Thank you once again for the reviews..I'll be posting more updates on this than Imperfect Match, cause I got more done on this story, my Taker and Scott muse are being demanding,lol.
August 2000
"Cody be careful now."
Maddy just looked at Cody and winked and he winked back smiling. He was sitting on the couch holding Bella, a now fat , happy smiling three month old.
Cody was always careful with Bella. He adored her and Maddy figured she had been right when she told Cody, Bella would recognize his voice, she adored Cody, and always had a happy smile for him.
Mark had stayed the first few weeks and he visited Bella frequently, he was a wonderful daddy. Him and Sara had been married last month and Maddy and Bella had attended and Maddy had been Sara's maid of honor, although Sara had been acting a little weird, something was off with her.
On the outside everything seemed perfectly happy, and for the most part it was, but Mark still fought his attraction and jealousy of Maddy, he hated when he would come around and find Kevin parked here.
Mark got up and followed Maddy in the kitchen. "You sure he's not going to drop Bella?"
She poured Mark a cup of coffee. "I'm sure, okay, Cody is wonderful with Bella and very careful, its not like I let him baby sit, he just likes to hold her and she adores him."
"Sorry." He said knowing she was right.
"It's okay, you're just being a overprotective daddy." She said grinning.
They walked back into the living room, where Cody was reading to Bella who watched him with rapt attention.
Maddy smiled at her beautiful daughter, her curly auburn hair got longer and curlier by the minute, she looked like an angel.
Maddy looked at Mark who watched their daughter with the same rapt attention. "I cant get used to that monstrousness tattoo on your neck, that shit must have hurt like hell."
Mark shrugged. "Yeah like a bitch, but it was her wedding present."
Maddy nodded, he had Bella's name inked on the other side of his chest along with a red headed angel. Maddy had went recently to have Bella's name inked on her arm.
They sat down on the sofa keeping a eye on Cody and the baby. "So how are things, why didn't she come with you?"
"She's been at home, she's a little tired of traveling, she's taking a break, but things are great." Mark said.
"Well good, I'm glad." Cody finished the little board book and he looked at Mark. "You want to hold her?"
Mark smiled and got up and went and lifted his daughter, who started wailing. "Whats wrong with her?"
Maddy laughed. "You took her from her best friend over there, she does me the same way sometimes."
Cody got in front of Mark so Bella could see him. "I'm right here little girl." Cody said smiling at her.
She stopped crying and smiled back.
Mark just shook his head. "Why don't you two take her outside for some fresh air, since I got the two of you here today, I'm taking a little nap. Mark get me up if she wants to eat."
Mark nodded and Cody followed them out the back door.
Maddy went by Cassidy's bedroom, she had put the little girl down for a nap a bit earlier, she was still sound asleep.
Maddy lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, she stay tired these days, Bella kept her going and breastfeeding seemed to drain her energy. She napped whenever she had a chance, Bella hadn't really got she was supposed to sleep through the night.
Maddy thought about the last three months, she missed Scott like crazy, she had heard through the wrestling grapevine, that he had gotten into trouble over there, excessive drinking and partying and he had a few run ins with the law.
He called her often though and never mentioned trouble, he was coming home next week and she was glad, not so much for her sake but Cass and Cody missed him terrible. Dana was getting remarried and Cody was not happy at all. He had been spending a lot of time at Maddy's and Dana let him, because he seemed happiest here.
Dana deserved some happiness though and Maddy didn't hold that against her, Cody was a child, he didn't understand things, he would some day, but now he was angry with Dana.
She just hoped Scott would hang around for a while, she told him, he could stay with her, since he hadn't bought him a new place, when him and Dana had split up.
Maddy prayed he had sowed whatever wild oats he had and was ready to come home to stay.
Mark carried his fussing baby into to Maddy's room, he hated to bother her, but he didn't have the right equipment to feed her and Maddy refused to bottle feed her. "Maddy darlin' wake up." He said sitting down beside her.
Maddy opened her eyes and held out her arms for the baby. Mark watched as she pulled her shirt off and laid the baby beside her, Belle latched onto her like a leach and all Mark could hear was his greedy daughter gulping her meal. "Mark hand me one of those nursing towels over there, or the other one is going to leak all over the place.
Mark got up and brought her one of the small towels and watched her press it to her other breast.
They were laying in the middle of the bed and Mark eased down beside her , he missed to many moments like this, working all the time. Maddy looked at him and smiled. "She's greedy."
Mark laughed. "I don't blame her." He said smirking at her. Bella started fussing and Maddy flipped over and put her on the other breast. Mark scooted behind Maddy and wrapped her arm around her. "Where's Cody?"
