[IC] You Gotta Get Up and TRY(Nightmare and Heartless)

[AHeartlessNobody]

Amelia was so used to being on her own. It had been that way for a long time, and really the only other person she had in her life was her sweet little girl. Lily. She was such a doll, and never once did Amelia ever regret having that beautiful little girl, even if her father had hurt her. Lily looked like James. Same brown hair. Same bright smile. But she had Amelia's blue eyes. Not only did she look like James, Lillian acted like him a lot too. She had the same light hearted personality(or at least, that was the personality he had had when she and James first got together) and gentleness to her, understanding when someone was hurt whether it be emotionally or physically. Amelia hadn't realized that about her young daughter until later, and had decided to try her best to hide those bad feelings from her daughter. She never wanted her daughter to share those horrible emotions and worries with her. All she wanted to see on that cute little face was the bright smile that she loved so much.

Humming lightly to herself, she cleaned off the write board from the day of teaching a class full of second graders, waiting for her daughter, who had just started pre-k that year, to come in the classroom. It was great to work in the school system, where she could keep an eye on her daughter and if anything bad happened she could get to her quickly. It made her feel much better as a parent. Putting down the board cleaner, she turned to look at her teaching assistant and best friend, "Ryan, where do you think our kids are? I hope they're not running the halls again. Last time they did that they bumped into Mr. Lanford. Boy was he mad when he dropped all those eggs for his science experiment." She laughed lightly at the memory. Mr. Lanford was the fifth grade's science teacher and a very grumpy man who Amelia believe hated children all together. Why he taught kids, she couldn't find a clue. but he seemed to dislike Amelia and Ryan's kids most of all.

Turning, she began to shift through papers on her desk, putting things into a neat pile, "Hey, do you want to get the kids together for a play date tomorrow? I'm sure they'd love the company. Lilly doesn't get much interaction time with other kids outside of school. We could have coffee or something. You could even bring that boyfriend of yours along if you wanted. Oh whats his name...Daniel was it? I'd love to finally meet this man you go on and on about." She teased her friend. While Amelia herself had no interest in finding a man at the moment, she was happy for her friend. At least someone was getting a happy ending.

As she sat at her desk, sorting through the paper's still, the pattering of two little children's feet came from down the hall and suddenly the two little children burst into the room, giggling, each running over to their own mother. Lilly jumped into her mother's lap, out of breath from running, yet still talking excitedly, "Momma! Momma! Can Ayden and I go outside to the play ground! PLEASE?! PLEASE?!"

Laughing Amelia held the little four year old in her arms, "There's my little Lily Pad. Slow down and catch your breath. Your asthma's going to act up if you don't."

The little girl, although obviously impatient to hear her mother's answer to the earlier question, did as she was told and took a moment to take deep breaths and calm herself before looking more calmly and pleadingly up at her mother, "Can we go now? Pleeeeeease?"

Smiling softly at her daughter, she nodded, "I suppose. But don't go running down the hall. We don't need another incident like the egg incident." She didn't see any problem with it. They could see the play ground from the class room window and the play ground was fenced. No one form outside the school could get in and the kids couldn't get out. The only way to get on the playground was through the school hallways. It was perfectly safe. She watched the two children run eagerly off, laughing, "Hey! I said no running!" Sighing with a shake of her head and a small smile she sat back in her chair, "Those two. Little trouble makers. Hopefully they'll grow out of that and we won't have to drag them out of wild parties when they're older. Or worse, drag them away from each other's rooms." She joked. The little boy and girl seemed to get along very well. It was really cute and she often joked with Ryan how they were just like a little boyfriend and girlfriend.

She continued to shuffle the papers, a smile on her face, "So, what do you say to that play date? We could have it at my place if you want."

[BeautifulNightmare]

It had been another day full of laughter and learning in Amelia Carter's second grade class, and it was the.part of her job she loved most, Ryan Rosewood, a mother since she was 18, found delight in being a student teacher, especially when it was with Amelia Carter. Ryan wouldn't deny the struggles she went through, almost losing her about to be five year old son, Ayden, when he was an infant. Her ex-husband. Butstill Ryan held her head up high and got herself through it, and managed to get through school with her son under her care. The boy was the spitting image of his father, aside from the fact his hair curled and he had her smile, but what she was most thankful for was that he acted just like her. He was sweet, protective, and caring, and Ryan knew she couldn't have asked for a better child.

