Ch. 89
There was plenty of confusion among the Duval men as they climbed into a cab and made their way to the police station. None of them were, thankfully, clear on the protocol for confronting the person responsible for a hit and run, but calling them all in seemed a bit odd to everyone, Nick included.
"I don't know, you guys, he just asked if you were still here and said I should bring you along. Maybe he thinks I'll need the moral support or something? Maybe…I don't know!" Nick said as they pulled up outside the building.
Nick approached a female in uniform at the front desk and said he was there to meet with Mr. Smythe, which, despite the gravity of the situation, nearly made him laugh. Mr. Smythe…so formal, when he knew the real Sebastian was a goof….at least when he wasn't at work. He grinned anyway.
When Sebastian walked out into the hall and joined their little group, he didn't look like he was grinning. On the contrary, he looked resigned and somewhat angry…on their behalf? Nick wondered. He also looked very "in charge" of the situation, and those around him gave him a wide berth as he walked through the station toward the assembled Duvals.
"Guys….I'm glad you all came. Listen, this is…I don't know how to say this, so I'm going to be straight forward with it, ok? Hunter and I were out last night and we came home around 2 am or so. When we walked around the corner of the building, I saw Jeff leaving and I said something, but he didn't hear me. He looked like he as in a hurry, and more than that, he looked really upset. Again, I yelled out, but he was too far away to hear me, I guess. Then I started thinking about …well, I know it hasn't been easy for you guys, what with your dad and all that. When he looked over his shoulder for the 4th time in nearly as many steps, I honestly thought something might be wrong, so I jumped in my car with Hunter and we went after him. It wasn't until Hunter mentioned it that it struck me as odd: Why in the world would he be out walking alone the day after his wedding at 2 a.m.?
So, we set off down the street and I had planned to offer him a ride to wherever he needed to be, but he jumped in a cab and took off. At that point, Hunter noticed that another car sped off after them and we couldn't be sure it was following that particular cab, but I was intent on checking it out. Call me crazy, but something was off, so I followed him. He got out of the cab in Flatbush, went inside a shithole diner and started talking to a young girl, which we now know was Bailey. From what I could tell, she looked terrified when the cab, that Jeff had apparently asked to wait, took off…without them. They dropped back down in a booth and talked for a little bit. Jeff looked tense and Bailey…well, she kept her back to the window, so I don't know what she was thinking, but Jeff…you could tell he wasn't comfortable.
So they got up to leave, walked down about a block and as I pulled out to follow, a car parked up ahead of me on the street pulled out as well, blocking my way. Only a split second passed before that car gunned the engine and….uh…." Sebastian paused at the agonized look on Nick's face and he realized, in his quest to get the information across, he hadn't sugar coated it at all, and basically just informed Nick that it wasn't a drunk that hit his husband, but a deliberate attempt on his life. He saw the minute it clicked in Nick's mind and he immediately felt badly for blurting it out that way.
"So what are you saying? Seb…what?…someone hit them on purpose? But you….I mean, they were just walking. Could it have been a drug thing gone wrong… mistaken identity or…?" Nick managed to say.
"Nick…." Sebastian said, eyes sad and wanting anything in the world to happen so he could get out of telling Nick about the next part of the story. "Look, I saw it all happen. Your sister… she was tucked in tightly under his arm and it was her that saw the car coming and screamed. Jeff immediately shoved her out of the way or she'd have been…." He paused, glancing down at the floor and biting his lip, choosing his words carefully. "It would have been so much worse for her. I'd venture to say Jeff saved her life, in all honestly. Hunter feels the same. Anyway, it was evident Jeff needed help, and Hunter nearly jumped from my car while it was still moving, screaming at me to get the driver, so I followed him and called for backup. He was stopped about 6 blocks away and brought in. I have to tell you, he wasn't at all fazed by the turn of events…even seemed proud of himself. But Nick…." Sebastian paused again, eyeing Nick's brothers who were now stern faced and serious, a sight to behold as they stood behind their brother, angry on his behalf and that of their sister and new brother in law.
"So, ok, you picked up the driver. Was he drunk? What…?" Nick began, but it was then, as if something dawned on him all at once, the reason all of his brothers were standing behind him…the reason Sebastian had asked them to come to the station to begin with. Did he say the guy seemed proud of himself? Little by little the reality kicked in. Who would want to purposely hurt Jeff? Beautiful, smart, kind and loving Jeff…who would want to hurt him? "No….Sebastian….."
