Fanfic: A matter of family
A matter of family
By Marea67
About: Kevin, Scotty, family.
Rate: G
Disclaimer: Written with love not for money.
Summary: FUTURE-FIC - Olivia remembers the love-letter Kevin once gave Scotty (in Gave it my best try)
*****
My beloved Scotty.
I love you. With all my heart, my mind, my body and my soul.
These conditions are non-negotiable.
With all my love,
Kevin
*****
Olivia folds the piece of paper up and puts it back in Scotty’s wallet. Scotty had told her to take some money out of his wallet and pay for the pizza they had ordered, but much to her surprise, in checking for money, she had found that old piece of paper. Still there, after all these years.
It had been there years ago, when she had stolen Scotty’s wallet and had ran off to her room. There hadn’t been much money in it. And she remembers sitting on her bed and going through every little secret that Scotty kept in his wallet. And she had run into this silly little letter.
‘These terms are non-negotiable.’ She can still remember how ridiculous those words had sounded to her. Who says something silly like that? Non-negotiable? Weren’t love-letters supposed to be about blue eyes, sun, flowers, the sky and, you know,… love? He’s a lawyer, good with words. Why would Kevin write something so stupid?
Of course, once older she had realized how ‘non-negotiable’ Kevin’s love would be. It was unconditional and always there. For Scotty, for her, for Daniel, for Elizabeth, for his family, for his friends. She had come from a place without much love to a home where she’d always know that, no matter how much she had screwed up, there would be someone there for her.
Not that she had screwed up much in her life. She had done quite well actually. Once she had dealt with her inability to read, learning had become fun instead of a chore. With Paige’s help, she had managed to catch up on her studies in one year. After that, going to business-school had almost been a must for her.
She had three dreams that she wanted to make true. Her first dream had been to work with Scotty. And she had fulfilled that one. She now works with Scotty in his restaurant, dealing with the daily running of the place, so Scotty can focus completely on his cooking and he no longer has to worry about the management.
“When are our husbands supposed to be home?” Scotty asks.
“Don’t know, dad. There was not even a message on how the case went.”
“Well, if our husbands can’t win this case….” Scotty smiles.
“I know, … no one can…” Olivia laughs. At that moment the door opens and she turns around.
Her second dream had been to meet the man of her dreams. And she had. Through Kevin. First time she had met him, she was only 14 and he just 18. He, a young man, with a dream to become a lawyer and who needed Kevin’s help. She, a young girl, with her head still in the clouds.
They had nothing in common, until, ten years later, it had all changed. It was like they had suddenly seen each other for the first time, even though they had met each other so many times before, but this time things had been different. One look, that was all it took, and everything had fallen in place for them.
As if he had suddenly realized that she was no longer a little 14 year old girl, but had blossomed into a beautiful and confident lady. And she had suddenly not seen him anymore as a bookworm, more interested in the law, than in the world around him, but as the attractive and intelligent man he had become.
“You guys are home.” Olivia sighs with relief. “How did it go?” Both her father and her husband give her a look of doom and gloom and her shoulders sink. “Oh, no. You failed?” She can’t believe it. Then a large smile appears on her husband’s face and she realizes that both men have been fooling her. She punches her hubby in the arm.
“Bastard!” She scolds, but she laughs nonetheless. “You shouldn’t give me such a shock, and in my position.” She reminds him, letting her hand caress her big belly. Her third wish had been to become a mother. And she had done that too. Well, almost, because she had 2 more weeks to go, before the baby would show itself.
“Well, Mrs Paresa,…” Her husband, Mateo, smiles at her. “You shouldn’t have doubted your dad…”
“… Or your husband…” Kevin places a kiss on his daughter’s cheek, before turning to Scotty. “That son-in-law of ours made a plea that left the entire courtroom in tears and knocked over the competition.”
“Learned from the best.” Mateo gives the compliment back to his father-in-law. Kevin joins Scotty at the dinner-table to help him set up the table. Mateo rubs Olivia’s back.
