Cards on the Table - 27. Chapter 27 Strategy

Cards on the Table

Chapter 27

Michael woke to a crashing sound, and leapt out of bed without thinking. His left knee objected at the same time Kendall grabbed his arm and kept him upright.

“You okay?” Kendall whispered in the darkness.

“Yeah, I think so… I heard something break in the living room. I think Lanny must be moving around now.”

“I heard it too. There should be some light on out there, but it’s pitch black. Here’s your cane. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s go see what our ‘guest’ is up to.”

The sight that greeted them when they flicked on the overhead light to illuminate the darkened area was almost amusing. Lanny Dixon was sitting on the floor rubbing his head, with the remaining, previously-lit floor lamp lying beside him, the glass shade and bulb smashed to pieces.

“What the hell happened, Lanny?” Michael’s voice came out soft so as not to freak out the big man.

Lanny’s eyes were blinking in an attempt to see in the suddenly-bright light, the bleariness of them evident. He looked like shit. As he slowly focused on the two men standing before him, Michael noticed a red mark on the corner of his forehead. The coffee table was askew so it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

“I don’t know,” he rasped out. “What the hell am I doing here? Is this your place?” His eyes now somewhat adjusted, he stared at them both. “How in fuck did I end up here?” When he started to get up, Kendall reacted.

“Don’t move till I get this glass cleaned up. Don’t need you bleeding all over the place.” At Kendall’s words, Lanny sat back down with a groan, holding his head.

“Are you all right?” Michael asked, knowing full well that Lanny must be experiencing a massive hangover.

“I don’t feel too good. I think I’m going to be sick,” beads of sweat had broken out on Lanny’s face and his color seemed to change in an instant. Kendall, moving with unbelievable speed, had the bucket from under the sink in front of the white-as-a-sheet man in no time at all. It was a good job too, because the heaving began, and both men backed away, struggling to control the roiling in their own stomachs, at the sounds of retching coming from Lanny. After what seemed an eternity, Lanny pulled his head away from the bucket, breathing heavily as he sought to settle his stomach back down. Kendall took that time to sweep the glass out of the way, grimacing at the smell of puke.

Kendall gave him a couple of minutes before asking if he was done. Lanny’s eyes focused on him, and he nodded sheepishly. “Sorry about the lamp... and the throwing up.” Kendall just nodded. With a leery look at the pail, he picked it up carefully, and headed to the bathroom. Michael, seated on one of the stools, surveyed Lanny with a detached look, and waited, not giving away the burning curiosity that was making him antsy beneath the surface. Finally, Lanny met Michael’s gaze, leaning backwards against the base of the couch.

“What the fuck did I do that I ended up here?” Simple and direct question, but Michael delayed answering.

“I think you hit your head when you fell. On the coffee table? Are you okay?” Michael showing some concern looked to have the man bewildered. This must feel like enemy territory for him.

“I wasn’t very steady on my feet when I stood up, and I stumbled. It’s fine. I’ve suffered way more damage playing hockey.” He at least had the decency to blush at the irony of what he’d said, and who he had said it to. He looked at Michael speculatively, as if he was waiting for some sort of payback. He let him squirm. “Michael, I just want you to know…,” he didn’t get to finish as Michael cut him off.

“You pissed on my truck?”

“What?!”

“You asked what you did to end up here. You pissed on my truck.”

Lanny groaned, and buried his head in his hands. “Shit. Oh fuck, why do I do these things?”

What Michael heard loud and clear was despair, but he wasn't finished. “That’s not all, Dixon.” When he had Lanny’s attention again, he lowered the boom. “You admitted, in front of four witnesses, including another cop, that you were the one who defaced my truck with that hate message. Do you know what that means?” Michael’s stare was unwavering.

Lanny shook his head, a look of resigned fear on his face that he tried unsuccessfully to cover up. “I’m not sure, but I figure I’m in big trouble. Now’s your chance to punish for what I did to you. It’s not like I don’t have it coming.”

“This isn’t about payback, asshole. You’re guilty of two incidences of a hate crime against me. That’s what you’re in trouble for, man. Don’t you get that?!” Michael felt the support of Kendall as he appeared at his side. “It’s none of your fucking business who I choose to love. Your bigoted, hateful ass belongs in jail for what you did.” Michael had started to shake from the rage that came out of nowhere. He struggled to get a grip on his emotions. “You asked why you do these things. You fucking tell me. Why do you, Lanny? What have I ever done to you?” Michael’s rage was abating, thanks to Kendall's calming presence, but his questioning look was hard as steel, and Lanny visibly quailed under the force of it. He appeared to shrink into himself, and Michael saw shame on his face before he dropped his head to his chest.

