A/N: Bit of good news came today, so my mood turned out for the better. Still, there's some darkness in my life and I recently discovered that I may be losing internet connection some time soon. So, my future projects may be on hold.

As for this story, I tried. I really did. From being exhausted and living in pain almost constantly, I haven't had the best mood or energy to write. Please enjoy otherwise.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"David, where are we going?" Calli asked, her lips close to his ear as she road on the back of his motorcycle. "It's late…I have work tomorrow."

David ignored her and continued driving. He knew that someone had arrived in town. Someone that he didn't want to find Calli in her new home. Where she was safe and happy. This person only brought misery with them.

Calli let out a sound of dissatisfaction and turned her face away from him. She kept her deathlike grip on him, probably afraid that she'd fall off his motorcycle with the way that he zipped down the streets. She'd never been allowed to fall off before. He wasn't going to let her fall now.

Trust me…just trust me…

David pulled up to a hotel and killed the engine of his motorcycle. Calli stared in awe at the hotel, obviously confused. She glanced at him and lifted an eyebrow.

"The fuck we doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"You'll see," David said, not liking that he'd had to do this.

"We're not having fun at a hotel, are we?" Calli took a deep breath. "I can feel your anger coming off you. Something's not right." She climbed off the motorcycle and looked up at him. "What gives?"

David touched her face with gentle fingers. He realized he was shaking and pulled his hand back. He didn't like that his emotions were showing through.

Damn her for being an empath…damn it all…

"It's all right," David said softly. "Just trust me."

Calli looked at him with her big green eyes. "I always trust you."

That's one of her faults…

The vampire took her by the hand and led her into the hotel. She drew up short when she saw someone sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby. David readjusted his hand on hers and glared at the person, feeling his temper begin to rise.

"Samantha," the person said, rising to his feet.

"The name is Calli," David said, glaring daggers at the man. "How many times do I have to remind you?"

The man sneered. "She was Samantha for twenty seven years. I think I know my own daughter."

Calli tensed up next to David. "No…you don't. You've never known me…you just knew a version of me that you created…that you beat…" She glanced up at David. "What is he doing here?"

David saw how pale she was and hated it. She was almost as pale and frightened looking as she had been when he first met her. When she had gone by that name full of years of abuse. He hated that he'd let it happen. He hated the man that stood before them.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Samantha," her father said, crossing his arms. "You know I never laid a hand on you."

"Lies...stop lying...you didn't just beat me with your hands, you beat me with your words and your silences! I thought for so long that I was the bad guy. When all along, it was my toxic ass family." Calli took a step back. "Why else do you think I moved clear across the country to get away from you all."

"Because of his sex ring," her father said, nodding at David.

David growled. "You want to run that by me again? There is no fucking sex ring! Calli is my girl and she's been making amazing steps towards healing from her life of prison with you and your friends."

"Yeah, sure." The man snapped his fingers. "Come here, Samantha."

Calli flinched. "No…"

"Young lady, don't make me repeat myself. Come here."

"No," Calli said with more force. "I'm not coming to you, with you, or whatever. Never again. I left you and Mom and the girls. I left you and I intended to never look back. So no, I'm not going to go back. I'm not going to be harassed into going back with you. I'm not going to be gaslit anymore. You send me my birth certificate and then I don't want to hear from you until you're on Death's doorstep or another one of my grandparents kicks the bucket. Understand?"

Her father's eyes narrowed. "You'll regret that choice."

David moved in front of her, glaring at the man. "Was that a threat?"

The vampire saw the gold reflected in the man's empty eyes and knew that his inner demon was trying to break free. Calli's father paled and took a step back.

"What are you? Samantha, what have you gotten yourself mixed in with?"

Calli grabbed David's hand tighter and glared at her father. "That's none of your business, Dad. And if you want to make it out of the state alive and in one piece, I suggest that you forget what you saw. I also highly suggest that you leave me the fuck alone for the rest of time. Because I've got friends in low places and they're just itching to pay you back for all the years of trauma that you put me through." She tugged on David's hand. "Come on, David."

David sent one last dirty look in the direction of Calli's father and then let her pull him from the hotel. Calli remained silent until they were back near his motorcycle. Then she turned and threw a punch at him which he dodged.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" she yelled at him. "How you could be so stupid – so cruel – to bring him here? He's not going to go quietly back to my home state. He's going to make a scene and I'm going to have to do things I won't like. All because you brought him here!"

