The two girls jumped and squealed for several minutes as Snape stood there,
feeling rather uncomfortable. Tirza went to Chris and carefully leaned her
head on the woman's stomach. "She was kicking a few minutes ago, but I
think you girls scared it," Chris said with a smile, putting an arm around
Tirza's shoulder. Snape instantly understood what they were talking about
and explained why the woman appeared heavier then in the photos Tirza had.
"Did you have a nice flight, sweet pea?" Chris asked. Tirza nodded. She was
suddenly scooped up from behind by Mike. "Uncle Mikey," she squealed as he
swung her around, and then hugged her. "How's my tinkerbell?" She giggled.
"Tinkerbell? I'll definitely have to hear that story," Severus interjected.
The girls and the two adults suddenly remembered that Snape was there.
Chris extended her hand and firmly shook his. "I am very glad to finally
meet you Mr. Snape," she said with a warm smile. "You may call me Severus
if you wish." The little blonde haired girl giggled. "Searus?" AJ asked.
Tirza giggled. "No no no. Sev-err-iss." "Oh," Amy said nodding. "Can I just
call you uncle Sevvie?" "How about uncle Snapey?" Tirza piped up without
thinking. Snape's eyebrow rose and Tirza ducked her head. "Where did you
hear that?" he asked. Tirza was trying hard to think of an answer, she
didn't want to let loose the secret of Sirius' visits. "Well one time when
grandpa told me a story about when you were in school he said the marauders
called you Snapey sometimes," she quickly told him. Severus rolled his
eyes. "Extremely typical of him." "So should I call you uncle Snapey?" Amy
interrupted. "No, I'd prefer Severus, please." "I hate to interrupt this
cute little reunion, but my back is killing me," Chris stated. Mike and
Severus quickly grabbed the bags and headed for the Logan's car.
"You know, he DOES look like a vampire, I thought you were being dorky," AJ whispered to Tirza in the car. The girls giggled and Severus rolled his eyes. "Not that again," he groaned. "What?" Chris asked. "Tirza insists that I resemble a vampire or Count Dracula or whoever and your daughter does as well." Chris looked him up and down; he had refused to be more muggle-like, so he was wearing his usual black robes, with the robe shorter, like an overcoat. Chris smiled. "Well, I can understand how you'd give that impression." "Auntie Chrissy, you should see his closet. Black black black black black," Tirza said, shaking her head. "No other colors?" the woman inquired. Severus shook his head no. "You shoulda seen daddy when he saw all the pink stuff, his eyes were like bugging out and everything!!" Everyone laughed. "Alright, I will admit I was extremely startled at the mass amount of pinkness that you are my dear, but YOU shall admit that I have rather adjusted to it," he countered. Tirza nodded. "Yep, he's working on it. Auntie Chrissy, how long until the baby comes?" "One week and four days now," Chris replied. "Did you bring plenty of pictures?" Mike wondered. "Zillions of them!" Severus sat quietly, musing how exactly he got himself into this position as the Logan's and Tirza talked continually as they drove to the house.
"Well Severus, I'm afraid to say that the room is pink. It is in the middle of being transformed from the guest room into the new little one's room," Chris told him as she opened the door to the bedroom. The walls were indeed a pale pink, with a rocking chair with a pink cushion and a white crib with lots of pink and lace was pushed into a far corner of the room. "It will be fine, I'm sure. I appreciate your hospitality, especially with the condition you are in," he replied. Chris smiled. "No biggie. I'm going to go put my feet up while Mike makes dinner. Make yourself at home Severus, we're happy to have you both here." He nodded and she left the room. After quickly unpacking his clothes and other items that would be needed for the week, he brought Tirza's things to Amy's room. "Hello Uncle Severus," Amy greeted as he lugged the things inside and set them up on the cot beside the little girl's bed. "Tirza says there's no McDonald's where you guys live and that is scary! Is it true?" He nodded and the girls giggled. This is going to be a LONG week, he thought to himself as he left the room. "Hey, can you keep a really really really big secret?" Tirza wondered. Amy nodded. "Cuz if you tell, I'm gonna be in trouble." "I'll stay quiet, I promise," Amy vowed very seriously. "I'm a witch and my dad is a wizard." Amy's hazel eyes went wide. "Oh my god are you really? That is the coolest thing EVER! Do you have like wands and stuff?" Tirza nodded. "My daddy has one, but I don't get one until I start school at the place where he teaches. But I got a broom....." Tirza filled Amy in on all the wizard stuff that she had learned; Amy listened intently, never doubting for a second that her friend was telling the truth.
