A/N
July 24, nine a.m. Eastern Standard Time. I can't believe a year went by so fast…
Well, it's true, it has been a whole year since I started posting this. Truly hard to believe that what started as a short little story turned into this. All because when I listened to Third Eye Blind as I ran, I could hear Roger all over the lyrics. And that was what it was supposed to be, a short story. That I was only writing for me. It took awhile before I even considered posting it and look what that turned into. I still can't believe it sometimes.
With that said, I need to thank everyone that has read this. Especially everyone that has reviewed it, there are too many of you to mention. When I started posting this, my baby was 10 days old. Some times this was my only sanity in the beginning and getting the reviews made my day. Especially on the days when the baby and I were home alone all day long, with no one else to talk to and starving for adult conversation. I know people say this all the time, but getting reviews really helps keep you going. So again, thank you all.
A recent reviewer asked if I was going to wrap this up soon. That 60 odd chapters was a lot for one story. This is true, but like I said, originally I was only writing it for me. But I assure you all, it is going somewhere. It is completely written, and we are working towards a close. Just bear with me please. And enjoy the rest of the story.
Chapter 65
"Uh huh. So what else did you get Baby?" Roger asked Cass, pulling her close on the couch.
"Just jeans. And those two sweaters for Mark. And a sweatshirt for you." She looked up at him. "Roger what is going on with you? You're acting weird."
"Nothing." He grinned at her, kissing her neck.
"Yes there is." She looked up at him suspiciously. "Mark? What's going on?"
"I don't know." Mark shrugged from the chair. "He's been acting strange all afternoon. He won't tell me anything."
"Nothing." He grinned again, tickling Cass. Just as she started to giggle the doorbell rang. "Hey Mark, get the door. Will you?"
"What? Why can't you get it?" He flicked the TV channel.
The doorbell rang again. "Just get it will you? I'm busy." He started kissing Cass to keep from cracking up.
"Somebody answer the door!" Joanie called from upstairs.
"Marrrrrk." Roger begged, running kisses down Cass' throat.
"Oh all right!" Mark pouted as he walked out of the room.
As soon as he was out of the room, Roger stopped kissing Cass and hopped up off the couch, pulling her by the hand.
"So much for romance!" She joked.
"Shhhh!" He pulled her towards the entranceway, grinning like a fool. They peaked around the corner as Mark opened the door.
"Marky!" The girl yelled throwing her arms around his neck and jumping into his arms. "I can't believe you're here!"
"What? How did you? Oh my God!" Mark hugged her back.
"Who is that?" Cass whispered to Roger.
"You're supposed to be in Albany! What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"
Roger led Cass back to the living room. "His little sister Molly." He grinned. "Randy and I went to the convenience store and she was working there."
"And you recognized her?" Cass as skeptically. She had seen Molly at Cindy's wedding and she didn't even recognize her.
"Hardly. Last time I even remember noticing her she was like eight. She recognized me. She volunteered to work this weekend so she didn't have to go to her aunt's."
"And that's what you've been grinning like an idiot for all afternoon? You set it up to surprise him? You are such a sweetheart!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.
"Well, Molly's normal, for his family." He squeezed her. "Besides, I figured if I gotta see my whole family, he's got to see at least some of his." He kissed her back.
"You big jerk!" Mark punched him in the arm as he and Molly walked into the living room. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Roger looked up and grinned at him. "Cause this would be more fun. At least for me." He sat down on the couch, pulling Cass next to him.
"I still can't believe you're here!" Mark said to Molly shaking his head. "How did you know I was here?"
"Roger came into the store and I knew he looked familiar. I recognized the address on his license."
"I still can't believe it. Does Mom know?"
"What that I begged and pleaded to pick up shifts at work so I wouldn't have to go with them? Or that you snuck back home on a weekend when you knew she'd be gone?"
"Yeah well…."
"Relax, I'd do the same thing if I had a choice. Believe me I'm counting the days till graduation. Then I'm doing the same thing you did. Going to summer session and never coming home!"
