A/N: Hey readers! Thanks for all the favourite story and story alerts! I hope this chapter flows well for you. The way I've laid it out works for me, hopefully you can all understand it! Read, Review & Enjoy! =)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's!

Note: The Bold is the letter.

The Italics are flashbacks

Everything else is present time.

Hope it's not too confusing.

Chapter 2: Trip down memory lane!

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Ashlee opened the door to her apartment, she hung her jacket up and walked into the kitchen. She sat the mail down on the table and walked over to the kettle, switching it on and grabbing a mug from the cupboard. She had just dropped Eva off at nursery and had hit major traffic on the way back. She hadn't had much sleep the previous night, her dreams were still plagued by those nightmares.

Ashlee ran a hand through her long brown hair before moving to the breakfast bar, sitting on one of the stools she picked up the pile of letters.

Bill, bill, junk, bill, bill.. she separated them into two piles until she came to one letter that seemed to stand out. The crisp blue envelope had no return address, no hint of the senders identity, her name and address handwritten on the front. Ashlee pondered for a moment, who would send her a letter when everybody she knew would usually email her. She went through lists of people in her head until she came to one conclusion. Her mother was the type to send letters rather than use email, she wasn't really fond of technology.

She carefully opened it, sliding out the white paper that lay inside.

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My Sweetheart,

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Ashlee froze.

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I have finally found you! After two years, my search finally ends. I must admit it was quite challenging, changing your name was a good trick but you should know that I don't give up that easy.

How are things dearest? I hope you are well, not over doing it with the coffee - it always was a weakness of yours.

Remember how we first met?

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It was a cold November day, the rain was pelting down hard and the wind was unforgiving. Ashlee had just finished work and was desperate for a REAL coffee. The stuff in was way too fancy for her – Mocha-Cocoa-Loco-Frappé-Latte-Caramel-Cappuccino – She could barely pronounce that crap let alone know what she was drinking. She made her way down the block toward the little coffee vendor, one she visited every day. She waited patiently in line until it was her turn, ordering a plain black coffee. She took her coffee and turned to walk away when she was bumped into by someone, sending her coffee flying everywhere, including all over her and down her coat. Ashlee was a little startled but soon composed herself when the man who had walked into her began apologising to her. She looked up at her face and was met with the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. They were warm and sparkling and staring right back at her. The man with the hazel eyes stopped talking once he met her gaze, a small smile creeping on to his face before dropping as he took in her coat.

"I am so sorry, please let me pay for your dry cleaning." He spoke and Ashlee felt a smile rise on her face.

His voice was velvety smooth, it gave her slight goose bumps.

"That's not necessary, it was an accident. Don't worry about it." She replied.

"No really, I would feel a whole lot better if you would let me. Look, I've ruined your nice coat." Ashlee couldn't help but smile, there was something about his voice and the way he spoke that made her feel like a school girl again.

"Honestly it's an old coat anyway. Just gives me an excuse to buy a new one."

"Please let me make it up to you for my clumsiness."

"All right, how about this. You can buy me a replacement coffee then." Ashlee replied smiling at the dark haired man.

"Great. Cappuccino? Latte?" He asked.

"No" She laughed "Just plain old coffee, black."

"One black coffee coming right up."

After the stranger got her a coffee they sat under the bus shelter chatting. Ashlee learnt that his name was Phil, he was twenty six and from Chicago, Illinois. He seemed like such a nice guy, he was very friendly, and very funny. He had Ashlee laughing so hard she thought her sides would split.

When they parted they swapped number, Phil calling and asking for a date at the end of the week which Ashlee agreed to. That was the beginning of their relationship.

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Do you remember our first date? How I booked out the whole restaurant? How I treated you like a princess? That's because from the moment I met you, I knew you were special. I could feel a spark the second I bumped into you, I knew I had to make you mine. You must have felt it too because it didn't take long for us to get serious.

You told me about your life, your interests, and Eva.

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Ashlee's blood ran cold as she saw her daughter's name.

