Chelsea got out of bed and tiptoed down to the kitchen. "There!"
She said as she placed a note on the refrigerator. "Now off to get
Stephanie!"
Stephanie slowly walked off the bus. "Well, I made it. Now what should I do?" She thought aloud. As she walked along the strange area she noticed a sign that read "Grand Canyon: 4 miles."
Well that's not too bad of a walk. Four miles. I thought the bus stop would be farther away from the Grand Canyon than that. Stephanie told herself and started walking. Finally, after what seemed like hours on foot she reached her destination. Stephanie found a quiet spot near the cliff, and looked out upon the horizon as the morning sun rose.
The sun was rising in San Francisco too, but under an overcast sky. Everyone was up early sitting silently in the kitchen.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Michelle screamed as she flew down the stairs.
"What is it Michelle?" Danny asked with fear in his eyes.
"Is Chelsea down here?" Michelle scanned the room.
"No."
"Well, then she is missing too! She's not upstairs either!"
"Well, maybe she got homesick and went home to her family." Becky said trying to keep everyone from worrying.
"I thought we were her family." Michelle stated.
DJ looked over at the refrigerator and spotted a yellow piece of paper taped on to it. She went over and ripped off the paper. "Guys, Chelsea went looking for Stephanie."
"What?" Danny exclaimed.
"Yeah, here I will read it to you.
"Dear Tanners, I know you have one daughter to worry about right now, and don't need to be worrying about me too. However, I know where Stephanie is. I would have told you, but then you would have gone looking for her and I think it would make things worse. I know I am the only person who can get her to come back. Trust me on this.
Love, Chelsea"
"I wish she would have told us." Danny said.
"Yeah, but at leas she knows where Stephanie is." Jesse reassured.
"How could she know for sure? She doesn't know Stephanie as well as we do."
Becky put her arm around Danny. "Danny, you stay home from work today. I can do the show myself. I will bring in a picture of Stephanie and ask viewers if they have seen her."
"Thanks Becky." Danny gave her a hug. "Okay, Michelle, time to get ready for school."
Michelle gave a shocked look. "What? I have to go to school today. I can't learn under these conditions!"
"Yeah Dad, let her stay home. She won't get anything done in class." DJ said backing up her sister.
Danny shrugged. "Okay, I guess being out for a few days won't hurt."
Stephanie pulled out her journal and started to write.
"Ma'm are you okay?" A voice from behind asked.
Stephanie turned around. "I am fine, thank you."
"You have been out here alone for a couple hours and I want to make sure you are okay."
"Everything is great."
"Well listen, I own that restaurant over there," she said pointing to a little building, "and if you need anything let me know."
"I am fine, really."
"How about I make you some of my famous French fries?"
"Like I said, I am fine, but thanks anyway."
"It's on the house. I'll bring them to you."
"Well, I am kind of hungry. Thank you very much!"
"Your welcome. I will be back soon."
Stephanie went back to writing. A little while later she heard another voice.
"Stephanie Tanner, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Stephanie, startled, spun around and saw Chelsea standing with the sun shining in her face.
"Chelsea, what are you doing here? Leave me alone!" Stephanie yelled.
"No, I will not leave you alone. You are going home."
"I am not going home. I am content here."
"You are content? "
"Yeah, I am content. I have my journal, a few other essential items, and some delicious fries. "
"How can you even count that as being content! Where are you going to stay? How are you going to pay for things?"
"It really isn't any of your business."
"It is my business. I care about you. You are my sister!"
She yelled. "Don't you get it? Don't you get it! You are not my sister. Okay!" Stephanie started to cry. "We didn't grow up together. You are not my sister. Get that through your head. You are the reason why I ran away. I don't want to see you!" "Stephanie, whether you like it or not I am your sister. I know we didn't grow up together, but that doesn't mean I am not your sister. You know what you have been awfully selfish. How do you think I feel? Huh? I just found out I had three sisters. Not one, three. How do you think I will feel trying to adjust to your family? "No one asked you too." "How do you think it makes me feel that I was put up for adoption? Yeah Stephanie, we are all going through confusion right now, but at least the rest of us don't run away from our problems. We stick together like family."
