Entry tags:

30 seconds to mars, 30stm: cleopatra verse, 30stm: jared leto, 30stm: tim kelleher, 30stm: tim kelleher/oc

FIC: A River In Egypt- Cleopatra Verse. 30stm. Tim/OC 5/8
full header & part one || part two || part three || part four






Tim sighed as the car ahead of him crept forward another three inches. Jared was staring at him from the passenger seat, all coiled up and ready to strike out at something. He wasn't sure what had Jared wound up and wasn't quite sure if he was brave enough to try to pick at it.

“Thank god,” he muttered as the uniform redirecting traffic was visible finally now that the UPS truck pulled off and around. He slipped his phone from his pocket and dialed Ange. “Yeah it's me, can you tell Becky we're stuck in redirect from a wreck...that we're coming but it's really not looking like we're getting there on time....thanks, babe. Yeah three or so. Yeah...bye.”

Jared's went from just ready-to-snap-tense to glaring-ready-to-strike.

Tim groaned. “What? Are you going to go batshit on me every fricken time you figure out that I bottomed when Ange and I had sex?”

He almost laughed at Jared's startled wide eyes. Obviously that wasn't it, and he really hadn't thought it was but hell it could have been as much as Jared knew he'd spent the night before at Ange's. Wide blue eyes narrowed and started moving over him critically.

“Jared-” Tim warned.

“You were walking okay,” Jared frowned, voice uncertain.

Tim stared at him incredulously and almost sick. What the hell? “Jared, the fuck?”

“You were-”

“Don't even. That was as much wiped out from playing all night as anything else. Good god...I wasn't hurt. Fucking wrung out as hell but Ange would never hurt me, sure as hell not like what you were trying to imply. What the hell crawled up your ass today?”

“You're all-wrong.”

“I'm wrong?” Tim groaned. “How the fuck am I wrong?” If Jared tried to tell him he was wrong about Ange, he was going to wring Jared's neck.

“Weird. Wound up. Just...” Jared frowned.

Tim snorted. “Had brunch with my mother yesterday, got a birthday present in the mail from my sister and ended up talking to her for a few minutes on the phone. Think I'm wound up now? Shoulda seen me last night.”

Jared's frown deepened. “Your mom visiting? You said they moved away from where you grew up a few years back.”

“Yeah. All the fuckin' way to Torrence. Never been to the house there, hell don't even know if I have the address written down anywhere. Doesn't make any difference.” He stared up toward flashing up ahead. “My next of kin and the one that has medical power of attorney and all that is Ange, seconded by Lara, then Salma and Luisa if it ever came to that. My folks ever show up if something happened to me-you and Shan go at them full tilt and chase 'em the fuck off by any means necessary. Copies of the power of attorney and medical power of attorney should be in with my contract stuff you guys have, Shan noticed it at least when he looked at it, don't tell me you didn't. Get my parents the fuck away and out of anything. Don't let them at Ange, or Luisa. Lara, Jeff and Salma will help you. Hell, Alicia, Jess and Marina probably will too. And don't let Jeff, Troy and Ange kill Alejandra's dickhead if she ever showed up too.”

“Who?” Jared gaped.

“Luisa is Ange's mom. Lara's his oldest sister and Jeff's her husband. Alicia, Jessica, Marina and Katie are their girls. Alicia's the one that got married last weekend. Alicia's husband Troy is a pretty decent guy. Lara has gotten over wanting to kill him, Alicia started seeing him when she was seventeen and Troy was twenty-two. That didn't go over so hot when Lara found that one out. Salma's the next oldest, she lives in Seattle and is hell on wheels to Lara's mama bear. Those two team up, whoever they're going after or taking care of is pretty well screwed. Alejandra is the youngest of the girls and the one just older than Ange, he's the baby of the four of them. Alejandra's a sweetheart, just married to a dickhead. They have three kids, Leah, Caleb and Seth.”

“What about your family?”

