I update :D i got into the writing mood.

have any of you read April Raintree? well i have to for school which is why i didn't update sooner, the story is rather depressing. . .

anyways, in response to lilly, my story for Sunny is already pretty much done, so i can't go back and change everything about her, including the name because she is named Sunny for a reason and its mentioned a bit in her story so i apologize.

Hope you all enjoy the chapter, there is only one more until this one is done:( but i think I'll just add on the parts when their older to this one, i don't know if i should write it now and just continue or start posting Sunny's story to give a preview to how Sunshine and Benny stay together. I'll chose soon and let you know, or comment and tell me what you want to happen.

Anyway glad if you enjoy the chapter, i have practice and games every night for a while so it might be a bit before i update, enjoy.

Disclaimer: i own nothing but Sunshine.

SUNSHINE POV

I woke up the next morning the bright light hurt. When my eyes opened I saw nine faces staring at me. "JESUS!" I said scared out of my mind.

"HEY SUNSHINE!" they yelled.

"Guys shut up, my dad will hear you."

"No they went out." Squints smiled.

"What you doing here?"

"Want to make sure you can walk." Benny said leaning down giving me a peck on the lips.

"Oh yeah!" I said getting up. The second I put weight on it I almost fell in pain but Bertram caught me. "Shit." I mumbled. "I can't play in the tournament can I?" all their faces fell.

"Well we brought you this." Smalls said handing me some crutches.

"How thoughtful." I said sarcastically they all smiled.

"Okay well tournament in a few days lets go practice guys!" kenny said and we all went to the window I didn't bother getting dressed I was in a t-shirt and sweats anyways.

"It's like we're running with an anchor." Squints complained.

"Want to go swimming with one?!" I snapped back, he had been complaining about my slow pace the whole walk to the sandlot. Benny laughed and put his arm round my shoulders giving them a squeeze.

"Damn you're mean when you're in pain." Grover laughed.

"In pain? Man she's mean all the time." Ham said.

"Shut it, I am not." I snapped, not really the best way to prove my point.

"Mhmm yeah sure." Ham said picking up his pace.

"No way man she's not mean." Timmy said.

"She's not mean."

"Thank you." I said.

"Yeah yeah, you can't call evil mean, their mean all the time that's just who they are."

I scowled at yeah yeah wishing I could just tackle them to shut them up.

"Nice face Sunshine." Ham laughed.

"I didn't make a face, this is just my face." I muttered.

"Well even your face looks mean then." Kenny smiled they are not as dumb as they look, they're walking at a safe distance.

"You know eventually my leg is going to get better." I glared. "And when it does I'm coming after all of you."

"By the time it gets better you'll be out of shape." Ham smiled.

"You want to talk out of shape-" I started but Benny put his hand over my mouth.

"Will you guys stop provoking her? She's in pain and angry she'll say anything right now. Besides shes a girl shes going to be even moodier now." I lifted my crutch and got Benny right in the gut, he yelped in pain and doubled over, still walking but holding his stomach.

"You guys are the worst." I mumbled trying to speed up a bit, Benny was walking straight when we got to the sandlot, I had to make my way to the dugout. It hurt to know that I couldn't help pound those weasels into the ground. I watched miserably as they started to warm up and then began with their drills.

"Hey Toni!" Smalls said running up to me, he took a seat on the old bench beside me and fiddled with his glove.

"Your dad back yet?' I asked. He shook his head.

"I think he'll be back in a couple more days, Mom said he's staying late so probably after the tournament." he said his face not looking up at all. I nodded and watched the boys take some more grounders.

"So I've been thinking. . ."

"You have to think, the others can't, you have to balance them out." Smalls chuckled and looked up at me.

"Seriously, I was thinking about the tournament and how we need a coach-"

"OH SHIT! I forgot about that." I said suddenly worried about us not being eligible to compete.

"Well I was thinking that since you can't play. . .you could be our coach. I checked the rule book and you don't need a permit or anything just need to show up as the coach.'

'No age limit?"

