"Where is Evie?" Amanda asked, and saw the goose egg head.

"She hit me and ran out, the little bitch got herself knocked up," Kentland roared.

"What did she hit you with?" Amanda said, not taking in what Will said only the first part.

"Tea pot, Amanda she has ruined her life . . . she got herself pregnant," Will shouted as if it would make Amanda understand better.

"I hope she didn't dent my teapot on your head," Amanda quipped.

"Damned it how can you joke when our daughters run off and she is pregnant and sixteen and God knows what she is up to." Will shouted.

Amanda stared at him, at first with disbelief and then with comperhension as it set in, Evie was pregnant, her baby?

"Will," she said glaring at him, suddenly realizing what this all meant.

"It's true . . . it's those damned hippies they are ruining America and now they are ruining our daughter," Will said looking upset.

"I have a feeling Evie did this all on her own," Amanda said frowning at her husband.

"Don't blame me," he cried.

"Oh I do, you spoiled her rotten, and then you tried to fix it by being over critical and making all these rules, and punishing her which made her rebel," Amanda said angrily, "She has made her bed and will lie in it, but I am going to help her and you are not buying her out of this problem."

"Who are you calling?" Will demanded.

"Someone who can find our daughter," Amanda said.

"Leave her where ever she is! I am not paying a dime . . ." Will started.

"Shut up," Amanda said glaring at him.

Will walked off feeling as if his life was going down hill faster every second he needed a drink. He had a wayward daughter and a wife who was always threatening to divorce him and take everything, and she would. He had a son married to a bohemian, a daughter who would not settle down and get married like a woman should. What was he to do?

Across town Mick was exhausted, between taking care of Scott who had fallen ill again, probably due to drinking and not finishing his prescription and Evie who was afraid to come out of her room at the motel. He was busy with cars he had to keep up with them for his customers and to make money to take care of Scott and Evie.

He went to the motel bringing food Sheila had made, he was thankful that Sheila was at least helping out by cooking meals and staying with Scott. The whole gang had been great helping out, Bela and his cures from his mother. Scott was feeling better but still so tired he couldn't help out much.

Jube and Julio helping him with the cars, Vinnie doing what he could, and the others pitching in where they could help, each of them was doing something to help. Mick thought how months ago he had came here friendless and not knowing anyone and how he had resisted the idea of a gang and now they were all coming together to help. Of course most of them felt Mick had helped them in some way or another too.

Mick went into the motel room and there was no Evie. His heart went into his throat and he felt tears come to his eyes, she was gone.

"Babe?" he called heart racing. He realized how much he really loved her.

He looked around at the empty room in dispair. The TV was on but volume turned down.

The room was dark, and he sat the stuff down, then he saw a flicker out of the corner of his eye, there was light coming from the bathroom.

He ran in there and she looked up at him from the bubble bath and smiled, and he sighed with relief.

"I love you," he said smiling at her he wanted to sweep her up out of the tub and hold her, but he resisted the urge, "I brought us some food."

"Thanks I am hungry, Liz brought be some things after school, she went around to everyone and collected things I had left so I have more then one set of clothes," Evie told him smiling, "She also brought be some toiletries and a new toothbrush."

Mick smiled and nodded,"Good you will be more comfortable."

They ate and then she kissed him and said, "You look tired why don't I give you a back rub."

"That would be nice," he said, thinking besides sex, it was the first time she had really did anything for him.

What he didn't know was Val had came over with Liz and read Evie the riot act, but in a calm forceful way and Evie had listened for once. Right now she wanted Val and Sheila back as friends, she felt she needed them. Val had made her realize how hard Mick worked and that Evie really needed to think more about others then herself, especially Mick.

"I want to marry you, and give you everything I can," Mick said.

"I love you, I want to marry you too, and I know you will do your best for us and the baby," Evie said smiling.

He looked at her she had been crying her eyes were all red, but it was the first time she had said anything about the baby.

"Someday I will give you and our child a nice little cottage, but you have to be patient," Mick said, thinking how much he wanted the kind of life so called normal people a wife a child or two and a small neat home.

"I will be," Evie promised.

They ate and went to bed, Evie loved nights the best, days were so boring with nothing to do while her friends were in school and Mick was working. She watched soaps and read books that the girls brought her from the liabrary.

Evie watched television not realizing it was disturbing Mick who was used to quiet.

Amanda found out who was the father of Evie's baby in a day, but not where Evie was, that the PI told her would take a day more he would follow the father. Amanda knew the fathers name was Mick Warwick and he lived on D and 28th street which was in the heart of the slums.

