Fic: Every Rose Has It's Thorn (Prologue/10)
Title: Every Rose Has It's Thorn (Down the Rabbit Hole Sequel)
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied incest/rape
Rating: PG-13 to R
Spoilers: Some spoilers through the end of the show and for Down the Rabbit Hole, which if you haven't read, you can find the links to here. You can also read Rose's First Thanksgiving here.
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Rose, Gus, Other Misc characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: Rose is turning sixteen, and decides it's time to find out where she came from. Turns out, she might not like the answer.
Author's Note: Many thanks to stl29tide for being an awesome beta and generally helping me with plot and suggestions. You're awesome! If you have any questions, please let me know - there will be a lot of stuff mixed in from the end of the show plus stuff mixed in from DtRH. :D
Luke rolled over in bed, slipping his arm around his husband and peppering kisses onto his shoulder. He pressed up against Reid’s back and the older man shifted in his sleep, pushing his hips back in reply. Luke smiled, his mouth trailing up to the crook of Reid’s neck, sucking lightly on the skin there.
Reid murmured his appreciation, moving against Luke. Luke kept going, his hand sliding down to the waist band of the boxer shorts Reid was sleeping in and slipped under the fabric -
BOOM.
The door to their bedroom flew open with, the handle bouncing off the wall, and then Gus pounced on the bed, landing on Reid, who grunted in pain.
“Papa! Daddy!” Gus exclaimed, bouncing lightly on the bed. “Is it time to give Rosie her present yet?”
Luke couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on Gus’ face.
“Our son comes in here, jumps on me and you think this is funny.”
“Of course.” Luke agreed, event thought that’s not what he’d been laughing at. He knew that Reid was just cranky because Gus had interrupted their attempt at morning sex. “Buddy, be more careful when you come in here and jump on the bed.”
“Sure.” Gus agreed, bouncing again. “So, is it time yet?” Luke glanced at the clock and nodded. “Yes!” He exclaimed as Luke reached out and ruffled the boy’s auburn locks. With a glance at each other and matching sighs, Luke followed Reid as they got out of bed.
“Later.” Reid mouthed over their son’s head, and Luke smiled.
“Definitely.” He mouthed back.
*
Rose woke to a chorus of Happy Birthdays from the doorway of her room. She gave her parents and her brother a sleepy grin, rubbing her eyes.
She didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky to end up with them, but she was very glad she had. The story of how she was born was something well known around Oakdale - how her mother died during the c-section that delivered her. How Luke, her mother’s cousin, had taken one look at her and adopted her right then.
Her dad kissed her on the forehead, a cupcake appearing from behind his back with two lit candles on it, a one and a six.
Rose was sixteen today, and she could hardly believe it herself.
Gus jumped up on her bed, and Rose moved her feet out of the way just in time. Her dad handed her the cupcake.
“Make a wish, Rose.” He said, smiling. She grinned, her papa coming to sit on the other side of the bed. She closed her eyes and thought, and then blew out the candles with a large breath.
I wish we’ll always be as happy as we are right now.
“Do I get a bite, Rosie?” Reid asked.
“No!” Rose exclaimed as she tried to take the paper off the cupcake and not spill crumbs in her bed. “Get your own, Papa.”
“He already did.” Luke said, frowning at Reid. “Three, in fact.”
Rose couldn’t help but giggle. Her parents were the most in love couple she’d ever seen, but they fought like cats and dogs. They spent a lot of time making up too, as Rose had once witnessed first hand when she was eleven. That experience, walking in on them having sex combined with getting her first period, had led to the most embarrassing sex talk in the history time.
Dad had given her a whole speech about waiting for the right guy (or girl) and making sure she loved them and that she was really ready for sex. Papa cringed the entire time that Luke had talked, and then launched into his own speech full of medical jargon she had only sort of been able to follow at the time and ended with “And you better not let any boys touch you, Rosie. Your Uncle Noah knows how to use a gun and he packs a hell of a punch - he won’t hesitate if I tell him to do it.”
Aunt Katie, who’d been there for most of the discussion, had laughed so hard she’d cried. Rose loved her Aunt Katie and her cousin Jacob. Katie really wasn’t her Aunt (in the crazy Snyder family tree, Rose supposed they were some form of cousins), but they were still close.
Sometimes it was really hard being the only girl in a house full of boys. Other days it was amazing, like today, when they treated her like a princess.
“What do you want for your birthday breakfast?” Luke asked, taking the now empty plate from her.
“Ummm…” Rose thought for a second.
“Pancakes! Pancakes!” Gus chanted, bouncing on her bed again. She’d told her parents multiple times that her brother needed to be put on Ritalin, but they hadn’t listened to her yet.
“Okay, Squirt.” She agreed. “We can have pancakes.” Her dad grinned.
