Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Wild Card characters. I wish I did, but
I don't.
Author's note: Sorry about the last chapter. I decided to put it on, even though it wasn't quite finished yet. This chapter is just going to move on from where it left off in the whole mystery. It isn't starting out with what INTERNET HELP left off with, remembering about the whole love triangle thing.
Last time: "Maybe Mom never told her, either..." Zoe said, in tears again. Dan hugged her again.
"Kay, Hannah, time for bed." Zoe said late Saturday night.
"Aunt Zoe," Hannah whined in between yawns. "I'm not tired yet."
"Whatever. You're going to bed anyway. It's already 12:30. Way past your bedtime, Darlin'."
"Why do Cliff and Taylor get to stay up?!" She whined again.
"Hannah, honey, Cliff will go to bed soon, and Taylor will go to bed sometime after that." Zoe replied, getting frustrated.
When Hannah was changed and ready for bed, Zoe sat her down to talk.
"Hannah, what's up with you lately, kid? You never pull attitude on me." She asked the little girl.
Hannah looked down at the floor. She looked worried or sad. Maybe she was confused, instead. Zoe put her fingers under Hannah's chin and turned her head towards herself so Hannah was eye to eye with her aunt. "So what's up?" Zoe asked again.
"I guess you haven't been around much lately." She said quietly.
"Well honey, I have to work."
"You work more now than you did before. And you and Mr. Morales aren't even dating anymore." Hannah said, the last part making her grin.
"Uhh, exactly how did you know that we were dating? Taylor told me that you had no clue about any of it."
"Taylor lies a lot." She answed sheepishly.
"Hmm... that seems to bring back memories of Orchestra." Zoe said, smiling.
Hannah smiled back and said, "I'm tired, now."
"Good, you little monster. Now here," She said holding the blanket up.
"Night, Aunt Zoe."
"Night, kiddo."
Downstairs, Zoe sent Cliff to bed. Then she decided to tell Taylor about her discovery.
"Okay. I haven't exactly been the best parent lately. I want to tell you why, Tay. I just don't want to tell Cliff and Hannah because it was a huge discovery I made about... your Mom."
"Okay... what is it?"
"Your mother is only my... half sister. What happened was the other day, I found a small envelope in the back of my work mailing address. It was a letter. It was to your mom from a man named Clifford Johnson. Dan and I found out about a house that your mom inherited when she was fifteen. We did some more researching and found the whole story. Your grandmother and grandfather married and had your mum. Your grandfather, Clifford, was very rich. After he and your grandmother, my mother, divorced, Mom took Sue and went and married my father. A year or so later, I was born. Now Honey, this doesn't change anything. I still love you just as much as I always have, in fact I love you more if anything. This is why I only wanted to tell you, though, because Hannah just wouldn't understand, and Cliff is at that age and he's already stuggling a heck of a lot with me being here and not your mom. You understand, though, don't you?"
"So... Mom and you... you're only my HALF AUNT?"
"Well that's one way to put it."
"The thing is, if it were anyone else, I'd feel different about you, but you're still Aunt Zoe."
"Yep, Aunt Zoe alright. So you are okay with this, right?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's kinda weird, but keep working on it, Aunt Zoe, I'm sure you'll find out more."
"Thanks, Tay. Now don't even hint at anything that I told you to your brother or sister. In fact, I don't think your Mom even knew about this. So it would be even better if you didn't talk about it with anyone."
"You got it Aunt Zoe. So, change of subject. How are you and Dan doing?" Taylor said with a grin.
"What are you talking about?" Zoe said, looking away supposedly innocently.
"Give me a break. I'm not that stupid. I figured something happened on that night when I heard you crying in your room. I definitely knew something was up between you two when Mr. Morales didn't come around with you any more. Cliff knew that you and him had obviously broken up, but he didn't know that you and Dan had even thought about feelings for each other. I know better though, Aunt Zoe. I can really read you."
"You are far too mature for your age sometimes, girl."
All night, Zoe explained to Taylor about how as she looked back over the time since she met Dan, she saw how he loved her. There were many instances. Rhyder's house and how she fell through that part of the wall, how Dan had always been her savior when she got in trouble. Zoe also realized, with help from Taylor, that she loved Dan more than any man she ever thought she did. Taylor was a big help in pushing Zoe to her next move... with Dan.
