Infinity Chapter 103 - Family Ties

[itztigress3]

Chapter 103 – Family Ties
POV:  Emily / Zac
Word count: 5362


November 15, 2014

   The morning started like any other morning, I woke up and after sending the dozens of messages to the agents, I erased them often without bothering to read them. Glen was not quite as deprived as Adam was in his description of what he was going to do, but I didn’t want to know how many men he was going to sell me too or how often nor did I need to know how often he’d be beating me. After that, it was usually changing Isabella’s diaper and clothes if needed and then feeding her breakfast. This morning was no different. Zac brought down the wild one with him an hour after I got up and he’d been changed and dressed and I had his oatmeal fixed and ready.

Isabella was sitting in her swing playing with a chew toy; she unlike Alexander loved her swing. Zac put Alexander in his high chair and I sat his plate down.

“What is today’s objectives?” Zac asked.

“We are due at Taylor’s house no later than 11:45. There starting the party for Ike at 12:30 and want everyone there early. After the party we drive Isabella and Alexander to Isaac’s house and then we meet Casey and Robert at Casey’s where we’re all going to your most hated place, the strip club.”

“Do we have to go to the strip club? I really don’t need to see Sean naked.”

I walked to him and used his belt loops to pull him to me. “I think it’ll be good for you to be there and in that environment. You haven’t so much as wanted to be in the room changing when Casey is around.”

He kissed my forehead. “Because the person I’d like to be with is right here in front of me.”

I kissed him. “It won’t hurt you and I’ll be there with you, worse case you can just hide in my shoulder.”

“I’ll be doing that a lot then.”

I giggled. “Ok, breakfast is on you for us. I need to change clothes.”

“Anything particular?”

“Nope, just whatever.”

I let his loops go and he adjusted the pants before he went to fix breakfast. I changed up-stairs and waited while he finished breakfast, before we ate too. While he spent time with them, I packed up their overnight bags for Isaac, including plenty of milk for her and clothes. We left the house and got there with ten minutes to spare and in time to help finish the last minute preparations before they arrived. Isaac was under the impression it was just a normal gathering. We were ready and waiting when he arrived and for once we were able to shock Isaac the point of being speechless.

“What? Did you think we’d forget?” Zac asked.

“Naa, I knew you wouldn’t but didn’t expect a party!” Isaac said.

“Come in, unwind, but don’t get too drunk because you’ll have the princess tonight.” Zac said.

Isaac laughed and the party began. It was more a social family gathering even though we knew in a few more days we’d all be together again. Penny hung out around whoever had Jasmine or Isabella, which oddly seemed to be me a lot. I briefly wondered if Christopher and Craig were in over their heads with this having kids thing. Nevertheless, I couldn’t deny they both looked pretty tired. But at 2:45 I had to find one of them because while I was good, I couldn’t feed my own and her at the same time.

“Craig!” I yelled.

It only took him a moment to find me. “What?”

“Can you take your daughter so I can get Isabella fed? She’s not too keen on me trying to feed her and hold Jasmine at the same time.”

He took her from me. “Sorry, have you had her all day?”

“I have since you arrived at 1, I think Christopher handed her over and ran from me. Not that it’s been terrible, Penny has helped.”

He sat down beside me and laid her in his lap, but I could tell something was up.

“I need to take her to a bedroom, come with me and you can lay her down.”

“I get the feeling I’m about to be ambushed but ok.”

He followed me down to one of their spare rooms and laid her down, but when I kicked the door shut, he sighed and sat down.

“What? You read me like some open book and you think I can’t you?”

I sat down and used a blanket to cover up and he raised an eyebrow. “You know there is nothing about you I haven’t seen, right?”

“I do. I also know that Ian used my lack of caring who sees as a target for Zac. Therefore, if he walks in I’d rather be covered than uncovered. Honestly, should have done that all the time anyway. I didn’t con you into coming here to talk about me though. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know Emmy; he won’t talk to me about it.”

“About what?”

