Authors Note: Hey Guys, I'm so so so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. My life got pretty hectic, and I kinda had a bit of writer's block. I'm back now, hopefully to my old self. Please review this next chapter so that I can keep my spirits up. I hope to finish all 23 chapters of this fic and start on the sequel before June. Thanks for the support!!!!!

Chapter Thirteen- The Truth Comes Out

By the time that Lucy got home from picking up Ruthie, Eric had gotten home and Annie was starting dinner. Matt and Robbie were home as well, and had been filled in on the events of school that day. Lucy had told Ruthie on the way home. They both walked into the living room.

"Hey guys, how ya feelin" Lucy asked, looking at them.

"Better" Simon said, smiling at Lucy. Then he looked at Jennifer. Lucy knew something was up.

"Okay you two, just spill it already," Ruthie said. She never was one to keep anything in was she?

"Well, Jennifer and I are, well....kinda going out." Simon said, blushing.

"As in....boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ruthie asked, and Jen nodded.

"Well, its about time!" Lucy said, forcing a smile.

By the end of dinner everyone knew that Simon and Jennifer were going out. Annie and Eric were both happy, yet leary about the match. They knew something was up with Jennifer, but they didn't know anything about it. Lucy seemed happy too, but she knew that Jennifer needed to tell Simon her secret, before he found out some other way.

That night Jennifer slept in Lucy and Ruthie's room. She wanted to ask Luce what she thought about her and Simon, but Ruthie was there. She lay awake thinking about it long after she thought the other two had went to sleep. She finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

But Ruthie was far from asleep. How could she keep Jennifer's secret after all that happened that day? Oviously someone at school found out about some of her past, and might let it leak that she was staying with the Camdens. She didn't want her family to be in danger, and she wanted Jen to be safe. She feel into an uneasy sleep that night.

The next day was Saturday, so all the kids slept in. Ruthie was the first one in Jen's room that woke up, and she got up and went downstairs without disturbing Lucy or Jen. A few minutes after she left, Lucy was awake.

"Jen, are you up?" Lucy asked, sitting up in her bed.

"Yeah, I'm up. Why?" Jen asked, sitting up as well.

"Was it just me or did Ruthie sound like an elephant stampede?" Lucy said, giggling. Jen just laughed with her, then got up and sat on Lucy's bed.

Eric was sitting at the kitchen table when Ruthie came downstairs.

"Good morning Ruthie. Your up early."

"Actually, I didn't sleep to well. Do you think I could talk to you and mom in your office?"

"That serious huh? Well all right." Eric said, as he and Annie walked into the office with Ruthie. Eric sat down behind his desk, and Annie sat in the armchair. Ruthie paced, unsure of how to start. She sat down and began to cry in frustration, something she rarely does. Annie and Eric looked at each other, then at Ruthie.

"It's alright Ruthie, you can tell us," Eric said softly.

"Mom, Dad, Lucy told me something about Jennifer. She trusted me to keep the secret, but I don't think I can do it."

"Well Ruthie, that's up to you. You don't have to tell us." Annie said.

"Yes, I do. If I don't I won't be able to live with it."

"Go on Ruthie, tell us then."

"Jennifer is a runaway. Her dad died two years ago, so they put her back with her mom. But she was abusive to Jen, and so were her mom's boyfriends. So Jen decided to leave and go to a shelter, but her mom's bf found her and got her kicked out. Then they beat her up real bad." Ruthie had to stop, she was crying and shaking too much. Annie went over and hugged her, wiping her own tears off of her face. Ruthie struggled to continue. "After she recovered from that beating, she ran away again. To Glen Oak, and got her job at the Diner. She lives in a back room Mr. Fredrickson doesn't use. Lucy went to talk to her at the Diner one night and she had to jump out of her car to save Jen from an attacker. Jennifer told Lucy it was her mom's boyfriend. She made Lucy promise not to tell, but she told me. I know Luce may hate me for this, but I'm worried about Jennifer, I had to tell."

"You did a very brave thing Ruthie. And it was the right thing. I'll try and talk with Jennifer tonight." Eric said, looking at his youngest daughter, proud she told him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You have to tell him Jen."

"I know I do. But it can wait a little longer. Do you think you can keep my secret for another week or two?" Jen said, teasing Lucy. Lucy tried to hide the guilty look that spread across her face.

"Ahhh... sure I can." She said. Jen stood up, grabbing her things.

"Well, I better get going. I have to be at work in 20 minutes."

"Okay, I'll see you at church tomorrow."

"Bye." Jen said, and she went down the steps, running into Simon on her way.

"I'm sorry." They both say, at the same time. (How cute!!!)

"Your leaving for work already?" Simon askes, smiling at his girlfriend.

"I have to be there in 20 minutes."

"My sister could always take you, I mean, so you don't have to walk the whole way."

"Its alright, I like to walk. So I guess I'll see you at church in the morning?"

"Yeah." He smiles with a goofty grin as Jen turns to go, he grabs her arm gently, "Jennifer?"

"Yes?"

He kisses her gently on the lips. "Goodbye." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What do you guys think??? please review