Chapter 36 posted, I know it's a pretty long chapter, though I managed to get it done, I really want to get this story done as soon as I can without struggling with the ideas, please enjoy reading and don't forget to review and Happy St. Patrick's Day.
-Carol
Jen was still in shock seeing Eric here but didn't know what to say to him.
"Eric what's going...on.?" Taylor came from behind when she was surprised to see Jen here. "Jen." Taylor said, but Jen was a bit speechless and didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry, for taking so long." Mr. Collins said when he saw Eric and Taylor in the kitchen and both turned around.
"Did you know she had come back?" Eric asked Mr. Collins, Jen was about to say something when her son came in.
"Mommy I'm still thirsty." Sky said from behind and hid behind Jen when he saw Eric and Taylor, they we're both surprised when they saw him.
"Sorry I tried to keep him away from coming in." Michael said.
"I remember you." Eric said, when he saw Michael.
"I remember you too." Michael responded.
"You two have met?" Jen asked her brother.
"Yeah. That's the jerk who thinks I'm an irresponsible adult." Michael answered.
"Not to mention not keeping an eye on your nephew, letting him cross the street on his own, be lucky I saved him before that car almost hit him." Eric said.
"Like I said before he got lost, he doesn't know the place well." Michael said.
"Michael take him outside, he doesn't need to hear this." Jen told her brother.
"Sure. Come on little guy, let's go out and wait with your mom's friends." Michael took Sky outside and joined along with the rest outside.
"Wait a minute, Trip, Lucas, and Katie are here too?" Eric asked. "How long have you been here?"
"Almost a week." Jen responded.
"Your filled with a lot of surprises Jen." Eric said.
"Let me explain." Jen said.
"No you don't have to. You've been gone for five years and decided to come back, not knowing you have moved on, married someone else and had a kid and to think you would always love Wes, but I guess not." Eric said.
"That's not true." Jen tried to explain everything, but Eric refused to listen.
While outside Trip, Lucas, Katie, and Michael we're listening in.
"You know it's bad listening in people's conversation." Alex said.
"We can barely hear what they are saying." Trip said.
"Michael do you know who's here?" Alex asked.
"I only recognize the jerk who's talking to my sister, I don't know his name though." Michael answered.
"I think it might be Eric." Katie said.
"You mean the Quantum Ranger." Michael said.
"Yeah. Eric Myers." Lucas said.
"Wait a minute, that's the jerk you guys and my sister told me about." Michael said.
"Yeah, that would be him." Katie said.
"You all we're not lying about him, he is a jerk." Michael said.
"Sounds like you met him already." Alex said.
"I did. That's the same jerk who told me I should know better not to let a kid go across the street on his own." Michael explained.
"Eric was the one who told you that." Lucas said.
"Yes." Michael said.
"You guys quiet, I'm trying to listen." Trip said when they got a little close to hearing. "I can't believe Eric would say that."
"What did you hear?" Alex asked.
"Eric thinks Jen married someone else." Trip answered.
"Why would he think that?" Michael asked.
"Jen's trying to explain but Eric won't listen." Trip answered.
"I'm going in." Alex said and went inside.
"Hey Alex I don't think-" Michael was about to stop him.
"You can try and stop me, but you can't he needs to listen to your sister." Alex said.
"I know, which is why I'll go in with you." Michael said.
"Then come on." Alex said and both went inside.
"Come on Taylor let's go." Eric said.
"Eric just listen to her." Taylor said.
"There is nothing I want to hear from her." Eric said and we're about to leave when they heard a voice from not far behind.
"Can you just listen on what she has to say." Alex shouted, when Eric and Taylor turned around and we're surprised when they saw Alex.
"Who are you?" Eric asked.
"It's not important right now, just listen on what Jennifer has to say to you." Alex answered.
"Alright, I'm listening." Eric said.
"Whenever your ready Jennifer." Alex said to Jen.
"Is he your husband? He looks like-" Eric was about to ask.
"Your friend Wes. I know I look identical to him." Alex interrupted.
"No he's not, he's my friend and was also my fiancé." Jen responded.
"Wes did tell me you we're once engaged, though he wasn't lying when he said he looked exactly like him." Eric said.
"Just to let you know ever since I was gone I never married anyone else, when I came back just a couple of weeks not knowing I was pregnant, I found out when I started having pain in my stomach, which almost caused me to have a miscarriage I was lucky I didn't loose the baby." Jen explained.
"Wait so you mean that..." Eric was about to answer.
