Authors' Note: 6/19/2018 And, we're back! Thank you everyone for your patience. This one wraps up and begins several plotlines necessary for 'big surprises' in this story, and the next one, in which we will once again be embroiled in dramatic international politics! Please enjoy.

June 13th, 1988

Charlie had never really considered stage fright. He wasn't much of a performer, and he wasn't really into anything that put him in the spotlight, but he had never gotten nervous standing up in class to give those required presentations his teachers loved to assign. Now, sitting next to Shelby in caps and gowns, in chairs in front of the stage across which they would soon be walking in front of all of their parents, and the school, he felt an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach, which he recognized as nerves.
Their hands clutched down low between the chairs, Charlie felt Shelby squeeze his. He glanced sideways to his left, and caught her doing the same in his direction, smiling confidently. How she had managed to keep her GPA up enough to be valedictorian, despite the chaos in their lives, and getting married, and having and raising Abigail, he still found mind boggling, even as he had watched her do it. They had scheduled their courses so that his required courses were mostly in the morning, and hers were mostly in the afternoon, which had allowed them the need for minimal daycare, usually only a couple of hours, and right in the middle of the day. His mother usually took care of Abigail during that time, but sometimes that pleasure also went to Grandma Elicia, or Grandpa Al.

He and Shelby had alternated their work evenings, and Charlie was the only one of them who worked weekends, so they had saved up a decent amount of money. He had insisted on doing most of that. Not out of any notion that he was the one who should be doing it, but because it gave Shelby more time to study, and school and her grades still mattered very much to her. It hadn't been easy, especially not with the number of restless and sleepless nights that came with being a parent, but they had done it all, and managed to succeed.

Now they were here, and they were graduating from high school, and they would be free and clear, and able to live the rest of their lives together free of the difficulties that had plagued them for the past year. Not everyone at school had been as understanding about their choices. Whether it was jealousy, anger, or an honestly ethical disagreement about what they had done, it had sometimes made things uncomfortable. Still, he was grateful the school hadn't punished Shelby or made her turn over any of her offices or responsibilities over it. He had heard nightmares. Even a few years ago, they might have been treated much worse.

Whatever anger and disappointment his parents had felt seemed to have dissipated over the past year-and-a-half, and even Gloria had stopped scolding, especially after the first time she had gotten to hold her niece. Abigail could charm badger with her dark blond curls and her dark blue-green eyes that hadn't quite decided if they were going to stay blue or shift to green, or maybe hazel. For now, they were deep and bright.

Somewhere behind them, his parents were sitting in the audience holding Abigail. His grandparents, and great-grandma Gracia were there too, and Uncle Will and Aunt Ren. Gloria wasn't back from school yet, but that was okay. Charlie knew Shelby's parents were there somewhere too, though probably not seated near his. Her mother had come over and hugged Shelby tightly when they arrived. Her father had been nearby, so Charlie had stepped away to give them a few moments. As soon as he had gone, Mr. Cruse had joined his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. It must have been an all right conversation, because Shelby was happy.

All that mattered was that Shelby was happy.

Principal Myers stood up at the podium in her crisp, navy blue dress, and the band began to play. It was time.

He squeezed her hand one more time. "Good luck," he whispered.

"Thank you, but this is the fun part," Shelby smiled back as she stood and went to join the Principal on the stage as Valedictorian so she could give her speech when the time came.

Charlie sat back. He had nothing to do but pay attention until it was time to walk across the stage and accept his diploma. With his wife up there, it was easier to pay attention than usual.

Alyse smiled at the sleeping baby in her arms as she watched the ceremony; her granddaughter clearly oblivious to the fact that it wasn't socially acceptable to nap in public. It didn't matter, since Abigail would not remember her parents' high school graduation in any case. Still, she felt pride and relief as she listened to the opening speech by the Principal, and the guest speaker. In just a little while, Charlie and Shelby would graduate, and then they would be just another young married couple in the world, building a life for themselves. They had accomplished a lot in the past year, and she had to admit, she hadn't known her son could be so responsible and focused. He certainly hadn't been before. He had made an adult decision, and he had stuck with it. Charlie and Shelby were still thoroughly in love, and Abigail was a happy, well taken care of little girl. It was the start she had wanted for them.

Shelby stepped up to the mic, and Alyse turned her full attention on the stage as her daughter-in-law gave a heart-felt, eloquent speech about their class, and its strong sense of community, and how hard they had all worked to be successful and come to this point. She spoke about moving forward with that kind of dedication and strength, but also carrying that support into the future. She expected great things of each of them, and she was sure that if they stuck with it, they could achieve whatever they set out to do. When she finished, there was a lot of applause, particularly from the class in front of her. Alyse was sure the loudest clapping was Charlie's.

Then they began to play the graduation march, and the students stood one row at a time, and moved towards the stage. Alyse craned her neck to see until Charlie moved up onto the stage. When they called "Charles Fischer," she felt the tears begin to well in her eyes. He shook the Principal's hand and accepted his diploma. When he reached the end of the stage, he waited for Shelby to join him with her own diploma, and then they came down very close together, nearly touching. They didn't hold hands, but Alyse suspected that was because Shelby would have insisted it wasn't appropriately formal.

