We Aren't So Different, You and Me

"I'll kill him." I growled, brushing past Lindsey. I pulled out my cell and dialed Mikey, telling him what happened. "I'm gonna fucking kill him, Mikes. I swear to God."
"Gerard, let's not go back to jail, okay?" he sighed.
"I don't give a fuck about jail time, Mikey. He hurt my little girl and now I'm gonna hurt him!"

I heard someone move behind me once I hung up with Mikey. I turned around to see Taylor, fresh out of the shower in a baggy tshirt and a pair of sweatpants. In the lighting of my office, I could see the damage more clearly. Her neck was full of hickeys and she had bruises on her arms. Her eye was a little puffy and it looked like she had been crying through the entire thing.

"Baby?"
"Don't do anything to him, okay?"
"But, baby, he hurt you."
"I don't care, okay?"
"Taylor! He raped you!" I shrieked, gripping her shoulders. "You gave him your trust and he just took it all away from you."
She shrugged me off, wiping her tears away. "Just.. Don't kill him."

**

I got a hold of Ray and Mikey and the three of us headed towards Adam's apartment. I knocked on the door, waiting. I looked through the windows slightly, looking for any sign of movement. The door finally clicked and Adam faced me, looking "confused".

"Mr. Way? What're you doing here?"
"Save it, assclown." I pushed him back into the house, Ray and Mikey in tow. "You and my little girl have been together, what, 3 months now?"
"Yeah?"
"And you think it's okay--" I landed a blow to his stomach. "--to fuck her?!"
He groaned, doubling over. He looked up at me, a sneer on his face. "She liked it."

Mikey was the one to land a blow this time, his fist connecting with Adam's jaw.

I knelt down in front of him, tilting his head up. "You're gonna stay away from my daughter, you hear me?"
"I can't do that. She's in love with me."
"She'll get over it." Mikey snarled. I looked up at him and saw hate in his eyes, something I've never seen since the whole Sarah thing.
Adam scoffed, laughing. "Doubtful."
"She's 17, dickwad. Did you fail to remember that you're 4 years older than her? I'm pressing charges against your sorry ass!" I yelled, kicking him in the crotch. "Have fun in prison, bitch."

**

When we got back home, Lindsey was stroking Taylor's hair slowly as her head rested in Lindsey's lap. Taylor was sound asleep, her fingers knotted with Lindsey's. I sighed, exhausted. Mikey and Ray had gone home, leaving me to deal with my inner demon who thirsted for the blood of an evil little man.

"Hey, babe," I mumbled against Linds' cheek.
"Hey," she whispered back.
"She been out long?"
"Not too long but she's been out cold." She yawned and I looked up at the clock to see that it was 3 a.m.
"Go to bed, okay? I'll take her up to bed."

Lindsey didn't hesitate to retreat to our bed. I took Linds's spot on the couch, placing Taylor's head in my lap. I moved to brush a piece of hair off of her sweaty neck but she stirred in her sleep, waking up. Her eyes fluttered open up to mine and I smiled softly.

"Are you mad at me?"
"Of course not," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "Are you mad at me?"
"You did what you had to do. Any father would have done it."

She yawned again, trying to stand up. He must have been pretty rough with her because she started crying immediately. I picked her up, carrying her upstairs to her room as I shushed her cries. I slid her into her bed, tucking her in. I kissed her forehead, retreating towards the door.

"Will you stay in here with me?"
I turned back towards her, smiling softly in the pale moonlight. "Let me go get my pajama pants on, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded.

I came back a couple minutes later, plaid jammies and a white tshirt dawned. I slid under the covers with her, wrapping my arms around her frame. She sighed as she rested her head on my chest, my fingers running over her back.

"I love you, Dad..."

Notes