Whichever is quickest.
Prompt – Kill 'em with kindness, or a gun, you know, whichever's quickest.
One-Shot in my Twisted universe.
When Emma asks for advice about a situation at school, Laurel tries her best to be a supportive mother. Ressler, however, must step in. A little bit of fun, a little bit of meaningful conversation.
Reviews are loved and appreciated, mistakes are mine, enjoy.
Disclaimer – I own nothing.
"How was school today?" Ressler cringed at how pre-rehearsed Laurel's question sounded, but he assumed Emma was just pleased she was being asked.
He was stood in the kitchen, trying to make dinner, following the routine he and Laurel had fallen into. It wasn't in his life plan to leave his well-earnt job and move in with a criminal, but that was where he was. Thankfully, Cooper kept him informed, he would help out from time to time, give them the name of contacts, run searches, and they would help him, with the random names Laurel would give him. Names of those who were still active in the cabal.
"It was okay, I guess. I met my Science professor, he seems lovely, and my English tutor is sweet. I think it's going to take some time to get used to it all." Emma shrugged. Ressler could tell how hard she was trying to see the best in this situation, but she had to move school and deal with all that went along with it, and that was all while she had to understand everything her mother had done.
Donald saw Laurel nod and smile at her child, and held his breath for whatever she said next.
"You'll get there, love. You've done it before, you'll do it again." Laurel smiled, but she could see her daughter was still not happy. Maybe she wasn't the most attentive when Emma was younger, but she still knew her child.
"What's for dinner, Donald?" Emma asked, getting up off the couch, to join Ressler in the kitchen.
"Homemade Pizza, I thought it would be nice, first day of a new school and all that," Emma nodded, before moving to wash her hands, setting up to help Ressler chop the toppings.
"Do you think she feels bad?" Emma asked after a moment of silence between the two.
"Who?" It was a dumb question for Donald to ask, he knew who and if he was being honest, he wondered himself if Laurel felt bad about what she'd done.
"Mum, you know, you quit, I had to move schools, we had to move to a new house, we're in a new country. Do you think a part of her feels bad?" Ressler put down the knife he was using and dried his hands on the dish towel.
He turned slightly to lean against the counter.
"I think a part of her does, not that she's going to show it." Emma chuckled, nodding a little in sad understanding. Despite Ressler not wanting to be there, he had grown close to Emma and had enjoyed being the father figure she'd never had and the father figure he wanted to be.
"I just, I have so much to tell her, but a part of me wonders if she'll understand." Ressler thought for a moment, looking over at Hitchin who was reading a magazine, she seemed so oblivious, but Ressler knew a part of her cared. He had heard her talking to herself in the mirror, giving herself pep talks on how to be around her daughter, from time to time he would mention something, suggest that Laurel speak to Emma, see how she was, and for the most part she would take his advice, which proved that a part of her cared, but then again, Ressler would never be able to see past the fact that she was a criminal, even if a small part of him felt sorry for her.
"I'll save the day if she doesn't," Ressler reassured before Emma washed her hands again, and walked back towards her mother.
"So, I have this situation at school," Emma began, sitting next to her mother once again.
Laurel put down the magazine, giving Emma a look before smiling, encouraging her to go on.
"I think it's because I'm the new kid, but there's a group of girls, who are just mean, and I'm talking like really mean, like steal your lunch money and try to drown you in the girls bathroom, mean, and it's not that I want a special agent to come in and save the day, I just want some advice on how to deal with it, how to ignore it, maybe?" Laurel sighed and shrugged, this was all that she had ignored when Emma was younger.
"Well, you know what people say, kill them with kindness," Emma shook her head a little, looking at Ressler who had come to join them.
"I don't really want to know what everyone else says, I want to know what my mum says." Emma gave a tight, yet hopeful smile.
Laurel looked up at Ressler who'd sat down on the couch opposite them.
"Well, I say kill them with kindness, or a gun, you know, whichever's quickest." Ressler nearly choked on the coffee he was drinking, and Emma looked shocked and a little confused.
"Okay, mum, thanks for that." The sarcasm in her voice was clear as day.
"Well, honey, you managed school for three years without my input and you where the top of your class." Emma gave a nod, but more a nod of defeat.
"I wanted your input, mum, you were just too busy shooting members of the Justice Department to attend to my needs."
"Okay, Em, let's leave that there." Ressler stopped her before Laurel could say anything else.
Laurel gave Donald a look before turning back to her daughter.
"Fine. Don't use a gun, because Donald and I can no longer have the power to get you out of jail, but if you want my advice, do kill them with kindness, because, if there is one thing I know about my daughter it's that you are nothing like me. You are a good girl who is capable of getting good grades and an excellent job and having a life worth living," Laurel hesitated for a moment.
"Don't let them get to you. You're better than that." Emma reached over to take her mum's hand.
"Thank you, for trying." Laurel didn't say anything back, she just watched as Emma got up, heading in the direction of the staircase.
"Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes, kid," Ressler called after her.
He looked at Hitchin for a moment before speaking up.
"She asked me, earlier in the kitchen if you care. If you care about me and what I did to protect you and Emma, if you care about Emma and moving her schools and to a different country. I told her that you did, I said that somewhere in you, you cared about the two of us,"
"Donald,"
"Just, let me finish." He interrupted her, leaning forward to get in closer.
"I don't care if you care about me. I know what I did, and I know why I did it. Laurel, you need to care about Emma. She wants you so badly to care about her, to love her and to give her advice, she is trying so hard not to fall apart because of everything, and I think you need to respect that too." Laurel nodded at his words.
"So, the killing those girls with a gun?" Donald chuckled lightly, he wasn't expecting Laurel to get all meaningful on him.
"Yeah, I think we're going to have to work on your advisory skills." She nodded before picking up her magazine again.
Donald watched her for a moment before going back to check on the pizza. At least they had taken a step, or maybe a stumble in the right direction.
Super short, but I hope it was a good read. Please let me know what you think! Thank you.