Newsies Forever

Dad

Flashback

Ben POV:

"Ben!" Melina screamed as she ran to me, jumping in my arms. I had gone home for the weekend for a family event but I had just gotten back to the Les Mis tour.

"There's my princess!" I smiled holding her tight in a hug.

"She hasn't shut up about you all day, just been asking over and over again when you were getting back." Jordyn laughed.

"I missed you!" She smiled, still not letting go of me.

"I missed you so much more!" I laughed.

"Can we go to the park and play?" She asked.

"I have to go to a rehearsal but if Ben will take you!" Jordyn said.

"Please Ben?" she asked with the puppy dog eyes.

"Let's go!" I laughed and ran off with her. We spent the whole afternoon laughing and playing at the park and ended the day eating brownies on a picnic bench.

"I love you Ben." Melina smiled.

"I love you too princess." I said running her back.

"Will you always love me?" She asked.

"Forever and Always. You can count on that." I smiled.

"Good, I always want to be your princess."

Ben POV:

"Melina! Unlock the door!" I said banging on her bedroom door. Jordyn has taken Carmen to talk to her and I'm in charge of Melina.

"Make me!" She screamed back from the other side of the door.

"You're joking." I said leaning against the door.

"I don't want to talk to you Ben!" She protested.

"Melina Cook!" I screamed.

"Just fucking go away!" She screamed back. I paused for a second and let out a sigh.

"Mel, please." I said getting tired of us screaming back and forth.

"You're just gonna yell at me." She quietly responded.

"I want to talk. Honest. No yelling." I said. She slowly opened her bedroom door and allowed me into her room. I sat down on her bed next to her.

"Mel, what happened to us? We used to be so close. You would tell me everything, even the things you weren't supposed to."

"How should I know?" She asked.

"Melina I'm trying ok? I'm 28 years old raising two 16 year olds, a 4 year old, and 6 month old babies. It's hard." I explained.

"Well then maybe that's what happened. I grew up and you kept treating me like I'm still that little girl you met on tour. You won't even let me drive!"

"You almost killed us that one time!"

"You never even gave me another shot Dad!" There was a moment of silence before I was able to get words to say back.

"Wait a second, you've never called me dad." I said slowly. We both just looked at each other in dead silence. "Melina I'm trying. I don't know how to raise a teenager because I honestly still feel like I am one. And I know it's harder for you because you have the whole world watching you. But I'm really trying. Trying to figure out how to raise you right and not only that but Carmen. And in the process of that trying to figure out how to raise Maddie and the twins. I just honestly don't know how to do it. What if I screw all of you up?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes.

"Ben you aren't screwing any of us up." Melina responded.

"I want you to have a normal life Melina, but how do I give you that? Nothing about your life has been normal since you were born. But I think you still live a pretty cool life."

"I do but it's just, hard. Not like you would know though, you're always too focused on Maddie or the twins to even notice what I'm doing. Carmen and I literally switched schools for a day and nobody noticed! You don't care about me anymore." Melina said looking away.

"It's hard to be a part of your life when you are just constantly shutting me out Melina!"

"I just- I just want you back Ben. I want my Ben back, my Dad back." she said starting to cry. "I want to be your princess again and for you to want to spend time with me and hug me and actually focus on me for once. It's hard. It used to be just me and then you guys had Maddie and it was hard but it was still great. And then you had the twins and adopted Carmen and I just got completely pushed to the side. The twins are babies so they need constant attention and then you give Maddie all this attention because you don't want her to feel like you forgot about her with the babies and you want to make sure Carmen is adjusting to her new home ok and I was just left in the dust." I grabbed her in a hug as she continued to cry. How could I have not noticed I wasn't giving her enough attention. She's right, I am so focused on everybody else that I didn't give my first girl the attention she needs and deserves.

"I'm sorry Melina, I don't know how to raise a teenager." I said starting to cry with her. "You've always been so independent I never thought you needed me anymore."

"I need you Ben." It was barely audible through her tears, but it still broke me. I pulled her tighter and didn't let go for a few minutes.

"I want to make this right Melina. We're gonna spend more time together. I promise. Just the two of us."

"Am I still grounded for sneaking out?" she asked.

"100%." I said as I continued to hold her and rub her back. "And if you pull another stunt like that, you're gonna be grounded until you need to be put in a nursing home." I smiled.

"Yeah I guess I deserve that." she said.

"You're also in trouble for switching schools with Carmen which I didn't even think I needed to say that wasn't allowed. But, I guess you can start going to some more high school parties. Just don't lie about it and don't drink at them. Don't be an idiot. But school and your job are the most important things and you can't forget that."

"Thanks Dad." She said and laid her head down on my legs. Dad, it sounds weird coming out of her mouth. She's never called me Dad before today, she's always called me Ben. But I like it, and I love being her Dad.