Erika sat in the playroom with her sister Natasha and watched her as she played with the dolls. Natasha would cradle one of them, then put it down on the blanket. So far there was a row of three sleeping dolls.

"Having fun?" Erika asked tickling her a little. The toddler nodded and smiled. "Oh Natasha…" her voice was now soft. "I'm so sorry about last night, when daddy began yelling."

"It okay." Natasha answered her words simple. She crawled into her older sister's lap.

"I wish you didn't have to grow up with him yelling and seeing him hit me. I'd rather it be me any day than you, you know."

Her chubby arms wrapped around Erika's neck, "My hero..." she sighed.

"So precious, Natasha… you're too young to understand now, but…daddy wasn't always like that, you know? His job his so hard on him right now and maybe he needs time adjusting."

Natasha cocked her head to one side, "What ajustin'?"

"He needs to get used to it. But I promise you, Tasha, he'll be back to normal one time…"

Natasha nodded, "Daddy not yell sometime. He not be that way sometime?"

Erika sighed and wrapped her own arms around Natasha, "One day, he'll be back to normal… there are some things you just cannot be one hundred percent sure on. I'm so happy you and mom are here with me too. You may not understand this either until you get older but… when times get bad I think of you…"

"Me too." Natasha's eyes grew droopy.

"Is this dolly sleepy?" she asked, changing the subject. She pushed Natasha's fiery red hair behind her hair.

Natasha looked up and yawned, "Yeah."

Erika carried Natasha out of the playroom and headed down the hall, "Looks like you're pretty tired too, Tasha. Here, I'll lay you down in your room for a nappy, okay?" Carefully and lovingly, Erika set her little sister down on her bed. "I'll check in on you later, Tasha… sweet dreams." She left the room closing the door halfway.

From the kitchen, back downstairs, Erika found her mother in the backyard. She sat in one of the chairs belonging to the patio set and sewed some sort of a pattern. Opening the sliding door, Erika could hear her mother hum peacefully.

"Hello sweetie."

"Hi mom. Tasha's sleeping now." Erika said, informing her. "Oh yeah, and I just came in to let you know that I'm gonna head over to Zac's for a bit, okay?"

Mary looked up from her sewing, "No problem, sweets. Have fun. Be back by dinner time and if not, call."

Erika turned to walk out the back door, "Thanks! Bye!"

****

"Gee Zac, you look nervous." Erika laughed at Zac. They were up in his and Taylor's room. Her eyes followed him around the room in amusement as he walked back and forth, opening and closing drawers, trying to decide what to wear.

He stopped, hands on hips, "Hmm. What made you think that, Erika? Oh what the hell right? It's just a date and I don't even know if I wanna go ahead and take a second one."

"Yeah, think of it that way."

"So… I guess I'll just wear my docs… this jacket, this shirt and these pants. Be right back." Zac closed the door to the walk in closet behind him and changed. "You like?" he asked, pretending he was a model walking down the runway.

"Zac, don't do that! Now you're really scaring me!" she covered her eyes, then uncovered them to get a good look at him. "Not bad, Zac… not bad at all…" Erika walked over to Zac's bed and plopped down on it so that she was lying on her stomach. Her blank expression turned into a playful smile. "Zac, would you like to explain this?" she held up the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

"What the? That's not mine, I. Oh! It's the swimsuit edition."

Erika rolled her eyes, "As if you didn't know… what if you mother knew about this…" she waved the magazine in front of him.

"You're just bluffing. Besides Erika, that's Taylor's magazine."

Erika pointed at him, "And it just so happens to be on your bed."

Zac shook his head and laughed, "Oh just give me that." He snatched it away from her and threw over on Taylor's bed. "Fine, I'll admit it! Sheesh! I'm just a guy! I was just… you know… browsing through it."

"Why so you could buy yourself a new bathing suit? Tsk, tsk, tsk, Zac."

"And so what if I was?" he asked, lying down next to her, except he was lying on his back.

Erika looked at him, "You're so full of-"

"What? C'mon, go ahead, say it."

"Smartass." Erika laughed, clapping her hands. "And no, I refuse to say another bad word. You're so full of… it."

Zac shrugged, "Wow. That really hurt." He laughed as she sighed.

"Nervous?"

Zac turned to face her, "You have no idea."

