Disclaimers: The prerequisite disclaimers.

Intellectual Property: The characters are wholly my own. Any similarities drawn between them and any persons, plants, or animals, living and dead, are figments of your imagination. However, some places and products mentioned in the story do exist. No infringement is intended. (Hey, look on the bright side! Free publicity! Yeah!)

Ratings/Language/Violence: R-rated. Generally, the language and violence is mild, as is the sex. However, at risk of spoiling some surprises, the story deals with sensitive issues like overbearing parents, youth violence, rape, and murder.

Sex: Love is expressed between two consenting ladies. If that bothers you, then for the love of God (or a higher being or beings, if any), get help.

Age: If this material is illegal where you live and/or if you are underage then find something else to do.

NOTES: Mickey is NOT the main character. Be patient and you'll meet the two leading heroines in no time at all. Also, this story takes place over about the span of a decade. If you want to see sign language, go to this web site. http://www.bconnex.net/~randys/

If you have any feedback, suggestions, or comments, please let the bard know at sarkel_bard@yahoo.com You are guaranteed a reply if you so wish. Constructive criticism is accepted J

I'd also like to thank everyone who helped. Thanks to Steph, Critic, Ink, and everyone else who has contributed.

Many people have asked me about my posting policy, so here's a rundown. I have a personal policy to post at least once a week, but if I am ahead of schedule or have extra time, I'll post more than once.

A Note: In the story, when Sam (or someone who is signing) murmurs, mumbles or whatever, they are not speaking. The 'screams' 'whispers' and so forth are merely the sign language equivalent.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank the wonderful people at Xenaverso for honoring AITF with the Olé award. Check the Xenaverso out at http://www.atenea.easynet.co.uk/xenaverso/fanfic/fanfic_ole.htm

Part 9

Allen awakened with a jerk. Loud crashes had interrupted a nice dream. The ten-foot tall candy canes evaporated in mid-air as he slipped quietly out of bed, the glare of the morning sun muffled by the curtains. He padded to his bedroom door and opened it a crack. His mother lugging a box down the hall and cursing as she struggled with it.

She was wearing sweat suit with a bandanna tied around her head. She was perspiring heavily. The boy flinched and remained unseen, continuing to observe his mother's progress. The older woman walked back and forth from Sammy's room to the top of the staircase, carrying piles of papers, pictures, and books. With each trip, the redhead would fling the contents into the box and swear loudly. He didn't like the wild look in his mother's eyes. The snarling teeth and furious energy that she exuded.

"Goddamn woman! Beauregard is going to forget you ever existed!" Susan ripped a small wallet-size photo into shreds. Furiously, she recalled finding a letter from Norene in her Beauregard's nightstand. How could he!

She had spent the months since the wedding getting rid of reminders of Norene and Lucas. She was Beauregard's wife. She was his future, not Norene and that dead boy!

Samantha's room was the last part of the house to be exterminated. After the room was taken care of, only the mongrel and the trees remained. I refuse to live in this house one moment longer with anything that reminds Beauregard of his ex-wife and son! And that damn dog is going.

The older woman had perused Norene's journals, which Sam kept safely tucked in the back of a desk drawer. Her rage skyrocketed after reading the disgusting things. Beauregard and Norene had handpicked the dog together on a trip to a shelter. Lucas and Sam named him Cornbread, Corny for short, because the canine's yellow color fit and he was so cute enough to eat.

If that wasn't enough, honestly! Susan had always admired the two lovely oak trees in the backyard, near the pool fence. No more. She nearly vomited after inspecting the former Norene Cosentino's nauseating handwriting, learning that she and Beauregard had planted one tree after the birth of their daughter, then the second tree after the birth of their son.

The redhead tossed the remainder of Norene and Lucas in the box. Samantha wouldn't miss the pictures and papers and who cared if she did, anyway? As an afterthought, Susan grabbed all of her stepdaughter's clothing, every item so decidedly unfeminine, and jammed them into the box. Samantha would be getting a new, womanly wardrobe whether or not she liked it.

Allen waited until his mother had lugged herself and the box downstairs before he ventured into Sammy's room. He tiptoed, trying his best to be quiet. He didn't want to alert his mother of his presence. He tugged open the closet door and stepped in, his eyes taking in nothing but emptiness except for an old mitt and a jacket propped against a dark corner. His mother must've missed those. Sammy wouldn't be happy to find her room empty of all her belongings. He stepped out of the closet and looked around his stepsister's room. His momma had taped an X on all of the furniture and written in a scrawl that they were all to go. He reached out and tentatively touched one of the X's.

Susan returned upstairs to make sure that she hadn't missed one single reminder of Norene or Lucas in Samantha's room. As she entered to double check, she saw the boy investigating. "What are you doing?" she snarled.