"Nick, I don't even have words, man….I'm sorry." Sebastian said, his mouth a firm line. "He doesn't know it was Bailey with Jeff. He has no idea, no remorse. He thinks Jeff was, and I quote, "fucking some whore on the side", cheating on you. I don't know what to say, other than I'm sorry, man."
"I want to see him. Now." Alex said behind Nick. Clearly Alex knew, and the tone of his voice was deadly. Robby and Danny shot him a look, not aware yet that their own father was at fault, but when Steven said "Surely not…he wouldn't stoop so low as to….no, Nick…not Dad?" They understood, and Sebastian was at a loss for words. The tone of the group standing before him had gone murderous and he was, all at once, fearful for Nick's dad.
"I have him in an interrogation room, and he seems…unhinged, Nick. He's talking freely as if he's unaware it's all gonna come back to bite him in the ass. He asked for his lawyer, but he keeps rambling. I think he's…he's proud of what he's done." Sebastian said, and his look was almost sheepish for having to impart that information. "He's not leaving here, Nick. I'll keep him locked up if it's the last thing I do. I witnessed it happen and I have his statement. He's basically admitted to it, and even if his mental state is unravelling, he's proud of himself. I just thought you should know."
"Yeah…I…yeah." Nick said with little feeling. His entire body had gone ice cold when he realized what Sebastian was telling him. "He tried to kill my husband…" he said, his voice calm and quiet. "And he could have killed my sister in the process….Jesus…." Alex squeezed his arm in support and Robby guided him to a chair.
"I want to speak with him, if that's possible?" Alex asked. Sebastian nodded.
"I'll go…Alex…I'll…." Nick tried, but Alex just shook his head.
"No, I don't think that's wise. In fact, I don't want you anywhere near him. Let me, Nick. Just…let me speak with him. This will be the last time. He's not my father…he's not even a man…and he's not worth our time and effort." Alex said, glancing at his four brothers to gauge their thoughts. It wasn't hard to see they all agreed. He nodded then, following Sebastian down a hallway. The brothers sat down with Nick who busied himself staring at the linoleum flooring, tears of anger and frustration pooling in his eyes.
Alex paused outside the door of a small interrogation room and watched his father sit quietly, a look of satisfaction on his face and a sneer at the officer standing near the door. When Sebastian opened the door and stepped inside with Alex, David made to stand before realizing he was cuffed to the chair.
"Let me out of these damn things! My son is here to get me." He said angrily.
"Sit down, Duval." Sebastian said, his voice leaving no option for kindness. "He's not here to get you, but I have a pretty good idea of why he came."
"Alex, have you spoken with my lawyer?" David asked.
"No…No David, and I won't be doing that for you…or anything else…for you…anymore." Alex stated firmly.
"David? Since when do you call me 'David', boy?"
"Since you're nothing to me…you're not my father…you're nothing to us anymore. Do you realize what you've done? Do you have ANY idea, old man?"
"Don't you dare speak to me that way, boy. I'll have you—"
"What? You'll have me what? Run over? Killed? Threatened?!" Alex boomed. "What the fuck were you thinking?! You ignorant ass, you nearly killed Jeff! He's lying in the ICU clinging to his life while Nick…your SON…your own flesh and blood, is dying inside, so hurt, so destroyed that his husband, his lover, and the very light of his life is barely hanging on! What gives you the right? I hope you rot in hell, you bastard! You are no longer my father…no more, David. I'm cutting all ties with you, and the others are as well. When mom finds out what you've done, you better hold on to your ass because she's going to go postal, and holy shit, I hope I'm around to see it!" Alex roared.
Seb fought the urge to grin. This was fantastic. David's face was blotchy and red and he looked apoplectic.
"He got what was coming to him, that little, gold digging son of a bitch!" David yelled, his eyes bugging out. "He was cheating on Nick! One day, they were married, Alex. ONE DAY, and he was out meeting some fucking whore in Flatbush, snuggled up all cozy and sickening! I did Nick a favor!"
Alex chucked then, and shook his head.
"You're so ignorant…so fucking STUPID! Do you know…do you have any idea who Jeff was with last night, DAD? Any idea? Let me give you a hint…" Alex said, pulling out his cell phone and searching for the photo he'd taken with Bailey at the wedding. When he turned his phone to show David, the man's face went ashen.
"My Bailey…what's….she's…why's she so thin? She's lost so much weight! And what has she done with her beautiful hair? Those streaks in it make her look like a—" David began, but then ground to a halt, his words drying up in his throat, recalling what Alex had said. "No, it wasn't. It couldn't have been, Alex, and you're a damn liar!" He boomed. Alex shook his head again.
