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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 11, 2012 2:17:09 GMT -5
Jocelyn signed off from the chat service that was used by the locals and closed her laptop not bothering to turn it off as she set it on the table next to the couch. Shifting Emma from her lap to resting on the other half of the space with her head on a pillow and her blanket bundled around her she moved around the room beginning to pick up toys that were littered here and there. Putting them back in their places either in the toy-chest in the living room or on shelves she kept an eye on her daughter trying not to feel nervous at seeing Jack…Tyler again. This time he would be meeting their daughter and while that was a really good thing she couldn’t help feeling even more nervous about that. She’d thought he was dead, never thought she’d be introducing him to their amazing little girl but the chance too was one she couldn’t and wouldn’t pass up.
Tyler deserved the chance to get to know Emma and be in her life, and honestly Jo wanted him back in her life as well even if he couldn’t be her Jack anymore. Things had obviously changed and she knew it which meant figuring out how things worked now and finding a way to work together. Looking over as she heard Emma coughing she moved over to the couch sitting down and reached out to gently run her fingers through Emma’s hair leaning to kiss her forehead and wishing there was something more she could do to sooth her. Tyler was bringing the children’s motrin with him so that would help but she would need to call and get Emma a doctors appointment in the morning. Hearing a knock on the door and knowing it could only be one person she stood up hearing the rustle of Emma getting up to follow she smiled a little knowing her curious girl would want to see who was at the door. Leaning down to pick her up she settled Emma on one hip as she moved to unlock the door before opening it. ”Hello Tyler.” she said remembering to use the right name this time.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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Post by jacques on Nov 11, 2012 4:06:34 GMT -5
He was nervous as hell. He didn't think there was any other way to describe this sensation at the moment. He'd only just found out that he had a daughter and now he was about to come face to face with the little girl for the first time. On his way out the door, he stopped at a 24 hour store nearby. Jo had mentioned that their daughter's favourite color seemed to change on a weekly basis, so there was only one thing he could really do for it. He headed for the toy section and bought a teddy bear in every possibly color he could find. Thankfully, they were reasonably small and he was barely able to stuff the lot of them into the backpack he had for the journey. Next, he stopped at a florist who was just beginning to close up shop for the night. With a little extra cash and a charming smile, he managed to grab himself one last bouquet of lilies before the store closed up for good. He remembered they were her favourite.
With that, he was on his way to the compound that he knew that Jo was staying in. He'd scouted it out before she even knew that he was alive. Call him creepy, but he also liked being prepared and keeping an eye on her. It wasn't long before he managed to get into the compound and was at her front door. He looked down at himself, feeling like a nervous god damned teenager all over again. He hid the bouquet behind his back and knocked at the door. He offered her a small smile the moment she opened it. She was still beautiful as ever. "Surprise." He said, holding the flowers out to her.
LOOKING LIKE THIS |
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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 11, 2012 4:48:02 GMT -5
Jocelyn didn’t think this could really go badly, Emma was a sweet girl who liked meeting new people so she wouldn’t like shun him or anything. She couldn’t say she was worried so much as nervous that maybe he wouldn’t feel a connection to Emma? He was her father and that wouldn’t ever be changed but he hadn’t been there before with her so what if he didn’t feel a connection to her? She wanted Emma to have her father and wanted Tyler to be involved in his daughters life…but for that to happen they needed the chance to meet and get used to each other and bond. That was what tonight was, the first meeting and the chance for them to start getting to know each other. She knew she needed to stop over-analyzing this, stop picking at the little details and worrying them to death.
