HEARTS DIVIDED: My Son
by tarskeewee08
Evangeline sat in the limo with her son strapped in his car seat next to her. He sucked on his pacifier and played with his Blues Clues stuffed dog. She reached over and ran her fingers through his thick black curly locks. He looked up at her smiling passing her the dog. She knew that he wanted her to talk to him in her funny voice. She held the dog up and barked and talked in a woof woof voice as KJ kicked his feet squealing. She smiled at his reaction as her cell phone rang in her purse. Giving her baby back the stuffed animal she retrieved the phone out of her purse.
"Hello"
"Van.."
"Nora?"
"Yes sweetie, are you okay I got your messages.
Its been crazy with this case I'm working on I called last night
but Vikki said you took a sedative and went to bed."
She smiled. Hearing her friends voice soothed her "It was pretty bad yesterday Nora.."
"What's going on?"
Evangeline told Nora about court and the fact that Spencer was indicted by the government for doing experimental procedures on women. She cringed when she thought about her examinations with him and the way he touched her. She always thought something was terribly wrong with him. She told her how John looked like her baby and that it scared her. Also that she was on her way to the hospital this morning to give a DNA sample hopefully they were early enough and she wouldn't run into him.
"Blue eyes hunh?"
"Yes Nora blue
eyes"
"I haven't seen him in a long while but I can remember
a slight resemblance" Nora said shuffling papers.
Evangeline reached over touching her babies hand and sighed. "I don't trust him Nora, something is wrong with him. He's too determined to insert himself my child's life. What's with his desperation?"
"Think about it Van, the man lost his wife and she was 7 months pregnant. From what I can remember he was really crazy about her….and….Oh my god!"
Evangeline frowned
"What?"
"I just remembered…..the funeral."
"What
about it?"
"The day you buried Kevin….I walked over to
Kelly's funeral and gave my condolences. Ironic that you two would
be going through that same kind of pain. That you'd be connected
like that"
"We are not connected!" she snapped.
"I'm
sorry Van but you are. You walked away from that funeral and was
inseminated by a man that was less than a 100 yards away without even
knowing it."
"Nora….you aren't helping" she sighed watching KJ throw his stuffed dog across the limo and start to kick frustrated. He had a 10 minute riding limit in his car seat and then he wanted out. He reached snatching out his pacifier and let out cries of frustration and then stuck his pacifier back in his mouth. Evangeline laughed lightly rubbing his arm. If he was big enough to remove that pacifier and scream at her, then he should be big enough to let it go.
"Sorry sweetie, it just struck me as
strange…."
"I understand. Don't get me wrong if it was
happening to anyone else other than me I would marvel at the
coincidence. Right now I just want to find a way out of this
mess."
"So what's your plan?"
"Well so far what I
know about him I don't like. Up until his wife's death he was a
pretty standup guy. Perfect credit, perfect reputation. Except for
that incident at the Palace years ago but most of that raid was
justified."
"Okay.." Nora said listening intently.
"But
after her death he has a file as thick as the Llanview phonebook.
Violent outbursts and unsavory methods of handling suspects that he
indicted."
Evangeline shook her head and reached in her bag for her baby's sippy cup of juice to silence the constant whines of wanting to be free of his car seat.
"Yet instead of being fired he was promoted. To some anti-terrorist unit. That's where I hit a brick wall"
"I'm impressed you got that much on
him?" Nora said shocked.
"Well my money has its ways. I'm
not proud of it Nora but I will do everything and anything to protect
my child"
Feeling the limo slow down she saw they were
arriving at the entrance of the hospital. "Let me call you when we
are done. Maybe we can meet for lunch."
"Okay…I want to see
my god baby. Good luck"
"Thanks!"
Hanging up the driver stopped the car going to the trunk to get her baby's stroller. She stuffed his blues clues dog in his baby bag and pushed the red release button on his car seat. Pulling it over his head her little monkey leaped from the car seat giggling and scrambling a way. She new he'd do that and was ready to grab the waist of his old navy jeans and pull him back to her. He had on a plaid button down shirt tucked into his jeans and his little timberland hiking boots. She would have dressed him in shorts but it was extremely cold in the hospital and she didn't know how long this would take.
Her limo door opened and she passed him to the driver so she could get their things and exit. Once getting out of the limo she told her driver Jason she would call when she was ready. He tipped his hat and pushed the stroller to her. Evangeline knelt shoving the baby bag into the netting underneath and then straightened her dress pushing the stroller inside of the hospital. KJ sat up looking wide eyed at everyone and waving to anyone they passed. Evangeline watched the second glances and sighs her child always received. His eyes stopped people in their tracks. The clear blue against light mocha skin was made most spellbound.