"Here's what happened, David, and I'm only going to say this once, so sit your ass back and listen. Your son, Nick, my brother, whom I dearly love, has found someone who makes him happier than I've ever seen him in all his life. He laughs now, he smiles more than anyone I know, he's head over heels in love. You…you have seen fit to make him miserable at every turn. He didn't want to go to Harvard, but you insisted, so he did it…for you. He didn't want to work for you, and you knew it, but he did so out of a feeling of obligation and that boy worked his fucking ass off for you! He made you so god damned much money…and he did it to make you proud of him. But it was too much, so he moved here to get some distance, but still…he made you a rich man, and this….this, you mother fucker, this is how you repay him? You've threatened Jeff, tried to bribe him, run him off, burned down his apartment complex, vandalized his mother's property, cost him his job and I'm sure there are countless other things, yet…all this time, Jeff has come back to Nick. Despite you. Because he loves him, David. He loves Nick with his whole heart, and it's a good heart, make no mistake."
"He's a damn good man…talented, kind, compassionate and just a damn good soul, ya know? In fact…because you've accused him of only wanting Nick for his money, when he proposed to Nick, he demanded Nick sign a pre-nup guaranteeing he got nothing in the event that they split up. Not a penny…and you know Nick, he argued and balked over it, but Jeff wouldn't hear of it. He stood firm in his beliefs. He doesn't want his money, dad….he couldn't care less. The reason he wasn't home with Nick is because Nick tried to slip one past him and put a good deal of money in Jeff's bank account, just because he wanted him to have it and he could. Jeff went a little nuts, and instead of coming home and getting into a fight with Nick in front of all of us, he went to a friend's place to talk it out, weigh his feelings."
"He was there when he got a frantic call from Bailey that she was in Flatbush, scared and lost, and he got up in the middle of the night to go get her and bring her home safely. And in the process…you tried to kill him…and your own daughter at the same time." Alex huffed out a mirthless laugh and shook his head. "You nearly killed your own daughter, you idiot!" He bellowed. "My sister, who has lost all this weight because she misses her father, who up and left her without so much as a 'see you soon', is laying in a hospital bed in pain because of YOU, you sick son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Bailey….my….is she…is she alright?"
"I don't owe you that information. But I'll tell you this: If not for Jeff shoving her out of the way of YOU and YOUR CAR, she'd probably already be dead, and it would be on YOUR hands, you fool! YOURS! The boy you've endlessly tormented and harassed saved your daughter's life, for now, and probably at the cost of his own. Without a second thought, he put himself in harm's way and tried to save her. How's that sit with you, old man? You can rot in a cell and think about it and hope and pray you haven't done something that will kill your own flesh and blood." Alex said harshly, standing from the chair he'd been sitting in and hearing it crash to the floor behind him. Let David think she's worse off, he thought. Let him wait and wonder and suffer. "As of this moment, here, now, tonight, you are dead to us…every one of us. You stay away, do you hear me? You're damn lucky I didn't send Nick in here or you'd be in pieces by now."
"You don't speak for—" David began, but Alex cut him off.
"As the oldest son, and current patriarch of this family, I assure you, I do damn well speak for each and every one of us when I say you can sit in a cell and rot until you are no longer a burden to the tax payers. May God have mercy on your soul." Alex stated firmly, then turned and walked out the door.
Sebastian eyed David, ashen and pale now as he considered what he'd heard, and raised an eyebrow at the officer in the room.
"I'll just leave you to ponder that for a little bit." Sebastian said, giving David a half-hearted smirk before leaving the room as well.
"C'mon Jeff, I know you're in there, man. Talk to me….just open your eyes and tell me what's going on in there." Blaine said softly, sitting with Kurt next to him and watching every miniscule movement in the room, hoping it would be Jeff moving soon. Now would be great….although, it crossed his mind that he would rather Nick was there when Jeff woke up. When…not if. He wouldn't have it any other way. He held Jeff's uninjured left hand in his right hand, and secured Kurt's hand in his left. It felt right….whole. He needed these two in his life more than anything, and he wasn't willing to let go of either; his lover and his best friend, the two most important people in his world that weren't related to him. "I can't lose him, Kurt….I can't," he mumbled.
