Never Again Separate

By Cypher

Chapter One

"Time to get up, Matt."

Matt groaned and pulled the pillow over his head. Sure, he liked the Hamilton's, and he was grateful for all they'd done for him, but couldn't they let him sleep in on Sunday every now and then? Wait a sec, I don't live with the Hamilton's any more. Sitting up, he found himself face to face with his surrogate brother and best friend, John.

John Hamilton. He was Matt's age, and the person he moved in with after he was taken in by the Hamilton's as a church project. At first it was uncomfortable, but after some time had passed, the two treated each other like true brothers. John had listened to Matt when he went on taking for hours about his now lost siblings, and how he felt he betrayed Simon. Matt had been there to back up John when he told his father he wanted to follow a singing career rather than go to college.

"Hey there." John sat back. "Bout time. Your snoring was driving me nuts."

"I don't snore." Matt sat up slightly and looked around. He was in the bedroom of his apartment near the Chinese Theater. "What're you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd check up on you, now that you're done with your first film. Besides, I was in the neighborhood."
Matt rubbed his face. He had indeed finished his first movie. My first movie. It seems like only yesterday I was staring on that drama.

As he had wanted to, Matt found a job as a secretary to a small firm in Glen Oak, and began taking night classes at the local college. He still lived with the Hamilton's for a few months until he and John saved enough to rent their own place. It was small, nothing too big, but it suited them.

Though he was busy, he had managed to inquire around town about Mary, his sister who had been adopted by a local family. It wasn't until he remembered to check with the high schools that he got the first lead ever: Mary was in New York. The family that had adopted her moved shortly before Matt entered the Hamilton's home. While it would be a long time before he was in New York, he at least knew where one of his siblings was. He was one step closer to his goal.

Shortly after his nineteenth birthday, his goals were placed on hold, as he was picked up by, of all people, a Hollywood agent. She was visiting the office where he worked, and he noticed her looking at him. So he asked her if he could help her with anything. As it turned out, he had just the build, looks, and voice she was looking for. Within a week of meeting her, Matt had been flown to Los Angeles and put through numerous auditions. He had never expected something like this, and though he wasn't planning for this in college, it felt somewhat right to him. So he went along with it, and by the end of the month, he had been offered a season contract on a television show.

Matt was nervous at first, but when he learned it was a soap opera, he relaxed. Acting skills weren't as highly rated as looks in that genre. If only he had known how far his looks would take him. It started with one season, then branched into two. It would've gone on to three, but the show was canceled. Matt became afraid that he would go through the money he earned quickly, but he needn't have worried. While his looks got him on the show, his talent is what got recognized among the Hollywood community. Offers for commercials and cameos rolled in one after the other. While he knew some of the shows were questionable when placed with the ideals of his religion, he never did anything to cross his personal ethics.

He kept in touch with John and the Hamiltons during his time in Hollywood. John was slightly envious. His singing career didn't hit off as well as he had hoped, and he was back to going to college. Matt could sense that John was glad it had worked out for him, though. Right before his and Matt's twentieth birthday, John got married to a wonderful woman named Priscilla Carter, who, despite some differences, was perfect for John in many respects. Matt stood proudly as John's best man, feeling great that his friend had met someone so special.

It had stirred up forgotten feelings in Matt as well, and he decided that, when he returned to Hollywood, he would devote more of his time and earnings to finding his siblings. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance, as he was offered a part in a movie the moment he had returned. It wasn't a major character, but it wasn't a minor one, either. The chance to work on the script with the director, as well as the monetary rewards, weren't things he could pass up, and he had agreed.

Now, at age twenty-one, he was finished with his first movie and taking a much needed break before he started his new job in the fall. A new sitcom. He wasn't thrilled with the idea, but it was a role that the producers were still debating whether or not to keep. And a job was a job. He had also enrolled in some screen writing and director classes and the local college. He found that, while on the movie set, he liked the ability to manipulate the script and help direct at times.

"So, you gonna get up or lay around all day in that bed?"

John snapped Matt back to the present, and he tossed his pillow at his friend. "I'm getting up." Throwing the covers back, he stood and headed for his closet.

John smiled and tossed the pillow aside. "So, how do you think it'll do?"

"I don't know. Part of me is just glad it's over. All the make-up in the early morning, late night shoots. It was Hell." Matt came back out wearing blue jeans and pulling on a blue shirt. "The other part of me is terrified that if it fails, I'll lose all my future jobs."

"Well, then we should get you started on your project today." John stood and held out Matt's leather coat.

Matt grabbed the coat and put it on, his brow furrowed. "My project?"

"Finding the other kids. I've already called a detective agency. They're waiting for us. We have an hour to get there."
Matt stared at John, unbelieving for a moment. Then he smiled and hit John in the arm. "Thanks."

John nodded and headed for the door. "Yeah, yeah."

~*()*~

"So, do you have any idea where any of them might be?"

The man Matt and John were talking to, one Sean Brown, looked to be only a few years older than them. He wasn't that tall as he had come up to Matt's chest when they shook hands, and his green eyes contrasted greatly with his black hair.

Matt exchanged glances with John, as if looking to see if he learned anything during his time in Hollywood. When John shrugged, Matt turned back to the detective. "Well, I'm pretty sure Mary, my eldest sister-"

"Mr. Hamilton already sent a file on who each of them are. I just need to know if you have any ideas."

