Bless the day...

[axeslade]

Next chapter of I Should Tell You.

"Nngh, go away," Mandy grumbled into her pillow when she heard the buzzer go off. When the sound changed from buzzing to insistient knocking, she sighed, threw the blankets aside and got up.

She didn't know who she'd expected to be at the door, but it definitely hadn't been Curt. He was shivering a little despite the leather jacket he wore, and his hair was dripping, but he was smiling.

"Hey. Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, but that' okay..." she shook her head, blinking.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you I'd stop by today, didn't I?"
Mandy blinked as she recalled his words from last night. True, he had. But she hadn't...

"I didn't think you actually meant it. I thought you were just going to brush me off. You have the right."

"The hell I do," he murmured as he lit a cigarette, "You were just hoping I would so you wouldn't have to deal with me. You did the 'right' thing by letting me know I had a daughter, and that was all you were going to do," he exhaled smoke, smirking at her. "Right?"

"I...uh...yeah. Something like that, I guess," she said with a nervous laugh. She tilted her head to the side when his eyes lit up a little.

"What?" she asked nervously as he smiled.

"You didn't correct me. She...she really is mine, then?" he asked, a little bit of anxiety creeping into his expression. She laughed a little, shaking her head.

"Of course she is. Why would you think otherwise? And come in, there's no reason for you to stand in the hall all day."

Curt grinned and stepped into the apartment, shrugging in answer to her question.

"Dunno. I guess I thought...with the way things ended, that you might have...tried to put me behind you as quick as you could. You know, like-" he stopped himself, but they both knew what he'd been going to say. Like we tried to do with Brian....

She smiled, shaking her head.

"Nah. I was a little put off men at the time," and even if I hadn't been, she thought, there's no way I could ever put you behind me.

"Oh. Okay. Well then," Curt absentmindedly crushed out his cigarette as he started fumbling through his pockets.

"I got...I got Kimberly something. If that's okay?"

Mandy bit her lip, hoping it was just the fact she'd just woken up that was making her eyes water.

"Yeah, that's fine. She probably won't be up for awhile though," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Coffee or tea?"

***

An hour later, the coffee and conversation had both been exhausted, so Mandy was grateful when Kimberly came out of her room, rubbing her eyes and honey-brown hair an absolute mess. She saw Curt's eyes widen and had to smile. The resmbelance was quite a bit more striking in the light.

"Hey sweetheart, sleep well?" she asked as she started got the eggs out of the fridge to start a real breakfast.

"Yeah." Kimberly murmured as she sat down in Mandy's vacated chair.

No one made an attempt at conversation while the eggs were cooking, so once they were done and she'd set them on the table, Mandy decided to take a chance. She sat down between Kimberly and Curt, vaguely motioning to Curt with her fork as she ate.

"Kim, you remember...my friend from last night?" she saw Curt tense at her words, but there was no escaping it. She didn't want to spring the truth on Kimberly just yet.

Kimberly nodded and Mandy smiled at her.

"Well, I was thinking you two could spend the day together. I have some errands to run, and I know you don't mind being alone, but I thought you'd like to get out of the apartment for awhile. Is that okay?"

Kimberly nodded without looking up from her plate, but when Mandy looked up she saw Curt smiling. She returned the smile and went back to eating.

***

"So...Kimberly...." Curt raked a hand through his hair, unsure of what he'd been intending to say. Damn. He hadn't figured it would be this hard.

"Yeah?" Kimberly turned to look over her shoulder at him, eyes a calm yet cheerful grey under the winter sunlight although Curt would've sworn they'd been green in the apartment this morning.

"Umm....do you mind if we sit over there and talk a bit?" he motioned to one of the park benches. He wasn't sure if it would help, but maybe it would be easier to talk when he wasn't trying to keep up with her skipping as well.

Kimberly shook her head and immediatly bounding over to the bench, plopping down onto it almost a full minute before Curt did. He smiled at this and reached out to touch her hair, pulling back a second later. He didn't want to scare her away by trying to get too close too soon.