"We won't, B, we won't. He's strong, and he's a fighter. His body is in top shape and he's already healing, I know it. He's just taking a bit of time off from having us chew his ear about nonsense so he can do it right. There's absolutely no way he's leaving Nick here alone. He loves him way too much for that…and I have a sneaking suspicion he has some pretty strong feelings for you as well. All we can do is be here for him, be strong, take care of things until he's back with us…because it will happen, Blaine. It will." Kurt said with as much reassurance as he was able.
"You seem so sure." Blaine grinned, still watching Jeff.
"I am. I'm certain. I won't even entertain the thought that he's not going to heal completely. I don't care how bad it looks now, how frightening, how bleak….I know him, and I'm certain he's not done here in this life. There's way too much he wants to do, to be, so see, to be a part of. He's not done here by any means."
"But he looks so…broken." Blaine said softly and choked on the last word. Kurt squeezed his hand roughly and shook his head vehemently in the negative. Blaine gave him a questioning look.
"I told you about my dad…when I was high school, and his heart attack and all that…." Kurt paused, watching his hand entwined with Blaine's. "When he was in a coma, I did a lot of research and there are many doctors who think they can hear us, but they're unable to reply or respond in any way. I don't want to speak negatively about any of it. He needs us to be strong, so we'll be strong." Kurt smiled. "For him…because you know he'd do it for either of us." Blaine just nodded his agreement.
"I know he would…he'd do anything for me…and for you now, as well." He said to Kurt, then turned to Jeff. "Listen up, here, Jeffie…there's an awful lot to do with this new school of yours, and I'm looking forward to my new job, so you need to pull yourself together and heal up, ok? I'm counting on you, man. I need you…going through this life without you isn't an option, so you just concentrate on getting better and we'll ramble on here, next to your bed, until you get fed up with our stupidity and wake up to tell us to shut the hell up." Blaine snickered, then squeezed Jeff's hand and rested his forehead against it, closing his eyes.
A few minutes later the quiet was interrupted by a flurry of movement by the doors. Kurt and Blaine looked up to see a harried and frantic looking Trent pacing outside the glass doors, eyes wide and clearly upset.
"I called him…" Kurt said when Blaine gave him a questioning look.
"Oh God, ok…um…good, I hadn't even thought to…" Blaine said, standing. "I'll be right back," he said, then let go of Jeff's hand reluctantly. He pushed open the doors and Trent's barrage of questions began.
"Oh my God, Blaine, what the hell happened?!" He blurted out, his voice high pitched and near hysteria.
"Um…well, from what I gathered, he left our place to go pick up Bailey, Nick's sister, and she wasn't in the best neighborhood, I guess. They think it may have been a drunk driver…maybe? Nick's at the police station with his brothers. I guess…God, this is so weird, but Sebastian and Hunter were there when it happened and they saw the whole thing. I don't know much else until Nick comes back."
"But he's…I mean, why is he in here, in the ICU? They almost didn't even let me come up here, Blaine. It's gotta be bad…" Trent sniffed, having trouble keeping his emotions in check. Blaine turned to look back at Jeff through the glass, Kurt now holding his hand, and sighed.
"It's not good, Trent…he's been in surgery, he has broken bones, some internal stuff going on, and a punctured lung, apparently. I think it's a damn good thing Hunter was on the scene or…um…." Blaine trailed off, unsure how to finish, so he didn't. "All we can do is hope and pray and send every positive vibe we have to him."
"Thad's coming. I called him and he's just sick over it. He's on his way. Will they let us at least sit here with you guys, even if it's out here?" Trent asked.
"I dunno, but I think Nick must have charmed the nurse. She was pretty scary when we first got here, but she's calmed down some. She let Kurt in, but I'm not hoping for any more miracles today. I'd rather save those for Jeffie," Blaine said with a sad smile.
"Yeah…yeah….just, um, tell him I'm here. We're all here for him. Tell him I love him…make sure he knows, B."
"I will, I promise." Blaine told him and gave him a firm hug. Trent didn't want to let go. He felt helpless and sick.
"I'll um, I'll just sit here and wait for Thad. Go tell him to get his act together and wake up. I can't stand lookin' at his ugly mug like that. You tell him I said so, ok?" Trent said, trying to grin but failing miserably. Blaine gave him a nod and went back through the glass doors.
"Seb…c'mon, babe. We've been here for hours. Nothing more we can do, his lawyer is here and we need to go home and sleep, ok? I know you wanna stay and be here every minute, but the bottom line is, we've both been awake for well over 30 hours and it's time to go." Hunter urged his fiancé.
