Rosa- Worry not about not reviewing, I realize that people have other
things that take up their time, I just appreciate that you review when you
can. I mean, reviewing every chapter would be great, but it can also be
highly unrealistic. Courtney's always the type of person that anyone can
spill their guts to, she's just that warm and inviting. Plus, it showed
Damian at his darkest time, which I wanted to show because he doesn't
really seem like the type that would be so unadjusted. Any time Damian and
Morgan are within a 5 feet radius of one another it leads to some comedy.
He's very unsure of his ability to hold babies. I certainly hope the other
readers are as pleased with Damian's choice to live with Sonny once more.
Only one way to find out (pokes people)...
Story-
Kelly's, Wednesday afternoon-
There had been no problems during Damian's short time living under the roof of his father and the rest of his family. In fact, he was actually having a bit of fun. Michael was the happiest he had been in some time, there was nothing that could bring him down since he could stay around his big brother all the time. Occasionally, very occasionally, Damian would actually volunteer to hold Morgan, although he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the premise of holding such a small baby in his arms and being trusted with its safekeeping. Morgan appeared to be in one piece still, so he was obviously doing something right.
His Aunt Courtney would debate that he was doing a lot of things right. It was strange, the way that they connected. Neither of them would have assumed that they would become so close in such a short period of time after the first impressions that they gave one another. That was all behind them now, and for that they were both thankful. If they could have played it differently then, they would have. Everyone would have. Except for Carly, more than likely. But even she wasn't as bad as she was the first time she housed Damian under 'her' roof. There was still that animosity, but it was certainly a few levels down on the scale. Some would dare make the claim that she was even acting civil. She would hear none of it, though.
Sonny had started reasserting himself in the organization. So far he had done a good job. It was odd how fast he worked. Barely four days into making the decision to take up the life again and he was back in full swing, as if he had never taken himself away from his past. Or at least tried. It scared Damian when he thought about how easily his father could slip from the family man he wanted to be and tried to be back into the person he had been for such a long time. But, unlike the first time, Damian could see that glint in Sonny's eyes when he came home and hugged Michael. Sonny was a man of questionable motive, but there was no way that anyone could question his devotion to the people that he loved. Damian had tried that the first time, and he now realized just how wrong and foolish that was. Sonny was a father. Sonny was his father.
His schooling was going better than it had before he moved back with his father. Damian had to admit that after the first incident his attention had been diverted to say the least. Now he could concentrate on his field more. It was a lot of work, but he knew that well before he even tried to get into medical school. He could do it. Of course, that didn't mean that he wouldn't allow himself to have some fun every now and then. That was the entire reason why he was at Kelly's. He had no intention of going upstairs, although the room up there was still his. Sonny continued to pay for it.
"Waiting for your girlfriend?" Elizabeth asked as she walked up to the table that Damian was sitting at.
He nodded, "Everything's been so hectic lately. This will be the first time where there wasn't something eating at one of us. At least I hope it will be. How about you?" He asked. "How are things going with Uncle Ric?"
"Couldn't be better," She said with a grin, thinking of Ric. "We're both so happy that everything turned out okay with you."
"Not as happy as I am," Damian mused. "Things could have been a whole lot worse."
"But they weren't."
"Because of Uncle Ric. I owe him my life. Actually, I owe you my life, too."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's no secret that he and my father have an uncomfortable history with one another. Had you not been around, had you not been my friend, I don't know if I would have made it back to Port Charles alive."
"Ric wouldn't have let you die," Elizabeth said. "He would have went to Sonny even without me."
Damian wasn't too sure about that, but he wasn't going to argue with Elizabeth. He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. "I'm sure you're right."
"You know, this is the first time that I've seen you here for awhile. Do you just happen to sneak by when I'm doing something in the kitchen?"
Damian shook his head, "I went to live with my father again. He wants to give it another try. So do I."
"Do you really?" Elizabeth asked. "Or are you just hiding the part of yourself that doesn't want to because you don't want to disappoint a lot of people?"
"It's what I want, Elizabeth. Really."
She smiled at him, "I'm happy that you're doing something that you want to do, Damian. I hope it turns out better than the last time you tried it."
"I have a feeling it will," Damian admitted with a burst of unusual enthusiasm. He really did hope that everything would turn out for the better.
Dillon came in, laptop in hand. His less than pleasant face changed moods quickly when he saw Damian at a table. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here!"
