Just wanted to take a second and say a big thank you for all the lovely reviews! I don't always have the time to reply to them and a few people have that option blocked. But I just love the readers. Seriously. Much love! Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Another Part of Me

"Thorn, are you sure?" Murtagh leaned up against the counter and ran a hand through his hair.

Thorn was leaning beside him, his arms crossed. He dipped his head in a shrugging manner as he smiled at Murtagh. "Positive. Guy's harmless. He's a bit weird, but he's a writer."

"I don't know. This gives me a weird feeling."

"Dude." Thorn pushed off the counter and clapped him on the back. "If I thought anything was wrong with him, I would have never let her talk to him. Promise."

Murtagh sighed and shook his head slowly. "I still don't like it, but thanks."

"Don't worry about Eragon."

"I will worry. Father's job." He was silent a few moments, thinking. "I still want to talk to him."

Thorn looked up as the door opened. "Well… here's your chance. There he is."

Murtagh turned and watched as the smiling brunette stepped inside. His attention was then turned to his daughter, who was thus far sitting at the counter.

She looked up as Eragon walked in. Smiling, she jumped up and bounced towards the door. "Eragon! You came."

He smiled. "I said I would, didn't I?"

She nodded and grabbed his hand. "Come on. Daddy wants to meet you."

Eragon didn't move. "Uh… your dad?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

She tugged on his arm. "Yes. Are you afraid or something? Daddy won't bite."

"Oh alright." He let her pull him towards the counter.

"Daddy, this is Eragon. Eragon, this is my daddy, Murtagh."

Eragon smiled and waved his free hand. "Hi."

Murtagh eyed him a moment before glancing at Gasey. "Go finish your homework, Gasey."

"But Eragon just…"

"Don't argue."

She let go of his hand and nodded. "Yes sir."

"I want to talk to you in private." Murtagh said, pointing towards Eragon.

The brunette glanced at Gasey and Thorn before looking at Murtagh. "Uh… sure." He took his bag off his shoulder and set it on the counter beside Gasey.

Murtagh motioned for him to follow and headed towards the break room.

Eragon hesitated for a moment before following.

Once inside the small room, Murtagh closed the door and turned to face Eragon. "Look, I don't know you and frankly I'm unhappy with the interest you have in my daughter."

Eragon's mouth dropped opened at the accusation in his tone. "I… I meant no harm, honest. She intrigues me. She's clearly just a child and yet… she talk like she's seen it all. She can be real intense. Never met a kid like her. Hell… I've never met an adult like her."

Murtagh crossed his arms and watched Eragon's body language as he talked. It wasn't exactly the start he was expecting. He imagined the conversation going differently. He expected to yell at the guy and he'd either run away with his tail between his legs or admit to being some kind of sick pervert who preys on kids with busy, working fathers. And if the latter were true, the brunette would have to get a restraining order against him.

"You, too, spark my interest."

"Me?" That caught him off guard as well.

Eragon nodded. "You can't be more than a year or two older than me."

"So?" Murtagh crossed his arms and shook his head slowly. He wanted to kill Thorn telling the guy about him.

"Barely old to be out of college and you have a ten year old daughter."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't go to college and I was in high school when she was born."

Eragon smiled. "I know both of those facts. I also know you're working yourself to death here and at a second job."

Murtagh shrugged. "Common knowledge. I don't keep my jobs secret."

"You're married."

"Again, not a secret."

"But not happily." Eragon's eyes met his when he said it.

"Well…" Yeah, Murtagh wanted to kill Thorn. It wasn't any of his damn business. "You finally get one wrong. We're quite happy."

"You're a horrible liar."

"I don't care who your sources are but they don't know shit about me and my wife." Murtagh had to struggle to keep his voice even.

"I know she's away on a commercial campaign." Eragon took a step closer, getting in Murtagh's face. "I know she's gone for a week. I know it was last minute and it happens a lot. I know she's hardly home and when she is, she's not happy. And neither are you or Gasey. Everyone concerned is happier when she's gone." There was an almost smug tone to his voice, as if he just discovered the biggest secret in history.

