Always Pt. 01

"So you see, Tiffany, mother still knows what's best for her little girl. I can't wait for the best Christmas present ever - to see this person arrested and put into jail."

There wasn't a sound in the room as all eyes were trained either on Tiffany or Mike. Tiffany's mouth fell open a her mother gave her the envelope with all the information, including pictures.

"Mother, what the hell did you do?"

"I protected my little girl. Who do you think I did this for?"

Before Tiffany could say anything, Mike began to laugh.

"What's so funny, young man? In several minutes you are going to be arrested and put in jail, hopefully for a long, long time. And you stand there and laugh?"

Calming himself, Mike began to speak. And as he spoke, his voice got louder and angrier as he went on.

"I hope you didn't pay this idiot too much money, because this is all a crock of shit. Not one thing in this report is true. It says my legal name is Mike Wilson, and that's wrong. My legal name is Michael Scott Wilson. I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, where I lived with both my parents until we moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where my folks live today, and where I lived until recently. This person is listed as being 5'8" with brown eyes and brown hair. I'm 6'2" with blue eyes and black hair. I was never a delinquent - in fact, I was the valedictorian of my high school class. I've never done drugs, never had a DUI, and never kidnapped anyone.

"And yes, I was married once, to my college sweetheart. She got pregnant and I dropped out of school my senior year so we could get married and have a stable household for our child - a beautiful little girl named Grace. My wife finished school and became a teacher. I had a factory job and we had a great life. It was difficult, but we loved each other and made it work. Then we had a son - David - three years after Grace. But I had my life torn apart when a rich, entitled bastard decided to drive drunk and blow through a red light - and t-boned my wife's car. Beth - my beautiful wife - and both my children were killed instantly, while that motherfucker walked away with only a scratch.

"For the next few years, I was living in hell, mostly of my own making. But finally I figured things out, kissed my parents goodbye, and came out here to start over and finish what I started in college. And then I met Tiffany. The sweetest, most loving person I've ever met, other than Beth.

"Being with Tiff has changed my life. She's shown me how to live again without the specter of my former life hanging over me. It's a part of me that will never go away, and she is helping me learn how to live with that. I don't give a rat's ass about your money. In fact, I didn't know she was rich until several days ago, and it still didn't make a difference. I love her for her, not her money. I'm sorry if you can't believe that, but it's the truth. I love her and I hope to spend the rest of my life with her. So you can take this pile of shit and stick it up your ass."

Furious, Mike took the envelope from Tiffany, tore it in half, threw it in Marjorie's face, and turned to leave. Everyone in the room was staring at him as if he was crazy, and nobody said a word. He stalked to the front door and slammed it shut on his way out.

After several moments, Peter stood next his mother.

"Congratulations, mother. You ruined another Christmas, you ruined your daughter's life, and you ruined a good man's reputation. I hope you're happy with yourself. Don't bother seeing us out."

Stepping outside, Peter saw a police car pulling up. Mike was around the side of the house, fuming, while Tiffany was trying to calm him down. Recognizing the police officer, Peter talked to him.

"Good afternoon, and Merry Christmas, Justin. I'm assuming you're here about the complaint my mother made?"

"Merry Christmas, Peter. Yeah, and this is really confusing. I'm supposed to arrest someone for a whole litany of crimes, but we found out this person is already in prison in Maine. So what's the story?"

While Peter began to explain what was going on, Tiffany was trying to get Mike to talk to her. He was still so incensed with her mother that he couldn't think straight.

"Who the hell does she think she is, getting a PI to look into my background? And the idiot fucked it up royally. And now I'm going to get arrested for the crimes of someone else? What a great Christmas this has been."

"Mike, please calm down so we can talk."

"Calm down? There's a cop over there just waiting to arrest me and make his day. What a scoop - arresting someone for a whole list of crimes, and on Christmas no less. No, I'm not going to calm down. Your mother is an evil bitch who deserves every bad thing coming to her."

Just then, Peter and the officer crossed the lawn to speak to Mike.

"Mike, this officer needs to speak with you. He's a friend of mine, and a former classmate, so believe it or not, he's a good guy. Just hear him out, ok?"

