"So..planning a party for Kenneth...in one day..." Joseph looked at Abbie as she mulled over the three papers in front of her.

"Yep. I can't believe he is getting home a week early and didn't have the idea to call and tell us before the day before he arrives! Luckily we have many connections!"

"Maybe he doesn't want a surprise welcome back party." Joseph suggested.

"Surreee..." Abbie rolled her eyes and looked at him. "You restaurant will supply the food and cake, correct?"

"You act like I own the place."

"You're the head chief and the owners love you to death. I think you can pull some strings and get it done. We can host it here."

"This house is a mess."

"Move your boxes, then it wont be." She looked up at him again. "Sophie's coming to help and she is bringing along Andrew, so please be available to help if needed."

He sighed. "Why do I put up with you?" He threw his hands up in the air and left the room.

Abbie smiled and turned back to her papers. Meal down. Food down. Sophie was getting balloons on her way. Decorations- that would be Beth's department. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Jayden!" Rebeka called her son from the kitchen. He tumbled down the stairs soon after.

"Mama?"

"Aunt Abbie has invited us to go see Mr. Kenneth at his welcoming home party tomorrow. You will also be able to meet more of Mama's family, would you like that?"

He nodded his head and smiled. "I like Mr. Kenneth."

"How about, then, we go get some news clothes to wear for this party. You're barely fitting any of your clothes as of now. You seem to be through another growth spurt."

"Grow to be a big man, Mama." He smiled.

"Yes, grow to be a big man." She smiled and picked him up. "Lets go and buy some clothes and lets go out for lunch, where would you like to go?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know." She looked for a second. "Let me take you to Mama's favorite restaurant."

"Sophie, you really did a good job." Beth held her almost year old daughter to her hip.

"Abbie did a lot as well." Sophie grinned as she gave her a hug.

"Damn right I did, most of it anyways." Abbie swooped in. "Now he is due in like 30 minutes so figure out where you wanna hide and put your food into the kitchen." She moved in search of Joseph, he was in the kitchen getting a beer out of the fridge.

"Do you think that she will make it?" She whispered to him.

He looked at her. "She'll make it. Don't worry. She told she would. No matter how messed up Rebeka gets, she doesn't back down from things, no matter how uncomfortable."

"She ran away and changed her identity to get it away from things that made her uncomfortable and I just got her back here."

He sighed and took out his beer. "she ran away because of the emotional complications she had after Raul, not because she was uncomfortable or afraid. She was insane and couldn't handle seeing anything that reminded her of what happened. I would too if I was used as a human sacrifice for something. I don't think she is going to come before he arrives. She'll prob arrive late."

"To deal with everyone surprise all at once." Abbie mused.

"And to probably also not take away from all the hard work you and everyone put into this party. If she jumps out with surprise he won't notice anything other then her and Jayden."

"Why must she always think of other people. She needs to be selfish more often."

He raised an eyebrow as he opened his beer. "Your one to talk."

"I can be selfish when needed." She protested.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, love." He reached down and gave her a quick kiss before leaving the room.

"I told him he needs to pop the question soon."

Abbie turned to Beth who was leaning on the door frame. "Someday."

"Someday? The two of you need to get married soon. And then have kids so all of our kids can be around the same age."

Abbie laughed. "There is no way in hell my kid is going to be near in age to your daughter. If they grew up together we would be screwed."

Beth laughed as well. "That would Rebeka's kid." Her eyes turned dim at the mention of Rebeka's name. "You think that she is doing ok out there? She would be so proud of how far Kenneth has come."

Abbie prayed even harder for Rebeka to come. "Yes. I think she is and I think when she is ready she will come back to us."

Sophie came running in. "Kenneth hates us! He is just now pulling up into the driveway! We turned off all the lights in the rest of the house and people are already hiding! Come on!" She turned off the lights in the kitchen and they could hear her leave the room.

"Lets go!" Abbie found Beth's hand and pulled her out of the room.

"Tony. Joseph needed my help with what?" Kenneth looked to the man who had for some reason taken him to Abbie, and now Joseph's home.

