February 6th, 1999, Thursday 11:30 a.m. PST
"Yes?" Josephine answered her door.
"Yes Ma'am, I'm agent Rusty Evans, Secret Service. Katherine Cooper called and advised me that I was to pick up your daughter Happy and escort her to New York where she'd pick her up and take her to your brother in Dublin." Rusty explained while showing her his credentials.
Jo breathed in relief and gestured after examining his credentials and they walked into the house.
"This is my Happy." Jo introduced her daughter. "Happy this is agent Evans, he's going to take you to a friend of my brother's and she will take you to my brother, your Uncle. And as soon as I get things settled with your Daddy you'll be back in my arms. Okay?"
Happy just shrugged as she nodded sadly. Once again feeling like she's just being led around without a care to her feelings.
"You understand I can't take you to Japan right baby? There is just so much involved in that and trying to deal with your Dad's accident, I don't want to do anything that will hurt you. I don't want you to be away from me, I hope you can believe that." Jo almost pleaded with her.
Happy slowly nodded. She liked Jo, she wanted to believe but she'd been in so many situations that started off great and then quickly crashed around her.
"It's going to be okay, Happy. Have you ever been out of the country before?" Rusty asked as he picked up her suitcase.
Happy shook her head.
"You'll be flying there from New York on Aer Lingus, they use the Airbus A321. Beautiful aircraft." Rusty told her after Happy and Jo had hugged.
Happy nodded as she put on her jacket and then reached up and took Rusty's hand. She was so used to this scenario. She honestly believed she was going back to the orphanage, only this time she had a suitcase instead of a garbage bag.
"The A321 has a length of 51.7 meters. Wingspan of 35.8 meters. Maximum take off weight is 93.5 tons. Maximum payload is 25.3 tons. Maximum fuel capacity 3,030 liters. It uses twin CFM56-5B engines with a 1.73 meter fan. Maximum thrust of 147 kiloNewtons. Cruising speed of mach 0.78 with a typical range of 5,930 km." Happy rattled off the information as they walked to the SUV.
Rusty laughed.
"Well little lady that is damn impressive, I don't know if it is factual but it is impressive nonetheless. How do you know all of that?" Rusty asked while watching her buckle in.
"I like machines." Happy told him without smiling. Happy held her hand up for a second and looked to the house and saw Jo standing there. Happy's lip trembled as she waved.
Jo broke and ran out and threw her arms around Happy.
"You be a good girl Happy, will you do that for me? I'm coming back with your Daddy and we'll be a real family, I promise. My brother and his family will take very good care of you for me. You'll love your cousin Paige. She's almost thirteen and she has a boyfriend." Jo told her as she kissed her face while giving her a picture of her brother, his wife and daughter. "Now you keep this with you, you know who they are."
Happy nodded while trying hard not to get her hopes up again.
Jo stood crying watching the SUV pull out of her drive. She saw Happy looking back as it turned and she waved at Happy and Happy waved back. It had been the longest home she'd been in so far. Happy sighed.
As Rusty and Happy exited the plane in New York his phone rang.
"Agent Evans." Rusty said as he answered it.
"Yes ma'am we just got off the plane. Terminal 5? Yes ma'am I didn't check Happy's bag so we can head straight over there. See you shortly ma'am" Rusty replied.
"Looks like we're going to have to pick up our pace a little. Is it okay if I carry you?" Rusty asked.
Happy nodded. She seemed a little happier now. She'd thought she was going back to the orphanage and the plane ride had totally thrown her. Rusty grabbed her up and sat her on his hip as he picked up her suitcase and moved at a brisk walk through the airport.
"So I'm really not going back to the orphanage?" Happy finally felt brave enough to ask.
"Is that why you've been so sad, Happy? No sweetie, you are really going to Dublin, Ireland. You'll be staying with your Mom's brother and his family. He's a really important man over there." Rusty told her before exiting out the door of the terminal and began jogging down the sidewalk towards terminal 5. He figured it would be faster than dealing with the mobs inside the buildings.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry we've got to close the gate so the plane can leave." The attendant explained to Katherine Cooper.
"Listen, this is a matter of state. The other plane was held up, but they are here. We just need a few more minutes. If you'd like, I can have the head of the Secret Service call the president of your company and have them call you if that will help." Katherine told her.
"We're here!" Rusty yelled over the din of the crowds of people.
