A/N: Hey guys it's been a bit of a crazy week and I'm glad you like my story! I got my second year university results a few days ago and passed all my modules! I've got another very short book quote in this chapter. It is the first line of chapter nine of 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. As promised the blonde haired boy is back in this chapter and will be back again very, very soon! I won't be able to update until next week now so I hope you enjoy this chapter until then

Becky

-x-

Chapter: 7

Annie spent that week of punishment locked in her room. She only came out to come downstairs to get some food or sit in the garden for a while. It felt like the longest week of her life not being able to go for her long walks or visit Charlie. She had a TV, DVD player, computer and tones of books and music to keep her company. Nicholas was constantly on her mind as she was worried if he was ok with the papers lies. Annie and her mother had made up early in the week but she hadn't seen her dad at all which upset Annie. She had always been a daddy's girl and his stubbiness made her more stubborn.

Annie sat writing on her computer when she heard a knock at the door

"Whoever it is I'm busy" she said and heard a familiar whimpering at the door which alarmed her "May, what's wrong?" Annie asked instantly going to the door and opening it to see May crying and clutching her favorite teddy bear.

"You don't like me anymore" May cried and Annie held her close in a soft embrace

"Of course I like you May, I'm your big sister! You should never think that of me" Annie picked her up and carried her to her bed

"Then why have you been ignoring me all week?" May asked and Annie wiped her cheeks dry

"May I …" she paused for a few seconds and realized she had spent no time with her sister over that week "May I don't know! I've been upset and I'm sorry. You don't like it when you get punished do you?" May sniffed before shaking her head "Well I'm the teenage version of your head shaking. Do you forgive me?" May slowly smiled to which Annie kissed the top of her head and held her close. "So May, what do you want the both of us to do then?" Annie asked and May looked at her teddy bear

"Well me and George have missed you reading us stories at night. I can read now though not as good as you, so will you help me read a story with George?"

"Of course I will! What would you like to read?" Annie asked standing up and walking to her large bookcase

"We want to learn something new don't we George?" May asked her teddy bear before lying on her front on Annie's bed. Annie ran her fingers over the book spines and stopped at the perfect book

"Well how about this one, it was my favorite at your age and was one of the first books I read all by myself. It is about the four March sisters, their names are Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy" The hours passed away and both girls enjoyed every minute of their time together with Annie making May laugh by doing different funny voices for all the characters.

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Meanwhile in the kitchen and argument was taking place. "I can't believe you want me to give in Marissa I thought you were on my side!" Ryan said to his wife who folded her arms and glared at him

"If you are going to take that tone with me Atwood then I'm not going to listen to you. You and Annie are as stubborn as a mule! You're as bad as each other! I'm not saying you should give in, I'm saying you should reconcile. I've made my peace with her now it is your turn" she said softly. He leant against the breakfast bar and let out a sigh of annoyance. "Please Ryan, without her around the house like she used to be I feel empty. It isn't the same. You haven't seen her in a week, she depends on you and I know you depend on her. It's killing you I know it, so damn your stubbornness and go talk to her" Marissa begged walking towards him and he pulled her close to him

"Why did we have kids?" he asked with a small smile

"Because it was the right time, that and the little tiny aspect called I love you" he kissed her softly before resting his forehead against hers. "I'll go see what Annie wants for dinner, at least that's a starting point" Marissa smiled and kissed him softly before letting him pass her by.

'Ok just be relaxed' Ryan thought as he walked up the stairs. He hadn't been this nervous since Annie was born and the thought of being a father almost got too much for him.

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"I do think it was the most fortunate thing in the world that those children should have the measles just now, said Meg, one April day, as she stood packing the go abroady' trunk in her room, surrounded by her sisters" Annie read aloud before she and May heard a knock at the door.

"Come on in" May said before Annie could stop her. As Ryan walked into the room Annie put a bookmark at the point where they were and closed the book.

"I've come to see what everyone wants for dinner tonight" Ryan said to which Annie didn't respond

"Can we have the chocolate pancakes from the diner daddy?" May asked climbing off the bed to run over to him

"Not for dinner pumpkin, but is there anything else?" he asked and May was silent for a moment thinking

"I don't know!" she said looking irritated at that aspect

"Well how about you take George downstairs and tell mummy what you want ok?" May nodded and picked up George from the bed

"Thank you for reading with my Annie, can we carry on tonight" Annie smiled and nodded before May ran off downstairs. Ryan closed the door leaning against it and stared at Annie still sat on the bed. She didn't look at him or say a word.

