Birthright

AUTHOR: Shirley

E-mail: sgoates2607@charter.net

RATING: PG-13

CONTEXT: This storyline takes place prior to "Lawyers, Guns &
Money" and the three subsequent episodes. It contains a flashback
to Burton's early days.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the characters portrayed herein are taken
directly from "The Guardian" - CBS TV Series. Others are strictly
figments of my imagination. The resemblance to any person(s) living
or dead is purely coincidental. Any similarity of events, dates, or
characters or the portrayal of events, dates or characters depicted
in any FanFic previously posted is totally unintentional. This is a
work of FICTION.

~~~~~~~~~

It was a beautiful spring day. Nick was feeling especially
satisfied with himself as he strolled through the lobby of Fallin &
Associates. He had just landed the Milton Manufacturing account.
The most satisfying aspect of the deal was that he had been
competing with Bill McGee of Kirk & McGee. He would love to see
Bill's face when Mark Milton informed him that Nick had won the
account. A self-satisfied grin broke his countenance. He heard a
tapping sound and turned to see his father tapping on the glass of
his office, motioning for him to come in.

He nodded a greeting at Sheila on his way into his dad's office.

"Mornin', son. How'd it go?" his dad asked, as he poured himself a
cup of coffee.

"Well, I think it went pretty well," Nick said, hardly able to
contain his glee. He had a crooked grin on his face when his father
turned to face him.

Noticing Nick's obvious satisfaction with himself, he said, "So, I
guess you got your revenge." Nick had wanted to prove to Bill McGee
that he `was' indeed a helluva lawyer, especially after he had
screwed up the Sloane deal so badly.

Nick answered, "I guess you could say that."

Burton chuckled as he took a seat. "Sit down, Nick," he said,
indicating the chair in front of his desk.

Ignoring his father's command to sit, Nick said, "I better get
working on the final papers before Milton changes his mind," and
turned to leave.

"Nick, hold up." His dad was leaning back in his chair, holding his
coffee cup with both hands. "Do you remember Ted Denton?"

Nick turned back to face him. He was searching his memory for the
name. His dad was always throwing out these names, as if to test
him. Finally, he answered, "Can't say as I do." He shook his head.

"Well, come to think of it, you were probably too young to
remember. We went to law school together. He practiced in
Pittsburgh for about 15 years after graduation and then joined a
firm in New York. He recently retired and moved back. Some of his
Pittsburgh friends are throwing him a retirement party at the Club.
There are a few of us still livin'," he said, with a chuckle.

Nick frowned. He didn't like it when his dad made references to his
age. He was still pretty hale and Nick didn't like thinking, even
for a second, that his dad was mortal. He shrugged his shoulders to
express his total puzzlement with his dad's ramblings about his
friend.

Burton noticed his bewilderment and added, "I thought you might like
to go with me and meet some of my old friends. A few are still
practicing in the area." He held his breath for a second, waiting
for Nick to respond. He really wanted to show off his son to his
old college buddies.

Nick figured this was just another contrived way for Burton to spend
time with him. They didn't really have that many opportunities, so
he finally said, "Sure, Dad. When is this thing?"

"That's great, Nick." His dad was obviously pleased. "It's this
Saturday night. Oh, it's black tie. The Mayor's gonna be there."

"Okay. Well, I better get on this paperwork." His dad nodded as
Nick turned to go.

Nick really wasn't looking forward to Saturday night. Spending a
night listening to his dad's old college stories; well, that just
didn't sound like much fun. But, he would make the best of it
because he loved his dad.

~~~//~~~

It was 7:15 pm. The sun had been down about an hour. Nick pulled
into his father's circular driveway. He turned off the engine and
removed his seatbelt then noticed his dad coming out the front
door. He waited in the car. His dad still cut a fine figure in his
tuxedo.

Burton settled into the passenger seat and buckled his
seatbelt. "Thanks for driving, son. These old eyes of mine don't
see so well at night anymore."

The Club was about 40 miles northeast of town. As Nick drove, they
talked about various business deals they were working on and finally
about the recent Milton Manufacturing deal. Burton looked over at
his son and said, "Nicholas, I'm real proud of you. That was a
difficult package to put together."

Nick glanced at his father, a little taken aback by the verbal
accolade. "Thanks, Dad."

