The instructions had been accurate and the cab from the hotel towards the building had barely taken twenty minutes. He checked his watch, nodding to himself as he read 11.36am. It was still early, but something in the pit of his stomach told him this was going to take more time that he imagined. Actually, it had been with that idea in mind that he had taken a hotel room, just in case, and booked his return flight for three pm.

Walking out of the elevator, he turned right and entered Office 302, a secretary looking up at him.

"Good morning. I'm looking for Mr. Mark Smith."

"Good morning. You are?"

"Richardson. Kevin Richardson. I was asked by Mr. Smith to come to the office this morning."

With a nod, the secretary started to check through her schedule list for the given name. "Yes, Mr. Richardson. Mr. Smith is waiting for you." She motioned for Kevin to enter the wooden doors on her right.

Nodding, Kevin walked to the office. There sat a man on his late thirties reading some papers scattered on his desk. Looking up, his brown eyes found Kevin's piercing green ones. "Mr. Richardson I suppose." He said as he stood up, putting out his hand for the younger man to shake.

"Yes. It's a pleasure meeting you Mr. Smith." Taking on his handshake, he sat on the chair in front of the desk.

"I think I better get down to the point, I'm sure you're a busy man and I wouldn't like to take more time than the necessary. When Elizabeth found out she had cancer, she put all her papers in order. One of them was her will. She passed away two days ago."

Kevin bit his lower lip, looking down at the carpet floor as Mark paused for a second.

"As her lawyer, I proceeded to answer to fulfill will. Your name, as I told you on the phone, was there. It took us some time to find out your home address and phone number, that was why we didn't contact you before." Standing up from his chair, he walked over to a file cabinet. Finding the one he was looking for and holding it in hand, he walked back to the desk, back against the edge as he looked at Kevin.

"Why was I in her will?"

"Elizabeth had a daughter. You were named her legal tutor."

Kevin blinked once, then twice, green eyes dilating just above the normal range, eyebrows coming closer together as a frown settled on Kevin's face.

"Excuse me?"

Mark Smith nodded, a smile on his lips and Kevin couldn't help but wonder what exactly the idiot was smiling about. "You're her guardian."

"A daughter?"

"Yes Mr. Richardson. A daughter." He paused, crossing his arms and he leaned against his desk. "I'm sure Elizabeth had a good reason to trust you with her daughter."

There was wilderment and irony in his voice, and he would have gotten angry at the allegation that Kevin couldn't take care of a girl if he himself wasn't sure of the same thing.

There were many things that had surfaced through out this conversation. And Kevin wasn't sure which one of them surprised him the most.

First, and in no particular order whatsoever, Lizzie had a daughter. He smiled inwardly at the thought. Lizzie had a daughter, just like she had wanted. He could remember her voice, telling him in one of their old afternoon conversations while they were supposed to be doing their homework, how she used to talk about the life she wanted for herself. Marriage had never been a priority for her, but she wanted a child.

I don't know if that's exactly what I want, he heard Lizzie's voice in his mind, but I know that there will come a point when I'll want one.

Sure. A shrug of her shoulders while a smile played on her lips, blue eyes twinkling under the living room light. A daughter. Boys are so much work. They don't grow up until they are like fifteen and by that time, they are a total pain in the ass.

Hey! I resent that comment.

A chuckle. Well, I'm right. You are a pain in the ass. And she had chuckled some more.

He shook his head, his mind coming back to the here and now.

She had the daughter she wanted, but she wouldn't be here to enjoy her. His throat tightened at the thought, making it difficult for him to breath. She had died two days ago and left her daughter behind. He shook his head slightly, the concept of being in a room with a stranger leaving him for a moment, as he tried to focus his thoughts.

She had died.

His Lizzie, that cheerful, sometimes too chipper, bubbling, enthusiastic little girl who used to stick her tongue to him and buy chocolate when she wasn't suppose to had died.

"Oh god," he muttered, his hand going to his mouth, the breath catching at his throat and refusing to enter.

"I know it's a shock," Mark stated after a moment, seeing what he thought was confusion in Kevin's eyes, "but she made it clear she wanted you and only you to take care of her daughter."

"Why me?" Kevin asked, voice so low he wasn't sure Mark heard him.

When Mark only shrugged, Kevin knew he had been heard. "I don't know."

