Author's Note: (Mary) ::blushes:: I've been so caught up in other fics, that I never got around to this. I don't normally procrastinate. Honest.
Author's Note: (Chelsea) Heh. I guess I can't really say anything to Mary, because I am a diagnosed and serial-procrastinator. On to replies to reviews...dun...dun...dun...I'm SO SORRY GUYS! I don't know what happened, but not all of the chapter posted. ::dodgers tomatos:: I'm so sorry!
Sarah- So glad you liked! ::grins::
Rachel- I'm glad you find our evilness good.
Banksiesbabe99- Thankies, banksies! Lol. Ha. Okay, I'll stop. Hehehe...I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad to have your approval!
Nebula- I'm glad I managed to give you a fresh perspective; I try. Sometimes it's interesting to see it from a different point of view. I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and congrats on finishing 'Facing the Past'!
-Chapter 9-
[Charlie's POV]
It has been t-minus two weeks and five days since I last saw any of the Ducks. They haven't made any attempt to call me at all. No phone calls. No visits. Nil. Nada. Zilch. Nothing.
Bombay called, of course. Four days AFTER the funeral, of course. He told my mother that he really wanted to come, but when he asked to talk me, I purposely walked out the door. I was tired of his excuses. If it's not one thing, then it's another.
Mom tells me he still wants to have a relationship with me just like old times. I promptly told my mother that it was just some ploy to make himself feel better about deserting me. Of course, she didn't believe me. She blew a fuse when I finally told her about no more Eden Hall. I mentioned John's friend, but she just ignored me.
I flicked on the television and was about to watch the Leafs/Sens game on TV when John came storming in. I was just about to get up and leave when John shoved me back hard on to the couch. He waved his fat finger warily back and forth at.
"Don't you move until I'm done with you!" he thundered.
"Whatever."
"You told your mother about me and another women? Is that correct?"
I didn't say anything. John grabbed a hold of my shirt and pulled me up.
"Answer me, boy!" he thundered.
I shoved him back. "I don't have to answer you. You're not my father."
"Of course I'm not your father. You don't have one. You're an orphan."
"I'd rather be an orphan then have you as a father."
"You don't mean that."
"I sure do. Now, if you will get your fat behind out of my way, I'd very much like to leave."
"You're not going anywhere."
He grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me back onto the couch.
"Did you or did you not tell your mother?"
I stood up. "Of course I told her. The sooner she recognizes that she has an unemployed, cheating loser for a husband, the better off she and I will be."
"Don't you say another word to her about this, or I will make your life hell."
"That's impossible. It already is."
"I'm warning you, boy."
"Ohhhh...I'm scared!" I said sarcastically. "I'm leaving."
"Don't come back."
"Maybe I won't."
"Good."
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine! Fine!"
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"FINE!!!!"
I walked out the door and slammed it behind me.
I came home eventually. Hey, I got hungry. My mother was crying over the kitchen sink. She was cutting up onions, but I knew that was just a cover- up. I check in the living room. Strange. John wasn't around. And I for one was glad because I would have had to kill him if he had hurt my mother.
"Mom," I said getting her attention. "What's wrong?"
She looked over at me and forced a smile. "Hello honey. Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks," I said. I decided to go right for the jugular. "Where's John?"
"He's not here," she sniffled.
"Don't joke about it Charlie."
I sighed. "When's he coming back?"
"He's not coming back."
"Who's not coming back?"
"John."
She sniffled. "It was a total misunderstanding."
"Mom," I soothed. "Whatever's coming to him, he deserves four times that for cheating on you. Face it; he was trouble from the start. I, for one, am glad he's gone."
My mother frowned and stopped crying for a second.
"What? What? What did I say?" I asked confused.
"John cheated on me?" she whimpered. "No...no...no Charlie. You've got it backwards. He didn't cheat on me. He's the one that thinks I cheated on him."
She sucked back a sob. "I know I supposed to be the one setting the example around here. I'm so sorry Charlie."
I stared at her. Perplexed. "What are you talking about mother?"
She whipped away a few tears. It all started in my senior year..." She trailed off.
"What Mother? What happened in your senior year?"
"I had just met William Conway. One of my girl friends from the cheerleading team had set me up with him. He was the captain of the Eden Hall JV football team and I was the head cheerleader so it seemed like the perfect match."
