The sun was setting now. Vicky always loved looking out at the sky and drinking from his steaming hot beverage. He heard the click of the sliding door and snapped his head towards a smiling Katelynn who was making her way to the chair beside him. She too, had a steaming mug in her hands.

"I don't think your kids like me," she whispered  when she finally took a seat. Vicky chuckled as he glanced over her pink lips that were in a pout.

"They don't really like anyone that comes and tells them what to do. Don't worry, it's only your first week."

"Vicky," she groaned. Vicky shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, feeling his neck start to burn. "It's been six days and they still hate me. I swear to God they have a plan to get rid of me."

Vicky chuckled, glancing at the setting sun along the line of trees. "They'll grow to like you. I hope anyways," he ended with a laugh. He glanced over at her. "What you drinking?"

"Heated up some vodka, mixed it in with a bit of beer-" She stopped when she heard the loud laugh that escaped from Vicky's mouth. "Just a good old hot chocolate. Made some for the kids so I managed to escape for a while they form their plan. I think Thomas likes me but that's all."

"Why are you so against my kids?" he said with a chuckle. He watched her shrug her shoulders. "I hope they don't find a way to get rid of you. I like your company. It's nice to have someone to be able to be so free around."

Katelynn blushed into her mug, knowing that if she was in the light he would have seen her red blotchy skin that she hated. She wanted to hear those words when he had walked into her class, walking straight to her. All he did was help her with work and they talked about T.V shows and nonsense. But she knew that he wouldn't remember all of that because to him she was just another girl that needed help in maths.

"Do you have another name?" he asked. He set his empty mug down on the table between them. "It's just that Katy is Katy and you're Katelynn."

"I have a middle name," she said slowly. He smiled and turned towards her. "But I might not tell you that."

"Oh come on! Please!" She shook her head with a laugh before standing up. Vicky was quick to run after her. "Katelynn, please!"

"No." Katelynn walked into the kitchen to find the kids still sipping away at their hot chocolates. Once Katy saw her, an evil glint crossed the young girls eyes.

"Katelynn," Vicky whined. She turned around and faced him, smiling at his pout. "Pretty please? You can't just tell me you have a middle name and not tell me."

"Is it something silly like Francis?" Katy asked.

"My mum hates me sometimes but she doesn't hate me enough to give me the middle name Francis."

Vicky frowned and sat down on the chair. "Penelope?"

"No."

"Jasmine?" Leah had joined with the guessing now.

"Lovely?"

"Francis?"

"I just said Francis you idiot."

"Patrica?"

"Ew, Dad, no. That's an ugly middle name."

"Georgia?"

"Cathrine?"

"Ann?"

"Ellen?"

"It's not the Ellen show, Katy."

The names had stopped now. Katelynn picked up all the empty mugs and rinsed them in the sink before loading them into the dishwasher. She felt a presence behind her and stood up straight to find Vicky right behind her. He took her face in her hands and stared at her.

"Vicky..."

"I'm examining your face. I'm gonna find your middle name." Katelynn rolled her eyes and moved away from him. "I got it!"

"As if-"

"Angelica!" Katelynn opened her mouth to object but she was surprised to find he actually got it right. She turned around to put the milk away when she spotted a piece of paper on the fridge.

KATELYNN ANGELICA FOSTERS: CONTACTS

She turned to face Vicky with a smirk. "You thought you got away with it? You think you're so smart don't you!"

"I don't think, I know," Leah said in a deep voice, imitating her father. Katelynn laughed and took the plate from her, putting the biscuits back into the tin.

"I don't talk like that!" Leah patted his chest and smiled.

"You do." He looked up at Katelynn who was smiling their way. Leah rolled her eyes. "She's not gonna save you Dad. Jeez, whenever something goes wrong you're always running to her for safety. You're meant to be her hero, not her."

"You don't have to have a man to be your hero. You can be your own hero." Vicky leaned back on the counter as he watched Leah take in the wise words of Katelynn. "Having a hero doesn't mean he or she has to save you. I think being a hero is a self thing. You gotta know what is right and wrong for yourself and what makes you happy. And sometimes you have to make sacrifices like a real hero does but now it's the sacrifice for yourself. And then when you can't do it, you call in your team, your loved ones and they help you fight the battle. So remember, no one else can be your hero- only you can. Only you can save yourself."

Leah fiddled with her fingers as she slowly looked up at Katelynn. Throughout the week, Leah had barely said a word to her, just standing in the back observing with her big brown eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Leah whispered. "I just, when do you it's the right time to let someone go?" Vicky straightened up and turned her around.

"When on earth did you get a boyfriend?"

"Jeez, Dad, don't have to be so dramatic. I'm talking about Shelly. She's changing and I don't like it and I don't want to be around her anymore. I don't like the things she's doing and the people she hangs with. I want to complete my list."

