Cards on the Table - 29. Chapter 29 Poker Face

Cards on the Table

Chapter 29 Poker Face

Kendall was frustrated, or rather Michael was, which meant it automatically transferred to him. Every attempt to call Candace Kilroy had gone unanswered. He was starting to feel some trepidation as to what his partner might end up saying in a voicemail message if he continued to meet with failure. So far he’d kept his cool, but only because Kendall kept cautioning him during the phone conversations they had with each other.

They’d worked out their plan of attack the previous evening, commencing at the conclusion of their lovemaking and continuing into the shower. They’d talked about getting in touch with a lawyer before making contact with Candy, but decided to hold off after some discussion. Since they already knew what their basic rights were, they would make the initial approach to the woman first. Michael kept referring to her, over and over again, as ‘that bitch’, almost to the point Kendall worried it would slip out when confronting her about what they knew. By the time they'd finished their nighttime routine and returned to bed, they'd agreed Michael would call her in the morning to try to set up a meeting. They were going to be vague about the reason for it, but that plan had turned out to be less than fruitful with Candy not picking up.

A call to Janine confirmed ‘that bitch’ had gotten in touch with her to see if she had any idea why Michael would be calling, but Janine, in a show of solidarity gave nothing away. She was decidedly in their corner and thanked Michael for the call he’d made to Lanny that morning.

Kendall had still been at home when Michael reached the welder, and heard the surprise and pleasure in Lanny’s voice because he'd called to check on him. Chalk up another person his guy had won over. He assured them all was good after the marathon shift he’d worked the day before and that he was back in his boss’s good graces. He came across like an eager-to-please puppy, and Kendall found himself smiling as he listened to the two of them. Michael finished the conversation by telling him to keep in touch while Kendall insisted he should give give Janine a call and say hello to her for the both of them.

Michael had rolled his eyes at his partner. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re clearly trying to push Janine and Lanny together.” Michael said, grinning while ruffling Kendall’s already-styled hair.

Kendall gave him a half-hearted attempt at a dirty look. “No, smartass, I was just suggesting he call her so she wouldn’t worry about him.” He blushed as he said it because he knew his partner saw through him. “Okay, yeah, I’d like to see them get together… is that a crime?” Michael’s gloat had irked him. “And stop messing my hair up.”

Michael had laughed long enough for Kendall to let go of his defensiveness. “Okay, grumpy, but your hair’s too short to mess up… it still looks the same."

Kendall sat as his desk grinning at the memory, and the one of their goodbye kiss shortly after. Michael had even made him a respectable breakfast sandwich of grilled ham and tomato while Kendall finished getting ready for work. There'd been a fresh travel mug of coffee sitting on the counter when he entered the kitchen. Life was good… now all they had to do was figure out where to go next with Candy.

The answer came with Michael’s next call to him. The frantic edge had gone from his voice as he greeted him. It turned out Candy’s curiosity must have gotten the better of her, because she’d finally returned one of his calls. At first, she was adamant they had nothing to talk about, but when Michael had calmly, according to him, informed her they could do this privately or they could do it with a court order, the woman had reluctantly given in. By Michael’s account, she had shrieked in anger before warily agreeing to meet them that evening. Michael said he tried to give her directions, but she coldly informed him she knew exactly where he lived now, with strong emphasis on the ‘now'.

Kendall was surprised at this development. He would’ve thought she’d prefer to meet either at her place or on neutral territory, but then quickly came to the conclusion this would provide the most privacy for someone with a big secret to protect. There would be no witnesses at their place.

Michael confirmed, as far as he knew, she still lived in the same big apartment with a roommate. He sounded both ecstatic he’d made contact with Candy, and nervous because he’d made contact with Candy. Kendall knew it was time to go home and calm his partner down. He sent Jeremy an email containing a task list and a wish for him to have a good weekend. Making a quick stop at the front desk for a final check, he was out the door before three o’clock.

One of the best ways to soothe Michael was through his stomach. Feeding him was a sure-fire way to take his mind off the coming confrontation, so he made it a point to stop off at the Rama Gourmet Foods store to stock up. This combination grocery/deli/prepared meals and salads store was a lazy man’s best friend. The last thing they needed was to have to cook and clean up before facing ‘that bitch’. Kendall mentally chastised himself for referring to her in his thoughts that way… not a good idea when things between them could get heated. He had to leave his hatred out of it.

