Everyone's Got Problems

[Jody]

I haven't been reviewing any fics for the last few days. So it's time to catch up. I have been really enjoying the last few chapters. I'm kinda glad it came out this way. It made the whole thing so much more dramatic. But I still feel for Mark, Tess, and Tyler, having to hear about Aden's past like that. And still hate Angelo as well. I'm glad he was caught.

You write these intense situations so well. It's really amazing.

I have to say the way Aden explained what happened to him was done really good, but I wasn't to keen about the scenes afterwards. It made sense for it to affect Tyler, but I felt like the scene of Aden telling them ended up being overshadowed by Tyler and Tess, for me. I don't know but none of their reactions really did anything for me as well. I would have rather we saw Tyler deal with everything he heard on the inside, and maybe later on had the scene with Tess. I'm also going to choose to believe that Mark is still in shock and left because he didn't know what to say, and that few words he offered wasn't his whole reaction, and Tess was preoccupied with making sure Tyler was okay to really have a proper reaction. I don't know I just didn't feel the emotion in the scene. It's just like Tess and Mark said the standard lines you're supposed to in that situation. Which is weird since you're usually amazing at making me feel whatever emotions your characters are feeling in this fic and your others. It didn't feel like they just found out about what Aden went through or the fact that Belle was raped, and what just happened with Angelo. I don't know I would have rather the chapters focused on the whole five of them in the room, coming to terms with everything. But finding out about the past came out more like a plot device to further Tess and Tyler's storyline then anything. And I would have especially expected Tess to be more taken aback since she seems to have this idea of Aden and Belle being this perfect couple when they were younger. Don't get me wrong I like Tess and Tyler, and I like how Tyler's issues haven't disappeared but sometimes it feels, to me, like it's been constantly shoved down our throats, and there just no downtime from him and his issues. And I hate that I now find myself thinking 'oh god not another Tyler scene' when in the beginning I loved his scenes. I wanted to be happy that he's getting help from Aden but instead by then all I could think was ' finally maybe I can get a little break from him'. It's what I liked about Aden's storyline on the show. The pace of it was brilliant. That I didn't want it to end.

Another little problem. I'm shocked that Mark doesn't have an inferiority complex being Tess' brother. Aden and Belle, from the small moments where we get their thoughts, seem to percieve her as this perfect child. She can do no wrong. And Mark as the one they need to constantly explain things to. The way the see each child becomes so obvious sometimes that I'm surprised that Mark as never brought it up. I'm sure that it's not your intention to write Aden and Belle like that but it does stand out alot, for me.

Sorry about the critisizing. I just can't help pointing these stuff out. I still think of this as one of my few favourite fics on this site, there just happens to be somethings I don't quite enjoy. I hope I haven't you insulted or anything. That was definitely not my intention.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

I think over the next few chapters you'll see that i have actually made you feel what the characters are feeling in regards to Tess and Mark's reaction to Aden. Everything you said, i'm planning on dealing with, your opinions are pretty much the same as mine.

Mark's 'inferiority complex' as you put it, i'm also hoping to deal with as the story continues to progress. It was just this point that i wanted to reach with Tyler's storyline so i found a lot of the story focused on him so i'm sorry for that if you didn't enjoy it as much as you'd have liked to.

I really appreciate the criticism, if you're thinking along the same lines as me then i means i'm conveying it the right way, even if it doesn't always come out as good as it could.

The reason it took me so long to update with this chapter is because i was getting a bit bored of the Tyler scenes myself and found i just wanted to write aden/belle scenes. So i had to start the chapter after this one before i could write it. So i completely understand where you're coming from with that.

Thank you for the review, i really do appreciate it!

Good to know. I'm always worrying about how people are going take reviews like this. Now you have got me even more intrigued about what you have planned for them.

[Lise]

That was awesome.

It's really good that Tyler told Aden what happened to him and he's going to get help for it now. I like he and Tess together. Loved the flashback.

[Zetti]

I am so glad Tyler spoke to Aden about it, to me it shows that Aden has matured enough to tell Tyler that it wont be easy, 2 thumbs up

[wrongturntaken]

Thank you for the comments guys! They really are appreciated... all of them! Sorry that this isn't a wholly adelle chapter but i've given you a little bit. It's a long chapter though, you have to bear in mind that i don't write every single thing the characters do so certain friendships have developed off camera as it were, although i have hinted slightly in previous chapters. Also i don't know much about diabetes, i researched what i could but if anything gives the wrong impression then i'm really sorry.

