Innocence 01.12.16
Disclaimer: MaryRose is an OC owned 由 GrandOldPenguin. She is featured in his story, Beyond DNA as well as its short sequel, Operation: Fluffy 粉, 粉色 Sugar. While credit for the idea and 写作 of this installment is mine, MaryRose belongs exclusively to GrandOldPenguin. In addition, I highly recommend 阅读 both Beyond DNA and Operation: Fluffy 粉, 粉色 Sugar if 你 haven’t already.
— § —
“Ugh! I can’t believe this!” MaryRose complained as she dropped into HQ, where Marlene was washing dishes.
Skipper dropped in behind her. “MaryRose, I told 你 not to go places without telling me first. What if something happened and I had no idea where to even begin looking for you?” he challenged, folding his flippers.
MaryRose rolled her eyes. “Dad, nothing’s gonna happen to me. I can take care of myself.”
“MaryRose, you’re fourteen years old. Even I could barely take care of myself at that age,” Skipper argued, shifting his flippers to his hips. “I don’t want to hear any 更多 about it. Go to your bunk.”
“But, Dad—!”
“Don’t ‘But, Dad!’ me,” Skipper interrupted. “Go on.”
MaryRose sighed heavily and climbed into her bunk, turning over to face the wall. Skipper sighed and crossed the room to Marlene.
“Where was she?” Marlene whispered.
“In the park,” Skipper replied, “with Archie’s kids again. I wish I could get her to understand why I don’t trust them.”
“Well, that was a long time ago,” Marlene replied. “How do 你 know he’s still untrustworthy? Kids can change a person, y’know.”
Skipper started to dry the dishes Marlene washed. “I highly doubt that, Marlene. A leopard doesn’t change his spots.”
“Really?” Marlene said. “You did.”
Skipper rolled his eyes. “That’s different.”
“How?” Marlene challenged.
“It just is,” Skipper insisted. “Whose side are 你 on? Our daughter is out following a bunch of delinquents and you’re 表演 like I’m the bad guy.”
Marlene handed him another dish. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I just think 你 should talk to her. 你 tell her what not to do without telling her why. If I told 你 not to do something, wouldn’t 你 want a reason?”
“No,” Skipper argued. “I would trust your judgement because I 爱情 you.”
Marlene sighed. “Skipper, I’m sure MaryRose trusts your judgement just as much as I do, whether she admits it 或者 not. I just think there’s some miscommunication here.”
“What part of don’t hang out with them is hard to understand?” Skipper shot back.
Although she was finished with the dishes, Marlene kept the water running to drown out their voices. “Skipper, why is it so hard for 你 to go talk to her? She’s your daughter. It shouldn’t be like pulling teeth to get 你 to have a little one-on-one with her.”
“Because I’m her father and she should just listen to me,” Skipper persisted. “First it’s this, then she’s dying her feathers and piercing her beak. And then she’s addicted to herring!”
Marlene rolled her eyes. “Skipper, you’re addicted to herring.”
“That’s not the point,” Skipper argued.
“Skipper,” Marlene 说 before he could continue, “you know what I think your problem is? You’re so used to having your team follow your every command without 问题 that 你 forget MaryRose isn’t some member of your unit. She’s your little girl. Exceptions need to be made.”
Skipper looked down to try to find a response, but couldn’t. He sighed and looked across the room at MaryRose.
“All right,” he said, giving in. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Marlene smiled. “Good. I’ll go topside and make sure the boys don’t interrupt. They’re out taking some security precautions, per Kowalski’s order.”
Skipper nodded. “Thanks,” he 说 quietly.
Marlene turned off the faucet and stepped 前锋, 期待 to 吻乐队（Kiss） Skipper on the cheek. “Good luck,” she whispered before heading to the hatch.
Skipper exhaled. Then he pushed a cinder block 下一个 to MaryRose’s bunk and sat down. After a few moments of awkward silence, he started.
