Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Chapter 1: Introducing Reba McKinney
Time: December 2008 (after the sixth season of Reba and beyond)
Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney, Brock Hart, Barbra Jean Booker, Kyra, Jake, Cheyenne Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Mike Holliway, Terry Holliway, Lori Ann Garner, JV McKinney, Helen McKinney, John D. Hart, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.
Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: Max Thornton, Cheyenne McEntire-Smith (Nana), Vince McEntire (Papa), Kenneth Smith (Gramps), Paige McKinney, Michael Davis, John McKinney Thornton, Barbara Ann Grant, Kim Campbell-Holliway, Sam Holliway, Jenny Miller, Terry Holliway, Jr., Josh Holliway, Madeline Mitchell (Maddi), Greg Brooks, Jason Holliway, and Maggie.
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Now on with the story-
This chapter will consist of scenes that will be in regular font, not italicized font. I use the italicized font to distinguish between author's notes and regular scenes. I use bold font when things need special emphasis.
Previously in chapter seven of Reba Nell Got Married- Reba got up and went back to her bedroom. Brock rested on his elbows in bed. "Hey, Terry!" he called. Angel Terry appeared. "How do I know if I'm doin' the right thing by Reba? How do I know if she's supposed to be with Mike or not?"
"I can show you. Come on, I'll take you to see what life would be like if you and Reba had never met."
"Is that so you can get your wings?" Brock teased.
Another angel appeared in the room also. A tall man with white hair and eyes that looked just like Brock's deep blue ones walked up to Brock's bed. "He's doin' you a favor. Quit bustin' his chops over it. I'm gonna take you on this little journey myself. You gonna bust my chops, too?"
"No, sir," Brock said humbly.
"She's still too good for ya. You're still a bum."
"I know that, but I'm tryin' to change."
"I've seen that. That's why I chose to accompany you on this trip. I want to help you learn somethin' before it's too late. That's the mistake I made with your mother. You've got to do everythin' you can to hold onto the love of a good woman."
"Thanks, John D."
"I'd like it if you'd start callin' me Dad again. How about I make you a little deal? If I help you get Reba back, then you have to start callin' me Dad. That includes when you talk about me to Reba, the kids, or your mother."
Brock smiled. "You got yourself a deal." Brock knew that if he could convince John D that he had changed and that he could be a better husband and father, then it wouldn't be so hard to convince Reba. John D was always much harder on him and less forgiving of him than Reba was.
Brock was in for the ride of his life. He just entered into a deal with his father to help him win Reba back. He couldn't wait to take this trip and find out what Reba's life would be like if they'd never met. She was always so sure that she'd end up with Mike. Brock was eager to find out if that was the case. What was Reba's future like without him in it? What did his life end up like without her in it? He couldn't wait to discover what Reba's destiny truly was. Was she happier or better off without him? He couldn't wait to find out the answers to questions that had been plaguing him for the past twenty-five years...
What will happen now? What is Reba's life like in 2008 without Brock? What is Brock's life like without Reba? Did Reba end up with Mike? Will Brock get the courage to keep fighting for his future with Reba or will he give up and let her have a life with Mike?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out this chapter!
The answers to these questions will be revealed as you read the story. Here is the first installment of: It's a Wonderful Life.
Now on with our next chapter-
Terry disappeared from view. It was clear that he stepped aside for this assignment. He left matters up to father and son to work out together. They were standing in a spacious house. Brock recognized it as the spot where Reba chosen to live on her family's land. There was a lot of commotion happening in the house.
"Kyra, I have to drop you off at your father's place soon before I start my shift. Jake, your dad will be here to pick you up soon. You have basketball practice in an hour," Reba called, hoping to prompt them into moving a little faster.
"Elizabeth, your dad is coming in from the airport to pick you up in a couple of hours. You need to be ready soon. I have to go to work and Grandpa will be picking you and Aunt Kyra up soon." Cheyenne yelled to her own daughter. Brock was surprised to see that Cheyenne had red hair like Reba. She was the same old Cheyenne just with red hair.
The scene with the commotion from the kids reminded Brock of the opening scene from the movie, Home Alone. The chaos increased.
Paige arrived, bringing a familiar looking young man with her. He was about six feet tall with dirty blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. Brock didn't know why, but he felt like he knew the guy from somewhere. "Hey, Ma. Dad couldn't make it so he sent me to pick Jake up. I talked to Mike and he wanted me to pick up Elizabeth and Kyra, too."
"You know how much your father hates to be called by his first name. Can't you try to call him Dad?" Reba said, addressing the issue with him for the millionth time.
"I already have a father. He's the one I call Dad. Mike is more like a stepfather. He wasn't even around for half of my life."
"Still he is your father, whether you like it or not. There is a bond there just like with Kyra. You could try callin' him Pop or Sir or somethin' like that. Please try for me. Your father has a buddy comin' into town that he hasn't seen in years. We need to try to act like a nice normal family. Please for me."
"A nice normal family? In what normal families do the kids have mixed up divorced parents? You and Mike couldn't make it work so you ended up with Dad. You couldn't make it work with Dad so you ended up with Mike. Things with you and Mike didn't work out so now you're back with Dad. That just about covers it."
