When Mac and Singer arrived at the Juvenile Prophet's studio for the
meeting with the Bentley's, the group where rehearsing. loudly. (A/N: Which
of course is the only way to play music.)
These people try to tell me
That I don't know what it's about
It gets me so pissed off
Sometimes I wanna shout
I know about life
And I think it's crazy
It's just not fair
They think I'm a baby
Don't say I'm too young
To know what I'm saying
I know where its at
And I ain't playing
Don't say I'm too young
I know that I'm real
Don't say I'm too young
I'm not too young
To feel
Singer just looked at the group, who were playing energetically.
"Yeah, they have issues with the world," Mac informed her.
"They're good though."
"They're amazing."
Don't say that I'm too young
I'm sick of your kind
And I'm not going to hide
What I feel inside
I'm sick of this life
And you don't care
I hate things your way
Life's an empty affair
Stop trying to tell me
That I don't have a clue
Because I know where it's at
So FUCK YOU
I'm not to young
To know what's going on
And I know it's wrong
The world is complicated
It's overrated
Gets me frustrated
Sick of being hated
You're so outdated
Ms Reid suddenly spotted the two women, and approached them shouting a greeting over the music.
"Hi, come into my office," she invited, leading them down the hall and into a small room. She closed the door and sat at her desk.
"Right, now you can hear me, we might be able to make some progress. Mr and Mrs Bentley will be here in about 15 minutes."
"Ok. Let's run through the offer as stands," Singer suggested.
"The Juvenile Prophets are paying the parents approximately $20 000 and releasing a song in Jason's memory," Ms Reid said.
"And the United States Navy is paying the parents $25 000 and promising to upgrade the counselling services at Jason's school," Mac concluded.
"If they don't accept, how much can you add to that offer?" Ms Reid asked.
"Not a whole lot Ma'am," Singer answered.
"We can only offer them the 25 thousand. Any more and we'd have to go through the whole approval process again."
"Then may I propose you offer them $20 000 to begin with. it means you can improve if they don't accept."
The other two nodded in agreement.
"Right, now let's get those kids in here," Ms Reid suggested, "I'll go get them, and you meet me in the conference room next door. You know where that is?" she questioned, directing her question at Mac.
The Marine nodded in conformation.
5 minutes later they were sitting in the room with 4 teenagers.
"Hi," Skatie greeted them, "Who's that?"
Leah, Matt and Jade cringed at her tactlessness.
"I'm Lt Loren Singer," Singer said, grinning slightly.
"Ok," the girl replied simply, flopping down on a chair.
"You guys are pretty good," Singer told them.
Matt shrugged modestly, "There's better."
"We are good though," Skatie admitted, smiling wickedly.
Jade and Leah glared at her.
"What?" she questioned innocently.
Just then Mrs Reid, Joseph O'Donnell, Mr and Mrs Bentley and their lawyer entered the room.
"I'll give you a brief outline of our case. Mr and Mrs Bentley believe you have breached your duty of care in regard to their son's death. As a result, they will be requesting damages as seen fit by a United States judge," the lawyer said, after introducing himself and his clients.
"Firstly, on behalf of both parties here today, I would like to apologise for the loss of your son," Ms Reid replied, "However, the United States Navy and the Juvenile Prophets have agreed to make a settlement offer. That offer is outlined in these documents," she said, pushing a file across the table to Mr Resdon, the Bentley's lawyer.
Mr Resdon relayed the offer to his clients.
"No," was all Mr Bentley said, "Our son is dead because of you people."
"Well make it $50 000 in total," Singer said.
"You cannot put a price on this kids life," the lawyer stated calmly, "Mr and Mrs Bentley will accept no offer at the present time. We'll talk again."
* * * * * *
"Why couldn't they just take it?" Singer asked in frustration, "No matter what we pay them their son will still be dead."
"And this could take months, even years, to settle," Mac commented.
They were seated in the Admiral's office, discussing the afternoons events with their CO. Needless to say, none of them were very happy. In fact, Singer was practically steaming.
"They didn't even bother to READ what offered," she muttered.
"Well, I trust you can handle this without attracting too much negative publicity," AJ said, regarding Singer cautiously.
"Yes Sir," the two replied.
"I have to straighten this out with the higher powers," the Admiral sighed wearily, "Dismissed."
