Chapter 21

While the rest of the folks at the Pritchard compound found places to grab a few hours of sleep, Patricia and Ben were too stirred by what they had seen during the night to even think of sleep.

Lisa was not interested in sleep, either. She was playing, people were listening, and they were enjoying it. It was a totally new experience for her and she just could not pull herself from the keyboard. Only when Patricia and Ben, talking quietly in the back of the auditorium, were the only listeners left did she stop playing.

Quickly, both Patricia and Ben hurried to talk to the girl. They introduced themselves and told Lisa what had just happened to them.

"I guess I should be upset with you for working for the Program, but now that it's gone, I just can't find the anger," Lisa said.

"Lisa, one of the problems with our jobs was that we never saw in person what was happening to the kids in the schools. I like to think that we would have felt differently if we had," Patricia said.

"I think maybe things are changing for a lot of people after what Molly and Curt did," Lisa commented.

"They are something, aren't they," Patricia said. "I couldn't tell - are they a couple?"

"No, they're not, but they should be," Lisa said sharply.

"Oh? What's the story there?" Patricia asked.

"I think Molly is in love with Curt, but he holds back. Molly says it's because he thinks they live in two different worlds."

"And you don't agree with that?"

Lisa sighed. "I can't say it's wrong. I've spent most of the last ten days at the Parkhurst mansion. They are nice people and treated me well, but it really is completely different than my home."

"But if Molly and Curt love each other..."

"What can I say," Lisa demurred with a shrug.

"Lisa, before I went to work for the Program, I worked for a talent agency. I know a lot about music and performers. I would say you had an excellent teacher."

"Yes, it was one thing my parents spent money on for me. I'm not sure why, but I am glad they did."

"You should start looking for places to play in public."

"Oh, I don't think ... you know, after all of this, maybe I could."

"I assume you've never accompanied anyone."

"A couple of times for recitals in class at school, but that's all."

"Well, it's an excellent way to break in. Do you play best by reading music or by improvising?" Patricia asked.

"I try to memorize quickly. I don't like having to look at the music. Sometimes I sit and just let things flow."

"Are you too tired to just improvise a little right now?"

"Playing is better than sleep for me," Lisa said, and turned right back to the keys. For ten minutes, she played a version of a popular romantic song, using her own chord progressions and stylings.

When Lisa turned back to face the couple, Patricia was silent, then looked a couple of times at Ben rather nervously. Finally, she spoke. "Lisa, we don't know for sure where we're going to live, but I want to make you an offer. You can come and live with us and I will help you get your musical career started."

"Oh, I don't know if I could leave home, Patricia."

"Just keep it in mind. Here's my wireless number. If something happens, just call."

Ben had managed not to react at what his lover said. He was not sure how he felt about it, but he could tell that it was a time for solidarity. If there was to be an argument, it would be later, in private. "I think that's a great idea, Lisa. Patricia knows talent. If she thinks you can make it, you can."

"I ... thanks. It's just ... thanks."

When Lisa left them, Ben became thoughtful and said "I wonder how Summer is handling all of this. On a personal level, I feel bad for her."

"I know what you mean. That's not the way we like to do things," Patricia agreed. "Do you think a 'how're you doing' call would be out of order?"

Ben was more than relieved that his lover had suggested it, and they actually reached Summer at her office. Both were surprised at the relative serenity they detected. That did not fit the circumstances at all. Summer should have been distraught and edgy. She did not lash out at the couple at all and did not even make any negative remarks about Pritchard.

When Jason called everyone together at two in the afternoon to try to analyze the situation, Ben led off by saying "I need to tell you something about Summer. We called her this morning, just a courtesy call. She was ... unruffled ... serene ... contented, even. We were surprised and puzzled."

"Hmmm," Jason commented. "Joe Richter called me later Saturday night, after our original conversation. He told me that the President had said that Summer called the President. She told Garrett that she thought he would have to shut the Program down for his own good."

