Bittersweet Reunion
It had been nearly six years since Gordon Shumway had been under the care of the Alien task force at the Edmonds air force base and in the time Gordon was treated from a prisoner to a lab rat from scientists that wanted to know everything about him. That was up until recently three months ago when Colonel Gilbert Milfoil, who was head of the Alien task force, decided to terminate the alien held captive. Major Dr. Melissa Hill and Captain Dr. Rick Mullican who were in charge of Gordon's wellbeing did not take likely to this and decided the best thing to do was to rescue him from the base, but all their efforts ended in failure as Colonel Milfoil soon found out about their plans. But there was a silver lining in this as Milfoil was soon discovered for threating to kill the alien with illegal hazardous materials and using one of his subordinates as a scapegoat to put the blame on. As soon as the higher ups in the military had heard what milfoil was trying to do, it was banned from the military for good. With Milfoil now gone, Melissa and Rick were put in charge of the Alien task force.
Since then, things did get better for Gordon at the base, he was treated more the houseguest then a prisoner, all testing had been ceased upon him and he got mostly everything he wanted and he was no longer confined to just his cell in the base. Even though he had more freedom on the base, he was still confined to the premises of the base as the public world is did not know of his existence yet and Melissa and Rick decided it was best to remain that way. After the incident with Dexter Moyers, who Melissa through was a good person, turn out to be a devious back stabber and wanted to sell Gordon off as merchandise, they decided Gordon best remained away from the public eye as other people might want to use him for their own gain.
Even through Gordon was treated better at the base, he still was not happy, in a way he was treated like a prisoner as he was unable to go out in the outside world. His thoughts had been on the Tanners lately, he wondered what happened to them after he got taken away, if they were all okay and if so what where they all doing now? He also wondered if they even remember him now. When the Alien task force took him, they took everything he had, they only thing he had to remember the Tanners by were his memories, but even that was starting to fade away. Whenever he thought about them, it brought great sadness in his heart, he tried his best to hide his sadness, but Melissa could see right through it, as she was sort of his therapist after all. Recently, his sadness had taken a turn for the worst, he did not eat as much as he usually does nor as social with the staff on the base as he usually was. He spent most of his time alone, either watching TV he had in his cell, lying in bed or staring out the window. Melissa had to do something soon before the worst was to happen, but she knew only one thing could make him happy again.
One day, Melissa went into Gordon's cell, she found lying down in his king size bed while watching TV.
Gordon soon saw Melissa coming in and said "what do you want? It's not poker night yet."
Melissa stood beside his bed and said "no, ALF, it's not that. I came to talk to you about something else."
Gordon perked his head up curiously and said "what?"
"I and rick have a few more strings to put, but I think we can arrange a visit with the Tanners." Melissa said.
Gordon immediately sat up in bed and said "really?!"
"Yes, but still might take some time though." Melissa said again.
Gordon was excited at first, but as he thought about it more his expression turned grim again and he soon said "thanks for the offer, but don't bother."
Melissa was kind of surprised Gordon would say that and soon said back "why? Don't you want to see them again?"
"I do, but I don't think they want to see me." Gordon said back.
"Why is that?" Melissa said.
"They wouldn't want to see me, not after what I done to them" Gordon said somberly.
Melissa then lend down to eye level with Gordon and placed her hand on his "ALF, don't think that, I'm sure they miss you just as much. We had to do what we did in order to protect them."
"Even still, they would never forgive me." Gordon said.
"Of course they would. Look, all we can do is try, I'm sure it would make you feel better if you saw them again." Melissa said.
After Gordon thought it over it bit more, he soon said "well, okay."
A few more weeks a pasted before everything was planned out and ready for Gordon to make is visit to the Tanners since they still lived in Iceland and Gordon still had to be hidden from the public, but soon enough the day had come. Rick and Melissa were able to pull a few strings with the air force and get Gordon a private plane at a small airport since going through a public airport didn't seem the best idea. Rick and Melissa drove Gordon from the base to the airport and then got on the plane with him. They decided it was best that they would go with him for moral support. It was a long flight to Iceland and Gordon stayed mostly quiet during the flight, he was worried of what the tanners would think of him after so long of not seeing them. The plane soon landed in the airport in the town of Reykjavik, where supposedly the tanners were living now. Rick and Melissa didn't tell Tanners they were coming before hand, they wanted to keep it a surprise. When they landed, a car was waiting for them on the runway. Rick and Melissa escorted Gordon to the car and the drove to the house were the tanners lived. Soon enough they arrived at the house that was just outside of the town, rick drove halfway up the driveway and then stopped the car.