"Molly!" Mark sat down in the chair. "You can't do that!"
"Oh Mark relax." Cass told him. "Hey Molly." She smiled at the girl.
"Hi."
"Oh, sorry. Molly this is Cass."
"You mean the catholic one with the cleavage that you took to Cindy's wedding?" Molly asked, surprised.
"I gotta see those pictures!" Roger laughed, hugging Cass close as she started to blush.
Mark closed his eyes. "Yeah, the same one. She lives with us."
"Oh. But I thought you and her were…" Molly looked back and fourth between Cass and Mark, both of who were turning red.
"We were, then, but we're not, because, oh never mind Molly!" He was getting flustered.
"Oh Mark! I'm not a baby! Not that you'd know for the last time you saw me. But that's okay." She bounced up and down in her chair. "I'm just so happy to see you. You know you're the only other normal member of our family!"
"Now that's funny." Roger laughed.
"Behave." Cass shushed him. "Roger I'm hungry. Can we go eat?"
"Sure. Hey Molly you got a car?"
"Uh huh."
"You want to go to dinner with us? Mark will pay if you drive."
"Sure!"
******************
Roger saw the glow of the TV as he and Cass came in the back door.
"Hey. You want some pie?" Larry asked quietly from the kitchen.
"Ugh. No more food." Cass answered, taking off Roger's old jacket.
"No thanks. We ate. Where's Mom?"
"She's asleep on the couch. Where's Mark?"
"He's gonna stay over at his house. He's still talking to his sister." Roger yawned.
"Hey Sweetie. How was dinner?" Joanie asked coming into the kitchen.
"Good. I'm stuffed." Cass yawned.
"Did you say Mark is with his sister still?"
"Uh huh. He's gonna sleep there."
"Oh. That's good." She looked at him for a second. "I talked to Mickey."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. He called earlier. I told him you were here. I hope you don't mind."
Roger shrugged. "I don't care."
Joanie bit her lip. "Good, because I got excited while I was talking to him, and well, I accidentally told him about the baby. I'm so sorry Roger. Are you upset?"
He had to smile at her. She was really excited about the baby. So excited, he couldn't get mad. "It's okay Mom." He kissed her cheek before looking at Cass. "Come on let's go to bed."
Joanie just stood there, smiling. "Good night Sweetie. Night Cass."
"Night." Cass told her, following him up the stairs. She dug around through their laundry she did that day, pulling out something to sleep in. Cass pulled on a cut off tee shirt and a pair of Roger's boxers.
He walked back into the room just then. "Oh Baby, love you in my underwear." He walked up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her neck.
"Down boy." She laughed as she headed towards the bathroom.
"Agh!" He watched her walk out. Roger looked around his old room. He went over to the nightstand, unplugged the light and picked it up, sliding the nightstand out from between the beds. After that he pushed the two beds together.
When Cass came back in, Roger was laying on the newly expanded bed. "Oh, you were ambitious while I was in the bathroom." She grinned, closing the door and flipping off the light. She knelt on the bed, crawling over to him.
"Yeah, well, Mark's not coming back tonight. And I was tired of feeling like I was going to fall out of bed." He gave her a mischievous grin.
"I'd never let you fall out of bed Baby." She kissed his nose.
"You say that now, when you're awake." He grinned. "But when you're sleeping…" he started to kiss her as he ran his fingers up her arm.
"You know I love you?"
"You've mentioned it."
"Well I do. I'm really glad you came here Roger. I know it was hard for you. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks Baby." He rolled her on her back and started kissing down her throat.
"And getting Mark back with Molly was really great too."
"Uh huh." He kept kissing her as his hand went up her shirt.
"I love you Roger." She kissed him back.
"I love you too Baby."
********************
Cass rested her head on her hand, leaning on her elbow watching Roger sleep. He looked so peaceful sleeping like that. Sometimes he didn't. Sometimes he was so restless while he slept. But that seemed to be happening less and less. Especially since he came back from touring. She couldn't resist, she leaned over and lightly kissed him on the lips.
