"You got a lady visitor, Kreese," the guard opened the cell to admit a very attractive petite dark-haired woman in her late thirties. "You sure you wanna be in there alone with him, Miss Matlin? I can stay."
"It's fine," the woman told him.
"Okay. I'll be right outside, Kreese," he added threateningly as he left them alone.
"Hey babe, I mean Joannie! It's good to see you again, Princess," John Kreese rose swiftly and moved towards the woman, his arms outstretched. But at her forbidding expression, he stopped and let his arms fall limply to his side. "Guess my little Princess hasn't come to see her old daddy?"
"It's Jo nowadays, not Joannie, and sure as hell not Princess. What the hell do you think you're doing?" the woman glared at him. "why'd you calm ne. You know I can't be your lawyer."
"Why the hell not," Kreese demanded. "I'll pay you what I can. I'll work around your house, whatever-"
"god! You are still a piece of work!" the woman cried in exasperation. "Okay, if you want the list of reasons, here goes. And pay attention! Because as much as I hate to remember it, you're damn name is listed under biological Father on my birth certificate, that's why," she declared. "Because I work with poor children. At least, with them, there is still some hope they will turn their shitty lives around and rise above their raisin' as Mama might have put it. I'm an expert on doing that, thank you very much. And I'm not gonna risk my career and more importantly these kids futures on some conflict of interest charges on account of you and your lousy reputation."
"When did you get that mouth?" John Kreese asked, but he was grinning. Clearly, he loved it even if she was directing her wrath at him.
"couldn't be from you, could it?" the woman who called herself Jo retorted. "But as I was saying," she went on relentlessly. "I'm not gonna help you get away with attempted murder. I just came to tell you that in person ... and I thought I'd throw some money away and post your bail since I'm here."
"listen Joanie ... I mean, Jo. I did not try and kill that bum," John insisted, gripping the woman's hands in his own and staring desperately into her cool blue eyes.\
She pulled her hands free of his grip. "You're very welcome," attorney Joan E. Matlin, AKA little Joannie Elizabeth Matlin Kreese, shot back.
John heaved a sigh. "Thank you," he mumbled softly. "And don't worry. You're not throwing your money away. I'm not gonna run."
"Well, that'll be a first, won't it. But maybe you should, old man," his daughter advised him gravely. "'cause if you're right and Silver's behind this, even if I were your lawyer, I'd never get you out. Silver knows or makes up every dirty trick in the book, you know that. Congratulations, oh mighty King cobra, for waking up your sleeping dragon. You just can't resist screwing your life up when it's going good, can you." Why'd you have to bring that asshole back into things, anyway?"
He winced, clearly taken aback by her tone this time.
"You used to call me Daddy," he said softly.
"I used to dance ballet and be in pink dresses, sparkly hair ribbons and pigtails, too," his daughter said flatly. "I used to think there was hope for my Daddy dearest. Mama always thought so, right until she drew her very last breath. But I know better, and I prefer sensible shoes and business suits now
"Well, even in your sensible shoes and business suits, you're still the most beautiful girl any man ever produced," John told his daughter.
The woman heaved a heavy sigh. "I brought my shovel so Cut the crap, Daddy. You aren't the silver tongue one, you know. That's Uncle Asshole's job, isn't it?"
"so, it isn't just me you hate now. I thought it was Uncle Terry forever and always," Kreese put in, wondering when the change had happened. But more importantly, why it had happened. "What'd he do to get on your shit list?"
His youngest daughter ignored the question.
"Look, my sweet Mama really loved you, and you are the only parent I have left alive. So, the least I can do, for her memory, is post your bail for you. Now are you coming? Because if you want to stay in here, and rot, that's fine with me. And it'll save me a few bucks, too. So, make up your mind old man. I don't care either way."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched out the door, not looking back to see if he would follow her.
Behind her, John Kreese grinned. "That's my little Princess. Don't take shit off of anyone, not even dear old Dad," he muttered softly and made to follow his daughter.
A/N:
Hi,
this was just something that popped into my head after binge watching and then finishing S4 of Cobra Kai. There may be more pieces to come. Hope everyone enjoyed it. If you want to see more, let me know.
