DISCLAIMER: I don't own the show or the characters... although I could deal with owning Patrick Levis, Erik von Detton, and Eric Lively! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Annie!" Molly Phillips yelled. "This is the house where we're shooting the video. Let's go!" Fourteen year old Annie Thelan came running from her room in the back of the tour bus. As she walked through the kitchen, Jack Phillips stuck out his foot. Since she wasn't paying attention, Annie tripped and fell against the couch.
"Jack!" the girl screeched. Jack laughed at Annie, who's hair was now covering her face, and blue jeans and red halter top were no longer looking perfect. Still laughing, he hopped off the bus and went running across the lawn of the mansion. Annie, however, was right on his heels. She was just catching up to Jack as he ran into Clu, who was carrying a guitar and another suitcase.
"Woah, dudes. Watch it, unless you want Molly getting pissed. This is Carey's new guitar, Jack!" Annie backed up sheepishly, leaving Jack to take the fall. Not sure what else to do, she entered the huge house that stood before her. Annie walked down the long hallway that stood before her. Not surprisingly, the place was filled with dust that made her sneeze.
"Wow," Annie whispered, "Check out all of this old stuff. This picture's gotta be a million years old." She slowly traced her finger over an old black and white painting of a man. It looked strangely familiar, like something Fiona had showed her before. As she tried to remember, a loud noise behind her startled her. She whipped around to discover Molly, who had dropped the large box she was carrying.
"Shoot!" Molly muttered. Annie noticed the word "fragile" scrawled on the side of the box in Ned's messy handwriting.
"Here," offered Annie. "Let me help you."
"Thank you, Annie," Molly remarked. They picked up the box and Annie followed Molly into a gigantic room. Against the wall was a huge couch and on another wall were hundreds of pictures. The high ceiling made the room look even bigger. The fire place was lit, giving a somewhat homey appeal to the room. Again, pictures of a man seemed to jump out at her from the wall. She walked toward the wall, without looking where she was going. Clumsily, she tripped over the cord that was attatched to the sound board.
"Annie!" Carey cried. "Watch it! It took my mom a while to even get those cords untangled." She glanced up, embarassed.
"Sorry, Carey. I just wasn't paying attention." Molly came over and layed a hand on the teen's shoulder.
"Who's that man in the picture, Molly?" Annie questioned.
"I'm not sure, sweetie. This place is owned by the park authority and there isn't loads of info available on the place. Why don't you go explore, Annie?" suggested the singer. "Oh, and take Jack with you."
"Mom!" came the cry. "Why do I have to babysit her? She's fourteen!" It was Jack. Molly looked at her son with a mix of frustration and humor. Annie stood there with a pout on her face, not wanting to have *Jack* with her.
"He's right," she thought to herself. "I am old enough to be treated like he is! I wish Molly would stop babying me!" Molly looked at Jack, begging him with her eyes.
"I'll be right back, Annie," she said. "Don't go anywhere." Taking Jack's arm, Molly walked out into the hallway. Once they were out of an earshot of Annie, Molly turned her son to face her.
"Mom!" Jack began.
"Come on, Jack," she pleaded. "Trust me, it's just until we get set up. But, until then, I don't need her getting in the way. We're really on a time crunch for this video, and the camera crew will be here in an hour. Please, Jack!" Jack frowned at his mother, who was beginning to make a puppy face.
"Aw, mom, not the eyes!" he groaned. "Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye on her. But that doesn't mean that I'll buy into her 'ghost' stuff. You know she'll start off on that as soon as she starts exploring." Molly hugged her son.
"I know, I know," she said. "But if it keeps her out of the way until we're set up, then I think you can deal. Now, come on." Molly took Jack's arm and led him back into the room. Annie stuck her tongue out at Jack, and before Molly could see, pulled it back in. Jack returned the gesture.
"Well," Annie remarked, "I'm gonna go check things out. Bye, Molly." The teenager tried to dart out the door before she could get stuck with Jack. However, Molly grabbed her arm.
"Oh, no you don't. You hang with Jack until someone else gets here. Okay?" Annie sighed, but nodded.
"I don't mean to insult you when I act like that," Annie commented, as she headed out the door.
"Ya, I know," Jack commented. Annie punched him lightly on the arm and they both laughed. Looking around in the hallway, she chose a door and opened it. A long flight of stairs stood in front of her and she looked at Jack. Before she had a chance to say something, a movement caught her eye. Quickly, Annie turned her head, only to see a light disappear from the top of the steps.
