#let me push a commit to your master branch i promise i can be trusted w access

[zvaigzdelasas]

think i figured out how to replicate this (you're welcome dev team (btw hire me @staff))

write a tag

copy text from a tag that has the #

paste that text into a tag youre *editing* (doesnt seem to trigger on new tags)

oops

[megsblackfirewrites]

This Farce Ends Now: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Everyone sided with Mary. He wasn’t surprised; she was the ‘abused party’ in this situation, or so she made herself out to be. He knew she was crying to whoever would listen about how her cheating husband kicked her out of her house and away from her kids. Funny how she only gave a shit about their kids when it was convenient.

He didn’t expect any sympathy from his neighbours, but it still stung when he spotted Damien in the grocery store and only got a cold glower when he tried to say ‘hi’. He didn’t bother trying to greet anyone after that, just giving a curt nod if they glanced his way. His kids weren’t treated any differently; he would have raised hell if they were; but they knew that something was up. He’d had to go break up a fight on his front lawn because Christie and Christian had ganged up on Ernest and managed to wrestle the fourteen year old to the ground. Hugo tried to apologize, but the twins proudly said that they beat him up and that they were fine.

Joseph had apologized to Hugo, and, shockingly, the exhausted teacher had just smiled and said that he wasn’t surprised. “Kids have a hard time adjusting to divorces,” he said. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come talk. I...I have your back, Joseph. Whatever you did, you’re still a good dad.”

He had been shocked and he had been a few seconds from pulling Hugo into a tight hug and crying into his shoulder. It was the first bit of kindness that had been shown to him since word got around that he’d kicked Mary out. Instead, he’d thanked Hugo and ushered his twins inside.

Brian wandered over a few days later while he was trimming the hedges under his windows and offered to lend a hand. Joseph was grateful for the assistance and asked him to handle the giant tree in the front yard since its branches were getting dangerously droopy towards the house. Matt popped over a few times to keep an eye on his kids when they wanted to play kickball in the street. He didn’t say anything, but just knowing that he was still looking out for Joseph’s kids was nice.

He didn’t see much of the other dads on the cul-de-sac and he saw even less of Robert and Mary. He was fine with that, even if the thought of Robert made his gut twist with guilt. He shouldn’t have said what he had, but he wanted Robert to hurt. He’d wanted that man, the man he’d started to fall in love with, the man he had been ready to run away with the kids with, to hurt like he did when Robert stabbed him in the back.

Mary hadn’t known about him and Robert. Hadn’t had a clue. Because they didn’t do anything at first. They’d get a drink, Joseph would have a sympathetic ear to bitch to about Mary’s habits, and then they’d go their separate ways for the night. Then...that night on the yacht. Joseph had too much to drink; he really had a weak alcohol tolerance and shouldn’t have taken shots of whiskey; and...and then they had sex. And it was the most amazing thing he’d felt in a lifetime. He got addicted; to Robert’s mouth, his hands, those big thighs pushing his out as Robert filled him again and again, and that voice whispering sweet things in his ear. They’d started making plans to get away, to take the kids for a ride down the coast and send Mary the divorce papers after they’d landed...somewhere. Robert kept saying Florida but Joseph knew he would never make it that far before he turned around and returned to Maple Bay. That was home and Robert begrudgingly agreed.

Then, Joseph got home one night after a Youth Mixer and Mary confronted him. He had been ready to admit that he had been seeing Robert, but the pictures she threw at him were not their neighbour. They were strangers, men he’d never seen before, but she snarled that Robert told her all about it. Told her all about his cheating and his sexual appetite, how he let all these men sodomize him over and over again.

“A filthy bottom bitch” is what she had called him before she smiled so sweetly. That was when he had grown to fear her. He knew the power she had over him in that instant.

“They’d never let an adulterer like you have children,” she said. “They’d never let your buggered ass anywhere near them. You sexual deviant; what judge would give children to a monster like you?”

He’d wanted to throw up. He’d wanted to cry. She would get his children, his darling babies would be awarded to her because he was gay. They’d never give him the children. They would be left in her neglectful hands. She didn’t even remember her children’s name most days because she was so drunk!

So he’d sank to his knees and begged for her forgiveness. He’d forsaken his sexuality on the spot, promising her that he’d never do it again and that he’d be unwavering in his loyalty to her. She’d accepted it, all with that sweet smile and knowing look in her eyes.

When he went to Robert the next day, the man was smiling and asking when they were leaving. Joseph’s heart had broken into a thousand pieces as he said that they were over and that he was going to work on his marriage with Mary. Robert had lashed out, furious with him. He’d started calling him names, sneering about what a terrible person he was and how he couldn’t be trusted.

