The family soon fell into routine and life it seemed was finally good for Stephanie. Sure Robbie and Sportacus were still slightly adjusting to living with one another.

"Come on it's good."

"No elf my popcorn is smothered in butter and salt."

"You can't tell the difference."

"Like hell."

"Stephanie likes it."

"She also likes those tasteless rice cakes."

"Just a few kernels?"

"No."

"One?"

"No damn it."

Stephanie walked into the kitchen smiling at the scene and took a handful of the popcorn her self.

"Yummy." She chirped

"Your not helping pixie."

"Come on it's good. Make you a deal you try a few kernels and I'll bake a cake." She said

"What kind of cake?"

"Well what kind do you want?"

"As long as it's sweet I don't care."

"Deal?"

"Deal." He mumbled taking a handful and eating it.

"Blah cardboard tastes better then this." He said before grabbing a soda from the fridge and gulping it down'

Stephanie however kept her word and begun baking but the cake wasn't sugary at all. She had gotten quite adapt at subsisting things.

Robbie knew she had been slipping him sports candy but it was a game and damned if she didn't make it taste good unlike that stupid popcorn.

"Make sure you use the cocoanut." he grinned.

"what cocoanut?" She said trying to act innocent.

"Or what ever sports candy it is you use."

"You know! Pabbi!"

"I didn't tell him. I swear." Sportacus said putting the bag of popcorn down and holding his hands up

"Elf didn't have to. You left a big chunk of apple in the last one."

"Your not mad?"

"No because at least when you do it tastes good. Not to mention I know your father had a piece of the last cake which told me there was no sugar in it."

After a bit he actually helped her make the cake as her father went to look over the town.

"I'll go get the mail!" She said seeing what time it was.

She was a little surprised to see a letter to herself from an unknown address. She sided on action and handed to Robbie.

"You recognize the handwriting?"

He already knew where it came from he and Sportacus had planed the whole thing.

"No."

Robbie opened it and pulled out a card. After looking it over he handed it to her.

"It's a birthday card....from you and Pabbi! No wonder there was no postage!" She said

"He didn't write it I did. Happy Birthday. We figured you could use a nice surprise." He chuckled

She hugged him.

"Thank you!"

"You think we forgot?"

"Well it's still three days away dad." She said

He watched her skip to her room and knew the card would probably find it's way in to a cretin shoebox. Oh they had another gift for her but every little girl deserved a card. Sportacus returned home and saw the mail.

"She get it?"

"Yep. Probably showing it to Beast."

Sportacus went to see just what she was doing. She had Beast sure enough but she was trying to get him to eat.

"Come on....you like tuna. Just a little bite?"

"Something wrong?"

"Beast won't eat. He hasn't touched his other food and I thought maybe tuna would get him to eat."

"You are aware Beast has had his breakfast. He had some eggs and somehow got Robbie's bacon to this morning."

"No I didn't no wonder you weren t hungry."

After dinner that night Sportacus found her once again talking with Beast.

"Pabbi and dad take could care of us huh Beast?" She said scratching the little ball of fluff under his chin.

"I just hope it lasts." She sighed

Lasts? What did she mean him and Robbie, them as a family what? He leaned slightly closer.

"It seems like just when I'm truly happy everything falls apart. I was happy with mama and father and grandma died then I came here and was happy then mama and father died....everyone leaves just when I think everything is going to be fine. I don't wanna loses Pabbi and dad." She said softly still scratching the kitten.

She felt like they were going to leave her? he didn't know what to do so he walked into the room he shared with Robbie and sat on the bed.

"Hey you look like someone ran over your dog." Robbie said putting his book aside seeing the elf.

"Not quite my love not quite." he said

"What's the matter?"

"Stephanie. She's afraid to be happy, because to her every time she is either something happens or someone she loves leaves."

"Damn. I don't wanna say it but I can see where she thinks that. She had said the day before her parents died that she was the happiest she'd ever been in a long time and then the next day they die. Then once she's settled with you she gets kidnapped. Then when you and I are finally an item and she thinks life is good that damn Alexi shows up."

"How do I make her see that I'm not going anywhere, that your not going to leave her either?" Sportacus sighed

"I don't know. I don't exactly have allot of experience in the raising kids department." Robbie confessed sliding behind the man and wrapping his arms around his waist.

Suddenly the former villain got an idea and left thier room and made his way to thier daughters. He knocked and waited for her to answer.

