12 | ❝ THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS OF MOTHER... AND BEATRICE ❞

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CHAPTER TWELVE

❝ THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS OF MOTHER... AND BEATRICE ❞

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[ season 2, episode 11 ]

LISSIE POV

THE BIRTHDAY AND NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY WAS MEANT TO BE REMEMBERED THROUGHOUT THE 118TH. After witnessing her friend kiss Chim and their official reunion, Lissie couldn't keep her word to Ian. Garcia must have sensed this immediately, because just before leaving, he told her that if she didn't want to tell her loved ones, she should go back to therapy. It was a solution she'd considered, but she couldn't bring herself to bring herself to do so. She wanted to believe that if she never mentioned or talked about what had happened again, she would finally forget about it.

Meanwhile, preparations for her father and Athena's wedding had begun in mid-January, and the most important turning point was meeting the sergeant's parents.

"Are you nervous?" Lissie asked as she helped Bobby with the final dinner preparations. Michael, May, and Harry were due to arrive soon, as was Athena with her parents, whom she was supposed to pick up from the airport. "You're finally meeting your future in-laws. This is an important moment..."

"We'll talk about it when you're in this situation yourself."

"No," she shook her head. "Don't expect it anytime soon."

"Thank God!"

Bobby practically breathed a sigh of relief, and Lissie laughed merrily. The door to the Grant house opened, and Michael and the kids walked in.

"We're here!"

"They're not here yet!" her father replied.

"This situation could last longer, because my father is clearly stressed," Lissie joked, then went out into the living room to greet first the older Grant, and then the two teenagers. May immediately hugged her, and then Harry did the same.

"Our guy wants to get out of here as quickly as possible before they show up," May said.

"Hey!" "Michael called, looking at his children. "You'd better put your things away before the grandparents arrive."

May and Harry headed to their rooms, and Michael glanced at the prepared table.

"Not bad. Are you doing anything to win points with your future in-laws?"

"Don't make it worse. Besides, Athena's parents can't be that bad, right?"

Michael looked at Lissie with amusement.

"They can. Believe me. Beatrice is especially hard on you."

"So, I take it you're not planning on staying?"

"No way," he shook his head. "If I can stay away from her, I'm going to."

It seemed Michael had uttered this at the wrong time, as the doorbell rang throughout the house. When May ran to answer the door, it thankfully turned out to be not the Carters, but Rosie and Marrie. Lissie was surprised to see them, having seen each other only half an hour ago when they dropped her off at the Grants'.

"What are you two doing here?"

"You forgot your backpack." Rosie held out the blue backpack she'd been using this morning to store her wallet and all her documents, including her phone. Only the sight of it made her realize what she'd been missing these past few moments.

"Oh, shit!" She laughed briefly. "That's what I call forgetfulness."

"I noticed that." Marrie puffed out her chest proudly, and Lissie gently stroked her hair.

"What would I do without you, huh?"

"She died miserably," the girl joked, and the whole group snorted with amusement.

The door to the house opened again, and this time it was indeed Athena and her parents. Rosie's smile faded, and Lissie frowned, puzzled by this. Was her friend as afraid of the Carters as Michael was?

"Are you still here?" Athena asked, approaching her ex-husband. "I thought you'd leave the kids and run away."

"They wouldn't jump out of the car while we were driving."

"Oh! Of course." Then Athena looked at Bobby and Lissie. "Remember, whatever happens, they're leaving on Saturday." She shifted her gaze to Buckley and her daughter. "And I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you had a date with Chim today."

"Yes, that's true," she nodded. "But Lissie forgot her stuff in the car, so we went back to bring it to her. Someone was nervous about meeting your parents."

"I'm just giving Dad mental support, okay?" Lissie said, jerking a thumb at her father. "He'll be the one being judged, not me."

"You know exactly how to comfort your father."

"Always," she grinned, then allowed Athena and her father to greet her. She stepped forward a bit, but still kept her distance enough to stay in line. She watched Athena's parents, and while her father seemed quite a friendly older man, her mother had a coldness she couldn't quite describe.

"Michael, what a pleasant surprise," Athena's mother said, and only then did Lissie realize the woman hadn't meant it at all. She was slowly beginning to understand why Michael hadn't wanted to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom, Dad," Athena called, simultaneously relieving her ex-husband of the need to answer. Athena's parents passed Grant, and while her father still had a polite smile on his face, her mother's expression said it all – she didn't like what she saw.

