There are only two flashbacks left in Book II so I'm going to go ahead and add them. Flashbacks from Book III will start after Christmas.

"Feed me, Audrey."

Audrey put her hand on her hip and looked unimpressed. "What is this- the Little Shop of Horrors?"

Shawn grinned. "If it was, I would have said, 'feed me, Seymour'."

"Feed yourself, kid."

He jumped from the couch and joined her in the kitchen. She immediately handed him a handful of brown paper bags and directed him to start packing the weeks' worth of lunches she had just made.

"When's Jon gonna be back?" he asked, stealing a few chips out of one of the bags.

Audrey gave him a reprimanding tap on the shoulder not to eat the food that was being packed. "Not for a while. Parent-teacher conferences run all day today. We'll head to the mall in a little bit and kill some time there."

"Why didn't you go with him? You had to be there yesterday."

"That's why I'm not there today. I was only required to attend one day. Today I'm supposed to write up my paper on the experience."

Shawn smirked as he handed her the filled bags to be put into the refrigerator. "But you haven't."

"I will," she promised with a laugh.

"I bet those meetin's are borin'."

"Yours was fun," she said with a mischievous wink.

"That's because it was just you and Jon alone together in his classroom talkin' about me."

"Ego much?" Audrey grinned and tossed a dish towel at him. "Who says we even mentioned you?"

Shawn laughed. "Sweet, you distracted each other from my bad grades in Feeny's class!"

She shook her head. "Don't bet on it." After giving the countertop a quick wipe down, she headed towards the door. "Come on, let's get ready to head out."

Shawn skipped to his room and grabbed his leather jacket off the floor. He was just returning to the living room when a sharp knock rapped at the door.

Audrey opened the door and both she and Shawn were surprised by the visitors on the other side.

The visitors were an older couple in their mid to late fifties dressed in what Shawn thought was Land's End model clothing. Or whatever might be more expensive than that. They oozed sophistication and wealth.

They must have broken down somewhere, he thought, amused by the idea, and got lost lookin' for a phone.

The couple stared at Audrey and Shawn with intensely critical glares. Before Audrey could ask if she could help them, they pushed their way into the apartment and circled around the place like sharks circling lunch.

"Can you believe this, Blake?!" the woman cried with great disdain. "Can you believe this is where our Jonathan is living? By choice?"

Shawn turned to Audrey and mouthed "our Jonathan?"

Audrey shrugged.

"You, girl," the woman snapped her fingers at the student teacher without looking at her. "Where is Jonathan?"

"At work," she said shortly, not sure what to make of either of the intruders. "May I ask who you are?"

The woman turned her back on her and continued her brutal critique of the apartment. "This so-called apartment looks like a place vagrants would gather."

The man shook his head in disgust as he tried extremely hard to avoid touching anything.

"Look at the filth," she declared, running a finger over one of the shelves where some of Jon's diecast cars on it. "It looks like this place is never cleaned!"

"I just cleaned it," Audrey said, deeply offended. She knew there was no dust on that shelf.

The woman rounded on her with a scathing glare. "What maid service are you with?"

There was no way anyone could mistake Audrey for being a maid. Shawn watched curiously as Audrey put a hand on her hip and squared up to the woman. "I'm not with any maid service. I'm Audrey. Who. Are. You?"

The woman ignored her and snorted derisively. "You're one of them, aren't you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"One of what?"

"Jonathan's girls. Which one are you? Girl Friday?"

Audrey mouth opened slightly as a look of anger lit up her gray eyes.

Shawn was more offended by this than she was. "She's his only girl!" he snapped hotly. He was not about to put up with anyone coming into his home and insulting it or Audrey.

The woman arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him. The expression struck him as very familiar. "Is she now? Jonathan finally settled down, did he?"

Without warning, she snatched Audrey's left hand and examined it. "No ring, of course," she sniffed in contempt.

Audrey jerked her hand away. "Listen," she said with a forcefulness that surprised everyone, including Shawn. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. If you want to see Jon, he'll done at school by 7. You can call then."