"Bitch!" Patricia spat out.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Summer's happy because she thinks she's going to land on her feet. To hell with all of her people, though," Patricia said angrily.

"Honey, that doesn't sound like Summer," Ben objected. "Hasn't she always watched out for her people pretty well?"

"I guess," Patricia said, showing some uncertainty. There followed a period of silence as everyone tried to absorb what the newcomers had told them.

"For whatever reason, Summer is really tight with Garrett," Ben said to break the silence.

"I can see why, if she gave up the Program on purpose for his benefit," Jason observed.

"Several times I've heard her say 'No Federal program has ever been shut down, and mine won't be the first," Ben mused out loud.

"That's it! That's it!" Carter came right out of her chair as she said it.

"I know what you're thinking," Ben joined in. "The organization stays in place, just does something different."

"Right. That has to be the plan," Carter said. "It fits with all of the facts and observations."

"But what else could they do?" asked Porter, who had been invited.

"School security - terrorism preparedness," Carter said. "That's what this is all setting up."

"I'm impressed, people. Great work. Your special knowledge and insights were key, Patricia and Ben. Porter, are you willing to run with this?"

"I'm not going to think about it anymore. I'm just going to say it and see what happens. You haven't been wrong yet."

"This is a disaster!" Garrett snarled. "It might have been better to just let the damned ads run! His lead strategist would have loved to find a hole to crawl into at that point.

"Has Homeland come up with anything that looks credible?" the strategist asked, trying to divert the focus a little.

Chief of Staff answered. "A bit of luck, there. There actually have been several apparently unrelated plots unearthed over the last several months. It turns out that three of them are quite similar. Also, they are spread across the country. I think we can make a credible story out of it, take the wind out of the criticism."

"Well, that's something. We don't have any choice but to follow through," Garrett said.

Porter's latest segment had predicted that the Program staff would be 'drafted' into duty as school preparedness officials. The stated rationale would be that there was a definite need for that level of attention and there was no budget for another whole organization. Regrets about having to shut down a beneficial, popular program like Naked in School would be expressed, but at a time of national crisis, priorities would have to be set. Retraining of the existing Program staff people would begin immediately. Porter further went on to suggest that a suitable threat to the schools would be found to justify the shutdown and the massive reassignment.

Not that there weren't misgivings among the President's inner circle. "How can we expect people to go from enforcing the fondling of naked teens to making our schools safe from terrorism," one strategist asked.

"We can't," Garrett admitted, "but we have to do it this way. We cannot just shut down the program. It would look like we were forced into it. It would look like a bunch of kids made us blink."

"But the people who ran the Program are so far from Homeland Security types! A lot of them hate anything military, intelligence, or security related!"

"I think we will be pleasantly surprised how quickly most of them will change their thinking when their paycheck and their pension are on the line," Garrett said. "I'm more worried about the kids, though."

"Why so?"

"We've been so successful at keeping teens docile. You know that most of the demonstrations, rallies, and such involve college students. If they don't get that mindset in high school, they don't march in college."

"But the Program was never truly legal," the advisor pointed out. "It was pretty much a sitting duck, looking back on it."

"But the kids don't see it that way," Garrett warned. "They saw something they didn't like, they got talked into making noise about it, and now it's gone. What if they start thinking they can do that about other things?"

"I can't imagine what else they could find to complain about."

It was Ben who first had the disturbing thought. After running it by Patricia, the two of them sought out Carter. "Carter, maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'm worried about what is going to happen when school starts again, specifically about what some of the former compliance officers are going to do."

"You mean you're afraid some might go postal?"

"Oh! I hadn't thought of that. Let me think out loud for a moment," Ben said. "We've got these people who are used to having absolute dictorial power over the kids. They have quite likely been given new absolute dictatorial power, considering the way the Department of Education works."

"That's a reasonable, potentially frightening scenario," Carter admitted. "We'll have to see if we can find out what 'powers' they have been given."

