A/N: I hate adding my own made up characters, but OLTL never gave Evangeline the family connections to support her character. As for Eve McBain, I didn't want the show when she was on, so I chose to gloss over her for now. Fun fact: John is older than Michael and Michael was supposed to be 11 when their father died in the line of duty. This means John was originally supposed to have been high school or college aged when his father died. Not sure why the writers changed it in the end, but the rewrite never made much sense because John has got to be like 10 years older than Michael, so Michael should have been a baby when their father died. None of that matters other than to point out some terrible writing. It was just something interesting I found out when digging up some character info.
"John, this is a little morbid even for you, don't you think?" Michael complained as he thumbed through the documents John gave him. "I hope you're not planning on dying anytime soon." John had called him over to review documents related to his will in the even of something unfortunate.
"I'm not planning on it, no. But, better men than me have left before their time unexpectedly. I just want to be prepared for that." John had again seen a lawyer to make sure his final wishes would be honored. Michael was a possible beneficiary in his will, so he wanted to discuss the details with him to prevent any confusion in the future.
Michael grimaced. He didn't have to imagine that John was talking about their father. "Guess all this impeding fatherhood stuff is really starting to sink in?"
"It's not just that, Mike. My line of work, I should have already had this stuff in place." John previously had his mother as the sole inheritor of his estate. After he was gone, he wouldn't care about how she handled his estate.
"You, uh, wanna talk?" Michael laughed knowing that John wasn't big on talking. They had their moments, which had been more frequent as of late, but John was very much like his mother. Their pain was their own, and they wouldn't share it with others.
"There's not a lot to say about it." John looked over at his brother and shrugged. They were spending more time together and John actually liked it. John had went back to Dr. Crosby to go through with his original plan. Surprisingly, it had been pretty painless. The doctor was really focused on getting John talking, and not just about tragedy. He stressed to John how important it was to open up about to others about anything, even if it was just small details about his day. If John could master that, he would be ready to dig deeper and start dealing with the root of his issues.
"Evangeline told me that when her dad passed he had a life insurance policy that paid off their house. Evangeline was out of college and so was Layla, but it was still one less thing her mom had to worry about." John recalled a memory that Evangeline shared with him long ago.
"I thought her parents were divorced?" Michael kicked his feet up on the table and sighed. Today was his first off day in over a week and his body was still feeling the effects of the long hours he worked.
"They were, and they had been for years. Still, her dad made sure that policy was paid for whenever he did pass. Just makes me think about our parents. Think about the old man." John too kicked his feet up on the table and sighed. He had a long day ahead of him and talking to Mike was a bit of a stress reliever.
"If dad had that, mom wouldn't have struggled so much." Michael knew his family struggled with money, but it hadn't affected him like John and his mother. He was a kid and they both worked hard to make sure he never went without. This allowed him to think only about himself and his needs.
"Yep. It was probably a lot of money to them, but it would have been like an extra $50 a month to get a policy that would have taken care of the house and given mom some money for a rainy day. Dad's no different from most guys. He was working hard and expecting his pension would take care of him after he put in his time. Never really considered that he'd never live to see it or that it wouldn't be enough to provide for his family in his absence since it hadn't fully matured." John remembered being very young and having to sit with his mother to figure out which bills needed to be paid immediately and which bills could wait the longest to be paid. That stress of knowing his family's precarious financial state contributed to John's frugal tendencies. He lived in a crap apartment and saved most of what he earned. Until now, he didn't have anyone who he needed to benefit from that money.
"Yeah, well, no one wants to think about dying. Even me, and I deal with death all the time." Michael was with Marcie for now, but they weren't married. If they did marry, he too would have to think about providing for his family should he meet an unfortunate end.
"Evangeline's stable and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I just don't want to leave it all on her, just in case. Best case scenario, she never needs it and our kid gets the money to fund their college education or buy a house. Worst case scenario, she's able to raise our kid on a middle-class income." Completing this paperwork was the second of two tasks that he'd given himself the night after he saw Natalie. Now his finances were in order. The other was seeing Dr. Crosby, which he'd also done. John was working hard to get his life in order. He would be a man that his child would be proud of someday.
"So, are you going to go over all this stuff with mom before the baby shower or after?" Michael gave John some food for thought in case he hadn't considered the consequences.
"After." John looked at his watch and noted the time. John still had a couple of hours before he had to get ready. Lisa was putting on the shower. Evangeline and her family and friends would be there, and so would John and a few of his female family members. His mom forced him to make the calls that he was reluctant to make. For many years, he'd been distant with family, so none of the phone calls had been quick. All in all, six of his family members would be coming including him and his mother.