"School?" the man said appearing to be interested what she had to say for the first time. "So he did become a teacher after all. That's nothing short of remarkable."

The woman wasn't done with Audrey. She took her chin between her thumb and forefingers and looked at her closely. She turned her head slightly to look over her shoulder at the man.

"She is very pretty, isn't she, Blake?"

Neither Shawn nor Audrey could tell if she was sincere or condescending.

The older man stood and joined her in her scrutiny. "Yes, very."

The man reached out and took a lock of her hair in his fingers. His wife did the same.

"Interesting hair color, child," she said to Audrey as though she was five. "Like fire. Well, it could always be dyed blonde. Jonathan always preferred blondes.

"Really?" the man frowned as he let her hair fall through his fingers. "I thought it was brunettes.

"If she were cleaned up a bit and dressed in clothes that weren't from Goodwill, she would fit in rather well in society don't you think?"

"Yes, very much so."

Audrey, who was trying to maintain some diplomacy with these people who were obviously connected to Jon, had to bite her tongue to avoid a short, saucy retort.

Shawn did not have such inhibitions.

"You can't talk to her like that!" He snapped, pulling her away from the horrid woman. "Who do you people think you are comin' into our home like this? You don't like it here. We don't like you here. So leave."

The couple stared at the boy as though they were absolutely appalled that he spoke to them directly.

Shawn noticed this and it fueled his mouth. "I'll have you know that my mom went to Julliard and danced with the American Ballet Theater. She fits into society just fine. Better than you people."

Audrey put a hand over her face. "Shawn," she hissed. He looked in query at her. "Not helping."

"What a rude child!" the woman huffed in offense. "Your son?"

Audrey sighed. "For better or," she shot Shawn a dirty look, "worse."

Shawn shrugged, unbothered, and crossed his arms over his stomach.

The woman turned back to Audrey. "You went to Julliard? Really? Well, perhaps Jonathan's taste has improved after all."

"Yes," Audrey said tightly. "I am very sorry, but Shawn and I have things to do. Please call Jon later tonight or tomorrow."

The woman stared at her with a sharp, icy glare. Audrey did not flinch nor did she allow her aggravation to show on her face. Eventually, the other woman blinked.

"Both need a course in decorum," the woman could be heard saying as the couple exited the apartment.

"My goodness," the man muttered to her. "A mother that young and a son that old- what has Jonathan gotten himself into?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Shawn asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as Audrey shut the door and slumped against it.

"Tell you what?"

"That we live in the Twilight Zone."

Audrey laughed. "Shawn…"

"Well, how else do you explain-" He threw his hands out towards the door. "That!"

When Jon came home that night, he was immediately jumped by Shawn who gave him a detailed run-down of the visit that had transpired. Jon responded by dropping everything he was holding, including the groceries, to put a hand over his mouth. He looked sick.

"So," Shawn prodded, poking his shoulder "Who are they?"

Jon ignored him. "Are you sure she called him Blake?"

"Yeah, just like the dude in Dynasty."

Jon stared at him.

"What?" he asked defensively. "Audrey made me watch it."

The English Lit teacher moved around him and walked over to Audrey. He looked distressed. "Did they say anything else?"

"No," she said. "But I would expect a call from them."

Jon leaned against the kitchen table, mumbling more to himself than talking to them. "They don't have my number. But they didn't have my address either. I never told them I moved to Philly." He paled with sudden understanding and stared at her with his mouth slightly unhinged. "They hired a private investigator."

Audrey didn't know how to respond to that, mostly because she wasn't sure what he was talking about. "That's a little extreme don't you think?"

"Not for my parents. That's nothin' for them!"

"So those people are your parents?" Shawn wasn't sure why that never occurred to him. Mostly likely because there was nothing in common between them and Jon that he could see. Except that eyebrow thing Jon and the woman both did. "What do your parents do for a living?" He was incredibly curious about anyone who could send Jon into the tailspin he was in. A thought came to him. "Do they work for the mob?"

Jon frowned and ignored him. "Why did you let them in?" he demanded of Audrey.

