AN: I'm sorry for the long wait. Been busy with life. I really wanted this chapter to turn out differently, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work, so it is what it is I guess.

...

Mr. Johnson came in from work and found his wife sitting on the couch. She didn't look happy. He walked into the living room and sat his briefcase down.

"What happened?"

Mrs. Johnson looked up at her husbond.

"Johnathan is heartbroken right now."

Mr. Johnson sighed. "Him and Caroline broke up?"

His wife shook her head. "She's moving to Florida."

"Oh. Wow. I wonder why?"

Mrs. Johnson shrugged. "All I know is what Johnathan told me."

Mr. Johnson shook his head. "I worry what will happen to her now. She won't have a place to go when they up and leave her home for weeks to months on end."

Mrs. Johnson sighed. "Too bad we can't make the Mclain's leave her here. It's not like they really care anyway. They treat her more like a burden than anything."

Mr. Johnson sat down next to his wife.

"They should just let us take her in."

Suddenly he smiled from ear to ear.

"I've got an idea."

He got up and headed out of the house.

As he crossed the street, he thought about his idea. He sure hoped it worked, because if it did, then everything would work out better for everyone. He noticed the car in the driveway. He approached the door and knocked. A couple minutes later, Caroline answered the door. She looked miserable.

"Oh, Hello Mr. Johnson." Caroline said sadly. She tried to force a small smile.

"Hey, Caroline, do your parents happen to be home at the moment?"

Caroline nodded.

"Can I talk to them please?"

"Sure." She left to get them.

A moment later, Mr. Mclain came up to the door.

"What do you want, Johnson?"

"Could we perhaps talk outside?"

Mr. Mclain wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, but agreed.

"I heard you guys are moving."

Mr. Mclain nodded. "We'll be gone by the end of the week."

Mr. Johnson nodded. "Seems like Caroline doesn't want to go."

Mr. Mclain snorted. "If this is another attempt to tell me how to raise my own kid..."

"No, no, no. That's not what this is." Mr. Johnson assured him.

Mr. Mclain suddenly seemed interested. "What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could convince you to leave Caroline with us. I mean she doesn't want to leave. We don't want her to leave. And you and your wife can do whatever it is you do, without being interrupted to take care of her. The way I see it, it's a win-win situation for everyone."

Mr. Mclain glared at him. "What makes you think I'll just hand over my daughter to you?"

"Please, Dad. Can I stay?" Caroline asked. She had been listening at the window.

"Why? They aren't your family."

"Because I'm happy here. They've been more of a family to me then you guys ever have. You guys have left me alone and ignored me since I was 4 years old. You guys never wanted me. I know that. Why not just leave me here with someone who does want me. I'll never have to be a burden to you ever again."

Mr. Mclain stood there for a moment. "Let me go talk to your mother for a minute." He went back inside.

Caroline looked up at Mr. Johnson. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Mr. Johnson could see it written on her face.

Thank you.

After about 10 minutes, the Mclains came outside.

"You want her? You can have her." Mr. Mclain looked at his wife. "Come on, Honey, we have packing to do." They went back inside.

Caroline smiled really big and practically tackled Mr. Johnson in a hug.

...

Since the Johnson's only lived a few houses down the street, it was really easy to move Caroline's stuff in. Mr. Johnson had emptied his home office so she would have her own room. It was just down the hall from Cave's.

For the first time in her life, Caroline felt truly happy. Her 17th birthday was just around the corner, and this was the best present she could ever ask for. A real home, a real family, and Cave. She didn't need anything else.

Cave walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"I'm so glad your not leaving."

He kissed her lips gently.

She smiled. "Me too. Brittnay and Amy were both thrilled when I told them too."

Mrs. Johnson smiled. It was nice to see them both happy. She always had a bit of a soft spot for Caroline. She was the closest thing she had to a daughter and she knew her husbond would agree. She's like...no...IS a member of the family.

...

Two weeks later, Caroline had settled into living with the Johnson's pretty well. The only thing that bugged her was that her and Cave were not allowed to be in each other's room unless the door was open.

Kinda makes it hard to make out that way.

Today, her, Cave, and Wheatley were sitting together at lunch. They were talking about their plans for the future.

"I want to go into business for myself." Cave said.

"I'll probally work in accounting or something. Math is really my only strong subject." Wheatley said.

Cave looked at him. "How about you work for me? You can keep the finances in order. I've never really been good at math."

Wheatley laughed. "Sounds good."

"What about you, Caroline? What do you want to do?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't really know. I just like to learn new things and observe people."

"Sounds like science to me." Wheatley said.

Cave laughed. "Well, then I can run a science business of some kind. Caroline can be in charge of the actually science stuff, and you can keep the books."

