-- TOOK A THOUSAND SCARS [Sandra]

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Sheer content. The smile on his face was soft and gentle as he watched the TV, his arm wrapped around Sandra's waist loosely. Devin gripped her side a little bit as a scene in the movie startled him; he found himself somewhat absorbed in his girlfriend's presence to fully pay attention to what was actually happening. Funny part was, it wasn't even a scary movie! "Sorry about that," The blonde muttered with a chuckle, attempting to pull her closer to himself. "Wasn't exactly...paying attention." For the past couple of weeks he had not been paying much attention to...anything really. Athena had poked fun at him, saying he was off in 'la la land' because he would always get these goofy but distant expressions on his face, or spend his time talking to and seeing Sandra whenever time allowed. It didn't help that he was already incredibly lazy and rarely focused on his school work, either. He supposed that that was a good thing though. His grades were not going to suffer for his being a bit twitterpated. Would it pass? Maybe to an extent, but he didn't really want it to. Devin liked all of the warm, fuzzy feelings.

He sat up just a little bit and rested his cheek on his hand. "You okay? Need anything to drink? Or...anything?" Because the house was pretty well stocked so they had plenty to choose from in regards to drinks and snacks. Mmm food. Maybe they should go out later and get something. Timmie's did sound pretty good. Until then--when laziness was over--they could just munch on whatever was in the house. Just as he gave Sandra a kiss on the cheek, Athena had taken a moment to lean over the railing of the stairs to see what it was her brother was doing. "Ew, DJ! Public displays of affection are not allowed." She was giggling a little bit, clearly not offended, but Devin felt his face grow warm as he turned his head to look at his little sister. "It's not out in public so I have no idea what you're talking about. Why don't you go and...shop or something." Yeah, and get her out of the house for a while so she would stop pestering. It was what little sisters did though. To his chagrin. Athena smiled at him cheekily before pulling away from the banister and going back to her bedroom, all the while saying, "Whaaatever Deej! Enjoy sucking face with your giiiiirlfriend~" He groaned a little and rolled his head back against the couch. Ugh. Little sisters. "She can be so obnoxious..." Devin muttered with a sigh. It would probably never end.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Sandra wasn't actually even sure what movie they were watching, only that it was kind of cute and exciting and she'd never actually seen it before, but the leading female did look distinctly familiar... Eh, she didn't claim to be particularly up-to-date with these things. It was more important that she was spending time with Devin anyway -- it seriously just made everything better, which honestly sounded incredibly sappy but whatever, Sandra was much too occupied with everything else to worry about being a sap of all things. At one scene, she jumped a little at the same moment as Devin gripped her side -- okay, apparently neither of them were really attentive or anything. She giggled a little, letting him pull her closer without hesitation. "It's okay! Distracted?" she asked, smiling a little. Ugh, Sandra wasn't much better either. Her mind had been ridiculous levels of spacey lately, and she honestly... wasn't even sure what to do with all of it, but luckily there were moments like these when she was allowed to just sit with her boyfriend and zone out and... Boyfriend was a really nice word for Devin, she decided.

"Hm..." She considered this for a second, turning to look at him. "Nah, I think I'm good! Did you want anything?" Well, Sandra could always use food (because food was the best thing in the world, thanks) but she was too lazy to move, and she didn't want Devin to have to get up for her, and plus... she was just comfortable where she was, leaning against him a little. They could always go raid his kitchen later or something anyway. She smiled when he kissed her cheek, and was about to do something -- return it, probably -- when she heard a voice from the direction of the staircase. Sandra blushed a little even as she cuddled against Devin a little bit. "Hiiii, Athena!" Then she giggled after the younger girl had gone running back to her room. "She's cute! And she wouldn't be much of a little sister unless she was kind of annoying," she pointed out, taking this chance to kiss his cheek now and then resting her head against his shoulder. It was true what she said though -- if Matthew brought his girlfriend to the apartment, Sandra was so not letting said girl have a pass. She could understand Athena. "You'll be okay." She looked up at his face from where she was leaning and poked his cheek. He was just so... so cute! It made it way too easy to make fun of him, pfft.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

He was glad that she allowed him to cuddle closer to her, if that was even possible. If the boy could be attached at her hip, he probably would make the attempt. It was nice to have this sort of affection and attention from someone. The one-night stands were nice, at least in the temporary fulfillment, but this felt so much better. To know that she was there consistently and seemed to want nothing more than his presence. "Mhmm," Devin hummed, nodding only faintly. The position of his head limited movement. "Distracted by you." There was no need to lie about that, because at least it was a good distraction. Not even the movie could hold his attention. Video games were still near the top of his list but if Sandra came over all bets were off. He would much rather spend time with her than absorb himself in the TV for hours on end. He was such a sap. At least she did not seem to be completely and totally focused on the movie either. He would have felt bad distracting her from it.

