George - Chapter Twenty Five: Piece By Piece

This chapter has been a long time coming. I've jokingly started calling it the "cursed chapter" since every time I tried to take pictures for it either my game would have issues (which led to me reinstalling the game three times) or life got crazy. Thankfully, the game issues seem to be resolved. 

Speaking of resolutions, I've made one for the new year that includes posting chapters more frequently. I've been dragging my feet with this generation, not wanting to end their story, but it's time and I've made my peace with that. Unless someone (either George or Steph) tell me differently, there will be two more chapters and then a finale to this generation. 

The short version: I'm resolving to post more often, finish this generation so the next can start, and this generation will end soon.

Thank you for being patient with me, for continuing to read this story (even with my sporadic posting), and for loving these characters with me. :)

******

God bless Kelly Clarkson for putting into words what so few of us can. Her song speaks to both Steph's and my heart and was an inspiration in writing this chapter.

Special Thank You To LateKnightSimmer for making the tipping hat pose!!! Love You Sweet Lady!!!
******

****Steph****

“They’re adorable!” Inside the most recent bag, sat two onesies, both white; one with small blue airplanes and one with tiny pink flowers. The cuteness of each one was too much not share with everyone and I reached inside, holding them up for everyone to see. Those gathered in the family room for my baby shower agreed, and I smiled even more thinking about each baby wearing them. But they looked bigger outside the bag and even though the size on the tag said “newborn”, I couldn’t imagine that each of them would be big enough to fit into them when they were born. That thought made me panic for a moment and I looked down at my huge belly, wondering how much bigger it would need to grow for them to reach that size.

“They grow so much in the last months.” Bridge offered and I glanced up from my belly to see her watching me from across the room.

I nodded and smiled over at her. “I read that in one of the “What to Expect” books, but I still have trouble imagining me getting any larger.” I half joked and chuckles sounded around the family room.

“I felt like I was going to bust during my last month.” I turned to see Emily rubbing a hand over her barely noticeable bump. “It’s amazing to think how much they grow in just nine short months.”

“This isn’t making me feel any better about what’s ahead.” Charlotte somewhat joked as she looked down at her also barely there bump.

“It’s all worth it.” Bridge patted Charlotte’s hand and Emily nodded. “The uncomfortableness you feel in the last months becomes a distant memory as you hold your little one. . .” She smiled at me. “. . .or little ones, and your heart feels like it’s going to burst from the love that you feel whenever you hold them in your arms.”

Daydreams of George and I holding tiny babies moments after being born were interrupted by Charlotte placing another baby present in my lap and I set my attention back to opening them. Before long, they were all unwrapped, the guests full from enjoying tea, cupcakes and other treats, and little by little friends began to leave until all that remained were family.

The guys kept themselves busy doing “guy activities” until the shower ended and their thunderous return proved that they had a good time.  “I swear! I wasn’t peeking!” Trev’s loud voice was the first heard as they exited the elevator. “Willie’s just not very good at surprising people!” The laughter that rang out made us women look and smile at each other; something that caused the men to stop dead in their tracks after filing through the door.

“Why are you all smiling like that?” Will wondered and we couldn’t contain our laughter any longer.

“It’s just nice to hear the four of you having fun.” Emily’s reassurance once we stopped laughing broke them out of their frozen state and each one made their way over to join us. As the conversation continued, I looked around the room and drank in the sight of the warm, caring family and each of the happy couples. 

The latest addition was among the Christmas surprises of learning that Charlotte and Emily were pregnant. Trev’s admission that he meant to bring a guest with him on Christmas Eve caused a buzz through the family. It didn’t take us long to realize though that Trev had met his match with Pamela, an old college friend of his.

It was something that was common with every couple sitting there, how once each couple got together it didn’t take long for them to move to the next step, and my tiny chuckle didn’t go unnoticed by George. The small turn of his head in my direction caught my eye and when our eyes met, a whole conversation took place where I told him that I’d reveal later what had caused my runaway chuckle, and his eyes showed that he couldn’t wait to hear about it.

The thought that the two of us could have a conversation like that made a soul-warming contentment spread through me, and if I had known how short-lived it would be, I would’ve tried to relish it even more. As was common at that point in my pregnancy, my mind jumped from one thought and memory to another and it wasn’t long before I remembered the moment that I first witnessed him having a silent conversation with Charlotte. . .the night that George and I first opened up about our pasts. . .when I first told him about my parents.

It seemed like anything could send my mind on a path that led to some memory or conversation about my childhood and cause an unsettling feeling to fester deep inside.  Every time, I tried to push it even further down, but my attempts became less and less successful and I worried about my ability to keep it hidden. Especially from George.

The moment that everyone left was the when my worry became a reality. His attention turned away from the elevator doors and I knew from the intense focus I saw when his eyes met mine that he had zeroed in on something.

George - Chapter Twenty Four: Brother, Son, Husband, Father

This chapter can be read on it's own, or can be read with Trev's chapter which can be found here. It's the one time that the two stories have chapters for the same event so it just made sense to me to publish them at the same time. While the event is the same, their reactions and experiences are different and I think each chapter shows just how different George and Trev are by revealing what each chose to center their thoughts and attention on.

