Lucy Camden took a deep breath and zipped her backpack closed. She glanced at her clock and realized that she should hurry or she would be late for class. She slung her backpack over one shoulder and headed out the door of her dorm room. As Lucy walked from her dorm on the east end of PEMBROKE COLLEGE to Daly Hall where most of the social sciences courses were taught she thought about her family back home in California and wondered what they were doing. Then she laughed a little realizing that it would only be 5 am in California and they were probably all still sleeping. Lucy opened the heavy door to Daly Hall and dashed up the stairs to the 2nd floor auditorium where her psychology course met. She settled into a seat in the back of the auditorium and removed a notebook and pen from her backpack. Her mind wandered and again she found herself thinking about her family. She wondered if she was really making a big mistake by trying to go to college in the northeast. She supposed it wouldn't have been a mistake if she had been doing it for the right reasons. Yet, in her heart she knew she wasn't.

Their guest lecturer started in and Lucy tried to focus on lecture. Dr. Stewart discussing the psychology of addictions, diagramming a framework on the overhead which Lucy was dutifully copying when all of the sudden she felt something sharp and painful on her thigh. Involuntarily she yelped in pain before realizing that the guy next to her had knocked his coffee over into her lap. The entire class turned to see what the commotion was and Dr. Stewart stopped mid-diagram.

In that instant Lucy wished she could disappear, instead she mumbled "It's ok" to her coffee spilling neighbor and mopped at her jeans with the napkins he had handed her. Lecture resumed.

At the conclusion of lecture her neighbor extended his hand, "I'm Derek, I really am sorry about before. May I pay to have your clothing cleaned," he offered.

"Uh, it's fine really" Lucy stammered, standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

Derek followed her out of the auditorium. "Are you sure? Well then how about if I treat you to breakfast?" he offered.

"Really it's fine and I have a 9:15 anyway," Lucy lied and darted down the stairs and out of the building before Derek could say anything else.

Outside in the quad Lucy caught her breath. She knew what Mary would say if she had witnessed their interchange. But Mary was wrong everything would be fine once she reached her goal weight. Yet, as Lucy trudged back to her dorm she realized she was less and less certain of that every day. She unlocked the door to her room and collapsed on her bed.

Lucy longed to talk to a familiar voice, she almost picked up the phone to call her mom but she realized it wasn't even 7am yet in California. Instead she buried her face in her pillow and tried to escape into sleep. She slept soundly until well into the afternoon, right through lunch and barely woke up in time to make it to her 4pm statistics course. After class she was again walking back to her dorm debating whether or not she would eat dinner. She was so involved in her own internal dialogue she barely saw the guy in front of her until she had walked right into him. Books went flying everywhere It turned out to be Derek from her psychology class. "Uhh sorry I didn't see you," Lucy stammered as Derek picked up both of their books.

Derek chuckled, "Perhaps now we're even. I don't think I caught your name before"

"It's Lucy...Lucy Camden"

Derek extended a hand again and said "well it's nice to meet you Lucy Camden. Are you a freshman"

"Yes." Lucy admitted shyly and looked away.

"I'm a sophomore but I just transferred here this year. Where are you from Lucy?"

"Glen Oak, California"

"Cool, believe it or not I went to UCLA last year. I decided I wanted to be closer to home so here I am"

"Where is home"

"Right here in Pembroke. Yes people do actually live here." Derek joked.

Lucy was silent, she was thinking about her own family. She missed Matt, Simon, Ruthie, and the twins. She even missed Mary. Part of her longed to take the next plane home yet part of her knew she wouldn't be going home for a long time and maybe never. The silence made her uncomfortable and she searched for something else to say. "Do you have a large family?" she finally asked Derek.

"I guess you could say that. One brother, three sisters, and I guess two foster sisters. Sometimes it's hard to keep track,"

"Kind of like our family I guess. I have four brothers and two sisters. Do your parents usually have foster children?"

"Sometimes. They tend to adopt through the foster system, which is how I came to live with them."

"You're adopted?"

"Yes I was thirteen when I first came to live with them. Let's just say it was rough at first and I did some things I'm not proud of but I guess things have a way of working out when you least expect them to," Derek explained.

Lucy pondered what he had said and wondered if that was possible. Would her life ever eventually work out?

"Could I treat you to dinner?" Derek offered. He figured it was the least he could do after the coffee incident. Anyway she was cute in a kind of flustered way.

"Dinner?"

"Sure, there are some nice restaurants not to far from campus. THE OLIVE BRANCH is a kind of Mediterranean Greek restaurant and there is THE MELTING POT a steak house with specialty fondue, or if there is somewhere else you would prefer?" Derek offered

"No really I can't. I have a review session in fact I need to run or I'll be late. Thanks for the offer, maybe some other time." Lucy stammered abruptly turning on her heel and heading briskly across campus.