In no time at all he was leaving the store with plastic containers of prepared Caesar salad ingredients, with sides of freshly concocted dressing, and four cooked and spicy boneless, skinless chicken breasts to add to the salad. Dessert would be the masterpiece of exotic fruit salad contained in the other bag Kendall carried. The smell of the still-hot chicken was making his mouth water as he headed home.

As always, their embrace at the door served to both recharge them and let them savor the closeness they’d missed since the early morning. Bring on Candy. All the fear and worry left him when he was in these arms, and he had no doubt he had the same effect on Michael.

“I missed you,” Michael breathed into his ear.

He initiated one more kiss before saying, “Ditto.” Pulling back, he smiled as he felt the balance of their world restored. “Are you hanging in there?”

“I wasn’t, but I am now, and what the hell smells so good? I’m starving!”

“What else is new, big guy?”

“Let’s eat before we talk about my penis, Babe. I’ll need the energy,” he suggested hopefully, and Kendall laughed.

“I think we’re going to need all our energy for the battle ahead, don’t you think?”

“I’m trying not to think, now that you’re home.” Michael began opening the bags. “Chicken Caesar! That’s awesome. When do we eat?”

Kendall chuckled. Food and sex. Michael was not a complicated man. “I thought we’d eat right away so we can relax and talk before Candy gets here. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll get the plates.”

“Ah, we need a bowl and the cutting board first, Michael. I’ll cut up the chicken and you can get the rest ready.”

Five minutes later they were oohing and awing over their wonderful supper, digging in with gusto. Conversation was on the back-burner while they concentrated on making their taste buds and stomachs happy. By the time they got to the fruit salad, Michael claimed he was stuffed, so Kendall, after a few mouth-cleansing morsels of pineapple each, put the rest away for their breakfast. Cleanup was quick and it wasn’t long before they were on the couch sharing body warmth. The apartment was cool since the outside temperature had dropped dramatically over the course of the day.

“Arron called today, Deuce. I told him what we were up against tonight, and he said to keep them posted. We need to get together again soon, right? Chet apparently still has a house he wants us to look at.”

“Yeah, let’s call them this weekend and set something up. I love those two… and I love that they’re together,” he enthused.

“Of course you do,” Michael said with an amused look. “We’ll give them a call tomorrow, then. So, I’m still going to do most of the talking?” Michael’s back was pressed against Kendall’s chest as he asked the question.

The tickle of Kendall’s breath on the back of Michael’s neck when he answered, caused a noticeable shiver. “Whatever you think is best. I’m fine with you taking the lead, but just remember you have to keep your cool.” He enjoyed the fact his breath was driving Michael crazy, and he made sure some of it blew into his ear for maximum effect.

“I know you’re doing that on purpose. Remember… payback’s a bitch. It’s not that I think you couldn’t handle her, Deuce. It’s just that I thinks she sees you as the guy that got in the way of her plans. Does that make sense to you? I mean, I know she hates me, so she’s gonna be a bitch to me for sure, but I am the biological father, so she pretty much has to deal with me no matter how she feels. She can’t ignore me because I won’t let her.”

“I get it. I’ll do my best to stay in the background. The less confrontation we have with her the better, and I hardly know her at all. Do you still think we’re doing right by not going to a lawyer first?”

“You’re never in the background, Babe… and yeah, I think waiting to see what she has to say before we see a lawyer makes the most sense. As a cop I’ve seen a lot of domestic issues escalate once lawyers get involved, and it’s more likely to become an all-out war then. Maybe we can head that off if she decides to be reasonable. On the surface it seems pretty straightforward, but with that bitch you never know.”

Kendall reacted with a chuckle. “Ace, you’ve got to stop referring to her that way. I know you’re mad at her, but anger is gonna be your enemy. Just think of her as someone who is putting up roadblocks that we have to knock down for the sake of our child."

Michael squirmed around so they were face to face. “You’re one to talk,” he challenged. “I think you hate her more than I do.”

