Story: Hear Me Weep
Author: gddg3696
Disclaimer: I own nothing Switched at Birth
A/N: Thank you for the feedback! I really, really hope you guys like the chapter, it's the longest one yet. It is 4:30AM where I live, and I just finished. I'm really proud of the end product, I hope you guys like the chapter as much as I do. Please leave me positive feedback, because they encourage me to write more! Even just a three second review makes my day! Enjoy!
Regina
Daphne was in the other room when our house phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked. No immediate answer. "Hello?" I tried again. "You can talk." Those damn telemarketers, always…
"Regina." Startled, I open my mouth, but no words arise. Sighing at a voice I hadn't heard in over a dozen years, I begin to speak.
"How did you get this number?" I demand. He had no right to come waltzing in after…
"The phone book, ma cherie." I move my jaw from side to side.
"Don't call me that. You can't just call my house number out of the blue! What is it you want?"
"I was sitting in a diner in Chicago across from my apartment on a Sunday morning. I asked them for a newspaper. There I saw it, 'Switched At Birth'. I'm surprised I didn't go into cardiac arrest. How come you didn't tell me, Regina?" Stressed, I sit down.
"I didn't have any way to contact you." He makes an annoyed sound on the other side of the line.
"You know that's not true. I haven't moved, I still have the same number since before Daphne… or Bay… or…. Our daughter was born."
"She is not your daughter. Neither of them, they're my daughters. And you can't just expect me to have this conversation with you over the phone!" He chuckles, and it warms me a little. I hadn't heard that laugh in over a decade.
"I'm glad you think so too, because I'm staying in the Holiday Inn by the highway. You can meet me at the restaurant of your choice at 8 tonight."
"What if I have plans?" I say, trying to even the score.
"Then I'll stop by the house." I let out a shaky breath.
"Fine. Restaurant Riverside."
"See you there, ma cherie."
Wilke
"Do you need any help with that?"
I'd pulled up to the Kennish Residence to drop off our equipment at Toby's. We'd been practicing at my place, but Toby had just gotten an afterschool job. I chuckled as I remember. 'Wilke, will you look over my resume?' I had, and practically burst out laughing at the things he'd written. 'In a band? Toby, really? I'm pretty sure prospective employers want to hear about school teams, leadership shit.' Toby had quickly reassured me that he knew what he was doing, and would get an awesome job. Awesome job grilling fast food on minimum wage? Awesome my ass…
Since Toby was earning his pay now, he didn't have the time to drive over to my place and we figured it would be easier practicing at his place. Emmett was often here, and I, of course, had no issue at all if I'd accidentally run into Toby's fine sister. Which I just had by coincidence, of course. It's not like I'd parked my car right in view of the guesthouse.
"Do I look like the kind of guy that needs help lifting heavy objects?" I asked, setting down the amp by the garage just to flex my arms at her.
Daphne chuckled and shook her head. I was more conscientious now, especially after hanging out with Emmett, to look right at Daphne and Emmett when talking.
"You tell me." I smiled.
"You can help, babe. But only because you look bored, and I know being around me is bound to turn your day into one of the best you've had." Daphne then gives me a smoldering look and grabs one of my guitars.
"I haven't had one of those since the last time you and I were near this car." Daphne says and winks. Damn, she is not as sweet and as innocent as she looks.
"Hey, when we're done moving heavy objects, you and I can shake up this car again!" I say, hand on her shoulder. Daphne moves away playfully, to pick up another guitar from the trunk. Her back to me, she says,
"No thanks, Wilke. You look better when I'm drunk." My eyebrows rise to my hairline and I drop the amp cords and microphones I'd been holding.
"Shit" I pick it all up, dust it all off, and reply as she turns around. "So let's get you drunk." I suggest. Daphne rolls her eyes at me, and hands me another amp. I knew practicing here would be a great idea.
Ty
"Oh! Hey, what about this one, huh?" Bay said, as she pointed an ad in the paper. We were lying around in the guest bedroom, door open per Mr. Kennish's request, looking at possible apartments.
