prev. emiliewrites

“ sorry! sorry. ” he was a sweaty mess, even though he drove from his last destination. caleb cleared his throat, barely acknowledging the other officer that passed the two of them. he was still trying to decide how to tell his partner. it wasn’t like it was anything…huge. really. sort of. caleb was probably justifying too much. “ i found one of those undercover fighting rings that we’ve been talking about for the past few months. and… maybe i fought in a few of them. ” not just now, he would have been an unsociable mess if that were the case. it was partially to get his blood racing, partially in the name of infiltrating ( or so he claimed ) “ but it’s fun. its dirty and we’d have to be careful how we try to break it up— ” he grinned, one of his famous shit-eating smiles, “ but damn it’s fun. i was watching- ” he cleared his throat and lowered his voice, “ maybe this isn’t the place to really tell you everything. ” there were several cops around them, milling as they were all heading out or coming back from assignments. “ thanks for covering me. ”

“Hey… c’mon don’t let him get to you like that.” Mark said as he joined her under the covers. He could see the anger in Emmaline’s eyes and he knew that something like this wouldn’t just blow over. He just hoped that her and Daisy could at least talk about everything a bit whenever she came home. As he wrapped his arms around her again, he rubbed her back again and sighed to himself. “I don’t even know what to do.” He admitted as he shrugged his shoulders. Eventually they were going to tell her the truth, but not like this. This had just blown up in their faces and it wasn’t something that he saw coming. “I on’t want her hating either of us, but I feel like that’s exactly how she’s feeling right now.” If anything, maybe he could do something to help mend their relationship back together, but it was going to take so much work. As he just kept her close to his side, he looked over at her before leaning over and placing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “We’re gonna be okay. All three of us are going to be just fine, I promise you.” Really he didn’t know if he could keep that promise, but he was going to try his hardest to get the three of them back to where they used to be. 

When her husband joined her under the covers she let out a sigh, of frustration. When his arms wrapped around her, there wasn’t anything more she could have asked for. When he admitted that he didn’t know what to do, she let out a long sigh. Since she herself also didn’t know what to do. Emmaline looked up at her husband, “Did we make the wrong choice by not telling her?” She asked, she didn’t regret bringing Mark into their lives, he’s been the best father and partner when raising Daisy. “Should we have told her when she started high school? Or did we do the right thing?” She asked, she really wasn’t sure if she should feel guilty or not about the decisions she made. “Maybe, I should have tried to contact Chase again, but how could I? He had become this huge success and he had all that security.” She started explaining herself and looked at her husband. “Did we do the right thing? Or did we mess up?” For the first time, she was feeling the emotions get to her, as she realized that her daughter wasn’t in the room beside theirs. With tears threatening her eyes, she could feel her body react to guilt before her mind was able to catch up. 

It wasn’t often that he found himself close to an ex of his, but Jenna had always been different. His friendship with her was one that couldn’t die, no matter how much of an idiot he could be. She listened to him drone on about potential love interests in his life, knowing all too well that he was a hopeless romantic and idealist. Heavy on the hopeless. His face brightened at the sign of takeout and he wasted no time to reach for his, opening it up while thinking about how little game he had in the romance world. It was fun to fall in love with strangers, though. At least he had that. “I may or may not have even gotten her name. I’m sure I can dig up a receipt…. but I won’t because that’s creepy.” he reached for some chopsticks and popped a piece of chicken in his mouth. “See? At least I’m becoming self aware.” Chewing the food, he leaned against the counter and decided to let go of the unknown girl he’d probably never see again. For now, at least. “Thanks for the food, Jen,” he told her before asking, “What have you been up to today other than being my savior by getting takeout?”

As she placed the food up on the counter and watched him inform her that he wouldn’t go track the new love of his life’s receipt she couldn’t help but laugh and nod. “Yes, you’re learning.” she teased as she shook her head. As he thanked her for the food she shrugged, “Oh nothing much,” she added, “I had a couple meetings for work, I showed a viewing to an apartment that is truly beautiful.” She stated, “No one warned me that the hardest part of being in realty is wanting the places yourself.” she added. “I seriously am considering putting in an offer.” 