Severus went into the living room and sat on a large blue flowered couch. "So how do you like being a dad?" Chris asked from where she sat on the sofa. Severus chuckled. "It has taken a lot of getting used too, but I think I'm pretty much adjusted to it now." "What is it that you teach again?" "Chemistry," he answered, figuring that would be the closest muggle subject to Potions. "That must be exciting. Do you have really smart kids in your class?" Snape chuckled. "Hardly. It's a miracle that half of them make it out of class without a body part missing." She smiled, looking some what tired. "Sounds like you really have your hands full with teaching and having Tirza." He nodded. "I think more with Tirza then with all of my students combined! My daughter seems to be unswervingly attracted to trouble." "She mentioned a student, a blonde haired boy that she said looked like a girl; she said they are always fighting," Chris mentioned. "Very true. Hardly a day goes by when myself or one of the other teachers has to separate them. In fact, she got into a fight with him her very first night there," Severus stated. Chris nodded. "What happened?" He sighed. "Well the boy is spoiled rotten, thinks the universe revolves around him; he's a lot like his father, whom I went to school with. I am the head of one of the dormitories and each has their own table. I told Tirza she could sit at my table because she didn't want to be up front with the teachers. He grabbed her arm and tried to force her to leave; since then they've been on a mission to drive each other off the deep edge." "That's very typical of Tirza; she's usually very quick to react physically when threatened. I bet you didn't take that too well," she prompted. "Well, I had no idea about what had happened to her and was not thrilled that she was fighting with people less then twenty-four hours after her arrival."
Supper was eaten in the living room, watching TV, as Chris wasn't able to sit comfortably at the table. Mike had heated up several frozen pizzas and Snape discovered that Tirza was right; fresh pizza and frozen taste very different. The girls sat talking, not really paying attention to the TV, whispering back and forth. Unfortunately it was too loud in the room for him to hear what they were discussing and he hoped she hadn't told Amy all about the wizarding world. "Mr. Logan....." Severus started. "Mike," Mike interrupted. Severus nodded. "Mike.... What exactly is the story behind your nickname for Tirza?" Tirza blushed and Amy giggled. "Tell him daddy!" Amy prompted. Mike smiled. "Well, when Tirza was four, she dressed up as Tinkerbell for Halloween and she refused to take off the outfit when she came back and if I remember right wore it for four days straight before Ariel could get her out of it." Severus chuckled. "I have a very easy time imagining that," he commented. "So can we have presents soon?" Tirza interrupted, causing the adults to laugh. "Sure, you girls go ahead and get the presents," Chris replied. Several minutes later, the girls regrouped in the living room, their arms full of presents. For Chris and Mike, Tirza had decorated two Christmas cards, which they loved and promptly hung on the fridge. Snape gave them a bottle of muggle wine. "I'll be looking forward to that when the baby arrives," Chris assured him. It turned out that they had exactly the same idea for Severus. "Can I have some of that later?" Tirza asked. "NO!" all three adults announced, then chuckled. Tirza looked rather disappointed, but was elated when she unwrapped her new Christina Aguilera CD. "Yes!" she shouted, holding it up in the air. "I have been wanting this forever and there are NO CD stores by us." AJ had a similar reaction to her BBMak CD. "I heard on of their songs in daddy's car the other day and I loved it, this is so cool!" The girls exchanged hugs, giggling.
Tirza was also given The Master of Disguise video as well a new pair of jeans and a book of Latin insults. "I think I need new clothes soon," Tirza told Chris. "I was wondering about that... those jeans aren't looking incredibly comfortable." Tirza nodded. "Not too bad, but kinda short." Severus noticed for the first time that Tirza was in fact having a tiny growth spurt and her jeans were getting to be slightly too short. "We'll have to take you and your dad shopping a day," Chris suggested. The girls squealed in delight and Severus looked anything but pleased. Tirza noted the look on his face and laughed. "Daddy doesn't like shopping. The last time we did, the dressing room was in the fancy nightie area and he got all embarrassed and then this girl gave him her number and address and wanted him to come over to her house." "Ew!" Amy shrieked. Severus' face grew decidedly red. "Tirza, must you speak of that incident?" he inquired. She nodded. "It was funny! But gross too." When the girls stopped talking about how gross it was, Amy handed Snape a small present. "I bought this for you," she told him shyly. He gave her a small smile and opened the gift; it was a green scarf. "TJ told me that you had green for your house color and I didn't know what else to buy you, I hope its okay." He nodded. "It's just what I needed, thank you," he told her kindly. "At least he doesn't act like a vampire," AJ added.
