Chapter 12
The three arrived at the search team's headquarters. Immediately, Captain Dogooder had the search called off and told the police officers to return to the station. Amanda and Robbie rushed over to Samantha.
"We were so worried about you. Why did you run away?" Her mother asked.
"I'm sorry that was a stupid thing to do." Samantha answered.
"We're glad that Sportacus found you. What were you thinking?" Robbie asked.
"Joshua found me and I wasn't thinking. I…" She didn't get a chance to finish.
"Its my fault. Don't be too hard on her." Joshua interrupted. Everyone turned to him and he continued.
"I said some things to Samantha that I shouldn't have and she was upset."
"That doesn't excuse either one of you. I thought you were ready to go to Hero College but obviously I was wrong." Sportacus looked sternly at his son. Joshua didn't back down from his father. He kept eye contact the whole time.
"I went after Samantha because it was my fault for hurting her. All the two of us have done is hurt each other over the past couple months and she wanted to apologize yesterday and I wouldn't let her. This whole thing started because you wouldn't tell me what was going on." He turned and looked at Robbie and Amanda.
"You two didn't want to get Samantha involved in your problem but then you hurt her and my father tried to help, like he always does, and it backfired. Samantha and I are willing to own up to our mistakes but how can you hold us accountable when you don't hold yourselves accountable?" Joshua's words stung his parents and his 'aunt' and 'uncle'. Samantha moved away from her parents and went to the sixteen year old's side. She didn't want him to get into more trouble but Joshua wasn't done.
"When I was younger all I wanted to do is be like you, Dad. Later, I changed my mind. I was confused but when you rushed off without thinking about your own safety and you saved Pixel. No one was upset with you. They didn't want to punish you. Today I rushed off without thinking and I found Samantha. Now I stand here and you want to punish not only me but also Samantha. Sure what she did wasn't a good thing but it was my fault. I corrected my mistake but will you correct yours?" Silence followed the sixteen year old's tirade. He wrapped his arm around Samantha and held her close. Finally, after a few minutes, Stephanie walked over to her son.
"Joshua, what you did today was brash, I'm not going to deny it. You risked your life running out into the woods with lightening striking all around. If anything happened to you, your father and I wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. The same goes for Samantha and her parents. We love you guys and we don't want to see you get hurt." She said.
"Then why did you try to 'protect' Samantha and I from what was going on? We're not stupid." He asked.
"We did it because we're your parents and we're supposed to protect you." Sportacus piped in.
"I didn't want Sam to know that I wasn't always the man I am today. I made her mother promise to never talk about it." Robbie admitted.
"But Daddy, I love you no matter what you did or who you were. You're my father and that's all you ever need to be." Samantha smiled. She let go of Joshua and gave him a hug. Amanda came over and hugged her husband and her daughter. Stephanie and Sportacus gave their son a hug too.
"This doesn't mean that you're off the hook you know. We still had the police out looking for you." Robbie said to Samantha after the hug was over.
"I understand but now that we've cleared the air I think the punishment will be easier to take." She told him.
"Well I suppose that your father and I will have to deliver our decision tomorrow. Its already late and we've all had a big day. Lets go home and get you cleaned up." Amanda smiled.
"I can live with that." Samantha smiled.
"The same goes for you, young man." Sportacus turned to his son.
"I know and I'm sure that my little speech didn't help matters." Joshua said.
"Well, we'll see. Come on lets go home. I'm pretty sure that I can smell you feet from here and that those shoes need to find a garbage can." Stephanie smiled. With that the two families made their way home.
To Be Continued…
