Family Togetherness
Tori jogged into the kitchen, popping a slice of bread into the toaster and pulling out the butter. "Surf's up in half an hour!" she called loudly. "I'll catch you guys later!"
"Tori."
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder at her mother. "What's up Mom? I gotta go."
"Honey, we need to talk." her mother said softly.
She turned, giving her full attention. "What's wrong?"
Warm hands settled over her shoulders, giving a slightly squeeze as she was directed to the table. "Sit down, Vicky." her father told her. He was the only person who *ever* got away with calling her Vicky, and he rarely used it seriously.
Feeling suitably concerned, she sat, watching her parents worriedly. "What is it?"
Her parents glanced at each other. "Ms. Radelle called last night." her mother said at last. "She...said some things...about Dustin...."
Tori went white. "Oh, no." she breathed, worry for Dustin the first thing on her mind. Then another thought crept in, and she eyed her parents suspiciously. "You don't have anything against him, do you?" Her mother opened her mouth to say something, and she leapt to her feet. "There's nothing wrong with Dustin! He's my friend, and I don't care what you say! I love him and I won't stop hanging out with him just because-"
"Tori!" Her father cut her off, raising his voice slightly. "Calm down. We don't want you to stop seeing Dustin."
She paused. "You don't?"
"No." He shook his head with a smile. "Can we finish our conversation like adults now?"
She blushed, sinking back into her seat. "Sorry..."
Her mother patted her hand. "It's all right, sweetheart. We know you care about your friends. That's part of why we wanted to talk to you. We thought you had a right to know about Ms. Radelle."
"What did she say?" Tori asked, frowning worriedly.
"Some very rude things about Dustin." her mother admitted. "I don't know quite what happened, but she seemed to be looking for a target."
Total confusion crossed her face. "What'd I do?"
"Nothing." her father said firmly. "She was looking for someone to blame."
"She was trying to say you made him gay because you kept turning him down." her mother told her gently.
Tori blinked. The idea of her and Dustin was just too weird. He was practically her brother.
"First of all, we wanted you to tell Dustin that he's *always* welcome in our home, no matter what." her mother continued.
"Especially now that I don't have to worry about leaving you two alone together." her father interjected. He grunted as her mother elbowed him in the ribs, but still managed to give Tori a wink.
Tori smiled warmly. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, and I know Dustin will appreciate it."
Her father frowned, suddenly looking stern. "That doesn't leave you off the hook, however."
She started. "Me?"
"What's this about getting another boyfriend?" He waggled his eyebrows pointedly.
She blinked again, then flushed. "It's nothing major..." she mumbled.
Her mother sighed, shoving her father's shoulder lightly. "We just want to know what's going on in your life Tori, you know that."
"I know." she acquiesced. She took a deep breath. "His name's Blake."
"Blake?" Her father's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"He has a steady job, he doesn't do drugs or alcohol, he likes motocross, and he's a ninja like me, except that he's from the Thunder Ninja Academy." she counted off on her fingers. "Dustin and Shane know him, too."
"And he's still breathing?" her mother teased gently. Her best friends were known for their overprotectiveness.
Tori smiled back. "See? He's a perfect gentleman, and a total sweetheart."
"Are you sure he's not gay?" her father asked warily.
She laughed as her mother elbowed him again. "No, Dad. Blake's straight. It's all my *other* friends that are gay."
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."
She shook her head with a grin. "Blake's brother Hunter is dating Cam-"
"Cameron Watanabe? Your Sensei's son?"
She nodded. "And Shane and Dustin finally hooked up."
Her mother beamed. "I always thought they looked good together."
"What is it with women and gay men?" her father wondered aloud.
Both women looked at him. "What is it with men and lesbians?" her mother countered.
"Point taken." he admitted.
Tori grinned. She loved her parents. She was lucky that way; out of all the Rangers, she was the only single child with two parents. They were typically laid back and fun-loving, and tried their best to let Tori find her own way in life as long as she made sure to keep them in it. Their casual attitudes had been her saving grace in more then one situation.
"Any more questions, or can I try and get a hold of Dustin?" she asked, smiling as her mother gave her father another shove over a teasing comment.
Her mother paused to shoot her a warm smile. "Go ahead, sweetie."
She hurried to the phone. Dustin wasn't an early riser like she was (surfing tended to do that to a person), but his phone was right next to his bed to ensure he'd hear it. Luckily he had a private line, so she wouldn't have to worry about waking anyone else.
A few minutes later, she was frowning. "This number is no longer in service?" she murmured.
"Tori?"
She turned to her parents, her expression darkening with worry. "Something's wrong."
