Sometimes we make terrible decisions based on things we think are for the best reasons. Decisions that can simply change the course of time all with one world. Even when we think they are in the best intentions for everyone involved, they not only hurt people that we care about but cause more pain and suffering than if the truth would have come out in the first place. You can't always be sure of the decision that you make. Sometimes they are for selfish reasons and sometimes they are for the right ones. You have to pick and choice your battles and hope for the best in the long run.
No, I mean the way he saved her. I mean, I... I could never do anything like that. That was somethin'. The reason people treat me like I'm nothin' is 'cause I'm nothin'.
He never thought, in a million years, that things could turn so sour so quickly. Just an hour ago he was happy about the new adventure in his life and now he was left wondering where to go from here. Wondering what he should do. This entire thing wasn't something that was small. Wasn't something that could be fixed with a band-aid or a kiss on the knee. This was real life. His life. A life he was never given the option to be apart of.
Fight harder huh? I don't see you fighting so hard baby, I don't see you running up to Daddy telling him I'm your guy."
He walked down the street questioning every choice he made in his life. It could have all been different. He sighed a bit not letting himself go back. He couldn't change the hands of time and dwelling on it wouldn't work either. He had another daughter. Jessica had a sister. A sister that she never met. Everything about this whole situation seemed so damn unfair.
"I don't think that you have any intention of telling him. Ever."
For twenty-one years he missed out on the life of a daughter that was his. Her first smile, her first tooth, the first word she said, her first step she took, Kindergarten, her prom, graduation. He missed it all. Did she ever ask about him, wonder why he left her? If he wanted her. He could only imagine what lies Baby told to her.
"So What's wrong? What's the matter with her?
She's knocked up Baby.
Billy!
What's he gonna do about it?
What's he gonna do about it?
Oh It's mine right?
Right away you think it's mine."
That was how this entire thing started, how everything seemed to just go around full circle. She questioned the baby that Penny was carrying. Baby decided as soon as she heard that Penny was pregnant it was his fault. That he did it. This time it was different though. This time she actually was his. This time he could have done something about it. Could have been a part of her life. He continued his way down the street trying to think of all the things that he could except for what he was feeling right now. He wanted to put it in the back of his mind. He wanted to hop on a plane and go back home. But could he do that?
Look, you've gotta understand what its like baby, you come from the streets and suddenly your up here, and these women are throwing themselves at ya, and they smell so good, and they really take care of themselves, I mean I never knew women could be like that, you know? And their so rich, they're so goddam rich, you think they must know about everything. And they're slipping their room keys in my hands, two and three times day, different women. So here I think I'm scoring big and for a while you think hey they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't care about me, right.
He ran his fingers in his hair as the thoughts went through his head. He slowly walked into the doors of the hotel when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Baby, if you are coming to talk to me then you need..." He stopped turning around to see the same younger girl he saw back at the office, her eyes tears stained. He finally got a good look at her and really saw himself in her. She was his no doubts about it.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. I just. I mean." Her voice was shaking unsure of anything that she said as they slowly made their way into the lobby taking a seat on the couches. "I needed to find out the truth." She sighed softly. "I needed to know for me." She looked at him.
"My name is Jennifer. Jennifer Marjorie Houseman. I'm twenty one but I think you know that already. Um I guess." It was so hard for her to say but she looked just like him. "You must be my father. My mom didn't tell my much about you just said that you were this great guy that she met and fell in love with but your lives were to different, to complicated. She didn't hate you. Didn't blame you for anything that happened. She just didn't really talk about you that much." She nodded a bit. "I graduated top of my class in high school. I was valedictorian, studied dance. I guess I get that from you." She looked at him and continued wanting to tell him stuff about her. "I don't know what more to say. Actually I don't know what to feel right now. This, is all just so damn quick and it seems like everything is just falling apart in my life and there is nothing that I can do about it." She sighed. "Nothing at all."
"You don't have to explain anything to me. None of this is your fault. I never knew and I wish that I did because things could have been different. I swear they would have. I would have been a father to you and I would have made things.." He watched for a minute picking the skin from around his nails. "My name is Johnny. Johnny Castle. I met your mom at Kellerman's." He stopped his mind just trailing off.
Don't you tell me what to see! I see someone in front of me who got his partner in trouble and sent her off to some butcher, while he moved on to an innocent young girl like my daughter!
Yeah, I guess that's what you would see.
"It seems like ages ago now. Seems like everything has just been from a different time and place."
"I know that my mom made a lot of mistakes and she.. I am so upset with her but .." She sighed unable to make excuses for her. "She makes decisions without thinking, without knowing what she is actually doing and how it can hurt people in the long run. I'm the same way though and that is something that I don't think will ever change." She watched him.
"Tell me more about you? What is your life like?" She smiled a bit.
"About me? There isn't that much about me. I came here because I was looking for something new. I have been dancing most of my life so I guess that is probably were you get that from. Um.. I have a daughter. Her name is Jessica. She is 19 and about to have a child of her own." He nodded a bit.
"I have a sister?" Jennifer smiled. "Wow a sister. You are married to her mom." She asked.
"We got divorced a few years ago. It was something that we both felt for the best." As crazy as this sounded just knowing her in the few minutes that he did it felt like he knew her his entire life. "We are friends. Just the whole marriage thing didn't work for us." He watched her smiling. "I look at you and I see me. All of me inside you. And then I see your mom. And I see the love... " He took a deep breath. "It's so hard to believe and deep down inside maybe I felt it."
"I wish that things could have been different. I wish that I could have gotten to know you." She nodded. "I hope that... we can get back some of what we lost. I know that we can't go back and we can't change things. But I hope. I hope that we can work on getting to know each other." She wasn't sure why she was so sure about this but somewhere inside her she knew that she wanted to be a part of his life. Wanted him to be a part of hers.
"Join me for dinner tonight. We can talk. I can tell you anything that you need to know. Anything about your family. My friends, my life. Anything that you need to know." He stood up a bit, his knees shaking.
She nodded a bit. "I will meet you around six in the lobby here." She nodded as she got up hugging him.
He hugged her back and as they started to part ways. He saw her standing there.
Authors Note: I probably should have put this in the last chapter. I am sorry for the lack of chapters. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with this story. I guess you can say it was an issue of writers block, also my work is kicking my job. Lots of overtime and junk that I do not want to even do. I am going to try and catch up with all of it. I happened to watch the movie the other day and all the ideas came back to my head. Hopefully you have enjoyed the last two chapters and I hope to be out with the next one soon.
