The following morning, Mark and Beth had breakfast in his hotel room.
"We've gotta catch a flight this afternoon. Why don't I take you down to
your room when we're done and we'll get your stuff together." Mark said.
Beth nodded and finished her breakfast. When Mark was done, she and Mark
walked to her room. She frowned when she saw her father standing in the
hall. "Oh great." She mumbled. "Relax." Mark said, putting his arm around
her. They walked up to her door and nodded to her father. "Where the hell
were you last night? I've been knocking on your door for over twenty
minutes and I was here an hour ago." Kevin said, glaring at Mark. "She was
with me, if you really wanna know." Mark said. He pulled Beth closer to him
as he spoke, wanting Kevin to know exactly where he was coming from.
"I warned you last night to stay away from her." Kevin said. "And I warned you not to interfere." Mark countered. "I came down here to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me." Kevin said. "No, thanks. I already ate." Beth replied. "I want you to ride with me to the airport. You're brother is coming with me too." Kevin said. "Dad, I'm going with Mark. I think you already knew that, though." Beth said. "Damnit, Beth. You're my daughter and he is too old for you." Kevin said, raising his voice. "Dad, I'm eighteen and I'm totally in love with him. Nothing can make me give that up, not even you." Beth stated. "You are so lucky we are not outside right now." Kevin said, glaring at Mark. "I think you're the one who's lucky. I love Beth too much to beat the life out of her father. You should be thanking her." Mark countered. Kevin turned on his heels and stormed back to his room without another word.
"You okay?" Mark asked, kissing Beth's forehead, gently. "Yeah, I'm fine. I love you for defending me this way." She replied. "Babe, you're my woman and no man, not even your father is going to tear us apart. If I have to, I will hurt him. I'm trying to keep my cool because I know he's your Dad, but if I have to, I will hurt him." Mark said. Beth nodded and walked into her room to gather her things. She knew that Mark would hurt him if her father pushed him too far, but she silently hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The flight was a quiet one, mainly because Beth and Mark were sitting near Kevin and Scott and the looks her father was giving her were frightening her. Mark had seen it too and slid his arm around her shoulders, sending Kevin a silent message. Kevin had seen him do it and turned away, too angry to look at his daughter. "Maybe you should just leave them alone." Scott suggested. "Maybe you should just keep your damn mouth shut." Kevin growled. "Look, if you keep trying to break them up, you're gonna make her angrier and eventually, she's gonna have to choose between you. Judging by the way they care for eachother, I'd say she'll probably choose Mark." Scott replied. "I said, shut up." Kevin shouted. Scott looked out the window and let the conversation drop.
"When we get to Chicago, you're sharing a room with me." Mark said. "I don't know." Beth said, knowing her father would become a bigger pain if she did. "Listen, don't worry about him. He's gonna have to deal with me if he makes trouble. You've got nothing to worry about. You let me handle your Dad." Mark said. Beth looked up at him and smiled. Then she kissed him, in front of everyone on the plane. Mark was pleased that she'd done this. He thought of it as a way of marking her territory. Now, everyone would know that she belonged to him. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her more passionately, allowing everyone a view of what they'd become. The kiss certainly didn't go unnoticed, because Beth's brother, Tristan, had walked over and was standing beside them now.
"Holy shit. You two are seeing eachother?" He asked. Mark stopped kissing Beth and looked up at her older brother. "Yeah, that's right." He said, eyeing him warily. "Damn, Beth. What the hell did Dad say about this?" Tristan asked, keeping his voice just above a whisper. "He knows but he's not happy." Beth said. "I don't blame him. Mark is almost old enough to be your father." Tristan replied. Mark heard this and stood up to his full height. "I suggest you go and sit your ass down before I get angry." He stated. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it." Tristan replied. He stood there looking from his sister to Mark, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait till Mom finds out." He said, laughing a little. "She's not gonna find out. Because if she does, I'll know you told her and if I find out that you did, I'll kick your ass myself." Beth stated. "What the hell is up your ass? You know, you are so weird, Beth." Tristan said. Mark had listened to her brother long enough. He'd always held contempt for Tristan because of the way he insulted Beth, but now he was clearly pissing him off. "Go sit your ass down. The next time I gotta say that, you're gonna wish you'd listened to me." Mark threatened. Tristan saw the look on Mark's face and decided to leave well enough alone. He wasn't stupid enough to piss the Deadman off, especially on an airplane.
