I cannot believe all of the great responses I've been getting for this story :) Honestly, I'm so glad everyone has been enjoying it as much as they have. I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it! ~ RachaelPuffinFace

Chapter Three: Dad

Thanksgiving was about two days away but my neighbors were already partying. Cheering and shouting could be heard through the paper thin walls. This happened around every single holiday - even holidays like veterans day and George Washington's birthday - and it was always the same. Doors slamming constantly, people coming and going, music so loud it rattles my doors and bed. I'm pretty sure I hear at least on glass object shatter every fifteen minutes or so. Needless to say, I have had my share of sleepless nights lately.

I rolled over and covered my head with a pillow, trying to drown out the noise. The only thing this accomplished was slightly muffled chaos and a severe lack of oxygen. Giving up I checked my alarm clock. An hour and a half before I had to get up. Groaning, I curled up in a ball and tried to ignore the way the bass from their music beat in sync with the pounding in my head. I vaguely thought about seeing a doctor about headaches. After another forty-five minutes of screaming and something slamming up against the other side of the wall above my head I threw the covers off of me. Couldn't hurt to get to work early I supposed. I went about my daily routine at a comfortable snail's pace. Showering, hair - I skipped the make-up - dressing. I even made myself breakfast and coffee. Usually I would stay in bed for as long as I possibly could resulting in my first meal of the day not happening until my lunch break.

Sipping my coffee slowly after popping a couple of pills in my mouth to kill my headache. I absent-mindedly wondered if I would see Steve when I walked out the door but quickly squashed any rising hope. He was a stranger, a customer. Why would he go out of his way just to walk me to work? I wasn't even sure where he lived. For all I knew, I could live right next door to him or even in another city. It was probably only a spur-of-the moment type of offer and when he wakes up this morning (most likely in a few hours like any normal person) he will remember then roll back over and continue sleeping. That was what I told myself but I couldn't help the feeling of hope that rose up in me as I slipped my shoes on and grabbed my coat.

I heard the door shut behind me as I stepped out to the sidewalk. I glanced around quickly to see if he was there and tried to hide my disappointment as I turned in the direction of the bakery. I let out a surprised yelp as I almost ran into someone. A quick glance up showed that it was, in fact, Steve. He was looking down at me with small, apoligetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Were you waiting for me long?" I felt heat rise up in my cheeks both from the dying cat noise I had just made and the fact that he probably saw me searching for him.

"I wasn't waiting. I told you, you don't have to do this but if I happened to walk by you, I wouldn't turn you away." I crossed my arms probably looking like a spoiled child, but I didn't care. I may have a slight problem with letting people help me like this but I just wanted to prove that I was an individual and I could take care of myself. Was that so bad? I saw Steve shrug and step up beside me.

"Either way, ma'am, I think we'd better go now to get you to work on time." I groaned giving up and began walking, keeping my arms crossed to keep my hands warm.

"Stacey..." I mumbled in defeat, reminding him not to call me ma'am.

~*~Steve's POV~*~

I smiled but knew she couldn't see it.

"Alright, Stacey." I got the impression she didn't really want me escorting her to work but I took the fact that she hadn't forced me away as a good sign and followed closely behind her. I had been waiting outside for the past twenty minutes or so just to make sure I didn't miss her. When I saw her come outside I swore I saw her looking around for me, her long brown hair - which was free today, shining waves cascading down her back - moved everytime she turned her head. I began making my way to her and just as I was about to call out to her, she turned suddenly almost running into me. The startled squeaking noise she made as she barely managed to stop herself made me want to laugh but I also felt bad for scaring her. I just smiled at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Were you waiting for me long?" She blushed but I wasn't sure if it was because I had scared her or if she was embarrassed that I had seen her looking for me. Either way, she frowned before crossing her arms. She looked like a small child causing my smile to widen.

"I wasn't waiting. I told you, you don't have to do this but if I happened to walk by you, I wouldn't turn you away." I just shrugged and walked to her side. She was so short that, matched with her slight frame, made her seem almost fragile. Instead of dwelling on these thoughts I decided to get her to work.

"Either way, ma'am, I think we'd better go now to get you to work on time." She groaned and started walking ahead of me.

"Stacey..."

~*~Stacey's POV~*~

We walked in silence. It wasn't awkward like I thought silences between two (almost) strangers should be. This was... nice. All too soon we reached the bakery. It wouldn't open for hours and there was no way my dad would be ok with a random customer hanging around so I had no idea what Steve might do until then.

"Well, thanks for walking me to work, I guess." I scuffed the tip of my shoe on the ground before looking back up at him with a slight frown on my face. "You didn't have to, you know. I've been walking myself to work for the past three years or so, I can handle it myself." I'm pretty sure I didn't come off as convincing as I had intended but I didn't really care at the moment. I frowned as he smiled back at me.

"I know, I just wanted to. Now, you should probably get in there and get to work. Your boss is watching you." I turned around to see my dad standing just behind the counter, eyeing us both warily.

"Oh yeah... that's my dad. Family run shop and all that."

"Well that would explain why he's looking at me like that." I looked at my dad to see him trying to stare Steve down. I just shook my head.

