Title: Better Than Okay
McRaider
Summary: She looked up at him from her bed, her blue eyes piercing his, eyes he'd come to know so well over fifteen years. "You okay dad?" she murmured, unsure if she was even okay at this point. "I'm better than okay," he whispered a weak reply.
Author's Note: This is my first Euerka story!
"NO!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he watched his only daughter stand in front of the laser, her hands in the air and a look of sheer terror written all over her normally beautiful features. "Outta the way!" he yelled as he hurried towards his World Series bat, grabbing it tight in his hands, he hurried back over to the nuclear generator.
He could hear his friends screaming, warning him about uncertain death, and how dangerous what he was doing could. But that was the last thing on his mind as he took the first swing. Driven by pure anger and fear he began to beat the nuclear device with all he had, so what if he died, or was electrocuted, it didn't matter, all that matter was that sweet girl standing outside of the bunker about to be divided into hundreds of little useless particles. It wouldn't happen, not if he had anything to say about it.
The first swing was for that tiny, pink little baby lying in his arms, staring up at him with the biggest, bluest eyes he'd ever seen. The second came quick and equally as hard, his adrenalin purely driving him, aware of the aches he'd have in his unused muscles. The second swing was for that beautiful blond little five year old running to greet him with a big hug. Swinging her up into his arms, and landing a kiss on her cheek as she babbled on about her first day at school. The third and forth swings were for all the days since he'd arrived in this town, all the moments he'd hated and all the moments he'd spent with his estranged daughter.
The house went pitch black, and he felt the last of his energy leave him, his endorphins dropping back down to normal levels, his stomach churned, his head spun as he felt Allison's hand on his back, "Jack, are you okay?" she questioned quietly.
He could feel frantic parental instincts kicking in again, "Zoë, is Zoë okay?" he tried to wipe the shaking from his voice.
"I don't know--"
Suddenly a low whirring sound alerted them to the house starting back up again, moments later S.A.R.A.H had returned, announcing the back up systems were back on, they were safe again, "Show me Zoë..." this time he didn't even bother to clear concern from his voice.
There she stood, his sweet Zoe, her hands in the air, a chocolate bar hanging from her fingers, that look of fear still written all over her innocent features.
He felt his fear, anger, and everything rush away, leaving him feeling absolutely sick, he collapsed to the seat, "I feel sick," he groaned as he buried his face in his hands wearily.
"Is it the radiation?" Questioned Allison innocently.
"No," replied Henry.
Jack was vaguely aware of further comments from the astrophysicist, however all he was able to focus on was the look of his daughter, who he was sure he'd never seen again, and that fact that while he'd already almost lost her too many times to count here, this was the safest place on earth for her to be living. "You beat the hell outta it--and your world series bat," Henry handed him the bat as he looked up at the man, he smiled weakly, "I can live without that," he replied honestly for the first time. Sure, he bragged about it and protected it like his baby, but his real baby was standing outside.
"DAD!" he heard the frantic call. Everyone screamed at her not to let the door shut, but he remained seated, until she came into view. "What so you can have parties and I can't?"
He felt an ironic chuckle bubble up as he stood and grabbed her in his arms, "I thought I lost you," he whispered as he held her close.
o0o
They'd shut S.A.R.A.H down temporarily to get the door to finally open, Jack demanded they put in a sky light with a ladder so they wouldn't ever have this problem again, and then they turned her back on and the two Carters headed to bed.
Well, at least the youngest one had, Jack was still up, wandering around the huge house. Until finally he came to her door, pushing it open, he looked in on her. He could remember the first few nights after her birth. She'd been a crier, it had driven Abby crazy, but Jack had always been willing to get up and care for Zoe, though the teenager didn't know that.
He could remember the early nights of wandering into her room and just watching as the little miracle slept peacefully in her crib, tiny chest rising and falling. He'd dreamt of what she would become, but he hadn't slept a wink since she'd been born, constantly worrying about her.
As Zoe had grown, she'd become more and more like her father, she hated being in one place, she loved both of her parents, but for whatever reason she wanted to be with her dad. Jack wasn't sure why, but Zoe just kept coming back to him, and he just kept keeping her around. Maybe they both knew something Abby didn't, maybe they understood each other better than Abby did. They both needed something new, they needed to enjoy life, go beyond the mundane and the boring. That's why Zoe had come back here, and that's why he'd let her stay.
She looked up at him from her bed, her blue eyes piercing his, eyes he'd come to know so well over fifteen years. "You okay dad?" she murmured, unsure if she was even okay at this point.
"I'm better than okay," he whispered a weak reply, smiling he slipped further into the room and pressed a kiss to her forehead, something he hadn't done for a very long time. "I love you," he murmured and then headed back into the hallway.
"I love you too dad."
"Night Zoe," with that he closed the door and smiled. Yeah, he was better than okay, as long as he had that kid by his side he was doing great.
The End