"Smart move. Don't want to put a damper on today." Michael patted his shoulder roughly. "So, how nervous are you for today."
"Beer at ten o'clock. What do you think?" John had been nervous not just about seeing Evangeline's family again, but also about his family members whose mouths he would not be able to control. Shannon and Becca were his younger cousins, but they would be quick to talk about his teenage girlfriends. It was his mother and aunts, Sara and Gail, that he was worried the most about embarrassing him.
"How did you even get roped into this? I was confused when Marcie said you'd be there and offended that I wasn't invited." Michael was serious until he found out John would be the only male attending. These were mostly for women anyway. He just didn't want to be excluded.
John just groaned. Evangeline, at her mother's request, had asked him nicely to attend. He was still trying to get back into her good graces, so he agreed. Now, he was regretting it.
"Yeah, well, I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to catch nap. We still on for dinner with the family tonight?" Michael yawned and stretched as he started to head for the door. He saw John nod his head and that was confirmation enough.
"Oh boy," John spoke out loud even though he was by himself. He'd expected Michael to stick around longer. As part of his therapy, John was supposed to stop spending so much time alone, but he was finding it hard. This was the consequence of him keeping his distance from others. As of late, he had few friends that he could talk to casually. He could talk to the guys at the station, but he knew they were nervous around him.
Dr. Crosby explained this was a big contributor to him not being able to bury his demons from the past. Though he didn't blame her, John had only mimicked his mother. After his father's death, she pushed people away because she didn't want them to see her struggling to make ends meet or falling to pieces over her husband's death. She suffered needlessly in silence as there was a wealth of family that she could rely on. This isolation had hurt her and the boys, but probably John the most. He never learned how to deal with pain, so he just stuffed it deep down inside.
Now that he was older and going through the healing process, John wondered why his mother had intentionally chosen to suffer. She refused government benefits that they qualified for and instead lived on his father's small pension and the odd jobs that she could find. Money was always tight. After a couple of sessions of therapy, John on his own did the research and figured out how much his mother should have been receiving in his father's absence with government assistance. It wasn't breaking the bank, but it would have meant that she only needed to work part-time, and the bills would have been paid on time. Her pride and refusal of "handouts" ended up putting adult responsibilities on a ten-year-old boy. John had survived it but wondered how things would have turned out if he was allowed to be a normal kid who was just dealing with his father's death, and not a kid who was dealing with his father's death and helping to keep his family above water.
John hated this part of therapy. His mother hadn't acted maliciously. She did what she thought was right after a punk with a gun changed her world. Therapy revealed that John did hold some resentment towards his mother for how things turned out. He was able to accept that anger, and Dr. Crosby urged him to talk to his mother about it. John knew he wasn't ready for that yet. He was glad to acknowledge the pain, understand it, and accept it. His mother wasn't perfect, but he loved her. He wouldn't burden her with his pain, because he was sure she was already aware of it. In her own way, she tried to atone for what she put John through.
Evangeline smiled patiently but rolled her eyes behind her mother's back. She was already counting down the hours before the shower was over with. In less than an hour, she would be welcoming a house full of guests, and now, of all times, her mother wanted to lecture her.
"I'm sorry, Cookie, I just don't agree." Lisa fiddled with the decorations wanting to make sure everything was just right. "Why in the world does that man have to live in this house with you?"
"Mom, we have already been over this…several times. This is the easiest way for the baby to be in one location and for John and his family to have the same access to the baby that I along with my family will have. The agreement has already been signed and there is not time to renegotiate." Evangeline kept hoping that some guest would show up early to distract her mother. She could never get that lucky.
"This just seems nefarious to me. He's got to be plotting something, some kind of way for you two to get back together. During this emotionally sensitive time, I think he's just trying to take advantage of you." Lisa's fidgeting was the easiest way to deal with her stress.
"Mom, I don't even have to see John. The basement apartment has its own entrance. He's got a kitchen down there, a bathroom," Evangeline stopped remembering that she'd already given her mother the tour. "John and I are trying to be civil. This is only for six weeks. Besides, I thought you were pushing for me to forgive John and give him a chance to bond with the baby."
"Well, I didn't mean in your house and under your roof." Lisa turned and looked at Evangeline. She knew Evangeline was annoyed, but it was her right, as a mother, to tell Evangeline that she was making a huge mistake. "You are finally free of that man. I don't want him finding a way back into your bed," Lisa spoke bluntly.