“I think he regrets that we chose me to be her father. He loves her, I know he does but I heard him crying the other night and he was saying something about her not loving him. I tried to tell him that Jasmine loves him and he just won’t see it Emmy. Granted, she does better with me but I think it’s because I finally just accepted that she’s ours and I think I finally became comfortable with that idea.”

“Didn’t he want children?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“I’ll talk to him, maybe it’s something else.”

“He’s not going to talk to you either. He actually told me not to say a damn thing to you. Which, he should know is virtually impossible.”

“Only when I ambush people. Is she doing better though?”

“Oh yes, the change in formula helped greatly. She’s not as gassy and she doesn’t go through hours of crying. She’s actually done very well. She just doesn’t calm down with him.”

“I’ll sit him down and ambush him too; I owe that to him for basically handing her over and leaving. Uh, were you guys going tonight also?”

“Yes. Jacey is going to watch her for a few hours, we told her no later than 11, that way she can sleep too.”

“How does she do with her?”

“Honestly, she seems to treat it like babysitting. She fully understands that it’s not her baby at all. She did say she was doing some breast milk
thing for the hospital.”

“That’s good.”

“I think if we choose to have another one we may use her again too. Despite the scares she took care of herself and Jasmine very well.”

I smiled at him. “She’s a good woman.”

The door did open and it wasn’t just Zac, it was him and Christopher that came into the room.

“Fuck…Craig can you just not resist her?” Christopher asked.

“Don’t even go there Christopher.” Zac snapped.

Both of us looked at him somewhat shocked and I realized that Zac was pretty much dragging him into the room, so it wasn’t just a where are they kind of deal. I raised an eyebrow at my brother, confused and wondering what his problem really was. He’d ignored Zac’s comment all together.

“So…what irritated you honey?” I asked.

“Didn’t like what he was saying. Totally no more drinks for him.”

“I think I need to take Jasmine out…” Craig said.

“No. Isabella’s going to nap too I can certainly find somewhere else to go.”

He snorted to my comment and that rather surprised me, because that wasn’t a normal response. But Zac wouldn’t let him leave and once Isabella was done eating, Zac came over and he escaped.

“What did he say?”

“He saw you two walking back here and swears you’re more than just friends. He pissed me off Emily because I know Craig loves you but I also know it’s not romantic.”

“You two stay here with them, she should nap well she hasn’t today.”

“Will you be ok?” They asked.

I stood up and snorted. “I’ll be fine; I won’t guarantee my big brother will be when I’d done.”

“Well, you better run…He’s going down the street.” Craig said.

It took me a few minutes to reach the door and I caught Eliza at the end of the driveway.

“I got him.”

“No. He’s being a fucking jerk.”

I backed her away. “I have this, just stay here and make sure there ok.”

She was pissed and I presumed he’d said something to her as well, he was walking fast for sure but I caught up at the end of the street.

“Christopher Alexander!” I said.

“Don’t. Just fucking don’t.” he snapped.

“Don’t what? Chase you down while you throw some childish temper tantrum at a birthday party, you know there are plenty of babies here already Christopher, we don’t need you acting like one.”

When he turned to me I saw it, that flicker of David. However, I knew my brother wouldn’t hurt me so instead of backing away I stepped closer to him and I just waited for a few moments. He then turned and started running from me, not that it stopped me. He knew he couldn’t outrun me. He reached a small grassy patch and that’s where he stopped, assuming I hadn’t followed.

I stopped about ten feet behind him. “I chase after Alexander all day, if you think you can run from me then you have another thing coming.”

“You shouldn’t be here, just go back.”

“No. You’re going to tell me what the hell the problem is. Zac said you pretty much said I was fucking Craig, come on Christopher, you know that’s bullshit.”

He finally turned to me. “Do I know that for sure?”

“Yes. You do. Because I am married to Zac and Craig is your boyfriend.”

He just stared at me, as if I was suppose to say more and didn’t. Where or how he ever got that thought I had no idea.

“Spill it Christopher, because I have no idea why you’d think we’d be having sex, he’s gay. He’s admitted that he doesn’t find me attractive in a sexual way. So, what the fuck is the problem because I have enough shit to deal with without your petty crap.”

