For muse_shuffle - December Greatest Hits
20. The great big city's a wonderous toy // just made for a girl and boy
(Ella Fitzgerald - 'Manhattan')
[Set after this THIS]
Co-written with notskywalker
Despite the loud and wide yawn Luke made no attempt to stifle, he realised his body was overtired. Even if he tried to go to bed now, he wouldn't be able to sleep. The excitement of the previous evening ending with the prompt birth of Baby Campbell right before midnight on Christmas Day was catching. Luke had always loved kids, so it was just fun to be involved like this again. Plus, witnessing Lachlan's announcement to everyone that he was a Dad and had a son was priceless. It was a perfect way to end an already great Christmas Day.
They were back at Riley's apartment now and Luke kicked his shoes off as Tab's phone buzzed with a text message. "Is that your other half?" he asked and waved his hand in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea. Want some?"
"No, it's my secret lover. He wants to know if you're asleep so he can come around," Tab replied with a cheeky grin. She wasn't anywhere near sleepy. Maybe she'd hit overtired a while back, because she just felt like she was wide awake and ready to go. Although what she was going to do exactly was another story. She gave a nod as she hit a couple of buttons and pulled up the picture from Riley. "Tea would be great, thanks. Hey, look! It's little Riley! It almost makes me want one until I think about the crying and the pooping and the drooling and the scariness."
Luke took the phone and grinned. "Oh wow. I can't believe they called him Riley Patrick. That's amazing, but he looks like a Riley, don't you think? Actually, he looks like a little Lachlan, but you know what I mean. This kid is going to break so many hearts it's not funny. Riley must be over the moon." He had another long look at the photos, smiling, and then handed her the phone back. "Your bro is a Godfather."
"My Big Bro is the Godfather and don't forget it! He could kick both Brando's and Pacino's arse." To say Tab was proud to have the Campbell baby named after her other half would be an understatement. "He does kind of look like a Riley. He's a Rachlan. Or a Liley. Beanpole can't stop smiling, apparently. Who can blame him though, right?"
"You call Lachlan's son Liley and he may thump you with a diaper," Luke laughed and went to the kitchen to fill the kettle. "Not that that would hurt. This kid's diapers are going to be tiny. But probably still as scary as all hell. I'm happy to be a spectator. I love the fun side of kids but it's the rest that's intimidating. No sleep, crying, diapers, sickness." He shook his head. "Not ready for that yet. Your brother is, though. You can see it in his eyes."
Tab took a shuddering breath, her mood changing as quickly as she blinked. She felt that same dull ache in her chest she'd felt talking to Riley earlier. "I know he is, but he can't have it. I want so much for him to just get his family and be a dad, but he can't take the risk." She tried to push the pain away and managed a weak smile as she looked back at little Riley's face on her phone. "That's why it's good being the babysitters and aunt and uncle. We get to spoil them then give them back."
"He'll probably want to reevaluate a lot now. You never know what that little baby will make him analyse or revisit. Sitting nursing a baby and just watching them? It's a good time to think. I used to do it a lot when I would visit my nieces and nephews back home. I mean, they can't talk back. You can talk to them. They'll respond to your voice, but it's a nice feeling. Riley hasn't probably had much to do with babies beyond his patients. My deep prediction is that little Riley Patrick is going to give your brother a lot of food for thought," Luke told her with a small smile.
Tab nodded as she set the phone down and rest her chin in her hand as she watched Luke. "I think Evie wants it too. I was talking to her before, and Riley already said she was clucky. Evie's probably just going to have to be very fucking patient with Riley. Sometimes he's quick to pursue what he wants, other times he takes his time and thinks it over until it's a big pile of processed mush."
Luke smirked and tried not to laugh. "Seriously, I have seen that with him. My brain aches just watching him try to work things out in his mind. Did Evie say anything? Being with Riley in general is a large feat. That sounds like crap, but I know you know what I mean. He needs someone who can let him deal with what comes the best he can. Maybe it's not always the best way, either, but it's his way. Anyone else's way and he won't deal with it properly. Exactly the same situation for Pat or even Lachlan and Remy. Shit has happened and they go about things differently to the rest of us. My sister told me the sperm washing thing has quite extensively progressed over the years. Many guys with HIV have had perfectly healthy children."