The Riverbrook Country Club, with its exclusive membership, was
situated on 20 wooded acres and contained a world-class golf course,
6 tennis courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a four star
restaurant, "The Teak Room": the name derived from the excessive use
of teakwood in the decor. The long drive to the main building was
about one mile long and wound around through a thick stand of
trees. As you approached the entrance the lane was brightly lit
with gas lanterns every 25 feet.

The Club had set up valet service for the night. Several people had
already arrived and there was much activity around the front door.
As Nick turned the car over to the valet, he noticed his dad was
already talking with someone he knew.

"Nicholas, I want you to meet Judge Sam Stallings; 11th Circuit,
isn't it, Sam?"

"That's right, Burton."

Nick smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Judge," extending his
hand.

"Same here, Nick. Burton, you didn't tell me you had such a good-
lookin' son." Burton grinned, proudly. Nick looked away, grinning,
a little embarrassed. He got that all the time from women but from
a man, well, it was strange.

They moved into the main lobby of the Clubhouse where a receptionist
was taking up the invitations. Although Nick had his own membership
in the Club, tonight he was his father's guest. A sign, with
information about the party, was sitting on an easel to one side of
the entrance. It directed the guests to the main `ballroom' which
was nothing more than a large meeting room, now devoid of chairs.

As they made their way to the ballroom, Burton hailed a few more old
friends and made the introductions. All the names were beginning to
run together in Nick's head.

Inside the ballroom, an elaborate buffet was set up along one long
wall. Three drink stations had been installed along the opposite
wall. In one far corner a five-piece ensemble played music
reminiscent of the `50s.

Nick looked around. He was surprised to see so few women. Either
the men had opted not to bring their wives or they were like his
father; divorced, or perhaps widowed. The dance floor wouldn't get
much of a workout this night. Nick recognized the faces of several
local judges as well as a number of CEOs. He had already noticed
the Mayor and some other City and County officials in attendance.
There was a lot of `money' walking around in tuxedos here tonight.

Nick was listening as his father reminisced with Joe Duncan, of
Duncan Enterprises. They were laughing about an especially funny
happening during their third year in law school when Nick noticed
his father's face change dramatically, almost as though he had seen
a ghost. Nick turned to follow his gaze and saw a man approaching.
He was about Nick's height and build with sandy-blonde curly hair,
graying around the temples.

The man raised his hand and called out, "Burton." Nick looked back
at his father and noticed his teeth were clenched. The man extended
his hand and Burton reluctantly took it. They made brief eye
contact then the man turned to the other member of the
group. "Joe. Joe Duncan. Is that you?" the man asked.

"That's right, Hawk. How the heck are ya?" He produced his hand
for a shake. "You haven't changed a bit," Joe said, laughing and
rubbing his own expanding waistline.

The man turned to Nick and held out his hand, introducing
himself. "Hawk Fuller." Nick noticed he had an engaging smile.

"Nick Fallin." Nick said, shaking hands. He glanced quickly at his
father and noticed his dad's expression had not changed.

"I've been wanting to meet you, Nick. I heard you were working at
Fallin & Associates."

"So, you know my father," Nick stated, again looking at his father,
who averted his eyes.

"I guess you could say that." He was about to say something else
when Burton grabbed Nick's arm.

"Nicholas, I just saw Ted walk in. Will you excuse us?" he said to
the group as he quickly steered Nick away.

"What was that all about?" Nick asked, as they moved across the
room.

"Andy, how's the wife?" Burton called to another man who briefly
explained that his wife was tending to her sick mother.

Nick was introduced to the Man of Honor, Ted Denton. He was a
handsome, articulate guy. Just to listen to him talk was
entertaining. He knew some of the people Nick had worked with at
Swann & Cranston. He and his dad were laughing at some of their
college hi-jinks, when Nick excused himself to go to the restroom.

Upon his return, he stopped by the drink station and picked up a
ginger ale. He was looking over the crowd to locate his dad when
Hawk Fuller came up beside him.

"Nick." Startled, Nick turned to face the man. "I guess by your
reaction earlier, Burton never told you about me."

"No, can't say that he has. What's there to tell?" Nick scanned
the room still trying to locate his dad.

"I guess he never told you we were roommates in law school. In
fact, we were law partners, at one time." Hawk wasn't surprised to
see, this was news to Nick.

"No, he didn't. I don't remember him ever speaking your name. I'm
sure I would have remembered." Nick said.

"Burton's a damn good lawyer. Always has been," Hawk added.

