Author's Note: This story is based on the CBS television series The Jeffersons and as far as I know, it is the property of Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Television, TAT Communications Company, Embassy Television, Shout! Factory, and of course, CBS. No infringement is intended.

Chapter Summary: George and Lionel Jefferson are shocked when Louise Wood comes to George's office in Manhattan to talk to him in person.

Chapter 1: Lady in Red

Louise had begun her drive from Haven Lake to Manhattan at about eight-thirty that morning, and she arrived at about two o'clock that afternoon. The day before yesterday, she had spoken with George Jefferson's secretary, Camille, and she assured her that he was always in his office, even on weekends, and that it would be perfectly fine for her to make the drive there to see him on Saturday; that he'd be more than happy to meet with her. As soon as she arrived in Manhattan, she checked into a hotel and then she called Mark to let him know that she'd arrived safely. After that, she drove to George Jefferson's main office in downtown Manhattan.

Minutes before Louise arrived, George was in his office, up to his eyeballs in paperwork as always, but he wasn't getting much work done because his son Lionel was also there, arguing with him. Lionel Jefferson, a twenty-eight-year-old electrical engineer, was currently living in Dallas with his wife Jenny, and they were now in New York during Lionel's two-week vacation, visiting their parents. There had been a huge rift between George and Lionel ever since the disappearance of Lionel's mother six years ago, and Lionel had tried in vain to begin repairing his broken relationship with his father when he first arrived last week. Lionel and Jenny were now staying with Jenny's parents, Tom and Helen Willis, and they had one week left in their stay before they had to return home, and Lionel was trying yet again today to build a much-needed bridge between his father and himself while he still had time here. And unfortunately, he was getting nowhere. And George's latest business endeavor, which basically involved him bribing the authorities in Massachusetts to force a bakery owner out of her home and business, was not helping matters at all.

"I still can't believe you're doing this, Pop," Lionel complained to his father on this bright, sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-May.

"Lionel, you should be glad I'm doin' this. This could mean a lot of money for Jefferson Cleaners on down the road. And the more money my business makes, the more money you'll inherit someday when I'm gone."

"Didn't it ever once occur to you that there just might be some things in life that are more important than money? Like morals? Like doing the right thing?"

"I am doin' the right thing! Earnin' as much money as you can so that your family can live their lives in comfort is always the right thing!"

"Can it, Pop. You're not doing this because you want Grandma and Jenny and me to live in comfort. No, the only person you're doing this for is you. You want to open another cleaning store. You want another notch on your belt. This isn't about me or Jenny or Grandma or anybody but you. You and your ego. You're mad at this lady because she's fighting you; because she won't let you bully her into giving you what you want. You've turned this whole thing into a petty little contest that you have just got to win at all costs no matter what. You don't even care about what's right anymore. You don't care that there's a woman in Massachusetts who could lose her business and her home all because of you. You only care about winning the battle and coming out on top at all costs, no matter how badly it might hurt somebody else. You think that being a man is all about pride and ego. You think that being a man means winning all the time no matter what and that nothing else matters. But we both know that if Mom were still here, she wouldn't let you get away with this for a fraction of a second. Since we lost Mom six years ago, you really have forgotten what it means to be a man."

George instantly shot up from his seat, got up in his son's face, and yelled, "Get out! Get out now before I beat the crap out of you!"

In that instant, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" George yelled in the same furious voice he'd just used with Lionel.

In the following moments, the hearts of both father and son completely stopped as the doorknob turned and the most lovely lady in a wheelchair opened the door and wheeled herself inside. She was wearing a red dress and her hair and makeup were done to perfection, and both men were utterly stunned at the sight of her. Not only because of her beauty, of course, but because of the shocking fact that she was the wife and the mother that they had lost six years ago.

