Jen had actually left the living room and gone out into Karen and Vivian's backyard. Tad watched with some concern and curiosity but figured that whatever the phone call was, it was private. He could ask about it later. He also noticed both his grandmothers watching Jen go out with a bit of concern as well. It was the same sort of look that he remembered Jen giving whenever he had either gotten into some sort of trouble or got hurt or had some issue that was trying. He figured that mother's all taught each other that worried look.
"I'm sure things will be fine," Tad commented to them, "if it's big... mom will tell us, and if not, no worries."
"Of course," Vivian nodded and looked back to Tad while taking Karen's hand in her own.
Karen nodded and squeezed Vivian's hand back. Vivian might have her eccentricities, particularly in relation to her workout routine, but for Karen Teller, Vivian was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Vivian did always knew when Karen was upset or worried and did her best to make Karen smile, and they both shared many of the same worries. They could tell that Jen was dealing with something frustrating, and they wanted to do nothing more than comfort their daughter.
But, for the moment, they still had Tad with them and whatever was frustrating Jen with regards to the phone call was something that Jen probably didn't want Tad distracted by. Karen figured that the purpose of Jen's visit was to let them meet their grandson and wanted that meeting to be happy. They'd ask on that when Jen came back in, but would do their best to keep Tad in a good mood while Jen was out.
"So..." Tad began as he moved on to some of the other areas that he was curious on with his grandmothers on, "what do you two do... for work or for fun..."
"There is plenty we do for fun that you probably don't want to know about," Vivian said with a chuckle, "but whenever some jazz group comes to town or they have a good showing in Seattle, we go to listen."
"And you enjoy your workouts," Karen laughed.
Vivian playfully kicked her legs for Karen to watch. Karen gave a small smile and turned back to Tad.
"As for what we do for work..." Karen said slowly, "I'm afraid we don't do anything that would be on par with the excitement that your father had in his career."
Tad nodded but didn't say anything for a moment.
"I've worked as a teller at the bank," Karen commented, "nothing super wealthy... but it's kept food on the table."
"I've worked as a secretary in the Administration Building at the college," Vivian commented, "specifically for the Dean. He's a pretty nice guy... when he's not irritated by bad behavior."
This seemed to remind Tad of some things that he'd heard from some of the others that he'd met at school and in his welcome to Austin's pack. Moon Lake had gone through a bit of an issue with a rogue were running around the town who had clawed two normals forcing the change on them. That was the biggest thing that his father had preached to him to avoid. Forcing normals to become weres only made the weres in question look like the mindless slobbering monsters that were depicted in horror movies.
"He was mad at the rogue were, I take it?" Tad asked, "I heard some talk of that at school and such..."
Vivian nodded, "Thankfully she was caught and will face justice for her actions."
Tad nodded in agreement.
"And I'm sure your mother and father both taught you the wrongs of that sort of behavior," Karen added, "Right?"
"Right," Tad answered with pride in how his parents had raised him.
Karen and Vivian both nodded in approval as the back door opened and Jen came back inside. She looked slightly concerned and even frustrated by something, and both Karen and Vivian could see it. While they had had been having a good time talking with Tad, the sight of their baby's nervously look made them both get up.
"Jen... are you okay, dear?" Karen asked to Jen.
"Yeah," Jen said slowly as Karen approached her on one side while Vivian came up on the other side, "Yeah, I'm okay. That was Sam. Apparently the FBI's had some luck in their investigation in identifying Jeff's murderer."
"That's good," Vivian smiled, "Surely the crook will be caught soon."
"I hope so," Jen answered, but she also looked over to Tad who was still seated on the couch as her mothers approached her, "but even that could be difficult."
Karen and Vivian both traded glances, as Jen's voice sounded a bit weak and nervous. It was something that Jen was clearly nervous about, and they figured that a good part of this was part of the reason for Jen going to see Doctor Frances Twist to help deal with her own grief. The fact that Jeff was murdered had to be a stressful issue that Jen would probably bear heavily until the murderer was caught. Though, they both wondered as to what could make the situation difficult.
"Apparently the guy came from Moon Lake originally," Jen said weakly, "and what lead they have to finding him... is that he's frequently met with some gang in Seattle. He could come through Moon Lake on the way and could do who knows what."
Karen and Vivian both heard worry in Jen's voice and even Tad looked on nervously.
"Sam says to be careful as they don't know if he's still following with that gang of visiting it," Jen said slowly, "but it's the only lead the FBI has regarding him at the moment. If we're to see him... we're to call the police."
"Understandable," Vivian commented, "but who is "he," dear? We can't call the police to say we've seen him if we don't know what he looks like or who we're looking for."
"Lionel Ulysses," Jen said weakly, "the same kid that keyed your car during my senior year in high school..."
"That... that little punk!" Karen hissed, remembering some of the antics from years ago.
Lionel Ulysses had never done anything on par with murder while in Moon Lake, but he had always been rebellious and impressionable. It lead him to hanging out with the wrong crowd and committing a fair number of misdemeanor offenses or more minor crimes which ranged from petty theft to random vandalism. If nipped in the bud, the behavior could be corrected, but apparently it hadn't, and now the teen that had committed some small offenses in Moon Lake had graduated to murder. Jen felt nervous that some instrument of bad luck would lead to running into him again and she would not only lose Jeff to an old classmate, but her son as well.
While Karen and Vivian had some anger at the fact that a kid who had keyed their car once had come back to further wound their family by making their daughter a nervous wreck over fear for Tad and heartbroken at Jeff's death, they noticed the nervousness that Jen was displaying quite openly. Karen and Vivian did the only thing they could. They moved forward and pulled Jen into a firm hug, as though a mother's love could fix all problems on its own.
"It'll be alright, Jen," Vivian spoke, "It'll be alright. If he comes into Moon Lake, and someone sees him... he'll be reported and arrested."
"He'll face justice for what he did to Jeff," Karen assured Jen.
Both of them purred to assure Jen that everything would be fine.
"But... what... what if he goes after Tad?" Jen actually whimpered, fearful of losing her son, "what if my last reminder of Jeff is taken from me..."
Karen and Vivian hugged Jen tightly.
"We won't let that happen, dear," Karen said firmly, "If goes crazy to come after you or Tad..."
"We'll fight and take him out," Vivian answered, "and it's likely that things won't come directly to that. If he's spotted, he'll be too busy running from the cops to threaten you or Tad."
"And I won't go looking for him, if you're that frightened, mom," Tad spoke as he stood up, "a good part of me would like to get even with this guy for what he did... but you and dad raised me to be respectful and responsible."
Tad got up and came forward toward his mother. As his grandmas broke their hug with Jen, Jen reached out toward her son.
"I love you mom, and I want you to be happy," Tad said to her, "and if this guy scares you... we'll do our best to avoid him. Okay?"
"Okay," Jen spoke as she held her son to her.
Karen and Vivian soon joined the hug again to provide what comfort they could.