Title: Safe & Secure
Characters: Alyssa & Jamie; Summer, Cameron, Hayley, & Will; Jimmy; Chris
Word Count: 5021
Rating: PG-13 [language]
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: Jamie & Alyssa are in NYC while he completes a summer fellowship.  Everyone's lives are suddenly changed... Canon with my epic. Contains spoilers.




Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Los Angeles, California

Rolling out of bed, Summer rubbed the small of her back before stretching and slowly getting to her feet.  Shuffling towards the bathroom, she paused and turned off the alarm clock to allow Cameron a few more minutes of sleep.  She left him in bed as she made her way down the hallway, stopping at Hayley’s and then Will’s rooms to rouse the children from slumber.  With kisses to wake the fourteen year old girl and eleven year old boy, she returned to her husband’s side.  Pressing her nightgown to her rounded belly, she leaned down carefully and kissed his sleeping mouth.

“Mmmm,” Cameron smiled, his arms circling her gently, “what a wonderful way to wake up.”

She kissed him again, “I’ve done the initial wake up of the kids, but I’m betting Will is still in bed.  Your turn.”

“Just a minute more…?”

Her lips touched his before she pulled out of his arms, “It’s not even Monday, Cam.  None of you have an excuse to still be sleepy.”

“Except the fact I was kicked all night,” he responded as he threw back the blankets.

“What?”

His hand went to her rounded belly, “The little one didn’t keep you up?”

“No…  You were kicked all night?”

He nodded.

“I’m sorry,” she frowned.

He quickly kissed her, “I’m just glad the baby is healthy and active.”

“Oh, don’t forget we have an OB appointment late this morning,” she pulled away, turning to find clothes to wear for the day.

Cameron quickly pulled on a tee shirt, “I remember.  I’ll come back for you after I drop off the kids.  This is the sonogram appointment, right?”

“Yeah,” she pulled on a simple, summery dress. “Hopefully we can see the baby’s sex and stop referring to it as… it.”

He laughed, “That will be good.”

“And then the debate on names begins,” she teased.

“Oh lord help me now,” he grinned, pulling open the bedroom door.

Leaving Cameron to pull Will out of bed, knowing Hayley was already prepping in her bathroom, Summer headed downstairs to prepare breakfast.  She stood in front of the refrigerator for a few long moments, trying to decide what she and the baby wanted that morning, as she would base the entire family’s breakfast on whatever she craved.

With a carton of blueberries in hand, she waddled to the walk-in pantry and searched for pancake mix.  She heard Cameron shuffle in ahead of son and head towards the coffeemaker.  The eleven-year-old flicked on the television to watch cartoons, but headed to help his mother in the kitchen before even glancing at the TV screen.

Instructing the young boy to get out the waffle iron, Summer turned towards Cameron to ask him something, mixing bowl in hand.  Her blue eyes briefed over the small television screen.  She froze, her lips parting slightly.  Realizing what filled her vision, she dropped the mixing bowl and hurried awkwardly over to the television.  Cameron’s dark eyes instantly snapped to his wife, filling with alarm.  Her hand touched the device briefly before she whirled around and hurried over to the telephone.

“Summer?” he muttered, not glancing at the TV.

“Something has happened in New York,” she declared, her voice wavering slightly. “And Jamie’s there.”



Seated on the sofa in the small studio apartment not far from the laboratory Jamie worked in, Alyssa glanced over a pile of proofs.  Following her boyfriend to New York City for the summer had been a good thing.  Not only because it broke her out of the design cliques of Los Angeles and thusly forced her to prove her skills, but because being with him made her happy.  She could even handle the occasional long day studying, when he returned to the apartment cross-eyed from staring through the microscope, just as long as he came home.

Alyssa set her drawings aside for a moment, deciding it was about time to open the apartment’s curtains.  They did not have a particularly good view, though if she stared just right she could see the trees in Central Park, but a bit of natural light might shed something on the design flaw she was currently struggling with.  As her ink-smudged fingers reached for the cord on the curtain, the door to the apartment burst open.  Turning to face him, her hazel eyes looked to Jamie as he rushed over to her.  Without pause, he pulled her close before kissing her deeply.

“I’m so glad you’re here, that you’re safe,” he muttered, still holding her tight.

“Jamie?” she pulled back slightly, glancing over him and noticing a light dusting of what appeared to be ash lightening his dark hair. “What’s wrong?”

