A/N. Jippie, finally an update! What can I say; college is hard. It's supposed to be, it's grooming us for life. Right!

Chapter 10. Surprises

"Mom! We're home!" Rory shouted as she dumped her sportsbag in the hall, making Kiera practically falling over it into the house.

"I'm in the kitchen!" came Loralai's somewhat harassed response. The girls walked into the kitchen finding Loralai scouring around for her cell phone and her car keys.

"What's up? You look stressed." Rory pointed out as she sat down at the table. Loralai made a frustrated noise and threw her hands in the air.

"It's the Inn. Shawn, Michele's temp, just called in sick, so I have to go in. Who gets pneumonia in July?"

"Pneumonia?" Kiera asked incredulously.

"I know! If he hadn't sent over a note from his doctor, I wouldn't have believed him. And the worst part is that I really need to do the bookkeeping this week and next or uncle Sam or big brother or whatever you call them will come and get me."

"Can't you just ask Michele to take his vacation later?" Rory asked. Loralai threw her a dirty 'you-know-better' look.

"Michele, back from vacation early? What? You think I have a death-wish?"

"Sorry. Forget it."

"You know, I could help you out." Kiera said.

"What?" Loralai asked as if she hadn't heard her correctly.

"Yeah, I mean, not with the checking in guests and booking and all that, but with the number-crunching."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. I've spent many a school-break with the company lawyers and accountants. I could probably become a licensed accountant without taking a single class."

"And you want to sacrifice two weeks of your summer break to help me out?"

"Yeah! Actually it would probably help me from going insane. Keeping my mind off certain things…"

"Huh? Things? A boy?"

"Kiera slept with Finn." Rory informed and giggled at the murderous glare the Kiera shot her. "Oh, come on! You walked right in to that one."

"Ok, I really want to hear more about all this, but I have got to go. Kiera, we leave at eight tomorrow, cross exam will take place on the way, and thanks for this. Love you both." Loralai hugged the girls and was out the door.

"So, licensed accountant without taking a single class?" Rory asked.

"Yep."

"How very "Boiler Room"."

"But without the fraudulent behaviour."

"Hmm, should we do some laundry?"

"We should. I don't really feel like it though."

"Me neither. Hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Luke's?"

"Yeah."

And with that the two girls kicked their bags out of the way and were out the door.

Next morning Kiera left early for the Inn with Loralai. Thankfully Loralai hadn't made good on her threat to interrogate Kiera about Finn, her head had been way to full of thoughts about everything that needed to be done. By lunch time, Kiera had settled in to her new job pretty well and she was surprised to find that she actually really enjoyed it. It was fun putting the books in order! It gave her that satisfied feeling you get after cleaning the house. It was also the perfect thing to keep her mind off Finn. She had spent the night thinking about him and still hadn't decided how she felt about the situation. She didn't regret that it had happened, definitely not! It was just; how would she react if the same thing happened again? She couldn't really date him, because dating for her meant dating exclusively –a concept unheard of to Finn-, even if her head said that it was perfectly acceptable to do some casual dating no-strings-style. Would they be friends with benefits? No dating, no romancing, just late night booty-calls? She didn't want to be that girl. It felt too…unlike her. Talking; some communication was definitely needed to resolve this issue. Later.

"Kiera! Call for you!" came Loralai's voice from the lobby.

"Thanks! The Independence Inn, Kiera Wyndam."

"Hello sweetheart! How are you?" came a woman's voice on the line.

"Mom! Hi! It's so good to hear from you, it's been weeks!" Kiera exclaimed as she heard her mother's familiar voice.

"Yes it has. I was starting to think that you had dropped of the face of the earth. Weren't you supposed to call every week?" her mother commented reproachfully.

"Goes both ways you know."

"Yes, I guess you're right. We've been awfully busy the last couple of weeks. Your father says hi, by the way. I guess you have been busy too?"

"Well no. Not really. It's just so difficult getting a hold of you two. And with the time difference, I just forget. Sorry."

"It's alright. We just wanted to hear your voice and to let you know that we have now made all the arrangements for you birthday. You should be getting you ticket in the mail any day now."

"Really! It's a go?"

"Yes!"

"Ahh, I'm so excited! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Your father and I are really looking forward to it too. I'll send you an e-mail with the details. Call when you get the ticket."

