(Karen opened the door to Dan's home office.)
Ka: Hey stranger.
D: You guys back from church already?
Ka: Dan it's 12:30, we went to church, the store and I have made lunch. You are working too hard.
D: You know this is a busy time of year sweetie.
Ka: (Walking over to him, she pushed his chair back and sat on the desk in front of her husband.) You have been locked in this office all weekend.
D: Don't you think I know that? Good news is, I should be done tonight.
Ka: Good. Any longer and I would have to kill one of our children.
D: (Smilng.) Which one did what this time?
Ka: Pick.
D: Even Kaylee?
Ka: Nathan and her are fighting again about her dating Braiden.
D: I'll talk to him and tell him to lay off.
Ka: Actually maybe we should pay attention to what he is saying. At first I thought he was doing it just because he was having a hard time accepting that Kaylee is growing up, but now I think that maybe there is a reason he is so upset over her dating him.
D: OOOOKKAAY? Then I will talk to Kaylee.
Ka: But if you do that, she might get as mad at you as she is at Nathan and if the kid is bad news I don't want her to feel like she can't come to us and talk.
D: So how about I just forget you brought this up?
Ka: (Smiling.) A lot of help you are.
D: So what is Chris up to?
Ka: Another note from school. He is not doing his homework again.
D: I told him if it happened again he would be in trouble.
Ka: That would explain the attempt at fordging my signature.
D: (Shaking his head.) I leave you alone w/ them for one week and look at the trouble they get in.
Ka: Yeah, because they are perfect angels for you right?
D: (Ignoring her sarcasstic comment.) And Nathan?
Ka: Didn't get in until 3:30 last night. And I think the sound of him tripping twice up the stairs would indicate he wasn't exactly sober.
D: That's my boy all right. (Getting a smile on his face.)
Ka: It's not something to be proud of Dan. I don't want him drinking.
D: We did when we were his age.
Ka: That doesn't mean that he has to make the same mistake and I don't want you giving him the impression that we are OK w/ it when you talk to him.
D: ME? How about you talk to him?
Ka: I have been a single mom all week. The least you can do is...
D: (Pulling her onto his lap.) Kare, eventually you are going to have to get over this fear.
Ka: (Looking at her husband in the eyes.) I don't know what you are talking about.
D: Yes you do. The fear of making Nathan mad at you.
Ka: That's rediculous!
D: Really? OK. Have you ever punished him?
Ka: I just did. I told him he had to study w/ Chris b/c he tried to blackmail him when he found out he was fordging the note from school.
D: I mean just Nathan. (Karen looked away.) Karen, Nathan has lived w/ us full time since Deb died 7 years ago. He has called you "mom" since he was 10.
Ka: (Still not looking at him.) I know all this Dan. Your point?
D: My point is that you are scared if you have to raise your voice to him or correct him when he is out of line that somehow that will give him the impression that you don't love him like you do the twins. You will only punish him if one of the other kids are involved, otherwise you bring it to me. Like now.
Ka: That's not true.
D: (Holding her hand.) If I see that you are treating him differently, you don't think the kids do too? I'm sure they see that you are not as hard on him as you are Chris and Kaylee. If you don't watch it, it is going to cause resentment. (Karen was still not talking.) I will talk to Nathan about last night on one condition.
Ka: (Looking at him w/ tears in her eyes.) What?
D: You take conference duty.
Ka: What?
D: Report cards come out on Thursday and I am usually the one that has to go to the parent-teacher conferences.
Ka: That's because I am a teacher Dan and I sort of have to be at the school.
D: This year the High School is holding their conferences on a different day then the grade school, so it works out just perfect. You can go and listen to all the GREAT things the teachers have to say and hand out suitable punishments to our children.
Ka: I have to go to all of them?
D: You're right, that isn't fair. I will take Kaylee.
Ka: That's real fair darling. Kaylee gets straight A's.
D: (Smiling.) I know.
Ka: You know I love Nathan like he was my own son right?
D: Yes Karen. I can see it everytime you look at him. He loves you too. If you make him angry, he will not turn around and walk out the door.