"Come in." She called sounding muffled

Robbie looked puzzled as he opened the door. All he could see were two little feet sticking out from under the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm stuck. Beast grabbed my teddy bear and dragged him down here and I went to get him and my shirt got caught." she explained.

"Oh." Robbie said kneeling by her and reaching under to unsnag her.

She shimmed further and came out the other side Beast in tow who was chewing on the bear's ear.

"So you have school tomorrow but afterward would you meet me at the lair...I could use an assistant." he said

He would do everything to show her that he had no intention of leaving her or the elf.

"Really!" She chirped

"Really. So long as your not swamped with homework we can build something or another." he said

Once that was settled he returned to his room but found it empty he hadn't heard Sportacus leave. He heard the shower turn on and got an evil idea....he probably shouldn't be doing this but damn if it wouldn't be funny. He waited several minutes before sneaking in and flushing the toilet before rushing back out and jumping into bed making it look like he was sleeping.

"AHHHHH!" Sportacus yelped as the water changed it's temperature rapidly. He poked his head out to find the room empty. He grabbed a towel and walked into the bedroom but Robbie was asleep. He grabbed Robbie's robe and went to question his daughter,he found her curled up on the bed with Beast reading.

"Did you use the upstairs bathroom just now?" He questioned

"No. I've been here with Beast. I heard you yell are you ok?"

"I'm fine I have a cretin ex-villain to deal with." he mumbled

"Ok Pabbi." She said shaking her head smiling.

Sportacus however walked back into thier room and changed for bed before climbing in and pulling Robbie to him.

"Nice try." He whispered before nipping his earlobe.

Robbie tried not to react to that but failed.

"What this place is to mundane." he muttered turning to Sportacus.

"Uh-huh next time it's your turn."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, your so sure?"

Stephanie meanwhile lay awake unable to sleep nothing was wrong emotionally she just had a mild stomach ache. She figured she'd just eaten something wrong and tried to get in to a position where she could sleep but she just couldn't find one.

Sportacus could since all was not well in the house but wrote it off to the conversation he heard between his daughter and her cat. Robbie was asleep in his arms and Sportacus soon drifted off.

Around three in the morning Stephanie couldn't take it anymore. She slowly got out of bed and made her way toward the stairwell and slowly begun the climb to her parents. It felt like it took forever. She saw thier door cracked and looked in to see them both asleep. She pushed the door open and made her way to her father's side. He sensed her and turned to see tears streaming down her face.

"Steph?" He questioned

"My tummy hurts." She said with a sob.

Sportacus knew she wouldn't wake him for a simple stomach ache and knew it must be hurting her badly he also knew Robbie had medical experience and rolled over to wake him.

"What? Who?" Robbie said jerking awake.

"Stephanie's stomach hurts could you take a look?"

"Come here Pixie." He soothed

"It hurts to move."

"Up elf. Stephanie lay on his side." Robbie said hoping what he thought was wrong wasn't.

He laid his hand on her side and pressed very lightly but she cried out in pain.

"Oh damn...it's defiantly Appendicitis. We need to get her to the hospital." Robbie said getting up and throwing some shoes on.

Sportacus picked her up and they raced toward the airship. The flight took only a few minutes but to him it seemed like hours. Once there Robbie tried to explain that he would stake his life he was right but the doctors insisted in running tests.

"Look damnit I know what I'm talking about you wait much longer we could loose her!" He hissed at the young looking doctor.

"Oh really Mr. Rotten do you have a medical license. Leave this to us." He said

"You wanna see my license...boy I've been doing medical procedures since before you were born!" Robbie said

Stephanie meanwhile he could see was getting paler and he knew if this stupid doctor didn't hurry he and Sportacus would loose her. He knew it might come down to him doing the surgery if it meant she would be ok.

"Look I have a license I just don't practice Medicine anymore. You'll find I still have privileges here at this hospital and I'm taking over her case."

Sportacus meanwhile stood by Stephanie using his powers to try to keep her calm. He knew Robbie used to be a doctor Robbie was of thier race and had lived much longer then most of the doctors here. There were no secrets between the two men and Sportacus would keep the man's secrets just as Robbie kept his.

"He will be taking care of her." Sportacus said sternly turning to them.

Of anyone in this hospital he trusted Robbie to keep her safe even over his own doctor who he rarely saw just for a checkup at her demand.

