by Saless
Chapter 84

"What is it Erica?" Sarah asked nervously.

"I just talked to my dad. I told him about you, and he was great like I said he would be." Erica replied as she walked over to the couch and sat next to Sarah.

"That doesn't explain why you have that worried look on your face, or why you feel so nervous." Sarah said.

"It's just…Mom and Dad want to meet the new you. Since I'll have to go back next weekend, they want to come over tomorrow." Erica said.

"Tomorrow?!" Sarah exclaimed. "But…I'll be at work!"

Erica nodded, "I know, but they want to take us out to dinner. Mike and Jill, too, if they want."

"Are you sure your parents are okay with me?" Sarah asked worriedly.

Erica wrapped her arm around Sarah's waist and pulled her closer, "Yes, I'm sure. I know you're worried about them, but they're not going to be a problem, I swear! Frankly, I'm more worried about how they're going to react to me!"

"You?! But you haven't cha…Oh." Sarah cut herself off as she realized what Erica was saying.

"Yeah. I know they're okay with it in principal, but when it's their own daughter…" Erica trailed off worriedly.

Sarah wrapped her own arm around Erica and squeezed her reassuringly, "If they can handle me, they can certainly handle you!"

Erica squeezed her back and rested her head on Sarah's shoulder. "Um, what are you guys talking about?" Tiffany asked.

"I'm worried that my parents aren't going to be happy to have a lesbian for a daughter." Erica replied.

"But are you? I mean, you loved her when she was Sean, right?" Tiffany said.

"Sure!" Erica replied.

"Then that just means you love Sarah the person, rather than the gender, right?" Tiffany asked.

"But…I prefer Sarah like this!" Erica protested.

"That still doesn't mean you're a lesbian or bisexual. She's happier like this, so of course you'd prefer her this way!" Tiffany said.

"Huh, that does kind of make sense." Erica admitted.

"See, you have nothing to worry about!" Sarah said.

Erica sighed, "Maybe you're right. I guess we should go talk to Mike and Jill and see if they want to come along." Sarah agreed and they walked over to Mike and Jill's apartment.

Jill answered the door, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"My parents want to take Sarah and me to dinner tomorrow, and they've invited you two, also." Erica replied.

"Cool! I know they're going to be great Sarah!" Jill said enthusiastically as she let them in. She purposefully took a long time to close the door so Tiffany could 'sneak' in.

"I hope so!" Sarah said.

"They will! Hey Mike, want to go to dinner with Erica's parents tomorrow?" Jill said.

Mike looked away from the TV and nodded, "Sure! I'd like to be there anyway when they see Sarah for the first time."

"So would I, now that you mention it." Jill said.

"So when are you going to see my parents?" Mike asked Sarah.

Sarah rolled her eyes at Mike, "I've already got my parents and Erica's to worry about, isn't that enough for now?"

"She's got a point. She can worry about seeing your parents and my mom another time." Jill said impishly.

"Not you too!" Sarah moaned theatrically.

Laughing Erica said, "She's got a point though, we've got enough on our plate right now. Especially when you consider that we still haven't figured out what to do about that FBI guy."

That got everyone's attention. "I don't suppose any of you have had any ideas?" Tiffany asked hopefully.

The others all exchanged glances and shook their heads except for Erica. "I figured once we get past the whole, 'your boyfriend is now your female fiancé?' thing we could talk to Dad about that. He might be able to give us some ideas." Erica said.

Tiffany asked, "How would he be able to help?"

"Erica's dad is a judge, and he knows lots of people in law enforcement." Sarah explained.

"Yes, and lots of other influential people. I don't know how he keeps track of them all." Erica added.

"You really think he can help us?" Tiffany asked.

"If he can't, he'll know someone who can." Erica replied.

Sarah glanced at the time and worriedly said, "Mom's supposed to call me after she talks to Dad. I would have thought she would have done that by now."

