~Prologue~
All alone in this forgotten world. He doesn't know how long it has been, but the sting still remains. His promised family still absent and alone he waits on his master to deliver on what he promised. Being trapped in this world had already cemented the damage within him. Was he waiting for something that would ultimately never happen?
~Chapter 1~
It had been six long years since the last return from the world of Fantasia. Noella and Riley both tried to bring back the portal, but something blocked their way back. Nobody knew why, but if they couldn't go back, then Cassim wouldn't ever be able to get through and come home. When Riley and Lucas returned, they were surprised to find Noella and Joel had two kids fraternal twins, a boy and girl they named Jacob and Brielle. Apparently, the original ultrasound didn't notice a second heartbeat. Riley welcomed the aunt life though she moaned at missing out on things prior to their birth. She and Lucas finished high school at the top of their class and got full ride sport scholarships to Stanford University in California. Riley wanted to stay close to home to be nearby her mom, but Corissa wouldn't hear of it. With each passing day, they tried to open the portal back to Fantasia, but the portal never appeared.
For two years, Riley and Lucas went down to California and were dorm neighbors. When they moved back home during their sophomore year of college, both their families were elated to find that Riley had a ring on her finger. Riley Kendall was now Riley Holloway, marrying her best friend, Lucas. Eventually the couple moved back home to Seattle since Riley knew she could still play for her sport closer to home, so the next semester after moving back to Seattle, they finished up school at the University of Washington. Cassim had been missing from the family for six years and with each passing year, it was desperately hard on Corissa. Corissa tried to put her best foot forward considering the circumstances of missing her husband, but with each passing year, it got harder and harder. Joel and Noella furthered their careers over the years as well. Joel was a sought after contractor and Noella finished nursing school becoming a full-fledged RN. Life moved on as normal as it could for the family, but all the adults knew that something still wasn't quite right.
The twins had a birthday coming up marking them turning six years old. Joel and Noella worked diligently at planning the event. Joel would take the kids out for ice cream and a trip to the movies and while they were gone everyone else would show up at Corissa's house for the surprise party. Even at six years old, Brielle and Jacob were quite smart and Noella figured they'd figure something was up by vehicles being parked at their own house. So the simple solution was Corissa opening her home for the special event in honor of her grandkids. Lucas and Riley were in charge of the decorations filling the house with plenty of balloons and streamers. Noella and Corissa got the table set with paper plates and party hats in an assortment of bright colors. As Riley was finishing pinning the last of the streamers, Lucas stepped down off the ladder coming into the kitchen showing Corissa a very brightly colored birthday pinata.
"Hey mom, where should I hang this thing?" Lucas asked.
"In the hallway is fine." She replied.
Noella glanced at Corissa raising a curious brow.
"You sure you can trust him with that." Noella smirked keeping her voice down.
"I heard that." Lucas called.
Corissa held back a quiet laugh and soon frowned as she straightened up the table settings.
"You okay, mom?" Noella asked searching her mother's eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine." She nodded simply, "I'm ready to celebrate the twins' birthday. Let's do this. When will Joel be returning with them?"
"About forty minutes or so and some friends from their first grade class will be showing in twenty." Noella replied.
"Great, we're ready." Corissa said.
"Are you?" Noella questioned.
"I just wish he wasn't missing out on so much, ya know?" Corissa replied, her voice filled with sadness. Noella hugged her mom tightly.
"You found your way home from Fantasia and so will he. We just get to practice patience."
"Easy for you to say," Corissa smirked pulling away, "Besides, I don't think I would have made it back without your help."
"He's going to come home." Noella said with a determined look on her face.
Corissa nodded and quickly shook herself out of her sad thoughts.
"Well, let's get this party started." Corissa said excitedly.
"Not without the kids, mom." Noella laughed.
Right on time, friends from Jacob and Brielle's first grade class were dropped off to the house in chunks before Joel was estimated to arrive with the twins. Joel texted Noella letting her know when they were pulling up to the driveway. Riley turned down the lights and everyone hid wherever they could and the house fell quiet. Footsteps were heard out the door and you could hear them talking on their way up to the front door.