Derek watched her disappear and then headed to the off campus lot. He couldn't be sure if she was really just a serious student (she had after all been taking notes in class until he spilled his coffee on them) or if she was trying to politely tell him she wasn't interested. As he unlocked his jeep he wondered if he was interested. Derek drove through campus and turned left onto ROUTE 372 and headed back into the city limits of PEMBROKE. He cruised down MAIN STREET past PEMBROKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL where his mother was a physician and finally just past the beginning of the town square he made a right onto LILAC DRIVE and cruised down the tree lined street to 1872. He turned in drove up their rolling driveway and parked in the driveway in front of the front door. He knew his parents weren't impressed with his inability to park in the garage and walk up the driveway like the rest of the family but he still didn't understand how someone could build a mansion without an attached garage. It had almost become a running joke with his parents. Derek lopped across the front and side lawn over to the side patio that surrounded their outdoor inground pool and then went through the french doors into the kitchen. His father never understood why he would park in front of the front door and then come around to the side but the front porch with it's ominous columns and the heavy ornately carved front door that opened into a formal front hall had always intimidated Derek. Plus he could never remember the code to silence the security alarm.

In the kitchen Derek's father Matthew Stewart was preparing dinner with his younger sisters almost 13 year old Danielle and almost 5 year old Kaitlin. Danielle had been not quite 4 when Derek met her and he realized he had been a pretty awful older brother. He'd been short tempered and pulled her hair frequently, he'd even fed her favorite doll to the paper shredder in their father's office. Somehow though Danielle had persevered and continued to love him which at the time had just made him more angry. However, it the long run it had renewed his faith.

"Hi Derek!" Kati called from her perch on one of the kitchen stools at the far island. She was intently shredding lettuce from the garden for salad.

"Hey," Derek returned.

"How was school?" Danielle asked. She was cutting tomatoes and cucumbers Derek presumed for salad. "It was alright," Derek responded noncommittally opening the refrigerator door and pouring himself a glass of milk. He was waiting for his father to mention the little mishap in class but he merely opened the oven door to check on the lasagna. "Well I'll be upstairs." Derek said starting to ascend the kitchen stairs to the east wing of their home where the children's rooms were.

"Actually dinner is just about ready. Why don't you see if Jenny or Laurel are interested in dinner?" his father called after him.

Derek trudged down the long hallway to his room and tossed his backpack on his still unmade bed. Somehow he doubted that Jenny felt up to eating dinner with them or that Laurel would voluntarily. He almost laughed at the irony of the situation. Although Jenny was really his sister Kristin's friend, his father had become her medical guardian and she had lived with their family for a little over a year. She and Derek had become close over the past nine months since he had returned home and he hadn't quite accepted the reality that he couldn't fix her life.

Derek knocked softly on Jenny's door and then crept inside. He crossed the room and sat gently on her bed. A pale, thin face regarded him. "How do you feel?"

"Not well," Jenny's voice was faint.

"Yeah, you don't look like you feel well. What did the doctor say?"

"Well I at least have a kidney infection. I'm going to continue the antibiotics and I go back to see him on Friday"

"You think it's something more too"

"I don't know. I don't want it to be. But I just feel so weak. I needed help to get back to bed after the doctor's appointment"

Derek squeezed her hand, "It will take awhile but you'll be alright," he tried to be encouraging.

Jenny forced a smile. She wanted to believe him.

"Do you feel like eating dinner with us? Or should I bring you something later"

"I'd love to but I probably shouldn't. I'll rest now and try to have something later"

"Ok" Derek said crossing the room to the door. He next knocked on Laurel's door. "Laurel dinner"

"GO Away! I hate you," thirteen year old Laurel screamed. Laurel was his foster sister with an eating disorder who had been with their family since a little over a month ago when the court had taken her from her parents with concerns of medical neglect. Laurel hated them all, or at least she claimed to. She was however enamored with Derek's older sister 22 year old Kristin who was an emergency medicine physician. Laurel thought Kristin was beautiful and Derek hadn't recently heard her as much as raise her voice in Kristin's direction. It seemed like occasionally they even talked. Derek suspected that consistency and discipline were uncommon in her world before and it was an adjustment period for her. However, he still wasn't patient with her. Her venom and nastiness frustrated him and he had been unkind to her at times he was afraid. He noted that Danielle and Kaitilin were kind, loving and forgiving. Much as Kristin and Danielle had been with him he guessed.

Downstairs he joined his father and sisters for dinner where they discussed oboe solos (Kaitlin was in her second year of oboe playing) and soccer. Danielle's varsity soccer team had continued their undefeated season with a win of MARTINVILLE. Danielle had scored 4 goals and had 1 assist. Kaitlin was also a soccer star as one of the leading scorers on the local 8 & under team. His sisters' athletic prowess often amazed Derek yet they like Kristin had seemed to take it for granted. As Danielle had recently explained 'It's not who I am, I was just lucky to have this talent'.