“I can’t wait…” He sighs, letting his hand slide over her belly. She smiles. “You know that I love you, right? And that I can’t wait to be a dad? And that I will do better than yours or mine did?”
She doesn’t doubt it. Neither of them may have had a good example at home, but they had a good examples from people like Kevin, Scotty, Justin, Seth, Chad and Jason.
“Will you love us?” Olivia asks quietly. She has asked him so many times before, but they both know that need for confirmation comes from a loveless childhood.
“I will. Always. I promise.” Mateo whispers in her hair.
“It’s non-negotiable?” She asks with a little smile.
“What a strange way of saying that…” Mateo grins. “But no, I’m not going to negotiate. I love you both. Unconditionally.”
“Will you ever write me a love-letter?”
“I’m not good with words of love, you know that.” Mateo says quietly. And Olivia laughs softly.
“I don’t think that Kevin ever was either. Just write it in your own words and I will take it.”
“Dinner is ready.” Scotty says and Mateo is at the table before Olivia is, to get her chair, but, in the middle of the room, Olivia stops and gasps in pain.
“Princess?” Scotty asks.
“Liv?” Kevin’s concern is immediately apparent.
“The baby?” Mateo asks.
“He or she wants out, I think.” Olivia says in a tiny voice.
“We’re right here, hon, we’ll get you to the hospital.” Kevin says. They have rehearsed this. They all know what to do.
*****
“Isn’t she just the most beautiful little girl in the world?” Mateo asks, in tears, as tiny little fingers powerlessly grab his finger.
“She sure is.” Kevin sighs, looking down proudly on his grand-daughter.
“Where’s Scotty?” Mateo asks.
“Keeping the family away. We’ll change places in about 10 minutes, so he can have another look at this little grand-daughter again as well… I can’t get enough of looking at her.”
“Me neither.” Mateo sighs, holding his daughter close to his body.
“How’s Liv?” Kevin asks.
“Doctor and nurses are with her now. Once she’s checked up and given some clean clothes, we can go back to her… She was amazing.”
“Must have been.”
Kevin and Mateo quietly look at the baby in Mateo’s arms.
“Do you know what she asked me last night? If I would ever write her a love-letter… But how could I ever put this into words? How can I tell her what she means to me? After all that she had done for me and after giving birth to this precious baby?…. There are no words.”
Kevin remains quiet for a moment.
“Well, if ever you do write her letter, make it in your own words…. I remember that I once tried to write one as well, but every word felt so shallow. And so I wrote Scotty that I love him with everything I had and that it was non-negotiable.
And I never did negotiate my feelings for him. I’ve always loved him. Even in the worst of times,… I loved him with everything I had and with everything I am. I may have doubted his love for me, but … I never doubted that I loved him…” There’s no drama to his words. He’s just stating the facts as he sees them.
Mateo looks at Kevin, wondering how he can still discovers depths he never knew to this man, in who’s house he has lived for so long and who he has worked with for quite some time. Looking at his beautiful daughter he realizes that there’s still so much in life that he doesn’t know.
“They’re coming….” Scotty sighs, as if he’s warning them for the arrival of the Vikings. He has joined Kevin and Mateo to be able to give his grand-daughter one last look.
“I can handle them…” Mateo tries to laugh and with the two new grand-fathers, he walks over to Olivia’s room and Olivia immediately wants to hold her daughter.
“Enjoy it while you can, the rest of the stampede is coming up.” Scotty warns with a smile. She laughs tiredly and she looks down at the beautiful little girl in her arms. The elevator-doors open. She knows that soon they will all be there. Just to see her beautiful daughter.
Nora of course. Sarah, Paige and Cooper won’t be far behind. Kitty and her family would still be on their way from one side of LA to the other, especially at this hour. Tommy will catch a plan in Phoenix, as soon as he can, to see his brother’s first grand-child.
And she knows that Justin and Tyler will join them too as soon as their replacements have arrived. Bertha will be over the moon and she’s sure that Wally will come over from San Francisco. Her brother Brian is overseas, back in the army, so he won’t be able to join her, but she’s sure she’ll be on his mind.