"I think so," Nick acknowledged his father's skills as a
lawyer. "When were you partners?" Nick didn't know why but he felt
strange asking about his father's past, when clearly his father had
chosen not to tell him, for some reason.

"I guess it was around '67. We were both working for the same small
law firm which was going nowhere. We rented a hole-in-wall office
on Liberty and hung out our shingle: Fallin & Fuller. I don't have
to tell you, those were some lean times. But there were good times,
too."

"What happened?" Nick was curious. His dad had never mentioned
this to him.

"You'll have to ask Burton about that," Hawk said, evasively.

"You had to know my mother, then."

"As a matter of fact, I was the best man at their wedding. When we
first opened the firm, your mother was our paralegal, receptionist
and Chief Operating Officer. And, she made a pretty good cup of
coffee." He laughed. "She didn't actually get a paycheck, mind
you, since we didn't have a `pot nor a window' at the time," he
laughed again, thinking about those early days. "Anne was a very
smart and beautiful woman." Nick thought he detected a special
affection in Hawk's tone when he spoke of Anne.

"Yeah," Nick said, fondly remembering his mother. "You work here in
town?"

"No, actually, I have a firm in Philly. I'm just here for old
times' sake. I've stayed in touch with some of my old college
buddies and that's how I managed to get an invitation." Hawk
noticed Burton heading their way. "Nick, I'm here through Thursday,
on business. How would you like to have lunch one day?"

"That would be great."

"I'll call you." He patted Nick on the shoulder and quickly moved
away.

Nick watched him leave then turned back around to find his father
standing in front of him with a scowl on his face. "Oh, hi, Dad.
I was looking for you."

"There are a few more people I'd like you to meet." He took Nick's
elbow and directed him across the room.

Throughout the remainder of the evening, Nick noticed Hawk talking
with other guests but he never got a chance to speak to him again.

In Nick's estimation, the party had been a success. He had not
really minded it as much as he thought he would. He found out his
dad had been almost as wild as he was in college. Of course, his
dad tried to downplay his antics but some of his friends took Nick
aside and made sure he knew the `true' story. One thing he learned
for sure; his dad had never experimented with drugs, not even during
the height of the `drug culture' of the `60s and `70s.

The drive home was surprisingly quiet. He glanced a time or two at
his father and found him staring out the window, pensively.

Nick said, "Dad, it was a nice party," in an effort to break the
ice. He looked over at his father who was still staring out the
window.

Without turning to face Nick, he said, "Yeah."

When Nick pulled up to his dad's house, Burton opened the car door
and said, "Thanks, Nicholas. Goodnight."

He noticed his dad's mood was decidedly different from what it was
at the beginning of the evening. He wondered what had happened.

~~~//~~~

Nick answered his phone. "Hello." It was Monday, 10:15 am.

"Nick. Hawk Fuller, here. Are you up for lunch today?"

Nick quickly checked his calendar and said, "I could probably make a
one o'clock."

"That would be perfect. You have any suggestions?"

"Well, The Incline, about a half block from our office, is decent.
And at one o'clock it's not that busy."

"The Incline it is. See ya then."

~~~//~~~

When Nick walked into The Incline, Hawk was already seated towards
the rear of the bar. He waved. Nick nodded and made his way to the
table. As Nick settled into the booth, Hawk signaled the waitress
and asked, "Nick. What'll ya have to drink?"

"Water is fine." He noticed Hawk had a martini. Hawk raised his
eyebrows. "I'm still working," he shrugged, hoping this was
explanation enough.

Hawk asked, as the waitress approached, "Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah," he said, and to the waitress, he said, "I'll have the
grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing and water to drink."

"Make that two salads." As the waitress moved away from the table,
he asked, "So, Nick, how long have you been at Fallin?"

"About four and a half years, now, I guess."

"How'd you do in school?"

Nick thought that was a pretty personal question. "Okay, I guess,"
he decided to go with the ambiguous answer. He looked up from the
table at Hawk.

"Touche. I guess I was getting a little personal," Hawk said. He
sipped his martini.

Burton entered the bar and was greeted by the waitress. "Will it be
one for lunch, sir?" she asked.

"Yes," he said and looked around to see if he recognized anyone in
the bar. His eyes fixed on Nick and Hawk at the rear of the
room. "On second thought, I just remembered something," he told the
waitress and turned to leave.

Outside, Burton lit a cigarette. He had suddenly lost his
appetite. He took a couple final drags on his smoke and tossed the
half-smoked butt in the gutter. He walked back to the office.

