Disclaimers and other Info. in Part 1 - additional acknowledgements will be included in parts where needed.
Note: Jake is still with the Seven along with Lu and Krys but the boy (Ian) has been missing since they woke up at the beach, but they are sure he's fine wherever he is.
Part 17: The Hotel
The group of men and women soon arrive at the hotel that is slightly run-down. They all go to the reception desk hoping they can get rooms at such short notice.
Chris presses the bell at the reception desk and when a scruffy receptionist appears, he politely requests, "We need some hotel rooms please."
"Okay, how many would you like?" asks the lady, not in a very polite tone.
"Well, there's 10 of us. Do you have 6 vacant rooms?"
"We have plenty of empty rooms. I'll need the signature of one person staying in each room then you can have the keys," replies the receptionist pushing the visitor log book in front of Chris.
The group decide quickly who's staying with who: Buck with Vin, JD with Jake, Ezra with Nathan, Lu with Krys, Josiah on his own and Chris on his own.
They all go to their rooms after they've eaten dinner in the restaurant. There are clean pyjamas for everyone and there's a laundry service so their only clothes they have can get washed. They all sleep until evening...
Krys wakes up first and sneaks to Vin and Buck's room. She had already agreed with Vin that he wouldn't lock the door so she could sneak in and see him. She puts a bathrobe on over her pyjama's that are a bit see-through. She makes her way to Vin's room. She pushes the door gently and it opens. She sneaks inside.
Buck is awake and looks at her curiously; "What are you doing in here?"
"I was just coming to see Vin," Krys answers.
"Vin's still asleep, but you can see me instead." He grins at her jokingly.
"I didn't come here to see you."
Buck gets up and leaves the room in a huff.
Krys goes over to Vin and shakes him gently. He groans and asks, "What?"
"Hi, it's Krys," the girl replies.
Vin opens his eyes and smiles at her; "Hi, Sweetie, you wanna lay down next ta me?"
She takes off the bathrobe and gets in bed and lies down. He puts his arm around her.
Buck walks along the hall and knocks at a door not knowing which of the guys are in that room.
It's Chris's room. He hears Chris's voice; "Who is it?"
"It's me, Buck, can I come in?" asks Buck.
"No, I'm still sleeping, go away."
"I can't - I got kicked out of my room."
"Go and share with Josiah," says Chris.
"NO WAY!" says Buck.
"Why'd you get kicked outta yer room?" asks Chris.
"'Cause Krys and Vin wanted to be alone."
Chris sighs, gets up and opens the door - he stands in the doorway before saying, "I can't stop those two can I?"
"No - they're not kids!" replies Buck, happy that Vin's found someone special.
"We'll have to leave here soon, we've gotta get back for Travis."
"I'm real sorry I got us lost on that plane trip," apologises Buck.
"Well, we found JD's 'brother' didn't we?" says Chris, although he can't believe JD has a twin brother.
"It's so weird that he has a twin brother."
"It's not proven yet, could be a hoax."
JA JA JA JA JA JA JA
Elsewhere, in JD's room, Jake picks up JD's stuffed bear and looks at it quizzically; "You sleep with a bear?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" asks JD agitatedly, grabbing the stuffed bear off Jake.
"You're too old to sleep with stuffed toys!"
"There's no harm in it."
"I don't need no bears in MY bed!" says Jake picking up the bear and throwing it across the room. "Bears are for babies."
"No, they aren't - go and pick it up," orders JD angrily.
"No, I won't - I don't take orders from anyone," says Jake obstinately.
JD advances on Jake and they start fighting.
Then Buck comes into the room and tears them apart. "What's going on?" he asks them angrily.
"He said bears are for babies," says JD.
"He's orderin' me about like he's in charge," says Jake frowning at his brother.
"You two best separate for a while," says Buck taking hold of Jake's arm and leading him out of the room.
Jake rushes into the vacant bathroom outside and locks the door.
Ezra comes out of his room dressed already.
