A/N: I don't own 7th heaven but I do own George Stults World and the entire Spencer/ Hepler /Tharp family though, so don't sue me if you want money because that's something I don't have!
A/N: I love reviews…heck I love reviews more than I love George Stults (well ok that's a lie right there)
A/N: I'll be gone from 07/22-07/26 so I won't have anything else posted but this chapter …so if you guys want to know what happens next don't forget to leave reviews!!!
A/N: Thanks to my betas Betsy (a.k.a Star2717) and Sara (a.k.a Shouhei) for helping me out!
Katelyn couldn't figure out how she managed to make it through the week without Mitch at her side.
She barely remembered Brenda driving her halfway somewhere to meet Mitch…all she could remember was the conversation that she had with both of her parents…minutes after her sister called to tell her that her mom died.
The only thing she could remember from that day was Mitch's arms around her telling her that everything would be ok.
It took her a while to believe that her mom had died without her being there…for the first day or so Katelyn was in a complete daze…she would walk around her parent's house, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mom making cookies for Allyson or baking her famous chocolate cake.
But she never saw anything…just a plain room with nothing but reminders of her mom.
She didn't cry while she was at her parent's house…no she couldn't she had to be strong for her brothers and sisters especially Allyson because with her being the youngest she didn't exactly know what was going on…she was only 5 years old and thought that momma had taken a vacation but would be back soon.
It took both Stephen and her to plan the funeral in less than three days and luckily those three days went by fast and they didn't have to worry about her brothers or sisters and even her own daughter.
Mitch and her brothers Michael and James basically took over and cared for the younger ones while still adding their opinions about the funeral and the viewing. They made sure that her three sisters, younger brother and her own daughter were always busy and that they didn't have time to ask questions…especially Allyson who still couldn't figure out that momma wasn't coming home and that she was in Heaven with Jesus.
Sinking down into one of the overstuff chairs like she had done so long ago in her father's officer she let the sobs over take her body.
She cried for the grandchildren her mom would never see, the parties, the get togethers and the marriages of her brothers and sisters.
She cried for the times that she and her mom wouldn't share, the memories that Elizabeth would never have and the love that would never be there.
Wrapping her arms around her knees she pulled her body closer, closing her eyes so she could feel what warmth she had left in her.
"Don't worry my daughter I told you I'll never be gone and that I'll always be watching"
Katelyn jerked her head up and looked around the room. "Who said that?"
When no one answered her back she stretched the kinks out of her back and gasped when she saw what time it was.
It was almost 9 o'clock! She had slept for almost 4 hours which was probably the most sleep she had gotten all day.
Crawling out the chair she headed towards the kitchen to see if her husband and daughter were still there. She had a feeling that the small bundle that her husband was holding would bring her more comfort than any food or drink ever could.
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Brenda was pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen.
All thoughts were focused on one thing and one thing only…Katelyn.
Ever since that meeting at Paul's grave made her start to re-think her choice about not telling Kevin, Ben and Patty-Mary that they had another sister…well at least they had a half sister they didn't know about.
"Hey you" she heard her husband George say from the top of the stairs. He was already in his bathrobe waiting for her to come up so they could read a section of the couple's bible that they had recently purchased at the local Family Christian Bookstore.
"What?"
"You planning on sleeping sometime soon?" he asked walking down the stairs to the landing.
"Yeah, in a little bit" she sighed as she stopped to look at her husband.
"Something bothering you?"
"No" she lied not looking up but staring at the floor instead.
"Bre" George said sternly "I know that look. You get it every time something happens and you never want to talk about it"
"I said I don't want to talk about it" she replied raising her voice a littler louder this time.
"Fine but you know where I'll be if you do" he replied stiffly before turning around and walking back up the stairs towards the master bedroom.
Sighing as hard as she could she swallowed a deep breath of air before disappearing into her office and closing the door behind her.
She walked over to her desk and pulled out a small photo album that she usually kept hidden, even her own husband and children didn't know it existed.
It held the contents of her life with Paul, her children and her current life.
It held her kids birth announcements, their grade school pictures, their graduation pictures, and Kevin's wedding picture to Lucy and her first granddaughter Leah Renee.
For herself she had her wedding day picture with Paul, the pictures of her and Paul holding each of their kids the day they were born, Paul's death announcement and her wedding picture to George.
In every picture she knew that there was something missing but she couldn't place her finger on it until it hit her full force like a brick.
How was she ever going to tell her kids that they had another sister?
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Lucy was glancing at her stomach in the full length mirror that was in the guest bedroom or soon to be nursery when Kevin rounded the corner and started to laugh.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking at my stomach"
"What for?" he asked kissing her lightly on the top of her head.
"To see what it looked like now"
"Haven't you seen your stomach like that before?"
"Yeah but this time it's different, there are two babies in there not one" she told him pulling her shirt back down.
"Have you decided on what color you want this room to be?" he asked her glazing around the room.
