Author's Notes: Here's the next chapter. Even though this weekend I've been able to update daily, I make no guarantees during the work week. Life gets hectic then but I will try. I intended for the hot call during the present chapter to just lead to where I was intending this chapter to go but it took on a life of its own. I hope you like it. Thanks for everyone who read and/or has reviewed the previous chapters. I love getting the feedback. Word of warning, I've been bowling before but I am by no means an expert or for that matter even what I would consider good. Please forgive any mistakes with details about the game.

Disclaimer: The show Flashpoint and its characters were created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern and belong to them and its respective networks. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.

Growing Up Too Fast

Chapter 3

1992

Jules lined up her shot, her pink bowling ball held steadily at face level, took two steps forward as her arm lowered behind her as she prepared to release it. She blocked out the teasing calls behind her trying to ruin her shot and slowly exhaled as she sent the ball spiraling down the alley toward the ten pins waiting on the other end. She smiled as it quickly became clear that the rolling projectile would make a perfect connection on the pins sending all ten of them scattering.

She turned to face her uncle. "I do believe they call that a strike." She then pointed toward the screen above their lane. "Do my eyes deceive me or does that scoreboard confirm the fact that I'm beating the pants off you?"

Johnny picked up his soda and took a long draw through the straw before setting it down again. Standing, he shook his head as he made his way to the ball return. As he passed Jules, he reached out and swatted her backside. "Nobody likes a sour winner, JAC. You should know that. Besides, this is all a part of my master plan to lull you into a false sense of security and then WHAM, unleash my magic."

Jules laughed, all her earlier anxieties forgotten as her uncle had made it his mission to show her a good time. "Whatever. It's your shot."

Johnny also managed to get a strike and the look he shot her as he returned to his seat was pure smugness. "Told you. Watch out, Little Girl. I'm about to show you who's king."

The easy banter continued throughout the game. Jules took the game easily, beating her uncle by almost fifty points. He challenged her to a rematch which to he beat her by ten points. Before they started the tie-breaker game, Johnny gave Jules a ten to get them more sodas and some nachos at the concession stand.

It took her a few minutes of waiting in line before it was her turn. She flashed a smile at the man behind the counter. Geoff Wilson had been a constable with her father until a bullet wound had ended his career early. He shook his head as he set two large drinks in front of her. "Julianna I'm surprised your father is letting you date at all, let alone someone so much older than you. I guarantee you if he were here and could see the way that clown is checking out your backside every time you take your turn, he'd string him up by his toenails "

Jules was confused until she realized he'd misread what was going on. She laughed and shook her head. "You mean Johnny? He's not my date. He's my uncle. Mom's younger brother. There's no way he's been checking out my backside. If anything he's trying to put some bad mojo on my mad bowling skills."

Geoff glanced over Jules's shoulder where sure enough Johnny was watching her every move almost as if he were staking a claim. It didn't seem to him like he was acting like an uncle but a guy trying to get into a girl's pants but it was possible like Jules had insisted that he'd misread the situation. "Alright then, here are your nachos. That'll be five dollars."

She paid him and as she was trying to figure out how she was going to carry both drinks and the nachos back to the lane, Johnny was suddenly there to lend a hand. As they carried their snacks back, she laughingly told him about Geoff's mistake. Once she finished she rolled her eyes. "Totally crazy, huh?"

"Totally." Johnny agreed. "And he used to work with your dad? No wonder he's no longer a constable. Old man's off his game. Speaking of games, I think it's about time I put you in your rightful place. Your ball."

Ten frames later, the right to a smug look belong strictly to Jules as she once more beat her uncle, this time by thirty points. He shrugged off the defeat as they made their way to his car. "I let you win."

Jules's jaw dropped and she lightly slapped his arm. "You so didn't let me win. I won fair and square because I'm the better bowler. Admit it UJ, admit that I beat you all on my own."

He laughed and shook his head. "Not going to happen."

As she got in the passenger side of the car, Jules folded her arms across her chest like she was angry but they both knew it was just for show. Most of the ride home was spent talking about the Callaghan brothers and what they were up too. As Johnny turned up the driveway he cast a serious glance over to his niece. "I didn't press the issue earlier but I know Margaret hit you. What was up with that? I know she gets a mouth on her when she drinks but she's usually not violent, is she?"

Jules shrugged. "Not usually but it has happened. Usually because I can't keep my big mouth shut."

He reached a hand over and rubbed the back of her neck soothingly. "Don't do that, JAC. Don't defend her. Tell me what happened and I'll decide if she deserves defending."

