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Chapter 11

The Next Morning

Mac's mother was supposed to have picked Jack up over 20 minutes ago, but she still hadn't arrived. Dick was due there in less than 10 minutes and Mac didn't want to add stress to him by having Jack there.

Currently, Mac had finally found the coffeemaker and got it set up. She was unpacking a box of dishes as she waited for it to brew. Jack was sitting on the floor in the living room pushing cars around and making vroom noises. Mac loved her new home and the open floor plan that allowed her to move around while also watching Jack.

A knock sounded on the front door and Mac wiped her hands on a dishtowel as she walked through the living room. She opened the door expecting her mother, but found a very nervous Dick standing on her porch.

"Morning Dick."

"Morning."

Mac stepped back and motioned for Dick to come in. "My mom hasn't shown up yet to pick up Jack. She should be here any second."

He stepped inside and noticed Mac had a comfortable bungalow style home that was much larger than he expected. "You have a nice house."

"Thanks. It's larger than I planned on getting." She noticed Dick's eyes were looking past her and followed them to where Jack was playing. Mac was about to ask him if he wanted to say hello when another knock sounded on the door. "That must be my mom."

Mac opened the door to find out that it wasn't her mother. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mom was running late and needed to get Ryan to the game to warm up, so she asked if I could pick Jack up on the way."

Mac pinched the top on her nose. "Okay. Come in."

"Dick. I didn't expect to see you here."

Dick turned around and his eyes widened. "Madison."

Mac looked at him. "I'll explain in a minute." She went to where Jack was playing. "Ok Jack. It's time to go to Uncle Ry's baseball game."

"Yay!" Jack picked up two of his cars and stood up before turning around. "Aunt Maddie!" He ran towards Madison and she swooped him in a hug.

"Hey Jack. You ready to go buddy?"

Mac walked up with a large blue and white striped tote. "There are the essentials, snacks, and a change of clothes. Do you want to just take my car instead of moving the car seat?"

"That works for me. I'll bring him back in two hours." Madison put the tote over her shoulder and accepted Mac's car keys. "Good luck."

"Thanks Madison." Mac kissed Jack on the cheek. "Be good. I love you."

"Love you Mommy."

Madison left with Jack and Mac turned around. "So that probably just confused the hell out of you. How about a cup of coffee and I'll explain?"

"Uh…okay." Dick followed her into the kitchen and sat down stunned from what he had just witnesses. "Are there any other big surprises that I'm going to be hit with? I think I'm going to need some warning."

Mac pulled out two mugs from the drying rack and poured the coffee. "Let's just call it the theme for the day and prepare for everything I say to be a surprise. Do you take your coffee the same?"

Dick nodded and then realized Mac wasn't looking. "Yeah."

Mac went to the refrigerator and got out a container of half and half. She then added cream to both the mugs.

Dick noticed. "You're not vegan anymore?"

"When I was pregnant I craved dairy products and the vegan substitutes didn't cut it. I'm still vegetarian." She turned with the mugs and handed one to Dick. Mac motioned for the two of them to sit at the table. "So…Madison and I were switched at birth."

Dick choked on the coffee. "I'm sorry. What?"

Mac took a pull for her mug. "The Sinclairs are my biological parents and the Mackenzie's are Madison's. My parents told me when Jack was born and Madison's told her, but I actually have known since high school when Veronica found out for me. The Sinclairs came up a few times to visit over the years and Madison was with them. Surprisingly she has a heart when it comes to babies. Who knew?"

"So in other words, my high school girlfriend has had a relationship with my son, who I didn't even know about, with my college girlfriend. And both my past girlfriends were switched at birth with each other."

"Yeah."

"Why did they wait and tell you when Jack was born?" Dick was confused and irritated. It seemed that a lot of people knew about his son, but Dick himself.

Mac let out a long breath. "Jack was born early at 36 weeks, which is 4 weeks early. I was under a lot of stress when I left Neptune and it wasn't good for me. I developed preeclampsia at 28 weeks. Jack was fine and even had a healthy weight."

Mac stood up and pulled a photo album out of a box in the living room. She opened it to the front, which contained pictures of the day Jack was born being held by Veronica and Mac's mom. He was born with a head full of blonde hair and Mac smiled at the photos. She sat it down in front of Dick.

"I wasn't okay though because I hemorrhaged during labor. My parents felt the Sinclairs had the right to know in case I didn't make it and called them. Basically, when I woke up, they were there and everyone knew."