"Hey Baby." He said after kissing her back. "What was that for?"
"Cause I love you. And it's almost ten. I'm getting up, I'll get you something to drink."
"Okay." He lay there, smiling, watching her sit up and look for her discarded clothes. He leaned over and kissed her bare back.
She just looked at him and smiled, pulling on his tee shirt and boxers and standing up. Cass blew him a kiss and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen as she stepped into the bathroom. She couldn't help but think Joanie sounded upset.
After finishing in the bathroom, she filled a cup with water and headed back to their room.
"What am I going to do?" Joanie asked, exasperated.
"You've got to tell him Joanie." Cathy said.
"I can't! Patrick's on his way." She answered.
Cass walked back into the bedroom. "Here Babe." She handed him the water and he took his pills. "Something's going on. Your mom sounds upset. I heard her say Patrick's on his way over."
A look of fear and worry came over Roger's face. Quickly he threw on jeans and headed downstairs, barefoot and shirtless. He could hear his mom, and she was definitely upset.
"Oh God Larry. I totally screwed this up!" She sobbed.
"No you didn't. But you do have to tell him."
Roger walked into the dinning room where his mother, aunt and stepfather all sat. "Tell me what? What's going on?"
"Oh God Roger! I'm so sorry!" Joanie sobbed.
"Mom what's going on?" He felt Cass step up behind him.
Just then the back door flew open and Patrick ran in. "Mom I--" He yelled before seeing all of them. "Oh shit!" He looked around at everyone, his eyes going back and forth between Joanie and Roger. "Look, don't worry about it. Okay Mom? I'll take care of it." He looked at Roger. "I'll take care of it." He said almost pleading.
"Take care of what? What the hell is going on?" He didn't like having things kept from him.
"I'm so sorry Roger." Joanie sobbed. "It's all my fault."
"It's not your fault Mom. It's Mickey's. And I said I'd take care of it." Patrick told her again.
"What?" Roger yelled.
Joanie took a deep breath. "Your father. Mickey called. They're on their way back. Micky told him you were here. And about the baby. He wants to see you. I'm sorry honey."
Roger just stood there for a second. Stunned. His first reaction was to yell and scream, but the look on her face stopped him. "It's okay Mom." He turned to Cass. "Go pack our stuff, we're leaving. And call Mark."
"Okay Baby." She said softly, slowly scanning the faces in the room. Cass wasn't convinced that running was the best decision but if it was what Roger wanted, that was what she'd do. Besides now wasn't the time to debate it with him.
"Roger I--"
"Don't worry Mom, it's not your fault."
"Roger please don't leave." She begged.
"I got to. I'm not sticking around to see that bastard. And there's no way in hell he's coming anywhere near her." He pointed up the stairs Cass just went up.
"Roger--"
"No Mom!" He yelled. "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes hard. "I, I gotta go." He ran up the stairs to their room.
"Roger are you okay?" Cass asked quietly as she folded up clothes.
"I'm fine. Throw me a shirt. And socks."
She handed him both, and then just watched him start to pull on his socks.
Patrick knocked on the door as he opened it. "Hey. Um, can I talk to you?"
"I'm going to go get some food." Cass said meekly as she slid out of the room.
"Roger…"
"Forget it Patrick. I don't ever need to see him again. Especially here. Especially around Cass. And there is no way in hell he's getting anywhere near my kid!" He yelled as he pulled on his new sweatshirt.
"So tell him! Or at least let me tell him."
"Forget it! He's not worth the breath." He started to pull on his boots.
"He… look, I never did anything before. This time I can. We can stand up to him. Tell him he can take off. For good if you want. But maybe just find out what he wants first."
"Pat-"
"No wait! Just, just don't run out on Mom. Not like this. Not over him. Again."
