"Cheer up, sweet, beautiful girl. You are going to be in love again and it will be magnificent."
―Unknown

Kozik was riding back to the clubhouse after paying a visit to Stockton and seeing Chibs. The Scotsman phoned him the day before asking if the blond would come to visit and when he did, Chibs meticulously explained everything he remembered about his daughter's upbringing. He told Kozik about meeting Rosemary and how she changed after Marceline was born. He admitted to not putting more effort into finding his daughter because his attention had been diverted to the Club when he was trying to prove himself. He was trying to make his new life stable enough to raise a little girl before bringing her in and one of the steps in doing so was asking Gemma for help. He had to give his daughter a warm, nurturing mother-figure that would love her and teach her things. He even wrote a letter to Gemma, but never let her read it.

Chibs' request to his brother was that he try to connect with Marceline and get her to open up about the things she kept from him. Even after she talked to him late that night, he could see when he looked into her eyes that there was more to be said. He was unsure if it was about her mother or Gage, but he wanted his daughter to find peace. He didn't want her to have such a restless soul or a heavy heart. He was going to be in prison for a long time and he knew that Marceline was not going to start visiting him anytime soon, so he had to play the hand he was dealt. He only wished that she wasn't so upset with him before they were separated, that his last memory of her is with such a painful and betrayed expression on her face.

~.~.~.~.

Marceline groggily woke up in one of Charming PD's holding cells that morning and David informed her of what landed her behind bars. Last night, while she was attending yet another party with Evan, Cameron and Savannah, one too many calls came in from people complaining about rowdy teenagers blaring music well past midnight. When the officers arrived, they arrested whomever they got their hands on, but most of the party-goers managed to slip away and he found Gemma Teller's niece trying to get into her car. He told her that she wasn't charged and that she was detained simply so she could sober up.

Now, she was absently staring out of the window as Tara drove them around Charming. She thanked the doctor for picking her up and that was all they said. Tara, just like everyone else, knew that Marceline hasn't been in the best of moods since some of the Sons were arrested and she's been distancing herself from her family. She expressed her worry to Donna and wasn't surprised when the other woman felt the same. They knew how Marceline usually was and this was not it.

"Is everything okay, Marceline?" Tara asked as she waited for the light to change. "Is your Librium giving you trouble?"

"No." Was the ginger's nonchalant reply and Tara sighed. She didn't like the short answers either because it just made it that more obvious that something was wrong.

"Listen, I can't imagine how hard having Chibs in lockup must be for you."

"Tara, if you know what's good for you, do not go there." Marceline earnestly warned the doctor beside her, olive eyes heating like an irritated volcano at the thought of an outsider stepping into personal territory. While Marci considered Tara to be part of her family, that did not grant Tara permission to step into her life and try to make changes that she had no business. Whatever happened between Chibs and his daughter was their business and of all the people to try to step in, Tara's name was low on the list. "You wanna nag at me for getting arrested? Fine, go for it, I've got nothing else better to do and I probably deserve getting chewed out, but don't you dare try to Wonder Mom me, especially while Chibs is in lockup. That's sneaky, disrespectful and you have no goddamn right. Back off."

"I hear you, Marceline." Was Tara's calm and soft reply, wanting to disengage from any hostile behavior that could be triggered by where she was going with their talk. She didn't realize how heavy she was coming on in the maternal aspect, but she remembered she tried to do the same thing to Marceline when she spotted her in St. Thomas after Gemma took a skateboard to some woman's face. She was clearly overstepping a boundary the ginger laid down and it was causing her to push, so Tara did as she was advised and backed off. "I've just been worrying about you lately. This is the first time you've been around to see your Dad arrested and sent to prison. I need to know that you'll be strong for your Dad, Marceline. Just like when he was in the hospital, you have to keep yourself going for him."

Marceline scoffed and Tara actually felt a piece of her heart chip away at the sound. She thought she was making progress or maybe, now just wasn't the time to have this kind of conversation with so many emotions in the air. "I'm so sick of doing what everyone else wants."

"I know it's hard, Marceline, but it's family and we all have to do our part. It's not an easy pill to swallow, but you're not alone in this, even if you might feel like you are." Tara gently told the teen, but Marci just shook her head as she looked out of the window. "How are you feeling, Marci?"

"Hungry and hungover. I just wanna eat and take a nap." Marci replied, but she perked up when she realized Tara was parking in the lot of the clubhouse. "I thought you were taking me home."