After all the gift wrapping was thrown away and the gifts put away, everyone sat down to watch TV. Tirza plopped down beside Severus and Amy plopped beside her. "Does your daddy like to cuddle?" Amy whispered. Tirza nodded happily. "Yeah, lots and lots. Don't ya daddy?" Severus absentmindedly kissed her head as the girls chatted. Sooner then they wanted it to roll around, it was bedtime. Tirza kissed Chris' stomach and gave her a gentle hug, then hugged Mike and followed AJ to her room. Both Mike and Severus followed the girls and tucked them into their beds. "You can talk for a little bit, but not hours alright?" The girls nodded, then Mike hugged and kissed AJ goodnight as Severus did the same to Tirza. She had Molly with her as always and gave Severus a big hug. "Thanks daddy for letting us come," she whispered. He nodded and kissed her cheek. "Of course baby. You know where I'll be if you need me." She nodded and wished him goodnight before he left the room. "I wanted to let you know that I set up a meeting with the D.A. tomorrow. I know it's really soon after you're getting here, but I thought you might want to get it out of the way so you two could have some fun," Mike told Severus as they headed back to the living room. "Yes, I would like to get it out of the way; Tirza has been rather nervous about it." Mike nodded. "I can imagine, poor kid. I'll drop you two off and you can call me on my cell when you've finished." "I appreciate that," Severus said quietly.
He retired to bed early that night, feeling rather out of place. They seemed like nice enough people and Tirza certainly adored them, but he had never been one to easily make friends or open up to people, except for Tirza. She had been incredibly easy to warm up too and share emotions with, though probably more because she needed him too then that he was ready. He pulled out a book he had packed and sat on the bed, chuckling at the pinkness of the room. It made him think of when Ariel was pregnant with Tirza and how much he had missed. He had never imagined himself decorating a nursery, but he felt cheated out of the opportunity to do that. His ears caught the sounds of little feet in the hallway and opened the door, causing Tirza and Amy to jump. "He does that ALL the time," Tirza told her, exasperated. "Did you need anything Tirza?" he asked. She shook her head. "We just wanted some water," Amy told him. He nodded and again wished them goodnight and closed the door.
The next morning Amy shuffled out to breakfast by herself, looking rather unhappy. "Mommy, TJ got sick and threw up all over." Severus shot out of his chair at the table and headed for Amy's bedroom. "Now that is what I like to see," Chris told Mike as they followed Severus into the bedroom. Severus found a very pale Tirza that had thrown up on her pajamas and well as the sheets. "Baby, what happened?" he asked as he entered the room. "I'm nervous and I got sick; I'm sorry, I shoulda come and told you," she whispered. "Shhh," he soothed. "There's nothing for you to feel sorry about." "Would you like some help cleaning up?" Chris asked softly from the door way. "Yeah, but not from you, you should rest," Tirza stated. Chris smiled at her. "I don't mind if you need help sweet pea." Tirza shook her head. "Daddy can help me." "You don't mind if he helps you change?" Chris asked, sounding very surprised. Tirza nodded. "Chris, go sit down, I'll take care of the bedding while Severus helps Tirza," Mike told her. Rather glad she didn't have to clean up the mess, Chris headed back to the living room. Mike watched as Severus gathered Tirza in his arms, despite the vomit, and murmured softly to her as he took her to the bathroom. He smiled, thinking that was exactly the kind of parent that Tirza needed.
Severus quickly cleaned Tirza off and helped her change out of her disgusting pajamas and into her clothes. "I'm very proud of you," he told her while she changed. "What for?" Tirza asked. Severus smiled and kissed her now clean face. "Not so very long ago you would have thrown a temper tantrum at having me help you undress; I am very proud of you that you can now let me help you when you need it like this." Tirza smiled at him, her face still rather pale. "I love you daddy," she whispered. He picked her up and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love you too. Let's get you your potion so you can feel better." "I wanna see the potion!" a small voice stubbornly said. Severus opened the door and Amy nearly fell over, having been leaning against the door. "I wanna see the potion. And can I see your wand too?" Amy asked. Severus shot Tirza an exasperated look and she shrugged. "Did ya really think I wouldn't tell my bestest bestest friend in the whole world?" He groaned. "Never mind. Let's just get you feeling better. And no, you may not see my wand. You and Tirza are apparently a lot alike and the last thing I need is for either of you to blow something up with my wand." The girls giggled.
Two hours later, Mike was escorting Severus and Tirza to the Executive Assistant District Attorney's office. A smiling man with salt and pepper hair greeted them warmly, shaking their hands. "I'm Jack McCoy, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Snape and you as well Miss Snape." Tirza giggled. "Call me Tirza." With a reminder the call his cell phone when the meeting was over, Mike left them in McCoy's office. Severus and Tirza sat at a table in the office and were joined by a very pretty lady with black hair and kind eyes. "This is Claire Kincaid, another A.D.A," Jack introduced the woman. She smiled kindly at Tirza, who warmed up to her immediately. "I remember you," Tirza told Claire. "You came to the precinct when I was at take your daughter to work day last year." Claire shook her head. "That's right, I didn't think you'd remember, but Mike showed me your picture and I remembered you from that day." For a few moments, Jack filled Severus in on the way the American courts worked; after he finished, he took Tirza's statement. "You're a very brave little girl Tirza and I promise you I'll do everything I can to put him behind bars," Jack told her. Tirza sniffled and wiped her eyes; Severus put his arm around her protectively.
