Hey all! Bear with me, things are about to get cheesy! But that's what we
soap fans love, right? Let me know, R and R!
Chris and Frank stood frozen on the doorstep of the center on Twelfth Street. This time, there were no noble volunteers to ring the bell. Both men had lumps in their throats the size of beach balls.
"Okay, come on. Let's just do this. What are we scared of? It's just Julie," Chris said. With that, he rang the buzzer.
"It's open," called out a faint, almost familiar voice. Chris and Frank looked at one another, gulped, and stepped inside.
There sat Julie, sitting in a wheelchair, dusting a frosted glass vase. When she saw the two men, her eyes double to the size of saucers, her mouth went slack, and she dropped the vase. "Hi, Julie," Frank said. Chris waved, and then knelt down to start picking up the glass. Julie was still speechless.
"Uh, um, er..I, wha." she stammered incredulously. Chris took her hands in his, and looked into her face, searching it. This helped Julie find words. Plenty of them. "What are you doing here? How did you find me? What's the matter? What's going on?" she rattled off in panic.
"Calm down, Julie," Frank said gently. "Everything is all right." Julie's eyes filled with tears.
"Everything is NOT all right. Everything is NOT ALL RIGHT!" she cried, getting really upset. She tore her hands out of Chris's and put them to her cheeks, swiping away anguished tears.
Frank and Chris looked at each other, heartbroken. This was the last thing that they had wanted. Finally, Julie looked up again, with wet eyes and a tearstained but still remarkably beautiful face.
"Just had to see for yourselves, did you? Happy now? Does THIS make you feel better?!" she cried through clenched teeth, shaking her wheelchair.
"Julie-" Chris began. "NO!" she shouted. "Is this what you wanted to see me like? Or maybe you came to look for my grave! Maybe that would've been an even MORE lucrative tourist attraction!" she sobbed.
"Julie," Chris eased. Julie wept into her hands. Chris gently placed a hand on her shaking shoulders, until the shuddering ceased. Chris tipped Julie's chin up and looked into her mesmerizing eyes.
"I missed you," he said.
*
Rafe and Raven had started back to civilization through the woods when Jamal ran up to them. "Whoa! Hey, man, Rafe, what's up, dog?" he said, surprised.
"Well, Caleb's lair, in up in flames that is, thanks to Raven," Rafe replied with pride. Raven stepped forward and hugged Jamal.
"It's over, Jamal, I did it," she whispered. "I know," Jamal said. "Listen, I just came up this way to see what was going on, Ian and Danny are back there waiting for me," Jamal explained.
Raven's eyes lit up. "Danny!" she cried, and took off running. "Raven, no, wait!" Jamal cried. He didn't want her to see Danny like this. But it was too late. Raven approached the clearing, and in the early morning sunshine, she saw Danny still laying in his father's arms.
"Danny!" she cried again, dropping to her knees and putting his face in her hands. Danny smiled at her. "I just bumped my head, babe," he said, stroking her face. "I'm fine now."
"Everyone is fine now," Rafe said, coming into the clearing with Jamal. Ian and Danny's eyes widened. "Rafe," Ian murmured.
"Hey," Rafe said, waving. "Long story." "Is that your Dad?" Danny asked quietly. Raven beamed.
"Yes," she said, before kissing Danny. It had been so long, she didn't care if it was in front of all of their dads. "Well, why don't we go back to town and tell everyone the good news?" Ian suggested. Everyone nodded happily.
"First, though," Danny said. "Rafe, can I talk to you in private for a minute?" Rafe looked slightly confused, but nodded.
"Sure thing. We'll be back in a minute," Rafe said, and the two walked away.
*
"Michael!" screeched Christina. "What the hell do you think YOU'RE doing?!"
Michael sat down next to her, calm, as if he were totally oblivious to the man he'd just punched and the fact that Christina was hysterical.
"Christy," he began. "I've been thinking, and I miss you. We obviously belong together, I mean, we have a baby together-"
"Wrong," Christina interrupted. "WE don't have anything. I might be pregnant, but we aren't going to have anything."
Michael looked confused, like he couldn't believe that Christina wasn't thrilled. "Sound familiar, jerk?" she hissed.
"But, I-" Michael stammered. He wasn't used to being shot down. "Get out of here, you worthless creep," Christina said. "Go home and wait for the restraining order to come in the mail."
Brandon stood up, and glared at Michael. "I'd get the hell out of here before I call hospital security. I'm sure they'll lower you're severance package if you don't do as I say," he said smoothly.
Michael slunk out of the room, fuming. "Are you all right?" Christina said worriedly, gently touching Brandon's cheek.
