[Mary Anne] [T-minus 10 years]

Title: Start Anew

Author: Sweet Piglet

AN the First: Hello, all. Time for "Answers from Sweet Piglet." Jaded Rose, I agree, it does seem like Mary Anne is too forward. But I think that Mary Anne had to grow strong to get through high school (goodness only knows that I had to), and maybe she grew a little too strong for everyone's liking. After being treated like a porcelain doll for so long, maybe it was for the best that she grew strong. *Stronger that yesterday, now it's nothing but my way. . . * To Rumidha: Yes, it DOES seem out of character, doesn't it? What everyone must remember is that this takes place in the older sitters' senior year of high school. People change a lot in only a few years. Like, in my eighth grade year, I never talked to the Grumpy Skipper. Of course, I had never met her, but if I had, we probably would not have talked. But now, we talk all the time! Like I said, people change. And SPEAKING of the Grumpy Skipper. . . : Þ . I happen to like having a little Lizzie C. in Mary Anne.

On one final note, thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I live for reviews!

Mary Anne knocked on the door at 1210 McLelland Road. Mrs. Brewer --had Mary Anne every called her Mrs. Thomas? After so long, it seemed like she never had-- answered the door.

"Mary Anne!" she said, her eyes flickering down to Mary Anne's eight month pregnant stomach. "How are you?"

"I'm pretty good," Mary Anne replied. "So is Baby Girl Last-Name-Unknown-As-Of-Yet," she added with a grin, placing her hands on her belly and giving it a gentle pat. "Is Kristy here?"

"Yes. Yes, she is. In the library, actually. Come in."

Mary Anne made her way through the crazy Thomas-Brewer household, until she reached the closed library door.

"Kristy?" she said, knocking softly. "Can I come in?"

There was a pause, then the door opened slightly. Mary Anne pushed slowly on the door, and when it opened all the way, she could see Kristy sitting down in a well-worn armchair.

"Hey," said Kristy, staring blankly at the wall behind Mary Anne.

"Hey. I came to say good-bye."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"You going with RJ to NCU?"

"Kristy. I told you. I am not marrying RJ."

"Why ever not?"

"I don't love him."

"So?"

"So, it wouldn't be right."

"And raising a baby alone, never having married the baby's father, is?"

"I'm not raising a baby!"

"I know! You have been ignoring the pleas of your stepmother, and your stepsister, and all your best friends this whole time. You should raise that baby!"

"Why?"

"Because that child is your flesh and blood! That baby is part of you, and you can't deny it!"

"I'm not denying it, Kristy!"

"By giving the baby away, you are."

"Kristy, this baby deserves more than I can give her."

"She deserves her mother!"

"She will. A mother depends on who raises her."

"It is not the same! She deserves to know who she is half of! She deserves to know you!"

"Kristy, I think that this has stopped being about me, and started being about your father having left you when you were 6."

"It has not!"

"Yes, it has! Now listen to me. I. Cannot. Take care. Of this child. I am telling you that now. I am not going to take care of this child for six years, or eight years, or ten years, or six months, and then leave her. She WILL have a loving mother, AND a loving father."

"You know what, Mary Anne?"

"What?"

"I don't care anymore. Anyway, maybe it's for the best that the baby doesn't know you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Then she won't know that she was an illegitimate child born to an eighteen year old slut."

"How dare you! Just because your father ignored you from the time you were six until you were thirteen, got back into your life, and has begun ignoring you once more, and now you think that you deserve all the sympathy in the world, does NOT give you any right to call me a slut. Now, I've dealt with your mood swings every single time you get a call from Patrick, and I've supported your romance with Bart, even after the time he went after Shannon-"

"Bart's going after Shannon was an accident! He was drunk!"

"Yeah? Well, I was drunk that night --that ONE NIGHT-- with RJ, yet you continue to tell me how awful a person that makes me. Well, I've had enough. I'm leaving Stoneybrook, and I'm not coming back any time soon."

"Fine by me! GO to New York City, BECOME a screenwriter, MAKE IT big. It'll never happen. You'll come back to Stoneybrook, broke, and sad because you gave away your baby."

"Fat chance, Kristin Amanda Thomas. I'll make it big, and you'll wish you had not had this fight with me, so that you could say, 'Oh, Mary Anne Spier? Yeah, she's my best friend. We've known each other since we were, I don't know, a few months old. I've supported her through all the hard times in life.' But you won't say that, because I don't want to see you ever again! I'm leaving!" Mary Anne stood and walked to the door.

"Good-bye!"

"Good-bye, and GOOD RIDDANCE!" Mary Anne slammed the door. She leaned against the wall, her eyes closed, and took a few deep breaths. She opened her eyes, and, expressionless, made her way back to the front door.

"Have a good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Brewer," she called, and let herself out of the house.

After Mary Anne climbed back into the car, Dawn turned to her. "How did it go?"

"Not. Well," Mary whispered tersely.

"Ah." As Dawn drove off, Mary Anne bid a final farewell to the best friend she had ever had.

AN the Second: Okay, that's all for now. Can anybody guess what's bugging Kristy? Come on, now, I know that you can do it. I'll even give you a hint. Wait. No, I won't. You'll have to guess all by yourselves.

Mean while, I need a name. The first person to tell me where we know RJ Blaser from gets a cameo. I need a female, and her name and personality. You know, dour, serious, vibrant. And she can't be related to the sitters in any way, shape, or form.