"Hey Ezra - Jake and JD are fightin' like brothers," says Buck, jealously.
"That does not prove that they have blood ties," says Ezra, skeptical about Jake and JD being brothers.
Jake comes out of the bathroom and looks at the men before saying, "Hey guys, let's roll, we gotta get back before Mr. Travis gets really mad at you."
Chris comes out of his room dressed in his usual black. "Guys, we aren't leavin' just yet. I'll say when it's nearly time to go," says the blonde glaring at Jake.
Chris goes into his room calling Jake to follow. Chris looks at Jake; "I want to know the truth - are you really JD's twin brother?"
"I think I am - I just need to find records, then it will be proven to everyone," answers Jake, who really believes that he's JD's brother.
"Okay, but this better not be some scam to get a free trip."
Outside in the corridor Lu is walking along, when she sees who she's looking for. Lu walks up to Nathan and whispers to the medic, "Can we talk in private?"
Lu and Nathan go into the breakfast lounge that is deserted.
Nathan asks her in a low voice, "What's up?"
"I need your help with something - if you can help," says Lu in a quiet voice.
Ten minutes later, Nathan is studying some liquid on a plastic slide under a microscope in his hotel room.
"No, it's okay, yer clear. Who's do you think it would've been if you had been – y'know what?"
"I'd rather not say," replies the girl.
"If you need to talk, I'm never too far away," offers Nathan.
"Thanks, Nathan. I'm relieved I'm not...you know what. I don't think Uncle Orin would've been too pleased."
Nathan smiles at the thought of AD Travis' possible reaction to Lu's news if the results had been different.
Nathan flushes the sample down the toilet, while Lu leaves the room, remembering Ezra mentioned that he was going outside for some fresh air. She goes outside and finds that several of the others are there sitting on the grass.
Lu sees Chris and walks over to him.
"Everythin' okay?" asks the blonde wondering where she got to.
"Of course it is!" she replies with a smile.
Ezra is looking at her from a distance, as if he suspects something is up. Lu keeps her distance from him not wanting to tell him anything.
Josiah is so busy chatting to JD and Buck that he doesn't notice that the girl has joined them.
"So why did you and Lu split up so soon?" JD asks Josiah - he'd thought they made a nice couple.
"It simply wasn't meant to be, my young friend," says Josiah, who isn't in the least upset about him and Lu.
"I'm sure you'll find someone soon."
"Who said I'm looking?"
"I gotta find someone before Josiah does - if only Dorothy wasn't married now!" says Buck.
JD and Josiah chuckle.
Chris calls everyone together. "We have to leave soon. Get your things together and meet me at the truck in five minutes," says Chris, taking charge.
"Ah can't get ready that rapidly, Mr. Larabee! Ah would prefer if you increase it to a more reasonable timescale," objects Ezra, thinking about the tasks he needs to perform before he's ready to leave.
Chris looks at Ezra hardly understanding him.
Chris gets annoyed and in a voice imitating the southerner says, "Mr. Standish, Ahh suggest ya get yer ass in gear and be at that truck in five minutes or Ah'll leave without yer!"
Buck and JD laugh at the terrible southern accent.
"Ah understand you perfectly now, Mr. Larabee - ah'll be waiting for YOU at the truck!" says Ezra sarcastically, then he walks back into the hotel.
Chris grins despite the sarcasm he detected in Ezra's voice.
"I can' believe ya jest said that to Ezra!" says Vin, trying not to laugh.
Chris shrugs and walks to his room, wanting to be the first one to the truck.
Lu is watching Ezra from a distance, smiling.
Nathan creeps up on her and asks softly, "Would he have been the father?"
Lu puts a finger to her lips.
"I thought it was Josiah!"
"Josiah and I weren't right together; on the other hand Ezra and I get along really well together!"
Everyone goes back into the hotel to pack.
JA JA JA JA JA JA JA
Surprisingly, Ezra is the first one at the truck not looking forward to getting back to Denver and facing Judge Travis.
Lu notices the worried look on his face and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder; "Is something wrong?"
