Thank you again Jo! I do feel i only have about 2 people reading this right now. But i still love doing it and determined to finish it. If you are reading, please leave me a message saying you are!
So this is a big important chapter...i would really appreciate comments on this one because i think it could be my longest chapter yet. I'm proud of how it goes as well...
Katie was excited it was Sunday, this was a feeling that was always familiar to her. She was getting Quentin back. It wasn't like other times though. She had missed him over the past few days. Having been in the Cordon together 24/7 meant now she had to get back into the routine of the shared custody. She worried about telling him that he wasn't going back to school, but knew that moving would make him happy.
They had made an offer on the house and were waiting on the response. Katie was getting out her books that she used for school and writing down a plan for Quentin's schooling at the kitchen table.
Jake was making himself a sandwich at the kitchen counter, "Want me to make you anything babe?"
Katie raised her head and smiled, "No i'm good. I can wait until dinner. Thank you though sweetie"
"You gotta eat Katie" Jake stated closing up the sandwich.
"Did you not see me devour 5 pancakes with bacon this morning?" she asked with a smirk.
"Yeah my girl can put it away. But that's breakfast, this is lunch" Jake stated.
"That's because your huge Riley. That's nothing to you in the morning. You can eat what i eat in a day two times" she giggled, but trying to hold it in.
Jake faked a shocked face when they were interrupted by the front door opening and closing.
"Mom?!" came the call she had been waiting to here all afternoon.
Jake looked over at her and smiled, she could tell he was just as excited to see him as she was. Both of them stopped what they were doing and made there way out into the living room and Katie stopped abruptly making Jake go into the back of her. The jovial fun they were just having slipped away. Now was a stark smack of reality.
"Katie?" Jake asked with concern. But she barely heard it.
Standing behind her sweet boy was his Father. It had been a few years since she had last seen him. Mason. He looked ill and drawn. Dirty and un-kept.
Katie found her voice, "Quentin baby, go and play in your room please" it was quiet but forceful.
Quentin came over to her and gave her a hug that took her out of her trance at Mason. She sniffed and kissed his head, taking in her son and embracing him.
"Pops" Quentin acknowledged Jake behind her. Oh Jake. She thought. She didn't particularly want Jake to see this either. But she knew there was no way he would leave.
"Hey bud" Jake responded. She didn't turn around. She didn't want to see Jake's face at this moment, "we'll go out for ice cream later yeah?"
Quentin shook his head, "I wont lie, Grandma and Dad took me out for some already...i should have stayed quiet huh? Could have had another round" he smiled innocently.
"No baby you did the right thing" she stroked his cheek and then raised her eyes at Mason, "your right you don't lie"
He didn't respond. He hadn't said a word since he had stepped into her home.
"Go play please" she asked.
Quentin nodded and he looked back at his Dad, "See you soon" it hit her in the heart. No hug. No see you Friday. Because he knew he wouldn't be there.
"Promise to take you to the Braves next weekend" Mason responded with a smile.
She closed her eyes she didn't want to see it on his face. There it was. The promise that never was a promise, "Please go in your room Quentin" she asked and started to push him towards the hallway.
Once she heard the door click she turned to Mason, "Every god damn time" she said to him. She felt Jake close behind her. His presence giving her confidence to have this conversation.
Mason raised his hands in defence, "Whoa Katie. Easy. You always said i could take him out when i could"
Katie sarcastically laughed, "Right, and out of all those times that i said that you could take him out, when have you actually acted on it?"
Mason shrugged, she hated his attitude. She looked down at his hands as they drew her attention away from his face. He was gently shaking. It wasn't a twitch it was a constant shake. A sudden rage built up inside of her and she moved closer to him, "Tell me right now you were not high around my child!"
Without a word Jake moved in front of her and gently pushed her back a bit, he had sensed her anger, "Katie take a moment" he whispered softly.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"So let me get this right" she heard Masons voice, and opened her eyes, Jake was looking down at her and she could see his eyes glazing over in anger already, "its 'your' kid now and this guy is the 'Pops' i've been hearing so much about?" his tone was accusing. He had no right.
"Yeah that a problem?" Jake asked spinning round.
She saw it building in Jake and moved in front of him, "Yes hes mine. He always has been" Katie couldn't believe him, she spoke quietly and made sure Quentin couldn't hear her, "you told me to get an abortion with him. You-" she looked at Jake and saw his fists already clenched, if she said anymore she knew Mason would get hurt. She couldn't say the rest, "-you leave and want nothing to do with him. You don't get to pick and choose when you want. He has a life. One that i built for him. With as much as it pains me to say it, your Mother as well. We built this life. She falls for your act every time because your her son and she wants to believe you can change. Well guess what? I know you wont and so does Quentin"
"So what? You suddenly shack up with this random dude who you let our son call his 'pops'?!" Mason is shaking more and started pacing.
