Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Author's Note: First I want to thank those who reviewed One Day. It was just a blurb that wouldn't leave me alone; I don't know if there will be more to it... maybe. We'll see.

Anyway, back to this story... I've posted two chapters, mostly because I'm pretty sure I won't get the chance to for a couple weeks. Sorry, but school's started again and the professor are actually expecting work this semester (go figure).

I hope you like. And please Review.

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We all stood in the living room staring at the front door, once again waiting. It was swung open by Tony who walked in, surveyed us all and then stood back and held the door open. In strode Veronica followed by Marcus, Ranger, and Tank.

At first glance none of them seemed hurt. Veronica's hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and she had some dirt on her face, her clothes seemed dusty too, but she was unhurt.

She also had no intention of stopping, she was nearly to the stair room when Ranger's voice sliced through air, "The least you could do, Veronica, is apologize to this family for what you've put them through today."

His voice was ice and the girl froze. When she turned around though, the expression on her face was not what I expected. It was angry. Furious.

"I didn't ask to be brought here and I sure as hell didn't ask for you to come after me last night!!!" she yelled.

"They would have sent you back to Florida!" He roared at her.

"I fail to see where that's a problem!"

"You have no idea what Victor is like; he doesn't really want you…"

"And you do!?!" She cut him off, her voice much too bitter for someone so young, "You don't want me either, you never did!! I'm an inconvenience, a freakin liability!! Being with you and being with him is no different!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!!"

"I know exactly what I'm talking about!! You don't want me anymore than he does, you just don't want him to have me!!!"

"That's not true-"

"It is!! You don't want me here anymore than I want to be here. I want to go home! I hate it here!! And I hate you!!"

That said, the girl whirled around and ran out of the room.

The room was in suspended animation for a minute, no one spoke, I think no one even breathed… I know I didn't; before Lane began issuing orders like a drill sergeant.

Suzie was ordered to Marcus's side, and she walked up to Ranger and started pulling him towards one of the sofa's. I watched her strip off his shirt with medical efficiency; she revealed a bandage that had obviously been put together in a rush – it was soaked in blood,

I felt the world tip, and staggered back. I'd pressed my hand to my mouth immediately but I guess I must've made a noise, because suddenly his dark eyes were locked on mine.

As usual I couldn't read anything in them, and it only intensified the dizzy feeling if I tried to figure it out. I looked away, and stood like that for a few minutes, waiting for the world to stop moving and listening to the quiet hub of conversation that was going on.

Tank was standing by Suzie, who was cleaning a gash on Marcus's side. Lacey was in deep conversation with her husband, Tony. Lane was having a one-sided conversation with Ranger.

There wasn't much I could do. Everything was under control. And suddenly I had the urge to run, to just get out of there. Turning I headed for the stair room, intent on going to the library.

When the boys had shone it to be I'd been speechless, once again Beauty and Beast had popped into my head.

Floor to ceiling windows lined an entire side and over looked a mountainside covered in powdery white snow. Every other wall in the room... and it was a huge room... was lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves - bookshelves that had actual books on them. Filled with couches and armchair, rugs and lamps, it was gorgeous.

At the moment though, I just needed to get away and the boys had mentioned no one went in there much.

That's what I needed, to be alone. I didn't want to go to my room. My room was right off the living room… I didn't want to be that close to them. I wanted to sit in a big comfy armchair in the dark.

It was indeed dark when I walked in. The only light came from the moon that was shining in through those gorgeous windows.

My eyes didn't focus on the windows though, my eyes focused on the silhouette of a girl standing in front of those windows.

I should go. I should leave her alone. I should back away slowly.

There were a lot of thing I should do.

She turned her head when I stood next to her, stared at me, then faced the windows again.

"If you're gonna tell me I should apologize save your breath."

O-kayyyy.

This girl had a major chip on her shoulder, "Actually I was going to ask if you were okay."

She turned again, looked at me with dark eyes, that reminded me so much of her father my heart clenched, "You understand don't you Ms. Plum? You don't want to be here either; you want to go home too. Don't you?"

"Yeah I do, but-" I interjected when she opened her mouth to say something, "… when it's safe. I don't want to leave here if I'm going to have people sneaking into my apartment threatening me."

She sighed, facing the windows again, "My mother would've had a fit if she'd seen me do that." She said softly, I stayed quiet.

"She loved him, you know." She continued, "Always. Not in the lets-stay-married kinda way, but in the he-was-my-first-love kinda way. She would never let me badmouth him, whether he was around or not. It's what Grandfather didn't count on. He tried to use my mother to hurt him, he didn't factor in that she'd love him."

"It sounds to me like this man doesn't care much for anyone but himself."

"My father is different, though, that's what you're getting at?" she asked, still without looking at me.

"I know he is."

"He was eighteen, my mother barely so. They screwed up. I was a mistake, one they paid for with their dreams. Whether he's different or not, I doubt he can ever forget that. Forget that I'm the reason why his life changed, why he didn't get to go for his dreams."

Her tone was almost brisk, and to the point as though she was discussing how to bake a cake and keep it from burning.

I shook my head, "I'm sure it's not-"

"Then you're a very sheltered and naïve human being, Ms. Plum. My mother was a child, a child whose father used her in a ploy to further his own ambitions. She allowed him to, and it…" her voice caught, "…it led to her death. My father was another child whose mistake cost him everything he'd ever wanted. He had to sacrifice his plans, his scholarships…"

"But he did it for you." I reminded her when she trailed off, a little put out. I wasn't naïve, "He didn't have to, he did it because he wanted to be a part of your life."

