𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋 ¥ 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀

"𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤."

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑/ 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄
𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄.

𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃, a lollipop in mouth. She came around the corner to find her dad holding the large fish he had wrestled an old lady for at the supermarket.

"First it was her, then it was me—."

"Alright," Jackson stopped him, "Alright, Dad, I get it," he sat at the table with an embarrassed grimace as Ophelia moved towards the fridge.

"So what's it gonna be, Bucky?" Their dad asked the fish, "Panfried or Barbecue?"

"Dad," both Jackson and Ofie complained.

"Remember what we said about naming the fish?"

"What?" He turned the fishes head towards Jackson.

"It makes them a little harder to eat."

Ophelia grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge, "Hey, Daddy?"

"Yea, Baby?" He turned around as she leaned against the counter, pulling her lollipop from her mouth, book placed delicately on the counter.

"Can I go to Johnny's tonight?" She asked, cracking open her bottle, "We wanna study for the science midterm on Monday."

Their dad cocked his head, "I would but I have somewhere to be tonight and I would prefer you at home," he confessed, "You can invite him here," he suggested and Ophelia scrunched her nose.

"And have Miley drool over him like a Rottweiler over a T-Bone?" She raised her brows, "I'd rather not. I'll tell him you said no," she turned on her heel grabbing her book to jog back upstairs only for her sister to come barreling down gripping her hand and dragging her back towards the kitchen.

"Dad," Miley started in excitement, "I know we have midterms Monday, but the new Ashton Kutcher movie is previewing tonight!"

Ophelia tried to pry herself free from her sister's grip, not at all interested, but Miley held on like a vice. "How many "pretty"s do I have to put before "please" for you to let us go."

Ophelia grunted, "I don't wanna go."

"Hush," Miley scolded.

"No..."

"Pretty?"

Their dad moved to escape towards the fridge, "Pretty—?"

Nothing.

"Pretty? Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty please dad! Please!" She begged ducking under his arm to block his view of the fridge.

"Whoa!" Their dad waved his hand.

"We can go?"

"You can stop," he huffed, "You know you gotta study, besides your sister doesn't want to go. She doesn't like Ashton Kutcher."

Miley gasped and looked to her sister in outrage, "How can you not like Ashton Kutcher?"

"Because Paul Rudd exists and has a personality," Ophelia hummed looking down at her toes.

"I'm gonna ignore you said that," her sister shook her head in shame, turning back to their father,"I know that we have tests but think of it this way, midterms are halfway to finals. So I only have to study about half as hard. And since I study twice as hard as everybody else —."

"I do not accept that!" Ophelia interrupted.

"—I only need to study a quarter , so I'm done, see how that works?"

Their dad turned turned to his eldest daughter, "No. And you know what? I'm the dad and you loose. See how that works?"

Ofie giggled at Miley's face.

Miley gasped, "I do not accept that!"

"That's my line!"

"You see, little sister," Jackson started smuggly, wrapping an arm around their dad's shoulders—or tried too—he had to stand on his toes to do it. "Dad, as a single parent is just trying to make sure that you have the proper guidance and I for one commend him on his commitment to education," he smacked the older man in the back.

Ophelia shook her head, finally prying herself from her sister's grasp to sit at the table.

"Son, I'm glad you see it that way because I'm committing you to staying home and studying this weekend too!" He pat Jackson on the back twice as hard and Ophelia giggled.

"Haha!" Miley said pointedly.

"But my midterms were last week!"

"Yeah, no kiddin'. I had to wrap the fish in something, "c"?" He held up Jackson's graded history test.

"Minus!"

"Don't worry bro, "C"s get degrees," Ophelia comforted getting a look from him in return.

"The only person in this house who can ask me to go anywhere is Angel,"their dad said pointing at his youngest child. "And she did ask to go somewhere, and guess what it was for? To study!" He looked at all of them, "She's the only Stewart I've ever met who is constantly getting straight A's. Heck, she skipped a grade, what have you been doing? Be more like your sister, stop giving me headaches."

