Show: The Guardian
Title: Family: Chapter 4
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, Nick lay awake well after one a.m. He could hear the rustling and whisper of the wind
through the leaves of the trees, the whistling croak of a frog, the buzz of the mosquitoes. He
could smell the imminent rain in the atmosphere, taste the cold. It was one of those nights when
you wished you weren't alone – that you had that special someone to share it with; to kiss and
cuddle; to make love with till you both couldn't move in your exhaustion. But yet again, like so
many dark, cold nights before it, he was alone.
But God probably knows he didn't have to be. He was a *man*. He recognized the signs. There
was no mistaking that unsure yet hungry look in Amelia's eyes. She wanted him. If he had leaned
across the gearshift like his libido had been screaming for him to do, he would have captured her
lips with his own. Yet, only God again probably knew what would have happened next. Would she
have sighed in acquiesce, hugged him as close as she could and then beg him in that husky
bedroom voice of her to come upstairs to her room? Or would she had allowed him only a few
precious seconds of the honeyed sweetness of her mouth before pulling away in disgust or
worse, regret?
Nick sighed in frustration and turned onto his side, watching the inky darkness of nighttime
Pittsburgh. **What would have happened?**
God only knows.
*~*~*~*~*~*
**If Nick Fallin had kissed me for real, what would I have done?** Amelia sat curled in the chaise
lounge in the Penthouse suite. She knew she should be sleeping – her flight was at seven later
that morning, meaning she had to be at the airport by five a.m. But the question weighed heavily
on her mind.
She found herself too aware and far too appreciative of Nicholas Fallin. And she didn't quite
understand why. They had not spent an excessive amount of time alone together, exchanged any
intimate moments… well… *many* intimate moments, right? So what was it? What was it about
him that had her awake after one in the morning clutching a mug of lukewarm herbal tea?
Her head dipped back to meet the warm plush pillows of the chair, and a smile tugged at the
corners of her mouth as her mind showed her just what about him she liked. His intense blue
eyes; cherubic blonde curls, smooth tanned golden skin; large, beautiful hands that he talked
with; lean athletic body – albeit constantly covered in somber suit and tie. But she had endured
enough Fallin Memorial Day barbeques to know he had a body like a twenty-year-old swimmer.
Amelia frowned and set her mug on the coffee table. She was acting like a twenty-year-old
herself. She wanted to talk to him… wondered what he was doing right now. Was he wide-awake
thinking about her? She glanced at the ornate vintage phone on the table beside her. **Nah!**she
thought looking away. He was probably firmly entrenched in a dream about being trapped on a
deserted island with the woman of his dreams – a busty twenty-six-year-old that looked a lot like
Madeline Skinner. Amelia giggled. Did Nick even like busty blondes?
She tried to remember what he was like when he was younger – tall, gangly and fifteen years old
when she first met him, home for the summer holidays from boarding school, still reeling from his
mother's death, though he was an expert at disguise, angry at the world and especially angry at
his father.
**He was so jumpy around Freddy** she remembered with a frown. He would literally circle them
like a wary cat. Freddie thought it was hilarious at the time, and was always poking fun at Nick or
Cousin Nicky as he so 'affectionately' called him. Amelia just pitied him – so withdrawn, angry yet
polite. He was a bundle of clashes. Yet he was always so polite to her. For days on end, she
would be the only person he would talk to and, though she knew he knew she accompanied him
wherever simply because she felt sorry for him, he never said anything.
The next summer, he turned sixteen, and she and Freddie had gotten married, May 23rd, 1988.
they had come back for the Memorial Day Barbeque as usual, but Nick was not there half the
time in the 2 weeks they had stayed in Pittsburgh. How could they have known Nick was
drowning his sorrows in booze and drugs and had lost his virginity to the promiscuous daughter of
a judge in the back of her Mustang? She hadn't known because she hadn't cared. She was too
wrapped up in being the new Mrs. Frederick Fallin.
Amelia frowned and shook her head clear of her thoughts. She didn't want to think of young Nick
anymore. She would much rather dwell on the present. She heaved herself up and slowly padded
back to the bedroom, unable to keep from thinking: **What kind of person would Nick have been
today if I hadn't been so wrapped up in that bastard so long ago?**
She glanced at the phone again and, gingerly standing up, made her way to bed. God only
knows.