Tim shook his head, fishing in his pocket for a cigarette as he let the car creep forward another little bit as five more were let around the wreck and emergency crews, the sign turned to stop just as he got up to the front of the line. “Hell, I think the only reason I didn't get shipped off to some pray you straight boot camp shit was because I threatened to tell the school board if Dad tried that, raise enough of a production he'd've lost his job. He was a school guidance counselor forever, he's an assistant principal these days according to mom. Haven't talked to or seen the man since I left. Basically kicked out, I left before my two months were up though-he gave me two months to figure out a job and place to live after I graduated. Probably have mom to thank for that much grace period. Moved in with Lara-she'd just divorced her first husband was as damned broke as I was and didn't really have shit more than I did either and three girls besides.”

“WHAT?” Jared demanded dangerously.

“Told you in Genting I've had shit before. Fine and dandy whatever just as long as it's not in my band, not in my family,” Tim snorted. “Mom calls like once a month, mostly to yap about the weather and dad. Gives a time and date I'm supposed to show up to meet her for lunch every few months then has a fit when I can't, I've got work or a gig or am in fucking Germany like the fit she had last winter. She actually says something about Rachel and Jake though at the lunches so I put up with it. Jake got himself disowned and thrown out of the family too. She coughed up Jakey's address yesterday. Think it was probably an order to watch out for him since he's all on his own in the big bad world now. Jakey's the baby. He's twenty. Hell, he'd probably get welcomed home a lot faster than I would, just take dumping his girlfriend and never seeing his daughter again. Blew my fucking mind, my baby brother's got a six month old baby-problem with that is pretty much her mother who's Chinese and Mexican.”

“Your dad's a fuckhead.”

“Yeah-well, the shit he pulled on Jake about Lindsey and baby. Rach started wondering if that was why I took off and never came back. She also wondered if maybe it wasn't Lara I was dating back then cause I moved in with her and the girls. Yeah, I was eighteen and Lara's oldest Alicia was eleven...that-not. Even without it being Lara. She tracked me down somehow. Flipped when she saw a picture of me with you guys about the time shit hit with Jake and started trying to find me.”

“Rachel older or younger?”

“I'm the oldest. Rach just turned twenty-four in August and Jakey'll be twenty-one in January.”

Tim sighed as the uniform officer waved them on. “Fuck-“ he hissed and swallowed hard at the kid being zipped into a body bag, probably not a hell of a lot older than Jake, definitely not anymore than Tim's age. He forced his eyes front and concentrated on the road because there wasn't a chance to pull over and make Jared drive any time soon.

*


Tim grinned at the expression on Jared's face as the larger of the two female kits was put in his hands. “Incredible, aren't they?”

Jared nodded silently and took the bottle Becky handed him.

“You have any more friends to recruit?” Becky smiled. “I already like this one as much as the fella you brought Tuesday.”

“Shannon wouldn't do so well with them, not for another couple weeks when they've got their eyes open and moving around. He'd love them, just not do so hot at the moment.”

Jared snorted. “He'd freak. He'd love 'em but he'd freak holding one right now.”

Becky raised an eyebrow. “You know him well?”

“Shannon's my brother. He doesn't do fragile little stuff well.”

Tim settled on the couch in the feeding room with the smaller female in his hands. He nuzzled at the top of her head a bit. She'd bounced back as quickly as she'd started getting sick. At least acting mostly healthy again but she seemed a bit frailer and lighter than she had been. She wasn't quite as enthusiastic about her bottle as the other two either.

Tim clenched his teeth as Mal showed up. “Well, I see the panic was unfounded.”

“Traffic accident ahead of us and caught in the wait,” Tim managed.

“Ange was worried,” Becky said with a smile and a sharp look at Mal.

Tim shrugged. Nothing really to say to that. Of course Ange was worried. Ange knew him too well. He kept his attention on the kitten murmuring softly as she backed off from her bottle a bit disinterestedly. “Uh uh, need to eat, baby girl,” Tim murmured.