“Look . . . I know I’m not the best at communication,” he said, watching MaryRose. She didn’t move. “I’ve been running my unit for a couple decades now. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question. And, well, sometimes I forget to turn that side of me off with you,” he admitted. He waited a moment, but she remained silent. “When . . . 你 were just a chick, there was a time I thought I’d 迷失 你 forever.” He felt his 心 wrench at the memory, but buried the feeling. “The thought of not having 你 in my life broke my heart. I couldn’t stand the thought. I couldn’t even begin to tell myself to let 你 go. Then, 由 the grace of God, I didn’t have to. I found 你 right where I’d left you.”
MaryRose didn’t turn over, but in a small voice, she asked, “Where was I?”
Skipper smiled. “In my heart.”
Slowly, MaryRose flipped onto her back and stared up. “Why are 你 telling me this?”
“Because,” Skipper replied, “I want 你 to know that when I tell 你 to do something, it isn’t me trying to control your life 或者 keep 你 from having fun 或者 whatever 你 think I’m doing. I do it because I 爱情 你 and I want 你 to be safe. If I trusted those kids, I wouldn’t be quite as upset. Although I still need to know where 你 are.” He folded his flippers. “I know 你 won’t fully understand how I feel until 你 have your own children—way in the future,” he 说 with a half-joking smile, “but 你 don’t know what goes through my mind when I think something’s happened to you. Just thinking what could happen drives me mad. I’m sorry if I get a little overprotective at times, but it’s just that I 爱情 你 更多 than you’ll ever know. Do 你 understand?”
MaryRose was silent for a few moments before she sat up on the side of her bunk and nodded. “I think so,” she 说 softly. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
Skipper smiled and pushed off the cinder block, kneeling down in front of her. “You don’t need to apologize, sweetie. Just know that I tell 你 things for a reason. Okay?”
MaryRose nodded. “Okay,” she said. Then she wrapped her flippers around his neck. “I 爱情 you, Daddy.”
Skipper hugged her back. “I 爱情 你 too, MaryRose.”
[Words: 998]
Disclaimer: MaryRose is an OC owned 由 GrandOldPenguin. She is featured in his story, Beyond DNA as well as its short sequel, Operation: Fluffy 粉, 粉色 Sugar. While credit for the idea and 写作 of this installment is mine, MaryRose belongs exclusively to GrandOldPenguin. In addition, I highly recommend 阅读 both Beyond DNA and Operation: Fluffy 粉, 粉色 Sugar if 你 haven’t already.
— § —
“Ugh! I can’t believe this!” MaryRose complained as she dropped into HQ, where Marlene was washing dishes.
Skipper dropped in behind her. “MaryRose, I told 你 not to go places without telling me first. What if something happened and I had no idea where to even begin looking for you?” he challenged, folding his flippers.
MaryRose rolled her eyes. “Dad, nothing’s gonna happen to me. I can take care of myself.”
“MaryRose, you’re fourteen years old. Even I could barely take care of myself at that age,” Skipper argued, shifting his flippers to his hips. “I don’t want to hear any 更多 about it. Go to your bunk.”
“But, Dad—!”
“Don’t ‘But, Dad!’ me,” Skipper interrupted. “Go on.”
MaryRose sighed heavily and climbed into her bunk, turning over to face the wall. Skipper sighed and crossed the room to Marlene.
“Where was she?” Marlene whispered.
“In the park,” Skipper replied, “with Archie’s kids again. I wish I could get her to understand why I don’t trust them.”
“Well, that was a long time ago,” Marlene replied. “How do 你 know he’s still untrustworthy? Kids can change a person, y’know.”
Skipper started to dry the dishes Marlene washed. “I highly doubt that, Marlene. A leopard doesn’t change his spots.”
“Really?” Marlene said. “You did.”
Skipper rolled his eyes. “That’s different.”
“How?” Marlene challenged.
“It just is,” Skipper insisted. “Whose side are 你 on? Our daughter is out following a bunch of delinquents and you’re 表演 like I’m the bad guy.”