Murtagh was at a loss for words that time. "Technically, but no." He stammered. "We're happy when she's gone… because we're happy for her. She loves her job. It makes her happy."

"I think that's bullshit. I think you're happier because she's not there to make you miserable. I think the only reason you got married was because you wanted to be the good guy and do the right thing. I think you secretly regret marrying her. Maybe you regret sleeping with her…"

Murtagh grabbed Eragon by the collar of his shirt and swung him in a circle to slam him up against the closed door. "You don't know shit. I wouldn't change anything about my life. I wouldn't have Gasey if it had happened differently." He released the shocked brunette. "Now get the hell out and stay the fuck away from my daughter."

Eragon dropped his gaze and reached behind him to turn the door knob. He felt the dark eyes on him as he slipped out the door and headed for the counter.

"Eragon!" Gasey turned on her stool when she saw him. "What's wrong?" She asked when she saw the weird expression on his face.

He looked confused and hurt and he sighed as he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I… got to get going."

"What? But you just got here."

"I know. But I forgot I have an important meeting with my publisher."

"Oh…" She didn't hide her disappointment. "But you'll be back afterwards?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Busy, busy, busy."

"Fine." She looked down at the workbook on the counter.

"I'm sorry." He said softly and left.

Murtagh walked back around the counter and leaned towards Gasey. "I don't think you should talk to him anymore."

She raised her head to look at him. "Why not?"

"Because I said so. I'm your father. And I don't like him."

"But I do. He's my friend."

Murtagh put both of his hands on his counter. "He can't be your friend. He's twice your age and you just met him."

"I don't have any friends." She mumbled. "All the kids in my class think I'm weird. They don't like me. And Thorn's older! You let me talk to him!"

Murtagh felt a stab of guilt as he took his hands off the counter and straightened up. "That's not the same. I know Thorn. He's… a friend."

"Then be Eragon's friend too! Please!" Her eyes were pleading.

"Look, I'm your father and I know that's best for you."

"I know. But I really like him."

"Do your homework." He said in a drop-it tone. "I have to get back to work."

She picked up her pencil and without a response, started scribbling answers in her workbook.

He turned the key slowly and heard the lock click. He sighed deeply as he grabbed his bag off the floor and turned the knob.

The high walls of his loft were painted a cornflower blue with white trim. The wooden floor was the color of copper and it contrasted nicely with the black and white of the kitchen area. Along the right wall where two doors, the only actual rooms in the large open space. One belonged to a bathroom and another to a room he used as a guest bedroom upon the insistence of a certain blonde when he moved in three years ago. The ceilings to those rooms weren't as high as the rest of the space because on the top was a second level. It was just over six foot tall but Eragon could easily walk around up there. His bed and his dresser were located there. It made for an awkward master bedroom but Eragon liked it. The one night he got drunk and couldn't find the ladder he didn't like it so much. But usually, he loved it.

But the current bane of his existence was sitting on the white couch in the living room area. Her eyes were on the television against the wall. "What are you doing here?" She hit the off button on the remote and turned to smile at the brunette.

"I live here." He closed and locked the door behind him. "I could say the same for you."

"Oh you caught me! When you're not here, I break in and run around your loft naked."

He rolled his eyes. He wasn't exactly in the mood to play her games. "One, you can't break in if you have a key. Two, you aren't naked."

"Oh… you're right!" She stood up and grabbed the hem of her shirt as if she was going to pull it off over her head.

"No thanks." He shielded his eyes as he dropped his bag and headed over to the kitchen area.

She followed close behind, mimicking a shadow. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I fucked it up." He shook his head as he pulled a pitcher of tea out of the fridge.

"What?" She turned for the cabinets and pulled out two glasses.

"My research."

"With the kid and her dad?"

He nodded as he filled each glass and sat down on one of the stools.

She sat down beside him, looking concerned. "How? What happened?"

Eragon shrugged, fingering his glass. "He got it in his head that I'm some kind of pedophile and I may have insinuated that he never loved his wife and only got married because of a mistake."

She shook her head slowly. "Fuck, Eragon. You need to think before you speak."

