This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Forgotten No More"

After Trina finished talking to Jordan, she checked to see if the coffee was ready for Taggert. It was, so she headed back towards his bedroom. When she got there, she only saw Spencer.

"Where's my dad?" she asked anxiously. "Is he ok?"

Spencer walked over to her and gave her a reassuring hug and a kiss atop her head. "He's fine, Trina. He's still inside getting dressed," Spencer replied calmly. He could feel Trina breathe a sigh of relief, as he continued to hold her.

"Dad, the coffee's all ready for you. Would you like me to bring you a cup?" Trina asked, trying her best to sound as upbeat as she could.

"That sounds great baby girl, but I'll come out to the kitchen for it, ok? So, if you could go out and get it ready for me, I'll be in there in a few minutes," Taggert replied from the other side of the door, his voice sounding somewhat shaky, as well as raspier than usual.

"Ok, Dad, I'll get right on it," Trina responded as she let go of Spencer and went back to the kitchen. She was all set to get his coffee ready when she was reminded again of how messy things were. So, she decided to clean up the living room area by picking up all of the liquor bottles, containers, and so on, before her father had to come back in. Cleaning the kitchen would consist of a lot of dishwashing. Trina was grateful for the distractions, despite what they represented: the realization that her father, who had always been there for her, was at a crisis point in his life. This crisis point, Trina felt, was all her fault and continued to weigh heavily on her mind. As a result, cleaning was just the right diversion needed to help her forget what she had seen as she entered her father's home several minutes earlier. "Come on, Trina. Dad deserves a clean and organized space. So, you better get to it," she thought to herself.

"Is she gone?" Taggert asked from the bathroom.

"Yes, she's gone back to the kitchen. Did you need something?" Spencer asked, edging closer to the door.

"No, I just wanted to make sure that she was gone before I came out," Taggert said, as the bathroom door slowly opened. As he came out, Spencer noticed that he was still a little wobbly on his feet-so, he knew that he needed to stay nearby. While he did look a little better than he did before his shower, Taggert was nowhere close to his usual put-together appearance. His eyes were, and would remain, bloodshot. His face was still unshaven. He knew how bad that looked, but when he had attempted to shave, his hands were too shaky to risk it. "That's the last thing that Trina would need to see-my face and neck bleeding, right after seeing me stinking drunk," Taggert had thought before he gave up on the idea of shaving.

Taggert walked slowly until he reached his bed and took a seat. It did not go unnoticed by him that his bed, which had been unmade for quite some time, was now made. The items from the floor had also been removed.

"Did you do this?" Taggert asked, as he looked over at Spencer.

"What? The bed and the floor? Oh, yeah. It was no big deal. I just decided to make myself useful while you were...uhh. While you were ..." Spencer stammered.

"While I was trying to sober up? You can say it, Cassadine. I was, or possibly still am, drunk and I was trying to sober up enough to be able to face Trina," Taggert said regretfully, while he shook his head. Spencer didn't quite know what to say, so he said nothing. Just as he would wait for Trina to let him know when she needed his words, Spencer would do the same for Taggert. For a few moments, the two just sat in silence-an embarassing silence for Taggert and an uncomfortably awkward silence for Spencer.

"Well, I guess I can't hide out in here forever. I'm going to have to face my... I'm going to have to face Trina at some point," Taggert started. "But, I just don't know if I can. A big part of me wants to tell you to go out there and take Trina out of here-away from this pathetic lush. She shouldn't have to deal with the mess that I've made of myself," Taggert said bitterly.

Spencer, looking at this as his opportunity to engage, spoke directly to Taggert. "If I may?" Spencer started, as he looked to make sure that Taggert was ok with him continuing. He gave him a head nod and Spencer continued. "With all due respect, sir, if I tried to do what you just suggested, I'm pretty sure that Trina would have my head, as well as a few choice words for me," Spencer said, chuckling lightly. Taggert, knowing his daughter, managed a slight chuckle and an affirmative head nod. Spencer took that as a good sign to continue. "I know that this is going to be difficult for Trina, as well as you. But, you and Dr. Robinson raised an amazing young woman, who is unbelievably strong and fearless. I mean, who else but a fearless superwoman, would follow someone onto a boat, unaware of where it was headed and who was on it? Then, find a way to sneak around said boat, undetected for quite a while, and contact help. Not to mention taking out a creepy nanny, while protecting me and my baby brother. That, Mr. Taggert, is Trina. And, if she could face and survive what she did on the Haunted Star, I have no doubt that she can be there for you now."

Taggert had kept his eyes on Spencer while he spoke so passionately about the strong woman that Trina had become. Despite the current situation, he couldn't help but feel proud of her. However, that wasn't enough. "I know that she's strong. But, I've always been strong for her. How can I lean on her? What kind of man would that make me?" Taggert asked, his voice cracking, while choking back tears.

"It makes you a man who, like everyone of us will at some point in life, needs understanding and support from those who have gotten it from you over the years," an up to then unnoticed Trina said, as she came through the door, which she had left ajar.

Both Taggert and Spencer were surprised by Trina's appearance.

"How long have you been there?" Taggert asked.

"Long enough, Dad. Long enough to know that it's my turn to be strong for you-if you'll let me," Trina said, as she walked over and sat on the bed beside him and took his hand. At first, he refused to look his daughter in the eye-shame was stopping him. But, this fierce superwoman that Spencer had just described, wasn't having any of that. She gently put her hand under his chin to lift it so that his tear-stained eyes could meet hers.

"Dad, and that is who you are and always will be, will you let me be there for you? I know that I haven't been around like I should have been. But, that's in the past. I've needed you all my life and now I'm here for you. That's how family works," Trina said, as she kept her eyes locked on Taggert's.

Knowing how headstrong his daughter was and how he understood that he had to make a change, Taggert nodded and simply said, "Ok, baby girl." After they hugged, Taggert got up on his own volition- he had to show Trina that he was not completely hopeless or helpless- and made his way to the kitchen.

Spencer went over to Trina and gave her a warm embrace and a tender head kiss. "You are nothing short of amazing, do you know that?" Spencer asked.

"Well, I could say the same about you. Thank you so much for helping my father, Spencer," Trina replied, as she managed a weak smile.

Even though Trina knew that helping her father was going to be a big task, she was comforted in knowing that Spencer would be there with her every step of the way. With that in mind, she was able to walk out of the bedroom confidently with Spencer by her side. "No doubt about it, we've got this," Trina thought.