When the waitress brought their salads, they ate quietly for several
minutes.

Finally, Nick said, "Hawk. That's an unusual name."

"Comes from an old family name. My great-grandfather was Jacob
Hawkins. I shortened it to Hawk in grade school. Even so I got a
lot of ribbing."

Nick smiled. "So...when did Fallin & Fuller fold?" He was anxious to
get more information about his family history. He found it
fascinating that his father had started two law firms in his
lifetime.

"Oh, I guess, early '69. Yeah, February, 1969."

"What did you do then?"

"That's when I moved to Philly."

Nick learned that Hawk had never married. He thought that odd since
he was a nice looking man and apparently very successful. He had
started his firm in Philadelphia in late 1969 and he now had over
200 lawyers working for him.

Nick glanced at his watch. It was 2:30. "Hawk, I hate to put an
end to this but I have an appointment across town at 3:00. Next
time I get to Philly, do you mind if I look you up?"

"I'd be hurt if you didn't. It's been great meeting you, Nick. I
really mean that. Burton has every right to be proud of you."

Nick stood and reached for his wallet. "Please, Nick. Let me get
it."

"Thanks. Nice meeting you." Nick extended his hand and they
shook.

With heaviness of heart, Hawk watched Nick walk away.

~~~//~~~

Nick decided to swing back by the office after his 3:00
appointment. It was not quite 6 o'clock. He could get a little
more work done before he called it quits. Most of the office staff
had already gone for the day. As he passed his dad's office, he
noticed he was still working.

Once in his office, Nick removed the papers from his briefcase and
began sorting through them. His phone rang, interoffice. "Yeah,"
he answered, absentmindedly.

"Nicholas, could I see you for a minute?" It was his dad.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." He left everything and headed for his
dad's office.

Sheila was already gone for the day. He knocked and entered. His
father was standing at the window. He didn't turn around when Nick
entered the room.

Nick stood in the middle of the room for a moment, then
said, "Dad?"

"Have a seat, Nicholas." He sat down, resting his elbows on his
knees. "I saw you with Hawk today." Burton was still facing the
window.

He looked up at his dad, still staring out the window. "Yeah. He
called to see if I wanted to have lunch." When his father didn't
say anything, Nick added, "He told me about Fallin & Fuller. Why
didn't you ever tell me about it?"

Burton didn't respond. "Dad? Is there something I should know?"
Nick was beginning to wonder about all the secrecy. "Why did you
split up?"

"Nicholas, let's just say there was a disagreement and leave it at
that. You would do me a big favor if you didn't see him anymore."
He turned to face Nick, his face decidedly strained.

Nick paused for a moment before answering. "Sure, Dad. But, it's
been over 30 years. Don't you think it's time to bury the hatchet?
What could be so bad to carry a grudge for that long?"

"Nicholas!" Burton pursed his lips. The way his dad spoke his name
reminded him of how he was scolded as a small boy when he had done
something especially naughty.

Nick raised both hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay. Is that all?"

When his father didn't answer, Nick stood and walked out of the
room.

Burton collapsed into his chair. It was only a matter of time
before Nick learned the truth. He closed his eyes and remembered.

~~~//~~~

His appointment had run longer than planned. He decided to go
straight home rather than back to the office. It was late October
and the skies were threatening an early snow. It was barely 6
o'clock but it was already good and dark. As he approached his
house he noticed someone at his front door. The porch was dark but,
with the door open, you could see the outline of two people standing
in the doorway. Burton pulled over to the curb and shut off his
lights.

After a moment, he saw one person get into a car parked in his
driveway. The front door closed. He watched as the car backed out
of his drive. He recognized the Buick as belonging to Hawk Fuller.
For a minute, he just sat in his car trying to figure out why Hawk
had been at his house. Finally, he pulled into the driveway and
went in the house through the back door.

He didn't see Anne anywhere. He headed for the bedroom. He could
hear the shower in the master bath. He noticed the bed had
obviously been slept in.

He went to the spare room that he used as his office and set his
briefcase on the desk. He then went to the hall closet and hung up
his overcoat. He fixed himself a strong drink and sat down in the
living room to wait. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top
button of his shirt.

He was smoking a cigarette when Anne came into the living room. She
jumped when she noticed Burton sitting in the chair in the
corner. "I didn't hear you come in." She walked over and gave him
a peck on the cheek.

