Two hours is a long time to wait especially for parents who are waiting for the return of a child who stormed off on a rainy evening. It was now dark outside, compounding their worry. Chase walked into the living room for the twentieth time and looked over to his wife; silently he asked the question he posed the other nineteen visits.

“She’s still not back, Chase,” Melissa said with evident worry on her face.

“This is nuts,” Chase said as he grabbed his set of keys. “I’m going out to look for her; this isn’t healthy, for any of us.”

Melissa raised no objections, though she did an hour ago. Her child needed to sort things out, but two hours were long enough to stew away from home. Visions of the child being hurt, perhaps falling off her bike or being hit by a car in this sloppy weather kept playing in her mind. She knew Chase was listening to his police scanner in case such an event arose, but still, a mother can’t ever stop worrying about one of her children.

Chase drove around in his large SUV. The rain came down steadily and made the roads difficult to see. He wished he knew where to look for her; outside of the park and certain stores, he had no clue where the child might be. He didn’t see any evidence of Jenny or her bike anywhere and decided to try her friends’ houses, even though he assumed the parents’ would’ve called him by now.

Chase came to the final house where his daughter might be. Drenched from riding with the window down so he could get a better view outside, he approached the door, knocking loudly.

“Chase,” Skeeter said in surprise. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“I was checking to see if Jenny was here?” Chase said calmly, even though his nerves were frazzled. “We had a little rift and she left in a huff.”

Skeeter could sympathize with a fellow father. “She hasn’t been here all day. If you need someone else to help look, I’ll be more than happy to.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m sure she’ll show up. Sorry for bothering you at such an odd hour.” Chase turned and, with head bowed, shuffled back to his truck.

Shawn was listening from the hall and quickly retreated to his room to get his high top tennis shoes. Hastily he tied them and then made his way to the door.

“Where do you think you’re going,” Skeeter asked his son. He had anticipated Shawn’s actions, in fact, he expected no less.

Shawn snapped his head towards his father. “I know Jenny is missing and I was going out to find her; just to make sure she’s safe and all.”

Skeeter felt an enormous pride for his son and smirked. Though Chase disapproved of his son, as he would of any boy, being in a romantic relationship with Jenny, Skeeter doubted the girl could find any boy better than Shawn. “Don’t you think you should at least wear a jacket in this weather? And take one for Jenny too; she’s probably going to be cold and wet when you find her.”

“Thanks dad,” Shawn said as he went to the closet and pulled out a gray jacket for himself and a red one for Jenny. “I won’t be long, promise.”

“I know son, now get going before your mom finds out.” Skeeter closed the door behind his son.

Shawn was surprised by his father’s understand that this task was one he must accomplish. He hopped on his fifteen speed mountain bike and pedaled through the wind and the rain. Though it was miserable out and it was bitterly cold for a summers evening, all the boy could think about was the girl sitting alone and shivering, upset about something or the other. That vision made the boy pedal harder, but at least he had a good idea where he might find her. He cut through some side streets and found a large open field. He had to carry his bike through the small drainage ditch, caking his sneakers with mud and soaking his socks clear through.

Once up the other side, Shawn pedaled through the grassy field, which in wet weather wasn’t the easiest of task. He came to a small bike trail that ran alongside a trickling stream that was now rising from the current influx of rain. He pedaled down the path for a half mile and came to an underpass. Sitting on a concrete divide, with her bike neatly standing out of the rain’s way, he found the person he was looking for.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Shawn said as he hopped off his bike and let it crash to the floor. “Only place I would run away to in this rain.

“I’m not running away,” Jenny said as she hugged herself for warmth.

“What are you doing here then? It’s not really a fun place.”

“I was just thinking about things, being mad and stuff,” Jenny admitted.

“Your dad was looking for you. Came to my house and even checked under the bed to make sure I wasn’t hiding you in my room,” Shawn joked. “You know he don’t trust me.”

“So what? So he was looking for me, big deal,” Jenny said spitefully.

Shawn was saddened that his attempt at humor didn’t work. “I think he’s really worried.”

