Thank you to all of you who reviewed :) To those who didn't: I'm not partial to you right now...
This is dedicated to: All of you that have stuck with 'Fate' since day one, exactly one month ago today. You are all wonderful readers and reviewers.
I don't own HOA.
Does anyone think it's sad that I typed this before I published the first chapter? I had the fortune cookie thing planned out and everything...
I LIED! IT'S 15 YEARS LATER! SORRY!
KID CHART:
Fabian and Nina: Sarah (12), Michael and Adam (11), Henry (8), and Molly (4)
Alfie and Amber: Victoria (12), Isabelle (10), Grace (8), and Claire (4)
Mick and Joy: Andrew (12), Jake (11), and Collin (5)
Jerome and Mara: Rosie and James (12), Hannah (10), Sam (8), and Josh (5)
Zach and Patricia: Gabe (12), Julia (10), and Lilly (8)
I know the kids' ages are like, EXACTLY the same as one another, but it's for if I end up doing a sequel to this where Sarah Rutter is...well...that's for the sequel (if there is one).
~Fifteen Years Later~
~Nina's POV~
"Mommy! Are we going to see Auntie Mara?" my beautiful four year old, Molly, jumped up on my lap as I sat at the kitchen table. Molly, as well as her older sister and brothers, had her father's adorable face and my eyes. Somehow, that was passed through all of them.
"And Auntie Amber, and Auntie Joy, and Auntie Patricia," I smiled. All of the kids in our 'circle of friends' called the parents 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' even though none of us were actually related. We just thought it was too formal to call them Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Campbell, and such.
"Oo! I get to see Claire?" she asked excitedly, her little eyes lighting up.
"Yes, you do get to see Claire," I giggled at her adorable antics and the way her little dark curls bounced.
"We're seeing them all today?" my twelve year old, Sarah, popped into the room.
"Mhm," I smiled.
"I have to go call Rosie and Victoria!" Sarah smiled excitedly. Rosie, one of Sarah's best friends, was Jerome and Mara's eldest daughter. She, Sarah, and Victoria shared a room at Anubis House during the school year (thanks to a little pull from Victoria's mom (and my best friend), Amber). Anubis House had been expanded since we last lived there, and now it's three people to a room in every room in every house.
"Wait, is...everyone...going to be there?" she quickly swung back in.
"Everyone. Including Andrew..." I smiled slyly at my daughter. Andrew, Mick and Joy's son, had taken a liking to Sarah, as we had she to him.
"I...I don't care..." she blushed and left the room.
"Is Sarah going to marry Andrew?" Molly looked up at me, asking in all seriousness. I didn't think four year olds asked those kinds of questions, but when you inherit her father's smartness, I guess they do.
"Maybe," I laughed.
"Michael, give it back!" I heard my eight year old, Henry, chasing after one of his older brothers, Michael.
"Never!" Michael shouted back while laughing. They ran passed the kitchen and into the living room. I picked Molly up and walked in to see what was going on. "Catch, Adam!"
"Dude, leave Henry alone," Adam sighed and gave Henry back the comic book Michael had stolen.
"Adam! You're no fun," Michael huffed at his twin brother. The looked exactly the same, completely identical, but were literally polar opposites.
"Just because I dont't steal our little brother's stuff doesn't mean I'm no fun," Adam gave Michael a serious look. He is his father in every way, shape, and form. Except the eyes, of course.
"Okay, but you're not anyways," Michael shrugged.
"Michael, leave your brothers alone," a voice came from the hall.
"But dad, I can't! It's in my nature to annoy them!"
"And it's in mine to ground you," Fabian gave him an "I'm gonna win this argument so you should shut up now" look, and Michael rolled his eyes then went upstairs. Eleven year olds...
"Daddy, guess what?" Molly turned to Fabian and reached her arms out for him.
"What?" Fabian smiled as he took her in his arms.
"I get to see Claire!" Molly squealed and clapped her little hands. Someone's been spendy time with Auntie Amber...
"You do now, do you?" Fabian smiled.
"I do! I do!" she said, as if she needed to get the point across.
"How fun," Fabian smiled.
"Dad, who's house are we going to?" Adam asked from his armchair where he was reading Harry Potter.
"Campbell's," Fabian said.
"Awesome," Adam smiled. It was always fun for the kids' going to the Campbell's or Lewis' house because they were huge.
"Dad, when are we leaving?" Michael came back downstairs.
"Half hour?" Fabian said, more aimed towards me.
"Yea, about a half hour," I said.
"Okay. SARAH! WE'RE LEAVING IN A HALF HOUR! GET OFF THE PHONE! NOBODY CARES ABOUT ANDREW'S EYES!" Michael shouted up the stairs.
"MICHAEL! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Sarah shouted from upstairs.