Mark lowered his eyes, looking at Kevin as the other man was deep in his own thoughts. He had recognized the name from the fact that he too had young daughters. It had been a surprise to see the name in Elizabeth's will, and contacting him hadn't been easy either. But Elizabeth had been sure of her decision. She wanted this man to take care of her little girl. He wouldn't deny Elizabeth that.

"I really wished there was another way to work this, but there isn't. Elizabeth didn't have any close relatives. As far as I knew her parents died in a car accident."

"Yeah." Kevin's eyes lost focus for a second, as he remembered. "Back when she was twenty. I heard about it."

Mr. Smith nodded. "Yes, that's true. She was an only child, her grandparents passed away when she was young. And I don't have any number from any uncle or aunt. As far as I know, you're the only link she had to a life beyond the office." Looking back at his papers, he ruffled through them. He wished there was another option, but he had his hands tied. "Would you at least agree too see her?"

His mind seemed to be going backwards, trying to put the words Mark had just said together, trying to understand what was being said. He found himself at a lost of words, not knowing how to proceed. "Where is she?"

"Under Social Services' care, in a group home."

"Social Services?"

Mark nodded sadly. "I refused. I couldn't accept that Elizabeth's daughter would be taken there, but there wasn't another choice. The only one with the right to take her is you -- her tutor. There was nothing I could actually do."

Kevin didn't know what to do. A four year old in a strange house, all alone. He couldn't believe it. "Maybe... maybe I could see her."

Mr. Smith nodded. "Sure." Picking up his briefcase and placing Elizabeth's will there, he motioned for Kevin to leave the office.

With million thoughts in mind, Kevin barely noticed the time it took from the office to the group home. Kevin nodded at the lawyer as they walked into the house. It seemed old, about forty of fifty years old. He couldn't help but look around. The place looked sad and quiet, nothing characteristic of children. He remembered his house being noisy and a totally mess when he was younger.

A lady of about fifty years old greeted them, shaking Mark's hand and nodding in his direction. Her dark brown eyes were hidden behind metal oval glasses, not really as thick as Kevin would have suspected.

"Susan. It's good to see you again."

The lady couldn't help but smile. "Mark. I say the same thing. What brings you over here?"

Turning around, Mark looked at Kevin. "Susan, this Mr. Richardson, Grayson's tutor. Mr. Richardson, Ms. Brehaut, the director of the house."

Susan shook Kevin's hand as she smiled at him. "It's a pleasure meeting you Mr. Richardson. She's such a lovely girl. Quiet, but lovely. It's good to know she's got a home to go to after the tragedy of her mother's death."

Kevin felt himself flushing. He wasn't planning on giving her a home, as she had put it.

"He's not sure about his decision yet Susan. He wants to see her."

"Oh. I see." Turning to look at Kevin, she could see that he was feeling pretty uncomfortable about the situation. "Why don't you wait here for a moment?" She said, leaving for a moment.

"Take a seat Mr. Richardson."

Kevin only nodded and sat on a chair nearby. He felt awful. That lady had been right. Lizzie had wanted him to take care of her daughter and all he could think of was how she would interfere with his schedule. He was a lousy excuse of a man and in that moment he couldn't see why she had wanted him, of all people, to take care of her.

Hearing the door open, Kevin looked up to see Susan entering the room. "Please, follow me," she said.

Kevin and Mr. Smith did as told and walked behind her to a small room. It was barely lighted and there was a window overlooking another room.

"Where are we?"

"This is the observation room." Walking over to the window, she pointed to the room visible through it. "That room is a play room for the kids. They can't see us from there. It was designed for psychiatric evaluations. The children don't know they are being observe and behave normally, while giving a chance to the psychologist to study them without a problem."

Biting his lower lip, Kevin stared at the window, but not looking at it. It was so strange, to be standing in a place like this, and doing something like that. There was something in his bones telling him that this was wrong, that children shouldn't be placed in a situation like this -- specially after one of their parents died.

He remembered when his father died, he remember the desolation, he pain. He remembered feeling he didn't belong anywhere, needing his mother close, needing his brothers with him. How could they expect a child to go through all that alone and in a strange place?

"Where is she?"

"Right there." Susan said as she pointed to a little girl sitting on a chair.

