Dinner was delicious. Say what you will about David Rossi, but the man can cook! Kara ate about half of her meal and listened to her parents talk about work, and people they knew, and people they didn't know. It sounded like a typical family on a typical night, but as the time passed, she became jittery with anticipation of this conversation they were supposed to be having.

"Have you had enough, honey?" Erin asked when she saw her daughter jostling food around her plate.

"Yeah. It was good though. But I'm kind of tired. Maybe we can all talk more tomorrow," she said as she pushed her chair out and began to rise.

"Not a chance, kiddo." Dave said "Sit. I'll bring the dishes out," and he gathered some and exited.

She sat forward in her seat and fidgeted with her napkin, avoiding her mother's eyes at all cost. Luckily, her mother started, "Are you still sore?"

"Yes."

"You probably will be for a little bit. Did you go to your dorm today?"

"Yes."

"Were you able to sleep?"

"No."

"Are you only going to give me one word answers?"

"Are you only going to ask me one word questions?" That certainly got her mother's attention, which Kara found unfortunate as it was attention that she did not want. Sometimes she couldn't help herself.

"Fair enough. What is it that you are not telling me?"

While she had walked herself right into that one, she was surprised by her mother's directness. She looked up and saw the fierce expression in her eyes, and then looked back down again. Her mother could be intimidating when she wanted to. "I'm pretty sure you're up to speed on everything."

"I'm sorry about how my alcoholism has affected you."

Kara wasn't expecting that and a small laugh escaped her lips. "Oh, no!" she said, now meeting her mother's eyes directly, "We will not be discussing your drinking, and we will certainly not be discussing mine."

"Oh, yes, we will!" Dave's voice boomed from behind her, and she jumped as he rounded the table to stand before her. She didn't know when Dave had rejoined them, but from the look on his face it was probably about two smart-ass comments ago. "We are absolutely going to discuss your drinking." She did not want to look in his eyes, but was compelled to, and a pit formed in her stomach. His voice was stern and loud and scary. "You are twenty years old. It is illegal for you to drink alcohol, and you will not drink it again. When you are twenty-one, you can make your own decision, but until then we are making it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," it came out as a whisper and she looked away from him.

"Kara," his voice was still loud, and still insistent and it made her jump again. When her eyes again met his he continued, "I am not kidding about this."

"I know. I get it," she said. She swiped at a tear that was betraying her.

"We are just worried for you, Kara," her mother said.

"I know, mom, I know you are worried about me, but I don't know what to say. I am trying to be ok."

A chill permeated the air as the sun started to go down, and Kara pulled her legs up underneath her and wrapped her arms around her body. She tried to make herself as small as she could and the effect was not lost on anyone.

"Maybe we should go back to that therapist we were seeing when I first came home from treatment."

"No." Kara said, "I'm not doing that again."

"Think about it, Kara. She could help you deal with your feeling towards me, but also with this trauma, and the anxiety."

When Kara didn't respond, Dave said, "Talk to us, Kara."

She leaned back in her chair and tilted her head towards the night sky, hopeful that she could prevent gravity from causing her tears to fall. Her words were hurried and her volume increased with each statement. "I can't wrap my head around what has happened. My best friend took LSD and now won't talk to me. All I remember about last night is a gun that was in my face. Someone put a gun in my face! There is a snake voice that I keep hearing in my ear. I don't know why I am having anxiety attacks. I don't know how to stop them. I hate them and they scare me. And most of all, mom, I am so afraid that you are going to start drinking again."

Somewhere in the midst of this declaration, Kara's tears dried up, and her mother's started flowing. "Oh, Kara, come here." Erin stood from her chair and took her daughter's hand. leading her up and into a hug. "I am so, so sorry that you are going through all of this. I never wanted any of this for you."

"I know, mom. It's not your fault." Kara's voice had softened.

"Well, yes, some of it is," Erin said. She held her daughter tightly for a few moments, and then wiped at her own tear soaked face.

"Ok, ladies, sit back down. We need a plan," Dave said.

Kara returned to her seat and felt strangely calm. It was a relief to say everything she had said, and for the first time in days, someone else was in charge of everything. Actually, for the first time since her mother's drinking began, years ago, someone else was in charge. The urge to resist Dave's control never even entered her conscientiousness, she craved it.

She was surprised, however, when it was Erin who began, "I think, for starters, you should move home from the dorm for the rest of the semester."

Now Erin's control she would have liked to resist, if it hadn't been in such agreement with her own plan. "About half of my dorm room is already in the trunk of my car," she said, which elicited smiles all around the table. They were making progress. "But I don't think I can go back to classes just yet."

Dave jumped in, "You need to get back to your regular routine. Staying home and dwelling on things will only make the anxiety worse." When she gave him a skeptical look, he added, "Trust me on this one. Your mother and I have both been where you are." A glance at her mother's affirming expression convinced her.

"Ok. I'll try. But I'm taking a criminology course, you know." She might as well come clean about everything.

"What?" Erin asked, her panic rising. "Why?"

"I was thinking of joining the academy next fall."

"Oh, dear God!" This about hit Erin's limit.

Dave quickly interceded before this firestorm exploded. "Ok, wait," he put a hand on his wife's arm to settle her and looked intently at his stepdaughter. "Finish your Bachelor's degree first. You're not going anywhere without a degree. Then we can talk."

"Probably a good idea," Kara said.

Erin said, "Definitely a good idea. How long have you been thinking about this for?"

"I don't know. A while."

Turning to her husband, "And why don't you seem surprised?"

Sheepishly he said, "I'm a profiler." When that got him a dirty look he added, "What? She's always in my study reading my books." A dirty look then came from Kara and he said, "You thought you were keeping that a secret?" She smiled at him.

Erin stood from the table and tossed her napkin down, "I can't take it. The two of you are going to be the death of me! Let's all get through this week. Then we can see how you're doing, Kara, and maybe talk again about seeing a therapist. I'm going to start the dishes." She kissed her husband and daughter, who were laughing good-naturedly at her, and went into the house.

Alone with David, Kara's eyes again fell to her lap.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think maybe I will be."

"Remember," he reached out for her hand and waited for her to give it. "I'm here for you. Always."

She looked at him for a moment and saw the sincerity, "I know."