Full Circle
A/N: Okay, this is the last in the series of The Important Parts universe, so if you haven't read that, I'd recommend doing so. You can get it here: petuniagirl But if you're going to brave it or can't remember much about it since it's been a year since I completed that story, here's the quick and dirty version that should get you through this installment:
After the train accident, Reid winds up in New York with amnesia and a new identity. Five years later, Luke finds him and drags him to Oakdale. After forty chapters of angst and romance, it turns out that Luke has an illegitimate half-brother named Alec who hid Reid in New York and also dated Reid. Alec ends up kidnapping and threatening to kill Luke, Reid then rescues the blonde (well, sort of), and we get an Oakdale happily-ever after.
Full Circle
Reid was looking forward to going home. After months of turmoil, he had planned a romantic evening for Luke (with the help of Katie who wouldn't be quiet about the epic romance she'd had with her deceased husband Brad until Reid finally relented and let her plan the details). On the night's menu: French cuisine, candlelight, music and travel books about Paris where Reid planned to propose. Paris had been Reid's idea, but he had planned to just hand the hotel reservations to Luke at breakfast some morning and then take Lucinda's jet. Katie was the one who insisted he had to make some sort of grand romantic night of it.
It was the end of the second week in January--the first calm week he and Luke had had in months. Since Thanksgiving, someone had been trying to kill Luke. First, Luke's brakes had been tampered with, and then he had been pushed down the stairs at Memorial. Luke had only been knocked out and had been able to go home with Reid that night. The last attempt involved Luke being shot and needing to stay in the hospital for several days. Reid never left his side, except to pin Luke's half-brother Alec against the wall and threaten Alec's life if he ever came near Luke again.
After the first incident, Reid had immediately blamed Alec, who had a history of homicidal tendencies. Reid had never believed for a second that Alec was any better after the brain surgery that removed the lesion from Alec's brain. Alec delighted in making Reid uncomfortable, making suggestive comments or giving a lascivious wink anytime Luke wasn't around. There was no sincerity in any of it, but it still pissed Reid off, particularly when Alec called Reid, "Sweetcheeks." Alec acted as if the whole kidnapping-and-planning-to-kill-my-brother-and-his-boyfriend plot was a funny joke from the past, like bringing up an embarrassing incident from childhood. As if holding a gun on someone could be equated with being pantsed at recess in fourth grade.
Luke listened to Reid, but didn't want to believe that Alec was still dangerous. "There's no evidence," he had said. When Reid pointed out how Alec took nothing seriously, Luke thought that actually was a point in favor of Alec being innocent. And finally, Luke had said, "Live in Oakdale awhile longer, Reid, and you'll learn that the ones who look the guiltiest usually aren't." Reid hated when Luke used Oakdale logic (or illogic in most cases) on him.
To Reid's chagrin, Luke was right in this instance, and Alec was even there to witness it. Last week, a crazed janitor cornered Reid, Luke and Alec beside the nurse's station in the neuro-wing. ("Ha!" Alec had crowed when the crazy janitor pulled out the gun, "I told you it wasn't me.") As it turned out, the guy wielding a mop and pistol had been a nurse that Reid had berated many times back in Dallas. Eventually he had been fired for poor performance on the job, and he blamed Reid for the downward spiral his life had taken since then. Unfortunately, Reid's memory wasn't perfect with regard to his Dallas days (thanks to the train accident in 2010 and dear ol' Alec), so he didn't even remember the guy. And honestly, even with a perfect memory, Reid might not remember the guy.
Luckily, Lily happened by and managed to distract the janitor by letting out a shriek so loud that her breasts came precariously close to popping out of her deep V-neck blouse. Alec got the gun away from the deranged man while his attention was diverted. (Alec then asked if he could use the weapon on the still-shrieking Lily--it was the first moment Reid had felt any fondness for Luke's brother in over half a year. Luke didn't find the comment very funny though and glared at Reid for laughing. "He could have been serious!" Luke later admonished, now suddenly willing to be suspicious of Alec's sanity. Reid just shook his head at the younger man and dragged him to their bedroom.)