"I'm not with Dad. It's complicated."
"You're datin' each other and spendin' the night at each other's houses sometimes. What would you call it? You're setting a great example for Cheyenne because she's out doin' the same thin'."
"Shut up, John. Like you would even begin to understand what it is like to be married, divorced, and still have to share a child with someone," Cheyenne shouted at him.
"Cheyenne, what is goin' on with you?"
"Nothin'. Van is comin' into town to pick up Elizabeth. That's all."
"Like a marriage would work out when you're seventeen and pregnant by a guy that you met on vacation. Van's comin' into town to hookup with Elizabeth's mother. That's the truth. Ten bucks says that Dad ends up takin' care of Elizabeth tonight instead."
"I'd call it none of your business. I'm so angry with your dad right now. He promised that he'd pick Jake up for practice today."
Reba pulled out a cell phone from her pocket, went through her contacts, and sent a call to the familiar number. Brock only heard one side of the conversation.
-"Hey, Max. It's Reba. You promised to get Jake today for his basketball practice. He's supposed to stay the night at your house tonight. You're his father. Act like it."
-"I don't have time for this. I needed help today with the kids. I have to get to work. Helping out is the least that you can do."
-"Yeah, I'm mad. Don't count on anything from me for awhile, okay. John and Cheyenne are standing right here. John is tellin' me all about what he knows. I prefer havin' my private life as private. The rule was that no one was supposed to know. You broke that rule so I need time to figure things out. Call me later." Reba ended the call.
"I didn't mean to start a fight with you two. I actually like having parents who are together and get along."
Reba put her hand on her son's shoulder reassuringly. "It's not your fault. We keep trying to fix somethin' that didn't work out in the first place. I'm not sorry though because I have you, Cheyenne, and Jake. Your dad worked hard to keep us together as a family. He loves Kyra like his own. There's somethin' in me that's broken."
"Because of Meemaw and Grandpa?"
"Yeah, that's part of it. You are a really great kid, you know that?"
"You tell me all the time, so yeah."
"Such a smart mouth."
"I wonder where I get it from."
"John McKinney Thornton!" his mother warned.
He stood there, smirking at her and then he walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. "I love ya, Ma."
"So that's John?" Brock asked John D.
"Yep, Reba raised a fine boy there."
"So, who's the father? Come on, I've got to know."
"Like the lady said, it's complicated. I'll let Reba tell ya later."
"I get to talk to Reba? But why would she tell me somethin' like that? Aren't we strangers?"
"It's time that you and Reba met officially."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll figure that out sooner or later, Brock."
Brock couldn't wait to find out more. He was so excited to get to meet Reba. He wanted to know all about her and her new life. Right now, he was just thrilled that Reba wasn't datin' anyone serious right now. She wasn't with Mike anymore and she wasn't really with Max so he hoped that the field was clear for him to try to win her heart. He just wanted to be a part of her life. He missed her every minute that they weren't together. He missed their closeness and friendship. He stopped to think about his own life. How did his life turn out in this alternate reality? He still had so many questions...
What will happen now? What is Reba's life like in 2008 in the alternate reality? What is Brock's life like without Reba? What was Reba's relationship with Mike? What was her relationship with Max? Will Brock get the courage to keep fighting for his future with Reba or will he give up and let her have a life that makes her happier with someone else?
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!
Thanks for the reviews, make sure you review this chapter and give me your thoughts and comments….
Okay, so here's the thing. I got a story idea that just wouldn't let go of me. So I am temporarily stopping Reba Nell Got Married for this new one. I hope that you like it. It's almost Christmas and I wanted to write something for Christmas for my story series, "Love Again". This is a continuation story for that series. It doesn't change the future because it is an alternate reality, just a glimpse. It's supposed to help Brock makes the decision about whether or not to keep fighting for Reba. I will not be writing for Deceived, Drop Dead Hero, or Reba Nell Got Married until It's A Wonderful Life is finished. Don't worry. It's not a long story. I'll be back to writing the others soon.
Update on characters-I updated Cheyenne to have red hair since Joanna Garcia has red hair now. It fit in with the story since Cheyenne is not Brock's child. Cheyenne and Van were once married, but are now divorced because their teen marriage didn't work out. Cheyenne didn't grow up in a stable loving home with two loving parents. Reba's family is a lot more blended and dysfunctional in this story. Kyra and Jake look the same as they did in the TV show. Just to be clear in this story, Max is supposed to be Cheyenne and Jake's father. Mike is supposed to be John and Kyra's father. It's a puzzle to figure out, but all will be revealed in time. Have fun making predictions with this one!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
If anyone has any suggestions on them I'd love to hear! Review or Send me a P.M with your suggestions! Please feel free to make any comments that you wish. I may just decide to include it in the story. If I do include one of your suggestions, then I will give you full credit.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or any of the characters in this story from Reba. They belong to the writers of the REBA TV show. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs and lyrics that I use in this story. Those are the property of the artists involved. I also do not own the rights to any television show or movie reference that I use in this story. Those are the property of the Hollywood creative teams involved in their production. I will be changing some release/airing dates of the titles used to fit in with the story.