"Hi to you, too," Damian muttered as Dillon took a seat. He didn't mind Dillon's barging in, though. They were friends, and he would help if he could. "What's up?"
"Georgie's busy with her own assignments, but I really need help on this history paper," Dillon brought up the assignment that he had typed on the screen. He read it, "Write a response to how you would feel had you been in the Trojan war."
Damian snickered, "Why would they give you an assignment like that?"
Dillon shrugged, "They don't have anything better to do with their time other than give me busy work that I don't care about. I think teacher's are created just to make me upset over something."
"Do you think it was worth it?"
"What?" Dillon asked.
"The Trojan war," Damian informed Dillon. "You know, the war in ancient Greece that was fought over Helen or Troy, the most beautiful woman in the land. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died for one woman."
"They couldn't all have her, could they?"
"They were just doing their duty as soldiers of their country, Dillon."
"So they died for a woman that probably wouldn't even pay them any attention?"
"Yeah."
Dillon rolled his eyes, "I'd never do that. I mean, I'd die for Georgie, but that's because I love her, you know? I couldn't just give my life away for someone that I didn't even know."
"A real man wouldn't care if he knew a person, he'd tried to save them anyway." Damian and Dillon looked over and saw Mac standing a few feet away. Mac's voice didn't hide any of his discomfort, "Imagine this, seeing both of my daughter's boyfriends at the same place together. I could only be so lucky. At least I know that if you're both here and neither of them are that they're safe."
"Are they really?" Damian asked. "How do you know that there isn't some thug trying to get to you through them right now?"
"Because my daughters know how to keep themselves safe from real thugs. It's the people that appear to be harmless that can do them the most harm."
"Wouldn't that include you?" Damian snapped back. "You try and keep them safe, by your definition mind you, but you deny them something that they want, which is only bringing both of your daughters harm. If you'd actually open your eyes and see that they're not little girls who need their daddy to constantly protect them and keep them away from bad people maybe they'd be happier."
"I will raise my daughters the way that I choose to raise them," Mac grabbed his coffee and left, fuming because he had been lectured by a child.
Dillon, on the other hand, wasn't angry. He was rather impressed. "You stood up to Mac?"
"It's not that hard," Damian admitted. "I just don't like the way that he tries to judge me. Or you, for that matter."
"Kyle would have never stood up for me like that."
"I'm not Kyle."
Dillon stared at Damian. He didn't look like Kyle, and he didn't act like Kyle. He was so much better than Kyle could ever have hoped to be. "No, I guess you're not. He was one of the worst people I've ever seen in my life. I mean, I'm a Quatermaine. I know a thing or two about less than pleasant people. This guy was really bad."
"I know he was," Damian had heard the stories. "It's really sad that he never had a chance to change."
"He wouldn't have, even if he did have the chance."
"I suppose you're right."
Maxie walked in and saw her boyfriend. She could tell that he wasn't happy about something. At that moment she didn't even register Dillon, although she should have. His hair was something that couldn't be ignored, after all. She hadn't seen her father. He had gone a different direction than the way that she came in. "What's wrong?" She asked, walking up to him.
"Mac was just here," Damian muttered.
"He didn't threaten you, did he?"
"He did it in that way that only Mac can do it," Dillon piped up, keeping his eyes on the screen as he attempted to gain some ground on his paper. "Telling us that we weren't men and that we would only hurt you and Georgie."
"I'm so sorry, guys." Maxie said softly. "I wish I could get my dad to understand how much I care for you, and how much Georgie cares for Dillon."
"He knows," Damian said as she grabbed Maxie's hand. "Somewhere deep down he knows that we love you both. He's trying to cling on to the fact that his little girls aren't that little anymore. You're going to both be too old for him to loom over soon."
"He's always going to be my dad," Maxie said to no one in particular. "Maybe I should tell him that."
"It might help," Damian agreed. "Dillon, you got enough help for that assignment?"
"I think so."
Damian took Maxie's hand and took her outside the restaurant. "I want to do something with you tomorrow."
Maxie looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"I want to take you out," Damian told her. "I want us to have an actual date. I want us to be together for a night when we don't have to worry about your father, my father, or anyone else that tries to give us problems. You don't have to work, do you?"
"No, I've got the night off."
"So, do you want to do it?" Damian asked. "I mean, if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can wait as long as you want."
"I'd love to go out with you," Maxie grinned from ear to ear. She had been waiting so long to actually go out with Damian. Truthfully, the feeling was mutual. "What are we going to do?"
