Debwood-1999: He definitely doesn't. He's not only very opinionated but it's only on very rare occasions that he wont' straight up tell you his stance on things. DarkMage6: lol I don't think you're the only one. Esha Napoleon: Good to know. I'm sure he appreciates the support. NeroAnne: lol You tell 'em. And damn it, that "his boy" business just gave me idea *face palm* As if I need another one…As for the Mark thing…James certainly doesn't think he'll go that far. Cooper completely doubts him and he's got good reason to. Someone's gonna have to be proved wrong here-only question is, who will it be? *giggles evilly* slashdite: He does need to let go, but that's not really his nature. He's stubborn and doesn't believe for an instant that Mark is good for James. And since there's Mindy in the picture now too, it fuels him because he believes she's much better for James than Mark ever will be. Menaji: On the bright side, you don't have quite as much to catch up on as some people I know. EternalxInsanity: He probably won't regret anything he does if it happens to happen to Mark. Nooks: It is a bit surprising that Cooper didn't tell him but then again, he might feel like that's something she needs to tell him herself. And if she doesn't end up telling him, he certainly will let it slip.
…
While walking down his driveway to take out the trash, Mark caught Mindy and Connor sitting on the grass messing around with Snoopy and a rope toy, only Mindy was in a heavy argument over the cell phone, her eyes were narrowed and she was ripping out grass with her free hand.
"Look, I'm COMING, alright?" she barked nastily to the unknown recipient, "I'm in Texas with my boyfriend…YES I have a very serious boyfriend, my spouse can go fuck himself" okay so it wasn't Kane on the other end, "For how long? None of your fucking business how long, I don't pay you to ask about my life" so it wasn't Trish either, "All I want you to do is make sure that Cotton gets there" Cotton was her white Arabian gelding that Kane had bought her for Christmas eight years ago, "and make sure Halla stays the FUCK away from me while I am home" Dr. Halla was her psychiatric primary, "I'm with my family, you tell him to stay the fuck away they don't need his psycho-babbly-bullshit" she must have meant Glen and her kids, "Oh! And I have an appointment with Avella to get my lips jet-puffed and Beth has to re-dye my hair before I play the amphitheater…Yeah, you make sure Lauren" Lauren Picozzi was the head of the team which was in charge of scheduling her entire life, "has a big-ass star next to all that if anyone sees me beforehand I'll be hella pissed. And make sure the staff at MALIBU is ready, not Bel-Air. I don't want my family there, people are sons of bitches" after listening calmly for a few minutes she nodded, "Trisha is picking me up with all my papers and shit, yes, she'll be there too incase I need her…alright, Don, thanks." Donna Rann was her head P.A., she had a slew of them which Donna organized and took charge of. She was Mindy's head bitch in layman's terms.
After throwing the trash in the can as Mindy resumed crawling around pretending to tackle Snoopy (but actually tackling Connor since he was stronger), Mark brightened at the idea of her leaving and decided to head on over unknown to Mindy and Connor.
Catching this from his inconspicuous spot seated against the back tire of James's car, Cooper's eyes narrowed and he clenched a fist as Mark pulled Mindy over by the shoulder none-too-gently, upsetting Connor who was stuck playing by himself so he hugged Mindy's legs to keep Mark from dragging her anywhere. She obviously wasn't too happy to have Mark touching her that way, so with a hard smack his hand was removed from her and her hands went on her hips as Mark began to question her.
"Hey!" starting to run now, Cooper approached the two and wrapped a protective arm around Mindy, pulling her back from Mark and kissing the side of her head, "He giving you any trouble?" Giving him the evil eye with those ice-blue irises of hers, Mindy shook her head and touched the hand of the arm that was wrapped around her.
"I was just gonna tell Mark that I have to go back to L.A. in a couple days Trisha is gonna be here to grab me up so he can be happy that I am gone." Catching how Mark's entire expression turned zealous, Cooper nodded along and now grinned smugly.
"Oh, that's very nice…" he nodded along, "Did you tell deadbeat the second part of that?" Thinking about that for a moment as Mark became cross, Mindy shook her head with a pout so Cooper did it for her. "WE" he pointed to himself, Connor, and the general direction his dad was in inside the house, "are going with her."
"Yep yep!" Connor nodded happily, "Because Mommy would NEVER leave us!"
"Mommy?" Mark asked angrily, glaring at Mindy and looking for James for justification, "What the hell is going on?"
