The Next Day
The chief took a moment to pause and watch the lightning over the bay. The storm was too far out to sea to do more than ruffle a few leaves and bring a cool wind to the shore, but out at sea the lightning flashed will all the intensity of one of Nathan's and Duke's arguments. Or one of his and Simon's.
A breeze blew sand into his eyes and for a moment, the more whimsical and seldom allowed to evidence aspect of his nature claimed it was Simon, seeking a weak revenge. Nathan had told him about the other "ghosts" that both he and Duke had seen, and what they had threatened. Maybe once he could have tried to actively thwart Duke's plans, but that was before the former chief realized that the son wasn't the father. Neither son was their father. Garland was thankful for that. He wouldn't have been so proud to have raised Max Hanson's son otherwise. There was a lot to say about both nature and nurture in both Duke and Nathan.
He could see Duke ostensibly tending bar behind the glass doors of the Gull. Audrey had temporarily banned him from the apartment upstairs, and by all accounts the two of them were driving each other crazy, and not in a good way. Audrey couldn't get up and didn't take to being cared for well. Duke, in turn, had gone overboard and seemed to fear that if he wasn't present, Audrey would die, disappear, or do something stupid. Garland figured if the two of them didn't get away from each other Duke would drive Audrey to at least disappear or do something stupid.
Which brought him right back to Simon because how on earth had a man that had all the loyalty of snake and the parenting instinct of a sea turtle raise a man that could be as stubborn as a barnacle about staying with Audrey? The boy shouldn't know ethics, shouldn't know loyalty. Should be the son of a bitch drunk his father turned into. And yet, Duke stubbornly clung to a type of chivalry and ethics, albeit a twisted form. The kid had read too much. That was the only explanation. Either that or he thought he was Long John Silver. Might explain why he could be so protective of kids.
Garland grasped the handle, pulling the door open, which rang the bell. The bar was relatively quiet, it wasn't really lunch anymore and was too early for dinner. A few of the local ne'er-do-wells were clustered together at a back table. Seeing the former chief walk into the room, the hunched down lower, making their voices quieter. Couldn't have been too illegal, then, because they would have just left. The old man had to hand it to the scoundrel behind the bar, he'd somehow made the Gull a neutral territory between the criminal element and the police. Just goes to show that good booze is the great equalizer, Garland thought.
Duke stood behind the bar, a blank poker face hiding his thoughts as he cleaned glasses. Garland knew that the blank look was generally trouble in one form or another. When he saw the flicker of annoyance cross the young man's face he knew that Duke knew that something was up. This wasn't the first time that Garland had been in the Gull, but it was the first when he'd come to seek the owner out deliberately.
The older man met the dark haired smuggler's gaze unflinchingly. "You are driving my step-daughter crazy," Garland announced, walking up to the bar.
Duke thunked the glass down harder than required. "The feeling's mutual, and she's not your daughter."
"Audrey's Nathan's sister. That makes her my family, too, or near as. I want her to be happy." The former chief leaned up on the bar, still staring at Duke.
Duke looked away, briefly. "So do I," he replied, letting the daughter comment go unchallenged.
"Let me give you some advice, son. You can't keep her in a padded room filled with bubble-wrap."
The restaurant owner looked at the old man and blinked. "Ah, no. She'd die of suffocation if she didn't get Nathan to let her out so she could kill me."
Garland shook his head. Duke always took thing literally when he didn't want to take them at all. "You know what I mean."
A flinty-eyed stare was the only thing he got in return.
"You have some business you need to see to. You have to ship some merchandise." In for a penny, in for a pound, the old man thought.
Duke's look went from anger to skepticism. "And exactly what do I have to ship? I don't recall having any deliveries to make."
Garland looked down and ruffled his hand through his hair. He looked up. "I accepted a job for you."
"Oh, no. Hell no. Tell me you didn't." Duke looked away and turned his back on the bar, and the man sitting at it, shaking his head in denial.
"Can't. I did and it's done. You have to get that ship of yours to Portland to pick up your cargo." Garland watched the young man in front of him.
