miracle (miracle) wrote in luke_noah, @ 2008-10-02 17:01:00 |
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Current mood: | sleepy |
Current music: | Lykke Li |
Fic: Deception
Original poster: sagiegurl
Title: Deception (Chapter Seven)
Author: sagiegurl</lj>
Rating: PG
Warnings: Angst
Summary: AU Luke and Noah at age 27
Sorry this one took so long, I was out of town for a little while. As always feedback pretty please. Enjoy!
***
Noah stands outside of his house contemplating whether he should knock on the door or just use the key to let himself in. It is technically still his house, but so much has changed in the past two days. He feels unsure of his place in life at the moment. Is he really a husband? In the legal sense, yes. Is he really a father? In the biological sense, no.
The only thing he is really sure of these days is his love for Luke. His understanding and willingness to stand by Noah no matter what has truly been a lifesaver. Luke was there to silently listen to Noah cry about how his whole life with Maddie was not what he thought it was. Of course Luke was shocked was to find out that Noah isn’t Lucy’s biological father, but he didn’t let his emotions show. He was strong for the both of them because he knew Noah couldn’t be.
He assured Noah that he was more of a father than a lot of other men. Luke said that being a father is more than having the same genes. He pointed out that even though he considers Holden his father they are not related biologically. Luke told him that Maddie still wanted Noah in Lucy’s life and that meant that she felt that way too. He told him to forgive Maddie for lying to him, because everyone has lied and we all deserved to be forgiven. And most importantly he told Noah that whatever he decided to do in life or in this situation he would be right there by Noah’s side.
Noah takes a deep breath and thinks about Luke’s words as he stands outside the door to his home. He inhales and exhales again then reaches for the doorbell. He pushes the button and waits for the door to open.
“Just a minute” he can hear Maddie say from the other side of the door.
It swings open and Maddie stands on the other side of the door in her pajamas. Noah smiles weakly and then steps through the door to pull her into a warm embrace. Maddie stands completely frozen and obviously shocked.
“Noah what are you doing here? I thought you said you would call in the morning?”
“I thought we should talk in person.”
Noah unwraps his arms from Maddie and stands back to look at her. She really is beautiful. He wishes that things were different, for Maddie’s sake. He knows that she really does love him and he wishes he could love her back the way she deserves. She is a kind, brave and loving person. She deserves happiness as much as Noah does and for all these years he really thought he could give that to her, but now he knows better.
“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” Maddie asks timidly as she closes the front door.
“No Maddie I’m not. I understand why you did what you did. If you can forgive me for lying I can forgive you too.”
“Really?” she asks in disbelief.
“Really” he reaffirms.
“So you’re going to stay here with us. You’re not giving up on our family?”
“Maddie I will never give up on our family, but I can’t stay here with you. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone involved.”
“But I thought-- You came back. Instead of calling you came home. I thought it meant you chose us.”
“That’s the thing Maddie. I can’t choose and I shouldn’t have to. I love you guys and I love Luke. I’m moving in with him, but I am in no way abandoning you. When the new baby comes we will figure something out. We will work out a way to do things right.”
“So that’s why you came over this morning? To tell me in person that you’re moving out?”
“No. I came over this morning to take my two favorite ladies out to breakfast. I thought we could talk to Lucy. Try to explain the changes that will be happening. I know it won’t be easy, but I think it’s important that we don’t keep her in the dark.”
“No. She’s too young to understand any of this. I don’t want her to feel like you are leaving her.”
“But I’m not. I would never do that. I love you and Lucy too much to ever do that.”
“Please don’t say that, Noah.”
“Say what?”
“That you love me. It hurts too much.”
“But I do love you Maddie I--”
“Just don’t say it” she cuts him off.
“Okay.”
“I’ll go get Lucy dressed for breakfast. Where are we going?”
“You can pick.”
“I can pick? Then you know we are going somewhere by the ocean.”
“Fine with me. I’m driving.”
“Just give me a few minutes to get us ready.”
“I can dress Lucy, if you want.”
“No it’s okay. I’ll get us both ready. You can read the paper while you wait.”
“Where is it?” Noah asks as he looks around the room.
“Probably still on the driveway outside” she answers as she disappears down the hall.
“I guess I’ll just go get it” he says to himself.
Noah walks over to the large wooden door and opens it. He comes face to face with a man who looks like he was about to ring the doorbell. Noah has never seen him before but he looks oddly familiar.
“Can I help you?” Noah asks in a surprised tone.
“Um I think so” the man says nervously, “I’m looking for Madeline Coleman. I mean Mrs. Mayer. I’m looking for Maddie. Does she live here?”
