Author's Note: After eight lovely days in Southold, New York, I'm back. Sorry for the wait.
Loveroffanfic- Keegan isn't exactly talking to the house, it's more like he's receiving images from the house. But your right either way it's kinda creepy. I'm glad you enjoyed Keegan, Mike and Maddie's bonding scene as well.
LadyJadePerenhil- Pete's blowup at Will was pretty Parkerish. And my you know me too well. There will be another blowup soon, a big one that will lead to fisticuffs, between two black files. And no it does not involve Alex. As for Morgan and Jarod's feelings about Will and Alley's relationships, you'll see a hint of it in the chapter and a bit more later on.
LizzieLionheart- There was a reason I had Pete blame, Will and not Aaron, or Andros. Unfortunately you won't find out why until much later, sorry. As for giving the boy's their own personality I'll work on it. Mike and Maddie's feeling about their new brother will be explored more in two more chapters. I have also include a few part with the more neglected Black Files. Toby and Terra actually will get to see a bit more page time, in a while. And light will be shed on how they feel about their father being dead, but their cousin's father is alive. Oh and you get your scene with Alex and Lyle but you'll have to wait 9 chapters.
CHAPTER 29
LESSON IN LOVE
November 21, 2010
7:37am
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
Jarod nearly ran over Morgan as he chased after Pete.
"Jarod what's going on?" Morgan asked her husband.
"Pete," Jarod replied, Morgan followed the pretender outside and the two searched for their son. They found him a few moments later atop an oak tree.
"What is it with you kids and trees?" Jarod asked his son.
"Go away," Pete sighed.
"No Peter, we need to talk," Morgan told him.
"Why. You're just gonna say how none of this is Will's fault and that I'm over reacting," Pete replied.
"You are," Jarod said as he proceeded to climb the tree.
"Don't come up here!" Pete shouted.
"Either you come down or I come up," Jaord told him.
"I'm not coming down," Pete replied.
"Fine I'm coming up," Jaord said and continued climbing the tree. Pete sighed and jumped down.
"There happy?" Pete asked.
"Very," Morgan said wryly.
"Good. Can I go," Pete asked turning to walk away.
"Peter Simon Vincent Russell if you take one more step..." Morgan threatened.
"You'll what?" Pete asked turning to walk around. "Hit me. Mom I doubt there is anything that you could physically do to me that would even compare to what they did to me."
"Pete baby I would never dream of hitting you. Well okay that's a lie, I might fantasize about swatting you every now and then when ever you start acting like a moody teenager." Morgan said.
"It their any other type?" Jarod muttered. Morgan shot her husband a look.
"But I would never, ever intentionally hurt you." Morgan told him.
"And neither would Will, and inside of you know you that. Will would die for you or any of the others" Jarod said
"I know," Pete mumbled looking down at his shoes.
"Good. Now why don't the three of us go back in. By now breakfast should be ready. I don't know about you two but I'm starving," Jarod commented.
"You're always starving Dad," Pete said wryly.
"That's because your father's stomach is a bottomless pit," Morgan told her son.
"I am standing right here," Jarod said frowning.
"Which makes it all the more fun," Pete teased.
"Peter before we go inside there's something else," Jarod said placing a hand on Pete's shoulder.
"Damn I knew this was going to come up," Pete muttered.
"Peter, watch your language," Morgan scolded
"Look Pete," Jarod said getting back to the subject at hand. "It doesn't matter to me who your biological father was. You are my son, nothing will ever change that. Okay?"
"Kay," Pete said.
"Good," Jarod said pulling Pete into his arms. "God you have now idea how happy I am to have you and your brothers home."
"I can take a guess," Pete replied.
November 21, 2010
7:52am
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
"Breakfast ready yet?"Jarod asked entering the kitchen.
"Almost," Will replied.
"Will you're back," Jarod said stunned. He didn't think that Will would returned until later that day.
"Only 'cause Jake and Jamie had to lecture him." Alley said as she entered the kitchen with a fully clothed Keegan, Jason, and Jack.
"Shut up Alley," Will said feeling his face flush.
"Hey Will," Pete said softly.
"Hey baby brother," Will replied smiling gently.
"So um, are we still going over to the manor today?" Pete asked unsure how to tell Will that he was sorry.
"Yeah. After breakfast, and maybe after I take a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night with me running all over Blue Cove like an idiot," Will said running a hand through his hair.