The Kennishes had offered me a job as a mechanic in their car wash business. They were expanding, and I would be co-head of the mechanic aspect. Writing my application for the military, I had no idea that less than a year later I would be looking at apartments so I could be near my co-head job of anything in Mission Hills none the less, with a pseudo-Daphne/ ex-girlfriend. Life is full if surprises.
"That looks nice… but kind of expensive." Bay rolls her eyes at me, collapsing on her back.
"Nice but expensive, sturdy but expensive, amazing but expensive, that's all you've been saying all afternoon!" I smirked.
"Because it's true. I'm not getting myself into a mortgage I can't afford." Bay took a deep breath and propped herself up on her elbows.
"Well how much do you have saved up?" I contemplated in my head.
"Enough. I sold my car, my house; I had a small savings account set up before I left. Working in the service gave me a little benefit, although, I was only there for a few months." Bay shrugged.
"You have a nice job lined up. So don't be afraid to think big." I shoved her shoulder so she fell back down, laughing.
"Can't we think medium?" Bay rolls her head to me.
"Fine. You should know you deserve this, after all. You don't have to be always so hard on yourself." I nodded.
"What about you? You and Regina seem to have almost patched things up. Don't tell me it's because of what little ol' me had to say." Bay smiles and sits up once again.
"It's not. Well, it sort of is. I just… decided I was tired of being sad all the time. Tired of crying, and fighting, being mad at other people. I shouldn't… be so dependant. I can be perfectly happy on my own, by choice. I don't need a mother, or a father, or a boyfriend."
"That's good. You do realize, though, that you have most of those." Bay gives me a look, and I chuckle. Friend zone was an ugly place to be. I'd check out if I weren't so selfish as to want to spend time with her. Bay then looks serious as she folds the newspaper and sets it aside.
"I kind of went looking for trouble." I crack a smile, but Bay continues to look across the room, then looks at her hands.
"I'm sorry to say that doesn't surprise me." Bay looks up at me.
"No, seriously. I tried to find my father." I nodded, understandingly. But I didn't, really. "I kept asking Daphne and Regina about it, but they wouldn't tell me. They had nothing to tell me. Daphne gave me a picture of Regina by a car, and… Emmett helped me find the license plate, then the car. I…"
"I didn't know you and Emmett were friends." I'd never seen them together unless Daphne was around, and from the sound of it, Daphne didn't want to find him. When she was little, it didn't really matter. When she got older, though, it was a sore subject. Bay's normally vibrant, life-filled eyes seem to harden.
"We're not. But he's good with photography. He tracked down the car. All I found was this." Bay raises her arm to me where she fastened a guitar pick to a chain. I nod.
"So he was a musician?" Bay shrugs.
"I don't know. We never found him. I thought we had, but we hadn't. Regina had left my birth certificate in Emmett's garage, and his name is Angelo Sorrento." This meant a lot to her, so why did she drop it? Confused, I voice my thinking.
"And you didn't look him up?" She nods vaguely.
"I did. There was only one nearby, but it wasn't him. I'd done enough dad searching to continue though. It obviously upset Daphne and Regina, and I did not want to do that." We both sit there awkwardly.
"I've never met my dad, either." Bay turns to me. "My mom was a junkie. More worried about getting her next fix than changing my diapers and holding my hand when I crossed the street. Daddy dearest was gone long before my second trimester, or so I was told. When I was 10, I ran away." Intrigued, Bay faces me completely and holds one of my hands. We'd sort of become accustomed to it. I knew what it meant to her, and she knew what it meant to me. Even if it didn't mean to same thing to us both, I would take what I could get.
"I was stealing from a restaurant in the outskirts of Mission Hills, when the chef caught me, and they called the police. I was a minor, but I refused to give my name, my address. I'd been gone maybe a week, and I sure as hell wasn't going back. Child services were brought in, and I finally gave them my name. We went to my house, and there was my mom, with a dealer, lighting up." I shake my head at the memory. There are always things you can never forget. Childhood was sacred.