“All right, then.” Luke grabbed Gus by the hand and ushered him to the door.
“We’ll meet you downstairs, birthday girl.” Reid said softly. There was almost something sad in his eyes, and she knew it was because she was getting older.
She and Papa had a connection, people said. In some ways, though she loved her dad, Papa was the only one who understood her.
They were a lot a like, in their temperament and habits, and even in the fact that they’d both skipped grades in school. Rose was nearing the end of her senior year of high school, a year a head of Jacob and his best friend Lorenzo, and two years ahead of Tenney Snyder, another of her cousins and her best friend.
Rose nodded and slid out of bed. Reid closed the door behind him, as Rose pondered her closet.
What did one wear when they turned sixteen?
*
Luke could hardly contain his excitement as they ate breakfast. This day always brought about mixed emotions for him, as it brought back everything that happened with Zoe and Zac back as if it had just happened the day before.
He shook away the echoes in his head, instead focusing on his daughter. Luke met Reid’s gaze and they shared a smile. Reid knew how hard this day could be for him, and he saw nothing but love and understanding in his husband’s eyes.
Rose had just taken her last bite of pancake and wiped her mouth when Luke pulled the blindfold out of his back pocket.
“Dad, what are you doing?” She laughed as he got up and slipped the fabric over her eyes.
“You want your birthday present or not?” Luke laughed with her.
“But we usually get our presents after dinner.” Rose said, sounding confused. Luke finished tying the blindfold in place.
“Well, this year, we’re doing something different.”
He took Rose’s hand, Reid coming up beside her taking her other one. Gus trailed behind them, giggling with excitement.
*
Reid couldn’t help but smile at Luke’s excitement. True to fashion, birthday presents for Rose - and then Gus - had always been over the top with way too much money spent on one child, but Luke couldn’t help himself. Reid just liked to see the smile on his husband’s face, so he indulged Luke a little too much sometimes.
It was worth it though, to see Luke so happy.
“You ready?” Luke asked Rose as they lead her outside and stopped. Reid bent down and let Gus climb up on his back.
“Always.”
With that, Luke undid the blindfold and the three of them waited for Rose to see her present.
*
Rose’s shriek could be heard down the block and around the corner, or so Jacob swore as he walked up the driveway and found Rose sprawled out on the hood of her new car. Rose loved that she lived just minutes from one of her best friends.
“Yo, Snyder!” Jacob called to Rose, waving hello to Luke and Reid. “If you could stop molesting your car now, we’re going to be late for school.”
“You’re just jealous, Snyder.” Rose replied, running her hands lovingly over the car.
“Seriously, I can not be late again.” Jacob said.
“Fine.” Rose sighed, standing up straight. She turned and then hugged both her parents. “Can Jacob drive my car today, please?” She asked, fluttering her eyelashes at Reid.
“Sure.” Reid agreed. “But Jacob drives, and you have to take Gus to school.”
“Yes!” Rose exclaimed, slapping a high five with Jacob. “Squirt, get your bag, we gotta go.”
Gus ran inside, and returned after a moment. The three of them piled in the car, Jacob behind the wheel as they drove off.
*
Luke followed Reid into the house, still chuckling over Rose’s reaction.
“You know he’s going to pull over and let her drive once their out of the neighborhood, right?” Reid said, getting Luke’s attention.
“Yeah, probably.” Luke smiled.
“So, you’re taking her to the BMV this afternoon?”
“That’s the plan.”
“How are you going to pull that off without letting her see her birth certificate?”
“The same way I did last time, Reid.” Luke nearly snapped. Reid had been pressing Luke for months now to tell Rose the truth - about her conception, her mother, and that Luke really was her father.
Luke always had a reason - an excuse, a little voice inside whispered - as to why it wasn’t a good time.
“Luke, you know how I feel about this.”
“It’s her birthday, Reid.”
“She’s going to have to know eventually.” Reid told him. “Rose is graduating from high school in just over two months. She’ll be going to Harvard in the fall. I think she can handle it.”
“Well, we’ll deal with it when we have to.”
“That’s what you always say.”
“Reid, damn it, don’t do this. Not today.” Reid sighed, and moved to take Luke in his arms. Luke held himself stiffly, annoyed with his husband.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to fight.”
“I don’t want to either.” Reid pressed his forehead to Luke’s, pulling him closer.
“I seem to recall you promising me something about ‘later’.” He whispered in Luke’s ear. Luke tried not to react and failed.
“We do have the whole house to ourselves. I’m not due at the office for an hour.”
“I’m going in late today.” Reid smirked.
“One of the perks of being Chief of Staff?” Luke asked. Reid nodded and then smirked.
“So why aren’t we naked yet?”
Luke pulled out of his husband’s grasp and tore up the stairs, Reid hot on his heels.
