#rudy pankow x original female character

[saltwater-and-woodsmoke]

Six Feet Under the Stars | Rudy Pankow | Prologue

When Thea Ross comes back into Rudy Pankow's life five years after he graduated high school, he's not prepared for her to tell him their last encounter resulted in more than he bargained for.

words: 3.5 k

A/N: Oh look I finally got around to posting this. This has been edited and this version @teelagurl558 hasn’t read yet teehee. Okay I am going to bed now.

tagging people who might be interested: @pankowperfection @pankhoeforlife @sweettartforrudy

“Dorothea Claire Ross, how dare you enter this room without giving me a hug.” Chase Stokes' voice rang out across the meeting room from where he sat on the opposite side and end of the table from where the bleach blonde had just sat down. She held back the urge to roll her eyes at the twenty-eight year old, standing up to walk around the table to give him a tight hug.

“Where’s Em?” He whispered in her ear, “You didn’t tell me you got the role, bitch.”

“Mama Jen has her, Rylie said she would bring her in a couple weeks when I’m settled in my apartment.” She whispered back. “And after I got the role, I disclosed to Jonas that you are my cousin and asked him not to tell you, it was supposed to be a surprise. Speaking of surprises, he’s not here yet?”

“No. He’s stuck in traffic but should be here soon, he’s supposed to be in front of you.” He confirmed. “You’re gonna have to tell him.” 

She glared at him but said nothing, pulling away to return to her seat and sip at her too large, extra caffeinated salted caramel cream cold brew. She knew Chase already had the order memorized from how long he’d been buying it for her, and she could tell he remembered as he made a gagging motion as she took a drink. With a smirk, she sent a playful middle finger his way. 

“So, uh, not to pry or anything but what was that about? Clearly you and Chase know each other.” Madison was the first to speak after a moment of silence. 

“Oh. Yeah, we do.” Thea confirmed. “Known him for all 22 years of my life.”

“Thea is my cousin.” Chase explained. “My mom and her mom were sisters. Thea’s mom unfortunately passed away when she was a kid, and my mom kind of took over in the mom department because no offense to Uncle Grant but he had no idea what he was doing, so she’s like my little sister. She moved to live with my mom when she was 17 and that’s when we got super close.” 

Thea snorted, trying not to burst into laughter at him when he referred to her as his sister. From the corner of her eye she saw Rudy walk into the room, so she didn’t say what she was about to, just bit her lip and smiled politely at the blonde who sat down in front of her, apologizing for being late.

Throughout the table read, Rudy kept staring at her like he knew her from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place where. She knew she was going to have to tell him everything and she was dreading it. As the room cleared out, the pair stayed at the table, and Chase shot her a look as he left, silently asking her if she was okay. When she nodded, he smiled and left, leaving her and Rudy the only two still in the room. 

She could see the wheels turning in his head, making her try not to laugh as she sipped on her coffee and gathered her things to head back to her apartment. Finally, with a shake of her head she spoke to him for the first time in nearly five years.

“Ketchikan High School.” She told him. “I can still read your mind, Rudeth. Just because it’s been five years.” 

“I thought it was you.” He said. “Your hair changed, and uh, you look good.” 

“Uh, thanks. You look good too.” She half smiled. “Hey, uh, I actually need to talk to you about something. It’s not work related and I honestly should have told you five years ago, but I didn’t know I needed to tell you.” 

The blonde man raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. “Oh?”

“Yeah, uh, would you want to come back to mine so we can talk?” She asked. “I mean, if it would be okay with Elaine. I don’t want to cause an issue with her, I’m not trying to break you up over you hanging out with me or something. Not that I think she’s a controlling person or anything. Jesus Christ, I’m just going to shut up now before I have to bury myself alive.” 

Rudy cracked a smile as he laughed. Thea stayed quiet as she took him in again. She couldn’t help but notice for the first time just how much her daughter actually looked like her father. It was the same crooked grin that Emma gave her on a daily basis, and if she was being honest it was probably her favorite thing about her ex best friend. 

