Getting Back Up

"Look, I'll pay whatever you want. Name your price," Brad said into his phone. "Done. Call me when you've got everything set up." He hung up the phone and looked at Meg who was sitting in a chair staring out of the ceiling-to-floor windows. "What's your problem now?" he said as he crossed the room to her.

"I still can't believe you're going through with this," she said as she looked up at him, "You're going to ruin her life...again."

"I am not. I'm going to give her what she's wanted. Me. Just because I haven't talked to her these past fifteen years doesn't mean I haven't kept tabs on her. She's never been married. She's never really even dated anyone. I'm not sure when she got involved with Hartnell, but it couldn't have been too long ago, so it shouldn't even be an issue."

"Wow. I never noticed the size of your ego before. You really think she's been single all this time because she's been waiting for you to come back?? I doubt it. She's probably scarred from how you left her with a three month old baby and couldn't trust another man enough to let him into her life."

"Either way. She's going to be mine," Brad said as he turned to walk out of the room.

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Scott went home to take a shower and get changed before Tyler got home. Although Tyler was alright with him dating his mother, Scott wasn't sure how he'd be knowing that they spent the better part of the day in bed making love. Scott told Rebecca that he would be back in two hours so that the trio could go out to dinner.

On his way home, he called Kimmo. "Hey brother. I'm in the truck. I just need to talk to someone...and you're the closest thing I have to family here."

"What's up Hartsy? Everything okay?" Kimmo responded with a concerned tone.

"Oh yeah, everything's great. Rebecca and I spent the night together...and although it was amazing, I couldn't help but wonder where this is going. I mean...I told her that I would stay with her forever, if she wanted me to...and to most women that translates into marriage. But I don't think I can go down that road again. And I don't want to take something away from her if that's what she wants."

"Scott, the fact that you're questioning what you're doing tells me that there might be a chance, albeit a slight one, that you might actually consider marrying her. I've seen you at your highest and lowest points, and you've never been like this is with anyone you dated since Lisa," Kimmo responded.

"And that's what scares me. A few weeks ago Rebecca didn't want to have anything to do with me...but now that we've spent time together...and now slept together...I think...." his voiced trailed off as he made a realization.

"You think you may be falling in love with her..." Kimmo finished.

Scott was quiet as he let the words hang in the air. "Yeah...I think I might. Which makes it all the more difficult to take marriage off the table."

"Maybe it's not even on the table in the first place. Maybe she doesn't want the ring and the ceremony. Maybe she'll just want you," Kimmo said reassuringly.

"She basically said that already...but I think she was just saying it because I was freaking out at the thought of marriage," Scott said.

"Well, look. You guys have only been together for a short while. You don't have to worry about any of this right now. Just enjoy the time that you're together and see where it goes." Kimmo tried his best to soothe his friend's worry.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. I do enjoy her," Scott said with a chuckle. Kimmo laughed and the pair shifted their conversation to Flyers business for the remainder of the time it took Scott to reach his Center City apartment.

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"You did what?!" Lindsey exclaimed into the phone so that Rebecca had to pull it away from her ear.

"You heard me. I spent the night with Scott," she said with a grin from ear to ear.

"You litttle slut!" Lindsey laughed, "and you talk about me."

"Whatever. You've slept with guys within moments of meeting them. I met Scott over a month ago," Rebecca said.

"Yeah but you didn't even know who he was then," Lindsey joked.

"I know. But now I know him very well," Rebecca laughed.

"I can't believe this. Out of the four of us, you were the last one I would think would hook up with one of them," Lindsey said.

"It's more than just a hook up Linds. I care for him. He's such a great guy. And he's so good with Tyler. He knew that Tyler didn't want to go see Brad so he gave him something to look forward to."

"I told you...he's one of the older guys on the team. He's not gonna be into the random hook ups or play kid games. He's marriage material," Lindsey reminded her.

"He doesn't want to get married again. He almost passed out when I told him Tyler had mentioned it as a joke," Rebecca chuckled.

"Well, I heard some rumors about his divorce...sounded pretty nasty. I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. No wonder he doesn't want to get married again," Lindsey said.

"Oh well he hasn't told me anything about it yet. You're probably right." Rebecca sounded disappointed that Scott hadn't mentioned anything about his divorce, especially after she opened up to him about Brad. "I told him that I wasn't expecting a wedding anyway. That seemed to calm him down," she chuckled.

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Brad's phone rang a few hours later. "Hello?"..."Great. I'll be there in an hour. You're sure it will be believable, right?"..."Okay. You'll have your money when when it's done." He hung up the phone.

"Meg! Get in here!" He shouted down the hall. Five years ago Brad and Meg's parents, John and Barbara, had decided that they didn't need to live in the mansion they had raised their children in any longer. Brad and Meg had pleaded their parents not to sell the house because of its sentimental value and asked them if they could remain there. John and Barbara were moved by the fact that the children wanted to stay together and granted their wish.

Now the siblings share the residence, although they rarely occupy the same space within the home. "Meg!" he shouted again, "where are you?!"

"I'm right here," she said as she came around the corner. "What do you want now?"

"I'm going over to Fox Chase. Pearlman is going to get me set up. I'll call you when I'm ready. Then you need to make the call." he said as he packed a small bag, grabbing necessities from the dresser and bathroom.

"I'm not doing it Brad. Find someone else to do it. I can't do that to her. I can't be part of this," she said with tears in her eyes.

"You can do it....and you will do it. Or you can go down to Florida and move in with mommy and daddy since you don't have any money left," Brad threatened. "Be ready to make the call."