Sweet Deception

[ZeldaGilroy]

Hi everyone! I know I am not finished with The Voice of a Child and I am not abandoning it. I will continue to update it often. But I had an idea for a new fic, and it has really been forming in my mind for a while now so I decided to go ahead and write it.

This story is not at all like my other fics. I am branching out and trying something new. It is not a part of the series I have been working on for years. This story stands alone and I hope you will enjoy it.

The story takes place shortly after the reunion movie. One big change I've made is that I have decided Jo's husband from the movie "Fake Rick" as I have always called him, is not Rick after all. If you watch the movie, you will notice they never call him by name. So in this fic, Jo is married to this new guy, having divorced Rick years ago and Jamie is their adopted daughter. The story focuses more on Jo and her life in LA, but the other girls will make appearances later in the fic.

I have decided that I will try to stay away from my usual "soap opera" format with this one. Instead, I am thinking of it more as a nightitme drama. I've written several chapters, but I want to keep my writing ahead of what I post, especially since I am writing two fics at once now and I am starting two new graduate classes on Monday.

Anyway...I hope you enjoy Sweet Deception.

[ZeldaGilroy]

Chapter 1

“Hey…I need your help tonight.” Her partner’s gravelly voice forced Inspector Jo Polniaczek to turn back from the door where she was exiting work for the day.

“What’s up?” Jo asked, sitting her things on her desk. She was more than ready to go home and could tell from the look on his face that her partner had something up his sleeve.

“I volunteered to take over that prostitution case…you know, down by the docks,” Inspector Henry Grisock scratched his head, trying to think of a way to convince her to help. Henry was one of the oldest inspectors on the force, and he wore his many years of experience on his face. He was at least twenty years older than his partner, but they had clicked instantly when Jo had joined the Los Angeles Police Department six years earlier. They were practically inseparable at work, although Jo insisted on keeping regular working hours since she had a daughter at home who needed her. Henry had always supported that, but on a rare occasion he needed her and he knew she would be there if he asked.

Jo sighed, “What do we need to do?”

“I need a prostitute,” Henry snickered. He knew Jo would laugh, which she did immediately, but it was the truth. “One of the beat cops was going to do it,” Henry explained. “But she came down with the flu. This has to go down tonight,” he insisted. “You’re the best I have to offer.”

“Well thanks a lot,” Jo rolled her eyes. She grabbed her jacket and purse. “What time do you need me? I need to get home, make Jamie some dinner, and make sure Kyle is going to be home. If not I’ll have to find a sitter, but I’ll be there.”

“9:00,” Henry answered gratefully. “And remember to dress for the profession,” he laughed again.

“I’ll do my best,” Jo shook her head in defeat and waved a quick good-bye as she rushed out the door.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into the parking lot outside her apartment. Grabbing her purse, she got out of the car and glanced at her watch. It was already 6:30. She didn’t have much time to get Jamie settled and transform herself into a streetwalker before she needed to meet Henry. She ran up the stairs and opened the door, hoping Kyle was home so she wouldn’t have to find someone to stay with their daughter.

“I’m home,” Jo pushed open the door and sat her things on the table near the door.

“In here,” Jamie called from the kitchen. “I’m playing chess with Uncle Rick.”

Jo walked into the kitchen and kissed her daughter on top of the head. “How was school?” she asked as Jamie moved a pawn on the chess board.

“Fine,” Jamie shrugged. “How was work?”

“Okay,” Jo smiled. She looked at her ex-husband and sighed, “What are you doing here?”

“Kyle had to go to some party over at the recording studio and he asked me to stay with Jamie until you got home,” he stood from the table. “Since she’s killing me at chess I guess it’s time for me to take off,” he ruffled Jamie’s hair and walked towards the door.

“What party?” Jo asked, “How long is he going to be gone? I have to go back to work.”