She had on a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. On her
feet, she wore slippers. She had not refreshed her makeup after the
shower giving her that just-scrubbed schoolgirl look. She was
nearly 28 but at times she looked 18.

"Who was that I saw leaving, a minute ago?" Burton asked,
nonchalantly.

She was obviously groping for an answer when she finally said, "Oh,
that was a magazine salesman."

Burton stubbed out his cigarette and set his drink on a coaster. He
got up slowly and walked to his wife. He put his arms around her
and kissed her roughly on the mouth, holding her tightly in his
grasp.

"What was that?" she gasped, as she turned her head to catch her
breath. "Do you want me to fix you something to eat?"

"Maybe later." He kissed her again, pressing his erection against
her pubic bone. She tried to pull away but he held her fast. God
he loved this woman and he had to possess her, tonight.

He carried her to the bedroom and swept the covers off on the
floor. He quickly undressed her and then himself and had his way
with her. She didn't fight him but she didn't participate either.
After he sated himself he rolled over onto his back and lit a
cigarette.

"Did you enjoy that?" she asked, mockingly. "Does it give you
pleasure to force yourself on me?" He rolled out of bed and slipped
his boxers on. He grabbed for his robe and tied it around him, then
left the room. Anne headed for the shower.

It was after 10 o'clock when Burton went to bed. Anne had
straightened the bed clothes and was sleeping soundly. He crawled
into bed and was finally able to slip off into a restless sleep.

The next morning, he had decided to confront Hawk about last
night. "Hawk. Can I see you in my office?" he said, as he passed
by Hawk's office.

"How did the appointment go?" Hawk asked, as he breezed into
Burton's office.

"I didn't ask you in here to talk about the appointment. Shut the
door." Hawk reached back and closed the door. "I want to talk
about why you were at my house last night." His gaze locked onto
Hawk, waiting for a reaction.

"What did Anne tell you, Burton?" His ebullient demeanor had
changed to one of concern. He stood just inside the door with his
hands on his hips.

Burton didn't answer. Finally, he reiterated, "I'm waiting."

"Well, you're gonna have to get that from Anne, I'm afraid." He
turned and left Burton's office.

Burton leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling; his worst
suspicions, confirmed.

~~~//~~~

Burton remembered that things had gotten increasingly hostile
between him and Hawk after that. And when he found out Anne was
pregnant, well, there was no way they could continue to work
together. By early February, 1969, Burton had resigned from the
firm, taking all of his clients with him. He had gone to work for
Morris, Anderson and Morris for a couple years before starting
Fallin & Associates in 1971. Hawk had sold off his part of the firm
and moved to Philadelphia. It had been years since Burton had seen
him, though he did hear news about him all the time from other
mutual friends in Philly.

~~~//~~~

Back in his office, Nick replayed the conversation he had just had
with his father. There was something eating his dad; something
about Hawk Fuller. Nick had to know.

He picked up the phone and dialed `information' for Ted Denton. He
then dialed his number.

"Mr. Denton. This is Nick Fallin. I was wondering if I could stop
by later. I'd like to talk with you about something."

"Sure, Nick. It would be my pleasure. Do you know where I live?"

Nick copied down the address and said, "I think I can find it. How
about 6:30?"

"That would be fine."

Nick drove up the drive to Ted Denton's home; a lovely two-story
Georgian mansion with four large columns across the front. The door
was opened by an elderly woman dressed in what appeared to be a
uniform, of sorts.

"Mr. Fallin?" she asked.

"That's right."

"Come in, please. Mr. Denton is expecting you. You may wait in the
library. He will be down shortly."

Nick was impressed with the entry hall. A wide sweeping staircase
led up to the second level. A giant crystal chandelier hung over
the two-story entry foyer. Nick was led to the library which was
situated to the left of the foyer. Huge double doors led into the
library and when they were opened Nick was awed by the size and
scale of the room. The walls were lined with bookcases, made of
mahogany; the coffered ceiling also done in mahogany. Matching
wooden plantation shutters covered the windows. A massive
fireplace, the centerpiece of the room, was flanked by two burgundy
leather chairs. The room was further appointed to a man's taste.

"May I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee?"

"Coffee would be fine."

While he waited for Ted Denton, Nick strolled around the room
checking out the book titles. Denton was a diverse reader or at
least collected books on a wide variety of subjects.

"Well, Nick." Nick turned to see Denton walking towards him with
his hand outstretched. They shook hands.

"Impressive," Nick said, indicating the room.