Dick placed his hand on top of hers on the table, he felt like an ass for being upset that the Sinclairs knew. "I would have been there."

Mac felt tears come to her eyes. "I regret leaving Neptune and not telling you, but there were so many things going on at the time. Plus, I didn't exactly find out I was pregnant in the best way." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"What do you mean?" He rubbed his thumb over her hand.

"I found out I was pregnant after I had gone to a doctor in Stanford a couple of days after Kyle attacked me because Veronica insisted since I was feeling sick."

"Oh." Dick closed his eyes and rubbed his free hand over his face. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. If I hadn't…"

"He targeted me before you and I ever dated. Kyle was the one who put the picture of us on the board. He told Leo when he was in holding that he stole it from you. I believe his reason was something like, bitches like Veronica and me need to be reminded our place. They couldn't go after Veronica, so they went after me." Mac shrugged her shoulders.

"Why?" He was staring at her in shock.

"We uncovered some information we shouldn't have freshman year. It's why Veronica left." She stared at Dick.

"What information?"

"I can't tell you. I made a deal to have Kyle put away and to get me out of Neptune, but it was in exchange for my silence." Mac looked away from Dick and at the picture in the album. "We should get back to the important topic." She pulled her hand away and clasped them in her lap. "Do you want to be part of Jack's life?"

Dick pulled his hand away from where it was previously holding her hand and picked up the photo album. "Do you want me to? I mean really want me to be his dad." He wasn't sure if she felt like she was obligated to let him into Jack's life or wanted him there.

Mac's eye shot up to Dick. "Of course. I've always wanted you to be a part of his life. It's my fault you aren't already."

Dick smiled softly. "Then yes, I want to be his dad. Could you tell me more about him? I mean I don't even know if he'll like me."

Mac laughed. "Dick, he is your son and I'm not just talk biologically." She stood up. "Follow me." Mac led him into the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. "The Sinclairs insisted on buying me a house when I told them we were moving back. They were so excited to have Jack here. Veronica really wanted to decorate Jack's bedroom." She stopped and turned to look at Dick. "So Logan was here last night helping Veronica set it up. He went nuts when he saw it after we got back from dinner with the Sinclairs." She pushed open the door.

"Wow."

"He's obsessed with surfing, so you already have one thing in common."

Dick looked around the room in amazement. "Maybe I can teach him when he's big enough."

"Lead with that and you'll be his favorite person ever." Mac knocked her elbow into his. "Plus, he has a habit of saying dude, which annoys Veronica."

"He doesn't?"

"Ask Logan. He couldn't stop laughing about it last night. So two more things in common, saying dude and annoying Veronica."

Dick looked down at her. "I don't know how to be a dad. You'll help me right?" He had a habit of screwing things up, but this is something he really wanted to do right. Jack deserved a better dad then what Dick had.

"Of course. But I'll give you my big secret to parenting success." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm making it up as I go. The great thing about kids is they love you unconditionally and are easy to forgive. However, I don't think he's forgiven me for taking him to the circus and introducing him to the clown."

"I wouldn't either because clowns are creepy." He looked her like it was the most obvious thing.

"Four things in common now."

They went back into the kitchen and sat down at the table in front of the photo album. Mac was relieved that he wanted to be a father to Jack and knew there was a lot of cover before Jack got back. She told him stories about Jack and some had photos to go with them.

"Do you want to be added to his birth certificate?" Mac was watching his reaction to everything worried that he would change his mind and bolt for the door.

"I'm not on there?"

"His father is listed as unknown. I didn't feel right putting your name if you didn't know. I think we have to have a paternity test to get it changed."

"Okay. Well it's Thursday, I could call my doctor and have it set up for tomorrow." Dick had decided if he was going to do this, then he wanted to be all in. Over the past two years, he had missed Mac everyday and thought of her constantly. He wasn't a saint by any stretch of the imagination and did have his share of bedmates, but none ever turned into a relationship. However, he decided that he needed to focus all his efforts on forming a relationship with Jack.

"He has my last name too. Is that a problem?"

There was a knock at the door before he could answer and it was pushed open to have Jack come flying through the house.

"Moooommmmmmyyyyyy!"

Mac lifted Jack onto her lap and gave him a bunch of kisses on the cheek. "Did you have fun?"

"Unc Ry hit homerun." Jack imitated swinging a baseball bat.

