Dinner was a silent affair. Jack mumbled his apology for his behavior.
Woody had to bit his lip as he saw how painful it was for him to say the
words. At that moment he was definitely a Cavanaugh.
Once the last of the dishes where put away Jordan said, "I think it's time for our talk."
Woody slowly nodded. Jordan yelled for Jack to get ready for his bath. Soon, Woody was left alone in front of the fire. He stared into the flames so much like the flames that lit that night sky so many years ago.
Why did he do it? How did he get himself in the middle of a plan to clean up the Boston PD.? He had asked himself that question a million times and came up with a million different answers. Christ, he wasn't Serpico. He was never strong enough to handle the pressure of the task and what it demanded of him. And then after it was all said and done, he had caved in and at the last minute begged Tillman to get him one night. When what he should have done was just hide in the hotel and never look back.
But would he have given that night back? Never, he selfishly reflected. Would he have taken back the complications it had caused Jordan? He heard Jack splashing in the water. No, he thought, because that complication stole his heart faster then his mother did.
He took the stairs two at a time in time to watch Jack toss Superman in the air. The toy landed in the water with a 'kerplop'.
"Jack, I told you to stop splashing. Miss Renee probably spent a hundred dollars a roll for this wallpaper...."
"Having fun?" Woody said from the doorway.
Jordan pushed a lock of hair back with her wrist. She hands were covered with the suds from Jack's shampoo.
"We'll be done in a minute."
"I just came up to see if you needed any help."
"Oh, we have this down to a system huh, Jack."
Out of the other room Jordan's cell phone began to ring.
"Could you grab that Woody...."
Woody trotted in to the guestroom and found Jordan's phone sitting on top of the dresser. He answered it. He was not prepared to hear the voice on the other end. He carried the phone into the bathroom as Jordan stood and dried her hands. Woody slapped the phone in her hand.
"Who is it?" she asked noticing the dark scowl on his face.
Woody could think of a hundred things to call him. "....Winslow."
"Hi..." Jordan said nervously in the phone. "....Hang on a sec."
She put the phone to her chest. "Woody could you do me a favor and watch him for a minute."
"......Sure"
Jordan had to slide her way around Woody when he didn't make the move to get out of her way in the tight bathroom. She went in to the guest room.
Woody turned his concentration to Jack.
"I hope Eddie's coming to stay with us. He and Mama are getting married just like Miss Renee and Dr. Garret did."
Married? Woody leaned against the sink. Both Nigel and Max told him that there was nothing between them. But that was when Jack was an infant. Had the relationship changed? He knew it wasn't right on so many different levels but he had to ask.
"Jack, why do you think your Mama and Eddie are getting married?"
"She asked me if I'd like Eddie to be my real Daddy and I said okay."
"Dude, I think that water is getting cold. Why don't you jump out and we'll get you ready to go to bed."
"I don't want to go to bed yet."
"Well, it's late and your Mama and I need to have our long talk."
Woody had Jack out and dressed in record time. He was bounding into the guestroom as Jordan was hanging up the phone.
"Mama, I wanted to talk to Eddie."
Jordan put the phone in her pocket. "He said hi, baby....it's time to go to sleep now."
"Jordan, I'll meet you in the kitchen."
Woody turned away not waiting for a response. If the circumstances where different she'd laugh at both he and Eddie's posturing. She had just spent the last ten minutes convincing Eddie that Woody wasn't holding them hostage. As she hung up she told him to go teach Tatiana the finer points of American football.
With one last kiss on Jack's forehead, Jordan turned off the light and went downstairs. Woody was standing at the kitchen counter. He had found Garret's liquor cabinet and poured them both a drink. He tossed his back before she had a chance to join him. Jordan sat her phone on the countertop. Woody looked at it like it was something out of a south side gutter.
"I feel it's only fair to warn you I'm not as much of a heavy weight as I use to be."
Woody poured himself another.
"Fine, I'll drink for the both of us."
"Aren't you acting a little childish Woody?"
"Probably" he said emptying his glass.
Jordan turned to leave. "Fine, I'll bring a blanket down and you can sleep it off right here in the kitchen."
Woody grabbed her arm before she could walk away. He pushed the bottle away from him.
"Jordan, I think it's time we told Jack I'm his father."
"I've been thinking about that and I think we need to wait and ask a professional about it."
"A professional?! What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm just saying that Jack believes his father is dead. I told him that he was killed in the line of duty. He's built this picture of his father in his head of some kind of caped crusader. I just think we need to break it too him gently."
