AN-you must have thought I had abandoned this story. No you aren't that lucky. I just kept losing what I wrote.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Babysitters club or any thing associated. Those are the property of Ann M. Martin and Scholastic.
"What are you doing?" Kristy asked Sam bluntly, the moment the girls were out of earshot.
"What I should have done six years ago." Sam said, looking his sister in the eye.
"Are you just trying to go back to before all of this happened. Because it did and it is not fair to Stacey if you are just using her to erase your past." Kristy said, she wasn't known as blunt for nothing.
Sam rolled his eyes, but held his temper. He knew he deserved some of this. And his sister, though blunt, was just saying what she was thinking because she loved both of them… "Stacey and I already talked about this. It is a fresh start for both of us, but we are using what happened as a foundation."
"Sounds too good to be true." Kristy said, under her breath. "Okay. "She said, aloud, "fair enough."
She smiled and punched his arm. "So this is why you have been so happy for the last few months, huh."
Sam nodded. "We wanted to keep it quiet until we worked out our own issues. But I think we are close enough that this is good." He quirked his lips. "You know that neither Stacey nor I are good at big reveals."
Kristy nodded, relaxing a bit. She loved her brother and Stacey, and she thought her brother at least had been happiest when he was with Stacey. She complimented and challenged him. At the same time, they weren't teenagers anymore and she hoped that her brother and Stacey weren't just trying to return to an easier time of their lives through this relationship. Both of them had had a rocky few years.
She sighed, there was nothing she could do yet except wait and see…. And challenge both of them.
Kristy sidled up to where Mary Anne and Claudia were interrogating Stacey. "So Samuel Bradley Thomas…"
Stacey nodded, blushing. Sam, wisely, stayed to the side to allow the friends to chat.
"I am sorry I didn't tell you, but we aren't thirteen anymore... I had to put trying out a relationship with Sam again first."
"Then you felt guilty so you told us you and Brad broke up." Mary Anne said, with her 'mom' voice.
Stacey chuckled.
"Okay." Claudia said, a few minutes later. "Let's go back to our lunch. Stace, we won't spy."
Kristy opened her mouth to protest but, Claudia and Mary Anne dragged her away.
"Kristy, we really aren't 16. The only reason our friendship has even survived this long as we have grown up is that we have evolved. Let. Stacey. Have. Her. Space." Mary Anne said.
"Definitely more assertive." Kristy mused, giving into Mary Anne.
Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia continued their lunch with only a few looks at Stacey and Sam though they spent most of their lunch gossiping about it.
"Stacey is good for Sam." Kristy remarked. "Though I haven't known why I have seen a real change in him the last two months.
"And Sam is good for Stacey." Claudia said, slightly unexpectedly. "We all know she needs more fun in her life as well as stability outside of work."
Kristy and Mary Anne knew that Claud was talking about a person to rely on and shared They were all there for her, but it wasn't the same as a parent or boyfriend. Maureen McGill had died in a freak accident just after Stacey had finished her first year of school and Stacey's father had been basically MIA since he got a job in San Francisco. Since Maureen's death which had unluckily happened in the same year she and Sam had had their big break up.
They moved on from the moment. "How is Duncan?" Kristy asked Mary Anne deliberately changing the topic.
"All right." Kristy said, fifteen minutes later. "I gotta go back to work. See ya ladies next week."
"Bye KT!" they all yelled.
Kristy ran back to the office her mind once again on her work. Without Karen to care for, she could really spend some time on making sure that Thomas Advertising was ready for its debut. It had Kristy's name on it and as such it needed to be perfect. At the same time, TE was having some issues that Kristy wanted to make sure she addressed.
"You didn't go home at all, did you?" Jayden asked, slightly dryly as he came in the next morning."
"Too much to do." Kristy said, wiping sleep away from her eyes. "I have four meeting scheduled for this morning. 3 for TE and 1 for TA. I am taking the interns out to lunch. What is the RSVP count for that, by the way?"
"Five out of ten. Not bad considering we had three interns who are studying out of state.
Kristy nodded. "And the reservations are all set?"
"Yes. The corporate card is on file and the wait staff has been told you have to be in and out in an hour."
Kristy smiled. "Thanks, Jayden."
Jayden sighed with affection as his boss went back to work.
Kristy enjoyed going to lunch with her former interns. They were strong and motivated people. She liked to think some of that was because of her internship program.
She almost got behind schedule, staying for an hour and a half rather than an hour. She smiled to herself as she walked to her office. She wanted to be sure to poach at least three of those students.
"Sure ma, I will be at dinner tomorrow night." Kristy said, sleepily, two days later.
"Gotta go." Kristy said, spying the CEO of TE's chief supplier in the hallway, five minutes early for their appointment.
Kristy summarily forgot about the dinner invite as she got embroiled in the TE supply chain issue.
