Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 45 - Completed - 09/30/2020

This is the place to post all your General Roswell fanfiction. Any Canon fics, which pick up directly from any episode of the show and that focus on Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Isabel/Alex or Isabel/Jesse, Kyle/Tess, or all the couples together! Rule of Thumb: If Max healed Liz in the Crashdown in September 1999, then your fic belongs here. If it picks up from the show in any way, it belongs here.

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Parker1947
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Always Tomorrow - Chapter 29 - 07/30/2020

Post by Parker1947 »

“Matthew isn’t anything to me except maybe a friend,” Carrie muttered to herself in response to quickly to be the truth and they both knew it as they walked into the living room, and she glanced around a home that had instilled so much happiness since she and Alex was able to come here when they were thirteen years old. Despite a year in Las Cruces, this house was the only home she really had known that involved her whole family. As her mother had eventually sold the Madison house, and put the money in the trust fund for the girls once they graduated university unless one of them got married or chose not to finish university, before they reached their graduation. She knew that the sum of money was specifically, for her and Alex because it had been their childhood home. Still, for Carrie, this house was her home, and the place she always came back to, and something that had given her everything she had ever wanted. A family.

She did not know where she was going end up once she graduated, but this was the place where she always knew she was welcome. Because it was welcoming, and it contained her family “I barely know anything about him except we go ways back…” Carrie muttered.

“Then why do I think you are thinking of him?” Beth asked.

“I am not,” Carrie said in her defense. “We barely know each other” she sighed. “I mean what we do have is what we had in Madison, and that was friendship plain and simple and since Alex and me started university, I barely have seen Matthew or his brother, and now he’s in California going to school.”

“Sometimes you don’t have to know anything to feel compelled,” Beth remarked as she could feel her daughter was conflicted and she wished she could help. “Sometimes the simplest of moments that can capture you in ways that you would never expect” she murmured as a flash of a certain brown hair teenage boy stirred in her brain. “That was how it was for me…”

“How can you know?” Carrie wondered as she knew her parents had been defined by their ability to start over, and their ability to move on despite her mother’s lack of her memories due to a car crash that robbed her of what she and their father had shared until that point. Carrie knew how her lucky her parents had gotten and how fortunate they had been as she did wish that she could have that kind of love one day. “You barely remember you and Dad?”

“You don’t have to be young, because it can happen at any time,” Beth reasoned as memories flashed through her brain of those first moments when she had seen him. “You can be blown away at any age, no matter the history you might have had, but for me, I do have some memories of those days when we were young. The sense stays with me of how I was blown away, and how he took my breath away. How he was something new, and something to remember, and how no one would be able to compete with that rare first feeling” Beth murmured. “It was like that when I first caught a glimpse of him again seven years ago, after nearly fourteen years of being apart. I might have been robbed of what we had, and the memories and cherished feelings that go along with those special times, but from the moment I saw him, I knew he was the one. You do not have to be fifteen to know that feeling. You can have more than twenty years together and might have been apart for a large chunk of that time. But from what I do remember of our teen years. Your father was unique, and he captured something in me, and unfortunately I was with someone else at the time, when I was with Kyle, and then I saw your father...”

“You and Dad are different…” Carrie asked as she wished she had confidence that she knew the one. “You told me yourself that you and Kyle were barely anything. And that is what he also tells me, and still not many people are as fortunate as you two and Dad are?”

“We might be,” Beth allowed. “Still I know how it feels to be with someone who might be a great guy, but then you look into the eyes of someone else, you see someone so different,” she murmured. “It doesn’t help anyone to stay and try to make something work when there is someone else that might interest you,” she sighed. “It doesn’t help you, and it won’t help Justin,” she murmured…

“You and Kyle were better off as friends,” Carrie muttered.

“You are right, and it might have been high school, and those type of relationship end easier than ones later in life, but still, from the moment I saw your father. I knew that he was the one. He was something special. I needed to take that chance. Time has allowed me more insight of those times, and even seven years ago, it would have been very easy to walk away because of what we had lost, but looking in his eyes, I knew that I had to take a chance. And it was not only that we share Grace, and we share you girls. I knew I wanted to face the hard times with him, when we knew there was danger around each corner. Still, I wanted to at least try, and we were successful.”

“Justin and I are happy” Carrie muttered even though she knew that she had been having an inner debate with herself about how happy she was, or what she liked of Justin. “He’s someone out of our circle, and he’s normal, and it’s like I have a chance with him.”

“Are you?” Beth asked. “You were happy once before, and you weren’t able to share everything about yourself, and that is hard to get back to once trust is broken, because sometimes it’s hard to get back there once you take time away from each other.”

“It’s new,’ Carrie conceded because she knew her mother was right about trust, and yet there was something about Justin that made her want to try. “And we’re not at school so we’re out of our usual environment,” she admitted. “So, it’s hard to evaluate what we have…”

“Sometimes real life allows you prospective on something?” Beth allowed. “Being out of the bubble that is school and being on campus all the time?”

“Yeah,” Carrie allowed. “I was so bummed about our breakup all summer, and yet when he comes back, it makes me question.”

“You don’t know how to accept that things are different” Beth asked. “Things can’t be how it was back in the beginning, or before you broke up.

Things are different,” she said as flashes came of her standing with Max and looking at him with so much pain and angst in their eyes in the wake of what had happened with Tess.

“Yeah,” Carrie admitted.

“Sometimes it’s like that,” came a voice from behind them and they both twisted and saw Max watching, and immediately Carrie could understand and sense the chemistry between her parents, and how her mother was a whole new person since taking her chance with her father. Despite the odds, and because of them too. “I woke up and you weren’t in bed?” Max muttered as he asked his wife and chose to ignore that his daughter was wearing the same dress from the party the night before, and obviously had just come home.

Dealing with Grace burnt me out on that subject Max muttered to himself, so he chose to ignore the implications and plus Carrie is nearly 21 so I need to be silent unless I am asked to respond on the matter.

“The baby,” Beth said simply. “Carrie was needing some advice…”

“Right,” Max muttered. “Is everything alright honey with you and Justin?”

“Just trying to figure it all out,” Carrie allowed. “But seriously Dad, I am fine. “I think I’ll go upstairs and get some sleep before getting dressed for the wedding,” she mused because she did not want to deal with her father’s reaction to her dilemma. Oh, I guess I should let you know that Justin is headed home to Maryland…” she sighed. “So, he’s not joining me for the wedding.”

“He is?” Beth asked as she looked at her husband.

“His grandmother is in the hospital, so he wants to go see her before we have to head back to school.”

“Right,” Max nodded as they watched as their daughter walk upstairs, which left him with his wife. “Is she okay?”

“She will be,” Beth promised.

“What’s going on?” Max murmured as they kissed and he counted his blessing once more that he had gotten this chance to be happy, and to have the woman he loved, and the only woman he ever wanted, and who made him the happiest man when she had given him another chance. First back in high school, and then seven years before, and because they knew how lucky they had been, well, they never took another day for granted.

“She’s finding it hard to go back again, with Justin” Beth admitted. “That time apart might not have been the most beneficial thing for their relationship.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“She’s finding that it’s hard to settle back in,” Beth admitted. “She’s finding that maybe both of them are different people”

“That often happens,” Max allowed. “It did for us,” he muttered as he remembered how the transition to getting back after their yearlong break up had been rocky at best, because of what he had done with Tess, and how it had hurt Liz, and therefore he knew they had been damned fortunate that they had made it. “But we got lucky.”

“Yes, we did,” Beth admitted.

“Not only seven years ago, but back in high school,” Max murmured. “Our time away made for some bumpy paths to go down once we tried again,” Max allowed. “It takes two people to really want it to work. I got lucky when you wanted to try again, because it would have been so easy not to…”

“I can’t imagine not having taken that chance,” Beth sighed as the kissed. “I know how lucky we got and therefore I wish it could be easier for her, because it has been for the other two, but I have to wonder if there is someone else who might be making our daughter question her heart”

“There is?” Max asked, surprised. “Whom?”

“I think it is Serena’s son, Matthew” Beth admitted. “From the way I have seen them interacting, well, it makes me question how much she wants to be with Justin?”

“Excuse me,” Max asked. “Since when has this happened?” Max asked shocked and slightly unnerved. “I thought they were only friends?”

“They are,” Beth admitted. “But sometimes friends become more…” she sighed. “It did for Grace and Jake. But unlike those two Carrie and Matthew have not had much time to know each other over these years since we moved out here, and the Rogers family moved to Arizona” she sighed. “So,

Carrie is confused, and I don’t know what she’ll do with whatever there is between them because she does care about Justin, and that is making it hard because it’s obvious that Justin wants a chance with her, and she knows it.”

“Yeah,” Max muttered but it made him ask “But the heart wants what it wants, right?”

“Right,” Beth smiled as she embraced her husband. “Sometimes it takes a lot of pain to figure out what is best for you”

“Well I hope she doesn’t go half of what we had to go through,” Max murmured as she took his wife’s hand. “Are you ready, let’s go back to bed… because it’s way too early to be dealing with the affairs of our children’s hearts,” he said with a laugh but silently hoped that the affair part wasn’t going to be an issue.

“Always…” Beth murmured as they walked up to their bedroom together as the baby finally stopped being restless, and allowed its mother and father to fall asleep in each other’s arms while it’s older sister was a conflict of emotions and having a hard time sleeping.


*

And it was hours later as Carrie was dressing for the wedding that Alex cornered her sister and wondered what was going on. Carrie was trying to delay any talk because the last thing she wanted to do was talk it out. She rather just celebrate Colin and Sue’s big day, and be happy that the family was all together before whatever the hell the next day brought for the Guerin side of the family started to be unleashed when Elizabeth had to surrender to her deal with the government, and under judge’s orders.

“Justin isn’t even going to be there tonight?” Alex asked as she looked beautiful in her pink bridesmaid’s dress. She and Carrie along with Belle and Sue’s sister were to be bridesmaids while Grace was the maid of honor. Jake and Liam were co-best men for their brother Colin. Emily was flower girl, and Drew would carry the rings.

Elizabeth hadn’t wanted to be a part of the ceremony because she knew everyone would be looking at her as she sat and watched her childhood best friend marry her brother, and the media had glammed onto the wedding, and it had made the news but not nearly as much as it would have in the early days of everything scandalous that had hit their family.

Being a national name Maria’s fame had led to a lot of media interest but she and Michael had put a lid on it, but still enough had been unleashed, and Elizabeth hadn’t wanted to be a part of it, so she would be there as a happy participant as family, and watching her son carry the rings, and Finn was her date.

They had yet to define what they were. Given what she was sentencing herself to starting the following day, she had not wanted to start anything that she would not be able to finish, and she had not wanted to Finn to carry that burden.

Enough had already been placed on his shoulders. So, it was going to be an intimate family wedding. Yet one that would have a lot of family members coming into massive clan.

