by Mj Fields
���Well then, you will be. What blanks can I fill in for you?��� London asked smiling at him.
���Well I could really use the restroom, do you think you could manage showing me that?��� Brody smiled.
���Yep, let���s go,��� she said climbing across his lap and opening the door, ���Come on!���
Troy looked at Emma, ���This is insane Emma. Do they know who had him?���
���No, not yet,��� Emma said and started to cry.
Troy hugged her, ���It���s going to be alright Emma.���
���Troy ��� I don���t trust Elizabeth, I can���t believe she did that, I wanted to tell you and our daughter.���
���Yeah, about your sister, she kind of showed up after London was tucked in bed and well ��� she came onto me Emma,��� Troy said his tone full of disgust.
���She did what?��� Emma snapped.
���Yep, and it took me threatening to call Henry to get her out of there, she was um, very…aggressive,��� Troy said, his eyes angry.
���Where is she?��� Emma snapped.
���I don���t know,��� Troy said shaking his head.
���Okay, you two can stay at our house tonight,��� Emma said, ���I���ll get the bags and you can get London down here.���
Elizabeth was in the kitchen and rolled her eyes at Emma, ���Hey London, can you go wait downstairs with your Dad for a minute?���
���Sure, bye Aunt Elizabeth,��� London said skipping out the door.
���Elizabeth ��� you and I need to talk,��� Emma snapped.
���About what?��� she asked in a sticky sweet voice.
���Last night? What were you doing up here?���
���I came up to see my niece,��� Elizabeth answered.
���You���re well aware of her bedtime you knew she was in bed. You came up here and tried to get Troy in bed,��� Emma snapped.
���No, that���s not true,��� Elizabeth scowled.
���Really? Well, he just told me that you were quite aggressive with him and he threatened to call our father, so are you saying he���s a liar?��� Emma snapped.
���I told you I didn���t do anything, why don���t you believe me? Oh I see, because of my past you���ll never trust me, even though it wasn���t my fault?��� Elizabeth said and began to cry as she raised her eyebrow.
���Oh give it up! I���ve dealt with your nonsense for almost a year. Your passive aggressive shit doesn���t fly anymore.��� Emma yelled.
���How can you be so mean Emma after all I���ve been through?��� Elizabeth cried, ���Why can���t you accept me?���
���What the hell are you talking about? I���ve tried to, and now I can���t even leave my children here because you���re such a fucking mess. What was the reason behind telling Troy and London about Brody? That isn���t your place Elizabeth ��� I���m her mother, and she should���ve heard it from ME,��� Emma said loudly.
���Oh I know…I���m a whore, without children, and the one who got your husband messed up in this. Now he���s fucked up and tainted like me and you blame me for that, don���t you?��� Elizabeth yelled back.
���No he���s nothing like you, nothing!��� Emma snapped, ���I���m getting London���s things together…she and Troy will be staying at our place because you can���t be trusted!���
Emma walked out of the bedroom with London and Troy���s bags and Brody was holding Elizabeth as she cried, ���You���re going to be alright, it���ll get easier,��� he whispered.
Emma gasped, ���Get the fuck out, Elizabeth!���
���Emma, you don���t understand what she���s lived,��� Brody said softly scolding her.
���Get the fuck out!��� She screamed.
���Thank you Brody, good luck trying to get her to understand,��� Elizabeth said kissing his cheek softly as she stared at Emma and smirked.
Emma ran towards her and Brody grabbed her, ���Enough Emma!���
���You���re taking her side? What���s wrong with you, do you know what she���s done to me Brody?��� Emma snapped.
���The list is very long of what���s wrong with me Emma, and by your reaction to her I���m so glad I never told you. Troy���s staying at our home? I���ll be staying at a hotel.��� Brody said and set her down.
���Like hell you are!��� Emma snapped.
���I may remember a little of us Emma and some of you, but this today…is not what I remember at all. So I���m going to take a step back and figure this out. You���re trusting the man you divorced over your sister, who trust me, lived through hell for years. That���s wrong. I���m as fucked up as she is and you���re even worse. Now pull yourself together for your daughter and let���s go.��� Brody instructed.
���No, No!��� Emma screamed, ���None of that is true Brody. Don���t you use this as an excuse to run, something changed in the car after���well during or after. Don���t you take the side of a deranged woman who you just met!���
���I remember her Emma and you don���t even want to know how, now let���s go,��� Brody snapped. Emma felt her legs turn to mush and her heart raced and she couldn���t breathe, ���Need a minute Emma?���
���Before or after?��� Emma breathed out.
���Both, years ago and the first one while I was being held,��� Brody looked in her eyes and his expression was unreadable.