"Maybe your sister can talk to Riley? He at least needs to get all the information together before he starts processing stuff. I do know what you mean, and you're right. But it just seems like if you're definitely made for that person you'll take anything. Tara and Lachlan are the pefect fit, and I think Riley and Evie are. Evie didn't really say anything, but I don't feel comfy talking to her about kids. I don't want to wind up encouraging her when I know Riley just wants to ignore it because it hurts too much for him otherwise. If he lets himself believe for a single second that he could really have a family and then it just turns around and blows up in his face and he hurts Evie, or the kid, or both--he'll hate himself. There'll be no coming back from that." Tab took a deep breath and pulled her mouth to the side. "And as much as I want him to be a dad, I can't watch him go through that kind of pain."
Luke nodded slowly. "That's the worry with this sperm thing. There are still risks. Maybe having a Godson will bring him some peace then? Like, maybe that will be enough for him, to be a part of Riley Junior's life?"
"I don't know," Tab admitted as she shifted off her stool and moved to where Luke was, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. "I don't think anything will ever be enough."
"But he's happy," Luke pointed out. "He's really happy. He hasn't smiled like that in awhile."
"That's also true... fuck, I don't know. Maybe it will be enough." Tab licked at her lips. "I just want him to smile like that all the time."
Luke laughed softly. "No one smiles like that all the time, Lucky Charm. Not even the happiest person in the world. And look at how he dealt with the whack in the face with the pillow at Christmas. There was not even a hint of a freak out. Maybe things really are changing, we just can't see it because we don't see him very often."
"Do I smile like that?" Tab asked, suddenly curious. She felt like she did smile like that, but she couldn't exactly see her own face most of the time. "I was so proud of him, and I'm just so excited to have a little Riley, and I know he is too. We have to see him more often. We have to start the drives up here to Princeton. I want to keep up with the changes."
"All the time? No. You're a snot some mornings, I'll tell you," Luke joked, laughing. He reached up to take some mugs from the cupboard as the kettle neared boiling. "Things seem about balanced between NY and Princeton right now. All the action is here at the moment, but Pat's moving to New York to be with Aiden and the rest of us are up there. But I like Princeton. It's got a real vibe to the place. I should open a second bar here," he mused.
Tab pulled herself up onto the counter to give Luke room to move. "Yeah, but I'm a snot you love," she laughed. "A second bar, seriously? Would you split your time between the two?"
Luke tilted his head and got the milk out of the fridge, checking the date. "There's probably no reason why I couldn't. Paul back in NY has always been a great 2IC. Aiden could do the promo, giving him and Pat an excuse to be in Princeton in RJ's early days. We could call it Tab's," he added, laughing.
"RJ?" Tab repeated as she crinkled her nose. She was trying to see if she liked the nickname. "You should just name it after some other beach in Australia. You shouldn't be naming bars after me, smexy. Although I am wondering if my spot at The Bondi will still stand, and what about my bar tending gig? Do I just stay in New York?"
"Riley Junior." Luke shrugged and went about making tea things. "I dunno. Would you want to stay in New York while Riley and I were living up the good Princeton life? And The Bondi got that because I live very close to that beach back home. I could always go a Scottish theme in honour of the newest Campbell addition. It's all just ideas and exactly how The Bondi started."
"So you'd move here?" Tab asked, trying to follow Luke's train of thought. "And you do know RJ is one of the Bold and the Beautiful kids, right? Ask Benny about it. But I do like it. Easier than always saying Riley Junior, or little Riley. Maybe I could invest in the second bar? I got all this money now... and the time's not right to start a second album. I haven't got near enough material for one. Or I could put down the deposit for a place if you are talking about a permanent shift here."