The next chapter SHOULD (i say should cos i'm gonna TRY and make it work that way) be set at the same time as this one but from other people's perspectives so there will be other reactions. Thanks for reading anyway! Oh yeah, and thank you to all those that read and don't comment, i appreciate you too! Oh, and thank you to Laura for reading it through for me!

Chapter 31.

Aden was in a gentle sleep, not allowing him self to fully succumb to rest, there were too many thoughts and emotions to feel for him to be able to do that. He was awoken fully by the removal of the covers from his bare chest. He looked to the side and saw Belle with a look of pain and horror as she thrashed around, her limbs becoming tangled in the covers as she fought harder and harder against them.

He turned on to his side, "Belle?" he said quietly and tried to grab the sheets to stop her mangling herself, worrying that she would accidentally pull out the stitches or do some more damage to her wound. She continued to shift around uncomfortably and Aden knew she hadn't heard him, "Belle," he said a little louder, "It's me, wake up, honey."

This time the movements slowed down and he saw his wife's eyes open slowly as they quickly let loose fresh tears as Aden knew she had just remembered the dream; he knew that feeling all too well. "Aden," she cried, undoing herself from the sheets and searching for Aden to hold on to. He held her tightly as he felt her shiver at the dream and at the tears.

"Shh…" he made the sound gently, as his arms wrapped around her and she rested her head in the crevice of his shoulder as he sat up slightly to accommodate her position. "It was just a bad dream, you're all right now," he soothed as he kissed the top of her head.

"But it wasn't just a bad dream, Aden. It happened. All of it happened. How am I just supposed to forget that?" she whispered as the tears continued to run down her face. She looked at him, hoping for answers in his sympathetic face but could only see the guilt that he could give her none.

"I don't know honey," he answered her sadly. "But as long as I'm here, no one is ever going to hurt you again," he added determinedly. "Belle, I know it's hard to sleep… believe me I do… but you need to get some rest. You're injured as well…" he trailed off and hoped that his encouragement had worked.

She hesitated for a moment and looked at the supporting glow of his expression, contemplating her choices. She gave him a weak and tentative smile before lying back down in the bed again; determined to at least try. Aden lied down beside her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her round the waist and pulling her close to him, like he usually would, but this time he knew he wouldn't be letting go.

It was five minutes later and neither of them were asleep, "Aden?" Belle questioned the darkness.

"You need to sleep, Belle," he answered her tiredly.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked timidly, only offering a small sigh at his previous statement.

"Sure," he whispered and kissed the back of her neck to let her know he was there.

"Did you… I mean… how did you…" she started nervously and gave up each time.

"Just say it, Belle," he said softly.

She let out a very small sigh, "How did you sleep…? …back then I mean…?" she didn't turn around to face him but her eyes looked up as though she could see him that way.

He frowned slightly even though it was dark, "I… I told myself to believe it was one of the good nights… one of the ones when my grandfather wouldn't come in to my room… …if I believed that then I could sleep and sometimes I wouldn't be woken up," he explained sadly. "That feeling the next morning… when I'd slept the whole way through a night… it was the best feeling I knew back then…"

Aden couldn't see the sad smile Belle had put on at his words; there was still something bothering her, "But what about when you were asleep…? Did you have nightmares or something?" she asked very nervously. They hadn't really ever spoken about it before.

He answered her in silence for a moment before she felt him nuzzling her neck, showing that she didn't need to be frightened she'd asked the question.

"Yes, I had nightmares… but it wasn't so much the nightmares that scared me when I was younger… when my Granddad was alive, I mean… it was when I woke up from them to realise it was all real… and that I couldn't ever wake up from reality…" he explained sadly. "It was just… safer to sleep."

"Aden…" Belle whispered; unsure what to say to him.

"Now I just remind myself that it's not real when I'm asleep. It's not really happening and that I have nothing to be afraid of," he added.

"Does that work?" she asked him hopefully.

"Yeah," he sighed heavily, "…now that I know if I wake up, it won't be to anything bad. It just means I don't wake up and if I do, I fall back asleep knowing that before it wasn't real."