"What's your, God forbid, recruit doing here?" the woman asked, looking at Rosie, and Athena quickly reprimanded her, but her mother wasn't particularly bothered.

"Recruit?" Lissie repeated in utter shock. She exchanged a brief glance with her father, who was clearly as surprised as she was by this fact. After a moment, she looked at her friend. "You were in the police?"

Young Nash couldn't quite believe it, or maybe it was just that after all these years with Rosie, Rosie still hadn't told her everything about her past. She wanted to be angry with her because it seemed to her they'd told each other everything, but then she remembered that she wasn't any better.

"That was before I joined the Fire Department," she explained quickly. She was clearly embarrassed that it had come out that way. "I went through training with Seth, and then I was placed under Athena's wing. That's how we know each other. But as you can see, I found my calling elsewhere."

"Mom, were you in the police?" Marrie was definitely far more fascinated by this fact than shocked. She probably couldn't imagine her mother in a completely different uniform than the one she wore to her unit every morning. "I want to know more about it!"

"I'll tell you next time, because we have to go to Aunt Maddie's now." Rosie adjusted her daughter's braid and looked at Lissie, only moving her lips to say she'd tell her everything when she got home and to wish her luck.

"I see you're still raising that daughter of yours alone..." Beatrice looked at Marrie coldly, and the young woman moved closer to her mother.

Lissie couldn't ignore that.

"Is there anything wrong with raising a child alone? Especially if you're damn good at it and doing a great job? Besides, Rosie always had support, and now she's reunited with Marrie's father, and everything is as it should be."

"You must be Melissa," Mr. Carter said with a smile, interrupting the tense conversation. "Thank God we don't have another teenager on our hands."

Lissie snorted briefly at Samuel's comment. She immediately decided that it wouldn't be a problem to establish a friendship with him, considering they were, after all, going to be a family.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Mr. Carter."

"Samuel," he corrected her quickly, and she nodded with a smile. "You're a lovely girl. You've grown beautiful too, Rosie," he said to Buckley, then looked at Marrie. "It's clear where your daughter got her looks."

"Thank you, Mr. Carter," Rosie replied, then instructed Marrie to thank her as well, which she did a bit shyly. "It's time for us to go."

"Are you sure?" Athena looked at Lissie's friend. "There's always room for you two."

"That's sweet of you, Athena, but we already have plans. Next time." Buckley looked at Beatrice and smiled broadly, almost unfazed by the older woman's previous attitude. Or rather, to show that she didn't care what Mrs. Carter thought of her. "It was a lovely meeting, Beatrice. I hope the next one is the same."

The woman didn't reply, but Lissie saw a sarcastic comment creeping onto her lips. Rosie finally left the house with Marrie, closely followed by Michael, who had decided to use the moment to slip away from the meeting almost unnoticed.

"I didn't realize you were still in touch with that girl," Beatrice said discontentedly to her daughter. Lissie felt May's gaze on her and saw in her eyes the pleading request for this whole conversation to finally end.

"Why shouldn't I keep in touch with her?" Athena asked, and as young Nash got to know her, she knew she was growing increasingly irritated. "We work together. Rosie's a good girl, so I don't see why I shouldn't be friends with her outside of work.

Besides, you didn't come here to ask me about Rosie, but to meet Bobby and Melissa, who, like it or not, have become my family."

"Not yet," her mother corrected her, and Samuel said his wife's name warningly. "And it already looks like they live here."

"That's only after Mrs. Carter's wedding. And only me. Lissie has her own apartment," her father assured her calmly. He held out his hand to greet her, and Mrs. Carter took it, though rather reluctantly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're very... tall."

"And handsome," Samuel added cheerfully, and Athena smiled at him. It was clear that this was going to be a very heavy dinner, and above all, Mrs. Carter was definitely not supportive of her father, herself, and certainly not of her relationship with Athena.

WORK IN THE DISPATCH OFFICE WAS, AS ALWAYS, DEMANDING. Lissie was used to it, although there were still instances that surprised her. Sometimes positively – for example, when someone had the courage to perform the simplest CPR or repeat the steps the dispatcher instructed them to save a life. Young Nash always clung to this belief in people, that not everyone was completely indifferent to human suffering, and in such situations, she convinced herself that this work had meaning.