His eyes came to focus on a little girl, sitting by the table set in the room, toys around her but forgotten. She had long a shining black hair and piercing green eyes, as she was looking almost directly at the window, like knowing she was being observed. It was amazing how quiet and still she was. He had always related the idea of children with yells and laughter, like Brian had been when he was a child, but this little girl was the exception to that rule. She was just sitting in her little chair, waiting.

For her mother, his mind whispered. For you.

His pain constricted, closing his eyes as it did so. It had been so long since he had last seen Lizzie, but her face was suddenly looking back at her in the darkness of his mind, smiling tenderly like she always used to do.

Her kindness, her friendship, was had amazed him about her. She had always been open, giving, tender. She had been a stunning woman. And now, her daughter sat all alone in a small room.

How could he do that to Lizzie, how could he disappoint her like that?

"What's her name?" Kevin questioned breaking the silence that had came upon the room in so little time.

"Sarah." Mr. Smith said. "Sarah Ariadne Grayson."

"How old is she?"

"Four."

Kevin sighed once again. Four. Only four years old and she had already lost her mother. "What about her father?"

"Elizabeth was never married. Never talked about him either."

"What..." Kevin turned around and looked at both Mr. Smith and Susan. "What would happen if I don't take her with me?"

Mark looked at Kevin, a sad smile on his lips. "She'd stay here. She doesn't have any other family, so she'd be put for adoption. But I doubt she'd get adopted."

"Why?"

"Well," It was Susan who took over the question, her glasses falling further down her nose, "couples usually look for a new born. She's already four. It'd take at least a couple of years for her to get adopted, if she ever does."

Kevin turned around and looked at Sarah once more. She had barely moved from her place, her hands, intertwined, on top of the table and her eyes seemed to be staring at her pants, thinking of something he couldn't even imagine.

She tilted her head and green eyes blinking slowly and it reminded her so much of Lizzie. She had that aura around her, those stunning blue eyes that always seemed to know something, to think of something. It was like she was always working, thinking of better ways to do her homework, of the time she would spend in each thing. It had been such a peculiar characteristic of her, and now, her little girl had it.

He focused on the dark straight hair that was falling over her shoulders, and Kevin wondered if it was as soft and delicate as Lizzie's had been. White skin shone under the light in the room, and he could recollect the time he had caressed her cheek, and kissed her forehead.

This was Lizzie's little girl. Lizzie personified in another life.

"Maybe we should leave you alone," Mark suggested softly, motioning for him and Susan to leave the room.

The sound barely registered in Kevin's mind, his eyes glued to the little girl on the other side of the windowpane.

Kevin shortened the distance between himself and the reflection of Sarah. His eyes focused, blinking slowly, his breathing evening, his head lowering just the slightest, he just looked at her.

The minutes that passed by seemed to freeze in time as he looked at the little girl and something in him changed.

In his mind, time just stopped.

Shaking his head, trying to come out of the stupor that seemed to have taken a hold on him, Kevin rubbed his face with his hands, breathing deeply.

Going by instinct, and feeling he had been going by instinct an awful lot of times for the past two hours, he pulled out his cell phone. He needed help. He needed to ask someone who knew about kids, someone who had experience with children.

Dialing the already familiar number, Kevin waited for someone to pick up after two rings.

"Hello."

"Nick?"

"Kev? Hey! How are you?" Nick grinned, looking down at his watch. "Shouldn't you be in Chicago?"

"I am."

He picked up the phone set and took it over to the couch, placing it by his side as he sat down with a plop, grateful the phone cord was very long to be able to pull this off. "What are you talking about?"

Kevin sighed softly. "This is complicated."

"Ok." Nick said slowly. Kevin's voice was different. Something was in his mind; something preoccupied him.

"Very complicated."

Nick looked around in his entertaining room, a scene from one of his games paused in the TV. Walking over to the controllers, he picked them up and turned off the game. "I've got all day Kevin. Talk."

"Remember how I was in Lizzie's will?"

"Yeah." How could he not? The call had surprised the whole gang.

"Well... I... she left me her daughter," Kevin said with a calm voice that indicated nothing about his state of mind, but the entire opposite.

Nick stayed quiet for a moment. "You're kidding, right?"

"Sorry Nick, I'm not. I wished I were. God, you don't know how I wished I was. Her four year old daughter." Kevin said somberly, his voice taking a deep tone.

Nick sighed. "What are you gonna do?"

