Taylor paid the taxi driver and watched him drive off before looking up at her house. She had managed to get a flight a day earlier than intended, but it had still been late when it landed in New York. Now it was already gone ten and she was tired. She pulled her suitcase up the few steps and pushed the door open.
Her mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her: there was a path of rose petals leading up the stairs, candles on each (still uncarpeted) step. Suddenly feeling very happy to be home, she shut the door, toed off her shoes, and abandoned the suitcase. The rose path led across the landing and to her bedroom door.
The grin grew as she pushed the door open. "Well, I wasn’t expecting – Grace?" Taylor froze, staring at the woman lying provocatively on her bed.
Grace jumped, sending extra rose petals fluttering to the ground. "Taylor? We weren’t expecting you back so soon," Grace told her, making little effort to cover the lacy black underwear she was wearing.
"We?" Taylor repeated, her eyes flickering across the room for any sign of Flack.
"Flack and I," Grace nodded. "I’m sorry you had to find out this way."
Taylor stared incredulously at her. And then she started laughing. Hard.
"I didn’t expect you to take our affair so well," Grace said, sitting upright.
Taylor laughed harder, falling back against the door. Finally, gasping for breath, she pulled her cell phone out and video called Flack.
"Taylor?" he greeted her. "Not that I don’t want to see your face, but... why are you laughing?" he frowned at her.
"I’m sorry," Taylor gasped at him, trying desperately to control the giggles. "It’s your girlfriend."
Flack looked confused. "Are you referring to yourself in the third person again?"
Taylor just started laughing again, instead resorting to turning the phone around and pointing it at the bed where Grace was beginning to shift uncomfortably.
"I’m sorry, Don. I know we didn’t want her to find out this way," Grace told the face in the small screen.
"Taylor, I can assure you there is nothing going on with me and Grace. I had no idea where she’s got that idea from," Flack’s voice rang across the room.
Taylor turned the phone back around. "Don, do I look like I think there’s something going on here? I just had to show you this or you’d never have believed me."
"Taylor, I’m coming straight home."
Taylor shook her head. "Look, don’t get me wrong, I have missed you, but if you need to finish what you’re doing, you get that done. Grace was just leaving, weren’t you?" she said, asking the detective who was hastily pulling some clothes on. "I’ll see you soon. I love you."
"I’ll be home," Flack told her. "And Tay, I love you too."
Taylor hung up and slipped the phone back into the pocket before her hands made their way to her hips. "You can leave the way you came," Taylor told Grace. "But you can hand over the key first," she informed her, holding her hand out. "And you’ll do well not to try anything like this again," she said, surprised at how calm she was. "Because the next time I talk to you, you’ll be dead."
With her arms cradling a few belongings, Grace gave Taylor a filthy look, slammed the key in Taylor’s awaiting hand, and stormed out off the room.
Taylor waited until she heard the front door shut, before pulling her jacket off. "I knew she had a crush on him," she muttered, turning her attention to the bed. She didn’t for one second thing that Grace and Flack had done anything on the bed, but there was no way she was sleeping in those sheets.
She stripped the bed, sending the remaining petals flying, and scooped the linens into her arms. Making sure all the candles were extinguished, she made her way down stairs, into the kitchen, then started to make her way into the basement.
She got a few steps from the ground when there was a shuffling noise. Her mind had been so occupied on what had just happened, she didn’t notice that the light in the basement was on. "Grace," she sighed. "If you’re going through Don’s underwear-"
"Ew!" Riley exclaimed, stepping out of the shadows. "That’s gross!"
Taylor let out a small sigh of relief before walking over to the washer, dumping the sheets in it. She was reaching for the washing powder when she turned back to Riley, who was watching her, fidgeting slightly. "What are you doing down here?"
"Chores," Riley told her.
Taylor glanced over at the dryer, its door hanging open and showing it was clearly empty. "Chores?" she repeated.
"Well, I came to see if anything needed doing."
Taylor frowned and turned her attention back to the washing, dumping the powder in and shutting the lid, turning it on. She turned back to the blonde teen. "Chores? On a Saturday night? I thought you were," she frowned. “Staying at a friend’s – Chloe?"