"None of your fucking business, asshole" Cooper spat while hugging Mindy closer, and taking a step closer towards them Mark scowled.
"Does my brother know all this is transpiring?"
"He doesn't need to" Cooper shook his head dangerously, watching Mark's hand go for his phone, "And if you even think about pulling that phone out and calling him I'll rip your grubby hand off at the wrist"
"WHY YOU…!" Mark went to grab him when his arm was grabbed, twisted in an unnatural direction, yanked so his head went down, and sharp nails raked his face quickly before Mindy pushed him back much to Cooper's shock, snarling and spitting nails.
"Don't you DARE lay a finger on my baby!" she growled in a voice so low she sounded possessed, "Or I'll kill you next time" immediately her voice shifted back to its usual high pitch and Canadian twang, "My Trisha is picking me up in a couple days and I will be out of your hair forever. I am going home because I have a ton of shit to do since I actually HAVE a job, and both my boys and Jamie are coming with me since I'll be dead before I live with Glen again." Cooper wanted to smile at 'Jamie', that was a new one. "Maybe you can get over yourself before I tell Jamie that you tried to go after Cooper, you" her voice got harsh again, "son of a BITCH!"
Complacently staring at the blood which surfaced across Mark's face as Connor ran inside screaming, "Mark tried to hit Cooper again!" Mindy turned to leave and clear her head from what she just did when she was grabbed by her hair and pulled backwards.
"You took everything from me and now you plan on-" WHAM! Cooper was on him so fast Mindy was literally thrashed to the pavement and landed on her hands, wincing at the scrapes she knew formed and flipping her hair over her head to see Cooper pelting Mark's face like there was no tomorrow.
"SHIT! COOPER!" she shrieked, placing a hand over her heart and moving to stand when Mark backhanded Cooper off and went for his face when, in a lightning fast move, Cooper was shoved backwards so none other than Mindy received a high-powered clock below the eye and yelped just as Connor managed to drag James out to see a freaked-out Cooper moving raven hair out of the way to examine the pelt below Mindy's eye that for sure was bruising.
"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?" right after pressing a firm kiss to Mindy's forehead and moving her behind him, Cooper stared down the unmoved Mark, ripping a switchblade out of his pocket, "I'll kill you, motherfucker!"
"COOPER!" wrestling the knife out of his hysteric son's hand and pushing him backwards, James looked for Mark, who gave him a searing glare before turning and leaving, freaking Cooper out.
"HE FUCKING HIT HER!" Cooper shrieked, pointing at Mark and cuddling Mindy close as a frightened Connor frantically touched her face to find the 'boo boo', "THAT SON OF A BITCH FUCKING HIT HER, DAD! Don't you DARE let him go, I'll kill him myself you son of a bitch! He hit her he hit her he hit her! Let me GO!" he wrestled against his father's hold and barred his teeth as Mark entered the backyard, "Let me fucking GO let me go!" Shaking his head and moving his gaze to the traumatized Mindy, James softened before looking Cooper in the eye fiercely.
"You tell me right NOW everything that happened before I lay someone out."
"Proudly" extending an arm and reeling Mindy over protectively Cooper jerked his head towards Mark, "Fucker came at me after I broke it to him that we're coming with her in a couple days when she goes, and he tried to-" he took a second to catch his breath, "Tried to fucking hit me when BAM! She just" grabbing James's arm, Cooper demoed what Mindy did without actually hitting him, "JUST like that, Dad! She's a fucking animal she wouldn't let him touch me! Then he just" he panted, "rips her back by her hair and so I beat the fuck out of him."
Mark's nose did look significantly messed up and he was severely bleeding from the mouth from what James could decipher. He also did have claw-marks across his face, but he didn't know those were from Mindy.
"That doesn't explain what happened to Baby Doll" moving Mindy from Cooper he frowned while trying to look her in the eye, "Come on, Baby Doll look at me" she was being despondent.
"I don't blame her" Cooper shook his head and balled and relaxed a fist for a few moments, "Then he goes to fucking knock me out when she shoves me away quicker than anything I've ever fucking seen and takes the hit" with quivering lips he pointed to her, "THAT'S who I want you with! Marry HER! PLEASE!" Staring at Mindy in astonishment until she finally made eye contact, James frowned.
"Is that exactly how it went?" She sniffled and nodded silently, reaching and grabbing Cooper's hand.
