Title: Don't Look Away: Chapter Thirty-two, Something Out
Rating: PG-13 [language]

Summary: Cady convinces Pete to take her to meet his parents. The visit could change everything.




Waking up next to Cady was truly heaven on earth, not that he really believed in heaven any more.  In fact, he didn’t know what he believed in any more.  But that did not matter.  All that mattered was the beautiful, nude brunette in his arms.

With a yawn that sounded more like a purr, Cady stretched, pulling slightly away from Pete.  She opened one eye and looked over at her boyfriend.  A smile curved her lips, making him smile as well.  His eyes locked with hers as her other eye opened.  Without pause, he leaned over and kissed her softly.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

She moaned slightly, feeling his hand run down the curves of her hips, “Good morning, Pete.”

Not speaking, he peeled off the sheet.  His gaze instantly went to her abdomen, focusing on the yellowing bruises.  A frown touched his face as his fingers gently touched her flesh.

“I hate that I did this to you,” he remarked softly.

Cady peeled his hands off her abdomen and kissed his fingertips, “It’s fine, Pete.  I’m fine.  You’re fine.”

“It’s not fine.  You were hurt because I—”

“Stop this guilt, Pete.  We have talked about this every day for the past… week.  Stop this guilt,” she stated.

“But—”

“The bruises are almost gone.”

“I know…”

“Let’s talk about something else instead.”

“Like what?”

“Well…” she shifted closer to him for his body heat, since she was still uncovered, “maybe we should discuss travel plans for this next tour.”

“Um…well…”

“What?”

“We’re going to do a few more shows in the States to end out the year.  And then we’re playing in London for New Years Eve…”

“And then?”

“I’m not really sure.  Kit hasn’t told me anything lately…” he looked away.

Not liking the tone in his voice, Cady quickly rolled out of bed and pulled random clothes on, “I see.”

“Cady,” Pete sat up and quickly pulled his briefs on, “you can’t be mad at me for not knowing something.”

“Do you truly not know or are you not telling me because Kit doesn’t want me to know?” her eyes flashed to his.

“What do you mean by that?”

She stared at him blankly, “You know very well what I mean by that.”

“No… I don’t…”

“Kit feels threatened by me, especially on tour for some reason.  So you’re not telling me about the tour plans so that I don’t come along and upset your boyfriend,” she stated.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Kit is not my boyfriend by any means.  He manages the band.  That’s it.  And I would think that last tour that you came along is evidence enough that I want you there, damned what Kit says.  I really, truly don’t know what our tour plans are for the beginning of the year,” Pete claimed.

“So if I call John right now and ask him, he’ll say the same?”

He nodded cautiously, “Of course he will.”

She relaxed some, “I’m sorry, Pete.”

He stepped forward and embraced her gently, “It’s okay, Cady.”

“I don’t know… I don’t know why I have this sudden doubt.  You’ve always been so good to me.  I’m sorry,” she frowned, leaning into his embrace.

“Um…maybe it’s your time of the month?”  Pete suggested sheepishly.

She quickly slapped his shoulder, “Ass.”

“Well…”

“Okay, you’re right.  It’s almost my time of the month.  I’ll give you that one.”

He grinned, “Let’s go make some breakfast.”

Cady laughed, “I burn toast.  I’m not making anything.”

“I don’t know why you keep saying that. Our very first night together at your flat in New York you cooked a very good meal,” Pete pointed out as he pulled on a tee shirt.

She smirked, “Then I faked it very well for you.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, meeting her eyes.

“My so-called home cooked meals were not cooked at home, by me,” she admitted.

“Then…?”

“Sometimes my neighbors would cook it for me. Sometimes I ordered it in and then faked that I cooked it,” her eyes dropped to the floor, a flush creeping into her cheeks.

He smirked and stepped forward, tilting her face back up to him. Without pause, he brushed his lips across her. Sighing, Cady moved away from him to finish dressing, not entirely sure what else to say.

“Cady,” his fingers grasped hers to keep her from stepping too far away, “I don’t give a fuck that you can’t cook. I don’t even care that you faked it for me. No one is perfect, but you are perfect for me. We’ll just get to know our local restaurants really, really well.”

She bit her bottom lip, “But I should be able to take care of you…”

“You do, Cady. You do,” he declared. “Now get dressed so we can go have breakfast.”

Nodding Cady did as he instructed. Pete watched her for a moment before turning away to get dressed himself. While she disappeared in the bathroom, wearing a sweater and Capri pants, to do whatever it was that women did in the bathroom, he headed out to find his wallet and make certain he had enough cash for breakfast.

