A/N:

Here it comes. Slowly. I'm actually moving outta my mom's house, it's me growing up and all, so I don't know when I'll have time on my hands to write any of my stories. That, in a word, sucks but hey, girl's gotta grow up eventually no matter how much that sucks. Who the hell invented the term "paying rent" I ask you? What's up with that? Eatable or DVD-buy-able money for a goddamn rent! Please!

If I've messed with the years or something, I'm sorry, I was slightly out of my mind when writing this chapter, because of my driving test. Don't you just hate the fact you have to wait till you're 18 till you can get your license here and that I've been 18 since the beginning of this year and I STILL haven't gotten it? Call me lazy, ok?

Anyway, big thank you's go to Jewel, Panda, Sassy, Krazypirategurl, unfolddream, saint's hands, SHADOWALKR & Jalna for the support ) Reviews keep my muse happy, so you know. Hope I didn't forget anyone!

A word of WARNING for those who don't like Madison/Ephram. You have been warned. There. Aren't I adorable?

Chapter 2

Delia loved mornings. When she had been little, she had always hated waking up because it meant she had to stop dreaming, but nowadays she truly loved both waking up and the mornings. They were magical moments when she had time only for herself and to no one else. Still, it was what happened after the whole waking-up part that she didn't like all that much. It was called "life".

Whenever she had time, this what she did. Came out to sit on their veranda with a mug of coffee and folded paper sitting on the wooden table next to her. She was still wearing her pajamas and therefore she always took a blanket to wrap around her delicate body with her. And so she just sat there enjoying of the warmth the blanket brought watching how people came out of their houses, stepped into their cars and went to work. Started their normal, boring days like every day before it. It comforted her somehow, knowing that she wasn't the only one who had been forced to accept the dull routings of every-day life, but it also made her sad. Most of the time it seemed like it was what these people really wanted and that made it different. It wasn't something she had wanted.

Stop with the self-pity already and get a grip, she told herself, but like usually, it had no effect on her. Just words spoken without saying them out loud. Words that meant nothing when there wasn't anyone else telling it to her; making her listen to them. It wasn't like her to feel this lonely and depressed all the time, but every now and then a feeling of longing hit her. What was she longing for? She wasn't sure if it was freedom and different kind of life, or just simply someone instead of something.

She took a sip of the hot, black coffee before placing it back to where it belonged trying to cheer herself up. Just when she was about to take a hold of the paper, the door opened and Andy walked out with a mug of coffee of his own. She pulled her hand back watching how he closed the door behind him and breathed in the refresh scent of the morning. Andy had always loved mornings, too, but just for other reasons. In New York with morning had always come his work and with the work came the respect. He wasn't bitter, but boy things surely had changed

Turning to look at his daughter, Andy tilted his head. "I thought I might find you here", he said with an affectionate smile on his lips. Delia returned the smile hoping he wouldn't spot the sadness in her eyes. Usually he didn't. It wasn't because he didn't love her, but because he always assumed Delia had her life figured out. She didn't bother straightening the facts when everything was so much more easier like this. The last thing she wanted was her father to feel sorry for her.

"You know me and my habits, dad."

Andy let out a small, loving laugh and nodded. He sure did. Sitting next to Delia, he sipped his coffee before he said: "Your brother called me yesterday. You came so late I didn't have it in me to stay and wait for you."

"You're getting old, dad", she replied laughing.

Elbows on his knees, he leaned forward and glanced at her while playing with the mug in his hands. "Could be."

"So, what did Ephram say?" Delia's face was more serious now, though it still held a hint of amusement, "How's Maddie and the kids doing?"

How long had it been since she had last seen her brother? Delia couldn't spot the exact date; it felt like eternity. God, she missed him and his whole silly family so much that just thinking of them was bringing tears into her eyes. They had meant to come to Everwood last Christmas, but Elijah, their oldest son had had fever. Madison, who had become Mrs. Brown few years back, had wanted to come anyway but in the end, she had agreed with Ephram that it was best for their child to recover in his own bed.

Davy was their second child, born two years after Elijah. He had just turned 8 and as much as Delia had wanted to fly to New York to give him his present in person, she couldn't. Instead of going, she had sent him a DVD package with a long, long, long letter. Davy was just like his father in so many ways, only when Ephram's passion had always been manga and music, Davy's was movies and music. Violin, to be exact.

Then there was Mallory, their younger daughter aged 5 and she was the sweetest child Delia had ever met. Angelic, blonde curls she had gotten from her mother, no doubt about that one, but the blue-green eyes were definitely from her father. She reminded Delia of herself when she was little; maybe that was why she felt such a strong connection with the little one.

There was nothing wrong with Elijah either, though at times he still gave his father hard time. Although he didn't remember the time when his mother had given birth to him and taken care of him alone, he had heard about it more than it enough. He had heard how his father had stayed in Everwood with someone called Amy and even though Madison had tried to explain his son that what had happened between her and Ephram, wasn't Ephram's fault, the boy refused to believe it. Someone had to be blamed. Things had just got worse now that he was becoming a real rebelling teenager and had to take out his frustration on someone.

