Chapter 17

Taylor began blinking as she felt the warmth of the morning sun on her face. She took a shallow breath and opened her eyes, but the spot beside her on the sleeping bag was empty. She patted it and realized that it was cold. The brunette frowned and then blinked her eyes ready to hold back the tears.

"Morning," a whisper came from below her feet. She sat up to see Steven sitting against the wall. His legs were bent with his shoes flat against the floor and arms resting on his knees.

Her frown quickly turned into a big smile that Steven finally noticed her dimples. "Sorry that I moved, but… nature called, so to speak and when I got back you looked so peaceful. I've just been watching you sleep since then and I know, it is really creepy, but… I haven't felt that kind of peace in a long time."

She nearly jumped to her feet as she slid to him. She grabbed him by the cheeks and pulled him into a hard kiss. Steven blinked, but quickly kissed back and gently ran his hands down her back. She pulled back and looked into his eyes as she caught her breath.

Steven let out a breath and Taylor giggled as it tickled her nose and upper lip. "You thought I really was a dream?" he whispered as rubbed her back tenderly.

In a hesitant voice she replied, "Maybe."

He pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. She rested her head on her arm and to the right side of Steven's head.

She smiled slightly and in a soft tone asked, "How do you want to spend our first day as girlfriend and boyfriend?"

A slight rumbling sound came from Taylor's stomach and she instantly blushed with Steven grinning. "How about breakfast?"

Her face suddenly fell and lifted her head off her arm to look at him. "Daddy? How am I going to explain you to my dad?"

He smiled warmly to her. "You don't, I came in through the front door; I'm going to leave through the front door… unless he throws me out a window."

"That's not funny," she pouted.

"I know, a three story fall could hurt."

Her brow knotted further, but he kissed her forehead in an attempt to relax her. "I'm kidding sweetie."

"Sweetie?"

"A little too sugary?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

A quick shake of her head and a replying of no reassured her.

"Come on, I'm getting hungry too," he motioned with his head and the pair stood up. She led him by the and downstairs to the second floor. She pointed to a bathroom as she went to her bedroom.

Steven entered the bathroom as the blue pajama wearing Barry was putting toothpaste onto his tooth brush. Steven turned on the faucet and let the cold water run for a moment before splashing it on his face.

"Hey Barry," Steven commented when he looked back into the mirror then wiped his face off with the palm of his hand.

"Hey Steven," Barry replied just as nonchalantly as he stuck his toothbrush below the running water. He then pointed to a towel Steven could use to dry his face. The long haired teenager quickly dried his face and thanked the younger teenager before heading out of the bathroom.

Taylor met him as he was exiting the bathroom. She sniffed him and finally realized that he wasn't as 'fresh' as the start of yesterday. He smirked at reading her face and coming to the same conclusion. Steven lifted each arm up and sniffed himself. "Okay, I'm a little fresh."

She giggled and covered her nose. The brunette then took his hand and led him back to the bathroom as Barry was walking out. She stopped him for a moment and whispered into his ear. The lighter haired brunette nodded to what she said and continued on his way.

She pointed to the shower. He quickly looked over his shoulder then back to her. "I don't have spare clothes."

"I'll take care of that, just go," she requested and pointed to the shower.

"Okay," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

They both stood there for a moment until Steven spoke. "Just because you're my girlfriend doesn't mean you get a free peak. Go," he shoed her away.

She smirked and rolled her eyes. The artist turned and headed out of a bathroom calling out over her shoulder, "Toss your clothes out the door. I promise not to peak."

"Fine," he said letting out a breath. "It's always the quiet ones," he mumbled as she exited the bathroom.

About half an hour later the couple, Steven dressed in freshly washed and dried clothes and Taylor changed with a hint of strawberry body wash fragrance that Steven picked up, was heading to the first floor. As they were cutting through the parlor to the kitchen, Mister Dorfman was sitting in his recliner reading the morning paper. He instantly got up and approached the pair.

"Mister Dorfman," Steven greeted the Dorfman patriarch with a smile and devil may care glint in his eye.

"Mister Shay," the salt and peppered haired man greeted hesitantly. He then looked to his daughter with a friendly smile. "Could you give us a minute sweetie?"