*~*~*~*~*~*
New York City, 11:30 a.m.
Amelia's flight had touched down at JFK an hour ago and, as a first-class passenger, she had
been one of the first off the plane and into Customs. As expected, she had gotten no trouble from
the officials who checked her luggage and wished her a good day and twenty minutes later, Frank
her driver was shoving her bags into the boot and assisting her into the back of her limo.
Amelia tried not to think of how tired she was – she had gotten less than three hours sleep the
night before – and refused to close her eyes as the sleek black car made its way through the
busy streets of the city. When Frank had finally pulled up outside her beloved brownstone
townhouse, she hadn't even waited for him to open the door for her but instead, bounded up the
stairs as quickly as she could.
As the familiar scents of vanilla and gardenia greeted her nose, Amelia took a moment to savour
it. Frank, who had quietly come up behind her spoke. "It's good to be back home isn't it, Mrs.
Sachs-Fallin?"
Amelia nodded and smiled. "It sure is."
Just then, the pair heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. "Amelia is that you?"
Amelia grinned as the familiar voice of Audrey, her beloved housekeeper, greeted her ears.
"It's me, Audrey. I'm home!"
Audrey squealed and wrapped Amelia in a big hug.
Amelia laughed as she hugged the matronly woman back. The scent of cinnamon and flour
wafting from her ample bosom. "Gosh, Audrey. You would think I've been gone for a year instead
of four days!" she exclaimed stepping away.
Audrey pshawed. "Oh, come on honey. It seemed more like four years."
"Did you miss me?"
Audrey rolled her eyes. "No I didn't."
Amelia and Frank burst out laughing. "Sure," she replied sarcastically.
The two made their way to the huge ranch style kitchen where Audrey set the kettle on the stove
and took out two mugs to make them some tea.
"So how'd it go?" she asked, watching as Amelia shrugged off her jacket.
Amelia didn't even pretend not to know what the older woman was talking about. Audrey was
more than just a housekeeper or a cook. She was a trusted confidante and friend; a mother figure
for a motherless girl. " I asked Nicholas to draw up the papers."
Audrey's eyebrows shot up. "Nick?"
Amelia nodded.
"Why Nick?" she asked, hoisting herself onto a breakfast barstool.
Amelia shrugged. "I dunno. I just did." She paused. "I didn't think it mattered. Once it's one of
them, you know?"
"I guess," Audrey replied, chewing her thoughts over. "So what did he say?"
"Say?"
"Yes. What did he say about the divorce? I mean, was he shocked?"
Amelia exhaled sharply. "Of course he was shocked. They both were," she replied, referring to
both Burton and Nick. "It took a bit of convincing to get Nick to take the case but he did,
eventually."
"Convincing? Like what?"
"I had to tell him the truth."
"What? That his cousin's an ass?"
Amelia chuckled. "That he already knew, I'm sure. I'm talking about the affair. About the fact that
Freddie hasn't spent a night here in seven months, that's what."
The water boiled and the kettle started to whistle. Audrey got off her stool and brewed them a
nice strong cup of breakfast tea. She placed a fresh batch of apple-cinnamon muffins on the bar
and Amelia bit into one with relish, enjoying the way the soft apple and cinnamon melted in her
mouth.
"So what now?" asked Audrey as she started in on her second muffin.
"I dunno. We wait I suppose. Nick said he can have the papers drawn up by next week and Fed-
Ex them here for me to look over before he sends them to Freddie. If Freddie has no objections,
the divorce will be final in six months time."
"Six months?!" exclaimed Audrey, nearly choking on a sip of tea. "You're joshing me, right?"
Amelia shook her head. "I wish I were."
"Why do you have to wait so long?"
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Some bullshit rule about giving both parties an opportunity to change
their minds." She sighed and polished off her muffin. "Like that'll ever happen."
The two lapsed into companionable silence. Frank came back downstairs and Audrey handed
him a muffin.
"Do you need anything else, Mrs. Sachs-Fallin?" he asked, as he wolfed down the pastry.
Amelia shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm going to go upstairs. I'm a little tired."
She pretended not to see the concerned exchange between the driver and housekeeper as she
slowly made her way up the sweeping ornate marble and wrought-iron staircase. At the entrance
to the huge master bedroom she paused as she looked at the gigantic king-sized bed in which
she had slept with Freddie for the thirteen years that they had owned the house and in which she
had slept in cold and alone for the past seven months.