"I'm going to have him arraigned on Rape 1, one count of child abuse, one count of criminal misconduct, Child Endangerment 1 and Assault 1. The chances of him getting bail are very minimal. How would you both feel if I offered him a deal, one that took only a few years off his sentence so that there wouldn't have to be a trial?" Jack asked. "He would still go to jail?" Severus asked. "Any deal would include quite a bit of jail time, just not quite as long as he'd serve if convicted at trial," Claire told him. "How much time are we talking about?" Severus wondered. "The rape of a child is automatically Rape in the First Degree, which by it's self can carry a sentence of twenty years, complied with the other charges, he'd be looking at twenty-five to life, if not a plain sentence of life in prison. I would offer him twenty to life, only shaving off five years. A stipulation would be no chance of parole until he had served twenty-years. Even when he became eligible for parole, I would oppose it before the parole board and Tirza would be allowed to speak before the board as well," Jack stated. "How do you both feel about that?" Severus looked down at Tirza. "Sweetheart, you are the victim here, my opinion doesn't matter. Would you feel alright with him getting a deal?" She nodded. "Cuz then he'd go away and I wouldn't have to go talk in court," she told him. All the adults nodded. "I appreciate you taking time to see us Mr. McCoy, Miss Kincaid," Severus said. "Of course, we're more then happy to help. I will contact you for the date of the deal discussion in case you'd like to be here and feel free to call with any questions," Jack replied, smiling at Tirza. "Thank you," Tirza said quietly.
"Daddy, can I be a lawyer when I grow up?" Tirza asked as they waited for Mike to pick them up. Severus hugged her close. "You can be anything you want. You could even be a lawyer for the Wizarding Law office," he told her. "That would be cool," she decided. "What makes you think you'd enjoy being a lawyer?" he wondered. She sighed. "I wanna put bad people away and help the people that get hurt to feel safe again, like Jack and Claire," she told him. "That is a wonderful idea," Severus stated. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. "Thank you daddy." "For what?" he asked. "For helping me do this," she whispered. Snape knelt down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, I would do anything for you; anything," he assured her.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave mommy?" Amy asked. The girls, Mike and Severus were getting their winter gear on to head to the Statue of Liberty. Mike nodded. "She'll be just fine; if anything happens, I'll have my cell phone, but she'll be fine." "That's good," Tirza piped up. "I wonder if it's scary to have a baby," she mused. "Does it hurt a lot daddy?" Amy asked Mike. Severus softly chuckled as Mike thought of what he wanted to say. "Sometimes it hurts, but the doctors have medicine that helps. And it's not usually scary, only sometimes when the little baby has problems before it comes out. But when everything goes right, it's a wonderful thing," Mike told them. The girls nodded, then blew kisses to Chris and left with the guys.
Just as they were leaving, over in the court building, eighteen-year-old Brian M. Johnson was being arraigned for his crimes against Tirza. He was not a happy person, which did not go unnoticed by the judge, who denied bail to keep Tirza safe from any retaliation. He began yelling obscenities as two court officers dragged him from the court room and towards the waiting room for the bus to Riker's Island Prison.
A/N: Okay, I'm kinda stuck!! Anyone who has been to the Statue of Liberty, please tell me what you do there!!! LOL! I need to travel more often, apparently! Sorry it's shorter then usual, but I can't write the stuff they do at the Statue until I know what you do for real there! So more sight- seeing coming up, some shopping with Chris and Sev and the girls, more on what happens to Tirza's attacker. Stay tuned!
GrintsGirl: Glad you liked it!
Venus: Poor Snape is right!!
CraJure: They will definitely go shopping, the girls, Chris and Sev. No one will give Sev her number this time! And I'll think about your idea, we'll have to see.
MissLKid: Hope you enjoy it!
Alrick: Very true, I have yet to see a secluded spot at any airport, but they had to get their luggage back to size somewhere! I will try the tour bus, but I don't think they'll ride on the top as it is December, so it's cold. Oh yes, the padded room is drawing closer every day!
AlexGrey: The stuff with Tirza's attacker will be very interesting!!
Litigger: Glad you like it!
Fire'N'Ice: Yes, Sev will need LOTS of luck!!
