RONALD AND KIMBERLEY HOUSE - NEXT DAY

LOUNGE

RONALD

Well, that knocked the winds out of her sails. I stare nonplussed at Nancy and her new husband then take a sip of the wine. “So congratulations then.”

“Is that all you have to say?” She is struggling to hold onto her outrage that I am neither hurt nor scandalised.

“What else would you have me say? We were in the middle of divorcing when you went to prison, and I had lost all interest in you long before that. So why would I care that you have remarried?”

“Lost all...oh, don't play swaggering pride with me, Ronald!” She sneers. “I know you of old!” She turns to David. “Have you nothing to say?”

“Thank you, Ronald. Thank you for treating Nancy in such an uncaring and dismissive manner that she found safety, and, more importantly, love with me.” I watch his gaze flit around the room. “I suppose the material things in your home will keep you warm at night? Come on, Nancy, let's leave him to his solitude.”

My chuckling halts their departure. “What is so amusing?” Nancy demands.

“Who says I am alone? Youth has not made you smart, Dr Cameron, and dotage has not made me some old dodderer that you think to fool. You and Nancy met before she went to prison, in West Virginia. She was arrested for blackmail before you could have your first date, and you two are married for one reason and one reason alone, well two, if you count the supposed cache your dubious association with each other showcases. Nancy wants to rub it in the face of Lindsay that she got the man that she coveted.”

“So you went to visit your daughter but could not visit your wife?!” Nancy hisses.

“Why would I visit someone, and you must get your hearing and memory tested, I was in the middle of a divorce from?” I smile as I hear the front door open and the tapping of claws on the floor. “Hey, Rogue! Did you have a nice walk?” I smile wider as she barrels in to launch herself to enthusiastically greet me by washing my face. “I am taking that as a yes!” I laugh.

“A dog? You got a dog?” Nancy scoffs. “Come on, David, let us leave him to his hound!”

“At least she is a great deal more faithful than the one leading her pup out the door!” They both freeze then turn around to face Kimberley; whilst Nancy looks outraged, Cameron looks insulted. “Dr Cameron, it is Dr Cameron isn't it? You work at Montefiore with Dr Schickel?”

Now they aren't the only ones confused.

“Uh, yes, but I can't quite place you.” He returns.

“We met at a couple of social events a few years back. Didn't like you then, dislike you more now! How dare you two come into our home and treat Ronald like garbage?!” She takes a few steps into the room and the atmosphere changes markedly. “Show them out!”

“Ronald, there is no need to blindly obey…” Nancy begins.

“I was ordering Rogue. On point!” The change in Rogue is instant, she goes from the gambolling Beagle we know and love to a snarling mass of protection, slowly she gets down on the floor but her eyes never leave them. “With or without bite marks your choice.” Kimberley curls her lip in disgust, but that soon turns to a smirk as they edge towards the door. Rogue matches them step for step until they are by the front door.

Without taking their eyes off Rogue they scrabble to get it open. “As amusing as it is to watch you almost crap yourself, you are eating into my quality time with Kimberley. Rogue. Cease!” I order and manage to control my snickering at the relief on their faces as Rogue trots to my side. “I suppose we will see you at the fund raiser in a couple of week's time.”

“How do you know about that?! Cameron demands unwisely raising his voice, which elicits a low growl from Rogue.

“Like Kimberley said, she knows you and like Kimberley I hate your prior actions. Now get out!”

“I had no idea your jealousy would rear its ugly head so swiftly Ronald!” Nancy snipes. “I feel sorry for you my dear Kelly…” She pauses for Kimberley to react; I am delighted that she doesn’t bat an eyelid. With a twitch of annoyance she tries again. “Oh how it must hurt to know that he still holds a torch for me, despite his protests and insults. But luckily for you I am over him, I have a much better and kinder husband!”

“And I have a much kinder wife, who treats Lynette as a mother should!” Rogue growls again and inches forward. “And for the record, I did not go and see Lindsay. Why would I go to see someone who is the emotional doppelganger of her mother?!”

“Come on Nancy, let's go. Lindsay needs to be had a word with, I do not like being lied to!” Cameron pulls her out then quickly slams the door shut.

I shake my head at his childishness; then turn to Kimberley and take her hands before inhaling and exhaling slowly. “Tell me the truth…” She nods. “...is it him?”

“Yes, it's him. Mel and I are taking a statement from Lynette tomorrow and then we will be filing charges.”

“No. Don't do that. Well, not yet.” I take another breath to calm my rage and slow my heart rate. “I want him utterly destroyed then you go get him.”

“Okay. Now do...what are you doing Ronald?!” She gasps.

“Asking you to say yes to any dress you want to wear to our wedding. I said that to her to shut her up, but the moment the words were out of my mouth, I knew I wanted to make it a fact.” I smile up at her and she grins back. “I need you to say it so I can get off my knee!”

“As long as Rogue can carry the rings then I say yes!”

“Great. Now help me up!”