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Sweet Eva. She was only two years old when I met her, but she was so smart even then. I'm betting she's still the same now, still dressing up in your clothes and bossing you about. I had never thought much about kids in my life, I never really saw myself with them but after spending time with you and Eva, I finally pictured myself with a family. And that's what we were, a family. Do you remember our first Christmas together?

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Ashlee and Phil had been dating for six months when he'd asked her to move in with him, call it impulsive if you will but she said yes, she had fallen for his charms fast and wanted to be with him.

Eva was smitten with him too, she loved listening to his stories, he seemed to genuinely care for the child, treating her as if she was his own daughter.

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Ashlee felt the tears spring to her eyes as she thought back.

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Their first Christmas in their new house was a happy one, the excitement of a new beginning and a stable family home for Eva was what Ashlee was thinking of. For the first time in a long time she could truly say she was happy. She had a healthy daughter, a good job and a loving boyfriend, everything was perfect.

Phil, Ashlee and Eva were putting up the Christmas tree, it was huge. Phil had gone all out, he said it was his first real Christmas, and their first as a family they had to do it in style. Ashlee and Eva had decorated the tree pretty much by themselves as Phil hung a few decorations from the ceiling. When it came time to put the Star on top of the tree Eva stopped her mother.

"That's Phil's job mama." She had pointed out.

Phil obliged the two year old and climbed the step ladder, setting the bright gold star at the top of the over sized tree. Ashlee lifted Eva in her arms as Phil wrapped his arms around her, taking in the sight of their tree. Standing together Ashlee couldn't help but smile, she felt like they were a real family, like the kind in Christmas movies. Suddenly Eva piped up with something neither Phil nor Ashlee expected. She called Phil 'Daddy'. Phil looked to Ashlee apprehensively at first, as if to see if that was Ok. The blonde nodded with a smile as Phil took hold of Eva, twirling her about and playing with her. Ashlee watched as her daughter giggled with joy and felt a few tears spring to her eyes. Her perfect Christmas.

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Ashlee gritted her teeth as she thought about that Christmas. How Eva had called him 'daddy', it made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to slap herself for not putting a stop to things, for bringing that man into her daughter's life. What kind of mother was she? She was supposed to protect her child from harm, not welcome it in with open arms. Ashlee ran a hand through her brunette locks and continued reading the letter.

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She called me daddy! Do you have any idea what that felt like to me? Sure I wasn't her real dad, no, he was a coward who had wanted nothing to do with that sweet child. But, me – I was delighted to even be in her life, in your life. And the fact that she called me daddy made me all the more certain that I wanted to be with you forever. Our little family...

You're probably wondering why I'm having the trip down memory land. I want to show you how happy we were. We had some good times, a lot of good, happy times. I proposed, you said yes so obviously you loved me too. Our family was nearly complete, all that was missing was a son. Not that I'm sexist of anything, just to me the perfect family is a mom, dad, son and daughter. Well, we already had Eva, all we needed was a little boy and things would be perfect. Do you remember how we tried for months, hoping and praying for the test to turn blue, only to end up disappointed? Then we decided to take a break, I thought we were on the same wavelength, that we'd try again in a few months but no. You had to change on me, you had to decide that you wanted to go back to school. That wasn't the plan darling. You were supposed to stay at home, look after the kids while I went to work. I had it all thought out. But I let you have your fun, I let you take your classes and I said nothing. I was happy you were happy but then you started acting differently. You began to go out more, seeing other people. I didn't like it.

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Ashlee had began taking classes at a local college, after all the stress of trying to get pregnant she needed to do something else, she needed to focus her attention elsewhere. She had met a lot of new people at college, people her own age. Ashlee had not really had any friends since she left Florida apart from Phil, she had felt isolated. She loved Phil but spending too much time together was taking it's toll on them, add to that the stress of baby making and they were snapping at each other all the time. Now with her new friends she was feeling more alive, like her old self again, she was enjoying life again. She began going out more, for coffee, study groups, or the occasional night out. Being a mother, she rarely went on these nights out, she didn't want to neglect spending time with Eva. Or Phil for that matter, but recently he had become a bit clingy. He was calling her numerous times a day, wanting to know where she was, who she was with, what she was doing. At first it was cute but after the thirtieth phone call during a study group Ashlee thought it was too much.