Opening up his billfold, Pete frowned, “Bloody hell.”

“Pete? Everything okay?” she stepped out of the bedroom, fastening her earrings.

He turned and glanced at her, “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “But you didn’t answer the question.”

“Um, well,” he tilted his empty wallet towards her. 

“There’s some cash in my purse, Pete,” she stated.

“Oh. Okay.”

She crossed the living room over to him. With a smile, she cupped his cheek and kissed him softly. Though it would probably bug him forever, Pete did not object to taking money from her purse and stuffing it into his wallet. It was not worth another argument about money. Besides, he should be paid soon, right?

“All set?” she asked, cheerfully.

Pete nodded, “We’ll just walk to the café on the corner. No need to take the car.”

Slipping her hand in his, Cady left their apartment. Even with only a month in England, she was beginning to feel at home. Naturally it would happen just as they were about to leave once more.

“Why are you frowning, pretty girl?” Pete asked softly as they strolled through the London fog towards the café.

“I was just thinking…”

“About what?”

“That… I am finally getting settled here and we’re leaving in two days,” she declared.

Pete squeezed her hand, “We’ll be back soon, baby.”

“I know. And I signed up for this. I know I did.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips, “It won’t always be like this.”

“Yes, it will. And I’m okay with it. I am,” she declared.

“Are you sure?”

“I am. We will need to drop off the tour itinerary at the travel agent’s office today,” she stated.

“Yes, of course. We can head there after breakfast.”

“And we need to go see your parents.”

Pete blanched as they reached the café, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” she asked, opening the door.

“Maybe because last time we did, I ended up in the hospital.”

“That wasn’t their fault, Pete.”

He smirked, “It’s a bad omen, Cady.”

“You’ve got to let us meet, Pete.”

“You really don’t need to,” he paused to follow the hostess to a table. “You gain nothing by meeting them, Cady.”

Sitting down, she rolled her eyes, “They’re your parents, Pete. I adore your brothers so they can’t be all bad.”

“Oh they are,” he nodded, sitting across from her. “They most certainly are.”

“John told me about them,” she responded before ordering coffee.

Pete waited until the waitress left, “What did he tell you?”

“Basically that they’re mean drunks,” she responded. “And that they’re drunk almost all the time.”

He sighed, “Yeah…”

Cady reached across the table and squeezed his hand, “It’s okay, Pete. I get that. And I know how to handle mean drunks. You really don’t need to worry about it. At all.”

He sighed again, “I can’t help it, Cady. You are so very important to me. I don’t want them to hurt you.”

“They won’t, at all. You won’t let them.”

“I will never let anyone hurt you, Cady. Never.”



Once more dressed in a sweet, conservative dress, with her hair pulled back from her face by a wide, satin ribbon, Cady followed Pete from the car. Their fingers intertwined, she felt his palm begin to sweat. Stopping a couple of feet from the door, she squeezed his hand, making him turn to face her. She quickly flashed him a smile before softly kissing him.

He sighed.

“It’s going to be fine, Pete,” she stated softly.

He nodded, “Okay.”

“Let’s go.”

He nodded again. Taking a deep breath, he headed up to the door. Even though it was his parents’ home, Pete did not feel like he could just walk right into the house.  Cady wiggled her fingers in his grasp, drawing his eyes to her. Flashing him a quick smile, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Naturally, that’s when the door opened.

“Bloody hell, Pete. Get your arse inside before the neighbors see you,” an older woman brusquely demanded before stepping away from the doorway.

Sighing, Pete pulled Cady into the house and closed the door. Before the young woman could say anything, Pete’s younger brothers, nine-year-old Paul and seven-year-old Simon, hurried up to her and hugged her tightly. They both happily chattered at her, pulling her towards their rooms to show her something.

“That’s not Karen,” Betty declared as she headed into the kitchen.

“No, Ma, that’s Cady,” Pete followed her.

“Who? I thought you were shacking up with Karen.”

He frowned as she filled a glass with scotch, “I have been with Cady for a few months now, Ma. Karen and I split… awhile ago.”

“Fine, fine. Who is this new slag?”

“Mother!”

She took a drink, “Well?”

His eyes met her bloodshot eyes and he frowned, “Could you not even stop drinking for an hour?”

“I handle my liquor just fine.”

He sighed, “Ma, Paul and Simon…”

“They’re fine. They’re with your girlfriend now.”

