"Exes and ohs..."

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Who: Reecy Chester-Wilson and Jude Willis
What: Faces from the past
Where: Mount Sinai Hospital
When: Friday

Reecy had just spent a bit of time visiting Justin, at least until he had fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation. Luckily, as his honorary big sister, she was used to that with him so she knew it had nothing to do with her conversation skills. He looked better than when she last saw him when she drove him up for his appointment at Four Winds and he was agitated and stressed to the point he had jumped out of his skin when she put her hand on his arm right before he lost his shit at her. She knew that had nothing to do with her either and she was so relieved to see how well the ketamine was working. It was the quickest she had seen him recover from a mood flare-up in a long time. He was almost back to his normal self, save for now being covered in a rash and sleepy. She adored catching up with him, especially hearing that the cards had been put on the table for the possibility of him touring. It was incredible for a kid who, just a couple of months before, was restrained to a hospital bed on a closed ward on suicide watch after relapsing with Ice use.

She stepped out of the elevator shooting Kyan a text to make sure he had woken up for his doctor's appointment with her dad. He had a wardrobe malfunction on stage the night before and pulled a groin muscle in the last act. Not that anyone knew that because the show must go on and all that. The way he came off stage after curtain call, Reecy thought he'd been stabbed or something. Needless to say, there was no sex last night but he did earn the uncomfortable reward of an icepack near the dick in December after they got home. Trey was going to drive him to the appointment and Reecy was just reassuring her hubby again that she was pretty sure you couldn't actually sprain a dick even if he was getting sympathetic muscle pain in the general area around it. Boys and their penises.

That was the thought in her head when she suddenly stopped short in the hospital foyer, mouth dropping open. For a moment, she was sure she had been seeing things, but she still double-backed to make sure. She hadn't been seeing things. "Jude!" she gasped, both at seeing him and seeing how well he looked. Like, hipster-level well. He made hipster look good. She was going to quit life if he told her he had turned Vegan and was living on smashed avo, though. "Holy shit. I didn't know you were back. Uh... I didn't even know where you were, to be honest. Shit, um... how are you? You look well." She didn't know if she should offer an awkward hug but instead, pushed her sunglasses up onto her head instead of onto her face where they had been poised as she hit send on her text to Kyan.

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There were a few moments when the waitress brought their orders over and Reecy had the chance to gather her thoughts. Considering what they were talking about, she knew they would both need that. Jude had some serious balls here opening up to her about all this knowing she was married to someone else now. This wasn't about any attempt to reignite what they used to have. He just wanted to finally be honest with her and she didn't have enough words how much she respected him for that. "Okay, so here's the thing. I don't think they need anyone to keep this from you as some sort of big surprise because everyone knows. It's been common knowledge for awhile now, once they both got used to it. So, I'm just going to put it out there so you can go in and just talk about the important things with them. Clint and Renz aren't cousins. They're brothers. Twins, actually. It sounds like some sort of fucked up movie plot but their father was a murderous cunt. Not to mention a violent abuser and a rapist. Family secrets came out, Clint discovered things. Their father killed their grandfather and Clint remembers witnessing it. Apparently Clint was a sick baby and their mom sent him to be raised by the grandmother so he was safe, and passed him off as Lorenzo's cousin. They can give you the details, but... crazy, huh? They even have that freaky twin sense. I think everyone will be glad to have you back and know you've healed. Billy's going to adore having you back."

[underyourskin]

Jude's mouth dropped open and he failed to get any words out. Even when he tried to find a response, he still couldn't find words. His brain clicked into overdrive trying to figure out how the hell that was even a thing. Clint and Renz were born the same year, but had birthdays in different months... right? Sure, they looked alike. Okay, they looked very similar. He knew Lorenzo's father was a rapist (see Richie as proof, who also had the same features as Clint and Renz), and now a murderer? "H-Holy fucking hell..." He pushed his hat off and scraped his fingers through his hair. A nervous, confused laugh escaping him but he wasn't amused. Just completely stunned. "Are... u-um... are they okay? Shit, I really need to see them. I shot Renz a text but he said both Hols and Lew weren't feeling well, which is fine. I get people's lives more than continued without me. I need to edge my way back into the mix. He said Clint was undercover somewhere with Lex. So fucking awesome she's in remission."