"This baby means I'll never be free of John. Him living here and us being together are two separate things that aren't even remotely related." Evangeline wasn't surprised that her mother still held on to her dislike of John.
"Didn't you say he's been doing work around here?" Lisa had been around the block long enough and she knew what John wanted. She would make sure Evangeline didn't make the same mistake twice.
"Yes, mom. He supervised a bunch of teenaged boys to redo my lawn and some other things around here. Saved me thousands of dollars from having to hire a contractor." John and a team of three neighborhood boys had completely redone her landscaping and it had only taken two weeks. Evangeline gave John a vision and he drew up plans that he boys worked on after school. On the weekends, John was there to help out and things looked beautiful.
"Can we please stop talking about this already?" Evangeline was already tired, and not just of this conversation. If her mother was getting to her, she had no hopes of successfully dealing with her jealous cousins.
"No, because you're not hearing me. That man is going nowhere, and I don't want him dragging you down. You've got a lot on your plate now with the baby and managing your career. If you need a man, he needs to be strong enough to support you and your ambitions. I'm talking emotionally, physically, and financially. I'm sure John is a fine man and he will be a fine father. That does not mean he deserves you. He is not the man who is going to take you where you need to be." Lisa knew that Evangeline was still destined for greatness. She would not let John derail her from the path of success any further.
"Mom, I can't do this. Not today. I can't deal with all those snarky comments from those people that you insisted on invited and know that I don't have your support." Evangeline walked over to her new favorite spot on the sofa. The curtains were open, and she could see out the large bay window into the back yard. John had really outdone himself with the landscaping.
"What do you mean those people? This is your family, Cookie. You don't need to hide from them. People are going to talk. You already know how we are, but you can handle them. You don't need me in your corner to fight your battles. If you don't like what they're saying, show them how you will succeed without a man. Just be yourself, baby." Lisa looked over at her daughter lovingly. She'd never babied Evangeline and she wasn't about to start now. Instead of leaving her jealous cousins off the invitation list, Lisa encouraged them to come to light a fire under Evangeline.
Evangeline chose to remain silent. Any further conversation would only escalate the issue. For now, Evangeline would focus on relaxing. Sure, there would be family there that she wasn't particularly fond of, plus John's family that she'd never met, but she would also have her friends to rely on. It was only for a few hours, so she convinced herself she could tolerate them for that long.
Evangeline was relieved that her friends, Lily, Nora, Marcie, and Layla arrived ahead of the crowd. Instead of focusing on John and the impending move in and custody drama, they were there to celebrate the baby. That alone gave Evangeline the strength that she needed. Finally, she started to get in the spirit herself.
John hadn't coordinated his family's arrival, so everyone but Eve arrived slightly ahead of time. Marcie made the introductions in John's place. Evangeline remembered Shannon, so at least she was a familiar face. The others that she didn't know were friendly enough and easily mingled with her mother and the other guests that had arrived.
"I'll get it. That's probably John." He texted her that he was running behind and that he would be there soon. She asked that he not use the key that she had given him. He was surely smart enough to pick up on why. Today was about the baby, and neither one of them wanted to shift the focus onto the status of their failed relationship.
Evangeline swung the door open expecting John, but she was greeted by an older woman with red hair. "Hello," Evangeline spoke with a big smile on her face, "you must be Eve."
"I am, dear. Evangeline it's so nice to finally meet you," Eve pulled her into a hug being mindful of her abdomen, "and I am so excited to meet this little one. With those two boys of mine, I wasn't sure I was ever going to get any grandchildren." Eve smiled remembering Michael's description of Evangeline. She was just as beautiful as he said she was.
Evangeline laughed in response as she ushered her inside. She listened to Eve as she directed her to the den where the festivities would be taking place. Marcie was up in an instant and greeting Eve, whom she already knew. Evangeline thought for a moment about the McBain men and their red headed women. She didn't know about Michael's exes, but Natalie was a red head and so was Caitlyn. She couldn't help but wonder if the boys had some kind of Oedipus complex.
"Mom, this is John's mother, Eve McBain." Evangeline made this introduction and decided that everyone else could introduce themselves on their own. She got nametags as a way to streamline the process.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lisa Williamson." Eve and Lisa shared a polite handshake. "So, is John with you?" Lisa looked past her to see if he was lingering somewhere.
"No, I think he said he needed to drop some paperwork off, but he shouldn't be too far behind." Eve glanced between Lisa and Evangeline. "He's probably trying to find some way to avoid coming. If he does make an appearance, I don't imagine he'll stay too long if there won't be any other gentlemen to keep him company."
