Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:28 pm
That way, when the restaurant is slow, we still get a little something extra from Kyle, and visa-versa when he's slow. And Isabel took just enough at first to help with her college
tuition as repayment for all the hard work that she put in up front with the decor when we were first getting ready to open. She's really great at it. And now she takes a little, as payment for helping out in the bar.... and she's always thinking of ways to improve things here and there. I guess, after fifteen years, the group 'one for all, all for one' mentality thing is just too hard to break, but it works for us," she explained.
Jeff shook his head in amazement. "You kids have always been incredible." He noticed that Molly's eyes were shut, so he brought her down off of his shoulder and just held her... and looked at her. "Maybe she'll go on to Harvard."
Liz linked her arm through his. "She will. She'll follow in Sammy's footsteps. He already has one foot in the door. His adoptive dad was a Harvard alumnus, and so is Simon Shapiro. He'll make certain that Sammy goes there. And Sammy will make certain that Molly goes there." Liz sighed gratefully. "At least money won't be a problem."
"Sammy is a nice boy. And you seem to have... um, well... accepted things," Jeff cautiously stated. He knew parts of what had happened from the journal and had originally come here with some misgivings. He didn't want to see his little girl hurt anymore.
"Dad, Max and I came to terms with all of that years ago. We had to or we wouldn't have made it together for all these years. Sammy is Max's son...and mine," she assured him and added, "and Molly's big brother."
"Yeah, like I said, a nice boy. I'm glad that he's a part of the family," Jeff told her sincerely. "So, what time is Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow at the restaurant and what can we do to help?"
"It's at three. And Max will be having the games on the big screen all day. As for how to help...well, Michael's cooking. And the best recommendation, I would say, is to stay out of his way. He gets really cranky with too many people in *his* kitchen, very territorial," Liz said with a laugh. "I'm glad that they're closing the restaurant tomorrow, and that it's just going to be just us. Although, I think Kyle has invited the McPhersons over for coffee and pie at 5:00."
"Yeah, I heard something about that... five kids? Kyle?" Jeff asked with a surprised look.
"Kyle is great with kids. He should be since he's never completely grown up himself. But that's Kyle and he's the kids' favorite uncle, hands down," Liz informed him with a smile.
Jeff looked at his daughter smiling gently and then down to his little granddaughter. Then he looked around the neat and comfortable little house that his daughter and her husband called home. It was not what he had imagined for his daughter when she was growing up. "Lizzie, are you happy? I mean really happy?" He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it.
"Yeah Dad, I am. I couldn't imagine my life without Max. As you probably know from the journal, we had our rough moments back then, and even more later on. But no, I wouldn't trade him or my life *with him* for anything," she told him and ran a finger along her daughter's cheek. "Not for anything," she softy reiterated.
~
Patrick McPherson sat the dinner table and stared at the guy that his mom had been dating. To say that he had some major misgivings about this would have been a generous understatement. Hell, the guy was only fifteen years older than he was himself! And now they're all meeting this guy's father? And let's not forget that his little
sister, Kelly, is dating this guy's nephew. This was just way too weird. "So Sheriff Valenti, as the sheriff of Roswell, New Mexico, I bet that you've got some interesting alien stories," Patrick asked, trying to be polite for his mom's sake.
Jim Valenti smiled and chuckled. "Oh if you only knew... but then I'd have to kill ya," he drawled and laughed. "You know, what with government conspiracies being what they are," he continued as the table chuckled at the joke. It was his standard reply to a standard question. "So Patrick, what are you studying in school?" he asked, so as to change the subject.
"Just core classes for right now, but eventually I'd like to transfer to the University of Montana, in Missoula and major in medicine," he replied and he sincerely hoped that it was the truth. It had been hard since dad had split on them, and he was the oldest. But Mom had refused to allow him to stop his schooling after he had graduated high school. She told him that the only way out of where they were was a college education, and he knew that she was right.
"I'm sure that you'll do well," Jim said kindly. He gave the youngest, six year old Ellen, a wink when he caught her staring at him and got her to smile in return.
"So Jim, how long are you in town?" Sandy asked.
"Just until Monday, then I'm afraid that duty calls," Jim replied.
"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping we'd have more time to get acquainted," she said. "Your nephew, Sammy is such a nice boy."
"Yes, I'm sure that he is, if he's anything like his parents. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him since he was in diapers," Jim told them with a twinge of sadness.
"Will he be there tomorrow, when we're supposed to come for dessert?" Bobby, the ten year old, wanted to know. He hadn't met this Sammy yet, and he wanted to, so he could properly tease his older sister about him later on.
"Yeah, he'll be there, along with his new baby sister, Molly," Kyle informed him.
"Nobody else?" Kevin, age seven, asked.
"I do believe that Michael and Maria's four kids will be there too," Kyle told him.
"Who are they?" Kevin asked.
"Well, the Guerins are Molly and Sammy's cousins. Chase is nine, Ryan is eight, and Megan is almost seven, going on thirty. Oh, and little Alex, he'll be two in a few months," Kyle elaborated.
"Cool. It won't be too boring then," Kevin stated.
"Kevin! He... he didn't mean it. We can't wait," Sandra said hurriedly.
Kyle beamed a little. "I can't either." He raised his glass. "Here's to good friends and family getting together." he toasted.
~
You couldn't pry the grin from Max's face as he glanced back in the rearview mirror, and then to his right, to the front passenger seat. This was the first time that they were going somewhere as a family, all of them, him, Liz, Sammy and Molly. But they needed to make one quick stop first and it was just around the corner. He smoothly pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of the blue two-story house and turned to the back seat for a moment. "How's she doing?"
Liz grinned back at him. "She's fine, Max. Sound asleep. Now, go do a good deed," she told him, and watched as he got out and went up to the door. He looked so handsome in his tan Dockers and dark blue sweater.
Max knocked, and waited patiently as he heard shuffling nearing the door. He gave it his best warm smile as the door finally opened. "Mr. Emerson. How are you?"
"Fine. I'm doing fine. Mr. Evans," the old gentleman replied as he peered around Max at the car parked in front of the house. Then he looked back to the neatly dressed man in front of him. He approved. So many people these days didn't seem to want dress up for special occasions. It was nice to see that some folks still did. Even he did on days like today, even though he had no one to share it with. It was the principle of the thing. "What can I do for you, Mr. Evans?
