Just Rip It Off

 Marjorie walks into the empty house shedding her coat and purse on the chair and walks straight into the office smiling all the way. She finally had him exactly where she wanted him and he had no wriggle room. She places her phone on the desk then decides to check the house just to make sure she was alone before she started her work. She quickly goes up stairs checking and locking the front door on her way down then through to the kitchen locking the cellar and back door on her way back to the office. Then locking that door firmly behind her. This was way too important to blow now that she was this close. She wasn't going to get tripped up by being sloppy. She need to get every duck in a row perfectly before bringing it all to Alex.
 She sits down on the desk chair and pulls her laptop from the drawer along with the cable and attaches it to the computer then the phone. She looks around the empty room then launches the video on her phone uploading directly to her computer she wanted to avoid the "Stratosphere" this was too sensitive to have on social media. She waits a moment as the video starts the the odd shot of the floor then Jay and Abigail in all their glory perfectly aligned on the screen completely oblivious and smiles then immediately curls her lips in disgust. She had only looked once to line up the angle then held the phone around the corners edge making sure to keep it steady and herself out of sight. She hadn't seen the actual goings on till now and neither one seemed to have any shame! Anyone could have seen them luckily she'd been the one but still. What she was watching could make porn stars blush. She fast forwards through most of it then slows when she gets to the hall there was Alex still talking to Elizabeth. Alex would find it horrifying when she saw it and if she knew her like she thought she did she'd also be vengeful. Especially if they had already kissed and made up even worse if they were on their way to finish off what it looked like she was trying to start at lunch.
She takes the video and downloads it to her laptop burying it inside of couple of other files then pulls up her renewal contracts for her families mountain and reaches for her phone smiling happily as the phone rings on the other end.
"Chase Van Dorn." Comes the cool official voice on the other end.
"Hi ya Chase honey! This is Aunt Margie." She purrs into the phone sugar dripping from every word. Chase rolls his eyes with everything going on this was the last thing he need.
"Aunt Margie hi. What's going on?" He says loosening his collar button knowing exactly what she wanted.
"Did you get a chance to look over those files I sent you?" She asks sounding her normal pleasant self inside desperately trying to keep the anxiety from her voice.
"Yes ma'am I just got them back and was looking them over." Marjorie's excitement mounts with each word she was just one step closer. She takes a moment to wrestle the excitement from her voice before continuing.
"So what do you think?" Chase clears his throat turning towards the ER doors checking for Wellington.
"I ahh ...I had the legal office go over them with a fine tooth comb you've protected your interest on all sides." He shrugs having gone over them again himself.
"I don't see any problem with them you're good to go." He says pushing the little voice nagging at the back of his thoughts. Marjorie smiles slyly already planning her next step.
"Thank you honey." Chase rubs the back of his neck staring back at the ER doors hoping neither Well or Lesley came through while he was still on the phone.
"Aunt Margie you're sure you want to go through with this? Once it's done you can't go back" He warns.
"Sweetheart I have never been more sure of anything in my life. You don't worry about a thing I know exactly what I have to do. You just concentrate on getting your company up and running." She smiles satisfied. He pushes the last of his own doubts to the side and steals his resolve. This was the moment he'd worked for the last piece of the puzzle. Once this domino was tipped it was going to start a chain reaction that would be unstoppable. His family had worked too hard and waited too long for this he wasn't going to turn back now. Especially considering what had happened today Wellington was going to need all the power behind him he could get.
"Thanks Aunt Margie. I really appreciate everything you've done for me." He smiles sounding bashful.  Marjorie smiles suddenly remembering that little boy he used to be.
"Happy to do it. You get back to whatever you  were..." She starts her voice fading off as Mary's can be heard yelling in the background getting louder as she walks.
"There you are!  Where are Lesley and Wellington? Have the doctors told you anything?" Marjorie's ear perk up at the sound of Mary's voice and her son's name as Chase fumbles with the phone scrambling for the mute button.
"Chase!" She calls out.
"One second Aunt Margie." He's says looking pointedly at Mary who slaps her hand over her mouth as Marjorie voice shrieks through the phone.
"What the heck is going on? What is Mary talking about? What about Wellington?" Chase's face looks panicked he'd hoped she hadn't heard that but of course she had it was just that kind of day.
"Wellington is fine" He lies as as Marjorie continues to drill him.
