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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 5, 2008 0:26:56 GMT -5
Thatcher took his two siblings home directly from the hospital. He was thanking Merlin that his children were back at school, and, Godric forbid, Alicia would never find out.
He was praying that this baby was not Zach's, but even if it was, it would never be raised in the Scotts household. Yes, a Scotts child should be added to the legacy, but not with the potential danger and the scandal around it. Besides, they didn't even know if the woman was of proper family and bloodlines.
"You're both over for dinner," Thatcher said, laying down the law. "Alicia is not to know anything about what's going on until we get the results from the test."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 5, 2008 0:41:21 GMT -5
Zachary said nothing as he followed his brother into the house. His movements were stiff, and his jaw was still twitching. And all he could think about was getting back to Susie. He didn't know that she, just like everyone else, had lost all faith in him. But he hardly would have blamed her. She was the only person in this whole situation that he cared about, and he'd screwed things up with her already. He never should have let Taylor chase him away from her. He never should have made that bet.
"I suppose next you'll be ordering me up to my room?" he drawled at last, eying Thatcher coldly.
His relationship with his brother had always been complicated, and even antagonistic at times. And Zach had always taken it, until he couldn't take it anymore and had to get out. Everyone thought that Zach just liked to wander, that he was just reckless and aimless. But it wasn't quite the truth. The real reason Zach so frequently took off for parts unknown was that he had many things he wanted to say to his brother, but never had the guts.
What Zach wanted to say to Thatcher right now was not something he could put into words. It was more a physical need to punch him in the jaw. But he didn't. Instead he stood there, his hands held stiffly at his sides.
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 5, 2008 6:20:30 GMT -5
"If I thought you'd listen, maybe. But we need to talk now, Zach. Have a seat. Let's pour some drinks, and then let's talk."
Merlin knew he needed something strong and fermented at this point. Did he tell Zach what they would do now? No, his brother would just whine and argue and he had too massive of a headache to deal with it.
He poured three glasses of brandy and handed them out.
"Zach, Tanya and I have been talking."
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Post by Tanya Scotts on Nov 5, 2008 10:14:24 GMT -5
Tanya followed them into the house silently, no words were needed from her at this point. She seriously considered pulling out her wand and... no she wasn't going to do anything but that didn't mean she couldn't think about torturing her brother just out of spite for the position he'd put them in. She inwardly sighed as she took the drink Thatcher offered her and went to sit down in a nearby chair to listen. Her wand was in fact only an inch from her finger tips, not that she thought she'd get the opportunity to use it but her fingers still itched with the thought.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 5, 2008 11:18:21 GMT -5
Zachary stared at Thatcher and accepted the glass of brandy from him, but declined to sit for the time being. Thatcher was still standing, and Zach refused to allow his brother the advantage of height over him.
Cocking an eyebrow at him, he glanced over at Tanya and then back at Thatcher. "I imagine you have," he said in a droll tone. "I suppose I should be readying my dress robes and looking for a job?"
As much as he was already determined to marry Susie--whether the baby was his or not--he still found it incredibly insulting that his brother and sister apparently felt the need to lay down the law to him, as if he were a child. He was actually beginning to pity Thatcher's children--especially Guinevere--for the stifling control their father must have exerted on them.
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 6, 2008 4:38:52 GMT -5
Thatcher shook his head. "I can't see you lasting very long in any job. I have a feeling that would be more hassle than it's worth. No, we've been talking about that child and it's mother more than you."
Thatcher wanted his family to be the best they could be, and he was continually disappointed in them. Zach, Gwen, Timothy, and Thane... he had to lay down the law or Merlin knew his kids would end up like his wayward brother. If Gwen *ever* got pregnant... or if any of his boys were so careless in their affairs... he would kill them.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 6, 2008 9:56:45 GMT -5
Zachary tried to ignore the pang he felt at Thatcher's lack of faith in him. He knew he deserved it, still, if no one believed in him, how was he to believe in himself? He'd made a right mess of things, he knew that. And he'd never had to clean up one of his own messes before. But this time, he really wanted to make things right; for both Susie and for the baby. The prospect of going back to life without her was a depressing thought. He'd never realized before just how empty his prior existence had been.