Allen's eyes widened as his head turned in the voice's direction. He looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "The noise woke me up. I wanted to see what you were doing in Sammy's room." His voice quaked as he looked at the furious redhead.

"So what if the noise woke you up! You shouldn't be in other people's rooms. How would you like it if Samantha went nosing around in your room?" She grabbed the towhead's arm and dragged him to the hallway. She turned him to face her. "Huh?"

Allen swallowed and a pool of tears formed in his green eyes. "I don't mind. I like Sammy. Al says I should share with other people. Sammy is nice. She said I could play with her games and TV. Why did you take that away? Sammy is going to be mad when she comes home next week."

The redhead sighed, exasperated. "You fool! Don't talk back!" She seized her son's arm and shook him. "You don't need to be spoiled. You don't need to become anti-social like Samantha! Don't call her Sammy. Her name is Samantha! Calling her Sammy will only encourage her to be more manly."

"But momma, I like aliens. Sammy's an alien, not a girl." He justified to the angry woman.

Susan's chest clenched as she tried to regain her calm. "Exactly! You watch too much television! Samantha is NOT an alien! Now get out of my way and watch TV or whatever. I don't want to hear from you again until lunch." Susan shoved the boy away and returned to full posture as the towhead trudged downstairs, rubbing his arm where his mother had hurt him. Sometimes he didn't like her. She pranced past him, humming a song, and picked up the phone, kicking her leg behind her.

Susan dialed a number and greeted her husband in a singsong voice. "Oh Beauregard! I took a look at darling Samantha's room like you asked. She needs new furniture. It's horribly scratched and stained. I was thinking about Queen Anne, maybe a touch of Chippendale accent. All set in light tones, with new curtains and…"

Barry nodded, not really concerned with what Susan had to say about decorating. He hadn't asked her to look at Sam's room but he didn't mind. It was nice to see Susie-dewie taking care of the family. "That's a woman's job. I know nothing about decorating. You can take care of that. Do whatever you want to do. Charge it. I love you and don't forget…it's Wednesday," said Barry in a seductive tone.

Susan giggled like a schoolgirl. "Oh! Wednesday! I'll set out the candles and flowers. I'll be home…wearing a new teddy. Allison is studying at Amber's and I've arranged for Allen to stay over at Richie's. Did I tell you Richie's father just got a promotion to special assistant to the mayor? Now, the gardener stopped by today and did a fabulous job on the bushes and hedges but he had bad news…oh dewie! The beautiful oak trees out back have to go. They're sick and infested with maggots. Beauie-what should be done? I'm so simply upset!"

The lawyer sighed and glanced at the clock. He could have billed $75 for the time he'd spent on the phone with Susan. Normally, she'd be at work as his receptionist/secretary, but he'd given her the day off for housecleaning. "I don't like the idea of getting rid of the trees but I suppose what has to be done has to be done. Have the gardener come back and take care of them. I got to go back to work, keep those dollars rolling in. Love you, my little pumpkin-ball."

The redhead smiled. Her plan had worked. "Of course, ButterBall. Are you sure Samantha will understand the redecorating?" She wanted to make sure that Beauregard would consider it his fault when darling Samantha wasn't receptive to her changes. The only concerns she had were about the journal and albums. Beauie might get upset when he found out she'd tossed them out, but that was the least of her worries now. Susan had already formulated a defense. She would say that she hadn't realized what was in those boxes and besides, they all needed to move on with their lives.

"Sam will understand. With all the money I have, there's no reason for her to live with substandard furniture. She'll be thrilled." Barry's heart warmed at the thought of his Susan caring so much about Sam, especially since his daughter was no angel.

"While we're on the subject, I hope you don't mind, but I removed the TV and electronics from her room. We do want her to socialize with us more. We need to be a real family. Of course, if you want, I'm more than happy to put them back." Susan put on a mock tone of concern and subservience while Beauregard considered.

It took just a few seconds for Barry to decide. "Oh Susie! Wonderful idea. We are a family, damn it! Go ahead, donate the TV to charity and put the game system in the family room. We can play with it down there. I really need to get going. Bye-bye, sweetie."

"Bye, darling Beauregard Bartholomew. See you tonight!" The redhead slammed the phone in its hook and grinned evilly. Now she could get back to work. She'd already called charity to come pick up the furniture. Tomorrow, she would go shopping for new furniture and hire painters to hue Samantha's room in a nice light pink. If Samantha was surrounded by enough femininity, she'd eventually become a woman, not the distasteful tomboy she was now. Susan's ears perked up as she remembered an important detail. Samantha would be enrolled in speech therapy for the summer. That girl was going to have to speak sooner or later. She spent the next few hours taking care of those trifling details, her son's whereabouts not once crossing her mind.