"No, not yet but I was thinking yellow or just white for now"
"Luce" he said suddenly.
"What?"
"I want to know what we are having"
She frowned and wrinkled her nose before speaking "What for?"
"I want to have fun decorating the nursery if we have two boys or two girls or one of each"
"But I thought ---"
"I know what you thought…that I didn't want to know but I changed my mind" he told her leaning up against the spare dresser.
She sighed as she walked over towards the big bay window that faced their backyard "If that's what you what"
"Is that what you want?" he asked.
"I want whatever you want Kevin Kinkirk" she responded back walking over and putting her arm around his waist as they quietly watched the sun start to set.
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Katelyn stifled a sob as she looked through a photo album of her and her mother. Mitch entered the room and sat down next to her and looked over her shoulder.
"So, what's going on in this picture?" he asked her.
"Oh, well my mom and I were baking Christmas cookies and my dad turned on the radio," Katelyn laughed. "We started singing along to the radio using the wooden spoons as microphones."
Her laugh soon turned to tears and she looked at Mitch.
"I miss her so much. I just wish I could have been there to say goodbye."
Mitch wrapped his arms around his wife to comfort her when the doorbell rang. He motioned for James to get it and just held Katelyn.
James opened the door and their Aunt Jackie and Uncle Rob with her two cousins Maggie and Lauren without their husbands and children.
"Hi James" Jackie said to him giving him a swift hug before entering the house.
"Hi Aunt Jackie" he replied hugging her back, letting her go as she stepped into the house.
The same scene was repeated with Maggie, Lauren and then a handshake between him and Rob.
"Where's your dad?" Rob asked.
"I think he's upstairs trying to get Allyson to sleep"
"Why isn't Katelyn doing that?" Jackie snapped at him angrily.
"I don't know why don't you go and ask her?" James replied nastily back.
Everyone in the Hepler family knew that Jackie St. Paul did not like Katelyn but no one knew exactly why. The real reason was because Jackie knew Katelyn wasn't her brother's child.
Entering the living room they saw Mitch comforting Katelyn who still had tears coming down her cheeks.
"I think Stephen would appreciate it if you two wouldn't make out in public on his couch" Jackie snapped at them.
"Aunt Jackie" Katelyn said suddenly jumping up form the couch.
"Wha—what are you doing here?" she asked nervously looking back and forth between Mitch and James.
"I came here to help my baby brother out of course since you obviously can't do the job" the older women responded.
"She's doing a fine job right now" a male voice cut in walking into the living room towards his sister.
"Oh Stevie…I'm so sorry about Monica I knew how much you loved her" she told him getting tears in her eyes and she gave her brother a hug.
Katelyn just glared at the older women whom she had been forced to call "aunt" all her life.
"This is bullshit" she mouthed to her husband who could only shrug his shoulders.
It was then only Katelyn noticed that Maggie and Lauren were standing behind their dad and walked towards them.
"Maggie! Lauren! I haven't seen you guys in while" she exclaimed hugging her cousins.
"Hi Katelyn. I'm so sorry about your mom," Lauren said.
"Yeah, me too," Katelyn replied softly.
"Well, can we see your daughter?" Maggie asked.
"Oh yeah."
She led them up the stairs to where the baby was sleeping and Katelyn was glad to be away from Jackie. That woman was so mean to her, and she needed to be away from her. Katelyn didn't know if she'd be able to control her actions around her, otherwise.
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Downstairs another conversation was going on between Jackie and Stephen who were in the kitchen.
"Why the hell are you letting that girl come into your home?" she demanded.
"She's my daughter Jackie I'm not going to turn her away when she needs me the most right now" he replied.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD? THAT GIRL IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" she practically yelled at him.
"Would you keep your voice down? I have three other children who are in bed sleeping"
"You didn't answer my question Stephen"
"I don't have to Jackie. For the last 27 years of my life and hers she has been my daughter and always will until the day I die" he told her simply rolling up the cuffs of his dress shirt.
"Doesn't it bother you that your wife practically cheated on you and then turned around and lied to you about her daughter?" she hissed at him.
"My wife didn't cheat on me Jackie and you know it" he told her angrily.
"The hell she didn't"
"Damn it Jackie that's enough! Either you accept Katelyn as my daughter or you leave my house and never come back it's your choice" he told her walking out of the kitchen leaving his sister dumbfounded.
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Three days later
Katelyn clasped Mitch's hand tightly as the minister spoke about what a wonderful woman Monica was. She was in shock almost, and the tears wouldn't come. Inside, she was sobbing her poor heart out, but on the outside her face was like stone. She just stared straight ahead, but not really looking at anything.
Finally, the whole funeral was over and the family went up to view the body one last time. When it was Katelyn's turn, she looked into the casket and saw her mother. Her eyes were closed and she looked pale. Water fell on her porcelain complexion. She didn't know where the water came from until she felt a tear dripping off her chin. That's when she broke down.
"Mommy," she sobbed as she grabbed her cold lifeless hand.
