Replies to reviews:

anon – Hmm... favourite word is lynch… disturbing… XD

I don't own Night World.

Chapter 18

Mum wakes me up the next morning with a cupcake for breakfast, which makes me laugh. She's even decorated it with musical notes and a lit candle.

"Make a wish, Jez," she says.

Might as well. So I close my eyes and wish that dad would call, or come see me, or anything. That seems like the most important thing at the moment to me.

We go downstairs, and I can't help but think that she's put so much effort into it to distract me from the fact that dad still hasn't called or anything. I laugh when I see that she's decorated all of the sitting room with balloons and streamers. "I'm eighteen, mum, not eight," I say with a smile.

"I know I got a little carried away, but I was having fun, okay?"

The doorbell rings, and I stop breathing for a second. Did the wish actually come true? But when mum implores me with her eyes to open it and I comply, it's just the band, accompanied by Thistle and Raven. Oh, and a massive cake.

"Still in your pyjamas?" Val roars. He gathers me up into a huge hug. "Hey, kid, you're finally eighteen! You're an adult!"

I hug the rest of them and accept the massive cake box Pierce is holding (yes, even Pierce hugs me. I'm still in shock). "I didn't know you were coming."

"I invited them," mum says from behind me. "It's a bit sad to spend your entire birthday with only your mother for company, eh?" her eyes spark with amusement.

As soon as we settle in the living room, the doorbell rings again, and I groan dramatically as I get up again. It's with a surprising suddenness that I open the door and come face-to-face with dad.

I freeze and gape at him, and he smiles wryly. "I wanted to talk to you."

I glance back at the living room door to see mum standing there with her eyes wide. She nods slightly and turns to go back in so I follow dad out up the driveway.

To a motorbike.

I stop walking immediately. "No. You can't just give me that and buy your way back to me."

He turns towards me. "I realise that. Which is why I really came to tell you that I know I've been an idiot and I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I love you, Jez. There's more to being a father than genetics. I know that now. I've missed you so much–"

"And yet you ran away from me."

"I was in shock, Jez. I didn't know what you wanted, and I didn't want to risk hearing you say that you didn't want to know me anymore."

"How could you think that, dad?"

I call him that automatically, and can't respond when I see the pure happiness on his face. "So you still think of me as your dad?" I cross my arms and nod, not looking away from him. I can feel my gaze becoming accusatory. "Then you're wiser than I ever was." He steps forwards and touches my shoulder. I let him. "I love you, Jez. You're my daughter; it has nothing to do with biology."

The tears build up behind my eyes and I step forwards to hug him. He hugs me back. "Thanks, dad."

"It's alright, sweetie. I won't ever leave you again. I promise. And the bike's yours, by the way. No kind of bribe, just keeping the promise I made you when you were twelve." I laugh and reach out to touch the smooth spare body. "You're insured and everything."

He helps me wheel it into the garage and I ask him whether he wants to come in afterwards.

"I'm not sure whether your mother would want me to," he answers uncertainly.

"Dad, it's my day. I don't want to spend my eighteenth without you."

He agrees after just a little pushing (he's never been the most determined) and when we go in, mum doesn't say anything bad to him or about him. Well, she doesn't talk at all, but she's always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say I shouldn't say anything at all. She's being a good role-model, see?

At one point, Raven touches my arm and jerks her head to the side before getting up and slipping out the front door. "Okay," she says as I join her. "I know I've been... well... not exactly supportive, but you understand, right?"

Oh. Right. Morgead. I'd actually completely forgotten about him. I bite my lip and look down. "Yeah, I understand. Not that it matters anyway."

She grabs hold of my shoulders and I look at her. "What? What did he do, Jez? If he hurt you, I swear to God I will–"

"No, he didn't hurt me. We just had a massive argument yesterday. I think it's over."

She's quiet for a moment before she steps forwards and hugs me. I sigh and hug her back. "Listen, on the surface, I think what you did, both of you, was wrong. I condone it completely. However... what I hate more and condone more is you being hurt. So... you should talk to him. You've both been under a lot of stress, I am sure, so maybe emotions were just running a little high."

"Really?"

"Yeah... and I really hate myself right now."