"He fell asleep watching TV in the living room, I covered him up and brought Bella up here."
Maddy nodded sleepily and Mark stroked her back. "Go on back to sleep Maddy, I'll put Bella in her crib when she's done, she's half asleep anyway. "Thanks Mark." She murmured sleepily.
Mark watched as his two girls fell asleep and he smiled and got up lifting Bella in his arms he kissed her cheek and took her across the hall to her room and laid her in the crib, he stood there for a while watching her sleep peacefully.
He worried about Maddy having to take care of Bella by herself, he knew that Dana was around a lot, but she needed someone, hell even if him and Maddy was together it wouldn't help, he was working all the time.
Mark walked back over to Maddy's bedroom and slid in the bed beside her , he pulled a light cover over her and pulled her close to him, he smiled as she snuggled closer, he had worried for a while that him being married would make Maddy push him away, but she hadn't, they were still close and he wanted to make sure it always stayed that way.
Mark awoke to Cassidy poking him. "Mark I hwungry."
Mark turned over and lifted the girl beside him. "What do you want Princess?"
Cassidy grinned. "I want candy."
Mark laughed and tickled her. "I don't think so, c'mon, we'll start some dinner."
Mark picked the girl up and stopped to check on Bella, who was still sleeping soundly and they headed down to the kitchen. Mark decided on hamburgers and went out to turn on the grill. When he went back in the kitchen Cody had come in rubbing his eyes. "Where's Bella and Maddy?'
"Still asleep, you want some juice?" Cody nodded and sat down and took the juice Mark handed him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Mark said and took some fries from the freezer.
Cassidy was playing with her coloring book and Cody walked over to Mark. "My daddy will be home next week, I miss him."
Mark dumped some fries on a pan and set them aside. "I know big guy, he's working, I bet he misses you like crazy."
Cody nodded. "He said he did, he is staying with Maddy since Robert moved in with Mommy, their getting married."
Mark looked at the boy. "You like him?"
Cody shrugged. "He's okay, but I like daddy better."
Mark smiled and pulled the boy in a hug. "Of course you do, he's your dad, but I bet Robert nice huh?"
Cody reluctantly nodded. "He takes us to the park and he helps me with my homework."
"Well he sounds pretty nice." Mark said lifting Cody to sit on the counter. "He's not my daddy, even if he marries mommy." he said crossing his arms.
"Of course not, you got one daddy, Scott's your daddy." Mark said feeling for the boy, he hope Bella never felt confused like this cause him and Maddy weren't together.
Cody hugged Mark. "I love you Mark, I wish you lived with Maddy."
Mark smiled. "hey, I see you all the time, you know I come to see you all the time." Mark said patting the boys back.
"Not just Bella?" Cody asked looking up at Mark. "Come on boy, you know I love you, I come to see you and Cass and Maddy and Bella, I love all of you."
Cody nodded and lay his head against Mark. Scott needed to get his ass home to his kids, Mark knew that Cody missed his dad like crazy, there was no excuse for him staying gone for three months.
"C'mon little man, you can help me fix the burgers." Mark told Cassidy to stay put and he took Cody out to help him.
Cassidy looked up and smiled when Maddy came in holding the baby. "Hey Bella." Cassidy said smiling.
Maddy bent to kiss her and held the baby so Cassidy could give her a kiss. "Where the guys at?"
"Cooking." Cass said and went back to coloring.
Maddy walked out to the deck to see Mark letting Cody carefully put the hamburgers on. "I wondered where my two favorite guys got too."
Mark smiled at her and then smiled at his daughter. "Hey baby girl."
Bella grinned and cooed at her daddy.
Cody finished and ran over. "You have a good nap Maddy?"
"Yes little man, I did,"
Cody tickled Bella's foot and her smile grew even wider. "Hey Bella." he said and she smiled down at him.
Maddy handed Bella to Mark and he lifted her in the air causing her to grin. "Daddy loves his baby." Mark said pulling her close to kiss her.
Maddy smiled, it made her happy to see Mark with Bella, he loved her so much. She just hoped they always stayed so close.
That night after the kids were in bed Mark and Maddy were relaxing on the couch watching TV. "Maddy I have to leave tomorrow, I had a week off, I want to spend the last couple of days with Sara."
Maddy nodded. "I understand Mark, I don't expect you to spend all your time here."
Mark sighed, he felt pulled between Sara and his daughter, he loved Sara, but he wanted to be with Bella every chance he had. "Mark you're not superman, you need to be with your wife, I understand that, you're a good daddy and Bella knows you and loves you."
Mark took her hand and kissed it. "Maddy will you come out to Texas and spend a few days at Christmas, I don't want to miss her first Christmas, I could ask Sara to come here and she would, but I would really like Bella to be in my home on Christmas."