Robbie rushed with a team to an operating room. It had been a long time since he'd performed any kind of surgery but her life depended on him. He sat by her as the nurse started the preparations for the anesthesia.

"Hey when you wake up it's all going to be over. The nurse is going to give you some anesthesia so you won't feel the surgery. I'm going to be the on doing it Pixie." He said

"Ok daddy. See you soon?" She said as the nurse inserted the IV.

"See you soon Pixie." He said kissing her forehead before leaving to finish his own preparations.

Sportacus paced in the waiting room after having called her Uncle and he said he'd call Bessie He knew Bessie would tell her friends. Sure enough a large group of people were ushered in by the mayor and his assistant.

"Any word?" Bessie asked

"No Robbie hasn't begun the surgery yet that I know of." Sportacus said shaking his head.

It was only a half hour later that Robbie came out looking tired. Sportacus looked up expectantly and Robbie smiled at him.

"She'll be fine. She's in the recovery room right now and as soon as she wakes up and we get her to a room you lot can go see her." He said

Sportacus hugged the man just glad thier daughter would be ok.

"I need coffee...I'll be right back if the nurse says she's awake before I get back tell her to wait. I told Pixie I'd be one to the first to see her." Robbie said heading toward the cafeteria. Trixie followed him. She had to tell him she was sorry even knowing he was with Sportacus she hadn't given him a chance but he'd saved Stephanie.

"Robbie...I'm sorry?"

"For what?"

"For not giving you a fair chance. Stephanie said you'd changed but I didn't believe it. From what Sportacus said Stephanie might be dead if you hadn't taken care of her."

"Thank you Trixie....There is a saying love changes all. I never hated any of you just the noise you made but I've grown used to it and I wouldn't change having any of you in my life for all the peace and quite in the world. You want anything?"" He said grabbing his coffee and ordering an orange juice for Sportacus.

"No thanks...so how long will she be on bed rest?"

"She had it pretty bad but I don't think more then two weeks between here and home. You lot can always come over and play board games." Robbie said as they walked back.

He handed the juice to Sportacus as he sat beside him laying his head back against the wall.

"Thank you Robbie." Sportacus said

The young doctor from earlier was sent to tell them Stephanie was awake.

"Look I saw the surgery I've never seen a doctor work with such skill...I'm sorry Dr. Rotten."

"Mr. Rotten...I'm not a doctor anymore but considering who my patient was I couldn't stand by. I already told you I'd been prating medicine since before you were born." Robbie said as he and Sportacus followed him.

"Pabbi...daddy!" Stephanie said seeing them.

Sportacus leaned down and kissed her cheek just glad to see her smile again.

"Hey Pixie. Your not going to like me for a few days." Robbie said

"Why?"

"You are on bed rest. No dancing no running and defiantly no jumping. I'll look at you in the morning and we'll see about getting you home to Beast soon. After that your still on restricted rest so it's board games and video games for you missie." He said

"I can't dance?!"

"Just for a bit. Then once I'm satisfied your healed you can go back to being like your father all jumpy and hyper." Robbie chuckled

"Whew as long it's not forever." Stephanie said

"Let's get you up to a room so those friends of yours can say hi before they kill me." Robbie said

He wasn't surprised the next morning to see she was healing nicely. She could go home tomorrow instead of the usual few days he would keep a child her size and who had been that sick. Sportacus was making his rounds around town and he was sitting with Stephanie.

"Why don't you practice medicine anymore?" She asked as they played a card game.

"I just can't. I lost a patient during a surgeries I'd done a million times. After that I stuck to clinic duty but I just never got over the feeling that I had caused the death of a child. I begun making more and more mistakes in just routine things and decided to give up medicine. I had only become a doctor to follow in my father's footsteps what I had really wanted to do was invent and so that s what I do now." He said looking at her.

"You returned just for me?" She said softly

"Your my daughter the only one's I swore to every return to medicine for were my kids and my partner if I was ever lucky enough to have them." He said smiling

She was laying in her bed that afternoon with Beast bored out of her mind. She wanted to go outside and play but knew she was stuck in here. Ziggy had come over for a bit and they had played a board games but he had to go home and clean his room.

Finally she took out a notebook and just begun to write she wasn't writing anything in particular until she read it over and realized she was writing about her parents to her dead parents. She missed me mother still but she was so happy with Sportacus and Robbie.

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Only one more chapter left my friends but don't worry I have several more ideas floating in my head for either a sequal or a whole new story.