Part 3
Kyle, Liz, Alex and Maria were waiting for them at the Crashdown. Michael had called Maria to explain the situation. He'd asked her to gather the others and wait for them at the café. The four aliens walked in together, faces sad. Michael and Isabel held hands and Max kept Tess close to him.
"You guys okay?" Liz asked as they walked to the back of the restaurant.
"We've been better," said Max.
"I know that... this is still early but what'll happen with Tess?" asked Liz.
"What do you mean?" asked Isabel.
"Well everyone thinks he's her father, right? So what happens with her now?" They looked at each other.
"Hadn't thought of that," said Tess slowly.
"If they start snooping around, it won't be too good," said Isabel.
"You could do what I did," Michael told Tess.
"Get emancipated?" she asked. She thought. "Guess so."
"You can talk to my father about it. He helped Michael already, said Max.
"Yeah... all right," said Tess slowly. It was all happening so fast... A few hours ago, she'd been happily having breakfast with Nasedo. Now she was planning her life without him... " I'll need money, too," she mumbled.
"I can ask my dad if we have an opening," said Liz.
"A waitress at the Crashdown... I guess I could deal with that," she said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome", said Liz with a smile.
"Where is she gonna live?" asked Kyle.
"You can take the second room at my place," said Michael, "As long as you pay half the rent."
"Thank you" said Tess with a nod.
"It'll be okay, Tess, you'll see," said Max, trying to comfort her.
"Yeah, I know... it's just gonna take some getting used to," said Tess, "I don't know what I'll do tonight. I don't want to stay alone..."
"You could stay with me," said Liz, "We can take the opportunity to ask my dad."
"All right," said Tess with a small smile.
"Can I come too?" asked Maria, "We can make it a girl's night."
"Sounds like fun," said Liz, then to Isabel, "What about you?"
"Count me in," she said, hoping it would help cheer Tess up.
*
Two days later, with her spirits much higher, it was Tess' first day to work. She still felt strange, wearing the 'headgear' that was part of their uniform, but other than that she had no problems. The 'girls night' had achieved its goal and much more. Talking about Nasedo was still hard for her, but that was pretty much to be expected.
That morning, she and Liz came down from the Parkers' home together, ready for their shifts. Tess still lived with them, as she would until this was all taken care of, Liz had assured her that her parents were more than okay with it.
Surprisingly enough, Tess settled into the job with effortless ease. She was enjoying herself and the customers were all happy. All in all, she was getting along great by herself.
Near lunchtime, Max, Isabel and the rest of their group came into the café. Tess went to welcome them with a warm smile to all and a kiss to Max.
"How's it going?" he asked her.
"It's great! I love it... even I'M surprised," she said with a laugh. She led them to a booth near the back.
"Oh, guess what," said Max as he sat.
"What?" she asked.
"My dad says everything's in place and you should be meeting with the judge in two days." She seemed shocked and nervous. Max knew why. "Relax, okay? I'm sure it'll go without a problem."
"Yeah, I hope so," she said slowly, playing with her apron.
"So," said Isabel, trying to give Tess her smile back, "How about we order?" That got her back to attention.
"Right, okay." They gave her their orders and she walked off. They saw Liz walking around and signaled her over.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," said Max, "So, how's she doing?"
"She's great, and the customers already like her."
"I mean... emotionally," Max clarified.
"Oh" said Liz, looking down a bit, "She's... she's okay. She's having trouble sleeping, and when she does, she has nightmares a lot... but other than that, I think she'll be fine." That seemed to reassure Max, so Liz walked away.
He hated seeing Tess like this and it made him feel slightly powerless. He just didn't know what to say, what to tell her to make her feel better. He did what he could, but it never seemed to be enough in his mind.
He smiled when she returned with their plates, looking very happy with herself. "Enjoy!" she said, going back to work...
*
Two days later
They were all waiting for Mr. Evans and Tess to return from their meeting with the judge. They kept reassuring themselves that it would all go well, but deep down, there were still doubts and fear.
Finally, they heard the car. A minute later, they entered the living room to meet their eager faces. She didn't keep them waiting.