"Haha! You hear that? Be more like me!" Ophelia cackled in their faces, standing up to retreat upstairs.

~~~

Ophelia came down the stairs with a pencil tucked behind her ear, holding her phone close to her face she wondered into the kitchen, she stills had the book she had been reading early, only that she had less than a hundred pages left.

"Did he actually say no, or are you saying he said no because you don't want me there?" Johnny asked from the other end, she could hear the pout in his voice.

"Since when have I never wanted you around, Collins."

"Then I'm coming over, you know science is my worst subject if I get a B I'm done for, my mom will snap my neck."

"You're a good student."

"Doesn't matter."

Ophelia grunted looking at at her dad who was glaring at Jackson, "Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Johnny's coming over."

"Alright," he shrugged.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jackson started, "How come she's having someone over and I can't?!"

"She's inviting Johnny over to study," their dad rolled his eyes, "besides I like that boy, good head on his shoulders and his mother is terrifying but her oxtail is out of this world."

Very true.

Ophelia blocked out her family's bickering to speak into her phone, "You can come over but you're paying for take out."

"Oh thank god, see you later."

Hanging up, she tucked her phone into her back pocket and looked at her family.

"Anybody see my PDA?"

"Here."

"Thanks."

"Now dad," Miley started, "I know you already said no, but—I've been studying a lot! I sneezed a while ago and Algebra came out."

Their dad huffed, "Well next time sneeze a little smart on your brother. He could use all the help he can get," he dug into his back pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill to hand over to Ophelia, "For take out."

"Thanks."

"I'm heading out for my meeting, I should be back around Eleven," their dad made his way for the door. "I'll be on my cell if anybody needs me, so," he looked back at them, "try not to need me."

He stopped and turned back, "I don't know, you guys think I'm being too tough on you?"

"Yeah!" Jackson and Miley chorused.

"Nope," Ophelia beamed.

"Good. Then that means I'm doing my job right," he shot them a wink before slipping out the door. "Study hard now."

For a moment Jackson, Miley and Ophelia stared at the door.

"So," Miley looked to her sister eagerly, "Johnny's coming over?"

Ophelia glared at her, "If you make him uncomfortable I'll dye all your wigs green."

Miley held her hands out in surrender, "Fine."

"Don't look at him."

"It's hard not to."

"Don't even breathe on him, that means you're too close, you'll probably drool."

"Wow someone's mean today," Miley pouted dropping onto the couch with a huff and picking up her science book.

"I'm not mean you're just sensitive because you don't get to stare at Ashton Kutcher's abs for two hours," Ophelia huffed toying with her necklace.

Miley sobbed pathetically, "H-he's just so hot."

Ophelia rolled her eyes and settled in the single seater, to read the last three chapters of her book. She was vaguely aware that Jackson and  Miley were doing Jackson and Miley things but did not bother to look up from her pages.

Reaching the last sentence of her book, Ophelia sighed in content slamming it shut with a happy little hum. She looked up to find the house in disarray and Jackson with a face drawn on his stomach. Her happy expression dropped and she sighed pinching the bridge of her nose.

Miley flipped off of the three seater with a loud yawn, "Wow, eight minutes already?"

"Eight minutes, you guys made the house look like we've been trapped for eight years!" Ofie groaned standing up and beginning to pick up after her siblings, like always.

"Yup," Jackson started in a chibi voice, using his bellybutton as the mouth of his stomach face. "Time to turn in. Good thing I'm not an outy, hehe—ow!" Ophelia smacked him in the abdomen as she moved passed.

Ding Dong!

"Cover him up. We've got company," Miley waved him off as Ophelia picked up the skateboard and placed one of the electric guitars back in its place.

"Oh, she don't like me."

"I swear the two of you are pigs! How does this happen?" Ofie ranted as she wiped the table down of crumbs, from what, she had no idea.

Oliver and Lily stepped in dressed for the night.

"So, what's the deal?" Oliver asked the moment he was through the door. "Did your dad say yes or no?"

"Yeah, let's get those feet moving," Lily said eagerly, "My mom's in the car "groovin' to the oldies" and it's getting uglier by the decade!"

"I don't wanna go," Ophelia said as she picked up empty soda cans, what on earth were they doing for eight minutes?!

"Hush," Lily scolded the younger girl.

"Lily, our dad said we couldn't—."

"Tss! You think he said no, he really said "go"."

"He really didn't," Ofie muttered tossing the cans into the recycling, slipping on some unknown liquid  by the sink, she squeaked and caught herself. "What is on the floor?!" She screamed in annoyance causing everyone in vicinity to flinch.

Miley and Jackson smiled sheepishly as Ophelia gaged at the smell. "You know what? Don't tell me. Clean it up."

"But—."

"Now!"

Miley and Jackson scrambled to do what she demanded while Ofie contemplated throwing out her slippers. Lily followed close behind.

"Is it just me or is Ofie getting meaner?" The blonde whispered to the two other Stewarts who nodded quietly in agreement.

Ofie had gotten just a little bit meaner these passed few days and everyone was too terrified to ask why so they just let it be. It will pass. Or at least they hoped so.

Please let it pass. She was terrifying.

Small but terrifying.

When the mysterious liquid had been cleaned and Ophelia had discarded her slippers, Lily had taken to trying to convince Miley and Ofie to sneak out.

"No."

"Go."

"No," Ofie snipped, "Johnny's coming over to study, I'm not going."

"Come on! It's Ashton Kutcher! He's gonna be there! You can bring Johnny!"

Ophelia sent her a deadpanned expression, "I don't like Ashton Kutcher."

Lily gasped in absolute disgust, "You take that back!"

Ophelia smiled challengingly, "No."

"How can you not like Ashton Kutcher?!"

Oliver stood from the couch, throwing an arm over Ophelia's shoulders, "Because Paul Rudd exists," he said like it the most obvious thing in the world. "I personally prefer Ryan Reynolds but I must respect Paul's sheer charisma and personality."

"See," she motioned to Oliver proudly, "he gets it."

"And he's about to get hit if he doesn't take five steps back," Johnny invited himself in, his hair tied up into a man bun on his head, he looked stressed but not stressed enough to hold back his rude stare.

Oliver made a terrified sound and recoiled form Ophelia like she was on fire. He took several hasty steps back and ended up on his butt.

"Oh my god, calm down we have tonight and all day tomorrow to study," Ophelia stepped forward to meet him with a roll of her eyes.

"I will cry if I get less than a ninety."

"You're gonna be fine," Ophelia huffed tugging him up the stairs to her room. "See you guys later."