Meanwhile Lucy was sitting alone at a table in the North Dining Hall finishing a dinner of baked potato and boiled chicken. She sat pensively calculating calories in her head. No it was too much she never should have had that roll. Suddenly the remains of her meal revolted her and she hurried to get rid of her tray. As she left the dining hall she began to panic she felt huge and stuffed. Although 10 bites of chicken, half a baked potato, and a small roll might represent a small meal to the normal person to Lucy it seemed like the biggest of binges.

Back in her dorm room Lucy tried to study but it was no use. She opened textbook after textbook but couldn't seem to settle down to study. She hopped up from her desk and grunted through one hundred jumping jacks and two hundred sit-ups. Exhausted she flopped back onto her floor but she still felt like there was food she needed to rid herself of. She was desperate she realized, she needed laxatives. Almost in a trance Lucy grabbed her keys and headed to the dorm lot.

It was a little after nine and completely dark out but safety of the parking lot at night was far from Lucy's mind. As she reached the campus exit onto ROUTE 372 she realized that she really wasn't sure where a grocery store or drug store was. She had actually only had a car on campus for about a week. Her brother had had the car shipped to her as an surprise since she had been instrumental in helping to fix his first car.

Lucy made a left onto ROUTE 372 and drove until she reached a sign telling her she had reached Pembroke City limits. She drove down Main Street past the FIREHOUSE and POLICE STATION and the small EMBURY PARK. She turned left onto FEDERAL AVE. and drove past the PEMBROKE TOWN SQUARE which housed the POSTOFFICE, the County and Town Office Buildings, The Pember Museum & Auditorium, the DSS, the COURTHOUSE, the PEMBROKE COMMUNITY CENTERE, and several posh restaurants. She drove up FEDERAL AVE. past the square, past the EXECUTIVE PARK OFFICE COMPLEX, past the intersection of TOWER ROAD which led to the WATER TREATMENT FACILITY, the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, the DARIEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY and the PALMIRA COUNTY JAIL. Once she passed MEMORIAL CEMETERY, FEDERAL AVE turned into ROUTE 372 and passed through the Covered Bridge into the town of DEERING. At this point Lucy realized she had to be hopelessly lost. With fresh tears stinging her eyes she made a U-turn and retraced her steps. As she faced back at Main St. she made a left and proceeded down to where the PEMBROKE CATHOLIC CHURCH was on the corner of CHURCH ST. she turned right there hoping maybe there was a supermarket near the church like at home. Unfortunately she found only the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches and what looked like a small cemetery and a small synagogue. She was about to cry anew when she realized that CHURCH ST curved around and she had reached a traffic light. She stopped for the red light and then when it turned green made a left turn onto SUNSET AVENUE. She drove for a little less than a mile and came to a PATHMARK, SUPER TARGET, and CVS DRUGS that were open twenty four hours. Almost giddy she entered the PATHMARK and took a shopping basket. She decided to get some food to keep in her room so she wouldn't have to go to the dining hall and be as tempted by the options there. She selected a bag of apples and a box of plain instant oatmeal. Nothing else looked safe. She then proceeded to the health and beauty aisle and picked up three boxes of her favorite brand of laxatives. She proceeded to an open check out and thumbed through an issue of Cosmo while waiting for her turn to load her items on the conveyer belt. The man behind her, buying pedialyte popsicles and children's Tylenol, looked familiar but Lucy couldn't place him.

It wasn't until she had reached her car that she realized why the man was familiar he had given the lecture in her psychology class. She was sure he had seen her laxatives. She hoped he had no idea what that meant. Eventually Lucy made it back to campus and her dorm. For a second she berated herself for wasting an entire evening searching for laxatives but she took two handfuls anyway.

About five minutes later Lucy was overcome with the usual strong lower abdominal cramps that proceeded the profuse diarrhea. She quickly made it to the bathroom in her suite. Lucy spent most of the next fourhours in and out of the bathroom. Around 5 am she exhaustedly fell into bed and was almost asleep when another wave of cramps came over her. She bolted out of bed and raced back to the bathroom just in time. Usually the symptoms didn't last longer than a few hours, but she guessed she had taken an extra handful of the laxatives perhaps that was why.

Lucy slept through her classes the next day. When she awoke she was angry with herself for missing classes. She had promised herself she wouldn't use laxatives anymore but she had. She screamed inwardly and threw her pillow across the room in disgust. Just then the phone rang. "Hello" Lucy croaked. "Hello Lucy, this is Derek. I'm sure you remember the jerk who spilled his coffee on you"

"Yes," Lucy said and smiled.

"Well after we quite literally ran into each other yesterday I think we got our books a little confused. I seem to have your notebook. I'm sorry I didn't realize it until last night and I tried to call the number inside the front cover a few times last night but I didn't get any answer"

"Oh I guess I must not have heard the phone," Lucy stretched the truth a little.

