Chapter 14

Before Ryder, Pandora and the rest of the party guests left, the team had settled for going to a baseball game the next day, compliments of Ryder. So when the next day came, it wasn't a total surprise for Pandora, when Leon walked through the door of Tito's restaurant. It was a slow day; leaving Pandora to count the cash in the register. Hearing the bell ring when the door opened, she glanced up and grinned. Leon smirked and walked right up to her. He only stopped when he reached the counter. "Hi. How are you?" He asked her.

She smiled. "Good. You came to pick up food?" She asked as part of her job.

Leon shook his head. "No. I came for you and Ryder."

She thought that Ryder was supposed to meet the team at the stadium. Continuing to grin, she nudged to an empty table. "Oh. Well he'll be here soon. You can wait at a table if you want."

Leon smirked and nodded. However, before he could reply, the two heard Koro's voice come up from the kitchen. "Little cub."

Turning her head, Pandora smiled. "Yes?" She watched as her dad gave Leon an judgmental look. Clearing her throat, she thought she should introduce Leon. "Daddy, this is Leon. Leon, this is my dad."

Leon could feel the tension coming off the older man. "Hello." Leon extended his hand as he knew he should be polite and shake hands.

Koro looked at Leon's hand and then back to Leon's face. His overprotective feeling clouded his mind and he quickly told Pandora, "Little cub go to the back." Koro kept looking at Leon as he didn't want Leon near his daughter.

Baffled by his tone, Pandora looked at her dad and could tell that he was being overprotective again. She knew Leon had done no harm so there wasn't any excuse for her dad behaving like that. "But..."

Koro snapped his head at her and replied in his thick accent. "That's an order. Ramona is going to take over."

Looking into his eyes, Pandora began to get defensive herself. Glancing at Leon, she said, "Excuse us." She pulled her dad to the side and looked at him sternly. "What is wrong with you?"

Koro shook his finger at her. "I don't like the way he's so close to you. He's dangerous."

"He's just a friend, daddy. And, if he was dangerous, he keeps it away from me." She replied loud enough that Leon heard it.

Koro shook his head at his daughter. "He's not to come near you again. Ever!" He walked away and looked at Leon. "You, Ryder is outside. You can go." He waved his head towards the door.

Leon looked at him confused and shook his head. "I was just outside. He's not there."

Koro walked up to him and grabbed Leon's arm. He began walking him to the door. "Well you can wait for him outside. I don't want you near my daughter ever again."

Stopping right outside the door, Leon got his arm out of Koro's hold. Looking at the man, Leon stood his ground. "With all due respect sir, don't you think she's old enough to make her own decisions?"

Koro blocked Leon's way to get back in; Pandora was right behind Koro. "And with all due respect young man, my daughter is none of your business," Koro said.

Leon looked at him and then glanced behind him. "I would like to make her my business."

Koro snapped back, "Well you can't. I won't give you my permission."

"I'm not asking for it." Leon said confidently as he stood there, not moving an inch.

By then, Tito and his family were watching Koro. The men were protective and moved to back up Koro. Pandora saw them and knew they would fight Leon. But it was Koro that held up his hand and shouted, "Stay back!" He stepped closer to Leon and looked at him in the eye. "Look, Leon. My daughter has no time for you. She has a lot on her plate right now."

Leon looked at him and knew the old man was protective of Pandora. Hell, he could understand that a man would do anything to protect his little girl. Hell, he had a strong urge to protect Pandora as well. Sighing, Leon nodded and then tilted his head to the side. "Looks to me she's got a place for me on that plate." He said as he was being cocky. He was willing to prove to Pandora's dad that he wasn't afraid.

Koro grunted in frustration and replied. "I know who you are. I remember your face from her school. I remember you always hanging around with that group. You think I don't remember you and your friends making fun of my daughter when she first came here."

Blinking back, Leon looked at him and then over to Pandora. "I..."

