**I've received many reviews concerning about Owen's health. You guys, if you read my previous ff, you know I'm a drama writer. I can't write a story that is 100% fluffy. Plus I believe obstacles are what make love stronger. So I hope you stay with me as I tell the story of how the Hunt family members bond together to get through the storm. Good news is: there will always be happy ending in my Crowen fanfiction. So stay tuned and enjoy the ride until you see the last three words "happily ever after". :)

**Please, continue to review. I enjoy reading them. Special thanks to Katyoh, Ohsnap72, sophs, annamria, sue and abigail for your continuous support. Other readers: I absolutely love to hear your voice! Please don't hesitate to let me know how you think!

THE LAST LECTURE

"Pizza and ice cream!"

Theo yells out loud as he enters the apartment he and his twin just moved in two weeks ago. His little sister, after quarreling with their mother, decided to withdraw herself in the room for two days, crying and whining and about how she was not loved in the family.

That also means Teddy hasn't fed his brother for two days. So yesterday, Theo went to the supermarket and tried to make some beef and stir-fried green beans. He gave up the idea of cooking today though, because the time to clean the greases that sticks on the floor is twice as much as the time to cook a decent meal.

Hence, pizza and ice cream on the kitchen table.

"Teddy! I bought you Hagan Daaz. If you don't come and eat I'll have them all! You know I also love chocolate almond." Theo yells once more as he sits down in the kitchen, enjoying his dinner. He grabs the remote and turns on the TV from afar.

Teddy comes out with a sulking look.

"Give me the ice cream."

"Have some pizza first then eat the ice cream later." Theo sighs.

"Who are you, my mom?" She snaps at him even though she sits down and takes a slice of pizza.

"If I'm Ma, I will yell at you for fasting." Theo laughs out loud.

"Are you coming to Faith's ceremony?" Teddy gazes at her twin.

"No. I've got things to study. You should study, too. You have had fun the entire summer." Remembering his mother's request to keep an eye on Teddy, Theo reminds his sister to stay at the apartment and prepare for the upcoming semester.

"Oh Gosh, if you guys love me, you and Faith should stop pretend to be good students so that Ma won't compare me to you two." Teddy rolls her eyes.

"I'm not pretending. I love to study and I really want to become a surgeon like Ma and Dad." He protests.

"I wish I love medicine as much as you do so that Ma will stop complaining about me." Teddy sighs.

"What do you like to study?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe I'll have to see how I do in college first." Teddy murmurs.

"For God's sake, just go with medicine. You're not stupid; all you need to do is work harder. You haven't worked hard enough and that's why Ma keeps yelling at you." Theo purrs his lips.

Teddy stands up and throws the steel spoon into the sinks. "You know what Theo? I'm done with you. You are my twin. You shared the same womb with me. And I was there for you, helping you out when you put yourself into trouble with Jane. You're supposed to have my back when Mom and Dad scolded at me. But I know, what occupies your head now is yourself, your study and your trouble. You're such a great brother." Teddy is angry at her brother's earlier comment.

"Don't talk to me about Jane."

"I won't anymore. Why did I help you first hand? I must be crazy."

Teddy walks to her room and shuts the door angrily. She puts her wallet and Iphone along with the second book of Sans Famille into a backpack then gets outside the house. She searches for the bus route to Stanford and jumps on the first bus that arrives at the nearest station.

As the bus drives Teddy to San Jose, she stares at the scenery outside the window absently, thinking about her future. What does Teddy want to do? Well, she likes listening to music and reading books. She also likes to create beautiful stuff and decorate her room. Later on, Teddy figures out she can sell those stuff on Etsy and earn some money without having to work at an ice cream parlor like her friends in high school. "Uhm, I think I like to make money." But what kind of job involves making money in its literal meaning? She is uncertain if such occupation exists; all she knows is she doesn't want to wear a scrub all day, day after day. It looks plain and boring in her opinion.

Whatever it is, I will figure out by the end of the fall semester.

The bus arrives at Stanford and Teddy strides along the road towards the apartment complex. Her jaw drops in amazement as she witnesses the beauty of the campus in the evening. She feels peaceful and tranquil walking under the yellow shade of the spotless, nostalgic Memorial Church Quad. It would be so romantic to have someone propose to her under the roof of this hallway.

