^^ Adam ^^

Every parent or carer will know that receiving a phone call from the school, asking you to attend a meeting that day about your child, will always be nerve-wracking. Especially when that child isn't really your child. Add on to that the fact that we also have a lady from DCFS coming this afternoon to assess whether we are suitable to look after that child and the fact that today we get the results that will hopefully mean Banjo won't lose his hand, and I'm sure you can imagine that my nerves are well and truly shot. So far this morning, I have managed to spill my coffee all over myself due to my shaking hands; I've shut my own fingers in the back door because I wasn't paying attention, and I've tripped over the coffee table in the living room. Twice. Oh, and I also slipped getting out of the shower and narrowly missed splitting my head open on the bathroom sink. It's been a fantastic start to the day.

For the safety of myself and everyone around me, I decide to drive the car today rather than taking the bike. I'm not convinced that I wouldn't end up dropping it and sliding down the road, leaving a pretty trail of sparks behind me as I go. I decide that more caffeine is not going to help my nervous disposition this morning, so when I get to Shelby's, I very sensibly order a bottled water and a muffin, hoping that my stomach can handle that. Also, I figure that at least if I drop it, it won't severely injure me or anyone else. I'm sitting at the counter very carefully picking off bits of my muffin, making sure I chew properly so that I don't choke when I get the urge to turn around and look outside. I'm glad I chewed properly because the sight I see causes an unstoppable giggle to erupt from my throat, which almost certainly would have led to choking. Jay is outside the door, and I'm currently watching him go through a little routine. He paces a few steps, before reaching a hand out to the door. Then he pauses, shakes his head and paces again. He looks like a pre-pubescent schoolboy who is about to own up to his crush. He must feel my eyes on him because he looks up and sends me a pleading look. I roll my eyes and stand up slowly, making sure I have my balance before letting go of the counter completely. As I open the door, his pleading look turns to panic as he realises that the barrier between him and the café is no more.

"Why hello there, Jay. How are you this fine morning?" I grin at him, laughing when he tips his head back and groans. I stumble a bit as I laugh and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Are you drunk? Already?" He asks, glancing at the watch on his wrist to confirm that yes, it is only nine a.m.

"No! It's just been a hell of a morning. My body seems to be at odds with my brain today. Or maybe they're in sync, seeing as they're both fucking scrambled,"

"Lenni," he interrupts. "You're ranting,"

I scowl at him. "And you're avoiding. Now stop being a little bitch and get your arse inside,"

We have this little standoff that lasts for about a minute before I turn my head towards the café, with a grin on my face. I'm about to shout for Shelby when Jay's hand suddenly appears over my mouth. He shoves past me, almost knocking me on my arse as he does, muttering about 'fucking women'. I grin triumphantly when he approaches the counter, but when he grabs the edge and I see how white his knuckles are, I actually feel a little sympathy for him. I move to stand next to him and nudge him with my hip.

"You've got this," I murmur quietly, looking up when I hear the clicking of Shelby's heels as she approaches. Now, I don't know how these two feel, but this is majorly fucking awkward even for me. I feel like I should say something to break the silence, but my mind is a total blank. I'm never speechless. Shit, this is going terribly. "He'll have a coffee," I say, looking between the pair of them as they look anywhere but at each other. It wasn't the most inspired thing I could have said, but it works as I see Shelby move to the coffee machine while Jay's shoulders relax. They don't even speak as Jay pays for the coffee, and he only nods when Shelby passes it to him. I sigh and take a sip of my water when he turns to walk out the door. Then I wish I hadn't. Today is really not my day.

"Go on a date with me," he blurts, spinning around to face Shelby again just before he reaches the door.

That does it; I choke on my water and I think I'm dying. It's not even one of those subtle chokes. This is a full-on coughing and spluttering, spraying water everywhere. It's even coming out of my nose. It's gross. I flinch when a hand slaps me hard on the back several times, and through the tears that are streaming from my eyes, I see Jay looking perplexed.

"Thanks," I say while trying desperately to suck in some oxygen.