Author: slayerkitty
Genre: Angst, AU
Warnings: Implied incest/rape
Rating: PG-13 to R
Spoilers: Some spoilers through the end of the show and for Down the Rabbit Hole, which if you haven't read, you can find the links to here. You can also read Rose's First Thanksgiving here.
Characters: Luke/Reid, Past Luke/Noah, Rose, Gus, Other Misc characters
Disclaimer: As the World Turns and it's characters are not mine, no matter how much I enjoy playing with them. :)
Summary: Rose is turning sixteen, and decides it's time to find out where she came from. Turns out, she might not like the answer.
Author's Note: Many thanks to stl29tide for being an awesome beta and generally helping me with plot and suggestions. You're awesome! If you have any questions, please let me know - there will be a lot of stuff mixed in from the end of the show plus stuff mixed in from DtRH. :D
Luke rolled over in bed, slipping his arm around his husband and peppering kisses onto his shoulder. He pressed up against Reid’s back and the older man shifted in his sleep, pushing his hips back in reply. Luke smiled, his mouth trailing up to the crook of Reid’s neck, sucking lightly on the skin there.
Reid murmured his appreciation, moving against Luke. Luke kept going, his hand sliding down to the waist band of the boxer shorts Reid was sleeping in and slipped under the fabric -
BOOM.
The door to their bedroom flew open with, the handle bouncing off the wall, and then Gus pounced on the bed, landing on Reid, who grunted in pain.
“Papa! Daddy!” Gus exclaimed, bouncing lightly on the bed. “Is it time to give Rosie her present yet?”
Luke couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on Gus’ face.
“Our son comes in here, jumps on me and you think this is funny.”
“Of course.” Luke agreed, event thought that’s not what he’d been laughing at. He knew that Reid was just cranky because Gus had interrupted their attempt at morning sex. “Buddy, be more careful when you come in here and jump on the bed.”
“Sure.” Gus agreed, bouncing again. “So, is it time yet?” Luke glanced at the clock and nodded. “Yes!” He exclaimed as Luke reached out and ruffled the boy’s auburn locks. With a glance at each other and matching sighs, Luke followed Reid as they got out of bed.
“Later.” Reid mouthed over their son’s head, and Luke smiled.
“Definitely.” He mouthed back.
*
Rose woke to a chorus of Happy Birthdays from the doorway of her room. She gave her parents and her brother a sleepy grin, rubbing her eyes.
She didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky to end up with them, but she was very glad she had. The story of how she was born was something well known around Oakdale - how her mother died during the c-section that delivered her. How Luke, her mother’s cousin, had taken one look at her and adopted her right then.
Her dad kissed her on the forehead, a cupcake appearing from behind his back with two lit candles on it, a one and a six.
Rose was sixteen today, and she could hardly believe it herself.
Gus jumped up on her bed, and Rose moved her feet out of the way just in time. Her dad handed her the cupcake.
“Make a wish, Rose.” He said, smiling. She grinned, her papa coming to sit on the other side of the bed. She closed her eyes and thought, and then blew out the candles with a large breath.
I wish we’ll always be as happy as we are right now.
“Do I get a bite, Rosie?” Reid asked.
“No!” Rose exclaimed as she tried to take the paper off the cupcake and not spill crumbs in her bed. “Get your own, Papa.”
“He already did.” Luke said, frowning at Reid. “Three, in fact.”
Rose couldn’t help but giggle. Her parents were the most in love couple she’d ever seen, but they fought like cats and dogs. They spent a lot of time making up too, as Rose had once witnessed first hand when she was eleven. That experience, walking in on them having sex combined with getting her first period, had led to the most embarrassing sex talk in the history time.
Dad had given her a whole speech about waiting for the right guy (or girl) and making sure she loved them and that she was really ready for sex. Papa cringed the entire time that Luke had talked, and then launched into his own speech full of medical jargon she had only sort of been able to follow at the time and ended with “And you better not let any boys touch you, Rosie. Your Uncle Noah knows how to use a gun and he packs a hell of a punch - he won’t hesitate if I tell him to do it.”
Aunt Katie, who’d been there for most of the discussion, had laughed so hard she’d cried. Rose loved her Aunt Katie and her cousin Jacob. Katie really wasn’t her Aunt (in the crazy Snyder family tree, Rose supposed they were some form of cousins), but they were still close.
Sometimes it was really hard being the only girl in a house full of boys. Other days it was amazing, like today, when they treated her like a princess.
“What do you want for your birthday breakfast?” Luke asked, taking the now empty plate from her.
“Ummm…” Rose thought for a second.
“Pancakes! Pancakes!” Gus chanted, bouncing on her bed again. She’d told her parents multiple times that her brother needed to be put on Ritalin, but they hadn’t listened to her yet.
“Okay, Squirt.” She agreed. “We can have pancakes.” Her dad grinned.
