Post by Syn Madison-Jones on Nov 2, 2009 23:15:53 GMT -5
Syn wasn't sure whether she was relieved or terrified when they reached the high rise complex with a sign proclaiming it as 'Union Lofts. There was an intimidating door man and it was clear by the expensive shops and restaurant on the bottom floor, that the place was incredibly expensive. She shrugged away and attempts to help her out of the vehicle and stood on the sidewalk, looking much smaller and more vulnerable than previously.
When Syn pushed both Maddog and his driver away, the former marched in the building and went straight to the elevators. This was not the way he wanted Dare to see him, angry and upset. And what was he going to introduce the girl as? When the elevators came, he waited until the girl got in before hitting his floor button.
Syn crammed herself into the corner, wondering why she had bothered coming here. It was obvious the man had no desire for another kid, let alone a mouthy daughter. "Maybe it would just be best if I leave now. I'm sure you have no real desire for my presence. She didn't care that she had nowhere to go. This was too fucking uncomfortable. She tugged at her lace up bodice, trying to make it less revealing.
He didn't say anything to that as the elevator rose to the top floor. He may not have any real desire for her presence but he was definitely not letting her be by herself. Not here and especially not with what she was planning to do. He knew she couldn't have been serious about whoring herself out but if he could help it, he wouldn't even give her the chance. When the doors slid open silently, Maddog got out and held the door for Syn. "You're sleeping here tonight and tomorrow we can get to the hospital for that DNA test. Does your mother know you're here? She doesn't, does she?"
"I haven't talked to her for over a year. I got tired of freezing my ass off in New York, so I thought I would try some new scenery. The alleys have to be warmer here," Syn said flippantly, concealing the true horror of being homeless in that heartless city. Looking closely it could be seen that she hadn't been living the easy life. There were cuts and bruises as well as her clothing ripped and worn out. She was rather fastidious so she didn't stink; she had just cleaned herself often in public facilities.
He hadn't been paying much attention to her appearance but her talking about alleys and New York made him look at her clearly. With his bag on the floor, he scrutinized her and saw the fading lines and blemishes everywhere. He was tempted to ask where she got them but he knew it wouldn't make a lick of difference. The girl clearly hated his guts and would only sneer at him for asking those questions. "How can you not talk to your own mother for a year?" He mumbled before going to his fridge and grabbing two cans of soda and placed one on the countertop as he popped open another and guzzling it as he looked around for Dare. It was just the afternoon, Dare was still in school, obviously. So Maddog got back to the girl. "Let me show you to your room." He waited for her to give him some of her bags.
Syn set down her bags intending to come back for them and looked around the apartment which was a very large open area with three ladders that led up to suspended platforms. Only one was visible because of curtains around the other two. "So you two can play peeping tom on me?" she asked, more to be obnoxious than from any real concern on her part. "Though I am sure you get more than your share of underage titties and my brother is pretty cute so he must get offers as well." She had read an article about Dare's success over in Europe.
"Don't talk about my son that way and you have no right to judge me because of one single indiscretion on my part." Maddog practically yelled. He had had enough of her potty mouth. He could take it when the insults were thrown to him but when they involved Dare, he drew the line. "I didn't ask for you to come here!" He continued. "I didn't ask for your mother to throw herself at me."
She raised her eyebrow and looked calmly at him. "She says that the groupies were gathered up by the stage hands like they were at an all you can eat buffet and she was dessert after she had been drugged," she replied and dragged two of her cases up the ladder. There was a king size mattress and a low dresser but that was pretty much it up there as it had never been used before.
"Right, so you can judge me by my past indiscretions without even knowing me now? You know nothing about my life now." Then again, if he had found out about Syn's birth back then, he knew she wouldn't be a part of his life anyway. He changed when Dare was born. He couldn't get back to what he used to be before Dare. And after Heather died, he couldn't be anything else but Dare's father. The only relationship he had that was noteworthy was with some of his groupies but those didn't last long.
"You're right! I don't know and you know why I don't know. I have never been a part of your life. I am willing to admit that is mostly my mother's fault, because she probably never even tried to tell you about me. The only one she is interested in talking to is Jesus! Well I will leave in the morning and then you can get back to taking care of the child you DO love. I won't bother you again," Syn said with a bitter bite to her voice. She sat on the bed with her back to Maddog, concealing the tears that threatened to spill over her smudged black eye lashes.
Maddog walked around the bed to crouch in front of her. "How can you be so sure that I wouldn't have loved you if I found out about you?" His voice had lowered but the emotions were there. There was no longer anger in his voice. "Don't assume things you don't know. You're old enough to understand that unless you've given effort for something you want to work, if it doesn't work, it's your own damn fault. How was I supposed to give any effort to something I didn't even know existed?" He sighed before grabbing his handkerchief from his pocket and dropping it on to Syn's lap. "Until the DNA test comes back, you're not to leave this house." He straightened himself up, not knowing what else to say.
Syn was having a really hard time maintaining her anger and that was all that was keeping her from breaking down completely. She buried her face in her hands. "SHE didn't love me, so why would you be anything different. I am unlovable so it is all useless," she said, her voice strained from her efforts not to cry. 'Dammit, don't cry. Demons Do NOT cry.' she told herself.
"Unlovable? Really? Chirpy, sunshiny girl like you? I don't believe you." Maddog didn't understand what she meant by the 'she' not loving her. "How can you say that she didn't love you, assuming that she is your mother? No mother could ever not love their child. Not after 9 months of labor and keeping you fed and clothed for so long."
"Have you been living in a bubble? Don't you ever read the news? Loving mother's kill their children almost every day. Life is not a rose colored bubble. More like it is the smelly stuff on the bottom of your shoe. Lily doesn't love me now and she never did. I am demon spawn and a good Christian would never love a demon. She spent most of my life trying to have me exorcised. She even tried to kill me once and had to be prayed over afterwards cause she wasn't sure whether to feel guilty over trying to kill her daughter or over having failed," Syn said without emotion. She could still remember her mother's sobs as she clutched the pillow she tried to smother her with.