Potter-Snape: Loved chatting with you too! I really look forward to it!
Kenomee: My fav gift was the broom from Grandpa; a very Dumbledore thing to do, giving her that when he knew Snape would not like it!
CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Glad you like it!
Nitro: Glad you like it so far!
Slone: Wish Sev luck......... it will be a long week for him!
FightingForThePeople: Glad you enjoyed it!
LostSoul: I'll definitely leave the address for you all! I appreciate anyone who reads and reviews it for her!
Raclswt: Well, I had Sev tell Tirza not to so it can come up later as surprise but something that will be extremely needed at the time! But I can't tell ya anymore then that!
Oh, about my cousin's story, she is fourteen and very nervous about her first fic! I will leave an author's note as soon as she posts, letting you all know where to find it. Don't respond to the A/N though, cuz I'll replace it with the next chapter! Thanks to all who will read it! Love, Kerry
"You know, he DOES look like a vampire, I thought you were being dorky," AJ whispered to Tirza in the car. The girls giggled and Severus rolled his eyes. "Not that again," he groaned. "What?" Chris asked. "Tirza insists that I resemble a vampire or Count Dracula or whoever and your daughter does as well." Chris looked him up and down; he had refused to be more muggle-like, so he was wearing his usual black robes, with the robe shorter, like an overcoat. Chris smiled. "Well, I can understand how you'd give that impression." "Auntie Chrissy, you should see his closet. Black black black black black," Tirza said, shaking her head. "No other colors?" the woman inquired. Severus shook his head no. "You shoulda seen daddy when he saw all the pink stuff, his eyes were like bugging out and everything!!" Everyone laughed. "Alright, I will admit I was extremely startled at the mass amount of pinkness that you are my dear, but YOU shall admit that I have rather adjusted to it," he countered. Tirza nodded. "Yep, he's working on it. Auntie Chrissy, how long until the baby comes?" "One week and four days now," Chris replied. "Did you bring plenty of pictures?" Mike wondered. "Zillions of them!" Severus sat quietly, musing how exactly he got himself into this position as the Logan's and Tirza talked continually as they drove to the house.
"Well Severus, I'm afraid to say that the room is pink. It is in the middle of being transformed from the guest room into the new little one's room," Chris told him as she opened the door to the bedroom. The walls were indeed a pale pink, with a rocking chair with a pink cushion and a white crib with lots of pink and lace was pushed into a far corner of the room. "It will be fine, I'm sure. I appreciate your hospitality, especially with the condition you are in," he replied. Chris smiled. "No biggie. I'm going to go put my feet up while Mike makes dinner. Make yourself at home Severus, we're happy to have you both here." He nodded and she left the room. After quickly unpacking his clothes and other items that would be needed for the week, he brought Tirza's things to Amy's room. "Hello Uncle Severus," Amy greeted as he lugged the things inside and set them up on the cot beside the little girl's bed. "Tirza says there's no McDonald's where you guys live and that is scary! Is it true?" He nodded and the girls giggled. This is going to be a LONG week, he thought to himself as he left the room. "Hey, can you keep a really really really big secret?" Tirza wondered. Amy nodded. "Cuz if you tell, I'm gonna be in trouble." "I'll stay quiet, I promise," Amy vowed very seriously. "I'm a witch and my dad is a wizard." Amy's hazel eyes went wide. "Oh my god are you really? That is the coolest thing EVER! Do you have like wands and stuff?" Tirza nodded. "My daddy has one, but I don't get one until I start school at the place where he teaches. But I got a broom....." Tirza filled Amy in on all the wizard stuff that she had learned; Amy listened intently, never doubting for a second that her friend was telling the truth.
Severus went into the living room and sat on a large blue flowered couch. "So how do you like being a dad?" Chris asked from where she sat on the sofa. Severus chuckled. "It has taken a lot of getting used too, but I think I'm pretty much adjusted to it now." "What is it that you teach again?" "Chemistry," he answered, figuring that would be the closest muggle subject to Potions. "That must be exciting. Do you have really smart kids in your class?" Snape chuckled. "Hardly. It's a miracle that half of them make it out of class without a body part missing." She smiled, looking some what tired. "Sounds like you really have your hands full with teaching and having Tirza." He nodded. "I think more with Tirza then with all of my students combined! My daughter seems to be unswervingly attracted to trouble." "She mentioned a student, a blonde haired boy that she said looked like a girl; she said they are always fighting," Chris mentioned. "Very true. Hardly a day goes by when myself or one of the other teachers has to separate them. In fact, she got into a fight with him her very first night there," Severus stated. Chris nodded. "What happened?" He sighed. "Well the boy is spoiled rotten, thinks the universe revolves around him; he's a lot like his father, whom I went to school with. I am the head of one of the dormitories and each has their own table. I told Tirza she could sit at my table because she didn't want to be up front with the teachers. He grabbed her arm and tried to force her to leave; since then they've been on a mission to drive each other off the deep edge." "That's very typical of Tirza; she's usually very quick to react physically when threatened. I bet you didn't take that too well," she prompted. "Well, I had no idea about what had happened to her and was not thrilled that she was fighting with people less then twenty-four hours after her arrival."