"No, as long as you say you're the coach they can't do anything about it." he said.

"Wow they should really look into their rules a little more."

"Yeah, so what do you think?" he asked. I smiled, at least this way I wouldn't be completely useless in the tournament.

"Smalls I think it's the best idea you've ever had, thanks." I gave him a big hug causing his cheeks to turn bright red.

"No problem, You know Benny is my best friend, I'm glad you two are together. Yeah yeah told me they all thought Benny would never have time for a girl, I'm glad the girl he chose is you, you don't take his life you're part of it." he smiled.

"That's sweet smalls, I would never think my summer would turn out like this but it did, and I can't think of it turning out any better other then my ankle not being sprained. I love you guys, I never had something this good." I smiled.

"I wanted to also thank you for getting the ball back."

"Smalls that was all Benny!" I reminded him, I wanted no part in Benny's amazing event of pickling the beast that was all him.

"Toni you had a part in it too, you wanted to jump that fence to get it, you ran with Benny and tried to help him."
"I ran for my life Smalls, Benny did everything."

"Even so, I'm still going to thank you." he smiled, I ruffled his hair quickly and he swatted my hand away.

"Toni you don't have the best family we all know that, but trust me everyone is here for you and Benny, well I think Benny would take you into his family right now if he could."

"Thanks Smalls I know you all are here for me, moving here is probably one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"You really believe that?"
"Of course." there was some silence as we both seemed to be remembering the activities of the summer.

"Summers almost over." Smalls whispered.

"We still have two weeks." I replied my voice dropping at the realization as well. As I watched the boys take grounders and work on their mechanics, I felt a wave of sadness, this had been the best summer of my life, I met the boys and got together with Benny in such a short time. It didn't seem fair that something so great could end so completely with school coming. We would have homework to deal with, but our obsession with Baseball would reflect in our marks, maybe even Smalls. It was another year we would be closer to leaving each other and moving or going away to school. But more then anything I didn't want it to be a year away from the next summer. A year until we could spend all day out in the sun, playing the sport we all loved so much.

Baseball really was life to me, dirt and grass stains brought forward memories better then any photo album ever could. Certain smells brought me back to moments when I was on the field, but these memories wouldn't need anything like that. They would never be forgotten my first summer with the boys would be etched into my brain forever.

"Do you think?"

"Huh?" I asked snapping back to reality by Smalls voice.

"You and Benny do you think you'll last?"

"I hope so, but I don't know for sure Smalls, if Benny wanted someone else I don't think I could stop him. I mean I know that dating me isn't a walk in the park, and with Clara around, we'd practically be sneaking everywhere."

"You're not there all the time, and Benny doesn't stop talking about you I think he really does love you."

"Well I love him too, it's just that I don't think it's fair for me to decide we're going to be together forever, I mean come one Smalls tell me that girls aren't all over Benny."

"You know Benny is terrified about losing you but you don't seem to be scared about losing him." Smalls said eyeing me.

"Smalls don't get me wrong, I would love to be with Benny forever, and I am scared when ever a girl even looks at him, It's just I'm not the best choice for him."

"Sunshine are you insane? Benny never even looked at a girl before you came around, he needs someone that loves baseball as much as he does, the other girls just laugh and cheer for him. He doesn't want a cheerleader."

"Thanks for telling me that Smalls, and don't go telling Benny that I don't care for him, cause I do-"

"I won't, but I think you need to realize that even though Benny is so focused on baseball. . . I think he might give it up for you."

"Shut your mouth Smalls Benny wouldn't give it up for anyone!" I snapped at him. "I wouldn't let him anyways."

"And I think that's why he likes you so much."

"Smalls go take fly balls, I want to kill those jerks." I laughed pushing him to the field. He smiled and headed out onto the diamond.

"Hey Sunshine."

"Hey Ham." I mocked him as I limped to centre field.

"Don't worry I don't think the crutch is going to make that much of a difference on your game."

"Oh ha ha, Ham you're hilarious." I said sarcastically as I continued to limp to my position.