And there will of course be her brother Daniel and her sister Elizabeth who can’t wait to meet their new niece. She knows that all will be with her soon enough. And it’s knowing that this entire group of people will be there regardless of what, that makes her smile a peaceful smile.
She remembers the times where there was no one who cared whether she would live or die and though she can see why Kevin and Scotty can sometimes still consider their family a nuisance, to her, they are the best thing that ever happened to her.
“I can’t wait to see them…”
They hear Nora’s voice in the distance.
“Not more than two at the same time in her room. I don’t want her to get too tired…” Kevin takes charge, making sure that his daughter is not drowning in all the attention put upon her.
Scotty turns to Mateo to ask him something, when he notices that Mateo looks exhausted and about to pass out. He takes Mateo’s arm.
“Come on. Let Kevin deal with his family. And you and I get some food into you. When was the last time you ate?”
“Too long ago…” Mateo has to admit it. He lets Scotty guide him away from Olivia and their child. In fact, he’s glad that Scotty gets him a sandwich and some coffee and that they can sit down in a quiet corner and just catch their breath for a moment.
“Feeling better?” Scotty asks, not sure if the thing that passes for a chicken-sandwich is remotely nutritional.
“Yes. Thank you.” Mateo answers tiredly. “I think I’m the happiest man in the world, right now, but also the most tired one…”
“It’s been a long day.” Scotty agrees.
“It isn’t over yet.” Mateo sighs.
“Well, Olivia has to stay in the hospital tonight. Nothing more you can do here. So, once you’re home, all you have to do is go to bed and get some sleep.”
“Not exactly. I want to get this love-letter-thing out of my mind.”
“Love-letter-thing?” Scotty asks bewildered.
“Yes. I think Olivia wants a love-letter, like the one you got from Kevin.”
“Can’t you do that later? You’ve just been through the most exhausting day of your life!”
“I know. Just… I have to get it out of my head. And it’s important to Olivia.” And the way he speaks makes it clear to Scotty, that those last words give him the most important reason.
“Can I help you?”
“No.” Mateo shakes his head. “I’ve got to do this on my own… I can do this.” Mateo sighs and Scotty knows that Mateo is right.
“Well, if you need Kevin or me.. we’re here.” Scotty offers.
*****
Of course, things didn’t go according to plan. After all the tension of the last few hours, Mateo had sat down on Kevin and Scotty’s couch. The sudden silence, the warmth in the house, the familiar scents, the memories, they had all taken over and they had searched for a release, causing Mateo to suddenly fall to pieces.
He had ended up crying in Kevin’s arms, with Scotty gently rubbing his back and both men offering words of comfort. He had cried until he was empty, then his exhaustion had taken over and he had fallen asleep, his head still on Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin and Scotty had quietly awaited that moment.
Kevin had slowly and carefully put Mateo down on the couch. Scotty had quietly put a blanket over the sleeping Mateo. Telephones got switched off to not wake him and the two men had retreated to the bedroom to let Mateo get his well-deserved rest and Mateo had slept, almost in a comatose state, for several hours.
It is 3.12 am when Mateo suddenly wakes up and he sits up. It’s quiet in the house. He wraps the blanket, that Scotty had put over him, around him and he sits down at Kevin’s desk. He turns on the desk-lamp, which gives just enough light without waking him too much.
His hands slide over the desk. How often had he not sat here, working with Kevin? He takes a sheet of paper from Kevin’s desk and he reaches for Kevin’s pen. The one Olivia had given to him for his 45th birthday. Kevin’s name is engraved in it and he’s very proud of this pen in particular.
Mateo puts the tip of the pen on the paper. He closes his eyes, for just a few seconds and he concentrates on his memory of Olivia’s face when she had seen their child for the first time. The unconditional love on her face, the unspoken promise to their daughter that she would do much better job than her own parents had done. Or his parents.
Mateo’s eyes fill with tears of joy and love. For so long, he had wanted a family of his own and now he had it. He had a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter and two wonderful fathers-in-law, and there was the Walker-clan…. He takes a deep breath and begins to write his words of love for Olivia…
THE END
By Marea67
About: Kevin, Scotty, family.