"Bloody hell, just say you're sorry" Keegan mumbled. Alley, along with Aaron, Alex, Andros, Mike and Maddie found themselves snickering.
"Keegan we don't use that sort of language in this house," Jarod told the boy. Keegan shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor, believing he was in serious trouble.
"You may not Dad, don't go speaking for the rest of us," Aaron said a smirk crossing his features.
"Aaron-Daniel," Jarod said frowning.
"Sorry, sorry I'll set a good example for Keegan," Aaron sighed
"Oh come on, like Air could set a good example for anyone," Andros teased.
"Ha ha little brother," Aaron said throwing a dishrag at Andros.
"Fifteen minutes Air. You're older than me by fifteen minutes," Andros said catching the dishrag and throwing it back at Aaron.
"Let it go," Alley said catching the dish rag out of the air and swatting both boys with it.
"Keegan are you okay?" Maddie asked her brother.
"I didn't mean to say anything bad," Keegan muttered. "It's just Alex was thinking it. And I could feel it in my head, and it just came out."
"He's an empath," Alex whispered in a sing-song voice.
"Keegan sweetie. No one's mad at you. Uncle Jarod just wanted for you to understand that it's inappropriate for sweet little boys like you to use those words," Maddie told Keegan.
"I'm not gonna be punished?" Keegan asked in a small voice. Jarod's mouth dropped realizing that what he had said had frightened Keegan.
"Of course not squirt," Mike said crouching down so that he and Keegan were eye level. "Now why don't we get you some pancakes?"
"Kay," Keegan said a smile of relief crossing his face.
November 21, 2010
9:21am
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
"Boys are you still up to seeing everyone else?" Jarod asked Pete, Jason, Jack, and Keegan.
"I'd like to met them," Keegan said softly in his English accent.
"Zane, Gabe, Pete, what about you three?"
"We don't mind," Pete replied, as Jason and Jack nodded their heads in agreement.
"It's settled then, once everyone is dressed we'll head over," Lex said, a part of him was excited about the rest of the family meeting Keegan.
"Um Alley and I might not stay the whole time, we have a few errands to run," Will said.
"Like what?" Morgan asked. By her tone of voice Will understood that his mother didn't care what errands he and Alley needed to run, there was no way they were going anyplace but the manor.
"Nothing important. Never mind," Will replied.
"Yeah we can do most of it on the internet anyway," Alley said.
"Well there is one thing I do need to do. I need to take a swing past the jewelry store," Will stated. All eyes save for Jason, Jack, Keegan and Alley's turned to look at Will.
"William what do you need from the jewelers?" Jarod asked a bit leerily.
"Dude you aren't going to... you know?" Aaron asked.
"He damn well is not he's only nineteen," Morgan said.
"Keegan that right there the perfect example on what type of language you should use," Maddie pointed out to her little brother.
"Alright hold the train, what drug are you people on? I have no idea what any of you are talking about," Will said holding his hands up.
"They think you're buying a Jamie a ring, genius," Alley said snickering.
"He's not?" Jarod asked.
"Of course not," Will said.
"Only 'cause he already bought one. It's a claddagh," Alley told everyone.
"Alyssa Winifred Russell you are so dead!" Will yelled jumping out of his seat and lunging at his twin. Alley nimbly leapt out of the way.
"Got to be faster than that big brother," Alley teased, and then set off at a run. "Catch me if you can Wonderboy!" she called over her shoulder as Will ran after her. The five Black Files who were sitting at the table ducked their heads in an unsuccessful attempt to hid their giggles.
"Will isn't really going to kill Alley, is he Mummy?" Keegan asked Julia.
"Of course not baby," Julia told her son, sending the other children a reproachful look as they laughed out loud unable to contain their giggles.
"Will isn't going to kill Alley, Key," Mike said between laughter. "He'll just try to hurt her a bit. Only thing is Will, will end up being the one to get hurt."
"Did any of you know Will bought a ring?" Morgan asked the children.
"No ma'am," Aaron replied.
"We did," Jason said softly. Morgan turned to look at her youngest set of twins in shock.
"When did he buy it?" Jarod asked the boys.
"A month before...before," Jack answered.
"He bought it when he took me and Jack to get fitted for our tuxes for Unca Chris and Aunt Debbie's wedding. We didn't miss it did we?" Jason asked.
"Of course not baby. The wedding isn't for another two weeks. Beside's Debbie and Chris weren't going to get married with out their ring bearers," Morgan told him.
