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Post by crazylubyfan on Sept 4, 2007 3:59:18 GMT 10
Great update! I can't believe Jake did that to Susie! I wonder what's going to happen at the dance now....don't leave us hanging for too long!
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Post by *Natalie* on Sept 4, 2007 5:48:02 GMT 10
Great updates Can't believe Jake done that to Susie. Glad Susan has Luka and Abby to help her through everything natalie xx
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Post by Ergirl on Sept 4, 2007 6:42:05 GMT 10
I can't remember if i have left you a comment on this story yet...i love it so much...It's all written so amazingly, characters, storylines everything - these last couple of updates made me cry. Can't wait to keep reading!
Love xxx
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Post by larue on Sept 9, 2007 21:57:39 GMT 10
Susan was putting groceries away in her kitchen when she heard the insistent knocking on her front door. She hurried through the living room and peered through the peep hole in the door. A frown crossed her face as she opened the door and David glared at her.
“Hi,” she said in confusion and stepped aside so he could come in.
“What in the hell did you do?” he cried. Susan closed the door and leaned against it as she watched him pace.
“He is just a kid, Susan,” David said angrily. “A sixteen year old kid.”
“A kid with some anger management issues,” she said calmly.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it first? “ he said as the pacing stopped. “We could have gone to his parents….”
“We thought about that,” she interrupted as she crossed her arms in front of her. “Then we realized that it was really a school issue. It happened at school.”
“Yeah, and the school has zero tolerance toward bullying…” He shook his head in disgust.
“And they should have a zero tolerance policy…” David rolled his eyes.
“Jake is hardly a bully, Susan,” he said.
“Susie has bruises that say otherwise.”
“They pulled him out of class and suspended him till the end of the marking period!”
“Just long enough for Susie’s bruises to fade….” Their eyes met and held steadily.
“I could have called the police, David,” she said finally. “This was clearly an assault.” David shook his head.
“Assault?” He snorted and shook his head again. “He just pushed her out of the way!” Anger began to build in her.
“Assault,” she said firmly. “you know, I have seen Jake at 25 and 30 and 40….hell, I have even seen him at 60! And I have seen what …Jake… can do to his girl friend and his wife…..and his kids. Don’t tell me that it wasn’t an assault. Maybe this will be a wake up call to get himself under control before it’s too late.” David shook his head again.
“Well, I hope you know what you’re doing,” he sighed. “There’s been some talk around the halls. I’m not sure things will go easy for Susie now.”
“She can handle it,” Susan said curtly. “It was very brave of her to go to the administration with me.”
“Stupid, you mean,” he sighed softly. Susan’s brows furrowed as she straightened and opened the door again.
“I think you need to leave now,” she said. David scoffed.
“I mean…now,” Susan said. “I am trying to be patient but you have really tested me. I am not sure I can respect someone who would make light of this. Especially a Teacher.”
“Susan….” He said as a confused smile crossed his face.
“Please leave, David,” she said again. “Now.” He moved toward the door and stopped to put his hand on her shoulder. Susan shrugged and glared at him. Wordlessly he shook his head again and left. Susan shut the door and her shoulders sagged. What if he was right? What if it had been a mistake to report this? What if they did take it out on Susie? Kids could be cruel.
Susan was still wondering as she stood side by side with Susie at the counter fixing dinner. She eyed Susie sideways as the girl put together a salad.
“So…..how was school today?” she asked finally. “Okay,” Susie sighed as she sliced a cucumber. “It’s winter, you know?”
“Yeah…..” Susan nodded.
“Dreary….” Susie sighed again. Susan slipped a pan of rolls into the oven and then turned to the girl.
“No gossip about the deal with Jake?” she asked as she leaned her hip against the counter. “I mean, you can tell me, Mom. I’m a grown up now.” Susie looked at her with a frown and then laughed.
“It’s fine,” she giggled. Susan studied her seriously and Susie shrugged. “Really!”
“Are Brett and his buddies still walking you to class?” Susie shook her head.
“I told them they didn’t have to since Jake was gone.”
“No emails?”
“I don’t open them.” Susie picked up the salad bowl and headed for the table. She set it down and opened the refrigerator for the bottles of salad dressing. She turned and saw Susan still studying her.
“What?” she asked. Susan sighed.
“I was thinking,” Susan said. “You know, if it does get rough, we can send you to your mom’s…or maybe to Heather’s to finish the school year.” Susie shook her head emphatically.
“No,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“Susie.....” Susan said quietly. The girl shook her head and turned to her.
“If I leave,” she said. “Then he would have won. I am not giving him – or anyone else – that kind of power over me.” Susan sighed heavily and then drew the girl into her arms and hugged her.
