A/N: Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! This chapter is kind of short but I'm thinking just a few more chapters and it'll be time for them to leave Romania. Although I've enjoyed writing about them visiting Transylvania, I'm starting to get homesick for Port Charles LOL. And I'm ready for Gabe to be born already :) Until 26!

Chapter 25

Alison poked her head out on the back porch, smiling as she saw Katrina and her daddy having "tea." Rafe was a good sport. Most fathers would refuse to play girly games like that with their daughters, but not Rafe. He loved spending time with his little girl.

"Katrina?"

Katrina looked up at her mother, giving her a big smile. "Hey, Mommy! You want some tea?"

"Maybe in a little while sweetie. But I thought you might be getting hungry. There's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich waiting for you on the kitchen table."

"Ooo! I am hungry!" Katrina hopped out of her seat and ran back into the house, the screen door slamming behind her.

Alison laughed. "She gets her appetite from you."

"Well she gets her sweet tooth from you."

Rafe stood up, following Alison back into the house as she made her way to the laundry room.

"You're not doing work, are you?"

"I'm just washing some sheets. These things are filthy with dust." Alison looked up, pointing a finger at Rafe. "And you under no circumstances are allowed to go anywhere near this washing machine."

Rafe laughed, thinking of the little incident they had last Christmas. "I'll stay away from it. I promise."

"You can help me with this though." Alison struggled with a sheet snagged in the machine, thinking this would be a whole lot easier without her big belly in the way.

"Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"Has Katrina said anything about my mother to you?"

"Yeah. She said this morning they were having a picnic together outside. I think it's cute. I use to have imaginary friends all the time when I was about her age. Of course I was lonely and that was why. But Katrina just has that overactive imagination."

"No, Alison, she's not imagining it. That's what I thought at first too, but no. She's really talking to my mother."

Alison stopped what she was doing and stared at Rafe. "You mean you think your mother is actually here?"

Rafe nodded. "I think Katrina's really seeing her."

"How do you know?"

"It's just something she said to me that she said my mother told her. It just sounds so much like something she would say."

"Can angels do that?"

"Angels are all around us, Alison. We don't always see them, but sometimes we do. And I'm pretty sure Katrina is."

"Oh my god. That's incredible. You know, I've been wondering who she's been talking to lately."

"And remember that morning at breakfast? She said my mother had been with her."

Alison smiled. "Because she was."

Rafe smiled back at her. "Yeah. Which makes me feel a lot better, you know? Like things can't be so bad if I know she's around."

Alison reached out and touched his arm, giving it a squeeze.

"Why aren't you putting these in the dryer?" he suddenly asked, noticing the pile of soaking wet sheets in the laundry basket.

"Um, yeah. It's broke."

"What? It is? Hmm. Well, I guess it's old. I'm surprised the washer still works."

"It's okay. I love that outdoor fresh scent anyway." Alison bent down, picking up the basket.

"Whoa, hold on!" Rafe grabbed the basket away from her. "You shouldn't be carrying this."

"But Rafe..."

"Do I have to keep reminding you that you're pregnant?"

"No, Gabe does that everyday." Alison patted her rounded stomach, feeling the baby move inside her.

"No heavy lifting," Rafe said firmly, and that was the end of it apparently.

Alison followed Rafe outside.

"Where do you want this?"

"Over there," she pointed. "By the clothesline."

Rafe carried the laundry basket over to the line and set it down on the ground. "I'll help."

"Rafe, I'm just hanging sheets. You worry about every little thing I do since I've become pregnant."

"Well if you don't want my help then I'll just go back inside." Rafe started towards the porch.

"Hold on! Wait! You can help."

Rafe gave her a smile. "You take that end, I'll take this end." They picked up a sheet and folded it over, preparing to hang it on the line.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?

"Why do you think Katrina is the only one who can see her?"

"I don't know. It's probably some rule or something." Rafe looked up to the sky. "Damn rules."

In the distance, a rumble of thunder was heard.

Alison laughed. "You better watch what you say, Rafe Kovich."

He looked up again. "Ed, why do you always do that?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Grandma, how come this house has so many rooms?" Katrina held her grandmother's hand as they walked down the upstairs hallway.

"Well, we have a big family," she answered.

"It's not that big."

Grandma Katrina sat down at the window seat at the end of the hallway. Katrina climbed up into the seat beside her, pressing her fingers against the window and looking out over the grounds.

"Well, it once was. You know what?"

Katrina looked at her grandmother. "What?"

"One time, there were so many people living in this house, why, I bet every bedroom was filled."

Katrina's eyes widened. "Whoa. That's a lot of people!"

Grandma Katrina laughed. "Yes, it is. You see, a long time ago, there was a man and a woman who lived here, and they lived here with their children. Well eventually, their children grew up, and they got married. But there was plenty of room here, so their husbands and wives just moved in. And then they had children. And the mother and father were still living here with all of their children and grandchildren. Pretty soon, it was a full house!"

"And Daddy lived here too!"

"That's right, he did. He lived here with me and his father and his grandmother. And his grandfather lived here too, but he went to heaven long before your daddy was born."

"Katrina! Are you upstairs?" Alison called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Mommy!"

"Well come downstairs, sweetie. We're going to go visit Violeta."

Katrina turned to her grandmother. "I got to go. Bye, Grandma!"

Grandma Katrina gave her granddaughter a kiss. "See you later, Precious." She watched as Katrina hopped off the window seat and ran down the hallway towards the staircase.

She then stood up, walking down the hallway, peering into the empty rooms as she passed them. They all looked kind of lonely now, but she just smiled, for she knew that one day, this house would be full of people again.