A/N:Hey folkies,sry it's been a while since my last offical update.I've been busy with blah,blah this and yadda,yadda that basically.Nothing real speical or anything,just things that absorb a lot of my free time up like...dare I say it...a SPONGE! -gets an evil glare from SpongeBob- This is the final stage of Laurice's childhood,the next ch. involving Michael and maybe not quite so emotional.Nothing bad happens in this ch. though.And yes,I was inspired by Kelley Clarkson's new song "Because Of You" and some of my familiar experiences to write this ch. before going on to the next.So...here we go with this one then!

Repiles:

Kelt:Glad you've enjoyed it so far and thanx for the add!lolz.

StarWarsFrakes:Yeah,not all of it will be sad though.Sometimes I have a'huge' habiet of adding too much drama,sorrow,tradgey in my stories...lol,not all the time.But I'm glad you've liked it so far.Anywho,ever1 will find out what happens to her Father later on in the story or possibley...even maybe in this cha-uh,you have heard nothing.lol.

Garth Paul Barsby:Naturally a tearjerker,but this will offically be the last ch. I feature it in and I may have to bump up my rating a little also.

Barry I. Grauman:As always,you're prompt to correct me.DARN YOU!lolz,just kidding.Some good pointers at where the time period lay...Of course this ch. will take place only after a year of living there,which I'm changing the time period to percisely...1950!Well,c ya.

New Years Day 1949 In Seattle Washington...

A miscellaneous mass of thoughts were rushing through Laurice's mind,as she hurried pass the ever bustling crowds of random people going in and out of the local super market for whatever thing they needed to purchase.Which in the constantly busy Eighteen-and-a-half-year-old's mind was getting the last few things that her and the rest of Foster's (the shortened version she had begun to give Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends),would need to began the countdown to the New Year that night,

I swear I love him to stitches,she thought to herself slightly peeved,as she burst out of the people rushing by at the front of the store and luckily skidded to a stop almost directly in front of the packages of streamers and noise-makers,But his up-tight way of planning for things sometimes makes me more on edge then I'd ever like to find myself.

With a quick sigh,she reached out to take one of the last clear plastic packages off the wall and eyed the price marked on it,$3.99.Wrinkling her nose at the outrageously high-priced toy,Laurice let her bright verdant eyes travel down to the new watch she had gotten for Christmas and realized with fustration,that she needed to hurry to make it back in time.

"Oh well,"she breathed tiredly,too worn out from the last week or so to give anymore thought to prices of New Year supplies or even to her Imaginary Friend's platitudinous pestering over such things,"I'll take it."

So rummaging through the confines of her already over-stuffed fake black leather purse,she located her dark brown billfold and started back into the the crowds that could have easily been mistakened for a sea of hastened and even confused blurs of people's face going up and down the front of the store in a mad rush to get things and exit as quickly as possible.Blowing up at a long,loose strand of somewhat straggly brunette bang,Laurice gradually made her way through the never-ending waves of people and finally came up to an empty aisle with a young man who looked to be about three possibley four years older then her,

"Hi,"He told her in a half-whisper insouciantly,his misty hazel eyes however seemed to show he was thinking more then he was saying,"I acutally thought I might get to go home when no one showed up for nearly seven seconds,"he let his face split into a cool grin,"But I guess I've miscalculated on last minute shopping for New Year's decorations."

"Hi yourself and yes,you must have miscalculated terribley."Laurice repiled back teasingly,her spirits suddenly lifting at the quiet but thoughtful humor of the employee,as she took out some slightly crinkled ones and handed them over to him,"Thanks for the mood lightener..."she thanked him more politely,trailing off momentarily as she eyed a small brass badge and smiled tripuhantly as she finished,"...Riordan...for making my day."

"Rio's more or less what everyone calls me,"The sagacious,curly black-haired man added as he handed her the small paper bag he placed her purchase in but kept a note that their were other people starting to line up,"Well,mysterious girl who's made my day so far,"he remarked coyly,instantly taking out a pen and small pad of paper from his pocket,"Maybe if you left me you're name and number,I could get back to you on that and possibly do something a little later in the New Year...?"

Despite herself,Laurice found herself giggling vivaciously at his ability to make her laugh so easily,"Well,for starters my names Laurice and-"she was abruptly cut off,however,it wasn't by the other impaitent customers trying to coax her along anxiously but the feeling of uncertainty towards not knowing either or not she could trust him,so finally taking the bag and receipt she repiled apologentically,"Sorry,Rio.Maybe another time."