Today was one of those slightly calmer days, although perhaps she shouldn't even have thought about that word, as she remembered perfectly well that it was forbidden in the fire department. Saying it aloud always led to a day full of work, with the strangest cases. It was just bad luck, but Lissie believed there was more to it.

Young Nash accepted the situation and, as always, uttered the standard formula of asking how she could help. For a moment, no one spoke on the other end, and when she repeated her question, she heard a boy's voice, introducing itself as Stevie.

"My name is Lissie," she said calmly, trying, as always, to show the person on the other end that he was no longer alone and that she intended to do everything she could to help. "Where are you calling from?"

"My house," he replied, giving the address. Lissie entered it into the system and immediately saw the address highlighted on her computer screen.

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

"Is it about dad..."

Lissie's heart skipped a beat. She hoped the boy she was talking to hadn't seen his parent injured.

"Is he injured?"

"No. I think he did something wrong."

"Stevie, did dad do something to you?"

"Me? No," the boy said mysteriously, and although he tried to sound confident, Lissie immediately detected some doubt in his voice, and above all, a tremor. Of course, it could have been for any number of reasons, but her intuition told her that Stevie was simply afraid of something — or someone.

"Stevie?! What the hell are you doing?! Give me back the phone!" A second voice came over the phone — male and definitely nervous. "Who's this?"

The man spoke calmly and much more friendly. Lissie couldn't understand a word of it.

"911," she replied, confused.

"Did you call 911?" He spoke again, this time addressing the boy who had made the call. "Oh my. This is a bit embarrassing, but my son got into trouble and is grounded. I guess it's a matter of life and death for him at 13. I'm so sorry we wasted your time."

She wasn't entirely convinced by that explanation, but she didn't know what she could do to make sure nothing bad was happening outside the house.

"It happens... Just tell me, are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yes, thank you, although someone's detention has just been extended. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The man hung up, but that didn't help Lissie at all. Everything seemed fine, and maybe it was just to make the boy cause more trouble — it happened, it wouldn't be the first time — but she felt she should check it out. Stevie had actually sounded scared when he'd first spoken to her, and no detention could have made him play his role that well.

Lissie needed advice on this matter, because even though she had an idea how to check if anything was going on at the boy's house, she needed to know if they could even do something like that. She supposedly had some experience working in the dispatch center, but she preferred to consult someone who had been in this business much longer than she had and knew almost every legal loophole that applied to them.

She found Sue in the kitchen on a short coffee break.

"Hey, can I have a moment?"

"Sure," the woman smiled at her. "What's going on?"

"I hope nothing's wrong and my gut feeling's wrong, but I got a rather strange call... A boy called and said his dad had done something wrong, but before he could even begin to tell me, his father answered the phone and said his son had been grounded and was making a life-or-death issue out of it..."

"And you think it's more than that, right?" Sue prompted, clearly having extensive experience in such conversations.

"I don't know... My intuition usually doesn't fail me in these kinds of situations, and the boy sounded genuinely scared at the very beginning of the conversation. Teenagers can fake it, of course, but I'm not convinced he was that scared."

"In that case, ask child protection to take care of it. The police will check if dad is telling the truth, and you'll calm down."

Lissie nodded and took a deep breath. She already knew who she was supposed to call.

As she'd expected, Athena answered her phone almost immediately. Sometimes this completely surprised her, because whether she was at home or at work, she was always on call, ready to help those closest to her.

"Lissie, honey," she heard the sergeant's cheerful voice. "Aren't you at work?"

"Half a shift behind me, half a shift ahead. But I'm actually calling about work. I'd like to ask you for help."

"I'm all ears." Lissie briefly explained what was happening and eagerly awaited Grant's response. She didn't doubt he'd refuse her help, but she also wondered if she should still put her in such a precarious situation and whether her father would hold it against her later. "I'm finishing my break, so I'll be there soon. Just text me the address of the boy's house. I'll let you know when it's all over."

"Thank you so much. You'll definitely put my mind at ease if you check it out." "It's my job, after all, honey."

Lissie smiled to herself and, after hanging up with Athena, immediately texted her the address of the boy and his father.

THE NEXT EVENING, SHE RETURNED TO THE GRANTS FOR DINNER WITH ATHENA'S PARENTS. She honestly wanted to be positive, but she was tired and, above all, constantly worried about the boy who had made the mysterious call. Earlier, Athena had told her she had visited the house, but although something seemed suspicious to her, she couldn't find fault with it. Because of the promised dinner, she couldn't personally observe the boy's father, but she used Seth to do so, as he was supposed to let her know if he discovered anything suspicious.