Jules looked out the window toward the house. "Dad brought home a kitten a couple of months ago. Someone had dumped a litter of kittens at the precinct and he claimed one for me. Put her in a little box and brought her home to surprise me. I even named her Boxer because of the way he presented her to me. There hasn't been any problems with her in the whole two months she's been here but suddenly today, Mom took a dislike to her. Kicked her out of the house. I don't understand it and I certainly didn't like it. I knew better but I mouthed off a little about it. It was just a slap. Hurt my feelings more than it caused real pain. What bothers me most is the idea that Boxer will have to spend the night outside; she's never had to do that since I got her."

Parking the car, Johnny pulled Jules closer in a one-armed hug. "That stinks JAC. And no, she doesn't deserve your defense in this. Tell you what. I doubt even if she's drunk she'll cause a ruckus for me. Let's find Boxer and bring her inside. I'll hide her in my room until everything blows over. How does that sound?"

Jules brightened. "Are you sure? I didn't even ask if you liked cats."

Johnny shrugged. "Not my absolute favorite animal but I do like you and I hate to see you upset. I can live with keeping a cat in my room for a few days if it'll put a smile back on that beautiful face."

Jules threw her arms around her uncle and gave him a tight squeeze before kissing his cheek. "Thanks UJ. Boxer won't be any trouble I promise you. You probably won't even know she's there."

"I'm sure she won't be." He opened the door. "Let's find your kitten."

The plan seemed so simple but the kitten was no longer curled up by the door where she'd been when Jules had left earlier. She and Johnny circled the house a couple of times quietly calling the cat's name but there was still no sign of the gray haired kitten.

Jules shook her head. "I don't understand. She wouldn't run away, even if she didn't like being outside. Where could she be?"

Johnny pulled her close to him once more. "I'm sure she's fine, JAC. Cats are pretty resilient creatures. Maybe she found a warm, safe spot to curl up in and go to sleep. Come morning I bet she'll be right back on the front porch begging to get in. Or maybe your mom had a change of heart and let her back in. If she hasn't shown up by morning, I'll help turn the property upside down looking for her. Okay?"

Jules nodded, not really having much choice in the matter. It was too dark to really search for her anyway. She led the way up the front porch and opened the front door. The house was quiet and Jules wondered if that meant her mother was passed out in her own bedroom upstairs. To her disappointment, Boxer didn't rush up to greet her as she entered the house and there was no other sign that the cat had been back inside.

Knowing she was still upset, Johnny drew her close to his side and planted a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "She'll be fine JAC. They got nine lives don't they?"

She nodded once more, this time a little more glumly. She knew he was right. Her father had told her that Boxer's mother was probably more of a wild cat than domesticated so surely that meant the small kitten had inherited some of her mother's natural survival instincts. "I'm going to turn in. You coming up now?"

Johnny shook his head. "I think I'm going to watch a little boob tube before I head up. Sleep well; I promise things will look better in the morning."

Almost wearily, Jules made her way upstairs. Part of her wanted to run into her mother so she could find out if she'd seen Boxer during the evening but part of her really did hope her mother was sound asleep already. Once in her bedroom, she stepped out of her clothes and went to her bathroom. It was probably one of her favorite of the renovations her father had completed. He had decided it was one thing to ask four boys to share one upstairs bathroom but that his little girl needed her own space that she didn't have to share.

The shower felt good; the hot water working its magic on her tense muscles. Trying to be considerate of anyone else wanting a hot shower with the small tank the family shared, Jules ended her shower before she was really ready. She toweled off and changed into her softies shorts and a tank top to sleep in. Stepping back into the bedroom, she was surprised to see her mother sitting on her bed, looking angry.

"Have fun?" Even her mother's tone was bitter.

Jules nodded, wondering if the conversation was about to pick up where they had left it before she left to go bowling with Johnny. "Sure, UJ's always fun to be around."

"Did you tell him what you did? Did the two of you have a laugh at my expense?"

Not sure what her mother was talking about and not really want to get closer in case her mother decided to re-enact the slap from earlier, Jules chose to sit in the chair at her desk rather than get near her bed. "What do you mean? What did I do? Why would we laugh at you?"

Her mother snorted derisively. "It's not nice to take things that don't belong to you. You know that don't you, Julianna? Not nice at all. What did you do with them?"

Her mother really had completely lost it, Jules decided. "Mom, I didn't take anything. What are you talking about?"

