JPOV

As Kit walks Sara out to the car, I grab a pop and head to the living room, parking myself on the couch. I know that there is a lot I have to talk about, and I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. In the end I know if I want things to work out, and I think I do, I have to have help. I hear the door close followed by footsteps, I guess Kit has come back in. "Sara off to work?"

"Yeah, she is and that leaves us with a whole evening to fill." She smirks while I sigh.

"I know there is a lot I need to tell you, but I'm not sure where to begin. I guess I should begin with me leaving." I shift on the sofa getting a little more comfortable before continuing. "When I left here, I wasn't sure where I wanted to go or what to do. I packed my stuff from the dorms, put it in storage, and caught a bus out of town. I headed east, thinking maybe I would go back to DC and see if there was anything left there for me. I think it was probably a week or so later that I made it to DC. I got a motel room just outside of the 'burbs, and started looking to see if any of my 'family' was left. I found out that my brother had put mother in an institution, but had chosen to keep the property just not using it. I got in touch with him, and he left me the keys and stuff for the property, seems like he figured even if he hates me, that I still needed somewhere decent to live, so I took it. I sat around for a month or so, trying to figure things out, but that wasn't helping. Course it didn't help that most of the time I wasn't thinking too clearly or anything. Soon I decided to get a job and found out that the bookstore that I had frequented when I was growing up was still open and hiring. I started working there, reading books in spare time, and generally trying to hide from everything. I was pretty successful until a little tornado flew into my life."

I stop here, chuckling at the memories of how bland my life was for those months before I got caught up with Allyson. "I thought a lot about what you had said before I left, I know that you were right, but me being able to see the mistakes I was making. I just wanted to be so different here than I was there, be someone not made in their image or what I had to be. I kinda forgot to be who I am, or was."

"It's true, you know, you can't run from who you are no matter how hard you try. I may have gone about it the wrong way, but I still believe you need to get back to the person you are, not the fancy outside." She tells me, turning towards me a little more. "So what happened after the tornado blew in?"

"Well, for a while I tried to ignore her, but that didn't work well, she just hung around. Some how we started being friends and along the way we started dating. Things were going great until about a month ago, but that's jumping ahead. We went out for a while, and then she moved into the house with me. It was nice, being able to be domestic without feeling like people were intruding or judging me. You know as well as anyone, that I don't show that side well, but with her, it was okay it felt right. We talked about having a commitment ceremony or something similar and about children in the future. Things were going good until it came time for me to meet her parents. She of course told me there was nothing to worry about, that they would love me." I stop here remembering the conversations that she and I had had before her parents came into town.

"Was that what happened? They had a bad reaction to you?" Catherine asks me.

"Bad reaction would be a good term for it, I guess. They were from up north, came into town to stay for a few days. I was a nervous wreak by the time Aly left to pick them up from the airport. I swear I cleaned the house from top to bottom three or four times before she left that afternoon. She kept telling me that everything was going to be fine, not to worry about it; they would love me as much as she did. I wanted to believe her, but I still had my doubts. I mean what exactly do I have to offer her, it's not like I have status or money or anything. I admit it is me that was moving up even dating her, but I could never belong in her world I knew that then and now. I had a few hours to waste before she would be back, so I started on the dinner we had planned. I got the china out for the table, linen napkins, the whole nine yards. I made sure that everything was perfect, well at least as perfect as I could get it." I laugh sarcastically. "So, dinner's done, I leave it warming in the oven, and wait for them to get back. When they finally do, I've got myself worked back up to being a nervous wreak again. I don't think I've ever been that polite to anyone, I practically sir and ma'am'd myself to death for the longest time that night. After dinner was over, I excused myself to get dessert and coffee, I overheard them talking. Her father was saying something about how I wasn't of the culture that they wanted for their daughter, that she was lowering her standards by even dating me, things that were making me uncomfortable. It wasn't so much that they were talking about me, but that they were saying these things to her. I already knew these things, that wasn't the problem. Do you want something to drink?"

I have to do something; the memory is driving me crazy again. I need move around; the movement should help me clear my head a little. "Sure, I'll have a water if you're heading that way." I nod and take off for the kitchen, grabbing her water and another soda for me. "Squeak, if you don't want to do this right now, we can wait."

