^^Only Fools Rush In xx Alex xx^^

[ben]

If there was one thing which Ben hated mostly in life, was that he wasn't a very good father. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, and if anyone ever asked him about the matter, he would most likely say something about how good he is at it - when deep down, parenting, he didn't really know what to do on a daily basis. Sure, when Alex was a baby, he liked the company. She was cuddly and she actually made him laugh a lot more. He was happier in himself, when he was around her.

Mind you, this was in the privacy of his own home.

Outside of home, he was still as icy cold as he normally was. Giving orders, bossing people around, plotting to make things more secret and secure on the island. But on the inside, he was just busting to get back home, relieve the babysitter of her duties and get back to Alex. He had made a pact with himself, that he wouldn't ever end up like his father. He wasn't going to be his bastard of a man who blamed his child on everything wrong in his life. Espeically, the death of his mother.

But in same respects, Ben was the same. He wouldn't allow Alex to do things, more in fear of what would happen, some horrible consequence that he wouldn't be able to help her with. He might not be able to lie and talk his way of her troubles.

Sitting alone in his small abode, Ben's eyes glanced up over the book he was pouring over, just to see if he could see her walk up the garden path. It was late, much too late for her to be out. With Karl, without a doubt in his mind. His teenage daughter, so different to the loving affection of her 5 year old self. He missed that, but again, he wouldn't ever express this emotion -- someone and everyone would use it against him. Lowering his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably in his arm chair. The warm flickers of the fire, highlighting the room as he read. Or at least, pretended to himself to read. If she was going to sneak in late, she had another thing come to her.

Ben was almost ready for a fight, he was eager to bring some sort of pain to her - just to keep her from seeing this boy. His approval of him just wasn't really up to standard, so she had continuously told him. There was one secret which he didn't want to reveal to the Others, which he was afraid that Alex was going to find out. Loosing a daughter wasn't an option for him. She meant everything to him, and he was ready to scold her as much as he could to make her see sense. She was forbidden to see that boy. Their relationship wasn't to continue, and as soon as she'd walk through that door, he was going to let hell loose on her.

.... but he wasn't going to be too harsh.

[alex]

Alex had just kissed her boyfriend goodbye and she stared at his back for a short moment before she turned to walk away, as well. It had been one particularly sweet afternoon. Once the sun had went down, they came up with the idea to name the stars they were used to contemplate in the distance... Naming stars. It was funny how the most pathetic activities made so much sense to her as long as she had him by her side. Living in a Jungle you had come to know perfectly could take it's toll, until you met somebody that was able to color the black and whites of your days.

Alex was positive that she had found someone like that, and there was nothing capable of changing her mind. Not even the word that was spreading about the adults disapproving of their relationship. There was absolutely no harm in her being happy... was there ? However, her happy times of the afternoon had to come to an end, and that was why the two teenagers were both going to their respective home. All she knew was the night had fallen and that time had flown by. God knew what hour it was... but truly, Alex couldn't bring herself to care. She had enjoyed herself.

It is only when she reached the step of her house that her mind trailed away from her sweet memories about her afternoon to the dark lands of worries. There was a little chance - alright, a slightly good chance that it was late and that the fact that she hadn't let her father know much about her whereabouts might have made him angry - or worried. But Alex couldn't make the difference between the two, with her dad.

The teenager bit her bottom lip. If Karma was with her and that it was very late, then there was also a chance that he might've fallen asleep, and then she would only have to be very quiet and questions would be avoided. The teenager rolled her eyes and opened the door very slowly, decided. She didn't glance around the living room, her concentration was completely focused on doing the least noise possible as she manoeuvred her way inside the house and closed the door behind her.

She let out a deep, relieved breath as her plan seemed successful - for a few seconds, at least. From the corner of her green eyes, Alex caught a glimpse of a dim light in the corner of the room and she held her breath, not daring to turn around.

Karma wasn't with her, definitely.

( Pretty... I don’t know, Alex-weak XP But my next one will be better! )

[ben]

Ben rolled his eyes back down to the pages he was reading, he didn't see the two teenagers kissing before separating for the night. However, he didn't need to. After all, the small click of the door handle and the almost inaudible creak of the door hinges swung open and closed. Alexandra was home. "You're late," he replied, not turning away from the fire. He didn't drop his book and get up to face her. This type of behavior had been going on since she and Karl became closer.

How he hated it.