So, the nurse-turned-psycho-janitor had gone to jail last week ("I guess he really 'nursed' a grudge," Henry had pathetically quipped). And for the first time since arriving back in town, Reid and Luke had had a week of normality, or what Reid imagined normality was like for most people not residing at the bottom of the rabbit hole known as Oakdale.
There was no more need for bodyguards or constant text-messaging. The two men could go out together without feeling nervous. Even Luke's family seemed to be having a moment of peace, which meant that Luke and Reid could just focus on each other without any distraction. The feeling was wonderful. He had come home every night this past week to Luke, free from worries and delighted with the other's company. Tonight, Reid hoped, would be the best night of all.
Looking at his watch, Reid tapped his hands impatiently against his desk as he waited for his computer to shut down. He had already changed into a charcoal grey shirt that Luke loved and a pair of form fitting jeans that Reid knew Luke would love. Reid had to admit he looked pretty good. Even his hair, which he had grown a little longer recently, had cooperated with the perfect amount of curl.
The night could get started just as soon as he left Memorial. He had already texted Luke to meet him at their apartment and instructed him explicitly to wait outside the door. Reid grabbed his briefcase, flipped the light switch, and strode down the hall to the elevators. The halls were pretty empty as most people had left for the day, and Reid was able to navigate the corridors without having to speak to anyone. The elevator doors opened almost as soon as he pressed the button, and he hopped on feeling unusually lighthearted. He pressed "L" and waited to arrive in the lobby.
It was in about forty-five seconds that Reid realized that he would never have a "normal" week.
Reid saw the "L" light turn off, and he prepared for the elevator to stop. It didn't. Instead, it kept going lower and lower. There was one more level below the lobby, but the elevator didn't stop there either. Farther and farther Reid sank into the ground. Panicking, he felt like he was slowly falling into a never-ending black hole. But just as he convinced himself the voyage would never stop, it did with a sudden thud.
The elevator doors opened to a dimly lit hallway with a flickering greenish light. Reid guessed that he was at least thirty feet underneath what he heretofore thought was the bottom level of Memorial. Without hesitating, he exited the elevator, not wanting to be trapped in it. Who knew if he'd make it back up?
Looking around, he realized he'd finally found the bottom of the rabbit hole in Oakdale. Part of him couldn't believe there was a secret level buried deep beneath Memorial. What is this? Hogwarts? The part of him that had grown accustomed to things in this town, however, could entirely believe such a place existed. There were only a few pale wooden doors with windows on the hallway, which made it a much smaller level than any other floor of the hospital. Reid chose the closest door to him and across from the elevator. Maybe he would get lucky and find a staircase so that he wouldn't have to get back on that crazy conveyance.
Reid pushed open the door to see a small room with an adjustable bed and a television as the only furniture. On the bed was a hulking brunette man with brown eyes and chiseled jaw. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt and was staring at the flickering screen that was airing an episode of The Three Stooges. There was something vaguely familiar about the guy, but Reid couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. Then the doctor noticed that the man's hand was cuffed to the bed.
Reid must have made a noise because the brunette's eyes flicked from the television to him. They widened in surprise. "You've got to get me out of here, man!" the man declared. "Nurse Ratched could come back any minute. The key is hanging on the wall by the door if you'd just grab it."
"Ummm," Reid pretended to think before saying, "No, I don't!" Like I'd do anything as stupid as take the handcuffs off a stranger locked in the dungeon of Memorial.
"You don't understand," the stranger pleaded. "My wife thinks I'm dead! I don't even know how many years I've been down here!"
"Yeah, appealing to my warm-and-fuzzy side isn't going to get you anywhere," Reid replied. "How about you tell me why someone locked you up down here in the first place? What did you do?"
