July 2nd, 2003
They had promised to stay in touch after graduation. They did for a year, but then they all drifted apart. Two or three letters a year, a birth announcement of a new baby, or a Christmas card. That was what their friendship had been reduced to. It shocked all of them, but frankly with a career and a family, it was hard to keep up with other things. But now, they were meeting back in Astoria. A childhood pack was what it was. Mikey told them on their graduation day that they would meet here on July 2nd, 2003. Now this was the moment of truth.
Brandon had proposed to Andy two days after their graduation from High school. She had said yes and a year later they were married on the beaches of Astoria. Andy got pregnant with their first child, Ethan, on their honeymoon. Brandon and Andy were both accepted to UCLA. Brandon was star quarter back for four years and he would later couch the same team for seven years into the national championships. Andy, between a child and a husband, graduated third in her class and later got a job there as a music teacher. Some of her students went off to Carnegie Hall because of her.
Brandon and Mikey never lost touch of course. It would be a sin for brothers too. In his senior year of High School, Mikey fell in love. Elizabeth Edwards from Rome, New York transferred to his school. It was love at first sight. Her long brown hair and large blue eyes set Mikey's heart soaring. Luckily, she felt the same way about him. Both went to college in Texas, where they stayed to set up a home and had a child. Mikey graduated from College in 1994 with a degree in Archeology and to celebrate, he and Elizabeth got married. Now, Mikey is a prominent archeologist in the Dallas area. He and Elizabeth of two young sons, Evan and Dylan.
Now Clark aka Mouth and Stefanie...That was a story unto it's self. They were and probably still are the talk of Astoria. When Stefanie graduated high school, she and Clark started a relationship. It shocked the two of them, but to their friends it didn't. Stefanie got pregnant when Clark was only seventeen, things heated up in Astoria. Things got even worse when Stefanie lost the baby in her third month. It broke Clark's heart to see Stefanie so upset. The day after he turned eighteen, the two of them got married and moved to North Carolina to get away from everyone's sneering comments. They both went to college there. Clark became a lawyer and Stefanie was going to be a chef until she gave birth to her first daughter, Chandler. That started a chain reaction. Soon, the twins came. Clark and Stefanie vowed not to have any more but then Breckin and later Morgan came. Stefanie didn't mind it really. She loved being a mom. With Clark defending some of the best people in North Carolina, money wasn't as tight as it once was.
Richard, aka Data, moved to Boston after High School to go to M.I.T. That was his favourite place he had ever been especially when he met his chocolate goddess. Jaida was sexy and intelligent. It was everything Richard was looking in a woman. Jaida felt the same way when she saw him. Richard graduated saluatorian. The only reason why he didn't make Valedictorian was because Jaida took it from him. The two moved to Florida where they both got jobs working for N.A.S.A. The two married in 1995 and later welcomed two daughters, Cecily and Ella, who showed the same intelligence as their parents.
Lawrence aka Chunk was a mystery. After graduation he had fallen off the face of the earth. No letters, no photos, no postcards, nothing. A few years ago, Mikey did receive a letter from his sister telling him that Sloth had died and Chunk was in Australia. Australia, what was he doing there? No one knew and they hoped he would remember their childhood pact.
"Damn it." Stefanie grabbed Breckin as the family rushed down the hallway from the airplay. A long flight with five children didn't do Stefanie's mood any justice, but Clark would ask when she ever had a good mood.
"We forgot my suitcase." Chandler whined. Her blond curls bounced as she tried to keep up with her parents.
"No we didn't. It's somewhere else." Stefanie said keep a close eye on he twins as they wandered in front of them.
"I think the luggage thingy is right over there." Clark pointed. Stefanie put Breckin down.
"Breck, if you move your ass will be into next week," Stefanie said, not really meaning it. Her eyes scan the suitcases coming down in front of her. She saw Chandler's pink one and immediately grabbed it. Chandler began to cheer.
"You didn't forget it!!" She said.
"I told you we didn't." Stefanie glanced at Clark, "Where is the baby?"
"Right there." Clark pointed to the car seat that was five feet in back of him. Stefanie's eyes widened.