She accepted the "He's adorable….." and the "Oh my god can I have him" before getting into the elevator. It was 9 am and she was almost positive she would get in and out before Mr. McBain showed up. She didn't want him near KJ…the thought of it made her angry.
Walking off the elevator she went to the nurse's station. "Hi, I'm Ms. Buchanan and I'm supposed to meet with a Doctor Clifford today. My appointment was 9 am."
"Yes mam, he's in the examination room at the end of this hallway to your left. Room 223" she said leaning over waving at Kevin. He looked up sucking his pacifier and waved his fat hand back at her. The nurse melted.
Evangeline proceeded down the hall and her stomach was in knots. What if by a small miracle her suspicions were wrong and he wasn't McBain's baby. She would love if that was true. She said a silent prayer as she put her back against the door pushing her way through and pulling the stroller in.
Turning around she saw the doctor and John sitting on the table with his sleeve up. She gasped in shock at seeing him.
John looked down and saw his son. His heart beat calmly at the sight of him and he felt the cold thick darkness that resided in him melt away. He was striking. His skin a mixture theirs was complimented by thick black curly locks around his face. His eyes were blue as his and all the McBain men. KJ looked up at him confused to see the same eyes looking at him sucking his pacifier.
Evangeline froze "I…I…didn't know he would be here…I'll comeback!" she said trying to reach for the door to escape with her baby. She hated she had the clunky stroller because it prevented her from moving as fast as she wanted.
"Ms. Buchanan, I set the appointment this way. I need to collect a sample from them both to make sure they are submitted together." The doctor said stopping her.
John rose from the exam table and approached his son. Evangeline panicked and pulled the stroller away and he looked up at her pleadingly. "I won't scare him. I just want to see him…please"
Evangeline felt the lump in her chest rise to her throat. She squeezed the handles on the stroller and wanted to scream at him. She didn't want to scare her baby and they were trapped. Dammit someone should have told her he would be here. Her skin crawled as he got closer. This man wanted to take her child and now she was doing the one thing she vowed not too. Allow him within 10 feet of him. "That's close enough!" she snapped.
John stopped and looked at her angrily but didn't move closer. Evangeline walked around to his stroller and worked on taking him out of his constraints. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled it.
John laughed lightly and felt like his boy was telling her to back off and let his dad hold him. She looked up at his laughter and rolled her eyes. Removing her long tresses from his hands she pulled him free and held him close to her chest.
KJ looked at John and removed his pacifier. He spoke in baby talk to him with a serious look on his face. Both John and Evangeline looked at him shocked then at each other. She had seen him try to communicate with others but mostly family members. He never spoke to a stranger this way. He'd smile and wave but if they got too close he shied away.
John wanted to touch him. He knew from the way she clung to him she wouldn't allow it. He was remarkable. It was strange having a part of him mixed with a woman he barely knew. He looked at her stroking him protectively and became curious as too who she really was.
"Okay, Ms. Buchanan can you bring Kevin to me…" The doctor said behind John. Evangeline looked at John "Excuse us" she said dryly.
John stepped back but not too far so he could be near his son. Evangeline saw his maneuver and switched her baby to her other hip so when she passed he couldn't touch him. She saw John shoot her an angry look and smiled. He didn't know who was messing with.
Walking to the doctor he took Kevin from her arms. Kevin immediately cried turning reaching for her. John saw his large oval eyes well with tears and it pained him. He wanted to reach for him.
"I can hold him" she said taking him back.
The doctor nodded. Evangeline saw him get a baby needle out of the small wrapper. "Do you really have to draw blood?" she asked. She always had Vikki come for his shots and cried when he cried. She didn't bring Vikki today because she thought it would be a prick of his finger or a lock of his hair like in the movies.
"Yes its standard. Now please sit down with him."
Evangeline nodded and climbed on the exam table with Kevin still staring at John. She hated the way he responded to John and turned him around to face her kissing his face. He did what he always did and grabbed fist fulls of her hair. He was so naughty like that.
The doctor now ready saw how much he wiggled in Evangeline's grip and knew he needed a nurse. Looking over he saw the pain on Mr. McBain's face who clearly wanted to be near the child. For some strange reason he took pity on him.
"Mr.
McBain can you assist us please…"
Evangeline looked alarmed.
"NO!" she snapped.
"Ms. Buchanan…KJ could get hurt if he
isn't completely still."
"Call a nurse then!" she
snapped.
"I can help, please…" John said trying again to
appeal to her.