"Yes Sir," they repeated, exiting the office quickly.
"Why did that stupid kid have to kill himself?" Singer mumbled.
Mac glared at her impatiently, "That's a bit hypocritical coming from you. You wonder why everyone here hates you. Stop complaining, please."
"I'm sorry I'm the way I am," Singer replied angrily.
"Well you could at least try to be half decent to people."
"You wouldn't understand."
"Oh please, stop being so immature. You have a phobia: of human beings. Don't you think that's a little stupid?"
"But I can't help it! Why don't you understand that?" Singer questioned, raising her voice.
"You're the only one who can help it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start trying!"
"I am. I have been. But I can't just change overnight. Is that what you expected?"
Mac was silent.
"I thought you might be different to everyone else in my life, but you're not. Everyone just expects me to be perfect, to get everything right and not to get angry or annoyed or hurt."
"I'm sorry, I just."
"Just leave me alone, please," Singer requested quietly.
"No, that's the way you deal with everything, asking it to go away. Your father, your childhood. it's not going to. Believe me, I know. No matter what you do, you'll always remember the things you wich you could forget."
"It's different for you."
"Why? Don't you think it was hard for me to accept what happened to me as a teenager? It still is."
"Yeah, but you're not alone."
"Neither are you! There are 6. 999 999 999 other people on this planet. What makes you think you're alone? How can you be so selfish?"
"I know, Ok. I know it's selfish, I know it's awful. but it doesn't matter, nothing matters. Because no matter what I still feel alone, I still hurt so much I wish I was DEAD!"
"EVERYONE feels like that sometimes. are you that self-absorbed that you don't understand that?"
"It doesn't make any difference if everyone else feels the way I do. it doesn't make my pain any less!"
"You know what does? People who care about you! You complain about being alone, but you're horrible to everyone!"
"They'll just hurt me."
"How do you know if you don't give them the chance?"
"I just do."
"You are pathetic," Mac retorted in disgusted, "No one can help you because you won't let them."
Singer didn't reply, she just walked away angrily and waited until she was alone before she cried.
* * * * * *
A/N: Was Mac too harsh? I think maybe that was a bit out of character, but she can be a bitch when she wants to. *grins* catfight!
These people try to tell me
That I don't know what it's about
It gets me so pissed off
Sometimes I wanna shout
I know about life
And I think it's crazy
It's just not fair
They think I'm a baby
Don't say I'm too young
To know what I'm saying
I know where its at
And I ain't playing
Don't say I'm too young
I know that I'm real
Don't say I'm too young
I'm not too young
To feel
Singer just looked at the group, who were playing energetically.
"Yeah, they have issues with the world," Mac informed her.
"They're good though."
"They're amazing."
Don't say that I'm too young
I'm sick of your kind
And I'm not going to hide
What I feel inside
I'm sick of this life
And you don't care
I hate things your way
Life's an empty affair
Stop trying to tell me
That I don't have a clue
Because I know where it's at
So FUCK YOU
I'm not to young
To know what's going on
And I know it's wrong
The world is complicated
It's overrated
Gets me frustrated
Sick of being hated
You're so outdated
Ms Reid suddenly spotted the two women, and approached them shouting a greeting over the music.
"Hi, come into my office," she invited, leading them down the hall and into a small room. She closed the door and sat at her desk.
"Right, now you can hear me, we might be able to make some progress. Mr and Mrs Bentley will be here in about 15 minutes."
"Ok. Let's run through the offer as stands," Singer suggested.
"The Juvenile Prophets are paying the parents approximately $20 000 and releasing a song in Jason's memory," Ms Reid said.
"And the United States Navy is paying the parents $25 000 and promising to upgrade the counselling services at Jason's school," Mac concluded.
"If they don't accept, how much can you add to that offer?" Ms Reid asked.
"Not a whole lot Ma'am," Singer answered.
"We can only offer them the 25 thousand. Any more and we'd have to go through the whole approval process again."
"Then may I propose you offer them $20 000 to begin with. it means you can improve if they don't accept."
The other two nodded in agreement.
"Right, now let's get those kids in here," Ms Reid suggested, "I'll go get them, and you meet me in the conference room next door. You know where that is?" she questioned, directing her question at Mac.
The Marine nodded in conformation.
