-1 Saved By The Bell Fan Fiction.

Disclaimer :- I do not own any of the Saved By The Bell characters from the series, they belong to the producers/writers/NBC/Peter Engel productions. Neither am I anything to do with these people/companies. This is purely fan fiction written by a fan of the show for fans.

A couple of years ago I wrote a short Fanfic that reunited Jessie and Slater, this is a kind of a follow on from that but involving all of the gang and what they are up to now.

The Gang Today

Chapter One

Redundancy For Zack.

The words were still swirling around in his head, economic downturn, bank merging, your services no longer required. For twelve years Zack Morris had worked for the same bank, having transferred to a branch back in Pallasades when Kelly had graduated UCLA medical school. The past five years he had been Assistant Manager at the branch, but not anymore it was all over. And it had all been so sudden.

Because the bank was giving a generous redundancy pay off, there had been no notice period. It had been a simply a case of packing up his desk and leaving. A few staff would remain for a further two weeks until the bank merged in with one of the larger branches.

Of those clearing out their desks that day, it had taken Zack the longest to clear his. He had really kept some junk in his desk over the years, a lot of junk and a lot of sentimental stuff too, like receipts from presents he had bought Kelly and their two kids over the years. The last three things to go in the box had all been pictures from his desk, Kelly at her medical school graduation, he and Kelly's wedding photo from fifteen years before and a recent one of him and Kelly with Sophie and Eric. Sophie was twelve now and Eric ten. Their friends had always told them they would have beautiful children and they were right.

Zack always hoped his kids were proud when they were asked what their parents did. He always imagined them saying with pride 'My Mum's a doctor, she specialises in family medicine and my Dad's a bank manager'. He always purposefully left out the assistant part in his fantasy. It was all going to change now anyway, excellent references meant nothing when you didn't know what you were going to do next or where your next pay check was coming from. It wasn't that they were going to be hard up or anything, but they would have to cut back on certain luxuries only families on a generous double income like theirs had been could afford. Well at least until he found another job anyway and who knew how long that would take given the current recession. He had never done anything but banking, he wasn't qualified in anything else and it was banking jobs that were among the worst hit at the moment.

It had been three hours since he had left the bank. He was sat at home now staring at the box from his desk on top of the lounge table. He hadn't told Kelly yet or his parents. Just the other day he and Kelly had been talking about the recession and he had told her he was quite confident his job was safe. He was going to look very silly now. And then of course he knew exactly what his parents would say, he should have done something safe with his career, medicine, law, teaching, any of the safe professions.

What Zack wasn't expecting was Kelly to come home from her surgery at lunchtime. She usually met up for lunch with Jessie or another friend.

'Hi, I didn't expect you to come home, no lunch out today?'

'No, Jessie cancelled, so I decided to come home and relax for an hour instead before I start my home visits this afternoon', it was only when she sat down next to Zack on the sofa she noticed the box on the table.

'What is going on anyway Zack? Your not usually home at this hour'.

'I've been made redundant……..', so proceeded to tell his wife the story of what had happened when he got to work that morning.

'Zack, relax. We are going to be fine, you know that. Take some time out, figure out what you want to do now.'

'What about money Kelly?'

'Zack, when have we ever been short of money?'

'Nineteen ninety four through seven.'

'I meant after you graduated. Zack you started at the bank and worked all hours to support me and the kids while I was still in medical school. We struggled then, we won't struggle now. Treat yourself with some of your redundancy money too. It's my turn to take care of us financially for a while.'

Before Zack could argue, Kelly silenced him with a kiss, then they stood and clung to each other, like so many times before over the years through the ups and downs. There was no need for words, they were as much in love as they ever were, probably more.

'Zack I really got to go, old Mrs Simpson will be calling, wondering where I've got to.'

'Okay, I'll see you tonight.'

'It's late surgery tonight, I won't be home until ten. Please make sure Ben and Sophie are in bed when I get home.'

'Ben won't be a problem, he still goes to bed when he is told. But you know what Sophie has been like lately.'

'Bribe her, I want to spend some time alone with you when I get home tonight. I can catch up with them tomorrow as its my half day. Sophie has become a real rebel since she went to junior high.'

After Kelly left, Zack couldn't help thinking back to his own school days, especially when he was at Bayside High and of his old friend Screech who was now the vice principal there. Of course Screech was no longer known as Screech to anyone but his oldest friends, he was Sam Powers, Vice Principal Sam Powers. When they had all finally managed to get together a couple of years ago, Screech had asked them to call him Sam like everyone else, but they just couldn't get used to it. In the end he had made an exception for his oldest friends and now still allowed them to call him by his old nickname.