"You have a bad habit of not checking in and ignoring calls. Everyone needs to see you." Tara watched the girl sink into her seat with a groan, but ignored it. "I have to get to my doctor's appointment, but I think Donna's in there with the kids. Kenny's always talking about his favorite big cousin, so if he's here, try to give him a few minutes of your time."

"Why're you going to the doctor's?"

"Just a routine checkup to make sure everything's progressing right in there, nothing I'm worrying over."

It took a moment of Tara smiling down at her stomach for Marceline to realize she was telling her that she was pregnant and that made her eyes go a bit wide in realization. "Congrats. Are you and Jax planning on getting married?"

"Yeah, we are. When he comes home, we'll have a ceremony. The baby's gonna be here long before he gets out, so I'm gonna write him about names and we'll decide that way." Tara's plan was to wait on Jax for fifteen years, when Abel was all grown up and their second child was a teenager, to get married. She was picking out baby names while her Old Man was in lockup facing a decade-long sentence and was content with waiting until he was out to continue their lives together, as if nothing was wrong or they hadn't been seperated for so long. Marceline didn't know if that was unbelievably foolish or epically romantic, but from the smile on Tara's face as she smiled down at her flat belly, it seemed like something the brunet made her peace with, so Marci didn't comment. "I haven't told Gemma or Donna about this yet, so in exchange for me keeping my mouth shut about your sleepover with Charming's finest, you'll keep the news about the baby between us?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Take care of yourself, Marceline."

Tara was subtle about it, but she basically went and announced that the family thought Marci was being a miserable, depressed sack of shit and that did wonders for her mood. She didn't want to see any of them and one of the Sons always popped up at her house or one of the women would come over with something to eat. Her presence around the clubhouse was scarce and she liked it that way, liked being as far from bikers and bullshit as she could get. That's the reason why she found herself in Charming to begin with, but it was now the same reason she wanted to pack her shit and get going. It was clear to her that Charming was not the place she was going to settle down and start planting her roots in. She shouldn't have wasted all those years waiting for Chibs to come home to Scotts Valley and should have moved on from that chapter of her life ages ago. It'd be foolish to wish she had run off with Asher when he asked because she honestly was unsure if she'd be alive or not.

Marci sighed and let her forehead rest against the door of the clubhouse. With most of the charter in lockup, the entire lot was strangely quiet and missing its usual amount of Harleys parked in a row as well as its owners. She really didn't care what Tara said and was considering turning around to walk home. Gemma was the only one she had to answer for if requested and while Marceline's never tried to get on the Queen's bad side, she could not imagine the Hell that woman could unleash when she was putting effort into her disliking and she did not want to find out.

The memory of Abel's homecoming party suddenly played behind her eyes and she remembered being introduced to Opie's family for the first time, how she played Superheroes with Kenny all night until he fell asleep. If he was inside with his sister and parents, she couldn't knowingly disappoint him like that when she knew he enjoyed spending time with her, but it was hard being anywhere near the clubhouse; the few Sons walking free were more like ghosts haunting their sacred ground. She just wanted some goddamn space, why was that so hard to understand?

"Where have you been, young lady?" Phil demanded as soon as he spotted Marceline shuffling to the bar and that made her smirk, knowing he could never be angry with her. Since most of the Sons were arrested, she and Phil have gotten much closer. Whenever she stayed home, she usually told Phil to come over to kill time or he would take her out to someplace around Charming. Every so often, he'd ask her how she was feeling and she knew what he was secretly asking her, but she never got irritated because he wasn't badgering her for an answer. If she responded, he accepted whatever she said and if she didn't, he let it go without a comment. She only wished that Tara could be more like him. "Seriously, where were you yesterday? You look hungover half to hell."

"I went to a party last night and things got a little wild." Mixing drugs with alcohol and possibly making out with Savannah, wild.

Marci rolled her eyes at her thoughts as they reminded her of what transpired that night, not that she remembered every detail. She couldn't remember how many drinks she had, but that was the point of going to these parties, of hanging out with Ethan and Cameron. Still, it had to be one too many because all that was coming back to her was arriving at the party with the boys, laughing with Savannah and the blonde dragging her into the bathroom, then waking up in the station. The vaguely familiar color of the lipstick she found on her cheek this morning pointed to her doing something that made Savannah want to show her appreciation or happiness, but Marci couldn't think of anything she could've done to make a girl want to kiss her. She didn't care if Savannah was attracted to girls or whatever she wanted at the snap of a finger, Marci didn't get that itch and that made her off limits.

