The Redemption Clause: Book 2 (1/?)
Pairing: Violet/Buddy
Rating: PG-13
Violet stroked Robin's hair down then pulled the covers fully around her. Feeling older than her years she got to her feet and headed for the door, only to find her mother there watching.
"She get to sleep okay, Vi?"? Helen asked.
Violet bit her lip to keep from asking why her mother cared, even though she knew that was unfair. Helen Parr had done her best to treat Robin as just a little girl that needed lots of love and comfort. "Think Jack-Jack must have a stash of sugar some place as wound up as they get," she deflected.
"You always went right to sleep, Dash on the other hand…I don't think he ever slept through the night," Helen laughed softly.
Violet nodded stepping into the hall with her mother. "She's just having a hard time adjusting still I guess. I thought after a month she'd be sleeping a little better…"
"She misses her father," Helen murmured touching Violet's shoulder.
"Of course she does. He's her father, she loves him. She didn't get to say goodbye and hasn't been able to see or talk to him." Violet said dully, feeling her chest tighten.
Helen stepped forward and gently hugged her daughter. "She's not the only one missing him, I think," Helen said with more kindness that Violet thought her mother could have on the subject of Buddy Pine.
Violet blinked rapidly trying to keep her vision clear. "It's my fault," she whispered and it felt so good to say it.
"Is it?" Helen asked.
Violet nodded. "I told him we should come here, I told him to trust me."
"So he did it just because you told him to?" Helen prodded. "Is that why he didn't resist when they placed him in handcuffs? Did you tell him to do that as well?"
"No," Violet protested, almost too loudly. "He trusted me, that's why we came here. And I don't know why he just…he could have gotten away easily."
Helen smiled at her daughter. "Then why is this your fault?"
Violet opened her mouth then closed it again.
"You've been wallowing in your guilty for a month, and it hasn't done you or Robin any good. If you don't like what's happening then do something about it," Helen told her. "Or I'll send you to E and tell her you've been crying."
Violet actually smiled at that. "You wouldn't."
"Damn right I would. She'd probably give you the go, fight, win bit after hitting you upside the head a few dozen times," Helen chuckled. "It certainly worked on me."
Violet hugged her mother, thankful that even though everything else had gone to hell, she still had her mother to count on.
Helen hugged her back. "Get some sleep yourself tonight, okay Violet."
"Thank you, mom," Violet said sincerely.
"For what?"
Violet hugged her tighter. "For being….I know you don't like or trust Buddy. You could be acting like dad about all this, but you're not. Thank you."
Helen stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "Oh baby," she whispered. "I'd move the stars to make you or your brothers happy. Just like I know both you and him would move the stars to make Robin happy. A man can't be a monster and love like that."
Violet rested her head on her mother's shoulder and prayed she was right. So much rested on that.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Robin was wide awake, listening the voices out side her room.
She wondered how long it would be before she could sneak out of her room and play with Jack-Jack for a while longer.
Robin liked playing with Jack-Jack. He had lots of fun toys to play with and didn't mind sharing them with her. He liked building things with her and he could read way better than she could.
She liked that he would come and find her when the grown up started yelling. They shut the door to his room and play video games or climb up on the roof through the attic space above his closet.
Jack-Jack told her she was the only one outside his family not to be afraid of his what he called his monster form. She just thought he looked silly and would giggle until he laughed too and he'd turn into something else.
He told her not to be sorry about what her father did.
But she was.
Because it made Violet's daddy look at her in that strange way and leave her out of games he'd play with Jack-Jack.
Because it made Violet's mommy ask her odd questions about her daddy that Robin was sure Violet wouldn't like.
Because it was why he'd been taken away from her and Violet.
Because it made her feel like she'd done something bad by loving him.