"I warned you last night to stay away from her." Kevin said. "And I warned you not to interfere." Mark countered. "I came down here to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me." Kevin said. "No, thanks. I already ate." Beth replied. "I want you to ride with me to the airport. You're brother is coming with me too." Kevin said. "Dad, I'm going with Mark. I think you already knew that, though." Beth said. "Damnit, Beth. You're my daughter and he is too old for you." Kevin said, raising his voice. "Dad, I'm eighteen and I'm totally in love with him. Nothing can make me give that up, not even you." Beth stated. "You are so lucky we are not outside right now." Kevin said, glaring at Mark. "I think you're the one who's lucky. I love Beth too much to beat the life out of her father. You should be thanking her." Mark countered. Kevin turned on his heels and stormed back to his room without another word.
"You okay?" Mark asked, kissing Beth's forehead, gently. "Yeah, I'm fine. I love you for defending me this way." She replied. "Babe, you're my woman and no man, not even your father is going to tear us apart. If I have to, I will hurt him. I'm trying to keep my cool because I know he's your Dad, but if I have to, I will hurt him." Mark said. Beth nodded and walked into her room to gather her things. She knew that Mark would hurt him if her father pushed him too far, but she silently hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The flight was a quiet one, mainly because Beth and Mark were sitting near Kevin and Scott and the looks her father was giving her were frightening her. Mark had seen it too and slid his arm around her shoulders, sending Kevin a silent message. Kevin had seen him do it and turned away, too angry to look at his daughter. "Maybe you should just leave them alone." Scott suggested. "Maybe you should just keep your damn mouth shut." Kevin growled. "Look, if you keep trying to break them up, you're gonna make her angrier and eventually, she's gonna have to choose between you. Judging by the way they care for eachother, I'd say she'll probably choose Mark." Scott replied. "I said, shut up." Kevin shouted. Scott looked out the window and let the conversation drop.
"When we get to Chicago, you're sharing a room with me." Mark said. "I don't know." Beth said, knowing her father would become a bigger pain if she did. "Listen, don't worry about him. He's gonna have to deal with me if he makes trouble. You've got nothing to worry about. You let me handle your Dad." Mark said. Beth looked up at him and smiled. Then she kissed him, in front of everyone on the plane. Mark was pleased that she'd done this. He thought of it as a way of marking her territory. Now, everyone would know that she belonged to him. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her more passionately, allowing everyone a view of what they'd become. The kiss certainly didn't go unnoticed, because Beth's brother, Tristan, had walked over and was standing beside them now.
"Holy shit. You two are seeing eachother?" He asked. Mark stopped kissing Beth and looked up at her older brother. "Yeah, that's right." He said, eyeing him warily. "Damn, Beth. What the hell did Dad say about this?" Tristan asked, keeping his voice just above a whisper. "He knows but he's not happy." Beth said. "I don't blame him. Mark is almost old enough to be your father." Tristan replied. Mark heard this and stood up to his full height. "I suggest you go and sit your ass down before I get angry." He stated. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it." Tristan replied. He stood there looking from his sister to Mark, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait till Mom finds out." He said, laughing a little. "She's not gonna find out. Because if she does, I'll know you told her and if I find out that you did, I'll kick your ass myself." Beth stated. "What the hell is up your ass? You know, you are so weird, Beth." Tristan said. Mark had listened to her brother long enough. He'd always held contempt for Tristan because of the way he insulted Beth, but now he was clearly pissing him off. "Go sit your ass down. The next time I gotta say that, you're gonna wish you'd listened to me." Mark threatened. Tristan saw the look on Mark's face and decided to leave well enough alone. He wasn't stupid enough to piss the Deadman off, especially on an airplane.