"What do you mean he's my real father?" She asked. Hope couldn't believe what she just heard. She had just found out about this man's existence a couple of days ago, a man who she thought was a long lost uncle. And now she's being told that this man is actually her father?

"Hope." John replied. "Let me explain."

"Yea, I think I would like to know what the hell you are talking about!" Exclaimed Hope. She was agitated to say the very least. In the past few days, her world had began to crumble around her. This was just the shit cherry, on the shit sundae, of everything that had occurred recently.

"Your maternal grandparents weren't having much luck conceiving." He explained. "So they decided to adopt. They had adopted a six month old boy, and named him Michael. Three months later your grandmother found out she was pregnant."

"So they couldn't have children of there own, but she got pregnant soon after adopting a child?" She asked.

"Believe it or not, that happens quite often." He told her. "Some theories are that once stress of trying to conceive is gone, it makes it a lot more possible. Other theories suggest that some woman can't conceive until they get older."

"So you're telling me that my mother had sex with her adopted brother?" She asked. "When?"

"It was a couple of months before your mother's wedding to Greg." He told her. "Greg had been away at college, and he hadn't been home in three months. That's how he realized that he couldn't possibly have been your father. Greg was the only man she had ever been with, except for that one night."

"Look!" Cried Hope. "I realize that the were not blood related, but they were still legally brother and sister. Why would my own mother have sex with her brother?"

Apparently Lois had cold feet about her upcoming nuptials to Greg, and she went to see he brother for some support, Michael, and Lois had too much to drink." He explained. "And, let's just say they ended up making some very bad decisions that night."

"Well that's putting it mildly." Hope quipped. "How do you know this?"

John sighed as he stood up from the couch. Once again he walked over to the filing cabinets, and took out some files. He then came back over, and handed her the folder. As she looked at it she couldn't believe her eyes. Inside was her birth certificate, and a DNA test. Both had confirmed that it was Michael Davenshire, not Greg Chamberlain, who was her biological father.

"I'm sorry Hope." He told her as he ad a genuine look of regret in his eyes. "I was going to wait to tell you, after things had calmed down after awhile."

Hope just stared at the documents. Now it all made since, why Greg was so cold to her. She had often suspected that he hated her, put this just added a lot more weight to that theory. But why was her mother so cold to her? And why did it look as though Greg loved her in the pictures that Michael had given her?

Michael! Oh my god, Michael! It was bad enough that I was attracted to him, when I thought he was my uncle! But now, I just found out that I had been attracted to my own father? My father, he's my father! It's probably the reason he skipped out on me, when I really needed him most. He didn't want me to find out the truth. What is wrong with this family?

"Are you alright Hope?" John asked.

"What you think!" She snapped. "I always knew they hated me, and now I know why!"

"I don't know what to say, except I'm sorry." He told her.

"You know what!" She cried. "To hell with their money! I want nothing to do with Greg, or Lois, or even Michael! I'm glad he's leaving for London tonight! I hope I never see him again! And I sure as fuck never want to see that damn bottle again!"

"Hope, I think you need to reconsider before you make any rash decisions." He told her. "If you get rid of that bottle you will lose everything. You will be completely cut off, you won't even be able to go back to school. You will be out on the street penniless, with nothing."

"I don't care!" She cried. "I'll sleep on a park bench, before I'll sleep in a house with that bottle!"

"I can't let you do that." He told her. "Why don't you come home with me? You can stay in my guest room."

"I don't want to impose." She replied.

"Where else can you go?" He asked.

"Nowhere!" She cried as she burst int tears. As she did so, he wrapped his arms around her, and place her head in the crook of his neck. She leaned against his rock hard chest, and continued to cry. He started to comfort her while rubbing her back. A flood of memories came rushing back to her. She felt so safe in his arms, just like she had when she danced with him at the Christmas Ball.

As her crying subsided, she soon looked up at him. He then gave her a comforting smile. The stared into each other's eyes, and it felt as though they had put one another in a trance. Before either one of them could even think, there lips seemed to be drawn together like a magnet. And they were soon locked within a passionate kiss. For the first time in her life, everything felt so perfect.