"Wow." Mac looked at Madison who just sat the tote on the couch and Mac's car keys on the coffee table. "Thanks Madison."

"I don't know how you do it and you're mom did most of the work. I'm exhausted and some how I ended up covered in juice. I'm going home and showering then taking a nap." Madison waved to them. "I'll see you later. Bye Dick."

"Bye." Dick's eyes moved back to the little boy in Mac's lap.

Mac sighed. "Jack, sweetie. I want you to meet someone."

Jack turned in Mac's lap so he could see Dick. "Surfer."

Dick laughed. "Yeah little dude. I'm a surfer."

Mac brushed Jack's hair aside. "Jack, this is your dad." He placed his head her chest looking at Dick like he was trying to figure something out. "You know how your friend Ava has both a mommy and daddy?" Jack nodded. "Now you do too."

Jack sat up in Mac's lap. "Okay. I hungry."

Mac and Dick looked at one another and laughed.


3 Weeks Later

Mac had been working at Kane software for two weeks now. She still couldn't believe that Jake Kane put her in a lead programmer for a security software development team. The other five people in the team were all men who had worked in their jobs anywhere from two to five years. She over heard two of the guys insinuating she had to sleep her way into her job. It wouldn't have been so bad, if she didn't think they were kind of right because she was only in the position because of the information she knew about the Castle secret society.

She noticed it was almost six and she still have a few things to finish up since it was Friday. Mac picked up her cell and called Dick. He had come over everyday since finding out about Jack and she had been impressed by how he was taking being a dad to Jack serious. Plus, after Mac and Veronica took Jack to the beach to watch Dick and Logan surf two days after their meeting, Jack was in awe of his dad.

Hey Mackie.

"Hey Dick. Could you do me a favor?"

Sure.

"Can you pick up Jack at my parents? I still need to finish a few things up here before the weekend."

Gladly. Do you want me to pick up a pizza or something for dinner?

"You would be my hero if you did that."

Consider it done. What time do you think you'll be home?

"About another 45 minutes."

Okay. We'll be there then.

"Thank you."

You're welcome.

Mac was searching her desk for a flash drive that contained the most updated version of the coding, but it seemed to have vanished. She noticed one of guys from the team talking to another lead programmer for a different group and approached him.

"Hey Steve. Have you seen the flash drive with the most recent file? Hey Paul." Paul had been the first friendly person she had met at Kane. He was the one she would go to when she needed advice.

Steve looked up at her. "You had it last I saw."

"I thought it was on my desk, but it seems to be missing. It'll turn up." Mac knew if it didn't turn up then she had another secret copy she kept at home. She decided not to stress anymore about it and went back to her desk to look one more time before leaving for the weekend.

Mac got home with ten minutes to spare allowing her to kick her shoes off and drop on the couch. She was shifting through the mail and noticed an interesting piece when a knock sounded on the door, which confused Mac because Dick didn't knock anymore and just came in. Reluctantly Mac stood up and went to the door to find Paul standing there.

"Hey Mac. You left before I could catch you. Here's the flash drive." Paul handed her the small object with the Kane logo on it.

Mac came out onto the porch and shut the door. "Thanks. Where was it?"

"Steve had it. He has issues with you being made lead and him being passed over. I also suggest you check it for viruses or errors that he may have put in it. Steve's an asshole."

Mac looked at the drive. "Thanks." She sighed in frustration because she knew Steve was going to cause her problems on the project. Mac noticed Dick's truck pulled up in her driveway.

"So I was wondering, if you'd be interested in having coffee sometime? Like outside of work."

Mac was surprised that Paul had asked that. He was 30 and attractive, but they had never flirted with each other and Mac hadn't noticed him in that way. Plus, it's not smart to date someone you work with. "Um…"

At that moment Dick and Jack came walking up. "So I know I said pizza, but little dude wanted…" He noticed Paul and nodded. "Oh hi."

"Mommy, Daddy got noodles!"

"I got Chinese, so am I still you're hero?" Dick flashed her a large grin as he held up the bag.

"If I'm not cooking, yes." Mac gestured towards Paul with the flash drive in her hand. "This is my co-worker Paul. He was just dropping something off." She looked at Paul as she picked Jack up. "This is Dick and our son Jack."

"Nice to meet you." He held his hand out and shook with Dick. "Well, I should be going. You all have a good weekend. I'll see you Monday Mac. Good luck with the flash drive."