Brandon smiled, and kissed Christina's hand. "Better than ever."
*
Chris and Frank stood frozen on the doorstep of the center on Twelfth Street. This time, there were no noble volunteers to ring the bell. Both men had lumps in their throats the size of beach balls.
"Okay, come on. Let's just do this. What are we scared of? It's just Julie," Chris said. With that, he rang the buzzer.
"It's open," called out a faint, almost familiar voice. Chris and Frank looked at one another, gulped, and stepped inside.
There sat Julie, sitting in a wheelchair, dusting a frosted glass vase. When she saw the two men, her eyes double to the size of saucers, her mouth went slack, and she dropped the vase. "Hi, Julie," Frank said. Chris waved, and then knelt down to start picking up the glass. Julie was still speechless.
"Uh, um, er..I, wha." she stammered incredulously. Chris took her hands in his, and looked into her face, searching it. This helped Julie find words. Plenty of them. "What are you doing here? How did you find me? What's the matter? What's going on?" she rattled off in panic.
"Calm down, Julie," Frank said gently. "Everything is all right." Julie's eyes filled with tears.
"Everything is NOT all right. Everything is NOT ALL RIGHT!" she cried, getting really upset. She tore her hands out of Chris's and put them to her cheeks, swiping away anguished tears.
Frank and Chris looked at each other, heartbroken. This was the last thing that they had wanted. Finally, Julie looked up again, with wet eyes and a tearstained but still remarkably beautiful face.
"Just had to see for yourselves, did you? Happy now? Does THIS make you feel better?!" she cried through clenched teeth, shaking her wheelchair.
"Julie-" Chris began. "NO!" she shouted. "Is this what you wanted to see me like? Or maybe you came to look for my grave! Maybe that would've been an even MORE lucrative tourist attraction!" she sobbed.
"Julie," Chris eased. Julie wept into her hands. Chris gently placed a hand on her shaking shoulders, until the shuddering ceased. Chris tipped Julie's chin up and looked into her mesmerizing eyes.
"I missed you," he said.
*
Rafe and Raven had started back to civilization through the woods when Jamal ran up to them. "Whoa! Hey, man, Rafe, what's up, dog?" he said, surprised.
"Well, Caleb's lair, in up in flames that is, thanks to Raven," Rafe replied with pride. Raven stepped forward and hugged Jamal.
"It's over, Jamal, I did it," she whispered. "I know," Jamal said. "Listen, I just came up this way to see what was going on, Ian and Danny are back there waiting for me," Jamal explained.
Raven's eyes lit up. "Danny!" she cried, and took off running. "Raven, no, wait!" Jamal cried. He didn't want her to see Danny like this. But it was too late. Raven approached the clearing, and in the early morning sunshine, she saw Danny still laying in his father's arms.
"Danny!" she cried again, dropping to her knees and putting his face in her hands. Danny smiled at her. "I just bumped my head, babe," he said, stroking her face. "I'm fine now."
"Everyone is fine now," Rafe said, coming into the clearing with Jamal. Ian and Danny's eyes widened. "Rafe," Ian murmured.
"Hey," Rafe said, waving. "Long story." "Is that your Dad?" Danny asked quietly. Raven beamed.
"Yes," she said, before kissing Danny. It had been so long, she didn't care if it was in front of all of their dads. "Well, why don't we go back to town and tell everyone the good news?" Ian suggested. Everyone nodded happily.
"First, though," Danny said. "Rafe, can I talk to you in private for a minute?" Rafe looked slightly confused, but nodded.
"Sure thing. We'll be back in a minute," Rafe said, and the two walked away.
*
"Michael!" screeched Christina. "What the hell do you think YOU'RE doing?!"
Michael sat down next to her, calm, as if he were totally oblivious to the man he'd just punched and the fact that Christina was hysterical.
"Christy," he began. "I've been thinking, and I miss you. We obviously belong together, I mean, we have a baby together-"
"Wrong," Christina interrupted. "WE don't have anything. I might be pregnant, but we aren't going to have anything."
Michael looked confused, like he couldn't believe that Christina wasn't thrilled. "Sound familiar, jerk?" she hissed.
"But, I-" Michael stammered. He wasn't used to being shot down. "Get out of here, you worthless creep," Christina said. "Go home and wait for the restraining order to come in the mail."
Brandon stood up, and glared at Michael. "I'd get the hell out of here before I call hospital security. I'm sure they'll lower you're severance package if you don't do as I say," he said smoothly.
Michael slunk out of the room, fuming. "Are you all right?" Christina said worriedly, gently touching Brandon's cheek.
Brandon smiled, and kissed Christina's hand. "Better than ever."
*