DISCLAIMERS: See Chapter One for disclaimers, etc.
 

TITLE: Picking Up The Pieces-Chapter Eight
 

AUTHOR: CTL (AugieSwan2@AOL.com)
 

SETTING: Sept. 30 - Nov. 1, 2001
 

SUMMARY: Not much going on in this chapter except for still more decisions and Michelle receives an unexpected telephone call from her past.
 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was given a specific time line for this chapter of the story. Cindy evidently has plans for the month of November.
 

New York City-Sunday, Sept. 30, 2001
 

Pete Granado was waiting in the baggage claim area at Kennedy Airport for Mary Kathryn to arrive and claim her bags. Since the unfortunate events of September 11, only ticketed passengers were allowed past security check points. Pete checked his watch for what had to have been the tenth time in the last hour. He was expecting her at any time. He couldn't wait to see her again. It had seemed an eternity since she'd left to go visit with her family. At long last he spotted her coming toward him with a huge smile on her face. She threw her arms around his neck as he kissed her hungrily.
 

"I missed you, too," she smiled when they finally broke apart as she breathed in the scent of him.
 

"How was your flight?" He asked as he took her hand and held onto it tightly as they walked toward the baggage carousel.
 

"Long," she remarked. "I've got so much to tell you."
 

"I've got a lot to tell you, too. I was finally able to get to your apartment and get some of your things. They're at my apartment," he told her.
 

"Pete, I thought we were going to talk more before I decided to move in with you," she reminded him with a grimace as she spotted her bags.
 

"Well, I figured since you're always at my place, anyway..." he started to say as he pulled her suitcases off the carousel and strapped them together. "By the way, you'd better call Patrick before he calls the FBI on you."
 

"I told him I was coming back today. I think he was afraid I was going to stay in L.A.," she admitted as they exited the terminal and walked through the parking lot to Pete's Jeep.
 

"You weren't tempted?" Pete asked as they reached the Jeep and he threw her bags in the back.
 

"Maybe a little. I love L.A., but I'm a concert pianist and L.A. isn't the place for that kind of a career. Besides, I'd miss a certain fireman just a little," she grinned at him as he unlocked her door and helped her in.
 

"How's your niece?" He asked as he got in from the other side, sat down behind the wheel and started the car.
 

"Doing great! She doesn't even look like the same little girl. My mom can't even keep up with her anymore," Mary Kathryn smiled as she thought about Shelby.
 

"So, she's home from the hospital?" He asked.
 

"Oh, yeah. They released her four days ago. She didn't want to stay in bed, so they told my mom that she could finish recuperating at home," Mary Kathryn told him as he nodded. "My sister's getting married over Thanksgiving so you need to try to schedule some time off."
 

"They finally set a date. I thought you told me that she had Arctic feet," he reminded her.
 

"Well, she still does," she laughed, "but my future brother-in-law enlisted in the Marines and he leaves the week before Christmas, so he wanted to get married before he leaves."
 

Mary Kathryn sat there and looked out the window as she thought of the past several days. Michelle had come out to the lake house and they'd talked for the first time in ages.
 

Mary Kathryn had been sitting on the dock when Michelle came out to find her. She sat down and dangled her feet into the water as her sister was doing. She thought of the first time she'd ever come out to this house with Mary Kathryn and Savannah. She wasn't quite ten years old at the time and neither her nor Savannah could swim. By the end of their first afternoon at the house they weren't only swimming, but learning to dive, as well, thanks to Mike and Mary Kathryn.
 

"When are you going back to New York?" Michelle asked her sister.
 

"I leave on the first. I'd stay, but mom's got everything under control with Shelby so she really doesn't need my help," Mary Kathryn told her sister.
 

"You are going to come back for my wedding, aren't you?" Michelle asked.
 

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," Mary Kathryn promised. "I'd thought you'd be more excited about it, though. You've been in love with Thomas since you were ten years old."
 

"He wants to have a baby," Michelle blurted out.
 

"So?" Mary Kathryn didn't see what the problem was.
 

"I'm scared to have a baby, Mary Kate. What if I turn out to be the kind of mother that I used to have?" Michelle pondered the problem in her head.
 

"Are you kidding? Mom and daddy adopted you when you were ten. You're almost 26 years old. You've been with them longer than you were with those other people. They never beat you, did they?" Mary Kathryn asked as Michelle shook her head. "Okay, then I'd think you'd learn from their example, not those other people."
 

"What if I have a baby who's sick all the time like Shelby is?" Michelle worried.
 

