Previous Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 36

After Rafe and Nicky finished their supper, they walked back to the hospital to get Rafe's truck. Rafe felt like now was as good a time as any to take him to the mansion and reintroduce Nicky to his Uncle Phillip. Needless to say Phillip was beyond shocked to see his supposed dead brother on his doorstep. They visited for a while with Nicky explaining what happened. Phillip filled him in on the last five years of Alan's life and then of course his death a year ago.

Phillip informed Nicky that Alan had left provisions in his will for Nicky and that he'd make arrangements for Nicky to received what Alan wanted him to have. Nicky didn't feel right accepting it considering that Alan did not raise him, but Phillip convinced him that this is what Alan would have wanted regardless. Phillip made him see that they have a second chance at being brothers. Phillip said he'd contact the rest of the family to arrange a family meeting soon so that Nicky could meet and reconnect with the rest of his family.

Afterwards, they went back to the hospital to get Nicky's car and he followed Rafe over to the Beacon. Rafe had the night manager arrange for a room for his dad at least for one night as they had not discussed any of his dad's plans considering everything he thought would happen, well, isn't now. Rafe then headed for home.

Once there, he found Ava and Emma on the sofa watching a movie. Emma was laying on the couch with her head in Ava's lap now asleep. Ava was stroking her sister's soft hair behind her ear. Even though Emma was asleep, she continued watching the movie that her sister had chosen.

"Hey." Said Rafe softly.

"Hey. I thought you'd be back sooner?" Questioned Ava.

"Something happened. Not Ma or the baby. I need to tell you, but Ma and Olivia will probably want to tell Em."

"OK. She's been zonked out for a while."

"I'll take her up. You think you can get her awake enough to get ready for bed?"

"Probably."

Rafe scooped his little sister in his arms and took her upstairs with his big sister following him. He deposited Emma in her bed and left for Ava to get her put to bed. He headed back downstairs. He locked up for the night. He then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and decided to work on the abandoned bouncy swing project. He was almost done when Ava came back downstairs and sat on the sofa.

"So what's going on?" Asked Ava.

"You are never gonna believe it! Hell, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

"OK, now you got me worried."

"My father is alive."

"I'm sorry. I thought I heard you say your father is alive."

"Yep, you heard right."

"Holy shit! The guy at the door? When your Ma fainted?"

"Yep, that's him. I pretty much said the same thing."

"So what happened?"

"Well, after you guys left, I went back to the Beacon to let the staff know what happened like we planned. I stopped by the gift shop and got Ma some flowers for her room. I know she's only there for one night, but hospitals can be so dreary I wanted to brighten the room up a bit. So as I got off the elevator on her floor, I heard a nurse calling for security for Ma's room so I took off passed the nurse and burst into the room. There I saw a man approaching Ma and Olivia. I didn't know if he was going to attack them or what, but I didn't like the angry look on his face. I reacted, charged him and shoved him up against the wall. Only then did I recognize him. It was my dad."

"Really, oh my God! So what happened to him, where's he been?"

"Witness protection. That last case he was working on, a drug cartel made death threats against him and then me and Ma. He said he couldn't risk anything happening to us and he didn't think it was fair for us to have to uproot our lives to go into the program with him. So the Feds faked his death and he entered the program alone. A few weeks ago, he got the all clear to come home after the key players in the cartel were killed by a rival faction."

"Wow. So he goes back to Chicago, but you and your Ma aren't there?"

"Nope, he searched the newspapers and found Ma and Olivia's wedding announcement, the incorrect one where they had Olivia's name as Oliver. So he came to Springfield to find Ma. That's when he showed up on our doorstep."

"How's your Ma, how's mom?"

"Well, they've talked. Ma tried to tell Dad that she's moved on with her life, that she is with Olivia now. I think my Dad might have issues with Ma being with a woman. He was real upset when he realized that Ma had married a woman. But Ma she told him to face what he had done. He made decisions for her, for the both of us and that he can't blame Ma or me for moving on with our lives."

"So, your Ma…"

"Is staying with your Mom."

"Ma basically threw Dad out of her room and told him to reconnect with his family, with me and deal with the consequences of his actions. So he and I went to Company for dinner, then I took him to the mansion to meet Phillip and Beth. It seemed like a good visit. Phillip's gonna make arrangements for Dad to meet the rest of the family. Then I took him to the Beacon and got him a room for the night."

Ava sat there for a moment shocked at the story her brother just told her.

"How are you?"

"Still in shock I think. I mean I'm glad he's alive, but I like our family now. I like the way Ma is with Mom. All the times growing up before, I don't ever remember seeing her as happy as I have since she's found Mom."

Ava had a grin on her face and Rafe couldn't figure out what had her so tickled.

" What? What did I say?"

"You realize you called Olivia, Mom?"

"I did?"

"Yep, twice."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

"Where do things stand with our moms?"

"Well, I told them that my sisters and I would be bringing them breakfast. I already placed the order with Buzz. So we'll stop by there on the way to the hospital and we'll all have breakfast together in their room."

"Sounds like a plan Stan."

"I don't know about you, but I am so ready for bed."

"I bet. You've had a pretty emotional day. Come on little bro. I'll walk ya upstairs."

Rafe and Ava turned out the lights and went upstairs to bed. In town, Olivia had reheated her and her wife's dinner. They had resettled on the bed and Olivia had positioned the tray table for them to share. Both tried to block from the minds the events of the day and just enjoy each other. After they finished, Olivia threw aware their food containers while Natalia when about her nightly routine as best as should could, then Olivia did the same. Olivia changed into her PJs and settled in bed next to her wife. They were snuggled together, channel surfing a bit. Though they were tired, neither's brain was ready to shut down for the night. Both couldn't replaying the events of the day.

A nurse came in pushing the reclining chair that folds into a bed for her patient's wife. She frowned a bit seeing the ladies breaking hospital policy.

"We won't be needing that." Said Natalia.

"You know you really shouldn't be in bed with her." Said the nurse directing her statement to Olivia.

"We're fine. Don't worry about us."

The nurse gave Olivia a disapproving look.

"What? She's not on an IV or hooked up to a monitor. What's the harm?" Asked Olivia.

"As long as the doctor doesn't see you." Said the nurse.

"Don't worry, Dr. Rick will be OK. He's used to me breaking the rules, so we're all good."

"Uh huh." Replied the nurse as she pushed the chair back out the door.

The ladies shifted some and got comfortable as the settled in the bed ready to put this emotionally exhausting day behind them. Natalia had noticed that since dinner her wife was unusually quiet.

"Honey, you OK?" Asked Natalia as Olivia snuggled against her.

"Yeah."

"I choose you. Trust in my love for you. Nicky being back only means that Rafe has his father back. That's all." Said Natalia, knowing her wife was fighting the doubts that were creeping into her mind.

"I know, but he was such a big part of your past."

"He was, but you, you my beautiful wife, are my future…my eternity." Said Natalia lifting her wife's head with a gentle finger under her chin and brought it forward capturing her wife lips in a deep lingering kiss.

TBC…