"I know." He sighed.

"What are you going to do about it?"

He shrugged. "Stay away like he asked."

"I thought you liked them."

He took a slow sip from his glass. "Like he said, I don't know them."

She didn't look convinced. "You've done nothing but talk about them for three days. Suck it up and apologize to him. Tell him you don't have an off switch or an inner voice. Any thought that crosses your mind comes out."

"I don't know…"

"Grovel!"

"Saph…"

"You always do this." She punched him in the shoulder, thoroughly annoyed with him. "This is why you have no friends."

He smiled as he rubbed at his shoulder. "I have you."

"Only because we met before you became people obsessed. If you really like this guy and his daughter and want to get to know them, drop the investigative author act." She leaned on the counter towards him. "And just be you."

He leaned back as far as his balance on the stool would let him. "You make me sound like some obsessed, starry-eyed, lovesick school girl."

"Eragon, you are."

He shook his head. "I just met the guy."

"You've been stalking him for three days." She grabbed her drink, slipped off the stool, and headed back to the couch.

"He's married." Eragon called after her.

"To a high school girlfriend that you say he only married out of obligation."

"He has a daughter."

"Who likes you."

"He's straight."

She rolled her eyes. "So is spaghetti until you heat it up."

That one made him laugh and nearly topple off his stool. "Seriously Saph…" He said after he caught his breath. "I'm not a romance writer. Stick to editing your own." He finally got up and followed her and sat in the chair angled closed to the couch.

She crossed her arms and stared at him. "Fine. Have it your way."

He groaned. "Don't you have someone else to bother? Seriously! I don't know why I put up with you."

"Because I'm your only friend."

"Well… maybe I'll have to do something about that."

"Good. Because frankly, Ere, I think we spend too much time together and you're quite annoying. And clingy. And have no sense of personal space."

"Personal space? You're got your feet on my coffee table! This is my apartment!"

Murtagh rubbed his eyes as he pulled into the Mud House's parking lot. He hadn't exactly had a good night. Gasey had been quiet all evening. It wasn't really the silent treatment. When he asked if she finished her homework or if she was hungry, she answered. But it was the quiet, monotone way she answered that bothered him. It was frustrating. She was obliviously upset with him, not something he was used to when his daughter was concerned.

He was used to Arya's way of expressing herself. Her tantrums and fits were nothing like Gasey's way of completely shutting him out. She said nothing when they got home. Nothing when he said goodnight, and nothing again when he dropped her off this morning at his mother's. And his shift at the glass factory was horrible. Thoughts of Gasey, Arya, his mom, and Eragon kept distracting him.

Some of the things the brunette said rang true. He knew it. But it was different hearing a complete stranger say it. There had been several times where he regretted what he did ten years ago. But then again, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have his daughter. And he couldn't imagine life without her.

He just wasn't sure what to do about her. Gasey had never done anything like this before, at least not to him. She fought with and complained about her mother several times. But Murtagh had never been at the brunt of it before.

He sighed heavily as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the door. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The brunette stood, leaning against a tan colored jeep a few paces away. He lifted his head and pushed off the jeep as he heard the voice. He seemed to hesitate as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I… owe you… an apology and explanation."

Murtagh shut and locked his door and turned back towards Eragon. "Fine." He sighed and shook his head. "But I have to get ready for my shift. So you'll have to do it inside."

Eragon nodded and hurried after him, matching his pace.

"No computer?"

"Huh?"

"Gasey said you never go anywhere without your computer."

"Oh… yeah. I left it at home. Just me today."

"Uh huh." He held the door open as Eragon walked through and let it close behind them. "Something to drink?"

"Iced tea."

Murtagh pointed towards the break room as he ducked into the kitchen.

Eragon stuffed his hands in his pockets as he shuffled back towards the small room. He slipped inside and sunk down on the couch. A million things ran through his head. He had mentally prepared a speech but as he sat there, he'd forgotten it. But he had to prove to Murtagh that he wasn't the bad guy here.

He jumped when the door opened.

Murtagh smiled as he shut the door behind him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."