Despite her reluctance and her desire to stay at home and burrow under the covers, her father needed her support in dealing with Beatrice. She couldn't understand the woman's problem, but with each passing moment, she couldn't blame Michael for refusing to meet with her. She also remembered Suzanna's words, who had asked her to keep a close eye on her father's future in-laws, so she could report back later.

Athena and Bobby were busy preparing dinner, and Lissie wanted to join them, but they both convinced her to stay in the living room with the kids and their grandparents. May was reporting on her Yule Ball to her grandmother and showing them photos, and Harry had persuaded her and his grandfather to play UNO. Lissie preferred that to sitting idly by and being judged by Mrs. Carter. The game itself was quite enjoyable, especially after Harry carefully explained the rules to Samuel and he started beating them all.

"That's beginner's luck," Lissie joked, losing the game once again. "Harry, admit you didn't shuffle the cards properly."

"I used the method you taught me."

"Then you chose a less than good method." The three of them laughed, and Harry began shuffling and then rearranging the cards. While the boy was distracted, Lissie took advantage of this brief break and, perhaps unconsciously, or perhaps more so, began listening to May's conversation with her grandmother.

"Why is that picture of Bobby, his daughter, and your mother's former recruit?" Beatrice asked, and Lissie didn't need to see which photo she was asking about to know she was referring to the one Michael had encouraged them to take. "Wasn't it just supposed to be a family photo?"

"And it was, of course," May explained with a smile, perhaps partially misunderstanding her grandmother's quip. She swiped her finger on the tablet, and this time a selfie appeared on the screen, the three of them taking just before the teenager left the room. "Lissie and Rosie helped me get ready, and thanks to them, I wasn't so worried about this whole prom thing anymore. If it weren't for their help, I would have been completely stressed."

"Oh, right?" Beatrice raised her appraising gaze at her, and Nash knew she didn't even like that.

"You could have handled it yourself, May. We were just there, but I did it gladly because you looked beautiful. And Rosie was happy to help, too."

"I only looked beautiful because of your help."

"No," Lissie shook her head. "That's because you're beautiful yourself, May. The dress, hair, and makeup were just extras."

"That's more than obvious to anyone," Beatrice commented coldly.

Lissie really tried and used all her willpower, but this time she couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes, and Mrs. Carter was visibly indignant, but if she wanted to say something, she didn't have the chance, because Bobby approached the table. He crouched down in front of Harry and, as befits a future stepfather, asked young Grant to pick up the table for a project, which wasn't unusual. Long before she married her father, Marcy had often asked her to clean up after herself or help her while they waited for Bobby. This seemed completely normal, because such relationships were never about replacing a parent – no matter how hard Marcy tried, she couldn't change the fact that she wasn't her biological mother, and Harry had a father, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a good relationship with Bobby.

"Who are you to order him around?" Beatrice asked sharply. "They're not yours. You're not their father."

This time, Lissie was tired of sitting quietly and enduring Beatrice's comments.

"My father and Athena are going to get married." Lissie straightened her back and assumed the same stance as Mrs. Carter. "That means my dad will become May and Harry's stepfather, and until they both want to move in with Michael permanently, which is what happens in the next few years, this will still be their home. How exactly do you imagine he'll act towards them?"

Beatrice straightened her sweater and pointed at her.

"You have no idea, so don't interfere."

The girl stood up from her seat, fury surging through her.

"Oh, I think I have the best idea, considering I was raised by my stepmother for half my life!" Bobby said her name, trying to calm her down, but she refused to give in. "No, dad! I'm not going to sit quietly and pretend everything is fine." I don't know what your problem is with us, Beatrice" — she emphasized her name — "and whatever it is, fine. We don't have to like each other, but for Athena's sake, we should treat each other with respect."

"You're showing me by your behavior right now that you show me no respect."

Lissie snorted.

"Because I'm doing what a daughter should do and standing up for my father?"

"Lissie, that's enough!" Bobby admonished. She looked at him, and something in his gaze told her that if she continued, it would only get worse. "You've said enough."

"Dad..."

Bobby glared at her sternly, and she folded her arms across her chest, unable to believe he was trying to silence her, silently scolding her like a little child, as he used to.

"I'm sorry about your family," Beatrice seized the moment and spoke again, "but my grandchildren are not a consolation prize."

