Edited by luvtaread
*
Enjoy the ride, for seven years Brandon did just that. For seven years he watched as his new family grew. It all went by so fast. It seemed ages ago that Mel found out she would have a girl, a revelation that was welcome to all. Make no mistake Brandon would have been delighted to have a son, but that did not change general opinion on the situation.
Up until then there had been concern of what the consequences of a boy would be. Not only because of Mel's views on males in general, but also what it would mean for the agreement. It was unsaid by all but a girl was preferred in this case. So a few months later on a cold January afternoon they all welcomed Leah Katherine Murphy into the world.
Almost as soon as Leah was born, Brandon and Katy began work on their child. As with Mel, Brandon got Katy pregnant on the first try. That November brought a second girl, Kara Grace Murphy, into the family. As it turned out both girls had birthdays within two weeks of their mom's birthdays.
Katy was not the only one pregnant that summer and fall though. True to her word not long after Katy announced she was pregnant, Brandon and Ashley tried for their first together and just like her friends Ashley caught the first try. The following February Ashley and Brandon welcomed their first child, and yet another girl, Anna Cassandra Metcalf.
After having Anna, Ashley decided to hold on going back to teaching until the kids had reached school age. Due to this decision she and Brandon tried for their second child that summer and Brandon finally got his boy, two of them to be exact. The twins, who they named Jacob David Metcalf and Ethan Robert Metcalf, caught everyone by surprise, but Brandon for one was glad. After all after three girls he was glad to see a few boys to help balance the amount of estrogen roaming around the two houses.
Those too had worked out extremely well as both couples were well moved in before Mel really began to show. The homes were used pretty much interchangeably for those first few years, often with all four spending the night at one house or the other. This was especially the case when one of the girls was pregnant and near term. Brandon was surprised Mel insisted on his nightly presence as she neared her due date. Frankly he was still amazed at how horny the redhead got near the end.
As years passed and the children grew the idea of separate homes became more necessary. Brandon stopped being 'daddy' to Kara and Leah when it became clear that Leah was beginning to understand what that meant. It was a tough day for him knowing it would be fifteen years before he would be able to tell his two daughters the truth.
After that day though, the plan work perfectly. As far as Leah, now 7, and Kara, now 6, knew their dad lived out of the country and couldn't see them. Anna also 6, and the twins who were 5, were also quite unaware that the kids next door were actually their half-sisters. Although Brandon always chuckled at watching Kara and Anna together on the surface, they got along similar to the way their moms did, but for those who knew to look for it was obvious their was something deeper in their relationship that neither quite fully understood.
That is the way life had progressed the past seven years, hectic and crazy, but in a good way. Now, Brandon faced challenges, challenges from enemies long thought gone. Well most of them anyway. Jeff Yates had been one foe that had plagued him for sometime. The incident at the dinner had only strengthened the vindictive enemy's resolve to make Brandon's life at the company hell.
Somehow he had managed to rise higher than Brandon in the intervening years. As a result despite great success on a number of major projects Jeff had kept Brandon out of the managerial chair. Fortunately Brandon's success had been compensated financially, so his family had not suffered any in the seven years. He was just really frustrated at the lack of advancement. However, Jeff had managed to get Brandon reassigned to a new team with a nearly impossible task. The thought being if Brandon failed, which seemed highly likely, then Jeff could rid the company of Brandon despite the money Brandon had made them.
It was during that time that his arrangement with Katy and Mel got it's biggest test. The family had traveled to Boston to celebrate Mel's mom's 50th birthday. Brandon found a little odd that he, Ashley and their kids were invited but did not argue. The party was nice and it seemed Kelly had enjoyed it. However she was looking forward to spending time with her grandkids at the beach the next day even more. So on a calm June day in Boston Brandon, Ashley, Katy, Mel, the five kids, and Kelly went to the beach for the afternoon.
Brandon had to admit it was going well until no one could seem to find Leah. It was not surprising as she was often the outcast amongst the five kids with Kara and Anna getting along so well and the twins being the twins. This combined with Leah's solitary nature and curiosity often made her a source of trouble of the four adults.
Brandon was relieved to find her on a nearby pier seemingly talking to a man fishing. Upon seeing the latter Brandon made his way toward his eldest daughter. While he was glad she was not lost he did not like the idea of her talking to a strange man.
It was not until he got closer and got a better look at the man that his blood ran cold. He knew the man and had last seen him in an apartment lobby on his last trip here all those years before. Now standing there his arm around Leah in a rather possessive way was Mel's father, Frank.
"Hi Mr. Brandon," Leah said when she spotted him using the nickname that Kara and Leah had for him. It was clear she did not understand the situation or who she had been talking to for the past few minutes, but Brandon did and he was eager to get Leah away from her new friend as soon as possible.
He greeted her before reaching his hand toward her saying, "Leah why don't you come back to the beach and join us?"
"I don't want to," Leah said stubbornly before adding, "Kara and Annie are being stupid and you are all too busy to do what I want to do."
Brandon knew this was not going well for him, but desperate to get away from Frank he tried again, "Tell you what pumpkin you come back with me and I'll do whatever you want I promise."
"Pardon me." Frank said in a slurred tone that let Brandon know he had been drinking, clearly enjoying Brandon's desperation he added, "I think she is already doing that. Aren't you Leah?" He asked looking down at the red haired girl. Leah still too young and innocent to understand she was in danger nodded.
"This man is teaching me to fish," she said.
"Yes," Frank said smiling, "I'm teaching her like my daddy taught me, but she can't learn from her daddy you know why Mr. Brandon?" Then without waiting he said in was clearly supposed to be a whisper, but in his drunk state came out much louder he said, "because she doesn't have a daddy, just two mommies. Isn't that just sad? To go through life with no daddy?"
Brandon was seething inside as Frank laid it on thick and he could only take it because lashing out meant outing the secret. It took all his effort to remain calm.
"I'm sure he has his reasons," Brandon said when he could finally think straight.
"Still though, what kind of low-life scumbag would walk out on an angel like Leah here?" Frank said taunting Brandon. Brandon just stared at him not believing that he had to take this from a man who had beat and raped his own daughter. Its possible Brandon would have lashed out but another voice cut him off.
"Oh, I think you know very well Frank." Mel said in an icy tone. Brandon looked to find both she and Katy had arrived no doubt looking for Leah as well.
"Now, now Melissa that's no way to talk to your daddy."
