The alarm clock the next morning startled Nikki awake as she reached over and slapped the OFF button. She took a deep breath in while raking her hands over her face, wishing she could have the night to do over again. It was a restless night's sleep for Nikki, and it was only Tuesday. She wanted so badly to play hookie, but asking to stay home would just raise more questions. Nikki slung her legs over the bed, but couldn't seem to find the motivation to get up and move just yet. She just sat there and pondered the day ahead of her. Another day of being stared at and whispered about in lunch, another day of Camren and his buddies constantly harassing her and putting down her family's way of life. She began to feel weak not standing up for herself, and wanting to avoid confrontation, but on the same token there was no way she could ever justify her parent's relationship to people so ignorant and unaccepting. Without the friends she had, Nikki was doubtful she would have made it this far.

Nikki finally pushed herself up, got dressed and decided to take the time to make herself coffee before school. Normally she was in a hurry to get to school, and avoid any inquisition, but this morning she just didn't have the energy to rush. Besides at this point, Nikki was pretty sure her parents knew something was wrong, she just wished she knew how to tell them. Finally the coffee was done. Nikki took in the heavenly smell of her dark roast coffee as she poured it in her thermos and headed off to school.

In the Division One cafe, Jane and Maura sat down together for breakfast. Maura had her banana nut oatmeal while Jane enjoyed the Mama Rizzoli special of bunny pancakes, and of course cutting the ears off before hand. While they enjoyed each other's company this morning, Jane and Maura still worried about Nikki. After last night and her nightmare, they were more desperate to know what had their daughter in such distress.

" Did she say anything to you about what she dreamt?" Jane asked.

" No, she didn't seem to remember exactly what it was. She looked so scared, Jane. It broke my heart to see her so terrified."

" I know. I wish she would talk to us. I want to know what the problem is. Do you think it could be something to do with school?"

"I don't know." Maura said. " It's a possibility. It's all I can think of that she'd be afraid to talk about."

Before long, Frost came downstairs after watching the gun store security video.

" Jane you should come upstairs. I think there's something on the security footage you should see."

Jane headed up to Brick, where she, Korsak and Frost were watching the gun store security video on the big screen. There wasn't anything peculiar about the video of the two men in black clothes buying ammunition, but one detail seemed interesting.

" I watched this video over and over again, until I finally noticed something. " Korsak told them while instructing Frost to freeze the two men on screen.

" You see these two men. The one on the left is significantly shorter than the one on the right." Korsak told Jane.

" So what does that mean?"

" In the video of the shooting, both men were the same height, and the only difference was the size shoe prints. The two men buying ammunition have an obvious height difference."

" So at least one of the men in this video isn't the same person." Jane said.

" Exactly. I mean for all we know it could be two different people."

While watching Jane noticed the shorter one brush back a bit of hair under his cap. She found that interesting, but she wasn't quite sure why.

Nikki walked to her locker after fifth period to change out her books. Her lunch period went okay, and other than some whispered comments from Mikey and Maria in English, there weren't any other problems, that is until she reached the hallway to her locker. Nikki could see from around the corner that Camren and Mikey were leaning on her locker.

" Shit." Nikki murmured to herself as she sighed and leaned back on the wall.

One of those boys was bad enough, but the two of them together were a nightmare. Nikki wished she could just pass it by, and not worry about it today, but she had math homework to turn in, and she needed her textbook. There was no other choice, but to grit her teeth, and hope for the best. As she headed toward her locker, the two boys were already smirking at her. They knew exactly what they were doing.

" Uhm...excuse me, I need to get in there." Nikki said timidly.

" Oh, do you." Camren said looking back momentarily. " Sucks to be you, then."

Both boys snickered while Nikki to hold her ground.

" Come on, guys. I really need to get into my locker." Nikki pleaded.

Still they refused to move, and continued to mock her, repeating her plea back to make fun of her. Nikki was quickly getting flustered, and didn't know what to do.

" Could you guys please move?"

" You gonna make me?" Mikey asked, getting in her face while she backed away.

" Move, dipshit." A voice said from the left side of them, the voice of one, Joey Capuano.

Joey was a popular football player, and everyone knew him. Both Nikki and the boys were equally taken aback by this.

" Don't you two losers have anything better to do? Get the hell out of here. Go to class or something." Joey told them.

Mikey and Camren tried to remain cool, but neither one was willing to mess with Joey, so they just backed off, and headed to class. Nikki continued to stand there stunned. This was the last person in the world she expected to come to her rescue.

" Are you okay?" Joey asked Nikki.

" Yeah." Nikki nodded " Thank you."

" No problem. Those guys were being jerks."

Although grateful for Joey's actions, Nikki was still puzzled as to what brought this on. She and Joey were from two completely different worlds. She was the gothic drummer girl with two Moms, and he seemed the typical high school jock who played football and dated cheerleaders. Nikki wasn't even aware Joey knew who she was, let alone someone who would stick up for her.

" I'm Nikki."

" I know who you are." Joey told her. " I'm Joey."

" I know who-" Both just stopped and giggled.

" So, Joey...if you don't mind me asking, what made you want to stick up for me? I mean, we've never really talked before."

" Well, let's just say, I know what you're going through."

" You do?"

" Yeah, my parents are gay too. I have two Dads."

This totally threw Nikki for a loop. This was a secret he apparently never told anybody. It made Nikki be able to let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she wasn't alone.

" Really, I never knew that."

" I've never told anyone in school before. I was teased so much for it in Junior High. When I got to High school, I kept it a secret until now." Joey told her relieved to have gotten that out.