"Shelby isn't going to be sick, anymore," Mary Kate sighed. "And, besides, if you do have a baby that has problems, you have to deal with it. I don't think you get too many choices about that when you're a parent," Mary Kathryn stated with finality.
 

"But what if. . . .?" Michelle started to ask another question.
 

"If you keep 'what iff-ing' everything you're going to make yourself crazy," Mary Kathryn interrupted her. "If you agree with Thomas about starting a family, then stop taking your birth control pills and do it. If you don't, then tell him that you want to wait. I'm sure mom and daddy had doubts and questions before mom got pregnant with me. Why don't you ask her? I'm the wrong person you should be talking to about starting a family," Mary Kathryn reminded her.
 

It still made Mary Kathryn ache inside sometimes when she thought of the fact that she could never have a child. And, it was hard to listen to her sister's somewhat ambivalent feelings about the subject. Mary Kathryn had resigned herself to the fact that maybe it was better this way to not have to worry about nannies and everything else that came along with being a concert pianist.
 

"You're awfully quiet all of a sudden," Pete commented as he glanced over at Mary Kathryn as they crossed the FDR into Manhattan.
 

"I was just thinking about babies and stuff," she sighed.
 

"I thought you were relieved about not having to worry about that," he reminded her.
 

"I am, but sometimes. . . ." Her voice dropped off.
 

"Well, we can still go home and practice," he grinned as he reached over to take her hand and squeezed it gently.
 
 

Los Angeles-Monday, October 1, 2001
 

Jill was in the process of packing up the remainder of hers' and Shelby's things for the trip back to Terry's. Eddie and Mike had been trying for days to talk her out of it by telling her that they'd have much more room at the lake house than they'd have in Terry's small apartment.
 

Michelle walked in while Jill was looking for the rest of Shelby's toys. "Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?" Michelle asked.
 

"Does any mother ever say 'no' to that question?" Jill commented as she fished some dolls and doll clothes from underneath the sofa, put them in a box and closed the lid. "I'm sorry. What's on your mind? "Please don't tell me you're having second thoughts about the wedding."
 

"No, it's not that. We're putting the announcement in the paper this weekend. Mom, Thomas wants us to start a family. I mean, he wants to start a family now, as in he'd be happy if I was throwing up during the ceremony," Michelle stated.
 

"I think I get the picture," Jill assured her daughter laughingly. "You're not ready?"
 

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready," Michelle complained.
 

"Yeah, you will, because once upon a time, I was you. When I first married your dad, I wanted to wait and he was willing to wait, too. Then one day he asked me to be the mother of his kids and at that moment, I knew I was ready. Sit down and I'll tell you something that I've never even told Mary Kathryn or Jennifer, although it's possible that Willie might've told her. When your dad asked me that day we began trying to have a baby. I don't remember how long it took, but I got pregnant," Jill began.
 

"With Mary Kate? I already know this story," Michelle interrupted.
 

"Not with Mary Kathryn," Jill interrupted. "This was three years before then. I found out that I was pregnant shortly before our wedding anniversary but I saved the news to tell to your dad that night. He took me to this very nice restaurant and we were sitting there when this man walked in with a gun. To make a long story short, I got shot in the back and I ended up losing our baby. It took me three long years to get up the courage to think about trying again. But once I did, it was all worth the wait. I know you think that you're going to be the kind of mother that your birth mother was, but I don't see that and I'll tell you why. You work in a profession where you probably save hundreds of lives every week. If you didn't care you wouldn't be doing it. Also, you love that houseful of animals. Thomas told me that sometimes you pay more attention to them than you do to him. And sometimes that's what a mother has to do. You have to put their needs and their wants ahead of your own. Besides, I don't know about Mike, but I think I'd like another grandchild to add to the mix," Jill smiled.
 

Michelle hugged her tightly and relaxed. "I heard a rumor," she told her mother, her brown eyes gleaming.
 

"What rumor?" Jill asked.
 

"I heard a rumor that a certain private investigator had been seen around town with his former wife. Any comments?" Michelle asked.
 

"Did your source also tell you that the P.I. and his former wife also had their son and granddaughter with them?" Jill wanted to know.
 

"No, he neglected to mention that. So, are you trying to work things out?" Michelle asked anxiously.
 

"We're talking, Michelle, and that's all. I have to be returning to Texas pretty soon or I'm going to lose my job and my house," Jill commented.
 

"I can ask around and see if there are any openings in the trauma unit at the hospital or were you going to talk to Mrs. Moran at Memorial?" Michelle insisted.
 

