8 YEARS BEFORE....

"What do you want to do today, princess?" My father asked.

"Toys R Us! With mother and Daddy!" I said, while my mother helped me put my boots on. His sweet, wide, smile was beaming brighter than usual. He had an adoring look on his face as he pinched my cheek.

"You look so pretty today," He smiled at me and my mother, "you two are always so beautiful."

My mother giggled, "Let's hurry up and get going, it's getting quite late."

I gasped, running to the kitchen, "I need princess Curly locks!"

I remembered that kitchen so clearly, it was always clean unless I messed it up, we always had my tea party set in there, that I would force my father to play with, and at one point in time, my toy chest made the kitchen it's permanent spot even though my parents took it out of there almost everyday. I took princess curly locks off the counter and ran back to the front door. I stopped mid way down the hall and stared at my parents who were facing each other, starring into each other's eyes intimately. My father smiled at her and bundled her long, thick, beautiful brown hair in his hand and kissed it. At the time, my mother's hair was very very long and shiny. I always admired her hair, but my father was defiantly more enchanted by it than I was. He would braid it, brush it, or just play with it when they sat together. They stood there for a while and just stared at each other.

"I'll leave tomorrow," He said suddenly, "I at least want to tuck her in tonight."

"We'll be fine," My mother said firmly, "I can take care of everything. We'll just lay low and be just fine. Focus, okay?"

My father sighed, but still smiled. "Yes."

I ran towards them and hugged my mother's leg.

"Let's go before the store closes!!!" I whined pretending I wasn't listening to their conversation.

"Bernardette, how old are you?" My mother asked me, petting my head while my father opened the door for us,

"Seven." I replied proudly.

"How about you get a bike?" My mother asked.

"I want a bike! Yes! Yes! Yes!" I yelled, being quite obnoxious.

My father grinned, "We'll buy you anything you want tonight," He said, "Daddy has to leave for a very long time, and I want to spent lots of time with you."

I blushed, "Okay! I want a GIANT teddy bear! And a wife for Prince Royalty!" I said.

"We will buy the bear, but Prince Royalty is only a kitten who can bearly see," My father said grabbing my hand, "he doesn't need a wife right now."

I pouted, "OKay... Can I have a sister, then?"

My parents smiled. "Maybe one day." My mother replied as they stare at each other with amused expressions. My father took my hand on the right and my mother took my left hand as we walked toward our car.

"Let's walk," My father said, "this outing will last longer if we walk."

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Four hours later, I had a mini hot-chocolate in my hand and it slightly began to snow.

"I'm going to the restroom at that gas station across the street." My mother said.

My father smiled at me. "I'll take Bernardette, to Toys R Us, then." I jumped in excitement. As we walked away from my mother, I feel a sweet unfamiliar feeling take over. I loved being with my parents, It was nighttime and the street lights were so pretty... We got a little lost on our way to the outlet and walked down an ally when suddenly my father stopped and stared at a black car. I looked at him with a concerned look.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" I asked, looking at his frightened face.

"Nothing, sweetheart." He said, continuing to walk forward. Half way down the ally, we heard foot steps behind us and my father froze.

"Royal." A deep male voice called. The sound echoed through the entire ally, we turn to about six men in suits with mean expressions on their faces. I bearly got a glimpse of them as my father pick me up and ran with me in his arms. As we ran I could only hear the beating of my heart and my father's feet bounding into the snow. While running he threw me over his shoulder, and pulled his cellphone out his pocket. I heard the dial tone and heard a male voice answer,

"Bernard...! What's going on?! We're----" the man on the phone yelled, slightly frantic. I looked behind my father's back and saw that the men were chasing us! I scream to the top of my lungs watching them come closer. My father cut the corner, then put me down.

"I love you." He said, pushed my bangs off my forehead to kiss it, then both my cheeks then my hands. "Go. Run back to your mother."

he gave me his phone and I ran ahead. The man on the phone began to yell into the phone but I couldn't make out what he was saying, the last thing I heard him say before I hung the call up was my father's name in a desperate voice, as if he was giving up on something. We frequently went to that particular gas station often, so I knew where to go. I could barely run in that thick snow. I was only seven and very short for my age, plus I was overly bundled up in clothing. The bright lights from the gas station were blinding me, so I ran across the street completely ignoring whether cars were coming. My mother was just coming out when she saw me,

"Daddy! He's being chased by these men and-" My mother remained calm but walked toward the direction I instucucted her to go. Loud police cars rushed down the road before my mother crossed it. I covered my eyes after see the police man grab my mother by her shoulders gently. My mother let me hug her as the policeman told her,

"There has been a shooting, you must stay farther-"

"But my husband!" My mother yelled angrily.

"Miss, please." The police man said. "I will take you and your sister to the police station. Everything will be alright."

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8 YEARS LATER.....

It seemed like a good idea at the moment. "Bernardette, Florence, and I have been thinking..." My mother drifted off.

"You should start school, maybe?" Florence said gentle.

"Yes!!!" I exclaimed.

The look on my mother and step-father's faces was shocked and slightly delighted on the early August night.

"Really, darling?" Florence asked. I cleared my throat and blushed.

"Well, I guess I could." Everyone at the dinner table stairs at me (even my cat, Prince royalty).

"Yay!" Bonnie cried out. "We're going to the same school! OMG!-"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Lyrical said tounlessly.

"Now, now sweet-heart!" Florence said, fanning his face.

"She'll just get kidnapped and all that other stuff that goes along with it." Lyrical said staring at me with a smirk.

Though I felt like Lyrical was joking, I felt like there was some truth to his words.