“And lying to Mary about all the men I’ve slept with is worthy of trust?” Joseph had whispered, tears burning his eyes. “You are such a self-centered prick, Robert Small. Good day.”

And he had stayed in that loveless relationship for almost two more years before he found his courage again. Now, he had no support system around him. It would be easy to give in and let the world tear him apart. But he wasn’t a coward and he wasn’t weak; he would stand up before all of those that wished to tear him down and spit in their eyes.

He went to the church on one of his days off, ignoring the glares he received from the other ministers. He hadn’t lost his position and his boss had even whispered that he didn’t believe a word Mary had said about him.

“You’re a good man,” he had smiled. “Mary...could learn to be as kind as you.”

He would be lying if it didn’t make him feel good to hear. Yes, he knew that what he had done with Robert had been wrong; he never should have slept with anyone other than his wife; but that was one mistake in a grand ocean of sins that any human could commit. And to say that his love for Robert made him worse than Mary who continually flirted with other men in the hopes of getting booze was cruel. They were both in the wrong and it was best that they went their separate ways.

He knelt down in the pews to pray, bowing his head as one of the ministers wandered up and down the aisle. They ignored him, letting him pray quietly.

“Our Father who art in Heaven,” he murmured to himself. “I have often asked You if this is the proper path for me. I have always assumed that You intended me to be a devout husband, father, and minister. I now begin to have doubts. All my life I have been told to stand in Your light and follow what thousands before me have done; I see the error in that logic now. I was never meant to be a husband; not the traditional way. Mary was not a good match for me and I allowed myself to be fooled into believing it. I have endured pain beyond what most will experience in their life at the hands of their lover. When I thought I had escape, you snatched it away from me and subjected me to more pain. I thought I had done something wrong, but I know that is not true. My adultery was a sin, but the love we shared was not. No longer will I allow such shallow beliefs to hold me back. You, who are most holy and powerful, cannot stop me from loving another man. If the Devil only offers love to the tempted, he is not the cruel master and deceiver. I will hold to Your teachings only where the benefit of others is concerned. Beyond that, I will walk my own path now. I have seen the true colours of Your face and it is more cruel and unloving than anything I have ever seen. I am no longer Your lamb; I am Your wolf.”

He rose smoothly to his feet and headed for the back offices. He left his letter of resignation on his boss’ desk, along with his rosary, and swept out of the church. He would no longer allow their poison to hurt him; he would teach the love and forgiveness of a much kinder God than what his father had taught him. He would help others not make the same mistakes he had. If he could save even one lost lamb from being led to the slaughterhouse and show them the strength in being a wolf instead, it would be worth it.

“Dad, can we get a dog?” Christian grinned as Crish knocked his bowl of dry cereal to the floor.

“Why do we need a dog?” Joseph smirked as he went to get the hand-vac.

“They could eat the food we drop!” Christie grinned. Chris nodded enthusiastically.

“Or, you could just stop throwing your vegetables on the ground,” Joseph offered as he cleaned the Cheerios off of the ground.

“Please?” Chris asked. “We can go for later walks if we have a dog!”

“You sure?” Joseph smirked as he put the hand-vac on the table and leaned forward. “Dogs are a lot of work. You have to feed them and water them and take them for walks and clean up their poop. It’s not something to take lightly.”

“We’ll take care of it!” Christian promised. “Please?”

“Ernest got a dog!” Christie added.

Ah, yes, Duchess Contessa. The oversized lapdog that knew how to open doors. Oh, how his kids loved that massive puppy. Everyone loved that dog. She was sweet if not a little hyper.

“We are not getting a Mastiff,” he said sternly. “Small to medium, that’s it.”

“So we can have a dog?!” his kids squealed.

“Dog!” Crish clapped his hands eagerly.

“Yes, we can get a dog,” Joseph smiled. “From the animal shelter.”

The kids cheered, grinning widely at him before hurrying to finish their breakfast and get ready for school. Chris herded his siblings out the front door at a quarter after eight, shouting that he loved Joseph over his shoulder. He watched as his kids raced down the sidewalk to the bus stop, smiling as Christie and Christian hung off of Daisy’s arms as they waited for the bus.

He puttered around the house chasing after Crish until there was a knock at the front door. He opened the door as he swung Crish over his shoulder, keeping his toddler from escaping into the world. He blinked at Craig in surprise before he smiled.

“Oh! Hello, Craig,” he said. “How’s life been treating you?”