David caught her hands and twisted her around so that her back was pressed against his chest. The Goth squirmed against him and hissed out curses that would have made a sailor blush. David held onto her firmly though, not caring that she stomped on his boots.

"Easy, easy, easy," David said soothingly, crossing her arms flat over her stomach to keep her from twisting so much. "Breathe, Calli, breathe."

"Don't fucking tell me to breathe," Calli growled, kicking her legs out. "Don't fucking tell me to do anything because goddamn you, David! You brought my abuser here – to my safe place! Fuck you!"

David growled in her ear and she hissed. "That bastard can't do anything to you, princess. He's as good as dead if he even tries. Have you forgotten that we don't let anyone mess with you?"

Calli stiffened and breathed in harshly. "He hurt me, David. For so many years, he hurt me. I'm stunted. I don't make adult decisions well, because he never let me decide for myself. All of them do it…did it…whatever."

The leader of the Lost Boys gently stroked her skin. "I know, Calli, I know. That's in the past though. None of them can do anything else to you. You. Are. Safe."

She continued to breathe harshly, but she seemed to be calming down. David turned her slowly so that she was facing him. Calli refused to meet his gaze. He tried cupping her chin, but she pulled away from him.

"Take me home," she ordered, not looking at him.

David sighed.

Bad move, Davie…

You woke up the sad part of our Calli…

Shame, shame, shame…

Calli marched away from him and climbed onto her spot of the motorcycle. She didn't hold onto him as firmly when he started driving. David actually had to reach down to resecure her hands at a red light because she would have fallen off.

"You can't be that mad at me," David said, climbing off his motorcycle and following after her as she walked towards her house.

"Actually, I can," Calli told him, throwing her finger in the air. "And guess what, asshole. I am."

She spun around and poked him sharply in the chest. "Because you thought it would be just peachy to have my father come here and have a chat with me."

"I wanted him to see that you don't need him," David explained, glaring down at her. "I wanted you to tell him off because I know how much he hurt you. And guess what, bitch? You did."

"Don't call me that," Calli ordered, pushing at him. "And for fuck's sake, haven't you heard of a telephone call? I could have bitched him out on the phone like any normal person! I just didn't want to involve him in my fucking life anymore! What part of that didn't you understand from all our powwows?"

David grabbed her hands by the wrists and stared at her. "You deserved to see him realize that he had no power over you anymore – face to face. That's all I wanted." His eyes narrowed. "And if he thinks about staying in Santa Carla for much longer, he's going to find out why this is the Murder Capitol of the world."

"Great, you're going to be the reason that my mother and sisters end up homeless and hungry," Calli said, rolling her eyes. "That is exactly what I wanted. NOT!" She shook her hands in his grasp. "David, think! I never wanted you to have to deal with my parents. I never wanted them to come here and hurt me again. But this is rubbing salt in an open wound…"

David frowned. "Then let me take them all out."

"David, no. You're not taking out my whole family. That isn't the solution."

"No, but it would make me and the Boys feel better."

"Fuck it, it's useless talking to you about it." Calli tugged on her arms. "Let me go."

"Not until you're not angry with me," David said, holding her in place. "Because there is absolutely no reason for you to be."

Calli rolled her eyes at him again and tugged harder. So David did the only logical thing…

He let go.

Calli let out a yelp as she fell backwards onto her ass. David looked down at her and she kicked him in the shin.

"Asshole."

"Want to try that again?" David asked, crossing his arms.

Calli turned and climbed to her feet. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her housekeys, fitting them into the lock. "Bossy ass meanie…always thinking they know best…fuck that shit…"

David slipped into the doorway before she could close the door on him. "Calli…"

"David, go home," she said wearily, taking off her jacket. "I love you, but I have so many feelings circling through me and I really don't want to take it all out on you." She glanced to her right. "I may end up playing some combat video games to calm down before bed." Her eyes flashed back onto him. "Alone. I just want to have alone time tonight. Please respect that."

"You still love me?"

"Always," Calli promised, waving him off. "Now, go eat some people."

David pressed a kiss to her lips and smiled to himself. As long as she still loves me, we're okay…

OOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: And that's that. Let me know what you think in the review section and I'll see you all around. -Scarlet