Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Nathan was sitting in the living room when Jess came out to join him.

"Finally," she said, "I unpacked the last of the boxes. We are officially moved in. And I can say without a doubt that I hated this move more than any other."

Nathan only nodded.

"I guess it was because it was so much more difficult. I wasn't just moving myself. I had all Joe's things to bring too."

Still Nathan wasn't responding with anything more than acknowledgement.

"Honey, what's wrong with you?"

"I was thinking….Have you given any thought to how we will deal with it when Joe grows a little older and starts acting up?"

"You mean when we have to start disciplining him." She'd been waiting for him to talk to her about his concerns in that area.

Nathan and Jess grew up together, but there family experiences couldn't have been more opposite. Jess's parents were loving, nurturing people who encouraged their children. When they made mistakes they were disciplined in a painless, fearless manner that helped them to grow and learn from those mistakes. Nathan's mom and dad were free spirits until their son was born. They resented his presence and took every opportunity to let him and his sister know they weren't wanted. Maryann and Nathan Sr. hid the fact that their children were abused. Their closest friends—Joe and Toni—knew Nathan and Sylvia weren't treated as well as they should have been, but they had no idea how bad it really was. The only reason Jess knew was because he would tell her.

"When you have to start disciplining him."

Nathan had lines he just would not cross and one of those lines was harming a child. No matter how many bad choices he made the one thing he would never do was hurt a kid. He couldn't even fathom harming Joe. And in his mind the only way to "teach" a child right from wrong was through violence, so he was planning on leaving all those teachings to his wife.

"When I did things I wasn't supposed to do," Jess told him, "when I was young my parents would either put me in timeout or temporarily take a toy away from me. When I got older they would either make me stay in my room for a day or two or they wouldn't allow me to participate in whatever extra curricular activity I was in at the time. It worked just fine."

"Like that time when you and Doug were forbidden to go to that concert while your parents were out of town and you went anyway? Or all the other times they went out of town and you guys threw those parties?"

"No teenager behaves well all the time."

"When I did things I wasn't supposed to," Nathan told her, "my parents would either lock me in the closet all day or hit me with whatever was in reach. It scared the hell out of me, but I never intensionally misbehaved. That is why I never showed up at any of those parties...and why I didn't go to that concert."

"So you think we should do those things to Joe?" Jess used her college-taught psychology on him. She knew he didn't feel that way.

"No…I just don't know what else to do."

"I just told you."

"It sounds so-"

"Humane?"

"Useless. I mean think about it, timeout? How does a kid learn anything from looking at a wall? What's scary about that?"

"The point isn't to scare him, it's to give him time alone to think about what he did wrong and contemplate a better way to handle the situation in the future. It is possible to teach a child without ever having to hit him. Other methods work better and no one gets hurt. But they do get upset. When we start enforcing time out, and we includes you, he will scream, and cry, and act like it's the end of the world."

"I don't think I can do anything to Joe that would upset him, even if it is only timeout."

"It's hard. I know. But the best thing you can do for him as his dad is to teach him self control, self respect, respect for you, and that he doesn't have to raise himself. He can depend on us to teach him right from wrong—without pain or fear."

"…I know. But I don't promise anything. I'll do what I can."

"That's all I ask." She kissed and hugged him all the while thinking about how lucky she was that she found such a caring man to help her raise her child.

xxxxx

It was the last week of January. Everyone was dealing with their own family troubles. Nicole was angry about having to bring a seven-year-old to prison to visit his mother, so she never did. Antonio was worried about how well she really would handle being a temporary mother. It was his chance to see if all the things she said could go wrong if they had kids were true. And Jess and Nathan were not living the fairy tale they'd hoped their life would be.

"Ethan," Nicole called from the kitchen, "Come down. You're gonna be late." After he was still upstairs five minutes later Nicole went to get him.

Antonio was oblivious to what was going on around him as he sat at the table reading the paper. He wasn't looking for a job, but as he was leafing his way to the sports section he passed a large ad in the employment section that caught his attention and made him think. It was an ad for Head Of Security for that same airport he nearly took that same job from eighteen months before. It was available again.

He always knew if him and Nicole ever got married he would have to find another position, either at another field office or another place of business. For all intensive purposes he was done with the F.B.I., and Head Of Airline Security was almost the same as what he did for the bureau, without the microscopes and gore. Plus, there was no danger and no sixteen-hour days. He could finally have a career where he left in the morning and came home at five. And best of all it was only fifteen minutes from his home, no more long commutes. His only concerns were what would happen if he took that job. Nicole would know he was planning a proposal. Did she want to marry him? Was he ready to marry her?

xxxxx

"That was some fight you and Nathan had last night. We heard it all the way across the street," Antonio said. He got to work that morning before Nicole because she was running late taking Ethan to school.