"We're here." Rick said.
Gordon soon looked out the window of the backseat of the car, it was a small humble white house with one door and only a few windows, but was kind of shabby compared to their old house they had in Los Angeles. Gordon got more distressed thinking this is where they had to spend 6 years of their lives. Gordon was a bit hesitant to get out the car, he was all twisted up with anxiety, what he possibly say to them to make them forgive him for all the pain and misery he cause them? Gordon's thoughts can up with nothing; he started to think this was a really bad idea.
"Do you want us to come with you?" rick said.
"No, I can handle this on my own." Gordon said back.
"Okay, but we'll be right here if you need us." Melissa said.
Gordon let out a heavy sigh and finally opened the door to get out of the car. Rick and Melissa soon got out of the car after Gordon did just in case he needed them. Gordon continued walking up the driveway by himself and up the steps to the front door. At first, he just stood there at the front door for a few minutes, and then he finally knocked firmly on the door. At first there was no answer, Gordon started to assume they were not home or just didn't want to answer the door. Finally the door opened just a crack, Gordon couldn't see who was inside, but he heard a voice.
"ALF?" the voice said, Gordon knew instantly that it was Willie.
A second later Willie busted out of the door, he was slightly balder, grayer and had more wrinkles on his face, but he was mostly still the same. Soon enough he said "ALF, what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be taken by the Alien task force?!"
"I am, but were cool now." Gordon said.
"But, aren't you allowed to see us anymore?" Willie said.
"Yeah, but they allowed me to visit you one last time, besides I really missed you guys." Gordon said.
Then Willie learned down and hugged him and said "ah ALF, we really missed you too, were glad to have you back."
After Willie finished hugging Gordon, he quickly went back inside the door and shouted "hey, everyone, ALF's back!"
A few minutes later, the rest of the Tanner family stormed through the door, greeting and hugging Gordon one by one. Kate had remained mostly the same too, Lynn however grew into a fine young women and Brian was a teenager now. Kate at first was a bit hesitant to hug him, but she soon did it anyway, in a way deep down she kind of missed him too. Finally Eric, the newest member to the Tanner family, soon came to the doorway. Gordon was kind of surprised when he saw Eric, he was just baby when Gordon last saw him, he was six years old now.
Willie then lend down to be eye level with Eric and said "Eric, this is ALF, do you remember him?"
Eric stared a Gordon for a little bit and then gleefully pointed at him and said "dog man!"
Gordon smiled a bit at the fact that even Eric remembered him even though they were together for such a short time and then he soon said "yeah, that's right, I'm the dog man."
Eric then went over and patted Gordon like he was a dog, Gordon didn't mind it at all. Soon Gordon gave him a gentile hugged him in return.
"Well, why don't you come in, ALF? I'm sure you have a lot to tell us." Willie said.
"Sure, that is if it's okay with them?" Gordon said as he turned back to where rick and Melissa were.
Rick and Melissa soon walked up the driveway and up the steps and Melissa said to Gordon "its okay, you can go in, but keep it short."
After that, Gordon went inside with the Tanners, Willie stayed outside the doorway to talk with two military personal.
"Hi, I'm Rick Mullican and this is Melissa hill, were sort of ALF's caretakers at the Alien task force." Rick said.
Willie then shook hands with them and said "I see, how as he been there?"
"Fairly well mostly, but he started to feel really homesick. That is why we arranged this visit." Melissa said.
"I see. Would you like to come in?" Willie said to them.
"Sure." Melissa said, her and Rick soon went inside as well.
During his time with the Tanners, Gordon told them everything that happened while he was at the Alien task force base; of course throwing his usual jokes in there to make it light and humorous. Then Gordon was curious to know how everyone had been doing since he got taken away and surprisingly enough that had adjusted well to their new lifestyle and made the best of it. Willie managed to get a job as a social worker even in Iceland. Lynn had just finished college at the university here and was working towards being a scientific engineer and Brian was doing well in school. Gordon was surprised on how well they made a life for themselves out here, despite his assumption they were unhappy here.
