Author's Note: Hello fellow readers. I know it's been a long time since I have posted but I have been busy planning my move in another month and preparing for my birthday on Tuesday so I honestly haven't given enough attention to writing. I have been hard at work on both stories so if you stick with me, I will see this through to completion. And with that, let the reading commence!

Sweaty and clammy. Danny's hands felt like two wet sponges. He had just gotten off of the phone with Lacey and the two of them gave one another pep talks before they had their respective talks with their parents. Danny rubbed his hands along his jeans for the fifth time. He just couldn't get them dry enough. His dad would be over in thirty minutes and Danny didn't know what to think or do.

He paced his room. He changed his clothes. He tried laying down. Nothing helped.

"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to. You don't owe Vikram anything," Karen said standing in the doorway of Danny's bedroom.

Danny sighed. "No, I know. But, I have to do this for me. I need closure. I need…something."

Karen hugged Danny tightly. She hated that Vikram was putting Danny and her through another the ringer. She looked lovingly into her son's eyes. Vikram's eyes. She would be so much stronger this time. She would do what she should have done many years ago. She had her son back and she wasn't going to let anything happen to him. The doorbell ringing startled them both as they jumped.

Danny grabbed Karen's hand and they walked out of his bedroom together.

Lacey watched her mother come down the steps in only a pair of gray sweatpants and a red t-shirt. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Lacey couldn't really remember a time that she saw her mother dressed down as she was at that moment. Judy had on no make-up as she padded around the kitchen in her bunny slippers, preparing tea for her and Lacey. It used to be a Sunday morning ritual around the house with Lacey and Judy but as the years grew, mother and daughter had grown somewhat distant.

"I remember you used to love when I fixed you tea," Judy said smiling as she placed Lacey's tea in front of her.

Lacey smiled. "I did. I still do," Lacey replied taking a quick sip.

Judy sighed. "I don't know you anymore, Lacey. I guess I never did. I was raised to look good at all times, get the proper education, marry well, and to have two beautiful kids. I accomplished all of that in then some but I wasn't taught how to keep my husband and maintain my marriage, how to be there for my family and put them first. I am so sorry for slapping you the way that I did. You brought the mirror to my face and made me look at it and I wasn't ready," Judy grabbed her napkin and dabbed her eyes quickly.

"Mom, I love you. I know that you and dad aren't perfect. Everyone has problems but I shouldn't have brought up the affair the way that I did. That was disrespectful and I shouldn't have brought it up in a hurtful manner the way that I did. And for that I am deeply sorry," Lacey reached over to pat her mother's hand.

"I was being a hypocrite. This isn't easy for me…discussing my shortcomings and having my dirty, little secrets exposed. I was supposed to be better than that," Judy chuckled suddenly. "I guess like mother like daughter."

Lacey's eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"The Desai men."

Lacey blushed thinking of Danny.

"You're blushing," Judy noted. "Yes, I remember that feeling when I first met Vikram. I used to think Karen was so plain looking back then and she was but she fell head over feet for Vik. He was a ladies man and he would kiss and hug all of us in school. But Karen just took to him and so did I. But, it didn't last then and many years later after I had met your father and married him, had kids, etc. all of these feelings started back again and when I saw Vikram with Karen I just envied her. I felt that she had taken him from me then, I'd take him from her now," Judy shook her head bitterly.

Karen opened the door slowly. Vikram was standing on the other side grinning slightly.

"May I come in?"

Karen stood back from the door without uttering a word. Vikram came in and immediately noticed Danny standing on the landing of the staircase.

"Hey, Danny," Vikram called out.

Danny only nodded as he walked slowly down the steps. The two Desai men stood looking at one another.

"You look a lot like me when I was your age," Vikram said as he quietly accessed how big his son had gotten.

Danny looked his father up and down. He marveled at the comparisons between them. He had his father's coloring, hair and eyes, even his hands and mannerisms. It was uncanny and no denying that Vikram was his father.

Karen marveled too. Danny would be more handsome than even his dad but she couldn't deny that he was definitely Danny's dad.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Vikram asked as he raked his hands through his short hair.

"Where have you been?" Danny asked.

"I wanted you to be proud of me and to lead by example. I certainly am none of those things," Judy said still shaking her head.

"I loved your father but I desired Vikram. Without getting into all of the details, it was something that I should have never done. It cost me Clara back then and it cost me you now."