"Do you need your notebook tonight? I can certainly bring it by if you do or I can just bring it to class in the morning?"

"That would be fine. I'm sorry"

"It's no problem. I will see you in the morning. Bye." Derek finished and hung up the phone. He put Lucy's notebook back in his bag a realized he had just committed himself to making it to eight AM psychology lecture---oh well he thought it was probably good for him. The next morning Derek somehow awoke at four am. He could hear Danielle and Kati getting ready for swim practice which somehow they went to every morning at four am, seven days a week, rain or shine. Derek personally considered their schedule torture perhaps even cruel or unusual punishment. But they both claimed they loved to swim. Kati still aspired to grow up and become a fish and they had both already set some age group records. Danielle had even competed internationally on the US national team. Derek rolled over and tried to go back to sleep as he heard Danielle and Kati going out the door with his dad. Ten minutes later when he was still tossing and turning he gave up.

He got out of bed and wandered down the hall, he peeked into Jenny's room, she seemed to be sleeping, and then continued on downstairs. He was having an early breakfast of cold pizza a few minutes later when his mother came through the door.

"Are you up early or late?" He wondered out loud.

"I guess a little of both. I went back in to put a chest tube in that 5 year old in the burn unit and since I was there I decided to go ahead and change a few lines in the ICU which gives me a few less things to do later this morning." His mother responded. "Did your dad take your sisters to swim?"

"Yeah"

"Is everything alright Derek? I can't remember the last time I saw you wake up before the sun came up"

"I think so. I just couldn't sleep. I was thinking maybe I'd take advantage of the time and get a little studying in of course I've never been able to study on an empty stomach. Would you like some pizza"

"No thanks," his mother finished as his father walked through the door.

"Wow it's like a regular party," Matt Stewart exclaimed as he came through the door.

"Pizza?" Derek offered sliding the plate in his father's direction.

"No thanks. Is everything alright son?"

"Everything is fine," Derek said putting the last piece of pizza in his mouth and sliding the empty plate into one of the two dishwashers in the kitchen.

As Derek started up the stairs to the east wing his parents exchanged glances. Finally Matt asked, "Do you think he's really alright?"

"I'm not sure. I can't remember him ever getting up this early before of course now that he has 8am classes this semester maybe he's working on achieving a more normal sleep schedule," Cynthia suggested optimistically.

"I hope that's all it is. I worry about Derek I think he still carries so much guilt. He's been wonderfully kind and patient with Jenny but I worry about the transference"
"Now honey remember how you promised not to psychoanalyze the children if you went back and did your PhD"

"You're right. So let's just say I worry about Derek. I'm a dad it's my job"

Just then they heard cries, and screams from upstairs and raced upstairs to realize they were coming from Laurel's room. Cynthia knocked twice on the door and then opened it when there was no response. Laurel's eyes were shut and she was twisting her body into a tight ball and screaming "No! No! No!"

Cynthia gently touched her arm "It's alright Laurel, you're safe here. You're safe in your bedroom, it's alright to open your eyes"

Eventually Laurel did that, she looked around her bedroom with wide eyes and then fell back exhausted onto her pillow. She didn't feel well but she was afraid to tell her foster mother that. Trips to the doctors hadn't been fun lately.

Cynthia gently laid a cool hand across her forehead and noted that her pajamas and bed sheets were damp. She wondered if Laurel was getting sick and the fever had made her nightmares more vivid. As if to answer her question Laurel started to vomit and then to cry.

"Shhh, it's ok. You don't feel well do you?" Cynthia asked pulling Laurel into a gentle hug.

"No. My tummy hurts"

"Ok well let's try to make you a little more comfortable?" Cynthia suggested helping and leading Laurel into one of the upstairs bathrooms that weren't attached to any of the bedrooms. In the bathroom Laurel vomited again and then instinctively laid her head down on the cool tile floor.

Cynthia started filling the bathtub with lukewarm water and helped Laurel to undress and get into the tub. "Is that any better sweetie?" Laurel nodded.

"Ok well why don't you stay there and soak for a minute and I'm going to change the sheets on your bed" Cynthia said collecting Laurel's soiled pajamas off the bathroom floor. She returned to Laurel's room and stripped the bed and carried the sheets and pajamas and some other clothes that were lining the floor of Laurel's room into the laundry room in the east wing, loaded the washer with the clothes and soap and turned it on. She stopped at the hall closet on her way back to Laurel's room and selected a set of light lavender colored sheets and remade the bed before returning to the bathroom to check on Laurel. She ran into Matt in the hallway.

"Is everything alright?"

"I think she's coming down with something. We'll need to keep her home from school again today I suppose. Are you in court all day today?"

