"Looks like we got this in the bag!" Steve congratulated Bradley and Lindsay when they exited the Silver Stallion. With three races remaining in the season, the Earth team cemented their number one ranking with a second-place finish. Bradley smiled at Steve's comments as he received light pats on the back from Tim and David. The mechanics went to work examining the IR as Bradley turned towards his partner to praise her but he found her already gone and midway across the bay. Her attitude was off, he noted throughout the entire race; she was strictly business as every target Lindsay aimed for were immediate blows. Her unusual behavior remained as Bradley saw Lindsay talk with the team manager; their conversations usually brief with Keith giving her a quick but reluctant congratulatory nod or utterance. This time around, it seemed they spoke fully, albeit in secret.
Even as Malik sought to speak with him, Bradley tuned him out and continued to watch them have their muted discussion. Their faces were strange, at least Keith's was; his full of sorrow and apology. Lindsay, as always, rolled her eyes and glanced away from the man. Even that appeared different; the woman didn't wish to listen to what Keith sought to plead. Something was clearly wrong; Bradley wished he was in earshot to figure out what. All he could do was go by their actions as Lindsay huffed and turned to walk away. But, Keith did something Bradley figured he'd never do: he touched her. It was a gentle grasp of her arm but Bradley knew for a fact that Keith touched no one, let alone Lindsay! The touch had affection behind it, Bradley determined by Keith's reaction, who continued pleading his argument to Lindsay. That unwanted sensation in the pit of his stomach returned as he remained observing the two; whatever Keith stated, Lindsay was reluctant to hear at first but yet accepted as she nodded. The feeling in Bradley's stomach surged and made him turn pale when Keith perked up and grabbed Lindsay's hand.
"Hey; are you even paying attention to me? What's going on over there?" Malik realized that Bradley was not the least interested in what he was saying and peered over where Bradley's attention had moved. Color came back to Bradley's face as he shook his head at Malik.
"S-Sorry. I think they're at it, again..."
"Man, I don't get it. And I thought they were making up! She's done nothing to him. I mean, okay, Lizzie can be a bit... abrasive..."
"Abrasive? Really?"
"Every other word out her mouth is a cuss word! She's like a New York cab driver!"
"Nah... Steve is like a cab driver..."
"Oh, eat a dick, Smith!!"
"See...?" Bradley pointed towards the mechanic and the two men laughed. The pilot fixed his attention back to his partner, who went out the building without him and Bradley sighed. "He ran her off; great! I gotta go; maybe I can calm her down..."
"You always do!" Malik shook his head and smirked as Bradley hurried out the bay. The man caught up to her and Lindsay greeted him with a half-smile.
"Hey. Sorry; meant to wait for you."
"It's okay. Keith pissed you off, again?" Bradley asked and Lindsay shrugged as they strolled towards the housing building.
"Don't worry about it."
"Come on; I wouldn't be a real friend if I didn't! So, maybe a bit of hanging out will do ya some good? We haven't done that in a while."
"... I'll have to take a rain check on that. Maybe tomorrow." Lindsay answered without looking at him. Bradley gave her a pained glance.
"Lizzie, if you're hanging out with Areiv, again, you ain't got to lie to me..." he almost mumbled.
"... What? Oh, no. Not today. I'm just tired, Brad. Sorry."
"Yeah. You're right. Today's been a hell of a day. You were amazing, today... as usual..."
"... I was okay..."
"You didn't miss; what the hell you talking about?" Bradley laughed. The man warmed up as Lindsay returned a genuine smile. As they walked, Bradley thought back to what took place in the bay. The pilot sensed he should've come out and asked what Lindsay and Keith were arguing about but Bradley considered them good friends; if it was serious, she would've told him by then. Bradley confessed that he may have read too much into how Keith grabbed Lindsay's hand; the move wasn't a romantic touch. Perhaps this was Keith's method of softening up; Bradley noticed that he did so when the attack on Earth happened. The man never revealed if he had lost anyone during the Qees invasion and for all they knew, this was his way of letting out his grievances: finally being kind to the artillery specialist.
