General Hospital OC One-shots

Fourth of Lies

July 4th, 1965

     "Tomas! Hurry up." Veronica calls, looking to get guests and rolling her eyes. "The boy hasn't had his head on straight since that little whore convinced him to run off. Luckily his brotherly instincts kicked in when he learned he was about to be a big brother."
     Tom comes out to the yard, holding a tray of drinks in one hand and a sleeping Jenny in the other. "Here you go, Mother. Do you need anything else?" He asks, crossley.
     "Don't take that tone with me, Tomas. Go see if your father wants anything." She says, waving him away.
     "I'll see if Fred and his friends want a beer, they probably do." Tom remarks, readjusting Jenny in his arms and storming back inside. He sits on the couch, brushing the hair off her face. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. I know you don't like lots of people, but Nanna and Fred have all their friends coming over later, it'll be noisy. I'll see if I can steal you away for a nap, but you know how Nanna likes to keep you at parties. And I know you don't like when Nanna has you, she doesn't know what you like."
     Jenny turns her head to him, rubbing her forehead against his shirt. "I know, baby, you just wanna cuddle. I guess I should go get Fred's beer now. First of many today, I'm sure." He holds her against his chest and stands. She screams, trashing her legs. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Oh, it's eleven, naptime."
     He heads upstairs and into his room. His crowded, tiny room. There was hardly room for one teenage boy, but a teenage boy, his newborn daughter, and his stepfather's old racing memorabilia, there wasn't even wiggle room. He knew eventually Fred's stuff would be moved to the basement, but even then, there wouldn't be enough room for a crib and Tom's bed. But he had an idea for that.
     He lays her on the bed, kneeling next to it and leaning over her. "Nap time, Jenny. Go night night."
     She pulls her foot up to her mouth, blinking tears out of her eyes and down her cheeks. "Shh, shh baby girl. Okay, beddy bye song." He clears his throat, humming the first notes. "I give her all my love, that's all I do. And if you saw my love, you'd love her too. I love her."

Later

     "I grabbed two beers, wanna go crack 'em on the roof?" Dub asks, slipping past the crowd and over to where Tom's sitting, watching his mother.
     He shakes his head. "I'm keeping an eye on Jenny. My mom has her, but she doesn't know what Jenny needs when she cries. She doesn't know the difference between a hungry cry and a tired cry, much less an annoyed cry and full diaper."
     "Tom, literally no one knows that except for you. You're paranoid, TK. Have a beer."
     Tom takes the bottle from him, taking a quick drink but not looking away from his daughter. "Do you think she's doing alright?"
     "She's fine. Your mom raised you, didn't she?"
     "Yeah, and I turned out great." He remarks, taking another drink. He puts the beer down, leaning forward.
     Fred's gotten up and gone over to Veronica, his hand on Jenny's head. He takes her from his wife, holding her in a way where her head hangs limply. Tom jumps up and rushes over, taking Jenny from him before he can react. "You idiot, you have to support her head. You could've really hurt her."
     "The kid could use a little rough the way you coddle her. She's gonna grow up to be a sissy like you."
     "At least she won't grow up to be anything like you. You're worthless." Tom states, passing Jenny to Dub, who quickly loses her to one of Veronica's friends. Fred grabs and shames a beer bottle, fuming.
     "Don't ever disrespect me like that again." Fred demands, shoving Tom backwards. The noise from the party starts to die down, most guests staring.
     Tom tightens his jaw. "Don't ever say that about Jenny again."
     "She's my daughter. Or have you forgotten?" Fred antagonizes, grunting in Tom's face.
     "You've done nothing for her. You've never changed her, you've never fed her, you've never even held her. How can you claim to be her father when you're a complete stranger to her?"
     Fred raises his fist, grabbing Tom's shirt with the other. Tom, despite his hands shaking, grabs Fred's wrist. "Do it. Won't be the first time I've been hit, and I know it won't be the last."
     "Not with an attitude like that. You should be grateful to us. Most parents would've thrown you out onto the street after what you did, running off."
     "I'd love to be thrown out, I already tried running away and that didn't work. I couldn't take another second of you acting like the man of the house when you're just a sad excuse of a mechanic. You're the shell of a man who could've been half decent but stuck himself to the first desperate woman he could find, because you're weak and know a strong woman would reject your sorry ask in a heart-"
     "Tom," Dublin interrupts, grabbing his friends arm, "stop."
     "Stay out of this." Fred barks, followed by the harshest string of insults he could muster.
     "Don't talk to Dublin like that." Tom demands.
     The sound of the first firework only adds to the crowds reaction of Fred's swing.
     Tom moves his hand from his face, blood still dripping. "Bastard." He growls, ripping his screaming daughter from one of his mom's friends.
     "I'm sorry you had to see and hear that." He whispers, pushing past Fred and going upstairs, Dub following.
     Tom spits a mouthful of blood out his bedroom window, trying to fight back tears. Dub places his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You just gotta learn to ignore them, it's what I do."
     Tom shakes his head and climbs out the window, onto the section of roof, Jenny still pressed against his chest. Dub follows, nudging Tom. "Why is this effecting you so much?"
     "Because it's not just me anymore, it's Jenny too. I'm already so done with all the lies. Jenny is my daughter, not Fred's. I just, I've done so much for her and I'll be viewed as a background character in her life, when she's my whole life."
     "It sucks, man, but you agreed to it. It's just until you're eighteen, then you take her and leave. Come on, TK, stop your worrying." Dub says, slapping Tom's back.
     Tom smiles and nods. "You're right. Everything will work out in the end." He agrees, leaning back just as the fireworks start. "Happy Independence day, brother."
     "Happy fourth of Ju-lies." Dub looks over at him, a smirk on his face. Tom rolls his eyes, not able to help a laugh.

I'm only a little bit in love with young Tom.

Happy Independence Day!
(The picture is, of course, only a joke.)