"My family and I were wondering if you had any plans for the day?" Max asked the gentleman.
"Well..." Luke Emerson looked back over his shoulder at his empty house for a moment before turning back to his guest. "I was just going to heat me up a frozen dinner while I watched football and waited for a call from my son."
"How about watching football on a big screen TV? And I'm pretty sure that my partner can fix something a little better than Swanson's for dinner." Max paused for a moment to think. "And maybe you could forward your phone to another one?" he suggested.
Mr. Emerson studied the young man before him intently. "Why are you doing this?" he finally asked.
"Because we can, and we want to. Holidays are for friends and family, and we'd like to think of you as a friend... besides, my partner has been wanting to speak to you about a job opportunity." Max grinned. Even after Michael had gotten Mrs. Smithers' report from him, he still wasn't overly keen on the idea. It had take constant badgering by Megan, until Michael simply couldn't take it anymore for him to cave and agree to at least interview this Jason fellow.
"A job opportunity? I'm afraid that I'm not up to too much these days," Mr. Emerson replied frowning a little in puzzlement.
"No, but we understand that your son might be. Why don't you come to dinner with us and discuss it?" Max offered.
Mr. Emerson thought about it for a moment. He would do anything to help his son, and if he could get a job lined up for him then maybe... "What number should I forward my phone to?" he asked with a smile.
Max told him. Luke forwarded his phone, grabbed his best jacket and keys, and a few minutes later they were on their way.
"I didn't know that you had a baby sister, Sammy. She's adorable," Mr. Emerson said from the front passenger seat as they drove to dinner.
"I didn't when we first met. She's a rather new addition," Sammy kidded from his new position in the back with Liz and Molly. Molly was still sound asleep and oblivious to it all.
A chorus of, "Mr. Luke! Mr. Luke!" greeted their arrival at the restaurant, as the Guerin kids all clamored to show Mr. Luke around. Mr. Luke didn't even try to hide his amusement as little hands grabbed his and took him around on a tour, ending up at the bar with its big screen already tuned to the game.
"That him?" Michael asked as he came out from the kitchen to see what all the hoopla was about.
"Yep, that's him," Max answered as he watched the kids with Luke, while pouring brews and wines for the non-aliens in the crowd, and sodas for the rest. "Here ya go, Dad," he said, as Philip came over for a glass.
"Thanks, Max, " Philip replied.
"So, how's the new place? Didn't you close escrow yesterday?" Max asked as Michael scowled for a minute longer before disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Yep, it’s been a while since we bought property. You'd think that, in the computer age, there wouldn't be so much paperwork." Philip rolled his eyes and shook his head. He still had writer's cramp from signing his name and initialing the appropriate spots. "Your mother is already unloading some stuff from the truck and she's talking about making another trip to get some more stuff out of storage in Roswell." He smiled as his grandson came up to get a soda, and then looked around for his wife. He nodded at her to come over when he caught her eye, and smiled when she did and brought Liz too. "Max, Liz, since the townhouse is on the country club's golf course, it automatically included a membership for us to the club, and an option to buy an additional membership at a
pretty good discount. I thought it'd be good business investment for you two... plus I need a golfing partner,"
Philip said with a delighted grin as he handed the little cards and club information over to his son and daughter-in-law. "The monthly dues are paid through the end of next year," he added.
Max was dumbstruck. He knew that, even with a discount, the membership was thousands of dollars... the plus monthly dues. "Dad... Mom... I... I don't know what to say... this... this is too much! We can't accept it. Let us know what it cost and we'll make payments," Max offered.
"Don't be ridiculous," Diane said. "I hate golf and your father loves it, so don't you dare make me play golf with him," she sternly told her son as she shook her finger at him.
Max couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay. I won't do that to you. But Dad, I haven't played since... God, I don't know when. Maybe once or twice at the most since we left Roswell. So expect a ton of Mulligans!"
"Maybe I'll take it up. It might be a good way to work off this waist I still have," Liz mentioned.
Max looked at her. He rather liked some of those recently added curves.
"Well, it's not just golf. There are also a couple of very nice swimming pools, both an indoor and an outdoor, that the kids can use year around. And, in a few weeks, we're invited to the Christmas Ball. Max, that'd be a good time for you to make some of those business contacts that we discussed," the senior lawyer and businessman informed the younger. "In fact, Mr. Thomson, the club president, was very anxious to meet you. He's been here a few times for business lunches and he was very impressed."
"You haven't taken me dancing in years, Max," Liz accused.
Philip felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You mean not since the salsa dance contest in Mazatlan?" he teased. He saw Diane raise both eyebrows at that, while Max's cheeks reddened.
Liz bit her lip, but couldn't resist. "Actually, not even then. He took Maria dancing and while Kyle had to do the honors."
Diane looked at the three. "It looks like I missed a few stories. Now this one I want to hear. Max, a salsa dance contest...?"
"Um...it's a long story," Max mumbled, and he was relieved when Sammy came over for more soda and chips.
Seeing his grandson reminded Philip of something. "You know, Charles Thomson mentioned that his granddaughter was a junior in high school. I thought Sammy might know her." He paused to look at Sammy.
"Huh?" Sammy hadn't been paying attention.
"Do you know a... I think its Sherry Thomson? She's a junior," Philip asked.
Sammy tried not to scowl. "Uh...sort of," he evaded.
"Well, her grandfather is the president of the country club, and since we're new members, we are expected to attend their Christmas Ball. Besides that, he thought that it would be nice to have some other youngster around. I think it was so his granddaughter wouldn't feel out of place. What do you say? Care to attend a black tie affair for your grandpa?" he coaxed.
"Um..." Sammy trailed off looking a little lost. "This sucks," he thought. The last thing that he wanted to do was be stuck at some fancy-schmancy party thing with Cheri Thomson. She'd totally blow it out of proportion at school, plus he doubted that Kelly would be too happy. Hell, Cheri would blow it out of proportion, if for no other reason than to *make sure* that Kelly wasn't happy. Unless... "Grandpa, can I bring a date?" he asked with much more enthusiasm.