"Children," Athena entered the room, her expression suggesting she would scream any moment. May and Harry quickly understood, leaping from their seats and heading to their rooms, leaving the adults alone.

"Lissie, you too," Bobby said to her, and she shook her head.

"No way. I'm not a child. I'm staying."

"Apologize to him, mom," Athena said to her mother. "What you said was inappropriate."

"Athena, you don't have to—"

"You do. Unless she doesn't want to stay the night in this house."

"I'll apologize, if she does." Beatrice pointed at Lissie again.

Nash opened her mouth to respond in some teasing way, but quickly stopped herself when she saw her father watching her intently. Perhaps the belligerent attitude she must have carried throughout most of high school when she argued with him had come to the fore, but now she knew she had to suppress it. Otherwise, nothing good would come of it.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice," was all she could manage.

Lissie thought she'd have to go crazy if she apologized for what she'd said. You don't apologize for the truth. Beatrice clasped her hands together and nodded.

"I'm sorry I said that in front of the kids." Mrs. Carter clearly had the same idea as Lissie, and for a moment — a very brief one, but still — young Nash thought the woman had her respect.

"You shouldn't have said that at all!" Athena retorted. "It's none of your business."

Beatrice visibly took offense at her daughter's words. Lissie felt the whole situation slowly spiraling out of control.

"I'm tired of you deciding what to do, Athena. You didn't tell me about him! Or about the proposal, like last year. My little girl almost died, and you didn't say anything for months!"

"She's not your little girl, she's mine!"

Lissie had known this story long before she met May, because Rosie needed support and a way to confide in her about what had happened to the girl she'd known almost since birth. Bullying at school and harassment drove May to try to take her own life. Young Nash's heart broke when she heard about it, unable to imagine the horrors she must have endured. She herself had the support of Ian, who always stood by her side at school and wasn't afraid to punch someone on her behalf when necessary. He defended and protected her, like an older brother. May didn't have anyone like that — she had to cope on her own, and at the time, that seemed the best way to go. She didn't judge her, because for a brief moment in Chicago, she had had similar thoughts. But she was too much of a coward, or so brave, according to her previous therapist, to turn her thoughts into action.

"Enough!" Bobby interrupted the tense exchange between mother and daughter, just when everything threatened to lead to them both saying a few words too much, if they hadn't already.

"Bobby's right," Samuel spoke for the first time. "We were all upset. Let's take a moment to calm down."

"With all due respect, your daughter is a wonderful woman and a damn good mother. She shouldn't be treated like that in her own home." "Your mother overreacted. Bea, you should say something to your daughter."

Beatrice sighed heavily, looking at her husband. She focused on him for a moment, then turned to Athena.

"We're leaving in the morning," she announced seriously.

Athena looked at her in shock. Then something in her gaze changed, as if she'd expected this. Only then did they both walk away in different directions.

LISSIE CONCLUSIONED THAT HER LIFE IN LOS ANGELES REVOLVED MAINLY AROUND THREE PLACES. These were Rosie's apartment, the dispatch center, and her father's house, or Athena's — she treated them all as one in her head. The fourth place she spent most of her time was Station 118th, where she was at that very moment. She accepted her father's invitation, who suggested she join her and the firehouse crew for dinner. He didn't need much persuading — since it was her day off, she didn't have much plans, and she also didn't feel like cooking.

The entire meal passed in a pleasant atmosphere, and afterward, Lissie offered to help clean up with Rosie and Hen. It was also a chance to talk about what had been happening in the Grant household recently, especially since Rosie and Hen had known Athena longer, and her father clearly needed someone to vent to.

"After that whole argument, I was just speechless," Bobby said, and Lissie felt a new wave of anger wash over her. Beatrice had no right to speak to her like that, let alone her father. "I shouldn't have interfered, but I don't know..."

"Oh, Mommy was mean," Hen joked, clearing away the dirty dishes. "The spectrum of mommies is very wide. There are nice mommies..."

"It's Rosie," Lissie interjected, and Buckley blushed slightly. "Even if she didn't tell me she was 007."

Wilson looked at her in surprise.

"You didn't know Rosie was in the police?"

"Did you?"

"Of course," she said as if it were natural. "After all, I've known her longer than you have."

Lissie thought Hen meant no harm, but she still felt a slight twinge of... jealousy? Perhaps partly because Hen knew Rosie from her early days in the fire department and when she'd first time been with Chim. Lissie knew the story, but only by hearsay.

