So I was asked by a friend to do this one I hope not to disapoint my fans it is a multi chapter but as I had a list of things to put in the story this one gave me a hard time. Enjoy and as always I own nothing!
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Stephanie sat on the bench in the park crying it was past eight in the evening but right now she needed to cry. Her knees were tucked up and her face buried which is why she didn't see Sportacus sit on the back of the bench.
"Stephanie? It's well after eight." He said
He was more shocked when she clung to him. He could feel her shake as she cried. Whatever was wrong was serious. He moved to the lower part of the bench and held her as she cried. Eventually she lifted her face.
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Stephanie." He said smiling at her.
"Do to I got you all wet now."
"I'll dry but what's wrong?"
"I....mom and dad.....they....." She started breathing hard again.
"Calm down try it slow, take deep breaths." he said having a sinking feeling it was bad news and not just the drama of growing up.
"myparentsaredeadandifoundoutmyfatherisn'tmyfather." She said in one breath.
"I'm so sorry." He said tucking her head under his chin.
He knew now why her heart had called him out of bed tonight. Hers was the only one that could and he didn't know why. He had always felt fatherly to the little girl who had brought him to this small town a year ago.
He was starting to get stiff sitting like this but he wouldn't move for the world not when she needed him so. He had never met her father. Her mother he knew once one summer back in Iceland. Her parents had let her live here as she was happy and they traveled a lot.
"I should go back in. Uncle must be worried thank you for listening." She said softly.
"Stephanie I'm always here for you day or night." He said releasing her and watched her go inside.
The poor girl to loose her parents so young had to be hard. He himself had no idea what she felt because his own were alive and well back in his homeland. He kept in touch with them through letters regularly and knew he would be writing his mother the moment he got inside.
It was a week after the funeral before any of the kids saw Stephanie outside. They had been told what happened and for the most part understood she needed time. She was sitting under the apple tree by the sports field. Ziggy went and sat next to her and offered her some of his best taffy.
"No thank you Ziggy." She smiled at the boy letting him know she did appreciate it.
"Let me know if you change your mind." He said before joining back in the game of basketball with the other kids.
Stephanie took out a letter she had received yesterday from her aunt it was something her mother had written her and was found in her desk. Stephanie opened it and read it over seeing it was dated to when she would be about five.
Stephanie,
If you are reading this then I and your father have passed. I only hope you had a good childhood. I hate to do this but I must confess that Howard Meanswell is not your true father. I was studding in Iceland one summer and met someone there. I became pregnant with you but broke it off with him because I was scared. I also knew I didn't love him as much as he did me and he deserved a woman who would.
I don't know if he is still there or not his name is Sportacus. I don't know his last name or if he has one for every time I asked he would just say he was number ten and to just call him Sportacus. IF you find him and he doesn't reject you tell him I'm so sorry for breaking his heart but I couldn't stay with him not feeling the same. Enclosed is a letter for him to if you find him.
Even if you don't you should know that your not completely human for you see he wasn't. I'm not sure what he was I never asked and he never said. I'm sorry to both of you for this. You now know where your pretty pink hair comes from his sister had the most beautiful sea green hair.
I'm sorry,
Mother.
Stephanie read it twice before standing up and running toward Sportacus's air ship. He was her father! She sent off a letter saying she really needed to talk to him and waited. He jumped down and saw her out and about and smiled.
"We need to talk. Do you think we could do it up there. It's really important and it's just urgent!" She said
"Ladder! Stephanie calm down what ever it is can't be that bad." he said helping her up the ladder.
She had never seen the inside of the ship and smiled as she stood there.
"Now what's the matter?"
"Nothings wrong. Everything is right! Sort of. Here." She said handing him his own letter.
He raised his eyebrows as he opened it and read it.
Sportacus,
I hope Stephanie has found you and I hope you'll not turn her away for what I did to you. Stephanie is your daughter. I should have told you I realize this just please don't take it out on our daughter she'll need you now because if your reading this it means I'm dead.
Please don't hate me for what I did that summer. I loved you I do to this day in a way just not as much as you loved me and you deserved a woman who could give you all of her heart not just part.
Our little girl is so dear to me if you'll not accept her then please see that she is sent to Milford Meanswell in Lazytown. He is Howard's older brother and I know he will love her and see that she is safe and happy.