Kendall laughed in agreement because Michael was probably right. “Yeah, but if you’re taking the lead, I have to be the sensible one."

“You’re always the sensible one,” Michael admitted, and gave him a loving kiss before turning around and relaxing back into his embrace.

Seven o’clock came and went. At seven-fifteen, Michael called, but Candy’s phone went to voicemail immediately. At seven-forty-five, Kendall suggested they call Janine. She picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, Janine, it’s Michael. Have you by any chance heard from Candy since I talked to you?”

“Hi, Michael. Sorry, no. What’s going on?”

“I’ll put you on speaker. Kendall’s here with me.”

Michael explained to Janine about Candy calling him back eventually and agreeing to meet them at seven that night. Janine wasn’t at all surprised the woman hadn’t shown up.

“She’s playing games, guys. She always needs to be in control, and she’s an expert at this kind of stuff. Candy probably suspects you know about the baby, but doesn’t know how much. Don't expect her to make it easy… this is her way of keeping you off balance and to see what you’ll do… how you’ll react.”

“So what do you think we should do?” It was Kendall asking the question this time.

“I don’t want to steer you wrong, but I think you should play hardball. You told her you could do this in private or you could do it in court. I would either get a lawyer involved, or give her an ultimatum. She hates to be backed into a corner, though, so be prepared for anything.”

“I don’t do well with playing games, myself,” Michael said quietly. “Thanks Janine. If you hear anything, would you call us?”

“Absolutely. I said you could count on me and I meant it. Bring my name up to her if you want to… that’ll shake her up because I know everything.”

“Thanks, you’re the best. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Please do. Good luck.”

When Michael ended the call, he and Kendall stared at one another. Kendall was contemplating what Janine had advised, so took his time before he spoke. “I think we should do what she suggested… call that fucking bitch and give her one chance before we go a different route. What do you think?”

“Look who’s calling her names now,” Michael joked, before he turned deadly serious. “I'd like to agree, but I’m not putting up with this shit. Fuck calling her. I’m game for heading to family court and getting an injunction against her preventing any kind of adoption until paternity is proved. She won’t be able to hide that from her father or her army guy, will she?” Anger was quickly rising to the surface for Michael. If he was making any attempt to hold it in check, it wasn't working.

Kendall considered giving in to that same attitude, but held off. They were letting built-up resentment get the best of them, and it was clear to him they would likely be giving up their biggest bargaining chip… her desire for secrecy. “Ace, I know you’re pissed. So am I, but we can’t let it control us or we could end up weakening our position as far as dealing with that… with Candy.”

“So what are you saying?” Michael questioned a little sharply. His temper was wearing thin as he stewed about Candy's game-playing.

“I’m saying, Sunshine, I think we should play good cop/bad cop here. Let her try to mind-fuck us... we know what she's doing, so we'll just concentrate on the end-game." He stared at the agitated man while he waited for him to process his words.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you, Babe. I am just so fucking pissed at what she tried to do, and this has been building in me all day.”

His regret was obvious, and Kendall smiled his acceptance. "Don't worry about it."

“Okay, so what do you mean by good cop/ bad cop exactly?” Michael’s whole demeanor had changed from the time Kendall called him 'Sunshine,' and Kendall inwardly warmed at the impact it’d had and the goal that was achieved. Calmness had returned.

“Here’s how I see it. Her whole plan is because she doesn’t want any of this to get back to her family or the Lionel guy, so we have to play on that. Once we go to court, or take a legal route and demand a paternity test, we lose our leverage, right? We need her to admit you're the father without resorting to going to court.” He needed Michael on the same page, and watched him get up and make his way to the window to survey the parking lot.

Turning back to face him, it struck him how stressed Michael looked. “Thank God I’ve got you, Babe. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Michael’s face showed confusion when Kendall started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Michael wasn’t amused.

“Sorry for laughing, but you reminded me of that Sonny and Cher song to me… you know… ‘I’ve got you, Babe’.” Michael finally got it, and started chuckling himself. The respite was a needed one.

“Very funny.” Michael continued to grin at his choice of words. “I was just trying to be romantic.”