"Well, it's done," Cal commented softly, though he sounded choked up too. "I almost didn't think we'd get here."

Alyse leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Imagine how they feel. It's been a challenge, but they've met it, with far more to handle than most of the other kids their age. But now there they are, feeling on top of the world and ready to conquer anything. Graduating is such an exhilarating and wonderful time." She remembered her own high school graduation; hers and Ethan's. It was the end of childhood, and the beginning of so much more.

"I bet it is."

She looked over at Cal, whose expression was slightly pained in a way it hadn't been at Gloria's graduation. Then, he had been all smiles. Despite being a happy day, he looked regretful. She didn't ask why; the reason was clear enough. "Not unlike graduating from the State Alchemy Program and passing the Exam," she added with a sympathetic smile. "Only I have it on good authority the Exam is much more difficult, given the very small number of people accepted."

He glanced her way, and smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

"If it wasn't obvious to me, I wouldn't be a very good wife." Alyse freed one hand, and rested it on his arm. "You may not have chosen a traditional path in life, but I'd say it turned out exceptionally well in the long run, wouldn't you?"

Cal laid a hand on hers. "Yeah, I'd say so."

The party back at their house was huge, but Charlie didn't mind. In fact, he was very happy that so many of their friends had been willing to have the party there, so they weren't all having separate parties. Though, that had worked because they had scheduled it to start late enough that a lot of them had slipped away from prior family engagements. While there weren't a ton of decorations, the huge Congratulations banner across the ceiling was more than enough, and there was tons of food, and a gigantic sheet cake.

Most importantly, there was family and their friends. Charlie hadn't realized the townhome could hold quite so many people. It was packed! Still, it was nice to get out of their caps and gowns and relax. Gill and Marlie were there, of course.

"So, what are you doing this summer?" Charlie asked his friend. "Did you hear from any of your job interviews?"

Gill grinned. "I did. Got a job working as a mechanic and floor clerk for the new Canati dealership here in town."

Charlie whistled. Canati was the highest-end motorcycle on the market, and they were a Cretan company that sold internationally. "Do you get an employee discount?" he teased.

"If I work out long-term," Gill nodded. "They take all new employees on for a trial of six months. If it works out, they ship you to Creta for a year for specialized training."
A year in Creta. "What does Marlie think of that?"

"She's told me if I don't keep this job she's ditching me for a Cretan movie star. She's always wanted to travel, and living in Creta for a year is right up her alley. There's a reason she got As in Cretan."

Charlie hadn't paid much attention to anyone else's grades the past couple of years. He had forgotten that Marlie's foreign language was Cretan. "Then you'd better succeed, right?"

"I haven't met a car or motorbike I can't take apart and put back together practically in my sleep." Gill looked smug. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

"And what will Marlie be doing while you're playing with bikes?"

"Well, for now she's going to keep working at Berket's at the mall until we see if I'm transferring. After that, she's thinking about taking the courses in Creta needed to become an interpreter."

"Wow."

"I know right?" Gill smiled proudly. "But what about you? You're going to Briggs. Just think of all the fascinating machinery you're going to get your hands on."

Charlie nodded. That had been the big plan, what he had been saving up and preparing for over the past several months. The Fort at Briggs still hired and trained a small number of civilians in their ranks, particularly for engineering and mechanics. He had been hired on to work as a mechanic on their trucks and other vehicles. It wasn't a long-term career goal, but it was a well-paying job, that gave him a chance to feel out military life, and it came with an apartment in Briggs that they didn't have to pay extra for.

"To ask the same question, what will Shelby be doing at Briggs?" Gill asked curiously. "I mean, I never really pictured her for the ice-wall world type."

"Working," Charlie answered. "There's a lot of other jobs at Briggs, and there's a couple of towns nearby now within a reasonable distance, and the one there. If we save up for another couple of years, we'll be able to afford her college classes." He knew that was Shelby's dream, but even with scholarship offers, it wasn't something they could afford yet. But they would, some day, he was determined to make that happen.

Gill nodded. "Smart. Not that I'd expect any different from Shelby."

"Not me?"

Gill laughed. "Nah. Never you, nor me either. We picked winning women, and got lucky they don't mind a couple of grease-monkeys."

"Never," Marlie laughed as she and Shelby joined them. "How could we ever mind hard-working boys like you? Keeps you muscular." She kissed Gill's cheek. "Come over here. My mother wants to talk to you."

Gill looked pale. "What about?"

"You know, she didn't say."

Charlie watched them go, then turned to Shelby, smiling. "How's Abby ?"

"Asleep upstairs. Apparently she doesn't mind noise." Shelby chuckled. "She'll enjoy parties more when she's older I'm sure."

"Probably when she hits the age where I don't want her at parties." Charlie slipped an arm around her waist. "Let's go talk to Great-Grandma Gracia. They're leaving soon."

Once the party ended, Charlie knew there was a plan for the graduates to meet up at the pub a few blocks away for less wholesome revelry. They already had a promise from his parents to watch the baby so they could go. Still, he needed to fulfill familial social obligations. Not that he minded. His certainly owed his family for all of the support they had given him and Shelby, instead of turning them out in the cold.

