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Greyson Fairbaine

0 · 696 views · located in Outcast, USA

a character in “Outcast Boulevard”, as played by ShudderFox-

Description

Image
Name - Greyson Andres Fairbaine

Age - Twenty.

Gender/Role - Male/boy 4

Occupation - Thief / landscaping

Appearance - Grey's really not a big guy. Standing around five eleven and weighing what's average for a guy his height, around one-hundred-forty-nine pounds, he probably wouldn't intimidate anybody. And that's not a problem. But working out does give him some muscle. He's built lean like a runner, not big and bulky like someone who was really into lifting weights. His skin is a light shade. Nothing close to pale, and very prone to tanning. The sun can turn him almost brown, especially in the summer. But being half Mexican does that to you. Honestly, Greyson hates tanning. He thinks the dark color looks weird with his eyes, but some people think it looks alright. Pale blue, his eyes aren't as striking as other shades, but some confuse it for grey depending on the lighting. They're often covered up by sunglasses. He has a nice smile, and he has lot's of scars from doing stupid things. Most are small, though, and aren't worth sharing. The most noticeable would be one right below his jaw. The majority of it isn't visible except for the part that curves up, and when he turns to the left, you can see it. It's pink against his skin and the part you see is only a half inch or so long, but when he tans, it really stands out. His hair is russett brown, with the top being a blonde-ish color. His hair use to be a lot darker than it was, but he's lightened it over the years to it's current shade. Not too long ago he dyed part of it blonde, hence the color being in his hair. It's slowly fading away, though. His bangs are combed to the side. Grey keeps his hair cut short, but the length of his bangs is up to how he feels. He has a few tattoo's, including words on his chest and two bands on his arm.

Personality - Greyson is a guy who, despite not always coming off as a ray of sunshine, is actually pretty friendly and likes interacting with people. He doesn't show a lot of emotion, and has trouble showing sympathy to other people. That's why he takes it hard when people he gets close to end up hurting him, but he's still a helpful guy, always making sure those around him are taken care of. He's good at listening and giving advice. Grey's also not shy about giving his opinion on something. However, there are times when his 'older brother' persona melt away. Like when he's doing his 'other job' or with 'other friends'. He can be pretty reckless and carefree at times, giving in to past issues. Grey also has his acting side, the side that allows him to lie and deceive people to get anything and anywhere. Then there are his issues; the depression, being easily distracted, being antsy and not very trusting. Even so, being around his 'family' gives him a reason to keep all of those things in check.

Likes - amusment parks, any type of music (metal is his favorite), italian food, cold weather, grey or rainy days.

Dislikes - Insecure people, uptight people, people who try to control him, nagging people, cats.

Fears - Drowning. As soon as his head goes underwater he panics. With that, he also has a fear of not being able to breathe.

History - Greyson Fairbaine was born in Monterrey, Mexico to his native Mexican mother, Mariana, and his American dad, Wes. His dad was born in Burke, Virginia but later moved to Mexico after his job made him relocate. There he met a young lady he fell in love with instantly, even if she didn’t like him all that much. A few romantic gestures later, they were dating, married, argueing-over-who’s-parents-had-to-pay-for-the-wedding-thanks-to-cultural-differences. You know, the usual love story.

They worked it out and Greyson happened. Since both his parents knew Spanish and they currently lived in Mexico, they decided to teach their son Spanish first. English was spoken, too, but they wanted him to firmly grasp the language he’d be hearing most often. Grey picked it up like any kid would. His life was pretty easy those first few years. He had a nice house, both parents loved him, and he even had a dog. Or was it a rat? That Chihuahua (his mother’s idea) never really liked the little kid. Or anyone, for that matter. Paublo (the dog) was aggressive to strangers, and barked whenever it got the chance. After biting Grey for the fiftieth time, his dad finally sat the dog on the curb in another neighborhood and drove off.

When Grey turned seven his dad told him they were moving back to his hometown in Virginia. Being so young, Grey didn’t really mind. He had friends and loved the city he was in, but moving somewhere else sounded like an adventure. Well, that’s what his dad told him. They packed up and moved to Virginia, living only a few streets down from Grey’s all-American cousins, Chance and Tyler.

It was a shock, to say the least. He didn’t know the language, the weather was cold, he’d never seen so many tree’s, and the place just looked different. Being in a city was no shock to him, but that didn’t make the transition any easier. He was thrown into second grade and had to pick up English quickly because his parents never actually sat down and taught him more than a few basic words. However, it came to him eventually. The boy got use to his new world and the people in it. At this point, he wasn't really considered crazy or anything. He'd occasionally miss a few nights of sleep or act calmer than usual, maybe steal some kids crayons, but nothing alarming.