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"The only reason I bring it up is because I know Nicole will be asking you about it. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I have to ask you something before she gets here too."

"What?"

"When you two are having your girl talks has she ever indicated that she wanted to marry me….at all?"

"Wow. That's a tough one. I know she loves you, but we never talked about marriage."

"That's what I thought."

"I don't know for sure. I'm just guessing."

"Could you find out for me?"

"…I suppose I could try. That will actually be good for me to have when she brings up the fight and I want to change the subject."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

xxxxx

Thomas emerged from his office just to announce that thus far there weren't any assignments. He instructed Jess and Antonio to find some busy work and do it. Antonio went to the lab. Jess went to her desk and did paperwork.

"You're late," Jess observed as Nicole sat behind her desk.

"Ethan forgot his homework, so I had to go back and get it."

"You didn't miss anything. Kemyss said to find paperwork you might need to catch up on and do that."

There was silence between the two women for longer than Jess anticipated. Nicole worked quietly until she got bored. She hated paperwork. When her mind drifted off she remembered the blow out she heard coming from Jess's the night before.

"Oh," she recalled.

Here it comes, Jess thought.

"What happened with you and your husband last night?"

"I know, I know. We were loud. Sorry. Did we keep Ethan up?"

"Not at all. That kid sleeps like he's in a coma. What about Joe? Was he okay?"

"He was fine."

Nicole heard Joseph crying, but she didn't bring it up as she didn't want Jess to be defensive when she asked her next question. "So what happened?"

"Oh, y'know it's just adjusting. We both have a lot to get used to."

"He was pretty loud."

"We were both pretty loud."

"What were you both so mad about?"

"I told you we're adjusting. Adjusting to life together. Adjusting to the baby. Adjusting to living together. It's all stressful. He got upset because the house was a mess. I got upset because he wasn't helping me straighten it up. I think we both knew that that wasn't really what the fight was about….Hey, how do you feel about marriage?"

That was a smooth transition, Jess, she said to herself.

Actually it was, because Nicole would think she was answering a hypothetical question about her and Antonio to help Jess with her marriage to Nathan. Nicole had no idea she was about to say things that would make Antonio decide to or decide against proposing.

"What?"

"How do you feel about marriage? Like if Antonio came in and proposed to you right now how would you feel?"

"I would be sad I was marrying a man whose idea of a romantic proposal would be here."

"But you would marry him?"

"Yeah. I'd like for us to get married someday."

"But not soon?"

"I don't know. I guess it depends."

xxxxx

Later that day there was still nothing to do, so Kemyss let them go for the day.

Nicole left to pick up Ethan. Jess caught Antonio before he got to his car.

"So I talked to Nicole. And I think if you give her a proper, romantic proposal she will accept."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Great. I'm gonna stop at that airport on the way home."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

xxxx

When Nicole got home with Ethan she wondered where Antonio was. She had no idea that her boyfriend was making a huge career move and thinking about how and when he would ask her to be his bride.

xxxx

After she was paid Joe's nanny left, and Jess went about her normal duties at home. She vacuumed, straightened up the house, fed the baby. He was napping and all was quiet at five-thirty that afternoon when Nathan got home.

"Hi, honey," Jess greeted him, "how was your day?"

"It was okay," he replied plainly.

It didn't look like he was going to do it, so she had to be the bigger person. "Listen, Nathan. I'm sorry about last night. We both said things we shouldn't have."

"I know. I was thinking about that today. I didn't say it, but last night I acted like I felt like this was a mistake, and I want you to know that I don't feel that way. I've never felt that way."

"That's good to hear."

They hugged, kissed, and smiled for the first time since the fight—the first one they ever had.

"I love you," Nathan reminded her.

"I love you too."

xxxx

"I forgot something at the office," Antonio lied when she asked where he'd been. He had no plans of telling Nicole anything until he proposed—which he would have to do in the next week when he would assume his new duties as Head Of Airline Security.

"You were gone for two hours."

"I remembered some things I left out of order in the lab."

"Oh," Nicole said without further question.

They sat down to dinner. Ethan talked about his day and Nicole listened interested. Antonio was looking at him and he looked like he was hearing what his soon-to-be-nephew was saying too, but in his mind he was thinking about his plans with Nicole.