Then Gordon found Eric on the floor drawing a picture in crayon, he figured he would see what he was drawing. Out of all the Tanners he missed, he missed Eric the most, he missed the days were he could look after Eric when Willie or Kate were not around. Gordon never thought he would be the type to get attracted to little kids, but for some reason with Eric he did.
"Hey, little man, whatcha drawing there?" Gordon said as he laid down on the floor beside Eric.
Eric soon showed him the picture, it was of a furry brown creature with a long snout and big ears, it was him, a vague crayon drawing of him, but it was still him.
Then Eric soon said "it's from a story daddy used to tell me about an alien that was very friendly, he made friends with a family, but he was lost from his home. So the family helped him get back home and soon he was back home with rest of his friends."
Gordon wanted to cry, but not because he was sad, he was actually happy. It was a story of him; he was touched that even though he was no longer with the Tanners, he was still part of their lives.
Soon it came time for Gordon to leave, as he was just about to head out the door, the Tanners hugged him for the last time and said their final goodbye.
When Gordon hugged Brian goodbye, he said to him "keep up the good work in school, B."
"I will, ALF." Brian said back.
Then Lynn can over to hug him and he said to her "keep your chin up, Lynn. Become the successful women you always wanted to be."
"I will, take care of yourself, ALF" Lynn said back.
Then came Kate's turn to say goodbye, but before she lend down to hug him, Gordon spoke out "I know we didn't always see eye to eye, but I'm grateful for everything you tried to do for me."
Tears started to swell up in Kate's eyes and she hugged him said "it's okay, ALF, I know we tired our best to make you happy."
Finally, it came to Willie's turn to say goodbye and before Willie hugged him, Gordon spoke out again "Willie, the real reason I came here is I just wanted to say….I'm sorry."
"For what, ALF?" Willie said back a bit puzzled.
"I'm sorry for messing up all your lives, if it was not for me, you guys would not be here right now." Gordon said.
Willie then quickly lend down to Gordon and held his shoulder "oh, ALF, there is no need for you to apologize to us. Like we said before, we're glad that you were a part of our family."
"So can you….forgive me?" Gordon said.
"Of course we can, I know it was not entirely your fault of what happened to us, we knew the risks if you were ever found out by the Alien task force and we were willing to take those risks. It was our choice to let you be a part of our family and if we could start all over again, we gladly would." Willie said.
"Do you really mean that?" Gordon said.
"Of course, I hate to admit it, but the years we had with you were probably our happiest." Willie said.
Then Gordon and Willie embraced each other for a good moment. When they finished hugging, Willie said again "oh, I forgot, there is one thing I wanted to give you before you leave."
Willie quickly got up and ran into the master bedroom and a few minutes later came back out holding something in his hand.
"Here, ALF, I think it is better if you have this." Willie said while handing the item to Gordon.
Gordon took the item from Willie and looked at it, it was an old photograph of a portrait of him with the Tanners, baby Eric was in it so it must have been the last photo they took together before he got taken away. Tears started to stream down his face and he sniffed and then he tried to wipe the tears away with his hand.
"Thanks Willie" Gordon simply said back.
Gordon then walked out the door and Rick escorted him back to the car in the driveway, meanwhile Melissa had a last minute chat with Willie.
"There is good news, we still have a lot of red tape to go through, but we may able to get you and your family back into the states." Melissa said.
"That would be great; my family would greatly appreciate that." Willie said.
"I'm sure ALF would like that too." Melissa said.
"As for ALF, is he….free to go?" Willie said.
Melissa's expression then turned somber and said "we're not sure yet, but he may be suffering from post-traumatic stress. Besides, we still have to hide him from the public."
"I see; will he be okay?" willie said.
"Hopefully he will be, but it will take time." Melissa said.
"Okay, I understand." Willie said.
After they were done talking, Melissa left the house and got in the car with Rick and Gordon. As the car backed down the driveway, Willie stood on the front steps to the house and waved goodbye, Gordon who was inside the car waved back. Willie continued to watch as the car backed out the driveway and drove down the road until it was out of sight.
THE END