Riley shrugged. "I came home early. I didn’t think anyone was in, and I figured I would get some chores done."
Taylor’s mind instantly provided a mental image of the rose petals and candles. There was no way Riley would have come through the door and thought that no one was in. Which meant she had been in the basement for a while. Taylor’s eyes narrowed and she walked over to Riley, her eyes scanning the cavernous depths of the basement. "Are you doing drugs?" she demanded, sniffing the air.
"What?" Riley cried. "No! Hell no!"
Taylor rounded on her. "Riley, don’t you forget where Don works, because I can have you at that precinct doing a drugs test faster than you can say pee in a cup."
“She’s not doing drugs," Chase announced, stepping out from the shadows.
Taylor’s hands flew to her head. "Oh god, it’s worse. She’s doing a boy!”
Riley looked mortified. "I am not doing Chase!"
"Then why are you two down here?" Taylor asked, her eyes finally picking out the makeshift bed in the far corner, half hidden by some boxes. "And why is there a bed down here? Riley, you are not old enough to be having sex, and you damn well shouldn’t be having sex under my roof!"
"We’re not having sex!" Riley shouted back at her.
"Then what else are you two doing down here?" Taylor cried.
Chase stepped between the two of them. "Ms. Turner, we’re not sleeping with each other – it’s not like that with us. And we’re not doing drugs. Riley was just letting me crash here a few days, that’s all."
Taylor closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. "And why, pray tell, are you staying here? In the basement?" She opened her eyes to find both teenagers staring helplessly at each other. "Oh god," she sighed. "What did you two do?"
"Chase didn’t do anything," Riley responded instantly.
Taylor looked at the young man and the sad smile he gave Riley which was clearly saying, shut up! And then she noticed the black eye and the cut cheek. "Who have you been fighting?"
"He hasn’t been fighting anyone," Riley told her.
Chase shot her a glare.
"Really?" Taylor said, her hands on her hips. "Because it looks like it."
"That’s because you never liked him," Riley cried. "Chase didn’t do anything – it was his uncle, alright?"
"Drop it, Riley," Chase growled at her.
"Come on, Chase. She’s only gonna find out anyway."
"I said, drop it!" he snapped at her.
"Okay," Flack’s voice rang through the basement. "I have no idea why everyone is in the basement, but we will not be talking like that anywhere in this house."
Taylor glanced up at Flack as he joined her side, a bunch of flowers in his hands. "I think we need to move this conversation upstairs."
Flack nodded and indicated to the two teens they should move. They shared a look, before heading up the stairs. "What has just happened in the last hour in this house?"
Taylor shook her head. "I have no idea. But I do know I missed you."
Flack looked down at her. "You’re not mad?"
"Nope," Taylor shrugged. "Although I do have every right to say, I told you so."
Flack gave her a nervous smile. "I would have been back sooner, but I stopped to get these," he said, offering the less than fresh bouquet. "They didn’t have a great selection at this time of night."
Taylor took them off him and stood on her tiptoes, throwing her arms around his neck. "I’m not mad. Actually, I’m more concerned about those two," she said, nodding her head in the direction of the basement door. She kissed him, smiling as his arms tightened their hold on her.
"I love you," Flack told her.
"Love you too," Taylor smiled, before sighing. "Right, time for the parenting head to go on."
The two headed up the stairs and into the living room where Riley and Chase were perched on the far end of the couch, whispering furiously at each other.
"Alright kids, spill," Flack demanded, taking a place in front of the unlit fire.
Taylor, who was pulling the curtain closed, turned at lack of information the teenagers were providing. “Seriously? You want to withhold information from him? I’ve seen him in an interrogation and, well, you might as well make this easy on yourselves."
"When we went to Montana," Riley blurted out.
“Shut up!" Chase shouted at her, getting to his feet.
Flack was between them in a second. "You need to take a step back and calm down, son."
Chase looked up at him, looking genuinely surprised. "I wasn’t going to hit her."
Flack nodded and directed him over to the chair. "Look, whatever it is, I guarantee you that I’ve heard worse. We want to help," he added, glancing over at Taylor who was nodding in agreement.
Chase looked at Riley and nodded.
Riley gave him a reassuring smile. "When we were in Montana for the wedding, Chase’s uncle went and collected him from the home. He took him back to his motel." She looked over at Taylor. "He told Chase he had to work and when he got back from school he went mental and told him he wouldn’t be going back – he was working there! And when Chase said no, he hit him! I couldn’t let him stay there!"
"No," Flack told her. "But you should have said something." He looked at Chase. "You both should have said something."
"What now?" Chase asked, staring at the floor.
Taylor stared over at the teenagers, watching as Chase grabbed Riley’s hand and clutched it tightly. "It’s late. You can both go to bed. Here," she added, meeting Flack’s eyes, who nodded at her. "Riley, in your own room. Chase, you can stay in Cordelia’s."
"And tomorrow?"
"We’ll let you know," Taylor sighed.
Her mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her: there was a path of rose petals leading up the stairs, candles on each (still uncarpeted) step. Suddenly feeling very happy to be home, she shut the door, toed off her shoes, and abandoned the suitcase. The rose path led across the landing and to her bedroom door.
The grin grew as she pushed the door open. "Well, I wasn’t expecting – Grace?" Taylor froze, staring at the woman lying provocatively on her bed.
Grace jumped, sending extra rose petals fluttering to the ground. "Taylor? We weren’t expecting you back so soon," Grace told her, making little effort to cover the lacy black underwear she was wearing.
"We?" Taylor repeated, her eyes flickering across the room for any sign of Flack.
"Flack and I," Grace nodded. "I’m sorry you had to find out this way."
Taylor stared incredulously at her. And then she started laughing. Hard.
"I didn’t expect you to take our affair so well," Grace said, sitting upright.
Taylor laughed harder, falling back against the door. Finally, gasping for breath, she pulled her cell phone out and video called Flack.
"Taylor?" he greeted her. "Not that I don’t want to see your face, but... why are you laughing?" he frowned at her.
"I’m sorry," Taylor gasped at him, trying desperately to control the giggles. "It’s your girlfriend."
Flack looked confused. "Are you referring to yourself in the third person again?"
Taylor just started laughing again, instead resorting to turning the phone around and pointing it at the bed where Grace was beginning to shift uncomfortably.
"I’m sorry, Don. I know we didn’t want her to find out this way," Grace told the face in the small screen.
"Taylor, I can assure you there is nothing going on with me and Grace. I had no idea where she’s got that idea from," Flack’s voice rang across the room.
Taylor turned the phone back around. "Don, do I look like I think there’s something going on here? I just had to show you this or you’d never have believed me."
"Taylor, I’m coming straight home."
Taylor shook her head. "Look, don’t get me wrong, I have missed you, but if you need to finish what you’re doing, you get that done. Grace was just leaving, weren’t you?" she said, asking the detective who was hastily pulling some clothes on. "I’ll see you soon. I love you."
"I’ll be home," Flack told her. "And Tay, I love you too."
Taylor hung up and slipped the phone back into the pocket before her hands made their way to her hips. "You can leave the way you came," Taylor told Grace. "But you can hand over the key first," she informed her, holding her hand out. "And you’ll do well not to try anything like this again," she said, surprised at how calm she was. "Because the next time I talk to you, you’ll be dead."
With her arms cradling a few belongings, Grace gave Taylor a filthy look, slammed the key in Taylor’s awaiting hand, and stormed out off the room.
Taylor waited until she heard the front door shut, before pulling her jacket off. "I knew she had a crush on him," she muttered, turning her attention to the bed. She didn’t for one second thing that Grace and Flack had done anything on the bed, but there was no way she was sleeping in those sheets.
She stripped the bed, sending the remaining petals flying, and scooped the linens into her arms. Making sure all the candles were extinguished, she made her way down stairs, into the kitchen, then started to make her way into the basement.
She got a few steps from the ground when there was a shuffling noise. Her mind had been so occupied on what had just happened, she didn’t notice that the light in the basement was on. "Grace," she sighed. "If you’re going through Don’s underwear-"
"Ew!" Riley exclaimed, stepping out of the shadows. "That’s gross!"