Maddog's eyes bulged a little at Syn's words. He had nothing else to say so he kept quiet. He walked to the ladder and went down. While downstairs, he paced the living room floor for a bit before taking his phone out of his pocket. "Dr Roberts...yes its Maddog. Yeah, yeah I'm in town. Yes, doc so listen. I need a favor. Could you possibly come here to get some DNA samples for a test? Just to...yeah...two? Sure...that would be great. Thanks Dr Roberts." He hung up and slid the phone into his pocket. He went to the ladder that went up to Syn's loft. "There's a doctor coming later. I'm getting something to eat. Chinese or pizza?"
"Ummm Chinese?" she answered hesitantly. She had always wanted to try Chinese food, it sounded so exotic. She had had pizza so the Chinese food would guarantee that she at least had one new experience out of this. Syn wiped her face and then headed down the ladder to find a bathroom. "Where's the john, daddy-o? She needed to piss, but really wanted to wash her face.
He took his phone out once more before giving her directions to the toilet. He took the call in the kitchen so Syn had the privacy to get to the toilet without letting him see her puffy eyes and red nose. After finishing his order, he took the can of soda that had warmed up a bit and put it back in the fridge, replacing it with a cold one. He waited for Syn to come out so he could give it to her.
Syn washed her face and reapplied her eyeliner and mascara, something she rarely went without. She saw the huge Jacuzzi bath and was tempted to blow everything else off and throw herself in, ignoring everything else, but her growling stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten since the night before. She did poke in the cabinet and find a pair of nail scissors which she cut up the credit card she had stolen to pay for her airline ticket. Once it was in tiny pieces she flushed them all down the toilet. She came out feeling a bit less uncertain and even managing a smile towards her now off-balanced father. "Thanks... can I take a bath in your pool later? That is like decadent."
When Syn came out of the toilet with a little smile, Maddog couldn't help but smile a little too. He handed her the can of soda. "Decadent? That's a little extreme. Fancy, sure but not decadent." He joked a little, still unsure of where they stood.
"In my neck of the woods, fancy is decadent," Syn said taking the soda and popping the top easily. She slid her butt up on to one of the barstools and took a long drink of it. "Our shower was horrible, not even going to describe it and baths haven't been an option since I left home," she shared, without her earlier rancor.
"Where have you been living? New Jersey?" Maddog asked, going to the barstool next to Syn's and turning to face her. He might as well get to know her a bit better, even if she ended up not being his daughter.
"Queens mostly," Syn said with a sigh. Queens had been convenient to most of the places the higher paying customers hung out, the ones less likely to beat the crap out of her just for fun. "The police are less likely to search out the homeless there and it was easy to get to Manhattan from there. The park is just too dangerous to try to sleep there anymore." She didn't really want to talk about her life the last year. She had pretty much decided to turn her mother's accusations to truth figuring she might as well have the fun if she was going to burn in hell anyway.
"You weren't kidding about being homeless." Maddog turned away from Syn, ashamed that if he were her father that he never provided for her. Lord have mercy on him. Why didn't her mother ever tell him? Just as he was about to get another word in, the intercom buzzed. "Mr. Madison, your food is here." Maddog crossed the hall to the intercom and buzzed the delivery guy in.
"Could you excuse me? I need to make a phone call." Maddog held up one finger towards Syn before taking his phone out once more and going into another part of the house. "Melina...yes. I need curtains up in the loft...yes. Yes, a girl...a teenager...no Melina...of course not. Yes...five? Okay. You will put it in too? That's...thank you Melina. Bye bye Melina." The elevator pinged open and a teenager with dark blond hair entered with two big white paper bags and set them on the counter. He turned to Syn and grinned. "You with Maddog?" He asked. Maddog reentered the kitchen area and shoved the money into the teenager's hand. "Get out, Lucas. Keep the change." He escorted him out to the elevator and waved him goodbye as the doors closed.
Maddog went to the paper bags and took out the two cartons of dumplings, barbecued chicken, noodles, char siew buns and the packets of soy sauce they always pack extra for Maddog and laid them all on the countertop. "Come on...dig in."
Syn had been flirting with the delivery boy behind her father's back and chuckled as he stumbled into the elevator after being summarily dismissed by Maddog. "It smells really good, she said and wandered over to join him in the kitchen area.”Plates or eat off the counter?" She noticed a dish drainer with some black square plates. She grabbed two and a couple of forks, having no experience with chopsticks. She brought them over and put a set before her eating companion. At the smell of take out a tiny black and white dog emerged from behind some cushions and went to yip at Maddog's feet. "Oh... he's adorable," she said scooping him up and letting him lick her face enthusiastically.
Maddog ignored the utensils and grabbed a chopstick from inside the bag before opening the cartons and picking stuff out shoving them in his mouth. As he chewed, he heard the tiny yips and looked as Syn took the dog, letting him lick her. "Rufus. He loves girls." Maddog explained the boxer dog's enthusiasm.
"They say dogs take after their owners. Here you go, Rufus," Syn said giving him a smirk. She petted the puppy and gave him a piece of barbecued chicken on a napkin and then sat down to dole out some food onto her plate. Once she took a bite, she couldn't help giving a sensuous moan before starting to shovel it into her mouth in an enthusiastic if unladylike manner.
"Must take after Dare then. Cute as a button." Maddog ignored the jab and looked on to Rufus gobbling up the chicken. When he heard the moan, he looked up and almost laughed at Syn's enthusiasm. "Finally someone in here who appreciates food." Maddog mumbled before continuing to eat his portion. He looked at his watch and saw that the doctor's arrival would be soon.
The food was great, but the truth was that Syn was on the verge of starvation. She had managed to steal a hotdog from a pedestrian the night before but that had been the only thing she had in days. "I really like these things," she said pointing at the dumplings, buns and noodles. "Actually the chicken is great too.” She was sorry she had never had them before. She had finished her plate and was drinking her soda down.
