AN: Hello everyone and welcome to this special Thanksgiving chapter of A Place To Call Home; I hope that you all had a pleasant week. My thanks, as always, go to everyone who read – and especially the four kind souls who reviewed – the last chapter.

Fanfic-Reader-88 – I'm not sure how bad it was to encourage his co-workers to tell a little white lie; he just didn't want to have to deal with Marissa so he encouraged them to deny all knowledge and give him some peace at work.

Challenge King – yes a lot is still going on regarding the whole Freddie/Cat issues and Freddie refusing to budge to Marissa's demands is, I think, something that he needs to do. I think he does need some help, whether he agrees and actually wants to go and get some, however, is debatable.

Pbow – some very valid points, particularly about the life-long hook-ups. I guess it's a hazard of our 'ships', that we obviously want to bring them together and it to last so we idealise it somewhat. As above Freddie probably does have to talk to someone and really come to terms with what happened between him and Lindsey. But he has to find someone to talk to and, of course, want to talk to someone before that can happen.

Agent-M – yes Beck is a little more bothered than he usually lets on right now. Maybe because Jade, on the show, never actually gave him any reason to doubt her yet here he can see her and Freddie are unusually close and that bothers him? I'm glad that you like the universe and the themes that are being explored.

That's everyone so let's get on with the story.

Chapter 8

Lane Alexander's Office, Hollywood Arts High School, Los Angeles

Monday, 23rd November 2009.

Cat Valentine sat nervously on the couch in the school Guidance Counsellor's office; she was skipping the start of her lunch period in order to make this preliminary appointment in the hope that Lane could help her with how troubled she was feeling at the moment. Ever since her mother had given her the news that she and Mr Valentine would be taking her older brother to Idaho, and that she would be living with her grandmother for a month or so the red velvet-haired girl had felt that her life, and all that was familiar to her, was beginning to spiral out of control.

"So what's the real problem, Cat," the counsellor, reclining in his wicker chair, tried to establish after her preliminary preamble concluded. "You don't want to live with your grandmother?"

"No, it's not that at all, I love my 'Nona'," she insisted brightly, actually smiling at the thought of living with her for a while, "but I just…" she paused and took a breath as she tried to organise her thoughts, her face falling again as she did, "I'm going to miss mom and dad – and my brother – and it's going to be weird living there."

"Does she live far from here?" the African-American enquired, wondering if that was part of the problem; that she would also be losing contact with her friends outside of school – and have a more difficult time of it getting to Hollywood Arts.

"No, she lives near Sherwood so it's not that far away," the girl responded, "but as much as I always enjoyed going there when I was little, it's just different, you know? And not having mom and dad around, it's just going to be weird."

Lane nodded. "It's just for a month isn't it? With school, end of semester tests, the Showcase," for it had recently been announced by Principal Eikner that the school's Big Showcase event was being moved forward to the end of the first semester in order to give the Senior class a little more exposure a little earlier; this was happening at the behest of the studios, recruiters and other industry professionals who may want to sign the talented students. "The time will fly by," he attempted to convince her, "and they'll only ever be on the other end of a phone, or a web chat. I know it's unfamiliar but it shouldn't be that bad should it?"

"I guess not," the teenager conceded, "and hopefully they can make my brother better, that would be great."

"Then look at it as something you have to just suffer for his sake," Lane suggested; Cat nodded with a smile. "Now, anything else that you want to talk about while you're here?"

"Not today," she declined, "but maybe we could talk next week, after Thanksgiving?" She began to get up from her seat.

"Sure. I'll see you later Cat," he smiled at the girl as she gathered her bag and skipped out of his office looking a little more positive than she had when she entered. He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and his head on his hand as he thought about the young red-head. Despite their little chat he was becoming concerned about her reaction to the news and her brother's condition in general; he hoped that the boy's time at the 'Special Hospital' would prove as beneficial for his sister as it did for him.

Benson Residence, Hollywood Hills

Thursday, 26th November 2009.

