Daddy's Girl

Chapter Twenty Four

J couldn't believe it. Ace finally spoke again. He didn't think he would ever get to hear his angel's voice again. He was completely overjoyed.

That ended when she spoke again. "I'm sorry, dad." "What ever for, love? None of this was your fault." Ace chuckled. "I know it wasn't. That's why I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore." J looked at her in disbelief. "What can't you do anymore, Ace?" Ace hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I can't keep getting attacked and abused. I want to go to the vat that you and Mom fell into and I want to jump in. I want to be like you." J shook his head. "Believe me, doll, you don't want to be anything like me." "Well, I don't want to be anything like me," Ace whispered. J felt what was left of his heart clench, but he had to stand his ground. "No, Ace. I will not allow you to do that to yourself." Ace stood quickly. "Fine, then I only have one other option." "Ace? What do you mean?" Ace sprinted out of the room before she could answer. J ran after her, but he knew he couldn't catch her. He hesitated a moment too long, and he knew it. If anything happened, it would be his fault and he knew it.

When J finally reached Ace, he gasped and felt a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time. Fear. Ace was facing her father, holding a gun to her head. "Ace, please, put that down," J said lowly. "No! I can't live like that anymore, Dad. I'm sorry, but you have no idea what they did to me. Any of them!" "No, I can protect you, I'll just-" "No you can't! You promised you would and look what happened! I can't trust you to protect me. I can't trust you at all!" That was it for J. What was left of his heart had shattered. His own child hated him. He assumed she would one day, but this hurt way more than anything he could've imagined. "I know you hate me, Ace. But I'll do anything to get you to put that gun down. I'll leave you with a different family, I'll stop putting you in danger, anything you want. But please, put the gun down." Ace seemed to hesitate, but held her ground. J couldn't help what came out of his mouth next. "Just kill me. I'm the problem. If I die, then you'll finally be safe. Please, kill me instead." Something inside of Ace clicked. What was she doing. She knew her father loved her more than anything in the world and that he really did everything he could to protect her. This wasn't his fault.

J closed his eyes, expecting to feel a bullet enter his chest any second. What he didn't expect was to hear the clatter of the gun dropping to the floor and the feeling of arms wrapping around his waist. He opened his eyes quickly and wrapped his arms around his little girl as tightly as he could. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I know you did your best and I know that none of this is your fault. I don't want you to die. I could never kill you. I love you so much. Please don't leave me," Ace sobbed into his chest. "Darling, I would never leave you. You're my everything."