True and Eternal Pt. 02

Ok here we go.

Again and always I will thank jacuzzigal for all the help she gives me and for her eternal patience with a dumb writer like me.

And a warning no sex in here.

Enjoy!

*

"But I knew we would face it always together," I said. I tore my eyes from Lisa's face and looked to her mother, Amanda. This was our last chance.

Twelve, almost thirteen, she was falling in with the wrong crowd. Getting into fights. There was even rumors that she was sexually active.

And I knew whom to blame. Father. I was going to end up killing the sonofabitch. He never showed her enough love. She was trying to get the attention she needed. So in council together, Amanda, Andy and I decided to tell her the truth. Maybe if she knows that I am her dad then we can win her back, we thought. So I told our tale.

(I left out the graphic sex, you perverts; I was trying to help her, not scar her for life.)

"What are you saying? That you had an affair with my mother? That you are my biological father?" I could tell that Lisa thought we were lying.

"Lisa Hon," Andy broke in, "It was never an affair. It still isn't. And yes it's still going on. Alex fathered not only you but your three siblings...and the baby that your mother is now carrying too."

Well, I wish that Andy or Amanda had told ME that before we came in here.

I sat back on the coach in my home office as Andy pulled out a stack of folders and continued.

"Here look for yourself. We had DNA tests done every time. And not just on Amanda's children but mine as well. You are my husband's daughter." She motioned to our eldest son, Michael. "You two are not just cousins but brother and sister."

Michael. No one could ever read him. Right now he was leaning back in my chair, just taking it all in. What did he think? Did he feel betrayed? Hurt? I knew I had to talk to him but Lisa was the worry right now.

"Baby," it felt so good to finally be able to call her that, "I know that you are going through a bad time. But we had to let you know that you have a real parent, not just that bastard 'Father' of yours."

"Alex--" Amanda started but I cut her off.

"What? Look what he has done to her! You should have left him long ago. But I let you talk me into letting you stay. But he's killing her! His is supposed to be her Daddy not 'Father'," I spit the words out. "Even the Hayes's adopted kids call Eddie Daddy. 'But I must be respected!' Fuck him! And fuck his perfectionist bastard opinions and his entire fucken life. You should have let me go when I wanted to beat him into a pulp after the recital Andy, that would have fixed all of this."

"Recital?" Lisa's question stopped my rant.

"Remember when you were 5, honey?" responded Andy. "Your first piano recital?"

"Yes. Father said that he was wasting money on me because I couldn't get the piece right." Lisa looked at me, and then her eyes went wide. I guess my anger was coming to the front.

"Get the piece right? Get the piece right! YOU WERE FIVE! God who cares if you are a concerto at five! I didn't! All I cared about was how proud I was of you!"

"You were proud of me?" This girl could keep me in line, my rants cut off with just a whisper of her sweet innocent voice. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the sisters give each other a knowing look, but I had to press on with Lisa. I had to let her know.

Grabbing her hands in mine I looked Lisa directly in the eyes, hoping my joy and pride would be evident.

"Oh yes baby! You were just five but you took that stage! When I watch the DVD I have of it I just well up! Here is my daughter. She just marches up on that stage and announces--no DECLARES--what piece she is going to play. You owned that stage! You were so confident and commanding!"

"They never sold DVD's of that concert Dad," Michael broke in. His voice calm and cool. He's going to be a lawyer, if his baseball dreams don't pan out.

"Alex hired several videographers to record it Michael." Amanda said. "Just like he does for your games, and Lisa's"

"You recorded my softball games?" There was something in Lisa's voice. I hoped that it was some joy, but I couldn't tell.

"Oh yes he did, and he had started to record your basketball games too. He collects all the trophies and little prizes from all his children," Andy responded, waving at my treasure wall full of the achievements of Michael and his 'full' sister Kathy.

"Nothing of mine is up there." She was still fighting us. She knew that the papers said what we said they did. She was my child.

"Alex, open the safe" Andy said. She looked at me. I could see that she thought we had her.

I went to one shelf and moved it back, revealing a wall safe. A converted gun safe, I kept my 'treasured' items in there.

I opened it and took out one neatly packed crate of stuff. I came back to the sofa and sat next to Lisa. Then I started to pull out what was inside.

