"This is not good. This is really not good."
Max looked at his brother. "Are you kidding? This is great! The minute we show this to Mom and Dad…we're heroes!"
"Max! Are you insane? Mom and Dad are going to want to know where the photos came from and how we got them!"
Max's eyes widened. "Oh." He took a deep breath. "This is not good. This is really not good."
"And you're supposed to be grounded! AND you're supposed to stay away from Sara!"
"Technically I wasn't anywhere NEAR Sara. You guys were. And technically I didn't violate the whole grounding thing. I didn't go out anywhere. You did."
"So you're throwing this on me?"
"Heck no. I want the credit too."
Jamie rolled his eyes. "We have to show this to Mom and Dad."
"Where are they?"
Jamie shrugged. "Let's go find them."
Catherine's head lay in Gil's lap, and he stroked her forehead as they watched a television show together. Matt had disappeared upstairs, saying he was tired, and Lindsey and Lizzie were apparently having "girl talk."
"Have I mentioned recently how beautiful you are?"
Catherine shifted in his lap and looked up at him, her sleepy blue eyes twinkling. "Yes, but I'm always up for hearing it again."
"You're beautiful."
She smiled at him, her hand raising to rest on his cheek. "And you're handsome."
"And you're both gross," Max announced, walking into the room.
Catherine turned around in Gil's lap. "And you're a monster, but we still love you."
"So we're all even?" Max asked. "Great. Jamie and I have something to talk to you about."
"Where IS Jamie?" Gil inquired.
Max turned around and noticed his brother was indeed missing. He groaned and disappeared for a moment, finally dragging Jamie back in.
"Let's start again," Max decided.
"Let's," Gil agreed.
"Jamie and I have something to talk to you about."
"What did you do?" Catherine asked.
Jamie tried to put an innocent look on his face. "Why do you always expect the worst?"
"See, that way I'm never disappointed. And sometimes I'm nicely surprised."
Gil rolled his eyes. "I've heard THAT somewhere before."
Catherine swatted his shoulder. "Shh."
"Yes Dad, shh," Max told him. When he caught his father's look, he blushed slightly. "Please."
"Do go on," Gil gestured.
"Well…we sorta were playing a game?"
"What did you break?"
"DAD!" Jamie groaned.
"Sorry, go on."
"We found out something. Something helpful."
"How to do the laundry without me having to do it?" Catherine asked.
"MOM!"
Catherine smirked. "Sorry guys. Couldn't help myself."
"But I will get back to you on that point," Jamie promised. He caught his brother's look. "Go on."
"We were playing spy."
Catherine sat up, almost colliding with Gil's chin. He maneuvered her so that she sat in his lap.
"You remember my friend, Ben?" Jamie asked.
"Yes…" Catherine said slowly.
"He was playing too."
Gil gulped. "Go on."
"And we saw something. On Ben's computer. Which we blowed up and printed out," Max said.
"Blew up," Catherine corrected.
"That too," Max replied. "So, we kind of thought we should show it to you."
Gil watched them carefully. "Who were you spying on?"
"I didn't violate anything the judge said. I didn't go anywhere near her! It was my gang!" Max blurted out. Then he slapped his hand over his mouth. "Oops."
Catherine's eyes widened. "You were spying on Sara Sidle?"
"I didn't violate anything the judge said!" Max tried to remind them.
"Rooms, now," Gil said quietly. "Both of you."
"But Dad…" Jamie started.
"Don't argue with me," Gil replied. "We'll talk about this later. Go. Now."
"Fine," Max said, thrusting the piece of paper at them. "I just wanted to help." With that, he and Jamie headed upstairs.
Catherine's eyes were still wide as she looked at the photo. "Alcoholics Anonymous."
Gil took the photo and glanced at it. "Catherine, this is not good."
"For Sara and for us."
"Why for us?"
"Do you really think the judge is going to give the boys a free ride this time?"
Gil sighed. "I'm trying not to think about it."
"We can't sit on this," Catherine said, glancing at the photo.
"I know."
"I don't want the boys to get in trouble."
"Neither do I."
Catherine put the photo down. "What are we going to do?"
Gil took her in his arms, holding her tight. "I don't know, Cath. We have to tell the judge. And our lawyer."
"We should talk to the boys."
"They're grounded, to begin with."
"Absolutely." Catherine paused for a minute. "Gil?"
"Yeah?"
"This is turning into a living nightmare."
Gil tightened his arms around her. "We'll get through it, Cath. You know we will. We've managed before." He pressed a hard kiss to her cheek. "We'll do it again."
The judge peered over his desk as Jamie and Max were ushered into his chambers.
"Hey, Mr Judge sir," Max said, sitting down. "Nice to see you again."
The judge tried to hide a smile. "Nice to see you too, Max." He turned to Jamie. "Hello, James."
"Hi."
"Do you both know why we're here?"
"The same reason that we're grounded?" Max asked.
"That's right."
"Are you going to lecture us just like mom and dad did?" he asked again.
"That's highly likely."
"I didn't break my promise," Max told him. "I didn't go anywhere near Sara."
"I noticed that."
Jamie looked up at the judge. "Are we going to ruin our chances of getting Matt?"
"What happens between you boys and I in here, has no bearing on what happens in the court room."
"That's a relief."
"You know that what you two boys did was very serious?"
"We were just playing," Max replied.
"That may be so, but that doesn't lessen the seriousness of the situation."
Jamie's eyes widened. "Are we going to jail?"
"No," the judge assured then. "Not at all. But something will have to be done."
"We can amend my promise if you want," Max offered. "I won't go near her, OR watch her."
"That will be a start," the judge agreed.
"What do I have to do?" Jamie asked, his eyes wide.
"I'm going to sentence you both to community service."
"Huh!?" Max said, his eyes wide.
"For the next three Saturdays, you will both be helping rake leaves at the community center."
Max's eyes bugged open. "All day Saturday? It'll kill me!"
"What doesn't kill you will make you stronger," the judge quoted.
"I've SO heard that one before," Jamie grumbled.
The judge looked up as a tall man came in. "This is Mr. Ruddley. He's in charge of the community center. He'll talk with you and your parents, okay?"
The two boys nodded and got up.
Before he left, Max turned around. "Apart from this small incident…you're still a cool judge."
The judge smiled. "I appreciate your maturity, Max."
Max waved at the judge as the two boys left the room.
"Juvenile delinquents!" Lizzie cried, as Max and Jamie arrived home.
"MOM!" Jamie cried. "I don't want to be called a juvenile delinquent!"
Catherine rubbed her forehead. "Lizzie, don't call your brothers juvenile delinquents."
Gil glanced at his wife, noticing how tired she looked. "Boys, up to your rooms. Lizzie, I'm sure you have homework to do. Where is Matt?"
"In his room listening to music." Lizzie turned around and went into her room.
Gil took Catherine's hand. "Come on, baby."
"Where are we going?"
"To bed."
Catherine paused. "Gil…I'm really not…"
"To sleep," Gil told her. "You need sleep. I need sleep. Neither of us are any good to the kids in the state we are."
Catherine smiled and leant against him. "Okay. Will you hold me, while I sleep?"
Gil grinned. "That's half the reason I'm coming too."
Catherine kissed his chest. "Okay then. Let's go to bed."