The next few days, the Hamilton cast members took turns to stay overnight with Mandy, who had gotten her own dressing room. Denise never left the theatre. Lin had called school telling them Denise was ill. It was indeed a lot like Denise was the one who was ill, instead of Mandy. Mandy now had a cast around her arm, and she was healing quickly. She walked around the theatre a lot, and chatted with cast members. She had become close friends with Pippa and Thayne. With the latter one, she had been caught stealing cookies more than once. Denise on the other hand, wasn't doing well. She refused to eat, and stayed at the theatre. She had become very pale and stayed quiet. Everyone was deeply worried about her.

One day, Pippa walked up to Denise.

"Go away," Denise said when Pippa said down beside her.

"No," Pippa simply answered. An awkward silence fell. Pippa eventually broke it by saying: "Honey, we're all worried about you. And Lin most of all."

Denise looked up. "Lin?" she asked, "Why would he be worried about me?"

Pippa laughed shortly: "Simple. Because he loves you and because you're obviously hurting. He wants to help you, but he doesn't know how. What is bothering you so much, Denise? Is it because of Mandy?"

"She just made me realise-" Denise cut herself off.

"Realise what?" Pippa asked.

Denise sighed: "How much worse my life could have been. I was so incredibly lucky to be adopted by Lin and Vanessa. Yet I was so mean to them. I feel like a mythic bitch! I don't deserve them... They must hate me now."

Pippa chuckled: "Hate you?! Kid, they love you! They can see that foster care is hard, and that you needed some time to get used to it. No one blames you for anything."

"How would you know?" Denise asked grimly.

"Honey, I was at your home yesterday," Pippa pointed out, "Vanessa was really worried, she told me to take good care of you. About that," Pippa stopped, and took a muffin from her bag, "I don't suppose you ate anything today?"

"I had some carrots yesterday," Denise grumbled, but she took the muffin and took a bite.

"And then Sebastian," Pippa continued, "He kept asking me when his Sissy would come home to play with his trains again. He said that I should tell you that if you come home, you can even have Choo Choo. I suppose that's his favourite train?"

Denise nodded: "Yes it is."

"And Lin..." Pippa glanced at Denise, "He has locked himself in his study. He is completely overworking himself."

Denise stared at Pippa: "Even more than usually?"

Pippa nodded. "I think he blames himself for your sudden distant behaviour. That he should have done something or been there for you when you found Mandy, something like that."

Denise looked at Vanessa surprised: "But he's already doing everything he can! He lets Mandy stay here, he made sure she doesn't have to go back to her foster parents!"

Pippa blushed a bit: "Yeah, you're right. Maybe he listens if you tell him..."

Denise looked down, she felt put in place. "I didn't know they cared so much about me."

Pippa put her arm around Denise: "They love you, really."

Denise started crying: "I'm such a gigantic bitch!"

"Hey!" Pippa's tone got sharper, "Stop putting yourself down! It is not too late! Think you were mean to them? Well, then you change it! Be nice! Tell them how much you love them and how amazing they are! If you keep on whining in here, nothing will change!"

Denise was surprised at Pippa's outburst, and started crying. But she realised that Pippa was right. She lifted her head, and nodded determinedly through her tears. "Thanks Pippa," she said, "You're an amazing friend, and I'm sure you will be an amazing mom!"

Pippa blushed, "Yeah about that... I wanted to tell you something."

"Are you pregnant?!" Denise yelled.

Pippa laughed, and lifted her hands in surrender: "No, not that!"

"Then what is it?" Denise asked.

"I was thinking about adopting Mandy."

Denise stared at her in shock.

"You see," Pippa continued, "Just like Lin, I wanted to do something for foster care ever since we visited the Graham Windham. I have been working on the Eliza Project, which I can't tell you any details about. When you brought Mandy into the theatre, I started thinking about adopting her. I talked about it with Steven, and her was really enthousiast! Do you think she would like it if we adopted her?"

"Like it?!" Denise exclaimed, "Being adopted, that's what every foster kid dreams of! Mandy adores you, she would love to be able to call you mum! Really, that won't be a problem at all..." On a softer tone, she added: "I've always said that she would be the first one to get adopted..."

Pippa pulled an arm around Denise: "Hey, if I were to adopt Mandy, it would take a few months for me to get the legal stuff done. Who knows what can happen in a few months?"

Denise raised an eyebrow: "Yeah... Sure..."

Later that day, Denise walked into the appartement. "I'm home!" she yelled, as if she just came home from soccer practice. Vanessa immediately came running out of her office. She buried Denise in a giant hug. After a while, she let Denise go and examined her from head to toe. "Have you eaten anything in the past few days?"

"A cookie Mandy stole from Thayne, two carrots and a muffin Pippa gave me," Denise listed.

"So not enough," Vanessa stated, "Come, then I'll warm up some leftovers from yesterday for you."

At that moment, Sebastian toddled inside. "Sissy!!" he yelled, and he tried to run to Denise, but fell over.

Denise laughed, and picked him up: "Careful, little one!"

Sebastian looked at Denise with his most serious expression: "Sissy mad? Sissy no pway twains?"

Denise laughed. "I'll play the trains with you tonight," she promised.

They sat down in the kitchen, as Vanessa put a plate with pasta in the microwave.

"Lin-Manuel Miranda!" she then yelled, "If you don't come say hi to your daughter right now I will personally kill you!"

"I have to work!" they heard Lin's muffled voice.

"Well, that sucks for your work then!" Vanessa answered, "You have more important things to do!"

Lin groaned, and a bit later he came through the door. He looked like he had shrunk three whole inches. His skin was a greyish pale and his bangs were huger than ever before.

Denise walked to him, and hugged him. "I'm sorry," she whispered in his shoulder.

"It's okay," Lin said. Denise looked up, and Lin flashed her a sad smile.

Denise sat back down. "I'm so stupid," she sighed.

"Not at all," Vanessa said while she took the pasta out of the microwave, "You're just a hormonal teenager who has gone through quite some crap. You needed some time to think." After a short pause, she added: "That doesn't mean you didn't give us a heart attack."

Denise sighed: "I was so mean to you for no reason."

"It's not like accepting two complete strangers into your life, as your parents even, is an easy thing to do," Vanessa pointed out, "We never expected this to be easy."

Denise sighed: "I guess you're right. Still... Sorry for everything."

At that moment, Sebastian decided that he wasn't getting enough attention, and he suddenly yelled: "Twains!"

Denise laughed: "I'm going to eat my pasta first, then I'll play with you."