But with lots of prayers for happy days ahead but Carrie somehow doubted the happy would last long. It rarely does in this family she muttered to herself. “Family illness, nothing more than that” she muttered to her sister who looked doubtful. “I don’t want to keep him here when he loves his grandmother, and school starts up sooner than later.”

“Are you sure there is nothing more than that?” Alex asked as Carrie now on her pale pink dress, slightly more subtle than Alex’s dress but both looked beautiful with their long brunette hair. They had on the diamond earrings they had gotten from their father on their sixteenth birthday. A day that had come and gone with less emotional angst than what their sister had gone through. Grace had moved onto a new car that was more practical for her driving between Roswell and Las Cruces for classes at the university and gave her old one to the girls to share once they had their drivers’ license which they both passed with flying colors.

Carrie still drove it when she was in town as it still was in remarkable condition but then it helped to have a driver who could do more than average person to make sure the car made it through the day in one piece.

“I am sure,” Carrie muttered. “Who wants a guy when I have plenty of family to amuse myself with tonight…”

“Since when do you want to be surrounded by family?” Alex muttered as he knew how they had both rebelled against family events when they had been younger, and Carrie had been no exception.

“Well I am the one who spends the most time around here, so family is definitely my cup of tea” Carrie smiled as she checked her makeup. “Given
that you spend most of your time in Boston or better yet with Graham.”

“Would you bring him around here and give Dad a heart attack,” Alex laughed. “And with Christopher in the house, and soon the new baby, It would not be very prudent?” she asked, “Staying away does a world of good for my relationship with Dad.”

“Very true,” Carrie allowed as she remembered how her father had wisely stayed silent when he had noticed her that morning still wearing her dress from the night before.

“So, you want to be solo tonight?” Alexandra asked as she surveyed her sister. “With Matthew going to be there?”

“It can’t be helped,” Carrie sighed as she thought of Matthew, and fluttered went through her body at the memories. “You don’t need to make anything of it, sis. Matthew and I are only friends and had not even been in each other’s universe until a few weeks ago when we met up by chance at Cow Patties. So, I am quite confident I can manger whatever tonight brings, and really today is about celebrating Colin and Sue.”

“It is,” Alexandra smiled. “And yet weddings can bring out all kinds of mayhem.”

“I suspect that won’t be the case,” Carrie muttered as she took one more glance in her mirror. “I am going downstairs. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Suit yourself,” Alexandra laughed as she made sure she was ready after watching her twin sister walk away, and she wondered just what the night would bring as she to collected her purse, and walk downstairs, and before long the who house was quiet, and in their cars and headed for the ceremony.

With Alexandra and Carrie in their car, and their parents and Christopher in the other car. None of them knew what the night would hold.


*


“Did I make a mistake asking you to come with me this weekend?” Serena asked of their son as they stood outside of the church and waited for the doors to open and the crowd that was starting to descend to be able to go and take their seats. “What is going on with Carrie and you?”

“Nothing,” Matthew muttered as he did not value getting a lecture from his mother on this matter. “We’re just friends. Since apparently, she has a boyfriend?”

“And since when has that stopped you in the past,” Serena muttered to the irritation of her son because they both knew his reputation with the ladies. “We both know that you have walked those lines before, but this this time there is much more a risk if you play with fire…”

“Mom,” Matthew muttered as he did not appreciate the stern glance from his mother. “Despite how it does look. Usually I do stay away if there is someone else, and in this case there is someone else, and yes, I know what it means to see Carrie in that way, and I don’t, because we hadn’t seen each other in a long time before we saw each other recently. She’s attractive yes, but I am not looking to go there with her…”

“I hope you do know” Serena muttered as she loved Alexandra and Carrie like honorary children and had been a big part of their growth, and even when they had moved across to the country to reunite with their birth father and sister, she had been a big part of their lives. She knew how well adjusted the girls were despite their circumstances. As much as she should be rooting for her son and Carrie but still, she knew how tricky it was to mess with someone you know so well. And while the kids had not spent that much time together after Madison due to their own social lives as they grew up. Still, the girls had been a major part of their lives. “While your father and I want you to settle down one of these days with something more than casual, but we want you to be happy, and taking this kind of level is just asking for a lot of grief” she murmured. “Carrie means too much to us, for you two to screw it up.”

“Look, I know what you and Dad think of my love life,” Matthew muttered because he had known how Jonathan always seem to find the right person for him, and had a few long term girlfriends over the years, and one he was currently with seemed to be the most serious of them, and yet he Matthew liked to play the field, and didn’t believe in settling down. “I am not going to change the way I conduct my life to please you and Dad…”

“And we’re not asking you to,” Serena muttered. “All I am asking for is for you to be careful, and while in the past you might have played a little two casual with girl’s heart, if you do it this, time, the fallout doesn’t just hurt you…”

“Jeez Mom, all we are talking about is friendship Mom, and that is all there is between Carrie and me” Matthew assured his mother as the door to a red convertible opened across the parking lot opened, and he spotted both Alexandra and Carrie as Carrie got out of the driver’s side, and he knew he was in trouble. She is a knockout he muttered to himself.

Friendship my ass
Serena swore as she saw the twins’ approach and saw the expression on her son’s face and knew she was fighting a losing battle, and she only hoped there was not carnage at the end of this. “Girls” she smiled as she did love the twins and wanted happiness for all involved.

“Nice to see you Serena and Matthew” Carrie said she acknowledged Matthew.

“Where’s the boyfriend?” Matthew said through gritted teeth and Serena almost wanted to shake her head. My foolish little boy

“Gone back East because of a sick relative,” Carrie mused. “Tonight, means more to me than it does him, so it’s no loss because I’ll see him when we head back to classes.”

“Right,” Matthew asked. “So, that means you’re here solo tonight?”

“It’s a family wedding, so I am among family, so I won’t be bored” Carrie muttered. “And they won’t be allowing me to get bored,” she laughed.

Alexandra could only laugh at the interaction between her sister and longtime friend. Justin made a bad move she murmured When he gave room for Matthew to come into the situation and yet she knew she wanted out of this situation. So, she was quick to speak up “Speaking of boyfriends. I see Graham, so I better go intercept him because I want him to meet Elizabeth” Alexandra smiled politely and had an amused look on her face as she saw the look pass between her sister and her old friend. “Carrie, I will see you shortly, since we’re in the wedding party.”

“Yeah,” Carrie muttered as she saw her parents and little brother arrive and knew that was her escape from this awkward situation. “I see Mom and Dad and Christopher, so I better check in with them, and then I need to check in with the bride because after all it’s her day, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Serena smiled as Carrie walked off as she turned back to face her son. “You are thisclose to getting burned” she commented to her son.

“Yes ma’am,” Matthew muttered as he walked as Carrie approach her parents, and he sighed because this was the last thing he should want because he knew how awkward it was to being seeing Carrie as he was setting her as he knew they were better off as friends. Therefore, he knew he needed to listen to his mother on this one and stay away.
keepsmiling7
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Re: Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 29 - 07/30/2020

Post by keepsmiling7 »

This is getting complicated for Carrie.
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Parker1947
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Always Tomorrow - Chapter 30 - 08/02/2020

Post by Parker1947 »

“You look beautiful,” came a voice as Elizabeth was glancing around the dance floor a few hours later. She was not getting as many looks as she did as she and her parents had walked down the aisle to take their seats before the ceremony had taken place. It was still a foreign concept to her to know she was free, and had freedom, and of course she knew that was only going to last for a number of more hours before she turned herself and concentrated on her mission of a lifetime to defeat their greatest threat.

She still didn’t know if that was possible, but she had to try, and she knew for her family she would try and then hopefully she could take back her life because being around her family, and here tonight as he watched as her brother Colin looked so happy with Sue and the life they were now prepared to spend together made her envious. She wished could have a little fraction of it, and yet she knew she had messed up her life, and she needed to right the wrongs before she got that chance to move on.

The ceremony had been a success, and now the families were celebrating. Elizabeth was taking it in, as she spotted Belle dancing with an unknown boy. She was blushing from something he was saying, and it made Elizabeth happy to see her thirteen-year-old sister being a normal teenager, celebrating their family’s good fortune for once. She also spotted Jake and Grace dancing while her parents were talking with Max and Beth. Her brother Liam was with his girlfriend Stella, and they also seem to be incredibly happy. Emily and Christopher were even trying to dance, and it was a blast to see it. Their little movements were so funny for Elizabeth to witness. Drew and Mick had long gone with a babysitter.

Hearing You look beautiful made Elizabeth spin around and she saw Finn staring at her and smiling. She felt a flutter in her stomach. Of how it should be, she knew, and yet she knew of their past and she still did not know if she deserved Finn’s attention on her. They were here at the wedding as friends only she told him, and he accepted it. Of course, she did not believe she looked beautiful.

She was wearing a very conservative dress, up to her neck, which was aimed at hiding the tattoos that were branded on her by Nicholas or even by her own choice. Max had offered to help her get rid of her most annoying ones, but she had to keep them until her mission was over so the give the impression that she was troubled.

She did not even want to think about what she would be doing to sell her role and try to worm herself into Khivar’s inner sanctum. But for the long-range safety of her family Elizabeth knew she had to do it.

She had known attention would be on her which is why she chose the dress she did, and at least it got her away from thinking about them. “You’re such a liar”

“No, you are” Finn said with a sincerity to him that made Elizabeth wish she could travel back in time and change events at the prom, and be able to head home and have none of it ever had happened and yet she knew if she had, then they would have gone after her brother, and Grace and Elizabeth would gladly make that sacrifice to protect her family from more harm. And despite the circumstances, she would not have had Drew and Mick. And even Emily would not be in this world.

She could regret much of her conduct and wish for the road not taken but she did not regret the kids. She just wished she could have been a mother to them. But she knew Emily was in a much better home than she would have been in, or the same with Drew and Mick. Elizabeth only wished so much of Drew’s early months and years could have been different, and she had indeed taken the path to sobriety so much earlier, and she had been able to get out of under Nicholas’s grip earlier than she had.

Now she watched as her brother was celebrating his commitment to a woman he loved, and she knew that at least her family had been able to live a life that hadn’t had the cloud it would have had if Nicholas had been on the loose.

“This thing pales compared to my tastes when I was younger,” Elizabeth muttered as she thought of her wardrobe when she was younger.

“You look gorgeous no matter what you’re wearing, and that dress, you are picture perfect” Finn smiled. “Do you want to dance?”

“I don’t dance,” Elizabeth murmured.

“I remember a time when you did,” Finn murmured as he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. “You deserve to have fun tonight…”

“I can have fun just watching,” Elizabeth muttered but found that Finn was hard to resist. “All I care is if my family is happy.”

“Well they are, as you can see from your brother and Sue,” Finn smiled. “Look at the kids,” he said as they spotted Emily and Christopher still mixing it up with their hijinks. Everyone is happy, and having a good time, and you deserve that too, so why not take a chance to have fun because it will end too quickly.”