She didn't care as long as he was a good man and treated Evie well, Will on the other hand would throw a fit. She did not think he would give up his precious pumpkin that easily as he seemed, but then the man was limited. He might be a brilliant lawyer but he was very impatient with others and short sighted. She blamed herself for this too, she allowed him to spoil Evie, she should have stepped in and really came down on Evie when she was a toddler, when Will started the buying her off with candy and toys. But Will had all but ignored Charles and Charlotte, and she was so happy that Will was paying attention to the baby, that she let him do as he wanted. The twins were almost nine years older then Evie.

She decided that she would help Evie but Evie would not know it. She had already talked to Val, who wouldn't tell her where Evie was but agreed to tell her if Evie needed anything. Amanda had always thought Val was the most level headed and senseable of Evies friends. Val assured Amanda that the young man loved Evie and would take care of her, he was poor but a hard worker.

Amanda's own father had been poor, but now was a multimillionaire. Nothing was wrong with being poor she just wanted to make sure he wasn't abusive. But financial status was no indicator of how one treats others, one of her best friends was often beaten by her rich husband. She had helped her friend get away and that was where she had been when this all had gone wrong with Evie.

Will had never hit her, she still couldn't believe he had struck Evie, but he had, Val had seen the bruise. But she guessed Evie had pushed Will to his limit. Amanda knew her daughter would have to grow up quick spoiled and privilaged would turn into the kind of woman Amanda was proud of. Charlotte was exactly like Amanda wished she had been independant and on her own. Amanda regretted marrying Will, 26 years of marriage this summer. She threatened to divorce Will all the time and part of the time she really did want to, especially now that Evie was gone.

She took Tess her daughter in law in her confidence, she had to have someone to talk to, Tess was great, despite what Will thought about her.

Amanda Kentland had it all and yet she felt like a failure, she sighed and went up to pack some of Evie's things, she would meet Val and give them to her and convince Val she did not want to trap Evie or make Evie come home she only wanted to help.

Tess had herself dealt with family issues and knew how hard it was to trust your parents after you felt that trust had been violated. Evie was pregnant, and she would probably do anything to protect her child.

Amanda told Tess that Will would probably not interfere, but she had no idea what her husband would do when he was drinking with his friends. Evie had injured his pride and he would not take it lightly.

After a week Mick moved Evie into the apartment with Scott and himself, Scott was trying to be good about it but he was moody and quiet. Sheila and Scott were still not getting along that well but both were trying. She did not like his drinking and wanted him to stop.

Mick was unaware that Scott was drinking he had too much on him already with Evie for his friends to tell him what Scott was doing. Vinnie did tell Julio to back off Scott with the booze, Julio and Vinnie almost got into a fight, and this caused a rif in their friendship.

Again the coach pushed Scott too hard, and this time he was suspended, which made him angry. Scott was sick again, and Mick wondered what he was going to do with Scott.

Evie really wanted Scott out of the way but she didn't know how she was going to do that.

Scott was such a slob and she did not like cleaning up after him. But she knew Mick would complain if it wasn't cleaned up. She had rarely even cleaned her room.

One morning Jube came in for breakfast as he usually did, usually Evie was not awake but this time she was.

"Todd don't you know how to knock?" Evie asked.

"It's Jube and no one told me I had to," Jube said looking at Evie.

"Jube always comes for breakfast, his mom works the six to two shift at hospital," Scott said glaring at Evie.

"Yeah, and he never had to knock," Mick said.

"I will from now on," Jube said still amazed Evie was still here.

"His mum sent over that stew we had last night," Scott said, thinking Evie was stuck up and rude and wondered what he ever had seen in her Sheila would never be rude to their friends.

Evie wondered how Scott had managed to make that stew so quickly.

"I brought some eggs," Jube said.

Evie felt a bit bad, she had assumed Jube was mooching breakfast. Jube was not as bad as Julio or Vinnie who both of her looked at her like a hungry dog might a piece of good meat.

"Jube is my best friend Evie, you made him feel badly," Mick said after Scott and Jube left for school.

"I am sorry, I just think it is kind of odd having people walk into our place like it is a public place," Evie said, but she wasn't sorry, not really.

"Well in a way this is a public place, it is my business," Mick said, "Jube works for me I couldn't do all these cars without him and Julio and the others."

"Why do we have to have the hoods around here, Vinnie, and those other guys," Evie said.

"Those 'oods as you call 'em are protecting you," Mick said impatiently, "I got to work do you think you could tidy up the 'ouse a bit?"