Amelia began speaking to her, just as Ryan began wiping down the desks after the arts and crafts lesson they had just before school let out. However, before Ryan could speak, when Ayden came into the room, she dropped her cleaning stuff and caught her son, lifting him off. "Hey there, Ayden." She smiled.

"Mom! Mom! Can I go play with Lily on the playground? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease." He spoke, his voice gradually picking up some speed, and Ryan smiled, touseling her son's hair before setting him down.

"Be careful, and no running." She said, kissing the top of his head before he bolted off with the cute little girl towards the playground. She chuckled at Amelia, and she thought a moment. "Hopefully we won't have to drag them from each others rooms. Though they are sweet. I think Principal Erikson got a kick out of it when I laughed at Ayden's discipline meeting Monday. Because Ayden pushed a boy who pushed little Lily off the swing. I swear, Ayden is in love with her already." Ryan chuckled before finally getting the last desk clean.

"And I think the playdate is a.splendid idea, and if it is nice enough, maybe we can go to the park and have a small picnic. I think they would enjoy that." Ryan said, looking out the window to see Ayden and Lily already to the playground, and giggling as they took turns going down the slide.

"To be quite honest, Amelia, I am afraid that those two are going to get into so much trouble together." She admitted with a sigh, "And I don't think I would be able to sit through one disciplinary meeting without laughing."

She sat at the table she normally did, and sipped out of her water bottle. She was glad the week was over, but she finally addressed the Daniel issue. "Daniel may not go tomorrow, his brother or something is supposed to be coming in today. Total jackass from the way he sounds, but I can't exactly judge him without meeting him. That wouldn't be teaching Ayden right at all. Especially considering he is already too much like me."

Ryan dug into her purse, taking out her cell phone and turning it on before she got up and began hanging up the arts and crafts projects on the walls. This made her day, seeing how innocent children were and how carefree they were. This is why she loved working with them and having one of her own.

*~*~*~*~*~*

James sighed, running his fingers through his thick brunette locks as Daniel drove. "Where exactly are we going, Danny boy? I thought you lived down 42nd?" He said, his eyes reading the street signs. His move away from the city was definitely going to be different, but with the PR firm opening another office in the city just ten minutes from where Daniel lived, James knew he would be needed here for a while. Not to mention thay meant spending time with his half brother. It would be glorious. They would get to go to all sorts of clubs and meet beautiful women. They would be a team, but all James could think about now was where they were going.

James hadn't been too involved inDaniel's life until recently, and he was starting to learn more about his brother, but the moment they pulled up to a school, James' look turned puzzled. "Why are we here? Do I have a nephew that I was never informed of? Or a niece? Or both?" His interrogation went on, but as they got out of the car, James couldn't help but to wonder why they were at this school. It wasn't like Daniel was a teacher or anything, but when they entered and the secretary waved them back, he could barely guess what was going on.

"This is weird." James said, adjusting his shirt a bit before they turned into a room, and James felt a text on his phone.

"Daniel?" A female voice spoke, and James looked up as a beautiful brunette girl walked over and placed a kiss on his cheek, and James gave a very confused look.

"Who is this?" James asked, giving her a once over before the woman rolled her eyes.

"I am Ryan Rosewood, Daniel's girlfriend." She introduced herself. "You must be the brother."

"Yes I-" he began, but his eyes immediately looked to the blonde in the room, who had just looked away from the window, at least how it appeared. "Amelia? Amelia Carter?"

James was more than surprised to see her there, and to say it didn't show would be a lie.

[AHeartlessNobody]

A Daniel drove along down the road with his brother in the passenger seat, he continued to tell the boy that he would just have to wait and see. The boy was persistent, but so was Daniel. Besides if James knew he was going to visit his girlfriend then he wouldn't want to come and would try to convince him to go straight home, which Daniel didn't want to do. Once they arrived at the elementary school, he didn't have to be told where to go. He had been here a few times, though all of the times he had, it had just been Ryan here working on stuff by herself. This would be the first time he would meet the teacher his girlfriend student taught for.