When she had brought it up with Phil he accused her of cheating on him. He had said that if she had nothing to hide then there wouldn't be a problem with him calling. Ashlee, never one to keep quiet, tried to defend herself, to tell him he was being paranoid and that she loved him but she never got the chance. As the first sentence left her lips, Phil's fist connected with her jaw sending her to the floor. At first she was stunned, she couldn't actually believe he had hit her. Before she knew it he was down on the floor beside her, caressing her face, apologising for his actions, promising it would never happen again. A promise that he would break the very next day.

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I never meant to hurt you, truly I didn't. I don't know what came over me that day, or the other times. I'll admit it, I snapped. I never wanted to hurt you, but you really left me no choice. It was the only way for me to get you to see things my way, to do what I wanted you to do. It worked, you dropped out of college and came back to me, back to the way you were before. And we were happy again. We were planning our future, trying for our little boy again, everything was back on track. Then I get home from work one day to find you gone. No note, no explanation, nothing. You took our daughter and left me... how could you?

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Ashlee closed her eyes as she replayed the memories in her head.

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She had been bathing Eva that morning when the child had uttered word that still haunted her to this day. Words so innocent yet they meant so much more.

"Mama, are you naughty?"

"What makes you ask that buttercup?"

"Daddy hits you, he says he's punishing you. Only naughty people get punished." The blonde child replied.

Ashlee sat back on the floor, gob smacked that the girl had noticed. She thought she had hidden it well, obviously not. Ashlee was confused as to why Eva had gone to Phil to ask why he hit her, why wouldn't she ask her mother? Did she really think her mother was bad?

Ashlee finished off Eva's bath and sat on the kitchen chair thinking over everything. She knew she was weak, she should have left the moment Phil laid a hand on her, but she couldn't. She was scared. He had told her over and over that she belonged to him, that she was nothing without him, she was worthless, stupid, ugly, etc. He had put her down so much that she began to believe all the things he told her. But now, now this was affecting her daughter. It probably was all along, but now that Ashlee was aware of it she would be damned it she was going to let it continue. Within the hour she packed up her and Eva's things and got the hell out of there. She had called a friend from college, told her roughly what was going on and asked for her help. The friend obliged, picking Ashlee and Eva up and letting them stay with her until Ashlee got sorted in New York again.

Maybe it was stupid of her to go back, after all that's where she first met him, but it was familiar to her. After everything that happened in Chicago she needed to get away to somewhere she knew. But he found her there and again Ashlee was forced to run.

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I searched everywhere for you, I called around all the hospitals, convinced you had gotten into an accident. For days I waiting for a phone call, for anything. But you never got in touch. I called everyone I knew, I even called your mom, she was very helpful, that's how I found you in New York, she had your last address. Then you ran again, silly girl. How many times do I have to tell you? You can't escape me! I will always find you, always. We belong together, nothing you can do will ever change that. It's pointless to try and fight it, just be smart and sensible and come home. Things can be like they were in the beginning. You can dye your hair blonde again too, I don't like it dark. What do you say baby? You know you want to.

I'll see you real soon.

All my love,

Phil xx

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Ashlee crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room with a screech. Three different cities, two different states, and now again he had found her. She held her head in her hands as she wept, she couldn't keep running, it wasn't fair to Eva but... she couldn't give up and go back to him. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Ashlee sunk to the ground, and rocked back and forth, crying for all the pain she'd suffered, for the life she'd lost, for the life she missed. That's when she noticed the envelope she had dropped when she opened the letter.

Picking it up brought her hand to her mouth as he realised there was no post mark, no stamp, nothing.

It was hand delivered.

He was here!

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What did you think? Was the outlay too confusing? Anything you want to see in this story let me know!