"Margaret? Steven?" Guillermo asks as he leans on his cane and grips it so tight that his knuckles turn white. "What are you doing here?"
"We're here to meet Maggie," Steven answers for his mother as she still seems to be in a bit of shock.
"Not to be rude or anything, but why?" Guillermo inquires as he stands up a bit straighter. "Why now? It's been over thirty years since you kicked Selma out of your lives. Over fifteen years since Maggie tried to mend that bridge only for you to blow it up. So, please explain to me why you're here."
"We didn't know," Margaret whispers, shaking from either the cold or the pent up emotions, she's not sure which.
"What do you mean you didn't know?" Guillermo demands, pounding his cane into the marble floor. "Your name was on that cease and desist order, Margaret. How could you possibly not know?"
"Guillermo, please, it's freezing out here," Steven interrupts as he wraps an arm around his mother. "May we please come in?"
"Fine," Guillermo grumbles as he steps back, allowing them entrance into the house. "Follow me."
Guillermo leads them into the now furnished parlor where the uninvited guests take seats on the new furniture. The new comers look around quietly noting the top of the line décor. Guillermo closes the door and takes a seat in an overstuffed chair with an ottoman, thanking his lucky stars that the old bat, Sharon and Vicki had gone off on yet another shopping spree.
"So, please answer my questions, Margaret," Guillermo insists as he props his leg up onto the footrest. "What didn't you know? And why come now?"
"We didn't know that Maggie even existed until a few weeks ago," Margaret starts to explain, and quickly continues at Guillermo's look of disbelief. "Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning."
"Perhaps that would be best," Guillermo replies as he sits back to hear their tale.
Dr Hobson comes downstairs and finds Abe standing next to the closed parlor door with his bare hand against the wood. She walks up to him, but before she can ask him what he's doing he holds a finger up to his lips to silence her. Suddenly, she realizes she's hearing voices that she doesn't recognize coming through the door. Abe quickly takes off his second glove and holds his hand out to her. She takes his hand and it's if they're standing in the same room as the people who are talking.
She can't see anything beyond what's in front of her, but that's not what's important. She listens as these new people tell of a folder found after the woman's husband's death. The information inside of it telling them the fate of the long lost daughter and a grandchild they never knew existed.
"Ok, so you didn't know that Maggie existed because Simon kept it hidden from you," Guillermo concedes. "But something tells me there's more to this then you're telling me. So spill. What is it?"
"I'm going to be a great-grandmother in a couple of months," Margaret tells him.
"Congratulations," Guillermo replies less than enthusiastically.
"Simon was the Seer in our family," she continues.
"Ah ha, and now the truth comes out," Guillermo states triumphantly. "You want her back to see if she's your family's new Seer. I knew that there was more to this than meets the eye."
"Guillermo, please, can we just meet her?" she begs. "I don't expect her to be jumping up and down with joy, but please, we want to try and mend that 'bridge' that was blown up. To say that we're sorry that we haven't been able to be there for her."
"That decision is not up to me," Guillermo states.
"Then is it up to the woman standing just outside the door?" Steven asks and Guillermo suddenly looks up at the door.
"Actually, she's one of them," Guillermo answers just before raising his voice a bit. "Please come in, doctor. We have company."
After a moment of feet shuffling coming from the other side of the closed door, a woman with blond hair and bright blue eyes opens the door and comes into the room. She looks questioningly at the new comers who look at her hopefully.
"Dr. Hodson, this is Margaret and Steven Steele," Guillermo introduces. "They're Maggie's grandmother and uncle."
"I've met Maggie's grandmother," Hodson responds in confusion.
"The old bat is Maggie's father's mother," Guillermo clarifies. "This is her mother's mother."
"Oh," is all Hodson can come up with.
"They want to meet Maggie," Guillermo tells the doctor, looking at her pointedly.
"I'll tell her that you're here, but don't expect her to be to happy about the idea," Hodson states as she turns her attention to the newcomers. "And if she says 'no' I will expect you to heed her wishes and leave. I will not have her upset."
"Why? What's wrong with her?" Margaret demands.
"Nothing you need to worry yourself about," Hodson replies.
"What is wrong with my granddaughter?" Margaret insists.
"She hasn't been feeling well and she's on bed rest," Hodson vaguely answers.
"Is she going to be alright?" Margaret asks worriedly.
"She'll be fine in a few weeks," Hodson responds.
"What's wrong with her?" Steven inquires.
