Part 35: The Calm IV
Nancy and Jeff stared at the two teens sitting in front of them not knowing who was more nervous about the conversation the parents or the teens sitting in front of the parents. Nancy stared hard at the two in front of her and she noticed something different in their dynamic that sent her mom alert into overdrive. Liz was biting her lip as she sat before her parents another flag for Nancy and her stiff posture and how she seemed to lean away from Pogue.
"Alright you two now that Liz is not going to drop dead in front of us form energy want to tell us what is going on?" Jeff asked having calmed down considerably since seeing the Parry boy in the bed of his daughter.
"We know that the two of you are connected and we know what that means." Nancy added silently praying that her husband did not contradict her. She had told her husband a few things in the past about connections but she did not tell him everything and all that it involves. "Pogue we have spoken to your parents and they feel that Jeff and I are capable of handling this discussion with the two of you on our own." Nancy said watching as Pogue cringed knowing that he was going to be in this alone with Liz angry with him.
"What I want to know is how this connection affects the progression of your relationship." Jeff said making the other three cringe.
"Jeff I thought we…" Nancy was cut off by her husband.
"I know what you said Nancy but I want to hear what they have to say about the progression of their relationship." Jeff said realizing that there was more to their relationship than what his wife was telling him and he did not like being kept in the dark.
Pogue looked at the older man through wide scared eyes wanting to know what he knew so that he would not spill too much. He desperately wanted to turn to Liz and have her tell him what to do but he knew that was not an option. Liz sighed and took a deep breath knowing that if her father wanted the truth nothing was going to stand in his way of getting it and she was better off telling him the whole truth from the start, all she could hope for was that he took it better than he took the news of how far her relationship with Max had gone.
"Daddy." Liz said catching her father's attention. "The connection between Pogue and I is like any other connection between witches in that it is different. Each connection affects each pair differently." Liz said.
"Liz and I were already close and had strong feelings for one another, this just solidified them and let us be aware of how the other person was feeling." Pogue said.
"Okay but how is this going to affect your relationship? How fast is this relationship going to progress?" Jeff asked looking at his daughter dead in the eyes knowing she hated it when he did that.
"To be truthful dad we are not sure but we do know from what others have gone through that a connection does make the relationship progress on a more intimate level." Liz said blushing furiously. Pogue looked at her in horror making her turn an even deeper shade of red.
Jeff sat across from his daughter in a high wingback chair blinking slowly at his daughter and her boyfriend trying not to get sick. "So that means what?" Jeff asked taking deep breaths in through his nose and slowly out through his mouth trying to fight the black spots fighting for control of his eyes.
"It means that physical intimacy is a serious aspect of the relationship and it comes into play more quickly in a connected relationship than in others." Nancy said rubbing her eyes feeling a tension headache coming. Jeff was silent as he took in this new bit of information.
"No." He whispered startling the three.
"What?" Pogue asked looking at the two women confused.
"No." Jeff said his jaw clenched it was then that the others noticed his posture; fists clenched and back ramrod straight. They could tell that this was not good.
"Ah dad…" Liz did not know how to take this or approach this situation and she could feel Pogue's raging fear through their connection. She could feel his despair that she was angry with him and not going to comfort him breaking her heart. Liz placed her hand on his thigh and gave his leg a small squeeze. She was surprised when she felt his joy through their connection at the small contact and she unconsciously leaned closer to him and she felt Pogue's arm tighten around her.
"Liz you are too young for sex and you are not ready for that step it changes the whole dynamic of a relationship." Jeff said.
"Jeff I think it is too late for this conversation." Nancy said shooting her daughter an apologetic look and Liz nodded knowing her mother needed to do this.
"What?" Jeff asked tuning his harsh glare on his wife.
"Liz is not a virgin Jeff and she has not been for awhile." Nancy said not meeting her husband's gaze.
Jeff sat there paralyzed praying that this was all a dream. "Dad?" Liz asked shaking slightly.
"Oh boy." He whispered his eyes wide.
"Mr. Parker?"