"Yes"

"Well thank heavens for your parents and their excellent health." Cynthia said. Fortunately they lived about 30 minutes from the farm where Matt had grown up. Although his father had retired from his work as a state trooper and was farming full time his mother had retired from teaching almost ten years earlier and still loved babysitting for their children. When Jenny had come to live with them she had started coming to their home almost daily. She and Jenny had become close and although Laurel was still busy pushing everyone away Cynthia was sure eventually Laurel would come to love her too.

As Matt left for his morning run, Cynthia went back into the bathroom where Laurel was still lying in the tub. She helped her out of the tub and handed her several towels to dry off with while she rinsed out and sprayed the tub. She tucked Laurel back into bed and took her temperature. She seemed restless and uncomfortable which might be explained by her 103.2 fever. Cynthia returned with some children's Tylenol in medicine cup, "Here maybe if we bring down the fever you'll feel a little better"
Laurel wrinkled her nose. "Can't I just have the pills?"

"Unfortunately no. This is a safe dose of Tylenol for someone your weight"

Laurel looked displeased but she reached for the cup anyway and swallowed. New tears formed on her lashes. "Do I have to go to the doctor?"

"We'll see I do want to at least talk to your pediatrician. We'll see what he advises"

"I don't want to go"

"I understand that Laurel but we need to make sure you're being taken care of appropriately so you can feel better"

"But you're a doctor. You could take care of me"

"I think you need a doctor you don't live with sweetheart. I'll call Dr. Patrick before I go back to the hospital and see what he thinks. Why don't you try to rest?" Cynthia suggested glancing at her watch. It was approaching six am and Danielle and Kaitlin would be finishing swim practice around 730 so she thought she might head to the health club a little early and swim some laps while they finished their practice. Once Matt returned from his run she went to do that.

Matt headed over to the west wing where their master bedroom suite and the guest room suites were. As he laid out his clothes for the day he chuckled at their installation of an indoor lap pool in the family gym three years ago. The reality was that most of the swimmers of the family still insisted on using the pool at their local health club.

Meanwhile at PEMBROKE COLLEGE Lucy groggily hit the snooze option on her alarm and pulled the covers back up over her face. It was a little after six am and since most of her suite had eight am classes on Friday if she wanted to ensure that she had time for a shower and breakfast she really needed to get up at six but she sleepily rationalized she could sleep a little more since she wouldn't be eating breakfast. Finally at 7:20 after hitting the snooze button at least eight times Lucy dragged herself from her bed and dressed in jeans and a shaker knit sweater. It certainly got cold fast in the northeast she decided. It was only late September but she had heard her classmates talking about frost something they never experienced in California.

As Lucy walked to class she thought about how she would get out of going home for their fall break. It was 3 weeks away and really only a 5 day weekend since they didn't have Friday afternoon classes and classes resumed Wednesday afternoon. It was kind of far to go all the way home anyway just to basically turn around and go back. It was weird she missed her parents but the thought of going back to Glen Oak terrified her.

She was surprised to see Derek already sitting in the auditorium when she arrived. Usually he came in a few minutes late carrying breakfast from the UNCOMMON GROUNDS kiosk on campus. Or maybe he went to the actual UNCOMMON GROUNDS which Lucy thought she had seen during her travels the other night. She wasn't sure where Derek lived though she knew that there were some apartments a little past campus in the other direction from PEMBROKE. Or perhaps he lived with family he had said he wanted to be closer to them. Nervously Lucy sat down in the empty seat next to Derek. She wondered if he had intentionally saved it for her or if it was coincidental. "Good Morning!" Derek said brightly and handed her her notebook. "I wasn't sure if you were a coffee drinker but I brought an extra caramel roll for you"

Lucy shuddered--a caramel roll? That had to be practically a million calories. She could never eat that even if she spent the rest of the semester living at the gym. "Uh I had breakfast already, but thanks" she offered lamely as class began.

After class Lucy and Derek walked out into the quad together. Derek was confused about Lucy's actions she seemed to at times be very pleasant and personable but then she would just abruptly get distant. It was kind of weird. He had decided he just really needed to know what she thought about him and had planned to invite her to go out over the weekend. If she turned him down then he would move on but somehow the more he got to know Lucy the more he was attracted to her. "Do you have plans for this weekend yet?"

"No not really. Just studying for our psych exam I guess. What about you?" Lucy asked realizing she sounded so lame.

"Could I interest you in seeing a movie tonight then"

"Well I really need to study"

"We can study tomorrow. I'll help you." Derek offered. After the words were out of his mouth he almost laughed at them Lucy was a good student he was scraping by but he was going to help her study...yeah right!

"Well ok." Lucy agreed reluctantly "Great! Is it alright if I pick you up at 7 maybe we can grab dinner before the film"

"Uh I have plans for dinner with my suitemates. Would 8:30 be ok?" Lucy lied. She realized that she lied so easily not really with malicious intent but just to cover up her secrets. And each lie tended to require another. She hated the whole mess.