"I'll see you later, Steve. I'd better get in there and start helping." He nodded, hands in his pockets.

"Alright, I'll be back later." I watched him walk off before walking into the bakery and frowning at my dad as I removed my coat.

"Dad, did you really have to do that?"

"Do what, Stace?" I followed him to the back of the shop and began throwing the neccissary ingredients together.

"Dad, come on. It looked like you were trying to blow him up with your mind or something." I began kneading dough as I raised an eyebrow at my dad. He had always been very over protective of me, something about me being his only little girl and any guy who even looked at me the wrong way would have to deal with him, but this was just ridiculous.

"Come on, Stacey, I'm your father. I have every right to want to protect you from guys. Especially guys like him." I paused what I was doing, honestly confused.

"What do you mean 'guys like him'?"

"Guys like him, you know, with all the muscles and stuff. He probably spends all of his time in the gym just to pick up girls like you." I stared back at my dad, incredulous. I'm not sure why, but just the fact that my dad had said something like that, about Steve of all people, really bothered me. I began to knead the dough before me again, a little more zealous than last time.

"Dad, you don't even know him. He's a really nice guy." Why was I so keen on defending him? Didn't I have my doubts about him too? My dad grunted.

"Just like Mark was a really nice guy, or that Zach kid." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I dated Zach in middle school, if you could really even consider that dating, and I never said Mark was a nice guy because, quite frankly, he wasn't. And we never even dated. He liked me but I never really understood why every girl was so into him. He was weird." He placed a few sheets in the oven before turning back to me as I began forming the dough on my own sheets.

"My point is boys are bad. You have to be careful around them." I laughed. This was the same speach he had given me in third grade when I got a valentine's card from kid in my class. It was a piece of construction paper in the shape of a heart with something scribbled in marker that no one had been able to read but my dad had freaked out none the less. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, dad, because his muscles really made me want to run off with him and elope. You're invited to the wedding by the way." I placed my sheets in the oven as he groaned behind me.

"Don't even joke about that." I laughed again as I brushed some hair away from my face, probably smearing flour over my face, but I just continued preparing for the day.

Just like yesterday, he was my last customer of the day. He bought out most of what we had left and I wondered what he did with it all. There is no way anyone could finish off that many pastries in a day (especially someone as in shape as him) and still want to come back the next day for more. Regardless, though, I boxed everything up and handed it to him.

"Thank you." He said as he grabbed the box. I began wiping down the counter.

"So where do you put it all?" He looked back at me confused.

"What?" I smiled and pointed to the box.

"You seem to buy a lot of sweets and bread. You can't possibly be eating it all, especially between today and yesterday. So, again, where do you put it all?" Steve fidgited slightly as I continued tidying up.

"Well, my roommates kind of help me with that." Now I was curious. I had been thinking about it all day and I realized that Steve never shared anything about himself. Not that I really told him my life story or anything but he shared next to nothing.

"Roommates?" He nodded.

"Yeah it wasn't really my idea it just happened to be more convenient for... work." I noticed his hesitation over 'work' but didn't bring it up.

"Oh, what do you do?" He rubbed the back of his neck in an uncomfortable motion and I felt myself suddenly becoming very curious.

"Well, it's nothing very interesting, you know, just a normal job." I frowned about to tell him 'no I don't know' or 'that doesn't answer my question', but my dad walked out at that moment.

"Hey, Stacey, I'm gonna go no- Oh, its you..." I swear I could have face-palmed myself right then. Why did he have to act like this? I sighed instead.

"Dad, be nice." I glanced at Steve to see him stand up a bit taller and put on a polite smile.

"Hello, sir." I slipped my jacket on as my dad grunted and looked him over quickly, like he was trying to figure him out. Rather than giving a real reply he turned back to me.

"Stace, be careful walking home, alright? I'll see you tomorrow." He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, like he always did. "Bye, sweetheart."

"Bye, dad." As soon as he left I turned back to Steve who looked slightly uncomfortable. Walking around the counter I grabbed his arm and began pushing him to the direction of the door. "Alright, time to go. I've got to go home." I held back a sigh as I noticed him waiting slightly behind me as I locked up instead of heading home. I glanced over at him before turning and heading home, shaking my head. As expected he was quickly by my side and we walked in silence for a few moments.

"I really don't think your father likes me." My lips twitched up in a quick smile which I tried to fight back.

"Don't take it too personally. He doesn't really like guys in general. He's been this way for as long as I can remember. It became even worse after my mom left." I quickly shut my mouth, not intending to have let that out, but thankful when Steve seemed to ignore it.

"I can understand it I guess. I mean, he is your dad. Of course he would be concerned. I'm just a little worried about him coming after me or something." I laughed out loud at that, picturing it perfectly in my mind (although I'm pretty sure Steve could handle himself against my 5'8", balding father). I saw Steve look over at me from the corner of my eye but ignored it and kept walking. Soon enough (maybe a bit too soon) we reached my appartment and said our good-byes. Even with all of the noise going on on the other side of my wall, I was finally able to get more sleep than I had in a long time.