4.32 The Visit

Tommy sank to the floor stunned. His phone slipped from his fingers. Keenan watched him in concern from where he stood "what's wrong?" he asked when he was sure Tommy wasn't being theatrical.

"My mom she's" he licked his lips that felt as if he had walked through a desert for hours "she's coming for a visit."

"That's good isn't it?" Keenan asked puzzled. He knew Tommy had a stormy relationship with his mom but he always thought they were ok otherwise.

"You don't understand" Tommy cried bringing his face to his knees "she doesn't know about Velvet. The baby.

Keenan distinctly remembered hearing his roommate telling someone about Velvet. He had thought it was his mother "what are you talking about? I thought you told her you had a girlfriend..."

"Yeah a girlfriend" he sighed "I never got the chance to tell her Velvet was a Bumble fairy. You know how she is about supernaturals."

"Did you think your mom would never want to come for a visit?" Keenan asked more curious then anything else.

"Kinda" Tommy leaned his head back against the wall "she's going to go ballistic when she finds out about the baby."

"Why?" Keenan asked an edge in his voice.

"Not only will it be her first grandchild but she doesn't think much of supernaturals. How do you think she's going to react knowing her grandchild will be part bumble? She hated me moving here instead of going to college. She thinks I'm throwing my life away and this will only confirm it."

"Doesn't she have anyone else to harass?" Keenan asked half joking.

"Not really" he groaned "Patrick is the perfect one following in grandpa and dad's footsteps in becoming a top notch investigator. His career is on track including a beautiful fiance mom adores. Rita is practically a carbon copy of mom. She's about to finish her degree and start medical school."

"And here you are" Keenan added "a twenty year old, uneducated, high school graduate with a pregnant girlfriend. You're right. You're dead meat."

"Gee thanks" Tommy gave him a grim smile "you know how to make me feel so much better."

"What are friends for?" Keenan ducked as Tommy took a swing at him "hey don't kill the messenger. 

It's not my fault you haven't told your mom about Velvet yet."

"What am I gonna do?" he laid back on the floor "I'm a dead man."

"You really should have gone into acting" Keenan laughed gazing down at his friend. "I know" he snapped his fingers "we could invite your dad to come at the same time. You know he could take some of the heat off you."

"Yeah" Tommy nodded slowly "that would work." Looking up at Keenan he laughed "why didn't I think of that."

"You were too busy planning your funeral" Keenan chuckled picking up Tommy's phone from where he had dropped it "call your dad. Maybe he can rescue you from the mess you're in." Keenan turned to walk away stopped "you should tell Velvet what's happening so that she's prepared."

***

Tommy walked over to Velvet's house she shared with Lydia. He took a deep breath that did little to still his beating heart. He wished for the hundredth time he had been able to reach his dad before coming. His dad would have known what he should do after years of dealing with his mom. 

Before he could knock Velvet opened the door looking startled to find him standing there. "Tommy what are you doing here?" she cried taking a step back "did we have plans?"

"I'm sorry" he muttered "I should have called first." Noticing the keys in her hand "are you going somewhere?"

"It can wait" she said "just a quick trip to the store for some milk. Nothing important." She took his hand leading him to the porch swing "what's wrong?" she asked her eyes filled with concern.

Tommy sighed something was different between them. He could feel it but couldn't identify it. Something happened. He was sure something happened to Velvet that she wasn't telling him. He squeezed her hand "you know I love you right?" At his question he could see the worry in her eyes deepen. He licked his dry lips as he felt the walls of the hole he had dug crumbling in around him.

She nodded frowning "what's wrong?"

He missed the days when Velvet would brush off any concerns for him or his worry as being just a human foible. He could use a little of that aloofness right now. "My mom is coming for a visit" he blurted out in a rush wanting it over with.

"That's great" she smiled at him "I know how close you are with your family."

"It's not that" he clutched her hand "my mom is very opinionated. she never wanted me to move here. I'm a ...." he looked away running a hand through his hair "I'm a disappointment to her. She wanted me to go to college. You know to become a doctor or lawyer. Instead I came here to research supernaturals for a book I'm writing." He got up unable to sit still any longer. He prowled the porch in quick jerky steps.

