Chapter One: Willie And Kate Meet Up With Their Kids and Granddaughters

"Willie, I haven't seen you drive this fast since Hannah was born." Kate screamed at her husband. They were running late through traffic, on their way from LAX, to where their daughter Lynn and her family live in Whittier (Hannah is Lynn's oldest daughter, and the couple's first grandchild).

"Is it bad that I haven't seen my girls in 2 years?" Willie slowed down, just as the blue and red lights of a police cruiser sped past in the opposite direction. "I mean, I haven't even seen Kathryn yet, and she's almost a year old."

"Relax, it's not like we don't have one night to see everyone. We're going to be with them for the next two weeks, both here and up in San Francisco." Kate's phone vibrates, and she answers the text from Lynn: WHERE ARE YOU GUYS? DINNER IS ALMOST READY. Kate texts back: YOUR FATHER IS GOING ALL DAYTONA 500 DOWN THE FREEWAY TRYING TO GET THERE. OUR FLIGHT WAS LATE GETTING IN.

Lynn: WHY DIDN'T YOU TWO JUST DRIVE IN FROM AZ?

Kate: BRIAN AND ERIC WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY IN FROM DALLAS AND MEET UP WITH US ANYWAY, SO MARIO ANDRETTI HERE THOUGHT WE SHOULD JUST MAKE IT EASIER TO FLY.

Lynn: ARE THEY WITH YOU NOW?

Kate: BRIAN RENTED HIS OWN CAR; THEY SHOULD BE THERE BEFORE US, SINCE HIS FLIGHT CAME IN 10 MINUTES BEFORE OURS.

Meanwhile, in Brian and Eric's car…

"So after this drunk girl gets my number, which was actually Jason's number, I went outside for a smoke, and there's my slutty ex, standing there, telling everyone at the bar how much of an asshole I was to her back in college." Brian was telling his baby brother about his latest weekend adventure, all the while trying to keep up with his speeding father.

"You know that smoking is bad for you right?" Eric Tanner, the smart one. Obviously took after the sister he almost never gets to see.

"Dammit, Eric. You're starting to act like mom. You don't know what I've been through these last 23 years. You were just a baby when we lived in Iceland. Damn fucking government. Sometimes I wonder why we even came back to this piece of shit country." Brian pulled off the highway, and onto the main streets of Whittier. After what happened with the Alien Task Force back in 1990, Brian started becoming rebellious of life; he started doing drugs; smoking and drinking by the age of 15, and got a girl pregnant at 17-he still regrets that decision. He sure as hell wished he could have a cigarette right now, but this was a rental, and Brian was not about to do that to a perfectly nice vehicle such as this 2010 Ford Focus.

About an hour later, the Tanners were all gathered around Lynn and Jeremy Garvish's dinner table: Willie, Kate, Lynn, Jeremy, Hannah, Alicianna, Kathryn in her boosterseat, Brian, and Eric. Also seated at the table were Brian's 15 year old twins, Olivia and Carissa (their mom also lives in Whittier, and is friends with the Garvishes. Brian was slightly surprised they were here; Brian and their mother haven't spoken to each other since Brian left for Texas in 2004 (after he graduated from USC Film School-that's 9 years).

"So, what's new with everyone?" Willie asked.

"Jeremy and I are taking the girls to Europe over Christmas Break." Lynn began.

"Don't you think Kathryn is a little too young to be flying halfway across the world?" Kate had a bad experience with Eric when they went from California to Iceland and back, and has since been leery of babies and long distance flights.

"Well, Kate, we were kind of wondering if you and Willie would like a little visitor for Christmas." Jeremy chimed in. "She wouldn't really remember this trip anyway, plus, It's kind of part of the other girls' homeschool activities."

"When did you start homeschooling?" Eric scrunched his face.

"Jeremy had an argument with the principal of Hannah's school last year. It didn't help matters that Alie was being picked on by her own teacher on purpose. So we took them out and started teaching them ourselves. I won't let my kids go to that school until something is done about the faculty there." Lynn explained.

"I'm running for School Board next year when that jerkface Stephen Camden's term is up for reelection." Jeremy was getting fired up now.

"Jer, hun, let's not discuss politics at the dinner table, okay?" Jeremy relaxed.

"How's that new film going, Brian?" Willie asked his son.

"You make films?" Carissa was surprised. "Any good ones?"

"I'm in post-production now. Yes, Carissa, I do make films, but I doubt you've seen any of these, unless you're big on cheap alien movies with little or no plot. Figures your mom never told you that."

"She doesn't tell us anything." Olivia sneered. "Always telling us what a fu-"

"OLIVIA JANE CURRINGTON-TANNER! We do not use that language at the dinner table." Jeremy snapped.

"Well, she IS a fusco-loving animal hater." As if anyone who had half a brain understood that analogy. Alie giggled (at 9, she knew what that meant).

After dinner, and the girls went upstair to put Kathryn to bed, the adult Tanners gathered into the living room to discuss the upcoming reunion. Jeremy was staying home with all the girls (Olivia and Carissa were living with Lynn and Jeremy while their mother and new husband were on their extended honeymoon to god knows where). This trip up north would be the first time Lynn Tanner Garvish has been away from her girls since Kathryn was born.

"Are you sure you can handle 5 girls, three of whom are teenagers, for two weeks?" Willie asked Jeremy.

"I've had experience." Jeremy replied.

"How so?" Kate chimed in.

"Kate, my dear, I have three younger sisters, and 16 girl cousins. I can handle it."

"Okay, well, I trust you."

"May I please be excused?" Brian got up and headed toward the back of the house. I really need a cigarette; it's been 12 hours since I've had one. He thought to himself.

"Go ahead." Brian headed out back. He reached into his laptop bag, where he normally hides a pack of Marlboro reds, and found nothing.

"Shit." He quietly muttered.

"Looking for something?" Eric had followed Brian outside, and in his hand was a half used pack of Marlboro reds. "Oh, and I found the weed, too. You're gonna share the green right?"

"What are you doing?" Brian tried to grab the Marlboros from Eric, but Eric was too tall for him (Brian was the shortest of the three kids, at 5'6"; Eric was the tallest, 6'1"). "Why must you try and keep me from my nicotine habit?"

"Dad didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh, never mind, I'm sure it's not important." Eric went back inside the house." Brian shook his head. Two weeks of this shit? I'm gonna kill my baby brother if he doesn't tell me what the fuck is going on..