One-Shot Stories

[gerard finnegan]

“Midnight Mission”

Gerry sat up at his desk, two mountains of paperwork flanking either side of him. When he’d started his business years ago in Rhy’Din, he hadn’t really considered how much of his time would be spent pouring over documents and figures. There were others in his employ who took care of much of it, but the spill-over was nonetheless daunting. Four hours of it had left his eyes aching and weary. He swore, if he never saw another chart in his life, it would be too soon.

He glanced over at the clock with a sigh. One o’clock in the morning. He sank back in his chair with a creak. Most people outside of his little family unit had no idea what it took to run the export business that allowed his family to live in comfort. Most assumed he had it all done for him while he just sat back and collected a paycheck, but the reality could be exhausting even during the lighter seasons. Still, though, he managed to succeed. Not bad for a guy whose formal education ended at eleven years old, he thought.

Slowly, his eyes opened, focusing on the photograph at the corner of the desk. Kara held little Will in her arms while a blue-eyed brunette sat with her mischievous little grin upon his lap. Even on his worst days, the sight of those three never failed to bring a smile to his face. He remembered the day he’d welcomed her into the world. It had been chaotic, to say the least, and in true Gerry fashion, almost ended in a fist fight with Keirra’s friends. Ten years had come and gone since that day. Ten years that brought change and growth he couldn’t have imagined. Many times since, he’d wondered just what his life might have been had he not been forced to leave the magical realm of Rhy’Din. Would he and Keirra still be together? Would he still even have Nasya?

It had seemed like torture at the time. He was thrust into a new life he had never asked for and never wanted. But the truth was, it was a life he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. All his life, he’d searched for a purpose. He wanted a meaning to his life. Here, in the town of his youth, he’d found it. He was meant to be a father.

The creak of his door called his attention, catching sight of the sleepy bright blue eyes of a ten year old girl peeking in. Part of him was slightly upset that she was up, but her voice melted all of that away.

“Daddy?” She muttered, rubbing her eyes.

“Heeeeey, Munchkin.” He said softly, a smile forming on his scruffy face. “What you doin’ up?”

“I had a bad dream.” Nasya said, pouting.

“Oh, you did?” He cooed, opening his arms. “C’mere, you.”

Nasya brightened up immediately, hurrying over and hopping into his arms. Gerry lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, plopping her in his lap. The little girl clung to him tightly. There was little in this world that he cherished more than the embrace of his daughter.

“It’s okay, Munch.” He whispered, stroking her short black hair before planting a kiss to the top of her head. “Wanna talk about it?”

Nasya shook her head. In that moment, she didn’t want to remember the scary things. Right now, she had her dad and she was safe.

“How come you’re up?” She asked him, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

“Oh, you know, bud.” He sighed. “Grown up stuff.”

“Grown up stuff is stupid.” She insisted.

“You said it, kid.” Gerry chuckled. “But y’know what? Sometimes, it’s okay. Because it lets me do lots of fun stuff.”

“Like what?” She asked.

“Like…taking you on trips.” He said for instance. “And our ice cream parties. You like those, don't you?”

Nasya nodded. “And taking care of Grammy and Pop?”

“Exactly!” He smiled down at her. “Pops an old lazy bones. How’s he gonna do it?”

Nasya giggled. She knew full well her Pop was anything but lazy and Daddy liked to tease.

“So, you see, bud? It’s not all bad, right?” Gerry asked.

The blue eyed little one thought for a moment. “Still kinda boring. But, I guess it’s alright.”

“Yeah…” Gerry sighed. “It’s still boring.”

“Daddy?” She asked after a moment. “Do you miss where Mommy lives?”

Gerry was quiet. Mulling over his answer for a moment. “Well…Sometimes. It can be more exciting, I guess. But, it’s also pretty scary sometimes. One of these days, I’ll have to tell you all about it.”

“When?” Nasya asked, peering up at him with those big, curious eyes.