“Yeah, no, it’s fine.” he told her. “She’s out running errands then she has a meeting as well. I’ll just text her I’m catching up with you. Did you drive?

“No.” She told him. “I took an Uber.” 

“Excellent, you give me the address and I’ll drive.”

So admittedly, the drive to her apartment was tense. She knew it wouldn’t be as carefree as the drives they took in high school. Chewing on her lip, she glanced at the man driving as she tried to not imagine how different her life would be if she’d managed to tell him about Emma when she found out she was pregnant, but she couldn’t help herself. 

Would they still be acting, or would Rudy have given everything up to support his family? Actually, that was a stupid question because she knew the answer to that one. She knew that if Rudy had even had an inkling that she was pregnant when he moved to LA, he’d have been back in Alaska, or joining her in Florida. He’d be working a dead end job to support his daughter and would be doing everything in his power to make sure she was getting everything she wanted and more. 

That had been a huge reason why she hadn’t told him, knowing that he’d give up all of his success in a heartbeat to support his daughter. She couldn’t dwell on that now, knowing that in just a few minutes he was going to know about Emma Raine Pankow, and she didn’t know how he was going to react to that. All she could do was hope that it went well. 

One thing was for sure and certain, Rudy Pankow was about to get the biggest shock of his lifetime in the form of a blonde haired, blue eyed little girl and Thea wasn’t the one to blame for him not knowing, at least completely.

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As soon as the pair were in Thea’s apartment, she was nervous. She didn’t know how to bring it up, but knew it was going to have to happen and soon. With a sigh, she let them and made a beeline to the kitchen to find them something to drink, playing her words over and over in her head as she considered how to break the news. 

“Who’s this? She’s adorable!” Rudy had picked up one of the framed photos of Emma waiting to be hung up from the counter, studying it closely. “Are you a mom, Thea?”

Okay, so maybe she didn’t actually have to tell him that she was a mom now. She did however, much to her dismay, have to tell him he was a father. That was the scary part. You can do this, Thea, just say it. Rip it off like a bandaid.

“I am. She’s four as of February 19th.” She told him, pulling two Pepsis out of the fridge and handing him one. “Her name is Emma, by the way. And her Nana and Gammy absolutely adore her.”

“She’s four?” He raised an eyebrow. “Oh fuck, Thea, if she’s four and she was born in February. I-.”

“I didn’t find out until I was already in Florida, Ru,” she said. “I didn’t have your new number and I tried messaging you on social media but you never answered. Your mom and dad, Gammy and Gamps, by the way, didn’t even know until I went back for Christmas. I was eight months in at that point.” 

“Can I meet her?” He asked. “I mean, I want to meet her. What does she call your dad and stepmom?” 

“Poppy and Lola.” She told him. “And Chase’s mom and stepdad are Nana and Pa.” 

“So Chase?” He asked quietly, not sure if he was really ready for the answer.

“Is my cousin, Ru.” She told him. “His mom is my moms sister. But he has been nothing but the best Uncle Chase to Emma Raine this whole time.” 

“Emma Raine?“ he smiled softly. “Like, after your mom?” 

“Mhm” she hummed, “Emma Raine Pankow. The plan was always to tell you, Ru. You have all your rights to your daughter, you’re on her birth certificate.” 

It was quiet for a moment, like Rudy was trying to absorb the information that she’d just told him. He was a father. He’d gotten his best friend pregnant the one time they slept together before they both moved to separate sides of the lower forty eight, and she’d kept it from him for nearly five years. He had a four year old daughter, and he didn’t even know it. This had to be some sort of cruel joke, right?

“Press is gonna have a field day with this, you know.” He half laughed. “”Outer Banks actor teen father” I can see the headline now. Of course, they’ll have to actually read the article to see that the mother of said child is my friend with benefits from high school turned co star. And I had no fucking idea the kid even existed.” 

Thea didn’t exactly like his tone when he said that, spinning on her heels to glare at him and trying to contain her anger. Unfortunately her temper had always been an issue for her, although it had gotten better with motherhood. But standing here, looking at him with so much anger on his face, like all the information had just caught up to him, and his condescending tone made her snap.