"Of course dad," she replied and stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before going to the kitchen.

Steven watched Taylor leave the parlor and head towards the kitchen. He then looked squarely at the slightly taller man. "I'm still a virgin if that is what you are wondering. I walked in as one; I intend to leave out of here as one. That is what you were going to ask?"

Dorfman cleared his throat and was obviously taken aback from the forwardness of the statement, but was clearly replaced with one of honed over many years of his time in the service. "You sure are a smartass aren't you?"

Steven tilted his head from side to side for a moment before meeting Mister Dorfman's stern look. "I've found it to be far more advantageous than being a dumb one."

Dorfman snorted out a laugh. "I like you. You're honest."

"Life is far too short for bullshitting."

Dorfman nodded. "Couldn't agree more. So, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

"Well since your daughter asked me if we were boyfriend and girlfriend now, I decided to answer yes if she wanted that. She said she did, so she's the one that set the intentions."

"So she made the first move?"

Steven shrugged one of his shoulders. "I guess she liked what she saw and went for it."

Dorfman snorted out a breath. "Sounds exactly like her. Would you like some breakfast?"

"I'd love some breakfast," the teenager replied with a slight bow of his head.

"Well, follow me son," Dorfman replied and motioned towards the kitchen.

About ten minutes later, Taylor was serving breakfast to each of the attendants at the table and a place for herself. She took a seat and said a silent grace for herself before eating. Barry was still in his blue pajamas as he bit into his toast as Mister Dorfman watched Steven dig into his breakfast.

"So, what are your hobbies?" Dorfman called out.

After chewing and swallowing the scrambled eggs in his mouth, Steven replied, "Besides being a listless loser? I'm an amateur mechanic. I used to be good in science and math before I got lazy, so it seemed like a useful hobby to learn with my skill set."

"You are?" Dorfman asked with a raised eyebrow. "I got this truck that has been giving me some problems. Do you mind taking a look at it?"

"No, sir. Sounds like fun."

"Good," he replied and took a large mouthful of oatmeal into his mouth. He chewed with a large grin on his face, but keeping his mouth shut.

After a few more mouthfuls of breakfast, Steven asked, "I noticed all the Air Force stuff in your parlor. Stupid question, but were you a flyer?"

"Yes and I thought I was pretty good at it."

"Dad's an ace," Barry offered with a smile on his face.

"Wow, I feel like less than a man now," Steven commented half jokingly/half seriously.

"You never know your future son," he replied somberly.

"At the moment, I'm not really sure what that future is," Steven answered in a detached tone. "Still trying to figure out all of the present."

"Well good luck to you on that, but if you need any advice on that… just ask."

Steven nodded not sure to what make of the offer. "I will sir, thank you."

After a few moments, Steven asked the father, "I'm guessing you have a degree in aeronautical engineering or something in a technical field? Your success is hard not to miss."

Dorfman nodded his head. "A PhD in Aeronautical Engineering actually; you can't be stupid to begin with if you want to be a flyboy. I just kept going after I was discharged after World War Two then joined back up when Korea started."

"Figured; so that's when you started? World War Two?"

"I joined up right out of college in early forty-four and flew Mustangs with the Eighth Air Force during the war, then Sabers in Korea and finally Phantoms in Vietnam. Your father ever in the service?"

"Dad was born in thirty-nine, and then he was exempted from being drafted because of me for Vietnam, but he made sure he was registered with selective service, but having me was never a way of getting out of serving. He never considered any branch of the military a career choice."

"No shame in that, but all those draft dodgers can rot in Hell," he replied in disgust.

Steven nodded his head. "My father is many things, like a pain in my ass, but not a coward."

Shay Apartment
Saturday, September 2011

Carly inhaled a familiar sent as she returned from her sleeping state. It was comforting and she snuggled her head onto the surface of what she was lying on. Carly slowly blinked her eyes open and smiled at what she saw: Freddie's peaceful face. During the night her left hand had moved from resting on his chest to wrapping around his waist as his arm had done to her. She lifted her hand and tenderly traced his jaw line with her finger tips and smiled. He steered slightly so she kissed him on the cheek.