"Nope, I'm good! At least for now. I might get up and get a snack soon...but I'm kinda comfy." He wrapped his arm further around her and nuzzled against her neck, smiling happily. Devin really was a cuddle bug; he enjoyed snuggling and keeping people close, especially his girlfriend. It helped that she did not seem to mind it in the least and that merely encouraged him. The comfortable cuddles would have continued had Athena not interrupted them; Devin merely squeezed Sandra's side again when she snuggled against him. Athena's smile was childish but happy. "Hi Sandy! I hope you're keeping DJ in line and everything. He can be such a handful." Devin moaned and rolled his eyes, glad to hear her retreating footsteps down the hallway. "Yeah...yeah I guess you're right," He agreed grudgingly. Although the girl could drive him nuts he had a protective streak over her that could not be matched. Only Sandra was at the same level as Athena in his protectiveness. He did smile when she kissed his cheek though, skin growing a bit warm from the contact. Amazing how, with his past with females, he flushed pink at a mere kiss on cheek. It's because Sandra was special. Devin loved her affection. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, his phone went off and began to vibrate on the coffee table.

Devin sighed and leaned over Sandra to grab the phone, reading the caller I.D. He frowned. "I need to take this." Nimbly he slid over his girlfriend and wandered into the kitchen to take the call. His voice sounded distant and irritated, something that was not normal Devin behavior. He paced the kitchen floor and occasionally he walked back into the living room. It was only when he noticed Sandra was there that he turned around and continued his responses in a hushed manner. A few minutes later the blonde re-entered the room and looked...exasperated. Agitated. Weary. With a sigh he sat down on the edge of the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry about that. I uh...that was...my dad." Devin knew he had not shared what had happened between he and his father and--more importantly--Lauren, but figured now was probably as good a time as any. He was not adept at hiding his emotions anyway and it would be difficult to pretend he was alright.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Devin was such a sap, but as far as Sandra was concerned there was nothing wrong with this in the slightest. He just made everything better. They could have just been sitting there in silence and she would have been perfectly okay with it, and that was weird because Sandra was usually the type to like filling every waking second with her voice, or at least that was how it seemed considering how much she could babble on about nothing sometimes. Sitting there with him was enough, though, she had realized in the past short little while. "But I bet I'm your favourite distraction," she said, laughing a little. There were probably other things, but she should hopefully at least contend. She felt kind of bad for actually distracting him, but on the other hand... honestly, he was such a distraction too. Plus, he seemed happy, and that was all Sandra really cared about. He was happy. She was definitely happy. There was way too much happiness contained in just the two of them... and now she sounded stupid in her own thoughts and she should stop, but really, Sandra was just content.

"Comfy is right," she mumbled, relaxing against him. Even as friends, they'd both always been kind of ridiculously affectionate, and honestly that was just in Sandra's personality. She liked to cuddle up to people -- she was pretty sure that it wasn't always well-received, either, but her friends had for the most part at least learnt to put up with it over time. With Devin, again it was different, maybe not on any kind of physical level, but Sandra probably felt more comfortable like this with him than she did with most anyone else. They were kind of interrupted by Athena, but Sandra just flashed the girl a grin. "Honestly, no idea how I put up with him." That would be such a lie if it were at all serious, but obviously it wasn't -- Devin's reaction really was adorable at least. The blush on his cheeks made her blush too, even though Sandra was pretty sure she should be getting used to it by now... but no, there were always the permanent butterflies in there amongst all the warm, comfortable, fluffy feelings.

She moved her head out of the way so that he could grab his phone when it went off, and was about to ask who it was when she saw the frown on his face. "Uh... Okay," she said, nodding and letting him leave the kitchen. It shouldn't have been much of her concern, she didn't think, just a phone call, but the look on his face worried her. His voice didn't help either, though she couldn't hear the words apart from a few things that jumped out -- none of which made much sense to her when they were just random snatches of a conversation that she couldn't hear the rest of. She tried to focus on the movie but couldn't -- when he walked back into the room she looked over at him but he was still on the phone, and then he was gone again as soon as he saw her. Sandra's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. She was more worried than anything else, though. This... this was so not normal for her boyfriend, and she had known him for a pretty long time even if they'd only been dating for the shortest little while. "Are you okay?" she asked immediately when he re-entered, this time without the phone at his ear. "I... oh. I don't... know your dad," she said slowly as if this was dawning on her for the first time. Maybe it was. She didn't know either of his parents, actually, just his aunt and his little sister. Had she ever asked? If she had it must have been a pretty long time ago, because she didn't remember. Sandra frowned, scooting over so that she was closer to him. "Well... what did he say?"

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

"My all time favorite distraction, of course," He replied softly with a small chuckle, pushing his nose into her hair and nuzzling her affectionately. Devin was a naturally loving person and enjoyed the closeness of others but Sandra was certainly a special case. The awkwardness was completely gone and there was nothing left causing him to hesitate with her, so that helped immensely. "I hope I make a good pillow then." How did this girl manage to make him a complete and total pile of mush just by snuggling up close to him? It was like a unspoken talent she had or something. Her presence alone was calming, refreshing. He allowed himself to crave the company of those other girls at the parties for temporary fulfillment and all it took was Sandra being close to him to make him feel completely satisfied. Nothing else was needed.

