WHAT A GIRL WANTS
Chapter Two: London Calling
On Bo's 17th birthday, both Eggsy and she had to work. But it turned out to be where Bo's story really began.
A dark skinned Beta looked into the window of a van with the Union Jack painted on the hood and stared at the older omega.
"You deliverin' somethin'?" his voice absently reminded Eggsy of one of those Italian mobster movies.
"'Bout three hours of watered-down rock and roll," Eggsy said in a monotone before a teenage beta girl with wild blonde hair pulled in a loose ponytail swung the side door open, bonked her head against the roof of the van, and came tumbling out with a loud yelp, "and one very late waitress."
"Sorry." Bo mumbled from where she was eating dirt.
"Are you related?" The guy asked, looking at Eggsy in question who just smirked at Beta.
"Can I park it?" He asked, dangling the keys for emphases.
"Er, yeah, over there." He pointed to a section of the gravel parking lot.
Eggsy nodded and parked by the other beaten-down cars that were owned by the various other staff employed for the wedding.
Not long after the van was parked and the music equipment was set up, Eggsy and a few bands members were playing a softer version of Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth". A few people already out on the dance floor swaying awkwardly to the rhythm.
Bo brushed herself off once more to rid herself of any lingering dirt, and fixed her wrinkled uniform before walking over to one of the many food tables and started to organize the plates and silverware for the guests. She flinched in surprise when a loud voice suddenly screeched in anger.
"How could he do this to me? It's our wedding day! Where is he?" It was the bride in her huge white gown, face red and tears starting to gather in her eyes.
Her father was standing beside her, but he was subtly leaning away with his eyes trained on her. Like she was a velociraptor that lunge at him in her wrath if he moved an inch.
"What? I should know?" The father held his hands up, as if asking for mercy.
"Ten minutes and she's lost him already." Another male piped up, likely the best man.
His words caused the distressed bride to roar in rage, her father finally leaping back.
Bo sighed and picked up a stack of plates to spread out on another table when her foot caught on something and she went down.
Bo squawked in alarm, but managed not to smash her stack of plates. She let out a sigh of relief and turned her head around to see what she had tripped over and froze at the sight of a single leg sticking out under a table. Bo gawked at the sight before leaning down to pull up the table clothe and look under the table. She discovered a very drunk groom. The guy took another gulp from his flask and looked at her with glazed eyes.
"Hey, how you doin'?" He slurred before groaning and slumping over to ground.
Bo blinked before rolling out from under the table and sat down the plates. She looked around and spotted the swan ice sculpture that was already melting, then snatched a butter knife that was halfway through an apple from a guest.
"I'm sorry, can I borrow this? Thanks."
She hurried over to the ice sculpture and began to hack at it's dripping nose. Once she got a large piece off, she tossed the freezing ice in and out of her hand, yelping at the cold. She tossed the apple knife back to the guest with a quick "thanks" before going back under the table and pulled back the collar of the sleeping groom that still snored loudly.
"Sorry about this."
She shoved the ice into the back of his shirt and shook him harshly.
"Come on, big guy, wakey-wakey."
The groom shot up sharply, smacking his head hard under the table and started to shout in shock.
"Help Ma! It's cold and I can't get it out!" The groom wailed, making weird arm movements to lodge the ice out of his shirt.
Bo panicked and began to copy him, smiling awkwardly and making it look like a dance.
"Shout, shout!" Bo yelled out cheerfully, still mimicking the flailing groom. She stared at her dad in emphasis.
Eggsy's eyes widened in realization and spoke quickly to the band behind him.
"You know you make me wanna shout-!"
And just like that, everyone began to copy Bo and the poor groom that was still trying to dislodge the melting ice in his shirt.
"Are you done with this, sir?"
Many hours later, the party had calmed down and was playing some slow music. Bo was doing her job, replacing people's places with desert or refilling glasses.
The man nodded and thanked her, but the woman sitting next to him stared at her in shock, her eyes wide with recognition.
"Bonnie?" Bo winced at use of her full name and looked at the girl in horror, but still replied in a fake happy surprise.
"Noelle!"
Noelle was an old classmate of Bo's, they weren't exactly friends per say, really. She had short straight red hair and hazel eyes, her nose was slightly crooked from when she fell off a slid as a kid and broke her nose- it hadn't set right.
