AJ followed Miranda and Gabby back out into the waiting room. Miranda's Aunt Kendall said mommy and Bianca had a lot to talk about. Miranda said they would just be kissing. Did that mean they were a family again? Were they all going to live together in their new house? Would they still let him be a part of it? Would Miranda still want to be his twin for real after the terrible things his daddy had done?

That last thought hit AJ like punch in the gut. He stopped at the door to the waiting room no longer wanting to follow. He suddenly felt like an outsider, a criminal by association.

Miranda turned back when he stopped, a worried frown on her face.

"Come on." she said holding her hand out to him.

AJ pulled his hands behind his back; as much as he wanted to take up her offer he didn't believe he had the right. His daddy almost killed her mom; she shouldn't be being this nice to him. She should be mad, just like he had felt when Annie tried to hurt his mom. He knew how angry he had felt back then and all the cruel things he said to Emma about her mom at the day-after-Easter treasure hunt. He was so mean he had made her cry. Miranda should be shouting at him and hating him; why wasn't she?

Miranda put her hands on her hips and gave him a long hard look.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You should hate me." He said quietly.

Miranda's brow furrowed.

"Why?"

"Because my daddy…"

"But it was your daddy, not you. Why would I hate you?"

"You just should." said AJ. It seemed logical to him. Miranda's concerned gaze however made him falter.

"I hate him." He admitted bitterly. "Is it a bad thing to hate you daddy so much? He has been so horrible to my mom, to Bianca, to everybody."

"I hate my daddy." said Miranda quietly.

AJ blinked in surprise at the coldness in Miranda's voice.

"But you don't have a daddy."

"I did… well, a father. He was a monster. He hurt my mommy so badly. He gave me to her, but not because he loved her, but because he wanted to punish her. He's dead now, but I still hate him; because after all this time it still makes mommy sad sometimes when she remembers. He hurt her that badly."

AJ could only stare at Miranda.

"Mommy always tells me that I am nothing like my daddy. I am my own separate, wonderful, person and even before I was born she knew she loved me with all her heart. She loves me. You are nothing like your daddy either AJ, and I know she loves you too. She won't blame you for what your daddy did, and I don't blame you. Just because we both have evil daddies doesn't mean we have to be anything like them."

AJ didn't know what to say to Miranda after her wonderful speech. He knew she was right. He didn't want to be anything like his daddy. With a shy smile AJ reached out and took Miranda's hand and let her lead him back into the waiting room. She wasn't going to blame him, so he would have to stop blaming himself.

He also realised he should apologise to Emma the next time he saw her for the making her cry because of Annie.

…