Paternal

Myrtle Fargate had been blessed in her life to see many things. She'd seen wondrous things and things that she wished she could forget. Her years as a carnie had left her with memories that she would be able to put into words, be able to share. There were some things that could not be shared, could not be given, and, thankfully, the people she cared about saw that.

Now, sitting in her boarding house, watching the two, she smiled slightly to herself.

With his coat hanging near the door, he stood there, Miranda draped in his arms. One small arm wrapped around his neck, face resting on his shoulder… Myrtle cocked her head, studying the rise and fall of Miranda's back beneath his hand.

So much potential, she thought to herself, her eyes intent on his gently rocking shape, intent on how he held the little darling.

Even as she watched, he eased down into the rocking chair, patting the sleeping figure when she shifted at the movement. And then spotted the beaming elderly woman; grimacing at the clear thoughts, he sighed, leaning back. "Don't look at me like that, Mrs. Fargate… it's not what you think."

"So you didn't come here to visit your niece, darlin'?"

He just gave her a look and she stepped forward, crossing the floor to lean her weight against the crib to give her full attention. "I knew you'd come," she commented, watching his hand slowly circle the small back, a soft touch that kept Miranda asleep. "And don't worry, I won't tell Bianca you came."

"I don't mind that she dislikes me, Mrs. Fargate. I understand how she feels about what I'm doing to Maxine."

"Ah, yes, Ms. Malone… she's an absolutely lovely girl when she wants to be." Looking irritated, Myrtle tapped fingers across the crib, sighing. "She came by last night, started ranting about that marriage of yours."

"She knows?" A mildly surprised look flittered across that fine face of his, but his gaze refused to rise to hers. "I thought she'd already be coming after Kendall and I."

"Oh, don't relax, Mr. Slater, I know that look in someone's eyes. She has something up that sleeve, something being planned in that head of hers."

"She won't win, Mrs. Fargate, believe me. She barely has a chance." Though his face was emotionless, not to mention that gaze of his, but she wasn't a fool when it came to him or what made him tick.

"She'd barely have a chance if she was playing fair… but, Mr. Slater, she isn't playing fair."

"I'm doing this for her, to protect her… she doesn't— she can't understand why I'm doing this." He went to get to his feet and she shifted, stepping back to allow him to pass by, and watched as he laid down his niece. Keeping a hand on her middle until the small form stopped shifting, he finally straightened, but his eyes never left the crib.

Finally, he spoke and she stepped up beside him at the edge of something hidden and painful in his voice. "Mrs. Fargate… do you think she looked like this when she was this young?"

"That's a tricky question, Mr. Slater… but, no, not like Miranda. For one thing, Ms. Malone's skin is darker, more tan, like yours more. She was probably a gorgeous child. Dark hair and those eyes of yours… I have no doubt she's gifted at getting her way with boys."

He chuckled at that, his fingertips trailing across the soft sleeping face, and it looked as if some pink had rose into his cheeks at her mention of his eyes… perhaps he knew a bit about using that gaze to get his way, although probably more girls. "She's so… if I had known about Caroline…"

"Caroline?"

"Her mother… Caroline Malone. Caroline…" He shook his head in disgust, looking infuriated and irritated.

"Was Caroline not a sweet woman?"

"She… let's not dice words, Mrs. Fargate, she was a vindictive, heartless bitch who gave women a bad name." At her laugh, he sighed again, closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat. "I apologize for my language but I can't say anything better about her. I don't even completely understand why I…"

"Became intimate with her?"

"Yeah… became intimate with her… if I had ever learned that she had had a child…"

"Would you have brought her home with you?"

"No." Oh, the defeat there, in that voice, in that face, in that gaze when his eyes finally settled back on Miranda in her crib. "I would have found her some family. Some happy little couple with a white picket fence and a family dog and…"

"I don't think you would have given her away, Mr. Slater. Not after you held her. Oh, when you hold your child that first time, look at that perfect little life…"

"It would have been better that way."

"Zach… you didn't make her hateful… that woman did." She studied his profile, closed off and cold and it didn't work on her, not after what she saw when his eyes cracked and he let that side slip out. "You have to stop this nonsense about this curse, Zach. Curses and hexes don't make people hateful and vile… people do that."

"People like me, " he said quietly and she flung up a hand, waving it to break through his nonsense.

"No, not people like you. You are a good man, Zach Slater, a good man who does love his daughter…" she reached out, set her hand on his on the edge of the crib.

"You just need to figure out how to show off all that love. When it comes down to it, she wants what this Caroline woman never gave her, clearly, she wants your love, darlin' she wants you to step forward and praise her in public, show her off and say 'this is my girl, isn't she perfect?'"

He stepped back, walked around her and pulled down his coat, turning back to face her sadly. "Mrs. Fargate… I know what's best for her, believe it or not, and I will do what my instincts tell me to… even if she doesn't like that."

And then he was gone, sweeping out, once again closed off and cold and almost fooling her as she listened to his footsteps die away. She looked down at the crib, patted that little face, and smiled hopefully. "Don't you listen to that uncle of yours… we'll show him how wrong he is, won't we?"

Remember I post these according to their connection with LS… don't forget that, lol. Tell me if I did the great scene between Myrtle and Zach okay, huh? In case you can't tell, I enjoy when Zach's being all daddy-ish... REVIEW!