"A lot of these people are distraught and very angry over the demise of the Program. For many of them, the last thing they would want to be involved in is anything smacking of military or security or law enforcement."

"Ahhhh! So you fear some instances of retaliation against kids?" Carter asked. "What kinds of things are you worried about?"

"I don't even know," Ben admitted. "I just had thoughts about some angry, power-mad compliance officers, working under a probably ill-defined set of rules, given minimal training - I think you get the picture."

"Unfortunately, I do," Carter said. "The problem is, what do we do about it? How do we protect against something going wrong?"

"Ben, Honey," Patricia broke in. "Let's take the high road on this one."

"Huh?"

"Let's call Summer and share the concern. Tell her she needs to protect herself. Explain your fears."

"Carter," Ben said, "do you think Mr. Pritchard would prefer to just let things happen, but have lawyers or police standing by?"

"I'm going to take into consideration your past impressions of Jason and let that pass," Carter said sharply. "No, he absolutely would not hang any kids out as bait! Call Friedel and see if you can get her to keep those people out of the schools until everyone knows the rules."

"I'm ... I'm sorry," Ben said contritely. "I should know after what he did the other night. You're right, though. He has been the bogeyman for a long time. Honey, let's call Summer."

It took about three hours before Summer was on the line. Ben immediately relayed his concerns. "Why are you telling me this, Ben? I would think your boss would be happy if some of our people screwed up."

"We have had a very wrong impression of Jason Pritchard, I'm afraid. The things that the Program did to kids, he would never think of doing."

"That's pretty cold, Ben. You still haven't told my why you're calling me."

"Summer, despite the way we left, I don't want to see you get caught in any kind of a mess. If you turn those people loose right away with little training, no control, and probably less legal authority than the Program had, there could be big trouble. After what has just happened, Jason Pritchard will be watching like a hawk for any kind of scandal. Patricia and I will be helping him watch. Please. Just keep your people out of the schools until you are sure they are under control."

There was a long silence from Summer's end, so Ben added "Remember, if anything goes wrong, it will be Garrett that is embarrassed, too. That would be a shame for both of you after the way you sacrificed to protect him."

"You make a good point, Ben," Summer admiitted. "I do appreciate the warning. I had never thought of there being a problem."

When the call ended, Carter said "Let me set up a talk with Jason. He needs to hear your thoughts."

What followed was pure Jason. Paul was in the meeting and Jason addressed him. "Set up a legit organization, logo, website, the whole nine yards. Give it some name that implies protecting school districts. Then, let's get some warning messages out about just the kinds of things Ben mentioned.

"A lot of districts are smarting from the Program backlash. If we can set ourselves up as watching out for their real interests, versus the government just jerking them around, we have another wedge. Be sure to mention the legal moves that were planned against districts and individuals if the program had been alive Monday.

"Ben, great work! Patricia, I thought we were 'buying' you and Ben to strike a blow at Friedel. It looks like we're getting a major bonus."

When the meeting was over, Carter went with Patricia and Ben for a coffee. "Is this, uh, normal?" Patricia asked in wonder.

"Oh, no," Carter responded. "Sometimes, it gets really crazy." The three shared a laugh over that.

"Was the President planning to restart school this week?" Summer asked the Chief of Staff when she got him on the phone later.

"Thursday was what we had talked about."

"Well, if he starts that early, I don't think I can have my people ready," Summer warned.

"Is it that difficult?"

"Remember, we had a bunch of kids, with a big organization and lots of money behind them, just waiting to take legal action against everything we did. At best, our new brief as terrorism prevention is on shaky legal ground.

"I've got people who..." and Summer parroted some of the things that Ben had mentioned. "There's a lot of skepticism out there about this move, you know. If we don't do this perfectly, we're going to catch it from all sides, and that means the President catches it, too."

"Hmmm. That's good thinking, Summer. I see your point. What is your suggestion."

"Well, school can start, but I think my people should be totally absent until we're ready. We should have some formal training, and let's have enabling legislation BEFORE we do anything this time. Remember, the sharks are waiting out there."

