A/N: This chapter is a little long, but that's ok! It may be two weeks before I post again. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

As promised, he took her out. It was back to Lenny's again so she could shoot some pool and he could watch her work. While Angela would've raised hell at having to set foot in this place just one time, Teresa loved coming here. Not only was she not the kind of woman to think this place beneath her, but Lenny's had an emotional significance for them now that they both embraced.

After winning her third game of the evening, she approached his chair and took a drink of the beer he ordered her. They agreed to keep it simple with their 5:30am flight.

"Done already?"

She smiled, flashing her teeth at him. "I was hoping you'd give me a round." This voice of hers was her version of her batting her eyes at him, and damn if it didn't work every single time! Even as she begged him to play a round, she never lost her competitive edge. She enjoyed playing the game with him, all the while treating him as any other competitor. He couldn't quite pin it down, but there was something incredibly hot in how she lured him into the game only to hold him at her complete mercy time and time again.

After he lost, once again, they placed a to go order at a local taco shop. After dinner, they started watching a movie, but that quickly turned into another intimate evening. They didn't have sex, but she laid in his arms as they peppered kisses on each other. Nothing had ever felt as right as when she let him hold her.

He hated waking up early on the weekends, but for her, there was no sacrifice too large. At least that's what he told himself as they drove to the airport early the next morning. They both slept most of the three hour flight to Chicago.

Admittedly, meeting her family made him a bit nervous. With Angela's family, he had no one to impress. He'd known them his entire life. He didn't know what Teresa's brothers would expect of the man involved with their sister. What if they didn't like him? Worst: what if Annabeth, the five year old he'd be spending considerable time with over the next few months, didn't like him?

But he was equally excited to meet them. She told him all about her brothers: Tommy, Stan, and Jimmy. He was ready to see yet another side of Teresa. This time, basically seeing her in her natural habitat. He wanted to make that joke when they hit the tarmac, but he could sense that she was anxious.

They got a cab to her brother's house. It was already near mid-day by the time they arrived. Knocking on the door of the cozy looking house, a rambunctious little girl with dark brown pigtails, holding onto a brown teddy bear, opened the door.

"Aunt Reese!" Almost immediately, she grabbed Teresa into a hug, forcing her to drop to her knees. "Charlie's happy to see you!"

"Who's Charlie?" She pulled back and smoothed down the little girl's hair before placing her hands on her cheeks. He couldn't help but notice how tightly the little girl squeezed her, almost like she was holding onto a lifeline.

She pointed to her bear. "This is Charlie. She's glad she can finally meet you. Who's your friend?" It was so matter-of-fact that he couldn't help but giggle at that. In some ways, it was like watching a miniature Teresa. His girlfriend smiled up at him, so he squatted down to Annabeth's eye level to make introductions.

"I'm Patrick."

"Hi Patrick. I'm Annabeth. This is Charlie. Are you Aunt Reese's boyfriend? My daddy keeps saying she's bringing her 'damn boyfriend' along with her."

He chuckled lightly, but Teresa's reddening face didn't escape his notice. No one was more truthful than a child. "That's me."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Ok."

"Annabeth, where's your daddy?"

She frowned a bit. If he hadn't seen Teresa's features in her before, he definitely saw it now. "He's still sleeping. You can come in, if you want." With that, she grabbed Teresa's hand and pulled her through the door.

As they entered through the living area, he noticed the house was a bit unkempt. Clothes and empty food and beverage containers were flung around the living room. He wasn't exactly born with a spoon in his mouth and he was accustomed to crashing wherever during his carnival years, so it didn't bother him. However, it was customary to declutter knowing that guests were coming. From the look on her face, he could tell Teresa was having similar thoughts right now.

"Aunt Reese, can we go get breakfast?" Teresa eyed him with suspicion. He didn't know her brother that well, but he did know they were coming this morning, and it was almost noon. Annabeth would've been awake for hours already.

"You haven't eaten yet, sweetie?"

The little girl shook her head. "I eat cereal, but we ran out yesterday. I think daddy forgot to get some...when he was out." Her mood seemed to sour a bit as she finished the sentence.

"Well, we can go get breakfast, but I should tell daddy we are here first. I don't want him to wake up and get scared because you're gone." The little girl shrugged her shoulders, but this time, it was a shrug of indifference. "I'll go get him."