Bo hurriedly picked up two more dirty dishes and made her way back to the sinks, but Noelle just followed her making the blonde groan inwardly.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm clearing the chicken cacciatore."
The girl followed Bo around as she continued to clean up the dishes and laughed fakely.
"My God, that is so funny! Guess what! I'm interning at Jenkins and Taylor before I go to Duke, prelaw."
Bo frowned, she still hadn't decided what she was going to do now that she'd graduated. Hopefully Noelle would be to busy talking about herself to-
"What's next for you?"
Bo wished she wouldn't jinx herself so much.
"The dessert, a selection of sorbets." She snarked, not that Noelle noticed.
"No, where are you going to college?" Noelle continued to pester, not noticing Bo's expression darkening.
The blonde smiled thinly, "That would be the University of the Undecided."
Noelle looked at her in confusion, "Is that in Ohio?"
Bo stared at her blankly before replying in monotone, "Yeah. Undecided, Ohio."
Noelle nodded thoughtfully, and Bo decided to make a break for it while she still could.
"I guess I better be going," Bo said gesturing to the stacks of plates in her hands, "but say hey to Jenkins and Taylor."
"Sure." Noelle replied, a little put off.
When the red head finally faded from view Bo let out a sigh of relief and turned towards the stage when she heard Eggsy's 'Posh' voice. He hated it, but it was practical for work. No one would hire him if he 'sounded like a phleb.' Bo would always reply that no one in New York even knew what that meant.
"Now will everyone please clear the dance floor. The bride and her father would like to share a special dance."
Bo faltered before turning away to pick up a few more dirty dishes.
As her father began to croon out Celine Dion, Bo snuck glances at the now happy bride and her father walk out onto the dance floor and sway contentedly together. Eggsy sought out his daughter and frowned slightly at the familiar look on her face, but he couldn't go comfort her. This was his job, if he didn't take these wedding gigs Bo wouldn't have a roof over her head.
Bo sighed and tried to return to her work, only to pause as a man and his younger daughter entered the dance floor. She slowly sat down at an empty table and just watched gloomily as the father lifted his daughter in his arms and smiled at her like she hung the stars.
As more and more father and daughters walked out to dance together, Bo could only smile sadly as she wondered about her own wedding day. And her other father who wouldn't be there to dance with her.
"I know. I saw the look."
Bo was picking up the small balloon weights on the table, avoiding Eggsy's eyes as she continued to do her job.
"I don't wanna talk about it." Bo said softly, still stacking plates.
"Babes..." Eggsy looked at his daughter with mournful eyes.
"Every time we do these weddings mom, I see the father-daughter dances." Bo finally snapped, setting down the plate filled with weights harshly.
"l just...I can't help but think that I'm never going to get to do that!" her voiced cracked at the end of the sentence, Eggsy quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter in comfort, but the teenager shrugged him off roughly.
"l know you think you're doing the right thing by keeping me from him-"
"l was tryin' to protect you from gettin' hurt the same way I was." Eggsy interrupted, it was a common argument between the two.
"You left him, remember?" Bo spat, glaring slightly at the now exasperated omega.
"You know it's not that simple. 'Sides, it's not like he jumped on a plane and came after me Bo! He was the one that decided his career meant more than us."
"You mean you." Bo snapped.
Eggsy flinched, his scent turned sour, his expression filled with hurt.
Bo winced, guilt filled her at the change. Even though she was a beta, she could still catch strong scents. And she didn't mean to snap at her dad, she was just frustrated.
"I'm sorry, I know it's not your fault. But you don't understand, l feel like half of me is missing. Without the other half, how am l supposed to know who I really am?"
Eggsy gazed sadly at his daughter before pulling her close and scented her neck. Waiting until she slumped against him and relaxed.
"Gettin' to know someone 'cause they share the same DNA isn't the answer babes, It's 'bout gettin' to know yourself."
Bo sighed but smiled at Eggsy, who brushed a few wild curls from her face and smirked. His green eyes filled with mischief.
"Come on, let's go steal some leftovers. Lasagna looks great." Bo giggled and leaned into him when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"I love you a million red macaroons."