"Man, Marci, I remember when you just stayed home and minded your business. Now, you're going out to parties and ridin' in cop cars." Phil laughed at her, but he was happy to see her coming out of her shell after all that's happened. The last thing he wanted was for her to turn around and go back to keeping herself locked in her room; this was a good change of pace for her. She gave him names of the people she was going out with and always told him when she'd leave or be back home.

Marci's brow raised in suspicion as she climbed into a stool, eyeing the portly man. "How'd you know?"

"This is Command Central, Marci. I have to know." It was true. Phil had to pull a lot of weight now that most of the charter was in lockup and the free Sons weren't going easy on him about his duties. Their ship was half-sunken and the remaining crew members were scrambling to keep their heads above water for the time being. One of his most important tasks was ensuring the SAMCRO family was safe and keeping tabs on them, especially the women. Nobody was going to be hurt or abducted while under Phil's watch; he couldn't afford to majorly fuck up like that. "I'll make you some coffee and toast. Someone picked up that hazelnut creamer you like."

"Thanks, Phil." She tried to smile for him again, but was unsure if it went into full effect as Phil went into the kitchen to make her something to eat. With a sigh, she folded her arms over each other and used them as a pillow to rest her head on. She felt exhausted and she had a headache from her empty stomach, so would likely crash at the clubhouse for a few hours. Tara dropped her off here because, apparently, everyone needed to see her.

"Hey, Marci." Someone greeted her, but she didn't pick her head up and groaned at them in response. "Good to see you outta lockup. You okay?"

"Party...hungover...kill me." She groaned again, but picked her head up to see who she was talking to. Ratboy was beside her, leaning on the bar and already smiling at her...just like always.

Marci knew Rat was harmless, but Jesus, he was a total creep and she knew he was only interested in all the things he could get his hands on to fuck. Phil has even told her to keep an eye on the greasy little shit because he'd break the Prospect's goddamn face if he tried anything with her. She could handle herself around Rat, if anyone, so she made sure she kept him at arm's length, but she didn't bluntly ignore him and he was nice to talk to when he wasn't thinking with his dick.

"You could've come here. Since the Sons have been scarce, we've been throwing parties every couple nights. An empty clubhouse doesn't seem to repel the sweetbutts and hang-arounds."

She shook her head. "Clubhouse parties are not my scene."

"Why not? You fit right in."

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe 'cause the last time I came to a clubhouse party, Jax literally almost killed a man with his bare hands." Rat nodded, signaling for her to continue with her story until she got to the part that deterred her from attending any future biker parties and she looked at him like he was insane. "That's not what happens at normal parties, Rat."

"You've gotta point, so instead, I could come by your place with some booze and anything else you like. We could enjoy a night together, maybe order a fight or watch a movie." In a ballsy act of bravery on his end, Rat put his hand on Marceline's shoulder and she narrowed her eyes at his fingers, then looked at him, but her signals went right over his head. It seemed like he was trying to make his intentions well-known to her. "I wouldn't want you to be cooped up at home all by yourself."

"Rat, fuck off and leave her alone." Phil commanded as he came back to the bar with a plate and steaming mug of coffee in his hands. He placed both down in front of Marci and she actually smiled when he saw that he made a smiley face on her toast with the jelly alongside four strips of turkey bacon. She didn't know who's been going shopping in her place, but they were buying some of her favorite things. The alluring smell of hazelnut creamer pulled her attention to the coffee, but before she grabbed it, Phil was handing her a spoon along with a sugar dispenser. Looking at him, she saw him glaring at Ratboy while the shorter man was shifting from one foot to the other, knowing whatever plan he had in store just blew up in his face. "She's hungover and your stale, leftover pussy breath is making probably making her nauseous. You're always up her ass when she's around. Jesus, give the girl three feet to breathe."

"I was just being nice." Rat pitifully defended himself after taking two measly steps away from Marceline, but neither Phil nor Marci believed his words. "She's been home alone forever and I just thought she'd like some company. Obviously, she's feeling a little lonely and I just wanted her to know that I'm always here."

"Yet another reason to avoid the clubhouse." She mumbled into her cup before taking a sip, seeing Phil smirking at her, but she closed her eyes as the warm liquid filled her belly.

Phil added just the right amount of creamer, making Marci wonder how he didn't have a girlfriend to do all these sweet little things for. Phil also knew that she wasn't going to fall into any of the pathetic traps Rat's been setting because she wasn't interested in him at all and she told Phil that when he asked how she felt about the new guy. Since then, Phil's been keen on swatting Rat away from her like the persistent little gnat he was and Marci appreciated his efforts.