"I moved from foster home to foster home after that. I never had a bad experience, but it wasn't like they were my parents. They provided me with clothes, food, and a place to stay. I'd met Daphne when I was 11, and we were friends ever since. Emmett, too, I guess was a part of my growing up, but we were distinct parts of Daphne's life. 10 years old was the age I was when I had graduated to adulthood. When I watched Daphne, and the other foster kids play, it was surreal. I didn't know how to go back to being happy and carefree." I hadn't told many people about this, but I'd cried too many tears throughout my life to even begin to produce anymore now. I'm sure my tear ducts were toasted dry.
"I worked as a busboy afterschool from 7th to 9th grade, and then by the time I turned 15 I was working at a mechanic's shop. My foster parents moved when they had their own child, but the mortgage was up. They said I could keep the house for a fee, and I did, when I turned 17. All I had to do was eat and pay for electricity." I laughed.
"I was real paranoid about it, at first. When I started living on my own, the first month or so, I would only use candles and flashlights, while I was still earning money. Regina knew I was by myself, but I would turn 18 in a few months so she turned the blind eye. She probably thinks I don't know it was her, but I'd caught her once or twice leaving an envelope of a hundred or so dollars under my front door." I chuckle at the fond memory. Bay smiles.
"Regina's not exactly subtle." I shake my head, and grab her other hand.
"Oh no, she's all or nothing. Like you." I smile at Bay, and she leans in to kiss me. Her eyes are about to flutter closed when she shakes her head and backs up. I let her reclaim her hands, and in an attempt to diffuse the awkward situation, I speak up.
"What about this one?" I say, pointing at another ad. Bay smiles gratefully, and I realize we should probably stop holding hands.
John
After begging from my intelligent, manipulative daughter, and a little seducing by my wife, I'd hired and boarded Tyler Mendoza. It's not the gender part that bothered me. More like the part about how complex things were in my family, and throwing another legal adult ex-boyfriend of my minor non-biological daughter was not very sensible.
'John, if we say no, Regina offered to give him the couch at her place. And then all we'll have on our hands is our daughter sneaking around and about! At least this way we can keep an eye on both of them. Not that I think we'll need to. Bay assured me she's "been there and done that"'. As if that offered any comfort.
I came into the car wash today to drop off papers for Steven, the current mechanic, about his new recruit.
"Hey Steven, who's this?" I asked, gesturing to a tall man next to him.
"Hey boss, this is Adam, a customer. Getting his tired changed." I nod, and shake the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you." I say.
"Likewise." Adam has a bit of an accent, I notice.
"French?" I guess. He laughs, and shrugs.
"French, Italian, a bit of Algerian."
"All over the place then, huh?" Adam nods. "Listen Steven, I've got some paperwork here about the new employee, you can call me if there's any issue." Steven nods, as he fiddles with the headlight on a car nearby.
"Sure boss." I head out, as Adam asks me a question.
"I'm new here, sir, do you know where Restaurant Riverside is?" I nod and whip out a blank sheet of paper, beginning to draw the major intersections.
"You're new here, you say?" Adam nods.
"Yes. I came here to spend time with my wife and daughter." I smile at him. Recently I've had to do the same thing. "They have no idea I've came, actually, I've been working in Chicago for a while."
"Wow, well it's good you'll get a chance to reconnect. Here, just go down highway 5, exit at Dorval, you can't miss it." Adam nods gratefully and takes the makeshift map. As he walks out, I call out a piece of advice.
"Adam?" He turns. Helping out a stranger is the least I can do. "Just remember, women don't like surprises." I say, jokingly. He smiles, but his dark eyes harden.
"Neither do men."
Toby
"Not to get in your business, but I haven't seen you hang out with Emmett lately." I say to Daphne, as she continues to eat her sandwich. After finishing her bite she begins to speak. "Actually, could you just sign? I want to practice." Daphne raises her eyebrows and signs,
"You sure?" I nod, and sign back.
"Yeah." She just shrugs and continues to eat.
"Okay. Well Emmett and I do have plans for tomorrow. Why?" I shrug.
