Ok, here's chapter 6, maybe I'll get 7 done by the time my service is back up,

Latisha C: thanks, and sorry I didn't reply to your other reviews, I just got them all today

lilmonkeygirl31: lol, thanks a lot.

Family Ties

By Norwegianchick101

Chapter Six: Reunions

"Truth." Melissa said.

Melissa, Ariel and Andrea were playing a game of truth or dare in Ariel's room.

"Okay, Do you, or do you not like Ben Richards?" Andrea giggled.

Melissa looked at her with a bemused expression. "Who's Ben Richards?" she asked the two girls.

Ariel and Andrea doubled over laughing.

"Ben Richards is that blonde hottie you were checking out earlier during second period!" Ariel replied.

"Oh, um…" Melissa blushed. "I guess so." she stuttered.

"Oooooooooooooooooooohhhhh…" chorused the girls.

"But I should warn you," Andrea added. "Kelsea Williams and he are pretty close."

"Oh, puh-leaze! Everyone knows that they're best friends!" Ariel added. "Don't worry babe. You got nothing to worry about."

"Girls!" Mary called, poking her head in the door. "Andrea, your dad should be home soon; we should get going. We can give you a ride home if you'd like, Melissa." she added, in hopes of meeting up with Kevin.

"Sure, just let me get my things."

With that Andrea and Melissa left the room.


Karrie sat outside her father's room. "Okay, I can do this." she told herself.

"Dad?" Karrie asked, walking into the room.

Matt jumped in shock. "Oh, Karrie. Look, whatever you want, now's not a good time."

"Dad, I know." Karrie told her father. "You have to follow Aunt Mary and Andrea. You know you have to."

Matt took a deep breath. "Look, Karrie; I don't know how you know what's going on; but you are not going to get involved! Your Aunt Lucy left us, we didn't leave her."

"Dad, look, I'm really sorry, but I heard you and Aunt Mary talking and I couldn't help myself." Karrie said.

"No, I'm the one who needs to apologize. You're right Karrie. I'll go, just don't tell your sister where I'm going. Please. Whatever she does; keep your mouth shut."

"Does that mean I can tell Matt?" Karrie asked excitedly.

"NO! Only your mother, or your aunts and uncles. Don't tell your grandparents though; we don't want to get anyone's hopes up." Matt looked at his daughter, a somber look on his face. Then he left.

Matt stood in the garage waiting for his sister's car to pull out of the driveway. After Mary, Andrea and Melissa pulled around the corner, Matt took of after them.


"Okay sweets, I'll walk up with ya if you want?" Mary asked, hoping to get an invitation inside.

"No, that's okay. See ya later Andrea; thanks Mrs. Palmer." Melissa said, getting out of the car.

"It's no problem dear; and please, call me Mary."

Melissa laughed as she ran up to the door, waving back at Andrea and her mother.


Alright, this is my chance! Matt thought, as his sister and niece pulled out of the driveway.

Matt inhaled a deep breath, and walked up to the door.

"Hello?" came a voice. "Can I help you?" It was Melissa.

"Oh, um, yeah. Is your father home by any chance?" Matt asked the girl.

"No, not right now, would you like to speak with my mother instead?" Melissa asked him, trying to be polite.

"Oh, no." Matt said, trying to get out of this now that he was aware of Lucy being the only one home. "I'll just-"

"Matt?" A woman appeared behind Melissa.

"Oh, Lucy, hi." Matt greeted his sister bleakly.

"Um, Melissa sweetie, could you go to your room for a while. I would really appreciate it." Lucy asked her daughter, a hint of fear in her voice.

She left without a word, Melissa could sense the tension. She was a smart girl and could tell where she wasn't wanted.

"How did you find me here?" Lucy sobbed into her brother's shoulder.

"I followed my niece and sister when they came to drop off your daughter." Matt told her, tilting her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes. "Luce, Melissa seems to have befriended my daughter as well as Mary's. It'll be all right Luce. Please, come back to us. We all love you. So you made a mistake, we all forgave you ages ago. Please Luce, do it for me, for Mom, for Dad. For Karrie Luce, do it for Karrie."

Matt's attempt at a guilt trip seemed to be working. Lucy and Karrie had always been close. Ruthie had told Kevin that Karrie was devastated after she walked out on the family eleven years ago.

"Matt, I can't. I just can't!" Lucy wailed. "What will they all say? I can't just walk in on the lives of my nieces and nephews! It could change their whole lives!"

"Hey Luce, what's going-Matt?"

It was Kevin.

"Kevin? Oh my gosh! It's so great to see you." Matt told Kevin, steering him away from Lucy. "Look, could you talk to Lucy. It seems that she's not so mad anymore, just scared. Please, I promised Mary I'd give this a try. Please Kevin." Matt pleaded with his brother-in-law.

"Mary? Lucy? What? Why are you here? Is something wrong?" Kevin asked, bewildered.

"No, no, everything's great. You see, the problem is, Melissa seems to have befriended my daughter, Ariel, and Mary's daughter, Andrea. Now, normally, that would make everything just perfect. But now we all have Lucy to deal with."

"Trust me Matt; I can take care of this. I know I can. It's no problem." Kevin told him.

Matt laughed. "That's just what I told Karrie."

"Karrie?" Kevin asked. Confused as to what his niece had to do with this.

"Yes, Karrie. She made me follow Mary, Andrea and Melissa. In fact, I better get back before she lets something slip to her sister. But please Kevin, we're counting on you. Here's our number; and here's Mary's. Call either one of us if you find out anything." Matt told him, writing the numbers down on a slip of paper.

"I'll try my best." Kevin said to Matt, tears escaping his eyes.

Without another word, Matt left home and Kevin returned to Lucy.

"C'mere Luce. Everything's gonna be okay." He told his wife, walking her back to their room.


"Okay, so tell me again how-" Sarah started to ask her daughter when the door opened.

"Karrie?" Matt asked.

Karrie looked up at her father to see him with teary eyes; something she had never seen other than the days after Lucy had left.

She ran up to hug him.

"Relax sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. I talked to your Aunt Lucy, she's doing fine. She's just scared to come back. And I gave Uncle Kevin our number and Aunt Mary's number, and he said he would talk to Aunt Lucy." Matt returned his daughter's hug and smiled back at his wife. He knew that everything would be okay. Life was going to start all over for the Kinkirks, and he had his wonderful daughter to thank for it.

"Thank you Daddy!" Karrie cried into her father's shoulder.

Daddy. Matt thought. She hasn't called me daddy for eleven years. Not since Lucy left.


well, here's chapter six, keep the reviews coming, next chapter will be more Lucy/Kevin based.