THE GRACEFUL WILLOW

While on a secret assignment and disguised as a rock singer seeking a drug connection, I was sent to Tokyo to entrap Cheshire. Hormones got in the way; what can I say? She was...WOW! It was mad love, not real love; we both had fun together and I hated to leave her. Unfortunately, I'd figured out that either my criminally insane lover would be the death of me or I would have to bring her in...so I left her, not knowing she was pregnant with my child.

So ok, I'm not the world's smartest guy...well big DUH there! I snuck into Chesh's place and got my butt royally trashed; next thing I knew, I was trusted up in a chair with Jade threatening my life, saying she should have killed me when we first met. (Hey---a lot of women have felt that way, I guess)... All I wanted was to see my kid just one time on her birthday; I knew Chesh was going to kill me, but that one simple act would have gotten me through...but no. Jade couldn't be reasoned with, even when I reminded her that Lian was my only blood relative in the world and that I loved her and wanted to be a dad to her. Thank the guardian spirit, my buddy Dick was looking out for me. Cheshire poisoned me badly, but not enough to kill me; I still wonder if she'd meant it to be that way... She took off, leaving her beloved daughter behind; Uncle Nightwing saved the day and brought my little Lian to me while I recovered in the hospital. I had an uphill fight...well, three actually---I needed to clear my name both with the CBI and with Interpol for jumping Nightwing's train and lying about being a Federal agent, I had to face a hearing to gain custody of my own kid, and I needed to mend from my injuries and learn all about taking care of my baby in a foreign country...but I managed it all.

Though it hasn't been easy and I still can't do all that I want for her, my daughter has never gone without anything that she really needs...'cept for her daddy, at times. I'll admit it: I've gone to bed hungry, gone without new clothes or female companionship and stuff like that for ages at a time, and I didn't mind it. I even went without a phone for a long while, too, all to make sure that any money I made went into caring for my princess. For a while, I had to leave her with some friends of mine in Arizona; Martin and Erika Santos treated her like family and protected her from harm and I'll never forget them for that! (Gracias, 'Vato)! While it broke my heart to be away from her so much, it also gave me a chance to start saving some money so that she and I could be together again, and that's how it's going to stay. Come hell or high water, my baby and me are family and we're sticking together like glue!"