Laura slept late on Monday morning, it was almost 11am when she finally woke up. Jack had got up, showered and made breakfast for Alfie, and then the two of them went over to his apartment and packed up his stuff and prepared to take it all over to Laura's place. While there, he spotted the missed call on his cell phone and checked the number. Hearing Kim's voice gave him a chill. She hadn't known what to say and in the end just asked him to please try and call her again. Alfie noticed he was upset and sat down on the bed beside him and held his hand.
"Daddy, why are you sad?" he said with a curious look on his face. Jack smiled noticing the way Alfie tried to copy his expressions. Laura had commented on it the previous night and said he was turning into a proper Daddy's boy. Jack couldn't help but smile at the turn things had taken in the last 24 hours. Things like that were becoming habits in his life; it seemed… as though someone had his whole life pre-planned. He gave brief thought to how his story might end and then smiled a little, thinking of the dream… it all came so close to ruin though, yesterday. He rubbed his chest at the memory.
"Are you sick again Daddy?" Alfie said quickly. "Shall I get Mom?" Jack sighed and squeezed the little boy's hand.
"Alfie, you are so much like your mother… stop worrying, I'll tell you if I'm sick again." Alfie smiled but looked like he felt he'd been told off. Jack knew he should be more careful in the way he spoke to Alfie; he was a very sensitive child and reminded Jack of himself at that age. Perhaps that's why he found it easier to relate to the boy than he did his own daughter. He knew he had to be more honest with both of them. "I got a call form my daughter." He said quietly.
"Can I listen? What is she like? Is she going to come and see us?" Alfie asked, suddenly excited by this knew progression within his family. Jack shook his head, a little surprised at the reaction he'd just got. He pressed the buttons on his phone and handed it to Alfie to listen.
"Dad, I know you tried to call. I… Dad, I want to speak to you… if you still want to… Daddy I miss you. I'm sorry, I don't hate you or anything… please just come home. Or just call me again… Dad, please? I love you."
Alfie handed the phone back and looked as sad as Jack, if not more so.
"Are you going to leave us?" he said with a trembling voice. "Are you going to leave me and Mommy? I don't want you to go Jack; I want you to be my Daddy. I'll be really good and I won't make you sad…" his voice was almost pleading.
"Alfie, I'm not going to leave you; just because I'm Kim's Daddy, doesn't mean I can't be yours too. I don't want to leave you and Laura, I couldn't. I need to call Kim and I think it would be good if she got to know you guys properly before we all start making plans for living together." Alfie grinned and jumped up off the bed.
"You mean, we can all live in a house; can we live in your house Jack, by the sea? Can you and Mom have a wedding? Then me and Kim can have a little brother…"
"Alfie, don't be a pest!" Laura said, walking across to them in a pair of blue silk pyjamas. "I was wondering where you two had got to." She ruffled her son's hair and kissed Jack quickly on the lips.
"We came to get my stuff… you are still okay with that…" she shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Jack, look at this dump, you need looking after. Of course I want you to come live with us, unless you are offering us sea and sand and… maybe something else…" she winked at him and he unconsciously licked his lips, before sinking back into reality.
"Kim called me, she wants me to call her… said she wants me to go home." Laura momentarily looked scared and her expression was exactly the same as her son's had been. "I'm not going without you two, don't worry about that… I'm just a little nervous and I don't know how to tell her about all this."
"It's a pretty big thing to tell I guess. I don't expect to take Teri's place Jack; I hope you understand that, you have to make sure Kim understands that. I know that Alfie is an exception to the step parent rules." Her son looked confused. "Believe it or not Alfie, but some kids don't like having a new Daddy!"
"Why?" he said pulling a face, like she was talking some strange language. "If he is good like Jack… Not like Marc though, I hate Marc… and fatty Dimitri." Laura laughed.
"Yeah, Mom! Why wouldn't anyone want me to be their Daddy?" Jack smirked, running his hand down her thigh and briefly closing his eyes at the sensations it roused in him, feeling her smooth, silk covered curves.
"Exactly what I thought! Now call your daughter and tell her sincerely what the hell you've been up to all this time!" Jack did a mock salute and Laura stuck her tongue out at him before picking up his bag to return to their apartment. Alfie ran after her and pulled Jack along with him.
