Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or Alexandria. Disney and the real people own them. I also do not own any of the songs mentioned or quoted in this story. I do however own my own original characters Athena, the Teachers and any other names, places you may not recognize from the movie.

My Notes: Sorry it has taken so long for me to update this story, hopefully you guys haven't abandoned me and if you have, please come back. I have experienced a major case of writer's block, but school is over so I have more time on my hands to get this story back on track.

Two Faces Have I

Athena wasn't sure how long she had been running or where she was even going, but when she finally stopped she noticed that she was in front of what would be Eric's house. It wasn't like his house that she had left behind, the white paint was gray and the fence was missing pickets here and there, the shutters were hanging on by there hinges in some places if there even was a shutter and the screen door was fallen over. Just like she had done in her own time when she was angry or depressed she would run to her friend's houses for comfort. Not that it would do her any good now, since she was in the past. Where she was alone and things just weren't going the way she thought they would when she would dream about leaving her grandmother's house or if she ever got the chance to go back in time. So she pulled her knees up to her face and started to cry.

That was how Alan found her, when he had left the house to follow Athena to make sure that nothing would happen to her. Even though he wouldn't consider himself one of her friends that she could confide in, not like she did with Rev. But like all the other guys on the team he wanted to watch out for her because she was different and in a town like Alexandria where there was already enough problems with the school system and everything, Athena needed people to look out for her. So he tried to approach her very quietly since he wasn't sure how she would take to being followed but that didn't work out that way because once his hand touched the gate it fell to the ground with a loud bang.

Athena jumped when she heard the crash; she quickly stood up and wiped the tears from her face so there would be no questions asked. She looked over at Alan and said, "What are you here to hound about Duke or are just here to take me back. Because I have news for you I'm not going back."

"I'm not going to hound you about Duke, it's your life and if you want to mess it up that's fine with me, I wont stop you. I'm not even going to make you go back if you don't want to but I will say this, are you going to do sleep here because if you are then let's hope it doesn't rain and what about food and clothes you haven't thought of that have you. But I just came to see if you were ok and if you needed a friend." Alan said has he slowly walked up to the porch.

"Well, I'm glad that you see that it is my life and I need to make my own mistakes. And you are right I could use a friend right now and not some person that is looking to run my life." Athena said with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad you think but I do have to say that the Coach was right in saying that as long as you lived with him you need to listen to him. Since you are out of your environment, and I'm not to sure what it's like in your time but things are run differently and if you get into some type of trouble then no one will be able to help you, if you get my meaning." Alan said taking a set beside her on the porch.

"Yeah, I get your meaning but what am I supposed to do, the girls hate me and most of the guys at school side with Ray except for you guys. But with the order I can break that, even if there are weekends and you guys could come over after school. What about during school nobody seems to think about that do they?" Athena said looking over at him.

"Well don't you worry about that we will think of something. So what is it like where you are from. Any friends, that sort of thing?" Alan said looking up at the sky.

Athena knew exactly what he was getting at but the little devil decided to play games with him just a little longer. "Well, I can say the people there are different back home, well maybe not the guys but most people are ok with the blacks and whites socializing. I even have a friend of mine, Eric, his bi-racial. His dad's black and his mom's white. I don't think you would get that here though. Back home I'm considered strange because I like books, history, and that sort of thing. So to be considered strange here isn't a surprise to me. Even though I miss my friends and the familiar things, I don't want to go back. And since things here have gotten worse for me it only makes me want to go back to them even more." She said with a sniffle.

"Well, I don't think you are strange. Everyone is different and I like that if we were all the same that would get boring after awhile. I'm glad things change in the future we need change. But why don't you want to go back?" He asked placing a hand softly on her shoulder.

"Well, thanks. Not to many guys would agree with you though back home, but since I'm not back home then I guess that doesn't count does it?" Athena asked with a grin.

"No, I wouldn't say that it does but I can see why you are reserved when it comes to some things. I wouldn't think that you are shy or anything especially after the way you were with the guys. Even though you are stubborn and just a little out spoken." Alan said giving her nudge.

"Trust me, I am shy. You just haven't seen that part of me yet. You have just seen the activist part of me and not the pacifist. And besides I'm strong willed not stubborn. You know back home the only guy that I really felt comfortable around was Eric and now you." She said giving him a nudge back.

"Strong willed is that what you call it, now. Well all right then, I take that being comfortable around me is a good thing then." He asked with a chuckle.

"Not sure yet, but I'll let you know. You might not want to have anything to do with me after you get to know, so don't say I didn't warn you." Athena answered with a laugh.

"So what do you say we head back to Coach's house to get things squared away and finally tell Sheryl the truth." Alan asked her hoping that she would say yes.

Athena sat there for a moment thinking about what to do, she understood what Alan was trying to do and she really appreciated it. She very well couldn't stay out here all night; it was already cold enough since it was the beginning of September. She let out a sigh before saying, "Yeah, I guess I need to go back can't have the Coach worrying about me, right." She said as she stood up.