"Michelle, I'm not going to talk to anybody. I brought Shelby here for her surgery because I was getting unsatisfactory results from her doctor in San Antonio. I'm glad that everybody's talking again, but I have a life in Texas," Jill stated with quiet finality.
 

"Are you seeing anybody in Texas?" Michelle asked.
 

"No, not anymore," Jill commented mysteriously with a sharp glare.
 
 
 

Michael was sitting at the dining room table doing his homework about an hour later when Michelle walked in and sat in the chair beside him. "Was mom dating anybody in San Antonio?" She asked point blank.
 

"Yeah, but the guy was a total loser. They didn't go out very long," he told his sister as he put his pencil down.
 

"Did you like him?" She questioned curiously.
 

"No. Like I told you, he was a loser," he repeated as he rolled his eyes.
 

"What did he do?"
 

"He was a doctor at the hospital where mom works. He thought he was all that," he said as he went back to his homework. "I don't want to go back to San Antonio. It's too hot and I miss dad too much."
 

"Maybe she'll decide to come back here," Michelle told him.
 

"She says we're going to come back for your's and Thomas' wedding, but that's too far away," he groaned.
 
 
 

Mike was working on paperwork on the computer later when his son walked in and stood there watching him. "Michael, I've really got to get these reports finished. What's on your mind?" Mike asked him as he continued typing.
 

"I was wondering if you could talk mom into staying here in L.A.," Michael began.
 

Mike stopped typing and turned to face his son. "Michael, believe me when I say that I'd love nothing better than for you and your mom to stay here, but she has a job in San Antonio and she's decided that it's time to get back to that job and that life. Don't you miss your friends?"
 

"Not really. Well, if she won't stay, can't you ask her if I can stay here and go to school?" He begged.
 

"Michael, as much as I'd love to have you live with me, it isn't a good idea," Mike admitted in an unhappy voice. "I travel a lot and I don't have a place of my own for you to stay. You need to be with your mother."
 

"Maybe I could stay with Michelle," he continued as he stared at the floor and started to make patterns with his shoe. "She'll be lonely with Thomas leaving soon," the little boy suggested, his eyes brightening at the thought.
 

"No, Michael. Now, I want you to stop this talk of living with me or with your sister. You might not like it, but you're going back to Texas and back to your friends. I don't want to hear another word about it," Mike stated with finality.
 

Michael turned and stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.
 
 

Friday-October 5, 2001
 

Jill had a follow-up appointment with Shelby that afternoon. She was anxious to have the little girl released from Dr. Sajay's care so she could take the children and return to San Antonio. Watching her play with some toys in a corner, Jill found it hard to believe that this was the same child from three weeks earlier. Where before she'd had to be carried almost everywhere, now she tore around Terry's apartment complex on a tricycle Terry had purchased for her while Jill struggled to keep up. The receptionist came out and summoned them to the doctor's office.
 

Dr. Sajay placed Shelby on his examining table and smiled as he listened to her heart and lungs. "She's doing very well. Usually, I hesitate to perform that surgery on such a young child, but I really feel that she wouldn't have survived much longer if I hadn't gone with my instincts."
 

"When can I take her back to Texas?" Jill asked as Shelby struggled to get down from the table.
 

"I will fax her records back to Dr. Dominguez in San Antonio and I think he can take over from now on. So, you can leave tonight if you're so inclined," the doctor told her as he placed Shelby on the floor.
 

Driving back to Terry's, Jill thought about her feelings regarding her return to San Antonio. She loved her job and she loved her house, but it was lonely there compared to here in L.A. Now that all of the guys were once again talking, it was almost like old times. And, as Michelle had noted, she'd gone out to dinner with Mike a few times. Of course, the children had been with them each time, but it was nice to go out and talk without the yelling and screaming that had always happened before. He'd told her on the phone a few nights before that Michael was being difficult about having to return to Texas with his mother.
 

When they arrived back at Terry's Jill unbuckled Shelby from her car seat and led her upstairs by her hand, still thinking about what Mike had said regarding their son. When they walked into the apartment, Jill fixed the little girl a snack while she sat down and turned on the television. A few minutes later Shelby stopped in front of Jill and tugged on her arm.
 

"What is it, sweetie?" Jill asked with infinite patience.
 

"Can they fix my ears now?" Shelby signed.
 

"Can who fix your ears?" Jill wanted to know.
 

"Dr. Sajay. He fixed my heart, now can he fix my ears?" Shelby signed.
 

