A.N. Well, I apparently just can't stop writing. I have some amazing inspiration going on right now. :) If I only had this much force with the rest of my stories... Anyway, this chapter is just kind of an appetizer. The big stuff comes next chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Coming Home

His time was up, out of nowhere it seemed. The season hadn't seemed to change, but Las Vegas wasn't known for its diverse weather.

Before heading home, Roger stopped by Tiffany's yet again. As always, Jack met him by the door, clutching his old toy and grinning toothily.

"Daddy!" he cheered, holding out his arms.

Roger caught him, swinging him up. He'd never get past just how natural it all felt. Like he'd been doing this his whole life. Mildred disappeared after a few minutes, probably to hide in her own room. She still hadn't warmed up to him yet.

"Park?" Jack asked then.

"Park?" he repeated, and then checked his watch. "'Fraid not, Jack. Daddy doesn't have time to take you to the park today."

Jack pouted, tucking his face into the crook of his neck.

"Where's Mommy?" Roger asked, glancing around the room and down the hall. Tiffany was usually about somewhere. He felt the boy shrug against him, but just then the woman in question came through the front door.

"Roger?" she asked. "I thought you were going home today?"

"I am," he assured her. "I know you said you weren't going, but I thought I'd ask again. Are you sure you don't want to come? My mother would love to meet him."

"Roger… I can't. I promised I wouldn't."

"They're going to find out this week anyway, Tiffany. I plan to confront them."

"But…"

"Then let me take Jack. Just for the week. Please?"

He hated that he felt like he had to beg her, and it disgusted him to see the light return to her eyes.

"Really?"

"Where Daddy?" Jack asked. He'd nearly forgotten he was holding him.

"Do you want to go see grandma and grandpa? And Uncle Joe and Aunt Penny?"

Jack nodded along, clearly excited. "Jack go!"

Roger smiled, snuggling the boy a little tighter, and looked to Tiffany.

"I guess," she replied, grinning. "Are you taking Mildred?"

"No," Roger answered over his should, already heading to Jack's room. "Let her take off for the holiday." Then he turned his attention back to Jack. "Wait until Grandma sees you, Jack. She's going to buy you so many presents!"

"Presents!" he repeated eagerly. He was so excited that he didn't even mind packing instead of their usual playtime.

Within the hour they had made it out of the house and onto the plane. Roger made sure to tip the pilot to keep quiet about the extra cargo. He didn't want to spoil his secret too soon.

Jack took the plane rise easier than expected, although Roger didn't want to risk it by showing him the windows. Instead Jack watched his favorite movie until he fell asleep.

He didn't rouse unto the plane landed, but he was still groggy. Roger tipped the driver too, just to be safe, although he was glad he'd taken the time to befriend their personal staff.

Jack was amazed as they drove up to the house, but his mood quickly soured. "Its okay, buddy. Daddy will be right back, okay? Jim is going to stay with you. Its okay."

Despite the reassurance, Jack burst into angry tears, bunching up his face as he screamed. Roger apologized to the driver, but he just waved him off.

Roger darted up the steps and pulled open the front door.

"Roger!" came his mother's voice from behind him as he ran through the house.

"There you are!" He could hear Gretchen chuckling, but didn't have time to find her too. "Is Father home?"

"No..?" Bella answered, obviously perplexed. "What's gotten you all flustered?"

"I have a surprise," he said quickly. "Why do you have baby clothes?"

Bella tucked the little pink thing back into the box she had been digging through. "Oh, nothing, just a few things for Ani, um, Annette." Roger shrugged. "You said something about a surprise?

"Yes. Stay right here, 'kay?"

He left Bella waiting by the door, and jogged back out to the car. Jack wasn't screaming anymore, Jim seemed to have found him some candy.

"Jack come now?" Jack asked, pulling his sucker out of his mouth. Green goo was already coating on hand and his lips.

"All right, come on. Where's Puppy?" Roger rattled on, hoisting the boy into the air. "Ah ha, here he is."

Jack snatched the toy straight out of his hand, and the two of them headed out. The boy continued to point out things and ask questions, he especially liked the animals carved in some of the bushes.

"'Raff!" he squealed in excitement when he spotted the giraffe. "Daddy, raff!"

Roger chuckled at him, pulling open the door, "Later, Jack. Let's go see Grandma."

o.O.o

Bella expected several things that Roger might bring home, presents, a new girl, a puppy, any number of things. She certainly hadn't thought to add a small child to that list of plausible surprises.

"W-Who?" she asked. She couldn't make out any other words, not that she really needed to.

Roger sat the little boy on the floor. He hovered at Roger's side, but didn't shy away. "Grandma?" he asked with that perfect little toddler lisp.

For a few breaths she kept waiting on the floor to rush up to meet her while she fainted. Bella's eyes darted back and forth between the little boy and her son. Her foolish, irresponsible son. "Roger!"

"It's a shock, I know," he offered, but he was too busy grinning to acknowledge the anger in her tone. "This is Jack."

"Presents? Daddy! Jack's presents?" the boy continued. Obviously unhappy that he was being ignored.

Roger cocked his head. "Oh, oops. Not right now, Jack. How about we go get some food instead?"