"You good?" He asks, grinning at me.

I nod. "I'm good. Carry on," I say, gesturing to Shelby with my hand. I look up at her and see the blush on her olive cheeks. "You were saying?"

"Right," He clears his throat. "Go on a date with me," He says it slower this time, and it actually sounds like English now.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Shelby asks with a smirk. Finally, some normalcy between them.

"Asking. Unless you're going to say no, in which case I'm not giving you a choice and I'm telling you," And there he is; the normal, cocky, arrogant Jay that I know and love.

Shelby nods and I see her smile widen. "In that case, sure. I'll go on a date with you,"

I breathe a very long and loud sigh of relief. "Right. Great. My work here is done. I love you both. My day has been shit so far, so if I don't make it back later, assume I fell down a drain and was kidnapped by a clown. Or, that I was sucked into a black hole and ended up on Mars. The way my luck has been today, either one of those scenarios is totally conceivable,"

I ignore their confused looks, waving briefly as I pull the door open and head to my car. I want to cry or laugh. I'm not sure, but if I get through today with my entire body intact, it will be a miracle.

***

I'm about to step out of the car when my door is opened for me, and I look up to see a concerned Robin looking down at me.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

I raise an eyebrow at her. "I could ask you the same thing. Mr Gregory asked me to come in for a meeting. Something I should know about?"

Now she looks even more confused, and strangely, that comforts me. If she'd done something wrong, she'd look guilty, or worried. "Um, not that I can think of. Things are going good,"

I get out of the car and stretch. "Why aren't you in lesson then?" I ask.

She laughs. "We're on break. I'm meeting Stacey and Adam out here. We've all got maths next," she tells me, and I kind of feel a little guilty for doubting her.

"So, about Adam," I start, laughing when she groans. "I'm kidding. But everything's good? You're settled in?" We don't really get much time to talk about everything at school, and usually, when I try, she rolls her eyes and fobs me off. I'm sure I wasn't this much hard work as a teenager. Actually, maybe I was. I mentally apologise to Skids for everything I put him through, and wonder if Robin's attitude is my karma for being a little shit.

She nudges my shoulder with hers and turns when Adam calls her name, approaching with Stacey. "Everything's good, I promise," she says quietly, before turning to her friends with a grin. "Hey, guys,"

"Okay, I'm going. Be good, and if you can't be good, at least don't get caught," I say, before pausing mid-step and turning back to them. "Forget I said that last bit, just be good,"

"She's so cool," I hear Adam say, and can't help the smug grin that appears on my face. It's official; I'm cool, I have the teenager seal of approval. I might like him a little bit more now. My grin drops as I walk through the main entrance as my nerves reappear.

One thing I'm still getting used to about living in a small town is the way everyone knows you, and you're pretty much on a first name basis with everyone you meet.

"Selena! Hello, how are you?" Sandra, Mr Gregory's assistant greets me as I enter the office.

I smile back at her and nod. "Hey, Sandra. I'm good thank you, you?" We chat for a few moments before Mr Gregory pokes his head around his door and waves me into his office.

"Good morning, Selena. Please have a seat," I do as he says and clear my throat, trying desperately to calm my nerves. "Now, I know that the meeting about Robin is coming up in the next few days, and I just wanted to have a chat with you and make sure we're on the same page,"

Shit. My heart starts pounding and my mouth goes dry. I internally pray that he's not switching sides and still has our backs with this. "Okay, that sounds good," I say, clearing my throat again.

"My son started college last year, so I have a pretty good idea of what communicating with a teenager can be like. When I used to ask my son how his day was, I was usually answered with a grunt. At the most, I'd get a short rant about a teacher he didn't like. I assume Robin's the same?"

I laugh and nod. "I usually get a shrug and a 'yeh, it was fine' from her!"

He smiles back and I can't help but wonder if I would have gone to school more if I'd had a teacher like him. He actually cares about his students; it's clear to see for everyone. "That's what I thought, so I thought that maybe I could update you on her progress and let you know what I'll be saying at this meeting if that's okay?"

