A/N Happy Saint David's Day, everyone! O.K, most of you aren't Welsh...(O.K, none of you are as far as I know, besides Megan) but have some Welsh joy anyway...

Just this one chapter before the epilogue! Enjoy xxx

TODAY'S HEADLINE: HERO!

De Silva, along with cousin, saves two teenage girls from being murdered

Chapter Twelve

Mom

Apart from being sore round the gums from the gag, Anna turned out fine. We all had to go down to the police station and give a statement – Paul's now in jail with no bail – and after a check-out at the hospital, we were free to return home. Jesse and I held hands all the way home. I know, I know. PDAs gross me out too. But it had to be done.

"God, I'm exhausted," I say, as Anna slides a key into the front door. "I think I'm just gonna take a nap." Jesse squeezes my shoulder reassuringly, and we all crowd into the hallway, taking off our shoes. I suddenly notice something. "Hey," I say, pointing at a pair of Jimmy Choos (Yeah. My mom has enough money for expensive shoes, but never for groceries…) "Mom's home."

"Huh," Anna considers. "Maybe she got fired, or something." Jesse and Hector wander into the lounge, sinking onto the sofa and turning on the T.V. I go to do the same, before hearing voices upstairs.

"Mom?" I call, confusedly. I hear a gasp, and shout again. "Mom, are you O.K?"

"Hang on, honey!" she yells, and I hear a crash from upstairs. "I'll – ouch – I'll be with you in a second…" For some reason, my brain doesn't clock what's going on at all, and I grab Anna, rushing up the stairs.

"Mom, I'm coming!" I say, as I drag my twin sister up the stairs with me. "What's wrong?"

"Suze!" Anna protests, trying to free herself. "Suze, Mom's fine – will you let go? She's probably just got-" I dash frantically across the landing and lean on the handle of my Mom's bedroom, pushing the door open.

The sight that meets me may very well stay with me forever, burned onto my retinas. Because what I see, is my mother in her underwear, half-in half-out of a pair of jeans, and a half-naked Andy Ackerman lying on the bed behind her.

"Oh. My. God…" I blush, mortified.

"…company," Anna finishes her previous sentence, stunned.

Back downstairs, Anna is fixing us both a mug of hot chocolate. The awkward silence between us is suddenly broken by our snorts of embarrassed laughter. Seriously. We laugh so hard that we start to cry.

"I cannot believe that we walked in on our mom," Anna says, incredulously, pouring hot water into the two mugs.

"With Andy Ackerman!" I add, shaking my head. We giggle again, before spotting Hector and Jesse in the doorway. Jesse has one eyebrow raised.

"We heard laughing," Hector explains. "And decided that if fun was to be had, then we'd better be involved." Jesse nods in agreement. I collect two more mugs from the cupboard and set them down, before clueing them in.

"We found our mom with a guy. Fun's over." Their faces drop, and I wave a mug in front of their faces. "But hey…hot chocolate…" They grin, and eagerly await their drinks. I have to admit, Jesse is pretty much adorable when it comes to hot chocolate.

"Anna? Susie?" My mom peers into the kitchen, thankfully fully dressed. Andy stands bashfully behind her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jesse and Hector stand up, taking their full mugs with them.

"That's our cue to go," Jesse says, and after dealing me a soft kiss on the lips, he leaves, along with Hector.

"Sure, Mom," I say, gesturing to the empty seat in front of us. "As long as you spare us the gory details." She shoots me 'a look', before sitting down. Anna and I start to snigger again, but manage to control it.

"I suppose I owe you girls an explanation," my mom says, sighing. She rests her elbows on the table top. "And an apology."

"Mom, it's fine," Anna replies, and I nod in concurrence. "We're happy for you, really, however grossed out we are. Andy's a nice guy, and you need someone nice. And I guess he really needs a break from a household of guys. Everybody wins."

"It's not about that," my mother answers, hastily. "Although, I am grateful for your support. It's just… I've been lying to you." Anna squirms. "I haven't been spending extra time at work. I've been…" She turns to look at Andy, who is still waiting in the hall. "…with Andy. We've been sneaking around because we weren't too sure how to break it to you girls, and the boys, about our relationship."

"Well, you don't need to sneak any more," I assure her. "We're totally cool with it. And I'm sure Jake, Brad and David will be fine with it too, if you give them time."

"You mean Sleepy, Dopey and Doc," Anna whispers in my ear. "They're like, half the Seven Dwarfs." I smile, before waving Andy in. "Hey Andy, you want some hot chocolate?"

"Sure," he replies, before dumping a letter onto the kitchen surface. "Um, this was on the mat in the hallway. It's for Anna?" Anna hands the mug she had collected for Andy to me, and stares at the package in wonder.

"What's wrong?" I ask, and she waves a hand dismissively.

"I got in," she says, almost inaudibly. "I can't believe it."

"Got in where?" My mother asks, suspiciously. Anna starts tearing the package open, and several sheets of paper coming spewing out, along with a couple of leaflets. "Did you apply to a school?"

"Yeah," Anna breathes. "Near Los Angeles. And I got in!"

"How?" I ask. "I mean, no offence, but your grades suck." Anna grins, before turning to me.

"I took a leaf out of your book," she replies. "Got a tutor in all the subjects I was bad at. And it paid off!" She started reading avidly from the acceptance letter.

"Los Angeles?" my mom repeats, concernedly. "That's not exactly near home, Anna. It's going to require a lot of money – and that's just for accommodation…" Anna shakes her head.

"No, Mom," she says. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to be living with Hector." Mom spits out the mouthful of hot chocolate she had sipped in attempt to calm herself down.

"Hector?" she demands, loudly. Hector immediately appears in the kitchen, thinking he's been called.

"Yes?"

Everyone ignores him. "Hector?" My mom, says again. "There is no way in hell that I'm going to let you live with a boy. A movie star boy, no less." Anna groans pleadingly.

"Mom, I love him," she says. "And besides… he still lives with his parents." Now, as much as I newly-love my sister, I have to point out that this is not true.

"Nice try," I reply. "But you were there when we were both watching E! True Hollywood Story." Anna shakes her head indignantly.

"He just… kinda told the paparazzi that he lives away in L.A, away from his parents. The truth is… they kinda moved with him." I cannot believe this. Hector De Silva – still living with his mom?

Hector nods sheepishly. Anna turns desperately to our mom. "Please?" she begs. "Please? I really want to go to this school…" She walks over to Hector and wraps an arm around his waist. "And I really want to be with Hector too." My mom takes a deep breath, before looking at Andy, who nods encouragingly.

"Fine."

Anna squeals, and starts jumping around wildly, before giving Hector a smacking kiss. Jesse appears in the doorway, bemused, and I make my way over to him.

"Anna got into some school in L.A," I explain, and he nods understandingly.

"Any idea where you're going to apply for next year?" he asks me, and I shake my head.

"No idea. I guess it all depends on whether I can pass math. What about you?"

"You will pass math," Jesse assures me. "And I think I'm just going to apply wherever you go." I look at him wonder. "I don't think I'll want to go to a school that you won't be in." I kiss him gently, and he wraps an arm around me, kissing me back.

"Things have definitely changed in the last couple of months, huh?" I ask, taking a step back to admire this scene in the kitchen. "I mean, Anna and Hector, you and me… Andy and my mom..." Jesse gives me a squeeze.

"Yes," he replies, kissing the top of my head affectionately. "And thank Dios they have."