"Shit!" Duke started pacing behind the bar. "How the hell? When did…? Dammit!" He considered sputtering for several moments. Seeing the bar owner's agitation, the rest of the scattered patrons elected to find other places to be. Duke did have a reputation for the occasional violent outburst.
Garland watched, a bit in pity, and a bit in satisfaction. Maybe the boy now understood exactly what he had put the rest of them through so many times. "You're reputation rides on this, Duke." Garland couldn't resist adding a few extra ounces of fuel to the fire.
Duke stopped pacing and looked at the former chief like a deer stunned with headlights. "I know," he hissed. "I'll have to call in some favors."
The pity drowned out the satisfaction. He didn't want to do this but he didn't feared that some ill would befall Audrey. It was part of Duke's limited code of ethics. A deal had been made in his name, and therefore he was honor bound to uphold it. As it was with his company, though, rather than him directly, it gave him a little more lee-way, so Dwight and Garland had had to make some arrangements.
"Don't bother. John Bartlet is having engine trouble, Kevin Summers just had to fix the hole in 'Dark Horse,' and Joe Halahan just left for 3 weeks go down to Florida." The three men were the ones Duke was likely to trust most with standing in for him.
Rage glistened in the young man's eyes. "You bastard."
Garland drew on years of dealing with Simon Crocker, letting the son's wrath wash over him. "It's for your own good. And Audrey's. You'll be back long before she's due. Right now she needs to feel independent, something she can't do with you breathing down her neck all the time."
"That's not up to you, or Nathan. That's it, isn't it. He put you up to this?" Duke was practically panting in rage.
Garland tried to remain calm. "No. In fact, he turned down the request to get you out of town." Garland was very careful not to mention the original idea had come from Audrey. The boy would be devastated. "Dwight and I thought it best..."
Duke cut him off. "Well I don't! I have a business to run here. I can't go gallivanting off. Audrey's hurt and she needs someone to watch out for her, and if this is your solution, it sucks."
Taking a deep breath, the old man tried again. "Listen to me, Duke. You know how expensive raising a kid is? It's not cheap. You going to keep living here and watch her fall over the railing one day when she runs pell-mell around the balcony? This place isn't exactly kid friendly. I sure as hell will not let you keep the shotgun under the bar with a little kid running around. You know this job is a milk-run and will pay well. Enough maybe for a down payment on a home."
"I know that." Duke's voice was quiet. "But I can't leave her." For a brief moment he looked lost and torn.
"She's not a china doll. She'll be fine." Garland relaxed a little, and then without thinking, added. "Besides, Nathan will be here to watch out for her."
"Is that what this is about? Nathan?" The brief moment of calm was over and hurricane Duke was back in full force. "You think I can't care for her? I can. I have."
Garland held up a hand. "Now wait. No one said you can't care for her. That you wouldn't or haven't. But there's more at stake than just her and you. You need a break from each other." Seeing the other man about to object again he quickly went on. "Nathan's mother and I separated for two months just after he turned two. We'd lost a baby, and neither of us took it well. We both blamed each other. It took us a while to sort things out. When we did, we were stronger for it." He paused. "Nathan never knew. His mother told him I'd just gone away for work, and he was way too young to wonder what might have taken a town cop away on business." Looking up at Duke's face, he saw surprise and startlement on the features.
"I know this is bad. It might get worse, though I hope it won't. If it does, the two of you need each other to get through it. She can't get away, and she needs the illusion that she's fully capable. You can go. This works out for both of you. Now I suggest you start planning. You have a week at sea to prepare for."
"A week?"
"Ten days at the outset. The sooner you go, the sooner you get back, right?"
Duke nodded, defeated. Now comes the really hard part, Garland thought. Duke was never the most stable individual when Audrey was involved. Dwight and the former chief had discussed it, and how Duke had almost gotten himself killed chasing after Audrey. The boy might rethink this out at sea. Or find someone to honor the contract. Nathan needed Dwight to help him keep the town under control. God help him, that meant Garland was going to be stuck babysitting Duke.
Duke's heavy footfalls on the stairs alerted Audrey that Garland has probably spoken to him about the trip. He certainly doesn't sound happy. She cringed a little, wondering if Garland has thrown her under the metaphorical bus; he was going to be a lot more difficult to deal with if he realized that it was largely her fault.