"I love you a million red M&M's."
"Taxi!"
"Where to, miss?"
"JFK, Virgin Atlantic."
"You got it."
Bo stared out the window of the taxi and watched her childhood home fade away, smiling guiltily. Yet she was filled with excitement. This was the right thing to do, she could feel it. Like a cord was wrapped around her heart and it was tugging her to her father.
l thought maybe the answer was taking a year or two off before college to find out what I'm supposed to do with my life.
But deep down, I think I've always known what I really need more than anything else in the world is to find him.
To find my other dad.
Dad, you always said it was up to me to write the rest of my story...
but you've been writing it for me, dad.
Now it has to be my turn.
Eggsy reread the letter again, tear stains already all over it. He sighed shakily and prayed the world would be kind to his pup. That it wouldn't chew her up and spit her out, like it did him.
He also prayed that Harry would at least call when she found him.
"Can I borrow that for a sec?"
An older man handed over the map he was browsing to the very lost American girl. She carefully scanned it until she found a hotel symbol.
"Thanks," she handed the map back before hoisting her bag tighter on her shoulder and began her walk.
After a while she finally came to her destination.
"The Black Prince Grand Hotel?" She read the faded gold words on a crumbling building with peeling black paint.
She looked at it, a little unsure before the distant sound of thunder echoed around the area. Bo looked up at the sky, only to get a fat drop of rain between her eyes. She yelped and cursed as more rain began to pour down on her. She quickly shielded herself with her arms and ran towards the front doors and stepped in.
The hotel was a little crowded, people huddled around a small television that keep going fuzzy until someone smacked the side of it. Five or six guys were lounging on a small couch, reading books or texting on cheap phones. A few girls were sitting on a very old and creaky staircase, chatting noisily. They peered at Bo for a few seconds when she came in but went back to their conversation rather quickly and didn't give her a second glance.
One guy with a blue mohawk and absurd amount of eyeliner glanced up at her and made a weird gesture with his hand and looked at her for a response.
"What?"
The guy rolled his eyes and turned back to his buddy sitting next to him and laughed.
Bo turned away in confusion, and walked towards the front desk, where a girl that looked around her age was holding a beautiful guitar and strumming it thoughtfully, the music was very smooth and made her heart pulse in beat inside her chest.
The girl herself was very beautiful. She had long light brown hair with blonde highlights that was slightly in her face, but most was pulled back in a messy pony tail. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown then Bo's, but still pretty. She wore a grey long sleeved shirt that was rolled up to her elbows and had various patches sewn on with what seemed to be band names, a pair of dark-washed blue jeans that had various tears that might have been intentional or from actual abuse, and black leather boots laced tightly. A pair of black sunglasses laid on top of her head, slightly slipping and would probably fall to the girl nose at any moment.
"That's not it." The brunette said to herself, frowning and tuning the instrument slightly. Bo could tell now that the other was an alpha, the slightly aggressive scent obvious after a few seconds.
"That sounded really good." Bo complimented, and she wasn't lying.
The alpha jumped in surprise but smiled up at her.
"Thanks."
"Is that a Gibson J-200?" Bo asked, recognizing the instrument.
"Yeah." The girl quirked an eyebrow, a little shocked but looked at Bo in interest.
"Yea', you a musician?" The dark blonde asked.
"No, but I live with one back home." Bo replied, she sat down her bag and watched as the girl nodded with a carefully blank face.
Bo grinned in amusement, "My dad."
The alpha blinked then smiled, "Oh. So, you checking in?" She set down the guitar carefully before hopping over the counter with ease and placing the 'Reception' name plate on the counter.
Bo smiled with surprise, not realizing the girl was a staff member. She wasn't wearing a uniform of any kind.
"Day job?"
"One of many," the girl replied, "you know, life of a struggling musician."
Bo nodded, Eggsy did have a hard time earning enough to pay their bills and stock their fridge. Bo herself had to find a part time job during school just so she could help out. Eggsy didn't want her to, but she wasn't going to just sit around while her dad struggled.
"Come on, I'll show you around. Name's Roxy."
"Bo."
Roxy grinned and began to point to various places around the small hotel.