"Then what is Mary's talking about doctors?"
Chase fumbles in his brain trying desperately to respond to Mary who was now miming her questions and his Aunt who was screaming through the phone.
"Nothing Aunt Margie." At the same moment Wellington and Lesley enter the waiting room. Lesley in Wellingtons arms still sobbing as Wellington begins to explain to Mary.
"They've taken the baby up for more tests...." His voice trailing off as Chase clenches his face and waves them away.
"Chase! Was that Wellington? What baby? Testing? I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now youngman!" She chides making Chase feel as he did when he was twelve.
"Nothing Aunt Margie! One of Mary's workers kid got hurt and he was just helping out." He fills in smoothly stepping further away from the cluster. Marjorie looks at the phone knowing her nephew was lying.
"If Mary's worker was hurt what does she need with Wellington?" Chase looks out the window and says a silent prayer as tries to maneuver his way through the sudden crap storm.
"We were having lunch Mary was alone and we drove him." Marjorie taps the table top with her finger weighing his words then decides to cut to the point.
"What's really going on Chase?" Chase rolls his eyes to the ceiling wishing he'd been quicker with his phone. Wellington looks at Lesley nodding his head toward Chase. Mary and Lesley look at each other and Mary shrugs.
"You may as well tell her besides I don't think it's fair to put Chase in this any deeper than he already is." Lesley nods in agreement turning her attention back to Wellington.
"Grandma's right. Besides I can deal better with your Mom right now than mine." Wellington nods in agreement then walks towards his cousin who's beginning to look as flustered as he sounded.
"It's exactly what I told you..." Chase starts again but is cut off again by Marjorie's relentless barrage of questions. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply waiting for a moment to interrupt her monologue. Wellington grins a little half smile remembering the days when they were kids and his mother would just talk them into confession. He taps Chase's shoulder and waves to him to to give him the phone nodding his head in the affirmative.
"Hold on please?"
Chase looks at him brow raised while Wellington nods waving to him again. Chase shrugs and hands him the phone and walks toward Lesley leaving his cousin to his mother and thankful for it.
"Hey Mom it's me." Marjorie's finger stops tapping out it's rhythm the tone of Wellington's voice getting her full attention.
"What's going on Welly? Are you hurt?" Her emotion quickly shifting into mother mode. Wellington takes a deep breath looking back towards Lesley and rushes on.
"I'm fine. Do you think you could meet me right now? I need to talk to you." Marjorie's stomach lurches as a feelings of pure fear and dread crept through the phone.
"Sure honey. You just tell me where you are and I'll be right there." She says closing her files then shutting down her computer as she talks.
"I'm at the hospital in the ER waiting room, and just you Ma. No one else please." He pleads. Marjorie stops mid motion her heart skipping a beat.
"I'm on my way." She closes her laptop sliding it back in the drawer then hurries towards the door. Wellington ends the call and walks back towards the small group handing the phone back to Chase. Lesley looks up at him her eyes swollen from her tears and reaches out for his hand as he slides in the chair beside her.
"She's on her way." He sighs leaning his head against the back of the chair.
"Are you sure you want to do this now?"
Mary reaches over and pats his knee then gives it a little squeeze.
"Honey, it has to be done. You may as well just rip the band aid off and get it over with it's going to hurt either way." Lesley sighs sitting upright in the chair dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"You sure you want to do this Grandma?" She reaches out taking both her hand in hers.
"Don't worry about me. I know how to handle my own daughter and your father. It's fine honey I promise you, Margie and I can handle the family. When the time comes you and Wellington go upstairs and fight for your son okay. She and I can take care of the rest." She says reaching over and kissing her check then hugging her.
"And congratulation Daddy." She says patting his knee and smiling.
"Thank Ms.Graves" He smiles sheepishly his cheeks blushing slightly.
"So what's my Great-Grandsons name?" She laughs. Lesley smiles reaching in her purse and pulling out her wallet.
"I named him Jamie well, actually James after Great-grand Dad." making Mary's smile from ear to ear and melting her heart.
"Your Grandfather will be so happy when I you tell him" She says leaning over giving her a quick hug. Lesley smiles back reaching for her purse in the chair next to her and rummaging through its contents.
"I have tons of pictures you want to see?" She says pulling out a small photo album from her purse. Wellington drops her hand from his glares at her a moment then stands and walks to the window. Case stares after him then looks to Lesley.