“Good, good,” Craig coughed and shifted nervously. “Um, hey, I was wondering, since I know you’re not working today, if you wanted to come for a jog with me? Or a walk; walking is good too.”

“I...sure!” Joseph smiled. “Let me get Crish’s stroller.”

He closed the door and set Crish down on his feet. It took a few minutes of rummaging through the closet to find the elusive baby stroller, but Crish was excited when he saw it. They stepped outside and Craig smiled as Crish climbed into the unfolded stroller and let Joseph buckle him in. River ‘gooed’ from her usual place on Craig’s chest, waving her little arms in greeting. Joseph gave her a quick tickle under the chin before they started walking down the street.

“Sorry I haven’t been around much, bro,” Craig said after a few minutes of silence. “I’ve just...I thought you’d want some space, you know?”

“Yes,” Joseph nodded. “I do appreciate the time to think, but I have been...lonely. I’m not used to being avoided.”

Craig gave him a sad smile. “Sorry, again, bro,” he said. “I should have talked to you first. I mean, Robert’s been spitting mad about you and Mary splitting up, but honestly? That’s the best thing you did for your kids.” His face fell and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not easy, I know. You feel like a terrible parent for giving your kids a broken family, but it’s for the best. Better to give them a broken family than have them grow up seeing their parents mentally and emotionally destroy each other.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Joseph smiled. “I...forget sometimes that you and Hugo know what I’m going through. I’m so used to being a pillar of the community that...well, this is new to me.”

“We got your back, bro,” Craig grinned at him. “Maybe we could become jogging buddies!”

“Craig, I haven’t gone jogging in years,” Joseph grimaced. “I’m not fond of it. However, if you want to do a gym run, let me know; I love those weight machines. They work wonders when you have to wrangle kids all day. And haul ropes.”

“Joe...you have a fully automated yacht,” Craig frowned. “You don’t have any ropes to haul.”

Joseph side-eyed Craig. “What, you think that yacht is the only boat I own?” he asked. “My friend, the yacht is just the one I host parties on.”

Craig stared at him before grinning widely. “Dude!”

Joseph nodded as they continued on. They walked a few blocks, catching up with one another. They stopped in at the Coffee Spoon and Matt greeted them warmly. Joseph and him talked for a few minutes about the latest Christian rock band to hit the music scene before Matt gave both of them a sampler size of his latest confectionary creation; some sort of funfetti loaf that smelled strangely like strawberries.

They walked back towards the cul-de-sac, laughing like they hadn’t spent a month apart from each other. They paused as the spotted a familiar figure heading towards them at a mad run. Joseph handed the stroller off to Craig and caught Damien before he collapsed. The man was in tears, his mascara and foundation running down his face.

“I, I can’t find him!” Damien sobbed against Joseph’s chest. “Please...please!”

“Ssh, Damien,” Joseph soothed. “Take a few deep breaths, okay? That’s it. Now, what’s wrong?”

“It, it’s Lucien,” Damien whimpered as he wiped at his eyes. “I can’t find him anywhere! We had a fight last night, one of the worst we’ve ever had and he stormed off. I thought he went to his friend’s house, but their mother said she hadn’t seen Lucien for a couple of days. He’s not in his usual haunts and...I’m so scared! This isn’t like him! He always calls me to let me know where he’s gone!”

“It’s going to be okay, Damien,” Joseph soothed. “Craig, can you babysit Crish for a little while?”

“No problem, bro,” Craig smiled before he gave Damien a big hug. “Hey, we’re going to find Lucien,” he added. “And he’s going to be fine. Damien’s a smart kid. He’s probably just holed up at a different friend’s house being a moody little teenager.”

“Yah,” Damien smiled as Craig pulled away. “Thank you, Craig.”

Craig nodded before he started jogging for his house, pushing Crish’s stroller ahead of him. Joseph waited for him to get a fair distance away before he looked at Damien.

“What was the fight over? It might help find him,” he said.

“You,” Damien sighed and slumped. “I...he wanted to go see you and I’ve been telling him to leave you alone. He’s still young; I didn’t want him saying something insensitive.”

“Insensitive?” Joseph arched an eyebrow.

“I have been...less than civil towards you since you separated from Mary,” Damien admitted. “I have let my fondness for Mary overshadow the situation. No matter what she says about your extra-marital affairs, they pale in comparison to her drinking problem. I am the last person that should be judging you on removing a poisonous person from your children’s lives.”

Joseph smiled and hugged Damien tightly. “It’s okay, Damien,” he said. “I don’t hold it against you. But, right now, we need to find our favourite punk escapee. Have you called Hugo to see if he’s in class?”