Neither of them heard the little feet coming down the stairs.
"Who do you want to talk to?"
"Howard."
"Who the hell is Howard?"
Jack heard the name of the funny man who gives him lemon drops when his mama wasn't watching. Jack was intrigued. He slipped to the side of the refrigerator and made himself as small as he could.
"Howard Stiles."
"That weird guy from the state?"
"He's a unique personality, but I wouldn't call him weird."
"He once asked me if cheddar cheese was made from cheddar cows and American cheese was made from American cows. The guy's off."
"I just think it will be for the best. Once Jack is comfortable I don't see why we can't talk to Renee and come up with a very ....liberal visitation schedule."
Jack caught his name, Miss Renee and the word comfortable come out of his Mama's mouth. He was suddenly all ears.
"I don't want that. I want more."
"What? I'll be damned if I'll give you custody."
"Oh, I want custody alright. I want it all Jordan. I want the package deal."
"I don't understand."
"I want you too Jordan. I want you and I want my son. I want his name to be John Fitzgerald Maxwell... Hoyt! I'll be damned if Winslow or anybody else will take my place."
Jack put his hands over his ears. Agent Hoyt had just said he was his Daddy. All thoughts of Miss Renee and Dr. Stiles' lemon drops fled from his head.
Jordan couldn't stop herself. She lifted her glass and threw the liquor in his face.
"Christ, I thought maybe.....Mayer was right...you are an asshole."
Jack took his hands off his ears and slapped them over his mouth. He had never seen his Mama so mad. He began to panic when he saw Woody grabbed the dishtowel and wiped his face before threw it in the sink. Jack remembered what happened at the hockey game Peter took him to when the players yelled at each other. They threw their gloves on the ice and got closer together. Peter put his hand over Jack's eyes and told him that his mama would never forgive him if he let Jack watch a murder.
Jack dashed back to the great room. He whispered Eddie's phone number over and over in his head. His mama was going to get murdered. He didn't know what the word murder meant but he knew it wasn't good. As quiet as a church mouse he opened the door to the deck. The cold air hit his face. His boots and coat were in the kitchen. He knew he would be cold, but Superman would be strong enough. He knew he could be too.
Jack held Gaylord tight as he ran across the yard.
Once the last of the dishes where put away Jordan said, "I think it's time for our talk."
Woody slowly nodded. Jordan yelled for Jack to get ready for his bath. Soon, Woody was left alone in front of the fire. He stared into the flames so much like the flames that lit that night sky so many years ago.
Why did he do it? How did he get himself in the middle of a plan to clean up the Boston PD.? He had asked himself that question a million times and came up with a million different answers. Christ, he wasn't Serpico. He was never strong enough to handle the pressure of the task and what it demanded of him. And then after it was all said and done, he had caved in and at the last minute begged Tillman to get him one night. When what he should have done was just hide in the hotel and never look back.
But would he have given that night back? Never, he selfishly reflected. Would he have taken back the complications it had caused Jordan? He heard Jack splashing in the water. No, he thought, because that complication stole his heart faster then his mother did.
He took the stairs two at a time in time to watch Jack toss Superman in the air. The toy landed in the water with a 'kerplop'.
"Jack, I told you to stop splashing. Miss Renee probably spent a hundred dollars a roll for this wallpaper...."
"Having fun?" Woody said from the doorway.
Jordan pushed a lock of hair back with her wrist. She hands were covered with the suds from Jack's shampoo.
"We'll be done in a minute."
"I just came up to see if you needed any help."
"Oh, we have this down to a system huh, Jack."
Out of the other room Jordan's cell phone began to ring.
"Could you grab that Woody...."
Woody trotted in to the guestroom and found Jordan's phone sitting on top of the dresser. He answered it. He was not prepared to hear the voice on the other end. He carried the phone into the bathroom as Jordan stood and dried her hands. Woody slapped the phone in her hand.
"Who is it?" she asked noticing the dark scowl on his face.
Woody could think of a hundred things to call him. "....Winslow."
"Hi..." Jordan said nervously in the phone. "....Hang on a sec."
She put the phone to her chest. "Woody could you do me a favor and watch him for a minute."
"......Sure"
Jordan had to slide her way around Woody when he didn't make the move to get out of her way in the tight bathroom. She went in to the guest room.
Woody turned his concentration to Jack.
