This story is dedicated to NowNforeverRamy for suggesting this particular plot.

Anne looked up towards the kitchen door when she heard it open, frowning disapprovingly when she saw her two oldest children walk in the door. Anne turned away and began fixing two plates of food.

"That man is driving you kids too hard," Anne complained. Robbie and Amy rolled their eyes. Their mother complained about Amy's marching band director at least twice a week.

"Ok come on, mom," Robbie said as he set his book bag on the floor near the kitchen table and pulled out a chair to sit down. "He only holds late practices before a home game. Besides, coach keeps us late just before home games too," he reminded his mother. Amy headed down the hallway to the bathroom.

"I still think he's pushing those kids too hard. Marching band is supposed to be fun, not a chore," Anne replied gruffly, still not too thrilled that her children had once again missed dinner due to afterschool activities. She put one plate in the microwave to reheat while she fixed the second. "Amy's in high school now. She should be hanging out with her friends after school, not trying to make snowflakes with a bunch of band geeks." Robbie chuckled and stood up to retrieve his plate of food from the microwave when it beeped.

"Your daughter is a band geek, mom. And she enjoys it." Robbie took a seat as his mother placed a plate in the microwave for Amy.

"So does the coach feel you boys are ready for your game on Friday?" Robbie nodded, his mouth full of food. He quickly swallowed.

"Yeah. He says if we run our plays as well as we've been doing them in practice then the win's in the bag." He took another bite of food just as the microwave beeped signaling that Amy's dinner was ready, at least Robbie thought he heard it beep, because the instant it did the noise was drowned out by the sound of sobs coming from the downstairs bathroom. Anne quickly walked down the hall to make sure Amy was alright, Robbie right on her heels, still chewing his latest bite of his dinner. Anne knocked frantically on the door.

"Amy? Sweetheart, open the door." Amy continued to sob, increasing Anne's level of worry. "Amy, open this door right now! You're making me nervous." Amy unlocked the door and Anne quickly opened it. It took her and Robbie a few moments to register the sight before them. Amy was sitting on the floor sobbing, her head down and a small white stick in her hand. Resting on the sink was her French horn case, open, with a crumbled brown paper bag inside it. And on the floor next to Amy was an opened box that had held an early pregnancy test. Anne recovered faster than Robbie and her maternal instincts took over. Her first thought was to comfort her distraught little girl and then make sure she ate her dinner, just in case she was eating for two. Robbie stood in the doorway still in shock. Amy? Pregnant! When? WHO!? Before any of them had a chance to speak, George came home. Seeing no one in the kitchen but hearing sobs, he rushed towards the noise.

"What's going on?" he asked Robbie, his voice laced with concern. He was never very good at dealing with his girls when they were crying but tears meant it was something serious. Robbie looked up at his father, his face filled with confusion, and simply stepped to the side instead of answering. George walked into the bathroom, took in his wife holding and rocking their fifteen year old daughter, and a pregnancy test lying on the floor next to her. Like Robbie, George was shocked as he tried to put the pieces together of what he was seeing. "Anne?" he asked tentatively, asking without asking if what he was seeing was real. Anne looked up at her husband and simply shrugged. She turned back to Amy.

"Let's get you up off the floor." Anne and Amy slowly rose to their feet. Anne wrapped her arm comfortingly around her daughter as she made her way to the kitchen, her husband and son trailing right behind them. Anne seated Amy in one of the kitchen chairs and then reheated her dinner while Robbie and George joined Amy at the table, neither sure what to say. Amy's sobs had quieted to sniffles. No one said a word for several moments; the silence was broken only by Amy's quiet sniffles and then the sound of the microwave beeping. As Anne placed the plate in front of Amy, Ashley came into the kitchen to get something to drink. She took in Amy's sniffles and everyone's stunned faces and asked the obvious.

"What happened?" Amy's lip quivered but somehow she managed to find her voice.

"I'm pregnant," she said, her voice small and frightened, and then burst into tears all over again. Anne rushed to her side and put her arm around her, rubbing her arm soothingly.

"You don't know that for sure, Amy. Pregnancy tests can be wrong. I'll make you an appointment first thing tomorrow and we'll see what a doctor has to say," Anne told her, trying to ease Amy's distress. George finally found his voice, even though his mind was still racing.

"But, Amy, how did this happen? When did this happen?" he asked pleadingly. How could his little girl be pregnant at fifteen? Ashley was the handful and Amy was the good girl. What happened!? Amy sniffled and then her explanation tumbled out in a rush.

"It was at band camp. One minute we were making out and the next we weren't and before I could get my head wrapped around the fact some guy was touching me while he was kissing me the next thing I knew there was pain between my legs and that was all I could focus on and then it was just over and he hasn't spoken to me since! I wasn't even sure I'd had sex this summer, because it wasn't romantic like on TV or in the movies or anything, but then I was late and….and…..so I bought a test and…..it was positive!" Amy covered her face with her hands and continued crying. Anne gave her daughter a comforting squeeze and did her best to hold back tears of her own. Even though she knew her daughter was going to have sex at some point, she had hoped Amy's first time would be memorable in a good way, not a bad one. Ashley just stared at her sister in shock. How could someone be that clueless about what was going on? How do you not know you're having or about to have sex!? George and Robbie had different but similar reactions: they were both furious.

"What's the name of this boy?" George demanded. Amy looked at her father, confused by his anger.

"Ricky. Ricky Underwood," she answered unsurely.

"What school does he go to?" George pressed.

"Grant."

"So he's in the band?" Amy nodded, not sure where her dad was going with this. George's eyes widened in disbelief and were filled with anger.

"You mean to tell me this jerk's been going to school and band practice with you for almost a month and hasn't bothered to speak to you!?" Amy nodded. "I'LL THROTTLE THAT LITTLE HORNDOG!" George bellowed. Robbie nodded his agreement. Robbie was a pretty easy going guy by nature but there were two buttons you could push to trigger his aggression and Ricky Underwood had tapped danced on button number one. No one messes with anyone in my family, especially the women. I'm gonna beat that little punk senseless! Anne knew George and Robbie were prone to do something stupid when they believed the women in the family had been wronged and she tried to interject some reason into the situation before her boys did anything they'd regret later.

"Everyone just calm down! Now, we don't know for sure Amy's pregnant so before anyone goes flying off the handle," she looked pointedly at her husband and son with an arched eyebrow, "let's wait and see what a doctor has to say. Then, if she is pregnant, we'll go from there. Until then, this stays within the family." Anne turned to look at her son. "That means no texting or telling the boys," she looked down at Amy, "and no texting or telling the girls until we know for sure what's going on. Agreed?" Anne looked at Amy and then her son to make sure they understood her directive and agreed; they both nodded. Anne turned towards George. "And no telling Donovan or Leon either. We wait until we know for sure." George crossed his arms but nodded curtly, clearly not happy about the situation. Sensing that calm was slowly settling over her family, Anne inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "For the moment Amy and Robbie need to eat their dinner and finish their homework." Anne walked to the kitchen island to prepare George a dinner plate and when it was reheated, he joined his son and eldest daughter at the kitchen table, each silently eating their dinner lost in their own thoughts.

As everyone got ready for bed that evening, there was an air of tension in the house. Everyone seemed to sense that tomorrow, things at the Juergens household would be changing and each member of the family drifted off to sleep fitfully, each hoping for the best but also mentally preparing themselves for the worst.