Belle moved her arm to rest on Aden's hand and rubbed small circles on it with her thumb. She turned around to face him and saw him smile in the dim light that there eyes had now adjusted to. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as their other hands intertwined.

"I love you," she whispered to him.

He smiled before leaning in and placing a lingering kiss on her lips, "I love you too," he said as they parted. He looked at her softly, "Do you think you can try and sleep now?"

She nodded slightly but didn't face away from him as she instead held round his middle and snuggled up close to his side. It wasn't very comfortable for him to sleep like that as he held her tightly in to him as well, but she knew he was more concerned about her right now. It was the only place she felt completely safe, completely together with him and she closed her eyes as sleep gently overcame her. Aden watched her go before he heard her breathing slow and knew she was asleep before closing his eyes and getting some rest himself.

*

Aden and Belle were in the kitchen at about ten the next morning. All three kids were still in bed as they didn't have to go to school. Aden was reading a newspaper and Belle was typing on her laptop as they sat in a comfortable silence broken only by the noise of running footsteps on stairs.

"Did you turn my alarm off?" Mark asked as he appeared in the kitchen, scruffily dressed in his school uniform and trying to hurriedly do his tie.

"Yeah," Belle said with a smile. "After everything that happened last night, you don't have to go to school today," she explained at his questioning look.

"…but I want to go to school," Mark said; staring her out.

"Oh, sorry… I just assumed you might want to talk…"

"Didn't we talk enough last night," Mark interrupted her.

His words were met with an uncomfortable silence as Belle and Aden shared a concerned look.

"What gives you the right to go into my room without knocking first anyway?" Mark contemplated as he continued to look down and try and do his tie.

"Your mother was doing you favour," Aden explained.

Mark sighed as he finished doing his tie and looked at them, "Sorry," he said sincerely. "…I'm already late for English, I'll see you later," he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and slung his back over his back before disappearing out the door.

Aden turned to look at Belle, "I thought he was okay with everything," he shrugged confusedly.

"Well, he did disappear very quickly yesterday after Tyler and Tess ran off… maybe he just wanted to get away…"

"…from us?"

"It's only fair that he needed time to think, Aden," Belle warned at the slightly annoyed look on Aden's' face.

His features softened as he sighed, "…I guess."

*

"You're late," Miles turned to look at the door before he knew who had walked in. "Mark," he faltered. "Aden said you weren't coming in today?"

"Well he was wrong, wasn't he?" Mark answered harshly before taking his seat.

Miles shook his head to recover from Mark's bad attitude, reminding him of the Aden he had once taught a long long time ago, before returning to actually teaching the class.

Mark sat through four more periods before the lunch bell rang and he went to his locker. He opened the door with so much force that it swung back to hit the others causing a loud metal on metal clang and catching the attention of passer-bys. "What?" Mark spat at them and they moved on there way.

"Woah, what's up with you?" Lisa came up to talk to him.

"Nothing," Mark hissed.

"Sure," she replied sarcastically as she peered into his wide open locker, "You're diabetic?" she asked seriously, all playfulness gone from her voice.

He looked at her suddenly, "What? No," he said shutting his locker door suddenly to hide the evidence she had just seen.

"Mark, I think I'd recognise the stuff, I am diabetic too," she told him.

"I'm not diabetic," Mark insisted and Lisa raised her eyebrows at him.

He glanced around, seeming to be contemplating something in his head, "Okay, fine, I am. But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

Lisa smiled, "Why not? Do your parents not know or something?" she joked.

Mark looked at the floor guiltily, his silence answering the question.

"They don't know?" Lisa asked, lowering her voice now in shock.

"No, and I want to keep it that way," he told her.

"Why? It's nothing to be ashamed of. How long have you known anyway?"

"A couple of months," he shrugged.

"…and you've been hiding it all that time. That takes some serious skills."

"Yeah, I'm a real James Bond," Mark said bitterly.

"Who…?"

Mark furrowed his brow at her, "'…The names Bond, James Bond'," he quoted and she shook her head. "Double O seven?" still nothing, "License to kill?"

"You've lost me," Lisa shrugged.

Mark rolled his eyes, "Chicks."

"I'm gonna ignore that comment," Lisa answered. "So how did you find out?"

