GS Note: Lol, due to a lovely review –wink- here's the next chapter. It's kinda short but hey, what da'ya gonna do?

Chapter 1

Misfire

I sat at the top of the stairs, clutching the stair grips with all my might. They were yelling again. They always yelled, but this time it was different. They were yelling about me.

"That damn son of yours!" my mother was screeching. "I want him out! He's noting but a hell-raised brat and he doesn't appreciate me! How the fuck am I suppose to control him!"

"He's not a brat!" I heard my daddy yelled back. "And you are the one that raises him! Don't you dare bring him into our fight! God damn, that child has to go through enough without you!"

"That fucking brat destroyed the house again!" I whimpered. That hadn't been my fault. "He wrecked the kitchen!"

"It's not like you go in there!" my daddy yelled, getting louder. "Do you even feed him?!"

"I take care of that brat more then you! You son of a bitch! I'm fed up of your stupid kid! He ruined my life! He robbed me of my plans and damn it is he going to pay!"

"If you touch a hair on his head-"

"That's exactly what I'm going to fucking do! I'm cut off the ridiculous braid you love so much!" she turned and I could hear her stomping up the stairs. I froze and heard my daddy start up after her.

"Don't you dare! Leave him out of this!"

My mother spotted me and glared. "Come here, brat! I'm going to give you a little hair cut!"

My daddy pushed past her and stood between me and her protectively. "If you endanger my son-"

"When did you stop caring about me!" my mother's voice turned from murderous to pleading. "I gave you that damn brat, why don't you love me anymore?"

"You won't trap me this time," my daddy growled. He turned and scooped me from my perch and held me close. "I'm leaving. Support yourself."

My daddy turned and walked down the hall towards my room. I held on tight to his shirt. He opened my door and began to pack my little backpack. My mother came through the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" she demanded. I huddled behind my daddy as he finished and zipped up the bag. He put it on my back.

"Away. Expect to hear from my lawyer about the divorce."

"I made you!" she screamed. "Without me you'd still be a corner kid selling your body to the highest bidder!"

My daddy paused in front of his own door and gripped me tight to him. I whimpered and he relaxed his grip slightly. He turned to glare at my mother with dangerous eyes.

"Don't you dare," he started in a low voice that made me huddle closer to him, "use that against me. I had no choice."

"Whore!" she screamed again. "Bastard! Son of a bitch!"

My daddy pushed past her and I felt tears start to rain down on my shirt. I know my own were running on to his. He started down the steps and out the door as she followed and continued cursing. She followed him right to the door. He bypassed the car and started to walk down the street, me still firmly in his grasp and her still yelling at him as he walked away. Several of the neighbours looked out their own doors and shook their heads at the raving woman. It wasn't until we were out of the block and well into down town that my father stopped and sat on a curb. He put me down but I held on to him.

"Well kiddo," he sighed. " Looks like we are on our own. I don't have any money so we might as well start walking to your Uncle Frank's house, huh?" Uncle Frank wasn't really my uncle, he was my daddy's best friend.

I wiped my tears and looked up at him. His gazed was sad and ashamed. I hugged him and patted his back.

"I like Unkle Frank daddy," I tried my best in my little way to comfort him. "It'll be fun, right?"

"Yea," my daddy smiled and looked down at me. It was getting dark. "I guess it will be. We'll go stay there a while before I figure something out. He's got satellite and that game system you love so much."

"And he's really nice," I added and smiled. I pulled back and patted his arm. "It'll be ok, daddy."

"Yea," he said and smiled fondly at me. " It just might be. " He stood up again and offered me his hand. I took it and hiked my back up. We started off again, this time our heart a bit lighter. We walked all of five minutes in the darkness when a figure approached us from am alley. He called over to my daddy. My daddy stiffened.

"What do you want?" my daddy asked, his voice tight. I gripped his hand tighter.

"You know what. You're been gone for four years, every since you knock that slut up. We missed you."

"I didn't miss you," my daddy said and started to walk and pulled me along. I needed no encouragement. The man followed us.

"Oh come on, we'll even take in that kid of your, I know people that'll like little girls."

My daddy stopped and turned to face the dirty man. "If you dare to lay and hand on my son-"

"Oh, it's a boy then," the foul-smelling man leered at me and I ducked behind my dad. "In that case I'll take him myself!"

"I told you I would never come back! Stop following me, I'm not who I used to be!" my daddy was sounding scared. If that man could make my daddy scared…

The man advanced on us. Daddy pushed me down the street. He faced the man with determination and I stood rooted on the spot.

"Go," my daddy said. I froze and stood staring at him. My daddy looked back at me. "Go! Run, get out of here!"

I looked one last time into my daddy's violet eyes and turned. I ran as fast as my little legs would take me. I risked one more look over my shoulder and saw my daddy give a small smile and turn back to the man. That was the last I saw of my daddy. I wasn't far away when I hear a bang like on TV and my daddy yell. Tears streamed down my face but I kept on running and running. I ran and ran until I couldn't run no more. I stopped and huddled at the mouth of the alley. I threw up on the ground and looked back from where I had come. It was pitch black and the street light above me was dark. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my knees. It was cold that night but I cried myself to sleep on that garbage bag.