Chapter Thirteen: Tuesday, November 8, 2005, Glen Oak, CA

A/N:

This picks up more or less where the original story did (those last few chapters were added, part to show a little more of Simon and Caroline's courtship (and to draw some parallels between them and Catherine and Vincent), and in part to keep things more-or-less lined up with cannon). In regards to cannon, since Simon never dated Rose, Martin never met Sandy, so Sandy isn't pregnant…at least not with Martin's baby…

The first part of this school year was a little rough for nearly everyone in the Camden household, adjusting to Mary's divorce, Ruthie coming more into adolescence, trying (somewhat obsessively) to date older guys (mostly because the guy she wants is Martin), and, in the case of this version of the universe, Simon's growth as a person, which would be wonderful, if only his parents could understand his relationship with Caroline….

"You went to the mall?" Lucy asked, when Simon came in their parents' backdoor, laden with shopping bags. She'd stopped in after lunch, while Savannah was taking a nap and Kevin was home reading a book, getting in a little much-needed quiet time. Mostly, she was hoping to sort out Thanksgiving with Mom, before Thanksgiving, so they didn't have another episode like last year.

"Christmas shopping." Simon beamed, obviously pleased with himself.

"It's not even Thanksgiving," Mom pointed out. She clearly wasn't pleased.

Lucy wasn't thrilled, herself. Simon had been doing so well, lately, clearing the last of his debt, even managing to save a little money.

"I…." He hesitated. Then straightened, as if he'd felt guilty—or maybe was going to try and hide something, but then changed his mind. "Caroline's birthday is coming up. Well, January. But I'd ordered her something and it came in yesterday. So, I figured while I was at the mall, anyway, I'd go ahead and get a jump on Christmas shopping, since things are probably boing to be busy at work with the holiday season, plus I'll have finals next month and I still have a term paper to finish for World Lit and a project for my German class."

Lucy was happy to see her brother back in school—they all were—but German? World Lit? She still didn't get it…except of course, she did. Apparently, Caroline spoke German, and apparently Caroline liked old books. Simon kept saying they were "just friends", but "just friends" didn't give each other gifts like that pocket watch Caroline had given Simon out of the blue a few months ago. Mom and Dad had seen it. Lucy and Kevin had seen it. Everyone had seen it, except for maybe Mary who was off doing what she did best.

Being irresponsible.

Every time Lucy looked at her own daughter, she wanted to pick up the phone, call her older sister and ask her what she was thinking!

But that wasn't the issue at the moment. The issue at the moment was Simon. Apparently, Matt had delivered the watch to Simon for Caroline, although in his defense Matt had had no idea what was in the box, because of course he didn't look. He'd sworn to Lucy he thought it was just some silly little trinket, not a gold pocket watch that was way too sophisticated a gift for a young girl to give to anyone, let alone a too-old-for-her man Simon's age. (This was the same Simon who had wanted nothing less than to "be a man" since he turned fourteen!)

And the verse that was engraved the inside that watch…! Simon had tried to explain it away as "just a line from one of Caroline's favorite poets", but what kind of teenager had a favorite poet? Lucy had never had a favorite poet. None of her friends had. None of the girls in her teen-empowerment class had favorite poets—and if one of those girls said she was thinking about giving a boy something like this…no way. Lucy would council them against it.

"How old will she be again?" Mom asked.

"Sixteen, Mom. I told you already how old she was."

"Right. Sixteen. That's barely a year older than Ruthie. You know, your little sister Ruthie."

"I know how old Ruthie is."

"And do you know when my birthday is?" Ruthie came down the back stairs.

He laughed. "Yes, I know when your birthday is, and yes I got you something and no, you can't see it until the eighth."

"So can I see what you got Caroline?" Ruthie wanted to know.

"Sure."

Mom stepped closer to Simon and Lucy stepped closer to Mom.

"No peeking," he told them both. "Yours gifts are in there too, and nothing is wrapped or anything."

"You didn't have to get us anything," Lucy told him. Simon should be saving his money.

Just not to move to New York.

"Of course, I did," Simon told her. "I ended up getting something for just about everyone on my list today."