"Rat, stop bothering her and go do something useful for once. Inventory needs to be done weekly, so have at it." Phil dismissed the other Prospect and hoped to send him away with something to keep him preoccupied for at least an hour or so. He could only take the Prospect in doses himself.

"Piney did inventory three days ago and I restocked the bar yesterday. There's not much to do around here, so..." Seeming to have found a reason to stay, Rat pulled himself up to sit on the bar where Marci was and he was reaching for one of her strips of bacon. If he touched her food, she was going to bite his goddamn finger off.

"So, here's a fun idea..." Phil said before shoving Rat off the bar with just enough force to make the shorter guy stumble to find his footing. Marceline was giggling at him, but she knew that Phil had to make Rat know that he was his superior. She was unsure if any patch-ins could happen without a majority of the Sons here to vote and waiting for their letters would probably take too long, but the next guy up to earn his Top Rocker was Phil, so Rat had to show respect or get his ass handed to him. She's never seen Phil get physical with anyone, but she had a feeling that he could hurt someone if he wanted to or if he needed to prove himself within the Club. "Go clean the bathrooms, top to fucking bottom. Scrub and mop the floors, clean sinks, wipe down the mirrors and stalls, take out the trash and separate the piss and shit from the water in the toilets. You slack off and you're gonna be Happy's punching bag until the Sons come home."

"I think you made your point, Phil." Marci commented as she watched Rat go into the kitchen to gather cleaning supplies in a bucket. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of him actually trying to filter the water in the toilets and hoped he wasn't gullible enough to attempt to. "Does he really think he has a chance?"

"Honestly, I think he does." Phil answered, surprising Marci as she raised her plate to offer him anything off it and he took a strip of bacon, taking a bite before continuing. "He's trying it 'cause he heard you and Half-Sack got together while he was still prospecting."

"Yeah, and like two days away from getting his patches." She added with a roll of her eyes. Sure, she knew Kip was a Prospect when she had a crush on him, but she didn't care about where he stood in the Club or if he was so close to earning his colors. His standing had absolutely nothing to do with why she was interested in him. If things were different and Kip was a mechanic working at Teller-Morrow instead, she probably would've fallen for him that way.

"That's what I said." He agreed. "Anyway, he thinks that's his way in and I don't think he knows you're Chibs' daughter either."

"Who the hell does he think I am, a Crow Eater?"

Phil just shrugged. "He's a fucking idiot."

Before Marci could ask if Donna was around with her children, remembering what Tara said earlier, the front door opened and they turned to see who was coming in. Happy was trailing behind Kozik, his attention on his Burner, and he found a leather chair to occupy while he did. Kozik looked like he was headed back to the dorms, but he spotted the pair at the bar and came over to them instead. He warmly greeted Marceline before asking Phil if there was anything he needed to be updated on and when there was nothing new to report, he was on his way.

~.~.~.~.

A few hours passed and Marceline remained at the clubhouse. After she finished her food, she couldn't stop herself from going over and attempting to bother Happy. To her surprise, he put his Burner away and talked with her for a bit, mentioning how it was nice to see her out of the house. Then, he went and ruined the moment when he recalled how she was crying in his arms for six hours and that made them start bickering, but it got Marceline to smile. Afterward, she went to see how Rat was progressing with cleaning the bathrooms and he wasn't nearly done, so she went to see how things in the garage were going. The mechanics didn't seem to mind her curious eyes as she watched them tinker with cars and their parts. Some of them tried to get her to help them, but she was not thrilled by the idea of getting covered in grime and oil, so she declined.

Now, she and Phil were at one of the pool tables and it only took him twenty minutes to teach her how to play, alongside adjusting her fingers to steady the cue. She had stripes while he was playing solids and it was her turn, so she was inspecting the layout of the table to see which move she was going to make next when she heard Phil's Burner ring.

"Hey...yeah, she's here...at the clubhouse…my God, she is literally ten inches away from me, holding a cue and shooting pool...and now, she's looking at me funny 'cause she knows I'm talking about her." Marceline decided on her next move and had her shot lined up, but was staring at Phil when she realized that he was talking about her. He waved her off to let her know that nothing was wrong and set his cue down, but she didn't take her eyes off him. Who could he be reporting to about her? "She's fine, just a little hungover…God, no. She wouldn't be seen at a clubhouse party. She doesn't socialize with biker trash." Marci threw the tip shaper at his chest and he laughed. "She just went out with some friends to a party and everyone was having a good time, so Charming's finest came to shut it down. They booked her last night, but no charges…you know, you can just ask her yourself. I'm pretty sure she'd be really happy to hear from you or if you've got the time, come see- hello?"