"He had a sleepover. I think his friend is still here. Are you sleeping over tonight?"

Teresa's eyes widened. "We are! I'm just going to go check on daddy and his friend."

"So Annabeth, what do you and Charlie like to eat?" He engaged the little girl in conversation while Teresa went to wake her brother and his guest. He couldn't judge the situation. After all, it wasn't long ago that he was a man whose wife had just left him, leaving him barely able to function. It could really mess someone up.

"What the hell, Tommy? Who is this bitch?" He heard a woman's voice from the back bedroom.

"I'm his sister. Who the fuck are you? And maybe keep your voice down because his kid is right outside!" Now, that was Teresa. Her accent was heavier than he'd ever heard it before.

"Just calm down! Reese, give us a minute!"

"Yeah, whatever! Take your time. I'm taking Annabeth to get breakfast." She slammed the door before reappearing in the kitchen with a fake smile now plastered on her face.

"Let's go get breakfast!" Annabeth's face lit up at that declaration.

They walked a few blocks to a local diner. He had to take off his jacket because he started sweating like he was in a sauna. She did warn him that late summer in Chicago would be humid, but he didn't think it would be that big of a deal. It was nothing like the Northern California climate he was used to.

They ended up at a local diner called Mikey's. It was a small restaurant that was almost like a corner shop decorated in all kinds of sports memorabilia. He could only make out the different teams and the sport because those things had become familiar to him since meeting Teresa.

"Hey it almost looks like home!" She swatted at his chest playfully.

"Mikey's has been here longer than I've been alive. It's a neighborhood spot. My first job was here."

"Oh is that right?" Before he could tease her more, a silver-haired elderly man in a green apron approached them.

"Little Reese Lisbon, is that you?"

"Mr. Ryan! How are you?" She embraced the older man.

"I'm still standing upright, so I can't complain too much! I can't believe you're here visiting us!"

She smiled at him. "I am here for a few days. My niece, Annabeth, wanted some breakfast, so I thought we would stop by!"

"Oh yeah. Tommy's little girl." Almost imperceptibly, the man grimaced a little before turning his attention on him. "And who's this?"

"This is my boyfriend."

"Patrick Jane." He extended his hand to the old man, who had a surprisingly strong grip.

"Hmm. Boyfriend, you said?" The older man was definitely looking him over. He was beginning to wonder if he'd meet a single man in Teresa's life who wouldn't immediately size him up and question his intentions with her.

She nodded. "Yep."

He chuckled. "Well, I suppose if he treats you right, I can't say anything about it. I am just sad that you won't consider becoming a Ryan. I've been trying to make that work for years!"

She laughed at that as Patrick's eyes went wide. Was this old man seriously hitting on her right now? He seated them.

"Are you still out in California?"

"I am."

"Still in the police business?"

"Definitely."

The older man nudged her shoulder. "That's my girl! Always a tough one! Are the breakfast specials all right?"

"Yep! And maybe some coffees."

"Juice for me, please!"

The older man tousled Annabeth's hair. "You've got it, sweet pea."

"So did I hear him correctly. He's been trying to marry you for years?"

She cackled, making Annabeth follow suit and giggle. "A man with observational skills like yours, and that was your take away?"

He shrugged. "It's what it seemed like. Now, I suppose I'm missing something."

"Look around again."

There was a lot of Bears memorabilia up with some of the other Chicago teams around. Clearly, Mr. Ryan was a fan of football...ah! He saw it now. There was a photo of a boy with blond hair in a football uniform and another of the same boy but a little older. Looking behind the counter, he saw another of the boy but as a young man in an Illinois uniform standing next to a young Teresa. She was nestled into his side with her head leaned against his chest and his arm around her.

"Ah! I take it the Ryan he wanted to marry you off to is his son."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "In fact, Little Mikey Ryan was my first boyfriend at the ripe old age of 10."

"Aunt Reese, you had a boyfriend at 10? Daddy said I can't have a boyfriend until I'm 30, but I don't care. Boys are disgusting!"

They both laughed at her proclamation. Teresa responded to her inquiry. "Well, I did, but we broke up after a week. He said I couldn't be his girlfriend and play hockey with the boys. He said I could only be a cheerleader and watch him play. I didn't like it, so I said no thank you. Besides, boys are kinda gross, huh?"