"I didn't know who they were!" she exclaimed, taken aback by his intense reactions. "You never told me much about them and it's not like you have pictures to identify them by."

He let out a frustrated sigh and put his hands over his face. Eventually, he removed them and said, "I'm sorry. I never planned on them showin' up here. I thought the neighborhood alone would keep them away."

After that, neither Shawn or Audrey could get Jon to talk for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Shawn found himself staring at his social studies homework with great vexation. While Jon and Audrey may not have discussed his grades during his parent/teacher conference, Mr. Feeny certainly did. Until he was caught up, there was no going out.

"Ughgnh!" he groaned.

Audrey looked unimpressed. "If you'd concentrate, then we could all get out of here, you know."

He squinted at her and made a face before returning to his work.

Shortly before noon, Jon returned from a lunch run and allowed Shawn to take a break. They were about to sit down and eat when a knock interrupted them

"You gotta key, Eli," Jon yelled as he set out his lunch. "You don't gotta knock first!"

A rapid, precise knock tapped at the door. Jon rolled his eyes and got up. He went to the door, opened it, then immediately slammed it shut.

He leaned against the door as though the people on the other side might try to push their way through, "Get your stuff and get to my room. Now!" he ordered in a panic.

Shawn let the bite of sub sandwich in his mouth fall out. "Huh?"

Jon couldn't be bothered to repeat himself and gathered up the teen's food for him. Audrey followed suit without questioning him.

Shawn and Audrey found themselves finishing lunch on Jon's bed with orders not to leave the room until he came to get them. This was incredibly frustrating as Jon's room wasn't the coziest of places to eat. It also irritated him that Jon refused to explain anything to him about his parents and why they bothered him so much.

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?" he complained as Jon started to close the door.

"Hold it!"

Shawn made a face and looked at the window. "Oh well. I guess I can always go out on the fire escape."

"Hold it," Audrey told him as she gave him a reprimanding look.

Shawn shrugged. Jon slammed the door behind him.

"He's so weird about the parent thing," Shawn commented as he took a drink of his soda. "So his parents are filthy rich. What's so terrible about that?"

"I don't think that's the reason."

"He hasn't told you?"

She shook her head. "Obviously, something happened when he was a kid that caused a big rift. I mean I know that much because otherwise Jon wouldn't have lived with my dad for so long."

"And he's never told you what happened?"

"No. He says he will eventually." She frowned and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Whatever it was still really upsets him. Every time he starts to tell me about his parents, he interrupts himself and changes stories, directions, subject. I can't follow him for anything!"

"Wow." Now more than ever Shawn wanted to know what happened that sent Jon to Audrey's dad.

They ate in silence and Shawn wondered how Jon could sleep on a bed so neat. He had to mess up the comforter just to be able to sit comfortably. After a while he said, "You know I wasn't serious about Jon gettin back with Melanie and movin' to Connecticut."

"I know."

"But I really think Jon should reconcile with his parents."

Audrey gave him a funny look. "Why is that?"

"Because it's important to be at peace with blood family," he said thoughtfully.

She arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"So that when you and Jon die, I'll have a nice inheritance to see me through my grief." He grinned cheekily at her.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "How sweet you are! Planning our funerals before our wedding, are you?"

"Nah, I had the wedding planned the day we met you."

Audrey rolled her eyes again and laughed.

Jon was in a foul mood after his parents left and immediately went into Shawn's room and began to pack his overnight bag.

Shawn watched him from the doorway. "How come when I pack my bags to go to Audrey's I get in trouble, but when you do it, it's okay?"

Jon gave him a dirty look and tossed the bag at him as he left the room.

Shawn opened the bag and inspected it. The contents didn't make any sense. "Great, I won't run outta of shirts, but am I allowed to have a pair of pants?" He complained as he followed Jon into the living room. "Maybe some socks? Underwear?!" He pulled out the contents of the bag and dropped them on the floor. "Why so many shirts!?"

A pair of socks came whizzing through the air and clipped his hair.

"Boy, are you in a bad mood!"

"Shawn," Audrey gave him a warning look. "Go easy on him."