"Do you know what time it is?" he answered before she would have been able to say anything. His voice harsh and cold, toneless even. Placing the book mark in the pages of his book, he finally closed it and took off his glasses, placing the book on the side table next to his chair, resting his glasses on top of the book. Slowly, he got up from his comfortable arm chair and turned around to see his daughter.

He tilted his head to the side, waiting for some explanation of her being late home, it was just past midnight, no one on the island was supposed to be out that late. It was a rule. One which Ben had set after the outbreak of the mysterious black smoke. That was a scare tactic to control the inhabitants, it was to make sure they were going to go wonder about in the Jungle and get themselves killed or worse - escape the island. Folding his arms across his chest, Ben continued staring at her. What possible lie was she going to come up with tonight?

"... well?" Ben's voice was still so cold and lifeless. He didn't like having to bring down the force on Ales, but if it was necessary, then he was going to make her crumble - to obey him and the rules of the island, and most of all, stop seeing that boy who was stealing her away from him.

[alex]

Alex winced to the stoic sound of her father's voice, coming from the exact direction where she had spotted the lights. She had been such a fool to think that he would've been asleep, and as Ben had remarquably well pointed out, she had also been a greater fool to hope that the hours hadn't ticked by utterly fast. She pressed her lips together and swallowed hard before she turned around to face her father - or mostly his back.

''I'm sorry.'' She simply answered on a flat tone, taking a light step forward. She didn't know how she would handle this, but it was made clear that Ben knew exactly how he would. He was upset and he wanted answers. However, if she was to answer the truth, it would only give him more reason to be mad at her.

The air seemed to get colder as he spoke again, now asking if she had any idea of what time it was. The dreadful truth was that she ignored what time it was, completely, and she didn't dare to glance at the clock hanging above the fireplace. His tone was anything but pleased - jsut like it usually was, and the look he gave her when he turned around only confirmed her fears. He knew where she had been, and she had been out there way, way too long. He requested an answer again, making her realise that she hadn't spoken out yet, being busy looking as innocent as possible.

'' Very late ? '' She guessed with a shrug of her shoulders. '' I said I'm sorry... '' She reminded him, trying to mean it this time around, before she started to head for her bedroom.

Of course, the argument wouldn,t end there, and she was convinced that she wouldn't make it to the safety of her bed that easily. Anything but fighting with her dad seemed appealing, for the time being - even foolish attempts at fleeing away from him.

[ben]

Ben narrowed his eyes at his daughter, standing at the open doorway from the foyer to the living room. Had she even realized how worried sick he was when she was out of the house, let alone with a hormonal male. Shaking his head, he walked toward her, "Sorry, just isn't good enough!" Ben snapped at her, a frowned brow shadowing his eyes. "I've told you repeatedly that you can't simply stay out this late!" he continued, lifting his head slightly in frustration, taking more steps toward her until he was standing in front of the teenager.

As he watched her turn, he reached out and grabbed her arm. "No," Ben's voice like solid ice, just like his eyes, "You're not going to bed, you're not going to your room. We will sort this out, tonight." He added acidly. He didn't want to man-handle his daughter, but sometimes he felt like he should. To show her that she can't simply go gallivanting around the island before thinking it through. There were dangers out there which she hadn't any idea, and perhaps he would tell her one day, but tonight wasn't about the dangers. It was the fact that she had disobeyed him.

He was almost lost for words, where to begin to punish her, to make her see reason for her actions. Still, his hand was attached to her wrist. Thinking for a moment to almost drag her over to the fire, but instead, he released his grip and moved over to the table in the corner. Sitting down, he beckoned for her to follow. He had to realize that she wasn't 10 any more, she was growing up. And quite frankly, that was the only thing that frightened him. The fact that she was old enough to have interests in boys, she was old enough to be more responsible for her actions.

Sighing, Ben leaned against the table and pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. "Alexandra, do you understand that this can't go on?" Ben spoke clearly after the silence that lingered in the air moments before. He didn't raise his voice as he had before. Before he wanted to scream and shout to get his way, to make her see sense. But their relationship was already strained enough as it was. It was Ben that needed to make the effort to try and show her the right path. After all, parents only lead their children in the right direction, after that, it's up to them to take responsibility into their own hands.

"I know you were with Karl tonight, after I specifically asked you not to see him," he continued, his hand dropping from his nose and resting on the table, glancing disappointed at his daughter. He knew they were sleeping together, there wasn't anywhere on the island where they could have privacy for their intimacy, but at what price does he bring that up? He hadn't mentioned it to her before, he hadn't thought her old enough for that type of seriousness of adulthood. She wasn't the little girl he knew, anymore. Sure, he's told her many many times not to see Karl, but hadn't ever gave her the truth in the reasons why he forbade her seeing him.

