Prelude
One bright and sunny morning, just a year later some months after returning home from the sanitarium Nick woke up in the small house he owned in the heart of Chicago. It toulk some time but after awhile he had been doing better then he ever expected, with a decent job in the bonds business and starting to get hold of a decent life things were looking up. He smiled looking out of his front room window to see the heat of summer take its effect, he could say things were definitely getting better. Just then he could hear the metallic sound of his phone and rushed into his kitchen to pick it up.
"Carraway residence, Nick here, may I ask who's calling?"
"Hi Nicky."
He nearly dropped the phone from his hand hearing that melodic voice once more. "Daisy? Daisy Buchanon? What are you- how did you get my number?"
He heard the words raspily drag themselves into the speaker. "I've been looking far and wide to get ahold of you for a very long time Nick. I tried everywhere, but found nothing until... well that doesn't matter right now, I've found you and now I have you." Her airy voice had become a bit rough, not as angelic and whimsical as he remembered.
"For what reason?" He spat into the phone rather coldly. No matter how many memories he had forced into the back of his mind to be forgotten he would never be able to forgive her for any of it, ever.
"Oh Nicky don't... listen I know you may never forgive me for what happened to Jay, but i have a favor to ask of you Nick, a very important one at that. I'm in Paris now, their should be a plain ticket with my address listed on the letter attached set in your mailbox. I'ts a beautiful place and I would love it if you could come and see me to talk Nick."
His jaw dropped open at the inconceivable audacity this girl carried. "Go to Paris? Now? Daisy, I know it's very simple for you to just up and leave as you please but it's not so easy for everyone else. See I have things like work and commitments. I'm sorry Daisy-" Was he? No, And he had about a thousand other things he would rather do then come face to face with the lying little whore ever again anyhow.
"Oh Nick no need to tear at me. I know you don't want to, but you must understand it isn't for me it's for... Jay." Though she barely whispered the name Nick caught every part of the word.
His body tensed at hearing his name like a spark of a flame, and he started to cling to every thing she said as if it were his life line. Pondering the offer a million times in his head he finally replied "I'll be their by morning." Knowing if he didn't he might never know if Jay had needed him just one last time.
"Oh that's grand Nicky! I can't wait to see you."
Though the sound of her voice said nothing of the sort he paid it no mind, he wasn't exactly thrilled about seeing her either, but it didn't matter. He was only going for Jay anyhow.
Early that next morning Nick showed up at the grand white brick house as expected. Walking up to the doorway he brushed past dozens and dozens of light pink roses that covered the trail to the house.
He knocked on the door patiently awaiting an answer when he was greeted by a lovely maid, who lead him into the grand house that was covered in white and dazzling crystals. He asked for Daisy and was lead through many halls until they came across a very dark, blue sitting room only lit by the sunlight hiding behind the cream colored curtains.
In the dimness of the room he could see the back of a cream colored chair, and a woman's light blonde hair just above it that could only be Daisy's. Taken aback by the unsettling tone of the room he sucked in a deep breath and waited a moment before walking past the doorway.
"Daisy?" He asked concernedly as he walked in. She turned her head to see him. He almost gasped at how horrifyingly ill the women before him looked, with much whiter skin then before and dark rings circling her eyes he had to wonder if he was talking to a ghost or his cousin until the noise of a baby's cries toulk away from the sight of her.
"D- Daisy?" He stuttered. He walked around to the front of the chair to be greeted by a tiny blond haired blue eyed girl in the skeletal arms of Daisy. Not wanting to stare at the sight before him any longer he looked away.
"I wasn't aware you had another child." He mentioned. She nodded shortly looking at the tiny little bundle in her arms with indifference.
"Oh yes, another little girl. Another beautiful little fool." She spoke wistfully. Nick shook his head. The last thing this world needed was another fool like Daisy.
"And was Tom present for this one?" He asked rather bitterly. He could only think that he wouldn't have to ask that question if she had chosen the rightful one, the one who deserved all the happiness in the world, even if she didn't deserve him. She was what he wanted, the only thing he wanted. He imagined for a small moment what life would have been like if she had chosen him, in fact he would have been here for her if that was...
The memory faded as he looked closer at the small child. That child looked absolutely nothing like her husbands, he hasn't seen such bright eyes of blue since... Gatsby.
He looked up at Daisy then back down at the little girl with out a doubt in his mind.
"Im afraid not Nicky. Tom has been gone since we made it to Paris, he's coaching a team here and traveling around the world in tournaments." She looked down at her daughter who had started to cry, rocking her gently until she quieted while Nick found a seat across from her.
"That must be very stressful for you, not having Tom around and all." His voice was just as uninterested in her as his eyes were.
