He could feel her eyes widen at his proclamation and she lifted her head to look at him with huge eyes. "What? Your mom... But she... And you dad... Oh, Jack... I guess they both are concerned about you. They love you..." Kim's face was earnest and he felt the pinpricks of tears that he did not let fall at home come back with vengeance.

Sweet and honest Kim. Of course, this would be the thing she noticed. And she was right... Mom loved him. He knew that. And apparently his father loved him too... In fact, that love for him got them a lot of headache in the past. He just... He wished he knew it all before... Not now and not this way.

She was still looking at him with soft eyes and he swallowed hard against the emotions. "I know," he croaked. "It's just... Father wants to protect me by fighting you, the gold-digger, out of love for me. They were miserable together out of love for me. My grandfather left everything to me, bypassing Kai and his own sons, also out of love for me. I am not sure, if I can handle any more of love if this is how they express it."

She fell silent and then held his face in her small hands, "Tell me, if you can..."

As usual, he found himself unable to deny her anything. Right now, it felt like she was the only thing that was unchanged in his life, including his reactions to her.

So he did, recalling with some sort of detachment events of this evening. Was it only this afternoon that he left Kim to go and tell his father that he would not stop seeing Kim? It felt like centuries ago.

He got home to find his mom looking through old photo albums. She had the softest of smiles, even as her eyes were glassy. He sat next to her and they looked through them together. When they were done, he asked what brought on this stroll down the memory lane. She smiled say at him, "I told Kim how you used to be this charming, mischievous boy. So, you know, I thought I'd relive those memories... She is a very good girl."

"I wish father could see that!" Jack said with gusto. "He tired to bribe her to dump me and threatened to get her fired if she doesn't do it!"

Mom's face contorted into a pained expression and she frowned deeply. "Chris is forgetting himself. Not everyone can be bought or made to cower. I guess Kim didn't take him up on his offer, since you know about it?" He nodded mutely and his mom went in, "I will talk to him about his harassment of Kim. She doesn't deserve this."

Feeling a little better about the whole thing, Jack went to check the old bike that sat in the garage for a while. It started, at least, and its engine ran well enough. He figured he only needed to tune it up.

When his father came home, Jack and mom sat waiting for him. His face betrayed nothing and he only nodded at Jack, "all is well?"

Jack really hated this composed mask, knowing that this man actively Interfered with his and Kim's lives. "No, all is not well. I know that you tried to bribe Kim. How could you? And then threaten her if she does not comply? Where do you get off? That was cruel..."

His father's expression faltered for a moment. "I see, she is hedging her bets. Clever..."

"Shut up! Kim is not a manipulator like you! I don't think she would've told me if i didn't already know that you came to see her."

"I don't like your tone, Jack."

"Get used to it!"

"You...! How easily you are lead by a pair of bright eyes and a bit of skin! She must be good." His father spat, innuendo heavy in his voice.

Jack actually was speechless for a second, but his mom filled in the pause.

"Christopher! Whatever her actions may be, we are discussing your behavior."

"Zoe, you know perfectly well why I am doing this. The girl is nothing but an ill-timed distraction. Jack has to focus on school and his legacy."

"These are different people and different circumstances. Kim is different and Jack is not you. I told you that before. He maybe your son, but he is not your clone. He actually likes her and cares about this girl. You nearly succeeded in making him as miserable as me."

Jack never heard his parents fight like this before. And if he was not mistaken, there was something that he was missing. His father flinched at the latest statement and turned to look at his mom with a heavy and betrayed look.

"Zoe, he is but eighteen. This is all transient. If we let this go on, who knows where it ends and we will be left picking pieces."

"You know I am right here?" Jack butted in causing his parents to look at him as if remembering that he in the room. "I know how old I am and I am not planning to propose to Kim. We are dating. You know, like normal teens do. What is wrong with that?"

"Jack, if you just wanted to date, like you did before, I wouldn't stop you. Go, date, have fun. But this girl, she is a grasping social climber..."

"You don't know her..."

"I know the type..."

"God! Look, I get the urge to protect against some gold-diggers, but I know the type too. Believe me. Always known. And Kim is not like that."

"She got her hooks in you already. You must think yourself in love... I taught you better than that."

"You taught me to be cold and calculating. I forgot how to be myself and now that I do, I don't want to go back."

His mom stepped up to him, lacing her hand through his and squeezed it tightly.

"You must be happy. All of your influence is coming to fruition." His father bit out addressing mom.