"I-"
"Please." Patrick begged. "Do it for her. Do it for me. Hell, let me do it for you. Please."
Roger looked up from his boots. "What do you want me to do Patrick?" He asked, almost defeated.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Talk to him. Listen to him. Tell him to go to hell. Let me tell him for you. I don't know." He shook his head. "Just don't run out on Mom. Please Roger."
***************
Cass chewed on her lip as she walked into the dinning room. Joanie, Cathy and Larry looked up as she came in. Joanie still had tears in her eyes.
"Cass you want some juice? Or cereal?" Cathy asked her standing up and motioning for Cass to take her chair.
She was about to tell Cathy not to bother, but realized at this moment it was more for Cathy's benefit then hers. "Juice is fine. Thanks."
"I'm so sorry Cass." Joanie sobbed.
"Joanie he's not mad at you. He just doesn't want to see his father."
"Damn you Jack!" She slammed her coffee cup down in a very familiar way.
Cass couldn't help but think about family traits and resemblances. She was about to laugh when the back door flew open and Mark rushed in. Cass just looked at him for a second. "Upstairs." She told him before he even had to ask. Mark nodded and took off up the steps.
"Here sweetie." Cathy told Cass, setting down a glass of juice and a plate of toast. "Joanie stop getting upset. They both told you he's not mad at you. Now just relax till we see what happens."
They all just sat there for a few minutes. Cass nibbled on her toast. Finally Mark and Patrick came back downstairs. "Roger wants to talk to you Cass."
She shook her head and walked quietly upstairs. "Roger?" She pushed open the door. "Baby are you okay?"
He was lying back on the bed with his arm over his face. "Yes. No. I don't know."
"What do you want to do Baby?" She lay down next to him, stroking his hair.
"I don't know. I don't really care if I ever see him again, but Patrick thinks I need to tell him that."
"Okay, whatever you want to do Baby."
He moved his arm and looked up at her. "I want you to stay up here. Just stay in here okay?"
"Roger I--"
"No! Just stay in here. Please. And don't be looking out the window either. I don't want him having any idea what you even look like. Please?"
"Okay Roger. Whatever you want Baby. I'll do it." She told him, still stroking his hair.
"Thank you." He told her, pulling her down to him and just holding her.
After about twenty minutes Mark reappeared in the doorway. "Mickey just called. They're about five minutes away."
Roger nodded as he sat up. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. Their fingers intertwined, they finally came apart as he stepped towards the door.
"Hey Davis!" She smiled at him as he looked at her. "I love you."
"Thanks Baby." He looked from her to Mark and walked out the door.
Mark closed and locked the door behind Roger. He went over to the window, raised the blinds about two inches and opened the window so he could hear outside. After he went back over and sat down on the floor in front of the door.
Roger went down the steps past his mother and aunt at the dining room table. He saw Larry open the front door and step out onto the porch.
"Jack." Larry said from the porch.
"Larry. Where is he?"
Roger heard that voice. The one he hadn't actually heard in years, but every so often slipped into his dreams.
"They're coming out Larry. Let's try not to have any major scenes on the front lawn, okay?"
Jack was about to say something when he saw Patrick at the front door. "Patty! How you doing boy? You never call your old man. Don't go picking up bad habits from that brother of yours." He laughed.
"Don't call me that." Patrick snapped at him.
Roger walked out onto the porch behind Patrick and looked at Jack. He was standing on the porch by the steps. Mickey was off to his side, looking very uncomfortable. His eyes kept going from Roger and Patrick to his stepfather to his father.
"So look who finally decides to come home." Jack moved towards Roger, who moved away. "My son the professional fuck up."
"What do you want?" Roger asked him, no emotion what so ever in his voice.
"I wanted to see my big time musician son."
"Why?"
"Cause you're my kid!" Jack was getting annoyed.
"Bullshit!"
"You still got a sucky attitude Roger!"
"Dad." Mickey said quietly from the side of the porch. Jack just ignored him.
"Screw you Jack."
