"Maya, baby girl, come here to your nan." The little , six years old girl run to her grandmother and hugged her legs tightly.

"Yes,nanny?" She looked up with a pair of innocent blue eyes, full of tears. "I've been a good girl, exactly how I promised, that I'll be." The small child said barely containing the sobs.

"Oh no, you've been good Maya-papaya. There are other problems. I am too old, little nugget." She caressed the girl's hair, the old woman too, barely containing her tears. "After my son, abandoned us and got himself killed, your mom was good enough to take care of me. Now that she is gone too, I will go to nursing home." Maya broke the hug and looked at her grandmother with a fierce look.

"I don't wanna go to nursing home, nana, I love our house." The first tear slide on the woman's cheek and she wiped it fast with the back of her hand. She had to be strong for her nephew.

"You are not going to a nursing home,Maya. I am going." The child looked at the old women with a puzzled expression. "Nan...who is going to take care of me? I am scared to sleep alone." Gammy Hart sighed and started to play with her nephew's hair.

"Honey-nugget, you are going to an orphanage." Maya started to cry softly, not really knowing what an orphange was, but being certain that she'll never see her grandmother again. First she lost her daddy and soon after her mom died in an accident and now she was taken away from her grandmother.

"I don't want to go to an orcanage." She was compulsively wiping her tears in her grandma's shirt.

"Listen to me. Tomorow they'll come after you. You will go to a huge house with loads of children like you. If you behave good, the way I know you will, then everything will be fine. Maybe someone will adopt you." The little girl watched out the window lost in her thoughts for a while. "What does adopt, mean?" She asked after a long silence. "It's when someone loves you so much that she or\and him wants to be your parent" Maya swalowed her tears and watched her Gammy with confusion. "Then why don't you adopt me? You said you love me?" Gammy let out a silent sob and shot her eyes tight to keep all the tears from coming out. " I really wanted to, but I am to old and they won't let me keep you."

"Who?" Asked ,Maya, being to young to understand the implications of child protection service.

"Go to sleep, Maya, tomorow will be a long day." Maya crossed her arms stubbornly and kept her gaze locked with the older woman's. Gammy's eyes were tired. Tired of life, tired of going through so much and mostly tired of being strong for Maya's sake.

"Baby girl just go." Her voice was firm and severe enough to make Maya run to her room with tear in her eyes.

The next day two men come to their apartmen to take Maya. She was instantly scared of them. They were tall and with equal severe looks on their faces. Their eyes lacked any warmt. All Maya wanted to do was to escape from them. So when they knelt next to her and forced a smile on their faces, Maya ran. Ran into her room and the last thing she heard was her grandmother telling the to let her go after her. There was a small argument that left Maya enough time to escape through her window. She fall and hit her knees, but the adrenaline pumping in her veins gave her the power to run.

Gammy and the two men enetere Maya's room and started to search for her in the closet, under the bed and only a few minutes later, they noticed the opened window. "Damn." One of the men yelled and broke the silence of the day.

Maya ran until she felt her lungs burning, ran until she felt her knees numbing , ran until her eyes were stinging , ran until her heart started to beat like a drum. She had to stop, the exhaustation made her weak so she sat on the ground an looked at sky praying not to be found by those men. Looking up she saw a window with some nice curtains with spiderman. She watched the a while and listened to the cheerfull laughs that came from inside of that room. There were some weird ladders that made an easily acces to that window. The little girl climbed through the window withou thinking about what was she doing. She fall on the floor next to the window on the back of a boy near her age.

"Uf. Ouch." Whimpered the boy and trew her of his back. "Who are you and what are doing in my room." Asked an annoyed blond haired and green eyed boy.

"Hi, I am Maya and I am going to be your new sister." He growled annoyed by the events and pushed her a little toward the window.

"I don't want a sister so you can go back to where you came ..." Maya covered his mouth and begged him to stay quiet.

"Please, please listen to me before you scream." He watched her confused but finally compromised and nodded to let her know that he'll be quiet.

"Say what you have to say before I scream." He said stubbornly.

"First tell me your name." Demanded Maya proud by the steadines from her voice.

"Lucas. Lucas Friar."