Her mother rose from the bed and before Jules knew what was happening, her mother slapped her once again. "Don't play innocent with me, you little brat. I know it was you. It had to be you. You took them and you'd better not have gotten rid of them if you know what's good for you."

Jules brought a shaky hand up to cup her stinging cheek. This slap had hurt much more than the one earlier had. Whatever her mother was missing it must have been important. "I promise I didn't take anything. Tell me what's missing and I'll help you look for it. You don't have to get upset about it."

Margaret's hand snapped back out and Jules flinched. But this time her mother grabbed hold of Jules's ponytail and gave it a quick yank. Jules's head bent backward with the pull as her mother put her face right close to her own. Jules could smell the alcohol on the older woman's breath. "I had three bottles in the kitchen cabinet and now they are gone. I know you took them and I want them back right now."

Jules knew the bottles she was talking about having discovered them earlier that afternoon as she was putting away dishes. She'd even had her hand on one of them while contemplating pouring it out into the sink just so her mother would have to go without. But in the end, she'd put the bottle back untouched not wanting to cause friction with her mother if she could help it. "I didn't. Mom, I promise you."

"You…lying…little….brat." Each word was punctuated with a painful pull on Jules's ponytail and the teenager wondered if it was possible for her mother to pull her bald headed. "Fine, you don't want to be honest, then you'll suffer the consequences. You took what was important to me and I took what was important to you."

Tears filled Jules's eyes. What could her mother have taken and how could she convince her that she was innocent of what she was being accused of. "Mom, please, this isn't like you. Let go of me and we can talk this out. What do you mean, you took…" her voice trailed off as she realized all of a sudden why she hadn't been able to find her kitten earlier. "Boxer. What did you do to Boxer?"

"I put the filthy little beast someplace you won't find her. Just like you did with my bottles. You give me back my bottles and I'll let you have your cat back. Don't and I'll make sure you never see the beast again."

A sob threatened to choke Jules at the fear of what the innocent little kitten might be going through. "Please Mom, you can't do this. I didn't take your damn bottles. Give me Boxer back."

This time she barely felt the slap although she was reasonably sure this one would leave a bruise. Margaret shook her head. "You will not curse at me, you ungrateful little bitch. If I don't have my bottles back by tomorrow afternoon, your cat is gone forever. You think about that tonight."

Releasing her grip on her daughter's hair, Margret turned on her heel and stormed out of the bedroom. As soon as she was sure she was alone, Jules threw herself on her bed and began to sob. She didn't know what had happened to the alcohol her mother had accused her of taking. Was it possible that her mother had moved them herself and forgotten what she'd done due to the alcohol clouding her brain? It didn't really matter what happened to them, the outcome was still the same. If she couldn't replace them by tomorrow, Boxer would be gone. She was pretty sure her mother hadn't just making an idle threat.

Jules wanted to give in fully to the sobs that were still building in the pit of her stomach but the practical side of her knew crying wouldn't solve anything. Sitting up she wiped her eyes with the back of her arm. Perhaps she could search the whole house and either find the cat, the alcohol, or both. She swore to herself that if she could be lucky enough to find both, she'd re-hide Boxer someplace safe and then almost gleefully pour out every single drop of the Jack Daniels her mother was so desperate for.

With a plan in mind, she stood. She wasn't sure the best place to start looking but she'd scour every inch of the house and property if she had to. Even if it meant she stayed up all night doing so.

There was a slight knock on her door and then it opened. She braced herself for another verbal and possibly physical assault but was relieved to see that it was only Johnny. He took one look at her red swollen face and stepped into the room, closing and locking the door behind him. He held his arms out and she eagerly collapsed into his embrace, the tears flowing once more.

He simply held her as she cried, once again rubbing circles in her back. Then when the emotional onslaught slacked slightly, he leaned back to look at her. "I heard her yelling from downstairs. What happened?"

It was hard for Jules to catch her breath enough to haltingly tell the story. Just the retelling was enough to cause the sobs to threaten to overwhelm her all over again. After telling about her mother's threat to give Boxer away if she didn't produce the missing alcohol, she added pitifully. "I promise you UJ, I saw the bottles in the cabinet before you arrived and I did think about pouring it out so she couldn't drink them but I didn't. I put it back where I found it. I don't know what happened to them but I can't let her give Boxer away."