"How cute!" Diane thought which brought on a grin. "Of course you can, dear."
"It's all set then. The six of us, actually eight with Isabel and Jesse, have a date on the 18th for the Christmas Ball." Philip smiled proudly at the thought.
Liz critically eyed the bowl of chips and tray of sodas that Sammy was assembling to take over to the football-watching crowd. "Sammy, I think that that's enough snacking for now. Dinner is in just a little bit and I don't want you guys to ruin your appetites," the new mother admonished her son.
Sammy frowned at the tray for a moment. With only a small bowl of cereal for breakfast and no lunch since they were having an early dinner, he was starving. "Okay," he replied, hoping that dinner was as good as it smelled, as he carried the last round of snacks to his cousins and Mr. Luke.
Liz heard a baby cry and immediately scanned the crowd for whoever had ended up with Molly. Seeing the Sheriff holding her and trying to calm the sudden cries, made her smile. She knew he wasn't going to be successful though. She knew that cry by heart now. It was Molly's hungry cry. "Sheriff, I think that I need to feed her or she's not going to give anyone any peace," Liz said as she smoothly took Molly in her arms.
"She's beautiful, Liz. I'm glad... I'm glad that it worked out for you... for both of you," Jim told her with a warm smile. He had always liked Liz. She was smart and brave, but with a kind heart. It felt right that she should stand beside a king. It's where she belonged. And now she even had a little one. He didn't think she'd ever looked happier.
"Thank you, Sheriff," she said and blushed at his kind words. And then she turned to find that elusive diaper bag. It had also become her purse these last few days, much to her chagrin. But it was just easier that way. She finally spotted it next to the coat rack and made herself comfortable in a discreet corner as she fed her daughter some lunch.
Jim watched as Liz settled in a comfortable chair, pulled out a receiving blanket and threw it over her shoulder. Then he decided that he'd get himself a brew and see how Max was doing. It had been a long time and he was anxious to catch up a little. "Hey Max, how about one of those awesome local beers I hear you have on tap."
"Sure thing, Sheriff," Max grinned broadly at his one time old adversary, and now friend.... even family, as he poured a tall cold draft. "So how are things going for you in Roswell?"
"Good. Although I admit it got a bit boring after you kids left," Jim told him.
"What about...um, the uh...change?" Max asked and glanced over to see if Mr. Emerson, who was engrossed in the game with Kyle and had Megan sitting on his knee, was paying attention.
Jim's eyes followed Max's glance and he smiled at what he saw. Michael and Maria's brood were something else. They certainly were total pay back for all the hell that their parents had raised in their teen years. "It wasn't too bad. I took some personal time off, and Amy and I rented a cabin in the mountains for a month. I know I... inherited some sort of talent, but it seems to be pretty small potatoes. Mostly it's limited to sensing danger, sort of a heightened sixth-sense for trouble and trouble-makers. I've got to admit that it helped me get a good reputation for stopping crime, which helped me to rise back up to the post of sheriff pretty quickly."
Max smiled at that. "Good. I'm glad, especially because we cost you your job in the first place."
Jim shook his head. "No. I did what I had to do, to protect the good citizens of Roswell," he told Max and took a sip of his beer. "So, how are things with you and Liz? It's been a while, but if memory serves me right, sleep can be challenging with a newborn in the house."
Max laughed. "Yeah, you're remembering right. But she's worth it. Every last bit of it."
"They always are, Max," Jim assured him. "Nice place you kids have got here. It looks like you've done pretty good for yourselves. I'm proud of you, Max, of all of you," he told him sincerely.
Max was surprised and deeply touched by the comment. For two years, the sheriff had been the only adult who had known their secret. He hadn't needed to read Liz's diary to find out what they had all been through as teens, he had been there for a good portion of it. And he had lived much of it with them. He had become a surrogate father to them. He'd certainly acted like one when he'd caught them in Las Vegas in their junior year of high school. The memory of the sheriff standing there in that hotel room yelling at them for cutting school and taking off when it wasn't alien related, made him smile. He would always be 'Sheriff' to them. It was a sign of respect and love. "Thank you, Sheriff. Things have been dicey on more than a few occasions, but we learned a long time ago to pull together to survive, and we made it." He nodded towards the TV watching group. "Including Kyle. He's been great..." he held off on adding 'mostly' . One of Kyle's greatest pleasures in life seemed to be rankling him whenever possible, and he was damn good at it too. But Kyle would and had laid his life on the line for them all. They all had. They were family, bonded together by more than blood. It went deeper than mere biology. They were bound in spirit, by trust and friendship. And it was good to have a family reunion. "I'm glad things are finally quiet. It's good to have everyone here... it's been a long time in coming. We've missed you."
Jim nodded. "Same here," and raised his glass to Max's soda glass as they toasted each other.
"THAT'S IT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Those words were bellowed out as Maria, followed by Amy, breezed into the bar from the kitchen area. Without a word Maria grabbed the best bottle of tequila, some mix, and pulled the blender out from underneath the counter. Staring squarely at Max she said, "Don't skimp on the tequila."
Max looked at the now closed door to the kitchen, he could still hear the yelling going on in there, then he looked back at Maria who was impatiently strumming her nails on the bar. Without a word he filled the blender 3/4 full of ice, poured in the tequila, Maria's annoyed expression told him to make sure it was a generous amount, then the mix, and hit the blend button. He poured Maria and Amy their margaritas, and decided to mix a few more. Just in case.
"What's going on in there?" Jesse asked with concern. He had been busy playing with little Alex and watching the game and hadn't seen Isabel for some time, but there was definitely a female voice doing some of the yelling in the kitchen. And it sounded like his wife. He started to go in there and see for himself.
Max put a hand on Jesse's chest to stop him and handed him a margarita. "Michael and Isabel seem to be having a...discussion," he explained and kept his hand where it was on Jesse's chest.
"What? They're yelling! I'm not going to let Michael yell at my wife," Jesse emphatically told them.
"He's not yelling at *your* wife. He's yelling at *his* sister," Max clarified.
