Chapter 9: F.O.D (Fuck Off and Die)

"I'm taking pride / in telling you to fuck off and die."

"Payson! Just the woman I wanted to see," Steve Tanner called happily as he jogged into The Rock. Payson turned her attention away from Annabelle, who was taking a break from the vault and working on bars.

"Steve?"

"Can we talk in the office? I have some news," Steve said. Payson watched him closely; he was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Keep working Annabelle," Payson said distractedly, heading for the office. The first mediation meeting with Jeffrey and his lawyer wasn't scheduled until the next week, and she and Steve hadn't planned to meet before then. Her first instinct was to panic, had Jeffrey made some other crazy demand? An accusation? "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Payson, nothing's wrong," Steve said, giddy. Payson wasn't sure she'd ever seen him like that. He waved a manila envelope at her and then tossed it down on the desk. "Merry Christmas."

"It's June. This doesn't even qualify as Christmas in July," Payson deadpanned. Now that she knew there wasn't anything to be worried about, she had little patience for Steve. She may have chosen him as her lawyer, but that didn't mean she wanted to spend any more time with him than absolutely necessary. She just wanted the divorce to be over with.

"Just take a look," Steve sighed. Payson picked up the envelope like it might explode in her hands and gently tore the top open. Inside was a stack of big, glossy photos of Jeffrey.

"What is this?" Payson asked, her brow furrowing. She set the envelope back on the desk and started flipping through the pictures. With each one, her heart sank a little farther.

"It's the evidence we need to make sure that you get full custody of Harper," Steve explained. Payson shook her head, not quite believing what was in front of her.

"Steve…where did you get these?" Steve had the grace to almost blush and look away.

"I hired a private detective."

"I didn't ask you to do that," Payson reminded him. "Is this even ethical?" Steve shrugged.

"It's not illegal. And we needed something to keep in our back pocket at mediation," Steve said.

"In case what? He had something on me? There's nothing to find Steve. I don't want this coming out."

"Payson, these pictures…"

"I said I didn't want him to get full custody, I still want him to have visitation. If these pictures come out he'll…"

"Did you know?" Steve asked, interrupting her. Payson was struck dumb. How did she answer that question? Knowledge was a tricky thing; she'd had an idea for the last year or so, but it had never been confirmed and she'd never gone looking for the truth.

"Not really."

"Payson, did you know that Jeffrey frequently engaged in the use of cocaine?" Steve pressed. Payson looked back at the pictures in her hand; pictures of Jeffrey in a crowd of Hollywood's best and brightest, their faces blurred of course, pictures of him looking stoned out of his mind, and pictures of him actively snorting cocaine.

"No," she said firmly. "I thought he might be doing something, it's impossible to mistake the eyes of someone on a high, but I had no idea what and I never had proof."

"We have to bring this out in mediation, Payson. It's not safe for Harper to be in this kind of environment," Steve pressed. "They can limit the amount of time she spends with him, make sure it's always supervised."

"I don't want this for Harper," Payson sighed. She was so torn. Part of her rejoiced at concrete evidence that would keep Jeffrey from anything close to full custody, but the other part mourned what would happen to Harper's relationship with Jeffrey if this were to get out. She did not want Harper turning out like Lauren Tanner did.

"Payson, I've been down this road. It's dangerous, but I know that you can handle it much better than I did. What if Jeffrey has Harper for a weekend and gets wasted at a client's party? What could happen?" Steve pressed. Payson didn't even want to consider the possible outcomes, but she was Harper's mother, it was kind of her job.

"I'm not comfortable with this," she sighed.

"We don't have to count on using it, we'll just keep it as an option," Steve promised. Payson took a breath, chewing on her bottom lip. She picked up the envelope and started to slip the photos back inside at the exact moment Sasha walked in.

"Hey love, everything okay?" Sasha asked, glancing between Steve and Payson.

"Yup," she said, her voice sounding strained even to her own ears. She handed the envelope back to Steve. "We can discuss that later."

"Sure thing. Sasha, Payson, have a good day."

They were silent as Steve left the office before Sasha crossed the room to Payson and pulled her towards him for a kiss. She sighed into his mouth, sagging against him just slightly. She loved how just the softest kiss from him could make her forget all her problems.

"How'd the gymnasts do this morning?" Sasha asked as he pulled away.

"Fine. Annabelle's almost got the triple with the harness," Payson murmured. Sasha traced his fingertips up and down her arms.

"Good. Why was Steve here?" Sasha asked. Payson cursed his clairvoyance. He knew something was wrong, she knew he did, but she wasn't quite sure how much she was ready to tell him. He wouldn't understand her reluctance to use the photos.

