New Lives (A Nathan Gardner Story)

Chapter 6 - After School Special

Author's Note: Okay, fair warning. This is a bit of a sappy chapter, but I kind of think it's necessary. So...yeah, there you go.

"Susie Q?" Nathan softly knocked on her door. Her heard her sniffle. "Honey, can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered, sounding exhausted.

Nathan walked into her room, very bare and pulled apart due to the makeover she was giving it, shutting the door behind him. It wasn't a necessary action, but he was trying to let her know right away that anything she needed or wanted to stay would never go beyond that door. "I'm so sorry, honey…"

"For what?" she interrupted. "You didn't do anything, Dad." Her anger was welling instantly. "She's…she's so…ugh!" She threw her pillow against the wall. "Tell Syd I'll pay her back for the cab."

"Not something you need to be worrying about, Susan." He took a few steps closer to her, testing the waters. She wasn't rolling her eyes at him, she wasn't telling him to back off. He looked at the edge of her bed and was relieved when she moved over a little, a silent invitation. "Nothing leaves this room, you know that. Everything stays between you and me alone." He took a deep breath. "Honey, I didn't tell you about Mr. Swear…"

Susan shook her head. "I would never have expected you to. He was a teacher in my high school who…" She shuddered. "I wouldn't have wanted to know…in fact, I preferred it when it was some anonymous, no-named guy. It's only that much worse since he…tried to…" She frowned. "I'm sorry for you, actually."

Nathan tried to smile. "Don't be." Susan looked…scared. It was something Nathan was not used to seeing in his daughter. His stomach twisted. "Honey?"

"We can just…talk?"

"Of course, baby." He only called Susan "baby" when he knew something was truly wrong, otherwise, she ignored him for a day or two.

"Is…is anything off the table?"

"No," he answered honestly, the knot in his stomach growing.

"Doesn't leave the room? Not to her and not to Sydney?"

"I promise, honey." He reached out and stroked her hair. It was disheveled tonight; she obviously tossed and turned before fleeing Celia's. "I have an idea." Nathan got up and went to Susan's dresser, the only thing on it right now was her brush. He picked it up and went back to the bed. She didn't want to, but she smiled. "You remember," he said, smiling back at her.

"When I was little and upset," she said, blushing. "I'd brag about it at school. Everyone's moms played with their hair…"

"Worked well to calm you." He winked at her. "Our secret tonight." She finally smiled and turned so her back was to him. He knew it'd be easier for her to talk this way. "Anything you need, baby, I'm here." He began to brush her hair and he felt her relax.

Susan took a deep, shaky breath, then swallowed hard. "I know that you only got married because of me. I've gone through all the pictures and put the timeline together. I'm not upset or anything, I know that that happens all the time and at least you tried, but…" She sighed, guilt flooding her for what she was about to ask. "Did…did either of you want that? Not me, I mean…I mean, marriage."

Nathan continued to gently run the bristles through her thick hair as he thought of the best way to answer this question. He couldn't lie to her, he couldn't even embellish. It wouldn't be fair. "I did what I thought was right…what both sets of our parents thought was right, but, I think – and I'm not trying to make your mother out to be any sort of…"

"Dad," she whined.

"In all the honesty I can give you, no. I'm rather certain that your mother didn't exactly want to marry me. I never asked her that when we were okay, but since we," he cleared his throat, "deteriorated, she's been pretty vocal about it."