A/N If you haven't read Blending Christmas, you won't really know these characters, except as Sam's parents from Resolutions.

When Bryan appeared at his door, he embraced Mike immediately. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I figured I'd wait. Did Darlene tell you?"

They had arrived late the night before and his friend wasted no time getting to him. Alison was behind her husband and when Bryan let him go, she embraced Mike. Hers was quicker, but he appreciated her support.

"Yeah, but Sam got wind of it. Some old friends were fishing to see what he knew. You know former chief's son, the new chief's daughter."

"Christ, you heard about it in Maine! Where's Sam?"

"With Linda's mother. Where's Anna? Dee told me about Shelby."

It was a dark time when Bryan's first wife, Linda had lost her battle with cancer. Bryan's son Sam was two years older than Anna and always looked out for her before Bryan moved him away.

"Shelby's rejection broke Anna's heart. She's still sleeping or hiding."

"I can't believe what they did to her car!"

"What?" Mike ran to his window a peered out onto his driveway. There was spray paint on Anna's car. He felt his anger rise. "What does it say?"

"Lots of things... slut, whore, worse..."

"I'm calling Jake! There's coffee. Help yourselves." He waved his hand in that direction as he stepped outside with his phone to his ear. He couldn't believe that people would be so mean. He had lived in this town his whole life and it was turning against him and Anna - poor Anna.

Jake promised to come by and Mike returned to find Anna in Bryan's embrace. When he released her, Mike put a protective arm around her.

"Honey, someone vandalized your car. I'm sorry. I wish I knew why everyone is turning against us." Looking up a Bryan, he said, "I walked in the diner and the place went silent. It was breakfast time, so I had a good forty eyes staring at me."

"What happened?"

"Tina greeted me so they all knew I have her support. The crew is supporting us, but the people for him are more vocal."

Anna spoke up. "There is a 'Save Mr. Volpe' website. They're saying mean and awful things."

"What? You're a student at that school aren't their rules about that?"

Alison said, "That's bullying."

"I'm dropping out of school."

Mike felt his anger rise. He reminded himself to focus it on those heartless people and not Anna. "You can't let this ruin you. You need an education."

"I can't. This is the way it is now. What happens when they know about it? I can't hide it forever."

Mike was pacing like a caged animal. Alison jumped up. "Anna, come sit with me. Let Bryan talk to your father."

Mike watched as Alison ushered Anna into her bedroom. His house wasn't big. He sat at the table and Bryan sat next to him. He looked at his best friend. "Some vacation, you're having."

"I don't care. I'm just glad to be here for you. I wish I could say I know what you're feeling. We've worried that Cole might get a girl in trouble and thinking of the guy preying on Anna, Jesus if that happened to Keira, I'd want to rip his throat. I've only loved Keira for three years. Anna is yours by blood... since birth. Man from where I sit you are holding it together better than I could."

Mike knew that was bull, Bryan was a calm soul. He was his role model, and he often asked himself what would Bry do?

"What am I supposed to do? I can't let her out of the house?"

A rap on the door interrupted Bryan's response. Upon seeing Bryan, Jake gave him a warm greeting before turning to Mike.

"This town has gone crazy. All three towns since it's everyone at the high school that's contributing to the hate."

"How can they support a punk molester over a girl who has lived here her whole life?" Mike's anger was eating at his insides.

Jake shook his head. "The DNA will take weeks so we got nothing to charge him with. I got people coming to take evidence from the car. I looked at the phone records there are A LOT of text messages. I just don't know the content. If you were to turn over her phone?"

"Yes, she doesn't need to read what's happening." Without hesitation he stood up and called out. "Anna." He opened her door. "Jake's here. He needs your phone."

She looked shocked, but then she looked at the device with loathing and nodded. She stood and brought it to Jake and showed him her passcode. Mike wished he had been one of those parents who checked their child's phone regularly, but until this mess he never imagined that he needed to.

Jake left to watch over his team as they took pictures of Anna's car.

Shelby would be livid about the car. He returned from seeing Jake to the door and found Alison and Bryan deep in discussion.

Giving them space he went to check on Anna. She was curled up on her bed. "Everyone hates me."

"Not everyone but Turner doesn't feel as friendly as it used to." Mike wasn't certain what to do. She needed to go to school, but she wasn't safe. It surprised him no one from the school had contacted him. He didn't even bother to call in her absence that morning, yet they didn't call looking for her. He felt like no one cared that she was a victim.

"We'll figure something out." He said as he rubbed her back.

Leaving her to return to his friends, Alison patted his back. "Is she all right?" He nodded. "Have you even discussed what you'll do with the baby?"

Mike sighed. "When we first found out which was awful, Shelby found the test in her trash, Anna had this idea she and the father would play house. We had no idea that she wasn't talking about some high school kid."

"I wouldn't want either of our boys forced into fatherhood." Alison looked at her hands.

"Shelby isn't raising a baby and I can't, not with my job. I can't raise a teenager. I have had to leave her alone overnight. I'd favor adoption, but who knows what she's thinking."

Bryan said, "Alison and I have a solution." Mike nodded to let him know he was open to any option. "She should come home with us. Sure she'll be pregnant, but no one will know how. She can go to school. You could come visit. I know it sucks, but she can't stay here."

Alison added, "Teens are fragile and the constant bullying could break her. Sam will look out for her."

Mike shook his head. He'd miss her and what about Shelby. Alison said, "Talk to Anna and her mother. It would be a squeeze, but we can fit her in. Keira might have some questions about the pregnancy, but it won't taint her although her father will probably complain."

Mike felt overwhelmed. Could he survive without seeing his girl? Could he afford to go back and forth to visit her? There was too much to think about. Mike hadn't even gone to visit them. It seemed like a foreign land. Living with the ocean down the street sounded like a vacation, but he knew it wasn't.

"What other options do you have? Send her to your parents or your brother?"

Mike groaned. "They don't even know about this mess. I don't want to send her away like I'm ashamed."

He'd have to think about his options. He wasn't totally strapped. He never had to pay alimony and a small house meant a small mortgage. He had a some savings from when his grandmother passed that he hoped to use towards college. He could probably afford private school, but the only one around was Catholic, and he doubted they'd take his pregnant daughter. He could move two towns to the next school district, but with social media he doubted that they'd escape the rumors

This was the nightmare that would never end. The continuation was clear when he manned up and called Shelby about the car. He called her at her office hoping that she'd stay calm, but no such luck.

"You never should have gotten the police involved!"

"I had to Shel. It's a crime. I know it sucks, but you washed your hands of her so I'm stuck dealing with it. She can't go back to school."

"She has to. She got herself into this mess."

"Have a little sympathy she's still a child... your child."

"A foolish one."

He refused to agree, although he did feel she was foolish and misguided. "Bryan and his wife offered to take her in."

"Didn't he move to the other side of the earth?" She sounded disgusted.

"Maine. He lives in Maine. It's not ideal, but she could go to school away from this scandal."

"She should go. Let it all die down."

He felt disappointed. He thought she would say it was a crazy idea and now he felt forced to pursue it. He didn't want her away from him, but he had responsibilities to the town. Could she come back after she gave birth? Would it have died down by then?

The only thing left to do was talk to Anna about it.