Mark gave her a look that quite clearly said he didn't want to talk.

"Might help to talk to someone, especially if I'm now the only other person that knows… I feel so privileged," she held a hand to her heart patriotically and Mark couldn't help but laugh.

He hesitated for a moment before letting out a large sigh and nodding slowly in acceptance, a weak smile appearing on his face.

She smiled back, "Do you wanna go to lunch at the diner?"

"…why not?" he relented, somewhat reluctantly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask where Tess is, she texted me at like three this morning saying she wasn't coming in today?" Lisa asked as they began walking out of the school.

"Long story," Mark sighed and Lisa knew that tone well enough to not ask for any further explanation.

*

It was a nice day outside so once they had ordered their food they decided to sit on one of the tables outside.

"So you gonna tell me?" Lisa pushed. "How you found out."

Mark groaned and looked up to the sky.

"So it was embarrassing, huh?" she laughed.

"Yeah, you could say that. I fainted at footy practice," he started.

"Ah, men syndrome…" Lisa nodded in understanding without even the hint of a smile that she was joking. Mark scowled at her and eventually she smiled; holding back a laugh, "Sorry."

"Anyway, I managed to wake up before they'd have called my parents," he explained. "I just told them I hadn't eaten in a while and they believed me."

"So what did you do then?" Lisa asked; taking a bite of her burger and watching him with interest.

"Went to see my Aunt, she did the tests for me and that's how I found out," he explained with a slight resistance.

"Why haven't you told your parents?" Lisa asked curiously.

He shrugged, "Well I wasn't really on best terms with Dad then and I suppose I just got used to hiding it... they've got so much to deal with already… I didn't want to be a burden on them."

"You know you wouldn't be a burden…"

"…everyone in my family is so strong… or at least I thought they were…"

"What d'ya mean?" Lisa narrowed her eyes worriedly.

Mark hesitated, "Nothing, just forget it…"

"You know you can talk to me… …I feel like we've become good friends since I came here… I hope that's not one way?" she asked and Mark was surprised that she sounded slightly nervous.

He looked at her, taking in the question, "It's not... and thanks," he smiled slightly.

"So?"

"It's just that some stuff happened last night, and my parents told us some stuff… it just kind of changes everything I thought I knew about them…"

"Must be pretty huge?" Lisa commented as her eyes widened.

"To them it is… its bad stuff too… and compared to what they went through, the way I feel doesn't really matter."

"Of course it matters," she said placing her hand on his arm reassuringly which he didn't seem to notice.

"No, it doesn't. They have so much to worry about; I'm not putting this on them too." He stabbed a chip with his fork particularly viciously.

"You know they'd want to know."

"No offence Lisa, but that's pushing the limits."

"Sorry," she said slowly, taking her hand back and actually looking apologetic before an uncomfortable silence took them for several moments. "So your aunt knows then?"

"Yeah."

"She didn't tell anyone else?"

"Rachel's Mum," Mark hinted. "She's a doctor… Doctor/Patient confidentiality, I'm going to go over there after school to talk about some stuff…" he paused and added quietly more to his plate than to her, "…anything to avoid going home."

"Is it really that bad?"

He shrugged.

"How's Tess taking whatever it is?"

"I don't know, I haven't spoken to her. She was too preoccupied running after Tyler. I don't blame her though he seemed to need her…"

"She might be feeling the same as you, you know?"

"She won't. She's the stronger one, she knows how to handle stuff and Mum and Dad love her for it," he added sadly.

"This doesn't make you weak, you know?"

He sighed. "It's just hard sometimes, especially now."

"Do you want to come over later?" Lisa offered. "It'd have to be at about seven, my mum's going out then?"

"Seriously…?" he asked; surprised at the offer.

"Yeah, we can watch a film or something if you like?"

He thought about it for a moment, "Sure, sounds good… we can watch James Bond…" he laughed lightly.

*

"Mark! Finally, where have you been?" Belle asked as he walked in to the kitchen to see his parents and Tess and Tyler sat eating ice cream at the table at six o'clock. They were all smiling, obviously sharing in a joke that he'd missed but they smiled at him in greeting as though pleased by his presence.

"I went to Aunt Nicole's and Uncle Geoff's after school," he explained with a shrug.

