A/N So this is real AU about as AU as AU can get. As with so many of my fics I get ideas listening to music. It's Mellitz of course, but I haven't exactly figured out what Mellitz end game looks like in this one.
He watched her, she was absolutely beautiful. He had no idea how he'd become so lucky to have her. He certainly didn't deserve her. Well he knew how he'd become so lucky, she was payment for a debt that her father owed. She sat staring out of the window, as she so often did. She looked miserable and he knew she was. He walked into the study where she sat silently looking out of the window as if she craved freedom, from the confines of the big house.
"Hey how are you?" She turned to him and smiled, a genuine smile. He was the few things that made her happy.
"Fitzgerald, it's good to see you. Your dad isn't here." He sat down in the chair across from hers.
"I know, I came to see you." Her eyebrow quirked up. "Actually to check on you." She shrugged and got up from the chair.
"I'm fine." He knew that was the furthest thing from the truth.
"You can talk to me."
"I know, I just don't know what I'm feeling. My emotions are a jumbled mess. I don't understand why my dad did this to me."
"It was that or..." He trailed off, she knew what it was.
"I'm his child, he shouldn't have sacrificed me for his bad decisions."
"Well look on the bright side, you got me as a stepson." He smiled at her and her heart melted.
"Yes I did, a stepson that's older than me, but who's counting." They both laughed.
"I'm glad to hear you laugh. I know how difficult all of this must be for you."
"I had hopes and dreams Fitz, I wanted to be a lawyer and that's not going to happen."
"Why not? You can still go to school."
"Your father doesn't even let me out the house without bodyguards, he'd never let me go to school."
"Maybe not, but I'm sure you could convince him to bring the school to you."
"I'm going to hate when you leave Fitz." He would too, he worried about her when he was away at sea. His father was a ruthless man, who ground, anything and anyone that got in his way, into the ground. Mellie was young, inexperienced and impressionable. He'd never understand how her father could do this to her. He knew that Big Gerry would have killed him had he not, but Fitz knew if it were his choice he'd have died before subjecting his daughter to being Big Gerry's wife.
"I will too. My leaves seem to go so fast."
"Come have lunch with me." They stood and walked into the kitchen. Big Gerry came storming in the house. He saw Fitz and Mellie sitting at the table, laughing and eating lunch. He walked up to her and grabbed her neck, kissing her on the mouth.
"You look mighty cozy." He said staring at Fitz. "Don't get any ideas son." He walked by and slapped Fitz on the shoulder, harder than he needed to. The mood was broken and neither of them was hungry. He could see that Mellie was disgusted that Big Gerry kissed her. She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt.
"I know you hate him and I don't blame you." He said softly. Tears welled in her eyes and she dropped her head.
"I hate my father more. I'm going to go take a nap. Thanks for stopping by and checking in on me Fitz." She stood from the table and walked out of the room.
Fitz watched her go and his heart broke for her. She was a sweet girl, she was beautiful and perfect and she deserved a man that adored her. A man that did not treat her as a possession, a business acquisition. A man that loved her more than he loved the air he breathed, a man like him. Fitz stopped cold. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on her that he was attracted to her, but he kept that to himself. He'd never thought too much about the depth of that attraction.
Mellie sat in her room, or prison the words were interchangeable and stared out the window as she did so often. She lived in a mansion, with servants who catered to her every need and she was miserable. She was married to a cruel old man that did not love her. She was not a person to him, she was leverage and collateral for her father's gambling debts. She hadn't seen her parents since she was forced to marry Gerry. She didn't want to see them. She was just as angry with her mother for going along with this. At twenty she had so many plans and none of them involved being married to a man more than twice her age.
The only good thing about all of this was Fitz, her stepson. She smiled softly at the thought that her stepson was six years older than she was and one of her best friends. He'd tried to talk his father out of making Mellie marry him, but of course Gerry didn't listen. She knew if her life had been different she may have ended up with someone like Fitz. He was not only handsome, but he was kind and good hearted. She couldn't believe that someone as sensitive and caring as Fitz was by Gerry. His mother died when he was young and he was left with Gerry. Of course the nanny's mostly looked after Fitz until he was old enough to fend for himself.
He was determined to be a legitimate business man, maybe even a professor some day. To Big Gerry's chagrin he'd left right after high school and joined the Navy. Big Gerry wanted him to stick around and be groomed to take over the family business. The family business that Mellie hadn't quite figured out and frankly she didn't really want to know. All she knew was that they had a lot of money and it was gained through nefarious means. She tensed when she heard him enter the bedroom.
"Fuck would you stop sitting staring out of the window. When I got a twenty year old wife I didn't think you'd be such a fucking dud. Go find Fitzgerald, get out of my sight." He bellowed and Mellie jumped. She stood from the window seat and walked quickly out of the room with her head down. She decided to go for a horseback ride.
Fitz watched her from his room. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass of the window. She looked so sad and lonely. His heart broke. He hated that he would be leaving her in just three days. He'd paid one of his father's bodyguards to report to him if she were ever in danger, but thankfully nothing had been reported, but still he wanted to stay around and protect her.