“When you’re all grown up.”

“Next year?” She asked hopefully.

Gerry couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, bug. Maybe then. But y’know what? I like it here better.”

“How come?” She asked him.

“Well…I got Mama Kara and Will…”

“And Grammy and Pop are here?” She added for him.

“Yeah, Grammy and Pop. Aunt Gin-Gin and Michi…And I’ve got you.” Gerry said, matter-of-factly.

“Me?” Nasya said, looking almost taken aback.

“Yeah, you.” he grinned. “I never told you about this, did I?”

Nasya shook her head.

“When I came back here, ten years ago, all I had was you.” He said. “I won’t go too into detail about it, but I had lost my home. I lost your mommy and I didn’t know what I was gonna do. All I knew is that I had this beautiful baby girl and I had to take care of her. Before then, Daddy’s life was all about himself. But, suddenly, there was something even bigger. Something better.”

“What was it?” Nasya asked.

“I was a dad.” He told her. “When I came back to Grammy and Pop, you were my life. And y’know what?”

She blinked up at her father, waiting for him to finish.

“It made me feel whole. I didn’t miss Rhy’Din. I was scared, but you made me brave.” He said. “Being your dad is the best thing I ever did.”

Nasya’s adorable little face lit up and she hugged him fiercely.

“I’m glad you’re my dad.” She said quietly.

“Me too, Munch.” He whispered, giving her a squeeze. For a long moment, he just held her there. Another glance at the clock and he got an idea. “Hey. I’ve got an idea.”

“What?” She asked.

“Since you’re already up…and if you promise not to tell Mama…what do you say we split a little bit of ice cream?” He suggested, his face taking on a theatrical conspiratorial expression.

Nasya looked at the door as if expecting Kara to come bust up their nefarious plan.

“With whipped cream and sprinkles?” She whispered.

Gerry nodded with all the seriousness of plotting an assassination. “What am I, an amateur? Of course whipped cream and sprinkles.”

Nasya nodded intensely and pressed a finger to her lips. “We better be quiet.”

Gerry mimicked the gesture and tilted his head towards the door. “Quick, Agent Nasya. This mission, should you choose to accept it, is of the utmost importance.”

“Roger that, Agent Daddy.” She slipped off his lap and crept to the door, peering down the hallway. Seeing it all clear, she waved him forward, making nonsense hand motions before slipping out of the room.

Gerry smiled warmly. Yeah. That was 1000% his kid. He took one last glance at his paperwork, blue eyes passing over it to land upon the picture. The charts and graphs could wait. Right now, he had a vital mission to attend to with the little girl that meant the most to him in the world. The work would always be there in the morning. But nights like this wouldn’t last forever, and he was going to do what he did best. He was going to be a dad.

[Nasya Finnegan-Owens]

June 11th, 2023

Nasya perched eagerly in front of the television, anticipating the afternoon's entertainment, while the cacophony of her family's usual antics continued behind her. The relentless chatter and noise were starting to grate on the nerves of the nearly 10-year-old. She strained to listen, frustrated by the distraction! Meanwhile, Will was completely absorbed in his tablet, furiously toggling between games in a whirlwind of activity, initiating one only to swiftly move on to another. Nasya briefly pondered whether she had possessed such a short attention span at his age. Perhaps it was simply a boy thing, she mused.

Finally, the commercials ended and commentators appeared on screen, older men in suits that, of course, she wouldn’t recognize.

"Good evening, football fans! Welcome to a special night of football magic as we gather for Soccer Aid, where celebrities and football legends unite here in Manchester for a fantastic cause. I’m Iain Stirling, joined tonight by my good friend, Sam Matterface. Quite a night ahead of us, Sam."

Nasya, always loved British accents, unable to stop herself from giggling whenever she heard them, even from her Uncle Danny.