She winked at him, but both of the Lisbon girls grinned at each other. Both of them held a bit of mischief behind their smiles, though for different reasons. He could tell Teresa had kept that story child-friendly for Annabeth's sake. Later, she would inform him that she and Mikey Ryan tried to make it work a few more times through their teen years. In fact, he was her first lover. It just didn't work out because even as they got older, he still hoped to tame her while she had other plans. All he knew was that sucked for Mikey.

"So Annabeth, you're starting school this year?" He didn't really know of any other conversation starters with five year olds.

The little girl nodded at him as she chewed on her toast. "Yep, but daddy still hasn't taken me over to the school yet."

"Are you excited?"

"I guess so. Aunt Reese, will you take me shopping before you leave?"

She swallowed her sip of coffee. "Sure, baby. We can go school shopping."

Their breakfast came out and they continued chatting while eating. While Teresa admitted she didn't spend as much time with her niece as she'd like, the little girl clearly looked up to her aunt. After breakfast, they returned to Tommy's house. His guest was gone and the living room was in a much better state than when they arrived.

"Hey guys." Tommy hugged Teresa, but Annabeth didn't gravitate toward her father. She stayed near his side. It wasn't peculiar for a child her age to be so taken with a stranger, especially one who had just entertained her through breakfast, but her reaction to her father was a little strange.

He extended his hand for Patrick to take it. Taking his hand, he noticed how shaky his grip was. "I'm sorry about before. I'm Tommy."

"Patrick. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Sorry for the mess earlier. I didn't have time to pick up."

"Not a problem at all."

"You guys can take the spare room."

"Thank you for letting us stay here."

"Yeah, sure. So Reese, we should probably talk about the paperwork."

"I checked into it yesterday, but...have you talked to Annabeth yet?"

He shook his head "no." From their breakfast conversation, it was beyond clear Annabeth didn't know why they were there. Briefly, he wondered how the little girl would react, but then, he noticed how tightly she squeezed Charlie now. Tommy seemed anxious to get this done, not like a parent agonizing over separating from their child. Not only did that pretty much confirm his observations and thoughts since their arrival, but he wondered just how temporary this situation was meant to be.

"Well, I think we should talk to her first." Teresa took Annabeth's hand and sat down, bringing the little girl to sit next to her. "Annabeth, sweetie, I want to tell you why Patrick and I are here."

She furrowed her little brows. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, sweetie. You're not in trouble. Patrick and I are here because we want you to come stay with us for a little while, in California."

"By the ocean?"

She smiled at the little girl. "Well, we don't live by the ocean, but we won't be far. Daddy asked us if you can come visit for a while. We are here to take you back with us if it's ok with you."

"Is Daddy coming too?" She finally looked to her father, her bright green eyes alive with hope.

"No, just you."

"Oh." Her face fell a bit.

Then, Tommy took a knee next to them. "Sweetie, it will be better for you, and you will have a lot of fun with your Aunt Reese. It's for the best."

"You don't want me here anymore."

"No!" Teresa exclaimed but very softly. "That's not what daddy means."

"Mommy doesn't want me anymore."

"That's not true. It's not about you. Sometimes, things are hard for adults, Annabeth. Your mommy and daddy want what's best for you while they work on the hard stuff. That's all." Letting Teresa give the answer, Tommy remained silent with his eyes closed. That confirmed his other thought. Her brother wasn't just working something out; he was fighting demons. It's why Annabeth lit up at the thought of her father going on a vacation. In the innocence of a child's mind, it seemed logical to her that a vacation was magic that could return her father to her.

He wondered whether he should tell Teresa-or if she would just get angry at him. After all, he didn't know her brother even if he could read people really well. He made a split second decision to stay quiet for now.

After a moment of silence for Annabeth to think about things, Teresa spoke again. "So what do you say? You come stay with us for a little while? We'll have fun, and you can tell people how you went to school in California when you come back to Chicago." She leaned into the side of the girl's head. "They'll think you're cool."

Annabeth laughed. "Okay! But can Charlie come too?"

"Of course, Charlie is welcome too! I think we have space for her."

"And can we go to the ocean?"

"We will go at least once."

Her little green eyes met his, and he smiled at her. The innocence of children was something beyond precious. Though, he suspected her innocence was starting to erode as she developed demons of her own that led her to think she was unwanted. He recognized that feeling.