"It's official," she said with a smile. They all got up, the relief evident, and went to congratulate her.
"Thanks, dad," Max said, as he went to him.
"You're welcome, both of you," he answered, indicating both Max and Tess.
"So," she said, walking up to Michael, "When am I moving in?"
"Next weekend?" he suggested.
"Deal". Both smiled. Isabel came up to take her turn congratulating Tess.
"Gonna be living with my boyfriend, uh?" she said with a grin. "Do I have to warn you?" Tess grinned as well.
"Don't worry, I won't touch him... Besides, I already have a guy," she said, as Max brought her closer to himself from behind with a smile.
*
The next weekend
Max and Isabel had picked up Tess and her belongings at her old house and taken her to Michael's home, now her home as well.
"Welcome", he said, opening the door and stepping aside to let them in, "Now, the rules." Tess and Isabel looked to each other with a smile.
"Yes, I'm listening," said Tess.
"You keep your stuff on your side of the bathroom sink, and I keep my stuff on mine. Please don't leave your..." he continued, then stopping, as if to think of the proper way to ask what he was about to. Tess was quicker.
"Underwear?" she suggested with a laugh she unsuccessfully held back.
"Yeah," said Michael, "Don't leave it hanging around."
"Noted," she said with a nod, clearly enjoying this.
"Your room is there," he said, pointing to it, "It's all yours."
"Well, thank you."
"No problem." The four of them carried all of the bags and boxes into the room and Isabel helped her unpack while the guys sat in the living room.
As the days had gone by after that first day of work, Tess had continued getting better. Liz informed them that she'd started sleeping normally again, which was definitely a good sign that she'd recovered and was finally back to her old self again.
About an hour and a half after they'd arrived, Tess was all settled in and Max and Isabel headed back to their own home. They would have stayed longer, but they were having relatives over for dinner and their mother needed some help.
So it gave Michael and Tess plenty of time to talk and around mid-afternoon, they went to the grocery store to get food that Michael didn't have, but Tess wanted...
Kyle, Liz, Alex and Maria were waiting for them at the Crashdown. Michael had called Maria to explain the situation. He'd asked her to gather the others and wait for them at the café. The four aliens walked in together, faces sad. Michael and Isabel held hands and Max kept Tess close to him.
"You guys okay?" Liz asked as they walked to the back of the restaurant.
"We've been better," said Max.
"I know that... this is still early but what'll happen with Tess?" asked Liz.
"What do you mean?" asked Isabel.
"Well everyone thinks he's her father, right? So what happens with her now?" They looked at each other.
"Hadn't thought of that," said Tess slowly.
"If they start snooping around, it won't be too good," said Isabel.
"You could do what I did," Michael told Tess.
"Get emancipated?" she asked. She thought. "Guess so."
"You can talk to my father about it. He helped Michael already, said Max.
"Yeah... all right," said Tess slowly. It was all happening so fast... A few hours ago, she'd been happily having breakfast with Nasedo. Now she was planning her life without him... " I'll need money, too," she mumbled.
"I can ask my dad if we have an opening," said Liz.
"A waitress at the Crashdown... I guess I could deal with that," she said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome", said Liz with a smile.
"Where is she gonna live?" asked Kyle.
"You can take the second room at my place," said Michael, "As long as you pay half the rent."
"Thank you" said Tess with a nod.
"It'll be okay, Tess, you'll see," said Max, trying to comfort her.
"Yeah, I know... it's just gonna take some getting used to," said Tess, "I don't know what I'll do tonight. I don't want to stay alone..."
"You could stay with me," said Liz, "We can take the opportunity to ask my dad."
"All right," said Tess with a small smile.
"Can I come too?" asked Maria, "We can make it a girl's night."
"Sounds like fun," said Liz, then to Isabel, "What about you?"
"Count me in," she said, hoping it would help cheer Tess up.
*
Two days later, with her spirits much higher, it was Tess' first day to work. She still felt strange, wearing the 'headgear' that was part of their uniform, but other than that she had no problems. The 'girls night' had achieved its goal and much more. Talking about Nasedo was still hard for her, but that was pretty much to be expected.