"Nothing! The man is a freaking lunatic. I was in the hospital with a gunshot, and he faked my death. The last thing I saw was my wife. Then the next thing I know, I wake up down here, and he's saying he's going to steal my wife. I know that sounds crazy. I mean, who can fake someone dying in another person's arms?"
"Apparently, it's really not all that uncommon around here," Reid muttered, thinking back to his own past "death" that was courtesy of Alec.
"Can't we talk about this on the elevator? I can't wait to see Katie and my son!" the somewhat goofy-sounding guy declared.
"Katie!" Reid exclaimed, then groaned. Oakdale. "You're Brad Snyder, aren't you?" he asked almost reluctantly. The doctor now recognized Brad from pictures in Katie's apartment.
"Yes!" Brad replied excitedly.
I knew that crap Henry said about being visited by a ghost was bull. "And who is it that's keeping you down here? Is it a guy who looks a lot like Luke by chance?" He didn't mean to sound so hopeful, but putting Alec back in jail would brighten his spirits.
"Huh? No, it was Chris Hughes," Brad replied.
"Son of a bitch!" Reid had to sit on Brad's bed for a moment. He hated Chris. He'd never encountered a more selfish human than Christ Hughes. The jerk had cheated on Katie for months before she finally got back together with her ex-husband, Simon. Hold the phone. He glanced back at Brad in an alarmed way that he was sure was a time-honored tradition in Oakdale. Brad is alive and Simon is with Katie.
Brad continued, oblivious to Reid's dismay. "I haven't seen Chris in a few months. The bastard just disappeared and left me with this nurse who visits a few times a day."
Reid nodded, trying to ignore the fact that he'd lived in Oakdale long enough that this story didn't even seem farfetched. Blithely accepting kidnappings and returns-from-dead seemed like qualifications for insanity. Lunacy was a condition that Reid accused everyone in Oakdale of having, except for Luke.
He looked at Brad's perplexed expression and responded, "Yeah, that's because… well, it's a long story. He's not with Katie anymore. No one has heard from him since he left town with another woman a few months ago." He wasn't about to tell Brad that Katie had cheated on Chris (who cheated on her first) with Simon, and had gotten pregnant and had Simon's child. Chris left when he found out the child wasn't his. Katie was engaged to Simon now, and Reid could only imagine the colossal celebration/drama Brad's reappearance would stir up.
Reid felt certain that he and Luke going on a long vacation starting tomorrow would be the best course of action. Do-gooder and family-man Luke, however, would probably want to stay around to support his cousin and Katie.
The irony of the fact that he was now withholding important information from someone wasn't lost on him. How many times have I been aggravated with someone in this town for doing that?, Reid thought irritably. Oakdale was like a cancer--eventually, it spreads and you become like everyone else no matter how hard you fight it. At least he was only doing it because he didn't want to deal with Brad's emotions and not because he didn't think Brad could handle it. Yeah, I wonder if the Grinch tried telling himself he was different as he chewed the Roast Beast next to Cindy Lou Who. Did he know he'd just been turned into another lemming?
Reid knew he should have given the hotel reservations to Luke this morning at breakfast. They could have been in the Walsh jet and on their way to Paris tonight. When would Reid learn that every minute counted when trying to avoid Oakdale's tentacles?
Brad inquired, "How's my son? Chris said Katie named him Jacob."
Reid smiled and answered, "Jacob Bradley and he's great. The star of the kindergarten basketball team and a whiz at science. You may want to get a DNA test."
"Huh?" Brad asked, befuddled.
"Precisely."
"I can't believe I'll get to see him," Brad said wistfully.
A burst of rage shot through Reid at the thought of Chris Hughes keeping this man from his son. Now, however wasn't the time for anger. "Okay, let's get you out of here," Reid decided aloud. He walked over to the wall with the key and slid it off the hook. He then took the cuffs off Brad. "How are you still in such good shape?" Reid asked, noticing that man's body was spectacularly toned.
Brad shrugged. "Oh, they let me exercise once a day. There's a Nordic Track in the next room."