He finally blinked his eyes opened and looked to her with a warm smile and spoke tenderly, "Morning."

"Morning," she replied with a grin then locked her lips with his. They began to trade soft kisses as she slid to lie on top of him. His hands moved to the small of her back as hers gripped his shoulders.

Freddie broke the trading of soft pecks and whispered, "The last time we were in this position, I was in a bathrobe."

She grinned and giggled for a moment. "Yes it was… how long were we like that?"

"About half an hour? My mother is pretty punctual with her time," he replied with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

With a wicked glint in her eye that Freddie hadn't seen in a long time, she asked, "Do you want to break that record?"

Freddie chuckled before replying by capturing her lips again.

After several minutes of tenderly exchanged kisses, Carly felt something poke her lower abdomen through the thin silky material of her dress. At first she ignored to continue their kiss because she thought it was his belt buckle. Freddie broke from their kiss and swallowed down nervously as he looked into her eyes. "Sorry, ah… ah…"

She swallowed down just as nervously before replying, "It's okay. That's a… natural…"

He nodded, "Right… that's supposed to happen, but…"

"Nothing to be embarrassed about," she offered just as nervously.

They just looked at one another for a few moments. "I'm going to go change—" Carly whispered.

Freddie replied quickly, "Okay, I'm going to… go to the bathroom and meet you downstairs in a few minutes?"

"Ah hun."

After a few moments of her continuing to lie on him, he suggested, "You can get up now."

"Oh right," she replied with a blush on her cheeks. He kissed her quickly on one of those cheeks before rolling off of him.

Sam was sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal when Freddie walked down the stairs and holding his blazer jacket across his arm. The blonde raised an eyebrow and dropped her spoon into her cereal bowl. Spencer just blinked as he sat at the kitchen table at seeing Freddie.

"Hello Mister Benson," Shay called out as he was cooking his eggs on the stove.

Freddie cleared his throat. "Mister Shay."

Shay barely gave him a second glance as he asked, "Would you care for some breakfast?"

Freddie looked down at himself and figured if he ate a fancy meal in this outfit, why not breakfast. He ignored Sam's shocked face of like a gapping fish out of water with her mouth as he draped his jacket over the back of the chair and took a seat at the table. Freddie spared Spencer a look and a small smile.

Spencer turned and looked to his father. "Ah Dad, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure," he replied as he divided up the eggs on Spencer's and Freddie's plates. He put the pan on an off burner of the stove and then looked to Freddie, "Toast is finishing up with some waffles and the syrup is in the cabinet. Did you here me Samantha?"

The blonde nodded as Shay walked past following Spencer to the artist's room. Once the pair entered the room, Spencer shut the door behind him and shouted to his father, "He spent the night?"

Shay gave his son a reserved look. "Samantha spent the night in this room watching zombie ninja monster truck movies. I thought my ears were just playing tricks on my that first morning back, but now I'm sure I heard the words, 'little crush' and attributed to Samantha. Should I be concerned? And before you answer, I am aware of the 'Spam' fanbase," he replied with air quotes around Spam.

"I'm twenty-nine and she's seventeen!" The outrage was clearly displayed on his face from the insinuation.

"I'm glad you remember that even if you still so childlike, but I think you fail to see your own hypocrisy of even bringing this up."

"Hypocrisy? From what? Being concerned about what my little sister is doing? Or doing?"

He took a step towards Spencer. "If you weren't my boy I'd slug you for that," Shay replied with a harsh glare.

Spencer actually flinched.

Shay ignored the reaction as he continued, "I'll point it out if you can't see it: I'm suppose to trust you with an underage girl in your room all night, but not your sister with Freddie? Is this you being honest about what you think of your sister?"

"It's not about trust dad, but about maturity," Spencer pointed out just as forcibly.

"You really want to get into a discussion about which one of you is the most mature? Do you really think there would be a clear cut winner in that contest?"

Spencer's eyebrows furled and set his mouth to a frown. Spencer was about to speak when Shay continued, "Don't you give me that look; it's the truth and you know it. And let me ask you something? How many girls have you brought home and well… you are twenty-nine and haven't had a steady girlfriend since high school."

Spencer immediately clamped his mouth shut.