The idea made Bradley think of another person who grew even friendlier to Lindsay: Areiv. After Christmas, Bradley took notice that the Esperian spent more time with Lindsay. The man knew the Royal Magistrate instructed his son to guard after her a year ago but he never imagined that it made the two build a stronger connection. The thought frustrated Bradley all the more; he wanted to be more than her friend but how could he express it when the alien took most of Lindsay's time? He needed to get to the bottom of it; Bradley wanted Areiv to confess that he was in love with Lindsay as well.
The idea hit him as they entered the building and Bradley was glad for Lindsay's rain check. The man looked down at her with a smile.
"Whelp! Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then..."
"Okay. Hey... I might be up a little later. Do you... wanna talk then?" her question threw Bradley off as he gave Lindsay a look.
"Uh... sure..." he studied her for a hint but Lindsay sighed as the expected flood of aliens bombarded the elevators. The woman smiled and waved as she joined them and the doors closed. Bradley nearly forgot about his plan but hurried out of the building.
Lindsay showered, dressed and rushed out before anyone could stop her; she was glad that everyone was too captivated with the baby to notice she left. Lindsay descended a few floors, to the one where she resided during their first year on Buno and paused in front of Keith's door for a moment. The woman closed her eyes and exhaled as she finally picked up the courage to knock and when Keith answered, he gave her a relieved smile.
"Lizzie... thank you..." he said and stepped out the way for her enter. Lindsay did and nearly commented on his use of her nickname until she looked around the main room and gawked.
"Shit. Holy... fucking... shit..." she stared at his interior; the walls held the all too familiar globe and anchor paraphernalia: everything from plaques to the red and gold Marine Corps flag. After her observation, Lindsay turned around and stared at Keith, her eyes wide. "You... you..."
"Yes. I'm a former Marine, too..." Keith offered a gentle smile. Lindsay didn't wait to be told as she sat on his sofa and stared off in space. She understood there was no such concept as an inherited military gene but it finally made sense to Lindsay why she always had the ambition to become a Marine. Of all the branches she could've joined, the Marine Corps stuck out to her the most, likely that the urge was because Lindsay's biological father served as a Marine.
"I... I wanna know everything..." Lindsay mumbled as Keith sighed and took a seat beside her.
"... Are you sure? Some things... you may not want to hear..."
"Okay, I'm thirty-four and just found out that I'm adopted; pretty sure that whatever else you got to tell me ain't gonna shock me as much as that!" Lindsay shook her head, failing to cover her smirk. Keith nodded at her remarks, a tiny smirk playing on his own lips.
"Okay but... you've been warned. I met your mom in Savannah. I got stationed in Albany, Georgia and gone with a buddy of mine to meet his family during a ninety-six; I lived too far to visit my own. Karen... she was fifteen when she had you." Keith explained and Lindsay's mouth flew open at his admission.
"Wait... but... oh... my... God..."
"Now, before you fully judge me, I honestly loved her! I still do... to this very day. I knew it was wrong but... I didn't care how old she was. When she found out she was pregnant, Karen ran away from home and lived with me."
"Why... why didn't she just say something...?"
"Interracial relationships were nothing in the seventies. But... one with an older man, an older white man? No, her parents would've had you aborted, and me thrown in jail!"
"They were... that type of family..."
"Yes. But, we made so many plans. I was going to marry her damn near the day she turned eighteen! I had it in my mind that by that time, we'd have more children. Life wouldn't be perfect but we'd be together, raising wonderful kids. You know, she'd continue school and go to college; nursing school was her dream..." Keith remembered fondly and Lindsay looked at him. She acknowledged that it was admirable of him the way he reminisced.
"So, what happened...?"
"Your biological grandparents happened," Keith sighed. "Guess I didn't fully blame them; we loved each other so much that we didn't see the plan all the way through. When Karen went into labor, I couldn't do anything: I wasn't her guardian. She ran away; her parents would've been informed. Either that or Karen would've been declared homeless and both of you would've been put in the system... separately."
"Oh. You had to tell them..."