“Just put me in jail,” he mumbled. “I deserve whatever I get. I’ve lost pretty much everything anyway,” his head stayed down after that. Michael looked over at Kendall and received a subtle shrug.

This was the beaten man he’d witnessed last night, and what remained of his rage was being overcome by compassion, as he remembered the pain that had emanated from this same guy while he laid on the snow-covered parking lot. “Is this about the baby, Lanny?”

Lanny’s head shot up at Michael’s query, dismay showing on his face as the realization hit him there was more to last night than pissing on Michael’s truck. “I told you, didn’t I?” It was a statement as much as a question.

“You told me some of it, before you passed out cold. The question is, why?”

“What exactly did I tell you?” He was able to meet Michael’s eyes again, a need to know what he'd disclosed in his drunken state was written on his face.

“That Candy planned it… and I was the father.” Michael held Lanny’s gaze in a trap, weighing his reaction.

“Well, that’s the gist of it, then.”

“Why did you tell me? Is that why you came here in the first place?”

“I’m not really sure,” he faltered, “maybe because you had a right to the truth, and because that bitch didn't want you to know. She plays games with people’s lives like we don’t mean shit… and I wanted to get back at her… and I wanted to talk to you because… I resented that my baby turned out to be your baby. Maybe I wanted you to hurt like I did, and I wanted to be the one to tell you. It’s your baby but she doesn’t want you anywhere near it now that she knows you’re a fag… sorry… that you’re gay.”

Lanny looked downward at that admission. “I don’t remember pissing on your truck, but I remember going to your door and seeing you all happy… and that pissed me off… that you were happy and I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure I was leaving to go back home. I don’t remember much after that except for yours and that other cop’s face. I don’t recall any conversation though. Look, Michael, I’m a born fuck-up, and I’m not making any excuses, but while I have the chance, I want to say I’m sorry for the knee on knee hit. I know I’ve pushed the lines before, but I never went that far. It was dirty pool, and I have no friends left because of it. Everybody hates me.”

Lanny looked forlorn in that moment, and Michael found himself softening as Lanny continued. “Like I said, no excuses, but I let that bitch get inside my head. She kept bugging me to ‘be a man’ and make you pay. I thought she really loved me, and I loved her, but it was all a lie. She hated you, and to be honest, I did too. She told me you dumped her for Kendall… and dumb fuck that I am, I thought I was defending her honor… only, you can’t defend what isn’t there.” He wasn’t looking at anyone when he said that. Something that sounded like a solitary sob, escaped his lips before he closed them tight.

A quiet settled over the living room as they all got lost in thought. Michael stared into the darkness outside the big window, lit here and there by the parking lot lights. More and more Christmas lights were making their appearance on the balconies across the way. “Why do you hate that I’m gay, Lanny?” Michael couldn’t care less how Lanny felt, but he was curious. He had a decision to make. Kendall looked only slightly less startled at the question than Lanny did.

“That’s the thing; I don’t hate that you’re gay… I hate that you’re fucking perfect.”

“You could have fooled me. You wrote faggot on my truck, and you called me faggot three or four times last night. You come across as a dyed-in-the-wool homophobic prick, and you’re always saying shit like that. And there’s nothing perfect about me, so don’t say it has to do with something that stupid.” Michael glanced at Kendall, who raised his eyebrows, and gave Michael a look that confused him.

“I swear to you, I’m not really down on gays. I say that shit to get under your skin, and don’t tell me that everyone doesn’t think you’re perfect cause they do. You’re always the best at anything you do, Aceto. Anyway, I’m done with spouting that shit. I took it too far this time and now I’m going to have to pay the price.” Lanny looked ready to accept his fate.

Lanny managed to stand his unsteady ass up, as Michael and Kendall watched him. “I want to thank both of you for letting me stay here last night. I don’t know why you did, but thanks.” He looked embarrassed. “So how is this going to work? Is another cop coming here to arrest me, or can I head home and shower first?”

“Lanny, sit the hell back down. It’s not yet five o’clock in the morning and I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you yet.”

“But….”

“There’s stuff we need to know… about Candy and the baby. Are you gonna help us?”

“Help you? Help you what?” he looked from Michael to an observing Kendall.

“I’ll answer your questions after you answer mine. Last night, you told me Candy had to go to the hospital because of pain… was it because of the baby?”