~~~~

Ofie's head snapped up suddenly over an hour later. Her and Johnny were sitting on the floor of her room over looking their notes and discussing friction.

Johnny gave her an odd look, "What?"

Ophelia sat up and cocked her head listening passed the music that they were playing lowly in the background. The house was quiet.

The house was quiet.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Johnny released a sound of inquiry as Ophelia scrambled to find her phone.

"They snuck out."

He gasped in exaggeration, "Naughty," but the he brightened, "I'm thinking around the world take out and we don't have to share."

Ofie grinned, "I like your words magic man, start ordering I'm gonna make some money by blackmailing my siblings."

"Evil."

"Opportunistic."

Ofie smiled brightly as she left the room, skipping down the stairs of her empty house.

She called Jackson first.

It took a moment. But when he picked up he was whispering.

"Hey, Baby," he greeted, "How is studying going?"

"Good, I got hungry so me Johnny are gonna order some food, we're think burgers?"

"Sounds great."

"What do want as a side, fries, onion rings, three months of being grounded or negative forty bucks from your wallet," she looked down at her nails think about the colour she wanted.

Jackson was silent for a long moment. "...Fries?"

"Eh! Wrong answer, I'm just gonna call daddy real quick," she went to pull her phone from her ear.

"No, no, no, no wait!" Jackson yelled and someone on the other end shushed him. "I'll take negative twenty."

"Not an option."

"What happened to my Angel."

"She's been on sick leave ever since you left her without pop tarts for almost two weeks."

"You're not letting that go are you."

"Nope."

"Fine!"

"Good, give the phone to Miley."

"Who?"

"I know she's with you."

There was a moment of shuffling.

"Hey baby," Miley whispered and Ofie could hear her grimace.

"That blouse you bought last week or three months grounding."

"Come on I havent worn it yet!"

Ofie felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it away to see a second call coming through.

'Daddy'

"Would you look at that, Daddy is calling I wonder what I should tell him?"

