Asia & Lathan
"I never stopped thinking about you" Lathan stood in front of her, that cheeky smile on his face and his hands stroking her arms, giving her goose bumps "I can't believe you moved on"
"We've just decided that" she told him, unsure why she was justifying herself, "I have strong feelings for him"
"You have love for me, don't you?"
"You're Lathan's Dad, of course I have love for you, but…" she pushed him away "I'm with Grant now"
"Come on Asia, remember us?" he grabbed her hand, and pulled her into his chest, moving her around the room singing "Don't go, won't you wanna sleep with me tonight? you always have to say goodbye, but I need you to know, I want you close but baby don't leave tonight, baby don't leave tonight" he moved her side to side, trying to bring back old memories 'Stay The Night' by Kyle Dion the smell of drink on his breath never used to repulse her, but today she could think of nothing less repulsive
"Lath" she pulled away from him, "I'm with Grant now" she looked at him damning herself for looking into his eyes, this was hard, he was her first love, the father of her chid, suddenly she was stood there, realising she had a real, life changing decision to make
"That's temporary, right?" he pulled her back "Me and you forever, that's what we said"
"I can't deal with this right now" she pulled away from him, wondering why she hadn't said no
"I get that this is all a bit fast, I'm in town for a few days, you guys have something going on right now, I'll come back tomorrow morning, meet my son, make some plans"
"I need to speak to my parents"
"What those strangers out there, I know more about you than they do Asia, remember they're not your family, we agreed"
"You don't even know them" she spat at him angry at his words "I said all that before I knew them" she stood looking at him "I was a very different person back then Lathan"
Flashback
"Hey" he finally called to her, she'd noticed him days ago sitting on his broken down caddie outside her school, he'd slap hands with a lot of the guys and smile at the girls, but today he'd made his move
"Hey" she grinned hugging her books like they were gold
"What's your name?"
"Asia"
"Sounds kind of exotic and sexy" he raised his eyebrows, her ears perked up for that, he'd told her he found her attractive, she didn't know it until that second, but she liked it
"Can be" she snapped back, after that, a talk at his car, soon turned into a lift to near home, a drive out in the evening and before she knew it she was crying in his arms confiding in him about the revelations her parents had thrown at her
"Don't sweat that stuff, I'm here for you, I'll always be here" he wiped her wet face
"You will?"
"I will" he smiled down at her, she felt so secure she made the first move, she leaned in and kissed him for the first time "
I believe you"
"So, what do you want to do next?" he asked the next time they met
"I want to find those so called parents, and give them what for, I hate them for giving me up, they've destroyed my life, and I want to make their lives a living hell" she was angry now
"We'll do that together"
She remembered smiling at having an alloy, that evening she gave herself to him, it was perfect, she was finally with someone who loved her, even after knowing everything there was to know, and back then, to her, it felt like forever
End of Flashback
"Different how?" he looked at her frame "I guess you weren't this sexy, all mommy looking and shit" he laughed "We could go for hours on that look you're giving me now"
"Lath" she smiled
"I just turned 20, I'm planning on starting a life here, for a while anyway, get some money together, so we can…" he smiled walking back towards her "I'm going to make a go of things, I can feel it"
"College?" she asked surprised
"No" he laughed "I didn't finish school, you knew that" she stood wondering when he'd actually told her that
"I thought you were 17" she looked at him shocked
"I'm 20 Asia come on" he looked at her like she was the stupid one, and just like that everything came flooding back, everything she'd been through these past 8 months had exposed him to be a fraud
"Can we leave this until tomorrow?" she sighed, the need to be as far away from him as possible taking over her "My parents just got engaged and I'm hosting this party"
"Engaged?" he looked at her surprised "So the whole drama of them having another family?"