Shay smirked in response. "Oh, we can have a discussion about your sister's sex life or potential one, but yours is off limits?"

"This is different."

"How?" Shay asked genuinely curious about Spencer's answer.

Spencer pointed out in a wavering tone, "Because she's the child and I'm not."

Shay chuckled, "So you and I are discussing this as parents?"

Spencer blinked and took a breath before replying, "I've raised her for the last four years… I think I should get a say."

Shay nodded. "A say yes, but I get the final word and my word is this: I don't have a problem of Freddie staying overnight on occasions, but this will not become a regular occurrence and I will make sure both of them know that. If they want to do that anyway then Freddie has to just man up and marry her first."

Spencer closed his eyes and shook his head. "She's always going to be my baby sister. I worry."

"I know, but you have to love her enough to trust her and trust him."

"I'll try," he huffed out and rolled his eyes.

"You do that, because just a little piece of advice, don't let your lingering doubts show to Carly. The last thing we need is for you two to form a wedge in your relationship. Now could we get back to breakfast before it gets too cold?"

Spencer shook his head and replied, "Okay dad."

When the pair exited the artist's room they found Carly was sitting at the kitchen table beside Freddie helping herself to her father's breakfast. She had changed into some sweatpants and an old oversize T-Shirt. Shay walked over and kissed on top of her head. "Hey cupcake."

"Hi dad," she replied between bites of his breakfast.

Shay took his seat and leaned back in his chair watching the couple enjoy their meal together. Sam shook her head and focused on her own cereal than watch the love birds have 'eye sex' with one another.

Freddie spoke up a few moments after finishing his breakfast, "Well, I need to get home and change and hope my mom isn't a wreck for me not coming home last night."

"Okay," Carly spoke in a whisper and a smile on her face. Freddie gave her a quick peck on the cheek then headed out for the door. She smiled as she watched him leave. She turned back around in her seat and met Shay's grinning face, "Fun night?"

Carly looked down at the table and cleared her throat. "Yes, it was great."

Shay chuckled before asking, "I'm sure you two girls have some girl talk to take care of, but could I talk to you for a moment?"

Carly nodded to him nervously. "Okay."

"How about your room?" he suggested.

"Okay dad," she answered in a quiet tone. The pair then got up from there seats and headed for the stairs.

Spencer and Sam just exchanged looks.

The father and daughter entered her room then Carly shut the door behind her. Shay glanced at the bed and noticed that it was made up for the most part as if someone or more than one slept on top of the covers. He took a moment to remember a similar event in his life a little more than thirty years ago and a smile formed on his face. He turned to look at his daughter and saw her concerned look as she looked to the bed and back to him.

Carly rung her hands and looked to the floor waiting for the lecture she knew was coming. It was either going to be from her father or from Spencer. She wasn't sure which one she would rather have talking to her.

"So, you two—slept in here last night?"

"Me and Freddie didn't—love—like when they want two horses to become boyfriend and girlfriend," she rattled off quickly

"Horses?" The Colonel asked with a perplexed look as that was the last thing he expected to hear.

Carly nodded her head. "You know from the Animal Channel?"

"I don't watch a lot of TV where I'm usually at, kiddo."

She motioned with her hands for him to follow along with her story. "Well, when they want two horses to be boyfriend and girlfriend, they get them to a barn and… they turn the barn lights down and…." She trailed off.

Shay grinned the whole time at she tried to explain a subject she was obviously very uncomfortable with discussing. Things apparently hadn't changed in the last four years since he had 'The Talk' with her. Any lingering doubts he may have had about her and Freddie being overly intimate was right out the window. Shay took both of his daughter's hands. "I get what you're saying and I'm glad to hear it. I'm old fashion and so was your mother. I just hope and wish that you would wait to express love in that manner after you are married regardless of who you want to be with."

"I don't want anyone else," she came back so quickly that it surprised herself.

Shay held back a smile with hearing that confession. "All I'm saying is that it is very special to share that level of intimacy and openness with someone you love and trust… and absolutely committed with one another as in death do you part commitment."

She smiled at her father. "Like you and mom?"

Shay smiled warmly back, "Just like your mom and me."