Authors note: Happy New Year! Hope everyone is well. Fanfiction is having issues so I couldn't post and I also had spotty internet so here's the next chapter in Star's POV. All mistakes are mine and I have borrowed the characters of my fav 80's show so I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 42

They wouldn't let me leave.

I had banged on the door and yelled at anyone to let me out but no one came. I was in so much trouble and didn't know how I was going to get out of this. I sat on the floor and pulled up my legs and wrapped them with my arms.

I should have just stayed at the beach house and waited for Boss man to come back.

But, I didn't instead I had told Will that I was taking Beast for a walk and to follow up on leads from yesterday. He was hesitant but I told him I had contacted a couple of kids I hung out with to see if anyone remembered any pregnant women around the farmers market or just hanging out. He told me to be careful and hugged me before I walked out the door.

He was just doing what Uncle Roy had asked him to do, keep an eye on me and to ensure I didn't do something stupid. Well too late for that. Boy was I going to be in trouble when I don't come home.

Home after they find out about what I was doing here they might change their mind in helping me out.

"I hope not." I whispered to the empty room.

Me and Uncle Roy had gotten to the beach house and I was asked to leave the room. The way Will looked at his dad they wanted me out of the room for 'grown up' talk. I knew that meant bad news but went along with what they wanted. They didn't know I had a bad habit of eavesdropping. It had been helpful at times but other times not so much like right now. I heard it all.

The meeting between Boss Man and Boss Lady with the hospital and children's services. How they lost the ability to take care of Jake. Oh poor Boss Lady the loss must have hit her badly. That little boy was in her heart and now she wouldn't be able to care for him. And then aftermath.

The aftermath, was the argument between best friends. Boss Man and Lady had been friends since they were little and from what Carol told Maureen they had a big blow up because boss lady felt betrayal by Boss man. She had run out of the room with Maureen following behind then some security guard tried to grab Boss Lady and tried to hurt her.

Boss man wasn't having it and if I knew him he went ballistic as he did with the reporters back at the office.

The surprising part was that Boss Lady took down the guard on her own. She was a tough cookie and a survivor. I knew something had happened to her that no one had filled me in on yet, I wanted to know but was told it wasn't the time. But for her to have been able to take down that guy I knew either Boss man had trained her or Too Mean on how to protect herself. I wanted to learn too. I wanted to be able to protect myself so I wouldn't be put in situations that I wouldn't be able to get out of.

Like now.

After the dust settled Boss man was in Jail, Boss lady was in hiding and a search was on to apprehending her so she was going to be seeing him real soon. Things were not looking good. If they couldn't take care of Jake what about me? There was no way they'd be able to help me. They were having problems of their own and I'm sure I was the last thing on their mind. It was typical of my luck and how my life was going. Just when I thought I had it figured out reality rears its ugly head. I bit my lip not wanting to cry I had cried at Boss Lady's or CJ's I like calling her that better it made me feel like she cared.

We had gotten to her house after the joy ride of my life. Boss Man's car was ridiculous no it was so cool and he said I could drive it but CJ shot him down. I was a little disappointed but then thought she cares enough to worry that something might happen to me so I dropped it having that warm feeling inside was better than drive some old car. The tour of her house that was all hers she had bought it and lived in it I was in awe it was something that I wanted but thought I could never have. CJ had made me feel safe like life had given me a second chance. I felt I could trust her and the rest of them because of what she said. She understood me, they accepted me and had welcomed me into their family. I had finally opened up told them about my family and the man I was running from after all of that I was not rejected. I was brought into the fold and told I would always be a part of them. It seemed like a life time ago but this had all happened so quickly.

I will never forget how my life changed in a day and it all started with me wanting to pet Boss Man's dog.

The night before I had snuck into the Bar to sleep not wanting to get wet because the place I had been staying at had been invaded by Boyd the creepy new guy that had been following and making gross comments when the others weren't looking. He was not a good guy and I did everything in my power to avoid him. He must have followed me and when I heard his voice call me out I ran.

