Maureen and Joanne Jefferson sat at their home doing, well nothing
A/N:This one goes out to all of my readers, especially GorgeousSmile who said that she missed them! Oh, and just a bee tee dubs, Jaylyn, Jessica, and Angela will be mentioned in this. Soo, if you wanna know who they are but you haven't read A New Chapter, I suggest you do ;D
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own, never will no matter how much I beg. I'll probably just get put in jail.
Ashira Adonai
Maureen and Joanne Jefferson sat at their home doing absolutely nothing. It was something they enjoyed to do actually. The pair sat together on the couch just being content in each other's company. Maureen was snuggled close to Joanne's head as Joanne slowly stroked the diva's hair.
Today was a rare day, the twins and Angela were off at the home of their grandparents' and for once the couple had some grown-up time alone.
"Pookie, I say we send the girls away more often…I can't remember the last time I could just sit and lie with you without someone busting in and disrupting us with some foolishness…"
Joanne smiled, "I know what you mean Honeybear; it is nice to just sit and relax with you."
"So how about we make that there new permanent residence. Your parents love the kids don't they?"
"Yeah," the lawyer replied laughing, "But no one except us could live with our kids for more than a week. They would kill them."
"I wouldn't tell…"
Joanne broke out into hearty laughter, "Maureen!" she said smacking her arm.
"I'm kidding! I don't know what I'd do if I lost my Jaylyn and Jessica."
"And Angela too…she'd have a fit for years if she knew you didn't mention her."
"Oh yeah, Angie…we definitelycouldn't leave your parents with Angela. She's worse than Jaylyn and Jessica were combined at her age."
"Yeah, I love her to death, but that girl is one bad three-year old. Can you imagine her in school?"
"No way…I bet you she will she be like you were in school."
"Hey!" Maureen exclaimed while looking shocked, "I'll have you know I was an excellently behaved child and a wonderful student!"
"Oh really? Were you now?"
Maureen nodded vigorously, "Mhmm."
"You know, you've never told me about your childhood you know…I told you mine. You're not being fair," Joanne then pouted, trying to mock Maureen's signature.
The diva shook her head, "Don't even try to pull that off Pookie. You know that I'm the only one who can pout; I practically invented it!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know…a girl can try though can't she?"
"But it doesn't mean you will succeed…but no worries. I shall tell you the story of my humble upbringing. By the way, it will blow away your story…no offense, yours was good, but I am an actor. It naturally makes me better story teller…"
Joanne cocked an eyebrow at Maureen, "Whatever you say Honeybear. It better be a good story is all I'm saying…"
Maureen stood up from Joanne's lap and walked towards the bedroom, "Well, if you're going to go assuming it's not gonna be good then I won't even tell you!" The diva stuck her tongue out at Joanne in rebuttal.
"Aww Maureen, you know I was kidding, come on…I'll even get you a beer so your throat won't dry out as you tell it."
The diva thought over the proposal the lawyer gave and finally gave in. She couldn't help it, she loved telling stories. If she got to share her story with Joanne, it was just a plus. Maureen ran over to Joanne and landed in her lap again with a thump.
"Okay, well here we go. The best story you've ever heard in your life. The best story you'll ever here. The greatest piece of storytelling—"
'Uh, Maureen," Joanne said smiling, "I hate to interrupt you when you seem off to such a great start, but…could you actually start the story?"
Maureen huffed, "Jeez Honeybear, it's called dramatic build up. But anyway, back to my story. I remember my birth like it was yesterday… It was 1965 and my parents were some of the original hippies; in fact the first thing I smelled out of the womb was weed. Apparently it was calming to baby; and boy, lemme tell you I was super calm."
"Come on Lisa, you can see all his hair already!" Evan Johnson watched his wife Lisa push a baby out of what seemed to be an incredibly small space as he smoked a joint. This was one of the craziest things he'd ever seen and he was high on top of it all.
"Evan, is he gorgeous? Do I have a gorgeous little baby boy?"
"Aww yeah baby, he's gonna be one of the most handsome boys out there. Just keep pushing baby…the midwife says you just gotta keep pushing. Right Jodi?"
Jodi, the midwife, looked at the couple through her pink-tinted shades and smiled. "Evan's right Lisa; just keep pushing and keep the positive energy going. You're gonna have a perfect new baby boy in no time."
With one final push the new baby popped out of Lisa and into Jodi's arms. The previously semi-quiet room was filled with the cries of a new born baby.
"Aw, Lisa he's beautiful…he's just, just…"
Jodi handed the baby to Lisa and smiled her caring smile once again, "He's a she. So, what do you want to call her Mrs. Johnson?"
"Evan, what do you think??"
The new baby girl smiled at Evan, "Aw, Lisa, I couldn't choose, you do the honors. I didn't have to carry her around for nine months…you do it."
Lisa leaned over to kiss Evan's cheek before deciding on a name, "Well, Jodi, I think we're gonna call her Maureen. Maureen Victoria Rose Johnson. What do you think?"
Jodi nodded and pushed her glasses up her nose, "That, my young friend is an epic name to live up to. But I'm sure if anyone could it would be the daughter of Evan and Lisa Johnson."