When he was around seventeen his disorders got really bad. It was around six or seven o'clock and he had just gotten home from hanging out with some friends. As usual, he’d go for a jog. Grey eventually worked his jog into a run, and was timing himself on his watch. As the star of the Cross Country and Track team, he had to keep pushing his limits. Testing himself. He was about to set a personal record when he noticed a car coming down the road. What does he do? Well, Grey didn't even give it a few seconds worth of thought. He turned on his heels right into the street and was hit instantly. He only suffered a concussion and some cuts, but that was when his parents really noticed his issues. After that, he started jumping out of windows, stealing his parents money, getting pulled over for speeding on the freeway. Whatever it took to get a thrill. However, in the midst of all the craziness, he met her. The one. The chick who made him stop and rethink things. Grey fell in love - actual love - with this girl. He wasn't aware that she didn't feel as strongly, and that he was making a fool of himself, but when you're blinded by feelings you don't notice those kinds of things. It was a death blow when she didn't want to get serious and commit. Grey was never one to stay where he wasn't wanted, and quickly left, leaving her and their memories behind him. Maybe that's why Grey started to crash -- emotionally. He'd end up sprawled out on a park bench, silent and utterly emotionless, and have to drag himself home. Well, to the next park bench, or maybe one of insomniac cafe's. He ended up in The Firehouse, and it didn't take long for things to turn around.

So begins...

Greyson Fairbaine's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle Character Portrait: Jessa Van Zandt Character Portrait: Zack Turriff
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Grey felt shivers go down his spine as she put a hand on his arm and tried to stop him. He didn't have time to shake her hand off before she started rambling and spilling word-vomit all over. How she was sorry, didn't know what she was doing, and he was the best thing to ever happen in her life. He stared ahead, refusing to look at her. Should he? What was he suppost to say in response? Greyson didn't even think she felt all of that. He assumed she came back for money, and when that was proven wrong, he wasn't even sure what the motive was. Angry, confused. There was nothing left to yell, nothing left to say involuntarily. He heard her take a pause before talking about Colby. His kid; their kid. Considering his involvement, or lack there-of, in Colby's life, he may have been Colby's dad in a technical, physical sense, but Colby would be just fine not knowing about Greyson. At all. What was the point? Would he go and say hi, and then watch Emma and Tyler take him back home, where ever they lived. Grey didn't think they'd get stuck out here. He looked down at Emma just in time for her to look up, right into his eyes.

The next move was up to him. Well, his last move involved fleeing the scene, so to speak. He'd tried being civil, he'd done the whole explosive anger thing. His mind was racing with thoughts that wouldn't help this conversation. And she hated herself? She was still and stiff as a board, not letting any emotion slip from her face, like a poker player. Hmm. Guess their relationship was at stake? Not that there was anything left of it. But he wasn't as convinced as she'd probably like him to be. Her words sounded like they were deep, coming from suffering, but her look didn't suggest that, and that's were Grey was confused. Honestly, neither of them were ever emotional people, and he liked her for that. Clingy, needy, girls who wasted words always annoyed him. However, he never thought he'd actually wish she'd snap at him. At least then the physical expression would match up with the words and he'd have a clearer picture.

But, if she wasn't jumping down his throat, maybe it would make it easier to tell her, Tyler, and Colby to kick rocks. Not that he would, not now, but it was always an option. Greyson looked around, never even noticing Zack walk by. From the way he looked at the park, something was wrong with him. God, he hated not being in the loop. He hated knowing his 'family' was in trouble even more. Grey watched him and Colby collide for a moment, then return to their previous states; Colby playing and Zack looking like a wreck. Then Jessa went by. She met up with Zack and they started talking, or at least she did. He was about to get lost in someone else's issue when his own came back to him.

Then a thought came to him. Did he consider Emma and Colby family?

Grey looked back down at Emma. "Sorry," he mumbled, hating having to apologize to people. He was at a loss for real words after hearing so much come out of her. Maybe words weren't even necessary at this point. Without really thinking about it, Grey reached down to give her a hug before pulling back quickly and keeping his arms back at his side.

It didn't mean he felt anything different toward her, but he was willing to work something out.

You know, for Colby.

"My offer's still good if you wanna go get some food." Grey rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, wondering what everyone else in the world was up to. "Or... whatever you want to do."

Setting

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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For the millionth time today, Emma wished she could read Greyson's mind. That, and that she could have just kept her mouth shut. He was probably thinking that too. No, he was probably wishing he had just sent her away the second she walked through his door. God I'm pathetic she thought. Time seemed to pass impossibly slow, but she kept her gaze locked on Greyson. Even as he looked away to something off in the distance. She couldn't bring herself to look away, paralyzed by the fear that he might disappear.

The longer Greyson stayed quiet, the weaker Emma's defenses got. He was blasting impossibly large holes in her armor without a single word. He's going to send me away. Tell me to get lost, grow up, move on, fuck off. I just messed everything up, again. Greyson's silence was the only answer she needed.

Suddenly she was in his arms. Was he accepting her appology? Was he saying he felt the same? Was this an answer to all the questions she hadn't been brave enough to ask? The embrace was over just as soon as it had begun. That warmth that Emma had come so accustomed to, pulled away again. His discomfort was clear, probably just as much as her disappointment. I guess it's really over. He's gone.