"Okay! Okay! You can have it!"

"Nice doing business with you," Ofie beamed before hanging up on her siblings and answering her dad, "Hey Daddy."

"Studying hard, Baby?"

"Yep."

"Can you say the same for your siblings?"

"Dunno," she shrugged, "I left them downstairs because they were being too loud and Johnny's nervous about Monday," she looked around the kitchen she was standing in. "You should call them," she added mischievously, "because I'm a not going into the mad house."

Her dad sighed on the other end, "Make sure ya'll eat something, okay?"

"Yep."

"See ya later, Baby."

"Bye daddy."

Two minutes later she got a call from Miley. "You are evil."

"Thank you."

"He's here."

"Who's where?"

"Dad, at the movie theatre."

Ophelia frowned, "I thought he had a meeting?"

"I thought so too—what?!" Miley gasped and the line went dead. Ophelia blinked down at her phone feeling slightly dreadful.

"Okay," Johnny came down the stairs, "We got Chinese, Indian, Italian  which lets be honest is just pizza and good old American burgers on their way as we speak, and it all comes down to thirty five bucks, how that possible I don't know," Johnny smiled taking in her expression. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just hungry," She hummed, "We'll move down into the kitchen and if you get all the queue cards correct I'll make some celebration cupcakes."

"You're on."

~~~~

By the time Miley and Jackson got back, Ophelia and Johnny had eaten all the food and were sat in the kitchen sharing bowl of ice cream as they waited on the cupcakes Ofie had thrown into the oven.

"I would you look at that, Trouble Junior and Trouble Senior," Ofie beamed as Johnny chuckled but their smiles fell at the look on Miley's face.

"What happened? No Ashton Kutcher."

"Even worse, dad was on a date."

For a moment Ophelia couldn't quite keep her face from falling at the bit of information. "Oh."

She looked down out her hands for a moment before forcing herself to brighten. "Good for him," she turned her back to her siblings and Johnny.

Neither of them chose to acknowledge her aggressive piping of her cupcakes.

~~~~

Johnny left quickly after that, leaving with a kiss to Ofie's temple as the girl stared blankly ahead of her chewing slowly on her cupcake.

Date?

Dad on a date?

"Why would dad do this?" Miley paced back and forth in the kitchen while Jackson and Ofie snacked on their stress. "Why did he go on a date and not tell us?"

"I don't know," Jackson shrugged with his mouth disgustingly full.

"Don't be gross!" Ofie scowled taking a viscous bite out of her cupcake.

"Please stop stuffing your face!" Miley begged the both of them.

"I'm eating away the pain," Jackson drawled.

"If I don't bite this I'll bite you," Ophelia dared with a sharp glare in her sister's direction.

She was a stress eater.

Sue her.

"Doesn't this bother you?"

Ophelia frowned and looked down at the table and Jackson turned to Miley imploringly. "Miley, it's been three years. He's probably lonely."

...Ophelia never thought of it that way. Had her Daddy truly been that lonely all these years? Who was she to be upset about him looking for affection.

It still made her frown.

She couldn't see her dad with anyone else but her mom. She just couldn't see him happy with anyone else. She couldn't picture him laughing and singing in the kitchen, dancing along to Elvis bare feet smacking the yellow tile as he playfully tried to serenade his wife.

She just couldn't imagine anyone else pulling that sort of joy out of him.

"Well then we'll get him a puppy!" Miley exclaimed.

"Oh! Oh! Can we get a Great Dane?" Ofie clapped her hands. "Oh! Or an Akita! I saw this movie about a man who died and his dog was an Akita...it used to wait by the train for him and they would walk home together —but then the owner died and the dog just kept coming to wait for him...and I—," Ophelia sobbed suddenly sniffing, "I just love dogs and it was so sad!" She wailed.

Horrified, Jackson shoved the rest of her cupcake into her mouth rendering her silent. She stopped crying almost instantly and Miley winced.

Oh sweet niblets.

The sound of their dad pulling into their drive way drew the children's attention to the door. "I hear him," Miley's eyes narrowed determinedly as she marched for the door. Jackson quickly stood to follow her as Ofie remained where she was, sucking the coclate from her fingers.

She should've made brownies.