Supper was eaten in the living room, watching TV, as Chris wasn't able to sit comfortably at the table. Mike had heated up several frozen pizzas and Snape discovered that Tirza was right; fresh pizza and frozen taste very different. The girls sat talking, not really paying attention to the TV, whispering back and forth. Unfortunately it was too loud in the room for him to hear what they were discussing and he hoped she hadn't told Amy all about the wizarding world. "Mr. Logan....." Severus started. "Mike," Mike interrupted. Severus nodded. "Mike.... What exactly is the story behind your nickname for Tirza?" Tirza blushed and Amy giggled. "Tell him daddy!" Amy prompted. Mike smiled. "Well, when Tirza was four, she dressed up as Tinkerbell for Halloween and she refused to take off the outfit when she came back and if I remember right wore it for four days straight before Ariel could get her out of it." Severus chuckled. "I have a very easy time imagining that," he commented. "So can we have presents soon?" Tirza interrupted, causing the adults to laugh. "Sure, you girls go ahead and get the presents," Chris replied. Several minutes later, the girls regrouped in the living room, their arms full of presents. For Chris and Mike, Tirza had decorated two Christmas cards, which they loved and promptly hung on the fridge. Snape gave them a bottle of muggle wine. "I'll be looking forward to that when the baby arrives," Chris assured him. It turned out that they had exactly the same idea for Severus. "Can I have some of that later?" Tirza asked. "NO!" all three adults announced, then chuckled. Tirza looked rather disappointed, but was elated when she unwrapped her new Christina Aguilera CD. "Yes!" she shouted, holding it up in the air. "I have been wanting this forever and there are NO CD stores by us." AJ had a similar reaction to her BBMak CD. "I heard on of their songs in daddy's car the other day and I loved it, this is so cool!" The girls exchanged hugs, giggling.
Tirza was also given The Master of Disguise video as well a new pair of jeans and a book of Latin insults. "I think I need new clothes soon," Tirza told Chris. "I was wondering about that... those jeans aren't looking incredibly comfortable." Tirza nodded. "Not too bad, but kinda short." Severus noticed for the first time that Tirza was in fact having a tiny growth spurt and her jeans were getting to be slightly too short. "We'll have to take you and your dad shopping a day," Chris suggested. The girls squealed in delight and Severus looked anything but pleased. Tirza noted the look on his face and laughed. "Daddy doesn't like shopping. The last time we did, the dressing room was in the fancy nightie area and he got all embarrassed and then this girl gave him her number and address and wanted him to come over to her house." "Ew!" Amy shrieked. Severus' face grew decidedly red. "Tirza, must you speak of that incident?" he inquired. She nodded. "It was funny! But gross too." When the girls stopped talking about how gross it was, Amy handed Snape a small present. "I bought this for you," she told him shyly. He gave her a small smile and opened the gift; it was a green scarf. "TJ told me that you had green for your house color and I didn't know what else to buy you, I hope its okay." He nodded. "It's just what I needed, thank you," he told her kindly. "At least he doesn't act like a vampire," AJ added.
After all the gift wrapping was thrown away and the gifts put away, everyone sat down to watch TV. Tirza plopped down beside Severus and Amy plopped beside her. "Does your daddy like to cuddle?" Amy whispered. Tirza nodded happily. "Yeah, lots and lots. Don't ya daddy?" Severus absentmindedly kissed her head as the girls chatted. Sooner then they wanted it to roll around, it was bedtime. Tirza kissed Chris' stomach and gave her a gentle hug, then hugged Mike and followed AJ to her room. Both Mike and Severus followed the girls and tucked them into their beds. "You can talk for a little bit, but not hours alright?" The girls nodded, then Mike hugged and kissed AJ goodnight as Severus did the same to Tirza. She had Molly with her as always and gave Severus a big hug. "Thanks daddy for letting us come," she whispered. He nodded and kissed her cheek. "Of course baby. You know where I'll be if you need me." She nodded and wished him goodnight before he left the room. "I wanted to let you know that I set up a meeting with the D.A. tomorrow. I know it's really soon after you're getting here, but I thought you might want to get it out of the way so you two could have some fun," Mike told Severus as they headed back to the living room. "Yes, I would like to get it out of the way; Tirza has been rather nervous about it." Mike nodded. "I can imagine, poor kid. I'll drop you two off and you can call me on my cell when you've finished." "I appreciate that," Severus said quietly.