The next day, Jayden passed Kristy a message as she ran between meetings. "Be at dinner. Bringing Stacey. Need moral support. Sam."
Kristy chuckled and balled up the note and tossed it as she went into her 2 PM meeting. She should have known that her brother would feel the need to announce his relationship to the world.
She came back from that meeting satisfied with the result and buried herself in paperwork. The next thing she knew…
"Kristin Amanda Thomas!" A shrill voice came over her voice mail. "I know you are there. pick up!"
Kristy groaned, lifting her head. she looked at her watch and winced. She picked up the phone fast. She must have fallen asleep while looking over some term sheets and financing charts.
"Sorry mom." Kristy said, her tone heavy.
Elizabeth Brewer's voice immediately calmed down when she heard the exhaustion in her eldest daughter's voice. "Sweetie, come home. Get some rest."
"Yeah." Kristy said.
"Sam is going to kill me." She thought. She could just hope they hadn't done the big reveal without him otherwise she would never live it down.
Kristy drove fast down the very familiar streets until she found her warm and inviting home on McLelland Street. She got out of the car and raced inside. Her mother hugged her. "You are working way too hard."
Kristy smiled. "Love it though." Kristy said.
Her mother sighed, but relented. "Come and eat now though."
Kristy ignored the daggers her brother shot at her as she sat down, and took the food her mother gave her.
After dinner everyone looked at Sam, telling Kristy he had warned everyone he had an announcement. "First of all, I wanted to thank you all for standing by me and helping me through the last few years. It has been rocky. But I hope you all will agree that I have been doing better. I have a job I have held. A path I am on. And the person that is helping me with that is my girlfriend of a month."
Kristy watched as everyone tensed. She knew they thought getting in another relationship was dangerous for Sam. She was worried about that herself.
Sam put a smile on his face and said. "I am dating Stacey… Stacey McGill."
Kristy watched as her mother sat down. "I… I am happy for you.' She said, not entirely sincerely.
"All right. Umm… I gotta get up early tomorrow." Sam said, obviously deciding to make an escape.
Everyone got up to bid Sam farewell. "Sam… you and Stacey come for dinner sometime early next week."
Sam knew that was his mother affirming him and what he said. He smiled. "I will ask her when she is free. Thanks, mom."
Charlie caught Kristy's eyes, worried.
Kristy sighed. She knew from the fact that Charlie didn't race after Sam, with Sammy following him to catch him, that Sam had talk to him first.
Kristy sidled up to Charlie. "So, you knew?" He asked.
"Found out by accident a few days ago. You?"
"I have known for a few weeks." Charlie admitted. "I was really worried at first. But I do think that this is good. Stace is good for him." He sighed and turned away from his sister. "I am just worried about a break up. You know as well as I do that Stacey and Sam burn hot and heavy. Have a passion for each other and then fight like crazy. Sam will spiral again if they break up."
"Not to mention Stacey. I don't think it is a coincidence that she hasn't had a serious boyfriend since Sam." Kristy said, frankly walking to the other side so Charlie was facing her again. "So, this is this is either really good for both of them or is going to lead to loads of heartache."
Charlie smirked. "So sayeth the blunt lady."
"So sayeth the blunt lady." Kristy agreed. "the blunt lady who knows both parties."
Charlie looked back and said, "I am going to go and see Ma. I think she is freaking out."
Kristy put her hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You and I both know I will be able to calm her down better than you can. Plus you should get back to Sammy."
Charlie smiled at his sister who watched him leave, putting his arm around fiancé Sammy. Kristy liked Sammy partially because of this. She was calm, devoted to Charlie, and never demanded that he spend less time with his family even though as a 2nd year resident he didn't have much time to begin with.
Kristy watched her brother talk briefly with Watson before leaving. She shook her head and then walked forward. She knew precisely where her mother would go… she walked to the patio where her mother sat, staring at the Garden. "Ma. This is a good thing. Not a bad thing."
"Kristy… you should sleep."
Kristy gave her mother a look. "Ma…"
"Your brother is emotionally fragile and you know it. I am just scared that he is going back to a glory past and when the two of them realize it… most likely Stacey realizes it as Sam will be happy enough to live in this glory past… And that will break him."
Kristy paused, silent as she considered what her mother said. "We just have to trust them." She said, feeling proud of herself, at the same time the words burning in her mouth. "And be there to catch them both. Because I love Stacey too and Sam could hurt her just as bad."
Kristy remembered her last few attempts at intervening.. she had even tried to but in on Stacey's choice of a prom dress when the relationship was unraveling. It was going to kill her but she was going to prove that she had learned from that experience by staying out of it and just being a shoulder she would be more helpful than if she tried to interfere.
Elizabeth smiled at her daughter. "Kristy is growing up, huh?"
"Kristy has learned from her mistakes." Kristy said, smiling.
Watson came over just then, and Kristy got up. Watson could take it from here. He looked calm which meant that he had worked all this out himself.