After school, Allison walked into the kitchen from the garage and dropped her book bag on the floor. She noticed a weird smile on her mother's face. Susan immediately straightened her face and nonchalantly called out to her daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Momma. I just stopped by to get a book then head over to Amber's for studying. I'll see you later." Allison grabbed her math book off the counter.

"Wait a minute! Before you go to Amber's, I want to know…did you see Chris today?" Susan's voice took on the quality of the squealing excitement of a lovesick teenager.

Allison sighed. "I didn't see him."

The redhead gasped. "But he's your boyfriend! Aren't you supposed to see each other every day? Don't tell me you had a fight!" wailed Susan.

The blonde shook her head at her mother's antics. "He's not my boyfriend. We just went to the prom together."

The older woman wheezed. "You broke up? That's good! He didn't treat you right." A light bulb went on in her eyes. "Oh! Why don't you take Allen to Richie's? Richie has an older brother named Robbie. He's only a freshman in high school but he's mature. He is so handsome, smart, and so rich! I could see you dating a younger man. Go freshen your make-up, change that shirt, and get him!" Susan, for once was in a good mood, punched her daughter jovially on the shoulder.

Allison plastered a fake smile on her face and whistled. "O-K-. I'll go get Allen and change my clothes." She went upstairs and slipped into a tight flowered shirt she knew her mother would approve of and applied fresh mascara and blush. After studying her appearance in the mirror for a few minutes she nodded, satisfied.

Arriving back downstairs, she called out to her brother. "Come on Allen. Let's go see Richie." Allen bounded to his sister and grabbed her hand. He loved riding in the car with Al. Her rides were better than the ones at the carnival.

"Momma scared me today," confessed Allen as Allison gunned the engine. "She was acting crazy. She went in Sammy's room and threw out everything. The picture of Sammy and her old family isn't there anymore." Allen studied his sister's face as she backed out of the driveway. She stopped abruptly as her mother ran out of the house screaming and waving her arms.

"Allison Alexandra! Are you nuts or what? Have you no common sense? You can't impress Richie's brother with that Pinto. Take the Cadillac. Honestly!" Susan threw up her hands in exasperation as her daughter returned to the driveway and exited the car. "Allison. Now, be sure to impress Robbie. Do you have the 3 by 5 card I gave you with possible conversation topics? I know the family loves horses, right, Allen?" The older woman looked pointedly at her son, who only nodded, afraid to say anything.

Allison smiled. "I have it under control, momma. See you later." She took the keys from her mother and the siblings got in the Cadillac. The blonde carefully backed out of the driveway, taking extra care with the expensive new car. "So Allen, what were you saying?"

The towhead chewed his lip. "Sammy's gonna be upset when she comes home. Momma threw away all of her clothes and pictures and papers. The room looks like nobody was ever there. Momma said she was going to get new furniture and paint it pink tomorrow. I tried to tell momma that Sammy was an alien but momma wouldn't listen. But, I did meet a new alien today!" Allen scratched his head as he tugged on his seatbelt. "Will Sammy be mad at me because I didn't stop momma?" he asked apprehensively.

Allison smiled at her brother's sweet innocence and tousled his hair. Why was Momma so spiteful? "Of course not. Sammy will understand that you couldn't do anything. But you're right. She will be upset when she comes home. Do you know where momma threw everything?" I wish I could warn her, but she's been incommunicado since the birthday fiasco.

Allen shook his head. "Uh-uh. She took some to the dump today and some things are in the trashcan. The big one in the garage you set out for the trash men every Friday. Are you gonna get them for Sammy?"

The blonde sighed. "Yeah. I'm going to try. So, what was that you said about meeting a new alien today?"

"Yeah!" Allen's round green eyes lit up. "He's so cool. His name is Jaykupozon. I can't remember how to say his last name." He twisted in his seat, unable to contain his excitement. "Richie's gonna be jealous!" The boy nodded knowingly. "Jaykupozon came to learn more about people. He's from outer space and lives in the woods in an invisible tent!"

"Really?" Allison grinned. Her brother had an imaginary friend. "So, what does Jaykupozon look like?"

"He is so cool! He's got those…" Allen scrunched his face, searching for a fitting description. "He's got silver clothes and fuzzy green antenna. He don't talk like us either. I told him about Sam being an alien too, but he didn't believe me." The boy frowned.

The blonde smiled. "Sounds great. Well, here we are. Richie's. Want me to come inside with you?"

Allen clambered out of the car, his backpack in tow. "Nah, you don't have to. See ya tomorrow, Al. Are you gonna see Robbie?"

His sister sighed; she'd never intended to meet Robbie. "No, I'm running late. Have fun, sweetheart." She waved to Allen as he ran up the walkway to his friend's house.