Twenty minutes or so and Teddy arrives at her sister's apartment. She knocks on the door a few times but no one answers. Teddy takes out her phone and dials Faith's number.

"Teddy?"

"Hey, I'm at your front door. Open the door!"

"You're in Stanford? I'm not at home. Is Bailey at home?" Faith is surprised to hear the news.

"I don't think so. No one opens the door. When will you be back?" Teddy looks at her watch. It's 8:15 pm.

"Uhm…tomorrow morning." Faith murmurs.

"What? Where are you going? Tomorrow is your ceremony!" Teddy exclaims.

"I know. I'm in LA. We're visiting Daniel's parents. We will be back early tomorrow morning." Faith sighs.

"You…you're back with Daniel? And now you're visiting his parents? Oh my God, how can I come in then?" Teddy starts to freak out.

"Don't worry. There's a key under the flower pot two feet away from the door. Take it and get in. I will drive home at two and be there at eight." Faith reassures her sister.

Teddy follows her sister's instruction and eventually gets into the apartment. The living room is rather tiny and cozy with a TV and a small couch. On both sides of the main living area are two doors, which open to two bedrooms, one for Faith and one for Bailey. Since both of the doors are shut, Teddy decides that she should grab something from the fridge to eat and watch TV until Bailey comes home.

There is only a mean, old lasagna leftover in the fridge, so Teddy grabs one of those cups of Korean instant noodles that scatter around the cabinet. She fills it with hot water and brings to the couch. The level-four spiciness of the Korean chili powder in the noodle and the soapiness of the TV show on screen fill Teddy's eyes with tears. She sniffs and wipes her face as she sips the soup from the cup of noodle. She feels so hot inside that she runs to the sink and soothes her face with cold water.

Teddy opens the fridge again to look for some water, but all she spots are two packs of Corona and a glass of brown liquid with whipping cream on top that looks like chocolate milk. Nah Nah, I'm still a good girl, I'm not gonna drink beer. Teddy chuckles as she takes glass of chocolate milk and brings it to the couch. She licks the whipping cream on top, which tastes so good, and she dips the straw into the glass then starts to drink the content subconsciously as she gazes at a making out scene on TV.

"BLAAAAARGH! " The bitter and burning aftertaste that is five times stronger than Listerine makes Teddy tremble. She can feel the intense liquid flows into her body and starts to burn her inner organs. As it hits the bloodstream, Teddy begins to feel dizzy. Her body is heated up from top to toe and she wants to throw up. She runs immediately to the first room on the left but it's been locked, so she runs to the room on the right which fortunately opens as she turns the knob. Teddy starts to feel a wave of intense headache washing over her. She spills a few of processed food from her gut on the shirt but she manages to reach the toilet before throwing up the rest of the noodle along with the brown liquid.

"Shit! Every time I look at the bowl of the toilet I only want to vomit even more." Desperately, she throws up all the food inside her stomach. Her sight becomes fuzzy and her skin starts to turn red with rash.

Bailey enters the house and immediately notices the open door of his bedroom. He picks up a wooden rod nearby and carefully tiptoes inside, ready to hit the stranger that breaks into his apartment. There is a disgusting smell of processed food and awful vomiting sounds echoing from his restroom. He walks in and stares at the delicate body throwing up over the toilet.

"Teddy? What are you doing here?"

Teddy tries to turn around and whispers before looking back at the bowl and spills some more: "So…rry."

"You drank the liquor?" Bailey sits down next to her and gently pats her back. Five minutes or so when there's nothing left in her aching stomach, she lifts her head up with a shudder. "I thought it was chocolate milk."

Bailey flushes the toilet with disgust in his eyes. He grabs his nearby towel and soaks it with water then wipes Teddy's mouth and face. Her head wants to explode with waves of pain and her body flushes in heat. She starts to scratch her arms then neck rapidly as the rash appears all over the skin.

"Oh my god. You are allergic to alcohol."