"You're coming to the meeting?" I ask, surprised.

"Yes, I thought it would make more of an impact than just having a written statement. George and I discussed it when he called the other day, and we both think it will be better for me to be there personally. It also means I can answer questions, rather than just having a piece of paper there," I nod and breathe a sigh of relief. This whole process has been terrifying, but I'm so grateful to have so many people fighting for Robin. "It's all positive. Robin has settled in brilliantly in the short time she's been here. She's made a good group of friends and seems to be well liked by everyone. Academically speaking, she's doing very well, she has a GPA of 3.8-"

I put a hand up to stop him. "Okay, I'm from England and we didn't have GPAs, we just had grades. Is that good?"

He smiles again. "It is. It means that she's reaching As or A-s in most of her classes," I blow a breath out and nod, my eyes wide. The kids a genius. "She's very interested in going to college, and from what I've been told by her teachers, she's done a fair amount of research into it already," This doesn't surprise me, she regularly borrows my laptop to do the same at home. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. What happened to the kid who had to steal to eat? I don't think anyone could've predicted this turnaround from her. "She's also been instrumental in establishing a buddy system at the school,"

I tilt my head and purse my lips. "Buddy system?"

He nods and hands me a flyer that sits on his desk. It's a poster asking juniors and seniors to sign up to the buddy scheme, to help the younger or more vulnerable students at the school. "It was Robin's idea, essentially. She saw a younger student looking lost and scared in the halls a few days ago, and took it upon herself to help him out and keep an eye on him. She actually approached our guidance counsellor here and asked why there wasn't some kind of scheme where people were responsible for doing exactly that. So she and the guidance counsellor approached me and I gave them the go-ahead,"

I'm gobsmacked. "So, how does it work?"

"The older students sign up to be a buddy, and they get assigned to a student who may need their help. Whether it's with the social side of school, or finding their way around, or even with academic help. The students who need the help get it and the buddies have something extra on their record, to help with college applications or employment,"

I raise an eyebrow. "And this was Robin's idea?" I ask.

He nods again. "She seemed to think it was common sense for there to be something like this in place. I think all the staff felt slightly inadequate that it was her idea and not ours,"

I realise that I'm still staring at the flyer in my hand, and I shake my head to clear it. "I'm sorry, this just all seems too good to be true. The turnaround from when I first met her has been incredible. I'm waiting for the bad news, I guess," I say, chewing my bottom lip.

Mr Gregory sits back and rests his hands on the arms of his chair. "That's understandable. Lots of young people come from difficult backgrounds, and unfortunately, many of them don't get the help and support they need in order to excel. Robin has that support from you, which has enabled her to achieve what she has. I think that any child is capable of greatness if they only have the support they need,"

I shake my head. "You give me too much credit. This is all her,"

"Well, hopefully, this meeting will get things cleared up, and her progress can continue,"

I nod but don't answer. The stakes suddenly seem so much higher now. Her progress has been unbelievable, and I'm immensely proud, but if this meeting doesn't go our way, there is so much more for her to lose now.

***

"Sorry! I know I'm late. It's been one of those mornings!" I say as I hurry into Banjo's room. "What did I miss?" I look around and see Banjo, Smiler and Ash looking at me weirdly. "What?"

"You're not late," Smiler says, leaning over to kiss me as I sit.

"I'm not?" I ask, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Doc hasn't been round yet," Banjo shrugs.

"But you had your scan right?" I ask, frowning when he nods. "Oh, well okay then. How is everything?"

"Everything's fine, Len. What's wrong with you?" Ash asks.

I wave my hand dismissively. "Nothing. Just a crazy morning," I say, ignoring the puzzled looks they're all sending me. I'm relieved when the door opens to reveal Dr Ryan, taking their attention off me. I've been flustered all morning and the looks they keep giving me are making me question my sanity. I notice that the doctor leaves the door open this time, and he's smiling.

"Good afternoon, how are you today, Benjamin?" He asks, nodding at us all.

"Good doc, what's the news?" Banjo replies.