The door swung open, and he stomped in wearing a dark scowl. When he noticed her looking up at him with trepidation, he frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't wrong about the source of his ire - neither of them was equipped to handle yet another crisis just then.
Duke dropped heavily into his chair before looking up at her. "The universe is out to get me," he said, as if that was a cogent answer.
"How so?" Audrey asked, concerned. He had too many ideas about the nature of the universe that she found alien not to be genuinely worried.
He heaved a sigh. "Apparently I put too much energy into worrying about money because two money-making opportunities sent themselves my way."
Her look of surprised was half real... mostly because she had no idea what one of them was. "What are they?" she eventually asked.
"First Katie McCready called me wanting to do who knows what." When he noticed her dismayed look, he waved a dismissive hand. "I didn't let her explain. I don't owe her anything right now."
Not like when she played a small but vital role in helping Duke and Dwight find me, she thought grudgingly. There was no love lost between the two blondes and it still grated on Audrey that she ever had cause for gratitude where Katie was concerned.
"And the other one," Duke gave a brittle laugh. "I don't even know where to begin."
"At the beginning?" she suggested tentatively.
"Right," he said with a sour look. "I told you a little about all the supplies needed to repair tall ships. And I'm pretty sure you heard me call and decline their offer." She nodded. It was impossible to make a secret phone call within the small apartment. "So imagine my surprise when I was thanked for reconsidering."
"But..."
Duke bared his teeth in a ferocious smile. "If you ever wondered if Nathan's self-righteous streak is nature or nurture, it's nurture without a doubt."
"What does Garland-"
"The son of a bitch accepted the job on my behalf!" Duke exclaimed. "He signed me up for a ten day long trip knowing that I could sink my business if I backed out. He's got a steel pair on him, that's for damn sure."
"Are you sure?" Audrey asked, hoping to sound doubtful. When he gave her an odd look, she realized what her question sounded like she was asking and blushed. "I meant are you sure he's the one who gave 'your' word that you'd do it?"
Duke nodded. "He straight out told me he did it."
Audrey blinked, and this time her surprise was truly unfeigned. It never in a million years would've occurred to her that Garland would've been up front about it. She had assumed that he would pretend that he knew nothing about it, and let Duke just suspect it was him. Leaning on one elbow, she asked, "why?"
His eyes darkened. "You."
"Me?" Audrey asked. "How so?" She prayed that Garland hadn't said anything about her complaining.
"He's got it into his head that you and I are bound to drive each other insane if I stay. Maybe literally. That's ridiculous." He looked down at her. "Isn't it?" he asked sharply.
She squirmed under his stare. "Duke…"
Unfortunately, he reacted just the way she hoped he wouldn't. "So it's true. I am driving you crazy."
Audrey sighed. "You already knew that," she said not bothering to hide her frustration. He was already upset at her, so there was no sense denying the truth.
"You know, it's funny. I was afraid to leave you, but I guess it really is okay with you."
"If it's a good opportunity-" she started to say.
"I don't know why I was worried. You'll just have Nathan over here to play nursemaid. Or maybe Garland. Hell, maybe the Teagues." As he spoke, she noticed heretic red patches on his cheeks which betrayed his upset more than his voice did.
"I won't," she insisted stubbornly. He narrowed his eyes at her, obviously doubting that she was speaking the truth. This made her more angry at him than anything else in the conversation. "I said I could call on them if I needed help, but I won't. And I don't need a nursemaid. I don't want a nursemaid. I don't want anyone hovering over me like I'm at death's door."
He glared at her. "So you honestly expect me to believe that you'd kick your brother out if he got to be too annoying?"
"I've kicked him out before. Why would now be any different?" Audrey demanded to know.
She watched as he literally bit his tongue. Even though he didn't get as far as insinuating that things were different because she was currently hurt and helpless, it still bothered her that he was obviously thinking it. There wasn't anything else he'd have to stop himself from saying, at least not in response to her question.
"So you're going to play hermit while I'm gone?" he asked, a little less heatedly.
"Yeah," she retorted. "I'll stare at the walls, hoping someone will remember to bring me bread and water to shove though the mail slot a couple of time a day."
