six - walls

Present

Lacey

I was in Mike's car being driven back to Stef and Lena's house. I stared at Mike who drove slowly through the neighborhood and he hasn't realized that I was awake or even staring at him. I saw some similarities in the both of us which startled me a little. He pulled over to their house and looked over at me with a small smile as he saw I was awake. "Does this mean you.. you are my dad?" He sighed and nodded with a small smile. "How come I feel more attached to you than them?"

"I don't know, sweetheart." He replied back as he slowly placed his hand on my hand and I didn't pull away. "I guess it could be because you didn't grow up with a father.."

"Yeah.. Maybe." I trailed off and looked back at the house where both ladies were standing with Bill. "You aren't pushing me into something." I answered as I looked back at him and he nodded again.

"We should go in.." I shook my head as I looked down at my hand and his hand.

"I don't want to see them.." I whispered softly as I looked back at him as he frowned with confusion. "I am sick and tired of them forcing this relationship on me.. I-I can't deal with it right now."

"I truly understand, Lacey but we both need to go inside to figure out what's going to happen now that the DNA results are in." I sighed and looked down again having my blond hair fall in front of my face. "Please tell me what you are thinking." He whispered gently as he takes his hand and moves my hair behind my ear.

"I want to live with you." I quickly said then got out of the car and stood on the grass as I saw that Lena and Stef were staring at me. Mike's door opened then closed and felt him behind me. "I am sorry." I whispered as he sighed behind me and he walked in front of me then stood in front of me.

"Why are you saying you are sorry?" He whispered with a small smile on his face as he playfully poked my cheek. "I want you to come live with me."

"You do?" I whispered in shock breathlessly and he nodded.

"You are my long lost daughter." He trailed off and I looked at him with a shy smile. "Of course I want you." I looked to see that Stef came to walk towards us about to ruin our moment.

"What's happening?" Stef questioned as she stopped a few steps from us and I walked up to her but stayed a good distance away.

"I am going to live with Mike."

"Wait, what?" Stef whispered softly with a hurt expression on her face and I looked back at Mike with a soft smile.

"This was her choice, Stef." Mike assured Stef like he had to explain this to her.

"Let's go inside and talk about this like adults, Mike." Stef whispered and turned around to walk inside where Lena and Bill were already inside. I rolled my eyes wanting to give her one of my sarcastic comments but I held back.

Stef

"You cannot let her make this decision just like that." I whispered shouted to Mike as Bill and Lena stood with us in the kitchen. "She is only sixteen years old, just reminding you if you have forgotten."

"No, I have not forgotten!" Mike whispered shouted back and I shook my head. "Yes, she is sixteen years old and I think old enough to make her own decisions."

"I know you Mike, what did you bribe her with?" I whispered back as I folded my arms and leaned back against the kitchen sink. "You can't have Brandon so you take Lacey?"

"This isn't about Brandon or bribing." Lena whispered as Mike stood there with a hurt expression and she came over to take my hand. "He isn't fighting custody of Lacey."

"No. No I am not." Mike whispered back sadly as I looked back at him and he frowned at me. "I thought you were over what I did a few years ago."

"You bribed our son to choose you while you were drinking yourself to the curb." I muttered under my breath. "You showed up to my daughter's party drunk and insisted that Dora was dumb because she couldn't see the things for the first time which made Mariana start crying. Or what about-"

"Oh, so we are keeping score then?" Mike fought back as he folded his arms with a raised eyebrow. "Let's go through your mistakes too then! How about the time-"

"Both of you need to shut up before Lacey hears you." Bill interrupted as he grabbed his suitcase and slammed it down on the bench which made everybody jump in shock.

"Too late." A voice whispered and we turned our attention to Lacey who stood there with folded arms and a smirk. "Bill, maybe next time you shouldn't slam your suitcase on the bench.." I smirked at her little sassy comment at the end but saw that everybody else looked at her sternly. "Just saying." She added after a short silence and raised her hands up.

"Sorry Lace." Bill went over to her and brought her over to join the little circle. "You are right, Lacey is sixteen years old and should be apart of this." I looked over at Mike who had a smirk on his face and I so wanted to rip his face off but I have self control unlike him.

"Lacey, who do you want to stay with?" Lena asked the question that we all besides Mike wanted to hear from her and not the messenger. Lacey looked around and looked at Mike then looked at me.

"You were fighting about me and started used to me to get each other back or something." She whispered with a little disgust in her tone. "Am I going to be just that? Someone you can used to get back at each other for past mistakes?" She kept glancing over to me and Mike. I tried to speak but no words came out of my mouth to explain neither could Mike I could clearly see. "If I could choose then I wouldn't choose Mike or Stef." She answered as she looked at Lena who nodded. "And then I realized that I have three people who were my parents." She physically cringed at that thought. "But they aren't the ones I want.. I want my Mama." She turned around and quickly ran out of the room but no one stopped her.

"Damn it." I slammed my hand onto the bench annoyed and turned my attention to Mike who looked so broken. "Mike-"

"How could you seriously think I would take Lacey from you and Lena." He whispered under his breath. "I was the one who gave her to you wanting you to have another child and sibling for our son.. We just got her back, I will not be the person to take what we just got back."

"I know-"

"I have to go back to work." He whispered before I could say anything more and he walked out after he grabbed his coat. I turned my attention to Bill who shrugged and to Lena who looked heartbroken.

"It's like you just don't see what the arguing is doing to her." Lena whispered as she looked at me and I sighed. "She is just trying to get through the day and we aren't making it any easier on her by acting like this." She turned her attention to Bill who stood there still with shock. "She has very tall walls built and the only person she thinks can knock them down is dead." She looked down and played with her fingers. I was shocked by the brutal tone but she wasn't going to sugarcoat what she thought about our daughter. "She will get through this because she has us.. But we have to stop what we have been doing because this isn't telling her that we are there for her." She looked back up at me and shrugged. "I can't be here right now.. I am going for a walk." She kissed my forehead and took herself outside leaving Bill and me.

"Holy-"

"I think we should all go our own ways to just re-evaluate the situation then come back altogether later this afternoon to discuss this when everybody is calm and settled." Bill interrupted and I nodded.

"For sure.."

"Leave Lace here but give her space, alright?" Bill ordered more than it was like a question and I nodded. He grabbed his suitcase but he placed a little booklet on the table in front of me labeled; "How to help your child with grieving." I looked up at him and he offered me a warm smile on his face. He then got out another little booklet and placed it in my hand this time. "How to help your child after being reunited with them after a kidnapping." I looked at him but he had already left the house.

"Thanks Bill.." I trailed off as I sat down and poured myself some tea then started to read the information in the booklets.