Velvet watched him for a few minutes "she doesn't know about me does she?"

"She knows I have a girlfriend" he explained going to her and taking her hands in his.

"She doesn't know I'm a supernatural does she?" Velvet's voice was rising "are you embarrassed of me?"

"No of course not" he shook his head "I just didn't know how to tell her. Now she's coming and I ..." he looked into her eyes. He could see the tears she was trying to hide "I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Alright" she took several deep breaths reminding herself that this omission paled in comparison to what she was keeping from him.

He blinked expecting a different reaction "I have never been embarrassed of you. I love you. I hope our baby will be just like you" He sighed "you have to understand my mom doesn't like anyone who doesn't follow her rules. I always felt confined living within those rules and expectations. I never thought she'd come here knowing how she felt about supernaturals."

"You had to have known she'd want to meet me eventually" Velvet said trying to sound reasonable despite the panic welling up inside her.

"Yes I should have expected her to do something like this" he lowered his head into his hands 

"knowing her she already knows about you and is going to demand we break up."

"She can try" Velvet stroked his bent head "she can't make us do anything we don't want to do. You don't want to break up with me do you?"

"No of course not. I want to marry you" he incautiously blurted.

"Is that a proposal?" she asked him a slight smile upon her lips.

"Yes" he slipped a small box from his pocket as he got down on one knee. "I imagined this going a whole lot different" he took a shaky breath as he held the ring up to her "I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you with everything I am. I want to spend forever with you and if forever isn't possible I'll be thankful for whatever time we're blessed with. Will you marry me?"

Tears rolled unheeded down Velvet's cheeks.She nodded too choked up to utter a single word. She held her hand out waiting for him to slip the ring on her finger. This was what she imagined this moment being like. Not the sterile announcement of her future betrothal to someone she had known all her life and didn't love. This human. This man held her heart. She didn't care who didn't approve of her choice. He was hers and she was his. She fell into his arms once the ring slid into place. His mother could like it or lump it. Velvet was going to marry her son.

***

Early the next morning someone was knocking loudly on the boy's front door. "Whoever that is better have a good reason for waking us up so early" Keenan growled leaning against the wall eyes blurry from lack of sleep.

"They better" Tommy grumbled going to answer the summons before whoever it was knocked again. 

"Dad" he cried blinking as if unsure of what his eyes were telling him "what are you doing here?"

Jeff smiled pulling his youngest son into his arms "your message sounded urgent."

"So you came here instead of calling" Tommy stared at his father in disbelief.

"Sort of" he shrugged "I was in Midnight Hollow when you called. I thought since I was this close I'd come and see what you needed."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Keenan asked shuffling into their small kitchen "I can make descent waffles."

"Meaning they're not burnt" Tommy joked.

"Which is better than your hockey pucks" Keenan retorted.

"If you wanted to get dressed I could take us all out for breakfast" Jeff offered.

"It's up to you" Keenan said turning to Tommy "but if you want to talk privately I'd do it here though."

Jeff gave them both an incomprehensible look "are all the restaurants bugged or something?"

"Might as well be" Tommy laughed covering up his nervousness.

"Supernaturals have better hearing then humans do" Keenan explained "if you want to talk you don't do it where you can be overheard."

"Oh" Jeff nodded "I hadn't thought of that."

"Most people don't who haven't grown up around supernaturals" Keenan shook his head at them "so waffles it is then." He moved towards the kitchen "you two talk while I cook."

Following Tommy into the living room Jeff sat down crossing his legs "what's so urgent you had to call me multiple times?"

Picking at a loose thread on his pajama bottoms Tommy sighed "mom's coming for a visit."

"Oh" Jeff said drumming his fingers on his knee "you think I can divert her attention from you or something?"

"Well" Tommy looked away "I was hoping."

"Your mother loves you" Jeff spoke firmly "you don't have anything to worry about."

"What if she doesn't like Velvet?" he asked "you know how she is about supernaturals."

"You haven't' told her yet" Jeff leaned forward "son you and I both know your mother is demanding." 

Tommy grunted rolling his eyes "give her a chance. She might surprise you. Let her meet Velvet. Let her form her own opinions. Getting all worked up over something that hasn't happened yet won't do anyone any good."