"He saved me" she smiled at Cooper weakly, receiving a kiss on the top of the head.
"No" shaking his head and running his fingers through her hair, Cooper's voice dropped from a wad of spit lodged in his throat, "I didn't. He still fucking hit you, I didn't-" the kiss to his hand made everything quiet.
"I love you" she nodded to him with a smile as an enraged James tried to see her face again with a head shake.
"He really did a number on you…"
"And you're just gonna fucking let it go, right?" Cooper yelled at him, shoving him away from Mindy, which James didn't take very well. "He fucking hits her and you just LET IT GO! Like everything else he does! You just LET IT GO until he decides he wants to KNIFE HER one day! THEN what?"
"Cooper" Mindy gave him a look to quit while he was ahead while comforting a scared Connor, "Baby, please…"
"How much longer, Dad?" Cooper yelled loudly, "Obviously Mark doesn't give a good FUCK about any of us! We're your FAMILY, Dad! No matter what happens between you or anyone else you still have me and Connor! We matter more! What's better for US, Dad?"
"COOPER!" James yelled so fiercely Mindy backed away, staring at him like he was about to eat her head. "Until I straighten everything out YOU keep your god damn mouth shut!"
"You're an idiot!" Cooper shrieked, "A fucking idiot! You let that prick hit your girlfriend, that for us as a family was a GODSEND, and come after me too! He's sending a MESSAGE, Dad! And you let him get the fuck away with-"
"Don't you START with it, you hear me?"
"HE HIT HER! I'LL KILL HIM IN HIS SLEEP!" snagging his switchblade and grabbing Connor by the arm, a bleary-eyed Cooper stormed off before an agitated James could run after him. Taking a moment to regain himself he checked for Mindy, who shook her head and backed away from him in fear.
"Baby Doll…" he went to pull her close when she shook her head in fear and walked away. Great; now everyone hated him when he didn't even do anything. Swallowing hard he looked to the fence knowing what he should by every right do, but couldn't bring himself to do it. It was Mark. What was he gonna do, kill him? Surely it wasn't on purpose. Cooper must have aggravated him to the point that Mark went to calm him when Mindy got protective. Ripping out a cigarette and shaking his head he'd figure out a way to confront Mark without totally and completely killing him. In order to do that he had to cool off first.
…
Night fell. From the front window James watched Mindy walk alone quite slowly down the street…smoking? Following her out and quickly approaching from behind, he curled his fingers over her shoulders and kissed the bottom of her neck.
"You smoke?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, quite astonished with her. She shrugged. "You got another on you by any chance?" he could go for a cigarette himself, but she froze and shook her head.
"You might not want this." He furrowed his brow and wrapped an arm about her waist.
"Why?"
"Its crack" she knew how bad that sounded, "I don't do drugs…I drink a lot, but its girly stuff. I only do this every now and then"
"Why?" he asked sterner, ripping the crack cigarette out of her hand and throwing it to the ground, "That shit will fucking kill you, stop it." Pouting her lips, she stopped walking and stared at her feet until he lifted her chin to look him in the eye, and clearly he wasn't happy with her, "How long have you been doing this?" Feeling short of breath suddenly, she whimpered and dug her nails into his wrist, twitching violently for a moment before gagging and starting to breathe normally once more.
"Eight years" she shrugged, "I am not an addict. I jus' need to stay skinny."
"Why?" shaking his head he looked her over with a frown, "You're fucking beautiful even with that ugly black and blue below your eye"
"Courtesy of my lovely in-law" she snipped before looking at him once more, "I live in a VERY superficial-"
"You're fucking beautiful" he denounced whatever she was going to say, "That shit will only make you look worn and eventually kill you or my kids. Cooper had a severe problem with shit like this in the past…would you really want him to see you doing that?" Shamefully she shook her head. "Where do you get this shit anyway?" he highly doubted she went to a dealer.
"My-" she took a deep breath and placed her hands over his, "My manager."
"I think you need a new manager."
"But I can't gain weight, Jamie!" He smiled internally at 'Jamie'.
"Jamie?" he gave her a warm smile, touching her cheek endearingly. With a gulp she nodded.
"You're too sweet for James…" she frowned, "James makes you sound mean."
"It makes me sound mean?" he chuckled darkly, trying to understand the logic behind the nickname.
"Yes" she nodded stiffly, clinging to one of his arms and hugging him when he kissed her forehead.