"Yes Eric, Wes is the father of my son." Jen answered, Eric didn't know what to say and left out the door.
"I'm sorry, Eric is not himself lately." Taylor said.
"It's okay I understand." Jen said.
"I'll go talk to him." Taylor said and left to talk to Eric.
"Is Eric okay?" Jen asked.
"No he's not, ever since Wes died, Eric hasn't been the same, he blames himself for what happened." Mr. Collins answered.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"Eric couldn't save Wes on time, he's been like this for the past five years, he's been busy non-stop working and isn't close to his kids as much." Mr. Collins answered.
"Kids. I didn't know he had kids." Jen said.
"Well Eric and Taylor had been married for five years and had twins a boy and a girl." Mr. Collins said.
"Even if he is a jerk I feel sorry for him." Michael said.
"So do I." Jen said. While outside Taylor was upset with Eric wondering why he'd walked out just like that.
"Eric. What was that?" Taylor asked.
"What do you mean?" Eric asked.
"You know exactly what I mean." Taylor answered. "Eric, you can't act like this for the rest of your life, why can't you understand that."
"Do you want to know how I feel?" Eric said.
"How?" Taylor asked.
"I feel even more guilty than before, I knew I should have saved Wes in time, he shouldn't have died, he still would have had the chance to marry Jen and raise a kid together, and now that kid will never know who his father is." Eric answered.
"Eric you don't have to feel bad, I have tried many times to convince you that you we're not responsible for what happened." Taylor said.
"How do you want me to feel, I keep having the same nightmare over and over again for not saving him and no matter how much I want to tell myself that I shouldn't feel so guilty for what happened." Eric said.
"Eric." Taylor was about to continue.
"Just leave me alone." Eric said.
"Eric just listen to me." Taylor said.
"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE." Eric shouted, Taylor didn't know what to say and went back in the Collins Mansion.
"Taylor are you okay?" Jen asked when she looked at Taylor and saw tears in her eyes and hugged her.
"I don't know what else to do, he has never shouted at me before." Taylor answered.
"Let me talk to him." Michael said.
"Michael, I don't think it's a good idea." Jen said.
"Look maybe I can try to reason with him." Michael said. "Trust me."
"Okay, but I hope you know what your doing." Jen said.
"Don't worry I won't try to pick up a fight or anything." Michael said and went out the door, Eric heard the door open from behind thinking it was Taylor.
"I'm sorry I should have never shouted at you." Eric said when he turned around and saw it wasn't Taylor, but Michael.
"Oh. It's you." Eric said.
"I get that a lot." Michael responded. "Mind if I join you?"
"I rather be alone." Eric answered.
"So do I, I'll just stay out here as long as I want to." Michael said.
"What do you want?" Eric asked.
"Look, I know we kind of didn't get on a good start, maybe we can try to get to know each other better." Michael answered.
"And you think that we should start being friends, why doesn't that surprise me." Eric said.
"My sister was right you are a jerk." Michael said.
"Sister?" Eric said a bit surprised.
"Yeah, my sister Jennifer or as you all call her Jen I call her Jenny because she's my younger sister." Michael explained. "Anyway, she has told me a lot about you."
"You don't know nothing about me." Eric said.
"Listen, I know how you feel, I've kind of been through this before." Michael said.
"What do you know?" Eric asked.
"Well you remind me of me." Michael responded.
"Your point?" Eric asked.
"I had a really rough life, I was an alcoholic my dad and I weren't as close as before ever since I started drinking. I was more worse when I got into an accident which caused the life of my girlfriend, I lost interest in everything, I blamed myself for the accident even wished I was the one who would have died in that accident. My family tried to convince me that the accident wasn't my fault, but I refused to listen, my dad got tired of me and I got tired of him that we argued a lot I decided to move out. After I moved out I moved in with my friends getting drunk, causing trouble and going to parties, I was a complete wreck, I didn't even know what to do with my life anymore, then one night something happened, it was a late night I got way to drunk at a party and started to walk back at my friends apartment when a strange car came out of nowhere and started following me and was about to run me over I started to run then I tripped and tried to get up when the car came close I didn't know if the car hit me I shut my eyes and passed out I suddenly woke up at a hospital, badly hurt, a doctor told me I'd been in a coma for a week then told me I had a lot of alcohol in my system and even operated on me to clean out all the toxins in my stomach, I could have died if didn't stop drinking, after I recovered my injuries the doctor gave me a card at a rehab clinic. When I arrive there I found a place to stay in the clinic, went to many group therapy's and heard many stories and made me realize that I shouldn't blame myself for what happened and never had left home, I was glad I found the help I needed, I only stayed there for a couple of months and finally recovered and I finally decided to come home and I was afraid that if my dad ever saw me back he would kick me out, but I was glad he decided to give me a chance and forgave me." Michael paused for a minute.