"I'll tell you later, at home," Payson promised. "Come on, let's get back to work."

#

Payson was bone weary when she and Harper walked in the door after work that night. She and Annabelle had spent the entire afternoon working on new routines and then she'd argued on the phone with Steve for almost an hour over whether or not to use the photos of Jeffrey in mediation. At this point, Payson was almost certain her stubbornness was coming more from a desire to stick it to Steve than a desire to bury Jeffrey. Although he'd be a welcome casualty she supposed.

Just after she put Harper to bed, Sasha texted her.

Sasha: I'm on the back porch. Come join me.

Payson smiled and grabbed the portable baby monitor before slipping into flip flops and heading outside. Sasha was sitting on the porch swing, gently rocking back and forth, one arm over the back. Payson sat down next to him and his arm came down around her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching up to press a kiss to his jaw.

"Hey. Harper asleep?"

"Yeah, she was exhausted. I feel like I haven't seen you all day," Payson muttered.

"I know, The Rock was busy today. Are you ready to talk about what Steve wanted?" Sasha asked. He wasn't pushing to be nosy, she knew, but she still wasn't sure what to tell him.

"He has some pictures of Jeffrey that he wants to use at mediation," Payson started.

"What kind of pictures?" Sasha asked, toying with the ends of her hair.

"Pictures of Jeffrey indulging in…cocaine. On several occasions. Steve wants to use them to make sure that I get full custody," Payson explained. She felt Sasha stiffen at the mention of hard drugs and laid her hand on his knee, squeezing gently in an attempt to calm him down.

"And?" Sasha asked through gritted teeth.

"And I don't know if I want to use them."

"Why not?" Sasha asked. Payson winced at the tone in his voice.

"I don't want to ruin Harper's relationship with her father." Sasha shifted so that they were half laying, half sitting, and tightened his hold on her.

"Jeffrey's doing a damn fine job of that himself," Sasha hissed.

"But at least then it's his fault. What if someday Harper finds out that I had a hand in taking her father away from her? What if she ends up like Lauren? Her mother abandoning her and then finding out that Steve kept her away ruined Lauren," Payson sighed.

"I know, love, but it's not safe for her to be around that kind of environment."

"That's exactly what Steve said," Payson admitted.

"Well then I suppose for once in my life I completely agree with Steve Tanner. Payson, I know it feels like a low move, but it's going to be in everyone's best interest."

Payson sighed. Everyone's best interest? She wasn't so sure.

#

"The purpose of mediation is to see if we can get the contested issues in this divorce settled without going before a judge. It's cheaper, faster, and less messy for everyone involved," the mediator, Jessica, explained. Payson rolled her eyes and sighed. They hadn't been at the mediator's office for more than ten minutes and she already wanted to slap Jeffrey. "So, why don't you give me a little back story?"

"He's a lying, cheating, man-whore," Payson said sharply, like that was all the back story the mediator needed.

"Payson," Steve cautioned.

"I was thinking more along the lines of how you met, how long you dated, when you were married, things like that," Jessica said with a smile, seemingly unperturbed by Payson's sour mood.

"We met just before the 2012 Olympics," Jeffrey muttered.

"How?"

"A premier. We dated for two years and then we were married for four; until I found out that Jeffrey had been cheating on me since basically our wedding day. And now his home-wrecking girlfriend is pregnant," Payson explained. Jeffrey rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"That's the gist of it, I guess," he agreed.

"And what are the contested issues?" Jessica asked, her pen poised over a legal pad.

"Custody," Payson and Jeffrey said in unison. Jessica nodded.

"That's a common issue, one that I'm sure we can work out. Why don't we start with the concerns of each parent, why do you believe your home would be a better place for Harper full time versus the other parent's home?" Jessica suggested. Jeffrey jumped right in.

"Payson is so young," Jeffrey said. Payson snorted. She was only two years younger than Jeffrey. "I'm worried that being a single mom with full custody would overwhelm her. "

"My parents live less than ten miles away, and I have a support system," Payson insisted.

"Yes, a man over ten years your senior that used to be your coach. I'm worried that her relationship with Sasha Belov is setting a bad example for Harper," Jeffrey said. The way he stressed relationship, implying that it was shallow and tawdry, made Payson's fists clench.

"How so?" Jessica asked.

"How is casual sex not a bad example?" Jeffrey asked, like it was the obvious answer.

"Casual sex? Are you kidding me?" Payson cried. "How much casual sex are you having?"

Payson felt Steve's hand on her arm but she brushed him off.

"Payson, let's not get…"

"No. I'm sorry, you can attack my merit as a parent, you can attack my job, but I will not let you attack Sasha when he's not even here to defend himself! Sasha is a better man than you will ever be, and Harper loves him."

