Challenge 8: Tony's Tuesday Review
Jan. 22nd, 2013 12:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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the_navy_yardEpisode Title: Devil's Trifecta
Caf-Pow rating: Four and a Half Caf-Pows
Review:
Seeing his ex was never a delightful time for Tobias Fornell, but it became even more difficult a time after being forced to team up with her in that identity thief case. Now when ever he looked at her, all he could see was that image of her lying on that couch with McGee. It made the bile rise up in the back of his throat.
Unfortunately, until he figured out a way to transport Emily back and forth via teleportation, these uncomfortable encounters weren’t about to end any time soon.
“Hi, Dad!” Emily said when she opened the door. “I’m just finishing packing. I’ll be down soon.”
He groaned inwardly as she ran up the stairs, leaving him standing awkwardly in the doorway. At least when she was ready to go, he only had to see Diane for a moment. Now he’d be “visiting” with his ex for at least ten minutes.
“Hello, Tobias.”
Speak of the Devil…
“Diane,” he muttered.
“How are things with you?”
“Better.” Especially now that you’re not popping up at my work.
“Are you going to stick to one-word answers for everything?”
“Maybe.”
If Diane was bothered, she didn’t show it. “Well, I hope you and Emily have fun this weekend. She told me you’ll be taking her to the Spy Museum?”
“Yes, we’ll be busy all weekend, so feel free to have as many young computer geeks over as you want.”
Diane raised an eyebrow, twisting her lips into a smirk. “Oh, are you still going on about that?”
“I hope you’re not having those kinds of…flings while Emily’s in the house.”
“Oh, Tobias! Of course I’m not!” She paused for a second, before adding with a wicked smile, “I meet him at a motel like any normal mistress.”
“WHAT?”
“Calm down, I was only kidding.”
“So it was just a one time thing, huh? One quick fling with a baby-faced kid?”
“As Chuckie told you many times, nothing happened that night. We just talked.”
“And that required sleeping in each other’s arms?”
“I was scared, Tobias! Someone was out to kill me!”
“And I got shot at!” he countered. “But you didn’t see me sleeping with the kid.”
Diane let out a snort. “Now that would have been a sight to see.”
“Don’t even go there, Diane.”
“Look, Tobias, nothing happened between me and Chuckie. We talked. I cried a little. Then we both fell asleep. He’s just a sweet kid who ended up in a bad situation.”
“That’s not how you made it sound.”
“You should know me by now,” she said, crossing her arms on front of her. “I like teasing you.”
“That’s not teasing, Diane; that’s just being cruel.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. “I went a little too far.”
“A little?”
“But,” she continued, ignoring his comment, “I was in a vulnerable place. Victor and I were having problems. I was in a dangerous situation and working with my two ex-husbands, who had made it quite clear that they considered me the enemy in all of this. It was nice to have someone act like he cared, like I was important.”
“And McGee did that?”
“Well, it took a little prodding and guilt-tripping from me, but he’s a softie. And he really did make me feel a little better about myself.”
She leaned against the door frame, dropping her head down a bit. If Fornell didn’t know better, he would think she was getting a bit teary-eyed.
“I guess,” she said, “the reason I kept pretending something had happened between us was that it made me feel like I was still attractive and desirable. I mean what woman my age wouldn’t love to be ravished by a sweet and attractive young man?”
“Please don’t say ‘ravished’ when talking about you and McGee,” Fornell said with a shudder. He didn’t want to think about anyone ravishing his ex, let alone someone he saw on a pretty regular basis.
She rolled her eyes at the request, but complied. “He just gave me what a lot of women my age want.”
“And what was that?” Fornell asked cautiously.
“Someone who would listen, Tobias. That was never your forte. It’s not really Victor’s either.”
“You want someone to listen to your ramblings? Hire a therapist. You milk my bank account enough to hire the best therapist in the city. Don’t blackmail some young kid into giving you what you can’t get from your husband.”
