AN: This ficlet was inspired after doing one of the Worm CYOAs and I just couldn't get the idea out of my head of Skidmark trying to be a semi-decent father-figure. The backstory for the story itself took on a life of its own, and so the whole backstory was split off into this chapter. While it now actually stands by itself, there will likely be a second chapter coming with the initial idea for the story (after Taylor has her powers and is pursuing her targets).

The Apple Fell Far

I yawned, one hand covering my mouth like a good girl even as I dragged my stuffed Mouse - with real Mouse Protector approved ears! - behind me with the other hand. I was tall enough now that Mousey didn't scrape on the floor, she just kinda, flopped, in the air. Mouse Protector would approve. At least I thought she would. She seemed to like kids and Mommy said that she loved meeting kids. We were supposed to go to Boston soon to see her when she toured there. Da-Danny was taking us. At least he was supposed to.

My steps slowed to a stop as I heard the whispered argument from behind their door again. I had tried staying up late so that when I went to get my water they'd have been sleeping already. Didn't everyone go to sleep by 9 o'clock?

I looked towards the bathroom, biting my lip. It was another few steps.

"How many times are we going to argue about this, Danny?!"

I tore my eyes away from the inviting door and the waiting faucet and instead went to stand at the wall outside Mommy and Dad's room.

"Maybe if you would stop harping about it we could stop fighting, Annette!" Dad yelled.

"You have to drop this grudge, Danny. It's been 6 years, she's old enough to understand now! Every time you tell her to call you by name you are driving the knife in deeper!"

"I'm only saying what's true. Taylor is not my child and she shouldn't grow up thinking that she is."

A sharp slap echoed out into the hall and I clutched Mousey to my chest. That sounded like it had hurt.

"Hate me all you want, but don't you dare keep taking it out on our little girl. You raised her. She's your daughter as much as mine!"

"Every time I look at her I'm reminded that that isn't true, Annette." Dad's voice was quieter now. I had to lean closer to the door to hear them. I didn't want to hear them.

"…You can barely even tell. If it means that much to you, then Taylor is old enough now that you can just tell people she tans easily and is always outside."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

"Do I? Because you're sounding like you should be joining up with the Empire right now, Danny."

Weren't the Empire the bad people that Mommy said to always stay away from? Why did she want Dad to go to them?

"Dammit, Annette, this isn't about race! This is about you sleeping with Skidmark! SKIDMARK!"

"He wasn't fucking Skidmark when it happened! I was at a goddamn party and he was - No. No, I refuse to do this again. Danny, this ends now. If you can't get over Taylor's biological father then just tell us to leave, because I can't do this anymore. I've tried. I thought that Lustrum was wrong, I thought that you could grow up, I thought that you could love her. Please, prove to me that I was right to trust you; that I gave you my heart for a reason!"

"Every time she calls me 'Dad' it hurts more, Annette. You slept with Skidmark. You got drunk and you slept with the worst cape in this entire city, just because we had a fight. And now his daughter looks at me and I'm supposed to pretend that everything is okay? I've tried. I really did. But it's not okay and I don't think it ever will be."

"You know that's not true."

"I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt that girl either, but I can't help how I feel when I look at her. Maybe you should leave. Just for a little while. Just long enough to…"

Both of my parents were quiet after Dad trailed off. I clung to Mousey and bit my lip harder so that I wouldn't cry. Big girls didn't cry and I was a big girl now.

"If I walk out of that door, Danny, I'm not coming back."

"…"

"…You're just going to sit there? Lustrum was right."

"Don't say that, Anne."

"You don't get to call me that anymore. I'll pack our things while you're at work tomorrow. You'll never have to deal with Skidmark again."

"Annette put the damn suitcase down. Where are you going to go at 9:30? This is Brockton Bay, not New York. If you want to get a damn hotel you're going to have to drive for at least 30 minutes and Taylor's sleeping."

"Where we go isn't your business any more. I'll call you when you can change the locks. Goodbye, Danny."

"Annette, be fucking reasonable!"

The door to the bedroom flew open, slamming against the wall. I was glad that I had chosen the side it didn't open onto; I had gotten a door opened into my face once and it hurt. Mommy came out of the bedroom, dragging her biggest suitcase behind her. I tried to hide against the wall, but I had never been good at playing hide-and-seek. Mommy only made it a step into the hall before she froze, gasped and dropped down next to me on one knee. She brushed my hair out of my eyes and swallowed.