"Thanks for your help. I'll see you Monday." She nodded and then followed Dick into the house with Jack on her hip. She put Jack down by his toys and picked up an envelope from the stack of mail on the coffee table.

Mac walked to the kitchen table where Dick was pulling out the food and handed it to him. "The results are in." She then went to the cabinet to pull out plates and a fork for Jack.

"You don't want to see them?"

Mac turned around with everything in her hands. "I know what it says."

Dick smiled at her. "I have two eyes, so I know that little dude is mine. This is so I can make him mine legally." He opened the letter and pulled the paper out. "Probability of paternity is 99.99 percent. Man I can't make a 100 on a test to save my life." He winked at Mac and sat the paper on the table. "Hey little dude, time to eat let's wash your hands." Dick took Jack into the bathroom.

Once they were seated at the table, Mac use chopsticks to put some vegetable lo mein on Jack's plate while Dick put some cashew chicken on it. She then put some on Dick's plate and hers as Dick put a spring roll on each of their plates. They had quickly fallen into a comfortable routine with each other as if the past two and a half years hadn't happened.

It was moments like this that Mac wanted more from Dick then just him being a dad to Jack, however she would never act on it because having him as a constant in their son's life was more important. She was also sure Dick was probably still mad about her keeping Jack a secret for so long, even though he never said anything.

"Are you and Logan S-U-R-F-ing in the morning?" Mac looked at Jack who was dancing in his seat as he slurped the noodles. When Jack was excited about what he was eating, then he would dance.

Dick was smiling at his son. "No. He went up to LA today for work and is spending the weekend with Ronnie. Maybe you guys can come out to the house in the morning and we can spend the day at the beach."

"That sounds great." Mac wanted Jack to spend as much time with Dick as possible. In a way, she figured she was just trying to help make up for lost time.

While Dick was reading stories to Jack for bedtime, Mac decided to brave the flash drive and see what Steve may have done with it. Luckily there hadn't been a virus, but she had found missing lines of code and mistakes, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Plus there was the second copy. So Mac closed her laptop, deciding to deal with it later, and laid her head back on the couch and closed her eyes.

She heard Dick walk into the living room. "Is he asleep?"

"Out cold." Dick sat down next to her on the couch.

Mac rolled her head and opened her eyes to look at him. "Thank you."

"I like putting him to bed." He slouched down so his head was even with hers.

"You're real good with him." Mac patted his leg.

Dick placed his hand on top of hers. "Thanks. I'll take the test results to my lawyer on Monday and he can submit the paper work to have me added to Jack's birth certificate." He rubbed Mac's fingers. "I want him to have my last name. Maybe we could hyphenate?"

"I thought you might say that. Hyphenating our last names is crazy long. That's just mean to do to a kid. So, I was thinking we could move Mackenzie to a second middle name."

"Are you sure your okay with that?"

"I'm sure. I've thought about it. Jackson Henry Mackenzie Casablancas."

"I didn't realize his middle name was Henry. That's mine and my dad's first name." He was thrilled to have that in common with Jack.

Mac bit her lips and it then turned into a smile. "I know. That's why I gave it to him."

Dick stared at Mac and decided he couldn't wait any longer to let her know how he still felt about her. He took his hand off of hers and caressed her cheek. Mac's smile dropped and her lips parted. Dick leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Having Mac actively respond to the kiss made Dick's heart leap.

He pulled Mac against him and laid them down on the couch and positioned himself so he was over her. Dick's hand went to her waist just under her shirt and Mac jumped before pushing him away. She jumped up and off the couch.

"Mac?"

"Sorry." Mac looked down at her feet and covered her face with her hands. "I haven't been with anyone since…well since…and I didn't know I'd react like that." She rubbed her hands over her hair. After leaving Neptune, Mac was focused on her pregnancy and then on raising Jack that dating just didn't seem important.

Dick stood up. "Mac, look at me. You don't need to apologize." He put a hand on each of her cheeks and gently pulled her face up to look at him. "I just want to be with you. I never stopped thinking of you."

"I never stopped thinking of you either." Mac placed her hands on his forearms. "Can we just take it slow?"

"We'll go as fast or as slow as you want. But understand that I've been dying to kiss you for weeks now, so now we've opened that door and I don't want to close it."

Mac stood on her toes and pressed a brief kiss on his lips before dropping back on her heels. "I don't either."