Kevin looked at the little girl. She hadn't moved from her position in her chair, she hadn't even looked at the games on the table. "I don't know Nick. I truly don't know. I want to do the best for the girl, but what's the best? I can't take her with me on tour; she's just a child. I can't leave her here either."

"Where is here exactly?"

"Social Services. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine how much Lizzie would hate me if I left her daughter in the care of social Services?"

Nick nodded, even though Kevin didn't see him and he hadn't known Lizzie, but you didn't need to be a brain surgeon to know that leaving a child in such hands wasn't good. He would rather die than leave one of his siblings in a group home.

Kevin paused, closing his eyes slightly, his voice lowering. "I don't want to leave her."

"I get what you're saying Kevin," he said slowly, resting his head against the back of the couch. "What else can you do?"

"Not much really. I can either take her with me or leave her here."

"Can't anyone else take care of her?"

Kevin shook his head, his eyes going over to Sarah once again. She moved her hands to the table, emerald eyes focusing on her thumbs as they pushed one another. He smiled inwardly.

"She doesn't have anyone else. What am I supposed to do?" Kevin run his fingers through his disheveled hair, his mind going a mile per hour.

"You say you don't want to leave her," Nick said slowly, reminding Kevin of the words he had spoken barely seconds ago.

"Yeah, but taking her with me isn't the solution either."

Nick frowned. "Why not?"

"And you ask me that?" Kevin snorted in self-deprecation. "Nick, we can barely keep up with the schedule, how do you expect a four year old to do so?"

Nick shrugged, doing a little imaginary picture. "She won't have to Kevin, you know that. She can sleep while we're doing interviews, or just play while we're in photo shoots."

"With whom?"

"That's stupid Kevin." Nick sounded disappointed, and it made Kevin roll his eyes. "You can very easily hire a nanny or a au pair or something like that. You don't have to do it all alone."

"Nick--"

"Kevin," Nick said slowly, pondering his words as he did so, "I know it might be scary, hell, I'm scare and it's not even my responsibility. But you know you can handle it." He paused. "I didn't know that Lizzie girl, but for what you said about her yesterday, she was really smart. Do you really think she'd leave you her daughter, her daughter, her most precious possession, unless she was completely and utterly sure you could handle it?" He snorted. "She must have really known you back then, back when you were kids, because she knew you would be up to the challenge and come out victorious."

Kevin bit his lower lips and groaned -- loudly. He hated it when Nick was right. He hated it when he missed something and Nick acted like it had been poking Kevin on the nose. "I hate you, do you know that?"

Grinning almost toothily, Nick sat up straighter, a small chuckle on his lips. "I know you do."

Kevin shook his head, snorting as he did so. "When did you grown up Nicky, and why the hell did I miss it?"

Nick's smile softened, his eyes clearing as his eyes lost focus for a moment and could picture Kevin saying those very same words to his face. "You didn't, you were just too busy making me the man I am."

It was in times like this, when Nick would make so much sense, that Kevin really did wonder if he had done all that Nick seemed to believe. And when his heart would soar, and his lips would twitch upward, Kevin remembered the little kid that had shaken his hand back when they had met.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"Nah, I just have my bright moments. I play Nintendo the rest of the time."

Kevin laughed, and Nick relaxed by the sound. "Then I guess I'm taking her home with me."

Nick nodded, proudly; standing up in one jump, phone in hand as he walked around the room. "That's great! You're bringing her here. Yey!!"

Shaking his head at Nick's antics, rather surprised how he could be so mature one minute and then as childish as they come the next, Kevin sighed. "Yes, I am, where else do you expect me to take her?"

He paused at mid step, as he was about to start dancing in the room. "Hey, you didn't tell me her name."

"Sarah, her name is Sarah."

"Sarah," Nick said, trying the name in his tongue. "Sarah. I like it." He turned around and, phone still in hand, moved from side to side, his hips making circle movements, his hands stretched in front of him and pretended he hadn't learned that movement from Chandler on Friends.

"Stop dancing, Nick."

Nick froze in place. "I'm not."

A snort. "Yeah, right. If Matthew Perry sees you, he's gonna sue you for author's rights."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

Kevin smiled, his eyes dancing. "Me too."

"So, what now?" Nick asked after a pause. "When are you getting back?"

"I've got a flight at three pm."

"Why so late?"

Kevin thought for a second. "I thought something might come up."