Marissa Benson bustled agitatedly around the kitchen as she began to prepare the Thanksgiving Day meal for herself and her son. And that blonde hoodlum, she thought in annoyance; Freddie had reminded her the previous night, when she had called to make sure that he was actually going to come along for the family day meal, that Sam Puckett would be visiting (given that she barely considered her own mother and the latest guy in the elder Puckett's life – another one that she privately referred to as 'loser boy' to be family) and spending the day, and overnight, with them. The younger Benson had agreed to stay over that night, as it was the holiday and his friend would be there, but had warned Marissa not to expect it to become permanent again. Despite this, she hoped to be able to persuade him before he left for his lengthy Black Friday shift the following day; the Pear Store wanted all hands on deck for the anticipated avalanche of customers and bargain hunters to the store. For the chance to bring her boy back home she was willing to put up with his friend, under protest.

Greyhound Bus Lines, 1716 East 7th Street, Los Angeles

Freddie sat by the stand where the inbound bus from Las Vegas was expected; having confirmed everything with Sam he had mailed her an actual return ticket (he had bought it after receiving his first cheque from the Pear Store) and the blonde had confirmed receipt of it. He wasn't alone; Cat was sat in the next seat to him and was finally filling him in on the latest news about her family's proposed temporary relocation to Idaho, having chosen to conceal it from the group (apart from Jade) while she attempted to come to terms with the situation.

"So your brother could be there for two years?" he asked, a little surprised at the potential duration of the boy's stay.

"My brother's pretty messed up," she admitted sadly.

"What actually happened to him?" Freddie enquired curiously, "if you don't mind me asking," he added hurriedly, knowing that it was a deeply personal matter for the Valentine family.

"No, that's ok," she reassured him, patting his arm gently; he smiled softly at her little gesture. "He fell out of a fourth-storey hotel window in Las Vegas when I was little and landed on a shuttle bus; he's never been right since."

The Seattle-born teen covered her hand with his own sympathetically and gave it a gentle squeeze; she stopped patting his arm and gave him a sad yet grateful smile. "There are other things too, but most of it seems to have started from that day," though any further exploration was curtailed as a bus pulled in to the stand in front of them. "She's here!" Cat cried instead with a broader grin and the teenagers began to scour the windows for any sign of the little blonde. Freddie spotted her grinning cheekily at them and waved; Sam waved back and got out of her seat, happy to see her friend – and to see him looking so comfortable with the red-head.

"Hey Freddie," she greeted him as she bounded down the steps of the bus and into his waiting hug. "Cat," she hugged the red velvet-haired teen in turn. "You been holding out on me?" she whispered to the boy in a low voice but smiling widely.

"Huh?" he whispered back in confusion.

"You two just look very… cosy together there is all," she shrugged.

"Oh," he remarked, getting her meaning, "Cat just came along because she wanted to see you and we were just talking."

"Uh huh," Sam responded in a mix of disappointment and suspicious disbelief, not that she thought Freddie would outright lie and deny it if something was happening between himself and Cat, especially as the blonde thought that she had made it abundantly clear that she approved, and was also actively encouraging him to get back with her. "I need to grab my bag," she informed them and made her way brusquely to the front of the group gathered around the luggage compartment, from which she retrieved a small case.

"I bet that brought back some memories," Freddie teased mirthfully. She shrugged and laughed along happily with the pair, noting that Cat was leaning against his right arm and the boy doing nothing to discourage it.

"Ah it wasn't so bad," the newcomer shrugged, "though I will admit that having a seat is more comfortable." She gripped his forearms with her hands and their eyes met, "Thank you Freddie," she told him sincerely before leaning over to whisper in his left ear, "Now how are things with you and that girl?"

He rolled his eyes a little before giving a side-long glance to Cat; he knew, of course, that she and Martin had broken up, though the girl hadn't gone into details about why they had done so (beyond what she had said recently about them not 'clicking' like that). She had also spent the last couple of days voicing her concern over the goings-on with her brother and the upheaval, however temporary, that that would cause in her life.

