Disclaimer: I don't own Reba or their characters.
Note: As you could see from the title of the chapter, "episode 6x21" will be in two parts. So instead of nine chapters like I originally planned, the story is now going to be ten chapters long, but it will be still be considered nine "episodes."
Chapter Eight: Episode 6x21 – Second Chances (Part One)
Sunday quickly came and Reba had practiced what she was going to say to her children about getting back together with their father. She was mentally preparing herself for yelling and fighting, but knew that everything was going to be okay in the end—or at least that's what Brock told her. Reba wanted to believe that the kids would be alright with them getting back together, but she was still unsure. The words of Cheyenne telling her almost three years ago that her parents getting back together would be a disaster had plagued the redhead's mind that whole morning.
"Mom, Kyra told us about you and Dad."
Van tried to stop his wife from continuing the conversation by imitating bedspring noises, but Cheyenne smacked him on the arm.
"Ow!"
"All right, all right, all right. Stop it, both of you. That did not happen. And I can't believe you would think anything could happen."
"Why not? It's Dad going through this mid-life crisis, part two. Between him wanting to be a pro golfer and going to therapy and hanging around you all the time, Mom, things have gotten a little weird around here lately."
"Well that doesn't mean anything's going on between us."
"Good."
"Right." Then Reba was suddenly surprised by her daughter's answer. "What?"
"Yeah. You and Dad getting back together would be horrible. In fact, I think it's the worst thing that could possibly happen."
Van quickly put his thoughts into the conversation. "I'm neutral."
"Look, Mom, I did want you guys to get back together originally but once you got over it, you were so much happier. And now there's Barbara Jean, who I've actually grown to like."
Van opened his mouth and once again spoke his opinion. "Again, I'm neutral."
"Mom, you may think this is just about you and Dad, but it's not. Okay? It would change things for all of us. I don't want everything to fall apart again. We may be from a broken home, but at least it is still intact."
Reba knew that getting back together with Brock was going to send shockwaves through their whole family, but she couldn't stop feeling the way she felt. They loved each other, and Reba deserved all the happiness in the world after what she had been through in the past six years.
Just then Van and Cheyenne walked through the front door.
"Hey, Mrs. H. How's it goin'?" Van asked his mother-in-law while closing the door behind him.
"I'm fine." Reba got up from the couch and hugged her daughter hello.
"Hey, Mom. So what's the big, important news that you couldn't wait any longer to tell us? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's great. Where's Elizabeth at?"
"She's at Sunday school with Henry. They're throwing a huge party for the kids and we thought it'd be fun for her to go."
"Oh, yes, absolutely. I'm sure she'll have a ball at the church party." Reba paused for a moment and then spoke up again; butterflies were beginning to flutter around in her stomach. "Well, I guess I better get straight to the point as to why I asked you to come over this morning, but let me call Jake down here first. I want to tell you guys this news all together. Jake, can you come down here for a few minutes, honey?"
"Be right there, Mom!" then they heard his footsteps running through the house as he came down the stairs to the living room.
"What's up?"
The redhead gave her son a quick hug and led him to the couch. "I've got something that I need to tell ya and I wanted you down here to hear it. Van, Cheyenne, do you guys wanna sit down?"
"Uh, sure," Cheyenne said and she walked over to the couch with Van behind her. "You okay, Mom? Are you sure everything's alright?"
"Yes, now sit down and let me talk." The three sat down on the couch and eyed Reba as she stood in front of them by the television. "I don't wanna beat around the bush so I'm just gonna come out and say what I have say. Do you guys remember when I had that date with Jeff on Monday?"
"Yeah," Jake and Van said in unison.
"Well, I sort of didn't go like I led you all to believe."
"You didn't go?" Cheyenne asked her mother in confusion. "You mean you lied to us? Why would you do that? Why didn't you go? I thought you said he was a nice guy."
"Jeff is a nice guy, but there's a reason why I didn't go out with him."
"And what's that? Did Mr. H stop you from going or something?" Van said sarcastically and laughed.
When Reba didn't reply back and looked down at the floor, Cheyenne and Van suddenly realized that his joke was actually true. "Oh, my God. Dad stopped you from going on your date with Jeff?! Why would he do that? I mean, doesn't he want you to move on with your life and find someone new?"
"Apparently not because Brock told me that he's still in love with me."
Jake, Van and Cheyenne stood stunned by her words so Reba quietly continued talking. "At first, I thought he must have been going crazy and I told him that he didn't love me; he loved Barbara Jean because Brock has worked so hard to keep his marriage with her. Although he told me that his love for her wasn't the same like it was for me, and I tried to deny that I felt the same way about him, but I couldn't. I have loved your father with all my heart since we were in college and nothing could ever change that, not even his marriage with BJ. Now I'm sorry if you're all upset by this, but Brock and I truly do love each other, and we're getting back together. He's leaving Barbara Jean and we're going to be a family again."
