Thankfully by Friday afternoon, they had charged Mrs. Vicenti with the triple murder of her son, daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law's lover, and Kate's eye was only a light shade of purple. Megan sat on the bathroom counter as she watched the blonde expertly apply makeup to the wound.

"Done this before?" Megan mused.

"A few times."

"Jesus," Megan gasped. "I was kidding. What happened?"

"Roughhousing on the base."

"Um… by roughhousing, you don't mean child abuse, do you?"

Kate rolled her eyes.

"No, Megan. My parents are conservatives. They're not monsters."

That's yet to be seen, Megan thought. "So how'd you do it?"

"I used to play all kinds of games with the other kids," Kate continued. "'Boot Camp,' 'War Zone,' hand-to-hand combat. I never let them go easy on me. But whenever I ended up with a black eye, I'd sneak into my mom's makeup kit so I could cover it up. I was afraid my father would go after my friends if he knew."

"Some friends," Megan mumbled.

"Hey," Kate smirked, putting a hand on her hip. "I dished it out just as hard, let me tell you."

"I'm sure you did," Megan smirked, sliding off the counter, wrapping her arms around Kate's waist. The blonde put the bottle of concealer down and returned the embrace, bringing her lips to Megan's and kissing her sweetly before moving her hands to her ass. Megan gently nibbled Kate's lip and slid a hand under her blouse as the doorbell rang.

"Shit," Kate sighed.

"Deep breaths," Megan told her.

They sent Lacey to Todd's for the weekend, deciding it best to shield her from the potential fall out and giving Kate's parents more privacy than the sleeper sofa provided. Megan squeezed Kate's hand one last time before letting go and following her to the living room, where she crossed and uncrossed her arms before clasping them behind her back, ready to stand at attention. Part of her couldn't believe she was doing this for Kate. The other part knew she would do anything for her.

The blonde opened the door and stepped back. Susan Murphy was significantly shorter than Kate, but they shared the same wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes. Susan's hair was a little lighter, her face a little rounder and delicately wrinkled, but other than that they looked so much alike it was stunning. She was dressed primly, sophisticated but not overstated, in a navy blue blazer, striped shirt and khakis. As she smiled and threw her arms around her daughter, Megan immediately felt guilty for prejudging the woman.

John Murphy, on the other hand, was exactly what she expected. He stood stoically in the doorway, towering over Susan and Kate. His eyes were also blue, but they had more grey in them, matching his silver crew cut. He wore his army uniform, fully decorated, and only the slightest hint of a smile as he hugged his daughter a little more cordially than his wife had.

"You guys look great," Kate told them. She was holding it together well, presenting herself almost as she would to a victim's family back at the office. Despite her professional air, Megan knew she was nervous, noting how she uncharacteristically fidgeted with the cuffs of her blouse.

"Honey, you've lost weight!" Susan marveled, forcing Kate to spin around in a circle.

"Must be from chasing after all those criminals," John joked dryly.

"Or from being chased by every eligible bachelor in town," Susan laughed at herself. "Gorgeous!"

Megan couldn't help but clear her throat. The Murphys immediately turned their attention to her, a little perplexed, almost as if they had just realized there was someone else in the room. Megan's cheeks turned pink. She tried not to imagine what was going through their minds as they appeared to be reading her from head to toe.

"Mom, Dad. This is Megan Hunt," Kate swallowed.

"Must be your roommate," John noted, still looking at Megan.

"Well…" Kate began slowly.

"Yes," Megan cut in, laughing a little awkwardly as she moved to shake his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, General Murphy."

"John's just fine," he replied.

"John," she smiled.

"Well, it's very kind of you to let us stay here," Susan smiled, shaking Megan's hand next. "It's just the two of you then?"

"And my daughter, Lacey, but she's at her father's for the weekend."

"Ah," Susan continued to smile politely, almost too politely. "How old is she?"

"Almost fourteen," Kate interjected, a little shaky. "She's amazing. Top of her class."

"You must be so proud," Susan chirped at Megan, who nodded.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" John interrupted, sounding a little cranky. Megan was starting to sense that was just his natural way.

"In here," Kate motioned towards Lacey's room. "The bed should be big enough. Don't mind the décor."

Her father peaked his head in hesitantly at first, then proceeded to step inside and put down their bags, looking around briefly at the photos, drawings, Lady Gaga posters. He rolled his eyes a bit before heading back into the living room.