Rick shrugged, “He didn’t say.” He could see the frustration in Jo’s eyes as she walked into the other room. He followed her and gently put his hand on her shoulder, “Hey…are you alright?”

Jo was alright, she was just mad. She and Kyle seemed to be growing farther apart by the day and lately he had been spending more and more time on work related activities and less time with her and Jamie. To make things worse, he didn’t even bother to tell her if he wasn’t coming home. Jo had been hurt and ashamed when her first marriage had fallen apart and she was scared this one was heading down that same road. “I’m fine,” she mumbled. “I just need a sitter because I have to go back to work.”

“I can stay with Jamie,” Rick offered. “It’s not problem.”

“Thanks,” Jo forced a smile. As uncomfortable as it was for her to have her ex-husband living in the same apartment complex, it did come in handy sometimes. At least he was someone she considered a friend. “You can leave when Kyle gets back…if he comes back.”

“What’s this all about?” Rick asked. He had noticed a tension between Jo and Kyle for some time, but she had never come right out and said anything to him before. Maybe it was because they had been married themselves. Maybe it was because Kyle had been a friend of his long before he married Jo and Rick had introduced his friend to his ex-wife, not knowing they would end up really and truly in love. But for whatever reason there was a wall between Jo and Rick that they never dared cross and he could see from the look on her face Jo was about to.

“I don’t know,” Jo let out a deep breath. “We just don’t seem to have much in common anymore. When he and Jamie went to New York for Thanksgiving, I went to see a lawyer…”

“No,” Rick interrupted. “Jo, you don’t want to do that. A divorcee times two…is that the label you want?”

“Hey,” Jo yelled angrily. “Don’t even bring our marriage into this. That wasn’t my fault and you know it. You were the one…”

“What’s going on in here?” Jamie asked as she walked in from the kitchen. “I heard yelling.”

“Nothing sweetie,” Jo cleared her throat and gave Rick a glare. “I have to go back to work so Uncle Rick is going to stay with you until Dad gets home.”

“Okay,” Jamie grinned. “That means we can finish our game.”

“Oh great,” Rick playfully groaned.



Chapter 2

Jo looked at herself in the bedroom mirror, fastening her long, dangly earrings. Then she slipped into her high-heeled shoes and put the finishing touches on her eye make-up…the darker the better. She polished off the look with bright, cherry red lipstick and sighed, “Lovely,” she said sarcastically. “What did you get me into tonight Henry?” she asked as she walked into the living room.

Jamie and Rick were watching TV and they both smiled mischievously when she walked into the room. “Wow,” Rick teased. “I love your new look. It’s really you.”

“Yeah Mom,” Jamie chuckled. “I want to learn to dress just like that.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Jo replied to their teasing. She kissed her daughter on the cheek leaving red lip prints and laughed, “I’ll be home late. Go to bed on time.”

“I will Mom,” Jamie hugged her.

Rick walked her to the door, “Stay safe,” he whispered.

“I will, I promise,” Jo said as she walked out the door, “Thanks again for staying with Jamie.”

“You know I love spending time with her Jo,” Rick said seriously.

Jo nodded, “I know.”

Half an hour later Jo drove down the dark streets near the docks. She was supposed to meet Henry near an old shack where the police had set up surveillance. She got out of the car and stumbled as she made her way toward the shack. It had been a long time since she had worn shoes like these and she wasn’t used to it. She hoped she wouldn’t be on her feet long. Hopefully they’d catch the guy and be out of there in no time. “Henry,” she whispered as she pushed open the door.

“Over here,” her partner’s voice echoed from across the room. Jo followed until she found him setting up camp in the corner of the room. “Glad you made it. Nice look on you,” he chuckled.

“Yeah…yeah, I heard it all before I left home tonight,” Jo cringed. “So, what are we doing here?”

“Milo Lonvetti,” Henry showed her a picture of the suspect. “He’s a drug smuggler.”