Athena was truly a burden sometimes. Fortunately it seemed his girlfriend could roll with the punches, though her cheeks looked a faint shade of pink as his little sister teased them relentlessly. He would get past it, he knew. Her little sing-song comments would hopefully fade away and leave them in peace. Devin looked a bit sheepish and ducked his head against his girlfriend. "I'm such a handful, I'm sorryyy." He whined. "But I'm glad you decided to put up with me. I'd be pretty depressed if you didn't." Even if Sandra were just his friend he would be upset if she did not want to be around. He liked to have his friends enjoy his company.

Devin felt awful for abandoning his girlfriend on the couch but the phone call was unexpected and--had it been Judith--he would have answered it while on the couch. However his father was still not a subject discussed with Sandra and he would rather avoid having her overhear the conversation. Telling her would be better, right? When he returned to the room and sat down it took alot to try and sort out his thoughts properly. "I'm alright I guess," Devin started, glancing over at her. "I just uhm...yeah, you wouldn't know my dad. I don't talk to him or about him much." The guilt was eating away at him now. He had not realized until this moment how often he shoved his past behind him and avoided talking to others about it. Sandra calmed his nerves by scooting closer and instantly the boy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed his nose against the side of her head. "He said he uh...he wants to see me. Wanted to try and set up something for my birthday or something in July. Problem is, he wants..." Even saying the woman's name was difficult. "He wants Lauren there. She's my step-mother." The woman who hit him, verbally abused him, was an absolute bitch.

Would Sandra take the information well? What would she say? Devin was not entirely sure how to start or what parts were able to be left out. Maybe taking a different route would help. "I mean, I'd like to tell you because you deserve to know but I guess it's up to you if you want to hear it or not." He glanced at her, searching her face as he brushed a hand through her hair. Her being here was extremely comforting at least.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

She giggled and let him nuzzle against her hair. "More than video games, even? I feel so special!" She didn't know if this was true or not but either way she at least thought it was a cute sentiment -- and it was true in reverse. Sandra was an easily-distracted person, and it didn't bother her, but there were always some moments that were better than others. Nothing bad had yet to come of Devin's being a terrible distraction. "Mhm, the best pillow. Don't mind me if I fall asleep," she warned in advance, but this didn't seem very likely. She was pretty well awake at the moment -- but on the other hand, Devin was comfy and Sandra could fall asleep at just any given moment in time. She closed her eyes briefly as she rested her forehead against the side of his, then re-opened them again as she turned back to the TV.

They were pretty much doomed not to ever really re-focus in on this movie, though, because at this point Sandra had no idea what the heck was going on -- and of course Athena's comments were no help with this. She laughed as he ducked behind her. "Don't be sorryyyy," she whined back, smiling as she turned so that she could see him. "You're not a handful and even if you were I think I'd put up with you anyway. Just because you're cute." Okay, that wasn't the only reason, but Sandra just giggled and patted him on the head. Maybe it was a bad call to treat her boyfriend like a puppy... but he was so adorable! It was hard to resist! "And always, so no need to talk about being depressed." That conversation would just be depressing for obvious reasons, and Sandra... just liked to be happy. Not everything was happy, obviously, but there was no need to drag themselves down for no reason.

The mood had definitely shifted by the time Devin reentered the room, and she just paused a moment, listening, before she reached for the remote and paused the movie. Whatever this was, it was infinitely more important. "O...kay," she said hesitantly as she dropped the remote back down before moving over closer to him. Sandra just waited a second and put her arm around him in return. Her brain was trying to make sense of the situation but there was no way that she could with all that she knew, which wasn't much. There were no happy reasons she could think of for anyone to go throughout life without speaking to (or about) their parents. She kept her arm around him even as she pulled away a little so that she could look at him. 'Step-mother. But then that means... what about your mom? Like... biological." She sounded unsure because she was, but her voice was stronger when she continued, "I want to hear everything. Whatever you want to say. Anything." Devin looked so... upset, she was pretty sure it was, but this was one of those weird, rare times when it was difficult to read him. "What is it?" She let him run a hand through her hair, smiling a bit, before she took it in her own free one and gave his hand a squeeze. It was hard and weird when she didn't know, but damn it all if Sandra wasn't going to try to help -- she was lousy at helping people in situations like these sometimes, but Devin was way too important for her not to try.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin laughed and sighed, pretending to be exasperated. That was damn near impossible with Sandra and he was sure that it was a bit of a failure. "Even more than video games, my beautiful girl," He said happily and with another chuckle. That was not a lie; Sandra was the best distraction--the best person--in the world and he would not give that up for anything. Not if he could help it. "I definitely don't mind if you do. I'll probably doze off soon after anyway." Naps were always good, and even better when you did not have to take them alone. In fact Devin noticed that when he did doze off with her in his arms he slept better than he did at night. His attachment to her was pretty ridiculous.

Distractions, distractions, distractions. The movie was no longer his main focus as he chatted with Sandra and dealt with his sisters' teasing; of course, when he thought about it, the movie had not been his main focus since the beginning. Girlfriend was in his presence and all that. If he were alone it would be different but that was not the case. "But I should be sorryyyy," He replied, adding to the whining and playing up the drama of the moment. He kissed her nose when Sandra turned to face him, fingers touching her jawline gently. "Glad to know that my cuteness gives me at least a chance to stick with you. I'd be pretty sad if not." Of course, knowing that she found him cute did bring a soft smile to his face, neck growing a little warm. He had been with many girls, many flirted and about the same landed in bed with him but all it took was Sandra's complement to send him into a blush. That was because she was different. She actually cared about him. Saw him past what he used to be and accepted things without much hesitation. At least it seemed that way. If she did have any qualms she had not mentioned anything. "Okay, no being depressed. I promise." He lifted up the hand that was on her waist and made an effort at Scout's Honor before gripping her side again. The closeness was so soothing.