"Well I'm glad you like them. You can expect more." Maddog said without thinking as he cleared everything up including Syn's plate. Once that was done, he took another can of soda and drank it up. As he was almost done, the intercom buzzed once more, announcing the doctor's arrival. He took a breath and went through the same procedure as earlier and a few seconds later, a young good looking dark-haired man stepped out of the elevators and smiled at Maddog. "Mr. Madison." "Dr. Roberts. That's uh..." What was her name again?" Maddog blanched before turning to Syn.
Syn... short for Hyacinth, but don't use that I hate it," Syn said with a sigh, feeling an ache from the fact her father couldn't even remember her name. This was a lot more painful than she had imagined it to be. "My last name is Cross."
"Syn...That’s a bit derivative, don't you think? I mean...Hyacinth is a...your mom's name..." Maddog saw the hurt on Syn's face but he chalked it up to her hating her name. He turned to the young doctor and shrugged. "So shall we get to sampling now?" The doctor nodded and set his bag on the countertop.
Syn held out her arm when the Doctor asked her too and grimaces as the rubber hose was tied tightly above her elbow. She refused to show fear or even pain as the needle pierced her arm and siphoned blood into a tube marked with her name. The doctor then snipped some ends of her hair and put them in a test tube as well. Afterwards he cleaned the place he had pricked her with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, putting a bandaid on at the end and then he repeated it all on Maddog.
"I should have the results in a few hours,” he promised, leaving with professional briskness.
"Thanks!" Maddog waved goodbye to the doctor before turning to Syn. "You really want people to call you sin?" He asked, wondering why she felt she had to victimize herself so much. He was sure underneath all the tough exterior lay a sensitive and vulnerable girl who just wanted someone to love her. Was HE capable of giving her that love? And would it matter if the results come out negative? He wasn't sure...
"Born of Sin... might as well live in it," Syn said softly playing with a set of chopsticks. "Before I got all the pain, but none of the fun. Being a flower makes you more vulnerable," she picked up the plates and took them to the sink to rinse them off. "I am really good at sin too; being good is what I really suck at." At least that was what growing up had taught her. Having someone ignore everything good she ever tried, she had learned that being bad had at least gotten a reaction.
Look, I'm not calling my own daughter sin, okay?" Maddog said his voice final. "Not gonna call her Hyacinth either for that matter. You have a middle name?"
Syn chuckled. "My middle name is Daniella," she admitted, though it wasn't much better than Hyacinth. "Can I take that bath while we wait for the results?" She was tired of answering questions. Really she was just weary and needed some down time.
"I'll call you Danni." Maddog said before nodding at her request to take a bath. "Take all the time you need. Dare will be back soon, just to let you know and just call out if you need any help. The phone's right beside tub." The father of (suddenly) two smiled and went up the ladder to his loft and slid into bed with his phone on vibrate.
Syn (now Dani at least for her father) went up the ladder to get something 'clean' to wear. She found a nightgown she had not worn since she left home and went into the bathroom where she ran the water and climbed into the tub, to begin experimenting with the knobs and buttons. Celtic harp music suddenly flooded the bathroom and she frowned wondering which of her new male relatives was into the soothing crap. She opened bottles until she found a scent she could live with (cucumber-melon) and poured some in, giggling as the jet sprays began to froth the water into mounds of bubbles.
As Maddog lay on his bed, he felt compelled to scream but the presence of his (probably) daughter kept him quiet. He decided to close his eyes for awhile. There was only so much for one person to take in a day.
Dare left the limo and waved to Tony before heading inside and taking the private elevator to the penthouse. He was quiet as usual; his mood subdued as he felt he hadn't yet made any friends beyond acquaintances. He hadn't seen any of the kids he had met previously so he couldn't work on moving their relationships to the next level. He sighed and set down his things before heading directly to the bathroom. He knew it was shopping day so when he saw the bathroom door closed; he just walked right in since there should be no one home. He froze just inside the door as a girl stood up in all her naked glory, looked him over and winked before screaming like a Banshee. She ineffectively covered her breasts and crotch with her hands.
The scream made Maddog jump from the bed and drop to the floor. He scrambled to get up and ran down the ladder to find Dare standing agape at Dani's naked form. "Where's your towel?" he asked after a few awkward moments of silence
"Perve boy is standing there staring at me and you act like it’s my fault for not having a towel!" Syn acted shocked and dropped her hands so she could grab the towel. "There! Is that better?" I guess the groupies don't mind him walking in on them bathing, is that part of the deal with them. They get to carve your name on their bedposts as long as Perve Boy gets to peek?" She wrapped the towel around her slender form. Standing so close the resemblance between the two teens was more obvious, though it was also obvious that physical was as far as the resemblance went.
Dare's face went through various contortions as he considered how to refute these accusations. He finally looked away as the shock was replaced with rising anger. "I am not Perve Boy. And I have never seen a naked girl until today and I wish I was still blissfully ignorant! You have nothing I want to look at anyway. I prefer boys!" Dare blushed but didn't back down. "You know there is a lock on the door!"
Maddog pulled Dare back. "Okay calm down, buddy." He whispered. "Go to your room. I'll talk to you later." He ruffled his son's hair and pushed him in the direction of the room. Maddog turned to Dani. "What did I tell you about your mouth? It doesn't matter if that person is family or not you don't call them names!"
Dare retreated at his father's request and totally uncharacteristically, he slammed his way upstairs in a pique of rage. Almost immediately loud raucous guitar music began to be played. As usual music was his refuge from uncertainty. He couldn't believe his father had brought one of his groupies home and she didn't act like they usually did. They were a lot nicer than this girl. Plus she didn't seem too much older than he was. His father usually went for more mature ladies.
Syn looked Maddog straight in the eye. "I didn't walk in on either of you, seems to me I should be the upset one. Being a peeping tom is worse than calling a few names... it seems to me," she said, her face set like stone. Apparently Dare was the golden boy and probably always would be. The fact that he was gay was interesting though. She bet she could get some pretty good money by calling that into the Midnight Sun.
"Look, be upset all you want really. I welcome it and you have every right but did you have to call him a Perve Boy? He's fifteen years old and he's innocent in so many ways since I haven't exposed him to a lot of things and I intend to keep it that way until I have no choice but to tell him. Do you really think I'd let my son follow my footsteps? Huh?"
