Finding Lilibeth

The next morning Lilibeth woke with her head on Dj's chest and her legs on Zac's stomach. They had fallen asleep watching movies. She had the best night of her life laughing with her two brothers. They had eaten pizza, drunk soft drink and had way to much junk food but she had so much fun. She felt safe with Dj, he never hurt her at all like everyone else had. Well Zac hadn't hurt her but he didn't stand up for her like Dj had. Maybe she could learn to trust Zac too.

Lilibeth stretched her body earning a groan from both her brothers in the process. She giggled at how they were all sleeping, it must not of been comfortable for her brothers but she had the best sleep ever and hadn't woken with a single nightmare. "Stop moving already" Zac groaned out after being kicked all night by Lilibeth in her sleep. Dj groaned too, he was on the edge of the bed and had almost fallen off several times due to both his brother and sister moving in there sleep. Lilibeth couldn't help but laugh at Dj hanging off the edge with the tiny bit of blanket he was attempting to snuggle in to. "Ssshhh" Dj whined at his sister not ready to wake up yet.

Gramps had turned up right on 8am knocking on the door of his son in laws house. He wanted to meet his new granddaughter and whip his grandsons into shape for how they had been treating the girl. Darren had opened the door seeing his father in law standing there looking pissed off. "Julian what are you doing here?" Darren asked not expecting to see his father in law at the door. "Can I come in?" Julian commanded. Darren nodded his head and allowed the man in.

Julian walked into the dining room seeing Beau, Lex and Leo all seated eating breakfast. He searched the room for his granddaughter and his other two grandsons but didn't spot them causing the frown on his face to grow. "Where is Dj, Zac and my new granddaughter?" Julian boomed out. He was angry with these people for how they treated Lilibeth and again they were eating without her. According to what Dj had told him, the girl had been denied proper care since coming into Darren's custody.

"She isn't related to you" Lex mumbled. "Speak up boy" Julian boomed. He had heard exactly what Lex had said and wasn't having any of it at all. "She isn't related to you" Lex said louder still looking at his plate of food. "Family isn't always blood Lex. You of all people should know that" Julian fumed out. Julian wasn't blood related to any of his grandchildren, he had married his wife May and helped to raise her daughter Tarni like she was his own from the age of three. Tarni had been his daughter and was always a daddies girl even if she wasn't his blood and no one could tell either of them any different.

Darren paled, he hadn't told his sons at all that Tarni wasn't Julian's biological daughter. He didn't see any point to it. "What's that suppose to mean?" Leo asked. Julian snarled at Darren knowing full well he had kept things to himself and had in fact allowed his sons to treat Lilibeth as less then because they did not share the same mother. "Your mother was my daughter regardless of who her biological father was.

By your logic I am not related to any of you" Julian fumed out causing all the boys in the room to sink into there chair. The three boys in the room looked to Darren for confirmation of what there Gramps just said. Darren gave a slight nod before standing up "I'll go get the others" Darren whispered out before heading upstairs to get the rest of his children.

Darren first went to Dj's room and didn't see his eldest son. He then headed to Zac's room but again couldn't find him. Darren headed towards Lilibeth's room and heard her giggling. He wondered why she was giggling but quickly shook it off. Darren opened the door seeing both his sons curled up on Lilibeth's bed with her giggling at them. "Gramps is here" Darren stated not even bothering to wait for a reply and leaving the room closing the door. He didn't want to see Lilibeth because he felt guilty. He felt guilty for leaving her with an abusive mother, he felt guilty that he had had a child with another woman after his wife passed, he felt guilty because he never wanted her and he felt guilty for the way he treated her. But that didn't mean that he would change his behaviour. He was not interested in raising more children. His sons were old enough to look after themselves and he liked it that way. Lilibeth was to young to be left on her own and would interfere with Darren's life. She was a burden he didn't want at all.

Dj jumped out of bed with Zac ready to go and see Gramps. "Come on Lili, it's time to meet your Gramps. He can't wait to meet you" Dj said excitedly. Zac looked at Dj cautiously, Gramps was not any relation to Lilibeth but he didn't say anything when he saw the look Dj was giving him. Dj had known for a while they Gramps wasn't blood related but he did not care, that man helped to raise him and he was Gramps.

Lilibeth was scared, she had no idea who Gramps was and wondered if he would hurt her too. Dj saw the concern on Lili's face and took her hand gently in his. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He is a teddy bear" Dj assured his sister. Zac headed down first followed by Dj and a cautious Lilibeth.

The dining room was silent. Darren, Beau, Lex and Leo didn't speak. Darren because he had nothing to say and knew he was in deep shit with Julian. The boys said nothing because they didn't know what to say. They never knew that Gramps wasn't actually there mother's real dad. He hadn't treated them any differently though, they were his grandchild even when they weren't blood related.

When Zac, Dj and Lilibeth walked into the dinging room, you could feel the tension and Lilibeth tried to make herself as small as possible. It was an automatic reaction, a way of self preservation. Julian saw how Lilibeth reacted and frowned. No child should react like that in there own home. "Gramps" Zac said seeing his grandfather and going over to hug the man. "Zac" Gramps said, he was annoyed with him just as much as the others. "Dj bring my granddaughter here so I can meet her please" Julian told his eldest grandchild. Dj smiled "sure thing Gramps" he stated.

Lilibeth was holding onto the back of Dj's top as she was scared. Beau, Leo, Lex and her father were glaring at her. She had her eyes firmly fixed to the ground and Julian didn't like that at all. Dj lead Lilibeth over to Gramps taking her hands gently into his. "Lilibeth this is Gramps, Gramps this is Lilibeth. I call her Lili as her name is to long her such a small girl" Dj joked at the end. Julian smiled down at the girl, she was in fact tiny for her age.

"Hi sweetheart. It's nice to meet you" Julian spoke softly to the girl as not to scare her. Lilibeth peaked up at the man who was smiling at her. "You have very pretty eyes my dear" Julian whispered to Lilibeth causing her to blush. Darren, Beau, Leo and Lex were fuming, Julian had just been scolding them and was now treating Lilibeth like a precious gem. But to Julian, Lilibeth was precious. She reminded him of his little girl, and he wanted nothing more then to protect Lilibeth like he had done with his baby girl, Tarni. And in that moment he knew exactly what he was going to do and no one would stop him.