Keke: actually, I can't continue 'When Daddy's Not Around' because it's not my story, although I'd love to, I loved that story and the girl just disappeared for ages, it's been an year I think or more, I don't remember anymore. She's the reason why I always finish my stories, no matter how long it may take me hahah cause I don't wanna do to you what she did to me hahahaha Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? I'm dramatic.

Sorry again for the delay, I'm still dealing with some crazy shit and my health's been like crap lately, seriously how the hell do I manage to get sick every day? It's so unlike me. AND my now ex-boyfriend and I kind of broke up again and, girls, it was just horrible, I'm still shocked...

Enjoy and review.

Thanks for all the reviews! You girls are seriously awesome, thanks so much for your patience.

I looked around once before knocking once in the door. I felt so stupid. Little George opened the door almost inmediately, he'd been waiting for me with the rest of the little demons.

"You've got the muffins?" he said and I just raised the little plastic bag I was carrying. He smiled and I gave it to him as I rolled my eyes. He closed the door right after he grabbed the bag and I sighed annoyed, then knocked the door loudly again. It kind of bothered my ears, I felt a bit weird this morning. It was very early, I didn't want their mum to see me giving sweet to them, they go ever crazier with sugar, it's like drugs to them, seriously, but this had to be done in order to get my freaking ring back. Since when proposing became so problematic?

George opened the door looking slightly annoyed by my presence.

"What?" he said like I was keeping him from doing something important. Leah and Daisy were already all over the plastic bag, staring at the muffins with amazement.

"Could I have my ring back now, please?" I said, just as annoyed. I left my oh-so-damn-hot girlfriend in bed for this. I woke up at freaking 8 a.m... 8 a.m.! I never wake up so early, ever, not even for work.

"No" he said like it was something obvious and I had to put my feet between the door and the door frame before he closed the door again. He looked up at me.

"My ring, please" I said as calmly as I could.

"No!" he insisted.

"Why not? You said you'd give it back to me!"

"When Christmas is over!" he said.

"Oh, don't screw with me, George!" I said "Give me my ring! It's very expensive and important!"

"I know it is, I'm not stupid, I'll look after it"

"George, you don't understand how serious it is, you can't tell anyone about it"

"Alright" he smiled, looking like an angel, though God and I know he's not "I promise you the ring will be perfectly fine... As long as you give me what I want"

"I bought you the damn muffins, kiddo"

"Now I want you to get me the new SpongeBob DVD"

"The what?"

"The SpongeBob movie!" he said.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, reminded myself that I wasn't a violent person, then opened my eyes again.

"Alright, I'll get it"

"Get it for this afternoon" he said "Don't be late" he closed the door and left me standing on the hallway like an idiot.

I went back to my room, thinking that I should just buy another ring but that one felt already special, even if it sounds stupid. There's just something about that ring, I've already imagined Stephanie with it and now I don't want to picture her with another random right. That's the one, that's the ring I want to give her... If she lets me.

Stephanie was already starting to dress up and smiled at me the moment I came in.

"Good morning" she said. I smiled back at her; well, at least she's in a good mood today, there's something to be happy about.

"Hi" I said "Hey, do you mind going shopping with me today? I was thinking about buying a movie for the kids"

"Aw" she said and smiled "I knew that you adored those kids deep down, they're your family"

"Sure" I forced myself to smile. What other explanation could I give her? 'No, babe, the kids have actually stolen the ring I was going to use to ask you to marry me so I've got to be nice to them and do whatever they tell me to do' I don't think so. I still don't know how I'm going to propose to her, I was thinking about putting the box with the ring in a bigger box, decorate it and just pretend it's another Christmas present under the Christmas tree, then she opens it and she says yes and my whole family freaks out, and then YES, grandma will let us have sex, thank God.

"Give me five minutes, I'll have breakfast first" I just nodded and followed her downstairs.

Uncle Daniel was having breakfast with Jazzie. Steph sat in front of him and smiled as I grabbed one cup with tea for her and another one with coffee for me.

The four of us looked at each other a bit awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say; I didn't like uncle Daniel too much and my sister hated my girlfriend, so they weren't the funniest people to be around for us.

"So, Dougie..." uncle Daniel said after a while "Are you going on tour any time soon?"

"I think we're going to South America in a while, yes" I said.

"South America?" he said, sounding a bit disgusted.

"Wow, that must be pretty" Jazzie said.

"And dangerous. And dirty" uncle Daniel added.

"There are dangerous places all around the world" Stephanie said in a formal and friendly tone. I looked at her from the corner of my eye, not liking the way the conversation was going.

"They are a bit crazy over there..." my uncle said and put down his tea "Anyway... Elections are coming soon, Dougie. I was talking to your grandmother yesterday about that, the British National Party has been doing great"

I swallowed; God, I hope they don't win. I saw Stephanie staring at me from the corner of her eye too, she surely didn't like what she was hearing, but, lovely as she is, she wasn't going to say anything about it. Hell, I was happy she didn't! That'd be an argument that wouldn't end happily. Thing is, those in favor on BNP are a bit... Well... Not the kind of people I like. Stephanie dislikes them deeply. the BNP believes in racial prejudice and division, also in segregation, that recent immigrants are second class citizens, etc... And, well, my girlfriend was born in France and I don't see anything wrong with her living here, working here, being a part of all of us.

"Who are you going to vote?" my uncle asked me.

"Hum, I don't know yet" I said "I haven't thought about it."

"What about you, Stephanie?" uncle Daniel asked.

"Oh, I can't vote" she said and I quickly looked up at her, realizing she'd made a mistake. Daniel looked up at her too, confused.

"Why not?"

"I haven't got my citizenship yet, it's a complicated subjetct, my mum lost my birth certificate and other stuff, so I haven't been able to do it yet..."

"Wait" my uncle said "You're not British?"

"Eeer, no" Steph said, probably remembering I'd told her not to say that.

"Oh..." my uncle said, resting his back against the chair. Jazzie and I looked at each other, a bit alarmed; she knows how he can be sometimes when he gets stupid "Where are you from?"

"France"

"France?" he repeated, almost choking; it couldn't be worse... "You're an inmigrant then?"

"Yes" Steph said, a bit roughly.

"So, my love..." I said as I stood up a bit too fast, making my head hurt. God, I feel like crap "Why don't we got upstairs and, you know, finish that thing we had to do?"

She looked at me confused but I just smiled encouragingly and took her hand.

"What thing?" she whispered as she stood up and came closer to me.

"Just run, baby, run for your life before he can kick us out"