Kellyn opened the door to her stepfather looking furious. He was a huge man, in his early fifties, over weight and bolding. Kellyn's mum was in her early forties. What she was doing with Dave, Kellyn never understood. Maybe it was best that she didn't understand. She suspected her mum was loosing it, she had always suffered from minor mental problems that the right medication made non-existent but since he dad had left she had been getting a lot worse. Dave was in charge of everything. She thought this was the most unfair thing, every month her dad sent her mother money to help look after Kellyn, it was supposed to be spent on her general needs and sending her to a good school and giving her guitar lessons. Of course Kellyn had only ever attended the public school down the road and she used to get guitar lessons for free off Conner but was now self taught after she over took Conner. Her dad never actually checked up on where the money went, he knew she went to Evans and played guitar well there because he had seen her but he thought it was the product of the expensive guitar tutor she was being sent to. Dave of course used the money. He said there was no reason for her to get a better up bringing than Ellette just because her dad had more money than him. So Kellyn had more than one reason to hate him.

"Where the hell have you been?" he balled at her. "You were supposed to be looking after Ellette while me and your mother were out! But since you weren't here we had to cancel and you mother very rarely gets out you selfish brat how hurt do you think she is?"

"She gets out every Friday and Saturday night!" Kellyn objected.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that." Kellyn saw no reason why she shouldn't as usual it was he being unreasonable and he had plenty to say but nothing to back up anything he said. He wasn't her dad either; he had nothing to with her, what gave him the right to think he could control her life? She knew better than to argue back though.

"So where the hell have you been? You never answered me you think you can just sneak out any time you like with out telling any one?" Then he spotted the guitar she had over her shoulder. "You've been to that Evan boys house? Haven't you!" He roared, the best thing was just to keep silent she thought. "Don't you fucking dare when you know your not allowed to." And why am I not allowed? She thought to her self, Because you fell out with his parents and too right why would anyone in their right mind get along with a pig like you? At least mum has an excuse on that one she's lost the plot. "That whole family just think there better than us." And so they should, they are. "That Evan boy is just trouble, little punk kid whose a spoilt brat." Just keep silent she told herself biting her lip, she couldn't stand him talking about Evan like that. He wasn't spoilt he was the nicest guy she had ever known. Dave was just an ignorant pig and didn't know what he was talking about. "I bet he's just fucking about with you because that what people like that do, why would he want to go out with you huh?" Keep your mouth shut Kellyn just ignore him, Evan loves you, you know he does… "The little fuckers just a wide ass little punk and your not seeing him."

"He's not." She whispered unable to keep her mouth shut.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said he's not. He's the nicest guy in the world not that you would know nice if it hit you in the face because your just an ignorant pig." That did it. He punched her hard in the arm knocking her to the floor.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" He roared. "I'm going to talk to your mum and make sure you never see him again and that guitar of yours is getting sold, you don't need it anymore your leaving that silly band and we need the money, there's no reason why you should have an expensive guitar like that when your family are struggling to buy food and pay the bills. It's just selfish!" She nodded using her other arm to push herself up into a sitting position. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Now me and your mum are going out, your looking after Ellette and if you sneak out I'm telling you now you'll regret it." She nodded quickly again then ran upstairs to the room her and Ellette shared. From there she heard her mum and Dave leave. Ellette was sitting on her bed looking scared. She never liked it when Dave shouted.

"Come here Elle." She said holding out her arms. Ellette came over and Kellyn lifted her onto her lap.

"Why is daddy shouting?" Kellyn sighed.

"It's ok, he was just a bit angry because I went out today and I wasn't meant to." Tears were running down her checks and she couldn't hold them back. She looked at her guitar on the bed, he was really going to sell it. "Elle hunny can you keep a secret for me?" Ellette mimed zipping up her mouth. Kellyn smiled through her tears. "I'm going to call Evan round ok? But you can't tell mummy or daddy if they ask ok? And Evans going to take my guitar but if dad asks you say you don't know ok say you didn't see anything I don't want you getting in trouble ok?" Ellette nodded.

"When Evan comes can we play fairies?" Ellette looked up hopefully.

