A/N: Another AU (sort of) and a future-fic. This is just an idea that was kicking around in my head, and I wanted to put it down. I'm only planning really to keep this as a one shot, just something to keep my creative juices flowing. Maybe it will grow into something more? Who knows. For the sake of this story, vampires are able to have children. Anyway, I really have no idea where this came from or why it has a bunch of angst in it, but it just turned out that way.
Summary: AU. Liam Salvatore and Jo Smith meet up after school to sit on his swing set, and Jo starts to compare and reflect on the differences between Liam's parents and her father. Dark. Klaus/unmentioned OC, Damon/Elena. Two-Shot.
Hooligans- Part One.
"It's a hard, hard thing to come clean."
The Salvatores had such a nice house, Liam getting a nice bedroom that his parents had painted themselves when he was just a baby in his mother's stomach. Or, at least that's what Liam tells her. Liam glances over his shoulder at her, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Jo, you should come over. My father set up a new swing set yesterday and there's two swings." he explained, Jo giving him a small smile.
"Okay." Jo agreed, thinking about how Liam had such nice parents. Elena was a very nice woman, always warm and welcoming to Jo when she would visit with Liam. Damon was funny, always throwing jokes or sarcastic quips around that made Liam laugh.
Jo's dad laughed once and a while, but it was never really in a goodhearted nature like Damon's was. It was always somewhat cruel, but Jo didn't see any problem with that. Jo never really understand why Elena and Damon, even Liam's uncle, Stefan, thought so lowly of her father. Calling him a monster and murderer.
"Did you want to call your dad, first?" Liam asked as they walked up his block. Jo shook her head, giving Liam shrug.
"If I'm home before dark, Dad shouldn't mind." she said, adjusting the small backpack that Liam had gotten for her birthday a few days ago. Jo turning seven, Liam being eight. It was a tough birthday, Jo remembered.
She had found out about what happened to her when she was little. That her mother had all but dropped her off in her father's hands and left. Jo remembered the way her father had said it, like her mother hand handed him a stray dog instead of a child, her father(her daddy) taking care of her because none of her uncles would take her in.
She even learned that her last name, Smith, wasn't even her real one. Jo was happy that she didn't learn her real one, she still didn't understand why it wasn't Smith. It would just confuse her too much to learn a new one.
"Come on, Jo!" Liam called, running up to the front of his house and climbed the steps. Jo jogged to catch up as Liam opened the front door and walking inside, dropping his bag down on the floor.
"I'm home, Mom!" Liam called out, walking towards the kitchen where the door to the back yard was. Elena walked out from the kitchen, catching her son mid run and gave him a hug and a kiss on the head, running a hand through his brown hair.
"I brought Jo home," Liam said once Elena was done hugging him, "if that's okay."
"Oh, yes, that's fine." Elena said, giving Jo a smile. Jo smiled back, she loved it at Liam's. It was the one place where she felt like she was living at home. Though, sometimes, Jo would catch Elena looking at her with a sort of sad expression on her face. Jo didn't understand why Elena would feel sad, she had always guessed it was something she did.
"We're going to go outside." Liam said, looking up at his mother for permission. Elena nodded, smiling down at the two of them.
"Go right ahead, you two go play. Just be ready to come inside when your father gets home."
Liam grabbed Jo's wrist and was off as soon as she finished, pulling her along to the back yard where the swing set was. Liam stopped at a swing, sitting down on it as Jo took the one next to it.
"I love swinging." Liam said, pushing himself back and lifted his legs up as he swung forward. Jo followed what he did and started swinging also.
"So, what did you get for your birthday?" Liam asked, looking at her now. Jo stared back, letting her swing move back and forth for a bit, thinking before answering.
"That cool backpack you got me." she said, Liam chuckling.
"Well, I know that. What about the other stuff, like ones from your parents?"
Jo frowned, shaking her head. "Dad didn't come home until midnight, he didn't get me anything. But, I got a small stuffed animal from my friend at school."
It was the only other gift she got that birthday, the little stuffed cat that she loved so much. She would hide her face in it's soft fabric when she would hear things downstairs, like someone screaming. She asked her father about it, he only told her to ignore it when it happened. Still she hugged the cat when she thought she saw monsters in her closet. Sometimes she would call for her Dad, but usually never came. The cat was the next best thing.
"Your mom and dad didn't get you anything?" Liam asked, sounding like that was the most craziest thing that he had heard.
"My mom isn't around anymore, and Dad is busy most of the time." Jo said, using her father's term.
("I don't have time to play with you and your silly games, Jo. I'm busy, go upstairs.")
"Oh." Liam said, swinging his leg that the toe of his shoe swept across the grass. "But, isn't your Dad supposed to spend time with you?"
Jo just shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno."
"My Dad spends time with me, he says that it's important." Liam said, "you're Dad's...stupid if he doesn't."
Suddenly, Liam found himself with Jo's hands slamming into his chest, sending him falling back off the swing and onto the hard ground with a thud, Jo standing over him with an almost crazy look in her eyes.
"My Dad is not stupid!" Jo yelled at him, red in the face. Liam stood, upset that he had been pushed. He shoved her back, Jo stumbling a bit.
"Well, my Dad loves me!" he shouted, "I heard Mom talking about your Dad, and she said that he doesn't even love you! At least mine loves me!"
Jo paused, tears collecting in her eyes. "My Dad loves me." she clenched her fists, "he may not say it, but he does!" she heard the back door slide open, Jo couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.
"What's going on out here?" Elena asked, wide eyed at the two kids, both with dirt on their clothes and Liam had a open scrape on his shoulder.
"Jo pushed me off the swing!" Liam said, he was fighting back his tears. Jo looked from him to Elena, who was looking at her.
"Is that true, Jo?" she asked, Jo's tears still falling. She swiped a piece of blonde hair away from her eyes as she looked up at Elena, eyes narrowing.
"My father loves me! You're wrong!" she all but screamed, backing away. "He..." her voice trembled, wiping the tears away. Elena reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, Jo couldn't continue, the tears falling down.
"Sure he does, who said he doesn't?" Elena was lying through her teeth, but this poor girl had been through hell and she would say anything to make her feel better.
"You did!" Jo yelled, swatting her hand away. "Liam told me, and you're wrong!"
"Jo-" Elena started, but the girl turned and headed towards the door. She didn't stop until she was outside the front door, closing it behind her quickly. She ran towards her home, her red and black backpack laying on the floor inside Liam's house.
Jo opened the door to her house, her eyes throbbing and stinging. She closed the door behind her, biting her lip.
"Dad?" she called, walking towards the living room. She paused, seeing the empty and still house. A few tears escaped from her eyes as she looked around again. "Dad!"
He wasn't home. The one time she really needed him, and he wasn't even home waiting for her. She fell down onto the floor, her legs tired from running as she let out a few sobs.
"They're wrong. They're wrong!" she cried to the empty house, hugging her knees to her chest as she closed her eyes. He loved her, he never did anything to show it, but he did. She was sure of it. Liam was stupid. His parents were stupid. Stupid Liam getting a band-aid and a kiss on the shoulder to make him feel better while Jo fell asleep on the floor for her father to find a few hours later.
Liam was stupid because he was loved. His family was stupid because they loved him, and Jo didn't know what that felt like.