Becky glared. “Please get what you can down her. I don't think she's really had more than a few swallows all morning. Krys-she was here Monday with you?”

“Dingbat the Redhead?” Tim muttered.

Mal choked fighting snickers. “Yeah her.”

“She let the little one back off with she must not be hungry and ignored her.”

Tim shook his head disgusted. It took a good five minutes of coaxing until the kit decided she was going to take the bottle. Jared was totally engrossed in the kit he was holding and Becky bossed Mal into taking the third if he was going to come pester during his lunch break he was getting put to work. She sat down and started in on the file folder of papers that she'd had stuck in the clipboard she carried.

“Hey you,” Ange's voice nearly made him jump.

He could practically feel Jared tense up next to him.

“Hey yourself.”

“Brought you two lunch, they swore that's a veggie burger,” Ange said holding out one sack toward Jared. “Hope it is because the salads they had looked pretty wilted.”

“Thanks,” Jared said startled.

“Got you a sub, it can sit but you're damn well eating it,” Ange said softly sitting down on the other side of Tim. Tim didn't think twice, merely leaned in Ange's direction. He hadn't realized just how tense he was until it started to melt away with the heavy arm around his shoulders.

Jared's confusion plain enough on his face, at least Tim thought so. He gently kicked Jared in the ankle.

“Quit being a brat, gatito. Can't blame Jared for being worried too. You don't deal with wrecks for shit. Bad one?”

Tim nodded and murmured, “At least one taken off in a body bag. Guy probably Jakey's age...”

“You able to hangout with him this evening, Jared? I've got a class tonight,” Ange asked.

“I don't need a fucking sitter.”

“Yeah, I can,” Jared said and kicked Tim back, hitting his ankle less than lightly. “Shan's going to some party with one of his bimbos. You can crash over at our place. Get out my guitar and help you practice for the club sets.”

Becky raised a slightly irritated brow at Jared.

“Shannon's usual has a bra size bigger than their IQ and their heros are Hugh Hefner's freaking harem,” Tim snorted. “He has no intention of settling down-so he goes with dumb and easy. Shan's taste in women is scary. What's even scarier is getting dragged clubbing with him.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ange looked past Tim at Jared.

“Hey, assholes. I'm right here,” Tim muttered. Ange's arm tightened a little around his shoulders. “Gonna fricken get you for this, Angelo.”

“Mmm, I'm sure you will,” Ange murmured. “Sue me.”

“Put my foot up your ass is what I should do, novio,” Tim grumbled and let Ange pull him a little closer.

“Stubborn ass. Sit on him tonight, Jared.”

“Because of yesterday?” Jared frowned.

“That, and he never does driving by so much as a fender bender well. Cody was killed in a wreck...”

“Cody?” Mal frowned.

Tim leveled a glare on Mal. “These two-I'll put up with being fussy asses. You can fucking butt out.”

Tim closed his eyes and leaned his head against Ange's shoulder as Becky gave Mal a glare. He smiled weakly when Jared's knee knocked against his. “I'm fine, Jared.”

Mal finished feeding the male kit and made an exit to go grab something to eat since half of his own lunch break spent with helping with the kits.

“What did he do this time?” Becky asked drily.

Tim focused his attention on waking up the kit in his hands and coaxing a few more swallows down her. “She's not strong enough to have gone without being fed all morning dumb bitch.” Tim hissed ignoring Becky's question.

“Wanted another chance at going out, then accused me of lying Tim and I were together now, when he accused me of lying that we weren't together in the first place back when...” Ange rolled his eyes.

“Don't even, Jay. Don't,” Tim murmured not even bothering to look at Jared. He could feel the sudden tension radiating off Jared.

“I like you, Cleo,” Ange smiled.

Tim huffed. “Over protective pushy assholes both of you. Course you get along.”

Jared kicked Tim in the ankle again.

“Ow,” Tim muttered.

Jared snorted.