"See you soon, okay?" Elizabeth asked. "Rest up."
Kristy smiled, laughing slightly, knowing she wouldn't ease up for at least a few years or until she was forced to do so.
When Kristy looked back at h er mom, though, she saw that Elizabeth was smiling proudly and winked at Kristy.
Kristy got caught up with her list and started walking out when she heard a small, "Hey."
"Hey, Andrew." Kristy paused.
"Never a dull moment in this family huh?"
"Never." Kristy wisecracked.
Kristy sized up her youngest brother fast. "what's up youngest Brewer?"
Andrew pulled out his report card with a grin. Kristy laughed and high-fived him.
"Thought you should be the first one to see this. I am gonna give Dad and Elizabeth a heart attack."
"Always knew you could do it."
Kristy paused for half a beat but then decided to live up to her name. "I always knew you could do it. Go the Charlie route, not David Michael. Somehow David Michael can always not study but pull out good grades at the last minute…."
"And I can't. I know." Andrew said, his expression warning Kristy not to push it.
Kristy gave her brother a smile, whatever everyone said she had learned over the years…. "So, how was the vacation with Lisa and Seth?"
"Wonderful." Andrew said, his expression clearing again.
"Good." Kristy said, reaching up and ruffling Andrew's hair. "Have fun tomorrow. Don't let Watson talk you into one of his projects."
Andrew laughed and waved good-bye as Kristy walked out to her car.
Kristy ran down her mental list fast as she kept walking out the door, raising her hand in a final farewell.
The next day Stacey called her in the afternoon. "Hey. Do you want to grab a coffee?"
"Sure." Kristy said, knowing it wasn't going to be a pure coffee. Kristy ran through her PDA. "Perfect. Now works best, I have a four PM meeting."
"I can meet you at the Starbucks by your place." Kristy raised an eyebrow. Stacey had to have predicted her response or just been so nervous she decided to come down just in case.
"See ya in fifteen." Kristy said, her tone slightly dry, grabbing her purse from under her desk.
"Jayden, I am stepping out for an hour." She called as she walked by his desk.
"Yes, ma'am."
Kristy went outside to the Starbucks and saw the blonde looking out, a trendy scarf around her neck. Kristy also recognized the dress she was wearing as one of her own productions.
"Hey." Stacey said, softly, pushing a Caramel Machiato Kristy's way.
"Thanks." Kristy said.
"So." Kristy prompted a minute later when Stacey didn't say anything.
"How did the family react?"
"Before we get to that, Stace, have you thought this through? I remember what the last break up with Sam did to YOU. And you have to admit, you are not at the most emotionally stable right now. For crying out loud, you still haven't sold your mother's house or car! Especially the car…"
Kristy winced when Stacey recoiled as if slapped. She toned down her language. "Stace, you know what I mean… you had an even bigger support system last time and it took you ages to get over him the last time. are you going to be okay?"
"Yes." Stacey said. "But I will need me friends."
Kristy rolled her eyes. 'Stace, you know we are all here."
She raised her hand, forestalling Stacey's next comment, "You know I love you. That is the reason I am here asking you not Sam. I am worried about YOU as well as Sam."
Stacey smiled, though Kristy saw she was still struck by Kristy's comment about her mom.
Kristy figured she had done enough damage in this conversation. "Ma loves you, you know. She says you could be good for Sam."
"I know your mother loves me… she has known me since I was 13! Does she love me for Sam?"
Kristy was silent. "She thinks you could be good for Sam. But she is worried about a break up."
Stacey let out a breath. "Aren't we all."
Stacey's phone rang then. "Thanks, Kristy. I am gonna go back to work."
"See ya soon." Kristy said.
Kristy picked up her phone and called Mary Anne right as Stacey was out of earshot. "What are we going to do?" She ended with.
"Wait and see." Mary Anne said, after patiently waiting for Kristy to finish.
Kristy sighed.
"It is going to be fine." Mary Anne repeated. "Kristy, don't borrow problems. You have enough on your plate. We have some space. There is nothing we can do for Stacey and Sam except be there for them. You concentrate on your babies. I am going to concentrate on getting my babies and husband. And we are going to be there to pick up the pieces."
Kristy heard a note in Mary Anne's voice. "You talked to Claud?"
'Oh yeah. For the last two days now."
Kristy snickered. Mary Anne really got it from all sides. They all called her to vent and complain about everything going on. "Funny, Kristy." Mary Anne said, figuring out why Kristy was snickering. "What would you guys do without me?"
"Die."
"All right, Kristy. I need to go." Mary Anne said, obviously distracted. "I see Duncan's carpool."
"Bye. Tell Duncan I said to give you a hard time."
"I can't wait until you have kids." Mary Anne said, witheringly. "This way I can be the cool Aunt."
"Well, that is a long way away. My kids are my companies." Kristy said, satisfied.