"Daddy, isn't mommy waiting for us at home?" Brielle asked.
"Why are we at grandmas house?" Jacob added.
"We're here to pick her up and go celebrate at home. Go ahead and get your grandma, guys." Joel said.
Moments later, the door opened and Riley flashed on the lights as the twins came in the door with their father right behind them.
"Surprise!" Everyone cheered.
The twins' eyes lit up like the Fourth of July and began laughing and jumping up and down excitedly. The party commenced and in usual Kendall fashion, it was a loud affair. Games were brought out starting with the pinata and to get some energy out, the kids played tag outside in the backyard. After games came cake and gifts. Noella ordered a half in half cake, one side white for Brielle and the other chocolate for Jacob. They opened gifts from the classmates and then finally the family. Riley and Lucas got some pretty hair accessories for Brielle along with a silver heart necklace, she was a girly-girl and loved all that stuff.
"Next year, I'm getting her makeup." Riley whispered to her sister.
"Don't you dare." Noella smirked, "Too soon."
For Jacob, they got him a Lego playset that he had been wanting along with some action figures. Corissa got Brielle a lavender sundress and a cartoon t-shirt and jeans for Jacob. Finally, Noella and Joel had a picture of their gift wrapped in a box for their son and daughter to open. Inside was an image for a backyard jungle gym.
"Where is it?" Jacob asked.
"It can't fit in a gift box." Brielle whined.
"It's at home." Noella told them, "Your dad built it earlier today."
"Thank you!" The twins shouted excitedly.
After gifts, the evening wound down a bit with a few more games, but soon parents started showing up to pick up their kids. Jacob and Brielle thanked all their guests for coming. Manners were an important thing that Joel and Noella wanted to ingrain in their kids early on. Once the extra guests left, Brielle and Jacob were anxious to go home and try out their jungle gym before it got too dark. So they said goodbye to their aunt, uncle, and grandma before Joel and Noella took them home with a car full of gifts.
The jungle gym was pretty massive to fit in the backyard and while Noella didn't like the eye sore taking so much space, she was happy to put up with it for the kids. The kids also had another surprise in the backyard beside the jungle gym. A new golden retriever puppy. The kids screamed when they saw the final surprise and hugged and kissed the animal excitedly. Joel and Noella looked on from their backyard porch smiling widely. Noella leaned against her husbands shoulder smiling contentedly as he put his arm around her back. The kids ran around the jungle gym with the dog right on their heels with its tongue hanging from its mouth.
"We're taking that pup to obedience school." Noella said suddenly.
"Of course." Joel smirked.
The Riordan family picked out a name for their newest addition naming him Sammy. Though Brielle fought hard to name him Princess. Before long, it was bedtime and Noella and Joel got their kids straight to bed.
"Did you have a good birthday?" Noella asked them.
"Yes." They chimed together.
"Goodnight, we love you." Joel said.
"Forever and always." Noella added, "Sweet dreams."
"Love you mommy," Brielle said.
"Love you daddy," Jacob added.
With that, Joel turned out the light and left the door open to the latch. Joel and Noella watched some TV for a bit in their bedroom before going to bed themselves. Noella awoke in the middle of the night glancing at her nightstand alarm clock in bright, bold red numbers showing: 3:14am. She got up to get some water from the kitchen before heading back to her bedroom hoping to fall right back asleep. She peeked in Brielle and Jacob's bedroom and dropped her water glass.
"Joel!" She screamed.
A very disoriented and sleepy Joel quickly ran to his wife grabbing her by her shoulders.
"What's wrong?" He asked searching his wife's eyes desperate for answers.
Noella just stared blankly, her eyes welling with tears, straight ahead in the twins' bedroom where there were two vacant beds.
AN: Hello again Readers! Thank you for joining me on the next adventure with the Kendall family. I'm so pumped to continue this series and I hope you all are ready for a rip-roaring Disney adventure. :D