"I have copies of all your report cards. And that award letter you got in the first grade for that drawing you did. And here are the DVDs of your sports games and your recitals and--"

"What's this?" Lisa asked, holding up softball in a protective case.

"Your first homerun, Lisa. We were there. Remember? After you all left, and after I calmed Alex down from wanted to kill Thomas over the chewing out he gave you for 'losing' his ball, we went back to the field. Alex searched there all night until he found it off the left side."

"It wasn't a homerun, just a miscall in a game," piped up Michael. Yeah, he'll be a high-class lawyer, I thought.

"Hey, she ran the bases and got the score. That's all that I cared about!" I chuckled, remembering that night. "I remember you, Andy, explaining to that cop that I was going to find my kid's first homerun ball if it was 3am or raining or what."

"No that wasn't a rain, it was a deluge! But you still searched. And you found it. You were so happy! And Lisa you DO have a place on the wall. Notice how there are some strange gaps in the awards? Look." Andy took the ball from Lisa's hands and placed it among Michael's awards. It filled the hole perfectly.

"Alex has always kept a place here for you, Lane, Kelly and the rest."

"But why would you do that? I don't deserve that! I'm not that go--"

"No you are! You are MY CHILD! I love you. I helped conceive you! I was there in the room as your mother gave birth! Your 'Father"," hate and spit filled my mouth at the word, "was too busy with a golf game. I was at the game too but I left to be there. I have always and will always be there for you."

"You, you're my father?" Tears began to form in her eyes.

"No, Lisa," answered Andy. I noticed that she and Amanda were holding hands; we could all feel that this was it.

"He not 'Father', he's your--" started Amanda, but Lisa shocked us all.

"Daddy?"

The tears flowed from me. I gripped my little girl and held on for dear life.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, I love you daddy." She couldn't stop, and I didn't want her to as we clung at each other. Soon I could feel the tearful embraces of Andy and Amanda.

We had won. She was back. And I was never going to let her go again. She needed my love and she would always get it.

A clearing of the throat brought us all back to reality.

"Well this is interesting," Michael said. Oh no, I thought, here it comes. It was risky bringing him in here, but I felt if Lisa was to know then I owed it to him to tell him as well.

"Mom you say you started all of this? Oh your own?"

Andy nodded; she knew that he could break us all. I could tell her heart was breaking.

"And Dad, you love Mom still?"

"With all my heart, son. I just love your aunt too."

"And me?"

"Oh I have always loved you! Ever since I found out you were growing in your mother I have loved you. You are my child too, and that in and of itself makes you special to me."

"Ok then," he shifted in the chair. "Mom you are going to be at that trial Monday, right?"

Confused, Andy answered, "Yes. But what does this have to do--"

"Well Dad is going to be in business meetings all day so I guess Moms here will have to pick me up from school after third period."

Moms? Where did that come from? What was happening?

"What do you mean, son?" I asked.

"Well Robert Keller has been telling everyone in gym class about his exploits with Lisa here and well," he looked at me and smiled an evil grin, "No one talks about my sister like that."

Laughing, I rushed from our little group and embraced my son. I could see Lisa staring at us as we laughed and hugged. I reached out my arm and she came running to us. Michael and I both embraced her.

"Hello Sis!" Michael gasped.

"Hello Bro!" Such a simple exchange, but I could tell by the sounds of their voices and the tears in their eyes that the love was there. I wrapped my arms around my eldest and asked God for his help.

Then a gasp came from Amanda.

Turning to her I could see part her at what she was looking at. Three sets of eyes were in the crack of the door.

No, I told them to go to bed. This was supposed to be a sleepover for them. They couldn't handle this, they were too young! This was hard enough for Andy, Amanda and I to handle. Michael and Lisa were going to have a time dealing with all of this. And now the young ones?

Then a war hoop came from Lane as he charged into the room straight at me. Kelly and Kathy stood at the door in their nightgowns; their mouths open in a gasp.

"Daddy!" Well, no one ever said Lane was reserved, I thought. He leapt into my arms and started to kiss me. "I knew it! I knew it!" he shouted to Michael.

"Knew what, squirt?" They had always been playful with each other.

"That you are my brother!"

"That means--" Kathy looked at Kelly.

"That we're--", Kelly responded, born on the same day and with in an hour of each other they were my 'twins'. And as they grew up they had become best friends. And now they know that they were--

"SISTERS!!!" Ever have two hyper eight year olds go nuts in your house? Welcome to my world.

