To Catch A Con Man - Stanley Pines x Reader (female)

"You have a daughter?!"

Stan's voice boomed through the living room, and the force of it made me wince. His pacing was erratic, heavy boots stomping against the wooden floor, while his hands stayed shoved deep into his jacket pockets like he was trying to keep himself together.

I clenched my fists at my sides, glancing up at the ceiling. Please don't wake up, Penny. I'd put her to bed not long ago, tucking her in and staying with her until her breathing evened out. She didn't need to hear this—not the raised voices or the way my heart felt like it was being torn apart. I prayed the faint sound of the box fan I'd set up in her room would be enough to drown out the argument.

I took a deep breath, already regretting the way this was playing out. "Stan, I—yes, I do.", I admitted, my voice softer than I intended. "I was going to tell you, but it's not exactly easy to just bring something like that up."

"Not easy? Not easy?!" He spun to face me, his eyes blazing. "You've been living here, working with me, eating my food, and you never thought to mention you've got a kid out there somewhere? What else haven't you told me?"

"It's not like that, Stan!", I snapped, standing up from my chair as my frustration began to bubble over. "I wasn't hiding her from you. I just... didn't know how to tell you. Especially after what you said about not wanting to be a father figure."

Stan let out a bitter laugh, the sound sharp enough to cut glass. "That's not an excuse! You don't just keep something that big a secret! How long were you planning to wait, huh? Until she walked in here just like she did tonight?"

"No, of course not!", I shot back, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. "I wanted to tell you, but—Stan, you have to understand, it's not just about me being scared to tell you. My life's been complicated. Penny's been staying with her father while I've been working... or spying. I didn't want her mixed up in the mess my life had become."

"My life's not exactly a cakewalk, either!", Stan barked, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "What about me? You think this is easy for me? You just drop this bomb on me, and I'm supposed to what? Smile and nod?"

"I didn't expect you to smile", I said, my voice shaking, "but I did hope you'd at least try to understand!"

"Understand?" Stan's face twisted with disbelief. "You mean like how you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth from the start?"

"I do trust you, Stan!", I shouted, the words tearing from my throat. "I trusted you with my life when we went up against the government! You don't think that means anything?"

"Yeah, well, trust works both ways, Y/n.", he snapped, his voice hardening. "And right now, it feels like I've been left in the dark—again. Just like with everything else in my life."

His words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I couldn't respond. When I finally found my voice, it was softer, trembling with emotion. "This isn't about you being in the dark. This is about me trying to protect my daughter. Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I wanted to show up here, knowing I'd have to explain to the man I—"

I stopped abruptly, the words catching in my throat as I realized what I'd almost said. My heart hammered in my chest, and the weight of Stan's stare was almost unbearable.

His tone shifted, quieter now but no less intense. "The man you what?"

I swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze as my mind raced. "Forget it. It doesn't matter."

"Like hell it doesn't.", he shot back, his voice low and edged with something I couldn't quite place. "Finish what you were gonna say."

Taking a shaky breath, I finally forced myself to look at him. His expression was guarded, his dark eyes searching mine, but I could see the crack in his defenses—the flicker of vulnerability he didn't want to show.