"But I'm her best friend. And Marrie's godmother," Lissie said emphatically. She might have sounded jealous, but a part of her compelled her to show Hen that she might have known Rosie before, but she hadn't been as close to her as she was.

"I'm sorry," Lissie said, looking at Nash remorsefully. She clearly felt bad for keeping quiet about it. "Are you mad at me for not telling you?"

The brunette sighed silently and shook her head.

"I'm not mad," she assured her. And indeed, it was the truth. She couldn't be mad at her when she wasn't being honest. "Just surprised. It's normal that you had a life before you met me. And honestly, it's brilliant, even though you're completely screwed that you gave up one demanding job and took another."

"You can only blame Chim," she laughed briefly. "Or rather, the night I met him, and as luck or misfortune would have it, there was a fire during the party, and somehow we evacuated everyone together."

"You're forgiven." Lissie stuck out her tongue, and then the four of them stood at the kitchen counter. "So what other types of mothers are there, Hen?" She looked at Wilson with a brighter expression.

"Cool moms, helicopter moms, tiger moms, and Beatrice."

"Oh, is Bea so difficult that she needs her own category?"

"Lissie, don't be mean," Bobby pointed out, but an amused smile was playing on his lips.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just asked a question out of simple curiosity in my heart."

She shrugged innocently, and the girls laughed briefly.

"Remember, she named her daughter after a Greek goddess. Wisdom, but above all, war."

"She was also the goddess of needlework," Lissie interrupted again. "I've read the mythology, okay?"

"Bea had big plans for Athena," Hen continued. "And even bigger expectations, but she knows how the world works. Like Athena, she would have to fight for everything. She wasn't just raising a daughter, she was raising a warrior."

THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS BOY HAD A TRAGIC ENDING. It turned out that Stevie wasn't living with his father at all, but with his kidnapper, who had taken him from his real parents when he was only a few years old. He was caught committing the same crime, attempting to kidnap another boy, but thanks to Athena and Seth's intervention, he failed. The man went to jail, and the kidnapped boys went to their parents, although Stevie was certainly going to have a very challenging and difficult time ahead of him.

On the plus side, Athena's parents were out of town. Lissie decided to maintain her honor and respect, and although she still stood her ground, she apologized to Beatrice for the way she addressed her. Surprisingly, Athena's mother did something similar, and although they weren't meant to be close friends, she suggested she call her by her first name, which Lissie accepted without question.

Ultimately, the farewell dinner was quite a success, but when the door closed behind the Carters, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Lissie was finally about to make that incredibly difficult decision: choosing a car. She was tired of taking public transportation or relying on Rosie or Chima. She knew they had no problem with that, but she finally had to become independent, and after a few months of working, she was able to buy a used car. Bobby even told her that if she was short on money, he'd be happy to chip in, but right now he had far more pressing expenses.

That didn't change the fact that choosing a car was proving to be much more difficult than she'd expected. Initially, her father was supposed to help her choose, especially since he was also the one who'd given her her first car. However, she didn't want to bother him, and after conversation after conversation—and with a little pressure from Marrie, who was her witness—Buck said he'd be happy to help her choose something.

"Okay, so have you thought about what you need?" "Buckley asked as they walked through the gate to the used car lot. She couldn't afford a new car, but she needed one, and a well-maintained second-hand car wasn't bad. "That would make our search easier."

"Buck," she looked at him with amusement. "Do I look like someone who knows anything about cars? It's supposed to run and not break down in a week."

The boy let out a short laugh. As they walked between the aisles of cars, Buckley, more or less consciously, extended his hand toward Lissie. Their fingers touched briefly, and when they pulled them apart, almost as if burned, and looked at each other, they shared a short, uncertain smile.

"You're excused because you're adorable," he said, not commenting on what had happened.

"Thanks? I guess so, if that was a compliment."

"I can only compliment you."

Lissie giggled cheerfully.

"Lovebird," she punched Buckley in the arm. "You can flirt with other girls, not me. It doesn't work on me."

"You could always try," he replied, stopping at a black Audi and gesturing at it. "It's 2004. The specs are fine, so it should last a while. The price is decent too."

"But it's black. It's a terribly boring color."

"You're going to choose a car based on its color?"

"No," she shook her head, "but I wouldn't be offended if it were blue, for example. Like this one!"

Lissie pointed to a car model parked a few meters away. She quickly walked over to it, but her smile faded when she saw the price on the billboard.