"Because I figure a couple would hang out a little more often." Daphne promptly chokes on her sandwich, and I throw her an amused smile. After recovering, Daphne just gives me a weird stare, returning my amused face. From an outsiders view, I'm sure we looked identical.
"What's really going on here, Toby?" She says, speaking as well as signing.
"I talked to him, about you two, and about Bay. Because him and Bay seemed to be getting pretty close." Daphne nods, affirming this.
"He really cares about her." Daphne assesses, not at all jealous or protesting.
"Right. Do why were you two sucking face last week." Daphne's eyes widen, but she doesn't so much as blush. She only shrugs it off and stares in the distance.
"We wanted to know what it would be like. It's not all that great." I send her another weird look.
"Kissing isn't all that great, huh? Then why were you also making out with Wilke a while back?" This time, she turns as red as a tomato and stutters, trying to formulate any words. I only laugh out loud at her embarrassment.
"How do you… How do you know all this?" She says. "Do you guys have cameras everywhere or something?" I smile.
"Hey sister, just because I'm not involved in the Switched at Birth scandal, you people seem to overlook me. But I'm here, and I've got lots of time to spy." Daphne sceptically raises her eyebrows.
"In other words, Wilke told you." My grin only widens as I nod.
"Barely told me. He wasn't too keen on mentioning it at all. Normally he likes to flaunt girls he's messed around with, but I have a feeling he would have never told me at all until I told him Emmett was in the band. He was worried about being caught making out with you, since Emmett was in love with you, even though you denied it, yet you were caught making out with him, but it didn't mean anything because you're only friends, you were only curious." I sign what I can while she digests this.
"That sums it up."
"In reality, Emmett cares for Bay. Just like you care for Wilke." Daphne bursts into laughter, and I laugh with her as she shakes her head.
"Where do you come up with this stuff?" I pretend to think as I stroke my chin.
"Oh, I don't know. Up in my room, with a perfect view of the driveway. I saw you two flirting this morning. Do you have some weird, crazy fetish for driveways and cars?"
"No. And as much as I like Wilke, we'll have to wait and see." Daphne says, grinning as she takes her plate to the dishwasher. I tap her shoulder.
"If you want anything to happen, one of us has to tell him you're not with Emmett. As far as he knows, you're off limits." Daphne raises and lowers one shoulder.
"We'll have to wait and see."
Bay
I knock on the door, and for some reason, I feel a little nervous. Daphne was without a doubt still hanging out with Toby, so I knew she wouldn't be around. Regina had Wednesdays off.
She opened the door and looked a little surprised to see me.
"Bay! Hi, come in." I smile a little, taking comfort that she's a little nervous just as I am. We sit down on her couch and I take a deep breath.
"What on your mind, sweetheart?" Straight to the point. Just like me.
"I was thinking about the last time we talked, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I must have seemed crazy to you." Regina quickly jumps in.
"No, Bay, honey it…" I hold up my hands and continue.
"Seriously, Regina. I honestly think I get it. It was done. And I'm sick of being upset, and mad, and crying and yelling. I want to be happy. I want to get over it, because at the end of the day, you still gave birth to me. You're still my real mom, and even after all the horrible things I said to you, and the things you'd done, I still love you. I tried to disregard it, you know, pretend that I could be mad forever. But I don't want to be." Regina tears up and I hug her. As if it takes a minute to register, she pauses a minute before hugging back.
"Okay, Bay. I'd really… love to start over, and be a part of your life, in a positive way. I'll answer any questions you have." I nod.
"First, I want to give you something." I say, as I take out a canvas from my bag. It's a colourful painting I'd done, mixing and cutting blown up pieces of the photo of Regina, with me inside. Regina lets a few tears escape.
"Daphne gave me the picture of us, I hope that's okay. I still have the original if you want it, but I thought I'd give you this instead." Regina nods.
"It's beautiful, Bay, thank you." She stands up and sets it on a coffee table, leaning against the wall. I follow her and ask tentatively.
"So… about those questions… I only have one." Regina turns around.
"Go ahead." I take a deep breath.
"Tell me about my father."