"Mr. Wilson, this entire affair has been a mistake from the beginning. We got the information from the PI Mrs. Harrison hired, and when we saw who it was, we knew it was trouble. This PI is horrible, and will make up evidence in order to get paid. When we checked out the names involved, we found that the person he investigated has been in prison in Maine for several years - and can't possibly be you. I was on my way over to let her know the truth, but it seems I'm a bit late. I'm sorry for any inconvenience we've caused. You are not in trouble with us or with any other law enforcement department we know of. Despite what Mrs. Harrison wants, you are not under arrest and are free to do whatever you want. Merry Christmas."

Both Mike and Tiffany were stunned into silence, when suddenly Tiffany hugged and kissed the cheek of the officer.

"Thanks, Justin. You just made my day."

"My pleasure, Tiffany. Good to see you again."

As the officer left, Peter stood with Mike and Tiffany.

"So now what do we do? I certainly don't want to go back inside."

"Neither do I, but Nessa is still in there, probably trying to pick up the pieces, so I have to."

"And I sure don't want to see any of those people anymore. Maybe we'll just go back to the hotel. Mike?"

"Let's find someplace to eat first. There must be an open restaurant someplace nearby. I haven't eaten since this morning, and what little I did eat I just threw up on the lawn."

Laughing, Tiffany took her brother into her arms for a hug.

"Peter, thank you for everything. I know we've had our ups and downs over the years, but through it all, I still loved you. You always looked out for me as best you could, and I promise to be a better sister from now on."

"It's ok, sis. I understand more than you think. But before you leave I have something for you inside. Wait here."

Several minutes passed while they waited for Peter. Soon he was back, laughing.

"You really left them a mess, Mike. Mother is sitting on the floor, with the papers you tossed at her all around her, crying that both her children hate her. Dad is in the kitchen with a bottle of bourbon. Most of the aunts and uncles are trying to calm mother down, and the cousins are being their usual bitchy selves. And Nessa is in the corner, laughing at it all. Here. Merry Christmas."

"What is this?"

"I don't know if you ever got one, but this is a copy of your trust. Read through it carefully, because I'm sure mother is going to try to wrest this away from you. Contact a lawyer if necessary, but just be ready to fight for this."

"Thanks, big brother. You're the best."

"Yeah, I know. I don't know when we'll see each other again, but let's try to stay in touch. And Mike, please take care of my baby sister. I know she seems tough on the outside, but on the inside she's a softie."

"No worries there, Peter. You're a good man and a better brother. Give Nessa a hug from us, ok?"

With that, Mike and Tiffany left her childhood home, not to return for many years.

The drive back to the hotel was quiet, as was their dinner in the hotel restaurant. Neither wanted to push the other, knowing how volatile the situation was. But back in their room, both began to relax. Sitting next to Mike on the couch, Tiffany cuddled into his side as they watched another Hallmark Christmas movie on TV. Finally Tiffany broke their silence.

"Peter told me he paid for the room for two more nights, so would you like to stay for a few more days and do some sightseeing in Seattle? I know you've never been, and since I grew up here, I'll gladly volunteer to play tour guide. How does that sound?"

Mike was quiet for a while before turning to her with a smile.

"I'd love for you to play tour guide. I've only seen parts of the city in movies and TV, so yes, I'd like that."

"Yay! There are so many places I want to show you. Thanks for helping me make this feel like a real vacation."

Laying in bed that night, Tiffany pushed her naked body next to Mike's.

"So did you really mean what you said earlier today? Do you love me?"

The question remained unanswered until Mike turned to face Tiffany.

"When I said it, I was really angry at you mother, and just wanted to say something that I knew would hurt her. Don't take that wrong - deep down, I really think I do love you, Tiff. It's just difficult for me to say it out loud - and mean it - yet. But yeah, I really meant everything else I said. Is that ok?"

Kissing him, she snuggled her body closer to his.

"Yes, Mike, it's more than ok."

Kissing once again, the couple fell into a deep and satisfying sleep.

Sometime during the night, Tiffany was woken from her sleep by a shout from Mike. Sitting up, she saw him on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily and sweating.

"Mike, are you ok? What happened?"

Mike was quiet as he slowly began to breath at a regular pace.

"It was nothing - go back to sleep."