Well if being called Perve Boy by his sister is going to scar him for life then he really needs to be toughened up," Syn said with a roll of her eyes that couldn't be seen by Maddog as she had turned away. "Listen... I will apologize if he does. After all you don't meet a long lost sibling every day." Syn turned back and gave her father a warm smile that appeared to be totally sincere.
If Maddog didn't know any better, the smile she put on would have been seen as sincere but he didn't call her on it. Instead he turned around and walked off. "Just get dressed." He said quietly before walking up to dare’s room. The loud music made Maddog wince. He walked over to Dare's stereo and switched it off. "No welcome back hug?"
Dare sighed and hugged his father tight. He didn't even ask, figuring his Dad would tell him if he wanted to. His face was troubled though and Maddog's younger child had never had a reason to learn to lie or conceal his feelings. "I met a girl today that really likes your band. She liked the new stuff you sent me."
The hug was not what it usually was and the senior Madison knew he was at least half the reason why. "Really? That's awesome." He released his son and looked at Dare. "I gotta tell you something. The girl down there...she claims to be my daughter. If...if Dr Roberts' tests come back positive...you're going to have a new sister."
In the mean time, Syn put on her nightgown and went up to the guest loft to put some real clothes on. She dressed in a pair of jeans that had more holes than fabric and a tee-shirt that had seen better days as well. She then went downstairs and found a music industry magazine to flip through as she waited.
Dare stiffened. He had descended into a new more horrible level of hell. "What does that mean?" he asked stiffly. "You send her money every month? Birthday and Christmas presents?" He wasn't a selfish kid, but she was obviously trouble and he didn't get much of his father's attention as it was.
Maddog hadn't thought about all that. What DID it mean? "What do you think it should mean?" He asked, looking at his son. Things were terribly complicated. He didn't mean to drag his son into it. "I'm sorry Dare. I didn't expect this but you're very much part of this and I need your input."
Dare sighed, trying to imagine what it must be like to have spent most of his life not knowing his father. "Does she have a mother?" he asked. From the way she behaved he thought she could have been raised by wolves or hell beasts even.
Hearing the sigh, Maddog pulled Dare close to him. "She does. In New York." He answered. "I'm still really sorry about all this, Dare. She just showed up. Everything's...I don't know."
"She's homeless...and I don't think her mother is in the right state of mind." Maddog looked at Dare, wondering what the boy was thinking with this information. "She's your age but she's seen and done more than you could ever imagine. More than I could ever want to imagine you could go through without me around."
Dare's face paled and it was clear he was thinking seriously about what his father said. He didn't want her there but he also didn't want to send her back to that kind of life. "I guess she should stay, but she's not allowed in my room... for any reason. Even if I am dying and she's the only one around to give me medicine. I would rather die," he said quite seriously.
The rocker grabbed his son and hugged him tight. "I'll catch the next flight home if that happens. Or if anything, I'll just call Andre from downstairs to help." Maddog released his son and smiled a little. "I'm sorry you're dragged into this, Dare..."
Dare smiled and hugged his dad back. "Just from now on remember safe sex. I really don't want a baby sister too. One is more than enough," he said laughing finding it funny giving his dad a sex talk. He just hoped he could avoid her most of the time. Then he might actually survive this.
Maddog feigned an amused laugh before getting back up. "I think I should talk to her." He smiled down at his boy before heading down to see Dani reading magazines. "So the doctor will be coming soon...”
The bell rang down below and the doorman announced the doctor. Syn rose and pushed the button to buzz him up. She went to look out one of the huge windows, nervous though she didn't show it. She was suddenly nervous her psycho mother had lied about her father. That would be a real bitch. Especially since she was starting to like the bastard.
The bell rang down below and the doorman announced the doctor. Syn rose and pushed the button to buzz him up. She went to look out one of the huge windows, nervous though she didn't show it. She was suddenly nervous her psycho mother had lied about her father. That would be a real bitch. Especially since she was starting to like the bastard.
When the doctor entered the room, his face betrayed nothing. In his hand was a brown A4 sized envelope to which he handed to Maddog. "Thank you doc." He smiled a bit before sending him to the elevator. Once Dr Roberts was gone, Maddog contemplated in calling Dare down for it as well.
Looking down at the envelope, Maddog was starting to get even more and more anxious. Could he handle it if she turned out to really be his daughter? Could he handle it if she didn't? The drama of today was going to be a big pain in his ass if she wasn't. But would it change the fact that he wanted her to stay, anyway? He took a deep breath and called Dare down as he carefully slipped the paper out of the envelope.
Dare came running when he was called, swinging down the ladder a bit like a monkey or a teen boy who had lived in lofts all his life. "What did he say?" he asked as he plopped into a chair that was considered his for the most part unless there were guests there. Then he popped up again. "Anyone want soda?" he asked as he hopped over to the bar and grabbed himself a Ginger ale. Syn asked for a coke, too nervous to even be demanding.
Maddog shook his head as his hand trembled the whole time he pulled the paper out of its crisp casing. His eyes trailed down the paper and his heart squeezed in itself. Positive. Syn...Dani...was his daughter. Part of him wanted to rejoice and part of him wanted to weep. Dare had a sister. He had a daughter. Maddog looked up and handed Dani the paper.
For a moment Dani was so pale it looked like she might faint. After reading it she took a deep breath and relaxed. A moment later her eyes were twinkling as she looked at Maddogg. "See! It's your fault I am this much of a pain in the ass." In the corner Dare snorted, finding it funny despite himself, knowing he would never be able to mouth off like that.
Seeing that Dani was okay with it didn't stop Maddog from being worried. Now he had two kids to take care of. He was barely good enough for one. What if he screwed up with Dani as well? He already did by not knowing of her existence. He was so out of it that he didn't even react to Dani's jab at him. "I'm...going to bed uh...We'll get dinner tonight...celebrate." In a robotic fashion, Maddog bent down and pressed his lips on the top of Dani's head for a long while before pulling up and going to his room.
Syn blinked, shocked by the affection. She had never been kissed by anyone that didn't want sex afterwards. "Does he do that a lot?" she asked Dare who was feeling a bit jealous.
