AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANKS JACKIE FOR BEING MY BETA AND THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THE REVIEWS.

CHAPTER 38

COMING HOME

June 15, 2003

9:45am

Blue Cove, Delaware

Former Home of Miss Parker

Alyssa awoke to the sound of birds.

"Ugh," she groaned, getting up from bed. "I need to shower."

She grabbed a change of clothes and went in search of a bathroom. On her way she passed her mother's room. Curious, she pushed open the door. The dresser was draped in a white sheet, underneath the sheet outlines of several picture frames were visible. Alley pulled back the sheet and studied the photographs.

"So this is what you look like, Momma." She whispered as she traced her mother's features.

"We'll be together soon. I promise." She said and then placed the picture back in its spot and recovered it.

Alley then went to take her shower. Once done she returned to her room -that was once her grandmother's art studio- in search of food. In the mini refrigerator she found a carton of milk and some cereal.

"Angelo, you are too good to me." she murmured as she turned on the laptop, bowl of cereal in hand.

The young girl nearly cried when she saw the wallpaper on the computer. It was a photograph of her family. Her parents, brothers, and younger sister were all smiling for the camera.

"Will." She whispered, touching her brother's image. Then she did cry. Her tears were not those of pain, but of joy.

A few hours later Alley was perusing the Centre's database for an address. She found the one she was looking for and at four o'clock she started off, on foot, for her destination, wearing a pair of her mother's sneakers and a hat she found in her mother's closet. Alley arrived forty-five minutes later. Nervously she ranged the doorbell.

"Hi Grandpa," she said when Sydney opened the door. The poor psychiatrist nearly fainted.

She found herself a few moments later sitting on a couch grinning at her pacing grandfather.

"How did you... how long....?" Sydney stopped unable to continue.

"Your enjoying this aren't you?" He asked the girl.

"Immensely." She replied.

Sydney sat down across from her, so that he could study her features more. She looked so much like her twin. They were practically identical. Both had their mother's blue eyes except unlike their mother theirs were flecked with gold. She also shared her brother's dark brown hair. Although where Will's was cut similarly to his father's, Alyssa's dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail that reached beyond her shoulders. She had a mole under her eye just like her brother and father.

"How did you get here?" Sydney asked

"I escaped last night and stayed at Momma's old house. It's the last place the Centre would ever think to look for me. Angelo set Grandma Catherine's old studio up for me. I found your address this morning in the Centre database and decided to stop by for a visit." Alley explained.

"Do your parent's know about you?"

"They still think that I'm dead; so does Will."

"Why haven't you contacted them?"

"It's still too dangerous."

"How so?"

"The Centre will still be looking for me. I may inadvertently lead them to the rest of our family. Besides once Will finds out I'm alive, he'll come running here. I won't place him or the others in any danger.

"Alyssa, they have the right to know that you are alive."

"I'll tell them soon...just not today."

"Until then what will you do?"

"Lay low at Momma's for a week or so.

"Do you have everything you may need?

"Yes and no. I have an extra change of clothes and some spending money and a little food. But I'm going to need some more stuff. So how would you like to go shopping with me?" Alley asked raising and eyebrow.

An hour later Sydney found himself at the mall with his eldest granddaughter –ironically it was the same one Jarod and Ethan took Alex to.

"What do you think about this one?"

"No!" Sydney said horrified to see his daughter wearing a tank top and a skirt that stopped just a few inches below her but. "You're much too young to be wearing any thing like that. Besides, your mother would kill me if I allowed you to wear that sort of clothing. Hell, your father would kill me as well."

"Okay, so I'll lose the skirt. What about these jeans?" Alley asked holding up a pair of hip-huggers with butterflies stitched on them.

"Those are fine." Sydney replied. "You and your sister certainly don't share the same sense of fashion."

Sydney told the girl as they walked towards the cash register. As the clerk rung up the clothing Alley's eyes came across a sweatshirt on the discount rack. She grabbed it and handed it to the clerk.

"A phoenix." Sydney noticed.

"It was my code name." Alley told him.

"It was your brother's as well." Sydney said.

"I know." She whispered.

"It's a bit warm for a sweatshirt."

"It won't be in the fall." Alley replied. "What are they like? My brother's and sister."

"Peter is a sweet boy. He's very quiet though. He also enjoys flying and horseback ridding. The triplets," Sydney began, "are the three most energetic mischievous children I have ever come across. Not even your parents got into as many things when they were younger as those three children do."

"What type of things do they like?"

"Their favorite author is Stephen King. They have come to develop a certain taste in music. Dave Matthews' Band, and James Taylor are just two of their favorites. Recently, they have come to enjoy soccer. From what Will has told me Alex is a lot like you were at her age."

"And Will?"

"Well, Will is extremely protective of the other children. For the
longest time he
rarely let them out of his sight."

"Sound's like Will. What made him let his guard down?"

"Your sister threatened to castrate him if he didn't quit following her and the boys every where they went."

Alley chuckled in amusement. "I think Alex and I are going to get along just fine. Go on...tell me more about Will."

"Well, recently your brother has been a nervous wreck. Ever since he discovered your mother was pregnant with the twins."

"What!"

"You don't know? Your mother is having twins. She's due around December sixth or so. Which is a good thing, because she and your father are having a hard time picking out names"

"And you're just telling me about the twins now?"

"Well, I assumed you would know. Your brothers and sister did even before your mother knew."

"You know what they say about assumptions."

"Why didn't you know? From what I understand you are more gifted in the inner sense than Will is."