"Nah, I've got to finish telling you. Hopefully you'll understand and stuff. Like I said, I heard them saying all this stuff, and even though I knew it was true, it just didn't feel right that they were judging me so quickly. Leaving the pie on the counter, I headed back into the dining room. I honestly had no idea what I was going to say, but I had to stop them from making her feel worse."

'Please just stop' three heads snap around to look at me. 'Look I know I'm not what any parent would imagine for their child, and honestly sometimes I do wonder why she's still here with me, but I do love her and I would do anything for her. I just don't want to see her hurt.'

'No one's hurting her but you. Can't you see that by being with someone like you, she's losing her standing in her community, respect of friends and family, all the things that matter to someone of our standings.' Her father comes back with.

'Dad, stop. It's my choice to be with her, I love her and I do choose to be with her. You're right, she may not be of your standards, but I can't help who I choose to love and my heart chooses her.' Comes the impassioned response from Allyson.

'You would choose to be with the likes of her, instead of your family who has loved and raised you. You don't know who or what she is, I'll bet she hasn't even told you about her past, has she?' he smirks, sounds like he may have done his research on me. Granted I haven't told her all about me, but she didn't want to know either. I was planning on telling her someday.

'Sir please, don't make' I start to respond, but I'm cut off.

'What don't tell her about the time you spent in mental institutions or group homes? Or maybe you mean about the time you spent in jail or your little conviction? Hmm, so much to choose from,' If possible his smirk grows even larger.

I feel anger rolling through me, and I know if I don't get out of here, I'm going to snap. I don't want to do that right now, I need to go run and calm down. 'You have no idea what that was all about. You have no idea what I went through during any of those times. I didn't deserve to be put away like that either time. It wasn't my choice; I was shipped off to be "protected".' I say walking towards the door. I've almost reached the door, when I feel myself yanked back strongly.

'Don't walk away from me, I'm not through talking and letting my daughter in on your secrets.'

"Dad, stop. I don't need to know any of this. What did you think you were doing running background checks on her' Aly attempts to break into the conversation again.

'Ah, princess, I just like to know what I'm dealing with, and this time I get to take out the trash before it infects you any further.' He tells her, his grip on my arm increasing to the point of bruising. My jaw clenches tighter as I try to fight the urge to hit him. I find myself wondering why her mother hasn't jumped in on the attack yet, I look around for her not seeing her anywhere. I shift, attempting to free myself from his grip. 'See I'm betting there's a lot of information that I have that you don't. It truly is funny what you can learn from people when you want to know.'

'I'm sure Jess will tell me when she's ready, if she hasn't told me yet, I have to believe there is a reason for that too.' I feel a little better at her response, but apparently her father doesn't as his grip increases. 'Let her go, Dad. We can talk about this later. Go find Mom and go back to the hotel. I think there has been enough talk tonight.'

He releases his hold on me, walking towards her. 'I'm not leaving without you tonight. If I'm correct your mother is packing a bag for you now.'

I'm sure the look on my face is priceless, but I don't have time to think about that as I see him reach out and take hold of her arm pulling her towards him. That's all it takes for me to see red. I let out a scream and launch myself towards him.

"So that's all I remember. The next thing I remember is pulling myself up off the floor, seeing him holding his arm and blood on his face and shirt. I'm pretty sure his arm was broken, maybe his nose too. She was looking at me, lost and maybe scared, I mumbled out something I think was an apology and took off. And here I am, sitting here wondering what to do." I finish before looking up to see her face.

"Have you heard from her since you left?" she asks me. There is nothing in her look other than understanding and sadness.

"Yeah she's called a few times, she left a message earlier saying she was here in Vegas and that she was going to try to get in touch with you at the lab. Not sure how she figured out that I'd head here first thing, but she did. She's been calling since the morning after I left. She says she's sure that we can work it out, but I don't know." I shrug and sigh. "I really am lost."

She opens her arms and I fall into them once again losing the battle with my eyes. "Try not to think to much more about it tonight. I'm not at work, so I won't be able to talk to her. Maybe tomorrow we'll talk about me calling her or something. I can see what she wants or something." I nod not giving up my place of comfort so quickly, it's not long before I fall asleep.

Well this chapter is a bit longer than the rest, but i hope that some of your questions have been answered. Remember that reviews are greatly appriciated. THANK YOU to all those who have reviewed... your thoughts are important to me...