"Sure that would be fine. You live in the low rises on North Campus right?" Derek asked.

"Yes how? Oh it was in my notebook right"

"Yes I was thinking about just dropping it off when I noticed but then I wasn't sure if you would be home or awake."

They parted and Derek headed back to the student lot. Fridays he had only psychology lecture which in the past would have been a great incentive to just take the day off but he had vowed to be a better student and so far had made it to most of his classes. He got home a little after ten and stopped by Jenny's room on his way to study for his psych test."Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. I hear Laurel is sick too now. I really hope things work out for her." Jenny said genuinely.

"What time is your appointment?"

"12 so that your dad can make it back to court by 1:30." Jenny said. "I'm afraid of what Dr. Lynch and Dr. Blonsky were talking about"

"What do you mean?"

"I think Dr. Blonsky is going to recommend that I restart dialysis at least while I'm sick and I don't know as much as I'll hate it maybe it's ok"

"I'm sorry. But maybe it won't be forever"

"Maybe but I only stopped a week ago so this isn't very encouraging"

"I know but you have to keep trying Jenny. You've accomplished so much you can't give up now."

"Oh I'm not giving up. I'm just frustrated."

That night after dinner Derek was getting ready for his date with Lucy. He wasn't sure what to expect. As he was finishing combing his hair there was a knock on the door. He opened the door to see his sister Kristin who was home for the weekend with her new husband Paul. "Is this a bad time?" Kristin asked diplomatically.

"Uh well I have a date at 8:30 so I probably need to leave in a half hour but I have some time what's up?"

"That's great about the date. Anyone serious?"

"Not yet. A girl from class really. I'm not even sure if I want it to go anywhere. So what's up?"

"I just kind of wanted to touch base. I know there is a lot of stuff going on now."

"You sound like a parent."

"Hmm well I guess I will be in March so..."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," Derek said

"I know. I just want you to know I do care and if you need anything I really hope you'll ask. I'm really proud of you Derek." Kristin finished with a hug.

A little before 8:30 Derek pulled into the lot by Lucy's dorm. Surprisingly she was ready and waiting for him. He wondered if it was the first time he had ever gone out with a girl who was ready on time. She had on a short but flouncy skirt and a tight shirt with the sleeves pushed up, Derek was impressed. He opened the door to the passenger side of his Jeep and then returned to his own side of the vehicle.

Instinctively he started to drive in the direction of the mall but then realized they hadn't decided on a film. He started to list the options to Lucy who seemed distracted and uninterested. "Maybe a movie wasn't such a great idea." she finally said

"Is there something else you'd rather do?" Derek asked.

"I don't know. You know what why don't we rent a movie, there is a vcr in my suite. Oh but I think Megan might have reserved it for tonight," she finished glumly.

"That's ok we have a VCR/DVD player at home we can pick something and go back there." Derek said making a U-turn and heading back in the direction of Pembroke. He figured they could find something she wanted to watch at the BLOCKBUSTERS on SUNSET AVENUE. As Derek turned off of MAIN STREET onto SUNSET AVENUE Lucy recognized where they were, she had passed the BLOCKBUSTERS after leaving the grocery store the other night. Somehow that made her uneasy she wasn't sure why though.

At the video store Lucy eventually decided on I AM SAM, a movie Derek was almost 99 sure his parents owned. Oh well he supposed it was better to be safe than sorry. The got back in the car and Derek proceeded back out to MAIN STREET and then headed north until he reached LILAC DRIVE. As he pulled into 1872 LILAC DRIVE Lucy looked on in amazement. Their house was huge an old style colonial with a wide sweeping front porch and she could see a huge pool and patio on the east side of the house. For some reason it looked even more impressive at night with the those flood lights that lead up the driveway and illuminated the shrubbery and the paths leading to the front porch and side patio. Derek parked at the top of the driveway, it was after 9 and he hoped that most of his family had already turned in for the night. He had not planned on introducing Lucy to his parents immediately to avoid their questions about the relationship. He knew they meant well but he didn't want to talk about it. He wondered if his dad would remember her as the young woman he had doused with his coffee.

Derek led Lucy around to the side patio and through the french doors into the kitchen. The kitchen was empty and Derek led her downstairs to their fully finished basement where the rec room was. He placed Lucy's selection in the VCR attached to their large screen TV, offered her a seat on one of the leather couches, and then asked, "Can I get you anything to eat or drink."

Lucy debated. She had intentionally not eaten dinner so that maybe she could have a snack at the movie. She was craving salt, popcorn would be wonderful but she worried that she appear like a pig to Derek. "Why don't you surprise me?"

"Ok, make yourself comfortable I'll be right back."