"So the kitchen's through there. Common room's down the hall. And I should warn you the dog and bone's on the blink and we've no lift here."
Bo looked at Roxy blankly, not understanding a word the other had said. Roxy smirked.
"The phone is broken, and no elevator."
A sudden loud flush filled the room a girl exited a small room.
"Lou's free."
Bo's eyes widened in shock, what did that mean? Who was Lou? What did he do?
"Who's Lou?" Bo asked, repeating one of the questions in her mind out loud.
Roxy choked on a laugh, "We better take this slowly."
Then the tv's volume in the room suddenly went a lot louder than before and the two girls were able to clearly hear what the news reporter was saying.
"...into life hours ago when Lord Harry Hart announced today that he was giving up his hereditary seat in the House of Lords to run for election as a commoner."
Bo gasped, and hurried over to the small television, staring hungrily for any info about her father.
Then he appeared. Bo looked at him in shock, he didn't seem to have changed too much. There were a few wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, not as much as he could have. Maybe he didn't smile too often. His hair was also not a wild mane of curls or length as he did in the picture Bo had. It was styled perfectly, not a hair out of line. He also wore glasses now, thick black frames, but those actually looked good on him. He wore an obviously expensive suit, tailored to fit him perfectly. Harry looked so different from his picture, but Bo really care. She just wanted to meet him even more.
"Why should an accident of birth give me the right to make decisions for the people? The only power I should have is the voters choose to give me. That's why I'm standing in this election. Thank you very much."
"My dad!" Bo exclaimed.
She smiled happily at a very stunned Roxy, before turning back to the tv in search of more info.
"Lord Hart, who will marry his fiancée, Poppy King in the presence of the Queen this summer will also inherit a stepdaughter, the lovely Clara Von King."
Bo froze, her smile sliding right off her face. She didn't notice the look of concern Roxy gave her.
The reporter went on, not knowing the literal bombshell she had dropped right in Bo's lap.
"It's this surprising announcement of Lord Hart's declaration that has sent shock waves through Westminster. He now appears to be an unstoppable political force."
"l admit, when you first suggested giving up your seat in the House of Lords, l began to question your sanity." Chester stated bluntly.
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"But, no, this is political dynamite."
"Call me old fashioned Chester, but l had an eccentric idea we might actually be doing the right thing." Harry snarked lightly at his adviser.
Chester only waved a hand lazily, "It's possible to do the right thing and still be a winner."
Another adviser pulled out a paper with information, "The latest poll puts the party six points ahead. That's all due to you Harry."
Chester beamed at the Alpha, who got up to sign another sheet.
"You're transforming the image of the party your father loved. He would have been so proud of you."
Harry continued to grab his notes, not replying and rolling his eyes when his back was turned.
"Look at you. You're young, thrusting, idealistic...an impeccable reputation-" Chester continued, ass kissing like he always did.
"And a fabulous fiancée with all the right connections." Interrupted a new voice.
It was a woman with wavy red hair, red lipstick, and intelligent-yet-greedy blue eyes.
Her scent was distinctly omega, with it's honey sweetness that was almost sickening. Harry couldn't help but recall a far better scent from his past before discarding the thought hastily. There was no reason to daydream about what could never happen.
Poppy smiled her strange calm smile at Harry, he controlled the twitch his face wanted to do and smiled slightly back.
"Sorry father, but if I don't steal him, he'll miss his speech at the Oxfam ball."
Harry blinked in shock and checked his person for his cards.
"Blast it, my speech."
"Right-hand pocket, darling."
Sure enough, there they are.
Poppy laughed calmly, walking to stand by Harry. "She thinks of everything."
"Well, gentlemen, that seems to be all. Thank you." Harry said, dismissing his advisers and walking out the room, catching Chester's parting words.
"You two enjoy yourselves."
Poppy walked slower than her fiancé to stop by her father.
"How's our boy doing?" Poppy asked nonchalantly, her calculating eyes never leaving Harry's back as he left the room.
"lf he doesn't ruffle too many feathers, we're looking at the next Prime Minister." Chester smirked at his daughter.
"Excellent." Poppy let a shark-like grin spread across her face, her father was matching it perfectly.
"Roxy, I don't know if I can do this anymore."