He retired to bed early that night, feeling rather out of place. They seemed like nice enough people and Tirza certainly adored them, but he had never been one to easily make friends or open up to people, except for Tirza. She had been incredibly easy to warm up too and share emotions with, though probably more because she needed him too then that he was ready. He pulled out a book he had packed and sat on the bed, chuckling at the pinkness of the room. It made him think of when Ariel was pregnant with Tirza and how much he had missed. He had never imagined himself decorating a nursery, but he felt cheated out of the opportunity to do that. His ears caught the sounds of little feet in the hallway and opened the door, causing Tirza and Amy to jump. "He does that ALL the time," Tirza told her, exasperated. "Did you need anything Tirza?" he asked. She shook her head. "We just wanted some water," Amy told him. He nodded and again wished them goodnight and closed the door.
The next morning Amy shuffled out to breakfast by herself, looking rather unhappy. "Mommy, TJ got sick and threw up all over." Severus shot out of his chair at the table and headed for Amy's bedroom. "Now that is what I like to see," Chris told Mike as they followed Severus into the bedroom. Severus found a very pale Tirza that had thrown up on her pajamas and well as the sheets. "Baby, what happened?" he asked as he entered the room. "I'm nervous and I got sick; I'm sorry, I shoulda come and told you," she whispered. "Shhh," he soothed. "There's nothing for you to feel sorry about." "Would you like some help cleaning up?" Chris asked softly from the door way. "Yeah, but not from you, you should rest," Tirza stated. Chris smiled at her. "I don't mind if you need help sweet pea." Tirza shook her head. "Daddy can help me." "You don't mind if he helps you change?" Chris asked, sounding very surprised. Tirza nodded. "Chris, go sit down, I'll take care of the bedding while Severus helps Tirza," Mike told her. Rather glad she didn't have to clean up the mess, Chris headed back to the living room. Mike watched as Severus gathered Tirza in his arms, despite the vomit, and murmured softly to her as he took her to the bathroom. He smiled, thinking that was exactly the kind of parent that Tirza needed.
Severus quickly cleaned Tirza off and helped her change out of her disgusting pajamas and into her clothes. "I'm very proud of you," he told her while she changed. "What for?" Tirza asked. Severus smiled and kissed her now clean face. "Not so very long ago you would have thrown a temper tantrum at having me help you undress; I am very proud of you that you can now let me help you when you need it like this." Tirza smiled at him, her face still rather pale. "I love you daddy," she whispered. He picked her up and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love you too. Let's get you your potion so you can feel better." "I wanna see the potion!" a small voice stubbornly said. Severus opened the door and Amy nearly fell over, having been leaning against the door. "I wanna see the potion. And can I see your wand too?" Amy asked. Severus shot Tirza an exasperated look and she shrugged. "Did ya really think I wouldn't tell my bestest bestest friend in the whole world?" He groaned. "Never mind. Let's just get you feeling better. And no, you may not see my wand. You and Tirza are apparently a lot alike and the last thing I need is for either of you to blow something up with my wand." The girls giggled.
Two hours later, Mike was escorting Severus and Tirza to the Executive Assistant District Attorney's office. A smiling man with salt and pepper hair greeted them warmly, shaking their hands. "I'm Jack McCoy, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Snape and you as well Miss Snape." Tirza giggled. "Call me Tirza." With a reminder the call his cell phone when the meeting was over, Mike left them in McCoy's office. Severus and Tirza sat at a table in the office and were joined by a very pretty lady with black hair and kind eyes. "This is Claire Kincaid, another A.D.A," Jack introduced the woman. She smiled kindly at Tirza, who warmed up to her immediately. "I remember you," Tirza told Claire. "You came to the precinct when I was at take your daughter to work day last year." Claire shook her head. "That's right, I didn't think you'd remember, but Mike showed me your picture and I remembered you from that day." For a few moments, Jack filled Severus in on the way the American courts worked; after he finished, he took Tirza's statement. "You're a very brave little girl Tirza and I promise you I'll do everything I can to put him behind bars," Jack told her. Tirza sniffled and wiped her eyes; Severus put his arm around her protectively.