At least Daisy picked up the phone, that’s all he could ask for.  Maybe Vincent talked her into at least saying something to him, and he knew he had to give the boy a bit of credit. A small sigh slipped his lips as he heard her speak and just ran a hand through his hair. “We never meant to hurt you, I promise… that was never our intention.” He muttered as he sat in his office, hoping that she could at least hear him out. “We… I never though that you would think twice that I wasn’t your dad and… really, I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s not your mother’s fault, it’s not Chase’s fault… if you want to hate someone, you can hate me.” The last thing he wanted was to put a strain on their mother and daughter relationship, so if Mark had to take the burden, he didn’t mind too much. Hopefully she could look part this for a moment but he wasn’t too sure if she could. “When I met your mom, Chase was so far out of the picture and… we just thought it would be best, have that little family unit, you know?” As he sat back in his chair, he sighed again and shook his head to himself. “I really never meant to hurt you, Daisy. You and your mom really mean the world to me and I just wanted everyone to be happy.” 

Daisy got up on her feet instinctively as her dad explained himself. She scoffed as he mentioned she wouldn’t think he wasn’t her father, “Well, mission accomplished. You were able to successfully manipulate me into thinking you were my dad.” As the man she knew as her father began to do what he does best, which was be the mediator, she began to shake her head. “No, stop. Don’t take the fall for her again!” She argued. “What you did was wrong, but what she did was worse.” She explained. “She didn’t even tell Chase I existed!” she yelled. “She was never going to tell me. Which means you were never going to tell me.” Daisy, sniffled. “If I hadn’t found that old photo, and gone to Chase myself, I would have never learned about my real dad. I would have never learned about who I am. Chase would have never learned that he had a daughter. How don’t you see how wrong that is?!” 

After they said their goodnights, he let Meghan hang up the phone as he sighed to himself and leaned back against the pillows. Hopefully he didn’t scar their daughter with all of this, but she seemed to be okay, which was a good sign. “I’m sorry.” He muttered as he leaned into her touch and looked at her in her eyes. He could tell that she too had been crying due to the tear stained cheeks and the redness around her eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt either of them, and it seemed like he did just that. As he moved a bit in the hospital bed so she could lay with him, he leaned back against his pillows and gave her a sad smile. “I really am sorry.” She was stressed out about him and about his health, and even though he didn’t want to admit it, he knew that his time on the ice was starting to come to an end. He wasn’t as rough and tough as he used to be and he knew Meghan was starting to notice that as well. 

“I don’t want to scare you like that again.” He muttered as he got comfortable with her next to him. It was a conversation that they had slightly but he knew that it would come up sooner rather than later. For now, he knew he had to rest, and that he probably should sit out the next couple of games just to be safe. “Are you gonna stay with me?” Even though he already knew the answer, it was still nice to hear her say yes. He moved to rest his head on her shoulder as he sighed to himself once again, frustrated with the whole situation. “You know I definitely could have taken him a couple of years ago.” He said with a chuckle as he tried to lighten the air just a bit. “When I was in my prime, he would have seen it coming.” Brock said with another chuckle as he shook his head and reached over to give her hand a little squeeze. “Maybe I should get some rest…. did I already say I was sorry?” 

Jenna found it ironic that when Aidan and her were talking about being together, she’d stated that she was confident they could be adults if things ended. She never thought it would end the way it had. What kept playing in her head was his need for her to believe he wasn’t a cheater. She played his words over before getting interrupted by the buzzer, she sighed as she assumed it was her Chinese food delivery man. She pressed the intercom, “Hello?” She called out, expecting to hear the local Chinese food employee reply to her. 