But Thatcher's next statement gave Zach pause. Suddenly he was even less pleased with the direction of the conversation. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 3:01:49 GMT -5
"I mean, we've been trying to figure out how to fix this mess you've gotten the family into." He paused, his jaw clenched, to stop from going off on his brother about how he never thought, and how his actions affected more than just him. Merlin, it was a talk he was *now* having with Gwen and Timothy. And they were children!
"If it's her fiance's, great, she goes back to California, marries him, and we just forget this ever happened. It's her affair at that point and she'll need to figure out how to fix it. If it's yours..." he glanced at Tanya, then back at Zachary, hoping he would correctly fill in the blanks.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 10:39:32 GMT -5
“…If it’s mine, I will marry her,” Zachary said. He hadn’t yet picked up on what Thatcher was trying to tell him, and it honestly didn’t occur to him that his brother and Tanya would have concocted any other scheme than for him to marry Susie. After all the years that Tanya had been trying to get him to take responsibility and settle down, he didn’t think either of them would settle for anything less than that now. “I want to marry her, Thatcher. I know I’ve never been very responsible in the past, but something changed in me. I wouldn’t have even left her if not for the bet. I was going to propose to her in California.”
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 10:42:51 GMT -5
"You were going to propose to an engaged woman, Zachary," Thatcher said, his voice faltering. It was a clear sign that he was fighting very hard to keep his anger in check.
"No. If it's yours, the plan doesn't change. She goes back to California, marries her fiance, and we pretend none of this happened. I... Yes, it's a Scotts child, but who knows what her side is? And I won't bring this kind of scandal to the family."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 10:52:54 GMT -5
Anger flashed through Zach's eyes. "What?" he repeated, standing up. "The hell she will! If that child is mine, I will raise it. With her. Look, her engagement... it wasn't her choice. Her father was practically forced to make the arrangement, and part of the reason I was there was I was supposed to help bring down Taylor, so that her father could regain control of his own company, and the engagement would be broken. And, OK... I messed that up. But I want to marry her, Thatcher. And her family is impeccable, I've seen the family tree myself. Besides, if she's going back to her fiance no matter what, why does it even matter what the results of the test are?"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 16:26:38 GMT -5
"Because I want to know," Thatcher replied, staying calm. "And that's the other thing, Zach. To make this easier on you, and probably Justin as well... we won't be sharing the results of the test. It's an oppertunity for you, Zach, to start over."
He knew Zachary was going to hate him. He loved his brother and wanted what was best for him, but he had to take care of the family, too.
"I'm just doing what we have to do for the family, Zach."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 16:44:46 GMT -5
Zachary stared at him, incredulous. "And you think I'm going to stand for this?" he demanded angrily. Dimly he realized that the "old" Zachary would have been glad to have everything cleaned up so neatly for him; to be relieved of all responsibilty and absolved of all blame. Everything would just be tied up in a neat little bow, and he'd never have to know... he could go back to his empty, rootless existence, preferably far, far away from his family.
But Zach didn't want that anymore. He wanted to be away from Thatcher, that much was certain. But he couldn’t go back to the way things had been before, and he couldn’t pretend he was still the same person. He’d changed, and the thought of going back was surprisingly painful. He didn’t want her to be just a memory, and the idea that the child might be his would haunt him forever.
“If you didn’t want to pay off her fiancé, all you had to do was say so. I have other ways I can get that money. But I’m not going along with this plan of yours, Thatcher.”
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 16:52:15 GMT -5
"No, none of this was to avoid paying her fiance off," Thatcher said, finally letting his anger take over, and he stood up to be face to face with his brother.
