Unwilling Reunions[Daddy(con)]

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

Rose ran a hand through her hand in slight agitation. The good thing was that it was night. The bad thing was that she had to meet with her father. She never really knew Conrad too well and she didn't like him like a daughter should like her father, but she had good reason for that. He had put her up for adoption. Adoption! She was happy that she got a nice set of people like the Tyler's as her adopters.

The young shifter spotted a bench. It looked nice and cozy, so she sat down there, waiting for her father to arrive. Her head bent back a little and a purr of satisfaction rose up in the back of her human throat. "Dis is gonna be fun, ya hear me, Rosy. Try not ta flip out an' you'll be jus' fine," she told herself.

She watched her black kitten and her white kitten run out in front of her and the two cats began to play fight. Alice was the white female and Ches was the black male. They just loved fighting just as much as Rose did. They also loved it when there master shifted into a cat and ran with them.

She heard something in the distance and assumed that it was her father. "Act natural an then we can leave, 'kay sweethearts?" The two animals mewed a yes and hid behind the bench so that there fighting could be more private.

[conrad]

Conrad sighed as he punched his left hand whilst walking to the park. One question ran through his mind: why was his daughter here? She had been put up for adoption as soon as she was born for the simple fact that he was a teen at the time and because her mother had died in labour.

The thoughts disturbed him and the idea of having his daughter back in his life was just terrifying. He would be willing to make a go of it if she was but it was up to her. It wouldn't be easy, afterall Conrad hadn't been there for her, he had just abandoned her at a care home and walked away without any thought. No doubt she would probably be angry with him about that, maybe even hated him, Conrad wouldn't blame her. If he was in her shoes he'd hate him as well.

Finally reaching the park Con slammed his fist into a nearby wall, this was too much for him to handle. But he had to do it, not for himself but for his daughter, she deserved answers, she desered the opportunity to slap him round the face. Stepping into the park Con glanced at the female and smiled lightly. He took a step towards her and was about to speak when he noticed the scent of cats and paused, he hated cats, and not in a way that he should; normally dogs chase after cats but he was the opposite, he ran away from them. What really surprised him was that he couldn't see any feline creatures yet the smell was fresh and close by. That worried him slightly.

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

Rose looked down at her outfit to make sure it was good enough for this little 'reunion'. She was wearing a white-and-pink shirt with a pair of stretchy black pants. It was a surprisingly warm night, so it was alright. She took in a couple of deep breathes and stood up as her father arrived. He deserved to at least meet his own daughter, know what was on her mind. And she expected him to answer the questions that she wanted answered.

He looked as though he was about to say something, but then he paused. Why was that? She smelt the air, but the only thing that filled them was the scent of her two cats... and another shifter. "Don' ya like cats?" She asked. The blonde clicked her tongue and then pointed towards one of the trees. She heard her two cats stop scuffling and walk from behind the bench and away from the two shifters. Alice and Ches had the heads down but they were soon out of sight. "There. Mah cats are gone. Why don' we have a seat and talk." She felt uncomfortable with this, but she wanted her answers.

[conrad]

Conrad watched as the cats came out from behind the bench and walked away, "There. Mah cats are gone. Why don' we have a seat and talk." He glanced up at the female as she spoke, "your cats?" Conrad shuddered slightly as he glanced back to where the cats had gone, "your mother used to like cats, we had three at our house, I only put up with them because of your mother." He sighed before looking back at the female, he gave her a small smile before walking towards her. It was up to her what happened now.

When he finally reached her all he could do was stare at her face, she looked exactly like her mother, it was unbelievably heartbreaking. Everything about her was the same. A tear came to his eye but he refused to actually cry, that would be the last thing to do in front of this girl who he didn't even know. He'd give anything just to be able to put his hand on her cheek, just to touch his beautiful little girl for the first time since the day he had given her up. Just to see if she had the same feel as her mother. Now that would be something. Instead he just gave her a quick smile and proceeded to sit down on the bench.

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

Rose was flashing a small nervous smile. Then he had to mention her mother. That made her mind go into a frenzy of different questions that she would want to ask. She had half of a thought to give him a hug, just to know what it was like to hug her real dad, but she let that one go to the back of her mind.

"Three. That's pretty neat. Do ya remember there names? Both of mine are named after characters in Alice in Wonderland."

She paused when he came closer and she just stared at him. She saw very little resemblance between the two of them... except his hair was a tad like hers, only his was darker.

"Anyhoo..." She said as she sat down with him. "What's on yer mind, daddy... er, ya don' mind if ah call ya that, do ya?"

[conrad]

"I do not recall their names, however I do remember that they were named after characters from The Little Mermaid."

Con stared into the distance and seemed to just go into a day dream for a few seconds, until Rose spoke, "What's on yer mind, daddy... er, ya don' mind if ah call ya that, do ya?" Con glanced at her, daddy seemed weird to him, this was the first time anyone called him that. Well except for when his adoptive parents found out he was a parent, he could still remember them saying 'you won't have any child calling you daddy just yet, you're not a dad just yet Conrad, now pack your things and get out 'daddy'' but he understood their point even if it wasn't perfectly clear.

"Yeah, it's fine... Now, what do you want to know?"

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

Rose giggled. "Not the Little Mermaid, daddy, the names are from Alice in Wonderland." She couldn't help herself. Giggles purred out of hr throat. Someone mixing up those two movies was just plain ridiculous. But it was alright.