“You always are, big guy, and don’t you dare say anything about your penis. We have to get back to the bitch from hell, and decide what to do,” Kendall warned with another cheeky grin.

“What’s your plan? I know you have one.” The seriousness had returned to Michael’s voice.

“You’re right, I do. I think I should play good cop and call Candy and leave her a message, suggesting, because you are so angry and ready to start court proceedings, that it would be in her best interest to either show up this evening by nine, or call with a new time and place to get together. I’ll tell her I know she has a lot at stake and I don’t want this to escalate into something we will all regret. I’ll tell her the ball is in her court and I’ll try to sound as non-combative as I can. How does that sound?”

“If you think it’ll work, I say we should go with it. I just want to get this ball rolling.”

“I do too. I don’t like us being this stressed out.”

Kendall made the call, and then they curled back up on the couch and waited. They both jumped when the ringtone sounded ten minutes later. Michael answered and they heard Candy say she had car trouble, but was now on her way and would be there by nine o’clock. Then they heard a click.

“Well, I'll be. It worked! That was a brilliant plan, and you are a brilliant man. I think I would have gone crazy tonight if we had to wait any longer. Thanks for being smarter than me,” Michael said with relief in his voice.

“You’re welcome,” Kendall said with a grin. “It’s only just beginning though. We know she doesn’t like to be backed into a corner and she doesn’t like to lose. Good cop/bad cop, if we can, right?”

“Right. Which one am I, again?” Michael asked teasingly, and Kendall swatted the back of his head for an answer.

He was quite taken aback when, precisely at nine o’clock, a knock sounded on their back door facing the parking lot. Anyone who had never visited before always came by way of the front entrance, where they had to be buzzed in. That fact she knew about the back entrance made Kendall wonder if she’d spied on them in the past. Michael opened the door to a rather stern-faced Candy. Although she greeted them both, she gave off a strong vibe of annoyance to the pair as they welcomed her in and took her coat. Kendall hung it up while Michael showed her to a seat in the living room. Pleasantries were minimal. A remark by Kendall about the cold weather went unacknowledged. She was making her reluctance to be there very clear. Choosing the single armchair, she sat down stiffly, with her back ramrod straight.

“I am assuming I’m here because of that cretin, Lanny Dixon. If this is about his attack on you, Michael, it’s something he's solely responsible for. I had nothing to do with that unfortunate situation.” She glanced briefly at his cane.

Unfortunate, my ass, thought Kendall. Sitting down on the couch, he saw her question for what it was… a pathetic attempt at fishing for information. He watched as Michael walked over and sat beside him, looking relaxed as he leaned back into the couch.

“Can we get you anything?” Michael’s question initiated a hint of a sneer to mar her perfect face. Kendall knew it was the mention of ‘we’ that caused it.

“No thank you. I would just like to get this over with, and I don’t have a lot of time.” Her façade returned to cold and expressionless, the mask back in place. Kendall’s scrutiny was subtle, and he stayed quiet.

“Well, you’ve assumed wrong about why you’re here. I don’t intend to revisit the assault, not at this time anyway, although I do have two witnesses who will swear you incited it. At any rate it’s not a priority for me.”

“I’m not responsible for what that fool did, and I don’t care what happens to him because of it. Put him in jail if you want.” Candy's face now held an expression of disdain.

“She’s right, Michael. Lanny is responsible for his own actions.” It hurt Kendall to say it, but he had a role to play. He watched Candy relax slightly. Throwing Lanny under the bus like she did was easy for her, and it made him feel ill... and very sorry for a man who'd been used in such a callous way.

“Maybe not,” Michael responded, “but it doesn’t matter anyway. That’s not why I asked you to meet with me. This has to do with your pregnancy, not Lanny Dixon.” Michael pinned her with his stare and watched the cool demeanor drop as her hands reached out from her side to grip the chair’s substantial arms.

“I don’t understand,” she said, struggling to regain her composure. “What does my pregnancy have to do with anything?” Her eyes darted from him over to Kendall, who kept his face impassive. “It has nothing to do with you, Michael. You don’t think this is your baby, do you?” Her following laugh was brittle and forced.