Luke shook his head. "No, I'd still always technically live in NY, but I could get a smaller second place here. Or third place, rather. My second place is actually in Ali's apartment complex," he laughed. "Just two floors down. And our RJ would own it, baby. He would shit all over any crappy soap kids... probably literally right now." He put the milk on the counter and leaned against it. "You know I wouldn't do anything until you wanted it too, right? This is just something in me. I get itchy feet and move around a lot. Maybe Princeton is somewhere we could be right now? I mean, when was the last time you lived close to Riley? The Bondi will always be there for us to go back to, as will the loft. We could spend six months or so here building up the new place from scratch and watching it grow. It's an option. If you wanted to invest, we could own it together."
Tab swung her legs, her feet touching the cupboards as she turned it all over in her mind. "You never told me your second place was in that building. No wonder you don't live in it, though. It's not really your kind of place. And the last time I lived near Riley was before he left for Scotland. We used to live together. Him being in Princeton and me being in New York was the closest we'd been since, and I am okay with it. It's still hard, but we have our own lives." Tab couldn't help but smile, her brown eyes lighting up. "But a third place of yours near him and building up a bar here? That would be pretty fucking cool. I can't really see Benny or Kei following us, so I'd need to work out the band stuff later. I want to do it."
"Well, Benny and Keiran are set in NY, but it's not like we would be completely walking away. I'd still need to commute probably weekly to deal with paperwork at the bar and to visit Andy, but we could be based here while we work on it. You can watch Riley be Godfather of Plenty, plus probably be involved with the baby yourself. Good practice if Riley ever decides to have a family. You could get to know Evie a little better. It just might be nice for a change. Like I said, we aren't doing anything permanently, but there is no reason we have to be completely set in NY. I think a bar here like The Bondi could really take off." Luke poured the tea and stirred in the milk. "Plus, you could be close to Riley. That will probably help him a lot too."
"This is why I love you," Tab replied as her smile grew. "You got the gorgeous arse and a fantastic mind. It's perfect, just like RJ. It'd be easier to be the aunt-godparent being here and not in New York, plus I think I might need a break from New York anyway. Catch my breath a bit after everything that's happened. Plus... I mean, we'd be us. Not that we aren't in New York, but we'd really get a chance to be you and me and building a life together."
"Sure we can," Luke said with a smile. "I've never lived for the future anyway. I live for the here and now and the here and now is us, looking at starting a bar in Princeton together. See, RJ really has signalled changes. Your brother was right. Christmas Baby miracle and a reason for the rest of us to look at where we stand. New York is always only going to be a couple of hours drive away. But I think Princeton is where we need to be right now." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, smiling against her lips.
Tab brought her hand up to stroke her fingers against his cheek and she tried to stop a sudden well of tears threatening to spill over. "Oh fuck, too much baby talk and being around crying people! I can deal with the here and now. I'm enjoying the here and now and the changes and Christmas Baby miracles. So what now?"
Luke laughed and kissed her forehead. "Well, we look for a place to stay, then we look for some crapped out little piece of heaven to make our own and we start from there. In the meantime, I'll talk to Aiden, and you can break the news to Riley. Being the holiday season, we might be able to talk any seller into a good deal. Festive happy feelings and Christmas overspending and all that. You just need to give me the sign and we'll do this."
Tab pulled away from him a bit and used her hands to form a bird and made it fly as she raised her eyebrows. "How's this for a sign? I'm ready to do this! New York can cope without us for a little while. Plus it is only a couple of hours away, so any gigs I still have I can travel back for. I guess maybe I should think about a car, or something..." Her face reflected her distaste for a moment. As much as she could drive and did drive when she had to, she hated the idea of owning a car. Then there was the whole accident the last time she'd tried to drive.
"Get a small car," Luke reasoned. "Better mileage anyway and easier to drive. Hell, get something funky like a Mini or a VW Beetle. Riley said he wanted to get you something with his cash. Tell him you want a car. Then we have a new backseat to christen," he added with a cheeky smirk.
Put like that, Tab couldn't really argue with Luke's logic. "I do enjoy christening backseats. Okay, I'll tell Riley I want a car and that we're crashing his Princeton paradise." Tab pulled Luke close again and kissed him. "I really do love you, you know that, right?"
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," Luke told her, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing his nose against hers. "I love you too, Lucky Charm."