"You could have called," Aden said although he didn't sound mad.

"Sorry, I didn't realise it was so late."

"Well, I made you dinner anyway…" Belle told him.

"Uh, no thanks… I already ate."

"Oh… well do you want some ice cream?" she was obviously trying to talk to him but he really didn't feel like it.

He glanced around each of them sat at the table and his heart sank, "No thanks… I'm going out in an hour so I'm just going to go and get ready," he gestured to the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Just a friend's," he answered vaguely.

"Don't be late, remember it's a school night," Aden said.

"You didn't even want me to go to school today, remember?" he answered snarkily and then after an awkward moment of silence; sighed, "Sorry… sure I won't be late."

"Okay," Aden said; confused at Mark's moods and behaviour.

Mark went to leave the room but turned around just before, "Oh Mum, how are you?"

She smiled at him, "I'm okay, it still hurts but it'll be okay, thank you."

He nodded in a mature way at her before disapperaing from the room.

*

"See, you must have heard of James Bond?" Mark whined as Lisa laughed at his childish tone as he held the bowl of popcorn on his lap with his legs tucked up underneath him in the same position as hers. The film had just finished and the credits were rolling. They had watched someone called Sean Connery in the film 'Diamonds are forever'.

"I told you already, I haven't," she repeated for the fiftieth time that night and he tutted at her. There was a minute of comfortable silence as they both put there hand in and out of the popcorn bowl repeatedly, "Personally, I preferred Daniel Craig…"

His hands paused its' movements in the bowl before taking out a handful of the contents and throwing them in her face. She raised her hands up to protect herself and then grabbed a pillow for the same purpose. "I'm sorry," she squealed.

"I can't believe you let me go on and on about all the James Bond stuff all night when you already knew it…"

"Please, I didn't know everything… but now I do…" she smiled playfully at him as he continued to scowl at her, "Anyway, shouldn't you be going home, it's getting late?" she looked at the clock on the table in the living room showing that it was nearly 11.

"Trying to get rid of me?" he asked; feigning hurt.

"No," she said even though she hadn't fallen for it. "Do you really not wanna go home?" she asked more seriously.

Mark sighed, "It's just I was at home for an hour today and it was so weird. I went to my aunts after school cos I needed to talk to her about my insulin and stuff and then when I got home they went weird at me for not telling them where I was."

"…and?" Lisa pushed, knowing there was something more.

He looked at her sadly, "They were all sat in the kitchen; eating ice cream and stuff and when I said I didn't want any…" he explained what had happened as Lisa listened intently.

"Its just that they all looked so close and I'm like…" he tried to think of the word, "…the outsider."

Lisa narrowed her eyes, "Why are you the outsider?"

"Because they all share this thing that either their biological parents or the people they grew up with screwed them over and it such a huge part of them… but I'm just…" he trailed off unsure how to explain what he was feeling. "Don't get me wrong, I know how selfish I'm being feeling like this. The fact that I have two fantastic parents is great, I know a lot of people don't have that… including most of my family. But…"

"…it's something they all share and you can never feel a part of it?" Lisa offered for him.

He nodded slowly.

"I kind of know what you mean," she said sadly and he looked at her; waiting for her to expand. "Well I had this group of friends a few years ago from one of the schools I went to and we used to go out together all the time. But then I found out I was diabetic and I told them."

"How'd they take it?" Mark asked concernedly.

"Fine really," she shrugged. "They just thought it was really interesting but to me… it totally changed my life. Now I have to watch what I eat and inject myself… I know it's not really life threatening but they just didn't get how major it was for me. So whenever I was with them after that I felt like…"

"…the outsider?" Mark suggested with a weak smile.

"Exactly."

Mark looked back to the screen and popped some popcorn in to his mouth, "We should date," he said jokingly.

"We should," Lisa sighed; almost sounding disappointed, as she followed Mark's gaze back to the TV.

He looked at her, "What?" he asked her softly.

"Sorry, you were joking…" she said and nervously pushed a strand of her hair away from her face.

Mark smiled slowly, "I don't have to be joking," he told her seriously with a small smile playing on his lips.

Lisa laughed.

"What?" Mark sat back suddenly, afraid he had just fallen in to some kind of trap.