Michael sighed as he looked at her. “I know it is. You're carrying my child.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m only a couple of months pregnant so that would be impossible, wouldn’t it? You were with your boyfriend when I got pregnant. I know who the father is and it’s not you, so my pregnancy is none of your concern,” she said, huffing unconvincingly.

“You’re lying. You know it’s mine, and you had no right to keep that from me.” Michael had started to bristle as Kendall watched Candy’s reaction to his statement.

“Don’t you dare call me a liar, you bastard! You were the liar, carrying on with your boyfriend while you were supposed to be with me. I don’t have to take this from you, because you have no right. I’ve told you you’re not the father and that’s all you need to know, so if that’s all you wanted, I need to go.” She started to get up from her seat.

“I suggest you sit back down. We either do this now or we do it in court, and I’m not kidding.” Michael’s calmness was almost scary, and Candy hesitated. Kendall kept watching her face, and he could see the machinations going on.

“Michael, you know damn well we always used condoms so there’s no way you could be the father, and besides, I was on the pill, so I don’t see why you think we need to go to court... but if that’s what you want, it’s fine with me.” Her arrogance was showing in her expression now, and there was such an ugliness to it that Kendall was sure it ramped Michael’s ire up a notch.

“First of all, Kendall is not my boyfriend… he’s my life partner, but you can just call him Kendall. And, not that it’s any of your business, but he and I have only been together since my knee got demolished by your supposed fiancé. And secondly, condoms only work if they’re not sabotaged by pinholes. Thirdly, if you were on the pill, then how did you get pregnant by anyone at all? And as far as court goes… I’m not the one with something to lose... you are.” Michael’s anger was now evident, but surprisingly controlled. Kendall watched Candy’s face blanch before the mask slipped precariously back on. He grabbed Michael’s hand in support, and they both saw the distaste as Candy surveyed the joining. Fuck her, Kendall thought, but he kept his own façade in place.

“I don’t care what you two call yourselves, but you should have told me you were a fag before you went out with me. I didn’t do anything wrong… you did. And how dare you insinuate I sabotaged condoms. Why would I ever want to do that?” Candy’s nervous swallow gave her rising fear away.

“Okay, let’s cut the crap here. I was always honest with you… I didn’t figure out how I felt about Kendall until much later. I couldn’t tell you what I didn’t know myself.” Michael glared at her. “I’m going to put it all out there. This game-playing is bullshit. You deliberately tried to get pregnant by me so I would marry you. Then you could take me back home and get back in your father the minister’s good graces, because he’d be very happy you married a cop.” Michael’s words hit Candy hard. Kendall could tell she hadn’t expected this. “And you not only sabotaged the condoms, you went way farther than that, didn’t you? You bought ones that were spermicide-free, and put them in a different box to fool me. But that wasn’t enough was it? No, you didn’t stop there. You took the used condoms in the bathroom with you every time, and used what was in them to impregnate yourself… give your plan a better chance at success. How am I doing so far, Candace?” The sickly, shocked look on her face gave away the answer better than any words could have. “And you are not two months pregnant… you are just over three.”

You could have heard a pin drop after Michael was done talking. Kendall found himself holding his breath as he waited for Candy’s reaction. It took a minute, but of course she regrouped. She may have been down, but she wasn’t out. “You have no proof of these lies.”

“Think about it,” he said rather softly, “I don’t need proof. I mean I have it… I have a witness willing to testify as to your plan and how everything was played out… in case I need to build a case in family court. But all I really need is a paternity test, something I am within my rights to insist on. So your plan to adopt my child out isn’t going to fly. There’s an easy way to do this if you think about it.”

“You’re right, there is. I’m going to have this pregnancy terminated, and that solves everything. There’s no way I’m letting you sick perverts have anything to do with this baby. What you do is a sin against nature and against God, and I will not have you defiling a child with your wickedness.” Candy's voice had risen to a higher pitch and it made clear her rage.