"All right, Summer. Get all of your people to D.C. by Friday. We'll get everything set up to start training. We'll arrange housing and training facilities. There will also be a curriculum developed as we go. I'll make sure a bill is floated tomorrow."

Wednesday morning, Jason's plane brought Lisa and the Parkhurst children back to town. To everyone's complete surprise, Lisa immediately undressed.

"Why, Lisa?" Bert asked.

"My being naked at home puts lots of pressure on my parents and I still have to find out the big secret that terrifies my mother."

"And now, you can just undress any time you want to?"

"It's ... it's not that easy," Lisa insisted. "It's just here that I can feel OK with it. It's a tactic, Bert. As soon as I figure out what's wrong with my family - my mother, I'll get dressed and stay that way."

By the time Darryl dropped Lisa at home, it was mid-morning. The boys were with friends and her dad was at work. It had been a progression for Beth from shock and anger to depression. The last couple of days, she had been morose and uncommunicative. Lisa had always considered her something of a drama queen, but seeing her mother that morning, she was beginning to believe that it was not all for show.

After fixing a light brunch for herself, Lisa ate in silence while Beth mostly just stared at her. Finally, Beth asked "What did you mean you told your story at those rallies?"

"About how I was planning to kill myself."

"Th ... that can't be!" Beth shouted. "There's no reason..."

"Mother!" Lisa snapped. "You just shut up!! You don't know what the hell you're talking about. I told you! Until you've gone naked in front of your friends, you have no right to tell me what I should or shouldn't feel!"

Beth's mouth just dropped open and stayed that way. Lisa had never, ever used any kind of profanity. Until this week, she had never shouted back at either parent. For her to interrupt and shout over anyone was unheard of. There was no question that the daughter Beth thought she knew was not the naked person sitting across from her.

Part of Lisa knew that it was wrong, but her mother's discomfiture made her feel good. She wished that she was above such vengeful pleasure, but she was not. There was so much criticism, so many cruel put-downs over so many years. Beth had no idea how deep were the scars that she had inflicted.

Lisa's physical dissimilarity to her parents and siblings was something that she thought about quite often. Those differences extended to her grandparents on both sides, and neither her aunts or uncles nor any of her cousins resembled her. She was a genetic anomaly in her entire family. Hair and skin coloring, tendency to overweight, facial features, even musical talent just did not fit anywhere in the family tree.

If the differences ever came up in discussion, Beth just went ballistic, so all of their relatives and acquaintances knew to avoid the subject. Cassie and Penny had mentioned it a few times, but they, too, soon understood that it was a taboo subject.

When Molly had returned home, she had immediately started talking with Lisa. If Bert had taken such an interest in the girl, Molly wanted to know why. In addition, Lisa was any excellent example of the kind of trauma inflicted on many teens by the Program.

Molly had always been a good conversationalist, and her recent experiences helping kids had just improved her perceptiveness and sensitivity. By Saturday, Lisa was pouring her heart out to Molly about her family situation and how estranged she felt. Realizing the depth of Molly's knowledge on so many subjects, Lisa began asking about her genetic background and how she could be so different from the rest of her family.

Molly's honest response that it was statistically almost impossible was not comforting to Lisa, but the honesty just reinforced Lisa's almost worshipful attitude toward Molly. When Molly mentioned DNA testing, Lisa was at first horrified. She did not even want to think that she was adopted, even if that would have explained so many things. Nevertheless, the questions were even more in the front of her mind after talking with Molly.

Sunday, for the short time that she was home, Lisa had felt out of place. Certainly the fact that she wore no clothes at home alienated her, especially from her mother, but it was more than that.

The idea came in a flash and she did not take time to consider it before she blurted out "Mother, am I adopted and you just never told me?" The look of mixed shock and terror on Beth's face gave Lisa a perverse pleasure, but only until Beth fainted away and slid to the floor, suffering some nasty bumps on the way down.