"even with the Crutch she still plays better then you." Benny said laughing at him.

"Ah you're just saying that cause you like her!" squints yelled.

"No I'm saying to because its true!" Benny yelled back.

"Will you idiots knock it off and just play?" I asked and they shut up, I just was to walk around and collect the ball if it was missed.

Practice was interesting and we played as well as we always do, the whole practice becoming a blur as the hours went by quickly.

When we decided we had to get home for dinner Benny walked me home as usual only we trailed behind because of my slow pace.

"I hate this." I mumbled.

Benny looked at me with sad eyes. "I know, and I hate you having to sit out."

"I just wish I could walk faster." I grumbled.

"Well I can help with that." Benny said, before I could respond he picked me up like a bride and started to walk onwards.

"Benny-"

"Don't start, You were comlaining about being slow and this is a lot faster." I gripped my crutches into my hands and watched him as we walked.

"Are you nervous?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"For the tournament are you nervous?"

"Nah, I have faith in the boys."

"I do too, it's just I entered us because I was sure we'd win, I don't want to go into this have us loose and those kids annoy the hell out of us, they'd never let us live it down."

"Yeah I know, there is that but of doubt in me too."

"No it's not doubt its worry what if we just choke or something?"

"We won't."

"Well now you jinxed it!" I yelled and he started laughing. "Go on Rodriguez knock on wood!"

"If I do I'll drop you."

"i don't care, knock on wood!" I yelled at him, he continued to laugh and walked over to the nearest piece of wood which happened to be a bench and awkwardly knocked with me still in his arms.

"happy?"

"very." we continued to walk and instead of heading home Benny decided to take the scenic route.

"You're heavier then you look." he said as he shifted me in his arms.

"Well I didn't ask you to carry me."

"I said heavier I didn't say you were heavy."

"Admit it Benny you need to work out more." he rolled his eyes and then put me down so I could limp beside him again.

"How does your ankle look?" I knew he was changing the topic but I shrugged it off.

"I don't think it's broken but it sure as hell feels like it is."

"You know-"

"Well well well, what have we here? Little miss sunshine on crutches?"

We turned around to see phillips and his team behind us, I was rather surprised that they weren't on their bikes but of course they were In their horrible uniforms.

"You know stalking is a crime." I said turning my whole body to face him.

"I heard what happened, little pathetic of you Benny. Boyfriend causes his girlfriend to break her ankle."

"Hey Benny had nothing to do with this, I was the one that jumped the fence and got knocked out, he was trying to help me."

"Wow can't protect her. . . I think that's even worse." he laughed.

"Shut up Phillips." benny snarled.

"Wanna make me?"

"With pleasure-" I stopped Benny from advancing on him by holding out my crutch.

"Well now that I think of it, I'd rather your girlfriend shut me up, say with a kiss? That'd keep my mouth Busy." I could literally feel heat coming off of Benny as he stood there shaking. "Come on Spena and Phillips it has a nice ring to it.

"No, Sunshine and the jerk doesn't sound so good, Now Sunshine and the Jet sounds right, come on say it with me Phillips-" he cut me off right there.

"I wouldn't call him, Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez if my life depended on it." he snapped at me.

"You kind of just did." I smugly replied he stood there for a moment looking confused until the realization of his words came to his mind.

"Pretty, smart and devious just how I like them."

"Unless you don't want Sunshine to be the only one here with a broken bone I suggest you leave!" Benny snapped trying to hold in his anger.

"So I guess you won't be playing in the tournament." he said completely ignoring Benny.

"seeing as I can barely walk I guess." I answered slowly.

"it's kind of Funny."

"What is?"
"The fact that you break your ankle just in time to play in the tournament, it's just so convenient. If I didn't know any better I'd say the injury was fake or. . .planned so a girl didn't have to play in the tournament. Do you think the Sandlot punks like having a girl show them up? I mean their already rejects they don't need another reason to be humiliated."

"Phillips thats ridiculous, I would never break her ankle on purpose, Toni is part of the team, and she could whip any of your asses on the field any day, why would we ever want to miss that, we lover and she's as big a part of the team as any of us." Benny yelled at him.