“Besides,” Susie said as she pulled away. “I have the ‘goon squad’ if I ever need them.” Susan laughed.
“Oh…that makes me feel much better,” she said sarcastically. “I relish the thought of you surrounded by hunky athletes. Sex, drugs, alcohol and all that…..” Susie chuckled.
“Naw…” Susie said. “They’ve all taken a vow of abstinence.” Susan frowned and then nodded slowly.
“Abstinance is good,” she said slowly. Susie laughed again.
“Brett wears a promise ring,” she said. “Haven’t you ever noticed it?” Susan shook her head.
“A promise ring for what?”
“His dad is going to buy him a car if he promises not to smoke, drink, do drugs.…or have sex…..until he’s twenty one,” Susie said matter of factly as she finished setting the table. “The ring is kind of a reminder.” Susan’s mouth dropped open and Susie laughed at her.
“Where can you buy these rings?” Susan drawled. Susie laughed and moved to kiss her cheek.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Aunt Susan,” she said as she turned to the kitchen door. “I’ll get Cosmo for dinner.”
“I really, really like your new friends,” Susan called after her. She smiled as she heard Susie laugh. Susan shook her head.
“Wow…that is going to be one hell of a coming of age party!” she laughed softly.
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Post by brandykins on Sept 10, 2007 4:44:32 GMT 10
Great update!! I'm glad that Jake got suspended for the rest of the marking period and that Susie is standing up for herself and not running away. Update soon!
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Post by larue on Sept 10, 2007 10:40:07 GMT 10
“Do you ever wonder what it’s going to be like to deal with a real teenager?” Susan asked absently as she lifted a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and fudge topping to her mouth. Abby turned her head to look at her and frowned. Thy were nestled in opposite corners on Susan’s couch, both sets of feet propped up on the coffee table.
“Susie is a real teenager,” she said. Susan shook her head.
“No, she’s not,” Susan sighed and savored the tastes on her tongue. “She’s from some alien species of good sense and responsibility. Not like I was at all.“ Abby shrugged and turned back to the bowl of ice cream and topping and whipped cream that was balanced on her belly. Susan frowned enviously and balanced her own bowl on her knees.
“Cosmo and Lauren are going to give us a run for our money,” she said as she shifted her feet on the edge of the coffee table. “They’ve got our genes to deal with.”
“True…and Lauren has a healthy dose of Maggie‘s as well,” Abby said. “However….. Susie has Chloe’s genes and look what you’ve got.” Susan pursed her lips in thought and shrugged again.
“This is sooo good,” Abby sighed as she took another bite.
“You better not tell Luka you got it from me,” Susan said. “He’s probably still mad at me about last week’s sundae.”
“Oh, Luka Schmuka,” Abby said. “I’m not afraid of him.” Susan laughed.
“Right,” she said. “And that’s why you’re eating ice cream from my freezer and not your own?” Abby’s eyes met hers and they both laughed.
“Do you have a shift this weekend?” Susan asked. Abby shook her head.
“How about you?” Susan shook her head.
“The kids are home from school till Monday, remember?” she said. “Winter break. We’re going to sleep in and just hang out at home. You?”
“That sounds so good to me.” Abby sighed. “It’s getting harder and harder to get up in the morning these days.”
“I don’t know why you are pushing yourself,” Susan scolded. “You should lay off a bit and just relax this time. You didn’t have a chance to do that when you were pregnant with Lauren. You were a resident then.” Abby shrugged.
“Something about not having enough staff as it is, maybe?” she said with a pointed and playful glare. “Apparently there are some moonlighters who still refuse to come to County?” Susan looked up and then nodded.
“Nice try, Abby,” she chuckled. “I am not going to be taking over for you. Not when there will be a brand new baby to play with right next door. I‘ll work when and where I want to.” They both started as there was a sound at the door. Abby shoved her empty ice cream bowl under the blanket next to her and wiped her lips on the neck of her tee shirt. Susan slipped her own bowl on the floor next to her in the nick of time. Luka pushed open the front door and closed it behind him.
“Hi!” he said as he leaned down to kiss Abby. “Cold out there.” Abby nodded.
“Did you get the groceries?” she asked. Luka nodded. He held out a bag to Susan.
“This is to replace the ice cream she’s been eating over here,” he said with a wink. He looked down at Abby. “And you might want to get that bowl out from under the blanket before it spills onto the couch.” Abby suppressed a smile and retrieved the bowl. She handed it to Luka. Susan laughed as she picked up her own empty dish and stood up. She took the bowl and the bag from him.