Despite the sting of his words, Diane simply smiled at him. “I suppose you’re right, Tobias. Maybe I will do that.”
“Great. Maybe someone will get your head straight.”
“Though, there’s one thing I have to ask.”
“What’s that?”
“Why do you care?”
“Excuse me?”
“You seemed awfully upset about the idea of me hooking up with Chuckie.”
“Why shouldn’t I have been?”
“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not married anymore. I’m already in another marriage. So why did you care whether or not I was sleeping with someone else? If anything I’d think you’d take the opportunity to rub it in Victor’s face, show him that he made a bad choice.”
“You may be my ex, but you’re also the mother of my daughter. I don’t want you setting bad examples for her.”
Diane shrugged. “Maybe…but you seemed pretty angry about it…like a jealous lover.”
Fornell narrowed his eyes. “I know what you’re suggesting, Diane, and you can forget it. The day our divorce was finalized was the second best day of my life. It’s bad enough I still have to share my daughter with you; this is about as close a relationship as I want with you. So drop whatever crazy notion you have about us. It’s never going to happen.”
“You know, you’re right,” she said with a smile that looked a little too forced. “It’s just a silly idea I had. It’s strange, though; I thought I was completely over Jethro. But when Victor and I hit our rough patch, I suddenly felt like Jethro had been the right man for me all along. I guess we can think some silly things when we’re lonely, huh?”
Fornell was grateful that Emily chose that moment to appear at the top of the stairs, overnight bag in hand. She bound down, giving Diane a quick goodbye hug, and was out the door with Fornell right behind, glad to get away for Diane and that house. But it wasn’t for the reason he was normally relieved to rush off. Something Diane had said had really struck a chord with him.
Why had he cared so much? Why had he felt so angry, seeing her in the arms of another man? Why was he even still thinking about it?
As he pulled away from the house, with Emily chatting happily in the passenger seat, Fornell couldn’t help but feel the slightest pang in his stomach, thinking about his life with Diane that could have been.
Sig Tag:
Caf-Pow rating: Four and a Half Caf-Pows
Review:
Seeing his ex was never a delightful time for Tobias Fornell, but it became even more difficult a time after being forced to team up with her in that identity thief case. Now when ever he looked at her, all he could see was that image of her lying on that couch with McGee. It made the bile rise up in the back of his throat.
Unfortunately, until he figured out a way to transport Emily back and forth via teleportation, these uncomfortable encounters weren’t about to end any time soon.
“Hi, Dad!” Emily said when she opened the door. “I’m just finishing packing. I’ll be down soon.”
He groaned inwardly as she ran up the stairs, leaving him standing awkwardly in the doorway. At least when she was ready to go, he only had to see Diane for a moment. Now he’d be “visiting” with his ex for at least ten minutes.
“Hello, Tobias.”
Speak of the Devil…
“Diane,” he muttered.
“How are things with you?”
“Better.” Especially now that you’re not popping up at my work.
“Are you going to stick to one-word answers for everything?”
“Maybe.”
If Diane was bothered, she didn’t show it. “Well, I hope you and Emily have fun this weekend. She told me you’ll be taking her to the Spy Museum?”
“Yes, we’ll be busy all weekend, so feel free to have as many young computer geeks over as you want.”
Diane raised an eyebrow, twisting her lips into a smirk. “Oh, are you still going on about that?”
“I hope you’re not having those kinds of…flings while Emily’s in the house.”
“Oh, Tobias! Of course I’m not!” She paused for a second, before adding with a wicked smile, “I meet him at a motel like any normal mistress.”
“WHAT?”
“Calm down, I was only kidding.”
“So it was just a one time thing, huh? One quick fling with a baby-faced kid?”
“As Chuckie told you many times, nothing happened that night. We just talked.”
“And that required sleeping in each other’s arms?”
“I was scared, Tobias! Someone was out to kill me!”