They hugged each other and then tackled their aunts. We all hugged and told each other that we loved each and every one of us.

Everyone got quiet when Amanda and I proclaimed our love and kissed. Kathy and Michael looked to their mother. Andy smiled and reached for me when my kiss with her sister broke and kissed me too.

"Well I think it worked out!" Andy was always so good at stating the obvious.

"Well I would have done better without Amanda's little surprise," I winked at her. "But yeah, we did good."

I ruffled Lisa's hair; she was smiling at me like a little child. I had gotten through.

"Ah Alex. I have a surprise too," Andy said.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant." Everyone was stunned "I thought that since Amanda and I had such luck getting pregnant together and since both of my babies were born around hers that I would have my last when she did."

I knew that she was looking at me trying to see if I was mad. But I couldn't be mad. I was going to be a daddy again. Twice! I went to Andy and held her. Amanda soon joined in on our hug.

Then the strangest and most wonderful thing happened. My kids hugged all three of us. There I was, surrounded by those I loved and love me.

Everything was all right. Everything will be good. Tomorrow we would have to sit them all down and set up the rules but for now.

For now all was good.

Chapter 5

The squeal of the brakes echoed down the suburbs.

"Got out of the way you damn mutt!" Terror was gripping me. Making me reckless.

Just a little while ago, I was at work, finishing up some things, when I got a call on my cell. I didn't want to answer but when I saw the number, I knew something was wrong.

It was Amanda's home number.

"Hello?"

"Daddy? Please, you have to get here." It was Lane. Amanda's eldest son and my third born.

"Lane what are you doing? You can't be calling me and talking to me like--"

"Daddy please--" There was a crash in the background and then I could hear the phone being dropped. I could hear screaming and yelling in the background but I couldn't make anything out.

After trying to get Lane on the phone for a second I hung up the cell and ran out. Just before the stray had ran across the road in a sorry attempt to commit suicide by my Maybach Exelero, I had called Andy and told her to wake up Michael and get over to Amanda's place.

I gunned the engine and raced to Amanda's. I didn't try to find a parking space or even turn the car off, I just ran over some of Thomas's cheap lawn ornaments and took it out of gear before I raced out to the front door

Lane opened the door as I bounded up the steps. Even in the dark I could see the tears that stained his cheeks.

"Daddy, he's scaring us. Mommy and Father have been fighting for so long! And Lisa is in there now. Please do something!"

I was about to say something when a loud crash stopped me. Lane got out of my way and went to the stairs. As I passed him, I could see Kathy, Mel, and even little Evan huddled and watching me. I could see the fear and worry in their eyes.

Later, I would blame it all on the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins, to the worry and fear that had taken hold. But right then, all I could do was remember back to when I was a child of around ten at my grandparents. I was trying to leave the house behind one of my cousins and he slammed the door, not knowing I was there. I had a glass in my hand and the door knocked it out of my grip. I have always remembered watching it slowly fall to the ground then shatter. It was like one of those old slow motion flicks. I didn't know then that it took just a fraction of a second to fall, because it seemed to take a lifetime.

I was experiencing that again as I came around the corner to the room.

Step. I saw Amanda lying on the floor. The side of her face was battered.

Step. I could feel the rage build in me. I could see the left side of her face; her eye was already blackening. A blue discoloration was forming on her cheek. My mind went blazing hot with rage as I saw a trickle of blood coming from her mouth.

You know, there are times when you think to yourself: "This is it, this is as bad or as mad or as horrible as it gets". Then God himself takes it up on himself to prove you wrong. This was one of those times.

Step. I rounded the corner into Thomas's study, just in time to see Lisa's head snap back as he backhanded her.

Everything went red.

The next thing that I was actually aware of was Michael and Andy dragging me off of Thomas.

Man, someone did a number on him. His face was busted, both eyes were blackening and he was bleeding from his mouth and nose. I even think a tooth was missing.

It was then that I realized that "someone" was me. I could hear a crunching of glass and I looked down. I had just stepped on the remains of his whiskey glass. I must have broken it as well. Regaining my senses I looked around the room. A hurricane had hit it. The desk was over turned, his chair smashed. The oak bookcase had been busted, it's contents fallen into the floor. Michael moved the remains of a computer screen and sat up one of the few remaining chairs up and tried to get me into it.

