here's the next one :) as a warning, i'm trying to get this up before i go to bed and my laptops going in to get fixed tomoro so i will be sans a good computer for x amount of time so im trying to post this chapter before that so that you have something to enjoy, seeing as fanfiction doesnt have any way for you to upload from your ipod/phone etc as far as i know. (if they do PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO DO IT!). my whole point here is that im not doing much editing so if there's some glaring issue let me know and i'll fix it but otherwise, enjoy and r and r :) reviews make for happy author! :)

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Beth came out to find me later, probably only a few minutes later really. She wrapped a towel around my shoulders as she sat down next to me.

"He hates me," I muttered. "He has every right to hate me. Why don't you hate me?" I asked.

"You did what you thought was best at the time," Beth said softly, "no one's going to blame you for that."

I stared at her.

"He'll get over it," she sighed.

"No one knew," I said, "never told anyone but Toni. Lyssa figured it out, hell even Maui knew right away. Why didn't anyone else notice anything?"

"I did," Beth said. I stared at her.

"You- you knew?" She nodded. "But.. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured you had your reasons for not saying something girl. For all I knew, you and Leland were ashamed of it and wanted to keep it quiet, not that I could figure out WHY something like that would be, but I knew you'd explain when you wanted to."

"I didn't know how to tell him," I sighed. "I wanted to so many times, but what was I supposed to say? Remember that night that you don't remember 3 years ago? Hey guess what Leilani's your daughter? I just didn't want to ruin everything. Guess it's too late for that now..."

"It's never too late Kila. Leland loves kids, especially his kids. He won't be able to stay mad forever when Leilani's around, he's missed enough of her life already."

I wiped my eyes and scrubbed at my face with the towel before wrapping my arms around Beth and hugging her tight.

"Mahalo Beth, thank you for everything."


I moved out the next day. Beth and Dog said they were sorry to see me go but Lyssa was more than happy for me to be gone. Leland hadn't come back since the night before, but I doubt he was very sad to see me go either.

Leland had been supposed to help Duane Lee and me but that obviously wasn't happening now, so Duane Lee called his cousin Justin over to help. Turns out Justin was the younger guy who'd been with Leland and Duane Lee at Surfer's Paradise in Kona.

I left Leilani with Beth and we loaded my boxes into the back of the vehicles and drove the few blocks from the Chapman's house to my new place. It was a nice apartment on the 5th floor, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, with deep red walls and floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.

Boxes were stacked 2 or 3 high all around the living room, down the hall and in the bedrooms, so we were all wading through a sea of cardboard. The apartment came fully furnished, so most of what needed doing was unpacking after the guys were gone.

Should be real fun with a toddler running around.


"Thanks for the help guys," I said stepping out of Duane Lee's car back at the Chapmans'.

"No problem brah," Justin called as he shut his own car off and got out.

"Ya," Duane Lee added, "any time Kila." I smile at him as we went inside.

I found Leilani playing in the back with the rest of the kids. She ran to me and hugged my legs. Laughing I hoisted her onto my hip and spun around.

"Lele, baby, we have to go now," I told her. "Say buh bye to the kids for today."

She waved goodbye as we walked back inside.

"Where we going mommy?" she asked.

"Remember I told you that we're not going to be living with Beth and Dog anymore?" She nodded.

"Cuz Uncle Lelan's mad at you."

I almost tripped with surprise.

"Who told you that?" I asked her.

"Cobie." Of course, she had to be hanging around with Leland's kids. I sighed.

"Yes Leland's mad at me right now but-"

"Why?"

"I'll explain it later baby," I said as I buckled her into her carseat. "But that's not why we're leaving brah. We need somewhere to live that's just for us. Beth and Dog let us stay with them but it's time to leave, we have our own house and that's where we're going now."


"Leilani PLEASE slow down!" I yelled down the hall to my 3 year old terror. Apparently exploring our new house meant running everywhere, throwing things and turning boxes upside down.

I heard a thump, a moment of silence and then a scream. Sighing, I put down the box of books I'd been emptying and walked to the other end of the apartment, where my daughter sat crying after running into a wall.

"This is why you have to calm down brah," I explained as I carried her to the kitchen and sat her on the counter. Tears streamed down her little face as she sucked her thumb and sobbed. "Where's it hurt baby?"

She pointed at her forehead, where a tiny red mark had appeared. I kissed it lightly and smiled.

"Better?" she nodded, but kept crying.

In the middle of this chaos, someone decoded to knock on my door: someone from administration with forms for me to sign about pets. Then the phone rang, wrong number.

I tripped over the coffee table and went flying, bruising my shins and shoulder.

Leilani was crying and holding onto my leg.

Somewhere my cell phone was ringing.

When someone decided to knock on my door a second time, I grabbed the handle and yanked it open:

"WHAT?"

There on my figurative doorstep stood Maui.