A/N I'm back. (I therefor suggest you run away as fast as you can) This isn't the sequel to Secrets that I said I'd get out. But I'm working on it, I promise. I completely rewriting Revealed so you'll get it as soon as possible. This a story I'm still working on so if you suggest things in reviews I might use them. If you haven't read Secrets I suggest you do because it the best story I've written. (If you've seen my other stories you'll agree with me) Thanks Michelle Drake for editing this for me. I used some of what you suggested and kept some the same.
Disclaimer: I think I've forgotten to do these for a few of my stories. Disclaimers suck, they make you realize you don't own the cute guys you write about. Well You know the drill I don't own anything I really want to own yada, yada, yada. Screw the damn disclaimer. It's fanfiction, does anyone really think they own anything here?
Chapter One: Coming Home
"Mail." Said Jamie, coming into the kitchen where Caitie and Val were eating lunch. Caitie and Val groaned. "Val, you've got a letter from Brooke. We do too." Jamie tossed an envelope in front of Val and an identical one in front of Caitie.
"Who else would send me a letter here?" Asked Val. "Only my parents, Brooke, and Hank know I live here now." Val picked up the off-white envelope and was surprised by its weight. Val already knew what it was. She broke the seal and read:
You are cordially invited to the wedding of:
Brooke Krista Lanier
And
Hank Michael Beecham
At the Stratford Inn on August 5, 2006
R.S.V.P. (859) 555-9891
Val already knew what the invitation said. At first she'd been thrilled, now it just depressed her.
"I think I'm gonna go to my room for awhile. Maybe finish packing. We're leaving early tomorrow morning." Said Val as she dumped her uneaten lunch in the sink and disappeared into her room. They were driving back to Kingsport to help Brooke and Hank plan their upcoming wedding. They'd known about it for the past month.
"I'm worried about her." Said Jamie. He rested his arm on his girlfriend's shoulder.
"You and me both." Replied Caitie. "We should just give her some time. It hasn't even been a month yet."
"Maybe. Do you think going home for a wedding will be a good idea?"
"Maybe not so much the wedding, but going home is definitely a good idea."
"She needs to eat something, I've barely seen her eat at all. She's lost a lot of weight, and that's not healthy for her."
"Especially now." Caitie kissed Jamie on the cheek.
* * *
Val went into the room she was occupying for the time being. It wasn't large, but not the size of a closet either. She'd only been living here for three weeks. She happened to glance at her bedside table, it held three pictures on it.
The first one was taken at her high school graduation. She, Hank, Tyler, and Caitie were all wearing their red graduation gowns, Jamie was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. He still had one more year of high school left. Brooke had sneaked into the picture and had one arm around Val and the other around Tyler. Everyone looked happy.
Brooke was just starting high school that year, where she would already be friends with a senior, and according to her friends that was worth major popularity points. Her friends had also pointed out that he was cute, so that was worth even more to her. Brooke had kindly pointed out that Jamie had a girlfriend who Brooke was also friends with.
Caitie had been accepted to the University of Minnesota Duluth. She said that when she visited the campus she had fallen in love with the town. She was also smiling because Val had been accepted to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Caitie was thrilled that they'd only be a few hours away from each other.
Jamie was just about to start his senior year. He was bummed because Caitie would be halfway across the country, but happy that she'd gotten into her first choice college, and his. He was planning on following her to college the year after.
Hank had graduated first in the class, the class of 2002 Valedictorian. He'd gotten into NYU, which was where his dad had gone.
Tyler had been accepted to college in Europe. He told Val he didn't want to leave her. She told him to go where he wanted to. In the end he'd left Kingsport and gone to Europe.
Val remembered that day. They had drifted apart over the year they had been together, realized that they made better friends than a couple. No one actually said it, but they had broken up. The second picture was of Val and Kain.
On their wedding day just over a year ago. Val had just finished her junior year of college and Kain had just graduated.
