Everything That Never Was - Marvel's Runaways

vii. promises were made to be broken

Thirty minutes. That was how long Jules had been waiting in the lobby of Los Angeles Penitentiary.

Thirty years. That was how long each minute dragged by for her as she paced between the chairs.

It was revenge, she had decided, for ten years of passed opportunities to visit her father. It was karmas way of telling her that it was her turn to be patient. And in response, she really wanted to kindly tell karma to f-off.

After one last desperate lap around the lobby, Jules collapsed into one of the lumpy chairs.  As the light flickered above her, she was reminded of a wasted time all too long ago where she had the opportunity to do exactly what she so desperately wanted to do then. 

Right after her father was convicted she had sat right in that exact spot.  It was where the Wilders had tried to convince her to at least say one last goodbye to the man she didn't quite know how to feel about.  But they never could get through to her. She had been too stubborn.  If only...

"Julianne Ali-Scott?" A woman's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.  Jules's jumped out of her seat and toward who was speaking.  A weird feeling that she couldn't quite describe settled in her stomach as she made her way to the door.  It had the butterflies of nerves but the giddiness of excitement.  Neither feeling really helped her at that moment. 

She was about to see her father for the first time in ten years.   Would he even recognize her?  Would she recognize him? What was she going to say to him? God, she wished she had planned it out more.

The woman lead Jules back to a room where one wall was covered in glass, probably the bullet proof kind, that was split into little stalls.  As her eyes scanned each stall, taking in every person and prisoner in the room, she saw him.

At first glance she probably wouldn't have recognized him— his hair had greyed to a salt and pepper look, his laugh lines were almost nonexistent, and the whole lower half of his face was covered in facial hair— but the first thing she noticed was his eyes.  They were the same rich brown that she had sought comfort in so many times as a kid.  They had the same warm feeling that just drew her in.

"JJ," he sighed as Jules picked up the phone, aka the only line between the two of them.  Unconsciously she cringed ever so slightly.  Not enough for the normal person to notice, but enough that she knew her father did.  She just hoped he wouldn't say anything.  No one had called her JJ since that night.  It was something she was vehemently against.  It helped when it was only really her dad who had called her that in the first place.

"Hi Daddy," she replied, unable to keep her emotions out of her voice.  Every syllable expressed her anger, sadness, and frustration. 

He smiled slightly— a sight Jules hadn't known she'd missed until just then— igniting all the emotions she just gave away.  He just seemed happy to hear her voice. He seemed so happy to see her. How could he seem so happy? She ignored him for almost ten years? She's blamed him for ten years? How can he have seemingly forgiven her?

"You've gotten so big," he sighed, like it hadn't been ten years.

Jules nodded in response, unsure of really how to reply.  In fact, her mind had been racing so much that she almost forgot why she came here in the first place.

"Dad, I need to talk to you."

Her father's face barely changed as she said this, almost as if he was expecting it.

She continued without waiting for a response, "What do you remember about your Pride meetings?"

Suspicion immediately clouded his face, as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. "Julianne,"— when he said her full name, Jules knew something was wrong— "where are you staying?"

Jules frowned. Shouldn't he know where she was staying? Didn't he set that up? And even if he didn't, what did that have to do with what she asked him?

"With the Wilders," Jules explained. "Like the lawyer said."

She felt her heart rate increase as she tried to read any emotion her father would give her, except he wasn't giving her anything. Joseph Ali-Scott was trained at this kind of stuff.

"I should've known they'd pull something like this," he muttered to no one in particular. At that point, Jules was definitely confused. "JJ," he continued, "have they done anything to you? Made you take any strange medications or forced you to do something you didn't want to?"

"What?" Jules tried to comprehend what her father was even suggesting. That she was one of the sacrifices? Is that how she was able to do what she had the night before? And if so did that mean the girl they saw was still alive? "They've been nice as far as I kn—"

He cut her off. "JJ, you need to get out of that house as soon as you can. You're supposed to be with your Aunt Laura, not the Wilders." He was beginning to let his emotions show through, just enough so that Jules could see the desperation in his eyes. "You can't trust them. Any of them. They aren't good people."

Then it clicked. "Dad, did they do something to put you in jail? The man with the light, he's real isn't he?"

Her father's eyes went wide.  "Julianne, you have to stay away from all of them.  Especially him."  A soft bell chimed in the phone signaling the end of their time.   "Promise me you'll never go back to the Wilder's," he said as the guards approached to pull him away. "I love you."

"I promise," Jules barely got in before he was gone, but it was a promise she knew she couldn't keep.  Not when there were still so many questions circling her head.  And especially not if her dream was right and her father was innocent.

A/N
Wow it's been a while.  I guess time flies when you're having fun?

Anyway, I've been wanting to write this scene for forever, though that's probably not evident with how long it took me, but I just couldn't get the words out!!  Then I saw the season two trailer for Runaways and got reinspired so here you go :)  Have you all watched the trailer yet?

I have a psych final tomorrow wish me luck...

Much love,
Kate
(Should I start signing my name K8??)