Have you seen this man?

A girl. He came across an ocean looking for the man who fathered him and left his mother weeping for closure and all he got was the name of a girl. "The only known relative" was what the investigator had said. Well, for all they know, the bastard could have little ankle biters all around the world at this point, couldn't he? Once Connor caught up with him, he was going to make sure the bastard couldn't breed anymore children that he couldn't raise up.

No point in scaring this girl, though. He needed to know what she knew. If she knew anything. If she didn't, then he was well and fucked. And his mum was going to die weeping. A few knocks on the door and he'd find out for sure. So he knocked.

Haley winced as she pulled her dinner out of the oven. Of course someone would be at the door right before she was getting ready to eat. "I'm coming!" She yelled as she headed to the door and tied her hair back in a pony tail. She opened the door to a man that she had never seen before. "Can I help you?" She asked as she leaned against the door frame.

Pretty girl. Shame she was related to an asshole. "Are you Haley Archibald?"

Haley nodded slowly. She had no idea who this guy was, much less how he got her address. "Yes and before you ask, I've already been saved. I don't have the money to buy anything. So, take your pick out of those options."

"Ain't one for saving or selling. Do you know a Peter Soulden?"

Haley blinked a few times before shaking her head. "The name doesn't ring a bell. Should I know him?"

"Think real hard now, dove. You don't know that name at all?" So he was desperate now, his teeth grinding a little and the stupid scrap of paper in his hand crumpled to hell and back. But God help him if the investigator was wrong and he had to go back to his mother empty handed.

Haley thought and shook her head. "The name doesn't ring a bell. I'm sorry." She could tell that it was important to her that she remember but she honestly didn't know the name. Still, the name sounded vaguely familiar.

Fuck. He was fucked. He huffed out a sigh and tried to unclench his fist. It didn't go quietly so, as it was shoved into his pocket, he gave her a bit of a wave with his other hand. "Sorry about bothering you, miss. Must've looked up the wrong name in the phonebook." Because he may be a right shithook but his mother taught him to not bother women. "Enjoy your dinner. Smells damn good."

Haley gave him a small smile. "I hope you find who you're looking for. You don't by any chance have a picture, do you? I'm horrible with names."

"Uh... Yeah." It was an old picture, sure. But it was of the jackass and Connor's mother, curled up together and smiling; there was a bit of her belly starting to show with him in it. And it wasn't long after that picture that Soulden ran off. Like a rat on a burning ship. He handed it over to her.

Haley took the picture and her face went pale. She looked up at him slowly. "That's my Dad."

Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch. "Funny thing," he huffed out, gritting his teeth again. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

Haley contemplated saying no. There was a link that someone sent her via email and told her to read it. That could wait. She nodded and stepped aside to let him in. "Sure. Come on in."

He came inside and tried to remember his manners. "So he's your da?" Like he didn't know the answer to that. The way she'd looked when she saw the picture just affirmed the fact. "You seen him lately?"

Haley shook her head. "Nope. He left when I was young. I was no older than two when he did." She sighed as she sat down on the couch. "How do you know him?"

"He stuck around with you," he said with a raise to his eyebrow. "Your mum must've been something special."

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, we lived on the Upper East Side until I was two. Then he bailed and mom was all but shunned. We moved to Port Wentworth, Georgia. She became the DA and I lived with her until she died when I was still in high school. Then I was sent to live with my Uncle Howie and Aunt Anne and Nate." Why was she telling him all of this? He didn't care. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling again."

"S'all right, dove. It's your story," he nodded, knowing the feeling of wanting someone to hear who you were, "and it's yours to tell in whatever way you want." But he still wanted to punch his--their--father in the throat. "And, if it makes you feel better," he huffed, "he at least stuck around until you popped out and grew some. More of a kindness than he ever did mum and me."

"Mom never really talked about him." She admitted candidly. There were only a few pictures around the house of him and Haley never really asked. She was perfectly content with the male figures in her life. "Then again, I didn't ask about him much. Nate did a pretty good job in filling the big brother role and before my Aunt Anne drove him to do bad things, my uncle was a pretty good father figure to me anyway. He bought me my first car when I was sixteen." Haley grinned at the memory. "It was a baby blue mustang."

He was so... angry. No, that wasn't strong enough. He wasn't sure there was a word hot enough for the rage in him. But it wasn't her fault. He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't her fault. She had good family, strong supports; his mother'd been left with nothing but shame and a bastard child. He took as deep of a breath that he could without being too telling and gave her a grin. "Hell of a car, dove. Bet she ran like a dream."

Haley nodded. "It was until Nate and I almost wrecked it going almost 100 down a dirt country road." She laughed slightly at the memory then was forced (rather unpleasantly) back to reality. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Connor," he said, extending a hand. "It's Connor. And I am sorry that I showed up at your door like I did. I just... I'm looking for him, you see." Even though he didn't want to be.

Haley took it with a smile. "I'm Haley." The smile faltered slightly. "I'm sorry. Why are you looking for him again?"

"For my mum." He shook his head a little. "The woman in the picture. She, uh..." It was hard, talking about this. Talking about losing the only person in his life that mattered. And having her send him out on this goosechase after a man that never really loved her to begin with. "She's the one looking for him, really. Just isn't in the state of health where she can."