Chapter One
A.N: Due to popular demand, and a review from Lovin L/G who inspired me to get this written, this is the sequel to protecting her always. I realize that a lot of you wanted me to do the story while Lizzie is at school but I started it when she is finished there, I'm not 100% sure what I am going to do with this so review and leave me ideas if you want. Thanks to all of you who have waited patiently for this sequel, I'm excited about it and I hope you guys are too!
"So are you ready to go home?"
18-year-old Elizabeth McGuire falls silent at her friends question, she was lying in her friend's bed because she was leaving the next morning and had given her bed to a newly admitted 16-year-old pregnant girl. She had been at Bright Academy for two years now and for the first time in two years she was going home. Lizzie listens to the quiet breathing of the four children sleeping in the room before she quietly answers, "I don't think so. You're so lucky they are letting you stay on here for the rest of the summer, Ally."
"I don't have anywhere else to go before college starts Lizzie, you're lucky you have somewhere to go."
Lizzie sighs, "I know, I'm sorry Ally, but don't forget you promised that you would come visit me over the summer."
"Of course," Alyson Jones' voice holds a southern drawl that she hadn't lost in four years at Bright Academy. "Let me know and Max and I will come visit you."
Max was Alyson's four year old son, "Michael's going to miss Max, without Max around he's out numbered."
"Max will miss Michael too. When do you leave in the morning?"
"Early," Lizzie sighs, "I think LeeAnne said that she wants to leave by six, she's picking up a girl after she drops me off."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" Alyson asks.
"Yeah, the kids are going to be grumpy up that early and traveling there's no reason to make Max grumpy too."
"I could leave Max here, I'm sure Carrie wouldn't mind baby-sitting, she owes me anyway."
"No, it's all right, but thanks Ally."
"Why are you so determined to make everything so hard on yourself?" Alyson's voice is half accusatory and half concerned.
"I don't know what you mean." Lizzie responds, but in all reality she knows exactly what Alyson means, since she had come to Bright Academy she had gained an independence she never knew she had and now that she was going home she was afraid she was going to loose that.
"Fine, I won't push it." Alyson sighs, it was a unwritten rule at Bright that if someone didn't want to talk about something you didn't push them. "I'll miss you though."
Lizzie hugs her in the dark, "you promised to visit and maybe in the end you'll end up picking a community college close to mine."
"Stay with Max!" The next day Michael is fighting Lizzie tooth and nail as she tries to get all three of her toddlers ready to go.
"Sweetie you can't stay with Max, we have to go visit Grandma and Grandpa for awhile." Lizzie softly responds as she attempts to pull Michael's blue elephant shorts up.
"No!" Michael responds firmly, "wanna stay with Max!"
"Me too! Me too!" Hanna and Lily chorus from their beds where they aren't dressed yet and are sitting on the mattress they had put on the floor the night before in their matching pajamas.
Lizzie sighs and wraps an expert arm around Michael, as he attempts to wriggle out of her reach, as she reaches across the bed for his white shirt with elephants across the front. "Sorry guys we gotta stay with Grandma and Grandpa for awhile." In an attempt to appease all three of her currently cranky two-year-olds Lizzie states, "Max and Ally are going to come stay with us for awhile when we go visit Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Matt."
"For real?" Hannah asks holding her hand out for emphasis.
"Like totally!" Lizzie can't help but responds and laugh at her eldest daughter, pulling her into her lap. "Who taught you that?"
"Tara." Hanna giggles, Tara was one of the other girls who lived at Bright.
"Oh yeah?" For Hanna these were fighting words.
"Yeah!" Hanna nearly screams placing her hands on her hips and mock glaring at her mother, but this quickly gives way to more giggles and Hanna throws her arms around Lizzie's neck kissing her.
"Me too! Me too!" Lily calls from her position still on the floor.
Leaning over the bed Lizzie juggles Hanna and pulls Lily up with them, "so are you guys ready to get dressed and get ready to go? Ally is on breakfast duty this morning so she and Max should be downstairs so you guys can say good-bye."
"Ready!" All three declare.
"You're all ready dressed silly," Lizzie points out to Michael. "But why don't you put your elephant by all of our bags to take with?" Once she has made sure that Michael has slipped off of the bed Lizzie turns to the girls, "who wants to get dressed first?"
