Title: This Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life
Author: Britannia Eitwards
Summary: Keely Teslow is living the dream, she's a very successful news reporter on the hit 'Today Show' on MDP. She has a successful boyfriend and excellent friends, but she's always felt like something was missing. When a little girl comes into her world, she realizes that what she's been missing isn't far from where she left it.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Today Show,' but the network "MDP," is based on another
network, lol. I also don't own Phil of the future, or Keely. But I do own (I guess) Louis, Alice (Not DeLuca), and whoever else you don't recognize.
Replies to Reviews (LOVE you guys! Reviews rock!):
PheelynRaly4eva: Thanks. Tehe. I will:D
Amz15: well, here one is! Thanks for reading!
Linda66: Thanks! Yep. :D Really? I didn't know that, thanks:D
Regards,
Britannia
A/N: This one closes some open ends and opens new ones! LOL And it's quite, quite dramatic. So be prepared…:P
"Alice In Wonderland"
After singing several oldies on the piano, Keely caught a glimpse of her watch and realized it was almost time for their reservations.
"You guys it's five thirty, we better get changed if we're gonna get there on time."
"You're right." Jada says, then turns to Alice, "Oh, you can wear the dress with the jacket thing Keely bought you tonight,"
"Oh yeah, that'll be cute. What are you wearing?"
"Um…I'm not sure…"
"Can I help you pick something out?"
"Sure."
"Keely, do you know what you're wearing?"
"Of course," Keely says.
"Phil…?"
"I guess…"
"Okay. Jada, I'm coming with you." Alice says walking with her down the hall to the guest bedroom.
They head into the guest bedroom and Jada takes out three different possible ensembles.
"Alright, go ahead. Pick."
"Hmmm…" Alice says examining the first one, a long black skirt, a black shirt, and a wrap.
She glances at the other two, but this one seemed the most elegant and appropriate for the occasion. Plus, she and Jada are very fair-skinned so they look the nicest wearing the color black.
"You should wear this one," Alice says handing it to her.
"Okay."
"Oh! Shoes!"
"I don't have any other here."
"So…it looks like these are the ones."
"Looks like it. Good thing they pretty much go with anything."
"True." Alice says. They really did, they were just those kind of shoes. They were a wedge, with criss-cross straps over the top. And of course, black. Steve Madden had done it again.
"I've never been to a restaurant like this one before. The way Keely talks about it, it sounds like a Wonderland or something."
"Yeah, I've only been there once, and it was to celebrate Keely being promoted to anchor. She didn't talk to me the entire time."
"Aww…I would've talked to you…"
"I know. She was just preoccupied,"
"But she's your best friend, I would never do that to my best friend…well, at least I don't think I would…"
"It's not a big deal, Alice."
"But Keely acts all superior sometimes and I just don't think she should…"
"Well, neither do I, but there's nothing I can do about it."
"It's just— "
"Jada! Alice! Hurry, hurry! We're going to be late!" Keely calls.
"Yeah, alright. We'll be right there!" Jada rolls her eyes, "Okay, get out of here so I can change or she'll never stop it."
"Okay," Alice says.
She joins Keely and Phil, dressed to the nines as if the limo was waiting outside to deliver them to the Oscars.
"Whoa…where's the stretch?" Alice asks.
"Huh?" Keely asks fluffing her faux Mink boa.
"Limo." Phil says.
"Ahhh…" Keely nods, "So where's Jada?"
"She's coming, she just has to finish getting ready."
Keely shakes her head, "Puntuality is the key to— "
"Perfection. I know." Jada says stepping into the room.
"Wow…Jada…you look gorgeous." Keely says.
And coming from Keely, that meant a lot. Keely, in a floor length black dress with a waist length V-neck, looked just Red-Carpet Ready.
Jada on the other hand, looked gorgeous because of the elegance, yet simplicity of her ensemble.
"Thanks." She says.
"Tonight is a big night, and you aren't ready yet, Alice. Hit it! Quickly, please."
"Oh, sure." Alice runs into Jada's room where she puts together her ensemble.
Alice's dress is an Asian inspired satin kimono looking dress, and a lovely shade of petal pink with orchids stitched into it. And her blonde hair was half up and half down embellished with black hair chopsticks. Her shoes were simple black flip flops.
"Wow, Alice. Very lovely," Keely says upon her entrance into the room.
"Thanks," She says.
"Man, Jada, she looks a lot like you. It's such a weird coincidence, ay?"
"Yes," Jada nods.
"Oh, no way. Jada's like so much prettier."
"Well, that may be, but you can't say we don't look alike." Jada laughs.
"I guess," Alice says, "I just feel bad when people say that because it makes me think of how much my foster mom said I look like my real mom."
"Ohhhh…" Keely says.
Alice looks at the ground as Phil glances from Jada to Keely, to Alice. Then looks at the door and says, "So…are we going to get going?"
"Oh! Yeah! Just let me hand out handbags," Keely says, running to one of the oversized chairs and picking up about forty different clutch bags.
"Okay, Jada, I think you should take the beaded black one," She says handing it to her. "And Alice, the pink satin one," She hands that to her and continues, "And the fur trimmed satin black one for me." She collects the thin beaded strap, puts it inside it, and then says, "Alright, let's roll."
The four of them all limo-ready head out of Keely's apartment and into the hallway.
"Oh, Phil would you help me find my key?" Keely asks him.
"Uh…sure…"
Jada and Alice stop and turn around, their similar looking faces blank with confusion.
"Do you want us to wait?" asks Jada.
"Oh no, you guys go ahead, get a cab, and tell them to wait."
"Okay."
The two head to the stairs and once the ping pong of their shoe heels is faint, Keely whispers, "I'm gonna do it tonight,"
"Gotta help me out here…"
"I'm gonna tell Alice I want to adopt her."