Romantic, he thought, what kind of a romantic proposal can I give her? It didn't occur to him until that moment that he had absolutely no ideas for a proposal. He had never fantasized about making a marriage proposal, so he didn't know where to start.

xxxxx

Nathan and Jess's favorite Thursday night program was just ending.

"I didn't expect that ending," Nathan commented as they got up from the sofa.

The doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?"

"You get that," Nathan said, "I'm gonna go give Joe his eleven o'clock feeding."

Jess opened the door to Antonio. She knew it was him before she opened it because she was able to see him through the paned glass in the front door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I just need some advice. Is Nathan around?"

"In the nursery."

xxxxx

Nathan was rocking in a chair whilst feeding his son when Antonio came in the nursery. Nathan and Antonio had known about the other's existence for some time, but hadn't said more than a few words to each other.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Nathan asked.

"I need some advice about Nicole."

"Having trouble handling her, huh. She's a tough one. I pegged her from the second I met her."

Antonio chuckled. He found Nathan's remark somewhat humorous and somewhat chauvinistic and not so funny. Part of his laughter was a way of dealing with an uncomfortable situation. "I want to propose to her."

"Oh? You're a brave man, Antonio."

Nathan got up from his chair, and put Joseph in his crib. "So, what do you need advice on?"

"Well, I don't really have any ideas on how to propose. I was hoping you could give me some suggestions."

"You came to the right guy, Antonio. I've got a million of 'em."

Antonio left with a head full of great ideas, but his conversation with Nathan did make him think less of him.

xxxxx

"Where did you go?" Nicole asked. She'd woken up, but Antonio wasn't in bed.

"I was across the street."

"Why?"

"I wanted to talk to Nathan." He knew once he said what he wanted to say about his visit with Nathan Nicole would be too busy saying I told you so to ever even wonder why he was there in the first place. "I don't like him at all."

"Oh, oh, oh, you see? What did I tell you? What did he say to you?"

"A lot of things. He just seems kind of…chauvinistic. I guess that's the word."

xxxxx

That Sunday night Nicole and Antonio were sitting home with nothing to do. Teresa wasn't available during the evenings, so Nicole had hired a babysitter when she and Antonio wanted to go out. She was thinking of calling her, so she and he could get out of the house.

"Where would we go?" Antonio asked.

"We could go to Charlie's. Hey, you wanna call Jess and Nathan. We've never been out with him. This could be our chance to really get to know him."

"You call Jess and I'll call the sitter."

"Hello," Nathan answered the phone.

"Hi Nathan," she was friendly even though she didn't want to be, "this is Nicole. Antonio and me are just sitting here with nothing to do, and we decided to go out. We were wondering if you and Jess want to join us?"

"Thanks, but we don't have a sitter."

"We hired a girl a few weeks ago. Bring Joe over here."

"…Well, Jess is in the nursery. Let me go ask her. Hold on."

Jess was rocking Joseph after his feeding.

"Hey, honey," Nathan came in, "Nicole is on the phone she wants us to go out with her and that other guy."

"Antonio," Jess corrected.

"Yeah. Do you want to do that?"

"We don't have a sitter."

"They do. She says we can bring him over there."

"…Okay." She hesitated because she could see Nathan didn't want to go, she knew Nicole wasn't crazy about him either, and she didn't want them getting into something.

Nathan dragged himself back to the phone. "Nicole?"

"Yeah."

"We'll be over in forty-five minutes."

"Cool."

xxxx

The babysitter arrived, and the four of them headed out. Jess and Nathan were in their car behind Antonio and Nicole's.

"How long do you think this evening has to last?" Nathan asked Jess.

"I guess a couple of hours. It won't be that bad. If Nicole comes on too strong don't take it personally. She's like that with everyone. Maybe you'll get along with Antonio. Who knows, you guys might become friends."

xxxxx

Charlie's was a bar that doubled as a semi restaurant. It was a fairly large room with pool tables, ping-pong tables, dart boards, and arcade video games. When Jess, Nicole, and Antonio were single, still living in D.C. they used to go there all the time.

They all sat around a small table, and ordered drinks. Nicole and Antonio looked at Nathan as if they were trying to get a read on him. Jess cleared her throat to break them out of their staring contest.

"So, Nathan," Nicole said. "You have your own radio show."

"That's right."

"What's it about?"

"Oh, nothing you'd be interested in. Just three guys talking."

"About?"

"Their girlfriends, relationships, sex, stuff that bothers us. You'd be bored."

Nicole grilled him for a while longer. Then the four of them got to talking. Eventually the talking between Antonio and Nathan moved from the table to the pool table across the room, leaving Nicole and Jess alone.