“Aly, you don’t know?”

“Know what?” she asked cautiously.

He turned away from her, heading over to the television.  Alyssa’s hazel eyes remained focused on him, observing the subtle signs of what could have happened from his appearance.  The light coat of white ash concerned her.  Had there been a fire she should be aware of?  Maybe working with the television off had not been a good idea.

Stepping out of the way of the television, Jamie stepped backwards towards Alyssa.  His hand found hers and he squeezed it tightly.  Both of their eyes remained focused on the television screen, watching smoke billow out of the very tower Jamie was supposed to be in right at that moment.  Alyssa slowly backed up until the sofa touched the back of her knees and sat down, pulling her boyfriend with her.  For a few minutes they watched CNN silently as the newscasters tried to explain what had happened.  All anyone knew in that moment was a large passenger plane had been flown directly into the North World Trade Center Tower.

“I was… less than a block away,” Jamie stated softly. “Running a bit late for that nine o’clock meeting because I stopped to get a coffee and the barista was horribly inept…”

“Jamie…” Alyssa shifted closer to him.

“I should have… I could have been…”

She quickly kissed him, “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

Jamie deepened the kiss briefly, “I’m here with you now, Aly.  We’re safe here.”

“Who do you think… what do you think…”

Seeing the worry in her eyes, he kissed her again, “We’re safe here.”

“Jamie…”

Confused sentences from the television drew both of their attention back to the news report.  Alyssa instantly shifted closer as they remained focused on the flashing images.  Her breath caught in her throat and her hand tightened on Jamie’s as they both watched a second plane slam into the other tower.  Neither could move as the events unfolded in front of them.  Both knew people who worked at the Towers, though that flickered as a thought in the back of their minds.
 
Pulling away from her boyfriend, Alyssa got to her feet and searched the apartment for her cell phone.  As they were only there temporarily, they had not bothered to get a landline, using just their cell phones.  She fully expected the phone calls to start slamming her phone.  As she dug it out of her purse, it remained silent.  Grabbing Jamie’s from the small dining table, she returned to the couch and flipped open her phone.  Attempting to call her family, an automated voice was the only sound she heard, declaring all circuits were busy.

“Try yours,” she pointed to his phone.

Nodding, Jamie opened his phone and attempted an outgoing call as well.  The results are the same.

“Maybe… we just need to wait a little bit,” he stated softly.

“Jamie…”

He set down his phone and hers on the coffee table and pulled her close once more, “We’re going to be fine, Aly.  We’re going to be fine.”



Hand on the small of her back, pregnant Summer paced the living room.  Her blue eyes flicked to the television every few paces.  As the second plane hit the second tower, her anxiety doubled and it took all of Cameron’s charms to calm her down.  At one point, he attempted to turn off the television, thinking if she did not see what was going on, she would calm down.  But as he reached for the button the world seemed to collapse before his eyes.  Like a disaster movie, smoke and debris and chaos filled the screen.  His fingers halted on the power button, his dark brown eyes glued to the images.

Phone held to her ear, attempting to call her son once more, Summer stepped up behind her husband, “Cameron?  What is it?”

“I don’t… I don’t know…”

She shifted to the side, trying to see what he saw.  Instinctively, Cameron shifted slightly to block her from seeing the television.  Her hand reached for his shoulder, silently trying to get him to move so she could see what was going on.

“Mom!?” Hayley hurried into the room, her younger brother a few steps behind her.

Not even aware of what had happened, she turned to her two youngest children, who stayed home from school without question that day.  The fourteen year old reached her first and quickly embraced her.  She barely shifted aside to allow Will to embrace their mother as well.

“Mom, is Jamie okay?” Will asked, his big, brown eyes turned up to her.

“I…”

“Dad?” Hayley pulled away from Summer and approached Cameron. “Dad, do you think he’s okay?”

Turning to his stepdaughter, Cameron looped his arm around her, pulling her close, “Of course he is.  Jamie is smart.  I am sure he and Alyssa are not anywhere near the towers.”

With his attention on the teenager, Summer and Will stepped closer to the television.  Her gaze focused on the images Cameron did not wish her to see.  Instantly, her blue eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth.  Her heart began to pound and her knees weakened.  Cameron turned to her just in time to stumble forward and catch her as she fainted.

