#bergen_county

If Jaymes was expressive, Tove is almost overly embarrassing "Oh I was so worried" HUG.

"Gak! I'm fine! I wasn't even hurt!"

Well, unless you count a big axe trading blows but.. really who remembers the details?

"Well, I'm going to look you over anyway" Tove does that 'spin your kid right round like a record right round' thing to get a view at all angles.

"Well, you seem unhurt" Tove says

"See? Told you." She STILL has the Lance in hand.

"Honey put that thing down, we know where it is." She says.

"I don't want something happening to it. Not until I give it to Chief."

"You are stubborn, probably get it from your father's side of the family" She says without irony.

Jaymes raises a brow ("hey")

"Yup!" Proudly.

Jaymes mmphs ("Fine") bit pleased at the proud look

"Well, I've got your homework for the one day you missed from school, you can thank Sylvi for that." She says "And Adam came by asking about you"

"Oh yeah, he texted too... I didn't mean to ghost him. But we had to go, and if we told, you would have said no..."

"VERY likely" She admits "Pretty sure most kids get grounded for this."

"I mean, we're big damn heroes and got a Dragonlance?"

Jaymes nods "The Needleymeyers kid brought home a lance last month and didn't get the internet for 4 days"

Said with such a straight face you might believe it.

"But not a Dragonlance."

Tove just stares at her husband, then "Not helping, Jaymes." And she puts a hand on Sam "Yes, you're big damn heroes, but I worried silly and by your own admission you tried to hide this from us. I'm not crazy about you feeling like you need to hide things from us." A sigh "But as it is a DRAGONLance..." A delicate sniff and suddenly Sam realizes she's about to get off with no real punishment.

"Fine. But you missed a forged in fire, you WILL make time to watch it with your father soon" Hurumph

Blink... blink.

"Okay."

Jaymes nods back ing this ("You gotta do what you gotta do")

"...Would you have let me go?"

THe two parent types exchange a look... then ... together say "maybe"

"You need a chance to be great. But I would worry and wonder if there wreen't alternatives" Tove admits after

Jaymes says "I probably would have wanted to go for it instead of you. Not because you're not good, but because I'd rather be the one to take that risk"

"This... this wasn't about being great." She frowns. "We wanted to help."

"Not just sit and do nothing. We can help, even if we're not part of the final fight."

Tove nods "I see. Yes. I know what it's like to be helpless. I would have let you go." Truth? Truth!

Jaymes admits "I would have... maybe not? maybe so. "

"I know we won't be allowed to fight the Dragon... not directly. But this..." Lance! "This is real help!"

"it is" A nod

"I could fight, too. Or.. or... guard evacuees?"

Jaymes nods "Guarding evacuees is one duty that will be crucial"

"Some prophecy involved, but you won't be..just sitting" Tove says "None of us will"

"Okay."

"That's important to you?" Her father says "Isn'tt it? Making a difference?"

Dag nods, all teenage earnestness.

"You already do," he says "But you'll continue to. " A nod

Tove agrees, "But we're going to worry. It ..we wouldn't be good parents if we didn't"

"I guess."

And she gets hugged again, from both sides. Sam, the girl who knew, KNEW , that this world was one festering shit sandwich that would never love her, gets hugged between two parents, and both say the same thing "We love you, and we're proud."

BLUSH

"I think we're embarrassing her" Jaymes says.

"Wait until she protests" Tove says "I'm happy here."

Well.. now she's trapped until she says something.

"Guyyyssss."

"I'm comfy too" Jaymes says to Tove.