"We don't have a mail slot," he said churlishly.
"Dammit, Duke," she groaned, collapsing against the pillows. She'd soon come to regret that given how much of a struggle it was to sit up due to the still constant ache where the cow had kicked her. Once, when she'd dared hang around the hospital bathroom longer than it took to pee, she'd yanked up her hospital gown and stared at herself in the mirror. Her belly had been marked by a hoof-shaped bruise and looking at it had chilled her blood. The kick had been to a fortunate place, because a blow that hard could have cost her their daughter had it landed somewhere even more vulnerable. No wonder it still hurt.
He seemed to realize that she regretted her theatrics, because he helped her sit back up. That he'd do that even while pissed at her said something positive about his character, but she wasn't inclined to dwell on that then.
When she could look him in the eye again, she asked, "Can't you just be happy that I'm going to be okay on my own? You should be. If I was going to struggle to cope without you, that would be reason for being upset. But knowing that you can take the opportunity and not feel guilty still upsets you. I don't get that."
For almost half a minute he looked at her without saying anything. And when he did, she wished he hadn't. "You're the one who said they didn't want to be needed. Not me."
Audrey recoiled, remembering the conversation on an equally hot August night the year before. "Duke-"
Before she could say anything else, he stormed out of the apartment.
She looked at the door after it banged closed, and ignored the tears that she couldn't keep from shedding. Before their bewildering conversation it had seemed to her that Duke finding out that she'd put Garland up to it would be the worst possible outcome. But somehow she'd found a way to wound him even more deeply. And worse, she didn't know how to admit that she did need him without making him feel even worse about leaving.
"It's only a week," she muttered to herself. Even to her own ears that didn't sound very convincing.
Later
Duke was being quiet. It was never good when Duke was quiet. Even though he seemed to have cooled off by the time he returned, she didn't believe he was in the same zip code as happy. And him being quiet instead of yelling just meant he was brooding or plotting, neither promised good things for Audrey's immediate future. The TV was playing a re-run of Once Upon a Time, and the queen was planning something nasty as usual. Duke had been banished from the bedroom area of the apartment.
Refusing to leave her alone, he'd retreated to what amounted to the living room, out of Audrey's sight. It was an amazing talent, considering it was virtually impossible to be invisible in the place because the floor plan had no walls except the exterior ones. It meant that he was directly behind the pole.
"What are you doing?" Audrey called out.
She heard a snort, then a clunk. "Nothing. What do you need?"
"Just wondering what you were up to over there." She ran her hand over the quilt and felt the baby kick her.
A non-committal grunt was the response.
Audrey sighed. "What's on the menu for dinner tonight?"
"Call down and ask for whatever. They'll make it for you."
Definitely brooding. Great, one child on the way and now the child's father was acting like one too. Audrey reached for the phone, and decided it was moronic to call down stairs for food. She was about to suggest he cook something for her, like the shrimp she knew he had in the freezer when she heard Duke's cell phone ring.
"No. Because I said no, that's why. You are just jealous that she has them and you don't. No, you don't understand. I'm out. … Katie, I... Give me a minute to explain, damn it." She heard Duke's footsteps as he went to the door and then left, standing on the balcony. The evening wind whipped Duke's hair around his face, hiding it from her through the window. The conversation must have been about something he wasn't happy about, because he was talking with his free hand. Duke started pacing back and forth, each time he paced he brushed her silverware wind chime, setting it ringing.
The conversation went on for a good ten minutes. When Duke finally came back in he glanced over at her and asked, "Did you call down? I can go pick it up."
"Ah, no. I forgot. What was that about?" Audrey tried to catch Duke's gaze.
Duke shrugged and looked away. "Not really important. What do you want?"
There were several responses possible, the foremost being to know why was Katie calling but Audrey realized that he was talking about what she wanted for dinner. "You could cook the shrimp in the freezer," she suggested.
There was a wan grin. "No thanks. I don't have anything to cook them with up here."
Audrey laughed. "Really, I was under the impression that we had enough food to feed the entire PD for a few days."
Duke reached up and rubbed his neck. "Nah, just for a day or two. And I don't have the right seasonings for the shrimp, and I didn't get anything out to defrost."