Rate: G
Disclaimer: Written with love not for money.
Summary: FUTURE-FIC - Olivia remembers the love-letter Kevin once gave Scotty (in Gave it my best try)
*****
My beloved Scotty.
I love you. With all my heart, my mind, my body and my soul.
These conditions are non-negotiable.
With all my love,
Kevin
*****
Olivia folds the piece of paper up and puts it back in Scotty’s wallet. Scotty had told her to take some money out of his wallet and pay for the pizza they had ordered, but much to her surprise, in checking for money, she had found that old piece of paper. Still there, after all these years.
It had been there years ago, when she had stolen Scotty’s wallet and had ran off to her room. There hadn’t been much money in it. And she remembers sitting on her bed and going through every little secret that Scotty kept in his wallet. And she had run into this silly little letter.
‘These terms are non-negotiable.’ She can still remember how ridiculous those words had sounded to her. Who says something silly like that? Non-negotiable? Weren’t love-letters supposed to be about blue eyes, sun, flowers, the sky and, you know,… love? He’s a lawyer, good with words. Why would Kevin write something so stupid?
Of course, once older she had realized how ‘non-negotiable’ Kevin’s love would be. It was unconditional and always there. For Scotty, for her, for Daniel, for Elizabeth, for his family, for his friends. She had come from a place without much love to a home where she’d always know that, no matter how much she had screwed up, there would be someone there for her.
Not that she had screwed up much in her life. She had done quite well actually. Once she had dealt with her inability to read, learning had become fun instead of a chore. With Paige’s help, she had managed to catch up on her studies in one year. After that, going to business-school had almost been a must for her.
She had three dreams that she wanted to make true. Her first dream had been to work with Scotty. And she had fulfilled that one. She now works with Scotty in his restaurant, dealing with the daily running of the place, so Scotty can focus completely on his cooking and he no longer has to worry about the management.
“When are our husbands supposed to be home?” Scotty asks.
“Don’t know, dad. There was not even a message on how the case went.”
“Well, if our husbands can’t win this case….” Scotty smiles.
“I know, … no one can…” Olivia laughs. At that moment the door opens and she turns around.
Her second dream had been to meet the man of her dreams. And she had. Through Kevin. First time she had met him, she was only 14 and he just 18. He, a young man, with a dream to become a lawyer and who needed Kevin’s help. She, a young girl, with her head still in the clouds.
They had nothing in common, until, ten years later, it had all changed. It was like they had suddenly seen each other for the first time, even though they had met each other so many times before, but this time things had been different. One look, that was all it took, and everything had fallen in place for them.
As if he had suddenly realized that she was no longer a little 14 year old girl, but had blossomed into a beautiful and confident lady. And she had suddenly not seen him anymore as a bookworm, more interested in the law, than in the world around him, but as the attractive and intelligent man he had become.
“You guys are home.” Olivia sighs with relief. “How did it go?” Both her father and her husband give her a look of doom and gloom and her shoulders sink. “Oh, no. You failed?” She can’t believe it. Then a large smile appears on her husband’s face and she realizes that both men have been fooling her. She punches her hubby in the arm.
“Bastard!” She scolds, but she laughs nonetheless. “You shouldn’t give me such a shock, and in my position.” She reminds him, letting her hand caress her big belly. Her third wish had been to become a mother. And she had done that too. Well, almost, because she had 2 more weeks to go, before the baby would show itself.
“Well, Mrs Paresa,…” Her husband, Mateo, smiles at her. “You shouldn’t have doubted your dad…”
“… Or your husband…” Kevin places a kiss on his daughter’s cheek, before turning to Scotty. “That son-in-law of ours made a plea that left the entire courtroom in tears and knocked over the competition.”
“Learned from the best.” Mateo gives the compliment back to his father-in-law. Kevin joins Scotty at the dinner-table to help him set up the table. Mateo rubs Olivia’s back.
“I can’t wait…” He sighs, letting his hand slide over her belly. She smiles. “You know that I love you, right? And that I can’t wait to be a dad? And that I will do better than yours or mine did?”