"Ah'm not looking forward to our forthcoming encounter with your uncle. Furthermore, once we get home you'll have to depart for your homeland, Miss Travis," answers Ezra.
"What makes you think that?" asks Lu, hoping to spend some time with Ezra in Colorado before she has to go home.
"Ah assumed we only had the pleasure of your company while we were on this vacation."
"Things could change!" She winks at him after saying this and walks towards Krys to chat to her.
Ezra is having trouble not smiling at what could possibly happen in the future.
JD notices him smiling and walks over; "Good news, Ez?"
"Perhaps, Mr. Dunne," answers Ezra with a slight smile showing on his face.
Buck joins them. He notices that someone is missing; "Where's Chris? We're almost all here before him!"
"Ah expect Mr. Larabee is trying to unlock his wallet."
"Don't tell me you made a bet with him that you'd beat him here?"
"Yes ah did, my friend. He felt so sure of himself he gambled a large sum of money on the outcome being in his favour," replies Ezra with a grin.
Vin hears this last sentence and walks over and asks, "Tell us, Ezra - what did you do to stop Chris being here first?"
"What makes you estimate that ah did something?"
Elsewhere, Chris is being flirted with by a young lady who is doing a very good job of it. He can't believe his luck and has completely forgotten about winning his bet with Ezra. After flirting with Chris for ten minutes she decides she doesn't like him after all and rapidly leaves.
Chris remembers the bet and once back in his room, rapidly gets ready to leave. He rushes outside to the truck where everyone else is waiting for him.
Ezra approaches him; "Ah believe you owe me some money, Mr. Larabee."
"I only have some money left from the budget Travis gave us," says Chris.
"That will be acceptable, the longer I have ta wait for my money, the more interest I will add onto the sum," says Ezra.
Chris takes out his wallet and starts counting money to give to Ezra.
"I guess you won it fair and square," says Chris.
Everyone has loaded into the truck with Chris and Buck sitting in the cab and the others sitting in the back. They recommence the drive home.
To be continued…
Note: Jake is still with the Seven along with Lu and Krys but the boy (Ian) has been missing since they woke up at the beach, but they are sure he's fine wherever he is.
Part 17: The Hotel
The group of men and women soon arrive at the hotel that is slightly run-down. They all go to the reception desk hoping they can get rooms at such short notice.
Chris presses the bell at the reception desk and when a scruffy receptionist appears, he politely requests, "We need some hotel rooms please."
"Okay, how many would you like?" asks the lady, not in a very polite tone.
"Well, there's 10 of us. Do you have 6 vacant rooms?"
"We have plenty of empty rooms. I'll need the signature of one person staying in each room then you can have the keys," replies the receptionist pushing the visitor log book in front of Chris.
The group decide quickly who's staying with who: Buck with Vin, JD with Jake, Ezra with Nathan, Lu with Krys, Josiah on his own and Chris on his own.
They all go to their rooms after they've eaten dinner in the restaurant. There are clean pyjamas for everyone and there's a laundry service so their only clothes they have can get washed. They all sleep until evening...
Krys wakes up first and sneaks to Vin and Buck's room. She had already agreed with Vin that he wouldn't lock the door so she could sneak in and see him. She puts a bathrobe on over her pyjama's that are a bit see-through. She makes her way to Vin's room. She pushes the door gently and it opens. She sneaks inside.
Buck is awake and looks at her curiously; "What are you doing in here?"
"I was just coming to see Vin," Krys answers.
"Vin's still asleep, but you can see me instead." He grins at her jokingly.
"I didn't come here to see you."
Buck gets up and leaves the room in a huff.
Krys goes over to Vin and shakes him gently. He groans and asks, "What?"
"Hi, it's Krys," the girl replies.
Vin opens his eyes and smiles at her; "Hi, Sweetie, you wanna lay down next ta me?"
She takes off the bathrobe and gets in bed and lies down. He puts his arm around her.
