Lightning
A/N: For people who are new to the story: I don't remember if I wrote this in an author's note in the first chapter or if I had it in an old summary that I deleted, but SEASON FOUR FINALE DID NOT HAPPENÑat least not in my story.
A/N2: Sorry it took so long for me to update, but don't worry, you get a special two chapters for the wait of one deal.
A/N3: IF YOU WANT TO GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE FOR RORY AND TADE, I SUGGEST YOU READ MY NEW STORY, "PANIC". If you want to keep it a surprise, however, don't read it.
Chapter Eleven: ThanksgivingÑOr Whatever, Part One
The air got colder and the heavy jackets were pulled out of their hiding places in closets. Most of the leaves had fallen from the branches of the trees and the depressed, winter state of mind had descended on the people of New EnglandÑwell, most of them.
"I love this time of year!" Rory bounced around in the piles of leaves as she and Tade strolled through the Yale campus.
"I know you do." He smiled at her happiness. "Hey Ror?" He began as he stuffed his chilled hands into the pockets of his spiffy, Prada overcoat.
"Yeah?" Rory responded walking back over to him.
"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" he asked.
"Having two separate Thanksgiving dinners." She answered.
"Wow.
"That's nowhere near the record. The only reason we're having only two is that Luke was invited to dinner at my grandparents and Lane doesn't live with her mother anymore. So this year it's just my grandparents' and Sookie's." she explained. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Or is that a stupid question? Do you even do anything?" she got kind of lost in her questions. Sometimes she forgot that Tade wasn't American until situations like this.
"Oh, we do something alright." He said rubbing his eyebrow at the memory of previous years. "Anyway, get to the point Tade. I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner at my house the day after Thanksgiving because that's when we celebrate." He invited, finally.
"I'd love too." A warm smile spread across her face. "Who else is going to be there?" she asked somewhat apprehensively.
"Essien, Mark, Thembi, Dinari, Nyack, and my friend Fayez." He listed on his fingers.
"Whoa." Rory breathed. That was a lot of brothers to meet at once.
"It sounds a lot more daunting than it is. Everyone is really laid back and we just gorge ourselves on food." He explained. "So are you in?" he asked.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She said with a smile as she took his hand in hers.
The days passed as they are oft to do, and it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving already. With a smooch and a wave, Rory and Tade parted ways, hopped into their respective vehicles, turned towards their respective destinations, and prepared to brave the holiday traffic.
The morning air was at a biting temperature, so, reluctantly, Tade put the top up on his convertible, turned up the heat, and popped the mixed CD that Rory had made into the player. The first things he heard were the muffled strokes of a bass, followed by a familiar bang on the drums, then a high, male voice. "Can't explain all the feelings that you're making me fe-eel. My heart's in over drive and you're behind the steering wheel." The words of "I believe in a thing called love" by the Darkness filled his car. A smile spread across his face. He had once caught Rory singing this in the shower. So, naturally, a nice image of her in the shower came to mind. "I believe in a thing called love. Just listen to the rhythm of my heart." Yeah.
Meanwhile, in Rory's car she had just put the CD Tade had made for her into the player. First song? "This is dedicated to the one I love." The words of the Shirelles song brought a grin to her face. She was afraid he would start out with something that would make her blush, but he was a gentleman. As the first song ended her ears pricked up in expectation of the next. When she heard the deep, orgasmic breathing of Britney Spears spring forth from her stereo the blood raced to her cheeks. Even when she was all alone in her car this horrible song made her blush just like Tade knew it would. She laughed. He was an evil little bastard.
He was practically giddy with curiosity about what the next song would be. He recognized it immediately. God he loved her. "I believe in miracles, since you came along, you sexy thing, you." He could just imagine little Rory sitting at her computer picking this song off her iTunes collection to put on his mix. "Where did you come from baby? How did you know I needed you? How did you know I needed you so badly? How did you know I'd give my heart gladly? Yesterday, I was one of the lonely people, now you're lying close to me making love to me. I believe in miracles-" Me too. Next he heard the sound of waves crashing and the soft strokes of a ukulele. What the hell? "I used to think that I could not go on." The lead singer of Me First And The Gimme Gimmes sang. "Life was nothing but an awful song, but now I know the meaning of true love. I'm leaning on the everlasting arms." Was she really that low before I came or is it just a song? He asked himself. "If I can see it, then I can do it. If I just believe it, there's nothing to it. I believe I can fly." I believe she can fly too.
She was flying as she listened to Michael Jackson's "the way you make me feel". Tade was oddly fascinated by Michael Jackson, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why. The next track started with a memorable scream, as James Brown's "I feel good" came on. It instantly reminded her of their first time. A warm smile settled on to her face as she sang along in her uninhibited, car voice.
He let out a raucous guffaw as Bonnie Tyler's voice seeped from the speakers. "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you never come around." Here the male voice popped up. "Turn around." Ha. They had been watching Old School a few days before. He nearly giggled. "Ever now and then I get a little bit terrified, but then I see the look in your eyes." Wait, I sometimes feel that way. Does she? The song cut out after that point. Huh, must have been a download.
She was knocked from her reverie by the sounds of a ukulele. Huh? In a moment her eardrums were throbbing to the sound of a sickeningly high-pitched voice. Tiny Tim. "Tip-toe, through the window, by the window, that is where I'll be. Come tip-toe through the tulips with me." Oh Tade. She smiled to herself. After that painful song ended Bobby Darin's voice came out. "Oh you must have been a beautiful baby, you must have been a beautiful child. When you were only startin' to go to kindergarten I bet you drove those other childs wild. Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh, when it came to winnin' blue ribbons, well I bet you taught the other kids how. Well I can see the judge's eyes as he handed you the prize, oh I bet you took the cutest bow. Yeah, you must have been a beautiful baby, cause baby won't you look at you now." She blushed although no one could see her. Oh Tade.
Tade waited for the next song. "Love!" Captain and Tenille. "Love will keep us together. Think of me, babe, whenever. Some sweet talking girl comes along, singing a song, don't mess around, you just gotta be strong. Just stop, cause I really love. Stop. I've been thinking of you. Look in my heart and let love keep of together." Of course.
Before Rory knew it, she was parking her toasty car in her driveway. Home. She turned off her car and with it the music ended too. She missed him already. She took the CD out of the player so that she could finish it in the house. She grabbed her stuff from the backseat, went into the house, and was met with an unnatural smell. Wait, was something burning? She followed the smell into the kitchen. Yup. Low and behold, her mother and Luke were necking against the refrigerator as a pot of indiscernible something-or-other sat, neglected and burning, on the stove.
"You two are going to send me to an early grave." She moaned as she walked into her bedroom.
"Oh God." Luke pulled away. "Can we put a bell on her or something?" he asked.
"I've been trying for years but she just won't hold still." Lorelai joked as she walked into Rory's room. "Hey sweets." She greeted.
"I think we're getting too comfortable about our sex lives around each other." Rory stated as she put Tade's CD in her stereo.
"What's that?" Lorelai asked.
"It's a CD Tade made for me." She pushed play.
"Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight." Huh, he used Captain and Tenille too. "Gonna grab some afternoon delight. My motto's always been "when it's right, it's right" why wait until the middle of a cold, dark night? When everything's a little clearer in the light of day, and we know the night is always gonna be here anyway. Thinking of you's working up an appetite, looking forward to a little afternoon delight." Rory noted her mother's horrified expression.
"He was joking." Rory scoffed. "Mostly." She mumbled the last part.
"Whoa! Now who's getting a little too comfortable?" Lorelai asked with her hands raised before her in an attempt to stave off anymore unwanted images.
"Sorry." Rory blushed.
"Ok. Put your coat back on. We need to go back to the diner because we killed dinner here." Lorelai said as she walked out of the room.
"Ah, home." Rory sighed to herself before grabbing her jacket and following her mother out the door.
A few miles away, Tade was in a lovely traffic jam on the Triborough Bridge. He looked out the window to his right. There was a remarkably fat man sitting in a purple Ford Taurus. Wait, is he sleeping? Tade grabbed an empty soda can from the passengers seat, rolled down his window, and chucked the can at the fat man's window. The fat man awoke with a jolt and turned to glare at Tade.
"Asshole, did you just throw garbage at my car?" the fat man asked incredulously after rolling down his window.
"Yeah, here's a hint: don't fucking fall asleep at the wheel!" Tade yelled before putting his window back up and hitting the gas because his lane had just freed up. I love New York.
He turned the volume back up on his stereo and listened for the next song. "Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm. I don't know what you got, but it's getting to me. It makes my cold nights hot. Hot winds just blow right through me. Oh power! Baby, it's in your hands. You got me hummin' now. Ya! You got me hummin' now." He smiled into his jacket collar.
Rory got up to pour herself more coffee from behind the counter. As she watched the delicious, brown liquid spill into her mug, releasing a satisfying steam cloud, she began to hum ever so quietly.
"Are you humming?" Lorelai asked with a smirk and light-hearted mocking evident in her eyes.
"Maybe." Rory's eyes darted to her mug as she smiled into her shirt collar.
"Some asshole was asleep at the wheel on the Triborough!" Tade exclaimed after he had kicked open the door to his brother's place and dropped his stuff.
"Did you throw garbage at him until he woke up?" Essien asked from the living room.
"Of course." Tade replied as he joined his brother in the living room.
"Ah, Good Samaritan, New York style." Mark interjected as he walked out of the kitchen. "It's good to see you kid." He added pulling Tade into a hug.
"You too." Tade said, sitting back down. "Am I the first one here?" he asked, looking around.
"I sent Nyack and Fayez out to get beer because, you know." Essien jerked his head in the direction of Mark.
"Because if I am going to have to spend another moment listening to that twerp's jokes, I had better damn well be sloshed." Mark finished with a good-natured smile.
"Oh, Mark!" Essien reprimanded through a grin, with a light smack on his boyfriend's knee.
"What about the twins?" Tade asked after sharing a knowing smile with Mark.
"Those knuckleheads." Essien shook his head at the thought of them.
"Thembi's bike had some mechanical issues, or whatever, so they won't get here till Friday." Mark finished, looking as though he had tasted sour milk when he said the word "mechanical".
"Shit." Tade sighed.
"Why shit?" Mark asked.
"Because he had some crack-pot notion that he could possibly beg those two to be well behaved for his lady friend." Essien knew exactly what his brother was thinking.
"Is that such a crazy idea?" Tade asked, slightly offended.
At that moment the front door opened and the rustle of overcoats and plastic bags signaled that Nyack and Fayez had returned.
"Dude, shut up!" Fayez yelled at Nyack. His Arabian accent was thick with frustration.
"Get in here and welcome home the Ivy League boy!" Essien called.
"Tade!" Fayez greeted as he came into the living room and pulled his friend into a one-handed man-hug.
"Cam! How've you been?" Tade asked his friend.
"Not bad. Not bad." Fayez responded.
"Nyack." Tade greeted with a familiar nod.
"Hey T." Nyack greeted in return.
"So what were you folks talking about?" Fayez asked, taking off his jacket.
"Tade was disappointed that the twins aren't here yet, because, get this, he thought he could get them to behave for his girlfriend." Essien filled the two newcomers in.
"Ha! Fat chance." Fayez laughed.
"Yeah." Nyack unnecessarily added with an exaggerated guffaw.
"Hey, tone it down there, Champ." Mark teased as he raised his eyebrows in a "whoa" expression.
"Sorry. I just-" Nyack drifted off because he had nothing to say and no one really wanted to listen.
"Anyway," Fayez cut in. "Why don't we crack open some of these beers and Tade can tell us about this girl who's got his non-existent knickers in a twist." He suggested as he passed some cans around.
The sign on the diner door said "closed". Luke, Lorelai, and Rory were sitting at a table in the center of the diner that had an array of dishes spread across its surface.
"So how many of his brothers are going to be there?" Lorelai asked her daughter as she threw a French fry into her mouth.
"Four brothers, a brother-in-law-ish person, and a male friend." Rory clarified.
"Whoa. That's a lot of testosterone." Lorelai's eyebrows inched up her forehead.
"Yeah. I have no idea what to wear. Do I want to look hot or do I want to just be one of the guys?" she asked no one in particular.
"No matter what you wear, you'll look very pretty." Luke calmed.
"Thank you." Rory blushed slightly. "So, anyway, what's the game plan for tomorrow night?" she asked to take the spotlight off of her issues.
"What do you mean by "game plan"?" Luke asked.
"I already have it all figured out." Lorelai put a hand on his shoulder. "You and I are dating. There will be no mention of the fact that you practically live at our house. You live here, I live there, and we see each other for our dates. Ok?" she asked. She wasn't really lying. No. She smiled at the thoughtful look on Luke's face. His hands were in his pockets and he seemed to be playing with something with his right hand.
"There's just one problem with that plan." He began. This was as good a time as any. He took something out of his pocket. "You didn't anticipate that I was going to do this." He said with a small, smile as he opened his palm to reveal a ring. "Lorelai, will you marry me?" He asked with a slight blush creeping up his cheeks as he saw the look of amazement on Lorelai's and Rory's faces.
"Oh Luke." Lorelai hugged him with such force that his chair flipped backwards and brought the both of them tumbling to the ground. She couldn't remember ever being this happy. They hadn't talked about marriage before, but apparently they had both been thinking about it. "Yes." She giggled as she pulled him into a kiss.
"Rory? Is it ok if I marry your mother?" Luke asked with an uncharacteristic grin on his face.
"It's more than ok." Rory was on the verge of tears she was so happy. Finally.
"So where does that leave our game plan?" Luke asked as he attempted to suppress his grin.
"Screw the game plan." Lorelai laughed before kissing her fiancŽ.
That night Rory lay in bed with a huge grin on her face. Her mother deserved this. She took out her cell phone and pressed the two speed dial.
"I love you." She said into the phone.
"I love you too." Tade smiled. He was sitting in the bedroom he had shared with Fayez when they were in high school and that they were sharing now. Fayez let out a loud, girly ooh, but he didn't care.
"Who was that?" Rory asked with a little laugh as she heard Tade being made fun of.
"That was Fayez. He's just jealous that I got me a pretty gal and he is alone." Tade said in a singsong voice with a smirk for the benefit if his friend.
"I'm not alone." Rory could hear Fayez argue with a thick accent. "I've got your weird-ass brother." He added before he and Tade burst into hysterical laughter.
"Ok, I'll leave you boys alone." Rory said with a smile although she felt slightly dejected.
"Alright, I'll call you tomorrow." He assured.
"Ok. Bye." Rory's smile grew.
"Bye." Tade hung up and turned to Fayez with a grin on his face.
"You're so whipped." Fayez laughed.
"You bet your Arab ass I'm whipped, and I like it." Tade smirked before crawling into his bed and turning out the light.
The following evening, Luke, Lorelai, and Rory climbed into Rory's car after a hectic meal at Sookies.
"Whoa." Lorelai breathed from her place in the backseat after a few minutes of silent driving.
"Yeah." Rory shared her mother's amazed expression as she stared at the road ahead of them.
"Jackson's family is just so bizarre!" Lorelai exclaimed.
"That one cousin who was wearing two ties?" Rory's shoulder's lifted in bewilderment.
"Did he know?" Lorelai wondered aloud.
"He knew." Luke revealed from his seat next to Lorelai. "I asked him about it. He said that he'd read in some German fashion magazine that it was the new style." He explained.
"Do the German's have fashion?" Lorelai asked.
"I thought they were all about the lederhosen." Rory added.
"So did I, but apparently two ties is the next big thing. I told him he should jump the gun and start wearing two belts as well." Luke continued.
"Mom! You are starting to let your cruel humor rub off on Luke!" Rory reprimanded. Lorelai only let out a triumphant laugh before sharing a high five with Luke. "What am I going to do with you two?" Rory shook her head at the steering wheel.
"Hey, you never know, maybe double accessories will be the cool, new thing." Lorelai said with a shrug and a smirk.
"Hey are you wearing a tie?" Tade asked Essien as they passed in the kitchen while they were getting ready to go out to dinner.
"Nah. Ties are out." Essien answered before they parted ways again.
"What time is this reservation for?" Mark asked as he wandered through the living room looking for his cell phone.
"I heard 8:15." Fayez informed as he stepped out of the kitchen rubbing at a stain on his shirt. "Do you have a shout wipe?" he asked Nyack.
"Yeah, of course." Nyack pulled a small package out of his pocket and tossed it to Fayez. "I heard 7:45." He added before heading out of the room again.
"Who made the reservation?" Mark asked the occupants of he apartment.
"Babe, you made the reservation." Essien called from another room.
"Did I?" Mark ran a hand through his ruffled, red hair. "Oh that's right. Dinner's at 8." He called to everybody.
"Where are we going?" Tade asked.
"Oh crap." Mark moaned before going to find where he'd written down the name of the restaurant.
"Every damn year." Essien shook his head with a smile.
Lorelai, Luke, and Rory stood outside of the huge house in Hartford.
