*The usual disclaimers apply-a very big thanks to Ermintrude for all of her
time and help with this and for being such a wonderful beta. Thanks also to
Cheryl, Lynda, Sue and Carrie-all the Wicky Gals in chat for all of their help
and brainstorming and support :) Hope you enjoy *

Hiding in the Spotlight

Sunday, August 26, 2007

9:30 PM

A picture could be worth a thousand words.

He sat on the edge of his bed, hands shaking slightly as he studied the photo, taken with his phone only hours earlier, at the reception. A photo taken with a phone; technology really had come a long way . The picture had been taken in profile, but the face, the resemblance—it was unmistakable.

'The son, just like the father…' His heart pounded loudly within his chest, drumming in his ears, almost drowning out the traffic noises on the street below. Long thin fingers reached out to touch the screen, lightly tracing the contours of the cheekbone and the jaw line.

"I know you," he whispered. "I do."

But did he know him? That was the question. He'd been so young at the time. Did he remember anything? Would he recognize him? At the moment the man really couldn't be sure.

If he did remember, though, he'd have to take care of it. Whatever he needed to do to survive.

"Me or him." His voice grew louder, gaining strength. He clenched his fist tightly, nails driving into his palms. "It's me or him." Those words continued to ring in his head as he lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling until his eyes closed and darkness claimed him.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

4247 Maplewood Dr

7:00 AM

Pencils and pens, check.

Class Schedule, check. Jenna placed that on the bed beside the pencils and pens. Folders and notebooks for each class, check.

Campus Map, check. She was definitely going to need this.

Brain…check? Nope, the jury was still out on that one. Jenna let her breath out in a noisy sigh, blowing her bangs off her forehead. She glanced at over at herself in the mirror, her new navy blue Georgetown Hoyas t-shirt and khaki walking shorts, shoulder-length light brown hair tucked behind one ear. She'd already changed clothes three times this morning, trying to pick something that would make her blend in with the rest of the students. Hopefully this was the outfit that would work.

Hopefully. Her dark brown eyes stared back at her in the mirror, reflecting her anxiety back at her.

"So, you think you have everything you need?"

Her dad's voice. Jenna looked up to see him standing there in the doorway.

"I think so, yeah," she said, pointing to the stuff she'd laid out. "Everything is pretty much here, all I have to do is remember to put it in the bag and take it to school and I'm good."

"Well, I don't think you'll have any problem with that—sounds to me like you're pretty organized." Lee walked into her room and took a seat at the foot of her bed. "What classes do you have today?"

"Um—I have Arabic first at ten, then Biology and Humanities and Writing." Jenna read aloud from the schedule. "That's on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Biology Lab is on Thursday and Tuesday and Thursday it's Early European History and International Relations."

"Those are some good courses."

"Yeah, I'm a little worried about Arabic, though."

"Why are you worried about it?"

"Well when I picked it, I was kind of thinking Arabic would be good for my future career, you know?" She watched as her dad's jaw tightened slightly at the mention of her career—she knew that still made him anxious. "Now I'm thinking maybe I should've picked something easier, like French or Spanish. Maybe Arabic's too hard."

"Jenna, you're not going to know until you try it."

"Dad, I can't even read the writing—it just looks like a bunch of weird designs and stuff."

"Well that's what the class is for, to help you learn." Lee told her. "Trust me; you'll get the hang of it before you know it."

Jenna let out a sigh. "You're probably right—I think my brain is just coming up with stuff to worry about today."

"That's just nerves talking." Lee looked at his daughter, so grown up but still his little girl—to him she'd always be his little girl. "Is there anything else bothering you?"

"Not much. Just have this funny feeling that I'm going to park in the wrong spot, forget where all my classes are, get there late and never make any friends." And end up in front of the whole class in my underwear, she added silently, remembering the dream that had woke her up last night. "Feel free to tell me how silly I'm being."

"No, you're not being silly. It's natural to be nervous about the first day—everybody is. But I think you'll be just fine. "

"I hope so."

"Well I know so," he told her firmly. "You went to the orientation and took the campus tour, remember?"

Jenna made a face. "I remember it, but not much." The whole orientation process had felt kind of like being on a merry-go-round -meeting people, shaking hands, hearing speeches and constant walking; a constant spinning with no way to stop. "A lot of it's a blur."

"I'm betting your remember more than you think. And you already have some friends. I know Lisa's not there, but Ron and Christy are."

"Sure, but Ron's a junior and Christy's an English major living in the dorms. We're not in any of the same classes—we'll be lucky if we see each other once a week." Jenna traced the designs on her bedspread with one finger as she spoke. "I'm happy Lisa's going to Virginia Tech, because that's where she wanted to go—and I know we'll still talk and all, but we've been friends since kindergarten. It's going to be weird not seeing her every day."

