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Tweak says, "You Think You're A Man"

cowarrington (cowarrington) wrote in strugglewithin,
@ 2009-01-21 19:54:00

Entry tags:

*complete, caleb warrington, october 1997, verity de luca

RP: An unexpected visitor
Date: 21 October 1997
Characters: Caleb Warrington, Verity de Luca
Location: Caleb's flat
Status: Private
Summary: Verity has a small announcement
Completion: Complete

It had been a quiet day - the first one he'd had in quite a while. He'd even gotten home early and had spent a quiet late afternoon reading on his rickety couch, playing with Thief and generally relaxing. He'd been contemplating floo-ordering something to eat when a knock sounded at his door.

Hauling himself reluctantly out of his comfortable hollow in the cushions, he padded barefoot to the door, idly scratching his chest through his worn Slytherin Quidditch jersey. He opened the door to reveal a familiar face.

"Verity?"

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veritas_amor
2009-01-21 08:20 pm UTC (link)

Verity was pacing back and forth in front of the door, trying to get up the courage to do what she had come here to do. It wasn't going to be easy- and he was going to probably be pissed at her, which she totally deserved.

She'd told her mother that morning that she was moving out, and taking Mickey with her. Verity had been house-hunting, so to speak, in Whimsic Alley earlier in the week and had found a small two-bedroom that she could afford, with her salary from WWW and her inheritance from her maternal grandmother (which was a rather nice amount). Her parents, surprisingly, were incredibly supportive and even proud of her decision.

It was weird. But in a good way, yes?

When Caleb opened the door, Verity's head snapped up and she exhaled, trying to smile and him and sort of failing. "Hey there. Can I come in?"

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	cowarrington 2009-01-21 08:30 pm UTC (link)
	There was something very off in Verity's expression. "Of course." He waved her inside, stooping expertly to catch his ferret as he made a dash for the open door. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked as he followed her into the small sitting room. "Or something to eat? I was just about to order take out and you're more than welcome to join me." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	veritas_amor 2009-01-21 08:34 pm UTC (link)
	Wandering into his sitting room, she paced a little, shaking her head. "No, nothing for me. I'm fine, I just- needed to tell you something. Needed to talk to you." She sighed, dragging her hand back through her hair and turning back around to face him. "It's perfectly all right if you hate me for this, if you hate me after this. Just- listen and hear me out." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cowarrington
2009-01-21 08:44 pm UTC (link)

Talk about your omnious opening statements. Caleb leaned against a clear section of wall, not wanting to sit and not wanting to loom over her, not with that expression on her face. "I'm good at listening, Ver," he said evenly.

Thief climbed out of his hand and up his arm to perch on his shoulder. Clever little paws clung to his clothes and a cool little nose snuffled at his ear.

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	veritas_amor 2009-01-21 08:45 pm UTC (link)
	Taking a deep breath, Verity nodded, to herself more than to Caleb. She could do this. He deserved to know. She would just start talking and just- get it out. "Michaela. She's not my sister. She's my daughter. And yours too." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2009-01-21 08:52 pm UTC (link)
	The words didn't have any real meaning. They just fluttered around his mind, colliding with each other and shattering into tiny flickering fragments. "Verity." It was the only word that he could form. His confused, faintly fearful expression begged for more of an explanation silently. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

veritas_amor
2009-01-21 08:57 pm UTC (link)

"Sixth year. End of fall term." She finally looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "I found out over Christmas hols. Hid it best I could the rest of the year, and my parents agreed to pretend she was my sister. Would've looked bad for the family to have a teenage mother. And besides, my mum wanted me to finish my NEWTs."

She sighed, collapsing heavily onto his couch. "Just- you deserved to know. I should've told you then, but I was so scared, Caleb. I was sixteen, for fuck's sake."

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cowarrington
2009-01-21 09:12 pm UTC (link)

He slid down the wall to sit in the floor, his eyes fastened on hers. "Gods, Verity," he nearly groaned, "Gods above and below. Why didn't you come to me? I would have done something, anything."

He wanted to go sit by her, but could not move from where he was as so many emotions tangled and tore through him. It was just as well as he didn't know if he would hug her or strangle her.