“I thought this was a prostitution case,” Jo asked nervously. She didn’t want to get into anything too dangerous. When she and Kyle had adopted Jamie six years ago she had made a promise that she would not take any more dangerous cases. That was one of the reasons they had moved to LA from New York. The LAPD offered special projects for mothers with children, so they could serve their community and not put themselves in added danger.

“Well,” Henry continued. “After he gets a new shipment, he always finds a prostitute down by the docks and…celebrates his good fortune.” Henry made a sick face. “From what we’ve been told, he likes to brag about his profession, so we need you. Make sure Lonvetti chooses you, wear this wire, and get him to talk about the drug smuggling.” Henry spoke nervously, “The only thing is you have to leave your gun here. There is no way you can hide it in that getup.”

“Henry,” Jo’s voice cracked, “I’m not sure about this.”

“You can do it,” Henry said without a doubt. “I’ve seen the way you work. The two of us can bring him down…right here tonight. Are you with me?”

“When is everyone else showing up?” Jo asked, knowing she would go along with him. She could never say no to Henry. He was like a father to her and she knew he would never let anyone hurt her. They were there to protect each other.

“They should be here in an hour or so,” Henry replied. “You go down by the docks and make yourself at home. Let people see you, make them think you belong there. Keep an eye out for Lonvetti. I’ll turn your earpiece on so you can hear what’s going on back here.”

“Okay,” Jo nodded. “Who’s following me to the hotel with him?”

“Me,” Henry promised. “And a couple of the guys. We’ve got your back. Don’t worry.”

“Well wish me luck,” Jo forced a laugh as she walked out onto the docks.

“Make yourself look available,” Henry’s voice joked through the earpiece. “You look too uptight.”

Jo leaned against the light pole and looked around. The place was swarming with “working girls” and it sickened her. Plus she had to admit to herself she was a little worried. At thirty-six, she knew she had a good fifteen to twenty years on most of these girls. They were kids, and it made her sad to think of them living their lives this way. Right now she couldn’t worry about that though. She had to think of a way to get Lonvetti to choose her over one of these young girls.

She looked around and remembered the last time she had been undercover as a prostitute. It was right after she had married Kyle. He always loved it when she was undercover, said it made him feel like they were living dangerously. They were living in New York City at the time, and Jo worked for the NYPD. That night she had been on the lookout for a man who was suspected of kidnapping prostitutes working on the strip near the theater district, but she found someone else. While she was standing there, glancing in all the cars that passed her by, she heard a small cry and she couldn’t ignore it. It seemed to call to her. She walked down the alley and there, in a huddle against a cold brick building was a little girl. Jo knelt down to her and the girl sobbed, her long dark hair matted to her face. A second later a woman, tall and dangerously thin ran up to them and tried to pull Jo away from the girl, shouting that she was the girl’s mother and that Jo had no right to be anywhere near her. Jo flashed her badge and picked up the child. She knew the mother was on something, the way her body jerked and she slurred her words. The little girl couldn’t have been more than five or six, and she looked like she hadn’t eaten in a week. Jo looked into the girl’s eyes, and she knew she would always love that child. Then she looked at the mother, and although she pitied her, she hated her as well. “That was a long time ago,” Jo whispered to herself. She thought about Jamie at home in her bed and tears came to her eyes. “I’m so glad I saved you from that my sweet girl,” she sighed sadly.