Jake suddenly took his stance, "My name is Jake. And i have one question for you Mason. Did you know where Katie and Quentin were for the past month?" Jake asked he had released his fists and stood broad shouldered in front of Mason. She was sure Mason was the same height. Mason was once an attractive man. But all the drugs had took a strain on is appearance and his mental state. It was hard. She knew it all too well. She was lucky to have been able to get out when she did. It would always be a disease inside of her that she had to keep on a leash. Mason needed help and it had been offered time and time again. But his addiction was too strong to fight after all this time.
Mason shrugged his shoulders, "Mom might of mentioned it" he responded.
"When?" Jake asked back.
"When i met up with her for the ice cream...today...look i don't know what your getting at man-"
"-right so you didn't know for a month that Katie and Quentin were stuck in a confined area of the city with a deadly virus?" Jake asked. Katie knew what point Jake was getting at. But Mason clearly didn't.
"How'd you get out anyway?" Mason asked looking over Jake's shoulder. More worry came over her. He knew they were in there. Now they were out.
"Hey!" Jake shouted abruptly that even made Katie jump, "look at me. Answer the question..." he paused, "...actually don't worry about replying. You didn't know" he said with disgust, "your son could have died. And you wouldn't have known a thing about it. Grace instantly knew what was happening. Because she had constant contact with Katie. Because that's someone who cares"
"Who are you to say this to me?" Mason asked almost appalled.
"The man who helped keep them alive" Jake responded simply, "they kept me alive too. You wonder why i'm living with Katie and your son calls me 'Pops?'" he asked and didn't wait for a response, "because a month in there, felt like a year. I never asked for Quentin to call me that. He did it on his own and it was one of the most eye opening moments in my life" Mason looked surprised, "you have no say in Katie's life and in my honest opinion i don't think you have a right to have a say in that boys life either. But that's not my call. That's Katie's. Katie has chosen to have me in her life, therefore her sons life as well. I love them both. Now i'm here i wanna make sure that both of them are happy and stay happy"
Katie felt so proud. She moved forward and slid her hand into his. He squeezed it quickly back, she then looked to Mason, "You have a choice. I respect you as Quentin's father i do. So to begin with you can have visits supervised by Grace...and if it goes well for a few months i might trust you to have time on your own with him...but if your not there next weekend or the weekend after that. I don't want you coming back"
Mason raised his eyebrows, "Ever?"
Katie nodded quickly, "Ever" she simply replied back, "please be honest with yourself and to your son. If want a real relationship with him...you need to get clean. Its the only way"
"You know its not that easy" Mason shook his head, his shaved head showing scars. Scars that Katie knew had been from bar fights. She was surprised he had never ended up in jail.
"Well all i had to think about was that boy in there" she pointed down the hall to Quentin's bedroom, "i wanted him and i wanted for him to have a great Mom more than i wanted a high"
Mason shook his head again and getting agitated. She knew what this was. Jake looked down at her with worry.
"Mason what was the last thing you took and when was it?" she was going to be honest with him. He needed help and strangely she wanted to give it to him. She felt safe with Jake by her side and wanting more importantly for Quentin to his his birth father in his life.
"Like you care" came the quick response.
"Stop being stubborn Mason. Answer me" he had always been stubborn. Even before drugs. It scared her that she had known the man standing in front of her for so many years but barely recognised him from that teen that was sweet to her at a party. He had moved over and leaned on her front window and looked out in a daze.
"Mom will be waiting at home for me" he didn't answer Katie's question. He was changing the subject. Avoiding the question, "...jokes on her i wont be going back" he chuckled to himself.
Katie sighed heavily. It was no use. After all this time. She should have known that. You cant help someone who didn't want to be helped, "You can leave now Mason"
He turned his head quickly to her, "Its always this circle huh kitty Kat?"
Her stomach lerched, "Do not call me that Mason i swear" Katie despised that name. He gave her that when they met, but it suddenly became a nickname she despised when he would get high and slur it to her. It always made her feel sick hearing it. He would taunt her with it whenever he returned.
"Katie asked you to leave her home" Jake stood firm his fists were back clenched.
