Hey Everyone! Please enjoy the following chapter. I just would like to thank Pixie Star Fire for the name Victor and all the other things she has helped with the story. I would also like to thank BarbieGirl22 and EvilPurpleCookiePenkeyMonguin who have been reviewing constantly and hanging onto my every last word. I love all three of you! Thanks for your support. So this one is dedicated to you!

"That's everything," I reassured myself while closing the door to the bus. We were finally ready to take the 3 hour trip down south for the dig.

I hoped into the car I was taking with my dad, Collin (A friend, as well as a fellow teacher), and Collin's son, Allen. We had put a few things in the back that wouldn't fit into the bus with the boys.

Normally we would have girls going with us but this area was a bit more dangerous than most were used to so my father and I agreed on taking just the guys.

"All set?" asked Collin. He was going to be the one driving us there with his son as his navigator.

"Yep," I was pretty sure. "Let's hit the road!"

We all gathered into the car and headed out of the school parking lot with the bus trailing behind us.

I looked over at my dad who was sitting in the back with me. He and I had made up with the promise of me spending time with Henri when we returned home. He turned to find me staring at him.

"What's the matter?" he didn't look to happy; then again he never did.

"Nothing," I replied turning away. He laughed as though he wasn't buying it and struck up a conversation with Collin.

Collin had become my friend after I my dad and mom married. He didn't live too far from where we were currently living at the time. He introduced me to all of his friends, including Victor who was just like me.

Victor had dropped out of school for a while but rejoined after a run-in with the law. His parents forced him to go back. Collin, Victor, and I became inseparable; we were the best of friends.

I soon began dating Belle during my second year of college. It was during that time Victor became nasty. He would say things friends shouldn't say to friends. He became a bully and started getting other kids to join in on the teasing. I ignored it mostly until he came up to me as I was on a date with Belle.

"Hey there Muttly," I hated when Victor called me that. "Who's your friend?"

"Leave us alone," I commanded.

"I really don't want to," he was trying to intimate me.

"Well I would like it if you left," Belle spoke up. She was a type of girl who could defend herself.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into an unbreakable grip. "Wanna go on a date with a real man?" He was being such a sleaze. I was about to jump on him when two of his buddies pulled me back.

"I'd rather not," Belle could see past his act; she knew what he was up too.

"Kiss me," he commanded her.

At that moment without another thought, she pulled back her hand and slapped him; allowing herself to become free.

"YOU B***H! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" He screamed. Anger boiled inside of me and I just exploded.

I broke free of their grip and landed right on top of Victor. We went into an all out brawl and soon I was the winner. Victor and his two goons ran away, swearing black and blue.

I looked over at Belle who was staring at me. She brought her hand up to my face and touched one of my many cuts. I winced and she retracted with horror.

"No," I said grabbing her hand and placing it back on my cheek. "It feels so much better this way."

That earned me a smile and she gently touched my face but then fell into my arms sobbing.

"Oh, Mutt," cried into my chest. "I was so worried. They could have killed you."

"But they didn't," I wanted to cheer her up. "I was just worried about you. That fight was for you. As long as I'm alive, I promise no one will hurt or even say anything that will hurt you. I promise."

She looked up into my brown eyes with her big blue ones. "Thank you," was all she could seem to mutter out between sobs.

"You're welcome." And we just stood there, holding onto one another.

At school things became better. The bulling stopped just like it had started, for no apparent reason. Victor would flash me a dirty look every now and then but it was never again violent. Thankfully he changed schools and it went back to just me and Collin.

I graduated a few years later with high honors in archeology and was even asked to become a teacher at the same university my father was and still is teaching at. I was known as Mr. Jones compared to Dr. Jones who was my father.

Collin also came back to the university to teach a History course and started coming on digs whenever he could.

Belle graduated with a nursing degree and stated working at a hospital soon after we graduated.

Life became even better for me when we welcomed Henri to the world. She was such a sweet baby who was loved by everyone.

But my picture perfect world began to crumble when Belle left for unexplained reasons. Just a note left on our bed saying that she had to go. I was crushed but I had no choice but to move on. When I was working, there was no time to think about Belle. I would work so hard that sometimes I would fall asleep on my desk.

"Achoo!" The sneeze pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Bless you, Dad" I said, thinking it was him.

"I didn't sneeze," he turned to look at me and me at him.

"Well who did? Collin, Allen, was it one of you?"

"Nope not either one of us," Allen replied.

"Then who did?" My dad was confused as I was.

We all turned around to the back.

"Pull over," I told Collin.

We moved over to the side of the road, letting the bus carry on. The four of us jumped out of our seats and went to the back of the car.

Allen was the first one there so he opened the door.

"Whoa," he exclaimed. "Who's the girl?"

I took a look back myself to see a person who looked like a stranger to me.

"That would be my daughter, Henri, who just found out the teenage meaning of the word 'grounded'."

Henri is about to get into some serious trouble but you'll just have to wait. Mwhahahahahaha *cough* *cough* Sorry, hairball.