Bran sighed as he thought about all that SeoHyun had gone through in her young life. It had been a tragic to learn of the loss of her parents to the change and he was happy his son and daughter in law could step in and give her a family; he was even more so that she accepted all of them into her heart as family and could refer to them as such. He loved to hear her call him 'grandda' more than she could possibly realize. He knew Charles had been overwhelmed the first time she called him 'Da' and it was still something that filled him with pride even 2 years later.

Charles sighed and as he let SeoHyun bathe in peace. He had slipped just into the woods to give her some privacy. Sure neither of them were body conscious or modest in any way, being werewolves stripped one of modesty rather quickly, but he did want to give her privacy anyway out of just the idea that they weren't blood related even though she called him 'da' and he introduced her as his daughter.

After a few minutes SeoHyun found him to let him know she was finished and dressed. Her hair was still quite wet but he figured it would be dry before nightfall, it always was and it wasn't any cooler than it normally was that time of year, if anything it was on the warm side for that time of the year. It wasn't so different from normal that it made Charles concerned it was just a warm day and he was enjoying it as much as she was. He noticed something strange in her expression, not really sorrow but he knew she wasn't happy.

"Da… why won't the boys date me?" she asked hesitantly.

Charles was speechless for a moment.

"I don't know…" was his honest reply.

"I figured you'd say that… there is this boy in my class, he's my best friend but… he's dating this other girl and… I just wish he'd look at me for once… they fight so much and… I get him so much better than he does… but…" SeoHyun let out a long breath. "I probably should be talking to mom about this…"

"Does he know you're interested?"

"No… I've never said anything because he's always with her…"

"Maybe you should try to get a private moment with him to tell him how you feel." Charles suggested "Or maybe use your musical talent to say something."

"You're suggesting I write a song…"

"Yes… you seem to express yourself better in song than in just words." he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She had wrote several songs since the she was in the talent show her ninth grade year and was getting very good at writing songs and expressing herself with those songs.

"I'll try that" SeoHyun smiled happy that she was able to bring this to her father's attention and he was able to come to some form of a solution to the problem.

Charles hugged SeoHyun near glad that he could help her find some kind of resolution to her problem. She returned the embrace.

This trip, like others before was free from electronic distractions. Cell phones or anything on a cellular network didn't work that far into the wilderness and everyone knew that they would be unreachable from the moment they left to the moment they returned, thus why they left a plan of what they were doing with Bran and with Anna in case an emergency arose. That plan included a map with the route they were planning on taking marked so that anyone who could read a map could find them. Even if they didn't, Asil could find them with his unique ability to find any member of his pack.

The rest of the day was relaxing and wonderful for SeoHyun who found herself wishing that the trip would never end.

"Da, even after I go to college, can we come back here… hike like this, just you and me… no matter what happens?" she asked, she was aware of the fact that she had asked her father this question before, but she had to know for sure that she would be able to continue these trips, having these moments with her father as long as it was possible.

"I see no reason why we couldn't make this a yearly tradition… come out here and hike, explore these woods together… talk about things that we don't get to talk about with the distractions of the modern world around us." Charles replied. He enjoyed the insights into his daughter's life he got while they walked the wilderness together, with no cell phones or other things to distract them from what really mattered.

"Da… I love you."

Those words caught Charles off guard. It wasn't that SeoHyun never told him that she loved him, far from it she said it often, but the randomness of her saying it in that moment shocked him. He stopped to look at her and reached an arm out to embrace her.

"I love you, too." Charles replied and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't forget that and don't ever let anyone convince you that there is anything you could do or anything anyone could do to you to make me not love you. I am your father now and forever and my love is unconditional." he vowed to her. The do to her part was in an indirect reference to something that had happened to Mercedes Thompson, his surrogate younger sister, before SeoHyun had joined the pack. SeoHyun wasn't aware of this event as they talked about it as little as possible, but it was something that Charles felt needed to be said for SeoHyun's sake should the worst happen and she fall victim to the same horror Mercy did. SeoHyun sometimes slipped up and referred to Mercy as 'Aunt Mercy' and no one, including Mercy herself, bothered to try and remind her that Mercy wasn't related to the family in any way, she was close enough to family for the title to still fit. Charles had asked Mercy in private if it bothered her that SeoHyun referred to her as her aunt and Mercy had told him that it was okay, she would take the title as long as SeoHyun was willing to give it, she felt as if she were a Cornick as did every other Cornick she knew so why shouldn't she be 'Aunt Mercy' to SeoHyun.

SeoHyun felt the tears well in her eyes, she couldn't help it, those words hit a wound she had worked so hard to hide, a part of her that believed when her alpha told her she was unlovable because she was a werewolf, particularly because of how she became one.

Charles smelled the tears and became confused and concerned.

"SeoHyun, what is wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing, Da… just… to hear that from you after… after what the San Diego alpha told me…"

"Forget anything he ever told you, he was a horrible man who would say anything to hold you down when you are a talented young woman who deserves to shine." He told her as he held her slightly tighter.

"Da… I'm glad… proud… to be a part of your family… I feel like for the first time since my parents died I have someplace to belong and it's because of you, mom, grandda, Uncle Samuel and Aunt Nicolette that I feel that way." She started to sob quietly.

"Don't cry, we're your family, that's what family does, they take care of each other and love each other no matter what." Charles explained.

"I… I kind of want to go visit my parents' graves… Nathan actually paid to get them a proper burial in a cemetery but it's in San Diego pack territory and… and I'm not sure I'd ever be welcomed back there." She sighed. "I don't know if I'd ever be able to face San Diego again."

"You wouldn't face it alone, I won't allow that… we will go together so you can visit those graves" Charles assured her "And if you desire to do so I would have them moved to the small cemetery we have in Aspen Creek so it would be easier for you to visit them should you wish to do so again. It isn't fair to you to have them interred so far away in a place I would not blame you if you never wanted to set eyes on again."

"Da… that… that would make things so much better, I know they aren't here anymore they went into the light that day but… it would be better if I could visit the graves."

"I will have it done when we get back to Aspen Creek."

SeoHyun knew her father was good for his word, if he said it would be done it would be done, it didn't matter that moving them would cost quite a bit, Charles could easily afford it and would for her sake. He would move Heaven and Earth for the wellbeing of his daughter.

Charles hugged her again.

"It's okay to miss them, SeoHyun, don't forget that" he reminded her.

"I know Da," she replied leaning into him as she had before. She committed this to memory as she knew it wouldn't be long until she left Aspen Creek for school to parts unknown.

She didn't know it at the time but Kara was pushing hard so she could graduate with SeoHyun who was a grade ahead of her in the hopes that she could travel to college with SeoHyun to maybe make the transition for her submissive friend a bit easier.

To Be Continued…