Nervous when she opened the door she had to smile as she saw him there and the flowers he offered. ”Oh you remembered.” she said shifting her hold on Emma a little and taking the offered flowers keeping them just out of their daughters reach but close enough for her to see as she stepped back. ”Come on in.” she said motioning with her head for him to come inside. She wouldn’t worry about locking the door while he was there, both because between the two of them they could handle anything and because Kier’s security system had things on lock down right now.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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Post by jacques on Nov 11, 2012 11:24:20 GMT -5
Tyler had a number of things that he was worried about. He wasn't afraid that he wouldn't instantly fall in love with his little girl. He didn't know a damned thing about her, other than the fact that she changed her favorite color every damned week. He was worried that he wouldn't have the slightest idea of how to hold her... act with her... But he knew that he already loved her. How the hell could he not love her when she was a part of both himself and Jo. He still couldn't believe that he was a father and he hated himself all the more for not having been there for the first three years of his little girl's life. He had a feeling that he was only going to wind up hating himself more once he met her.
He offered her an almost shy smile when she opened the door and told him that he had remembered. Of course he remembered her favorite flowers. He hadn't spent as long as he had married to her and growing up with her without picking up on those things. And they weren't just things that he went and forgot. Not when he'd thought of her every damned day he'd been away. He looked at the little girl in Jo's arms and he almost broke down right then and there. She was so damned beautiful. And this was what he had been missing out on. He almost choked up for a moment as he just watched the girl. His little girl. He swallowed a moment and then shook himself back to reality when Jo told him to come on in.
He followed her on in and stood awkwardly at the front door for a moment before he cleared his throat. "I uh..." He was so fucking out of sorts. He swung the backpack over his shoulder and unzipped the zipper on it. "Hey Emma..." He smiled at her, unsure as to how to approach the child. "I... Uh... I bought you something... Well... actually, several somethings..." He admitted to her. He had three years worth of toys, love and time to spend with her. But he feared it'd never be enough to make up for those years lost. He knelt down on the floor in front of the door and dug through the backpack, pulling out one bear at a time and lining them up on the floor for her. In total, there was fifteen of them. Maybe a bit excessive when he thought about it, but he didn't give a damn at the moment. This was his baby girl, after all....
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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 11, 2012 18:45:54 GMT -5
Jo hadn’t ever doubted that she and Jacques would be parents some day, she hadn’t doubted that Jack would be a good dad because he just had the personality type to be amazing as a father. There had been no doubts in her but hearing that he was dead had crushed those dreams until she got the phone call telling her the news that they would in fact have a child even if he wouldn’t be there to help raise the baby they’d created. Knowing he would never be there in their daughter’s life had been hard because she’d always thought of the two of them he’d be the better parent, but she’d managed for three years to keep their daughter safe, happy, healthy, and growing like a little weed. Now that he was back and could be a father to Emma she was happy, it was a miracle he was alive at all and she hoped that things worked out well for their little family now instead of being awkward.
Watching him as he looked at Emma she smiled a little knowing their little girl was beautiful and adorable with her big eyes and soft wavy hair. She had her head resting on Jo’s shoulder right now one hand tangled in the hair at the back of Jo’s head as the other was pressed under her cheek as a pillow. She was being quiet but that wasn’t unusual for the first few minutes around a stranger and as Tyler came inside she pushed the door shut behind him she could tell Emma was getting more curious about their visitor now from the way she lifted her head as he spoke. She stayed quiet as the little girl waved to him muttering a soft hello back followed by a light cough. She squirmed as he unzipped his backpack, her curiosity winning out now and Jo set the flowers on the table by the door before lowering Emma to the floor so she could stand on her own two feet.
She hadn’t expected him to come with presents but she could see the way Emma’s eyes lit up a bit at being told he’d bought her something and she smiled a little reaching to brush some hair off of Emma’s face as he pulled out the bears. Watching her eyes grow bigger as each bear appeared she smiled crouching down with them, ”Look Emma, all the colors.” she said in a soft excited voice. ”For me?” Emma asked quietly looking shyly at Jo a moment before at Tyler when her mom just gave a little “I don’t know” shrug. She looked over at him smiling and letting him answer Emma’s question.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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Post by jacques on Nov 11, 2012 20:30:57 GMT -5
Tyler felt guilty as hell for not having been there for them both, but he was forcing himself to swallow past that and deal with the hand that he had been dealt in life. He hadn't been there for the last three years, but he was going to make damned sure that they didn't want for anything in the future. Money wouldn't a problem. It would never be a problem for them again, even if he had to go without. He didn't give a shit so long as Jo and Emma were happy and healthy. He wanted, desperately, to ask Jo if there was any chance for them in the future again after everything they had been through, but he knew, at this point, he had no right to ask the question. He just needed to let things happen as best he could.