Suddenly Jo realized she hadn’t heard anything from Henry in a while. He was supposed to tell her when the other officers arrived. She tried shifting her head and when she did she could hear static, but nothing else. The radio must have gone out again. The department had been having trouble with a lot of the surveillance equipment, but budget cuts made it impossible to replace any of it. She looked at her watch. It was getting late and there was still no sign on Lonvetti. Most of the other women on the docks had found clients and left with them. Jo was pretty sure Lonvetti was not going to show up tonight. She headed back to the shack to tell the guys they should call it a night. Maybe they’d have better luck next time. Jo pushed open the door to the old shack and it was pitch black inside. She couldn’t even see lights from the surveillance equipment. “Guys…” she whispered nervously. She stopped when her foot hit something on the ground beneath her. She looked down and gasped. Henry was laying on the ground, blood pouring from the fresh stab wounds on his neck and chest, his eyes cold and lifeless staring up at her. Jo knelt beside him, “Henry…” she sobbed reaching to feel for a pulse that wasn’t there. Then she noticed the other two officers lying beside him. Their throats were slit and Jo nearly vomited as she rose to her feet and attempted to run from the scene.

She could feel the evil in the room, the sense of danger overwhelmed her. She ran to the door, kicking off the high heels that were hindering her stride. She made it to the door, reached to open it, when she felt the cold metal blade against her throat. “Please…don’t” she begged, but within seconds the pain engulfed her and everything went dark.

[Nighthawk76]

This is a bit different for you, Billie. I think that you are off to a good start though. It is very well written, but your stories always are.

[ZeldaGilroy]

Thanks for the reply Mike. I have not forgotten that FOL was a comedy. It is just easier for me to write dramatic stuff. I can't write comedy at all. I think it can be fun to take the characters out of their usual element though anyway!

[LoveMrsG]

Originally Posted by FactsFan

I have not forgotten that FOL was a comedy. It is just easier for me to write dramatic stuff. I can't write comedy at all. I think it can be fun to take the characters out of their usual element though anyway!

I SECOND THAT!!!! It is much easier for me to write drama than comedy too. I've already told you in PM, B., but you already know I love this new fic of yours. I think you're doing great too. And yes, Mike, Facts may have been a comedy but it was more than just your typical sit-com. For a comedy, it could also be dramatic at times and very deep. Its sole existence was not merely to make people laugh. It was there to make people THINK and to make a difference in people's lives. I think that's why it's a lot easier for a lot of us to write about deeper, emotional, more dramatic issues (so to speak anyway) because this was a deeper show. As a matter of fact, I very rarely laugh when I watch a Facts episode. It may have been called a sit-com and there were some eps that were quite hysterical like "Seven Little Indians" and "Golden Oldies" in the later eps, but I think it just barely makes it into the sit-com genre to be honest. I think the jokes were quite small and only existed so FOL could be given the label of a "comedy." But that's just my opinion.

[RoryGilmore]

Excellent start Billie I'm hooked!

[JoPolniaczekFan]

I have to say I really like this story so far. I think you are a very talented writer and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[ZeldaGilroy]

Alright, I want to say that when I posted this story I did not expect it to create so much conflict on the board. I wasn't sure about posting it, mainly because of the content, but I never expected this and I guess now I owe some people some apologies.

Mike-Yes, I was a little offended that you posted what you did in my thread, but I know you well enough to know that you didn't mean it personally against me or my writing. Also, I am sorry I told someone else it bothered me instead of telling you directly. That was wrong and I shouldn't have done that. I am very sorry.

Leigh-I very much appreciate you trying to defend my work. Yes, I think you went a little too far because like I said, I don't think Mike really was trying to attack me with his post. However, you are right about a lot of the things you posted, such as there is a dramatic element to the show and the storylines expressed in dramatic writing are important ones and really do touch the readers. I never mean to hurt your feelings by disagreeing with some of what you posted and I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. So I am sorry.

Meghan-I apologize for dragging you into the mess by asking you to delete the thread. As you know, I've decided to leave it open in the hopes that it can get back on track and we can all forget this mess. Sorry to bring you into a mess that was not at all about you.

I would really like to continue this story. It means a lot to me and it is probably the best thing I've ever written. I undestand if people are not wanting to read it now though. I feel bad for hurting anyone via messageboard, Facebook, or PM. I never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings.