Matt shifted uncomfortably. Sean's voice carried an air of authority he was not used to hearing from someone so young. "Well, I'm pretty sure Mary's in New York. The family from Glen Oak moved there before she entered high school."

Sean wrote something on a pad, nodding slightly. "Lucy?"

So he's going by age. Matt closed his eyes, recalling memories he had tried to bury, but not forget. "I don't really know anything about her adoption, only that it helped her out of her depression." Matt looked back at Sean, hoping he wouldn't need to ask about the next sibling in line.

"Simon?"

Matt's stomach churned. His brown eyes became pained, and he looked to the ground, closing his eyes. Simon was the one he had tried to bury the most because of the feelings that had come between them.

John leaned over and patted Matt's shoulder. "Pull it together, man." He looked at Sean. "He left before Simon was adopted. He has no clue."

Sean nodded, watching Matt as the young adult slowly sat back up and met his gaze. When he was sure the actor wouldn't fall apart, he glanced at the last name. "And Ruthie?"

Matt nodded and tapped his fingers on his leg. "She was adopted by a family with a minister for a father. It was a large family, with a lot of siblings, but I don't know how many."

Sean nodded and finished writing on his pad before setting it down and turning to his laptop, typing something.

Matt waited a few minutes, wondering what he was doing. He leaned over and whispered to John, "what's he doing?"

"I have no idea."

"Found one."

Matt's jaw dropped. He was sure John's had as well. That fast?

Sean looked at them, a small smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "I began the search shortly after I spoke with Mr. Hamilton." He nodded towards John. "Your information about Mary helped a great deal." He looked beneath his desk. "I'm printing the information now." He leaned forward and put his hands together on his desks. "The others won't be as easy, I'm afraid."

Matt nodded slowly, still stunned. Mary. I've found Mary.

"It may take weeks, even months for me to find them, and it might be a mistake in the end if the courts have made an error or if there are name changes. Still, I'm pretty confident I can find all of them. It'll just take some time." He pulled out the paper and tri-folded it, then placed it in an envelope. He handed it to John. "Take this home and open it there. I'll contact you if I find anything else."

John put the envelope in a jacket pocket and nodded. "Of course. Thank you." He stood and pulled on Matt's arm, urging him to stand as well.

Matt snapped out of it and stood quickly. "Yes, yes, thank you. Anything you can do to help."

Sean smiled and waved towards the door. "I have other clients, so if you would?"

John kept his grip on Matt's arm and dragged him towards the door.

~*()*~

"I can't believe he found her so fast." Matt stared at the envelope in his hands. He and John had made it back to his apartment in record time, and were currently sitting in what passed as a kitchen, dining room, and living room. It was a small square table, with four chairs. He was sitting with his back to the television, turning the envelope over and over in his hands.

"Well, open it." John was sitting across from Matt, watching him. "You've waited years for this."

"But...but what if it's wrong, like he said? Or what if she's changed so much she doesn't want to hear from me?"

John threw his arms up and stared at the ceiling. "I've been listening to you whine and dream about this for nearly a decade. If you won't open that envelope, I will."

Matt shook his head. "No, no, I'll do it." His hands shaking, he opened the top and took out the folded paper. He started to open it, then looked at John. "You're gonna help me, right?"

"I'll do what I can. Now open it already."

Matt unfolded the paper and placed it on the table, holding its edges down. The first thing he saw was a picture of his sister. It was her at eighteen years old, but he recognized the face, the hair, everything. "Oh God."

"What? Is it wrong?" John leaned forward. "No, that's Mary."

Matt could feel his heart pounding, and his mouth twitched upwards. "Heh...Mary. I found her. We found her." He looked at John. "We found her!" He stood and headed for the bedroom. "I have to pack. I have to fly to New York immediately! You're coming too!"

"Just this once. I have work too, you know." John picked up the paper and began reading it.

"That's fine! I'm just happy that we're going to see my sister, Mary Camden, once again."

"Except she isn't Mary Camden, Matt."

Matt stepped out of his bedroom, the smile still on his face. "What do you mean? That's her in the picture."

"But it's not Camden." John looked at Matt and turned the paper around.

"Is it the new family's last name?"

"Nope." John set the paper down. "She's no known as Mary West."

"Mary...West?" Matt walked over and picked up the paper. "Mary West, formally Mary Camden, married June 7th, 2001 to Wilson West." Matt stared, then dropped the paper. "Married? She wouldn't have even graduated from high school!"

"Hey, man, calm down. You'll find out when you get there. Just don't think about the worst. It'll be fine." John stood and put an arm around Matt's shoulders. "Come on, I'll help you pack, and then we can find a flight to New York and visit your sister."

Matt glanced at the paper, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right. She's a different person. I'll meet her...when I see her." Opening his eyes, he headed back for the bedroom. Mary West. I wonder who you are...

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Author's Prattle: Can anyone tell me the irony I've thrown into this chapter? I've thrown a couple, actually. I'll be doing that throughout this fic, just as a kick to those of us who are major 7th Heaven fans. Also, due to school and other fic obligations, the chapters for this fic will be more intermittent than "God's in 7th Heaven, All's Right with the World." I have planned this one out to the end, though, so it should be finished by the end of the year. As always, thanks for reading, and please review, especially if you enjoyed it.