Val in a long white gown studded with seed pearls. Kain in his black tux. They were standing on steps of a deep scarlet velvet. This wasn't their formal wedding picture, Brooke had taken this one right after the ceremony, everyone else had been at the reception. The picture reminded Val of her and Kain's one year wedding anniversary party. It had been held in the same building as their reception had been. Her favorite part of the night had been when she and Kain had been outside enjoying warm June weather when Kain had given her a locket. It was a silver heart on a delicate chain. But instead of having a picture inside of it Kain had had the words 'True Love' engraved. Val hadn't taken the locket off once since she got it.
But it wasn't her receiving the locket the really cemented the night into Val's brain. It was also the night that Hank had finally proposed to Brooke. He'd come to Val on the day that Brooke graduated from high school asking for her advice, claiming that she knew Brooke the best. Val had told him to shut up and listen to his heart. Right after her graduation party he had gone out to buy her the ring. It took him another two weeks to get up the nerve to pop the question. Brooke had immediately started to cry and it had taken her a full five minutes before she could stop crying enough to tell him yes.
Val wasn't sure how they had actually gotten together, but she was glad it happened. Brooke and Hank were the perfect couple. The only detail about her wedding that she didn't like was that Tyler hadn't been there. He'd lost touch with everyone. He was the only person she'd ever lost touch with. She lived with Caitie and Jamie, and Hank was marrying Brooke. Val didn't even know if Tyler knew she had gotten married.
The last picture was of her and Kain at an apple orchard. Hank had taken this one. Kain had lifted Val up to reach an apple them neither of them could. Val was wearing a thick sweater and jeans. The picture had been taken before Kain had asked her to marry him.
"What happened to us?" She though sadly before she fell onto her bed and started to cry.
* * *
Val glanced up at the sky as she unlocked the door of her car. The clouds were almost black, and she could see them moving in the sky. She hoped it wouldn't rain. Not today, she was in too good a mood for it to rain. No such luck, the minute she started to drive, big fat rain drops started to pelt her car and splatter when they hit.
She hated to drive in the rain. She could already tell that the storm was going to be a bad one. She remembered the last time she had seen a storm this bad. Sure it rained a lot in Minnesota, there had even been a few tornadoes, but none had touched ground anywhere near her.
The last storm she remembered like this was when she was seventeen. Hank was supposed to be helping a little boy named Sam. Then the bridge had flooded and Sam had been forced to stay at the station. She remembered trying to hide Sam from Alex the entire night, also trying to work on a project that included a broom handle, a paper towel roll, and a dish cloth.
Before she realized it, she was home. She pulled into the parking garage of her and Kain's apartment building. They'd shared it since her sophomore year of college. Kain's junior year. She still couldn't believe that she and Kain had already been married for a year. She was glad that she didn't have to be outside in this weather. She checked her watch and saw that Kain should be home any minute. She hurried inside and heated up the over for the casserole she had made the day before. Right now she was sure nothing could wreck her good mood, not even the storm.
She still couldn't believe she was going to have a baby. She'd just found out today and couldn't wait to tell Kain. She wasn't sure how he would take it though. She knew he'd be happy, but they were young, still trying to work their way through school. Val had a year of college and med school still ahead of her and Kain had been accepted into law school. Kain had been given a scholarship and a job interning at a firm until he graduated law school and could become a lawyer at their firm. Val had gotten a partial scholarship to school, and had enough money in the bank to get her through school. She knew her parents would help her if she needed it, but she still hated to ask.
Val looked at her watch again, Kain was ten minutes late. Val wasn't worried, she knew because of the storm there would be traffic. Kain might have had a busy day and might not have finished his work and had stayed late to finish it. Both acceptable reasons for being late. He always understood when she was late. She worked as a receptionist at the hospital, but she also helped calm down young kids by reading them stories or just sitting with them until their parents came.
Val was going to burst unless she told someone her news. She picked up the phone and called her Mom.
"Hello." Said a voice on the other end.
"Hank? What are you doing answering the phone at my parents house?" Asked Val.
"Hey Val. Nice to hear from you too. I've been waiting for Brooke to get ready for the past hour. How did she make it to school on time?"
