Chapter 30

"What do you want to do tonight?" Keith asked his daughter later that day as they were cooking their meal, he dropped the spatula in the sink and then dried his hands.

"I don't know, Logan wants us to go out."

"Veronica as much as I'm glad to see him make you happy, I kind of miss you being here.."

"Dad, we've got to talk and I don't think you'll enjoy our conversation."

"Are you pregnant?"

"No! I'm far too young to be pregnant!"

"Good then whatever you have to say can't be that bad."

"If I were you, I wouldn't think that." she said softly, "We should probably move this conversation to the living room, because this isn't how I was planning on telling you. I never planned on telling you in our kitchen."

"Okay, you've got me worried here."

"Please dad." Keith nodded and walked towards their living room, Veronica following him just behind. They both sat on the couch, facing each other.

"A few years ago, while I was at the Kanes with Lilly and Duncan, she told me something about how Lianne and their father had an affair before my birth."

"So you know." Keith said softly, Veronica raised her so quickly to look at him that it almost hurt. She had her eyes wide open, just like her mouth, which she opened and closed several times, no sound coming out. "I already knew, you're O, I'm B and your mother is A. I had a DNA test performed when you were five, I wanted to be sure, I just didn't know who was the man."

"Why didn't you say anything about it then?"

"Because you're my daughter and I didn't want to hurt you for nothing, what would you have done if I had told I'm not your father? You would have looked for your biological father and I was afraid to see you be disappointed, because I wouldn't have been able to help you to find him, since I didn't know who he's."

"Wow, that's not exactly how I was expecting this conversation to go."

"I'm sure, so it's Jake Kane."

"Yes."

"Does he know about it?"

"Yes, Duncan kind of shouted it after a fight with Logan."

"I guess, I understand better why you spend so much time at the Kanes now."

"I'm sorry dad."

"Dont be, he is your father and you have every right to get to know him better."

"No, you're my father, never think otherwise. I'm getting to know Jake better but you'll always be my daddy, the man who taught me how to ride a bike and who took care of me when I was sick. Jake is my father but so are you, even if we don't have the same blood running through our veins, I love you daddy." she said hugging, she wiped away a few tears as he returned her hug.

"I love you too honey, and if you want to go to Logan's go. You don't need to stay with your old man, I need to get some work done anyway, just stay for dinner then you're free to go."

"Thank you daddy."

"You're welcome and if you ever feel like calling Jake dad, do it."

"No! I..."

"Veronica, please, he's your father and I would understand, I won't get in your way. So call him dad when you're ready."

"But..."

"No buts, Iet's eat now, you need to go to Logan's and since I don't want you to come home after your curfew we need to start eating now."

Keith was standing in the hall of the Kane's house, waiting for Jake, he wanted to warn the man. He was not going to let him hurt his daughter's heart, he would not stand by and watch his daughter get her heart broken.

"Keith!" Jake said when he saw him, he put down the file he had in his hand and shook Keith's hand. "So what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you about Veronica."

"Veronica?" he repeated surprised, then a little bit ill at ease he asked him why.

"Because you're her biological father, and yes I know it, I've known for years that Veronica isn't my daughter. I just didn't know the name of the father, I was pretty surprised when she told him who it's."

"Why didn't you say anything until now if you knew she isn't your daughter?"

"Because I love her, I don't care if we don't have the same DNA. It should never matter, the most important thing in life is loving your kid, not sharing the same DNA. I just wanted to warn you, hurt my daughter and you're dead."

"I would never hurt her, I'm getting a second chance. I had one daughter and I was never a good father to her, now God is giving me a chance to do better with Veronica and Duncan."

"I hope you're telling the truth, because if you're lying and you hurt my little girl then you're dead and these aren't only words."

"It's normal, you're trying to protect your daughter and I understand that."

"I hope so, now all I'm asking you is not to hurt Veronica, if you don't hurt her, you and I will be fine, but if you ever hurt her then you'd better run for your life because I will make you pay. She's my little girl no matter what the DNA says. I understand your desire to get to know her and build a relation with her, don't worry I won't stand in your way as long as you don't hurt her, things are good between us."

"Thank you Keith."

"You don't have to thank me, Veronica wants to get to know you, but we both know you aren't perfect and you're hiding things about Lilly's death, I don't want Veronica to suffer because of that."

"She already knows what there is to know."

"That doesn't really surprise me." Keith said, shaking his head.

"I didn't feel like lying to her about that, she is her sister after all."

"I understand, I should probably go."

"Okay, well thank you for, you know, not punching me."

"I'm not going to punch you, unless you hurt my kid, and there's nothing you can do to change the fact that Veronica is your child. The one to blame is gone."

"Of course, she's. That's the best thing she does, run away when things get hard." Jake said bitterly.