The Breaking of the Damsel

A/N: So I'm going back to Uni soon so I won't be updating very often but I'm going to try to get a couple of chapters done while I'm on this road trip with my family. Thanks everyone for all the support and love. As always please feel free to comment and tell me what you guys think!

- - - - - - - - ;kweiytr;oi4vb-

Being the strong person my mom wanted me to be while moving away from my home of 18 years was a harder task than I thought. Packing up my entire life and moving half way across the country was going to be an even more difficult task. I was leaving my old life with my mom behind and starting a whole new one with my dad in Chicago. As I packed my last bag into my new car I looked back at my house and sighed. I was gunna miss it.

"So I see you're all packed and ready to go." My mom stated, walking up and putting her hand on my shoulder. I nodded my head and looked back at her.

"Yes. I'm very ready to get out of this town."

"Just know you always have a home here okay baby girl?" She whispered as she pulled me into a hug, kissing my head before pulling away. "Now. Leave before I make you stay forever. I love you." She said as she walked back into the house. I sighed and got into the driver's seat and putting my key in the ignition. Starting my car, I shoulder checked before pulling out and driving away. Leaving this life behind me.

- jyfkjhfj,hg- - - - - - - - - -

Getting to Chicago was no easy task. The drive was long and tiring. And I was especially tired. As I pulled up outside of my dad's house I saw him and his boyfriend Steven waiting on the front porch for me. When I got out of my car Steven rushed up to me and pulled me into his arms. I awkwardly hugged him back and laughed nervously.

"Caroline I haven't seen you since you were 14. It has been too long baby girl!" My dad said coming up to me and giving me a pat on the back.

"We have your new room all set up for you! It has a reading nook and everything! Your Mom mentioned you loved reading." Steven told me while pulling away, leaving one of his arms over my shoulder, gently pulling me towards the house. It was a cute house, I had to admit it. It wasn't too big like I was expecting. It was a smaller bungalow with dark wooden panelling on the outside. There was a porch swing silently going back and forth with the breeze and a small table beside it. It seemed very organized and set up for my dad, but I was guessing Steven had done most of the decorating, Dad probably focused on the building aspects.

"She's right. I do love reading. Most of my boxes are books actually." I laughed walking around to the back of my car and popping the trunk. I leaned down and grabbed one of my lighter boxes, leaving the boys to grab the heavier ones. My dad leaned down to grab a couple of the boxes while Steven looked on in surprise.

"This-This is all you own?" He asked in surprise, digging around the trunk looking for more stuff. I looked at my 10 small boxes and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't own very much other than clothes and books. They're what's important anyways." I muttered. "My mom and I could afford to get much more," I continued. Steven opened his mouth, about to say something but quickly shut it when my dad hit him with his elbow. Steven leaned down and grabbed a couple of boxes.

As we reached the door and went inside. I could tell Steven was excited about showing me my room because he was basically dragging me upstairs. When we got to my door it was dark blue with a black C on it. I reached for the door knob and quickly opened it. I could almost feel Steven and my Dad vibrating with excitement. I took my first step into the room and was in shock. The room was beautiful. The walls were painted a bel robin's egg blue and deep brown shelves from hip level to ceiling lining the walls, there was a bed in the far right corner with the fluffiest looking blue and red plaid comforter and a massive mound of pillows.

Right in the middle of the far wall I saw the slice of heaven that Steven was talking about earlier. There was a small gap in the shelves where there was a large outward opening window and a small mattress held off the ground with chains that had flowers and vines twined around them. It had lots of fluffy pillows and a beautiful black throw blanket. Walking closer to it I ran my hand along the blanket, feeling the silky fibers running between my fingers. I sat down on it feeling it slowly swinging beneath me.

"I-It's beautiful." I stuttered, the corners of my mouth slowly pulling upwards as I let my fingers trail in over the blanket. I looked over at Steven, his face beaming with pride.

"It should be. He spent almost a year working on it and talking with your mom to figure out what you'd like." Dad said looking at Steven lovingly, his eye sparkling with pride. Steven looked back at him with genuine love in his eyes and reached out to grab dads hand, his thumb slowly tracing dads thumb. I smiled at the love I saw there but I was shocked. I was not expecting him to spend almost a year on my room. I was expecting maybe a day, two at most. You know, putting on a thin layer of paint and going out and getting a bed from one of the cheapest stores they could, and that's about it.

"I just wanted you to like it Caroline. I know moving away from home is hard. Moving in with your father who you haven't seen in years and his boyfriend who you've met once has got to be hard. And dealing with that and going into your first year of university on top of that… Its stressful. I wanted you to have a place that feels like home to come to and destress. I know we haven't really spent much time together but honestly from all that I've heard about you, you seem amazing and I just want you to be happy here," He said timidly looking around the room and back at me with a questioning gaze.

"I love it. It's perfect." I reassured him, getting up from the swing and walking over to the shelves and running my fingertips along them, feeling the grain of the wood against my hand. I couldn't wait to take all my books out of the boxes and put them in their beautiful new home. As I walked around my new room Dad and Steven smiled tenderly at each other and left the room to give me some privacy. I went to the first box I brought up and opened it, pulling out my favorite book Fangirl and setting it onto the middle shelf. I could feel the warmth and love of my family all throughout the room. I could tell that this was going to be a fresh start for me. This was going to be an amazing year.