Then there were still the issues in his own life that he had to deal with; though he had thought a lot about what Jade had said the previous week he was unwilling to try too hard to find someone to talk to about them; he really didn't like the idea of opening up to some stranger and talk about it all, preferring to chat about things to Sam's surprisingly sympathetic ear over the phone (though even with the blonde he was reluctant to go into too much detail as he didn't want to use her as a dumping ground for all of his problems and troubles).

"Later," he muttered, seeing that his former nemesis was still eyeing him expectantly. She nodded, understanding that the ex-iCarly tech producer didn't want to say too much in front of the red-haired girl who would obviously be the focal point of their discussion. He took the blonde's case from her and the three walked to the bus stop to get a bus back to Hollywood.

"I'll be glad when I can afford a car," Freddie commented as they stood waiting; both girls raised their eye-brows a little at the pronouncement. "Yeah," the brown-haired boy elaborated, "now that I'm working – and since I don't have Sam here to keep in food now that she's in Vegas," he laughed, as did the two girls, "I got my permit so I'm going to learn to drive and hopefully find a cheap car before too long."

"That'd be great," Cat cried, "then you could go anywhere you needed to whenever you had to."

"Yes, I'd have a little more freedom and flexibility," he agreed.

"What does your crazy mom think of that idea?" Sam wondered aloud.

"She doesn't know; I don't live there anymore."

"You're staying away for good?" the blonde was both surprised and impressed by the idea.

"As things stand, yes," he confirmed. "If she apologises and agrees to be more reasonable in the future then we'll see."

The two girls nodded their understanding of his reasoning. Their bus arrived shortly after and soon the trio were back in Hollywood.

"Have you heard from the others?" the red-haired girl asked her friend. "Do you know how they're all spending the day?"

"With family I imagine," Freddie commented. "I know Eli and his parents went up to San Fransico last night to his grandparents' place. André, I think, has his grandma coming over. Robbie – I'm not sure, he never really went into details about it but Beck and Jade are going to her father's house, which should be entertaining."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Mrs West is going with them; Jade told me they've not had too much to do with him since the divorce."

"It's true," Cat piped up, before she continued in a lower, more sombre tone, "I don't think she hears from him at all other than her birthday and Christmas so it was kinda out of the blue that they got the invite this year."

"I should have asked Beck to take one of my small cameras and videotape everything for us to watch the fun later," the brown-haired teen commented ruefully.

"I've finally rubbed off on you Benson!" Sam declared triumphantly, though it privately concerned her to see a vindictive side to the boy coming out.

"Ok, I need to get home; my Nona's going to be there along with everyone else," Cat smiled as they disembarked the bus. "I imagine we'll talk a little about arrangements for when I stay with her. Will I see you before you go back?" she asked Sam.

"I leave tomorrow; there's no point me staying with your mom while you're at work," she noted bluntly to Freddie, who smiled his understanding; he was sure Marissa didn't want the blonde trouble-maker there alone with her any more than she wanted to be alone with the Benson matriarch, "so it will have to be the morning." She retrieved the return portion of her ticket and a timetable from her jacket pocket and checked the time. "I need to be at the bus station for 10 tomorrow to get the early bus so I'll leave "Benson Manor" around 9." Freddie rolled his eyes slightly at the description of his former home, though he would admit that it was a bit of a departure from the close quarters of the apartment that he had spent his formative years in in Seattle, or indeed his current residence. "If you're around before then then you'll see me. If not then it will have to be the next time I'm in LA," she finished with a slight tone of regret.

"'Kay 'kay, I'll try and be here tomorrow morning then." The bubbly girl surprised the blonde by flinging herself on her and hugging her, before she gave the brown-haired boy a slightly longer and tighter hug before she sped off in the direction of her own home; Sam smiled again as she watched her depart.

"Come on, let's go," he urged her and they made the short walk back to his home; Freddie was eager to get some details about how her life was going in Nevada. Sam willingly answered his questions, explaining how the fresh start had worked wonders for her and she was actually doing a little better in school, "though I still have a habit of falling asleep in the boring lessons," she noted; the blonde hoped, though, that she would get the chance to press him further on how things were with Cat and whether he was ready to make a move yet.