That evening, Teresa's other brothers came over for dinner. Tommy finally went to the store, bringing back some meats for the grill, along with other cookout fixings, three bottles of whisky and a few cases of beer. Since this morning, Teresa seemed a thousand miles away from him-but her mask slipped briefly when she saw what her brother brought back from the store as her eyes filled with disappointment and sadness.

Meeting Jimmy and Stan was fun. They were funny guys, like she had described them. Stan's wife, Karen, was a bit quiet. She and Teresa were meeting for the first time. Apparently, Stan eloped and she had no time to meet or get to know Karen before now. They made attempts at small talk, but Karen seemed rather uncomfortable. Though whether her discomfort was at meeting her sister-in-law for the first or at being at the house was a bit unclear.

After dinner, they sat in Tommy's backyard chatting. Of course, Annabeth gravitated toward her aunts, sitting in Teresa's lap and performing songs for her. Her favorite right now seemed to be the ABC song. At some point, Teresa got Karen to warm up and talk a bit more as Jimmy had a lot of questions for him.

"So what kind of cars do you sell exactly?"

He shrugged. "High end cars that I can get my hands on. Some new and some used. There's a big market for them in Northern California. People like to show off."

"And how long have you been doing this?"

"About 15 years total. I started out small before I got to where I'm at now. I used to buy a car or two here and there, restore them, and flip them to sell."

"Hmm. And how did a fancy car salesman meet my sister? Did she arrest you? I know she sure as hell didn't buy a fancy car!" Jimmy started laughing as he took a sip of his beer.

He returned the laugh before catching his girlfriend's glare.

"Shut up, Jimmy!" Her voice was high pitched, indicating her slight embarrassment at her brother's proclamation.

While Teresa feeling at home in a place like Lenny's made even more sense after spending some time with her family, he doubted she would appreciate her brothers knowing that whole story. "She didn't arrest me. We met at a bar."

He nudged Stan's shoulder. "You hear that, Stan? Saint Teresa goes to bars and picks up men at bars. I wonder what else we will learn about her new life tonight?"

"Shut up!" It didn't take long for them to get back into their patterns of teasing each other.

Tommy, who had already made a sizable dent in one bottle of whisky by himself, pulled his chair up next to Patrick. Teresa's eyes darkened a bit at the sight, but she didn't say anything. "Please, Jimmy. Same old Reese. She was probably hustling him when they met."

Patrick laughed. "That's actually right." She tried to smack his hand, but instead, he captured her hand, holding it in his own.

"Cards or pool?"

"Pool. She beat me, but then, she gave me the chance to beat her, paving the way for me to make a good impression and steal her heart all at the same time."

"Oh ha ha ha." She rolled her eyes at him, but the smile on her face said it all.

"She's always been good at the game and competitive as all hell. Maybe too good. Certainly too good for Chicago and her family." He tilted his glass, which was empty. "I need another drink. You guys need anything? Annabeth! It's time for bed."

Annabeth started to look tired, battling to keep her eyes open with her head leaned against Teresa's chest. "But daddy, I want to stay with Aunt Reese."

"You'll be with her as much as you want soon enough. You'll be her problem then. Now, go get your ass ready for bed!"

Teresa hugged her niece. "It's ok. Do as your daddy says. I'll be here in the morning. Give your uncles and your Aunt Karen a hug."

She hugged Teresa and did as she told her. "And maybe learn to listen when I tell you to do something the first time, Annabeth. I won't have you disobeying me! Get in the house!" Teresa looked like someone had just slapped her across the face. They sat there quietly until both Tommy and Annabeth disappeared into the house.

Karen looked at Stan and motioned toward the driveway. "Well, guys, I think we're gonna call it a night."

"How long?" All eyes were on Teresa.

"How long what?" Jimmy spoke up, but he should've just stayed quiet.

"Don't fuck around like you don't know what I'm talking about. How long has he been drinking?"

There was another moment of silence. Not that he had ever really had to deal with family like this because his dad just did his thing and took off. Though, knowing her past, he couldn't imagine this felt like a very easy conversation for any of them.

Stan exhaled sharply. "Honestly, I don't know when it started. It got bad about three months back." He stopped abruptly, like he wanted to say more.

"What? Just tell me."