“Good, he deserves it.” Jenny shivered as she turned away.

“I brought you something.” Shawn retrieved the jacket he stuffed inside the one he was wearing. He draped it over the girl’s shoulders and was glad when she wrapped it further around her. “What did your dad do to make you so mad?”

“He lied to me about stuff,” Jenny explained. “Important stuff.”

Shawn sat down next to Jenny and put his arm around her. “That’s kind of what parents do sometimes. They tell us lies to make us happy or protect us from things we can’t handle. Most of the time they’re right for doing it, which kind of stinks.”

“But it feels rotten when you find out. You know they’re not really my mom and dad. My real mom and dad were bed people, I think,” Jenny rambled.

“Jenny, they’re your real mom and dad. My mom isn’t the one who gave birth to me, but she’s my real mom. She’s the one who cares for me and loves me and would probably do anything in the world for me to grow up right. Your real mom and dad do the same thing, I see them do it all the time. That’s why your dad doesn’t like me too, you know. Because he wants the best for you and there’s no boy alive on this Earth that’s going to be good enough for you. Any way, to say they aren’t your real mom and dad is just as big of a lie as to any your dad told you.”

Jenny stayed quiet for a moment. Shawn wasn’t usually so profound, but he did have his moments. “They’re probably going to be mad,” she said softly.

“Probably. Outside of lying, parents are good at getting mad too. But then you’ll talk to each other and figure out everything and then back to normal.”

Jenny turned quiet again. There was so much she wanted to talk about, so much that she wanted to know. What happened to that child in the picture? More importantly, why? The past seemed so distant and yes so new, now was the time for reckoning, for facing the parts of her that were buried so long. Jenny knew facing the past was going to hurt, there was too much pain under the surface for it not to. She also knew that she couldn’t face her past alone, and the frustrating part of it all was that Shawn was right; her dad lied in order to protect her from the pain she knew she was going to feel. For that she shouldn’t fault him. “Maybe I should be heading back home. It’s getting late.”

“That’s a good idea,” Shawn said. “The next time your dad came by, he might’ve pulled up the floorboards to see if I hid you there.”

“You’re silly Shawn Sweet,” Jenny said and then gave the boy a peck on the cheek.

It wasn’t the type of kiss Shawn expected as a reward, but he figured it would have to do for now. He rode with Jenny back to her house and made sure she got in alright. Though Melissa invited him in as well, he turned down the invitation, figuring that the family had a lot to discuss and that he would only be in the way. Besides, his own parents would be worried about him and he figured if he played his cards right he could finagle a warm brownie with ice-cream and a hot chocolate loaded with marshmallows out of the whole situation.

Jenny walked in the house and was immediately smothered with towels and hugs. Her dinner was waiting for her on the table once she stripped out of her soaked clothes. For the first time, Jenny found herself wearing only a robe while sitting at the dinner table. After she was done with her McDonald’s meal and chocolate malt, she was instructed to meet her parents in their bedroom.

Jenny didn’t know what to expect when she walked into her parents bedroom. The robe was tied around her waist and she had a slight sniffle as she made her way through the door. She imagined she was in big trouble, but to what extent, she didn’t know.

“Sit down,” Chase instructed as he motioned towards the chair in the corner.

Jenny obeyed; now wasn’t a time to make a bad situation even worst.

“I’m sorry that I lied to you,” Chase began as he looked at his daughter with caring eyes. Her damp hair made her look a little pathetic in a cute sort of way. “I didn’t do it because I wanted to hurt you or keep anything a secret.”

“I know,” Jenny said in a whisper. “Shawn told me that before I came home. It’s just… It’s so confusing, Daddy, and all I could do was feel angry, I didn’t want to feel angry but it was that or feel nothing at all.”

“Honey,” Melissa said as she knelt by the chair. “It’s okay that you were mad, we aren’t going to disown you because of it. But you have to deal with your anger in the right way. You really hurt Amber’s feelings with some of the things you said and you know we don’t allow hitting or pushing.”

“Am I going to be punished,” Jenny asked mater of factly.

