Dedicated to the Italian Renaissance artist, Giorgione (1478?-1510). He gave me an excellent name for one of my favorite characters.
Disclaimer - The characters in this story belong to the likes of Bill Nuss and his crew. JUST DON'T CANCEL PACIFIC BLUE!
Tc never expected to be stabbed in the back by the woman he loved, then fall for her best friend.
Moving On
By Christy Maguire
Tc walked into the firehouse and froze. Cory had beaten him to work this morning and now was in the path that led to his office. Nothing between them had been the same since that night. He couldn't look at her the same again.
Taking a deep breath he started towards the stairs.
'Morning Tc.' She called to his back as he scooted up the stairs.
'Morning Cory.' He mumbled and disappeared into the security of his office.
But even there he couldn't escape her. Files with her name on them, hand-written notes and worst of all, those stupid little gifts that the rookies had given him when they found out Cory was pregnant with his baby.
'Hey Lieutenant, I didn't see you come in this morning. How's things?' Jamie asked as she put a yellow sticky note on his desk.
'Fine Jamie.'
'You know, we were thinking that when Cory moves in with you that it would be great if we could decorate the baby's room. You know, like putting clown wallpaper up if it's a boy and make matching curtains and all that. What do you think?'
Tc sighed. They would never let up. They'd known about the baby for a week now and every day since then had been a 'baby' day. They had already planned Cory's baby shower and they were already helping pick out names.
'I don't know Jamie. She might not even have the baby yet. I mean, last time she was told it wasn't possible to conceive again. There is every possibility she could have another miscarriage.' And boy was he counting on it.
'Ah, I get you. You don't want to get your hopes up in case something bad happens. Well, maybe closer to time then.' Jamie smiled and left his office purposely leaving the door open behind her.
Tc rolled his eyes as he got up and went to shut it but Cory beat him to it and barged on through.
'Don't you knock?' He said sarcastically.
'Tc cut the crap. Teddy is on the phone, he says it's an emergency.'
The lieutenant picked up the phone wondering why Cory couldn't have rang the message through instead of invading his space.
Teddy's news wasn't good. He and his wife Julie had decided to go their separate ways and the whole affair wasn't pretty. Julie had already thrown one of Teddy's prized ornaments from the second story window watching it smash on the concrete below.
Tc promised his brother to help out where he could before hanging up the phone and was surprised to find Cory standing in the doorway of the office.
'What's up Cory?' He asked impatiently as he started mindlessly flicking through the contents of a file.
'I was wondering if you had a minute.' She looked at him expectantly.
He sighed. 'Alright.' He said, frisbee-ing the file onto the desk and motioning for her to sit. 'What's on your mind?'
'Well, I think its time we had a talk about that night.' Cory said, trying not to meet his gaze.
'I don't think there is anything to say.' Tc said, scanning his desk, trying to find something to take his mind off that night.
'Well, I do. You've been avoiding me even since and you've been very hostile. It wouldn't normally be a problem except that there is now an innocent child involved.'
'Fetus Cory, it's still a fetus.'
'Whatever. It will be a child one day and like it or not, you are the father.'
'I'm sure that you will manage just fine. You have Will to help you and there are other single mothers around. You could join a support group.'
'Damit Tc!' Cory said, slamming her fist down hard on the desk. 'I know you miss Chris but so do I. That's the reason we are in this. Don't deny your responsibility.'
'I'm not denying anything. I don't want a child, especially to you.'
'What is that supposed to mean?'
'It means Cory, that I love Chris and I don't love you.'
Cory felt tears burning at the back of her eyes. 'So why didn't you tell me that before you made me a mother?' She rose to her feet, gathered what dignity she had left and walked out of the office, trying not to show how upset she was.
Tc didn't see Cory for the rest of the afternoon. By the time he left the station that night she had been long gone.
When he arrived home that night there was a figure waiting outside his front door.
'Teddy, what are you doing here?' He asked, rather surprised to see his brother.
'Aren't I allowed to visit? Is it against the law?' Teddy said, laughing at his own pun.
'Funny Teddy, but really, you haven't come to visit since before Chris left.'
'I know. I've been having problems of my own.'
The men went quiet.
'Where is she?' Tc asked.
'Where is who?' Teddy replied looking worried.
'Julie.'
'She's staying with a friend. I'm not sure who or where and I don't really care either.'
'How can you not care? She's your wife!' Tc didn't mean to yell at Teddy but the thought of Chris not caring about his whereabouts pulled a string.
'I should go.' Teddy said.
'Teddy wait, I didn't mean to yell…'
'It's not that Tc. I know that you love Chris still but she's gone. That's what this is all about. You should move on.' Teddy embraced his brother. 'See you another time bro.'
'Yeah, see you.'
Tc didn't sleep a wink that night. He couldn't get Teddy's comment out of his mind. How could he move on and be with someone when he still loved Chris? Was it possible to deeply love two people at the same time? More importantly though, how the hell would he apologize to Cory? The thought still plagued him as he drifted into slumber.
A few hours sleep, a shower and a strong coffee later Tc was feeling much better about his situation. Cory was a straight shooter and very much by the book. That is how the apology would go too. He'd be honest, sincere and understanding; after all, she was having his baby.