In a show of support, Karen took Stan's hand before he continued. "Mel left because...well, she has her own problems. He got drunk and beat her. I had to go get him out of lock up. The next day, she brought Annabeth over and said she was going out to wherever she's from in Indiana to stay with her sister."

She started rubbing her arms, as if searching for comfort. He put his arm around her shoulders to steady her. There was another exaggerated pause. "Has he hit Annabeth?"

Jimmy spoke up now. "No! I mean, I don't think so. We try to look out for her."

"You try to look out for her? Jimmy, she's five. She needs more than someone just trying to look out for her."

"T, we have lives to manage, too."

Even as her anger flared, he could see tears pooling in her eyes. "You have lives to manage?"

Stan spoke. "You live in California. You don't know what's going on here. Annabeth actually keeps Tommy squared up. It could be worse."

Suddenly, the rage that had pooled in her eyes flowed straight out of her mouth. "Mind who the fuck you are talking to right now! I don't know what's going on here? If I didn't suspect something was wrong with the half-baked, hurried plan to ship her out on a plane to me by herself, I sure as hell figured it out when I came in the front door. It's not her job to keep him squared up. She is a child!"

Both of her brothers looked away in shame as she continued in a tearful voice. "I took the brunt of every one of dad's drunken tirades. Every time his fists flew, I was at the end of them-not you. When he was done beating me and telling me what a disappointing little bitch of a daughter I was, I cleaned him up when he was so drunk and blacked out that he pissed himself or puked in the bed. I made sure the bills got paid and social services didn't come knocking on the door. Why? Because good daughters take care of their fathers no matter how bad they treat them. And that's bullshit is what it is! You-all three of you-got to be kids because I had to be an adult and take care of everything. And who took care of me? Who took care of the teenage girl who lost her mother and had to deal with her father's constant anger? No one. So don't you dare tell me it could be worse when you don't know the first thing about the pain and anger that I carry around to this day! She deserves better, and if her parents can't do better by her, then we should. We have to."

There was a heavy silence until Tommy reappeared a few minutes later. Not only had he filled his glass, but he brought a fresh bottle out with him. She wiped the tear that fell down her cheek at the sight of her brother.

Once again, Karen gave Stan the signal. "We're going to get going. Come here, sis." He pulled her into a tight hug before looking at him. He stood and took the man's hand. "You take good care of my sister and my niece out there in California."

"Will do. It was nice meeting you."

Jimmy was next. "I guess it's time for me to get going, too." He hugged Teresa and shook his hand. With the pace that the brothers left, he wondered if maybe they should also seek other arrangements for the evening. Then, he remembered Teresa told Annabeth that she would be there in the morning. She wouldn't break her promise to her niece.

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The next morning, Teresa was already in the kitchen working on breakfast when he woke up.

"Good morning." He kissed her lips before pulling her into a hug. Last night was rough for her. More than likely, his presence was all that stood between her and crying herself to sleep. He held her flush against his chest until she fell asleep, whispering into her ear "I'm here now," "I love you," and "you are enough." It was all true, and she would hear it all from now on because he was here to take care of her now.

"Eww!" Even before he saw her, Annabeth's little voice snapped him back to reality.

He turned to see her drawing at the table. "Well, good morning to you too, little lady."

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't have any tea. You'll have to drink coffee or orange juice this morning."

His eyes widened. "Orange juice, you say? I love orange juice! They still make that one with Donald Duck on the carton?"

Annabeth giggled as Teresa eyed him suspiciously. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but it's in a plastic jug in the refrigerator. I'll grab a glass for you."

"Is Tommy still asleep?"

"He is-but I told him that if we were up early, that we would go down to Navy Pier. I thought you might like to see it, and it would be a nice day out for Annabeth, too."

"Oh that sounds great." It was already after 10. It was not early, and he doubted she told Tommy anything last night. No, she was already in a nesting mode of sorts. She wanted to put on a show for Annabeth that an adult was in charge and everything was fine.

After breakfast, he got his first lesson in taking public transit in Chicago. He was fascinated by the concept that you could basically take a subway everywhere-and people did it! As a car salesman, it could put him out of business, but he wondered why they didn't do this in California. It might make the traffic situation more manageable.