"You are right maybe I am being selfish. I don't care though. I did this because I want my family to notice me. All my life I have been the middle child. I have always felt left out. And then I find out my dad has kept this huge secret from us, which is not like him. Then I meet you. I didn't want to. Michelle did, but I didn't. And now that you want to be a part of our lives I will be left out even more." "Is that why you are so mad because you didn't want to be even more left out? If anyone should be feeling left out it is I. I have always wondered about my biological family, and wondered if what I was told was true. I convinced myself it was, but I still always wondered if I was rejected, not wanted. You are lucky, at least they kept you."
"You don't need to worry. You weren't rejected. My mom and dad would never do that to anyone. They couldn't afford you. They loved you; I know they did. I guess I am bitter because they kept this from us. "
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I would be mad too."
Stephanie was calming down. "So where are they?"
"Where are who?"
"The rest of my-I mean our family."
"Oh, they aren't here. I figured out where you were."
"How?"
"I heard you say to someone at school that the Grand Canyon was your Mom's favorite spot, and that she was supposed to take you and your sisters, but never did."
"Wow, you must really love me to go to all this trouble."
"You're right I do love you."
"I love you too. I am sorry."
"It's fine."
"Chelsea? Let's go home!"
The girls got up and started to walk to the bus stop.
"You know, I am not going to take over your life. I am not going to live with you all, though it would be nice to be included sometimes."
"I know. Don't worry you will be included because I know what it's like not to be, and I can't let that happen to my sister!" The Tanners and Chelsea sat at a local club clapping their hands to the music. Stephanie was glad to be back home and her family was glad to have her home. Everyone was closer than ever and tried to make sure everyone was included or at least aware of what was going on. The announcer spoke. "And the winner of the million dollar prize for the best new song is Jesse Katsopolis!" The whole audience got up and cheered. "Thank you. Thank you. I feel so honored. I couldn't have written this without the inspiration from my nieces." Stephanie and Chelsea glanced at one another, smiled, and gave each other a big hug.
Stephanie slowly walked off the bus. "Well, I made it. Now what should I do?" She thought aloud. As she walked along the strange area she noticed a sign that read "Grand Canyon: 4 miles."
Well that's not too bad of a walk. Four miles. I thought the bus stop would be farther away from the Grand Canyon than that. Stephanie told herself and started walking. Finally, after what seemed like hours on foot she reached her destination. Stephanie found a quiet spot near the cliff, and looked out upon the horizon as the morning sun rose.
The sun was rising in San Francisco too, but under an overcast sky. Everyone was up early sitting silently in the kitchen.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Michelle screamed as she flew down the stairs.
"What is it Michelle?" Danny asked with fear in his eyes.
"Is Chelsea down here?" Michelle scanned the room.
"No."
"Well, then she is missing too! She's not upstairs either!"
"Well, maybe she got homesick and went home to her family." Becky said trying to keep everyone from worrying.
"I thought we were her family." Michelle stated.
DJ looked over at the refrigerator and spotted a yellow piece of paper taped on to it. She went over and ripped off the paper. "Guys, Chelsea went looking for Stephanie."
"What?" Danny exclaimed.
"Yeah, here I will read it to you.
"Dear Tanners, I know you have one daughter to worry about right now, and don't need to be worrying about me too. However, I know where Stephanie is. I would have told you, but then you would have gone looking for her and I think it would make things worse. I know I am the only person who can get her to come back. Trust me on this.
Love, Chelsea"
"I wish she would have told us." Danny said.
"Yeah, but at leas she knows where Stephanie is." Jesse reassured.
"How could she know for sure? She doesn't know Stephanie as well as we do."
Becky put her arm around Danny. "Danny, you stay home from work today. I can do the show myself. I will bring in a picture of Stephanie and ask viewers if they have seen her."
"Thanks Becky." Danny gave her a hug. "Okay, Michelle, time to get ready for school."
Michelle gave a shocked look. "What? I have to go to school today. I can't learn under these conditions!"