“Excuse me?” She started walking towards him. “I tried to tell you! I messaged you multiple times, I called your mother to get your new number and she never called me back. Which I took to mean that you didn’t want me to have your number. So I made an executive decision, asshole. I chose to keep my mouth shut. You wouldn’t understand, you can’t. You don’t understand Ru, I chose to do this. I chose to keep her a secret, the only other damn person on set that knows about our daughter is Chase. This far from my first role, you can fucking google me, but you won’t find one mention of Emma Pankow on the internet, unless you follow my damn private Instagram. Which you, by the fucking way, unfollowed six days after you moved. I wasn’t even settled in Florida yet but you know what was settled already? Your daughter in my body. I chose to keep my mouth shut, to keep her a secret and not ruin your life because I chose to ruin mine!”

“That wasn’t your decision to make,” he seethed at her. “It wasn’t your right to keep my daughter away from me for four fucking years, Thea! I had no idea she even fucking existed! I lost out on four years of being a fucking father to my child! Four years, Thea! I missed it all. I don’t have a god damn bond with my daughter because of you. Yeah, we were fucking teenagers when I oh so unfortunately ruined your life, but that wouldn’t have stopped me from giving everything up for her, for you. But you know that and you still selfishly kept her to yourself for four years. You’re right by the way, I did tell my mom not to give you my new number but it was for your own benefit, Thea! I thought you deserved better than me.”

Before she could stop herself, her hand came up and made contact with his face. The force of the slap made him gasp in shock as his hand came up to run where he was sure a red mark was forming. Deep down he knew he deserved it, but at that moment he didn’t really care. 

“I’m selfish?! You told your mother not to give me your phone number. I told her it was important, which she found out two months before your daughter was born. That’s selfish Rudy. If you wanted to cut ties with me you should have told me in the airport that day. Did you? No. Instead, you told me you loved me and that you would wait for me to finish high school and come to LA with you. That was the plan right? I go to Florida for my senior year and then I move in with you in LA.” Her voice was raw as she yelled at him. “So, yeah, Rudy, you missed everything, four years of it but it’s not entirely my fault, is it? You missed every doctor's appointment, every kick, the birth of your daughter. You know what else you missed? Me going back to school two and a half weeks after I had an emergency c section, against doctor’s advice, because I was so sick when I was pregnant I didn’t have any days left. You missed Chase working nights and then staying with your daughter from 7:30-4 every day so I could fucking graduate. You missed me not even getting to walk  across the stage because your daughter was in the NICU with RSV and they didn’t know if she was going to make it. That was the fourth time I tried to get your number, asshole. I thought that if she didn’t make it, you’d at least like to know I did everything in my power to make sure she did. You missed her first day of preschool, you missed her first steps, first words — which was fucking dad, by the way, and you missed so many sleepless nights, you prick. Not because I was up with her, but because I was crying over you. You were my best friend, I gave everything to you, and you moved to Los Angeles and dropped me like I was nothing to you.” 

Before he could respond properly, the door swung open, as she hadn’t locked it behind her and Chase came walking in, sighing and rubbing his temples as he took in the scene in front of him. Thea was seething, her chest heaving as she stood in Rudy’s face, waiting for him to respond and Rudy held a pissed off look on his face, his cheekbone starting to bruise from the force of the smack he’d taken minutes before. 

“Separate it.” He demanded. “I’m serious, I could hear you both from downstairs.”

“You don’t get to come into my apartment and boss me around, Chase.” Thea sent him a death glare as she turned to look at him. He knew she was pissed so he held back the urge to roll his eyes at her. 

“I have been bossing you around for twenty two years, Dorothea, and considering you can’t be trusted to not assault your fucking baby daddy? It’s clearly not stopping now.” He tried to stay calm. “Sit your ass down on that couch right now. Rudy, you can sit on the chair there.” He took a few steps into the kitchen to check her freezer for something to put on the blonde's face, deciding that the bag of frozen carrots was going to have to do before wrapping them in a dish towel and handing them over to him. 