Phil took the phone from his ear and must have confirmed that the caller abruptly hung up because he slipped the device back into his pocket with a shrug.

"Who was that?" Marci asked, curious.

"Since Chibs came home, Zane's been calling a few times a day to see where you were." Due to the surprised look on her face, Phil theorized that there wasn't a strong line of contact between Zane and Marceline. He knew Zane was running with the Lin Triad and that he kept his business out of Charming, but he was unsure of why Marci wasn't speaking to him. He knew they had history and that he rescued her when she was kidnapped, but he had no idea why Zane decided to go through him to keep tabs on her. "He doesn't have your number?"

"He gave me a phone to call him from, but I haven't been paying attention to it. I don't even know where it is." She groaned at herself and mentally facepalmed. How could she have forgotten about the phone he gave her and where the hell did she put it? The last time she saw Zane was when he brought her to the clubhouse after the Drifter abducted her and the Sons spoke to him in Church, then at St. Thomas when they saw Fiona in Chibs' wouldn't be surprised if she left the phone in Kip's dorm and he chucked it in the toilet. "Did he sound worried?"

"He sounded like he was irked, but that's how he usually sounds." Marci smiled at that, Zane could be so cold and curt to others, but she was happy to have nestled deep enough under his skin that he let her see a kinder side of himself. "That was fast." Phil said as he responded to a chime from his Burner. "He's outside."

Putting the cue down and rounding the table to give Phil a hug, Marci was almost out the door when she told him, "I'll call you later."

If Phil responded, she didn't hear it because she was already in the parking lot and walking to the most expensive looking car she could see. Gone was the Audi he drove her to the clubhouse in. This time, Zane was leaning on a blue Porsche Cayenne and Marci slowed for a second because he looked so out of place anywhere near that car and he was dressed down too, not a cuff-link or tie to be seen. He was wearing a black tank that seemed to be a muscle shirt, but she couldn't be sure because he was wearing a denim vest and dark jeans with sunglasses keeping his hair out of his face.

Just seeing him in his usual attire made her think back to Scotts Valley and how happy they were there. They had a routine that worked for them and they had fun when they were being goofy together. She remembered starting trouble with him and trying to stay up late enough to hear his motorcycle and all the weekends they spent getting baked and playing videogames.

And she realized how out of tune they've been since she left her hometown. She realized how much distance was between them and how they couldn't talk to each other because it was always dangerous. She thought about how alone she's felt with everything going on and knew that Zane would have never allowed her to feel that way. He never would let himself get into so much trouble that it put her in danger and if he ever was going to jail, he'd tell her long before he was about to be sent away. She felt like the last thing he would do is cheat on her, then rub it in her face just to make it sting. He'd never deliberately toy with her emotions so diabolically.

Zane would never intentionally put Marceline through pain because he cared about her and wanted to ease whatever suffering came her way. He was always her friend and he always tried to keep her safe like he did when no one else was around. Maybe it was the status of her family or she could've been sobering up, but Marci was having a tiny revelation.

Zane brought balance to the chaos of her life and no matter what, he would protect her. Take him away and bad shit happens. Terrible things have befallen her since she came to Charming and too many times has she felt like she's lost touch with herself. She pulled a gun on Evan when he wanted to get high on Speed and she wanted to kill him for threatening to blackmail Ali, but she found reasons to hang out with him, Cameron and Savannah, the girl her best friend hated. She decided that all that negativity was due to Zane being removed from her life, her routine. When he was around, he brought peace and comfort and that's all she wanted; it's all she's ever wanted.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, but Marci felt his voice humming against his chest and realized she was hugging him...and crying. He was holding her and she could feel his cheek resting on her head, but she didn't answer. She let the tears glide down her cheeks, but was biting her lip to keep herself from shaking. She just wanted everything to be normal again. "I just came by because it's been a little while since we've seen each other, had to lay low for a bit too. You weren't answering your phone though..."

"I'm not mad at you and I'm sorry for ignoring you. I didn't mean to, a bunch of things just happened at once and I was trying to get some damage control done, but..." Her confession trailed off as she felt the tears stinging in her eyes. "…I'm so grateful that you decided to come here with me. I was being really insensitive. You had to leave your life back in Scotts Valley too."