"Everything will be planned by tomorrow night. You don't need to dress up or anything."
"What do you have planned?" Maxie wondered.
"You're just going to have to wait till tomorrow night, won't you?" Damian was as cryptic as possible, but it was in a good way. "I'll call you later," He kissed Maxie on the lips and then walked away.
124
Story-
Kelly's, Wednesday afternoon-
There had been no problems during Damian's short time living under the roof of his father and the rest of his family. In fact, he was actually having a bit of fun. Michael was the happiest he had been in some time, there was nothing that could bring him down since he could stay around his big brother all the time. Occasionally, very occasionally, Damian would actually volunteer to hold Morgan, although he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the premise of holding such a small baby in his arms and being trusted with its safekeeping. Morgan appeared to be in one piece still, so he was obviously doing something right.
His Aunt Courtney would debate that he was doing a lot of things right. It was strange, the way that they connected. Neither of them would have assumed that they would become so close in such a short period of time after the first impressions that they gave one another. That was all behind them now, and for that they were both thankful. If they could have played it differently then, they would have. Everyone would have. Except for Carly, more than likely. But even she wasn't as bad as she was the first time she housed Damian under 'her' roof. There was still that animosity, but it was certainly a few levels down on the scale. Some would dare make the claim that she was even acting civil. She would hear none of it, though.
Sonny had started reasserting himself in the organization. So far he had done a good job. It was odd how fast he worked. Barely four days into making the decision to take up the life again and he was back in full swing, as if he had never taken himself away from his past. Or at least tried. It scared Damian when he thought about how easily his father could slip from the family man he wanted to be and tried to be back into the person he had been for such a long time. But, unlike the first time, Damian could see that glint in Sonny's eyes when he came home and hugged Michael. Sonny was a man of questionable motive, but there was no way that anyone could question his devotion to the people that he loved. Damian had tried that the first time, and he now realized just how wrong and foolish that was. Sonny was a father. Sonny was his father.
His schooling was going better than it had before he moved back with his father. Damian had to admit that after the first incident his attention had been diverted to say the least. Now he could concentrate on his field more. It was a lot of work, but he knew that well before he even tried to get into medical school. He could do it. Of course, that didn't mean that he wouldn't allow himself to have some fun every now and then. That was the entire reason why he was at Kelly's. He had no intention of going upstairs, although the room up there was still his. Sonny continued to pay for it.
"Waiting for your girlfriend?" Elizabeth asked as she walked up to the table that Damian was sitting at.
He nodded, "Everything's been so hectic lately. This will be the first time where there wasn't something eating at one of us. At least I hope it will be. How about you?" He asked. "How are things going with Uncle Ric?"
"Couldn't be better," She said with a grin, thinking of Ric. "We're both so happy that everything turned out okay with you."
"Not as happy as I am," Damian mused. "Things could have been a whole lot worse."
"But they weren't."
"Because of Uncle Ric. I owe him my life. Actually, I owe you my life, too."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's no secret that he and my father have an uncomfortable history with one another. Had you not been around, had you not been my friend, I don't know if I would have made it back to Port Charles alive."
"Ric wouldn't have let you die," Elizabeth said. "He would have went to Sonny even without me."
Damian wasn't too sure about that, but he wasn't going to argue with Elizabeth. He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. "I'm sure you're right."
"You know, this is the first time that I've seen you here for awhile. Do you just happen to sneak by when I'm doing something in the kitchen?"
Damian shook his head, "I went to live with my father again. He wants to give it another try. So do I."
"Do you really?" Elizabeth asked. "Or are you just hiding the part of yourself that doesn't want to because you don't want to disappoint a lot of people?"
"It's what I want, Elizabeth. Really."
She smiled at him, "I'm happy that you're doing something that you want to do, Damian. I hope it turns out better than the last time you tried it."
"I have a feeling it will," Damian admitted with a burst of unusual enthusiasm. He really did hope that everything would turn out for the better.
Dillon came in, laptop in hand. His less than pleasant face changed moods quickly when he saw Damian at a table. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here!"
"Hi to you, too," Damian muttered as Dillon took a seat. He didn't mind Dillon's barging in, though. They were friends, and he would help if he could. "What's up?"
"Georgie's busy with her own assignments, but I really need help on this history paper," Dillon brought up the assignment that he had typed on the screen. He read it, "Write a response to how you would feel had you been in the Trojan war."
