Author's Note: This chapter does deal with Mallory's coming out (sorta) you'll see how it goes in the chapter. I wanted to handle this in a sweet yet in the Pike zany kind of way. I don't want to offend anyone or if I'm portraying this as wrong please please PM me directly so I can adjust any changes accordingly. Also fixed this to when I realized that Claire called her mom moozie sometimes.
It was six am again and everyone in the house was awake. Mr. Pike had breakfast cooking on the stove. Mrs. Pike had set the table for everyone who was staying in her house. Jordan grumbling that he should have stayed with Byron and everyone else waking themselves up with coffee.
"Are you sure?" asked Mallory once more to Margo at the other end of the table. Margo had come over bright and early since she tended to get up early. Without enough sleep she could be a little crazy.
Margo just smiled brightly at her and nodded enthusiastically. "Yep and Buddy wants you there too," she said with an infectious smile.
"Positive?" She looked around and saw a few glares in her direction. Addison keeping Penelope calm by bouncing her as she walked across the family room.
"There will be two infants in the house, probably awake in the middle of the night," said Mallory warning her that it would be difficult. Since the family was staying at their parent's house, Margo offered someone to stay with her. Since Margo had an infant at home nobody really wanted to stay with her due to the lack of sleep they would get. Now she was working trying to convince Mallory again.
"Better than keeping everyone else awake," said Margo convincingly.
Mallory looked at Addison one last time. Then thought of the week that they would be here after the wedding too. "Okay fine."
"Yes! You won't regret it sis!" said Margo throwing her arms around her sister.
"Two screaming infants is better than one," she mumbled and then went to go tell Addison before packing up their stuff. Vanessa would have her room back.
Now, here I am sitting at the kitchen table at Margo and Buddy Barrett's home. It's three am and we are all awake trying to get our daughters to sleep. I'm waiting for bottles to warm up. Margo had failed to tell me that her daughter, Lizzie, had colic.
So Charlotte you should know what kind of crazy you are stepping into. Once you know that, it's important to remember that our family is very supportive and will always be there. I'm sharing a memory that is very important to me and I am glad that you were there when it happened just to see it.
I took a breath and opened the door. Since it was Sunday everyone would be home and I mean everyone. Since Christmas was in a week everyone would be back from school. Even Adam was here before he would be deployed once again. I, Mallory Pike, would be coming out to my entire family.
Suspiciousness started when I was about 18. I knew when I was 20 after a period where I struggled with it and started to date. Eventually I told my parents first when I brought a girl home one Christmas. My siblings didn't know yet, which was good because me and her just didn't click. Now at 24 I was bringing home someone serious and going to tell everyone.
Now I had someone serious and everyone had to know. I told Vanessa so it was just everyone else. Since we were all rarely together anymore, I didn't want to tell everyone one at a time, but all at once.
"Hi," I said hugging Claire who was already there waiting for me.
Adam and Jordan were playing a card game on the living room floor. Claire had taken my gifts to put them underneath the Christmas tree. Nicky was reading one of his law books on the couch with my dad next to him. Margo nowhere to be seen yet. Vanessa writing something on a pad of paper next to the fireplace.
Byron was in the kitchen with my mom helping with dinner since he loved to cook. With them was, I believe, Charlotte Johanssen for some reason.
"Hi everyone," said Margo coming in behind me. "I have some news!"
Where had she been? Not only that but Margo was pulling the hand of someone behind her that just smiled at me and waved. He looked familiar but since I wasn't home much anymore, I didn't have any idea who she was hanging out with.
"Wait I have news too," I said feeling confident that hers wouldn't be as big.
"Alright family meeting in the living room. Everyone in here," called my dad.
Nicky, a nickname that he will never be rid of at least at home, put his book away. Vanessa sat down her legal pad and threw herself onto the couch with Charlotte and Byron joining her. With the four of them on the couch Adam and Jordan sat on the floor. Claire and I sat in the armchairs. Margo and her boy sitting at my feet and she looked anxious. Going from her new boyfriend and then to Nicky who was also looking in their direction.
Once we were all settled, and mom was still finishing the spaghetti stood in the doorway keeping an eye on us and the stove.