"I'm going to have him arraigned on Rape 1, one count of child abuse, one count of criminal misconduct, Child Endangerment 1 and Assault 1. The chances of him getting bail are very minimal. How would you both feel if I offered him a deal, one that took only a few years off his sentence so that there wouldn't have to be a trial?" Jack asked. "He would still go to jail?" Severus asked. "Any deal would include quite a bit of jail time, just not quite as long as he'd serve if convicted at trial," Claire told him. "How much time are we talking about?" Severus wondered. "The rape of a child is automatically Rape in the First Degree, which by it's self can carry a sentence of twenty years, complied with the other charges, he'd be looking at twenty-five to life, if not a plain sentence of life in prison. I would offer him twenty to life, only shaving off five years. A stipulation would be no chance of parole until he had served twenty-years. Even when he became eligible for parole, I would oppose it before the parole board and Tirza would be allowed to speak before the board as well," Jack stated. "How do you both feel about that?" Severus looked down at Tirza. "Sweetheart, you are the victim here, my opinion doesn't matter. Would you feel alright with him getting a deal?" She nodded. "Cuz then he'd go away and I wouldn't have to go talk in court," she told him. All the adults nodded. "I appreciate you taking time to see us Mr. McCoy, Miss Kincaid," Severus said. "Of course, we're more then happy to help. I will contact you for the date of the deal discussion in case you'd like to be here and feel free to call with any questions," Jack replied, smiling at Tirza. "Thank you," Tirza said quietly.
"Daddy, can I be a lawyer when I grow up?" Tirza asked as they waited for Mike to pick them up. Severus hugged her close. "You can be anything you want. You could even be a lawyer for the Wizarding Law office," he told her. "That would be cool," she decided. "What makes you think you'd enjoy being a lawyer?" he wondered. She sighed. "I wanna put bad people away and help the people that get hurt to feel safe again, like Jack and Claire," she told him. "That is a wonderful idea," Severus stated. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. "Thank you daddy." "For what?" he asked. "For helping me do this," she whispered. Snape knelt down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, I would do anything for you; anything," he assured her.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave mommy?" Amy asked. The girls, Mike and Severus were getting their winter gear on to head to the Statue of Liberty. Mike nodded. "She'll be just fine; if anything happens, I'll have my cell phone, but she'll be fine." "That's good," Tirza piped up. "I wonder if it's scary to have a baby," she mused. "Does it hurt a lot daddy?" Amy asked Mike. Severus softly chuckled as Mike thought of what he wanted to say. "Sometimes it hurts, but the doctors have medicine that helps. And it's not usually scary, only sometimes when the little baby has problems before it comes out. But when everything goes right, it's a wonderful thing," Mike told them. The girls nodded, then blew kisses to Chris and left with the guys.
Just as they were leaving, over in the court building, eighteen-year-old Brian M. Johnson was being arraigned for his crimes against Tirza. He was not a happy person, which did not go unnoticed by the judge, who denied bail to keep Tirza safe from any retaliation. He began yelling obscenities as two court officers dragged him from the court room and towards the waiting room for the bus to Riker's Island Prison.
A/N: Okay, I'm kinda stuck!! Anyone who has been to the Statue of Liberty, please tell me what you do there!!! LOL! I need to travel more often, apparently! Sorry it's shorter then usual, but I can't write the stuff they do at the Statue until I know what you do for real there! So more sight- seeing coming up, some shopping with Chris and Sev and the girls, more on what happens to Tirza's attacker. Stay tuned!
GrintsGirl: Glad you liked it!
Venus: Poor Snape is right!!
CraJure: They will definitely go shopping, the girls, Chris and Sev. No one will give Sev her number this time! And I'll think about your idea, we'll have to see.
MissLKid: Hope you enjoy it!
Alrick: Very true, I have yet to see a secluded spot at any airport, but they had to get their luggage back to size somewhere! I will try the tour bus, but I don't think they'll ride on the top as it is December, so it's cold. Oh yes, the padded room is drawing closer every day!
AlexGrey: The stuff with Tirza's attacker will be very interesting!!
Litigger: Glad you like it!
Fire'N'Ice: Yes, Sev will need LOTS of luck!!
Potter-Snape: Loved chatting with you too! I really look forward to it!
Kenomee: My fav gift was the broom from Grandpa; a very Dumbledore thing to do, giving her that when he knew Snape would not like it!
CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Glad you like it!
Nitro: Glad you like it so far!
Slone: Wish Sev luck......... it will be a long week for him!
FightingForThePeople: Glad you enjoyed it!
LostSoul: I'll definitely leave the address for you all! I appreciate anyone who reads and reviews it for her!
Raclswt: Well, I had Sev tell Tirza not to so it can come up later as surprise but something that will be extremely needed at the time! But I can't tell ya anymore then that!
Oh, about my cousin's story, she is fourteen and very nervous about her first fic! I will leave an author's note as soon as she posts, letting you all know where to find it. Don't respond to the A/N though, cuz I'll replace it with the next chapter! Thanks to all who will read it! Love, Kerry