"Did you remember Matt and Sarah?" Mom asked him. "I know Matt converted finally, but Christmas, Hanukkah…?" She shrugged as if to say, what difference does it really make. Theologically, it did, of course, but family was family, and the holidays were the holidays.

As for her question, Simon assured her that he had remembered Matt and Sarah "I got something for Sarah's parents, too," he added. "I know Rabbi and Mrs. Glass don't celebrate Christmas or anything, but they keep calling us the Gentile family they never had, I thought I'd get them something for our nice Gentile holiday." He seemed to be enjoying himself. He seemed…happy.

Lucy wanted him to be happy. Mom and Dad wanted him to be happy. They all wanted him to be happy.

But couldn't he be happy with a girl his own age?

Not that they knew how old she was. They'd assumed she was a high school senior last year, but then when Mom—not at all casually—asked Simon where Caroline was going to school in the fall, he'd said—looking a little uncomfortable, if anyone asked Lucy—that she was at the same prep school, some posh academy in Manhattan. But it could still track that she was seventeen going on eighteen, which was still way too young for Simon.

The same way Ruthie is way too young for this Jack character.

How could Caroline's parents possibly approve of their daughter's alleged 'friendship' with a nineteen—nearly twenty—year old guy?

Maybe they'd know if they'd ever met the parents.

Maybe they'd know if they'd ever met Caroline.

Matt said she was a nice girl, but even he agreed she was too young for Simon, even though he wasn't sure how old she was, either.

And why was Simon lifting out bag from Bakerman & Sons Jewelry?

"So, this is for Christmas," he said, as he pulled out a box that was definitely not a ring box.

Thank goodness.

Lucy wouldn't put it past her brother to do something so monumentally stupid. And yes, Simon would point out that Matt and Sarah had gotten engaged on their first date, and yes, they were all right, now, but they were older. A lot older. They were also almost the exact same age as one another. And yes (again), Kevin was older than she was, but she hadn't been in high school when they met! It wasn't the same and it was infuriating that Simon couldn't see that.

Simon opened the box to reveal a gold charm bracelet. Hanging from the chain were tiny gold violin, a golden treble clef, a couple of sixteenth notes, and small gold, filigree heart.

"Wow," was all Mom could say. She wasn't wrong. It was the kind of gift you gave a girl you were serious about, like the earrings Simon had given Cecilia once.

Then Simon opened the second box and it looked for a second like Mom had forgotten how to breathe. "Simon…."

Lucy couldn't even form words. It was earrings, but they were nothing like the ones he'd given Cecilia. These were sapphires and pearls set into a gold, vintage setting, and like that bracelet, they were not cheap.

They were not the sort of gift you gave a high school girl.

They were not the sort of gift a gave to "just a friend".

Ruthie leaned in for a closer look. "Those are gorgeous. I approve."

She approved? Oh, wait, of course Ruthie approved. First, she tried to go out with that Jack kid, even though Dad had made it perfectly crystal clear what he thought about the guy.

Smarmy little…

Okay, maybe that wasn't very charitable of her, but Lucy hadn't liked him very much, and not just because he looked old enough to be a teacher. He was only eighteen—but Ruthie was fourteen. She was a sophomore. Jack was a senior. He was way too old for Ruthie.

But as long as Ruthie approves of Simon and Caroline, she can approve of herself and Jack!

How could Simon even look at Caroline and not see his little sister.

Well. Maybe that part wasn't so hard. Lucy had seen Caroline's photo. That girl did not look like she was still in high school!

"I hope she likes them." Simon was saying. "I was on the phone with Cathy practically the whole time I was in the store."

Lucy frowned. Then she remembered. Cathy, as in Cathy Chandler-Wells, Caroline's mother.

"I really wish you'd call her Mrs. Chandler or Mrs. Wells or Mrs. Chandler-Wells," Mom said, clearly exasperated.

"And why were you on the phone with her?" Lucy wanted to know.

"She wants me to call her Cathy," Simon told their mother. He turned to Lucy. "We were on the phone because I needed her help picking out something special."

"Does that mean she's all right with…you? And her daughter? And…this?" She looked down at the earrings again.

"She's fine with it. We talk all the time."

"You…and Cathy? You talk? On the phone? All the time?" Mom wanted to know.

