AN –

FINAL chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing – and, hanging in there with me. It took me a long time to finish this and I'm grateful to those of you who are still reading. Hope you enjoy this ending…

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ONE MONTH LATER

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"Happy birthday!"

The boys chorused their salutations to Miss Carolyn Smythe, who was currently turning the ripe old age of eleven. Eleven. The year when the whole world changes with puberty around the corner and boys (or girls) no longer have cooties. The age when she's facing the onset of adulthood and when fathers still call them their 'special little girl'.

Only, in this case, it was Dave and Sebastian serving that role. Sort of.

"Thank you!" Carolyn squealed. "What is it?"

Dave kneeled down instead of towering over her. "Well, you'll just have to open it and see."

She rushed over to the coffee table, careful not to knock over the vanilla/marble sheet cake precariously nestled there, among other objects. Sebastian chanced a peek at Dave and knew what he'd see. And he was right.

A deep, boyish smile adorned Dave's face. Sebastian cleverly remembered how Dave could not resist little girls, his own very words. Finally, Dave looked back at his boyfriend and quickly looked away, redness rising on his cheeks too quickly not to be amused. Sebastian just had to let out a little chuckle.

Carolyn turned around, midway through tearing through the wrapping paper. She looked up at them, didn't get the joke, and resumed her childish task. Dave had the bright idea to wrap the present in at least four layers of wrapping paper.

Hey – she needs to have fun, Dave had said. Sebastian could only shake his head.

An exclamation of wonder beamed out of Carolyn's mouth when she realized there was another layer of wrapping paper to go through. A little confused, she cocked her head to the side, studying the unusual box. Dave put his fist over his mouth to prevent huge guffaws of laughter. Who knew Dave could be such a boyish trickster?

Sebastian didn't know whom to watch first. His head became a pinball machine, bouncing between the devilish Karofsky and the dainty Smythe. It heavily amused him, which led to another chuckle.

But Carolyn was suspicious.

"What's…?" She began. "What's…this?"

"It's your present, Carolyn!" Dave happily exclaimed. "Open it already!"

Carolyn huffed and returned to her task with much more gusto. David Karofsky actually had to turn around and take a few steps away, his fist returned to his mouth. Sebastian put his head down for a minute and then right back to his sister.

"Go on, Carolyn." Sebastian coaxed. "Go on."

Then, it was if her hands blew up. Wrapping paper flew around them like an exploding kite and the boys could no longer contain their laughter.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Carolyn exclaimed, a little whine to her voice.

"Just keep going!" Dave and Sebastian chorused. The two devious boys looked at each other for a moment before exploding in uncontrollable laughter! Amidst the flying wrapping paper and huge spurts of laughter, it never even occurred to them that this is what families do. True families.

"And you should watch your language, young lady." Sebastian admonished. But it went ignored.

Finally, Carolyn found the elongated cardboard box. Dave had mercifully not done anything to the box, so the lid flew away too.

Her eyes bulged.

"The Limited!" she screamed. "I love The Limited!"

She quickly pulled out an orange, cashmere sweater and a dark green, tartan skirt to match. She squealed and squealed and squealed.

"I love it! I love it! I love it!"

Carolyn even twirled with the clothes hugging her chest. She didn't care that Dave and Sebastian had to save for nearly a month to afford the outfit. She just loved it.

"Oh, thank you!" Carolyn said, finally coming to a stop. She rushed to her big brother first. "Thank you, Sebby!"

"Sebby?"

"Yeah! Remember? That time at the…" Carolyn's voice trailed off for a second, before quietly adding, "theatre."

"Oh…yeah…"

Barely a second passed before Carolyn remembered her joy. Smile back in full-force, she twirled away from Sebastian a couple of times before 'crashing' into Dave. He grabbed her by the arms and lifted her up in the air. Her squeals nearly pierced his eardrums. But then, that's the right kind of pain, isn't it?

"Oh, thank you, Davey grizzly bear!"

Dave dramatically feigned annoyance. "Ohhhhhh, Carolyyyyyn!" His voice dropped an octave and growled her name at the end. She just giggled in his arms and then, quite suddenly, she hugged him.

Surprised, Dave returned the hug. "You're very welcome, Carolyn." Dave whispered. And then, for the very first time, he kissed her on the cheek. He gingerly dropped her and she returned to Sebastian.