Jack decided he needed some time to think about how he would tell his daughter the news, and they thought the fresh air might help to clear his head. Laura dressed in blue jeans and a pale grey shirt and wore her hair up; then together they left for the park two blocks away. Alfie was excitable as usual and skipped on ahead down the stairs. Jack waited while Laura locked the door and then took her hand lightly in his own. He had to return his apartment key to the Super and tell them he wasn't going to renew his rental. He felt so good that morning, like he hadn't felt in years… many, many years. A warmth crept into his heart and he gazed at Laura as she walked slightly ahead of him. He was about to tell her what he was feeling and how things had changed so much for him but he was stopped suddenly.
Alfie screeched as he reached the bottom of the stairs and scared the life out of his Mom and Jack. They both rushed down the last flight to find that it was no huge emergency after all, and only that, Spiderman had lost one of his arms.
"I'll fix him later Alfie." Laura said trying to calm her distraught seven-year-old. "I have some special glue upstairs…"
"But Mom, if you glue him, how will his web flicker work? He can't be a proper Spiderman without a web flicker!" Marc stood in the alcove under the stairs and listened to them with a smile on his face.
"I'll operate on him later Alfie; I have special training remember…" Jack began.
"You mean you can still make him better and he won't lose his super powers?" Jack grinned and patted Alfie's arm reassuringly, before leaving him with his Mom and heading off to find the Super. The old guy was out of his head and Jack decided that on second thoughts it might be better to hold off until he was sober before trying to get his deposit money returned. He explained this to Laura and she seemed a little saddened by it but didn't say anything more.
"I can still be with you angel, I'm yours whether I have keys to somewhere else or not." She sighed and he started to feel a little apprehensive, wondering if he'd put his foot in it again. She said no more for the time being and they walked off towards the park. Jack was occupied with examining Spiderman all the way there and it gave Laura a little time to consider what she wanted to say.
Marc strolled along behind; marvelling at how a federal agent under investigation could not have noticed he was being followed. He watched his ex-girlfriend too… she looked a lot better than when he left her… not nearly so vulnerable and frail. Her body was more athletic looking and she obviously took care of herself. Her hair was longer and she looked younger, despite the years that had fallen away between them.
Marc looked tired and more than the seven years her senior. His dark hair was turning grey in places and his eyes were wrinkled with frown lines. He wasn't the man he'd been those few years earlier, life had taken its toll on him. His wife no longer found him attractive, she tired of his dreams and fixations on being a father and the sex had become much less frequent these days. When he wanted to be trying for a baby everyday, she could no longer find anything to draw her to the man she married only three years before. She didn't make the effort Laura did… she didn't hold on to her child either! His wife Alison had lost him a son… and now he was out to find another… the easy way.
Alfie ran off with the left over bread that Laura had brought with them, and sat by the pond to break it up into tiny pieces for the ducks; carefully counting out an even number for each bird. It never worked though; the greedy green headed Mallard was always faster to the chunks than the others. Laura and Jack sat on the bench a few yards away and he put his arm around her shoulder; while Marc installed himself behind a big old oak tree within earshot of the two new lover's conversation.
"Jack, I was thinking… "Laura began. "I'm no idiot; what I said earlier about Kim; I don't expect her to just accept me you know? I'll understand if she doesn't like me moving in on her Dad, especially given all she's been through…"
"What about all I've been through?" he said, pertinently. "I love you, Laura. Kim is not a child anymore and I feel a bit mean saying this… my feelings count too. I need you. I never wanted to tell anyone that, my whole life… it's not good to seem weak in my profession and I guess that rubs off on my personal life." He seemed angry, but Laura knew it wasn't at her. "I'm sick to death of being a tool for this country and having to put myself and my family at the back of everything, from now on that's what comes first." Laura grinned.
"I like this masterful you, Jack. I don't want to upset your daughter, our kids are important…" She stopped suddenly and looked around. Marc quickly ducked behind his tree.
"Jack, this isn't the right place but maybe it is the right time…" she took his hand and laughed to herself a little, so that Jack had to look at her with bewilderment for a second or two. "Jack will you marry me? Will you be my husband and adopt Alfie as your son?" He coughed. After the previous days events this was the last thing he expected her to say… though he needed no time to consider his response.
"Yes Laura, I can't think of anything that could make me happier." They kissed then, and were blissfully unaware of Marc fuming behind the tree just a little to their left. For that moment everything felt right with the world, neither of them had ever been happier or felt more complete.
The moment wasn't to last.
Marc found himself angrier than he had ever been in his life before. His face turned magenta and he gnawed on his lower lip and ground his teeth. It was difficult to tell whether he made any conscious decision to act, or whether things just fell into place.
As Laura opened her eyes to look upon her now fiancé for the first time, it was as though she was stepping into a dream. Jack's blue-green eyes gazed back at her and she shivered. He shook his head as though things were too overwhelming to contemplate the enormity of the moment.