"Other ways of getting that money, Zach? Isn't that what got you INTO this situation? You have been off impregnating other men's fiance's and losing small fortunes for three years since I last saw you, and Merlin only know what you did before that. How many kids do you think you have out there? How many little Scotts babies, and what makes this one different that you finally want to stick around? And I swear, if you tell me it's because you love her, I will send her back to California right now."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 17:06:33 GMT -5
"Actually, I was talking about other people I know who would be more than willing to loan me the money!" Zach shouted back. He chose not to mention them by name, just in case Thatcher attempted to go to them and block any efforts to help him. Neither Derek nor Edmund were exceptionally fond of Thatcher, but Zachary couldn't afford to take any chances.
"Look, I've done more than a few things I'm not proud of in the past, but I can assure you, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened... and it was only because I got careless. I...." He stopped and sighed, running a hand angrily through his hair. He began pacing, and his jaw was twitching wildly. His hands were curled into angry fists, and he urgently wanted to just hit his self-righteous jerk of a brother, but he managed to restrain the impulse.
"I lost control of the situation with her, but it's the first time it's happened like that." He stopped pacing and looked at his brother almost pleadingly. "Damn it, Thatch, can't you see that I've changed? I've never before even said that I wanted to marry anyone, that in itself should be a sign that it's different this time!"
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 17:16:42 GMT -5
"And how long is that going to last?" Thatcher asked, just barely raising his voice. "Until you get your funds back in order and have the money to gamble? Until someone prettier and younger distracts you? You have never changed! How am I supposed to believe that's happened now? No one changes overnight, Zachary."
He would not let Zach tell him how the situation was going to turn. No. He had ruined enough already.
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 17:28:07 GMT -5
Thatcher's accusations hurt, and Zach covered it with anger. "It's hardly been overnight!" he shouted back. "You haven't seen me for three bloody years and you dare to tell me that I haven't changed? Maybe you never even knew me at all."
What Thatcher had never understood about Zachary was that he hadn't particularly been attracted to gambling, or even the various women he had taken up with. He had done these things simply because he was bored. He'd never had to do anything at all. He'd taken up his vices more out of boredom than anything else. All along, he'd been looking for something, and he'd finally found it in Susie.
"I'm not one of your children, Thatcher," Zachary said angrily. "You don't get to decide how my life is going to be. I won't let you."
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 17:59:36 GMT -5
"Oh, you're not? Then stop acting like one of my children!" Thatcher shot back. "Your whole life you've been like this... refusing to grow up. Years and years of this... and I'm supposed to expect different because one pretty girl believes in you? Does she even know half of the things you do? The gambling, the other women? And what happens when you get bored with her, like you do everything else? It's just one more mess you'll leave for me to clean up."
He turned away from Zachary, giving his attention back to Tanya. "Let's go. We'll do the test.. or not. I don't even care anymore. I just want her gone."
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Post by Zachary Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 22:24:00 GMT -5
That just did it. He was not going to take this any more. He grabbed Thatcher by the shoulder, turning him back around to face him. Then he pulled back and punched him in the jaw. "You're a right bastard, you know that?" he practically growled. "It's all so damn easy for you... everything has always been so easy for you. You're just so bloody perfect, so you just sit up on your high horse, telling everyone what to do. Well, damn it, not anymore. This is my life, Thatcher, and I'm finally ready to start living it. Do you want me to leave again? That's what you're expecting, isn't it? That I'll just take off and disappear for another 3 years? Is that what you want from me, Thatcher? Because I'll do it. Only this time, I'll take her with me."
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Post by Thatcher Scotts on Nov 7, 2008 23:13:05 GMT -5
Thatcher was caught off guard by the entire turning of tables, and his hand came up to his jaw. It took every ounce of restraint he had not to pull his wand on his brother and kill him. Had it been anyone else, he would have.
"Are you even sure she wants you, Zach?" He asked, his eyes narrowing and his voice lowering. "Afterall, you did promise her the world and the abandoned her. But by Merlin, if you leave again, you're gone for good. You won't be recognized as a Scotts again. So do what you have in your mind to, but if that child is yours, and you run off with her to keep it, you're doing it on your own."
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