"I think he is finally gonna pop the question, now that they are living together and everything." Tony put the car into park. "I think he needs our help on how to ask and everything."

"Why me?" He followed Tony out of the car and up the stairs to the front of the house.

"You asked that girl in college to marry you...and you are his best friend. He cares about your thoughts." Tony pushed the door open. Kenneth followed him inside.

"SURPRISE!" All the lights were thrown on, by Tony, as everyone jumped up and screamed.

Kenneth looked taken back and surprised until his eyes fell on Abbie. Of course she would get the surprise party done, no matter how he tried it to not happen.

He smiled. "Thanks guys. Now, wheres the food. I'm starving."

Joseph laughed and came up and clapped him on the back. "Welcome back man, its in the kitchen like normal. Made sure to make the best for you, man."

With Kenneth there, and after him being the first to grab food, the rest followed.

Kenneth, after done eating, took down the motion to hunt down Abbie and get her to a place for them to be alone to talk. However, she seemed to notice him and evade him by talking with large groups of people. Finally when she was on a trip to the bathroom, he took his chance.

"Listen, Abbie, since your here..." He was cut off as the doorbell rang. Noticing Abbie's eyes, he rushed to the door to open it. Maybe...just maybe...

Jayden was there. Dressed in a white shirt, black vest, and jeans. He wore a cowboy hat on his head.

"Mr. Kenneth!" He smiled. "Mama said to say, 'welcome back'.

"Is Mama here?" Kenneth lifted his eyes from Jayden to scan around

He nodded. "She parking the car."

"Jayden!" Abbie had made her way to the door as well.

"Aunt Abbie!" he moved to give her a hug.

Abbie met him in a hug and then picked him up.

"Dere she is!" Jayden pointed.

Sure enough Rebeka was walking down the pathway to the door, also wearing a black vest with jeans.

"I match with Mama!" Jayden grinned.

"Welcome back." Rebeka had made it to the doorway. She looked Kenneth right in the eye.

He loved that her hair was now blonde, her natural color, and she had it much longer then he had ever seen it. He soaked in her sight, since it had been basically a year since he had seen her. "You too." He whispered.

"You ready?" Abbie spoke to Rebeka.

Rebeka nodded. "Its now or never."

Abbie moved so that Rebeka could enter the house.

"REBEKA?" Sophie came flying out of nowhere and proceeded to hug the living daylights out of her cousin. "When did you get back? When did you change your hair? I love it! How have you been? Where have you been? I missed you so much that I hate you right now. But I also love you! I'm engaged to be married to Tony! We have a son whose almost two now! Julian and Sydney are married now. They couldn't make it to today because they are still on their honeymoon." She bombarded Rebeka with questions and statements before she pulled back from the hug.

Rebeka gave a small nervous chuckle. "This is not about me, Sophie. You're going to have to wait for another day for me to tell you everything." She pushed her hair out her face. "However, I would like you to meet my...she went silent for a second before she pulled Kenneth to her. "Our son, Jayden." She nodded to the boy in Abbie's arm.

Sophie went from shocked to anger to shock to happiness. "I knew the two of you would be together! I knew it! All the sign's pointed toward it!" She turned to Abbie. "You knew and didn't tell me?"

"My choice." Rebeka spoke again, one behalf of Abbie. "I didn't want you guys to know. I had things to sort out everything." She turned to Jayden. "Jayden, this is my cousin, Sophie. Her mother and my father were siblings."

"how old is..."

"Rebeka?" Beth had come into the room. "Is that, Rebeka?" She rushed over. "It is you!" She rushed back off.

"She is going to tell everyone now." Abbie sighed and put Jayden down. He moved closer to Rebeka. "Jayden, how about we go and meet your cousin, Andrew. He is going to be 2 soon which is close to your age. He has lots of legos to play with, do you like legos?"

Jayden nodded but didn't move from his spot next to his mother. Rebeka moved and picked him up. "How about we just go and meet everyone to get it over with, ok, Bud?"

Jayden nodded and Rebeka moved into the next room.

"She is a pro." Abbie sighed. "I always worry if I will make a good mother or not."