“They do, don’t they?” Elizabeth muttered as they continued to dance.

“So, let yourself have a good time” Finn murmured “Because you may have some memories to keep your nights warm?”


*


“She looks happy, doesn’t she?” Maria muttered to her husband as the had ended their discussion with Max and Beth and were down on the dance floor as well and had noticed as Finn had lured their daughter onto the dance floor and they seem to be laughing over some sort of joke being told by Finn. Elizabeth seem to be begrudging getting into the dance, as the song changed to a faster pace song and so she and Michael walked off the dance floor and helped them to a drink. “I hate to hope, when I know what is coming tomorrow?”

“She does,” Michael conceded as it seemed like a dream that they had wished for to have the full family together, when for so long it had been a nightmare, and now on this day, they did have the whole family together. “She’s stronger than she even thinks…”

“I hope so,” Maria murmured. “She’s going to need that strength.”

“Let us not get down on that tonight. That is for tomorrow, and for the future. Tonight, is about family, and about Colin and Sue” Michael stated as they glanced over at their son who was dancing with their bride. “I am beginning to think they might make it work?”

“I hope so,” Maria smiled even if her tone was one of worry. “It’s going to be much harder than they even think.”

“We’re here for them,” Michael nodded. “It made us stronger for those early days with Jake…”

“It did, but then we were tested for a long time before Jake brought us together,” Maria sighed. “Our son and Sue haven’t even been together a year.”

“But Sue knows what she’s getting into,” Michael maneuvered his wife a drink off a passing tray as he knew they could trust their newest daughter-in-law because she had been tested within the family over the years, and Sue had seen the warts and slings that had been aimed at their family for being who they were, or for being in love with one of them “We should trust them to come to us if they need support.”




Across the room Jake and Grace were on the dance floor. They took solace in each other’s arms while Jake knew his wife was up to something and Grace was being quiet about her true motivations over the next few days, and maybe more. They took the joy in that this was one occasion in the last seven years, and the last five years that meant the whole family was whole, and they could relish it.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?” Jake muttered as they danced in each other’s arms. They hadn’t had much opportunity except for their own wedding which had been more of intimate gathering than this one because of who the family had been missing, and neither were wanting a big celebration given the media had made their lives and relationship a nightmare, and while they had won their battle and stayed together, and were now making the ultimate commitment still it felt right to have a small wedding. After the disastrous prom during his senior year, they had not taken many chances to dance as if it was a reminder, but they had let down their guard on their special day, and now this one.

“What do you even mean?” Grace murmured and while her husband was the normal one in their relationship still Jake seem to know her, and get her, and know when her mind was elsewhere, although on this one occasion, well, she was allowing those distractions to have a holiday, and she was just relishing being with her giant family, of all branches.

They had not had much to celebrate over these seven years, and she was not going to let the future cause issues. She spotted Elizabeth walking over to the drink bar with Finn and getting an iced tea for her, and something stronger for Finn. Elizabeth had not just had issues with drugs during her dark and twisted time. Drinking had been a part of her daily routine, and they had noticed since she had been home, from jail, and the hospital that she had stayed away from anything alcoholic. Which was encouraging, but she knew it would not pass muster in trying to get under Khivar’s spell if this was really going to work.

She did not want to think about it, as she only wanted to feel the comfort of her husband’s arms.

“Christopher even knows something is up with you” Jake commented of one of the youngest members of their clan, and of his wife little brother.

“Christopher is five and doesn’t know anything” Grace murmured as she did not like knowing her little brother had any abilities at his age.

“Given the stock he comes from, I wouldn’t be too sure of that” Jake muttered. “He’s getting vibes I am told, and they are related to you, and something is up because I have seen you these last few days. Even I know something is going on?”

“Trust me okay because everything is fine” Grace murmured.

“I do,” Jake sighed as he did not know what to think of the readings he was getting from his wife. Because while he might not have powers. It was obvious when his wife was up to something. Too much of his life was with women who gave signs when they were clearly going to be doing something. Now he was reading it, in his wife and because he grew up with Grace, well, he knew how she operated, and he knew what she was dreaming up a scheme. “I love you, and that won’t change but I knew when you have your head in something, so, why is that you won’t tell me what you’re up to?”

“All is it is a girl’s trip Jake,” Grace murmured because she knew it wouldn’t serve her husband to know what was really going on, and she didn’t want to put him through that, nor her own family.

“Why is it now?” Jake asked.

“Because it’s the only dates that match up, and even then, I am late to the party due to our commitment to be being here tonight,” she smiled as she kissed her husband. “You will be here for your family and I will be spending some time with friends.”

“I know how hard you took what happened to my sister seven years ago. And how much you regret everything that happened back then?” Jake said softly because he remembered how dark it had gotten all those years ago despite Grace being in Las Cruces. Because of their old issues. Neither of them was able to prevent his sister from going down the rabbit hole. It left a permanent mark on his wife. Despite the exterior that she gave her family and the public. Which was one of the reasons he wanted this weekend to work out for his wife because she needed something that did not remind her of what they could not prevent. Still though it made him wonder. “Going away now, and not being here when she does go?”

“Maybe I don’t want to be here to see it happen because so much could have prevented,” Grace murmured with a rare degree of honesty.

“Well it did happen, and we need to deal with it” Jake murmured. “I know we wish we could have prevented that night. But it happened, and my sister is determined to come through it, she is our miracle and we have to figure out how to make sure she does come through it?”

“You can deal with it with your family, and they will need you and Eva, and I’ll deal with it my way okay?” Grace murmured. And I will make sure she comes through it my way she murmured to herself as she danced with her husband. “Because there is no way that I am going to allow us to lose her all over again.”

“You know, being out there, across the country won’t do any good for my spirits” Jake murmured.

“You will get along fine without me,” Grace murmured. “And me, I can handle myself?

“That is what I am afraid of,” Jake murmured because he still was not convinced that his wife was not up to something that would bring consequences, as it was clear she was not telling him the full story but he did trust her to come home to him, and he was going to hold onto that hope and pray he would get his wishes for both is wife and his sister.

“That is tomorrow, let us have tonight” Grace maneuvered out of the knowledge that she was lying to her husband, and knew it would end in disaster. She just prayed that it would be a disaster she could control.

As the room continued to be festive, and no one allowed the clouds to cover over them.


*


Although across the room Carrie needed space. She needed fresh air. She was having too many conversations with her family, and she knew what a small percentage of them wanted to talk about and she did not want to, as she only wanted to have fun. But her mind was elsewhere. She knew Justin was delayed leaving as his flight was late leaving, but now was on his way. She had met his grandmother and knew she was a wonderful woman who was responsible for helping raise Justin and knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t go back home and see her, if the news of her health decline was as dire as he had been told.

Thinking of it with her, and any of her grandparents who were thankfully still alive to this day and she knew none of them would be okay if they could not do everything for them. Even knowing that her father had abilities that went above the call of duty of any mortal, and yet she knew her grandparents had given strict orders for Max not to save them if the time came. It was not easy to know, but fortunately her grandparents were all living to older age, and therefore it meant when their time came, it would be there time to go.

She just hoped none of them experienced it, anytime soon as she watched the bride and groom clearly in love and determined to embrace the future together, despite how soon it all appeared for the rest of the family.

For Colin and Sue, all that mattered what they were in it together, and wanted to deal with their newest chapter, together.

As she also watched her sisters dance with their husband or beau. She glanced across the dance floor and spotted her parents spending time together. Clearly in love. Sometimes it made her want to vomit, but she knew she wanted happiness for her family. They now had everything after almost losing everything.

She should be happy that she had another chance with Justin, as she did not know why she would not want to jump at it. Justin was a great guy. It would be easy to dump him if he were a jerk, but he was a gentleman, and he treated her like she was the only one. Which made the fact that she could not give her all too him even more troubling. Because she knew Matthew was just a friend. While, they might flirt, and she might have an active imagination, but she knew at the end of the day, they knew too little of each other to go there.

Why would she go there?

When Justin was someone she knew.

But he did not know her. And they only knew each other on a campus, and barely knew their real identities once off the campus. The past was like a fantasy world really. She was on her own turf, but he was not. It was like he was trying to fit into her world. And yet did not fit in the hole completely as the week had showcased that. While it seemed good. She also knew it had ended, once before.

She did not know how much she could give him. Because she was hiding something so fundamental to herself.

Matthew might know what she could do. But still he did not really know her, either. Phoenix and Roswell were two very locals. And even knowing each other as kids were different when you are looking at 21 coming up in a few months. Matthew was younger, but still he was not looking younger at this point, and that troubled her.

So, why not embrace the person who had at least made her happy. And the sex was fantastic. But then when was the sex not good being who she was? So, Justin fulfilled her in that department, and yet….

Of course, she knew her mother was worried. And she admitted to herself that Matthew was hot, and she could not get him off his mind. But she wanted another shot at Justin and therefore she was feeling conflicted.

Justin had hurt her once before, and now he wanted a do-over. Therefore, she was feeling “sick of love”

Being at a family wedding was clearly not the answer…

“Your mind looks elsewhere,” Carrie heard as she stood outside the banquet room at the hotel that the reception was being hosted at. All family members had a room at the hotel for the night. Even those who lived in town, and most of the partier’s tonight were from in town. But no one wanted anyone on the roads, and so they wanted to stay in one place, and know that they were all in one place.

She already had her hotel room. She was debating whether to call it a night because her mind was clearly elsewhere. She knew Colin and Sue were oblivious and in a world of their own, and her family was in the same

And then she saw him. “Not you…”

“I am only here as a friend,” came a very attractive and kind Matthew, this is so what I don’t need she muttered to herself as she longed to be on the dance floor, and in grossed in something other than this.

“Are you?” Carrie asked. “Are you really a friend. Because we do not know each other,” she murmured. “Not really”

“Sure, we are,” Matthew muttered as he understood the resistance and the confusion because he did feel it too. It is not easy to suddenly open your eyes and see someone who you had known for years differently. “Look, I know we don’t know each other, today. Only know each other when we were much younger than we are today.”

“Yeah,” Carrie allowed I do not need this, so why I am staying?

“Our families do go back, and I don’t want to screw things up for you” Matthew sighed. “We both have our lives, and our mothers will have our heads if we screw any of this up given how close they are…”

“Yeah, they would, wouldn’t they?” Carrie asked as she knew her mother still treasured her friendship with Serena despite how close she had become again to Maria. The two friendships meant the world to her mother, and Serena had been there for her mother during the hardest time in her mother’s current existence. “Which is why this is not what any of us want…”

“Answer me this, and then I’ll leave you alone” Matthew murmured.

“What?” Carrie asked almost wary because she knew what he wanted to ask her was not what she needed to be thinking at this moment in time.

“Are you happy?” Matthew asked.