I gave my head a shake. "Wait a second. You went to Eden Hall?"
"I was on a cheerleading scholarship. Now stop interrupting. Where was I?" she pondered. "Oh yes. He was handsome, smart and popular. All the girls wanted him for their boy friend. They were so mean to me. I didn't have a single friend. Except Jeanie but she went to public school."
"What about my father? Did he come back?" She stared straight ahead as in a trance. "When we first started dating, he was really sweet. I remember our first date as it was yesterday. I went to his opening football game. He single handedly won the game and he gave me the game ball. Everyone was green with envy."
"Mom? Why are you telling me this?"
She ignored me. "And then he changed overnight. He no longer wanted to spend any time with me. Other then when we...Anyway, he was always spending time with his friends.
Jeanie told me he was cheating on me but I didn't want to believe her."
She whipped away more tears. "I called him on cheating and he denied it. To prove it, he offered to marry me. We were to get married at the end of the year. Things were good for a while but I was still suspicious of his behavior. One night I followed him and I caught him cheating right before my very eyes."
My Mother's brow furrowed. "I was so mad at him. I was determined to get even with him. That is when I met Ted. He was on Eden's Hall hockey team. He was even more handsome but didn't get the attention that William got because he didn't play football. I started to meet up with him secretly whenever William was out of town for a game. We were starting to get serious and when my parents found out, they forbid me to see him ever again because William's family was a very well off family.
But I continued to see him anyway. We only got to see each other for a few hours every week and most of time, we had to hide in his dorm to be together and while we were there, we were.... intimate."
"Well that's a relief," I said."Arg...mom! I don't want to hear it."
"Charlie, grow up!"
"I still don't want to hear it."
She ignored me. "I was intimate with two men at the same time and before I knew it, I became pregnant with you. I told my mother and she got very angry. She told me to tell William that it was his child regardless of the truth. I did. I had to quit Eden Hall because the board didn't like the idea of an unmarried pregnant student in their institution. I never even got to graduate."
She sighed. "Anyway, William and I got married soon after because our parents didn't want their grandchild to be an illegitimate child. When we got married, he was angry with me and yelled at me saying that I ruined his life. He started drinking and getting violent. He wound up in jail a few times. And when I couldn't take it anymore, I told him that there was a chance that you weren't his. That night he snapped. He went psycho. He smashed everything in the apartment. That was the night we left him. A week later he was found dead in the sewer. He had committed suicide."
I breathed heavily at my mom's revelations. I was going to ask he a question but she answered it for me.
"I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't think you could handle the truth. How do you feel?"
"I don't think there currently exist a word to describe my reaction," I told her. I was completely dumbfounded. I pushed the details to the back of my mind. Deal with that latter. "So what are you saying? I thought this was about John."
"It is honey. Let me finish. Ted, my secret boyfriend, came back. When he found out that I had gotten married, he took off to Canada to pursue his hockey career. I didn't know what happened to him after that. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I saw him at the Blake game that I saw him again. He's looks different but as handsome as ever. He wanted to catch up on old times. So he asked me to meet him for coffee. It was to be completely innocent.
"When John first found out he said he was okay with it. But when I asked him about cheating, he got very angry and threw it right back in my face. I left for work and when I came home, he was gone."
"I'm still glad he's gone. You're better off without him."
"I was just wondering if you'd like to find out who your real father is now that he's back in the area?"
"No thanks."
"Why not?"
"I'd rather not," I said bitterly. "I liked it better when I though that my father was a jerk, and we left him because of that. Should have stuck with that story."
"If that's what you want," she said. "But there's something that you must know."
"Yes?" I responded. If you're going to bring up the ugly past, you may as well do it in one sitting.
"When I saw Ted the other day, I still realized that I still had feelings for him. Even after fourteen years. I did nothing about it but now that John is out of the picture, I can go back to Mr. Orion. He said that he wasn't married anymore either. His wife died a long time ago as well."
"Ted?" I trembled. "Ted Orion?"
"Yes. Ted Orion."
"The one who could be my father?"
"Yes. The same one. Don't worry. I won't tell him about his possible sire hood unless you want me too when he comes over to dinner on Friday night."
"Oh...my...God."
I turned a pasty white and had a sick feeling creeping around in my stomach. "What's wrong Charlie?"