" I'm sorry you had to go through that." Nikki told him.

" I'm sorry you're going through it now."

" Thanks." Nikki smiled.

The bell for the next period rang, and snapped them both back to reality.

" Oh, uhm I've gotta go." Nikki said.

" Yeah, me too. I'll see you around, Nikki."

" See ya."

Both of them headed to class. It was a good day for Nikki. Finally she had someone in school who really understood what she was going through, and who could relate to her. Later at the end of the day, Nikki was waiting by her car for Thereasa. Upon approaching her friend's car, Thereasa noticed Nikki was in a seemingly better mood. She had to know what brought this on.

" You look like you're doing better."

" You'll never believe what happened to me." Nikki told her.

" What happened?"

" Well, I was coming out of fifth period, and I was heading to my locker, when I saw Camren and Mikey leaning on it."

" Oh, man."

" Yeah, well I asked them to move, and of course they wouldn't, and who of all people comes to my rescue, but Joey Capuano."

" Wow, are you serious?"

" Yeah, turns out we have more in common than we thought."

" What do you mean?"

" Joey has two Dads."

Thereasa just leaned back against the car astonished. Many of the other jocks in school were cocky, and would show off to the girls in school, and brag about their sexual prowess. Neither of them expected the star football player to come to Nikki's rescue having been there himself.

" Wow, I never knew that." said Thereasa.

" Look do me a favor, and don't tell anyone I told you, at least for now. He's never told anyone in school, and I'm not sure how much he wants people to know."

" Sure, no problem."

Jane is at her desk going through the case file. She couldn't stop thinking about the video. Something about it still bothered her while she pondered the third accomplice. The detective had a gut feeling she knew who he was. Korsak came in the room seeing Jane intently studying the file.

" Something wrong, Jane?"

Jane bit her lip and sighed as she turned toward him.

" I want to talk to Jerry Palmer again."

" The witness from the shooting?"

" Yeah, I don't know why, but I have a feeling. I want to know more about him."

Korsak went to his computer, and ran Jerry Palmer's name to see what would turn up.

" Jerry Palmer, 22yrs old. He has no prior arrest records, has had several unpaid parking tickets, and has been living on unemployment for the past year and a half."

" Where from?" Jane asked.

" Beaumen Delivery Service. He used to drive a box truck for them before he was laid off last April."

" Let's go talk to them, see what they know about him."

The weekend was finally here, and Nikki decided to get out of the house for awhile, and get some pizza. She is at the counter waiting for her two mushroom slices, when out of the corner on her eye she sees Joey walk in. Nikki turned to face him, and Joey was as pleasantly surprised to see her as she was him.

" Hi."

" Hey, how are you?" Joey asked her.

" I'm doing okay."

Both quietly received their pizza in a moment of awkward silence.

" So...uhm, do you feel like eating together?" Joey asked. Nikki agreed, and the two made their way to a table and sat across from each other.

" Hey, I just want to thank you again for defending me that day, even though you don't really know me."

" It's no problem, really. I wish I'd had someone back then who knew what it felt like."

Nikki knew exactly what it was like, and she felt bad for him, especially since no one, not even Joey's friends knew about his parents.

" I just want you to know, I didn't tell anyone about your fathers. I won't if you don't want me to."

" Thank you, and it's okay. I told my buddy Rich about it. He's the only one of my friends who would understand. I've decided I'm done being quiet about it."

" That's good, good for you." Nikki told him earning a smile from Joey.

The two were eating pizza together, and truly enjoying each other. It was nice for both teens to have someone to talk to about their family life.

" So, how long have your Moms been married?" Joey asked.

" It'll be three years in July. They started dating when I was thirteen. How about your parents?"

" Going on ten years. My Dad met Phil after he and my mother got divorced, and they got married when I was seven."

" Do you see your mom much?" Nikki asked.

She was a little nervous when she didn't get an answer right away, worried she touched on a subject she shouldn't have, but momentarily he spoke up.

" She died of cancer when I was nine."

" Oh, I'm sorry."

" I'm okay." Joey told her.

Nikki felt a little flushed not knowing how to respond. She opted to change the subject.

" So...do you have any brothers of sisters?" Nikki asked.

" Yeah, I have a little sister, Alexia. She's nine."

" I have a little sister too. Gracie, she's ten months old."

Joey's sister was born through a surrogate parent with Phil as the bio Dad. Similar to Nikki's sister, Gracie who was born through artificial insemination, and carried by Jane. Joey and his family were always happy together, and nine year old Alexia has always been happy and unfazed by the fact that she has two Dads, and not a Mom, like the other kids had. All she knew was that her Daddies and her big brother loved her very much. Joey however was still concerned.

" I hope Lexi had an easier time than we've had so far. I really worry about what she'll go through. I hate to think about Junior High for her. I know how bad it was for me."

" I know what you mean." Nikki told him. " I sometimes wish my sister could stay a baby."

" She has you to help her, so I'm not too worried."

Nikki smiled. It was words to hear, but Nikki dreaded the day Gracie might come home crying because of someone's cruel words. These were modern times, and gay marriage was legal in Massachusetts, but it seems no matter where you are or how many gay couples are free to be the family they wanted to be, there are still some people who are indifferent to the idea, even enraged by it. Nikki could never understand why two of the same sex getting married made some people so angry. The two finished their lunch and bid one another goodbye. Before leaving, Joey told Nikki ' If those guys bother you again, I have your back.' She thanked him, and headed home. Nikki still worried about going to school on Monday, but she was grateful to have a friend with common ground.