���So now you���re comforting your lover?���
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ���She wasn���t my lover Emma. We need to go, now!���
Emma stood frozen and covered her face as she sobbed. Brody put his hand to his chest as he watched her cry. He clenched his jaw and let out a deep breath and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms.
���Damn it Em, this is going to get even harder. But I can tell you I didn���t enjoy watching that fuck hug you out there, after everything he���s done to you and London,��� he snapped and pulled her harder into him.
Emma looked up, ���You remember?���
Brody���s eyes widened and he looked as if he was searching. He looked down at Emma, ���Yes, I also have fond memories of being over there,��� he said and pointed to the chair he proposed in.
���Where did you go? In the car, where did you go?��� Emma cried.
���I���m not sure,��� he kissed her nose, ���This is a fucked up mess Emma, if you want to cut and run you need to do it soon, the memories come in waves love. Not all pretty but that memory, the one over there on the chair was like a fucking tsunami.���
���We should go.���
* * *
���Everything alright?��� Troy asked.
���Yes,��� Brody said pulling her protectively into him, his eyes deadlocked on Troy���s.
���Can I ride with them Dad?��� London asked.
Troy smiled, ���I was actually thinking you may want some time alone with Brody, Mom, and your sister. So I���m going head back if that���s alright with you.���
���Thanks Dad,��� London hugged him, ���Let���s roll Clive.���
Brody laughed and followed her into the car. Emma turned to Troy, ���Thanks.���
���No problem. Please keep me updated, and I think maybe we could ta
lk about visitation, I���m not liking it here Emma��� Troy kissed her cheek. Emma pulled away and looked at him, ���I���m not trying to stress you out, just tell me what to do,��� Troy hugged her and the car door opened.
���Let���s go wife,��� Brody snapped and grabbed her hand.
Troy laughed and Brody gave him a nasty look. ���Nice seeing you again Brody, and congratulations on your daughter, she���s an absolute doll.���
���How do you know?��� Brody snapped and turned around.
���Well I���ve spent some time with her, just like you���ve with mine, one big happy family Brody,��� Troy smiled and walked to his car.
���Brody, let���s go, London���s waiting,��� Emma squeezed his hand.
They got in the car and London laughed, ���Well, I see you remember my father.���
���Sorry about that London,��� Brody smiled apologetically.
* * *
The entire ride home London chatted with Brody filling him in on all that he had missed as he listened enthusiastically. When the car pulled to a stop Emma jumped out and took a deep breath.
She felt dirty and confused. His mood changes were exhausting and she knew she was in for far more than what she���d already experienced. She watched as he smiled at London and walked into the house. The door shut behind them and she was able to take another deep breath before walking into the house.
* * *
���You and I need to talk,��� Emma said looking at Henry.
Brody looked down and softly touched her back, ���Now isn���t a good time, London just came home.���
Lila looked confused, ���Elizabeth,��� Emma sneered.
Brody watched Lila���s face. He knew there was more to the story than what he���d caught and he knew he���d screwed up by telling his wife about her sister the way he did. Emma saw him staring and she looked at him and quickly looked away.
* * *
Emma looked at the clock and knew Lexi would be up soon. She grabbed London and hugged her, ���A little weird huh?���
���Back from the dead,��� London said in a zombie voice and Emma laughed and hugged her, ���You never believed he was gone, Mom.���
���No I didn���t.���
London hugged her tightly and Emma could hear the soft little whimpers against her neck. Emma smiled and picked her up, ���Let���s go somewhere quiet.���
They sat in the office and hugged as London cried, ���Mommy, is he going to remember everything?���
���He remembers more every day. It���ll all work out eventually,��� Emma said smiling at her as she pushed her hair out of her face.
���What did they do to him, Mommy? Aunt Elizabeth said something about a sex ring? What does that mean?���
Emma was pissed, ���It means your aunt is even crazier than I thought fuc���possible.���
���Mom, I heard grandpa and grandma talk about it. That Aunt Elizabeth and Brody knew each other from when they were younger, Grandma said he was fourteen. It was in London and that they knew each other in the Biblical sense. Did they go to church together?���
Emma was shocked; her eight years old knew more about this than she did. She was angry that her parents knew and so very angry that Brody was fourteen when that bitch had him. She was three years older than Emma, so that made her almost twenty three years old when she fucked fourteen year old Brody, who had just lost his mother. Emma pulled her tight to her and clenched her teeth together tightly and scrunched her eyes, she wanted to scream. ���Probably London,��� she managed to say and then opened her eyes.
