A/N: Ok, here's my first attempt at a fanfic in like, 6 months. But I felt
like I really wanted to get back into it, and since I'm done with school, I
have more time. So, here is my take on what happens next for the Everwood
gang. Review please!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Shades of Truth
Chapter One
Ephram Brown absentmindedly drummed his fingers on the tray in front of him as the plane soared over the Colorado mountain line. The August sun was setting, creating a spectacular view of the landscape below. But Ephram was too preoccupied by his thoughts to pay any attention. He was almost home. It was still weird for him to think of Everwood as his home, but it was. Once upon a time he had thought of New York City as the center of the universe – well, his universe anyway. New York used to have anything he wanted and everything he needed. But, in three short years, the nucleus of Ephram Brown's life had shifted 3,000 miles west of the Big Apple, to a town in the middle of nowhere. It was quite an adjustment, but it turned out Everwood had one thing that New York didn't – Amy Abbott.
Amy was the one thing that had kept Ephram sane, and the person he was most looking forward to seeing. The ten days that she had spent with him at the beginning of the summer had flown by too quickly. Saying goodbye to her had been so hard. But he didn't regret a thing. The eight weeks in New York had been exactly what Ephram needed. He had learned so much about himself; about piano and about life. He was now working up to his full potential as a musician, but more importantly, he felt as though he had found himself. He had become more self-confident and he felt ready to face the world. For the first time in a while, Ephram could honestly say he was happy. He had a life to get back to, and for once, it was all in order. He had his friends, his family, and his Amy all waiting for him. His senior year was about to begin, and he felt positive about getting into a good college – maybe even Julliard. It seemed as though the angry, brooding Ephram Brown had vanished.
The next time Ephram looked up, the seatbelt light was flashing. He removed his headphones and heard the flight attendant tell them to prepare for landing. He gathered his things as the plane touched down in Denver, and his summer of self-discovery came to an end.
Andy Brown looked expectantly at the terminal door as it swung open and spewed forth its passengers. Groups of people exited, while Andy and his entourage searched eagerly for the piano prodigy. He recognized the tall brown-haired 16 year old almost right away, but he seemed different. He was taller, a bit more muscular, and not so pale. He was walking differently; his shoulders were back, his strides confident. He did not look like the same boy Andy had put on the bus eight weeks ago; he looked older. Andy stood still for a moment and tried to figure out how his little boy had turned into a man in a matter of two months.
Ephram's appearance had not changed enough to cause Amy the same reaction. Rather, the moment she spotted him, she bolted across the waiting area and threw her arms around him. Ephram dropped his bag and lifted her up, swinging her around, then placing her down and kissing her.
"I missed you so much. You are never leaving again!" She declared, hugging him tight.
"It's so good to see your face." He returned, kissing her again.
She stepped back, and studied him closely. "You got taller." She commented.
"Yeah, I think I grew another inch or so." He replied.
"And you aren't pale!" she exclaimed, bringing her hand to his face. "You got color."
"I spent a lot of time outside." He explained. "Am I really tan?" he asked, not having noticed before.
"I'm so glad you're home." Amy announced, hugging him yet again.
"Alright, alright. I suggest you stop, before I lose my lunch." Bright remarked, approaching the little reunion. "You think Sloppy Joes look nasty before you eat 'em? You should see what the digestive track does."
"Ew! Gross Bright!" said Amy, disgustedly. "Moment officially killed." She rolled her eyes and hit her brother's shoulder.
"My work here is done." He declared proudly, as Amy went to grab her purse from one of the waiting area seats. Then he turned to Ephram. "Hey dawg, you better have some good stories for me."
"Oh yeah." Ephram remarked sarcastically. "I got hammered like, every night."
"Dude!" Bright exclaimed. "That's my boy. Did you really?"
"No." Ephram retorted. "I'm proud to say that the only time Gus Wahlberg made an appearance in NYC was when I wanted to see R-rated movies."
"Aw, c'mon Brown, you're killing me." Bright replied.
"If only." Joked Ephram.
"You better have at least brought me some cool stuff." Bright remarked.
"Me too!" cried Delia, running back from the bathroom.
"Hey kiddo!" Ephram greeted her, picking her up and giving her a hug. "Did you miss me?"
"Why, were you gone?" Delia joked. "I hardly even noticed."
"Ha ha." Ephram replied, putting her down. "Then I guess you won't be needing this." He picked up one of his bags and started to walk over to the trash can.
"Wait!" Delia screamed. "Is that for me? Bring it back!" She ran after him. "What is it?"
"Guess you'll have to find out later." Ephram told her, sliding it into his backpack.
"Come on!" Delia pleaded. "Dad! Ephram is teasing me!"
Delia's whining snapped Andy out of his reverie. He joined the welcome party. "Well, now this is something I haven't missed." He remarked at the squabbling siblings.
He turned to Ephram. "You, on the other hand, I've missed terribly. I had no one to undermine my authority, no one to yell at, and no one to point out how clueless I am." He smiled.
"I missed you too, Dad." Ephram replied, giving him a hug. "And so does the rest of New York. Would you believe people are still asking when you're coming back?"
"Would you believe I don't care?" Andy replied. "You'd think after three years they'd get the hint. And to think, East Coasters are supposed to be the most intelligent Americans."
"I dunno." Ephram replied. "Bright is definitely some heavy competition." He motioned toward the older Abbott, who was trying to get free snacks by hip-checking the vending machine.
"What am I?" Asked Bright, hearing his name.
"You mean aside from loud, annoying and obnoxious?" Amy retorted.
"You mean aside from loud annoying and obnoxious?" Bright mimicked in a whiny voice. Amy hit him again.