"Lucas, I ran away from some bad people that wanted to take me. Please will you let me hide in your room for a while. Just until nan figures it out, hoe to help me." Lucas watched the blonde girl, open mouthed. It was the kind of story he only heard in movies.

"I'll call mamma, She'll know what to do. My mom is smart and strong." Said the innocent boy. "Where is your mom and why won't she help you." Maya's eyes filled with bitter tears that stared to folw down her cheeks like waterfalls.

"She went to heaven. If she would have been here nothing would happen. Please don't call your mom just let me hide."

"I'll help you hide forever,sister." Said Lucas and gave her a friendly punch on her arm.

"You said you don't want a sister." Said Maya and flashed a real smile for the first time since her mom died.

"I wanted a brother, I hate girls, but you seem okay." Maya jumped on his arms and squeezed him tightly. She ignored all his disgusted protests.

"Let go of me woman." He screamed loudly. Maya got scared of being found by his mom so she hid under his bed just a few seconds before his mom came in.

"Who were you screamin at my lil' Sundance?" Asked a concerned Lilian.
"I was playing, mom." He said flashing the most innocent smile he got.

"Let's close your window, before you get cold."

"She left, you can come out." Maya slide out of his bed and sit on the edge of it. "Can you bring me some food, I am really hungry." Lucas face contorted in a worried frown.

"Mom doesn't let me eat in my room." He blurted out.

"Well, try to sneak something in. You can't leave your sister to die of hunger." Said Maya crossing her arms and keeping a firm eye-contact.

"You are bossy and I don't like it."

"And you "Sundance"" she said mockingly "You ar to coward!" He got up and went next to her, towering over her little body. Lucas was almost a head taller than her. She got scared by his threatening posture. "I-I a-am s-s-sorry." She curled in fetal position and started to shake violently.

"Maya are you okay?" asked Lucas as he held her arm.

"I am sorry, I didn't meant to be bad. I am sorry. Sorry daddy." Lucas got really startled by her soft cries and the way she shaked. He sat next to her and started to caress her blonde hair and to whisper softly in her ears. "It will be fine, sister, your big brother will protect you always and forever . You are fine." She looked under her messy hair at his face and once again jumped in his arms. This time Lucas swallowed his disgus and hugged her back. "I'll bring you cookies, I know where is hiding mommy them.

Three days passed before Lilian started to suspect something. There was something weird in her son's behavior. And she caught him sneaking food in his room, soon after he ate. One night after she tuck him in, she waited some minutes in front of his door. Five minutes passed before she started to hear voices in his son's room. Voices, not just a voice. She silently opened the door only to find a little girl sitting in his bed.

"What the...?" She looked confused at the imagine in front of her eyes. "Lucas, who's that girl."

"Mom, this is my sister,Maya." he said casually as if was the most normal thing.

"Lucas you don't have a sister. We both know it." Lucas made an obvious fake shocked face.

"Whaaat? I don't have a sister?" He turned to Maya. "You lied to me?"

"Chill down ,Sundance. We're caught." Said Maya with her voice shaking. "I am sorry, Miss." continued the young girl almost crying.

"You two, up." Said mrs. Friar. "I want answers young gentleman." Lucas looked down on his lap and started to shake from retained sobs. "I am sorry,Maya . I failed you."

"What's up Lucas?" Maya came in front of Lucas and flashed a sad smile to his mother. She started to explain her situation . Lilian hardly got from the girl's confusing talk, that she remained orphan and got scared of the guys sent by child protection service and ran away.

"Mom can we keep her?" Asked Lucas his eyes filling with tears. "I promised that I'll protect her."

"She is not a puppy, Lucas , we can't just take her."

Lucas pulled Maya next to hime by her arm and started his speech. "Mom , you taught me to always keep my promises. How can I protect my sis, if you seperate us? I promised mommy." He flashed his best puppy eyes and Maya followed his lead. "Please, please." Started the children in sing song voices.

"Go to sleep. I'll see tomorow what I can do."

Lilian always wanted a daughter, but after her ugly divorce from Lucas's father she saw impossible to start dating and more impossible to start a new family. This little girl could be her chance to save herself from the guilt. When she was sixteen she got pregnant and her parents made her abort. She never got over it. She would have had a daughter, she felt that.