"Listen to me you no good little shit! I'm you father, I deserve a little respect!"
"Dad." Mickey almost begged, but was still ignored.
"Why?" Roger asked again.
"Why you little fuck!"
"What do you want Jack? Cause if you just came to tell me what a fuck up you think I am I'm leaving." Roger told him, still no emotion showing in his voice.
Jack stared at him for a second. "I hear I'm gonna be a grandfather."
"You're not gonna be anything." Roger told him.
"What you aren't having a kid?" He asked accusingly, looking at Mickey.
"Yeah, I'm having a kid, but that doesn't mean anything for you."
"Why you ungrateful little shit! I raise you, put up with all your crap all these years and you think you're gonna keep me away from my grandkid?"
"Hell yes! You got nothing to do with that kid now or ever! You stay the fuck away from me, my girlfriend and especially my kid!"
"Dad?" Mickey said again, reaching for Jack's jacket.
Jack smacked his hand away. "Shut up Mickey!"
Roger snapped. He lunged at Jack throwing him against the house. "Leave him the fuck alone! Leave us all alone. We don't need you or your crap. We're not the fucking losers you thing we are! You're the fucking loser Jack. Stay the fuck away from me, my family and especially my kid. You got that Jack? I don't ever want to see your sorry ass again!"
"Why you little fuck!" Jack brought his fist back to hit Roger, who never moved, never flinched. He just stood there, staring at him. But before he could strike out at him, Patrick and Mickey were both at Roger's side, staring him down, with Larry off to the side. Jack just glared at them before pushing past Roger. "Fine! Keep your bastard kid of some junkie whore! What do I care!" He got into his car and sped away.
They all watched him drive away. Finally Mickey spoke. "I guess I'm gonna need a ride back to my place." Roger and Patrick turned and looked at him, starting to laugh. Roger grabbed him and hugged him.
When he let go Mickey looked at his brother. "Rog I'm really sorry. Really. He said he just wanted to see you. To talk. I'm sorry."
"Forget it." Roger grinned at him. "Come on, you wanna meet Cass?"
"Yeah!" He smiled as they walked into the house.
*****************
Mark hadn't said anything since coming into the bedroom. He just sat on the floor in front of the door. His head in his hands, resting on his knees. They could hear muffled voices down on the porch. A few minutes after the car drove away they heard footsteps on the stairs.
"Open the door Mark."
Mark got up and unlocked the door, letting Roger in. Mark looked at him. Roger just shrugged and nodded. Mark nodded back and headed down stairs.
Roger walked over and lay down on the bed, resting his head in Cass' lap. "Are you okay Baby?" She asked him, stroking his hair.
He let out a long sigh. "Yeah I'm okay."
She just looked at him, running her fingers down the side of his face.
"He's such a son of a bitch." He closed his eyes again. "But that went better than most of the other times. Nobody got hit."
"I'm sorry Baby."
Roger just lay there for a few minutes. "He doesn't think I'm his kid. That's why he hates me. At least more than Pat and Mickey."
Cass just listened to him, gently playing with his hair.
"He was in the army. It was near the end of the war. He'd been stateside the whole time, but out in California. They had Patrick but my mom stayed here, with my grandparents. He was getting sent over to Vietnam, so she flew out to see him first. She spent one lousy weekend there. She only saw him for like twelve hours. Then he got sent out and nine months later she had me. That's why he doesn't think I'm his. That's why he hates me."
"That's stupid."
"Yeah well, he's not exactly the brightest person around."
"I'm sorry baby." She told him softly.
After a minute he spoke. "I asked her once. If I was his. She said I was. Told me how she went to see him in California. Swore over and and over I was his."
"Shhh Baby, it's okay."
"What do you think?"
"I don't think your mom would lie to you."
Roger turned and looked at her. She was so beautiful. He couldn't help but see the irony in the whole situation. His own father thinks he's not his and hates him for it. And here was Cass, beautiful, pregnant Cass. Pregnant with a kid that definitely was not his, and he loves her for it and because of it. If not for all she went through, he wouldn't have her.