She doesn’t doubt it. Neither of them may have had a good example at home, but they had a good examples from people like Kevin, Scotty, Justin, Seth, Chad and Jason.
“Will you love us?” Olivia asks quietly. She has asked him so many times before, but they both know that need for confirmation comes from a loveless childhood.
“I will. Always. I promise.” Mateo whispers in her hair.
“It’s non-negotiable?” She asks with a little smile.
“What a strange way of saying that…” Mateo grins. “But no, I’m not going to negotiate. I love you both. Unconditionally.”
“Will you ever write me a love-letter?”
“I’m not good with words of love, you know that.” Mateo says quietly. And Olivia laughs softly.
“I don’t think that Kevin ever was either. Just write it in your own words and I will take it.”
“Dinner is ready.” Scotty says and Mateo is at the table before Olivia is, to get her chair, but, in the middle of the room, Olivia stops and gasps in pain.
“Princess?” Scotty asks.
“Liv?” Kevin’s concern is immediately apparent.
“The baby?” Mateo asks.
“He or she wants out, I think.” Olivia says in a tiny voice.
“We’re right here, hon, we’ll get you to the hospital.” Kevin says. They have rehearsed this. They all know what to do.
*****
“Isn’t she just the most beautiful little girl in the world?” Mateo asks, in tears, as tiny little fingers powerlessly grab his finger.
“She sure is.” Kevin sighs, looking down proudly on his grand-daughter.
“Where’s Scotty?” Mateo asks.
“Keeping the family away. We’ll change places in about 10 minutes, so he can have another look at this little grand-daughter again as well… I can’t get enough of looking at her.”
“Me neither.” Mateo sighs, holding his daughter close to his body.
“How’s Liv?” Kevin asks.
“Doctor and nurses are with her now. Once she’s checked up and given some clean clothes, we can go back to her… She was amazing.”
“Must have been.”
Kevin and Mateo quietly look at the baby in Mateo’s arms.
“Do you know what she asked me last night? If I would ever write her a love-letter… But how could I ever put this into words? How can I tell her what she means to me? After all that she had done for me and after giving birth to this precious baby?…. There are no words.”
Kevin remains quiet for a moment.
“Well, if ever you do write her letter, make it in your own words…. I remember that I once tried to write one as well, but every word felt so shallow. And so I wrote Scotty that I love him with everything I had and that it was non-negotiable.
And I never did negotiate my feelings for him. I’ve always loved him. Even in the worst of times,… I loved him with everything I had and with everything I am. I may have doubted his love for me, but … I never doubted that I loved him…” There’s no drama to his words. He’s just stating the facts as he sees them.
Mateo looks at Kevin, wondering how he can still discovers depths he never knew to this man, in who’s house he has lived for so long and who he has worked with for quite some time. Looking at his beautiful daughter he realizes that there’s still so much in life that he doesn’t know.
“They’re coming….” Scotty sighs, as if he’s warning them for the arrival of the Vikings. He has joined Kevin and Mateo to be able to give his grand-daughter one last look.
“I can handle them…” Mateo tries to laugh and with the two new grand-fathers, he walks over to Olivia’s room and Olivia immediately wants to hold her daughter.
“Enjoy it while you can, the rest of the stampede is coming up.” Scotty warns with a smile. She laughs tiredly and she looks down at the beautiful little girl in her arms. The elevator-doors open. She knows that soon they will all be there. Just to see her beautiful daughter.
Nora of course. Sarah, Paige and Cooper won’t be far behind. Kitty and her family would still be on their way from one side of LA to the other, especially at this hour. Tommy will catch a plan in Phoenix, as soon as he can, to see his brother’s first grand-child.
And she knows that Justin and Tyler will join them too as soon as their replacements have arrived. Bertha will be over the moon and she’s sure that Wally will come over from San Francisco. Her brother Brian is overseas, back in the army, so he won’t be able to join her, but she’s sure she’ll be on his mind.
