettling pause, "W-what?" Looking him straight in the eye, Jen repeated what she'd said. Mike, taking a deep breath, simply stood and walked away.
((A/N: Back to present time.))
"And, uh, the next morning I . . . left." Seeing the disappointed look on Amy's face, Mike quickly added, "Look, I'm not proud of it. But it was many, many years ago . . . And, if I could take it back, I would." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I would," he repeated, softly, like he was talking to himself.
"Why now?" Amy asked, looking down at the table.
"Huh?" he said, his eyes still closed.
"Why did you choose now? To come?"
Slowly, his eyes opened and he watched her. "I missed you. I didn't know you, but I wanted to so bad. I wanted to see my baby girl." He reached out a hand and touched her face gingerly, and Amy didn't even oppose it. From his spot by the counter, Pacey watched them closely, his eyes narrowing.
"I missed you too," Amy said, and Mike's eyes grew a little bit wider. "When I was little, I always dreamed of you coming to find me. You were like Prince Charming, really."
"So, am I disappointing?" Mike asked, flashing her a grin.
She paused, and then answered truthfully, "Not at all."
---
"Calm down, Jack," Doug said, watching Jack pace around the room, stomping his feet with each step deliberately, acting like a little boy.
"No!" He whirled around so he was facing Doug. "He had NO RIGHT . . . to show up here, and . . . shouldn't be that easy . . . he doesn't deserve it . . . after what he did to Jen . . ." he fumed.
"It's her father, Jack!" Doug replied, raising his voice a bit now.
"What?! Wait, you're not . . . you are! You're sticking up for that man! I don't believe you! Do you not remember?! That's the man that . . . he left Jen to raise a baby by herself! I'm her father! Not him!"
"You?" Doug said loudly, shaking his head. "Just you, huh? We can't all be Super Dad!"
"That's not what I meant - !"
"Then maybe you should think before you talk next time," he snapped. Face softening, Doug went over and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders. "It's her biological father. Everyone needs something to hold on to. It wouldn't kill us to let her visit him once a while."
"I guess so," Jack sighed, thinking it would very much kill him.
---
"Tell me about my mom," Amy said finally, which was the main reason she had wanted to come. Mike looked at Amy and grinned.
"Well, for one . . . you look identical. Well, except for my eyes . . . you've got my eyes."
"Yeah," Amy nodded, smiling.
"And, uh, well . . . she was a feisty chick. Always got her way in bed . . ." Amy's face changed to a look of disgust, and Mike's turned bright red. "Uh, well, not - you know, but - never mind." They both laughed.
"But the main thing you should know is that she wanted you so much. Every night, she talked about having a baby. She wanted a little girl more than anything in the world. She'd picked out the name Amy a long time ago . . . and once she even brought home this baby doll she had named Amy to convince me how great you'd be. But I, uh, I wouldn't have any of it. Like I said, I was scared of responsibility. I got a letter from her once. After you were born. She loved you to death, Amy, and to tell you the truth . . . I did too."
He looked up when he was done, and saw that tears were streaming down Amy's face. They prickled in his eyes, too.
"Amy . . . I wanna make it up. I wanna be there for you. Would you ever consider letting me?"
"Yes," said Amy through her tears, "I would. I want to get to know you better . . . Dad."
Mike's heart burst with pride when she called him Dad. He'd never heard a simple word that meant so much to him before then. He loved the little girl already.
"And Amy . . ." he took a deep breath. "I want you to come stay with me."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
A/N: Okeydokey, chapter twelve is done with. Will Amy say yes? Will she say no? Well, I know. Do you want to? Then you're gonna have to review and tell me!
How was this chapter, by the way? Was it okay? I hope so. But PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review and tell me what you thought. I'll love you.
Seeya at Chapter Thirteen. Oooh, unlucky. :-D