Ephram laughed at his welcome wagon. "Its good to be home." He remarked, heading towards the baggage carousel.
TBC! Review! (
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Shades of Truth
Chapter One
Ephram Brown absentmindedly drummed his fingers on the tray in front of him as the plane soared over the Colorado mountain line. The August sun was setting, creating a spectacular view of the landscape below. But Ephram was too preoccupied by his thoughts to pay any attention. He was almost home. It was still weird for him to think of Everwood as his home, but it was. Once upon a time he had thought of New York City as the center of the universe – well, his universe anyway. New York used to have anything he wanted and everything he needed. But, in three short years, the nucleus of Ephram Brown's life had shifted 3,000 miles west of the Big Apple, to a town in the middle of nowhere. It was quite an adjustment, but it turned out Everwood had one thing that New York didn't – Amy Abbott.
Amy was the one thing that had kept Ephram sane, and the person he was most looking forward to seeing. The ten days that she had spent with him at the beginning of the summer had flown by too quickly. Saying goodbye to her had been so hard. But he didn't regret a thing. The eight weeks in New York had been exactly what Ephram needed. He had learned so much about himself; about piano and about life. He was now working up to his full potential as a musician, but more importantly, he felt as though he had found himself. He had become more self-confident and he felt ready to face the world. For the first time in a while, Ephram could honestly say he was happy. He had a life to get back to, and for once, it was all in order. He had his friends, his family, and his Amy all waiting for him. His senior year was about to begin, and he felt positive about getting into a good college – maybe even Julliard. It seemed as though the angry, brooding Ephram Brown had vanished.
The next time Ephram looked up, the seatbelt light was flashing. He removed his headphones and heard the flight attendant tell them to prepare for landing. He gathered his things as the plane touched down in Denver, and his summer of self-discovery came to an end.
Andy Brown looked expectantly at the terminal door as it swung open and spewed forth its passengers. Groups of people exited, while Andy and his entourage searched eagerly for the piano prodigy. He recognized the tall brown-haired 16 year old almost right away, but he seemed different. He was taller, a bit more muscular, and not so pale. He was walking differently; his shoulders were back, his strides confident. He did not look like the same boy Andy had put on the bus eight weeks ago; he looked older. Andy stood still for a moment and tried to figure out how his little boy had turned into a man in a matter of two months.
Ephram's appearance had not changed enough to cause Amy the same reaction. Rather, the moment she spotted him, she bolted across the waiting area and threw her arms around him. Ephram dropped his bag and lifted her up, swinging her around, then placing her down and kissing her.
"I missed you so much. You are never leaving again!" She declared, hugging him tight.
"It's so good to see your face." He returned, kissing her again.
She stepped back, and studied him closely. "You got taller." She commented.
"Yeah, I think I grew another inch or so." He replied.
"And you aren't pale!" she exclaimed, bringing her hand to his face. "You got color."
"I spent a lot of time outside." He explained. "Am I really tan?" he asked, not having noticed before.
"I'm so glad you're home." Amy announced, hugging him yet again.
"Alright, alright. I suggest you stop, before I lose my lunch." Bright remarked, approaching the little reunion. "You think Sloppy Joes look nasty before you eat 'em? You should see what the digestive track does."
"Ew! Gross Bright!" said Amy, disgustedly. "Moment officially killed." She rolled her eyes and hit her brother's shoulder.
"My work here is done." He declared proudly, as Amy went to grab her purse from one of the waiting area seats. Then he turned to Ephram. "Hey dawg, you better have some good stories for me."
"Oh yeah." Ephram remarked sarcastically. "I got hammered like, every night."
"Dude!" Bright exclaimed. "That's my boy. Did you really?"
"No." Ephram retorted. "I'm proud to say that the only time Gus Wahlberg made an appearance in NYC was when I wanted to see R-rated movies."
"Aw, c'mon Brown, you're killing me." Bright replied.
"If only." Joked Ephram.
"You better have at least brought me some cool stuff." Bright remarked.
"Me too!" cried Delia, running back from the bathroom.
"Hey kiddo!" Ephram greeted her, picking her up and giving her a hug. "Did you miss me?"
"Why, were you gone?" Delia joked. "I hardly even noticed."
"Ha ha." Ephram replied, putting her down. "Then I guess you won't be needing this." He picked up one of his bags and started to walk over to the trash can.
"Wait!" Delia screamed. "Is that for me? Bring it back!" She ran after him. "What is it?"
"Guess you'll have to find out later." Ephram told her, sliding it into his backpack.
"Come on!" Delia pleaded. "Dad! Ephram is teasing me!"
Delia's whining snapped Andy out of his reverie. He joined the welcome party. "Well, now this is something I haven't missed." He remarked at the squabbling siblings.
He turned to Ephram. "You, on the other hand, I've missed terribly. I had no one to undermine my authority, no one to yell at, and no one to point out how clueless I am." He smiled.
"I missed you too, Dad." Ephram replied, giving him a hug. "And so does the rest of New York. Would you believe people are still asking when you're coming back?"
"Would you believe I don't care?" Andy replied. "You'd think after three years they'd get the hint. And to think, East Coasters are supposed to be the most intelligent Americans."
"I dunno." Ephram replied. "Bright is definitely some heavy competition." He motioned toward the older Abbott, who was trying to get free snacks by hip-checking the vending machine.
"What am I?" Asked Bright, hearing his name.
"You mean aside from loud, annoying and obnoxious?" Amy retorted.
"You mean aside from loud annoying and obnoxious?" Bright mimicked in a whiny voice. Amy hit him again.
Ephram laughed at his welcome wagon. "Its good to be home." He remarked, heading towards the baggage carousel.
TBC! Review! (