The Beginning of Something New
Summary: Fiona and Adam finally complete the adoption and bring in two new people, to their lives.
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of it's characters. I only own the storyline and my OCs: Emma, Maggie, Alicia, Liam, Mrs. Marquez, Evan, James, Kristen, Devon and Deidra. This is a oneshot follow up to my story, "Better With You Gone. The first chapter, of the sequel to "Better With You Gone" and this follow up story should be up later this week or tonight.
Fiona Torres sat in the uncomfortable, metal seat, shifting uncomfortably. Her nails made a tapping noise against the armrest. Adam sat beside her, holding her other hand in a firm, comforting grip. When the two had made the arragments for adopting Emma Elizabeth Wilson, they'd also found out about how her druggie mother was pregnant with her soon to be born, baby sister, who they'd decided to name, Maggie Charlotte. The sisters were going to be going home with Fiona and Adam today.
The door that led to the private waiting room was suddenly opened and a woman in her late thirties with her blonde hair pinned in a tight bun, walked in. A folder was clutched in her right hand as she smiled warmly at them, and shut the door. "Good morning Mr and Mrs. Torres." She told them softly as she took a seat infront of them, smiling the whole time.
"Morning Mrs. Marquez." Adam answered her, swallowing hard as he let go of his wife's hand to shake Mrs. Marquez's.
"So, I'm happy to announce that little Maggie is a healthy little baby. She's approximately six pounds and four ounces. As you may know, we were a little worried about her considering the rather...unfortunate circumstances with young, Miss. Wilson, her and Emma's birth mother." Mrs. Marquez said, grimacing a little as she mentioned Miss. Wilson. The young woman had a drug problem. The whole reason that Emma had been taken from her in the first place. Then, the twenty one year old had gotten pregnant once again, with Maggie. It made Mrs. Marquez happy to know that Fiona and Adam wanted to take in both of the sisters. "Anyway, I'm going to give you their information and then, you can follow me so we can go get them."
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"Mommy!" Alicia whined as she tugged at the tail of her mother's shirt. "When are Auntie Fiona and Uncle Adam coming?"
Clare laughed and turned away from the crib where she and her husband, Eli stood to kneel down infront of her daughter. "It's going to take a little while longer, honey. I'm sure that Fiona and Adam want to take Emma and Maggie to meet their grandparents, uncle, and aunt before they come here." She replied reaching a slender, pale hand out to run it through her daughter's waist length, dark brown curls.
The little girl stuck her bottom lip out, pouting. "But waiting is boring!" She said, stomping her foot.
Eli smirked at his daughter's words as he held his and Clare's two week old son, Liam Jonah Goldsworthy. "Yeah, but just think Alicia. The wait will be worth it. You'll get a new friend." He promised her assuredly. Emma, was Alicia's age, only about a month older and little Maggie was almost two weeks younger than Liam.
Alicia wrinkled her small nose in confusion. "But...I already of two." She protested, throwing a look to Kristin and Jamie, behind her.
"You can have more than two friends, Alicia. Now, why don't you, James, and Kristen go on to the playroom and play? KC, Evan, and Bianca should be here soon. So should Aunt Alli and Uncle Drew." Her mother asked of her gently, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Her daughter hugged her and sighed, before running out of the room, telling James and Kristen to come chase and catch her.
Clare giggled as she watched the three children race out of the room, before she got up off of the floor and turned to her husband and young son. "We are so lucky, Eli." She told him, as she took a sleeping Liam from Eli's arms and placed him in the crib. "After everything we've gone through, I couldn't be happier. And the fact that Adam and Fiona are getting what they've always dreamed of and is just the icing on the cake. I just...I wish Jenna could be here to see it.
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Fiona and Adam walked into the small room filled with toys to see Emma sitting there with a social worker, coloring a picture. A little carseat sat on the table and a tiny bundle, dressed in pastel pink squirmed around in it.
Mrs. Marquez smiled at the two and said softly, "Emma? Mr. and Mrs. Torres are here.".
The little redhead turned her head to look, a smile brighting her face as she jumped out of her chair, her two pigtails flying behind her as she rushed to hug them.
Fiona beamed tearfully as she wrapped her arms around her small body warmly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
"I drew you guys' a picture." She said shyly, reaching for one of Adam's hands and tugging him and Fiona along, behind her. She let go of their hands and sat on her knees, on the chair, picking up the picture she'd been working on. "See?" She announced proudly, a small grin on her lips as she held it up.