"Well, I can't blame him for that." Lisa thought back on Clay's outright refusal to even consider coming. He was willing to support Evangeline, but he said he didn't want to sit around the hen house.
The doorbell rang out again. There would be a steady stream of guests for the next little while. "You two get comfortable. I'll be right back." Evangeline rushed off as quickly as she could before anyone could object. She was expecting it to be either John or her other family members. She was hoping for John.
"Oh my gosh, you are so pregnant and still so beautiful. My Cookie is all grown up now." The woman was shouting and hugging Evangeline before she had the door fully open.
"Claire! Mom didn't tell me you were coming. This is the best surprise." Evangeline hugged her back excitedly. Claire was her mother's much younger first cousin, so she spent a lot of time baby sitting Evangeline and Layla. She was hands down Evangeline's favorite cousin, but she didn't come around too often. She was happy with her life and didn't want or need approval from the Gray/Williamson crowd.
"Probably because she didn't invite me." Claire released Evangeline from her hug and winked at her. "Layla sent me a message last minute. Tiff wanted to come too, but she couldn't get away."
"Well, I'm glad you're here." Evangeline hugged her again. Claire was as successful, if not more successful, as Evangeline. She studied medicine instead of law and was highly respected in her field. Her sexual orientation was why her family didn't boast about her. She knew she'd broken her parents' hearts when she came out of the closet, but she refused to live a lie. She was happier now and had no regrets.
"Let me give you the granny tour." The inside joke was about visiting the grandparents house and them always trying to feed you or fatten you up. Evangeline wanted to get her to the kitchen for a few minutes alone before the other party goers arrived.
"I never would have thought of you as a country girl. It's city enough, but you've got a lot of woods around you. I'd be afraid of wolves and coyotes out here." Claire followed behind Evangeline to the kitchen.
"Please don't say that. I live alone and I'm just now starting to get comfortable here." Evangeline sat down on the bench in the breakfast nook. "So, how's everything been for you? How is Tiff?" The doorbell rang out again, but this time Evangeline would let her mother or Layla answer it.
"Oh, you know it's just as exciting as ever. Work keeps me busy all the time, and so do the students. I'm really happy and so is Tiff. She's a principal now, and she's thinking about moving up a bit. We're working on her confidence if she takes that next step. She's not afraid she can survive all the negativity." Claire was a teacher and researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She met her wife, Tiff, when she was a student there decades ago.
"I know what she means. The world has changed, but not that much. She's got you and her family, so I'm sure she'll be just fine." Evangeline had to remember to call Claire more. They'd grown apart since they were now busy professionals, but if anyone understood Evangeline it was Claire. She'd been Evangeline's confidant when things got too stressful.
"Well tell me about you and what's been going on. I had to hear it through the grapevine that you split from Dennis and by the time I heard that you'd already been here in Pennsylvania for a year." Claire cupped Evangeline's hands in her own.
"Yeah, we just didn't work out. I was looking for a change of scenery and I got an offer for a high-profile case. I won, so I decided to stick around. You wouldn't believe the drama that happens in this small town. It keeps me busy." Evangeline smiled brightly. She enjoyed having this girl talk again with someone who really knew her.
"Well, not too busy." Claire patted her belly.
"Hm, I guess not." Evangeline put her hand over Claire's on her abdomen.
"Want to talk about it?" Claire could read Evangeline like a book. This may have been a celebration, but she was anything but happy.
"Today, no. I'm just looking to survive this afternoon and then I'll be in a much better place." Evangeline chose honesty. "John and I are working on building a friendship. It's been hard, but we want to stay cordial." The doorbell rang out again and Evangeline knew at this point some of her least favorite family members had arrived.
"Surviving today? Who did Lisa invite that's getting under your skin? This is your special day. You will never have another moment like this again. You may have other kids, but this baby will be your first. If we need to bounce some bitches, you let me know."
John had been standing in the hallway within earshot, but out of eye sight. He wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but he hadn't found the right moment to interrupt their conversation. Claire's words had put a smile on his face. He'd encountered the judgmental side of Evangeline's family. Maybe it would be nice if some of them were more down to Earth like Layla and Evangeline.
"Oh, you know I wish I could. Mom wants me to show them that I'm not going to let this baby hold me back. I can't just say I'm going to conquer the world. I've got to have the whole Gray and Williamson clan there while I do it to make her proud." Evangeline told herself that she wouldn't cry, but she started to tear up.