Oakdale, Oakdale, only in Oakdale, Reid chanted irritably to himself. "You haven't even aged a day," Reid observed. In fact, the guy seemed pretty lucid and chipper for someone who'd been imprisoned alone for five years.
"Yeah, I can't explain it, but it doesn't seem too unusual to me," Brad observed. He then gave Reid a curious glance (although Reid thought all Brad's expressions looked a little questioning) and asked, "Hey, how do you know so much about me? Do you know Katie?"
Reid rolled his eyes. No, I'm a kindergarten basketball junkie and am scouting Jacob. He then sighed and replied, "I moved in with her not long after you died."
"You didn't touch her, did you?" Brad queried menacingly.
Reid shot Brad a nasty glance. "Calm down, bucko. The only person I've touched is your cousin. You're Holden's cousin, right?" Keeping track of the various familial ties in Luke's family was not one of Reid's fortes, but he thought he was right about this one.
Brad's eyes widened. "Holden let an old guy like you come within ten feet of Faith?"
"Not Faith, you idiot!" And "old guy?" Really? He has to be older than I am.
Brad shot up from the bed and folded his arms across his chest. His eyes flashed with righteous anger as he exploded, "Natalie! Listen, you sicko. Thanks for getting me out of here and all, but you keep your hands off that little girl!"
Reid spat, "Oh my god, you homophobic and disgusting moron. Luke! I'm dating Luke!"
Brad's mouth fell open. "Oh." Then, "Ohhhhh."
"Yeah, 'oh,'" Reid replied curtly.
"So, um…how's Luke?" Brad asked casually, as if he thought Reid might forget he'd accused him of pedophilia a moment ago.
"Fine," Reid ground out as he and Brad headed toward the elevator. "We're supposed to have a date tonight, but I'm guessing that's out."
"Gee, I'm sorry my kidnapping got in the way of your plans," Brad said snidely.
Huffing loudly, Reid said, "I really wish that were the first time such a thing had been said to me. Is there any Snyder who hasn't been kidnapped?" When Brad looked clueless (and Reid strongly suspected that might be a permanent state), the doctor snapped, "Oh, don't answer that."
Reid watched as Brad pushed the elevator button. He thought it was ridiculous that a secret dungeon in Memorial had a regular button for the elevator without any sort of code or key, but who was he to judge the Oakdale villains of yore who probably dug this place out in the middle of the night fifty years ago with their bare hands?
"Luke likes you?" Brad asked in obvious disbelief while eyeing Reid speculatively. "I have a hard time imagining that."
Reid smirked. "So does his mother, but that doesn't stop him. In fact, I was going to give him a trip to Paris tonight so that I could propose there until the cosmic forces of Oakhell conspired to entrap me."
Clapping his hands together in delight, Brad said with glee, "Oh, you're going to propose! That's cool, dude." Suddenly, he was looking at Reid as if they were best friends.
Reid rolled his eyes. "Are you related to Casey Hughes?" he asked
"Huh?"
Reid waggled his fingers in Brad's direction said, "There's a…similar linguistic pattern. Never mind, I'm sure you're related in a way that would make your marriage to Katie somewhat questionable in any other neck of the woods. Or maybe she slept with your brother--that seems to be the other epidemic around here."
Brad coughed uncomfortably, which made Reid smirk. So far, the latter was the plague that had cursed Reid. At least he hadn't known Alec was related to Luke (or Luke related to Alec?) when he'd slept with either of them. And as far as he knew, he wasn't related to anyone in Oakdale. The longer he stayed, however, the more he expected to find out he had a long lost cousin or aunt who had lived in Oakdale all her life. Annoyingly, this knowledge didn't even faze Reid anymore because he knew anything was worth it for Luke.
The blonde had clearly brainwashed him. And god help him, Reid loved it.
Reid wondered if Luke was worried that Reid hadn't shown up at the apartment yet. With all that had happened this year--Reid was pretty sure this was his fourth rescue this year--he wouldn't blame Luke for panicking over Reid being even a few minutes late. He'd have to wait to call Luke since there was no way his phone would get reception down here.
