Okay, so this is an idea that popped into my head with the help of linklovesme. This was also an excuse to make fun of Brad, which is something I never pass up. Enjoy!

Lost And Found

"Brenda, baby, I've got somethin' to ask you."

Brad Bailey couldn't help but smile down at his girlfriend on the worn, living room couch of his parent's home. She smiled politely at him, her hands folded and lying on top of the large swell that was her stomach as she said, "What is it, Brad?" He bit his bottom lip, trying to bite back the large grin that was trying to escape him. He nudged his foot against the floor, and finally, he spoke: "Bren, with this baby on the way, I've been trying to put everything in perspective. I mean, we're gonna be parents; we're gonna be responsible for not only our own life anymore. I want our baby to be happy and loved and accepted, and I want that pretty smile to stay on your face."

She gave him a curious look, unsure what exactly he was talking about. Sure, she'd been smiling less; that tends to happen when society completely exiles you. The only ones who hadn't left her, it seemed, were Brad and Shelley, and she was thankful for that much. Brad loved her, obviously, and the truth could not come out now. He thought the baby was his, considering the fact that Brenda told him it was, and if he learned otherwise, he'd leave her just like everyone else had. Shelley had been her best friend since childhood, and she was always the one to catch Brenda on (most of) her mistakes and be bluntly honest about every situation.

But Shelley was not there that day, the day that Brad got down on one knee and offered Brenda a ring. She wasn't there to tell Brenda not to accept it, that it would only make things more difficult in the long run. "Oh, Brad, of course I'll marry you!" Brenda feigned complete excitement, allowing him to slide the small silver ring on her finger and take her into his arms the best he could. She kissed his cheek, and Brad mumbled into her hair, "I love you, Brenda. I love you so much." Brenda smiled, swallowing the lump that had formed rather quickly in her throat. He had honestly asked her to be his forever; there was no turning back from this point on. He was going down in flames with her, and he was giving his future away for a child that wasn't even his, for a girl who didn't deserve what he was giving her.

"…I love you, too, Brad."

Corny Collins was sitting in his office, surprisingly alone and going through some papers. Typically, very little business was done in the office, but he had other things on his mind that day. Sure, a romp with one of the councilettes could usually take his mind off anything, but it was one particular councilette that was causing the problem. Knuckles rapped on the solid, wood door, and Corny looked up from his papers. "Come in," he said, and the door opened hesitantly. He set down his things and put on a smile for his guest, only to have it fade in an instant.

"Hey, Corny."

"Brenda."

His gaze didn't leave her as she stepped inside, taking a moment to seat herself in the chair in front of his desk. Her stomach was getting bigger, he noted, deciding that she was at least six or seven months along already. She looked up at his handsome face, taking a deep breath. "So…I'm sure Brad already told you." She said sadly, and Corny nodded while looking back at his papers. "Yep. Gave me his resignation this morning. Said he needed a real job to take care of you and the baby."

Brenda shook her head, quietly saying, "I told him to stay here and finish out the year. But when Brad sets his mind to something…" She trailed off, and Corny was quick to finish her sentence: "He gets it, no matter what. No wonder you two go so well together." Brenda bit her lip at his comment, not entirely appreciating his attitude towards her. She looked down at her stomach, thinking that it wasn't fair for him to say that to her. Sure, she'd started out chasing him, but it wasn't like he didn't give in almost instantly. All it had taken were a few batted eyelashes, some nonchalant touches, some dirty suggestions, and soon enough they were rattling the desk drawers loose in his office. That very same desk that Brad's resignation papers and her leave of absence papers were sitting at that very moment.

"We're moving, too. Well, Brad and I are. Shelley's parents didn't want me staying with them anymore, so we got a down payment on this little duplex near the suburbs where we use to live." Brenda tried to change the subject off Corny's less-than-necessary comment. He looked up at her, biting the inside of his cheek. "That's…good. You're getting a new start, kind of. I wish you the best of luck." He knew she thought he was just being a prick about it, but he honestly hoped that she and the baby could be happy. Just so long as he wasn't asked to be involved. She looked at him, quickly losing interest in the conversation. "Gee, thanks. I should probably go. Wouldn't want to distract you from all your important business things." She rose slowly from her chair, turning to walk out the door. She knew she shouldn't have even bothered with him; it had just been a waste of both their time.

"Bren, wait."

His voice surprised her, and she stopped in her tracks. Turning slightly, she watched Corny rise from his seat as she pulled something out of his top left drawer. In his hand he held a small, blue box, and he carried it over to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took a moment for words to come out. He set it in her hand, finally saying, "Think of it as a wedding present. Congratulations." Corny gave her as small nod, then turned around and went back to his desk. Brenda watched him sit, going back to his papers like she wasn't even there, and then she walked out the door with the small box in hand.

Later that night, sitting alone on Brad's beside, she finally got the nerve to open it.

Clara Cecilia Bailey was a beautiful girl, as many people had expected. Brenda was always beautiful, and Brad wasn't half-bad either. She looked completely and utterly like her mother, with dark curly hair and bright, blue eyes. She had a smile that could light up a room, and a voice like a chorus of angels. She grew up in the duplex with her mom, dad, and her little brother Brad Junior, who was half her age almost exactly. She had many friends in school, part of what her mother jokingly called 'the Amber crowd', but Clara never understood why.

Her father worked all day, having climbed his way up the work ladder by managing the grocery store he'd bagged groceries at when his girlfriend first got pregnant. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom, spending her afternoons cleaning, helping watch the neighbor's baby boy, and gossiping with Shelley Simon over the phone. Clara and BJ spent their afternoon in the tire swing that hung from the oak tree, Clara pushing her little brother until either she got too tired or he fell off. They were closer than most of her friends were with their siblings, but that never bothered her. She loved her little brother, and her mother always smiled at their closeness in a most peculiar way.

And then, the Bailey's got a new neighbor. It wasn't until 1976, when Clara was fourteen that someone finally moved into that vacant house that had sat there empty for Clara's entire life, and she was curious to see why someone would finally pick it. While BJ was hanging for dear life on the tire swing, Clara went over to the fence and glanced around. The movers were carrying in furniture and whatnot, and Clara was unable to find someone who wasn't wearing a moving uniform. She watched for a moment longer, then decided that she would have to wait and see.

"I've got neighbors spyin' on me already, I see."

Clara spun around at the voice, a small smile crossing her face as she realized that she'd been caught. There was a man on the other side of the fence, smiling pleasantly at her as he leaned nonchalantly against the fence. Clara apologized, "Sorry. My mom always tells me not to be nosy, but…sometimes I just can't help it." He chuckled as she stepped closer to the fence, saying, "Well, sometimes it's good to be nosy. Nice to meet ya, kid." He reached his hand over the fence, and Clara smiled at him as she shook it. He looked at her, his eyes stopping at the base of her neck. Dangling there was a necklace; a small gold chain with a ring on it. Not just any ring, but a ring that had once belonged to her father, her real father. A Corny Collins council ring. The one that had been given to her mother before she walked out of his life for good. "I'm Clara Bailey, sir. Nice to meet you, too. Um, what did you say your name was?"

"You can just call me Corny."

TBC

Yeah, it's gonna be a chapter story. I have other things planned out, but I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to get to it all. Writing is somthing I have little timeto do as of late, so don't expect daily updates. But I'll try to go as fast as I can! Please review, by the way!

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