justprompts: http://i34.tinypic.com/2ugeb1c.jpg family argument
Mia was walking out of the hospital's ER, digging out her keys, when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Jake by the doors. For a second she paused, the fact that he was in simple jeans, boots, t-shirt and jacket not going unnoticed, and once she was closer to him she began to speak. "If something had happened I don't think you'd be looking so...calm. So I shouldn't worry that you're here, right?"
A hint of a smile brushed against Jake's lips. "No, it's nothing like that. Can I walk you to your car?"
Mia smirked. "What are you, stalking me?"
"I tried that already once," he deadpanned, "but it didn't work." When Mia couldn't help but grin despite her best attempt to hide it, Jake smiled back. "I just need to talk to you."
She began walking towards the parking lot, letting him walk next to her. "Guess it couldn't wait 'til later, huh?"
Jake shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. It was actually because the last thing he wanted was to argue in front of Valerie, or anywhere around her, and even if he had given her a car 'by surprise' he didn't want Mia to find this out on her own later. Besides, he had told his daughter that he'd take care of it, and he would. He wasn't going to let her catch the brunt of it. "I work the next few days. You know how that goes."
"Right." Once they stepped into the elevator, she turned to look at him. "So, what's up?"
For a second Jake just stared at her, and the greatest urge to lean over and kiss her suddenly took over him for some reason. Maybe because this felt so familiar, talking to her like this, and they hadn't had it for so long. Maybe because, despite their last encounter at Angela's house, there was no real tension between them right now. Maybe because what he had told her once was still true - to him she looked absolutely gorgeous in scrubs.
Leaning against the back wall of the elevator, Jake sighed under his breath. "I, uh. I got Val her car."
Mia, who had been digging into her purse for her cell phone so she could check her messages, froze on the spot. To her credit she didn't send the cell phone flying at Jake's head, but the way she seemed to clench her jaw it was obvious that the thought at least crossed through her head.
"It's safe," he continued after she didn't say anything, looking down at the ground for a moment. "I checked it over. The engine, the breaks, the oil... I restored most of it, so I know it's good to go. It's this beautiful Mustang, 68." He chuckled quietly under his breath. "Green. She loves it--"
"You already gave it to her?"
Looking over at Mia, Jake nodded. She deserved for him to at least look her in the eye after going behind her back on this. "Yep."
"Why?"
"It's hers."
"You know what I mean." Slamming her hand on the emergency stop button, she turned to him with her eyes blazing. "Are you serious? Is this why you came here, of all places? So I wouldn't make a scene on you about it, since this is where I work? Where your father works?"
The accusation made Jake frown, but he didn't push himself off the wall yet. "You're kidding, right? Since when do I give a fuck about what my father could think?"
Mia paced the space of the elevator before turning to him, and even if her voice was low it carried a very cold edge to it. "You're taking that car back. It's not hers."
Unable to help it, Jake chuckled even if it lacked the majority of the humor to it. "Oh it's hers." He pushed himself off the wall then, standing in front of her to stop her pacing. "I got it for her. I finished it for her. It's hers."
"No."
"So you're just going to take it away from her?"
"If I have to."
Now it was Jake the one that clenched his jaw shut. "I swear to God, Mia, if you do--"
"You have no right to swoop in like this, and do this. Do you understand? You have no right. She's MY daughter--"
"She's OUR daughter. OURS. Last I checked it still took two people to make a baby."
Mia was seething. "You stopped being her father years ago, Jake, don't fool yourself. You're the one with the psychology degree - do you realize what you're doing? That constant attempt to win her back with gifts, and planning trips for her?"
Jake stared at her for a moment, glaring until he forced himself to move to press the button to get the elevator moving again. "She's keeping that fuckin' car."
"She'll get a car when we find one that is safe enough for her."
With a wry smirk, even if his eyes still reflected how furious he was, he leaned closer to her and said quietly, "Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but tanks are too hard to maintain."
Just as the signal of the elevator rang, signaling that they had arrived at the floor where she had parked, Mia slapped Jake and began walking away. Before he could completely step out of the elevator, though, she turned around looking furious enough to strike him again. "If something happens to her, I swear to whatever it is you hold holy, Jake... I will kill you myself for it. I already lost a son because of you--"
"And the truth finally comes out." Mia looked away, but Jake didn't. Not this time. "I know," he finally said after a while. "You won't let me take away another one of your kids."
She turned to him then. "No. I won't."
Jake nodded. "Hey, and I get it. As long as you understand that I'm not letting you take away the only one I have left, either. Because whether you like it or not, no matter how much you've tried to keep me out of it, I'm still part of her life. And I may have messed up, but that's in the past."
"That's the thing, Jake. You never change." Before he could argue or say anything else, she turned around to leave and this time she actually got into her car, ready to leave. Half of her expected Jake to go after her, to continue arguing, but instead the sound of his motorcycle caused her to look over at where he had parked. Habit had made her choose the same parking spot for years, and Jake had known this.