Jill smiled and pulled Shelby onto her lap. "Dr. Sajay is a heart doctor, but when we get back home we'll talk to somebody about fixing your ears," Jill promised Shelby as she smiled.
 

The audiologists had told Jill when Shelby was smaller that her hearing could be helped with hearing aids, but Shelby would either flat out refuse to wear them or in extreme cases she'd destroy them. Jill figured it was because she was too young to realize they were supposed to be helping her. She figured maybe it was time to try again.
 

The next day, Jill took Shelby and they drove out to the lake house. She needed to tell Michael to get his things packed so that they could leave on Monday morning. Michael was watching cartoons when Jill and Shelby walked in. He knew what was coming and he didn't want to hear it.
 

"We're leaving, aren't we?" He asked unhappily as he looked up from the TV.
 

"Yeah, Monday morning. You need to make sure all of your things are together. We'll be going as soon as I can check you out of school. Where's your dad?" She asked.
 

"Outside," he grumbled.
 

Jill told Shelby to sit down and she left the house to go find Mike. He was up at Trap's house talking to Trap while he was feeding the horses. Both men looked up when Jill walked over.
 

"Good morning," Mike greeted when he saw her.
 

"Your son doesn't think it is," she groaned as she leaned against the fence wearily. "Right now he thinks I'm the wicked witch of the north."
 

"I take it you're leaving," Mike guessed.
 

"Monday morning," she admitted with a nod. "I have to get back, Mike. I have obligations there, too," she explained.
 

"I know. I tried explaining that to Michael, but life's rough when you're nine years old," he smiled.
 

"But, I was thinking," she began as the two men looked at her. "I'm going to see Meggy this afternoon. If the meeting goes well, when I return to Texas, I'll give my notice and put my house on the market."
 

"You're going to come back here?" Mike asked in a hopeful voice, almost afraid to believe it.
 

"If the meeting goes well, yes," she told him.
 

"If it goes well, I can start house hunting right away and . . ." he began excitedly
 
 

"Hold it! Let's take a walk," she suggested, effectively cutting him off. They started walking toward the dock area. "Mike, I love the fact that we're talking, but I've never said I'd move back in with you. It's too soon. We still have a lot to talk about."
 

Mike's face fell.
 

"But I would appreciate it if you'd look for something for me and the kids," she continued. "It doesn't have to be fancy."
 

"I want us to be together as a family again," he whispered.
 

Jill closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So do I, but there was a lot said in the last two years...things that can't just be wiped clean by saying 'I love you.' It wasn't just you, it was me, too," she insisted to him.
 

"Would counseling help? I'm willing to go if you are," he told her.
 

"Right now I just want us to keep talking. Anyway, you have a wedding to plan," she grinned.
 

"Aren't you going to help me with that?" He pleaded.
 

"I'll do what I can," she promised, her smile getting wider. She glanced at her watch. "I have to go or I'm going to miss my date with Meggy," she said as she walked toward the house.
 

"Do you want me to keep an eye on Shelby?" He asked.
 

"I'm taking her with me. My friends at Memorial want to see her."
 

<><><><><>
 

Meggy Moran looked a little older but her eyes still shone a vivid blue as she embraced her friend and former colleague. "You look wonderful!" Meggy enthused as she looked Jill over and then Shelby. "Is this Miss Shelby? Oh, Jill, she looks exactly like Savannah!"
 

"I know. I needed to talk to you about the possibility of coming back here to work," Jill just blurted it out as the two women sat down.
 

"Well, your administrative post no longer exists, thanks to downsizing," Meggy told Jill reluctantly as she got them both coffee.
 

" I'm not looking for an administrative post. And, I need something with straight hours. In San Antonio, I have a housekeeper who looks after the children when I work nights or evenings, but the cost of living is less there. I doubt I'll be able to afford that luxury if I return here," Jill admitted as she added sugar to her coffee.
 

"Well, we do have a trauma center here at Memorial now. It started a little over a year ago. It's hard to keep nurses who are willing or able to keep up the pace that a trauma unit requires. Would you be interested?"
 

"I'd be very interested. I don't know when I'll be coming back to L.A. I'm going to put my house on the market when I get back to San Antonio, but I don't know how long it'll take to sell. Can I call you as soon as I know more?" Jill asked.
 

"Can't you just turn your house over to a real estate agent and come back here? That's what we did when we moved from the valley back to town," Meggy stated.
 