"I think I'm going to be sick."
Author's Note: (Chelsea) Heh. I guess I can't really say anything to Mary, because I am a diagnosed and serial-procrastinator. On to replies to reviews...dun...dun...dun...I'm SO SORRY GUYS! I don't know what happened, but not all of the chapter posted. ::dodgers tomatos:: I'm so sorry!
Sarah- So glad you liked! ::grins::
Rachel- I'm glad you find our evilness good.
Banksiesbabe99- Thankies, banksies! Lol. Ha. Okay, I'll stop. Hehehe...I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad to have your approval!
Nebula- I'm glad I managed to give you a fresh perspective; I try. Sometimes it's interesting to see it from a different point of view. I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and congrats on finishing 'Facing the Past'!
-Chapter 9-
[Charlie's POV]
It has been t-minus two weeks and five days since I last saw any of the Ducks. They haven't made any attempt to call me at all. No phone calls. No visits. Nil. Nada. Zilch. Nothing.
Bombay called, of course. Four days AFTER the funeral, of course. He told my mother that he really wanted to come, but when he asked to talk me, I purposely walked out the door. I was tired of his excuses. If it's not one thing, then it's another.
Mom tells me he still wants to have a relationship with me just like old times. I promptly told my mother that it was just some ploy to make himself feel better about deserting me. Of course, she didn't believe me. She blew a fuse when I finally told her about no more Eden Hall. I mentioned John's friend, but she just ignored me.
I flicked on the television and was about to watch the Leafs/Sens game on TV when John came storming in. I was just about to get up and leave when John shoved me back hard on to the couch. He waved his fat finger warily back and forth at.
"Don't you move until I'm done with you!" he thundered.
"Whatever."
"You told your mother about me and another women? Is that correct?"
I didn't say anything. John grabbed a hold of my shirt and pulled me up.
"Answer me, boy!" he thundered.
I shoved him back. "I don't have to answer you. You're not my father."
"Of course I'm not your father. You don't have one. You're an orphan."
"I'd rather be an orphan then have you as a father."
"You don't mean that."
"I sure do. Now, if you will get your fat behind out of my way, I'd very much like to leave."
"You're not going anywhere."
He grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me back onto the couch.
"Did you or did you not tell your mother?"
I stood up. "Of course I told her. The sooner she recognizes that she has an unemployed, cheating loser for a husband, the better off she and I will be."
"Don't you say another word to her about this, or I will make your life hell."
"That's impossible. It already is."
"I'm warning you, boy."
"Ohhhh...I'm scared!" I said sarcastically. "I'm leaving."
"Don't come back."
"Maybe I won't."
"Good."
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine! Fine!"
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"FINE!!!!"
I walked out the door and slammed it behind me.
I came home eventually. Hey, I got hungry. My mother was crying over the kitchen sink. She was cutting up onions, but I knew that was just a cover- up. I check in the living room. Strange. John wasn't around. And I for one was glad because I would have had to kill him if he had hurt my mother.
"Mom," I said getting her attention. "What's wrong?"
She looked over at me and forced a smile. "Hello honey. Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks," I said. I decided to go right for the jugular. "Where's John?"
"He's not here," she sniffled.
"Don't joke about it Charlie."
I sighed. "When's he coming back?"
"He's not coming back."
"Who's not coming back?"
"John."
She sniffled. "It was a total misunderstanding."
"Mom," I soothed. "Whatever's coming to him, he deserves four times that for cheating on you. Face it; he was trouble from the start. I, for one, am glad he's gone."
My mother frowned and stopped crying for a second.
"What? What? What did I say?" I asked confused.
"John cheated on me?" she whimpered. "No...no...no Charlie. You've got it backwards. He didn't cheat on me. He's the one that thinks I cheated on him."
She sucked back a sob. "I know I supposed to be the one setting the example around here. I'm so sorry Charlie."
I stared at her. Perplexed. "What are you talking about mother?"
She whipped away a few tears. It all started in my senior year..." She trailed off.
"What Mother? What happened in your senior year?"
"I had just met William Conway. One of my girl friends from the cheerleading team had set me up with him. He was the captain of the Eden Hall JV football team and I was the head cheerleader so it seemed like the perfect match."
