A/N.: Hi guys! I decided to post this chapter a bit earlier because the last one was so short. So in this chapter the personality of the 'mysterious guy' is revealed. Some of you will see they guessed right, I hope that the story is still interesting enough, though. :)
Chapter 6:
"Hi, little one." Her eyes widened and she screamed - long and high-pitched. Peter ran as fast as he could towards his girlfriend, who was now shaking and clamping her hand over her mouth. "Daddy?!" she got out in a uncharacteristically high voice. "Yes, it's me Megan, I missed you." Megan's fright and shock was now turning into anger "You MISSED me?! You LEFT, do you have any idea how I felt?!" she screamed, tears running down her cheeks, David looked defeated "Megan please, I understand that you're angry, I really understand, but please let me at least come in and explain, I wouldn't have done this if I had had a different choice." Megan took Peter's hand for support and stepped aside.
She lead him to the couch she and Peter had previously occupied and took a seat between Peter and her father, though she was sitting a lot closer to Peter, who soothingly rubbed her back and gave her strength. Peter who had been watching Megan worriedly, asked confusedly "So you're Megan's father, who supposedly committed suicide? I hope you know and deeply regret how hard this was for her." he said with a hint of anger in his voice, but he was mostly protective of Megan- only a few nights ago he had to comfort her after a nightmare of her father's suicide and now said father was sitting in her living room, willing to explain everything. It seemed so surreal.
David looked remorseful "Yes, I am David Hunt and yes I felt and still feel that guilt every single day. And you are?" "I'm Peter Dunlop, Megan's boyfriend." David gave a short smile "Nice to meet you...Now I know that this must seem like some bad joke, but I'd really like Megan to know why I had to leave." Megan looked up, her face was tear stained, but she remained tough "Why now, why not years ago? I've been through hell with Mother, you destroyed our family! Do you know how it feels to think you have a happy family to rely on and then one day your father simply kills himself? Taking all the happiness with him, not even leaving a note! Can you explain to me how a twelve year old should deal with that?! You were the one I relied on most and you left!" she said forcefully, David looked sad "Please Megan, know that I wanted to come back every day, but I couldn't, if I had I would really be dead now." Megan frowned "What the hell are you talking about?!" Her father sighed deeply "Alright, I'll start at the beginning... One day when I was working a night shift at the hospital and had just finished work, I went for a short walk to clear my head..."
David Hunt was taking a night walk in a nearby park, when he saw three men, running away from another person, who was laying on the ground, apparently injured. He went to the person on the ground and saw several stab wounds, as a doctor he knew how to help the victim, he called 911 "Hello Dr. Hunt speaking, I need an ambulance to the Fisher Park, I found someone stabbed in the abdomen, I'm already doing first aid. Thanks." He tried to get the victims attention "Sir? Can you hear me Sir? I'm Dr. David Hunt, the paramedics are on their way, you need to stay awake."
"... the paramedics arrived and they were able to save the victim. Meanwhile I had to tell the police, what happened, so I told them, that I had seen three men running away from the victim, but that I couldn't see their faces, for it was too dark. The victim on the other hand new the men and told the police, after a bit of convincing, the one name he knew. He said, they wanted to kill him, because he had seen them commit a crime. So I was a witness and had to state what I saw at court. Unfortunately they couldn't find the other two men, so the culprit swore that I was going to pay. A few weeks later I found a letter, it said I had two options staying alive and watching my family and after that myself getting killed or killing myself. I didn't want to endanger you or your mother, so I thought about many ways to kill myself, until I found a method to look dead and be alive a few hours later- puffer fish poison, it slows the heartbeat so you can't find a pulse and get the impression, that the person is dead. I faked it all the bullet hole, the body in the coffin.."
Megan was shocked to hear it, but it dawned on her, that she'd been right, her Daddy had wanted to spare them from death.
"You, you really did that all? Just to save us? I can't believe this, I KNEW you didn't leave without a reason, but Mom didn't believe me..." David nodded, tears in his eyes "Yes, I loved you two too much to let you die. I missed you so much, my little girl." Megan quite uncharacteristically flung herself in her father's arms, sobbing "I love you Daddy." "I love you too, my little angel, you're so beautiful, all these years I wondered how you would look and if you were happy... I can't believe, that you're in my arms right now."
He kissed her forehead. Peter still looked a bit unconvinced "I really don't want to offend you, but how can we be sure, that you're really David Hunt?" David allowed himself a little smile "You picked a good one Megan and your question doesn't offend me at all, of course I'm willing to testify." Megan looked pensive "Oh my god, we totally forgot Mom, when will you tell her?" The thought of telling Joan made him feel uncomfortable, he knew that she would be a lot angrier than Megan and from what Megan had said he could only guess how much she hated him "Umm, thinking about it, would you be willing to help me with that? I know that she will be angry as hell." Megan smiled reassuringly "Sure, I could call her now and prepare her, while you can move into the kitchen, maybe have a chat Peter..." David grinned "Alright let's do this. Ready for your interview Mr. Dunlop?" he joked, Megan chuckled and watched them enter the kitchen, while calling her mother.
"Megan?" Joan asked a bit confused, her daughter never called her this late. "Hi Mom, I um need to talk to you..."
"Is everything alright?" she asked concernedly. "Yeah, I'm fine now, anyways, would you come over? It's about dad..." she finished nervously "Okay... but this isn't again about the way he died right?" Megan cleared her throat "Well, not completely, but in a way... I promise it's not about digging him up."Joan grew more concerned "Are you sure you're alright?" "Yes Mom, please come over." Joan sighed still not convinced "Alright, I'll be there in 20 minutes." Megan hung up and looked over to her father and Peter who were pleasantly chatting.
"...she was so cute and also so smart, she always wanted to know how things worked, just like me..." Peter smiled "Yes she's really smart and always right, it's really funny how she annoys the detectives with it. I'm so lucky to have her." David smiled "Yes you are and I'm really happy she chose you, you seem to be a really decent guy." "Thank you, I'm glad too."
Megan came into the room "What are you glad about too?" Peter chuckled "That you chose me." Megan flashed him a smile "Mom said she'll be here in 20."
After twenty minutes a concerned Joan arrived at Megan's apartment.
"Hi Mom, come in." Megan said as she let her mother in. "Now what is this all about, you had me really worried." "Mom, everything's fine, I just want to prepare you for something, come sit down with me." she patted the seat next to her. "Alright, now I'm really worried... are you sick?" Megan chuckled "No, I'm not, but I need to tell you something... remember, when I said Dad wouldn't have left without a reason?" Joan sighed what is she up to this time, she thought "Yes, but he did."
Megan fidgeted a little "Yes he had a reason, he protected us. If he hadn't left, we would have been killed. He... he only pretended to be dead, he's alive." Joan paled "Megan, you can't be serious, this is not funny. Oh my god you are serious?" Megan rubbed her mother's arm "Yes, I'm serious and he's here and would like to have a chance to explain." Joan was now fuming "A CHANCE to explain?! He left us alone with his mess to clean up! How am I supposed to give him a chance, when he's the cause of all this drama?!"
Megan tried her best to stay calm "Mom, please, I couldn't believe it too and I was just the same as you, but please let him explain, you will understand him afterwards, listen to him." she urged gently. "Alright... wait a minute he is HERE?!"
Please keep reviewing and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading :)