Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Wild Card characters.
"Hey Zoe." Was the greeting Zoe got Monday morning from Dan.
"Hi. Did you by chance find anything else about Sue and this whole thing?"
"Yeah. Clifford Johnston had another wife after your mother. They had two kids. This would happen to mean that if they find out about Taylor, Cliff, and Hannah, they might try to take them. They have as much custody over the kids as you do, Zoe. Just keep the kids in the dark, and don't ever, ever encounter Crystal and Dennis. Those are the kids other aunt and their uncle."
"Oh...wow. Okay. That's definitely news. Thank you, Dan. What would I do without you?" There was a bit of a silence between them for a couple of seconds. "Well, I think I may have found something, too."
"What?"
"That Internet site is not only wrong, it is made and written by Clifford Johnston."
"How?"
"He's still alive. That was written just a little while ago."
"Zoe," Dan paused. "That means... he knows who you and the kids are."
"Never thought of that..." Zoe trailed off. "He would never do anything bad to us, would he?"
"Naw... he seemed to write nice things about you." Dan was trying to hold back a smile.
"Shut up." Zoe said with a grin as she hit him on the arm with a fist.
"Ouch!" he said half yelling in his office.
Zoe laughed at him. When she saw him smile, she got a tingling feeling in her heart. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Every time he walked in the room, every time he spoke, every time he said her name...
"Earth to Zoe, earth to Zoe, come in, come in!" Dan broke her thoughts.
Zoe could see people looking at them, but all she could think about was what she knew had been true: she had at one time had a crush on Dan. After she had started to date Marcos, that crush had nearly diminished. There was always that reminder of his looks every time she saw him. Now that Marcos was gone, she had that chance to try that whole crush thing again. After their kiss, things were awkward, so Zoe took the kids on vacation to LA and Disneyland. When she went back to work, he didn't really say anything more than 'Hi, Zoe' unless he had to. That lasted until Sophia asked them what was up. After that, she helped break the ice. Then she sprang the news about how she was leaving. That seemed to completely break the ice between Zoe and Dan. They had to cling together for support, as neither of them really knew anyone else at work.
"Zoe, I thought I had you, there, for a moment. Guess not." Dan nudged her back to reality. "Thought I lost you for a minute, there."
Zoe laughed. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About what, exactly? Naked men? Boyfriends?" He loved to tease her.
"Shut up! Arrghh!"
"Anyway, Clifford's still alive..."
"Yeah. He actually still lives in the house. It was all a scam to make everyone out there think that this really rich, pretty famous in the business world guy was dead."
"Why, though? What is the motive behind it?"
"That, I don't know."
"Well, let's go see if maybe we can talk to Clifford or Adele. Maybe you should bring the letter and some pictures of Sue, at all ages and maybe some I.D., too."
"Two steps ahead of you, there, Mister Softie." Zoe giggled as she said that.
"I am not a softie."
"Yes you are."
"Fine. If you want to believe that, believe it. Just keep it to yourself."
"Fine." Zoe answered with a fake frown trying to hold back her smile.
Dan rolled his eyes and said, "Let's get going."
"To the house!"
Dan and Zoe headed off to meet Sue's father. In the pit of Zoe's stomach was a twinge of worry. Dan had the same twinge. He would do anything to find out about Sue's past, just to make Zoe happy.
God, she's beautiful! When I kissed her, I thought I gave the message loud and clear. But since Sophia was so intent on us talking without awkwardness, she shrugged it off. Jeez! I just wish she would notice me in a different light! That was all that Dan could think about right now.
When they got to the house, though, there was a terrible sight!
Author's note: Thought I should leave you with a cliff hanger. I'm already working on the next chapter. Please don't forget to review!
"Hey Zoe." Was the greeting Zoe got Monday morning from Dan.
"Hi. Did you by chance find anything else about Sue and this whole thing?"
"Yeah. Clifford Johnston had another wife after your mother. They had two kids. This would happen to mean that if they find out about Taylor, Cliff, and Hannah, they might try to take them. They have as much custody over the kids as you do, Zoe. Just keep the kids in the dark, and don't ever, ever encounter Crystal and Dennis. Those are the kids other aunt and their uncle."
"Oh...wow. Okay. That's definitely news. Thank you, Dan. What would I do without you?" There was a bit of a silence between them for a couple of seconds. "Well, I think I may have found something, too."
"What?"
"That Internet site is not only wrong, it is made and written by Clifford Johnston."
"How?"
"He's still alive. That was written just a little while ago."
"Zoe," Dan paused. "That means... he knows who you and the kids are."
"Never thought of that..." Zoe trailed off. "He would never do anything bad to us, would he?"
"Naw... he seemed to write nice things about you." Dan was trying to hold back a smile.
"Shut up." Zoe said with a grin as she hit him on the arm with a fist.
"Ouch!" he said half yelling in his office.
Zoe laughed at him. When she saw him smile, she got a tingling feeling in her heart. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Every time he walked in the room, every time he spoke, every time he said her name...
"Earth to Zoe, earth to Zoe, come in, come in!" Dan broke her thoughts.
Zoe could see people looking at them, but all she could think about was what she knew had been true: she had at one time had a crush on Dan. After she had started to date Marcos, that crush had nearly diminished. There was always that reminder of his looks every time she saw him. Now that Marcos was gone, she had that chance to try that whole crush thing again. After their kiss, things were awkward, so Zoe took the kids on vacation to LA and Disneyland. When she went back to work, he didn't really say anything more than 'Hi, Zoe' unless he had to. That lasted until Sophia asked them what was up. After that, she helped break the ice. Then she sprang the news about how she was leaving. That seemed to completely break the ice between Zoe and Dan. They had to cling together for support, as neither of them really knew anyone else at work.
"Zoe, I thought I had you, there, for a moment. Guess not." Dan nudged her back to reality. "Thought I lost you for a minute, there."
Zoe laughed. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About what, exactly? Naked men? Boyfriends?" He loved to tease her.
"Shut up! Arrghh!"
"Anyway, Clifford's still alive..."
"Yeah. He actually still lives in the house. It was all a scam to make everyone out there think that this really rich, pretty famous in the business world guy was dead."
"Why, though? What is the motive behind it?"
"That, I don't know."
"Well, let's go see if maybe we can talk to Clifford or Adele. Maybe you should bring the letter and some pictures of Sue, at all ages and maybe some I.D., too."
"Two steps ahead of you, there, Mister Softie." Zoe giggled as she said that.
"I am not a softie."
"Yes you are."
"Fine. If you want to believe that, believe it. Just keep it to yourself."
"Fine." Zoe answered with a fake frown trying to hold back her smile.
Dan rolled his eyes and said, "Let's get going."
"To the house!"
Dan and Zoe headed off to meet Sue's father. In the pit of Zoe's stomach was a twinge of worry. Dan had the same twinge. He would do anything to find out about Sue's past, just to make Zoe happy.
God, she's beautiful! When I kissed her, I thought I gave the message loud and clear. But since Sophia was so intent on us talking without awkwardness, she shrugged it off. Jeez! I just wish she would notice me in a different light! That was all that Dan could think about right now.
When they got to the house, though, there was a terrible sight!
Author's note: Thought I should leave you with a cliff hanger. I'm already working on the next chapter. Please don't forget to review!