The instant the three entered the club the next week, Eddie could tell that something was different, and it wasn't very hard to see what it was. Walter was walking with a bit more distance between him and Dan, while Dan and Laurie were closer than usual and, after a moment, Dan put his arm around her shoulder.

Whatever had gone down between them after he had helped her home that day, it had caused him to get over his nerves or caused her to see him in a new light, or maybe a little bit of both. They were clearly a couple now, and Eddie wondered if it were official or an affair. He hoped that it was the former and that she had finally left Jon; that would at least mean one thing he was sure on his feelings about.

Because he had no idea how he was supposed to feel about all of this. It was true that he liked Dan well enough and that he had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he was not bad for Laurie, and it was true that he wanted her in a better relationship, but it was also true that he still felt misplaced paternal instincts that made him want to protect her from any man that came her way.

She was an adult, though, and he had seen enough proof of that. No matter how much he regretted not seeing her in childhood, it did not change the fact that he saw her nearly every week in adulthood, and that may have been jarring, but it was just the way things were. He was partially responsible for her dating Dan, and he would have to watch them act like a couple without any of the shame couples have around their parents, and he would just have to grin and bear it.

Eddie was certainly no stranger to that.

~X~

He did his best not to look to their table often during his routine, though it was hard. There was a part of him that was so morbidly curious about what was going on at that exact second, and of course there was still the part of him who wanted to look at everyone in the audience and make sure he was on the right track in terms of making them laugh. But there was another part of him, assuring him that he sure as hell didn't need to see Dan's hands on his daughter anymore than he had to, or else the young man might not live to see the next day.

Once the show was over, he debated skipping out and leaving before any of them had a chance to talk to him. It would be a hell of a lot easier on him, but then Dan would probably ask where he had gone the next time they saw each other, and that would be even more annoying, and he couldn't keep avoiding them forever. So he sat down at their table like nothing was different and tried not to look at their interlocked hands resting on the table.

He could tell by the way Walter had resumed the previous week's habit of staring directly down that he wasn't taking it well either, though yet again, it was debatable whether or not Dan even noticed. And if Laurie remembered how she had acted around Eddie the week before, she didn't let that show. Or maybe she did- he was so used to her icy treatment of him, that perhaps there was a difference that he didn't notice.

But there was a difference in her that was easy to spot, and that was that she actually seemed happy, for the first time in a long time. No matter how she may glare at Eddie whenever their eyes happened to meet, there was no disguising the joy in her eyes at other times, the smile that was always fighting to come out. Whatever she had with Dan and however he may feel about it, it was a good thing.

As the night wore on, the two made their excuses and vanished; this time, Dan did not even bother asking Walter if he would be alright by himself. And then that same old silence descended over the table, and all Eddie could think to say was things that he was sure he shouldn't say to Walter. The young man was hurt and wouldn't want to answer questions, but Eddie had them, and how else would he break the silence?

"So, what's goin' on between those two?" he asked. "Are they a thing now, or what?"

"She broke up with Jon," replied Walter, mumbling. "Pretty sure she started with Dan first, but not long before. Still doesn't make it right."

He was giving away more information than was requested of him, and Eddie figured that was because he wanted to get that jab at Laurie in. And Eddie would have been mad, but there was no sense in getting mad when Walter didn't know any better, and he really did feel sorry for the kid.

"I dunno about that," he replied. "I mean, she was pretty unhappy in that relationship. Maybe she wanted a quick out like that. S'hard to really judge a situation like that, ya know?" It was the only way he could think to defend Laurie while trying to not look like he cared too much.

Walter only grunted in reply, and it was obvious that he disagreed. It was understandable, but Eddie wasn't done with the conversation just yet. "I mean, I can't say I didn't see it comin'. It was just a matter of time before she got fed up and went for the guy who actually pays attention to her. You saw it comin' too, right?"

He nodded quickly, acknowledging that he had known all along that the outcome would not be in his favor. It seemed that he wouldn't contribute anything else to the discussion, but after a brief silence he said, "She hates you, but you're nice to her. Why?"

Eddie sighed, not knowing how to answer the question. If he asked Walter to keep the truth a secret, he was sure that he would; it wasn't as if the young man had any loyalties to Laurie. But even so, he didn't think his secret was worth telling in this situation, and even he had to admit it sounded unbelievable. Finally, he just settled on, "She reminds me of somebody I cared a lot about."

"Her mother?" He raised a brow at Eddie.

"What do you think?" Eddie shook his head. "I know it looks bad but...there are things Laurie don't know about the past."

"That's understandable." It wasn't much, and it didn't mean much, coming from someone who knew the situation even less than Laurie did, but Eddie was surprised to find it made him feel a little bit better, for whatever reason. Maybe being around a girl who hated him so much had affected him more than he knew; maybe he had needed reassurance. Maybe he wasn't always as tough as he thought.