Taylor let out a small sigh of relief before walking over to the washer, dumping the sheets in it. She was reaching for the washing powder when she turned back to Riley, who was watching her, fidgeting slightly. "What are you doing down here?"
"Chores," Riley told her.
Taylor glanced over at the dryer, its door hanging open and showing it was clearly empty. "Chores?" she repeated.
"Well, I came to see if anything needed doing."
Taylor frowned and turned her attention back to the washing, dumping the powder in and shutting the lid, turning it on. She turned back to the blonde teen. "Chores? On a Saturday night? I thought you were," she frowned. “Staying at a friend’s – Chloe?"
Riley shrugged. "I came home early. I didn’t think anyone was in, and I figured I would get some chores done."
Taylor’s mind instantly provided a mental image of the rose petals and candles. There was no way Riley would have come through the door and thought that no one was in. Which meant she had been in the basement for a while. Taylor’s eyes narrowed and she walked over to Riley, her eyes scanning the cavernous depths of the basement. "Are you doing drugs?" she demanded, sniffing the air.
"What?" Riley cried. "No! Hell no!"
Taylor rounded on her. "Riley, don’t you forget where Don works, because I can have you at that precinct doing a drugs test faster than you can say pee in a cup."
“She’s not doing drugs," Chase announced, stepping out from the shadows.
Taylor’s hands flew to her head. "Oh god, it’s worse. She’s doing a boy!”
Riley looked mortified. "I am not doing Chase!"
"Then why are you two down here?" Taylor asked, her eyes finally picking out the makeshift bed in the far corner, half hidden by some boxes. "And why is there a bed down here? Riley, you are not old enough to be having sex, and you damn well shouldn’t be having sex under my roof!"
"We’re not having sex!" Riley shouted back at her.
"Then what else are you two doing down here?" Taylor cried.
Chase stepped between the two of them. "Ms. Turner, we’re not sleeping with each other – it’s not like that with us. And we’re not doing drugs. Riley was just letting me crash here a few days, that’s all."
Taylor closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. "And why, pray tell, are you staying here? In the basement?" She opened her eyes to find both teenagers staring helplessly at each other. "Oh god," she sighed. "What did you two do?"
"Chase didn’t do anything," Riley responded instantly.
Taylor looked at the young man and the sad smile he gave Riley which was clearly saying, shut up! And then she noticed the black eye and the cut cheek. "Who have you been fighting?"
"He hasn’t been fighting anyone," Riley told her.
Chase shot her a glare.
"Really?" Taylor said, her hands on her hips. "Because it looks like it."
"That’s because you never liked him," Riley cried. "Chase didn’t do anything – it was his uncle, alright?"
"Drop it, Riley," Chase growled at her.
"Come on, Chase. She’s only gonna find out anyway."
"I said, drop it!" he snapped at her.
"Okay," Flack’s voice rang through the basement. "I have no idea why everyone is in the basement, but we will not be talking like that anywhere in this house."
Taylor glanced up at Flack as he joined her side, a bunch of flowers in his hands. "I think we need to move this conversation upstairs."
Flack nodded and indicated to the two teens they should move. They shared a look, before heading up the stairs. "What has just happened in the last hour in this house?"
Taylor shook her head. "I have no idea. But I do know I missed you."
Flack looked down at her. "You’re not mad?"
"Nope," Taylor shrugged. "Although I do have every right to say, I told you so."
Flack gave her a nervous smile. "I would have been back sooner, but I stopped to get these," he said, offering the less than fresh bouquet. "They didn’t have a great selection at this time of night."
Taylor took them off him and stood on her tiptoes, throwing her arms around his neck. "I’m not mad. Actually, I’m more concerned about those two," she said, nodding her head in the direction of the basement door. She kissed him, smiling as his arms tightened their hold on her.
"I love you," Flack told her.
"Love you too," Taylor smiled, before sighing. "Right, time for the parenting head to go on."
The two headed up the stairs and into the living room where Riley and Chase were perched on the far end of the couch, whispering furiously at each other.
"Alright kids, spill," Flack demanded, taking a place in front of the unlit fire.