Friends since kindergarten. Lee thought back to his own childhood with the colonel—moving from base to base and constantly changing schools had made it almost impossible to keep friends for any length of time. Jenna, however, had spent her entire life here—not seeing her friends every day would be a big adjustment. "Changes can be like that," he said. "But you'll make new friends. And you know you can always live in the dorms if you want. Might be fun."

"Maybe—I just didn't think it made any sense to live there when school's only ten minutes away."

"Well just remember that if you change your mind you can always move to the dorms next semester. All right?"

"Yeah, I'll think about it." Jenna looked up at him and smiled—a small smile, but it made Lee feel better to see it. "Seriously, I know I'll be okay, Dad—I think I just have the normal first day jitters."

"Normal first day jitters are just fine." Lee gave her a brief hug and kissed her forehead. "And remember you're not alone—all the other new students are going to be feeling the same way. "

Feeling the same way—it was the same thing the Georgetown President had said during that convocation speech on Sunday. Somehow hearing it again made the butterflies in Jenna's stomach start to calm. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime, munchkin." He ruffled her hair. "Come on, let's go downstairs, huh? I know your mom's made you some breakfast."

Jenna's smile widened. "Okay."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Here you go, sweetheart." Her mom put a plate down in front of her. "You've got an omelet, bacon, toast, some cantaloupe and some orange juice—a good breakfast for your first day."

"Mom, it's awesome—thank you." The smell of the food made Jenna's stomach rumble slightly—despite her nerves she really was very hungry. Picking up her fork she cut off a piece of omelet and popped it into her mouth.

"You certainly look very nice this morning." Seated at the table beside Jenna, Dotty peered at her over the top of her crossword puzzle.

Jenna smiled. "Thanks, Grandma." She straightened her shirt and pushed her hair back behind her ear again. "I almost wore a dress and sandals, but with all the walking thought this might be better. You really think it looks okay?"

"Darling, it looks perfect," Dotty told her. "Dresses are nice, but on your first day it's best to wear something comfortable."

"I agree, comfortable is always better," Amanda said. "And what you picked is perfect."

"So, are you looking forward to your first day?" Dotty asked.

"Yeah." Jenna took a sip of her orange juice, feeling the cold, sweet liquid trickling down her throat. It was cloudy outside, the sky the color of gray steel. Silently she hoped it wouldn't be like that all day. "I'm still a little nervous but I'll be okay. It's just that whole thing, you know, being a little fish in a big pond."

Lee stared at his daughter. "Being a what?"

"Just something the guidance counselor said last year," Jenna explained. "He said that when we were seniors in high school we were big fish in a little pond, but when we went to college we'd be little fish all over again. It just kind of stuck in my head. "

"Everyone feels like that at first," Dotty assured her. "But take my word for it— by the first week you'll feel right at home."

"I hope so," Jenna replied.

Amanda patted her daughter's shoulder. "You will, I promise. Have you thought about going out for any clubs or sororities?"

Jenna shook her head, taking another sip of her orange juice. "Not really. I don't know what clubs there are and I don't think I'm exactly the sorority type—you know—parties and stuff."

"Jenna, you know there's nothing wrong with parties in college," Lee told her. "Remember, you're there to have fun too—not just to study."

"Your father's right," Dotty said. "College is supposed to be a fun experience."

"Besides, there's a lot more to being in a sorority than just parties," Amanda added. "When I was in Kappa Delta we held bake sales to raise money for charity and volunteered at the local hospital—we did a lot of good for the community. And any club is a great way to meet new people."

A sorority—somehow Jenna had never seen herself as a member of something like that, but it did sound like it might be a pretty good thing. "I'll definitely think about it." Much later, she added silently, thinking of the first day that still loomed ahead—she still had to get through that before she thought about anything else. The butterflies stirred in her gut, reminding her that they were still there.

"What time is your first class?" Dotty's voice broke into her reverie.

"At ten o'clock." Jenna speared a piece of cantaloupe with her fork. "It's Arabic. I want to get there earlier, though—Christy wants to show me her dorm room and I just want to figure out where stuff is, you know."

"Sounds like a good plan," Lee said. "Do you need me or your mom to drive you?"

Jenna shook her head. "No, I should probably get used to driving myself there—besides, it took me forever to get the parking permit." She looked down at her plate, surprised to find it nearly empty—she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't really remember eating most of it. Inside her pocket her cell phone beeped loudly, telling her she had a text message waiting. Taking the phone out of her pocket she pressed the button for her inbox:

Have a great first day, Jenna :) Miss u, best friends, always ! xoxo Lisa

"Who was that?" Amanda asked.

"Just Lisa saying hi." Jenna replied. Using the keyboard on her phone, she quickly texted a message back:

Miss u 2, hope you have a wonderful day, best friends forever:) xoxo Jenna

Outside the clouds were lifting, sunshine beginning to stream into the room through the blue curtains. Jenna felt a smile forming on her lips as she finished the message and hit send.