Walking into the classroom, he accepted the kiss on the cheek and returned it with a gentle kiss on the lips smiling at her until he heard his brother saw a name. Amelia Carter. Yes, that was what Ryan had said her friend's name was. But how did his brother know that. He looked up confused and watched as the two seemed to recognize each other.

---

"Oh, too bad. I was hoping to meet this lover boy of yours." She joked with a wink and laughed, "Those two will always be trouble if it involves both of them. And believe my, I think little Lily Pad is in love as well. Did you know she draws pictures of she and Ayden holding hands. Its so adorable." Giggling, she looked out the window to the lay ground again and smiled as she watched them. The little boy and girl were climbing on the jungle gym, laughing and racing each other, having as good a time as any kids could have. She continued to shuffle the papers, a smile on her face and when she had them all in order she stood up, moving toward her bag when two men walked in the room. When she looked up to see the last person she would ever want to see again, a soft gasp escaped her lips, her eyes wide and the paper's slipping from her hands, falling to the floor in a mess. Snapping out of her surprised state as quickly as she got into it, she bent down nervously picking up her papers, and looked up at him warily from under her long lashes.

What was he doing here?! Why was he here?! How could fate be so unkind to her?! She was doing god! She may not be financially stable at the moment, but she was giving everything her daughter needed! And she was a very loving mother at that! Why did it have to be him who walked through the door with who she assumed to be Ryan's boyfriend from the way the woman went over and kissed his cheek. After gathering all of her papers, she stood up straight, and stared at him for a moment before looked at Ryan and Daniel, before she looked over at James once more, an unsure look on her face. She was very uncertain about this meeting. She didn't even really know what to say to him. What was there to say? The last time she had seen him he was in bed with a stupid cheerleader. Even when she had tried to get in touch with him so many ways after finding out she was pregnant with her now four year old daughter he had shunned her and acted as if she never even existed.

Trying to calm herself, she brushed a stray strand of her dirty blonde hair back from her face and slipped the papers that needed to be graded when she got home into her bag, "James Rivers. What a....surprise?" She definitely wasn't too overly excited about this sudden meeting. Or excited at all as a matter of fact. As if completely going to ignore his presence now, she turned and slipped her bag onto her shoulder, looking over at her best friend and Ryan's boyfriend, "Its nice to finally meet you Daniel. Ryan's told me a lot about you."

Daniel nodded, "Nice to meet you too. Ryan's told me a lot about you too. I'm glad she has a good friend to talk with when I'm not around." He couldn't help but feel curious how his brother and his girlfriend's best friend knew each other. It didn't seem like the girl was happy to see James, though knowing how James was, that honestly didn't surprise him. He had probably ticked off a lot of the sluts and tramps he slept with. But then again, this girl didn't seem like a tramp or a slut. She seemed, well, like a good, normal girl. Hardly the type James slept with. Or at least, int eh short time he had been getting to know his brother anyway. And didn't she have a kid? He could have sworn he heard Ryan say her friend had a child Ayden liked to play with.

He turned his gaze back to his girlfriend, a confused look on his face, "Hey, where's Ayden? I would have thought he would be here with you."

[BeautifulNightmare]

Ryan laughed at Amelia's comment before James and Daniel appeared in the room. "That is just precious. When they get married that is going in the wedding slideshow." She joked, but once Daniel came in with his brother, tensions rose. Ryan looked between Amelia and James when it finally clicked, and Daniel's question went unanswered for a moment. James, as in Daniel's brother, was little Lily's father. He was the asshole that Amelia only ever gave a name and a string of heartbreak analogies for.

"Ayden? He is outside with Lily. He has a playdate with her tomorrow." Ryan answered, walking to the window with Daniel, pointing out to him. She looked to Daniel before casting a backward glance towards James and Amelia. "Did you know that they knew each other?"

James looked at Amelia and the looks that the two were receiving from Daniel and Ryan, but at the mention of Ayden, James quickly walked over to the window that Ryan and Daniel walked to, and he looked to Daniel. "So I do have a nephew? And I thought you were the responsible one, and you have a kid?" James said, and obviously it struck a nerve.