"Phillips you really are an idiot to think that they would break my ankle, sure I can't play in the tournament but I'm still going to be there and the boys will be kicking your ass even harder to make up for my not playing." I joined in,

"Sunshine would make a fool out of any of you any day." Benny wrapped a protective arm around me as he spoke. Phillips stared at us for a moment before an evil smile broke out onto his face.

"Well it's too bad we'll never find isn't it?"

Benny and I glared at him until he was completely out of sight.

"Don't listen to them' He whispered in my ear as he turned me to keep walking.

"Never will." I replied.

When Benny and I got to my house he helped me into my room and then took a seat on my bed pulling my legs into his lap.

"It doesn't look good." he said staring at my ankle.

"I'll be alright." I said shifting to sit up straighter on my bed.

"Did you ice it?"

"yeah, last night, don't worry about it Benny it'll be okay." he nodded and took his eyes off my swollen black ankle.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah." I replied. "but again I'll be okay." we sat in silence for a few moments Benny rubbing my calf with his hand gently while looking around my room.

"Whats your biggest fear?" he suddenly asked me.

"mine? I don't know."

"Oh come on there has to be something you're afraid of."

"I'm sure there is I just never thought of it that much, have you?"

"yeah, I thought mine would be going over the fence an facing the beast, but I kind of got over that.'

"You better have because I am not helping you with something like that again." he smiled.

"Don't worry I'm over it."

"So whats your new fear?" I asked.

"Hmm, I don't know." he drifted off.

"I think I know mine. Moving."

"Moving?" he asked giving me a confused look.

"Well yeah, leaving here, the sandlot the boys, you." Benny smiled warmly at me and moved from under my legs to sit with me at the top of my bed, he pulled me into his arms and held me close. The heat off his body was calming, his body was hard with muscle but it had to be the most comfortable thing in the world.

"You just got here, I don't think you'll be moving."

"What ever Clara wants she gets, My dad is such a pushover for her. He puts her before me, and if she wants to move we'll be moving."

"I'm not going to let you leave, she's going to have to fight me to take you away." I started laughing, "Hey I'm serious, I concoured a beast, I can take her."

"I think she might be ten times worse then the beast." this time he laughed, I could feel the rumbling through his chest.

"Well I've never met her so I wouldn't know."

"You don't want to meet her trust me."

"I don't know I think she'd like me." I looked up at him, barely seeing his eyes.

"She doesn't even like me."

"I think I can get along with her." he said getting up. "Is she down stairs?'

"Benny what the heck are you doing?" I asked as I hit the pillow instead of Benny's chest.

"Is she down stairs or no?" he asked.

"I don't know she might be."

"bitchin'" then he climbed over top of me to head towards the door.

"You crazy legend!" I yelled grabbing his hand. "If she sees you, we'll be out of here in an hour." I said.

"Come on Toni, she'll love me." he smiled trying to walk away again. I yanked on his hand, probably a little to hard, because he tripped and fell towards me, landing right on top of me, his face just a breath away from mine. He reached up and smoothed out a strand of my hair with the palm of his hand, sliding it down to carefully rest of my cheek.

"You know what my fear is?" he whispered.

"What?" I asked looking into his beautiful brown eyes.

"Losing you, hurting you, and having you hurt me." he whispered. I leaned up and gently placed my lips to his.

"You're not going to lose me Benny.'

"Smalls told me that you think you're not good enough for me."

"I'm gonna kill that kid if his dad doesn't." I muttered.

"Is it true though, you think you're not good enough for me?" his eyes showed the hurt and anger, I sighed and ran my fingers through his short hair.

"Benny you deserve someone that can be there all the time, that doesn't have to hide you from a racist horrible person, I also see the way other girls look at you, they can cheer you on not be a challenge to you-"

"I don't want a cheerleader, I want someone that will beat my ass if I don't do as well as I can, I want someone that is going to share in my victory because it's theirs as well, I want someone that I can cheer for someone that will give me a run for my money. I want you Toni." he whispered his eyes not moving from mine for a second, he leaned down and captured my lips in his, the kiss was firm and full of passion, I locked my hands behind his neck as his hand lightly brushed my side. He broke away but stayed close to my lips, his hot breath sending shivers through my body.