"I don't think even Nancy Drew can solve that mystery." Val let a smile cross her lips, not that there wasn't one there already. "It really is good to hear from you."
"Do you want me to get Brooke on the phone? I think she knows I'm talking to you."
"How?"
"She's trying to steal the phone away from me right this minute. Gotta go." Said Hank quickly before Brooke wrenched the phone from his hand.
"Val! You've gotta call more often." Screamed Brooke.
"I called two days ago. Can you put Mom and Dad on another extension?"
"You call and you don't want to talk to your favorite sister. And Hank and I finally set a date for the wedding." Exclaimed Brooke, trying her best to keep Val on the phone longer.
"When?" Asked Val momentarily forgetting her news.
"August Fifth. We know it's soon, Dad's protesting that it's too soon, but we want to be together before school starts."
"I'm not saying anything." Replied Val.
"I was also wondering if you would be my Maid of Honor. I was yours and I want you to be mine."
"I'd love to." Said Val warmly.
"One more thing, we want you, Caitie, and Jamie to come out and help us plan the wedding on July twenty fifth? I know we're cutting it close, but I only need your help with dresses and a cake. You can all stay with us until after the wedding if you come then."
"Sure we'll be there." Promised Val. "Now will you put Mom and Dad on another phone. I have something I need to tell all of you." There was shuffling on Brooke's end of the line and Val could hear Brooke shouting at her parents.
"What is it Val? Anything wrong?" Asked her Mom.
"Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect. I'm pregnant." Said Val bluntly, on instinct she held the phone at arms length away from her ear. Even then she could still hear Brooke screaming.
"You're kidding! This is great! Since when?!"
"What does Kain think?" Asked Joanna Lanier.
"He's not home yet. I just found out an hour ago."
"Congratulations Val." Said Hank. Val's dad had been quiet the whole time.
"What do you think, Dad? You're the only one who hasn't said anything yet." Asked Val timidly.
"How could you be so irresponsible?" He asked quietly, disappointed.
"Dad!" Yelled Val and Brooke.
"Val, you are way too young to have a baby. You still have to finish school."
"Dad, I put myself through two years of college. Kain and I both have good jobs, and I'm twenty one. I'm an adult."
"Val, I still think you're too young." Val heard the click of a phone being hung up and she assumed it was Brooke and Hank.
"Dad, you seem to have forgotten that I'm married now." Said Val. Suddenly everything clicked. Her dad had been against the idea of her getting married too. "Dad, just because I'm starting my own family now doesn't mean I'm going to forget about you and Mom. There's no way you're going to lose me." She realized that her dad didn't want to let go of his oldest daughter. "Do you really think I'm too young?"
"Yes, I really do think you're too young."
"I'll be twenty two when I have the baby, and Dad, I did everything in the right order, they way I was raised. I got married, then got pregnant. Not got pregnant, then got married because I was pregnant. Besides, you and Mom weren't that much older than I am now when I was born."
Her father was about to say something when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and a clap of thunder was heard. The line went dead and the lights went out. Val hung up the phone knowing she couldn't call back until the power lines were fixed.
Val checked her watch for the hundredth time. She saw that it was time to take dinner out of the over. The oven had cooled off considerably since the power had gone out. She tested dinner and found that it was perfectly hot, maybe even a little burnt.
Val was starting to worry now. Kain was over an hour late, she had tried to page him with her cell phone, but the batteries had died before she'd finished dialing the number. She had already been on edge that night. The storm had done nothing to calm her nerves. There was a knock on the door, it was almost immediately drowned out by the thunder. "What sane person would be out in this weather, and knocking on my door?" Asked Val as she got up to get the door.
"Mrs. Rollins?"
"Yes." Val choked out. There were two uniformed police officers at the door. "I'm Val Rollins. How can I help you?"
"I think maybe we should come in. This isn't exactly easy." Said the female officer. "I'm officer Woods. This is officer Sanchez."
Val's legs started to shake. She felt her stomach drop. "Please come in. I'm sorry." Said Val. Both officers had water dripping off them, forming a puddle on the carpet. Val wasn't sure how she made it to a chair before she collapsed. "What is it?"