"I don't use it any more." Alley said.

"How can you not use it? Your inner sense is not just something you can turn off."

"Let's just drop it okay."

"Alyssa."

"I said drop it." She snapped.

"You are most definitely your mother's daughter." Sydney mumbled.

"Can we stop in the book store?" Alley asked sometime later.

"Of course." Sydney replied.

The Alley walked out of B. Dalton's with three new books – The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Wicked, and The Big Book of Baby Names.

Sydney then drove his granddaughter to her temporary residence after the two stopped for dinner.

"Goodnight, Grandpa." Alley getting out of the car bags in tow.

"Goodnight, Alyssa."

"Grandpa?"

"Yes."

"About earlier. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize Alyssa. Now hurry up inside. It's getting dark." Alley did as he said.

Alley spent her week studying the outside world. She also purchased a first class ticket to Richmond, Virginia. At night, as she fell asleep, she would sim the many ways she would meet her family.

At the end of the week Alley called the taxi company and arranged for a cab to pick her up at a convince store that was half a mile away from her mother's old home. Alley carefully packed her things. Taking with her, her new clothing and books, along with the rest of her money and the two keys to the house. Alley also packed her mother's photo album and the laptop Angelo gave her.

June 22, 2003

12:00pm

Blue Cove, Delaware

Former Home of Miss Parker

At twelve o'clock Alley sat out on the first leg of her journey. She was relived that it was such a short walk to the store, for her bag was quite heavy. Ten minutes after Alley arrived at her destination the cab driver pulled up. The driver saw her and was slightly taken aback by the sight of the twelve year old girl.

"Hey kid, you call for a cab."

"Yes, I did."

"You alone?"

"Yeah, what's it to ya?"

"Nothing kid, I was just checkin'. Where you headed?"

"Airport."

Twenty minutes later Alley entered the terminal. She was nervous and constantly kept and eye out for sweepers. She went though baggage check and then stopped to get some thing to eat at the café. She sat down and waited for her plane to begin boarding.

A little after six Alley was sitting in first class reading The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. There was a man next to her also reading. The man didn't appear to be a sweeper so Alley paid him no mind.

After awhile Alley got up and went to the bathroom. She returned to her seat to find the man next to her looking at the inside flap of her book.

"Do you like Stephen King?" Alley asked him as she sat down.

"Sometimes" the man said. For the fist time Alley got a good look at her neighbor's face and her jaw dropped.

"You're...Stephen King!" She finally manage to say.

"So they tell me." He replied. "What's your name?"

"Alyssa, Alyssa Russell." She said offering her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. King."

"Please call me Steve."

"As long as you call me Alley, I don't mind."

"So Alley where are you headed?"

"Home. I've been staying at my grandfather's for the past week."

"Ah. So do you like the book?"

"Yeah. It's not one of my favorites, but I'm enjoying it."

"I'm glad. So you said it's not one of your favorites. How many of my stories have you read?"

"Nearly all of them."

"Really? Your age group isn't who my books are geared towards."

"I noticed. I just started reading your works with in the past year or so."

"Which is your favorite?"

"Oh I don't have a favorite. I have favorites. Bag of Bones is up there, as is Talisman and Black House. And of course I love the Dark Tower series."

"You've read all of the Dark Tower series?"

"Well not all of them. I'm awaiting the last one. September 21st can't get here soon enough."

"So what else do you read?"

"Oh lots of stuff. I enjoy the classics, Frankenstein, Dracula, Poe, Hinlien, Asmof. Orwell is good as well."

"What about current literature?"

"I love Harry Potter, Gregory Macguire is really good, so are Grisham and Straub." The two spent the next hour and a half, discussing literature. They said their good-bye's after the plane landed. Stephen singed her book and promised her an advanced copy of his upcoming novel.

After saying goodbye Alley found a cab and headed towards her new home.

June 22, 2003

Charlottesville, Virginia

Russell Family Home

4:37pm

She nervously stood on the front porch. Her heart felt as though it was trying to escape from her chest. Instead of ringing the doorbell Alley did something she hadn't dared to do in close to six years.

Hello big brother she called to Will telepathically. Inside the house she heard glass shatter.

Will stood stunned for a moment. He didn't hear his family ask him if he was "all right" or "what's wrong".

"Alley." He whispered to himself and slowly walked to the front door afraid he had imagined her voice, her presence. It took him more strength then he knew he had possible to open the front door. When he finally did, he saw his sister in front of him and knew that she was real that it wasn't another one version of The Dream – the dream in which she was alive and she never really died. He reached out a hand to touch her face. His hand didn't go through her and tears began to fall from his eyes. Alley leaded into his touch. She was warm, so unlike the last time he held her. She was breathing and standing before him. She was alive. She was truly alive.

Will pulled his little sister into his arms and the two cried. Will knew that his family stood behind him. But they didn't matter the only thing that mattered was the warm body in his arms. He was so afraid to let her go. Afraid that if she did she would die all over again. Will didn't think that he could endure that pain again.

Will was so afraid that he would awake the next mooring to find that it was all a dream. To find that, yes she really did die in that cold gray room. He did not want to close his eyes any more and every time see her beautiful yet pale, motionless body lying on that hard mattress in the Centre infirmary.

I'm back now, Will. I found you and I'm back. Remember I told you nothing could keep us apart. Alley whispered in his head, erasing such terrible thoughts from her brother's head.

You were right, Alley. You were right. Will replied, in a voice only the two of them could hear as he held her tighter.

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