Ch. 25: Reconciliation

"Well Mr. Baker, we have your overview, but we'd like to hear from you. On paper it's one thing, but we like to hear it in person."

Julian looks at the group of people sitting in front of him. This was the moment that he could make a difference. He could tell a story that needed to be told.

"There are so many possibilities with these characters and each has a story that needs to be told. Just look at the main character. She has a loving family and she works hard in school, but she's fighting herself over the feelings that she has over a teammate."

One of the group members looks down at the papers in front of him.

"It says here that the main character is going to be gay. Do you really think it can make it on a network? Television today doesn't have main characters be gay."

"That's why I think that this is a great opportunity to change that. There is a possibility that viewers not turn in, but an even greater opportunity that more people do especially the LGBT community. But the way that all these characters are different it makes for really great storylines. The thing about all the stories that I can create will all hit close to home with viewers."

A different group member speaks up.

"Say that we ask you to write a script for the character coming out. How could you do it justice when you are straight?"

Julian smiles.

"My daughter isn't and she agreed to help write the scripts. Being that she is a New York Best Selling Author I think she'll do just fine."

The group members smile.

"So do we," another member says. "We're giving you the green light to write a pilot."

*Defying Gravity*

Julian runs into the house with a grin on his face. He spots his wife and son playing a card game at the table.

"They liked it. They gave me the ok to write the script."

Brooke puts her cards on the table to greet her husband with a hug and a kiss.

"What does that mean dad?"Aidan asks confused on what's happening.

Julian turns to his son with a grin.

"Well it means that I have to write a script for the pilot episode which is the first episode and then I send it to the board and if they like it I can begin casting and writing more episodes."

"Can I help?"

"We'll see buddy. I need to talk to your sister first about working together."

Brooke makes her way to the kitchen with a smile.

"Sam was supposed to spend some time with Jamie before he heads out. I'll call her and see if she's free."

Julian grins at his wife before heading to the front door when the doorbell rings.

"Thanks baby."

Julian opens the door and his eyes widen in response to what he sees behind the door.

"Mom, dad!"

Inside the house, Brooke drops a bottle of water on the ground when she hears her husband's words.

"Oh, crap!"

*Defying Gravity*

Sam hangs up her phone and sits down on the bed.

"Oh, crap."

Kelsey comes out of the bathroom adjusting her belt.

"What's the matter?"

Sam looks up from her hands.

"My grandparents are currently at my house…my parents' house. They are there together and my mother is begging for me to go to the house."

"I don't understand the problem. Just spend some time with them and then Jamie and then come home to me."

"They don't know," Sam says as she gets up from the bed and heads to the dresser to find something presentable to wear besides the sports bra and sweatpants she was currently wearing.

Kelsey freezes at her fiancée's words.

"They don't know what?"

Sam turns around and sighs.

"They don't know that I'm gay."

Kelsey scratches the back of her neck and sits down on the bed.

"I thought everybody knew. You told me everybody knew."

Sam shrugs her shoulders and pulls on a pair of jeans.

"Everybody that mattered."

Sam saw the hurt in Kelsey's eyes so Sam kneels in front of her and places her hands on her knees.

"I know you feel hurt and I'm sorry about that, but my issues with my grandparents are kind of huge and I don't have enough time to tell you because you have work, but I promise, I will tell you."

Kelsey leans towards Sam and gives her a peck on the lips. Sam smiles and stands up.

"If you need to borrow my gun let me know," Kelsey jokes as she leaves the room.

Sam stood and thought about it in serious detail, but she shook her head and laughed. She didn't want her future wife to arrest her. Besides she could stand a few hours with her grandparents. She hoped.

*Defying Gravity*

"Sylvia, Paul, can I get you anything?" Brooke asks unsure of what to do. Aidan was sitting in between his grandparents and keeping them entertained. Julian was leaning against the counter wondering why his parents were here and together nonetheless considering they had been divorced since Julian had been a little kid.

"No, thank you, Brooke," Sylvia says as she continues to listen to her grandson.

"I'm fine," Paul responds politely as he looks around the house.

Julia turns to his wife.

"I called Sam," Brooke states. "She's going to be here soon."

Julian nods his head.

"That's a good idea."

Brooke knew that it probably wasn't a good idea, but she needed someone in her corner. It didn't take long for Sam to arrive and when she did, the house turned silent.

"Keep talking, don't stop on my account."

Sylvia continues to talk with Aidan and avoids looking at Sam. Sam just rolls her eyes. She smiles at Paul and is surprised when she gets a slight smile back. Sam takes a seat in front of Sylvia and smiles. She knew her grandmother hated her. She wasn't going to make this visit easy on her. B

Brooke came out of the kitchen and sat on the arm chair of the couch that Sam was sitting on.