Rose wasn't completely happy about this, but it wasn't a horrid experience. "Cool... Hmm, what ta ask ya first..." She began to ponder this then nodded. "Tell me 'bout momma, please? Is she still livin'? What did she look like? Was she a shifter too?" Her questions came in a sort of rapid fire, but Rose just couldn't help herself.

[conrad]

Conrad looked down at the ground, his muscles seemed to tense and his hands turned into fists. He had the sudden urge to just burst into tears and completely breakdown, but he wasn't going to do that in front of her. "Your mother was a remarkable person, she was absolutely wonderful, she would be so proud if she could see you now. You look exactly like her, it's amazing...

Con unclenched his fists and put his hands together, resting them on his lap he continued with his response, "She wasn't exactly a shifter as such, your mother didn't have the ability to change herself fully like we do, she could only change parts of her body. That was because of her father though, he used to give her drugs so that her ability wouldn't work properly..." He paused and lifted his head up slightly, "She died seconds after giving birth to you... I always thought it had been because of the pain but I know differently now..."

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

"She would be so proud if she could see you now."

That caught Rose's attention. Would could only mean two things, that her mother was dead or she was on an 'extended' vacation so to speak. The blonde hoped that is was the latter of the two. She listened to him fully and and completely. Then he said that she had died. More so, giving birth to her. She felt like she wanted to cry and a small tear did trickle down her cheek, but she smoothly wiped it away. "Oh... A-ah'm so sorry, daddy... Ah didn't know. The Tyler's... they never told me that." She paused. Maybe she should get off of this subject, just for this Conrad guys sake.

"Did ya ever regret givin' me up?" she shook her head. "Ah worded that a little badly. Hmm... Did ya ever think of me? After you gave me up fer adoption?"

[conrad]

Conrad rubbed his eyes with his fingertips before looking at the girl, "Rose, i've always regretted giving you up and I have thought of you ever since that day, it just wasn't my choice, I was too young and I knew I would never be able to give you the attention and upbringing that you needed. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. A couple of days later was when I realised you should've stayed with your real family."

He sighed whilst turning his head and looking in another direction, "I did go back for you... As soon as I realised you deserved to be with me I went straight back to that care home but you had already been adopted, it was too late..." Con turned back to face his daughter, "I am really sorry Rose..."

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

Rose blinked. "How old were you exactly... When you had me? How old was momma when she died?" She was just chalk full of questions, sometimes asking them during the little pauses in her fathers answers. Maybe she should learn to wait until he stopped talking to ask.

"I did go back for you..."[/b]

"You did? Why didn't they tell you where ah was? Who adopted? Aren't they 'spose ta do that?" She was a little agitated. That idiotic care center. She'll show them, they'll just wait.

"I am really sorry Rose..."

Rose couldn't help herself now. She wrapped her arms around her father, giving him a hug. "You tried your best right? That's all that matters, then."

[conrad]

"How old were you exactly... When you had me? How old was momma when she died?"

Conrad glanced at her quickly and then looked away, "We were both in our teens, about fifteen or sixteen I would say..." That was all he wanted to say about age, they had been too young when they had brought Rose into the world. Her next question made him wonder about things slightly, why hadn't they told him? It was probably down to confidentiality or something, it didn't matter now though because she was back in his life.

Rose caught him slightly off guard when he felt her arms wrap around him, this was weird, but he wasn't complaining. Putting one of his own arms around her Con smiled and listened to what she had to say, "You tried your best right? That's all that matters, then." He chuckled slightly, "you have more faith in me than I do... Con pulled her closer slightly before gently kissing her on the top of her head, he hoped she didn't mind, it was something a father would do afterall and he wanted to be a real dad to her.

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

So what, they had been in their teens. Rose, oddly enough, didn't care at the moment. She felt herself getting moved a bit closer to him and his arm wrap around her. Then she felt him kiss the top of her head. she didn't mind, though.

"You should have more faith in yerself then, daddy. If there was anything you could have done 'bout it, den you would've, right?" She pulled herself back. "Right?" Doubt tinged her voice now.

"Why don't ya like cats?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

[conrad]

"You should have more faith in yerself then, daddy. If there was anything you could have done 'bout it, den you would've, right?"

Con looked at her and smiled, "seems like your losing in faith in me already. If I could've done anything then damn right I would've done it" It was true, if he could've got her back then he would've taken her back. He was just greatful he had her in his life now.

"Why don't ya like cats?"

He chuckled slightly, how could he not have guessed that this question would come up sooner or later, "I never have done... I suppose i've never really given them a chance, I probbly would be able to get along with them..." He probably might even be able to change into them one day aswell, maybe that'll be the day he gets along with feline creatures.

[Rose Lynne Tyler]

She smiled up at him. Con was actually a lot sweeter than the Tyler’s had let on… or maybe they just hadn’t liked him. It was probably that. Rose’s adoptive parents didn’t want anything to go bad for her, tried to keep her life perfect. Had they just lied to her all of her life? She didn’t want to think of it like that, so she pushed the thought out of her mind and listened to her real father.

Rose chuckled as she saw her two little fur balls rolling around, trying to pin the other down first. It was the cutest thing she had seen all day. Alice and Ches made sure to keep their distance from Con and Rose, though they didn’t like the thought of it. ”Can’ya understand what animals say, daddy? Or just do- canines?”

Then a thought came to her head. ”Well, then maybe you could give mah cats a chance… please?” Her voice was that of a little kids trying to get her parents to buy her the newest Barbie doll. It had always worked on the Tyler’s… but she doubted it would work on him.