Disclaimer: Okay, I'll do one just because I haven't done one in a while.
They aren't mine. Well..Brandon is. But Carter and Abby and Susan aren't.
So, there you go.
Author's Note: Hello all of my angry people. I have returned from my hiatus with another chapter for this long and forgotten fic. I am so sorry about the delay. Honest. And I want to thank Perry Berger for getting me off of my lazy butt and transferring the chapters from one computer to the other. So thank you Perry.
Just go ahead now..
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We exit the elevator and head down the hall to her room. Brandon is still asleep on my shoulder. I don't ever want to let him go. I could hold him like this forever.
We reach her room and she unlocks the door. This is a pretty big hotel room for just her and Brandon. It's a suite that has a foyer with a couch and a TV. And past the French doors, is the actual bedroom with a bathroom and a crib.
"Lay him down on the bed in the other room," she instructs. I make my way into the bedroom and gently lay him down. Another first for me. Putting my son to bed. I pull his blanket up to his chin and give him a soft kiss on the forehead.
With the way our relationship was going, I never thought this day would come. I never thought I would have a child with the one woman I truly love. I had always hoped and prayed it would happen, but the last few months of our relationship hadn't been too great. Then I was stupid enough to leave for Africa instead of staying to try and work things out with her. That was probably the worst mistake of my life.
I sit down on the side of the bed and gently stroke his dark hair. Maybe this little guy will bring me and Abby back together again. Maybe he's our own little cupid.
I look up to see Abby and Susan standing in the doorway. Susan's got tears in her eyes again and Abby has her hand over her mouth like she's trying to keep herself from crying too.
I stand back up and walk towards the two of them. I figure the last thing I need right now is Abby crying. That would only make me feel worse. We head into the foyer. Abby and I sit on the couch and Susan sits in a chair on the other side of the small room.
"So, Carter," Susan starts after a minute, "what d'ya think of little Brandon?"
I look at her. "What do I think?" She nods. I turn my head to Abby. "I think he's perfect. Absolutely perfect. And I love him, God knows that." I stop for a second. "But it is kind of overwhelming, though. I mean, this morning, I didn't even think I'd ever see you again. And now.." Abby looks away from me to her hands. I move my thumb to her chin and make her look at me. "And now there's this little boy that's part of me in the next room sleeping. I love it. I love him. There aren't any words to describe it." Now she smiles at me. Susan's smiling too. But, I don't think she ever really stopped.
After a moment, I start again. I really don't want to do this right now. Things are starting to look better. But I know I have to do it. "I do have a question though." She hates this question and answer thing. I know that. But, it's the only way for me to get anything out of her. And she knows that. So, I guess I gotta do what I gotta do.
"Okay." She gives a weary smile now. "Go ahead, I guess."
"Why did you wait so long to tell me?"
She looks to the floor again and I don't get an answer.
"Were you gonna tell me?"
"Carter-"
"Were you going to tell me?"
"Of course I was, John. That's what I came back here for. I know I've kept my secrets from you and ducked out of your questions, but I would never, never, keep something like this from you." She stops and I'm about to say something when she starts again. Her voice is considerably lower. "Everyday I look at him and see more and more of you in him. Just by the little things he says or does. So, I came back here so he could meet his father and maybe spend some time with him. Because I know how important it is for a kid to have their dad. And I wanted to give you the opportunity to be his father. Someone he can call dad. But if you don't want to, then we can leave and you can get back to your life here."
"Not want to spend time with him?! Abby, he's my son. Of course I want to spend time with him. How could I not?" This time I lower my voice. "I want to be his father. I love him. How can you think I didn't want to be there?"
Carter's right, Abby." Ah, she speaks! I forgot Susan was still here, over there all quiet. That really isn't like her.
"Look, all I'm saying is if he didn't want to, I just wanted Brandon to meet his dad."
"Abby, I want to be there for him. For you. I want to be his dad, okay? I'm not going anywhere."
She laughs. "Look what happened last time you said that."
"I know." I look down at my hands. "But last time was different. I have more to lose now. And I know that probably sounds really corny considering all I lost last time. But, I really am sorry, Abby. It was a really sucky thing to do." I look back up at her. "And now Brandon's here.. I'm here, Abby. I promise. I really, really do."