"Well, I love you. Thank you, Raven," I say, a lot happier now.

"I love you too, Jez. Come on, we've got to get back in. You need to open your present." She claps her hands together and grins in excitement. I laugh at her. She's two years older than Morgead, and yet acts like more of a child than I am sometimes. "Would you do the honours please, Jocelyn?" She asks mum as we go back into the living room. Mum looks at least as excited as Raven.

"What?" I ask.

"We stashed the present here. Didn't want to drag it all the way over so early in the morning," Pierce says with a smirk.

Raven sits me down and forcefully keeps me there with some help from Hugh as Thistle bounces with excitement and Val laughs at me. I find myself glaring at them quite a lot.

Mum comes back with a giant wrapped package (which doesn't conceal the shape very well) and wrestles it through the door. I undo the wrapping paper, already knowing that it's a guitar. I undo the hard, pristine black case and gape at the beauty inside.

The others chuckle at my face as I gasp out, "You... really shouldn't ha..." I trail of as I stroke the length of the neck. "Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you." Lying in the velvet was a dark, small body Gibson. I trace along the intricate designs along the frets. "Thank you so much."

"We knew you'd love it, so we all pitched in," Hugh says with a smile.

"Even I did!" Thistle interjected. I grin at her.

"Thank you."

"We even had it inscribed. On the back, so that people don't have to look at it."

I pick it up reverently and turn it over. Inscribed and debossed with gold paint is a quote. "'Don't aim for success; just do what you love and believe in and it will come naturally.' David Frost." I smile and trace over it before I try out a G-chord, listening to the beautiful sound emanating from it.

The band, Raven and Thistle leave some time during the afternoon. I go upstairs at one point and put on some classical music as I try to figure out exactly what I should do with Morgead. It's between going to his right now or waiting until after Christmas. I shift uncomfortably.

Well, that's settled. I would have to go now. It would be an excuse to try out my new bike too. I run downstairs and open the living room door...

...interrupting mum and dad kissing. They jump and blush as I raise my eyebrows. "I'm going to try out my bike, but I'll try to be back before it gets too dark. I have my mobile on me in any case," I say before shooting out of there. Probably best to leave them alone.

And it is honestly one of the best moments of my life when I wheel the bike out and mount up. It has a fantastic growling sound as I start gently letting the clutch go, and jumps forward like a young racehorse at the starting gate. I lean forward and let the wind rip my hair back.

The ride is so short that I almost turn and go back home just so that I can come right back again, but when I see the house my breath escapes me in a whoosh and I just stare at it for a moment, suddenly afraid. What if he really doesn't love me any more? What could I do then?

I slide off the bike, not taking my eyes off the front door, and wheel it up the driveway, kicking down the stand to prop it up. My raps on the door ring out firmly, though my hands are shaking, though it takes him several seconds to answer. When he does, though, I can feel my insecurities and worries leaving and it's as if I can see the whole picture now. I can see just how petty and stupid we were both being.

"Jez," he breathes. He pulls me into the house and closes the door. "Thank goodness you came back," he says softly, pulling me into a hug.

I sigh at the familiar feeling of his arms around me. "I'm sorry," I say, reaching up to twist my hands through his hair, which is slightly more scruffy than usual.

"Sorry? What have you got to be sorry about? It's me who's ruining what should be the best time of your life. You should be able to go out with someone who doesn't have to keep you under lock and key to see you."

I laugh at him. "What an easy life I would lead then. But it wouldn't be worth it. Anything is worth going through to have you," I whisper, pulling him down to kiss him.

"You are the most wonderful, amazing, beautiful person, Jez," he says between kisses, drifting to my neck.

"I can't stay."

"I'll kidnap you," he practically growls. I let out a laugh before pushing him away.

"No, I'm serious. I came here on the pretext of trying out my new motorbike," I say, quite smugly.

"You've got a bike?"

"Bribery from dad. He's talking to me again."

"That's great," Morgead says, kissing me again quickly. "Okay," he says, stepping back. "You'd better go before I actually do kidnap you."

I smirk at that. "You'll have to do that at some point–" I start, laughing when he kisses me again roughly. "I love you," I whisper when he lets me go.

"I love you too."