"You go, I'll meet you there, ok?" Seb said, still staring at David Duval who was now talking to his lawyer in the conference room. The officer who had been there with them earlier was gone now.
"No, not ok. Sebastian, you're not on your game. You're going to regret pushing yourself when you make a mistake. I KNOW how you hate to make mistakes, and now that he's lawyered up, there's nothing to do—"
"I'm not letting him down. I'm not letting this asshole get away with what he did to Jeff…and, oh my God, his own damn daughter. Talk about mentally deranged. Hunter, my God, can you even imagine your dad hating me enough to want to kill me? I can't imagine my own dad giving a shit about anything enough to wanna kill anyone. This guy's seriously fucked in the head." Sebastian said grimly, still staring through the window at David Duval and his lawyer. "I want to watch him squirm. I know that sounds horrible….."
"It does, and it's not like you, but I get it. I do. How about this. How about we head outta here, stop by and check on Jeff and then head home. I'm dead on my feet, man, but I really wanna check on him, and I want to see how Bailey's doing as well. Come on…don't push it when it won't do any good. You'll get him, Seb, I know it…but not now. Not today."
"I've got calls in already. I can't have him released. He already has a history of running. He's a bad man, Hunt…a bad man. If he's willing to screw his own family this way, I can't imagine what he'd do to any old Joe Schmoe on the road. He's ruthless…." Sebastian trailed off.
"He is. Rest up and come at him with both guns blazing tomorrow, Babe." Hunter asked again. Sebastian let out a long sigh.
"Yeah. Ok, alright, let's go to the hospital and check up on Jeff and Bailey. I'm hungry and tired and I can tell you are, too."
"I am. I'm sure Blaine and Kurt have been there awhile. We'd probably be heroes if we showed up with decent coffee, right?" Hunter smiled as he led Sebastian out of the precinct.
The ride from the precinct to the hospital was tense, and that may have been the understatement of the year. The Duval men didn't speak much, not wanting to talk about everything in front of the cab driver. But finally too much welled up inside him and Nick spoke.
"Let me tell Mom." It was a statement, not a question.
"I don't know if that's a good idea…I mean, for you to do it alone, Nick. I think we should all be there. She needs to know we're all in this, we stand behind you, and he's out of our lives. We can't have that kind of recklessness surrounding us, a part of us, and he's not the man we grew up with." Alex said.
"When did things change? When did he get so….unhinged?" Robby asked.
"I don't think it's something we can pinpoint. I'm sure it didn't happen overnight, but over time. Each time he did something and got away with it, he went back in for more." Steven said. "Remember everything Nick's investigator dug up. He messed with my test scores in high school, Robby, and I knew about that. I'm ashamed to say I didn't care, in fact I was glad as hell for it, but I knew that was going on, even then. That was 15 years ago! God only knows what else has been going on during those 15 years." Steven said grimly.
"Mom deserves to know. There's no way we can keep this from her, and Bailey deserves to know, too!" Nick said with more vigor. "We have to tell them both."
"We'll tell her, but we'll all be there when it's done. We stand together on this." Alex said, glancing around at everyone. They all agreed.
The cab pulled up in front of Nick's building and he got out, telling them he was going to grab a few things, get his own car and meet them back at the hospital in a few minutes. He asked his brothers, again, to wait until he got there to inform their mom of what had actually happened. He was sure she would break down and he knew she'd need them all now more than ever.
Inside the penthouse, he grabbed a duffel bag and stuffed it full of his clothes, Jeff's iPod and headphones and his bathroom necessities. He grabbed his laptop as well, figuring he could keep everyone updated through email that way, and maybe still be available to everyone for work questions, although that was the very last concern on his mind. He would, however, email Kyle and have him take over completely on any job they'd already begun.
On the way through the living room, he snagged his Kindle from the coffee table and his guitar from the sofa where it was leaning. He had no plans to come back home without Jeff, and if that meant paying someone to come get his dirty clothes from the hospital and wash them, then he'd do that. He promised just days ago all that stuff about sickness and health, and he wasn't lying when he said "I do", so this was his plan. They'd have to remove him bodily if they wanted him gone.
At the last minute, he turned around and went back into the bedroom, grabbing Jeff's favorite jeans and a blue and white plaid button down shirt. He swiped some underwear and socks from the drawer and his white Converse and shoved them into his duffel bag. Surely Jeff wouldn't want to come home in the hospital gown, and Nick was certain he WAS coming home. He wouldn't have it any other way.