It was thinking about Bayside that Zack had the idea to go over and visit Screech at the school. They hadn't seen each other for a couple of months. It was hard for the gang to get together much these days, they all led such busy, hectic lives. Then Zack corrected himself, career wise his life was no longer busy, his diary was completely vacant in that respect. He and Kelly lived so close to Bayside too, he didn't even need to drive over, he could walk it in ten minutes.

The Vice Principals office was still in the same place it had always been, but Screech wasn't there. It was Mrs Smith, who had only been a young fresh out of college teacher herself when Zack was a freshman.

'You ever heard of knocking Zack Morris?', she glanced up at him, she would know his face anywhere. She had spent four years chasing him up for his homework.

'Sorry. I was looking for Mr Powers. He said I could visit anytime and I didn't need to knock on his door.'

'Well, this isn't Mr Powers office anymore, its mine. Mr Powers go promoted two weeks ago. He is the school Principal now.'

'Thanks Mrs Smith, I'll go and find him now.'

At least something is going right for somebody, Zack thought to himself as he reached the Principal's office door and gave a quick knock for old times sake, then he walked straight in.

'Zack.'

'It's strange to see you behind that desk and not Mr Belding.'

'He is enjoying early retirement too much, so he tells me anyway. He still pops in from time to time though.'

'So congratulations on the promotion. What happened to the other Principal and why didn't you tell us?'.

'I wanted to invite you all over to dinner to celebrate, tell you all together, but I sort of got side tracked. Zack, your not going to believe this. I've finally met a woman, a young woman. I've been seeing her every night the past month.'

'When you say young woman how old is she exactly?'

'She is out of college. Just. Her name is Melinda, she is twenty three and she is in her first year teaching over at Valley High. We met at an interschool meeting.'

'Wow, go Screech, I hope your going to introduce us at some point.'

'I plan too, I have a good feeling about this Zack.'

'I'm happy for you Screech, just go careful okay.'

'Of course, I know I've stuffed up too many times over the years. Anyway Zack, shouldn't you be telling some pour soul they can't have a loan or something right now?'

'Not anymore, all that's over. I've been made redundant, the recession and all that you know.'

'I'm sorry Zack.'

'Thanks but we will be okay. I got a good redundancy pay off and Kelly earns good money. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do next. Kelly is okay with me taking some time out anyway, so I get a couple of months of being a house husband while I figure out my future career.'

'You can hang out here the rest of the day if you like.'

'Thanks, but won't I distract you from your work?'

'Not at all. I worked late last night thinking I would be covering classes today for a teacher that's was off sick, but he came back this morning.'

'Oh the memories of this office. What's it like being the new Mr Belding?'

'Strange and stressful. Now I know why the guy started going bald.'

'At least that hasn't happened to you yet and you been working here years.'

'I'll let you in to a secret , I use a product that prevents hair loss and encourages re-growth if it does happen.'

Zack laughed , not sure if Screech was joking or not. Still , Zack thought, at least that was one problem he didn't have yet. Until recently he had kept his hair long just above his shoulders, but had cut it back a few months ago, decided it was time for a change. Kelly had certainly liked it anyway.

'I can't believe I've lost my job and I'm sitting here thinking about my hair.'

'Well Zack, you always were a bit vain', Screech joked 'Hey, how about becoming a hairdresser?'

'Very funny'.

Suddenly Zack was feeling so much better than he had that morning. Things weren't as bad as they had first seemed. He still had a gorgeous wife he loved dearly, their two wonderful kids, even if Sophie did drive them mad at times, his closest and oldest friends and a roof over his head in a much sought after suburb , their family home had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large lounge and conservatory and a three acre garden he and Kelly had paid someone to come and mow and look after as they didn't have the time themselves. And, besides, he was sure he would find a new direction in his career soon.

Zack made sure he was back home in time for the kids to get off their respective school buses. Sophie had a letter for him from her principal, he read it while he was making their dinner.

'Sophie, they want to see your Mum and I next week, as soon as possible. I hope your not in trouble.'

'I don't think so.'

' We will see.'

Zack couldn't think of any other reason Sophie's principal would want to see them, Kelly would be tired when she got home from her late surgery tonight, he would tell her about it in the morning. Ben went to bed at nine without any problem. He managed to get Sophie there by half past , by bribing her with a promise for money for food at The Max after school with her friends the coming weekend.

The time Kelly did get home, Zack was feeling sleepy himself and Kelly looked exhausted.

'What a night. I thought I was never going to get the surgery closed', she kicked her shoes off and collapsed down next to Zack on the sofa.

'I'm glad your home now, you look so tired.'

'I am' , she yawned. Within minutes she had fallen asleep on Zack's lap just like their kids had used to when they were young.

In the end though Zack got uncomfortable himself and carried her through to the bedroom, found some of her nightwear and tucked her under the covers before climbing in to bed himself. The he smiled to himself, he had never thought he would be dressing his wife for bed, it was usually the other way round.