Once again Johnny pulled her close and with his head resting on the top of her head, she wasn't able to see a slight smile fighting to emerge on his face. He managed to suppress it before he released her. He cupped the sides of her face in his hands and gently brushed away the tears with the pads of his thumb. "Shh, JAC. I know you wouldn't do that. I bet you anything your mom hid them herself so neither one of us would know how much she's drinking; plus it gives her a chance to hurt you by getting rid of your kitten. But how they disappeared doesn't change the fact that you're going to have to do something if you want to save Boxer."

"Save? But she said she was going to give her away. Besides, what can I do? I don't know where her stash of liquor is and it's not like I can go out and buy her more to replace them. Nobody would sell it to me and they'd tell my dad that I was trying to buy."

"She's not going to give Boxer away, JAC." If Johnny's words were meant to reassure her, his next words sent her heart hammering in her chest. "She can't. She can't take the chance of your dad finding out about it or the cat finding its way home again. If she gets rid of her, it'll be permanently. She'll put Boxer in a bag and toss her off a bridge or feed her some poison or find someone to kill the cat and dispose of the body so no one finds it. You don't want that to happen do you?"

Jules paled at the thought of her cat dying because of her mother's addiction. She shook her head. She wanted to say her mother wasn't capable of something so heinous but then her mother's words came to her. She hadn't told Jules that she'd give the cat away if she didn't give back the bottles. She'd promised the cat would be gone forever. Her lower lip trembled with the realization. "I can't let her kill Boxer. I just can't but what can I do? Like I said, I can't buy her more. If I could, I would. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Boxer."

"I know you would do anything to save Boxer, JAC. Relax. You do what I tell you and I'm going to make sure you get your kitten back. Don't worry, UJ's going to take care of everything." With that promise, he lowered his head until his lips met hers in what was first just a brushing kiss but then deepened into more.

- FP - FP - FP -

Present Day

Kevlar was a wonderful creation. The idea that the not-that-thick material could stop most projectiles from fully penetrating every layer and making its deadly mark in the wearer's chest was nothing short of a scientific miracle. Jules wasn't sure if the person who had created Kevlar had ever won the Nobel prize for his or her creation but was positive the prize was well deserved. There was just one problem as far as Jules could see. Though the Kevlar vest could save the wearer's life, it did little to protect against the bruising force that still came from a high velocity bullet ripping through material before crashing to a halt millimeters from your chest.

"Jules? Are you okay? Talk to me, Sweetheart."

Talk? Hell, she wasn't sure she could even breathe, Jules thought painfully from where she'd fallen after the negotiations had gone horribly wrong. Any call to a school had the potential for being a worst nightmare but at least this call had come in at the end of the day once school had been let out. They had arrived at the classroom to see that a single male student was holding his young female teacher at gunpoint. Greg Parker had started out as lead negotiator with Jules backing him up. But the boy had refused to connect with Greg and the SRU sergeant had had no choice but to turn over negotiations to Jules.

Jules had felt her heart constrict as she slowly pried the story from the teenaged boy. His illicit love affair with the first year teacher had been discovered and instead of being the big man on campus he'd thought he'd be for scoring with the teacher, he'd become the laughing stock of the school. Humiliated by the accusations of his classmates and family members and hearing that she'd been fired from her position at the school effective immediately, he'd shown up after school ready to end both of their suffering. If the world couldn't understand their love for each other then it would be better if they left the word together.

His teacher-turned-lover didn't seem to be trying to talk him out of his plan and instead if anything seemed to be encouraging him to follow through quickly. It didn't really surprise Jules; the educator had betrayed a trust and overstepped her bounds as a professional. Losing this teaching position was just the tip of her problems; she would undoubtedly forever lose her teaching credentials and face jail time for her actions. She would forever be listed as a sex offender. Her life as she knew it was over but if she cared for the young man before her, shouldn't she want his life to continue? Jules gently tried to point that out to the young man and for a moment his gun hand wavered. Then he shook his head, insisting that it was true love and that no one was going to keep them apart.

Jules had wanted the young man in front of her to realize that he'd been a victim. Someone he should have been able to trust had violated him and made him feel like it was his choice. She looked him in the eye and knew the argument would fall on deaf ears. The teacher had him totally convinced that what they had between them was real and right. Outside of convincing him not to kill himself, would insisting on the truth be better for him than his delusion? But she knew, as painful as the truth was, he had to realize he'd been taken advantage of but that it wasn't his fault.