Boss man. I had seen him on the pier and at the marina. He was usually with a woman and sometimes that woman was Boss Lady. But, I had never seen him with Beast. He was a massive mountain of dog and looked like he was the one walking his human. He looked so sweet. I wanted to pet him and he let me. I started to leave and he started to question me. I knew about the abandoned baby and he was thinking I was the momma. That was a joke and I literally unzipped my hoodie and showed him I wasn't the mom. He asked me to breakfast why I didn't know I was just trying to get a free meal from the man and he ended up hiring me to help him find Jake's mom. I was weary of him at first. No one does anything for free. But he surprised me with his outburst after I accused him of being inappropriate, I think he was more hurt by that than anything else. But he then took me to his house. That was a shock to me. No one ever did this for me, my defenses were up but then I was introduced to the rest of his family. They treated me like I was someone. Not just a homeless runaway but me. They made me feel wanted and like I was a part of finding Jake's mom.

I felt at ease with all of them, they all went out of their way to make me feel like a part of their family. It was something I didn't know how much I had missed. But for how long. That nagging voice, always in my head warning me to keep my walls up. I remember leaving the beach house the first time needing to get away. They were too nice and I didn't want to go back. It was too much to digest. I didn't even go back to the Bar I was afraid Boyd might be there and I couldn't deal with him so I just walked around and tried to get my mind straight.

Against my better judgment I went back to the beach house, Roy was there as was Carol and Will. I was asked to walk Beast and was confronted by a guy I found out was CJ's date the night before. I didn't like him he was pushy and was trying too hard to impress Boss Lady with the flowers that look almost like a bush, blurting out I was her daughter wasn't the best Ideal but it was the first thing that came to my mind as Beast was growling and looking like he wanted to have him for lunch. It got all worked out and then they invited me to stay for dinner and cake like a real family. It was all too much I left. I had to go back to what I knew, living on the streets and trying to survive day by day. Boss Lady stopped me and I wanted to lash out but I didn't. I just listened and liked what I heard. I apologized as we walked back to the beach house, I promised to stay with Carol and Will as they left to go take care of Jake.

Everything happened so quickly, I had gotten the information about the farmers market and the possibility of maybe Jake's momma being filmed that day. That dreaded phone call letting us know that Jake was in trouble and needed emergency surgery. I had said a prayer to my momma asking her to look out for him and my new family. Yes family I had accepted them, I wanted to stop running, I wanted to feel safe again and I knew she had put these people into my path.

But if Boss man and Boss Lady were not able to keep their word I wouldn't blame them, I was just someone they felt sorry for and I would just do what I've always done. Look out for myself. I had done okay for the last 6 months and my Bar family had been there no questions asked and when I was in trouble they'd step up.

Sometimes.

I was just a runaway to them. They had tried to help but I didn't trust them, I didn't trust anyone. But the one time I did it ended up the way everything else in my life does. A mess.

How had life gotten so complicated? I got up and banged on the door again and yelled at them to let me out. No one came. Why did I come back? Where was Beast?

I had decided to go back to the Bar. Will and the rest of my adopted family didn't know that part of my life but I knew after this morning I should have stayed away. I didn't like being touched and was taken by surprise when Boyd grabbed me started to yell and shake me saying I was just a tease and that he was going to take what I had offered him yesterday. I smelled alcohol on him and memories of my step father came back. I tried to get away and cried out, Luca heard me and took care of him. He held me as I cried and told me I was okay he was 86'd never to be seen there again but that wasn't good enough he knew where I slept and I would need to find some place out fast. I was not going to be his victim.

I needed to talk to Popeye, the owner of the bar. He'd want answers of what took place this morning and if he was not in a good mood I'd be the one he'd take it out on.

As soon as I had gotten to the Bar they started to question me and didn't stop. I was tired and I answered them as best as I could without telling them much. They weren't having any of this, they wanted answers and when I wasn't forthcoming and talked in circles it just made them angrier.