Maria casually leaned against the bar and listened to the yelling coming from the kitchen. This sounded like a good one. "Mmm, take our word for it. You do NOT want to interfere in there. Isabel broke a solemn promise just now, and Michael is NOT going to let it pass," she calmly explained and frowned when she realized her glass was empty. She turned and handed it to Max. "A little more tequila in this next batch."
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Michael shouted and pointed towards the door. First he'd had Amy in here, which was okay. She hadn't lost her touch with the pies and he was delighted to see Maria helping. He hoped that she was learning how to make them herself. Then it was Nancy and Jeff deciding that he needed help. Again okay, he could deal. Even Diane stopping in to help peel the potatoes was tolerable, but then... Isabel?!
"Michael, I own a piece of this place too. And I was only trying to help!" Isabel shot back.
"HELP? HELP! HELL!" Michael rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "HELP! Need I remind you that the last time you *helped* in one of *MY* kitchens, YOU BLEW IT UP! And just so we're clear on things, the fire marshal thought that it suspicious, and who was it that was hauled in for questioning? HUH? That's right. ME AND MAX! Of course, Max wouldn't let you take the fall for it. So WE took the blame for YOU!"
"ONE LITTLE MISTAKE!" Isabel yelled back as she paced around. "I don't know why you're still holding that against me. Cal got you two a great lawyer, and had you sprung the next day!"
"That's right. THE NEXT DAY! As in, a night in jail because of YOU! And who was it again that got their asses chewed out by Cal afterwards? Certainly not YOU! OH NO! NOT THE ICE PRINCESS!" Michael retorted.
"LOOK, I said I was sorry. How many times do I have to keep apologizing?!" Isabel yelled back.
"I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT DON'T STOP ANYTIME SOON!" Michael countered.
Philip listened from behind the closed door and sipped the margarita his son had handed him. "She blew up a kitchen?" he asked his son with a raised eyebrow.
"Um... actually it was sort of this whole little restaurant in Missouri. Michael and I were working there, and he had gotten Iz hired on. She... uh... she wasn't used to using gas to cook with... and uh... well... yeah, she blew up the kitchen. Its a good thing that she was opening that day and no one was around or got hurt. After... after things settled down a bit, Iz solemnly promised Michael that she'd... uh, she'd never set foot in *his* kitchen again," Max lamely explained.
Jesse listened, as the kitchen suddenly grew quiet. "Should I be concerned?" he asked as he stood behind the closed door with the rest of them. He felt like he should go in there and rescue his wife, but at the same time... well, no one else seemed to think it necessary.
"Only if your new house has gas appliances," Kyle quipped as he decided to join the margarita party.
Mr. Luke watched it all with a bemused expression. He had immediately seen past the yelling match in the kitchen. Instead he focused on the knowing looks and amused expressions that most of the audience had been sporting. True, there had been some concern showing on the one that was the husband of the tall blond that Max had introduced as his sister, but eventually even he had relaxed enough not to go charging in there. The parents had seemed a bit perturbed at first, but did nothing except take Max's offering of margarita. The parents knew that their children were long grown and could handle themselves. The littlest children seemed pretty much immune to it. He saw that Megan had taken advantage of the guys' distraction and the TV was reset to some cartoon station. Sammy, he noted seemed worried at first, but was quickly was reassured by his father. They obviously had a lot of history together, close history. They were family. His eyes sparkled as he spotted the leggy blond casually coming around through the restaurant side, as if nothing had happened.
"What are all of you guys doing?" Isabel asked, as she saw just about everyone standing around the kitchen door drinking... were those margaritas? She gave each one a good stare as they mumbled lame excuses and returned to what they had originally been doing.
Michael popped the kitchen door open, smacking Max with it in the process. "Uh...dinner will be about a half hour late. I...was distracted for a bit," He informed them and retreated to the sanctuary of his kitchen where all was well once again.
"Uncle Kyle, I might need your help with something," Sammy said as he took a seat in the bar area in front of the big screen. The TV caught his attention for a moment and he briefly wondered why they were watching Sponge Bob, and then shrugged. He'd rather not know.
Kyle glanced up, frowned, and looked around to see where the remote had gotten to. "Shoot," he said to his nephew, as he continued to look. The remote had to be there somewhere.
"Um... I... uh... I'm going to ask Kelly to the Christmas formal at the country club." Sammy paused. " Grandpa wants me to go," he added. "And well...um, as you know, Kelly's family doesn't have a lot of money and... I don't want it to be a hardship for her family... so I was wondering if you could..."
"I'd be happy to," Kyle quickly cut him off. He liked Sammy. He was a good kid, and from what Sandy told him, Sammy made Kelly smile, which made Sandy smile. And Kyle liked to see Sandy smile. Kelly would be the bell of the ball, even if he had to max out his Visa to do it.
Sammy beamed. "Thanks, Uncle Kyle! I...I'll talk to Dad and get you some cash for..."
Kyle just waved him off. As if he'd let Sammy pay for Kelly's dress? It was the man of the house's place to do that. He paused in his hunt for that ever elusive remote to wonder just when he'd started considering himself the man of Sandy's house. He shook his head and put that thought aside for later consideration as he spotted the remote. Now how in the world had it ended up in the diaper bag?
Several tables had been scooted around and arranged to accommodate a group of 18 in the main dining area of the restaurant. The tantalizing aromas filtering in from the kitchen promised an incredible meal. The buffet area was laden with all the trimmings of traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and then some. Mouths watered as the proud chef presented the golden brown piece-de-la-resistance, a 23-pound turkey. Michael beamed a rare grin as he expertly carved the bird and transferred it to the serving platter, sitting next to the ham, a pan of lasagna, and a ton of side dishes. From mashed potatoes and gravy to corn bread dressing. The children were helped first to the buffet. It was just easier that way.
Philip stood and tapped his water glass for attention as everyone took a seat around the tables after filling their plates. "I think I can speak for all of us here. Today we are truly grateful that we can be here with each other. It has been many years, too many, since we've all seen each other, and some of us are meeting for the first time. Now that..." he glanced at Mr. Emerson for a moment, "now that we all can be together, let's not let the years separate us again before repeating this event. Besides, who knows how many more may be added in the next year." He cast a glance at Kyle for a moment and smiled warmly at Luke Emerson, as he raised his glass. "Here's to friends and family, may we never drift apart."