Without a single glance back, Jake quickly drove away, only cementing firmer into Mia's head that no, he really never changed.
A hint of a smile brushed against Jake's lips. "No, it's nothing like that. Can I walk you to your car?"
Mia smirked. "What are you, stalking me?"
"I tried that already once," he deadpanned, "but it didn't work." When Mia couldn't help but grin despite her best attempt to hide it, Jake smiled back. "I just need to talk to you."
She began walking towards the parking lot, letting him walk next to her. "Guess it couldn't wait 'til later, huh?"
Jake shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. It was actually because the last thing he wanted was to argue in front of Valerie, or anywhere around her, and even if he had given her a car 'by surprise' he didn't want Mia to find this out on her own later. Besides, he had told his daughter that he'd take care of it, and he would. He wasn't going to let her catch the brunt of it. "I work the next few days. You know how that goes."
"Right." Once they stepped into the elevator, she turned to look at him. "So, what's up?"
For a second Jake just stared at her, and the greatest urge to lean over and kiss her suddenly took over him for some reason. Maybe because this felt so familiar, talking to her like this, and they hadn't had it for so long. Maybe because, despite their last encounter at Angela's house, there was no real tension between them right now. Maybe because what he had told her once was still true - to him she looked absolutely gorgeous in scrubs.
Leaning against the back wall of the elevator, Jake sighed under his breath. "I, uh. I got Val her car."
Mia, who had been digging into her purse for her cell phone so she could check her messages, froze on the spot. To her credit she didn't send the cell phone flying at Jake's head, but the way she seemed to clench her jaw it was obvious that the thought at least crossed through her head.
"It's safe," he continued after she didn't say anything, looking down at the ground for a moment. "I checked it over. The engine, the breaks, the oil... I restored most of it, so I know it's good to go. It's this beautiful Mustang, 68." He chuckled quietly under his breath. "Green. She loves it--"
"You already gave it to her?"
Looking over at Mia, Jake nodded. She deserved for him to at least look her in the eye after going behind her back on this. "Yep."
"Why?"
"It's hers."
"You know what I mean." Slamming her hand on the emergency stop button, she turned to him with her eyes blazing. "Are you serious? Is this why you came here, of all places? So I wouldn't make a scene on you about it, since this is where I work? Where your father works?"
The accusation made Jake frown, but he didn't push himself off the wall yet. "You're kidding, right? Since when do I give a fuck about what my father could think?"
Mia paced the space of the elevator before turning to him, and even if her voice was low it carried a very cold edge to it. "You're taking that car back. It's not hers."
Unable to help it, Jake chuckled even if it lacked the majority of the humor to it. "Oh it's hers." He pushed himself off the wall then, standing in front of her to stop her pacing. "I got it for her. I finished it for her. It's hers."
"No."
"So you're just going to take it away from her?"
"If I have to."
Now it was Jake the one that clenched his jaw shut. "I swear to God, Mia, if you do--"
"You have no right to swoop in like this, and do this. Do you understand? You have no right. She's MY daughter--"
"She's OUR daughter. OURS. Last I checked it still took two people to make a baby."
Mia was seething. "You stopped being her father years ago, Jake, don't fool yourself. You're the one with the psychology degree - do you realize what you're doing? That constant attempt to win her back with gifts, and planning trips for her?"
Jake stared at her for a moment, glaring until he forced himself to move to press the button to get the elevator moving again. "She's keeping that fuckin' car."
"She'll get a car when we find one that is safe enough for her."
With a wry smirk, even if his eyes still reflected how furious he was, he leaned closer to her and said quietly, "Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but tanks are too hard to maintain."
Just as the signal of the elevator rang, signaling that they had arrived at the floor where she had parked, Mia slapped Jake and began walking away. Before he could completely step out of the elevator, though, she turned around looking furious enough to strike him again. "If something happens to her, I swear to whatever it is you hold holy, Jake... I will kill you myself for it. I already lost a son because of you--"
"And the truth finally comes out." Mia looked away, but Jake didn't. Not this time. "I know," he finally said after a while. "You won't let me take away another one of your kids."
She turned to him then. "No. I won't."
Jake nodded. "Hey, and I get it. As long as you understand that I'm not letting you take away the only one I have left, either. Because whether you like it or not, no matter how much you've tried to keep me out of it, I'm still part of her life. And I may have messed up, but that's in the past."
"That's the thing, Jake. You never change." Before he could argue or say anything else, she turned around to leave and this time she actually got into her car, ready to leave. Half of her expected Jake to go after her, to continue arguing, but instead the sound of his motorcycle caused her to look over at where he had parked. Habit had made her choose the same parking spot for years, and Jake had known this.
Without a single glance back, Jake quickly drove away, only cementing firmer into Mia's head that no, he really never changed.