She understood the underlying message in his offer. Any contact they had from here on out would be solely based around Colby. Emma could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, blinking them away quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed. Emma nodded, looking back up at him. Did she look as broken as she felt? She wrapped her arms around herself to hold herself together, Emma couldn't let herself fall apart yet.

Emma forced a smile, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Where did you have in mind?"

Setting

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Jessa Van Zandt Character Portrait: Zack Turriff
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"Hey Zack?" a voice suddenly appeared from behind. Zack flinched as he felt a hand reach out and lay gently on his arm. He turned on his heels only to face the person he couldn't stop thinking about. Jess was looking at him with red, puffy eyes. She clearly had been crying previous to her walk over here. Zack was slightly taken aback, not only did Jessa not usually break down, but she usually wouldn't have anyone see her in a weakened state like this. Why now? his mind ran a rampant race. I can't see her right now, I need to get high... He took a long drag from his smoke and pulled it free from his lips with his free hand.

"We need to talk; and you're not going to like what I have to say." Jess stated firmly. Great, this day keeps getting better and better. Zack tried to recollect his thoughts and come up with a half decent response. Time seemed to screech to a halt as Zack tried to think of an appropriate response. His hand dove into his pocket and he pulled out the red Bic and immediately started to flick it repeatedly. Only before his mouth began to respond did he notice a stunned looking Grey at the edge of the park. Zack's eyes quickly scanned the park. What was he looking at? Zack all of a sudden felt an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He'd distanced himself so much from everyone lately, he had no idea how anyone else was doing. The sight of Greyson made Zack wonder about his friend, he missed hanging out with him lately. Zack inwardly promised himself to catch up with Grey later.

Zack's mind suddenly snapped back to the situation at hand. Jess peered questioningly at him as she waited for a response. Zack mouth moved but he couldn't find the words he wanted to come out. Talking with people had always been one of his weaker points. Much to Zack's dismay, the only thing that ended up leaving his mouth was a half-hearted response. "Sup?"

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Grey watched Emma's eyes get shiny, barely, with the threat of tears, only to clear up again just as quickly. Hell, maybe he hadn't even seen it at all. Just wished, somehow, he wasn't the only one of the two of them teetering on the edge. Then again, it probably wouldn't be too good if she started crying and happy-go-lucky Colby happened to look over. See his mom upset. He didn't know the kid at all and couldn't force himself to give the kid any sympathy, but the good guy in him didn't want any kid, his or otherwise, to see it's parent hurt. Upset. Grey looked around him, glancing up and down the street at the various buildings and shops. There was a hot-dog cart a ways down. A couple birds waiting patiently nearby, watching for the guy running the cart to drop something. Lazy ass birds. He couldn't fight the thought. They sat there, living for nothing and too stupid to really feel anything. Sometimes he wished he was like that, but then he'd remember the good times he'd had and shrug the thought away.

Grey started walking, hands in his pockets. Actually, his appetite had left a few moments ago, when she touched his arm and he decided to hug her. Well, that was kind of short to be called a hug, but whatever he did, he probably should've kept his hands to himself. They were going nowhere, both literally and figuratively. Grey didn't have anywhere to eat in mind, and was really just walking now that his need to eat had left. Plus, he didn't expect to get back together with Emma. Definitely didn't expect her to want to get back with him. But Grey really didn't want to think about that anymore. Every other thought seemed like it was about her; figuring out her thoughts, wanting to curse her out, feeling kind of bad about the situation, blah blah blah. Flipping between confusion, calm, and irritation. He was done with it.

But he kind of wanted to talk. Just sit there and talk about nothing like friends, even if it may never get back to that point. "You said you moved out of your parents house. What happened with that? Where'd you stay?" he asked, not questioningly, just quietly curious about what happened to her after he left. Maybe a little time off from the subject of Colby and their feelings would be better for both of them. He also felt the urge for a cigarette, but Grey was trying, and failing, to set a good example for everyone else in the Firehouse.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Emma pulled her arms tight around her middle, almost too tight. Her appetite was gone, but if Greyson wanted to eat she would manage to get something down somehow. Her thoughts had finally slowed. More than slowed. They had stopped entirely. She could feel her pulse throughout her entire body. Every breath felt weaker and weaker. She felt weak.

"Yeah, I uh, they kicked me out." She said. Her words were empty, completely void of emotion. Maybe there was finally nothing left. "They weren't too happy that I was pregnant, so they just kind of kicked me out. So, I moved in with Tyler and a few weeks later I had Colby. I came home from the hospital to find a fully stocked nursery in Tyler's apartment, diapers and all. I haven't really talked to my parents since. They didn't even want to meet Colby."

Could Greyson still read her like an open book? Did he still understand her every thought with nothing more than a passing glance? She could hear Colby's screaming laughter coming from the park as they walked away. He didn't have a care in the world, and Emma hoped he never would. She would do anything to protect him, keep him safe. Keep him young.