"Yeah Dad, let her stay home. She won't get anything done in class." DJ said backing up her sister.
Danny shrugged. "Okay, I guess being out for a few days won't hurt."
Stephanie pulled out her journal and started to write.
"Ma'm are you okay?" A voice from behind asked.
Stephanie turned around. "I am fine, thank you."
"You have been out here alone for a couple hours and I want to make sure you are okay."
"Everything is great."
"Well listen, I own that restaurant over there," she said pointing to a little building, "and if you need anything let me know."
"I am fine, really."
"How about I make you some of my famous French fries?"
"Like I said, I am fine, but thanks anyway."
"It's on the house. I'll bring them to you."
"Well, I am kind of hungry. Thank you very much!"
"Your welcome. I will be back soon."
Stephanie went back to writing. A little while later she heard another voice.
"Stephanie Tanner, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Stephanie, startled, spun around and saw Chelsea standing with the sun shining in her face.
"Chelsea, what are you doing here? Leave me alone!" Stephanie yelled.
"No, I will not leave you alone. You are going home."
"I am not going home. I am content here."
"You are content? "
"Yeah, I am content. I have my journal, a few other essential items, and some delicious fries. "
"How can you even count that as being content! Where are you going to stay? How are you going to pay for things?"
"It really isn't any of your business."
"It is my business. I care about you. You are my sister!"
She yelled. "Don't you get it? Don't you get it! You are not my sister. Okay!" Stephanie started to cry. "We didn't grow up together. You are not my sister. Get that through your head. You are the reason why I ran away. I don't want to see you!" "Stephanie, whether you like it or not I am your sister. I know we didn't grow up together, but that doesn't mean I am not your sister. You know what you have been awfully selfish. How do you think I feel? Huh? I just found out I had three sisters. Not one, three. How do you think I will feel trying to adjust to your family? "No one asked you too." "How do you think it makes me feel that I was put up for adoption? Yeah Stephanie, we are all going through confusion right now, but at least the rest of us don't run away from our problems. We stick together like family."
"You are right maybe I am being selfish. I don't care though. I did this because I want my family to notice me. All my life I have been the middle child. I have always felt left out. And then I find out my dad has kept this huge secret from us, which is not like him. Then I meet you. I didn't want to. Michelle did, but I didn't. And now that you want to be a part of our lives I will be left out even more." "Is that why you are so mad because you didn't want to be even more left out? If anyone should be feeling left out it is I. I have always wondered about my biological family, and wondered if what I was told was true. I convinced myself it was, but I still always wondered if I was rejected, not wanted. You are lucky, at least they kept you."
"You don't need to worry. You weren't rejected. My mom and dad would never do that to anyone. They couldn't afford you. They loved you; I know they did. I guess I am bitter because they kept this from us. "
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I would be mad too."
Stephanie was calming down. "So where are they?"
"Where are who?"
"The rest of my-I mean our family."
"Oh, they aren't here. I figured out where you were."
"How?"
"I heard you say to someone at school that the Grand Canyon was your Mom's favorite spot, and that she was supposed to take you and your sisters, but never did."
"Wow, you must really love me to go to all this trouble."
"You're right I do love you."
"I love you too. I am sorry."
"It's fine."
"Chelsea? Let's go home!"
The girls got up and started to walk to the bus stop.
"You know, I am not going to take over your life. I am not going to live with you all, though it would be nice to be included sometimes."
"I know. Don't worry you will be included because I know what it's like not to be, and I can't let that happen to my sister!" The Tanners and Chelsea sat at a local club clapping their hands to the music. Stephanie was glad to be back home and her family was glad to have her home. Everyone was closer than ever and tried to make sure everyone was included or at least aware of what was going on. The announcer spoke. "And the winner of the million dollar prize for the best new song is Jesse Katsopolis!" The whole audience got up and cheered. "Thank you. Thank you. I feel so honored. I couldn't have written this without the inspiration from my nieces." Stephanie and Chelsea glanced at one another, smiled, and gave each other a big hug.