A/N: So, this is basically one of my older fics, "A change of heart". I really like the idea of the story, I still do, but I hated the way I had written it. Some of you may argue with me, but this is my revised and rewritten version of that story. I call it "Small Things". There will be similar plots to the original, and completely new ones also. Anyway, drop me a review or PM and let me know what you think about this story so far. :)

Small Things

Prologue.

She sits on the floor of her parents living room, her mother talking with her father as she sits and listens.

"She can't talk, Sarah." Mark says, thrusting his arm towards the little girl on the floor as she looked up at them with wide blue eyes. For a child that supposedly "stupid" and "slow", she looks hurt by that statement. But, there was a truth to that. At five years of age, Alicia hadn't uttered a word since birth. Her silence was something both her parents were used to, but that didn't change that fact that her mother worried about her brain development and her father worried about his pride.

"She can talk." Sarah snapped back at him, walking over to Alicia and scooped her up in her arms. "She just needs a little more work than children her age."

"Well, maybe if we paid more attention to her, she might be talking by now." Mark said, shooting his wife an angry look. Sarah shakes her head, Alicia watching the exchange with interest. She was intelligent, sure. She knew her ABC's and how to count, but she just couldn't pronounce the sounds properly. That, or she just didn't have the motivation to learn how to talk.

"We, meaning me, pay very hard attention to her. I'm the one working towards getting her to start talking, and you just stand there and belittle me at every turn." Sarah said, holding her daughter close. "You can sleep on the couch tonight."

With that, she turned and headed up the stairs with Alicia connecting her gaze with her father's. He looked hurt, surprisingly. Alicia loved her father, of course. And she was pretty sure that deep down he loved her also. He just didn't show it very much.

Sarah placed Alicia down on her bed, pulling the blanket over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" she asked, Alicia shaking her head 'no'. Sarah smiled and patted her head.

"Alright, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning." she said, walking towards the door and flicked off the light. She closed the door with a light 'click', the room falling into darkness.

Sadly, unknown to Alicia and her family, nobody noticed the man standing outside, leaning against the oak tree, listening to the whole exchange.

Nobody really saw what was coming.