“Summer?” he muttered, easing her down onto the plush carpet. “Hayley, go get a wet cloth.  Will, get a glass of water, please.”

Pressing the wet cloth to the back of her neck a moment later, Cameron kissed her brow.  The children stood nearby, looking down at their mother.  Hayley’s crystalline blue eyes glanced up at the television screen.  Her mouth dropped open.

“Dad…” she muttered, drawing Cameron’s eyes up to her.

He followed her pointing finger, long enough to read the headline on the screen.  Muttering for her to turn off the television, he directed his attention back to Summer.  If she was not pregnant, her fainting might not have concerned him as mu— who was he kidding?  He did not like anything about this at all.

“Summer?  Summer, sweetheart?” he muttered softly, his fingers dancing across her forehead. “Summer, baby?”

Her eyes fluttered open, “Cam?”

He quickly kissed her, “Everything is going to be fine, Summer.  I promise.”

“Jamie?”

“I’m sure he’s safe.  He’ll call as soon as he can.  He’s safe.”



Setting down their cell phones once more, Alyssa sighed and got to her feet.  She headed over to the small television and turned it off.  Understanding the impetus behind her actions, Jamie opened his arms once more for her.  Without a word, she sat in his lap, cuddling in his embrace.  Tears soon wiggled down her cheeks.  It was not just the fact both of them knew people who likely perished in the towers, but the very fact she felt… violated by the immense act of violence.  It was even worse when she thought about the fact Jamie should have been midway up one of the towers when it was struck.  Had he been…

“Jamie…”

“I know, Aly,” he kissed the top of her head. “But we’re both safe.  And soon we’ll be able to call our families and let them know that.”

“I want to go home,” she stated.

He sighed, “I don’t know how we can do that right now.  You know everything is shut down except like cars, which we don’t have out here.”

“I would walk out of this city in a minute,” she declared.

Jamie chuckled and kissed the top of her head again, “That’s not going to happen either, baby.  We’ll just wait until the trains and busses are going again.”

“I know… I know…”

“Want to try calling again?” he asked softly.

She nodded and leaned out of his arms enough to pick up their cell phones.  While Alyssa tried to call her father’s cell phone and then the house phone, Jamie opted to call Jimmy instead.  He had no idea what prompted him to call the man he rarely spoke to all his life, but it must have been destined.  The phone actually rang through.

“Hello?”

“Um, hi, Jimmy,” Jamie stated, making Alyssa sit up straighter at the prospect of a phone call going through.

“James?  Is everything okay?  Is your mother okay?”

“Um, everything is as okay as it can be.  I’m with Alyssa.  In New York.”

Jimmy was silent for a few seconds, “But you’re both okay?”

“Yeah.  I was close when the first plane hit, but I’m back in the apartment with Aly now.”

“I am relieved you are safe.  Have you spoken with your mother?”

“No.  This is the first time we’ve been able to get any calls out.  It keeps saying all circuits are busy,” Jamie declared. “I’m going to keep trying, but… will you call her and tell her that we’re okay?  And maybe Alyssa’s family too or ask Mom to?”

Jimmy hesitated for a moment, “Of course I will.  Keep trying though.  She will want to hear you are okay herself.”

“I know… I know,” Jamie paused. “Thanks… Dad.”

“You’re welcome… son.”

“I’m going to… I’m going to go and see if we can get a call out to Alyssa’s family.  Thanks again.”

Alyssa said nothing about the fact Jamie had the longest conversation she ever witnessed with his birth father.  Instead, as soon as he hung up the phone, she leaned over and kissed his mouth sweetly.  He smiled and looped his arm around her, holding her close.  They kissed and cuddled for a moment before Alyssa ended it to attempt to call her family once more.

When it actually rang, she sat fully up, pulling out of Jamie’s arms.  He smiled as she happily greeted her family, quickly assuring them that she was okay.  Though he had a feeling he could probably complete a call to his mother in that moment, Jamie resisted, letting Alyssa’s voice fill the small apartment alone.  She got to her feet and paced over to the windows briefly, still assuring them everything was fine.  Her fingers parted the curtains for the first time all day, allowing her to peek out the window and down to the street.  Instantly noticing her body language change, Jamie jumped to his feet and rushed over to her, slipping his arms around her waist from behind.  He kissed the ear not covered by her phone and muttered how much he loved her.