“I heard you when we were staying there, came down because I missed him in the bed. He was willing to make you happy even if it meant being straight to do it. He loves you.”

I hadn’t even known Christopher had been awake that morning.

“Of course me loves me Christopher, he loves me like you do. As Aaron does, like Taylor and Isaac do. He loves me as his best friend and a sister, because that’s what I am to him.”

“He’s seen you naked apparently. I heard that too not even an hour ago. I had to be fucking stupid to believe he loved me. I was just what he could get because he couldn’t have you.”

“Your ten seconds away from me blowing my top. This is bullshit and you know it. Craig is my best friend and he has been since I was 12. Of course he’s seen me naked and I’ve seen him without clothes, it doesn’t mean we’re having sex.”

“Then why the fuck did you see him? Why did he see you? What purpose did it solve? Your temper tantrums don’t scare me Emily.”

“Have the two of you never fucking talked about me? Do you know nothing about our friendship?”

“I know he apparently held you as you cried, promised to make you happy and to always be there for you.”

It wasn’t his ignorance on the topic that bothered me, it was the fact he’d waited until they’d had Jasmine to now be pissy and that just felt weird and wrong. I took a moment to calm myself down because I was very close and I didn’t want to say anything that might be regrettable in the future.

“First off you can quit staring me like David did; it won’t calm me down or get rid of me. Second, if you had a problem with our friendship you shouldn’t have pushed the idea of having a baby. He agreed to have her because you both felt it was the right decision and the right time, if you had doubts you should have never brought up the topic of babies. If you think I am going to stand by while your petty jealous behavior over nothing tears you both apart then you are beyond wrong.”

“Wasn’t a problem before.”

I folded my arms and gave him the same stare back; I wasn’t relenting on this topic. He’d been heartbroken and sad that Craig didn’t want children and now that they do have a little girl he suddenly thinks we’re more than friends? He stood there for several moments before his shoulders rather sagged, yeah my stares always work.

“I heard him talking to you that morning and the way he spoke to you and the words he said just made me think there was a lot more to your friendship then I thought. I’ve always known he would protect you and it’s why I never bothered to think he might actually love you. However, he was so willing to make you happy and yeah Emmy, he meant it. If you weren’t happy he would have married you just so you would be. It seems like you’re the first person he wants to call anytime she cries and it’s not apparent.”

“He calls me because I’m the only person he knows close by, the only friend he had when he came here.”

“He moved here for you. Let’s not pretend he didn’t.”

“I know he did, everyone knows that. However, we were teenagers when he said that Christopher, I was fourteen. The odds that I wouldn’t find someone before turning 30 were somewhat remote don’t you think? It was never a written guarantee and come on, I was crying hysterically because of David. He was there Christopher.”

“You weren’t naked there.”

“You really are stuck on that aren’t you? Didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to know that much about me?”

“I cannot imagine there would be a reason under the sun why you’d need to see him naked or why he would you accept sex.”

“Ok..if you have to know. I knew what sex was when I left, but only from Amanda’s perspective and she really couldn’t tell me shit about men. Tiffany helped but I didn’t trust her. I was curious and who else would I ask? I damn sure wasn’t going to ask any of you. I asked Craig about it. He tried to explain it and the worlds fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.”

“What words Emily?”

“I asked him to masturbate in front of me. I didn’t care if he needed porn or not, I just wanted to know. David’s lack of telling me anything just made me want to know more. It was a few times and we never touched each other.”

His face flushed the brightest red I’d ever seen on him. “You..are you…I don’t think I was ready for that answer.”

“No. The answer you expected me to say was that we’d had sex. We didn’t. Craig always knew that sex was off limits and he wanted me to feel normal around men. I watched and I let him watch and yes, Zac knows about that because Craig blabbed that I watched him at the office.”

“So when he said he’d seen you…”

“I was 19 I think the last time we did anything in the same room. We were never on the same bed and we never touched each other. I like to watch sometimes. We’re not having sex Christopher. He loves you I know he does. I really don’t think that is your problem, I think you knew it wasn’t an issue before you said anything.”