"Why are they doing this again?" Lorelai asked.
"Because they're still trying to pretend like they aren't separated in front of their society friends." Rory answered.
"This should be a hoot." Luke mumbled with a tug at his shirt collar before ringing the doorbell.
"Hello." A new maid greeted after swinging open the large door.
"Hi." Lorelai greeted in return as she took off her coat. She turned to see the amazed look on Luke's face. "Just pretend like this whole thing isn't weird and you'll be all set." She advised.
"Alright, let's get in there before Grandma comes and ridicules us for loitering in the foyer." Rory said as she shoed her mother and Luke into the living room.
"Look who's here." Emily hailed with a look of wavering composure. "Richard, the girls are here!" she called with hesitation.
"She does not look like she's holding up well." Lorelai whispered to Rory.
"I knew this fake meal would be a bad idea." Rory agreed in a hushed tone. "Hi Grandpa." She gave her grandfather a hug because she hadn't seen him in a while, but he merely stood there. He didn't seem to be doing too well either.
"Hello Rory." He said shortly. "How is Yale?" he asked.
"Good." Rory responded politely.
"Good." Richard nodded his distracted approval.
"Howard, Joan, you remember Lorelai?" Emily introduced and old, powerful-looking man and his petite, smiling wife.
"Oh yes. I haven't seen you in, what is it now? Twenty-five years?" Howard wondered in amazement.
"Wow. Time sure does fly." Lorelai replied with a polite smile.
"So Lorelai, what have you been up to since you were eleven?" Joan asked with a warm smile.
"Well, I ran an inn for a while and now I own my own place just outside of Stars Hollow." Lorelai explained before Rory caught her eye with a "what the hell" look. "Oh yeah, I had a kid a while back as well." She added with a laugh. "This is my daughter Rory." She introduced.
"Nice to meet you Rory." Joan greeted.
"Howard, Rory is in her second year at Yale." Richard informed the other man.
"And what are you majoring in?" Howard asked with a broad smile.
"I don't really know yet." Rory said with an exaggerated shrug and a smile before using her eyes to remind her mother about Luke.
"Oh, I completely forgot about you." Lorelai explained to Luke with a laugh. She was distracted watching the unhappy look on her mother's face.
"Thanks." Luke nodded.
"Don't worry, she forgot about me too." Rory smiled sympathetically.
"Sorry. Joan, Howard, this is my, uh, my," Luke sent her a shrug. "This is my fiancŽ, Luke Danes." She finally introduced. Emily choked on her drink.
"Well congratulation you two." Joan said with another warm smile.
"Your fiancŽ?!" Emily sputtered.
"Yeah, mom, dad, Luke and I are getting married." She announced as she held her hand up to show the ring. She and Luke waited hesitantly for a response.
"Let me get the champagne." Richard let a large smile spread across his face. He didn't really know Luke, but he was happy that Lorelai was happy.
"When did this happen?" Emily asked coldly. She was less happy.
"Just yesterday, Mrs. Gilmore." Luke informed.
"Well." Emily gazed into her glass with a far away look of sadness.
"So Rory, do you have a special someone?" Joan asked after the champagne had been served.
"Yeah." Rory replied quietly with a blush rising in her cheeks. A special smile appeared on her lips as she thought about Tade.
"Is it serious?" Joan's intentions were good, but she was starting to get on Rory's nerves.
"Oh, come now, they've only been seeing each other for a few months." Richard scoffed. Rory was a little hurt by the way that he just dismissed her and Tade's relationship, and Lorelai noticed.
"He's a good guy. She's meeting some of his family tomorrow." Lorelai gave her daughter an understanding smile.
"Really?" Emily was less than thrilled to hear this.
"I'm just going down to New York tomorrow to meet a few of his brothers." Rory couldn't understand why her grandmother seemed upset.
"Have you met this boy, Emily?" Joan asked.
"Yes. He was a very charming young man." She replied with a stony expression. "Dangerously charming, in fact." She added quietly.
"What does that mean?" Rory was beginning to get upset.
"I'm just saying." Emily began.
"Well don't. Ok? I know you want to protect me, but I don't need to be protected from Tade." Rory's hands were clenched as she tried to keep her volume in control.
"Well I should hope you're using protection." Emily nearly shouted much to Rory's horror.
