It was six o'clock in the morning, when they got home. "Daddy, can I ask you a question?"

He smirked. "Is that your question?"

She laughed, swatting him with her hand, playfully. "No! I was gonna ask how you found me!"

He shrugged. "I never lost you. I followed you up to that cave."

She scowled at the ground in defeat. "I didn't think you were awake," she muttered.

He just shrugged again. "Guess, you weren't as quiet as you thought," he teased, poking her stomach, "Twinkletoes."

She laughed, and ran into the house. "Don't!" Her words still hung in the air.

7:00.

"Morgan, you're gonna wanna get out to the bus, or you're gonna miss it."

He heard a little groan come from the bathroom. "Aw, can't you drive me today?! I still haven't finished my hair yet!"

He sighed. "Actually, I can't. I've got to fill out this résumé."

He heard a chuckle coming from the bathroom. "Yeah, cause you punched a guy! Ooh, i bet he deserved it."

Noah rolled his eyes. "You sound just like your mother."

He heard maniacally laughter. "You might want to work on it," he said.

A moment later, when she came out of the bathroom, Noah's eyes widened. Her red hair was put up into two braids. "How do I look?"

Like she'd stuck her finger into an electrical socket. Half of her hair wasn't even IN the ponytail. Her bangs stuck up like she hadn't even brushed them (she hadn't). But he refrained from saying so.

Instead, Noah sighed, and waved her towards him. He undid them gently, (which wasn't hard, since they weren't even all that tight). He carefully divided them, putting one over her chest, while he worked on the second one. He set her on the kitchen table, disappeared into the bathroom, and came back with Izzy's brush.

He brushed her bangs down and called it good.

Just in time, too. The bus came as he finished. And she ran out to meet it.

"Whoa, Morgan, your hair looks fantastic! Who did it? I thought your mother was still with the government."

Morgan sighed in response. "She is. That's the weird thing, DAD did them!"

"Shouldn't your dad be at work?" the little girl asked.

Morgan blushed. "He- uh- kind of got fired."

The little girl gasped. "What'd he do?"

Morgan shrugged. "Don't know," she lied.

"Actually," came a new voice, "I heard from my papi he attacked a guy."

Morgan winced. Alejandro Burros Muertos II was a pig, by her standards. To any other girl, he was the God's gift to little women. But what do you expect from Heather's AND Alejandro's child?

"Shut up, Alejandro! No one cares what you have to say!" Morgan yelled at him.

He rolled his eyes. "You think I care what you have to say?" He shot back. "You know, Mami said you were gonna be crazy just like your mother. I didn't believe her. Next time, I'll listen."

Morgan's shoe was sent flying as she yelled at him, "Take it back, you stupid donkey!"

It missed by an inch, but the second one didn't, it hit him square in the face.

The bus stopped.

"Let me get this straight; you were suspended BEFORE you got to school?"

Morgan's shoes scuffed awkwardly under her father's harsh gaze. "It wasn't my fault! I just lost it! Alejandro wouldn't shut up, so I SHUT him up."

Noah groaned. "I can't believe the bus driver brought you all the way home. Why couldn't you just ignore him?!"

"I tried! But he just kept running his mouth. I hate that dirty rat. He must've known I'd've retaliated."

Noah frowned. "Do you even know what 'retaliate' means?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, mommy told me months ago. Pay attention."

It was Noah's turn to roll his eyes. "Oh, sorry. Please proceed," The sarcasm dripping from his voice was easy for her to detect.

"Thanks," she shot back, in a tone to match his. "Anyway, he was talking crap about you and mama!"

Noah scowled. "Hey, language! And do you really think that mama would approve?"

He knew would, but conveniently left that part out.

"Oh, you wanna play that way, Mr. Misdirected-rage?! Didn't YOU get fired for doing the same thing?"

Noah thought for a second before answering. "Okay, so we're both in the wrong. But two wrongs doesn't make a right."

Morgan sighed, defeated. "Yeah, guess you're right."

Noah smiled. "Truce?"

Morgan smiled back. "Truce. So, did you get Mommy's results back?! How long is she staying?"

Noah almost flinched. The answer wasn't a good one.