Her free hand covered his as tears dripped down her cheeks.  He kissed her again, squeezing her tightly.  She held the phone up to him, allowing him to greet her family briefly and reassure them that her words were true.  Once the twenty minute phone call ended, Jamie slipped the phone from her hand and tossed it onto the nearby sofa.  He slowly turned her around and kissed her tears away.

“We’re going to be okay, Aly.  Everything is fine,” he stated between kisses.

“Jamie… I want to go on the roof and see it,” she declared.

He nodded, “Okay.”

Grabbing both of their cell phones, he led her by the hand from their small apartment.  They softly greeted neighbors as they headed to the stairs, joining a few on the way to the roof as well.  A small group of people stood facing the World Trade Center, trying to catch glimpses of what had happened, to find the reality from the television screen.  Smoke, tinted orange from flames, filled the sky.  Jamie wrapped his arms around Alyssa from behind once more.

“I love you,” he muttered softly.

“I love you too,” she responded.

As they remained on the roof for a few minutes with some of their neighbors, no one really talking, Jamie’s phone rang.  He dug it out of his pocket, glanced at the display, and smiled.  Without pause, he flipped it open and greeted his mother.

“Oh, god, Jamie, I was so worried.  Your father called and said you spoke to him.  I’ve been trying to call you since then.  Are you okay?  Are you hurt?”

“Mom, I’m okay.  Alyssa is okay.  Neither of us were hurt.  We’re okay.”

“Oh thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she responded, sighing slightly.

“Everything is okay, Mom,” Jamie declared. “We’re okay.  I’m sorry we could not call you earlier.  The networks have been overloaded.”

“I know… I know.  When are you coming home?”

He smirked, “Aly wants to.  I do too.  But I don’t know when we’ll be able to, Mom.”

She paused for a moment, “We’ll get you out of there, Jamie.  Somehow.”

“Mom, we can—”

“We WILL get you out of there, Jamie.  I will call your father and between him and us, we will figure out how to get you back home.”

“Okay… okay.  Our phone will be on.  Hopefully we’ll be able to talk again.”

“I love you, Jamie.  I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Mom.”



Finally hearing that her son was okay, from his mouth not just Jimmy’s, Summer finally relaxed.  She managed to eat a full meal, and with some convincing by Cameron, headed to take a nap.  Eleven-year-old Will remained with her, curling up with her in the king-sized bed.  Hayley remained downstairs with Cameron, watching the news updates and flipping between channels to make certain they all said the same thing.

Cameron sat beside her for a couple of minutes, waiting to see if Summer would return, filled with worry once more.  As Hayley turned the TV off and tossed the remote on the coffee table, her blue eyes turned to him.  Staring back at her for a minute, he tried to figure out what the teenager wanted from him.  Seeing her bottom lip tremble ever so slightly, he suddenly understood and shifted over on the sofa and embraced her.  She quickly molded into his embrace.

“Dad…”

“Shhh,” he muttered softly. “Everything is okay, Hayley.  Jamie and Alyssa will be back home soon.  Nothing else is going to happen.”

“What if… what if he had…”

“Shhhh,” he hugged her tightly, “Jamie wasn’t.  Everyone is fine.”

“Do you think… do you think they’re going to do something here too, Dad?”

Cameron kissed the top of her head, “You’re safe here, Hayley.  We all are.”

She nodded, her cheek rubbing against him, “I’m scared.”

“You’re safe, Hayley.  I promise you.”

She sighed, “I know, but…”

He hugged her tightly again, “Why don’t we call Robert and check in with him?”

“Okay,” she pulled away and wiped her nose.

Finding Robert’s number, Cameron quickly dialed it on the house phone before handing it to his stepdaughter.  She remained curled up on the sofa, phone held to her head.  Smiling Cameron left her alone to speak with her father, seeking out his cell phone.  Knowing Summer promised Jamie she would get him and his girlfriend home, he needed to make it happen.  Only he did not have any clue how.  Planes were grounded and he presumed getting out of New York was no simple matter at all.  Even with money at their disposal, it would be difficult to get the children home.

As he was trying to figure out what to do, his phone rang in his hand.  Glancing at the number, he sighed.  Sitting at the breakfast table with a glass of Coke, Cameron answered the call.

“Hello, Jimmy.”

“Is Summer okay?”

