A/N: Sorry that this update took a while. I'm entering into the last month of my semester and things are really busy. Plus I struggled with where I wanted to go in the second letter of this chapter, but I think I have it all worked out now. It will probably take me a while to update with the letters after this as well. I'm hoping that come May I will be able to provide updates more frequently. Anyways, enjoy!

As always any feedback is welcome!

November 5th

Dear Dad,

I just got in from skateboarding around the park with Alexander. Going through that park and around town has consumed the majority of our free time lately as every good weather day we get is a blessing. It is already getting quite chilly, and the snow has to be coming any day now. With it being the first week of November already I feel like you understand why I haven't written. Also with the incoming snow and cold is one of my least favourite things to do.

That's right Dad, I have to go shopping. My winter coat is almost worn out and I have outgrown my boots. I'm not looking forward to it, but for once I am not dreading it. Tricia and I are going which I think is the reason that I am not dreading it. Despite the fact that we live together I haven't spent much one on one time with her. Come to think of it the only two people I have spent much one on one time with are Callie and Alexander. The older kids have separate classes, well Callie is in different classes than Alexander and I but she spends a fair bit of time in the gym hanging out and watching us train. Tricia shares the majority of classes with Alexander and I but she spends a lot of her after school time helping her Dad.

Other than just plan getting to spend time with Tricia I am also looking forward to being able to ask her about her Dad and if she knows anything else about the time he and the rest spent here in New Olympia. Out of the kids she seems to be the best balance of spending a lot of time with their parent and being willing to share stories. I've been growing more and more curious about your life here in New Olympia since I got here and I'm thinking that it is time to start asking around.

Love always,

Allie

November 10th

Dear Dad,

Well Dad, it took five trips to various malls around this city but I finally have a winter coat! And boots! And some other clothes and shoes. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get much of a chance to talk to Tricia about her dad, but that was offset by two upsides. The first being that I bought my first longboard! I know, I know it sounds like a lot of spending. But Theresa paid for most of it. Please don't get mad about that, it wasn't charity it was just me hanging out with my godmother.

I'm sure you don't want to hear any more about my shopping adventure (and let's be honest- I don't want to talk about it anymore). You probably want to hear what the second upside of this shopping trip was, well it was the embarrassing stories Theresa decided to share about teenage you. Just kidding, she didn't actually share any embarrassing stories about you. Theresa actually talked to me about the role you played in the group in your late teens and early twenties. I had a good guess that you were the first one to move away from New Olympia, and it turns out that I was right in that deduction. I know that you lived the story that I am about to tell you, and have already heard to lived the rest of the stories that I gather, but I want to share them with you anyways so that you know that I am aware of them to. Theresa talked to me a some while we were driving back to the townhouse and this is essentially how her story went:

"Well Allie, I suppose all of us are going to remember Archie's last night in New Olympia slightly differently but all of us remember it because it was the night everything began to change. We had put away Chronos for good, graduated high school, and for the most part made plans for what we were going to do for the next year. Archie had gotten accepted into an education program back in his hometown, Jay was off to an astrophysics program in California, Neil and I were staying in New Olympia, Herry was spending the summer at his grandmother's farm just outside of town, and Atlanta and Odie were both heading up to Canada.

It was a going away party and I won't lie to you there was some alcohol being passed around. I know that I had had a few to drink, but I don't think your father had. He made a point to go around and spend some one on one time with each of us to say good bye, even if we could only scrounge up a few minutes. It was in that night that your father became in essence our storyteller. Each of us had always had a well-defined role within the group, but as we separated your father rose to the role of keeping track of everyone. It always seemed a little strange to me- Jay had always been the leader and the mother hen, and I guess I never noticed that your father was always watching everyone and keeping track of us even if it always seemed like he was just focused on Atlanta.

Archie and I sat up on the roof of the brownstone- or as you kids are calling it the townhouse- when we had our goodbye. Like I said I had had a bit to drink and was feeling emotional, so he found me nearly in tears. I confessed to him how I was nervous about the group falling apart as everyone moved around, and specifically about how Jay and I would make our relationship work long distance. Your father calmed me down and talked about how we would always be friends after everything we had gone through, and how if Jay and I wanted to make it work we would be able to. He also mentioned that Neil would still be in New Olympia and Herry wouldn't be all that far away.

I don't know if that was the kind of story about your father you were looking for Allie, but it was the first one that came to mind. We all had a lot of growing up to do over than first year out of high school and your father began the journey first. We all struggled to adjust to the new world we lived in where there wasn't anything to fight or save and your father did it first- and in a way best. He set himself up to be our emotional protector and save us all more than once. I know you are going to keep asking for stories but keep that in mind if you hear about darker times- your father was a good friend, a good dad, and a good man."

I guess that is all for now Dad. Theresa is right, it wasn't really what I was expected but it did fulfill my curiosity in some ways, but in more ways it just made me even more curious. I plan on continuing to ask around much like Theresa assumed. It seemed like it was hard for her to talk about you, and maybe it will be for the others too. I don't mean to sound mean or insensitive, but I hope they are able to get around the difficulties of talking about you. I want to know the man behind my father, and I can't do that if people won't tell me.

Love always,

Allie