"And by the boring ones you mean all of them?"

"Most," she clarified with a light chuckle. "So how many of your family are going to be here?" his friend asked in trepidation as they arrived outside the Bensons' front door.

"Uh, my mom's cousin and her daughter, Stephanie should be here by now. My mom's sisters – my aunts Jennifer, Susan and Millie will all be there too. Oh," he pulled a face and wrinkled his nose, "that means Amanda will be there too."

"Gross," Sam shuddered, recalling the one and only time that she (and Carly) had met Freddie's cousin in the past.

"I know," the boy complained. "Ah well, we'd better show willing I guess," and he opened the front door to reveal his mother's extended family sat around the living area.

"Freddie! It's great to see you again," his aunt Susan cried, rising to her feet and engulfing him in a hug. "Oh, are you his girlfriend?" she asked, turning to the blonde.

"No," she snorted out a slightly affronted laugh, "just a friend who didn't want to spend the day with my own 'family'," she almost spat out the final word, preferring not to think of her mother – or twin sister – as such. She found herself briefly wondering when she'd next see her sister; the girl preferred to stay at her boarding school, pretty much alone, for the long weekend rather than go and see her mother and sister.

"Hey Sam," Amanda greeted her, hugging the blonde before she could escape of fend her off. It was a testament to the girl's attempts to change her ways that she allowed the younger girl to survive such an act. Freddie suppressed a grin, though he was amused at the irate look on his best friend's face as his cousin released her. Fortunately the boy was quick enough to move into the living area where he greeted his other aunts, thus prolonging the period before he'd get his own 'greeting' from the girl.

He had hoped to get away with a simple "Hey Amanda," over Jennifer's shoulder but the teenager was determined to give him a hug.

"I feel the need to shower now," he complained to Sam as they escaped the gathering in order to take her bag upstairs to the guest room.

"Me too," she noted, "she hasn't improved since I last saw her."

The girl "unpacked" by simply opening her case and tipping the contents onto the bed.

"Ok," she said pleasantly, "that's that done." Her friend smiled and shook his head, wondering how much was Sam and how much was the thought of what his mother's reaction would be if she walked in and saw things strewn across the bed so untidily. He suspected there was more than a little of both to it.

"You know," he muttered in a low voice as they descended the stairs, "if you'd actually unpacked properly and a bit more tidily we could have avoided Amanda for longer."

Again the blonde teenager found herself having to swallow down her natural urges and tendencies – as well as having to concede that the brown-haired teen was right. "Who'd have thought being a dork had its advantages?" she settled for joking lightly, nudging the boy gently in the ribs as they walked.

"Ok everyone, lunch is served," Marissa declared; the Bensons, and guest, crammed around the kitchen table which groaned under the weight of the plates and appetiser, a hot spinach and artichoke dip with some lightly toasted wholegrain bread. Sam pulled a disgruntled face as she eyed Mrs Benson's concoction; her natural hunger duelling with her disgust over the food's appearance. Hunger was to triumph as she took a few bites of the first course, praying that the remainder of the meal would be more to her taste.

"So, Samantha," Jennifer asked as the house matriarch cleared the remnants of the appetiser along with the plates used; Freddie helped his mother with this duty, along with bringing fresh plates and cutlery for the entrée. His aunt's sugary tone – and the use of Sam's full name – made the girl clench and unclench a fist a few times under the table in an attempt to reduce her tension, "do you live in Los Angeles now too?"

"No," she explained, "I live in Vegas right now, but Freddie was kind enough to invite me to stay for the holiday because my mom and her boyfriend," she shrugged, "well they don't really want me around too much."

The rest of the table, other than Marissa who could readily appreciate the elder Puckett's sentiments, looked sympathetically at the girl; she gave a forlorn smile as she tried to play a little on their feelings, noting to herself that her ability to manipulate others was still as good as it always had been.

"Well it was very nice of Freddie to invite you," Millie told her approvingly, "and very kind of you, Marissa, to welcome her into your home like this."

The Head Nurse fixed a smile on her face before answering in a slow, measured voice, "It's an important day for families to get together," she emphasised the word while eyeing her son, "and it's always good to open your house to those that need it." She had neglected to mention to her own family that Freddie had moved out; it was part of the leverage he had used to get her to acquiesce to his blonde friend joining them for the day.

"Thank you Mrs Benson," Sam said politely, with an equally fixed grin adorning her face.

Though the words almost stuck in her throat, Marissa asked her son to carve the turkey, watching him closely lest he slip while holding the knife. She had a first aid kit in easy range in case of mishaps but the fifteen-year-old performed the task admirably and the family were soon enjoying the main course of their meal, Sam explaining, when asked, that she was just here until the following day before heading back; privately Marissa felt that it couldn't come soon enough.

Pumpkin pie followed the traditional turkey and was soon eaten; even Sam felt that she could eat no more (for a couple of hours anyway) and the group retired to the living area while Freddie helped his mother clean up. To Marissa's relief nobody had asked about the still noticeable patch of stubble on the back of her son's head. She hoped that nobody would look too closely at it.

David West's residence

Jade frowned as she, Beck, his parents and her mother entered her father's home; it was the first time she had been invited to his home for Thanksgiving since her parents' divorce and the two West females were both reluctant to attend. Thankfully the bimbo secretary that he had left his wife for was nowhere to be seen (in fact Jade was unsure as to whether they were together, such was the lack of involvement that her father had in her life these days).

"Jade," he said tersely as father and daughter eyed one another; her cousin Ashley had answered the door and let them in, something else to antagonise the gothic girl this day. The dirty-blonde was a couple of years younger than she was and seemed to idolise her, but not in a good way – at least as far as the brunette was concerned. To Jade the younger girl was trying to mimic her hopes and aspirations (so much so that she was talking of auditioning for Hollywood Arts in the spring and hoping to join her older cousin there next autumn). This nugget of information had been a source of annoyance for Mr West as he saw the aspiration as stupid and wished his daughter would set her sights on the pursuit of, to him, a more worthwhile occupation. Her reasoning may have been dramatically different but father and daughter were, at least, united in their frustration about the younger teen's choices.

"Dad," she replied, equally bluntly. "This is Beck," she added conversationally, raising the conjoined hands of herself and her boyfriend; it was a mark of his non-presence in her life, she mused, that this was the first time the two had come across one another. "And his parents," she gestured to the Olivers, who were stood behind the couple.

"Hello," his tone remained brusque as he shook the Canadian's free hand followed by those of his parents. "And where do you know my daughter from?" he demanded.

"Oh, we go to school together, sir. I want to be an actor when I graduate," he explained, blissfully unaware that that was precisely the wrong thing to say, though he got a hint as the older man's face contorted instantly.

"Another one," he muttered under his breath before turning from the teenagers to give an awkward greeting to his ex-wife.

"Something I said?" the long-haired teen asked his girlfriend brightly as he limped slightly through the house by her side; he had only just come off his crutches the previous day and was still trying not to put too much weight on his injured leg for too long if he could avoid doing so. Jade was happy to help in this endeavour by staying on his injured side so that he could rely on her for a little support while walking. The boy was eager to return to his RV now that he was walking more or less unaided but his mother had insisted on him remaining in the house for the remainder of the holiday weekend just to make sure that he was sufficiently mobile to get around on his own.

"Yes," she smiled resentfully at her father's back, "he hates creative people and thinks my dreams are stupid. So to learn that you share them – let's just say you've got on his bad side already. Never mind," she shrugged, rising to her tip-toes and planting a quick peck on his lips.

The newcomers were directed to their seats at the table by Ashley's mother (Jade's aunt, her father's sister). To her increased annoyance Jade had Ashley on her other side with Beck sitting between his girlfriend and her mother; the aspiring actress plied her elder cousin with questions while they waited for her mother to finish serving. Jade was actually relieved when her father declared that it was time to say grace, as the younger girl was finally silenced for a few minutes.

