The Redemption Clause (9/?)
Title: The Redemption Clause (9/?)
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Buddy Pine/Violet Parr
Summary: Buddy and Violet finally have to talk.
Buddy woke before she did again.
Unlike the morning before, Violet was wrapped up in his arms. Her chin rested trustingly against his chest. Her dark hair fanned out across the pillow and his arm.
She was beautiful.
His heart clenched painfully in his chest as he traced a finger down the side of her face. This was going to cause nothing but problems.
This was going to do nothing but break his heart.
But he didn't regret one moment of the night before. He wouldn't trade the memory of her skin under his fingers and her body moving under his, for anything.
He refused to even put this in the same category as Mirage. They had just used each other. He'd been fond of her, but nothing like what he felt for the girl now in his arms.
He had to tell her the truth. Even if she hated him for it.
Buddy leaned down and kissed Violet gently. He could feel as she started to wake and leaned into his touch.
"Hi," she whispered sleepily, looking up at him as they broke the kiss. "Thought I might wake up, and find it was dream. Glad it wasn't." She slid an arm around him and leaned up to kiss him.
He kissed her back, and then eased away from her. She looked confused as he sat up, then a look of dread crossed her face and he hated putting it there.
"We need to talk, Violet." He heard her inhale sharply.
"You regret last night," she said bitterly.
Buddy looked back at her and shook his head. "No, no. I don't regret last night.”
He reached for her hand, covering it with his. “It’s because of…there are some things you need to know, Violet."
Violet sat up pulling the sheets up to cover her chest. "Okay," she sounded a bit unsure but she turned her hand in his and squeezed gently.
He looked away from her. If he looked at her, he wouldn't be able to do this. "You were right, that first day. I've been using you. Manipulating you."
"You…" she started to pull away, but he held on to her hand.
"Please, just hear me out. Then you can…make whatever decision you feel you need to," he said.
He could still feel the tension in her muscles but she didn't try to pull away again. "Alright."
"Do you know the name Xerek?" he asked her.
"Xerek?" He could almost hear her frown.
"He was some big super villain, back before my parents married, wasn't he? Had an organization that stretched over the world, then just disappeared? That Xerek?"
"Someone paid attention in history class," Buddy couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, that Xerek. He didn't disappear, so much as take his organization underground; what was left of it after all the laws were passed about supers, anyway. He had to re-recruit, build up the ranks again. I used to work for him."
"You were working for Xerek, when you created that robot?" Violet asked tactfully leaving out the part about trying to kill her family. Buddy was grateful for that.
It'd be easy to lie. "No, I wasn't. I'd gone my separate way by that point. I wanted to be my own man, all that bullshit," he waved his hand vaguely as if that encompassed all the 'bullshit'. "He was quite smug, told me that I was going to fail spectacularly."
"Which you did," Violet pointed out.
Buddy turned his head to glare at her, and then sighed. "Yeah, I did. Most of my money came from years of working for him, making inventions for him and getting a cut of the profit when he sold them. He taught me what contacts to use, what countries would look the other way about the legality of the items…" he shook his head. "He was my mentor, so to speak."
Violet was quiet behind him and he couldn't bear to look back.
"He apparently learned I had survived a few months ago," he continued. "And has decided that he wants my services again and he isn't one to take ‘no’ for an answer."
"What does any of this have to do with me?" Violet asked in an almost emotionless voice. "Were you going to gift wrap me for him to keep your freedom?"
Buddy didn't confirm or deny her words. “I…Xerek has a way of keeping his people in line and convincing those reluctant to work for him, Violet. He finds out what they hold most dear and uses it against them."
Violet inhaled sharply. "Robin. That's why…"
"That sad excuse for a villain was on the island, yes. Xerek doesn't like to get his hands dirty, so his offered a reward for whoever brings him Robin. Because he knows if he has Robin…" Buddy trailed off.
"He has you," Violet finished. "Do you still plan to give me to Xerek?"
Buddy shook his head. "Even if we hadn’t…." he trailed off.
“Robin loves you. You were so good with her and I enjoyed talking to you..." He bowed his head. "I'm so sorry, Violet."
Violet still didn’t speak as she pulled her hand away from his. This time he let her. He wasn't sure what she'd do, but he couldn't see any possibility that wouldn’t end with her rejecting him. Hating him.