Michael started to laugh. “Can you hear yourself? You’re willing to kill a baby out of some kind of religious spite and I’m the wicked one? You go to all these incredibly deceitful lengths to try and trap me, just to parade me around for your family status, and me loving Kendall is sick? You really are a piece of work.” Michael shook his head at the ignorance of it. “Do you really think taking this child’s life is not a sin against God?” Michael stared at Candy with a challenge on his face. Kendall saw exactly what Michael had done. He’d called the bitch’s bluff, and struck her where it hurt. Her belief system. She had no intentions of aborting this baby.

“I don’t care what you think. You have no right to judge me.” Candy was now visibly shaken. “If it keeps this baby away from the likes of you, I think God will understand.” She sounded so convincing Kendall felt real fear rise up in his throat. He began to doubt his previous certainty and was scared to death they’d pushed her too far, this girl who hated to lose more than anything. He was tempted to jump in, but then Michael spoke up.

“And what will your father think about that? What about your sisters?” Michael was prodding her to give ground, and act in her own best interest and not out of spite. Kendall was on pins and needles watching him try to lead her.

At first Candy seemed unable to move or talk as her mouth opened and closed, and then they could see her resolve strengthen once again. She was shaken but she was also very angry. “My family is none of your business. I’ve made up my mind.” She stood up. “Could I have my coat please? I want to get out of this place and away from you two.” The snarling Candy was making another appearance, and Kendall became even more worried. Panic was setting in as it became apparent they might have made a huge mistake. Maybe they had underestimated her need to come out on top?

“I can’t stop you from having an abortion, but think of what you’re giving up,” Michael’s tone was soft and conciliatory. There was no panic evident in him, which slowly helped Kendall get control of his own fear.

“My family already disapproves of me, so I wouldn’t be giving up anything,” she answered with resigned determination. Kendall took it as a good sign that she was still talking and hadn’t left.

“I know you are just as pro-life as your family is. If you do this, how are you going to feel about it down the road? Don’t do this because you hate gay people. Kendall and I aren’t monsters. We are good people. There’s no reason to ruin your life, and that’s what you’ll be doing… ruining your life. Do you really think Lionel Davenport will accept any of this? There’s no reason to screw up the plans you two have.” Michael had laid that one last thing out there and Kendall just hoped it was enough. He was trying to stay positive, but he didn’t want there to be any risk at all to the baby he considered theirs wholeheartedly.

“My God, is there any part of my life that you haven’t stuck your nose in?” Candy had sat back down and there was no grace in her movement.

She looked beaten, and that scared Kendall… a lot. He felt like he was on the world’s worst roller-coaster watching this back and forth between Candy and his partner.

“It was Janine, wasn’t it?” Rage flicked across her face and was gone. “Why would she do this to me?” She shook her head, real confusion on her slack face.

Michael said nothing. He sat and waited, for what seemed an eternity. Kendall’s thumb kept up a continual soothing motion on the hand he held in a nervous grip while Michael gently squeezed his in return.

“What do you want, Michael?” The shrewd, calculating Candy was back… the shaken one had disappeared, and Kendall couldn’t help thinking there should have been tears and more drama. She really was a heartless bitch.

“We want what any good father would want. Since you were planning to adopt this baby out anyway, we want full custody. If you want anything to do with his or her life, we’ll agree to you having rights.”

“And what do I get in return?” Candy’s eyes had narrowed.

“You sign papers stating I am the biological father, and that we get full custody, and all this stays completely private. There’ll be no need for any public court appearances and you can get on with your life as planned… with Lionel.”

“That’s it? You get the baby I carry, and I get your silence?” Candy looked angry again. Kendall could see her working out something in her head. “Not good enough.”

“What do you mean, not good enough? What else do you want?” Michael didn’t see it coming, but Kendall did.

“If I carry this baby for you and your… Kendall… I want fifty thousand dollars.” Candy actually looked triumphant as she stated her price. She’d figured out a way to win, and Kendall, watching it unfold, felt a kind of relief.

Michael exploded. “Are you out of your freaking mind? I’m not paying you for my child. I can’t believe you. You deliberately planned this pregnancy behind my back, and now you’re trying to extort money from me? I can have you brought up on charges for this. There are laws about selling babies in this country, so there is no way in hell.”