"What? You don't remember calling her an ugly duckling? You and those kids, always poured your lunches over her and pulled on her hair. Don't you think that would put some damage on her. It's why she can never be around you." Koro turned and walked up to Pandora. Turning his head, Koro looked at Leon again. "Just leave my daughter alone. You did it once, so I know you can do it again."

Pandora frowned and knew Koro was scared to see her hurt. Quietly, Pandora told her dad, "That's not true, daddy."

"Pandora..." Koro began to say.

Pandora moved away from him and walked over to Leon. Turning to face her dad, she said, "You know exactly that Leon never made fun of me. He was the quiet and nice kid in class. He was the one that gave me..."

Looking at her confused, Koro asked, "gave you what?"

Leon looked down for a second as he remembered grade school in one quick flashback. He glanced to Pandora and then looked at Koro. "I gave her my sweater to wear after Becky pushed her into the mud puddle."

"He still joined that group in middle school." Koro replied. By then, Ryder had pulled up to the restaurant and other people had gathered around, both, inside and outside of the restaurant.

"But he's still a kind person. He's not anymore dangerous than you. And it seems he's more honest than you are ever were." A feminine voice came from the crowd as the three looked over.

Instantly, Pandora recognized her face. "Mom?" She was in complete shock as well as others.

Koro walked out into the light and blocked Pandora's view. "Pandora go inside."

Looking at him like he grew another head, Pandora furrowed her eyebrows. "W-what?"

Koro looked over to his right and saw Ryder. "Ryder, get Pandora inside now!"

Ryder quickly rushed over to Pandora and grabbed her hand. "Come on."

"No! Stop it." Pandora said as she pushed away from Ryder. Walking up to her dad, she looked at him. "Daddy?" She was so confused. She then looked over to the short, dark haired and tanned woman that had her mother's features. "You're alive?"

The woman, who looked extremely tired and wearing run down clothing, smirked as she stood there as if nothing ever happened. "Always have been, sweetheart." She said in a raspy smoker's voice.

"How?" Pandora looked at her and then back to her dad, wanting answers. "Daddy?"

Koro looked at Pandora and reached up to caress her cheek. "Go inside, we'll talk in a minute." He said in a calm tone.

By then, Tito had stepped up and quietly told his old friend, "Koro, it's time."

The woman nodded and looked at father and daughter. "Yes, Koro. She has to know."

Pandora began to tear up. "If she's alive, then who..."

Koro closed his eyes and sighed. "The grave in Honolulu belongs to my late wife Katherine. Your step-mother." He opened his eyes and looked into his daughter's blue eyes.

"my twin sister." The woman said.

Pandora looked over as she was putting things together. "So you and my dad..."

Not caring about the damage on Pandora's being, the woman shrugged it off. "Long story short. I was with your dad for about a couple months before I got pregnant. By then, we had broken up and he had moved on with my sister Katie." Not a care in the world, the woman just liked to hurt others even if it meant hurting her own blood, she was definitely disturbed.

Koro took a hold of Pandora's arms and forced her to look at him. "Pandora, you were raised by Katie and myself. Your mother is Katie although Julie is your biological mother."

Looking at him, Pandora felt betrayed. Blinking back her tears, she saw the whole family watching them and saw their reaction; they weren't surprised at all. Feeling angry now, she looked at them. "Did you guys know?" They kept quiet, ashamed to answer her. She looked over to her best friend and saw him touching the back of his neck. Pandora's heart broke more as she questioned him, "Ryder?" he couldn't even look at her. Pandora looked at her father again before moving out of his hold. She walked away from him, not being able to even look at him any longer.

"Pandora!" Koro shouted to her.

Pandora walked straight up to Leon and whispered. "Get me out of here...Please." She closed her eyes as the tears began to fall freely. Leon nodded as he guided her away from her family. Opening the door for her, he got her into his car and then soon enough was pulling away from the restaurant.

Koro took a few steps towards Pandora and shouted to her, "Pandora Leinani!"

To Be Continued...