Teddy is not conscious enough to think of anything other than scratching. Her entire body is hot and itchy. She pulls her shirt half up and scratches her abdomen enthusiastically. Her body is trembling and she tries to sit down on the floor, for she will stumble and fall otherwise. Bailey stares at Teddy with frustration for a second, and then he picks her up and lay her down on his bed. He rushes to the living room and grabs a tube of Hydrocortisone along with some pills and a glass of tap water. When he returns to his room, Teddy, with her eyes shut, is scratching over her two thighs crazily.

"Stop scratching! I'll take off your clothes first." He mumbles, then gently takes off her shirt and jeans. She rolls around on the bed, desperately trying to reach for the back that is now full with little pink dots. Bailey grabs her hand and grips it strongly as he applies the Hydrocortisone on her back and the back of her thighs. When Teddy's back was completely covered with the cream, he flips her around on one hand; the other hand still gripping her wrist. Bailey blushes for a moment as he stares at her delicate body that is modestly covered with a purple bra and a lacy panty. What pops out in his eyes is a moderate brown area of skin running from her right chest down to her right side of abdomen. It looks like a hyper-pigmented burn scar to Bailey. He shakes his head, then continues on to apply the Hydrocortisone on the rest of her body.

"You'll feel better soon. Don't scratch again. Here, I have some allergic pills for you."

Bailey gently pulls Teddy up and supports her back with his body. He gives her the drug and she manages to grab it in tremble. She ingests the water then hits her forehead gently as the headache is getting stronger.

"I'll get you a pain relief pill."

Bailey rushes outside again to grab a headache medication and gives it to Teddy. She drinks the rest of the water then lies down on the bed immediately. She feels exhausted and her eyes are completely shut.

"I'll get you Faith's clothes. Wait here."

As Bailey fails to turn the knob on Faith's room, he shakes his head in desperation. He returns to his closet and stares at the empty space. Most of his clothes are dirty and ready to be laundered tomorrow. The only thing he can find for Teddy is a white tank top and a pair of shorts. So he grabs the pieces of clothing and sits Teddy up again to dress her up.

Teddy has no clue of what's going on since the moment she drank the milk chocolate liquid. As the itch begins to alleviate and her body temperature decreases, she falls into a safe and sound sleep. Bailey watches her snoring loudly and he can't help but chuckle. He washes the stain of the vomit on Teddy's shirt with water then throws it into his basket. He returns to his desk and continues to study for the Microbiology exam.

When Bailey finishes the last slide of the powerpoint, he turns off the desk lamp, stretches out his shoulder and yawns. It's already 2 a.m. He spins his chair around and glances at Teddy, who is sleeping peacefully. He pulls the chair closer to the bedside and gazes longingly at her. Her curly ginger hair scatters on his pillow, shining in the yellow light. The image of Teddy's burn scar revisits Bailey's mind; his lips curve up a smile as he thinks about how seeing Teddy's flaw makes he adore her even more. He can't help but gently caress his finger on her little cheek.

Teddy stirs and starts to blink. As she open her eyes, she puts a hand on the forehead, rubbing it a few times to wake herself up completely.

"Where am I?"

"In my room." Bailey smiles at her.

"What was that alcohol chocolate milk? It gives me headache." She grimaces.

"It's called Baileys. It's an Irish whiskey." He explains to her with a chuckle.

"Ah…Bailey gives me headaches." Still lying on the bed, Teddy gently twinkles.

"Bailey is strong and sweet." He teases her.

"Right, but I'm allergic to Bailey. I guess my first alcohol would also be my last. I have alcohol intolerance." She mumbles.

"No, you don't have alcohol intolerance. It's a genetic condition; and since both of your parents can drink liquor, you don't have alcohol intolerance. You have alcohol allergy." Bailey shakes his head and laughs at Teddy.

"Yes, thank you doctor, for a correct diagnose and treatment." She smiles as she looks at him laughing out heartily.

"Uh huh, how would you pay for the service?" He playfully asks her and rubs his hands.

"I don't know, how do you want me to pay for the treatment?" She rolls her eyes.

"A date?" Bailey winks his eye.

"How about a meal?...I can cook for you." Teddy tries to avoid the question that makes her shy.

"A date, or nothing. I don't need anything else in return." Bailey answers after a moment of thinking seriously.