"Kim is going to be pretty shocked!" he said with a heavy but elated sigh. Laura left him to make the call alone, as was his wish; and went to find her son to tell him the wonderful news.
"Daddy, why are you sad?" he said with a curious look on his face. Jack smiled noticing the way Alfie tried to copy his expressions. Laura had commented on it the previous night and said he was turning into a proper Daddy's boy. Jack couldn't help but smile at the turn things had taken in the last 24 hours. Things like that were becoming habits in his life; it seemed… as though someone had his whole life pre-planned. He gave brief thought to how his story might end and then smiled a little, thinking of the dream… it all came so close to ruin though, yesterday. He rubbed his chest at the memory.
"Are you sick again Daddy?" Alfie said quickly. "Shall I get Mom?" Jack sighed and squeezed the little boy's hand.
"Alfie, you are so much like your mother… stop worrying, I'll tell you if I'm sick again." Alfie smiled but looked like he felt he'd been told off. Jack knew he should be more careful in the way he spoke to Alfie; he was a very sensitive child and reminded Jack of himself at that age. Perhaps that's why he found it easier to relate to the boy than he did his own daughter. He knew he had to be more honest with both of them. "I got a call form my daughter." He said quietly.
"Can I listen? What is she like? Is she going to come and see us?" Alfie asked, suddenly excited by this knew progression within his family. Jack shook his head, a little surprised at the reaction he'd just got. He pressed the buttons on his phone and handed it to Alfie to listen.
"Dad, I know you tried to call. I… Dad, I want to speak to you… if you still want to… Daddy I miss you. I'm sorry, I don't hate you or anything… please just come home. Or just call me again… Dad, please? I love you."
Alfie handed the phone back and looked as sad as Jack, if not more so.
"Are you going to leave us?" he said with a trembling voice. "Are you going to leave me and Mommy? I don't want you to go Jack; I want you to be my Daddy. I'll be really good and I won't make you sad…" his voice was almost pleading.
"Alfie, I'm not going to leave you; just because I'm Kim's Daddy, doesn't mean I can't be yours too. I don't want to leave you and Laura, I couldn't. I need to call Kim and I think it would be good if she got to know you guys properly before we all start making plans for living together." Alfie grinned and jumped up off the bed.
"You mean, we can all live in a house; can we live in your house Jack, by the sea? Can you and Mom have a wedding? Then me and Kim can have a little brother…"
"Alfie, don't be a pest!" Laura said, walking across to them in a pair of blue silk pyjamas. "I was wondering where you two had got to." She ruffled her son's hair and kissed Jack quickly on the lips.
"We came to get my stuff… you are still okay with that…" she shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Jack, look at this dump, you need looking after. Of course I want you to come live with us, unless you are offering us sea and sand and… maybe something else…" she winked at him and he unconsciously licked his lips, before sinking back into reality.
"Kim called me, she wants me to call her… said she wants me to go home." Laura momentarily looked scared and her expression was exactly the same as her son's had been. "I'm not going without you two, don't worry about that… I'm just a little nervous and I don't know how to tell her about all this."
"It's a pretty big thing to tell I guess. I don't expect to take Teri's place Jack; I hope you understand that, you have to make sure Kim understands that. I know that Alfie is an exception to the step parent rules." Her son looked confused. "Believe it or not Alfie, but some kids don't like having a new Daddy!"
"Why?" he said pulling a face, like she was talking some strange language. "If he is good like Jack… Not like Marc though, I hate Marc… and fatty Dimitri." Laura laughed.
"Yeah, Mom! Why wouldn't anyone want me to be their Daddy?" Jack smirked, running his hand down her thigh and briefly closing his eyes at the sensations it roused in him, feeling her smooth, silk covered curves.
"Exactly what I thought! Now call your daughter and tell her sincerely what the hell you've been up to all this time!" Jack did a mock salute and Laura stuck her tongue out at him before picking up his bag to return to their apartment. Alfie ran after her and pulled Jack along with him.
Jack decided he needed some time to think about how he would tell his daughter the news, and they thought the fresh air might help to clear his head. Laura dressed in blue jeans and a pale grey shirt and wore her hair up; then together they left for the park two blocks away. Alfie was excitable as usual and skipped on ahead down the stairs. Jack waited while Laura locked the door and then took her hand lightly in his own. He had to return his apartment key to the Super and tell them he wasn't going to renew his rental. He felt so good that morning, like he hadn't felt in years… many, many years. A warmth crept into his heart and he gazed at Laura as she walked slightly ahead of him. He was about to tell her what he was feeling and how things had changed so much for him but he was stopped suddenly.