"I hope Eddie's coming to stay with us. He and Mama are getting married just like Miss Renee and Dr. Garret did."
Married? Woody leaned against the sink. Both Nigel and Max told him that there was nothing between them. But that was when Jack was an infant. Had the relationship changed? He knew it wasn't right on so many different levels but he had to ask.
"Jack, why do you think your Mama and Eddie are getting married?"
"She asked me if I'd like Eddie to be my real Daddy and I said okay."
"Dude, I think that water is getting cold. Why don't you jump out and we'll get you ready to go to bed."
"I don't want to go to bed yet."
"Well, it's late and your Mama and I need to have our long talk."
Woody had Jack out and dressed in record time. He was bounding into the guestroom as Jordan was hanging up the phone.
"Mama, I wanted to talk to Eddie."
Jordan put the phone in her pocket. "He said hi, baby....it's time to go to sleep now."
"Jordan, I'll meet you in the kitchen."
Woody turned away not waiting for a response. If the circumstances where different she'd laugh at both he and Eddie's posturing. She had just spent the last ten minutes convincing Eddie that Woody wasn't holding them hostage. As she hung up she told him to go teach Tatiana the finer points of American football.
With one last kiss on Jack's forehead, Jordan turned off the light and went downstairs. Woody was standing at the kitchen counter. He had found Garret's liquor cabinet and poured them both a drink. He tossed his back before she had a chance to join him. Jordan sat her phone on the countertop. Woody looked at it like it was something out of a south side gutter.
"I feel it's only fair to warn you I'm not as much of a heavy weight as I use to be."
Woody poured himself another.
"Fine, I'll drink for the both of us."
"Aren't you acting a little childish Woody?"
"Probably" he said emptying his glass.
Jordan turned to leave. "Fine, I'll bring a blanket down and you can sleep it off right here in the kitchen."
Woody grabbed her arm before she could walk away. He pushed the bottle away from him.
"Jordan, I think it's time we told Jack I'm his father."
"I've been thinking about that and I think we need to wait and ask a professional about it."
"A professional?! What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm just saying that Jack believes his father is dead. I told him that he was killed in the line of duty. He's built this picture of his father in his head of some kind of caped crusader. I just think we need to break it too him gently."
Neither of them heard the little feet coming down the stairs.
"Who do you want to talk to?"
"Howard."
"Who the hell is Howard?"
Jack heard the name of the funny man who gives him lemon drops when his mama wasn't watching. Jack was intrigued. He slipped to the side of the refrigerator and made himself as small as he could.
"Howard Stiles."
"That weird guy from the state?"
"He's a unique personality, but I wouldn't call him weird."
"He once asked me if cheddar cheese was made from cheddar cows and American cheese was made from American cows. The guy's off."
"I just think it will be for the best. Once Jack is comfortable I don't see why we can't talk to Renee and come up with a very ....liberal visitation schedule."
Jack caught his name, Miss Renee and the word comfortable come out of his Mama's mouth. He was suddenly all ears.
"I don't want that. I want more."
"What? I'll be damned if I'll give you custody."
"Oh, I want custody alright. I want it all Jordan. I want the package deal."
"I don't understand."
"I want you too Jordan. I want you and I want my son. I want his name to be John Fitzgerald Maxwell... Hoyt! I'll be damned if Winslow or anybody else will take my place."
Jack put his hands over his ears. Agent Hoyt had just said he was his Daddy. All thoughts of Miss Renee and Dr. Stiles' lemon drops fled from his head.
Jordan couldn't stop herself. She lifted her glass and threw the liquor in his face.
"Christ, I thought maybe.....Mayer was right...you are an asshole."
Jack took his hands off his ears and slapped them over his mouth. He had never seen his Mama so mad. He began to panic when he saw Woody grabbed the dishtowel and wiped his face before threw it in the sink. Jack remembered what happened at the hockey game Peter took him to when the players yelled at each other. They threw their gloves on the ice and got closer together. Peter put his hand over Jack's eyes and told him that his mama would never forgive him if he let Jack watch a murder.
Jack dashed back to the great room. He whispered Eddie's phone number over and over in his head. His mama was going to get murdered. He didn't know what the word murder meant but he knew it wasn't good. As quiet as a church mouse he opened the door to the deck. The cold air hit his face. His boots and coat were in the kitchen. He knew he would be cold, but Superman would be strong enough. He knew he could be too.
Jack held Gaylord tight as he ran across the yard.