"I love your mom, but I love you more. You don't have anything to prove to her or them. Live your life how you want to. The only thing that matters is your happiness and your child's. Forget all the rest." Claire pulled Evangeline into a hug hoping that would keep her from crying.
John frowned when he heard Evangeline sniffling. Again, she was hurting and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He had to question Lisa's wisdom in putting Evangeline through this. Was she really that concerned about Evangeline's ambitions that she would over look her happiness? John sighed knowing he wouldn't get an answer to that question anytime soon. For now, he'd leave Evangeline in Claire's hands. He would talk to Evangeline when the party was over.
The party was in full swing, but still there was another hour before the event's conclusion. All of John's family other than his mother had already headed back to AC, but John had to stick around since he was having dinner with Michael and his mother later on.
John had suffered at his mother and family telling some stories about little boy John McBain. No one said anything too revealing or embarrassing, but John hated being the center of attention. It had partially been worth it since Evangeline's family gave her the same treatment.
While the women were inside playing strange party games, John excused himself. He stood out on the deck wishing that he had a beer. He had to marvel at his own handywork in transforming Evangeline's landscaping. He was envious of her relative seclusion and great scenic view.
"Oh man I know that face." Claire stepped outside to see John. She had been speaking with her wife on the phone and wanted to get some fresh air before heading back to the party.
John looked over at her inquisitively. "Pardon?"
"That is the thousand-yard stare of a man that is just about at his limit. About now you're wishing for a beer and some kind of sporting event to watch. Really doesn't matter what's on, but you don't want to remember what it's like to be a man again. Then again, you've been a very good boy today. Maybe you'll skip the beer and go straight to the hard stuff. Whiskey or gin?" Claire stared over at John as she walked over to him. She introduced herself earlier, but they really hadn't had a chance to talk.
John smiled. "Definitely whiskey."
"Don't worry, copper. You'll be out of here soon enough. Our girl is about at her limit too. She is already wanting people out the door." Claire leaned against the railing and stretched.
"Hm, well, I don't think that was in Lisa's plans." John remembered how she was trying to keep them on a tight schedule. He no longer wondered where Evangeline got her bossy nature from.
"Don't count Cookie out. She never has been one to go with the flow. That woman always has a plan and a backup plan and a backup plan for the backup plan. Even when she was a little girl she was bossy." Claire's eyes met John's. His warm smile pleased her. She hadn't heard much about John except what Layla told her, but she couldn't rely on Layla for an accurate account of the facts.
"That's not a family trait? Maybe it skipped Layla, but the Williamsons seem like bunch who love to make plans plan." John had heard more than enough of Evangeline's cousins trying to one up her and each other. "No offense, but there's more to life than being better than everyone else."
"Ouch. None taken. It's not just the Williamsons. It's the Grays too; that's Lisa's family name. We are a proud people who will accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. 'If you don't do it for your own sake, do it for the pride of your family.' That was like our family motto." Claire had been tasked with becoming the first African American female surgeon general, but Jocelyn Elders beat her to it. When she told her family, she would be the first openly gay African American female surgeon general, she realized that her definition of pride and her family's were two different things.
"That sounds a little tough." John would remember that. He admired Evangeline's determination, but maybe he wouldn't want their child to be as serious as she was.
"You have no idea. Evangeline shouldered that burden more than anyone because she's brilliant. Her parents sacrificed everything for her success. Can you imagine letting them down?"
"Be the president or marry the president. That's, uh, that's pretty for anyone." John knew that Evangeline had traveled in the circle of people who were probably future presidential candidates, but that had been before she was in Llanview. She still rubbed elbows with some very powerful people, so it wasn't like she couldn't achieve that dream later.
"Yep, but that was her mommy and daddy's plan for her, and she has never been one to disappoint. So, do you know what her plan is?" Claire looked over at John who looked uncomfortable.
John shrugged his shoulders. He'd already gotten the speech from Clay about Evangeline's ambitions. He didn't need anyone else to remind him that he was way out of her league. "Can't say that I do?"
"You never asked?" Claire pushed further. She knew Evangeline's dream and wondered how this man had gotten so close to her without finding out. "Let me guess, you were too afraid to ask because you thought they wouldn't include you?"
John shoved his hands down into his pockets and clenched his teeth. That she guessed what he needed therapy to acknowledge annoyed him. "I think we best get back inside." John didn't owe her an answer. He wouldn't keep playing these games with Evangeline's family members. If they didn't think he was good enough for her, that was their opinion. That they were still making sure he knew that after their breakup was beyond cruel.