"Earth to Delia? Honey, you haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Andy's amused voice brought cut Delia's thoughts. "What? Oh, I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts."

"I noticed. Anyway, I was just saying that they're coming here, the whole lot." Andy couldn't help but notice how Delia's eyes lit the moment he said that. More and more often she sat home alone with a dark expression on her face when she thought there was no one there to witness it. Although, Andy had noticed she didn't spent that much time at home anymore. She was always somewhere. She said she was working, or at friends or somewhere, but too often she came home in a condition he didn't want her daughter to be in. So completely drunk that all she did was crawl into the toilet and stay there. Lately all her working hours had seemed to be after 20.00 too, which made him worry. She didn't want to talk about work at home, said she got enough of it as it was, and he had respected her. It didn't, however, stop him from worrying. There was only so much he could take and that limit was about to be crossed.

"Oh my god, when are they coming?" She sounded so excited, so glad that Andy's smile couldn't have been wider. "In a few days. They'll just sort out everything before they can come." Andy paused before he added, "You know, Ephram told me Bright's in town too."

Bright? Bright Abbott? Delia's eyebrow rose questioningly. "What, he is? Weird, no one's said anything to me." The Bright Abbott no one had seen for two, three years? Wow. She didn't blush anymore when someone mentioned his name, but she did feel the same old twinge hit her belly. He had been so in love with Bright for years and years when she had been younger. Bright had probably known about her childish crush, but had been too polite to tease her about it. Things had changed, she knew that, but still she felt somewhat embarrassed every time she heard someone talking about him. Bright had probably forgotten all about her anyway, so she didn't know what the big deal was, but still…

"Well I doubt it's any of your business, dear, so why would they have told you?" Andy noted and got up yawning. He was already late from work, but usually it didn't matter. If he wasn't there to take care of a little flu, Harold was. They did share a practice, did they not?

"In a place this small, everything's everyone's business, dad", Delia sighed before changing the subject, "have fun at work, will you?"

"Done. You too." He was already stepping over the threshold, when he stopped and cast a curious glance at her direction, "I take it your hours start before I come home but end after I've gone to bed?"

Delia nodded, laughing softly. "That's the way it goes."

The day had started nicely. Too bad it hadn't continued the same way.

Bright sighed. Alright, fine, admittedly he was happy to see his friends again and appreciated the fact they had wanted to take him out to 'have fun' as they put it, but truth be told… it was the first day of his vacation and he had wanted to spent it with his family enjoying the peace and quiet. Actually, he had wanted to spent it just with Amy and Tiffany to be more exact. He had nothing but warm feelings for his parents, but Amy had always been the closest one to him. The one who had believed in him and supported him. And as for Tiffany, he adored his niece more than anything. He had wanted to talk with Amy, hear how she was doing and just be with her.

You never get what you want, do you, Abbott? He shook his head as an answer to his own unspoken question.

Sad fact was, that it had been Amy who had said she would not let her brother rot inside the four walls when he should have been enjoying his time off. "You listen to me, bro, and listen good", she had said with an index finger pointing at him. Man, when had Amy grown so tall and scary? "You're going out even if I have to drag you out of this house and push you into the car. We have all the time we need to spent together as a family, but first you need to go out have some quality time with your gang, ok?"

How was he supposed to answer back to that? Hell, Amy had been very goal-directed. Kevin, one of his old team mates had called earlier. He had heard Bright had come home and wanted to gather the old bunch and do something 'mind-blowing' as he had said. When Bright had said he didn't feel like going out today, Amy had grabbed the phone and assured that Bright indeed was going out.

So, there he was. Out.

Weird thing was, Harold had also agreed with his daughter saying Bright should go meet his old friends that he hadn't seen for years. "You've worked too much son", he had said, "you look like you could use a break. So go, do your thing and have fun."

He tried to swallow the yawn, but someone caught it. "Come on, dog, cheer up", Kevin cried over the noise punching his arm, "check out the place, dude. Did you not notice there's half naked women dancing around the place?"

Oh yeah, he had noticed that. "It's looking good", he replied trying to sound as excited as the other guys were, but the simple truth was he wasn't. Please, he had seen naked women before. Enough for one life-time, really. It was a woman, well, women in general that he had escaped to home to begin with, so another pair of legs was hardly what he wanted to see. Still, he forced himself to look up to the stage just to make his friends feel better. He didn't want to seem all unappreciative since they meant well, after all, and it wasn't their fault he wasn't the same guy he used to be.

Some things change, some don't. Some people grow up… he glanced at his barking and whistling team mates… some people don't.

"The next show's my favorite", Timothy muttered gulping down his beer, "made us promise we won't tell anyone back home she's here." His eyes flashed with something one might have called lust as he continued speaking, "We gotta call her Dana when she's on stage though… says it's her show name. Doesn't want her daddy knowing about all this, I bet." The guys barked with laughter in unison. Something obviously amused them, Bright just didn't know what it was. What the hell had Timothy just said anyway?

The answer came very clear to him the minute his eyes moved to meet the dancing girl.

Say, wasn't that… he blinked, shocked… Delia Brown?

A/N: There goes our predictable chapter, but what happens after? Mwuahahhaahaha.