Dare nodded and stood. "I have homework to do. Welcome to the family, sis," he said and climbed the ladder to his loft. He hated himself for feeling jealous; he felt he should be above that sort of thing.
When Syn pushed both Maddog and his driver away, the former marched in the building and went straight to the elevators. This was not the way he wanted Dare to see him, angry and upset. And what was he going to introduce the girl as? When the elevators came, he waited until the girl got in before hitting his floor button.
Syn crammed herself into the corner, wondering why she had bothered coming here. It was obvious the man had no desire for another kid, let alone a mouthy daughter. "Maybe it would just be best if I leave now. I'm sure you have no real desire for my presence. She didn't care that she had nowhere to go. This was too fucking uncomfortable. She tugged at her lace up bodice, trying to make it less revealing.
He didn't say anything to that as the elevator rose to the top floor. He may not have any real desire for her presence but he was definitely not letting her be by herself. Not here and especially not with what she was planning to do. He knew she couldn't have been serious about whoring herself out but if he could help it, he wouldn't even give her the chance. When the doors slid open silently, Maddog got out and held the door for Syn. "You're sleeping here tonight and tomorrow we can get to the hospital for that DNA test. Does your mother know you're here? She doesn't, does she?"
"I haven't talked to her for over a year. I got tired of freezing my ass off in New York, so I thought I would try some new scenery. The alleys have to be warmer here," Syn said flippantly, concealing the true horror of being homeless in that heartless city. Looking closely it could be seen that she hadn't been living the easy life. There were cuts and bruises as well as her clothing ripped and worn out. She was rather fastidious so she didn't stink; she had just cleaned herself often in public facilities.
He hadn't been paying much attention to her appearance but her talking about alleys and New York made him look at her clearly. With his bag on the floor, he scrutinized her and saw the fading lines and blemishes everywhere. He was tempted to ask where she got them but he knew it wouldn't make a lick of difference. The girl clearly hated his guts and would only sneer at him for asking those questions. "How can you not talk to your own mother for a year?" He mumbled before going to his fridge and grabbing two cans of soda and placed one on the countertop as he popped open another and guzzling it as he looked around for Dare. It was just the afternoon, Dare was still in school, obviously. So Maddog got back to the girl. "Let me show you to your room." He waited for her to give him some of her bags.
Syn set down her bags intending to come back for them and looked around the apartment which was a very large open area with three ladders that led up to suspended platforms. Only one was visible because of curtains around the other two. "So you two can play peeping tom on me?" she asked, more to be obnoxious than from any real concern on her part. "Though I am sure you get more than your share of underage titties and my brother is pretty cute so he must get offers as well." She had read an article about Dare's success over in Europe.
"Don't talk about my son that way and you have no right to judge me because of one single indiscretion on my part." Maddog practically yelled. He had had enough of her potty mouth. He could take it when the insults were thrown to him but when they involved Dare, he drew the line. "I didn't ask for you to come here!" He continued. "I didn't ask for your mother to throw herself at me."
She raised her eyebrow and looked calmly at him. "She says that the groupies were gathered up by the stage hands like they were at an all you can eat buffet and she was dessert after she had been drugged," she replied and dragged two of her cases up the ladder. There was a king size mattress and a low dresser but that was pretty much it up there as it had never been used before.
"Right, so you can judge me by my past indiscretions without even knowing me now? You know nothing about my life now." Then again, if he had found out about Syn's birth back then, he knew she wouldn't be a part of his life anyway. He changed when Dare was born. He couldn't get back to what he used to be before Dare. And after Heather died, he couldn't be anything else but Dare's father. The only relationship he had that was noteworthy was with some of his groupies but those didn't last long.
"You're right! I don't know and you know why I don't know. I have never been a part of your life. I am willing to admit that is mostly my mother's fault, because she probably never even tried to tell you about me. The only one she is interested in talking to is Jesus! Well I will leave in the morning and then you can get back to taking care of the child you DO love. I won't bother you again," Syn said with a bitter bite to her voice. She sat on the bed with her back to Maddog, concealing the tears that threatened to spill over her smudged black eye lashes.
Maddog walked around the bed to crouch in front of her. "How can you be so sure that I wouldn't have loved you if I found out about you?" His voice had lowered but the emotions were there. There was no longer anger in his voice. "Don't assume things you don't know. You're old enough to understand that unless you've given effort for something you want to work, if it doesn't work, it's your own damn fault. How was I supposed to give any effort to something I didn't even know existed?" He sighed before grabbing his handkerchief from his pocket and dropping it on to Syn's lap. "Until the DNA test comes back, you're not to leave this house." He straightened himself up, not knowing what else to say.
Syn was having a really hard time maintaining her anger and that was all that was keeping her from breaking down completely. She buried her face in her hands. "SHE didn't love me, so why would you be anything different. I am unlovable so it is all useless," she said, her voice strained from her efforts not to cry. 'Dammit, don't cry. Demons Do NOT cry.' she told herself.
"Unlovable? Really? Chirpy, sunshiny girl like you? I don't believe you." Maddog didn't understand what she meant by the 'she' not loving her. "How can you say that she didn't love you, assuming that she is your mother? No mother could ever not love their child. Not after 9 months of labor and keeping you fed and clothed for so long."
"Have you been living in a bubble? Don't you ever read the news? Loving mother's kill their children almost every day. Life is not a rose colored bubble. More like it is the smelly stuff on the bottom of your shoe. Lily doesn't love me now and she never did. I am demon spawn and a good Christian would never love a demon. She spent most of my life trying to have me exorcised. She even tried to kill me once and had to be prayed over afterwards cause she wasn't sure whether to feel guilty over trying to kill her daughter or over having failed," Syn said without emotion. She could still remember her mother's sobs as she clutched the pillow she tried to smother her with.