"What's a ring bearer?" Keegan asked.
"To understand what a ring bearer is you need to know what a wedding is sport," Will said entering the room he had grass sticking out of his hair and small black marks all over his clothes. Morgan sighed at her son's appearance as Alley entered the room behind her brother a proud grin on her face.
"Alyssa, I believe we established the rule that you are not to set your siblings or cousins on fire," Morgan said.
"Sorry Momma," Alley replied not sounding the least bit sorry.
"What's a wedding?" Keegan asked Will.
"Something William won't be experiencing for quite a while," Morgan muttered under her breath.
'We're so talking about this later,' Will told his parents telepathically. "A wedding is a ceremony in which to people declare their love for one another. During the wedding the ring bearers -normally there is only one- bring out the rings which symbolize unity and never ending love," Will explained turning his attention back to Keegan. Keegan's face fell at the explanation.
"Keegan sweetheart what's wrong," Julia asked her son.
"I can't love. And one on will ever love me because I'm a pretender," Keegan whispered. Several forks clattered onto plates, and the children exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other. The mantra of a pretender being unable to love and to be loved had been forced feed to them when they were at the Centre. They had never really believed it but there was still a small part of them that did.
"Can I handle this one?" Will asked Lex and Julia. The two psychics nodded their heads. "Keegan that is not true, pretenders can love and be loved. I'm a pretender and I love" Will said taking Keegan's hands in his.
"What's it like to love, to ... be in love? How do you know?" Keegan asked. Will rubbed the back of his neck as he felt his face flush.
"Alright how do I explain this? Okay. There's this girl I love, her name is Jamie, you'll get to meet her later today. I realized I was falling in love with her when I was sixteen. I could barely go an hour with out thinking about her. Do you know how you feel when you have to present a sim and you get all nervous, your palms start sweating and your tummy feels funny, and you can't think clearly?" Will asked. Keegan nodded his head.
"Oh Will that was so sweet," Alley said trying not to laugh at the fact that her older brother just bared his soul for the whole room to hear.
"Yeah Will who knew you were such a romantic?" Aaron asked.
"Shut up," Will said his face turning redder.
"Oh look he's blushing," Alex said.
"Aww, Will you're so cute when you blush," Maddie told her cousin.
"God will people stop saying that," Will said burying his face in his hands. "Well um anyway that's how I felt every time I saw Jamie, I still do," Will said smiling fondly. "Did that help any?"
"Not really," Keegan replied bitting his bottom lip.
"Okay, let's try this then" Will said taking a deep breath. Will then placed a hand on either side of Keegan's face. The young boy tensed at being touched. "'S okay Key just relax. Close you're eyes and just relax," Will whispered. Keegan did as Will instructed. He then found himself feeling and seeing images, that he had never experienced.
An eight year old Will tenderly placing a kiss on a comatose Aaron, Alex, and Andros' heads
"You look like an angel. The name your father calls you suites you" eleven year old Will says in awe of meeting his mother for the first time his mother.
"Will don't look down when you speak. You have such beautiful eyes, don't hide them." Morgan says to her son -not realizing that he is hers- lifting his chin so that he was looking at her. Will's breath catches and his heart expands as tries so hard not to fling himself into his mothers arms tries not to tell her how much he loves her
"I love you three more than anything. And that's quite a feat because I've been told quite often that pretenders can't love." Will tells the triplets.
"I love you too, Will."
"And I love you, Alley." Will tells his twin as she lays dying. Keegan can feel both love and pain in this memory.
'Love can be painful,' Will tells Keegan at the memory of Alley dying.
Twelve year old Will walks to the front door, with great courage he manages to open it and there stands Alley. He pulls her into his arms and in that moment Will is over whelmed by the love for his sister whom he once thought dead.
Will getting to hold his baby brothers -Jason and Jack- for the first time. Once again he is over whelmed by love, the love he feels for the two tiny beings.
A sixteen year old Will's palms are sweating, he feels as though there is a fog around his brain, and butterflies are fluttering around in his stomach, as he holds out a single red rose to Jamie.
"I love you," he tells her and tenderly kisses her lips.
Will pulls away, and he and Keegan open their eyes. "See Key, pretender's can love," Will told the boy.
Up next- Keegan gets to meet the rest of the Black Files, and we learn that some one has been keeping a secret, from everyone that they love, for close to seven years
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