"What are you? Her big bad protector? I've dealt with you clowns before. Got rid of each and every one of them" Mason smiled with glee.
It hit Katie in the stomach, she moved closer and stood side by side with Jake, "What?"
He chuckled, "What? I wasn't gonna let just any man take my place" he eyed Jake up and down.
"I've made poor decisions in the past. But i never introduced them to Quentin unless i knew it could go somewhere and felt safe" Katie had one guy who met Quentin and he called things off a couple of months in out of nowhere. She knew she had been dumped before she could dump them on some occasions...but it started to make sense.
"Oh i'm not just talking about my son. You don't want me. You haven't for years. So i tried to make sure that if i couldn't have you...not one could. I would come back in town when no one knew. Mom had Q and i would come watch you. Mostly alone in this place-"
But Katie could even register what he was saying, Jake with one swift movement had Mason pinned up against the wall. He was breathing heavily and anger was radiating out of his body.
"Jake!" Katie cried, moving quickly to pull him off Mason.
"Your lucky i don't throw you out on your ass right now" Jake seethed, he nodded at Katie to let her know he was ok, then he turned back to Mason who was still up against the wall, "stalking now huh?" he asked disgusted.
Mason laughed, "Alright your bigger than me maybe...but we can settle this by going outside right now"
"Mason" Katie sighed. This was the last thing she wanted. And it appeared Jake agreed. It was a response from Mason she expected. He always thought he would get his way out of anything with his fists.
Jake let out a chuckle and shook his head, "You wouldn't wanna do that man"
"I could take you" Masons response was. He was acting full of it.
"Maybe" Jake agreed in surprise by Katie, "but do you really wanna fight a cop?"
Katie looked saw a sudden realisation dawn on Masons face.
"Oh fuck" Mason whispered quietly.
Jake nodded in agreement, "I thought so" he moved closer to him and looked him up and down, "you leave. You stop meddling in Katie's life and you do the right thing by your son and let him get on with his life" Jake shook his head, "you cant get rid of me. I get rid of you. If you return? I can set in motion an endless stream of offences against you. Drug possession?" he leaned over to Masons jacket pocket and pulled out the packet of white substance. Jake shook his head. It must have been his cop instinct that he was carrying that. But Katie couldn't believe he had that on him, what if Quentin had found it? He was unbelievable. It frightened her.
Jake carried on, "I can add stalking to the list too you know" he placed the packet back into Masons jacket pocket and raised his hand and placed both of them on him again and grabbed at his shirt, "i swear to God you come anywhere near her again. I promise i wont be coming to visit you in my Police uniform"
"Jake" Katie spoke. She moved forward. She didn't want Jake to get like this. He had managed to keep his anger at bay but this was pushing him over the edge. It was wasted on Mason. Even after his revelation. If he came to her home and never even tried to see her she wondered what he got from that.
Jake gave one last glare and released Mason. He walked away from him and moved towards Katie. They gently touched hands as he passed her trying to cool off.
"You know what the best thing to do here is" Katie said directly to Mason.
Mason looked to her, she saw the waves of many emotions he had gone through in the short space of time. He now looked remorseful, "You know id never hurt either of you right?"
She wasn't going to remind him of the time that he did, that she nearly mentioned earlier. But he probably doesn't even remember it. He had been incredibly high when it happened. She didn't answer, instead she moved forward slightly, "When Quentin turns 18. Its his choice. He might want to come and find you. I wouldn't stop him. Because hes a smart boy" she was proud of that. Every time she said it, "so you have 7 years to get clean Mason. 7 years to change your life around for him. Because from now on. You don't get to see him. That's my decision"
"Mom will never agree to that" Mason replied quickly.
"I'm going to talk to Grace. But you forget, she gets a clouded judgement because your her son and shes misses you. It gets clearer to her when Quentin is involved" she points out.
Mason finally hangs his head defeated. Katie knows that Grace would side with her when it came down to Quentin and what was best for him. If they told her Mason was still using, she wouldn't let him near Quentin.
Mason looked at Jake who was stood behind Katie, he sneered, "There's no getting rid of this one huh?"
"Not a chance" Katie spoke swiftly. No way. Jake was her rock. What they had been through together. She couldn't imagine her life without him now. No one was going to take that away from her. Not even Mason.
Mason took one last look at Katie and nodded. He truly had given up this fight. He turned towards the door and stopped with his hand on the handle, "Hes a great kid. I guess i should have known being raised by you Kate" he sounded proud and for a moment Katie could hear the genuine feeling behind the comment, "hes better off without me anyway" and with that he left.