Evangeline looked at him and the way her son giggled at him. She wasn't a cruel person and she saw in his eyes that no matter how much they disliked each other he wasn't either. Biting her lip she fought a private war with her self. With them both standing in front of her she relented. "Okay..." she said weakly.
The doctor nodded. "Okay, Mr. McBain hold his legs and Ms. Buchanan hold his arm and chest like this." He said showing Evangeline. John knelt in front of his son touching his legs.
KJ immediately snatched his chubby arm free and put his hand to his daddy's face. The touch of his son's small fingers was like electricity through his body. He looked into his baby's eyes and saw him smile still holding his pacifier with his teeth.
The moment was brief because his mother grabbed his arm back and looked at John angrily as if he had violated his own son. He was getting real tired of her and her interference.
The doctor saw that the situation would erupt any moment and worked to find a vein in the child's arm. Kevin didn't cry as the needle inserted and looked down at what the doctor was doing curious.
John was proud of his boy's strength and Evangeline was shocked at how calm he was. It took her and Vikki to hold him when he got shots but this man's presence comforted him. She looked at John and saw the pride and love in his face that he had for her son.
A small part of her softened toward him for helping her. But she still was reminded that they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for him and her gratitude slipped away.
The doctor filled the vial with her precious baby's blood and then put a cotton ball to the small hole in her boys arm. KJ looked at his momma and spit out his pacifier that fell to his lap connected to a string that was pinned to his shirt. "Ma…" he said
She nodded. "That's right baby we're all done….and momma is so proud of you being a big boy." He said something else she didn't understand and without warning John ran his hands through her sons hair "Daddy is proud of you too"
Evangeline knocked his hand away "Don't you dare say that to my child."
The doctor turned and looked at them alarmed. John stood up and glared at her "He's my son and the sooner you get used to that idea the better for us all"
"Please….do not do this in front of KJ you will scare him." Doctor Clifford said.
Evangeline saw the puzzled look her son was giving John and it broke her heart. She didn't want to compete with some strange man for possession of her child. Standing from the exam table she went to the doctor and let him put a happy face Band-Aid on KJ's arm. Turning she shouldered pass John and put her baby back in the car seat. She was so angry and hurt she just wanted out of the small room before she scared her baby and let loose her rage.
John watched her work with his boy to get him settled and saw him once again grabbing her long mane pulling his fingers through it. He smiled and understood his obsession with his mom's hair. Since the first day he laid eyes on her he wanted to touch it. Pushing that thought from his mind quickly he looked around her as she strapped him in to get his son's attention.
KJ looked up at him and grinned. John couldn't get over how beautiful he was. He'd never seen a kid quite like him.
Evangeline rose and fixed her hair that her baby had run his fat fingers through. Turning she rolled her eyes at John and looked at the doctor. "Is that all?"
The doctor dropped the samples in the plastic bags that were already marked. "Yes that will be all we should have test results to the courts within 48 hours."
Evangeline felt her stomach clench and looked at John who wore a satisfied look on his face. She couldn't wait to wipe away that grin and chase him from this town.
KJ clapped his hands cheering as if he understood that something monumental was about to happen. Both the doctor and John laughed at his response. John was about to make another move to him. But Evangeline pulled the door open and held it with the side of her body easing the stroller out. As she struggled he approached and held the door for her.
She didn't say anything to him turning the stroller around she quickly left. He ran after her. "Ms. Buchanan…" he called after her.
She stopped and sighed. Turning she saw him approaching. Baby KJ leaned out of the side looking back out of his stroller to see his dad clearly too. John looked at him and then his mother and at that moment their expressions were the same. He couldn't help but smile.
"Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot"
"Oh you
mean the foot where you insulted my dead husband?"
"I'd like
to apologize for that…"
"No need.." she said turning to
leave.
John grabbed her arm. "I'm trying to apologize to you lady would you chill for a moment."
Evangeline looked at his hand on her arm and then glared at him. "Excuse me? Chill for a moment? What does that mean?"
John released her. "We both know he's mine. And if you cooperate with me I'll be very liberal with your visitation rights."
Evangeline burst into laughter. "Are you serious? Do you really think that, that would be your call..."
"There are some thing's you don't know about your husband. If I have too I will enlighten the courts."
"There you go insulting my husband! Take your best shot. My husband kept nothing from me! You jerk!" she hissed walking away pushing her stroller quickly.
John shook his head. "That came out wrong. But he did his homework before he came to Llanview. He would blow that entire family out of the water to get to his son."
Watching the elevators doors close on them little KJ threw up his chubby hand and waved bye. John waved bye to him too.