"Mom! Rory! Could I speak with you two in private for a moment." Lorelai requested as she led them out of the room by the wrists. She looked at Rory and found that her mouth was still opened in shock. Emily just looked wild. "Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Lorelai demanded.
"I know she's sleeping with that boy." Emily nearly growled.
"I don't really think that's any of your-" Lorelai didn't get a chance to finish.
"So?!" Rory was angrier than she had ever been. There was no time for embarrassment anymore. "I'm twenty years old! I can fuck anyone I want! And I'm sorry you and Grandpa aren't happy, but don't take it out on me and don't take it out on mom!" Rory was screaming and crying by this point. She had never gotten this angry at anyone in her entire life. She ran out of the door and left a flabbergasted Lorelai and a crying Emily in her wake.
"Mom, I-"Lorelai had nothing to say. She had never seen Rory like that. She was a little scary, in fact. Emily rushed from the room and Lorelai went to get Luke from where he had been stranded in the living room so they could leave.
"What happened in there?" Luke ask once they were outside.
"Rory just blew up. She actually made my mother cry. She made Emily Gilmore cry." Lorelai was in shock. As they neared the car they found Rory huddled in the back seat with tears streaming down her face. "Can you give us a moment?" she asked Luke quietly before getting into the car to comfort her daughter.
"I can't believe I did that." Rory groaned through her tears.
"That was pretty scary. What happened back there?" Lorelai asked tenderly.
"She just made me so angry. First she showed no sign of happiness when you told her about you and Luke and then she turned on Tade. I know she and Grandpa are having problems, but can't she control herself for one evening and not rips everyone's lives apart as well?" Rory was still angry.
"I know honey. She means well. You just have to keep it from getting to you. She doesn't know how deal with her emotions sometimes so she takes it out on those she loves. I'm just sorry she got you so upset." Lorelai put her arm around her daughter's shoulders.
"I guess I didn't really keep it together too well either. I can't believe I made her cry." Rory wiped some tears from her face.
"That was rather impressive." Lorelai gave a sympathetic smile and motioned for Luke to get in the driver's seat. She stayed in the back with Rory as they drove down the dark streets.
"I'll make us some dinner when we get back." Luke promised. He didn't really know what had transpired while they were in the other room, but he knew it was bad.
"Happy Thanksgiving." Lorelai said with a light chuckle. They drove in silence for a little longer, everyone reflecting on the night's events.
"I can't believe I said fuck in front of Grandma." Rory whimpered before the whole car erupted in dark laughter.
"Fuck." Fayez sighed as he collapsed onto the couch. "I ate too much." He moaned.
"Ditto." Tade agreed as he took a seat in the leather armchair.
"It was the shrimp balls that really did it for me." Nyack informed the group.
"Shut up!" Mark groaned. "Don't mention food anymore." He ordered.
"Alright everybody. Let's get to bed and pray that our meal doesn't go to our thighs." Essien said before going into his bedroom.
"Yeah. Sleep sounds good. You guys better be well behaved when Rory comes tomorrow." Tade warned.
"I was thinking I might go pants-less tomorrow." Fayez joked before receiving a smack in the head from Tade.
The next morning Tade rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen for a soda.
"Would you rather always be covered in bugs or wake up alone in the desert without any way to get home?" Nyack was pestering Fayez.
"I'm from Saudi Arabia." Fayez replied with a groggy voice. "My home is the fucking desert." He picked up his mug of coffee and left the room.
"So when's your girl getting here?" Nyack moved on to Tade.
"Two." Tade answered shortly before leaving the kitchen as well.
"So when is Rory getting here?" Mark asked as he wandered into the living room.
"Two." Tade said again before heading down the hallway to the bathroom.
"So when is-" Essien began as he stepped out of his bedroom.
"Two!" Tade went into the bathroom and shut the door. Home. He couldn't wait for Rory to get there. He'd met her mother so he wasn't too afraid about her seeing his weird family. He just hoped the twins wouldn't scare her too much. They were his main worry. Essien was cool. Mark was nice. Fayez was crude. And Nyack, oh Nyack, well, he was just something else. Everything would be ok though. Hopefully.
Continued in next chapter. Duh. That is the nature of a chapter. Ok, just click the button to get on with the story. You know how it works. You could even go make a sandwich or something before the next chapter. It's really up to you. I could really go for a sandwich right about now. I hope I have cheese.