"No, it was not nothing. You screamed in your sleep, and now you are sweating and panting like you just ran a race. What happened?"

"The nightmares are back. For a long time after the accident, I kept having nightmares where Beth was crying for me to help her. Other times it was Grace and David calling for daddy to help. Sometimes it was all three, crying for me to help and asking why wasn't I there to save them. And after a while, they were less intense, changing as if my family were watching over me. This went on for months until they suddenly stopped. My therapist said they started because I felt guilty for not being with them when it happened, and stopped because everything was finally finished through the courts and I was getting my life back together.

"Since then, they only re-appear when I'm facing something stressful."

"Like today?"

"Like today. Hopefully now they'll go away again. But when we get back, I'll need to call my therapist, because she'll want to know. But for tonight, I think I'll sit up for a while and watch TV. And you go back to sleep. I'll be fine."

Giving Tiffany a kiss, Mike went to the other room and turned the TV on while Tiffany went back to face a restless night of sleep.

The next morning Tiffany woke up early, and finding Mike still asleep on the couch, went to take a shower. He was still asleep by the time she was done, so wearing only the fluffy robe provided by the hotel, she bent over Mike to wake him. She kissed him lightly on his cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Good morning, sweetie. Time to get up."

Slowly opening his eyes, Mike was greeted by the sight of Tiffany kneeling next to him, her hair slightly damp and her robe falling open. Enjoying the sight, he quickly grabbed her, and pulled her onto the sofa with him. Sliding his hands inside the robe he quickly found the sensitive spots just above her hips, and began to tickle her. Laughing as he did, Tiffany tried to do the same, but Mike was not ticklish at all. He finally let up, and pulled her on top of him, kissing her with a passion. She responded, and they lay like that, kissing frantically for several minutes. Breaking the kiss, Tiffany sat up smiling.

"Glad to see you're ok after last night. Now take a shower and get dressed - Seattle is waiting."

Their first stop was a small diner for breakfast.

"This place has the best pancakes in the state, and their coffee is superb. I figured we'd fuel ourselves up here, and then snack as the day goes on."

So for the next two days, Tiffany played tour guide, showing Mike many of the highlights of the Seattle area. Several of their stops he had heard of - Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks, and the Space Needle. Other stops included Kerry Park, Chinatown and numerous views of Mt. Rainier. Saving the best for last, Mike found himself directed to the VIP parking lot at Lumen Field, the home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.

"I know how much of a football fan you are, so Peter pulled some strings with a friend of ours who is going to give us a personal tour of the stadium, including the locker rooms, VIP boxes, and onto the field."

As she explained what was happening, Mike saw that Tiffany was so happy, her entire face exploded into a smile.

"I can't believe you'd do this for me, Tiff. Thanks..."

Their tour took several hours, and when they finished, they walked out with matching Seahawks jerseys. Pulling her close, Mike gave Tiffany a big hug and a deep kiss.

"Thank you, sweetie. This was a great way to end our tour. I'd like to come back again to spend more time here."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure to show you around. I know you're not a huge Seahawks fan, but I thought you'd still enjoy seeing the inside of a NFL stadium. And now we have something special to wear together on game day."

They left early the next morning for their long drive across the state. As they drove they discussed their upcoming semester and the classes they were taking. They still had their one class together, but that was all. They also discussed the trust papers, which both had read and not totally understood.

"Maybe I can talk with Professor Hastings. I took a business law class with him last year and really got along with him. I also dated his daughter for a while. Do you mind if I give him a call when we get back?"

"Not at all. If he can help us understand the legalese of the documents, I'm all for it. Now tell me all about you dating his daughter..."

Later that afternoon, Mike gave the professor a call. He was happy to help, and suggested they meet the next day, 11:00 at his home. The next morning Tiffany and Mike made their way to a nicely kept home, not far from the university campus. Mike knocked on the door, and was surprised at who answered.

"Amanda...hi. I wasn't expecting you to answer the door. How are you?"

"Hi, Mike. I'm fine. Come on in. You too, Tiffany."

"Amanda Johnson? I had no idea you were the professor's daughter. Why the different last name?"

