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

Tell Me I'm Not Too Late...

"Princess?" Paul called again as he went inside. 

Silence was his only answer as he walked upon a familiar and heartbreaking scene...

"Santana...?" He called, his voice nearly breaking with emotion as he looked around for any sign of his daughter. 

Her bed was neatly made, everything seemed to be in place with what seemed nearly nothing missing; unlike the first time he had woke to find her gone. 

However, none of that mattered to Paul. 

The most important person in the world to him and the one and only person who mattered was missing; his everything and his only reason for living had been taken from him again. 

"No..." He said, shaking his head; the same scene as before practically replaying itself. "DAMN IT TO HELL, NO!!!" 

Falling to his knees, he then buried his face in his hands; heartbreak consuming him as the tears he thought he had finally put to rest then returned. 

Thoughts and memories immediately began flooding his mind...

Holding Santana in his arms for the first time...the night he returned home to find the most important and precious beingin his life alone and abandoned...all of her firsts that he had thanked God above every day for getting to experience and share with her...her voice...her laughter...her smile...the eternal and complete happiness becoming a father had brought to both him and his life...the promise that he would always be there and that he would take care of her...

Santana was his world...his everything...having lost her once had only made him appreciate what they had even more and realize just how treasured their bond truly was...

Angrily clenching his fists, he then lifted his head. 

"No...not this time..." He said, his temper threatening to break. "...I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you again, angel..."

Storming out of his daughter's room, he then headed down the hall and to his own bedroom...

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

Frantically pounding on the door of his best friend's apartment, Ace hoped Peter was there. 

Receiving no answer, he then quickly retrieved the extra key that Peter had entrusted him with. Fumbling nervously and worriedly a few times, he finally managed to slide the key into the lock and open the door as he headed inside. 

"Peter?" He called, going further into the apartment. "Peter, are you here?" He called again, silence returning his response. 

Looking around, he noticed his best friend's apartment was neat and orderly as usual with no sign of him nor Santana being there. 

Checking every room, he then headed down the hall; finding the door to Peter's bedroom standing open. 

Going inside, he then looked around; finding everything as normal, though some of Peter's clothes were missing. 

"Damn it, Peter!!" He fussed to the silence and emptiness surrounding him. "Where the hell did you take off to this time?!"

A thought then registered as he made a mad dash out of his best friend's bedroom and across the hall to the spare bedroom that Peter had converted into a den.

Ace then removed one of the framed posters from its coveted spot on the wall; revealing the small, locked, steel door of a safe.

"Let's hope I remember this..." He said to himself as he immediately began working the combination lock in a series of turns and numbers.