Marlene handed him another dish. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I just think 你 should talk to her. 你 tell her what not to do without telling her why. If I told 你 not to do something, wouldn’t 你 want a reason?”
“No,” Skipper argued. “I would trust your judgement because I 爱情 you.”
Marlene sighed. “Skipper, I’m sure MaryRose trusts your judgement just as much as I do, whether she admits it 或者 not. I just think there’s some miscommunication here.”
“What part of don’t hang out with them is hard to understand?” Skipper shot back.
Although she was finished with the dishes, Marlene kept the water running to drown out their voices. “Skipper, why is it so hard for 你 to go talk to her? She’s your daughter. It shouldn’t be like pulling teeth to get 你 to have a little one-on-one with her.”
“Because I’m her father and she should just listen to me,” Skipper persisted. “First it’s this, then she’s dying her feathers and piercing her beak. And then she’s addicted to herring!”
Marlene rolled her eyes. “Skipper, you’re addicted to herring.”
“That’s not the point,” Skipper argued.
“Skipper,” Marlene 说 before he could continue, “you know what I think your problem is? You’re so used to having your team follow your every command without 问题 that 你 forget MaryRose isn’t some member of your unit. She’s your little girl. Exceptions need to be made.”
Skipper looked down to try to find a response, but couldn’t. He sighed and looked across the room at MaryRose.
“All right,” he said, giving in. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Marlene smiled. “Good. I’ll go topside and make sure the boys don’t interrupt. They’re out taking some security precautions, per Kowalski’s order.”
Skipper nodded. “Thanks,” he 说 quietly.
Marlene turned off the faucet and stepped 前锋, 期待 to 吻乐队（Kiss） Skipper on the cheek. “Good luck,” she whispered before heading to the hatch.
Skipper exhaled. Then he pushed a cinder block 下一个 to MaryRose’s bunk and sat down. After a few moments of awkward silence, he started.
“Look . . . I know I’m not the best at communication,” he said, watching MaryRose. She didn’t move. “I’ve been running my unit for a couple decades now. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question. And, well, sometimes I forget to turn that side of me off with you,” he admitted. He waited a moment, but she remained silent. “When . . . 你 were just a chick, there was a time I thought I’d 迷失 你 forever.” He felt his 心 wrench at the memory, but buried the feeling. “The thought of not having 你 in my life broke my heart. I couldn’t stand the thought. I couldn’t even begin to tell myself to let 你 go. Then, 由 the grace of God, I didn’t have to. I found 你 right where I’d left you.”
MaryRose didn’t turn over, but in a small voice, she asked, “Where was I?”
Skipper smiled. “In my heart.”
Slowly, MaryRose flipped onto her back and stared up. “Why are 你 telling me this?”
“Because,” Skipper replied, “I want 你 to know that when I tell 你 to do something, it isn’t me trying to control your life 或者 keep 你 from having fun 或者 whatever 你 think I’m doing. I do it because I 爱情 你 and I want 你 to be safe. If I trusted those kids, I wouldn’t be quite as upset. Although I still need to know where 你 are.” He folded his flippers. “I know 你 won’t fully understand how I feel until 你 have your own children—way in the future,” he 说 with a half-joking smile, “but 你 don’t know what goes through my mind when I think something’s happened to you. Just thinking what could happen drives me mad. I’m sorry if I get a little overprotective at times, but it’s just that I 爱情 你 更多 than you’ll ever know. Do 你 understand?”
MaryRose was silent for a few moments before she sat up on the side of her bunk and nodded. “I think so,” she 说 softly. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
Skipper smiled and pushed off the cinder block, kneeling down in front of her. “You don’t need to apologize, sweetie. Just know that I tell 你 things for a reason. Okay?”
MaryRose nodded. “Okay,” she said. Then she wrapped her flippers around his neck. “I 爱情 you, Daddy.”
Skipper hugged her back. “I 爱情 你 too, MaryRose.”
[Words: 998]