Her hand on his back was the last thing he expected. "Buddy," her voice was soft. "How old were you when you joined Xerek?"
"Does it matter?" he asked.
"How old?" she pressed again.
"Eight," he told her. "I was eight. He'd heard about my inventions." Lie. "He said
he'd give my mother all the money she'd need to get away from my father and start a new life with my brother." He couldn't tell her who the offer had really been made to. "That my father would never hurt any of us again."
And really, he hadn't meant to tell her anything beyond how old he'd been. He could still see Xerek standing in the doorway of his bedroom, laughing and asking 'are you going to fight me Incrediboy?’
To his surprise, Violet pressed up against his back and wrapped her arms around him, linking her hands across his chest. "I was -- am the daughter of a man you hated. I was nothing to you. Robin is everything to you," she was upset but he wasn't sure if it was at him or something else.
Buddy put his hand over her hands. "You aren't nothing to me," he whispered.
"I know," Violet whispered back, resting her head against his back. Her face was wet.
They sat like that for a long time. Not moving, not speaking, just being.
Finally, Violet unwrapped herself from him and slid to the edge of the bed. Buddy tensed for the rejection he knew was coming.
But it didn't come. Violet leaned over and kissed him briefly. "Come take a shower with me," she said softly. "I'm sure Robin will be up soon, looking for us." She got to her feet.
Buddy started at her uncomprehendingly for a moment.
She held out her hand to him. "Buddy, I'm not that easy to get rid of," her tone was teasing, but the look in her eyes was serious.
He put his left hand into hers, and let her pull him to his feet. He hesitantly rested his forehead against hers for a moment. "Neither am I."
***
"Daddy?" Robin asked twisting her head around to look at her father.
Buddy sighed, putting the brush down. "Robin, you need to hold your head still, if you want pigtails today."
Robin turned her head back around, and swung her legs. "Daddy?" she asked again.
"Yes, Ro'?" he asked as he fought with one of the ponytail holders.
"Is Violet gonna stay and live with us?" she asked.
Buddy gently pulled her hair through the loop and twisted the band several times. "She has her own home, Robin."
"But she likes it here, and she loves us, and I love her. Don't you love her too, Daddy?" Robin asked.
"Yes, I do," Buddy answered quietly, finishing the other pigtail. "There you go, cute as a button." He kissed the top of her head.
Robin giggled and wiggled around to throw her arms around his neck. "Daddy, buttons aren't cute."
"Cute as a mouse, then?" he asked kissing her nose.
Robin giggled again. "We could ask her to stay," she told him.
"She can't stay, Robin," Buddy told her gently.
"Why?" Robin asked her voice just below a whine.
Buddy sighed and hugged her. "Because she'd be unhappy if she stayed. Maybe not at first, but she would eventually."
Robin looked up at him sadly. "I wanted her to be my Mommy," she whispered.
Buddy hugged her tightly.
***
Violet sat down on the corner of Buddy's desk. Robin was asleep and Buddy had disappeared into the office as soon as they'd put her into bed. "I have an idea."
Buddy looked up from the drawing table, and over at her. "An idea."
"You won't like it, but yes, I have an idea," she repeated. She played with a paperweight on the desk.
Buddy turned around more fully. "Alright, tell me."
"We could go talk to my family…" she started to say.
"Are you crazy?" Buddy exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Your father would pound me into the ground."
Violet sighed. "Buddy."
"Why on earth would they help me? And I'm sure the NSA would love to know I'm
still alive…" he got this odd expression on his face then shook his head.
"Buddy," Violet said again, getting up from the desk and moving over to him. "They'll help because they love me." She stroked his face with one
hand. "Because Robin is five, and I love her." She leaned over and kissed him. "Because I believe in you."
Buddy looked startled, shaken. He reached up and slid his fingers through her hair. "Violet," he whispered.
"They'll at least hear us out," she assured him with more certainty then she felt. They were her family, they'd understand and listen; they had to.
For a moment, Buddy was quiet and Violet couldn't tell what was going on in his head.
"Buddy?" Violet asked softly, her voice had a slight waver.
"I-I have to go see E for new frames for Robin, anyways," he said trying to sound nonchalant. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling her down into his embrace.