Author's note: Sorry about the last chapter. I decided to put it on, even though it wasn't quite finished yet. This chapter is just going to move on from where it left off in the whole mystery. It isn't starting out with what INTERNET HELP left off with, remembering about the whole love triangle thing.
Last time: "Maybe Mom never told her, either..." Zoe said, in tears again. Dan hugged her again.
"Kay, Hannah, time for bed." Zoe said late Saturday night.
"Aunt Zoe," Hannah whined in between yawns. "I'm not tired yet."
"Whatever. You're going to bed anyway. It's already 12:30. Way past your bedtime, Darlin'."
"Why do Cliff and Taylor get to stay up?!" She whined again.
"Hannah, honey, Cliff will go to bed soon, and Taylor will go to bed sometime after that." Zoe replied, getting frustrated.
When Hannah was changed and ready for bed, Zoe sat her down to talk.
"Hannah, what's up with you lately, kid? You never pull attitude on me." She asked the little girl.
Hannah looked down at the floor. She looked worried or sad. Maybe she was confused, instead. Zoe put her fingers under Hannah's chin and turned her head towards herself so Hannah was eye to eye with her aunt. "So what's up?" Zoe asked again.
"I guess you haven't been around much lately." She said quietly.
"Well honey, I have to work."
"You work more now than you did before. And you and Mr. Morales aren't even dating anymore." Hannah said, the last part making her grin.
"Uhh, exactly how did you know that we were dating? Taylor told me that you had no clue about any of it."
"Taylor lies a lot." She answed sheepishly.
"Hmm... that seems to bring back memories of Orchestra." Zoe said, smiling.
Hannah smiled back and said, "I'm tired, now."
"Good, you little monster. Now here," She said holding the blanket up.
"Night, Aunt Zoe."
"Night, kiddo."
Downstairs, Zoe sent Cliff to bed. Then she decided to tell Taylor about her discovery.
"Okay. I haven't exactly been the best parent lately. I want to tell you why, Tay. I just don't want to tell Cliff and Hannah because it was a huge discovery I made about... your Mom."
"Okay... what is it?"
"Your mother is only my... half sister. What happened was the other day, I found a small envelope in the back of my work mailing address. It was a letter. It was to your mom from a man named Clifford Johnson. Dan and I found out about a house that your mom inherited when she was fifteen. We did some more researching and found the whole story. Your grandmother and grandfather married and had your mum. Your grandfather, Clifford, was very rich. After he and your grandmother, my mother, divorced, Mom took Sue and went and married my father. A year or so later, I was born. Now Honey, this doesn't change anything. I still love you just as much as I always have, in fact I love you more if anything. This is why I only wanted to tell you, though, because Hannah just wouldn't understand, and Cliff is at that age and he's already stuggling a heck of a lot with me being here and not your mom. You understand, though, don't you?"
"So... Mom and you... you're only my HALF AUNT?"
"Well that's one way to put it."
"The thing is, if it were anyone else, I'd feel different about you, but you're still Aunt Zoe."
"Yep, Aunt Zoe alright. So you are okay with this, right?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's kinda weird, but keep working on it, Aunt Zoe, I'm sure you'll find out more."
"Thanks, Tay. Now don't even hint at anything that I told you to your brother or sister. In fact, I don't think your Mom even knew about this. So it would be even better if you didn't talk about it with anyone."
"You got it Aunt Zoe. So, change of subject. How are you and Dan doing?" Taylor said with a grin.
"What are you talking about?" Zoe said, looking away supposedly innocently.
"Give me a break. I'm not that stupid. I figured something happened on that night when I heard you crying in your room. I definitely knew something was up between you two when Mr. Morales didn't come around with you any more. Cliff knew that you and him had obviously broken up, but he didn't know that you and Dan had even thought about feelings for each other. I know better though, Aunt Zoe. I can really read you."
"You are far too mature for your age sometimes, girl."
All night, Zoe explained to Taylor about how as she looked back over the time since she met Dan, she saw how he loved her. There were many instances. Rhyder's house and how she fell through that part of the wall, how Dan had always been her savior when she got in trouble. Zoe also realized, with help from Taylor, that she loved Dan more than any man she ever thought she did. Taylor was a big help in pushing Zoe to her next move... with Dan.