"It is one of my favorite rooms in the house. And now, since my
retirement, I have more time to read. Please, have a seat, Nick."
Ted pointed to one of the chairs next to the fireplace. He took the
other. "You said there was something you wanted to talk to me
about?"

"Yeah. I..." Nick was interrupted when the coffee tray was brought
in.

"Nick, this is Jean, my housekeeper. Well, really more than a
housekeeper. She keeps this place running."

Jean set the tray on a table and asked, "What do you take in your
coffee, Mr. Fallin?"

"Black is fine. Thank you." She handed him a fine china cup with
steaming coffee and a linen napkin, which he placed on his knee.

Denton continued as Jean prepared his coffee and handed it to
him. "This house has been in my family for years. You might say
Jean came with the house." Jean made her exit. "My mother passed
on a couple of years ago and Jean looked after the place until I
returned from New York, upon my retirement. You don't know how hard
it is to find good people you can trust to do this job. Well,
enough about that. So what can I do for you, Nick?"

"I don't really know where to start. You've known my dad since
college?"

"That's right. We met as undergraduates and then on to law school.
But there were really several of us who hung around together. A
real gang, if you will." He laughed and added, "A gang of hell-
raisers. Of course, I'm sure your dad would not want you to know
that. We want our children to do as we say, not as we do."

Nick grinned. "I got some of that at the party the other night.
Was Hawk Fuller one of the gang?"

"He was one of the ringleaders. He was your dad's roommate. I
think they used to sit up all night hatching schemes. Guess it
didn't hurt them in the long run. They both turned out to be pretty
damn good lawyers."

"What happened to end their friendship?" Nick watched Ted as his
facial expression changed suddenly.

"We never knew for sure. They started a law firm and after a couple
of years something happened and they split. It wasn't long after
that, Hawk moved to Philadelphia and started his own firm there
which is quite successful, I hear."

"So you have no idea what happened?"

"Not really. Well, there was a rumor that Hawk might have been
messing around with Anne, your mother, but there was never any proof
of that. None of use believed that for a minute."

Nick's heart almost stopped for a second. His mind was reeling with
the information. The year: 1969. That was the year he was born.
Nick swallowed hard and tried to control his breathing. Ted was
saying something. "What?"

"Are you okay, Nick?" Ted had noticed a drastic change in Nick.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I really need to go." He stood up
quickly. "Listen, thanks for talking to me." Ted stood to see him
out, but he was already half way out the door.

In the car, Nick rested his head on the steering wheel. His whole
world was crumbling down around him. He started the car and drove
around aimlessly.

He finally stopped at a little neighborhood pub and from a dark
booth in the back of the bar he ordered a bottle of Cuervo Gold
Tequila. He threw back shot after shot until it finally quit
hurting. Then he just cried like a baby. The waitress came over to
try and comfort him. He just shoved her away.

Finally at 9:45 pm he staggered out of the bar. He was really in no
condition to drive but he didn't give a damn. He started the car
and drove around for awhile and ended up at his father's. He parked
in the circular drive. The house was dark.

He staggered up the front steps and rang the bell. He waited and
when there was no answer he pounded on the door. By now tears were
streaming down his face. The front porch light came on. Nick
shielded his eyes from the brightness.

The door opened and his father said, "Nicholas? What the hell?" He
helped Nick into the living room and seated him in a chair by the
window. He turned a lamp on near the sofa. "Wanna tell me what
this is all about?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nick had his throbbing head in his
hands. He was speaking with a distinct slur.

"Tell you what, son?" Burton took a seat in the chair opposite.

He looked up at his father, his eyes expressing the pain he was
feeling. "That you're not my father."

Burton sat up straight and reached for his pack of cigarettes. He
lit up, took a long drag and slowly let out a stream of smoke.
After a long moment, he said, "I have no proof, one way or the
other, son."

"What about DNA?"

"Nicholas. This was over 30 years ago. That was before DNA
testing." Burton was speaking calmly. It was almost therapeutic to
talk about it now. He had worried for years that Nick would find
out. Now that it was out, well, he would just have to deal with the
consequences.

"I didn't know, my mother..." Nick's voice trailed off. He couldn't
bring himself to talk about it.

"Your mother had a lot of problems, son, but I didn't love her any
less. And, regardless of the biology of it all, you're still my son
and always will be."