“And I got shot at!” he countered. “But you didn’t see me sleeping with the kid.”
Diane let out a snort. “Now that would have been a sight to see.”
“Don’t even go there, Diane.”
“Look, Tobias, nothing happened between me and Chuckie. We talked. I cried a little. Then we both fell asleep. He’s just a sweet kid who ended up in a bad situation.”
“That’s not how you made it sound.”
“You should know me by now,” she said, crossing her arms on front of her. “I like teasing you.”
“That’s not teasing, Diane; that’s just being cruel.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. “I went a little too far.”
“A little?”
“But,” she continued, ignoring his comment, “I was in a vulnerable place. Victor and I were having problems. I was in a dangerous situation and working with my two ex-husbands, who had made it quite clear that they considered me the enemy in all of this. It was nice to have someone act like he cared, like I was important.”
“And McGee did that?”
“Well, it took a little prodding and guilt-tripping from me, but he’s a softie. And he really did make me feel a little better about myself.”
She leaned against the door frame, dropping her head down a bit. If Fornell didn’t know better, he would think she was getting a bit teary-eyed.
“I guess,” she said, “the reason I kept pretending something had happened between us was that it made me feel like I was still attractive and desirable. I mean what woman my age wouldn’t love to be ravished by a sweet and attractive young man?”
“Please don’t say ‘ravished’ when talking about you and McGee,” Fornell said with a shudder. He didn’t want to think about anyone ravishing his ex, let alone someone he saw on a pretty regular basis.
She rolled her eyes at the request, but complied. “He just gave me what a lot of women my age want.”
“And what was that?” Fornell asked cautiously.
“Someone who would listen, Tobias. That was never your forte. It’s not really Victor’s either.”
“You want someone to listen to your ramblings? Hire a therapist. You milk my bank account enough to hire the best therapist in the city. Don’t blackmail some young kid into giving you what you can’t get from your husband.”
Despite the sting of his words, Diane simply smiled at him. “I suppose you’re right, Tobias. Maybe I will do that.”
“Great. Maybe someone will get your head straight.”
“Though, there’s one thing I have to ask.”
“What’s that?”
“Why do you care?”
“Excuse me?”
“You seemed awfully upset about the idea of me hooking up with Chuckie.”
“Why shouldn’t I have been?”
“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not married anymore. I’m already in another marriage. So why did you care whether or not I was sleeping with someone else? If anything I’d think you’d take the opportunity to rub it in Victor’s face, show him that he made a bad choice.”
“You may be my ex, but you’re also the mother of my daughter. I don’t want you setting bad examples for her.”
Diane shrugged. “Maybe…but you seemed pretty angry about it…like a jealous lover.”
Fornell narrowed his eyes. “I know what you’re suggesting, Diane, and you can forget it. The day our divorce was finalized was the second best day of my life. It’s bad enough I still have to share my daughter with you; this is about as close a relationship as I want with you. So drop whatever crazy notion you have about us. It’s never going to happen.”
“You know, you’re right,” she said with a smile that looked a little too forced. “It’s just a silly idea I had. It’s strange, though; I thought I was completely over Jethro. But when Victor and I hit our rough patch, I suddenly felt like Jethro had been the right man for me all along. I guess we can think some silly things when we’re lonely, huh?”
Fornell was grateful that Emily chose that moment to appear at the top of the stairs, overnight bag in hand. She bound down, giving Diane a quick goodbye hug, and was out the door with Fornell right behind, glad to get away for Diane and that house. But it wasn’t for the reason he was normally relieved to rush off. Something Diane had said had really struck a chord with him.
Why had he cared so much? Why had he felt so angry, seeing her in the arms of another man? Why was he even still thinking about it?
As he pulled away from the house, with Emily chatting happily in the passenger seat, Fornell couldn’t help but feel the slightest pang in his stomach, thinking about his life with Diane that could have been.
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