Beth's faint was rather brief, and by the time Lisa was hovering over her, Beth was trying to sit up, holding her bruised head. Pre-Program Lisa would have been remorseful, probably in tears, and would have dropped the subject and done her best to comfort her mother.

Beth had wanted the Program to change her daughter, and she certainly got change, just not what she expected. The whole experience of preparing to survive the Program had hardened Lisa in ways that no one could have predicted. She helped her mother back into the chair, then sat down across from her again. "Wh ... why would you ask that?" Beth stammered, once she had recaptured some of her composure.

Lisa just stared at her mother, then, in a voice that sounded to Beth like some cruel stranger, Lisa asked "Are you going to tell me the truth, Mother, or shall I get the DNA analysis done?"

The minimal composure that Beth had regained was lost very quickly, along with the contents of her stomach. In just a few seconds, she was on her knees on the floor, retching violently. Some of the mess got on the T-shirt she was wearing, and the rest spread across the floor. She barely avoided falling face-down in the puddle.

Instead of helping her mother to the bathroom, the 'new' Lisa grabbed the phone and called her father's wireless. "Better come home," Lisa said in a flat voice. "Mother's in pretty bad shape."

"Bad shape? How?" her father asked.

"She's on the floor throwing up. Earlier, she fainted," Lisa explained with no show of emotion.

"What caused that?" he asked.

"I, uh, just asked her some questions," Lisa responded.

"What kind of questions?" he demanded. When she did not answer, he said "Lisa! Please!" When she told him, he just hung up.

A half hour later, Roger had returned home and had gotten Beth cleaned up and into bed. He found Lisa in the family room, staring at nothing. "You really didn't know?" he asked as he collapsed into a chair facing her.

"Know what, Dad?"

"That I'm not your biological father." Her parents were married two years when Lisa was born. That meant her mother had an affair after she was married. After all her posturing!

"How long have you known?" Lisa asked in a listless voice.

"Since you were born," he told her.

"She doesn't know that you know?" she asked.

"Not until just now."

"Why didn't you tell her?"

He just stared at the naked girl for a while before saying quietly "I guess you could call it punishment. Revenge. I wanted her to worry about me finding out. The guilt would be worse than anything I could do to her."

"How could you do that?" she screamed at him.

"Lisa, I've tried to be a good father to you. I've treated you the same as the boys."

"Except that you made it so she dumped all of her fear and shit on me for all these years!" she shouted as she stomped off toward her room.

When she came down fifteen minutes later with her bag packed, he was sitting in the same place. "Lisa, please. Don't run off again. We need to work this out."

"No, you need to work it out, 'DAD'! If you figure out some way we can be a family, you let me know. Can't say that I'll be holding my breath."

"Where are you going to go?"

"Who knows. Maybe to Hooverton. Maybe I should have just killed myself like I planned. Still could. Why do you care, anyway?"

"That's not fair, Lisa. I really have tried to be a good father."

"Except that you could have stopped all the shit I had to live with and you never did. You saw what she did to me! I think you wanted to punish ME, too. Didn't you?"

"No, that's not right, I..." the slamming of the front door cut off the rest of his sentence.

"I suppose I had still better get out of town," Curt said to Jordan when he came to her door late Wednesday morning.

"Mom and Dad are both at work," Jordan answered. "Come on in. I don't think anyone will recognize your car."

"Are there still some hotheads ready to kill me?"

"Not around school, anyway, she assured him. "Um, Curt. I have to do this," Jordan said shakily. To his complete surprise, she shed the shorts and top that turned out to be her only garments.

"Why did you have to do that, Jordan? It's not something I expect you to do?"

"The threat of having to go around school naked got me thinking a lot, Curt. It seems like everyone just treats it as no big deal - they can go naked anywhere they want."

"You're wrong, Jordan. It's not nearly everybody. It's just that the people who do make all the noise and get all of the publicity."

"Well, whatever. I just had to see if I could do it. I couldn't with my family, so you're it."

"Well, thank you, Jordan."