Vicky cleared his throat before leaving the room. Not knowing what else to do, Katelynn smiled down at Leah. "I'll tell you what. Tomorrow is Friday so how about you have one day to decide what to do and then we'll sit down after school, in your room or in the living room or you could even come round to mine and we will talk okay?" Leah managed a small smile before retreating back to her seat. She finally felt a lot better because she had someone who got her so easily. Her dad had always been there to talk but she was now at the age where she needed a mother to have one-to-one conversations with. She knew that I she looked up, she would see her older sister would be throwing daggers through her eyes.

Katy leaned back on the chair, knowing that her sister wouldn't turn her way. Leah had always been stubborn. She glanced over at Katelynn who was talking to Thomas about school and what he needed. She felt a scrawl appear in her face. Soon she scoffed. Katelynn turned her way and raised an eyebrow but then brought her attention back to Thomas. It was all fake. She knew it was. She had seen the way Katelynn looked at her father and knew that once again, the nanny didn't care about them but just wanted something from her father. It was never about them. The only person that cared for them was their father and she feared that he was the only that ever will.

When all the kids had gone to their rooms for bed- although she knew that Katy and Leah would still be on their phones- she walked down the hall and knocked on Vicky's door. He didn't say anything the first time so she tried again. When she was about to knock the third time, she heard his door unlock.

"What?" he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Katelynn raised the plate in her hand.

"You skipped dinner so I thought I would bring it up. And you didn't seem okay when you walked away before. I just came to make sure you were okay." Katelynn slowly began to rock back and forth as she spoke. She heard Vicky groan and stopped. "Are you okay, Vicky?" she asked with concern. She brought a hand up to touch his forehead but he quickly took a step back.

"The fuck you playing at? I don't need you to touch me, take care of me or even bring me food. You get paid to do one thing and that is to take care of my kids so do that," he sneered. "So don't ask me how my day went when I come back from work, don't ask me if I'm okay and don't you even dare act like you care." With that said, he slammed the door in her face . Katelynn stood there for a minute, staring at the wooden door in front of her.

Vicky sighed as he leaned against the door. He heard the sound of footsteps and sighed once again. Dammit!

"I'm sorry, Katelynn..." he whispered to no one.

Once Katelynn had covered the plate of food, she pushed it onto a shelf and groaned when she saw the pot of yogurt fall open onto the floor. She knelt down with a damp cloth and began cleaning. Just as she was finishing, she heard footsteps outside the kitchen.

"Oh my days, Katelynn! I was gonna have that for breakfast tomorrow," she heard Katy whine. Katelynn sighed, not in the mood. "Dad!"

Vicky got off his bed and made his way downstairs. When he got to the kitchen he saw a solemn looking Katelynn slipping on her jacket. She glanced up at him and frowned. "Do you need anything from the store?"

"Why you going to the store?"

Katelynn sighed and walked out the kitchen and down the hall. She went to the garage door and Vicky followed. "I dropped Katy's yoghurt on the floor so I'm just gonna go and get another tub." She picked up her shoes and smiled at him. He stood shocked for a second, surprised she would even smile at him after what he said to her.

"Katelynn, it doesn't matter. She's just being petty." She shrugged her shoulders and zipped up her jacket. "Angelica." She snapped her head up at him. He smiled as he took a step closer to her. "I'm so sorry about what I said before. I swear to you I didn't mean it. I was just upset at what Leah said and I took it out on you. Please forgive me," he murmured. Slowly, he took her hand in his and it reminded him of the first day they met and she had gotten worked up about clothing for women. Her hands felt softer now. "I like how everything was. I like coming home and talking to you as you complain about how much my kids hate you. I want you to care for me because no one does anymore and it feels nice to know someone does," he whispered.

"That's a bit selfish, don't you think?" Katelynn pulled her hand away from Vicky's warm ones. She extended her arms and pulled him into a hug. Automatically, Vicky's arm went around her waist and his head buried into her neck. He knew it wasn't professional and he knew that it was wrong but he couldn't help falling for the woman that smiled up at him with that twinkle in her eyes. Or the one that he had now welcomed into his sunset view.

"I'm so sorry, Angel. I'm so sorry." He buried his head further into her neck as she smiled. "I'm so sorry."

"No one has ever called me Angel before."

"Well they suck because people would be stupid not to call you Angel." He pulled away from her but kept his arms loosely around her waist. He lifted his hand and brushed away the few strays of her in front of her face. "You look like an angel," he whispered. Vicky then pulled her in so she was pressed firmly against her chest. "I really like you, Angel," he finally admitted.

Just as she was about to respond, the doorbell buzzed loudly repeatedly. Vicky groaned and let Katelynn go before going over to the door. Katy looked over at a flustered Katelynn and glared.

"I don't see any yoghurt in your hands," she snapped. "What am I gonna eat for breakfast?"

"Katy, what on earth is wrong with you? You don't always eat yoghurt for breakfast so eat something else. I'm doing shopping tomorrow or Saturday so feel free to come along and grab as many of those bloody tubs of yoghurt as you want. Now please give me your phone and go to bed. You won't get this back until you return from school."