“You’re bruising, that should help a bit.” He sighed. “Now, we’re going to talk like adults because we aren’t seventeen anymore. You guys have a child together whether you like it or not. You have an amazing four year old daughter that I knew was yours, Rudy, the moment I met you. And sure, I could have betrayed my little sister and told you but it wasn’t my place and right now we have bigger things to worry about than your butthurt feelings that you didn’t know because you chose not answer your fucking phone because your child is going to be here in approximately four hours.”

“Four hours?” Thea questioned. “No, Rylie isn’t supposed to bring her for two weeks. I don’t have her room set up yet.” 

“Rylie called me because she’s been trying to call you.” Chase told her. “Mom had to go out of town and Rylie has classes she can’t miss so she’s gotta bring her today. I came over to help finish getting the apartment ready,  but walked into world war three.” 

“Right so Rudy should leave.” Thea said.

“You told me I could meet her!” Rudy interjected. Thea rolled her eyes, but decided not snip back at him. 

“That was before you called me selfish for doing what I felt was right.” She was calm, almost scarily calm. Chase knew she’d reached a point in her anger where she was so angry she was calm, and knew he needed to step in. 

“Okay here’s what we’re going to do before Thea decides to break your nose, Rudy.” He started. “You’re going to leave, and tomorrow, I am going to take Emma to the beach. While I do that, you two are going to talk. Like adults, none of this screaming at each other shit. You don’t need it and neither does Emma.”

“Again.” Thea muttered. “Break his nose again.”

“I’m sorry what?” Chase questioned. It was Rudy’s turn to snort in laughter, wincing as it spread pain through his bruised cheek. 

“Thea broke my nose six years ago.” He explained. “That’s how I got the deviated septum.” 

“He deserved it then too.” Thea deadpanned. 

“I did not!” Rudy argued. Thea rolled her eyes at the blonde. It seemed like, for a moment, they were back to their old selves. 

Chase rolled his eyes, moving to stand between them as he fought off the urge to scream. He was twenty eight and it currently felt a lot like breaking up fights between his younger siblings growing up, except this time it was the woman he considered his sister and her baby daddy. 

“I don’t care if he deserved it or not.” He spoke calmly. “Rudy, I am politely asking you to leave and when you guys meet up to properly talk tomorrow, for the love of all things holy, do it in a public place.” 

“Why because she won’t assault me in public?” Rudy’s snark was back, making Thea clench her jaw. “Clearly you don’t know Thea very well then.” 

“Pankow, if you don’t leave I am going to let her knock the shit out of you.” Chase told him as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “You and I both know she can throw a punch, and I’m about four seconds from letting her do it.” 

“Okay, I’m going.” Rudy stood up, handing the bag of half thawed carrots to Chase. “Tomorrow then. I will text Chase to tell you where to meet up.” 

The Stokes-Ross cousins watched as the younger man walked out of the apartment, Chase sighing as he looked at Thea. 

“You can’t just hit people because you’re mad at them.” He sighed. “What exactly happened?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She told him. “I need to get Emma’s room ready and now I have to figure out childcare.” 

Chase looked at her with a frown. He knew that she was stressing out, and he didn’t know how he could help it but to help her get the place ready. The absolute one thing he knew for certain was that Rudy and Thea were a hot mess. They always had been, he knew that. He’d spent several weeks trying to get her out of her funk that she was in because of him only to have the truth come out that she’d given everything to her best friend before she moved. He’d been the one that drove her to Walmart at four am to get a pregnancy test, held her when she cried for days because it was positive and she had no way to get ahold of the blonde man. 

He’d been the one to sit at the hospital with her for nearly thirty two hours while she was in labor with her daughter, then was the one who stayed with Emma during the day so that Thea could graduate. In a way, he felt like he’d been playing dad to his co-star’s child from the get go, but he was going to make sure that Rudy got the chance to be the dad he deserved to be, even if Thea wasn’t happy about it. 

With a soft smile, he turned to look at the blonde girl and sighed.

“Okay” he confirmed. “Tell me what you want me to do.”