"I guess it doesn't have to be blue after all."

"Or we could find a blue one that fits your budget. And that fits your specifications," Buck remarked.

"It has to run and not break down," they said simultaneously.

Finally, after almost two hours of wandering among the cars, they decided to seek help from a specialist. He quickly found a model that met the criteria, was in very good condition, and most importantly, navy blue. Lissie wanted a blue car, so she got one.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, setting her half-eaten burger down on her plate.

Buck looked up from his plate.

"Sounds pretty dangerous. Should I be afraid?"

"No," she laughed, but quickly sobered, which was a denial. "I guess. Part of it depends on whether you're honest with me."

"I think we've already agreed on that," he replied, and she nodded, remembering their conversation over the holidays. "What's bothering you so much?"

"I'm just wondering... Has Marrie told you anything strange lately?"

"Marrie is a damned big tornado of truth packed into a remarkably small person, so of course she is. Always."

"That's true too," she snorted briefly. "The thing is, she caught up with me in the kitchen recently and said you were looking at me the way people look at puppies when they pass one in the park."

Buck almost choked on his drink. Then he shook his head, his eyes clearly sparkling with amusement, though his cheeks were slightly flushed.

"And she told me you talk about me in a dreamy voice when I'm not around."

Lissie looked at him, eyes wide.

"Little trickster," she said excitedly. She picked up a fry and pointed it at the boy across from her. "Why do I get the feeling that since her parents are already together, she's now trying to set someone else up?"

"You weren't any better."

"Neither were you!" She threw a fry at him. "You agreed to help with Rosie and Chime right away." 

"And it turned out they did just fine without us, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd known all along."

"Don't be surprised, because Marrie started reading teen romance novels. They're full of slow burns, couples of friends who end up falling in love, and so on... I could have bought her one or two myself, but I didn't think she'd be so into it."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, as if analyzing what they'd said so far. Something unsaid hung between them, and it was hard to say what had caused it. Lissie, however, hadn't forgotten Buck's words from her birthday, nor the fact that he'd kept every one of them so far. For a moment, she even thought that maybe Marrie, who'd tried to set them up, hadn't had such a stupid, childish idea after all. For a moment, she let her head shut off and let her heart feel and desire — which still wanted to be completely happy, and for that moment, she didn't think Buck was such a bad option.

"Do you think we should tell her we've found out?" Buck asked after a moment.

"I don't think so. She's having a good laugh, and we know how it is anyway."

Their conversation was interrupted by Lissie's phone ringing. She pulled it out of her pants pocket and uttered a quiet "aha" when she saw who was calling. Then she showed the phone screen to Buck.

"We've summoned the wolf from the forest."

Lissie laughed briefly and answered the call. She always answered Marrie's calls.

"Flower, what's up?"

"Auntie?!" Marrie said on the other end, utterly terrified. "You have to come, as soon as possible! Someone's here!"

Young Nash's heart stopped almost immediately.

"Marrie, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"At Aunt Maddie's house," she said nervously. "Mom and Auntie were downstairs, and I was upstairs... I heard some strange noises. I think someone was arguing and fighting. I'm afraid something bad happened..."

"Are you safe there?" Lissa's 911 skills immediately kicked in. She gestured to Buck that they needed to get going, and without hesitation, he threw the bills for their order on the table. They hurried toward the car, and she put the call on speakerphone so Evan could hear her too. "You need to find a safe place."

"I'm safe, I think. I closed the door to my room, just as I'd been taught."

Nash wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that the knowledge they'd instilled in her since childhood was incredibly useful. But her heart sank at the thought of having to use it, especially when something might have happened to Maddie and Rosie.

"Good, that's very good, sweetie. You're very brave. But you need to be even braver and call the emergency services. Do you remember the numbers?"

"I already called them," she announced, and Lissie felt a brief surge of pride, though it didn't ease her fears, not even for a moment. "The lady said help was on its way. Auntie, I'm scared, what if something happened to Mom?"

"Uncle Buck and I are going to see you, so we'll be there soon," she said evasively. She couldn't promise her anything, not knowing anything about what had happened. "Don't come out of hiding under any circumstances. I'll find you."

"Hurry up, please."

Buck and Lissie merely exchanged the same worried look, and then Buckley pressed the gas pedal, accelerating with all his might.

A/N

Now the action begins... Stay tuned for more - a lot will be happening ;)