Sweetheart Trio

Angel never got angry. Most people said he wasn't capable of anger. Of course, that was until he met up with his ex-wife. After not seeing the woman for ten years, he assumed she was out of his life for good. Venus always asked about her, and Angel told the little truth. He made her out to be someone amazing, and that didn't go well for him. Even his own daughter blamed him for the things he didn't do.

Today she had texted him and asked to meet. Why? He has no idea. But being the man he was, he agreed. He bought two plane tickets and told Venus they were going on a vacation, as the Fall break had finally set. She didn't complain though. He wasn't sure how he felt about letting Venus meet Lilly. He supposed after ten years, maybe they could be friends? Maybe Venus could live the last four years of being a child knowing who her mother is.

Angel loved Venus more than anything, but Lilly? Lilly has betrayed him, even if neither of them were in love. He felt used. He didn't want to look at the woman after all this time apart. He'd once thought she was a saint. He should never have lead that relationship on…but after having a child together? He couldn't have been the one to leave.

The man was already fine with the idea that this was all his fault. He didn't mind, though. Lilly needed their friends more than he did. She'd always been their star. Sammy was like her brother and Evergreen…well, things happened. Leonard had done his best to stay in contact with the teacher, but Lilly had grown to resent the man and he couldn't keep the friendship going for long. Angel was destined to be alone.

He shook that thought from his mind as he packed. Marco and Venus were laughing together in her room, so Angel was having his own alone time. He settled on thinking this over again. London was far away, maybe it wasn't such a good idea. The last time he really interacted with Lilly hadn't gone well. What he had heard was that she became a really great artist and illustrated covers for the books of her…wife?

Angel felt even more hurt just thinking of that. He'd hidden his own sexuality just to make her happy, and it turned out she had preferred women. Why couldn't they have just communicated? Because their friends thought they were perfect? Because it was too perfect? Angel wished perfection wasn't the ideal. He'd rather be anything but perfect. He hated the way people patronized him and made it seem like he was so much better than others. He wasn't. He was struggling, he was scared, he was anxious. Just standing in front of his class to teach was to too much for him to handle most days.

Heart was far from perfect. He was often told that he came so close to it. People told him they couldn't feel and for someone like him. Someone that didn't bat an eye when his wife left him with a baby. Someone who didn't complain while raising a little girl alone. Someone who managed to spoil his daughter with so little money. He didn't need pity. He didn't need sympathy.

"Daddy?" Venus knocked on the door to his room, Angel pickup up his head. He carefully took off his white bucket hat and opened the door.

"Yes, princess?"

"Who are we going to see?"

"Just some old friends, why?"

"I don't recall you having any friends. My whole life, it's just been us!"

"Well that's because I moved away a long time ago. I haven't seen these people in ten years." That was the simple truth. She didn't need to know the details.

Venus nodded, bit her cheek, and watched her dad carefully. He had the same look in his eyes that he had when there was bad news. A saddened tired look, one that could break you so easily. Like he was ready to just give up but he couldn't bring himself to show it. The way he moved let Venus know he was trying to keep calm. He was good at it, but she lived with the man. He was her father. She knew everything about him.

She gave a small once over his room. No pictures besides the one of her as a baby on his nightstand. It didn't really look like he lived there. His bed was well made and his walls were empty. He had only a few belongings on the desks and a few things were already packed for the trip.

Hopefully this wouldn't be so bad.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was bad. Venus had to comfort her dad several times just on the plane. He'd have a panic attack while staring out the window and Venus would have to silently pat his back. She could tell he wasn't too excited for the whole trip. Who was he meeting that scared him this badly? Maybe she should convince him not. Or maybe…

"Daddy?" she made her voice sweet when the plane was landing, "are we meeting someone you don't like?"

"W-what?" He was stuttering.

"We are…why?"

"It's nothing-" he began to say, but he realized she might deserve to know, "It's your mother."

"And you weren't going to tell me?!"

"Have you ever heard of a surprise?"

"Why are you so scared?"

"Everyone hates me."

And that was all Venus needed to hear. She could feel it inside that there was no reason to hate Angel. She knew he was the sweetest guy in the world. What could he have possibly done to make anyone hate him? Venus wasn't sure she believed that hate was the right word…

Until they arrived. Venus thought her mother was beautiful. She had short blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. She looked like Cinderella. Her skin glowed and her blue dress flowed around her knees. Angel always said he wished Venus had taken more traits of Lilly. Venus hadn't understood why until now, but her mother was gorgeous. Venus had always wanted blue eyes and blonde hair. It was the stereotypical beauty she had always dreamed of having. Knowing she could have had that and didn't? Well that did kind of suck.

"Angel!" A woman, Venus's height, ran towards them. They were stood on a bridge by shops and the cafe they were going to.

The woman stopped beside Lilly, flashing her wedding ring slightly. She wore a big sun hat that looked nice against her dark brown hair. Her eyes were the same as well as her skin. She smiled gently, her orange turtleneck and black skirt making for an interesting outfit. She held a notebook in one hand.

"Evergreen! I haven't seen you in years," Angel smiled, as though he really had missed her. And he did. Despite the circumstances of their last talk…he did love Eva. It wasn't her fault for Lilly's actions. And it had been ten years.

"It's been so long, Mr. Heart! I hear you are a teacher now, how has that been?"

"Wonderful, I love all my students. And this year I get to teach my wonderful daughter, here. Venus, say hi to your step-mother."