That morning, she and Liz came down from the Parkers' home together, ready for their shifts. Tess still lived with them, as she would until this was all taken care of, Liz had assured her that her parents were more than okay with it.
Surprisingly enough, Tess settled into the job with effortless ease. She was enjoying herself and the customers were all happy. All in all, she was getting along great by herself.
Near lunchtime, Max, Isabel and the rest of their group came into the café. Tess went to welcome them with a warm smile to all and a kiss to Max.
"How's it going?" he asked her.
"It's great! I love it... even I'M surprised," she said with a laugh. She led them to a booth near the back.
"Oh, guess what," said Max as he sat.
"What?" she asked.
"My dad says everything's in place and you should be meeting with the judge in two days." She seemed shocked and nervous. Max knew why. "Relax, okay? I'm sure it'll go without a problem."
"Yeah, I hope so," she said slowly, playing with her apron.
"So," said Isabel, trying to give Tess her smile back, "How about we order?" That got her back to attention.
"Right, okay." They gave her their orders and she walked off. They saw Liz walking around and signaled her over.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," said Max, "So, how's she doing?"
"She's great, and the customers already like her."
"I mean... emotionally," Max clarified.
"Oh" said Liz, looking down a bit, "She's... she's okay. She's having trouble sleeping, and when she does, she has nightmares a lot... but other than that, I think she'll be fine." That seemed to reassure Max, so Liz walked away.
He hated seeing Tess like this and it made him feel slightly powerless. He just didn't know what to say, what to tell her to make her feel better. He did what he could, but it never seemed to be enough in his mind.
He smiled when she returned with their plates, looking very happy with herself. "Enjoy!" she said, going back to work...
*
Two days later
They were all waiting for Mr. Evans and Tess to return from their meeting with the judge. They kept reassuring themselves that it would all go well, but deep down, there were still doubts and fear.
Finally, they heard the car. A minute later, they entered the living room to meet their eager faces. She didn't keep them waiting.
"It's official," she said with a smile. They all got up, the relief evident, and went to congratulate her.
"Thanks, dad," Max said, as he went to him.
"You're welcome, both of you," he answered, indicating both Max and Tess.
"So," she said, walking up to Michael, "When am I moving in?"
"Next weekend?" he suggested.
"Deal". Both smiled. Isabel came up to take her turn congratulating Tess.
"Gonna be living with my boyfriend, uh?" she said with a grin. "Do I have to warn you?" Tess grinned as well.
"Don't worry, I won't touch him... Besides, I already have a guy," she said, as Max brought her closer to himself from behind with a smile.
*
The next weekend
Max and Isabel had picked up Tess and her belongings at her old house and taken her to Michael's home, now her home as well.
"Welcome", he said, opening the door and stepping aside to let them in, "Now, the rules." Tess and Isabel looked to each other with a smile.
"Yes, I'm listening," said Tess.
"You keep your stuff on your side of the bathroom sink, and I keep my stuff on mine. Please don't leave your..." he continued, then stopping, as if to think of the proper way to ask what he was about to. Tess was quicker.
"Underwear?" she suggested with a laugh she unsuccessfully held back.
"Yeah," said Michael, "Don't leave it hanging around."
"Noted," she said with a nod, clearly enjoying this.
"Your room is there," he said, pointing to it, "It's all yours."
"Well, thank you."
"No problem." The four of them carried all of the bags and boxes into the room and Isabel helped her unpack while the guys sat in the living room.
As the days had gone by after that first day of work, Tess had continued getting better. Liz informed them that she'd started sleeping normally again, which was definitely a good sign that she'd recovered and was finally back to her old self again.
About an hour and a half after they'd arrived, Tess was all settled in and Max and Isabel headed back to their own home. They would have stayed longer, but they were having relatives over for dinner and their mother needed some help.
So it gave Michael and Tess plenty of time to talk and around mid-afternoon, they went to the grocery store to get food that Michael didn't have, but Tess wanted...