A chorus of "Here, Here," sounded, followed by the clink of glasses, announcing the commencement of dinner.
tuition as repayment for all the hard work that she put in up front with the decor when we were first getting ready to open. She's really great at it. And now she takes a little, as payment for helping out in the bar.... and she's always thinking of ways to improve things here and there. I guess, after fifteen years, the group 'one for all, all for one' mentality thing is just too hard to break, but it works for us," she explained.
Jeff shook his head in amazement. "You kids have always been incredible." He noticed that Molly's eyes were shut, so he brought her down off of his shoulder and just held her... and looked at her. "Maybe she'll go on to Harvard."
Liz linked her arm through his. "She will. She'll follow in Sammy's footsteps. He already has one foot in the door. His adoptive dad was a Harvard alumnus, and so is Simon Shapiro. He'll make certain that Sammy goes there. And Sammy will make certain that Molly goes there." Liz sighed gratefully. "At least money won't be a problem."
"Sammy is a nice boy. And you seem to have... um, well... accepted things," Jeff cautiously stated. He knew parts of what had happened from the journal and had originally come here with some misgivings. He didn't want to see his little girl hurt anymore.
"Dad, Max and I came to terms with all of that years ago. We had to or we wouldn't have made it together for all these years. Sammy is Max's son...and mine," she assured him and added, "and Molly's big brother."
"Yeah, like I said, a nice boy. I'm glad that he's a part of the family," Jeff told her sincerely. "So, what time is Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow at the restaurant and what can we do to help?"
"It's at three. And Max will be having the games on the big screen all day. As for how to help...well, Michael's cooking. And the best recommendation, I would say, is to stay out of his way. He gets really cranky with too many people in *his* kitchen, very territorial," Liz said with a laugh. "I'm glad that they're closing the restaurant tomorrow, and that it's just going to be just us. Although, I think Kyle has invited the McPhersons over for coffee and pie at 5:00."
"Yeah, I heard something about that... five kids? Kyle?" Jeff asked with a surprised look.
"Kyle is great with kids. He should be since he's never completely grown up himself. But that's Kyle and he's the kids' favorite uncle, hands down," Liz informed him with a smile.
Jeff looked at his daughter smiling gently and then down to his little granddaughter. Then he looked around the neat and comfortable little house that his daughter and her husband called home. It was not what he had imagined for his daughter when she was growing up. "Lizzie, are you happy? I mean really happy?" He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it.
"Yeah Dad, I am. I couldn't imagine my life without Max. As you probably know from the journal, we had our rough moments back then, and even more later on. But no, I wouldn't trade him or my life *with him* for anything," she told him and ran a finger along her daughter's cheek. "Not for anything," she softy reiterated.
~
Patrick McPherson sat the dinner table and stared at the guy that his mom had been dating. To say that he had some major misgivings about this would have been a generous understatement. Hell, the guy was only fifteen years older than he was himself! And now they're all meeting this guy's father? And let's not forget that his little
sister, Kelly, is dating this guy's nephew. This was just way too weird. "So Sheriff Valenti, as the sheriff of Roswell, New Mexico, I bet that you've got some interesting alien stories," Patrick asked, trying to be polite for his mom's sake.
Jim Valenti smiled and chuckled. "Oh if you only knew... but then I'd have to kill ya," he drawled and laughed. "You know, what with government conspiracies being what they are," he continued as the table chuckled at the joke. It was his standard reply to a standard question. "So Patrick, what are you studying in school?" he asked, so as to change the subject.
"Just core classes for right now, but eventually I'd like to transfer to the University of Montana, in Missoula and major in medicine," he replied and he sincerely hoped that it was the truth. It had been hard since dad had split on them, and he was the oldest. But Mom had refused to allow him to stop his schooling after he had graduated high school. She told him that the only way out of where they were was a college education, and he knew that she was right.
"I'm sure that you'll do well," Jim said kindly. He gave the youngest, six year old Ellen, a wink when he caught her staring at him and got her to smile in return.
"So Jim, how long are you in town?" Sandy asked.
"Just until Monday, then I'm afraid that duty calls," Jim replied.
"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping we'd have more time to get acquainted," she said. "Your nephew, Sammy is such a nice boy."
"Yes, I'm sure that he is, if he's anything like his parents. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him since he was in diapers," Jim told them with a twinge of sadness.
"Will he be there tomorrow, when we're supposed to come for dessert?" Bobby, the ten year old, wanted to know. He hadn't met this Sammy yet, and he wanted to, so he could properly tease his older sister about him later on.
"Yeah, he'll be there, along with his new baby sister, Molly," Kyle informed him.
"Nobody else?" Kevin, age seven, asked.
"I do believe that Michael and Maria's four kids will be there too," Kyle told him.
"Who are they?" Kevin asked.
"Well, the Guerins are Molly and Sammy's cousins. Chase is nine, Ryan is eight, and Megan is almost seven, going on thirty. Oh, and little Alex, he'll be two in a few months," Kyle elaborated.
"Cool. It won't be too boring then," Kevin stated.
"Kevin! He... he didn't mean it. We can't wait," Sandra said hurriedly.
Kyle beamed a little. "I can't either." He raised his glass. "Here's to good friends and family getting together." he toasted.
~
You couldn't pry the grin from Max's face as he glanced back in the rearview mirror, and then to his right, to the front passenger seat. This was the first time that they were going somewhere as a family, all of them, him, Liz, Sammy and Molly. But they needed to make one quick stop first and it was just around the corner. He smoothly pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of the blue two-story house and turned to the back seat for a moment. "How's she doing?"
Liz grinned back at him. "She's fine, Max. Sound asleep. Now, go do a good deed," she told him, and watched as he got out and went up to the door. He looked so handsome in his tan Dockers and dark blue sweater.
Max knocked, and waited patiently as he heard shuffling nearing the door. He gave it his best warm smile as the door finally opened. "Mr. Emerson. How are you?"
"Fine. I'm doing fine. Mr. Evans," the old gentleman replied as he peered around Max at the car parked in front of the house. Then he looked back to the neatly dressed man in front of him. He approved. So many people these days didn't seem to want dress up for special occasions. It was nice to see that some folks still did. Even he did on days like today, even though he had no one to share it with. It was the principle of the thing. "What can I do for you, Mr. Evans?
