Stubborn & Pig-headed

[Lovely]

January 26, 2009
11:30am
Veinna Estate - Scotty's office

Marcus was back and Lily had been in to talk with her father and then tried her mother since she didn't feel he'd had really listened to her. Once Josie heard her daughter's side of things, she came to Scotty's office to check on how he was doing. "Hello." She greeted him quietly as she came into the room.

"Hi." He replied just as quietly. "So... I've been sitting here... thinking... well, my daughters think I'm an asshole... which is good cuz I am..."

"I hope you're not planning on staying like that."

He looked at her with a level of disbelief, raised an eyebrow, then his glass in her honor. "We are what we excel at. Cheers. They hate me. Why should tomorrow be different?"

"Keep it up and it won't just be your daughters thinking you're an ass." Her blue eyes darkened a shade and she folded her arms, regarding him with a semi-cool expression. She'd come to console him or at least offer support but it appeared he was in a mood.

"Keep what up, Jo? Appearances? Ha. Look at them... look at me? Not one rule I ever gave them matters now. One of them is having kittens and the other... is having... some kind of demon spawn I can only guess might be human enough to call a grandson. Why Marcus, I still ... and will never... understand. Want one?" He lifted the remaining half of his glass to her again and sucked down it down.

"Scarlatto Veinna.." Her voice held warning that she didn't have much patience, not to mention the fact that she'd called him Scarlatto, something she didn't do much. "That is why your daughters think you're an asshole.. and now so do I!"

Again the disbelieving look met her and he looked around the room, scowling. "I used to think I ran this house, Josephine. When did that change? I used to think I was being a good father to keep them out of trouble and away from... from... scourge and ... 'consultants'," he said, mimicking the words as if Patrick were some lightweight pansy to mock. "They don't even listen to me, so why should you get upset with me, too?"

"Because they are your daughters.. and you should love and accept them even when they make mistakes! Stop acting like a bully and maybe you won't lose them both for good!"

"A mistake... is coming home with a B instead of an A. A mistake... is getting a speeding ticket, Jo. A mistake is not continuing to defy my or your wishes and getting more deeply involved with ...," he couldn't find the words that made them sound any different than himself. He peered into his glass and set it down on the bar to lean there. "I've already lost them both, Jo. I'm so very good at sending people away I did it with our own daughters. Hell if I know how to get them back. Bully? You really think I bully them?"

"They fell in love with people you don't like.. You're pushing them away by demanding they not feel the way they do. Believe me.." She took a deep breath. "I am not pleased about this Marcus deal.. but there must be some worth to the boy if we've kept him a part of our pack and family.. he passed your brother's tests and your daughter adores him! The child she carries, whether you like the father or not.. IS your grandchild.. and you even saying otherwise, is despicable!"

He started to reach for another drink but thought better of it. Getting slobberingly upset was not going to improve things as long as she was sober. "His merit is in being ruthless and unforgiving. What if he decided one day to be like that on Lily or your grandson, Jo? You think she hates me now? How about when he goes off and hurts her or worse? If she survives it and we have a choice to take him away or kill him if he doesn't take care of that himself... I'm no better off than I am now. If he isn't living up to his position to stay ruthless and do.. his... job... then what do I do with him, Jo? He can't support her without doing what he does for this family. I'm a bully? I'm trying to do the right thing."

[Lovely]

"You're not trying to do the right thing.. you're trying to control everything. You can't.. obviously.. they went and fell in love. Marcus lives in this house and has for years.. Lily has and always will be within his reach if he chooses to be cruel or ruthless, but right now it's you who is acting that way. You told them they were going to be married.. and then took it away.. Take a good whiff of the air around you Scotty.. Marcus would die for her before he'd hurt her.. as much as I hate to say that.. I wish I could tell you you're right about him.. but damn it he loves her as much as she loves him."

"Alright! Alright...," he put his hands up and threw himself haphazard into his chair, letting it roll and recline as it wanted to, following the movement back to land his chin on his hand and lean there instead of being too close to the bottle. "So I sit back and say nothing? Do.. nothing? I'm not good at pretending, Jo..," he reminded her, warning her, yet looking for suggestions.