[Nighthawk76]

Billie, I am truly sorry that you were offended by what I wrote. I was worried that you might be. I never meant what I said to be an attack on you as a writer or to belittle your story. I think this is a great story and I hope that you continue in with it, because you are off to a great start and it would be a shame if you were to stop now. My comment about how dramatic the fics have become was more a blanket comment and not meant to single out your story for criticism. I should not have posted it in your thread. This all started because of my post, so I think that it is I who should apologize. I am sorry.

[ZeldaGilroy]

Originally Posted by Shine

Billie, I am truly sorry that you were offended by what I wrote. I was worried that you might be. I never meant what I said to be an attack on you as a writer or to belittle your story. I think this is a great story and I hope that you continue in with it, because you are off to a great start and it would be a shame if you were to stop now. My comment about how dramatic the fics have become was more a blanket comment and not meant to single out your story for criticism. I should not have posted it in your thread. This all started because of my post, so I think that it is I who should apologize. I am sorry.

Thanks for the apology Mike. I know you didn't mean to hurt my feelings. I think it's best for us to put this behind us and move on. Life is too short to worry about silly things like this. Thanks again!

[ZeldaGilroy]

Originally Posted by JoPolniaczekFan

I have to say I really like this story so far. I think you are a very talented writer and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thank you so much for the nice comments. I will be posting more in a little while.

[ZeldaGilroy]

Chapter 3

The phone call had come just after 1:00 AM and Rick had been trying to get in touch with Kyle ever since. It was now after 2:00 and he had pretty much given up on reaching his friend. Where the hell was he? Jo was going to die all alone at that hospital, and her husband was nowhere to be found. “She’s not going to die,” he whispered to himself. “She tough…she’s going to be fine.” He held back the tears that were forming in his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to yell, to scream and throw things. But Jamie was asleep and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her up. He didn’t want to have to tell her about her mother.

He tiptoed towards the bedroom and peeked in on the girl. She was sound asleep, looking peaceful, curled up under her flowered blanket. Rick smiled instinctively watching the girl sleep. She was a great kid and he loved her with all his heart. He felt lucky that Jo and Kyle had included him in their lives, made him part of their little family. And he had become very close to Jamie over the past few years. He was honored to be her Uncle Rick and proud of her many accomplishments. She had just turned thirteen, and already she was thinking about colleges and taking advanced classes even though she was only in middle school. “She gets that from Jo,” Rick said to himself. Even though he knew Jo was not her biological mother, he also knew that Jamie had Jo’s work ethic, her desire to learn and make a difference in the world. What if she lost her mother tonight? How would that change the person she was destined to become? He didn’t want to think about it.

Rick walked back to the living room and dialed Kyle’s cell phone one last time. No answer. Then he sat on the couch and let out and exasperated sigh. He wanted to go to the hospital himself, so she wouldn’t be all alone. But he didn’t want to leave Jamie alone and he couldn’t wake her up and drag her to the hospital to watch her mother die. He closed his eyes. This was all his fault anyway. He was the reason Jo had become a cop in the first place. He had always known she joined the police force just to spite him after their divorce. He had hurt her so deeply, and she wanted to run away, make a new life for herself. So she had left Peekskill for the city, and before long she had joined the NYPD. She told him it had nothing to do with him, that she was tired of social work and that she wanted to do something exciting with her life, but he knew better. Jo was devastated by what he had put her through, and maybe she wanted excitement, but she also didn’t care much about what happened to her either. That was why the police force was perfect for her. She could focus her energy on helping others, on making a difference, but in the end if things went wrong she could always die with dignity and honor, putting an end to the pain in her heart.

The dark stillness of the night was more than he could take. He had to go to the hospital. Rick stood up, ready to wake Jamie and explain to the poor child what had happened when the door creaked open. “What are you doing here?” Kyle asked as he walked through the door, dropping his guitar case on the floor. “Where’s Jo?”

“Where the hell have you been?” Rick yelled, then lowered his voice so he wouldn’t wake Jamie. “I’ve been calling you all night.”