Kurt's phone was blowing up. He'd turned it off while he was in the ICU, but when he left to use the restroom and grab a Diet Coke, he turned it back on to check his messages. He had frantic texts from Cooper and even more frantic phone calls from Maggie. Rachel had called, and Finn had as well. The most recent one was from Hunter. Kurt called him back right away.
"Hey, Kurt! Seb and I are on our way there and thought we'd stop for decent coffee. You want?"
"Oh God, I'd be forever in your debt! Please…Grande nonfat mocha? And a medium drip for Blaine? But…Trent and Thad are here now, as well."
After giving Hunter everyone's order, he hung up and settled back down outside the glass doors with his friends who were beside themselves. They were taking turns telling horribly embarrassing stories from their Dalton days, but Kurt didn't mind so much as many of the stories included Blaine as well and he got a kick out of most of them. His heart ached with how much these boys cared for one another and he was glad Blaine had that camaraderie with them.
It was already 4 pm when Kurt realized he had not only missed work, but that his boss, David, hadn't even called to question him on it. He'd probably assumed that Kurt was working from home, but Kurt felt he should call David and tell him about Jeff's accident nonetheless.
"Oh, Kurt, I can't even believe it! What a horrible tale! Is there anything at all I can do?" David asked, blown away by Kurt's story of the previous evening.
"I think all there is to do now is wait…wait and see what happens, and when he's going to decide to wake up for us. I just wanted you to know, ok?" Kurt replied.
"Thank you for letting me know, and you take as long as you need. We don't have anything pressing that I can't shove on to someone else until late next week. Please keep me posted, Kurt?" David asked.
"Absolutely. If there's….I mean…when there's a change, I'll call you."
"Please give Nick my warmest regards and tell him to keep the faith. Jeff is a strong boy, and he'll pull through this, I'm certain of it."
"I am as well. Thanks David." Kurt said and hung up….just as Caroline and Gram barreled through the door.
"Mom, I don't even know what to say or how to say it…." Nick began, all of the Duval brothers crowded into Bailey's room.
"Were they able to apprehend the driver of the vehicle that hit them, Nicholas?" She said, hoping for at least that much.
"They were…they did, Mom, but…" Nick tried, but paused, closing his eyes and shaking his head, frustrated beyond belief. How does one inform his own mother and sister that his father nearly killed two members of the family on a whim?
"Nick, do you want—"
"No…Alex, speaking with him….you've done plenty. Listen, Mom…Bay…when we got to the police station, we spoke with Sebastian, you remember him, he lives in Blaine's building? He's a cop…sort of…he works for—" he paused. "Doesn't matter. The bottom line here is that he had the person responsible in an interrogation room and allowed us to see him…Alex spoke to him, actually." Nick said.
"You spoke with this deranged individual, Alex?! Surely that was dangerous. What were you thinking?" Meredith scolded him. Alex kept his eyes on the floor and held his breath.
"Mom, what would you say if I said you were acquainted with the person responsible?" Nick asked. Any way he could ease them into this revelation would be welcomed at this point.
"Preposterous! I can't imagine anyone I know doing such a thing, and even if they had hit someone on accident, driving away without stopping to assist them was unforgivable. Whoever is responsible should be locked away for life!" She ranted, incensed.
"Be that as it may, it's the truth. The person who hit Bailey and Jeff…he's someone we all know, Mom. And it's not the first time he's come after Jeff, actually, so I don't think you'll be surprised—" Nick spoke, but was interrupted by Bailey's soft voice from the bed.
"It was Daddy, wasn't it?" She whispered, eyes downcast. "I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want my memories to be right…." She trailed off.
"Oh Bailey, no. Your father wouldn't ever have gone to such lengths…to….to…." Meredith began, but she paused, seeing the looks on the faces of every one of her sons confirming the words Bailey had spoken. "Surely not….Nicholas…you can't be serious?" She said, and it was there, inching its way in, the break down that Nick knew would happen as soon as the truth was out.
"Mom…he was pretty proud of himself, actually. He admitted to doing it and to wanting Jeff dead. He didn't know it was Bailey, apparently thought Jeff was out cheating on me with someone, and that she was expendable in his plan. I hate having to tell you this, Mom." Nick said softly, sitting down beside her and putting his arm around her.
Meredith sat still and ramrod straight, her face a blank mask devoid of emotion…no pain, no grief, no disbelief.
"Mom?" Steven prodded when she said nothing.
"Please excuse me. I need a few moments alone." Meredith stood and walked from the room, pale and quite possibly in shock. Robby moved to follow her and was held back by his brothers.