"You will." Kenneth turned and smiled at her. "You will."

"Who knew she would just go out and say that Jayden is your son?" Abbie switched back to her bubbly personality.

"Figures getting everything out in the open is just easier all the way around." He shrugged his shoulders.

Abbie laughed. "That Rebeka, so level-headed. Well lets go! I want to see her reaction when she sees the kids and Sophie's ring!" She moved off leaving Kenneth to his thoughts. All surrounding Rebeka.

Now Kenneth was on the move to find Rebeka and talk to her. But everyone had to speak with her for forever about her life and everything and she was still carrying Jayden around on her hip. He didn't know how she could hold a 3 1/2 year old for so long, it had been a least an hour since she arrived.

However, it was Rebeka who came to him.

"Jayden wanted to come hang with you, if that's alright." She put the boy down.

"Hi Mr. Kenneth!" Jayden smiled up at Kenneth.

Rebeka squatted down. "Mamma will be back ok, but you'll be ok with Mr. Kenneth right?"

Jayden nodded.

She stood back up. "I'll be back in a second."

Kenneth looked at Jayden. "Whats up, bud?"

"What Mama, said..." Jayden looked serious and nervous. "Are you my Dadda?"

"What?"

"She said I was our son, not my son, and she dook your hand." He raised his eyes from the floor where they had been. "Are you my Dadda?"
Kenneth sighed. "Yes. Yes, I am your father."

"Why you no tell me." Jayden looked hurt and upset.

Kenneth almost wished he had never found Rebeka because of the hurt on this little boys face. "Can I tell you a story?"

Jayden nodded.

"Come with me, where it is quiet." Kenneth led him to the stairway, no one was around and sat down next to him on the stairs. "When da...I was younger I made some bad mistakes and because of that I grew up to be a mean man. When your Mamma met me she didn't know that I was mean because I didn't tell her. I acted like a nice man and she grew to like me. But then she found out I was a bad man, although I was trying to be good because I ended up liking her to, and ran away. She didn't want you to be hurt by a mean man like me, she didn't know I had changed to be a nice man. She wanted to protect you."

"But you are a nice man now, Dadda?" Jayden looked at him with big eyes.

Hearing the word Dadda brought tears to Kenneth's eyes. "Yes."

"Den I love you, Dadda." Jayden reached for a hug and Kenneth was more than happy and willing to oblige.

Kenneth took the time to work on learning about Jayden. Rebeka showed up roughly 20 minutes after she left. "Did you guys have a nice talk?"

Jayden nodded his head. "Mama. I'm hungry."

"Then lets get some food." She reached for his hand. "Kenneth, do you want something?"

He looked startled and stood up. "Nah, I'm good, thanks."

She nodded and left with Jayden. But then soon came back, without him.

"Where..."

"Abbie took him, seems he is more comfortable now." She rocked on her feet and looked at her hands before she looked back at him. "What...I know you said that you didn't want to be a part of Jayden's life... and at first I was okay with that...but I don't think its fair to him at all...he did speak with you, correct?"

Kenneth nodded and moved closer. "He did."

"Well...would you like to maybe work out a schedule for you to hang out with him and get to know him?"

"I think I can live with that. He really is an extraordinary child. You did a good job raising him so far."

"Thanks." She glanced up at him. "I try my best."

"I like this new hair. Its your natural hair color right?"

She nodded. "Black was something I was trying...I don't think that it is me anymore. I'm past that whole stage and everything."

He nodded but then it was his turn to glance at his feet for a second. "Listen...I was hoping maybe...we could also go out and...to learn about each other and how life has been these past couple of years. I know that you may never feel as I do, but I would love for us to become friends."

Rebeka gave a quick laugh and took her hand in his, making him look at her quickly"Yeah. I think we can do that sometime." She looked up at smiled at him.

He smiled back.

Long chapter...sorry it took awhile to get up! School is a killer sometimes with homework and everything else. As always reviews and comments are welcome! Feel free to check out my new story: Dollhouse and comment and review as well to see how you like that one as well! Thanks again for everything! Peace