Maddog's eyes bulged a little at Syn's words. He had nothing else to say so he kept quiet. He walked to the ladder and went down. While downstairs, he paced the living room floor for a bit before taking his phone out of his pocket. "Dr Roberts...yes its Maddog. Yeah, yeah I'm in town. Yes, doc so listen. I need a favor. Could you possibly come here to get some DNA samples for a test? Just to...yeah...two? Sure...that would be great. Thanks Dr Roberts." He hung up and slid the phone into his pocket. He went to the ladder that went up to Syn's loft. "There's a doctor coming later. I'm getting something to eat. Chinese or pizza?"
"Ummm Chinese?" she answered hesitantly. She had always wanted to try Chinese food, it sounded so exotic. She had had pizza so the Chinese food would guarantee that she at least had one new experience out of this. Syn wiped her face and then headed down the ladder to find a bathroom. "Where's the john, daddy-o? She needed to piss, but really wanted to wash her face.
He took his phone out once more before giving her directions to the toilet. He took the call in the kitchen so Syn had the privacy to get to the toilet without letting him see her puffy eyes and red nose. After finishing his order, he took the can of soda that had warmed up a bit and put it back in the fridge, replacing it with a cold one. He waited for Syn to come out so he could give it to her.
Syn washed her face and reapplied her eyeliner and mascara, something she rarely went without. She saw the huge Jacuzzi bath and was tempted to blow everything else off and throw herself in, ignoring everything else, but her growling stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten since the night before. She did poke in the cabinet and find a pair of nail scissors which she cut up the credit card she had stolen to pay for her airline ticket. Once it was in tiny pieces she flushed them all down the toilet. She came out feeling a bit less uncertain and even managing a smile towards her now off-balanced father. "Thanks... can I take a bath in your pool later? That is like decadent."
When Syn came out of the toilet with a little smile, Maddog couldn't help but smile a little too. He handed her the can of soda. "Decadent? That's a little extreme. Fancy, sure but not decadent." He joked a little, still unsure of where they stood.
"In my neck of the woods, fancy is decadent," Syn said taking the soda and popping the top easily. She slid her butt up on to one of the barstools and took a long drink of it. "Our shower was horrible, not even going to describe it and baths haven't been an option since I left home," she shared, without her earlier rancor.
"Where have you been living? New Jersey?" Maddog asked, going to the barstool next to Syn's and turning to face her. He might as well get to know her a bit better, even if she ended up not being his daughter.
"Queens mostly," Syn said with a sigh. Queens had been convenient to most of the places the higher paying customers hung out, the ones less likely to beat the crap out of her just for fun. "The police are less likely to search out the homeless there and it was easy to get to Manhattan from there. The park is just too dangerous to try to sleep there anymore." She didn't really want to talk about her life the last year. She had pretty much decided to turn her mother's accusations to truth figuring she might as well have the fun if she was going to burn in hell anyway.
"You weren't kidding about being homeless." Maddog turned away from Syn, ashamed that if he were her father that he never provided for her. Lord have mercy on him. Why didn't her mother ever tell him? Just as he was about to get another word in, the intercom buzzed. "Mr. Madison, your food is here." Maddog crossed the hall to the intercom and buzzed the delivery guy in.
"Could you excuse me? I need to make a phone call." Maddog held up one finger towards Syn before taking his phone out once more and going into another part of the house. "Melina...yes. I need curtains up in the loft...yes. Yes, a girl...a teenager...no Melina...of course not. Yes...five? Okay. You will put it in too? That's...thank you Melina. Bye bye Melina." The elevator pinged open and a teenager with dark blond hair entered with two big white paper bags and set them on the counter. He turned to Syn and grinned. "You with Maddog?" He asked. Maddog reentered the kitchen area and shoved the money into the teenager's hand. "Get out, Lucas. Keep the change." He escorted him out to the elevator and waved him goodbye as the doors closed.
Maddog went to the paper bags and took out the two cartons of dumplings, barbecued chicken, noodles, char siew buns and the packets of soy sauce they always pack extra for Maddog and laid them all on the countertop. "Come on...dig in."
Syn had been flirting with the delivery boy behind her father's back and chuckled as he stumbled into the elevator after being summarily dismissed by Maddog. "It smells really good, she said and wandered over to join him in the kitchen area.”Plates or eat off the counter?" She noticed a dish drainer with some black square plates. She grabbed two and a couple of forks, having no experience with chopsticks. She brought them over and put a set before her eating companion. At the smell of take out a tiny black and white dog emerged from behind some cushions and went to yip at Maddog's feet. "Oh... he's adorable," she said scooping him up and letting him lick her face enthusiastically.
Maddog ignored the utensils and grabbed a chopstick from inside the bag before opening the cartons and picking stuff out shoving them in his mouth. As he chewed, he heard the tiny yips and looked as Syn took the dog, letting him lick her. "Rufus. He loves girls." Maddog explained the boxer dog's enthusiasm.
"They say dogs take after their owners. Here you go, Rufus," Syn said giving him a smirk. She petted the puppy and gave him a piece of barbecued chicken on a napkin and then sat down to dole out some food onto her plate. Once she took a bite, she couldn't help giving a sensuous moan before starting to shovel it into her mouth in an enthusiastic if unladylike manner.
"Must take after Dare then. Cute as a button." Maddog ignored the jab and looked on to Rufus gobbling up the chicken. When he heard the moan, he looked up and almost laughed at Syn's enthusiasm. "Finally someone in here who appreciates food." Maddog mumbled before continuing to eat his portion. He looked at his watch and saw that the doctor's arrival would be soon.
The food was great, but the truth was that Syn was on the verge of starvation. She had managed to steal a hotdog from a pedestrian the night before but that had been the only thing she had in days. "I really like these things," she said pointing at the dumplings, buns and noodles. "Actually the chicken is great too.” She was sorry she had never had them before. She had finished her plate and was drinking her soda down.
"Well I'm glad you like them. You can expect more." Maddog said without thinking as he cleared everything up including Syn's plate. Once that was done, he took another can of soda and drank it up. As he was almost done, the intercom buzzed once more, announcing the doctor's arrival. He took a breath and went through the same procedure as earlier and a few seconds later, a young good looking dark-haired man stepped out of the elevators and smiled at Maddog. "Mr. Madison." "Dr. Roberts. That's uh..." What was her name again?" Maddog blanched before turning to Syn.