Tim stroked his finger over the kit in his hand. She took a couple more weak swallows. “Can I beat the dumb bitch?” he muttered slipping his finger under her chin and rubbing lightly trying to coax another swallow. Barely half her bottle drank and her brother and sister had both demolished theirs. “That's it. You rest a little bit then we'll try some more, sweetheart.”

“That the one that got sick on you?” Jared murmured.

“Yeah, too little and too fragile to have gone all goddamn morning without eating.”

“She won't be back with the kittens,” Becky frowned. “That's for sure. See what you can get down her. I'll be back in an hour. If she hasn't perked up a bit we'll see about an IV to hydrate her. She's trying to eat. Ten-fifteen trying to get her to take a few swallows and then let her rest for fifteen or so.”

“Copper's still around to be a pain in the ass, that's due to Tim being a stubborn ass. If any one gets this one to eat, Tim will.”

Tim snorted.

“Your cat?”

“Thirteen years old, still about twelve pounds. Mama let us keep him, we'd had so many litters by that time. Tim stayed at our place for two weeks, there were six in the litter and Copper was the runt. Tim got stubborn about him making it. I don't think he slept for two days,” Ange smiled.

“Uh huh, yeah, it was all me. Who was the one forever rescuing litters?”

“Mmm, yeah, that was me. But you were the one that got so stubborn on Copper,” Ange pressed a kiss to Tim's forehead. “Get stubborn on her. She won't stand a chance.”

Becky smiled. “You have him well trained and you can't teach the touch he has. She's in the best hands we've got helping with these three. Be back in an hour-hopefully no longer.”

“You able to go to New York with him for a few days sometime soon, Jared? Flight out Wednesday night after the set at the club or really early Thursday morning. Fly back Sunday so he's back in time for the set that night. I'm not going to get the time off. At least not that I can take off out of call range.” Ange asked after Becky left.

Tim closed his eyes and shook his head.

“You need to see Rach, hell I'll pay for the ticket if-“

“I can pay for my own fucking ticket, Ange.”

“Yeah, I-I'll go with him. If he wants me to.”

Tim stifled the groan. “You're going to be a pushy ass, aren't you?”

“On this, yeah. You need to see your sister,” Ange said with a quiet stubborn look in his eyes. Tim knew he wasn't getting around without it turning into a major ordeal and raging mess. He wasn't sure if he wanted to though.

“Ass,” Tim muttered, after the day before and bomb after bomb he didn't have the energy to try to fight Ange's pushy, and...yeah, he wanted to see Rach. He did. He hadn't seen her in years. Then again, maybe it was just-well it was too late, his moment of stupid texting and Rach calling. Yeah, he pretty much had set himself up to maybe lose Rach and Jakey all over again. Jake. He doubted his brother appreciated Jakey these days anymore than Tim cared for fricken Timmy.

Tim leaned into Ange a little.

“You need to go see your sister,” Ange repeated with a kiss to his temple.

Tim sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

~*~

Tim stifled a sigh as Jared was all but standing on top of him as he tried to fish his keys from his pocket to unlock the door.

Convincing Jared to just head home and leave him in peace wasn't going to happen. It probably wouldn't have been possible without an argument even if Ange hadn't been an ass and set Jared on him.

“Tim?”

Tim turned at the unfamiliar voice. Oh...oh fucking hell, he wasn't up for this shit. “Jakey?” he managed, only recognizing the younger man from the picture he'd seen the day before his mother had and the pictures in the package from Rachel he was still reeling from.

“Is-bad time? I mean I only got a minute. Lin's expecting me, she's working tonight and-uhm, Maddie. Rachel said-”

“Yeah. Mom showed me a picture of Maddie yesterday.”

“You talk to mom?”