“All right, then.” Luke grabbed Gus by the hand and ushered him to the door.
“We’ll meet you downstairs, birthday girl.” Reid said softly. There was almost something sad in his eyes, and she knew it was because she was getting older.
She and Papa had a connection, people said. In some ways, though she loved her dad, Papa was the only one who understood her.
They were a lot a like, in their temperament and habits, and even in the fact that they’d both skipped grades in school. Rose was nearing the end of her senior year of high school, a year a head of Jacob and his best friend Lorenzo, and two years ahead of Tenney Snyder, another of her cousins and her best friend.
Rose nodded and slid out of bed. Reid closed the door behind him, as Rose pondered her closet.
What did one wear when they turned sixteen?
*
Luke could hardly contain his excitement as they ate breakfast. This day always brought about mixed emotions for him, as it brought back everything that happened with Zoe and Zac back as if it had just happened the day before.
He shook away the echoes in his head, instead focusing on his daughter. Luke met Reid’s gaze and they shared a smile. Reid knew how hard this day could be for him, and he saw nothing but love and understanding in his husband’s eyes.
Rose had just taken her last bite of pancake and wiped her mouth when Luke pulled the blindfold out of his back pocket.
“Dad, what are you doing?” She laughed as he got up and slipped the fabric over her eyes.
“You want your birthday present or not?” Luke laughed with her.
“But we usually get our presents after dinner.” Rose said, sounding confused. Luke finished tying the blindfold in place.
“Well, this year, we’re doing something different.”
He took Rose’s hand, Reid coming up beside her taking her other one. Gus trailed behind them, giggling with excitement.
*
Reid couldn’t help but smile at Luke’s excitement. True to fashion, birthday presents for Rose - and then Gus - had always been over the top with way too much money spent on one child, but Luke couldn’t help himself. Reid just liked to see the smile on his husband’s face, so he indulged Luke a little too much sometimes.
It was worth it though, to see Luke so happy.
“You ready?” Luke asked Rose as they lead her outside and stopped. Reid bent down and let Gus climb up on his back.
“Always.”
With that, Luke undid the blindfold and the three of them waited for Rose to see her present.
*
Rose’s shriek could be heard down the block and around the corner, or so Jacob swore as he walked up the driveway and found Rose sprawled out on the hood of her new car. Rose loved that she lived just minutes from one of her best friends.
“Yo, Snyder!” Jacob called to Rose, waving hello to Luke and Reid. “If you could stop molesting your car now, we’re going to be late for school.”
“You’re just jealous, Snyder.” Rose replied, running her hands lovingly over the car.
“Seriously, I can not be late again.” Jacob said.
“Fine.” Rose sighed, standing up straight. She turned and then hugged both her parents. “Can Jacob drive my car today, please?” She asked, fluttering her eyelashes at Reid.
“Sure.” Reid agreed. “But Jacob drives, and you have to take Gus to school.”
“Yes!” Rose exclaimed, slapping a high five with Jacob. “Squirt, get your bag, we gotta go.”
Gus ran inside, and returned after a moment. The three of them piled in the car, Jacob behind the wheel as they drove off.
*
Luke followed Reid into the house, still chuckling over Rose’s reaction.
“You know he’s going to pull over and let her drive once their out of the neighborhood, right?” Reid said, getting Luke’s attention.
“Yeah, probably.” Luke smiled.
“So, you’re taking her to the BMV this afternoon?”
“That’s the plan.”
“How are you going to pull that off without letting her see her birth certificate?”
“The same way I did last time, Reid.” Luke nearly snapped. Reid had been pressing Luke for months now to tell Rose the truth - about her conception, her mother, and that Luke really was her father.
Luke always had a reason - an excuse, a little voice inside whispered - as to why it wasn’t a good time.
“Luke, you know how I feel about this.”
“It’s her birthday, Reid.”
“She’s going to have to know eventually.” Reid told him. “Rose is graduating from high school in just over two months. She’ll be going to Harvard in the fall. I think she can handle it.”
“Well, we’ll deal with it when we have to.”
“That’s what you always say.”
“Reid, damn it, don’t do this. Not today.” Reid sighed, and moved to take Luke in his arms. Luke held himself stiffly, annoyed with his husband.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to fight.”
“I don’t want to either.” Reid pressed his forehead to Luke’s, pulling him closer.
“I seem to recall you promising me something about ‘later’.” He whispered in Luke’s ear. Luke tried not to react and failed.
“We do have the whole house to ourselves. I’m not due at the office for an hour.”
“I’m going in late today.” Reid smirked.
“One of the perks of being Chief of Staff?” Luke asked. Reid nodded and then smirked.
“So why aren’t we naked yet?”
Luke pulled out of his husband’s grasp and tore up the stairs, Reid hot on his heels.