Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
*Disclaimer: ~Fiction: Pronunciation: 'fik-sh&n Function: noun 1 a : something invented by the imagination or feigned; specifically : an invented story
The Promises we make pt 9.5
Paris was everything she’d always imagined, and more. Even when facing behavior she should have found rude, she couldn’t help but smile. There were moments when she thought she must be dreaming. How could this be real? It was early summertime, beautiful mild but warm weather, spring flowers still blooming as summer buds blossomed, and she was surrounded by an ancient tradition of artistic expression.
Of course, even all of that alone she could believe. It was the man standing beside her which put it over the top into the ‘can’t be real’ category. He was gentle, shy and unassuming, but at the same time earthy, funny and entertaining. He had so completely swept her off her feet, and she suspected that he had no idea that he was doing it.
“Well, what do you think?” He asked as he fell into step beside her on the sidewalk. They had spent the entire afternoon and evening in the Louvre, pouring over some of the most celebrated works of art in human history, and she had been surprised when they began shutting the exhibits down at nine-thirty. Was it really so late? Where had the day gone? She had been worried he was bored.
“I think … I must be dreaming.” She told him with a smile, boldly taking his hand in hers.
“Should I pinch you?” He asked playfully, making her chuckle.
“No, I don’t want to wake up.” She told him dreamily. After the Louvre, they had gone to dinner. Nothing particularly fancy, just a sidewalk café’, but the food was delicious. The wine was magnificent, and she had definitely had two too many glasses of it. She was floating now, as they walked along the Seine, the sparkling lights of Paris reflecting on the water like something painted by Vincent Van Gogh himself.
“Tessa.” Edge said, his handsome face serious, as was his tone.
“Is something wrong?” She asked nervously as he slowed to a stop. He smiled at her, that small, self-conscious smile of his, and shook his head slightly.
“No. In fact, NOTHING is wrong.” He told her. “That’s the thing.” He reached out and placed a callused hand against her cheek gently, and she leaned into his touch. “I was fairly certain, after my marriage, that I wasn’t meant to be happy with a woman. I thought … I just didn’t expect to find you.” He told her, and she turned her face, raising her hand to grasp his as she kissed his palm tenderly.
“I think I know what you mean.” She laughed.
“But it’s like you’ve said, several times since we met, God has a time and place for everyone. He guides us to certain things. The band, I know that has been one of those things. And now you.” He said, and she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his.
“And if we had met twenty or twenty one years ago, there might not be a band. You might not have your children. Perhaps Jack would’ve hurt more people than just us when he had his break down. Maybe I would’ve been too preoccupied with my career, become pampered and jaded like Jolie.” She told him softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and they began to sway to the music in his head.
“But none of that happened, and so here we are.” He concluded.
“Yeah. Here we are.” She repeated, her voice a whisper as his lips brushed hers ever-so-slightly and retreated. She smiled at him, her hair raising in goose-bumps from the electricity his kiss generated.
“I love you.” He told her finally, and she bit her lower lip to keep from grinning like a madwoman. How long had it been since anyone had said those words to her?
“I love you too.” She told him, leaning in and meeting his mouth with her own; kissing him slowly, passionately. Her tongue flicked over his lips tentatively, making it clear to him that she was not afraid to change this facet of their relationship. In fact, the word eager might better apply. She was growing eager to know him this way.
He drew back finally, short of breath, his eyebrows raised in surprise and interest. His moan as their mouths separated told her that as well. She smiled broadly at him, still holding him close, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“So what would you like to do now?” he asked, his mouth quirking with devilish amusement, and she let out a quick burst of laughter, her head falling back on her shoulders and the lights dancing in her eyes. She licked her lips and looked into his eyes.
“It’s been a long day.” She told him playfully. “I think maybe we should go back to the hotel for tonight.”
“Tired?” He asked, still holding her close, his hands moving smoothly up and down on her back.
“No.” she told him, her voice full of laughter. He returned her broad smile, and she swore his cheeks flushed a little, too.
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(Yes, this is the point at which I cut out yet another scene for the sake of not offending anyone. I did my best to make it a free-standing scene this time so those of you who don’t particularly care to read the love scenes don’t feel as if they are missing something important. Personally, I think they add to the depth of the characters emotional attachment, but I certainly do not wish to offend anyone or be disrespectful to anyone)
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This was one of the moments which made her wish Bono were not with her. Or perhaps that he was someone else. Or even better, that the paramedics were more professional and showed less concern for expressing their admiration of him and more concern for her welfare. They didn’t do anything significantly wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly off put by the way the paramedic caring for her chatted away with Bono as they made their way through the city of Dublin.
She had an IV in one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other, devices with wires stuck to her to monitor her heart and her blood oxygenation levels. If she hadn’t been concerned for her health before, she certainly was now. The paramedics assured her it was all precautionary, but it was more than a little overwhelming.
She closed her eyes and tried to rest as they wheeled her into the hospital and lifted her into a bed. At least Bono’s infamy lent a hand here, getting her taken immediately into a private room in the trauma department. Beyond that there were plenty of nurses checking in on her every few seconds, although there was little to nothing any of them could do.
The doctor came and went, ordered several tests, most of which revolved around needles and blood or poking and prodding at her. Finally she slipped into a restless sleep when Bono left the room for a moment to call Adam again. She wasn’t sure how long she’d slept when she heard the door open again and she opened her eyes to see Adam slipping into the room quietly.
“Hi.” She told him with a smile, sitting up to greet him. She was feeling better already. So much so that she felt downright silly for being here. The concern etched across Adam’s face made her heart ache.
