Soooooo... I forgot to update on this site, so I'll try to get leveled out in the next week, no promises. Like before it's a couple chapters from spacebattles meshed together so it starts from Danny's perspective and switches back to Ben for this one, enjoy.

Danny got home fairly late in the evening, which had been the norm ever since...not thinking about it, and the first thing he noticed were all the lights were off and there was no aroma of a home cooked meal. Ever since that snarky boy entered her life Taylor had actually taken to making meals enough for three, and if it didn't get finished off she'd take it to school for said snarker. Which on one hand, hurt that it took the boy entering her life, and ostensibly replacing him, in order for her to become more active. On the other, she really had fallen pretty hard for the kid and he honestly did make her happy.

Regardless he was going to check if Taylor was awake, so trudging up the stairs he opened the door slowly to check on her...and she was in her bed, with the boy. Feeling his rage boil over he was about to crash into the room when Benjamin lifted a hand, raised a finger, then gently pulled the covers back and... The boy was still dressed, hell he had his shoes on still, pulling the covers over Taylor he leaned down kissed her brow, then motioned for Danny to lead the way.

Neither saw Taylor open one eye, frowning.

Entering the kitchen, Danny made an aggressive sit down motion at the table and the boy did so, looking infuriatingly calm.

Ben sighed, then began speaking, "For starters, Taylor is in fact still a virgin. Though I will admit there was some very... hot and heavy making out. No I did not initiate it, and no I regret nothing. Now, your turn Mister Hebert."

This... was why the kid annoyed Danny so much, aside from him dating his daughter... Sarcastic little ass reminded him way too much of himself at times and it grated.

Gritting his teeth Danny ground out, "Why were you in my daughters bed?"

He shrugged, "She wanted to cuddle and take a nap and your couch is too small for it."

Danny blinked, "That... that's it?"

Ben adjusted his glasses then shook his head slowly, "Sir, I love your daughter, and deeply respect her. Will we go all the way one day? If we're still together when we're eighteen, sure, but it'll be her decision, not mine."

The only thing Danny could do was stare at the boy for roughly thirty seconds, let out a tired sigh as he ran a hand over his face, all while muttering, "You are one rare breed kid..."

He smiled and nodded, "Yes sir, on that note if I was like other teenage boys Taylor would likely want nothing to do with me by all rights."

They sat in silence for a time when Danny finally asked, "What set this off? All I've seen you two do his hold hands and kiss each other on the cheek."

That caused Ben to look a bit nervous, good.

He sighed then spoke up, "Ok gonna give you the Cliff Notes version, I do coding on the side, I'm very good at what I do as well. So on the side I do black hat work and-"

Danny raised a hand quickly asking, "Black hat?"

"A hacker, just specialized is all. So anyway I was able to break into that crazy Bitch's phone records and found a series of texts that umm...infuriated me."

So it went on, his attack on Emma, interrogating her, feeling bad for it and dragging her to see Panacea to cover the evidence. Danny let out what felt like his twentieth sigh of the night shaking his head slowly.

"You kid, are one ruthlessly determined young man."

"Taylor was in potential danger, I had to get answers, so I got them. I'm not apologizing, I love her and will do everything in my power to protect her without stifling her."

"Fine... just, don't go interrogating people like that again please, also what was in the phone records that set you off?"

That made the boy freeze as his eyes widened perceptibly, well that can't be good.

"Sir..." he began tentatively, "I... didn't even tell Taylor what that nutcase had planned. I don't want her to know but I did tell her if she wanted to, I'd come clean with the facts."

"Son, what did those crazy bitches have planned for my little girl?"

Ben took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, rested his face in his hands, and after a few moments he exhaled as his head rose and he met Danny's gaze evenly, "Sophia was making arrangements with some upper classmen to chase her down and gang rape her, and tape it."

You could hear a pin drop as he quickly continued, "I had no idea if the ginger bitch had any hand in it so... I needed to know."

Danny was doing his best to stay calm, and failing, the young man sitting across from him actually looking a bit nervous and fidgety.

After a time, Danny said, "Ben, thank you for protecting my daughter, if something like this happens again, god forbid, please let me know before you do as you do. OK?"

"Uh... yes sir!"

Danny stood shaking his head slowly while motioning to the door, "Why don't you head home for the night, it's getting late. Make sure to text your girl so she knows I didn't bury you in the backyard."

The kid nodded slowly and left the house.

Danny remained quiet for a time, then muttered, "I need a drink..."

Upstairs Taylor sat in her bed, wide eyed, pale faced, and the only reason she didn't have a breakdown was the fact that she had to shunt far too many of her emotions into her swarm.