"What about you? How did you end up here?" she asked looking over at him. She was truly curious, although a little scared to hear the answer. Please, she pleaded, don't let it be a girl.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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They kicked me out. Damn, Greyson wasn't expecting that. From what he remembered, Emma's parents loved her a lot. He found it hard to believe they'd throw her out because she had a kid. Then again, that was something you couldn't expect a parent to understand easily. Either way, he slumped his shoulders slightly at the news and kept his eyes straight ahead. At least she had someone to move in with; Tyler. Grey found himself a little surprised that he was thankful she was okay. Was he even more far gone than he had thought? Hearing Colby laughing in the background made him wonder why her own grandparents wanted nothing to do with him. Grey had a decent excuse - he wasn't there. But weren't most parents usually happy about being grandparents? Getting old probably wasn't that fun, but that meant they could take care of a little kid that wasn't theirs, spoil it, and turn it against it's parents for laughs.

Greyson shrugged his shoulders, "I just wanted a change of scenery, you know?" He looked down at her for a second, then back ahead. "I rode the bus until my cash ran out, walked, hitch-hiked a little. I eventually ended up in The Firehouse. And I wasn't the first one there, but we're all screwed up in one way or another, so I fit right in." He half smiled a little, thinking about them all. His family. Not by blood, but they were all so close. Funny, he thought. It felt like they were all drifting, slightly. Between personal drama and a few too many beers, it was like they were each slowly finding their own path to self-destruction. Still, he knew they all cared for each other. With that in mind, Grey wondered if he should introduce Emma, let alone tell them about his new situation. Like with meeting Colby, it would probably be best to wait until they, he and Emma, were on better terms.

"And your friends? Neither of them kept in touch?" Grey asked, feeling like it was his turn to ask another question. He would've thought Emma's friends would call, want to know about Colby or something.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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"Neither of them?" Emma said with a laugh, giving him a playful nudge. She hadn't meant to do it, it just kind of happened. In that moment though, it felt like old times. It felt like he was making a joke about how lame she was or something. This wasn't old times though. This was about as far from that as anyone could possibly get. "I'm sorry." she said quietly, looking straight ahead again.

What had he asked again? Something about her friends. She desperately wanted to change the subject away from the past 30 seconds. "Most of them were supportive. They googled things for me to help figure everything out and they even threw me a baby shower. I guess we kind of just lost touch a little bit after Colby was born because I couldn't go out as much. I had to work and they didn't. I had a baby to take care of, they didn't." Her friends and tried to stick around, but things had just been so crazy in the beginning. Emma wasn't ready to have a baby, and her friends didn't know how to help her. After a while, she just kind of drove them away. More people in her life she drove away.

"You're not screwed up you know." She said softly. He'd had his fare share of problems, but who hadn't? I'm his problem. "Are you happy?" Emma asked earnestly. She hoped he was. Someone should be.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Greyson didn't fight the small smile that crept up on him when she nudged him. Neither, none, she knew what he meant. For a split second, he wasn't thinking about the awkward and tense air between them. He wasn't calling her a bitch in his mind. It was like old times, when they could laugh and joke and say 'screw the world' 'cause they were in it together. But things change. That fact was made clear by how the smile fell as the joke wore off like a bad drug and they remembered 'oh yeah, we're not two kids in love anymore.' He saw her take her eyes off of him out of the corner of his own and, like a habit, look straight ahead of her. Like he was doing now. Eyes fixed on absolutely nothing in particular, it's like he was looking just to make sure he was still in this world, but nothing was really registering in his mind.

Suddenly, she spoke up again. Good. Might as well kill all and any odd silence between them. Honestly, he felt like if the conversation didn't keep moving, it would fall apart completely. And he wasn't surprised about the outcome with her friends and all. It's hard to keep up with someone who was also trying to keep up with a kid. And work. And being forced into adulthood because of one decision. Then again, it takes two to make a dumb decision like that. Should he feel guilty? Nah. He knew the answer to that one. Can't feel bad for what you didn't know about, right? Right?

Her last two statements caught him off guard. Well, maybe he wasn't flashing his faults like a badge anymore, but the inside might not have been as golden as he'd portray it. However, Greyson couldn't focus on that thought. It actually felt... nice to hear someone say that. He looked down at the ground for a second, then around him, not sure how to return that. And was he happy? "Yeah... I'm happy," he answered out loud, his voice as even as ever. That wasn't necessarily a lie. He had friends, a place to stay, a steady job. Hell, he even had his own stray dog he'd feed whenever he crossed paths with the dog. He wasn't unhappy in the least. But, it's not the same kind of happiness you get when you're not caring about anything, only that one girl who stole your heart and your future, if you had one.

Greyson quickly turned to look at Emma. "Are you happy?" he asked, not meaning to snap the question back the way he did, but it suddenly felt important.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Emma shrugged. She hadn't really thought about it. No one had asked her how she felt about anything in a long time. She was happy enough. Colby was healthy and happy. That mean she was happy too, right? That's what everyone else seemed to think. If Colby was good, then there was no need to ask about her.