“Hi. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He told her in his soft-spoken way. She reached her arms out to him and he sat on the edge of her bed, engulfing her in his embrace. He buried his face in her hair and kissed her head, his big hands, fingers splayed out, covering most of her back. She sighed and sank into him, feeling very much like she was home after a long journey.
“I’m sorry.” She told him, her lips moving against the warm skin of his neck.
“For what?”
“Making you worry. For this morning, the way I acted… you know, just… everything.” She told him as he leaned back, stroking her hair away from her face. His gentle blue eyes met hers and he shook his head at her.
“Apology accepted, for this morning. I’m sorry if I pushed you, about the drinking.” He told her. “But don’t apologize about making me worry, or for being here. I would hate it if I found out later you had been here and I hadn’t been able to sit with you.” He kissed her softly, his eyes closed as he did, making Cat smile at his sweetness.
“Oh. Excuse me. I should’ve knocked.” The doctor said, interrupting their moment. He and Bono entered the room quietly as Adam rose and extended a polite hand to the doctor.
“No, no. It’s fine.” Adam told him, introducing himself.
“So, what’s wrong?” Cat asked him, half expecting him to say nothing at all and half expecting him to tell her she was dying.
“Well, first off I’ll tell you that your nose is not broken, so there’s some good news.” The doctor told her with a cheeky grin. “Although you’ll likely have a black eye for awhile, and your nose will be tender. The swelling will go down on it’s own, but icing it will help hurry that along.”
Adam had not yet heard about her fight with Angel, and so he looked at her, obviously baffled.
“I’ll explain it in a little bit.” She assured him. “So why have I been feeling so woozy?” She asked the doctor.
“For one thing, you are pretty severely anemic.” He told her as he scratched something down with a pen. He withdrew a prescription pad and wrote on that as well. “And you have low blood sugar from the vomiting.” He tore the prescription slip off the rest of the pad and handed it to her. “This is a prescription for some medicine which will quell the nausea. It’s really important for you to eat well right now.”
“Ok.” She agreed, taking the paper and looking at it as if the strange drug name would mean something to her.
“And I’m having one of the nurses get you a months supply of pre-natal vitamins. After that your OB-Gyn can prescribe some more.” He told her, closing the folder he had her paperwork in and tucking it under his arm. Cat’s head snapped up, her eyes round as she looked at the doctor in disbelief.
“What? Pre-natal? No, no… I’m not …” She said, and the doctor’s eyes went wide in shock this time. He opened his mouth but it took a moment for the right words to reach his brain.
“I’m sorry, I assumed you knew. Or at least suspected.” He told her. “You’re definitely pregnant.” Bono glanced over at his friend at this revelation and saw all the color drain from his face.
“Uh, Adam…?” He asked, stepping toward him in case he actually passed out. He was obviously not steady on his feet at the moment.
“Here, here’s a chair. Sit down.” The doctor instructed, sliding the chair across the room to Bono who eased it behind Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“No. I’m.. I don’t need it. That’s fine.” He told Bono, waving a dismissive hand at him, but almost immediately sinking into the chair. He rubbed his mouth and chin with one hand, nervously spinning the wedding band on the other.
“There’s got to be a mistake.” Cat argued. “I’m on birth control!” The doctor pulled her chart back out and looked through it. “I get the Depo-Provera shots every three months.” Cat had continued on the birth control despite her vow of abstinence because it controlled her menstrual cycles conveniently. She had never even thought about a need for it with Adam because it was just a part of her regular routine.
“When was your last shot?” The doctor asked, still scanning through the paperwork.
“It was…” Cat replied pausing to think, counting on her fingers as she did. She reached up and covered her eyes as it dawned on her how long it had been. “More than five months ago.” She admitted. Everything which had happened in the past few months had made her completely forget about it. Since she hadn’t had a period, there had been nothing to remind her.
“How… I mean, how far along am I then? I don’t even know how to…” She stammered, obviously shaken by this news. Bono stood behind Adam with his hands on his friends shoulders and tried not to seem too amused at this surprise.
“It’s ok, it’s ok. I’ll make sure the nurses give you some information and a list of Obstetricians in the Dublin area. You’re not more than two months into it, you’ve plenty of time.” The doctor assured her, concerned at the rather disturbed reaction. He hadn’t expected this of a married woman nearing thirty, he was usually embraced and thanked for this sort of news in similar situations.
“Thank you.” She told him numbly. He glanced around the room quickly before dismissing himself.
“I think I’ll just…” Bono said, pointing at the door without finishing his statement. He moved quickly to the door and rested a hand on the doorknob, turning back to look at them. “I’m glad you’re alright, Cat. This is good news.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” She told him with a nod, chewing nervously on her lower lip. Bono glanced over at Adam and smiled his biggest, cheekiest smile at him. He was greatly relieved to see that Adam, at least, seemed to have recovered from the initial shock. He smiled back at Bono, a full, honest smile that assured his friend he agreed. This was good news.
“Are you ok?” Adam asked, leaning forward in his seat to take her hand in both of his.
“Apparently, I’m fine.” She replied quietly. “Just… pregnant.”
“Sweetheart…” Adam said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching out to slide a hand into her hair. He leaned in close, his forehead touching hers.
“I’m just surprised.” She told him softly. They sat together like this in silence for another long moment before Adam spoke again.
“We’re going to have a baby.” He said, as if hearing his own voice say the words would make it seem more real. “It’s a surprise, love, but you know what surprises me more?” He asked, and she shook her head gently. “That I’m so happy about.” He admitted, and she smiled.
“Everything’s going to change.” She warned him.