"You make it sound so easy" Tommy complained "will you please be here when she comes?"

Jeff hesitated a fraction of a moment "when will she be here?" he asked.

"Next weekend" Tommy informed him "it might help her reaction."

"Or it might make it worse if she thinks we're ganging up against her" Jeff pointed out "but I'll be here."

"Thanks dad" Tommy smiled relieved "you're a life saver." They got up when Keenan informed them breakfast was ready "dad I have something else to tell you" Tommy took a bite of the not so bad waffle.

"You better not tell me Velvet's having twins" Jeff teased smothering his waffle in syrup.

"One is more than enough thank you very much" Tommy looked towards Keenan for moral support "I um....asked Velvet to marry me."

"Believe it or not" Keenan piped in "she said yes."

"Congratulations son" Jeff smiled genuinely pleased "she's a lucky girl."

"Actually I'm the lucky one" Tommy contradicted blushing deeply.

***

"You" Mr Lawrence scowled through the bars at Jeff "I should have known better then to have trusted you."

Nodding Jeff couldn't help but agree. Turning from the criminal mastermind he put a hand on Kyle's shoulder "he can't hurt you or anyone else ever again."

"Thank you" Kyle stammered unable to take his eyes from the apparition in front of him "I never thought this day would come."

Mr Lawrence sneered at his son from the other side of the iron bars "you haven't heard the last of me" he blustered "I'll be back. You'll regret the indignities you've put me through."

Kyle stared coldly at his father. He felt Elliot slide his arm comfortingly around him. He watched as his father's eyes lit up in disgust. He opened his mouth to respond to the man's threats only to have another voice interrupt him.

"You won't be getting out" Heath said confidently stepping into the small space "you've been tried for your crimes by your peers."

"The hell I have" Lawrence snarled "I have no peers. I'm better than all of you."

"We thought you might feel that way" Jeff cut in "which is why we took extra precautions in bringing you in."

"I won't be brought down by a mere human or half breed" Mr Lawrence blustered "I have people to prevent these things from happening."

"Not anymore" Heath shook his head "your so called people have formally withdrawn their support." He held up a document signed and notarized "they won't be helping you this time." 

Mr Lawrence's eyes blazed with rage as he attempted to snatch the document from Heath's hands.

Several guards rushed forward to intercede between the older man and their ruler. "As you can see things have changed since you've been here last" Heath carefully handed the document to one of his aides "you have no power here."

"What do you want me to say?" the man snarled "I won't apologize" he pierced his son and son-in-law with a look that would kill if thoughts were actions.

"Nothing" Kyle said guiding Elliot to the door "I want absolutely nothing from you."

"You say that now" he shouted at their backs "you'll miss me when I'm gone."

Turning Kyle walked towards the man behind bars "no I won't. How can I miss someone who was never there for me? Not in the way normal father's are there for their children. Loving them. Guiding them. Helping them. All you've ever done is try to control me. Make me do as you wanted." He sighed turning to look at his husband "all I ever wanted was to be loved. What I got was hate and manipulation." Turning back to face his father "No I won't miss you except to wonder where that thorn in my side went. I won't think of you ever and neither will my children."

"Come back here" Lawrence shouted yanking on the bars "you can't speak to me like that. I'm your father."

Grimly Heath watched his Uncles leave the room while the enraged man continued to hurl abuse at them. "Pity" he said "that all you can think of saying is more hate instead of seeking forgiveness in your final moments."

"What final moments?" Mr Lawrence snapped.

"You know as well as I do the punishment for harming another IF." Heath said accompanied with the unanimous nods from the guards flanking either side of him.

"That law doesn't apply to me" the man scoffed with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"It does if you're in Midnight Hollow" Heath pointed out "which I might add you've been in Midnight Hollow for the last several hours."

Mr Lawrence pierced Jeff with a baleful glare "you tricked me." He reached a hand out towards the man. "I'll kill you" he screamed as he clutched nothing but air.

Glancing at the time Jeff spoke quietly to Heath "I have to leave. I promised my son I'd come this weekend."

"We can take care of what needs doing without you" Heath assured him "go be with your son. He's going to need all the moral support he can get."

***

Jeff walked into the small house following Keenan to the table. "Sorry I'm late" he addressed the entire table.

