The day had been hectic for Harry and Jenny, with both juggling worries over the reveal and John at the same time. The former was hard, as there was little they could do about that, as it was outside their control. The riot that had broken out round lunch time hadn't made things better as the area where it had taken place outside the Commons Building was fenced off by Moon Lake Police Officers and Campus Security personnel. The fact that it did hung over their minds as they met up again at the end of their respective classes, even if by that time there had been enough pictures taken that the crime scene tape was no longer needed.
"I really can't believe this," Jenny sighed as approached her husband, "that the same people who've been welcoming to me, despite my father's nonsense, would practically riot over this reveal business... I mean I can understand why some people may be upset and would fear fanatics launching old "were-hunts" again... but to trigger a riot over this..."
"There has been a lot that has related to all of this that would be outside what is typical for Moon Lake," Harry said slowly, "and depressing that a few students from some of my other classes were among those arrested... but what we know on what triggered the fight is all second hand, and no two retellings have been perfect. In this, we only know that the reveal and the debate around it was the thing that linked all of them. Beyond that... we don't know whether the person who threw the first punch was for or against the reveal."
"That part doesn't matter," Jenny dismissed it, "the part that matters is that neither side could be civil... that things escalated to a riot."
The two walked along quietly until they came up to the parking lot on the west side of the Commons Building where Harry was parked. Harry couldn't argue with that last point, as much of Moon Lake's success had revolved around weres being able to cooperate with each other and keep things civil. They didn't always agree on every point, but they at least didn't bring things to blows and largely left things that they disagreed on to be decided by the people, and thus not turning things into a fight. Jenny took his silence as at least an uneasy agreement. It was only as they got into car that she said anything more.
"It'd be best not to tell John about this... Janice too," Jenny commented, "but John especially. With all the stuff that's on his plate that our father put on him..."
"Easy," Harry commented, noting that Jenny hand clinched her fists shortly after buckling herself in, "You dad can't harm you or anyone, anymore. And your mom looked to be doing better when your folks left. Your younger brother and sister will be fine. And that's why we called Doctor Twist. She helped you adjust to being a were as well as with your issues with your father. I'm sure she can do the same with John... help him figure out who he is and get over the things your father pulled in the past."
"Sorry," Jenny relaxed a little in the front passenger seat, "it's just that... well... you know that my dad wasn't exactly the best of people."
Harry nodded as he could remember the tension that had been in the air that had related to their wedding. For while James Harper Senior wasn't necessarily evil in the way he was plotting out some grand scheme for global conquest in a Bond film, he was a difficult man that had pushed things well beyond the point of discipline and into the realm of abuse. Add in the attempts to control Jenny's life by trying to arrange a marriage with his boss in order to get out of the gutter as it were, and there was enough for Harry to know that the man was a problem, even if he was technically an invalid thanks to a series of heart attacks he'd suffered when he learned that Harry and Jenny were already married. That sort of legacy was not one to be liked...
And that was something that he and Jenny had scheduled an appointment with Doctor Twist for John. For John had likely gotten the same treatment as Jenny had, and with some of the things that Jenny had suspected about John being either bi or gay, it would be quite likely that a difficult man like James Harper Senior would have put a lot of pressure on John that wouldn't be positive in that regard. Thus why Harry had supported Jenny's idea for John to see Doctor Twist on that issue. If James Sr had done anything that would hurt John's psyche and potentially make him deny who he was, Frances could help. Harry was sure of that as they drove out onto Wood Street and began to drive up the street toward the center of town, and the turn that would them had back to where Harry's parents lived.
They arrived and came in to find things fairly quiet. Lisa was sitting in one easy chair that was near the doorway to the kitchen and was showing something to Janice. Henry and John were seated on the couch, though Jenny also noted that John visually looked a bit down and that worried her a bit and cut off any hope for an announcement at their return. It wasn't until Henry looked up to note Harry and Jenny standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Everything okay?" Jenny eventually asked toward Henry and John when she was sure they'd seen her.
"I'm okay," John managed, "just that the school had had a busy day..."
"Your brother hasn't called yet with the final transfer of your school transcripts," Jenny said slowly.
"The school here in Moon Lake, he means," Henry corrected, "apparently there was some ruckus in the morning and the school cancelled all after school activities and made everyone go straight home."
"Ginger only had time to say what had happened and not much else," John said weakly.