"Oh, come off it, and the next time you use such a tone talking about my son, you best believe you will regret it." Ryan said, looking back out to the playground where she saw Ayden standing beside Lily who wascrying and holding her knee. "Amelia, I am going out to check on the kids." She said, and she put her hand on Daniel's arm before heading outside.

James saw her. And she was his spitting image, and there was a blond boy sitting next to her, trying to get her to stop crying. He looked to Amelia, and the girl had her brilliant bright blue eyes. So James had just inadvertently lied? So he did have a child? So that was why...

Suddenly, he felt nauseous, and he looked to Daniel a moment before sitting down, looking out the window as Ryan got out to the children, and she picked Lily up in her arms, Ayden following close behind. When theyentered the room, Ryan set Lily on the table, and Ayden stood by her.

"Lily, are you okay?" He asked, worriedly, and Ryan looked to Ayden.

"Honey, go sit by Daniel, okay? Let mommy and Ms. Amelia take care of Lily." She said, and she saw Ayden walk over and hug Daniel. James just watched, still looking at the girl who looked like him and back to Amelia. The world faded out. "She tripped over a stick and skinned her knee."

This was surreal, and James felt sick to his stomach, and soon he saw Ayden looking at him. "Daniel, who is he? And why is he looking so much? Mommy said that is wude." He spoke, and James rolled his eyes which caused Ayden's brow to furrow. "I don't think he likes me." He whispered loudly, and James went back to watching the two women care for the young girl.

[AHeartlessNobody]

Daniel wasn't too sure what was going on here. His brother seemed to recognize Ryan's friend, and it didn't seem like a very happy meeting. He walked over to the window with Ryan and shook his hand at her question, "No...I didn't know they did, otherwise I wouldn't have brought him along." He looked back, seeing James look over their shoulders and outside at the kids. His brother suddenly got really pale and looked sick. That made Daniel even more confused. He allowed his girlfriend to go off and get the kids, sitting down by the window with his suddenly strange acting brother next to him.
...
This just couldn't be happening. Why? Why, out of all the people in the world, did James Rivers have to walk into her classroom. She hoped he would leave soon. Very soon. Before he had a chance to see Lily. But, it was too late, because James had followed Daniel and Ryan to the window. He saw her. But, maybe if she was lucky enough, he might not see the similarities and put two and two together. But, luck just didn't seem to be on her side today. The look on his face showed everything. He had figured it out. He knew the little girl outside was his. She could only hope he wouldn't act on this information. Maybe he would pretend like he didn't know? He was that type of person after all. He was immature, irresponsible. Hardly the fathering type. She would be more than happy to say good bye to him and forever keep her baby girl to herself.

And as much as that would sound selfish if she said it out loud, she wasn't thinking all of this for just herself. Yes, she didn't want this ass in her life again. But she even more so didn't want him in Lily's life. This man had done so much to hurt Amelia. She didn't want him to do the same thing to that little girl. To give her false hope that she could have a loving father, only to watch him leave and never come back. No, she would not let that happen to her daughter.

She watched as Ryan left to go get the children from the playground and there was a long awkward silence until she did come back in with them. Amelia quickly went over to her crying daughter and quickly began soothing her, brushing her brown hair back from her face and wiping the tears from her bright blue eyes, "I'm so sorry you tripped sweety. Do you want Hello Kitty Band Aids or My Little Pony?"

The little girl thought for a moment and spoke with a pout, "Can I have Barbie?"

Laughing slightly, she kissed her daughter's forehead and nodded, "Of course."

Holding Ayden in his lap, he chuckled at the little boy's innocent comments about James. Leaning down, he whispered in the boy's ear, "That's my brother. He's also a big bad wolf. And you know, wolves don't know any better then to be big and bad."

Amelia walked over to her desk, and though she could feel James's eyes on she and her daughter, she did her best to ignore his gaze for now. She walked back and after cleaning up the cut, she put a band aid on it, which made all the difference. She thought it was so funny how one could kiss a boo-boo or put a band aid on it for a kid and the child would think that made it all better and act as if it never happened at all. It was silly, but it made kids all the more cuter. The little girl smiled and hugged her mother as she picked her up. Amelia hugged her back closely to her before setting her back down and running right back over to Ayden, pulling him off of Daniel's lap by his hand, "Come on Ayden! Lets go back to the playground! I want to play princess! And you can be the dragon!"