Navy Pier was a gorgeous sight. Obviously, he'd seen large bodies of water numerous times in his life. He just didn't expect to see a place like this on a lake with a great view of the city. The views of the city juxtaposed to the wonders of nature were breathtaking. Of course, Annabeth was most interested in the rides and games-and of course, he obliged her on every single one of them. Twice.

With his own upbringing, he wasn't taken by the rides and games, but Annabeth was having a great time. He even won her a large stuffed animal at the ring toss, which put a smile on her face. Of course, he knew exactly how it was rigged, so it wasn't that hard to win it for her, but her genuine smile and gratitude made him feel like a superhero. He made a mental note to watch for when his old carnival family would be near Sacramento again.

As they stopped at the sports shop, she tugged on his hand, making him look down at her. "Is it ok if I call you Uncle Patrick?"

She was a child and didn't quite understand that a title like that meant something more than just being her aunt's boyfriend. He wasn't sure how to answer that question, and Teresa was off shopping. Seriously, two days ago, he would've sworn that she didn't have it in her. Now, she had clothing and blankets draped over her arms with smaller trinkets in her hands. He had no idea how they were getting that back home without buying another suitcase, and he'd have to rush the register to try to pay for at least the stuff she was holding that was meant for him to wear on game night. But the hopeful look in Annabeth's sparkling eyes determined how he would answer her question.

"Yeah, I think that's fine. I'd like that."

The little girl squeezed his hand and hugged his side. Well, obviously, now he had a duty to spoil the absolute hell out of her!

As he expected, when he met Teresa at the register, she argued with him about trying to pay.

"I picked this stuff out, and I'm buying it!"

"Um, no. You're not. Most of that is for me. I'm paying."

The woman behind the register rolled her eyes in annoyance at them. "Maybe you could settle it up later because I have a line."

That was his window. He nudged Teresa over, and slid his card into the reader. He'd catch hell later, but he wasn't letting her drop hundreds of dollars on stuff for him. She never asked him for anything, but he would happily get her anything she wanted.

She huffed. "Fine, but dinner is on me."

"Dinner is on you." He kissed the side of her head as Annabeth giggled once again. At least they kept her entertained.

For dinner, they got back on the train and went into the city to eat at a nice pizzeria. He was finally able to try the pizza that she talked about nonstop, while declaring everything in Sacramento was just ok.

As their drinks arrived, he teased her. "Tonight is the test of whether your pizza opinions are valid."

"Um, they are very valid. You will see. We have the best pizza in the world. Right, Annabeth?"

The little girl nodded vigorously. "Right!"

"Hmm. Clearly you indoctrinate them young here."

She threw her straw paper at him. "Quiet."

Their round, flat pizza arrived with toppings that she called "around the world." He expected that she would make him try a deep dish, but it didn't look appealing to him, so he was glad she went with this other version. She took the spatula and started apportioning slices.

"Chicago's finest. Dig in!"

One bite in, and it was the richest, most flavorful pizza he'd ever tasted. He could see where she was coming from, but he wasn't necessarily ready to admit that. He let the fact that he ate nearly half of the large pizza himself do the talking. Of course, she had a smug look on her face as she settled up the bill so they could head back to Tommy's.

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As promised, Tommy got Melanie's signature. The wonders of the technology age never ceased to amaze him in how all of this could be done over the internet because by the end of the day, she'd signed the paperwork. He was also drunk when they got back.

Before Tommy sent her to bed, Annabeth gave Teresa a hug. "Good night, Aunt Reese."

"Good night, baby."

Then, to his slight surprise but definitely to Teresa and Tommy's surprise, she gave him a hug. "Good night, Uncle Patrick."

"Good night, Annabeth." She really was a sweet child.

"Annabeth…" He knew what she was going to say, so he stopped her right there.

"It's ok." As Tommy went to get Annabeth to bed, she looked at him questioningly.

"She asked me earlier if she could call me 'Uncle Patrick.' I really don't mind, and besides, it's a way that she can process an attachment to me with her child's mind."

"Oh ok. Well, as long as you don't mind."

He smiled before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I don't. I'll go see what I can find for us tomorrow evening."

She nodded at that. They agreed to find a flight out when they had the necessary signatures. Her attorney friend called in a favor, and he'd have the papers in front of a judge first thing in the morning. She was more than ready to get home, and he couldn't blame her.