“Jesus,” Carrie muttered. “What is it any business of yours if I am happy or not?” she asked. “My life is my life, and I don’t ask anything of you…”

“No, you don’t,” Matthew agreed. “I am just curious because I see you with him.”

“You’ve barely seen me with his,” Carrie managed as she craved walking away, and yet she stayed even though she had the power to walk away. “You don’t know anything about him or me, and how we’re together.”

“Alexandra tells me you’re newly back together?” Matthew asked.

“If you’re thinking it’s because of him that we were apart,” Carrie muttered. “Then you’re wrong,” she murmured. Of course, it had been about him, but she was not going to admit that to attractive guy getting into her face. “He’s a good guy. We did not end because we were bad together. Quite the opposite really. We were really good together” she admitted. “Which is why I want to give it another chance?”

“Really?” Matthew asked, almost like he was doubtful.

“Genuinely, he was an awesome guy. Funny, sensitive, and different. Unlike most guys I met at school,” she muttered. “We only ended because of who I am, and it wasn’t anything that he did, except he couldn’t understand why I couldn’t be honest with him.”

“How so?” Matthew asked.

“I couldn’t tell him everything about myself, and he started to have questions and therefore, we finally took the summer off because he didn’t like secrets…”

“What do you mean?” Matthew asked.

“You know, the big secret” Carrie muttered.

“Right,” Matthew nodded because he knew what she was referring to because he also knew how his family was the only one outside the inner sanctum that was Carrie’ Roswell’s branch that knew the truth. “You mean the guy doesn’t know the truth?” he said.

“The guy has a name, and it’s Justin” Carrie muttered. “Yeah, no he doesn’t… Neither does Alexandra’s boyfriend.”

“And yet I know the secret?” Matthew asked.

“Yes, you do” Carrie confirmed.


*


“Where is Carrie?” Max asked his daughter as he saw Alexandra taking a break from dancing with Graham. Graham had gone to take a call, because he was waiting for news on a job opportunity he had for after graduation. Alexandra did not know what would become of their relationship if Graham decided to stick around New Mexico and she graduated and had law school to look forward to. Harvard was already recruiting her to stay at the university, and other Ivy League law schools were making their voice known too. So, she did not know what she wanted to do, but she knew she loved Graham. Yet four years of long-distance had been a long time, and yet they had made it.

“Don’t know,” Alexandra admitted because she did not know where her sister had vanished off to but knew she would have been told if she had gone home, or up to her hotel room. She also knew her sister had the weight of the world on her shoulders. As if two guys liking you was a hardship Alexandra muttered to herself. My sister has it easy.

But Alexandra also knew that she had it easy to because she had only one guy who loved her, and while her sister was confused by the direction in her life. Alexandra had a clear direction she had been heading to since she was a teenager and found that she wanted to be a lawyer. Being influenced by her ¬¬long-lost biological father helped in that direction, but she had loved the law since she was old enough to know, right from wrong. And politics also interested her, but it was the law that she wanted to get into once she graduated.

Her sister was different. Carrie was always the wild one, who was game for anything. She followed the beat of own drum and did not take anyone’s suggestions. Unlike her straight-lace twin sister, and her older academic minded sister. She wanted to do it, her own way.

So, being confused by two guys was a new one for her sister. Which had not been something she had been used to despite her trend not to have a steady boyfriend in high school. She dated a whole bunch, and did not settle for anyone, while she and Grace had been completely different. “She does her own thing.”

“Should I worry about her?” Max asked of his daughter.

“Nah,” Alexandra smiled at the concern her father showed as that was the one thing she loved about her father was that he had been there for them once they had come into his life, and him into their life. “Carrie will figure out what she wants from her life?”

“Will she?” Max asked. “Your mother thinks that she is troubled about certain events in her life…”

“If you mean her love life, don’t Dad” Alexandra smiled at her father. “I love you, but come on, we can handle it by now, and that goes for Carrie because we can’t tell her what to do, or who to be with…”

“But if Serena’s son…” Max murmured.

“Carrie doesn’t tell me anything more than she tells you or Mom,” Alexandra laughed. “All I can say is if Matthew is in the situation than it’s purely up to Carrie what she wants to. Because she does not tell me what to do with Graham, and therefore I mostly stay out of her business. I will give her advice, but she beats to her own mind, and no one is going to get through to her…”

“I only want her happy,” Max sighed.

“We all do,” Alexandra smiled. “All you can do is support her anywhere she might go in this path she’s going down.”

“Thanks honey,” Max laughed.

“Concentrate on what you can control,” Alexandra advised. “And that is my little brother, Christopher and of course the newest baby because you can’t control Grace nor Carrie or myself.”

Max laughed because it still did seem odd to have three kids who were in their twenties, and were in control of their futures, and then he had a five-year-old and a new baby due early the following year. Seven years before, he only had one child. Now he would have five. Life sometimes gives you surprises, and you needed to figure out how to manage them, as an image of Grace came to his mind. “Speaking about someone other than Carrie, do you know what is going on with you sister Grace?”

“Now that is subject, I can get behind,” Alexandra admitted. “Because no, I do not have any idea what is going on with her, and I too have gotten vibes that something is up with her…”

“So, I should I worry?” Max asked.

“Yes,” Alexandra agreed. “Because I am also worried about her”
keepsmiling7
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Re: Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 30 - 08/02/2020

Post by keepsmiling7 »

What is Grace up to???
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Parker1947
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Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:34 pm

Always Tomorrow - Chapter 31 - 08/05/2020

Post by Parker1947 »

Grace did not care for the speculation because she continued to spend the evening with her husband and her family, while Carrie had yet to come back into the ballroom for the reception. Most thought she had gone back to her room, because she didn’t have a date and everyone was spoken for, and even the little kids in Christopher and Emily had gone off with a grandparent or two to spend the rest of the night in their hotel rooms, as they waited for their parents to finish with the festivities.

Carrie did decide that the evening winds were making a little too chilly, and she had foolishly left her wrap up in her hotel room after checking into it before the reception started. And rejecting Matthew wish to give her his jacket. Which would solve nothing she told herself. “I am tired of this. I am going up to my room.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Matthew asked.

“Not on your life,” Carrie muttered. “Look Matthew, thanks for the friendly ear. But this is not what either of us need, and we can talk about it all night long, but it does not help my situation. I have a boyfriend. He might not be here tonight, but he’s in the picture.”

“Obviously,” Matthew acknowledged.

“So, stop making it more than what it is,” Carrie asked as she walked back into the hotel, and instead of back into the ballroom, she chose to head towards the elevators. Hopeful that Matthew would take the hint and head back and spend time with his mother.

But she knew what guy would want to spend the evening with his mother, so chances were, and she was right. Matthew followed. Matthew did not know why he was, because this was asking for trouble, and yet he did. “Why not go back to the party?”

“They won’t care,” Carrie muttered. “They are all in a world of their own,” she muttered. “Everyone is my family is…”

“Does it bother you that he doesn’t know the truth?” Matthew asked.

“It is a lot easier for him to not know,” Carrie voiced the truth, and yet she knew it was not good for their relationship for him not to know. “My life is complicated. “You know, but you don’t know how it is to live this life…”

“I can’t imagine,” Matthew asked. “I know I have seen only a small fraction. Mom has experienced more than Jonathan and me…”

“Yeah, she has, and even she doesn’t know because Mom’s memory loss allowed her bliss free existence for nearly fourteen years, and even now, it hasn’t enveloped her as much as it does for Grace, Alexandra and I” Carrie muttered as she walked down the hall towards her hotel room. “Justin being without that knowledge is good because he doesn’t see it, but then it kills not to be able to share everything about myself with him, and he sees that there is a part I am not allowing him into, and it cost us big time.”

“It broke you up?” Matthew asked.

“Yes,” Carrie acknowledged as they approached her hotel room. Matthew’s was on another floor that he was sharing with his mother since he was a late entrant onto the guest list.

“Yes, we did, for a time.”

“But you are trying again, knowing you still can’t tell him everything about yourself. So, you’re still lying to him?”

“I am just not telling him,” Carrie muttered. “And I don’t know why I am telling you this because it’s none of your business,” she sighed because she did not know why she could talk to Matthew but could not talk to Justin. Maybe because he knows something about it, and yet does not know the true extent.

“Because obviously you need a friendly ear that isn’t your giant family,” Matthew smiled because he and Jonathan had always been impressed about how big and loyal the clans were that branched out from the Evans family, once Alexandra and Carrie had been able to find their birth father, and his honorary aunt in Beth, had been able to find her soulmate. Someone who had been out there waiting all that time for her to find him, and for him to find her… The love they had seen in Beth and Max had been impressive. No one was able to break them apart once they found each other.

And they had been gifted with Christopher, and now a new baby. So, a large and extended family that had come in so many ways. Alexandra and Carrie had been lucky to have the support, and the family to love them.

“It doesn’t change anything, you know…” Carrie muttered.

“Doesn’t it?” Matthew asked. “Why try again when you know you’re going to be back at the same point tomorrow,” he wondered. “If he couldn’t handle it before, who is to say he is going to be any better once the glow of whatever you have now fades?”

“You don’t know anything about us Matthew,” Carrie cursed as she let herself into the hotel room, and wanted to shut Matthew out, but he would not let it go. “We were good together, and we’re still good together.”

“Then why isn’t he here today?” Matthew asked. “Who leaves you behind?”

“Sick grandmother,” Carrie muttered. “I had tonight to go to, otherwise I would have gone with him,” she sighed as she almost wished she had taken the leap and gone with him so she didn’t have to look into Matthew searing eyes and question everything about her life, and how she was conducting it.

“Would you?” Matthew asked.

“Yes,” Carrie admitted.

“It’s a simple wedding. It is not even in your immediate family. Your sister’s maybe, because she is married to one of them, but not you. Your family would be supportive if you needed to support Justin, if it were that serious, that he had to fly across to country, if you needed to go and support him” Matthew muttered. “You didn’t need to come here…”

“It’s night to celebrate,” Carrie murmured. “It’s something positive, finally…”

“And you’re not celebrating?” Matthew asked. “You’re back in your room, early…”

“That I am,” Carrie allowed. “You will never know what it means to be a part of my crazy bunch of family. I may bitch about it. and them on occasion, but I will never take any of them for granted, and they mean the world to me, which is why I am here tonight. Michael and Maria did so much for my Dad and Grace before Mom was able to come back to them. And these last years have been a nightmare for them, as they deal with nightmares that no family should ever deal with, and I could not be here tonight. Justin understands…”

“Look I know about Elizabeth?” Matthew allowed.

“You may know but you don’t know what it’s like to lose someone in that way. She is back, but nothing will ever change what happened. Regardless of what might have in the future, and with Elizabeth in the future. Nothing will change the fact someone wanted to take everything from us, and almost did. They tried when they took Mom away from Dad and Grace, and they did not think that was enough torture. They upped their game and came after us again. And messed with my sister’s reputation and ultimately destroyed Elizabeth’s life, and her past seven years. So, yeah, you will never know what it was like to live through that time…”

“No, I won’t, I am sorry…” Matthew sighed. “I don’t know what it was like?”