“Not everything.” He promised. “We’ll have each other to rely on.”
“And Uncle Bono.” Cat quipped, making Adam chuckle. She laughed a little, too, the idea starting to sink in. A child. A little baby with Adam’s beautiful blue eyes, a child who spoke with an Irish accent. Her smile grew as she thought of it, and now she, too, was surprised as she realized she was happy. It wasn’t something she had thought she wanted, but now that it was happening, she felt a sense of completion.
“Adam?” She said.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.” She told him, and he leaned back to look at her, smiling a bright, sincere smile and shaking his head in disbelief.
“I love you, Ca’alina.” He told her as she guided his hand down to rest on her still flat belly.
“I love you, Adam.” She replied sweetly. “Or do I call you daddy now?” She teased.
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“I said I’m coming already, damn it!” Larry yelled as the buzzer sounded again. He pressed a thumb firmly against the button on the intercom and barked
“What?” He released the button and paused, waiting for some response. He cursed under his breath and vowed that if whoever had been hitting the buzzer had decided it would be funny to run away once he answered, they would get a very personal and in depth perspective what it felt like to be beaten like a drum.
“Um… Sorry. I didn’t mean to… Uh, it’s Simone.” Her voice finally came back through the speaker, and the sound of it made the tension leave his shoulders immediately.
“No, no, It’s fine. I’m going to open the gate, come on up.” He told her pressing the release button on the gate so that she could drive through. He glanced up at the tiny monitor screen above the intercom and waited until her car was through the gate to let the gates close behind her.
He looked around the kitchen at the trail of water which he had left behind himself as he pulled himself out of the pool and in through the sliding doors to answer the buzzer. He grabbed several small dish towels from near the sink and dropped them on the floor mopping the water up with his feet. He realized that his swimming trunks were still dripping and so hurried back outside to grab a towel to wrap around his waist.
He hurried back through the house and out the front door just in time to see Simone opening the back door for Pauley to climb out of the car. She looked up at him, her mouth open to speak, but she froze as her eyes washed over him. He covered a smug smile with his hand, rubbing his nose.
“Hey. This is a surprise.” He said as Pauley ran across the drive and up the stairs toward him.
“Larry!” He greeted his new hero with youthful exuberance.
“Hey, buddy.” Larry replied with a broad smile, reaching out to ruffle the boys blonde hair.
“Mom said maybe I can stay with you until we can find Trine!” Pauley announced, his green eyes lit up hopefully.
“Pauley, I told you we could ask him, I didn’t say…” Simone sighed. His energy could be exhausting sometimes.
“What’s going on?” Larry asked, his usual frown returning. Not that he minded the surprise visit, but out of concern for what was clearly an unusual situation. “Where’s Trine?”
“She left a note that said something about going to the hospital. I don’t know why or what it was about, and no one else is around at their place to tell me. I thought at least maybe you would know what was going on.” She informed him, trying desperately not to stare at him. It wasn’t an easy task with him standing there bare chested and dripping wet.
Fat drops of water ran out of his hair and slid down his neck to curve along the lines of his well defined pectoral muscles or biceps. The water glistened in the afternoon sun and she was reminded briefly of images of Greek gods carved in shining gold.
“No, I haven’t heard anything. Come in, I’ll give a call and see what I can find out.” He told her, gesturing to the open door for her and Pauley to enter. Pauley was already completely at ease, having found Missy stretched out in a patch of sunlight on the floor and making himself busy rubbing her belly.
“Well, the thing is, I’ve already been pretty seriously late for work every night this week. If I’m late again, or have to bring Pauley with me…” She told him, letting her voice trail off to allow Larry to complete the sentence in his mind.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll make bleedin’ good and sure you don’t get fired for this.” He told her as he dialed the phone and lifted it to his ear.
“Well, I was just going to ask you to baby-sit.” She told him.
“I would but until I find out what’s wrong I’d rather keep you here, just in case.” He told her. “Besides, I’m your boss’s boss. I can do whatever I want.” She pursed her lips together and stared at him, irritated slightly by his decision not to consider her suggestion.
“Brian? Yeah this is Larry. Yeah, Mullen.” She heard him say as he boss picked up the phone at the nightclub. “I’m gonna need to steal one of your bartenders tonight.” He informed the man, leaning back against the kitchen cupboards casually. Simone stood there and watched him as he paused to hear the other man’s reply.
She wasn’t just looking at him for the sake of looking, she told herself. She was simply trying to judge by his reaction how the conversation was going. She didn’t care if the knot on his towel was slipping. Didn’t even notice. Not really. If she had noticed, surely she would have warned him. She wouldn’t have held her tongue (and her breath) and wondered what he had been wearing when he took his swim.
Would he wear trunks, or perhaps the oh-so-European Speedo swimsuit? What had Trine called them? A banana hammock. The memory made Simone have to repress a giggle. That girl certainly did have a way of phrasing things which left a clear, if slightly disturbing, picture in a person’s mind. Returning to her original subject, she wondered if he would wear anything. A single man, all by himself out here.
As the towel slid further down on his slender hips, exposing more of that fine line of coarse hair which began just below his belly button and continued under the terrycloth towel. It was just intimate enough of a sight to make her cheeks flush red and send a wave of heat through her body. She quickly turned away, looking to see where Pauley was and finding him in the same spot, still petting Missy contentedly.
“No, no… I’m not having a party…” Larry tried to explain to Brian. “No, I mean a specific bartender. Simone.” He said, casting his gaze over at her as he spoke. “What? What do you mean she’s not there? Late again? You ought to fire that lousy dosser!” he told the man, sounding dead serious despite the fact that he was grinning wickedly at Simone. She rushed across the kitchen to swat him hard several times on the shoulder.