Best friends always—

Maybe it was going to be a good day after all.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Do you have your cell phone with you?" Lee asked as he and Amanda walked with Jenna to her car.

Jenna nodded, patting the pocket in the front of her shorts. "Yep, right here, and it's charged."

"Your car has plenty of gas?"

"Dad, it's got over half a tank. It's fine."

"It's running all right?"

Jenna let out a sigh. "Well it was yesterday."

"And you have enough money to get yourself something to eat later, right?"

"Mom already asked me that," Jenna replied, balancing the backpack on her shoulder as she bent down to unlock her car door. "I'm fine. I have plenty of money, trust me."

"You know if there's anything you do need, sweetheart, you can always call," Amanda told her.

"I know."

"You remember where the parking garage is?" Lee asked.

"On the tennis court, right?" Jenna's brown eyes were wide as she stared at her father. "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to park on the tennis court."

Lee sighed. "Jenna—"

"Dad, relax, okay?" Jenna grinned. "I was kidding. It's underneath Kennedy Hall and I'm supposed to enter using Canal Street. We practiced doing it about three times, remember? I'm practically an expert."

"Yeah, well just be careful," Lee told her. "Remember, it's going to be a lot crazier on the first day."

"Your father's right," Amanda added. "Just promise us you're going to be extra careful today."

Jenna gave another nod as she unlocked her car door and pulled it open and bent down, throwing her backpack in the back. "I will. I promise." She straightened. "Well—I guess I should probably get going. I should be back sometime between 6 and 7, okay?"

"All right—have a good day, sweetheart," Amanda hugged her daughter tightly. "We'll see you later."

"Take care, munchkin." Lee hugged her. "Hope you have a good day—love you."

Jenna smiled. "Love you too—bye." She got into her car and closed the door, fastening her seatbelt and starting the engine. Lee and Amanda stood together in the driveway, their arms wrapped around each other, watching as Jenna pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

"The first day of college." Amanda let out a little sigh. "You know, it seems like only yesterday that she was going to kindergarten and now it's college."

"I know what you mean." Lee smiled to himself as he thought back to that first day—the crazy outfit that Jenna had picked out with the boa and the tiara—the feel of her little hand clutching his own so tightly as they'd walked down the hallway towards her classroom. Thirteen years ago, but somehow it seemed like it had been only yesterday. "Time goes by so fast."

"Yeah it really does," Amanda agreed. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"Between you and me, I think we raised a pretty wonderful daughter."

Lee pulled his wife close. "That we did, Mrs. Stetson." Together they made their way back towards the house. Dotty was sitting on the family room sofa with a cup of coffee and her crossword puzzle—she looked up as they came in.

"So, did Jenna get off to school all right?" She asked.

Amanda nodded. "Just fine, mother. I just hope she doesn't have any trouble parking—I still remember that little fender bender that Phillip got into on his first day."

"I remember that too," Lee thought back to that day—Phillip coming home with a huge dent in his bumper. "Maybe we should've driven her today, you know, just to give her a chance to get used to it."

"Lee, if you drive her, she'll never have a chance to get used to it," Dotty replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "The only way she's going to learn is to do it herself."

"Mother's right, Lee," Amanda added. "She's going to have to learn this by herself."

"I know that," Lee said. "But we bought her that Honda Civic only about a month ago—it takes longer than that to really get used to a car."

"Jenna learns fast and she's a good driver," Dotty told him. "And remember, she's been taking that car all over the place since she got it. I don't think she'll have any problem."

Lee ran his hand back through his hair. "Yeah, you're probably right." At least he hoped that Dotty was right—the knots in his stomach hadn't completely loosened yet. "I think she was actually more nervous about her classes than anything else—especially taking Arabic."

"You and I can always help her with that," Amanda said. "You certainly helped me a lot when I took it through the Agency. She'll be fine."

It would have to come back to the Agency, wouldn't it? Lee recalled Jenna in her room this morning; the expression on her face as she'd mentioned her future career. The knots in his stomach began to tighten once more. "I know she'll be fine, she just seemed so—I don't know—serious about it all."

Dotty raised her eyebrows. "That's a bad thing? I would think you'd want her to be serious about her studies. "

"Damn it, Skip, can't you even pretend to take your studies seriously?" In his head Lee could still hear the Colonel's voice, saying that to him, the disappointment in the man's eyes as he'd stared at his nephew. "I do want her to be serious," he said aloud, struggling to put his feelings into words. "But college is about more than studying."

"You told her that this morning," Amanda reminded him. "We all did."

"Yes we did," Dotty replied. "And knowing my granddaughter, I don't think she'll have any problems on that front. Everything will go well and she'll have a great day. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Lee said. "You're probably right—she'll be just fine. "

He just hoped that was the truth.

TBC