He ran a hand through his hair. The silence in the room after the movie had been paused was almost overbearing, the weight on his chest enough to suffocate. It was just a birthday plan, no big deal. Yet, after all he had been through with Lauren, there was no way in hell he could accept this as okay. Nothing about it would be okay. Sandra's presence did help but even so his heart felt unsteady. Her question made him flinch. "She...she's dead. Died after Athena was born." After his mother died, things began to change and not for the better. Telling Sandra everything made him nervous but at the same time his heart and mind craved the release. To finally tell another person about his past. A lot of his actions had been based on this, too. He messed with his hair and dropped his chin to his chest, sorting through thoughts. "Well, after my mom died we stayed with my dad...but of course he wound up remarrying and Lauren came into the picture." It was probably the only time--when he mentioned the woman's name--that he seethed and sounded legitimately angry. "Things were fine at first and then...uhm." Would Sandra judge? No. She would never. He sighed. "Lauren turned out to be abusive. Physically. To me." His bright blue eyes turned their attention on his girlfriend.

"Aunt Judith wound up taking us in after that, but...nothing was really the same, you know? And then when she moved to the U.S. for work I wound up staying with my dad again. The same thing happened, so." Devin was not sure how Sandra would respond but he hoped that it was not going to end up badly. A lot of the reason he hid his past away was because he did not like people to feel sorry for him. It was unnecessary, especially considering how good his life was now. Of course the past tended to come back to haunt him on occasion, like it did today.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Sandra hadn't really actually expected such a sure answer, but it made her smile. Devin was such a sap, seriously, but she at least thought it was endearing, and when it came to this, she didn't think it really mattered much what other people thought. She didn't even really answer, just smiled up at him from where she was leaning against his side. Then she giggled a little. "Mm, but a nap sounds nice... Don't encourage me!" If Sandra didn't have any other things to do and take care of throughout the day, at this point it'd probably just be all naps and cuddles whenever she was with him... unless, of course, Athena interrupted again, but it was just cute at this point. "But I don't care, I said dooon't," she whined right back. They would probably annoy anybody else in the room with them, but luckily it was just the two of them and the mostly neglected movie. She giggled and blushed when he kissed her nose, raising a hand to touch his face in return. "I swear you shouldn't be allowed to be as cute as you are anyway," she grumbled, but the smile on her face betrayed her. "Good. Pinky promise?" Sandra reached out and linked her pinky with his once his hand had loosened up from Scout's Honour, but then just sighed quietly, contentedly, as she relaxed back against him. There was something pretty amazing about his presence -- he cheered her up when she was down and somehow managed to make things better than already when she was happy in the first place.

It was quiet now, too quiet, and she didn't really know what to think. Family had never been a weird issue for her, never anything that she had to worry about. It was a little confusing, but only in the same way that most families were weird, she was pretty sure. In the end, the only reason that their family -- mom, dad, two kids, and grandparents living with htem -- could be considered special to Sandra was because it was just that, her family. She didn't think, other than that, that there was anything much out of the ordinary about them at all. This obviously wasn't the case for everyone's family, but maybe Sandra would have expected something considering that Devin and Athena both lived with Aunt Judith. She was silent for a second when he spoke. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I never knew." Of course she hadn't -- she really couldn't have unless Devin or someone in his family told her. She bit her lip as she listened, watching when he dropped his chin down to his chest. He seemed to do this when he was uncomfortable, when he was saying something he'd rather not have a conversation about at all, or at least this was what she'd noticed. Sandra felt briefly guilty for making him tell her, but these were things she'd want to know. She hoped that he knew that he was in no way olibgated, but these thoughts were just tiny, pointless things and she chased them away. This was much more important.

It hit her with a pang when he said the word "abusive". She almost wanted to look away, collect her thoughts, but then he turned to meet her gaze and she just stared, not knowing what to say. He probably didn't want her pity -- and she didn't want to give it, because it wouldn't help. "Did your dad... did he just not do anything about it?" she asked, a little bit appalled if that was really the case. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She kind of just hoped that the question wasn't insensitive -- she reached out for his hand again. "Yeah..." she murmured, trailing off a little to try to make sense of this in her brain. "And then you got the apartment... and then Aunt Judith came back..." It made sense now. Then it seemed they'd moved into this house, and now here she and Devin were a while later, Sandra hearing all of this for the first time. Her brain was confused. She thought of some faceless woman somewhere, this Lauren -- someone who was supposed to be a mother figure -- abusing Devin, hitting him probably. The idea almost broke her. "No one should ever hurt you, ever," she half-whispered, her arms moving to wrap around him and pull him close. "Devin, you... I mean... I don't..." Sandra had never been that good with words, not out loud when she was thrown for this much of a loop. "I'm sorry. I can't... even imagine." She closed her eyes. Don't cry, that doesn't help. "Are you going to go see them? Your dad and... and Lauren. For your birthday." The idea was unsettling.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

He fought closing his eyes when she touched his face, a bit of a blush warming his cheeks. All it took was Sandra to reduce the boy to a puddle of happy emotions that he simply could not contain. With a smile, Devin wrapped his pinky around hers and said, "I promise." No depressing feelings around the girlfriend, he needed to remember that. Devin was not an unhappy person by nature anyway so this would not be extremely difficult at least. He would rather put a smile on his face and ensure others were happy before wallowing in quiet self pity.