"Nothing," she said as she continued to smile, "It's just a bit weird… you're my best friend's brother!" she shrugged and bit her bottom lip and Mark couldn't help but think how cute it made her look.

"I guess…" he said but found that he had started to lean in towards her.

"…and you're fifteen…"

"…sixteen next week…"

"…that's… better…" she said slowly, her eyes darting from his to his lips. "…but we're friends… you and me," Lisa continued to try and brush the sudden tense atmosphere under the carpet unsuccessfully, "Good friends… great friends…"

"What if we could be more than friends?" Mark said softly as he cupped her cheek and placed his lips softly on hers. They stayed there for a second before Lisa turned away and bit back a smile.

"That was… um… weird…" she said.

"Weird?" Mark laughed.

She turned back to look at him, "…but nice," she shrugged with a glowing smile.

"Okay," he said slowly, "So maybe if we do it again it might be more nice and not so weird…?"

She nodded in a seductive way, "Hmm, maybe…"

"…and if it's still weird we'll just keep doing it until it's not…?" he said suggestively.

She grinned, "Absolutely."

He looked into her eyes again before placing his lips once more on hers. She took some control of the kiss, she was the more experienced one after all, as she rubbed her nose gently against his and slid her tongue into the small gap they were creating with the ever increasing passionate kiss. Mark pushed her back gently as she uncurled her legs from underneath her and lied down on the sofa. They broke apart for a second.

"Weird?" he asked her with a smile.

"Definitely not," she exclaimed slyly; holding onto the back of his neck and bringing him towards her once more.

"I'm home!" a woman's voice called as Mark jumped back off of Lisa and they both went back to pretending to watch the TV even though the popcorn had spilled all over the floor.

"Hi Mum," Lisa called back and glanced at Mark who was looking extremely embarrassed. "Relax," she reassured him.

"Easy for you to say," Mark retorted quietly. "Anyway, I better be going."

Lisa smiled, "…kay, call me later," she told him as they both stood up and she went to walk him to the door.

He nodded, glanced at her with a smile, and, thanking God that Lisa's mother appeared to already have gone up the stairs, kissed her softly before turning and walking away.

Please comment! x

[LAURZY!]

As you alread know, i LOVE this chapter

The bit with Aden and Belle at the beginning was so touching, i'm glad she managed to finally get some sleep!!

Love Lisa and Mark!! i cant beleive he's diabetic! he really should tell them. Its really sad that he thinks he's an outsider all the stuff with Lisa was so well done

Brilliant writing once again Jen, cannot wait to read more

[xknomex]

I was in tears in the first scene!! it was brilliant!!! I'm glad Belle got some sleep,

Marks a diabetic!?! and he hasn't told Aden and Belle!? Poor Mark!!!!!! its really sad that he feels like an outsider, he should really talk to Aden and Belle!

am Loving the idea of Lisa and Mark, can imagine Tess's reaction!!

Brilliant update beautifully written

xxx

[Taniya_K]

Eeeeeeeeeeek! Lisa and Mark! Another new favourite couple to add to my list!

Loved that chapter! So perfectly written!

Um... where do I start?! The Adelle bit at the beginning was so sweet but sad, esp when Belle asked him about how he used to be about to sleep and all.

I cannot beleive that Mark's diabetic and hasn't told anyone!!! I hope he tells his parents soon. But it was soooo sad when he was explaining to Lisa how he feels left out because he's the only one with a fantastic family who haven't screwed him over

Definately cannot wait for more! And I totally want your muse if this is what it produces!

xoxo

[Symphony]

Glad that Tyler told Aden & Tess all the truth....

As for the last chapter - I love the way you introduce feasible new characters to the bay. Like, we still have Aden & Belle & Copeland etc so i'ts like normal, but then we've this whole new gang of teenagers too which is totally awesome - you've put so much work into this fiction, it's just amazing...

♥ reading your writing!

[Inactive User]

Mark and Lisa-so cute and lovely together

Whoa poor Mark diabetic! Glad he told Lisa. Hope he will tell his parents soon.

Update soon

[Lise]

That was really good.

The stuff with Aden and Belle at the beginning was really sweet.

Loved the Mark stuff. Some of the things he does are so Aden like.

He really should tell his parents about his diabetes. They would want to know.

It's sad that he feels like an outsider in his own family.

He and Lisa are so