Derek went back up the stairs to the kitchen noting as he reached the top that the light was on. He thought he had turned it off. Hmm. As he turned so he was facing into the main part of the kitchen rather than the solarium extension he realized he probably had turned the light off. His sister Kristen was putting a bottle of ginger ale back in the refrigerator. She looked at him a little surprised. "I thought you had a date."

"I did, I guess I do she decided she would rather watch a movie here than in the theater." Derek explained opening the refrigerator himself.

"Well enjoy yourself," Kristin said turning towards the kitchen stairs.

"Kristin?"

"Yes," Kristin turned back to face him.

"Uh could you help me make popcorn?"

"Sure!" Kristin laughed removing the hot air popper from one of the appliance drawers and getting some popcorn from the pantry. As they were waiting for the kernels to pop she fixed a tray with some napkins two bowls and two glasses of soda. "Why don't you make your first trip down with this and when you come back up the popcorn will be almost done," she offered.

"Do you want to meet Lucy?" Derek asked.

"I'd love to. I just didn't want to intrude and make either of you uncomfortable."

"It's ok really."

When the popcorn was done Kristin followed her brother downstairs. Lucy looked up from the couch. Wow! Derek's sister was tall and thin and beautiful. What would he ever see in her she wondered? Kristin set the popcorn down on the coffee table in front of Lucy and extended her hand.

"Hello, I'm Kristin, Derek's older sister." she said smiling warmly.

"I'm Lucy," Lucy mumbled feeling like an idiot.

"It's nice to meet you. Are you also majoring in psychology?"

"I'm thinking about it. I'm not sure I may do religious studies instead."

"That's interesting, our older brother Adam is a minister"

"Really? My dad is a minister as well. I've thought about it, in fact I thought that was what I wanted to do but I'm not so sure"

"Well as I've always told Derek you have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is rush into something"

"Do you go to Pembroke as well?" Lucy asked.

"I did a lot of my undergraduate work there. I went to UPenn to finish up and for medical school. I'm doing my residency in emergency medicine now"

"Hmm My older brother Matt is in medical school now"

"What year is he in"

"His first year. He just started"

"It's a lot of work but I thought it was really interesting"

"I guess science isn't really my thing"

"You can say that again," Derek interjected. "Oops I meant about myself Lucy"

Kristin felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see her husband Paul. "Are you alright hon? I was worried that you didn't come back upstairs"

"Yeah, I'm feeling better I was just getting to meet Lucy one of Derek's friends. Lucy this is my husband Paul"

Paul extended his hand to Lucy, "It's nice to meet you"

"I guess we should think about going back to sleep. I'd love to continue our conversation Lucy but Paul and I both worked last night." Kristin explained.

Lucy watched her take Paul's hand as they walked out of the room they seemed so in love. She wondered if she would ever be in a relationship like that. After Kristin left Derek recued the VCR and they got ready to watch the movie. "Kristin is beautiful." Lucy said absently.

"Yes my friends always seem to think that. She has a good heart too"

"Is she much older than you"

"Actually only two months. She'll be twenty three in November"

"So she's around Matt's age but he's only starting medical school"

"Well Kristin is really smart she kind of skipped a few grades and stuff. I on the other hand took a more scenic and delayed route through high school"

"Is Kristin adopted too"

"No Adam, Kristin, Danielle and Kaitlin are all biological siblings and my parent's biological children"

"Danielle and Kaitlin are younger?"

"Yes Danielle is twelve and Kaitlin is four but they would probably tell you they are almost thirteen and five"

Lucy giggled. "Isn't it funny how you are always in such a hurry to grow up and then once it starts to happen you just want to go back to being little again"

"Uh, yeah I guess" Derek said but he wasn't really sure he had experienced that.

Lucy yawned and sunk deeper into the couch shutting her eyes for a moment. Derek watched her doze for a minute wondering if maybe they should watch the movie another night.

"Do you want to try to watch the movie another night Luce?" Derek asked when she had opened her eyes again.

"No, I'm alright," Lucy protested.

"Ok, you just looked tired"

"I'm alright really"

So Derek cued the movie and they started to watch but about ten minutes later when he looked over at Lucy he noticed she had drifted off again. He watched her for a minute, she looked so comfortable and peaceful curled up on the end of leather couch. He hated to wake her to take her home.

Derek debated. Lucy really did look comfortable. He was tempted to just let her sleep and then she started to toss in her sleep a little. At first Derek thought she was waking up but then he realized she was still deeply asleep. And then, she screamed! A loud, ear piercing scream.

Derek watched her scream for a few seconds, motionless and uncertain what to do. Her screams reminded him of Jenny and her nightmares of the past. Gently he put a hand on her shoulder, "Lucy it's alright"

She jerked in response to his touch and then her eyes snapped open and she bolted forward. Frantically she looked around the room. She realized where she was and dissolved into tears. Uncertain of what else to do Derek held her and she let him almost melting into his embrace. Derek was unsure how long the sat together on the couch but eventually Lucy sniffled and pulled back a little and he gently released his embrace. She sat motionless on the couch recovering from her earlier sobs. Derek handed her some tissue and she dabbed at her tears methodically.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said quietly.