"Jack, who's upstairs?" she asked. He looked at her strangely.
"Nobody; everyone's in the living room," Jack told her. "Why?"
"I think someone else has come to visit."
"Jack!" the girl screeched. Jack laughed at Annie, who's hair was now covering her face, and blue jeans and red halter top were no longer looking perfect. Still laughing, he hopped off the bus and went running across the lawn of the mansion. Annie, however, was right on his heels. She was just catching up to Jack as he ran into Clu, who was carrying a guitar and another suitcase.
"Woah, dudes. Watch it, unless you want Molly getting pissed. This is Carey's new guitar, Jack!" Annie backed up sheepishly, leaving Jack to take the fall. Not sure what else to do, she entered the huge house that stood before her. Annie walked down the long hallway that stood before her. Not surprisingly, the place was filled with dust that made her sneeze.
"Wow," Annie whispered, "Check out all of this old stuff. This picture's gotta be a million years old." She slowly traced her finger over an old black and white painting of a man. It looked strangely familiar, like something Fiona had showed her before. As she tried to remember, a loud noise behind her startled her. She whipped around to discover Molly, who had dropped the large box she was carrying.
"Shoot!" Molly muttered. Annie noticed the word "fragile" scrawled on the side of the box in Ned's messy handwriting.
"Here," offered Annie. "Let me help you."
"Thank you, Annie," Molly remarked. They picked up the box and Annie followed Molly into a gigantic room. Against the wall was a huge couch and on another wall were hundreds of pictures. The high ceiling made the room look even bigger. The fire place was lit, giving a somewhat homey appeal to the room. Again, pictures of a man seemed to jump out at her from the wall. She walked toward the wall, without looking where she was going. Clumsily, she tripped over the cord that was attatched to the sound board.
"Annie!" Carey cried. "Watch it! It took my mom a while to even get those cords untangled." She glanced up, embarassed.
"Sorry, Carey. I just wasn't paying attention." Molly came over and layed a hand on the teen's shoulder.
"Who's that man in the picture, Molly?" Annie questioned.
"I'm not sure, sweetie. This place is owned by the park authority and there isn't loads of info available on the place. Why don't you go explore, Annie?" suggested the singer. "Oh, and take Jack with you."
"Mom!" came the cry. "Why do I have to babysit her? She's fourteen!" It was Jack. Molly looked at her son with a mix of frustration and humor. Annie stood there with a pout on her face, not wanting to have *Jack* with her.
"He's right," she thought to herself. "I am old enough to be treated like he is! I wish Molly would stop babying me!" Molly looked at Jack, begging him with her eyes.
"I'll be right back, Annie," she said. "Don't go anywhere." Taking Jack's arm, Molly walked out into the hallway. Once they were out of an earshot of Annie, Molly turned her son to face her.
"Mom!" Jack began.
"Come on, Jack," she pleaded. "Trust me, it's just until we get set up. But, until then, I don't need her getting in the way. We're really on a time crunch for this video, and the camera crew will be here in an hour. Please, Jack!" Jack frowned at his mother, who was beginning to make a puppy face.
"Aw, mom, not the eyes!" he groaned. "Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye on her. But that doesn't mean that I'll buy into her 'ghost' stuff. You know she'll start off on that as soon as she starts exploring." Molly hugged her son.
"I know, I know," she said. "But if it keeps her out of the way until we're set up, then I think you can deal. Now, come on." Molly took Jack's arm and led him back into the room. Annie stuck her tongue out at Jack, and before Molly could see, pulled it back in. Jack returned the gesture.
"Well," Annie remarked, "I'm gonna go check things out. Bye, Molly." The teenager tried to dart out the door before she could get stuck with Jack. However, Molly grabbed her arm.
"Oh, no you don't. You hang with Jack until someone else gets here. Okay?" Annie sighed, but nodded.
"I don't mean to insult you when I act like that," Annie commented, as she headed out the door.
"Ya, I know," Jack commented. Annie punched him lightly on the arm and they both laughed. Looking around in the hallway, she chose a door and opened it. A long flight of stairs stood in front of her and she looked at Jack. Before she had a chance to say something, a movement caught her eye. Quickly, Annie turned her head, only to see a light disappear from the top of the steps.
"Jack, who's upstairs?" she asked. He looked at her strangely.
"Nobody; everyone's in the living room," Jack told her. "Why?"
"I think someone else has come to visit."