“Busted,” she chuckled and carried the bowls and bag to the kitchen. Luka pulled Abby to her feet and studied the brown tee shirt she was wearing. It was stretchy and clung to her belly. The words ‘Knocked Up’ crossed her chest in graceful gold script.
“My favorite shirt!” he laughed. Abby nodded. “I opened a bag of maternity clothes and found it again,” she grinned. He leaned down and kissed her. He straightened and frowned a bit as he licked his lips with his tongue.
“Strawberry ice cream this time?” he asked. She grinned and swatted his chest as he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. She molded herself against him and they rocked together for a moment before noticing that Susan was watching them from the doorway of the kitchen. Abby’s face fell and she pulled away from him. “No…don’t, Abby,” Susan said suddenly. “It’s okay. I was just….” Abby nodded and laced her fingers through Luka’s. Susan grimaced as the doorbell rang. She glanced at her watch and headed toward the door.
“Who would be coming here at this hour?” she asked. Susan pulled open the door and stopped as she looked down into the faces of three children zippered snugly into winter coats and wrapped in hats and mittens and scarves.
“My daddy said to give you this,” one of the taller bundles said. Susan read the note and nodded.
“Of course, you can stay here,” she said rather loudly as she ushered the three children inside. She stuck her head out of the door and looked all around and then closed the door and locked it. She handed the note to Luka and then put her hands on her hips.
“So, are you cold?” she asked as the three children gazed at her with stricken faces. “Why don’t you get out of those winter coats and we’ll make some hot chocolate. Does that sound good?” The door bell rang and Susan ignored it as she helped the smallest bundle unzip his coat. Luka reached for the door and Susan stopped him.
“I think we even have some marshmallows in the cupboard somewhere,” Susan was saying as she draped their coats over the staircase banister. The bell stopped ringing and there was a knock on the door. Susie came down the stairs with a frown as she saw everyone standing at the door. Cosmo and Lauren were right behind her.
“Hey!” Cosmo cried gleefully. “More kids!” The knock on the door became a banging and Susan sighed. She went to the door and unlocked it. She swung the door open and grinned.
“Hi, Doug,” she said calmly.
“I want my kids back, Susan,” he said as his eyes twinkled.
“Daddy!” one dark haired little girl cried as she threw herself into her father’s arms. The other girl, obviously her twin, shook her head and put her hands on her hips.
“You are….such….a drama queen, Tessie,” she sighed. “Hello….it was a joke!” They all burst into laughter as Doug set Tess down and wrapped Susan into a bear hug. Susan let him go as Carol stamped her snowy feet off on the porch and made her way inside. They hugged one another and Susan took her coat and handed it to Susie. Carol hugged Luka and then Abby. She glanced back at Luka.
“See….” she grinned happily. “I told you so.” Luka nodded and grinned as he drew Abby close to his side.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby asked him quietly.
“Just a conversation we had before she left County,” he said as he shrugged and smiled.
“Are you really planning to stay here?” Susan asked as Susie ushered the kids into the kitchen for hot chocolate. Doug pulled out a chair at the dining room table and sat down.
“Nah,” he said. “We’re staying at Carter’s town house. We dropped our bags off and came right here. We were hoping to catch you before you had dinner so we could get some carry out.”
“Carter’s?” Susan said as she and Abby exchanged glances. “I bet he has a maid at your disposal, doesn’t he? And maybe even a cook?” Carol laughed and sat on the chair next to Doug. Susan shook her head.
“How come we never get invited to stay at Carter’s?” She sighed and nudged Abby.
“Got some carry out menus?” Doug asked. “I have been waiting years for some of this stuff.” Luka pulled open a drawer in the small table that held Susan’s telephone and took out the menus that were stored there. He dropped them on the table and sifted through them with Doug.
“Abby, you look great,” Carol said as she turned to them. “When are you due?”
“Middle of June,” she sighed and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “Your girls are beautiful.”
“Yeah, they are,” Carol said and smiled. “And as different as night and day. Tess is a dancer and Katie is into soccer….baseball…football. Markie is our artist.”
“And you brought them here from Seattle to enjoy our wonderful winter weather?” Susan asked wryly.
“Well, actually Carter was the one that suggested it,” Carol said. “He knew the kids would be off school for winter break. He’s flying in from Paris on Saturday and told us to come a few days early and spend some time with you and any other friends we wanted to visit with.”
“Carter,” Susan shook her head and glanced at Abby. “Have you been getting letters from him too, Doug? About the Carter Center?” Doug rolled his eyes and nodded.
“The man is relentless!” Susan moaned.
“And he’s planning on getting us all together for dinner Saturday night,” Carol said. “At least that’s what Helga….Carter’s cook…said.”