Shawn shrugged, shoved the shirts back in their bag, and plopped down on the couch. "Tell me again why it's suddenly okay for me to spend the night at Audrey's?"

Jon stared to aggressively straighten the throw and pillows on the couch. Repeatedly. "I do not want them around you. They're callous. They're cynical. They're domineering. They're inflexible. They're narrow-minded. They're pompous. They're vain…"

Shawn leaned over and whispered to Audrey. "Is he still talkin' about his parents or is he just goin' through the dictionary pickin' out words?"

Audrey gave his hand a feather-light pop. "Stop that."

"They…they're poisonous!" Jon said, turning suddenly on them. "They taint everythin' they touch. They are not touchin' you!"

"Well, that's fine," Shawn sniffed irritated that Jon wasn't actually telling them anything. Again. "I don't like people I don't know in my personal space anyway!"

"How long will they be in town?" Audrey asked, hoping to put an end to Shawn's cheekiness.

"Two impossibly long days."

Audrey said nothing more and warned Shawn to stay silent as Jon drove them to her place. Once there, Jon came in with them and immediately went to Audrey's bedroom and laid down.

"I'm worried about him," Shawn said sincerely. He was concerned about his teacher. It seemed to him that Jon's relationship with his parents was rockier than the one he had with his parents. This was both surprising and discouraging.

"So am I." She put an arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "Go get yourself settled in while I talk to him, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mama."

Jon was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling fan as it lazily turned in circles when she walked in. Audrey put her knee on the bed and gently nudged him to move over so that she could sit down. He then put his arm over her lap and sighed heavily.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Jon shook his head in despair. "I don't want them here."

She ran her hand up and down his arm. "Yeah, we figured that much out."

He was quiet for a long time and seemed to be struggling with his thoughts. Finally, he said in hushed voice. "I wish your dad was here."

This surprised Audrey a great deal. "Really?"

"Your dad always helped me deal with them. Especially when things got real bad. I don't know how to deal with them without him."

"What did Daddy do? Could you do that now?"

Jon went silent again. "No," he said after a while. "I don't think I can."

"You could call Daddy."

He gave her a curious look and sat up partially. "You think he'd be up to that?"

"Yeah," she said adjusting her position so she could see him better. "Sometimes he has days so bad he can't talk. But most days he's better when he can. He'd talk to you, Jonny. He misses you so much. You're all he talks about when I go to see him."

"Yeah," Jon said. He pulled his knees up, feeling unanchored and lost. "I wish we could go up and see him."

Audrey put her hand on his arm as he hugged his knees to his chest. She knew Jon had once been very close to her father, but she did not know how heavily he'd leaned on him.

"I miss him so much. I wish..." He dropped his chin to his chest. "I wish I'd gone back sooner. I wish I'd gone back for the funeral. I wish I'd been there for him when he needed me."

"Oh, Jon," she breathed. The regret rolling off him was so strong she could feel it. She leaned her face against his shoulder and held onto him.

"I shoulda been there, Aud. After everything he did for me, I shoulda been there for him."

"Everything happens for a reason," she reminded him. "We might not be here now with Shawn if you had gone back."

Jon nodded. He inhaled a shaky breath but, on the exhalation a coarse sob came out. "I need my dad, Aud." Tears clouded his eyes. "I really need to see my dad again."

"I know, Jonny. We could go see him over Spring Break."

"Spring break?"

"Yeah, the three of us could go up and see him. We could really show Shawn around the Village, too."

Slowly, Jon nodded. The idea felt like a lifesaver had been thrown to him. "Yeah, maybe."

Shawn stood in the doorway of Audrey's bedroom listening with curiosity. He didn't understand why Jon was so upset. His dad was in town, so why didn't he just go see him? Why did they have to wait until Spring Break?

The teen frowned, feeling as though he missed part of the conversation or misunderstood something. He walked over the couple and jumped on the bed next to Jon, landing on his knees.

"We're gonna go to New York for Spring Break?"

Audrey smiled and pulled him over to her.

"Looks like it."

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