His little girl was quiet at first. He couldn't blame her in the least. He was a complete stranger to her and she had no idea who the hell he was. He just hoped she'd eventually come around. So long as he spent time with her though, he was pretty sure that he could convince her that he wasn't half so bad. He had always wanted to be a father while he'd been with Jo but had been afraid of committing to something like that in the event that what had happened to him did happen to him. But he had wound up with a beautiful little girl nonetheless.
He loved the way her eyes lit up. He loved the way she was smiling and excited at the present he had brought her. His chest ached in the moment. "Yeah... They're all for you, Sweetheart." He murmured to her, watching her with no small wonder as she looked at the bears laid out in front of her. Tyler shared a look with Jo for a brief moment that gave away a thousand of his emotions in the moment, but he wasn't sure that even that was enough to express how he was feeling. This was his family. This was where he had wanted to be so damned desperately for the past three years. A moment later, he turned sad eyes on his daughter for a moment, his expression softening a bit again. "Do you like them?"
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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 12, 2012 17:12:31 GMT -5
Jocelyn knew it wasn’t really Jack’s fault that he hadn’t been there for the first three years of their daughter’s life. She wouldn’t blame him at all or ever try making him feel bad for it since she was sure he’d do enough of that on his own. What she wanted now was for the two of them to have the chance to get to know each other, for he and Emma to form that bond that should have already been made if circumstances were different. She would do all she could to give them that chance, and to get a chance to know who Tyler had become now herself because three years was a long time to be apart and with the circumstances what they were she was sure he’d changed in some ways.
Watching the two interact she couldn’t stop the smile on her lips; it was amazing seeing her dreams come true before her. No it wasn’t exactly what she’d pictured since they didn’t yet know each other but it could be in time, they had this opportunity to get to know one another and become that. Sending up a silent thanks to whoever had brought her husband back to her and Emma she watched as Emma took a step closer toward the bears and the man seeming a little unsure until he said they were all for her. The way her face totally lit up at having so many colorful teddys was precious and Jo wished she’d thought to grab the camera. ”Be right back.” she said quickly and pushed up to her feet heading for the room that was her office and snagging the camera from the desk drawer.
Coming back she smiled as watched Emma reaching out to touch each of the bears nodding to her dad’s question a little still though she didn’t think Emma had said anything. Leaning against the doorframe a moment she snapped one picture before realizing the flash wasn’t on. Making sure it was turned on now she watched as Emma looked up at the man who’d given her the bears reaching up to touch his cheek curiously as well and that was the moment she snapped another picture glad for the flash that lit up the space meaning she’d actually get a good shot of it. ”Thank you.” Emma cooed remembering her manners and grinning at her mom cause the flash and she liked having her pictures taken. ”You wanna show Tyler your picture?” she asked Emma knowing the little girl would know exactly what she was talking about and watching as she squeaked and moved off to get the picture from its place low enough on the fridge that she could. ”She’s very proud of this one…” she told Tyler with a smile and lifted the camera to snap another picture of him spontaneously.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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Post by jacques on Nov 13, 2012 1:00:17 GMT -5
There was a whole world of opportunities that he wanted the chance to explore now that he was back home again. He wasn't sure if he was really going to have that chance, but he'd make good on his promise to himself to try his best to make sure that Jo understood how much he still loved her and how she had kept him alive the whole time he had been away from her. And he truly believed that it was the thought of her that had kept him going. Otherwise, he might have given up on living a hell of a long time ago.
Tyler had to smile at his daughter - lord that thought still terrified him - as she realized that the bears were, indeed, all hers. She was such a beautiful little girl. He was pretty damned sure his heart was going to explode with the wealth of emotion he felt in the moment. He was trying desperately to swallow past a lump in his throat and blink back the tears in his eyes.