"He did it, because he didn't want people shooting at his little brother."

"He's not like that."

"How would you know!" she hissed whirling around to face me, and suddenly I knew I was in over my head, "You don't know anything about him!"

"I know he loves you. I knew it the moment he mentioned he had a daughter. I knew it by the way the entire atmosphere changed just by mentioning you."

She shook her head.

"Maybe you should just relax and give him a chance."

"I've been giving him chances since I was five."

Not much you could say to that.

"I can't remember what it's like to have a conversation with him. When I was a little girl I remember climbing into his lap and chattering about nothing and having this feeling that he was paying complete attention to me… that I was the most important thing in the world." She stopped, "I can't even imagine that feeling any more let alone getting it with him."

"I don't think I've ever had what could be termed a conversation with my dad, but I know he loves me. It's like this agreement we have. I think you and your dad need to get an agreement."

She cocked her head to one side, "I don't hold out much hope for us. We never talk. He orders and I obey. It's been like that since he came out of the Army. I was nine and so excited to see him. But he wasn't Daddy anymore, I took one look at him and felt like saluting, and he did nothing to make that feeling go away."

I sighed; this girl had a point, a lot a points actually. "All I know is that he's a good guy and that he loves you and that you'd have to be a real idiot to choose to go with some guy who'd use his own daughter as a tool."

She was silent, turning back to the view, "I'll give you that." She said after a few moments.

I was silent now, staring at the view.

"Do you really hate him?" I asked.

"No, sometimes I wish I did." She said softly, and my heart ached for this girl that sounded more grown up than I did.

"I think it would be easier if I did."

I reached out on impulse and touched her dark hair, "It might be easier but you'd be even more miserable."

She turned into my touch, "Sometimes I think that wouldn't be possible."

She was just a kid, a thirteen-year-old girl, whose life had been turned upside down. And I had no idea what to say to her.

"Are you hungry?"

She smiled, pulling away from me, "You really like food, huh?"

"I'm kinda hungry, myself. I didn't eat much today."

She looked ashamed suddenly, "He was right; I do owe everyone an apology."

She didn't need me to agree with her, "Am I right too? Are you hungry?"

She nodded.

"Let's get somesnacks..." I saidand headed for the exit, "Oh... and you can call meStephanie." I added as we reached the door.

She smiled a little, "You can call me Nica."

"Kay.." I said and slowly we left the library.

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The atmosphere changed when we left the library. Suddenly she was thirteen, and grinning at me.

We'd gone downstairs using the back staircase and sneaking around like spies. It was fun, her dark eyes danced and when we reached the kitchen, we rummaged through the cupboards for food. I use the term lightly.

Both of us knew that we were being monitored; that if no one interrupted us, it was simply because they didn't want to.

When we found some food agreeable to our standards we'd grabbed it and taken it up to her room. The entire room was white and lavender, with a king sized bed and the name VERONICA on the wall in big squishy, bubble letters.

We'd used the back stairs to get back up, avoiding the living room. Neither of could help pausing though, listening to the quiet hum of conversations going on there.

Ranger's voice was soft as he spoke to his sister and my heart sped up. I wanted to go and just… touch him, to make sure he was okay.

But at the moment I was hanging out with his daughter.

The library was on the second floor, Mama-Bat was up on the third floor with the boys.

We were getting settled on her bed, with the food spread around us, "I didn't know there were rooms on the second floor."

"Mine and Dad's only." She said, biting into a Ring-Ding.

"Your Dad's is on this floor?" I squeaked, that was good to know.

She nodded, "He's next door."

"Oh"

"The room you're in is the guest room. It's nice isn't it? All the rooms are gorgeous."

"I thought you said you hated it here."

She blushed, as she swallowed, "I... didn't mean it... I just... I really wish I could go home. I miss my friends…" she sighed, "I miss my mom, but that's just… useless."

I nodded, in sympathy while I munched on nachos, "I think though, that if you went back to Florida... I think things would be worse. I think if you can't have your Mom, this is the best you could do."

She looked at me intently, way too intently for a thirteen year old, "Are you in love with my Dad?"

I swallowed hard, "Your dad and me we have uh… sort of a relationship… but not really, I guess… sometimes I think I am, but… then something happens… and… ugh…I really don't know."

She eyed me, "Mom used to tell me it would take one helluva woman to tame Dad. She used to tell me that she couldn't wait till that happened, couldn't wait to see him following a woman around like a puppy instead of the other way around."

I tried to picture Ranger as a puppy.

Batman - yes.

Superman -yes.

Hell even aPanther - yes.

Puppy - no.

"Would you like to be in love with him?" she asked, sipping the yoohoo.

I shrugged, uncomfortable with this conversation, "I don't know... your dad, he's... I know I care about him... a lot... but... I just... I don't know..."

She sighed; we ate in silence for a while.

"Thanks Stephanie."

My head shot up, "For what?"

"For not accusing me of being the selfish, ungrateful, brat that I behaved like out there."

I smiled, "Kid, if I'd been half as smart and together as you when I was thirteen I might have made something of my life by now."

She laughed, "At least with all of us in it, it's never boring…" she added cheekily.

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