I gave my head a shake. "Wait a second. You went to Eden Hall?"
"I was on a cheerleading scholarship. Now stop interrupting. Where was I?" she pondered. "Oh yes. He was handsome, smart and popular. All the girls wanted him for their boy friend. They were so mean to me. I didn't have a single friend. Except Jeanie but she went to public school."
"What about my father? Did he come back?" She stared straight ahead as in a trance. "When we first started dating, he was really sweet. I remember our first date as it was yesterday. I went to his opening football game. He single handedly won the game and he gave me the game ball. Everyone was green with envy."
"Mom? Why are you telling me this?"
She ignored me. "And then he changed overnight. He no longer wanted to spend any time with me. Other then when we...Anyway, he was always spending time with his friends.
Jeanie told me he was cheating on me but I didn't want to believe her."
She whipped away more tears. "I called him on cheating and he denied it. To prove it, he offered to marry me. We were to get married at the end of the year. Things were good for a while but I was still suspicious of his behavior. One night I followed him and I caught him cheating right before my very eyes."
My Mother's brow furrowed. "I was so mad at him. I was determined to get even with him. That is when I met Ted. He was on Eden's Hall hockey team. He was even more handsome but didn't get the attention that William got because he didn't play football. I started to meet up with him secretly whenever William was out of town for a game. We were starting to get serious and when my parents found out, they forbid me to see him ever again because William's family was a very well off family.
But I continued to see him anyway. We only got to see each other for a few hours every week and most of time, we had to hide in his dorm to be together and while we were there, we were.... intimate."
"Well that's a relief," I said."Arg...mom! I don't want to hear it."
"Charlie, grow up!"
"I still don't want to hear it."
She ignored me. "I was intimate with two men at the same time and before I knew it, I became pregnant with you. I told my mother and she got very angry. She told me to tell William that it was his child regardless of the truth. I did. I had to quit Eden Hall because the board didn't like the idea of an unmarried pregnant student in their institution. I never even got to graduate."
She sighed. "Anyway, William and I got married soon after because our parents didn't want their grandchild to be an illegitimate child. When we got married, he was angry with me and yelled at me saying that I ruined his life. He started drinking and getting violent. He wound up in jail a few times. And when I couldn't take it anymore, I told him that there was a chance that you weren't his. That night he snapped. He went psycho. He smashed everything in the apartment. That was the night we left him. A week later he was found dead in the sewer. He had committed suicide."
I breathed heavily at my mom's revelations. I was going to ask he a question but she answered it for me.
"I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't think you could handle the truth. How do you feel?"
"I don't think there currently exist a word to describe my reaction," I told her. I was completely dumbfounded. I pushed the details to the back of my mind. Deal with that latter. "So what are you saying? I thought this was about John."
"It is honey. Let me finish. Ted, my secret boyfriend, came back. When he found out that I had gotten married, he took off to Canada to pursue his hockey career. I didn't know what happened to him after that. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I saw him at the Blake game that I saw him again. He's looks different but as handsome as ever. He wanted to catch up on old times. So he asked me to meet him for coffee. It was to be completely innocent.
"When John first found out he said he was okay with it. But when I asked him about cheating, he got very angry and threw it right back in my face. I left for work and when I came home, he was gone."
"I'm still glad he's gone. You're better off without him."
"I was just wondering if you'd like to find out who your real father is now that he's back in the area?"
"No thanks."
"Why not?"
"I'd rather not," I said bitterly. "I liked it better when I though that my father was a jerk, and we left him because of that. Should have stuck with that story."
"If that's what you want," she said. "But there's something that you must know."
"Yes?" I responded. If you're going to bring up the ugly past, you may as well do it in one sitting.
"When I saw Ted the other day, I still realized that I still had feelings for him. Even after fourteen years. I did nothing about it but now that John is out of the picture, I can go back to Mr. Orion. He said that he wasn't married anymore either. His wife died a long time ago as well."
"Ted?" I trembled. "Ted Orion?"
"Yes. Ted Orion."
"The one who could be my father?"
"Yes. The same one. Don't worry. I won't tell him about his possible sire hood unless you want me too when he comes over to dinner on Friday night."
"Oh...my...God."
I turned a pasty white and had a sick feeling creeping around in my stomach. "What's wrong Charlie?"
"I think I'm going to be sick."