Tabitha London Browne & Luke Jackson
Original Character
Words: 2814
All muses referenced with permission
(Ella Fitzgerald - 'Manhattan')
[Set after this THIS]
Co-written with notskywalker
Despite the loud and wide yawn Luke made no attempt to stifle, he realised his body was overtired. Even if he tried to go to bed now, he wouldn't be able to sleep. The excitement of the previous evening ending with the prompt birth of Baby Campbell right before midnight on Christmas Day was catching. Luke had always loved kids, so it was just fun to be involved like this again. Plus, witnessing Lachlan's announcement to everyone that he was a Dad and had a son was priceless. It was a perfect way to end an already great Christmas Day.
They were back at Riley's apartment now and Luke kicked his shoes off as Tab's phone buzzed with a text message. "Is that your other half?" he asked and waved his hand in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea. Want some?"
"No, it's my secret lover. He wants to know if you're asleep so he can come around," Tab replied with a cheeky grin. She wasn't anywhere near sleepy. Maybe she'd hit overtired a while back, because she just felt like she was wide awake and ready to go. Although what she was going to do exactly was another story. She gave a nod as she hit a couple of buttons and pulled up the picture from Riley. "Tea would be great, thanks. Hey, look! It's little Riley! It almost makes me want one until I think about the crying and the pooping and the drooling and the scariness."
Luke took the phone and grinned. "Oh wow. I can't believe they called him Riley Patrick. That's amazing, but he looks like a Riley, don't you think? Actually, he looks like a little Lachlan, but you know what I mean. This kid is going to break so many hearts it's not funny. Riley must be over the moon." He had another long look at the photos, smiling, and then handed her the phone back. "Your bro is a Godfather."
"My Big Bro is the Godfather and don't forget it! He could kick both Brando's and Pacino's arse." To say Tab was proud to have the Campbell baby named after her other half would be an understatement. "He does kind of look like a Riley. He's a Rachlan. Or a Liley. Beanpole can't stop smiling, apparently. Who can blame him though, right?"
"You call Lachlan's son Liley and he may thump you with a diaper," Luke laughed and went to the kitchen to fill the kettle. "Not that that would hurt. This kid's diapers are going to be tiny. But probably still as scary as all hell. I'm happy to be a spectator. I love the fun side of kids but it's the rest that's intimidating. No sleep, crying, diapers, sickness." He shook his head. "Not ready for that yet. Your brother is, though. You can see it in his eyes."
Tab took a shuddering breath, her mood changing as quickly as she blinked. She felt that same dull ache in her chest she'd felt talking to Riley earlier. "I know he is, but he can't have it. I want so much for him to just get his family and be a dad, but he can't take the risk." She tried to push the pain away and managed a weak smile as she looked back at little Riley's face on her phone. "That's why it's good being the babysitters and aunt and uncle. We get to spoil them then give them back."
"He'll probably want to reevaluate a lot now. You never know what that little baby will make him analyse or revisit. Sitting nursing a baby and just watching them? It's a good time to think. I used to do it a lot when I would visit my nieces and nephews back home. I mean, they can't talk back. You can talk to them. They'll respond to your voice, but it's a nice feeling. Riley hasn't probably had much to do with babies beyond his patients. My deep prediction is that little Riley Patrick is going to give your brother a lot of food for thought," Luke told her with a small smile.
Tab nodded as she set the phone down and rest her chin in her hand as she watched Luke. "I think Evie wants it too. I was talking to her before, and Riley already said she was clucky. Evie's probably just going to have to be very fucking patient with Riley. Sometimes he's quick to pursue what he wants, other times he takes his time and thinks it over until it's a big pile of processed mush."
Luke smirked and tried not to laugh. "Seriously, I have seen that with him. My brain aches just watching him try to work things out in his mind. Did Evie say anything? Being with Riley in general is a large feat. That sounds like crap, but I know you know what I mean. He needs someone who can let him deal with what comes the best he can. Maybe it's not always the best way, either, but it's his way. Anyone else's way and he won't deal with it properly. Exactly the same situation for Pat or even Lachlan and Remy. Shit has happened and they go about things differently to the rest of us. My sister told me the sperm washing thing has quite extensively progressed over the years. Many guys with HIV have had perfectly healthy children."