"Hey, sweetie. Couldn't sleep?"

I shook my head. I wouldn't cry. Big girls didn't cry. "I was thirsty."

"Oh. Well…let's get you some water. And then we can go on a little trip okay? Maybe see your friend?"

"Dad's not coming?" I asked, my voice trembling. Big girls didn't cry.

Mommy shut her eyes and I saw Dad on the bed behind her. He turned away, staring at the wall instead of me. "No, Taylor, Dad's not coming with us. It's just going to be the two of us for a while. Now come on, Little Owl. Let's get you that drink."

Mommy steered me back towards the bathroom, and I bit my lip harder.

Big girls didn't cry.

I stared at my phone. I had been looking at the series of texts for…how long had it been? Too long. Not long enough. Was this my fault? That was a stupid thought, but I couldn't stop it from crossing my mind. I knew Mom would be angry if she heard me blaming myself. I was sure that she'd blame herself anyway. She'd always warned me to be careful when I started driving.

Mom hadn't been careful.

I couldn't see the phone screen through the tears.

Strong girls weren't supposed to cry. I didn't really want to be strong anymore.

"Yo, what uppity fucking bitch god-damn summoned me to this clean-ass drug-den masquerading as a -"

"Sir! This is a hospital, you cannot use such language here!"

"Bitch, I will use whatever language I fucking want. Now what the fuck am I doing here?"

Inconsiderate jerk. Didn't he realize that some people were trying to grieve here? I dropped my head into my arms, letting my phone rest between my legs.

"I said I was Adam bitch. Try opening those crapholes you call ears next time."

"Adam Mustain?"

"That's my name. Now, if you're not going to tell me why I'm here, can you at least give me a fucking IV drip?"

"Oh for the love of - never mind. Just go, we'll contact social services."

"No, screw that with a rusty ice pick. I'm already here. Why the hell would those cocksuckers be getting a call after little old me?"

"Because the mother of your daughter just died and you're listed as the sole emergency contact. If you don't care enough to listen to your messages or to calm down and pay attention to what I'm saying for 10 seconds, then you can leave this hospital and I will find someone who does care about the girl. Is that clear enough for you, Mr. Mustain?"

"…I'm not sober enough, I could've sworn you just said, 'daughter'. Repeat that last shit again, slowly, please."

Adam Mustain. Mom had said that my bio-dad's name had been…oh. Oh, well this was a perfect cherry on top of the shit-sundae that life had given me. I lifted my head and wiped away some of the tears with the back of my arm.

I couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped me as I took in the sight of the man who had destroyed my childhood without lifting a finger. "Well, that explains why Danny hated my skin."

Skidmark was tall, wiry, and his teeth were - nearly uniformly - yellow. His eyes looked bloodshot too which wasn't a surprise considering he ran the Merchants. His skin was dark whereas I was just…a poor reminder to Danny of my actual father.

It was nice to know I had more in common with Mom than this drugged up asshole.

Two fathers, two shitty examples of human beings. Three parents. And the only one I actually cared about was the one who was lying on a slab in the hospital morgue.

I wished I could be anyone else right now. Someone with a dad that loved them would be nice. I'd settle for being someone with a father that cared. If wishes were horses…

Skidmark sat down on the seat across from me, a heavy frown on his face as he stared at me, his hands clenched in front of him as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"Your breath stinks," I murmured.

"It's the meth," he replied. "Rots the teeth. Don't ever do it. Messes you up. Your mum, she was Anne-Rose?"

"What do you care?"

His frown deepened and his leg bounced up and down fast enough that I had to look away, it was so distracting. "She was one of the last people I met with before things fell apart entirely; before I gave the fuck up. I remember Anne-Rose. I didn't know she had a fucking kid. How old are you?"

"Twelve." I glared back at him. What did it even matter? He should just leave already and I would disappear into the system and he would never have to deal with me again. Mom had tried so hard and one goddamn text was going to destroy everything.

"That's…about right. Fuck. Fucking, fuck this fucked up fucking shit. Fuck."

"Yeah."