“Ow, ow, bollix! No need for violence, you bruiser!” He laughed, leaning away from her and reaching up with his free hand to deflect any further blows.
“What?” He asked, talking into the phone again now. “No, no, I wasn’t serious. She’s right here with me, I know she isn’t there.” He told her boss, obviously still very amused with the power he wielded.
“Ass hole.” She hissed under her breath, earning another full, boyish grin. She really hated it when he did that. It made it impossible to stay mad at him, when he looked at her that way. His silvery blue eyes alive with amusement, his usually stern face transformed into something even more amazingly handsome than it already had been. It did things to her, made her feel things she couldn’t control. Things she wanted to avoid feeling.
“You love me and you know it.” He teased, making her already flushed cheeks grow even more red with indignation. She glared at him defiantly, rolling her eyes as if to say nothing could be farther from the truth.
“What?” He asked, his attention back to the phone. “I don’t know, call someone in. Well you used to tend bar, didn’t you? Why can’t you take her shift?” He asked with a smirk, and Simone slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her amusement. Brian already didn’t like her, now she had his boss demoting him to doing her job so she could take the night off.
“Oh, and Brian? Make sure this is still on her paycheck, ok?” He added before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone quickly.
“You don’t have to do that.” She told him.
“I’m the one that told you not to go in, I’d have to be some can of piss to keep you from getting your pay.” He told her with a shrug. He dialed another number and lifted the phone to his ear again.
“Bono, hey. Simone is here, she said she stopped by Adam’s and nobody was there. They’re at the hospital or something. Do you know…?” He started, and Simone could hear Bono rambling on the other end of the line. Larry’s jaw dropped in shock at something Bono said.
“You’re full of shit!” He exclaimed, beginning to pace the floor. “She’s up ‘a duff? Wow. Is Adam ok?” He asked seriously. She could hear Bono talking excitedly again and suddenly Larry’s let out a hoot of laughter, doubling over. “He almost passed out?” He repeated, making sure he’d heard right.
Simone put the bits and pieces of conversation together and smiled to herself. She could remember the day she found out she was having Pauley very clearly. It was very much like dying and being born again. One phase of her life was over, completely and irrevocably. But a new phase was beginning, and it was so much better than she could have imagined it would be.
Simone turned to watch him now, remembering what it had been like to hold him as a brand new baby and wondering how he had grown up so quickly. Hadn’t that been just yesterday? Larry finished his conversation and set the phone down on the counter, turning to face Pauley as well.
“Hey, Pauley, do you like to go swimming?” He asked calling over Simone’s head.
“Yeah!” Pauley replied excitedly, jumping up and running over to join the adults in the kitchen.
“He doesn’t have a swimsuit or floaty here.” Simone objected.
“Does he have a pair of Pajama pants in his bag there?” Larry asked, pointing at the back-pack she had carried in with her.
“Yeah.”
“He can swim in his shorts and change into his pajamas when he’s done.” He told her.
“Yes!” Pauley exclaimed, raising his hands victoriously. “Mom, you’re gonna go, too, right?”
“I don’t have anything to change into.” She told him, still frowning at Larry, who smiled devilishly at her now.
“You could always go in the nip, put those clothes back on when you’re done.” He told her, his eyes meeting hers, daring her to try and shock him.
“I don’t think so.” She told him, trying to keep a stern, serious face even though she wanted to giggle and blush like a teenage girl. “He doesn’t swim well yet. He’s never gone in without a floaty device before.” She added.
“That’s ok, I’ll hang on tight to him. Teach him a little how to float on his own.” Larry assured her, hurrying over to the boy and scooping him up, tossing him into the air as the boy squealed in delight. How could Simone say no? She followed them out the back door to the pool, slipping out of her shoes even though she knew she ought to go to work now that they knew everyone was ok.
Larry set Pauley down on the tile and told the boy to take off his shirt and shoes as well, slipping his towel off and answering Simone’s earlier question about what he was wearing underneath. She looked down at her feet, smiling at how overactive her imagination was when she was around him.
She was wandering in her thoughts and didn’t see him coming toward her until it was far too late. He scooped her up into his arms, one arm behind her back and one under her legs and she let out a scream of surprise.
“What are you doing?!” She demanded as he dangled her out over the pool.
“You sure you don’t want to go for a swim?” he teased, and she scowled at him.
“Put me down!” She demanded, and he loosened his grip on her and lowered his arms half an inch, letting her start to drop. She grabbed him around his neck, kicking her legs in an instinctive attempt to escape.
“Oh, shit!” He cried out in surprise as she threw him off his balance and they went tumbling into the pool in a mass of arms and legs, completely tangled up together.
“Sonuva-- ” Simone gasped as she came up for air, splashing the water wildly. Larry’s laughter echoed through the whole yard as he wiped the water out of his face, slicking his hair back with the other hand.
“I wasn’t really going to drop you!” He laughed. “You did this to yourself.” She let out a huff in irritation and dragged herself over the side of the pool onto the tile. Pauley was jumping up and down with excitement as he lifted his shirt off over his head.
“There are towels in the bathroom, second door on the left.” Larry called to her as she stomped off toward the house. “You can put on something of mine, my room is right next to the bathroom. Oh and Simone?” He called playfully. She paused at the door and turned to look back at him.
“You’re beautiful when you’re angry.” He told her with a smirk. She turned away quickly, unwilling to let him see her smile at his teasing. She glanced back over her shoulder to see him holding his arms out for Pauley.