Emmett
Daphne had practically forced me, and not too long ago my mom had granted a blessing as well. If there were any more signs in the world that I could and should be with Bay, they should make themselves known.
Even though she broke up with me, I'd known it was my fault. I figured one day, I would get frustrated having to sign so slowly, and maybe one day she would catch me signing Daphne's name instead of hers. But I had traveled that road. Daphne and I loved each other as no more than friends, and that's all we'd ever be. We were friends and now I know, that Bay's is the one I want to be with.
She's so full of life, and deep, she emits this aura of excitement whenever we're together. Being with Daphne, I was able to supress any feelings for Bay. And it was easy, what with us never talking about her, and me never seeing her. Daphne and I had tried things out, and they didn't work. Daphne was the only thing standing between Bay and I, and I'd conquered that. With a seal of stamped approval from my mom.
I pulled up to the house, and Daphne was shooting hoops with John. When she saw me, she stayed on the court, but signed to me,
"What are you doing here?" I smiled, and glanced at John.
"Trying to get some lessons." I say, and Daphne bursts out laughing before passing John the ball.
"Good luck!" She signs and I smile and walk towards the house. I'm about to ring the doorbell when I see her car pull up. With her in it. Along with Ty.
During the days following Daphne and my 'separation', I'd repeatedly convinced myself that if they were together, Daphne would have known. When I asked, she said she wasn't sure, but they didn't seem couple-like. Besides holding hands. I'd tried to overlook that. But it was a bit hard when they were sitting in the car together, pulling up from what could possibly be a date. I made an actual effort to resist glaring at Ty. It was hard. Bay saw me, and her mouth formed a pretty little O.
I made my way towards the car, but not too close. I didn't want to have to talk to him right now; I might punch his jaw out. Bay made her way out of the car, and told him what I imagined to be something along the lines of, 'You go inside while I talk to Emmett.' He waved at me, and I gave him a tight smile as he walked inside.
"What are you doing here? Daphne's…"
"I'm not looking for Daphne." I told her.
"Okay… then why are you here?" Her signing was practically flawless now I was genuinely impressed.
"To see you." Bay threw her hands up and gestured to herself.
"Well, you've seen me. So I'll be seeing you some other time." I took a deep breath.
"Bay, please?" She sighed
"Fine. But let's go in my studio, Toby can see everything from here, and he's getting really good at ASL." I nodded and followed her. I opted to stand, and so did she. "So what's up?" Bay asks.
"I wanted to talk to you about Daphne and I." She smiles mockingly at me.
"Just because I'm happy for you doesn't mean I want all the details, please." Bay said, laughing to herself. When she laughed it made me want to kiss her. Made me want to kiss her more than I always did, I mean.
"No, I wanted to tell you that we broke up." I signed. Bay is clearly taken aback at this. She slowly brings her palm to my face and I lean into her touch. How I'd missed the touch of her skin against mine. I close my eyes, and think about how such a simple movement had my crumbling at the seams.
I felt her fingers brush from my cheekbone to my chin as she removed her hand. My face felt cool.
"I'm sorry. I really wanted things to work out between you two." I shrugged.
"Look, Bay, I broke things off, because things with Daphne weren't what I thought they would be. I thought maybe she could be someone I wanted. But she wasn't." Bay gave me a half smile.
"I'm sure there will be some other girl."
"There is. There's you." Bay frowns at me then, and I want to take my fingers and smooth her forehead out.
"I know that it's stupid, and selfish of me to come crawling back to you, as if you'd be waiting for me, but the truth is, Bay, I still have feelings for you. I never stopped caring for you, even when I was with Daphne. Kissing her felt like nothing." Bay rolls her eyes.
"Well then that proves it, doesn't it?" I lay my arms to my side. "I meant some other deaf girl. Just because Daphne didn't work out, doesn't mean you're doomed forever." I shook my head.
"I don't want some other deaf girl, Bay, I want you. Only you." I grab her hands, but she pushes me away.
"That's a lie, and you know it is." I can see her voice raise, and I'm quick to deny it.
