A/N: What happens when one can't go to sleep? A chapter gets posted at
2:30 am—that's what. So here we go—what some of us have been waiting
for—oh wait, no—not an all Rali chapter, sorry Awians ;) Until next
time—ya'll are the best—PCGirl.
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Chris stood at the terminal waiting for Jack to walk through—most of the people were already off the plane, which wasn't like Jack. He was usually first off—ready to visit everyone. Chris figured he'd drop him off at the Trinity for a bit, he had some work at the hospital he had to get done—besides Leslie was over with Lizzie.
A smile came on his face as he saw Jack walk out with the identical smile and wave—Jack turned back for a second and Chris could hear his voice telling someone to come—and then she walked out holding a little boy that made Chris flashback to their childhood and Jack. Her brown hair was pulled up in a bun, and her green eyes—the same ones that Leslie had—searched the crowd until she saw Chris. Her eyes told him she was uneasy—unsure of whether she would be welcomed or sent on the next plane home.
Chris took a big sigh as Jack took Noah from Jasmine and walked forward, "Hey," he said pulling her into a tight hug—he could tell she hadn't been expecting it as he hadn't either, "What a surprise," he said taking a look at her.
"Yeah, I think I was ready to ask the pilot to turn around ten different times during the flight here—is it alright for me to be here?"
"Of course it is," said Jack as he kissed her head.
"Well, I need to go to the ladies room—if you will excuse me," she said putting her carry on bag down at their feet and walking off to find it.
"I didn't—I'm shocked she's here. What changed her mind this time?" asked Chris as he fussed up Noah's hair and got a big smile out of him.
"I'm not sure," said Jack with a shrug. "I went to start packing my suitcase and she came in, plopped her suitcase next to mine and started packing it also. It's been ten years since she's seen our little girl Chris—and she's not little anymore, but I think Jasmine still thinks of her daily."
"Does Jasmine know how Leslie feels about her?"
"Yeah, she does—it breaks her heart to think about it—let's just let Leslie see her and be the judge. She has Ramsey in her—remember that—and we know that even though we can be hardheaded we will in the end usually come around and embrace those that may have done us wrong."
"Ok, I'll remember that," he said as Jasmine came back up. "So where do we want to go first? I've got something to do at the hospital, and Leslie is over doing something with Lizzie—how about the Gym?" he said with a slight accent that put a smile on Jack's face.
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"Hey, is this place open for business?" called Jack as he came into the Gym, but didn't see anyone around.
"I'm coming," said the male voice as he came down the steps.
Jack was taken aback—even though he had seen Eddie only a few months ago he seemed to have grown even more into his father, "Hey Eddie."
"Jack—hi," he smiled as he saw the woman behind him holding the little boy who was asleep in her arms. "And that is?"
Jack looked at Jasmine but ignored the question, "Your parents around?"
"Yeah, they are upstairs," he said as Jack went upstairs and Jasmine followed. "Weird huh?" he said looking at the door to her old apartment.
"Very," she said with an easy laugh as she rubbed Noah's back.
"Hello?" he said sticking his head in and getting screams of happiness in return—except there was an extra one he didn't expect—Leslie standing there at the sink with Lizzie.
"Dad!" she smiled as she dropped the dish rag and came running so fast he had to pick her off the floor to keep her from running him over.
"Hey, how's my girl?" he said as he saw Rafe and Alison's expressions as they saw who was behind them—both smiling big for seeing their friend, but an uneasiness in their eyes as to what was going to happen next.
"I'm great—I didn't know you were coming--," she said as she froze at seeing Jasmine at the door. "What are you doing here?" she said as her eyes narrowed.
"I—I came for a visit with your Dad. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this," she said as she turned towards the back staircase.
"Jazz—wait," called Rafe as he moved past them both.
"How can you do that Dad? How can you bring her here for so long—she doesn't care about me. And who the hell was that child? My god—she cared so little about me, but didn't mind bringing another one into this word?" screamed Leslie.
"I—Leslie--," he sighed.
"Jack, why don't you take Lizzie downstairs and see if Eddie needs help," she said giving him an eye as he listened and took her downstairs.
"Come here and sit with me," said Alison as she patted the couch next to her and Leslie came over and put her head on Alison's shoulder. "I know what you are feeling right now, Lez—but you need to let your mom explain her situation, explain why she felt it was better for you to grow up without her around.