"Me!" Hanna exclaims and Lizzie isn't surprised. People once they met and got to know the triplets had a hard time believing that they got along so well and spent all of their time together, because they all looked and acted completely different. Hanna was by far the most outspoken and gave the most attitude and looked most like Lizzie with blonde hair that fell to her chin and brown eyes that expressed everything she was feeling. Lily was her complete opposite, Lily was shy and quiet generally spending her time with her favorite dolly in tow, and her looks she had to have gotten from the Craft side of her genes with long light red hair and blue eyes that masked all of her expressions. And Michael was in between his sisters he was generally happy but also tended to loose his temper in frustration, all in all in looks and personality Michael reminded her of Matt.
"All right Hanna you first," Lizzie reaches behind her grabbing the khaki shorts with pink flowers embroidered on the sides and a pink short sleeved shirt. "Pink good for today Hanna-banana?"
Hanna thinks for a minutes, "Lily too?"
Lizzie nods holding up the pink cargo pants and white peasant top for Lily, "pink for Lily too."
Hanna nods then, "kay den."
Quickly Lizzie dresses Hanna and then helps her to her feet, "you make sure your bear is with Michael, we don't want to forget him."
Hanna's eyes go wide, "forget Blueberry?"
"Not if you put him where he's supposed to be." Lizzie assures Lily is placid as Lizzie dresses her, but since she all ready has her favorite doll in hand Lizzie spends a couple extra minutes cuddling with her daughter who loved to be cuddled.
"Mommy look what I found!" Hanna's declaration brings Lizzie's attention away from Lily to Hanna who has pulled her hat out from the bottom of one of the duffel bags, along with the clothes that were on top of it. "I wear, you said."
Lizzie sighs, she had promised Hanna that she could wear the hat that matched her outfit when they went to visit Grandma and Grandpa, Lizzie had to be proud her daughter could accessorize, "all right, you can wear it Hanna." Gently lifting Lily out of her arms she murmurs, "sorry sweetie, but I have to pick up the mess your sister made."
"When breakfast?" Michael asks once Lizzie is kneeling beside him, repacking the clothes that were now strewn about the floor.
"As soon as I get these put away," Lizzie responds and within minutes, an expert at quickly cleaning the messes her children make, Lizzie states, "now we can go have breakfast."
"'n see Max." Michael reminds Lizzie afraid she would forget her promise.
"And see Max."
"An' Ally!" Lily adds.
"Yes," Lizzie nods, "we are going to see Ally and Max."
As promised an hour later Lizzie and the kids are ready to load into LeAnne's van and have said good-bye to everyone in the house who is awake with the exception of Alyson and Max who stand in front of Lizzie.
"I'm going to miss you." Alyson is on the verge of tears when she hugs Lizzie.
"I know! Me too." Lizzie responds, pushing back her tears as well, the triplets were all ready crying as they said good-bye to everyone there was no need to get them worked up at the sight of her tears. Pulling away the two had become best friends in two years stand still holding each other's shoulders, "you promise you'll visit as soon as you get a break here?"
Alyson nods, "I promise, maybe Max and I will visit for his birthday."
"That's be great." Lizzie nods and then turns to face Max she stoops down, "don't give your Mom a hard time, okay?"
The blonde toddler thinks for a minute and then nods solemnly, "I be good." Lizzie hugs Max as Alyson finishes hugging her tearful kids Lily is clinging tightly to Alyson.
"Baby we have to go." Lizzie gently urges Lily prying her fingers apart from around Alyson's neck.
"No!" Lily rarely cried, but when she did she went all out and now would be one of those times.
Lizzie scoops Lily easily into her arms and Lily cries into her shoulder and over Lily's shoulder Lizzie can see LeeAnne coming to her rescue with her 15-year-old daughter following closely. In two years Lizzie had gotten to know LeeAnne very well, she'd found out that LeeAnne had given birth to her daughter when she was 16 and was almost forced to give Kelly up for adoption at her parent's insistence when a distant great-aunt offered to take her in. When LeeAnne turned 23 her aunt had died leaving her a huge inheritance which LeeAnne had spent to open Bright Academy. LeeAnne comes to Lizzie's aid helping Hanna and Michael get bucked into their car seats as Lizzie gets situated in the last row with Lily's car seat but with a sobbing Lily still on her lap.
The ride home was long for Lizzie, Lily eventually fell asleep letting Lizzie put her in car seat for the rest of the ride and Michael and Hanna alternated between babbling at each other in a language only the three of them understood. Lizzie was relieved by her children's overall calmness on the ride but all she could think about was that for the first time in two years she was going home and she was facing things she had left a long time ago. She was facing her family who has supported her when she got pregnant but she had never been home to see, they said they understood but Lizzie couldn't help but feel bad for never going home. She was facing Larry and Ethan who had been amazing friends for the months she was pregnant. But most of all she was facing Gordo and Miranda who had lied to her to protect her.
