Maxie's POV

"Maxie speaking." I answered my phone without looking to see who was calling, I was exhausted from all of my meetings throughout the day.

"Is this Mrs. Hunter?" An elderly woman's voice filled the line, a wave of annoyance washed over me knowing the call was from the high school. Could teenagers just behave? Was that too much to ask?

"Yes. What can I do for you?" I asked, briskly.

"Your daughter Lily Hunter got into an altercation with another student, I need you to come down here so we can discuss what our next steps are."

"Fine, I'm on my way." I muttered hanging up my phone and leaving my office, my paperwork would have to wait. I dialed my husband's number hoping he wasn't working.

"Hey sexy lady." Matt smirked, immediately answering the phone.

"Hey, Lily got into a fight at school I'm on my way down there now. I just thought I'd let you know. All these kids are giving me grey hairs!" I vented to my husband.

"What? Lily is out most well-behaved!" Matt gasped in shock.

"Not today she isn't." I muttered, pulling into the parking lot.

"Do you think she'll get suspended?" Matt asked.

"She's my daughter, of course she will. I gotta go, I love you." There was no avoiding the inevitable.

"I love you." We hung up and I went into the office, the principal took me back to where Lily was sitting she looked at me, sheepishly.

"Your daughter got into a fight with Baleigh Zacchara, we think suspension is best." The old lady looked down on Lily, which made Lily cringe.

"Well, what did Baleigh do to my daughter? My daughter is well mannered and well behaved, I'm willing to bet Baleigh threw the first punch, because my daughter does not start fights. I'm her mother, I know my child." Maxie wasn't going to back down, knowing her daughter would probably still get suspended.

"It doesn't matter who threw the first punch Mrs. Hunter, I can assure you Baleigh is being punished accordingly. Both Lily and Baleigh are suspended for one month, now get out of my office." This older lady was definitely on her high horse.

'Okay, royal bitch. I think you're showing favoritism to someone who needs to be taught a lesson. I'm not condoning fighting but, Baleigh needs to come back to reality. Come on Lil, let's go home." Maxie stands up, grabbing her daughter's hand and shooting an icy glare at the principal before we both walked out of the high school.

"I just wanted her to stop treating Lulu and Johnny like trash, so that's what I told her. Baleigh hit me first so, I hit her back. Maybe I shouldn't have but, it is what it is." Lily knew she was probably going to be in trouble for her actions but, she stood by them.

"I know sweetie, you're intentions were pure. The way Baleigh is disrespecting her parents is uncalled for, maybe this will teach Baleigh a lesson." Maxie wasn't too hopeful in hearing the last from Baleigh Zacchara.

"I'm really not in trouble, mom?" Lily asked a little surprised.

"No, you stood up to protect the people that you love. I could never punish you for that. Should we get some ice cream before we go home?" Maxie smiles at her daughter, she'd never thought she would become a mother but it was her greatest joy in life.

"With extra sprinkles?" Lily smirked.

"Is there any other way to eat ice cream?"

Lulu's POV

"Claudia is trying to take away our daughter? What?" I glanced at my husband wondering if I'd heard him correctly.

"Yes. I've barely had any time to wrap my head around the news myself. I need to get a lawyer." Johnny groans massaging his temples.

"Poor baby, you work so hard to provide for us. You do everything in your power to make sure we're happy, I hate to see what this is doing to you." Lulu cupped his face in her hands running her hands over his stubble, frowning at seeing how drained her husband had become.

"I shouldn't have to be going through this Lulu, I'm a good father. I can't even focus on the fact that my wife is obviously hurting because I'm worried about what fresh hell out daughter is getting herself into this time. Did you hear Baleigh and Lily got into it today? They both got suspended. Baleigh always has to have all attention on her. How the fuck did I manage to raise a mini Claudia? Fuck!" Johnny punched the edge of his desk in frustration, he was so frustrated with everything.

"You're a good man Johnny, I don't know why she's choosing to punish us. What have we done other than take care of her for fifteen years?" Lulu frowned sadly, loneliness settling into her chest.

"How are you feeling? I'm so sorry, I know I haven't asked how your doing. I've been so worried about how it's affecting me that I've completely crossed you out of the mix." Johnny pulled back to look at his wife, noting how sad she looked.

"I just...I need some good fucking news Johnny. I can't take much more bad, it's bad enough I have fucking cancer! I'll never be able to have a baby again, I am in constant fucking pain but I'm too busy worrying about our daughter! I don't know what to do. I need someone to tell me what to do. I need...I need Tracy. Tracy is the only parent I have left, she would know what to do." Lulu was past the point of hysterical, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I know baby, I know. I'm sorry, I know I keep saying that I just don't know how to help." Johnny pressed a kiss to her face.

"I don't need you to say anything, stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control." Lulu hugs him, burying her face in his chest. Johnny hoped for a miracle because at this point, that's what they needed.

Emma's POV

Flashback

{ September 12th 2023}

Emma tucked a chestnut brown piece of hair behind her ear, trying to quiet her sobs so he wouldn't hear. Andrew Alcazar was the son of the one and only Diego Alcazar, the man who had hurt and murdered many people. Emma had thought that Andrew was nothing like his father but, she had been wrong. Emma was hanging by her hands entrapped in rough white rope, suspended from a metal bar her feet dangled in the air.

"Andrew please...you don't have to do this." Emma tried to sound strong but, she sounded weak in her own ears. Emma's parents didn't even know where she was, her little brother had to be waiting on her to pick him up from soccer.

"Em, you're wrong about me." Andrew drawled walking towards her, pressing a sly kiss to her open mouth. Emma instinctively kicked him in the groin, she had to figure out a way to get out of here.

"You shouldn't have done that, you're in a world of trouble." Andrew smirks, before he's hit in the head with some sort of invisible object.

"Ian? Ian Zacchara?" Emma gasped in amazement, seeing Ian sheepishly smile up at her.

"Let's get you down from there before jerk off wakes up." Ian smiles untying her hands, the circulation finally returning.

"How did you find me?" Emma peered over at him as they walked out of the empty warehouse Andrew had abducted her to.

"Noah told me that something was wrong because you didn't show up to pick him up. I remembered hearing Andrew say something about this warehouse so, I figured I'd check into it. Are you okay?" Ian walked alongside her.

"Bless my sweet little brother, thank you for looking for me. It saves my parents the heartache. You know how parents can be. I'm just getting the feeling back in my hands and legs, he really hurt me. I'm in a lot of pain but, I'll get through it. I'm just so thankful you found me. Tonight could have ended badly. For me." Emma and Ian walked into the park, it was mostly quiet.

"You mean a lot to him, I'd hate to lose you like that. I know we don't talk like that but, you're a good person. Who else would laugh at my stupid jokes?" Ian gives her a lopsided grin, earning a light laugh from Emma.

{ End Of Flashback}

That was the moment that Emma Drake had fallen for the younger Zacchara, she just hasn't admitted it yet. Emma was glad that Ian had told her how he felt, because this is how she'd felt for almost a year.