A/N: Am I dragging this out too long? LOL! Honestly - you can tell me. :)
Sorry - no Cabby here but fret not my dears - it'll happen - just wait
until tomorrow and then I promise - you'll see. This chapter's not too
exciting - but it's important. Until 19 - xox-G
Chapter Eighteen
"Where have you been?" Ian asked as Lucy walked in the door. "I'm late for my shift."
"I know - I'm so sorry. I was."
"With Kevin." He said sadly. "That's the third time this week."
"You don't understand." She wanted to explain but couldn't quite find the words.
"Oh but I do. You share custody of a child with the man - Lucy and I get it - truly I do but it doesn't mean you can neglect those of us here who are depending on you."
"You're not being fair." Lucy insisted.
"I'm not? What's fair Lucy? Is fair having me sit here like an idiot while you spend days on end with you ex husband?"
She wanted to make him see. "Ian. He needs me."
"Perhaps. But I need you too - Lucy. Danny - he needs you. He depends on you. He looks to you like a mother and you know that."
"I do. Ian. I do - but Kevin - he's so alone lately. What with Livvie gone and Ian you know that he's finally."
Ian sighed. "Back to his old self. I know." He faced her and looked into her eyes. "It was easier when he was a lunatic. It was - in a way - easier when I was - "
Lucy's eyes widened with shock. "Ian Thornhart - don't you dare say it."
"Why not?" He shrugged. "It's true. When I needed you constantly you were always here. Now that I'm mortal again the playing field is even. I just thought you and I - I just thought at this point - I had an advantage."
"Ian." She pleaded as he walked towards the door. Tears filled her eyes and threatened to fall. She didn't know which way to turn lately. She was so confused.
"I can't discuss this now. I'm late as it is. You need to figure this out - Lucy - but know this. I won't stand idly by and watch him steal you from me. I won't do it." He said - his voice final as he stormed out the door.
Lucy could do nothing more than tearfully watch him go.
************
Alison pushed the stroller and made her way toward the gym. Kate stared up at her and seemed to hang on her every word as she spoke. "Grandma's a nut, Katie-girl. Does crazy run in the family? Poor baby - I hate to tell you but I think it just might. Now goofy - goofy certainly does - I know that. You're Daddy's as goofy as they come. And if I'm being honest - I'm a bit of a goof myself. You'll find that it's not such a bad thing, sweetie. It's actually quite endearing."
Alison was so busy chatting with Katrina that she didn't see Rafe bounding out the door. He nearly collided with her.
"Hey!" She called out. Leaning close to Kate's ear she whispered with a giggle. "Look. There's goofy now."
"Hi!" Rafe replied when he caught his breath. Having her stop by made him sigh with relief. He felt so much better when he could keep an eye on her. "I was just going to look for you."
"Well - lucky you 'cause here we are." Alison rose on her toes to give him a kiss. She looked down at the baby and said with a grin. "Say hi to Daddy, Kate. Let's keep grandma's crazy plan to ourselves."
"What is she up to now?" Rafe asked, not sure he even wanted to know. "Pre-Calculus for Pre-Schoolers?"
"Nope. She wants her to be in a beauty pageant." Alison said with a sigh.
Rafe wished she was kidding but he knew better. He looked at her and smiled. "That's completely unnecessary. It's no contest. She's the most beautiful baby in the entire world." His voice was definite, like there better not be anyone who disagreed with him.
He didn't have to worry about Alison. "I completely agree."
"Besides - they're totally creepy." He shivered. "Dressing your kid up like a Barbie doll? Who does that?"
Alison laughed at him. "What do you know about Barbie dolls?"
"Enough to know that my daughter shouldn't look like one." He kissed her again.
"Why were you looking for us?" Alison asked as she walked through the door.
"I just missed you - that's all." It was actually the truth - but only half of it.
"That's sweet Rafe - but you can't fool me. You're just being a teensy bit paranoid. I know now that we're just fine. Nothing's happened yet. No one's here to bother us." Alison picked Kate up and cradled her in her arms. "Isn't that right, pretty one? There're no bad guys here to bother my sweet baby. It's going to be happily ever after for you." She kissed her nose. "And me." She kissed it again. "And - OK - I guess Daddy too." She said as she giggled and nuzzled the baby's neck.
As Rafe watched her, his heart was sinking. She believed it. Alison truly thought everything was fine. How could he tell her it wasn't? How could he ruin this for her? As he gazed at the two of them he knew he couldn't. He couldn't bear to make her unhappy. To succeed in doing so it was clear he also had to keep her from Abby. If Alison got a look at what Livvie had done to her face he knew that they'd play twenty questions for the rest of the night.
He wheeled the stroller towards the door and plastered on a smile. "Well. Now that I've found my girls - let's go home shall we?"
Alison's face fell. "Oh. Really? So soon? I was hoping to spend some time with Abby. Besides isn't it too early?"
"There's no one here. And as the co-owner, I think it'll be OK if we close early today. Besides, Abby's sleeping. Cam asked me to check on her and I just came down from there. She's still exhausted."
Alison sighed and looked at him sadly. "I wish there was something we could do to help her Rafe. She's done so much for us."
"I know." He replied. "I wish we could too. And we will. We'll figure something out." His mind raced as he frantically tried to ease her back out the door.