"Harper's spent time with Sasha?" Jessica prompted.

"Yes, Sasha is a big part of her life."

"I never said she could spend time with him!" Jeffrey roared, starting to stand out of his seat. Payson snorted and opened her mouth to snap back, but Jessica jumped up first.

"Okay! Why don't we take ten minutes?" Payson shook her head and stormed out, Steve following close on her heels.

"Payson, you need to stay calm," he insisted.

"How can I stay calm when he's…being him? He's trying to make me out to be a horrible parent, when it's him who is the least fit person on the planet to raise a child! I'll be damned if I let him raise Harper."

"I brought the pictures," Steve suggested. Payson shook her head.

"That would just be sinking to his level," she sighed. Steve took her by the shoulders, sinking down a little so he could look her in the eye.

"Pictures or not, Jeffrey will not get custody." Payson nodded, feeling herself calming down, just a little. What she really needed to feel calm was Sasha, but he was watching Harper and she hadn't wanted either of them anywhere near the mediation.

"Fine."

They walked back into the little conference room and Payson sank into her chair, glaring at Jeffrey. He gave her a sneer, and she almost threw her water glass at him.

Jeffrey was scum, and she didn't know how she'd missed it. He had charmed everyone but Sasha into thinking he was perfect. She had fallen for his flowery words hook, line, and sinker. That was what made her angry; not so much that he was a terrible human being, but that she had been dumb enough to fall for it.

"Are we ready to get started again?" Jessica asked, settling into her chair.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase?" Steve asked, sitting forward and resting his elbows on the table. "Payson and I have outlined a custody arrangement that meets our satisfaction, and it's in Jeffrey's best interest to sign it."

"Why in the world would it be in my client's best interest?" Jeffrey's lawyer asked, mirroring Steve's posture.

"We've uncovered some information that Jeffrey probably wants to keep…under wraps," Steve explained carefully. Jessica straitened in her chair.

"That's extortion!"

"I'm not asking him to pay us," Steve shrugged. Jeffrey's lawyer laughed.

"You don't have anything, but let's see this agreement." Steve handed him a packet of paper with the schedule he and Payson had worked out.

"Jeffrey gets one weekend a month supervised by his parents, or Payson, plus Thanksgiving," Steve explained.

Jeffrey snorted. "No."

"Sign the agreement, Jeffrey," Payson hissed.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I will ruin your life. I'm serious, Jeffrey. You're just doing this to be spiteful, and I will not allow my daughter to live in that kind of environment," Payson snapped.

"And what environment is that?" Jeffrey laughed. Payson made her decision in that moment. Jeffrey needed to know that he couldn't just push her around.

"Everything here is confidential, right?"

"That's right," Jessica said carefully. Payson turned to Steve.

"Show him the pictures, Steve."

Steve looked genuinely surprised, but quickly reached into his briefcase and pulled out the envelope containing the pictures, handing them to Jeffrey. Jeffrey slowly rifled through them, his frown lines deepening with each one.

"What the hell?" he asked. Steve smiled.

"If you don't sign our agreement, these pictures go to the police and you get arrested for possession with intent to sell, and drug trafficking," Steve threatened. Payson shifted, still uneasy with her impulsive decision to use the pictures. The only thing that gave her any comfort was that she wasn't publishing them, or giving them to the police. She was giving Jeffrey the chance to choose.

"Fine. I'll sign it," Jeffrey said through clenched teeth. Steve handed him the agreement and Jeffrey signed it. Then Steve handed it back to Payson, who signed it, and then to Jessica who was acting as their witness.

"I'm not entirely comfortable with this," Jessica said as she signed her name.

"We are," Steve said.

They all stood up and the lawyers shook hands. As Payson left the room, Jeffrey reached for her hand. She stiffened.

"Payson, listen, thank you for not taking those pictures to the police. I just…you remember what it's like; my clients want what they want and I need to give it to them," he explained. Payson looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Jeffrey? Fuck off and die."

A/N: Okay, so I am SO sorry that it took me a ridiculously long time to post this. This past week was rough, and it just took me forever to get this chapter sorted out. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I promised you Steve would bury Jeffrey, and he did! I definitely played a little fast and loose with legal theory, and I'm not entirely sure anything (including custody of her daughter) would push Payson to use that kind of information, but it was a means to an end. Hopefully you guys understand.

Also, THANK YOU as always to Ida-cullen, BearyFunny66, megsd, crazylady789, justxsmile, AndromedaJane, JCI, Elli-Wyatt, goalie19, and klhansen22 for your reviews. You guys rock!