"By the time her parents got to the hospital, Karen was pushing you out. And, of course, it was no secret who the father was! You weren't even a day old and... they forced our hands. Either I got court marshaled, or you were given up for adoption. They didn't believe how much I loved Karen; I... I was willing to sacrifice my military career for both of you. I figured that my time in the brig wouldn't be too long and when I got out, I'd be able to see you two, take you two away and be happy. But, your mother? She realized it didn't matter; they would not allow their daughter to keep her baby, just to spite. And so... it was... the most difficult thing I ever had to do..." a few tears escaped from Keith's eyes and Lindsay took in a deep breath to prevent herself from bursting into tears.
"So... I was put up for adoption..."
"And that's where it gets weird! I don't know how but your mom convinced them not to put you in foster care. I always thought that she never listened when I rambled but she proved that she did. She asked if she knew a couple who needed a child, could she give you to them and they said yes. My buddy I mentioned, whose folks live in Savannah? His name was Henry Ramsey." Keith wiped at his tears and gave Lindsay a modest smile. The woman's eyes widened as she gasped.
"Uncle Henry?!"
"Karen remembered the story I told her about his brother; married for about a year but found out it was unlikely they'd have children. I talked to them and only asked for two things: an open adoption, no matter what Karen's parents said... and that they didn't change your first name; I named you after my grandmother. I didn't find out until last year they didn't change your middle name, either; Rochelle was your mother's middle name."
"... Wow. That was... really nice of them. So, wait; you said it was supposed to be an open adoption."
"And it was for a while. Karen stayed right across the street from your grandma. She got to see firsthand on many occasions how much joy you brought the Ramsey family... and agreed to let you go." Keith explained as Lindsay leaned back on the sofa and thought. Her forehead furrowed as she reflected back to her grandmother's home.
"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait... the lady across the way... she was my mother?! I... hell, whenever I went to granny's house, I used to play with her sister all the time!" Lindsay realized. They were faint memories; Lindsay remembered the girl and her lilac-painted room but she couldn't place a name to her or the older sister who always loved to talk and dote over her. One of the main things that stood out was that the sister always made certain that Lindsay ate something before leaving the house, even if it was homemade Rice Krispies treats. The woman grinned as she recalled it was a guilty pleasure of hers to go over the little girl's house, knowing she would receive food when playtime was over!
"And despite what her parents said, Karen kept in contact with me. Oh, I remember one call: she was so excited that she got to do your hair!" Keith let out a short laugh and Lindsay smirked.
"I... oh, man; I remember that! I had never had my hair in braids before and wanted her to do it. She did it in those braids with the beads on the end. I remember she went out of her way to make sure they were my favorite color..." Lindsay smiled.
"It was all she talked about that one call. I just wished I got a picture of that; she told me you were a beautiful little girl. I used to tease her, telling her: 'of course, she is; she's our child'! When she made the decision to let you go... I was at a loss. Karen and I argued whenever she'd call and suddenly... the calls stopped coming. I went to Japan and got stationed in California instead of back to Albany. I... lost the both of you all over again. I was so close to going AWOL to go back to Savannah and track the two of you. But, I stopped being angry and remembered the last thing she said before she stopped calling me. She said the only thing that was important was your happiness. And while you enjoyed being with her and her sister, you were truly happy with the Ramsey family. And... she didn't want to take you away from that." Keith told her and Lindsay nodded. She wiped at a lone tear that decided to escape and stared at Keith.
"S-So... do you know what happened to her?"
"She... died a few years ago; a car accident. When I decided to fully search for both of you, I found out a year after it happened." Keith finished lowly. Another tear slipped from Lindsay's eyes and she let it fall before wiping at it.
"Well... that answers my question as far as ever meeting her. Do I... look like her?"
"Your eyes most definitely. When I first laid eyes on Karen, it was the very first thing that drew me to her. I knew for sure no one else in the world had her eyes... and then you were born. I kept denying that it was a dead giveaway you were my daughter. Because, when I looked into your eyes in New Mexico... it was like looking at Karen. And then the way you stood up to me; it reminded me too much of what your mother said when we first met! I loved to tease her, and I called her a little girl. She looked me square in the eye and told me: 'I ain't no little girl, I'm a lady'!" he recalled and the two laughed.
"Yeah... you really offended me when you called me a 'young lady'! It's ironic now, but I was sitting there thinking: 'does he think he's my dad or something'?!"