In the picture was a rainbow and a sun with three people standing in the middle, holding hands. Another stick figure stood off to the side, by herself, staring at the happy family.
"That's you." Emma said to Adam, pointing to a figure drawn in green. "That's Maggie, in your arms." She pointed to the face peeking out from the arm not holding the middle stick figure's. "That's me." She pointed to the stick figure drawn in a robin's egg blue. "And that's you." She told Fiona, pointing to the pink stick figure, standing on the other side of Emma. She turned to face the two adults proudly, brown eyes shining, happily.
"It's a beautiful picture, Emma." Adam told her, hugging her to his side. "But...who's that person standing by themselves?" His eyes were filled with curiousity as he looked down at his newly adopted daughter.
Emma went quiet for a few moments, staring down at her white and purple sneakers. Lifting her head, she said, "It's my mommy. She's happy that you are adopting me." She answered in a tiny whisper that Fiona and Adam had to strain to hear. "She knows that you two will love me and help me. She told me in the hospical that she loved me, but it's not enough."
Fiona looked up from where she stood, staring down at Maggie and gasped, sadly. Before today, she'd never really thought of how hard it must be for Sophie Wilson to give up her two children. To have to admit that she wasn't good for them. All she'd really been thinking of, was how her and Adam's wish for a family was coming true. In a way, Sophie reminded Fiona of herself. Of all those years ago, back when she was a senior in highschool. Back when she took comfort in drinking. When she found comfort in it. She remembered how she'd hurt Adam with her drinking and how it effected the people around her. It took strength to admit that you had a problem. Especially when that problem helped you forget something painful.
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Fiona sat quietly in the front seat, staring down at her lap as Adam parked the car infront of Declan and Holly J's house. He reached over and rested a hand on his wife's clasped one's and asked, "What are you thinking so hard about, Fiona?"
She looked up, shaking her shoulder length, dark hair from her eyes. "About how if...I didn't have you, my mom, and Holly J in highschool, I could've ended up like Sophie."
He raised an eyebrow. "What made you think of this?" He asked of her softly, looking in the rearview mirror to make sure that Emma and Maggie were still asleep.
Fiona shrugged. "What Emma said. How Sophie knew that she couldn't take care of them, as much as she loved them. And how happy she was that we decided to adopt them, because we could provide them with everything that they need. I just...I can't imagine how difficult it was for her to let her babies go."
Adam leaned over to hug her comfortingly. "Well luckily, you got the help that you needed." He whispered in her ear, pressing a soft kiss to the shell of it. He pulled away and smiled, opening his car door. "We should go inside. I'm sure your mom and dad and Declan and Holly J are getting impatient.
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Holly J let out a delighted squeal as she opened the door, seeing Adam holding Emma in his arms while Fiona held little Maggie. She waved them inside, smiling as she hugged her best friend and then Adam. "They're so beautiful." She said as took the now awake Maggie into her arms, staring at her tiny face. "Declan is giving Devon and Deidra a bath, upstairs." She informed them. "They were outside playing earlier and got really dirty."
"What about mom and dad?" Fiona asked of her, smiling a bit at the mention of her five year old nephew and four year old niece.
"They called earlier. Apparently, they just had to stop at the mall and buy some presents to celebrate this occasion and welcome Emma and Maggie to the family." Holly J answered with a roll of her eyes and a shrug. "And Declan wonders why Deidra and Devon are so spoiled."
Emma began to stir in Adam's arms, before Fiona could answer. Brown eyes surveyed the room carefully, before landing on Holly J, curiously, just as Deidra and Devon ran down the long staircase, giggling. Declan running along behind them. He came to a stop when he spotted his sister and brother-in-law and his two, new nieces. He smiled warmly at Emma, showing off his brilliant white teeth. "You must be Emma." He said in a soft voice, lifting his long fingered hand for Emma to shake.
The little girl gave him a dimpled grin and spit out her pigtail, which she'd been chewing on and taking his hand before letting go and burying her face in Adam's neck, shyly.
"Hi!" Devon said to Emma, staring up at her from beneath his light brown bangs. He looked like a minature version of his father, even at five years old.
Deidra stood beside him with her arms crossed, glaring up at Emma. She'd never had to share the attention with anyone, before. With two, new female cousins, that would surely change.