Subtly the boy flinched back at her apology; this was the reason he avoided talking to people about his past. He did not want pity or for others to walk eggshells around him whenever they talked about their family and loved ones. One too many times that became the usual after he told friends that his mother passed away when he was young, and soon after they treated all family topics with extreme care. Sandra was the last person in this world that he wanted to burden. But she wants to know, and I can't hide things from her. Not if this relationship was going to continue. Lies and hiding was not something Devin wanted to do. He took his relationships seriously and that entailed being honest about everything.

"Don't apologize," He begged quietly, searching her face with the same plea in his eyes. "No one really knows. Josh and Nell are the only other people I've told." Josh was his best friend of many years, and was first-hand witness to a lot of the turmoil the blonde endured. Nell found out during their one night in jail.

Devin shook his head a little bit, still keeping his eyes on hers in an attempt to hold on to his emotions. If Sandra looked calm, then he could be that way too. He hardly ever cried but some of the memories were a bit more emotionally scarring than others. "No, but mostly because he didn't really know what was going on. Lauren always played sweet and innocent in front of him and turned bitch behind his back." She was a two-faced fox, sly and manipulative and vicious. Devin hated her. It was a strong and unyielding emotion, something he did not hesitate to feel towards the woman. He nodded as she put everything together, allowing all of it to sink in. Part of him regretted saying anything because Sandra was a very special person in his life and did not want to burden her with the dark shadows of his past. He wanted to protect her, to save her from ever knowing Lauren existed. That was something he tried to do quite frequently; to pretend that the woman fell off the face of the Earth. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Sandra's embrace.

Nothing could have been more reassuring and comfortable at that moment.

Without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her shoulder. "She can't hurt me anymore," He replied, muffled by her shirt. "I'll be okay. I'm with Judith and Athena and I have you and everything is okay." So long as he avoided Lauren and mentally removed her from existence then the past did not seem so bad. So far, the future was looking up and that was all that mattered. He pulled back and held Sandra's shoulders lightly, smiling at her a little. "Hey," His hand pushed her hair back. "Like I said, don't apologize. Life is good now." Her question did have him thinking though; should he agree to see them for his birthday and potentially suffer the cold, dark daggers coming from Lauren's bitter stare? Or would it be best to avoid the confrontation altogether? The small attachment he had left for his father told him it might be helpful but his step-mother was a different story. "What do you think?" Devin asked, searching her face. "Should I go or...just leave well enough alone?" Having an extra opinion could never hurt.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Sandra wasn't especially talented when it came to reading people, but she had known Devin for a long time at this point. Well... it wasn't like they'd known each other their entire lives or anything, but it had been a good amount of years at the Academy together. At this point, she figured that she knew at least a couple of his expressions well enough, and she was pretty sure she had been more in tune with all of that in the past few weeks. She didn't miss the look on his face when she said sorry -- okay, no more apologies. "Okay," she agreed quietly. It was just what she did for everything, but she'd try to stop. "I mean... I'm glad you trust me." She just wanted to hug him, but she held off momentarily.

It was hard when she didn't really know what to do or say or think, even, but she just held her gaze steady as she looked at him. That was easier than talking. "No... I guess she wouldn't have done anything in front of him." For some reason this made Sandra more livid -- the nerve of this woman she didn't know, going behind people's backs and the like, not to mention how awful the actions were themselves in the first place. She sounded bitter when she spoke, and that was pretty rare. She had already formed such an opinion of this person she'd never met in her life -- and she thought it was actually justified, all things considered. "That's the worst," she said, and her voice was soft but there was an edge to it. "I can't -- how could she even..." To the best of Sandra's knowledge, Devin had never hurt a fly. She couldn't imagine that he'd even know how. Of all the people she knew, it was probably one of the worst things to imagine this happening in his life, whether in the past or present. She worried even though she knew it was the past. "I don't know what it'd have to take to be such a horrible person." Sandra was pretty naive to the ways of the world, though -- it wasn't like she had never known that these things happened, or hadn't ever heard or guessed at other people's stories, but somehow this felt infinitely more personal.

