The next morning, Daphne woke up to the sun shining in her face. She looked beside her and saw Misty sleeping peacefully. She smiled lightly and quietly got out of bed. She grabbed some clothes from one of her bags and walked into the bathroom. She sighed as she looked in the mirror and noticed her cheeks were raw and her eyes were red. She quickly washed her face and showered. Once she was clean, she combed through her hair and blow-dried it before pulling her hair into a pony-tail. She got dressed and walked out of the bathroom to find Misty still sleeping. Smiling, she walked over and knelt beside her.

“Baby you have to wake up,” Daphne whispered as she lightly shook her.

Misty stirred and blinked her eyes open.

“Morning cutie,” Daphne smiled.

Misty offered a small smile as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“We have to get you a bath real fast. We’re going to Uncle Matt’s in a few hours,” Daphne smiled.

Misty smiled and shot up. After Daphne gave her a bath and got her dressed, she walked over to the vanity and quickly did her make-up. She froze when there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it!” Misty announced as she walked over to the door.

“No Misty!” Daphne whispered, fearing that it was Derek.

Misty stopped; her hand on the door handle as she curiously looked up at Daphne. Daphne quickly strode over to the door and gently pushed Misty behind her legs. She stood beside the door and hesitantly grasped the handle. She opened it and peered outside. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw a bellboy.

“Can I help you?” she asked as she opened the door fully.

“The cab you called for earlier is here. I have a luggage caddy also,” he muttered.

“Okay, thanks,” she muttered as she let him in.

She grabbed her purse and Misty’s hand as he loaded the last of the bags onto the caddy. He led the way to the elevator and took them down to the lobby. Daphne quickly paid for the hotel room and walked outside with Misty. They got in the cab after the bellboy loaded their luggage into the trunk.

“The airport please,” she told the driver.

“Mommy are we going on a plane?” Misty asked as they approached the airport.

“Yup, it’s a long way to California,” Daphne replied.

“I’m scared of flying,” Misty mumbled.

“It’ll be okay baby. You can sleep the whole way there if you want,” Daphne told her.

Misty nodded as the cab stopped in front of the airport. Daphne paid the driver after he helped her with all the bags. She grabbed a luggage caddy and she led the way inside the airport. After loading their luggage, they went through the metal detectors and within an hour they were boarding the plane.

“California here we come,” Daphne muttered once the plane took off.

***

Daphne blew out a nervous breath as the plane slowly descended in Huntington. Once it landed, she gently woke up Misty who was sleeping beside her.

“Are we at Uncle Matt’s yet?” Misty asked, excitedly.

“Not yet baby, we have to find our ride first,” Daphne chuckled as they exited the plane.

Once they were in the airport, Daphne immediately knew who their ride was. She smirked as she saw Jason and Matt Berry standing towards the back of a crowd. She giggled quietly as she noticed that Jason was holding a sign that said Sexy Bitch, while Matt was holding a more appropriate sign that said Baby Sanders.

“Don’t you think that sign is a little inappropriate for an airport?” she laughed as she approached them.

“Being appropriate is so fucking overrated!” Jason smirked as he tightly hugged Daphne.

“Good to see you Daph,” he muttered.

“You too Jas,” she smiled as she kissed his cheek.

“You can’t cuss in front of Misty dumbass!” Matt scolded.

“Neither can you Matt!” Daphne laughed as she tightly hugged him.

“Damn it!” he whined.

“God I missed you guys!” she smiled as she kissed his cheek.

Once Matt let go of her, Daphne turned to Misty.

“Baby this is Jason and Matt, they’re friends of mine,” she smiled.

“Hey Misty,” Jason smiled.

Misty smiled shyly and waved to him.

“She got so big,” Matt commented.

“She looks exactly like you; except the hair of course,” Jason pointed out.

“Yup she has Derek’s hair,” she muttered.

“Where is Derek by the way?” Matt asked they got the luggage.

“He’s working,” Daphne lied.

Matt nodded and dropped the subject. Once they loaded the luggage onto a caddy, they made their way out to Jason’s car.

“They’re funny,” Misty smiled as her and Daphne got in the car

“Wait till you meet Uncle Matt and our friends,” Daphne smiled.

Her smile slowly fell as she thought of Jimmy.

“Jimmy would’ve loved you,” she muttered as she played with Misty’s hair.

“Who’s Jimmy?” Misty asked.

“He was one of my best friends,” Daphne smiled sadly.

“Is he here?” Misty asked.

Daphne shook her head and pawed at her eyes.

“And we’re off!” Jason yelled as he got in the car.

Matt climbed into the passenger seat and Jason sped off.

“Try to get us there alive Jas,” Daphne laughed.

“No promises,” he grinned.

“I’m hungry!” Matt commented.

“Me too!” Misty agreed.

“Lets stop at McDonald’s,” Jason suggested as he pulled into the nearest McDonald’s.

Deciding to eat inside, they all got out of the car and walked inside.

“Mommy can I go play?” Misty asked as she pointed to the play area inside.