* Damn that man! * She thought. * Why did he have to go and make her fall in love with him against her will? *
The Promises we make pt 9.5
Paris was everything she’d always imagined, and more. Even when facing behavior she should have found rude, she couldn’t help but smile. There were moments when she thought she must be dreaming. How could this be real? It was early summertime, beautiful mild but warm weather, spring flowers still blooming as summer buds blossomed, and she was surrounded by an ancient tradition of artistic expression.
Of course, even all of that alone she could believe. It was the man standing beside her which put it over the top into the ‘can’t be real’ category. He was gentle, shy and unassuming, but at the same time earthy, funny and entertaining. He had so completely swept her off her feet, and she suspected that he had no idea that he was doing it.
“Well, what do you think?” He asked as he fell into step beside her on the sidewalk. They had spent the entire afternoon and evening in the Louvre, pouring over some of the most celebrated works of art in human history, and she had been surprised when they began shutting the exhibits down at nine-thirty. Was it really so late? Where had the day gone? She had been worried he was bored.
“I think … I must be dreaming.” She told him with a smile, boldly taking his hand in hers.
“Should I pinch you?” He asked playfully, making her chuckle.
“No, I don’t want to wake up.” She told him dreamily. After the Louvre, they had gone to dinner. Nothing particularly fancy, just a sidewalk café’, but the food was delicious. The wine was magnificent, and she had definitely had two too many glasses of it. She was floating now, as they walked along the Seine, the sparkling lights of Paris reflecting on the water like something painted by Vincent Van Gogh himself.
“Tessa.” Edge said, his handsome face serious, as was his tone.
“Is something wrong?” She asked nervously as he slowed to a stop. He smiled at her, that small, self-conscious smile of his, and shook his head slightly.
“No. In fact, NOTHING is wrong.” He told her. “That’s the thing.” He reached out and placed a callused hand against her cheek gently, and she leaned into his touch. “I was fairly certain, after my marriage, that I wasn’t meant to be happy with a woman. I thought … I just didn’t expect to find you.” He told her, and she turned her face, raising her hand to grasp his as she kissed his palm tenderly.
“I think I know what you mean.” She laughed.
“But it’s like you’ve said, several times since we met, God has a time and place for everyone. He guides us to certain things. The band, I know that has been one of those things. And now you.” He said, and she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his.
“And if we had met twenty or twenty one years ago, there might not be a band. You might not have your children. Perhaps Jack would’ve hurt more people than just us when he had his break down. Maybe I would’ve been too preoccupied with my career, become pampered and jaded like Jolie.” She told him softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and they began to sway to the music in his head.
“But none of that happened, and so here we are.” He concluded.
“Yeah. Here we are.” She repeated, her voice a whisper as his lips brushed hers ever-so-slightly and retreated. She smiled at him, her hair raising in goose-bumps from the electricity his kiss generated.
“I love you.” He told her finally, and she bit her lower lip to keep from grinning like a madwoman. How long had it been since anyone had said those words to her?
“I love you too.” She told him, leaning in and meeting his mouth with her own; kissing him slowly, passionately. Her tongue flicked over his lips tentatively, making it clear to him that she was not afraid to change this facet of their relationship. In fact, the word eager might better apply. She was growing eager to know him this way.
He drew back finally, short of breath, his eyebrows raised in surprise and interest. His moan as their mouths separated told her that as well. She smiled broadly at him, still holding him close, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“So what would you like to do now?” he asked, his mouth quirking with devilish amusement, and she let out a quick burst of laughter, her head falling back on her shoulders and the lights dancing in her eyes. She licked her lips and looked into his eyes.
“It’s been a long day.” She told him playfully. “I think maybe we should go back to the hotel for tonight.”
“Tired?” He asked, still holding her close, his hands moving smoothly up and down on her back.
“No.” she told him, her voice full of laughter. He returned her broad smile, and she swore his cheeks flushed a little, too.
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(Yes, this is the point at which I cut out yet another scene for the sake of not offending anyone. I did my best to make it a free-standing scene this time so those of you who don’t particularly care to read the love scenes don’t feel as if they are missing something important. Personally, I think they add to the depth of the characters emotional attachment, but I certainly do not wish to offend anyone or be disrespectful to anyone)
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This was one of the moments which made her wish Bono were not with her. Or perhaps that he was someone else. Or even better, that the paramedics were more professional and showed less concern for expressing their admiration of him and more concern for her welfare. They didn’t do anything significantly wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly off put by the way the paramedic caring for her chatted away with Bono as they made their way through the city of Dublin.
She had an IV in one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other, devices with wires stuck to her to monitor her heart and her blood oxygenation levels. If she hadn’t been concerned for her health before, she certainly was now. The paramedics assured her it was all precautionary, but it was more than a little overwhelming.
She closed her eyes and tried to rest as they wheeled her into the hospital and lifted her into a bed. At least Bono’s infamy lent a hand here, getting her taken immediately into a private room in the trauma department. Beyond that there were plenty of nurses checking in on her every few seconds, although there was little to nothing any of them could do.
The doctor came and went, ordered several tests, most of which revolved around needles and blood or poking and prodding at her. Finally she slipped into a restless sleep when Bono left the room for a moment to call Adam again. She wasn’t sure how long she’d slept when she heard the door open again and she opened her eyes to see Adam slipping into the room quietly.
“Hi.” She told him with a smile, sitting up to greet him. She was feeling better already. So much so that she felt downright silly for being here. The concern etched across Adam’s face made her heart ache.