Eragon watched as the older man handled the door with one hand and the other held a tray with drinks on it. He marveled at his balance as he watched him set the tray down. Eragon waited until Murtagh was sitting down before he leaned back. He felt nervous all of a sudden. He scratched at the back of his neck and sighed. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday." He started slowly and softly. "I don't always think when I speak. I have no inner voice to stop me. Saph says it's both my best and worst quality." He chanced a glance at Murtagh and got no response. He continued, though he feared he was starting to babble. "But I've always been like that. Maybe it's a writer thing. But I've always been an open book. I keep nothing secret and sometimes I forget that others do."

Murtagh said nothing, again, as he took a sip from his drink.

"I… uh… I was out of line when I said that about your wife. You're right. I don't know her. Or you or your daughter. She really is an interesting kid. Whatever you think of me, I'm not a pedophile."

Murtagh's mouth twitched into a smile. "That's what a pedophile would say."

"Point taken. But even if she were a lot older and I was a lot younger, still wouldn't be a thought. I'm gay."

He said it with such ease that Murtagh was momentarily sure he heard him wrong. "You're… gay…" He repeated slowly.

Eragon nodded. "I can give you references. Or witnesses, if you'd like."

"No… I just… wouldn't have… never…" Murtagh didn't know why he was having trouble with the concept.

"Guessed I was gay?"

"You seem so… normal."

Eragon's smile faded. "I am normal."

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant…" He didn't know what I meant.

Eragon shrugged and lifted his hand. "My publisher wasn't the happiest when he found out and he wanted it kept secret. But my books still sell. I still make them money. And like I said, open book. So I was hoping… maybe we could start over." He held out his hand and leaned forward. "Hello. I'm Eragon. I'm a writer, I'm gay, I love blue, I think coffee tastes nasty though I don't mind the smell, and I'm not a stalker."

Murtagh eyed him a moment before smiling slightly and shaking the offered hand. "Murtagh. Sort of a jack-of-all trades. Married my high school sweetheart and we have a daughter. Black is the only color. I occasionally drink coffee but prefer the smell to the taste. And I probably wouldn't notice if I was being stalked."

Eragon laughed loudly and leaned back after grabbing his glass.

A few silent minutes passed before Murtagh broke it. "So… you're gay? You've dated guys before?"

Eragon nodded. "When I have the time. Which is never anymore. I haven't been out in probably a year. Saph's always on my case about it."

"Your friend who's going out with Thorn?"

Eragon nodded again. "Saphira. Now she was really stalking Thorn."

"He told me about that."

"So… are we okay or should I disappear before your daughter gets off from school?"

Murtagh seemed to contemplate the question before answering. "You can stay. For now." He answered quickly. "But I'll be keeping my eyes on you."

"Fair enough. I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. Open book."

Murtagh shook his head slowly but he was smiling. "Maybe later." He stood up and brushed himself off. "My shift starts in a minute."

"Oh…" Eragon stood up as well. "So… how long have you been working here?"

"No questions." Murtagh wagged a finger at him like he was scolding him.

"Okay, okay." Eragon held up his hand. "Now me… I'm sort of between jobs at the moment." He followed Murtagh out of the door and behind the counter. "I worked at the library when I was in college. But now I don't seem to have the time."

"Time?" Murtagh laughed as he tied his apron around his waist. "If you spent less time hanging out at random coffee shops, you might find that time."

"Not random." But he shrugged. "Doing research. Sort of like a job."

"Ah. But you said you're just you today. No computer. No research."

"Right… so… day off then!" He clapped his hands together.

"And you're here. How boring."

"Oh no! I think its fantastic fun."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're annoyingly sunny?"

"No, but thank you!"

Murtagh rolled his eyes but there was a smile on his face. He eyed a table of customers as they say down. "Can I get you guys something to drink?" He asked after handing out menus.

Eragon hovered behind him and peered over his shoulder as he wrote down their orders. He followed him as Murtagh went to the kitchen and again when he brought the orders out.