“Go ahead; I’ll call you when our food is here. Be careful!” Daphne called as Misty excitedly ran off.

Daphne, Jason and Matt stood in the long line to order their food.

“This line is so long!” Daphne whined.

“Quit that whining!” a voice teased.

Daphne turned and a smile took over her face at the person standing in front of her.

“Papa Gates!” she squealed excitedly as she launched herself into his arms.

“Hey Daph!” he laughed.

“How are you?” she smiled.

“I’m great. What are you doing here? Its been two years since you’ve been back,” he commented.

“I moved back,” she shrugged.

“Is Misty with you?”

“Of course, she’s playing right now. How are Suzy and McKenna?”

“They’re doing real good…so is Brian,” Papa Gates muttered.

“That’s good,” Daphne muttered.

“Has he tried to call you and apologize about what happened at the funeral?” he asked.

“Nope, he never has,” she shrugged.

“My son’s an idiot, I’m sorry about him sweetheart,” he apologized.

“Its not your fault, its his. He had no right to go off on me like that,” she muttered.

“You have to understand that he was really distraught though,” he defended.

“How has he been since then?”

“He’s good, it took him a while, but he's doing real good.”

“That’s good,” Daphne muttered.

“I better get going Daph, it was good to see you. Don’t be a stranger,” Papa Gates smiled as he hugged her.

“I won’t Papa,” she smiled as she hugged him.

***

After about an hour later, the four were pulling into Matt’s driveway. The door opened and Matt eagerly walked outside. Daphne and Misty eagerly got out of the car.

“Wait here baby,” Daphne smiled.

She quickly ran up the driveway and launched herself at Matt.

“God I missed you Mattie!” she muttered.

“I missed you too Daph,” he laughed.

“Come on, there’s somebody that wants to meet you!” Daphne smiled once she let go of him.

She grabbed his hand and led him down to Misty. She knelt beside her.

“Baby this is your Uncle Matt,” she smiled.

“Hey Misty!” Matt smiled as he knelt in front of her.

“Hi,” Misty smiled shyly.

“Can I have a hug?” he smiled as he opened his arms.

Misty hesitated before stepping into his arms and hugging him.

“Kodak moment!” Daphne smiled.

“Shut up!” Matt scoffed as he stood up.

“Where is your wife?” she asked realizing that Jade hasn’t attacked her yet.

“She’s cleaning. You two head in, we got the bags,” Matt told her.

“Come on baby,” Daphne smiled as she led the way inside.

They walked into the kitchen and saw Jade cleaning. She was listening to her Ipod and dancing as she wiped down the counter. Giggling, Daphne walked up behind her and shook her butt against her. Jade gasped and spun around.

“Oh my God!” she yelled as she tightly hugged her.

“Hey sis!” Daphne smiled.

“It has been forever! I am so glad you’re here!” Jade smiled.

“I am too,” Daphne laughed.

“And this cutie must be Misty!” Jade smiled as she knelt down and tightly hugged her.

Misty immediately hugged her back.

“I haven’t seen you since you were a baby! You’re so grown and pretty!” Jade smiled.

“Thank you!” Misty smiled.

“We got your bags in your room. Want me to show you the rooms?” Matt asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Daphne smiled.

“Come on Misty, lets go watch cartoons while your mom and uncle talk,” Jade smiled as she led Misty into the living room.

Matt led the way upstairs.

“This is Misty’s room,” he told her as they walked into a large room.

“Matt this is huge!” Daphne commented.

“This is one of the smaller ones. Wait till you see yours,” he laughed as he walked into a room directly across the hall.

“God damn!” Daphne muttered as she looked around the room.

“You two have a lot of luggage for a vacation,” Matt commented.

“Yeah, about that,” she smiled sheepishly as she turned to him.

“What’s going on Daph?” he questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Uh…”

“Just tell me Daph, you know you can tell me anything,” he urged.

“Derek and I broke up,” she muttered.

“What happened? You two were so happy together,” he frowned.

“Well I found out that he’s a drug lord and a murderer, that’s kind of a turn-off,” she thought.

“Things just weren’t working out,” she lied.

She sniffled and pawed at her eyes.

“I’m sorry Daph,” he muttered as he tightly hugged her.

“He’s just not the person I thought he was Matt,” she cried.

“He hasn’t hit you has he?” he asked, tensing.

“No, he’s just…different,” she muttered.

“Why didn’t you just tell me this last night Daph?” he asked.

“I didn’t want Misty to hear, she thinks we’re on vacation and that Derek’s working,” she muttered.

“Does he know you’re here?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t tell him where we were going,” she replied.

“Do you think that’s for the best?”

“Yeah, I don’t want Misty around him.”

“Well then me and the guys will do our best to protect you two,” Matt smiled.

“Thanks Matt, this really means a lot,” Daphne smiled.

“You know we’d do anything for you Daph,” he smiled as he kissed her forehead.

“Love you Matt,” she smiled as she kissed his cheek.

“Love you too Daph."

Notes

Thanks so much to kaylynnjaeannxox and Jellybean Swag for being the first ones to comment.
:)
<3