"My family and I were wondering if you had any plans for the day?" Max asked the gentleman.
"Well..." Luke Emerson looked back over his shoulder at his empty house for a moment before turning back to his guest. "I was just going to heat me up a frozen dinner while I watched football and waited for a call from my son."
"How about watching football on a big screen TV? And I'm pretty sure that my partner can fix something a little better than Swanson's for dinner." Max paused for a moment to think. "And maybe you could forward your phone to another one?" he suggested.
Mr. Emerson studied the young man before him intently. "Why are you doing this?" he finally asked.
"Because we can, and we want to. Holidays are for friends and family, and we'd like to think of you as a friend... besides, my partner has been wanting to speak to you about a job opportunity." Max grinned. Even after Michael had gotten Mrs. Smithers' report from him, he still wasn't overly keen on the idea. It had take constant badgering by Megan, until Michael simply couldn't take it anymore for him to cave and agree to at least interview this Jason fellow.
"A job opportunity? I'm afraid that I'm not up to too much these days," Mr. Emerson replied frowning a little in puzzlement.
"No, but we understand that your son might be. Why don't you come to dinner with us and discuss it?" Max offered.
Mr. Emerson thought about it for a moment. He would do anything to help his son, and if he could get a job lined up for him then maybe... "What number should I forward my phone to?" he asked with a smile.
Max told him. Luke forwarded his phone, grabbed his best jacket and keys, and a few minutes later they were on their way.
"I didn't know that you had a baby sister, Sammy. She's adorable," Mr. Emerson said from the front passenger seat as they drove to dinner.
"I didn't when we first met. She's a rather new addition," Sammy kidded from his new position in the back with Liz and Molly. Molly was still sound asleep and oblivious to it all.
A chorus of, "Mr. Luke! Mr. Luke!" greeted their arrival at the restaurant, as the Guerin kids all clamored to show Mr. Luke around. Mr. Luke didn't even try to hide his amusement as little hands grabbed his and took him around on a tour, ending up at the bar with its big screen already tuned to the game.
"That him?" Michael asked as he came out from the kitchen to see what all the hoopla was about.
"Yep, that's him," Max answered as he watched the kids with Luke, while pouring brews and wines for the non-aliens in the crowd, and sodas for the rest. "Here ya go, Dad," he said, as Philip came over for a glass.
"Thanks, Max, " Philip replied.
"So, how's the new place? Didn't you close escrow yesterday?" Max asked as Michael scowled for a minute longer before disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Yep, it’s been a while since we bought property. You'd think that, in the computer age, there wouldn't be so much paperwork." Philip rolled his eyes and shook his head. He still had writer's cramp from signing his name and initialing the appropriate spots. "Your mother is already unloading some stuff from the truck and she's talking about making another trip to get some more stuff out of storage in Roswell." He smiled as his grandson came up to get a soda, and then looked around for his wife. He nodded at her to come over when he caught her eye, and smiled when she did and brought Liz too. "Max, Liz, since the townhouse is on the country club's golf course, it automatically included a membership for us to the club, and an option to buy an additional membership at a
pretty good discount. I thought it'd be good business investment for you two... plus I need a golfing partner,"
Philip said with a delighted grin as he handed the little cards and club information over to his son and daughter-in-law. "The monthly dues are paid through the end of next year," he added.
Max was dumbstruck. He knew that, even with a discount, the membership was thousands of dollars... the plus monthly dues. "Dad... Mom... I... I don't know what to say... this... this is too much! We can't accept it. Let us know what it cost and we'll make payments," Max offered.
"Don't be ridiculous," Diane said. "I hate golf and your father loves it, so don't you dare make me play golf with him," she sternly told her son as she shook her finger at him.
Max couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay. I won't do that to you. But Dad, I haven't played since... God, I don't know when. Maybe once or twice at the most since we left Roswell. So expect a ton of Mulligans!"
"Maybe I'll take it up. It might be a good way to work off this waist I still have," Liz mentioned.
Max looked at her. He rather liked some of those recently added curves.
"Well, it's not just golf. There are also a couple of very nice swimming pools, both an indoor and an outdoor, that the kids can use year around. And, in a few weeks, we're invited to the Christmas Ball. Max, that'd be a good time for you to make some of those business contacts that we discussed," the senior lawyer and businessman informed the younger. "In fact, Mr. Thomson, the club president, was very anxious to meet you. He's been here a few times for business lunches and he was very impressed."
"You haven't taken me dancing in years, Max," Liz accused.
Philip felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You mean not since the salsa dance contest in Mazatlan?" he teased. He saw Diane raise both eyebrows at that, while Max's cheeks reddened.
Liz bit her lip, but couldn't resist. "Actually, not even then. He took Maria dancing and while Kyle had to do the honors."
Diane looked at the three. "It looks like I missed a few stories. Now this one I want to hear. Max, a salsa dance contest...?"
"Um...it's a long story," Max mumbled, and he was relieved when Sammy came over for more soda and chips.
Seeing his grandson reminded Philip of something. "You know, Charles Thomson mentioned that his granddaughter was a junior in high school. I thought Sammy might know her." He paused to look at Sammy.
"Huh?" Sammy hadn't been paying attention.
"Do you know a... I think its Sherry Thomson? She's a junior," Philip asked.
Sammy tried not to scowl. "Uh...sort of," he evaded.
"Well, her grandfather is the president of the country club, and since we're new members, we are expected to attend their Christmas Ball. Besides that, he thought that it would be nice to have some other youngster around. I think it was so his granddaughter wouldn't feel out of place. What do you say? Care to attend a black tie affair for your grandpa?" he coaxed.
"Um..." Sammy trailed off looking a little lost. "This sucks," he thought. The last thing that he wanted to do was be stuck at some fancy-schmancy party thing with Cheri Thomson. She'd totally blow it out of proportion at school, plus he doubted that Kelly would be too happy. Hell, Cheri would blow it out of proportion, if for no other reason than to *make sure* that Kelly wasn't happy. Unless... "Grandpa, can I bring a date?" he asked with much more enthusiasm.
"How cute!" Diane thought which brought on a grin. "Of course you can, dear."