The two kids, as if nothing had happened, ran back out down the hallway, Lily squealing gleefully as Ayden chased her, roaring.

Shaking her head and smiling softly after the kids, she turned, her smile going away and her eyes on James for the time being. It was silent in the room for a long time, but Amelia decided she wasn't going to be the first to say anything about the little girl. If he wanted to know, or wanted it to be confirmed that is, he would have to bring it up. Not that it made a difference since she had also already decided she wouldn't let him anywhere near their daughter if she could help it.

Daniel, feeling the tension boiling in the room, took Ryan's hand, "Um, we're going to go sit out on the playground with the kids for a little bit." Then without another word, he walked out of the room, his girlfriend in tow and when they were out of ear shot, he spoke, "How do they know each other? What's going on Ryan?"

[BeautifulNightmare]

James felt sick. He watched Amelia take care of the bright eyed little girl, who was so innocent, and he saw her take hold of the little boy by the hand, and she ran outside with him. The silence that ensued was deafening, but with his brother in the room, James was not about to ask any questions. It wasn't until Danieland Ryan were out of the room that he finally swallowed the lump in his throat.

"So that is your daughter? She is about four right?" He asked her, knowing that this little chit chat wasn't going to go through pleasantly, and suddenly he felt so much like his own father that he didn't know how to react. The one person he never wanted to become, he was already becoming. And Amelia was being stoic, like his mother.

"Does that mean what iI think it does?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper. He was beginning to regret things, but he wasn't sure if he would regret this the same way tomorrow. But he felt terrible. He owed four years of child support, and he had a child. A CHILD. One that he was sure he should be a part of her life somehow. Someway. He had to be better than his own father.

"You know, if you need help, I can help you." He offered. At the moment, financially was all that came to mind because he knew that was the hardest for his own mother. This was a lot to take in... a lot.

*~*~*~*

Ryan was glad that Daniel towed her away, and when they sat outside to watch the children, she.looked to him. He asked her the question she was still unsure about, "I have a hunch that James is... " she stopped herself, looking to the children who were happily playing. "He may be Lily's father if I am stringing this together correctly." She said, and her eyes looked to the kids.

She hoped that Amelia wouldn't have to go through what she did. Custody battles, court dates, CPS visits. Her ex husband had made it difficult, but once he was thrown in jail on assult and reckless endangerment charges, she won sole custody of Ayden. He was her pride and joy, but Ryan never wished the pain she went through on anyone. It was how she met Daniel.

Her ex had taken off in the car with Ayden and crashed, and when Ryan got there, Ayden was crying and screaming for her. She called an ambulance, and her ex had hit her hard enough to crack her ribs. Daniel had been the ER tech for Ayden, who had broken his leg from the impact.

She looked to Daniel againn, "I could be wrong though."

She looked back to the playing children, and she saw Ayden happy, and her eyes softened. He hadn't been that happy when his father was around, so she was glad he was happy now.

[AHeartlessNobody]

James looked guilty. Well, he should be. Leaving her to fend for herself and their daughter was something he could never take back. Something she vowed to never forgive him for as long as she lived. Walking over to her desk, she sat down on the top of it, crossing her arms and looking over at him, "Yes, she's four years old. Almost five actually." Glancing out the window, she saw the two children playing, as well as Ryan and Daniel outside watching them and talking to one another. She could guess what the topic of their conversation was. Ryan was probably worried about her. After all, they were best friends. But Ryan was always forgetting how strong Amelia was. Emotionally anyway. Unlike when they were in high school and dating, now anything James could throw out there to try and harm her, she could throw it back twice as hard.

Though, as of right now, James seemed too much in shock to do anything at all for that matter. She was quiet for a long time when he asked if this meant what he thought it meant. She really didn't want to confirm his suspicions, she didn't want him to know that precious little girl was his daughter. But, she knew he had already guessed and confirmed it in his own mind, and her telling her it was or not was likely not going to change his mind.

She looked over at him, her eyes still annoyed, "Yes. It does mean what you think James." She got up from the desk and moved over to the window, looking out of it, "She's yours. I know for a fact, seeing as your the only one I slept with back then. Or anytime for that matter."