“Which is why I am not telling Justin about me. Because I do not want to put him in danger that comes from knowing. Maybe one day that will change. But until that happens, you might know what I am, but you really do not know what it is like to be me. I love my family. I will never want them not to be my family, but it’s a burden to have the abilities that I have, and to know that I have to look over my shoulder because I don’t know who is coming down the road at me…”

“I am sorry…” Matthew sighed.

“Which is why I am here tonight. I need to see that there is happiness possible,” Carrie muttered. “Which is why I didn’t go with Justin…”
Matthew nodded.

“And yet it does suck because my mind is clearly elsewhere because I want to know that it’s possible for something good to come from all this…” she sighed. “My family has something good. We might have gotten it the hard way, but we achieved it, but Michael and Maria’s family? They deserve to have something that goes right. Tonight, is that. Because they didn’t deserve to be hit like they were…”

“And Justin will be there tomorrow, right?” Matthew asked because while he might not get how devoted Carrie was obviously to her family, but he did respect because it was nice to know there people out there like that.

“Yeah,” Carrie nodded as she was reminded once more that she had a boyfriend that she should be thinking about, and not in some hotel room with some other guy, even if they were only talking. “Look Matthew, it’s good to have someone to talk to but I am not interested in screwing up that something good with Justin. You and I don’t know each other, and given how close our families are, it’s best not to screw things up.”

“All we are doing is talking Carrie,” Matthew smiled with a disarming way that made Carrie inside weak as she tried to keep herself from screwing up while Matthew couldn’t help but notice how she seemed to be pretty defensive and leaning on what their families would think. “How can we screw anything up, if all we’re doing is talking?”

“You do this a lot don’t you?” Carrie asked of Matthew.

“Do what?” Matthew wondered at the change in tone and topic.

“Disarm someone with that smile of yours,” Carrie asked. “But with me, it’s not going to work. We have too much at stake to mess things up,” she sighed. “Monday you’re headed back to California for school, and not long after that, I am headed back to Duke and therefore we’re going in two very different directions.”

“Monday is Monday. Tonight, is now…” Matthew smiled.

“Yeah, you’re too good at this…” Carrie muttered as she knew it from her own experience with guys like Matthew. Throughout high school, and even before she started dating Justin. They all looked handsome and talked a good game, and once she got old enough, the next morning told a different story. And she did not want to deal with that with Matthew, because the carnage could mean too much for her mother, and for Serena. She was a big girl at the end of the day, but the weight of how close they truly were, was magnified.

“There is no one like you” Matthew allowed.

“Geez, you’re smooth” Carrie muttered as she yet she didn’t walk away or throw him out of her room, as she was reminded of the small quarters of the four walls in the room, and the fact they were alone.

“I try,” Matthew smirked.

“Then stop trying,” Carrie murmured softly and knowing she was looking for trouble, and she should stop this, but she could not. She tried thinking of Justin, or even her parents who would be disappointed in her because not that they approved of Justin, and if they didn’t, they didn’t speak of it to her, but still, this was out of the ordinary for her, even going by her wild child persona that she had carefully crafted over the years, to the contrary of her sisters. Who wants to be the same as them? The line is more fun to blur

But she always knew what line not to cross, and to be careful. She might bitch about them, but her gifts were fortunate in some ways, a misfortune in others, but still she managed to navigate the tricky world in the wake of the destruction of Elizabeth by knowing what fun to have, and to be cautious when the moment called for, and now she was asking for a lot of grief and very little in turn, except a hot guy and some recreation.

And yet despite all the inner debate she was telling herself she found herself wanting to take a risk, when she knew she could walk away. “This is a mistake?”

“Agreed,” Matthew muttered because he knew this was unlike him. Despite his reputation in his family. He did have a line he did not cross if there was someone he was interested in, and they were with someone else. He usually waited until they crash and burned, and sometimes it made it look iffy, and usually to his parents or brother, they would look at him strangely, but still, he usually stayed away, and so, he didn’t know why he wasn’t staying away with Carrie. Even knowing she was with someone and telling herself she was happy. He should take heed of that and walk away, but he did not, because he stayed.

Maybe it was also because she did not look that convinced herself and it is not like she was shutting him out. All the signs he was getting were not to walk away. So, why should I be the big person here?

“We are going to pay for it?” Carrie muttered knowing that there entering the danger zone…

“But it will feel good until we do,” Matthew muttered as Carrie stopped fighting her inner thoughts “Why not see if we have a spark?” he asked.

“Otherwise all this would be for naught, wouldn’t it?” he wondered as she silently cursed herself and him, and pulled him in for a kiss, and he embraced as the flame was lit. “Shit” both of them cursed together, and they didn’t stop and walk away, and instead the flame continued to roar as they fell back against the bed.


*


Hours later, Matthew could only maneuver out of the bed, as the sheets were at ransacked, and ruffled, as he looked at the clock and silently knew his mother would have his head as he should feel guilty, and some degree he did, but it had felt too good, as it had been hot, passionate and an extremely unique experience he sighed to himself as he glanced at Carrie who was passed out naked, her sexy back looking at him as he got dressed.

And glanced at her once again as she slept. Knowing he wanted to stay but knew he could not because she would be cursing herself when she woke up, in the clear hours of daylight.

Pulling on his jacket, he made sure he still had his hotel key as he let himself out of the room, as he heard groans, and then shut the door as Carrie was waking up.


*


Unfortunately, he was busted moments later when he saw eyes on him as he silently closed the door and saw Alexandra as she let herself out of what was obviously, he boyfriend’s room. Neither knew what to say because he knew that she knew her sister’s hotel room, which was next to hers.

The hour was flickering on his watch, and they both knew it, and both were speechless and unsure what to say, and finally Alexandra broke the curse of silence. “Matthew,” was all she said, and Matthew nodded.

“Don’t tell her you know?” Matthew muttered.

“It’s your life. My sister has long had her own life, that she doesn’t consult with me on, but if you hurt my sister, I’ll make you pay” was all Alexandra said as she walked pass her childhood friend.

“Something tells me she has more of a chance to do that to me,” Matthew murmured. “I wasn’t looking for it to happen, and I don’t want to hurt your sister.”

“You knew the layout of the game, and still you went there, so you don’t get any sympathy from me” Alexandra asked as she had long not wanted to feel any for Justin, but she almost did, because she knew this was a mess. “I talk to Jonathan you know. I know what kind of reputation you have?”

“My brother doesn’t know everything about my life,” Matthew sighed. “Just like you don’t know everything about your sister…”

“You screw this up” Alexandra warned as she walked past and walked into her own room, and Matthew but could not help but agree with the sentiment because he did share it.


*


As back in the room that Matthew had just departed. Carrie’s eyes woke up as she turned and saw the condition she was in, and the condition of the bed. Shit she cursed out loud and had remember the click of the door and knew Matthew had departed the room which was good because she would have kicked him out. “Why did I do this?” she moaned. She could not even blame being drunk, because she had been shockingly sober when she chose the route she had, and now she had to live it.

“I am sorry Justin,” she moaned, and knew it was going to have to be a secret she would live with, and not tell a soul, as she collapsed against the bed, and stared into space as she saw the time on the clock. It was way too early to screw up her life, even though it felt good at the time, and the memories stuck with her, but still it did not feel good to know how she had hurt Justin.

Kicking herself, she finally felt her eyes closing, and she fell asleep and when her mind stopped spinning and allowed her to sleep, and when she woke up, she knew she had to seek relief. She could not talk about it to anyone.

Even as she saw her mother and sister look at her strangely, because they had known she had disappeared the night before, and then she looked like she was hung over, and yet she could not blame the booze. Once she had checked out, and gone back to her family home, it felt like she needed space.

And then she eve more guilty when she checked her phone, and saw a line of emails and text messages from Justin as he finally broke the news that his grandmother had passed away, just a few hours after he got to the hospital, and he was able to say goodbye. Oh god Carrie moaned.

Which made it feel worse for Carrie, as she suddenly knew what she had to do. She knew it looked like she was running. She was, and she knew it. She knew it was something she had the capacity to do, and yet she knew she needed to get away, and into a different space. Before she really allowed her time to think it through. She stood in the kitchen of her family home, and broke thew news of Justin’s grandmother’s death, and that she had decided that she was heading back East to go to the funeral, and then head back to campus with Justin when it was time. She was leaving right away.

It shocked her parents. But of course, Beth gave her support, as she and her husband looked at each other with glances of wondering what was going on with their daughter. They rarely had seen Carrie so out of sorts Alexandra did not speak up about what she had seen, as she stayed silent. Because she knew if her twin wanted to talk about it, then she would come to her, and she knew Carrie needed to live with what she had done before she sought advice. While she would never have done the same thing as her sister because she was too in love with Graham, still if Graham’s family needed him, then she would have gone to support him in his time of need. It was obviously her sister was trying to make it work with Justin despite recent events, and knew it was an understandable gesture to go to the funeral. Alexandra could only pray it would work out.

Once Carrie had gone up to the pack her bags, Beth cornered her other daughter and asked. “She’s running?”

“Oh yeah,” was all Alexandra said as neither talked about the assumptions of the other night. Because Beth had known from her best friend that her son had not turned up to their room until it was close to dawn.

“She’ll come home again,” Max assured his wife as Beth asked for his advice before he had to leave to drive to Elizabeth to the ballgame that would change everything, for everyone. “I take it as blessing that it’s something as simple as her love life that is her most pressing problem and why she is clearing running,” he sighed because he remembered once upon a time with the love of his life ran away from him, because everything was overwhelming and yet he knew, they were lucky. “At the end of the day, so many others have much bigger issues that have lasting consequences…”

Beth couldn’t help but agree as she nodded as she watched Max leave the house, but she also knew consequences come in many different shapes and sizes, so as she saw her son looking up at her, and so much like the love of her life, and knew she had gotten lucky as she prayed that their daughter would have the same fortune, one day.

Matthew meanwhile was not happy to learn that Carrie had fled back to the East Coast when he got a vague text. While he was not shocked that she returned to her boyfriend. Still, to know she fled so soon, told him everything he needed to know so he packed his own bag, and hopped in his car and drove the long hours back to school.

And tried to ignore Carrie. But the memories would not be leaving either of them.
keepsmiling7
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Re: Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 31 - 08/05/2020

Post by keepsmiling7 »

Carrie has a big mess on her hands now.
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Parker1947
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Always Tomorrow - Chapter 32 - 08/08/2020

Post by Parker1947 »

While at the same time their eldest daughter was betting everything on a hand that could crumble at any time as she kissed her husband and daughter, and walk out of her house, and instead of getting into the taxi that should have been waiting, she got into another car that had been waiting down the block. Jake had seen her do it, and did think it was strange, but did not act on it, instead he would file it away in his memory banks as it would indeed come back to haunt him when he eventually was forced to put 2 and 2 together, which when it did happen, it would cause him to worry even more about his wife.