Wincing, obviously at the memory the question stirred in him, Michael witnessed the man come to a decision right before his eyes. “They did an ultrasound and the baby was fine. That’s when I found out the baby wasn’t mine… that it couldn’t be.” A brief flicker of grief crossed his face, and his body jerked involuntarily. “The doctor said she had indigestion, and her blood sugar was a little low. She told Candy to take a different kind of vitamin or something.” He stared at Michael open-faced with no real expression.

“Did Candy tell you the baby was mine?”

“No, we had a big fight, and she said it had to have been this one night stand she had… that it wasn’t you.”

“So then why do you think it’s mine?”

Lanny rubbed his face before answering. “I knew she was lying… I could tell, but it was my friend, Janine, who confirmed it. She’s been friends with Candy since high school, or even before. She told me all about Candy setting her sights on you, and she said Candy knew it would take a baby to get someone like you to settle down. She considered you a prize.” He looked at Kendall, “Boy, she was barking up the wrong tree with that one,” he said while smiling, but neither man joined him. “Anyway, when I faced her with it on Sunday, she denied it, and said that if I spread that lie around to anyone, including you, she’d tell people stuff about me.” His color escalated from white to beet red.

“Like what?”

“Just stuff.” Lanny’s reluctance made the cop in Michael push harder.

“Does she have something on you, Lanny?”

The man actually looked aghast. “Fuck, no! She said… she said she would spread rumors like I was lousy in bed, and that she thought I was gay.”

A snort escaped from Kendall. He’d been silent as this all played out, but clearly, the irony didn’t escape him. Michael shot him a quick smile before turning his attention back to Lanny. “How did you get involved with her in the first place, man?”

“Why do you want to know all this stuff, anyway, Michael?” It was Lanny’s turn to be inquisitive, and his natural inclination to be resentful was showing itself in his tone.

“I’m a cop, and I need to know the whole story before we go after Candy.”

“You’re going after her?! What for? Are you going to charge her with something?” Lanny looked completely thrown, any resentment gone.

“We’re going after custody, if it turns out it’s my biological child… partial custody at the very least.” The determination in Michael’s face was clear as Kendall took Michael’s hand, displaying their united front. “So, will you answer my question, please?”

“What question? Oh yeah, okay, well, I wish you luck against that piece of work,” he warned. “I was at Janine’s when she came over, after you dumped her for Kendall.” That made Michael roll his eyes, but he said nothing as he waited for Lanny to continue. “She recognized me right away from being on the same hockey team as you two… that was before you switched teams. I mean hockey teams,” he said with a chuckle to the unappreciative pair. “Anyway, sorry... she was fucking pissed at you… and Kendall. She said you had to be a fag… because Kendell made you cry and shit. She said it looked like you were having a lover’s quarrel. Then she said she’d made a big mistake with you, and now she had to find a real man.”

Michael got exasperated. “That’s fucking ridiculous. Kendall and I didn’t get together till after you wrecked my knee. Where the fuck did she get that from, not that I really give a crap. She just couldn’t handle rejection,” Michael was fuming.

Lanny blushed again. “I may have helped her with that,” he looked guiltily at Michael.

“What the fuck does that mean?” he demanded.

“Well,I kind of told her that everyone knew you two had a thing for each other, and you’d been doing each other for years.”

“You are such a fucking asshole, Dixon.”

“You’re right… I am, but I wasn’t wrong after all, was I… at least, about having a thing for one another?” He let a cocky little grin slip onto his face.

Michael let himself see the humor in it, and gave a chuckle. Kendall joined him. “No, you weren’t.” Imagine that… sharing a laugh with his nemesis.

“Anyway, I won’t give you all the gory details, but she latched onto me, and like a fool, I fell for it. Janine warned me to be careful, but I didn’t listen. It was Candy that brought up engagement, and the next thing I knew, I proposed, even though I knew it was too soon. I did kind of wonder about that, but I thought I was a really lucky guy to get someone who looked like her. Plus, she hated your guts. Now I know she just wanted me for a baby daddy… but then I found out it wasn’t mine…,” he trailed off.

It was strange for Lanny to be confiding in him and Kendall, and the awkwardness of it showed on the big man's face. Michael gave him a moment. The man looked worn right out, and Michael figured he’d probably been on a binge for days. “Do you know what her plans are now?”

“I only know what Janine’s told me. She plans on having the baby, and giving it up for adoption, and then going back up north to her family. That’s supposed to be a secret, too. Her father is some big-shot minister, and he’s on a town council or something like that.”

