Annie was confused when her genetics professor called her and Amy to see him after class. They had handed in essays on whether nature or nurture had the bigger effect on a person. Annie was curious why she had been called, it was the hardest she had ever worked on an essay and had carefully evaluated all sides of the issue, she had even drawn on personal experience with the similarities between herself and Teddy as a case study.
Annie anxiously approached the professor at the podium after class, "Sir I'm wondering if I could see how I did on my essay so that I can improve it for next time."
"Miss McKellar once Miss Black joins us we can discuss your essay," replied the professor.
"Amy Black left class at the break sir," Annie replied, "is it possible for you and I to discuss my essay now?"
"I was planning to speak to the two of you together," the professor said, "but you will have to do."
"Thank you sir," Annie replied.
"Miss McKellar, I'm going to have to give you a zero on your essay for plagiarism," the Professor said.
"I don't understand," Annie said, "I spent hours on that paper."
"Unfortunately you and Miss Black turned in identical papers," the Professor said.
"There has to be a mistake," Annie replied, "I made comparisons to myself and my biological mother that Amy wouldn't have known. Is there a way that I can submit a new paper for partial credit?"
"Miss McKellar, I don't know how it worked in your previous institution but here plagiarism is grounds for dismissal from the program," the professor said.
"It was the same at UBC," Annie replied, "I'm very confused how this happened."
"Your confusion does appear to be sincere," the professor said, "how ever with out speaking to Miss Black I can not move forward."
"If it helps sir I have my outline and notes in my bag," Annie offered, "I also have the drafts saved on my computer."
"May I see your notes Miss McKellar," the professor said.
"I'll get them," Annie replied, she walked to her seat and got the notebook out of her bag, she flipped open to the outline she did for the nature vs. nurture paper.
"You are a very detailed planner," the professor said.
"I like to be thorough," Annie replied, "I apologize that there are a lot of changes and alterations in the outline."
"I can see that you put a good deal of thought into it," the professor replied, " would you mind if I made copies?"
"Go ahead sir," Annie replied.
"Sir, you must have a military parent," the professor said.
"My birth mother was a surgeon with medical command," Annie replied, "I've spent a lot of time volunteering at her hospital in Seattle and observing."
"What is your mother's name," asked the professor, "I worked with medical command until 4 years ago."
"Major Theodora Altman. She was in Iraq for 6 years as a cardiothoracic surgeon," Annie replied.
"You're Teddy Altman's daughter," the professor said.
"Yes sir," Annie replied.
"I worked with her for a couple of months in Germany. Miss McKellar, I appreciate your honesty today and that you were willing to share your notes and thought process with me," the professor said, " I will need to speak to Miss Black but I'm sure we can figure out what happened."
"Would you like me to meet with you again to explain my logic further," asked Annie.
"I think it would be beneficial for you to come to my office hours tomorrow," the professor replied, "before you go Miss McKellar can you think of any time you and Miss Black may have worked together on the paper?"
"Amy and I are roommates," Annie replied, "as well as Stephanie Mitchell. Would you like me to have Amy contact you?"
"If you could let her know then we can all meet," the professor said, " I am not a harsh man Annabeth I am only going to give a zero and report the student who plagiarized the paper if one of you owns up to the crime. If neither of you admit it both will take a zero and be on probation."
"I understand sir," Annie replied, "I know I wrote the paper. There are comparisons to myself and my birth mother who I didn't meet until I was 19 that no one else would know."
"I understand Miss McKellar," the professor said, "please have Miss Black meet with me so we can get to the bottom of it."
"Thank you sir," Annie said, "I'll see you in office hours tomorrow. Sir is there a way that we could both rewrite the paper or on a different topic?"
"Miss McKellar if both of you come clean you can both redo the paper on a new topic, if only one of you comes to see me and presents convincing proof that she wrote the essay I will allow the victim to rewrite."
Annie walked out of the lecture hall and texted Teddy to call her, "911. Amy and I turned in identical genetics papers. Prof wanted to see both of us after class, amy didn't come. Not sure what happened but if she copied me and doesn't admit it we're both on probation."
Annie was panicking.
Teddy saw the message as she walked out of the scrub room. Checking the time she knew Annie wasn't in class.
"Hi sweetheart," Teddy said.
"Mama there's a major problem," Annie said.
"I know," Teddy said, "I got your text."
"What do I do," Annie asked.
"What did the prof say," asked Teddy.
"I saw him after class," Annie said, "Amy left on the break."
"That's good that you saw him right away," Teddy said.
"I told him I don't know what happened and I showed him my rough notes and draft in my notebook," Annie said.
"Hand written," asked Teddy.
"Rough work is always handwritten" Annie said, "he photocopied the pages in my notebook."
"Good," Teddy said, "you did the right thing, you showed him what you had for proof that it's your work."
"He wants to talk to both me and Amy but I don't know how to tell her," annie said, "I don't want her to think I'm accusing her."
"You have to," Teddy said.
"I meet the prof tomorrow in his office hours," Annie said, "there is an example I used for the power of genetics in comparing a few of our gestures and food preferences."
