(4/5/09) EDIT: Woo! Time to meet some old friends!

Chapter Four: Il Nuovo, Il Vecchio – L'Ora

Chloe slumped down in her chair as if she were trying to be invisible woman – which she believed she was doing a very good job of – and Bryant cleared his throat nervously as his mom stalked over to him.

"Bryant Case, what have you done? This is your first day of school you little monello. Fights? Hitting? I don't like violence." Sam looked down at her son, she noticed the way his jaw was clinched tightly. A sign he was annoyed, embarrassed, or angry. He had better damn well be embarrassed, because she would not tolerate her child being annoyed or angry with her. She might be a pushover half the time when I came to her kids but she would not take disrespect – from anyone. While glaring at her oldest child Sam noticed the young skinny girl next to him, and the boy with an already swollen shut eye sitting on the other side of the room with a very dressy woman babying him. She knew that yelling like a banshee in front of all these people would come back to bite her in the butt, but she really didn't care at the moment.

"Ma, you're a – "

Sam eyes flashed, "Don't you be smart. And don't you say some comment about how you can't not be smart because I'm smart and it's in your genes."

Bry's lips twitched, "Yes, Ma'am."

"You punch that kid?"

"Yes."

Sam sighed in slight defeat, but smiled a bit too and leaned real close, "Got him good didn' yah?"

"Yup."

His mom reached up behind him as to pat him on the head - instead she brought her hand down on the back of his skull, "No violence. Alright?"

Bryant let out the air that he had unknowingly been holding in, "Yes ma'am."

Sam turned her gaze on the girl next to her son, "Who're you and what happened?"

Chloe blinked, why was Bryant's mom asking her? Clearly Chloe's confusion showed on her face, "He will either down play it or make it seam like that boy over there was going to blow up the school and if Bry hadn't punched him everyone would be dead."

Chloe slowly nodded her head, "Right. I'm Chloe Sable and um Zack – the guy over there – was being an arse to me and Bryant stuck for me."

"Heh, well you sure didn't down play it. I'll just wait for the principal's view on it then," Sam rolled her eyes slightly and slipped into the chair next to Chloe, "Man, I hate schools. Schools and hospitals. Blek, nightmare central."

Chloe was pretty sure she was in shock. Bry's mom was not what she expected. She looked like she could be Bryant's sister for one - not the prim and proper Italian woman she pictured. Instead of a tidy neutral colored suit she wore old blue jeans and worn-out hoodie that had its sleeves shoved up to the elbows. Yup, not near what she expected.

The principal's office door opened and a somewhat pudgy man stood in the doorway. His eyes stared at Sam in shock, he hadn't believed it when he had heard the last name. Keyes was a common enough name but he was pretty positive now, it was in fact Sammy Keyes sitting in the office of William Rose High School and, good Lord, she had a child who had to be half her age, "Please come in now."

Sam stood gracefully waiting for both Bry and Chloe to walk in front of her, a tingly sensation had started out of know where. Almost as if she was trying to remember something.

The group which consisted of Bryant, herself, Chloe, Zack – the boy with the black eye – , a young woman Sam assumed to be his mother, and the Principal entered the principal's office, which gave Sam the chills, to only go through another door into a conference room.

Sam blinked in surprise as she saw 'Cop Boy' and another man sitting at the long conference table chatting lightly.

"Have a seat, please," The principal pulled on the neck of his collared shirt, "I thought we would have more room in here, if that's all right." No one answered and so he continued on, "Shall we begin? All right then –"

"Mr. Cann, my baby boy did nothing to provoke that delinquent over there. He should be expelled immediately." The woman who was Zack's mother crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips.

Sam blinked twice as she studied the woman and her eyes went wide as she realized who it was exactly, "No way. That is just to funny," It was Heather Acosta. Sam bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud, her son had punched her grade school rival's son. It was purely comical and horribly ironic.

Heather's steal eyed gaze shot to Sam's, "You think violence is funny? You see Mr. Cann that is just the attitude that led to what is wrong with her son, probably lets him watch those horrible fighting shows and play those trashy video games." Heather's eyes were now back on Mr. Cann's.