"Finally, thank you Rusty." Katherine smiled.
"Hi Happy, I'm Katherine. I'm going to take you to Ireland to meet your Uncle Ralph." Katherine held out her hand.
"Hi." Happy reached out and shook her hand and Katherine grinned as she took Happy out of Rusty's arms before taking her suitcase.
The attendant ran after her with her tickets.
Katherine looked at the two business class seats and smiled.
"Looks like your Uncle wants us traveling in comfort, young lady. Would you like the window seat?" Katherine asked her.
Happy nodded as she was beginning to get excited.
Katherine sat her down and watched as she got into her seat. Katherine put the suitcase in the overhead storage and sat down. She'd barely got her buckle fastened when the engines ramped up in power and the plane pushed back from the gate.
February. 7th, 1999, Friday - 5 a.m. Dublin
Katherine carried a sleeping Happy out of the airplane after arriving in Dublin. She smiled seeing Ralph standing not far away. Ralph returned her smile and moved up.
"Katherine, thank you so much. How was the flight?" Ralph asked softly.
"Thanks to the business seats, it was really nice." Katherine laughed gently. "Happy, Happy, we're here in Ireland. Would you like to meet your Uncle Ralph?"
Happy stirred and slowly pushed up and looked around and saw Ralph standing there smiling at her.
"Welcome to Ireland, Happy. Are you ready to go home?" Ralph asked gently.
Happy looked at Katherine and Katherine nodded at her.
"Yes please and thank you." Happy was so tired she just reached out and Ralph chuckled as he lifted her up into his arms and hugged her tightly for a moment.
"Here, go to this hotel. I've got you a room set up and you can rest up before heading home. I really appreciate you doing this for us." Ralph told her while handing her a piece of paper.
"Hey, that's what friends are for, to help do things you can't. Happy, it was so nice to meet you, I know while you are with Ralph and his family everything is going to be okay. I hope you are back in your Mom's arms soon." Katherine told her as she rubbed her back.
"Thank you." Happy said tiredly.
Happy slept the whole hour and a half it took to reach her new home. Ralph gently rubbed her shoulder.
"We're home Happy." Ralph told her.
Happy's eyes opened and she looked about and saw the beautiful home and she blinked. Jo's house had been very nice but this place looked closer to something from a storybook.
"This is home?" Happy asked, feeling confused and a little scared.
"It is home, Happy. As long as you want it." Ralph smiled and nodded.
Happy grinned as she climbed out of the SUV and then stopped and looked at Ralph.
"I should warn you, the driver side ball joint on your SUV is in bad shape. You should have it replaced before there is an accident. I'm not sure it will make it back to Dublin." Happy told him. "Or if you got the tools I can do it."
Ralph grinned as he shook his head.
"I don't think I do, but that's okay, Happy, the Embassy likes to have their own work done. But I will tell them to check it out, thank you for telling me." Ralph told her as he unlocked the front door.
"Look, I don't care if you think the SUV is sound, I'm not letting any of my people drive it. I'm told the ball joint is going bad. So bring a replacement out with a tow truck and take it back to the garage and replace it." Ralph said on his phone.
"Fine, then you personally bring the replacement out and drive this one back. I will not let anyone else take that risk. So you can risk self harm and death for being ignorant." Ralph told him before he hung up and walked out of his den and to the dining room. He smiled seeing Veronica sitting there with Happy as Happy ate breakfast. And then they heard Paige's feet on the staircase.
"Good morning Daddy, Mom. Oh my gosh, is this Happy?" Paige stopped instantly.
Happy looked over and instantly recognized her from the photo and she gave her a half smile and nodded.
"Hi Happy, it is nice to meet you." Paige said as she sat down beside her. "Did you have a nice flight over?"
"It was on an A321, very spacious and accommodating. It is nice to meet you too Paige." Happy reached her hand out.
Paige grinned and shook her hand.
"I need to warn you, sometimes the kids here are jerks about Americans. But hopefully since you are part Chinese it will spare you any problems. I was picked on my first day. My boyfriend taught them a lesson though." Paige grinned.
Happy stood with Paige as she greeted Walter with a kiss.
"Walter, this is my cousin Happy. She's staying with us until my Aunt can get my Uncle back to the States. He's the one that was in the accident I told you about. She just arrived here this morning from the States. Happy, this is my boyfriend Walter." Paige introduced them.