Once they got back to Yoast's house, Athena was confronted by questions about the future. To which is she just that they would have to be patience because they would live to see it. After the guys tried to get more information out of her by trying to seem uninterested by the topic until Pete said, "I think they will have flying cars and things like that. What do you think 'Thena?" She finally told them that they needed to change the subject because she wasn't going to tell them no matter how hard they tried. While they were in the living room the grand father clock in the hallway struck nine telling the guys that they had stayed long enough since they all school in the morning and they couldn't afford to be sleepy for practice even if they were over at the Coach's house. As the guys were leaving Athena made sure to tell each one goodnight, but as Alan was walking out the she stopped him with her arm and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, for coming to talk to me, not sure what I would have done." But before he could say anything she went back into the house and shut the door in his face.

"Well, your welcome." He said to the door before joining the guys who had taken to laughing at him.

On the other side of the door Athena let out a sigh, "Well, now I just have to talk to two people and maybe a third." She thought to herself. She pushed herself off of the door and made her way into the kitchen to help Coach and Sheryl clean up. When she got there Sheryl just sent her look that in Athena's mind would have killed her if, Sheryl had acted upon it. She looked over at Coach, who didn't seem too happy with right now, either. So she just figured to leave at that and help Sheryl dry the dishes.

After a few minutes she cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier when you told me that I wasn't allowed to see Duke anymore, but you have understand how it feels for me. Being in a new place, not knowing anyone and then having a whole town thinking that I killed someone." To which Sheryl just let out a laugh. Athena just looked over at Sheryl and said, "And that is what I am talking, people judging me when they weren't even there to know the whole story and wont even ask me what is true or not because they can't see past the end of nose."

Before his daughter could say anything, Coach placed a hand on Sheryl's shoulder to keep from losing her temper. Sitting down at the table he looked at Athena and said, "Well, I appreciate your apology. I can say that I wouldn't know what it would be like for me if I were in your shoes. But you have understand that I know what these people are like, so I am only trying to look out for you like your father would do if you were home."

At the mention of her father Athena stiffened, how could she tell him that she didn't have either of her parents but only a grandmother that really didn't want her around, nor did she love her. Now was probably a good time to come clean with him since was going to be living with him for awhile. Sitting down she squared her shoulders and plainly said, "I have no parents."

After a few minutes of silence Coach finally said, "Well, if you don't mind me asking what happened to them?"

It took awhile for Athena to answer since no one except her grandmother knew the full story of her parents. "Well, I guess you could say it goes back to before I was born. Mother was raised in a very strict religious household. She wasn't allowed to do anything with boys, go to dances or anything like that before she turned eighteen. Needless to say she didn't follow Grandmother's wishes and rebelled against her. When she was 17 she meet my father, eloped and a few years later had me. All to the disappointment of Grandmother, so she disowned her. When I was twelve Daddy left to find a better job, which he did find in California as a Forest Fire Ranger. Needless to say he died, Mother went crazy and just packed up and left me by myself. Children's Services came and took me to my Grandmother's in Alexandria, which was when I was fifteen. Now two years later after facing mental from Grandmother who thinks that I will turn out like the whore that is my mother and the low life that was my father. I am here in 1971 my parents hometown where now I am hated because while defending myself I almost killed someone."

"I don't believe you, you weren't defending yourself. You tried to kill ray because you couldn't stand him ragging on you all the time. So you decided to end all." Sheryl said.

"If I recall Sheryl, I sent you away so you wouldn't get hurt. Because whether you like it or not Ray would have hit you also because he stand to see any of us going to Church with Rev. So he and his buddies jumped us. And if it weren't for me then something bad probably would have happened to you so before passing judgement on me why not look at the whole picture before you speak. Don't you think that I regret what I did, or don't you remember the three days I spent in my room not talking anyone because of the guilt I felt and then to have one of the first people I befriended turn their back on me when I needed them. But you wouldn't know how that feels would you. I could have stayed where I was when Alan found me, but instead with his help I decided to come back to tell my story and to apologize. So you wouldn't judge me anymore, but I see now that I was wrong to think that you were the type a girl that would judge people before getting to know them or before knowing the whole story." Athena said finally before standing up a walking out of the room.

Coach just sighed and looked at his daughter who looked back and said, "What I didn't do anything, she is the one that did it."

Coach just shook his head and said, "Don't you remember what it was like after your mother left, how everyone was talking and giving us strange looks like we did something when we really didn't. And how angry you felt because they didn't understand what had happened between me and your mother. Wouldn't you say that you are doing the same thing to Athena that the town did to us years ago? And if you do understand that, then can you understand why Athena feels so angry and sad that her friends have turned their back on her when she needs the most. Since from the sounds of it she has no family here and from the looks of it hardly any friends and no family back where she is from."

Sheryl just sighed and looked at her father before saying, "Yeah, I guess I was wrong wasn't I?"

"So what do you think you need to do, now?" Coach asked with a smile.

"I need to go and talk to Athena, and tell her that I'm sorry for the things I said and to let you know that I'm still her friend, right?" She asked with a small smile.

"There you go. So why don't you go and do your thing and I'll finish the dishes." Coach said giving her a pat on the back.

"She couldn't be but what if she is then what do I do, then?" Coach said to himself as he finished the dishes.