Damaged (Linctavia)

Chapter 45

       It was a long week. Finally it's Friday. Lincoln walks back to the station after his lunch break with the guys. "Woods! Come here." Jaha calls him over. He nods and leaves the guys walking over. "Hey what's up boss." He smiles. "Im sorry. But I think it's for the best." Jaha says. "What?" Lincoln looks at him. He hands him an envelope. Lincoln looks at him confused and opens the envelope pulling out a paper that says he's fired. "You're cutting me off?" Lincoln looks up at him. Jaha shakes his head. "You know you are one of our best guys. But you've been slacking and we can't have any risks in the fire force. I'm sorry. Can I have your jacket." He asks. Lincoln takes off his jacket and hands it over sadly. He turns around and sees Murphy standing there. He looks at him and then leaves upset.

     He drives around for a while thinking. He gets home at the his usual time and says hello to Octavia and the kids. "So how was everyone's day?" Octavia asks as they eat supper. "Good." Jayden answer. "It was fine." Julianna shrugs. "Okay." Lincoln says. After dinner, Jayden helps Lincoln with the dishes while Julianna goes upstairs to do her homework and Octavia does the laundry.

     Octavia walks into Julianna's room to give her her clothes. She sees her standing in front of her mirror lifting her shirt looking at her hip. When she sees Octavia she quickly fixes her shirt. Octavia puts the laundry basket down and walks over lifting her shirt and sees the tattoo. She immediately recognizes it from Lincoln, one of his gang symbols and her eyes flood. "LINCOLN!" She yells.

     Lincoln's downstairs with Jayden and when he hears her scream he runs upstairs. "What? What's wrong?!" He walks into Julianna's room. Octavia lifts her daughters shirt showing him the tattoo. Lincoln looks at it and rubs the back of his neck. "YOU'RE GONNA FIX THIS. So your daughter doesn't get killed!" Octavia doesn't even look at Julianna as she walks out of the room she stops in front of Lincoln and slaps him. "This is your fault!" She frowns as a tear falls from her face and she leaves him.

    Lincoln stands there looking up at the ceiling and then looks at Julianna. "Grab your coat and meet me in the car." He says and walks downstairs.

Lincoln gets in the car and waits for julianna. She runs out of the house and gets in the front seat beside him. "I'm sorry" she mumbles and he ignores her, not even turning to look at her.

      He drives her to a tattoo shop and they walk in. "Hi. Can you remove tattoos?" He asks. The guy raises his eyebrow. "Mhm. On you?" He asks confused. He shakes his head and points to julianna. She lifts her shirt and shoes her tattoo." "The guy takes a closer look. "Damn, why she removing that. She'd be a pretty good grounder girl if you know what I mean." He chuckles and smirks at her. Lincoln steps in front of her and frowns at him. "If you ever speak that way about my daughter again you will be dead before you can even say sorry." He threatens him. He nods and leads them to the back.

     "Ok. It's gone. That's gonna be 350$ please." The guy asks. "350$?!" Lincoln repeats. "Yes do you have the money." He asks. Lincoln sighs and shakes his head handing him the money.

     They were walking back to the car when Julianna looks over at Lincoln "Are you mad..." Julianna asks. He doesn't answer. "Hello? You haven't said anything to me all night." She sighs. Lincoln still ignores her. "Daddy!" She screams. "WHAT?!" He screams and turns around. Julianna jumps back frightened from his voice and looks at him. "Julianna! I don't know what to say to you! Hickeys and tattoos?! What are you trying to prove!" He asks. "Nothing. I'm sorry." She says starting to cry. "No sorry isn't going to help. You are lucky you got out of this one but people die making these mistakes! The tattoos on my body are bad, they are dangerous!" He yells. "I'm trying to protect you from the bad in this world but you're making it so hard for me." He crouches down and covers his face starting to cry. "I can't do this. If anything every happened to you or your brother I would never be able to forgive myself! I can't have that guilt. Please."

      Julianna looks at him scared. She's never seen him cry before, he's never been this mad or upset. She leans down and hesitatingly hugs him. "I'm sorry." She whispers. She cries because she hears him crying. Lincoln looks up at her and holds her cheeks. "I'm sorry Monkey. I'm trying I really am." He tells her. "I was only trying to be like you." She whispers as a tear falls from her eye. Lincoln wipes her face and shakes his head. "No baby. You are so much better than me. You are an amazing girl, beautiful and smart. You can't change. Promise me you'll always be the best you can be." He looks at her. "I promise." She says leaning her cheek against his hand. "Good." He kisses her forehead. She hugs him tightly. "I love you." She whispers. "I love you too." He tells her.

     When they get home, he tells her to go upstairs for bed. Lincoln walks to the kitchen and leans against the counter. Octavia walks over to him. "Is it gone?" She asks. "Yes Octavia. It's gone." He says grabbing a water bottle. "This would have never happened if you weren't part of that stupid gang." She shakes her head. "Really?" He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "Do I have to remind you of what your tattoos have put us through?" She asks. "Do you think I'm happy right now?! Like oh ya I wanted our daughter to get the grounders tattoo on her body?! NO OCTAVIA IM NOT! Because the worst regret of my life is what happened to you because of me." He screams. "That killed me. Because I hurt you!" He tells her. "Well why are you getting mad at me?! It's not my fault!" Octavia says. "Yeah I know Octavia. It's my fault. You know blame it all on me. Everything's my fault!" Lincoln screams.

Jayden goes running into Julianna's room and shakes her awake. "Jules. Julianna wake up. Make them stop." He cries. Julianna wakes up rubbing her eyes. "What?" She looks at him. "Make them stop" He crawls up onto her bed. She looks at her door and hears her parents yelling. She looks at her little brother. "It's ok. Just sleep here I'll be back." She gets up quietly and sits at the top of the stairs watching them.

"I never said everything was your fault!" Octavia tells him. "But it's not your fault so it has to be mine!" Lincoln says. "Oh shut up Lincoln. The point is I tried to raise my daughter properly an-" Lincoln cuts her off. "Your daughter? Oh right I didn't know her the first 5 years of her life BECAUSE YOU KEPT HER FROM ME! She is my daughter Octavia and If you thought I was a bad influence you would've asked me to leave a long time ago!" He screams.

To be continued...