Surprised was evident in Nick's eyes. "Maybe you knew something was gonna change your life."

Kevin shook his head, sneering. "I don't think so."

"You don't know, do you?"

A soft sigh left Kevin's lips. "Whatever you say."

"Don't worry," Nick said, his voice taking in a seriousness that stunned Kevin every time it appeared. "You'll do fine. You're prepared for this, remember? You've half brought us up."

The corners of Kevin's lips twitched upwards. "Yeah." And how could he forget.

"You'll do great."

Nick's confidence in him astonished Kevin, humbling him, his voice softening at the small words that carried so much in them. "Thanks."

Kevin didn't need to be by Nick's side, he didn't need to see the blue eyes dazzling as they looked into green ones; he needn't to gaze at the charming smile. He felt it in the angelic voice. "You're very welcome."

Still with a smile on his lips, Kevin hung up, his face set. He took one more glance at the little girl, who was busy looking at her fingers, before walking out into the hallway, Mark and Susan waiting for him.

"Mr. Smith, Mrs. Brehaut." Kevin said slowly, looking right at them, a decision obviously reached. "What papers do I have to sign to take Sarah with me?"

Mark sighed softly, relaxing visibly at the words. "I could give you a copy of the guardianship and I could send the rest to your lawyer."

Kevin nodding, accepting the piece of paper Mark offered. He wrote down Jack's name and the phone number as he heard Mark saying something to Susan. The woman left while he handed the paper back to Mark.

"That's pretty much all. I don't think you'd have any problem. All the papers are set, the guardianship signed."

Just then Susan arrived with a small pink backpack with her. "This is all Sarah got with her. I think she still has some personal stuff back in their apartment, but that's all."

Kevin took the backpack in hand and thanked Susan. "I'd like to talk with Sarah."

Susan nodded, looking down at the floor helplessly, her eyes blinking quickly. "I should have said this earlier, but I just..."

"What?"

"Sarah, she is a lovely girl, but she's got a problem."

Frowning, his eyes finding dark brown ones, he questioned. "What do you mean, a problem?"

Swallowing guiltily, Susan gave Kevin a small smile. "She doesn't speak."

"She doesn't speak? What--?"

Sighing softly, Susan looked down, pausing for a second. "She has good reflexes, we know it's not physical. It's a posttraumatic response. After her mother died, we believe she just... closed herself."

"Is there something I could--?"

Susan gave the younger man a reassuring smile. "You shouldn't worry. Just let her adjust to her new life. She's... scared, I believe, as would any four year old moving with a stranger."

Kevin nodded understandingly. So he had just had to make her feel comfortable. Not an easy task, that's for sure.

She smiled once again, before turning around and walking over to the playroom where Sarah was at the moment. As she was about to open it, she turned around. "Maybe you should come inside by yourself. Introduce yourself without us hovering around."

Kevin nodded almost shyly, and entered the room. Standing by the frame for a moment, Kevin took in a deep breath. This was, this could be defined as, the most difficult thing he had done so far. How could he just walk over to her and take her away? She had every right not to want to talk with him, she had lost her mother for goodness sake.

But he couldn't signal this as a lost battle before he had even fought. He had to try, to do his best with her.

He shook his head inwardly, biting his lower lip. Oh god, he wanted to groan. I hope you're right Nick, I really do. I hope Lizzie knew what she was doing, because there's no turning back now.

He paused for a second, closing his eyes, taking calming breaths. I'm doing what you wanted me to Lizzie. I'm gonna try. I'll do my best. Just please, please, for once, be right.

With that thought present in his mind, Kevin took a tentative first step, the next one seeming much easier. He forced himself to calm down, to be fine, if not for his own sake, then at least for hers.

And as he approached her, a small smile played on his lips.

She must have heard him, because she swirled her head around, her focused caught on him.

The dark haired man kneeled in front of the young girl. "Hi." He said softly.

She blinked once; jade green eyes met almost identically emerald ones. Tilting her head to the side ever so slightly, Sarah gazed at him. Her big unblinking green eyes started a scrutinizing analysis of the big, tall and kind of frightening man that was kneeling in front of her. Another nameless face in the long list of new people she had met ever since the last time she saw her mother. Why was it that all these people wanted to see her and take her to places she had never been? Why was it that she had get her pink backpack and had to leave her cozy bed and very pretty room and come to stay in this very cold house for the last couple of days?