"Maybe your sister can talk to Riley? He at least needs to get all the information together before he starts processing stuff. I do know what you mean, and you're right. But it just seems like if you're definitely made for that person you'll take anything. Tara and Lachlan are the pefect fit, and I think Riley and Evie are. Evie didn't really say anything, but I don't feel comfy talking to her about kids. I don't want to wind up encouraging her when I know Riley just wants to ignore it because it hurts too much for him otherwise. If he lets himself believe for a single second that he could really have a family and then it just turns around and blows up in his face and he hurts Evie, or the kid, or both--he'll hate himself. There'll be no coming back from that." Tab took a deep breath and pulled her mouth to the side. "And as much as I want him to be a dad, I can't watch him go through that kind of pain."
Luke nodded slowly. "That's the worry with this sperm thing. There are still risks. Maybe having a Godson will bring him some peace then? Like, maybe that will be enough for him, to be a part of Riley Junior's life?"
"I don't know," Tab admitted as she shifted off her stool and moved to where Luke was, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. "I don't think anything will ever be enough."
"But he's happy," Luke pointed out. "He's really happy. He hasn't smiled like that in awhile."
"That's also true... fuck, I don't know. Maybe it will be enough." Tab licked at her lips. "I just want him to smile like that all the time."
Luke laughed softly. "No one smiles like that all the time, Lucky Charm. Not even the happiest person in the world. And look at how he dealt with the whack in the face with the pillow at Christmas. There was not even a hint of a freak out. Maybe things really are changing, we just can't see it because we don't see him very often."
"Do I smile like that?" Tab asked, suddenly curious. She felt like she did smile like that, but she couldn't exactly see her own face most of the time. "I was so proud of him, and I'm just so excited to have a little Riley, and I know he is too. We have to see him more often. We have to start the drives up here to Princeton. I want to keep up with the changes."
"All the time? No. You're a snot some mornings, I'll tell you," Luke joked, laughing. He reached up to take some mugs from the cupboard as the kettle neared boiling. "Things seem about balanced between NY and Princeton right now. All the action is here at the moment, but Pat's moving to New York to be with Aiden and the rest of us are up there. But I like Princeton. It's got a real vibe to the place. I should open a second bar here," he mused.
Tab pulled herself up onto the counter to give Luke room to move. "Yeah, but I'm a snot you love," she laughed. "A second bar, seriously? Would you split your time between the two?"
Luke tilted his head and got the milk out of the fridge, checking the date. "There's probably no reason why I couldn't. Paul back in NY has always been a great 2IC. Aiden could do the promo, giving him and Pat an excuse to be in Princeton in RJ's early days. We could call it Tab's," he added, laughing.
"RJ?" Tab repeated as she crinkled her nose. She was trying to see if she liked the nickname. "You should just name it after some other beach in Australia. You shouldn't be naming bars after me, smexy. Although I am wondering if my spot at The Bondi will still stand, and what about my bar tending gig? Do I just stay in New York?"
"Riley Junior." Luke shrugged and went about making tea things. "I dunno. Would you want to stay in New York while Riley and I were living up the good Princeton life? And The Bondi got that because I live very close to that beach back home. I could always go a Scottish theme in honour of the newest Campbell addition. It's all just ideas and exactly how The Bondi started."
"So you'd move here?" Tab asked, trying to follow Luke's train of thought. "And you do know RJ is one of the Bold and the Beautiful kids, right? Ask Benny about it. But I do like it. Easier than always saying Riley Junior, or little Riley. Maybe I could invest in the second bar? I got all this money now... and the time's not right to start a second album. I haven't got near enough material for one. Or I could put down the deposit for a place if you are talking about a permanent shift here."