"I'll see if I can start getting Annabeth's things together." With that, they were off. After booking their flights, he made a mental note of things they'd need to take care of this week.

Before taking off to Chicago, they had no time to discuss anything or make any plans for Annabeth-not that he knew the full extent of the plans they needed to make. After seeing her room, he thought they'd probably need to go out and get some child friendly bedding and decor for the guest bedroom. She seemed to like princesses a lot. A few toys and books wouldn't hurt either. Maybe they could arrange a shopping trip this week.

He also wondered if Teresa had given any thought to where they would enroll Annabeth. Teresa was a product of Catholic school, and he wondered if that was important for Annabeth, too. He found a Catholic school nearby and researched their curriculum and tuition. As a kid, he barely attended school unless he had to because their lifestyle didn't allow for it. He was mostly enrolled at the school of hard knocks. After reading their website, he thought this school might be a good pick for Annabeth. If not, they could poke around more when they arrived back to Sacramento. He'd talk to Teresa about the school he'd found on the flight tomorrow.

After the papers were signed and entered on Monday morning, they made sure Annabeth had everything she wanted to bring with her-and securing a few extra suitcases-they were packed and ready to go.

"Annabeth, you mind your Aunt Teresa."

"Yes, daddy." The little girl looked uncertain, almost like she was torn between a smile and crying. Of course, she'd had a great time with them this weekend, having excursions around Chicago. But going across the country to be away from her parents for an undisclosed amount of time was clearly causing her some anxiety, especially when her father was already acting a bit distant. Teresa had her hand rubbing small circles on the little girl's back to comfort her.

"Go give daddy a hug."

The hug lingered for a moment. "Ok, Annabeth that's enough."

"Daddy, please don't send me away! I promise I'll be good!" Here came the tears. Teresa looked at him, and he shook his head. They both expected it might come to this, and they had a contingency plan if it did.

"It's ok, honey. We are going to have some fun in California for a little bit." Teresa stooped to meet her on her level, placing her hands on her arms and trying to turn her little body toward her.

But that didn't work as she dug her heels in and started to wail. Tommy just grunted in frustration, trying to peel her off of him. "That's enough! Why are you causing a scene? We talked about this."

Teresa glared at her brother in a way that made him think if looks could kill, her brother would be laid out on the ground. When Annabeth didn't budge, he joined Teresa in trying to appeal to the little girl. The last thing they wanted to do was pull her out of the house kicking and screaming and making the situation more traumatic for her.

"Don't you want to see the ocean? I thought you said you wanted to see the ocean. You can't see it here in Chicago." She turned her teary eyes toward him. "We can go see the ocean in California, but we have to catch our plane first. Come on."

He held his hand out to her, as Teresa rubbed her back once more. She seemed to be thinking about it, as she looked up at her father. He stood there emotionlessly. The fact that Tommy had awareness enough to know he couldn't take proper care of his daughter and that she would be better off with her aunt suggested a man who loved his daughter-but he was also looking to make a clean break. This was getting messy.

"It's ok. Come on, honey. We'll call daddy when we get home." Teresa prodded her again with a soft voice.

Finally, she turned away from her father with a child's look of disappointment in her eyes. Teresa caught it too, as she closed her eyes briefly before taking her niece's hand. Without further words, they left Tommy's house and headed back to the airport in a yellow taxi cab. Annabeth clung to Charlie and her aunt, still tearful but not openly sobbing, as Teresa stroked her dark brown hair. With Annabeth between them, he wrapped his arm around Teresa's shoulders. She kept her cool because years of experience taught her she had to, but he could also see the hurt in her eyes as they drove away.

After getting their luggage checked and getting through security, they stopped at an ice cream shop. He wagered that if anything could help change a child's mood, even if temporarily, it was ice cream. It turned out his gamble was correct, as Annabeth's mood changed a bit as she worked on her cup of orange dreamsicle.

She also took the time to ask more questions about California. "Will I have my own room?"

Teresa nodded. "Of course."

"Does Uncle Patrick get to stay too?"

Teresa laughed at that as he took her hand and pretended to be hurt. "He does get to stay. He lives at our house, too."

The little girl nodded. "Is it cold?"

"Not like Chicago."

He chimed in. "We even go to the ocean in the winter time! That's how not like Chicago it is."

Annabeth giggled. "Are there sharks in the ocean?"