She wasn't even sure exactly what it was she said that seemed to sink in to him but he had slowly lowered the gun. It might have ended right then but the teacher, realizing she was about to have to pay for her crimes warned the boy that if he surrendered his gun the two of them would never be able to be together again. Once more the gun wavered. Suddenly things unexpectedly went south. Ed started to shout a warning in her comlink but before he could finish, two shots rang out.

The recoil of the bullet piercing through the top layers of her vest knocked Jules off her feet and sent careening into the wall behind her. She slumped down, her ears ringing, her chest burning for air and what seemed like a thousand voices screaming her name both in the room and through her comlink.

And every since, all she'd been able to do was sit there and try to encourage her lungs to suck in the air her body desperately wanted. Dimly she heard Greg call for medics and she managed to shake her head. She didn't want the fuss. She'd have a bruise from hell, but she didn't need paramedic assistance, at least she wouldn't once her body agreed to cease and desist the mutiny it'd decided to wage against her.

Suddenly Sam's handsome face filled her field of vision, his eyes reflecting the fear they'd probably all felt from the moment the shot was fired. "Jules? Babe? I know it hurts like hell. Relax and your breathing will even out."

The calm in spite of his frantic worry helped and she soon found she could breath again. Being able to breath helped her to be able to talk enough so that when Steve and his paramedic partner pushed Sam to one side so they could examine Jules, she could protest. "I'm okay. Wind knocked out of me."

Steve unfastened the vest to get a good look. There was no blood staining the material to suggest the vest has failed to protect her from being shot but he couldn't take chances. "I'm sure you are, but let me earn my pay and make it official, okay?"

Resisting her ex-boyfriend's effects to examine her, Jules looked past him to where Sam was still standing. "I didn't expect him to shoot at me. Did Ed have to Scoprio?"

Sam glanced back to the other side of the classroom where other officers were handling the situation. "The kid didn't shoot you, Jules. The teacher did. Ed noticed her gun just before she shot and fired as well. She's dead, but the kid dropped his gun as soon as the shots were fired. He's okay. Now, let Steve check you out."

She nodded dumbly and this time didn't fight as Steve pushed the material aside. A moment later, Jules heard Sam's sudden sharp intake of breath and glanced at him. He'd paled considerable and she knew he'd seen something to upset him. She couldn't figure out what; she'd been shot before and the soreness she was currently feeling didn't hold a candle to that intense fiery pain. That must mean he was seeing what could have been instead of what had really happened.

"Where'd she hit me?" Her whole chest felt like an elephant had stepped on it so she couldn't pinpoint where the bullet had actually made contact.

Sam looked like he wanted to shove Steve away and squeeze her close, that or toss his cookies on the classroom floor. Jules wasn't sure which would win out. "Sam? Sarge? Steve? Where?"

"If the vest hadn't stopped its trajectory, it would have hit you in the heart."

"Oh." That would have been a sucky way to end the day, Jules couldn't help but think and giggled slightly at the sheer stupidity of the understatement. Steve frowned at her.

"I think we should get you to the hospital to be checked out. Hold still and we'll move you to the gurney."

She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to be carried out of the school on a stretcher. "I can walk. I'm not hurt. Vest saved me." Again she couldn't help but hope that the creator of Kevlar had received more than just a pat on the back for his creation. Perhaps she should Google the information so she could send him or his family a thank you card.

Greg knelt beside her, his expression grim. "You know protocol says you have to get checked out, Jules. You might not have been shot but it still packs quite a wallop."

"I will, just let me walk out on my own power. Please, Sarge. I won't fight going to the ER but I don't want to go out on a stretcher. Please don't make me."

Greg eyed her carefully and then looked back at Steve. "Let her try."

Both the paramedic and Greg helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly and Sam was instantly at her side to help her. Jules was sure he'd been looking for an excuse to have his hands on her ever since the shots ran out. Normally they were very careful to keep their relationship out of their work even though everyone knew they were together. At the moment though, she was sure no one would begrudge them the contact.

Her body was trembling from the left over adrenaline as they made their way to the door. Jules couldn't help but look over to where the body of the teacher was still lying on the floor where she'd fallen after Ed had shot her. Jules was sure that the sniper had already been taken to the station for the mandatory questioning after a shooting. She hoped someone had assured him that she was okay before he'd been led away; she wouldn't want him worrying about her during the questioning.

She stopped when she realized the boy was still sitting on the floor near where the teacher was lying. His expression was vacant as if he couldn't believe everything that had happened. Raf was kneeling next to him trying to talk to him but it didn't look like he was getting through. Sam nudged her forward but she shook her head. She looked up at Sam, her eyes pleading for understanding.