Violet wrapped her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Buddy Pine/Violet Parr
Summary: Buddy and Violet finally have to talk.
Buddy woke before she did again.
Unlike the morning before, Violet was wrapped up in his arms. Her chin rested trustingly against his chest. Her dark hair fanned out across the pillow and his arm.
She was beautiful.
His heart clenched painfully in his chest as he traced a finger down the side of her face. This was going to cause nothing but problems.
This was going to do nothing but break his heart.
But he didn't regret one moment of the night before. He wouldn't trade the memory of her skin under his fingers and her body moving under his, for anything.
He refused to even put this in the same category as Mirage. They had just used each other. He'd been fond of her, but nothing like what he felt for the girl now in his arms.
He had to tell her the truth. Even if she hated him for it.
Buddy leaned down and kissed Violet gently. He could feel as she started to wake and leaned into his touch.
"Hi," she whispered sleepily, looking up at him as they broke the kiss. "Thought I might wake up, and find it was dream. Glad it wasn't." She slid an arm around him and leaned up to kiss him.
He kissed her back, and then eased away from her. She looked confused as he sat up, then a look of dread crossed her face and he hated putting it there.
"We need to talk, Violet." He heard her inhale sharply.
"You regret last night," she said bitterly.
Buddy looked back at her and shook his head. "No, no. I don't regret last night.”
He reached for her hand, covering it with his. “It’s because of…there are some things you need to know, Violet."
Violet sat up pulling the sheets up to cover her chest. "Okay," she sounded a bit unsure but she turned her hand in his and squeezed gently.
He looked away from her. If he looked at her, he wouldn't be able to do this. "You were right, that first day. I've been using you. Manipulating you."
"You…" she started to pull away, but he held on to her hand.
"Please, just hear me out. Then you can…make whatever decision you feel you need to," he said.
He could still feel the tension in her muscles but she didn't try to pull away again. "Alright."
"Do you know the name Xerek?" he asked her.
"Xerek?" He could almost hear her frown.
"He was some big super villain, back before my parents married, wasn't he? Had an organization that stretched over the world, then just disappeared? That Xerek?"
"Someone paid attention in history class," Buddy couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, that Xerek. He didn't disappear, so much as take his organization underground; what was left of it after all the laws were passed about supers, anyway. He had to re-recruit, build up the ranks again. I used to work for him."
"You were working for Xerek, when you created that robot?" Violet asked tactfully leaving out the part about trying to kill her family. Buddy was grateful for that.
It'd be easy to lie. "No, I wasn't. I'd gone my separate way by that point. I wanted to be my own man, all that bullshit," he waved his hand vaguely as if that encompassed all the 'bullshit'. "He was quite smug, told me that I was going to fail spectacularly."
"Which you did," Violet pointed out.
Buddy turned his head to glare at her, and then sighed. "Yeah, I did. Most of my money came from years of working for him, making inventions for him and getting a cut of the profit when he sold them. He taught me what contacts to use, what countries would look the other way about the legality of the items…" he shook his head. "He was my mentor, so to speak."
Violet was quiet behind him and he couldn't bear to look back.
"He apparently learned I had survived a few months ago," he continued. "And has decided that he wants my services again and he isn't one to take ‘no’ for an answer."
"What does any of this have to do with me?" Violet asked in an almost emotionless voice. "Were you going to gift wrap me for him to keep your freedom?"
Buddy didn't confirm or deny her words. “I…Xerek has a way of keeping his people in line and convincing those reluctant to work for him, Violet. He finds out what they hold most dear and uses it against them."
Violet inhaled sharply. "Robin. That's why…"
"That sad excuse for a villain was on the island, yes. Xerek doesn't like to get his hands dirty, so his offered a reward for whoever brings him Robin. Because he knows if he has Robin…" Buddy trailed off.
"He has you," Violet finished. "Do you still plan to give me to Xerek?"
Buddy shook his head. "Even if we hadn’t…." he trailed off.
“Robin loves you. You were so good with her and I enjoyed talking to you..." He bowed his head. "I'm so sorry, Violet."
Violet still didn’t speak as she pulled her hand away from his. This time he let her. He wasn't sure what she'd do, but he couldn't see any possibility that wouldn’t end with her rejecting him. Hating him.