Smiling, Adam set Emma on her feet. "Why don't you go play with Devon and Deidra, Emma?"
Emma nodded and took Devon's proferred hand as he took her up to his room, Deidra stalking behind them grumpily.
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The adults had been talking for well over twenty minutes when a sharp, high-pitched scream rang out, followed by what sounded like sobbing. Footsteps were heard, racing down the staircase and into the living room.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Devon cried out, climbing up onto his mother's lap. "Deidra shoved Emy into a bunch of toys and now Emy is hurting."
Holly J stood up abruptly after letting Devon down. Fiona, Adam, Declan, and Holly J hurried up the stairs and into Devon's room. Emma lay in a pile of toys, sobbing quietly with Deidra standing over her with clenched fist. Fiona rushed forward to pick the little girl up.
"Shh...it's okay Emma. You're fine now." Fiona whispered, running a hand through her silky pigtails.
That only caused the little girl to cry louder, clenching tightly at her shoulders. "I don't wanna be here, no more!" She said loudly, kicking her feet, angrily.
"I'm so sorry, Fiona! I don't know what's gotten in to Deidra, but she's going to apologize." Declan said, giving his daughter a hard look.
Deidra stomped her foot angrily, before kicking out at Declan and catching him in the knee. "I hate you!" She shouted before stomping into the adjoining bathroom that led to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
Sighing, Declan said, "Listen, I'm going to go talk to her. Maybe for right now, you guys should leave." He told his sister and brother-in-law apologetically, reaching out to pat Emma on the head.
Holly J sighed and led Fiona and Adam down the stairs, apologizing the whole time. "I'm sorry about Deidra, you guys. She's never acted out like this before." She told them as they stepped into the living room, where Devon sat, staring down at Maggie in her carseat.
She smiled at the site, in spite of herself. She ran her hand through Devon's already messy hair. "You're being a good cousin, aren't you, Devon?" She asked of him.
He gave his mom a grin before turning his attention to Emma. "Sorry about my sister, Emy. She can be a meanie."
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"It's jealousy." Clare said into the phone as she talked to Fiona. "I should know. Darc did the same thing to me, when I was four and she was seven. Deidra's never had to fight for attention with anyone before. Not even Devon. Now, all of a sudden, she has two, new female cousins who everyone is showering attention upon."
"But Alicia would never do something like that. And Evan never did anything like that to Alicia." Fiona said, confusion in her voice as she spoke into the phone. Her eyes stared out at the trees and passing houses as Adam drove.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't experience jealousy." Clare told her friend, leaning back into her chair and watching as Alicia, Kristen, James, and Evan sat on the floor, watching cartoons.
"What's going on?" Eli asked his wife as he sat down on the chair arm, feeding Liam his bottle.
Clare covered the mouthpiece of the phone and answered, "Apparently, Deidra got jealous when Fiona and Adam visited and she shoved Emma into a bunch of toys. Then kicked Declan and said that she hated him."
"You told her that Deidra was probably just jealous, right?" Alli asked from her spot on the sofa.
"Of course I did. She doesn't believe it though, because Alicia and Evan have never pulled a stunt like that." Clare said, before speaking into the phone. "Well, things should be okay once Holly J and Declan talk to her and explain that shoving is wrong."
"I guess so." Fiona answered sadly. "Anyway, we'll be there in a few minutes. We probably won't be staying long, though. I don't really think that Emma is up to it."
"That's fine." Clare replied as she leaned torwards her husband and son. "We have lasanga in the oven and salad and breadsticks, so you might as well stay for some dinner. Then, CeCe sent over some cherry pie and a german chocolate cake."
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About ten minutes later, Fiona, Adam, Emma, and Maggie stepped inside the Goldsworthy home. Moments later, Alicia, Evan, James, and Kristen rushed into the room.
"Auntie Fiona! Uncle Adam!" Alicia yelled, hugging both of them around their waist. She turned to face Emma and the two girls stared at eachother for a few moments before Alicia leaned forward and hugged the little girl. "I'm Alicia, and that's James, Kristen, and Evan." She said, pointing behind her.
Evan stepped forward and smiled politely at the girl and shook her hand.
Kristen and James both smiled and waved.
"We were just watching tv in the livingroom, come on!" Alicia said, looping her arm through Emma's and tugging her along.
Fiona laughed as she and Adam headed to the kitchen, carrying Maggie with them. For the moment, it seemed as if the kids were getting along well.
The End