"Of course we can." Evan had made up this game for her that she was a fairy princess and he and Kellyn were the fairy king and queen and they all lived together in a huge castle in fairy land where everything was perfect and they had servants and grand balls and Kellyn would hunt out some of her old dresses her dad got her when she was little that Dave didn't know about and let Ellette wear one of them so she could look like a princess and she had made her little wings out of metal coat hangers and an old pair of white tights. They got to play this whenever Evan came round as long as Ellette promised not to tell Dave or her mum.

"Yay!"

"But remember the special rule Elle, you can't tell anyone it's a special secret game just for us three." Ellette nodded, she was used to this and never told anyone. Kellyn lifted her carefully off her lap so not to hurt her arm, then went under her bed and pulled out the box with her dresses in.

"You pick what princess dress you want to wear while I go phone King Evan ok?" She smiled. Ellette ran over eagerly her eyes glowing. Kellyn went down and picked up the phone, she knew Dave and her mum wouldn't be back until the early hours of the morning so they would be safe for as long as Evan was allowed to stay. She called his mobile, he was so lucky to have one, she would love to have one so he could call her. As it was he never could because Dave would be the one that picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Evan it's Kellyn, do you think you could come round just now? Mum and Dave will be out all night." She sniffed still trying to hold back tears for Ellette's sake.

"Yeah of course no one will mind as long as they don't have to take time out of their busy schedule to drive me. They've been worse than usual recently some new building project." He sighed. "Anyway I'll be there by eight."

"Thanks, do you mind playing fairies with Ellette while you're here? It's just I promised her we would if she didn't tell anyone you came."

"Yeah course that's why I love coming round so much! Fairies rock." He joked. Kellyn managed to half laugh half sob.

"One more thing, I need you to take my guitar with you."

"What! Why? You love that thing."

"Dave's going to sell it tomorrow. Better you have it at yours so I can play it when I'm there and still have it for the gig than him selling it for less than it's worth."

"Yeah, I'll take it but that guy is such an asshole."

"Tell me about it."

"Anyway I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you to hell and back."

"Love you to heaven and back, that's further."

"How's it further?" He laughed.

"Because I'm living in hell."

"Well your going to be living in fairy land when I get there and its gonna rock and everything's going to be perfect." She laughed wishing it were that simple.

"Bye then."

"Bye."

She hung up. If only they really did live in fairy land, just the three of them in a huge castle, with Conner and Cira in other castles near by. Far, far away from Dave, from her mum and from everything wrong in the world.

She went back upstairs, to find Ellette in her favourite dress. She almost wished she were as young as Ellette again; everything was so simple when you were young, if you wanted to be a princess you were and nothing was ever wrong. Just like a child she wanted to close her eyes and everything would disappear and she would be Queen Kellyn of fairyland forever.

"See now you really are a princess." Ellette gave a twirl. "That's what your name means you know, Elvin Princess, I picked it."

"Like in Lord of the Rings?" Ellette asked. Kellyn had been telling her, her own shortened version of Lord of the Rings.

"Exactly, like Arowen the Elvin Princess who gave up her immortality for Aragorn."

"But then he had to go away with Frodo and the ring."

"Yes and where is she going just now?" Kellyn asked happy that Ellette was taking such an interest in it. Ellette thought.

"To the ships with the other elves?"

"Yes, to go away to the Undying Lands."

"She wont really go will she? Because if she does then she can't marry Aragorn and live happily ever after."

"You'll have to wait and see, wont you."

"Is Aragorn the Prince?" She asked.

"Sort of he is the heir to the throne which means he should be king." She suspected the whole story was a bit too complicated for Ellette but she seemed to understand it simplified really well so far. She heard a knock at the door.

"Evan." She ran down stairs leaving Ellette dancing round her room in her dress. She opened the door let Evan in quickly. She went into the living room wanting to talk to him properly before going upstairs to play with Ellette. They sat on the couch and he put his arms around her and kissed her. She kissed him back tears still in her eyes, her checks wet from crying. They pulled apart and he put one arm round her wiping away her tears with the other hand. She put her head on his shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked stroking her hair.

"He was waiting in the hall when I got in, he saw the guitar and went mad and said I wasn't ever to see you again and said he was going to sell the guitar and that I was too leave the band." She said tears silently falling down her checks. She didn't tell him about him hitting her. She never told anyone. He didn't hit her it wasn't like those stupid adverts on TV about abuse, it wasn't serious, and it didn't matter. And she couldn't tell anyone because then she would have to live with her dad and Ellette would be taken away.