"Give me a minute."

Sam shook his head. "You promised you'd get checked out…"

"I will." Jules promised once more. "I was close to getting him to see reason. I need to make sure he's okay. Please."

He nodded and released his hold on her waist. She took a couple of steps toward the boy and used Raf's shoulder to lower herself down to his level. Quietly she asked Raf for a moment alone and though it was obviously against his better judgment, he acquiesced. Jules made sure her comlink was turned off before reaching out and touching the teenager's shoulder. He looked at her, unshed tears filling his eyes.

"You're okay?"

Jules nodded. "Yeah. What about you? You gonna be okay?"

He shrugged, his eyes traveling back to where the body of his lover lay. "She's dead. I can't believe she's gone. It's my fault she's dead."

Jules shook her head. "No, it's not. She made her own choices and you aren't responsible for anything that happened after she decided to pull her own weapon."

"She loved me." There was just a hint of doubt in his voice that made Jules wonder if he was trying to convince her or himself.

"Maybe. But if she loved you like she really should have, she wouldn't have put you in this position in the first place. I think she probably loved the control your relationship gave her most of all. I do believe you loved her. I think you trusted her and when the truth came out and everyone started to tell you it was wrong, it scared you because it conflicted with everything she'd told you. If you could be hurt by someone you loved and trusted, then who else could hurt you? It's a scary place to be and I totally get why you feel so confused right now. However, suicide isn't the answer."

He swiped at his eyes as if embarrassed to be caught crying. "My life is ruined now. My friends think I'm a joke. My parents are disappointed and the one person I thought knew me better than I knew myself is dead. What do I do now?"

Jules could feel many pairs of eyes on her and knew her teammates were anxious for her to be checked out. She ignored them, however, in favor of reaching out to the person who needed her more. "You realize that as bad as things may seem, your life isn't ruined unless you choose to let it be. I won't lie to you; it won't be easy. Regardless of how she felt or what she called it, she crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed. She knew better but she did it anyway. Realize that, even if you don't want to see it that way, you are the victim here. You've got to figure out a way to trust yourself again before you can ever start to trust anyone else. Your parents might be disappointed but I'm sure they love you and they want to help you through this."

He chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes never leaving the body of the teacher. "She told me that she was attracted to me because I was more mature than my classmates. She said our relationship, our love made me an adult. If this is what being an adult feels like, I think I'd rather remain a kid. Adulthood sucks." With that, he broke down into the tears he'd been trying to hold back. After all he'd been through, Jules didn't think it was right to hug him even in an attempt to comfort him so she settled for ruffling his hair instead, must like she'd seen her father do for her brothers when they were little and upset.

His words were so pain filled, but Jules didn't necessarily disagree with him. "Then be okay being a kid for a little longer. Being an adult isn't always easy but it's not usually this hard either. Don't be afraid to be an adult when the time comes but you don't have to rush into it."

After a few minutes, he managed to get his tears once more under control. He looked at her, for a moment his eyes looking much younger than his teenaged years. "I'm sorry you got shot."

"Don't worry about it. My friend Raf is going to come back now. He'll stay with you until you get to the station. Your parents will be waiting there for you. I have to go now; my other friends are getting pretty antsy about me being checked out."

He nodded. "Thanks."

She smiled at him. "You're welcomed."

She gave his shoulder a pat before rising unsteadily to her feet. Her chest was hurting worse but she knew that had more to do with the shock of what happened wearing off than any real injury. Before she could take three steps, Sam was once more by her side with a comforting and protective hand around her waist.

Almost as if he could tell her mind was still on the young man, Sam pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. Despite the possible look of impropriety, Jules didn't protest the affectionate gesture. Sam spoke as if hoping to reassure her. "Sarge says he thinks the kid'll be released into his parents custody until there's a hearing. Given the circumstances he probably won't serve any time. Although I bet the judge insists on pretty intensive counseling."

Jules leaned heavily against him, allowing him to take the bulk of her modest weight. She was sore and she was tired. As much as she'd protested being wheeled out, she wouldn't mind sinking into a stretcher and closing her eyes. "He's already served time. She took his innocence and trust away all in the name of love. It's not fair."

Sam glanced back to where Raf was once more kneeling by the shell-shocked young man. "I don't get it. He's just a kid. How can an adult take advantage of a kid like that and call it love?"

Inwardly, Jules shuddered but fortunately it didn't show outwardly. "I don't know."