“I did,” Damien nodded. “He wasn’t at school and they have written consent from me to not be there today.”

“So he forged your signature,” Joseph snorted in amusement.

“He is very good at it,” Damien pouted.

“Okay, so that rules out him being a good little punk,” Joseph said. “He’s not at his other friends’ houses?”

“I’ve called around; no one’s seen him since last night,” Damien said.

“You’re going to slap me, but let’s check the church,” Joseph said. “If he wanted to speak to me last night, he might have gone there thinking I was in.”

“Maybe,” Damien frowned. “But...didn’t you quit?”

“I did,” Joseph smiled. “But does Lucien know that?”

“A fair point,” Damien nodded before he hurried back towards his house. “We’ll take my car.”

“It is closer,” Joseph agreed as he trotted at Damien’s heels.

They climbed into the car and headed towards Joseph’s old church. There was no sign of Lucien, but Joseph headed inside to see if he had stopped in. Damien looked a little uncomfortable, but Joseph made it clear that he was welcome, bowing at the waist like a gentleman to make Damien laugh and relax.

“Oh, Joseph; how are you?” one of the ministers spotted him and waved. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Weren’t even at service last week. Are you well?”

“I am,” Joseph reassured. “Have you seen Lucien Bloodmarch around? Yeh high,” he held his hand up around the center of his chest, “white blond hair, lots of piercings?”

“I did see him,” she nodded. “He went down towards your office but he beat a mad retreat after Gunther started shouting at him.”

“Why would he…?” Joseph started to ask before he groaned. “Nevermind. He saw the tattoo, didn’t he?”

“Well, he did say the kid was a devil worshipper so...probably?” the minister frowned. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m just looking for my son,” Damien shook his head. “I’m worried.”

“You have Joseph helping you look for him; he’s a real scent-hound,” the minister smiled. “I think he headed towards the marina when he left, if that helps.”

“Probably heading for the yacht,” Joseph nodded. “Thanks, Helena.”

Helena waved as they left the church and headed back for the car. Damien’s foot was heavier than usual as they headed for the marina; he almost blew a stop light but managed to stop at the last second with a very uncharacteristic swear and hiss.

They made it to the boat launch in one piece and hurried towards Joseph’s yacht. Joseph could see someone moving around below deck and smiled. He motioned for Damien to stay put before climbing onboard and heading for the door to the lower levels.

“Lucien?” he called as he pushed the door open. “Hey, you there, kiddo?”

“Joseph!” Lucien looked up with a watery smile from where he was collapsed on his bed. “I’ve been looking for you!”

“And your father has been looking for you,” Joseph said as he closed the door behind him and made his way over to sit beside Lucien. “He’s very worried.”

Lucien looked at his feet. “He didn’t want me seeing you,” he said. “Said that...I’d just make things worse.”

“Not the best wording, perhaps, but Damien was worried that you would say something to offend me,” Joseph soothed. “A young mouth and brain don’t always think at the same pace.”

“I miss you,” Lucien murmured. “I miss listening to your stories. You...you aren’t like a lot of other councillors that I’ve had to see. You listen and you get what we’re going through. And I miss your cook-outs.”

“Well, the twins’ birthday is coming up soon if you want to help with that,” he smiled. “I need someone to man the bouncy castle so soaking wet kids don’t try to jump on it.”

Lucien smiled at him and shifted closer to drop his head on Joseph’s shoulder. “You’re the best, Joseph,” he said.

“Thank you for thinking so,” Joseph smiled as he hugged Lucien close. “You ready to face your father?”

“Yah,” Lucien took a deep breath and got to his feet. “Was he mad?”

“No; he was worried and scared,” Joseph said as he got to his feet. “Where did you spend the night?”

“Robert’s couch,” Lucien said. “They were out until two in the morning and they didn’t even seem to see me when they got home. It’s...unnerving.”

Joseph frowned, but nodded. “Make sure to tell Damien that, okay? Just so he doesn’t think you slept in a gutter or something.”

Lucien nodded and followed Joseph back onto the deck. Damien hurried aboard as soon as he saw Lucien, hugging him to his chest and kissing over his forehead. He apologized profusely, crying again and making Lucien break down into tears as well. Joseph herded them off the deck and back to the car, letting the two of them talk in the backseat as he drove them home.

Damien saw him off with a kiss on the cheek and the promise to help him set up anything he needed for the twins’ birthday. Joseph thanked him, winking at Lucien when he told him to stay out of trouble, and went to retrieve his baby from Craig.