"I suppose I could," Jill commented slowly as she'd never thought of that possibility. "We were coming back here next month for Michelle's wedding, so I figured I'd give it that long, anyway.".
 

"So, Michelle's finally getting married? That's wonderful," Meggy congratulated her.
 
 
 

Monday-Oct. 8, 2001
 

Michelle had just walked in the front door after a long day of surgical duty. She was changing clothes when the phone started ringing. She frowned as she looked at the caller id, not recognizing the number. "Hello?" She answered the phone.
 

"Michelle, I saw your wedding announcement in the paper. I'm so happy for you," came a woman's voice that Michelle thought she'd never again have to hear.
 

"How did you get this number?" Michelle demanded.
 

"I called the hospital and told the girl that answered that I was your mother and I needed to talk to you. She was very sweet about it," Irene Raeford continued.
 

"I have a mother and she has my phone number!" Michelle exploded into the phone.
 

"Michelle, please don't be like that. What happened is in the past. You should keep it there. I'd like to see you and your sister. I'd like to see how you've grown up. Your brother Ben lives in Seattle. He found me when he turned 18. How's Savannah?" The woman chirped.
 

"How's Savannah?" Michelle asked in disbelief as she fought back tears of rage. "She's dead! Don't call me anymore! You're not my mother!" Michelle shrieked once again as she slammed the phone down.
 

Michelle sat down in a living room chair and covered her face in her hands before running both hands through her long hair and pulling it behind her. Getting up, she grabbed her car keys and got back in the Jeep, roaring out of the driveway as Thomas was pulling in. He tried to stop her, but she took off in a cloud of dust.
 

Everybody in the Human Resources division of UCLA Hospital were busily performing their jobs when Michelle walked in. "Excuse me, but who gave a woman named Irene Raeford my phone number?" Michelle shouted.
 

Everybody stopped what they were doing to look at her.
 

"Your mother called earlier and said she needed to talk to you, so I gave her your home phone number. I didn't see anything wrong with it," a mousy brunette defended herself in a nervous voice.
 

"Didn't you find it the least bit strange that my mother didn't know my phone number? I've only lived at the same place for three years!" Michelle challenged.
 

"Miss Danko, come into my office, please?" The head of HR ordered from her doorway. "Please close the door," she ordered Michelle when she stalked in. "What seems to be the problem?"
 

"You would think that after what happened in New York a couple of weeks ago that people would be more careful about giving indiscriminate information to people over the telephone. I was adopted when I was 10 years old. My birth parents were abusive, so my sister, brother and I were removed from their custody. I put my wedding announcement in the newspaper over the weekend. My birth mother called and said she got my number from someone here.Now, either something is done about the person who gave out my personal information or I'll take it to a higher authority," Michelle threatened.
 

"I will be talking to the person who did this and, believe me, there will be action taken," the lady assured her.
 
 
 
 

Thomas was sitting on the front porch when Michelle pulled up almost an hour later.
 

She kissed him before sitting down beside him on the front steps.
 

"Where'd you go?" He wanted to know.
 

"I had to talk to someone in HR at the hospital. Some idiot gave my birth mother our home phone number. She called a while ago to congratulate us on our upcoming marriage," she complained.
 

"Oh, man," he groaned. "Are you okay?"
 

"Yeah, I was just pissed. I never expected to hear from her again, Thomas. It brought back every bad memory I've ever had of my childhood. I told her not to call here again."
 

"Were you able to see your mom before she left this morning?" He asked, grateful to change the subject.
 

"No, I talked to her and Michael last night. She wanted to stay to help with the wedding but she needed to get back. She did say she'd be back the week of the wedding," Michelle told Thomas.
 
 
 

San Antonio, Texas-Monday, Oct. 15, 2001
 

Jill was sitting at the dining room table going over Michael's homework. She slowly shook her head as she handed the papers back to her son. "You need to re-read this and follow the instructions," she pointed out.
 

"I did follow the instructions," he complained with a grimace as he picked his pencil back up.
 

"No, you didn't. If you had, the answers would be right."
 

"I hate my teacher. I want to go back to L.A.," he grumbled as he started writing.
 

Jill hadn't told Michael that she'd put the house up for sale. She'd asked the agent to wait before putting the sign in the front yard. As badly as Michael's grades had been in the few days since their return, she didn't want them to get worse. She knew the bad grades were his way of telling her he wasn't happy about coming back. But Jill decided he was going to find out about the upcoming move sooner or later, so it might as well be now.
 

"I have something to tell you. We're going to go back to L.A.," she began carefully.
 