"Th ... thank you?"

"Thank you for having that kind of trust in me. Thank you for the gift. I guess I'm terribly old fashioned, but to me, letting me see all of your body is a very personal, very special gift."

He saw her shiver involuntarily when he said that. "It's a while before lunchtime and the temperature's not too bad. Can we go out in back for a while."

The neighbors can see, though, can't they?"

"Not unless they really try. I guess I want to test myself. Curt, can you, uh..."

He knew what she wanted, and he had to decide on his response quickly. "Jordan, even though I did that TV thing, showing my body is something special to me."

"I know."

That made it perfectly clear. She had given him a clear sign of her desire for intimacy. She wanted a response from him. The quandary in his mind was not resolved, but this was Jordan. Other than his mother, she was the closest female to him. If he gave her this intimacy, was it really a commitment for more? Was it really an acknowledgment of love and a desire for a romantic relationship?

Whether his mind was made up on his romantic future or not, this was Jordan, and he just could not hurt her. Trying not to show any reluctance, he shed his own clothes.

Staring at him up and down, Jordan said "Those video clips don't compare to the real thing." Then she took him by the hand and led him out to the patio.

There, he found out that the un-Jordan-like surprises were not nearly finished. He sat in a reclining deck chair, and she laid herself right beside him. She was on her side, pressed tightly against him. With her hand shaking, she reached over and cupped his sac.

"Curt, I don't expect an engagement ring, or a promise of eternal love, or anything. I want to enjoy my best friend who has this awesome body. I want to feel some of the things that women are supposed to enjoy. Just because my body is still mostly little girl doesn't mean I don't have all the hormones working. Is this OK? Please?"

She was as open, honest, guileless, and sweet a person as Curt had ever known. He could not imagine how much courage it had taken to lay herself open like that, so vulnerable. There was no way he could hurt her. Despite the intended disclaimer of her words, her gentle hand said 'love', and even 'worship'.

He was not at all sure where this would lead, but with Jordan, there were only positives, none of the problems of a possible relationship with Molly. If he tried to think about what love was, almost everything came back to Jordan. Maybe it wasn't as hard as he was trying to make it.

The situation was guaranteed to promote intimacy. Her bare, smooth body felt wonderful against him and her worshipful hand had him well on his way to full hardness. She was looking down at what she was doing, so he put two fingers under her chin and gently lifted her face up. Then, he lowered his own face and kissed her gently.

She was the one who pulled back from the kiss, but only long enough to look searchingly into his eyes. Regardless of her incomplete physical development, what Curt saw in her eyes was all woman. She must have liked what she saw, as well, because she resumed the kiss, with much more pressure and much more intensity.

"Jordan, Honey," he said when the second kiss broke, not missing the flash of pure adoration on her face at his first use of the affectionate name, "I would feel much more comfortable in your bed, wouldn't you?"

She almost jumped to her feet, holding out her hand to him. He made her squeal by scooping her up in his arms as soon as he was on his feet. With her arms tightly around his neck, she stuck her tongue in his ear. That was no girlish move!

In the bedroom, she had him lie on his back as she knelt beside him. Running her hand over his muscular chest, she told him "I can't count the hours I've watched those clips. This is so beautiful, and every muscle makes me drool. I have to admit, though, that most of my time is spent staring at this," and she wrapped her other hand around his partially deflated cock.

"Curt, I can tell that you're having trouble deciding, and I know who my competition is. In a way, I would feel bad if I somehow won you away from Molly because she's such an awesome person. I know my body doesn't compare with Molly's at all, but I really think it will get better."

"Jordan, please don't think that I would choose based on bodies. I can't deny having strong feelings for Molly, but I'm a realist. Molly and I really are from different worlds. Except for this recent craziness, there isn't much that we share.

"With you, Jordan, I share so many years and so many experiences. To me, that's important. I don't honestly know what love is, but maybe what we have between us is the real thing, and I just haven't realized it. Today, you're so ... so different."