(Over at Brock and Barbara Jean's house)
"Dad, why did you ask me to come over this morning?" Kyra asked her father with sitting down at the kitchen table. "I was going to go with my friends and see that new horror movie at the mall."
"I've got something important to tell you, that's why," Brock informed her and turned his head to see Barbara Jean coming into the kitchen.
"Kyra, what are you doing over here? Is everything okay?" BJ questioned her stepdaughter as she walked over to her.
"That's what I'd like to know. Dad asked me to come over here because he said he's got something important that he wants to tell me."
"About what, Brock? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, but I'm glad that you're here because you need to hear this too, Barbara Jean. I wanted to talk to both of you," Brock told his wife.
"Well can we get on with it? I've got other things to do today," Kyra said in bored voice.
Barbara Jean eyed the redhead and sat down with her at the table. "That is no way to talk to your father, Kyra. Now let's just listen to what he's got to say and then you can come with me to pick up Henry."
"Ugh!" Kyra complained and rolled her eyes.
"Go ahead, sweetheart." Barbara Jean turned her attention back her husband.
Brock suddenly got very nervous. He knew that he was about to break his wife's heart by saying that he's leaving her for his ex-wife, but also knew that it had to be done. If he wanted to be with Reba again this is what Brock had to do. "Barbara Jean, I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you and in our six years of marriage, I've grown to love you very much. You're one of my best friends, but there's something that you need to know—the both of you."
He suddenly stopped talking, finding it hard to say the right words to his wife and youngest daughter. "What is it, Dad?"
"I'm in love with someone else."
Barbara Jean's eyes widened with shock and she got off of her seat in a flash, just about ready to explode with anger. "You're in love with someone else?! What's the tramp's name? How long have you been sleeping with her? Do I know her? Oh, I swear to God, as soon as I see her face, I'm gonna make that tramp wish she was never born!"
"She isn't a tramp!" Brock yelled back at her. "She's the most amazing, incredible woman that I know and I love her with all of my heart!"
BJ was shocked to hear him sticking up for his mistress so strongly and was about to yell back at him when she was cut off by Kyra's yelling.
"You're cheating on Barbara Jean?! Didn't you learn anything from your divorce with Mom! How could you do this to us again, Dad?" The redhead teen got up from her seat as well, throwing daggers at Brock with the look in her eyes.
He quickly calmed down from yelling at his wife and tried to get them to understand. "Kyra, Barbara Jean, I'm sorry. I know that this comes to you guys as a shock, but it's the truth. I realized that I'm in love with someone else and I can't change that."
"Who is she, Brock? Who are you having an affair with?" Barbara Jean asked him, tears were just about to fall down her face.
"Yeah, who is she, Dad?" Kyra pressured him more for the truth.
Brock remained quiet for several seconds and finally answered they're question. "It's Reba. I've realized that I'm still in love with her and we've decided that we want to get back together. I'm sorry, but we're getting divorced so I can remarry Reba."
Barbara Jean's eyes became as wide as saucers and slowly walked up to her husband, slapping him hard in the face before running out of the room crying. Kyra stood there, motionless to hear that her parents were having an affair, and then run after her stepmom without saying a word to Brock after she saw her hit him.
(Back at Reba's house)
"You're having an affair with Dad?!" Cheyenne outburst in frustration to her mother and got off of the couch while Van and Jake had their mouths practically dropped to the floor in shock. "How could you hurt BJ like this? I can't believe you're tearing up our family again!"
"How could I? How could I! I was the one who got stomped on six years ago when your father left me for Barbara Jean! And now you're asking me how could I hurt her? Where was this kind of support when Brock broke my heart? Where was it, Cheyenne?"
"Mom, that is not fair and you know it. You know how upset I got when Dad left you. He left all of us! I never wanted him to do that and I did support you!"
"Yeah, after your father told you that it was mostly his fault to begin with."
The blonde began to calm down and tried to get through to her mother. "Then how could you still love him after everything he put you through? How could you risk putting yourself through that pain again? Dad left you for Barbara Jean because he got her pregnant when you two were separated and now you're saying that he's leaving her to be with you again. He's already made the same mistake twice, so what's stopping him from hurting you all over again, Mom? Do you really think Dad is going to stay faithful to you this time?"
"As crazy as it sounds, I do think he will remain faithful to me this time."
"Why?"
Reba was about to reply back when she quickly recalled something that Brock had told her before about their relationship.
"You know what amazes me, Reba?"
"The fact that you've been here a whole five minutes and you're shocked to see that I haven't kicked you outta here yet?"
"Yeah, but I was actually thinking about something else."
"About what?"
"About the chemistry we have."
"What chemistry?"
"C'mon, Reba, you know what I'm talking about. Don't try and deny it."
"Deny what? We're divorced. We haven't had 'chemistry' since we were happily married."