The following morning, Allison began to root around and tried to salvage a few things from her mother's wrath for her stepsister Sam should have reminders of her mother and brother. It wasn't fair of Susan to expect both Barry and Sam to forget than Norene and Lucas ever existed.

.

The next day, Allison arrived home from school and was greeted excitedly by her little brother. "Al! Al! I won first prize in reading!" The boy hugged his sister's legs as he held up a blue ribbon with his name written on the back. "But momma said it wasn't no big deal."

Picking Allen up and hugging him, the blonde smiled at her baby. "Allen, that's great. I'm proud of you. We'll hang it up in your room." Allison kissed his forehead and carried him upstairs.

"Al, Can I show Sammy when she gets home? She's got an awful lot of prizes, though. Do ya think I will ever get as many?" Allen peered in his sister's face for an answer.

The green-eyed girl smiled indulgently at the towhead. "Of course. I'm sure she'll be glad to see the things you've done. Don't worry about getting a lot of prizes, though. The important thing is that you give everything your best effort. Now, where do you want to hang it?"

Deep in thought, the tot looked around his room. He pointed to a spot on the wall. "Hang it there. That's where Jaykupozon wanted it. He came for a little bit today and played games with me."

"Wow!" Allison enthused. "Jaykupozon sounds great! When can I meet him?"

The boy grinned. "He's shy. He said I'm the first human he's met. Let him get used to me first, ok?"

The blonde chuckled. "Sure. How's this?" She held up the ribbon to its prospective home. "Yeah?"

Her brother nodded eagerly. "What's your favorite kind of flower?"

"Huh?" Allison cocked her head in confusion. "Why do you ask?"

The towhead giggled. "Just tell me!"

The blonde considered. "I don't know." She shrugged. "Here we go."

Once the ribbon was proudly displayed on the wall, they sat down on his bed. "Are you going to get Sammy's things from the trash? I woulda done it but I was too short. I was gonna ask Jaykupozon to do it but I forgot." The towhead hung his head.

Allison sighed, disgusted at her mother, and hugged her brother. "Yes. Don't worry your cute little head about anything. You're my little sweetie aren't you? I have to go downstairs and talk to momma. You stay up here and play."

Allen nodded solemnly as his sister made her way out. He slipped off the bed and lay down, listening through the floorboards, curious as to what his Al would say to momma.

Allison swung through the kitchen door furiously and stood behind her mother. "What's going on? First of all, how could you say Allen's prize in reading was no big deal? And, why are you getting rid of Norene and Lucas's stuff? It isn't like Barry divorced Norene. She and Lucas DIED! He and Sam should be the ones to decide what to do with their possessions. Barry and Sam, especially Sam, need things to remember them by!"

The redhead shrugged and continued to hum as she prepared dinner. She wasn't in the mood to deal with that girl. Susan chopped onions and tossed them in the pan to sauté. She reached for the carrots but her daughter stopped her.

"Momma! Why are you so against the idea of them remembering Norene and Lucas? Lucas is harmless! Barry won't love you any less. Besides, you'd have to move to get rid of any memory of them. Does Barry know what you've done?" Allison swallowed nervously as her mother turned to face her slowly. Susan's eyes were widening in anger and her teeth in snarling position.

Susan growled at her daughter. "Beauregard loves me, not that old dead hag. I'm Samantha's new mother and she'll just have to get used to it. >From now on, you're to call her Samantha, not Sam. Beauie doesn't know I threw out the journals and letters and pictures and he better not find out. I won't sell this house. It's a historical landmark, the biggest house in town, in the best neighborhood. Do you take me for a fool? This house is helping us move up in society. And besides, Beauregard was the one who said Sam's room had to be redecorated." Susan's jowls flapped as spittle flew, landing everywhere. She composed herself and resumed stirring the vegetables.

The blonde gulped at her mother's furious response as bile churned in her stomach. Her mother was such a bitch. Had she been wrong about Susan truly loving Barry or was her mother just after his money and position? Even if Sam's room needed redecorating, it wouldn't have hurt to keep the pictures and other reminders of Norene and Lucas.

"Of course, momma." Allison smiled thinly as her mother whistled blithely, tuning out her daughter.

Allison walked into the garage and dug through the trashcans, looking for the remnants of memories of Sam's mother and brother. She was only able to find a few journals, pictures, and a stack of letters. Wait! There are boxes full of stuff in the basement! She remembered going downstairs with Barry to find Sam's dance pictures. Better get them before momma does.

Allison grinned slyly as she walked outside to back of the house. She slipped in through the basement door, but stopped in her tracks. The cellar was clean as a whistle, and the boxes were nowhere to be seen. Only the exercise equipment remained; even the beat up couch was gone. Her mother must have gotten rid of the things earlier without anybody knowing. Allison's heart grew heavy as she realized the extent of her mother's cruelty. Susan was the stepmother from hell. There was absolutely nothing left to remind anyone of the Cannizarro's past. Allison toyed with the idea of going to the dump and looking for the other boxes. But, she quickly realized it would be impossible to find anything.