Her hand on his back was the last thing he expected. "Buddy," her voice was soft. "How old were you when you joined Xerek?"
"Does it matter?" he asked.
"How old?" she pressed again.
"Eight," he told her. "I was eight. He'd heard about my inventions." Lie. "He said
he'd give my mother all the money she'd need to get away from my father and start a new life with my brother." He couldn't tell her who the offer had really been made to. "That my father would never hurt any of us again."
And really, he hadn't meant to tell her anything beyond how old he'd been. He could still see Xerek standing in the doorway of his bedroom, laughing and asking 'are you going to fight me Incrediboy?’
To his surprise, Violet pressed up against his back and wrapped her arms around him, linking her hands across his chest. "I was -- am the daughter of a man you hated. I was nothing to you. Robin is everything to you," she was upset but he wasn't sure if it was at him or something else.
Buddy put his hand over her hands. "You aren't nothing to me," he whispered.
"I know," Violet whispered back, resting her head against his back. Her face was wet.
They sat like that for a long time. Not moving, not speaking, just being.
Finally, Violet unwrapped herself from him and slid to the edge of the bed. Buddy tensed for the rejection he knew was coming.
But it didn't come. Violet leaned over and kissed him briefly. "Come take a shower with me," she said softly. "I'm sure Robin will be up soon, looking for us." She got to her feet.
Buddy started at her uncomprehendingly for a moment.
She held out her hand to him. "Buddy, I'm not that easy to get rid of," her tone was teasing, but the look in her eyes was serious.
He put his left hand into hers, and let her pull him to his feet. He hesitantly rested his forehead against hers for a moment. "Neither am I."
***
"Daddy?" Robin asked twisting her head around to look at her father.
Buddy sighed, putting the brush down. "Robin, you need to hold your head still, if you want pigtails today."
Robin turned her head back around, and swung her legs. "Daddy?" she asked again.
"Yes, Ro'?" he asked as he fought with one of the ponytail holders.
"Is Violet gonna stay and live with us?" she asked.
Buddy gently pulled her hair through the loop and twisted the band several times. "She has her own home, Robin."
"But she likes it here, and she loves us, and I love her. Don't you love her too, Daddy?" Robin asked.
"Yes, I do," Buddy answered quietly, finishing the other pigtail. "There you go, cute as a button." He kissed the top of her head.
Robin giggled and wiggled around to throw her arms around his neck. "Daddy, buttons aren't cute."
"Cute as a mouse, then?" he asked kissing her nose.
Robin giggled again. "We could ask her to stay," she told him.
"She can't stay, Robin," Buddy told her gently.
"Why?" Robin asked her voice just below a whine.
Buddy sighed and hugged her. "Because she'd be unhappy if she stayed. Maybe not at first, but she would eventually."
Robin looked up at him sadly. "I wanted her to be my Mommy," she whispered.
Buddy hugged her tightly.
***
Violet sat down on the corner of Buddy's desk. Robin was asleep and Buddy had disappeared into the office as soon as they'd put her into bed. "I have an idea."
Buddy looked up from the drawing table, and over at her. "An idea."
"You won't like it, but yes, I have an idea," she repeated. She played with a paperweight on the desk.
Buddy turned around more fully. "Alright, tell me."
"We could go talk to my family…" she started to say.
"Are you crazy?" Buddy exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Your father would pound me into the ground."
Violet sighed. "Buddy."
"Why on earth would they help me? And I'm sure the NSA would love to know I'm
still alive…" he got this odd expression on his face then shook his head.
"Buddy," Violet said again, getting up from the desk and moving over to him. "They'll help because they love me." She stroked his face with one
hand. "Because Robin is five, and I love her." She leaned over and kissed him. "Because I believe in you."
Buddy looked startled, shaken. He reached up and slid his fingers through her hair. "Violet," he whispered.
"They'll at least hear us out," she assured him with more certainty then she felt. They were her family, they'd understand and listen; they had to.
For a moment, Buddy was quiet and Violet couldn't tell what was going on in his head.
"Buddy?" Violet asked softly, her voice had a slight waver.
"I-I have to go see E for new frames for Robin, anyways," he said trying to sound nonchalant. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling her down into his embrace.
Violet wrapped her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.