Tori jogged into the kitchen, popping a slice of bread into the toaster and pulling out the butter. "Surf's up in half an hour!" she called loudly. "I'll catch you guys later!"
"Tori."
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder at her mother. "What's up Mom? I gotta go."
"Honey, we need to talk." her mother said softly.
She turned, giving her full attention. "What's wrong?"
Warm hands settled over her shoulders, giving a slightly squeeze as she was directed to the table. "Sit down, Vicky." her father told her. He was the only person who *ever* got away with calling her Vicky, and he rarely used it seriously.
Feeling suitably concerned, she sat, watching her parents worriedly. "What is it?"
Her parents glanced at each other. "Ms. Radelle called last night." her mother said at last. "She...said some things...about Dustin...."
Tori went white. "Oh, no." she breathed, worry for Dustin the first thing on her mind. Then another thought crept in, and she eyed her parents suspiciously. "You don't have anything against him, do you?" Her mother opened her mouth to say something, and she leapt to her feet. "There's nothing wrong with Dustin! He's my friend, and I don't care what you say! I love him and I won't stop hanging out with him just because-"
"Tori!" Her father cut her off, raising his voice slightly. "Calm down. We don't want you to stop seeing Dustin."
She paused. "You don't?"
"No." He shook his head with a smile. "Can we finish our conversation like adults now?"
She blushed, sinking back into her seat. "Sorry..."
Her mother patted her hand. "It's all right, sweetheart. We know you care about your friends. That's part of why we wanted to talk to you. We thought you had a right to know about Ms. Radelle."
"What did she say?" Tori asked, frowning worriedly.
"Some very rude things about Dustin." her mother admitted. "I don't know quite what happened, but she seemed to be looking for a target."
Total confusion crossed her face. "What'd I do?"
"Nothing." her father said firmly. "She was looking for someone to blame."
"She was trying to say you made him gay because you kept turning him down." her mother told her gently.
Tori blinked. The idea of her and Dustin was just too weird. He was practically her brother.
"First of all, we wanted you to tell Dustin that he's *always* welcome in our home, no matter what." her mother continued.
"Especially now that I don't have to worry about leaving you two alone together." her father interjected. He grunted as her mother elbowed him in the ribs, but still managed to give Tori a wink.
Tori smiled warmly. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, and I know Dustin will appreciate it."
Her father frowned, suddenly looking stern. "That doesn't leave you off the hook, however."
She started. "Me?"
"What's this about getting another boyfriend?" He waggled his eyebrows pointedly.
She blinked again, then flushed. "It's nothing major..." she mumbled.
Her mother sighed, shoving her father's shoulder lightly. "We just want to know what's going on in your life Tori, you know that."
"I know." she acquiesced. She took a deep breath. "His name's Blake."
"Blake?" Her father's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"He has a steady job, he doesn't do drugs or alcohol, he likes motocross, and he's a ninja like me, except that he's from the Thunder Ninja Academy." she counted off on her fingers. "Dustin and Shane know him, too."
"And he's still breathing?" her mother teased gently. Her best friends were known for their overprotectiveness.
Tori smiled back. "See? He's a perfect gentleman, and a total sweetheart."
"Are you sure he's not gay?" her father asked warily.
She laughed as her mother elbowed him again. "No, Dad. Blake's straight. It's all my *other* friends that are gay."
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."
She shook her head with a grin. "Blake's brother Hunter is dating Cam-"
"Cameron Watanabe? Your Sensei's son?"
She nodded. "And Shane and Dustin finally hooked up."
Her mother beamed. "I always thought they looked good together."
"What is it with women and gay men?" her father wondered aloud.
Both women looked at him. "What is it with men and lesbians?" her mother countered.
"Point taken." he admitted.
Tori grinned. She loved her parents. She was lucky that way; out of all the Rangers, she was the only single child with two parents. They were typically laid back and fun-loving, and tried their best to let Tori find her own way in life as long as she made sure to keep them in it. Their casual attitudes had been her saving grace in more then one situation.
"Any more questions, or can I try and get a hold of Dustin?" she asked, smiling as her mother gave her father another shove over a teasing comment.
Her mother paused to shoot her a warm smile. "Go ahead, sweetie."
She hurried to the phone. Dustin wasn't an early riser like she was (surfing tended to do that to a person), but his phone was right next to his bed to ensure he'd hear it. Luckily he had a private line, so she wouldn't have to worry about waking anyone else.
A few minutes later, she was frowning. "This number is no longer in service?" she murmured.
"Tori?"
She turned to her parents, her expression darkening with worry. "Something's wrong."