“Goddammit, Ma. I thought you were getting better now that—”

“Pete?” Cady’s voice interrupted from behind.

He instantly turned to her, his anger apparent in his eyes, “Cady? Is everything okay?”

“I think we need to go,” she stated softly, eyes flicking briefly to his mother.

“What? Why?” he asked, concern in his voice.

“And your brothers need to come with us.”

“Cady?”

She shook her head, “Please, Pete. Please.”

Grabbing her hands, he nodded and kissed her quickly, “Okay, Cady. Okay.”

A bit surprised that his mother did not seem to protest, though perhaps she had not heard what Cady said, the young woman turned to tell Pete’s brothers to get their things and get in the car. Pete remained in the kitchen with his mother for just a moment longer. The moment she sat down and tuned her radio to whatever show she was currently obsessed, he turned and left her behind. He glanced in the living room, expecting to see his father sitting there just as soused as his mother. Surprised that the elder Townshend was apparently not home, he continued upstairs to his brothers’ room.

“Simon? Paul? Cady?” he called softly, as he reached the second floor.

Cady stepped out of the boys’ bedroom, suitcase in hand, “We’re ready.”

He nodded, taking the suitcase from her. His brothers stepped out behind her, each carrying bags as well. Though he did not know the reason behind spiriting his brothers away, he trusted Cady’s judgment. He had lived through years of his mother’s and father’s… neglect. Whatever Cady intended for his brothers, it was right by him.

With the boys’ luggage in the trunk of the car, one Pete borrowed from John after the accident, Cady ushered the young boys into the back of the vehicle. Waiting until they were buckled in, she turned to Pete. Her worried blue eyes met his. Though he wanted to ask why they were doing what they were, he said nothing and quickly kissed her. She nodded and got into the car as well.

“So boys,” she turned and looked at them as Pete guided the car away from his parents’ house, “how about we go have some Italian for dinner?”

“Can we have spaghetti?” Simon asked.

She smiled, “Of course we can. With garlic bread.”

“Yay!” they both cheered.



After tucking the two boys in on the floor in the living room, Cady and Pete headed to their bedroom. He closed the door and turned to her. Her eyes met his briefly before she turned to find something she could sleep in that would be appropriate with his brothers staying with them. Pete stripped down to his boxers and sat on the bed, waiting for Cady to speak with him.

Dressed in one of Pete’s tee shirts and a pair of his shorts, she plopped down on the bed next to him. Silently she reached over and squeezed his hand. Pete’s eyes surveyed her face and body language, trying to figure out what was going through her mind. He was at a loss.

“Cady…”

“When we were in their room, they excitedly showed me what they had been doing in school. It didn’t take long before they mentioned… that the best thing about school was the fact they got real lunches,” she stated softly. “Pete, they haven’t been getting three good meals a day. Breakfast is whatever they can find in the kitchen themselves. Dinner is mostly… booze and snack foods. I couldn’t… I couldn’t leave them there.”

He sighed deeply and squeezed her hand, “I thought they were getting better.”

“Pete, we have to do something.”

“Well, we already have,” he said meekly.

“Pete,” her eyes went to his.

“I know… I know. But we can’t take them with us on tour.”

“Maybe… Maybe I should stay here with them, then.”

Pete’s eyes widened, “Are you serious?”

“We have to do something, Pete.”

He sighed, “Cady, we can’t just go around…”

“We have to do something.”

Releasing her hand, he rubbed his face, “Cady…”

“We have to, Pete. Not only because of what you have lived through, but because what I lived through too. No one should ever have to bear that. Not your brothers, not anyone,” she argued.

“I know… but… what can we really do?”

“I’ll stay here with them and we’ll figure it out,” Cady declared.

“No, I won’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not. I’m volunteering.”

“Cady,” he got to his feet and began pacing the bedroom, “I don’t think you know what you’re suggesting. My father is going to come home or Ma will sober up and…”

“What? They don’t know where we live.”

“How are you going to get the boys to school? You can’t drive.”

She paused for a moment, “We’ll take the bus or tube or whatever we need to.”

“Cady, this isn’t practical,” he sat back down next to her.

“And taking them back to what you know is bad is?”

Pete sighed, “No…”

“Then I’ll stay here, take care of your brothers.”

“But I need you with me, Cady.”

“I know,” she reached for his hand again. “But if they’re not sober, not taking care of the boys, I can’t leave them. They need someone too.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth again, “We’ll figure something out. We’ll figure something out.”