Chapter 2
Hello all :D! Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed Chapter one. Thank you to my first review by Heidi, and everyone who has read so read and review review review :D I love getting feedback, whether it is good or bad.C/C is welcome!
Disclaimer: Do not own the film, blah blah blah…
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Archer could not even hear a word she was saying. Son? What Son? Maddy and he had only had sex once, after the night where she comforted him about his parents.
Ah, but you didn't take precautions, a little voice inside his head tusked.
This was not happening. Why had she not even told him about it? She must have known by the time he called her that day he was shot… that must have been awful for her, knowing he was dying and she was pregnant. Maybe she thought it best not to tell a dying man that he was going to be a Father, to a child he would never know. It wouldn't have mattered if she had, and he had died, since he would be dead anyway. But he guessed she wanted him to die in peace, being the humanitarian that she was.
He felt so angry. Mainly with himself, because he knew he should have called her, and let her know he was okay. He shouldn't have worried about the consequences, if this was what was going to happen. He had seen so many people die, but never realised how much one death affected so many people.
All this time, she had thought he was dead, and she had a son. His son.
He gulped, guiltily. It must have been hard, so hard, trying to raise a child whose Father was not there. Had she been okay? How had she coped? She must have been alright, he mused, since she visited Afghanistan. That was Maddy alright…stories first, safety second.
"What is his name?" he asked quietly.
"His full name is Daniel James Dia Archer. He was born on October 10th, 1999, in Boston, Massachusetts."
Daniel. She named him after him. He felt honour at that, more than he had ever felt in the army, or smuggling, or anything else for that matter. And the name of his own Father, James. He had never even told her that, how did she know?
But he was not good enough to be a Father; he thought to himself. Besides, how could he ever look after a child? He was a smuggler, an army Vet, a toughened man who had never cared for anyone else besides himself for the majority of his life. How could he give his own son the love that he needed?
"Look, I'm not good enough to be his Father. She has three sisters, right? Why can't you send him to them?"
The woman smirked. "She said you would say that, here in her will. She however, insists that you know you have a son."
"Great. Well, thanks for telling me."
"Mister Archer, she wants you to look after him. It says here, In the case of anything happening to me, I want my son, Daniel James Dia Archer to be sent to his Father, Daniel Archer, who I believe is still alive, but whose whereabouts I am unaware of. I believe that he resides in Africa, most likely Guinea, or South Africa. If however, he is deceased, I want him to live with my eldest sister, Joanne. But instinct tells me that he is not dead. He will, of course, insist he is not good enough. But I insist right back, and I believe that he is a good man, and a good Father.
Danny was silent for a few minutes.
"So, do you send him here, or uh… do I go to get him?"
"Well, it is really your choice. However, if you wanted to go to the US, you would need to sort Visas, work permits, and have a good enough job, health insurance…"
Fuck that, Archer thought. Bring him out here.
"That's him out is his home as much as it is mine," he spoke softly. What was happening to him? Usually he just grunted and snapped at people, especially those like this woman.
The woman appeared more satisfied.
"Well, that's excellent. We will, of course, have to send him out here under supervision of air attendees, but if you could meet him at the airport on….well, the next flight to Cape Town is from JFK Airport, New York City."
"When does that leave?" he asked.
"Tomorrow, at 1:00PM US Time."
Archer sighed. He was so scared, so afraid. He could fight soldiers, gun men, and children, anyone with a gun or weapon: But meeting his own son?
Come on Archer, a voice said. Do it for Maddy.
"Ja Ja.I'll be there."
The woman nodded in acceptance of his words.
"Right, well that's that all sorted then. I am so sorry to have interrupted Mister Archer, but with a child things are always more complicated…Sorry for your loss, as well."
Archer gave a curt nod, as she walked out the door, and tore open the envelope that he had been given, and not let go of from his hand.
A picture fell out first: it was of Maddy, and a little boy, in her arms. He had dirty blonde hair, and blue eyes, like Archer, but softer features like Maddy. He had a furrowed brow, like Archer often had when he was frustrated or annoyed.
That was his son alright.
Hope you enjoyed :D
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