"Toni I love you, and I am not going to hurt you, I love the trouble you get in, you're not afraid of anything or anyone, I love that you play baseball with me and the boys, I love that you refuse to wear dresses, and I love that you're with me. If anything I don't deserve you and I think Clara makes that really clear." '

"Benny don't ever listen to her okay? Clara doesn't know anything, shes a shopaholic jerk and I honestly hate her, she doesn't deserve anyone, she judgemental and rude and hurtful, just please ignore her."

"Toni I know I'm just joking. But she shops a lot how are you not bankrupt."

"Well, my dad is some kind of big time investor or something." I shrugged.

"Whoa what? Does that mean you're rich?" he asked, I didn't like mentioning it, yeah we had money but I never saw any of it. "What the heck are you doing living here?" he asked taking my silence as a yes.

"Clara wanted a big house, but refused to clean, so my dad bought this one much to her disappointment but forget her I love it here." I said earning a smile from Benny.

"Good cause if you moved in the rich part of town you might be dating Phillips." he grimaced. I mirrored his expression.

"Ew Benny don't even put that in my mind." he chuckled.

"Hey I'm happy that you're not dating him." again he kissed me lightly. "I think that foul ball was the best thing that I ever did."

"What foul ball?" '

"The one I hit you with." he said, oh right the first day I moved here.

"Well thanks Benny." I said sarcastically.

"No I mean, I might have never met you if you hadn't come by and hit you, the reason I stopped outside of my house for so long is because I was trying to decided where I had seen you before."

"TONI!" I heard Clara yell, both of us looked towards the door and then back at each other, I could hear her coming up the stairs. Benny quickly got off me and scrambled to the floor sliding under my bed, I barely got the blanket over my foot when she opened to the door, man I really need to remember to lock it.

"What?" I asked.

"Whats that smell?" she asked.

"I don't smell anything."

"I do." she snapped at me walking around the room.

"You know I heard that dogs have a really strong sense of smell-" she shot me a glare and I put my hands up in mock self defense. "I'm just saying."

"I smell boys deodorant."

"Clara thats just plain weird." I stated. She came and stood extremely close to me.

"It's you. Or is it someone that was near you."
'Clara I'm grounded, why would I leave this room and disobey you?" she glared at me.

"Don't take that tone with me." I hadn't. "No it couldn't be a boy on you, what boy would even know you were a girl."

"You know I thought the exact same thing when I first met you, I thought you were one of dads buddies that lost a bet and had to dress up like a chick." I said.

"You shut up you little bitch!" she said walking towards me.

"Hey I think my dads home." I said quickly. She immediately looked towards the window. I thank the lord for the miracle of my Dads car coming in. she didn't say anything just rushed towards the door.

"Bitch." I heard benny say under the bed.

Clara turned around so fast I thought she might have gotten whip lash.

"What?" she demanded.

"Uh, I said. . . oh forget it I can't cover that up." I sighed rubbing my forhead.

"Listen to me you brat, if I had it my way you'd be packing for military school in a second, I don't want you hear, no one wants you here, it will just take another word like that to make me convince him to send you away. He doesn't care about you anymore, he can barely look at you now and you know it, I'm the last thing keeping you here so I suggest you behave or the next words you'll be saying is Sir yes sir. Am I clear?" she asked her eyes like ice.

"Crystal." I whispered glaring as well.

"Clara?" my dad asked as he came through the door.

"Coming!" she called down to him. Then she left closing the door. Benny slid out from under the bed, I smacked him as soon as he was close enough.

"Really benny?"

"Sorry." he laughed sitting down on the bed again. "She won't really send you away will she?" he asked.