"It's always all or nothing with you, isn't it?" Her fingers clutched tightly to her arms as they stayed folded around her. "Why can't you offer some support and guidence? These are your daughters, they need your love and strength. I'm sure if you wanted to you could scare Marcus shitless.. feel free to let him know just what you'd do to him if he did hurt your little girl.. but don't stop him from loving her or being with her when she needs him. You're hurting her, yourself, and me."

"Yes I could. Give me my gun and I'll scare the shit out of him enough his eyes will turn white," he grinned, actually liking and considering that idea. "And don't think I'm either so blind or so stupid to think I can stop their emotions, Josie. That would be as foolish as someone coming between you and me... besides me."

She was not amused at his suggestions about Marcus and she sighed, shaking her head - if Lily happened to hear him say something like that.. "Scotty I don't think you're stupid or blind.. I think you're pig headed and stubborn."

"Being a Veinna, you mean?" He grinned, but his expression was saddened. The 'pigheaded' was usually followed by something thrown and tears on her cheeks he didn't want to see. They came at the expense of the holes in her hand when she tried not to let them show. He pulled himself out of his chair quietly and moved around the desk, avoiding the bar, but being direct with her. "Josie. I have a confession to make," he said, reaching for her hands that she was trying to use to pull herself into a tighter and tighter ball.

She didn't throw anything, though she did feel close to tears, she held herself together and watched him approach. Josie didn't easily uncurl from the way she was wrapped around herself but she gave a little by lacing her fingers around his when he reached to her. She looked to his face, her eyes asking what his confession was.

Scotty tried to pull her hands down, relax her, ease her mind, but the turmoil in his own made it difficult. "Come sit down. You sure you don't want a drink? Look... You're right. Pigheaded, stubborn, all part of the same territory. When I look at Jaime and Lily, I see daughters, Jo. Lace and pigtails and bubblegum and giggles, not women and wives and mothers. They grew up... and I don't know how to manage around that."

"They are still your daughters.." She softened in her stance a little, letting him tug her back towards his chair with him. Her thumb stroked gently over the back of his hand as she moved down over his lap, her long red hair brushing over his shoulder. "They still have lace, pig tails, bubblegum and giggles.. but if you ever want to see that again you have to accept that they did grow up and they are more than that now. No man will ever be good enough for your daughters.. because they're your daughters and that's normal but you have to let them have the chance to find out what's right for them."

"Great! So I can find them someone else and they can compare?" He was kidding... sort of.

"You could try.. but you risk pushing them farther away. Lily definately won't go for it.. she's making herself ill over this.." Her hands tightened around his as the soft sigh eased out.

He watched her eyes and felt the emotions work their way through her grip and breath. "So, support? How? I can't pretend I like him.. I mean, I like him but because of what he does for the rest of us. What do you suggest? I don't have to have the gun loaded this time."

"I suggest not telling your daughter every five minutes how much you don't like him.. You know.. really just mostly forget about him.. focus on her and what she needs. She needs Marc.. don't send him away again.. let him be here for Lily and the baby. If you don't you're only hurting her and you'll regret it later. She's scared.. she needs her daddy too. She's having a baby and it's coming fast.."

"Forget... you're serious? Forgetting him and focusing on her when he's fawning and pawing inches away is a little bit more of a challenge than I prefer in my own house...," he started, but backed off. The fight wasn't with Josie, it was with himself over what he'd hoped for his daughters. "I won't send him away. Alright? He stays, they get married and he understands every syllable of the consequences if he backs out or hurts her in any way. Which do you think she needs more - a stern and bullying daddy or a gushingly apologetic one? I need more scotch either way."

"Something in the middle.. gushy won't help her and neither will bullying.. she needs the daddy who tucks her under his arm when she needs to feel safe.. I happen to like that one myself.." She smiled, just a little, but didn't move out of the way to let him get to his bottle.