"Lunch!" he exclaimed, holding out his hand for Roger.

Roger lifted him up, stepping to her side. "You'll get used to it," he said with a smile, and kissed her cheek. "Its good to be home."

o.O.o

"Coming!" Anita called over her shoulder when someone knocked on the door. She propped the broom up in the closest corner, and hurried to the door. "Hel - Roger!?" she squeaked.

"Hey. Where've you been? I thought - I thought you would come see me?" He was smiling at her, just like always. She wondered if she was having a strange dream.

"Why would I come see you?" she asked, fidgeting with her clothes. They weren't nearly baggy enough for this encounter.

Roger seemed to have noticed her agitation, darn it, and was now examining her. "So we could talk? I - I have a surprise… I am sorry about the phone call. I was stressed, and well, that's no excuse. I've been pretty miserable…"

He was rambling now, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt him, not when she was using the time to think. A surprise? Her curiosity prompted her on, but she stamped it down.

"I still don't understand. Is this Bella's doing? This shouldn't be about the baby."

"The baby?" he asked, surprised. "How do you know about Jack?"

"Who is Jack?" she returned, equally perplexed.

"My son? What baby are you talking about then?"

"Wait, you just found out you had a baby with someone else?" This was getting them no where.

"Someone else?" he repeated, and after a moment, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Oh god, no. No, no, no, no, no." He was dangerously close to hyperventilating.

"Roger. Roger, breathe."

"Not like that. Please, please tell me you don't mean…" his voice trailed off anxiously.

"Mean that we're having a baby?" she asked. On a whim she snagged one of his trembling hands and pressed it against her very noticeable bulge. It didn't really work like she had hoped it would. Roger was suddenly a very sickly shade of green.

o.O.o

This was really too much to handle. One secret baby was hard enough, now he would have two. How could he have been so stupid? Once was bad, twice… twice was simply unacceptable.

He was panicked, but when he looked to Anita he only saw her fading smile. Even with the concern in her eyes, she looked happy, with that bright, sunshine glow. Roger had expected to see anger, hatred, anything but the look she was giving him.

"Rog, are you okay?" she asked, a little muscle bunched in her forehead. "Maybe you should sit down?"

He couldn't help it, Roger laughed.

"Roger, this isn't funny," but even as she said it, she was starting to crack up.

"Of course it is. This is an outrageous mess. Why don't you hate me?"

Anita sighed. "Do you want me to hate you? I'd rather not. It can't be very good for the baby." A sweet little smile coated her lips as she caressed the bump. "Were you going to introduce me to Jack? What about his mother?"

His own anger flared back in an instant. "Tiffany isn't important."

She gave him a cross look, "Well of course she is! She's his mother."

"Are you sure you want to?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. "I told you, this isn't your fight."

"We're in this together. You aren't getting away that easily."

"Even," he paused, considering his phrasing. "Even if I decide to challenge Tiffany for custody?"

Anita studied his face for several long seconds. "You're sure that's a good idea?" He nodded, he was absolutely sure on that. "Then yes. I'm in."

"I'd like that."

She smiled, rising up on her toes and kissed him. The little bulge pressed against his own stomach. A little odd, yes, but he was slowly getting used to this idea.

"Well, this certainly explains my mother's reaction to Jack yesterday," he said when the broke apart.

Anita laughed. "Come on, let's get out of here."

o.O.o

Roger wasn't surprised that Jack took to Anita immediately. He couldn't say 'Anita' so she'd quickly became 'Nina'. He was so comfortable with her, that he hadn't put up any fuss at all when Roger had stepped out of the room to speak to Bella, and now that he had returned, Jack hadn't even glanced at him.

The two of them sat in the floor of his mother's sitting room, chatting away. Their voices were a little to low for him to hear by the doorway, but Anita kept pointing at her belly as she talked. He could imagine what she was telling him.

Roger couldn't resist the temptation any more, and made his way to the couch beside Anita. She smiled at him, but never even paused in her speech.

"Baby. Jack feel?"

"Sure," she encouraged, getting up slowly and resting on her knees. Jack crawled over to her, splaying his tiny fingers wide as she pressed his hand against the spot. "The baby will start kicking soon. Then Jack can feel that, too."

Jack beamed at her. Roger had never seen him so contented. "Jack like baby."

"The baby likes you too, Jack."

"Daddy, feel baby," he ordered next, pointing at Anita.

She giggled, reaching around and grabbing him by the arm and urging him forward. Soon all of them were in the floor, laughing merrily, perfectly unaware of their little spy detail.

o.O.o

Bella had caught the door before it could latch when Roger had stepped back in, just so she could peek in on them. They made a sweet little family, and had she not known any better, that's all she would have seen. A young, happy family.

Jack's giggles had a way of lightening an old heart, and she couldn't help but be won over by him, especially since she'd already been secretly excited for Anita's baby.

"Miss Bella?"

"Hmm?" she asked, turning to look over her shoulder. "What is it, Gretchen?"

The old maid shook her head at her. "Are you spying on them?"

Bella smirked and placed a quieting finger over her lips before waving her over. "Would you just look at them?"

The two women stared at them for a long while, basking in the glow of their happiness. If anyone could survive any hardship, Bella would put her money on those two.