"We'll do youngest to oldest, Claire do you have any news?"
She shot to her feet and everyone turned to look at her before she struck a pose and smiled. We rolled our eyes and smiled anyway.
"I do! As you know I'm starting New York University this fall. I decided on my major and I decided on film and tv production. My short film I made about our family got me a scholarship."
A round of applause and congratulations went around the room. Oh my gosh was this my place to tell them right now. I started to sweat a little not sure if this was a good idea or not.
"Claire what did we say about majors like that?" asked my dad to Claire raising his eyebrows, as if reminding her of the talk.
"Don't worry I picked business as my double. After all both aren't all that different."
My parents wanted all their kids to follow their dreams of course, but they wanted something practical as a backup just in case. A fall back plan sort to speak. I had doubled in creative writing and web design. Jordan also business as his fall back. Vanessa has her cosmetology license. Since Adam did military right out, Margo focused on teaching, Byron has a medical degree, and Nicky went right into law they didn't necessarily need a backup career.
"Am I going to tell her or are you?" whispered Adam.
"Are you sure she's going to NYU?" asked Jordan teasingly.
Adam and Jordan laughed along and Claire oblivious to their jokes. She was proud of herself to be a filmmaker.
Then Margo stood up pulling the boy with her. I knew him from somewhere. It had to be one of the former baby-sitting charges. Not being home and going from Riverbend to college left me only somewhat aware of my brothers and sisters' friends. Not just that but they didn't really tell me everything either.
"Buddy and I are dating," she said breathlessly and all in one go. Wait Buddy Barrett? We all looked from them to Nicky. After all Nicky and Buddy were friends. Nicky just shrugged and waved nodding approvingly.
Then another round of congratulations and welcome to the family from my mom. My dad giving him the best we better talk look. Nicky didn't have new news himself. Vanessa was loving her new song writing job in Nashville. Her poetry had turned into songs in high school, so her love of words was helping her career.
Next Byron stood up and pulled the girl with him. She was a little red and smiled at everyone.
"Well in another episode of The Pikes and the Restless," joked Byron and took the girls hand. "To those that don't know Charlotte Johanssen and I have been dating." A round of applause and congratulations again. Now it was my moms turn to give Charlotte a look, but she was smiling. "We're moving in together."
"But you've only been dating six months!" said Vanessa a little stunned.
"That seems serious," said Jordan.
"Because we are, serious that is."
Wow that was a lot to take in. Byron also said that they weren't going to be spending Christmas Eve here. They would be going over her house and be back Christmas Day. I found myself sweating a little wishing that it was oldest to youngest. Then I would have been able to focus on being happy for my siblings.
Adam didn't have any news. Jordan didn't either before it was my turn. Everything that I thought I would say just out the window, but I stood up.
"I, um," I started to say and let out a breath. I remembered the drink that I had before I came over and it pushed me to be confident. "I am… well. I like girls romantically and I wanted to everyone when we were together that I am a lesbian. I know I should have told you sooner, but I wanted to tell you when we were all together."
There I said it, and everyone looked at me and another wave of congratulations and Vanessa even hugged me. Claire looked at me confused like she didn't understand what I had said. Margo looked stunned as did Adam. Jordan, Byron, and Nicky just nodded knowingly.
"That's it?" asked Jordan confused. "Mal, we all knew. Or at least I figured."
"You did?" I asked turning to look at him.
Jordan just nodded and just smiled at me. "Yea, I have a couple of gay friends in LA and I guess I kind of figured. If you want I can bring you home someone I know." He winked and I just giggled a little looking among the rest of my siblings.
"I kind of figured," said Byron who was still holding Charlotte's hand. "But never got an exact answer until now."
"Well you told me already," said Vanessa.
Nicky flushed and looked a little embarrassed. "I'd say I figured it out, but I caught you making out with that girl two Christmas's ago. If you weren't my sister I would have watched and called it hot."
"Ew, Nicky you're calling it hot now!" said Vanessa and she poked him. My dad had calmed them down and I just smiled gratefully. If not embarrassed like Nicky now since he had saw us together. Then I looked at Adam, Margo, and Claire who just were a bit dumbfounded.