"Actually It's not so terrible, you know the servants take care of the girls most days, so I have time to myself, it's quite relaxing." She looked up at him with unshed tears glossing over her eyes.
"Nick, I remember I had called you here for a favor. I want to know... You and I both know who's child this is. When Tom had left he could barely tell I was carrying her and... I need you to take her away from me."
He froze. "Daisy- what?" He asked in astonishment. Not only was this the biggest request he could have ever been asked of but it was the least understanding. He never saw himself as he fatherly type, and the last person he thought would was his cousin.
"Please Nick! Will you?" She pleaded. "Your the only person I would think to ask. If anything were to happen to us I would have had Pammy go to you, so Naturally you would be the only one I would give her too."
He scrunched up his face in a mix of confusion and anger. "But a child Daisy?" He hissed. "Im not-"
"I want her to be taken care of Nick. If Tom were to come home and see her he'd surely kill us both. She needs to be protected from people like Tom and all those people after Jays money. I know you would never let anybody harm anything of Jays, you'd keep her safe. Please, oh please take her. She deserves better Nick, Jay deserves better."
He stared blankly at her unable to find the words to say while his name rang in his ears like a nearby gunshot. He said he would have done anything for that man, but raising a child was not something so easily taken care of.
Stuck to the brown chair he'd been sitting in he stared at the little girl he'd possibly be taking in his arms. She seemed so sweet, so innocent, if anything were to happen to her knowing he could have prevented it it would bring him to his grave, especially knowing he had let Jay down once more even in death. The little one, so oblivious to what was going on around her looked at Nick with those eyes and a flash of a smile that only reminded him of Gatsby.
"Let me see her."
Quickly Daisy set the little girl in is arms as gently as she could. The feeling he got holding her was unlike anything he would have ever expected. He never pictured having his own child, never even dreamed it but this was something much much different.
"What's her name?"
"Rosalie. A darling name isn't it?"
The baby girl fell fast asleep in his arms and he looked up to Daisy. "It suits her."
She gave him a quick nod, his calming attitude adding to Daisy's anxiousness.
"So will you Nick? I'll give you some money to take care of her, just promise you'll keep her away from Tom and anybody else that would harm her becouse of her parents."
Nick rocked the child in his arms as she began to fuss, quickly calming her he bit his lip. What was he doing? Had he gone out of his mind? He didn't know the first thing about raising a child how could he-
And their was that smile again. A small sleepy smile that matched only Jays. A smile that had the remarkable ability to make everything alright. He could see Daisy anxiously await an answer when he looked up and sighed.
"I'll, i'll try my best."
She let out a breath of relief as a single tear left her cheek. Had it been for happiness or remorse Nick wasn't sure.
"Thank you, thank you so much Nick." She praised. The rest of that day was spent handling paperwork and legal information as well as the most uncomfortable dinner Nick had ever had with Daisy, Pammy, and Rosalie by his side.
Carrying much more then he had started out with that day Nick as well as a few movers began to head for the door to go back to Chicago. He mentally kicked himself for agreeing to something of the impossible, then again Jay was impossible and he would have given him everything as well. Walking out of the door for the first and last time he was more then ready to say goodbye to Mrs. Buchanon forever until he heard her call his name once more.
"Nick?" She asked gently. He turned around to see her with hot tears flooding down her cheeks.
"Let me say goodbye."
Nodding he handed her to Daisy and watched as she gave her a very tearful goodbye. He wondered if she had been so upset because she was letting go of her last connection to the man she could've loved, as he had very little belief Daisy Buchanon had any actual love for her children.
Handing her back to him he put her in her carrier to head out once again.
"Oh Nick, before you go I have one last favor to ask."
He had no energy left to be mad, and knew that their was no favor greater then the one she already asked of him. Tiredly he turned around just one more time.
"What now Daisy?"
"Don't let her know who her parents are, not until she's much much older."
He must've been mistaken. "And what do you expect me to do? Lie to her for the rest of her life?"
"Oh if you must. Really Nick just until she's To old to care to seek me out or for anyone to find any interest in who her father is."
It's what's best."
He sighed for the millionth time that day, but he knew she was right. People were still concerned with who Gatsby was and where his riches lay, and finding Daisy would lead to finding Tom. It was to dangerous and he refused to subject her to that kind of danger.
Finally he got to leave that house and her life for good, vowing to protect this little bundle in his arms until his last dying breath.
A/N: So, I'm having alot of fun writing this, and I hope you guys like it. My main focus is on the relationship between Nick, my oc, and Gatsby. This chapter was longer then i intended but I promise after the prelude and intro it gets alot more interesting. Feel free to comment with any idea you might like or how you like the story so far.