Chapter 16 Dark clouds

Raven's POV

By the time morning came I was ready to take on the world again. All through the night I had tossed and turned about my Dad. I was so close to ringing Randy and ask for his comfort but I just couldn't do it, I knew that if I did ask for his comfort then I would have to spill the entire story as too why me and Dad had stopped talking. It was not a story I wanted to tell nor did I want to remember it. I pressed in the numbers for Randy's phone, I could only hope that he wasn't pissed that I wasn't in yet, I wasn't late by normal standards, but by my standards I was really late.

"Hey Raven, your a little late" He teased making the nerves ease a little. I loved how his voice could errupt all sorts of emotions out of me.

"I'm sorry about that Randy, I was actually hoping I could have a personal day?"

"Is everything alright?" His voice etched with concern, usually he had to force personal days on me because I refused to take them. Even when I did have a day off I found a reason to come in and work anyways.

"Yeah I just have some shit to sort out, hopefully it won't take long"

"Is this to do with Phil?"

"No, I'll explain best I can later, I promise. Right now I gotta go"

"Alright Raven, I hope everything works out"

So do I Randy, so do I

After I hung up with Randy I rung Dad, even through the phone he sounded on his deathbed. "Hello?"

"Hi Dad, its me, is it alright if I come over today?"

"Do what you want, you always do" He said coldly before hanging up on me. I guess I deserved that. So after making sure everything was locked I headed over to my fathers. I hoped that we could kiss and make up, I didn't hold much hope of that actual, he could be very stubborn when he wanted to be. His nurse (at least thats what I assumed she was) Trish, let me in and ushered me upstairs. The cold look she gave me told me that Dad had spun his tale about how bad of a daughter I was. She could think what she wanted, I wasn't the only one in the wrong here.

"Hey Dad" I said softly, he was tucked up in bed actually looking worse than yesterday. It was only his eyes that still held some energy, not much mind you, but they had some spark. Just looking at him I knew that I wouldn't leave until it was sorted. I didn't want him as my enemy the day he finally let go. I sat on the edge of his bed as he manged to sit up a little.

"Oh God your hair is brassier than I thought"

Weird insult but whatever. "How are you feeling?"

"Great, how are you?"

I let out a sigh, "I don't want you dying as my enemy Dad"

"What did you expect Raven?" Dad snapped, pausing he let out a hacking cough, he flopped down on the soft pillows. "The minute I hit retirement age that snake slid in and took everything I had worked for and then as a final insult I find out that his assistant is my own daughter, he took all I had Raven and then I find out your working for him"

Yes, before Randy's company became what it was when he bought my father out as soon as possible and took all he had worked for and made it his own. "Dad I'm tellin you I had no idea what was going on at the time"

"Yes but when you did find out, you didn't quit did you? No, you stayed there just to punish me even more"

"You cut me out of the trust, you kicked me out and took everything I had and left me on the street with nothing. So yeah when I was offered a job I took it. When I found out the truth I turned my head and pretended I didn't know. If I thought you still loved me I would of told him where to shove his contract, but you hated me so I stayed with Randy. It was all I had. You guys had all left me with nothing, what was I meant to do?"

Dad sat up a little, "What do you mean if you thought I still loved you?"

"You hated me, you said that yourself. Suddenly you said I wasn't your daughter." It hurt just as much now as it did back then, it was a wound that would never stop hurting. Sure it may close over but it was a wound that wasn't hard to open. One little pick usually did it.

"Raven I could never hate you, it hurt that you chose him over me, after everything I had done you just sided with him"

"I told you several times, ask me to quit and I would. But you just ignored me so I had no choice"

"What do you mean no choice?"

"It was either stay with Randy and get paid and have shelter and food, or quit and starve to death"

"Always so dramatic"

"Yeah thats me, always taking the small things like needin food as a big drama"

"And then you started that relationship with that girl" He said bitterly. Me liking girls as well as men was another bone he picked at. It was un-natural to like women he always said, I was a girl therefore I should only like men. He couldn't accept that it was a part of who I was.

"Thats something I can't change Dad." I said softly not looking at him anymore. Maybe this was a waste of time, he would never forgive me for working with Randy, he would never forgive me for being me. "Just so you know Dad, I'll always love you, you'll always be my father even if you do hate me"

I stood up and went to the door, at least he knew I loved him.

"Raven?"

I looked at him and finally his eyes had given something else away, sadness. He patted to his side. When I was little and I was sick, I'd always curl up beside Dad, just being next to him made it easier to fall asleep. I curled up next to him, ok it did feel a little stranger now that I was a grown woman, but the security was the same. "I don't hate you Raven, it just hurt when I found out. I thought it was one of your grand plans to punish me. Work with Randy, give away all my secrets and let him take all I had"

"Dad I would never do that, working for Randy only had one purpose and that was puttin a roof over my head and food on my table"

He kissed the top of my head, "I know that now, I'm just an stupid old man"

"You'll never be a stupid old man, I'm sorry it felt like betrayal, I never meant it to be betrayal."

"I know you didn't" He sighed "You know I am extremely proud of you"

"You are?" That surprised me, it sure as hell didn't feel like it. He was more proud of Izzy and she once in prison for murder. Thats a long story that I won't get into.

"Of course I am, I tell my friends all the time, and my nurse, Trish. I always tell them all the great things you have accomplished, and of course all the wrongs I have done to you" He kissed my head again "Raven I don't wanna die with you hating me"

"I could never hate you Dad, its impossible, like changing who I am"

"I won't ask you to change who you are Raven nor I ask you to stop working for Randy, just promise me that you are actually happy, I hate it when your un-happy. When your un-happy, its only you that gets hurt"

"I am happy, apart from stealing your company, he's a lovely man. And even though he hasn't said it outloud I know he's tankful for everything you taught him"

"At least thats something" Dad said tiredly,

"Do you want me to go so you can sleep?"

"No, stay with me a while Rave. Its been so long since I've been able to cuddle you without getting punched"

His eyes closed and with one last puff of air he told me the words I hadn't heard in years. "I love you Raven, fuck DNA, you'll always be my little girl"

When I glanced at the clock it was just going clocking over to half past four, I guess I fell asleep with Dad. I pulled away from him and just looked him over. "Dad?" I whispered nudging his arm. He wasn't moving and now that my eyes were open fully I saw that his chest wasn't moving. His skin was wrapped in cold ice and I couldn't find any signs of life. Tears flowed down my face as I shouted out for Trish.

The day went from normal(ish) to a whirlwind, Dad was pronouced dead and I was the last one to see him alive. If he wasn't already dying I knew they would of blamed me. After all the emotions had poured out me I found myself on Randy's doorstep. I wasn't sure if I'd ever stop crying, losing Dad hurt alot more than I ever thought, he was right, fuck what DNA said he was the man that rasied me and now he stepped down and had to have some faith in the job he did. Even knocking on Randy's door sounded dull and listless, I had no energy for anything, I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.

"Raven, what happened?" Randy instantly pulled me into his strong arms and again the tears started to flow. He led me inside and sat me on the couch, his arms still around me like a heavy blanket.

"My Dad just died" I weeped into his chest, "He just slipped away and there was nothin I could do"

"Honey I'm so sorry" He held me tighter, his lips kissed my hair. "If there is anything I can do"

"Just hold me for a while please"

Randy relaxed on the soft leather and held me as I wept, I may of lost Dad but at least I still had Randy. He was the silver lining to my always dark cloud.