With my love,
Katrina
Sportacus turned toward the window and walked to it a moment and leaded his forearm on it looking out at the horizon. Stephanie took this a sign he didn't want her and left the ship before he could say anything. She ran as fast as she could when her feet hit the ground.
Sportacus jumped off the platform and ran after her. She climbed into the old tree house and pushed the ladder away so no one else could climb up. She wanted to be alone. Her parents were dead and now that she knew Sportacus was her real father it seemed he didn't want her...she felt so alone.
Sportacus saw her push the ladder and knew he'd have to use a more direct way of getting to his daughter. He looked around to make sure the other kids weren t looking and used his powers to pop into the tree house.
"Stephanie you did not let me speak."
"What s to say you don't want me it's ok really you don't have to feel bad I know it's a lot to handle." She said tears still streaming down her face not noticing he hadn't used the ladder.
"You think I don't want you? You are my flesh and blood of course I want you. What I was doing by the window is something our people do when we find one we love is dead. We look toward the sky and send our blessing to them to let them know be bare them no ill wishes." He said
"Oh. I thought you were...never mind." She said
"Come back to the ship there are some thing you need to know about me and our family." He said
"How are we going to get down I kind pushed the ladder not thinking and how did you get up?."
"Trust me and I'll explain that as well." He said once again using his power not sensing the kids or Robbie's scope.
Once back in the ship he called for the bed to lower since it was a long tale.
"I am an lfur or elf. You my daughter are half and that is probably where your hair color comes from your Aunt Isabelle has sea green hair and your great grandmother had a shade of pink in hers. Being what I am I'm much older then I appear and do not get sick with anything worse then a cold and that is rare it's self.
I have other abilities as you saw today but I tend not to use them around others as it isn't wise for two many people to know about it.
What I've told you will have to stay between us for the safety of all involved." He said
"Will I have these abilities?"
"Your only nine so I will not know until you are thirteen which is when they usually appear. It is safe to say you will develop some. There may be a telepathic bond between us that will grow before that but as for individually powers per say only time will tell."
"I'm sorry she never told you."
"So am I. Had I know I would have been there everyday. This does explain why when you asked me to stay I couldn't say no."
"So am I to live with Uncle and Aunt Bessie or with you?" She asked
"Let's go talk to your Uncle and Aunt about that." He said
After much talking it was decided that she would go to live with Sportacus. Milford was getting older and running the town kept him busy but he made Stephanie promise to visit often. Sportacus decided to send for his brother to help expand the ship since he was the one who helped make it in the first place.
Stephanie of course was jumpy the morning her uncle was to arrive. She had been sleeping in Sportacus's bed and he on the floor. Right now she was bored to tears. Her father was in the shower and she saw his hat laying on the bed along with the goggles. She then got an evil idea and got her sewing kit out. She attached a little bell to his hat just to see what he would do. She couldn't believe she kept a straight face as he pulled it and the goggles on without much thought.
"Do you hear something?"
"No."
"Must be just me."
He continued to hear the ringing and thought maybe he got some water in his ear or something. Soon on the horizon the familiar form of his father's pirate ship came in to view. He figured Devon would borrow it, what he wasn't expecting was the whole family to come climbing out.
His father gave him an odd look before hugging him. Sportacus brushed it off as him having not seen him in a year. His mother smiled at him and hugged him.
"You always were a weird one." His sister Isabelle said smiling.
"What's that mean?"
She reached to the top of his head and flicked the bell. Stephanie's eyes went wide and she booked it toward the tree house.
"What is that about?" Devon asked
"I think she put the bell on and thinks I'll be mad. I'll be right back." He said flipping off.
"Stephanie!" He called from under the tree house.
"I'm sorry I won't do it again."
"I'm not angry."
She opened the hatch to the tree house.
"Your not?"
"No it's rather mischievous of you though."
"So I'm not in trouble?"
"No come down your grandparents want to meet you."
"Ok."
They returned to the ship and she was introduced to the family.
"Don't worry dear your uncle Devon used to pull pranks on your father and grandfather all the time." Her grandmother said
"I was just bored this morning and thought it would be funny." She confessed
"I knew it had to be that. I doubt Ten here would willingly add a bell to his hat." Number Nine laughed.
Later she was trying to convince Ziggy that caramel apples did not count as sports candy.
"But it has apples in it."
"But it's candy and full of sugar."