"I'll talk to him." He rises from the chair following after him. Lesley looks over to Wellington who's visibly angry then back to her Grandmother.
"In between the fear and the hurt he's just so angry." Mary looks at her granddaughter shakes her head and sighs.
"Can you blame him? You stole years of time he could have had with his child and all you can offer him are pictures. Then when you do finally tell him he finds out there's a possibility the first time he see's him could be his last. Of course he's angry. I'm angry!" She half shouts.
"If you weren't a grown woman Id take you over my knee! I still might!"  She chastises then sighs.
"Honey, what would make you do such a thing?"
" I was afraid Grandma."
"Why would you be so afraid that you would hide your child from your family? Are we all so terrible?" She looks at her, her eyes pleading and confused.
"Not all of you. Especially not you and Grandpa. It wasn't just about our family. I had..." She stops looking up at Wellington.
"Other things to consider too. I just wanted to keep my son safe."  She mumbles looking over at Wellington again. Mary follows the direction of her glance and pats her leg.
"I know you did honey." She puts her arms around Lesley's shoulders and pulls her to her.
"Now, tell me everything and start from the beginning and don't leave anything out. Lesley nods in agreement laying her head on her Grandmothers shoulder and letting her tale unravel freely.
Wellington glances over at Lesley and Mary with Lesley curled up on her shoulder and sighs heavily. He turns away then slumps into the chair behind him holding his chin on his palm staring mindlessly out the window.
"I need to pull it together I can't think about all this right now!" He pushes off the chair and paces the space between the row of chairs and the window then stops infront of Chase.
"Two years Chase! She took out that little photo album and I realized all I'll ever have of that time are pictures! Just a reflection of someone else's memory." He looks down at Chase his face etched in pain almost in tears.
"How could she do that to me Chase? How could she hide my child from me? Just not tell me. Like it never happened." He snaps his fingers spinning back toward the window and peering out. Chase pushes up from the chair and walks behind him laying his hand gently on his back.
"I'm not making excuses for her believe me but Lola did try to kill you!" Wellington closes his eyes and hangs his head remembering the weeks that followed after the night he'd left Lola.
"Of course I remember! Lola was a mess after Juliet died"
"A mess?" Chase laugh bitterly and shakes his head.
"She tried to run you over with her car! I can't blame Lesley for being afraid. Lola was always crazy jealous of Les. Lesley was going to have your child why wouldn't she think Lola would be coming after her next?" Wellington turns to face him then leans back against the radiator arms folded across his chest.
"Okay that explains part of it? What about after when Lola was gone what about then?" Chase shakes his head unable to answer his question.
"I don't know." He shrugs.
"That's a discussion you two are going have to have. I'm just saying it was a scary time cut her a little slack okay?" Wellington nods in agreement putting his anger back in check for now.
"Besides you have a little guy up stairs that's going to need his Dad." He says making his cousin smile with pride.  "Secondly, your Mom is going to be here any minute I really don't think this is the time to get into it. Right now you and Lesley need to be a united front."  Wellington nods again pushing himself off the radiator and walking back towards Lesley and Mary just as Marjorie comes through the entrance calling his name. He looks at Chase then squares his shoulders.
"Here we go" He sighs heavily before crossing the room to greet her just as Erin comes into the waiting room.
"Hey Mom, one second." He says diverting his attention to Lesley, Erin and Mary leaving Marjorie bewildered and staring after him.
"Chase, what going on?" She whispers turning towards him as Chase strains to hear what Erin was saying.
 "We've got him in his room and you guys can come with me." She beckons Lesley and Wellington towards the exist. They both hesitate a moment looking back at her Grandmother.
"It's okay you go. Chase and I will explain." She says with a wave of her hand. Lesley smiles mouthing "thank you" and follows Erin, Wellington behind her. Marjorie looks from one to the other feeling frightened and confused by what was happening she reaches out grasping Wellington's sleeve as he passes and pulling him to her.
"Explain what? Wellington?" She says her eyes searching his pleading. Wellington holds her hand a moment kisses her cheek then moves down the hall.
"I have to go Mom but Mary and Chase will explain everything and I'll be back as soon as I can." He calls over his shoulder as he hastens to catch up to Lesley and Erin leaving Marjorie staring after them mouth agape.
  


Harbinger Falls Copyright 2014