Erika searched her mind for some assuring words, none came though and she knew why. "You'll do fine you know. And if it doesn't work out, it'll be no big deal, no pain there. From there you'll just have to make another decision. Whether or not you wanna take another step forward."

"I guess. I'm glad I've got a friend like you."

Erika smirked, "Yeah, you better."

Zac chuckled, "Trust me I am. Besides, " his voiced was quiet now, "what would I do without you?"

"Well, " Erika thought, "you probably still would not know what to wear for your date and you'd be sweating from your anxiety. Look… you've calmed down now… HEY!" she yelled laughing after Zac smacked her with a pillow. "Okay, sorry. Now on all seriousness, I'm so glad I've got a friend like you. Who knows how lost I could be without your help."

"Ditto." Zac replied. He closed his eyes and felt Erika get off the bed. "AAAHHH!" he screamed when the unsuspecting pillow now hit him in the face. "HEY!" he opened his eyes, grabbed one of his pillows and chased after her.

"Argh, you hit… me first!" she defended while swinging back at Zac. "I was just getting back at you." she said innocently.

"HA! Yeah right!" Zac smiled evilly, watching her pillow fall out of her hands.

"Uh-oh…" she walked backwards until she bumped against the side of Taylor's bed.

"Got ya cornered now… what should I do with you? Hmm." He tapped his finger against his chin as though he was actually pondering about it.

She smiled nervously, "What are you gonna do?"

"THIS!!!" Zac yelled. He jumped up and pounced on her like a cat, knocking her over and pinning her down on Taylor's bed. Quickly he began to tickle her heartlessly, not showing any mercy what so ever.

"Zac! Zac! Ha ha!! Stop, please! Zac!" she laughed harder and harder.

"Um, no." Zac said grinning wider than before if possible.

At that moment Taylor opened the bedroom door, "Hey guys…" he stopped short and smiled at them slyly, "You know, all of us can hear you guys laughing and whatever it is you're doing from downstairs. "

Zac let Erika go and she sat up, "It's not like that, we swear!" they said together. Jokingly, they both held their hands up over their heads in defeat.

"Uh-huh…" Taylor said slowly. He raised his eyebrows at them, "Right… well anyways, next time use your own bed, Zachary." Laughter filled the room. "By the way, isn't it time for the big date or something?" Taylor asked from the closet.

Zac looked at his watch then to at Erika apologetically, "Oh yeah! Gotta go. Bye!" he said in a hurry grabbing his shoes and running out the door. Erika stayed silently and waited for Taylor to come out.

Taylor came out a minute later, now in his house clothes. His surprised expression on his face told her he didn't expect her to still be here.

"Hey there, Erika! I thought you left with Zac…"

"Um… no!" she laughed.

"Cool. Looks like it's just you and me hanging out tonight then."

"Oh goodie."

Taylor saw the smirk on her face, "Don't sound to excited now…"

This time Erika clapped her hands and jumped up in the air, "OH! I WON'T!"

He sat down on the floor and turned on the television, looking at her to join him. Steadily, Taylor flipped through the channels looking for something good to watch, "I thought you'd be out tonight."

Erika didn't understand the right way, "Do you want me to leave?"

Taylor laughed, "Oh no! The exact opposite! Stay if you can.

It's just that Zac described tonight as the 'Big Night/Date' so I thought, you know…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean now." She nodded.

"I thought it was the 'Big Date' for you two. He was making such a big deal out of it, and I just thought so… "

"Yeah, he's going out with that one girl, Vanna." Erika felt her heart sink a little.

Taylor smiled encouragingly, "It is just one date. I mean, it's not too late and you could always…"

Erika shook her head, "I don't think so Taylor. It's not like that. Really, it's not. Don't you think it would be weird? "

"Considering it's Zac, yes." Taylor grinned. "What you think is right isn't always-"

Erika cut him off, "Yeah, but it's probably for the best." With that, the subject dropped.

Back at her house, Erika looked down at the paper with her writing on it.

Someone Else

You're out tonight, with someone else,
Talking, laughing, with someone else.
You'll walk along with someone else,
Hand in hand with someone else.
They say you should be with someone else,
Be with me then with someone else.

You may be gone tonight with someone else,
Talking, laughing, with someone else.
You may have left with someone else,
But you left your heart, with me.

******

story owner's (amber)note: the poem above is completely and solely owned by the author of this chapter, leelee. Don't take it.