“Hi. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He told her in his soft-spoken way. She reached her arms out to him and he sat on the edge of her bed, engulfing her in his embrace. He buried his face in her hair and kissed her head, his big hands, fingers splayed out, covering most of her back. She sighed and sank into him, feeling very much like she was home after a long journey.
“I’m sorry.” She told him, her lips moving against the warm skin of his neck.
“For what?”
“Making you worry. For this morning, the way I acted… you know, just… everything.” She told him as he leaned back, stroking her hair away from her face. His gentle blue eyes met hers and he shook his head at her.
“Apology accepted, for this morning. I’m sorry if I pushed you, about the drinking.” He told her. “But don’t apologize about making me worry, or for being here. I would hate it if I found out later you had been here and I hadn’t been able to sit with you.” He kissed her softly, his eyes closed as he did, making Cat smile at his sweetness.
“Oh. Excuse me. I should’ve knocked.” The doctor said, interrupting their moment. He and Bono entered the room quietly as Adam rose and extended a polite hand to the doctor.
“No, no. It’s fine.” Adam told him, introducing himself.
“So, what’s wrong?” Cat asked him, half expecting him to say nothing at all and half expecting him to tell her she was dying.
“Well, first off I’ll tell you that your nose is not broken, so there’s some good news.” The doctor told her with a cheeky grin. “Although you’ll likely have a black eye for awhile, and your nose will be tender. The swelling will go down on it’s own, but icing it will help hurry that along.”
Adam had not yet heard about her fight with Angel, and so he looked at her, obviously baffled.
“I’ll explain it in a little bit.” She assured him. “So why have I been feeling so woozy?” She asked the doctor.
“For one thing, you are pretty severely anemic.” He told her as he scratched something down with a pen. He withdrew a prescription pad and wrote on that as well. “And you have low blood sugar from the vomiting.” He tore the prescription slip off the rest of the pad and handed it to her. “This is a prescription for some medicine which will quell the nausea. It’s really important for you to eat well right now.”
“Ok.” She agreed, taking the paper and looking at it as if the strange drug name would mean something to her.
“And I’m having one of the nurses get you a months supply of pre-natal vitamins. After that your OB-Gyn can prescribe some more.” He told her, closing the folder he had her paperwork in and tucking it under his arm. Cat’s head snapped up, her eyes round as she looked at the doctor in disbelief.
“What? Pre-natal? No, no… I’m not …” She said, and the doctor’s eyes went wide in shock this time. He opened his mouth but it took a moment for the right words to reach his brain.
“I’m sorry, I assumed you knew. Or at least suspected.” He told her. “You’re definitely pregnant.” Bono glanced over at his friend at this revelation and saw all the color drain from his face.
“Uh, Adam…?” He asked, stepping toward him in case he actually passed out. He was obviously not steady on his feet at the moment.
“Here, here’s a chair. Sit down.” The doctor instructed, sliding the chair across the room to Bono who eased it behind Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“No. I’m.. I don’t need it. That’s fine.” He told Bono, waving a dismissive hand at him, but almost immediately sinking into the chair. He rubbed his mouth and chin with one hand, nervously spinning the wedding band on the other.
“There’s got to be a mistake.” Cat argued. “I’m on birth control!” The doctor pulled her chart back out and looked through it. “I get the Depo-Provera shots every three months.” Cat had continued on the birth control despite her vow of abstinence because it controlled her menstrual cycles conveniently. She had never even thought about a need for it with Adam because it was just a part of her regular routine.
“When was your last shot?” The doctor asked, still scanning through the paperwork.
“It was…” Cat replied pausing to think, counting on her fingers as she did. She reached up and covered her eyes as it dawned on her how long it had been. “More than five months ago.” She admitted. Everything which had happened in the past few months had made her completely forget about it. Since she hadn’t had a period, there had been nothing to remind her.
“How… I mean, how far along am I then? I don’t even know how to…” She stammered, obviously shaken by this news. Bono stood behind Adam with his hands on his friends shoulders and tried not to seem too amused at this surprise.
“It’s ok, it’s ok. I’ll make sure the nurses give you some information and a list of Obstetricians in the Dublin area. You’re not more than two months into it, you’ve plenty of time.” The doctor assured her, concerned at the rather disturbed reaction. He hadn’t expected this of a married woman nearing thirty, he was usually embraced and thanked for this sort of news in similar situations.
“Thank you.” She told him numbly. He glanced around the room quickly before dismissing himself.
“I think I’ll just…” Bono said, pointing at the door without finishing his statement. He moved quickly to the door and rested a hand on the doorknob, turning back to look at them. “I’m glad you’re alright, Cat. This is good news.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” She told him with a nod, chewing nervously on her lower lip. Bono glanced over at Adam and smiled his biggest, cheekiest smile at him. He was greatly relieved to see that Adam, at least, seemed to have recovered from the initial shock. He smiled back at Bono, a full, honest smile that assured his friend he agreed. This was good news.
“Are you ok?” Adam asked, leaning forward in his seat to take her hand in both of his.
“Apparently, I’m fine.” She replied quietly. “Just… pregnant.”
“Sweetheart…” Adam said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching out to slide a hand into her hair. He leaned in close, his forehead touching hers.
“I’m just surprised.” She told him softly. They sat together like this in silence for another long moment before Adam spoke again.
“We’re going to have a baby.” He said, as if hearing his own voice say the words would make it seem more real. “It’s a surprise, love, but you know what surprises me more?” He asked, and she shook her head gently. “That I’m so happy about.” He admitted, and she smiled.
“Everything’s going to change.” She warned him.
“Not everything.” He promised. “We’ll have each other to rely on.”