He moved over to the bench and sat down and I sat down beside him.

“It was an issue but not the only one. She hates me Emmy, every time I try to do anything she just screams and the other day he left to get formula for her, we had like 1 bottle left and I stayed at home. She woke up and wouldn’t take the bottle, just cried and there was a moment right before he got home where the thought to just shake her occurred, make her understand. Emmy that scared me. That’s some stupid shit
David would have done.”

“Did you shake her?” I asked.

“NO! I put her in her basinet and walked out of the room, which felt just as bad. Craig got home ten minutes later and he was irritated and pissed off that I wasn’t doing anything but letting her cry. I tried to calm her down. She just hates me and I guess it’s because she knows I’m not anything to her.”

“You’re her father Christopher.”

“Craig is her father.”

“Craig is her biological father but you are also her father. Babies aren’t easy to raise Christopher. Alexander and Isabella both have had their moments, Alexander prefers Zac but sometimes I can’t give him that. I think with all these issues Craig may have been right, maybe you didn’t need to have children right now.”

“I don’t want to hurt her Emmy, not like David hurt you. I’m not even talking sexually just physically.”

“You won’t. Have you tried to calm her down since the formula switch?”

“She screamed until Craig took her.”

I sighed. “I’m tired of fixing you men. But we’ve been gone long enough and you owe Craig and Zac an apology and I presume Eliza too.”

“I called her a bitch because she wouldn’t move.”

I shook my head and got up. “Come on, we need to enjoy this party.”

He rolled his eyes and got up, the walk back was quite and when we got there, it was just in time for birthday songs, cake, and ice cream. We were just about done when Natalie brought Jasmine to the front and instead of handing her to Craig, she handed her to Christopher. Since I was beside him he looked at me, she was crying. Craig brought the bottle out and was about to take her but my look changed his mind. Instead, he handed the bottle to Christopher.

“You can do this. She loves you.”

After having him adjust how he held her she settled down and was able to eat for him too. I think Craig actually looked somewhere between elated and scared. However, because they needed to talk as well they backed out of going to the club, choosing instead to take her home and talk themselves. I really was tired of fixing men.

About 5 everyone split up, Casey and Robert went home to change clothes and freshen up, Zac and I followed Isaac and Nikki home. They also agreed to take Penny, so she was riding with us and keeping Isabella company. We stayed there long enough to allow them time to be settled before saying bye to Alexander and Isabella and heading over to Casey’s.

-Zac-

I felt strange headed to a strip club whose strippers were all male. I rather wanted to just go home and take advantage of the fact that Isaac has both of our children; however, he only has them because we were taking Casey out for a while. We picked them up at the driveway and headed to the club.

“I could just drop you three off and come back.”

“What fun would that be?” Emily asked.

“You’d have them to entertain you.”

“You’re going in.” Casey said.

I rolled my eyes and finished driving us there without saying anything else. However, I refused to get out of the truck. Robert and Emily were waiting and Casey was behind me. He got out and dragged me out of the truck.

“If you don’t get a move on, I am very liable to make you move.”

“You can try. I’m just going to stand here.”

I didn’t expect it and neither Emily nor Robert said anything when he popped me. Son of a bitch! I forgot how hard he could hit.

“Let’s go.” He said.

The stinging pain shut me up and I followed them to the door. Sean had our names on the list because he knew us, so we didn’t have to pay the normal cover charge. I kept my eyes on Emily’s shoulders as we moved through and they found a group of chairs. The one pop still slightly stung. I felt like everyone in the building had turned and followed me through the building. I found a chair and immediately pulled Emily down into my lap.

“Seriously Zac? You are hiding already?” Casey asked.

“Totally hiding not even ashamed of that!”

Emily giggled but didn’t get up, instead she sat there as Casey ordered drinks and I was shocked when Max showed up with Ryan.

“Dude, you brought your wife? Geez Zac way to ruin the night.” Ryan teased.

I just buried my face in her hair.

“Hey, you guys don’t get to enjoy this without me. Where is Maddi? Cody?”