Buck walks along the hall and knocks at a door not knowing which of the guys are in that room.
It's Chris's room. He hears Chris's voice; "Who is it?"
"It's me, Buck, can I come in?" asks Buck.
"No, I'm still sleeping, go away."
"I can't - I got kicked out of my room."
"Go and share with Josiah," says Chris.
"NO WAY!" says Buck.
"Why'd you get kicked outta yer room?" asks Chris.
"'Cause Krys and Vin wanted to be alone."
Chris sighs, gets up and opens the door - he stands in the doorway before saying, "I can't stop those two can I?"
"No - they're not kids!" replies Buck, happy that Vin's found someone special.
"We'll have to leave here soon, we've gotta get back for Travis."
"I'm real sorry I got us lost on that plane trip," apologises Buck.
"Well, we found JD's 'brother' didn't we?" says Chris, although he can't believe JD has a twin brother.
"It's so weird that he has a twin brother."
"It's not proven yet, could be a hoax."
JA JA JA JA JA JA JA
Elsewhere, in JD's room, Jake picks up JD's stuffed bear and looks at it quizzically; "You sleep with a bear?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" asks JD agitatedly, grabbing the stuffed bear off Jake.
"You're too old to sleep with stuffed toys!"
"There's no harm in it."
"I don't need no bears in MY bed!" says Jake picking up the bear and throwing it across the room. "Bears are for babies."
"No, they aren't - go and pick it up," orders JD angrily.
"No, I won't - I don't take orders from anyone," says Jake obstinately.
JD advances on Jake and they start fighting.
Then Buck comes into the room and tears them apart. "What's going on?" he asks them angrily.
"He said bears are for babies," says JD.
"He's orderin' me about like he's in charge," says Jake frowning at his brother.
"You two best separate for a while," says Buck taking hold of Jake's arm and leading him out of the room.
Jake rushes into the vacant bathroom outside and locks the door.
Ezra comes out of his room dressed already.
"Hey Ezra - Jake and JD are fightin' like brothers," says Buck, jealously.
"That does not prove that they have blood ties," says Ezra, skeptical about Jake and JD being brothers.
Jake comes out of the bathroom and looks at the men before saying, "Hey guys, let's roll, we gotta get back before Mr. Travis gets really mad at you."
Chris comes out of his room dressed in his usual black. "Guys, we aren't leavin' just yet. I'll say when it's nearly time to go," says the blonde glaring at Jake.
Chris goes into his room calling Jake to follow. Chris looks at Jake; "I want to know the truth - are you really JD's twin brother?"
"I think I am - I just need to find records, then it will be proven to everyone," answers Jake, who really believes that he's JD's brother.
"Okay, but this better not be some scam to get a free trip."
Outside in the corridor Lu is walking along, when she sees who she's looking for. Lu walks up to Nathan and whispers to the medic, "Can we talk in private?"
Lu and Nathan go into the breakfast lounge that is deserted.
Nathan asks her in a low voice, "What's up?"
"I need your help with something - if you can help," says Lu in a quiet voice.
Ten minutes later, Nathan is studying some liquid on a plastic slide under a microscope in his hotel room.
"No, it's okay, yer clear. Who's do you think it would've been if you had been – y'know what?"
"I'd rather not say," replies the girl.
"If you need to talk, I'm never too far away," offers Nathan.
"Thanks, Nathan. I'm relieved I'm not...you know what. I don't think Uncle Orin would've been too pleased."
Nathan smiles at the thought of AD Travis' possible reaction to Lu's news if the results had been different.
Nathan flushes the sample down the toilet, while Lu leaves the room, remembering Ezra mentioned that he was going outside for some fresh air. She goes outside and finds that several of the others are there sitting on the grass.
Lu sees Chris and walks over to him.
"Everythin' okay?" asks the blonde wondering where she got to.
"Of course it is!" she replies with a smile.
Ezra is looking at her from a distance, as if he suspects something is up. Lu keeps her distance from him not wanting to tell him anything.