Amelia scoffed at his offer and gave him a look of anger now, "Really? James, you're four years too late. I've raised that little girl all on my own, and I can continue to do it. We don't need your fake attempts of 'help'. And Lily sure as hell doesn't need you to swoop in and become the 'best father in the world' only to grow tired or her and leave her like she's some old toy. You may have gotten away with treating me that way, but you will NEVER get the chance to treat MY daughter that way."

---

When Daniel heard what Ryan suspected was going on between Amelia and James, his eyes widened as he looked at his girl friend, "What? You think Lily is his daughter?" He wanted to say that couldn't be right, but yet, taking just one look at the little girl and Daniel could see it. She was indeed much like James, and the way Amelia had acted back int he classroom confirmed pretty well it was likely that was what was going on.

He looked back at his girlfriend and softly wrapped his arms around Ryan, seeing the worried look on her face for her friend, "I....I think it will be okay. It may be....rough. Really rough at first. But James, he isn't heartless. You saw that look on his face in that classroom. Yes, he's an asshole. And often he really only looks out for himself. But, if he's found out Lily is his daughter, I....I believe he could possibly step up and actually try. Maybe he might make a good father. If Amelia will give him the chance."

Seeing the look on his girlfriend's face when he said that, he chuckled and kissed at her neck and her cheeks, pretty sure what she thought after he said that, "Not that I'm taking his side, Ryan. I'm not on anyone's side in this. I'm just waiting to see how the chips fall. Who knows, maybe he could become the father Lily is missing. After all, doesn't ever child need a loving and caring father?"

[BeautifulNightmare]

James hadn't fully expected the reaction that he had received Amelia. Where was the sweet girl from college? The one who would do anything to make him smile, or to keep things going between them. Where was she now? Apparently no where to be found. Now she was a take no nonsense sort of girl who seemed almost cold, except for when she was around her daughter. THEIR daughter, he had to remind himself. Still, there was barely anything reminiscent of the old her now, aside from her looks.

Still, suddenly he found his blood boiling. He couldn't believe that she would keep a child from their father, even if he had been a dick, but he also hadn't known. It was his fault mainly, he knew, but she could have come by with the child too. She of all people should have known that he was more of an in person dealings guy anyway. Leaving voicemails, that he never listened to, and telling him in person... things now could have been different. He allowed himself to regain his composure before he exploded. "I get it, I am a dick, blah blah blah. But if I am her father, I don't want to leave her high and dry." His voice was beginning to trail off, butthe words, like my father did, came through.

He brought his hand through his hair, sitting on the table. He let out a groan. She was going to be difficult, he could feel it, and he knew this wasn't going to be easy. Why was it, in one day his life got flipped all sorts of upside down?

*~*~*~*~*

Ryan loved how Daniel's arms felt around her and she nodded. "I hope so. And James better learn quick that Amelia is the most aggressive mother wolf I have ever met. She lets very few people into Lily's life, and I can't blame her. You were practically thrown into Ayden's." A soft chuckle escaped her lips, and she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. She watched the children, and she looked to him.

"Lily and Ayden are having a playdate tomorrow, and I meant to invite you to come along, but with your brother and all, I don't know if you'd be up for it." She said, and soon she heard a loud wail, and she sat up straighter before relaxing, seeing that Ayden was trying out a different roar.

"How's that one, Lily?" He asked, still chasing after her, though, more slowly than usual, roaring.

"He surely is a character." She said, looking to Daniel, "I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up the other day, and you want to know what he said?"

She paused, watching the children. "He said he wanted to be like you."

[AHeartlessNobody]

Amelia couldn't help but glared at James when he said he didn't want to leave her high and dry, "Oh really, James? You don't want to leave her 'high and dry'. I'm afraid you already have. I called James. I came to your house. YOU were the one who decided you didn't want to answer me." Moving to sit on top of her desk and cross her arms, she glared at him more, "And besides, even if I did decide to let you be in her life, what makes you think she would accept you? You were gone for the first four years of her life. As far as she knows, she doesn't have a father. To her, even if you did come out and say you were her father, you would still be nothing more than a stranger." Which indeed was true. Amelia hadn't told Lily anything about James. She hadn't felt the need to, as she had been so sure James would never show his face to her again. But here she was being shown differently.