For the longest time, neither George nor Lionel could utter a word; all they could do was just stand there in stunned silence. It was all they could do to breathe. Finally, it was Louise who broke the silence. Looking directly at George, Louise said in the deep voice he'd yearned to hear for so long now, "Mr. Jefferson, I know that you're a very busy man, so I won't waste any time. I'll just come straight to the point. My name is Louise Wood, and I'm the owner of the Haven Lake Bakery in Haven Lake, Massachusetts."

George was far too shocked to even try to speak, but thankfully, Lionel was able to get his bearings a lot faster and really process what his mother had just told them.

"So…you are Louise Wood? The bakery owner?" asked Lionel.

"That's correct," Louise responded. "And if I may ask, who are you?"

"You don't know who I am?"

"How could I? I've never seen you before today," Louise told him.

"Uh…um…I'm Lionel Jefferson," Lionel stammered.

"Mr. Jefferson's son?"

"That's right."

"Oh, hello," Louise said kindly while holding her hand out to Lionel.

"Hello," said Lionel as he shook hands with his mother.

Louise then turned her attention back to George, and she said to him, "Like I was just saying, Mr. Jefferson, I'm just going to come right to the point. Six years ago, I was in a horrible accident. My legs were crushed beyond repair, and I received a terrible blow to the head. And when I came to in the hospital in Boston, I didn't have any memories of my life at all. The only thing I knew about myself was my first name. I had to start a brand new life from scratch. And I've done it. As hard as it's been, I've succeeded in building a good life for myself in Haven Lake over the past six years. After going through a long, painful recovery, I started a career as a baker, and ever since the previous owner of the Haven Lake Bakery died a year and a half ago and left it to me, I've been running it, and my two daughters and I have been living in the apartment on the floor upstairs."

"Your two daughters?" Lionel said in disbelief.

"Yes. I have two little girls, Melissa and Angie," Louise informed Lionel. She then turned her attention back to George. "Anyway, Mr. Jefferson, I was coming to a point. And my point is this: you don't want to mess with me. You may be a powerful millionaire, but if you try to push my children and me out of our home and if you try to take my business away from me, I won't hesitate to fight back."

"Don't worry, Ms. Wood. I promise you that my father won't touch your home or your business," Lionel quickly assured Louise as his eyes bore into his father's.

"I appreciate you saying that, but I want to hear it from your father," Louise insisted.

After a long pause, George, who was just barely processing everything that Louise had just told them, finally looked at her and said, "I'll stop everything. I'll talk to the local authorities in Haven Lake. I won't have them condemn your bakery. I won't touch your home. I won't touch your bakery."

"Do I have your word on that?"

"Yes," George whispered, fighting off tears. "You have my word."

"Thank you," said Louise, who was clearly very surprised that he had changed his mind so quickly. "Thank you very much, Mr. Jefferson."

"No, thank you, Ms. Wood," said Lionel. "Thank you for coming all this way."

"I'm glad we were able to get this whole dispute straightened out," said Louise.

"So am I," Lionel agreed.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll get out of your hair."

"Oh no, wait, Ms. Wood. Listen. Since we've put you to all this trouble, worrying you about your business, making you come out here all the way from Massachusetts, why don't you let my wife and me treat you to dinner tonight? How about it?"

"Oh, no. I couldn't trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all. Believe me, there is nothing we'd rather do than take you to dinner this evening."

"Well…alright. If you insist."

"I insist."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Just tell me where you're staying and Jenny and I will pick you up tonight at seven."

Louise then told Lionel what hotel she was staying in and afterwards, she and Lionel said goodbye and she left.

The instant Louise was gone, George began to collapse.

"Pop!" Lionel cried out, and then he quickly caught George and helped him to sit down. "Easy, Pop," Lionel said gently. "Easy. Easy. Just take it easy."

It took George several moments before he finally caught his breath, and when he did, he looked at his son with tears streaming down his face. "She's alive, Lionel," he gasped. "She's alive. I don't believe it."

"I know, Pop. I know," Lionel whispered.

"She's alive. She's really alive. Weezy's alive."

Lionel reached out and hugged George in that moment as he broke down into sobs.