WHO Ella McCree & Jeremy Danvers WHAT Asking a question WHEN This afternoon WHERE The Pack house WARNINGS Family feels STATUS Closed | Completed gdoc
Life has been a bit strange, but not at all in a bad way. Jeremy could see himself living the quiet life of a farmer. Alone with his family, more or less isolated from the community, it wasn’t so different than Stonehaven. And he didn’t mind the work either, it felt nice to have spent his days being physical, even at his age. Which felt many more years as a human then it normally did to him. It had been strange to live with Kate and Ella as his daughters, with Veronica Mars as his wife, but strange in a pleasant way.
After coming back to normal, Jeremy went to sit outside, set up in the front porch with his paints. It was a talent he hadn’t had as a farmer and one he was glad to return to. He’d always found peace in painting.
Seeing Ella coming toward the house, he smiled gently and set his work aside to turn to greet her. He’d been fond of her before everything but that fondness has only grown with the memory of her being his daughter. Whether or not she truly was, he looked at her as such, hoped she’d stay with the Pack for a very long time. For as long as she was in Madison Valley.
***
Ella was glad to be back home. Though the wild west was much similar to her way of life, she hated the idea that Max could have been the product of something so terrible. She hadn't stopped hugging her son, could hardly put him down, for fear that he might think he wasn't born of love. The Dome, at least, had given her a family who loved her and the interest of her husband, whom she knew was a good man through and through. The wild west hadn't changed that.
The one relationship she'd been a little surprised by was the idea that Jeremy had been her father. Very affectionately, Ella referred to him as Grandpa Jeremy, but she had very much enjoyed being his daughter for the past week. She missed her own father, missed Max's father too even though she was very happy with Jesse, and those aches had subsided when she'd caught sight of Jeremy painting on the front porch. The feeling made her veer in his direction, Max always happy to visit the Pack House.
Ella climbed the steps and simply went right into his space for a hug, her son caught between them as her free hand went around his waist. Jeremy Danvers was very much like a father to her and she was so very grateful for him.
***
Very few people, few enough they could be counted on one hand, were allowed to just walk up to Jeremy and hug him, and Ella had always been one of them. Though surprised, he only remained still for a moment before his own arm curled around her to return the hug briefly before he pushed her away again.
“What’s that all about?” he questioned, tone ever soft and ever even especially with her. She had that effect on him, a calming presence in his life that he hadn’t known he’d needed until she’d come along.
Looking back, though, he knew it was something he’d looked for for a long time.
***
It was silly, but Ella felt tears gathering in her eyes that she hastily tried to brush away when he gently broke away from the hug. She never took it personally that he wasn't much of a hugger, particularly because she was never turned away when she wanted one. He had a very big heart and was an absolutely wonderful person.
"I'm very lucky," she explained, her voice catching a little. "You were a wonderful father." It was almost mournful the way she said it in the past tense, but that was the truth of the matter. Ella felt like she'd lost her father all over again and the sadness was overwhelming, though she knew it wasn't his fault. She certainly didn't want to make him feel awkward at all, so she simply took a deep breath and mustered a smile.
"I'm very grateful to be counted among your Pack," Ella added. "I realized I haven't said that before now and I'm sorry it took this long for me to give thanks."
***
“Sit.” Gently, Jeremy just tugged her to sit beside him, pulling Max into his own lap and taking her hand. “You have absolutely nothing you need to thank me for,” he said, firm but kind. “I’ve been nothing but overjoyed to have you here with us.”
He didn’t say things like that very often, didn’t express his feelings at all much less in words, but Ella was someone who needed to be told. And so he would tell her when she needed to hear it, just the same way as he allowed the hugs when she came for them or he indulged any bit of silliness that didn’t place her in danger.
“We do not include people in the Pack lightly.” It was important that she understood that. “But you have been an invaluable member.” Even as a human, she was something that no one else was. She was joy and conscience and innocence. She was the weakness they all forgot lived in them as well.
***
Ella did as he asked, let Max go without even the smallest hesitation because she trusted Jeremy with her life. He always protected her, even when she did something foolish like befriend a wolf in the woods or not pay enough attention to the network to realize there were demons running about. It meant a lot to her that he was happy to have her with them. She always did what she could to give back, her door always open to them and her kitchen certainly. She made as many baked goods for them as she physically could, always offered to help with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even being married didn't stop her from spending time at the Pack house during the day, before she had to be home to make dinner for her husband.
She'd maybe not understood the weight of being part of the Pack until this very moment. Ella put her free hand atop his so that his was sandwiched between both of hers. "I will always do my best to be worthy of being part of your Pack," she promised, and she leaned down to press a kiss against the back of his hand.