"Yes, I am. He is my beautiful boy."

His father snorted derisively, "Just like you always wanted. And without any need to leave me and take him away!"

Even if Jack didn't immediately understand what happened, his parents reactions were very telling. His mom gasped and put one hand over her mouth, looking at father with wounded eyes. Father, in the other hand, was looking straight at Jack with a pained wince and Jack felt like his heart dropped to his feet. He kept looking between his parents, trying to understand and having this feeling that he already knew the answer, but not willing to accept it.

"You only have yourself to blame, Christopher."

"How many more years will you be punishing me? And yet you think it's different for Jack?"

"Yes! And you only punished yourself..." His mom was crying now and Jack just had to confirm.

"What..." he started and could not even complete the question.

His parents looked at each other and turned to him in unison. He almost laughed: they were finally in synch for the first time in many years. "Can you answer this without obfuscation?"

His father sighed and looked away, "We almost divorced when you were younger. It was my fault. I have been..." he trailed off trying to formulate the answer.

"Let me guess, there was a gold digging distraction?" Jack said and then actually laughed bitterly at this. Oh, but the irony...

His father stood straight and only the twitching of his eye betrayed that he was under great stress.

"She wasn't at first. We... We were young, ah, acting young, at least I was. No strings and such..."

Jack nearly jumped at that and looked at him wild-eyed, "You... you... cheated?"

Hi father flinched away as if Jack hit him, which Jack really wanted to do now. Then his mom picked up the story.

"It's wasn't like that, Jack... We, well, I couldn't have children after you. Secondary infertility. It was hard on me and I was so upset and sad. Clinical depression they say. I could not event take care of you, or pay attention to your father. And Chris, your father, he tried, but I needed serious help... And well.. It was bad for a while. You stayed with your grandparents, while we sorted it out."

Jack remembered that time vaguely. He thought it was this really cool extended sleepover with Grandpa, playing at his indoor dojo and seeing Bobby Wasabi almost daily.

He moved away to the far corner, unwilling to succumb to emotions yet, needing the answers.

"What happened after?"

"Well, my ill-timed mistake wanted the hush money. Increasingly more and more. It caused me much headache and even more money. And of course, your mother was unwell, so I tried desperately to prevent the two of them crossing path. And every time I thought I was done, she'd show up again. It went on for years. Until one time when I was so distracted with it all, I missed it when you grandfather had a stroke. By the time I got back, it was all done and I was left with just the business of arranging funeral."

Jack tried to recall that time around grandfather's death and only remembered being upset and everyone's somber mood. He recalled that his mother spent the time away then. He turned to her as if to confirm the memory to see that she was looking at his father with the saddest eyes. His father was looking somewhere mid-distance, eyes seeing something long gone.

He abruptly turned to Jack, "She was just like your Kim at first. Bright, happy, smiles and sass... Oh, I fooled myself so thoroughly. Do anything, do what makes you happy. Live like vagabonds and to hell with conforming to anything. And it felt so good, to think that someone likes you for yourself, but not the name or the money. But it all faded fast and I was left with just a memory of the summer fling and horrible guilt over what I done. But then she came back and I thought all it would cost me is some money to get away. But, oh, I was wrong. She dragged it out, made me beg, made me pay again and again. I lived looking over my shoulder, afraid she'd find your mother or say something to you."

Jack stared at his father, hardly recognizing this man, who spoke with such passion.

"Take it from me Jack. It is a well earned lesson: stay in your social circle, don't be foolish to ignore practicalities. Being of equal mind and interests would serve you better than advice of the fickle heart." He said it with a sneer and Jack felt hurt on behalf of his mother once again. He looked over at her to see her twisting a napkin in her hands. "Don't look at your mother like that, son. She is one who drove that lesson to heart. She almost left me, taking you with her."

There was silence again and Jack didn't know what to think anymore, his mind not letting him process anything but the facts told, leaving emotions for later.

His father stood there between Jack and his mother and finally shook his head.

"Think hard son." With that he left the house.

His mother took two steps towards the door and stopped, her head hung low.

"He still thinks I wanted to leave because of the affair... Stubborn man."

Jack was sure he couldn't deal with any more surprises, but they kept coming at him.

"Why did you want to leave him? Other than he was a cheater..."