The gothic girl wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea of the Sweet Potato Rounds that her aunt set on the table as an appetiser; eating them, however, gave her a ready-made excuse to ignore her yapping cousin so she tucked in eagerly, to the younger girl's chagrin. She attempted to lean across the brunette to engage Beck in conversation instead, something that only served to increase the older girl's ire.

Things continued in a similar vein during the remainder of the meal; the main course, the delicious and beautifully carved turkey, threatened to stick in her throat as the constant accompanying chatter grated at her. Beck eyed his girlfriend nervously as he could clearly see her patience evaporating rapidly. By the time their pumpkin pie had been devoured and the plates cleared away she looked ready to snap.

"Why don't we go and sit over there," Beck suggested helpfully as people began to leave the table; he steered his girlfriend to a corner of the house where they could sit together while her mother and his parents mingled with the other adults. Jade took a series of calming breaths to recover her composure as her boyfriend sat with his arm around her.

Sadly for Jade the tranquillity would all too soon be shattered; Ashley came to join them a few moments later.

"So Jade, you never answered me at the table; what would be the one, most important piece of advice you could give me?" she asked expectantly.

"Don't!" Beck warned quickly, albeit in a low voice so that only his girlfriend could hear him. Jade smiled; it unsettled the boy more than anything else had.

"Hey, why don't we go somewhere quieter where we can talk?" she suggested.

"Ok," her cousin readily agreed; Beck covered his eyes with his hand, elbow resting on the chair's armrest. This is NOT going to end well, the young actor thought as the gothic girl led her cousin away by the hand.

He was surprised when she returned, alone and smiling, just a couple of minutes later.

"What did you do?" he asked in resignation.

"I escaped from her," she shrugged with an innocent expression on her face; it was one that Beck refused to buy – not even for a second.

"Where is she?"

"I locked her in a closet in the basement," she smirked, keeping her voice low enough as to not advertise the fact to a wider audience.

Beck just shook his head, reflecting ruefully that he had been correct in his assessment.

Valentine Residence

Cat had arrived back at the house moments after her father had returned home, bringing his mother-in-law with him.

"Nona!" the girl squealed as she spied her grandmother.

"Hello my little Caterina," the older lady greeted her and the two embraced warmly. "Your father tells me that I'll have the pleasure of your company for a little while soon," she commented with a smile.

"It's true," the teenager replied, "while they're gone with my brother up in Idaho. Are you sure it's ok?"

"Of course dear, I'd love to have you stay for as long as you want."

The girl smiled before catching sight of a couple of other family members over her grandmother's shoulder. "Oh, it's Uncle Walter and Aunt Pearl," she noted morosely.

"Is there a problem with them?" The lady wondered what her daughter and her husband had done to upset her fragile granddaughter.

"They don't like my hair," she informed her sadly.

"Well I love it," Nona reassured her, seizing a couple of stray locks and shaking them gently, "it's a part of what makes you you," she smiled, a smile the teen readily returned.

Her father's parents were the next guests to arrive at the Valentine home and soon this gathering too was sat around the table enjoying their meal; Cat's brother drew numerous concerned looks from the assembled guests, though of course they all knew of his various 'issues', but the late-teen was thankfully caught on a good day and caused few issues for the family to have to deal with.

Over coffee after the meal her parents discussed arrangements a little further with Nona, much to the interest of the others.

"Are you sure that you're ok with this, mom?" Pearl asked, drawing numerous annoyed eyes to her, most notably those of Cat and Nona. "If you'd rather then we can look after her for you."

"No, I'd love to have little Caterina stay with me," she insisted, much to the red-head's relief. Her daughter continued to look suspiciously across at the pair, and Cat's parents, but said nothing further about it.

David West's house

Mr West stormed furiously through the house; he had become a little concerned at the contented smile on his daughter's face and linked it to the absence of his niece pestering her. Having been unable to find the younger girl anywhere among the groups of family sat talking he went in search of her, finally locating her when he heard a faint hammering sound coming from the basement and discovered her locked in a closet down there. His ire turned on his daughter to the point of actually calling the police about the incident, describing it as a kidnapping. He elected not to mention having done so to the others until he calmed down sufficiently; the cops had arrived before he reached that point, as illustrated by the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it," he commented in an emotionless voice. "Jade," he called to his daughter after admitting the two officers.