"I wanna go try this on now!" Carolyn loudly said.

"I think I can hear you." Sebastian said, his pinkie going into the ear nearest her. "Well, go ahead. You earned it."

"OK!"

And just when she took a step towards the staircase to go to her room, something on the coffee table caught her eye. Coming to a complete stop, she slowly walked towards the object. There, placed on the edge behind the cake, was a dark blue velvet box and a white envelope.

The moment Dave and Sebastian dreaded had arrived.

She took a step towards the box, but protectively held The Limited outfit to her chest. With one hand, she grabbed the velvet box and slowly opened it, hearing the muffled crack of the jewelry box. Dave and Sebastian exchanged worried glances.

The necklace must've had at least three diamonds in it. Carolyn showed no emotion. She set the opened box down and inspected the envelope. In it, was at least a centimeter-thick wad of cash. Paper clipped to the cash, was a note.

I have to work tonight. This is for you.

Dad.

Suddenly, she dropped the cash, slammed the jewelry box shut, picked it up and threw it at the money! The dollar bills exploded in the air, making a rainstorm of dollar signs. Sebastian shuddered at the image. He'd seen this before. But he couldn't quite remem-

Oh, of course – the fucking nightmare, Sebastian thought. He blinked several times and composed himself. Dave simply watched Carolyn from behind, unsure of what to do.

But Carolyn just stood there, watching the green paper gently fall onto the table, couch, floor…everywhere. Another quiet, tense second passed before she simply turned around and angrily marched out of the living room. Sebastian knew her lower lip was hanging out. And he was right. Within a few seconds, Carolyn had reached the staircase and was stomping up the stairs, one at a time. The sounds echoed and finally died away.

The boys looked at each other, realizing just how impersonal Mr. Smythe could be. And neglectful.

"He thinks money," Sebastian slowly began, "is soooo fucking important!"

Instinctively, Dave walked up to his boyfriend, but Sebastian put a hand up. Dave came to a stop, just a few feet away.

"I'm OK." Sebastian muttered to the floor. Sensing he wasn't believed, he looked up into a pair of sympathetic hazel eyes. "I really am." He walked up to those hazel eyes and gently stroked the cheeks of the owner. "And Carolyn is…will be too…"

Dave let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Wow. Your dad really is a son of a bitch."

"That he is, Dave. That he is…"

Intent on cleaning up Carolyn's mess, Sebastian leaned down and began scooping up the array of paper cash from the floor. But after he got a semi-handful, he came to a complete halt. Dave watched.

Slowly and very deliberately, Sebastian crushed the money in his palm until the wad of dirty money became a topographical nightmare. Once he was satisfied squeezing the life out of the currency, he let the ball of dollar signs plop to the floor, like dollar signs falling from the sky.

"Damn him." Sebastian whispered.

Warm, big arms engulfed him as a tear escaped Sebastian's eyes.

"Damn him." He repeated. Dave's response was just a gentle squeeze around his angry, troubled boyfriend. A thick chin nestled on Sebastian's shoulder.

"I can't believe," Dave whispered, "that he wouldn't let her live with us."

Sebastian said nothing.

"I mean," Dave went on, his mouth turned just a little towards Sebastian, "he even threatened legal action if we tried-"

"I was there, Dave." Sebastian interrupted. "Remember?"

"I know, I know…" Dave soothed.

The two just hung there in the living room for a long moment. Dave swayed a little to the beat of a song in his head. Sebastian didn't care. He just loved being held and Dave loved holding him.

"Do you," Dave suddenly began, jolting Sebastian from his cocooned comfort, "think we succeeded?"

"In what?" Sebastian quietly asked.

Dave unnecessarily cleared his throat. "In making…Carolyn happy?"

Sebastian paused and then deliberately turned around, snaking his long, long arms around Dave's neck. He took a moment to admire the simple yet complex question from his boyfriend. He imagined a nine-year old Dave asking his mommy if their lost cat would be coming home soon.

"Yeah," Sebastian said with a heartwarming smile, smirk completely vanquished. "Yeah, I think we did."

"Good. Good."

And then, of course, that's when it would've been time for them to romantically kiss, the lights to slowly darken, and fade out…just like the movies. But those old, black and white movies rarely had an eleven-year-old girl bounding down the stairs right then.