"No!" Teresa exclaimed.

"What's my bedtime?"

"8 o'clock on school nights." She answered sternly, but he doubted she knew how to tell time yet. Though, he appreciated the attempt to slide that in under the wire.

After finishing her ice cream, Teresa decided to take her to the bathroom. As he picked up their trash and watched their bags, an older man approached him.

"Excuse me, young man."

"Yes?"

"I've been sitting here just a bit before you and your family sat down. You have a gorgeous family! It's so nice to see a young man so in love with his wife and attentive to his daughter." His eyes went wide. "Oh, no. Nothing to be ashamed of. Being a family man is something you should be proud of. I'm afraid this generation of men is losing the sense that there's nothing stronger than the love a man has for his family."

Admittedly, the man's comments flustered him. He didn't know how to even begin to respond to that. He smiled. "Thank you very much."

The older man slapped him on his back and turned to walk away. Inexplicably, the smile was still plastered on his face but only grew wider as Teresa and Annabeth approached.

"What are you smiling at?"

For some reason, he felt the urge to kiss her. He reached over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Just glad you're back is all. Would hate to make that long flight without my two best ladies."

Annabeth giggled as Teresa smiled shyly. "Well, let's get going."

"Can I sit by the window? Or is it really scary?"

He smiled at her question before taking her little hand in his. "You can sit by the window. It's not scary at all! Besides, me and your Aunt Teresa are here with you, kiddo. You're perfectly safe."

As they got settled on the plane, he couldn't shake a strange feeling that settled over him. It was like his subconscious knew something his conscious mind hadn't yet caught up with. Once they were in the air and the excitement of being airborne wore off, Annabeth was fast asleep.

Teresa looked lost in thought. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together and drawing her attention to him. She grinned at him. "Thank you for coming with me this weekend."

"It was a good weekend trip."

"All things considered."

He shrugged. "She's a great kid, and he's in a tough spot. It was nice all the same."

"Well, I'm glad you were here with me. Having your support means the world to me. I hope you know that." Her green eyes sparkled as spoke.

"And I hope you know that you mean the world to me." She leaned over and kissed him. "So I was wondering if we should take Annabeth shopping for bedroom decorations and school clothes tomorrow? I called a Catholic school not far from the house earlier today, and they are still enrolling kindergarten. They said we could drop by tomorrow or Wednesday to tour the school and meet with administration."

She blinked rapidly a few times. "You called a school?"

She sounded surprised. "I...I didn't mean to overstep, but I was just poking around. I know you wanted to get everything settled this week. Sorry if I was out of line."

She squeezed his hand. "No, you're not out of line. I just...hadn't got that far in my thinking quite yet. I'd love to go see the school. Is it Sacred Heart?"

"Yes, and it might be a bit pricey, but…" She held her hand up. He knew from the moment he started poking around schools that he'd have to fight her on being able to contribute financially. He'd gone from a relationship where money was everything to one where she could care less. She wouldn't even let him make a mortgage payment! He even tried to convince her to let him pay alternating months at the very least, but she told him that she had invited him to live there and as such, he owed her nothing. It was a funny turn of events, but he'd already come up with a plan to start leaving a "rent" check on her dresser to cover the school fees if necessary. He just wasn't sure the money would come up so soon.

"I belong to Sacred Heart, so it's likely less. We can find out tomorrow. Thank you for checking into that."

"Just doing what I can to help."

She smiled at that. "You know, you're really good with kids, Patrick. You helped soothe Annabeth, and frankly, she adores you. You also stay two steps ahead in thinking about how to make her life as comfortable as possible when she's with us. I really appreciate that, you know? And I know she does, too."

He was going to respond, but his words caught in his throat at the site of Teresa glowing in adoration...for him. It practically radiated from her, and it was so much that he thought it might consume him whole. He caught sight of a sleeping Annabeth nestled into Teresa's other side as she had her other arm around the little girl. He wondered if their daughter would resemble Teresa, too. Suddenly, his mind caught up.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her as his mind worked through its own revelation. She was talking, but he wasn't following her words. His mind was racing, as he tried to stay grounded and focused on the most important woman in his world. Today, that was enough-but in an instant, his hopes for the future-their future-grew exponentially as he visualized his greatest desire. He wanted a family with her. The only question was when, not if, he could make that desire a reality.