Chapter 5- Dispute and surprise in Hampshire

The next day Judy, Fran and Gracie went with Jean and Lionel to Lionel's father's house, which was now his house in Hampshire. Not knowing that Judy and Fran would be there, Alistair brought Max, Brighton and Yetta with him to the same house! Knowing that no matter what state his relationship with Judy was in he would always be welcome with Jean and Lionel.

Just as Judy had gone back to the car to get her bag she spotted Alistair's green Land Rover coming up the drive way. She thought for a moment, and then she realized that she was staring. She quickly took her bag out of the car and walked back into the house at a normal rate, shutting the door behind her, leaving Mrs. Bale to greet Alistair and everyone else.

"Oh, Fran you're never going to believe this!" She sighed as she came into the room Fran and Gracie were sharing.

"What?" Fran asked.

"They're here."

"Who?"

"Who? Alistair and Max, that's who, I just saw them drive up."

"Ah, I gotta do my hair!" Fran screamed as she dashed to get her plethora of hair products out of her suitcase. Judy was just about to tell her that she did not need to and not to wreck the plan when Gracie spoke.

"Fran, Fran your hair's big enough, I promise you."

"Oh alright already, Oy I get your point. I don't have to fix my hair for Maxwell Sheffield!"

"That's right, just like I don't have to make myself out for Alistair Deacon!"

"Ladies, your on the right track, but partly on the wrong one too."

"What do you mean?" They asked.

"Well, you are right. Don't get dressed up just for him. But do it for you, respect yourself a little more."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Judy asked. "In that case, I'm going to be knock out gorgeous tonight."

"Me to, now come on Gracie, I'll show you how to make your hair extra big!" Gracie sighed and rolled her eyes.

Alistair was shocked. It wasn't often that Judy came up to Hampshire. He went more often than she did. Nonetheless he and Maxwell decided to stay, of course at Jean and Lionel's invitation. Maybe, that way they could all work out their differences. And may be, if they did, he would finally be able to ask her what he'd finally worked up the courage to ask her. Niles and C.C. would be there later that night. Meanwhile, where were Niles and C.C. anyway? As of now they had just left London and were on their way to his parent's house, which was located just outside of London.

When they got there what C.C. saw really shocked her. She wasn't expecting anything like this. Upon learning that the house was in the country she assumed that it was a small cottage, but it was quite the contrary. It was large, stately, brick and very beautiful. It was surrounded by a rather large garden, and the overcast sky gave it the traditional English look. All in all, it was fabulous for the home of a butler. In fact, how did a butler get a house like this anyway?

Two hours later Judy was ready for that night. And as she had vowed, she was knock out gorgeous. She thought that, perhaps she was too gorgeous for a simple night at her parent's country house in Hampshire. She glanced at herself briefly in the mirror before heading downstairs she thought that maybe she should make her hair a little messier or change her dress to something plainer. But then the voice of the ingenious eleven-year old Gracie ran through her head once more and she decided the listen to the words of the wise little girl. She turned a way from the mirror and headed downstairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she was not at all surprised to see Alistair waiting for her. He offered her his arm. She smiled, clearly somewhat glad to see him, but would not take his arm.

They ate dinner in science, well not in science, the rest of the room as loud as it could get, the voice of the very nasal Fran echoed through out the room. They glanced at each other every once in a while when they thought that each other weren't looking, but as it turned out they were always looking at the same time. When dinner was over, Jean, Lionel, Brighton, Gracie, Yetta and by this point, Maggie, (who Niles and C.C. had brought with them), were in the living room playing Monopoly. Fran and Max decided to drive into town, and Judy and Alistair went for a stroll in the moonlit garden.

"Mr. Sheffield, are we going to spend any time together?"

"Miss Fine, isn't that what we're doing right now?"

"Well sure, but I mean in London. And I don't mean just me either, I mean the kids too. Aren't you gonna show us where you're from, where you grew up, where you went to school?"