"She is all the way over there? What if some crazed kidnapper came and stole her? It would be your fault because you weren't keeping an eye on her. Morgan is our last daughter. We're not getting anymore." Stefanie said. Clark chuckled picking the car seat up.
"You said that two times before." He said.
"I mean it." Stefanie smiled and turned her attention back to the luggage.
Brandon picked his duffle back off from the airplane's floor. The flight had been pretty short. Isabella spun around Ethan causing him to snap at her. Andy gave her son a look.
"Brandon, I need help." Andy said. Brandon chuckled as he extended his hand to his pregnant wife. "Don't laugh at me. Airlines don't make seats for women with only two weeks left in their pregnancies."
"I told you we could have drove." Brandon said helping Andy down the aisle and off the plane.
"Isabella would have been driving the three of us mad." Andy chuckled.
"I wanna be a ballerina when I grow up. not one of those pink ones, but I wanna wear one of those white outfits." Isabella skipped next to her mother. her red hair got tangled together every time she spun, "Momma, can e get a dog when we get home. I really want another dog."
"Shut up." Ethan said.
"Momma, Ethan told me to shut up." Isabella whined. Andy chuckled.
"See?" She looked at Brandon.
"Yeah...I see." He groaned. "I hope they remembered."
"They probably did. At least we know Mikey will be here." Andy said. Brandon rolled his eyes. he didn't need to see Mikey he saw Mikey every summer. Andy looked around the terminal hoping to see one of the Goonies or Goonie's children. Then she saw Stefanie. Andy brightened up, "STEFANIE!!!!!" She looked up and saw Andy and family coming towards her.
"Oh...My god!!" Stefanie laughed. She ran to Andy and threw her arms around her, "You're fat!!"
"I'm pregnant." Andy laughed hugging her, "Where is the newest Deveraux?"
"If Clark didn't let her get kidnapped, right over there." Stefanie went to the car seat an d picked Morgan up, "Meet Morgan Elizabeth."
"She is gorgeous, Stef." Andy smiled tickling Morgan's cheek. "It's so great to finally meet your kids in person." Brandon looked at Clark.
"How do you do it?" He asked, "I'm going insane with two and Gracie will be here any day now." Clark chuckled.
"I work. Work is great." He said. Brandon nodded. Yeah, he did enjoy work.
"Momma, we're hungry." Hudson tugged on Stefanie's leg. She shot him a look.
"Well, you need to wait." Stefanie gave Andy a soft smile.
"UNCLE BRANDON!!!!!!!!!" A loud screech echoed through out the airport. Brandon looked up in time to see his five-year-old nephew, Dylan, fling himself at his legs. Brandon stumbled back slightly and picked him up.
"Hey there, Kiddo." Brandon smiled kissing his cheek.
"Hey." Mikey walked up to them dropping his bags. "Man, Mouth, you sure have gotten uglier."
"You too." Clark laughed giving Mikey a hug.
"Remember Lizzie?" Mikey looked at his wife. Elizabeth laughed softly.
"How could I not remember a gorgeous creature like her?" Clark bowed and Stefanie smacked his head, "Hey! I didn't say she was more beautiful than you now did I?"
"No." Stefanie muttered cradling Morgan. Elizabeth smiled.
"Well, thank you." She said. Mikey looked around them.
"Is Data and Chunk here yet?" He asked. Everyone shook his or her heads. As if on cue a loud megaphone sang rang out. Was it running of the horses? "Here he comes." Data and his family walked towards them with megaphones. Everyone covered his or her ears.
"Hey guys!!" Richard said through it.
"Richard please." Jaida chuckled taking it from him, "He doesn't realize how loud he can get sometimes."
"I realize and that's the whole point." He said.
"Are you going to introduce us?" Stefanie cleared her throat.
"Oh." He smiled and looked at all of his friends. "This is Jaida, my wife. I wrote you about her. And these are my girls, Cecily who is five and Ella who is turning two in September. They're probably smarter than all of you put together."
"You're probably right." Mikey laughed as he hugged Data. Clark looked around the airport.