"My mom abandoned me—left me with my grandmother for a long time, and you know what when she came back in my life I didn't want her. She was still the same woman as before—selfish, and not caring about anything that didn't surround her. She's still like that, but your mom is different sweetie—Jasmine is the kindest, sweetest thing Rafe and I have known—and she loves your Dad and you so much."
"If she loved me so much then why did she leave me with Chris and never come to visit?"
"Why don't you ask her that?" she said as Leslie lifted her head up and Alison wiped away her tears. "You didn't see the look in her eyes when Jack opened that door and saw you standing there—it was a look of sorrow, but also of love—if she knows you she has a chance still for your love-- well maybe she'll come back for another visit—or maybe she'll finally come home for good."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I do," she said as she smiled to see Rafe and Jasmine standing in the doorway—Jasmine's face was stained with tears just like her daughters.
Leslie turned to look at her mom, and wiped away a few new tears, "Mama?" she said as she went over and looked at the woman in front of her before collapsing into a hug.
"Oh my sweet baby—I'm so sorry," whispered Jasmine into her daughter's hair before looking up to see Alison crying also and said a silent thank you to her.
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"Are you ok?" laughed Jasmine as her and Alison sat on the couch together wiping the tears away.
"Yeah, I should be asking you that question though," she said through sniffles and laughter.
"I got to hold my little girl in my arms again today, Alison," she smiled. "I just hadn't wish it had been so short."
"Yeah, her and Lizzie had actually just stopped by for lunch before having Eddie drive them to see a movie. I'm so happy you got to see her though."
"It's not over yet though, Ali. I still have to explain to her everything," she sighed. "Why did I come here? This was so silly of me."
"No, it wasn't silly at all. You wanted to see your daughter, and set right all wrongs that have been made—and you know what? Before you leave here I'm sure that will be accomplished," she said as Noah walked in through the open door and over to his mom, "Hey sweetie," smiled Alison brightly.
"Oh, I forgot," she said as she wiped her nose a final time before picking up Noah and putting him on her lap, "This is Noah Christopher Jamal Ramsey," she said kissing the top of his head lightly. "Leslie might forgive me for abandoning her, but how can anyone forgive me for having one child with me and not both?"
"You mean?" asked Alison but didn't finish the sentence when Jasmine shook her head.
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Chris stood at the terminal waiting for Jack to walk through—most of the people were already off the plane, which wasn't like Jack. He was usually first off—ready to visit everyone. Chris figured he'd drop him off at the Trinity for a bit, he had some work at the hospital he had to get done—besides Leslie was over with Lizzie.
A smile came on his face as he saw Jack walk out with the identical smile and wave—Jack turned back for a second and Chris could hear his voice telling someone to come—and then she walked out holding a little boy that made Chris flashback to their childhood and Jack. Her brown hair was pulled up in a bun, and her green eyes—the same ones that Leslie had—searched the crowd until she saw Chris. Her eyes told him she was uneasy—unsure of whether she would be welcomed or sent on the next plane home.
Chris took a big sigh as Jack took Noah from Jasmine and walked forward, "Hey," he said pulling her into a tight hug—he could tell she hadn't been expecting it as he hadn't either, "What a surprise," he said taking a look at her.
"Yeah, I think I was ready to ask the pilot to turn around ten different times during the flight here—is it alright for me to be here?"
"Of course it is," said Jack as he kissed her head.
"Well, I need to go to the ladies room—if you will excuse me," she said putting her carry on bag down at their feet and walking off to find it.
"I didn't—I'm shocked she's here. What changed her mind this time?" asked Chris as he fussed up Noah's hair and got a big smile out of him.
"I'm not sure," said Jack with a shrug. "I went to start packing my suitcase and she came in, plopped her suitcase next to mine and started packing it also. It's been ten years since she's seen our little girl Chris—and she's not little anymore, but I think Jasmine still thinks of her daily."
"Does Jasmine know how Leslie feels about her?"
"Yeah, she does—it breaks her heart to think about it—let's just let Leslie see her and be the judge. She has Ramsey in her—remember that—and we know that even though we can be hardheaded we will in the end usually come around and embrace those that may have done us wrong."
"Ok, I'll remember that," he said as Jasmine came back up. "So where do we want to go first? I've got something to do at the hospital, and Leslie is over doing something with Lizzie—how about the Gym?" he said with a slight accent that put a smile on Jack's face.