"It's all set then. The six of us, actually eight with Isabel and Jesse, have a date on the 18th for the Christmas Ball." Philip smiled proudly at the thought.
Liz critically eyed the bowl of chips and tray of sodas that Sammy was assembling to take over to the football-watching crowd. "Sammy, I think that that's enough snacking for now. Dinner is in just a little bit and I don't want you guys to ruin your appetites," the new mother admonished her son.
Sammy frowned at the tray for a moment. With only a small bowl of cereal for breakfast and no lunch since they were having an early dinner, he was starving. "Okay," he replied, hoping that dinner was as good as it smelled, as he carried the last round of snacks to his cousins and Mr. Luke.
Liz heard a baby cry and immediately scanned the crowd for whoever had ended up with Molly. Seeing the Sheriff holding her and trying to calm the sudden cries, made her smile. She knew he wasn't going to be successful though. She knew that cry by heart now. It was Molly's hungry cry. "Sheriff, I think that I need to feed her or she's not going to give anyone any peace," Liz said as she smoothly took Molly in her arms.
"She's beautiful, Liz. I'm glad... I'm glad that it worked out for you... for both of you," Jim told her with a warm smile. He had always liked Liz. She was smart and brave, but with a kind heart. It felt right that she should stand beside a king. It's where she belonged. And now she even had a little one. He didn't think she'd ever looked happier.
"Thank you, Sheriff," she said and blushed at his kind words. And then she turned to find that elusive diaper bag. It had also become her purse these last few days, much to her chagrin. But it was just easier that way. She finally spotted it next to the coat rack and made herself comfortable in a discreet corner as she fed her daughter some lunch.
Jim watched as Liz settled in a comfortable chair, pulled out a receiving blanket and threw it over her shoulder. Then he decided that he'd get himself a brew and see how Max was doing. It had been a long time and he was anxious to catch up a little. "Hey Max, how about one of those awesome local beers I hear you have on tap."
"Sure thing, Sheriff," Max grinned broadly at his one time old adversary, and now friend.... even family, as he poured a tall cold draft. "So how are things going for you in Roswell?"
"Good. Although I admit it got a bit boring after you kids left," Jim told him.
"What about...um, the uh...change?" Max asked and glanced over to see if Mr. Emerson, who was engrossed in the game with Kyle and had Megan sitting on his knee, was paying attention.
Jim's eyes followed Max's glance and he smiled at what he saw. Michael and Maria's brood were something else. They certainly were total pay back for all the hell that their parents had raised in their teen years. "It wasn't too bad. I took some personal time off, and Amy and I rented a cabin in the mountains for a month. I know I... inherited some sort of talent, but it seems to be pretty small potatoes. Mostly it's limited to sensing danger, sort of a heightened sixth-sense for trouble and trouble-makers. I've got to admit that it helped me get a good reputation for stopping crime, which helped me to rise back up to the post of sheriff pretty quickly."
Max smiled at that. "Good. I'm glad, especially because we cost you your job in the first place."
Jim shook his head. "No. I did what I had to do, to protect the good citizens of Roswell," he told Max and took a sip of his beer. "So, how are things with you and Liz? It's been a while, but if memory serves me right, sleep can be challenging with a newborn in the house."
Max laughed. "Yeah, you're remembering right. But she's worth it. Every last bit of it."
"They always are, Max," Jim assured him. "Nice place you kids have got here. It looks like you've done pretty good for yourselves. I'm proud of you, Max, of all of you," he told him sincerely.
Max was surprised and deeply touched by the comment. For two years, the sheriff had been the only adult who had known their secret. He hadn't needed to read Liz's diary to find out what they had all been through as teens, he had been there for a good portion of it. And he had lived much of it with them. He had become a surrogate father to them. He'd certainly acted like one when he'd caught them in Las Vegas in their junior year of high school. The memory of the sheriff standing there in that hotel room yelling at them for cutting school and taking off when it wasn't alien related, made him smile. He would always be 'Sheriff' to them. It was a sign of respect and love. "Thank you, Sheriff. Things have been dicey on more than a few occasions, but we learned a long time ago to pull together to survive, and we made it." He nodded towards the TV watching group. "Including Kyle. He's been great..." he held off on adding 'mostly' . One of Kyle's greatest pleasures in life seemed to be rankling him whenever possible, and he was damn good at it too. But Kyle would and had laid his life on the line for them all. They all had. They were family, bonded together by more than blood. It went deeper than mere biology. They were bound in spirit, by trust and friendship. And it was good to have a family reunion. "I'm glad things are finally quiet. It's good to have everyone here... it's been a long time in coming. We've missed you."
Jim nodded. "Same here," and raised his glass to Max's soda glass as they toasted each other.
"THAT'S IT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Those words were bellowed out as Maria, followed by Amy, breezed into the bar from the kitchen area. Without a word Maria grabbed the best bottle of tequila, some mix, and pulled the blender out from underneath the counter. Staring squarely at Max she said, "Don't skimp on the tequila."
Max looked at the now closed door to the kitchen, he could still hear the yelling going on in there, then he looked back at Maria who was impatiently strumming her nails on the bar. Without a word he filled the blender 3/4 full of ice, poured in the tequila, Maria's annoyed expression told him to make sure it was a generous amount, then the mix, and hit the blend button. He poured Maria and Amy their margaritas, and decided to mix a few more. Just in case.
"What's going on in there?" Jesse asked with concern. He had been busy playing with little Alex and watching the game and hadn't seen Isabel for some time, but there was definitely a female voice doing some of the yelling in the kitchen. And it sounded like his wife. He started to go in there and see for himself.
Max put a hand on Jesse's chest to stop him and handed him a margarita. "Michael and Isabel seem to be having a...discussion," he explained and kept his hand where it was on Jesse's chest.
"What? They're yelling! I'm not going to let Michael yell at my wife," Jesse emphatically told them.
"He's not yelling at *your* wife. He's yelling at *his* sister," Max clarified.
Maria casually leaned against the bar and listened to the yelling coming from the kitchen. This sounded like a good one. "Mmm, take our word for it. You do NOT want to interfere in there. Isabel broke a solemn promise just now, and Michael is NOT going to let it pass," she calmly explained and frowned when she realized her glass was empty. She turned and handed it to Max. "A little more tequila in this next batch."