“Then you leave me no choice. Miscarriages happen all the time, right?. Even if I don’t have an abortion, there’s no guarantee this baby will make it to term. Can I have my coat please?” She smiled sweetly, and Kendall wanted to smash her face in, and hug her for the conniving bitch she was at the same time. She had just given them what they needed.

Michael was fuming at the audacity of this women standing in his living room. He was getting ready to erupt again when Kendall entered the fray for the first time.

“Whatever you were planning to say, Michael, just don’t. You may not like it, but she’s right. She deserves something for carrying this baby, for expenses and stuff, and she has us over a barrel.” Kendall knew she really didn’t, but recognized the need in her to feel victorious.

“What? Are you crazy? This is extortion, and I’m a cop for God’s sake. We are not paying for my baby. That’s ludicrous. Not a chance! She doesn’t have anyone over a barrel.”

“Michael, shut up! I mean it! Candy, we’ll give you twenty thousand… no negotiating. That’s it. You give us full custody, it’ll stay private, and we’ll give you twenty grand once the baby’s been delivered. That should cover everything you need during the pregnancy.” Kendall totally ignored a truly angry Michael, but it wasn’t easy.

“Do we have a deal?” Kendall held his hand out to Candy. She looked from him to his seething partner, and with an infuriatingly gloating look at Michael, she shook it. When she held out her hand to Michael, it was obvious she was goading him. Kendall shot Michael a warning look, but he avoided Kendall’s eyes as he shook Candy’s hand. He then headed down the hallway to the bedroom, and Kendall heard the door shut resolutely. He wasn’t completely sure what it meant, but he put it aside while he dealt with the arrogant bitch still standing in their apartment.

She turned to him at the door, her face showing how much she relished her unexpected payday and her perceived win. Kendall felt they had been the victors, but he wasn’t going to let her know he thought that. He presented her with a glum expression. “The pre-natal vitamins are expensive and my drug plan doesn’t cover them, so I expect you to pay for them. They’re for Michael’s baby after all.” She smiled that nauseating smile again, and Kendall had to hide his revulsion.

“Okay we’ll do that. We’ll have the papers drawn up next week... twenty thousand for expenses. I’ll let you know when you can go in and sign them. I’ll walk you to your car.”

When they reached her vehicle, she turned to him again. This time there was no smile. “Just one more thing. When Michael has those papers drawn up, I don't want any rights. I want a guarantee that all records are sealed forever, and I’ll sign the papers only if it's just his name on them. I’m not signing anything that has both your names on it.”

Kendall didn’t take the bait… he knew it was probably how it had to be done anyway. He wasn't all that surprised at her other requests, and uttered, “No problem, I'll make sure it's done the way you want it,” before he closed her car door. As he walked away, he muttered, "Fucking bitch.”

Kendall entered a very quiet apartment. He knocked the snow off his boots, and put them on the boot rack before checking down the hallway. Sure enough, the door to their bedroom was still closed. Sighing in disappointment, he turned and went back out to the living room, his thoughts divided between the angry man behind the door and the incredible stress he’d endured while watching the back and forth between Michael and Candy. At the time, when he’d stepped in between them, he was sure he was doing the right thing, and he did still feel that way, but their accomplishment was tarnished as his partner obviously saw it as a mistake… a failure. Maybe court would have worked... maybe Candy was bluffing, and maybe it was extortion and did skirt the law, but Kendall had no regrets. He just wished Michael felt the same way. Kendall turned out the lights and lay down on the couch, alone. He immediately missed the warm comfort of his lover's body, but he felt they both needed time to sort through their feelings. If he was honest, he would have to admit he was both angry and regretful about Michael’s reaction. He was not proud of telling him to shut up, but they’d agreed to the good cop/bad cop approach. He should at least be asking for an explanation if he didn’t understand why Kendall did what he did.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he felt Michael’s presence in the darkened living room. Had he dozed off? He could barely see, but he heard him kneel on the floor beside the couch and his thought went immediately to his injured knee.

“What are you doing, Babe?” Michael’s voice sounded strained.

“Just laying here thinking. You shouldn’t be on the floor like that. You’ll stress your knee.”

“It’s stretched out… it’s fine. Why didn’t you come to bed?”