"But Daddy," she whined. Katelynn stepped into her view. "This is your fault."

"Actually, Vicky, I have another punishment for her. How about I take the girls out this weekend? Or we stay at home, whatever they choose but whatever happens, we spend the weekend together. Starting tomorrow."

Katy raised an eyebrow and put her phone down onto her fathers extended hand. "I'd much rather give my phone up for a month than spend a whole weekend with you." Vicky looked back at Katelynn who was right behind him. He smiled at her and then looked back at his daughter.

"I can always take it away for a month if you really don't want to spend the weekend-"

"Fine! Just don't take my phone away for a month," she mumbled as she snatched her phone away from his hand. As she left, Vicky chuckled and turned around to face Katelynn. She slipped her hands into her pocket and walked to her other door.

"You sure you don't need anything from the store?" He frowned. His lips were in a tight line as he walked over to her. Without saying a word, he held onto her hand and dragged her out the room. Katelynn tried to stop him but it was no use. He sat her down on the sofa and walked into the kitchen. When he returned, she noticed the two glasses and a bottle of sparkling apple juice.

"We can't exactly drink since we're both busy tomorrow so I thought why not give the lovely women the drink she always finishes from inside my fridge?"

Katelynn groaned and eagerly watched as he poured her a glass. "That was one time."

"You finished the whole damn bottle in ten minutes!" She smiled at him with the mischief in her eyes that he loved. "Just yesterday I bought three bottles and already two are finished." He handed her a glass and sat down beside her. She smiled at him once again and shuffled closer to her. "You, Angel, have an addiction."

"Oh yes, I'm definitely addicted to this, not even gonna deny it."

"Well the step to recovery is working. First step is accepting that you have a problem and-"

"Oi!" He chuckled as he raised the glass to his lips. "But seriously, addiction is not a good life. I have friends that went through it and I see how hard they find life even though they are recovered."

Vicky smiled at her, lifting her face with his fingers. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that." She shook her head with a smile of her own.

"I know you didn't. I'm sorry I keep spoiling the moment," she said with a nervous laugh.

His hand dropped and Katelynn's disappointment only lasted a few seconds as she found his hand soon over hers. "You have quite a lit of friends that go through stuff. I mean I made a joke about homeless people and after laughing you said something like that as well."

"I used to volunteer at a shelter before I joined the agency. It was only for ten months but I met the loveliest people there, Vic. There were so down to earth." Vicky gently put his glass down before leaning more into the sofa, resting his head on his arm. As Katelynn carried on talking, he felt her hand open up and took that as a chance to fit his hand in, entwining their fingers. He glanced up, noticing the smile on her face as she talked of her old friends, remembering her past. His thumb grazed the back of her hand as he admired her.

I'm falling deep.

"And the best thing about working there was seeing the transformation in people. It was amazing. Like I knew a woman who was raped by her father and she came in, tears running down her face. He always told her she asked for it and he did it for years and years. She only got away because he thought she was dead. And it took her over a year to finally say that she was no longer a victim but a survivor. It was that little word that changed everything for her. She finally moved on from that point." Katelynn shook her head with a blush. "I'm sorry, I've been rambling." Vicky laughed softly.

"No, I love hearing you talk. I love how you helped these people and did your best to make sure they got everything they needed." He raised their joint hand to her lips. "I love how happy I feel when I'm with you."

Katelynn wrinkled her nose. Her heartbeat increased agaisnr her soft chest at the sound of his words but she needed to make she he meant it. "Sure you just haven't got laid in years and I just happen to be the-"

"No." Vicky raised his free hand to her cheek. All traces of smiles were vanished, now replaced with a frown. "Don't ever think that. Whatever I feel for you right now isn't because I haven't been laid in years. It's because I finally met someone who gets me as well as you do. Someone who I can be free around not worrying if they are gonna be judging me or not."

The clock was ticking and Katelynn found the sound echoing in her ear. She hated that. "So you admit you haven't been laid in years?"

With a body like yours, a girl would be stupid to say no.

Vicky rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna be obsessed when the last time I got laid was? If you really want to know, it was two weeks ago." Katelynn flushed red. She didn't expect him to answer so boldly. "Want me to tell you what we did?" Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could hear the smirk behind his words. 

"I'm good thanks." Vicky chuckled as he pushed back her stray hairs back.

"God damn. You're so beautiful, Angel." She snapped her head at him to find him smiling softly at her. Then she felt his thumb grazing gently against her cheek bone. "I want to tell you something."

"You do?"

"I do." He sighed and shuffled closer to her. "Please, don't judge me for this. I want to tell you because I trust you and feel comfortable-"

"Victor, I would never judge you," she whispered as she raised a hand to his cheek. He kissed the inside of her wrist, letting his lips linger.

"The kids aren't really mine."