"She'll probably talk to him at dinner and call you afterward. I wouldn't get worried just yet. Speaking of dinner, is anyone else hungry?" Jill said.

They were, and decided to eat out. Marvin didn't follow them, so Tiffany was able to join them in the restaurant. They talked about normal things over dinner and Tiffany was starting to feel like she was really part of the group instead of an outsider. Afterwards they returned to Mike and Jill's apartment. Sarah was still worrying about her mother, so Jill started a movie to distract her.

They weren't even halfway through the movie before Sarah said, "She should have called by now." Erica could feel her concern through their bond and was beginning to share it.

"Maybe we should go check on her…" Erica said.

Jill picked up on Sarah's concern, "But what if we interrupt while she's trying to get through to your dad, Sarah? We could make things harder for her."

"I could open a portal outside the house so we could see what's happening before we go in." Sarah said.

"But then someone might see us appearing out of thin air. I really think we should wait a little longer. How about this; if she doesn't call by the end of the movie, we'll call her, okay?" Jill said.

"I guess." Sarah said doubtfully. With some effort she turned her attention back to the movie. They were all beginning to get worried by the end of the movie.

"Okay Sarah, maybe you'd better make that call." Jill said once the credits started rolling. Sarah wasted no time getting out her cell phone and dialing.

"She's not answering." Sarah said fearfully when the answering machine picked up. She didn't bother leaving a message. Closing her phone, she put it back in her purse and immediately opened a portal to her mother's living room. "I'm going!" she said, before stepping through. She left the portal open, though, so the others quickly followed.

Mary's living room was a scene of total chaos. Most of the furniture was overturned or smashed. Sarah's father was lying in the remains of the entertainment center. He was unconscious and had blood on his face and hands. Looking frantically around the room Sarah spotted her mother curled up in a ball in one corner of the room, weeping. "Mom!" she cried, running over to wrap her arms around her mother.

Mary tensed at first, and then lifted her head to see who was holding her. "Sarah?" she said weakly. Erica and Mike hurried over to make sure she was alright, and Jill checked on Sarah's father.

"I'm here Mom! Are you okay? What happened?" Sarah said.

"I…I killed your father!" Mary wailed, burying her face in Sarah's shoulder. Sarah sat there, holding her mother, with a stunned expression.

"No you didn't Mary, he's alive!" Jill said. "He's pretty beat up, but I don't think he's even in any danger of dying." Mary didn't even hear her and continued sobbing. Sarah tried to tell her, but Mary wasn't hearing anything.

"I don't suppose you have any idea of what happened, do you Vash?" Mike asked.

No, she's too upset. Her emotions are drowning everything else out. Vash replied.

Jill looked back at Sarah's father speculatively and then closed her eyes. A moment later she opened them and said, "She was just defending herself. He started to beat her, but then she…went berserk, I guess, and knocked him all over the room."

Mike looked doubtfully at Sarah's petite mother. "How could she have done all of this?!" he exclaimed, waving his arms to encompass the wrecked room.

Jill shook her head, "I don't know. But she was knocking him around like he was half her size. Adrenaline, I guess."

"Or magic." Tiffany said softly. The others looked at her and then at Mary.

"Yeah, that could be." Mike agreed.

By this point Mary had cried herself to sleep in Sarah's arms. "Mike, would you help me put Mom to bed?" she asked. Mike nodded and picked up Mary. Sarah led the way back to her bedroom and pulled back the covers. She gasped in shock when Mike laid her down. She hadn't noticed the damage in the darkened living room (the lamps were all lying down or broken), but Mary looked like she'd been beaten pretty badly before she retaliated. She pulled the covers over her mother and angrily stalked back to the living room with Mike hurrying to keep up.

"Sarah!" he called worriedly. She ignored him and stormed into the room and was at her father's side before anyone realized what was happening.

She stared down angrily at her father. "It's time you learned how it feels!" she growled, before punching him as hard as she could in the stomach.