"Mom, you haven't lost me. I'm happy that I don't have the perfect parents. I'm happy that we can all mess up because that's how I learn to be a better person and that's how Clara learns too. I'm not moving with dad to spite you. I honestly think that it will be good for me. I miss him and I miss Clara and to have you both in the same city again means a lot to me."

Judy slowly nodded. "And won't you miss Danny?"

"Danny and I talked about it and he understands. Winterhaven isn't that far away and he'll come and visit me. It's not like I'm living in another country."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," Lacey answered with no hesitation. "I do. He loves me too."

"I'm not wanting to be a grandmother right now, Lacey."

Lacey almost choked on her tea. "Of course not," she sputtered. "I don't like talking about it with you because you're my mom….but…I know if I'm woman enough as I think that I am to be having sex, then I need to definitely protect myself and we have."

Judy pursed her lips. "I don't like the sex. I know that I can't stop it as much as I don't like it. I just pray that you take heed. You'll be living with your dad now and you know that he will not stand for the sneaking around and the shimmying up the drain pipe as I'm sure Danny may have been doing."

Lacey choked again on her tea.

Vikram nodded. "Come and sit down Danny." Vikram went to reach for Danny's arm, but Danny slid out of reach and sat down next to his mom on the opposite sofa that Vikram sat on.

Vikram laughed nervously. "Okay. I know that I'm not going to win any Father of the Year awards here but I just want a chance, Danny?"

"A chance?" Danny had his head down looking at the plush rug underneath of the coffee table. "A chance? I don't know how many chances I'm supposed to give you. I was traumatized as a kid and had to endure things that no one, let alone a kid should endure! My mom was ripped from me and my dad was nowhere to be found and they all blamed me for Aunt Tara's death! You knew she was abusive. You knew she would lock me in the closet! She wanted me dead! She wanted us all dead!"

Karen looked mortified at Danny's words.

"Vikram what the hell happened that day? I told you to never leave Tara alone in our house and especially leave her alone with Danny. Your sister wasn't fit to…" Karen didn't finish her rant because Vikram looked so broken in that moment, sitting on the sofa alone, like a castaway.

"It was hard growing up the brother of the girl everyone thought was nuts. Small towns are horrible places to grow up in and Tara was born…not right. My parents didn't know what to do so they sent her off to a hospital for a couple of years after she stabbed herself and lit my mother's drapes on fire. When she came back, she was quiet and docile. She never talked. She still did things from time to time but my parents were guilt ridden and didn't want to put her away again. She had nurses who took care of her and people eventually forgot that I had a sister. I got popular and I wanted to forget all about her too. I did for some time. And then my parents died in a car accident when I was 20 and I was left with Tara. She was completely out of control then. I put her back into a hospital to forget about her. I went on with my life, got married and had you. But, I promised my parents to never lock her up for too long and I didn't think she would ever harm you, Danny. I didn't."

Karen kept staring between her son and recently found husband Vikram. Her own child had suffered so much and she never realized that Tara was abusing him.

"What happened the day of the fire, Vikram? We know Danny didn't kill Tara. Did you?" Karen's voice broke on that last part.

Vikram took his time answering as Danny's anger began to bubble. Karen placed a comforting hand on Danny's arm to restrain him.

"I didn't know she had been locking you in the closet, Danny. When I came into the house she was screaming and yelling and I couldn't find you. I heard you banging on the door but Tara grabbed a knife and she caught me off guard with it. She managed to cut me a few times before I knocked her down," Vikram felt the tears begin to sting his eyes. He stammered a bit. "And…and…as I went to unlock the door to let you out, Danny that's when I smelled the smoke. Tara had set the bedroom on fire. Everything happened so fast and all I could think to do was to get you out of there. I didn't realize that Tara had died in the fire until later and I couldn't face what I did."

Danny eyed his father carefully. He hadn't pegged his father at being the caring type. But seeing his father breakdown in tears slowly started to untie the knots of rage he felt.

"It wasn't your fault, dad," Danny heard himself say.

Vikram wiped his hands down his face. "Yes, it is. I secretly wished that she would always die. I used to wish that I was the only child and she had never been born. I did absolutely nothing to save her and I didn't want the police to question me. I didn't want them probing too deeply because then I'd have to admit why I left you kids alone. I alone am responsible for causing my marriage to end and for leaving you Danny when you needed me the most." Vikram broke down sobbing as he told his story.

Danny certainly wasn't expecting his father to admit truths like that. He felt himself get up and head towards his father. He clasped Vikram tightly as he too began to cry.