“And Uncle Bono.” Cat quipped, making Adam chuckle. She laughed a little, too, the idea starting to sink in. A child. A little baby with Adam’s beautiful blue eyes, a child who spoke with an Irish accent. Her smile grew as she thought of it, and now she, too, was surprised as she realized she was happy. It wasn’t something she had thought she wanted, but now that it was happening, she felt a sense of completion.
“Adam?” She said.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.” She told him, and he leaned back to look at her, smiling a bright, sincere smile and shaking his head in disbelief.
“I love you, Ca’alina.” He told her as she guided his hand down to rest on her still flat belly.
“I love you, Adam.” She replied sweetly. “Or do I call you daddy now?” She teased.
**************************************************************
“I said I’m coming already, damn it!” Larry yelled as the buzzer sounded again. He pressed a thumb firmly against the button on the intercom and barked
“What?” He released the button and paused, waiting for some response. He cursed under his breath and vowed that if whoever had been hitting the buzzer had decided it would be funny to run away once he answered, they would get a very personal and in depth perspective what it felt like to be beaten like a drum.
“Um… Sorry. I didn’t mean to… Uh, it’s Simone.” Her voice finally came back through the speaker, and the sound of it made the tension leave his shoulders immediately.
“No, no, It’s fine. I’m going to open the gate, come on up.” He told her pressing the release button on the gate so that she could drive through. He glanced up at the tiny monitor screen above the intercom and waited until her car was through the gate to let the gates close behind her.
He looked around the kitchen at the trail of water which he had left behind himself as he pulled himself out of the pool and in through the sliding doors to answer the buzzer. He grabbed several small dish towels from near the sink and dropped them on the floor mopping the water up with his feet. He realized that his swimming trunks were still dripping and so hurried back outside to grab a towel to wrap around his waist.
He hurried back through the house and out the front door just in time to see Simone opening the back door for Pauley to climb out of the car. She looked up at him, her mouth open to speak, but she froze as her eyes washed over him. He covered a smug smile with his hand, rubbing his nose.
“Hey. This is a surprise.” He said as Pauley ran across the drive and up the stairs toward him.
“Larry!” He greeted his new hero with youthful exuberance.
“Hey, buddy.” Larry replied with a broad smile, reaching out to ruffle the boys blonde hair.
“Mom said maybe I can stay with you until we can find Trine!” Pauley announced, his green eyes lit up hopefully.
“Pauley, I told you we could ask him, I didn’t say…” Simone sighed. His energy could be exhausting sometimes.
“What’s going on?” Larry asked, his usual frown returning. Not that he minded the surprise visit, but out of concern for what was clearly an unusual situation. “Where’s Trine?”
“She left a note that said something about going to the hospital. I don’t know why or what it was about, and no one else is around at their place to tell me. I thought at least maybe you would know what was going on.” She informed him, trying desperately not to stare at him. It wasn’t an easy task with him standing there bare chested and dripping wet.
Fat drops of water ran out of his hair and slid down his neck to curve along the lines of his well defined pectoral muscles or biceps. The water glistened in the afternoon sun and she was reminded briefly of images of Greek gods carved in shining gold.
“No, I haven’t heard anything. Come in, I’ll give a call and see what I can find out.” He told her, gesturing to the open door for her and Pauley to enter. Pauley was already completely at ease, having found Missy stretched out in a patch of sunlight on the floor and making himself busy rubbing her belly.
“Well, the thing is, I’ve already been pretty seriously late for work every night this week. If I’m late again, or have to bring Pauley with me…” She told him, letting her voice trail off to allow Larry to complete the sentence in his mind.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll make bleedin’ good and sure you don’t get fired for this.” He told her as he dialed the phone and lifted it to his ear.
“Well, I was just going to ask you to baby-sit.” She told him.
“I would but until I find out what’s wrong I’d rather keep you here, just in case.” He told her. “Besides, I’m your boss’s boss. I can do whatever I want.” She pursed her lips together and stared at him, irritated slightly by his decision not to consider her suggestion.
“Brian? Yeah this is Larry. Yeah, Mullen.” She heard him say as he boss picked up the phone at the nightclub. “I’m gonna need to steal one of your bartenders tonight.” He informed the man, leaning back against the kitchen cupboards casually. Simone stood there and watched him as he paused to hear the other man’s reply.
She wasn’t just looking at him for the sake of looking, she told herself. She was simply trying to judge by his reaction how the conversation was going. She didn’t care if the knot on his towel was slipping. Didn’t even notice. Not really. If she had noticed, surely she would have warned him. She wouldn’t have held her tongue (and her breath) and wondered what he had been wearing when he took his swim.
Would he wear trunks, or perhaps the oh-so-European Speedo swimsuit? What had Trine called them? A banana hammock. The memory made Simone have to repress a giggle. That girl certainly did have a way of phrasing things which left a clear, if slightly disturbing, picture in a person’s mind. Returning to her original subject, she wondered if he would wear anything. A single man, all by himself out here.
As the towel slid further down on his slender hips, exposing more of that fine line of coarse hair which began just below his belly button and continued under the terrycloth towel. It was just intimate enough of a sight to make her cheeks flush red and send a wave of heat through her body. She quickly turned away, looking to see where Pauley was and finding him in the same spot, still petting Missy contentedly.
“No, no… I’m not having a party…” Larry tried to explain to Brian. “No, I mean a specific bartender. Simone.” He said, casting his gaze over at her as he spoke. “What? What do you mean she’s not there? Late again? You ought to fire that lousy dosser!” he told the man, sounding dead serious despite the fact that he was grinning wickedly at Simone. She rushed across the kitchen to swat him hard several times on the shoulder.
