"Alright, foot on the brake," Hero said, making me nod.

I nodded and placed my foot on the brake, putting the car in reverse, but not without a little bit of struggle.

"Alright, cut the wheel," he said, turning around as I backed out of the driveway, "drive."

I put the car in drive and drove down the lengthy driveway, chewing on my bottom lip.

"Wanna know my secret?" He asked, looking over at me.

"Sure," I said, looking over at him.

"Well, first of all, keeping your eyes on the road," he said, "but just don't even think about it. Driving really isn't that deep."

"I'm operating very heavy machinery, it's deep."

"You're operating a car. Not a fucking forklift."

"Aren't you supposed to be twenty-one?" I asked, "t-to be in the passenger seat with me with my p-"

"Shh," he said, placing his finger over his lips, "plus, no one's going to know unless you're doing something to get us stopped. Also, I could pass for twenty-one. You're fine."

I let out a sigh. "Mom's going to kill us. I just know it."

"What Mom doesn't know won't kill her."

"Hero, you have a very questionable way of going about life," I said, nodding.

He chuckled, nodding towards the road. "Slow down. You've got a heavy foot, too."

"Are you and Amelia together?" I softly asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

"No," he answered, very confidently.

"Okay, well-"

"Amelia and I have a relationship that soon enough, you'll be old enough to understand."

I let out an angry sigh, knitting my brows together. "I'm not clueless, Hero."

"Never said you were."

"Well, then, stop treating me like I am. I hate it when you treat me that way."

He looked over at me, sighing. He rested his chin in his palm. "Turn around before Dad has a complex."

I pulled into an empty parking lot, turning around to head back home. We sat in silence for most of the ride.

"I'm going on that date with Dylan," I said.

I could feel his eyes on me. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

I shot him a quick glance, only to find him nothing short of steaming.

"Why do you even want to go out with Dylan?" He asked, "he has one goal, Fran."

"And what goal is that, the same one you have?"

"Fran," he chuckled out, shaking his head as we pulled into the driveway, "okay, I have a problem with that goal when you're one of the parties involved."

"That is neither here nor there," I scoffed, putting the car in park.

He opened his door, stepping out of the car. I did the same and looked at him, not even noticing Dad standing on the steps outside.

"Where the hell were you two?" He asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

"Fran, I swear to God, if he comes to this house, I'll beat his fucking ass."

He pointed at me as he walked towards the house, shaking his head.

"Language," Dad muttered, confused.

"W-we went for a drive," I said, watching as Hero slammed the door.

"You're not supposed to do that, you know," he said, leading me inside.

"I know," I said.

He grabbed Hero's keys. "What's he so bent out of shape about?"

"This guy, Dylan," I said, shaking my head, "he asked me out."

Dad lifted an eyebrow, bracing his elbows on the counter. "Well, you're not going out with Dylan."

"And somehow I knew that'd be the answer."

Hero jogged back downstairs, and he'd obviously spent the short amount of time changing into a pair of shorts and nothing else.

"I'm not playing, Francesca," he said, shaking his head as he placed his headphones over his ears. He jogged downstairs and into the basement, slamming the door shut.

Dad sucked in a breath. "Full name. Big guns."

"So I'm really not allowed?" I softly asked.

He sighed, looking down at me. "You're fifteen. Know what I was doing at fifteen? Nothing."

"Pretty sure that's the furthest thing from the truth-"

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Answer's no, my love."

~*~

I walked into the master bedroom, seeing Alexis sitting on the edge of the bed. She was applying lotion to her long legs, the same empty, drained look on her face she'd kept on it.

I bit down on my lip and walked into the bedroom, her eyes meeting mine for a second before she looked back down at her legs.

"I'll be out-"

"I want you to take your space, Lex," I said, nodding as I looked down.

I could feel her eyes on me. No matter our situation, I'd always be able to feel her, from a mile away.

"I'll m-move out, if that makes it easier for you," I said, biting down on my lip, "I'll get an apartment in the city, or something-"

"That's unfair to you," she said, shaking her head.

"I just want you to be okay," I softly said, "and if space from me is going to do that, then so be it. I'll give it to you."

"I've been actually been looking," she said, looking over at me, "at apartments. Closer to the city, I don't know."

I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip.

"And we still haven't even mentioned it to the kids," she softly said, shaking her head, "I'm awful."

"You're not awful," I said, "you're vulnerable. And you want to be strong for the kids. That's understandable."

She looked over at me. "Yeah."

"We should explain it to them," I said.

"I need to put together an essay for Josie," she said, letting out a small giggle.

I smiled. That was the first sign of happiness, and simply life, that I'd gotten out of Alexis in a while.