The blonde's inquiring nature compelled her to read a few of the letters. As Allison skimmed the words, she discovered she was holding letters from Norene to Sam and Lucas, as well as love letters from Barry to Norene before they'd married. There were also a couple faded pictures of the family. A tear made its way down her cheek as she realized exactly what her stepfather and stepsister had come close to losing forever. She was furious at Susan's selfishness and lack of consideration, especially for Sam, who would never see, be comforted or held by her mother again. Allison prayed that Julia had more mementos and that Barry wouldn't let her mother off the hook once he found out.

Furious, Allison put everything she'd found from the trash can in a plastic bag, then decided to hide it under Barry's tool bench in the garage. He'd never see it.

A tall dark figure made its way sleathily through a growth of bushes and trees and shimmied up a large oak tree, settling itself on a branch. Penetrating brown eyes shifted quickly, looking into the windows, watching the prey. Mickey leant back on the tree trunk, keeping his movements to a minimum as not to alert the watched. His breathing became raspy and heavy as he watched her undress.

Allison slipped out of her summer dress and hung it up carefully, smoothing it down so it wouldn't get wrinkled. Her watcher swallowed as he felt his manhood growing erect.

Come on. Take off that bra for me baby. "Take it off," he whispered, as the blonde freed her breasts from their bindings and tossed the bra into the hamper. Mickey's mouth opened slightly as drool formed at the corner. The pixie was being cooperative with his wishes, stripping slowly just for him. His head craned forward as she hooked her thumbs around the edges of her underwear, ready to pull them down.

Allison started to remove her panties but stopped when she got the eerie feeling that she was being watched. She left her underwear on and walked to the window, pulling the curtains shut. She told herself she was being paranoid, as she looked out of the window.

Her bedroom was on the second floor, high off the ground since the house was on a hill. An invasion of her privacy by anyone was nearly impossible unless the intruder risked climbing the massive oak tree by her window. Oh, well. It didn't hurt to be careful.

The hunter cursed softly as he missed out on the rest of the show. She's just saving the best for last, for when we are together. She did show me a nice close-up of her body though and it's hot! Whooie baby. He leaned back against the tree, his excitement subduing as he waited. She might open the curtains again and he'd be able to watch her sleep. The blonde liked to leave the window open for a breeze during the night and sometimes he was able to slip in from the tree into the window and observe her sleeping. It was dangerous; he'd almost fallen asleep in her armchair and could've been discovered. Although the pixie was declared to be his forever and ever, he didn't want to scare her off.

Allison pulled on her nightgown and sat down in front of her desk mirror. Examining her profile, she craned her neck, first one way and then the other. She detected a small pink bump on her chin and thrust it forward closer to her reflection. Giving it careful scrutiny, she moaned. Great! That's going to be a pimple tomorrow. Allison grabbed her acne prevention pads and gave her face a through scrubbing, hoping that the potential blemish would never surface. Her mother would freak out, hit the roof, and give her a lecture on skin care. The same lecture she heard every time she had dry skin, acne, blisters, sunburns, freckles, lines, wrinkles, and every kind of imaginable skin condition. After studying her profile and nodding in satisfaction she caught sight of the drawn curtains.

Allison drew them open and pushed up the window, allowing a slight breeze in the room. She'd close them when she went to bed, but for now she wanted a breeze to air out the room. Mickey grinned in satisfaction as he got a view of his favorite show. The green-eyed girl's pajamas clung to her curves and showed a nice portion of her legs. She wasn't wearing any underwear either and he closed his eyes for a moment, wishing that he could come up behind her and suckle her. Mickey opened his eyes to watch Allison brush her hair. The blonde carefully stroked her strawberry hair, brushing it until it shone. He nodded in approval. She was making herself beautiful for him. For him. His heart skipped a beat and caught up in his throat as the blonde looked out of the window, staring directly at him. He hoped he hadn't been discovered but when the pixie did nothing, his breathing went back to normal and his heartbeats slowed. She didn't mind him watching her and was giving him an unspoken message.

Allison walked to her closet, bent down and pulled a corner of carpet back, extracting a book. The brown-haired boy leaned forward to catch a better look at the title. What message was she trying to send him? I have to find out. His question was answered when the blonde opened the book and began writing. So that was her journal and she was giving him permission to read it. She wanted him to read it.

A smile graced the harsh angles of his face as he imagined the sorts of things she'd write. Their life together, her love for him, admiration of his boyish charm, and handsome good looks. Her hatred of the dyke bitch's treatment of him. Her sexual fantasies involving him, begging him to give it to her. He'd better read it to find out exactly what she wanted and how he would give it to her. The journal held the keys he needed to unlock the treasure chest.

