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Chapter 7: Bedtimes

Tommy got out of bed and started getting dressed. Diane looked oddly at him as he leaned down and kissed her.

"You're going?" She said quietly.

"I've got to," he said, "Kelly, remember? And the big one comes on Friday."

"Tammy?" She laughed. He nodded. They kissed again. "You're being weird."

"What do you mean?" He laughed. She shrugged.

"I mean," she said, "you haven't made me talk about my feelings or cuddle." He laughed.

"Maybe I'm getting the hang of this friends with benefits thing," he shrugged. She looked at him.

"You're not telling me something." She looked at him. He sighed. "Tommy," she whispered. "What is it? You can tell me."

"I saw Angela today at the airport," he said. He kissed her.

"Angela?" She said. "Your old girlfriend?" He nodded. She swallowed. "What," She stammered. "I thought she was in Vietnam or something."

"Thailand," he said. "She's home for a bit." He kissed her again. "You're all flushed Di, what's going on?"

"Nothing," she said. "How is she?"

"She's fine," he shrugged. "Very interested in you and me," Diane nodded. "She worries, Angie, always has."

"Sure," she mumbled. "Um, are you going to come over later?"

"I'll call you," he kissed her. She looked at him. "Bye," he said.

"Bye," she said gently. She leaned back into bed and frowned. Tommy smiled closing her apartment door. Using Angela had been Angela's idea. She'd said that the minute Diane was afraid of actually losing him, she'd freak. She'd said she knew the feeling.

Steve sat in a chair on the deck at the Gaffneys, sipping a beer. He watched a couple of the kids run across the lawn screaming.

"Jesus Callins," he turned hearing a voice behind him. "Could you get any creepier?"

"Whatever Atkins," he said. "Why don't you knock up that wife of yours again?" Brett laughed and sat down next to him.

"I already did that," Brett smiled. "Thanks a lot." He smiled as Steve handed him a beer. "These things would be unbearable without booze."

"Taylor's pregnant again?" Steve said looking at her. Brett nodded. "Congratulations."

"Yeah," Brett smirked. "Is this one yours?"

"Funny," Steve said. "Hilarious actually." Brett laughed. "She doesn't look pregnant."

"She's ten weeks," Brett explained, "we just found out about a week ago. It's exciting this time, less scary."

"You're not seventeen," Steve said. Brett nodded. "The kid seems great."

"He is great," Brett nodded. "Tammy's," he whistled. "When are you going to make that baby legal?" Steve laughed.

"You sound like her step dad." He shook his head. "I don't know sometimes man, sometimes I think I should have just stuck around here."

"And done what exactly?" Brett said. "I have our dream job, helping Cal coach the Bears."

"Seriously," Steve laughed. "What position are you grooming Aaron for?"

"Come on Callins, he's six," Brett blushed. Steve raised his eyebrows. "He's got a helluva stick save man, you should see it, and he's faster on his glove side that the Cat was when we were that age!"

"A goalie," Steve nodded. "You know they're trouble, don't you?" They both looked at Julie and sighed.

"Yeah," Brett said. Tammy walked over.

"Hi Brett," she smiled.

"Hi Tammy," he said. "How are you?"

"Just fine," she smiled. "Can I have my boyfriend for a minute?"

"This is up to Brett?" Steve said. Tammy shrugged. He stood up and followed her into the house. "What's up?" She kissed him. "Hi there."

"I've missed you all day," she whispered and kissed him again.

"You drank the blue punch, didn't you?" Steve laughed. She giggled and nodded. "You know that stuff if like ten thousand proof right? Tay invented it when we were sophomores."

"I like it," she whispered. "It got me good drunk." They kissed again.

"What've you got there?" Logan asked walking in to Claire's home office.

"Scott's manuscript," she said.

"Scott?" He said. "My brother?" She nodded. "Any good this time?"

"Logan," she chastised him, lowering the paper.

"Honey, I love my little brother very much," he laughed. "But that last book was shit."

"It wasn't that bad," she sighed, "it certainly wasn't his best, I'll give you that." She shook her head. "But this," she sighed. "Do you remember the feeling you got the first time you read Tell Me About The Girl?"

"Very clearly," he nodded. "It reminded me of you," she smiled and kissed him.

"This is that good," she said, "it's brilliant. It's like he found something inside of himself again."

"I'm seeing something in you again Fitz," he whispered. She smiled. "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know," she groaned, "it's long, it could take a year, maybe longer."

"Connie starts school in the fall," Logan said, "you think you could put it off until September?"

"Probably," she said, "I mean, he'll be on his honeymoon until August, I doubt Kelly would put up with editing phone calls."

"I doubt that too," he nodded. "Then we could easily stall him, me and Kelly, get Dave in on the act we could distract him for years." She laughed.

"And you'd pick up the slack?" She asked. He raised his eyebrows, "around here, and with Connie?"

"Absolutely." He whispered and kissed her. "I'm all over the Daddy thing." She laughed. "If you're serious about this, I'm proud of you." He kissed her. "I'll let you finish."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I'll be up in a little bit OK?"

"Take your time," he shrugged. "It hasn't been that long since you've edited a book Fitz, I remember how lost you get." She laughed. "I'll see you in the morning." She smiled as he closed the door behind him. She definitely had married the right man.

"Fult?" Tanya called walking into the small apartment they'd been sharing. "Are you home?" He didn't answer. Her heart skipped a beat. She hated when he wasn't home when he was supposed to be. Being with a cop did that to you. She wandered into the bedroom and saw him passed out, and exhaled again. She climbed into bed and curled into him.

"Hey," he said. "When'd you get here?"

"A few seconds ago," she said. "I got scared, you didn't answer me." He laughed.