"Of course I am Miss Fine, I was planning to do that tomorrow."

"Oh, well them, back to us."

"Speaking of us, I think that maybe we should take our relationship up a notch."

"Really?"

"Yes, Miss... Fran." Fran smiled. "Call me Max from now on."

"No problem Max." She laughed. She said as she grabbed both of his cheeks and placed a hard kiss on his lips; causing the car to swerve.

"Stop it Miss Fine! You'll get us killed for heaven's sake."

"Oy, ya say we take our relationship up an notch, I kiss you, and all of a sudden were back to Miss Fine again!"

"Fran, calm down. It just wasn't really an appropriate time to kiss someone." He said, parking the car in the parking lot of a small quiet restaurant they had found. "But now sure is." He said.

"Okay." She replied as she placed a small kiss on his cheek. Although it wasn't quite what he was expecting, he accepted the kiss with gratitude, because he truly did love Miss... Fran, so very much.

Although it was dark out, Judy and Alistair made their way to the moonlit garden. For some reason unknown to her, Judy was nervous. Alistair felt not only guilt, but extreme anxiety. They sat together on a stone bench, which overlooked the entire garden. Alistair decided that it was best if he just began to talk in order to avoid an awkward silence. He hated awkward silences; thankfully they weren't prevalent in his life.

"How have you been?" He asked.

"Quite alright, and your self?"

"Well not so terribly well to tell you the truth"

"Really, why?" She asked, although she already knew what his answer was going to be.

"Because I haven't seen you much, I miss you."

"I know you do. But you must learn to respect me."

"I know. Do you hate me?"

"No, no Alistair, I..."

"You what?"

"Well, I..."

"Well I know that I love you." He said cupping her chin in his hand and placing a soft kiss on her mouth. She softly kissed him back.

"You do Alistair, really?"

"Yes, I love you."

"I think I do too."

He smiled and kissed her again, not so softly this time. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Why have you and Fran been ignoring us?"

"Think for a while, you'll figure it out."

"I suppose that it will. I've been a huge jerk, haven't I?"

"Very much so, yes."

"I shall strive to be better. I'm not deserving of you."

"I know you're not." She smiled and they laughed. "Would you like to go into town?"

"I'd love to, but I gave my car to Fran and Max, sorry."

"That's okay, let's go inside and tell everyone that we've made up."

When they reached the living room Max and Fran were still gone. Lionel had fallen asleep and Jean was playing Monopoly with the children. Niles and C.C. were hurling insults at each other as they always did and Yetta was reading a magazine of Fran's called, Yenta's bi-monthly. Everyone, except for Lionel looked up at them when they saw them enter, hand in hand. Gracie looked shocked and somewhat annoyed that neither Judy nor Fran had taken her advice very seriously. She was beginning to doubt her professional abilities as a therapist.

"I see things are better between the two of you now." Jean said.

"Yes, Mum they are."

"Well I'm glad. Lionel? Lionel? Lionel!" Suddenly Lionel awoke. He was slightly shaken, and then he just agreed with what she was saying despite the fact that he hadn't heard what she'd said because he'd been asleep. But he hoped that he had not signed on to write another book or mini-series or worse, spend another weekend at Penny and Steven's house! But then he suddenly caught on to the fact that Alistair and Judy were back together.

"Oh, congratulations." He said as he went back to reading the book that had put him to sleep in the first place.

Since they had nothing more to tell the rest of them and they all seemed to be to preoccupied anyway Judy and Alistair went to the kitchen to have some ice cream. A fight broke out. The fight finally ended up in the hallway.

"Ha!" They heard Judy say. "A very nice thing to say to the mother of your child!" The whole room grew quiet as they heard her run up the stairs. Just then, Fran and Max walked in the door, Mrs. Bale came in from the library and everyone who had been in the living room came into the foyer. Their eyes were fixed on Alistair who just stood there, but only seconds later, he collapsed onto the floor.