"Andrew's eyes?" Fabian whispered in my ear. "Should we be worried?"
"They're only twelve," I whispered back, smiling at Fabian's obvious worry.
"We were only fifteen," Fabian whispered back. Ugh, I hate it when he's right.
"And I still love you, so everything's fine," I kissed his cheek.
"Ew! Old people really shouldn't kiss," Michael spat as he walked into the room. With that Fabian set down Molly and wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. It felt the same as when were kids: just like fireworks.
"Ew!" Michael sheilded his eyes.
"Oh, you won't think it's so disgusting when you're kissing Isabelle," Adam shook his head.
"Ew! Isabelle is ten!" Michael pretended like he didn't like the idea.
"Then explain the picture from Jake's birthday four years ago that Aunt Joy took of you and Isabelle?"
"What picture...?" Michael looked nervous.
"You know what picture, dummy," Adam rolled his eyes.
"Oh, shut up Adam!" Michael stormed off.
"First Andrew to worry about, now Isabelle?" Fabian looked a little uneasy.
"This is Michael we're talking about, it'll be fine for at least four more years," I smiled. Fabian raised an eyebrow, but then realized what I was getting at.
"MICHAEL! GIVE IT BACK!" we heard Sarah chasing her brother around the upstairs floor.
"NEVER!"
"I'll fix this," Adam sighed a got up from his chair.
"I swear he's you," I shook my head in amazement as Adam walked up the stairs.
"With your beautiful eyes," Fabian kissed me again.
"Daddy?" Molly tugged on Fabian's shirt.
"Yes Molly?" Fabian asked as we quickly pulled apart, forgetting Molly was still in the room, the both of us flustered.
"Can you help me pick out my dress?" Molly clasped her hands in front of her and swayed, give Fabian her best puppy dog face.
"Why, I'd love to," Fabian smiled. Molly grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to her room.
"SARAH LOVES ANDREW! SARAH LOVES ANDREW!" I heard Michael screech from upstairs. I followed behind Fabian and Molly to see what was going on.
"I do not! Now give it back you little rat!" Sarah tackled Michael and retrieved what looked like her diary. Oh Michael...
~Arriving at the Campbell's house~
"Rosie! Victoria!" Sarah ran out of the car to give her best friends a hug. It'd been almost a month since she'd seen them, but now that it's mid August, they'd all be going back to school soon enough.
Fabian and I laughed as the girls fell over in the grass laughing.
"Hey Sare," Andrew grinned. Sarah looked up to wave, her face as red as can be. Rosie and Victoria giggled while Fabian looked at me alarmed.
"He has a pet name for her!" Fabian hissed.
"Calm down, Daddy," I teased him.
"I'm sorry for being worried about our twelve year old daugther!" Fabian said, smiling all the same.
"She's fine," I nudged him. We walked in with the boys and Molly into the house where everyone except the Morgan's had arrived.
"NINA!" Amber said excitedly and hugged me. She seriously hasn't changed. At all.
"Mum! Aunt Patricia and Uncle Zach are here!" Andrew yelled to Joy from the entryway.
"Okay, thanks!" Joy smiled.
Finally, everyone was here. Me, Fabian, Amber, Alfie, Joy, Mick, Mara, Jerome, and Patricia. Oh, and Zach. And our (put together) 20 kids [see chart above]. This couldn't be any more perfect.
~Fabian's POV~
~Six hours later~
"Hey, Rosie, Victoria, where's Sarah?" I asked, strolling into the backyard around ten o'clock. It was my turn to make sure all the kids were still alive.
"Umm..." they both giggled.
"She's...nowhere...Uncle Fabes," Victoria giggled. I looked over to the other corner of the backyard where Gabe and James were, but no Andrew... As a matter of fact, I hadn't seen Andrew at all, and I've been everywhere except the stream behind the trees in the back...oh god...but she's only twelve!
Right as I was about to walk into the woods, I remembered the tiny scrap of paper in my pocket that I've carried with me for the past fifteen years...the fortune...and it's right...
Plus, they're only twelve...and the first time I made out with Nina was when I was 16...I'll start to worry in three years, seeing I kissed Nina when we were 15...ugh, is this how my parents felt? I should probably rethink this whole worrying thing...Andrew's a good kid, and he knows that his dad, Jerome, Alfie, Zach, and I will ALL make sure he doesn't hurt Sarah...it's hard with your first, especially when she's a 'Daddy's Girl'...
As I walked back to the house, I let my thoughts slip away from my not so little Sarah growing up to the fortune in my pocket.
"Fate is not a lengthy visitor" is what it read, and boy is it right.
THE END...or is it?
Well, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Wanna kill me? Wanna kill your computer? Want a sequel (I actually have a good idea for one)? Want to review? (Yes, yes you do.)
PLEASE REVIEW!
THANK YOU FOR READING!