His mom was not even wiping tears anymore, they just ran continuously down her face. "When I found out that he cheated it hurt me deeply. Your father... When we married it was following a wonderful and romantic dating period, him lavishing me with gifts and attention. I fell for him then. And you were such a blessing. Really, please don't think you were ever a burden. But as we struggled to have another child and I fell deeper and deeper into depression... It was bad. I... I was neglectful. People weren't so open or understanding of what depression is. Chris had to deal with all by himself at first. I was... unwell... And in those times, he grew so attached to you. All those silly games and secret words. But, it was hard and I think you father was depressed too, just hid it better. Then that affair happened... I think Chris wanted to escape the reality for a little bit. Truly, I was no better. My escape was my mind... It took your grandfather's death to get us both out of our funk."

She stopped and approached Jack, who wanted to hug and comfort her, but somehow all these old secrets were between them and he felt like his arms were made of lead.

"Please... Jack, your father, if nothing else, I know he loves you. And he cares about me. It would have been so easy for him to let go of me then, when I was so unwell. He could have kept you and no court would have given you to me. But... Chris took care of me. Best doctors, best therapy..."

He winced at that, unable to reconciled it so easily that his world and ideas about his parents were crumbling around him.

She shook her head, "When your grandfather died, his will left many people upset. Everyone thought he'd split things evenly between the sons or grandsons, but he... He left generous bequests to them all, but the bulk of his estate went to you, with your father as the trustee. He was partial to you when he was alive and carried it over into the will. You have to understand, when you came along, it was the happiest we've all been. You grandfather was happy too. You looked like him and took to karate like duck to water. Kai was jealous: so little and yet he knew you were a favorite."

Oh God, that was it, wasn't it? The roots of Kai's animosity...

"Christopher could not hide the affair, or rather the consequence of it, much longer from your grandfather. It was not pretty, when he found out. It went against his honor code. Chris was deeply ashamed for failing to live up to your grandfather's expectations. That woman pushed for more... Christopher though, armed with money and good lawyers prevailed and he was not too nice about it... She... she came to see me once. She warned me that the day would come and I would be on the receiving end of the same treatment. She was right. After your grandfather's death, after the will, Chris knew it to be the indictment of his character. He did not take it well. He blamed himself for great many things, including my illness. He started turning into what he is now. Harsh discipline and strict adherence to the ultimate goal: betterment of the family, of the Brewer name. To leave you the legacy you could be proud of. It was not long after that that I tried to leave because of how he was and how was treating you, molding you into this image... And I wanted to take you with me... But, your father... He still has money and good lawyers. Please, don't think he does not love you. He does... So-so much... I hurt him just as he hurt me, but we always loved you."

Jack didn't even react anymore, having reached the limits of how much shocking information he could absorb.

His mom had serious depression and his father dealt with that by straying. His parents nearly divorced, were actually not getting along, but his father kept mom tethered to himself by using Jack and his money. Money that he used first to cower his lover, then his mother, and then tried to do the same with Kim... All out of love for him...

Abruptly, Jack turned to his mom, "I think I'll just go now..." He started towards the door, ignoring his name being called...

His legs carried him to the bike and his restless mind apparently brought him to Kim.


After Jack told her the whole story, and Kim would confess she never imagined anything like this at all, she asked him quietly if he planned to go back home. Seeing his startled expression that quickly turned stubborn, she sighed and nodded.

"OK, I'll talk to dad and see if you can stay here tonight. But... I want to let your parents know that you are at least safe indoors, OK?" He nodded reluctantly and Kim went to get dressed, marveling that only an hour ago they had the most intimate of times together. She figured that Jack was seeking some comfort after his parents sprang this whole load of truth on him. And Jack clearly was still struggling with it all.

She honestly was not sure what to think about it herself. She sympathized with them over the fact that they struggled with fertility and then had a difficult situation with Jack's mom. She almost could understand that his father strayed when his mom was depressed, because people dealt with depression differently. And she could understand the desire to keep Jack to themselves at all costs. She imagined Mr. Brewer with all his cold efficiency unleashing his lawyers to battle with Jack's mother and shivered at the mental picture. Of course, he would win. And made Zoe stay with him, because he could and would have fought her over Jack.

If there was one redeeming trait he had it would be his love for Jack. Though, she agreed with Zoe, him trying to shape Jack into mini-him was disastrous.

But she could even understand that he strove to teach Jack to be disciplined in the wake of his own behavior that led to so much drama for him, Zoe, and even Jack's grandfather. And wasn't that a whole other issue: Mr. Brewer falling short of the expectations of his own father? And the inheritance...

At this point, Kim seriously could only truly sympathize with Jack: he had a lot to process and deal with.