^^^^^^
God. He really does feel bad about leaving. And the look in his eyes. I don't think I've ever seen any more remorse in anyone's eyes before. I just want to wrap him up in my arms. Try and make everything go away. It won't though. It'll never go away. I thought he left because he was pissed about the whole funeral fiasco, and mad at me because I always put Eric first. I thought he just wanted to get away from it all. I know I did.
But he really feels like it shouldn't have happened.
I'm glad I feel the same way.
"Abby, please. I promise I'm not going anywhere." God, those eyes. Brandon has them too.
I nod and he pulls me into a tight hug. I can feel his light kisses on the top of my head, like he used to do. "Thank you." I whisper into his chest.
"Everything's okay now. I'm here, Abby."
"Um, you guys?" Carter's grip loosens a little, as much as I don't want it to, and I look at Susan. She's pointing to the bedroom door way, where Brandon is standing.
"Hey, baby." I get up and meet him at the door where I reach down and pick him up.
I carry him over to the couch and sit down. He pushes away from me and crawls across the cushions and into Carter's lap. Carter looks at me and I can't help but smile.
He brings his arms around Brandon into a tight hug. "Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?"
He lifts his head to look at John. "Why were you and mommy yellin'?"
Carter looks at me again. All I can do is shrug. I don't know what to tell him.
He looks back to Brandon. "We were just talking about some stuff that happened a really long time ago."
"Oh." He replies. I glance at Susan who's smiling, again..
Then I turn back to Brandon. He's got his serious face on.
Then it comes.
"Daddy, are you gonna come back home with us?" Oh shit. How did I not think about this? Of course Brandon would want Carter to come back home. My eyes shoot back to Carter. Oh God. What's he gonna say? Please, Carter. Please don't break this little boy's heart.
Oh no. No no no no no. He's got a smirk on his face. That was never a good sign. I don't think he's too worried about hurting Brandon. He's thinking about something that's about to change our lives forever. Don't do it, Carter. Don't you do it.
"He glances at me, then Susan, Then back to Brandon. "Well, I was kinda hopin that you guys would like to stay here, with me."
He did it.
__
Don't forget to review.
Author's Note: Hello all of my angry people. I have returned from my hiatus with another chapter for this long and forgotten fic. I am so sorry about the delay. Honest. And I want to thank Perry Berger for getting me off of my lazy butt and transferring the chapters from one computer to the other. So thank you Perry.
Just go ahead now..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We exit the elevator and head down the hall to her room. Brandon is still asleep on my shoulder. I don't ever want to let him go. I could hold him like this forever.
We reach her room and she unlocks the door. This is a pretty big hotel room for just her and Brandon. It's a suite that has a foyer with a couch and a TV. And past the French doors, is the actual bedroom with a bathroom and a crib.
"Lay him down on the bed in the other room," she instructs. I make my way into the bedroom and gently lay him down. Another first for me. Putting my son to bed. I pull his blanket up to his chin and give him a soft kiss on the forehead.
With the way our relationship was going, I never thought this day would come. I never thought I would have a child with the one woman I truly love. I had always hoped and prayed it would happen, but the last few months of our relationship hadn't been too great. Then I was stupid enough to leave for Africa instead of staying to try and work things out with her. That was probably the worst mistake of my life.
I sit down on the side of the bed and gently stroke his dark hair. Maybe this little guy will bring me and Abby back together again. Maybe he's our own little cupid.
I look up to see Abby and Susan standing in the doorway. Susan's got tears in her eyes again and Abby has her hand over her mouth like she's trying to keep herself from crying too.
I stand back up and walk towards the two of them. I figure the last thing I need right now is Abby crying. That would only make me feel worse. We head into the foyer. Abby and I sit on the couch and Susan sits in a chair on the other side of the small room.
"So, Carter," Susan starts after a minute, "what d'ya think of little Brandon?"
I look at her. "What do I think?" She nods. I turn my head to Abby. "I think he's perfect. Absolutely perfect. And I love him, God knows that." I stop for a second. "But it is kind of overwhelming, though. I mean, this morning, I didn't even think I'd ever see you again. And now.." Abby looks away from me to her hands. I move my thumb to her chin and make her look at me. "And now there's this little boy that's part of me in the next room sleeping. I love it. I love him. There aren't any words to describe it." Now she smiles at me. Susan's smiling too. But, I don't think she ever really stopped.
