"Violet, you haven't aged a bit," Ross grinned and opened his arms for a tender hug.

Violet jerked away without thought, even with thought she'd probably find herself doing the same thing. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was deadly serious and dripping with venom.

"I'm back," He shrugged effortlessly and lowered his arms, unaffected by her posion.

"You're back for what? This is my apartment. How did you find us?" Questions darted through her head, laced with frustration and surprise.

"The internet, it's a pretty cool place. You should go there sometime." He laughed dryly, his teeth peeking out teasingly. That same gleaming grin that used to make her fall right onto his lips as he pulled her tighter after she had got into another fight with her parents. The one that told terrible pick up lines, but made her mimic that same smile that she never could quite live up to. She used to take comfort in the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed at how she was terrible at cooking and even worse at pretending she wasn't. That was a long time ago, for the both of them, but that didn't stop them from both wondering what it would have been like, what it could have been like if things had worked out. If all the plans they had made under their fortress of blankets came true, and somehow it would all just fall into place despite the odds. But Violet had a child of her own now, no thanks to Ross, so playing pretend was a game kept only for her late night thoughts... and Melody of course.

Unphased by his so called 'joke' she stiffened to appear more intimidating, "Leave. Now." She nudged him further from the doorway, trying to avoid the familiar warmth of his muscular arm, but that didn't stop her from holding her ground or the memories tricking down her body.

"Don't you want to hear my side of the story? Where I've been for all these years?" Ross bargained with a sheepish smile and closed the gap between them once more. Violet hitched her breath in the sudden shock of his proximity to her, but masked it into a growl. No time for this now, Violet cursed at her wandering mind.

He was far too close for Violet's liking as she pushed with all of her weight on the wooden slab to slam the door on him, but he lodged his body between the wall and the door and forced it back open. At this moment she wished she had gone to the gym a little more. "I know where you've been. Out of my daughter's life for years. So no, I don't care to sip tea with you and discuss how you've been 'cause I really don't give a damn." While it had been a lie that pained the pit in her stomach, she was relieved Ross couldn't see through her facade. She was grateful he didn't know her the way he used to, not anymore, Violet had changed a lot since then.

His voice was soothing despite the struggle in his voice, "Oh come on, Violet don't be that way," Ross finally pushed through the barrier Violet had made with her body and the door slammed behind him with a clash.

She had lost the uphill battle, but she had never been one to give up so easily, Ross on the other hand had given up his own daughter and the thought of him coming into her life just to leave again would only put in another knife to twist. "Get out." She pointed sternly to the door or what was left of it, "Now."

"Just let me see her once before I go," He tried to bargain. Melody's face, the face he'd been thinking of for all these years, knowing one glance could never be enough, but he needed to see her.

But Violet held her ground, "No, you gave up the title of father as soon as you walked out of Melody's life."

"Melody," He repeated her name. He had almost forgot what it had sounded like to hear someone else say her name. Only his parents knew of the child and refused to speak of her, partly because Ross would begin thinking non stop about her again, but mostly because they had encouraged him to leave his past behind, that included Violet and their baby to live a life of his own.

Violet fisted a ball of his shirt fabric closest to his collar and clenched her hand and teeth tighter than ever, "Out." She commanded. Ross would have obeyed by now, but there was something worth fighting for behind Violet's slim, beautiful body that reminded him of when the baby bump had nearly made her lopsided. As if by some sort of angel had been reading his thoughts, a much smaller angel appeared.

"Mommy?" The tiny voice called, dragging her sparkly blanket on the floor sluggishly. Violet felt her fingers unravel from his clothes and turned towards her child. Ross watched the kid's every movement like it was the first time he had seen her walk and talk-- even though it was. He didn't even try to close his ajared mouth and even wider eyes. "Princess Pony time?" She yawned.

"Of course honey, I'll be right there." She soothed as she knealt down next Melody, but Melody was only staring at the stranger.

"Hi," Ross's voice was soft and threatened to crack when he crouched to her level. "Nice to meet you." He extended a large, strong hand to her much smaller, frail one, but Melody knew better than to shake his hand, especially with her mother watching.

After a few moments of just staring at each other Violet decided to end the scrutinizing silence, "We don't talk to strangers." Melody nodded shyly in confirmation.

"Then let's not be strangers, I'm your--" He began, but Violet cut him off just in time.

"Your uncle." She groveled to herself before noticing it wasn't much better than the truth. She hated to lie to her own flesh and blood, but it had to be done. Ross wiggled his hand in front of Melody's face and she finally shook it with a small 'hi'. Although it was nothing to Melody, it was untapped everything to Ross. He hadn't known what he was missing at all. When they finally let go, the dreamy atmosphere had changed drastically.

"You." Violet snapped around to Ross, "Don't move an inch, or better yet get out." She took her child's hand and together they waddled into Melody's beige, bedazzled room. Although Ross was instructed to stay, he never did like playing by other's rules so he discreetly followed the two and watched silently from the door way.

Her room was small, but had to be one of the biggest rooms in the apartment. The shimmery bed was tucked against the dim walls neatly. There was no drapery lining the walls because there were no windows, only bright posters and framed papers with even more colorful scribbles. Ross was sure if he would have raised Melody that they would have been amazing art, but now he struggled to identify what the lines were supposed to be. Across the carpeted floor spread many toys of multicolored shapes and sizes. It almost fooled him that the child had been rich and pampered in every way, but the rest of the apartment he had seen was nothing of the sort. A few childrens' books had been splayed across her pristine dresser among a fairy wand that looked to be used a little too much. Ross found himself thinking about Melody the way he had never really put together before, a stranger. A stranger he desperately needed to know, a stranger that was his own.

Ross had watched so intently, taking in all he had missed, subconsciously yearning for more. After tucking her in, Violet read Melody's favorite book, Princess Ponies : A Magical Friend until her head nodded and her eyes delicately batted closed. She had held onto a stuffed unicorn so tight its head should have brushed right off. As Violet began to stand up slowly, Ross took it as his cue to creep back to the front door where he belonged.

"Ross?" Violet whispered loudly in the pitch darkness of the apartment and switched the nearest light on. "Ross?" She repeated, hoping he had left, and for good this time. Instead she saw him curled tightly on her couch, snoring slightly. Violet found herself chuckling at the sight of him, the man she had thought of more than she would ever like to admit. As soon as she caught herself staring she grew angry at him yet again, but even more furious with herself for letting her slip back into those foolish memories. She began shaking him with all of her force, hospitality was not to be spared by the likes of him.

He groaned sleepily and rotated in his position, "Let me sleep," A high pitched whine formed. Violet, too annoyed and stressed to think about it any more, thrusted her foot to the ground and thought to herself, He better be out by morning. She stomped away then into a tiptoe as she neared Melody's room. Ross peeked one eye open to see if the coast was clear and smiled to himself. Progress, he thought, maybe she didn't know it yet, but I am here to stay. I will be a good father, I promise Melody, I promise.

Author's Note: I feel like this chapter kinda sucked but I made you all wait so long for this. Hopefully the next one will be better.