"Bo, he's your father. You've flown halfway around the world to see him. You can't turn back now!" Roxy frowned at the blonde, but Bo just gazed at the water below the bridge they were walking on sadly.
"He's got a family now. You saw them, they're so elegant and sophisticated. It's like...what would he want with me?"
Roxy huffed, just gave the other a shit eating grin.
"Yeah, well you got a point there." she teased.
"Shut up." Bo nudged Roxy lightly, now smiling slightly.
"It's just not as simple as I thought. Maybe I should just go home and let him get on with his life."
Roxy shrugged, "Maybe. But Bo, you may regret it for the rest of your life."
A few hours later, Bo found herself standing outside the gates of the Hart Manor. She looked at the massive white mansion in awe and wondered what Harry was doing at the moment. Was he eating breakfast? Watching the news? Reading the paper? Bo wanted to know.
"Can I help you, miss?" A guard stationed inside the gate asked once Bo finally got too close.
He had dark brown hair, a chevron mustache, and was staring at Bo suggestively. Bo tried not to react to the expression.
She paused, still looking at the massive mansion, before smiling charmingly at the man.
"Actually, no." Bo turned and walked farther down the gates before ducking out of sight.
She walked farther along before seeing a massive lawn. She hurriedly pushed herself through a wall of massive bushes and came face to face with a stone wall that was a few feet higher than her size. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Bo situated her bag securely around her. Then she began to make her way up the massive wall.
"Perfect, absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much. Ciao." Poppy smiled and ended the phone call. But when she glanced up at her confused daughter, she frowned in thought.
"You haven't forgotten Lady Wrightwood's this afternoon, have you?"
Clara froze, mid bite and groaned in annoyance, Poppy stared at her in exasperation.
"She is sponsoring us for the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, we have to be there." Poppy reminded her daughter.
"l thought getting married to Harry meant we didn't have to try so hard." Clara complained.
"I'm not getting married for five weeks. Until then we have to keep up appearances. Look what happened to Olivia Dixon when she went to China." Poppy stated, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.
"Who's Olivia Dixon?" Clara asked, confused.
"Exactly." Poppy said, smiling.
Meanwhile Bo had finally scaled the massive stone wall and tried to get over, but her bag had snagged on one of the massive ivy vines.
"Ah damn it, come on-!" Bo tugged hard and the vine snapped easily, sending the beta flying over the wall. She let out a loud yelp and fell into a massive bush.
Inside Clara had caught a glimpse of a large object falling off the stone gate, she gasped and pointed towards it.
"Did you see that!?'
"What?" Poppy startled, looking where her daughter was pointing.
"An impossibly large bird falling off that wall!" Clara exclaimed, pointing to where there was nothing in sight.
Poppy looked at her in concern, and waved a hand towards her face.
"Are you hallucinating?"
Bo groan, rubbing her back, and glared at the gate before getting to her feet and looking around. She seemed to be in some garden area, spinning around a few time on confusion, Bo continued to walk around and hoped to find the main building.
Clara once again looked up to see a passing glimpse that looked like someone had walked by, but she shook her head slightly and frowned. Unwilling to point it out and be asked if she was seeing things again.
Bo hid behind a large stone...dog, gargoyle? And stared at a massive window on what might have been the main building.
Clara took a bite of her eggs and make an exaggerated disgusted face.
"These eggs are positively glacial. When you run this house, senile servants will be the first thing to go." Clara stated snootily.
"You'd have a hard time doing that with out the Dowager Countess' permission bairn." stated a voice with a distinctive Scottish accent.
Hamish Mycroft, or Merlin as Harry had jokingly nicknamed him, was Harry's Chief of Security and best friend.
His head was shaved bald, and he wore his signature sweater with leather shoulder pads on it. His face was in it's usual frown that his black framed glasses seemed to strengthen.
"Right, I'd forgotten about the old bat. She'd never allow it." Clara scowled, missing Merlin's darkening expression.
Then suddenly, the alpha herself was entering the room.
"Anyone seen my pruning shears?" She asked, searching around.
"The old bat seems to have forgotten where she put them." Clara made a face that looked like she had walked straight into someone's fart, Merlin inwardly laughed.
Bo sighed and decided to walk up to the windows to take a look inside.