He couldn't very well tell her that if she got pregnant, that she would die? That thought broke his heart, to bury his daughter. So, his invert struggle to try and force her to see reason, was his mission. "Why is it, that time and time again, you disobey my requests?"

[alex]

[sorry for the wait, daddy! *shakes fist at school*]

He spoke to her again, his tone much more eloquent this time, and Alex rolled her eyes. She wasn't getting away, for sure, and it was confirmed the second she felt his tight grip around her arm. The teenager stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to stare up at her father. Her green glance shifted into a glare, and she was about to command him stubbornly to let her go, but he was wise enough to do so before her lips even parted. She remembered how much she hated his guts, at that very moment. He had never been anything close to 'violent' to her, and somehow, Alex was convinced that he could never be, and it was part of why she hated it when he tried to make it look like he could, if he had to.

She stood into place, crossing her arms together in front of her, coldly, with a deep sigh. Ben manoeuvred his way back to his chair, and the teenager only stared back stubbornly, for a while, when he motioned the chair in front of him, expecting her to sit down. She had absolutely no desire to do this. She knew Ben was not going to give up on this conversation, and it was now impossible for her to shove it off. He desired this conversation, too much for her likes, and he could certainly kick her bedroom's door down, if she tried to retreat again, like she intended to do. She pressed her lips together, trying to remain silent as she walked to the chair, very slowly, her gaze now locked on her feet. She had angered him by disobeying him, again, and this time he wanted to tell her - not that she needed him to. She knew how he felt about it, but it wouldn't changer her mind, and therefore, only a dead end could be this conversation's issue.

The teenager dropped herself down on the chair, her eyes finding some sort of interest in the table separating them. She only brought her gaze down to it to avoid his gaze, as Ben spoke to her again, disapprovingly. She bit her lower lip shortly when he stated that he knew exactly where she had been, and why it angered him so much. Oh course he knew...he always did, didn't he? Alex took her bag off from her shoulder and dropped it on the ground with a noisy 'bam', and she tried to remain unimpressed by the reproaches that were thrown her way, but it soon became impossible. She wanted to fight back, and the next question that came from her father was all she needed to bring herself to do so.

'' Because they're unfair! '' She snapped out, putting some kind of emphasis on her last word. '' Why is it that I'm never allowed to do what I want, and be happy? What makes this so Illegal to you, Ben? '' Her questions came out like acid, like some sort of reproaches toward him, but the teenager didn't feel all that proud about her words, for she had been speaking on impulses, yet again. His little rules and stupid restrictions were so frustrating that it became hard for her to calm down when he rubbed them in her face, constantly, just like he did right now, insinuating that she was very insolent to break them. But Alex couldn't bring herself to regret her actions - ever.

[ben]

Ben could feel the unsatisfied vibes rolling off her, it was sticky like a rain forest in summer. It felt a little hard to breathe, and the tension in the air was to die for. Obviously growing up around him, has rubbed some of his coldness onto her - and it shows, especially when she's pissed off. Unimpressed that she was, Ben's eyes and face remained the same. If she wanted to act like that, he wasn't going to stop her - he'd only hope that she'd realize what she's acting like a spoiled child.

Calling him by his first name hurt, but he didn't flinch. He couldn't, he was laying down the law like he had time and time again, to which she continuously broke it. Ben was pretty sure, she knew that it hurt him every time she referred him to as Ben. He had all the intentions of being a good parent, if only he could tell her the truth - then perhaps she'd realize how her upbringing with him was much more beneficial to her well being - than it would have been in any other circumstance.

Drawing a deep breath, he tilted his head to the side as she finished with her rant. "Alexandra," he started his rebuttal, "They're not unfair... as much as it must pain you to realize that I do care, very much, for you. I don't want you to make mistakes. I know things about Karl, Alex... and I know what male teenagers are like." he said his voice raising slightly as his heart sped up. He wasn't afraid of a vocal battle, but when it came to his daughter and scolding her - it rattled him, only a little.

"What am I going to expect from this so called - relationship - with him?" he continued, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at her, taking off his glasses and folding them down on the table. "Is he going to marry you? Is that what I'm to expect? Boys don't love, Alex. They lust, and that's all this is. Petty childish lust."