"Look just remember that whatever happens, he can't know we were there, so just play it cool."

"Not possible," Ophelia mumbled.

"I will, I will. He won't suspect a thing," Miley waved their brother off just as their dad slipped into the house. Her eyes immediately narrowed and she began to angrily scold him, "Where have you been? We agreed home by eleven and it's—."

Their dad looked down at his watch with raised brows, "11:03."

"Exactly!" Miley huffed, "Three minutes of pure agony," she whimpered and Jackson surged forward, pulling her away.

"Yes, but the important thing is that while you were out, we weren't."

Why is it, Ophelia was just now realizing that her siblings were terrible liars? No wonder they never got away with anything.

Their dad stared blankly at them unconvinced. Miley giggled nervously, "Right. And, uh—. You we're ata, um—meeting."

Oh sweet niblets, her sister was an idiot.

She stepped forward, "How did that go?"

He shrugged, moving passed his prying children to the kitchen, "Fine."

"Fine? One syllable? That's all I get?" Miley and Jackson followed after them.

He stopped to look at them, "Okay, it was...really fine, three syllables keep the change," he turned his back to them, bending down to press a kiss to his youngest's forehead, "How's it going, Baby? Got some studying done?"

Ophelia smiled brightly up at him, and nodded silently, she held up her plate with one last cupcake sitting on it, "Cupcake?"

"Don't mind if I do, Angel."

"Daddy," Miley drew his attention once again, "You're always talking about how we don't share enough, and you're so right, we should start now, you go first."

Ophelia sighed. Her sister had the subtle maneuvering of an elephant. Honestly that was an unfair comparison, at least elephants were intelligent.

Their dad sighed, "Okay, it was a very productive meeting, and who knows in time it could amount a little somethin', somethin'."

EXCUSE ME?!

Miley, Jackson and Ophelia shared horrified glances.

"Like what, what?" Ofie prompted curiously.

He shrugged, "I don't know, know. If I started talking about things too early It might Jinx it," he took a step upstairs, "If it keeps going the way it's going," he threw his arms over Jackson and Miley's shoulders. "I'll tell you all about it," he smiled, "Love you guys," he kissed Miley's head. "Good night."

"Night, Daddy."

"Night, Dad."

"Love you too."

They all watched him leave, quiet until they heard his door shut. "Well, great! This is terrible! He's happy!"

"You sound the like The Grinch," Ophelia observed before she perked up, "Do you remember how all the unwanted presents get sent to the Crumpit in the trash and that's where the Grinch gets all his things, Max was probably an unwanted present and that's how the Grinch got him," Ophelia blubbered. "Oh my god it's so sad!" She sobbed, "I love dogs," she sniffled.

"This is some how your fault," Jackson whispered to Miley as they watched Ophelia blubber about a fictional dog in a Christmas movie.

It was like less than a week before Halloween what business did she have watching any holiday movie that wasn't the Nightmare before Christmas.

~~~~
Ophelia spent the rest of her Sunday sitting with Johnny on the back patio studying for the rest of their midterms. He felt better and was in a much more agreeable, Ophelia was less so.

"Does it bother you?"

Ofie looked up at Johnny and cocked her head. "I don't think so? It's weird. I feel weird about it. Is that bad?"

He shrugged.

"It's like, I don't want him to be lonely, y'know? But there's this thing that—," she sighed in frustration. "I've always wanted to be in love like how my parents were in love," she smiled slightly tilting her head back to peer at the sun. "I just can't see him with anyone else that can make him break into song or dance in the rain. They were like a real life fairytale and I don't like it when fairytales end."

Johnny reached out to pat her head, "You're very depressing you know that?"

"Shut up."

"But I get it."

"Margo Diamond!" Miley came barreling out from inside. "Oh hey Johnny."

Johnny gave her a kind smile, "Hey."

"What kinda name is Margo Diamond?" Ofie huffed, leaning back to recline on her elbows.

"That's the lady Dad went on a date with, I have an idea, c'mon!" She took Ophelia by the arm and yanked her upward.

"See you tomorrow," she waved at Johnny.

~~~~

"This is a terrible idea," Opal snapped at her siblings, fluffing out her fro as she trailed behind them, dressed as her alter ego.