"I'll think about that." She whispers then tucks herself under his blanket. Bailey pulls a pillow to the floor then turns off the light. He lies down on the wooden floor, eyes staring at the ceiling.

The dark room is filled with a comfortable silence. Bailey can hear Teddy tosses and turns in his bed, probably because she's not familiar with the place. She eventually speaks up, her silvery voice echoes in the tranquil night.

"I walked through the hallway of the Memorial Church Quad, Bailey. And it's beautiful. Stanford is beautiful."

"Isn't it? Then you should follow your sister's foot step and become a Stanford student one day." He quietly answers.

"I don't want to become a doctor, Bailey." She sighs. "And everyone in my family keeps forcing me to study medicine."

"What do you want to do then?"

"I like numbers. I don't like to memorize things, I love to analyze things. I want to do something involved with making money. You saw how happy I was when I worked as a bank teller. I dress up, smile and count money." She chuckles.

"You want to be in a business major then. Probably finance or accounting." He turns around to look at her black shadow.

"Yeah? That's right. Probably I should check out finance. I always envision myself wearing suits and walking confidently inside buildings and generating money. Hahah. Thank you Bailey for another diagnosis. You will be a good doctor." She genuinely laughs.

"What will you pay me in return?" He repeats the same question.

"Urgh, what do you want this time?" Teddy grimaces.

"A date."

Teddy stays silent again. She's glad that the dark night hides her blush. It's not that she does not like Bailey; it's because she's been seeing him as a big brother for seven teen years.

"You live in Stanford and I live in Berkeley, Bailey. How can we have a date?"

"I'll figure it out."

Teddy thinks for a moment then she finally speaks up.

"Fine. With conditions." She whispers.

"What conditions?"

"First, you'll have to ask my dad."

"I'll ask your dad then." He imagines Uncle Owen shoving him on a couch and interrogating with a list of questions.

"Second, you'll have to wait until I'm 18."

"When will you turn 18?

"In months." She lies to him.

"I'll wait for months, until you turn 18."

"And…." Teddy hesitates because she can't think of another condition for now.

"Oh don't try to come up with another one, Teddy." Bailey grimaces. "I will wait until you're 18 and I will ask your dad and I will take you out on a date, okay?"

"Okay." Teddy gently whispers.

Theo looks at his phone again before walking through the complex to his sister's apartment. Now that everyone is here except him, he figured he should be present on his sister's big day as well. So he took the earliest bus this morning and he's about to meet his family in Stanford.

Theo spots a cab entering the gate of the apartment complex. It's his parents inside the car. He calls them: "Dad! Ma!"

"I thought you're not coming, Theo?" Cristina is amazed to see the son.

Theo sighs. "Teddy came here last night so I think I should be here, too. It's one hour ride anyway."

They walk past two blocks of building and stops at the third one. Theo pinpoints to a nice green door upstairs, which stands behind a delicate railing with purple flower vine.

Owen chuckles as he observes the apartment exterior. Cristina shakes her head: "Definitely her apartment."

Theo joins his mother's sarcasm: "I wonder how Bailey can suffer her girly romance that long, given he's her roomate."

Owen giggles: "I've been suffering her girly romance for 23 years and I'm still alive."

Theo impatiently knocks on the door and it's finally opened. Bailey greets them in a half asleep form. He blinks his eyes and rubs his face enthusiastically as he lets them inside.

"Hey, bro!" Theo cheerfully greets Bailey.

As Cristina takes off her shoes, she genuinely yells out loud: "Faith sweetie?" She can't hide her excitement to be back to Stanford and see her beloved daughter.

Being disrupted by the noise outside, Teddy stumbles out of the room. With a hand on the hip and the other scratching the messy hair, she grimaces in Bailey's tank top and shorts: "What's so loud?"

Owen and Cristina turn around to see their little daughter coming out from Bailey's room and wearing his clothing. They drop the jaws and freeze for a second. Theo steps forward Bailey to give him a hefty shove: "You slept with my sister?"