“The door was closed and I figured you were still mad at me. I think I was kind of mad at you too, for walking away from me. That hurt, you know?”

“Yeah, I do know. I was hurting too, and it took me a while to figure it out. I was walking away from Candy mostly, but I was kind of confused too… I’m not anymore, though. Can I turn the lamp on?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Once his eyes had adjusted to the soft light, he was surprised to see dried tear tracks on the big guy's cheeks. “You were crying? How come?”

“I fucked up. I didn’t get what you were doing, and I fucked up. You were playing the good cop and I was too caught up in my anger to figure that out. You saved our asses.” The regret in Michael’s eyes was painful for him to see. “You did exactly the right thing, the smart thing, and I’m sorry I didn’t see it at first.”

“Is that how you really see it, or are you just saying that because it’s done with? You were pretty pissed when I made her the offer.” Kendall needed to be sure Michael didn’t think the deal he’d made with Candy was a mistake. He understood his dedication to the law, and why it all had angered him.

“No, really. You gave her a way to win. She needs to win, and you were seeing it when I wasn’t. She thinks she won so she won’t do anything out of spite to hurt the baby, and I saw this evening just how capable that bitch is of doing something really vindictive. I honestly didn’t know if she was bluffing or not, and I got really scared when she mentioned miscarriage. When I replayed it in my mind I saw it clear as could be. We won, hands down. We’re going to have our child because of what you did, and the money is nothing when you think about what we gained. People do this all the time... whether it's legal or not.”

“Expenses are legal, Ace."

"I know... but...."

"Yeah, I get it. If we're pushing it, it's for our child's sake, and you are the biological father, so it's not like we're paying for surrogacy... not really."

“Yeah, I'm there with you now, and I'm not just saying it, okay?"

"Okay, good."

"I've been thinking. We're going to need a little you running around with the little me, don’t you think?” Kendall could hear the need for reassurance in his partner’s voice… the need for them to be okay, and any disappointment he might have had, just dissipated.

“That’s exactly what I want. But right now we have one on the way, and I think that’ll do just fine for now,” Kendall said with a chuckle.

“Do you forgive me for being an ass earlier? I let my emotions get the best of me. I knew I was fucking things up so I got really frustrated, and I directed some of that towards you, and I’m so, so sorry.”

“Seriously, you weren’t fucking things up with Candy. I was really proud of how you handled the whole thing. I only stepped in on the money part because I saw a way to give her what she needed to get over the hump of giving us custody. You were pretty fucking amazing, and to be honest, your reaction was the tipping point for her. When you blew your stack at me, she got exactly what she wanted. I just wish it was faked, Sunshine,” Kendall said with a grin. “You know… part of the good cop/bad cop routine?”

“Yeah, I wish I was acting too. I knew that made the bitch happy, but it took me a while to get it,” he said ruefully. “You do forgive me. You called me Sunshine.” Michael’s face went from somber to beaming.

“You came out here and got me, so there’s nothing to forgive. You needed some time and you took it. It was really stressful, and I do get that. Now if you’d have left me here all night, there would have been hell to pay.” Kendall was joking… but not really.

“Thanks for being so understanding. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I love you so much. Can we go to our room now? This floor is really uncomfortable.”

Kendall stood up and reached for his partner’s hand, helping him up. “I love you too… never doubt that.” He kissed him gently, reaffirming his words. “Let’s go to bed.”

They headed down the hall in single file with Michael caning behind. “Hey, was that our first real fight as a couple?”

Kendall stopped and considered the question. “Yup, I guess it was.”

“Sweet. That means we get to have make-up sex, right?”

“Seriously, after the night we’ve had?”

“Hey, it’s not my idea. It’s one of those couple rules. If you have a fight you’re supposed to have make-up sex as soon as the fight’s over. Trust me, I wouldn’t lie about something like that,” he said, giving the most convincing look he could muster.

He laughed at Michael’s tactics. “I know you would never lie about anything to do with sex.” He rolled his eyes at his partner. “So if it’s a rule, who am I to argue.”

“I like your attitude.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, Babe. Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“I like it when you get all bossy and tell me to shut up.”

“Oh, God help me… ah, Ace?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“Oh yeah, now you’re talking.”