"I'm their only child, they've stayed single all these years, as I said, things are different"
"Okay" he smiled "I'll give you some space to think, I'll see you tomorrow, give me your number"
"You give me yours, I don't have my phone on me" she watched him write it down and hand it to her "Tomorrow" she looked at the number
"Tomorrow" he kissed her cheek and walked away, she followed him out the door, Asia looking around the room for Grant as they entered
"Lathan" she called to him, stopping him from walking out "Come meet your son"
"I'll meet him tomorrow" he smiled and walked out
The Party
"Seriously" Sam gasped, watching Mercy's eyes pop at the comment the boy had just made "I totally dislike that idiot"
"Me too" Mercy agreed
"Okay" Asia fanned for Grant to join her "As I was saying, the finale" she grabbed his hand "We already announced we were a couple now, so" she looked at her cousin and friends standing on stage now "To Mom and Dad" she announced nodding for the music to start, the two heading up a heartfelt version of 'That's How You Like It' by Beyoncé & Jay-Z all the way through Sam sat smiling at his girls being so much alike it was uncanny, being diva, different and belting their shit out while making every note count was something Mercy always strived to do in school, and in life, that was what had attracted him in the first place
"I love you guys" Asia told them at the end
"We love you too sweetheart" Mercy and Sam replied
"Sorry for the longer than expected interval, that's the end of the show" she addressed everyone "Thank you for watching, listening and joining in" she looked up at her parents, climbing off stage to get to their table "I need to go talk to Grant"
"We'll take Lathan, give you guys some space" Sam told her
"Sorry Grandma Jones had to pull some serious rank on Grant to get him for the night, if you want to go to battle, be my guest" she pointed at her Grandma
"No" Sam rolled his eyes "That's fine"
"Good call" Mercy laughed, searching the room for Lathan, and finding him resting on Grant's knee, that boy was so invested in that child, it was a sin to disrupt what they'd built in the few months they'd been together "What happened with Lathan?"
"He's passing by tomorrow to talk, I don't think I'm getting any sleep tonight" she looked over at Grant "He's so angry, and keeping it all in because Lathan is Little Man's Dad" she looked at her Mom
"Actually Asia, our present to you guys" he smiled at Mercy "We've set up an appointment for Monday at 10am, but things might change now"
"No, they won't, 10am Monday it is" she smiled "I've decided, I'm going to ask Grant to be in the meeting with Lathan tomorrow, let him know how serious we are"
"Okay" Sam nodded looking at Mercy, he didn't know if that was really a good idea
Grant & Asia
"Do you want to get out of here?" She asked him sitting on the empty chair next to him
"Yeah, Little Man's tired anyway" he looked down as him moving restlessly in his arms
"He's staying with Grandma Jones, she told me before the party" she pre-empted his question
"I wasn't going to ask, I think she told me before she told you, snapped at me actually" he smiled
"Come on" she got up, kissing Lathan before watching Grant carry him over to her Grandma
The walk back to the hotel was quiet, they got in the escalator and was forced to look at each other, squeezing a smile before the doors opened and they were stood in front of his room
"Mine?" he asked taking his key card out "You sure you want to do this tonight?"
"Yeah" she smiled, watching him open the door "We need to talk" She leaned on the closed door watching him walk across the hotel room
"Little Man's forgotten his favourite teddy" he picked it up off the bed, and walked towards the door
"He can do without it" she stopped him from leaving "We need to talk"
"What did he say?" he looked in her eyes "Are you going back to him?"
"He didn't say anything I wanted to hear, and no I'm not going back to him" she grabbed his top "But one thing I told myself I was going to do when I left that studio" she pulled him closer "Was tell you that I love and appreciate you" she kissed him "Hand me the world on a silver platter.." she smiled at him joining in
And what good would it be, with no one to share, with no one who truly cares for me
Some people want it all, but I don't want nothing at all, if it ain't you, baby, if I ain't got you, baby
'If I Ain't Got You' by Alicia Keys
"I don't know how you're feeling right now, but I'd like to get our plans for tonight, back on the agenda" he kissed her nose
"Fine by me" she grabbed his lips, letting him know tonight was definitely their night, the few words she'd had with Lathan only confirmed for her, she was choosing the right path
The Party
Drinks and chatter carried on through the night, the children retired way before the adults and soon Sam and Mercy were left catching up with their friends, new and old.
It was sad to hear that some of their old friends hadn't made it past 25 through various accidents and overdoes, that had been so much of their world back then, it was painful that they couldn't remember some of the faces they talked about
"Remember this?" Rachel jumped up asking with a laugh in her voice "Hello" she held an imaginary phone to her ear, asking Mercy, Mercy giggled, and carried the memory on
"I'm his only woman, his woman, and you can't break up this home, you can say what you want, this is my man, get your own, After all these years I spent, must have been close to ten, you can't mean the same to him especially when that's my man"
"Baby now that he's with you tell me why he calls me boo, guess he played you like a fool, I think he's lying to you" Rachel sang before they burst out laughing 'I'm His Only Woman' by Fantasia & Jennifer Hudson
"We were so diva" Mercy laughed
"She got worse" Tina told them
"At least she stayed Diva" Blaine looked at everyone "He was going to be a rock star"
"No" Jake laughed "The gentle giant?"