"Don't worry, I'll always be here, he can't stop me and I'll keep your guitar at my house. He would never come round there, my mum would probably threaten to take him to court, I'm sure she could find plenty against him stealing you money for a start."

"Oh don't! Please don't tell your mum about that."

"Don't worry I wont I know how important it is for you to stay here but your putting yourself through hell."

"I'm not leaving Ellette."

"I know, I'm just saying. I hate you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine."

"Do you think you'll manage the gig next Friday?"

"I'll be there, mum and Dave will be out. Oh shit Ellette!" She suddenly found the flaw in her would-be brilliant plan.

"Bring her along."

"To a gig?"

"Yeah why not tell her it's a ball let her wear your dress and her fairy wings, she'll be fine."

"What about when were playing?"

"I know plenty of people mind watching her while we play."

"Yeah but she wont know them."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, she can watch her big sister on stage, and you'll be able to keep and eye on her because she'll be in the audience."

"I suppose but isn't there supposed to be a big turn out for this gig? She might get lost."

"You worry too much she wont. Anyway aren't we supposed to be in fairy land just now Queen Kellyn?" Kellyn laughed, she must be the luckiest girl in the world to have a boyfriend like Evan. Not many girls can say their boyfriends will come at all hours of the day or night to play fairies with your little sister.

"Yes of course wouldn't want to keep Princess Ellette waiting would we?" They got up and he hugged her tightly, hurting her arm.

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"It's nothing I've just…just hurt my arm." She was still wearing her coat since she came in, not wanting Ellette or him to see.

"How did you do that?" She wasn't prepared for this.

"I must have bumped it while mucking about with Ellette." She lied.

"Let me see." He gently tried to take her coat off.

"No it's fine."

"Well it's boiling in here you don't need you coat on do you?"

"I'm cold." She lied again she was cooking alive in her coat.

"You can't possibly be cold." He looked seriously concerned.

"Let me see you arm."

" I told you there's nothing wrong with it."

"There clearly is, you don't just say ouch for no reason." He said. "And now that I think about it I've been dating you for two months and I've known you for years and you always have a coat or jumper on, even in the summer."

"I must have a weird thing with temperature where I don't feel the heat." She said even though she was boiling. He couldn't know about her step-dad he would think it was serious and it's not.

"Well just take it off for a second." He gently tried to take her coat off again. She let him not sure what else to do, he had already guessed. Her arm was badly bruised, not just from this time but from before as well.

"Dave did this didn't he?" He said angrily. She nodded. Evan kicked the door it slammed shut. She jumped. She had never seen him angry before. Evan was the kind of guy that always managed to keep his cool.

"Evan you can't tell anyone."

"What!"

"You can't tell anyone or I'll have to be put into care and then I'll never see you again and Ellette will be god knows where."

"He's hitting you Kels, you expect me to just let him?"

"There's nothing you can do about it."

"Yes there is, I can tell my mum she's a lawyer she'll sort it out, I'm sure you and Ellette can be put in the same foster home."

"I don't want to be put on a foster home!"

"You can't stay here!"

"I have to Evan, please promise me you wont tell anyone."

"Why didn't you tell me before? I though we told each other everything?" He said sitting on the floor back against the couch head in his hands.

"Because I knew you would act like this." She said kneeling don beside him.

"I'm just worried about you, he's fucking hitting you how am I supposed to react?"

"Kelly?" She heard Ellette coming down the stairs.

"Promise me you wont tell." She looked at him full of despair.

"I promise, but we have to think of something, you can't live like this."

"I've thought of something. I keep my big gob shut and don't annoy him. If I'd just shut up this would never of happened, but he was talking about you and I couldn't."

"Kels, this is not you fault, he's just a prick who should be locked up." She laughed.

"That would be great if he could be locked up, maybe we should lock him in the dungeons of the castle." She smiled dreamily.

"Kellyn he could be if the authorities found out what he was doing. He's hitting you and stealing your money. I'm sure that's enough to get him locked up but knowing him he's doing a lot more."

"Kelly?" Ellette came into the room. Kellyn quickly wiped her eyes and put a smile on her face. Evan looked at her cautiously then smiled as well for Ellette's sake.