The next day, while everyone was out, Mickey climbed into the house through Allison's window. He inhaled deeply the pixie's special scent. Allison was just so perfect and he could feel her lovingly wrapping her arms around him and whispering sweet nothings into his ear. A smile spread on his face as he opened the desk drawers and found the gifts he had left her a long time ago, there as always. They were hidden behind a pile of stationery. She'd saved the condom and flowers. His heart swelled with love and pride. He knew she would never throw away his love bits. He dug around in his pockets and found an unused condom still in its foil wrapper and placed it next to the earlier gifts. He kissed it lovingly. In time, it would bring his Mick and her honey hole together.

He gently shut the drawer and sat down on the chair, closing his eyes. He imagined her lips raking across his, whispering his name over and over as he gave her pleasure. He opened his eyes. He mustn't forget his mission. The journal. Once he read it, he could have her. He couldn't wait to discover what secrets Allison had entrusted to him.

The intruder opened the closet door and pulled up a carpet corner, finding the green cloth bound book and clutched it near his heart. He was moments away from possessing his destiny. He sat down on the floor and opened the journal. It contained her thoughts of the last six years. Allison's entries had been written only once or twice a week and the entries varied from a few sentences to several pages. He determined to read it from cover to cover and steeled himself from skipping to the good parts near the end. In order for him to win her heart, he had to know and understand everything.

His heart ached for his angel as he read about her troubled teens. His knuckles grew white as his eyes strained forward. The bastard! He would take care of the bastard. Deflowering her against her will… she thought she was consenting but how could she be consenting at only 12 years old? The man had also abandoned her with child. Mickey would never do that. He'd do his duty by her and the product of their love. As a matter of fact, he was more than willing to adopt her son as his own. As a tear made its way down his face, his jaw clenched. She would be so grateful to him for taking the boy in.

He nodded firmly as he moved into the future. Allison was 14. The poor girl. Her mother was such a bitch. Couldn't she see it was her own fault that Bob had gone after the pixie? Allison was perfect the way she was and didn't need anybody telling her to lose weight or dress better! Anger began to fill him as he closed his eyes and counted to ten. He turned his attention back to the journal, his anger subduing. She loved her son very much and felt so torn that he had to live in such circumstances. Not anymore, my destiny. Not anymore. I'll take you and our son away and we'll live happily ever after. Susan had legally adopted Allen and had full control over their lives. Her mother had threatened not to allow Allison to be involved with her son's life if she didn't do exactly as she wanted.

Oh my darling. Don't you worry. You did the right thing telling me. When we have our own home I'll take care of you, cook for you, you don't have to fix yourself up or anything. I know you'll always look your best for me. You just haven't had the chance to have somebody to dress up for. I'll hold you and comfort you. I'll give you more children to bond with, to love. Brothers and sisters for our son.

He shook his head, full of sadness for the bad things that had happened to his sweetie. Dammit, why couldn't he have been there for her earlier? He wouldn't worry about his lack of involvement. Today was a new day and what mattered was that he would help her from here on out. He swallowed as he continued to read the journal. He was the man for the job. Allison was a bird with a broken wing, needing love and care to recover.

The journal was mundane for a while, mostly repetitious of Susan's domineering ways, Allison's longing to have a real relationship with her son, pining for a better life and for true love. He was filled with regret as he read about their encounter at Paul's house. Apparently, he had moved too fast and the pixie wasn't ready yet. She hadn't realized they were destined to be together. He nodded, understanding why she had resisted his advances. Well, that wasn't the case anymore. From the events of the past weeks, he knew she was more than ready to consummate their love.

His mood immediately soured as he reached the events of a few weeks ago. The dyke bitch had kissed his girl. His girl! And on her 17th birthday, no less! He rocked softly as he forced himself to read the entry. Sobs formed in his chest. Sam set me on fire with her amazing, wonderful, gentle kisses. Her lips were so soft and luscious. Our tongues played like Beethoven's symphony, in perfect harmony. We fit in each other's arms like a jigsaw puzzle and I wanted nothing more in my life than to love her and be loved by her. Relief overwhelmed him as he read of her rejection of the dyke bitch, driving her away to military school. Allison had been fooled but only temporarily. She knew her true path was with him.

He grinned as he read a few entries with him, ignoring the names she called him. Most people would think 'the bastard', 'the creep', 'the fucker', 'the jerk', were all expletives or insults but he knew better. They were just her pet names for him. Allison was just covering her tracks in case the dyke bitch found the journal and tried to impede their plans to be together. It was the dyke's fault they weren't together. She was preventing Allison from coming to him. He'd have to charge in and save the day. He didn't know his heart could grow fonder of the blonde but it did as he read the loving entries she'd written about him. He rubbed his chest as he read his favorite line over and over. Doesn't he understand I'm not interested? He was reading between the lines, eliminating any 'code' words the pixie had added for the bitch's benefit. It really meant, 'Does he understand I'm interested?' After all, his angel was a writer and knew not to use double negatives in the same sentence.

