Teen Trials

Safe at Last

Emma woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She sat up quickly and looked around the room, slowly recognizing it as Hunter's parents' house. She got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and followed the voices downstairs.

"Hey sleepy head." Pops said to her warmly, opening his arms. Emma walked over to the man and sat down in his lap, snuggling close and taking in his smell of cologne and cigars. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes sir." Emma said groggily. "What time is it?"

"Six-thirty. We were just about to wake you up for dinner." Pop's told her.

Emma yawned again. "I feel like I could sleep for ten years."

"Yeah, it sounds like you had an eventful week."

Emma nodded into his chest, closing her eyes. "Why are we here?"

"The roads got shut down on the way back home. Too much snow. We had already called Hunter though, after he said that you were leaving Duke's house to say we would like the chance to see our grandkids since y'all were out this way anyway."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Niko and Amy are outside playing in the snow and H and Grams are in the kitchen getting dinner ready. Do you want me to get them?"

Emma snuggled closer to the only grandfather she had ever really known. "No. I'm in big trouble."

Niko Sr. started rubbing her back gently. "I heard." He said. "What you did was very dangerous."

"I forgot they took my card away, so I didn't have a way to pay for gas." Emma said softly.

"I don't think you running out of gas is going to be everyone's main concern."

"You're awake." Hunter said coming into the room. He pulled the girl from his dad's lap into a tight hug. "Do you want to take a shower before dinner? You have about fifteen minutes." He kissed the side of her head.

"Are you going to spank me?" Emma asked.

Hunter was surprised she would ask that in front of his dad. "Yes, but not until after dinner."

"Okay. I'm gonna go shower then."

"Alright Baby." Hunter said, kissing her forehead. He reluctantly let go of the teen.

When she came down ten minutes later everyone was sitting around the kitchen table. Amy pulled her into a hug. "Hey baby, are you feeling okay?"

"Hungry." Emma said simply.

"Quick lets get some food into her." Grams said, already starting to load the teen's plate up with the enchiladas and salad. They said grace and started to eat.

"The snow is supposed to clear after tomorrow, Emma, and you are going to be grounded for a while..."

"I'm going back to my parent's house after the new year." Emma said. Amy shifted in her seat at that. "What?"

"Your dad called, and they are going to extend their Greece trip, and then they will be home for the week, but are leaving that Friday to take James on a college tour. They asked if we could keep you until the first week in February, when things settle in a little more."

Emma blushed, embarrassed to be so unwelcome in her own home. "I understand. Will I be grounded that long?"

"If you're lucky..." Hunter said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

Amy rolled her eyes at the man. "Only if you do something else to get in trouble. But since you won't be hanging out with friends anyway, and the dance studio is closed until school starts back up, and H and I will be at work, we were going to see if you wanted to stay here with Niko and Grams and Pops until next Saturday."