"You must have had a really hard life." Eric said.
"Yeah. I did." Michael said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Eric asked.
"Because, you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened when you couldn't save your friend in time." Michael answered.
"That's none of your business." Eric said.
"I know it's not, my sister has told me about him and I just want you to know that she never stopped loving him, and I know that her son will never get to know his father." Michael said.
"Are you close to your sister?" Eric asked.
"Real close, she's the only sister I got, I helped her out taking care of her son even if I am his uncle." Michael answered.
"Has he ever asked about his father?" Eric asked.
"No, and my sister doesn't think it's the right time to let him know, he's only four, but I told her if he ever asks that's when she has to tell him." Michael answered. "I know your story my sister told me and I feel sorry for you."
"I could never get over the fact that I couldn't save Wes, it was too late there was nothing I could do. I thought I would someday get over that but it just kept taunting me I felt so guilty, I haven't been the same since the past five years. When I married Taylor she tried many times to convince me it wasn't my fault but I wouldn't listen no matter how much I want to tell myself that, I had been busy with work I didn't have time to be with my kids, they're not as close to me as much anymore, I couldn't keep myself focused or concentrated at times, I kept having the same nightmare for not saving him, and now I feel even more guilty than before, if he was still alive-" Eric was interrupted.
"He would have had the chance to marry my sister and raise their son together." Michael said.
"Right." Eric said.
"Let me ask you this, what would have happened if you we're in that fire and he was about to go in there and save you but it was already too late you died and he feels the one responsible for not saving you, do you think he would feel exactly the same on how you are right now?" Michael asked.
"Maybe. I guess not." Eric responded.
"There's your answer, you shouldn't feel responsible anymore, it's time to put that aside it's the past move on, be who you were before but not a jerk though, you can still live your life without ever feeling guilty." Michael explained.
"Maybe, your right, I won't let it affect me anymore, it's time to move on." Eric said.
"Glad to hear that." Michael said.
"Listen, I want to apologize for being a bit rude." Eric said.
"It's alright, I want to apologize about the things I said to you." Michael said.
"Apology accepted." Eric said.
"Let's introduce ourselves properly." Michael said. "Michael. Michael Scotts, Jen's brother."
"Eric. Eric Myers, Quantum Ranger." Eric said and both shook hands, when they both heard the door open and saw Taylor. "Look, I'm sorry for shouting at you, I never-"
"It's okay I know you didn't mean to." Taylor said.
"I just want to tell you things are going to be different for now on." Eric said.
"You mean it?" Taylor asked.
"Yes." Eric responded, when Taylor hugged him as Michael went inside the house to leave them both alone and saw Jen and Alex near the door.
"How much did you both hear?" Michael asked.
"Pretty much everything." Alex responded.
"And I thought you said it was bad hearing people's conversations." Michael said.
"Well-" Alex was about to say something.
"The important thing is you actually reasoned out Eric, I didn't think you had it in you." Jen said.
"Neither did I." Michael said.
"Though we know Trip, Lucas, and Katie we're hearing us too, right guys?" Alex shouted when all three came out from the kitchen.
"We're sorry." Katie said.
"We couldn't help ourselves." Trip said.
"Can you blame us?" Lucas said.
"Apparently yes." Jen said.
"It's like we're all eavesdroppers here." Michael said.
"Your all pretty much are." Mr. Collins said, then everyone started to laugh then Eric and Taylor came back in.
"Before we leave Eric wants to say something to you Jen." Taylor said.
"Jen I want to apologize for what I said." Eric said.
"It's okay I forgive you." Jen said.
"Thanks." Eric said.
"Will come and visit tomorrow." Taylor said.
"Sounds fine." Mr. Collins said.
"We will too." Jen said.
"Take care all of you." Eric said.
"Same with you." Michael said when Eric and Taylor left out the door.
"I'm glad everything worked out well." Mr. Collins said.
"So are we." Jen said.
"Come on let's go outside with your son he's going to be asking a lot of questions." Michael said.
"Yeah, you may be right." Jen said as everyone went back out.
Chapter 37 coming soon.
Tell me what you think.