Alfie screeched as he reached the bottom of the stairs and scared the life out of his Mom and Jack. They both rushed down the last flight to find that it was no huge emergency after all, and only that, Spiderman had lost one of his arms.
"I'll fix him later Alfie." Laura said trying to calm her distraught seven-year-old. "I have some special glue upstairs…"
"But Mom, if you glue him, how will his web flicker work? He can't be a proper Spiderman without a web flicker!" Marc stood in the alcove under the stairs and listened to them with a smile on his face.
"I'll operate on him later Alfie; I have special training remember…" Jack began.
"You mean you can still make him better and he won't lose his super powers?" Jack grinned and patted Alfie's arm reassuringly, before leaving him with his Mom and heading off to find the Super. The old guy was out of his head and Jack decided that on second thoughts it might be better to hold off until he was sober before trying to get his deposit money returned. He explained this to Laura and she seemed a little saddened by it but didn't say anything more.
"I can still be with you angel, I'm yours whether I have keys to somewhere else or not." She sighed and he started to feel a little apprehensive, wondering if he'd put his foot in it again. She said no more for the time being and they walked off towards the park. Jack was occupied with examining Spiderman all the way there and it gave Laura a little time to consider what she wanted to say.
Marc strolled along behind; marvelling at how a federal agent under investigation could not have noticed he was being followed. He watched his ex-girlfriend too… she looked a lot better than when he left her… not nearly so vulnerable and frail. Her body was more athletic looking and she obviously took care of herself. Her hair was longer and she looked younger, despite the years that had fallen away between them.
Marc looked tired and more than the seven years her senior. His dark hair was turning grey in places and his eyes were wrinkled with frown lines. He wasn't the man he'd been those few years earlier, life had taken its toll on him. His wife no longer found him attractive, she tired of his dreams and fixations on being a father and the sex had become much less frequent these days. When he wanted to be trying for a baby everyday, she could no longer find anything to draw her to the man she married only three years before. She didn't make the effort Laura did… she didn't hold on to her child either! His wife Alison had lost him a son… and now he was out to find another… the easy way.
Alfie ran off with the left over bread that Laura had brought with them, and sat by the pond to break it up into tiny pieces for the ducks; carefully counting out an even number for each bird. It never worked though; the greedy green headed Mallard was always faster to the chunks than the others. Laura and Jack sat on the bench a few yards away and he put his arm around her shoulder; while Marc installed himself behind a big old oak tree within earshot of the two new lover's conversation.
"Jack, I was thinking… "Laura began. "I'm no idiot; what I said earlier about Kim; I don't expect her to just accept me you know? I'll understand if she doesn't like me moving in on her Dad, especially given all she's been through…"
"What about all I've been through?" he said, pertinently. "I love you, Laura. Kim is not a child anymore and I feel a bit mean saying this… my feelings count too. I need you. I never wanted to tell anyone that, my whole life… it's not good to seem weak in my profession and I guess that rubs off on my personal life." He seemed angry, but Laura knew it wasn't at her. "I'm sick to death of being a tool for this country and having to put myself and my family at the back of everything, from now on that's what comes first." Laura grinned.
"I like this masterful you, Jack. I don't want to upset your daughter, our kids are important…" She stopped suddenly and looked around. Marc quickly ducked behind his tree.
"Jack, this isn't the right place but maybe it is the right time…" she took his hand and laughed to herself a little, so that Jack had to look at her with bewilderment for a second or two. "Jack will you marry me? Will you be my husband and adopt Alfie as your son?" He coughed. After the previous days events this was the last thing he expected her to say… though he needed no time to consider his response.
"Yes Laura, I can't think of anything that could make me happier." They kissed then, and were blissfully unaware of Marc fuming behind the tree just a little to their left. For that moment everything felt right with the world, neither of them had ever been happier or felt more complete.
The moment wasn't to last.
Marc found himself angrier than he had ever been in his life before. His face turned magenta and he gnawed on his lower lip and ground his teeth. It was difficult to tell whether he made any conscious decision to act, or whether things just fell into place.
As Laura opened her eyes to look upon her now fiancé for the first time, it was as though she was stepping into a dream. Jack's blue-green eyes gazed back at her and she shivered. He shook his head as though things were too overwhelming to contemplate the enormity of the moment.
"Kim is going to be pretty shocked!" he said with a heavy but elated sigh. Laura left him to make the call alone, as was his wish; and went to find her son to tell him the wonderful news.