But Grace was only thinking of her own plans as she got in the car and looked over at her driver. “Let’s get this show on the road…”

“Are you sure this is going to work,” the blonde that was her driver looked over at her passenger, who just happened to be her cousin. Because the blonde was Kylie Valenti. Isabel and Kyle’s eldest daughter. She was living on her own in Las Cruces because she was a working model, since she was a teenager. Still looking for the big time but finding enough work before she went for the brass ring. “I don’t know how this will work?”

“I don’t know either,” Grace murmured as they drove to their destination. “But it has to work out, because lives are counting on it.”

As back at the house she had just left. Jake picked up their daughter and got them both ready to head over to his parent’s home because this was the big day. When everything would change for his family. Either Elizabeth wins or they might lose a fundamental part of their family. Jake prayed that this could be over with, and that Elizabeth would be coming home healthy, and safe at the end of this. But knew it would not be easy. Thankfully, Colin and Sue had left for their honeymoon early that morning after spending the night in the honeymoon suite at the hotel.

And tracking had told him that the flight left on time, and they knew from the trackers that they had been in the airport, and on the flight when it left, so at least that was two people they didn’t have to worry about for the next two weeks.

Now his sister was another story. Jake had seen her and Finn together the night before, and finally after two weeks of worry it had seemed like her sister was coming out of her shell and being the sort of person she had been at one time, and seen it all taken away from her because of choices she had made, and of those that were made for her, against her will.

“Let us go over and make sure Aunt Elizabeth knows we support her,” Jake smiled at his daughter and wondered again what his wife was up to, and hoped this didn’t come back to haunt them, but knew given the history of their clan, it probably would

But for now, all he concentrated on was putting his daughter in her car seat and driving over to his parent’s home. Concentrating on the drive and thinking of what was in store for his sister, and knowing that they didn’t know exactly what was going to be happening in the days to come, as he prayed that there would be semblance of happiness in the end.

Because the last two weeks had shown it was possible, and he wanted that feeling again to be prevalent within his family. There had been too many dark days.


*


He was pulling up to the house as Max was, as he nodded to his father-in-law and godfather, and knew it was a crazy life they led. “Max,” he spoke as he worked to get Eva out of her car seat. “Say hello to Grandpa, Eva?”

Eva just giggled as she wiggled around in Jake’s arms when she recognized her grandfather. Max took solace in the little girl’s face on a day like this. “I assume Grace got off?”

“Yeah.” Jake muttered to whatever she is up too.

“She wouldn’t talk to you either, huh?” Max wondered as they walked up the pathway to the front door.

“Nope,” Jake sighed. “She doesn’t want to be burden me?”

“Doesn’t she know that by not telling what she’s up to makes it worse, “Max muttered. “Because she now makes us think about it…”

“Yeah,” Jake acknowledged to his father-in-law. “I only know she still feels a tremendous guilt about what happened to my sister,” he sighed.
“Thinking that it “could or should have been her” he murmured as Max only shook her head because he thanked the lord that it hadn’t been his daughter, because it made it get through those days a little easier.

“She dodged a bullet,” Max muttered. “They would still have taken Elizabeth if given the chance, and having Grace in their clutches, I don’t even want to think about what they might have been able to accomplish” he shuddered because he knew that Grace was special because of his and Liz’s love. They had created something precious, and Liz had powers that Maria did not. Which made Grace even more of a target if they had gotten their hands on her. Which is why they had wanted her in the first place, and how fortunate that they hadn’t, but unfortunately someone else was taken, and their lives changed forever, and he would never be able to accept that it could be traced back to his status, and origins.

“Oh, I know, and she knows it deep down too, but they were best of friends, like sisters even before our marriage, and then to watch as we lost my sister for so long, and now, we don’t know what she’s in for…” Jake muttered because he didn’t want to think about what his sister would have to do to make sure Salazar had her loyalty.

“Yeah,” Max muttered as he had many of the same fears as Jake, as they opened the front door, and walked in. “We’re here…”


*


“I almost wish you were here to say the whole thing was called off?” Elizabeth asked as she glanced at her brother, niece, and most of all Max. She had been dreading this moment all morning since she woke up at the hotel and came home with her parents. She had been trying to relieve the dread by spending the moment with her kids, and Finn had just arrived moments before Jake and Max did, and now it was truly going to happen, and she had get ready for it.

“Unfortunately, I talked to Ava once I got home this morning, and yeah, the plans are set in motion, and there is no way this can end unless it actually does end” Max sighed because he hadn’t been happy to take the call from the agent when they had gotten home, and that was before Carrie laid her news on that she was headed back early to the East Coast. Now he had worries on numerous fronts since he did not know what was going on with his eldest daughter.

“Or I end up dead?” Elizabeth muttered.

“Hey,” came the chorus of on-lookers. “Don’t say that…”

“I am only lightening the mood folks,” Elizabeth muttered. “If I could that is, because we all have to be ready for the reality that might come from this because I have no idea what is going to happen, and none of us do” she sighed. “We shouldn’t be expecting that this is all going to be sunny days in the days and weeks to come?”

“You made it this far,” Max encouraged. “So, let’s have hope for the future…”

“I am only here by luck,” Elizabeth muttered as she looked around. “But I am not going to leave this family without a fight.”

“I am glad,” Max murmured. “Beth wanted to be here, but she was driving Carrie to the airport?”

“Airport?” Maria perked up. “What’s going on with that girl now?” Because she like her best friend and good friend Serena, she had noticed that
Carrie had disappeared from the events of the previous night.

“She’s heading to spend time with her boyfriend, Justin” Max admitted. “His grandmother passed away, and Carrie’s heading to support Justin and attend the funeral before heading back to school next week.”

“Oh, I am sorry” Elizabeth murmured. “And Grace is up to whatever she’s up to?” she asked because she like everyone suspected Grace of being up to something, but like everyone else, none of them were getting anything out of her sister-in-law. She did not want to think of what Grace could be up to, when she had Jake and Eva at home to go to at night, and she Elizabeth had a prison or hospital walks to look forward to. “I hope she’ll be alright with whatever she’s planning.”

“Let’s hope so,” Max murmured. “It’s a long drive, so we’ll going to have to go soon?”


*


“Are you sure you want to do this?” Beth was asking her daughter as she drove up the loading zone of the airport, in front of the departure gates, as she had elected to drive Carrie to the airport because Max had get to the Guerin household to escort Elizabeth to the hospital to be able to make it home that night, and she wanted additional time with her daughter to get some sense of what Carrie was up to.

But Carrie had been silent on the drive. As if she was thousand of miles away already. Alexandra hadn’t come along because she was going shopping with a friend to pick up supplies for school, and so they had said their good-byes at the house, and Carrie knew when her twin was suspicious about the sudden of this trip. Of course, she knew they were all suspicious of her motives, and why she was suddenly vanishing to the East Coat.

“Justin needs me,” Carrie muttered. “He would do the same thing for me if it were one of my grandparents, or any of our crazy family” she sighed as it could be any of them. “So, yeah, I have to do it, and it’s only a few extra days before I have to head to Duke for classes.”

“It’s just your mind is so full,” Beth asked of her daughter. “And you will be seeing Justin, and the forum for this visit might be the last thing either of you need” she asked without commenting on her daughter’s whereabouts the night before.

“It’s Justin. I need to see him. It will be good to be away from Roswell,” Carrie muttered as if she needed to believe it.

“Whatever troubles you have here will follow you there too honey,” Beth admitted. “You should know that your father and I have experienced the same thing. So has your other sisters,” she asked. “While you might think that going there is being supportive, but it’s not going to help either of you, if you are thinking of Matthew?”

“Mom, this is not about Mathew,” Carrie commented. “So, I wish you wouldn’t bring him up, or into this” she muttered as she was trying to forget about her previous night actions. “We’re leading different lives. And Justin is part of my life now, and I need to be there because he would do the same thing for me…”

“If you say so,” Beth sighed but knew she was fighting a losing cause, so she decided to drop it “All I want you to know is we support you, no matter what you end up doing, okay?”

Carrie nodded Family, aren’t they a blast…when they are trying to butt into your personal life?

“It’s your life,” Beth murmured to reassure her daughter, “Your father and I only want you to be happy…”

“Thanks Mom,” Carrie murmured as she hugged her mother once more and picked her bags and started to walk away. Turning, she called, “I’ll call when I get there…”

Beth nodded. “We’ll be waiting your call,” she smiled. Even though we will know whether you make it or not she smiled because of those trackers. With things escalating with Elizabeth once again, those trackers were lifeline.

Unfortunately, they also told what your kids were doing when they were not outside town limits, She, sighed. “Kids, they like to mess with their lives”


*


“Are you sure you have to leave Mommy?” Drew asked as he looked up at his mother as she started to get ready to head off with Max. “I just got you back?” he mumbled in a sad little look that broke Elizabeth’s heart, but knew there was no going back on the deal that she had made. It would benefit them all in the end if she were successful, and if she were not, and she couldn’t come home than she knew the threat was vanquished and the kids would be looked after for years to come.

“I told you this would happen sweetheart,” Elizabeth said as she kneeled in front of Drew. “Mommy needs to do this, so that in the end that we can make a family together with you, and your brother in the future.”

“I am going to miss you,” Drew murmured.

“I am going to miss you more,” Elizabeth promised. “You and your brother will always be in my heart if not my mind,” she sighed. “It’s not going to be easy, but I promise you and Mick will be better of with your grandparents, and Emily, and everyone who will look after you, okay?”

“Okay?” Drew said through a grumble that the four-year-old did so well.

“You look out for your baby brother, okay?” Elizabeth asked as she hugged her son and swore to herself that I am going to do my damnest to come home to them she told herself. “You go with Uncle Liam okay….”

“Okay,” Drew nodded and took Liam’s hand.

“Thanks Liam…”

“Go get’em sis,” Liam sighed. “I hope you knock them dead…”

“That’s the plan,” Elizabeth murmured as she took one more glance at her son as he walked away with her brother. Turning and facing her parents. “I know he’s going to be difficult, same with his brother… the money…”

“The money is nothing if they don’t have their mother,” Maria murmured. “We can manage. You promise us that you will look out for only yourself okay, so that you can come home to those two?” she asked. “And all of us, okay?”

“Okay,” Elizabeth nodded.

Knowing her daughter wanted a minute or two before she left alone with Finn, Maria, and Michael along with Max decided to head into the kitchen. Once alone, all Elizabeth and Finn could do was look at each other. As they knew that so much was different today than it had been a couple of months ago.

“Elizabeth,” Finn said finally…

“Don’t okay,” Elizabeth murmured as she knew they had been playing with fire since her release from the hospital and that helped no one in the end, when I do not know how this will end? “All I want is for you to make sure you look out for yourself, and the boys okay?”