“I was at that party at the recording studio,” Kyle’s voice was defensive. “I saw the house number on my cell, but I figured it was Jo getting on my case for not being home. What’s going on anyway? What’s the big emergency?”

“Your wife,” Rick said hatefully. “She’s the big emergency. She’s fighting for her life right now and she’s all alone thanks to you. You couldn’t answer your damn phone all night?”

The color drained from his face and Kyle had to lean against the wall to keep from passing out. Ever since they had gotten married, he had been turned on by the danger of his wife’s job. He felt like it made them more adventurous, forced them to live in the moment and that had excited him. He never really let himself think about what life would be like if something happened to her. “What happened?” he voice quivered.

“She went undercover tonight,” Rick explained. “I don’t know what they were supposed to be doing, but she was dressed as a hooker and I know she was meeting Henry at the docks around 9:00. A little after 1:00 there was a call from the hospital. She had been brought in by ambulance. Some teenagers looking for a goodtime found her body in a shack down by the docks.”

“Her body?” Kyle had to swallow the bile that was rising in his throat. “Is she…”

“She was alive,” Rick coughed to clear the tears from his throat. “Unconscious….but alive.” It was hard to repeat the words he had been told on the phone. “She was stabbed a couple of times in the back, and badly beaten. They said her face is damaged beyond recognition.” He lowered his voice, as if to make the words he spoke less terrible than they were, “And she was raped.”

Kyle crumbled into a heap on the floor, unable to control his emotions any longer. Rick knelt down beside him and let his own tears fall. “They said she was lucky to still be breathing,” his voice croaked. “The other officers were killed instantly. They slit their throats. One of them was Henry.”

“Oh God,” Kyle exclaimed. “Did she have to see that? Watch them kill her partner and then know they were coming for her?”

“I don’t know,” Rick said honestly. “I don’t think so. They said her wounds look as if she was taken off guard…attacked from behind. Not that that is any better.” He looked seriously at his friend, “You should get up there…she needs you there.”

“Yeah,” Kyle rose to his feet and wiped his eyes.

“I’ll stay with Jamie,” Rick offered. “Do you want me to tell her when she wakes up?”

Kyle shrugged, “Tell her whatever you want.” He couldn’t think clearly enough to know what was best for his daughter. “I’ll call you and keep you posted.”

“Thanks,” Rick sighed. He watched as Kyle grabbed his keys and walked out the door. Then he leaned back on the couch and let his mind wander to the past.



Chapter 4

They had gotten married too fast. Jo tried to tell him it was too soon, that they needed time to get to know one another, but he wouldn’t listen. He made it his goal to sweep her off her feet and that determination had paid off. They were married a mere six weeks after they started dating and he could not have been happier about it. Jo had been happy too at first, until he ruined everything. Rick would never forgive himself for that.

Going on tour seemed like the right thing to do. Jo had been supportive of it, knowing they needed the money and he loved pursuing his music. What was supposed to be a one month tour had turned into three months, and Rick missed being with his wife. That was when he had made the biggest mistake of his life. April Grimes meant nothing to him, she was just someone who was there and after a few drinks things had gone too far. He never planned to see her again after that one night, but things quickly became more complicated than he could have ever imagined.

When he came home from the tour he tried to pretend like everything was normal. He showered Jo with gifts and a few times she jokingly asked him if he was feeling guilty about something, but he knew she didn’t suspect anything. Finally, a few months later he felt like he could put that guilt behind him. Cheating on his wife was despicable, hiding it was even worse, but he loved Jo more than anything and he would never betray her again. He knew that. He had to let himself off the hook and focus on their life together. He owed her that much.

Then the unthinkable happened. April showed up at their apartment, pregnant with a baby she claimed was his and threatening to tell his wife if he didn’t give into her demands. She wanted money, more than he could ever come up with and so he knew he had no choice but to admit the truth to Jo. He didn’t want her to hear it from April.