"Okay, whatever you say. I'll see you later. But you know, I think one of these you'll actually admit it…"
Reba snapped back into reality, a small smile formed on her lips. "I think it's something your father likes to call our undeniable chemistry."
"Your undeniable chemistry?" Cheyenne questioned her mother, looking at her like she was having a 'Barbara Jean' moment. "Mom, you and Dad are divorced. You can't go back to him. It would totally wreck our entire family and I don't want to see him hurt you again. I know that you guys were married for 20 years and have a lot of history together, but you're not the right one for him. You said so yourself on Dad's wedding day to Barbara Jean, remember? He betrayed you and broke your heart to be with her. Mom, please don't go back to Dad. It would ruin everything."
"So what are you saying? You don't want to find happiness and be with your father?"
"Of course I want you to be happy, but not with him. Dad doesn't deserve a second chance with you after what he did to you—no, for what he did to all of us! It took me years to forgive him for what he did to you, Mom and although I have come to forgive him for cheating on you with Barbara Jean, I don't think I'll be able to this time if he comes back to you again."
Van finally cut in between the mother-daughter argument and looked over to his wife, grasping her hands with his. "Cheyenne, I think you need to calm down. It's not good for the baby for you to be upset."
The blonde looked up at her husband and finally let her true feelings of the situation come out. "Well I'm sorry if I'm upset that my back-stabbing mother is willing to break up her own family in order to get her ex-husband back into bed with her!"
Reba's eyes widened with shock and was taken completely aback by her daughter's sudden loud outburst. "Cheyenne! I will not have you talk to me like that, I am your mother! Now I can understand if you're upset by what your father and I have done, but it's just like what you said when you told us Van got you pregnant back in high school. We're in love with each other."
Cheyenne looked at Reba in disgust. "And you think that's a good enough excuse? You've become Dad's mistress and now you're tearing up our family just like he did six years ago."
"We are not tearing apart this family, Cheyenne. We're trying to rebuild it and I want you to understand and accept that. Believe me, I never thought in a million years that your father and I would get back together because of what it would do to Barbara Jean and the fact that he hurt me so much before, but it still happened."
Reba took a moment to relax so she didn't raise her high blood pressure and then continued talking. "I don't know why or how this all happened, but maybe it was God's way of finally letting me have some happiness of my own. For the past six years, I have done nothing but solve everyone else's problems and give good advice. I watched my whole life fall apart and I still survived through it all. When the divorce was final, I was so afraid of being alone. And even though I got over that fear, the feeling has never truly gone away. I've tried to move on with other men like with Brian and Jack Morgan, but something always stopped me from going all the way with them, and I think a part of was your father. I never truly stopped loving Brock."
"Are you two going to get remarried, Mom?" Jake finally spoke up into the conversation.
Reba suddenly realized that the subject had never come up between her and Brock since they secretly got back together. With everything that had happened, she had just assumed that they would since he was leaving Barbara Jean to be with her again. And something deep inside told her that it was true. "Yeah, we are goin' to get remarried. Are you gonna be okay with that, Jake?"
"Yeah, but I don't have to wear a tux, do I?"
The redhead laughed and hugged her youngest child with delight that he wasn't mad at her. "Oh, of course not, honey. You can wear a suit, but I still want to see you wear a tie."
"Aw, man!" he groaned and Van laughed at him.
"That goes for you too, Van."
"Aw, man!" Van copied his younger brother-in-law and sat back down on the couch while Jake laughed back at him.
Reba smiled down at the boys and then looked up at her daughter again who was studying her. "Cheyenne, I know you're angry, but can you at least accept your father and I getting back together? After everything this family has been through in the past six years, don't you think we all deserve a second chance at a fresh start?"
Cheyenne remained quiet for a few more moments and then finally answered her questions. "Mom, I'm only angry 'cause I don't want to see you get hurt again and I don't want to see Barbara Jean get hurt too, but I've learned that things happen for a reason. So if you two are really getting back together, then I need to hear it from Dad that he swears he'll never leave you again. And if he does ever leave you again, then I'll kill him for you."
The redhead was so happy to hear her daughter say that she could accept them getting back together that she almost started crying tears of joy. Reba walked up to her daughter and pulled her in for a hug, which she returned and then the boys followed. The four squeezed together tightly and stayed that way for about a minute.
After they finally parted, Reba wiped a tear away from off her cheek and laughed. "So Brock's leaving Barbara Jean and we're getting remarried. Could things get any weirder?"
Suddenly someone came through the front door and said happily, "Hey everybody!"
Reba's eyes widened to see none other than Lori Ann in her house after almost five years and looked over to the kids. She saw that they looked just as shocked to see her and said out loud, "Apparently they can."
Good ending for the chapter, huh? Lol! Park Overall (Lori Ann) was probably my favorite guest star on the show so I just had to add her in here. Thanks again for reading!
Please review!