Elizabeth Bennett pushed the window up as carefully as she could. With practiced ease the teenager slid into her bedroom. The darkness was illuminated dimly by the outside street light but she managed to place her bag silently on her desk and walk across the room without tripping over something. Her co-ordination, or lack thereof, had always been a hindrance to Elizabeth. She never caught a ball in games, was always last to be picked in Football and never made the cheerleading squad.

"Being a cheerleader isn't all glitz and glamour Elle," her mother would say over dinner.

"Like you would know," Elizabeth would mutter twirling her pasta uninterested with her fork. Her mother was a straight A student all throughout high school and college with no friends to speak of. She'd probably never even tried to be popular, let alone a cheerleader. .

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Her father sat on her desk chair, his eyes analysed her clothing, questioning, calculating like they always did. A shadow covered half his face, cast by the dark mess of hair that had fallen forward. He was fully dressed, still had his shoes. It meant that he had been waiting for her ever since he came in. Her throat tightened uncomfortably and her heart thumped against her ribcage. She had been caught. Most important rule - Make the damage seem small.

"It's late," his voice deepened dangerously. She was in trouble.

"It's only one thirty,"

"That's three hours after your curfew,"

"Only just,"

"Where were you?"

"At a small party"

"That's what, not where."

"At Sasha's,"

"Who were you with?"

"Sasha and a few friends,"

"Like?"

"...Michael."

The muscle under his eye twitched. He walked to the doorway. Elizabeth looked up at him and waited for her sentence.

"A month,"

"What!? You can't keep me in the house for a month! Prom's two weeks away!"

He looked at her, hand tight around the doorknob.

"A month," he shut the door firmly and she heard him walk down the hallway.

Too angry to sleep she jerked her laptop open and signed online. Sasha was still on.

~Ellectric~ signed online

BabySash: Heya

~Ellectric~: (angry smiley)

BabySash: What's up?

~Ellectric~: Parent's caught me

BabySash: Lol (tongue smiley)

~Ellectric~: No, not lol. I'm grounded for a month.

BabySash: A month? But prom's in like two weeks.

~Ellectric~: I know!

BabySash: Wow that's harsh Elle. Your parents are really strict.

~Ellectric~: Tell me about it, god just because they were boring in high school doesn't mean they have to ruin my life

BabySash: Lol! Totally, but missing prom won't ruin your life. It'll just be like missing a once in a lifetime opportunity. That's all.

~Ellectric~: Thanks

BabySash: No Problem

~Ellectric~: I was being sarcastic

BabySash: I know...so was I

~Ellectric~: I have to go; I think my parents can hear me typing.

BabySash: Aw, don't go yet, we still have to talk about the party.

~Ellectric~: Sash if I'm caught I'm in serious trouble, really I gotta go.

BabySash: Michael talked about you

~Ellectric~: I can risk it. What did he say?

BabySash: He likes you but he doesn't know you that well yet and your dad's eyebrows creep him out.

~Ellectric~: What?

BabySash: Even you have to admit they're not normal

~Ellectric~: They're not that bad.

BabySash: You're probably immune.

~Ellectric~: Stop talking about them as if they're some sort of disease.

BabySash: Lmao! ...Just out of interest, how old is your dad? And your mum? They look really young.

~Ellectric~:I don't know, they're just lucky I suppose. We don't talk about age or anything like that.

BabySash: Your dad looks a lot older, no offense or anything.

~Ellectric: None taken, like I said they don't talk about it.

BabySash: They're really cute together.

~Ellectric~: Sash, they're my parents ew.

BabySash: I'm just saying.

~Ellectric~: Yeah inappropriate much.

BabySash: Back to Michael

~Ellectric~: Oh crap!

BabySash: Parents got you?

Ellectric~: No, I left my phone at the club

BabySash: Elle! They chuck stuff if people don't claim it!

~Ellectric~: Shit, I can't tell my parents, they'd kill me if they knew I'd been to a club

BabySash: What did you tell them?

~Ellectric~: That it was a small party round yours.

BabySash: Shit, what are you gonna do?

~Ellectric~: I'm gonna have to get it back.

Claire Bennett sighed as she watched her husband massage his temples by the doorway. She pulled back the covers, inviting him to return but he ignored her and instead chose to focus on his daughters furious typing. She switched the side light on and picked up his glasses from the counter.

"Here," the glasses flew gently from her hand into his own and were promptly settled on the bridge of his nose. He rubbed his eyes and returned to the bed, grateful for plain eyesight once again.

"How long this time?"

"A month"

"Gabriel,"

"She has to learn Claire, she just can't go out at night; it's incredibly dangerous."

Hugging his back she pressed a gentle kiss on his shoulder blades.

"I know you're worried, but she's fifteen now, I think we have to loosen our grip a little."

He turned to face her.

"Your right, she's a sensible girl, it's a safe street. No sign of the government, or your family," his eyebrows raised in mock joy "Oh look, our good friend Chlamydia."

Claire groaned and hung her head against his chest.

"Gabriel, we've been over this. Elle isn't active,"

He recoiled, "Not a conversation I want, ever."

It was her turn to roll over, "I'm just saying, be a little softer. If you're too harsh you'll push her away from you and she'll end up breaking all the rules."

Smiling into her hair he pulled her closer.

"I suppose your father found out the hard way."

"In my case, breaking all the rules wasn't so bad."

THWACK

"Shit!"

Both Gabriel and Claire were still, their daughter had walked into the door again. A stream of swear words told them it was nothing serious and they both relaxed into each other. After a few minutes the gentle rise and fall of her chest told him that his wife was asleep. Gabriel heard his daughter creak her door open at her second attempt at silently escaping her bedroom. He listened to her padding to the bathroom, wash her hands, just in case, and proceed to open the window.

"Claire,"

"Mm,"

"She's breaking all the rules,"