She could feel hot tears pricking the back of her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away. She
refused to cry anymore. She heard soft footsteps coming up behind her in the hall.
Audrey rested a heavy yet gentle hand on her shoulder. "You gonna be okay, honey?" she asked,
concern swimming in her dark eyes.
Amelia nodded and smiled wanly. "I'll be fine, Audrey. I'll be just fine."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m.
After yet another tough day at the office, Nick finally dragged himself over the threshold of his
apartment. He was dog tired and would've liked nothing better than to grab a beer and a shower
and sleep for at least eight hours. That of course was out of the question – he had a ton of reports
to finish and he was due in court the next afternoon. Plus, he needed to get started on Amelia's
divorce papers.
**Amelia** Nick couldn't help but smile at her name. He wondered what she was up to. He shook
that thought out of his mind. It was none of his business. He threw his coat and briefcase onto his
couch and realized that his answering machine light was flashing. He hit play. The first was from
Annette reminding him that he had a nine o'clock conference call with a client the next morning.
The second was from Amelia.
He had been in the process of loosening his tie but he paused as her voice, distorted by the
mechanics, flooded the room:
"Hey, Nick, this is Amelia. I'm calling you from New York. I tried reaching you at the office but
your secretary told me you were in court all day. I know that you're gonna be very busy but I just
wanted you to know that I got home safe. Ah… so gimme a call when you can. We can talk more
then."
The machine beeped as she terminated the call. Nick stared at the phone, her final words
reverberating in his mind: **Gimme a call…** He purposely ignored the 'when you can' part, and
picked up the telephone.
It was well after eleven when Nick finally forced himself to say goodbye. He stared at the reports
he had been planning to finish but instead snuggled deeper into his couch. He'd get up later and
finish them. He was only gonna close his eyes for a little while. Five minutes!
Of course Nick didn't wake till his watch alarmed seven a.m. Goddamn he was in trouble!
TBC…
A/N: Thank you for last chapter's comments. Sorry for the delay. I'm currently not in my country,
so access to a computer and the Internet has been rather sporadic, but I'll try to get new chapters
out as often as I can. Bye for now.
Title: Family: Chapter 4
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, Nick lay awake well after one a.m. He could hear the rustling and whisper of the wind
through the leaves of the trees, the whistling croak of a frog, the buzz of the mosquitoes. He
could smell the imminent rain in the atmosphere, taste the cold. It was one of those nights when
you wished you weren't alone – that you had that special someone to share it with; to kiss and
cuddle; to make love with till you both couldn't move in your exhaustion. But yet again, like so
many dark, cold nights before it, he was alone.
But God probably knows he didn't have to be. He was a *man*. He recognized the signs. There
was no mistaking that unsure yet hungry look in Amelia's eyes. She wanted him. If he had leaned
across the gearshift like his libido had been screaming for him to do, he would have captured her
lips with his own. Yet, only God again probably knew what would have happened next. Would she
have sighed in acquiesce, hugged him as close as she could and then beg him in that husky
bedroom voice of her to come upstairs to her room? Or would she had allowed him only a few
precious seconds of the honeyed sweetness of her mouth before pulling away in disgust or
worse, regret?
Nick sighed in frustration and turned onto his side, watching the inky darkness of nighttime
Pittsburgh. **What would have happened?**
God only knows.
*~*~*~*~*~*
**If Nick Fallin had kissed me for real, what would I have done?** Amelia sat curled in the chaise
lounge in the Penthouse suite. She knew she should be sleeping – her flight was at seven later
that morning, meaning she had to be at the airport by five a.m. But the question weighed heavily
on her mind.
She found herself too aware and far too appreciative of Nicholas Fallin. And she didn't quite
understand why. They had not spent an excessive amount of time alone together, exchanged any
intimate moments… well… *many* intimate moments, right? So what was it? What was it about
him that had her awake after one in the morning clutching a mug of lukewarm herbal tea?
Her head dipped back to meet the warm plush pillows of the chair, and a smile tugged at the
corners of her mouth as her mind showed her just what about him she liked. His intense blue
eyes; cherubic blonde curls, smooth tanned golden skin; large, beautiful hands that he talked
with; lean athletic body – albeit constantly covered in somber suit and tie. But she had endured
enough Fallin Memorial Day barbeques to know he had a body like a twenty-year-old swimmer.
