The Expendables One Shots and Imagines

The truant - Barney Ross

This is a special request for handywoman99. This is a lot different to what I normally do, it's far from my area of expertise, and I will go back to big guns, butt kicking and explosions, which are much easier to write about. 😁 But I hope that you all still enjoy it.

(Y/n) watched as Barney paced the room. To say that the big guy wasn't happy would be the understatement of the decade. Barney had just found out that his thirteen year old daughter Katie had been skipping school with some of her friends, and now the principal of the school, and Katie's teacher sat in the room, waiting for the little truant to return home.

Barney continually felt that he was still new to this whole "dad" thing. It was one thing being shot at by enemy insurgents, grenades and bullets flying past his head, as he and the rest of the team broke into some highly defended stockade in some godforsaken hell hole. But being a dad was a whole different story, and Barney had realised that it was the most difficult thing that he had ever had to do.

Katie was Barney's daughter from a short lived relationship from years before, and he hadn't even known that he was a father until he had received a letter out of the blue, informing him that her mother was no longer able to take care of her, so she was shipping her daughter off to live with him.

Even though things had been strange and strained between the father and daughter, Katie had instantly come to love (Y/n) the only woman on the Expendables crew. The two becoming the greatest of friends as the young girl came to see (Y/n) as the mother that she had always needed. And (Y/n), despite her hard exterior, had to admit that the kid wasn't all that bad either.

"Barney. Could I have a word with you a moment?" (Y/n) asked, as she got to her feet, and gave a half-hearted smile to the less than impressed looking principal and teacher. Barney grumbling to himself as he followed (Y/n) into the other room.

"I am going to get Katie. I can't take waiting any longer for her to get her butt into gear and come home. The longer she's out, the angrier you are going to get, and the more impatient that principal is going to get. I love you both, and as you and Katie are as stubborn as one another, I am going to have to be the one to stop the shit, before it hits the fan." (Y/n) informed Barney, as she grabbed her coat, kissed Barney on the cheek, and made for the door.

"But we don't know where she is. How are you going to get her?" Barney asked, as (Y/n) turned and smiled at him.

"Believe it or not, despite my now, kick ass, take no shit, self. I was once a teenage girl. I was once a thirteen year old, that just like Katie decided that I would skip school and hang out with my friends. And I know for a fact that there is only one place that a bunch of teenagers are going to go when they decide school is boring. And that is the mall." (Y/n) chuckled, as she walked back and draped her arms around the still obviously angry father's neck.

"Barney, I know that you are angry, and disappointed, but let's not blow this thing out of all proportion. What Katie is doing is wrong, and she needs to be sat down and spoken to. But you can't tell me that you never skipped school. And I would put money on it that the rest of the team did too. I know I'm no expert on this parenting thing, but I am an expert on teenage girls. She's thirteen, she is still coming to terms with being dumped by her mother, on a father that she knew nothing about. She is pushing the limits, seeing what she can and can't do. Learning about herself and trying to come to terms with her new life. I know it's no excuse, and I know that she's still going to get in trouble, but when I bring her back, just promise me that you won't blow your top?" (Y/n) explained, the fire in Barney's eyes slowly dispersing as he looked down at the woman he loved.

"I ain't making any promises, dahlin. But I'll see. And maybe when we have fixed this, we should tell tha kid about us." Barney replied, as (Y/n) kissed him. The younger woman turning and making her way out of Barney's home.

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(Y/n) walked into the mall. It was surprisingly busy for the time of day, yet (Y/n)'s highly trained eye would still be able to pick the young Katie out a mile away, the ex-marine sniper smiling as she spotted a familiar hat and mass of hair in the crowd.

"Er, Katie." One of the young girls suddenly said. The rest of the group stopping their joking and laughing as a very stern looking woman came up behind Katie.

"(Y/n). I er.........what are you doing here?" Katie asked nervously, (Y/n) doing her best not to smile as she gave Katie her best disappointed look.

"Me? Oh, I've come to find your school skipping butt, because your teacher and principal are at the house, and your dad is about to blow his top. So, I suggest that you say goodbye to the rest of the detention crew and go get in my car." (Y/n) told the younger Ross. (Y/n) crossing her arms and making it quite clear that this was the only option.

"I'm sorry." Katie said quietly as she closed the car door behind her. (Y/n) starting the engine and slowly pulling the car out of the parking lot.

"Look kid. Its not me that you have to apologise to. Its your dad. I know that you won't believe this, but he does love you. I don't think I've ever seen Barney Ross look this angry or concerned at the same time. I know life is difficult, that you are still getting used to everything, but you just can't skip school." (Y/n) began, as she suddenly pulled to the kerbside.

"He doesn't love me; he doesn't even know me. And school is boring. I hate it. I bet Barney skipped school too." Katie complained, as she pouted in the passenger seat.

"Katie. I don't know that there is a father alive that actually understands or knows what's going on in the head of a thirteen year old daughter. Barney has never been good with showing his real emotions, it's just not him. He's old school, and to set in his way to change now. But he does love you, I promise. And school can be boring, I hated it, so do most people, but that doesn't mean you don't have to go." (Y/n) continued, smiling softly as Katie turned to look at her.

"But you said that you skipped school, and you turned out ok. You're badass and I want to be just like you." Katie explained, as (Y/n) shook her head. Not sure whether that a woman such as her, that had spent all her adult life in one near death situation after another, was the best one to give a girl, motherly advice.

"Ok, yah got me. I did skip school. But it all honesty it was for about a week. I got where I am, I did what I did, achieved what I did, by learning everything I could. My pops was a drill sergeant in the army. Hard as nails, and old school, just like your dad. When he found out that I skipped school, I got my ass handed to me. He drove me to school and picked me up every day for a year to make sure that I didn't skip. He even called the school to make sure that I was attending all my classes. And you know what, I'm glad he did. I knuckled down, got my grades, and became a marine. So, if you want to be a badass like me, your dad and the others, you'll keep your ass in class." (Y/n) chuckled, as Katie nodded reluctantly.

"Now. Let's get you home, before your dad blows a blood vessel." (Y/n) said, the car roaring back into life as the two females made their way home.

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Barney glared as a sheepish looking Katie walked through the door, with (Y/n) following closely behind.

"Sorry." Katie suddenly said, Barney not able to get a word out before his daughter apologised for her actions.

"I won't do it again. (Y/n) says if I want to be like her, you and the others, I have to stay in school. And that's what I'm going to do." The young Ross explained to Barney, as he looked at her in disbelief.

"Well, yeah that's good. Now go explain that to ya principal." Barney replied, as he pointed to the room where the two men were still waiting.

"How did ya do that, dahlin?" Barney asked, as he walked over and took (Y/n) in his arms.

"Well, I just happen to be amazing, and awesome, and wonderful, and I love you both. So, who better to fix this?" (Y/n) asked, as Barney kissed her. Brushing a few stray hairs back behind her ear.

"Now, what do you say to getting this over with. And then we can give tha kid the good news about us?" Barney asked, as he offered (Y/n) his arm, the two making their way to support Katie. Both happy in the knowledge that this would never happen again.  Hopefully.