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Reecy laughed too because now they could. At the time, not so much. Clint revealed an epic fuckton of shit when it was all going down and she was pretty sure they didn't even know the half of it. Clint had that way about him, where people just knew he knew more about the world than he would ever let on and had probably done many more that could never be proven. Clint didn't just have skeletons in his closet, he had a whole fucking graveyard, but that's what made his huge rough and raw heart even more special. He would literally die for the people he loved. "They're great now. After the initial shock and adjustment, they went back to normal. Perhaps just closer. The initial shock wasn't even about the fact they were twins so much as how much time they lost knowing it. Once it was out there, it seemed obvious. Oh, you wouldn't have met the gorgeous little button, Zephyr, yet, will you? You think Hols has the Chevalier looks, you wait until you see him. He's Clint all over. He's a tiny wee thing but thriving after the initial complications. You want my advice, hon? Don't wait for him to set up a time. Just go over there. He might push back if he's feeling bitchy and not sure how to feel about you being back. Just go over and face it. You know Renz has always done better when you kept it real with him. Prove to him you still can. With how much his life changed, I don't think he'll hold anything against you. And Holly's your goddaughter, you should see her."

[underyourskin]

"No, not yet. Which kills me because the fact Clitty had a baby and I wasn't here to witness the moment he became a dad? I know that's never a moment to recreate. As much as I adore bubs and would have loved to have run over there to get my share of cuddles, I want to see Renz and Hols first. I owe them that. Renz knows why I had to go, on some level. He doesn't know I hit hard drugs. I couldn't face him with it after all he went through with Mara. I was so fucking ashamed and I still am. That doesn't take away the fact I missed out on so much here because of my shit mistakes. But... hang on... complications? With Zephyr? What happened? Is he okay? He Ange?" Jude shook his head, his mind ticking back to the very brief and bog-standard emails from Billy every few weeks, no more than a few lines. His standard response was he could catch up on everything when he got back and he would tell him if anyone died. In a lot of ways, Jude coped better being away from home not knowing much and it gave him the chance to heal. He nodded and smiled at her across the table. "You're right. But you always usually were when it came to this stuff. I wish I listened to your wisdom more, I wouldn't have ended up in so much crap. You really think he won't be pissed if I rock up there when Hols and Lew aren't well?"

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Reecy laughed again, nodding as she stirred a little sachet of stevia into her latte. "Yes, Clint had a baby. Just don't couch it like that when you talk to him or you might get a punch in the dick. Ange had a baby, she shares parenting with Clint, Linc, and Lexie. And it really works for them. Way more than anyone probably anticipated and Clint is an incredible dad, believe it or not. Once he got used to the fact it was real, that is. At first, he was kind of only sperm in name only. You're going to adore Zeph. He's this tiny little ball of adorable. Angela had a ruptured placenta and she nearly bled to death. They had to deliver him a couple of months early and we nearly lost them both. So, he's small for his age, but he's got Chevalier genes, so he's tough. Happy little thing, laughs a lot." She unfolded her napkin and put it in her lap. "Jude, don't keep beating yourself up. You'll get forward much more smoothly if you just be present in the moment, remember to communicate, feel what you need to feel, and take each day. Honestly, that's all any of us can do. That's why, no, I don't think he'll be pissed. I think he'll be happy to see you."