"Look! Look!" This voice was girly and was getting louder as it approached the first floor. Carolyn emerged in her new outfit and practically ran to them. "It fits! It fits! Do you like it?"

"Look at you, girl!" Sebastian exclaimed, "You look very nice."

"It's very pretty!" Dave added.

"OK, now," Sebastian ordered, "walk the catwalk. Come on!"

Promptly, Carolyn turned 180 degrees, fluffed her hair, and strutted a good five or six steps towards the end of the living room, pivoted, and with head held high, returned to them.

"Better than Milla Jovovich!" Sebastian happily said. All three of them shared a good-natured laugh. And they would need that laugh. It would be the last one for a while.

"Wanna play a game?" Carolyn eagerly asked. "We could-"

"Carolyn," Sebastian's tone shifted. He was suddenly…paternal or something. "I need you to sit down." Dave instantly went on alert, but Carolyn didn't pick up on it. Smile on her face, she skipped to the couch and plopped down, like the innocent girl that she truly was.

"What's up?" She asked, letting her head playfully flop from side-to-side, legs kicking, not even coming close to touching the floor.

"Well…" Sebastian hesitated. Dave had no clue what he was going to talk about, but it was painfully obvious that the party atmosphere was over. Carolyn had just now begun to realize it herself. Gradually, her body stilled as she ever so slightly looked at her big brother cautiously. "You know, Dave and I love you, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"And we…tried to get dad to-"

"I don't wanna talk about him! I hate him!"

"Carolyn," Dave spoke up, "you don't mean that."

"Yes, I do! I hate him. He's never-"

"Carolyn!" Sebastian roared, surprising Dave and Carolyn into stillness. And then, he let his voice drop into the paternal man he secretly knew he was. "Just please listen."

Dave hesitated and then took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. Only Sebastian remained standing, a beacon of understanding for Carolyn.

"You have been," Sebastian began, like a father should, "so strong. And I'm very proud of you."

Carolyn's eyes widened. "Huh?"

A soft chuckle escaped Sebastian's mouth as he hunched down to get closer to her. Neither noticed Dave scooting just a hair closer to them.

"It's been a month," Sebastian gently began, "since you cried about dad and Dave and me at the theatre."

Carolyn's head dropped. There was probably a lower lip hanging out, but neither boy checked. Or cared.

"And," Sebastian continued, "you have been a very, very brave little girl."

"How?" Carolyn innocently asked. "What do you mean? I'm not brave. I just get up, make my breakfast, get on the schoolbus, go to school, come home, do my homework and chores and stuff and wait to go to bed."

Adorable, heartwarming smiles adorned the faces of David Karofsky and Sebastian Smythe.

"Do you know," Sebastian slowly said, "just how brave that is?"

Carolyn shook her head.

"You did that all by yourself. You did it. And that's a very grown-up thing to do."

"I…I did?" Carolyn asked with clear disbelief.

"Yeah," Sebastian heartily responded, "Yeah. It is."

"And," Dave carefully chimed in, "we're very proud of you."

Carolyn digested their words for a brief moment before saying. "Huh. If you say so. I just do what I need to do."

"Oh, Carolyn!" Sebastian sat in the empty space between her and his boyfriend. "You did that all by yourself. How many times do I need to tell you? You're growing up. You're becoming a big girl!"

Carolyn smiled. "Well, I make sure the door is locked when I leave. That's…g-grown up stuff…right?"

Tears were now forming in Sebastian's and Dave's eyes.

"Yeah," Sebastian confirmed. "Yeah. It is." And then, Sebastian cleared his throat and scooted a little closer. On the other side of him, Dave did the same. "And no matter what happens in the future or with…d-dad," Carolyn's smile dropped a little, but tried to remain, "I want you to know that we're a family. And we," he pointed at Dave and himself and then finally the blonde little beauty, "all love…you!"

Finally, Carolyn's eyes started to water. "So, we're…what?"

A relieved chuckle escaped Sebastian's mouth just as a fresh tear was wiped away. "We are a family. And dad may not be the dad we want him to be. But you can always call Dave and me your family."

"Yeah." Dave said.

"Yeah." Carolyn said, a little louder.

"Yeah." Sebastian said, still louder.

"Yeah!" Somebody said, still louder.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah Yeah! Yeah!"

And then, they all fell on each other, holding on for dear life. Fresh tears flowed down faces and mingled with others. They seemed to pile on Carolyn, holding so tightly, the way a true family should.