"You didn't have to come," Hannah hissed as they entered a real estate office.

"Of course I did, you guys are idiots! Without me you may just set something on fire."

"This was Miley's idea, stop lumping me in with her," Jackson huffed dressed in a tux, he turned to the mastermind of this madness, "This is dumbest thing I've done for you."

"This is the only thing you've done for me," Miley retorted. "And don't pretend you're not the least bit interested in our future possible step-mom."

Ophelia gagged, she would rather eat crawfish (she was allergic) then have a step mom named Margo Diamond. What sort of name was that?

"Well of course I am, you're not the only one who cares about dad," Jackson adjusted his suit. "I want him to be happy too," he looked at the fairly attractive blonde woman at her desk. "And if she happens to have a hot daughter who likes to invite her friends over for pillow fights, we'll everybody wins."

Ophelia shook her head, her brother was a horn dog, "Sweet home Alabama," she sung lightly earning a punch in the shoulder.

"Hello, back to earth captain hormone," Miley smacked his shoulder, "Let's get this done."

Ophelia sighed , "Put me out of my misery."

"Opal's my sister and you're our chauffeur. Just the chauffeur."

They approached the woman's desk, "Um. Hi, I'm Hannah Montana and I'm looking for a house."

Ophelia quietly observed the woman in front of her, dirty blonde, dressed in business casual. She had a headpiece on while she wrote on a note pad.

She threw her head back and laughed, "That's is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Jackson's face scrunched, "Lady, you're not gonna sell many houses with that attitude."

"She's clearly on the phone—."

She looked at them suddenly eyes widening, "Uh—we'll talk later," she ripped the headset from her head and proceeded to give them her full attention. "Sooty. Telephone," she moved around the desk to shake hands with Hannah. "Hi. Oh what a thrill to meet you. My niece is a big fan of yours."

"Really?" Jackson moved around Miley with a smile invading the Lady's personal space. "We'll, how old is she? What does she look like?" He moved to look at the pictures on the desk, "You gotta picture— ow!"

Opal pinched him and yanked him back around with a warning hiss and he cowered back. "Not why we're here."

"But," Miley turned to Ms. Diamond with beaming smile, "if we are gonna be in business with each other, I need to know a little about you first. For example," Miley taking a page out of Jackson's book reached forward and snatched a picture frame, "Is that your husband? Does he know you're dating."

Opal's eye twitched. She was related to idiots.

"Wait a minute," the woman chuckled awkwardly, "That's my brother."

"Oh likely story who keeps a picture of their brother on their desk?"

The woman's smile fell and her eyes narrowed, "He gave me a kidney."

"So you're scarred?"

"Oh my god! Hannah!" Opal smacked her sisters shoulder and looked to Margo Diamond apologetically. "I am so, so sorry about my sister's deportment," she apologized holding out her hand to shake. "You know being as famous as she is, our guardian has her isolated from the general public for her safety, unfortunately the consequences has manifested in her social ineptitude, I'm Opal, nice to meet you."

Margo Diamond seemed to soften shaking Opal's hand strongly. "That alright, why don't we look at houses," she motioned for Opal to sit across from her.

"That would be great—."

Before Opal could sit her siblings invaded the woman's space again, rummaging through her things and firing questions about her family.

Opal could only watch in horror before they both suddenly froze. Hannah reached across the desk, grabbed her hand and yanked her towards a supply closet.

"What—?!"

"Dad's here!"

"Of course he is!" Opal complained pressing her ear against the door.

"Oh , I don't know what to say dad. It was their idea I tried to stop them. I'm just as disappointed as you are," Jackson rehearsed and Opal stomped on his foot with her heel.

"Ow!"

"Shut up."

"My toe!"

"I am amazed that you can stand without a spine," Miley snapped, pressing her ear against the door. The siblings went quiet when they heard their dad's voice.

"Hi. I brought you these."

Brought her what?

"Awe...I think I would spend a little more money than that."

EXCUSE ME?!

Opal scoffed in offence and she had no idea what she was talking about.

"I don't think that's hardly fair," their dad protested. "I mean there was the movie last night, popcorn, you wanted the big drink—."

"No. No. I'm on the phone!"