He smiled when she nodded her head yes, that she did like them and nodded to her when she thanked him. It was nothing compared to the world of things that he wanted to give that little girl and her mother. Nothing at all. At first, the flash of the camera made him panic and he actually flinched away from it a little bit, but once he calmed his heart rate down a bit and remembered that it was Jo taking the picture and that no one else alive knew his face... He relaxed a little bit.... he even smiled for the camera.
As their daughter scampered off towards the kitchen, he was blinded by another flash again and he had to wrinkle his nose. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to having my picture taken again." He admitted as he rubbed his eyes a moment. He sighed and straightened up from his spot on the ground. He looked at her then. "I'm sorry, Jo. So sorry." He murmured. "And I have missed you... so much." He admitted to her.
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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 13, 2012 18:59:07 GMT -5
Jocelyn couldn’t help but wonder how this would end up working out, he said everyone that knew his face and knew what had happened was dead but he didn’t go out in daylight either so was it truly as safe as he claimed or was there something she didn’t know? She didn’t know how this would go working around his need for night and the routines she and Emma had during the day and night hours, he deserved to get to know his daughter but keeping Emma up every night wasn’t going to work out well for the little girl who needed her sleep. She didn’t really know where he was staying other than that it wasn’t a house but she knew it was farther away so contact was limited as well. There were definitely things they needed to talk about and work out but they would have to work on that another time. Right now was the time for Tyler to meet Emma and the two to get some time together.
She saw the way he flinched when she took the picture and frowned wondering why but a moment of thinking reminded her that he hadn’t really had a whole lot of contact with people and that it would have been a problem for a picture of him to be found that would be taken after his “death”. She knew though that she wouldn’t let anyone know about the pictures, she just wanted them so that they had memories of the good things, like him meeting Emma for the first time and him being there for real at all. She wanted to remember these things so these pictures were for her and Emma and him only. The smile he gave was what she’d captured in the second picture having missed that a whole lot more than words could explain.
Watching Emma go to get the picture she smiled and as a laugh snapped yet another picture again once he said he didn’t know if he’d ever get used to it again. ”Oh I’m one of those moms who takes pictures of everything so you’re gonna have to just deal with it…” she said with a light laugh and lowered the camera looked at him as he stood up. Part of her was still wary of this, unsure what exactly she was supposed to think about her husband coming back from the dead while the other part just wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go again. ”I’ve missed you too and honestly you don’t have to be sorry for them trying to kill you and forcing you into what happened. You came back and that’s what matters…but for now let’s not think about all that and just be happy to be here together?” she suggested not wanting to get into that discussion right now when Emma was coming back.
She could hear her little feet padding against the floor as she rushed back and held the picture out to him. Jo knew that picture line for like in her mind she could picture it clearly. The personish figure done in blue…no not “blue” but in the color crayola named navy. ”Wanna tell him what it is baby?” she prompted Emma who grinned and nodded always happy to talk about her pictures. ”It’s my daddy. Mommy says he was navy so see I made him navy.” Emma told him proudly and Jo smiled a little at that. She could still remember the day Emma asked “what does this say?” while pointing to the word navy on the crayon and when Jo had told her she’d asked “like daddy?” which had both made Jo’s heart break and lifted it as well so she’d nodded and given Emma a smile and the girl had drawn her daddy in his color.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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Post by jacques on Nov 14, 2012 1:19:55 GMT -5
Truth be told, the number one thing making things so difficult for Tyler a the moment was his own mind. He was still in Battle mode. His fight or flight instincts were still honed in at top speed. He didn't need to confine himself to night time hours, but it was what his mind was programmed to do at the moment. It was what he had told himself he needed to do for three years of his life. Three years that he couldn't just erase in the span of a week. He needed the chance to adjust to what it was to live life normally again. He needed the chance to operate on his own speed and let his brain adjust to the fact that he was free.
