AN: So this is a one-shot I thought up when I was watching What a Girl Wants. It's a bit OOC, hopefully not too much. This does not mean I'm giving up on my other stories, I am still working on ALL of them. Please be patient.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from What a Girl Wants
Ian's POV:
"It's time for the father-daughter dance." Glynnis whispered to me as we were setting up for the next song. I nodded to her and told the band. Then I turned to the microphone.
"Excuse me ladies and gentleman. It is time for the father-daughter dance." The floor was cleared and Henry walked to the middle of the dance floor, looking around. I looked as well, waiting for Daphne to appear. But she wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"Oh where has that girl gone off to now, well dear why don't you dance with Clarissa? I 'm sure she won't mind?" Glynnis said.
"Yes! After all I'm almost your daughter too right?" Clarissa told him. Henry stood there, looking around and contemplating. I suddenly remembered something Daphne told me.
FLASHBACK
We were sitting in a café together, planning her ball.
"This doesn't really seem like something you would normally do… this whole fancy party thing…"I said suddenly. She smiled at me.
"It's not, but Henry said it's important. Besides there is one thing I'll look forward to with this ball."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"The father-daughter dance." She looked out the window, as if imagining she were somewhere else. "My mom and I have worked at a lot of weddings, and each one the have the father-daughter dance, and each time I couldn't help but think I would never get to do that. It's something I have always wanted to do too, it's one of my biggest dreams. And now, it will come true." She looked back at me and smiled. I grinned back.
FLASHBACKENDS
"No." I said into the mic, drawing all the attention in the room. I put the mic in the stand and hopped off the stage, walking to the little group in the center of the room, all eyes on me, complete silence.
"I beg your pardon?" Glynnis said.
"You can't do this dance without Daphne." I said to Henry, ignoring Glynnis and Clarissa completely. "She is your daughter, this is her party, and this dance is a dance she has dreamed of having since she was a little girl. You can't do this dance without her."
"He's right Henry." A woman said to him. I believe she is Daphne's mum. "Daphne has been dreaming about this dance for 17 years, and I'm not letting her miss it again at her own party."
"Now listen here, Daphne is not here at the moment, she must have wondered off, it's her own fault she would miss this dance."
Henry stared at Glynnis in disbelief, I could tell he was trying to form words but couldn't. So I did.
"Well, then you listen here. The band won't play a song until Daphne is back for this dance."
"I very much agree. We should go search for her." Henry said suddenly.
"But Henry!"
"And you can leave the party." He told Glynnis before turning back to us. "Right, um… Libby check the west side upstairs, I'll check the east side upstairs, mum, you check the left side on this floor, and Ian can check the right. Alright?" We all agreed and set off.
I searched everywhere, calling out Daphne's name, and then I got to the last hallway and heard something. I listened.
Crying.
"Daphne?"
~oOo~
Daphne's POV:
"HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE! I can't miss my own father-daughter dance…" I was banging and pulling on the doors while yelling out for help. I was going to kill Glynnis. I hope they don't play the father-daughter dance yet. That's the only thing I was looking forward to with this ball. And to make matters worse, the walls started to close in, the clutter on the floor making it hard to move around, it was getting hard to breathe. I felt the tears in my eyes. "Please! Please…." And I fell to the floor, just crying, no one would come here, it was so out of the way.
"Daphne?" I sniffed and listened. That sounded like Ian!
"Ian?" I called out, hoping beyond hope that I wasn't imagining his voice.
"Daphne? Are you in there?" He asked as the door handle jerked.
"Ian! Please! Please get me out!"
"Hang on, almost got it." And with that the door opened and I flung myself out at Ian.
"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou Ian." I said while still crying. He just held me tightly.
"Sh… it's okay Daphne, I've got you, come here." He backed us up to a wall, still holding me, and slid down it. "Daphne, it's okay, I've got you. Are you hurt?" I just shook my head. "Breathe Daphne, breathe. Talk to me.
"T-the walls, they were closing in around me…. I couldn't breathe, or move…"
"Daphne, are you claustrophobic?" I nodded and he just rubbed my back. "How did you get in there?"
"Glynnis… She-she locked me in after I h-heard her and A-Alistair talking about how h-he got r-rid of my mother."
~oOo~
Ian's POV:
I didn't know what to say to Daphne. The information she was telling me was disturbing. I just held her until she calmed down.
"Ian-Ian the dance! Did they do the father-daughter dance yet?" She asked frantically.
"No Daphne, I wouldn't let the band play until you were there. Glynnis tried to argue, but she was overruled. Henry, Libby and Jocelyn are all out looking for you too, so why don't we get you cleaned up so you can have that dance. Henry can deal with Alistair, Glynnis and Clarissa. Alright?"
She agreed and we got up. I kept my arm around her as we walked, she leaned against me. We walked up to her room, passing Libby on the way.
"Daphne!" She hugged Daphne and I, since she got to us before I had the chance to move. "Where were you? What happened?" Daphne just stood there though, not answering, looking as though she were somewhere else. So I explained the situation.
"Oh God. Daph, are you alright? Daph?" I rubbed her arm and she nodded in response to her mum.
"I'm gonna take her up to her room, let her freshen up a bit, the escort her downstairs." I told Libby.
"Alright, I'll go find Henry and Jocelyn and we will make sure those three are out of the manor before she comes back down."
I nodded to her and led Daphne to her room. We spent a good 15-30 minutes in there. She was finally talking again, I said some jokes to try and make her laugh. When she was better, we went back down to the party. As we entered, all eyes were on us. I led Daphne over to Henry.
"Daphne, are you quite alright?" He asked her in a low voice.
"I am now, yeah."
"We are ready to play the father-daughter dance if you are."
Henry held his hand out for Daphne. "May I have this dance?"
She took his hand, her dazzling smile lit up the whole ballroom. "Yes you may."
I made my way to the stage.
"Alright everyone, we are now officially ready to begin the father-daughter dance."
~oOo~
Daphne's POV:
As the music started, Henry and I danced around the room. It was the best feeling in the world, dancing with my dad. I promised myself to never miss another father-daughter dance again.
AN: So, not the best ending, hopefully you enjoyed the story though! And don't forget to check out my other stories as well!