"And I'll always do my best to make you proud." Ella couldn't bear to disappoint her Father, whether she was talking about her true Father or the man currently holding her son and comforting her. "I-" She swallowed hard, trying not to be too emotional even though it was clearly a losing battle. She couldn't say what she wanted to say.
***
Though he was someone who wasn’t overly emotional himself, Jeremy didn’t expect the same in others. In fact, some of those he cared the most deeply about were people who could not hold their emotions in. So he was patient with Ella as she struggled to find her words. He was quiet, watching her, absently tickling the baby with his free hand to keep him from whining, the sound of delighted giggles filing the silence.
It was clear she wasn’t going to get there without some prompting, though, and Jeremy squeezed her hand after a moment. “There’s nothing you need to do to make me proud,” he assured. “Whatever is on your mind, you can be assured of my full support.”
He would alway give her his complete support, as he would to Clayton, as he would to Kate, or to the children. Anything within his power to give was hers, and like with anyone else she needed only to ask.
***
His reassurance was helpful, although Ella wasn't likely to believe that she didn't need to do anything else to make him proud of her. "You've already given me so much," she explained. She felt bad that she was asking for even more after everything, but this would be the last time. It had to be the last time she asked him for something like this.
Not one to ever beat around the bush when it came to the important things, she mustered up her courage. "I would- like very much," she began, though she had to stop for a moment to recover from her wobbling voice, "to be able to continue to- to call you Father." It wasn't that she was afraid of him. It was just that it meant so much to her and she worried that maybe this was the point where she asked too much.
The truth was, their time in the west had not been the first indication that she looked on Jeremy as a Father. That he'd missed her wedding, hadn't been able to give her away, still was something she regretted, though there wasn't anything else about that day or that choice that she regretted.
***
No one had ever called Jeremy any variation of the word father, and he’d never minded that. Despite raising Clay from childhood, doing everything a parent did, being his father in practice, he’d been happy to be called by his name. He’d never thought that he wanted anything different, and that was true now as well. Looking at Ella, he had no burning need to be called father, the relationship was the same regardless of what he was called.
But it was clear that it was important to her, and denying her anything. Especially not something so simple.
“It would be very welcome if you did,” he told her. No one knew better than the Pack that family did not end at blood, no one better that Jeremy that sometimes family didn’t even begin at blood. He had no blood left, had never held any fondness for what he’d had at all, but his family was ever growing.
***
Ella was overjoyed that he didn't even hesitate to agree that she could call him Father. She had enjoyed calling him Grandpa Jeremy with Max, still would of course, but it felt almost more true now that she knew she could show him the respect that he deserved after everything they'd been through together. He protected her, gave her a home, cared for her son, and provided for her when she needed anything. He was the Patriarch, the leader of the Pack, her Pack, and it meant everything to her to be able to afford him the respect of a proper title.
"Thank you," she breathed, her voice so full of emotion. She squeezed his hand tightly. "Thank you, Father." Ella couldn't help but smile as she said it, even as a few tears fell because of how overjoyed she was. As with everything, Ella felt so deeply and so strongly, and this was sheer happiness and joy. He only ever had her best interests at heart, was firm when she needed it, and indulged her just as often.
"I am grateful, and extraordinarily lucky, to have you in my life, and in Maximilian's life." Ella had to make sure he knew that because it was so important to her.
***
“We are all equally lucky to have you,” Jeremey assured, smiled softly once more before he simply moved to hand Max back to her before the baby tried to squirm out of his grasp. “Sit with me a while.”
He never, absolutely never, with the singular exception of the children in the house, invited anyone to be with him while he painted. It was a gesture bigger than any other he could make then. Painting was something Jeremy did in private, shared only when it was complete and often not even then. Asking Ella to sit with him while he did was bringing her closer than he held anyone.
And it was no more than she deserved in that moment. She’d touched his heart in a way he hadn’t expected, something he wanted to quietly process in her company.
***
Family was never a competition, something her step-sisters in her world dearly needed to learn, so she simply took her son back and nearly went to settle him on her hip. His offer to sit with him was a great surprise though. It was unheard of for anyone to be able to sit with him while he painted. Ella certainly would never have presumed to stay while he finished working, but it seemed he wanted her to.
"Of course, Father," she replied warmly. Ella set her son on her lap more comfortably and settled in to watch him paint for as long as he allowed them to stay. That it turned out to be for the duration of the afternoon both surprised and pleased her. It was a good thing Max was such a well behaved baby, perfectly content to sit on his mother's lap and babble excitedly as he watched his grandfather paint. She felt at peace now, like she had everything in the world that she could possibly need.