"Okay, I can't take this anymore," Julian stands in front of his parents. "What's with this visit?"

"I didn't know your mother was going to be coming," Paul states with a sigh. "Otherwise, I would've waited."

Sylvia chose to ignore the comment her ex husband made.

"I came to see my grandson. I haven't seen him in a long time."

Sam rolls her eyes. There's the first dig at her. Brooke turns to her husband to see Julian slightly glaring at his mother. He thought time would eventually dissipate the hate or unkindness his mother felt, but apparently he had been wrong.

"You have a granddaughter also," Julian retorts back.

Sylvia just ignores her son. Paul sighs quietly. This wasn't going to be good.

"Aidan, go play in your room and don't come out until I tell you."

Aidan looked confused, but did what he said anyway. His dad was mad.

Sylvia looked at her son and frowned.

"You didn't have to do that."

"No one can ever win with you, can they?"

"Dad," Sam whispers. Julian turns to her. "Just leave it alone."

Julian shakes his head and turns to his mother.

"Why do you ignore my daughter? Your granddaughter? Just tell me why."

Sam had learned the truth a long time ago. If her grandmother spoke up then she knew that her father would be devastated.

"She ruined everything for you!"

Brooke and Julian looked disgusted by the words they were hearing. Brooke looked at Sam. She could tell that Sam had heard those words before. Meanwhile, Sylvia kept on talking.

"You were on the fast track to an Ivy League school. You had the grades and the extracurriculars, but all of that vanished when you came home and told me that your girlfriend was knocked up with her. She doesn't deserve to be born. She ruined your life!"

"First of all, do not talk about my daughter like that and second of all, I was never going to an Ivy League school. That was your dream mom. That wasn't mine! I wanted to make movies and have a family and I achieved that. Did I expect that I was having a family in high school, no, but that didn't change anything."

"Juju."

Julian shakes his head.

"You've hated my daughter her entire life all because she ruined your dreams?" Julian scoffs. "Get over it and pick a new dream!"

Julian storms out of the room in a huff. He could barely look at his mother.

"Well, that was fun," Sam says sarcastically. "I've got to go and meet Jamie."

Brooke nods her head and accepts a hug from her daughter.

"Congratulations."

Sam turns around and faces her grandfather.

"What?"

"Your engagement," Paul states as he points at Sam's engagement ring.

Sam smiles as she looks down at her ring.

"Yeah, thanks. Kelsey and I are happy."

Paul smiles slightly and when she hears a gasp on the couch. Sam turns to face her grandmother.

"Yeah, I'm a lesbian. You can add that to the many reasons why you wished I wasn't born."

Sam leaves the house with a smile on her face as she walks down the porch steps. It was an amazing feeling when she had let the rest of her family know the truth about who she was.

*Defying Gravity*

"That is seriously messed up," Jamie comments as he passes the ball to Sam.

Sam nods her head and starts dribbling the ball.

"It makes me wonder how my dad became such a good dad with parents like that. It's the same with my mom. Her parents suck ass, too."

"My dad's dad was horrible and I feel like my dad is one of the best dads in the world. Uncle Julian is a close second."

Sam shoots the ball and smiles when it goes in.

"I think our parents learned how to become parents because they knew what it was like not to have them. Just like we get to know that we will be good parents because we have amazing role models."

Sam grabs the basketball and tosses it to Jamie. He shoots it in with a grin. Even though he played baseball professionally, he had played basketball as well. He was equally good at both sports. His true heart lied with baseball.

Sam takes a seat at the bench and sighs quietly, Jamie, understanding that Sam wanted to talk followed suit.

"What's going on?"

"I lied to Kelsey for a very long time and I feel really bad about it."

Jamie furrows his eyebrows.

"What'd you lie about?"

"She never knew that my grandparents didn't know that I was gay. It was never brought up and the last time I had even seen them I was like 10 years old. The last time they were in town, I was out of town and that was when mom and dad adopted Aidan," Sam shakes her head. "I didn't think it was important and I'm starting to believe that Kelsey thinks it was."

"Just explain it to her Sam. I'm sure Kelsey will understand. She loves you and you can overcome this."

Sam leans her head against Jamie's shoulder. Jamie smiles and wraps his arm around his friend.

"I really missed you James."

"I missed you, too, Samantha."

*Defying Gravity*

After spending some time with Aidan away from his mother, Julian walks into his kitchen and sees his mother sitting at the counter staring off into space. Julian goes to his bookcase, picks up a few books and goes over to his mother. He places them in front of her and waits.

Sylvia had heard her son approaching her, but chose not to do anything. She didn't feel like being yelled at. She looks at the books in front of her and then back at her son.