"Let her get a head start, but follow her…don't let her know you're there, Robby…just…be sure she's safe, ok?" Alex told him. Robby nodded and left the room. It was quiet for a few minutes, everyone taking in the scene that had just played out.
"Bay?" Nick said quietly, sitting on her bed and taking her hand. "He didn't know it was you, babe. Alex said he was distraught when he found out. I know that doesn't make it all better, but you should know that he didn't know it was you."
"Doesn't matter…not at all. My own father tried to kill someone, and over what? Because he doesn't like Jeff? Is that an okay reason to want someone dead?!" she railed. "He doesn't even KNOW Jeff, he's never met him; he has absolutely no idea what kind of person he is and clearly doesn't see how he makes you happy, Bubby. No…no father of mine would do such a thing. I don't want to see him again. I can't…"
"You don't have to, if that's what you want. Alex told him we're through with him. He's no longer a part of our family, our lives. It's ok." Nick told her.
"It's not ok. He's destroyed everything…broken everyone apart and I hate him for it. Worst of all, I hate myself for dragging Jeff out and putting a target on his back. He wouldn't have been there at all if it wasn't for me." She sobbed.
"Well, if we're going to pass blame, then let's go back even further. If I hadn't put the money in Jeff's account, he would have picked up pizza and come home. Instead he went to Blaine's, and you went after him, which then makes this whole mess my fault. Do you blame me, Bailey?"
"No…no, Nicky, that's not—"
"It is…it's exactly what happened!" Nick boomed. "We can go back and forth all night about it, we can rehash every detail and in the end, nothing changes, Bailey. What's here and now is where our focus has to be. For me, that's making sure you and Jeff heal and come back stronger than ever. More than ever, Jeff will need your support, and I'm asking you to get over the blame game and help me…help Jeff. I can't do this on my own…" Nick said, finally breaking down and letting the tears fall from the day's frustration, anxiety, anger, outrage and on top of that, his feelings of complete incompetence when it came to getting Jeff back to normal. Doubts and fears had been breaking down his walls all day and he was feeling the strain.
What would happen when Jeff woke up? Surely he'd be angry…furious. Would he even want to still be a part of the family after this? Nick's dad had nearly killed him, and Nick wouldn't blame him one damn bit if he ran and didn't look back. He couldn't.
He felt them all close in around him, the arms around his back, the comforting squeeze that didn't stop.
"We're all in this together, Nick. Nobody's going through anything alone, especially not you…and not Jeff. We'll get him back, man. I promise you this….we'll get him back and better than ever. And in the meantime, you make sure you're leaning on everyone here. You too, Bay. We stick together, we will get this settled, we will come out on top like Duvals do, ya hear me?" Steven said, holding on to his siblings tightly.
Nick sat cocooned in the strength of those around him and thought he might finally be able to muddle through.
"Ms. Caroline…." Blaine breathed out as the woman rushed through the glass doors.
"Blaine…honey…." She replied, hugging him with vigor and spying Jeff over his shoulder in the hospital bed. "Oh my dear Lord in heaven, what's happened to my boy?" she whispered out, struck with the severity of his visible wounds. "My baby…."
For once, Gram stood silently, saying not a word, but the tears trailing down her face spoke volumes. She simply walked to the other side of the bed from where Blaine stood and laid her hand on Jeff's arm, letting her eyes fall closed.
"Blaine…what in the world happened? Please tell me." Caroline asked, clearly concerned for her only son. "Nick said he was with Bailey and it was a hit and run?"
"Yes, ma'am…Nick is down at the police station now. Apparently they found the person who's responsible. A friend of ours, Sebastian, you met him at the wedding…he was there and saw it happen. He followed the car and his fiancé, Hunter, jumped out to help Jeff and Bailey. He's a med student…. You know….until the ambulance came and…and that's all I know."
"How could this happen to my baby….so much…he's had to deal with so much lately…his job, his apartment, Nick's father….it's all just too much." She sobbed. "And now this…."
Blaine placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned his head on her arm. He'd always loved her like his own mother and he hated to see her like this, reflecting the pain and heartache he felt as well.
"Blaine…."
"Nick…I didn't hear you come in." Blaine said, standing up straight.
"Ms. Caroline…Gram…" He said by way of greeting and hugged them both. His face was stony, though, without much emotion at all and Blaine was curious as to what happened to make it so. "If it's ok with you, I'd like to go somewhere and discuss what we found at the police station. I'm happy to wait a few minutes and let you have as much time as you'd like with Jeff, but it's important that we discuss it."