"You know I can safely say that you have inherited your mother's beauty, kindness, thoughtfulness and enthusiasm. From I however you've inherited my stubbornness" Annie couldn't help smiling a little and as she did he walked over to the bed and sat next to her. "I realized it for the first time when you were about Mays' age or a little younger. You were so excited because you had a brand new teddy for your birthday and you had had him for about a week and he was called Terry. Anyway you used to take him everywhere and spent every minute with him. Then one day you had an argument with him and told him you didn't like him anymore. So you took him to the corner of your bedroom and sat him there facing the wall. You said to him 'now you are staying there and I won't speak to you until you say you're sorry'. So there he sat and you wouldn't say his name or anything about him for three days. You only mentioned him when I came to you and asked what Terry had done. You said that he had been bad because he didn't like the colours on a drawing you made earlier that day. You were so upset that you began to cry, so I sat you on my lap and told you …"

"You told me that Terry didn't mean to hurt my feelings and that he just being a good friend by telling me what he thought" Annie ended his sentenced and they both laughed. Annie turned to Ryan and smiled

"Can we end this now? I hate punishing you Annie, it really upsets me too. But if I don't then how will you learn? I'm just doing the dad thing" Annie smiled then let out a sigh

"Give me a hug" she said to which he responded with a big bear hug that she always made her feel safe. "Dad, I know I still have one more day of punishment, but can I please just go for a walk along the beach? I feel like I'm suffocating in this room"

"Sure, just be back for dinner. We'll probably get take out so I'm timing thirty minutes" she smiled and grabbed a pair of shoes. As she left she kissed his forehead "Thank you for being you" she whispered softly and left the room

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Annie felt so happy being outside that she was grinning the whole time. The sun was setting over the horizon and it looked more beautiful then ever before.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" a familiar voice asked making her gasp and she spun around to see the British blonde hair blue eyed boy. She smiled and put her hand on her chest

"Yes, yes it is. I'm sorry but you made me jump. Either everyone is determined to scare me or I really have to deal with my nerves" she muttered to which he looked confused "Never mind, and I'm babbling in front of a complete stranger sounding like I'm completely mad"

"No because if you were completely mad you wouldn't be making any sense and would be talking to yourself before I got here…I saw you in the paper the other week" Annie turned away from him feeling embarrassed. "Please don't do that. I just want you to know that even the richest of people have lives too like us poorer inhabitance of the OC. So if you want to talk I'm around at holiday periods and the summers if you want to talk that is you don't have to feel obliged to" she was taken aback and turned back to him.

"That has to be the single kindest thing that anyone has ever said to me. Thank you um …?" he smiled and held out his hand

"Benjamin Hanson but all my mates back in England call me Ben" she shook his hand

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ben, I'm Anyanna Atwood, and folks call me Annie. So you are here at holiday seasons? Why is that?" she asked

"When I'm at home in England I work in many different places throughout the yeah. At holiday periods there is more money to be made as it is the period of time when people buy more products. So I walk throughout the holidays on various shipping boats and when I have three month periods like the summer to work I work on shipping boats based in other countries but mainly America"

"That sounds fabulous! But don't your parents have concerns about you being in other countries for such a length of time? I mean I'm 15 years old and my parents would go spare if they knew I was off doing things like that"

"Well I'm actually 19 years old and I've never known my parents. I was left at an adoption agency when I was a baby by either both my parents or just my mother. No one knows who they were or if they are alive now. All I know is that they must of want to know I was safe or else they wouldn't have left me there. I was never adopted so I worked as hard as I could until I turned 18 to save money. Now I'm an adult I walked out of the orphanage and I haven't been back. I get by the best I can and try to make some friends as I travel" Annie was shocked and didn't know what to say

"I'm sorry I didn't realize. I'm sorry if I upset you at all"

"It's ok, I'm used to telling people so I don't upset that easily over the matter" Annie glanced down at her watch and saw she had five minutes to get home

"I'm so sorry Ben but I have to go. My parents are expecting me home, if I don't get there I'm dead meat!" he smiled and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from him pocket and began to write on it

"That's ok, here's my mobile number. If you want to take me up on that offer that is?" he asked and she took the paper out of his hands and nodded

"I'm sure I will. Thank you Ben, for everything"

"Thank you Anyanna, I had a pleasant time" she smiled and turned to walk away before turning back

"Please, call me Annie" he nodded and gave a small wave goodbye and watched her walk quickly up the beach towards her house.