"No, I guess not. I guess that means I'm definitely his."
"Probably."
"Cass?" He looked up at her with big green eyes.
"What Baby?"
"You know I'm nothing like him, right? Nothing at all."
"I know Baby. I know." She stroked his cheek.
Roger reached up and touched her stomach. Without taking his eyes off where his hand rested he finally spoke. "I love you Cass."
"I know Baby."
****************
When they got back downstairs, Shelly had joined them and Joanie was fixing food for the guys. Mark was hanging up his phone when they walked in. He ripped the piece of paper off the pad and handed it to Cass.
"So you know, Mo and Jen have each called me twice to make sure we don't forget to meet them at Life Café tomorrow night at seven."
Cass smiled at that. "How did they sound?"
"Desperate."
"Mo? Desperate?" Roger joked, eyeing Mark.
Mark ignored him and kept going. "Yeah well, Izzy called and wants to know if you'll close for him tomorrow. And the contractor called too. He said all the walls are down and cleaned out. They're going to start putting the frame work up for the new walls tomorrow, but they got the door moved."
"Your contractor is working over Thanksgiving weekend?" Larry asked.
"For a slight extra fee of course." She grinned.
"Of course."
"Well, he knew it would be worth it. He squeezed this job in before another one. Supposedly the whole place should be livable by Christmas."
"That's good. Really quick."
Cass shrugged. "It's a pretty easy job. Clean out the old walls, put up new ones, do the drywall, run the electricity. It's putting in the plumbing and everything for the two new bathrooms that will take the longest. He said he'll get all the basics done, re-do the existing bathroom first and by then we can move back in."
"What about the kitchen?"
"That's one of the last things too. It's not like we cook. But we'll have heat, electricity, walls and at least one bathroom by Christmas."
"Why don't we just stay downstairs till the whole thing is done?" Roger asked her.
"Because Mark and I can't work there, it's way too tiny, especially for three people, and I'd like to rent it out."
"It sounds like it'll be really nice when it's done." Shelly said.
"It'll double our square footage. And the resale value in a few years will be incredible."
"Is she really talking about that dump you two have always lived in?" Patrick asked.
"Yup, same dump." Roger said, making a turkey sandwich.
"Impressive. I saw that place once, when you first got there. The only thing that seemed like it could improve that place would be to tear it down." Patrick laughed.
Cass shrugged. "Did anybody else call?"
"Um, yeah. Carlton called the answering machine four times. Apparently he really needs to talk to you."
"Lovely." She said in a totally disgusted voice. She walked into the living room, taking Mark's phone with her. Roger made a face as he watched her get up and walk out.
"Who's Carlton?" Patrick asked.
"Her boss. And her father. In that order." Mark explained.
They heard her start to speak in French before switching to English. "I told you, I'm on holiday. If you ever came back to the states you'd realize it was Thanksgiving here."
Roger leaned back in his chair to listen to her. "I told you, I can't. Right now my system is closed up. You'll have to do it yourself."
Good for her Roger thought as he heard her tell him that.
"Jesus Carlton, I learned how to do it from you, you can do it for him." She paused to listen to him. "Forget it. You'll have to do it…. No, I can't."
They argued in French for a moment before she hung up the phone and came back into the dining room.
"You okay?" Roger asked her.
"I just work for idiots. Are you going to close for Izzy?"
"I should. It's only closing, not all night. I can go in after we eat. Is that okay?"
She nodded. "When are we going home?"
"I don't know, either tonight or tomorrow morning."
"You guys should come with me tonight to the Hopper. It's a good band. The bass player is a friend of mine." Mickey told them.
"Maybe, we'll see." Roger told him finishing his sandwich.
"Hey is it still the same as it used to be? Do you think we can get Molly in?"
"You might. Especially if we all walk in together. And she doesn't act like she's underage." Shelly added.