Dissapoimtment hit Friar family hard when they didn't let Lilian adopt Maya, because she hadn't got all the requirments to adopt. Because she was a single mother. She tried talk them it, she showed her balances and paper that attested her good income. Everuthing in vain. The got to the agreement that she can keep the girl until they found a good family for her. She could even help pick one. Weeks passed and the two children grew hopeful that they could stay together forever.

One day Lilian got a call that shattered all her hopes. The worst part she had to give the news and shatter two innocent kid's hopes.

"Lucas, my little Sundance, can you and Maya come here a little?" Called a devasted Lilian the kids.

"Lucas ..." Her eyes shifted to Maya's little face, whom had a blank expression. She knew. "Maya..." Lilian swallowed the tears. " We found you a new family." Lilian knelt next to the girl and caressed her cheek to comfort her a little. " They are great, honey, I promise that you will love them." Lilian lifted her up and rocked her body for some seconds. "They have a little girl just your age, you will have a sister." The woman kissed the child's face, trying to assure her that everything will be fine. "Your new mom is pregnant, you will have a baby brother too."

"I have a brother and ... I had a mom." She started to breath heavily. "You are like a mother to me. Why can't I stay?" She asked the question the second time in a short time. First her grandmom and now Lilian and Lucas.

"Mom, we can still see Maya, right. We'll be friends."

"You are my brother not friend." Screamed the little girl between some hysterical sobs.

"Lucas... She'll live in New York."

"How far can New York be?'' Asked Lucas with his voice shaking. "We will visit her."

"New York is very far , Sundance." Said Lilian, crying as hard as the kids did.

"I'll never see Maya again?"

"Never is a strong word, son."

The family that came to pick Maya was a happy one. Topanga, the mother was pregnant and because some complication she found out that she could not bear any other pregnancy. They decided to adopt. They found the perfect girl in a vacantion they took in Texas. There was a scandal linked to the girl's name. Her father was a notorious drug dealer. He divorced from her mother and soon after that was killed. Her mom died only a couple of months after that. When the children protection service came to pick her up, from her very old grandmother the child ran away. She hid in a little boys room, till the mom found went through a lot and did really deserve a fresh start somewhere far away.

The little girl was a fierce amazon and gave her new family, the Matthews family a lot of trouble, but they wouldn't change a day since they got her. They loved her as much as they loved their own children.

A loud Squeaky sound woke Penelope Mathews up. Her step sister, Riley ran into her room and jumped into her bed, straight onto her and started to shake her body.

"Penny, Penny, wake up." The blonde groaned loudly and pulled a pilow on her face and tried to ignore her overly happy sister.

"Penny..."

"Don't call me Penny, Riles, you know how much I hate it." Mumbled from under the pillow Penelope.

"Sorry, Pen." Apologised unsincerly the other one. "You know what day is today?"

The blonde threw the pillow and glared at her sister coldly. "I don't know, but I am certain that you will tell me."

"Is monday!" Squealed Riley with joy.

"I hate mondays, those are the worst days." Groaned Penelope and pulled the pillow on her head again.

"Well, this monday is a different monday, since is our first day in high-school." Penelope threw again the pillow and with a loud groan she sat up.

"Only you could be this happy about school."

"This is high-school, Pen!" Exclamed Riley and started to jump up and down on her bed. "We leave our middle-school child selves behind and we welcome our high-school mature women personas."

"Riles, you are jumping on the bed."

"So what ?"

"That's childish. Leave that in middle-school." Laughed Penelope at her sister quirkiness. Riley stopped and looked serious in Pen's eyes. In her eyes gleamed all the confuse thought that were running through her mind.

"What's,Riles." Asked her sister, confused by the sudden change in her mood.

"What if I am not ready to be a high-school lady?" Penelope pulled her in a hug and caressed her hair to calm her down. The way Riley used to do with her, when she used to have some requiring nightmares in the first month when she started to live with them. They shared a bed for a long time and every time that the blonde girl woke up crying her step sister would pull her in a tight hug and started to caress her golden locks.

The blonde looked at her sister who was tall almost a head taller than her. She had a pair of big brown gentle eyes, clear skin. Her long brunette hair that fell next to her face in cascading waves gave are an innocent look. She was innocent and naive and kind and everything good, untouched by this world's badness.