The protectiveness she suddenly felt was pretty awful when she knew that she couldn't really do a thing. It seemed that it was over and done with for the most part anyway, and she tried to tell herself this, but it didn't work out that well. Without hesitation she let Devin lean into her shoulder, turning her face into his. "I know... I know, but I just..." A tiny part of her brain was aware that she shouldn't be the one getting upset here, but it was pretty difficult to stop it now that she'd started. At least she hadn't started crying all over the place, but her emotions were not to be trusted at any given time. "No... no, she can't hurt you ever again," she agreed finally after a second, her voice also muffled against him. "And if she tries... I'll have something to say about it." She laughed weakly. Right. Sandra was just so threatening and intimidating, after all. It was true, though -- whether she could be proactive about it or not, she wouldn't be happy at all. "Okay... okay, no more apologizing, I'm sorry -- I mean --" She smiled a little. Apologizing for apologizing was just a redundant, endless cycle. "Sorry. I'm done now." Her hands were a little shaky but she reached one out for his cheek again and it managed to still itself. That was good. She supposed that she was also glad to hear that his life was good now, though she wasn't sure it completely fixed anything that happened in the past.

"I don't know." She couldn't very well tell him what to do about this after all, though she knew that this wasn't what he was asking her for. How difficult could it be to share her own opinion? It was, apparently, pretty darn difficult. "I mean... do you want to see your dad?" Though it was pretty clear how Devin felt about Lauren, his dad was probably a very different story. She tried to find the answer in his expression but it was harder than before. "Or... I mean... is there a way you can see him without having her there?" Her. Sandra had no desire to say the woman's name again.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

"Of course I trust you," Devin stated simply, tilting his head a bit to the side. "It wouldn't make much sense if I didn't." He did not trust many, and even then there were not many in that circle who knew much about him beyond the basic facts and generic information. Time was a key factor in whether he divulged the past, as well as attachment. Sandra had both on her side. He found himself more attached to her than anyone else (best friend aside), and they had known one another for quite some time. Most of high school in fact. He tried to think back and wondered if he had had a 'thing' for her before he even recognized it as such. It was hard to tell.

The bitterness in Sandra's voice was a bit startling; he had never truly witnessed many negative emotions come from the girl and frankly he was not quite sure how to handle it. Then again, Devin's disposition changed quite drastically when Lauren came into the picture. It seemed she was causing negative feelings with everyone he knew. Josh would probably not hesitate to harm the woman if he got the chance, judging from the previous encounter. "Some people are just like that Sandy...I dunno why they exist but they do." And he just so happened to run into one in his lifetime. Lived with one. "But at least I don't have to put up with her anymore. It could always be worse, right?" Positive thinking was what helped him cope before and it presently prevented him from harboring too many bitter feelings. He did have them--he was human after all--but they certainly did not nestle deep into his chest and make him angry with the world. Sandra's comment made him chuckle and he poked her nose with a loving tap. "You, my dear, are the sweetest and most loving person I know. That's probably why you can't imagine being like that." Her bright and gentle nature always astounded him.

He did briefly wonder how things would be if Judith never came back to Canada. Sure, he had had his apartment and did not have to deal with Lauren day in and day out but without the family that he truly cared about the situation would still be quite grim. Having Sandra close was a soothing feeling though and Devin cherished it. His lips met her cheek. "I promise that everything will be okay. At least I don't live with her, and I don't have to see her unless I volunteer." And now he was placed in that situation. Choosing to see his dad meant seeing Lauren, and that was not something he would be eager to do. She had caused so many problems in his life and wished more than ever that they would move away. A faint brush of air passed through his nose as she pushed out more apologies, a faint smile of amusement passing his lips. "You're adorable, you know that?" He tilted his head into her hand as it touched his face, his own hand resting on hers. "And thanks for listening and stuff. I really appreciate it."

Well, that was a loaded question if he ever heard one. Seeing his dad entailed more than just...seeing his dad. Entailed way too much. Is it worth it? He sighed. "Yeah, I kinda want to see him?" He sounded unsure. "I mean, he is my dad and stuff but...with Lauren it wouldn't be as enjoyable." She was good at ruining things without even having to be present, like now. It was supposed to be a lazy, comfortable afternoon with his girlfriend and that phone call sent the boy into a flurry of unwanted, negative emotions. "I honestly don't know if it's possible. He seemed insistent that they both be there but...I guess I'll call him tomorrow or something and see what I can work out." Since his dad might have still been oblivious to Lauren's past dealings with Devin it would be difficult to make an excuse. Heaving another long sigh, Devin pulled back from Sandra and fell back against the couch, closing his eyes. That phone call had the worst timing.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Even though she knew that he was right, it was still... weird. The world was full of so much hatred and people doing all sorts of awful things to each other -- and it was a world she didn't get at all, because didn't it just make sense to be nice to others? It did to Sandra, but then again not everyone was like Sandra. The world would be a pretty weird place if everyone was all the same, though. She did deflate a little at his explanation, regardless."I know... but they shouldn't." She felt like she was wishing people out of existence, and that made her feel bad even when she realized that it was people like Lauren. Making people disappear wasn't something that she could actually do, though, even when she wanted to -- moments like these were rare, but they came sometimes. "Yeah... yeah. At least you're away from her." She couldn't imagine how this conversation would go if he was telling this to her as something that was still happening in the present. Sandra did manage a smile when he poked her nose. "You're so nice, you know that? Always so nice. Of all people..." She let the sentence trail off. Of all people, Devin didn't deserve to ever be hurt.