When my alarm went off I groggily lifted my head and glared at it with all the spite I could manage to muster up, sadly my ire did not in fact cause it to erupt into flames. Thus I had to roll out of bed, trip over my goddamn bookbag, and then trudged across the room to dope smack the damn thing to the floor with a clatter.

With that I heard my mom yell out from downstairs, "Benny stop busting your alarm clocks, if you broke it that'll be your third this month and it will be coming out of your allowance!"

Ugh, we weren't even three weeks into January...

Stretching and yawning I took my shower, got dressed for the school day I wanted no part of, then checked my phone messages.

I froze when I saw there was only one message and who it was from.

Cuddlebug: Benny please come home, I really need to talk.

That had been sent two hours ago and didn't sound good.

FUCK!

Ditching my bag I ran down the stairs two steps at a time and slid past my mom on sock clad feet to stop before the closet. Picking up my shoes and hopping around like an idiot as I pulled them on I shot mom an exhausted look while nearly toppling over, but I didn't so some dignity retained.

"Mom skipping class Taylor needs me and she's still...fragile. Sorry, seriously."

She shook her head slowly muttering, "So whipped... Alright Ben, do you want a ride there?"

I shot her a grateful smiled and nodded, "Thanks, mom."

The ride only took twenty minutes, as we pulled into the Heberts driveway mom glanced at me and asked, "Do you want me to stick around?"

Sighing I shook my head slowly, "Probably best to just take off, I can take the bus home, thanks for the ride."

She patted my hand as I popped the door and called out, "Take care of your girl."

I didn't bother knocking, I knew where the spare key was hidden in the gutter and it was obvious Danny wasn't home so why bother. I was panicking a little and I know I'm being a little manic about this but after what she'd gone through...

Taking the stairs two at a time I got to Taylor's room, the door was open, the lights were off, the blinds were closed, and I heard crying.

"Taylor? I'm going to turn the lights on alright?"

Flicking the lights on I suddenly felt that my panic was well deserved.

Taylor was sitting in the middle of her bed, clutching her childhood teddy bear, her face blotchy from obvious hours of crying, her eyes were badly bloodshot, and she just looked like... I don't know, like she'd just had it with the world.

She glanced up at me blurry eyed, and simply opened her arms in invitation, I sat down on the bed and pulled her into my arms as we lay down, and let her cry on my shoulder until she was ready to talk.

Eventually she whispered out, "I heard you and dad talking last night, about what Sophia wanted to do to me..."

FUCK! FUCKING SHITTING MOTHER FUCKING HELL!

I tightened my hold on her as I muttered back, "I'm sorry Cuddlebug, I really am. I... I really didn't want you to know for a reason."

She nodded into my shoulder, "Ignorance is bliss, I wish I hadn't been listening in."

Yeah... me too...

"Can't blame you for being curious hon."

She let out a wet snort at that, "I wasn't curious I was worried dad was going to hit you in the head with a tack hammer."

Aw, "Well we settled things I think, I honestly thought we'd never get along but it looks like keeping you safe is a bonding moment between us."

She sighed at that, "You must think I'm weak..."

"No, you were ganged up on by a violent psychopath, a traitor who knew all your secrets, and their gang of hangers on. Even then with the locker you were completely blindsided with that one. As for Sophia's plan... I'm fairly certain any woman would have a minor freak out at the least if someone was planning to do that to them. So in short, no, I don't think you're weak, so stop beating yourself up on that."

She let out a sniff and was quiet for a time, "Why does she hate me so much?"

"With that I only have one answer for you, she's a psychopath and to paraphrase from a rather good movie, some people just want to watch the world burn."

She let out a wry snort, cuddled in closer to me, then muttered, "I'd like to take a nap now, I've been up all night, will you stay with me?"

As if she had to ask, "Of course."

Less then thirty seconds later she was softly snoring in my ear, and that left me time to contemplate a very important matter.

Do I wait until Sophia is eighteen and gets out of juvenile detention to kill her, or do I find some way to expediate matters... something to mull on.

AND that's it for this arc! Next chapter is going to have a time jump at which point Taylor comes clean to the boys about being a parahuman, mostly because she wanted to finish her costume to show it off to them. Ben is going to think it is pretty hardcore that her suit is made out of black widow silk, but both he and Danny are going to try their best to talk her out of this super hero thing.

Good thing Taylor isn't known for being stubborn, reckless, and ruthlessly pragmatic or anything, I'm sure they'll be able to talk some sense into her...