After work he'd go and visit Teddy and apologize for yelling at him the previous night. That night, everything should be back to normal, or so he thought.
'Hey Cory, you got a minute?' Tc asked as he walked into the firehouse.
'That depends. Are you going to berate me further? Shift the blame onto someone else? Call me responsible for…' She shut her mouth when she realized Monica Harper was standing within close quarters.
Tc grinned and followed Cory to his office.
'So, what did you want to say?' Cory asked as she pulled a file off his desk and held it to her chest as some kind of shield.
'I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday.'
"You want to apologize?" (That line is directly out of a PB episode. 'Rumplestiltskin' to be exact.)
"Yeah, I'm not proud of the way I acted yesterday." (So was that one, well, almost.) 'Teddy came over last night and gave me a reality check and I realized that you are one of the best friends a man ask for and I'd be stupid to let you go.'
'Teddy told you that?'
'Not in so many words.'
'So…'
'So what?'
'Will my baby know her Daddy?'
'Sure, why not?'
Cory grinned but her grin faded fast. 'Tc, there is something I have to tell you.'
'Go ahead. What is it?' Tc rested his forearms on the desk and looked intently into her eyes.
'Well, its Julie. She's been staying with me.'
Tc shrugged. 'That's no problem.'
'Well, yes it is. Um, Julie didn't want to be around Teddy when…'
The little red phone on the desk started to ring and Tc rolled his eyes.
'Lieutenant Callaway.' He said in a very official tone.
'Sir, there is a 415 at the pier. A man is threatening to jump.'
'I'm on my way.' Tc said and hung up the phone. 'We have to go.'
Cory nodded and followed Tc out of the office.
The disturbance at the pier turned out to be a man whose wife had just confessed to be having an affair. The man was hurt and couldn't imagine life without his wife and therefore wanted to end his.
Tc managed to get the man to move away from the edge of the pier and talk to one of the councilors on site. The wife then came and sobbed out her side of the story that she was a prostitute and only trying to buy him a good birthday present. By the end of the day, all were happy and Tc and Cory parted company. It was only when Tc was arriving at Teddy's house that he realized that Cory forgot to tell him something.
Mustn't have been too important, he thought, else she would have told my by now.
Tc strolled up to the door and knocked.
'Coming!' Called a woman's voice from inside.
The door opened and before him stood a very blonde, very gorgeous and very pregnant Chris.
'Chris! What are you doing here?' Tc said not knowing whether to be happy or distraught.
'Who is it hon?' Teddy called from around the corner.
'Your brother, Teddy.' Chris said in a rather aggravated voice.
Teddy peered around the corner and Tc watched as his jaw hit the floor.
'I think you should come in Tc.' Chris said quietly to her ex husband.
Tc stepped back, shaking his head. 'No, this can't be happening.' He said.
'Tc, come in. I can explain.' Chris stepped forward and grabbed his hand but she was shaken off like a germ.
'No.' Tc murmured before running back to his car, revving the engine and driving away as fast as he could.
It was definitely a divine hand that allowed for Tc to make it home safely that night. But the image of Chris standing bare foot and pregnant in his brother's doorway would remain with Tc until he died.
Cory, however, had made it home and crashed onto the couch with a good romance novel and a TV dinner. Julie had gone interstate to see her parents for a few days and had taken some great cooking skills with her.
Kyle was just about to propose to Jacquelyn when Cory heard a rattling at the door. She made a grab for her SMPD issued handgun and went to see what was on the other side.
She opened the door carefully, very surprised in fact to see Tc standing there with tears rolling down his face.
Cory had meant to tell Tc that day that Teddy had been having an affair with Chris and the two were expecting a baby within weeks but she'd never gotten around to it. From the look of the man shaking before her, Cory gathered that he'd found out for himself.
'Tc, I'm so sorry.' She said, pulling him inside and seating him on the couch. Kyle and Jacquelyn weren't going anywhere.
Tc's shoulders shook as he sobbed out his story on Cory's shoulder. 'I loved her.' He said finally. 'I loved her and she betrayed me with my own flesh and blood. Why?'
Cory shook her head. 'I don't know Tc.' She said, smoothing the damp hair away from his face. Julie had much the same reaction when she found out about the affair. She'd been inconsolable for days. Now Cory was going to have to go through all that again with Tc. Oh how she hated Chris; first for leaving this poor man in the dust, then ripping his heart out and barbecuing the rest of him.
It took a night of emotional support from his best friend before Tc was able to think clearly again. By that time, he'd made up his mind. Although he still possessed strong feelings for Chris he now realized she was nothing but a wicked temptress and he wanted nothing more to do with her.
The next day Tc and Cory went shopping for a pram for the baby and he loved it. Walking hand in hand with Cory through the store, looking, examining, buying. He loved every minute of it. Cory enjoyed it too. Tc was everything she'd ever wanted in her life and a baby would complete that.
They ended up choosing a purple pram with bunnies all over it that could hold to babies or a toddler lying down. They'd also hit the toy section so this baby was set for life.
Tc did heed his brother words. He moved on.