"It's good news," he says, and I hear all of us simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief. "The infection is clearing up, and the bones look like they're starting to heal at the expected rate. I want to keep you on the IV antibiotics for a couple more days. Then we'll replace your cast with a lighter one, and switch you to oral antibiotics. We'll look at getting you discharged then so you can recover at home. You'll need regular checkups, and the physio and I will continue to see you as an outpatient. But everything looks good for now. Keep it up," He smiles and says his goodbyes, leaving the four of us in the room.

"Wow!" I breathe, laughing when Banjo nods. "So, if you could keep this up, and not give us any more scares, I think we'd all really appreciate it," I wink at him.

He rolls his eyes. "Of course, Lenni. I've been purposely making it difficult, just to keep you on your toes!"

I narrow my eyes at him. "I wouldn't put it past you. You boys never like doing anything the easy way!"

"Who are you calling boys?" Smiler murmurs in my ear, wrapping his arm around my shoulders before placing a kiss on my neck. I can feel him smirk as a shudder goes through me, and I roll my eyes. Some things never change, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

***

Smiler watches me with raised eyebrows as I pace in the kitchen. Linda, the lady from DCFS, spent about twenty minutes chatting to us all together and looking around the house, before asking to speak to Robin privately in her room. They've been in there for over half an hour now and I'm insanely nervous. I'm second-guessing everything we said to her, wondering if the house is suitable and if she thinks we're suitable. I know I'm overthinking things, but I can't seem to help it. I look over at Smiler and scowl when I see the amused grin on his face.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," I snap at him. He laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me to stand between his legs as he sits in the chair. He wraps his arms around my legs and I push my fingers through his hair. "Sorry," I sigh.

He rests his forehead on my stomach, and I smile when he places a kiss there. "Breathe, baby. We're good, okay?" He looks up at me and I lean down to kiss him. I jump back when I hear Robin's door open, glaring at Smiler when he laughs at me again.

Linda joins us in the kitchen and I smile when I see Robin give two thumbs up from behind her. As Linda sits at the table, she clears her throat and clasps her hands together in front of her. "Can I be honest with you?" she continues when I nod. "When I heard about your relationship with the MC, I was sceptical. On paper, it didn't seem to be a good environment for Robin to be brought into," She pauses and I internally whine. Shit, I knew it. People judge us, judge the club, and that's the last thing we need in this situation. I hold my breath as she continues talking. "After meeting you both, and being here, and speaking to Robin, I'm happy to say I've been proved wrong,"

I slump down in a chair and breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god," I whisper, although she obviously hears me because she sends me wide smile.

"It's clear to see that you both care for Robin, and she cares just as much for the two of you. She's happy, healthy and has a stable home. Regardless of your affiliations, you are obviously good role models for her. She's doing well at school, and has a very strong support network," She pauses again and I almost beg her to continue. "If it was up to me, we'd be charging her mother and stepfather for neglect. To not notice your child is missing is unacceptable. However, my supervisors think that pursuing charges could actually be detrimental to Robin. It would mean court appearances, interviews, and some difficult questions," I nod, agreeing that it would definitely not be good for her, as much as I want her mother to pay for putting Robin through that. "I'll be attending the meeting with you, and putting together a report. My recommendation will be that Robin stay here with you and that you are given legal guardianship,"

I want to hug her so badly right now, but I settle for a grin as I look at her. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means," I say.

She stands and nods. "I think I do. I'll see you next week at the meeting. You have my number if you need anything in the meantime,"

"I'll show you out," Smiler says, standing too. "And thank you, again," He shakes her hand and sends me a wink when she walks past him.

As I start to walk to Robin's room, I bump straight into her and realise she'd been stood there the whole time eavesdropping. She squeals and jumps at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I laugh and hug her back, squeezing her tight.

"This is amazing!" She laughs when she pulls away.

I put my hands on her shoulders and squeeze gently. "We still have to get through the meeting, but it looks good," I say. I want nothing more than to jump up and down and celebrate, but the adult part of me knows that we still have the biggest obstacle ahead of us. So much hinges on that meeting and I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up.