"Ok…alright. I'll sit with him for a few moments and be out with you shortly, Nick." Caroline told him. Gram grabbed a chair as did Caroline while Blaine and Nick exited and waited.
There was complete and utter stunned silence around the table in the cafeteria as Nick finished the story of his visit to the police station. Blaine was unable to force words out. Caroline was wide eyed and Gram wasn't looking at anyone, just the table, shaking her head slowly.
"But he's never even met Jeffrey…." Caroline finally said.
"No, ma'am, he hasn't. In his deranged mind, it doesn't matter. He got it in his head early on that Jeff wasn't right for me, and he won't shake it. He's like a dog with a bone. Until he gets his way, he'll hold on and keep at it." Nick said sadly.
"I…I see. I um…I think I could use a bite to eat. Mom?" Caroline said, standing and helping her mother to her feet as they walked away to the line, joining others for a late dinner.
"She handled that better than I thought she would." Nick said to Blaine.
"Agreed…I can't believe it, Nick. I'm speechless, really. He really acted proud of himself? Even admitted he knew it was Jeff?" Blaine asked, dumbfounded.
"He did…but when he found out it was Bailey with him, Alex said he nearly lost it. He wouldn't tell dad how Bailey was, either. Alex said he deserved to sit there and wonder, to think about what he'd done and the possible consequences.
Nick glanced up to see Caroline on her cell phone while she waited in the line for dinner. She was speaking heatedly to someone and Gram was looking at her with concern. He assumed it was a family member checking on Jeff. Surely everyone wanted an update. He wished there was better news, and it ate at him that she might be telling someone that it was his new husband's father who'd intentionally tried to kill him. He was ashamed of the man who he'd called "father" for so many years, and frustrated that there wasn't a damn thing he could do to change it.
He chatted quietly with Blaine until Caroline and Gram returned to the table. The the two women sat down with their trays and glanced around at the two men seated with them, Gram with trepidation and Caroline with an air of confidence..
"Ms. Caroline, I can't tell you how sorry I am. My heart is just in shreds—" Nick began, but she cut him off.
"Nick…I think it's important here that we settle down and put all of our cards on the table. I won't mince words here. Jeffrey is going to need someone by his side every moment in order to recover fully from this insanity. When he wakes up…and I say 'when' and not 'if' because my boy is a strong man…he's a fighter and he'll pull though. But hear me now, Nick. I have taken the opportunity to contact my attorney. I will find a way to have him moved to Ohio where I can be with him. That's his home, that's where I need him to be while he recovers since I can't just move to New York and uproot my life, my job, Gram, everything I know."
"This 'thing' that's begun with your father….I can't be sure it will ever end. He's a rich and powerful man, and as long as he has any say in it, Jeff is in danger, even if by some miracle your father ends up in jail for this. Clearly, after this mess last night, you can't argue that point." She went on, but Nick tried to interject. "NO! No, you've had your turn to talk, now it's my turn. My son's life hangs in the balance because of YOUR father, Nick. He lost his job, his apartment, and at some point, I think he felt like he'd lost his mind mind as well with all of this insanity!. This will never end as long as you're together, and I think it's best for Jeffrey to walk away. I'll find out what needs to be done to annul the marriage and take him home where he's safe, he's no longer a part of your life and therefore some perceived threat to your father. It's over Nick. I won't let the Duval family harm my son for one more day."
A/N After a long, crazy road to get there, and much frustration, the story I wrote is finally published and on Amazon! Some of you have asked about it, and I thought I'd throw it out there if you're in need of something to read. I'd be absolutely ecstatic if you chose to do so. I've gone with a pen name because I have kids, and the last thing I want is for them to be harassed for what I choose to write, so... It's called "Surrendering Ian" by C.J. Dixon. (Your discretion is appreciated, because I know some of you know me by name, on facebook, etc) Thanks, in advance, if you opt to read it. I think you might find some "elements" of the story which remind you of a few guys you may know and love. Thanks for your support through all of it.
Pardon the slow updates. With the holidays and projects, which others are giving as gifts, I'm swamped with stuff going on..things to do, etc. Suzanne's as busy if not more so. Probably won't be an update before Christmas...just too much going on with the kids and family and all that. Forgive me...
That being said, please, all of you, have a great Christmas, or whatever winter holiday it is that you celebrate. You guys have been so supportive of me through the story, and I just hope you have a fun, relaxing time with family and friends!