A/N: Livvie's going to be trouble - but I think you'll be surprised to see
how exactly. PCGirl - bite your tongue!!! LOL! I am NOT a Livvie fan - I
just feel it's important to "know your enemy". ;) That's the reason I'm
able to capture her and Caleb. :) - OH and don't y'all worry - Abby's going
to realize what a mistake she's made soon enough. Melody/Nat/finenut and
Bethany - hugs and kisses to you all. Until 13 xox -G
Chapter Twelve
"So c'mon Jamal. Tell me about this 'mystery woman'. I want all the details." Alison asked as she sipped her iced tea. It was so nice to be in a place that was familiar. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the Recovery Room and was so happy to see it back to it's former self. Jack was doing a great job since he took the place over.
Jamal smiled down at Kate as he held her carefully in his arms. "She's a knockout - Ali. She's got big blue eyes, blond hair and she's really cute and petite."
"She sounds sort of like me." Alison said with a grin, sneaking a french fry off of Jamal's plate. "Is she as short as I am?" She asked.
"Not exactly short. I'd say tiny. She weighs about nine pounds." He laughed when Kate closed her fist around his finger and clung tight.
Alison rolled her eyes. "Katrina - I know all about this guy. He's fabulous - but a little too old for you." Alison laughed and punched him gently on the arm. "Jamal. I'm serious. I'm not leaving here until you tell me."
Jamal knew for a fact she'd pester him until she gave in. "I know you mean that so OK, I give up. Her name's Imani. She used to work at Elixir and now Jack's made her the manager here. She's off this morning but you'll meet her soon enough."
"Imani huh? What a pretty name. Well. I have to meet her soon to make sure she's up to my standards. You can't just go out with anyone. She has to be someone special."
"She is special and if you think I'm letting you interrogate her you're crazy." Jamal protested.
"Why? I'd expect you to do the same for me." She said, a bit hurt.
"Rafe turned out alright - but I didn't think he was good enough for you and did that stop you? No."
"He's more than good enough for me - and if you stopped me - look what we'd have missed out on." Alison sighed as she ran her hand over Kate's cheek.
"She really is beautiful Ali." Jamal said softly. "The boys'll be knocking down your door when she's older."
"If they can get past you, Jack and her father that is." Alison giggled at the image. "Poor girl probably won't have a date till she's 30 if I leave it up to all of you."
"You know it." Jamal said as Kate squealed at him. "Lil Spunky - let me tell you - if there's anyone who gives you a hard time - you tell them they have to deal with your Uncle Jamal."
"So - is it serious?" Alison asked.
"Is what serious?"
Alison stared at him. "You - and Imani. I mean how long has this been going on? Are you in love with her or are you just dating?"
"Alison." He said with a sigh.
"Jamal." She said with a grin.
"You're not going to give up are you?"
"Nope. Never. Not until I know everything." She said as she took Kate back and set her in her car seat. She looked like she was getting sleepy.
"How are my favorite customers?" Jack said as he approached their table.
"Fabulous!" Alison gushed. "We could not be happier."
"Glad some of us are happy." Jack grumbled.
"What's your problem?" Alison asked as she tucked a blanket around Kate and watched her eyes drift closed.
"I don't have a problem. You've got a beautiful daughter and a husband who adores you, everything you ever wanted. Now Jamal's got Imani. Me - I've got a restaurant to run. No problem here."
Alison knew then that not only was there definitely a problem - she knew exactly what the problem was. "Oh Jack." She said as she patted him on the hand. "We'll find someone for you too. You know we just hired the sweetest girl over at the gym, a new spinning instructor."
"Forget it Alison. I don't need charity." Jack sighed as he sat in the chair beside her. She sounded like an old aunt wanting to fix him up with her friend's daughter. He didn't want help like that.
Alison glared at him, annoyed. "It's not charity and I will not forget it. I want all the people I love to be as happy as I am. I will not rest until we find someone for you."
Jack knew she meant well but needed to nip this little matchmaking scheme in the bud. "I appreciate it Alison. I really do. But let me see how I do on my own - OK?"
She was still worried about him she decided to give him a break. She'll just set up a little chance meeting between Jack and the new girl at the gym.
Alison glanced at Kate and sighed. She'd better get back to the gym before Rafe sent out a search party. "This has been so much fun. It's been too long since we've all just hung out. It's never been the same since - "
"Livvie went all fangy on us." Jamal said with a chuckle.
"Jamal." Alison glared at him and cast a worried look at Jack.
"Alison - relax. I am not still hung up on Livvie."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Jack. I know how much you loved her - but let's face it - as long as Caleb walks the face of the earth she'll still go running to him in the end. You need to move on and find someone new. That's why Melissa is perfect for you."
"Who's Melissa?" Both Jamal and Jack asked together, completely confused.
"The new spinning instructor." She replied with a smile as she buttoned her coat. She lifted Kate's seat to attach to the stroller. The movement startled and woke her and she started to wail. "OK. That's our cue to leave." Rolling the stroller gently back and forth, Alison said, "Shush Katie. Let's go bug Daddy again. Maybe we can make him leave work early. Say goodbye to Uncle Jack and Uncle Jamal. We'll see them again real soon."
Smiling, both Jack and Jamal leaned down to kiss Katie on the forehead. After they did, Alison hugged each one of them in turn. "See you later. Thanks for lunch. We had a really good time." She called as she and Kate headed out the door.