Julian points to the first book.

"This is my daughter's book. She's an author and she's a popular author and she's working on her next one. If she agrees, she will also be working with me on my television show that I am hoping gets more than one script." Julian points to the second book. "That's my AA book. Your son, the one who you had all those high hopes for is an alcoholic. It's no one's fault, but my own. You do have to understand that nobody is perfect mom. You were never perfect. Dad was never perfect. I am also not perfect. But the way you spoke about my daughter broke my heart. She's your granddaughter. I just don't understand how you cannot like her."

Sylvia pushes the AA book away from her put picks up her granddaughter's book.

"She took you away from me. It may sound pathetic, but you were all I had. Your dad left and I was a mess, but you were always there," Sylvia looked into her son's eyes. "I was jealous and that makes me really pathetic. I was jealous of a baby. I can't look at her because I'm ashamed of myself. I've said some horrible things to her that I regret. She doesn't deserve me looking at her, but I'm proud of my granddaughter and I'm proud of you, both you and Brooke."

Julian looks at his mother in surprise. It had all made sense. All of his mother's actions finally made sense to him. His mother never had hate in her heart except when it came to his father. His mother was ashamed.

"Mom, I know my daughter and if you just explain to her what you just told me then she will forgive you. She's got an amazing heart."

Sylvia looks at her son.

"I can't do that. I could barely say it to you."

"You owe her mom," Julian explains softly. "It doesn't have to be right now or this week, but Sam deserves it."

Sylvia wipes at her tears and nods her head.

"I'll try and now we can talk about your addiction."

Julian groans. He did not feel like be scolded like a five years old.

*Defying Gravity*

"So, I feel really bad," Sam says as she and Kelsey start cleaning off the table from their dinner.

"What do you mean?" Kelsey asks as she rinses of the plates in the sink and getting them ready for the dishwasher.

Sam leans against the counter.

"I never told you the truth about my grandparents. It's just that they haven't really been in my life. The last time that I saw them I was ten and when mom and dad adopted Aidan and they came out. I wasn't here. It was just easier. My grandma didn't want me to be born. She told me I ruined her son's dreams."

Kelsey wipes her hands off on a towel and wraps her fiancée in her arms.

"I'm sorry. It's really not a big deal and I apologize if I gave you the wrong idea in the morning. You came out to your parents and the ones closest to you and that is enough and besides we don't need anyone's approval anyway. We are getting married and I for one can't wait to call you my wife."

Sam grins and captures Kelsey's lips for a kiss. A knock on the door stops Kelsey and Sam before things got to passionate. Sam pulls away with a grin.

"I'll go get it, but hold that thought."

Sam walks towards the door and opens it. She sees her grandmother standing there looking nervous.

"Grandma, what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Sylvia asks softly.

Sam opens the door wider and Sylvia walks through it. Kelsey raises an eyebrow at Sam. When Sam mouth grandma, Kelsey's eyes widen.

"Um, I'm just going to ah, leave you two alone," Kelsey announces. She grabs her keys off of the hook by the door. "I think I'll go see some old friends."

Sylvia turns to Kelsey.

"It was nice informally meeting you."

Kelsey smiles and nods her head before leaving the apartment.

"Um, do you want anything to drink?" Sam asks as soon as the door to the apartment closes.

Sylvia shakes her head.

"No," Sylvia opens her bag and pulls out a worn out book and hands it to her granddaughter. "I was wondering if the author can sign it for me."

Sam grabs the book and laughs quietly.

"This isn't new," Sam comments as she looks at her book.

"I don't hate you. I was jealous of you because Julian became a man sooner than I wanted him to. It was good thing of course, but when it happened it made me realize that he didn't need his mom anymore. I couldn't look at you or acknowledge you because I felt horrible with myself for thinking those horrible things. The truth is that I am very proud of you and I'm proud of this family. I know that I can never really make up for all the things that I have said to you, but I just want to start by trying to fix the things that I've done. You are my granddaughter, Samantha, and I love you."

Sam drops her book on the table and wraps her arms around her grandmother.

"Oh, Sam," Sylvia cries out softly. "Oh I am so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sorry."

Sam pulls away and Sylvia wipes away her granddaughter's tears.

"No more crying. We are Baker women, we are strong," Sylvia sniffles.

Sam sniffles as a smile forms on her face. She grabs the book of the counter and opens it as she looks around for a pen. Sam spots one lying on the table in the living room. She grabs it and starts writing in the book.

After signing it, she hands it back to her grandma with a smile.

Sylvia opens it up and smiles at what she sees. She spots her granddaughter's name, but she smiled because of what was written above it.

I forgive you