[underyourskin]

"I just can't imagine it, you know? A little person out there that Clitty made. It's almost scary. That they could even convince him to be a worthy participant. I remember when he got back from overseas undercover and met Hols for the first time, it was like she was radioactive or something. He didn't even wanna hold her. But I know if he and Lorenzo are twins, and Renz makes babies as gorgeous as Hols, there's no doubt the family genes will have spilled over into Clitty's gene pool." Jude would be lying if he didn't admit he was excited to see Clint in action as a dad and catch up with Lorenzo. They were like brothers one upon a time. He hoped Renz had enough energy in his heart to be able to forgive him for the fuck ups. "I just want to get settled back home and be near my family. Maybe have another shot at love myself eventually. I learned from my mistakes, I swear to god. I gotta say, you make it look real good. What was your wedding like? Totally not conventional, I bet, if I know anything about you. Then again, Kyan's about as good old-fashioned lover boy as they come. I swear, that's totally a compliment. He has to clue some of the rest of us dudes in on his secrets."

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"You wait until you meet him. You'll be even more speechless. He's this tiny little thing with huge blue eyes and he just smiles and giggles a lot. He's so bright and happy. But he has four parents who adore him and a live-in uncle on hand to uncle the hell out of him. And even more uncles who don't live there wanting their turns. The Chevalier gene pool is exceptionally talented. But I knew that from the days I used to hook up with Clint." Reecy smirked at that, even if it was literally a lifetime ago. Once upon a time, she was all about only casual sex and Clint was the most talented at that, equal first with Flynn. But she had discovered now married sex trumped all of that and then some, because Kyan was the ninja sexpert in the sack. His shyness and introversion be damned. Their wedding night had been out of this world. "That's because it is real good, amazing even, when you find the right person. It just clicks, you don't have to overthink it or question it. We sort of eloped in a sense. We were in Australia for Mark and Gen's wedding. We flew down to Sydney to stay for a few days afterwards. We decided to just do it. Mark and Justin pulled strings with Aussie connections. We had a private cruise on Sydney Harbour at twilight. Dad and Sawyer were there, so was Fin and Shannon. Justin and Sash. Winnie and Romeo. Trey and Brendan. Couldn't have been more perfect. Very much not conventional but still traditional enough for what Kyan wanted. Emotional because his mom couldn't be there. I think sometimes opposites are a perfect match."

[underyourskin]

Jude was grinning, remembering again how much he missed everyone being away. "I can't believe how much everyone has evolved. I feel like I've stepped into a different dimension. In a good way, though. Clitty seems like the glitch in the matrix, though. I'd be almost scared to see him but I know even with all this morphing around him, he probably hasn't changed at all. He'd probably rather shoot himself in the dick than change. But Renz was always like his opposite, you know. He balanced him. Other than Linc, he was really the only one who ever did." He sat back, resting his hands behind his head. "Eloped. I knew you wouldn't have done the white wedding thing. Or whatever the hell it was Autumn was trying to plan with him. It was like she forget Kyan was even involved in the equation. It sounds like you got the rock chick fairytale you deserve, love. Seriously, I'm happy for you both. There's no better guy I could have hoped you moved on with. He ticks all the boxes. I'd ask if he doesn't happen to have a gay twin, but I know he has and he's taken too. Damnit," he laughed.

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Reecy smiled at Jude over the top of her mug. "But hasn't Clitty always been a glitch in basically every matrix out there? If he was predictable, that would defeat his entire purpose. I think he's pretty fond of his purpose. Wait until you see him with Zephyr. It'll blow your mind. None of what has happened has changed him. I guess that says a lot about how firmly set he is in being true to himself. He's the truest person I know. Life has this completely surreal way of morphing around us and changing everything. Which is good, because if it's going bad, you know you just have to weather it. It won't last forever." She shook her head, laughing, and swept her hair from her face when it fell into her eyes. "I wasn't sure I'd ever do the wedding thing, let alone the white wedding thing. Autumn just fell into that dangerous showbiz trap of fame and hero-worship. She lost sight of her old goal posts. Oh, honey, Trey would probably eat you alive. He's totally not your type. I think you need someone who can fulfil everything you're searching for, and you do the same for them. The thing about me and us, I don't think I was ever searching. I think we did the best we could, we just weren't compatible."