"You could get something from the Gull's kitchens," she suggested.
Duke blinked at her. "You have a bad case of baby brain today, Audrey. Our daughter will be a genius because she's stole so many of your neurons. I've already told you that we could get something from the Gull sent up."
Audrey pushed herself up into a more upright position. "No," she said, irritated. "I meant you could get some fresh food from the gull and cook it for us." The baby made her feel like a bloated whale, and with the bed rest she now felt like a beached one.
"Nah, I can't be stealing food from myself. It would set a bad precedent for the kid." Duke grinned at her, then swept out the door and she heard him tripping down the stairs.
Left alone with her thoughts she wondered briefly if this was a good idea. Duke obviously wasn't happy with going on the trip, and now he was barely speaking to her. Audrey wondered if he knew how much she'd been involved in the ruse. If he did, he might never forgive her. As it was, she could feel the relationship fracturing under the stress.
Duke loved her, of that she had no doubt, but she was beginning to realize that he didn't really know how to be the doting boyfriend without going over the top. He didn't do stress well, either. He wasn't eating again and wasn't sleeping well. They hadn't shared the bed since she was released from the hospital because he feared hurting her in his sleep, and neither slept well apart from each other anymore. Funny how it was hard to sleep alone now.
She remembered Jess telling her about finding Duke and bringing him to the Cape Rouge, after he collapsed at the hospital. Garland would see that Duke would be OK, and that the scene would not repeat itself. It was scary to know the lengths the man could and had pushed himself because he was worried about her. And his worry was infectious. Him being upset made her upset, and she wasn't sure she could cope with her own fears, nevermind his.
The baby was soon going to be a reality. A little girl. The responsibility was daunting. Duke and her were actually going to be responsible for ensuring the safety of another life. Someone that she would be responsible for for the next 18 years. Her mother and her grandmother couldn't do it, but they hadn't had Duke or Nathan. Ok, so Duke was nearly having a mental breakdown over the child being born, but she had every faith in the man that he would get over it once he saw that both the baby and she were fine.
There was so much left to do in Haven, so many people left to help. How could she help them and provide for her little girl? And what if she had to choose? Which way would she go? She wasn't sure she could trust herself to make the right decisions if the time came when both the Troubled needed her and her daughter did. Add in the fact that both her mother and grandmother had seemed to have mental health issues, and she wondered what kind of legacy she would leave to her little girl.
This was why she couldn't have Duke constantly around anymore. It was too hard to fight his fears and hers both. She loved him, but she needed to focus on herself and her baby. It was the only way she could get through this.
The sound of heavy boots drove the thoughts from her mind. Duke juggled a tray while he manipulated the door knob. The wood had swollen again, and it was sticking. Eventually he braced himself and knocked into it, loosening it from the jamb. He stalked over to her nightstand and left the tray there, then kicked off his boots in the corner. "I thought you might like the Pasta Alfredo tonight," he said quietly, retreating to the other side of the loft.
She should call him back, ask him to eat with her, but she realized she didn't want to. They would just end up getting irritated or angry with each other. He was right, though, she realized. It was particularly good, and the sauce wouldn't give her indigestion like all red sauces had in the last three months. It amused her to know that even when he wasn't speaking with her, he still was thoughtful about what she needed.
She ate her dinner alone, listening to the TV. Duke had once again disappeared behind the pole. The next two hours passed in silence except for the sound of the TV. It was a lonely way to live with someone that either you weren't talking to or who wasn't talking to you. In consideration to the fact that Audrey pretended to be a morning person, Duke had turned off all the lights and turned off the TV at 11:30, after the news. Then he settled himself down on the couch and pulled the afghan over himself.
Audrey stared into the night, listening to the waves. "I want you go be happy on this trip, Duke. I want you to have fun. You need the break."
She could see the reflection of the light on the white of his eye. "I need the break or you do?" The tone was soft, quiet, and somewhat defeated.
"I need the break too. I'm just not used to all of this. I mean, I'm used to being alone most of the time, or with Nathan doing my job. I'm not cut out for this," Audrey attempted to roll over to get a better view of Duke, but failed.
"Yeah, I bet you would prefer Nathan here, helping you out," he said, the bitterness was clear and undisguised.