"No, it's the truth, Bay, I…"
"If it were true, if everything you said was true, and everything I've said since the day we broke up is a lie, then you wouldn't have gone out with Daphne in the first place. You wouldn't have done that unless you believed every word I'd said to you. Because they're true. We can barely communicate!" I rolled my eyes in protest.
"That is a lie, you sign great. And despite what you think about it, I'm going to speech therapy." Exasperatedly, she twists her mouth in a way that makes me think she's about to scream.
"You shouldn't have to! You don't have to."
"I want to! I signed up because I want to, you didn't ask me to, and you didn't have to ask me to. You're just looking for reasons for us to not be together!" Bay shakes her head.
"No! I'm not. I'm being practical. You left me heartbroken, crying, shattered, and you didn't so much as text me for a month, while you made out right in front of my studio! Where I could see everything you two were signing and doing! You forgot about me, and you know it! You dedicated your time to you and Daphne. And I can't hold that against you. I told you to do it. And you did. I can't be mad. But don't come back to me, thinking that everything would be okay, we could just be together, because the truth is, you gave up on us the minute you didn't follow me out that door. That's the truth." I begin to tear up at this. I didn't forget about her, I just needed to reassure everyone that Daphne and I weren't for each other. Hurting Bay makes me want to vomit. I don't deserve her I'm too selfish.
"Bay, no. I'd had a crush on Daphne growing up we all knew it. You knew it and wanted to date me anyway! I didn't want to let you down, that's why I did it. I didn't want to make it harder for us, seeing each other and talking when we weren't together, even though I wanted to be. I had to make sure, without a doubt in mine or in Daphne's mind that we weren't right for each other. If I thought Daphne's the one I was supposed to be with forever, I wouldn't have kept it a secret." Bay keeps her mouth shut and lets a few tears escape.
"I walked out. Days after I broke up with you, and you hadn't talked to me. I walked out of my studio to see you kissing Daphne. To see you choosing her over me, right in my face, and I wanted to be mad, but I couldn't! Because I cared for you and Daphne so much! I wanted you two to be happy! All I felt like doing was throwing up! There was my living proof that I will always come second to Daphne, and she will always win, without even trying. She will always have the world at her feet, effortlessly." Bay was crying now, and I tried to catch them with my fingers, but she wouldn't let me get close.
"I decided, though, that just because I'm second to Daphne with my parents, and you, doesn't mean that I have to be miserable. There are some people that want me for me." We both knew where that jab was headed, so I jumped straight to it.
"That's what this really about? You're with Ty? You… you think he's better than me?" She shakes her head and quickly denies it.
"No. No, I'm not with Ty, and I don't think that at all. He's my friend right now, though. And he's a good friend." I leak a few tears on my own.
"Bay, I don't know what I need to do to convince you. Daphne is my best friend. There are no more other girls. There isn't anyone that I want to be with other than you. If you want me to be happy, be with me." I signed firmly. I wasn't giving up without a fight. She sobbed, but I knew better than to touch her, comfort her, as much as I wanted to.
"I can't!" She signed.
And although I knew I shouldn't touch her, I did anyway. I grabbed Bay's shoulders, and caressed her soft skin with my fingers. My hands slid up and I cradled her face, lightly, and brushed me lips across hers. Then I felt it, that little fluttering sensation in my stomach that I always had around this intoxicating girl ignited into a burning need for her. I deepened the kiss through our crying and smelled her delicious scent. It took a few seconds before Bay grabbed the collar of my jacket. I wrapped me arms around her waist as she raised her hands to my face and I smiled into the kiss, even though there were still tears. This is what I wanted. I wanted her.
As abruptly as the kiss had started, though, it ended. Bay pulled away, touching her lips with one hand, signing with the other.
"I can't."
Don't shoot, Bemmett shippers, don't shoot! Put the guns down and I'll explain. *wipes brow*. Okay, all sharp things aside? Perfect. I want to let you guys know, that my heart is truly breaking at this chapter, but it must be done. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter none the less. Please review, as well? I need to know if I'm going to bring Bay with Ty or with Emmett. Thanks readers! :)