Not my best chapter, but I like the direction and I hope you do too. Anybody want to take a guess as to who was at the door. Well you'll find out anyway. I want to thank you all for bing patient, but I am pretty sure 99.99 percent of you will be after my blood by the end of this chapter, so I beg of you, find it in your hearts not not murder me after reading this chapter.
All new character is portrayed by Garret Hedlund.
"Erin" Alex breathed as he gazed into the eyes of his ex girlfriend. He was utterly surprised to see Erin answering the door to his old commanders house; he had been invited because his old friend was thinking of adopting this girl he had in his care for the past few weeks and thought it would be beneficial to start adapting to the people that would or could be in her life. Alex laughed at this, not because he felt it was ridiculous, but it surprised him that his tough intimidating commander in the army could be such a sweetheart.
That didn't explain this though "Erin?" he called again, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper.
Erin didn't answer. She was too busy shivering where she stood, her emotions bottling themselves up in one large bottle of fury and disbelief. Her throat went dry and a red haze began to fill her mind, her face scrunching up in horror as she gazed into the eyes of the last person she wanted to see.
Alex Nolan. Her ex boyfriend.
His bright blue eyes pierced her soul as the two stared at one another frozen in time. It had been years since they had seen one another and now that they were, it was like time had stopped everywhere as they were too distracted by one another to be able too even remember that they were supposed to be going t the dining room for dinner
Erin's arm fell to her side as she drank in Alex's appearance. He was older obviously, but his hair was more or less the same dirty blonde she remembered, but it as shorter than the last time she saw him. He also looked healthier; his skin wasn't sunken in and dull like when they had done heroin together. he seemed sharper, more focused.
And god forbid, he looked buffer and stronger, not to mention taller! Still more than her to be sure, but my god. Erin never thought that any ex boyfriend would make her heart flutter the way Alex was threating to do right now.
He was wearing a dark grey suit with black shoes and a purple tie. Even they why-Erin stop ogling the guy and get angry with him! you are a smart attractive epically pissed off women right now! oh and pissed off she was, but before Erin could pounce like a lioness and probably murder Alex, Dwight appeared from the dining room, a warm smile reaching his features as he caught sight of Alex. "Alex my boy!"
Erin spun on her heels, hoping that her body language or face betrayed her as she tried to hide her rage, before walking towards Dwight and into the dining room, leaving a shocked Alex behind.
Being the trained soldier that he was though, Dwight did not miss the tense air that Erin was giving as she walked, the quick stomping of her feet and the quick tone of breathing. He quickly glanced at her, before looking back at Alex, who shrugged, before walking in to the foyer, closing the door behind him "nice to see you too old man, he muttered, before walking past him, still in shock at seeing Erin again.
Erin walked in the dining room, her eyes immediately landing on her daughter. Althea was sitting down at the table, waving enthusiastically for Erin to sit at the table with an empty chair beside her and across from her, one of the no doubt for Erin herself, but Erin was less than thrilled to have Alex across from her for the next few hours even with the delicious looking chicken and beef dish that her daughters foster mother had cooked. With alight sigh, she gave Thea a smile before walking to the table and sat down beside her "looks delicious, she told Thea, who giggled "are you referring to the Dinner, or the man" she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
Erin blushed, more out of mortification and horror due to flattery as a memory sprang to mind.
The bedroom door sprang open as Alex and Erin wearing nothing but thee underwear, all but sprinted into the bedroom. Or to be more accurate, Alex walked into the bedroom carrying Erin, with Erin having her arms and legs wrapped around Alex's waist as the two kissed passionately with enough heat to burn the room down.
Alex grinned as he parted from Erin's lips,, latching his lips onto her neck as Erin threw her head back an moaned as Alex placed her onto the bed, climbing on top of her.
Despite her anger, Erin couldn't deny that the memory made her hot and bothered. What made it awkward that Erin was remembering the night Thea was conceived and Thea was indirectly asking whether or not Erin would like to jump her father!
Erin bit her lip and shrugged noncommittingly, not wanting to further this discussion.
Before Thea could respond, Alex and Dwight walked into the room and sat down at the table, neither Erin nor Alex able to look at one another. Naturally even Thea could see the tension between the two adults in the room.