"It still is made from an apple and apples are sports candy!"
"Yes but caramel is full of sugar."
"Let's ask your dad!" Ziggy said
So the two of them raced to reach her dad.
"Pabbi?!" She called under the ship.
"Pabbi?" Ziggy questioned.
"It means dad in Icelandic." She said
Soon he jumped down joining the two children.
"Sportacus do caramel apples count as sports candy?" Ziggy asked
"Uh no. It's made with apples yes but it's mostly sugar." He said
"But it's so yummy!" Ziggy said
"How about some real apples for a snack?" He asked
"We've had our snack Pabbi we were just debating about if they counted or not is all."
"Ok if that s all I should get back up." He said smiling at the pair.
So the two best friends went back to the park and played catch for a while. Robbie watched them with distaste. He had given up on seriously getting rid of Sportacus when he found out he was Barbie's father. Over the years he had come to like having the elf around he made life interesting. It was a good thing Robbie was there as some guy walked up to the children. He had never seen him before and slinked closer.
"Can you two help me find my kitten?" The guy asked
Stephanie pulled Ziggy back for some reason she didn't trust this man. She had a feeling he was a bad fellow.
"Stephanie he needs help." Ziggy protested.
"If that were true Pabbi would have come." She said
The man looked angry for a moment and grabbed at Ziggy only Stephanie pushed the boy out of the way and got grabbed herself. The man looked happy enough to have her instead. Robbie however snuck up behind him and griped his shoulder hard.
"Let the pixie go or live to regret it." Robbie hissed.
No one messed with the kids in Lazytown but him and for some reason he was very fond of the girl!
"Yeah what you going to do about it?!" The man sneered back reaching both hands around Stephanie one at her throat.
Robbie released him but stayed close and moved to in front of him.
"You wanna mess with someone you deal with me."
"Ziggy get Pabbi!" Stephanie hissed feeling pain where the man was gripping her.
Ziggy didn't need to Sportacus flipped over and stared daggers at the man holding his daughter.
"You her daddy? A little short aren t ya?"
Suddenly his entire family popped beside him causing Robbie to go in a near panic attack.
"Ahh! a warning would be nice." He said breathing hard.
The man squeezed Stephanie harder and she begun to cry. Ziggy started crying because it would have been him if she hadn't pushed him out of the way.
"It's going to be nice to have a plaything." The man said before throwing something at the ground when the smoke cleared he and Stephanie were gone.
Sportacus sunk to his knees his daughter was gone and he had no idea what this strange man had planed. He tried to connect to her mind but that bond was not yet strong enough.
"We'll find her son." His father said as Ziggy hugged Sportacus.
"It's my fault." He wailed.
"It is not your fault Ziggy." Sportacus said
"Yes it is the man reached for me and she pushed me away."
"I do not blame you Ziggy nor should you blame yourself."
Meanwhile a frightened Stephanie was shoved in to a car after being bonded with ropes.
"I was aiming for the fat kid but you'll fetch a better price." He said
Stephanie's eyes went wide. What was going to happen to her? She closed her eyes and tried to send a message to her father.
"Pabbi help me."
Stephanie could see signs from where she lay and tried to remember them to let her father know where she was."
Sportacus suddenly got a feeling where she was and climbed into his father's ship telling them what he'd seen. It shocked everyone when Robbie came along.
"For someone who wants my son out of town you seem concerned."
"I failed the pixie and your son has nothing to do with this." Robbie said crossing his arms.
Everyone left it at that but Sportacus smiled to himself slightly. So Robbie did care about someone other then himself. Right now though he had a pink haired little girl to find. All the sudden he jerked and fell to his knees. He could hear Stephanie's mind screaming in pain!
Stephanie moved away from the man who was holding a lighter. He had heated his ring and was trying to brand her! She kicked at him knocking the lighter away and landed on her leg burning her. She kicked again making contact with his jaw.
"Your going to pay for that one!" He said before slapping the girl hard.
"Pabbi!" Her mind screamed.
"I'm....here." She heard weakly.
Tears forming she tried to loosen the bonds around her to no avail. The man slammed her head against the door and her world went dark severing the bond between father and daughter.
"She's unconscious." Sportacus winced.
"Breath! Here drink this." Robbie said handing him a cup of water.
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Poor Stephanie but I promice in the end it is a happy tale as I cannot do to much sadness at one time.