Fanfic100: #048 Diamond
“No! My daughter will not go out with this guy. Just… no!” Okay, daddy does not sound happy, that much is sure.
“Newsflash, Evan: She already went out with him. Twice.” Mom! She wasn’t supposed to tell him that! She was supposed to keep quiet and let her handle this! Enraged about her mother’s betrayal she’s about to storm the living room… but she remembers in time that if she did her cover would be blown and she’s not keen on barging into an argument between her parents right now… about her, of all things. So she decides to stay put and just listen… for the time being.
“She did what? And you knew that? Laura?” Uh-oh. She can very well imagine how her father must be looking at her mother now. He’s probably fuming… and her mother is probably smirking.
The tone of her answer indicates that as well, “I’m her mother, Evan. Of course I knew that.” That was probably the wrong thing to say because her father always took a lot of pride in the fact that despite being a very busy man he always had time for his children and was more than just a weekend father to them.
“Oh, and what kept you from actually telling me about it?” That she told her mother not to do it, of course. Mom’s a Marine; they always keep their word. Well, mostly. Ah, whatever.
“God, Evan!” Now mom probably threw her hands in the air and stomped across half the room. Mom always does all the pacing when they fight while dad stands in the room with his arms stoically crossed in front of his chest. Well, unless it gets really heated. When that happens, both of them move around a lot and gesture wildly. It had taken her all until she turned 18 a few months ago to realize what Zack, one of her two older brothers, had meant when he had said, “Watching mom and dad fight is just a little bit ew. It’s kinda like… foreplay, sometimes.”
At that thought, she visibly shudders, trying to ban visions of her parents in… ew. No, she won’t think of that. Instead, she will concentrate on finding a way of not only listening to them but also watching them… despite the connotation that it has ever since Zack’s stupid quip. Until she has found it, though… she has to be content with listening so she presses her ear to the door a little harder. “That’s not an answer! What the hell kept you from telling me my daughter is dating a goddamn grunt?”
Wait… this is dad’s only issue with Alexander? That he’s in the Army? She rolls her eyes and she’s pretty sure her mother just did the same because it can be heard in her tone when she answers, “Evan, she’s 18! It’s her goddamn right to date anyone she wants. And you never felt compelled to judge the choice of partners of your sons.” That is just so true and she makes a mental note to thank her mother for making this clear. Well, after she found out how to do that without compromising herself. She may be 18 but her parents still wouldn’t like that she eavesdropped.
“That’s because they never stooped so low.” What the hell? The only reason why she doesn’t storm the living room right now is that her mother is faster with her reply.
“Jesus, Evan. It’s not like she’s dating a Wraith.” A… what? Okay, must be something from that super secret place her parents served before Aaron, the oldest of her brothers, was born. They never told them anything about it but once in a while when friends like John Sheppard or Anne Teldy-Witts who used to serve with their parents come to visit words that sound equally strange - like wormholes and Asgard - sometimes surface in the conversation when they aren’t paying attention enough.
“No, she’s actually dating something worse.” This is really starting to get out of hand… and she still hasn’t found out how she can watch them undetected.
“Evan!” Now mom really sounds agitated. She wonders if this is going to be one of those fights that almost ends with flying china and banging doors.
“What? He’s Army, for heaven’s sake!” So what? Not for the first time she wonders what his parents said when he told them he would be marrying a Marine, since the Lorne part of her family has a very strong Air Force tradition.
Her mother seems to be thinking the same, since she says, “Jesus, Evan, he’s attending West Point and one of the top three in his class.” Yep, exactly. And she’s so fucking proud of Alex that it’s almost not sane anymore. He’s one of the brightest stars of his class and didn’t dad always tell them not to settle for second best?
“That doesn’t automatically make him a good person.” God, sometimes her father can be such an idiot. She really starts to wonder what exactly is so bad about her dating someone from another service. It’s her goddamn life, after all.
“Yeah, right, Mr. ‘I never settled for anything less than first place in everything’.” Ha! Look who’s talking! Go mom! Give him hell!
Dad, however, isn't quite prepared to give up yet as he grumbles, “Hey, this is not about me.” Damn right you are, dad. Although… she’d really like to know what’s causing her father to be so opposed. It can’t be his usual fatherly over protectiveness that much she can feel.
“Yes, you’re right, it damn well isn't. It’s about your daughter and her happiness, Evan. Can’t you see that?” Oh… oh now she feels strangely… touched. That her mother would fight so fiercely for her happiness and all that… it makes her a little teary-eyed. Mom had always been an advocate for their children but never this viciously.
So hopefully dad will… “No, I can’t. Seriously, Laura, why does it have to be an Army guy of all people?” Because he’s handsome and funny and tender and smart… and did she mention handsome? And if her father would stop being such an ass, she could just walk in there and tell him so.
For a moment… it’s silent and she just has this feeling that her mother is just this close to exploding. Mom really likes to do that after this kind of silence. In the end, though, her mother keeps from doing it but there’s still a lot of restraint in her voice when she says, “Evan… did it occur to you that this was exactly the same question your dad wondered about when you told them you wanted to marry me? And you do remember what happened then, right?” Huh? What’s this about?
There’s another silence and what wouldn’t she give now to see her parents. Maybe that would give her a hint as to what her mother just meant. Grandpa James never gave her the feeling that he couldn’t stand mom or something… in fact, they always seem to enjoy each other’s company very much.
Then, “Right… I remember it. Actually, I can still hear you yelling and threatening to make me sleep on the couch for an indefinite amount of time if I didn’t take up talking to my father right this moment.” Wow. Obviously… grandpa James hadn't been that overjoyed when her father had told him about wanting to marry a Marine. She makes a mental note to ask him about it because she just has this feeling that her parents won’t ever tell her about it.
“And I was right with it, wasn’t I?” Now there’s a lot of smugness in her mother’s voice and that tells her that dad lost the fight. Again.
He seems to have seen it as well but isn't quite ready to admit to it because he says, “Yeah, yeah. I still… ah, you know.”
“Hey, it’s not as if she wants to marry him, you know.” She can hear a smile in her mother’s voice and she can imagine very well the amused and fond smile she gives dad and how his face softens at that because it always does. Phew… it’s almost over.
“Yeah, thank God.” And with that… it finally seems to be settled… but then she hears her father grumble nearly inaudibly, “Fine. She can have him. But if he hurts her I’m still gonna rip him a new one and let him eat dirt. At least.” Argh. Why did he have to say that? Why? Okay, so it gives her a strange warm and fuzzy feeling that her father loves her so much he’d become violent on a guy if he hurt her. But Alex would never do that… and besides, she’s pretty sure mom will now start yelling at dad again and…
“No, you won’t.” Yeah, here we go again. One, two… “Because there won’t be much left of him when I am finished with him.” Oh… oh, no yelling… and her mother slightly scaring her with the conviction in her voice.
After that… there’s another moment of silence but this time she’s pretty sure it’s that… “making-up silence” which means that they’re smiling at each other and probably kissing and… “You can come in now, Hailey.” Aw, fuck. But yeah, she should have known they’d know she was eavesdropping on them. After all, both her parents are career soldiers and just too experienced to not notice when someone is listening in on them. “It’s no use pretending, honey. We know you’re standing right in front of the door.”
Right. Time to face the music. And they quit yelling a while ago. Should be safe now, to enter, shouldn’t it? Oh well… no guts, no glory, that’s what her mother always says and Alex is worth all of this, so she takes a deep breath… and enters the room.