He looked at her when she said that she was one of those mothers who took pictures of everything. He swallowed for a moment as he looked at her, unsure for a moment. "Can I see some of Emma sometime?" He paused a moment. "And you... I mean... I just... I've missed out on a lot that I wish I was here for." He admitted to her. And he hated the fact. He had a feeling that it was going to be one of those things that he would atone for for the rest of their lives, whether the rest of their lives entailed them being together or not.
He had to nod at what she said about not getting into the thick of it all right now. Especially not with Emma heading back towards them in the moment. But they would need to talk about all of this eventually and Tyler was going to have to figure out some kind of a plan for making this all work. At the moment, he knew that there were just too many questions that would be left unanswered. Jo's parents would have a whole hell of a lot of questions in regards to what was happening. They were just one of those sets of people that would have to come to understand what was going on and he knew it. He respected her parents a hell of a lot.
Emma held a picture out to him and he took it from her, looking at the little scribbles on the page. But the moment his beautiful little girl told him what the picture was of and he caught on to the reasoning behind it being colored in dark blue, tears sprang to his eyes instantly. How the hell was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't help himself in the moment, he scooped the little girl up in his arms and gave her a hug. He buried his face in his little girl's hair for a moment, trying to get a hold of his emotions. He was crying and he couldn't do a damned thing about it. "Your Daddy would love this picture, Emma." He told her before he set her back down on the ground a moment later and offered her a small smile.
But he had to wonder... would she ever be able to call him 'Daddy'? More importantly... would he ever be worthy of that title?
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Post by JOCELYN THIBODEAUX on Nov 14, 2012 15:26:04 GMT -5
Jocelyn knew they had a lot to work out, details about what exactly his being back meant, where they would go from here, how he would see Emma during the hours that she wasn’t asleep or supposed to be, things like that. They would need to work it all out together but it would take time and would mean they’d have to sit down and talk sometime. She had things she needed to tell him, stuff he should know, and she knew he’d have his own questions or more to tell her since 3 years was a long time to go without talking or contact and seemed longer when you thought someone was dead so she couldn’t really imagine what it had been like for him knowing she was alive and out there but he couldn’t contact her. She understood his reasons, knew why he’d done what he did now but that didn’t make it all easier.
Smiling at his question she nodded and thought a moment before coming to a decision and answering. ”I’ll put it all on a flash-drive for you. I’ve got a lot of pictures and some videos and things so you can just take the flash-drive and look at it all when you want? There are a few with me in it too like when she was first born or other stuff too but normally I was behind the camera instead of in front of it.” she said thinking a flash-drive would give him the chance to look at the pictures all he wanted without any time limits and he could save everything for himself to have forever if he wanted. She was glad when he gave a nod to not getting into it all right now. It was the first time he was meeting their daughter, they could leave the heavy conversations for another time.
When Emma came back she gave her prompts to get her to explain knowing Emma would get there eventually but she sometimes explained after the fact instead of during the moment so a little nudge worked to get the girl explaining. Watching Tyler as Emma spoke though she was tempted to take another photo but resisted for a moment until he’d picked their little girl up into a hug. Smiling and feeling her eyes sting with tears as she watched Emma wrap her arms around him to hug back she snapped another picture of the two of them knowing she’d never forget this moment but still wanting a picture of it anyway. ”Mama said daddy would, said it was perfect.” the girl said proudly with a big grin and Jo reached up to swipe under one of her eyes to catch a tear.
Emma was off toward her toys and crayons and things in a blink and Jo watched her with an amused smile. ”Don’t go anywhere. I make you a picture for your fridge too.” Emma called at Tyler like he was planning to leave right that second before she could make the picture for him to take. She heard her coughing and looked at her a moment till she stopped and seemed like it didn’t bother her at all getting to coloring on the living room floor. Looking back at Tyler she hesitated only a moment before moving toward him with quick steps and wrapping her arms around him in her own hug. ”I’m so glad you’re here…” she said softly and held tight.
WEARING THIS :: MEL/TYLER :: DONE
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