Jenny got down to one knee so that she could look her younger brother in the eye, "I'm sure things will be fine... Just some of the unease with the reveal and all that. It'll settle down... hopefully."
"Yeah... I get that," John commented and then thought to himself, "and it's compounding my own worries... like dad leading the anti-were mob."
"How were things at the college?" Lisa asked as she looked up.
"Possibly worse," Harry admitted, "Jenny and I didn't see it... but there was a riot near the Commons Building around lunch time as a group got into a fight over the reveal... several were arrested and one of the victims ended up going to the hospital."
Hearing that didn't make John feel any better. It only showed that the issues behind the reveal were bigger than just what Ginger told him and that could mean that some of these things might last longer. If they lasted longer, that would mean less time to talk with Ginger and ultimately make friends in Moon Lake, unless all the paperwork came through and he and Janice could go to school. Though even that might not solve things as he might not share classes with Ginger. Schedules could be funny that way.
"That doesn't sound good," Janice said slowly.
"It isn't," Jenny nodded and glanced to both Lisa and Henry, "but I suppose it'd be something that people in Moon Lake will remain on edge over because of the town's history and what Moon Lake's founders thought of were hunters when it was founded."
"That's probably part of it..." Henry commented, "though, I'd think by now, it's more that those against the reveal feel that they've stayed hidden for so long that there is no need to change what has seemed to work."
"And that line of reasoning might not be the smartest..." Lisa added, "but it is what it is."
"Hopefully things will get better on all those fronts," Jenny said to her mother-in-law and then looked over to John, "in the meantime, John... Harry and I have made some arrangements for you..."
"To go to school?" John looked up.
"No... that paperwork hasn't arrived yet," Jenny answered, "this is more for you to see Doctor Twist..."
"The werecat?" John said slowly, thinking back on the first couple of days spent in Moon Lake after Jenny's wedding. "For what?"
"Your nightmares," Jenny answered, "Harry and I heard you cry out the other night and..."
"You heard?" John looked down, a bit embarrassed.
Jenny slipped out of her shoes and socks before assuming her were form. Her feet lengthening out to a digitigrade foot, with cream colored fur covering her body and her tail growing out behind her. It was a painless and at times even pleasurable experience to feel her body go from her human form to her were form. John watched a bit as Jenny's eyes went from blue with round pupils to a bright crimson with vertical slit pupils. Her face pushed forward into the short narrow muzzle of a Fennec Fox while her ears slid up to the top of her head and grew to their full size, standing tall on her head.
"With ears like these, it's hard not to," Jenny answered as she tilted her head in and moved one ear back and forth so that it tickled John's chin a bit. When he chuckled Jenny then pulled back and took John's hand in hers, "and there is nothing to be embarrassed about too. It's true that my appointments with her started with the issues that related to how I became a were... but dad and the things he did came up in those sessions."
"But you and Jim always seemed the strongest," John commented.
"That doesn't change what dad did... and neither does it mean that it didn't hurt," Jenny answered, "and a part of me was originally looking at college here as a means to just get away from him... physical abuse, having to put up with his boss, listening to his political rants that often made little sense and had no compassion in them. I wanted to get away from it... though the exact how wasn't figured out until I bonded to Harry."
"Did he give you bad dreams too?" John asked.
"Sometimes... mostly when I was younger," Jenny answered, "though once I became a were... I began having some dreams that seemed to put me a bit more in tune some things that I wasn't aware of before... and that's why Harry and I argued to get custody of you and Janice. For even if mom changes for the better... dad will likely never change, and that would put you and Janice in danger... far greater than what he posed to myself and Jim."
"I didn't want to trouble you," John said softly, though knowing that Jenny could easily hear him in her present form.
"I know," Jenny answered, "and I don't blame you. But it might help to let you see Doctor Twist... I'm sure she can help you deal with everything that dad might have done to hurt you. Just as she ultimately did with me. And I think you'll feel better for it."
"Okay," John said after a moment and proceeded to get a gentle and loving hug from his older sister. In a way, it felt like a loving mother's embrace, which made John feel a bit better. "So... when is this session?"
"1:30 PM tomorrow," Jenny answered, "I'll have to get out from one of my classes early... but you're family and more important."
"We could help with that," Henry offered.
"You and Lisa have already done so much..." Jenny commented.
"Because you're family," Henry smiled, which got Jenny and Harry to smile back.