"Is the only reason you wanted us to come here tonight so you could interrogate my husband?" Jess wasn't very annoyed when she asked that. She was expecting it.

"The truth? Yes."

"Why don't you like him?"

"I don't know, Jess. I'm trying though."

Jess looked across the room to Nathan and Antonio. "They seem to be getting along."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Antonio asked me to ask you to watch Ethan Tuesday night. He wants to take me somewhere. He won't tell me where."

Fortunately Jess was able to agree to that and make it seem like she too had no idea what he was planning.

xxxxx

On Monday morning while they were getting ready for work Antonio had a thought.

"So are you enjoying having Ethan here?"

"Of course. I love having him here," she answered without a thought as to why he was asking. She figured he was just making small talk.

"So you like having a kid in the house."

Then Nicole knew where he was going. "Antonio, does this line of questioning have anything to do with us having kids?"

"I know you were worried about what kind of mother you'd be-"

"I'm not Ethan's mother. He's only here for a few months. Our own child wouldn't be leaving the state in four to six months."

"That's right. But I've seen how you've been caring for Ethan. If you had to be his mother you would be great at it."

"You really want this don't you?"

"It's more than I want it. I want you to have it too. I don't want you to miss out on being a mother because you're afraid."

She grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. "I promise I will think about everything you just said. But I don't want to talk about this anymore today. Okay?"

"Okay."

xxxxx

Nicole dropped Ethan off at school. On her way to work she thought to do something that she never thought to do before—and it seemed weird to her that it never crossed her mind. She turned on the talk radio to hear Nathan.

Nathan was a co-host of a talk radio show for men. He was accompanied by two other guys who shared his views, and Nicole wanted to hear exactly what those views were.

By the time she parked her car she couldn't wait to turn it off and get out. Maybe it was just for show or maybe he was—as Antonio said—chauvinistic. But what she heard was worse than chauvinism. It was vulgar, disrespectful, down right terrible views on women.

At the office she excused herself and Antonio to some place where they could be alone.

"On the way here I listened to Nathan's show…."

Antonio made a face.

"….What? You've heard it?"

"I may have heard parts of it."

"So you knew what kind of guy he is. How long?"

"Not long. I heard it yesterday."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"When you found out."

"I'm not gonna yell at you about this now. On my way up here I was thinking about that night you, me, and Jess went Charlie's two years ago. Remember Jess was dating that guy, and you told us that you ran a check on him? That was the first I knew that you did that with the guys she dated."

"Some of them."

"Whatever. Did you do that with Nathan?"

"….No," he knew he had the answer she didn't want to hear.

"Why not?"

"This happened too fast. I didn't think of it until a couple of days ago, and by then I figured it was too late."

"There's no such thing as too late to keep a friend of yours away from a maniac."

"Think about it. If there is something in his past you would have to tell Jess, she would get mad at both of us for doing that, and it would cause more trouble than they already have."

"I tried to like him. But every time I learn something new about him it makes me dislike him even more. I just have a bad feeling about this guy."

"Fine. I'll run the check. But if I find anything you're gonna be the one to tell her."

"Fair enough."

"Hey, guys," Jess startled the couple who were talking about doing something they knew they had no business doing, "Thomas wants us in the bull pen."

"We're coming," Nicole said trying not to seem shaken by her partner's unexpected entrance.

xxxxx

They spent the rest of that day trying to find an elderly man. He was sent home to his family and friends just hours later—just in time for the team to write their reports, get ready to leave, and for at least one of them to be back in Maryland before Teresa had to leave. Jess was first to go.

Antonio came into Nicole's office as she was getting ready to leave for the day. He had some papers behind his back and a nervous look about his face. He had a lot to be concerned with, but the thing that bothered him most was anticipating Nicole's reaction to his news.

He cleared his throat and Nicole noticed him.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I…uh..I ran that check on Nathan."

Nicole abandoned the files she was gathering on her desk, came over to him, studied his face, and crossed her arms as if to prepare herself for what she was about to hear.

"I'm ready," she told him.

He chickened out right at the last minute. He knew what he now knew about Nathan would consume Nicole. He would never be able to propose to her in the two day time slot he had. He had to propose that night. Then he could tell her the truth on Tuesday. But just to get her off his back for the evening he lied like a rug.

"He looks like a great guy. Never been in trouble with the law. Never even had a speeding ticket."

Nicole smiled somewhat relieved and somewhat embarrassed that she was so wrong about him.

Antonio felt guilty about lying, but it was the only way she would be able to tell him whether or not she would marry him.