OHMIGOSH!! So many people to thank!! The Mayor's Daughter, SilverMoon Gypsy, HollowSerenity, and Mandya1313 for their REVIEWS... And I want to send my profuse love to Miss-Paparella for adding me/my story to... everything. And her kind review. XD

Chapter Twenty-Five

Marissa hadn't spoken to Warren Peace in more than two years before the start of the year. And even before then they hardly spoke. But in hardly two months she had already grown attached to her fellow pyrokinetic.

And after he had driven away, back to the suburban home he shared with his mother, Marissa realized something as he drove away.

She was pretty sure she had already fallen in love with him.

He had found out one of her deepest secrets: She was the daughter of Hellboy. And yet, he didn't seem to care. After she assured him that he wouldn't be maimed by the 'National Enquirer poster-child', he swore that he wouldn't tell anyone.

"There's more I want you to know, Warren..." She whispered as they stood in front of his car. "But I don't think I'm ready to tell you yet." He nodded.

"Is it as shocking as who your father is?" Marissa nodded. "Then all you have to do is warn me, and I'll be fine." He smiled, making her smile in return while trying not to swoon. They had said their goodbyes, which were kind of awkward because they were both pretty sure that Hellboy was still watching them.

And all Marissa could think about as she walked down the deserted sidewalks was how gorgeous Warren's smile was. And she felt pride swelling inside of her at the thought that she was one of the few people who could get a smile out of the usually quiet loner.

Sadly, she was drawn out of her happy thoughts by the sound of something hitting concrete above her head. She looked up at the rooftops and frowned when caught a glimpse of a shadow darting away from the edge.

"I know that you're up there, so you might as well stop hiding." She called out. She heard a faint sight, and then retreating footsteps, followed by someone using the fire escape in the alley she was standing in front of. Then she heard someone grunt as they jumped off of the fire escape and land on the ground beneath it. She crossed her arms and waited impatiently as her father emerged from the shadows, rubbing the back of his head.

"Marissa-"

"Save it!" She snapped. "I was having a really nice moment with him, and you just interrupted it! What the hell? You have had nothing to do with my life for five years and then you decide that now, of all times, you'll be the overprotective father you used to be?" He winced and groaned, obviously frustrated.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"Why?" Marissa's anger was now replaced with sadness. "Why are you sorry now? Why haven't you been sorry at any one of my birthday parties since I turned thirteen? Why didn't you forgive me all of the times I tried to apologize and swear that I would never disobey you again? Why didn't you ever show that you cared when I came home with straight A's, hoping that you would be proud enough of me to come out of your damn room and look at me? Why haven't you ever shown any consideration towards all of the cards, safety charms, and all of the other shit that I've given you for every Christmas, Father's Day, and birthday, regardless of whether or not you had spoken to me in 'X' amount of time, and never knowing if you ever even got any of it? Why is now so different?" She was practically hysterical at this point, tears falling down her face. Hellboy was obviously uncomfortable, unaccustomed to dealing with an emotional teenage girl.

"It's not that I didn't want to forgive you, hun..." he sighed, shifting his gaze to the side. "It's kinda... Well, Abe says that I just can't forgive myself, whatever the hell that means..." Marissa sniffed, and Hellboy took a few steps towards her. "See, when you first got your powers... I was afraid you would go through what I had to go through. Never being able to be seen, never being appreciated for all of the things I did because of what I looked like. You don't know how relieved I was when you could change back and forth. But still, I knew that it was in you, and I was afraid you would blame me for what you were... eh, for what you are." Marissa sniffed again and crossed her arms.

"I wouldn't hate you, dad." His ears perked up when she called him 'dad'. "Hell, I was proud. You were my hero. Even before I could change, I still wanted to be just like you. I was a little girl who was naive to the world and how people reacted to appearance. I just thought you were so cool." She lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Marissa, even though you were saving my life, I still saw you as being in danger, and..." Hellboy sighed and rubbed his head again, stepping forward and reaching one arm out, awkwardly pulling his daughter into a fatherly embrace. "And I was afraid you'd get hurt. You were just a little girl, and no matter what you look like, I still see your mother in you. And just like your mother, I still don't want anything to happen to you." Marissa sniffed against her father's chest, her eyes watering again. "And don't think I haven't cared, because I have." Marissa perked up, obviously listening. "I've saved everything you've ever left me, I have videos of every party and holiday I've ever missed, and I have every single one of your report cards. Hell, I have your brother's, too." He pulled away and held her at arms' length, keeping his hands on her shoulders and staring into her eyes. "I've been around, Marissa. But I was so afraid you were mad at me because of the way I reacted that night, I've just decided to stick in the background. And even when you tried to apologize to me, I was too ashamed of myself, because I felt like I had failed as a father."

"You didn't fail as a father." She sniffed, her voice growing heavy as she fought back tears. "I know you, dad. I know that you get angry, I know that you cared, and I know that it's your way of dealing with things, sometimes." He smirked.

"Abe told you that, didn't he?" Marissa smiled and nodded. "Ah, c'mere!" He laughed and yanked her into a bear hug, lifting her a few inches off of the ground and swinging her back and forth in his arms. "My little girl..." He sighed, setting her down on her feet. Marissa clung onto him in the same way she had when she was very tiny, a little girl begging her daddy to scare away any and all monsters that might try to eat her.

"I missed you, daddy." She said softly, a few tears falling from her eyes and onto her father's shirt.

"I missed you too, Little Miss." Marissa smiled at the nickname he had called her for as long as she could remember. "Now, I need to walk you home. It's late, so I know that your mother is probably gonna try and set me on fire. However, we're taking my way back." He ended up taking her up the fire-escape, and going as far as possible by way of 'roof-hopping'. As the father and daughter flew through the air between buildings, Marissa smiled to herself.

She was daddy's little girl again.