There was a bright side to most every situation, and Sandra was actually a pretty optimistic person. This did at least make it easier -- she was able to breathe and listen and figure all of it out. She closed her eyes for a second again when he kissed her cheek. She just needed to breathe -- breathe and calm down. "Okay," she said, nodding slowly. "Just... tell me if anything happens, okay? If you ever have to see her, or... anything." Sandra just wanted to make sure that he was okay, always okay, even though she knew that it wasn't practical. He'd always put on such a brave face, or she figured that he must have -- there must have been times in the past, even when she'd known him, that he'd been dealing with these things, like when Aunt Judith had gone to America and he must have been living with his dad and Lauren again. Now that she thought about it, it was just weird that she'd never suspected a thing, but she figured that this was what he'd been trying for. "Anytime. You can tell me anything." Still, this conversation had gotten awfully but understandably heavy, and now she smiled, brushing her thumb across his cheek. "And not as adorable as you." Some healthy sappiness was generally good for that, Sandra figured -- not that she would ever try to make light of it.

She tried to put herself in Devin's shoes in the hopes that it would offer some kind of insight, but it was far too difficult. Sandra was too attached to everyone in her family to even try to imagine such a thing, and she knew that the situations were way too different for her to manage this. "No, I guess having her there would ruin it a lot." She couldn't tell if it would be worth it. On one hand, well... it was his father, after all. On the other hand, even if it never came to anything physical when Devin's dad was also there, she didn't want him to get hurt in any way. "It'd be a good idea to call him, yeah," she agreed, nodding a few times to reaffirm this. "I mean... does he know what she did, now? Or does he know how you feel, even?" It seemed pretty unreasonable to Sandra for him to keep insisting that Lauren be there if everyone knew that there were issues -- but her thoughts were dashed away pretty quickly when he leaned back away from her. Devin... She leaned over and kissed his forehead, murmuring as she did so, "If there's anything I can do, ever..." She left the offer up in the air, not knowing what she could do to be of help. If there was anything, she'd try her very best.

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Devin had to admit that, even if it did not seem in-character, he enjoyed Sandra's protectiveness over him. He never did fend for himself or lift a fist against his assailants, so to have others around who knew and understood this was always good to know. He did not want his girlfriend fighting his battles, no; it was more or less nice to see that he had people like her in his life. "Being nice always tends to piss off my enemies," Devin stated simply with a small smile. "Keeps people from wanting to constantly pick on me, I guess. What's the fun in fighting with someone who doesn't fight back?" He remembered Alexander, and how he tried to pick a fight simply because he ran into the guy on accident. The Earth kept his cool and did not start any confrontation, and even went so far as to practically lay down and let the guy beat his face in. It hurt like hell but Devin felt satisfied that Alexander did not get the reaction he wanted: fear and intimidation. Then again it seemed Lauren was in a different category. She abused him even when he did not retaliate. Maybe living with her had something to do with it.

"I'll let you know, I promise." He said with a brief nod. And he would let her know, because Devin never broke his promises. Not to mention that she carried the girlfriend label so she was privy to all information before anyone else. He trusted her. He felt bad that he did not tell her any of this sooner, but hoped that the past would not come back full-force any time soon. It was more to protect Sandra than anything else. You can only protect people for so long. She was handling it better than he thought, at least. That was encouraging. Devin smiled. "I know I can. I trust you." She had yet to use any of his past (well, the past she knew) against him or judge him for who he was or used to be. That spoke volumes to Devin. It meant the world. Sandra's touch was soothing and his eyes closed halfway as she brushed over his cheek. "If you say so." They could go back and forth for hours, that was fact.

He felt bad that Sandra was placed in the position she was in, because knowing what Lauren did and knowing that she still lived in Maple Hollow was a bit unnerving even for him. I wish they would move away. No matter what the relationship with his father was, having them leave was for the best. Devin glanced at Sandra and twitched his lips a little, dipping his head against his shoulder. "Yeah, she's pretty good at ruining shit." The woman made everything miserable, like hell on earth. He frowned and looked away from her; suddenly the carpet became extremely interesting. "No," He admitted, shaking his head. "He doesn't know anything. I figured ignorance was bliss. Let him be happy in his own little world and stuff. She can't do anything to me now, so I'm not gonna cause problems." It was in Devin's nature to allow others thrive in happiness while he suffered, though fortunately in this particular situation he could avoid Lauren now. His father could live happily in ignorance because no one was being harmed. At least, no one that he knew.

The kiss on his forehead drew Devin from his thoughts, and he looked at Sandra with a faint but admiring smile. "Just being here is enough for me," He replied, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers. "Everything will work out like it should. I'll give him a call tomorrow and tell him that I have plans with my wonderful, beautiful girlfriend and we can try another time." There was a glint in his eyes, something that was a bit playful and mischievous at the same time. He did want to spend his birthday with Sandra. That would make him happy. He would have his time with Josh too, being best friends and all, but his girlfriend had first priority now when it came to things like this.