"There was an accident. Your husband was involved." Replied Officer Woods.
"But he's okay? Kain's okay right? He's just in the hospital, minor concussion at the most right?" Asked Val. She was starting to panic, her knuckles had turned white because she had been gripping her chair so tightly. She relaxed her grip slightly, a small amount of color returned to her hands.
"I'm sorry. He was DOA." Said Officer Sanchez. "That stands for dead on arrival."
"I know what it means." Snapped Val. "I think maybe you should leave."
"Is there anyone you would like to call?"
"My phone line's out and my cell is dead." Replied Val darkly. She had refused to let herself cry until she was alone. Officer Woods quietly handed her another cell phone. She dialed Caitie and Jamie's number. The phone rang five times before Caitie picked it up.
"Hello."
"Caitie. It's Val."
"You sound terrible, what's wrong?" Asked Caitie.
"Val? Are you okay?" Asked Jamie. Apparently he had heard Caitie's side of the conversation and had picked up the other line.
"No, I'm not okay." Sobbed Val. "Today was supposed to be perfect, but it's awful."
"Val, slow down. Tell us, please." Begged Jamie.
"It's Kain." Replied Val after a few minutes.
"What? Val just tell us." Demanded Caitie.
"He was killed." Choked out Val. She thought those were the hardest words she would ever have to say.
"We're driving out there right now." Said Caitie. Jamie had already disappeared into the bedroom to grab a few sets of clothes for a week for each of them.
"Be careful." Said Val. She hung up the phone and sat down on the couch. She handed the phone to it's owner and they slowly let them selves out. Val buried her face in a pillow and cried. She wasn't sure for how long, but Jamie and Caitie were there before she stopped. And Duluth was a good hour and a half from Val's apartment. Jamie and Caitie engulfed her in a hug. Neither of them had ever seen her cry this much.
"We'll stay as long as needed." Promised Jamie. That was as much as Val could remember from that night. She knew she'd told them about Brooke, and that she was pregnant. She just didn't remember when.
* * *
"Val, are you okay?" Asked Caitie. Val was picking at her breakfast of cold cereal.
"I will be." Val took a bite and forced herself to swallow it.
"You don't have to come with us you know. I'm positive Hank and Brooke would understand if you didn't help them plan the wedding." Said Jamie.
"I know they'd understand. But Brooke helped me and I want to help her. It's a sister thing." Val informed Jamie.
Val forced herself to eat a few more bites of cereal. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth and make sure I have everything. We've got a long drive."
"I'm glad she's eating again." Said Caitie. Her bags and Jamie's bag were already sitting by the door. A few minutes later Val came out of her room carrying three large bags.
"Women." Grumbled Jamie. "You're going someplace for less than two weeks and you bring your whole closet."
"Yes. And you get to carry our closets out to the car." Said Caitie sweetly.
"Yeah, but where will the three of us fit in the car?" Countered Jamie. Half an hour later Jamie slammed the trunk of Caitie's car. He had had to rearrange the bags three times before they all fit in the trunk. Val's car was too small for everyone to ride in and it was impossible the ride on Jamie's bike for five hours with three people and all their bags.
"Come on, we should get going." Said Caitie. "It's ten o-clock now, we won't even reach Kingsport until three at the earliest."
* * *
"It's good to be back." Said Val as they started to see the familiar sights of Kingsport. "I'm already glad to be here."
Before long Caitie was pulling up into Val's parent's driveway. Hank's familiar truck was parked in the driveway, her parent's cars were in the garage and a car she didn't recognize was parked in the street.
"Lets just go in. We can get our bags later. We'll send Hank out later." Said Val, she was suddenly eager to see everyone.
"We know you're the Maid of Honor, but who's the best man?" Asked Caitie. She just realized she didn't know anything about the wedding parties.
"I'm not sure. Probably Nick, or one of Hank's friends from school." Suggested Val. They had only made it halfway up the porch steps before the front door was flung open.