"Hey..." Zane said seriously, putting his hands on her shoulders to get a good looka t her face. "What's going on? Phil said you were fine, but clearly, you're not okay."

"My Dad got arrested and he might be in there for twenty years. He's not like Rosemary by a long-shot, but I don't know if that's a good thing." She admitted as the tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Kip broke up with me because, by his insanely low standards, a trashy club whore who's probably had sex with every Son from here to Nevada is a better 'woman' and girlfriend than I could be, said he was in a bet to see if he could have sex with me first. I feel so stupid for not listening to you because you knew what kinda guy he was and you were trying to get me away from him before it was too late, but I didn't listen. I just feel like everything's falling apart around me and none of this would be happening if I never came here."

"You found your father and wanted to reconnect with the only family you have left. You felt for a guy and wanted to make him happy. You were trying to be a good girlfriend and daughter. It's their loss for not appreciating you and everything you do for the people you care about." "Let's just go to San Francisco and you stay with me for a while. I think you need some space from these bikers; they're stressing you out."

She didn't deserve anything he was doing for her, his kindness. She all but turned her back on him once she got settled with the Sons and that wasn't fair to him at all. He's done so much for her since they met and she just let him slip through her fingers. How he could even stand to have her two inches away from him was a mystery.

Zane drove Marceline to San Francisco and to the house he's been staying at. When Marci saw the pale yellow house he parked in front of, it reminded her of her old home in Scotts Valley and it got her to smile for a moment. They went inside and there was a sofa with a beanbag chair and tv mounted on the wall, but the space was vacant of decorations.

"I think you just set a new standard for minimalists, Zane." She joked.

"Yeah, I'm...not used to all this space. I haven't lived in a house since I left Japan. It's always been hotels, apartments, lofts and condos for me. " He shrugged. "I didn't know how long we were gonna be here, so I thought a house was a good idea...for you, at least. I have no idea what to do in here."

"It's nice. Even with the extreme lack of furniture, it feels comfy."

"Before you get comfortable, first thing's first." Zane's expression suddenly dropped to a serious one. He went to the windowsill where a colorful rubber band ball was sitting on the ledge and detached a red band from the sphere. When he turned around to look at Marceline, he was smiling and she started to when she caught on.

Like they used to do, Marci sat on the sofa in the living room and Zane grabbed the bean bag, sliding it in front of her before sitting. She ran her fingers through his black strands and was easily weaving her fingers through them, only getting stopped by a tangle every so often. She was glad he didn't cut his hair like he said he would and he's been keeping his mane managed. She wondered if he went to a barber's shop to keep it handled or if he battled with it himself because he's told her how much he hates managing his hair. He says that it grows too long and he has too cut it too often, so he just allows it to run his life. She always laughed when he told her that.

Marci knew how much Zane liked when she was messing with his hair too. He'd never tell her how much he enjoyed it, but she knew by the way he'd rest his head onher leg or lean back onto her stomach that he was relaxed. She didn't put his locks into a man-bun yet, but she kept running her fingers through his hair as she peered over his head until she saw his face. She smiled when she saw his eyes were closed and it actually looked like he dozed off.

Zane was a hard worker and he needed all the rest he could get. When he was still racing, he'd sometimes stay up for days and that couldn't have been good for him. That's why Marci always tried to get him to take a nap whenever he'd come to the house when we were still in Scotts Valley.

"Zane?" She softly called, giving his scalp a light scratch.

"Yeah, babe?"

"…thanks for giving me this new start." She told in a soft tone. "…thanks for everything, for always being there and putting up with me, for taking care of me, for protecting me…just…thank you."

"Where'd that come from?" He asked, turning to face her.

"I never told you how much I appreciated you and with everything in my life being ripped away from me, I just wanted you to know."

"You didn't have to say anything, I always knew." He told her with a small smile. "What do you say we go into town and pickup whatever furniture looks good for our house? I know you've got a thing for second-hand stuff and I know just the place to score some nice pieces. And you've gotta see Clarion Alley. It's wicked."

"What's Clarion Alley and which Harry Potter book is it from?"

"Only the hotspot for all of San Fran's talented street artists and graffiti gods. You gotta add your contribution."

"My graffiti days are long gone, Zane. I haven't held a spray can in years."

Zane stood and jogged into the kitchen. Marci could hear him rummaging around in the cabinets before he came back with three cans of spray paint for her. "Problem solved." He grabbed her hands and led her back outside to the car.