Luke shook his head. "No, I'd still always technically live in NY, but I could get a smaller second place here. Or third place, rather. My second place is actually in Ali's apartment complex," he laughed. "Just two floors down. And our RJ would own it, baby. He would shit all over any crappy soap kids... probably literally right now." He put the milk on the counter and leaned against it. "You know I wouldn't do anything until you wanted it too, right? This is just something in me. I get itchy feet and move around a lot. Maybe Princeton is somewhere we could be right now? I mean, when was the last time you lived close to Riley? The Bondi will always be there for us to go back to, as will the loft. We could spend six months or so here building up the new place from scratch and watching it grow. It's an option. If you wanted to invest, we could own it together."
Tab swung her legs, her feet touching the cupboards as she turned it all over in her mind. "You never told me your second place was in that building. No wonder you don't live in it, though. It's not really your kind of place. And the last time I lived near Riley was before he left for Scotland. We used to live together. Him being in Princeton and me being in New York was the closest we'd been since, and I am okay with it. It's still hard, but we have our own lives." Tab couldn't help but smile, her brown eyes lighting up. "But a third place of yours near him and building up a bar here? That would be pretty fucking cool. I can't really see Benny or Kei following us, so I'd need to work out the band stuff later. I want to do it."
"Well, Benny and Keiran are set in NY, but it's not like we would be completely walking away. I'd still need to commute probably weekly to deal with paperwork at the bar and to visit Andy, but we could be based here while we work on it. You can watch Riley be Godfather of Plenty, plus probably be involved with the baby yourself. Good practice if Riley ever decides to have a family. You could get to know Evie a little better. It just might be nice for a change. Like I said, we aren't doing anything permanently, but there is no reason we have to be completely set in NY. I think a bar here like The Bondi could really take off." Luke poured the tea and stirred in the milk. "Plus, you could be close to Riley. That will probably help him a lot too."
"This is why I love you," Tab replied as her smile grew. "You got the gorgeous arse and a fantastic mind. It's perfect, just like RJ. It'd be easier to be the aunt-godparent being here and not in New York, plus I think I might need a break from New York anyway. Catch my breath a bit after everything that's happened. Plus... I mean, we'd be us. Not that we aren't in New York, but we'd really get a chance to be you and me and building a life together."
"Sure we can," Luke said with a smile. "I've never lived for the future anyway. I live for the here and now and the here and now is us, looking at starting a bar in Princeton together. See, RJ really has signalled changes. Your brother was right. Christmas Baby miracle and a reason for the rest of us to look at where we stand. New York is always only going to be a couple of hours drive away. But I think Princeton is where we need to be right now." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, smiling against her lips.
Tab brought her hand up to stroke her fingers against his cheek and she tried to stop a sudden well of tears threatening to spill over. "Oh fuck, too much baby talk and being around crying people! I can deal with the here and now. I'm enjoying the here and now and the changes and Christmas Baby miracles. So what now?"
Luke laughed and kissed her forehead. "Well, we look for a place to stay, then we look for some crapped out little piece of heaven to make our own and we start from there. In the meantime, I'll talk to Aiden, and you can break the news to Riley. Being the holiday season, we might be able to talk any seller into a good deal. Festive happy feelings and Christmas overspending and all that. You just need to give me the sign and we'll do this."
Tab pulled away from him a bit and used her hands to form a bird and made it fly as she raised her eyebrows. "How's this for a sign? I'm ready to do this! New York can cope without us for a little while. Plus it is only a couple of hours away, so any gigs I still have I can travel back for. I guess maybe I should think about a car, or something..." Her face reflected her distaste for a moment. As much as she could drive and did drive when she had to, she hated the idea of owning a car. Then there was the whole accident the last time she'd tried to drive.
"Get a small car," Luke reasoned. "Better mileage anyway and easier to drive. Hell, get something funky like a Mini or a VW Beetle. Riley said he wanted to get you something with his cash. Tell him you want a car. Then we have a new backseat to christen," he added with a cheeky smirk.
Put like that, Tab couldn't really argue with Luke's logic. "I do enjoy christening backseats. Okay, I'll tell Riley I want a car and that we're crashing his Princeton paradise." Tab pulled Luke close again and kissed him. "I really do love you, you know that, right?"
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," Luke told her, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing his nose against hers. "I love you too, Lucky Charm."
Tabitha London Browne & Luke Jackson
Original Character
Words: 2814
All muses referenced with permission