Lucy understood her mother's tone. They didn't know the first thing about this girl, about her family, her friends, anything—but apparently Simon talked to her mother "all the time". Why did her family get to know him, but their family didn't get to know her.

Simon, naturally, was oblivious. "Sure, why not?" He shrugged. He gathered up the bags and headed upstairs, Ruthie on his heels. Lucy didn't like the way her little sister seemed to have taken up Simon's cause with this Caroline girl. She didn't like a lot of things.

"Do you have any idea how much he just spent on this girl?"

"I don't want to think about it," Mom answered—although they both knew that wasn't true. Mom did think about it. A lot.

Lucy gave her a hug, put her mug in the sink, and headed for the back door. "I'll be back later to sort out Thanksgiving," she promised. "Right now, I need to talk to Kevin about something."

"I'm not going to let you see what I got for you," Simon warned Ruthie sister, when Ruthie followed him into his bedroom.

"I know. I wanted some advice."

"About?"

"Well…."

"Well?"

Ruthie plopped down on his bed.

Simon sat next to her. "Guys?"

"One guy in particular."

"Jack?"

She shook her head.

"Martin?"

"I just…I like him. And he likes me. And I don't understand why we can't be together."

"Because he likes you like a sister. And he's dating one of your friends. Don't you think Meredith has been through enough without you trying to break them up?

"I don't want to break up him and Meredith! She is my friend. I just don't think Martin loves her."

"He said he did."

"I don't mean…there's love and there's love. And I don't think that whatever they have is going to last forever. And when they do split up, I know he might date someone else, and then someone else, and maybe even someone else before that before he finally sees me as someone he wants to date."

"He might never see you that way."

She slumped against his shoulder. "You're not supposed to sound like Dad."

He chuckled. "Look, there are lots of guys you there."

"I know. I've been going out with them."

"Ruthie—"

"Not all of them."

"The point I'm trying to make is that if you don't like someone the same way he likes you, you shouldn't go on dates with him."

"After what I went through to get Dad to let me make my own decisions about who I could date? No way."

"Ruthie, what you're doing isn't fair. Not to…is it Jack or Brian this week?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please. Brian doesn't even have a car."

"Look, I don't mind telling you that I don't like the way you're acting right now. What you're doing isn't fair to Jack or Brian and it's not fair to yourself, either. I know you don't want to hear this, but maybe Dad is right. Maybe you should figure yourself out, decide who you are before—"

"You're right." Ruthie stood up. "I don't want to hear it. You're supposed to be on my side."

"I am on your side. I promise."

"I'm going to my room. Please don't follow me," she snapped, when he started to get up.

Simon watched her leave, uncertain whether he should follow anyway or let her simmer down a little first. After a moment, Simon pulled out his watch, the one Caroline had given him, to check the time in New York—and his cell phone rang. He knew before he even answered who it was. "I was just thinking about you."

"I was thinking about you, too," Caroline told him, her smile audible.

Simon laid back against the head of my bed. "How was school?"

"I'd rather hear about your day."

"Are you sure about that? I just had a fight with my sister."

"About?"

"What else? Boys."

….

"Please?" Lucy begged her husband.

"I don't even know what you expect me to do. I quit the force, remember? I'm a civilian now, just like you."

"But you still have friends at the police department."

"Yeah. In Glen Oak."

"Kevin, come on. You used to work in New York."

"In Buffalo."

"Well, I bet some of the guys there could probably find out. Please. Kevin, come on. This is my baby brother."

"Who, the last time I checked, was an adult and capable of making his own decisions."

"And what would you say if Savannah brought home some nineteen-year-old guy when she was only sixteen?" Lucy demanded.

"I'd probably have the guy arrested—or at least give him a good talking to. But that's up to this girl's parents, not you or Mom and Dad."

"But that's just it, what if they don't know? What if—?"

"Lucy." He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Simon's been acting weird since he came home."

"If by 'weird', you mean responsible, isn't that what everyone wanted?"

"What I want is to know more about this girl and her family. Like, if they do know about Simon, why are they okay with him and their daughter? And why does Simon call her mom all the time, but this…this Caroline never calls my mom? All I'm asking you to do is make a few phone calls."

He sighed. "All right. But no promises," he warned, when Lucy began to grin at him.