"Lily is a very innocent, and though she may not like like it when she's with Ayden and Ryan, shy. She doesn't like talking to new people. But, when she does get to know someone, she's completely trusting of them, and because of that, she's also easy to hurt. " Sighing, Amelia brushed her hair back from her face, right at that moment feeling very worn down. She had been dealing with so much lately in order to support and try to make everything better for Lily. To have something like this, specifically James, thrust into her life again, it hurt. All it did was put more stress on her and makes things all the more harder on her, "I don't want you hurting her."

---

Daniel gently stroked Ryan's hair when she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed when she said she meant to invite him along, but hadn't been sure with James being in town, "Well, you know I would. I guess it just depends on how things go with Amelia and James." He chuckled looking toward the classroom, "I have a feeling Amelia is chewing him out right now. I hate to admit I kind of hope she is. Maybe it will knock some sense into that kid." He joked, then looked back over at the kids when he heard a shriek and laughed slightly when Ayden asked if it was a good roar.

"No Ayden! Like this! Rawwwr!!!" The little girl shrieked back and giggled when Ayden did it back to her.

Daniel chuckled, "Those two really are little lovebirds aren't they?" He paused when he heard Ryan tell him what Ayden had said about who he wanted to be like when he grew up and that made him smile ear to ear, "Really?" He was happy to hear that. Really happy. He thought of Ayden as his own son, and it made him proud to hear the boy had said that. Leaning down, he kissed Ryan and grinned, "Well, I hope he'll grow up and be even better than be. I wouldn't doubt it. He's a good kid."

[BeautifulNightmare]

Her words didn't fall on deaf ears, but James was unusually silent, and his eyes were certainly glazed over. This, this was exactly what he never wanted to do. So, suddenly he was realizing that perhaps the apple didn't fall as far from the tree as he had hoped, but recoiling into his shell would just prove to Amelia she was right. Perhaps he had been a dick, but he wasn't ready to admit it, or entirely change who he is, but he could still show her that since they had last spoke, he had changed. He had, perhaps not enough, but he had. He still loved his women, and I mean LOVED HIS WOMEN, but he was getting older and the idea of settling down had occured to him.

Something he would never admit.

But there was something else driving him now. Amelia's sudden cold fire. Cold in the sense of personality towards him, fire in her being so passionate. He would never admit this either, but it was breathtakingly beautiful, and something that he never expected. Still, he would figure this out too. "I get it, you're pissed, and I get that walking into your life again was probably the most unexpected thing ever. To be honest, I never thought I would see you again. But know, I am not giving up on this one. Know that."

He had finally managed to get words to come, and he stood. He walked towards the door, and looked back to her before taking something from his pocket, shoving it inside a rather wrinkled, almost bank looking envelope and slipped it into her purse before she noticed and took off towards the office. He poked his head back in, briefly, "Just tell Dan that I am in the car. Please."

He headed back to the car now, his eyes taking to the windows as he walked past... he wasn't giving up. Notjust yet.

*~*~*

Ryan looked up to Daniel as Ayden and Lily played. She gave a gentle nod with a chuckle. "Its quite sweet really, and you can just twll he adores her. He gets in a lot of trouble for her, and I just can't help but to laughat it. HHe's so in love, and he is five."

What Daniel said next caused her eyes to follow the children before she grabbed hold of his hand in both of hers. "I am glad you think that he is a good kid. I am so glad he didn't take after his father like that, so glad. But I don't know about being better than you. You're sweet, caring, kind, not to mention a very understanding sort. I am glad you came into our lives, and I can't say that enough."

Ryan had always been hesitant to say she loved anyone, but she had been working on it. Most of her lofe had been heartache and mistrust, so it made it hard, but Ayden was changing her views on the world. So was Daniel. Soon Ayden ran over, and poked his mother's knee, and she looked to him. "Mommy, will you and Daniel push us on the swings?"

Ryan smiled. "Of course, but we have to go soon, honey. I know you have some homework."

He gave a pout, but when he saw his mothers face, he let it disappear and turned to Lily. "She said yeah! I'll race you to the swings!"