He leaned back and his lips curled in a silent snarl. His lips were chapped too.

"You don't have anyone else who can come for you?"

"Emma's dad would never take me in; he hasn't liked me since Mom divorced. Danny kicked us out six years ago."

Skidmark's eyes narrowed, his bloodshot gaze rested on my forehead and my hands, the long-sleeves and jeans covering up the rest of my body. "Let me guess, fucker figured out Anne-Rose cheated on him?"

"What was your first clue, asshole?" I snapped. I dropped my head and grabbed my phone, shoving it into my pocket. Standing, I grabbed Mousey and started to stalk away. "Just sign over whatever rights the hospital thinks you have and you'll never have to see me again."

"Do you even know what that word means? You're fucking twelve you little sh-" He snapped his mouth closed and breathed out as he moved to stand in my path. "Look, I ain't no father material. We both know that, but you don't want to be snapped up by the coc- moth- by the jerks in the government."

I met his eyes and clung to Mousey. "I'm not living with Skidmark," I hissed.

He winced, shutting his eyes. Shaking his head, he said in a far quieter voice than before, "Figures that fucking Anne-Rose would recognize me. Don't say that out loud, girl. Not for my sake - my life is a shithole circling the drain. For your own sake, don't let people know who I am to you. Life gets safer not being connected to people like me."

"It doesn't change that I'm not going with you."

"And I don't want you to," he said. That had my eyes widening to saucers and I sucked in a breath. "Like I said, girl, I ain't no father. I'd just screw you up like my old man screwed up me. You don't want to get mixed up in my shit either and I won't stand for it if you do. No, you're going to grow up right."

"What?!"

"Here's the deal, you got two choices, girl. Both are fucking sh- Both are bad. But one is worse. You walk over to the hospital bitch and she gets you a nice foster home where you start bouncing around for years until you hit 18. You'll probably have a really shitty day somewhere along the way, wish you were dead, get powers, then wind up a ward of the state for real before dying to an Endbringer."

"Talking from experience, Dad?"

"Yes."

I snapped my mouth shut and stared at him. He didn't elaborate.

"Option 2, you come with me, I get you a fancy apartment that all these cun- all these people would envy. I got a lot of money, girl, an apartment and some nice things isn't hard to set up. I'll make sure my guys watch out for you every so often so that you're staying out of trouble and I'll get you an allowance each week."

"And you wouldn't be living there?" I asked.

"No. Anne-Rose woulda raised you right. I ain't gonna fuck that up with my bullshit."

I started to tell him to leave me alone and I would figure things out on my own, but…a nice place to live, free money, I wouldn't have to deal with him or the Merchants…And he acknowledged that he wasn't a good person to be a parent yet was still going to try to take care of me as best he could.

How in the hell was Skidmark a better father than the man who had raised me since I before I could walk?

"Okay."

He nodded and stepped back, gesturing towards the doors out of the hospital. I started to walk towards them with him falling into line behind me.

"Just a warning, girl, you should probably easy up on the rat before its head pops off."

"It's a mouse," I snapped.

All the same, I did loosen my grip on Mousey. She had been through a lot over the years. She didn't need a new injury.

I had enough of those myself after today.

"Hello, Taylor. Going out again today?" Hannah asked, smiling at me as I passed her.

I waved, nodding. "I just need to grab a few things. I shouldn't be out for too long."

"I don't have to head to the office until this afternoon, I could go with you…if you wanted?"

I tried not to wince. Hannah was very nice; she always asked me how my day was, she talked about old sitcoms with me, she recommended good books…but she was also not stupid or vapid. There was no way that I would be able to get away from her and get my actual errands done if I let her play chaperone.

"I'm okay thanks. My father gave me some money and it's just a short trip on the bus."

Hannah winced, setting her mail down on the end-table just inside her apartment she fully centered her attention on me. I knew those eyes from somewhere…If only I could remember where…

"Taylor, is everything alright at home?"

"Perfectly fine, Hannah. Why?"

"It's just that I don't recall ever actually, well, seeing your father. Not once."

"He works nights, sleeps during the day. I'm not surprised that you haven't ran into him," the lies came so easily now. They were practically second-nature to me. If I had been someone else I never would have needed to get this good at lying.

"You've been living here for nearly three years now, Taylor. I just…You know that you can come to me if you have any issues right?"