Brody was in the doorway with a pained look on his face. His expression was hurt mixed with guilt. He shook his head and mouthed ���sorry��� to Emma; she managed to give him a half smile. He knocked on the door jam.
London jumped, ���Sorry, did I scare you?��� Brody asked.
���Nope,��� London smiled.
���Good, may I sit?��� Brody asked.
���Sure.��� London wiped her nose on Emma shirt.
Emma tried to smile.
���How are you doing?��� Brody asked her as Lexi���s voice came over the monitor babbling dada.
���I���ll go get your sister, you okay for a while?��� she asked London.
���Yep,��� London smiled.
* * *
Emma walked out of the room and London looked up at him, ���Mom missed you a lot.���
���I know and how about you?��� Brody asked.
Her lip began to quiver and she hugged him tightly, ���I missed you more.���
Brody hugged her and she cried, ���Hey, I may not remember everything yet, and it���s because the people who had me gave me lots of medicine and I���m sure I had a pretty nasty blow to my head, but I remember being just like this once before, but in the apartment. I told you it would be alright then and it was, right?���
���Yep,��� she cried.
���Well I���m going to do my best this time as well,��� Brody kissed her head and pulled her on his lap.
���Okay,��� London cried, ���I love you, Brody.���
���Oh London, I love you���more,��� he smiled.
Emma walked in feeding Lexi, ���Everything alright?��� She asked rubbing London���s hair.
���Yep,��� London stayed right where she was.
Henry walked in, ���I���m going to be back later, your mother needs my help with something,��� he said and shook his head at Emma.
���Well by all means hop to it, but do me a favor Dad, do keep in mind who I am,��� Emma said sharply.
���Yes, and you should do so as well,��� Henry retorted.
���Bye Grandpa,��� London waved.
���See you later London,��� Henry said and walked out.
Lila walked in, ���We need some family photos to release of this reunion, before we���re swarmed by press here.���
���Brody, you need a haircut,��� London laughed.
���You don���t say?��� he laughed back and tickled her.
���Emma, I���ll finish feeding Lexi, you go get ready,��� Lila instructed.
���Well London, what shall we wear?��� Emma asked.
���Christmas PJ���s���I know you bought some for him too, that would be perfect, maybe we could give him all those presents you have tucked away in the closet,��� London laughed, ���I���ll go get mine and Lexi���s.���
���She���s serious, isn���t she?��� Brody smiled cautiously.
���Oh yes, is that alright?��� Emma asked standing up.
���Yes, but we need to talk about earlier and about what London said,��� Brody said grabbing her hand.
���Not now please,��� Emma pulled her hand away, ���We need to get ready.���
* * *
They all sat in front of the fireplace with their matching footy pajamas on, Lila put a newspaper in the floor with today���s date and Emma and London brought down his gifts. ���Emma sit next to me?��� Brody asked.
���I think you should hold Lexi.���
���Alright,��� he said softly. He knew she was distancing herself and he didn���t like that he���d brought it on himself.
They took several photos of him opening his gifts and laughing with London and Lexi. He opened the last one and read the note inside,
My Dearest Brody,
&nb
sp; This is our second Christmas as man and wife. Though you���re not here I still know you���re sleeping under the same moon and stars we are. I know that the sun is shining over your head and the air that fills my lungs still fills yours. My empty arms ache to hold you and my lips miss yours against them.
It is Christmas, a day to celebrate the greatest miracle of all and I believe in miracles. Brody, I believe that you���ll return home to us.
Yours Always and Forever,
Em
Brody looked up at her and felt his eyes fill, he reached in the box and pulled out an ornament, It had all four of their names on it and written around it was the word believe, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ���Em please, I know you���re upset but please come here.���
Emma walked over and he pulled her on his lap and grabbed her face and kissed her, he held his forehead to hers, ���I love you. Please believe me.���
He wrapped his arms around her and she finally wrapped hers around him and he let out a breath and tears fell, ���I���m sorry.���
* * *
Emma swallowed hard fighting back her own tears, ���Ok, Lila are we done here?��� She asked, standing up.
���Sure are, these are great!��� Lila clapped.
Emma ran into the bathroom and collapsed on the floor and cried. It hadn���t even been twenty four hours and she felt emotionally drained, like any little thing could bring her to tears.
���Mom! Brody wants to order pizza and watch Christmas movies!��� London yelled.
���Okay give me a minute, please.��� Emma said rinsing her face.
Emma walked out to the kitchen and Brody walked in behind her, ���Emma, what can I do to help?��� He asked with pleading eyes.
���Enjoy yourself, breathe, watch Christmas movies,��� Emma smiled, ���I���ll order pizza.���