"I'm not at liberty to say," Hodson firmly retorts. "If Maggie wants to tell you, then that is her prerogative, but I'm staying out of it."
With that, she turns on her heel and marches out of the room. She notices a blue shadow hanging out near the open door, ready to move if the wrong person goes through the door. She ignores the merman as with a groan and a sigh, she hikes up the grand staircase again.
When she enters the master bedroom she finds Maggie slumped against a pile of pillows and channel surfing. She looks totally bored as she pauses for a moment in her surfing before continuing. Hodson wonders if getting that satellite dish was such a good idea.
"Eight million channels and not a thing worth watching," Maggie grumbles as she turns off the TV and drops the remote on the night stand.
"How are you feeling?" Hodson pleasantly asks.
"Just like I did the last time you asked me an hour ago," Maggie grumpily replies. "Like a beached whale. Is there a special reason for this visit, doctor?"
"Well, actually there is," Hodson admits a bit hesitantly. "We have some unexpected visitors downstairs."
"And?" Maggie prompts, eyeing the physician suspiciously.
"Your grandmother and uncle are here to see you," Hodson tells her.
"Which uncle? I've got three of them," Maggie says. "And why would my grandmother being here be news?"
"Actually, not the relatives from your father's side," Hodson replies. "They're you mother's relatives."
Maggie just stares at her in surprise, too stunned to talk. After about a minute, she opens her mouth and then closes it again. She repeats this process several times before she finally finds her voice.
"Why?" Maggie growls, her eyes narrowing. "What do they want?"
"Well, they claim they want to meet you," Hodson answers. "But I overheard them talking about needing a new 'seer' for the family. Do you know what they meant by that?"
"Yes, I know what they were talking about," Maggie all but snarls.
"Are you willing to meet them?" Hodson asks.
"They ignore me, tell me not to contact them and then suddenly they want me to be all friendly with them?" Maggie rhetorically snaps, and then snorts in amusement. "How delicious is that? They have to come begging to see me because I'm their Seer. Beautiful."
"They say they didn't know about you," Hodson tells her. "That it was your grandfather that ordered the cease and desist order you got."
"Was Guillermo in the room when they said that?" Maggie asks.
"Yes, they were talking to him," Hodson replies. "I just, sort of, eavesdropped on them through the door."
"Was there a big blue stethoscope helping you?" Maggie inquires.
"Yes, Abe helped me listen in on them, and yes, I know that's rude," Hodson responds. "Are you willing to see them?"
"Maybe in about thirty-two years I'll see them, but not now," Maggie grumbles. "Let them figure out the hard way whether or not any new babies are Mages."
"I'll let them know," Hodson states as she turns to leave.
Sharon pulls the borrowed vehicle past the front of the house and squeezes past the unfamiliar truck sitting in front of it. After parking in the garage, she gets out and goes to work on Vicki's seat, finally pulling the sleeping child out of the car. When she looks over at her grandmother, she notices the very displeased look and ridged back of the older woman.
"What's the matter?" Sharon asks as she opens the trunk of the car.
"What are they doing here?" Cavendish demands.
"Who?" Sharon inquires, completely confused while she starts pulling shopping bags out of the trunk.
"Didn't you see what was painted on the side of the truck?" Cavendish questions heatedly, staring accusingly at said truck.
"No," Sharon answers as she struggles to juggle the baby and her purchases. "I was too busy trying not to hit it."
"Well, come see then," Cavendish insists.
Cavendish ignores the rest of the items in the trunk or Sharon's obvious difficulty as she stalks off. Sharon follows behind her grandmother as best she can. When they get to the full sized pick up truck, 'Steele Breeding Stables' is clearly painted onto the side along with a picture of a running horse.
"Ok, so?" Sharon asks, still confused.
"I guess I never told you," her grandmother replies as she continues to glare at the truck. "Margaret's mother's maiden name was Steele."
"You think her mother's family is here?" Sharon inquires.
"I know they are," Cavendish states. "Steele Breeding Stables tried to put Rupert and Selma out of business when they were alive. I cannot think for one moment why they would suddenly want to be here, unless it's to cause more trouble. And if that's the case, I'll give them trouble they won't soon forget."
With that, Cavendish marches up the steps and through the front door as Sharon staggers behind her. Just inside the entryway, Cavendish stops and listens. Sharon drops the bags as soon as she's through the door, shuts it and trails behind her grandmother who's obviously headed for the parlor.