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"Hey, is this place open for business?" called Jack as he came into the Gym, but didn't see anyone around.
"I'm coming," said the male voice as he came down the steps.
Jack was taken aback—even though he had seen Eddie only a few months ago he seemed to have grown even more into his father, "Hey Eddie."
"Jack—hi," he smiled as he saw the woman behind him holding the little boy who was asleep in her arms. "And that is?"
Jack looked at Jasmine but ignored the question, "Your parents around?"
"Yeah, they are upstairs," he said as Jack went upstairs and Jasmine followed. "Weird huh?" he said looking at the door to her old apartment.
"Very," she said with an easy laugh as she rubbed Noah's back.
"Hello?" he said sticking his head in and getting screams of happiness in return—except there was an extra one he didn't expect—Leslie standing there at the sink with Lizzie.
"Dad!" she smiled as she dropped the dish rag and came running so fast he had to pick her off the floor to keep her from running him over.
"Hey, how's my girl?" he said as he saw Rafe and Alison's expressions as they saw who was behind them—both smiling big for seeing their friend, but an uneasiness in their eyes as to what was going to happen next.
"I'm great—I didn't know you were coming--," she said as she froze at seeing Jasmine at the door. "What are you doing here?" she said as her eyes narrowed.
"I—I came for a visit with your Dad. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this," she said as she turned towards the back staircase.
"Jazz—wait," called Rafe as he moved past them both.
"How can you do that Dad? How can you bring her here for so long—she doesn't care about me. And who the hell was that child? My god—she cared so little about me, but didn't mind bringing another one into this word?" screamed Leslie.
"I—Leslie--," he sighed.
"Jack, why don't you take Lizzie downstairs and see if Eddie needs help," she said giving him an eye as he listened and took her downstairs.
"Come here and sit with me," said Alison as she patted the couch next to her and Leslie came over and put her head on Alison's shoulder. "I know what you are feeling right now, Lez—but you need to let your mom explain her situation, explain why she felt it was better for you to grow up without her around.
"My mom abandoned me—left me with my grandmother for a long time, and you know what when she came back in my life I didn't want her. She was still the same woman as before—selfish, and not caring about anything that didn't surround her. She's still like that, but your mom is different sweetie—Jasmine is the kindest, sweetest thing Rafe and I have known—and she loves your Dad and you so much."
"If she loved me so much then why did she leave me with Chris and never come to visit?"
"Why don't you ask her that?" she said as Leslie lifted her head up and Alison wiped away her tears. "You didn't see the look in her eyes when Jack opened that door and saw you standing there—it was a look of sorrow, but also of love—if she knows you she has a chance still for your love-- well maybe she'll come back for another visit—or maybe she'll finally come home for good."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I do," she said as she smiled to see Rafe and Jasmine standing in the doorway—Jasmine's face was stained with tears just like her daughters.
Leslie turned to look at her mom, and wiped away a few new tears, "Mama?" she said as she went over and looked at the woman in front of her before collapsing into a hug.
"Oh my sweet baby—I'm so sorry," whispered Jasmine into her daughter's hair before looking up to see Alison crying also and said a silent thank you to her.
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"Are you ok?" laughed Jasmine as her and Alison sat on the couch together wiping the tears away.
"Yeah, I should be asking you that question though," she said through sniffles and laughter.
"I got to hold my little girl in my arms again today, Alison," she smiled. "I just hadn't wish it had been so short."
"Yeah, her and Lizzie had actually just stopped by for lunch before having Eddie drive them to see a movie. I'm so happy you got to see her though."
"It's not over yet though, Ali. I still have to explain to her everything," she sighed. "Why did I come here? This was so silly of me."
"No, it wasn't silly at all. You wanted to see your daughter, and set right all wrongs that have been made—and you know what? Before you leave here I'm sure that will be accomplished," she said as Noah walked in through the open door and over to his mom, "Hey sweetie," smiled Alison brightly.
"Oh, I forgot," she said as she wiped her nose a final time before picking up Noah and putting him on her lap, "This is Noah Christopher Jamal Ramsey," she said kissing the top of his head lightly. "Leslie might forgive me for abandoning her, but how can anyone forgive me for having one child with me and not both?"
"You mean?" asked Alison but didn't finish the sentence when Jasmine shook her head.