Oh.

Okay she was jumping to conclusions.

"Let me call you back."

Opal winced when Jackson pressed his weight into her. "Back up."

"Can't, I have a sign in my...back yard."

Ofie stumbled forward stepping on her sister's foot.

"Can you move, your on my foot."

"Jackson is in my personal space-!"

Hannah huffed opening the door just a crack, "I had a nice time last night," they heard and Ofie made sure to gag to herself.

"So did I."

"He really likes her."

Ophelia frowned.

"You know, guys, she does seem really nice."

"She does," Ofie admitted with a sigh.

"I don't care how nice she is, she ain't ever getting one of my kidneys."

"Why would she want your kidneys?" Ofie asked perplexed.

She was ignored in favour of eavesdropping.

"I would love to go out for coffee. Let me just get someone to cover for me—you're not gonna believe this but I've got Hannah Montana in my closet."

Ophelia groaned. "Busted."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, she is what we call a half bath short of a condo. I blame the parents. Even her sister—who is a polite little Angel by the way—had to apologize on her behalf, once again, I think it's the parents fault."

"Yeah, me too."

"Let me get my coat."

"All right! Come on out, now," Their dad's voice drew closer and Ofie sighed.

Jackson slid the door to the side, "Oh—Dad," he tried innocently. "What a relief—you'd never believe how lost I was," Ophelia didn't even have to look to see his unamused face. "Would it help if I said I was happy for you?"

Miley wasn't as kind in her approach, "How could you?" She huffed l, sliding the opposite door open and storming out.

Ophelia came out of the closet with a pinched expression, nervous and a little sad. Her heart feeling a little heavy.

"Whoa!" Their dad walked after Miley, "Now, hold up, Little Girl," Miley turned and scowled at him, "How'd you find out?"

"Well you didn't tell me."

"I can explain."

"Okay, explain this. How are you dating someone without telling me? Explain how you could ever think there's someone out there who could ever replace my mom," she didn't give him a chance to respond as she turned on her heel and stormed out.

Ophelia flinched.

Replace mom?

T-that's not he was trying to do, was he?

He wasn't trying to replace mom. He wouldn't, right?

She couldn't quite keep the dread in her chest from building, or the frown from her faces or the tears from clouding her brown eyes as she stared at him from the other side of her sunglasses. He turned to look at her, noting the expression on her face.

"Baby—."