“She’s resting now with Will.  Finally got to talk with Jamie,” he answered.

“Good, good.  I was not aware Jamie was in New York.”

Cameron paused to swallow his emotional response, “He is there for his summer fellowship at Sloan Kettering.  You helped locate the apartment…”

“I know that.  I thought he returned to California at the beginning of the month.”

“No, the end of the month was his scheduled return, but…”

“Summer wants him home now?”

“That and he wants to come home.  So does his girlfriend.”

“I see.”

Cameron sighed, “I need to get them out of New York but with planes grounded, and I’m not sure how to do that.  Do you have any ideas?”

He paused for a minute, “Perhaps.  Let me call around.  I will call you back once I know.”

“Thanks.  We appreciate everything.”



Waking to a ringing phone, Jamie slowly unwrapped around his nude girlfriend.  He kissed her softly before rolling out of the bed and finding the ringing phone.  Not glancing at the time, he croaked out greeting.  It took him a few minutes to recognize the soft British voice on the phone.

“Father?”

“Yes.  A car will pick up the two of you up at nine.”

“Uh what?” Jamie rubbed his face, as Alyssa rolled out of bed and headed naked into the kitchen to make coffee.

“The car will take you out of New York to the train station in Newark.  From there, you are booked on Amtrak to Los Angeles,” he stated.

“So let me get this straight… you’ve made arrangements for Alyssa and I to go home?”

“That’s precisely correct.”

Jamie smiled slightly, moving to pull his shorts on, “Does Mom know?”

“Not yet.  You can call and let her know.”

He paused, glancing at Alyssa as she filled a cup with coffee, “Thanks… Dad.”

“You are welcome.  I hope to see you and your girlfriend soon.”

Hanging up the phone, he quickly pulled Alyssa close to him and kissed her quickly, “We’re going home, Aly.  In less than two hours, a car will be here to take us to the train station in Jersey.  We’re going home.”

She smiled brightly and kissed him, “Then I better get dressed and we better get packed.”



Saturday, September 15, 2001
Los Angeles, California

Pacing in the station, Summer glanced up at the large clock once more.  She had been waiting for her son’s arrival for thirty-seven minutes.  Granted, she had been a bit early, but the train was also late.  Each passing moment seemed to increase her worry and anxiety by leaps and bounds.  Had something happened to the train before it reached the station?

She decided something had happened and headed towards one of the customer service windows to demand information.  Before she took two steps, Cameron’s hand circled her wrist, halting her.  Her eyes snapped to his, her lips parting to protest.  He quickly kissed her, holding the touch long enough for her to relax slightly.

“He’ll be here, Summer,” he muttered, kissing her again. “Any moment.”

“Cam, what if something happened to the train?  What if they attacked the train too?  What if—”

“Shhhh,” he placed his pointer finger on her lips. “He will be here.”

“Mom!” Hayley shouted, drawing her mother’s attention.

Following Hayley’s point, Summer’s eyes lit up and she pulled free of Cameron’s embrace.  Moving as quickly as she could, she hurried through a crowd of people.  Not saying a word, she instantly hugged her eldest child, tears streaking her face.  The loud crowd around them completely disappeared as she held him.

“Oh thank the stars,” Summer muttered, kissing his forehead before leaning back to look him over. “You’re here.  You’re okay.”

“Mom,” he muttered, a slight flush coloring his cheeks.

“I’m just…” she hugged him tightly again.

“Mom,” Jamie groaned.

“Sorry… I was just worried,” Summer released him.

“I’m fine.  We’re fine,” he stepped back, looping his arm around Alyssa’s waist.

Glancing over her shoulder, she waved the rest of the family over.  After all the greetings and hugs finished, the family headed to the waiting car with the two returned young adults and whatever luggage they had not shipped directly.  No one really spoke about the real reason they returned from New York a couple of weeks early, though it was on all of their minds.

Will finally broke down at dinner two hours later, “Um, Jamie, what was it like?”

Setting down his napkin, Jamie glanced at his mother, “Well… I was about a block away when the first plane hit the tower, since I had an appointment with some of the research fellows to get more funding for next year — they are all safe too, since apparently scientists can’t be on time to important meetings.  Anyways… I wasn’t really scared at first.  At least I don’t think so.  I was mostly shocked.  And then… the only thing I could think of was getting back to Alyssa as quickly as possible.  I don’t think it really hit me until I was back at the apartment with her and we watched it on TV like you did.”