[SANDRA HARU CHANG]

Sandra... was nice. This was pretty much a fact that she was well aware of, something that she'd just managed to store away somewhere in the back of her mind, but it wasn't much of a conscious thought. It was true, though -- however she felt about things, she was just awfully nice by nature, and it wasn't something that she was complaining about because she still felt that everyone should just be nice, and as long as she was happy, everything was fine! When confronted with people she didn't like, though, Sandra could very honestly say that she was not nearly as nice as Devin. "I guess it does," she admitted, though her smile was a little sad. She just didn't like the idea of people picking on him. "Some people can just be jerks, though." When it came down to it, Sandra wouldn't let herself be pushed around if things got that bad. Dealing with bullies must have toughened her up as a kid or something. There wasn't much that she could do, though, and she knew that -- but she'd never just take it from other people without giving it at least a little bit of a fighting chance.

It was nice to be trusted, not that she'd thought that she wasn't. She didn't have any clue about real life relationships, was pretty much figuring things out as she went right now, but she was sure that trust was a pretty fundamental aspect. "Good," she said, nodding just once. "And I trust you too." She added it as a kind of afterthought, mostly because she didn't have anything that she thought she needed to hide from the world at large. If there was ever anything, she would trust Devin with whatever it was. "I do say so!" Sandra was also just glad that he didn't argue with her, because these arguments of theirs could probably go on forever.

If she had been the one in Devin's shoes, she was pretty sure that she would never have been able to cope, especially not with having to see Lauren again after all of that. It was things like this that made her actually appreciate how strong a person he had to be. "I can imagine," she said with a nod, though she was then distracted when he frowned and looked away. Sandra followed his gaze to the floor even though she knew that there would be nothing there, just the pattern of the carpet. The fact that he didn't look at her made her feel like he didn't want to be looked at, either, though. It took her a few seconds to answer as she mulled it over in her mind. "If you think it's for the best," she said softly, her voice catching in her throat a little. Again she thought how nice he was, just letting his dad and Lauren live their lives. "If he's happy, I mean... Do you think he'd want to know, though?" she asked, looking back at him. Whatever the answer was, she trusted her boyfriend's judgment -- she was just an outsider, after all, albeit one who was a little more invested than the average stranger.

She smiled back when she saw that he'd opened his eyes again. "Then I'll be here," she assured, resting her forehead against his when he leaned in. The brief kiss made her giggle. "And I'd love to help you avoid plans with other people whenever you'd like!" The situation was a little more serious than that, though, but she said this in the best interests of keeping things light. Then she frowned a little. "But only if you're sure. I mean, he's your dad. We can hang out and celebrate your birthday any day you want..."

[DEVIN JAMES THATCHER]

Sandra was right; some people could just be straight up jerks when they wanted to be. You could be the most helpless person on this planet and still they would tease and bully relentlessly if only to make themselves feel better. It was the bully mind-set really, something Devin had come to notice existed with a lot of the people who picked on him or tried to start an unnecessary fight. Lauren was shoved into the category as well because obviously the woman felt threatened by him or something. For what reasons, he did not know. It honestly made no sense. "Yeah, they can be," He finally said with a small nod. "I've run into a few of them but not enough to make me want to try and fight back every time they come at me." Maybe if more of them continuously came at him with their teeth bared, Devin would do something about it but more often than not people threw in the towel after the second or third time. Getting a response was usually their favorite thing. When they did not witness fear or intimidation it got boring.

His smile was soft but there was an appreciative gleam in his eyes as he looked at her; above most things, Devin liked to be trusted by the people he cared about the most. He did not expect them to tell him all about their lives but to know that some people would still be trusting enough to lean on him for support made him feel good. "Good, I'm glad you do," He said. Their relationship would not be all that great if they did not trust one another, right? Devin had to admit that Sandra trusting him felt better than it did with other people. His past was not clean and the fact that she was here and loving on him the way she was...it made him so incredibly happy.

"Yeah, I think it's for the best," Devin confirmed, refraining from running a hand through his hair. He was stressed, that much was certain. It did not take much to figure that out. I'm so glad she's here, though. Sandra's presence alone made him feel like he could handle just about anything thrown at him. Superman, only blonde and short. Her question caused him to falter in his thoughts, and it took him a moment to try and derive an appropriate answer. What would be considered right? He didn't really know. "I..." He bit at his lip, worrying it a little before sighing. "He might want to know but at the same time I don't want him to have his marriage ruined over something that's over and done with, you know? If he's happy, then why screw it up?" He shrugged heavily. He would have every right to take the woman to court and try to press charges, or at least tell his dad, but that entailed so much drama and possibly confronting Lauren. "I'll think about it though. Maybe I should. I wanna talk to Josh, first." His best friend had been around through all of it and sought his opinion too.

He made a small humming noise in his throat, akin to a sort of human-like purr. "Good, I'm glad. Life wouldn't be the same without you. I hope you know that." Even if they were still just friends, having a bright and optimistic person like Sandra in his life was uplifting. A beam of hope and sunshine, especially on days like this. Devin laughed and shook his head. "I'll definitely take you up on that offer. And I'll do the same for you, too. Just say the word and I'll whisk you away." He put his palm out in the air and swiped it in front of him, adding a bit of a dramatic flair to his words. He huffed a small laugh and pushed her down onto the couch, hovering gently over her with a bright smile on his face. "I'm definitely sure." He wanted to push the whole 'dad' issue behind him for now. "I wanna spend my birthday with you, on the day. No exceptions. And we'll need to plan for something fun! Have anything in mind?"