"We love you, Carolyn," Dave softly said. "We really, really do."

"I just wish-"

"No, Carolyn," Sebastian interrupted, sitting up. Dave sat up as well. "No more wishing. This is the family you have. It's time for you to accept what you have. Not all families fit into those Disney movies you love so much. Sometimes…sometimes you have to accept what life gives you. And you have a family. You have a family with us. Never forget that."

Childish relief flooded through Carolyn, a smile beaming on her face.

"OK!"

The boys let incredibly tense and relieved chuckles escape. Finally, finally, Carolyn wouldn't be alone. She may be on her own at home, maybe even for years to come. But she would always have a family.

"I don't know," Dave began with a playful sigh, "about you, but I sure could use a distraction. How about a game?"

"Yeah!" Carolyn screamed.

"Charades?" Dave asked.

"Yeah!"

"Charades it is!"

Dave and Carolyn instantly launched themselves off the couch. Meanwhile, Sebastian watched them prepare for the game, quietly admiring how Dave simply adored, for all intents and purposes, his sister-in-law. It was a beautiful, awe-inspiring sight. It must've been clearly evident on Sebastian's face because once Dave looked over at him, a small, reassuring smile slowly formed on Dave's face.

"OK!" Dave announced. "Here we go!"

Carolyn jumped back to the sofa, leaning against her brother. A protective arm encircled her as Dave began the game. Dave swirled his left hand while his right hand stayed stagnant.

"A movie!" Sebastian exclaimed. Dave thoroughly nodded.

Then, the big offensive lineman for the Ohio State University Buckeyes, began licking his hand and rubbing it on his face.

"A cat!" Carolyn excitedly yelled. Dave eagerly nodded.

And then, Dave got on all fours as the Smythe's fell on themselves in laughter. Dave half-heartedly glared but played along anyway.

"A d-d-doooog!" Sebastian could barely get the word out between his guffaws of laughter. But suddenly, Sebastian and Carolyn went wide-eyed.

"A movie," Carolyn all but screamed, "with a dog and a cat in it?"

Dave's eyes went wide-eyed as he wildly nodded.

"Ummmm…ummmmmm….." Carolyn couldn't figure out the movie! But Sebastian did. A knowing smile formed on his face as Dave yet again half-heartedly glared at him. Sebastian wasn't about to let Dave off the hook – this was just too much fun!

"Ummmmm…" Carolyn repeated, "I know this! I know I do!" She scratched her head. "It can't be Marley & Me-"

"That's it!" Dave screamed. Triumphant jumps for joy began between the tiny eleven-year old and the massive football player. Sebastian fell sideways on the couch, his ribs hurting from sheer laughter. Meanwhile, Dave and Carolyn ignored him, high-fiving themselves and loving every minute of it!

"That…" Carolyn began, "That was great, dad! You were grea-"

Suddenly, there was a feeling in the room that could only be described as 'kind of awkward'. No one spoke for a long moment and no one could look at each other. Surprisingly, it was Carolyn to the rescue.

"That was great, Davey grizzly bear!"

Play resumed. Dave growled like a bear and scooped her up in the air sideways. Carolyn exploded with a fit of giggles as he swung her in the air around and around, like he was a teacups ride at the carnival. After a few revelations, and some admonitions from Sebastian about endangering his little sister, Dave released her with a gentle, yet playful 'plop' on the couch.

Carolyn giggled. Sebastian smiled. Dave winked. The necklace and money were ignored.

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It was time to go. Dave and Sebastian had packed their bags. They commented to themselves that over the course of the entire birthday weekend, they saw Mr. Smythe a grand total of thirty-four minutes. Thirty-four. That's it.

And they didn't care.

"Carolyn?!" Dave roared. "Come downstairs now!"

Dave shut the cab of his truck after depositing the final suitcase. Sebastian lingered in the entranceway to the kitchen, near the back door – the door closest to Dave's truck. Closest to leaving for Columbus. Closest to leaving Carolyn. A soft breeze tousled his hair a little as Dave came up behind him.

"You OK?" Dave asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." And then, he turned around and placed a gentle kiss on Dave's lips. "And this time, I really am."

Dave tilted his head back a little, looking at Sebastian with a quiet admiration. Sebastian quickly grew uncomfortable.

"What?" Sebastian asked, a small smile on his face.

