Part 6E

"Family's home," I said. I gave him a peck on the cheek and hopped down from the counter.

"Should I go?" Sam asked.

"No!" I said firmly. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it firmly. "You're not going anywhere. If possible, you're staying here tonight even."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sam asked gently.

I looked at him stubbornly. "Do you want to leave?"

"No," he said. He tucked a lock of hair more firmly behind my ear. "I don't want to cause trouble, either."

"You won't be causing trouble," I insisted. "Everything will be fine.

"What should we tell them?" Sam asked.

"About you? Or about us?"

"Both," he chuckled.

I shrugged slightly. "I don't really know. The truth, I think. Neither of us have done anything wrong."

Edd came running into the room and flung himself into my arms.

"Jenna! Theo's callin' me a baby again!"

I smiled and hugged Edd, glancing at Sam. Sam grinned at me and shrugged.

"He's just mad because you're already taller than he was at your age," I told him.

Edd looked up at me excitedly. "Really?"

"Really," I assured him.

The twins came running in and stopped short as they spotted Sam.

"Who's he?" Ashley asked.

Edd glanced over at Sam as if noticing him for the first time.

I stood up and took Sam's hand. "This is my boyfriend, Sam," I proclaimed. "This is Edd, my little brother, and these are my sisters. Ashley is on the left, Jessica is on the right."

Sam asked the requisite question: "How can you tell?"

"Ashley scowls more and has a wrinkle on her forehead," I grinned.

"Hey!" Ashley snapped. "That's not funny! I can't have wrinkles yet!"

"Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?" Edd asked confusedly.

"Yeah! Why didn't you tell us?" Jessica demanded.

"It's kinda a new thing," I said with a smile.

"He's cute," Ashley blurted, then turned a bright pink and stepped behind her twin.

"I know," I giggled.

"You're makin' me turn red," Sam protested with a grin.

"Why do you need a boyfriend?" Edd asked slowly. He looked up at Sam as if trying to decide whether or not he was trouble.

I smiled and leaned down to ruffle Edd's hair. "Because he makes me happy, Sweetie. You want me to be happy right?"

Edd looked at Sam for a moment longer and then nodded.

"Maybe I can take you guys to the movies or something sometime soon. My treat," Sam offered.

I giggled. He'd just won all three of them over with that.

"What did mom and Dad say?" Jessica asked.

I sighed and shook my head. "They, um... don't know yet." I cut a stern look at all of them. "And none of you are going to tell mom or Dad until we talk to them, either. Understood? "Yes," the three children muttered sullenly.

"I won't tell either," Tony said as he wandered into the kitchen. He walked to fridge and got a Coke out. I felt like slamming my head into the wall.

"Tony," I said warningly.

"What? I said I wouldn't tell," Tony said defensively.

"Be sure you don't. Or I won't drive you anywhere ever again."

"You're paranoid, Jenna," said Tony.

"I'm Sam," Sam spoke up. He extended a hand and Tony half-heartedly shook it.

"That's my other brother. The good one," I explained.

"Hey! I'm good too!" Edd complained.

"I know Edd, I know." I smiled.

"Is there a not good one?" Sam asked.

"Ugh. Theo. He's not bad, he's just... difficult. And smug."

"And ugly," Tony added.

"Tony," I warned.

"And mean!" Ashley proclaimed.

"And his voice is whiny!" Jessica seconded.

I rolled my eyes. I grabbed Sam's hand and half-dragged him out of the kitchen.

Dad and Karla were in the living room talking. Karla was sitting on the couch and Dad was standing beside her. Dad's arms were crossed and he looked irritated. Karla noticed me and nodded in my direction.

Dad strode across the room and hugged me tightly, crushing me to him. I was surprised; he hadn't really hugged me like this in a long time. When he pulled back I could tell by his face he was struggling to keep himself from getting emotional. I was glad for his effort at calmness.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I think so. If not, I will be," I replied honestly.

"What can we do to help you? Dad asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"Do you need to see someone?" he asked.

"Maybe," I said. "It's just too soon for me to tell. I feel okay, but I don't know if that's going to last. Everyone insists it won't."

"They're probably right," Dad pointed out.

"I know," I admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

I pulled back fully out of his hug. He let me go. "Not really. I'd really rather try not to remember it."

"You know that's not healthy," Karla spoke up.

"I know," I said. "I know I need to deal with it. I know I need to face it and come to terms with what happened. But it feels like that's all I've been doing all day; thinking about it and dealing with it. I don't want this to be all I do from now on. That's not healthy, either."

Karla nodded and reached over to pat my hand. "We understand, Jenna. As long as you remember you can't put it completely away forever. Eventually you need to talk about it, whether it be with me and your Dad, or with a professional, or with a friend."

I nodded and smiled tiredly. It seemed suddenly like I had just been through the longest day of my life. I was tired, and I couldn't decide if I was happy or sad. I think I was both. "I know, Karla. I'll talk about it soon, I promise."

"If you need anything from us, anything at all, you know you've got it," my Dad said.

I nodded and hugged my Dad before stepping back. I was really glad he was being reasonable about this. That was what I needed most just then.