“Ow, ow, bollix! No need for violence, you bruiser!” He laughed, leaning away from her and reaching up with his free hand to deflect any further blows.
“What?” He asked, talking into the phone again now. “No, no, I wasn’t serious. She’s right here with me, I know she isn’t there.” He told her boss, obviously still very amused with the power he wielded.
“Ass hole.” She hissed under her breath, earning another full, boyish grin. She really hated it when he did that. It made it impossible to stay mad at him, when he looked at her that way. His silvery blue eyes alive with amusement, his usually stern face transformed into something even more amazingly handsome than it already had been. It did things to her, made her feel things she couldn’t control. Things she wanted to avoid feeling.
“You love me and you know it.” He teased, making her already flushed cheeks grow even more red with indignation. She glared at him defiantly, rolling her eyes as if to say nothing could be farther from the truth.
“What?” He asked, his attention back to the phone. “I don’t know, call someone in. Well you used to tend bar, didn’t you? Why can’t you take her shift?” He asked with a smirk, and Simone slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her amusement. Brian already didn’t like her, now she had his boss demoting him to doing her job so she could take the night off.
“Oh, and Brian? Make sure this is still on her paycheck, ok?” He added before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone quickly.
“You don’t have to do that.” She told him.
“I’m the one that told you not to go in, I’d have to be some can of piss to keep you from getting your pay.” He told her with a shrug. He dialed another number and lifted the phone to his ear again.
“Bono, hey. Simone is here, she said she stopped by Adam’s and nobody was there. They’re at the hospital or something. Do you know…?” He started, and Simone could hear Bono rambling on the other end of the line. Larry’s jaw dropped in shock at something Bono said.
“You’re full of shit!” He exclaimed, beginning to pace the floor. “She’s up ‘a duff? Wow. Is Adam ok?” He asked seriously. She could hear Bono talking excitedly again and suddenly Larry’s let out a hoot of laughter, doubling over. “He almost passed out?” He repeated, making sure he’d heard right.
Simone put the bits and pieces of conversation together and smiled to herself. She could remember the day she found out she was having Pauley very clearly. It was very much like dying and being born again. One phase of her life was over, completely and irrevocably. But a new phase was beginning, and it was so much better than she could have imagined it would be.
Simone turned to watch him now, remembering what it had been like to hold him as a brand new baby and wondering how he had grown up so quickly. Hadn’t that been just yesterday? Larry finished his conversation and set the phone down on the counter, turning to face Pauley as well.
“Hey, Pauley, do you like to go swimming?” He asked calling over Simone’s head.
“Yeah!” Pauley replied excitedly, jumping up and running over to join the adults in the kitchen.
“He doesn’t have a swimsuit or floaty here.” Simone objected.
“Does he have a pair of Pajama pants in his bag there?” Larry asked, pointing at the back-pack she had carried in with her.
“Yeah.”
“He can swim in his shorts and change into his pajamas when he’s done.” He told her.
“Yes!” Pauley exclaimed, raising his hands victoriously. “Mom, you’re gonna go, too, right?”
“I don’t have anything to change into.” She told him, still frowning at Larry, who smiled devilishly at her now.
“You could always go in the nip, put those clothes back on when you’re done.” He told her, his eyes meeting hers, daring her to try and shock him.
“I don’t think so.” She told him, trying to keep a stern, serious face even though she wanted to giggle and blush like a teenage girl. “He doesn’t swim well yet. He’s never gone in without a floaty device before.” She added.
“That’s ok, I’ll hang on tight to him. Teach him a little how to float on his own.” Larry assured her, hurrying over to the boy and scooping him up, tossing him into the air as the boy squealed in delight. How could Simone say no? She followed them out the back door to the pool, slipping out of her shoes even though she knew she ought to go to work now that they knew everyone was ok.
Larry set Pauley down on the tile and told the boy to take off his shirt and shoes as well, slipping his towel off and answering Simone’s earlier question about what he was wearing underneath. She looked down at her feet, smiling at how overactive her imagination was when she was around him.
She was wandering in her thoughts and didn’t see him coming toward her until it was far too late. He scooped her up into his arms, one arm behind her back and one under her legs and she let out a scream of surprise.
“What are you doing?!” She demanded as he dangled her out over the pool.
“You sure you don’t want to go for a swim?” he teased, and she scowled at him.
“Put me down!” She demanded, and he loosened his grip on her and lowered his arms half an inch, letting her start to drop. She grabbed him around his neck, kicking her legs in an instinctive attempt to escape.
“Oh, shit!” He cried out in surprise as she threw him off his balance and they went tumbling into the pool in a mass of arms and legs, completely tangled up together.
“Sonuva-- ” Simone gasped as she came up for air, splashing the water wildly. Larry’s laughter echoed through the whole yard as he wiped the water out of his face, slicking his hair back with the other hand.
“I wasn’t really going to drop you!” He laughed. “You did this to yourself.” She let out a huff in irritation and dragged herself over the side of the pool onto the tile. Pauley was jumping up and down with excitement as he lifted his shirt off over his head.
“There are towels in the bathroom, second door on the left.” Larry called to her as she stomped off toward the house. “You can put on something of mine, my room is right next to the bathroom. Oh and Simone?” He called playfully. She paused at the door and turned to look back at him.
“You’re beautiful when you’re angry.” He told her with a smirk. She turned away quickly, unwilling to let him see her smile at his teasing. She glanced back over her shoulder to see him holding his arms out for Pauley.
* Damn that man! * She thought. * Why did he have to go and make her fall in love with him against her will? *