Outside the rush of algid wind hit her with full force as she stepped out the front doors and gave her little time to brace herself.Shivering on impulse,Laurice lifted the wool hood of her jacket over head and began back towards Foster's which wasn't far off.Crossing the parking lot to the side of the road,she was almost there when an Imaginary Friend covered completely from head-to-toe in a shaggy dark green and blue striped pelt of fur caught her attention out on the sidewalk,

"Hello there,"she said to him in her softest voice,coming up beside the creature and placing a hand on his shoulder,inquired him corcernedly,"Is someone coming to get you?If not,you could always come back with me."

"With a human!"The Imaginary Friend grumbled back bitterly at her,his terrorfied eyes now flashing anger and haterd toward her without even considering what she was saying,"Pah,as if I'd trust a human anymore more then I'd trust one of them flashy-lookin' Lions over at the Circus."

"Not all humans are bad,"Even as Laurice admitted this to him as sincerest as she could,she herself knew what it felt like to have someone turn their back on you,to leave without warning and never come back,"But trust me,you really don't want to spend the rest of the Holidays out here,"she smiled warmly as she told him this and her eyes filled with that deep-rooted affection that had only grown more abundent over the last year she had started it all,"Were all in this together,dear.You can trust me."

That's when his defensive attuitude began to melt and he lightened up enough to gingerly follow her home.From the day they had moved in,it had been a hassle.Getting certain bills payed off,sorting through paperwork and rounding up abandon friends,not to mention still having time for her son.But the friends that were already there and were now being adopted almost regularly,took to entertaining and amusing the small boy who seemed to enjoy them almost as much as they enjoyed him.

"Oh,Madame.I was beginning to get dreadfully worried that you might not make it back in time,"Mr. Herrimen greeted her with relief etching his silverish facial features,almost the moment her and the new friend namedStripey came in the front door,"Uncle Pockets finally called in to give us his monthly call along with the others at their check-up points,the new arrivals have been filed and stored away,most of the festivities are well underway,"he took a brief moment to glance over at the akward-looking six-foot-tall furry friend beside her and sighed wearily,"And I suppose this tall fellow accompained you home from the Super Market as well?

Laurice only mock-grinned and handed him over the bag containing the slightly high expensed New Year essentials.Trying to put the embarrassment of not being able to feel comfortable around a guywho seemed to be perfectly nice,she slippedoff her shoes and padded at a moderate pace into the Living Room where her nearly One-and-a-half-year-old son and some of the Imaginary Friends were playing with toddler-level puzzles.With a breathless flounce,she scouped up Michael and briefly told the others thatit was almost Noon and time for his nap anyways.They nodded understandingly,as she pressed him lightly to her shoulder with both arms and tookhim up upstairs,with his round and pale face staring behind her as they ascendedup to thier destination.

Upstairs,Laurice gently sat her now cooeing son down in his bear-themed crib and pulled his light blue quilt just up to his chin,"You should have seen this guy I met today,he was drop dead gorgeous and funny,"she told him contently,kneeling down to his level behind the bars and reaching through them with one hand so he could wrap his tiny,pudgy fingers around her index finger,as she continued on with a more wistful smile,"But I don't know if Mama could ever get around to try and love someone else like I did the important men in my life...well,it would be very hard at least."

As soon as she saw his eyelids close,she couldn't help but feel out of it herself.So taking a few steps back,she nearly plopped down in the hand-crafted white rocking chair awayfrom Michael's bed.At first she didn't feel too sleepy but try to stay awake as she might,a wave of drowizness hit her and sent her into the realm of slumber.Images from her past came almost as rapidly as the people in the Supermarket had and sometime past until one began to embody an image and although at first it was blurry,it soon took on the image of the last person she expected to have dreams about,her Father.As clear as day.But she had gotten a call around five months ago with her Mother telling her her Father had passed away from a stroke in another state and that the wait for him was finally over,

"Laurice,"Her Father spoke to her softly,his whole demeanor seeming to be completely different somehow,"You've grown up a lot,"his image stated with what sounded like admiration in his voice,as they stood at least seven feet apart from each other,"And you have a wonderful son."

The image of an at least Thirteen-year-old Laurice stood before her Father fidgeting,"What are you doing here?"she asked him slowly,choosing her words carefully as she faced one of the men who had seemingly so carelessly walked out on her long ago,"You shouldn't be here...not at all.You made you're decision and left,made us struggle just to get by the last few years...so why show you're face!You don't care..."