A.N: Due to popular demand, and a review from Lovin L/G who inspired me to get this written, this is the sequel to protecting her always. I realize that a lot of you wanted me to do the story while Lizzie is at school but I started it when she is finished there, I'm not 100% sure what I am going to do with this so review and leave me ideas if you want. Thanks to all of you who have waited patiently for this sequel, I'm excited about it and I hope you guys are too!
"So are you ready to go home?"
18-year-old Elizabeth McGuire falls silent at her friends question, she was lying in her friend's bed because she was leaving the next morning and had given her bed to a newly admitted 16-year-old pregnant girl. She had been at Bright Academy for two years now and for the first time in two years she was going home. Lizzie listens to the quiet breathing of the four children sleeping in the room before she quietly answers, "I don't think so. You're so lucky they are letting you stay on here for the rest of the summer, Ally."
"I don't have anywhere else to go before college starts Lizzie, you're lucky you have somewhere to go."
Lizzie sighs, "I know, I'm sorry Ally, but don't forget you promised that you would come visit me over the summer."
"Of course," Alyson Jones' voice holds a southern drawl that she hadn't lost in four years at Bright Academy. "Let me know and Max and I will come visit you."
Max was Alyson's four year old son, "Michael's going to miss Max, without Max around he's out numbered."
"Max will miss Michael too. When do you leave in the morning?"
"Early," Lizzie sighs, "I think LeeAnne said that she wants to leave by six, she's picking up a girl after she drops me off."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" Alyson asks.
"Yeah, the kids are going to be grumpy up that early and traveling there's no reason to make Max grumpy too."
"I could leave Max here, I'm sure Carrie wouldn't mind baby-sitting, she owes me anyway."
"No, it's all right, but thanks Ally."
"Why are you so determined to make everything so hard on yourself?" Alyson's voice is half accusatory and half concerned.
"I don't know what you mean." Lizzie responds, but in all reality she knows exactly what Alyson means, since she had come to Bright Academy she had gained an independence she never knew she had and now that she was going home she was afraid she was going to loose that.
"Fine, I won't push it." Alyson sighs, it was a unwritten rule at Bright that if someone didn't want to talk about something you didn't push them. "I'll miss you though."
Lizzie hugs her in the dark, "you promised to visit and maybe in the end you'll end up picking a community college close to mine."
"Stay with Max!" The next day Michael is fighting Lizzie tooth and nail as she tries to get all three of her toddlers ready to go.
"Sweetie you can't stay with Max, we have to go visit Grandma and Grandpa for awhile." Lizzie softly responds as she attempts to pull Michael's blue elephant shorts up.
"No!" Michael responds firmly, "wanna stay with Max!"
"Me too! Me too!" Hanna and Lily chorus from their beds where they aren't dressed yet and are sitting on the mattress they had put on the floor the night before in their matching pajamas.
Lizzie sighs and wraps an expert arm around Michael, as he attempts to wriggle out of her reach, as she reaches across the bed for his white shirt with elephants across the front. "Sorry guys we gotta stay with Grandma and Grandpa for awhile." In an attempt to appease all three of her currently cranky two-year-olds Lizzie states, "Max and Ally are going to come stay with us for awhile when we go visit Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Matt."
"For real?" Hannah asks holding her hand out for emphasis.
"Like totally!" Lizzie can't help but responds and laugh at her eldest daughter, pulling her into her lap. "Who taught you that?"
"Tara." Hanna giggles, Tara was one of the other girls who lived at Bright.
"Oh yeah?" For Hanna these were fighting words.
"Yeah!" Hanna nearly screams placing her hands on her hips and mock glaring at her mother, but this quickly gives way to more giggles and Hanna throws her arms around Lizzie's neck kissing her.
"Me too! Me too!" Lily calls from her position still on the floor.
Leaning over the bed Lizzie juggles Hanna and pulls Lily up with them, "so are you guys ready to get dressed and get ready to go? Ally is on breakfast duty this morning so she and Max should be downstairs so you guys can say good-bye."
"Ready!" All three declare.
"You're all ready dressed silly," Lizzie points out to Michael. "But why don't you put your elephant by all of our bags to take with?" Once she has made sure that Michael has slipped off of the bed Lizzie turns to the girls, "who wants to get dressed first?"