Cavendish steps purposefully towards the parlor, her designer shoes clicking against the marble floor. She sees Abe lurking near the door and casts him a withering glance just before she marches into the room. Sharon wearily trails behind with her sleeping daughter weighing her down. She repositions the child and follows her grandmother. A man with salt and pepper hair who looks to be in his late fifties stands as they enter and a much older woman with silver hair tastefully styled turns to look at them with a hopeful expression on her face.
"Oh, good, your back," Guillermo says with no enthusiasm in his voice and a cold look in his eyes. "Margaret and Steven may I introduce you to Susan Cavendish and Sharon and Vicki Mann, Maggie's grandmother, cousin and second cousin. This is Maggie's other grandmother and her uncle."
"A pleasure, I'm sure," Cavendish says in her most haughty tone. "What brings you to our little neck of the woods?"
"I know you must think we're horrible people," Margaret states softly. "But please believe us when I say that we had no idea that Maggie even existed until a few weeks ago."
"How do you not know about a grandchild for over thirty years?" Cavendish demands.
"My husband hid her existence from us," Margaret explains. "He died a few months ago and Steven and his son Sean were going through Simon's things when they found the folder hidden in his desk. It's taken Sean this long to find Maggie. I know she must be plenty angry for what she's been put through, but I'll I can say is we're sorry."
"And I'm sure that'll more than make up for the many years of pain and suffering the child has gone through," Cavendish waspishly replies.
"Give it a rest, will you?" Guillermo gripes. "This is between Maggie and them. It doesn't involve you."
"If it involves, my granddaughter, then it involves me," Cavendish snaps as Sharon wanders past her. "After all I was named her guardian when her parents died."
"This may surprise you, but you're not her guardian any more," Guillermo growls back while Sharon takes a seat by a window with a sigh of relief. "In fact, I think she's been doing an incredible job taking care of herself for quite some time now."
"It doesn't matter that it's no longer my job to watch out for her," Cavendish replies as her eyes narrow at him while Steven makes his way over to Sharon. "As her grandmother it is my duty to watch out for her. I want what's best for her, nothing more, and nothing less."
"What do you think?" Steven asks the tired woman.
"I think that if you had any sense, you'd go running out that door screaming and never look back," Sharon replies while she kicks off her shoes.
"Sharon!" her grandmother exclaims in surprise.
"Grandmother, do you think, for just once, you and Guillermo could be in the same room without you two trying to kill each other?" Sharon asks wearily as she leans back in her seat.
"I haven't tried killing him," Cavendish points out. "He's still breathing isn't he?"
"And her heart is still beating," Guillermo adds as the two combatants glare at one another.
"See what I mean?" Sharon asks Steven, looking up at him. "Get out while you still can."
Before Cavendish can reprimand her granddaughter, Dr. Hodson walks in.
"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Steele, Maggie said no," Hodson tells them without preamble. "She says to try back in about thirty-two years and you're going to have to figure out if any new babies are Mages the hard way."
"Don't be sorry, Dr. Hodson," Margaret sadly sighs. "I had only hoped that we could finally meet her. Maybe someday she can forgive us."
"If she changes her mind, she can call us at this number," Steven states as he hands the doctor his business card. "Until then, we'll leave you good folks in peace. Come on, Mom. I know this great little restaurant down in Ghirardelli Square that'll knock your socks off."
"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," Margaret says as she stands. "Goodbye."
With that, the two leave the room. Just after crossing the threshold, Steven sees movement out of the corner of his eye, but by the time he turns to look, what ever it was, is gone. With a shrug, he and his mother are shown out by Hodson and Guillermo vacates the parlor as quickly as physically possible after they leave. Hodson passes by the parlor as Cavendish is giving her granddaughter a piece of her mind.
"How dare you speak to me that way, young lady," Cavendish snaps.
"Tell me, Grandmother; is it your goal to alienate nearly everyone in this house?" Sharon asks.
"Of course not, child," Cavendish admonishes. "Now, where did you put my purchases?"
"They're still in the trunk," Sharon answers as she shifts the twenty-five pound dead weight on her chest.
"Well, be a dear and retrieve them for me," Cavendish requests as she starts to strip off her coat and gloves.
"I sit corrected," Sharon replies as she struggles her way out of her seat. "You are out to alienate everyone in the house. Get your own bags, Grandmother. I'm going to put Vicki down for her nap and then I'm taking one myself."
With that, Sharon leaves a stunned Cavendish standing in the parlor with one of her gloves half off and her mouth hanging open.