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Author's Chapter Notes:
In actuality it's only chapter 2 because of the prologue. But since I am just a tiny bi OCD I'm just going to leave it this way. :)
Chapter 2

“What do you think? The red or gold?”

Kat sat in the chair next to the photographer’s equipment eyeing it with longing. For a while now she had wanted to major in photography as soon as she got into university. The first time she had mentioned the idea to her parents had also been the last. It always seemed like nothing but the trial and error process with her parents, but it always seemed to end in error. When her father heard the idea he smiled at her indulgently and told her it was a nice hobby. It reminded her of the way a parent would smile at a scribbled drawing of a two year old to make them feel good about themselves, even though they knew it was silly. Her mother had a response that she preferred, because even though she had given her a petulant frown, she had told her straight, that the idea in her eyes, was ridiculous. That she should be thinking of marrying someone with a great deal of money, or if she really wanted to try being a working woman then being a doctor was fine. Kat couldn’t stand the sight of blood. That must have slipped her mothers mind. And even though her mother’s answer was a little harsher, she preferred it because it was the truth, she wasn’t trying to spoil her or treat her like a child.

She turned her eyes to the model. “I think you looked better in green.” A smile graced her face at the annoyed look of the model. Green had been the color that she had absolutely opposed to from the beginning. Something about a radio active bridesmaid disaster.

“Miss Chase, does this kid have to be here? It’s ruining my concentration; you do want these promotional shots to turn out right don’t you?”

Cordelia rubbed her temples in agitation. She could understand that Kate was bored, she was a teenager with possibly different tastes then her, but dealing with a model who didn’t seem to like her was growing into a pain. Although she preferred her ex niece to any other obnoxious teenager because she didn’t seem nearly as spirited, she did have her own more subtle way of throwing barbs. It would have almost been entertaining if she wasn’t paying the large amount of money for all the equipment and the model so the shoot could take place.

“How about the red, the gold seemed slightly too showy for this particular style.”

Kat rolled her neck, was it really possible to die of boredom? Glancing off to the side she saw Cordelia shake her head irately at something and step of to the side. Taking it as an opportunity she picked up the large camera. She peered through it, playing with the focus. As she adjusted it to the right setting a very annoyed looking photographer came into view. In shock she tried to take the camera from her face but managed only to let it slip from her hands. Wide eyed she stared at the now broken camera at her feet and the red faced man that stood nearby. The lens was no more. A crack down the middle made sure of that.

“Oops?” He was furious, she could tell, although it wasn’t a hard thing to notice when he was practically having a silent hernia right in front of her. It would almost have been entertaining if it hadn’t been because of her.

“Miss Chase!”

She winced at the loud yell that erupted from the decidedly small man. Boy could he have a temper. She watched Cordelia run into view and survey the scene. Kate averted her eyes as she talked to the photographer, who was still very red faced. And then Cordelia came over and asked her to accompany her into another room.

“It was an accident, I swear.” She wasn’t particularly sorry about the man’s camera, but the small amount of respect she held for her ex aunt, even if it was just from the fact that she had been married to a guy like Will and survived, made her want to apologize.

Cordelia smiled lightly, despite her still tense body stance.

And it had been an accident. How was she supposed to not drop the camera at seeing that pudgy little man. He was so unlike anything she had ever pictured a photographer to be. Short, bald and decidedly mean. Definitely not good looking. He didn’t even walk like a normal person, she could swear he lurked.

“It’s fine.” She glanced at her watch. “Uhm, look. I don’t want to seem inhospitable or like I’m not enjoying your company, cus’ I am!” She averted quickly. “But I should probably be taking you back now. Don’t worry tomorrow will be better, you’ll be spending some time with my sister. I know what a boring place this can be, especially for a teenager. You’re ok with that aren’t you?”

Kat nodded. She had to be. What other choice did she have?

“Good.” Cordelia smiled.

***
Elizabeth flipped through her organizer, mentally calculating the hours that she would be working each time, and the amount of times she had been phoned, or not, to come back. Tonight she was scheduled from four to eight with some breaks in between. Nearly three years of routine and now she was making a detour. Her sisters powers of persuasion still managed to render her speechless after some sort of agreement.

Pulling into a long driveway she glanced in her rearview mirror once again questing herself on what had possessed her to agree to the arrangement of taking care of her sisters ex husbands niece. Teenage years hadn’t exactly been her sweetest years. She had slightly above average grades, average looks –but not enough to get noticed by guys- and a few friends. Who had no lasted past high school. The few guys that she had liked were either a mistaken fondness that turned into friendship, or relationships that eventually lost all of the attraction. If she remembered it correctly Cordelia had been the one with all the jaded romances which caused her to stay up late and eat lots of oreo’s with her sister. Elizabeth had been the shoulder to lean on, the reliable friend, and the confusing daughter. Ever since her parents divorce all she had wanted was consistency.

Sometime during her reminiscing she had managed to successfully park the car and get out. So why was she agreeing to take care of a teenager who had whatever she asked for but not what she wanted? She reached the front door and rang the bell. Maybe it was the realization that she was one of the only people that the girl would have, that compelled her to do it.

The door swung open and she was greeted by the face of a man she had only seen once before in her life. “Hello pet.” His eyes then turned to look at the dark haired teen. “Kate this is…”

“Elizabeth.” The blonde supplied slightly annoyed.

“Right, right. Well I have to be off for a meeting, you know where the extra key is, and make sure you don’t break anything this time alright luv?” Kate nodded mutely turning her eyes away, convinced that her new babysitter, for lack of a better word, would not think she would be a nuisance.

Elizabeth frowned. Or maybe it was this jackass that made her want to take the offer.





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