Beast tried to help but he had befriended Tiny when I had come earlier so it was easy for him to lead him away from me. That was my first mistake. Letting them lock me in the office was my second. I shouldn't have mouthed off saying I didn't have to answer to any of them that they weren't responsible for me and what they were doing was wrong. Tiny barred me from leaving and asked me nicely to come with him. I shook my head. He sighed and ended up picking me up and dropping me into the office. I started to argue when he put up his hand.

"Lil Sis you need to stop. You are not helping yourself by acting this way and things will get worse. Popeye promised Mama G he'd keep an eye on you and you left us in a lurch yesterday and showed up this morning like nothing happened, not cool. Luca told us what happened and then you disappear again. We were all worried and now just angry. You should have said something, if that jackass was bothering you."

I was sorry I had disappointed him. He was a huge guy but a teddy bear, if you were to run into him you'd turn the other way just by his size and his demeanor. But he was nothing but nice to me. As was his mom Mama G. She had taken me under her wing when she found me hurt after jumping out of my stepfather's truck. She nursed me back to health here at the Bar without Popeye knowing. When he found out to say he was upset would be putting it lightly. He didn't want a runaway at his Bar and had police coming to look for me but I was just like the rest of the runaways that lived on the pier, nameless and in the shadows. I started to help Mama out in the kitchen. She was the Bar's cook and Tiny helped her out on the weekends with the barbequing.

The other guys that hung out and worked at the Bar always kept tabs on me and made sure I checked in. So when I didn't show up yesterday they started to worry. Except Boyd, he had been a new hire, he just didn't like me and had started to make comments that were making me uncomfortable and I had made sure I avoided him. Until last night and then this morning when he got me alone and all hell broke loose.

There was no clock in the office I didn't know how long I had been kept in the office I needed to get back. I'd been gone for too long and if they started to look for me I wouldn't be able to keep my two worlds apart. If I knew my new family they'd have the whole police force down here searching for me. Or worse come in and start asking questions. That was not the kind of attention I needed and if they found out about what happened this morning….

The door opened and Beast ran in. I grabbed on to him and was glad he was there. I hugged him and looked up to see Popeye and Tiny at the door.

"Mama is not happy she had to cut her trip short, kid. What the hell is going on? I have heard the rumblings on the boardwalk from your friends. They've seen you with an older guy, a rich older guy. I thought you didn't do things like that. What's going on Star and who do I need to go have a conversation with?"

I held onto the Beast, not looking up at them.

"Is this his dog? Is this how he lured you in? Dammit, Star, start talking!"

Beast growled at Popeye, he was big guy and could do some harm to anyone that tried to mess with him .

"You know I don't do that! I'd rather starve than sell myself and why do you care? You hated me since I stepped foot in this dump. So I won't come back anymore. I won't be a burden to you or any of you so just let me go and you'll never have to worry about me bringing the cops here."

I hid my face in Beast's neck. Trying to hold back my tears. How could he think this? I had tried so hard to make them like me and accept me that to have them think I would do this was too much. I wanted to leave.

"Really? Is that all you have to say don't turn this around on me little girl. Mama cares about you as does these losers that work here. Star please I know I could be an ass but you got to listen and be smart. Who is this pervert and why are people coming around and asking about you? Does this have to do with the kid they found in the trash can? Do you have anything to do with that? Little girl now is the time to fess up so we can work this out. Come on Star please let us help you or I'm going to have to call the cops it's better than you defending that John of yours."

I got up. "Get out of my way, I don't want to be in the same room as someone that thinks I do things like that! I told you I don't and why would you think that of me? Haven't I proven to you to all of you that I don't do that?"

I let go of Beast and made a run for the door I got through and kept going to the back door but it was blocked by Luca I ran to the front and almost made it when arms grabbed me from behind and I screamed and started to fight.

I heard Beast bark and growl. Tiny was yelling at him to stop. I was beyond scared of what was going to happen if Popeye called the police and I was taken back to Juvenile Hall which meant I was being sent back to my Step Father.

That was not going to happen. I heard a gunshot and everyone stopped. I looked at where the noise came from and saw a very angry Boss Lady pointing the gun at Popeye, Luca and Tiny.

"Get your hands off of her and my dog! Or the last thing you will see is me pulling the trigger to end your lives!"