“ Do you mind my asking who you are before I answer that question?”
“No not at all. Of course I don’t mind. Some strange guy comes to your house, asking for your wife-- I’m assuming Maddie’s your wife-- you have every right to wonder who the hell I am.”
“Thanks for that guy, but you still haven’t really answered my question.”
“Right. Sorry. I’m Casey. Casey Hughes.”
Noah stares in disbelief, suddenly it strikes him why this guy looks so familiar. Maddie was right, Lucy looks just like her dad. His heart sinks a little. He didn’t even realize until this moment that a part of him was still hoping that Maddie was wrong about him not being Lucy’s father. But standing face to face with Maddie’s old boyfriend, Noah is sure she was right about their daughter not being his.
“You’re Maddie’s ex-boyfriend” Noah says quietly, more to himself than to the man in front of him.
“That’s right” Casey answers.
Noah takes a moment to process this. Maddie’s ex-boyfriend is at their house. Lucy’s father is at their house. Noah barely knew anything about this guy until yesterday and now here he is, on Noah’s doorstep. This would have been a pleasant surprise a week ago, an insignificant event. But everything was different a week ago. Last week seems a million miles away and today this is huge. Today this is monumental.
“How did you get this address?” Noah demands, “ We’re unlisted.”
“I know this might not be ethical, but my mom is cop and she used their database to look up your address.”
“Why?”
“I want to see Maddie. I want to talk to her. I know you guys are married now and you have a kid together and that’s cool. I just want to talk. I learned a lot in jail. I know I hurt her and I want to tell her I’m sorry. I want to show her I’m sorry.”
“She doesn’t want to see you Casey.”
“Please man. What was your name again?”
“My name is Noah.”
“Noah, please. I just want to talk to her. You can even be there when I do if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, okay?”
“Okay. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I get that you are gonna be protective of your wife when her ex-con, ex boyfriend shows up.”
“Well she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“I know. I kept trying to call and she wouldn’t talk to me. That’s why I had my mom try to convince her.”
“And when that didn’t work you decided that stalking her was the next logical step?”
“It’s not like that. It’s just… I get it. I wouldn’t trust me either. That’s why I figured if I could talk to her in person she could see for herself.”
“ Look I think you should leave. I’ll talk to Maddie, I’ll see if I can get her to agree to meet with you, but no promises, okay?”
“Okay. Let me give you my number so you can call and let me know what she decides.”
Noah reaches into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. He hands it to Casey so he can dial in his number. Both men are looking down at the phone when Maddie walks into the room. She is looking down as well, fiddling with a bracelet on her wrist.
“Babe can you help me with this I can’t get it to--” Maddie stops talking when she looks up and sees Noah standing in the doorway and Casey on her doorstep. The bracelet falls to the ground.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asks angrily.
“I just want to talk Maddie” Casey says back.
“I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t ever want to talk to you.”
“Maddie I can explain. If you’d just let me explain.”
“Explain what? Why you lied to me? Why you told me you were clean when you were still shooting dope? Why you got arrested for pointing a gun at female store clerk and demanding she empty her register? Why you left me when you said you never would? Go ahead Casey explain that all to me right now and I’ll listen.”
“I’m not on drugs anymore. I made a promise to get clean when I got arrested and I did. I haven’t used since then.”
“Good for you Casey. I’m glad it took getting arrested for you to get clean. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough motivation for you.”
“Maddie it wasn’t like that. It really wasn’t.”
“I can’t do this right now, Casey. Not with my daughter here. Not right now. You need to go. You need to go now.”
Maddie looks at Noah with pleading eyes. He can see the tears forming and he can sense the pain she must be in just seeing Casey after all these years. Noah still wants to protect her. He still wants to be there for her the way a husband should be. He knows Maddie still depends on him so much. This separation is going to be so hard but very necessary. But for now he is still her husband and he is still her protector.
“She’s right you should leave now.”
“Okay. I’m going. But think about it, Maddie. Think about giving me a chance to explain.” Casey turns around and starts to go down the walkway.
Noah closes the front door and turns to his wife. She kneels down to pick the bracelet up from the ground. She stands up and starts to pace back and forth transferring the bracelet from one hand to another. Noah starts to say something, but Maddie seems to be deep in thought and he doesn’t want to disturb her. She stops in her tracks and looks into Noah’s eyes.
“Can you help me put this thing on?” she asks holding out the bracelet.
“Of course” Noah says as he takes the piece of jewelry from her.