Alison sighed but gave in easily - completely unaware of what was to come. "I guess I can catch up with her tomorrow. C'mon Katie, let's go home." She said softly. She gave Rafe a sultry look as she added. "You know. Now that I think of it - Rafe, I have to remind you of something once we get there."
Chapter Eighteen
"Where have you been?" Ian asked as Lucy walked in the door. "I'm late for my shift."
"I know - I'm so sorry. I was."
"With Kevin." He said sadly. "That's the third time this week."
"You don't understand." She wanted to explain but couldn't quite find the words.
"Oh but I do. You share custody of a child with the man - Lucy and I get it - truly I do but it doesn't mean you can neglect those of us here who are depending on you."
"You're not being fair." Lucy insisted.
"I'm not? What's fair Lucy? Is fair having me sit here like an idiot while you spend days on end with you ex husband?"
She wanted to make him see. "Ian. He needs me."
"Perhaps. But I need you too - Lucy. Danny - he needs you. He depends on you. He looks to you like a mother and you know that."
"I do. Ian. I do - but Kevin - he's so alone lately. What with Livvie gone and Ian you know that he's finally."
Ian sighed. "Back to his old self. I know." He faced her and looked into her eyes. "It was easier when he was a lunatic. It was - in a way - easier when I was - "
Lucy's eyes widened with shock. "Ian Thornhart - don't you dare say it."
"Why not?" He shrugged. "It's true. When I needed you constantly you were always here. Now that I'm mortal again the playing field is even. I just thought you and I - I just thought at this point - I had an advantage."
"Ian." She pleaded as he walked towards the door. Tears filled her eyes and threatened to fall. She didn't know which way to turn lately. She was so confused.
"I can't discuss this now. I'm late as it is. You need to figure this out - Lucy - but know this. I won't stand idly by and watch him steal you from me. I won't do it." He said - his voice final as he stormed out the door.
Lucy could do nothing more than tearfully watch him go.
************
Alison pushed the stroller and made her way toward the gym. Kate stared up at her and seemed to hang on her every word as she spoke. "Grandma's a nut, Katie-girl. Does crazy run in the family? Poor baby - I hate to tell you but I think it just might. Now goofy - goofy certainly does - I know that. You're Daddy's as goofy as they come. And if I'm being honest - I'm a bit of a goof myself. You'll find that it's not such a bad thing, sweetie. It's actually quite endearing."
Alison was so busy chatting with Katrina that she didn't see Rafe bounding out the door. He nearly collided with her.
"Hey!" She called out. Leaning close to Kate's ear she whispered with a giggle. "Look. There's goofy now."
"Hi!" Rafe replied when he caught his breath. Having her stop by made him sigh with relief. He felt so much better when he could keep an eye on her. "I was just going to look for you."
"Well - lucky you 'cause here we are." Alison rose on her toes to give him a kiss. She looked down at the baby and said with a grin. "Say hi to Daddy, Kate. Let's keep grandma's crazy plan to ourselves."
"What is she up to now?" Rafe asked, not sure he even wanted to know. "Pre-Calculus for Pre-Schoolers?"
"Nope. She wants her to be in a beauty pageant." Alison said with a sigh.
Rafe wished she was kidding but he knew better. He looked at her and smiled. "That's completely unnecessary. It's no contest. She's the most beautiful baby in the entire world." His voice was definite, like there better not be anyone who disagreed with him.
He didn't have to worry about Alison. "I completely agree."
"Besides - they're totally creepy." He shivered. "Dressing your kid up like a Barbie doll? Who does that?"
Alison laughed at him. "What do you know about Barbie dolls?"
"Enough to know that my daughter shouldn't look like one." He kissed her again.
"Why were you looking for us?" Alison asked as she walked through the door.
"I just missed you - that's all." It was actually the truth - but only half of it.
"That's sweet Rafe - but you can't fool me. You're just being a teensy bit paranoid. I know now that we're just fine. Nothing's happened yet. No one's here to bother us." Alison picked Kate up and cradled her in her arms. "Isn't that right, pretty one? There're no bad guys here to bother my sweet baby. It's going to be happily ever after for you." She kissed her nose. "And me." She kissed it again. "And - OK - I guess Daddy too." She said as she giggled and nuzzled the baby's neck.
As Rafe watched her, his heart was sinking. She believed it. Alison truly thought everything was fine. How could he tell her it wasn't? How could he ruin this for her? As he gazed at the two of them he knew he couldn't. He couldn't bear to make her unhappy. To succeed in doing so it was clear he also had to keep her from Abby. If Alison got a look at what Livvie had done to her face he knew that they'd play twenty questions for the rest of the night.
He wheeled the stroller towards the door and plastered on a smile. "Well. Now that I've found my girls - let's go home shall we?"
Alison's face fell. "Oh. Really? So soon? I was hoping to spend some time with Abby. Besides isn't it too early?"
"There's no one here. And as the co-owner, I think it'll be OK if we close early today. Besides, Abby's sleeping. Cam asked me to check on her and I just came down from there. She's still exhausted."
Alison sighed and looked at him sadly. "I wish there was something we could do to help her Rafe. She's done so much for us."
"I know." He replied. "I wish we could too. And we will. We'll figure something out." His mind raced as he frantically tried to ease her back out the door.
Alison sighed but gave in easily - completely unaware of what was to come. "I guess I can catch up with her tomorrow. C'mon Katie, let's go home." She said softly. She gave Rafe a sultry look as she added. "You know. Now that I think of it - Rafe, I have to remind you of something once we get there."
