Author's Note: I warned you there was a humdinger of a chapter coming up. Well, here you have it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Nickel Creek or their song "Helena" which is the source of the chapter title. I also do not own Fosters. But I can always dream.

Chapter 9: I Never Really Liked Hearts Anyway . . .

Satin awoke groggily. A distant tinny of music, like an antique radio, reached her ears. A male voice sang softly in an almost whispered nature, luring her into the day. The clock read 10:00A.M., she'd slept in . . . she'd been allowed to sleep in. Crackers was sitting in his basket reading and listening to a small radio with the volume turned down incredibly low. Seeing her awake, he immediately leapt to his feet, "You're up! My music didn't wake you did it? I heard about what happened yesterday, are you all right?"

Satin smiled at his inquisitive nature, "I'm okay, don't worry about it and no, your music didn't wake me up."

"Are you sure you're all right? I was really worried after last night . . ." he trailed off, looking shamefaced.

"Who told you about last night?" Satin asked, just now remembering the events of the previous evening.

"I overheard Wilt and Frankie talking this morning . . ." he blushed and she looked at him skeptically, "Okay, I was eavesdropping but I was worried about you. You went running off and when I came back here you were fast asleep looking like hell warmed over!"

"Crackers!" Satin laughed, she'd never heard him curse before and it was funny to hear.

"I was worried! I thought someone might hurt you!" he huffed, "Look, you're my best friend and I . . . I don't want to lose you Satin." Tears welled in his eyes and he tried to wipe them away with his paw.

Satin swooped down and cradled him in her arms like a child, "Hey . . . Crackers, oh . . . I'm so sorry, bud. I should've said something to you. I just didn't even think about it because I was scared myself. I don't want to leave Foster's yet and that girl . . She looked just like my creator."

Crackers looked up at her with big eyes and she was suddenly reminded of how child-like he was, "It's just . . . Satin, you're the best friend I've had since Andy."

"Andy?" Satin queried, a little confused.

"My creator." he whispered, "I know it's a little weird but your like a big sister to me . . ."

He waited for her response in silence, biting his lower lip in worry. Satin stared at him for almost a full minute, hadn't he realized how she felt? How could he not? She was always packing him around on her shoulders or head it seemed. They'd spent many nights talking into the wee hours about nothing in particular and many evenings watching movies together. But she supposed for some, best friend wasn't the same as brother. Breaking into a grin she cuddled him close, "I love you, Crackers."

He grinned, "I love you too."

Planting a kiss on his cheek she sat him on the bed and then spoke to him in a grave tone, "You know what this means."

Crackers looked up at her in confusion, "That we'll stick by one another no matter what?"

Satin shook her head, "It means I get to do . . . This!"

Tackling the little guy she began tickling the life out of him.

Between the giggles he gasped, "Satin! Stop!"

After a few minutes of play she backed off and smiled at him, "Crackers?"

"Yeah?" he asked breathlessly.

"You just made my day, little guy, you know that?" she asked, ruffling the pink fluff on his head.

He grinned, "No prob, Satin."

"Well, I don't believe that I can truly be a functioning member of the house today looking like this." she announced to him, gesturing to her obviously slept in clothes and her disheveled appearance, "So I think I'm going to take a shower and go find Wilt and Frankie. Maybe they can tell me what to expect from Herriman today . . ."

Crackers noted the worried tone in her voice, "It'll be all right, Satin. I don't think Mr. Herriman is going to freak out over this."

"I hope not." she replied, gathering her things.

And when she thought about it, that was true in so many ways. She didn't want to leave Fosters. There were too many people here she loved. She had a family now, not a kid but a family, and maybe that was the better of the two. A family didn't abandon you when they got tired of you. They loved you no matter what . . .

An inkling of an idea crossed her mind and she decided she would talk to Frankie about it later, after this whole incident blew over. Maybe there was a way she could keep her newfound family after all . . .

Wilt walked down the hall nervously. He'd spent the entire morning planning out what he was going to say to Satin. He wanted to break the news to her gently, after all, it may be a shock to her. Sometimes these things were, he knew that much from last week's episode of The Loved and the Loveless when Kurt had told Diana he loved her. "Satin, look, I know we're really good friends and all but sometimes . . . Well, I think I have feelings for you. I'm sorry if that upsets you but maybe it doesn't? I just wanted you to know how I felt, sorry." How would he go through with this. "You sound like a rambling idiot." came the negative voice in the back of his head. "An exceptional idiot at that!" With a sigh, he stopped. Number seventeen . . . right above his room. He lifted his hand to knock and then heard two people talking. Being that the door was opened a crack he could hear the exchange almost perfectly,

Crackers was talking, "It's just . . . Satin, you're the best friend I've had since Andy."

"Andy?" came Satin's voice, questioning.

The next part was too soft for Wilt to hear but he knew that Cracker's creator's name had been Andy. For an imaginary friend that was very close. He hadn't realized Satin and Crackers were so close. A slight, unpleasant feeling sparked in his chest. Than came the blow.

"I love you, Crackers."

"I love you too."

"You know what this means."

"That we'll stick by one another no matter what?"

Wilt took an involuntary step back as their laughter wound its way through the air. Of course, he should have seen it sooner. They were almost always together, talking, laughing, sharing in private jokes. How could he have missed something so obvious? Shaking his head, he sighed; he'd been kidding himself the whole time. She'd never felt anything for him but friendship, just like everyone else. Walking away, he allowed the bitter feeling to take him. He didn't know why he was so shocked and hurt, after all, he should have seen this coming. But he hadn't . . . he'd gotten his hopes up, just like he had when Jodee had promised to write and James had taken him home. "Can a heart break more than once?" he wondered idly as he made his way down the hall, "I suppose it can."