Mickey put the book down and grinned happily as he fantasized about her. He wouldn't have guessed that he'd find true love and destiny at such a young age but he understood why the revelation had happened so early in life. Allison needed to be saved. Now, not later. He opened the journal again and read the next excerpt. He started to shake and growl as he read through. Fuck it, the dyke bitch had her way with Allison too! How many times would the poor pixie be taken advantage of?!

Sam surprised me at work today. She grabbed me around the corner and blindfolded me. Goodness, how I loved the feel of her arms around me. I've never felt so comfortable, safe, and loved as I was at that moment. I leaned into that warm embrace for as long as I could before my dark-haired beauty took me to her special spot. The sunset was breathtaking but not as gorgeous as she was. I sat between her legs, against her strong chest as she held me and told me that everything would be okay. She was so understanding about Allen and reassured me that nothing would make her love me less. That soon she would take us from Susan. My heart swelled with love for her as we sat there and planned our future together.

Mickey stopped reading right there, overwhelmed by fury and anger. Skipping over the last few lines, he missed Allison's commentary: I wish that could happen in real life. He slammed shut the journal and shoved it back in its hiding place. His angel didn't realize she was being swindled by a con artist. She needed a dose of Mick, and soon. Once she did, she'd know true love and that whatever Sam felt for her was lust. The dyke bitch was just taking advantage of her vulnerability. He stormed out of the room, a plan forming in his mind. He was a man to be reckoned with.

"Oh, Beauregard! I don't know if we should let Allen dive off the board!" worried Susan as she peered cautiously at her son flapping in the pool.

"Susie," Barry sighed. "Don't worry." He looked at his wife pouting in the lounge chair; Susan was more overbearing with her daughter and her son than he'd originally realized. She fretted about every last detail, even questioning the towhead's desire to take piano lessons. He'd cajoled her for half an hour a few weeks ago before she had agreed to allow Allen to splash in the pool.

"Momma! Daddy!" Allen called proudly. He was floating on his back, air wings keeping him afloat.

Barry beamed at the summons. Allen had started calling him daddy a few days ago, the first time coming quite naturally. When he realized what he'd said, he shrunk back and whispered: "I'm sorry. Can I call you daddy?"

"Of course," the older man had said, taking the boy in his arms. After all, he was the only father Allen would ever know. "Of course I'm your daddy." The towhead grinned, his adorable emerald eyes shining. Barry kissed the boy affectionately-he was blessed with a wonderful son. Susan had been thrilled at the new development.

"Wow!" Barry enthused as he jumped in the pool. "That's my boy!"

"Can I jump off the diving board now?" he asked seriously, his wet hair sticking up. "See, I won't drown."

Susan sighed. "Fine. You can jump, but go with daddy the first few times."

"Yay!" Allen cried gleefully. "I wish Jaykupozon was here. He likes to swim."

Barry hauled the duo out of the pool, smiling at the mention of his son's friend. Jaykupozon, the alien from outer space, had captured the boy's imagination for over a week now. He grinned, recollecting his own imaginary friend, a ten-foot purple dragon named Lionel. Lucas's imaginary pal had been a cowboy named Dodger. Of course, like Allen, Barry and Lucas had insisted during their boyhoods that their friends were real. "Jaykupozon's welcome anytime."

The towhead shook his head seriously as his mother scowled at yet another mention of the ridiculous Jaykupozon. "He's shy."

Honestly! Why is Beauregard encouraging such dementia? She consulted her watch nervously. Samantha should be home for the summer in a few minutes, and she had a feeling that the new changes around the house wouldn't fare well with her nefarious stepdaughter.

Barry took the boy in his arms as he stepped onto the diving board. He'd start off with a soft jump. "Wave for momma!" he exclaimed, the sun nearly blinding him. Ever since those oak trees had been chopped down, the sun was getting to be a real annoyance.

The tyke waved eagerly as his mother reached for the camera. Got to build new memories.

"One… two… three! Go!" Allen counted down eagerly from the prime spot perched atop Barry's shoulders.

"Whoo!" Barry held onto the boy tightly as they leaped into the pool, the dislocated liquid spilling onto the cement.

The tyke bobbed up excitedly. "More! More! More!"

The older man chuckled, about to honor his son's wish when the back door slammed. Three heads snapped simultaneously in the direction as Barry's tall, dark-haired daughter clattered down the steps to the pool angrily.

Sam was home. And she was mad.

