A/N Okay first I want to thank all the people who have been reviewing this, I have meant to put it in for the last few chapters that I have written, but with my lack of memory (or too much on my mind) I didn't get it in there, and I am still trying to figure out how to edit things.

Well anyway, here is chapter 7, nothing much I guess. I will have more as soon as school starts (then I have a bit of an incentive to write- so I don't have to listen to the teachers)

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It was about midmorning when Mark finally woke up. He was off of work till January 6. He got up and changed into some comfortable clothes then headed to the living room and collapsed into his chair and looked at the TV where a talk show was on.

Mark looked from the TV to Roger who was half-asleep," You watching this?"

"Mmm hmm," Roger said as he shifted awake," What was the last thing that you said to Melissa last night?"

"Why?"

"Cause she came up here to talk to me, and she was all in tears. All I understood was that you had said something before you left and she felt really stupid and needed to talk to you. Then she didn't want me to wake you up and… yeah."

Mark ran his hand thru his hair and fixed his glasses and got up headed out the door. He went down the stairs two at a time, then knocked on the door, yelling," Melissa, open up, come on." He did this for about a minute then a soft "One minute" came from inside.

The door slowly opened a moment later, and Melissa came into full view, the full extent of what her father did to her a couple of nights earlier was now obvious to him, since the makeup she had the night before had been washed off.

Melissa looked at Mark, she didn't know what to say, and she just looked at him, with tears in her eyes. Their eyes connected and Mark suddenly shared her pain. He opened his arms and she walked into them, tears pouring down her face.

"Melissa," Mark said, stroking her hair," Shhh, its okay." Mark kissed the top of Melissa's head.

Melissa looked up," I didn't want you to know."

"It's fine, Hun, don't worry. Smile, don't worry about it. I was bound to find out soon enough anyway. Why did you want to keep it from me?"

"I wanted you to think that I was strong, independent." Melissa turned away and walked back into her apartment, Mark following close behind.

"I do, you don't need to hide things from me though."

Melissa turned to Mark," You're going to think littler of me now, whether you deny it or not right now, that is what is going to happen." Melissa shook her head and walked back into her apartment, holding out a hand to stop Mark as he went to follow her. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." Melissa began to shut the door, and before it shut all the way she said softly," I really liked you too." Then the door shut all the way.

Mark turned around, crushed and confused. He stood in the hallway, staring at the wall.

He was only brought to his senses when the clomping of Benny and Allison started up the portion of stairs in front of him. Less than a second later Benny appeared, looking at Mark, with a slight smirk on his face.

"Mark Cohen, just the man- or one of them- we were looking for." Benny said loudly as he came up to the level floor, looking straight at Mark, Allison standing directly behind him.

"You want me, and I can right you a god damned check." Mark took a step forward and dropped his voice," You two want to go for coffee; I need to talk to you about something."

Benny looked at Mark for a minute confused then nodded and turned around to Allison," Let's head to the Life Café." Benny beckoned Mark as they headed down the stairs.

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"So what did you need to talk about? It isn't like the great Mark Cohen to ask to talk to me in such a calm and caring-"Benny started as they sat in the Life Café.

Mark cut him off, a slight tone of anger in his voice," Why are you making Melissa stay with her father?"

Allison scooted her chair closer to the table," I believe that I am the one that you need to talk about with that. Melissa is kinda like the daughter I want to have one day." Allison shot a quick glare at Benny then looked calmly back at Mark," I came up with that condition so that I couldn't lose track of her. I don't want her just up and moving out now that she is 18, and losing track of her, having no way to contact her. Anyway it's not like she is in much danger, I mean the buildings not going to collapse."

"Yeah Ally but her father is abusive- did you know that?"

"I have tried mentioning that-"Benny started again then was abruptly cut off.

"Benny shut up- it is not any of your business. He is not abusive. He has never done anything to hurt her and she is fine where she is. And if she cares to keep going to the school she is at, she will still stay there."

Benny looked at Allison, glaring," Number one Allison, You need to stop interrupting me, and you do it all the time. Number 2, He has done a lot to hurt her, and either you let her out of that deal and we can just pay for the school, or we an let her come and live with us- you know that our place is one of our safe places."

Allison rolled her eyes and got up," Do what you want, Benjamin Coffin, I will see you at home." Allison then walked out of the café and vanished.

Mark looked up from his coffee where he was trying to ignore their fight," Thanks."

"Why are you so concerned about Melly?"

"Well I kind of met her the other day and well..." Mark shrugged.

Benny laughed," Cute; Mark thinks he's in love."

"She's really sweet. We had dinner at her apartment last night, but then her makeup rubbed off after we fell asleep and her face was all bruised. She was rubbing her arm haphazardly all night, and when she and I were making out, I rested my hands on her lower back and she pushed off in pain, almost in tears. I am worried about her, that's really all."

Benny cocked his head and took a gulp of his coffee," I will head over there and have her get her stuff together. We have a couple of guest rooms at the house; she can stay in one of them." Their waiter then set down the check and Benny grabbed it up before Mark could get it and he immediately paid for it.

"Do you realize that she told me not to even talk to you about it because there was no way that you were going to budge from your idea placement?"

"It's Allison who has a hard time changing her mind. Come on, you can be a lot of help if you try to cheer Melly up."

The two of them finished up the coffee then headed back to the building.