“Passive aggressive bullshit as always jump when I say but yeah-she'll call once in a while. I have lunch with her a couple times a year, put up with the crap because she'll usually slip and say something about what you and Rachel are up to. Mostly just her carrying on how I could do this to her, and if I'd just settle down with some decent girl then dad would come around and everything would be wonderful or some fucking shit like that. Guess she needs to amend that to a nice white girl. Course hell I've got you beat. Ange is Mexican and a guy. She dropped your address and was basically hinting-I'm not sure if I'm supposed to loan you money or convince you to see the error of your ways and go back to asking how high on the way up when dad says jump. Or what.”

“Mom's known where you were at?”

“Yeah,” Tim said simply. He managed to get the key in the lock and turn the door knob without his hands shaking visibly. Jake was standing there looking more than sucker punched. Fuck, Jake was standing there grown up. As tall as Tim, maybe just a touch more, and just a bit broader and heavier and all of that muscle. Jake had been ten the last time Tim had seen him. “C'mon in. Even if it's for a minute, better than the fuckin' hall.”

“Ange?” Jake asked when they got inside. “Delgado? The football player you ran around with?”

“Yeah, same Ange.”

Jared...well at least Jared backed his hovering off for the moment. That wasn't necessarily a good thing as Jared was eyeballing the pictures on the wall and the ones in frames sitting on top of the entertainment center.

Jake was kind of eyeballing his living room as well. He fought back the urge to scream at them both. His nerves were shot.

“You have a ring in that picture...”

Tim swallowed. It was one of his favorites. Lara had taken it in her backyard when they'd moved Luisa up to Oakland. Cody and him, foreheads together grinning like fools. The lines that set in deep and young around Cody's eyes crinkled up, dimple in his cheek showing in full force. Shaggy blonde hair bleached a thousand different shades by the sun on the ends that reached his shoulders, the top of his head a darker blonde and matted down from where Cody's hat had been knocked off a minute before the picture was snapped. Tim's hand on the side of Cody's neck, his thumb on Cody's jaw in the picture and the gold band on his ring finger clear as can be.

“Yeah.”

“I-you're married?”

“Far as we were concerned we were, over two of the three and a half years we had together,” Tim managed. “Lost Cody almost three years ago, he was killed in a car wreck.”

Jared jolted.

“He looks familiar. I've seen him, at least his picture, somewhere...” Jake frowned.

Tim swallowed.

“He was older than you?” Jared scowled.

“Not that much. Thirty two to my twenty four in that picture. Hardly a sheltered little innocent when I met Code. Got some older pictures, when he was twenty, twenty two, lines were already there, around his eyes. Sun and laughing. Code couldn't keep track of a pair of sunglasses to save his life and he was always outdoors squinting from the sun. Always had a smile or was laughing.” Tim managed to refrain from pointing out that Cody had been younger than Jared by a few months. No need to toss a match on the keg of dynamite this seemed to be.

“Cody...McClellan? Did stunt work, with Jason O'Rourke?” Jake frowned staring at the picture.

Tim shook a second. “Shit yeah. Mom said your Lindsey's dad did stunt work, made it sound like he was out bludgeoning baby seals or some shit as horrified as she was by that.”

“Lin's dad is Ray Arreguin...”

Tim stared a second. “Yeah, okay..small fucking world. I know Ray. Code liked working with him. He and Jase hung around with Nacho from time to time. Ray's daughter was around a few times I went and watched Code work, and few barbecues and shit I went to with him. She was just little bit of a thing about up to my elbow, talked a mile a minute and scared of nothing even if she looked like a bit of a breeze would knock her flat on her butt.”

Ray had come around a few times after Cody had died. He still got the odd phone call out of the blue and Christmas cards from Ray and his wife Julie. Even more often were calls from Ray's son Nacho. Few others too that Cody had been friends with, worked with, he'd been with Cody long enough they'd become his friends too even if he'd drifted off with his own shit after Cody was gone. Jase and Bren did their damnedest not to let him though.

He started laughing. “Bo wanted to know if I had a brother once...”

Jake's jaw dropped. “Lindsey's nickname-her brother calls her Bo.”