Despite the tension in the room, dinner managed to off with out much of a hitch, and by that I mean that Erin and Alex couldn't look at one another in the eye and never said a word to one another during the entire meal, either directing there conversation at Thea or her parents, but whenever Thea asked Erin or Alex indirect questions about the other, both individuals just smiled and replied as vaguely as possible. Given that they could see that something was wrong, but didn't want to cause any trouble for Thea's sake, Dwight and Brie wisely kept quiet an didn't press the matter any more than they needed to. They kept a wary eye on Thea though, because from the start of the dinner to the end of the dinner, it was clear that her happiness went from full-blown joy to wavered concern by the end of the meal.
At some point, desert had moved to the family so that the party could feel a little more comfortable and not be some cramped in the dining room. Erin and Thea sat on one couch eating cake, while the McEishenhowers sat on another couch, just watching there guests. Alex took to a small chair in the corner, a drink on the table beside him. Despite the openness of the room and the more comfortable feeling, there was still an air of unease on Erin and Alex's part and nothing that anybody said made it better.
Needless to say, Thea did not possess the maturity to be able to take a bad situation and be able to make it better.
And made it better she did not.
Thea turned to Erin, who was taking small bites of her cake and asked awkwardly "Erin would you like to go shopping?"
Erin was taken by such surprise at the question, that she sucked the fork in her mouth, causing her to gag on the piece of cake and the silverware she was using to eat it.
Erin hands threw to her throat and she wheeze, unable to gather any sort of breath or dislodge the fork and she tumbled out of her chair and onto the carpeted floor.
"Erin!" Thea cried, jumping out of her seat and falling to her knees beside Erin.
She vaguely heard her parents gasp but her eyes were focused on her friend, who's eyes were wide panicked and glossy from the lack of oxygen reaching her brain. All she could do was thrash around on the floor and look Thea in the eye, praying death would come soon.
Alas, even that was not to be, because Alex jumped out of his seat and ran across he room to Erins side, pushing Thea aside, who tumbled onto her but. She shot a glare at the man, before returning her eyes to Erin, all the while reaching into her dress and grabbing her necklace praying for a miracle.
Alex in the meantime placed his hand on Erins chest and pushed down hard, causing Erin to gasp and sit up the fork flying out of her mouth and across the room, clattering to the floor.
Erin grabbed her chest and wheezed, drawing the much needed air back into her lungs before looking at Alex, her eyes wide in awe, but before she could even thank her ex, she was brought into a hug by an ecstatic Thea ""Erin!" she screeched, tears streaming down her face. Erin responded quickly, hugging her daughter, before releasing her and for the first time that night, smiled "its ok Thea. Its ok." She whispered, before looking at Alex "th-" she began, but before she could thank him, Thea turned to him, hugging him to "you saved her!" Thea cried, before letting go of the older man and standing up.
Alex smiled as he stood up and grabbed Erins hand to pulled her to fee "it was nothing Thea I-" he stopped as he glanced down at the girl, his eyes widening as they landed on the locket that hung around Thea's neck. The same locket that he had given to Erin 16 years ago. he glanced to Erin, before looking at Thea "where did you get that?" he asked before looking at Dwight and Brie "where did she get that?!" he yelled causing everyone to flinch.
Dwight looked at Alex and Thea, before sayng "it is a belonging of hers, says it was given to her as a baby" he croaked, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Erin pulled her hand away from Alex and grabbed Thea intending to get Thea out of the room. "Ignore him, don't answer that" she hissed in Thea's ear as she began to lead her out of the room
"Thea, where did you get that?!" Alex roared, desperation in his voice.
Thea, angry by all the yelling and annoyed at Erin treating her like a child, pulled out of her arms and turned "Its my mothers!" she yelled angrily "now why is everyone yelling!" she screamed desperate to know what was going on
Alex looked at Erin, who had suddenly gone very pale as she met Alex's gaze "her mothers?" he bit his lip and looked at Erin, betrayal and anger in his eyes "is this my daughter?" He breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Thea's jaw dropped at the question and she looked between Erin and Alex, understanding crossing her eyes and she looked at Erin in horror. "Is this… our daughter?" Alex asked again.
Erin felt tears going down her face and she looked at Alex, before she looked at the heartbroken face of her daughter, not even noticing Dwight and Brie, both of whom were staring the trio in shock.