"No, Theo, hold on!" Teddy shouts out as she rushes towards the guys and pulls her twin away from Bailey. "Now that's the kind of brother I want." She winks at Theo, implying the quarrel they had last night about how an ass he was to his sister. Then she quickly whirls herself around, facing her hot-tempered parents, who are giving her a stern look: "And no, I don't sleep with Bailey. Wearing his clothes doesn't mean I slept with him." She glances at Bailey who is now very frustrated with her dilemma family.

"You're not 21, you're not supposed to have liquor." Owen sits on the couch and starts the lecture.

Teddy looks at the clock which shows a Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. "Oh snap, it's time!" She exclaims then grabs the remote and turns on the Bloomberg channel, to her father scolding.

"Teddy, are you listening to your father?" Cristina raises her voice.

"I am!" She turns up the volume as she speaks.

"Teddy!" Cristina scolds at Teddy again.

"Look! I thought it was chocolate milk that's why I drank it! And I never knew I had alcohol allergy, for God's sake. Hadn't Bailey treated me with the Hydrocortisone and allergy pill, I would have ended up in Stanford hospital already!"

"Why didn't you stay in Faith's…."

"Please, be quiet!" Teddy angrily shouts at her parents and holds up her hand, signaling them to stop talking. Then, she steers her sight towards the Bloomberg correspondents on TV again as she turns the volume even louder.

"…..and due to its successful trial, the stock of Merck and Co., Inc. has been tripled to $90.00 per share, raising the total revenue of the third quarter to….."

Teddy abruptly turns off the TV then mumbles as she calculates a number in her head. Suddenly she yells out loud and jumps up and down in excitement: "Oh God I just make six thousand dollars in profit!" She runs around the room then jumps to her father, wrapping her arms around him and kisses his cheek rapidly: "I'm rich, Dad! I just make six thousand dollars! I make six thousand dollars!"

As everyone stares at Teddy's going wild, Owen gently removes his daughter's arms from him and asks: "What's going on, Teddy? Please calm down and tell me."

She looks up at Bailey from afar, blushing as she realizes she just let him see the wilderness of a daddy's little girl. Teddy grins and paces around the room, hands waving up and down in excitement as she explains to people:

"Remember the sperm research, Dad? I mean, the male birth control research on sperm acrosome? I had an Economic Professor in high school who taught many interesting things about economy as well as stocks and bonds. With her encouragement, I participated in the mock stock exchange and five months ago I bought real stocks with the help of a broker. I've also learnt from my Biology teacher that buying stocks from pharmaceutical companies can bring you huge profit if you have an idea the progress of the projects they're working on."

Teddy stops a while to catch her breath. Bailey chuckles, feeling totally amazed by this girl's energy and passion. He walks over the kitchen to get some tap water and give to Teddy. "Here."

"Thanks." Teddy gulps the water then continues to pace around. "So, I put a lot of effort into reading any research information that Faith could provide me, along with other info I found on the internet. I made a $3500 investment from my savings, $3000 of which solely invested in Merck and Co. It was a big gamble, I admit, but it was a calculated gamble because I did a lot of research about this male birth control trial."

"Teddy…" Cristina tries to speak up.

"No, Ma, let me finish. You would say investing solely on stocks is a gamble indeed, because you're in the industry and you know the drill. But I know what I'm doing. You need to trust me that I don't throw money out of the window. So, yeah, $3000 to $9000 and now I can put in my pocket $6000."

Teddy stops again to rest as her chest is pounding wildly. Bailey knows his duty is to get her another glass of water. Meanwhile, Theo is standing in a corner of the apartment, trying to hide a giggle as he observes his little sister lecturing their parents. The most amusing thing is to be able to see his parents sitting on the couch, miserable and speechless.

"…and so I'm sorry that I told you to shut up because I was listening to the news. I'm over the moon now, Dad. I'm happy now that I am rich, but I'm also happy to prove to you two that I can still live well and make my own living without having to work in an ice cream parlor during summer. Or volunteering to build resume. Or shadowing a doctor to gain a passion. Whatever. I always know what I'm doing and I love what I'm doing. That's the point. I'm not stupid or dumb, Ma. I don't like to follow a premed track not because I'm incapable of doing it. It's because I don't like to wear the same scrub day after day…"

"Okay." Owen mutters.

