Previously

"Wait Sam!" I said quickly, he turned around with a raised eyebrow "I mean… are you okay with this, if you aren't then that's fine… I have lived by myself before it is no big deal, I don't want to put you out."

He chuckled "It's fine… I mean what are family friends for when we are all we have left pretty much."

I nodded and smiled as he walked out closing the door behind him quietly. I let out a sigh and felt a pang, I missed dad…

A few weeks had passed and I found that I slipped seamlessly into Sam and Emily's life, I went to school on the reservation so I had some of the guys with me pretty much all the time but I felt myself getting restless, itching to open my black case. I couldn't afford to get out of practise, it could kill me. It was Saturday, 6am to be exact. I bounded out to the kitchen surprised to see it empty… that was unusual in the extreme. The boys were at Emily and Sam's all hours of the day and night… it was strange if you ask me and I knew they were hiding something but I knew they would tell me in their own time. I sat down in a chair at the table and stared at the phone, waiting for dad to call me, we had an agreement. Every two weeks he would call me on the Saturday, at 6am. Time trickled by, my eyes darting back to the clock every other minute and soon enough it was seven, my heart sank and twisted a little. I couldn't afford to get upset, he might just have gotten held up or compromised, I couldn't…

Paul walked in and gave me a look before he just pulled me into a hug, Paul and I had gotten close, he was my best friend it was fair to say. He had been there since I moved and demanded that I become his friend, the guys said Paul was an asshole before I came but… I just couldn't see it. Sure he did have his problems but I mean who didn't? His dad left him and his mother when he was little and came back before he left again, they haven't seen him since. He was a mummy's boy, he absolutely adored him mother, he would go the end of the world for her. The guys gave him hell about it but… he didn't care, he just shrugged it off and smiled. I snuggled into his grasp and let a light sob out, his low bass voice rasped out;

"What's wrong?"

"Dad didn't call and it's seven." I whispered pressing my face into his bare shoulder

He made a low clucking noise in his throat and folded me up in his embrace and I felt like I could disappear, I wanted to. I knew this day was coming… I shouldn't have kidded myself into thinking it would have been okay… deep down I knew it wouldn't be. I was just staring numbly at Paul when his ears twitched. He stood, taking me with him, and walked in the direction of my room, plonking me and him down on my large bed. I don't know how I fell asleep but somehow I managed with Paul cradling me in his tight grasp, I realised with a jolt that this is where I will probably be spending the rest of my teenage life. With dad… gone… Sam signed papers to say that he was guardian until dad got back to sign the papers again the relieve Sam of his 'Guardian duties'. I woke a while later and looked across to see Paul asleep still, I smiled and trailed a finger lightly over his forehead down to his cheek, pressing the palm of my hand to cheek gently before I pulled away. I pulled some decent clothes on and snagged my black case, walking out my window and to my car that was parked in the driveway.

I ignored the looks out the window and sped down the drive, kicking up gravel. On the road to Seattle I pulled up, fueled up grabbed some breakfast and kept driving until I reached where I wanted to be. The gun range was nothing fancy I noticed as I stepped out but that didn't bother me, as long as I had something to train myself with it would have to do. I trained like I had my old trainer back at the base breathing down my neck, gods I missed Adam and his abrasive attitude. I burned through so many rounds I lost count that day and when I straightened up at closing time I felt the sun burn on my face as I retrieved my shot sheets. The man at the front counter asked if he could keep my sheets and answered a simple "No." you don't display your talent when you don't know who could be watching you if you are someone like me. I peered at my sunburn and snorted I looked like a red and tan version of a panda. I wore sunglasses and where they were around my eyes they left a not burnt patch on my face but the rest of my face and arms was splashed a vicious red. It didn't bother me, I can get as badly burnt as I am now and it would be gone by morning thankfully.

I checked my phone that I had turned off and saw a ton of missed calls and texts so I quickly turned it back off, I didn't want it distracting me while I was driving home. As I cruised home, feeling more at ease with myself, my fingers no longer twitching with the need to pull a trigger I felt a… false sense of security fall over me, I knew what was coming next. I would receive a letter in the mail saying my father had been lost in battle, whether they had recovered his body yet remained to be seen, I would receive a lump sum of money from the defence force due to my father dying in battle. After that I would receive his life savings and all that stuff would be transferred to my accounts, I would receive dad's last will and testament. After that I would receive another letter that told me of my father's funeral arrangements and how he was to be remembered for his service to his country and from there I didn't know what would happen. I pulled up at Sam and Emily's once again and peered out the windscreen, it was dark out but surprisingly the sky was clear, I could see the stars. I looked down at my lap where my fingers were folded, sliding over and probing each other in a nervous habit I picked up years ago. I opened my door and stepped out, walking back through the window that opened up into my room, placing my black case down beside my bed. I looked in the mirror, redoing my hair and looking at my sunburn, it was already beginning to fade. I could hear the guys in the kitchen and living room but couldn't bring myself to go out… I just wanted to be by myself and come to terms with everything. I pulled my pj's on and settled myself into bed, my brain ticking over with everything that has happened.

I realised as a pair of violently hot arms wrapped themselves around me and pulled me closer, their weight settling down into the mattress behind me … my dad has been gone a long time, sure I still saw him but it was only a ghost of what he once was. He died all those years ago with mum when the army base was bombed, he never really came back from her death, his body just remained. I let the tears finally slip, feeling Paul's burning fingers brush them off my face as each round came. I had been on my own for so long… not just physically but mentally, I had been doing everything for myself for… well years. After this interaction finished with Paul and I, his just holding me I knew I would crave his touch, anything just to feel… normal again.

"You don't have to stay." I rasped out a while later, my voice and throat strained from the crying

"I don't think you understand," Paul murmured in my ear, his lips brushing it "I will always stay, forever or as long as you need me and want me."

"Well don't you ever leave then," I whispered back, hardly believing my own words "You hear me? Because I will always need you."

"Good," Paul whispered again, shuffling us around so I was pulled closer to him and our legs were a human pretzel, we were so close I don't even think a sheet of plastic could have been wedged between up "Because even then I don't think I would leave you."

Okay chapter two is up Yay! Okay once again I don't own anything except my own characters and my plot sadly. Please review, I am looking for AT LEAST 5 before I update again so... yeah. Hope you enjoy it lots, let me know if you do. Thanks, Paul is all mine ladies.