Eragon chatted away, a mile a minute when Murtagh wasn't talking with customers. He really was an open book. He talked about the time he got bit by a dog when he was six and the time he broke his arm at twelve. When he learned to drive and his first car. About high school and meeting Saphira. His first boyfriend and his last. He talked about writing and how much he enjoyed creating the characters and places he wrote about. He babbled on and on.

"Do you have an off button?"

Eragon opened his mouth, then smiled and closed it. He mimed locking his lips and throwing the key away.

"Finally. I don't think you've stopped for the past two hours."

Eragon shrugged. "I like talking."

"Yeah. I noticed."

Gasey jumped off the last step of the bus and turned to wave at the driver. She watched as the doors were pulled closed and continued to watch until it drove out of sight. Then with a sigh, she adjusted the straps on her backpack and headed for the door. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and shuffled along slowly.

She wasn't in a hurry to get inside. She knew she was pouting again and she knew she shouldn't be. She should be happy to spend the extra time with her father instead of being stuck at home with her mother. But sometimes his over protectiveness annoyed her. Her mother never paid enough attention to notice who she talked to when she was drug along to some audition. Her mother didn't care is she talked to older people. Sometimes she wished her father didn't care as much. And then she felt horrible that she even compared them.

She pushed the door open and blinked her eyes several times, trying to figure out if what she saw was real or not. Her father stood behind the counter, smiling and laughing. And Eragon sat on a stool opposite of him, seemingly in on whatever joke was shared.

She was confused. Yesterday he had chased the brunette away for talking to her. Now they were laughing together. "Dad!" She waved and hopped on the stool beside Eragon.

"Hey sweetie. Have a good day?"

"Yes daddy. We had our spelling test today instead of tomorrow because tomorrow we're watching a movie."

"How'd you do on the test?"

"I missed one."

"Which?"

"Hippopotamus."

"How do you spell it?"

"H-i-p-p-o-p-o-t-a-m-u-s." She recited slowly, nodding her head with each letter.

Murtagh smiled. "Good. Do you have any homework?"

"Yes sir." She looked at Eragon out of the corner of her eye. He was smiling at her and she wanted to say hi, but wasn't sure if she should.

Murtagh caught her looking and smiled. "I was just getting to know your friend here."

Her head jerked up to look at him, confusion on her face. "My friend? But you said…"

"I know what I said and in this case, I take it back."

Her smile broadened and she turned on her stool towards the brunette. "I read your book."

"You read my book? The whole thing? I just gave it to you."

She looked down sheepishly. "I stayed up past bedtime reading. And during recess too."

Murtagh crossed his arms and shook his head. "Young lady, you know better than to do that. You need to sleep."

"Sorry dad."

He smiled and leaned across the counter to ruffle her hair. "Do your homework first. Then you can talk to Eragon about the book."

She let out a groan but there was a smile on her face as she startled rifling through her backpack.

"Hey Thorn. I'm taking my break now."

"Sure dude."

Murtagh motioned with his head for Eragon to follow and he turned to Gasey. "We'll be right back."

"Alright." She was buried in her Health book.

Murtagh stashed his apron behind the counter and headed for the front door. He didn't stop until Eragon's jeep came into view. He smiled at the brunette. "You know… that's the exact vehicle I'd imagine you in."

Eragon laughed. "Really? Gift from my parents last year."

"A gift? Damn."

Eragon looked down at the ground and shrugged. "I could have gotten a few more years out of my clunker. But my dad kept saying he had a really good year and he wanted to blow it on me. So I let him."

"You get along with your parents then?"

Eragon shrugged again. "They're okay. But… I sometimes feel like they're trying to buy me off."

"Why?"

"Little things like the car. The new computer for Christmas. They tried to talk me into letting them buy me a house. I declined. And I won't let them some over to my apartment anymore. Every time they would, the next day a moving van would show up with some large, elaborate, overly expensive trinket of some sort that no one needs." Eragon stepped closer to his jeep and ran his hands along it.

"Why do they do it? Any reason?"

"Like I said. To buy me off. I'm the kid they could never have."

Murtagh stepped closer to him. "What's that mean?" He asked softly.

"I'm adopted. Just a few months old. They couldn't have kids. Tried for years and suffered a few miscarriages."