The door to the elevator opened and they entered. For the second time that night, Reid pressed "L" for the lobby.
Naturally, they ascended without problem. Reid was sure it was because the Oakdale gods loved unleashing havoc, which Brad's resurrection would no doubt bring. It was too bad he didn't have a swarm of locusts that could burst forth from the elevator. That would have been a more fitting exit from the elevator than merely walking out with the walking dead guy beside him. If one is going to unleash a plague, Reid figured it should be done correctly. That meant unleashing locusts in Reid's mind.
When the doors opened, Luke was walking into the lobby from across the room. He saw Reid, and ran toward them. "Reid," he called. "I was so worried when you didn't show up at the apartment that I drove over here to find you. I thought something might have happened."
"Oh, it did," Reid replied as he stepped out of the elevator ahead of Brad. He suddenly felt excited at the prospect of seeing Luke's reaction to Brad. Watching Luke's joy always brought happiness to Reid, not that Reid would ever admit it. Luke always seemed so fond of his cousin and Reid was sure he would be ecstatic over this turn of events. Of course, Luke liked all his relatives now that Reid thought about it--even Damian. He was too openhearted and loyal to his family not to love all of them. The older man knew he looked silly as he grinned at the generous and sensitive guy striding toward him. He never thought he'd even like a guy with those qualities, but here he was in love with Luke.
Brad stepped out from behind Reid and cleared his throat. "I think by 'it' he means me."
"Brad?" Luke said, astounded. Reid walked over and took his hand.
"The one and only," Brad replied.
"Oh my god!" Luke exclaimed and then leapt past Reid to hug his cousin. "You're alive!"
Reid thought back to when he had been the recipient of such proclamations of the obvious. It was nice being an observer this time. He had never understood why people had vocally needed to affirm his state of living. Of course, those times were better than when Henry tried to fend him off with a chair in the diner because he thought Reid was a ghost.
"Have you tried to call Katie?" Luke asked excitedly, looking back at Reid.
"No, we haven't tried Goldilocks yet. I was thinking we'd drop Brad off at the farm with Holden and get him some clothes." Actually, he hadn't given it any thought, but he was sure this was a better idea than delivering Brad into what would certainly turn into an epic Oakdale love triangle.
He didn't know if he should feel excited or bad for Katie. Her beloved dead husband was alive, but she was engaged to Simon and had another child--a child they named "Bradley." The fact that Katie would end up on his couch one day and cry her eyes out over not wanting to hurt either man was inevitable.
"Reid! Katie and Jacob will want to see Brad!" Luke asserted.
"Yeah, man, I'd like to see my son," Brad agreed.
"Okay, you're right," Reid replied, having momentarily forgotten Jacob's part in this.
They drove to Katie's apartment in Luke's car in record time. Brad peppered them with questions about Katie, Jacob , Liberty and Jack as Reid did a cursory physical examination of him in the backseat. Luke called Margo who wanted them to turn around and go back to Memorial, but Reid grabbed the phone and told her on no uncertain terms that they were going to Katie's now and they'd see her tomorrow.
After they got out of the car, Reid felt himself getting nervous as they approached Katie's door. Simon was out of town, so at least the awkwardness of having a fiancé present around the living husband wouldn't exist. Christ, was Katie still married to Brad technically? Would she freak out or pass out when she saw Brad? Maybe they should have warned her…
But when Katie opened the door, Reid realized his worries were for naught, at least for tonight. "Brad?" she said tremulously, gazing up into her husband's face. She reached out to touch his face gently, pausing when she felt contact. Then she threw herself into Brad's arms, crying with joy and disbelief. Brad showered Katie in kisses and raised her up into his arms. Whispered and tearful words of love and disbelief came flowing out of their mouths.
Jacob came into the living room when he heard the commotion. "Daddy?" he asked with incredulity. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, and he ran toward his mother and father, hugging his arms around Brad's waist. Brad, crying silently, bent down and put his lips on top of Jacob's head. The family was made whole in this moment.