The girl came over, eyeing them with confusion; they 'invited' her to step outside while both Beck and her mother watched the scene with concern and confusion.

"What's going on?" Mrs West demanded of her ex-husband; his sister joined the small gathering, having heard from her daughter about Jade's actions.

"She locked my niece in a closet," he replied calmly, "so I reported it to the police."

"WHAT?" his sister and former wife barked in unison; Beck looked stunned and troubled; his parents hurried over at the commotion while Ashley leaned against her mother's side.

"You heard me," David shrugged.

"You set the cops on your own daughter?" Ashley's mother challenged; Mrs West's ire had rendered her speechless, while the Olivers wondered just what family their son would join if his relationship with the brunette reached its logical ultimate conclusion.

"She locked your daughter in a closet."

"I was bugging her, Uncle David," Ashley defended the High Schooler.

"Do you have any idea how pathetic that is?" his ex-wife spat, shaking her head in disgust.

Beck ran a hand through his hair; this is a wake-up call, or it SHOULD be, but she'll ignore it, he thought. Looks like I need to be more hands-on about keeping her in line and out of trouble in the future.

"I agree, you've totally over-reacted, David," his sister complains.

"So you don't care that she did that to your own daughter?" he snarled.

"Of course I do, and I'm annoyed, but Ashley doesn't seem too bothered and you've made far too big a thing of it."

"Setting the police on your own child for something like this," Jade's mother shook her head. "Just how stupid and immature can you get?" she ranted.

The girl in question strode back into the house a few moments later, an impassive expression on her face.

"I think it's time we left," she informed her mother.

"Definitely", the elder West female agreed.

"Bye Auntie," then she eyed her smiling cousin, "sorry Ashley, it won't happen again," she forced herself to say.

"That's ok Jade," the younger girl smiled. "Could I call you sometime to talk about schools and acting and stuff?"

"I guess so," she muttered reluctantly. Beck and his parents followed the Wests' hasty retreat and the five were soon back at their respective cars.

"Well that was a fun way to end the holiday," the teenage girl commented dryly.

"Did the police say much?" her mother enquired nervously.

"They say that he accused me of kidnapping her; they thought he over-reacted but had to investigate it, warned me not to do it again, that sort of thing," she shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow, we're still going to the mall right?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Sure, I'll see you at our house in the morning." The boy caught the concerned glances of his parents and his heart sank a little; he had a feeling that they would want to discuss his choice of girlfriend later this evening. Again he found himself longing for the privacy and solitude that his RV afforded him.

The two groups went their separate ways, one wondering about the girl and her family, the other silently simmering over the actions of their host.

Pear Store, 189 The Grove Drive, West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Friday, 27th November 2009.

Freddie had his earbuds in and sang quietly to himself as he turned the corner into The Grove Drive; he was approaching work and expecting a hectic shift today with it being Black Friday. The boy was prepared to be called upon to help the sales force rather than his preferred location of hiding behind the brilliance bar and getting on with things in his own way. He thought back on the last few hours that he had spent back under his mother's roof.

His relatives had departed during the early evening; as Millie lived in Los Angeles she was able to give houseroom to the rest of the family given that Sam was staying with Freddie and his mother – it had been part of the arrangement that they would all come to Marissa's for dinner but spend the night, and maybe a little longer, at Millie's instead before flying back from whence they came over the weekend sometime. Sam, meanwhile, had complained, grumbled and threatened when Freddie had gently woken her up as he prepared to leave; the blonde whined that it was far too early to be waking her up but he insisted that he wanted to say goodbye, reminded her that Cat would be calling around sometime soon to say her own goodbye and, crucially, he added with a grin, that she needed to get to the bus station or she'd be stuck with the Head Nurse all day. This last comment galvanised the girl into action; she was up, packed and just about ready to leave (or at least have a hearty breakfast) before he was out the door.