“Considering the circumstances surrounding the events, the judge has ordered a stay of execution,” Chase told the child. “Make sure there are no repeat performances.”

“I’m sorry for the things I said to you too.” Jenny got quite for a moment and had a far away look in her face. “I know who I am and what I am and I like all of that. I know I’m Jenny Milan, and I’m your daughter. But,” she got quiet again.

“You need to know who and what you were so you can move forward,” Melissa finished the question that the child was afraid to utter.

Jenny shook her head yes. “Who was I?” she asked for herself.

Chase stood up and paced around the room. “There’s a lot that we don’t know, Jenny. We know that you were named Jeremy Bergeron. We know that your biological parents were Curtis Bergeron and Sheila Jones. Honey, they weren’t the nicest of people and they didn’t treat you with the love and kindness that you deserved. It was a long time ago, a time that is dead and gone. Your father killed your mother and then himself; that much we know. For all intent and purposes, they killed that little boy too, and you emerged from those shattered ruins.”

“I kind of remember,” Jenny said introspectively. “It’s like seeing things in fog. You can kind of make things out, but you aren’t quite sure what you’re seeing. You ask yourself is there really something there or are you imagining it. It’s so jumbled though.”

“In time the fog will lift. Slowly at first,” Melissa answered. “But soon it will be gone.”

“How did you decide on calling me Jenny?” the child asked. “Is it because they called me Jeremy?”

Chase smiled. “Actually, your friend Christine named you. But she probably got the name from how you use to pronounce Jeremy, but hey, it stuck.”

Jenny smirked. “I don’t think I want to know any more tonight. But dad, they never killed all of that little boy. I was always a part of him and that part will always be, maybe even well after my body is dead and gone.” Jenny hugged and kissed her parents. “Good night,” she said to both and left.

Jenny walked into her bedroom. Immediately she noticed that the outfit she bought her sister and several other items she had given Amber were piled on her bed. “What’s this stuff doing here?” she asked.

Amber turned away from her big sister. “You said I’m not your sister, but you gave that stuff to your little sister and I got it by mistake. So now I’m giving it back so you can give it to the right person.”

“Amber,” Jenny said as an apology. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Yes you did. You don’t have a little sister, then I don’t have a big sister,” Amber folded her arms and harrumphed loudly.

“I’m sorry, really I am,” Jenny pleaded.

The little girl didn’t want to hear a word of it and buried herself in her blanket and pulled the pillow over her head.

“If you don’t want me, I guess I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.” Jenny said in a last ditch effort as she grabbed her blanket and pillow. “I’ll sure be lonely and so uncomfortable.”

“Good,” Amber shouted from under her pillow.

“I really am sorry,” Jenny said softly as she left, taking her things so she could set up camp on the couch in the living room.

An hour later Jenny still found herself awake. She kept reviewing memories of a time she rather forget. She thought it odd that most of the scenes she viewed as external, as if she was watching them on television. Some scenes made her angry, others extremely sad.

Jenny wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Amber made her way to the living room and could see her sister sitting up, rocking herself. “Jenny,” she whispered softly.

Jenny turned and could see the silhouette of the nude five year old. “I’m awake.”

Amber walked to the couch. “Do you hate me, Jenny?” she asked innocently.

“Of course I don’t hate you,” Jenny said as she made room in the blanket for her sister. “I was dumb for saying anything to hurt you. I was just mad.”

“Amber climbed on the couch with her sister and was engulfed by the blanket.

Jenny laid down and put her sister on top of her. “I love you Amber. Please forgive me that I said such a stupid, bad thing.”

“I forgive you.” Amber gave her sister a kiss. “I’m lonely without you.”

Jenny hugged the girl and rocked her. Eventually they fell asleep

What I hope this chapter accomplishes: This is a slight reconciliation. This doesn't resolves Jenny's past, but it does solidify that the family structure around her is strong. I also wanted to answer questions about Jenny being TG. Jenny was not female because of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her biological parents, though some might come to that conclusion.

Favorite quote: But dad, they never killed all of that little boy. I was always a part of him and that part will always be, maybe even well after my body is dead and gone. -- Jenny