Teenage Wasteland part 4

"And then she said it was me! That she was sick of the 'Special Treatment' she was receiving." Buzz said as he depressingly told Warp of the actions that had transpired the night before. After finishing their routine desk duties, the two were back on star cruiser 42 and on patrol. "Don't kids like it when their parents are famous?" His partner shook his head and sighed.

"You're missing the point. She just wants to show people that she's her own person. But no one can when they expect her to be just like you." Pausing he looked at Buzz. "And it probably doesn't help that you're treating her like a child and showing off her baby photos that you keep in your wallet." He glared at Warp.

"Hey! Those are adorable sweet memories." Raising an eyebrow at him, Warp shook his head.

"No, their embarrassing. And it doesn't help that you're showing them off every chance you get." He added, reminding him of every water cooler gathering. Raising a finger and opening his mouth to disagree, Buzz stopped and slowly let the words sink in. Warp smirked. "You're realizing I'm right, aren't you?" Glaring at him angrily, Buzz went back to piloting.

"Let's…just get back to patrolling."

/~{+}~\

"What about Glinda?" Looking up, Buzz turned his attention from the crib's instruction manual to his wife, who was looking threw a 1000001 baby names book.

"Ozma, we are not naming our baby after the good witch in the Wizard of Oz, I mean, who names their kids after story book characters? That's just ridicules." Pausing as her face donned a death glare, he chuckled nervously. "But you and your sister Dorothy's names suit you perfectly." Sighing, she closed the book and rubbed her swollen belly.

"No, no you're right. This baby deserves a unique name. She needs a name that will fit her perfectly." Standing up, he glared at her.

"Whoa there, who says it'll be a girl? It's too early to tell." Smiling, Ozma looked at him slyly.

"Because I've been craving sweet things, my stomach is riding high, and because I say so." Buzz looked at her unimpressed but she just smiled at him sweetly. Sighing, he returned to assembling the crib.

"All I'm saying is it's too early to make assumptions. We need to plan for either possibility." He gave a sharp yelp as he pinched his finger into a slot as he tried to jam a bar into it. Shaking her head, she smiled as she walked over and took the screw driver from his hand. Watching in amazement, it only took her two minutes to put the crib all together, where as he was struggling with it for an hour.

"Whatever you say, Rocket jockey." She smirked coyly as he huffed and pouted as she handed him the screwdriver back.

/~{+}~\

"Jillian Lightyear?" Mrs. Vexus said as she handed a test back to her. Looking at the grade, she smiled as a big red A+ proudly looked back at her. But her smile faded as a boy next to her also saw it.

"Wow, guess being Buzz Lightyear's daughter really does pay off." Glaring at him, she crumpled the paper between her clenched fists.

"I earned this grade. I stood up half the night studying for this test. Unlike you, I didn't cram at the last second before class." She snapped coldly, causing the boy to shake. "Got it?" He slowly nodded yes as she turned around and shoved her test into her backpack. This had been the fifth snide remark about her dad today. And it was only first period. Sighing she took her book out for class and skimmed it as the day trudged on.

=[+]=[+]=

Parking her bike inside the garage, Jill gave a half hearted wave to Mr. Hayman as she walked in the steps to the house. Opening the door, she jumped a bit as Buzz was standing in the living room, arms crossed and a stern look on his face.

"Dad? What are you doing home so-"

"Jillian, we need to talk." Looking at him puzzling, she pointed to her bag.

"But, I've got homework to-"

"Park it, Jillian Andrea Isabelle Lightyear!" He barked, pointing to the couch. Quickly doing so, she donned a deer in the headlights look. He never raised his voice at her, even when she really deserves it. Walking over he sat down next to her and placed his hands together. "Honey Bear, I know how hard it is to be in school. Peer pressure, homework, trying to be you, making friends…hormones," He coughed a bit uncomfortably at the last part as Jill moaned and hid her face in her hands. "But I know how harder it would have been if Nana Lightyear was famous and no one saw past that when they looked at me." Putting a finger under her chin, he lifted her face so that she would be looking him eye to eye. "I'm sorry that I didn't pay attention to your problem. But I wish you'd talk to me when you're having troubles. You mean so much to me, you're all I have left of your mother, and I love you with all my heart." She looked at him sadly before hugging him tightly. Buzz was taken aback, but returned the hug with one arm and rubbing her head with the other. Hiccupping she buried her face into his chest.

"I love you too dad, but it's just so frustrating when people expect so much out of me when they find out who you are." She whimpered as he rubbed her back soothingly. "And when I do try to tell you, you make me feel like a little kid by calling me by my old baby nicknames." Nuzzling her hair he held her close.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but I still see you as my lil girl who'd play in the mud in nothing but her birthday suit." He chuckled nervously as she glared at him, a blush covering her face. "But I do promise to start treating you like the young woman you're becoming." Smiling, she hugged him tighter as he looked behind her at a photo of her mother. Holding her closer to him, he looked longingly at the woman smiling back at him. As he held his daughter close to his heart, one thought came to mind. 'Would this still happen, if you were here?'