Warnings: …err, no one even cusses…

I do not own RENT.

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His Little Girl

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The large ballroom was empty, except for the cleaning staff and one lonely girl sitting at one of the front tables. Everyone had cleared out after their large spectacle, figuring it better to leave the livid girls alone and offering their condolences to the parents.

Howard Jefferson slowly wound his way through the tables, approaching his daughter who was seated with her head in her hands. "Sweetie?" he asked softly as he sat down in one of the chairs next to her.

Joanne looked up and quickly wiped away the few tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "Hi, Daddy," she said.

"Are you going to be alright, Jo-bear?" he asked as he took one of her hands.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." She waved her other hand in a dismissive fashion. "I wanted to say thank you for doing this, even though we kinda ruined it. I know you spent a lot of money. What did you have to bribe Mom with to get her to come?" Joanne let out a dry laugh.

Howard sighed. "Jo-bear, you know your mother loves you and wants the best for you, she just has difficulty showing it. She really just wants you to be happy in the long run, even though she…disagrees with your choice of partner."

"Disagrees? Dad, you know as well as I do that she would've kicked me out of the house that night if you hadn't stopped her."

"Yes, well…" The two of them had had this conversation a hundred times before, and it had never changed. Her father tried a different subject. "I'm sorry about you and Maureen. The way you talked about her, I thought-"

"Yea, well we were all wrong," Joanne interrupted. "I thought so, too. But I should've known that she couldn't stay tied down, couldn't be committed. If they cheated with you, they'll probably cheat on you." She let out a sharp bark of laughter. "I knew she was flirting with those other girls and guys, I knew. But I just…"

She looked at the floor. "I should've listened to Mark. But, Daddy I loved her. I still love her." As Joanne started to sob, her father gathered her in a tight embrace.

These were the moments that reminded Howard of his little girl, who used to play dress up with his neckties. He was reminded of the openly emotional child who needed Daddy to kiss her boo-boos, not the lawyer with a tough exterior, molded by society's harsh judgments, that she had grown up to be.

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Words: 426

There you have it. This plotbunny had been gnawing at me for a while now the speedrent challenge #93 came along, and gave me the perfect opportunity to.

So, please review. I would love it.

Dymond