He concentrates on fastening it around her wrist. This particular bracelet was a gift from their first anniversary. Noah recalls picking t out from the jewelry store. He wasn’t sure Maddie would like it, but when she opened it her face lit up. She smiled and told him it was perfect. She wears it almost all the time, but for some reason Noah figured she wouldn’t want to wear it anymore. Maddie speaks up and pulls Noah out of his thoughts.
“How does he know where we live?” she asks still angry.
“Apparently his mom is a cop and looked up our address.”
“With a cop for a mom and a lawyer for a dad I never understood how he turned out so badly.”
“His dad is a lawyer?”
Maddie nods her head. “That’s why I’m so worried about him finding out about Lucy. His dad knows the law and wouldn’t hesitate spending time in court helping Casey take Lucy from you.”
“You really think he would do that? He seems like a decent guy.”
“I know he would. And it’s all an act with him. He fooled me into falling in love with him. I didn’t even know he was a drug addict until we moved in together. Casey is the master of deception.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well I just mean. We’ve both lied and hidden things from each other. But you’ve given me a second chance and I’ve given you one. Maybe Casey deserves one too.”
“Maybe not” she says coldly.
Maddie and Noah turn their attention to the hallway as Lucy comes running towards them. She is wearing a pink sundress and a silver tiara. Her smile and laughter immediately lighten the mood in the room.
“Daddy!” she screams as she runs into Noah’s waiting arms. “I missed you last night.”
“I missed you too princess.”
“Why don’t you sleep here anymore, Daddy?”
“Well it’s complicated.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going to take you and your mommy to breakfast and tell you what it means.”
Noah stops for a moment to gaze into Lucy’s beautiful brown eyes. She may have her Casey’s nose and mouth, but she has her mother’s eyes. Noah kisses the bridge of her nose, right in between those deep brown orbs.
“Can Luke come too?”
“No sweetie. Luke is busy today.”
“Are you sure?” Maddie asks, “You should call and invite him. He should be there. It effects him too.”
“Well if you both want him there. I guess I wouldn’t mind. Do you want me to call him, princess?”
Lucy grins and nods with enthusiasm. Noah sets her back down next to her mother and stares at the two ladies he has spent the most recent years of his life with. Things are going to change so much. But he is going to make sure that important things stay the same.
He feels in his pockets for his cell phone and realizes he doesn’t have it. Panic sets in as he remembers handing Casey his cell phone. His cell phone with pictures of Lucy in it. His cell phone with lewd text messages from Luke in it. He really needs that phone back.
“Noah you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s the matter with you?”
“Casey.”
“What about him? I don’t really think we nee to talk about that right now” Maddie says gesturing to Lucy who is listening carefully to their conversation.
“Who is Casey?” Lucy asks.
“Oh he’s just--” Maddie starts but is cut off by Noah.
“He has my cell phone.”
“What? How did he get it?”
“I handed it to him to put in his number. Then you walked in and I got distracted. He must have left without giving it back.”
“He’s up to something Noah I just know it. If he wasn’t he would have come back with the phone by now.”
“You know you might be right.”
“Here call your phone using mine” she says. Maddie reaches into the purse hanging from her shoulder and pulls out her cell phone. She tries to hand it to Noah.
“Maybe you should call him. You are the one he wants to talk to.”
Maddie rolls her eyes “There is no way in hell I’m calling him. Now call your damn phone.”
“Mommy!” Lucy says shocked.
“Sorry baby.” she apologizes, “Noah, please just call your phone.”
Noah reluctantly takes the phone from Maddie’s hand and dials his own cell. It rings four times before Casey picks up.
“Maddie?” he hears Casey say.
“Nope. Try again.”
“Oh hey, Noah.”
“Don’t ‘hey, Noah’ me. You stole my phone.”
“I didn’t mean to. But I think it’s good that this happened.”
“How do you figure?”
“Well now we have to meet again so I can give it back to you.”
“Still not understanding why that is so great.”
“ I will give you your phone, but only after Maddie talks to me.”
“What?”
“Like I said before, you can be there if it makes you more comfortable. Once Maddie listens to me, I’ll give you your phone back.”
“You know I could just buy a new phone and be done with you forever.”
“But then I would probably get curious. And I’m sure you have stuff on here you don’t want me to see.”
“Have you been looking through my cell phone?” Noah sounds a little more panicked than he means to.
“No and I won’t as long as you get Maddie to agree to talk to me.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Call me back when you decide.”
“Yeah sure” Noah says shaking his head.
He closes the phone and hands it back to Maddie.
“So” she says curiously, “what did he say?”
“Maddie, you don’t want to know.”