"Heh; first instincts are usually the right ones..." Keith glanced at Lindsay. The two had related but subtle features Keith admitted should've been visible to him. Lindsay Rose was a near even blend of himself and her biological mother. "I knew for sure after your assessment. I was granted the files for everyone after that and looked at yours; that's how I found out about your middle name. And, I understand I was a royal dick to you in the beginning. But... I have been extremely proud of you. I just wanted you to know that. The moment I started reading your file, I couldn't help but to smile. Oh, I grinned ear-to-ear when I read you were in the Corps! And when I saw your MOS? It drove me to tears..." Keith admitted. Once Lindsay realized why her MOS had that effect on him, she blushed and stared, wide-eyed.
"Y-You were a field artillery cannoneer, too...?"
"0811..."
"Whoa..." the woman blinked. Lindsay attempted to soak in everything Keith explained to her and accepted while she was taken aback by her mother's age, she saw the man loved Karen. She further realized for a Marine to even debate on giving up his career for the sake of his newborn daughter spoke volumes of his love for her. Lindsay knew she had to stop resenting Keith; that agitation had to turn elsewhere, possibly her biological grandparents.
The way Keith treated Lindsay in the beginning evaporated from her mind; Lindsay learned it wasn't important anymore. What mattered was she learned the truth of why she was given up for adoption. Lindsay still considered she should've known earlier in her life but put that on Carl and Sandra Ramsey. But, the past was the past. While Lindsay felt awful a piece of her was still furious at her adoptive parents, the woman knew she would learn to get over that.
"Anything else you want to know?" Keith interrupted Lindsay's thoughts. It made her think about how bitter she was at the man earlier and guilt flooded her.
"No. Just... when I told you I didn't think I could forgive you... that was me being highly pissed, still. I mean, I'm still kinda pissed but... I didn't mean to yell at you like that..."
"Yes, you did!" Keith surprised her as he laughed. "I put you through hell; I deserved everything you gave me that day! You have every right to still be upset."
"Yeah. Just kinda makes me feel like shit... oh, sorry..."
"It's quite alright! I've said worse; comes with the territory of being a Marine!"
"You know... it's gonna take a while for me to get used to this..."
"I know."
"So... do we tell everyone else or...?"
"How about I leave that up to you? I wouldn't mind. Honestly? I don't think the others would be ready to absorb it fully. I know I will get more chastised about the way I treated you. But, don't think I didn't notice how close you are to Bradley and Malik; if you want to just tell them, I'm fine with that."
"Oh, my God; you really are a parent! Guess I shouldn't tell you that me and Areiv are kinda dating...?" Lindsay smirked. Keith laughed at first but then gazed at her.
"What? What do you mean, 'kinda' dating? Are you being serious right now?"
"Yep; a parent!" Lindsay gave out a short laugh. Keith bit his lip but grinned a little.
"Well... if he makes you happy. And you are grown. I just... never saw that coming. I always figured it was in his nature to be that nice and polite. Lizzie... there's something I've been dying to do but... I want to make sure you're comfortable with it."
"Um... what?"
"... C-Can I hug you?" Keith surprised Lindsay once more. "The last time I hugged you... you were two days old. I've missed out on so much and the one thing I want to do is just... hug you. I mean, if you're not comfortable with that, I understand..." he caught the look Lindsay gave him when he mentioned the hug. She didn't understand how to handle Keith's request; Lindsay's mind whirled at the fact that this was her team manager. The man who had gone out of his way and scoffed at every single action Lindsay did, who was never satisfied at anything she achieved.
As the woman continued to gawk at Keith, Lindsay realized that, above all, that was her father. A Marine who went through things she couldn't grasp and had every right to bury his heart into stone, a man who would've gone through hell and back to reunite with his girlfriend and their daughter. A guy who finally revealed himself, and he only wished to hold his own child; the thoughts produced tears from Lindsay's eyes and she bit her lip to keep her sobs from escaping.
He hadn't given Lindsay the opportunity to nod fully; Keith gathered his daughter in his arms and hugged her tight as tears flowed to his chin. Between his sobs, all Keith could manage was choke out apologies. He didn't care if it would be the last time Lindsay would allow him to hug her; what mattered was that after thirty-four years, Keith Degler could embrace his only child once again.