Nick lurched out of the chair and staggered to the main floor
bathroom. He proceeded to throw-up his insides until he was limp as
a dishrag. Burton soaked a washcloth in cold water and wiped Nick's
face. He then helped him to the couch where Nick stretched out.

Burton placed a cold damp cloth on his forehead and said, "You will
definitely remember this night, in the morning." He brought a glass
of water and a couple of aspirin and forced Nick to take
them. "Believe me; this will help with the hangover tomorrow." He
removed Nick's tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He
then spread the cashmere throw over him and removed his shoes. Nick
was already out for the night.

Burton fixed himself a stiff drink and when he finished it he leaned
back in the chair and fell asleep.

~~~//~~~

The sun, streaming through the living room window directly onto the
couch, managed to rouse Nick. He squeezed his head between his
hands. His head reminded him he had tied one on last night. He sat
up slowly on the couch and noticed his father, sleeping in a chair
across from him. He got up slowly, testing his legs, and walked to
the bathroom to relieve himself. He then splashed cold water on his
face and dried off. He had really made an ass of himself last
night.

When he opened the bathroom door he noticed his dad was no longer in
the chair. He heard rattling in the kitchen. He walked to the
kitchen doorway and propped himself against the door jamb.

Burton looked up to see him standing there. "The coffee'll be ready
in a few minutes. Want anything to eat?"

Nick walked gingerly to the breakfast table and plopped down in the
chair. "No, nothing to eat. Maybe some juice and coffee, when it's
ready."

Burton poured a large glass of orange juice and set it before Nick.
Nick held his head in his hands. After a minute, he chugged the
glass of juice.

When the coffee was ready, Burton poured two cups and placed one in
front of Nick. He sat down across the table.

"Nicholas, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. It was not my
intention to keep it from you. I just didn't see anything to be
gained by telling you, that's all."

"Didn't you ever want to know for sure?"

"After you were born and I held you in my arms, I didn't want to
find out you weren't really mine. To me, you were mine." Burton's
eyes began to water. He pinched his eyes with his fingers and went
on. "Your mother and I had worked things out and it was really good
for awhile. I didn't want to spoil that."

"Well, I want to know for sure."

"Are you ready to accept either possibility?"

Nick reflected on it before answering. "I've gotta know," he said,
in almost a whisper.

"We can have Pharma-Labs run a DNA. I'll call Jim Lucas and see
what we need to do." Burton heaved a heavy sigh.

Nick nodded. He didn't even want to think about how he would feel
if the results proved his dad was not his dad.

~~~//~~~

Burton found out what was needed to run the DNA test and provided
the samples to Jim Lucas. The test was to be confidential. Not
even Jim would know the source of the samples. For all he knew it
was a case Burton was handling. Burton was told it would be about
two weeks' turnaround time to get a good solid test run.

Both Nick and Burton busied themselves with work but in the end they
were unable to put the matter out of their minds. The two weeks
dragged on interminably.

Nick noticed his father was exceptionally kind and attentive during
the waiting period. He loved his dad dearly and knew his dad loved
him. No matter what the outcome, that would not change. Nick would
always love Burton. After all, he had been his father for 32
years.

The results of the test were to be mailed to Burton's house to
prevent any unauthorized access by anyone at the firm. When the
envelope arrived, Burton called Nick at home to tell him. He
invited Nick over for dinner and afterwards they could learn of the
results together.

His dad grilled a couple of large steaks and had baked potatoes and
salad for dinner. Grilling was his dad's specialty.

Over coffee, Nick said to his father, "Dad, I love you." His eyes
grew watery and he turned away, blinking back tears.

"I love you, too, son." They finished their coffee and cleared the
dishes.

Burton poured another cup of coffee for each of them and they
removed to the patio. He handed Nick the manila envelope and
said, "I want you to read it, son."

Under the soft glow of the outside porch light, Nick carefully and
deliberately opened the envelope. He glanced over the report,
wading through all of the scientific lingo. Finally on page two he
found the summary. The DNA was a definite match. The report
concluded that the two subjects of the test were closely related.

Nick closed his eyes tightly to stop a deluge of tears and breathed
a heavy sigh. He handed the report to his dad and said, "Here, Dad,
see for yourself," and smiled.

Burton quickly scanned the pages, finding the summary. He, too, was
overcome with emotion. He wiped a tear and through trembling lips,
he said, "Well, I guess that's that."

They both leaned back in their rocking chairs and looked up at the
stars. It was a beautiful night.

THE END

~~~~~~~~