"Laurice..."he tried to reason with her,his only desire to say he was sorry.

"YOU DON'T CARE!"Laurice shouted at him furiously,a film of burning tears starting to cover her flashing green eyes,"If you did,you wouldn't have left and you wouldn't have made us all hurt so much,"she said to him in a clear,loud and bold voice that took her every inch of courage she had as told tell him this,finally glad she could even as tears streaked down her cheeks,"I had to be there for Mom and keep a straight face.No,I didn't have time for myself and barely any for my dreams.And then not too long ago you...you and Julian hurt me so bad...how do you know Michael?"

A long and unsettling silence drifted over the two,their eyes locked but distant as they both looked back and examined lost memories together.Of all the times,good and bad,that had occured over the yearswhen they had still been a family.Held together by deeply felt and sometimes hidden love but torn as far asunited and whole was concerned.Suddenly,they found themselfs walking towards each other without really thinking at all and wrapping their arms at the same time around one another,held each other for all it was worth.The glowing white walls starting to close in on them,

"I was mixed up as faras our family went,Laurice,"Charles,her Father,began to tell her in a breathy whisper,letting her soak her teary eyes into the side of his chest,"I was in the wrong with all of you and even though our marraige had failed long ago with no fault to you kids,the most wrongest was avioding you three..."he took her shoulders and gently pulled her from him to make eye-contact with his heavilycrestfallen dark brown ones,"I'm sorry for hurting you,sweetheart.But I can never go back and rebuild what's already fallen apart for good.However,even if I've never told you this much,I love you.With all my soul and also want you to know...no matter what I might have said before...I'm proud of you."

"Daddy,"She whispered,inexplicabley out of breath,"I forgive you..."

Suddenly,the walls caved in on them completely and only the familiar chiming of the doorbell downstairs shifted Laurice into the state of wakefullness.Nearly jumping up from her place on the Rocker,she gave a quick glance over to see a just stirring Michael.The bell rang once more and something compelled her to gather up her son and take off at a hurried speed out of his room and down the stairs,as shecameto ahault in front of the door,Laurice took in a breath and also now noting they both must have been out of itabitby how late in the Evening it appeared out one of the windows,she held a squirming Michael securely in one arm and proceeded to open the knobcharyily with her only free hand.

"Riordan!"She gasped in surprise,as he appeared in her doorway somewhat akwardly,"My goodness,"taking a moment to regain her compuse,Laurice continued on more normally,"What are you doing here?"

"Um...you sorta dropped this,"Riordan repiled a bit bashfully,handing her over the receipt he had given her eariler that day,"I spent the day looking up a 'Laurice' and finally got some leads,"he scratched at his curly ebony locks and shifted weight onto his other foot uneasily,"I know it was a little extreme...but I want you to have...Whoa,and who might this little guy be?"

Laurice followed his line of gaze down to her still relentlessly moving son,"Oh,um,this is my year-old son,Michael,"she awnsered automatically,sitting him down on the ground to go crawl off into the Living Room and stepping aside some to let him to pass,"You want to come in...?I mean,it's like eight now or something.But you're welcome to."

He nodded graciously and finally just shrugging,made his way inside and almost immediately cocked his head to view the inside height of the mansion.But just as fast as they had left hers,his light-tinted brown eyes tinged with a bit of gray fell back on her and he moved a little closer,

"You have a very nice home."

This time Laurice nodded back,her eyes still locked tightly with his.Without anymore words exchanged,they both moved in closer and closer.Rapidly filling up the gap between them,as they both crained their headsinward and just as their lips barely swept together,the sounds of excited noises from the other room made them pause mid-lipped.

"Come on."Laurice broke out into a giddy grin and taking Riordan by the arm,began to pull him along with her to enter the room,"I want you to meet the reason where I am and what I do today,"she told him happily,as he arched a brow at her,"Trust me,Rio.You'll love to meet them!"

So finally it was over.Her troubled but meaningful childhood was complete,the worst had already come and most likely wouldn't return for a long time and she could move forward with all her friends and family behind her to guide her forward and live out her dream of helping Imaginary Friends find their one true place among the billions of others.

No,this isn't the ending...acutally,just the opposite!There's more to come soon!You know,with the whole "Trilogy" part in the title meaning three parts.So the generations leading up to the end are one part in the trilogy and the first part I'm proud to say is complete!So,c yaz nxt next!

LP