Amelia frowned and set her mug on the coffee table. She was acting like a twenty-year-old
herself. She wanted to talk to him… wondered what he was doing right now. Was he wide-awake
thinking about her? She glanced at the ornate vintage phone on the table beside her. **Nah!**she
thought looking away. He was probably firmly entrenched in a dream about being trapped on a
deserted island with the woman of his dreams – a busty twenty-six-year-old that looked a lot like
Madeline Skinner. Amelia giggled. Did Nick even like busty blondes?
She tried to remember what he was like when he was younger – tall, gangly and fifteen years old
when she first met him, home for the summer holidays from boarding school, still reeling from his
mother's death, though he was an expert at disguise, angry at the world and especially angry at
his father.
**He was so jumpy around Freddy** she remembered with a frown. He would literally circle them
like a wary cat. Freddie thought it was hilarious at the time, and was always poking fun at Nick or
Cousin Nicky as he so 'affectionately' called him. Amelia just pitied him – so withdrawn, angry yet
polite. He was a bundle of clashes. Yet he was always so polite to her. For days on end, she
would be the only person he would talk to and, though she knew he knew she accompanied him
wherever simply because she felt sorry for him, he never said anything.
The next summer, he turned sixteen, and she and Freddie had gotten married, May 23rd, 1988.
they had come back for the Memorial Day Barbeque as usual, but Nick was not there half the
time in the 2 weeks they had stayed in Pittsburgh. How could they have known Nick was
drowning his sorrows in booze and drugs and had lost his virginity to the promiscuous daughter of
a judge in the back of her Mustang? She hadn't known because she hadn't cared. She was too
wrapped up in being the new Mrs. Frederick Fallin.
Amelia frowned and shook her head clear of her thoughts. She didn't want to think of young Nick
anymore. She would much rather dwell on the present. She heaved herself up and slowly padded
back to the bedroom, unable to keep from thinking: **What kind of person would Nick have been
today if I hadn't been so wrapped up in that bastard so long ago?**
She glanced at the phone again and, gingerly standing up, made her way to bed. God only
knows.
*~*~*~*~*~*
New York City, 11:30 a.m.
Amelia's flight had touched down at JFK an hour ago and, as a first-class passenger, she had
been one of the first off the plane and into Customs. As expected, she had gotten no trouble from
the officials who checked her luggage and wished her a good day and twenty minutes later, Frank
her driver was shoving her bags into the boot and assisting her into the back of her limo.
Amelia tried not to think of how tired she was – she had gotten less than three hours sleep the
night before – and refused to close her eyes as the sleek black car made its way through the
busy streets of the city. When Frank had finally pulled up outside her beloved brownstone
townhouse, she hadn't even waited for him to open the door for her but instead, bounded up the
stairs as quickly as she could.
As the familiar scents of vanilla and gardenia greeted her nose, Amelia took a moment to savour
it. Frank, who had quietly come up behind her spoke. "It's good to be back home isn't it, Mrs.
Sachs-Fallin?"
Amelia nodded and smiled. "It sure is."
Just then, the pair heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. "Amelia is that you?"
Amelia grinned as the familiar voice of Audrey, her beloved housekeeper, greeted her ears.
"It's me, Audrey. I'm home!"
Audrey squealed and wrapped Amelia in a big hug.
Amelia laughed as she hugged the matronly woman back. The scent of cinnamon and flour
wafting from her ample bosom. "Gosh, Audrey. You would think I've been gone for a year instead
of four days!" she exclaimed stepping away.
Audrey pshawed. "Oh, come on honey. It seemed more like four years."
"Did you miss me?"
Audrey rolled her eyes. "No I didn't."
Amelia and Frank burst out laughing. "Sure," she replied sarcastically.
The two made their way to the huge ranch style kitchen where Audrey set the kettle on the stove
and took out two mugs to make them some tea.
"So how'd it go?" she asked, watching as Amelia shrugged off her jacket.
Amelia didn't even pretend not to know what the older woman was talking about. Audrey was
more than just a housekeeper or a cook. She was a trusted confidante and friend; a mother figure
for a motherless girl. " I asked Nicholas to draw up the papers."
Audrey's eyebrows shot up. "Nick?"
Amelia nodded.
"Why Nick?" she asked, hoisting herself onto a breakfast barstool.