Someday, he just hoped he could pay them back in kind.

"Is that really how you're going to spend the evening?"

Cal looked up at his wife from his spot on the couch, and grinned. "Why? Do you object?" He had his feet up on the ottoman, a large bowl of popcorn, a movie about to start on the television, and Abigail passed out asleep on his chest. "You never seemed to mind when I did this with Gloria or Charlie." In the case of the latter, sometimes it had been the only way to get him to sleep. If he was going to babysit his granddaughter, he couldn't think of a more enjoyable way to do it.

Alyse shook her head, her short hair swaying from the breeze of it. Then she smiled. "No objections; as long as I can join you."

"No work to do tonight?"

"Are you kidding? After the party we put on this afternoon, I'm going to put my feet up and relax!" Alyse's grin widened.

Cal patted the couch cushion next to him. "Then sit on down here! You didn't think I made this humongous bowl of popcorn for just me did you?"

"Oh, you might have." She sat down beside him, and put her feet up beside his. "What are we watching?"

"Moonlight Over the Sea."

Her eyes lit up. "I love that movie!"

He kissed her cheek, one hand resting on Abigail to keep her from sliding. "I know you do. That's why I turned it on."

"Bait?"

"Worked didn't it?" He slid his left arm around her shoulders as she snuggled in close.

"Looks like it."

June 15th, 1988

"I almost can't believe she's ours," James said for what he supposed was probably the tenth time in an hour as he buckled the tiny little girl in front of him into her car seat.
Krista, her hand lying lightly on his shoulder as she watched, chuckled softly. "You'll believe it tonight when she starts crying for a change and wakes you up."

"Our first late night snuggle date, I can't wait." He really couldn't. Even the idea of sleepless nights and dirty diapers could not dissuade him from the feeling that he and Krista had made the right decision, after months and months of fruitless attempts, to go ahead and file adoption paperwork. It didn't matter that their child was not biological, and there were plenty of wonderful children out there to love who needed parents. They could be those parents.

They had undergone the screening process, the home-visits and interviews, and then they had waited. Finally, a month ago, they had gotten a call that the agency had a baby for them, if they wanted her. The first time he and Krista had met the little dark-haired girl with big blue eyes, it had been love at first sight, and their visits over recent weeks had only made them more certain. Now, the papers were finalized, and the six-month-old was theirs. "All ready to go home," he beamed at her. Aithne—as they had decided to name her— smiled up and him and giggled, and James' heart melted.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Krista asked. "Then you could sit in the back with her."

"No, it's all right." He straightened up and turned to her. "She should get to know her mother." He kissed her softly, then went around to get in the driver's seat while Krista settled into the back next to the car seat. They wanted Aithne's ride home to be as calm and positive as possible.

James couldn't remember ever driving so carefully, or the ride home being simultaneously so long and so short. He couldn't wait to get home and show Aithne her new room, even if she wasn't yet old enough to appreciate the painstakingly careful application of light lavender paint, with white-and-green floral stencils, or the sheer, multi-layered billowy curtains that let in light and heat, without letting any out. Or the matching white furniture, or the butterfly throw-rug on the wooden floor. Someday she would, and that was enough.

"Here we are," he announced needlessly, though he couldn't keep from grinning as he Krista carried Aithne past him through the doorway.

The house was quiet. They had decided early that they wanted to introduce her to her new world slowly. Tonight it would just be them, his father, and the baby. He had taken the rest of the week off to spend with his wife and daughter. Krista, who was still on a teacher's schedule, already had the week off anyway, and the whole summer to devote to the baby.

Trisha, Roy, and their children would be coming over on Thursday for dinner.

The big celebration would happen on Saturday, when the rest of the family—anyone who lived close enough was welcome—would come and go during the day and meet the newest arrival.

Which still meant that the majority of the week would be spent just the three of them, learning the new routine and getting to know each other better.

James followed Krista upstairs to Aithne's room, and while he knew he wasn't going to get any gasps of delight from his new daughter, he certainly felt a thrill seeing here there, in her room—being changed on her own changing table. "Well I guess she's made herself at home then," he teased.

"No time to break it in like the present," Krista agreed with a chuckle as she changed the baby and dropped the diaper into the bin. Then she snapped up the bottom of Aithne's little outfit and picked her up and turned to James. "Do you want to hold her? I'll get her lunch ready."

"Like you need to ask." James reached out eagerly, taking Aithne in his arms. "Hello, Aithne. Come to Daddy, and we'll go watch Mommy make your lunch. Does that sound fun?"

She stared at him for a moment, then cooed and gave him a more certain smile, her little fist reaching up towards his glasses.

"Not those," James moved his head just out of reach of her hand. "Daddy needs those."

"Otherwise he'd see worse than you do." Krista smiled at the baby, then up at him, more at peace than he had seen her in a long time. "Come on. Let's go downstairs and see if she prefers the mushed peas or the mushed asparagus."

James refrained from sticking his tongue out as he followed Krista. "Personally, I'm putting my bets on fruit mush over anything green."

"What if it's kiwi?"

"You've got me there."