“He probably has plans for a powwow of some sort for us as well,” Susan sighed. ‘Brace yourselves, people.” Luka laughed and Doug shook his head.
“Interesting that we are all off this weekend, isn’t it?” Susan said. “Do you think he had something to do with that as well?” They all exchanged glances and shrugged.
“This is very weird,” she continued slowly with narrowed eyes. “Very…Big Brother…kind of weird.” Abby shuddered.
“Stop it, Susan,” she laughed.
“Are you guys interested in going to any of the museums with us?? Oh, and I promised the girls we’d stop by the American Girl store,” Carol asked.
“Did she say shopping?” Susan nudged Abby.
“No,” Abby shook her head. “She said ‘museums’.”
“I distinctly heard ‘shopping’…” Susan insisted. Carol laughed and shook her head.
“In February? In Chicago?” she said. Susan shrugged.
“My kind of museum….” she said. Abby shook her head and Carol laughed again.
“Chicago pizza, Thai and barbecue….” Doug said as he looked up from the menus. “Sound good?”
“Anyone have Carter’s charge number?” Susan asked. She glanced around at their faces and sighed. “Remind me to snitch it when he comes back in town.”
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Post by *Natalie* on Sept 11, 2007 4:42:57 GMT 10
Great updates Can't wait for the reunion natalie xx
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Post by brandykins on Sept 12, 2007 6:41:44 GMT 10
Great update!! Update soon.
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Post by larue on Sept 17, 2007 12:19:49 GMT 10
Susan grinned as she settled back on the bench and watched the boys climbing all over the John Deere tractor in the farm section of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Abby sat next to her and pushed a straw into a small apple juice box before she handed it to Lauren. Abby pulled the little girl back next to her but Lauren wiggled forward again so she could swing her legs.
“Ahhh…Cosmo…careful,” Susan called as her son climbed through the tractor’s open window with Mark Ross close behind him. She crossed her arms and sighed.
“You know, I always forget how much fun this place can be,” she said, “especially when you have kids with you.” Abby nodded and they both looked up as Carol approached. She dropped onto the bench next to Lauren.
“Are they still there?” Abby asked. Carol nodded slowly and then shrugged as Susan laughed.
“Oh, it gets better,” Carol said. “Apparently they were hogging some computer game about finding submarines with a sonar. An attendant had to come and ask them to let some little kids have a chance. So now they take their turns and go to the back of the line to wait for another one.”
“You are talking about Doug and Luka, right? Not the girls?” Susan chortled. Carol nodded.
“The girls are off to some I-max movie about mummies and Egypt with Susie and her boyfriend,” Carol said.
“Brett is not a boyfriend,” Susan corrected her. “He’s a…..friend…..with a ring.” Carol frowned slightly and glanced over at her. Susan nodded seriously.
“No drinking…” she said.
“No drugs,” Abby added.
“No sex…..” Susan said.
“No life…..” Abby muttered. Susan nudged her as Abby suppressed a giggle.
“Until he’s twenty one,” Susan went on insistently. “And then his dad will buy him a car.” She nudged Abby playfully again.
“Just wait until it’s your little girl those horny teenage boys are sniffing around” she scolded. Abby laughed and Carol leaned forward to look at Susan.
“So…is there a patent on those rings or something?” she asked. “Where can I pick up a couple?” Susan and Abby laughed again. Lauren slipped down from the bench and handed her juice box to Abby.
“Mommy…peepers again…please?” she wheedled as she leaned against her mother’s knees. Abby sighed wearily and straightened. Carol stopped her.
“No…wait,” she said. “This is where older kids come in handy. “ She looked toward the tractor and smiled.
“Mark?” she called. The curly haired boy stopped steering the huge tractor and looked at her. “Lauren wants to see the baby chicks again. Would you and Cosmo take her please?” The eight year old nodded and climbed down from the tractor with Cosmo close behind. The two boys took Lauren’s hands and headed off toward the glass enclosure with eggs and chicks in various stages of development. Abby sat back again.
“Nice…” she sighed happily. Carol laughed.
“You know, Carol,” Susan said seriously. “If there is even the remotest possibility that you and Doug would consider moving back to Chicago, I would do anything I can to help sway you. I would love to watch Doug Ross deal with boys coming around his daughters.” Carol laughed.
“Oh, he’s preparing for it,” she said. “Private school tuition for two.”
“All girl prep school, right?” Abby asked. Carol nodded.
“Luka is saving up too.” she said and they both chuckled.
“You know, this time in their lives is really not funny,” Susan sighed. “All the things they are exposed to...the choices they have to make….all in the name of becoming an adult.”