Syn... short for Hyacinth, but don't use that I hate it," Syn said with a sigh, feeling an ache from the fact her father couldn't even remember her name. This was a lot more painful than she had imagined it to be. "My last name is Cross."
"Syn...That’s a bit derivative, don't you think? I mean...Hyacinth is a...your mom's name..." Maddog saw the hurt on Syn's face but he chalked it up to her hating her name. He turned to the young doctor and shrugged. "So shall we get to sampling now?" The doctor nodded and set his bag on the countertop.
Syn held out her arm when the Doctor asked her too and grimaces as the rubber hose was tied tightly above her elbow. She refused to show fear or even pain as the needle pierced her arm and siphoned blood into a tube marked with her name. The doctor then snipped some ends of her hair and put them in a test tube as well. Afterwards he cleaned the place he had pricked her with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, putting a bandaid on at the end and then he repeated it all on Maddog.
"I should have the results in a few hours,” he promised, leaving with professional briskness.
"Thanks!" Maddog waved goodbye to the doctor before turning to Syn. "You really want people to call you sin?" He asked, wondering why she felt she had to victimize herself so much. He was sure underneath all the tough exterior lay a sensitive and vulnerable girl who just wanted someone to love her. Was HE capable of giving her that love? And would it matter if the results come out negative? He wasn't sure...
"Born of Sin... might as well live in it," Syn said softly playing with a set of chopsticks. "Before I got all the pain, but none of the fun. Being a flower makes you more vulnerable," she picked up the plates and took them to the sink to rinse them off. "I am really good at sin too; being good is what I really suck at." At least that was what growing up had taught her. Having someone ignore everything good she ever tried, she had learned that being bad had at least gotten a reaction.
Look, I'm not calling my own daughter sin, okay?" Maddog said his voice final. "Not gonna call her Hyacinth either for that matter. You have a middle name?"
Syn chuckled. "My middle name is Daniella," she admitted, though it wasn't much better than Hyacinth. "Can I take that bath while we wait for the results?" She was tired of answering questions. Really she was just weary and needed some down time.
"I'll call you Danni." Maddog said before nodding at her request to take a bath. "Take all the time you need. Dare will be back soon, just to let you know and just call out if you need any help. The phone's right beside tub." The father of (suddenly) two smiled and went up the ladder to his loft and slid into bed with his phone on vibrate.
Syn (now Dani at least for her father) went up the ladder to get something 'clean' to wear. She found a nightgown she had not worn since she left home and went into the bathroom where she ran the water and climbed into the tub, to begin experimenting with the knobs and buttons. Celtic harp music suddenly flooded the bathroom and she frowned wondering which of her new male relatives was into the soothing crap. She opened bottles until she found a scent she could live with (cucumber-melon) and poured some in, giggling as the jet sprays began to froth the water into mounds of bubbles.
As Maddog lay on his bed, he felt compelled to scream but the presence of his (probably) daughter kept him quiet. He decided to close his eyes for awhile. There was only so much for one person to take in a day.
Dare left the limo and waved to Tony before heading inside and taking the private elevator to the penthouse. He was quiet as usual; his mood subdued as he felt he hadn't yet made any friends beyond acquaintances. He hadn't seen any of the kids he had met previously so he couldn't work on moving their relationships to the next level. He sighed and set down his things before heading directly to the bathroom. He knew it was shopping day so when he saw the bathroom door closed; he just walked right in since there should be no one home. He froze just inside the door as a girl stood up in all her naked glory, looked him over and winked before screaming like a Banshee. She ineffectively covered her breasts and crotch with her hands.
The scream made Maddog jump from the bed and drop to the floor. He scrambled to get up and ran down the ladder to find Dare standing agape at Dani's naked form. "Where's your towel?" he asked after a few awkward moments of silence
"Perve boy is standing there staring at me and you act like it’s my fault for not having a towel!" Syn acted shocked and dropped her hands so she could grab the towel. "There! Is that better?" I guess the groupies don't mind him walking in on them bathing, is that part of the deal with them. They get to carve your name on their bedposts as long as Perve Boy gets to peek?" She wrapped the towel around her slender form. Standing so close the resemblance between the two teens was more obvious, though it was also obvious that physical was as far as the resemblance went.
Dare's face went through various contortions as he considered how to refute these accusations. He finally looked away as the shock was replaced with rising anger. "I am not Perve Boy. And I have never seen a naked girl until today and I wish I was still blissfully ignorant! You have nothing I want to look at anyway. I prefer boys!" Dare blushed but didn't back down. "You know there is a lock on the door!"
Maddog pulled Dare back. "Okay calm down, buddy." He whispered. "Go to your room. I'll talk to you later." He ruffled his son's hair and pushed him in the direction of the room. Maddog turned to Dani. "What did I tell you about your mouth? It doesn't matter if that person is family or not you don't call them names!"
Dare retreated at his father's request and totally uncharacteristically, he slammed his way upstairs in a pique of rage. Almost immediately loud raucous guitar music began to be played. As usual music was his refuge from uncertainty. He couldn't believe his father had brought one of his groupies home and she didn't act like they usually did. They were a lot nicer than this girl. Plus she didn't seem too much older than he was. His father usually went for more mature ladies.
Syn looked Maddog straight in the eye. "I didn't walk in on either of you, seems to me I should be the upset one. Being a peeping tom is worse than calling a few names... it seems to me," she said, her face set like stone. Apparently Dare was the golden boy and probably always would be. The fact that he was gay was interesting though. She bet she could get some pretty good money by calling that into the Midnight Sun.
"Look, be upset all you want really. I welcome it and you have every right but did you have to call him a Perve Boy? He's fifteen years old and he's innocent in so many ways since I haven't exposed him to a lot of things and I intend to keep it that way until I have no choice but to tell him. Do you really think I'd let my son follow my footsteps? Huh?"
Well if being called Perve Boy by his sister is going to scar him for life then he really needs to be toughened up," Syn said with a roll of her eyes that couldn't be seen by Maddog as she had turned away. "Listen... I will apologize if he does. After all you don't meet a long lost sibling every day." Syn turned back and gave her father a warm smile that appeared to be totally sincere.