Not true. There was no way that I was getting a random woman involved in my shit. Hannah was nice and Hannah didn't deserve to be dragged into the mire with me. Maybe if I had been born as someone else, we could have been friends and I could have taken her up on that offer.

But I wasn't and we weren't and nothing was going to ever change that.

"Thanks, Hannah, I appreciate you watching out for me," I said, my fake smile back in full force. Yet another lie on top of everything else. "I'll see you in a few hours when I get back. I'll drop off a pie!"

"You really don't need to do that, Taylor."

I was already gone as she started trailing off. I saw her dip back into her apartment, shaking her head as the door to the stairs banged closed behind me. I could've taken the elevator, but it was easier, faster, and more exercise to use the stairs. It was important to stay in shape. Important to stay fit and to keep healthy. The healthier I was the less tempted I'd be whenever I went to see Adam. And the less he'd have to be a jerk about too, which was always nice.

I made it to the lobby without issue and that was when I knew my day would be bad. I should've stopped to make tea before leaving. At least then I would have had some fortification for this.

"Hi, Taylor," Danny said. His hand lifted in a sort of a half-attempt at a wave which he abandoned before it even reached his chest and then just settled at nodding to me instead. "You haven't been taking my messages."

"There's a reason for that," I replied. I tried to ignore him and walked to the side, but Danny just stepped into my path, both arms held up in surrender.

"I just want to talk. I want to make sure that you're okay, Taylor."

I froze, my face twisting into a snarl. "Mom died two years ago, Danny." I shouted at him. "I wasn't okay then. If you cared at all, you should have been there then. But you weren't, and now you're too late. Go home."

"Taylor, I've -" He cut off, grimacing. Glancing to the side, he started again, not looking at me at all. "I've been unfair to you. I've been seeing someone and…I'm trying here, kiddo."

"Oh so this is about you. Again," I snapped. "Just like when you tossed us out. I was six, Danny! Six! You don't get to walk back into my life like nothing happened. Stop calling me, leave me alone!"

He took a step back, turning his gaze back to me again. For a second I thought that he was going to come closer, but then a hand landed on my shoulder and Hannah stepped around me. "Is everything alright here?"

"Fine. Danny was just leaving."

"Taylor, it's not healthy for you to be living here alone," he said trying one last time. "I know that Annette didn't have much saved. Please, let me at least help you get by."

"I'm doing fine, Danny. My actual father has been supporting me; he didn't just kick me to the curb, unlike you. Now go!"

Hannah stepped forward even as Danny's face crumpled from concern to a scowl of outrage. "Ski-"

"Yes," I hissed, cutting him off. "And he's been a better father than you ever were. Maybe you should look in a mirror and think about what that means."

"I think it's time for you to go, Sir." Hannah completely blocked Danny from my sight as she stalked forward, the knife at her belt flickered for an instant. It must have been a trick of the light because it was as solid as ever the next instant.

"Fine! You want to waste your life looking up to that pathetic, drug-addled leech, go ahead! Don't come crying back to me when he dies mid-rant on you!"

"Go yell at your docks, Danny! Maybe they will care, because I sure as hell don't!"

The door to the apartment slammed, the glass rattling. Hannah turned back to me, and I just shook my head at the sad look in her eyes.

"Thank you, Hannah. I'm going to go get my shopping done now."

"Taylor…"

I threw up my best fake smile, beaming for all the world to see. "I promise I won't forget that pie!"

I slipped past her, letting the door close behind me.

I bet most kids didn't have to deal with these sorts of problems.

It would have been nice to have been born as someone else.

I put the nose clamps on as I tramped up the stairs of the latest lair. Glancing around as I pushed into the office above the warehouse floor, I grumbled. "How do you people live in this?"

Walking around the couch, I grabbed a few of the empty beer bottles and shoved them into the large garbage bag I had brought with me. The pizza boxes were next. By the time I had filled the second bag, Mush had roused himself from his slumber and peered at me through bloodshot eyes.

"I was eatin' zat bitch."