“Maddi is not feeling well; apparently she’s been pretty sick not as bad as you were but more normal. Cody stayed there with her.”

Casey just smiled and finished his drink I kept my head buried in her hair. None of us were starving but we did order small appetizer type plates and damn their hot wings were hot. Emily had gone with nachos. Strippers took the stage at eight and by then Casey, Robert, Ryan and Max were feeling good, Emily wasn’t drinking much but she did get me something strong and I was confused.

“I can drive home. I’m fine sober, you on the other hand look like you can use a strong drink.”

“Thank you.”

She ordered several and I was feeling very comfortable, not enough to get up and dance or be that open. However, enough to not feel like every single person was undressing me with his or her eyes. Although, I was certain that Casey was. When Sean walked up in the cowboy get up I was glad I was sitting, fuck that left little to the imagination.

“Gentleman and Lady, how is everything?”

“Wow are you hot.” Max said.

Ryan laughed but agreed with him. Gee Max was really open about his thoughts, but then again Ryan didn’t seem mad and he’d agreed with Max.

Emily giggled. “They don’t call him Hottie McHotpants for nothing Max. We’re good actually. Ike and Tay sends their regards but they were not up to strip clubs.”

“Didn’t think they were. Hello Zachary, I did not expect to ever see you here ever.”

Fuck! Did he have to say that so loud?! Emily laughed at him.

“I tried to tell you Hottie.”

“I see but he still looks mortified.”

“He is.” She said.

I groaned and tried to hide the redness in my face and I heard them laugh.

“If you need anything let me know. Have fun!” Sean said.

“Can we just go?” I asked Emily.

She turned and nipped my ear. “No. You are fine; no one is going to hurt you.”

“Emsss.” I whined. Yeah, it was childish but I did not want to be here!

I felt another nip. “I’m right here, hide all you want.”

I sighed and pouted at her and she just smiled. But, when Casey sat down on my other leg I was shocked. He practically laid on me, clearly he had too much to drink. I looked at Robert who was watching, smiling actually and I was so fucking confused.

“Why do you want to leave me here Zaccy?” Casey asked.

“I don’t want to leave you here, I just…”

His hand laid on my chest and he smiled. “I could ask for a private room and get you back on the stage…or maybe Max….me.”

“That’s not happening Casey. Here is fine.”

He pouted at me! I had to have drunk too much and this was all an illusion. Robert and Max swapped places and even with Casey sitting in my lap he would turn and kiss Robert, I could not totally deny that watching them was a little hot. Sean came on at 9 and by then Casey had had a little too much, but Sean’s dance routine was very arousing and with Emily on one side and Casey the other side I had no way to adjust myself or my clothes and nowhere to hide when they both looked at me. Emily leaned down and nipped my ear.

“You ok?”

At the same time, she was nipping my ear, Casey’s hand went right to my crotch and he was applying gentle soft pressure.

“Jesus Casey what the hell?” I asked.

“Nothing you don’t like.” He whispered.

“Robert is right there.”

Robert laughed. “I know exactly what he’s doing Zac.”

“I...uh…”

I had no idea what was going on but I was glad when he stopped and instead went back to watching the men come on stage, I was so confused. Casey was laying all over me and so was Emily. But, Robert didn’t seem to mind at all, in fact he would sometime lean over to kiss him but otherwise he was watching the show.

“I thought Chrissy and Craig were coming?” Casey asked.

Emily looked at him. “They were but Christopher had some issues and I told them we’d plan something again soon. They went home to be together.”

He frowned and those green eyes landed on me and I’d surely take him home with me but Robert was there and I just didn’t feel like I could be comfortable if he was there. Ryan and Max left about 10, Max was barely standing and I was sure Ryan wanted to get him undressed quickly. Casey’s head laid down on my shoulder about 10:30.

“Ready to go?” I asked.

“Are you coming with me?”

“You can’t get home without us.”

He turned and looked at Robert. “You tell me when you’ve had enough.”

“Home it is.”