Jo smacked him across the face when he told her, a reaction that wasn’t unexpected. “How could you do this to us?” she had asked angrier than he had ever seen her. He tried to explain that he had been drunk, not that it was an excuse, but she wouldn’t hear any of it. She had run out of the apartment and he didn’t see her for three days afterwards. He knew she was staying with Blair, but when he called no one would answer. He didn’t blame her for hating him, he deserved it. But all of the sudden, three days later there she was, ready and willing to take on April. She was angry on his behalf, something he hadn’t expected when he thought of how to tell her he had destroyed their happy marriage. “How dare this tramp come in here and try to blackmail you into giving her money,” Jo had shouted. “We don’t even have any proof that the baby is yours.”

Rick had refused when Jo insisted on meeting April. He didn’t trust his wife to remain calm and April was pregnant, whether or not it was his baby he didn’t want Jo to hurt her. So he met with April himself, told her he had confessed the whole thing to his wife and that he wasn’t going to pay her off. April had flipped out then, threatening to kill herself and when she ran off Rick had tried to find her but he couldn’t. He spent the next three months worrying about the baby, wondering if it was really his and if it was healthy or of April had actually made good on her threats and killed herself, taking the baby with her in her demise. Then late one night there was a frantic knock on the door and there was April, her dark hair hanging limp in the rain, her eyes empty. Jo came to the door and stared at the woman, unable to take her eyes away from the tiny pink bundle in the woman’s arms. “It’s cold,” Jo said sadly as she stared at them. “Why don’t you come inside?”

April walked into the apartment and looked around. She handed the baby to Jo, who reluctantly took the little girl. April’s voice was harsh, “I don’t want her,” she said bitterly. She looked at Rick and he could feel her hatred burning through him, “She’s yours.” She handed him some papers, a birth certificate, hospital records, and then she headed to the door, “Tell her I never wanted to be a mom and she’s better off without me.” Then she walked out the door.

Rick didn’t know what to do. He looked at his wife who was sitting there with the crying baby and he hated himself for doing this to her. He hated himself for doing this to the baby, and to April. He had destroyed all of their lives. Jo rocked the baby back and forth, “She’s hungry,” she said, tears in her eyes. “You should run to the store and get some formula…and diapers. She needs to be changed.”

“Jo…” Rick said gently. “What are we going to do with her?”

Jo looked at him, her eyes filled with painful tears, “She’s your daughter Rick…we’re going to keep her.”

Rick sat beside her and shook his head, “No…I won’t do that to you. I won’t make you raise someone else’s child. I’m so sorry…”

“Just go to the store,” Jo spoke through her sobs.

When Rick came back from the store the baby was asleep and Jo was still cradling her in her arms. He sat next to them and looked into his wife’s eyes, “I never meant for this to happen,” he said honestly.

“I know,” Jo whispered. “And I hate you for this. Don’t ever think I am going to forgive you. But look at her. She’s so tiny and innocent. She’s beautiful and this isn’t her fault. She deserves to be loved.”

“I can’t be a father,” Rick said seriously.

Jo handed him the baby, “Well you are a father,” she said tearfully. Then she walked into the bedroom and cried herself to sleep.

Over the next few months they had seen lawyer after lawyer, trying to find someone who could help them adopt the baby. April had put Rick’s name on the birth certificate, but no one would agree to let Jo adopt the baby without April’s consent and April was nowhere to be found. A blood test confirmed that Rick was the baby’s father, and so Jo insisted that even without adopting her legally she would always be the little girl’s mother. And she was a remarkable mother. Rick was in awe of how much she adored the baby, how she cuddled her and rocked her to sleep, how she cared for her and loved her as much as if she had given birth to her herself. He knew her friends were pressuring her to divorce him, give up on the sham of a marriage and move on. And he didn’t blame them. But Jo was not going to leave. She loved him and she loved the baby and even though things were never the same between them, they were finding happiness together.