"She made me into a gentle giant" Sam hugged Mercy laughing
"When i met him he was dreaming being the lead guitarist in Aerosmith" Mercy laughed
"You looked at me like I was crazy" he laughed
"You were, they'd have been old men by the time you finished college" she giggled "You needed your own band" Jake and Sam shared a look, they knew this was her, as soon as anything called fun threatened, she was off, and now with the baby to fall back on, poor Artie didn't have a leg to stand on
"We'll catch up tomorrow after lunch" Artie told them bidding everyone goodnight
Eventually the crowd withered out, Mercy sat with her feet in Sam's lap getting a well-deserved rub as they dissected the evening, concluding it was a good night
"There's just this one thing" he left her feet and grabbed her hand "We need to put a date on this" he touched her engagement ring, trying to feel out when she might be ready for the next step
"We're doing alright as we are aren't we?" she smiled "Riding this out"
"Just had another sexy visual" he laughed, changing the subject "I was thinking maybe we could turn that present of yours into a stand" he smiled
"A stand?" she asked
"Yeah so you could just ease your leg up, rather than trying to climb up the sink all the time"
"I'm a little concerned Evans" she giggled "Why are we focusing on the bathroom when we talk about our sex life?"
"That question coming from a girl who's sex life started in a back alley full of trash bins, alfresco" he laughed "In case you hadn't noticed, it's the only place quiet enough in our house that we feel comfortable in, unless we've been drinking"
"I've noticed you get off looking in that damn mirror" she laughed
"It's this face" he stroked her chin "Sends me there every time" he looked into her eyes "Come on lets make tonight a great night, I made sure we booked a room on the other side of the hotel to the family" he grinned "And I really don't give a shit if there's a mirror in the bathroom"
Sunday
As planned Asia and Grant didn't get hardly a drop of sleep "Oh" she rubbed her eyes and looked again at Grant sitting in the chair playing with Lathan "Have you been to sleep yet?" she sat up asking
"About an hour" Grant smiled "He's been here for about 10 minutes, keeping me company"
"Sorry, I nodded off"
"Your grandparents dropped him off, thought you might need to see this little man's face this morning" he smiled at Lathan looking up at him
"Grant" she sat up in bed "Will you come with me later, to see Lathan I mean?"
"Do you really think that's a good idea, I'd be pissed if that was me?"
"He's going to be pissed anyway, we know what's going down"
"Don't write him off without a fair hearing, he's Lathan's Dad, we both know how not having a biological one feels"
"And we both had a pretty alright childhood" she reminded him "Please Grant, I just need your support"
"I'm going to be there, I just wanted you to think about it" he looked at Lathan chuckling on his lap
"Thank you" she got out of bed and walked across the room to kiss them, before finding the bathroom "How do I look?" she stood spinning around in her purple trouser suit
"Committed" he laughed, getting up to get downstairs for breakfast
Breakfast
"Have you called that boy yet?" Sam asked Asia, as soon as she sat next to him
"I was just about to" she kissed his cheek and picked Grant's phone up
"Who are you calling?" Grant stopped his conversation with his Dad to ask
"Lathan, I don't want him to have my number" she smiled grabbing his hand "Lathan" she responded when he answered, Sam ears jumped to attention, he and Grant sat listening to her making plans "Oh" she added at the end of the conversation "Grant's coming with us" and closed the call before he could answer
"Are you?" Sam asked him shocked
"She asked me to this morning" Grant told him "I didn't think it was a good idea but…"
"No" Sam stopped him "It's a sensible choice, first sign of anything going bad, just call me"
"Mom" Asia called looking beyond her Dad "Can we use your office at the studio?"
"Yeah, I'm heading there in a minute"
"I never knew you were working today" Sam looked at her
"I am now" she tapped a message into her phone "I need everyone on hand, just in case that boy starts something"
"Good call" he smiled, watching Asia and Grant get up, everyone was staying till late Sunday evening, obviously concerned with the pending meeting "I'll walk you across" he told Mercy seeing his opportunity to be there
"Everything alright?" Ryder asked
"Yeah" Sam told him "Back in a bit, just walking Mercy to work"
"So what's happening with Asia?" Ryder asked
"They're going to introduce Lathan to his Dad" Sam replied "We've got this" he assured him, Ryder sat watching them leave the dining room
The Studio
"Do those guys live here?" Sam asked at Mercy pushing the door open
"They live for music and this is where it's made" she laughed "We have some artists coming in this afternoon and later tonight" they all walked in and went straight to the office, they watched Asia getting wound up, Grant talking double fast trying to calm her down, smiling when he finally grabbed her hand and told her to breathe, that was their move, this boy had their girls back
"Channel it" Grant stood in front of her breathing "We always knew this day was coming, we've got this" he smiling when she started humming 'Some people think that the physical things, define what's within, and I've been there before, but that life's a bore, so full of the superficial..." she smiled up at him "You've got this, and I'm here" he kissed her lips lightly 'If I Ain't Got You' by Alicia Keys, Sam and Mercy stood watching they knew this feeling, the door knocking bringing them out of their thought and feelings "Come in" Grant called dropping his hands off Asia's face
"We'll leave you guys to it" Mercy dragged Sam with her, leaving the room when they saw Lathan standing there "They have a song" she looked back at Sam when they got to the studio door
"Is there a free studio?"