"Morning, Mother." Harry greeted as he walked into the room, his pecked Poppy's cheek slightly.
Jocelyn Hart just patted her son's face a couple of times before continuing her search, Harry shook his head fondly.
"Everyone sleep well?"
Clara choose that moment to let out a loud scream.
Harry looked at her in surprise, "Apparently not."
Clara was pointing again at the window, only this time there was something there.
Actually, someone.
Bo hurriedly ducked out of sight and made a run for it.
"There's someone at the window, and I'm not hallucinating." Clara shouted, pointing at the retreating form of someone running from the window.
"It's those bloody paparazzi again." Poppy gasped, her voice hiding it's excitement, she loved the attention.
Harry scowled, and jerked towards his Chief of Security, who was looking shocked at the fact his monitors hadn't gone off to alert the trespass.
"Merlin, call the police! l will not tolerate this media circus!" Harry snapped, running out of the room to head the trespasser off.
.
.
.
.
Bo raced across the yard, that was not how she had planned on getting her father's attention. She didn't want to go to jail, so she just kept running. Not really even sure what she was doing.
As she made it across the yard and turned a corner, she let out a loud gasp as two hands caught her arms and made her spin around and face them.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Bo's eyes were wide with shock, it was her father. His scent was overpowering and made her a little breathless. She could tell he was her parent now, the distinct familiar smell acknowledged it. Though Harry didn't seem to notice, as he was still glaring at her with icy brown eyes.
"It's you..." Bo whispered, still gawking at him.
"How long do you people have to spy before realizing there's no story here?" Harry demanded, still clutching Bo's arm tightly.
Bo frowned in bewilderment, "Story? I think you've got the wrong idea." she stammered, still gazing at her father in fascination.
"Tell it to the authorities." Harry snapped, dragging her inside the front door and into the entrance hall.
"The real scandal is how young they're starting you guttersnipes now." Harry commented, noticing her young age.
Harry dragged a wooden chair from it's desk in the room and spun it around to face him.
He stared harshly at the now panicking girl, "You sit down and tell me who sent you," he made her sit down in the chair.
"The Sun? The Daily Star?"
Bo just gazed back in confusion, Harry seemed to calm down a little and look at her.
"Good heavens, you can't be more than 16."
17 actually, Bo corrected in her head.
Harry sighed before waving a hand at her, "Go on, take your picture and go away."
Bo smiled slightly and shook her head, "I already have a picture of you."
Harry frowned in confusion and Bo went to open her bag. And at that moment Poppy, Clara and Merlin entered the hall and stared at the stranger in bewilderment.
"What's going on?" Poppy asked, staring at the girl.
Bo finally found what she was looking for, pulled it out, and handed it to Harry. Smiling slightly.
Harry took it, and stared in shock, "Where the devil did you get this?"
"From Eggsy." Harry flinched at the name that still made his heart race, yet ache painfully.
"That singer you met on a camel?" Poppy asked Harry, confusion and disgust clear in her voice.
"Why would E-Eggsy give this to you?" Harry stammard over his name, he gazed at Bo in slight fear.
Maybe something had happened to Eggsy, and he sent this girl to give him a last message.
A voice in his head that sounded awfully like Merlin said he was being melodramatic again.
"He thought I'd want to know what my father looked like."
Harry stared at the photo, confusion on his face slowly morphing into shock when her words started to register in his mind. Beside him, his mother's eyes widened in realization and took in the familiar features of her son and the omega he had brought home seventeen years ago.
"My name is Bo Unwin and I'm Eggsy's daughter." Bo reached into her bag pulled out a folded paper and handed it to the frozen Lord Hart.
"And according to this, I'm your daughter, too."
(Author's Note)
Even though Eggsy has a cockney accent and is obviously British, Bo was born in New York. So she grew up around Americans and was around them more than Eggsy. So even if she heard his accent more, she developed an American one instead.
That's why she was confused about the different names for things too, Eggsy didn't really see any point in teaching her the way the Brits name things like 'the lou' meaning 'the bathroom' and such.
You're also probably wondering how Roxy fits in Ian's role, you'll just have to wait and see though. ;)
Yes, I changed The Black Prince from a bar to a hotel, whatever ya know.