ADOPTED BY PHAN

CHAPTER TWO

Iris' foster parents had agreed to let her into the care of Dan and Phil. However, the man in charge of it all - Mr. Crippin - needs to have a word with them. As they finish filling out all of the forms in the waiting room, their papers get handed to one of his assistants. They're then directed to a small room at the end of a dull hallway.

The room looks quite formal, with a large desk and office chair. Mr. Crippin is seated at the desk, and gestures for Dan and Phil to take a seat in the two chairs provided.

"You must be wondering why I've brought you to this meeting, as this is not normally a necessary stage when adopting, eh?" Mr. Crippin says, giving a friendly smile.

Dan and Phil loosen up a bit at the man's causality. They both nod their head "yes" but don't speak.

Mr. Crippins voice drops to a more serious tone, as he explains, "Iris has been living most of her life in foster care. She lost her family when she was around six-years-old, and doesn't seem to be coping well. You see, she experienced their death; she watched it happen right in front of her. That trauma following her around, she's moved quite frequently due to being so distant. The families just don't understand, though. This girl has been through so much, so all I ask from you boys is to give her a nice, safe home."

Phil tries to subtly comfort Dan as he fights back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The older man speaks up for him, as Dan is in no state to talk, "We understand, sir. That's our only intention; we want her to feel like a part of our family." He says, catching Dan's glance and returning the smile given.

"That's all I needed to hear," Mr. Crippin says, getting up from his chair. Dan and Phil do the same, receiving a friendly smile and handshake from Mr. Crippin. "Best of luck to you boys!"

* * *

After packing up all of her belongings, Iris is brought to Dan and Phil's hotel room. The three of them excitedly enter, Iris stopping in her tracks when she realizes the beauty of the room.

"Jesus christ," she exclaims, shaking her head at the sight.

Dan let's out a soft chuckle, "I had the same reaction. Phil really went all out, eh?"

Now it's Phil's turn to laugh, his tongue poking out of his smile, as he says, "I see you picked up the accent, Dan."

Iris finds herself laughing, as well. Causing the two men's smiles to increase, as the light giggles are like music to their ears. Once the laughter has died down, Iris speaks up; her small voice sounding much happier than before, "Ah, I love Canadian stereotypes!"

"Is it true that your milk comes in bags?" Dan asks, genuine curiosity filling his voice.

"Yeah," Iris says, tugging at the sleeve of her sweater with her hand, then bringing it up to cover her mouth. She looks much smaller now; more vulnerable, with that shy stance. "Do you play?" She asks, her voice muffled as she points towards the grand piano.

"I do," Dan says, with a nod of his head. He notices Iris' eyes light up, and it's quite obvious that she would like to hear.

Dan walks over to the piano, taking a seat in front of the keys. Iris follows, taking a seat on the flat top of the piano. Phil is no longer in sight, as he has decided to give the two some privacy. He stands alone on the balcony, just thinking through the past few days, and smiling through it all.

Dan begins to play, and the sound is so beautiful. Iris covers her mouth out of surprise, not only because she loves the melody, but because she recognizes the song right away. And she can't stop the tears from rising, as this song is her favourite.

And as if on cue, Dan begins to sing:

And I'd give up forever to touch you,

Cause I know that you feel me somehow.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,

And I don't want to go home right now.

And all I can taste is this moment,

And all I can breathe is your life.

'Cause sooner or later it's over,

I just don't want to miss you tonight.

And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's meant to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,

Or the moment of truth in your lies.

When everything feels like the movies,

Yeah, you'd bleed just to know you're alive.

And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's meant to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's meant to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

I just want you to know who I am.

*I obviously do not own this beautiful song. Though if you don't already know, this song is called "Iris" and it was originally preformed by the Goo Goo Dolls. However, this version on the piano is a cover by Sleeping With Sirens. That's all!*

As Dan ends the song with another beautiful melody, Phil walks into the room, noticing the tears falling from Iris' eyes. He immediately rushes over, checking to see if she's alright.

"Don't worry, they're happy tears," she says with a smile. She hops off the piano, suddenly getting pulled towards the balcony by Phil.

"Have you seen this sunset?" He asks, grabbing one of her small hands as Dan grabs her other, causing a rush of warmth to run through Iris' heart. She can't help but feel safe and secure with Dan and Phil by her side.

She shakes her head, smiling at the sight through the balcony doors. Phil opens the screen door, guiding the three of them onto the small patio. Iris stops dead in her tracks, all of that safety leaving her body when the wooden structure brings back those horrible memories. She doesn't dare to take a step onto that nightmare.

"Iris?" Dan asks, letting go of her hand and kneeling in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Eyes filling with tears again, she looks towards the balcony, fear running through her veins. She looks back at Dan, looking into his brown eyes. Hot tears run down her cheeks, and Dan cups her face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs; just like Phil would do with Dan.

"My family-" Iris croaks out, pure sadness seeping through her voice, "I don't like balconies," she shakes her head about a million times, before Dan pulls her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Bad things happen there." she whispers into his shoulder.

Dan gently rubs her skinny back, "It's alright, Iris. You're safe now. Phil and I won't let anything hurt you." He whispers into her ear. Iris tightens her grip around his neck, and although Dan would usually hate somebody touching his neck, he makes an exception for the ones he loves.

And of course he would love his daughter.