"You are more than ready, Honey , I promise. Look you even convinced me to get up." The blonde unwillingly jumped off the bed an dragged herself in front of her closet. She threw a glance at Riley's putfit, which perfectly described her personality. A long floral dress with pastel color and a pair of high-heeled sandals. Penelope choose and outfit that would reflect her personality aswell. Her favorite "Guns-n-roses" T-shirt, a pair of black ripped jeans and her favorite combat boots.

"Why don't you wear something more colorful? Red or yellow would look great on you." The short turned around to face her taller best-friend/sister.

"Listen,lolipop, you have no words on the way I dress." Riley lifted her arms to show surrender and jumped edge of window to get out. Since six grade they made a habit to use more the window than the door. They parents hated it , but could do nothing to stop them.

"Sister, this place is huge." Said Riley as she started to look around their new school. "So much bigger than our middle-school." Penelope looked around with faux nonchalance. She wasn't looking in front of her. Suddenly she felt her body hitting something in front of her, she felt a pair of strong hands on her arms, trying to keep her balanced.

"Uff, I am sorry." said the blond as she looked up in a pair of wonderful grass-green eyes. "I wasn't lookin were I was walking."

"Maya..." The girl was shocked to hear her middle name, that she haen't used in ten years.

"Pardon?" She asked ignoring the growing panic inside of her. Could he be? No is not possible.

"Umm... That beautifull face of you comes with a name." Asked the boy lamely.

"First day of school adn you are already trying to get a girlfriend." Laughed the blonde girl nervously.

"Please, can you give me your name?" Penelope tried to come up with a snarky comment, but Riley stepped in front of her pure hapiness plastered on her face.

"Her name is Penelope Matthews and..." She averted her gaze shyly and felt her face burning up. "And you are?" She said without making an eye-contact with the boy.

"I am sorry. I confused your friend with someone else. I get to go." He left as fast he could,leaving behind the two teenafe girls confused.

"Well, that was weird." Said Riley with her eyes still glued to the spot she last saw him.

"Yeah." Said Pen still weirded out by the odd interaction.

"But, Peaches, you have to admit that he was dreamy." Riley sighed and bat her eyelashes to annoy her sister.

"More like creepy, than dreamy."

Their first class was history, and fortunately they had an almost identic schedule. The weird part about the history class was that their father taught it. They knew that this will be possibility, but still hoped to get another teacher. It didn't happen, so both girls were sentenced to have their dad as teacher for the next four years of high-school.

Their dad, aka history teacher put every student, when they heard their name, to say five sentences about themselves. It was funny since everybody was overly anxious. Penelope could barely understand a word they said, since almost every classmate stuttered. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Lucas. Lucas Friar. I am from Texas..." Lucas. Lucas. Lucas Friar . Lucas from Texas. Texas.. Austin... The name rang in the blonde's head with echoes. She felt her body turning stone cold and her mind going numb.

"Penelope Matthews?" Cory, her stepfather stopped in front of her desk and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Penny, areyou fine? You are very pale." She let her gaze to lokk with her father, showing him how shaken she was, with just one look.

"Can I be excused to the bathroom." Cory knew the reason of her behavior, from the moment Lucas opened his mouth. The name was very familiar to him. But when he saw her stepdaughters pale face, every piece fell right in place.

"Take your time." As soon as she heard the words Penelope got up and walked slowly out of class to keep her dignity. He seemed familia earlier in the hallway, but as soon as she heard his name, she was sure that Lucas was the Lucas she met as a kid. The Lucas that promised to protect her all their lives. She was certain that he recognized her, from the second he laid his eyes on her. I am sorry Sundance that I didn't recognize you. She apologised in her mind to him, hoping that she will get to apologise in person.

After fifteen minutes, she felt strong enough to return to the class. When she made her way to her desk, the bell started to ring.

"Lucas." Said the girl softly. "Can we talk."

"Pen, what's going on?" Asked Riley concerned about her friend.

"Just go Riley, I'll explain later." Lucas got up, gathered his stuff and lead the way to the place between was a quite place , were the students barely walked through.

"You're Maya. The girl who climbed through my window, ten years ago."