"I'm happy too." She said. Emma could feel the tears coming on again as she realized just how untrue it was. Providing for Colby consumed her life. She'd lost her family, her friends, Greyson. Even Tyler was starting to get tired of coming home to a "bachelor pad" filled with dirty clothes and smelly diapers. He wouldn't admit it, but Emma knew that was his main reason for pushing her to find Greyson when she suggested it. On top of all that every single word that had come out of her mouth today had been wrong, and now she was fucking up Greyson's life too. She could feel everything coming apart at the seems.

Pull yourself together Emma!

"I'm glad you're happy here. You deserve to be happy." Emma said as she looked back up at him. She hoped the tears were gone. The last thing she needed was for him to think she was weak.

How had it gotten to this? This was one of those conversations she had seen in movies, where the exes run into each other at the end of the movie and realize how much better their lives were without each other. Only Emma's life wasn't better without Greyson. Was he realizing just how much better his life was without her? Emma closed her eyes, trying to make the thought go away. It didn't work though. The thought couldn't go away. He's better off without you. she thought to herself.

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Grey nodded, good to know she was happy. Maybe being stuck with a kid at nineteen years old, working, living with big bro wasn't as bad as it seemed in Greyson's head. Maybe she made the best of the situation, and by doing so, and seeing her kid's smile, she got through the day. Then again, this was the real world, not a novel, where everything works out and the moral of the story is set in black and white. Every question ends up answered and you never want the story to end because you want to stay wrapped up in the characters lives forever. 'Cause the character's lives are so much simpler and happier than yours. Grey wondered how Tyler felt about the whole living arrangement. He was sure he was the one to offer Emma and Colby a place to stay, but he was still a man. You cant come home to an empty house and smoke weed, or grab a beer and watch football comfortably with your younger sister and her son there, could you? And that'd be a weird conversation to any girl you brought home; yeah, my younger sister and her baby live in my apartment with me. That had to be cramped.

But family is family, huh? You shouldn't leave anyone out in the cold like that.

She was glad he was happy? Were they both pretending to be grateful for each other's happiness so the other wouldn't see past their walls? It sure felt like it, like they felt obligated to say it back. Did Grey say it at all? He remembered thinking it, but couldn't remember if he'd told her. There was the possibility she assumed he felt the same thing. However, Greyson wasn't even sure what he felt. Either way, he shrugged out a half-hearted, "thanks," and wondered whether or not he deserved to be happy.

"I don't think anyone deserves to be happy," he looked at the random people they were passing by on the street, "You just kinda have it or you dont." He felt it was true. Look at all the shit human beings do to screw up their lives and the lives of those around them. No one really deserved happiness, but it was cool if you could find it on your own. Be it in a hobby, a pet, a party, a drug... a person.

"But, uh, I'm," - how was he suppost to word this? - "I think you're a pretty good person for sticking through all that. Raising Colby by yourself and working, and stuff, and finding ways to be happy despite that." He paused. "Not that kids don't bring you happiness or whatever. You know what I'm getting at."

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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"You are calling me a good person?" Emma said, a little shocked. "Is 'good person' code for spawn of Satan these days or something? I mean, I pretty much just tossed you out of my life without any warning, watched you leave with out so much as a good bye, and then, as if that wasn't bad enough, when you're finally happy and doing all right for yourself, I show up out of the blue and ruin everything. Again. Plus, on top of ALL of that, I mess everything up and pretty much blame everything on you by saying you are the one that walked away from me. How could you possibly say I'm a 'good person' after all of that?"

She'd been thinking it all along. She wouldn't have had to raise Colby by herself if she hadn't cut Greyson off. They could have just been one big happy family. Right? Sure he would have been nervous about raising a child, but they would have had each other to lean on. They could have been a team. Instead they were stuck on opposites sides of an impenetrable wall. How could they work anything out with their guards up on high alert? Maybe that was the point. Maybe Greyson didn't want to work things out.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Grey wasn't expecting to hear so much come from her after he'd given her what he assumed was a compliment. What was it with her? Just take the damn compliment and say thanks. No loops. No irrational behavior. Grey just wanted a nice conversation to try and re-get-to-know the chick who ended up mothering his child. But everything she said reflected what he was feeling inside, whether he wanted to realize it or not. He blamed her for his leaving, he thought - knew - she was the problem. And yet, he just kept on walking his same pace, quiet for the moment, letting it all sink in. Truth is, he didn't know she felt that way. He thought all of that was just how he viewed the situation. It was actually a weird feeling to know they were both on the same page about this. Was it okay, though, for her to feel that way? He was expecting her to be combative, blame him. Now this was coming out and he had no idea how to react.

"I was just saying, you're a pretty good person for staying with our kid even when I was gone, instead of putting it up for adoption or killing it," he restated, simple as that. It had nothing to do with their relationship, or what she'd done to him. It was about her and Colby, nothing more was meant by it. "Don't think so much into it," Grey added quickly, turning his neck to look behind him only to find the park out of sight. How far had they walked, forgetting about a sense of time until this moment?