And there will of course be her brother Daniel and her sister Elizabeth who can’t wait to meet their new niece. She knows that all will be with her soon enough. And it’s knowing that this entire group of people will be there regardless of what, that makes her smile a peaceful smile.
She remembers the times where there was no one who cared whether she would live or die and though she can see why Kevin and Scotty can sometimes still consider their family a nuisance, to her, they are the best thing that ever happened to her.
“I can’t wait to see them…”
They hear Nora’s voice in the distance.
“Not more than two at the same time in her room. I don’t want her to get too tired…” Kevin takes charge, making sure that his daughter is not drowning in all the attention put upon her.
Scotty turns to Mateo to ask him something, when he notices that Mateo looks exhausted and about to pass out. He takes Mateo’s arm.
“Come on. Let Kevin deal with his family. And you and I get some food into you. When was the last time you ate?”
“Too long ago…” Mateo has to admit it. He lets Scotty guide him away from Olivia and their child. In fact, he’s glad that Scotty gets him a sandwich and some coffee and that they can sit down in a quiet corner and just catch their breath for a moment.
“Feeling better?” Scotty asks, not sure if the thing that passes for a chicken-sandwich is remotely nutritional.
“Yes. Thank you.” Mateo answers tiredly. “I think I’m the happiest man in the world, right now, but also the most tired one…”
“It’s been a long day.” Scotty agrees.
“It isn’t over yet.” Mateo sighs.
“Well, Olivia has to stay in the hospital tonight. Nothing more you can do here. So, once you’re home, all you have to do is go to bed and get some sleep.”
“Not exactly. I want to get this love-letter-thing out of my mind.”
“Love-letter-thing?” Scotty asks bewildered.
“Yes. I think Olivia wants a love-letter, like the one you got from Kevin.”
“Can’t you do that later? You’ve just been through the most exhausting day of your life!”
“I know. Just… I have to get it out of my head. And it’s important to Olivia.” And the way he speaks makes it clear to Scotty, that those last words give him the most important reason.
“Can I help you?”
“No.” Mateo shakes his head. “I’ve got to do this on my own… I can do this.” Mateo sighs and Scotty knows that Mateo is right.
“Well, if you need Kevin or me.. we’re here.” Scotty offers.
*****
Of course, things didn’t go according to plan. After all the tension of the last few hours, Mateo had sat down on Kevin and Scotty’s couch. The sudden silence, the warmth in the house, the familiar scents, the memories, they had all taken over and they had searched for a release, causing Mateo to suddenly fall to pieces.
He had ended up crying in Kevin’s arms, with Scotty gently rubbing his back and both men offering words of comfort. He had cried until he was empty, then his exhaustion had taken over and he had fallen asleep, his head still on Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin and Scotty had quietly awaited that moment.
Kevin had slowly and carefully put Mateo down on the couch. Scotty had quietly put a blanket over the sleeping Mateo. Telephones got switched off to not wake him and the two men had retreated to the bedroom to let Mateo get his well-deserved rest and Mateo had slept, almost in a comatose state, for several hours.
It is 3.12 am when Mateo suddenly wakes up and he sits up. It’s quiet in the house. He wraps the blanket, that Scotty had put over him, around him and he sits down at Kevin’s desk. He turns on the desk-lamp, which gives just enough light without waking him too much.
His hands slide over the desk. How often had he not sat here, working with Kevin? He takes a sheet of paper from Kevin’s desk and he reaches for Kevin’s pen. The one Olivia had given to him for his 45th birthday. Kevin’s name is engraved in it and he’s very proud of this pen in particular.
Mateo puts the tip of the pen on the paper. He closes his eyes, for just a few seconds and he concentrates on his memory of Olivia’s face when she had seen their child for the first time. The unconditional love on her face, the unspoken promise to their daughter that she would do much better job than her own parents had done. Or his parents.
Mateo’s eyes fill with tears of joy and love. For so long, he had wanted a family of his own and now he had it. He had a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter and two wonderful fathers-in-law, and there was the Walker-clan…. He takes a deep breath and begins to write his words of love for Olivia…
THE END