"I don't want to hurt them," she said, biting down on her lip, "you know, with Henry being so serious with Cordelia. I don't want this to change his perception of love, nor Josie's."

I sat next to her, bracing my elbows on my thighs.

"I mean, they've spent their entire lives with two parents that are in love," she said, "that's a really quick change. To see us apart, in any way."

"You know, Lex, I think they're just like all other kids," I said, "they want to see their parents together, but they also want them to be happy at the end of the day."

She looked over at me, biting down on her lip. "You know this isn't because I don't love you anymore, right?"

I nodded. "I know."

She stood up, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm so sorry, Fred."

I shook my head, looking at her as I stood up. "You've been there for me in my absolute worst. You put up with it all. The least I can do is have your back."

She nodded, looking up at me. "That still doesn't change the fact that I'm hurting you."

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't upset, or I wasn't confused," I said, "but you know what you need best."

She raked her hands through her hair. "I promise I'm trying to find an explanation for you. I'm trying to put it into words."

I nodded, brushing past her. "Take your time."

~*~

I stepped out of my shower and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my body. I walked over to my vanity and sat down, looking at myself in the mirror.

I bit down on my bottom lip and pulled my hair down from the messy bun I'd thrown it up in, brushing my fingers through it.

My phone vibrated, making me look down at it.

I sucked in a breath, placing my phone face down on my vanity. As much as I wanted to rebel against Hero and Dad at times, I would never be that kid.

I stood up and grabbed a sweater, throwing it on along with a pair of shorts. I grabbed my glasses and placed them on my face, frowning at myself in the mirror.

Hero barged in my room, nodding. "Hey. It's the original player on the phone."

Granddad laughed. "How's my sweet girl?"

I smiled, sitting on the edge of my bed. "I'm good. How are you and grandma?"

"We're good," he said, "are you keeping your brother under control?"

"Trying," I softly said.

"When are you guys going to come visit me?" He asked.

"Dude, whenever Mom trusts me to drive to Seattle, I can be there in-"

"Scrap that idea," Granddad muttered, making me giggle and look at Hero.

"I'm a great driver," he said.

"Yeah, with a heavy foot."

"It runs in the family. Even Frannie drives like a bat out of hell."

He chuckled. "Just be safe to save your parents from a heart attack. Please."

"Will do," I said, smiling a soft smile.

"I'll see you guys soon, okay?" Granddad said, "be good. I love you guys."

"Love you," Hero and I both said, making him hang up.

"You need to knock," I said, looking up at Hero as he stood up.

"He's an old man, running on a tight sleeping schedule," he deadpanned.

I could hear my phone vibrating, making my eyes meet Hero's before he bolted over to my phone.

"Hero!" I yelled, jumping on his back.

"Hey, Dylan," he greeted, pacing around my room with me still on his back, "Hero here. Let me put you on speaker so Fran can hear you piss yourself after I get done with you."

I jumped down from his back, making him lift his arm in the air. I jumped for the phone, but I couldn't reach his 6'3 frame.

"Dylan, if I see you even breathing the same air as her, I will beat your ass. In front of your mother. Better yet, in front of your fucking father."

"Well, you better start making your way over here, because Frannie and I have been really close."

My eyes went wide- I knew Hero was about to lose any ounce of patience he had left.

His nostrils flared, and he ripped my door open. I followed after him, running downstairs to catch up to him.

"You just give me your address, you piece of shit," he sneered, walking into the kitchen.

"Dad!" I yelled, making him step out of his office.

"Where are my fucking keys?" Hero sneered.

He finally found them, making him shoot me a grin.

"See you later."

"Hero!" Dad yelled, following him out the door.

I ran outside and stopped in front of his car, looking up at him. "You can't get in if I'm blocking your door."

"Dylan, you better tell Fran to move if you're so eager to see me," he said, obviously fuming now.

"Hero!" Dad yelled.

Hero's eyes met mine, making him hang up on Dylan. "You're lucky you were standing there."

"You're insane," I sneered, looking up at him.

He brushed past me, making Dad's eyes follow him. "You better calm the hell down, Hero."

"Why don't you keep on telling me to calm down when she ends up pregnant like the other girls?" He said, standing chest to chest with Dad, "and I can guarantee your ass that Dylan Williams is a fucking deadbeat."

"You better back off," Dad said, their eyes locked on one another's.

Hero ripped the door open, storming inside.

"Please leave Dylan alone," Dad sighed, looking over at me.

"Or you could address Hero's concerning anger issues," I said, my eyebrows knitted together.

"And I will," he said, "but you need to stay away from him."

"Do me a favor, why don't you? Keep that same energy when Hero's having a new pregnancy scare every week."

"Fran," he said, making me shake my head as I walked inside.

~*~

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