"Oi! Don't you tal-ta-talk to my kid like that Marcus!" Adam shouted. He pulled himself up from the slump on his armchair and blinked at me. After a few seconds his vision finally seemed to clear enough to actually see me. "Heey, Taytay! Thought I told you to uh, I told you to…fuck me with a dog-dick I know I told you something…"

Sherrel squirmed out from under him and flicked his head with her finger. "You said she shouldn't come around here. Now gerrof, I need to go get my tools! I had a great idea and I need to start building it before I sober up. Taylor, just leave the shit where it is. Marcus is just going to make more trash in a few hours."

"Yeah, I've noticed," I sighed. I tied off the bags and dropped them near the stairs. I would bring them out when I left. Scowling at Mush, I gingerly stepped past him, taking care to avoid the stains on the floor. I didn't want to know where they came from. "Adam, we need to talk."

He blinked a few more times as Sherrel finally managed to fall off of the chair and crawled to her desk. "What are you still doing here, girl?"

"Are you at least sober enough to remember this conversation or should I come back during the party you guys are planning tomorrow?"

He sat up straight, eyes wide and chapped lips scowling. "You stay the fucking hell away from those things!"

I nodded. "Sober enough. Look I need -"

"I just gave you money a few days ago. How did you run through it already? Do you have any idea how much that shit was? Goddamn kids these days, don't know the fucking worth of a dollar and -"

"Hey!" I snapped my fingers and he focused on my hands, his rant cutting off. "I don't need money. Some of the Empire kids at school have been looking at me funny for the past week. I managed to get some information out of an idiot in my class about why. Apparently a rumor started recently about me being your daughter. The fact that no one has ever met my father is adding fuel to the fire."

Adam cursed under his breath. He was getting more inventive these days. It was rather gross, but I did have to give him points for being creative with his slurs.

"I'll have some of the guys check into things," he finally said. "You got any names, girl?"

"None that will help. I just call them Tall White And Ugly, Skinny Skinhead Number 3, and Idiotic Wannabe Nazi Number 5."

Sherrel snorted. She let her ratchet drop to the table and her chair swiveled around. "Taylor, you are adorable. Don't let anyone tell you different. Also, you're probably not helping things by coming to talk to us here. If these idiot Empire grunts are watching you, you're screwed now."

I rolled my eyes and pointed to her table. The guts of two phones were torn out and spread across the top. "I tried calling, your phones didn't work."

She blushed, and turned back around, grabbing up her ratchet again.

Adam grunted. "She had an idea about how to make some stealth add-on to the cun- to the tank."

I shut my eyes and breathed out slowly before I let myself respond. "Please stop telling me about your plans. I don't want to know. You're not going to stop, I'm not joining; stop telling me this stuff."

Adam glared. "You still take my money, you little shit."

"And you still are a better father than the man who raised me," I hissed.

We both stared at each other for a few more seconds; he dropped his eyes first. "This is why I tell you not to come to me when I'm fucking high. Go, get, I'll have people rough up the Nazi coc- assholes and set them down the wrong trail."

"Thanks." As I turned to head out, I stopped as Adam called out again.

"Oi, I forgot! Here, I got you something." Frowning, I twisted and watched as he leaned over the side of the chair pawing at the ground with muffled curses. "Hey, babe! Where was the goddamn box?!"

"Footstool."

"Aha! Thanks, babe!" He pulled out a slightly dented package from under the footrest. Wiping the top off, Adam grinned - careful to keep his lips covering his missing teeth - and held it out towards me.

Gingerly taking the box, I asked, "What is it?"

"Open it and find out, girl."

Against all my better instincts, I did like he said. And my eyes widened. I could only stare for a moment. Eventually I managed to reach down and pull out the limited edition Mouse Knight figure from the box. With genuine Mouse Protector approved ears.

"Got you another squirrel. I know you love that beat up old stuffed animal, found the figure thing when I was wandering the Boardwalk the other day. Owner said it was special edition or some fucking thing."

"These were from her second costume - from when the PRT tried to make her more approachable. Most Mouse Knights don't have the ears. They just have shields and a sword and make lame puns," I murmured, running my hands over it. "Thank you, Adam."

"Yeah, well, I can't very well live with you. You'd turn out like me. Best I can do is get nice things every so often. Still don't understand why you like that squirrel so fucking much."

I laughed, putting it back in the box and shaking my head. Picking my way back to the stairs I shouted over my shoulder. "It's a mouse, Adam."