"Whaddya wannna talk about?" Kimberly chirped as she swung her right leg back and forth. Curt shrugged, coughing a little.

"I just wanted to get to know you. I uh...I've been friends with your mom for a long time" he waited until Kimberly nodded to continue, nervously picking at a frayed thread on his sleeve.

"...You're really fast. Do you play any sports?"

Kimberly shook her head.

"I don't...it's not fun. I like running around and stuff, but worrying about points and winning and all that...blegh" she made a gagging face and Curt laughed.

"All right. So...do you like school?"

She shrugged, slowing the swinging of her leg.

"Kind of. I really like my teachers and stuff, and I get good grades, but.." she shrugged again.

Curt stopped picking at the threads, turning his gaze to lock on Kimberly's.

"But?"

Kimberly huffed, waving her hands out in exasperation.

"Some of the other kids pick on me. 'Cause Mommy works in a bar and we're poor and..." she shrugged, "And I get in trouble for hitting them and stuff to make 'em stop."

Curt tightened his hand on the bench's armrest, barely restraining the urge to growl and put an arm around Kimberly. Goddamn it. Why hadn't Mandy told him sooner? He knew she had been, and maybe still was, angry at him for what he'd done that night, but she should have told him for Kimberly's sake. He knew what that felt like, being outcast for things you couldn't control, and Kimberly...his daughter Goddamnit!...she didn't deserve that.

"You okay?" Kimberly chirped. Curt took a deep breath, trying to cool his boiling blood, then turned and looked at her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Listen, Kimberly-"

"You can call me Kim," she interruped, bright eyes sparkling blue as a sunbeam hit them, "That's what Mommy calls me."

Curt smiled, finally giving into the urge to flick a few strands of hair away from her face, a rush of joy going through him when she didn't flinch.

"Kim then. Those kids who pick on you, they're just jealous because you're pretty and a smart and a lot better than they are. So don't pay attention to them, okay? Because someday you're going to be President or something and they're going to be working at McDonald's. Got it?"

Kimberly smiled, a dazzling full white smile, and nodded.

"Okay, thanks...umm, what should I call you?"

Curt swallowed, nervously rubbing her hair between his fingers.

"I'd ask your mom about that, okay?"

Kimberly raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Okay. Anyway, thanks. I can see why you're Mommy's friend, you're nice."

Curt grinned, playfully tousseling her hair.

"Thanks Kim. Well, I guess we'd better get going if we want to get back before your mom gets home."

Kimberly nodded and stood up, but instead of runinng off as she had before, she waited until Curt had stood as well then slipped her hand into his, holding on the entire way back to Mandy's apartment.

Comments

[bitexmarks.livejournal.com]

Because someday you're going to be President or something and they're going to be working at McDonald's. Got it?" *giggles* i loved this bit ♥
bitexmarks

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks. I rather liked that bit myself, seemed like a very...Curt-ish bit of wisdom.

[spacequeen.livejournal.com]

Ok, this one made me cry real tears. *sniff* They way they are bonding already. *WEEP* Simply gorgeous. :'D

God, I don't know how you do it...you have such a gift. It feels absolutely real, and I can really picture Curt acting that way and saying those things. *Happy sigh*

Kimberly turned to look over her shoulder at him, eyes a calm yet cheerful grey under the winter sunlight although Curt would've sworn they'd been green in the apartment this morning. Just like Curt! *dies*

Some of the other kids pick on me. 'Cause Mommy works in a bar and we're poor and..." she shrugged, "And I get in trouble for hitting them and stuff to make 'em stop OMG, she's already a little feisty angsty outcast, too. *faint* ♥ ♥ ♥

Enjoyed this so much!

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

Hee, I thought you'd like ~_^ Yeah, her eyes...I just thought about some of the pictures I have of Ewan, where his eyes seem green in one and blue in the other, so I figured that'd be a way to make it very clear that there is no doubt about who her father is. And her attitude...~_^ again, reaffirming her paternity.