Taylor, who was pulling the curtain closed, turned at lack of information the teenagers were providing. “Seriously? You want to withhold information from him? I’ve seen him in an interrogation and, well, you might as well make this easy on yourselves."
"When we went to Montana," Riley blurted out.
“Shut up!" Chase shouted at her, getting to his feet.
Flack was between them in a second. "You need to take a step back and calm down, son."
Chase looked up at him, looking genuinely surprised. "I wasn’t going to hit her."
Flack nodded and directed him over to the chair. "Look, whatever it is, I guarantee you that I’ve heard worse. We want to help," he added, glancing over at Taylor who was nodding in agreement.
Chase looked at Riley and nodded.
Riley gave him a reassuring smile. "When we were in Montana for the wedding, Chase’s uncle went and collected him from the home. He took him back to his motel." She looked over at Taylor. "He told Chase he had to work and when he got back from school he went mental and told him he wouldn’t be going back – he was working there! And when Chase said no, he hit him! I couldn’t let him stay there!"
"No," Flack told her. "But you should have said something." He looked at Chase. "You both should have said something."
"What now?" Chase asked, staring at the floor.
Taylor stared over at the teenagers, watching as Chase grabbed Riley’s hand and clutched it tightly. "It’s late. You can both go to bed. Here," she added, meeting Flack’s eyes, who nodded at her. "Riley, in your own room. Chase, you can stay in Cordelia’s."
"And tomorrow?"
"We’ll let you know," Taylor sighed.
* * *
Taylor lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she waited for Flack to finish brushing his teeth. It didn’t take long for him to return to the room. "I should do something about the rose petals," he sighed.
Taylor rolled onto her side to face him. "Chase can’t go back to that," she told him.
Flack cocked his head at her, giving her a soft smile.
"What?" Taylor asked him suspiciously.
"You came home to find another woman in our bed and you’re more concerned about a child that isn’t yours?" he shrugged, getting into bed.
Taylor frowned. "What’s wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Flack told her, leaning over and kissing her. "It just makes me love you all the more."
Taylor closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I want to foster Chase too," she said quickly. She peeked an eye open to see how Flack was reacting, and was surprised to see him nodding.
"I thought you would say that."
"You did?" Taylor asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Flack nodded. "And if it’s possible, I think that’s a good idea."
"If it’s possible?" Taylor repeated.
Flack sighed, settling back into the pillows. "He has a blood relative who is willing to take him in. I don’t know how we can compete with that?"
Taylor’s mouth fell open. "But he hits him, and he keeps him from school."
"Tay, I’m just playing devil’s advocate. Chase’s attendance records aren’t exactly exemplary, and he’s been in a few scrapes. I’m going to do everything I can, but," he shrugged. "It might not happen."
"No," Taylor said firmly. "He is not going back there."
"We’ll fix it," Flack sighed, hoping he could keep his promise.
Taylor rolled onto her side to face him. "Chase can’t go back to that," she told him.
Flack cocked his head at her, giving her a soft smile.
"What?" Taylor asked him suspiciously.
"You came home to find another woman in our bed and you’re more concerned about a child that isn’t yours?" he shrugged, getting into bed.
Taylor frowned. "What’s wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Flack told her, leaning over and kissing her. "It just makes me love you all the more."
Taylor closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I want to foster Chase too," she said quickly. She peeked an eye open to see how Flack was reacting, and was surprised to see him nodding.
"I thought you would say that."
"You did?" Taylor asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Flack nodded. "And if it’s possible, I think that’s a good idea."
"If it’s possible?" Taylor repeated.
Flack sighed, settling back into the pillows. "He has a blood relative who is willing to take him in. I don’t know how we can compete with that?"
Taylor’s mouth fell open. "But he hits him, and he keeps him from school."
"Tay, I’m just playing devil’s advocate. Chase’s attendance records aren’t exactly exemplary, and he’s been in a few scrapes. I’m going to do everything I can, but," he shrugged. "It might not happen."
"No," Taylor said firmly. "He is not going back there."
"We’ll fix it," Flack sighed, hoping he could keep his promise.
Chapter 234 | Contents | Chapter 236 |
Originally posted: 24/06/2010