iii & iv

Book III
Juniper

"Mom, Dad," I faced each of them in turn, "can you please try and get along, at least for the 10 or 15 minutes Isaac is here? I'd really like to make a good impression."

"This is what we get, huh, this is it. We raise you, feed you, clothe you, chauffeur you around for 16 years of your measly life and you disrespect us like this!" my father ranted, he had such a short temper.

"Do we embarrass you Juniper, do we?" my mother was bordering on irate.

"No mom, not embarrass, I-I just don't think that Isaac would want to see anyone fighting�"

"Who is this Isaac boy anyway?" uh-oh, now it was 20 questions, otherwise known as the-grill-Juniper-for-fun-game.

"You know, I told you about my boyfriend. We met three weeks ago at a party. He's tall and thin and handsome, polite, caring, romantic. He comes from a family of nine, he's also in the pop group Hanson�" I was cut off.

"Those gay bastards with the girly hair?!" Stefano commented from the doorway.

"What fairies, I'd beat the hell out of that kid if he ever came near you." Nickolas added.

"Since when do you care about my life anyway? He is not gay, neither are his brothers, and you WILL NOT touch my boyfriend," I hissed. I hated my brothers when they got like this. They were terrors: immature, pot head, alcoholic, dirtbags.

"Like hell you'll stop me..."

"Mom, Dad, tell them to cut it out," I pleaded, my last resort.

"Cut what out? I don't see anything wrong with them trying to protect their baby sister. Anyway, I don't think I like this Isaac and the effect he's having on you, so they may do what they want with him but you my dear may not see him again. Especially if you do not learn how to respect your parents, young lady."

"Daddy, please, I beg you," I sobbed.

"I agree with your mother," I was about to escalate the fight when the doorbell rang, it had to be Isaac. I ran to the door, knocking over Stefano and Nickolas, and threw it open. Sure enough Isaac was there and he looked stunned when I dragged him immediately to his car.

"Get in and drive, now!" I shouted through my tears.

He did as told pulling away just as my parents ran out into the driveway. I knew they'd never follow, they didn't care that much. "Juniper, what happened, baby? I thought I was supposed to meet your parents," he'd parked the car in a random parking lot far away from my house, and just now turned to look at me. "Oh, baby, what's wrong?" he moved closer to me and brushed my hair away from my face.

"Isaac, just hold me right now, just hold me..." he pulled me into his strong arms, and let me cry into his shoulder, no questions asked.

I really hated my family when they got like that, and though I knew I could tell Isaac anything at all, I felt inferior in this situation, I didn't want to tell him. I'd met all of his family and loved them all. They were so loving, affectionate, and supportive of one another, and so accepting of me. They were all truly amazing, each one of them from Walker to Zo� and every one in-between. I wished I could have a family like theirs and I didn't think Isaac would understand me under these circumstances. I doubted he'd even want to get involved.

*~*~*~*

Book IV
Isaac

"Ugh...I hate this," Juniper groaned as she pulled out of my embrace and hastily swiped at the tears pouring down her beautiful face.

"Hate what?" I knew her answer.

"Crying, my life, myself for letting this all get to me," she regarded me coolly, "What else?"

I knew Juniper hated to cry, to her it was a sign of weakness, a sign that she couldn't deal with the hand she was dealt. She always had to be strong and hold up for everyone else. She couldn't deal with the fact that there were things she couldn't control. I wished she weren't so hard on herself, I wished she knew just how special she was. But this was the way she worked, and I love her, the bad along with the amazing.

"Go easy on yourself, I'm sure that you have a good reason to be crying, and everyone needs to cry once in a while, it's therapeutic."

"Fuck the good reason," out reared her temper, she definitely was having a bad day.

"Talk to me baby, I'll understand, I'm here for you..." the look in her eyes was deadly but I could see the pain behind it, inside there was a frightened, trembling child waiting for a hand to hold.

"You'll understand, ha!" she was about to blow and I'd have to wait it out or I'd never get through to her. "You'll never get it, Isaac, you're so fucking lucky! You'll never get it and you'll never have to," she was screaming while she cried.

"Never get what, Juniper, talk to me, I want to understand..."

"Don't say that 'cause you don't mean it. No one wants to understand this stuff, Isaac!" she looked out the window but I could see her hysterical reflection in the glass.

I reached out to her; "I want to understand so I can help you, I love you..." she shrugged my arms off.

"No you don't! Damn it, Isaac! No one wants to know what it's like to have two parents who hate you and each other; no one wants two asshole brothers like Stefano and Nickolas who beat the hell outta me. You don't want to know what it's like to be born because your mother was fucking raped and have your father look at you with disgust every day of your life. I can't do anything right, everything is wrong, and I can't get away from this all. You-you're so lucky to have all that love in your life and you don't even realize it. Your biggest problem is your little sister waking you up in the middle of the night 'cause she had a bad dream, not your brother waking you up to beat the ever-living-fuck-out of you." That was the last straw, she broke down and collapsed into my arms. Her body was wracked with sobs and her tears were heavy laden with anguish. I let her cry without saying a word, I never knew she dealt with all this.

*~*~*~*

Juniper cuddled deeply in my lap as we sat and looked out over Tulsa. She'd calmed down considerably and I was waiting for her to talk, I'd only talk about it if she wanted to. For now I'd hold her and watch the stars shine form above. Funny how the tiny imperfections in the night sky are what make it so beautiful.

"Isaac, I'm so sorry about my little outburst. I shouldn't have..." I cut her off.

"No really it's my fault..." she returned the favor.

"I can't continue to place the blame on everything else Isaac, this one was my fault. I just can't take them any more..." she trailed off and I turned her around in my lap so I could look into her Caribbean eyes.

"Juniper you are so amazing, I wish you would realize that, and you're way to harsh on yourself. If I can love you so can the rest of the world, you need to realize that." I brushed a tear off of her flushed cheek and sighed. "You have wings, baby, and someday, someday you'll realize that, and you'll be able to fly away from this mess. I just hope I can help you spread those wings. I love you too much to see you torture yourself like this."

"I love you too, Isaac Hanson, I love you too," she pulled me closer and I kissed her hair. Somehow, someday this would all work out, I knew it.

:v.&.vi: