Father Knows Best...or Does He? (COMPLETE)

Faster Than Angels Fly...

"Good job, Eric!!" Gene commended as they were heading to their dressing rooms after the show had ended and they had finished their traditional backstage time with their fans.

"Thanks!!" Eric said, smiling. "I'm not gonna lie!! I was a nervous wreck up there!!" He admitted, laughing. "I think some of the beats I was laying down were actually my knees knocking!!"

"Well the fans were definitely loving it!! And that's all that matters!!" Gene laughed. "Right, Paul?" He looked over at his best friend.

Paul wasn't really listening, in fact, he had felt disconnected during their entire show but managed to carry on through the performance. His mind was on his daughter and his heart was mourning her absence.

"Yeah, I guess..." He finally answered, retreating the group without another word as he reached his dressing room; heading inside and closing the door behind him.

"I really wish that things would turn around, I hate seeing him so down..." Eric said, looking up at Gene.

"Me too, pal, me too..." Gene agreed.

Ace was in the same boat of emotion as Paul; he was just as worried about Peter and wondering if he would ever see or even hear from his best friend again. Remaining quiet, he too headed into his dressing room as the others did the same.

*************************

Paul sat at the vanity table, wiping his makeup off with a towel. His eyes then fell to the framed picture of Santana angled and seeming to look up at him.

"I miss you, angel..." He said, picking the picture up and staring at it. "...I really hope you miss me..." He traced a finger over his daughter's smile, the mirror image of his own.

His mind then began to drift in recall of the last moment the two of them had spent together. The harsh words he had said, yelling at her, the pleading look and the tears in her eyes whenever he turned her away...

"...then again, maybe you don't..." He then said, continuing to stare at the picture.

During the show, he had caught himself looking offstage numerous times; hoping to find Santana seated upon the amplifier or even just standing there watching him and smiling.

Instead of her smile, though, he had been met with the pain and realization that she wasn't there. The energy and most especially the fans were incredible as always but tonight, for the first time since he had been performing, Paul's heart wasn't in the show.

Emotion welled within him as he continued to look down into his own eyes. Unable to fight it any longer, Paul laid his head down on the vanity table and let his tears come.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Santana giggled, running out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"You can run but you can't hide, kitten!!" Peter called, laughing as he playfully chased her.

Santana squealed, scampering around the couch.

"Ah-ha!!" Peter said, smiling as he took off around the opposite way she did; managing to corner her, then pulling her into his arms. "Gotcha!!"

"No!!!" Santana continued to giggle, then finally giving up mercilessly in his embrace.

Peter smiled, leaning in and devouring her mouth with his; skating his hands down and groping her backside.