Attention turned from me to Sam. When my Dad's eyes finally went to him, Sam stepped forward and extended a hand.

"Hello Mr. Mathews, I'm Sam Peterson."

Dad shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. Come here, sit down."

Sam and I sat down on the loveseat, facing my parents.

"It's nice to meet you at last, Sam," Karla smiled. "Jenna's told me a lot about you this week."

"Good things I hope," Sam smiled.

"Yes, very good things," Karla replied. "Anyway. We're... still not exactly clear on what's going on. Jenna called and said you were having some kind of problems at home?"

Sam nodded and took a deep breath. I took his hand and gave it a supporting squeeze. Dad eyed our hands for a minute, but didn't say anything.

Sam explained the situation. He told them how his mom was acting and how badly things had gotten. He didn't go too in detail over how long things had been going on, but told them fully of how much of a falling out it had been.

"So why did you come here?" Dad asked when Sam had finished.

Sam shrugged and looked away a bit. "I don't really know, sir. I wasn't really thinking about where I was going when I left. I just started walking. I guess I came here because... Jenna is one of my only friends... and all my other friends live across town. I don't have any family in the area or anywhere else to go. I didn't mean to come here to try to ask to stay or anything like that. I came because I needed to see someone who would understand, I guess."

"He didn't come to stay, but I want him to," I stated. Sam fidgeted a bit.

Dad looked over at Karla and shook his head slightly. "Jenna, I don't know... I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"We've got a huge couch. And if we cleaned it up, he could stay in the spare room in the attic. He's got nowhere else to go, Dad. Do you really want him to have to go back into that stuff? Or even worse, do you want him to be on the streets?"

Dad shook his head and leaned forward. "Of course I don't, Jenna. You know I'm not that kind of person. But we don't really know a whole lot about this boy. We've just met him. And we've got kids here we have to be concerned about. No offense, Sam."

"None taken," Sam replied sincerely.

"The kids already like him," I protested.

"That's not the point," Dad sighed.

"Dad, I want Sam to stay here. He needs a place to stay. He won't cause trouble, and I trust him, a lot. And anyway, he's my boyfriend."

Sam's hand tightened around mine and he looked a bit unsure of how he should be acting now that I had thrown that out there. I had put him on the spot, I realized. I felt bad, but I knew the best way to talk to my Dad was to be as blunt and as upfront and honest as possible.

Dad eyed Sam and I with thinly disguised doubt. He turned to Karla questioningly.

"Did you know about this?" he asked.

Karla grinned at me and winked. "No, but I figured it was going to happen eventually. Your daughter has been eyeing this young man for the awhile. Why do you think she insisted in staying in the Program in the first place? Sam is her partner."

Sam turned red. I sighed and put my head in my hand. "Thanks, Karla," I muttered embarrassedly.

"When did this... relationship come about?" Dad asked.

"Officially? Today," I replied.

Dad's brows furrowed and he rubbed at the bridge of his nose for a moment. "This just doesn't seem like a good idea."

He turned his attention to Sam. "I sympathize with your situation, Sam, I really do. And you seem like a good young man. But my daughter has been through a lot today. And I don't know what kind of intentions you have toward my daughter. I don't know if I can trust you."

"I understand Mr. Mathews," Sam replied. He stood up. "I'll get going. I don't want to cause more of a disturbance than I already have."

I reached up and pulled Sam's arm as I stood up. "Sit down, Sam. Karla, Dad, can I talk to you privately?"

Dad and Karla exchanged glances before nodding slowly and standing up. I glanced at Sam and squeezed his arm.

"Please don't leave. Just wait for us to get back," I pleaded in a whisper. Sam hesitated a moment, then nodded.

Karla, Dad and I stepped into the kitchen and shooed Tony out. I leaned against the counter and hugged myself, looking down.

"Please don't make him leave. He doesn't have anywhere else to go. And... I need him here."

Dad gave me a skeptical look. "What do you mean you 'need' him here?"

I looked into my fathers face. "I mean exactly what I said. I need him here. He's helping me deal with all the stuff I'm feeling. He helps me feel like I'll be okay. He helps me feel safe."

"You are safe," Dad protested. "No one's gonna hurt you, Jenna. You're home, and you're going to be okay."

"I know that," I said. "But Sam makes me feel it. My brain has been telling me I'm going to be okay since the situation ended, but I haven't felt like I was going to be okay, really okay, until Sam showed up."

"I'm glad you feel that way Jenna, and it's good that someone can help comfort you and make you feel secure," Dad replied slowly. "But that doesn't mean he's trustworthy. How can I trust him? How can I know he won't steal half out stuff and run off? How do I know he won't hurt you, one way or another?"

"Because he won't," I replied firmly. "I know he won't. And because he's already shown me he's the most trustworthy person I know. He's the one who saved me, Dad. He found me... with those three guys trying to..." I swallowed and looked away for a moment before looking back into my fathers eyes.

"He didn't even hesitate. He came right up to us and told them to get the hell off me. And then he fought with all three of those jocks instead of running away when they turned on him. He could have run and left me there. He had a lot of chances. But he wouldn't leave me. And when he laid them out, he stayed with me and protected me until help came."