“You should be more concerned for yourself,” Finn murmured. “We’re going to be fine. The boys will be spoiled as they stay with their grandparents, and of course, I’ll always make sure they are safe, but you, your safety is much more important because you’re entering a whole different unknown.”

“I will be fine,” Elizabeth murmured.

“You can’t promise me that…” Finn sighed.

“No, sure, I can’t, but I know I have something to live for now… and that is half the battle isn’t it. I know who I am coming back to, and I am going to try my hardest to make sure I make this work out.”

“Am I one of those people?” Finn asked.

“Finn, I can’t make any promises…” Elizabeth knowing that she could not handle hurting him again when she did not know what she would end up doing. “And you shouldn’t be wanting me to, because of how it could go…”

“I am not asking for a promise,” Finn muttered I know you cannot keep it even if you do come back in one piece. “I just want a chance…”

“I want to believe in the possibility” Elizabeth admitted. “I don’t know how long this will last, and even once it’s over, I still have to do the original sentence, so who knows when I’ll be coming back, and I don’t want you to wait based on making some promise today, especially if I can’t keep it”

“Just know I’ll always be thinking of you” Finn asked. “You mean too much to me”

“You don’t know me, really” Elizabeth sighed. “All we were a few calm weeks before a lot of drug fueled angst”

“Whatever we were, we now share too much for me to walk away, unless that is something, we both decide” Finn asserted. “And we can’t decide that until you come back, in one piece, okay?” he murmured. “I am not fleeing the scene until you have a chance?” he murmured. “We need you to come back, okay?” Finn asked.

“I will try,” Elizabeth allowed as Max came back into the room and the reality to the situation had show up. “I know, I know, we have to go?”

“Yeah,” Max nodded as Jake and their kid sister Belle came out of the kitchen and smiled. “We love you, and you’re one of the strongest people I know” he said as he hugged his kid sister. “You proved it to make it this far, and you will continue to do so…”

“Take care of Grace and Eva for me. That little girl is precious,” Elizabeth murmured because she knew she was going to miss out on so much while she was away, no matter however it went “And your wife is one in a million…”

“I know,” Jake smiled as he wished his wife could be here with them but knew that it hurt Grace to much to know what the past had cost his sister, and the reality of knowing what happened, wasn’t any easier for him to be here to witness, and knew it would be doubly hard for his wife to witness, even if he didn’t have concerns of her whereabouts “She will want you to fight with everything you have…”

“I will,” Elizabeth promised as she hugged her big brother once more, and realized how much she had missed it over these last five years, and those elusive two years prior when she was pulling away from everyone, including her beloved older brother.

“Once youknow is finished, we’ll be able to visit” Jake assured his sister. “And we’ll make sure that we do, so just make sure you get to that point, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Elizabeth promised as she glanced at her younger sister Belle who didn’t know what to say because truthfully she didn’t understand everything that was happening and she didn’t know if she wanted to know but all she knew was once again her sister was leaving them. But this time it was not out of choice but due to an order, and some other stuff was happening that was confusing to the thirteen-year-old. So, she just wanted to live her within the world of her computer, her books, and her music and forget that they were losing her sister to the unknown just as she was getting back the sister she was remembered when she was six.

“Do more than try,” Jake smiled as Belle also nodded because she was still unsure what to say as their parents Michael and Maria came out with a sad look on their face.

“Mom and Dad, I’ll be back…” Elizabeth sighed as it hurt to see the sadness on her parent’s faces. “This is not like last time…” she acknowledged as they all remembered how the last time, she left the front door, and it took more than five years to come home again.

“I hope it is not,” Maria sighed as she hugged her daughter as they all realized that they had not realized that the last time would be the last time for so many years. They all thought she would be back. Only Elizabeth had known it was unlikely, and it hadn’t been, and now she wished for a different result, and yet knew it would be a long time before she came through these doors again assuming everything went as it should, and that was a big if… “I wish we could be there with you…”

“We can’t give them the thought that maybe Elizabeth has something at home, waiting for her,” Max advised as he glanced over at Finn who nodded and slowly squeezed Elizabeth’s hand, and she nodded “It has to be me, as her lawyer…”

“We know,” Michael sighed as he hugged his daughter. “Sweet pod, you mean the world to me, and to all of us. You are a Guerin, in your blood, and in your core, and nothing will stop that, okay? No matter where you go, and what you end doing, wherever you end up…”

“I promise Dad,” Elizabeth sighed as she picked up her bag and looked at Max. “I guess I am as ready as I can be…”

“You know I’ll call,” Max sighed as he knew that they better go because he knew Maria was thisclose to a breakdown as they walked out the door, and Maria did break down in Michael’s arms as the both prayed that this would workout.

They all did.

“Back the beginning, I never imagined this was where it would go?” Maria asked softly as she was comforted in her husband’s comforting arms, as they both were scared. “She’s going to come home, right?”

“I hope so,” Michael murmured as they watched as Max’s car drove out of sight as he turned and faced his wife, and the rest of the family who had come of their little hideaways to watch. “But in the meantime, we will make it, until she does come home. But how about for now, we get some fresh air, and let us all go to the park?”

None of the other wanted to go their own way so they all agreed, as they found their way to the park, as they all tried to keep their thoughts from the dire, as they were trying to keep the youngest of them occupied in a family oriented softball game which got very competitive as they strived to try to ignore to the fact they were missing one crucial person who at that moment was in a car being driven into the unknown.
keepsmiling7
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Re: Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 32 - 08/08/2020

Post by keepsmiling7 »

Please hurry back and tell me everything will be okay with Grace and with Elizabeth!
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Parker1947
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Always Tomorrow - Chapter 33 - 08/10/2020

Post by Parker1947 »

Two days later…


Life was too much the same for all involved and that was even more so in behind the walls she was sentenced to, under the disguise of getting better and emotionally centered to be able to pick up her life and to maybe to get her kids back, and that was initially her goal until a deal with the federal government had upended all that, and now Elizabeth was sitting in the unknown behind walls she couldn’t escape because if she did, than she would be back behind worse walls… prison walls.

This was by far the better deal than a cold jail cell, but not as much as Elizabeth wished because she couldn’t see her family, or her kids and that was becoming more of a hardship as she had arrived and was immediately shown that this going to be a different set up than when she was under competence assessment back home. She was still in a warm room, with a warm bed, but still it was a hospital, and cold and sterile.
She knew she would be alone until at least the real reason why she was here was completed, so that she could be able to snow Khivar, or whatever his earth name was, some drug dealer who went by the name of Kevin Salazar here on earth. Kevin Salazar, nice name you picked up here on earth she mused to herself as she stared at the screen without really watching it at the same time.

She had to act like she had nothing, and in this environment to Elizabeth it was pretty easy to believe that, they want you to get better but they don’t care, really she mused to herself because this was also a mental hospital, and functioned differently than the one she was in before, still she was supposed to be acting like she wanted to get better.

Even though deep down she did, but she also couldn’t be that convincing in her ability to get better otherwise she wouldn’t able to get her mission done, and if she didn’t than it would be a whole new ballgame with Agent Stevens, and she might be in for some hard times.
And her family, and her kids would not get the money.

So, she had to hope that Khivar made his move soon. Otherwise, she might go crazy as she faced time isolation and without her family, and friendly faces and of course she had spent too much time these last five years without them, but now that she had them back in her life, the loss was more devastating because she had gotten a taste of what it was like to have a loving family again, who supported her through anything.

Even knowing what she had done, and experienced while she was gone. They had not cared. They still loved her regardless. It still felt too good to be true not to face the judgment, and she knew it was partly because she had vanished for so many years, and just now coming back into their lives but still she remembered back to the time when she had everything on the tip of the finger, she had a loving family, and parents who might be gruff in their exterior because of all they had gone through, but they had been great parents, and she had messed with that by her actions.

Taking it for granted, and breaking their hearts, and now she was in the land of unknown as she tried to do what was in the greater good when she knew the chances of her going home again, wasn’t as high as they should be.

As she sat in this chair and had to act like she was disregarding it all again, and falling down the rabbit hole to gain Khivar’s sympathy…
Who had not taken the bait yet, even though she felt eyes on her… Multiple eyes on her, as she sat in the viewing room watching crap television?

People were playing cards, and she was not interested in anything game oriented because her competitive nature might come out, and she could not have that…

So, she sat in a chair and acted like this was beneath her…

And hoped Khivar would take the bait. She had yet to recognize him or signal him out.

She hoped that changed because it needed to…

But in the meantime, she sat and watched television and continued to think about her kids, and even Finn…

And dream of a future that was still out there… just beyond her reach…


*

A day later…


“Guerin, your lawyer is here” came a nurse as she opened Elizabeth’s door as she laid on the bed and stared into space. She had just come back from a session. One that had made her think, even though she was supposed to be acting like she did not care about her sanity or her health for that matter. She was giving a good performance, she hoped so she could draw out her target.

Looking up at the news, because she was yes, surprised because she had not expected Max to come, given the situation and given she was supposed to isolated from those she loved and cared about. “Already?”

“Said he has something for you,” the nurse muttered as she left the door opened, because the hospital was big at making sure you didn’t have any privacy when you had visitors as she saw with others.

“Max,” Elizabeth said softly as Max walked in moments later and saw his goddaughter in old sweatshirts, covered up head to toe. “This is a surprise?”

“Anything?” Max said carefully as he knew they had witnesses and there was only so much he could say and Elizabeth knew and nodded, but said a simple No.

“No movement or progress, still a waiting game” Elizabeth muttered as she saw people watching and knew it was a common practice here at this institution that people watched everything, and every single detail of your routine. And if it were out of the ordinary, they would notice and comment on it, and so far, Elizabeth had been laying close to the ground, and people would notice that she had a visitor.

Max handed her papers, “Read the top one,” he said simply.

She read it and was annoyed but understood. It said that Stevens wants to make it as real as possible. You know what to do…

She did not know what it was dealing with until she read the papers, and saw they were custody papers and that her parents were suing for full custody of Drew and Mick. She looked at Max who nodded and said nothing. “This is for real?” she said loudly so that it would be noticed. “What is this crock?”

“Your parents want the boys to have as reliable an environment as possible to make their childhoods stress free” Max said getting into the act. “If you don’t sign than they will take you to court?”

“The hell they will,” Elizabeth said loudly. “What, they couldn’t even wait to see if I make any headway at all?” she demanded. “They don’t call, they don’t write, and they send you, their henchman to do their dirty work as soon as I am somewhere that I can’t leave…”

“You didn’t exactly give them reason not to do this?” Max asked. “With your actions, and your history, which is why you are in this place to begin with…” he murmured. “They warned you that this was likely to be done as your parents are only looking out for the best interest of the boys.”

