Timeline: Sophie is Derek and Karen's youngest child and is about 18 here. That makes Hannah 23 and Matthew 20

Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, the ballet studio was most deserted when Derek got there. He paused in the door way to just listen to the quiet. Life in the city was always filled with noise; he enjoyed a moment of peace. After his quiet moment, he collected himself and jogged up stairs. There was a bit more noise up there. The soft sounds of classical music and a woman murmuring instructions mingled with point shoes on a wooden floor.

Derek slipped unnoticed into the main studio to watch Sophie complete the final steps to her dance. "Brava," Madame Rene said. "That was excellent, Sophie."

Derek applauded from the corner. Sophie turned to him with a bright smile and ran to hung him. "Poppa!" she shrieked.

"You were wonderful," he whispered to her. "Now get changed. We need to meet the family for dinner."

Sophie glided away to slip into her regular clothes as Derek went to talk with her tutor. "How is she doing?"

"Your daughter is an apt pupil, sir. She'll make a wonderful Swan Princess."

"Her mother and I are very proud."

"As you should be."

Sophie came skipping up to them. "Ready when you are daddy."

"Give me a minute to pay, sweetheart and then we'll go."

Sophie danced off to the side. "Your daughter is quite the dreamer," her teacher said with a smile.

Derek shrugged as he pulled out his check book. "She gets it from her mother. All the children do. Same price as usual?"

The instructor was about to agree with him when they heard yelling in the hallway. "Leave me alone!" Sophie insisted.

Derek thrust his check book the instructor and ran to see what had his princess so upset. He saw a larger man pinning Sophie to the wall as she struggled to get free. Derek recognized the man as one of the many boys Sophie had brought home. Soon after the boy had disappeared while Sophie worked on her dance career. "Did you think you could get away from me, bitch."

"Get the hell off of her!" Derek yelled.

"What's it to you gramps?"

Derek grabbed the man and threw him into the wall. "Sophie, go back inside now!" Sophie scurried back into the dance studio quickly. Derek kept his attention on the attacker. The man was clumsy as he attacked. Derek had never been so pleased about his street brawling skills as he was just then. "That 'bitch' is my little girl," he stated, as he threw the man to the ground. "And if I ever catch you near her again, you'll wish you had never bothered being born." Derek aimed a vicious kick at the man's side to emphasize his point. "Now get out or I'll call the police."

Without a backward glance, Derek stalked into the dance studio. Sophie rushed into his arms as soon as she saw him. "Poppa!"

"You alright?" he asked softly as he hugged her.

"I'm fine," she promised him. "Probably won't even bruise." She pulled away and looked him over with a critical eye. "But you might. And worse the way you're leaning on that leg."

"It's nothing," Derek insisted. "I'm just not as young as once was."

Sophie smiled at him. "And I bet Alex is a lot bigger than that Dev guy you once took on for mum."

"Maybe a little," Derek allowed, his pride not letting him say anymore.

"You're still my hero, poppa."

"I love you sweetie."

"Excuse," Sophie's tutor interjected. "Do I need to call the police?"

"No," Derek told her. "Everything's taken care of. If you'll just hand me my check book I can pay you and we'll go."

"This one, sir, is free."

Sophie smiled softly at her teacher. "Thank you, madam," she said with a curtsey.

"Come on," Derek sighed. "Your mother is no doubt worried sick about us at this moment." He looped an arm around Sophie's shoulders and led her back out into the noise of the city.