A/N: Okay, I'll admit I'm suffering from a slight writer's block with my latest chapter of Nothing's Gonna. But I promise that I'm going to try and work it out in my head over the next few days and I will get it finished. It's the horrible block where you know what you want to happen you just can't seem to get the right way to write it. They suck. Anyway, I thought of this while I was in an airport in Jamaica, when I wasn't sleeping on a plane, when I was stuck on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport while police arrested someone on the plane, when I missed my connecting flight to Edinburgh and had to wait three hours for the next flight, when I was delayed for half an hour, then an hour, then two hours, then three and the hour I was waiting for the fifteen planes in front of my plane on the runway to take off. It kept me occupied. Anyway, this was inspired by the episode 'I Love L. Gay'. It's basically an alternate version. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: You'd think by now they'd realise that we ain't stealing…
Anyone Can Be A Father
-Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.-
'Hey.' Olivia approached the figure sitting on the wall. 'Karen told me what happen between you and Jack.' Elliot rolled his eyes while Olivia sat on the wall. 'Wanna tell me about it?'
'Who does he think he is? Trying to ground me? Since when did he have any right to tell me off or even tell me what to do? He was just some test tube my mum used before they threw it away. It's not like I was intentional on his part. I wasn't even accidental. He never would have known about me or that my mum had used his donation if I hadn't tried to find out about my real dad. He's not my father. He's Jack.' Elliot complained.
'He may be Jack, and he may just have been, as you put it, some test tube your mum used before they threw it away, but he's still your dad and he cares about you and loves you and that says a lot.' Olivia said, staring in front of her, not making eye contact with Elliot.
'But he's not my dad, like… your dad is your dad. Your dad brought you and your brother up. He put you on his shoulders so you would be able to see over everyone's heads. He helped you when you fell down and scraped your knee. He convinced you that the boogieman wasn't under your bed and about to eat you. He went to parents' meeting at your school. He was there for you. That's a dad.' Elliot explained.
'Really? Elliot, let me ask you this: When was the last time Jack screwed you over or treated you like crap?' Olivia looked up, impatiently awaiting Elliot's answer.
Elliot took a few seconds to think about Olivia's question. 'Um… never.' Elliot answered quietly.
'Exactly. That's what makes a father a Dad.' Olivia said, tears slightly breaking her voice.
'What?' Elliot asked, the confusion and curiosity clear in his voice.
'You have no idea how jealous I am of you.' Olivia said faintly.
'What do you mean?'
'You have a Dad who cares about you and doesn't screw you over and look at my dad.' Olivia said tearfully.
'But…your dad cares.' Elliot said.
'Oh, please? Let's take a look at my childhood, shall we? Well, first my Dad lands himself in prison for tax evasion. A crime which, by the way, he knew he was committing without even a second's thought as to how it would affect us if he got caught. Then, while he's caring about us in prison, he has an affair with Lorraine. Once he's out of the big house, instead of trying to get life back to normal, he as good as throws Karen out of the house and moves Lorraine in and tries to delete any trace of our lives before he went into prison. Then, this being the most caring thing he's ever done for us,' Olivia's voice was full of sarcasm, 'he fakes his own death.' Olivia sighed. 'And then there's you. Your dad finds out he has a twelve-year-old son and he accepts you with open arms. He may not have been there for you when you were a kid, but how could he when he never knew about you? Your dad phoned everybody at half past one last night worrying and panicking because he didn't know where you were or what had or had not happened to you. He didn't care that we all would have been sleeping. He only cared about making sure nothing had happened to you. Your dad really cares about you. Your dad wouldn't screw you over. That's a Dad.' Olivia offered. 'That's why I'm jealous and have been for as long as I've known you because your dad was what I wanted my dad to be.'
Olivia and Elliot sat on the wall in a comfortable silence, both thinking about what Olivia had said. It took nearly five minutes for Elliot to turn the comfortable silence into comfortable speech.
'I was being a stupid kid, wasn't I? And tell me the truth.'
'The truth?' Olivia questioned, answered only with a nod. 'Yeah, you were.'
'I should go apologise.' Elliot said, standing up. ' See you later.'
'Bye.' Olivia replied.
'Um, Liv?' Olivia looked round. 'Thanks.' With that Elliot walked off.'
'No problem.' Olivia replied once Elliot was out of earshot. Olivia sat on the wall, looking around about her; unconsciously waiting for that person who would come to tell her, convince her that her dad wasn't all that bad.
That person never came.
Olivia stood up, sighed, and began the short walk back to the hotel. The short walk back to the ache in her heart she suffered whenever she saw Elliot with his dad.