New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 23 - Lists

"...hopefully burn..."

"...my current wardrobe. We'll get to dating later."

"You know, Dad, Charlene's dad came out wh..."

Nathan shook his head, laughing. "Not gay, Susie Q, just...not quite ready yet." After the promise of his new glasses being ready within the hour, he caught his reflection one more time. "Do I need a haircut?" he asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as he could.

Susan positioned herself in front of him and studied his face. "Huh uh...actually, I'd let it grow. You get these cool waves that you totally did not pass on into my genes."

"Well, my apologies, dear daughter. If I could have picked what I passed along to you, I would have made sure of it." He inhaled, enjoying this time, even if she did dig into him every once in a while. Hell, she was a teenager after all. "I'm not trying on any jeans with holes or any shirts that look like they have..."

"No worries, Dad. I have no intention of making you look like one of those desperate middle-aged guys..."

"Hey, I'm not...am I?"

She ignored his question, she didn't mean things to come out the way they did. "You're actually a pretty cool guy, you know, as far as dads go," she laughed. "You're just living in the 'mom' years. You've dropped weight and severe baggage since then. We just need to update you."

He understood what Susan meant. He was still wearing things that his ex purchased for him - and that he never much liked to begin with. He didn't have to wear his suits anymore since his "demotion" and really didn't have much else. "Lead the way."

Susan led her father through various stores for a couple of hours. She made him pick out key pieces first and would worry about the other aspects of a wardrobe later. Nathan wouldn't ever deny that he was having a wonderful time. After a trip out to the car to drop off some bags, they decided to break for lunch.

"So," Susan began, taking a bite of her mu shu pork. The food court of the mall was crowded and loud and she got the feeling that this was why her father wanted to talk here. "You said lunch, it's lunch, spill it, Dad." She bit her lip. "Sorry, but you've had me concerned all morning. Is this something bad?"

Nathan smiled. "Not at all." He looked down at his chopsticks and laughed to himself for a moment, thinking about Sydney's inability to use them. "Actually, it's pretty good news for us."

Susan tilted her head, intrigued and confused all at once. "How good are we talking?"

He took on a casual tone and looked up at the ceiling as he answered. "Oh, I dunno...cell phone upgrades good?"

"What? Dad, did you get a raise or something? I've been asking for help with a..."

Nathan put his hand up, doing his best to chew and swallow his lo mein as quickly as he could. "I don't need a raise, Susan, I make pretty decent money given the district. I know you haven't exactly ever been given a reason to believe that. We're in pretty good shape – not Bartlett shape by any means – but good shape."

"Back story?" Susan prodded.

He thought it best to cut immediately to the chase. "You know that the divorce was messy..."

"...that's being kind..."

"Right, well, due to circumstances..."

"...mom screwing another guy..."

Nathan sighed. "Correct..." He shook his head, clearing it. "She never tried to get alimony from me, but always threatened it. Often, actually."

"Can she do that?"