Josiah is so busy chatting to JD and Buck that he doesn't notice that the girl has joined them.
"So why did you and Lu split up so soon?" JD asks Josiah - he'd thought they made a nice couple.
"It simply wasn't meant to be, my young friend," says Josiah, who isn't in the least upset about him and Lu.
"I'm sure you'll find someone soon."
"Who said I'm looking?"
"I gotta find someone before Josiah does - if only Dorothy wasn't married now!" says Buck.
JD and Josiah chuckle.
Chris calls everyone together. "We have to leave soon. Get your things together and meet me at the truck in five minutes," says Chris, taking charge.
"Ah can't get ready that rapidly, Mr. Larabee! Ah would prefer if you increase it to a more reasonable timescale," objects Ezra, thinking about the tasks he needs to perform before he's ready to leave.
Chris looks at Ezra hardly understanding him.
Chris gets annoyed and in a voice imitating the southerner says, "Mr. Standish, Ahh suggest ya get yer ass in gear and be at that truck in five minutes or Ah'll leave without yer!"
Buck and JD laugh at the terrible southern accent.
"Ah understand you perfectly now, Mr. Larabee - ah'll be waiting for YOU at the truck!" says Ezra sarcastically, then he walks back into the hotel.
Chris grins despite the sarcasm he detected in Ezra's voice.
"I can' believe ya jest said that to Ezra!" says Vin, trying not to laugh.
Chris shrugs and walks to his room, wanting to be the first one to the truck.
Lu is watching Ezra from a distance, smiling.
Nathan creeps up on her and asks softly, "Would he have been the father?"
Lu puts a finger to her lips.
"I thought it was Josiah!"
"Josiah and I weren't right together; on the other hand Ezra and I get along really well together!"
Everyone goes back into the hotel to pack.
JA JA JA JA JA JA JA
Surprisingly, Ezra is the first one at the truck not looking forward to getting back to Denver and facing Judge Travis.
Lu notices the worried look on his face and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder; "Is something wrong?"
"Ah'm not looking forward to our forthcoming encounter with your uncle. Furthermore, once we get home you'll have to depart for your homeland, Miss Travis," answers Ezra.
"What makes you think that?" asks Lu, hoping to spend some time with Ezra in Colorado before she has to go home.
"Ah assumed we only had the pleasure of your company while we were on this vacation."
"Things could change!" She winks at him after saying this and walks towards Krys to chat to her.
Ezra is having trouble not smiling at what could possibly happen in the future.
JD notices him smiling and walks over; "Good news, Ez?"
"Perhaps, Mr. Dunne," answers Ezra with a slight smile showing on his face.
Buck joins them. He notices that someone is missing; "Where's Chris? We're almost all here before him!"
"Ah expect Mr. Larabee is trying to unlock his wallet."
"Don't tell me you made a bet with him that you'd beat him here?"
"Yes ah did, my friend. He felt so sure of himself he gambled a large sum of money on the outcome being in his favour," replies Ezra with a grin.
Vin hears this last sentence and walks over and asks, "Tell us, Ezra - what did you do to stop Chris being here first?"
"What makes you estimate that ah did something?"
Elsewhere, Chris is being flirted with by a young lady who is doing a very good job of it. He can't believe his luck and has completely forgotten about winning his bet with Ezra. After flirting with Chris for ten minutes she decides she doesn't like him after all and rapidly leaves.
Chris remembers the bet and once back in his room, rapidly gets ready to leave. He rushes outside to the truck where everyone else is waiting for him.
Ezra approaches him; "Ah believe you owe me some money, Mr. Larabee."
"I only have some money left from the budget Travis gave us," says Chris.
"That will be acceptable, the longer I have ta wait for my money, the more interest I will add onto the sum," says Ezra.
Chris takes out his wallet and starts counting money to give to Ezra.
"I guess you won it fair and square," says Chris.
Everyone has loaded into the truck with Chris and Buck sitting in the cab and the others sitting in the back. They recommence the drive home.
To be continued…