The two hugged in the doorway; he told her how good it had been to see her again (something she reiterated) and wished her a safe journey back to Vegas. He was a little disappointed that he didn't see Cat before he left, but he knew that the red-head intended to be over and thought that he might call her later once his shift finished.

Beck Oliver's RV

Freddie trudged wearily up the driveway after a long and exhausting shift; he would not be able to work the next day as he had completed his legal maximum number of hours during the day. He glanced to the main house as he unlocked the trailer, smiling as he saw a twitch of the curtain of the room where he knew Beck was currently staying. The boy waved to the silhouette of his friend as he entered, noting as he did that the light had gone out in that room; he assumed that Beck was going to pay him a visit, probably to discuss what happened next now that he had divested himself of his crutches.

He was correct about being paid a visit; the Canadian-born teen knocked on the door a couple of minutes later and Freddie opened it to allow his friend to limp inside.

"Hey man, how are you getting along without the crutches?" he asked as he took a couple of peppy colas from the fridge and handed one to his landlord before sinking into a chair.

"Oh, you know, getting there," he shrugged in a relaxed manner. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Good thanks; Sam came over and we got a chance to hang and chat after the relatives left. Mom was less crazy than normal and I think she wants to talk to me about moving back there. It's not going to be that easy for her to get me to say yes but if she makes a few… promises then we'll see. I be you're eager to get back in here?"

"Definitely," Beck laughed. "Mom and dad have been great and have looked after me while I've been hurt but I do miss the freedom of this place."

"Your roof, your rules," the former tech producer echoed before nodding; he would miss it too. "How was your Thanksgiving?" he asked in return.

"We had ours last month," Beck reminded him with a grin, which faded as he continued, "but we went to Jade's father's house and…" he shook his head at the memories of the previous day. The short-haired teen pressed him for details so he explained everything that had happened, to Freddie's mounting incredulity.

"He set the cops on his own daughter? For shutting her cousin in a closet? What's wrong with the guy?"

"Your guess is as good as mine; he didn't like me very much – I don't think he respects anyone who wants to be a performer. He thinks Jade should go for something realistic and achievable instead."

"Has he seen how much talent she's got?" Freddie asked in ever-burgeoning amazement.

"I know," the gothic girl's boyfriend agreed, "she can sing, she can act, she's got the looks. If anyone's going to make it, it's going to be Jade." He paused to take a draught of his cola.

"Well at least I'm not the only one with a crazy parent," Freddie grinned, sipping his own drink. "It's not going to make things any easier for her though regarding having a relationship with the guy – that's if she still even wants one after this."

"I think she does from what she's said," the longer-haired actor commented, "but you're right that he isn't making it easy by behaving like that, though Jade didn't exactly do the right thing with what she did to Ashley," he conceded.

"Why did she do that in the first place?"

"Her cousin was bugging her with questions; she passed the end of her tether and snapped I guess. She needs to control that or she'll find herself in some serious trouble one of these days," Beck added in a concerned tone. Freddie felt the other teen was exaggerating a little but didn't press the matter at this point.

"So you got any plans for the rest of the evening?"

"Not really," the Pear Store employee admitted, "I'm tired after being at work all day; it was absolutely insane with all the bargain hunters and we were just swamped all day. I want to give Cat a call and see how she got on with her family yesterday," he didn't elaborate, not knowing exactly what anybody else knew about the situation with her brother, "and Sam called me over lunch just to say she was back in Vegas."

"Ok, I'll leave you to it then," Beck stood up, drained his can and headed for the door, "I'll catch you later."

"Sure," Freddie waved as he limped down the stairs, closing the door behind him. The boy closed his eyes and sighed deeply, forcing himself to resist the siren song of his bed for a few more minutes. He opened his eyes again, pulled out his phone and punched in the speed-dial number, leaning back against the wall with his eyes once again closed as the phone rang and smiling through his fatigue as the girl's high-pitched voice answered.

AN: Thanks for reading; please don't be shy about dropping a review letting me know what you liked or didn't like (or outright hated!) about the chapter and please come back next week for Chapter 9. PD.