Sam's eyes narrowed graphically, she took shit from criminals every time she had them in interview and she could take all the shit this bimbo wanted to give. But she didn't have to like doing so, "Heather Acosta?"

Heather's head jerked Sam's way again, "How do you know me?"

Sam let a smile that looked anything but friendly come over her face, "Oh. I used to live here as a child…"

Mr. Cann cleared his throat fretfully, "Um, yes well. Mrs. Pulaski, Ms. Acosta has already head why we're here exactly so why don't we – "

"I don't know a Pulaski." Heather glared at Sam as if she was trying to be intimidating.

"I'm sure you don't, I've married. Now, Mr. Cann," Sam smiled as she said his name, so he had made it to Principal had he? Of the High School no less, "What exactly went on?"

"Well we have two sides, both involve your son punching, Zack here. That's why we have Chloe in here – she was in the area when the fight broke out. She says that Zack had been bulling her – "

"My son would not!" Heather stood up outraged.

"Sit down Heather."

Sam looked back down at the end of the table where the voice had come from. Also where the Lieutenant and the other man sat. Why had they involved the cops? Sam didn't think it was that big of a problem.

Mr. Cann ignored the outburst, " – and that your son came up to help. Zack then proceeded to taunt Bryant which eventually led to your son striking Zack."

Sam nodded her head and turned to stare at her son, "Bryant?"

He looked over at her from were he was slouched down in his chair, "That's how it went."

Sam nodded, "I see, and how many days will Bryant be suspended?"

Mr. Cann was speechless for a moment, "Only a day, as will Zack."

While Sam accepted this Heather did not.

"My son will not be suspended because the little fiend hit him!" Heather stood and pounded on the table.

"Watch your mouth," Sam spoke quietly and clearly glaring at Heather, "You will not speak of my son like that."

Heather made a noise of frustration in her throat, "You son punched mine – he should be expelled!"

"That isn't what Mr. Cann said, now if that's all…" Sam let her voice trail off as she looked at Mr. Cann.

"Um, yes. That's all,"

Heather pushed off the table in a huff, "Come on Zackary," and left with her child traveling behind her like a puppy.

"I'll go make sure she isn't making to big of a scene," The Lieutenant stood and pushed his chair in as he made his way to the door.

Mr. Cann fiddled with his collar again, "Yes. I believe that would be a good idea."

Sam laughed quietly as the door shut behind the Lieutenant, "My God, she hasn't changed a bit. Has she?" Sam too stood up and pushed in her chair, "Mr. Cann if I could ask one question?"

He blinked slightly as he stared at Sam, he really wasn't dreaming she was really back in California. He didn't think she would have ever even think of returning after she moved to Philadelphia to live with her father's family, "Yes?"

"Why exactly did you involve the police?"

Before Mr. Cann could answer the man at the back of the room spoke, "We're required to report the fights, I'm Mr. Pratt by the way. The school counselor."

Sam did a double check on the man who had been sitting next to Cop Boy, her question forgotten as a whole onslaught of new ones arouse, "Pratt? Billy? Billy Pratt? Well, if it isn't Mr. Prankster himself. A school counselor? Aging sure hasn't done you in," If anything aging had improved his looks. He had a strong face that looked like it would hold a beard well and a lean muscled body too.

This woman's voice, Billy frowned, something about it gave him the tingles. It was familiar in a not so familiar way. She could hardly be older than 29 and that meant she would have had to have her child around the age of 14, Billy couldn't think of anyone who would have gotten pregnant – except for Heather. He flinched with guilt, Billy knew Heather's brother saw her as only an associate and nothing like family. He still couldn't think bad of her when his long time friend was Heather's brother.

Billy narrowed his eyes looking her up and down, she had said her name was Pulaski? The kid's last name wasn't the same. What was it? Kerr, King, no, Keyes! Her son's last name was Keyes! Did that mean… "Sammy? Sammy Keyes?"

Translations:

Brat – monello

Q&A:

Will Officer Borsch ever come into play? I'm not to sure.... Though in this One-Shot Series, he WILL be in that... lol.