Author's Note: Thanks for the warming reviews! :D I hope you are enjoying this story as I enjoy writing it. Things shall get a wee bit interesting from here.

Allons-y!

You would think someone who went to rehab for a problem would come out a totally different person. With a clean slate and everything. That wasn't the case for Adriana's father.

Ever since he returned, he's been nothing but an ass. An ass towards her mom, her, her little brother, and even Jon. When Adriana's dad first saw Jon, he flipped the hell out.

"Who is that!? Why is he here!?" Adriana's dad bellowed.

"He has no where to stay!" Adriana said defending Jon.

Jon silently stared at his hands as Adriana argued with her father.

"Look at him! He's nothing but trouble! I can smell it on him!"

"Leave him alone! He's done nothing to you! He actually saved me from getting bullied. Unlike you, he actually helped me!"

"Nothing but rifiuti (garbage)."

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!"

"Adriana," Jon said.

Adriana was on the verge of tears.

"Who do you think you're raising your voice at!?" Adriana's father bellowed again.

"YOU! I HATE YOU! I WISH YOU WOULD JUST DIE! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A DRUNK AND YOU DO DRUGS LEAVE! WE DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE! I'VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE WITH MOM AND JON AROUND! WE DON'T NEED YOU!"

"Adriana, stop!" Jon pleaded with her.

But she didn't listen.

"WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Adriana's father said.

He walked up to her and was about to grab her by her hair until Jon stepped in between them.

"Don't hurt her," Jon said.

Jon vowed to never let anything or ANYONE for that matter. Not even her own father, who was acting like a monster rather than a father.

"Move you little piece of shit!" Adriana's father said.

Jon stood there and just looked up at the man. Her dad was a hefty looking man but Jon has taken on bigger guys. He taught himself how to defend himself from attackers. The man before him was no different.

"Why you little..."

Adriana's dad grabbed Jon by the collar of his t-shirt and lifted him up. Jon started kicking at her dad.

"Let me go!" he said.

"Dad! Stop!"

"Jimmy, enough!" Adriana's mom said.

She had ran into the living room to see what all the commotion was.

"You let this damn boy into our home!? I'm throwing him out!"

"DON'T! JON!" Adriana screamed.

Her dad made his way over to the door to try and throw him out. Jon swung his leg back and kicked her dad square in the jaw. The kick stunned him. Jon fell to the ground. Adriana ran over to Jon to see if he was okay.

"Ah! I'm gonna kill you you bastard!"

Before he could get any closer to them, Adriana's mom had hit her husband with a frying pan and knocked him out.

Everyone looked to see if the body on the floor was moving.

It wasn't.

"Kids, go back to your room," Adriana's mom said.

Adriana helped Jon to his feet and the two of them hurried to their room and locked the door. Adriana hopped on her bed and started to cry.

"Don't cry," Jon said.

He hugged her.

"Stop crying. Please? It'll be okay."

Things did get better over the next couple of weeks.

Adriana's dad was in jail and her mom filed for divorce from him. Adriana's birthday was in March.

"Someone's about to turn eight," Jon said.

"I wonder who," Adriana said.

"You!"

Her birthday was tomorrow. Jon had bought her hairbows, hairclips, some lip gloss, a butterfly comb, colorful hairbands, and fingernail polish. He hid it away in a box under the bed.

"What did you get me?"

"You'll see."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"Nope."

Adriana tickled Jon.

She was so excited about her birthday present that she couldn't wait until midnight. Jon promised to give her her present if she stayed up late with him. Fortunately, her birthday landed on a Saturday.

"Keep your eyes shut!" Jon said.

"I am! I am!" Adriana said.

Jon opened the box.

"Surprise!"

Adriana opened her eyes and gasped.

"Oh Jon!" she said.

She gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I wanted these so bad!"

"Well, now you have them," Jon said.

He took delight in seeing Adriana smile.

"A butterfly comb! Ah! It's so pretty!"

"Um...can I comb your hair?" Jon asked. He was picking at his nails out of shyness.

"Sure!"

Adriana handed Jon the comb. She sat in front of him and tilted her head back a little. Jon carefully combed out Adriana's locks. Her hair was so soft. Jon wished he could lay in it and fall asleep. Jon took a hairband and tied Adriana's hair up into a ponytail.

"There. Let me see you," Jon said.

Adriana turned around and looked at Jon.

"So pretty," Jon said, almost absent mindedly.

"You mind doing this pretty lady's nails?"

Jon painted Adriana's toes. He would tickle her feet here and there. He stopped soon when she accidently kicked him in the mouth.

He then worked on her fingernails. Even her hands were soft.

"There. All done," Jon said.

"Thank you! You know what, for your birthday I'm going to get you something nice too."

And that she did do.

"Aaaahhhh! Macho Man action figure!" Jon said excitedly.

"I thought you could use some more," Adriana said.

She whipped out Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper!

Jon felt like he won a million bucks. Adriana also got him some WWF wrestling magazines and posters.

"You're the most amazing friend I could ever have," Jon said.

Adriana smiled at him.

"You're the most amazing friend I could ever have too."

"Uh...Adriana...you're still my girlfriend right?"

"Of course silly!"

"Uh...ok, good! Guess what?"

"What?"

"RACE YOU TO THE KITCHEN!"

Adriana had tripped up Jon and beat him there first.

"Hey! No fair!"

Adriana smirked and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Cheerios? Or Frosted Flakes?"

"Frosted Flakes with extra sugar!"

The two kids had created a unbreakable relationship with each other.

No matter what happened or what they did, they always had each others' backs.

Jon never felt loved until he met Adriana. He even stopped fighting with the other kids and he worked on his temper.

He thought he would be forever alone in this cruel and mad world.

But Adriana showed him that good people exist. Jon made it his mission to protect her anyway he could.

Adriana was glad that Jon had saved her from the bullies. She didn't know what to do.

Jon taught her to stand up for herself and be strong.

There was no separating these two.