"…and while you all lecture me, yell at me or laugh at me, Bailey was always there to cheer me up and support me. He helped me realize that I could be into Finance, which I totally think it's a brilliant idea. I think I'd love to follow a business major. And if it doesn't turn out well, I will pursue another major. I'm not afraid to start again if Finance is not what I want, because I know I will do well in whatever I do as long as I have a passion towards it."

"Okay." Owen mutters another word.

"So, this Bailey that you think I tried to seduce him, and sleep with him, and whatsoever based on the boy short incident and today incident, is completely innocent. And he supported me. He really was there for me when you turned your back on me and make me feel miserable because I am the black sheep of the family….."

Teddy starts to sob. She knows she's making a foolish scene going from laughing to crying, yet she can't help the tears to continuously fall. She couldn't care less about Theo and Bailey staring at her and probably laughing at her as well. Owen walks to Teddy, pulling her to his chest and holding her tight: "Shhhh, sweetie, you are my adorable daughter. We have never ever thought of you as a black sheep of the family whatsoever."

Cristina shakes her head and mumbles in amusement: "Somebody sedates her."

"Teddy!" Cristina composes a stern look. Still in her father's embrace, Teddy looks up to her mother.

"I never said you're stupid. No one in the house ever said you're stupid. And no one in the house ever said you're the black sheep of the family. You are smart, playful and vivid. And you care about other people. There's something in you that makes you uniquely different from the rest of us, the medical nerds. So, having a low self-esteem is something very unlikely of you."

Owen chuckles as he releases Teddy from his arm. She's still sniffing and whining. "You always love Theo and Faith more than me."

Cristina rolls her eyes. "Gosh, I've been listening to the same complaints from your brother and sister over and over. For your information, Faith always feels she is less loved because she's adopted. Theo feels being left out because he's the only boy and I only share stories with you girls."

"That's true, Teddy. I am the one who always feel that I'm not loved as much as you two. Mom and Dad talk to me seriously because they have high expectation from me and because I'm the oldest." Faith speaks up out of the blue. As she just returns from Los Angeles, she enters the apartment and joins the conversation.

"Where have you been last night?" Owen asks Faith.

"I have visited Daniel's parents, and I would love him to invite you two to have dinner with us, tonight." She gently smiles.

Cristina shakes her head and sighs. "Look, you all grow up, and you choose your own pathway. So don't come back to me and whine that you don't get enough love from your parents, because you do. Your Dad and I, we are super busy, so we don't have much time to chitchat or talk sweet things to you. But we love to spend time with you and listen to you whenever we can, boys or girls…" Cristina gazes at Theo as she emphasizes the word boy. "And we appreciate that Teddy prepares dinner for us, or Faith takes care of the electric bill and tons of other bills, or Theo mows the lawn."

The children stay silent.

"And Teddy, gosh, no stupid high school student could be able to do a thorough research on male birth control and invest in stock. You're good at natural science, but we're fine if you want to pursue a business major. You are never dumb in my eyes. You are smart, very smart indeed. You have enough biological or medical knowledge to apply it to other fields. And you make $6000. Look at you. I admire you, girl." Cristina confesses.

"What? You made $6000? No way!" Faith yells out loud.

"Uh huh, I did. I sat on the couch watching soaps and I made $6000. Thanks to you, sis. You'll get 15% of my profit." Teddy grins.

"What about me? That's why I say I wish to have a brother. I'm completely left out, Ma, see?" Theo complains.

"You were an ass to me yesterday." Teddy glances at him.

"Hey, earlier I was about to hit Bailey because I thought he tricked you into sleeping with him!" Theo exclaims.

"What, Bailey? You sleep with my sister?" Faith angrily rushes towards Bailey.

"No, Faith! We didn't sleep with each other." Teddy runs to Bailey, opening her arms wide to shield him from her sister's scolding. "I'm sorry, Bailey. My family is a dilemma. This is too much of a morning for you. I will make it up to you. This time it's all because of me." She insists on Bailey.

"Oh gosh, this would never end." Owen shakes his head, chuckling.

**thank you for your postitive feedback on Faith. Bonus: a sneak peek into Faith Yang Hunt's room. please go to tumblr and look for the tag #gaucung89