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Mark muttered as he gently rubbed her back. He could tell that all of this had really upset her and he just hoped that Daisy would find it in her heart to come back home, but right now he knew that she needed a little bit of space. He couldn’t ban her from seeing her biological father, especially when the two of them had so much in common. “Why don’t we just head upstairs and go lay down. I’ll see if I can give Daisy a call… I think I know where she went, but I just want to make sure.” Knowing her she probably went to Vincent’s place but maybe she followed Chase back, who knew at this point. As he gently cupped her face, he cleaned her tears and placed a kiss to the top of her head. This wasn’t a problem that was just going to go away when they woke up. This was a problem that might haunt them for a little while and he just hoped the three of them would be able to talk about all of this. As he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, he helped her up the stairs and let her settle into bed. “I… I know this might be a crazy idea.” He muttered as he sat at the foot of the bed and looked over at her. “Maybe one of us should go talk to Chase. You can tell he wants to be apart of her life I… I don’t want him to do anything crazy either.” A sigh slipped his lips as he just put his head in his hands, not knowing what to do next. 

When her husband claimed she didn’t have anything to apologize for, she didn’t believe him. She felt immensely guilty for putting them in this situation, as he rubbed her back, his usual attempts to sooth her weren’t working, not this time. She’d never been more hurt and stressed regarding her daughter in her entire life. Emmaline looked up at the love of her life and nodded upon hearing his suggestion to go upstairs. “Okay, that sounds good.” She knew her daughter well enough that she wouldn’t pick up her calls, when the two got into a fight, Mark was always the one she would lend an ear to. She hoped that Daisy would still listen to Mark despite learning new information. When she climbed under the covers, she let out a sigh as she cuddled with her duvet. Her eyes landed on Mark’s at his suggestion to go after Chase, Em couldn’t do that. Not now, she didn’t have the strength. She shook her head, “I can’t, not now.” She added, “I need some time to deal with Daisy.” She stated, before thinking for a moment. “I can’t even think about him right now after what he said.” she could feel her blood boil as she replayed his disrespectful comment in her head. “The fucking nerve that guy has.” 

“Okay, then we’ll just lay here.” Vincent said with a nod as he kept his arms around her waist and held her close to his chest. He could tell that she was extremely upset over everything, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, then that was alright. He placed a kiss to the top of her head and sighed to himself. The two of them seemed to be getting comfortable and she seemed to be settling down when he heard someone’s phone start to buzz. As he looked over at her, then over at her phone on the nightstand, he saw that it was her father and he figured that she didn’t want to talk to him. “Just… you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, I just want to let him know that you’re okay, and that you’re with me, alright?” It would be a quick couple of seconds then she wouldn’t have to worry. After he picked up the phone, he sighed to himself and hoped that he wouldn’t be mad on the other end. “Hey Mr. Grayson… yeah, it’s Vincent. Daisy’s here… and she’s okay, don’t worry…” As he pulled the phone away from his ear, he caught her eyes just for a moment to see if she’d be up for talking to him. “Are you sure you don’t want to say anything?” 

Laying in silence with Vincent’s arms around her is everything she could have asked for, the events of the night still hadn’t fully registered with her. The reality that the man she’d grown to love as a father, wasn’t even related to her created such a hole within her. After a few moments of sobs into his chest, she felt she’d hit a limit of how much she could cry. She rested her head on his chest, and groaned lightly at the thought of someone interrupting this moment. As she looked over her shoulder and noticed it was her phone that was ringing, she saw her dad’s name across the screen and she was about to tell her boyfriend to ignore it, when he did the gentlemen thing to do, and answer the phone for the only reason to assure she was safe. She knew that’s something her father truly valued and loved about Vincent. She’d turned her back towards Vincent as he picked up the phone, she just wanted the silence once more. When he asked her if she wanted to say anything, she didn’t have the heart to turn her dad away. She let out a sigh, before re-adjusting herself on the bed and then reaching for her phone. “Hi” she greeted not having a clue what she could possibly say. “How could you two do this to me?” Without much effort, she felt tears irrupt again, she sniffled, “This was so selfish of you guys.”