"Mommy, please don't leave me."
"Katie, sweetie come on" she heard the voice of Stephen as he gingerly removed his dead wife's hand from his daughters grip and lead her towards the rest of her family.
With Stephen practically guiding her towards her family Allyson jumped up from Mitch's lap and ran right up to Katelyn with tears streaming out of her big blue eyes.
"Katie" she sobbed a Katelyn bent down and stroked her long blonde curly hair.
"Yeah Allie?"
"Mommy's gone isn't she?" the little girl asked burying her head into Katelyn's shoulder.
"She's gone sweetie but she'll always be here" she told her pointing to her where her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute.
"I want her to come back"
"I know you do sweetie so do I" she told her fighting hard to keep her own tears from spilling.
'Who's going to be my new mommy?" Allyson cried.
"I'm not sure sweetie"
"Will you be my mommy?" the little girl asked innocently looking up.
Katelyn choked back tears when she shook her head. "I can't Allie I'm already someone else's mommy but I'm your sister and nothing will ever change that"
Looking up she saw her dad close his eyes and grab onto the chair that Mitch was sitting at. She knew he couldn't take much more of this when Jackie came waltzing into the room.
"Oh good I was hoping all of you would be in here" she told them.
"What do you want Aunt Jackie?" James spoke up.
"I came to tell you guys that Rob and I are treating you guys to Lunch" she told them softly "so if you want to follow us in your cars we will be outside waiting for you" and what that she bounded back out of the room leaving the family alone once again.
"I can't eat dad" Katelyn told her father point blank.
"Katie—"he started to say.
"I can't dad I already feel sick to my stomach as is and eating lunch with her would make it worse"
"What are you going to do then?"
"I think I'll go back to the house and lie down until you guys come back"
"Are you sure Katie?" Mitch asked her this time
"I'm sure" she replied.
"Well if you change your mind sweetie give me a call" her dad said giving her a kiss on the cheek before taking Allyson's hand and Kyle's hand and walked out the door.
The rest of her brothers and sisters followed until it was just Mitch, a sleeping Elizabeth and herself.
"Are you sure you don't want to eat with us KT?" Mitch asked again.
"I'm sure" she stated simply.
"I'm worried about you"
"I know"
"Do you want me to take Elizabeth or do you want to take her back with you?" he asked with uncertainty.
"I'll take her back" she replied taking Elizabeth out of his arms and cradling her.
"All right I'll bring you something back babe"
With a quick kiss to her cheek Mitch walked out the door leaving Katelyn and Elizabeth to themselves.
"Hi Lizzie," Katelyn said to her.
"I'm really sorry you won't remember your grandma. She was wonderful." She told her daughter as she walked out of the room turning the light off as left.
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One month later
Brenda stood outside the door and nervously awaited this confrontation between Katelyn. The last time she saw her was when she was bawling into her husband's arms. Now, she had to admit to this woman that she was wrong. Brenda hated being wrong. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door.
Katelyn was changing Elizabeth when she heard someone at the door. Quickly, she put a new diaper on her and then carried her to see who was there.
"Just a minute," she called.
Finally, she opened it and her mouth fell open. Her biological father's wife was standing on her doorstep. Katelyn had no idea what was going on, but she was interested in what this woman had to say to her. With her free hand, she ushered the woman into her home and told her to have a seat on her couch.
"Would you like something to drink?"
Brenda shook her head no.
"Anything to eat?"
Again Brenda shook her head no.
"Do you mind if I bring Elizabeth in here while we talk?"
Brenda cleared her throat "no, go ahead it's your house dear"
Katelyn gave her a quick smile and picked up Elizabeth out of her pack and play setting her on the carpet with a few toys at her feet.
"Can I ask what you are doing here?" she asked without looking up.
"I wanted to talk to you…before I talked to Kevin" Brenda replied.
"What about this time? That if he sees me for him to shoot?" she asked sarcastically.
"No" this time the women was quiet.
"Then what?"
"I want to tell him the truth" she stuttered leaving Katelyn looking shocked.
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Lucy had just gotten home lugging three cans of paint into the house when she heard the phone ring.
Setting them on the counter she rushed to reach the phone but was to late. The answering machine had already picked up.
Smiling she leaned against the counter listening to the corny message Kevin had recorded last night while she was away at her parent's house.
You have reached Kevin, Lucy and babies one and two Kinkirk. We are either decorating the nursery, at Lamaze class or even in Labor! So please leave a message after the beep and we'll try to get back.
Shaking her head she made a mental note to beat him up when he got home later that night and would force him to change it back.
"Hi Mrs. Kinkirk this is Jessica at Dr. Jacob's office we are just confirming your appointment for tomorrow at 3pm. We will see you there otherwise"
Smiling she grabbed two of the paint cans and started up the back stairs this time with a happier more up beat to her step.
Tomorrow she and Kevin were going to find out if they were having little boys, little girls or maybe once of each!