“'Cause Julie got fed up with Bo screaming bloody murder when Nacho called her Boca. Ordered him to come up with some other nickname for his sister if he had to give her one. So he shortened it to Bo.”

“Nacho,” Jared murmured.

“Short for Ignacio,” Tim said reflexively. “Fuck...Bo's got a kid...your kid.” He shook his head, yeah, Nacho had said he was an uncle the last time Tim talked to him. Bren had said something about a baby shower and Bo now that he thought about it but... “Damn.”

“What-what did you tell Lin-”

“Just shook my head and didn't say anything. She was a good kid, didn't pester on the subject. She knew enough of Code's family that she wasn't going to poke around at me.”

“You..want to come over? Meet Maddie and say hi to Lin-“ Jake swallowed.

“Yeah, Jared and I can for a minute-let me grab a few things and my bass. Practicing tonight, Ange has a class. so.. just a minute.”

Jared, thank god, didn't argue. He left both of them gaping at his living room and it's jumble of clutter, odds and ends picked up in places he'd visited, some things of Cody's. Pictures and what not. Jake had to think it didn't look all that different from his bedroom when he was a kid, same kind of cluttered this fits here, so there it goes arrangement of things that caught his attention, that he liked or collected for whatever reason.

He shoved a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt in his backpack and grabbed his bass, not really wanting to... Hell. He didn't want to do this. Didn't...damn.

“Ready?” Jake asked looking about ready to run when Tim came back into the living room. Jared was wound as all hell and had that stare on his face.

“Yeah, we'll follow you over there.” Tim said and tossed his car keys at Jared. He'd argued he was fine to drive when they'd left the zoo but he wasn't pushing his luck. Not fucking collapsing or having a nervous breakdown was all he could manage just now. Forget about driving.

“Please, Jay, don't...don't.” Tim whispered when they got in the car. “I'm not up for the Glaring Ice King or Cleopatra routines tonight.”

“You okay?”

“I haven't seen my baby brother in over ten years, Jared. He was fucking TEN the last time I saw him. He's grown up with a kid. I had to put up with mom's shit yesterday, and phone call from my sister-first time I'd spoken to her in ten fucking years last night. And that's just for starters so, no I'm really not fucking okay. Don't start please. Be nice to Jake and Bo. Bo...can't believe that one. Damn.”

Tim lit a cigarette with shaking hands as Jared pulled out of his parking space and followed Jake's little Chevy Luv that was probably older than Tim. It looked pretty much identical to the '78 that Ray had had way back. Hell, it could easily be the same one Ray had.

“He lives that close-”

“Jared, he didn't know. I didn't know. I couldn't get in touch with them when they were at home dad would have-fuck. I didn't know where they were after that. All I knew for Rach was 'in New York' didn't have a freaking clue if it was New York City or New York State or what, not really that narrowed down of a description to have a hope in fuck of finding her-if she even wanted to see me. No fucking clue what reason Dad and mom ever gave for kicking me out-sounds like they made it out that I just left and didn't give a fuck about anyone.”

“That's-”

“Just. Fucking. Don't. And if you don't have booze enough at the house, you better stop at a liquor store when we leave Jake and Bo's.”

“Yeah, we will. Get ya whatever. I'll buy,” Jared said quietly looking a little green.

*

“Hey, grandpa,” Tim managed just barely as he followed Jake into the apartment and there sat Ray Arreguin with baby Maddie on his lap.

“I'll be goddamned,” Ray stared.

“Tim..”

“You still look like a good wind's going to land you flat on your butt, Bo. And guess what? You managed to get your hooks in my baby brother.” Like there was any way she didn't know that if she'd met his parents, or even just seen a picture of his dad. He and Jake might not look that much alike beyond similar of build and coloring, Jake looking more like their mother. The name and Tim always had been his father all over again in looks. Bo knew. Ray's shock said she'd kept that one to herself.

Bo-Lindsey-flew at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Your parents are horrible. No wonder all you'd do was shake your head when anyone would bring up family or talk about your high school friends family. Thought maybe you were a foster kid and they were your foster family or something.”

