Author's Note: After a relaxing and fun weekend in Wilmington, I have returned to update only to find out that in my brief absence, a few shameless and for now namless people copied some elements and ideas from my stories. I know some of you reviwed to that and also reported it to this site's administrator as well as you told me. Thanks for the lookout. I can't tell you how much it pisses me off that some people have the nerve to plagerize. That really sucks! I have worked really hard to make my ideas and plots and fics original and I can't believe someone has the audacity to steal that like it's nothing. You (and you all know who you are) should really be ashamed of yourself. And I hope you feel good inside knowing that you are copying someone else's hard work because you were too lazy or lacked the talent to think of an idea yourself. And that's all I'm going to say on that except one more thing...I have filed with the Library of Congress here in DC for individual copyrights on all my writing. It's a shame that's what I had to do all day long spending time and money on the Internet after my vacation but some of you have forced the issue. The paperwork will be mailed to me in a few days and after that point, if I see anyone using my ideas or blatantly copying my work on this site or anywhere else, it WILL become a legal issue!

Jake stood in the visitor's gymnasium of the Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. Clipboard in hand, standing next to the coaches, he supervised the Miami athletes' conditioning session in preparation for the night's big game. It was still fairly early in the season but for the Heat it was a neverending battle to obtain supremacy in the East Coast division.

"Hey, Jagielski, you got a phone call man", one of the ball boys interrupted.

"Take a message, man."

"I tried but it sounds pretty important. I think it's your wife."

Jake frowned. It must have been important for Peyton to interrupt him when she knew he would be working. And to call the actual arena in lieu of his cell phone was totally out of character. His heart began to race. He hoped everything was okay at home. He hoped Jenny was okay.

Jake excused himself from practice and sprinted to the small office in the back. He closed the door and with sweaty palms, collapsed on a nearby chair as he picked up the phone.

"Peyton, what's up?"

"Did anyone ever tell you it was rude to call a gal by the wrong name?"

Jake's hand tightened around the receiver as he bit his lip and closed his eyes.

"Nikki…"

"That's better", she laughed. "It's good to hear your voice."

"How'd you find me here? How did you get this number?"

"I'll never reveal my sources but trust me, I do have my ways."

"What the hell do you want?"

"A little courtesy would be nice."

Jake laughed bitterly.

"It's too late for that one, don't you think?"

"Fine", she sighed. "Then how's my daughter?"

"You really want to know?"

"I called, didn't I?"

Jake took an angry breath.

"Where do I begin? Do you want me to start with Jenny's anger issues or her trust issues first? Or maybe the fact that she can't even read at a third grade level. Fighting at school, getting suspended, cutting class. And not to mention, we can't even get her transcripts because you moved her around so much and she never attended school regularly."

"Jesus, Jake, what do you want me to do about it?"

"What do I want you to do about it?" he repeated, his voice rising. "Are you kidding me? You could have started by being a mother to her. Dammitt, Nikki!"

"Look, she has never been good at school, okay? What am I supposed to do? I grounded her, I punished her, I took away TV and sports, not that she ever listened to me anyway. There's only so much I could do. Jake, some people just aren't smart. So Jenny is never going to be President or a rocket scientist or work for NASA? Big deal. Get over it."

"I don't believe you", he shook his head in disgust. "Jenny has a learning disability. She's dyslexic, Nikki."

"Okay…"

"Is that all you can say?"

"Well, is she doing any better with her grades and stuff?"

"Like you care."

"I do. Of course I care but in case you haven't noticed it, Jenny can be difficult when she wants to be."

"She just needs attention and people who give a damn. Peyton has been working with her."

"Of course she has. Good Ol' Peyton to save the day, just like always, huh?"

"Well, maybe if you did what you were supposed to, Peyton wouldn't need to, now would she?"

"There you go again with the blame game. Well, I'm not going to let you make me feel guilty. I did the best I could."

"Obviously your best wasn't good enough."

"I love Jenny. Alright? All these years I was there. I took care of her. I clothed her, I fed her…"

"And you want a standing ovation for that? Give me a fucking break, Nikki! It's more to being a parent than that."

"You weren't there."

"And whose fault was that?"

"It's so easy to sit on the sidelines and point the finger with all that 'would have, should have, could have' bullshit."

"That's why you moved her around all over the place."

"Listen, I had my reasons and Jenny was just fine. She adjusted just like we all did. That's life, Jake and Jenny hasn't had a bad one. I'm not going to grovel to you about the way I've raised our daughter."

"Oh you and your how many boyfriends have you lived with again?"

Nikki laughed out loud.

"Cute. You've been shacking up with Curly Sue for how many years now?"

"Exactly. Peyton and I have been together ten years. It's not like I was jumping from girl to girl."

"Who I share my home and my bed with for that matter is none of your damned business, Jake. You gave up the right to be concerned about that a very long time ago."

"When it affects Jenny, you're damned right I have a right to be concerned. Tell me, why'd you take her in the first place, Nikki?" Jake asked. "Did you really hate me that much?"

"We've been over this already. My reasons were wrong. I made some mistakes, Jake. I admit to all that. And yes it was harder than I thought. And Jenny…well, I do love her but she isn't that easy to like. She's always had that attitude. She's always had her problems."

"You ever sit down and think why? That maybe, just maybe, your parenting skills or should I say lack thereof might have something to do with it?"

"Grow up, Jake! You wanted your sweet little innocent baby girl back? Newsflash, she grew up…they all grow up. You wanted Jenny back? Now you have her. Sorry it wasn't the gurgling, happy little kid you remember but now you get to deal with the angry one who talks back and gets into trouble all the time and won't pick up after herself."

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you had just left her where she was. Jenny was better off with me and you know it."

"You're right", Nikki said after a brief silence.

"What?"

"You heard me, Jake and you're absolutely right."

"Nikki…"

"Look, she's still my kid and I'm still gonna call and check on her and stuff but I can't do this anymore, or at least not for a while."

"Can't do what?" he rolled his eyes.

"The whole mom thing."

"What…"

"You wanted to know how long this would last so I'm telling you. I want you to keep Jenny."

"Until when? Until you get pissed off and kidnap her again?"

"That won't happen. You don't trust me? That's all fine and good. I guess I can't blame you but I'm done with the games. She's all yours."

"Nikki…"

"You wanted this, remember? You think you and Peyton could do so much better? Well, now I guess we find out."

Jake nodded.

"Okay then."

"Okay."

"Just tell me one more thing."

"What?"

"Is it easier?"

"Is what easier, Jake?"

"Abandoning your child for the second time around?"

Nikki chuckled.

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like? What am I supposed to tell Jenny?"

"The same thing I told her about you when she asked about you all those years", Nikki replied, without missing a beat.

"Yeah? And what was that?"

"She hasn't told you? Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You'll find a way to break through seeing as you are the better parent and all."

"You destroyed her, you know that? She's just a kid, Nikki and everything you did and did not do has really messed her up. I just hope you can live with that. I hope you can wake up every morning and live with all the mistakes in your past and the way you have lived your life and still be able to look in the mirror."

"I can", she answered softly. "The question is, can you?"