"What kind of science business?" Wheatley asked.

Cave shrugged. "Hell if I know. Maybe we can run experiments or something. Change the world somehow."

"Bullet proof shower curtians." Wheatley said suddenly, taking a bite of his sandwich.

They all laughed.

...

After school, Cave and Caroline were heading home.

"Hey, do you have the notes from English class? I kinda fell asleep during the presentation." he said.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed. "You'd forget your head if it wasn't attached."

Cave smiled. Caroline shook her head and began to look through her bag for her notebook. Suddenly she found something.

"Oh, no. I forgot I borrowed Wheatley's Math book. Could we stop by his house real quick? He's going to need it."

Cave nodded. "Sure."

He took a left and headed to Wheatley's.

...

Another beer bottle flew his way. Wheatley dodged it and it hit the wall behind him, shattering into pieces.

"Clean up your mess! I don't want broken glass everywhere!"

Wheatley sighed. "Yes, Dad."

He headed to the kitchen to get a broom. He saw his younger brother watching from the doorway.

"Go back to your room. I'll deal with Dad. I don't want you to get hurt."

"But I'm the one that broke the lamp."

Wheatley sighed. "I know that, but Dad doesn't have to. Now go."

His brother hurried off to his room. Wheatley emerged from the kitchen, broom and dust pan in hand.

"Food done yet?" His dad asked, opening another beer, the smell of beer already oozing from his mouth.

"I haven't started it yet. I was working on my homework." Wheatley flinched. He knew what was coming next.

...

Cave and Caroline pulled up to Wheatley's house. As they got out of the car, they could hear shouting.

"Don't you EVER disobey me again! If I tell you to start cooking dinner, you bloody well better start cooking dinner! I don't care how much homework you have. I want to eat now, and your lazy ass hasn't even started cooking yet!"

Cave and Caroline looked at each other. They walked up to the window to see inside.

Wheatley was standing in the living room, and a man of about the same height, but much heavier, was standing in front of him yelling.

"But Dad, I HAVE to get my homework done. I'm already behind and they are threatening to fail me!"

This earned Wheatley a fist to the side of his face.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK BACK TO ME! I AM YOUR FATHER!"

"Yeah, and a piss poor one at that." Wheatley muttered.

Before Cave and Caroline knew what was happening, Wheatley's dad had him pinned to the ground, punching him and even placing his hands around his throat. Wheatley could hardly breathe.

"Dad, stop! I can't breathe!"

His dad ignored him.

"Dad, please!" Wheatley's voice was faint.

Finally his dad let go. "Get your pathedic ass in there and cook dinner."

Wheatley got up, gasping for air. He rubbed the redness on his neck and disappeared into the kitchen.

Caroline held on to Cave and began to cry, while he stood there frozen in complete shock.

...

The next day at school, Caroline and Cave noticed Wheatley wearing a turtle neck shirt with a bruise on his left cheek. Caroline's eyes started to water again, remember what they witnessed the day before. She had kept his math book and decided to give it back to him at school. She didn't want to give his dad another reason to hurt him.

Cave walked up to him. "Hey, man. What happened to you?"

Wheatley tensed up a bit.

"Oh, you mean my face? Oh, nothing really. Was trying to go to the bathroom last night and it was so dark I ran into the door frame." Wheatley lied.

Cave nodded. "Well tell that "doorframe" that if he ever touches you again, I'll call the cops on him and have his ass arrested. I have an uncle who works for the police department."

Wheatley sighed. They knew.

"How did you find out?" he asked, looking at the ground.

Caroline placed a hand on his arm. "We came by yesterday to return the Math book I borrowed. We saw through the window."

Wheatley started to cry. Caroline pulled him into a hug. Cave patted him on the back.

"Why don't you tell the cops what's going on?" Caroline asked.

Wheatley shook his head. "If I do that they will seperate me and my little brother and I won't be able to protect him. He'll be all alone. I can't abandon him like that."

Caroline had no idea what to say to that. There was only one thing she could think of to say at all.

"Remember, if you need anything, we're here. Ok?"

Wheatley gave a half nod. "Ok."

...

Things never really got better for Wheatley. Only Cave and Caroline knew the truth. Cave wanted so badly to call the cops, but he knew if Wheatley denied what was happening, it wouldn't do much good.

Wheatley decided to go to college in town so he could continue to protect his brother and Cave and Caroline went to college a few towns away.

It would be another seven years before they would see Wheatley again.

...

Next chapter, the beginings of Aperture! Might take a bit of time for it. Having a bit of writers block with it. I know where I want the story to go and a few thing I want/need to have happen along the way. I just have to figure out how to get it flowing right.

(This officially has become the longest story I have ever written.)