Audrey sighed. Some things would never, ever change. "He's my brother. I expect him to help out once in a while. There's no reason for you to try to run the Gull and be here with me 24 seven. I mean, what's the use of having family if I can't abuse them once in a while for things like this?"
"Funny, I thought you, me, and the lump made our own family. Guess I didn't get the memo."
Audrey grinned wryly. "Family are the people that when you go home, have to take you in, or so I've heard. I remember being an orphan, and I remember being in a home with people who took care of me. But this is the first place I can say I had a family. Just because you are the dad, Duke, doesn't mean that you are stuck constantly caring for me and our child."
This was clearly the exact wrong thing to say because the reflection of light on Duke's eye vanished as he closed it and rolled to face the back of the couch. "Fine. I got it. Give you space. Check. You'll get a couple hundred miles of space shortly."
Audrey reached out one arm toward Duke. "Don't be like that. I just want to see you happy again. You are killing yourself over nothing. I'll be fine. The baby will be fine. You just need to clear your head."
"My head is clear enough, Audrey. I get it. Now that I've been the stud to continue your family line, you can rest assured the die's been cast for the next case of the Troubles in 27 years. Maybe you're right and you'll be fine when she's born. You and our kid will be helping the troubled people then with Nathan and whatever kids he and Jess have. It can be a regular Scooby-Doo episode. Garland can play the part of Scrappy-Doo, if he's still alive then."
Audrey stared at the darkness shrouded form. "Duke Crocker, of all the dumb things I've heard you say that has to be the dumbest. If you think for one moment that I am having this child just to ensure that the Troubled have a version of me, you have another think coming, and it better get here soon. I'm not some damn broodmare. I certainly didn't plan this pregnancy, and I don't know that I would have ever chosen to get pregnant. Congratulations, you have super sperm that managed to get past my birth control pills."
There was a muffled snort, then "What can I say, I'm talented."
"Yes, you are talented at pissing me off!" Audrey could actually feel herself shaking with anger. How DARE he insinuate such things. "You know, when I found out I was pregnant, I was happy it happened. I don't understand why you can't just be happy about it too. You didn't want a daughter. Sorry, but you are having one whether you like it or not. You don't like that I want to involve Nathan and Garland in my life? Sorry, but they are my family. They get a free pass."
"I don't like that you don't want me here now and would rather have Nathan here!" A padded thump indicated Duke had punched the couch.
Audrey ground her teeth. "If I want Nathan here it's only because I don't want you getting sick," she said through clenched teeth. "You are pushing yourself too hard with all of this."
"And you are trying to push me out."
"Am Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Am NOT!"
"Are too!"
Audrey was about to reply with another vehement Am Not when she realized exactly where the discussion had taken them. This could go on all night. "Look Duke, I love you, even though right now I want to injure you severely so you can see bed rest from this side. I don't want to be a single mom because Daddy Dearest died of a heart attack fretting while I was pregnant."
"Really? Could have fooled me. I... Never mind." Whatever reply he planned he obviously thought better of than to say.
"Duke..." Audrey growled.
"Love you too, sweetheart." The saccharine words ended the argument, but failed to resolve anything between them.
In the morning Duke was gone. However, on the way to the bathroom, she noticed the small silver figures on the table in the far room. Two small replicas of sailing ships, and a light house had been left on the small coffee table. The ships appeared to be made out of some sort of sheet metal, perhaps tin or the like. One had a figurehead of a woman holding a bird at its prow, and a pirate flag adorned the highest mast in the middle. Its nameplate declared it to be the Black Pearl. The other had a leaping deer poised to jump into the ocean, and three flags flying, one from each mast. The nameplate that gently held the ship labeled it the Golden Hind. The lighthouse had been set up on some books that had become semi-permanent residents of the table, to guard the tiny model ships from sailing into paperback cliffs.
Audrey quietly prayed that someone or something could act as a lighthouse for her and Duke as it certainly seemed possible their relationship was about to hit the rocks.
a/n: Gotta say, it was fun to make a pointed reference to one of my favorite scenes from Untangling =)
And oh yeah, lots more Nathan coming up soon for those who've missed him the last couple of chapters.