Witnessing Brad's first time seeing and holding his son made Reid choke up. The doctor turned and saw that Luke had tears running down his face. He brushed them away with his thumb and gave him a questioning glance. "Are you okay?"
Luke nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yeah. It's just this is so beautiful, and it also feels a little familiar."
Reid smiled somberly, "I guess it does." He knew Luke was thinking about seeing Reid for the first time in five years after the train accident. He looked back at the jubilant threesome and realized Luke never had the moment Katie was experiencing now. Reid's amnesia had robbed Luke of this kind of happy reunion. He'd never really given much thought to how hard it must have been for Luke to hold back the first time he spoke to Reid. Given Luke's exuberant and open nature, it must have been hell. Reid's gut clenched at the thought of Luke sacrificing for him like that. Luke had deserved this kind of moment.
As much as Reid liked to complain about Oakdale, he knew it was Luke who had endured the most hardship in the first couple months of Reid's return from the dead. Loving Luke like he did now, he couldn't imagine how it would feel for Luke to shut him out at every turn. It hurt Reid's heart to think that he treated Luke the way he did.
Katie, Jacob, and Brad had moved farther into the apartment. "We should go," Reid whispered. "They don't need us here." That was true for tonight. Reid was sure that on the morrow all the things he had feared would come to pass--love triangles, legalities, and more. There would probably be a botched manhunt for Chris Hughes that involved Kim hiding him in her basement. Tonight, however, was only for joy and family. And Reid's family was standing next to him with tears in his eyes.
Luke nodded and quietly shut the door. Reid grabbed his hand and squeezed.
With his free hand, Reid touched Luke gently below his chin and looked into his brown watery eyes. "I'm glad you found me, Luke. And if I'd had any sense, I would have kissed you on the spot and demanded you married me then and there."
Luke smiled and said, "Oh, Reid, you couldn't help what happened." Then Reid's last words must have settled into his brain because his body tensed with new energy. "Wait a minute. What did you say?" he asked.
"Caught on to the important part, did you?" He grinned at the blonde knowingly.
"Reid, do you want to marry me?" Luke asked hesitantly.
"Why, Mr. Snyder, I thought you'd never ask."
"Reid! This is not the time to be cute," Luke reprimanded, but he was smiling blindingly.
After wrapping both his arms around Luke's waist, Reid whispered low into Luke's ear, "Since you seem to be having trouble, let me refresh your memory. I was saying that when you found me in New York, I should have done this." Leaning in, he kissed Luke as tenderly as he had ever kissed him. Luke's response was so gentle and loving that it brought tears to Reid's eyes. The kiss lingered until Reid knew he couldn't wait another second to ask Luke the important question.
Reid pulled back, just enough to see Luke's eyes, and gazed into the soul of the one person with whom he would ever be in love. "Marry me, Luke."
In the many years that followed, most Oakdale residents would remember that evening as "The Night Brad Snyder Came Back from the Dead for the First Time." But for a small and loyal band of friends and family, they would know it as "The Happiest Night of Luke's Life." Reid would suggest on many occasions that they called it that only because Luke "browbeat that title into their thick skulls over and over again." But on the whole, Reid remained oddly quiet as Luke gushed over "the romance of it all" at every tedious family holiday for the next fifty years.
It was more times than Reid could count that Luke would say he never minded that Reid's proposal wasn't phrased in a question because it was never a question that Luke would answer, "Yes." And Reid may have rolled his eyes a few times for the benefit of company when Luke would tell how Reid was too excited to start their lives together to wait to get to their candlelit apartment to propose. He may have huffed when Luke would suggest that Reid cried after Luke gave his response. The blonde also liked to say that when Reid proposed, Luke "looked into Reid's brilliant blue eyes and saw all the love in the world shining there." But on this account, Reid never once in all their happy years together said or did anything to challenge Luke's version. Why would he? It was fact.