Amelia shrugged. "I dunno. I just did." She paused. "I didn't think it mattered. Once it's one of
them, you know?"
"I guess," Audrey replied, chewing her thoughts over. "So what did he say?"
"Say?"
"Yes. What did he say about the divorce? I mean, was he shocked?"
Amelia exhaled sharply. "Of course he was shocked. They both were," she replied, referring to
both Burton and Nick. "It took a bit of convincing to get Nick to take the case but he did,
eventually."
"Convincing? Like what?"
"I had to tell him the truth."
"What? That his cousin's an ass?"
Amelia chuckled. "That he already knew, I'm sure. I'm talking about the affair. About the fact that
Freddie hasn't spent a night here in seven months, that's what."
The water boiled and the kettle started to whistle. Audrey got off her stool and brewed them a
nice strong cup of breakfast tea. She placed a fresh batch of apple-cinnamon muffins on the bar
and Amelia bit into one with relish, enjoying the way the soft apple and cinnamon melted in her
mouth.
"So what now?" asked Audrey as she started in on her second muffin.
"I dunno. We wait I suppose. Nick said he can have the papers drawn up by next week and Fed-
Ex them here for me to look over before he sends them to Freddie. If Freddie has no objections,
the divorce will be final in six months time."
"Six months?!" exclaimed Audrey, nearly choking on a sip of tea. "You're joshing me, right?"
Amelia shook her head. "I wish I were."
"Why do you have to wait so long?"
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Some bullshit rule about giving both parties an opportunity to change
their minds." She sighed and polished off her muffin. "Like that'll ever happen."
The two lapsed into companionable silence. Frank came back downstairs and Audrey handed
him a muffin.
"Do you need anything else, Mrs. Sachs-Fallin?" he asked, as he wolfed down the pastry.
Amelia shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm going to go upstairs. I'm a little tired."
She pretended not to see the concerned exchange between the driver and housekeeper as she
slowly made her way up the sweeping ornate marble and wrought-iron staircase. At the entrance
to the huge master bedroom she paused as she looked at the gigantic king-sized bed in which
she had slept with Freddie for the thirteen years that they had owned the house and in which she
had slept in cold and alone for the past seven months.
She could feel hot tears pricking the back of her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away. She
refused to cry anymore. She heard soft footsteps coming up behind her in the hall.
Audrey rested a heavy yet gentle hand on her shoulder. "You gonna be okay, honey?" she asked,
concern swimming in her dark eyes.
Amelia nodded and smiled wanly. "I'll be fine, Audrey. I'll be just fine."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m.
After yet another tough day at the office, Nick finally dragged himself over the threshold of his
apartment. He was dog tired and would've liked nothing better than to grab a beer and a shower
and sleep for at least eight hours. That of course was out of the question – he had a ton of reports
to finish and he was due in court the next afternoon. Plus, he needed to get started on Amelia's
divorce papers.
**Amelia** Nick couldn't help but smile at her name. He wondered what she was up to. He shook
that thought out of his mind. It was none of his business. He threw his coat and briefcase onto his
couch and realized that his answering machine light was flashing. He hit play. The first was from
Annette reminding him that he had a nine o'clock conference call with a client the next morning.
The second was from Amelia.
He had been in the process of loosening his tie but he paused as her voice, distorted by the
mechanics, flooded the room:
"Hey, Nick, this is Amelia. I'm calling you from New York. I tried reaching you at the office but
your secretary told me you were in court all day. I know that you're gonna be very busy but I just
wanted you to know that I got home safe. Ah… so gimme a call when you can. We can talk more
then."
The machine beeped as she terminated the call. Nick stared at the phone, her final words
reverberating in his mind: **Gimme a call…** He purposely ignored the 'when you can' part, and
picked up the telephone.
It was well after eleven when Nick finally forced himself to say goodbye. He stared at the reports
he had been planning to finish but instead snuggled deeper into his couch. He'd get up later and
finish them. He was only gonna close his eyes for a little while. Five minutes!
Of course Nick didn't wake till his watch alarmed seven a.m. Goddamn he was in trouble!
TBC…
A/N: Thank you for last chapter's comments. Sorry for the delay. I'm currently not in my country,
so access to a computer and the Internet has been rather sporadic, but I'll try to get new chapters
out as often as I can. Bye for now.