“They're-family yeah. Ange and I are going to be up in Oakland for Thanksgiving. Luisa moved up there a few years back. Lara lives in Oakland, Alejandra lives Hayward. Salma's all the way up in Seattle. Ange is here in LA now, working at the zoo.”

“You..” Bo poked him in the stomach. Still the same kid that had hopped over and parked herself on the bench he'd been sitting on and proceeded to talk his ear off the first time he'd met her. Still all of maybe five foot tall with her shoes on and maybe ninety-five of pure energy. “You seeing anyone? Actually seeing, not the waste of time Nacho said he met last year. Bren was fussing last time mom talked to her, you know.”

“Yeah, I'm seeing Ange these days.” He wasn't really surprised with that question, not really. Nacho, and especially Jase and Bren had been at him the last year or so that the last thing Cody would have wanted was for him to grieve and be alone forever. Cody lived too much, too fiercely to ever want that for Tim. And Bo still had no sense of tact or filter on her tongue it seemed.

“You two will have to come over for dinner some night. Nacho and Mom would love to see you..Damn it. Dad and I are going to be late.” She squeezed him tight. “I'm not taking no for an answer and what night? What night of the week is best?”

“Friday or Saturday. I work Sunday through Wednesday. Ange has a class on Thursday nights at least through December.”

“You missed Nacho's wedding!” Bo poked him in the ribs.

“I was in Malaysia!” Tim defended himself. “Asian MTV awards. Ask Jared. Did he get the gift?”

“Yes, he did.” Ray spoke up. “Here ya go, Maddie, you try blinding your Uncle Tim a bit.”

Maddie was unceremoniously plopped in his arms and Bo hauled away by Ray. Tim managed the goodbyes engaged in a staring contest with his niece. Big dark eyes just intent on him trying to decide if she was okay with the stranger she'd been handed to or if she was going to scream. She finally babbled out something and poked him in the lip with her finger. “Yeah, you're Bo's. Got that pokin' from your mama. God it's been ages since I've held anyone little as you, sweetheart, there's nothin' to you. Gonna be bitty like your mama and Grandma, aren't you?”

“You-when were you ever around babies?” Jake stared.

“Lara's girls. Alejandra's kids when the dickhead wasn't around. Jase and Bren's kids.” Tim shrugged. “Ange's sisters' kids, and Code's best friend and his wife's kids.” he added at Jared's slightly confused look. “Add it up and got a dozen that call me Uncle Tim already.”

“Mom knew...”

Tim swallowed. “Yeah. She's always known where I was. Calls about once a month or so to sing dad's praises and talk about the weather and if only I'd just come around to my senses. Demands a lunch once in a blue moon. Goes postal if I'm working or fuck not even in the country because god forbid she ask what I'm doing or where I am or whats going on.”

“You-she see your ring?”

“Yeah. She was all thrilled until I said Cody was a guy, then got the riot act for playing head games with her for some fucking thing...” Tim said bitterly. She'd never said a thing or asked what happened when he finally forced himself to take it off. She hadn't wanted to hear a thing or even Cody's name the first time she'd noticed it, not once she heard the pronoun, and that was the only time she'd ever said a word.

“Why did you put up with that?” Jake stared disbelieving.

“Because at the lunches at least she'd let something slip about you and Rach, how you were doing. Never tell me where either of you were once you got out of the house-but at least something that you two had been up to.”

“Mom...”

“Yeah, Jake. Mom,” Tim said. “Hey now what was that for?” he asked as Maddie poked him hard in the cheek. “Gitcha for that,” he smiled and tickled her belly. She squealed and wiggled.

Jared looked vaguely panicked. Tim managed not to snort. She was teeny, but she was a strong little thing and old enough to have balance and decent enough muscle control. He wasn't going to drop her and she was a lot sturdier than she looked, Tim would bet she was close to sitting up on her own, definitely could sit once someone sat her up, and close to crawling.