"You've gotta stop worrying," he said softly. She buried her head in his chest. "Tanya," he whispered. Tanya had been extra paranoid since she did the research on a cop killer case. She was sure that he was going to get himself shot.

"I like knowing you're safe," she whispered. "That's all." He kissed her.

"I know baby," he said. "I'll try to check in more often." They kissed again.

"Have you called Dean?" She said.

"Wow, five minutes," he said, "a new record." She laughed. "You worrying about him too? Is there a serial killer that you're doing research for a case on who's after mid level NHL players?"

"No, but his ex girlfriend is engaged, and his ex stalkee is getting married in three weeks," she shrugged.

"He's a big boy," Fulton said. "You and Lisa have to cut the cord." She crossed her arms. "Oh don't pout," he sighed. "I'm sorry, I'll call him tomorrow."

"Thank you," she kissed him.

"So, um listen," he stood up, she looked at him. "I wanted to ask you something."

"OK, what's up?" She sat up.

"Tanya, we've been together now, what? Like six years right?" He asked. She nodded. "And, I love you, I mean I really love you."

"I love you too," she said. "Where are you going with this?"

"I didn't expect to be this nervous," he laughed, "um, listen I need to," she looked at him. "Oh shit, forget it, will you marry me?" She started giggling uncontrollably. "Not exactly the response I was looking for."

"'Oh shit, forget it, will you marry me?'" She laughed. "I'm sorry, honey, that's just not exactly every little girl's dream, you know?" He laughed and lay down next to her, pulling a ring box out of his pocket.

"I'm looking for yes or no here, T," he sighed. She opened the box and looked at the simple ring, "I know it's not much."

"It's perfect," she whispered. "Of course, I'm saying yes Fult!" She kissed him. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too," he said, and they kissed. "Tanya," she pushed into him and whimpered.

"This is so amazing." She said. "I've wanted this for so long." The kissed.

"So," Elyse said and walked over to Julie. "I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be home Mom," she whispered. Elyse sat down next to her. "You're dying to ask me something."

"I talked to Steve," Elyse said. She sighed. "He's worried about you."

"He shouldn't be," Julie said, "I'm fine."

"Paulo, Julie?" She said. Julie sighed. "Is this going to be one of our little secrets, or are you going to share it with your dad?"

"Elyse," Julie said. "It's complicated."

"Try me," she crossed her arms. Julie sighed. "I mean, how did that even start?"

"I went to Italy after I broke up with Jimmy," Julie said, "and then it just sort of did."

"This doesn't have anything to do with Jaime and Josh?" Elyse asked. "Are you acting out because your mother's getting a divorce?"

"Elyse, I am not a teenager anymore," Julie said. "I am not acting out. I'm having an unconventional adult relationship with an old friend."

"You're far too old for that kind of relationship," Elyse frowned. "You're not in college anymore Julie."

"Too old?" Julie sighed, "I'm twenty five years old, just because I happen to live with the world's most committed couple doesn't mean I have to be there too! Besides, maybe I want to just have some fun, I've earned it, I was with the same guy for ten years, since I was fourteen years old."

"Sweetheart, I didn't mean," Elyse sighed, "I only meant this seems out of character for you, and if Steve is worried, well, I'm very worried." Julie laughed. "I know your personal life is none of my business, but I just figured."

"Steve is not worried," Julie said, assuring Elyse softly, "Tammy is upset because she doesn't like Jimmy's new girlfriend."

"That makes a little more sense," Elyse laughed. "What do you think of her?" Julie said. "The new girlfriend, have you met her?"

"She seems," Julie said, "well, she's different I guess. A brunette for one thing, Tammy says she's very serious. She's a book editor, from Boston, old money, I'm sure his family loves her."

"His family loves you," Elyse shook her head.

"It took them about five years," Julie sighed. "I don't know Mom, I just, I love him, and I want him to be happy, so if I knew that he really was happy, I think I'd be OK with that." She wiped her eyes before the tears really came, but she felt them on her way. Elyse hugged her.

"You're going to be fine," Elyse said. "I shouldn't have pressed." Julie hugged close. "I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you, but it doesn't mean anything if you're not happy, OK?"

"OK," Julie whispered. "You're like the best mom ever." Elyse laughed.

"I try," she nodded.

Logan wandered quietly into Connie's bedroom, she was looking through the yearbook Elena had given her.

"Lights out baby," he said. She looked up at him confused. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Mommy?" She said, "she usually says goodnight, not you." Logan laughed and sat down with her.

"Mommy's working tonight," he said. "What've you got there?"

"Aunt Elena gave it to me," Connie said, "it's from when my birth parents were in high school."

"Ah," Logan said.

"Did you and Mommy have yearbook photos together?" Connie asked.

"No," Logan said, "I didn't meet Mommy until Yale. And then, because I was a big jerk, after Yale we didn't talk to each other for a long time."

"What did you do?" Connie said, her eyes wide, as if this was the worst possible thing that could happen.

"I asked her to marry me," Logan said, "but because of where Gammy and Poppy live, I was afraid to introduce her to Grandma and Grandpa."

"I like where Gammy and Poppy live," Connie said. "The house is smaller, but Gammy makes better food than Grandma." Logan laughed.

"Yes she does," he kissed her on the cheek. "Anyway, because of that, Mommy got really mad at me, and so we didn't get married. And then after Uncle Scott and her started working on his first book, we realized that we still loved each other." Connie smiled. "And that's the story of me and your mommy. Which I know I've told you before." She giggled. "Go to sleep Constance."

"Good night Daddy," she said and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, I'm glad you came in."

"I love you too baby," he said and hugged her. "One more kiss, OK?" She kissed him gently on the other cheek. "Sleep tight." He walked out and switched the light off.

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