"Well I want you to cut that shit out, you understand me?" he looked her in the eye and made sure she nodded, "The only person who's opinion matters is ME and I already love you…" he tapped her nose, "so cut that shit out, you understand?" She nodded, but then frowned.
"But I have to be skinny somehow. I eat a lot I'm Greek, I can't help it."
"Look," he rubbed the back of his neck unsurely, he hardly ever worked out he looked the way he did naturally, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but let me tell you," he smirked and grabbed her nose between his knuckles, "Sex burns a ton of calories."
"I dance too" she nodded while trying to get his hand off her nose, "I dance all the time on stage. And I ride my horse without a saddle all the time"
"Then there you go" removing the hand he beat himself up internally over that nasty mark below her eye, "Stop being paranoid and SMILE. It won't kill you." She giggled, licking her lips to moisten them quickly as he kissed her. "I don't want to see you upset anymore, alright?"
"But Cooper is sad" she nodded with a frown, "You really maded him sad when you did not go after Mark for trying to hurt him."
"He hit YOU; I would have killed him-"
"But you did not. You love him, I know, but Cooper was really disappointed in you. He's your baby you have to stand up for him."
"YOU did" touching her face reverently with a weak smile he pressed a hard kiss on her, "thank you."
"No thank me" shaking her head she glided her tongue along his lips and pulled him nearer, "I love you guys."
"Then you'll quit all that cocaine shit, you understand me?"
"It's in my bag, you can get rid of it, its okay" she nodded desperately, "I'll get a new manager, I promise! You can make sure of-"
"I trust you" running a hand through her hair and staring at the discarded cigarette again, he frowned, "I just don't get why you'd do that shit to yourself"
"Not like I have much longer to live anyway" she shrugged, alarming him, "I have something bad in my brain…only I am not allowed to know what it is because Glen says I am not allowed to know…but I know I can get rid of it before it is cancer if he gets me the surgery…but he will not let me have it so I'll be lucky if I get to be forty."
"I'll be getting you whatever you need done" holding her against him under an arm he kissed the top of her head, "Don't think twice." Nodding gently both arms circled his waist and her head snuggled into his chest.
"Thank you."
"I'm looking forward to living with you, you know that?" he asked gently, prompting her to smile and lifting her so both of her legs hooked around his waist, kissing and caressing her face and neck. While really savoring the taste of the inside of his mouth, she pulled back enough so she could simply run her tongue along his lips and breathe into his mouth.
"You know who you remind me of?" He furrowed his brow. "Patrick Bateman from American Psycho…" giggling she watched his eyes soften and he laughed a bit before leaning to kiss her again, "I love that movie" her little fingers traced his each and every facial feature yet again and she grinned, "You're so beautiful I wanna lick you all over"
"I'd like you to do that again too" he replied slyly before grinning as her tongue went up his cheek and all along his throat. Giggling coquettishly and nodding she pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose and a longer one on his mouth.
"If you let Mark know how mean he was to Cooper then I will" she nodded, knowing he didn't want to do that, "You HAVE to stand up to him, Jamie. I am not telling you to leave him, though I do love you SO much and I hate seeing him treat you like shit, but you HAVE to talk to him" she watched his face fall with a pout, "You do that I will be a very happy girl."
"And naturally I want to make you happy" he replied with raised eyebrows, pressing their foreheads together and kissing her again when both her hands pressed to his cheekbones solemnly, catching his attention.
"What's wrong, Baby Doll?" With trembling lips she shrugged.
"I wish I married YOU" trying to ignore the burning in her chest she looked him in the eye, "I didn't even have a real wedding you know. I had a BEAUTIFUL dress picked out and everything and then all of a sudden Glen finds out I'm pregnant and BOOM! No wedding for me. We sign a paper in secret and we're married" she balled a fist, "But I wanted a fucking wedding SO bad! And then you know what he does? He goes and gets my best friend pregnant before leaving me for a good fucking year so he could be with her when she lost the god damn baby anyway! He never even said he was sorry he just came back like it was nothing and looked at his four-month-old daughter for the first time ever."
"I always wondered what his head would look like on a stake…"
"You said you wanted a girl…" sniffling and touching his face she looked him in the eye, "what would you name her if you got to have a little girl?"
"Elizabeth…"
"That's" she smiled weakly and curled her lips in, "that's a pretty name. I like it a lot. I never named one of my babies." Looking to her left hand he noticed her ring finger was bare. "I love you, Jamie."