"So that's Lacey's room," Susan chimed in again as she continued to explore. "How many other rooms are there?"

Megan shifted a little, trying her best to look passively disinterested, an almost impossible task.

"There's the living room," Kate answered quickly, knowing that wasn't what her mom was getting at. "And the kitchen… Lacey's room… and the master bedroom."

"Oh," Susan mused, still smiling, though Megan was starting to recognize it for the façade it was. "So, then, the two of you share…"

"I don't suppose there's any place to get a good steak in these parts," John cut her off, his voice drowning out the tension hanging in the air. Megan was almost sure he'd done it on purpose. He had been pretending not to listen, but clearly heard every word.

"Of course there is," Megan responded before she could think better of it. "We're in Philadelphia. There are plenty of steakhouses."

"Not Texas steakhouses," John corrected. "Don't let them fool you. The only real Texas steakhouses are in Texas."

Megan simply nodded, resisting the urge to argue this early on. She had promised herself, and Kate, she would do her best, though she was quickly beginning to see what a challenge it would be.

"I'm sure we can find a fair substitute," Kate offered. "Let me just call and make a reservation."

"For six thirty," John ordered. It was currently 5:45. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

Kate called Barclay Prime and put in a reservation for 6:30. Megan grabbed their coats. She knew they needed to leave immediately if they were going to make it on time, and she had a feeling there was no other option. The rest of the cadets lined up and they quickly headed out the door.

At dinner they learned that John and Susan were back in the states permanently, both of them preparing to retire. It wasn't a complete shock. Kate expected they'd be retiring soon. Still, she felt out of the loop. She hadn't seen them for over three years, and their phone conversations were few and far between. Apparently they'd be moving back to Texas, just outside of Dallas, where John's family roots were and most of their relatives still lived. Some of her cousins who were also in the service were planning a major retirement bash for them in a few months, after they got everything settled. It also wasn't a shock to Kate that she hadn't been contacted to help them plan it. She didn't have much in common with any of them, and wasn't even sure they had her number or knew where she lived.

John conceded that the steak was decent, but the service was far too slow for his liking. By nine o'clock they returned to the apartment and John and Susan excused themselves for the evening.

"Sure you don't want me to sleep on the couch?" Megan whispered after she and Kate were back in their room.

"Why? So I can keep lying to them, roommate?"

Megan rolled her eyes and dropped onto the bed next to her.

"Were you honestly ready to tell them the second they walked in the door?"

"Not exactly," Kate swallowed, reaching for Megan's hand, holding it against her chest. "But the longer we wait, the harder it's going to be."

"Agreed," Megan sighed. "I mean, they have to know already. What do they think we're doing sleeping in the same room?"

"Denial is a powerful emotion," Kate breathed as she stood to undress.

"Or lack of emotion," Megan huffed. "I'm sorry, but I can't believe you grew up like that. At least my mother's melodramatic overtures made me feel like she was trying."

"They try. In their way," Kate sighed once they were both back in bed. "We're just… very different people."

"Thank god."

Kate turned on her side, facing Megan, folding against her.

"Thank you for being so patient," she whispered. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Megan playfully punched her in the arm. Kate giggled.

"I don't know how patient I'll be if they really start in on you," Megan admitted. "I'll do my best."

"I'm not going to let them bully us in our own home," Kate told her. "I can promise you that much."

"Deal," Megan agreed, kissing her on the forehead.

Kate gently grabbed Megan's face and stared into her eyes. Megan was almost taken aback by how serious she looked, how vulnerable. She knew this must be a terrifying time for her. She already had a strained relationship with her folks, and this might completely destroy what little connection they had left. She could relate somewhat. As tumultuous as her relationship with her own mother had been, Megan could admit now she would have been crushed if Joan had rejected her. As it was, the judge was thrilled to have a lesbian daughter. She even claimed it could help her progressive image and give her a boost in the polls come election time. She had a sinking feeling Kate's parents would not react nearly as well.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me," Kate finally whispered.

"I think I have an idea," Megan smiled, rubbing her shoulder.

"You are…" Kate continued. "All of the things I dreamed of as a child. All of the things I never thought I'd get to see."

"I'm right here," Megan kissed her. "And I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"Thank you," Kate whispered.

The two held each other and kissed softly, happy to put off their worries of what tomorrow might bring.