If Maddog didn't know any better, the smile she put on would have been seen as sincere but he didn't call her on it. Instead he turned around and walked off. "Just get dressed." He said quietly before walking up to dare’s room. The loud music made Maddog wince. He walked over to Dare's stereo and switched it off. "No welcome back hug?"
Dare sighed and hugged his father tight. He didn't even ask, figuring his Dad would tell him if he wanted to. His face was troubled though and Maddog's younger child had never had a reason to learn to lie or conceal his feelings. "I met a girl today that really likes your band. She liked the new stuff you sent me."
The hug was not what it usually was and the senior Madison knew he was at least half the reason why. "Really? That's awesome." He released his son and looked at Dare. "I gotta tell you something. The girl down there...she claims to be my daughter. If...if Dr Roberts' tests come back positive...you're going to have a new sister."
In the mean time, Syn put on her nightgown and went up to the guest loft to put some real clothes on. She dressed in a pair of jeans that had more holes than fabric and a tee-shirt that had seen better days as well. She then went downstairs and found a music industry magazine to flip through as she waited.
Dare stiffened. He had descended into a new more horrible level of hell. "What does that mean?" he asked stiffly. "You send her money every month? Birthday and Christmas presents?" He wasn't a selfish kid, but she was obviously trouble and he didn't get much of his father's attention as it was.
Maddog hadn't thought about all that. What DID it mean? "What do you think it should mean?" He asked, looking at his son. Things were terribly complicated. He didn't mean to drag his son into it. "I'm sorry Dare. I didn't expect this but you're very much part of this and I need your input."
Dare sighed, trying to imagine what it must be like to have spent most of his life not knowing his father. "Does she have a mother?" he asked. From the way she behaved he thought she could have been raised by wolves or hell beasts even.
Hearing the sigh, Maddog pulled Dare close to him. "She does. In New York." He answered. "I'm still really sorry about all this, Dare. She just showed up. Everything's...I don't know."
"She's homeless...and I don't think her mother is in the right state of mind." Maddog looked at Dare, wondering what the boy was thinking with this information. "She's your age but she's seen and done more than you could ever imagine. More than I could ever want to imagine you could go through without me around."
Dare's face paled and it was clear he was thinking seriously about what his father said. He didn't want her there but he also didn't want to send her back to that kind of life. "I guess she should stay, but she's not allowed in my room... for any reason. Even if I am dying and she's the only one around to give me medicine. I would rather die," he said quite seriously.
The rocker grabbed his son and hugged him tight. "I'll catch the next flight home if that happens. Or if anything, I'll just call Andre from downstairs to help." Maddog released his son and smiled a little. "I'm sorry you're dragged into this, Dare..."
Dare smiled and hugged his dad back. "Just from now on remember safe sex. I really don't want a baby sister too. One is more than enough," he said laughing finding it funny giving his dad a sex talk. He just hoped he could avoid her most of the time. Then he might actually survive this.
Maddog feigned an amused laugh before getting back up. "I think I should talk to her." He smiled down at his boy before heading down to see Dani reading magazines. "So the doctor will be coming soon...”
The bell rang down below and the doorman announced the doctor. Syn rose and pushed the button to buzz him up. She went to look out one of the huge windows, nervous though she didn't show it. She was suddenly nervous her psycho mother had lied about her father. That would be a real bitch. Especially since she was starting to like the bastard.
The bell rang down below and the doorman announced the doctor. Syn rose and pushed the button to buzz him up. She went to look out one of the huge windows, nervous though she didn't show it. She was suddenly nervous her psycho mother had lied about her father. That would be a real bitch. Especially since she was starting to like the bastard.
When the doctor entered the room, his face betrayed nothing. In his hand was a brown A4 sized envelope to which he handed to Maddog. "Thank you doc." He smiled a bit before sending him to the elevator. Once Dr Roberts was gone, Maddog contemplated in calling Dare down for it as well.
Looking down at the envelope, Maddog was starting to get even more and more anxious. Could he handle it if she turned out to really be his daughter? Could he handle it if she didn't? The drama of today was going to be a big pain in his ass if she wasn't. But would it change the fact that he wanted her to stay, anyway? He took a deep breath and called Dare down as he carefully slipped the paper out of the envelope.
Dare came running when he was called, swinging down the ladder a bit like a monkey or a teen boy who had lived in lofts all his life. "What did he say?" he asked as he plopped into a chair that was considered his for the most part unless there were guests there. Then he popped up again. "Anyone want soda?" he asked as he hopped over to the bar and grabbed himself a Ginger ale. Syn asked for a coke, too nervous to even be demanding.
Maddog shook his head as his hand trembled the whole time he pulled the paper out of its crisp casing. His eyes trailed down the paper and his heart squeezed in itself. Positive. Syn...Dani...was his daughter. Part of him wanted to rejoice and part of him wanted to weep. Dare had a sister. He had a daughter. Maddog looked up and handed Dani the paper.
For a moment Dani was so pale it looked like she might faint. After reading it she took a deep breath and relaxed. A moment later her eyes were twinkling as she looked at Maddogg. "See! It's your fault I am this much of a pain in the ass." In the corner Dare snorted, finding it funny despite himself, knowing he would never be able to mouth off like that.
Seeing that Dani was okay with it didn't stop Maddog from being worried. Now he had two kids to take care of. He was barely good enough for one. What if he screwed up with Dani as well? He already did by not knowing of her existence. He was so out of it that he didn't even react to Dani's jab at him. "I'm...going to bed uh...We'll get dinner tonight...celebrate." In a robotic fashion, Maddog bent down and pressed his lips on the top of Dani's head for a long while before pulling up and going to his room.
Syn blinked, shocked by the affection. She had never been kissed by anyone that didn't want sex afterwards. "Does he do that a lot?" she asked Dare who was feeling a bit jealous.
Dare nodded and stood. "I have homework to do. Welcome to the family, sis," he said and climbed the ladder to his loft. He hated himself for feeling jealous; he felt he should be above that sort of thing.