"Why?" she turned to look at him
"I have a song for you"
"What now?"
"This very second" he laughed
"Four" she stepped off to hear what he was saying
"It came to me this morning" he smiled "I have my muse back" he grabbed her hand
She stood watching him set up, she'd actually forgotten he was in the music business too, but more back stage, he had the talent to be up front and centre, she'd always known that but right now this minute, she was wondering why she wasn't pushing that for him "Sam" she stopped him moving about "Why have you never took your music any further?"
"I lost the will to sing, when I lost you and the baby, but you're back now, and I'm writing my feelings again, I wrote this in a night"
"Why?"
"I just told you, my feelings, and I need you to hear them" he sat at the piano and started singing her 'If You're Tired' by Connor Duermit
Don't go questioning my patience, I've been here for a while, and I ain't giving up now
You're in no need of saving, it's been clear you can fly, you just don't know how
When that fear comes around, knocks you down, telling you that you won't soar
You should know, that that voice, that voice ain't true
If you're tired, lay your head down, on my pillow, when the morning comes, we'll get up and try again
If you're tired, lay your head down, on my pillow, I'll be here my love, until your wings can mend
What a holy mess that we're making, pour it up, drink it down, here's a toast to you
And all the world says that we're crazy, but how can they see your dreams, until you make them true
With your feet off the ground, floating now, I know you fell before, but you know, know that I'm, always here for you
If you're tired, lay your head down, on my pillow...
"What was that?" Sam jumped up, both of them heading to the door
Asia, Lathan & Grant
"Hi" Lathan stood at the door sizing Grant up "Thanks for meeting me" he looked at Asia
"Hi" Asia and Grant said at the same time, looking at each other for a second, Grant nodding for her to go talk to him
"So" Lathan looked around "I don't mean to be funny Asia, but what do you need him in here for?" he nodded at Grant
"He's supporting me, and I just want you to know this is about a relationship between Lathan and you, not us" she looked at their son asleep in his stroller "My life's taken a different path, we have a future" she looked back at Grant
"And we don't?" Lathan asked, "We talked about one, what happened?"
"I'm with Grant now" she looked at Grant again, he bent down to pay the stroller attention, no way was he getting into anything with this guy "I want to be with Grant, that's what happened, and as I said this is about Lathan, we have no intention of stopping you from being his Father"
"But every intention of stopping us being a family" he snapped enough for Grant to look up at him
"Do you want to see Lathan?" she asked walking back to get him out his stroller "He'll be alright to wake up"
"No" Lathan stopped her from picking the child up "Let him sleep" Grant and Asia looked at each other, they'd already noticed his dismissal of Lathan last night and now the man had done it again "I came back to make things right with you Asia, I miss you"
"What do you need to make right other than being a father to Lathan?"
"I promised back then I'd be there forever, and as soon as things got serious for me, I ran, I've had time to think about things, to reflect on my actions and I came back" he smiled "I figured, your biologicals can look after the boy, and we can start again, you loved my random, we can be that again" he held his hand out
"So, your parents never sent you away?" Asia ask rolling her eyes, trying to understand what this guy was actually telling her without using the actual words "You told me your parents were sending you away because I was pregnant with Lathan" she reminded him
"Is that what I said, or what you think you heard"
"What I think I heard?" she gasped
"You know, like when you thought you heard that I was sleeping with your friend Clara, or when you thought you heard I was in a four year relationship with Julia, come on Asia, my parents don't even know I have a kid"
"They don't?" she looked around the room "Is that why you don't want to meet Lathan, because you don't want a relationship with him?"
"Your new parents can keep him, we'll pass by"
She looked at him disgusted "You know what, I'm not even surprised, I always knew you were too strong headed to be doing what your parents said" she smiled, looking back at Grant, he was holding Lathan now "Do you want a relationship with your son?"