"Just…you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you!"

"What do you mean?"

If it were possible, Dave pulled Sebastian even closer to him.

"It's hard to believe," Dave began, but grew more and more serious as he spoke, "that at one time, you were this slutty, snarky, meerkat suckering guys at Scandals. That you…" Dave leaned in closer. "That you didn't see how awesome you really are."

Heartwarmed, Sebastian's arms instantly found their way around Dave's neck.

"And then," Dave gently added, with a little coyness, "at a little place called the Lima Carnival, you come into your own." Dave toyed a little with Sebastian's hair, which earned him a little smack. "And you really stepped up. I just…"

"What?" Sebastian oh so softly asked.

Dave tilted his head down to eye-level and fixed a determined stare. "I just really love you."

"Oh God, I love you too."

They leaned in for a soft kiss –

"I'm here!"

Dave and Sebastian jumped at Carolyn's sudden arrival. Carolyn sniggered a little, knowing exactly what the boys were up to. Sebastian stepped back and went into dad-mode.

"Carolyn, dad will be home soon. Now, you know you have to-"

"I'll be OK, Seb."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. Something was different. He wasn't quite sure what it was but something Carolyn's answer threw him off balance, like Dave did at the carnival. It slightly annoyed him that he couldn't figure it out, but he mentally filed it for future reference.

"I will. I really will."

He didn't quite believe her, probably more out of protectiveness than in Carolyn's demeanor. But it didn't matter. Carolyn would be fine. Yes, she'd be on her own way too much for a girl her age. But she'd learned the hard way that just because you're the child of a neglectful parent, you could still be OK and recognize the true family in your life. And she was definitely OK.

"C'mere." Dave ordered, with a slightly grizzly sound to his voice. Carolyn smiled and went up to him, letting herself be lifted off the ground by Dave's massive arms. He held her tight. It became obvious that he didn't want to let her go. He swayed a little, letting her blonde hair tickle his face. But in the end, he did let her go. After a quick kiss on the cheek and a giggle from Carolyn, he gently dropped her back on her feet.

Then, it was Sebastian's turn. He hugged her almost as tightly as Dave. He too, didn't want to let go.

"You be good," Sebastian whispered. "And strong."

"I will. I really will."

There it was again. Sebastian's eyes narrowed a little as he stared down at the part in the middle of her fine, blonde hair. Her voice, her posture, her…everything, just seemed so…something. Then, reluctantly, he let go. Both boys resisted a second hug, favoring a sudden turn and determined stride towards the truck. Carolyn followed.

"Oh!" Carolyn cried out. "I forgot something! Wait!"

Dave and Sebastian were hardly bothered by this request. Dave stood outside the driver's side door while Sebastian waited on the other side. The sun shined brightly above them and innocent blue skies hung overhead. It couldn't have been a better, more hopeful day.

Carolyn reemerged and quickly strode up to her big brother. "Here."

She presented something that was in her little hands to Sebastian – the blue velvet necklace box. His eyes widened in surprise.

"It's yours, Carolyn." Sebastian argued. "Dad gave it to-"

"No, he didn't."

"Y-yes, he did Carolyn. You saw-"

"No." Carolyn insisted. "A weak man who looks like a dad gave that to me. I'm giving this to my family."

Sebastian's heart melted. Dave turned away, angrily wiping away a tear. If there was any doubt that Carolyn Smythe had changed in the last month, there wasn't any now. The boys stared at her in awe, noting how it seemed brighter with her around.

"Drive safe!" Carolyn announced, with something to her voice that made them take notice. She almost sounded like…an adult. And she was utterly adorable.

The boys chuckled.

"Thank you, Carolyn." Sebastian tenderly said. "I'll take good care of it."

"You better! I may want to borrow that for my prom!"

Everybody shared a good-natured laugh at that. After a few passionate moments, the boys got in the car, pulled out of the driveway, honked their goodbyes, and drove away.

It didn't take long for hands to be held during the hour and a half trek to Columbus.

"She really is going to be OK, isn't she?" Dave asked.

Sebastian, with a proud, brotherly look in his eyes, replied "Of course. She's a Smythe!"

Dave laughed as they made the turn towards State Route 117, one of the routes that took them to Columbus, to their home, and to their future. They couldn't have been happier. But more importantly, they couldn't have been more hopeful.

And, predictably, Sebastian smirked.

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