"What the fuck?" she signed furiously. "Where the hell's my room? What's up with all that Pepto-Bismol shit on the walls? Why the hell's the game system in the family room?"

"Samantha Alice Cannizarro!" Barry shrilled as he vaulted out of the pool, clenching his fists. "Your old furniture was torn up so I decided to surprise you with a new décor for the room." His face shook with rage. "Wipe that ugliness off your face! Apologize! You're upsetting Susan."

Allen shrunk back at the explosive scene, wishing his momma and daddy would leave Sammy alone.

"Oh!" Susan trembled, adjusting her position in the chair. "Oh, dewie!"

Barry grabbed his daughter by her shirt collar. "You're an ungrateful bitch!"

The blue-eyed young woman shoved the older man's arm away, even more frenzied than he was. "Why is my closet empty? Where are the pictures and letters from my mother? And Lucas? They're not downstairs or in my room!"

Veins bulged in Barry's forehead. "I'm sure Susie put them away for safekeeping." He turned to his wife, ready to murder his daughter for her callousness. "Where are they?"

Susan intently studied the sunlight reflecting off the pool. "Did you say something, Beauregard?" she asked innocently.

Sam strode to her stepmother and shook the lounge chair. "Where's Corny?" she signed feverently, her eyes wild and animal-like. She turned to her father. "Corny's missing. He always comes when I call for him."

Honestly! If only Samantha would learn speech. Susan bounced nimbly out of the chair, her stepdaughter's antics dizzying her. She just couldn't understand a word of that sign language gibberish.

"Sam!" Barry warned, his nose flaring. "Calm down! Susan, where are the pictures and the dog?"

Sam stepped back, taking a deep breath. As rationally as she could, she listened to her father interpret for Susan.

"Well…" Susan fidgeted. "I haven't seen Cornelius lately." She crossed her fingers behind her back; she'd driven the smelly mongrel three hours north earlier that day, dumping him in the middle of nowhere. No one would be the wiser. He was an unnecessary remnant from the days of Norene and Lucas.

"Cornbread!" Allen called helpfully. "His real name's Cornbread, momma. I like him. Please don't fight."

"Allen, please! Be quiet! Cornelius is a much better name," Susan snapped. "However, I have no idea where the sweet little thing is. As for the pictures and papers, why, Beauregard, I'm afraid I may have made a mistake." She dabbed at her eyes, forcing herself to sniffle. "I may have overlooked and thrown out a few boxes out accidentally while cleaning the basement. And I didn't check Samantha's furniture for her things."

"What?" Barry asked, astonished, not bothering to interpret for his daughter. "The boxes were marked clear as day! And how could you not think to look in Sam's drawers and her desk?"

Susan gulped. Things weren't going according to plan. "Beauregard…"

"WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF MY WIFE AND MY SON!" her husband bellowed.

The redhead shuddered. "Beauregard!" His words settled in. My wife? "I'm your wife! Me!" She jabbed a finger into her chest furiously.

Allen scrambled out of the pool, the force of his father's cannon a strong indicator that this lazy summer day was developing into a day of anger and wrath.

"You need to get over her!" Susan shrilled, placing her hands on her hips. "You're mine now! She is long gone! She's worm food! I AM YOUR WIFE!"

The older man growled. "Sam, take Allen into the house now. Now!"

"Did she throw everything away?" Sam screeched. "That was all I had of my mother! And Lucas!" Tears formed in her eyes.

Barry whirled to face his daughter. "Take Allen in the house!" Without waiting to see if she would follow his order, the muscular man lifted the lounge chair and hurled it into the pool. "You bitch! Lucas was my SON! My son!"

Allen's eyes widened and he scampered up the steps, watching the scene unfold from the porch. Sammy wasn't moving; she was just standing real still and his daddy was yelling real loud at his momma. He stood there as the fight between the newlyweds grew into a raging shouting match. He couldn't even understand what his momma and daddy were saying. Tears fell from his face. He hated to see people fight and his daddy liked his other little boy better.

Finally, Sammy moved. She didn't run in the house or to where Allen was; she ran out through the pool gate. The only thing he could see was that she was crying real hard.

Barry stormed into the basement, violently kicking the doors open. His daughter had been right on the mark-the basement was neat as a pin, the boxes nowhere to be seen. "Susan! How could you?" he cried. "When did you do this?"

"I'm sorry!" The redhead wept as she slouched into the cellar. She looked at her husband with renewed energy, passion frothing in her gray eyes. "I just felt like we couldn't be completely together unless the slate was wiped clean, so to speak!"

"Bullshit!" Barry slammed his fists into the concrete walls. "Did you really expect me to just forget part of my life? All those years! You might as well have stabbed me!"

As always, e-mails are welcome at sarkel_bard@yahoo.com