However, he soon pulled away, and had a shocked look upon his face. "Oh my god, Hope. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Why?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"You're just very vulnerable right now." He told her. "I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you. Plus the truth is you are very young, and very naïve. I just don't want us to end up doing something we'll both regret."

"You think I'm a little girl?' She asked.

"No, God no." He told her. "In fact quite the opposite. Ever since the night of the Christmas Ball, I haven't been able to get of out of my mind. When I first saw you, I couldn't believe you were only sixteen. How could such a beautiful rose, have blossomed so quickly? Every instinct in my gut was telling me to stay away from you. But I couldn't, I was drawn to you. So I asked you to dance. I even remember the song. I don't know the title, but I remember it was from the Nutcracker Suite. I remember holding you in my arms. We didn't even speak, we just stared into one another's eyes. I couldn't help it. I got lost in your emerald green eyes, and I knew you were the one. You were my soulmate, and there was no one else out there for me."

"Then what's the problem?" She asked.

"When your fath-" he began. "I mean when Greg sent you to bed, he took me aside, and reminded me how old you were. For someone who hated you so much, he seemed so concerned about your well being."

"He probably thought he would look bad if he hadn't interfered ." She scoffed.

"Well either way, it made me realize that I was going to have to bide my time with you." He told her. "If I was going to try and eventually confess my feelings for you, I knew we would have to take things slow. I was going to have to take into account your youth, and inexperience. Before I met you, I will admit I did almost anything to get a conquest into my bed. But not with you, you are way to special to me. I honestly have had many opportunities, with other women practically throwing themselves at me, believe me. However, I have not been with anyone else since I saw you that night."

"And how do I know that this isn't your usual modus operandi you use towards one of your conquests?" She chuckled.

He just looked at her, and smiled. "Because most of my conquest weren't smart enough to know words like modus operandi, or what they even mean."

"Well I guess you've got me there." She replied with a smile. "So may I still stay with you then?"

"Yes." He replied as he continued to smile. "But you'll be staying in the guest room, because we are going to take things slow, at least for now."

He then gave her a quick peck on her forehead. "We'll just swing by your house on the way over to my place, so you can get a few things."

Hope started to feel scared, her home was the last place she wanted to go. "Can't we just go straight to your place?"

John furrowed his brow, and looked at her with concern. "You'd really scared, aren't you?"

"Yes." She cried.

"Look, I'll tell you what." He replied. "When we get to the house, you'll stay in the car. I'll go in, and grab some of your things."

"But-," she started to say.

"Trust me Hope." He said reassuringly. "I promise I won't let any genies take you away from me. Now that I have confessed my true feelings for you, I would fight hell itself to protect you from enamored Fae creatures."

"Fae creatures?" She asked as she felt confused.

"You knows." He said. "Genies, trolls, pixies, fairies, werewolves, etc. Basically every playable character, besides humans, in your standard Dungeons and Dragons games."

"You played Dungeons and Dragons!" She laughed.

"Shh.." He said as he smiled, and placed index finger to his lips. "I got my ass kicked plenty of times back in high school, I don't need that in my adult life."

She looked at him, and smiled. "It'll be our secret then."

"Good." He told her. "Now do you trust me when I say I won't let anything happen to you?"

"Okay." She replied.

"Good." He said. "Now let's go by your place, and I'll run in as you wait into the car."

He then put her arm around her, as they walked out of the office. She was still worried, but she felt a lot better after he assured everything was going to be alright. She trusted him. Besides, he would just run in real quick to get her things. The genie probably wouldn't even notice that he was there.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Unbeknownst them, one of the very Fae creatures he was referring to, kept his eye on them.

So, you know about fae creatures? Too bad it will do you no good. Do you really think a worthless being like you can take my beloved from me? Try it, and you'll be dead! I've waited many years for her, and tonight is a full lunar eclipse. It is the night of the blood red moon, when I shall take my Hope as my forever bride.