Author's Note: Well, here's a pretty climactic chapter, if I do say so myself! Enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 8: Confrontation

"Mom," Richie came downstairs and saw Julie and Rick, "Oh, um, I'm going to meet Dad, cause you told me to."

"K, honey," Julie smiled at him. Rick looked at him. "We'll talk when you two get home."

"OK," Richie nodded, "Hi Rick."

"Hey kid," Rick sighed. Richie was never quite as happy to see him as Cara was but he was rarely unhappy to see him, but he looked it now.

"I'll see you later," Julie nodded as Richie ran the other way. "So," She looked at Rick.

"Julie," Rick looked at her, "You're really freaking me out." She sat down next to him.

"Richie's been getting into these fights," She said, "At school. I didn't what they were about really, except that I sort of got the impression that in his really sweet twelve year old son way he was defending me," Rick nodded. "And Connie's been sort of controlling it, making sure, nothing really bad happened to him because boys need to be able to exert their independence." Rick nodded, "Those kids, your friends', Scooter's friends' kids, have been listening to their parents talk for twelve years."

"I don't know where you're going with this," He shook his head.

"The kid whose nose Richie broke," Julie said, "I think his exact words were, 'What does your mom call Rick Riley? He's your real dad right.'"

"Richie broke his nose?" Rick asked. Julie nodded, "That's a good boy you've got there."

"Rick," She said.

"What do you want me to say Jules?" He sighed, "I know I'm not Richie's father. You know it, Scooter knows it, Richie knows it. I don't see who else the information is relevant to."

"Yeah, you wouldn't get it," She sighed. He looked at her, "You don't have children, Rick. You don't have to look your son in the eyes when some small minded idiot called his mother a gold digger and his sister a slut and say, 'No baby, everything's OK and they're lying.'" He looked down. "We can't do this anymore Rick."

"Do what?" He asked.

"What we've been doing for the past twelve years," She said.

"I'm your friend?" He said. She looked at him. "Wow, Julie, I didn't realize we were in the fifth grade and I had to come over so you could tell me that we couldn't be friends anymore."

"Rick you're in love me," She said seriously, he sighed, "We've gone twelve years without saying it, and we had to say eventually." He looked away. "Look at me," He did, "I love you, I love you for everything you've done for our family, but, I can't,"

"Julie," He hugged her, "Look at me, honey," He lifted her chin, "It doesn't matter. We've never done anything wrong. Richie's a sweet kid with a hot temper. If it wasn't this, he'd be defending the kid who was getting his lunch money stolen, he's like his mom that way." She laughed, "I'll never forget the first time I met you, 'Maybe he wasn't good enough.' God I thought you were such a bitch," She smiled, "If I'd seen then, maybe,"

"It never would have happened," She teased, "Even if you had asked me out, you were such a prick back then, I never would have said yes." He smiled. "Twelve years ago though," She sighed, "I get the feeling you would have helped me put my life back together." He smiled, "And you would have been good to her. She loves you so much." He kissed her and hugged her tightly, "Please, don't."

"I just wish I could have been with you," He buried his face in her hear. "Even once." Julie closed her eyes, trying to picture this. She'd only been with Scooter, ever, from the time she was sixteen until they'd stopped having sex months before. She tried to picture Rick in that place and couldn't. She wanted to see him, being soft and tender and making love to her, but she couldn't do it. That part of her life, of her heart, belonged exclusively to Scooter, to her Scott, and giving away a part of it, even in fantasy was betraying him.

"Rick, please," She murmured, "Please just go." He stood up, nodded and left.

"Uncle Rick!" Caroline said, stopping him at the door and hugging him, she was on her way in, "Aren't you staying for dinner? I'm cooking, it'll be funny."

"No baby," He smiled sadly at her, "I can't stay. I'll call you soon though alright?"

"Alright," She whispered and walked in, seeing her mother trembling on the couch. "Mom?" She said and sat down next to her. "Mommy?" She squeaked, she hadn't seen her mother like this since, well, since the night her dad moved out. "Mom, is everything OK? Dad and Richie are alright aren't they?"

"Yeah," Julie said, "Of course, honey, I'm sorry," She shook her head, "How are you, angel? How was work? You met with Chloe today right?"

"Mom, what's wrong?" Caroline looked at her seriously.

"Nothing," Julie wiped her eyes, "I just um, needed a minute."

"It's something with Rick isn't it?" Caroline swallowed.

"Honey, really," Julie shook her head, "Everything's fine, now come on, you promised me dinner."

"Mom," Caroline said, standing up, her tone firm, "I'm not a little kid anymore." Julie looked at her. "Are you two having an affair?"

"Oh Cara," Julie sighed, "Is that what you think?"

"It doesn't take much to get there," Caroline shook her head, "I know he's in love with you! Even Richie knows! And he never looks Dad in the eyes anymore, and you've be so weird and quiet."

"Caroline, no it's not like that," Julie tried to explain, "We could never do that to your father."

"You love him too?" Caroline gasped, horrified by the very thought. Then she thought of the dozens of times she'd pretended when she was little, specifically those months when her father was away that Uncle Rick would swoop in and save her, and be her new daddy since her real one seemed not to care.

"Yes," Julie sighed, rather sadly, "I do, very much."

"But what about Dad?" Caroline cried, feeling more helpless by the second, "What about me and Richie and our family?"

"Cara," Julie said hugging her daughter closely, "Sweetie, please let me explain before you get angry at me." Caroline nodded, "I said I loved him, not that I was in love with him," Caroline looked at her, "How I feel about Rick, and how I feel about your father, they're two very different things," Julie sighed, "Rick, I can't help but love him, everything he's done for you and this family," She swallowed, "And when someone loves you the way he loves me, it's very hard not to love them back," Caroline's mind jumped to Jack and the sort of sad look in his eyes whenever she kissed Jeremy. Did Rick feel that way every time he saw her parents together? "But Scott," Caroline saw the look on her mother's face change from one of sad recognition to something more beautiful, "He's all I want baby, I promise you that. He's given me everything I've ever dreamed of and more, because I never could have imagined you or Richie."

"When Dad was gone," Caroline said. Julie shook her head. "Not even once?"

"Nope," Julie said.

"So all those times you left me with Connie?" She asked.

"I didn't want you to see what bad shape I was in," Julie sighed, "And I was bad Cara."

"You were OK," Caroline kissed her, "You cried a lot though," Julie sighed, "I hated seeing you cry." Julie nodded. "I'm writing an article about girls and sex for St. Clair."

"You're going to be in the magazine?" Julie said excited. Cara nodded. "Sweetie!" She hugged her. "That's fantastic." Caroline smiled. "But sex?"

"If I can help other girls to not feel as bad as I did last year," Caroline said, "Then maybe I'll feel better about it."

"Your father's going to have a heart attack," Julie shook her head.

"Where is he? And Richie?" Caroline asked.

"They are having boys night," Julie said. "You're supposed to be making me dinner." Caroline laughed and headed to the kitchen.

"Mommy," Caroline said. Julie looked at her. "She wasn't anything special, not like you."

"Thank you angel," Julie smiled, "You don't know what that means."

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