Author's Note: Ok, I guess I should mention that this story picks up after the events in the episode "Big Waves". I will NOT be including anything that happened in the episode "Heat Wave" or any other after, except for the fact that Bradin is now 17 (my minor revision in chapter 3). You people are way too nice (I like it though! it keeps me writing) and I'm glad y'all are enjoying it!!! Here it is…Chapter 6….

July 10, 2004

Disclaimer: I do not own Summerland or any related characters or places.

Your Beautiful Soul

Chapter 6

Maggie let her bicycle coast slowly across the driveway to the house, stopped, and dismounted, then walked it to the front door. She pulled off her helmet, then raised her fist and knocked.

"Hi Maggie," Ava greeted her as the door opened. "Come on in. You can put your bike out on the patio if you want—it'd be less likely to walk away."

"Thanks, I'll take you up on that offer." Pulling the lightweight-framed bike onto her shoulder, she stepped into the house. She carried it out to the patio and carefully set it next the house wall. After taking out a small bundle of clothes from the pouch on the back of her bike, she stepped back inside. "It was such a nice day for a ride, I just couldn't help myself."

Ava smiled and nodded in agreement. "Bradin's busy right now…would you like to take a shower?"

"If I could, that'd be great," Maggie said, wiping her forehead, then with a short laugh, "Yeah, I guess I don't look too attractive right now."

"You can use the master bath in my room. There should be clean towels hanging on the door." Ava pointed to a room down a short hallway.

"Thanks so much." Maggie headed for the room. She opened the door and made her way across Ava's bedroom. Once in the bathroom with the door locked, she stripped off her bike shorts and yellow cycling jersey and stepped into the shower. The cool water cascaded refreshingly down on her hot skin, and ten minutes later, she stepped out and wrapped a large fuzzy blue bath towel around herself. She quickly scanned the counter, but finding no lotion—and not wanting to paw through Ava's things—Maggie walked out into the bedroom and went to the door.

"Hey Ava?" Maggie called, opening the door. She had just stepped into the hall, when a short brown-haired boy squeezed past her, camera in hand, heading for the far side of the room.

"I'm gonna kill you, Derrick!" The shout accompanied heavy thumping on the stairs. "Come back here, now!"

Bradin slid to a stop at the living room end of the hallway, eyes wide with surprise. "Maggie." He almost choked on the word.

Maggie froze in shock. When she managed to return to reality, she had to fight herself to keep from bursting out into laughter. There he was—her knight in shining armor—wearing a hot pink knee-length skirt over his jean shorts, a trail of frilly lace and ribbon following him.

"He's down here, Suz!" Ava called up the stairs.

Within seconds, Susannah swung around the corner and grabbed Bradin's arm. "Come on. You just managed to undo twenty minutes of pinning in twenty seconds."

Ava watched, stifling a burst of laughter, as her best friend pulled Bradin back upstairs.

Maggie stood motionless; still partly because of the humor of seeing Bradin in the skirt, but also because of the expression she'd noticed on his face when he had seen her covered only with a towel.

"Is he gone?"

Maggie jumped and reached for the doorframe to steady herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Derrick, by the way." The little brown-haired boy stuck his hand out.

She smiled, shaking his hand. "Maggie."

"See ya." He skipped down the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

Returning to her senses, Maggie caught Ava as the older blonde woman walked past with a handful of mail. "Um, Ava?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any body lotion?"

"It should be under the sink," Ava said.

"Thanks." Maggie turned and headed for the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom, clothed in a tan, form fitting tank top, a blue, calf-length denim skirt, and white flip-flops. Damp, wavy strands of hair sprawled across her bare shoulders, air-drying rapidly in the warmth of the day.

"Oh, Maggie," Susannah caught her, "Bradin had to run over to help Jay at the shop, but they'll be back in time for dinner."

"Okay, thanks," Maggie smiled, then watched Susannah head back up the stairs.

As Maggie walked back into the living room after tucking away her dirty clothes in the pouch on her bike, she noticed Ava searching through a book at the dining table.

"I just can't figure out what to make," Ava sighed, closing the cookbook.

"We could go 'South of the Boarder'?" Maggie suggested. "I know a few secret recipes."

"That's a great idea! South it is," Ava smiled at the teen beside her.

Two hours and a trip to the grocery store later, mouthwatering smells wafted throughout the house. Derrick entered from the patio with a tall, handsome, dark-haired man in tow—which Maggie was soon informed that he was Johnny, one of the housemates—and immediately started to set the table in anticipation of dinner. Five minutes later, Susannah descended from the 'office' on the second floor and offered her hand in the kitchen.

The food was starting to be moved to the table, when the front door opened and Bradin walked in following a man who seemed strangely familiar to Maggie. She dismissed the feeling and turned back to the taco salad she was mixing up.

"Mmm…something smells dee-licous!" An Australian-accented voice exclaimed from behind her.

Maggie spun around. "Reef?"

"The one and only," the man said, throwing his arms wide. "Hey, I'd know that smile anywhere—get over here, Little Mini!"

Maggie rushed over and hugged him, then looking up, "for Pete's sake, Jay, I'm almost sixteen, don't you think it's about time you stopped calling me 'Little Mini'?"

"Sweet sixteen, huh? Man, you're growing up fast," he smiled. "Last time I saw you, you were only knee-high to a joey!"

"Come on, sit down and let's have some dinner," Maggie motioned to the table, then slid into a chair to the left of Bradin and smiled at him. Taking the cue from the family, she bowed her head and after Derrick chimed the first 'Amen', repeated it with everyone else.

"Oh, wow, what's in this?" Johnny asked, after savoring a bite of an enchilada.

"Chicken, beef, chili, three kinds of cheeses olives, peppers, and a secret family salsa," Maggie informed him.

Taking another bite, Johnny let out, "Whatever's in it, it's way better than that tuna casserole that Ava tried to poison us with last week."

"Hey!" Ava objected good-naturedly. "So, maybe it was a little undercooked."

"A little?" Jay scoffed. "I'd swear that fish waved its fin at me!"

All at the table laughed, then settled down to eating again.