“Listen to you….” Abby snorted. “You got Susie. Has she ever made a…bad choice?” Susan frowned slightly as she thought for a moment.
“No,” she said finally. “But that’s not saying that it hasn’t been hard.”
“Hard to believe that she is Chloe’s kid,” Carol said as she shook her head.
“I know,” Susan sighed. They were quiet as they watched Mark, Lauren and Cosmo in the distance.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Susan said finally. “We really need to have a plan in place before this dinner with Carter on Saturday.” Abby burst out laughing.
“A plan for what, Susan?” she asked. “This is really making you paranoid.”
“Well, you have to admit that he has been making a pretty concerted effort to get all of us for quite a while,” she insisted. ‘Repeated letters asking for the very same thing, setting up a weekend like this, getting us all back together….have to wonder what he is going to try next.” She looked up as Cosmo raced towards them and stopped in front of her.
“Mom!” he cried. “You gotta come! There’s an egg breaking open and a chicken is coming out!” He grabbed her hand and almost dragged her to the floor. Susan stood up and glanced back at Abby and Carol. She rolled her eyes and they laughed as they pulled themselves to their feet again.
“It’s nice to see,” Carol said as they sauntered over to the chick exhibit. “Luka so happy, I mean.” Abby glanced over at her and grinned.
“You too,” she said. Carol blushed.
“Takes a while sometimes,” she said. “You have to go through a lot of complicated stuff.”
“Yeah…” Abby sighed. “And then all of a sudden it seems like it was so simple? Right there all the time?”
“Yeah….” Carol grinned in feigned confusion. “Why do you suppose we were we so hard on ourselves?” Abby shrugged and looked down as Lauren tugged on her hand and pointed excitedly at a very wet chick wearily pulling itself out of a cracked egg shell. Carol jumped as she felt a pair of arms snake around her. Doug nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose.
“They finally kick you out of the submarine?” she laughed.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Some school group came in and the line was too long. Where are the girls?”
“At the theater in the space section,” she said. “I told them to wait there for us. Susie is with them.” Abby straightened and pressed a hand to the small of her back. She grinned as she watched Luka crouched down eye level with their daughter, both of their noses almost pressed against the glass as Lauren jabbered on excitedly about the baby ‘peeper’.
“Where are we going from here?” Doug asked as he corralled Mark in one arm and swung him over his shoulder. “The planetarium?”
“Well….we were hoping you and Luka would take the boys there so we could take the girls shopping for a little bit,” Susan said. “We could meet at the Navy Pier for dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Luka said as he stood up. “Are you sure you want to take Lauren though?”
“She’s going to be fine, Luka,” Susan assured him. “Just hand the credit cards to Abby.”
“I have my own,” Abby said indignantly. Luka pressed a kiss to her cheek and swung Cosmo to his shoulders.
“Are we really going by ourselves? Just us guys?” Cosmo asked.
“Just us guys,” Doug laughed.
“Bye, Mom!” Cosmo called happily as he turned to wave. Susan sighed heavily as she watched them go.
“Aw,” she said. “That kind of breaks my heart.” She sighed again and lifted Lauren up in her arms.
“Come on, cuddle bug,” she said. “Aunt Susan needs a hug.” Lauren smiled and wrapped her arms around Susan’s neck and her legs around her waist. Susan closed her eyes for a second and enjoyed the sweet feel of the little girl hug and then shifted her to her hip.
“So I am thinking that maybe we should practice saying ‘no’ for a little bit,” Carol offered as they headed toward the corridor to the rest of the museum.
“For Carter?” Abby frowned.
“For my girls,” Carol sighed. “I promised them a visit to the American Girl store. Doll stuff heaven……”
“Ooooo….” Susan laughed. ‘I can’t wait! My life is like all about Legos and hot wheels cars.”
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Post by brandykins on Sept 18, 2007 3:30:22 GMT 10
Great update!! Update soon!
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Post by *Natalie* on Sept 18, 2007 4:45:55 GMT 10
Great update natalie x
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Post by betinhaa on Sept 21, 2007 3:51:58 GMT 10
hey please up date ASAP!!! i love ur fic
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Post by Ergirl on Sept 22, 2007 3:44:32 GMT 10
Fantasticly brill update as usual You know i love this fic
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Post by betinhaa on Oct 1, 2007 2:39:25 GMT 10
pleaseeee up date asap we are diying for a up date here u r doing a grear job
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pili
Junior Luby
just perfect
Posts: 27
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Post by pili on Oct 6, 2007 9:04:36 GMT 10
please update, I miss your fanfic a lot!
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