God, don't you know that I live with a ton of regret?
There's a very awkward guardian angel standing in front of the door to room 167 at the Motel 6. He's got a plastic bag filled with clothing, flasks (some empty, some not), and packs of cigarettes, and Gene's gun safely tucked away
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So there's a tiny blonde girl opening the door and looking up at Charlie with a deeply suspicious expression. Someone didn't tell her they were expecting company. "Can I help you?" she says, in a way that's more hostile than a genuine question really should be.
Annie's not exactly in a mood to be friendly to strangers.
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"If this is Becky Trapper's room, you can." He holds out the bag. "I've got some things she asked for. If it isn't, I'm sorry to have bothered you, and I'll be on my way."
He's being as polite as possible. She looks like she's had a bad day. He's had a bad day. No sense in making hers worse because of his.
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She's not exactly sure if she wants to say "Annie, this is my dad" or "Annie, this is Charlie" or just "thanks for the stuff, you can leave now".
So she settles for burying a hand in Gene's mane (he's a lion - easier than being wrapped in a blanket) for some... reassurance of some sort. Charlie unsettles her. She can't decide whether he's just an angel who contributed some genetics or her daddy or something in between.
This should be fun.
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Never mind that he's several times her size. That's clearly not a factor.
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Gene, for his part, just bares his teeth at Charlie. He doesn't trust this bastard, though it could just be his antipathy towards fathers in general. Doesn't matter how many good ones you've seen, he things, live with a bad one and that's how you see them all.
Once the threat's been effectively communicated, his attention goes back to Becky, stretching just a little to give her free hand a rough lick. It's the closest he can come to squeezing her hand, or giving her a peck on the cheek, or something comforting, anyway.
Charlie has by this point decided that he'd be more comfortable with the tiny angry blonde and the lion than with Becky herself, but that can't be helped. Still, if he can face Becky, the other two should be relatively easy... He makes his way to Becky's side without flinching, and puts the bag on the bed, within easy reach. The surprising part is when the lion is the one to reach up and ( ... )
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"It happened to Luke," she says after a moment. "The ending someplace else. It was, like... four years for him and a month or so here, but..."
She sighs. She does believe him, she really does, he's too earnest to be hiding pain from lying, but...
But he'd found her and then disappeared and wasn't there for her when she really could've used his help. Of course, she could use that argument for Gene, too, but that wasn't his fault, either.
"Whatever. It's okay." She starts to brace herself for the pain of that not-quite-truth before she even remembers that it doesn't hurt to lie, anymore.
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He doesn't miss the fact that she's steeling herself for that lie, and... He can't let it go. He's not the type to let go of these things unless he really is leaving.
"No, it's not," he says, voice gentle. "If things were bad enough for you to Fall... Me being gone isn't okay. And I'm sorry. Don't think I've got words for how much." He slowly, carefully puts a hand over hers, ignoring the fact that it sets Gene's tail twitching all over again. "I know it won't be easy making this up to you, but I just hope you'll let me try."
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"Hate to break it to you, but you weren't there for the rest of my life and I've made it this far."
She might be a little bitter. She doesn't technically blame him, because he hadn't known she existed, but...
He could've kept in touch. He could've stayed. If he loved her mother at all, he could've stayed.
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"But this time... I knew. And you're family." And that's the end of it as far as he's concerned. She's family, therefore he should damn well be there unless she doesn't want him.
The fact that he's also got a ward complicates things, but... He has to try.
And for the first time, looking at his daughter, once an angel, now human again, he has a thought. I could have Fallen. If he'd loved her enough, if he'd loved any of the people he'd left behind enough, he could have, and Becky would have had a father.
And the thought that follows it immediately is, I still could. It would solve a lot of problems. The Doctor doesn't want a guardian angel, is barely willing to work with him... Maybe everyone would be better ( ... )
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She loves Gene and Annie like nobody's business, but this... whatever this conversation is, this is the first time she and Charlie have gotten to properly talk.
It needs to be just them.
She leans over and murmurs a request in Gene's ear, and then shoots Annie a look that will hopefully be understandable only to the two of them: I need to do this one on my own.
Maybe then she'll be able to say what she feels. Or not, but it's a nice thought.
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Huh.
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Well, that's fixed easily enough, and he's in enough of a mood that he's not going to bother warning anyone. Especially not some long-haired plonker who just wanders back into his daughter's life like it was nothing special.
Charlie gets another brief snarl, and then Gene pulls away and starts to change. He's never done this before, going from one animal form to another, but now seems as good a time as any to start.
His form ripples, convulses, and it's not a pretty sight. Hurts ten times more than going to and from human-shape, as well.
He makes it, though, and a minute later, there's a tiny, irate chipmunk scolding Charlie at the top of his lungs.
Oh, wait, he was supposed to be leaving.
He follows Annie out, and taps at her foot with his paws. Oi! Pick me up, would you?There's no way he's getting left behind or lost again. He'll just stick with this little blonde thing right here, and he'll be fine ( ... )
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He stares, kinda wide-eyed, and then turns his attention back to Becky when the chipmunk's gone.
"So, that was Gene?" Because that's not awkward at all. Well, to be fair, he only met him the once, and they were both more worried about Becky at the time.
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So. They're alone.
She can't say anything. What do you honestly say to a man who you've only imagined your whole life?
"We lived two floors above this old Italian woman," she says rather abruptly. "Her kids had all moved away, so she used to cook for us."
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That revelation makes him blink a little, and he thinks that at least it's shared awkwardness between them.
"Eileen probably loved that. She always did like Italian food. We used to go out after rehearsal and get linguine at this one little place that was open at odd hours..." He smiles a little, remembering.
Oh yes, he was very much in love with her, once upon a time.
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