Or was it Grey who didn't want to put much thought into what she said? How could you possibly say I'm a 'good person' after all of that? It seemed like it deserved more of an answer than Grey was willing to give. "I don't understand why you'd think so bad of yourself because of a few mistakes. You came back, didn't you? You tried to fix the situation, at least." He was still unsure why she came back, but they were both trying. That had to count for something.

He wondered why he was trying to build up a chick who'd torn him down in the past.

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Character Portrait: Greyson Fairbaine Character Portrait: Emma Papielle
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Stop. Emma ordered herself. No more sob story. You are not his problem anymore, so stop. Talking with Greyson had brought so many things to her attention, things she didn't want to think about. No more sob story though. No, she would smile and be polite from here on out. Emma didn't want a pitty party.

She had so many responses to what he said. The first thing that came to mind was 'yeah the situation i created'. 'I came back and screwed everything up even more for you'. No more of that though. She tried to think of why she had come. There had been a reason, and it sounded good at the time. Something about Colby having two parents. That wasn't it though. The real reason Emma had come back: Greyson.

She shrugged, "I just kind of thought you had a right to know, you know? He's your son too." She put a little extra emphasis on the 'he'. Why had Greyson referred to Colby as 'it'? Emma didn't want to make a big deal about it though, no more monologues for her.

The thoughts that had been destroying her before had calmed down a little. She wondered if her and Greyson could ever be friends again. It was pretty clear he wasn't interested in ever being anything more than friends again, but friends? That seemed like a battle for another day. Especially considering how poorly today had gone so far. All she had done so far was butcher the announcement, blame him for her mistakes, and throw a sob story out there for the world to hear. Stop it.

What should she ask next? There were plenty of boring catch-up questions left on the table, that would probably be a good place to start. "So, what's there to do around here?" she asked with a smile.

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Grey thought about it, wondering just how much there was to do around here. Honestly, the real fun, he thought, was getting out of here and going to the amusement parks, malls, things like that. It was kind of weird. All the good stuff started when he left. Grey looked around. Alright, all the fun and legal stuff happened when you left this place. What he saw around here was usually just places to eat, the park. It was like you had to make your own entertainment and fun. "Nothing unless you're into smoking weed and getting laid," he half smiled, partially joking but not completely telling a lie. Of coarse, Grey never really got out and looked for fun places around here. It was never on his mind.

"The real fun is what you come up with yourself. Of coarse, I think traveling out of here is where the real action is at. As soon as you get away, all the fun stuff pops up," Grey nodded, motioning out in front of him. It wasn't necessarily a short walk, but he knew where some cool places were. What to do that was local, though?

"If you ever have the time, we can get out of here, and I can show you some cool stuff."

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Emma laughed half heartedly at Greyson's remark about 'smoking weed and getting laid'. She had never tried weed before, and look where getting laid had gotten her. If that's what Greyson wanted to do though, who was she to tell him otherwise?

"That sounds like fun." She said, smiling up at him. A real smile, not a forced one. Emma wasn't sure if he meant it or not, but she was hoping for the best. Maybe hanging out here and there could make things easier with deciding on how to move forward with Colby. It would probably be worse for him to watch her and Greyson fight than it would be for him to never meet Greyson at all. Things were starting to look up today.

Emma took her phone out of her pocket as it started to buzz loudly. A picture of Tyler popped up on the screen above his name. "Hey Ty, what's up?" she said cheerily. Her smile faded quickly though. All she could here in the background was Colby screaming crying.

"Emma?" Tyler said, his voice was calm, unnaturally calm.

"Yeah, Tyler, what's going on?" Emma said. She was trying to stay calm, but Colby's voice was making that nearly impossible. It tore into her, almost as if she could feel his pain.

"Em could you come back to the park? Colby fell off a swing and- no, no it's okay ma'am, we don't need any help, thank you though- Emma, you still there?" Tyler said as another of Colby's wails came through.

Emma was already walking back towards the park, "I'm on my way." She put her phone back in her pocket and sped up a little. Crap she thought as she saw Greyson out of the corner of her eye. "Colby fell off a swing and he's freaking out." She said. If he wanted to come he could, if not he didn't have to. Emma didn't have time to wait around for an answer though, so she didn't ask. She was walking as fast as she could. Tyler hadn't actually said what was wrong, just that Colby fell off a swing. Was he seriously hurt? Should she be calling an ambulance or something? Her pace hastened as the possibilities flew through her mind. There were way too many of them.

As soon as the park came into view, Emma's eyes locked on Colby. There were people standing around staring. She could see Tyler looking right at her. "Colby sweetheart!" Emma said, kneeling on the ground next to him. He buried himself in her embrace, his wails slowing to hiccups. The onlooking parents turned their attention back to their own children as Emma examined Colby. He didn't look too hurt, with the exception of a large cut extending the length of his left arm. There was a whole lot of blood. "Let's go get this cleaned up." She said as calmly as she could, standing up and scooping him up into her arms.

