Much to the surprise of everyone in James Townsend's life the young man had enrolled at St. Mary's Catholic High School so that he could get his diploma and also spend as much time as he could with Kathleen. Due to the new and loving atmosphere he was living in he excelled at his studies and soon found himself on the Dean's Honor Roll after the first semester. He and Kathleen also found themselves competing to see who bring home the better grades. It was coming up on the holiday break between semesters and he'd planned a surprise for his new found "foster" family. Unknown to the Stabler's James had managed to not only take the four classes during the day but he'd also signed up for two correspondence courses so that when Christmas break came he was able to stun everyone with the news that he would be graduating in January.

In the six months that he'd been living with Kathy Stabler and her family he'd also become the informal "man of the house" always making sure that the driveway was cleared of snow and salt was put on the walkway, even making those chores fun for the other kids in the house. He also knew that he'd fallen in love with Kathleen and this fact didn't escape Kathy. In fact she'd caught the teenagers kissing on more than one occasion however she'd allowed the budding romance to continue as it seemed innocent enough. Still when she'd come home unexpectedly and found the living room in darkness one night just before Thanksgiving she'd been shocked to find her daughter and James making out on the couch. "Well this is something every mother dreams of seeing, her daughter rounding second base and heading for a home run."

"Mom! It's not like that!" Kathleen said blushing embarrassed by being caught making out with her boyfriend.

James had jumped off the couch, turning his back a hot flush coloring his neck and cheeks as he pulled down his tee-shirt and fastened the waist button of his jeans, willing the hardness in his pants to go away. When he was able to speak his voice was a high pitched squeak. "I am so sorry Mrs. S."

Kathy rolled her eyes and put the bags of groceries down on the dining room table. Taking off her coat she hung it up on in the hall closet and kicked off her snow covered boots before she moved to sit own in one of the chairs in the living room. "James sit down... We need to have a talk."

James sat down on the couch but at the opposite end from Kathleen.

"Mom please don't embarrass me anymore than you already have!" Kathleen was starting to get angry at her mother for even butting in she was acting as if she's never done this kind of thing when she was 16. "I mean come on at least I'm not pregnant like you were when you were 16. I know about that." Kathleen crossed her arms glaring at her mother.

Kathy did her best to keep her cool. "Which my darling daughter is the reason why we need to have this talk." She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat not quite believing what she was about to say. "I am calling my gynecologist tomorrow and setting up an appointment for you its time you were on the pill." She arched an eyebrow at Kathleen. "However that does not give you two free license to start having sex." She looked at James. "As for you young man, I have one word for you... Condoms!"

If James had been blushing before now his face had gone completely red as he let out a groan, not able to look Kathy in the eyes. "Oh man!"

"MOM! God I can't believe how completely insensitive you are to talk about this in front of him for crying out loud. Haven't you ever heard of in PRIVATE!?" Kathleen yelled glaring at her mom as if she'd never forgive her for this she did have her father's temper at times.

"If you're going to act like adults then you'd better grow up and start taking responsibility for your actions, which includes your sex life." Kathy shook her head. "I might have gotten pregnant when I was your age but I am not going to allow history to repeat itself with you." The thirty-seven-year-old woman said. "You're playing big girl games now Kathleen. So you better be willing to talk about the rules in an open and frank manner or you're not ready to take the next step."

"I'm not you Mom; I have no intention of getting pregnant out of wed lock or talking to you about this. All you're doing is embarrassing us and yourself I will not forgive you for this EVER!" Kathleen glared at her mother tears rolling down her cheeks so that she ran to her room instead of throwing something at her mother which is what she wanted to do.

James was left looking at the pattern in the carpet. Kathy said nothing to the young man just got up to put the groceries away. James swallowed the lump in his throat and then followed Kathleen upstairs to her room and opened the door and stepped inside the room and found the girl on her bed crying. Sitting on the edge of the bed he said in a small voice that couldn't quite hide the laughter. "Talk about lame... your mom took it a lot better than I thought she would. I could be out freezing my ass off on the streets."

"I can't believe she embarrassed us like that. I mean hello, I'm not stupid and I'm not her, you and I would never ever risk bringing a child into this world without there being some kind of commitment and we're not there yet that I know of." She told him wiping tears from her eyes not really wanting him to see her crying.

He put an arm around her shoulders and gave Kathleen a gentle squeeze and then smiled despite the tension in the air. "Hey... Come on so she embarrassed us... But we did bring this up by screwing around in the living room where we could get caught." He then winked and smiled devilishly. "Or did you not have a hand down the front of my pants." It didn't help that he'd also had a hand up her blouse and under Kathleen's bra when the lights had suddenly turned on.

"Yeah, I'm not sure mom really saw as much as she thought she did.' Kathleen giggled. "I know for a fact I was enjoying myself." She grinned at him teasingly.

"So was I." He admitted with a blush and then kissed her cheek. "I think you should go down and talk to your mom. I will head down to the basement and leave you two alone." When he saw the frown come to his girlfriend's face he tilted his head. "Your mom was right you know. She was only looking for us." He stood up and put out his hand. "Come on... For me?"

"I know but she shouldn't have done it the way she did." She pouted looking for him. "Fine but only for you." Kathleen sighed moving to get up and head down stairs to her mother.

Kathy was just in the process of refilling the milk jug and putting it back in the fridge when she heard James clear his throat to get her attention. The boy didn't stick around however, leaving Kathleen alone in the archway of the kitchen and dining room as he opened the door to the basement and disappeared. Kathy moved to start the kettle and then took two Earl Grey tea bags out of the cupboard and put them in the tea pot. "Let's have a cup of tea... Okay?"

"Sure Mom." Kathleen said moving to get the other items needed for Earl grey tea so her mother didn't have to get everything.

"I know I came on too strong earlier." Kathy apologized. "Look at it from my side for a moment. I came in to the house and it was like I was seeing myself, through time. It was a reflection that I didn't want to relive. I am sorry that I humiliated you and James." Kathy said all this as she poured hot water in to the tea pot and then took out her stash of shortbread cookies that where normally off limits to the kids and opened the tin. "Help yourself."

"That's not something I intended to do Mom, I'm not you. Though James and I did get a little carried away." She admitted blushing.

"Yes you did." Kathy said with a nod as she first filled her daughters tea cup and then her own. "I saw the state of Jimmy's clothes were in, no matter how he tried to hide it." She grinned then. "You did however use him like a cheap piece of meat, boys love that."

Kathleen blushed, "I can't help how I feel about him, but I have no intention of going further than that with him unless he asks me to marry him." She grinned.

"Well that is good to hear." Kathy shook he head. "You're too young to be thinking about marriage. You have your entire life ahead of you." Kathy reached out and took her daughters hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "Don't make the same mistakes I did. I want a better life for you." She cupped her daughter's cheek her palm. "You're my eldest child and my pride and joy. You have no idea how much I love you Kathleen."

"I love you too mom, and your right, I have a long life ahead of me." She grinned.

"Still... That does not mean that you're getting out of going to the doctor's office to get birth control." Kathy saw the heated blush that came to her daughter's cheeks once more. "I will not have you relying on James to get a condom out of the men's room at the Chevron station." Kathy felt a slight blush come to her own cheeks, as she remembered the number of dates that she'd waited in Elliot's car while he'd made a mad dash in a hormone induced haze into a gas station.

"Gross. Okay, fine, I'll get birth control who knows maybe it'll regulate my flow." she sighed.