A Better Life

Summary: Morgan and KiKi have always told Hailey Johanna Corinthos all of the good things they'd ever known of Ava Jerome. Now, Hailey knows the darker truths.

"Daddy?" A soft voice asked from the doorway.

Morgan Corinthos glanced up from where he sat on his bed, filling out paperwork. His thirteen year old daughter, Hailey Johanna Corinthos stood there, peering at him. "Hey Hails." He said, setting aside his papers and smiling at the girl, patting the bed. "How was school today? I thought you were going to spend the night at Penelope's house?"

The brunette shrugged and walked into the room, immediatly jumping on the bed and crossing her legs infront of her. "I decided to come home early instead." Her small, olive skinned hand reached out to pluck at invisible threads on her pants, a sure sign of her nervousness even though she'd suddenly quieted.

"Are you okay Hailey?" Morgan asked his daughter worriedly, brows furrowing as he studied her with concern.

Hailey bit her lip hesitantly before she burst out, "Why didn't you ever tell me that my mom shot Aunt Olivia and murdered her sister?"

The man froze at that, eyes widening as he realized what his little girl had just asked. For years now, he and KiKi had been trying to keep all of Ava's horrible misdeads away from Hailey's ears. They'd told her stories of the good things they'd known and loved about Ava Jerome, not wanting Hailey to think badly of the mother that she'd never really met. He swallowed hard at that. "Where did you hear that?" He wondered hoarsly.

The girl flipped back her hair and answered, "Penelope's older sister, Hannah talked about it in front of her. Hannah was nine when she was born."

Morgan studied his daughter closely, watching as she stared down at her knees, hair surrounding her face like a curtain.

"Hailey, I'm sorry I never said anything." He told her, making her meet his eyes. Those blue-green eyes of her's were filled with tears. "The reason your Aunt Kiki and I never told you was because we didn't want you to think badly of yourself or hate your mother. We never meant to cause you pain."

Hailey bit her bottom lip. "But it has to do with me, daddy. Other people shouldn't know more about my mom than I do. I never even knew I was kidnapped for months by Aunt KiKi's, dad's ex-wife or by grandma's ex."

"The kids weren't bullying you because of it were they?" Morgan wondered as he felt his heart clench in his chest at that fear. He, Michael, and Kristina all understood what it was like to be judged for the things your parents had done. They'd all dealt with their peers fearing them or hating them. He truly didn't want that for his daughter. It was why he'd never told her any of these things she'd just learnt about her family.

"People were going to. But Kat stuck up for me. I was left alone after that." She answered, smiling a bit at the thought of her best friend, Katrina.

Morgan nodded at that and then said,"Listen to me, Hailey. If you ever want to know anything about your mother, you just tell me, okay? Kiki and I will tell you whatever it is that you need to know."

Hailey's reply was her slender arms around his neck and her head buried into his shoulder. "Thank you, daddy. That's all I want." She pulled away after that and smiled. "I better go and do my homework. Kat should be over here in a couple of hours for our slumber party." Before she left the room, she rested her hands on the doorframe and smiled at him. "Love you, dad."

He smiled back and said "I love you" back, thinking of what a lucky guy he actually was.

end