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The way she sounded over the phone made Grey stop in his tracks. What was wrong? It sounded like a man's voice over the phone, and what other guy would call besides Tyler? And Tyler was at the park with Colby. Hm. Maybe not being use to the burden of children was why it took him a second to put two and two together; something was wrong with Colby. Greyson watched as Emma put her phone in her pocket, already walking off as she explained the situation to him. She didn't look back or anything. Didn't ask him to come. Maybe that was a good thing, because Greyson was still standing in the same spot as she walked off - rather quickly - to go help Colby. Shit, was he suppost to go? Grey didn't really feel pressured to go, his heart wasn't racing with worry. Was Colby dying? Bleeding to death? Broken bones and a dislocated joint? Was it bad he wasn't freaking out? However, he did feel morally obligated to go and see what he could do to help. It was his ex-girlfriend's child potentially injured out on the playground. Why wouldn't you go try and help a little kid? That's like seeing a guy get mugged on the street and walking on by, or passing up a burning house without calling 911. Or, at least, it seemed serious like that.

By the time his mental should I or should I not rant had fizzled out, Emma was almost out of sight, and definitely close to the park by now. Grey jogged on over there, biting his lip. He wasn't a total monster; he hoped the kid - darn it, their kid - was alright. Although, crying like that didn't happen when a kid was alright. Grey weaved through the few people in his way and made it to the park just in time to see the crowd fall back and Emma pick up a crying Colby. There was blood running down the boy's arm, and a good deal of blood on the ground. A cut like that shouldn't be left to bleed, he thought.

But he stopped, again, at the opening of the fence leading into the park. Colby wasn't shrieking crying anymore, now just hiccuping. It really wasn't as bad as it seemed, he figured, looking at the cut and thinking that must equal getting beheaded on two-year-old terms. And it did make him tilt his head to the side a little as she hugged and held the boy. A little crying really couldn't kill him. It'd just toughen him up, right? Keep him from being a mama's boy in the end. He'd probably mention it to her later, but that seemed irrelevant right now. Grey walked over to the three. "The hospital isn't too far off, but you're welcome to come inside and wash it off. We've got some bandages in there," he offered, his voice pretty level. And it really wasn't hard to achieve that. Grey motioned towards the Firehouse, now empty unless not everyone had left. For all he knew, everyone could be back inside. Still, the kid was hurt, and it seemed rude not to offer whatever assistance Grey could.

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"Mumma!" Cody said urgently. "No talking to strangers!" Emma smiled as he pointed to Greyson, who had just offered his assistance. Emma hadn't even realized he had come along until he spoke. At least he cared a little bit. Granted, Tyler had made it sound much more urgent than it was, but still.

"It's okay, he's not a stranger." Emma said, putting Colby back on the ground. "Are you sure you don't mind? What if your friends are there?" She asked.

A little blonde boy in a bright blue shirt came running up, almost tripping when he tried to stop. "Woah!" he yelled excitedly, pointing to Colby's arm. "Are you gonna need stitchies?" the little boy asked. Colby looked a little confused so the boy went on. "You know, stitchies! When you fall and then they sew you back up like a teddy bear!" Emma hadn't even considered stitches. It couldn't be that bad, right? No, not if he had already stopped crying. A woman who appeared to be in her late-twenties called the boy over. Apparently his name was Ryan. "I gotta go, by Colby!"

Colby smiled and waved with his uninjured arm as the boy ran back to his mom. "I don't want to be a teddy bear." He said shaking his head in an exaggerated manner.

"I don't think you will be, sweetie." Emma said, directing him towards the park's exit. Regardless of where they went to clean him up, the first step would be leaving the park. She realized she still hadn't introduced Greyson yet. "Colby, this is..." Emma's voice trailed off. She hadn't gotten a chance to ask Greyson how he wanted to be introduced. Would he want Colby to call him dad? She glanced at Greyson, hoping he would pick up on her thoughts and introduce himself.

Luckily Colby took control first. "Hi, I'm Colby!" he said with a huge smile.

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Grey laughed a little at the boy's comment about him being a stranger. As innocent as it was, it was creepy how correct Colby was. Greyson was, technically, a stranger, whether or not he was Colby's dad. If he already reacted like that, Grey figured it would be weird telling Colby he was his dad. And if they weren't going to split up, an introduction was bound to happen at some point. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, watching as Colby and Emma, and some random little kid around Colby's age seemed to have a conversation. Something about stitches and bears. Colby shook his head wildly, looking worried about the possibility of needing to be sewn up. Eh, it didn't look like he'd be needing stitches. Just some bandages and whatever made little kids feel better after an accident - like ice cream or something.

Then their conversation was finally over and Emma attempted to introduce Grey. Apparently, it was too hard just saying his name and letting everything else fall into place at a later time. She trailed off mid-way and looked at him, expecting him to pick up where she left off. He wasn't in any better spot than she was, but had a good idea where to start. Then Colby jumped in. Leave it to little kids to save the day. He introduced himself, smiling as any happy kid would. Grey put on a smile too, not sure what else to do and figuring his current blank expression was just too unfriendly.