Adam spoke up still studying me putting it all together. "This is news to us," he said gesturing to the three of them. "I mean I'm cool with it. Maybe the girl you bring home will have a sister."
I just laughed a little and wiped away some tears that had formed in my eyes. My family was taking this way better then I thought. Then I looked at Margo and Claire wondering what they had to say.
"I'm glad you told us," said Margo piping up from sitting on Buddy's lap. "And I'm not mad or upset or anything. I'm just wondering whose news was bigger yours or mine."
Byron, Charlotte, and Claire looked a little offended seeing as they also had shared their news. Before they would protest, I turned to Claire. She was still staring as if I struck her dumb. Hopefully she wouldn't be angry. She had every right and all, she was 18 but she was still my baby sister to me.
Gently I got down to the floor to look at her. "Do you have any questions Claire?"
Claire brushed aside her red brown hair and bit her bottom lip. "I guess I just don't get it," she said quietly.
"She likes girls the way you like boys," said Nicky knowing his sisters' habits with guys her own age. While Margo and Vanessa had a few boyfriends here and there, Claire had boys falling for her. She was a regular boy magnet and crazy for them. A bit like Stacey when she was that age.
She burst out into a rather loud question. "Mallory wants to marry a girl?!"
"You're not marrying whoever you're thinking of when you said that," said dad.
Everyone laughed and then I clarified everything I could to her. Claire just took everything I said in stride and finally smiled.
"Well I don't think I will completely get it, right now at least," said Claire and I felt my heart sink a little. "But whatever girl you bring home, she better treat you right."
That was all I needed to hear and just hugged her. Someone shouted group hug and soon enough all of my family were piling on top of me in a mass group bear hug. Well not exactly everyone since my mom was filming this on her phone. My dad not even in the room, probably to check on the food. Looking up from my spot I could see Margo and Buddy started to make out after the hug like this was no big deal. Byron tugging Charlotte's hand to the kitchen shouting that he was proud of me.
They rolled off and I brushed hair away from my red face.
"So, none of you are angry that I didn't tell you right away?" I asked in the middle of the floor now.
"Nah, I get waiting," said Adam. "I'm not sure what's more shocking: Mallory is a lesbian, Byron is in a committed relationship at 23, or that Margo and Buddy are a thing. I'm going to have to go with Margo and Buddy."
We just all laughed a little again and picked ourselves up to get ready for dinner. It was spaghetti and meatballs, one of the few things we can agree on as a family. I even told them about my Addison the girl I was serious about myself.
Everything felt right, like it was meant to happen, as we took our seats.
Looking back now I can see how everything came together. You and Byron just started out dating and now here you are getting married. Claire started her film career and now she's doing your wedding video. My sister and Buddy are married too and...
Mallory pushed her entry aside to finish later and started to the bottle warmer which finally dinged.
"Now I can see why you didn't want to do this sooner. At least you're not keeping Claire, Vanessa, Stephanie, Jordan, moozie, and daggles awake. Look it's like 3 am, we could totally make a pizza or something. It won't be Byron's pizza, or we could go to Walmart. Would you like to Walmart with me silly-billy-goo-goo?"
Buddy and I shared look with each other as Margo started to talk nonsense in her sleep deprived state. Addison giggled a little with Penelope in her arms.
"Does she always sound like Claire when she was five when she gets slap happy?" asked Mallory to Buddy.
Buddy just nodded and took Lizzie from her arms and she just started to jump happily around the kitchen looking for pizza stuff.
"Probably should have sent over Vanessa, she can sleep through anything. Or Stephanie and Jordan so she can see the full crazy. Or be like Nicky and stay in a hotel," said Mallory watching her sister cocking her head to the side.
"Nicky's not having any fun at a hotel. He misses staying with us all at once and we have a giant piz…za part…party…"
With that Margo fell asleep leaning against the refrigerator door and sliding down a little. Buddy just looked amused and then handed Lizzie to her. Mallory looked down at her niece and made a face at her as she now calming down. She was helping with the wedding right now; by keeping Charlotte and Byron from going insane trying to accommodate their siblings in their home before their wedding day.