Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

[dharmalady]

Juliet Scott was married for five years. Three of them were good. She was young, Damien was too. They were in love and carefree; had fun and had a lot of sex, traveled to a lot of places. She'd been on track to start med school but when she met Damien, she wanted him instead, and she thought she'd always choose him over everything.

Until she got pregnant.

He stuck around for a few months but then, conveniently his job took him away and the stretches of time between being home and being gone were longer. He was never a bad dad to Mia, not once, but it was like a chore to be home, to be a husband and civilian again. Juliet missed him but she tried to talk to him about it and it was a fight, every time. He had a job, he had missions, he couldn't just give that up. So she decided a year and a half ago to not make him choose anymore. She sent him divorce papers, certified mail, with a letter explaining to him that she was tired of feeling like she and Mia weren't a priority. Like he didn't want to be there when he was back in the states. She wasn't surprised when she got the signed paperwork back with no note in response.

She and Mia have been solo ever since, the two of them moving to Miami to be closer to Juliet's sister. Med school finally happens, and now Juliet's an intern and Mia is five. It's been hard, harder than Juliet ever thought she'd have to do on her own, but she's doing it. She's never told Damien he can't be a part of Mia's life, she's never tried to keep him away from her. When she moves, she makes sure someone in his branch of the military, wherever he is, gets her address. She's not even angry at him anymore, just sad that it ended this way between them.

Comments

[inthewar]

"She's a fucking good kid," he smiles, and there's so much love and pride in his eyes, he doesn't even realize.

[dharmalady]

"And you're a good dad when you're here," Juliet says gently. "I know you said you're staying, but I wanted to actually tell you...I want you to stay. I've always wanted you to stay. You should. You're good at this, Damien."

[inthewar]

He knows she loves him, so that's out there now between them. And he knows he loves her, he knows he loves his kid so damn much. But it's all been...pretty damn easy so far. Too easy.

"I don't feel like I'm doing much. Just...loving her like fucking crazy. Is that what a dad does?"

[dharmalady]

"Damien, that's what any parent does. If you have love, everything else just...happens. You got her fed today, got her dressed, she's happy, she's content, you love her. What else is there?"

Obviously, she knows there are other things, that parenting takes a lot out of a person and it's not always so simple, but she knows what the foundations are, and Damien has them.

[inthewar]

"Don't kids get upset about stuff? They don't listen sometimes? I don't know how to handle that stuff," he says quietly.

[dharmalady]

"You think I did whenI started? And I figured it out alone," she points out. "I mean. Not for nothing. Mia has laid in the middle of the grocery store and cried until I had to pick her up and carry her out. Abandon the groceries and just leave. But you deal with it, Damien, and you figure it out. And you have me."

[inthewar]

He nods a little and folds his arms loosely over his chest. "I guess I can handle a five-year-old," he smirks a little. "I'm sorry you had to do all this alone, Jules."

[dharmalady]

She shrugs just a little. "It happened, Damien. And I came to terms with it a while ago. I'm just sorry you missed out on so much that was really, really great."

[inthewar]

Those words almost hurt more than what she said last night, but she has a right to say them, too. He did miss a lot, so much. Things he'll never get back, not ever.

Mia had the good parent with her, though, and he's glad for that.

"Yeah. I know. I know I'm an asshole."

[dharmalady]

"The longer you're here, the less I think that's true. So. Keep doing this," she says softly, then goes to sit with Mia, though she nods at Damien to join them, to cuddle Mia on the other side of her.

[inthewar]

Damien gives her a little nod and sits next to Mia, kissing the top of his daughter's head softly.

[dharmalady]

Eventually, life gets back to normal for Juliet, or as normal as it can be without her sister. She's the person Juliet would have gone to about everything involving Damien, but she hadn't even had the chance to tell Rachel Damien was back to stay before she declined so damn fast. Weeks pass, then months, and the fact that Damien's still here makes Juliet decide to offer something she's not sure she would have otherwise.

One night, after Mia's in bed, Juliet sits next to Damien. "So, I was thinking...we should take Mia to Disneyworld. I think she's old enough now." She wants to involve Damien in this and make memories for Mia with both of them so that when she looks back, even if her parents weren't married, they did everything together for Mia.

[inthewar]

Damien's drinking a beer, comfortable on the couch with Juliet. He's been trying to get work, only managing to pick up odd jobs. He knows Disney World is expensive, though, and he doesn't want Juliet to fund it alone. "Yeah? Bet she'd fucking love it," he smiles. "When are you thinking? I'll try to pick up extra shifts." The more he can save, the better.

[dharmalady]

"Sometimes in the next couple of months before school starts again. And you don't have to do that, Damien," she tries to tell him. "It's fine. I just want us to all go together."

[inthewar]

"Well I'll be there. I always wanted to meet Mickey Mouse," he smirks a little.

[dharmalady]

"I wanna surprise her, let her go to this little boutique and get made up into her favorite princess," Juliet says with a smile. Then, she looks at Damien, eyes moving over his face. "It's important to me. That she has good memories like this of both of us."

[inthewar]

"Yeah," he nods in agreement. "Anything for her. When that kid smiles - fuck, she lights up the whole world, Jules." All he wants is for Mia to be happy, always.

[dharmalady]

"She really does," Juliet smiles brightly, and it's pretty much the same smile. "She deserves so damn much, Damien. Things you and I didn't get to have."

[inthewar]

Both of them had to deal with their fathers just fucking running off and leaving their families behind, and Damien has unfortunately continued that pattern. He'll always be ashamed of what he did, how much he missed, but he's trying like hell to make up for it.

"I'd give her the whole damn world if I could."

[dharmalady]

"I believe you," Juliet says as she looks at him again. That's a big thing for her to say, that she believes him, believes in him. "And I know you will."

[inthewar]

Damien folds his hands together, looking over at her with gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks. I know you don't have to."

[dharmalady]

"You're right. I don't. But more than anything I want to. So I do. You're an amazing dad, Damien. One day you'll see it for yourself," Juliet tells him softly.

[inthewar]

"I'm getting there," he shrugs a little, with a small smile. "Helps learning from you."

[dharmalady]

She smiles softly, ducking her head. They could have done all of this together, but she knows he gets it, she knows he realizes he fucked up, and it doesn't seem fair to throw it in his face, not when he's trying.

A little over three months later, they take Mia to Disneyworld and the first thing they do is let her get made over to look like Moana before they start going through the Magic Kingdom, taking lots of pictures, going on all the rides and buying ice cream and candy. It's a day where the normal rules aren't applying, and it's perfect.

[inthewar]

Damien's like a big kid, right along with Mia. He loves getting on all the rides, he really gets into everything, even when Mia wants to get pictures with the characters. He's right there with her, grinning like a big, dorky kid. The heat of the afternoon is getting intense, and they're stuck in a line now for Peter Pan. It's moving so slow that they're still outside, not even in the building yet to at least be cooler.