"I will. Well, I guess I should get back to work. Give dad a hug and I call you later."

"Alright sweets. And we are really happy that you are helping Loralai out. Good work. Take care. Bye."

"I will. Bye mom."

Kiera put the telephone down and made a little happy-sound and clapped her hands. Then she went back to work, grinning from ear to ear.

After work Kiera and Loralai met up with Rory, Lane, Logan and Finn at Luke's. She was still grinning at the very thought of her birthday and she couldn't wait to tell her friends.

"Hey all!" she called as she came in and sat down with her friends.

"Wow! Don't you look uncommonly chipper for someone who spent her whole day crunching numbers?" Lane remarked. Rory nodded her head in agreement.

"I know. My mom called today about my birthday."

"Ah, good news?" Rory asked asshe knew that the Wyndam family usually did something special together for their birthdays. They liked to call it 'Wish fulfilment day'.

"The best! Guess what I'm doing for my birthday!"

"Having a party, open bar." Finn guessed

"15 countries in two weeks." Was Logan's guess.

"Private concert." Lane ventured.

"Flying lessons." Rory said.

"Close!" Kiera said and pointed at Rory. "I am going to bungee-jump off a bridge! In New Zeeland!"

"What?" "Seriously?" the four around the table exclaimed.

"Yes! Isn't it great? Right before we go back to school, a trip to New Zeeland and an adventure I've been dreaming about since I was fifteen."

"It sounds amazing." Rory said. She was glad to see her friend so excited and happy. Even if Kiera always had a cheerful attitude, Rory had a feeling that the whole unsolved James-situation was constantly weighing on her. Kiera needed a break like this, to do something crazy, get back to who she really is.

"Yeah it does. Can I come?" Finn wondered. "I would be just a hop, skip and a jump from home. It would be great to be so close to home and not tell them until I get back!"

"You need to deal with your family-issues." Logan commented. Finn was just going to give a sarcastic come back when they were interrupted by Luke.

"Are you guys ready to order?"

They all placed their orders and Luke brought them their beverages. Rory turned back to Kiera.

"So, is this just going to be you and your parents?"

"Yes. Dad's parents never get on a plane that takes more than two hours from take off to landing. When they moved back to England they vowed to never leave Europe again. And they haven't, not in fifteen years. I actually called Grandma Pryce in Florida."

"And what did she say?"

Kiera smiled and took a sip from her soda before answering.

"It went something like this. 'Nana, do you want to come to New Zeeland and watch me jump off a bridge?'" Kiera straitened up and put on a haughty expression. "'Dear child! Do you really think I will fly across the country and clear across the ocean to see my only grandchild throw herself of a bridge? At my age? The very thought is preposterous! You will have to wait a few more years for your inheritence.'"

Her friends laughed and Kiera shook her head at the thought of her grandmother.

"Sounds like a nice lady." Finn remarked sarcastically.

"No, she's ok. She's not nice but she's ok. She and her friends, they are a little special. Dad and I call them Hell's grannies, from that old Monty Python sketch, you know."

"Hell's grannies?" Loralai said and looked at her daughter.

"Yep. All they do all day is scare maids and scheme how to interfere with their children's lives."

"I guess my mother and her DAR friends are the Connecticut-branch." Loralai said. Rory giggled.

Kiera's cell phone started ringing.

"It's Jessie." She said and disappeared out the door when she saw Luke glaring at her.

Finn watched her walking around outside the diner. She was talking and laughing, he could tell that she has just told her friend about New Zeeland. She was an amazing girl. Was it any wonder that he wanted to hang out with her? Preferably one on one. He'd been wanting to talk to her ever since that night in New York. He wanted to keep seeing her; dinners, movies, sex… And he hoped and thought that she probably wanted the same thing. Actually he was pretty darn sure. A little conceited maybe, but still…now they just had to lay down some ground rules. Some talking was definitely needed. He leaned towards Rory.

"Do you think you can persuade Mr. Grumpy to keep Kiera's food warm? I need to talk to her for a while."

"Sure. I have some sway with Mr. Grumpy. Go."

"Thanks doll." Finn kissed her on the cheek and was out the door.

"What was that about?" Logan asked his girlfriend. Rory smiled and looked out the window at Finn and Kiera, who had now finished her phone call.

"Oh, I think maybe sweet Finn is about to step into the Lion's den. The question is just if he's stepping alone."