"I know," he grumbled. "Next month for Michelle's wedding. You already told me."
 

"Please let me finish. I'm selling the house. I'm going to take you and Shelby back to L.A. to live," she finished.
 

"Forever?" He asked as his face lit up.
 

She nodded.
 

"To live with daddy?"
 

"No, we're not going to live with daddy. But you'll get to see him much more than you do now," she promised.
 

"Thanks, mom!" He shouted as he jumped up to hug her.
 

After putting the kids to bed, Jill took a hot bubble bath before crawling into bed with the book she'd been reading, but she found she couldn't focus on her reading. She found herself wondering if she was doing the right thing by taking the kids back to L.A. Although things were going okay with Mike, she was scared that they could once again take the nightmarish turn they'd taken four years before. She looked at her clock and decided to take a chance and call Mary Kathryn. They hadn't spoken since she'd returned to New York two weeks before.
 

Mary Kathryn answered the phone in a harried voice on the third ring. "Hello?"
 

"Hi, it's me. It isn't too late to call, is it?" Jill asked, although she'd be rather surprised if it was. Mary Kathryn often stayed up until two or three in the morning.
 

"Mom, can I . . . uh, can I call you back?" Mary Kathryn wondered in an embarrassed voice.
 

"Yeah, call me tomorrow," Jill answered with a grin. "Say good night to Pete for me," Jill told her daughter as she hung up the phone.
 
 
 

In New York, Mary Kathryn hung up her cell phone and turned it off before rolling onto her back and covering her face in her hands as Pete began laughing hysterically. "Would you stop laughing so that I could just die in peace?" She begged.
 

"May Kathryn, you're over the age of consent," he laughed as he bent down to kiss her. "Don't worry about it."
 

"That's easy for you to say," she snapped with a glare. "You're a guy. You're expected to be a stud. In the eyes of my parents, I'm expected to be a good girl until the day that I die," she groaned.
 

"Just think of it as payback for all of the times that you probably interrupted them in the middle of fooling around."
 

"My sisters and I used to laugh when we'd stay out at my godfather's house on the lake because my parent's had this old brass, four-posted bed and it squeaked like you wouldn't believe," she laughed. "I think we learned more about sex from listening to that bed than from anything mom ever told us later during 'the talk,'" she reminisced.
 
 
 

Los Angeles-Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001
 

"I'm glad you got it, son, and I'm glad you like it. I was really worried that it wasn't going to get there in time. Let me talk to your mom real quick. I love you and have a happy birthday," Mike told his son.
 

Michael handed the phone to Jill.
 

"Mike, I really wish you hadn't spent so much money on him," Jill chided him as Michael left the room to go tell his friend Ryan about the PlayStation2 that he'd gotten from his father.
 

"Hey, you only turn ten once. So, how's it going with the house?" He asked, changing the subject.
 

"Pretty good, actually. We showed it to a couple earlier in the week and Adrian thinks they might bid on it. I should know by Monday. How are you doing with the house hunt there?" Jill asked.
 

"I've got a few possibilities but I don't care much for any of them. Possibility number one is way out in the sticks and it needs a ton of work," he groused.
 

"Hey, our house in Burbank was a work in progress, remember?" She reminded him with a chuckle. "Out in the sticks isn't bad unless you're talking like Baja California."
 

"Hey, I said out in the sticks, not the middle of the damned desert," he protested with a laugh. "I'll keep looking, you just do your part and sell your house. I miss YOU and the kids."
 

"I'll keep you posted. I'd better go so I can get Shelby in the tub. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow," she told Mike.
 

"Is she okay?" He asked with concern.
 

"She's fine. It's with an audiologist. We're going to try the hearing aid route again, at her request," she informed Mike.

"Good luck. Call me when you find out more about the house," he urged her as they said good night and hung up.
 

Later that night, Mike went down to the cellar to locate the box of tapes Michael had found during his summer visit. He finally found the box and lugged it upstairs. Putting the box on the sofa, he removed the lid and pulled out several video tapes, smiling as he read the labels. He walked over to the VCR and slid the first tape in, smiling at the images of Michael's first few hours home from the hospital. Counting back, he figured the girl's must've been 15, 13 and 11 at the time. Tears came to his eyes as the camera focused on Savannah holding her brother for the first time, smiling and holding his tiny hand to make him wave for her father, the director.
 

As much as he missed her, he missed the joy of having the rest of his family around more. He knew he was going to have to do some serious repair work still if he ever hoped to get Jill back into his life. Having her move back to L.A. was just step one.

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