Michael and Kendall exchanged meaningful looks at that information. “So, she’s not going to have an abortion… you’re sure of that?”

“Janine is. Candy wouldn’t tell me anything. But I do know she doesn’t agree with abortion. She says it’s a sin against God to destroy what he creates… she said stuff like that a few times. She thinks being gay is a sin against God, too. Otherwise, she would have used the baby to get you to marry her. The way she feels about fags… shit, sorry… the way she feels about gay people, she’s not going to want you to have any kind of custody… that, I am sure of.” He had the decency to look embarrassed by his slip-up. “I think you need to talk to Janine, though. Honest to God, guys… I went along with her, and I admit I agreed with her when she said that stuff, but I don’t really think that way. There’s some gay people, well, lesbians, in my family, and I really don’t give a shit. It’s their life.” His face looked surprisingly earnest, like it truly mattered that they believe him.

“I forgive you.”

Lanny stared at Michael in confusion. “What?”

“I forgive you, Lanny. You apologized for the hit on my knee, and I forgive you.” Michael looked over at Kendall, and he just nodded, showing that he understood.

“Um, wow, thanks, Michael.” Lanny looked floored, “I never expected you would ever… that… that means a lot to me,” he choked out. “I just hope everyone else can forgive me someday. It was a real dick move, and I still can’t believe I did it.” He closed his eyes for a minute, and took a deep breath, and all was quiet again. “But I’m still getting charged, right?” He opened his eyes to see Michael looking towards the window again. He slowly shifted his eyes back to Lanny.

“That depends on you. The ball’s in your court.” Michael waited for the question to come.

“What do you mean, the ball is in my court? I’m not asking you to let me off the hook. I know what I did, and what I deserve. I’m glad you forgive me for being a jerk on the ice, but I don’t want your fucking pity. I’m not afraid to take my lumps.”

It sounded like Lanny wanted to get punished, and Michael wasn't surprised when Kendall spoke up for the first time since the talking began. His annoyance had probably reached its limit. “A criminal record is more than just taking your lumps, you idiot, so stop throwing your typical Lanny bravado around, for fuck’s sake. You think going to jail will make up for some of the shit you pulled, but it won’t. You almost came across like a real person there, for a few minutes." Kendall shook his head in disgust. "Listen to what Michael has to say. If it was anyone else you’d have spent the night in jail, and you’d be needing a really good, really expensive lawyer. Christ, Lanny, if Michael offers you any kind of way out, just shut up and take it. You want your friends back you say you’ve lost… well, here’s your reality check… stop being such a dick, and think about how the things you say and do affect the people around you. What about Janine? Don’t you care about what you’d be putting her through? How would she feel if you face charges? How much would she worry about you?” Kendall had said his piece, and settled back down on his seat, pinning Lanny with his steady gaze.

Lanny was rocked by Kendall’s outburst, and was at a loss for words, but Michael knew Kendall's speech had struck home. He looked over at Michael.

“What he said,” was Michael’s response to Lanny’s deer-in-the-headlights look.

Lanny seemed to give himself a mental shake. “Easier said than done, I guess,” he admitted ruefully. “I guess I have being a dick down to a fine art. Thanks for setting me straight, Kendall. You’re right… I wasn’t thinking about anyone else. That’s what I do.” He appeared enlightened by the thought, as if a light bulb had turned on in his head. “What gives you the idea Janine would worry about me, though?” Lanny looked sceptical.

“What, are you blind? That’s a no-brainer, Dixon. The girl seemed pretty worried when she called your phone twice last night. And when Michael talked to her the second time she called, she sure sounded worried. She even asked Michael to give you a chance, and she really stuck up for you, like she really cared about you. Go figure,” he joked, and then he sighed, getting serious. “For her sake at least, you need to get your shit together.” Lanny was definitely taken aback at Kendall’s revelation.

“Which brings me back to what I meant when I said the ball’s in your court.” Michael jumped in. “You need to get over yourself, quit the fucking binge drinking, and get back to work before you lose your job. Yeah, Janine told us about you drinking and not showing up for work, but she did it because she was pleading your case. And, you gotta be on our side in this thing with Candy. No going behind our back or anything. That’s what you have to do to keep me from pressing charges.” Michael softened his voice to that of a friend, and spoke again. “I know Candy fucked you up, but in the end she probably did you a favor. Don’t let her keep screwing with you. You have to move past this because she’s just not worth it. I know it hurts, but you’re lucky you found out about the baby now rather than later.”

