Family Time #1: Scout

Chapter 12

“... So there’s sixty seconds left on the clock, I’m sweatin’ bullets and the suitcase is nowhere in sight. I’m mowin’ down Blues left and right with everything I got! It’s like a video game; I jump on their heads and bam! They’re gone! A real sight to see. Then! On the horizon, I see the Pyro run down the hill in a blaze of glory! Heavy is right behind him, suitcase in tow! I can’t believe my eyes here! Heavy shouts, ‘Scout! Run!’ and throws the suitcase right before the Blu’s eyes! Naturally, I caught it. And now here I am running through Red base a mile a minute with ten seconds left and the halls are lined with sticky bombs. I’m dodgin’ left and right tryin’ to get the briefcase to home base with five seconds left. I had no choice but to take a leap of faith straight through the doorway. Smoke and fire comin’ at me from all angles, I was so close to the line! My heart’s racin’, my whole body is sweatin’, my life flashes before my eyes and THEN…

I made it with two seconds to spare.”

“That’s amazing…” Melissa had been listening to her dad tell stories for almost two hours now, each one that much more interesting than the next.

“Yeah, it would be if it were true.” Ms. Pauling added. She, too, had been listening to Scout’s stories. It was actually quite entertaining to hear how highly Scout thought of himself and how much that Melissa believed of it. Well… considering the fact that she had seen some pretty improbable things within the last day... it wasn’t as unfathomable as she originally thought. And at the same time, she was pleasantly surprised how well Scout was doing despite only being a parent for a day. She had seen him struggle to correctly order fast food from a waiter who was not female or even compliment someone without trying to flirt with them and yet he managed to do in one day what most parents struggle to do in 18 years; connect with their child.

The best part about it, though? He wasn’t even trying.

Scout smirked devilishly at his lovely mistress(to-be) and pulled her over to him by the seat of her chair, “And let’s not forget about the time I saved Ms. Pauling from an evil loaf of bread. That’s a really good one.”

Ms. Pauling laughed softly, “That it is, Scout, but maybe you should let Melissa here get some rest.”

“But I’m not even tired!” She sat up in bed, “If I’m going to be the best scout ever, I gotta hear about what I’ll be fighting against!”

“The best scout ever, eh? We’ll see about that!” It was rather endearing to Scout that his daughter wanted to be just like him, but being a scout was a bit more than it was cracked up to be. Despite all she had been exposed to, this was only the tip of the iceberg.

“Let’s go, Scout,” Ms. Pauling ushered him to the door, “Goodnight, Melissa.” She smiled softly before the two of them disappeared into the hall, “Come on, I think I owe you a drink.”

--

At night, the small corner of the garage Engineer hadn’t occupied turned into the Red team’s makeshift bar and poker center, complete with low-hanging lights and second-hand cigar smoke looming over head. Ms. Pauling and Scout stood back and watched the other men play a game they liked to call ‘Dirty Blackjack.’ According to Soldier, it was like Blackjack but for “real” men. Personally, Scout found it funner to watch than to partake. Who really wants to get punched when they draw anything higher than 5? Ms. Pauling handed him a bottle of Teufort’s finest (no really, that’s the name) while she casually sipped a much tamer spirit.

She leaned against the back wall, “I must admit, you’re a lot better at being a father than I expected you to be,” she looked down at her drink, “I’m actually really proud of you…”

“Don’t say that, I still got time to fuck it up!” he nudged her shoulder and chuckled softly, masking his sincerity with his humor, “I’m actually really surprised myself. Me and her are so alike, I don’t even know that happened. I’m all the way out here and she’s all the way over there and yet…”

“It doesn’t surprise me; I mean, you both had a similar upbringing, right? People are molded by their experiences, not their parents.”

“I… I guess you’re right.” raised without a father, constantly distressed mother, being forced to grow up faster to handle the reality that surrounded them… God, he hated himself for making her experience that. He wouldn’t wish that life upon his worst enemy. “But I won’t let it happen. Not again.” and suddenly all those lessons teachers taught about learning from other people’s  mistakes made sense; it was never to better you, it was to better those around you. He smiled at his sudden revelation and raised his bottle once more, “I’ll drink to that.”

And all was okay for a brief few hours.

And it ended once more as the garage door arose.

In drove the company vehicle covered in fresh bulletholes and broken glass. You could hear the engine give out the  moment it came to a jilted stop. The Spy rolled out of the front seat, casually striding forth despite his obvious limp amongst his other injuries. Medic rose from his seat as he passed, but he ushered him aside, determined to carry out his task completely.

“I have done as you requested, Ms. Pauling.” He pulled from his pocket a small box about the size of a package of butter, “Take good care of her…”

And with that, he passed out.