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Michael shouted and pointed towards the door. First he'd had Amy in here, which was okay. She hadn't lost her touch with the pies and he was delighted to see Maria helping. He hoped that she was learning how to make them herself. Then it was Nancy and Jeff deciding that he needed help. Again okay, he could deal. Even Diane stopping in to help peel the potatoes was tolerable, but then... Isabel?!
"Michael, I own a piece of this place too. And I was only trying to help!" Isabel shot back.
"HELP? HELP! HELL!" Michael rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "HELP! Need I remind you that the last time you *helped* in one of *MY* kitchens, YOU BLEW IT UP! And just so we're clear on things, the fire marshal thought that it suspicious, and who was it that was hauled in for questioning? HUH? That's right. ME AND MAX! Of course, Max wouldn't let you take the fall for it. So WE took the blame for YOU!"
"ONE LITTLE MISTAKE!" Isabel yelled back as she paced around. "I don't know why you're still holding that against me. Cal got you two a great lawyer, and had you sprung the next day!"
"That's right. THE NEXT DAY! As in, a night in jail because of YOU! And who was it again that got their asses chewed out by Cal afterwards? Certainly not YOU! OH NO! NOT THE ICE PRINCESS!" Michael retorted.
"LOOK, I said I was sorry. How many times do I have to keep apologizing?!" Isabel yelled back.
"I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT DON'T STOP ANYTIME SOON!" Michael countered.
Philip listened from behind the closed door and sipped the margarita his son had handed him. "She blew up a kitchen?" he asked his son with a raised eyebrow.
"Um... actually it was sort of this whole little restaurant in Missouri. Michael and I were working there, and he had gotten Iz hired on. She... uh... she wasn't used to using gas to cook with... and uh... well... yeah, she blew up the kitchen. Its a good thing that she was opening that day and no one was around or got hurt. After... after things settled down a bit, Iz solemnly promised Michael that she'd... uh, she'd never set foot in *his* kitchen again," Max lamely explained.
Jesse listened, as the kitchen suddenly grew quiet. "Should I be concerned?" he asked as he stood behind the closed door with the rest of them. He felt like he should go in there and rescue his wife, but at the same time... well, no one else seemed to think it necessary.
"Only if your new house has gas appliances," Kyle quipped as he decided to join the margarita party.
Mr. Luke watched it all with a bemused expression. He had immediately seen past the yelling match in the kitchen. Instead he focused on the knowing looks and amused expressions that most of the audience had been sporting. True, there had been some concern showing on the one that was the husband of the tall blond that Max had introduced as his sister, but eventually even he had relaxed enough not to go charging in there. The parents had seemed a bit perturbed at first, but did nothing except take Max's offering of margarita. The parents knew that their children were long grown and could handle themselves. The littlest children seemed pretty much immune to it. He saw that Megan had taken advantage of the guys' distraction and the TV was reset to some cartoon station. Sammy, he noted seemed worried at first, but was quickly was reassured by his father. They obviously had a lot of history together, close history. They were family. His eyes sparkled as he spotted the leggy blond casually coming around through the restaurant side, as if nothing had happened.
"What are all of you guys doing?" Isabel asked, as she saw just about everyone standing around the kitchen door drinking... were those margaritas? She gave each one a good stare as they mumbled lame excuses and returned to what they had originally been doing.
Michael popped the kitchen door open, smacking Max with it in the process. "Uh...dinner will be about a half hour late. I...was distracted for a bit," He informed them and retreated to the sanctuary of his kitchen where all was well once again.
"Uncle Kyle, I might need your help with something," Sammy said as he took a seat in the bar area in front of the big screen. The TV caught his attention for a moment and he briefly wondered why they were watching Sponge Bob, and then shrugged. He'd rather not know.
Kyle glanced up, frowned, and looked around to see where the remote had gotten to. "Shoot," he said to his nephew, as he continued to look. The remote had to be there somewhere.
"Um... I... uh... I'm going to ask Kelly to the Christmas formal at the country club." Sammy paused. " Grandpa wants me to go," he added. "And well...um, as you know, Kelly's family doesn't have a lot of money and... I don't want it to be a hardship for her family... so I was wondering if you could..."
"I'd be happy to," Kyle quickly cut him off. He liked Sammy. He was a good kid, and from what Sandy told him, Sammy made Kelly smile, which made Sandy smile. And Kyle liked to see Sandy smile. Kelly would be the bell of the ball, even if he had to max out his Visa to do it.
Sammy beamed. "Thanks, Uncle Kyle! I...I'll talk to Dad and get you some cash for..."
Kyle just waved him off. As if he'd let Sammy pay for Kelly's dress? It was the man of the house's place to do that. He paused in his hunt for that ever elusive remote to wonder just when he'd started considering himself the man of Sandy's house. He shook his head and put that thought aside for later consideration as he spotted the remote. Now how in the world had it ended up in the diaper bag?
Several tables had been scooted around and arranged to accommodate a group of 18 in the main dining area of the restaurant. The tantalizing aromas filtering in from the kitchen promised an incredible meal. The buffet area was laden with all the trimmings of traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and then some. Mouths watered as the proud chef presented the golden brown piece-de-la-resistance, a 23-pound turkey. Michael beamed a rare grin as he expertly carved the bird and transferred it to the serving platter, sitting next to the ham, a pan of lasagna, and a ton of side dishes. From mashed potatoes and gravy to corn bread dressing. The children were helped first to the buffet. It was just easier that way.
Philip stood and tapped his water glass for attention as everyone took a seat around the tables after filling their plates. "I think I can speak for all of us here. Today we are truly grateful that we can be here with each other. It has been many years, too many, since we've all seen each other, and some of us are meeting for the first time. Now that..." he glanced at Mr. Emerson for a moment, "now that we all can be together, let's not let the years separate us again before repeating this event. Besides, who knows how many more may be added in the next year." He cast a glance at Kyle for a moment and smiled warmly at Luke Emerson, as he raised his glass. "Here's to friends and family, may we never drift apart."
A chorus of "Here, Here," sounded, followed by the clink of glasses, announcing the commencement of dinner.