Lanny nodded his head in a kind of reluctant agreement. Obviously, he didn’t need to think about any of what Michael proposed. “I hope you guys beat the conniving bitch at her own game, and I promise you I will be on your side if you need me, and she won’t hear anything from me. I think I can save my job. My boss is pissed, but we’ve got a huge order to fabricate on a deadline, and I’m their best welder. If I head in early today, my boss will be happy as shit. Thanks for giving me this chance, Michael, and trust me, I’m done with all this heavy drinking. I’m tired of feeling like a dog’s dinner. I don’t know why you guys would even care what happens to me, but I’m not going to take it for granted. And Kendall, I’m gonna try to stop being a dick. Thanks for the motivational speech,” he said with a smirk, but it wasn’t a typical smartass Lanny Dixon one. There was no attitude this time.

“Okay, Lanny, get the fuck outta here. You stink. You go into work smelling like that, and they will fire you.” Michael’s smirk, too, had no animosity attached. He watched Lanny tug on his coat and boots and head out the door. “Lanny… call Janine and let her know you’re okay, and tell her we’ll be calling her soon, okay?”

Lanny turned around with a genuine smile on his still-haggard face, and answered, “Will do,” before pulling the door closed behind him. There were no awkward goodbyes.

“Do you think we could ever be friends with that guy, Babe?” Michael reached out, and Kendall came to him. “He really surprised me a few times.”

“I think we already started the process, but like you said, the ball’s in his court. You know, I don’t think he’s as dumb as I thought he was. He was actually listening, and I always thought he didn’t know how to do that.” Kendall was being serious. “How are you feeling?” He looked like he was studying his partner’s face.

“Relieved... I feel so fucking relieved.”

“Me, too. There’s still a baby… our baby,” he grinned at Michael, and there was joy in it.

Michael grinned back,” And she doesn’t believe in abortion, so it looks like our baby is safe.” The happiness on Michael’s face was matched by the happiness on Kendall’s. “We just need to do this right. Lanny’s right about one thing.”

“Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. We need to talk to Janine. She knows a lot about Candy that could possibly help us, and she should be happy with what you did for Lanny. I am too, Michael. I think you did the right thing in giving him a chance. I wouldn’t have felt good about making his life a worse mess than it already is, and I really hated the guy.”

“Do you still hate him, Babe?”

“No, I don’t think so. I feel kind of bad for him. We’ve known him a long time, and he’s always been annoying, but until he went gunning for you on the ice, I always considered him a teammate… a jerk, for sure, but a teammate.”

“That’s exactly how I feel. You don’t just give up on teammates if you can help it. Hockey 101. Right?”

“Right, but he is on his last chance with me, even though he did us a huge favor." Kendall pulled Michael closer still, and whispered in his ear, “You’re my family now, and nobody gets to hurt my family. And that goes for Candy, too. Maybe she doesn’t want this baby, but we do, and you and me being gay doesn’t give her the right to keep us from him or her. I say, nothing less than full custody. That’s what we shoot for. Deal?”

“Deal. Nothing less than full custody. We need to try. Thank you for being the best partner I could have ever asked for. I will never take you for granted.”

“Damn right, you won’t,” Kendall whispered again into his partner’s ear, triggering goose bumps and little shivers before his lips found Michael’s. The kiss ended with a suggestion. “Let’s go snuggle for half an hour, before I have to get ready for work.”

“Okay, but only if we’re naked this time,” Michael insisted with a pout. Kendall rolled his eyes as he pulled his shirt off and stepped out of his shorts. Michael quickly did the same.

“Happy now?”

“You bet. I love it when my sexy man is naked. You know, I’m not the least bit tired.”

“God help me,” Kendall groaned… but there was a smile on his face.

"Babe, what did you mean when you said Lanny did us a huge favor?"

"Think about it, Ace. If he hadn't have told Candy we were 'doing' each other, she might have gotten over her anger, and tried to continue on with her plan. Things could have turned out a lot differently for us," Kendall looked pointedly at his partner.

"No way. It was fate. I would never have ended up with her, no matter what. I knew the difference between her telling me she loved me, and you telling me you loved me. It turned out exactly the way it was supposed to. You and I were meant to be, and I don't have any doubts, at all," he convinced Kendall with the sincerity and love oozing from him.

"You're right, Sunshine. Fate... I like that... it did turn out the way it was supposed to, and I don't have any doubts either. We were meant to be. Let's go to bed."

"Now you're talking."