"I'm just gonna—" Ophelia stepped back into the closet and shut the door.

~~~~

Ophelia had retreated to her room the moment they got home. Holing herself up in her Opal room, throwing herself into her work trying to drown out her upset with something else anything else.

She sat on her couch, flipping through her old song books for some inspiration. She looked at her first ever sing book. The first one her mom had gifted her, looking at her mom's handwriting neat among Young Ofie's.

Ophelia closed her eyes a moment, and thought back on something.

She stood suddenly and made her way to her keyboard, grabbing her newest  song book and a pen. Balancing the book on her thigh, leg propped up on her bench.

She scribbled lyrics in her book humming a small melody under breath. Satisfied she placed the open book aside and focused on the black and white keys in front of her. "That wasn't funny but she laugh so hard she almost cried," She sang to herself fingers delicately pressing down keys. "They're counting months they've been together, almost 49, he's making fun of how she acted 'round the holidays. She wears a wrong ring but they tell people that they're not engaged," she hummed to herself as she played still pulling lyrics together.

"Working hard, Baby?"

"Always," Ofie sighed quietly to herself as her dad stood by her door.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded to herself and he joined her on her bench with a sigh. "Wanna tell me what's on your mind, beauty?"

Ophelia was silent for a long moment,tapping one of the keys while playing with her necklace with her other hand.

She kept quiet.

"I saw that look you gave me, earlier. You sure you don't have anything to say, Baby."

"It's not that I don't have anything to say, it's that I don't know how to say it," Ofie muttered.

"Well let's start with how you found out."

"Miley and Jackson told me."

Her dad nodded. "I figured. How did it make you feel?"

"Mad, then it just felt weird," she shrugged, "Jackson suggested that maybe you were lonely so I tried to feel happy for you, you know after I forced myself to look passed her name being Margo Diamond," Ophelia scrunched her nose in disgust and her dad chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, it's very California ain't it?"

"I was curious and she seemed nice enough," she continued, "and hearing your conversation I could tell she made you happy and I was okay with it," she closed her eyes a moment. "I was okay with it, I swear I was okay with it but then Miley—," she sucked in a sharp breath, "I just—replacing mom?" Her voice wavered and her little fists clenched, "I uh, I panicked," she whispered wiping away a hot tear that escaped. "I keep telling myself there's no way, but I can't help but feel like that's exactly what you're doing."

"Ain't nobody trying to replace your mom, Ofie," her dad laid a hand on her head and she pursed her lips, refusing to look at him. "She's irreplaceable."

"Then why are you dating?"

"Well, because life goes on, we can't live in the passed forever. I love your Mama, always. That ain't ever gonna change, but she wouldn't want us to keep stagnant forever would she?"

Ophelia sobbed, looking at him with watery brown eyes, "I just—I miss her so much and I feel Ike the hole she left behind isn't gonna go anywhere—I feel stuck and I hate that you don't feel the same and I know it-it's mean I know I'm being mean—," she tried to wipe her overflowing tears as she sobbed incoherently but they didn't go anywhere and her dad pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, baby."

"I loved her so much and she's gone and I don't know what to do anymore and I hate it—what do I do? I don't know what to do."

"I don't know, baby. I don't know," He rubbed her back, placing his chin on her head. "But we'll figure it out, okay? Together," he whispered holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

A mess all around, wasn't it? He sighed.

Her sobs died down into little sniffles as she laid her ear on his chest, eyes fixed blankly on the keys in front her. She closed her eyes a moment, a headache throbbing in her temple. "When we were back in Tennessee—I don't remember how old I was but I remember one night, it was raining really heavy outside and I had woken up for some reason, I remember wandering into you and Mama's room only to find it empty," she whispered, toying with her necklace. "So I went downstairs, nothing. I moved to the kitchen, nothing. So went back upstairs to me and Miley's room, and as I tried to go back to sleep I looked out the window and there you two were," she smiled slightly. "You were dancing, it was raining like hell but neither of you seemed to notice, I watched you for what felt like forever until I fell asleep. It was like a fairytale. And I remember thinking that you and her had been pulled straight out of a story book, I wanted that."

Her dad was quiet for a long moment. "I remember it was my idea, in the end I had a cold so bad it made your great aunt Carla look pretty."

Ofie giggled slightly, and sniffled, "I wanted love that felt like that. A fairytale love."

"Well maybe when you're older."

Or maybe not at all.

She didn't say that out loud as pulled away from her dad to press against the keys, "I love you, you know that right, Baby."

"I love you too," Ophelia hummed, before singing softly, "But I wanna feel all that love and emotion, be that attached to the person I'm holding. Someday, I'll be falling without caution...but for now I'm only people watching," she played a few keys silently. "I don't mind it," she whispered to him.

"Don't mind what?"

"If you date—just find someone who's last name isn't diamond."

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Miley and Jackson snuck out to the movies, that's how they found out," Ophelia shrugged.

"I knew it. That rope ladder was just sitting there."

"She used a rope ladder?" Ophelia raised her brows. "Where does a person get a rope ladder?"

"No idea," he dad shrugged, kissing her temple. "But we'll figure it out tomorrow when I ground them. Little devils," he stood. "Get some sleep, now, you got your midterms tomorrow."

"G'night, Daddy."

"Night, Baby."

~~~~

Chapter four!

Ofie struggling with her dad dating.
Her grief about her mom's passing is gonna be a recurring thing. I thought it was important to establish that.

I decided not to do the Halloween epi at all. I rewatch Ed recently and realized that I just don't like it. Lol. So from here we're gonna skip episodes four and five and go straight to episode six with MeeMaw. That is also gonna be Johnny's last chapter in Malibu. Then we'll do Miley's birthday, do episode eight. Skip episode Iggy and so on and so forth.

Anyway if you enjoyed this chapter you know the drill, vote comment and I'll see you when I see you.

—CHOCOHOLIC

Ps. Sorry this took so long they buried my aunt on Saturday and my house has just been overrun with unwanted guests.