Murtagh didn't anything.

"I always knew. They didn't keep it secret. I know they love me and I love them. But the smothering… not so much." Eragon smiled suddenly and looked over at Murtagh. "I think we should go out."

"What?"

Eragon's smile deepened when he saw the panic in Murtagh's eyes. "The three of us. You, me, and Gasey. Maybe to like… a zoo or something."

"Uh… yeah… maybe."

"I assume you work tomorrow."

Murtagh sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Yeah. Wish I didn't. Her birthday's tomorrow." He mumbled.

"Who's?"

"Gasey's. She'll be ten."

"Damn. Seriously? She said it was soon but… damn. Then you guys probably have plans already."

He shook his head. "Actually… no. Arya's not much into birthdays. And I've been too busy to think about it." He shook his head. "Horrible father, I know."

Eragon shook his head. "No. I think you're probably the best father I've ever met."

Murtagh scratched at his neck and turned away. He suddenly felt very exposed and embarrassed.

Eragon changed the subject back to his original thought of a zoo trip, sensing Murtagh's discomfort. "So… Friday's out. Do you have any days off?"

Murtagh turned back around and shrugged. "I work two full time jobs. What do you expect? But yes. I have Sunday's off."

"Great! We can all go to the zoo on Sunday!"

Murtagh shrugged. "Sure. Why not? We never get to go anywhere."

It was late. The sun had fallen, the customers were long gone, and Gasey was fast asleep on the couch in the break room. It was a half hour past closing time and Thorn had waved goodbye and left.

Murtagh smiled and leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking. He knew he should jump up, finish closing, and take Gasey home. And yet he wasn't moving.

"So…" Eragon broke the silence as he leaned on the table. "Tell me something about yourself that I don't know."

He opened his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "More research for your book?"

Eragon smiled and shook his head. "No. For a friendship."

Murtagh considered the request for a few minutes. What the hell? Why not? "I was adopted when I was three."

"Seriously?"

Murtagh nodded. "Surprise you?"

"Maybe a little." Eragon drummed his fingers on the table as he leaned back. "Thorn didn't tell me that."

"Probably because I never told him."

"Why not?"

Murtagh shrugged. "I guess because it never came up in any of the conversations we had at work."

"What about when you're not at work?"

He sighed and leaned his elbows on the table. "I'm always at work."

"So you never really hung out with guy then."

"No… I guess not."

Eragon smiled smugly as he crossed his arms and leaned farther back.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking. It's weird."

"What is?"

"You seemed to hate me yesterday. And now you're sharing something with me you haven't shared with the guy who I'm guessing is your only friend…" Eragon heard his comment and immediately regretted it. "Not to mean you don't have friends or that I even know you well enough to say so or… damnit!"

Murtagh laughed at the brunette's nervousness. "Don't worry about it. I know what you mean. I don't have friends. I don't have time for friends. I work, I clean, I cook, I sleep… I might as well admit it. I raise my daughter on my own. You weren't completely wrong in what you said yesterday. I do have some regrets. But when it comes down to it… at the end of the day I wouldn't change a thing." He dropped his gaze to the table, feeling slightly uneasy suddenly. He wasn't sure what it was about the brunette that made him want to open up and talk about himself. It wasn't something that he was used to doing.

"Hey Tag…"

"It's getting pretty late." Murtagh pushed away from the table and stood up. "I should… uh... lock up and get Gasey home."

Eragon nodded and stood up as well. "Yeah…"

"So I assume we'll see you tomorrow then?"

Eragon thought he saw something twitch in Murtagh's eyes. Hope, maybe? "Yes, you will."

Author's Notes: They met. They talked. Blah, blah, blah. I feel sooo bad for what I'm doing to Murtagh. He's basically attention starved. He just doesn't realize it. And work for this is going really slow, especially since I keep adding chapters. Originally 5 planned, then 8, now I'm not sure. And I keep working on other things as well. Waaaay too many thoughts running rampant in my head.

If I tell you there's going to be a kiss in the next chapter, does that make up for my slowness? Or make it worse?