"It's nice to meet you, Happy. I'm sorry about your Dad." Walter said as he held out his hand.
"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too Walter." Happy shook his hand.
Happy watched as Paige and Walter walked off down the driveway and then she turned hearing Veronica call her.
"Yes ma'am?" Happy asked as she walked into the dining room.
"You can call me Veronica if you want Happy, or Aunt Veronica is fine too." Veronica smiled at her. "Well I'm going to leave the decision today with you. I know you had a long flight, but if you want to get the first day of school over with, we'll take you or you can stay home."
"Really Aunt Veronica?" Happy asked, shocked.
Veronica nodded with a smile.
"Well if I got time to take a shower, it might be better to go today and at least meet some of the kids." Happy told her.
Veronica smiled.
"I think we got time for that. Let me show you to your room." Veronica told her as she picked up her suitcase and took her up the back staircase. "Now, your room used to just be a guest bedroom, but if you want, we can have it repainted any color you want."
"Any color?" Happy asked while not quite believing her.
Veronica nodded as they walked.
"The floor is hardwood, but we can get some nice throw rugs to put down over the weekend. We can get new curtains if you want to. If you'd like bed sheets that more reflect your personality we can do that too. We can pick you up some new outfits too if you want. I understand you like to work on mechanical things." Veronica said as they stopped at a door.
"Machines and I get along really well." Happy nodded.
"Okay, well we don't do much mechanically but that doesn't mean we can't get you some tools and stuff so you can explore that side of yourself. This is your room." Veronica turned the knob and opened the door. "This door on the other side of the hall is the bathroom. The door right there next to yours is Paige's room. Ralph and my bedroom is back at the end of this hall."
Happy stood there staring into the room, back at the orphanage she had to share a room half that size with three other girls.
"Thank you Aunt Veronica." Happy said hesitantly.
"Of course sweetie. Let's get your clothes put away and then I'll get you a towel and you can take a shower and get cleaned up for school." Veronica told her as she walked in and sat her suitcase on the bed.
"Aunt Veronica, I'm a little scared." Happy finally told her.
"Scared? Of what sweetheart?" Veronica turned and sat on the bed and pulled her into her arms.
"No one else has treated me even half as nice as Jo and now you. I don't want to get hurt again when you send me back to the orphanage." Happy told her sadly.
"Oh sweetheart. First I am so sorry to hear people haven't treated you well. But you put that out of your mind because that isn't a reflection of you. That is a reflection of their own shortcomings. And you aren't going back to the orphanage. I promise you that. Ralph will be in for a world of hurt if he even thinks of letting that happen." Veronica hugged her. "Not that he would. We're very happy you are here with us. And I know from talking to Jo while she was leaving for Japan she is so sad to be away from you. She isn't going to let anything happen to you."
"But I'm not a girly girl. I like working on machines and getting dirty. Everyone wants a girl they can dress up in pink chiffon. Have tea parties and things with. And none of that appeals to me." Happy told her.
Veronica grinned.
"Sweetheart, whatever it is that you are, we are going to support you. If you want to be a high rise welder, I'll be scared to death but we'll make sure you have that opportunity. If you want to be a racecar driver, I'll be scared to death but we'll make sure you have that opportunity. Okay?" Veronica asked.
Happy grinned.
"Truly?" Happy asked, almost scared she was going to tell her no and it was a joke.
"Truly, Happy. We want you to have a wonderful life." Veronica told her. "Now, how about we get your clothes put away?"
Happy threw herself into Veronica's arms and hugged her tightly, crying tears of joy.
Greetings! Hope this finds you all well!
Plz - hehe Well not every Tim is a bad thing.
Railman - Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it! It has been a lot of fun envisioning what their lives were like years before.
Margaret - Yes, sometimes trying to remember back to my teen years is pretty cloudy! lol More like just snapshots with feelings. Where does all the time and memories go.
Four more chapters before this leg of the story closes out 1999. The next leg will be about 25 chapters long, so much happens in 2001. I'm not sure what story I'll post after chapter 19. I'd like to post the 2 future stories of Knight's Tale, I'd like to finish getting Lady Knight back to the Keep, then there are several more fix it stories. Right now :Callan" and "Grudges" are really over talking everything else, so, just not sure
To the Adventure! -Tim