"There isn't anything you need to be sorry about. Did you have a nightmare?" "Yes," Lucy admitted reluctantly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Derek probed.

"No!" Lucy said quickly.

"Ok I didn't mean to pry. If you ever want to talk I'm working on becoming a better listener. I'm actually taking a course in it." Derek tried to make a joke to ease the tension he was starting to feel.

"Are you really?" Lucy asked inquisitively

"Well actually I will be next semester. Effective Listening it's one of those Psych/Comm cross lists."

"Interesting."

"I actually think it might be."

"I was being serious."

Derek noticed she was smiling, he was glad. "Is there anything I can do Lucy or anything I can get you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really want to go back to sleep right now."

"Ok"

"I don't really want to be alone either."

"Ok, I'm sure the nightmares can be pretty scary"
"Yes," she said simply.

"Would you like to spend the night here? We have several guest bedrooms, my parents wouldn't mind and my dad makes excellent pancakes and waffles."

Lucy was dubious but the offer was tempting. "But I don't have any stuff"

"Well I'm sure Kristin could find you a nightgown and I'm sure we have toothbrushes etc you could have if you want. Or I could take you back to your dorm to get your things and then we could come back here. If you wanted you could even get your psych books and we could study tomorow," Derek suggested.

"Ok could we do that?"

"Which? Me bring you to get your stuff"

"Yes."

"Ok," Derek said collecting up their barely touched popcorn and drinks and leading Lucy back upstairs. In the kitchen he was getting ready to toss the popcorn in the trash.

"Wait!" Lucy exclaimed.

"What?"

"You should save it. It's always better the next morning."

"Really"
"Sure. Mary, Matt, and I used to eat popcorn for breakfast all the time when I was younger.

"Mary and Matt are your siblings?"

"Yes they are both older then Simon, Ruthie, Sam, and David are younger."

"So you're a middle child."

"Yeah Matt is four years older and Mary is a year older. Simon is fifteen, Ruthie is ten, and Sam and David are four." Lucy explained as Derek dumped the popcorn into a two gallon ziplock and then rinsed the bowl and placed it in the dishwasher.

"How would you like to take the popcorn home? I think my dad will not be thrilled if we teach Danielle and Kaitlin to eat popcorn for breakfast."

"Ok, but he doesn't know what they are missing. Popcorn is an essential nutrient," Lucy joked.

Later Derek almost fell asleep himself as he sat on Lucy's bed while she packed a nightgown, a few pairs of jeans, panties, a clean bra, socks, and several tops and sweaters in the bottom of her smallest suitcase. On the top she tossed in a hairbrush, several scrunchies, shampoo, soap, toothpaste a toothbrush, and her cosmetics bag. She zipped the bag closed and then grabbed her psych notes, text book and tossed them along with a few pens, several highlighters, and pack of index cards into her backpack.

"Ok I think I'm ready," she said brightly Derek forced himself awake and alert he picked up her suitcase and back pack before she could even protest and she let him. Together they walked back out to his car, he tossed her bags in the back of his jeep, he opened the door for her and then they departed.

Back at 1872 Lilac Drive Lucy again followed Derek in through the patio entrance. He then led her up a beautiful hand carved winding staircase to the upstairs east wing of his parents home. Standing at the top of the stairs Lucy saw a hallway off to her right lined initially with a mirror and table along the outer wall with wing chairs on either side of the table. On the other side of the hallway were three closed doors and then the hallway ended in an open doorway. Lucy could see bookshelves and a computer system from the doorway. Directly in front of her was another much longer hallway and Derek led her past 6 closed doors on each side of the hall. "These two guest rooms down at the end of the hallway have their own bathrooms," he explained in a whisper as they walked.

Derek turned on the light in the seventh room along the left side of the hall and Lucy surveyed the room. It was moderately sized with a four-poster bed against one wall and a blanket chest at the foot of the bed. There was a tall chest of drawers against the near wall and a comfortable over stuffed chair in the corner. The far wall had two doors one that opened into a closet and one that opened into a bathroom. "I think there are towels and stuff in the bathroom," Derek said wandering into the bathroom to be sure.

He nodded when he came out, "Is there anything you think you need?" "I don't think so." Lucy said uncertainly. She was starting to have second thoughts about spending the night, perhaps it was a mistake. "Ok, well let me show you which room is mine in case you need anything," Derek suggested leading her back towards the stairs they passed three of the closed doors on the right side of the hallway and then he opened the next door. "Disregard the mess, ok"

Lucy scanned his room, it wasn't tidy but honestly it looked better than she had ever seen her brothers rooms look with the exception of times their mom had cleaned if Simon or Matt's rooms needed to be used as a guest room.