"No." Andy looked at me, I couldn't tell if she was still ill from the flu or she was this pale from fear. I had never exploded like that before.

I have never had a reason before.

I took a breath and slowly exhaled it. I was trying to decide what to do. Then Thomas spoke.

"What, what the hell are you doing you stupid fuc--", his words were slurred; he had been drinking. Then again as I looked back at him, he might be slurring because of his injuries.

"You get the hell out of here you wimp before I kick your ass. I need to teach that bitch not to back talk me. Uppity little cunt! I could have pulled out."

Well that made it easy on me. I looked back at everyone that I cared about. Amanda and Lisa were holding each other on the floor. Andy was watching me, her hand clutching at her stomach. I knew she was sick and in pain but I couldn't deal with that at the moment. Mentally I made a note to make her go to the doctor first thing tomorrow.

And Michael, reliable Michael, he was waiting for me.

"Michael, get your brothers and sisters together, pack some clothes for them and get them out to your mother's van."

"Ah Dad," he said tentatively. I could see it in his face. I had just broken the first rule. I didn't care.

"Michael, I don't care. Get Lane to help you." I turned to my wife, "Andy can you help Amanda pack? She is leaving and staying with us."

Andy just nodded. Grimacing with pain--yes we are going to the doctor tomorrow, damn the costs--she went to Amanda and helped her up. I went to Lisa and helped her.

"But. . .but, Alex?" Amanda stammered. But this was over. After getting Lisa to her feet, I went to Amanda, cupping her face in my hands. Then I really broke every rule.

I kissed her on the lips. I could taste her blood, I could feel her tremble, but I could also tell that my kiss was calming her down.

"What the--" Thomas was catching up. He tried to rise but quickly lost his footing and fell. I had done a job on him. I knew that there would be legal problems but right then I did not care.

"Shut up." I was almost surprised when I said that. Until that point, no matter what I achieve personally, I had been passive around him. No more. Both of us knew things had changed. He was sobering up quickly and I wanted everyone out of here before he was. I wanted time with him alone.

I turned to Lisa. "Lisa honey, are you hurt bad?" I could see a bruise on her cheek. "Let Daddy kiss that, I will make it all better baby."

I kissed my little girl on the cheek, and when I broke the kiss and looked at her I could see that she was no longer afraid.

"Lisa, get some things together for yourself, then help your brother with the kids ok?"

She just nodded at me. I let her pass me and watched as her and Michael left. Michael gave me one last worried glace back before he left but a nod from me seemed to give him courage. Amanda and Andy followed not long after.

"What the hell? Brother? He's her cousin you stupid--", I guess he still didn't get it. I turned to him and let him in on the secret in no uncertain terms.

"I have been sleeping with your wife for about 15 years now, you pathetic worm."

It took a second but I could tell it eventually got there.

"You sonofabitch, I knew you were just a fucken gigolo. You ain't taken my kids though." He tried to stand. "Those bastards are--"

I shoved him back down. "You want another beating? Those kids are mine. Every one of them. I even have the DNA proof. The eldest three know this. I think the other two do too, they just don't know how to tell me. Or you."

"You, you cuckolded me?" His face was going pale.

"No, ironically no. You know, I didn't know what that word meant until last year? Lisa found it in her sexuality class in school. Came to me to ask if that was what I was doing." I kneeled down and looked at Thomas. "But you see, to cuckold a husband, he has to be a LOVING husband. You can't cuckold an adulterer. Or a man with just a trophy wife. Or an abuser."

"I never--"

I slapped him hard across the face.

"Shut up. Do I think you were sleeping around? Nah you're not that good. You would have to brag about it, shmuck. But did you ever really care about Amanda? Seems you just wanted a little hottie to show off to your friends." I leaned forward to him, my voice becoming low and conspirical in tone.

"Did you know most of them tried to get her into their bed? It didn't matter if it was before Lisa's birth, or during the time she was showing with Mel or now. Hell, you know those two assholes you golf with? Eric and Lance? They have a bet going on who will get to fuck her first. They even tried to get me in on it. Little did they know that I had made love to her that morning. That night as we laid in each other's arms, I told her about their bet and we laughed for a long, long time. She even told me that I should take them up on it cause she could use some spending cash."