"Val!" Screamed Brooke. "You're finally here!" Brooke jumped down the stairs and gave Val a hug.
"It's good to see you too." Replied Val.
"Come on. Mom's already started to make dinner. What took you so long? It's almost four thirty."
"Sure, don't say hi to us. I've only known you since you were born." Said Caitie.
"Oh my god. I'm sorry. Hi" Replied Brooke. She grabbed Val's hand and dragged her inside the house. "The Maid of Honor is here Hank."
"Hi Val. It's great to see you. We haven't seen you since-" Hank let his voice trail off. He mentally kicked himself for almost adding 'Kain's funeral.' "I'm such an idiot." He hit himself on the forehead with the base of his palm. "Are you okay?"
Val sighed. "I'd be a whole lot better off if everyone stopped asking me that. And I'm fine."
"Sorry, I'm just worried about you. Come on. Your mom made a roast chicken for dinner."
"Yum." Said Jamie. "You and I, my friend, get to go and get the bags from the car." Said Jamie putting an arm around Hank and steering him toward the door. It took ten minutes to get all the bags out of the car.
"You can put those in your rooms later. Dinner's ready." Said Joanna Lanier.
"Hey Mom. Heard you made roast chicken." Said Val. "Hank, Brooke, can I ask you guys a question?"
"You just did. But you can ask another one if you want." Said Brooke.
"Brooke Lanier, always the sarcastic one." Said Jamie.
"I was wondering who your best man was. You never told us."
"Did somebody say best man? And we all know who's the best." Said a voice from behind everyone. Val spun around and looked up into the crystal blue eyes of Tyler Connell. He still looked as good as he had in high school.
"Tyler." Whispered Val, not believing it was him.
"Hey Val. I've missed you." Said Tyler quietly. He stepped up to Val and gave her a hug, she hugged him back.
"It's been a long time." She was choking back tears for no reason that she could figure out.
"Lets go eat, we can talk about this later." Suggested Brooke, seeing that Val was about to cry.
"Val, are you okay?" Asked her father, Steve Lanier.
"Will everyone just quit asking me if I'm okay?!" Screamed Val. "So I've had a really bad few weeks, I just wanna forget. And if everyone keeps asking me if I'm okay I'm never gonna forget!"
"Come on. The chicken's getting cold." Said Mrs. Lanier. Jamie moved forward to hug Val, but she put her hands up to ward him away from her. She stormed away from the group and sat down at the table.
Conversation at dinner that night circulated around Tyler's time in Europe. Tyler had only been in Kingsport for two weeks. He was living with his parents until he started his senior year of college in the fall. He'd also gotten a job working at the station, that was how he'd first run into Brooke and Hank again. Val also gathered that he didn't know about Kain yet.
"So, where are you going to school?" Asked Caitie after a long silence. She wasn't really interested, but the silence was getting to her.
"I'm transferring to The University of Minnesota Duluth. Then I'm planning on med school there too. I was up there before I came home at it was awesome." Both Val and Jamie choked on their water.
"The University of Minnesota Duluth?" Sputtered Val, coughing.
"Did we hear you right?" Asked Jamie.
"Yeah." Replied Tyler looking confused.
"That's a coincidence." Commented Caitie.
"I'm um actually going there too." Said Val. "Jamie, Caitie, and I live up there."
"What else have you been up to? Any boyfriends? Anything serious?" Joked Tyler. Everyone at the table looked horrified, Tyler didn't seem to notice though.
"I met someone, it was pretty serious for a while." Choked out Val. She immediately looked down at her plate. It was still full.
"Daddy, I'm hungry." Said a little girl that Val guessed to be about three coming into the kitchen. She was dressed in Winnie the Pooh pajamas and her blonde hair was a little messed up.
"Come here then." Said Tyler. The little girl climbed on his lap and helped herself to a piece of chicken on his plate.
"Daddy?" Asked Jamie. "I guess we know what you've been up to since high school."
A/N: Okay, you've read the crap now review it. If I get a few reviews I'll post the next chapter and keep writing a few more, if you suggest something in a review I'll consider using it.