"But…really? Tonight?"
"Yeah! Isn't it great? I'll finally be able to fill the void that's been there since my mom died. And now that I have you back, it just seems like the right thing to do."
"Well, if it makes you happy…" Phil lets his voice trail off.
"What? You don't think it's a good idea?"
"No, it's not that, it's just I…y'know what? I don't know what I think, I just need some wine. I'll feel a little better."
"Alright…" She doesn't quite believe him, but she doesn't really think about it.
She's going to adopt Alice, if Alice wants her to, of course. And they're going to live in Keely's apartment and be happy. Alice won't need her foster mother, or her real mother, she'll have Keely.
Keely smiles at the thought, and takes Phil's hand after he offers it, and they head down the staircase to the lobby.
Meanwhile, Alice and Jada head down the stairs to the lobby as told by Keely.
"Man, why am I always the one stuck getting the cab in the rain?" Jada grumbles as she stares out the glass doors to Keely's building at the slick streets in the gloomy looking night with the streets heavily illuminated by thousands of house lights and street lights.
"'Cause Keely's Fink would get ruined if you didn't," Alice laughs.
"Fink?"
"Fake Mink."
"Oh!" Jada laughs, "Duh…"
"I hope she and Phil get married."
"Why?"
"I dunno…I just think they're cute together. Do you think you'll ever get married?"
"No," She shakes her head. "I mean unless I find the right person…who I left a long time ago."
"Well, maybe you'll see him again."
She half laughs, it's actually more of a 'yeah right' breath, but…, then she shakes her head, "No…I doubt it." Another head shake, "He must've moved on and is happy somewhere with someone else. Who wasn't stupid enough to…well, never mind."
Now Alice shakes her head, "I don't think so. I bet he still thinks about you. My foster mom told me once, that once you love someone that way. Y'know, like you feel like a whole person 'cause you met your other half…? That you never forget about them. Once they're in your heart, they're there to stay."
"She sounds a lot like someone I met once…I don't remember her name though…but I think she called herself…Lee…"
"No way! My foster mom's name was Lee!" Alice says.
"Seriously? Wow…"
"That's so weird…" Alice purses her lips, then says, "Have you ever noticed that? All these weird things we have in common? It's like…we're star sisters or something…"
"Yeah, or star something else…" She mumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing,"
"Hey you two!" Keely says.
"Hi," They say.
"So, are you guys ready to see the most magical place in New York?"
"Bring it on," Phil says.
"Alright," Jada says.
"Let's go," Alice says.
"Great!" Keely says.
She leads them outside, and turns to Jada with a not-so-pleased expression because they didn't have a cab waiting.
"TAXI!" She says, then whistles.
And even in the pouring rain, a taxi pulls up and they all jump in.
They all point out various lighted signs and billboards on the way there, and once they pull up, Alice was sure she'd fallen into the hole to Wonderland.
This place was like a lighted fairy garden. It was just beautiful. The plants and the lights came together so perfectly, so magically, it just made everyone's jaws drop.
Even Phil's, who'd worked here for nearly three years. But he did work the day shifts, which I guess took away from the greatness of the place.
"Wow…this is…amazing…" Alice says.
"Yeah. This is just…breathtaking…" Jada adds.
Keely smiles to herself as if it were her restaurant.
"Come on you guys, let's hurry, I'm starving." Keely says.
Phil knew that wasn't why, he knew she wanted to break it to Alice she was gonna be a Teslow in a matter of days. And she had no idea.
In a matter of seconds, they're seated. Phil next to Keely, Keely across from Jada, Jada next to Alice, and Alice across from Phil.
"This is so beautiful here, Keely." Alice says.
"I know, isn't it? I wish I lived here."
"You practically do." Phil says.
"Hello, Welcome to Berchetto's. I'm Reena, and I'll be your server this evening. What can our chef carefully prepare for you this evening?" A red headed girl waitress asks.
"I'll have the salmon on cruet, with the chardonnay." Keely says.
"And I'll have the pâté defoie gras. With the merlot," Phil says.
"The pheasant under glass, and just water with lemon is fine." Jada says.
Alice has absolutely no idea what anyone had just said let alone what any of it meant! She decided to go with someone she could at least say, "I'll have the calamari, and…water also, please." she says.
"Okay, I'll be back shortly with your beverages," Reena says.
They say somewhat mumbled 'thanks' as she heads off. And Keely chooses now to drop her planet sized bomb on everyone.
"Everyone, I have something I would like to say." Keely reaches over and takes Alice's hand. Alice stares at her like she has a third eye, and Keely continues, "Alice, even though you have only been in my home for a few days, you've already left a mark on my heart, and helped fill a void I've had after my mother died. And it would mean the world to me if you'd let me adopt you…"
That sentence stabs Jada like a knife. She couldn't believe Keely would do that.
"What?" Jada says, although it sounds almost like a whisper because she's on the verge of a breaking down and crying.
"She wants to adopt me," Alice says.
Jada spends about three seconds drilling holes in Keely with her eyes that are slowly, but surely filling with tears and before she can stop herself, she says, "Excuse me," and leaves.
She runs out of the garden and out onto the street, she honestly had no idea where she was going. Mentally, she thought she was running from her problems. All of them were still sitting at that table.
Keely comes running up the sidewalk after her in the rain the was, fortunately letting up, "Jada! Jada!" Keely calls her.
Jada does stop, but she doesn't turn around. She just stands there.
Keely runs to her and says, "Look, I know you don't really have anyone here right now, but come on, I'm finally starting to feel whole again, Jada. And I thought of anything you'd be happy for me. But you're not! You ran out of there! Why— "
"It's not about that!" She cries.
"Well, then what— "
"You can't adopt her, Keely."
"Why the Hell not?"