Being born to her parents was no small feat for Maureen. Her mother had been abused when she was younger and finally left her home at age 12. When she was living with her friend Jodi in Scarsdale, she met Evan, a 15 year old who she immediately became attracted to. As of now, Lisa was only 17 and Evan was 21. The odds were against the parents, but with the sheer determination of the two of them, little Maureen would be loved.
Three Years Later—1968
"Maureen! Put on some clothes, please baby!!" Lisa exclaimed as Maureen ran outside their humble home without a piece of clothing to cover her at all.
"I'm as fwee as a birdy, mommy! Watch me wun!!" the toddler yelled back as she jumped around making circles with her arms in the very open, very exposed front yard.
Of course as Maureen was running one of the family's very uptight neighbor was walking her dog in front of the house.
"Oh, hello Mrs. Applebee! Lovely day, don't you think so?" Lisa said trying to ignore the fact that her daughter was running around in the nude.
The old lady huffed and hurried her dog away as Maureen tried to pet the dog.
"Okay, little Rose…time for us to go inside. I think you've been nude for long enough today. Don't you agree??"
Maureen pouted at her mother and her brown eyes doubled in size. Somehow Maureen learned that if she did that she could get just about whatever she wanted because it would melt anybody's heart.
"But mommy, I thoughted I was fwee?"
Lisa smiled and gave Maureen butterfly kisses on her belly. "Yes, I did say that Maureen, but there is a fine difference between being free and being illegal."
"Ooooh…Mommy, what's i-yee-gal mean?"
"Illegal means that the policemen could come and get you because what you're doing is wrong. And running around with your bum showing is very wrong."
"Ooooh…so is that why daddy hides his smelly cigarettes? Are those i-yee-gal too?"
Lisa couldn't help but laughing at how bright her daughter was sometimes, "Actually yes. You are correct. But let's not talk about that okay? Right now, I think we should take you inside and get you into bed. It's nap time."
"But mommy, I really don't wanna take a nap." Maureen said matter-of-factly.
"Hmm, well I guess if you really don't want to then you shouldn't have to take one…So how about we just go inside and sit on your comfy bed together and I'll sing you a song. Does that sound nice?"
Little Maureen smiled and nodded emphatically. She loved it when her mother sang to her in her deep throaty alto voice. Sometimes the three year old wished she could just capture that voice and use it herself.
"What are you gonna sing me mommy?" Maureen asked yawning as her mother put her into a clean pair of panties and an oversized tee-shirt.
"Well, what do you want me to sing to you? The choice is always yours, remember that. You can do whatever you want…within reason."
"Ummm, how about just a nice one."
Just then Evan popped into the room from a day working at the factory. Since Maureen was born he'd gotten ahead in his job and he could now control his own hours and still bring home a paycheck that he could use to support his now wife and daughter.
"Just a nice one? Well aren't you specific…" He said with arms open wide as Maureen ran into them.
"Daddy!! Hi!" Maureen exclaimed as she stroked Evan's goatee. He was trying something new and apparently Maureen liked it.
"Are you about to take a nap?"
Maureen shook her head, "No. Mommy said I could do what I wanna, so she just gonna sing to me. But I'm not" Maureen yawned here, "sleepy at all."
"Ooh, she's just gonna sing to you?" Evan winked at Lisa and Maureen nodded.
"You can stay if you wanna…"
Evan kissed Maureen's hair before handing her over to her mother. "Thank you, but no thank you. I have to go shower and get this yucky factory smell off of me."
Maureen smiled and scurried down her father's leg, "Okay, daddy."
She snuggled onto her mother and waited diligently for her to start singing. First though, Lisa brushed out Maureen's long wavy hair and put it into a French braid. She slowly rocked Maureen back and forth and little by little the toddler's eyes started drooping.
"Mommy, sing…"
Lisa kissed Maureen's hair. "Okay sweetheart."
Lisa opened her mouth and began singing an old Hebrew song. It roughly translated to 'I will sing unto Adonai for He has triumphed gloriously. Who is like You, O Adondai, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness? In Your mercy, you lead the people You redeemed. I will sing, I will sing, I will sing...'
Before times got rough with her family, Lisa's mother used to sing it to her every day before bed. It reminded Lisa, who considered herself a fairly religious person, that no matter what, there was always someone watching over her—and now, her little daughter Maureen.
Ashira l'adonai ki gaoh ga-ah
Ashira l'adonai ki gaoh ga-ah
Mi chamocha baelim adonai
Mi kamocha nedar bakodesh
Nachita v'chas-d'cha am zu ga-alta
Nachita v'chas-d'cha am zu ga-alta
Ashira ashira ashira
Evan walked in fifteen minutes later alter his shower and looked at Lisa holding Maureen.
"Is she asleep?" he asked as he sat on the bed with the two of them.
"I think she finally is…"
"Isn't she gorgeous?"
"Yeah," Lisa replied, "she's our little gem."
A/N: Eh, I wasn't too fond of the ending, but tell me what you think!!