Then their lawyer finally tracked down April and it seemed like things were going to come together. But April refused to give up her rights to the baby and after meeting with them and seeing how much Jo longed to be the child’s mother she insisted she wanted the little girl back. Rick promised his wife he wouldn’t let that happen. April had abandoned the baby and surely no judge in his right mind would give her custody. But in the courtroom April’s lawyer portrayed her as an overwhelmed new mother, abandoned by the father of her baby and all alone in the world. The judge ruled that they give April guardianship of her child immediately.

Jo clung to the baby, refusing to give her up and Rick had to pry her out of her arms. “She’s our daughter,” Jo had sobbed. “How can you give her back to that monster? You promised me…”

Rick left her alone and took the baby to the courthouse where their lawyer handed her over to April. “Please reconsider this?” Rick pleaded. “I love her. My wife loves her.”

“She’s my daughter,” April’s voice was crass.

“She’s mine too,” Rick reminded her. “I have rights. The judge said I can see her.”

April left the courthouse with the baby in her arms and disappeared. She never showed up on his visitation days and even though the court ruled she was in violation of their custody agreement, no one in law enforcement seemed to care much about tracking her down. Rick never saw April again. The baby was gone and Jo couldn’t take it anymore. Rick had betrayed her when he slept with April. He had made her life a living hell when April had shown up pregnant. He had turned her world upside down when April left the baby with them. But none of that compared with losing the baby. Without the baby, Jo knew she couldn’t stay with Rick. Looking at him made her sick to her stomach. She hated him for all he put her through and she couldn’t forgive him. She was mourning the loss of this child she had loved and she was not going to stay with the man who had caused her so much pain. So she filed for divorce and moved away from Peekskill. Less than two years after Jo and Rick were married, their marriage was over.

Rick opened his eyes and looked at the clock. It was 5:00 in the morning and Kyle still hadn’t called with an update. If Jo had died, Rick knew a part of his soul would die with her. He had caused her so much pain and maybe this was his punishment for that. He walked towards the bedroom and checked on Jamie again. At least she was still asleep. He was glad Jo had finally had the chance to become a mother. Jamie was her world and he knew Jo meant everything to Jamie as well. He hoped Kyle would call with some good news before Jamie woke up.

[RoryGilmore]

Wow excellent post! I really love this story

[LoveMrsG]

Originally Posted by Shine

Billie, I am truly sorry that you were offended by what I wrote. I was worried that you might be. I never meant what I said to be an attack on you as a writer or to belittle your story. I think this is a great story and I hope that you continue in with it, because you are off to a great start and it would be a shame if you were to stop now. My comment about how dramatic the fics have become was more a blanket comment and not meant to single out your story for criticism. I should not have posted it in your thread. This all started because of my post, so I think that it is I who should apologize. I am sorry.

I think I'm as much to blame for all of this as you two are, possibly a little more. Everything would have been SO much better if I would have JUST kept my big mouth shut! Anyway Mike, I think we've always been good friends with each other since I came here last year and I do want to say that I was pretty angry when I said what I did in my post and while I think I made some good points, I was rougher on you than I should have been and I do apologize for that and I hope we can still be friends here. I should have waited to cool off some more before I said anything at all, or better yet like I said earlier, I should have just been wise enough to stay the hell out of it and keep my big mouth shut. I just said what I felt needed to be said and I thought I was coming to the defense of a friend and doing the right thing and since then, it has obviously backfired to the nth degree. From now on, if I get fired up about something, I WILL show the common sense to keep it to myself.

[JoPolniaczekFan]

This is great. Its funny cause when I had Rick cheating and the girl claiming he was the father of her baby I almost made her do the same thing but then I said they have enough kids already and you had suggested having the baby be born a different race which I found to be funny so I used it. It seems you and I think alike a lot of times lol.