Lisa's eyes snapped as she tossed her napkin down "the least you could have done was call. This is your son's future after all."

"Mom please" Tommy protested "I'm sure dad had important business to take care of." He shot his dad an apologetic glance.

Jeff smiled over at his wife "let's not fight shall we. We're here to celebrate our son's engagement."

"Engagement" Lisa shouted looking at her son with dismay "you can't marry that that thing" she waved a hand towards Velvet.

"Mom please" Tommy stammered "I told you I had a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend yes. Not a fiance. There's a big difference between the two." She glared across the table at her husband "don't just sit there. Do something."

"Like what?" Jeff demanded " Tommy's an adult. He's capable of making his own decisions."

"He's throwing his life away" Lisa protested. 

Ignoring her Jeff took a bite of the meal he knew Velvet had spent hours preparing "mmm delicious" he smiled warmly at the young woman he knew would be his daughter-in-law some day. "Who says our son is throwing his life away? He's doing what he loves. Writing. My father was a writer. He made a good living for himself and family."

"Tommy should be in college getting an education" Lisa protested "not in this backwards little town living with freaks."

There was a combined gasp around the table. Velvet pushed her chair back hand over her mouth as she ran from the room. "Mother how could you?" Tommy exclaimed as he pushed past her to follow Velvet.

"Lisa you and I need to talk" Jeff said pushing his chair back and standing.

After a moment Lisa stood and followed him from the house "I blame you for this" she hissed once they were outside on the porch.

"Me?" he shook his head "our son is twenty years old. He's been living on his own for two years. He doesn't need our approval on who he marries or what he does with his life."

"I know" she snapped grudgingly "that doesn't mean we have to sit back and watch him destroy his chances at happiness."

"Who says he's not happy?" Jeff asked attempting to restrain his temper "just because it doesn't match up to your standards doesn't mean he's not happy."

"You misconstrue everything I say" she retorted crossing her arms "he's too much like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jeff demanded. He could feel his hold on his anger slipping away. He longed for the days when he and Lisa had been in love. When they could hardly spend an hour away from each other and it still felt too long. Now they could barely be in the same room for an hour without snapping at each other.

She rolled her eyes "you always needed to be pushed to put yourself out there. To go for the promotion."

He snorted "all I wanted to be was a good cop. I was a good cop but that wasn't good enough for you. I wanted your approval so I let myself believe that I wanted the promotions too. But you want to know something Lisa? All I really wanted was to be a good father but I never got the chance."

"That's not my fault" she retorted "it's not my fault you couldn't balance your career with the needs of your family."

"No" their son's voice speaking behind them caused them both to jump "dad's always been a great father. I couldn't have asked for anyone better even if he was gone a lot." He looked at his mom as she opened her mouth to contradict him "don't forget I lived in the same house as you. I heard things. You never wanted him at home."

"I never....."

"Yes you did. You constantly nagged at him to put his job first," he pointed at her "you wanted him to be just like your dad. A hero. Well guess what? He is a hero. The down side of being a hero is never being home. Missing out on things." Turning to his dad he smiled "I've always known the sacrifices you made. Despite that you were always there for the important things. If I could be half the dad you are I'd be happy."

Snorting derisively Lisa crossed her arms "that's not how I remember it."

"No of course not mother" Tommy snapped "you wanted perfection. Unfortunately we're human. We make mistakes." He took a step forward addressing her "your my mom. I love you. You have to understand Velvet is my fiance. She's my life. I love her. She's going to be my wife. The mother of my children. You either accept her or you don't come here again. This is my life not yours. I want you to be a part of it. You don't have to like it but you do have to accept it." He turned to Jeff " you're always welcome dad."

"Thank you" Jeff pulled his son close "I'm sorry we ruined Velvet's meal."

"I'll tell her" he said opening the door and going back inside.

When the door closed Lisa said "I should go..."

"Don't be like this" Jeff pleaded "this is your family. Your grandchild. Don't cut them out just because they don't fit into your ideal."

Her eyes sizzled with anger "what kind of life will they have in this backwards little town?" She shook her head walking away.

Jeff watched her go wishing there was something he could say or do to stop her. There was too large of a gulf between them to bridge with a few words.