The Magpie's Death

When to Use Violence (1)

Jade stood in the small classroom with her arms folded and her eyes glaring. Her freckled cheeks were red hot. Sam stared back. He recognized the posture and expression – anyone would be able to see she was angry with him - but he couldn't understand her issue. Thankfully, since the preschool always cleared out quickly on Fridays, it was just their argument filling the room.

"So?" he asked with a slight frown. "He must have done something to deserve it."

He kept his hands at his sides, trying his best not to copy her, but he still hadn't heard a complete explanation and wasn't budging until he did.

Jade looked at him as if he was crazy. "She BIT him!" she cried out, unable to stay professional any longer. The small amount of professional she'd managed to stay until now, anyway. "Another child. She bit another child." The snark in her tone was thick and with a huff, she added, "Maybe you're not getting what I'm saying."

"I read that sometimes toddlers bite. But there must be a reason she bit him."

He ignored the fired up woman and crouched down to look Ellie in the eye. She looked back in confusion.

"What happened? Why did you bite that boy?"

Of course she said nothing, only pointing to where she and Becca had been playing as her cryptic explanation. He sighed, wishing she could be more helpful, then felt a pang of guilt for blaming her.

Taking her pointed finger, he lowered it and brought her attention back to him. "Did he do something to Becca?"

Ellie's chin dipped, big blue eyes swirling with frustration, and she grunted. He pet her hair, proud that she had come so far she could answer his questions. Then he stood and turned to Jade again, feeling as frustrated as his daughter.

"The girls were playing and he took Becca's toy. Ellie went to take it back, but he wouldn't return it, so she bit his hand to make him drop it."

That's it?

It seemed like a logical response to him. The other child was in the wrong and Ellie tried to make it right. Why wasn't this boy standing here being scolded for stealing? Not that he cared about such things, but choices came with consequences. Better to learn it now.

"Good for her then." Sam nodded in approval and his daughter copied, a bit less upset with her father on her side.

Jade groaned and put her hands on her hips. "Are you nuts? What are you teaching her? Look at her nodding along... Biting is never okay! It's basic social skills!"

Child psychology wasn't his area of expertise, but this was too much of a reaction for a biting toddler. Especially when that toddler was Ellie. But Jade had a habit of treating Ellie differently. Maybe because they lived together, she felt that changed their relationship. Or maybe because Sam wasn't trustworthy. Maybe she didn't like him and took it out on his daughter. No, that wasn't it. Jade wasn't his greatest supporter, but she wouldn't do that to anyone's child. As annoying as she was, she did care.

Good intentions aside, he still didn't like her attitude in this conversation.

"Society isn't everything," he stated, not giving any room for argument. "I'll talk to her, but I'm proud she stood up for her friend. I'm not punishing her for that."

Finishing for the both of them, he picked Ellie up and turned. A hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Jade wasn't as angry, her touch and voice lighter. "You have to stay and talk about this with his mother."

"Why? You're the teacher. Tell her we're both sorry and it won't happen again." He didn't need to say more, but he couldn't stop himself. "And it wouldn't have happened at all if her son didn't go around stealing other children's toys."

Without another word, he headed out of the building, hearing Jade groan as he left. He could have played the good parent and he might be able to follow the rules if he tried. If it was in Ellie's best interest, he would. But there was something that nagged at him. A thought always lingering in the back of his mind that being the good parent wasn't what Ellie needed. Perhaps he was just being selfish.

He pat Ellie on the back, knowing he should at least scold her for biting, but he saw this as an improvement. Ellie River, in her little bubble of indifference, cared enough to protect her friend. He didn't live in the normal world and didn't have those 'social skills' Jade worried so much about. To him, his daughter's actions deserved praise. They would help her and her friends more than learning to fit in.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" he asked, carrying her tight in his arms as they walked the few blocks to Michelle's apartment. She nodded, but said nothing. "And?"

She pretended to bite her hand. "And what should you have done?"

Ellie slapped her hand, then looked at him, wide-eyed and curious. It was her genuine answer and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a small laugh before shaking his head.

"You should never be violent if you don't have to be," he explained. A true statement, even he didn't subscribe to it. "Only when you or someone else is in danger, and only if the other person is violent too."

Nodding again, Ellie looked more confident. She brought a hand up to her throat, mimicking when he had held the Lost Horizon captive under his knife.

Shit.

"Ellie. That was a very special situation, okay?" She only stared, her big eyes still curious. "Those men were very dangerous and they were going to hurt both of us. I would never do that if I didn't have to." That was a lie, but Sam didn't need her turning out like him. "Do you understand?"

She nodded, then laid her head on his shoulder. He hoped she really did understand. The last thing he needed was her slicing a kid's throat open with scissors. Dealing with Jade and the parents afterward would be a nightmare. How could he explain where she learned to do something like that? It only briefly occurred to him that the annoyance of an explanation wasn't the worst part of that scenario, but he let the thought go. Could you even cut someone's throat with safety scissors anyway? It was doubtful Ellie had the strength to get through to the arteries, so at least it wouldn't kill anyone.

"Dada."

Ellie tapped his shoulder and pointed up at the apartment building. He was so distracted imagining his daughter killing her classmates, he'd almost walked past.

Stopping, he kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks."

She bobbed her chin to let him know it was alright.

When they reached the second floor, he knocked on the apartment door and it flung open. A red-faced and smiling Michelle stood in the doorway, wearing only a bra and shorts. He instantly wanted nothing more than to turn and go home.