Family

A sequel to Forever Changed

Notes: If you read my story Forever Changed (Changed Forever in the movies section) you will see that Oliver and Grace adopt Molly. This story is set three years after the musical and by this point Oliver and Grace have two children of their own.. twins named Frederick and Joanne who are one year old. I own no characters from Annie. This is set in the spring time. Annie is 14 in this story and Molly is 10.

Annie Warbucks smiled as she walked around the gallery that was in the mansion looking at all the paintings. She was lost in thought. She couldn't believe three years had passed since she had been adopted by Oliver, Oliver married Grace and their life together had begun. She often thought about where here other friends from the orphanage had ended up. She couldn't be happier with the way things had turned out for her and Molly, her best friend and adopted sister.

"Annie, where are you?"

Annie snapped out of her reverie to hear her mother calling her.

"In the gallery Mom." She responded.

Grace Warbucks entered the gallery and found her daughter staring at the painting Starry Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.

"Sweetheart, have you seen your sister? " Grace asked.

"She's in her room doing her math homework. Why?"

"Your father and I need to talk to you about something."

Annie looked at her mother. "Okay, I'll go get her."

Annie walked down the long hallway to the main foyer curious as to what her parents wanted to talk to her and her sister about. She tiptoed down the hall as to not wake up her sleeping twin sister and brother Joanne and Frederick.

"Molly, Mom and Dad want to talk to us." Annie said.

"Are we in trouble?" Molly asked.

"I doubt it. Come on, let's go downstairs." Annie said.

The two sisters went down the stairs and joined Grace and Oliver in Oliver's office.

"Girls we have some very exciting news for you." Grace said

Molly and Annie shared an intrigued glance

"Are you guys having another baby?" Molly asked

"No, this is actually about your friends from the orphanage." Oliver said.

Both girls' eyes glowed with excitement.

"What about them? "asked Molly.

" We got a letter from the woman who took over from Ms. Hannigan and one of the families who has a house in the next town over is inviting you all over for a barbeque when school gets out."

"Really? A party?" asked Molly.

"Leapin Lizards. That sure is swell. We'd sure love to see all our friends from the orphanage again. When is the party? Annie asked.

Grace was happy to see her daughters so excited. "June 15th. Do you girls want to go?"

"Do we ever! We haven't seen our friends from the orphanage in so long." Annie said. Molly nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. We will RSVP then and tell them you will be attending."

"Now then, why don't we go have dinner? I think we're having spaghetti and meatballs tonight." Olive said.

"Well, whatever it is it sure smells good." Molly said.

The family went into the dining room and no sooner had they sat down then the two infants awoke from their nap.

"Well, I suppose Frederick and Joanne have a sense it's time for dinner too."

"Molly, sweetheart do you want to help me feed your brother and sister?" Grace asked.

Molly nodded and the two left the room to go warm up the baby bottles in the kitchen,

Oliver smiled at his oldest daughter. "So how was your day at school today Annie?"

Annie sighed. "Good. We have a project for social studies to do about our family history. I have a feeling that's going to be a hard project though."

"How come?"

"Well I wanted to do two family trees. One for our family and one for my birthparents and I but I don't know enough info about my birth parents except the fact that they left me at the orphanage."

Oliver reached across the table and squeezed Annie's hand. "I'm sure we can find some information about your parents if we go to town hall. They're bound to have something."

"What about your family history Daddy? I need to include my aunts uncles and cousins on my family tree but I know nothing about your side of the family. I know Mom's an only child and Grandma and Grandpa Farrell are dead but I don't know much about your side."

Cartwheels turned in Oliver's chest. He knew that the charade of keeping his family history secret from Annie Grace and Molly had to end eventually.

"Well as you already know I had a twin brother who died when were both 12. His name was Frederick; your brother is named after him."

Annie looked at her father and noticed the sad look upon his face. "What did he die of?"

"We never knew exactly what the illness was and that's why we couldn't find the proper medicine to treat it."

"Did you have any brothers or sisters besides Frederick?"

"Yes, one sister named Gloria and one brother named Eugene."

"Are they still alive?"

"I would imagine so. I have been estranged from them for several years."

"Did you guys get in a fight?"

"No, after Fred's death I was so distraught that I left home for awhile and got work. I sent money to my mom and sister and brother for years but they never wrote back to me."

"What about your father?"

"He abandoned us and I never heard from him after my brother died."

"What were my grandparents' names?"
"Walter and Margaret."

"Do I have any cousins?"

Oliver gave his daughter a sad smile. "That I don't know. I'm afraid. As I said I have been estranged from my brother and sister for several years."

"Have you ever considered trying to find them?

Oliver shook his head.

"I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm sure they both must be married now but I haven't the slightest idea where they would be living."

"What about Grandma Margaret, is she still alive?"

Oliver shook his head again. "She died a few years after Frederick. She was very ill for awhile. We never knew what kind of illness she had either."

Grace and Molly returned about 15 minutes later and took their places at the table.

"What discussion are we missing?" Grace asked.

"Annie was just telling me about her social studies project. She needs to make a family tree."

" I was just asking Daddy about his family history." Annie said. "Mom do you think we could make a copy of one of your old pictures of Grandma and Grandpa to put on my family tree?"

Grace smiled. "I don't see why not."

"Do you think I should put Mrs. Pugh down on the family tree as my grandmother on your side of the family since your mom is dead?" Annie asked Grace.

"I'm sure Mrs. Pugh would not mind that at all but you would need to check with her first." Oliver said.

Grace smiled at her husband. "I can almost guarantee it won't be a problem. Oliver, you know how close Helen and I have been since I started working here."

Oliver sheepishly looked at his wife. "Sometimes I forget how close the two of you are."