Damian snickered, "Why would they give you an assignment like that?"
Dillon shrugged, "They don't have anything better to do with their time other than give me busy work that I don't care about. I think teacher's are created just to make me upset over something."
"Do you think it was worth it?"
"What?" Dillon asked.
"The Trojan war," Damian informed Dillon. "You know, the war in ancient Greece that was fought over Helen or Troy, the most beautiful woman in the land. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died for one woman."
"They couldn't all have her, could they?"
"They were just doing their duty as soldiers of their country, Dillon."
"So they died for a woman that probably wouldn't even pay them any attention?"
"Yeah."
Dillon rolled his eyes, "I'd never do that. I mean, I'd die for Georgie, but that's because I love her, you know? I couldn't just give my life away for someone that I didn't even know."
"A real man wouldn't care if he knew a person, he'd tried to save them anyway." Damian and Dillon looked over and saw Mac standing a few feet away. Mac's voice didn't hide any of his discomfort, "Imagine this, seeing both of my daughter's boyfriends at the same place together. I could only be so lucky. At least I know that if you're both here and neither of them are that they're safe."
"Are they really?" Damian asked. "How do you know that there isn't some thug trying to get to you through them right now?"
"Because my daughters know how to keep themselves safe from real thugs. It's the people that appear to be harmless that can do them the most harm."
"Wouldn't that include you?" Damian snapped back. "You try and keep them safe, by your definition mind you, but you deny them something that they want, which is only bringing both of your daughters harm. If you'd actually open your eyes and see that they're not little girls who need their daddy to constantly protect them and keep them away from bad people maybe they'd be happier."
"I will raise my daughters the way that I choose to raise them," Mac grabbed his coffee and left, fuming because he had been lectured by a child.
Dillon, on the other hand, wasn't angry. He was rather impressed. "You stood up to Mac?"
"It's not that hard," Damian admitted. "I just don't like the way that he tries to judge me. Or you, for that matter."
"Kyle would have never stood up for me like that."
"I'm not Kyle."
Dillon stared at Damian. He didn't look like Kyle, and he didn't act like Kyle. He was so much better than Kyle could ever have hoped to be. "No, I guess you're not. He was one of the worst people I've ever seen in my life. I mean, I'm a Quatermaine. I know a thing or two about less than pleasant people. This guy was really bad."
"I know he was," Damian had heard the stories. "It's really sad that he never had a chance to change."
"He wouldn't have, even if he did have the chance."
"I suppose you're right."
Maxie walked in and saw her boyfriend. She could tell that he wasn't happy about something. At that moment she didn't even register Dillon, although she should have. His hair was something that couldn't be ignored, after all. She hadn't seen her father. He had gone a different direction than the way that she came in. "What's wrong?" She asked, walking up to him.
"Mac was just here," Damian muttered.
"He didn't threaten you, did he?"
"He did it in that way that only Mac can do it," Dillon piped up, keeping his eyes on the screen as he attempted to gain some ground on his paper. "Telling us that we weren't men and that we would only hurt you and Georgie."
"I'm so sorry, guys." Maxie said softly. "I wish I could get my dad to understand how much I care for you, and how much Georgie cares for Dillon."
"He knows," Damian said as she grabbed Maxie's hand. "Somewhere deep down he knows that we love you both. He's trying to cling on to the fact that his little girls aren't that little anymore. You're going to both be too old for him to loom over soon."
"He's always going to be my dad," Maxie said to no one in particular. "Maybe I should tell him that."
"It might help," Damian agreed. "Dillon, you got enough help for that assignment?"
"I think so."
Damian took Maxie's hand and took her outside the restaurant. "I want to do something with you tomorrow."
Maxie looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"I want to take you out," Damian told her. "I want us to have an actual date. I want us to be together for a night when we don't have to worry about your father, my father, or anyone else that tries to give us problems. You don't have to work, do you?"
"No, I've got the night off."
"So, do you want to do it?" Damian asked. "I mean, if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can wait as long as you want."
"I'd love to go out with you," Maxie grinned from ear to ear. She had been waiting so long to actually go out with Damian. Truthfully, the feeling was mutual. "What are we going to do?"
"Everything will be planned by tomorrow night. You don't need to dress up or anything."
"What do you have planned?" Maxie wondered.
"You're just going to have to wait till tomorrow night, won't you?" Damian was as cryptic as possible, but it was in a good way. "I'll call you later," He kissed Maxie on the lips and then walked away.
124