5 minutes later they were sitting in the room with 4 teenagers.
"Hi," Skatie greeted them, "Who's that?"
Leah, Matt and Jade cringed at her tactlessness.
"I'm Lt Loren Singer," Singer said, grinning slightly.
"Ok," the girl replied simply, flopping down on a chair.
"You guys are pretty good," Singer told them.
Matt shrugged modestly, "There's better."
"We are good though," Skatie admitted, smiling wickedly.
Jade and Leah glared at her.
"What?" she questioned innocently.
Just then Mrs Reid, Joseph O'Donnell, Mr and Mrs Bentley and their lawyer entered the room.
"I'll give you a brief outline of our case. Mr and Mrs Bentley believe you have breached your duty of care in regard to their son's death. As a result, they will be requesting damages as seen fit by a United States judge," the lawyer said, after introducing himself and his clients.
"Firstly, on behalf of both parties here today, I would like to apologise for the loss of your son," Ms Reid replied, "However, the United States Navy and the Juvenile Prophets have agreed to make a settlement offer. That offer is outlined in these documents," she said, pushing a file across the table to Mr Resdon, the Bentley's lawyer.
Mr Resdon relayed the offer to his clients.
"No," was all Mr Bentley said, "Our son is dead because of you people."
"Well make it $50 000 in total," Singer said.
"You cannot put a price on this kids life," the lawyer stated calmly, "Mr and Mrs Bentley will accept no offer at the present time. We'll talk again."
* * * * * *
"Why couldn't they just take it?" Singer asked in frustration, "No matter what we pay them their son will still be dead."
"And this could take months, even years, to settle," Mac commented.
They were seated in the Admiral's office, discussing the afternoons events with their CO. Needless to say, none of them were very happy. In fact, Singer was practically steaming.
"They didn't even bother to READ what offered," she muttered.
"Well, I trust you can handle this without attracting too much negative publicity," AJ said, regarding Singer cautiously.
"Yes Sir," the two replied.
"I have to straighten this out with the higher powers," the Admiral sighed wearily, "Dismissed."
"Yes Sir," they repeated, exiting the office quickly.
"Why did that stupid kid have to kill himself?" Singer mumbled.
Mac glared at her impatiently, "That's a bit hypocritical coming from you. You wonder why everyone here hates you. Stop complaining, please."
"I'm sorry I'm the way I am," Singer replied angrily.
"Well you could at least try to be half decent to people."
"You wouldn't understand."
"Oh please, stop being so immature. You have a phobia: of human beings. Don't you think that's a little stupid?"
"But I can't help it! Why don't you understand that?" Singer questioned, raising her voice.
"You're the only one who can help it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start trying!"
"I am. I have been. But I can't just change overnight. Is that what you expected?"
Mac was silent.
"I thought you might be different to everyone else in my life, but you're not. Everyone just expects me to be perfect, to get everything right and not to get angry or annoyed or hurt."
"I'm sorry, I just."
"Just leave me alone, please," Singer requested quietly.
"No, that's the way you deal with everything, asking it to go away. Your father, your childhood. it's not going to. Believe me, I know. No matter what you do, you'll always remember the things you wich you could forget."
"It's different for you."
"Why? Don't you think it was hard for me to accept what happened to me as a teenager? It still is."
"Yeah, but you're not alone."
"Neither are you! There are 6. 999 999 999 other people on this planet. What makes you think you're alone? How can you be so selfish?"
"I know, Ok. I know it's selfish, I know it's awful. but it doesn't matter, nothing matters. Because no matter what I still feel alone, I still hurt so much I wish I was DEAD!"
"EVERYONE feels like that sometimes. are you that self-absorbed that you don't understand that?"
"It doesn't make any difference if everyone else feels the way I do. it doesn't make my pain any less!"
"You know what does? People who care about you! You complain about being alone, but you're horrible to everyone!"
"They'll just hurt me."
"How do you know if you don't give them the chance?"
"I just do."
"You are pathetic," Mac retorted in disgusted, "No one can help you because you won't let them."
Singer didn't reply, she just walked away angrily and waited until she was alone before she cried.
* * * * * *
A/N: Was Mac too harsh? I think maybe that was a bit out of character, but she can be a bitch when she wants to. *grins* catfight!