A daughter.

He had a daughter.

Or he was having a very vivid hallucination.

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veritas_amor
2009-01-21 09:15 pm UTC (link)

"Because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I was young, and I was scared out of my mind, and I was afraid that you would hate me." Her volume was rising, and she took a deep breath, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands. Exhaling a heavy breath, she sniffed, trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know if saying it more will make you believe me more, but it's true. I swear."

She sat up, leaning back against the cushions and looking at him helplessly.

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cowarrington
2009-01-21 09:29 pm UTC (link)

"I wouldn't have hated you. I'd've been scared out of what little wits I have. Hellfire and damnation, I am scared out of my wits right now."

He forced himself to move, to get up and at least join her on the couch even if he was stiff with tension. "What do we do now?"

He wasn't sure why he wasn't questioning her. Why he believed her when she said Michaela was his. It could be that he knew Verity was too smart to try to lie about something that could easily be verified by any mediwizard. Perhaps it was because he trusted Verity as he did very few people. Most likely it was because he knew what she looked like when she lied and there were none of the signs of falsehood in her eyes.

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	veritas_amor 2009-01-21 09:37 pm UTC (link)
	Verity sighed, looking at him for a moment as she fiddled with a stray curl, twirling it around her finger. "I don't have a clue. Mick and I are moving out of my parents'- I found a flat in Whimsic, we move in at the beginning of next week." She looked up at him hopefully. "D'you- maybe want to meet her?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cowarrington
2009-01-21 09:52 pm UTC (link)

"I, I," he waffled. Meeting the little girl (his little girl?!) would make all of this far too real, but what option did he have? He couldn't imagine turning away from her.

God, he had an illegitimate child. His parents were going to flip when they found out. He didn't plan to tell them any time soon, but eventually they were going to notice. He was surprised that the family tapestry hadn't updated itself.

"I would like that," he said finally. He worried his hands back and forth restlessly. "Have you told her? Is she old enough to understand?"

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veritas_amor
2009-01-21 09:57 pm UTC (link)

Verity shook her head, chuckling. "She's two, Cale. She sort of gets it, but no, I've not talked to her. Besides, you've met her once before at the shop. So really, this is just- seeing her for the first time since you found out. That's all."

She hesitated a moment and then reached out, covering one of his hands with hers. "I really am sorry that I kept this from you. And, well- everyone, really. But I had to decide this and do it now, because I don't want her to grow up thinking that I was ashamed of her."

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cowarrington
2009-01-21 10:07 pm UTC (link)

He wrapped his hand around hers, glad on some level for the simple human contact. "I know nothing about children. I mean, I get along with my sisters, but I was at school while they were little. Hell, they are still little."

He sighed heavily. "I know you're sorry, Ver. This is just, well, earth-shattering." He watched her for a long moment from the corner of his eye. "I'm not ashamed of either of you. I want you to know that. Anything you need, if it's within my power, I'll get it for you."

That feeling of foggy reality wasn't really going away. He had a feeling it would linger for more than a few minutes.

And he wanted a drink. A great big one. Or maybe just a bottle. With a straw.

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veritas_amor
2009-01-22 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Squeezing his hand, she shrugged. "I've always had help with her, so I'm really still learning the day-to-day things. I'll never forgive myself for missing that first year of her life when I went back to school."

She smiled at him, nodding. "I get it now- I knew that you wouldn't be when I came over here to tell you, or I wouldn't have come. And I think we're going to do all right, but one she does need is to know her father. I just hate that it's taken me this long to realize it, and admit it to myself."

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cowarrington
2009-01-22 06:57 pm UTC (link)

Yep. Definitely need to go with the bottle and straw option. Once she was gone, he was seriously planning on getting messily drunk and brooding.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. It was easier, somehow, to talk to her with an excuse for not meeting her eyes. He hated the thought of anyone reading his emotional turmoil in his eyes. "We'll just have to make up for lost time, then." It was an innane thing to say, but the strangest thing was that he meant it.

Family was too important to mess around with - even the unexpected variety.

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