Robert had to help him up and he was unsteady but I couldn’t get up, they’d been sitting in my lap for so long that I had no feeling in my legs. Emily got up and steadied Casey while Robert helped me and thought I was ok but no, the cramping pain caused me to nearly fall but Robert caught me.

“I guess with them both in your lap the legs are asleep.”

I was close to him and his arms were around me, literally holding me up. Casey only smirked and Emily just raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Sorry, I should be fine in a moment. I can feel the tingling pain with the return of blood flow.”

“Not a problem, no news crews are around.”

After a few minutes, I was able to stand up without support and we made our way outside, saying bye to Sean on the way out, he’d changed into a construction uniform and I saw Casey follow him by and giggled. Emily hadn’t drank, so she took the keys from me. I helped get Casey into the truck and then climbed in the front.

“You could have sat back here.” Casey pouted.

I forgot how adorable his pout was, how much I missed it but now he was off limits. Emily drove us to Casey’s and I kept getting feeling back in my legs still, I was sure I had an imprint of their butts on my thighs. She parked and we got out and went inside, she brought a bag inside and I wondered what it was.

“Em?”

“Pump. I pretty much have too without her. Shouldn’t take too long.”

Robert fixed drinks and Emily stayed in the back.

“Where is Ems?” Casey asked.

“Pumping, she’ll be up in about 15 to 20.”

Robert handed me the glass and I sipped it, not wanting to be too drunk when I finally got my wife alone, at home. Casey kept eyeing me and I was feeling somewhat weird about it, especially since Robert was so close, I was glad when Emily came back up about thirty minutes later but she plopped down in the chair near the door and I gave her a strange look. However, sat down on the sofa anyway, habit made me choose the middle seat. Yet when Robert and Casey sat down on either side of me I wondered if I should move.

I glanced at Emily for a moment and then realized she was relaxed back in the chair, she had no plans to leave anytime soon but there was something else in her eyes. It was Casey that leaned in first, his soft lips pressing against my neck.

It was a sudden and violent memory of being hit after we’d had sex with Ian watching that caused me to run to the bathroom. What alcohol went down did not feel good coming back up, I felt Emily’s hand on my back long before I was able to push that memory aside and sit back some.

“Baby? Are you ok?”

“You knew what he was doing. The sitting in my lap, the touching, here. Why would you do that?”

She sat down beside me and laid my head on her shoulder. “Because I was hoping you’d be able to move past what he did, but considering how you reacted I guess you’re not ready to go that far.”

“No and I told you I would tell you if I ever was.”

She kissed my forehead. “Zac, I love you. I know you miss being with him and Robert has told me many times that Casey misses you in that aspect. I told him that there was a good chance you couldn’t.”

I was just sitting there when the door opened and sure enough it was Casey, last person I wanted to see right now but he came in and sat down on the other side, he was quiet for several moments.

“It’s ok, I understand. I’m not mad or upset. I had a feeling you were going to say no based on your reaction at the club. Are you ok though?”

“I’m fine, just brought back too many memories that’s all.”

Emily kissed my forehead again. “Well, I guess we’ll head home and you and Robert can have some fun.”

He smiled some and we got up. Robert was waiting too and I ensured him I was fine and then we said our byes and left. She drove us home and neither of us bothered to turn anything on, just went up-stairs.

“Are you mad at me?” She asked.

“No.”

“You’ve been quiet since the bathroom.”

I sat down and she sat beside me. “It’s not that I don’t want too, thought about it the whole time he was in my lap. But the moment his lips touched me I remembered the beating Ian gave me afterwards.”

“But you know Ian’s not there.”

“I know. I just…it’s there. I think Robert being there is uncomfortable to me as well.”

She patted my leg. “It’s ok. They understand and so do I.”

Yet her hand came really far up my thigh and I looked at her and raised my eyebrow.

“You think I didn’t know what you wanted to do? Drop them off and come here.”

“Well, that was the plan yeah.”

“Nothing to stop you.”

I really couldn’t deny that offer either, it was still rather late when we got in bed to sleep, but as I held her I wondered if I ever would really be confident enough to go that route with them. I drifted off smelling lavender and vanilla from her hair.