"That's something only you and I would know," Teddy said, "that's good."
"Why is that good," Annie asked, "if Amy doesn't own up to it or if I can't give the prof definitive proof we both get zeros on the paper and are on probation."
"Annie you need to talk to Amy and find a way to definitively prove your claims," Teddy said.
"I was calling the professor sir so he asked if I had a military parent," Annie said.
"You told him about me," Teddy asked.
"I did," Annie replied, "You worked with Dr. Jones for a couple months in Germany."
"Good," Teddy said, "he's a fair man. Just present your side with 100% honesty."
"I will," Annie replied.
When she got home Annie knocked on Amy's door.
"Amy can we talk," Annie asked.
Amy grunted, "go away Annie."
Annie knocked again ,"we need to talk about what happened in genetics today. The professor wanted to see us after class and you left halfway through."
"Did you find out what he wanted," Amy called through the door.
"Come meet me in the living room," Annie said.
"Just talk to me now," Amy shouted.
"I'm not talking about this through a door," Annie said, "he's expecting us at 3:30 tomorrow for office hours to work it out."
"There's nothing to work out," Amy called.
"Yes there is," Annie said, "I'd rather we figure it out here then wait for the prof to do it."
Stephanie stood beside Annie, "Amy come out we need to talk to you."
"Steph you can't make little baby Annie your pet," Amy yelled, "this is between her and I."
"Steph I've got this," Annie said, "it's messy enough as it is."
"Annie it's nothing," Amy called, " I just borrowed part of your paper."
Stephaine called, "you did what?"
"Amy you need to tell the prof," Annie said, "we'll both be on probation."
"It's not a big deal Annie," Amy yelled, "it was the first three pages, you had twenty."
"It was enough of the paper for both of us to get a zero," Annie said.
"It's one paper and one mark," Amy said, "I didn't have time to write the paper so I borrowed your intro and claim. Nice comparison between a child who was adopted and the birth mother. Where did you get that information?"
"Amy we're on probation," Annie said, "we have until tomorrow to come clean and work it out."
"Annie deal with it yourself," Amy called, "I'm not going to see that prof he can find me if he wants to talk to me."
"I am going to him with my drafts and my notes," Annie replied, "it's better for you if you come clean. We need to clear this up before it goes on our records."
"Annie probation is better than what I would have done on that on my own," Amy said, "I'm leaving it."
"Amy, I am going to see the prof tomorrow. I hope you come with me and own up to it," Annie said.
Annie walked into her room, Stephanie followed her.
Stephanie asked, "do you want me to come with you tomorrow?"
Annie replied, "I have several drafts and the version history in my google account. I have proof. I just don't want to be a shark."
"I don't know if Amy knows what she's doing," Stephanie said, "she tried to look at my paper on the chem quiz last week."
"Steph I can do this," Annie said, "I have to go see the prof and work it out. If I take a zero I'll find a way to get extra credit and make it up. I shouldn't have left my paper laying around."
"You didn't leave it laying around," Stephanie said.
"I must have," Annie said, "the only person I shared that with was Josh."
"She must have looked for it," Stephanie said.
"Steph drop it," Annie said, "I'll figure it out. I have a plan."
Stephanie asked, "did you talk to your mama?"
"I have," Annie replied , "she agrees with my plan."
"Worst case," Stephanie asked.
"I take the zero but I will do everything I can not to be put on probation," Annie said.
"It will be fine," Stephanie said, "I heard her admit it. Unbiased third party."
"Stephanie stay out of it," Annie said, "I have it."
In Seattle Teddy was fretting and worrying. It was taking everything she had not to call the prof, he was an old army buddy after all. But she knew she couldn't interfere in Annie's schooling. Annie had to stand on her own two feet.
Teddy was sitting on the couch glaring at her tea.
"What's going on in that beautiful brain of yours," Henry asked.
"Something weird happened and another student copied part or all of Annie's genetics paper," Teddy said.
"What does that mean," Henry asked.
"She's on probation and takes a zero," Teddy said.
"But Annie wouldn't cheat," Henry said.
"But it's on her to prove that she was the original author," Teddy said.
"Was that the one you left a print out of on the coffee table where she compared the two of you," Henry asked.
"It was," Teddy said, "that's original her observations. You have to know both of us to be able to write that."
"She's a smart girl, she'll work it out," Henry said.
"Her prof is an old army buddy, he knows she's my daughter," Teddy said.
Henry pulled Teddy into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "stop fretting you're being super mom again. She's in Boston you can't do anything."
"But she's my baby," Teddy said.
"We could have our own baby," Henry said.
Teddy thought, "I don't know if I can have another one, I'm too old."
"Let's try," Henry said, "if it doesn't happen we can adopt."
"I'm too old," Teddy said, "and we have a 21 year old."
"Teddy bear," Henry said, "let's just see what happens. Have fun with it."
"I like the have fun with it part," Teddy said. She looked up at Henry and batted her eyelashes. He leaned down and kissed her.