“History is history. They are supposed to be my parents. They are supposed to care that I get better,” Elizabeth yelled as she pounced on Max. “Yet they do this as soon as I am out of the house, and as soon as they have the kids to themselves?”

“Social Services agrees” Max said simply.

“Of course, they do, because they took my kids to begin with” Elizabeth yelled as she stalked around her room and made as much of a scene as possible. “They never wanted me to be involved with them in the first place, and they put up a fight when I got my home release” she said loudly, and people were watching, and she and Max knew, and kept going with a scene. “Even though I asked them to take them because I needed help” she cried. “This is bullshit, so you tell my parents that, and tell them that I will never sign and relinquish my kids.”

“If it’s taken to court?” Max warned Elizabeth, who looked at him with evil look.

“Then hell with them,” Elizabeth declared. “And hell, with this whole place,” she shouted as she threw the papers and stormed out of her room.

“Heck will I allow them take away the only thing that makes me want to get through this hellish life…

“Elizabeth,” Max warned as he followed his client outside. “You should calm down”

“Hell will I calm down,” Elizabeth muttered as violently as she gave quite the flourish as she relived some of the greatest skills she had used in her wildest teenage days, as she was finding that she still had that capacity she was learning in making an impact. “I gave up drugs because of those boys.They gave me something to live for, to want to get clean, which is why I did all this, and now those ass…want to take away my chance to be in their lives. Like hell they will. If this is what my parents, consider support than bullshit because maybe I should go back to using then because then maybe I will have something that gives a damn about me”

“That’s enough Ms. Guerin,” came a voice from behind them as finally they had gotten the attention of the staff who had been shockingly absent. “Mr. Evans you might as well go now, because this has been enough drama for one day.”

“I guess I better,” Max admitted as he looked around and spotted the crowd who were staring at them and knew he had achieved what he had come here to do, and now they would see what the fallout would be, as he turned to speak to his very agitated client and knew her buttons had been pushed which had been unfortunate, and that he had touched on some genuine fear that existed within his goddaughter, but he knew that he needed it to make it look real, and this had been the only way “Look Elizabeth your parents want what is best for you, and for the boys, and I think you know what you have to do at the end of the day, but the doctor here is right, I should go. Take the time to calm down and you know how to reach me if you reach a decision about those papers…”

“Look forward to never hearing from me on that matter,” Elizabeth threatened to Max who nodded.

“Take care of yourself,” Max asked before walking away but stopped in a faint shock as he saw a blonde staring at him, with familiar eyes who only made a shushing sound and he didn’t say what he wanted to say because he was also speechless.

But the trance ended with the patient he was staring at vanished from his sight so he did the same and left the facility while Elizabeth was escorted back to her room and a doctor stayed in the room for additional twenty minutes to calm her down…

While Max walked out to his car, and got into his car, muttering to himself “Jesus, what now?” as he punched some numbers into his car system and spoke quickly. “Meet me as soon as you get off work at my house, I have some questions” as he hung up and started to drive.


*


Max was still driving back to Roswell as Elizabeth felt out of control, and numb as they finally gave her a injection to sedate her out of her agitated posture that she had been acting since Max’s visit, and the numbness sunk to her core as she felt like it had been in her deepest of days when she was using, and injecting and taking all kinds of drugs to will away the pain that Nicholas and his goons had brought her life as they changed it from the girl she had been at fifteen to a girl who was soon out of control, and unable to grab for her dreams.

Because of the memories, flashes popped into her brain of the torment, and which is why she had used in the first place to try to escape from that nightmare, and to stop remembering and for so long she felt like she had gotten past, but the injection had brought back the feeling because she had to act like she was spinning.

Max’s creation of those papers had been the ploy to press those buttons in her, and she knew it, and even though she knew they were fake. Because her parents would never do that to her, unless she chose to relinquish her rights on her own, but she loved those boys too much to stop being their mother if she could just rid of them of the nightmare of Khivar, and try to get some semblance of normal so that she could be a influence and a good role model to them instead of a disappointment.

She had given the performance of a lifetime but knew the truth of it also dug her deep because she did fear losing her kids, and now as she was sedated and lying in her bed tied down. All the calling cards of her nightmare were rearing itself back and she wondered if she would be able to be strong enough to conquer the demons this time.

The feeling of hopelessness as her groggy eyes opened and she stared into the space You gave them no choice, but this is just the start she mused to herself You gave a performance of a lifetime. Rip-roaring mad, and what choice did they have? she asked herself.

She heard the door open and she figured it was one of the guards or doctors coming into make sure she was compliant and quiet, even though she was basically tied down and she didn’t have the strength to try to break through the restraints as it reminder of her weakest days when she was a teenager, but during those days, she hadn’t even wanted to break through because Nicholas and the drugs had worn her down, and now she was trying to fight back so that she would win this fight, and go home to her boys.

“You…don’t worry…me” she muttered in slurred and drugged out speak in defense of herself.

“Shush,” came a soft voice that rang familiar and the drugged version of the patient tried to come to terms with it. “No one is here to hurt you”

Elizabeth’s eyes closed because she just wanted to sleep it off so she would wake up and have some semblance of normal returned, so she didn’t bat an eye on those words as they didn’t make sense to her as she felt it was just another doctor or guard.

But then she felt warmth and then out of the corner of her groggy eyes came a glow and she was shocked sober as her eyes opened and she was shocked to see the blonde that Max had seen but she recognized those eyes too, but this time she said the name that belonged to the eyes.

“Grace?” she whispered quietly.

“Yes,” Grace said. “I am getting you back in fighting shape,” she murmured. “I might not have my father’s powers, but I am not going to allow them to drug you into compliance. Good show by the way.”

“Your father….” Elizabeth whispered as her strength suddenly made a return, and she did not feel as weak anymore.

“He doesn’t know, but he saw me so he’s going to have some questions” Grace murmured as it had taken everything she had to not to speak when her father had recognized her despite her makeover to try to escape her eerie looks that would be familiar to Khivar if he had at kept up with what the Evans, Guerin family would look like today. She did not know how much Nicholas would have fed him.

“What are you doing here?” Elizabeth asked.

“I am backup” Grace said simply.


*


Backup that wasn’t wished for by her family as Max stormed into his house upon return to town limits of Roswell and waited for some answers, but then he figured the person he was waiting for them didn’t have them either, as they were both without the answers they would need as his daughter’s plan started to crystalize in his mind. Shit as he pounded a shot back of whisky. How am I going to tell Beth?

“Max, what is going on?” Beth asked as she came rushing out of the kitchen as she had been doing to dishes after putting Christopher to bed. “I heard the slam of the door, and cursing, so what is going on?”

“Nothing,” Max said as he put down the glass and glanced at the love of his life. His soulmate and the woman he had been blessed to have a miracle chance with after losing her for so many years, and whose gifted her with the blessing of their kids, and the one child who had been with him through the years where he had been the shell of a person, and had barely made it, and did because of that little girl who was his reason for living when he didn’t have the love of his life. And now that child was risking everything.

Max did not know how to handle it.

“Something is the matter. Tell me,” Beth murmured as she sensed her husband was on the edge. An edge she had not seen him on for many years. Not since those bad days seven years before, when they were just starting to find their way to each other. “It’s only us. Christopher is in bed.”

“It’s about Grace…” Max muttered unsure what to think or how to tell his wife about their daughter’s suicide mission. Because it was a suicide mission, he mused to himself because there was only one way this could go, badly he told himself and said it too out loud and Beth could only look at him.

“What about Grace?” Beth asked as the front door and their son-in-law came through it and she knew something was up because Jake rarely came at this time of night. “Eva?”

“At the Crashdown,” Jake said simply. “My parents are too crowded at the moment.”

Beth understood as she nodded “You could have brought her with you?”

“I had to work, when Max called and summoned me” Jake sighed as didn’t know why his father-in-law had summoned him but agitation on his face Jake could only think it belonged to a collection of people, and that were his daughters because Christopher was too young and still in the control of his parents another decade or so before he had independence freedom. With Carrie off, and Alexandra not too much longer before she left Jake did not think the pain on Max’s face belonged to them because Beth seemed oblivious to it all. “So, what is up?”

“Where is your wife?” Max said simply as he took his wife’s hand. “Our daughter?”

“Quiet,” was all Jake said. “I have been getting vague texts from her for days, but she seems fine, why?” because he sensed something was because Max was too agitated.

“Because she’s not in New York?” Max said simply. “Were you aware of this?”

“What are you talking about?” Jake asked as he checked his phone, and messages in his email. “Of course, she is, she said she got there safely, and is having a good time with her friends from her time at Harvard.”

“Technology today,” Max muttered as he was muttering and cursing. “They can make you believe something or anything for that matter, and it doesn’t have be in the realm of the truth,” he sighed as he feared for his daughter and knew that his daughter was brilliant and creative and the things her mother had been at one time, but smarts only got you so far when there are genuine dangers out there that could strike at any time as he glanced over at the fear in his wife’s face who was silent at the news as they glanced at their son-in-law. “So, you have not talked to her, have you?”

“Briefly, yes,” Jake admitted. “But I have been busy at work now that I am back on schedule and spending the rest of the time with Eva or my parents when I am not sleeping or at other times trying to get my daughter to sleep, why?” he sighed because being a single parent these past days had been a eye opener of those years his father-in-law had to do it all for Grace, and he knew he would never take it for granted to have his wife’s support and yet now she had gone off on a dangerous mission that could have lasting consequences on their little family, and he was having to come to terms with that as his father-in-law’s words sunk in, and he didn’t know how to.

“Because Grace is most definitely not in New York because I would almost welcome that if it were true but instead, she’s decided to play Nancy Drew and head up to the institution and play patient. So, Jake, she’s at the same place that Elizabeth is being held at so she can draw out Khivar” Max said bluntly. “And I want to know why you didn’t know?”

“Excuse me,” Jake asked as the shock settled in the room as his and Beth’s jaws dropped. “You can’t be serious…” he muttered. “That makes no sense at all” he was beginning to say before he stopped, and horror filled his mind because it did make sense. Because he had known his wife was up to something for days and Grace only poo pooed his concerns and obviously had gone ahead and done it. Why did I think she would go to New York, now of all times? he lambasted himself silently.

“Yes. I am, and if I had known this than I wouldn’t made the play I just did up, and allowed your sister to plant the seed to draw out a madman” Max said angrily because if he had know his daughter had this, than he would never have drawn up those fake papers and gotten Elizabeth so upset that she probably drew the interest of Kevin Salazar because of her tantrum. “And because I did, well. We could have just opened the door to a situation in which might enable them both to be killed?”

Jake was rendered speechless as the house descended into the darkness and the unknown.
keepsmiling7
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Re: Always Tomorrow (CC, Mature) - A Reunion's Endgame - Chapter 33 - 08/10/2020

Post by keepsmiling7 »

I know Grace was feeling guilty about Elizabeth........but isn't this going a little too far??
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