"I didn't want to be known as 'the professor's kid', so I use my mom's maiden name. It really helps to keep me anonymous. I've used it for years and dad doesn't really mind too much. We know who we are, and that's the important part. Come on, dad's waiting for you in the library."

Both Mike and Tiffany were impressed with the house. It was much larger than it looked from the outside, and fitting for a university professor. They followed Amanda through the house and soon she ushered them into the library, where her father awaited.

"I'll leave you three alone, but when you're done, maybe we can catch up with each other? I haven't seen Mike for months, and probably even longer for you, Tiffany."

Closing the door behind her, Amanda left the three alone.

"So, what can I help you with, Michael?"

"First of all, thank you for seeing us during break. I know how precious free time is, and we really appreciate it."

Mike gave the professor the trust documents, and explained what they feared was going to happen.

"Is there any way Tiffany's mom can go through with her threat of pulling the trust away from her? Or is she safe with the way things are set up?"

After several minutes of reading and taking notes, Professor Hastings took his glasses off and smiled at the couple.

"So it looks like by next Christmas you are going to be a very wealthy young woman, Tiffany. I can't see any way you mother can break this without setting herself up for some serious legal problems. Whoever set this up made it very clear what they wanted the final circumstances to be. And if I read this correctly, there would be a severe financial penalty for whoever tries to usurp this trust. So in my unofficial opinion, you should not have any worries about losing your trust. Congratulations."

"Thank you so much, professor. After what happened over Christmas, I was sure my mother was going to get her way once again. And now that she won't, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted."

Tiffany rose and gave the professor a kiss on his cheek.

"You two are very welcome. The only thing I ask is an invitation to the wedding."

"Well, that might be a little ways off, but I'll certainly add you to the list."

Hearing the happy chatter, Amanda opened the door and entered.

"It sounds like whatever you asked my dad, he gave you the right answer. If you're finished, come on out to the kitchen and get something to drink while we catch up."

Amanda, Mike, and Tiffany talked, laughed, and caught up with each other for quite some time. Leaving before it got too late, Mike thanked Amanda again for her hospitality.

"You're both very welcome. Now you know why I dated Mike for so long, Tiffany. He really is a great guy, so don't let him go."

"I don't plan on it. Thanks, Amanda."

As they walked out the door, Amanda stopped them once again.

"Hey, do you have plans for New Year's Eve? If not, a bunch of us are getting together at Magee's for the evening. They're bringing some live entertainment, special drinks, and food. We're meeting there at 8, if you're interested."

"Thanks, Amanda. We'll let you know. Good night."

New Year's Eve found the couple getting ready to meet their friends at the bar for a night of fun. Mike was wearing a polo and jeans, when Tiffany came out of the bedroom, dressed to kill. She was wearing a sparkly top that had a low scoop neckline, the tightest pair of jeans Mike had ever seen a person wear, finished off with her 'dancing' boots.

In a word, she looked...

"Hot. My god, you look hot. You're going to have every male drooling over you. And probably some of the women as well."

"Good. Let them drool. But you're the only one who actually gets to touch the goods. Shall we go?"

The bar was not quite full when they arrived. Mike told Tiffany to grab some chairs by Amanda, and he'd get them some drinks. Edging his way to the bar, Mike recognized several of the bartenders from school. Eve stepped over and greeted him.

"Hiya, Mike. Happy New Year. What can I get you?"

"Hi, Eve. Happy New Year to you. I'll have a white wine and a club soda."

"Oh, are you playing the designated driver tonight? If so, all of your drinks are on the house, and all you have to do is show the bartender your hand stamp."

"Wow, thanks. Can I start a tab for the night?"

"Yep, I just need a credit card to run, and you'll be all set. Have fun tonight."

"Thanks. Do we order our food up here or are there waitresses tonight?"

"There are, but it might be easier to do it up here. Just let me know what you want, and I'll get it going for you."

Mike headed to the table where Tiffany sat with Amanda and several other friends. The others had been there for a while, and had a drinking head start.

"You do realize you don't have to catch up with them, don't you?"

"I know. I promise I'll take it slow tonight. Ok?"

As the evening went on, the band played numerous fast songs, but not very many slow ones. But on those, Tiffany grabbed Mike's hand and led him to the dance floor.