Erin walked up to Thea a sad smile on her face as she took Theas's face in her hands, gently caressing the girl's cheeks and looking into the eyes that had haunted her for the past few weeks. There was hope in Thea's eyes but it wasn't hope that Erin was going to say yes. It was a light of denial, a desperate hope that it wasn't true.
Erins smile faded slightly as her face fell into a plea for forgiveness "Yes." She whispered, more to Thea than Alex.
Thea's face felt and she abruptly pulled away from Erin, looking at her newfound mother, before she reached up and grabbed the necklace that hung around her neck, and ripped it off breaking the clasp that held it in place and throwing t to the floor. Thea then bolted from the room, sobs being heard as she made her way up the stairs before the adults heard a door open and slam shut.
Erin stood there, her eyes gazing at her feet; tears of her own leaking down her face. But before she could move, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She looked up to see Alex staring at her. And just like that she snapped, raising her hand and with an anguished roar, slapped Alex across the cheek, before running out of the room and out the front door, slamming the door shut.
Erin ran to her car, desperate to get her keys out of her jacket so that she could flee into the safety and comfort of a hotel (she would go to her apartment, but Jay as likely there waiting for her by now and she could not explain to I'm what had happened.) but as she neared her car, she tripped, falling to the ground and onto the asphalt driveway. Despite herself, Erin curled onto the ground, tears falling an mixing in with the ground. "No… "No!" She screamed Thea wasn't supposed to find out this way! She was never supposed to. Erin began beating the ground with her fist, loosing control of her emotions.
It could have been minutes or hours, an Erin couldn't have been able to tell. She was so distraught that she cried herself to sleep on the cold ground, exhaustion and regret taking her into the blissful hold of sleep where she sat.
When Erin awoke, she immediately noticed something was wrong. Instead of the cotton sheets and foam mattress, she felt leather and scratchy fabric. Second, she didn't feel Jays warm embrace, making her feel colder, if that was possible.
Her eyes snapped open ad she was greeted by a very unfamiliar sight of an apartment that she didn't think she ever find herself in, but here she was. It was an apartment that screamed "army" since that's where Alex had been for the last few years, or so Erin had thought. But that didn't answer the question that was plaguing her mind. Why was she here?
Erin sat up, letting the blanket fall and expose her body, still clad in her dress. She swung her feet over the couch and stood up, looking around" Alex?" she cried. Hearing nothing, she moved to search the apartment, her instincts on high alert. She made her way to a door and opened it, revealing a bedroom, with the moon light exposing the bed, as well as another door that had light streaming in from the other side. Erin quickly walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a bathroom, and by the looks of it, there was a sliding door with a shower in it.
Erin looked down at herself, feel quite dirty from her experience's earlier and decided to take a shower. If Alex wasn't here, surely he wouldn't mind. Plus Erin did not want to go back to Jay looking like this. There were pair of cloths on the cabinet, definitely something Erin could fit in. Erin got into the room and closed the door behind her. she then peeled off her dress and underwear, before turning on the shower and adjusting the temperature to a comfortable warms, before stepping in.
Erin sighed in content as the water hit her. She felt herself being cleansed of her worries, in more ways then when. She just stood there lost in her own little world, until she heard the door open and onto the room walked a topless Alex, who was shocked to she a nude Erin in his bathroom "Erin?" he called knocking on the shower door.
Erin turned to his voice and opened the door to the shower, where she saw Alex holding onto a towel wrapped around his waist, hiding his nakedness from Erin, who id nothing to hide her body; it wasn't anything Alex hadn't seen before.
Erin looked at her ex, "Alex…" she whispered, before stepping side and giving Alex room to join in the shower. "Please, come in." she whispered seductively.
Alex stood there shocked "Erin, I don't think—" Erin cut him off "Alex, please… he whispered, begging him to join her.
Alex sighed, knowing that Erin wouldn't take no for an answer. He dropped the towel and got into the shower, standing before her, both of them getting drenched by the warm water.
Alex stared down at her a confused look in his eye "Erin we-" but once again, Erin didn't let him finish his sentence she wrapped her arms around him and smashed her lips into his.
By the time they finished, the hot water was running cold.
So before you get mad, remember, I said to find it in your hearts to not want to kill me, so please don't (holds up a picture of a baby puppy amid a mob of thousands of evil glare's) gulp. uhhh I think I'm going to get the car started (backs away very slowly, before turning and running towards New York) Olivia help Me!