Maddie tried to stab him with her finger again, and this time giggled.

“Oh you wanna fight, huh?” he smiled and tickled her again. Her giggling shriek nearly broke his eardrums. Easier than looking at the broken look on Jake's face.

Jake had been their mom's baby. Everyone's baby. He'd been the happiest little twerp, an easy baby, a happy giggly grinning toddler and little kid. Tim really hadn't been to sure about Rachel when she was small, she was born all vinegar and get her own way attitude which he missed like crazy once she was cut out of his life. He loved his little sister but she'd been a royal pain in the ass as a kid. About the time they'd started getting along he'd...yeah. Jake had been entirely different. Tim and Rachel had both adored him from day one. If Tim had done no right as far as their dad especially was concerned, and Rachel rarely for that matter, Jake had done no wrong. Their mom was even more ridiculous in her way. Jake was the baby. He'd been such a happy baby and sweet kid neither Tim nor Rachel had done anything but go with it.

To be fair, he and Rach had both been mouthy little shits and got into their fair share of trouble. Jake hadn't been any better really, not as far as finding trouble, he was just the baby and didn't get into trouble for it.

Maddie stabbed him again with her finger. He tickled her.

“Rachel was back at Easter.”

“Yeah?”

Jake shook his head and swallowed and looked kinda completely fucking shattered. Tim cuddled Maddie to his chest. Tim wasn't sure he wanted to know at all, but he was willing to bet whatever the hell had happened had been a driving force in Rachel tracking him down.

“I didn't leave you two behind. Mom and dad can drop off the face of the earth for all I care but you and Rach....I didn't leave you two behind. Why I've put up with mom's shit for so long, it was a chance to maybe hear something about you two.”

Jake nodded.

“What...we need to get going but...Next Friday? Say about seven? You, Bo and Pokey here come over to my place for supper? Ange'll be there if he can make it.”

“You-”

“Nah, Ange and I don't live together,” Tim shook his head.

“Yeah, that'd-that'd work and...”

“Good,” Tim forced the smile. “That'll be great.” He tilted his head back to avoid getting his eye poked out by a stabbing little finger and tickled Maddie again. “Yeah, you're just as bad as your mama. Your daddy didn't try to put peoples eyes out. You giggle like he did, though, got his smile too.” he informed his niece.

He kissed Maddie's cheek. “Time for me to go, sweetheart. See ya next week though huh?”

She babbled out a string of noises. Tim reluctantly handed her over to Jake. They both made an awkward aborted reach toward the other, Tim swallowed. He needed to get the hell out of there. He reached and tentatively squeezed Jake's arm. “See ya Friday, huh?”

“Yeah. We'll be there.” Jake agreed.

Tim wanted to grab Jake and not let go...and he'd never been more relieved to get the fucking hell out of anywhere than he was when he and Jared made their polite escape from Jake's apartment.

Jared confiscated his cigarettes and lighter once they were in the car, pulling them from Tim's shaking and rather useless hands. “You're gonna set yourself on fire.”

Tim snorted.

Jared lit a cigarette and put it to Tim's mouth. Tim took it and gave Jared a glare. “Don't suppose you'll fucking just let me go home and have a nervous breakdown in peace?”

“Not a chance,” Jared shook his head.

“Didn't think so.”

Tim shakily called Ange while he waited in the car for Jared at the liquor store. Ange was willing to skip his class. Tim wouldn't let him, but didn't argue at all when Ange wanted to come over after.

“Go back to my place...”

Jared glared.

“Ange is coming over after his class and you can take the damn car to get home. Figure it out tomorrow.”

“I'm staying til he gets there.”

Tim nodded tiredly. “Fuck, crash on the couch if you have too much to drive. It's comfortable, sleep there most of the time myself.”

Jared nodded.

“Don't Jared...don't,” Tim whispered at the almost anguished fucking betrayal on Jared's face. “Please. Don't get weird about Ange tonight because I can't fucking take it.”


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