"Look at her. Can you believe it? Alison has a little baby. Man - she is such a great mother." Jack remarked as they watched them walk down the sidewalk.
Jamal nodded and laughed. "It's no surprise dude. She's had a lot of practice. She's been mothering you and me for years."
Chapter Twelve
"So c'mon Jamal. Tell me about this 'mystery woman'. I want all the details." Alison asked as she sipped her iced tea. It was so nice to be in a place that was familiar. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the Recovery Room and was so happy to see it back to it's former self. Jack was doing a great job since he took the place over.
Jamal smiled down at Kate as he held her carefully in his arms. "She's a knockout - Ali. She's got big blue eyes, blond hair and she's really cute and petite."
"She sounds sort of like me." Alison said with a grin, sneaking a french fry off of Jamal's plate. "Is she as short as I am?" She asked.
"Not exactly short. I'd say tiny. She weighs about nine pounds." He laughed when Kate closed her fist around his finger and clung tight.
Alison rolled her eyes. "Katrina - I know all about this guy. He's fabulous - but a little too old for you." Alison laughed and punched him gently on the arm. "Jamal. I'm serious. I'm not leaving here until you tell me."
Jamal knew for a fact she'd pester him until she gave in. "I know you mean that so OK, I give up. Her name's Imani. She used to work at Elixir and now Jack's made her the manager here. She's off this morning but you'll meet her soon enough."
"Imani huh? What a pretty name. Well. I have to meet her soon to make sure she's up to my standards. You can't just go out with anyone. She has to be someone special."
"She is special and if you think I'm letting you interrogate her you're crazy." Jamal protested.
"Why? I'd expect you to do the same for me." She said, a bit hurt.
"Rafe turned out alright - but I didn't think he was good enough for you and did that stop you? No."
"He's more than good enough for me - and if you stopped me - look what we'd have missed out on." Alison sighed as she ran her hand over Kate's cheek.
"She really is beautiful Ali." Jamal said softly. "The boys'll be knocking down your door when she's older."
"If they can get past you, Jack and her father that is." Alison giggled at the image. "Poor girl probably won't have a date till she's 30 if I leave it up to all of you."
"You know it." Jamal said as Kate squealed at him. "Lil Spunky - let me tell you - if there's anyone who gives you a hard time - you tell them they have to deal with your Uncle Jamal."
"So - is it serious?" Alison asked.
"Is what serious?"
Alison stared at him. "You - and Imani. I mean how long has this been going on? Are you in love with her or are you just dating?"
"Alison." He said with a sigh.
"Jamal." She said with a grin.
"You're not going to give up are you?"
"Nope. Never. Not until I know everything." She said as she took Kate back and set her in her car seat. She looked like she was getting sleepy.
"How are my favorite customers?" Jack said as he approached their table.
"Fabulous!" Alison gushed. "We could not be happier."
"Glad some of us are happy." Jack grumbled.
"What's your problem?" Alison asked as she tucked a blanket around Kate and watched her eyes drift closed.
"I don't have a problem. You've got a beautiful daughter and a husband who adores you, everything you ever wanted. Now Jamal's got Imani. Me - I've got a restaurant to run. No problem here."
Alison knew then that not only was there definitely a problem - she knew exactly what the problem was. "Oh Jack." She said as she patted him on the hand. "We'll find someone for you too. You know we just hired the sweetest girl over at the gym, a new spinning instructor."
"Forget it Alison. I don't need charity." Jack sighed as he sat in the chair beside her. She sounded like an old aunt wanting to fix him up with her friend's daughter. He didn't want help like that.
Alison glared at him, annoyed. "It's not charity and I will not forget it. I want all the people I love to be as happy as I am. I will not rest until we find someone for you."
Jack knew she meant well but needed to nip this little matchmaking scheme in the bud. "I appreciate it Alison. I really do. But let me see how I do on my own - OK?"
She was still worried about him she decided to give him a break. She'll just set up a little chance meeting between Jack and the new girl at the gym.
Alison glanced at Kate and sighed. She'd better get back to the gym before Rafe sent out a search party. "This has been so much fun. It's been too long since we've all just hung out. It's never been the same since - "
"Livvie went all fangy on us." Jamal said with a chuckle.
"Jamal." Alison glared at him and cast a worried look at Jack.
"Alison - relax. I am not still hung up on Livvie."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Jack. I know how much you loved her - but let's face it - as long as Caleb walks the face of the earth she'll still go running to him in the end. You need to move on and find someone new. That's why Melissa is perfect for you."
"Who's Melissa?" Both Jamal and Jack asked together, completely confused.
"The new spinning instructor." She replied with a smile as she buttoned her coat. She lifted Kate's seat to attach to the stroller. The movement startled and woke her and she started to wail. "OK. That's our cue to leave." Rolling the stroller gently back and forth, Alison said, "Shush Katie. Let's go bug Daddy again. Maybe we can make him leave work early. Say goodbye to Uncle Jack and Uncle Jamal. We'll see them again real soon."
Smiling, both Jack and Jamal leaned down to kiss Katie on the forehead. After they did, Alison hugged each one of them in turn. "See you later. Thanks for lunch. We had a really good time." She called as she and Kate headed out the door.
"Look at her. Can you believe it? Alison has a little baby. Man - she is such a great mother." Jack remarked as they watched them walk down the sidewalk.
Jamal nodded and laughed. "It's no surprise dude. She's had a lot of practice. She's been mothering you and me for years."
