"Something on your mind, Nico?"

Marshall Pitman sat at his desk, his eyes never leaving the I-Phone in his hand as he addressed the man standing before him. Nico was used to his boss' multitasking and wasn't offended. He knew the man could simultaneous carry on a business negotiation in Japanese and successfully manipulate the stock market all the while playing chess against a Grand Master. Pittman's ability to split his focus was unparalleled by anyone Nico knew or had ever heard of. Of course if Pittman had been able to prioritize where he directed that focus, Nico wouldn't be in the position he was in right now.

"Mr. Pitman, it's about Juliette,"

Marshall Pittman didn't stall his speed reading of whatever vitally important document he was perusing, but when he spoke again his voice had a certain edge to it.

"Yes?"

"As you know she is being released from the institution today-"

"I'm aware. My only child being released from rehab. God only knows how many hours it will stick."

"I was thinking that I could arrange her admittance into an AA program. I'd be happy to find someone to escort her to meetings-"

"No. Knowing Juliette she would just use it as an opportunity to air our private family business to a room full of strangers. Undoubtedly it would all end up on the front page of a tabloid and the last thing we need is more bad press."

It was fortunate Nico had a lot of experience hiding his emotions. Juliette was fighting addictions, addictions brought about by years of his neglect, that would ultimately either ruin or end her life and Pittman was worried about bad press.

"Therapy would be another possible alternative. It's completely confidential, so you wouldn't need to worry about exposure. Dr. Santino has done some pretty impressive work with Terrence King and -"

"My daughter and Terrence King have nothing in common."

Except a history of over-partying and ending up on the front of tabloids.

"Juliette is a Pittman. She needs to learn how to manage her own life without leaning on anyone else."

Who was she supposed to have learned this from, one of the multitudes of nannies that had raised her in her parents' perpetual absence? Nico counted himself fortunate that Pittman was not, despite what some of his business rivals thought, a mind reader.

"Mr. Pittman-"

"That will be all, Nico."

Nico left Pittman's office in an unusual state of uncertainty. He had a problem and no idea how to solve it. How did he balance his loyalties? On the one hand there was Pittman, his long time employer who had taken a chance on him all those years ago when he'd returned from his tour of service in an even darker place than Juliette was right now. He had spent the intervening years trying to repay that debt. As part of that repayment he had taken on the duty of watching over Pittman's daughter. That's how it all started, as one more part of his job. That had changed the day he met her.

Juliette had been in her room playing with her dolls when the current nanny…Tina…Trina…had brought him upstairs to meet her. She'd been wearing a pink dress covered in little white daisies. Her long chocolate hair was tied back with a satin ribbon. A little princess. That had been his first thought when he'd seen her. When he had come in the room she turned and looked at him, right at him, right into his eyes, and she didn't look away. The nanny told Juliette his name and she didn't respond she just kept right on looking. She'd stood up, doll in hand, and walked over to him, never breaking eye contact. That was when she held out her doll to him.

"Her name is Sofia. I like to hold her when I'm sad."

Nico had been stunned for a moment before forcing a smile.

"What makes you think I'm sad?"

Juliette hadn't answered, she just continued holding out the doll until he'd taken it. The smile she'd given him had sent wave of warmth through him that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. That had been it for him. She was, for better or for worse, a part of his life.

Over the next few years he done his best to stay close, to be there when she needed him, but thanks to his success Pittman kept piling on more and more duties. Nico couldn't say no to the man who had taken him on at a moment in time where his life could have easily spiraled down to a place of no return. As for the the little girl who had tried to help him in the only way she'd known how, he'd tried to convince himself that she'd be fine. She had parents and nannies and staff. She had the best things in life money could buy. What would a princess possibly need someone like him for?

Years later circumstances caused him to re-enter her life and she'd acted like she didn't recognize him. Maybe she hadn't. He certainly didn't recognize her. A bleach blonde sixteen-year-old with enough make slathered on to pass for twenty-one, arrested for underage drinking at a frat party. Where had his princess gone? After that it had become a blur of misdemeanors he'd made disappear, photos he'd made vanish, and of course that trip to the Planned Parenthood (a false alarm, thank God). On every one of these occasions he'd tried to remind himself that he wasn't her father, that choices she made were her own, and they had nothing to do with him. Somehow that never seemed relieve his feelings of guilt.

So what now? Obey his boss or try one last time to save his princess?