"I'm going to kill Chunk if he's not here." Clark said pushing his children out of the way. He bumped into a gentleman. His muscles probably left bruises on Clark's skin, "'Scuse me."
"Not a lot to say for someone named mouth." he said. Clark looked at the man and frowned.
"How did you know?" He asked. The man laughed softly. His eyes sparkled and he bounced. Clark was already envious.
"I only called you that for almost my whole life." He said. Clark's mouth dropped.
"Ch-Chunk?" He whispered.
"Not anymore." Lawrence said. Clark looked him over. Certainly not. This man was gorgeous. Clark was fine with his own masculinity to say that. He looked over to Lawrence's right and saw a gorgeous blond woman and two beautiful children. "That's my wife Sasha and our children Drake and Brynn."
"Holey Crap." Brandon said.
"You guys look like models." Andy said, slightly jealous.
"Australian Soap stars." Sasha said. Her accent curled Clark's toes. Stefanie gave him a look. They all stared at the Cohen family in disbelief. SO this was what Chunk had been doing with himself.
"Momma," Elijah whined.
"We're hungry." Hudson said again. Stefanie sighed.
"Let's go eat." She said.
* * *
"Ah...table of...Um..." Brandon began to count, "twenty-three. We'll need four high chairs at well."
"And an obgyn if you're not careful." Andy laughed.
"Certainly, I can clear out the banquet room." The hostess said.
"Can the kids like sit away from us?" Stefanie asked. Andy chuckled.
"Please." She agreed. "The babies can sit with us but Ethan can watch the older ones." Ethan gave his mother a look but sat down at the 'kiddie' table. Soon, all of them were settled in and ordered.
"Is it true that there's a whole wing in the Astoria museum dedicated to One-eyed Willy and all of that?" Clark asked as he put Breckin's bib on.
"Yup." Mikey said, "My dad sent me all the new pamphlets and everything. The Museum wanted me to fly over here to do some more excavation for them, but...I just wanted to let it rest. Willy deserves that."
"I guess." Clark shrugged. "We should go on over to check it out after lunch and then we should settle in where ever we're staying. I'm sure the Aussies are tired."
"I am, but It's nice to be here." Sasha said, "Larry has talked so much about you."
"Larry." Mikey chuckled, "I suppose he has told you that we used to call him chunk."
"Yes he did." Sasha chuckled, "He called me Chunk when I was pregnant."
"You didn't." Andy frowned.
"It was out of love." Lawrence smiled patting Sasha's leg.
"I never really gained much weight with he girls." Jaida said.
"Each one were only five pounds though." Richard said, "There was slight complications." Stefanie frowned.
"That isn't good." She said, "I gained a lot with the twins and never really got my body back after that."
"Sure you did." Clark smiled at her, "A very hot one." Stefanie blushed.
"Shut up." She whispered. Clark winked kissing her cheek. "So, Andy, when are you due?" Andy rubbed her belly smiling.
"July 18th. The doctor said it was okay to travel, just have him on speed dial." She said, "Which we do." Brandon smiled as he watched his Isabella and Clark's Chandler whispered about Drake. Apparently, he was hot to seven-year-olds. Soon, all of them were eating. Andy had to slow down because she did get one contraction. She insisted it was nothing and convinced them she was okay to go to the Museum. They didn't expect to see much at the museum, maybe a photograph and some gems, but when they said wing, they meant wing.
"Look, here's us." Mikey chuckled as he pointed to a picture the press took of them as they got onto the beach.
"Look how skinny I look." Andy sighed.
"Look how young I look." Stefanie sighed. Sasha laughed.
"I see why they called you chunk." She said. Lawrence gave her a look as Brynn squealed with excitement.
"Daddy, wook!" She said pointing to a pirate's outfit.
"One-Eyed Willy wore that, baby." He picked her up and got a closer look, "What do you think they did with his body?"
"It says right here that he has been buried in Astoria." Mikey said reading off a sign. "He finally got a proper burial. Good."
"He deserved a nice burial since he saved Astoria." Richard said, "I am forever in debt to him."
"Me too." Brandon said, "I think we all are." They all stared at his outfit. A great man once wore that. A man who had changed their lives forever from beyond the grave.