"That's right, Iain! Tonight, it's all about this beautiful game and giving back. The atmosphere is electric, and the excitement is palpable amongst a sold out crowd here at Old Trafford as the teams gear up for what promises to be a thrilling match." Matterface said.

“Right, you are, Sam. We have a star-studded lineup ready to showcase their skills on the pitch, all in support of UNICEF's vital work around the world. It's more than just a game tonight—it's about making a real difference."

"So, sit back, relax, and get ready for an evening of entertainment, passion, and athleticism as Soccer Aid 2023 kicks off!"

Nasya peered over her shoulder as the teams began to make their way onto the pitch, her little voice trumpeting over the raucous family gathering. “It’s on!”

Eventually, everyone settled in on every available seat in Bill and Rose’s living room as the commentators introduced the teams. Nasya didn’t protest in the slightest as her grandfather picked her up and sat her on his lap in the comfy recliner.

“Get up here, munchkin.” He groaned, giving the little girl who was the absolute apple of his eye a squeeze.

Gerry set a beer on the side table for his dad before slipping in between Rose and Kara, a bottle for himself between two fingers.

“You see him yet?” Gerry asked.

Nasya shook her head fervently, watching the TV with rapt attention. He had to hand it to his daughter, when she was into something, it would take an atom bomb to steal her attention from it. Most of the people they introduced were unknown to her, but the adults were impressed by some guy named Bolt. It took her Pop to tell her he was once considered the fastest man on the planet. She DID recognize one of them as Loki from her favorite movies, though!

“I can’t believe we’re watching soccer.” He muttered with a grin.

The look that Nasya shot him was chilly enough to flash freeze an ocean.

“Daddy.” She said. “Your mouth is doing this-“

She mimicked talking with her hands and then quickly transitioned into a fist.

“-and it should be doing this.”

Gerry couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re right, sorry, Munch.”

Attentions turned back to the television then, just in time to see the man they were waiting for. The commentators continued on.

“And here we have best-selling author and journalist, Danny Dubek on the pitch, looking ready and excited for this evening’s-“

The entire family immediately erupted into cheers. Nasya would allow this outburst, even joining in with them.

“Atta boy, Danno!” Gerry called out.

Danny, clad in black and blue, stood with his teammates, bouncing slightly in place as if to psyche himself up. Gerry had to admit, the man looked like he belonged out there. He was in as good a shape as any of the pros and it was hard to ignore the man’s natural athleticism.

As the match began, Nasya was immediately immersed in what was going on, gleefully cheering her uncle and his team on as they played. Every time they showed close up shots of the crowd, the 9 and a half year old was looking for her Aunt Lexi. However, picking the extra-petite fae from a massive crowd was proving to be quite the task.

While nearing the end of the first half, Danny held his own alongside olympians and the pros. He was clearly nowhere near as refined a footballer as them, but he was far from embarrassing himself.

As enthralling as it was seeing someone she adored participating in the game, it was the amount of women she saw on the pitch, playing side by side with the boys that gave her a charge. Nasya could imagine herself out there one day, putting all the men to shame. If they could do it, why not her?

Suddenly, Danny had possession of the ball, moving quickly down the field of play, several players at his heels trying desperately to stop him. A quick backheel pass to Usain Bolt, and he took off forward, his opposition peeling off towards Bolt. Within seconds, he was in position. Bolt booted the ball through the air. Danny leapt off his feet, his body contorting to catch the ball with the top of his foot, sending it just out of reach of the keeper. The second the ball hit the net, the crowd went wild, along with the entire Finnegan clan.

Danny and his team ran victoriously to each other, arms in the air just before they cut away to the stands where Nasya finally saw a very familiar brunette cheering wildly, clutching the arms of an older man who looked very much like her uncle Danny. The two bounced up and down, screaming with happiness before the cameras turned back to the game.

It was the young girl’s first exposure to the sport, and she was in love. She swore that, by the next time her Uncle visited, she would know everything about the game… and maybe give the man a run for his money.