"Of course we will, no problem." Maddy said hugging him. "Thanks Maddy, you're great ya know that."
"Yeah I know." she teased. Mark pulled her on his lap and they they watched the movie he had switched on. Maddy was as happy as she could be without Scott, she had Bella and that was enough, It would have to be, for now.
Maddy waited till Mark had been gone a couple of days and called him to make sure he was back at work. She was worried about Sara , after Bella's birth, Sara had started distancing herself from Maddy and Bella, after a month, she stopped coming with Mark to see Bella and when Maddy asked, she always got Sara was tired or just any kind of excuse.
Maddy felt bad, she really liked Sara, she also was still attracted to Mark, she probably always would be, she realized her and Mark were a little touchy feely, maybe that had pissed Sara off, she just wasn't sure what was going on, but she was going to find out.
Maddy dropped off Cassidy and Cody with Dana." "I'll be back before Scott gets home."
Dana nodded as she played with Bella. "Okay, just be careful, call me when you get there."
Maddy nodded and smiled even Dana was becoming a mother hen these days. "C'mon Bella we're going on our first plane ride little girl."
Maddy pulled the rental up in front of Mark's house, she had been here for the wedding and it was beautiful place. Maddy jumped out and got Bella out of her car seat and grabbed the diaper bag and headed up to the front door, she rang the door bell and waited. Sara opened the door looking shocked to see her. "Maddy what are you doing here?" She asked clearly surprised. "Mark is at work."
Maddy smiled. "We didn't come to see Mark , we came to see you." and with that Maddy placed Bella in Sara's arms giving her no choice but to take her.
Maddy noticed she looked confused. Something was eating her but what. Sara shut the door and followed after Maddy. "I'll fix some coffee." Sara said trying to hand the baby back to her.
"I'll do it." Maddy said breezing in the large kitchen. "So Mark says you been staying at home, tired of traveling ?" Maddy asked as she fixed the coffee.
Maddy turned and noticed Sara had actually sat down with Bella was smiling at her and talking to her.
Sara looked up. "Why did you come here Maddy?"
Maddy sat down. "Cause I thought we were friends, you're Bella's stepmother and you never see her, I want to know whats wrong, have I done something. We seen you for a hour at the wedding and that was it, whats wrong?"
Sara looked down at the baby. "Maddy Bella belongs to you and Mark, when I tag along for a visit, I feel like I'm a outsider, like I'm distracting him from his daughter."
Maddy got up pouring them both and coffee and Sara got up and put the sleeping baby in her carrier.
They both sat back down and Maddy looked at her. "Sara you're married to her daddy, you're her stepmother, someday, I'll be sending her here to visit Mark and you'll be the one taking care of her, I want you two to be close, I want her to love you and trust you, if you never see her thats not going to happen, you're not a outsider, you're her family too." Maddy said.
Sara sighed. "Maddy I love you and I love Bella, its just I feel like I'm not needed, you're her mother, Mark's her father, thats leaves me out here somewhere..I don't know."
"Sara is this about me and Mark, I mean I know me and him can be kinda well..you know..." Maddy sighed trying to get her thoughts straight.
"You want to know if I'm jealous because he touches and you and kisses you all the time, and sleeps in the bed with you when he visits?"
Maddy looked down at her coffee, she didn't want to hurt Sara, she never did, yeah she was attracted to Mark, but she controlled it.
"Maddy I cant lie, sometimes it gets to me, but then Mark tells me he loves me and I know he means it, when he makes love to me, I know he's not faking it, we talk about having children and I know he really wants kids with me, so I know he isn't sleeping with you, he's the type of guy that would tell me if he was."
Maddy felt bad, she loved Mark dearly and he finally found someone he could love and have a nice life with and she was causing problems."I'm sorry Sara..truthfully, I'm attracted to him, I love him, he's my best friend, I should let him go but I cant."
"I don't expect you to let him go, Mark doesn't want you to let him go, as much as you feel for him thats what he feels for you, I never believed a person could be in love with two people, but now I do, he loves you, I've accepted it because I know he loves me too." Sara said.
Sara got up and poured more coffee. "Maddy why didn't you marry him, when he asked you all those years ago?"
Maddy looked at Sara. "As much I love Mark, and I do, took me years of wrapping it in friendship to accept my feelings for him, I love Scott more than I could love any man, I couldn't let go of that, I still can't , Mark deserved a woman who would love him, the way I love Scott with their whole being, and he found that in you, you must love him, if you put up with me, knowing how I feel about him."
Maddy only hoped she had done the right thing by coming down here to clear the air between them.