SLICK AND LINDON'S HOUSE - A WEEK LATER

KITCHEN

LIONEL

I am bouncing Annabee and she is giggling, this is the only thing that is keeping me calm. Slick is looking at Brian, who is looking at Justin, whose breathing starts to slow.

“Okay, you okay?” Justin nods. “Tell us again how this came to be, how he thinks this is a viable frigging option?!” Brian orders, wrapping himself around his husband.

“Matthias.” I prompt but he is looking out of the window, he has been doing that since we got here. “Lamb.” He whips around to face me. “Can you tell them again please.”

“I was out for most of the day, but when I came back in I could hear voices…”

Start of flashback

EOHOPS HOUSE - FOUR DAYS PRIOR

LOUNGE

MATTHIAS

“But why, Lindsay, did you say that your dad had come to visit you?!” Michael exclaims and I edge closer to the door. “And why did you throw Lindsay out?”

It takes all of my strength to remain where I am, for there cold as ice and as dank as ditch water sits David Cameron!

“Because it would get to her and as I thought she would, she had to show off her new husband. As for the throwing out, David and I have reached an accord, he has a little apartment that I am going to be staying in.” She smiles at him and he smiles, a genuine smile back.

Okay what the hell is going on with them two?!

“Right. So now what? I have to go see GQ at the end of the week to sort out the rights thing, how do I say what I have to say? I mean I know how I want to say it.”

“Yes but it has to be said in a way that tricks her into saying yes and destroys their relationship too.” Cameron states; again quick looks between him and her are exchanged. “Now why don't you go get us some beer and wine? Oh wait, are you allowed to purchase alcohol with you being an...”

“Of course I am! I won't be long!” Michael retorts and I sprint swiftly up the stairs just in time. Once the front door closes I creep back down and they are talking, in fact they are laughing.

“You sure are your mother's child!” David snickers. “How long have you known that Michael is not the father?”

“Have you seen her?” He shakes his head. “She maybe ‘dark’ but that is definitely not Italian dark! And then I remembered what happened in New York. We both got very drunk and whilst he was striking out with everything, I got talking to a guy at the bar and he helped me to get Michael upstairs.” She reaches for her drink and sips delicately, well as delicately as a rabid rat can. “Michael was blubbering in the bathroom about how nobody wants him blah-blah-blah whereas all I wanted to do was get him to his room so the guy and I could talk, if you get me…” Cameron snorts like a phlegmatic donkey and nods. “...so we were talking when Michael came out of the bathroom took in the scene and wanted to join!”

“Oh my lord!” Cameron exclaims, for once we are all of the same revolting thought!

“But luckily as soon as he got on the bed, before we could say anything I might add, he passed out. But then the guy realised he didn't have a condom but Michael did. And the rest is history.”

“But that doesn't explain why you are helping him heap misery on GQ.”

She sighs. “Lynette is right. I do envy GQ, as hard as that is to admit, she gets everything with Brian...and...and Gus and Jenny. And whilst I don't have my rights anymore, Gus and Jenny are still my children in my heart.” He is not the only one that is surprised by that. “And after what he said about Jenny having caused her much pain and us such difficulty because he was her ‘father who unlike Brian kept his rights’.” Another sigh. “He is glad he is not a father to her anymore, Jenny I mean.”

I can feel my blood boiling as I adore Jenny!

“So what happened to the guy?”

“Don’t know. We fucked and he left.”

“So how is he going to say to GQ the terms that dump the both of them in it. And how can I help?”

“As a matter of interest why are you doing this? GQ and getting to screw Justin aside.”

“I met him once, Michael, I mean…”

“What? When?” She gasps.

“In Babylon. I was talking to the then Stud, just talking, and he got loudly in the way.”

“So…”

“He said that I was far too old and raddled to be a consideration and he got one of the bouncers to throw me out saying I was being disruptive. I was so fucking pissed, especially as I was with some friends, that I took it out on the next guy, which is when I met GQ.”

I hear the key in the lock and again sprint upstairs…

End of flashback

“Finally they are here!” Matthias smiles and heads to the front door whilst we look puzzled. “What kept you guys?!”

“Overslept.” A familiar voice replies and in steps Grimm and Twinkle.

SLICK

“What the…?” I gape at them, we haven't seen them in six months as, now Grimm took early retirement, they have been travelling. I grab Twinkle and hold him tightly as I can. “Explain!”

“Emmett called, then Matthias filled in the blanks. Come to Grimmy.” He coos and Annabee reaches for her favourite grizzly. “So we’ve been doing a bit of chatting to a couple of friends of ours. And they know who he is but not where.”

“Who?” Brian and I ask at the same time.

“Annabee's dad.” Twinkle tickles her under her chin, again she giggles. “So me, Grimm and Matthias are going to find him. You need to agree to whatever they want but ask for a month alone time, lay it on thick so they are hell bent on destroying what you have. Keep their focus on you and Justin.”

“How do you know who the dad is?” Justin asks having regained the power of speech and some colour. Unfortunately, Lionel had filled him in on his life with Cameron and knowing what he wants, he has been a little green since.

Twinkle grins wide. “Because Dets. Bank and Crane arrested him for stealing from Michael's room.”