After a moment, I start again. I really don't want to do this right now. Things are starting to look better. But I know I have to do it. "I do have a question though." She hates this question and answer thing. I know that. But, it's the only way for me to get anything out of her. And she knows that. So, I guess I gotta do what I gotta do.
"Okay." She gives a weary smile now. "Go ahead, I guess."
"Why did you wait so long to tell me?"
She looks to the floor again and I don't get an answer.
"Were you gonna tell me?"
"Carter-"
"Were you going to tell me?"
"Of course I was, John. That's what I came back here for. I know I've kept my secrets from you and ducked out of your questions, but I would never, never, keep something like this from you." She stops and I'm about to say something when she starts again. Her voice is considerably lower. "Everyday I look at him and see more and more of you in him. Just by the little things he says or does. So, I came back here so he could meet his father and maybe spend some time with him. Because I know how important it is for a kid to have their dad. And I wanted to give you the opportunity to be his father. Someone he can call dad. But if you don't want to, then we can leave and you can get back to your life here."
"Not want to spend time with him?! Abby, he's my son. Of course I want to spend time with him. How could I not?" This time I lower my voice. "I want to be his father. I love him. How can you think I didn't want to be there?"
Carter's right, Abby." Ah, she speaks! I forgot Susan was still here, over there all quiet. That really isn't like her.
"Look, all I'm saying is if he didn't want to, I just wanted Brandon to meet his dad."
"Abby, I want to be there for him. For you. I want to be his dad, okay? I'm not going anywhere."
She laughs. "Look what happened last time you said that."
"I know." I look down at my hands. "But last time was different. I have more to lose now. And I know that probably sounds really corny considering all I lost last time. But, I really am sorry, Abby. It was a really sucky thing to do." I look back up at her. "And now Brandon's here.. I'm here, Abby. I promise. I really, really do."
^^^^^^
God. He really does feel bad about leaving. And the look in his eyes. I don't think I've ever seen any more remorse in anyone's eyes before. I just want to wrap him up in my arms. Try and make everything go away. It won't though. It'll never go away. I thought he left because he was pissed about the whole funeral fiasco, and mad at me because I always put Eric first. I thought he just wanted to get away from it all. I know I did.
But he really feels like it shouldn't have happened.
I'm glad I feel the same way.
"Abby, please. I promise I'm not going anywhere." God, those eyes. Brandon has them too.
I nod and he pulls me into a tight hug. I can feel his light kisses on the top of my head, like he used to do. "Thank you." I whisper into his chest.
"Everything's okay now. I'm here, Abby."
"Um, you guys?" Carter's grip loosens a little, as much as I don't want it to, and I look at Susan. She's pointing to the bedroom door way, where Brandon is standing.
"Hey, baby." I get up and meet him at the door where I reach down and pick him up.
I carry him over to the couch and sit down. He pushes away from me and crawls across the cushions and into Carter's lap. Carter looks at me and I can't help but smile.
He brings his arms around Brandon into a tight hug. "Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?"
He lifts his head to look at John. "Why were you and mommy yellin'?"
Carter looks at me again. All I can do is shrug. I don't know what to tell him.
He looks back to Brandon. "We were just talking about some stuff that happened a really long time ago."
"Oh." He replies. I glance at Susan who's smiling, again..
Then I turn back to Brandon. He's got his serious face on.
Then it comes.
"Daddy, are you gonna come back home with us?" Oh shit. How did I not think about this? Of course Brandon would want Carter to come back home. My eyes shoot back to Carter. Oh God. What's he gonna say? Please, Carter. Please don't break this little boy's heart.
Oh no. No no no no no. He's got a smirk on his face. That was never a good sign. I don't think he's too worried about hurting Brandon. He's thinking about something that's about to change our lives forever. Don't do it, Carter. Don't you do it.
"He glances at me, then Susan, Then back to Brandon. "Well, I was kinda hopin that you guys would like to stay here, with me."
He did it.
__
Don't forget to review.