"Oh boy." This time a little louder his eyes focused on the floor. "Oh boy oh boy oh this oh boy." Jeff said over and over his voice getting steadily louder. "Oh no oh boy." He gasped out his chest now heaving.
"Daddy?" Liz asked with panicked doe eyes.
"Oh boy" He belched out standing up suddenly making Liz and Pogue jump. Nancy looked at her husband worriedly. "Oh no oh boy oh my oh oh oh I think oh boy." Jeff heaved sweat beading on his tan forehead. Liz looked at her mother worriedly and Nancy looked back at her daughter with the same worried expression. They had never seen Jeff like this. Pogue and Liz did not know if they should stay and wait for him to explode or just tough it out.
Liz did not understand her father's reaction. Sure it was not exactly the type of news a father wanted to hear but Liz not being a virgin was not exactly the end of the world. "Dad?" Liz tried again and this time Jeff turned to look at his daughter.
"How could this happen? Why would you sleep with that boy?" Jeff asked in a furious whisper as he sat back down.
"Who?" Liz asked wanting to know who exactly her father thought she had or was sleeping with.
"Max Evans." Jeff spat and Nancy flushed her blue eyes staring into the deep brown of her daughter.
"Jeff." Nancy said softly, her husband turned sharply toward her. "That is not the boy Liz ah gave her flower to." Nancy said making Liz turn a sickly and painful red.
"Let me die now." Liz hissed squeezing the life out of Pogue's thigh, she so did not want him to hear this.
"I am alright." Pogue whispered in her ear when her dad was not looking and she gave him a weak smile.
"Then who? I mean it is not like our daughter is sleeping with the whole damn town!" Jeff shouted his temples turning a purple red color in his anger. Suddenly he darted an angry look at his daughter, "You aren't are you?" He asked in a deadly sharp voice.
"Hey Liz is not like that." Pogue roared the witch in him was not a happy camper. Suddenly he understood why Liz had gotten so upset earlier, he did not like hearing about Max and that boy who slept with her.
"Jeff please." Nancy said sensing the Covenant magic in the air which meant Pogue was getting angry and the situation was escalating quickly.
"Who?" He asked not noticing the warning signs.
"Sean Deluca." Nancy whispered watching out the corner of her eye as Pogue swept Liz's hand on his thigh into his larger hand clenching it tightly as he crushed her to his side fighting for control of himself.
"Shh." Liz tried to sooth without her father noticing.
"Deluca!" Jeff roared.
"Dad can we please not discuss this it has happened and is over and done with bringing it back up is not going to help at all if anything it is going to make this situation worse." Liz tried watching as her father deflated slightly.
"Why didn't I know this was going on?" Jeff asked quietly his head falling into his hands.
"It's not exactly something you talk about with your parents." Liz mumbled.
"No but your mother knew." Jeff whispered.
"Ah that was an accident actually." Nancy said looking guilty.
"What happened?" Pogue asked.
"Mom came to pick me up from Maria's because I had told her and my dad that I was having dinner at Maria's and well mom was impatient and walked in like usual." Liz whispered hoping to death that she would not have to continue, there were just some things Pogue did not need to know about.
"Wait you walked in on them and did not tell me?" Jeff asked looking horrified.
"I was not the only one who walked in on them." Nancy laughed suddenly making Liz moan in horror.
"Who?" Pogue asked trying to find the humor and not cry.
"Amy god I am going to die." Liz groaned.
"Amy that is too good." Pogue laughed.
"No it is not I do not want to talk about this it is mortifying." Liz huffed.
"For all of us sweetie." Nancy said and suddenly the room was once again plunged into an uncomfortable silence.
"Are the two of you having sex?" Jeff asked the lines around his eyes more pronounced in his distress.
"No." Liz said watching as her father let out a sigh of relief.
"Just please…please." Jeff let out a huff and licked his upper lip before continuing. "Please be careful when you do." Jeff whispered before standing up and leaving the library his wife quickly following leaving Liz and Pogue to think.