"Asia…"
"It's a simple yes or no question Lathan" she interrupted him, she was mad
"No" he looked into her eyes "But I want you Asia, I really want you, I love you, I just didn't know how much until now"
"That so sucks for you" she chuckled at the ridiculous of this guy "Because from the minute he was born, we became as a package" she hissed "And people who love me, knew that before he was even here" she smiled at him "So" she looked at this person in front of her, shocked at how quickly love had turned into hate "I want you to hear this" she looked into his eyes "I don't ever want to see you again, do you hear?" she looked at him, she was shaking with temper "Get out" she screamed at him, making Lathan cry. Grant was rocking the child trying to comfort him, Lathan seemed stuck to the spot, trying to take in what was happening, his face full of disbelief "Get out" she screamed again, he jumped at the sound
"I think you need to go" Grant finally spoke unable to settle Lathan, he could see the man wanted to react, but the door burst open and Sam and Mercy were stood at it
"What's happened?" Mercy rushed towards her daughter
"I think you need to leave" Grant told Lathan again, getting up with Lathan still in his arms, watching as Mercy calmed Asia down
Sam saw the guy all the way to the front door and out into the street, slamming the door behind him before retuning to the office "What happened?" he walked in asking, shutting the door behind him. They sat listening to Asia and Grant relay the conversation, Asia finally broke and started crying before the Asia, Grant and Lathan made their way back to the hotel to be with their family another chapter in her life closed.
"Did you see him calm her down" Sam snapped "He's having sex with my daughter"
"Oh, but it's romantic sex" she pinched his cheeks teasing "We'll need to check there's a mirror in her bathroom"
"I'm glad you think this is funny" he snapped at her
"Lighten up old man, baby girls grow up, I did" she giggled "And look at the fun your having because of that" she tiptoed to kiss his lips "Let's get some work in" she opened the door, and went to studio one, smiling at hearing Sam's gasp when he saw Trey Songz stood in the booth instructing people. The man quickly waved at Mercy and carried on with his work, he'd learned over time, if nothing else artists were hard working and serious about their art, he nodded and sat down to complete his inner meltdown at his daughter having sex with someone.
Monday
"We did it" Asia laughed waving the paper around with her newly registered name "Mercedes Samantha Jones-Evans" she giggled "It's official"
"And our Grandson Lathan Sam Jones-Evans" Sam joined in the merriment waved his grandson's official paperwork in the air too
"I'm still calling you Asia" Mercy giggled "Your Dad called me Mercy, my stage name is Cedes, there are no other variations on that name"
"Asia's fine, I don't want to go around explaining our business to everyone anyway" she laughed "Call it a pet name" she confirmed "So, Mom" she got her attention again "When are you going to make things official?" the look she gave her Dad was a dead giveaway they'd planned the conversation
"I really don't know, Alex is getting ready for his first tour in January, I've got to be there for that, I'm trying to scratch out another hit single, with only half the tune and a line of words I need to get a handle on that" she looked at her daughter "We could be talking a couple of years"
"She's joking" Sam laughed looking at Mercy "You are aren't you?"
"I wasn't, no"
"Mercy" Sam moaned
"Dad I've got it all in hand, by my calculations we've got a four week window, we know who the guests are, between the Nan's and me, we'll get it sorted" she turned to her Mom "What's your colour preference?"
"Seriously" Mercy stood with hand on hip "You really think you're going to plan my damn wedding for me?"
"I think I'm planning a wedding, and yes it's for you, so either you can jump in and help or you can find any and everything else to do, and just turn up on the day, which ever you choose, it's happening on the…" she looked at her Dad
"The 19th of next month" he smiled at his daughter, happy Mercy wasn't protesting too much right now
"On the 19th" Asia told her, with all the attitude Mercy was used to delivering herself
"It's not happening, and don't plan it, because I won't be forced into marriage"
"Forced into marriage" Sam gasped "You already said yes"
"In my time" she turned to him, her eyes telling him she wasn't going to be moved
"Asia" he rolled his eyes "Leave it to your Mom" he knew he was fighting a losing battle with this one, plus there was no way he was about to drag his bride down the aisle. "We've got Jake's renewal ceremony at Christmas anyway, it's a bit close" he grabbed Mercy around the waist "Two years is too long" he whispered in her ear
"That's negotiable" she smiled at him, before she carried on pushing the stroller, they dropped Lathan off at nursery, Asia and Grant off to school and went off about their day