My Dad hesitated. He looked at me and some of the uneasiness left his stance. "Really?"

"Really," I said. "And he's had plenty of chances to take advantage of me or something like that. He's my partner in the Program. We share a lot of classes too. We're around each other most of the day, and the only thing he has ever been is nice to me. He's always warm, kind, and considerate."

Dad nodded slowly and let out a sigh. "I don't want you getting too close. There's a lot of chance for that if you two are under the same roof."

"Dad," I groaned. "I'm in the Program. He's in the Program. We could have had sex in first period on Monday if we'd wanted."

Dad blanched. "Don't tell me you did that?"

"No, but I won't say I won't, and if I did, that's my business," I said firmly. Dad opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Karla stepped behind me and put her hands on my shoulder. I couldn't see her face, but my Dad squirmed and nodded. I really needed to figure out how she kept him so under thumb when no one else could ever talk him into anything.

"You two really need to wait before you get serious. At least six months."

I gave my father a sour look. "That's a really old fashioned notion, Dad. And anyway, you've got a lot of nerve even suggesting that."

Dad blinked and looked at me like I had two heads. "What?"

"You heard me," I replied. "I can do math, Dad. I know when you and Karla started dating. And when Theo was born... if you do the math, you two didn't wait six months. You didn't even wait one month."

"That has nothing to do with this," Dad muttered uncomfortably.

"Yes it does," I insisted. "You and Karla got really serious really fast. You two are happy, right?"

"Yeah," Dad admitted hesitantly.

"And you've got a healthy, stable marriage, right?"

"You know we do," Karla said.

"That's my point," I nodded. "If you two can have a healthy, stable, happy relationship even though you rushed into it and started getting serious real fast, why couldn't Sam and I?"

"We were lucky," Dad protested. "And we worked at it a lot. And we just... I dunno... fit."

"So do Sam and I," I said firmly. "I know we do. I know because I'm insanely picky. I figured I would never find the right guy for me because what I want is so specific and insane. No guy has ever measured up until I met Sam. He fits me perfectly."

"How can you know that?" Dad asked. "How can you be sure? You've know him for what, a couple of days?"

"How did you know?" I asked pointedly.

Dad tried to sputter out a reply a few times before throwing his hands up in frustration. He turned to face Karla with a doubtful look. "What do you think?"

Karla squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. "I think we should do whatever is best for Jenna."

"That's helpful," Dad muttered.

"I think Jenna knows what is best for her right now. You've always said she was smarter than both of us," Karla added.

"That's not-"

"I trust him," Karla interrupted quickly. "I think if he had insincere intentions, he would have acted on them a lot earlier than now. He could have even used the Program as a cover if he wanted to. And he fought off three boys to save our daughter. If that doesn't speak well of his character, I don't know what does."

Dad sighed and started pacing. After several moments he came to a stop and looked at me.

"I know your mind's made up about seeing this boy, and I know once your mind is made up I can't do a thing to change it."

"That's about right, yeah," I admitted.

"I'm also sure you're probably going to engage in some sexual activities, either with him or with someone else soon, no matter how I may not like it," he added with a scowl.

"Dad, I've already engaged in sexual activities. I am in the Program," I told him. I kept myself from wincing at the dark look that spread over his face. That wasn't the right thing to say just then, but again, the best approach to take with my Dad was the blunt and honest one. I didn't want him to think I had anything to hide; if he did, that would be what made him clam up and say no.

Still, my Dad was not happy. He opened his mouth, probably to start yelling.

"John," Karla said stonily. I glanced back at her and saw the hard set of her face. I'd never seen her look so stern, ever. "We talked about this. We had an agreement."

I couldn't decide which I felt more, relieved at Karla's intervention and diffusing of the situation, or curiosity over what this 'agreement' was.

Dad scowled at Karla for several moments before looking hastily away. "Just don't get Pregnant," he muttered unhappily.

"I'm smarter than that, Dad. I may want to explore and try new things, but I'm still responsible. You know that."

Dad nodded and let out a breath. He shot an unhappy glance at Karla but it seemed like the fight had gone out of him. "Okay, fine. Sam can stay. If only so I can keep and eye on him and make sure he's right for you."

I leapt forward and hugged my Dad tightly. "Thank you, Daddy," I whispered. I pulled back and smiled at him. "This will help me. I know it will."

"I hope so," he said glumly. "Let's go see if the boy is still waiting around for us."

Karla smiled as she patted my shoulder and shot me a wink. She laced her arm with Dad's and leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked out of the kitchen. She whispered something to him, but I couldn't tell what. I was too worried to care what their exchange was all about.

We stepped into the living room and Sam wasn't there. I immediately began to panic as my heart hammered wildly in my chest. I glanced at Karla and Dad. Dad shrugged helplessly.

I rushed to the front door and threw it open to find Sam sitting on the front step.

"Sam! Why didn't you stay in the living room?" I demanded.

He stood up and smiled sheepishly at me as he brushed off the seat of his pants. "I didn't want to be hanging out in your living room if your parents didn't want me there."