"Hey, I'm Grey," he greeted back, unable to keep up with Colby's enthusiasm, but giving it a shot. His hands were in his pockets and he was leaning against the fence again. For a moment, he glanced over at Emma, wondering what she had in plan for Colby. But that could wait. He couldn't let the kid wait all day, and thought adding a title to himself would be a good move. "I'm a friend of your mom," Grey half smiled a little at that one, but only because he figured he was fucking things up a little. Friend sounded too personal. Like he and Emma had a peaceful break-up and decided to stay friends, but everyone knew that didn't happen. However, what else was he suppost to call himself? An acquaintance? Colby probably didn't even know what that word meant. But the main thing here was that calling himself a friend made it a heck of a lot harder to tell Colby that he happened to be his dad.

Or maybe he knew all along he didn't want the responsibility and unconsciously decided to make sure he didn't have to take it?..

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"Do you like dogs Grey? I want one. Mumma says we need a yard first. Do you have a yard? Do you have a dog?" Colby asked, spewing the questions out one on top of another. He'd been asking for a dog for months. It started with just 'dog' but eventually as he learned more words his pleas became more sophisticated. Emma smiled at how easily Colby had just accepted Greyson, not that he'd ever had a hard time making friends. Friends? Since when were they 'friends'? Then she realized the implications. 'Friends' as in 'not dad' as in 'I don't want you'.

Tyler made some remark about going to cvs or something, Emma hadn't really heard it until he was already walking away calling back, "just text me if you need me." He'd found an escape route, no way was he going to let it go.

As Colby poked at the slowly drying blood on his arm, Emma looked up over him at Greyson. "Do you mind if we just go wash him up at your place? I don't think he really needs to go to the hospital or anything." She hoped he had really meant to offer. If not, she could just buy a bottle water or something at a convenience store and some napkins or something. It wouldn't be a big deal.

The street outside the playground wasn't busy at all. As the approached it, Colby reached up and took one of Emma's hands and one of Greyson's hands. She had always made him old her hand when they crossed streets, but she hadn't expected him to take Greyson's as well. She was almost scared to look and see his reaction, but she glanced over anyways. If only Colby knew who's hand he was holding. If only he knew the gap he had just created a bridge between.

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Grey laughed a little, listening to the boy throw out question after question. "I don't have a dog of my own, technically, but I do know of a stray who comes around when he wants food. I kind of think of him as a pet," he shrugged, remembering the dog. A medium sized thing with curly hair, dark eyes, and a brave but somewhat reserved attitude. He'd come up to the back door or sit across the street, waiting for Grey to throw it some scraps. Grey wasn't sure if anyone else in the Firehouse knew about or fed the dog, but the mutt didn't come everyday, so Grey figured it was getting a good meal somewhere. And it was kind of cute in a look-at-the-poor-stray kind of way. He wondered why no one had picked it up yet. Grey wondered if Emma was ever going to get Colby a dog. Honestly, he couldn't see it happening - not if they were still living in Tyler's apartment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tyler walk off - something about CVS.

"Yeah, yeah, you can come," Grey nodded, looking up at Emma. He wondered if she had caught his remark about just being her friend. He really didn't know why he said it. Just being an ass, more than likely. As Colby grabbed his hand, he started to rethink some of his thoughts. Still, it would be too complicated to explain to the kid he was his dad. Why he was here. Why he and Emma weren't together. Grey looked down at the boy, biting his lip, but trying not to look alarmed. This was a pretty accepting kid. He didn't even know Grey and was already holding his hand, chatting like they were buddies. Honestly, he found that a little alarming, but if it didn't bother Emma, maybe it shouldn't bother him. What got to Grey was the fact that he'd just lied to a little kid who now seemed to trust him like a regular friend. They weren't friends, were they? If he didn't consider he and Emma friends - well, not yet, anyway - how would he think of this little boy as his friend, despite Colby being his son?

However, with no prior history between Colby and himself, it would be easier to become his friend.

Grey saw Emma look over at him, as if she was expecting the worst. Jeez, he wasn't an animal. Colby was still his kid, and Grey wasn't typically a jerk to other kids. He shot her a look as if to say what? then cast his eyes back towards the Firehouse. "You must make friends pretty easily, huh, kid?" he grinned slightly, letting go of Colby once he got to the door. He opened it for both of them and stepped inside.

The first thing he heard inside was someone in the kitchen. Who had come back? "There's some bandages in the bathroom over there," Grey pointed over to the bathroom, "and alcohol if no one's used it all up." He prayed she knew he was referring to the medical kind of alcohol and not something to make you drunk.
Right now he wanted to see who was in the kitchen, he felt like he hadn't spoken to anybody except Emma for a while. It was getting darker outside. "Be right back," he said, not really looking at Emma as he made his way into the kitchen.

The first thing he saw was Jessa, sitting on the counter, wrist bandaged, and eating pretty much an entire box of cereal. Great. Who else was going to hurt themselves today? However, he didn't want to bug her with her wrist. She was obviously having a bad day. But it didn't feel right not to speak. "What's up?" Grey asked, smiling. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded. "You seem hungry." He had some time to chat while Emma went and cleaned up Colby.