"No, she's all talk, as much as my dad likes her he still wouldn't send me away. I think I look a lot like my mom which is why my dad won't look at me too long but he needs me around cause as much as Clara hates it he still loves my mom and misses her." benny nodded. "I think you should go Benny she might come back up here, she did smell you in here."

"Yeah that was just weird." he said, smiling.

"I agree, but for some reason she can smell almost anything."
"Maybe she is a dog." he joked, leaning over my to give me a small kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded and watched him disappear out the window.

I clumsily changed into my pajamas. Laying on my bed throwing a ball up in the air. Then I decided I should probably head down stairs and get something to eat. I gritted my teeth and headed down stairs, my limp would be mistaken for being tiered as I entered the kitchen.

"Hi dad." I said he didn't look up just muttered a "hi honey." I took out some bread and peanut butter and started to make a sandwich.

"Um dad, there's a baseball tournament coming up in a couple days."

he didn't answer.

"dad?"
"What?" he asked looking up from his own food, I wasn't sure where Clara was. Maybe In her own room.

"Theres a baseball tournament in a couple days."
"Oh yeah? You like baseball don't you?" he asked, that made me frown.

"yeah I-I do, I was wondering if I could go to it?"

"To play?" he asked. I shook my head. "Cause you know Clara doesn't like you around those kinds of places.

"Yeah I know, I just wanted to watch."

"Uh then I guess that would be okay."

"Thanks dad." I smiled.

"You know I think the dodgers game is coming on, I heard they're pretty good maybe you could watch the game, learn a bit before you go to the tournament." he said looking back down at his food. I nodded.

"I will." it hurt that my dad didn't even know I loved baseball he didn't know about my life, he had done such a good job shutting me out. I loved my dad with all my heart and there was a time that he knew everything, but I think now that I was older, I looked a lot more like my mom he tried to ignore me and then just forgot.

"Clara and I are going out will you be okay by yourself?" he asked.

"i can't go?" I asked.

"No I don't think its a good idea for you to come." he said getting up and putting his plate in the sink beside me.

"Are you working tomorrow maybe we could do something, I heard about a diner that sells really good milkshakes." my dad met my eyes and looked away quickly.

"Maybe okay?"

"Okay." I knew what 'Maybe' meant, It meant no, I wish I had my dad, the one that was there before Clara and him got married. He was a good person, and I loved him to death he just needed someone to love and distract him more then a kid that brought back memories of his late wife. He loved me and never hit me or raised his voice, he never even heard of Clara treating me the way she does cause he's not home and I couldn't tell him with because no matter how much I hated her he loved her and I couldn't ruin another relationship for him.
Clara came down all dressed up and I knew that was the reason I wasn't invited, I couldn't go to fancier places, I owned dresses but I wasn't the best dinner guest ever especially when a town gets to know me well.

They left and I headed upstairs after eating. I leaned down and went to get my crutches from under the bed so I could just grab them in the morning and noticed a piece of paper under there with them. I pulled it out and saw it was a picture. Benny must have left it there or something, it was a picture of all of us, I think it was taken when I first joined the team. But it was hard to remember because it wasn't a formal picture, it was one of us all together just standing on the mound in the sandlot. All of us together, someone must have taken it from the sandlot opening because I could see the dugout. I smiled and looked at all of us. Standing there smiling probably discussing a play to work on.

I didn't need Clara and my dad, these boys right here were the best family I would ever get.

I took the photo over to my wall and pinned it up with a piece of tape. The picture made me calm, it made me happy that these boys were going to be there for me, I was lucky to have met them, to be able to see them every day, to spend my time with them, and to have a group of boys I could be myself with.

It made me happy to know that even though I had a photo album filled with pictures of past friends and family, they all made me sad, they reminded me of my life now, how they left me and how my family wasn't the same.

This was the one picture that I could look at and smile, it brought back great memories they weren't my team they were my new family. And as I looked at the photo I found myself whispering.

"I love you Guys."

hope you liked it, again only one more chapter until the story of them being 12 & 13 is over :( think I'll just add on the parts when their older to this story I'll update soon i promise. have a nice day:)