Ka: Promise?
D: I promise.
Ka: Fine, I will do conferences.
D: Good.
Ka: (Getting serious.) You know who's birthday it is tomorrow right?
D: How could I forget? He'll be 17.
Ka: (Crying.) I miss Lucas.
D: (Hugging her.) I know Karen, but we gave him up b/c we were too young to have a baby. We gave him a better life.
Ka: I can't believe that it still hurts this much after all this time.
D: I know.
Kaylee: (From the kitchen.) I HATE YOU NATHAN!
Ka: (Pulling back from the hug and wiping her eyes. Karen got up from Dan's lap and pulled on his hand.) Let's go, you can help me break up THIS fight.
D: I wasn't planning on eating lunch.
Ka: Oh yes you are. I am not dealing w/ them alone. Let's go!
(Dan sighs and follows her to the kitchen.)
(Dan walks through the entry to the kitchen just in time to have a roll hit him in the head fall to the floor.)
N: (Looking a little pale.) DAD! I didn't mean to hit you.
D: Then you might want to work on the aim. Pick it up. (Nathan went over and grabbed the roll off the floor.) What are you guys fighting about now? It's Sunday, it's suppose to be a day of rest.
Kaylee: Braiden just called and Nathan told him that I was dead and then hung up the phone.
N: (Dan turned to Nathan and raised an eyebrow.) The kid is a loser Dad. (Just then the phone rings again and Nathan and Kaylee race to the phone.)
Kaylee: I WILL GET IT!
N: NOT IF I GET THERE FIRST.
Karen: (Sitting next to her husband at the table.) Calgon take me away!
D: (Yelling.) STOP! (The room got silent at the sound of Dan's voice. He was normally laid back, but when he yelled you better listen and his kids knew it. The only sound was the still ringing phone.) Nathan answer the phone and if it is Braiden you will apologize to him for being rude.
N: No I won't.
D: (Looking at Kaylee who now had the phone in her hand.) Sweetie, who is calling?
Kaylee: (Checking caller ID.) It's Braiden.
D: Give your brother the phone. (Kaylee smiled and held out the phone to her older brother.)
N: No. (Crossing his arms.) I'm not going to say anything to that little fu...
D: (Stopping him mid-sentence before he got himself in more trouble.) Maybe you should have thought about not saying anything to him when he called the first time. Now you will take the phone and apologize or you will not be using the phone again until I feel like you have learned proper phone manners. Your choice.
N: (Glaring at his dad, he rips the phone from his sister's hand and turns it on and yells into the phone.) WHAT?
Dan: NATHAN! (Dan stood up and walked over to stand next to his dark-haired child. The way that Dan was walking towards her brother made Kaylee go sit at the table. She wanted no part of it. Dan took the phone from Nathan.) Braiden? I'm sorry about this, but I will have Kaylee call you back in a little while, we are just sitting down for lunch. (Dan hung up the phone and looked at Nathan.) GO TO YOUR ROOM! (Nathan left w/o a word and Dan sat back down just as the phone rang again.) Chris and Kaylee were both about to get up.) Sit. I will get it. (He walked back to the phone.) Hello? (Chris and Kaylee went back to serving their lunch and Karen looked up to see her husband just as his expression changed. He was trying to keep his voice down, but she could tell something was wrong.) I see....uh huh....is everone OK? (Dan saw that Karen was watching him.) Can I call you right back? OK bye. (He hung up the phone and turned to his family.) I will be back. (He left the room and Karen got up to follow.)
Karen: (Catching up as he reached the office.) Dan, what was that all about?
D: Nothing. I just have to return a call. Go back and finish lunch.
Ka: Who were you asking about when you asked if everyone was OK?
D: Karen... (Stopping as he looked at the face of his concerned wife. He could not lie to her.) Karen, it's Lucas. There was a fire...
Hey everyone...for those of you who have read my other story you know that I love my cliff hangers, so I leave you w/ one here...thanks for all the great replies and I hope you keep them coming.
thanks
wendy