"Me!" Hanna exclaims and Lizzie isn't surprised. People once they met and got to know the triplets had a hard time believing that they got along so well and spent all of their time together, because they all looked and acted completely different. Hanna was by far the most outspoken and gave the most attitude and looked most like Lizzie with blonde hair that fell to her chin and brown eyes that expressed everything she was feeling. Lily was her complete opposite, Lily was shy and quiet generally spending her time with her favorite dolly in tow, and her looks she had to have gotten from the Craft side of her genes with long light red hair and blue eyes that masked all of her expressions. And Michael was in between his sisters he was generally happy but also tended to loose his temper in frustration, all in all in looks and personality Michael reminded her of Matt.
"All right Hanna you first," Lizzie reaches behind her grabbing the khaki shorts with pink flowers embroidered on the sides and a pink short sleeved shirt. "Pink good for today Hanna-banana?"
Hanna thinks for a minutes, "Lily too?"
Lizzie nods holding up the pink cargo pants and white peasant top for Lily, "pink for Lily too."
Hanna nods then, "kay den."
Quickly Lizzie dresses Hanna and then helps her to her feet, "you make sure your bear is with Michael, we don't want to forget him."
Hanna's eyes go wide, "forget Blueberry?"
"Not if you put him where he's supposed to be." Lizzie assures Lily is placid as Lizzie dresses her, but since she all ready has her favorite doll in hand Lizzie spends a couple extra minutes cuddling with her daughter who loved to be cuddled.
"Mommy look what I found!" Hanna's declaration brings Lizzie's attention away from Lily to Hanna who has pulled her hat out from the bottom of one of the duffel bags, along with the clothes that were on top of it. "I wear, you said."
Lizzie sighs, she had promised Hanna that she could wear the hat that matched her outfit when they went to visit Grandma and Grandpa, Lizzie had to be proud her daughter could accessorize, "all right, you can wear it Hanna." Gently lifting Lily out of her arms she murmurs, "sorry sweetie, but I have to pick up the mess your sister made."
"When breakfast?" Michael asks once Lizzie is kneeling beside him, repacking the clothes that were now strewn about the floor.
"As soon as I get these put away," Lizzie responds and within minutes, an expert at quickly cleaning the messes her children make, Lizzie states, "now we can go have breakfast."
"'n see Max." Michael reminds Lizzie afraid she would forget her promise.
"And see Max."
"An' Ally!" Lily adds.
"Yes," Lizzie nods, "we are going to see Ally and Max."
As promised an hour later Lizzie and the kids are ready to load into LeAnne's van and have said good-bye to everyone in the house who is awake with the exception of Alyson and Max who stand in front of Lizzie.
"I'm going to miss you." Alyson is on the verge of tears when she hugs Lizzie.
"I know! Me too." Lizzie responds, pushing back her tears as well, the triplets were all ready crying as they said good-bye to everyone there was no need to get them worked up at the sight of her tears. Pulling away the two had become best friends in two years stand still holding each other's shoulders, "you promise you'll visit as soon as you get a break here?"
Alyson nods, "I promise, maybe Max and I will visit for his birthday."
"That's be great." Lizzie nods and then turns to face Max she stoops down, "don't give your Mom a hard time, okay?"
The blonde toddler thinks for a minute and then nods solemnly, "I be good." Lizzie hugs Max as Alyson finishes hugging her tearful kids Lily is clinging tightly to Alyson.
"Baby we have to go." Lizzie gently urges Lily prying her fingers apart from around Alyson's neck.
"No!" Lily rarely cried, but when she did she went all out and now would be one of those times.
Lizzie scoops Lily easily into her arms and Lily cries into her shoulder and over Lily's shoulder Lizzie can see LeeAnne coming to her rescue with her 15-year-old daughter following closely. In two years Lizzie had gotten to know LeeAnne very well, she'd found out that LeeAnne had given birth to her daughter when she was 16 and was almost forced to give Kelly up for adoption at her parent's insistence when a distant great-aunt offered to take her in. When LeeAnne turned 23 her aunt had died leaving her a huge inheritance which LeeAnne had spent to open Bright Academy. LeeAnne comes to Lizzie's aid helping Hanna and Michael get bucked into their car seats as Lizzie gets situated in the last row with Lily's car seat but with a sobbing Lily still on her lap.
The ride home was long for Lizzie, Lily eventually fell asleep letting Lizzie put her in car seat for the rest of the ride and Michael and Hanna alternated between babbling at each other in a language only the three of them understood. Lizzie was relieved by her children's overall calmness on the ride but all she could think about was that for the first time in two years she was going home and she was facing things she had left a long time ago. She was facing her family who has supported her when she got pregnant but she had never been home to see, they said they understood but Lizzie couldn't help but feel bad for never going home. She was facing Larry and Ethan who had been amazing friends for the months she was pregnant. But most of all she was facing Gordo and Miranda who had lied to her to protect her.