“You were… you were supposed to be there?” Hayley asked, turning slightly pale.

His eyes settled on his half-sister, “If I was really meant to be there, I would have been, sis.  I wasn’t meant to be there.  Coffee saved me, heh.”

“I will never complain about you drinking it again,” Summer declared, though her nose scrunched slightly.

“The worst part was being unable to call our families,” Alyssa spoke up. “We tried and tried for hours but all the lines were blocked.”

“Now everyone is home and safe,” Cameron stated, getting up to refill glasses of iced tea.

“You are staying the night here,” Summer declared, not even bothering to ask the two.

Smiling crookedly, Jamie nodded, “Of course, Mom.  We’ll stay here tonight.  I’m sure my apartment needs to be aired out anyways and after being on a train for nearly eighty hours, neither Alyssa nor I really want to be traveling again for a bit.”

“Good.  I already prepared the guest room for the two of you,” she said.

As the younger children cleared the table a few minutes later, the four adults headed to sit in the shade on the back patio.  Cameron’s hand rested happily on Summer’s belly, his fingers weaving with hers.  Even though they had frequent phone calls from Jamie on his cross country trip, Summer had not fully relaxed until seeing her son.  He understood it, as she was an excellent and loving mother; made him that much more certain they should be having the baby inside of her.

After chatting some about the sights they saw outside the train, Alyssa excused herself to visit the restroom and to call and check in with her family, leaving the three alone for the moment.

Shifting awkwardly in his chair, Jamie looked to Cameron, “Can I ask you something, Dad?”

“Of course,” he smiled, moving his hand to feel the baby’s kicks.

“When did you know Mom was the one for you?”

Both pairs of eyes snapped to him.

“I suppose when we met, but it took a decade of convincing myself.  Why?”

“I think Alyssa is the One.  I want to ask her to marry me.”

Both adults remained serious, letting his words sink in.

“You were considering this before the towers, right?” Cameron asked.

Jamie nodded, “I have just been waiting for a sign, I guess.  And I realized when I was talking about what happened the other day… that was my sign.  She was my immediate and instant concern.  Nothing else really mattered, not even my own safety if I think about it.  She’s the one.”

Summer finally smiled, “Then at least something good, something very good, has come from these dark days.”

His eyes focused on his mother and he smiled as well, “I am going to ask her to marry me.  I am going to be with Alyssa forever.”

While her boyfriend spoke with his parents, Alyssa sat on the sofa in the living room and flipped open her phone.  She slowly scrolled through her contacts.  Hesitating for a moment, she pressed send after highlighting his name.  It rang a couple of times before he answered, slightly breathless.

“Alyssa?  Lyssie?”

“Um, yes,” she responded. “Hi.”

“Are you… last I heard you were in New York…”

“I was.”

“Were you there when…”

“I was,” she repeated.

He gasped slightly, “Lyssie… are you okay?  Were you hurt?  Do you need me to—”

“I’m fine.  I’m back in California with Jamie’s family.  I’ve spoken with my family and when I have a break from classes or when the skies are opened back up, I’ll see them.  Everything is fine,” she declared.

“I want to… I want to see you,” Chris stated.

“That’s not going to happen, Chris, and you know it.”

“But, Lyssie, you could have di—”

“I wasn’t that close to the Towers, Chris.”

“Please.  I just want to see that you’re safe for myself,” he requested.

“I’m fine,” she repeated again. “Go spend time with your daughter.”

Chris sighed, “Aly, please.”

“No, Chris.  Just no.  I don’t even know why I called you.  But I’m fine.  So there’s that.”

“Alyssa…”

“I have to go.  Jamie is expecting me back outside.  Maybe I’ll call you when I come back up to Seattle,” she declared.

“Alyssa…”

“Bye, Chris,” she pulled the phone away from her ear.

“I still love you,” he muttered before she hung up the phone.

Tucking the cell phone into her back pocket of her jeans, Alyssa stood and headed out to the back patio.  She smiled and kissed Jamie before sitting on the armrest of his chair.  Glancing around at the three adults, she smiled again.  This was where she belonged, outside of the glare of the drugs and alcohol of the rock and roll life.  Here she felt safe and secure, as much as she would with her own family.  Here she felt at home.