She let Jack be, sitting quietly in her room, and went about preparing dinner. When her dad came, she asked him to let Jack stay with them. To say that he was surprised would be to understate things. She tried, in the most abbreviated of terms, to let him know that Jack had a huge shocking news about his own parents revealed that he was still reeling from and could not talk to his parent just yet. She called Zoe and told her that Jack was with her and that he would stay the night.

"How is he, Kim?" Zoe sounded tired and hoarse.

"Shocked, but not angry. I think he is trying to process it all... It's a lot..."

"Of course, yes, I know... Just keep me posted, OK?"

She agreed and hung up, thinking that they all could say they understood, but only Jack knew what it felt like.

He came out for dinner and was quiet and ate little. Between him and her father, both being taciturn and withdrawn, Kim was left to provide some conversation. She mentioned her new job at the dojo and a potential job with her former vocal instructor. That bit of information gained some attention from her dad, who remembered Ms. Evelyn and they reminisced about her a little.

After dinner, Jack offered to help clean up and they worked together to put away food and wash dishes. Kim mulled whether to address this issue and only because jack seemed to be holding up well, she finally asked, "Do you want to skip school tomorrow?"

He startled. "I... Probably not. Seems like if I am doing something, it keeps me from thinking too much about the whole thing..." He smiled unhappily.

"OK. So you want something else to think about?" He nodded unsure, "Well, I think I found fraud or outright theft taking place at the charity... Milton and Jerry helped me. I am thinking of sending my findings to the founder."

Jack looked at her like she was crazy, "You what?"

"That was my project with Milton that we were working on. I noticed the double entry after I tried to update the file and decided to check it. It led me to a defunct shelter, which led me to more doubled entries and either non existent or too affluent shelters receiving grants. Milton wrote an algorithm and we and Jerry checked everything that was within fifty miles radius. If I have to leave the Fund, I want to report this to the founder."

She stopped her ramble when she saw Jack's shocked face that held a hint of smile, "what?"

"Kim, you are remarkable. When did you even find time for all of this? You work, you volunteer, you investigate. You make friends and enemies. You even help our some brooding guys stop being so self-involved."

She was happy to see that he was doing a little better. "Well, some of these brooding guys are easy on the eyes. Some even have bikes..."

He gave her a small smile and she returned it. When they hugged, she heard him say, "if I'd known that you like them so much, I would have gotten on it sooner."

They stood like this for a while and when she asked him, she spoke into his chest, "do you think your parents will reconcile?"

"I don't know. I am still shocked that my father has emotions beyond frustration and desire for control."

"It sounded like he had a great deal of emotions. For your mom and for you."

"Yeah... He goes about those emotions in a very strange way."

Kim smiled, "I remember thinking that same thing about you. You know, when you were all hot and cold and staring..."

"You'll never let it go? Fine, so I did go about it just as badly. But, why are you even defending him? He thinks you are some trollop after this naïve rich boy, that he needs to protect me at all costs...'

"Can you blame him? With his history... I think he probably is like you, shy that comes across as aloof. When people do make effort with him, it's because of his position and money... And then this story and your mother... I think he blames himself and only wants you not to make the same mistake...it cost him a lot."

"Probably... But I am not sure I can deal with much of them both right now. Besides, he still thinks you are bad for me and I am not letting that go."

"My knight in leather armor... You father may be stubborn, but even gentle waters can wear out a stone...He'll come around... I hope... Eventually. In the meantime, are you going back to your house or being his shadow in the office?"

"I'll figure something out about living arrangements. As for job, I sort of have an offer from Rudy to work in his aftercare program expansion."

"So, we'll see each other more?" She smiled at him, gratified to see his answering smile.

Jack would be OK. They would be OK.

He moved his hands on her hips, mouth never leaving hers as he pulled her closer, making her stand between his legs ad he leaned against the counter. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, tugging on it until she parted her lips, and he swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. It was quite remarkable how he managed to melt hers control, she thought, as she struggled to keep her hands from roaming freely all over his body. He pulled his lips from hers to press hot sucking kisses along her jaw down the line of her neck, clearly wanting more. She was no help, lost as she was in their kisses, sighing softly and threading her hands through hair that escaped the ponytail. Everywhere they touched small pinpricks of awareness, at once welcome and electric, sprang up making her hot and bothered.

"We really shouldn't... Jack..." Her breathless whisper floated up and he reluctatly pulled back.

"You are right. Rain check?"