Evie glared at his back, and then looked around the room everything was Scott's mess, even Jube rinsed his dish. She had never had to wash a dish, clean a room before, she had watched Winona the cleaning woman it did not look that hard. At home she put away her things but she never had to even clean her room. She sighed, she better get used to it if she wanted to marry Mick.

One night Scott went Jube went out and played pool with Jube and some of the other guys, tired of being around Evie.

What none of them knew was Will Kentland, Coach Daniels, Ronald, Will's caddy had been drinking that evening.

Will was angry about Evie and her boyfriend, and told anyone who would listen.

A bit later when Ronald's son Larry came in grinning.

"What did you find out son?" Ronald asked.

"I got lucky," he told the men, "I followed Scott home from school and I saw Evie," Larry said.

"She is with that hippy Scott?" Will asked.

"No his brother," Larry said, he hated Mick and he wanted revenge.

"Really, are they alone?" The coach asked knowing it was the brother that somehow got him suspended.

"Yes a truckload of Mick's buddies left including Scott they went to the pool hall," Larry said.

"Let's go get your daughter and beat the hell out of this Mick character," coach Daniels said.

"I am coming dad," Larry said.

"Sure should we pick up Wyatt and John?" Ronny asked.

"Four of us should do it," the coach said getting his brass knuckles from his pocket.

"It's just one hippy," Ronny said beaming proudly at his son.

"Come on let's go," Will said grinning, this was going to be good. He would grab Evie and force her to that home for unwed mothers and no one would know about her bastard.

Mick was exhausted, he had fallen asleep immediately after making love to Evie, and she not used to working so hard cleaning also fell asleep it was only nine.

Julio was supposed to be watching the garage, but he was drunk and passed out in one of the cars Mick had parked out to be repaired.

The four burst into the apartment, and drug a sleeping Mick from the bed.

Evie screamed.

"What the 'Ell?" Mick muttered trying to force his sleepy mind to function.

"No!"Mick shouted his head spinning as he tried to realize what was happening.

They were holding him and beating him as the drug him outside.

"Bar the door," Mick cried.

"No daddy! No daddy," Evie screamed.

"Shut up and get in my car," Will shouted. Instead Evie barred the door and locked the other one.

Mick winced as he was struck with brass knuckles he tried to avoid them and escape but they had him.

Where the hell was his gang he wondered numbly as he struggled and managed to kick one of them with his bare foot.

"Tie his feet too," Will yelled.

Todd looked out from the fire escape and saw what was happening four on Mick and he was nearly naked.

He ran like the wind, he had been going to go to the pool hall himself but his dad wanted him to help him with the new televison set he had just bought.

The guys dropped everything as soon as soon as Todd ran through the door and yelled, "Guys we are being attacked!"

They thought it was the Alabasters, and sped towards the garage fearing they would find Mick dead. They might if Todd had not been such a fast runner.

Larry saw them and grabbed his father's arm, "Dad."

Ronny and Larry took off running, leaving a out of shape lawyer and the coach to face the angry teenageers. There was really only Jube, Vinnie, Goldie, Scott, and Todd, the others had taken off to round up the other gang members.

The coach hit Vinnie and Vinnie hit him back, and then he too made rabbit.

Kentland was too drunk to realize the danger he was in.

Jube and the others convinced Evie to open the door, as Will Kentland was trussed up and tossed into his own car, and Scott slid behind the wheel. Goldie and Todd jumped in with him.

"You guys drive him around, I have an idea," Vinnie said grinning as he gave Scott a fifth of rot gut whiskey he had won at the pool hall, "Here is something to sedate him with.

"I am coming with you," Todd laughed, he figured the way everyone was acting Mick was fine.

"Wait," Petro called and quickly told him how long Vinnie wanted them to hang out, and come back at 1:30 and pick up Vinnie.

"You got it." Scott said, when Todd told him what Petro said."Is Mick ok?"

"Yeah, Vinnie and the guys will strip this Caddy," Todd laughed.

"Come on Scott," Goldie laughed.

"You drive," Scott said neither he nor Goldie had seen Mick, they had been too upset and ready to fight, it had been Jube and Bela who had hustled Mick into the garage and then the apartment, and sent Denee' for help.

"Okay Todd pour that crap down his throat, Vinnie wants him good and drunk," Goldie laughed.

"This is going to be fun," Todd laughed, pinching Kentlands nose shut and pouring the booze down his throat.

Will Kentland expected to die, and he swore to himself if he ever got out of here alive they would all pay for this.