Thank you for your reviews so glad you liked my M rated chapter
"We were worried sick" Peter said as he wrapped his arms around his baby girl, he had been terrified something bad had actually happened, but Alicia had text him to let him know she had found her and his worry turned to anger, the family made their way into the living room where Claudia took a seat on the sofa. Alicia and Peter were both too angry to sit; instead they found themselves pacing the floor.
"Sorry" the girl said hopeful that her parents would calm down soon. "I really didn't mean to worry you"
"You need to think before you act" Peter said as he stopped in front of his daughter, his hands by his side, but his gaze firmly on his daughter
"I just didn't think it was a big deal" she said as both Alicia and Peter's eyes bored into hers, she knew she had said the wrong thing.
"You are 13 years old, in what way did you think it would be OK" Alicia said
"You saw all the other kids there, their parents aren't wigging out on them about it"
"I presume the other kids parents know where they are, that they have permission which you did not" Alicia said
"Grace was terrified that something bad had happened or that someone had taken you" Peter said
"No one took me" she said meekly
"No, but what if they had, you can not go off on your own, from now on you are all going to have a protection detail when you are not at home or school" Peter said
"Mum, please don't let him do that" Claudia begged
"I'm sorry, I can't say I disagree, it's for your protection" Alicia said
"Why, is this about Ryan, do you not trust me" Claudia shouted angrily as she stormed off to her room slamming every door on the way.
"Ryan?" Peter questioned
"A boy, she was with him when I found her"
"Damn it Alicia, she is 13 for God's sake"
"I know Peter, but kids are growing up much faster than we did, we got lucky with Grace waiting till she was 16"
"I know, I really thought we had another couple of years before having to deal with this"
"I told her I would talk to her tonight about it, but Peter it could be benign, it may be totally innocent" Alicia replied
"Do you think it is?"
"I think she has a crush on him, she was holding his hand. I'll talk to her tonight once she has calmed down, but we do need to punish her"
"Yes we do, she can not go off on her own without telling anyone where she is"
"So are we grounding her?" Alicia asked
"Yes for a month" Peter added, Alicia screwed her face up, she didn't like grounding her kids for that long, she felt it alienated them against their parents and the kids though it was unfair. Although they had just yesterday grounded Zach for longer he was 18 now, and the kids had all been told that if they ever took drugs that they would be punished harshly.
"It's not too long Alicia; this is the worst thing she has ever done"
"I didn't say I disagree" Alicia said "I just think she already knows it was wrong"
"Precisely, that is why she should be punished, if she didn't know it was wrong I would be worried, but I'd also blame us for not teaching her, but she clearly know what she done was wrong and I believe it was pre-meditated, it must have been planned" Peter said. Alicia placed her hand on Peters shoulder
"Lets just let her cool off, we need to do the same, and what are we going to do about Zach?" Alicia asked
"I have no idea, how can he disrespect us so much" Peter said, Alicia noticing the clenching of his fist
"He feels that we treat him like a child" Alicia said
"So he wants us to treat him like a grown up, then how about he starts paying rent, getting a job, if that's what he wants then fine" Peter said
"Don't you remember being 18, you and your parents had your ups and downs to?"
"No, it is not the same. My Father was an abusive Bastard, he treated my Mother, Sister and I like shit, have I been like that"
"For the most part no, but you know we have had our ups and downs"
"So you are blaming me for Zach, what did I make Claudia run off as well, what about Grace and her boyfriend was that my fault too" Peter shouted clearly agitated by his wife's comment
"Peter that is not what I meant, no one can ever doubt that you are a great father, we just have 4 very strong willed Children, and they are growing up, and doing it too damn fast for my liking" Alicia said placing both her arms around Peter and kissing him.
Claudia was in her room, her plan was not going well at all, she was going to be grounded, that was a dead cert, but now her parents were arguing, and that was not what she wanted at all.