While I'm disclosing things, I might as well mention that there's one picture that might be considered NSFW and as always, this is a long chapter with a ton of pictures. 

Hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading!

****George****

“Steph? Are you home?” Only a few lights were on in the apartment which meant more than likely she wasn’t, but I wanted to be sure. Soon after we returned from our honeymoon I came home to a similar sight and assumed that she wasn’t there. The scare I gave her as I entered our bedroom made her jump and scream loud enough that I wondered if the whole city heard it. She spent the next several minutes playfully scolding me and smacking my arm.  I had learned my lesson that day, always let her know when you’re home.

The memory made me chuckle as I made my way up the stairs to change clothes. This had been the normal lately. I’d return home to an empty apartment, change, start dinner, and Steph would come rushing into the apartment like a car on two wheels. I was glad for it though. She and Ethan began the prep work for their catering business after we returned from Italy and even though it was hard work and she was exhausted most nights, it was worth it to see her happy doing what she dreamt of for so long.

After changing I made my way back down to the kitchen and took inventory of what food we had in the fridge. One of the drawers contained a block of parmesan and it reminded me that we had ingredients for pasta sauce. I had enough time to cut everything up, place it in a pot, and start simmering it before I heard the sound of the elevator dinging and her rushed footsteps on the wood floor.

“Shitfire I’m sorry!” She rushed to the kitchen, flung her bags down on the floor, and quickly placed a kiss on my cheek.  “I was about to walk out the door when Ethan asked me if I’d look over some numbers with him. Which I told him wasn’t necessary since I trust him and know that he’ll keep us on track financially, but he insisted.”

Her rushed entrance made her cheeks flush and eyes dance, making her look completely adorable and too irresistible not to touch. My hand hooked around her waist and pulled her closer. “He just wants to make sure that you’re both on the same page.”

A playful smile appeared on her lips as she moved even closer. “I know. . .” She studied her hands as they started to rub my chest, making every nerve in my body tingle with anticipation. “I just wanted to get home.” Her eyes crept up, and the suggestive way they peeked through her lashes at me and the huskiness in her voice made any reassuring words about Ethan and the catering business or thoughts about the simmering dinner vanish.

“I’m glad you’re home.” The drop in my voice made her smile widen and my hold on her tightened to press her body into mine. There were several moments of the day that I looked forward to; waking up to find her in my arms, sitting down to eat dinner with her, and our first kiss after returning home from a busy day apart. It never failed in melting away the stress and worries of the day. Our kiss that night did just that and deepened into something more just as the sauce started to sputter, interrupting what could have been.

“You’re making spaghetti?” She stood on her tiptoes to peek over my shoulder and I nodded. “If I’d gotten home sooner I could’ve helped you.” She somewhat whined as her shoulders sank in disappointment.

“You’ve been cooking all day; and I wanted to make dinner for you.” She spent the previous two weeks tweaking recipes so they could be produced in larger quantities for catering events and I knew she had to be somewhat burned out on cooking.

“You do make a delicious pasta sauce. . .” She somewhat gave in and I gave her another quick kiss before she rushed upstairs to change. By the time she returned, dinner was ready and waiting on the table.

“Thank you for making dinner.” She smiled at me as we both sat down.

“It brought back some memories.” I admitted and her smile turned into an ear to ear grin. “I didn’t hand pick the tomatoes or cook it on a stove in a Tuscan villa, but hopefully it’s just as good.” During our last night in Tuscany we had a romantic spaghetti dinner that we picked vegetables for and I somehow convinced her to let me cook for her. It had been a fitting end to our time there before the second half of our honeymoon in Venice.

I anxiously waited for the verdict as she leaned over her plate and took a bite. “It’s just as delicious as it was then.” She smiled up at me and I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction from her praise. I joined her in sampling the sauce and several minutes of contented silence passed before she inquired about my day.

“Did you have a lot of patients today?” She asked as she twirled some spaghetti onto her fork.

“About the same as I usually do.” I looked down at my plate before continuing, knowing that what I told her next would make me revisit a part of my day I didn’t really want to. “I did receive an interesting call though. . .” The sudden halt of her twirling fork was enough to tempt me to glance up at her and she raised her eyebrow, coaxing me to continue. “Mom called me.”

Her head snapped back a little. “At work?”

I nodded. “I was just as surprised as you are.” Mom never called me when I was working, and just like Steph, it had made me worry. “She wanted to ask me something and it was important enough that she wanted to ask as soon as possible.”

“What did she ask you?”

George - Chapter Twenty One: I Promise You

Some NSFW pics

This chapter, like many before it, was inspired by a specific song. I've provided it here for you to enjoy while you read.   Long chapter, lots of pictures. . .It's what I do. Lol!

Thanks so much for reading!

****George****

As we stood watching the different sizes and colors of luggage travel along the belt at the baggage claim, I couldn’t help but feel slightly worried about ours. The sooner I had it back in my possession and able to check its contents, the better. When I had originally planned out this week, I hadn’t taken into account how I would get the most important item there without her knowing. I couldn’t keep it in a pocket or carry on thanks to airport screening which left me with only one option, putting it in the luggage.

Everything about getting it there had been stressful; as we packed I had placed it in the suitcase after I was sure that she had packed everything, and of course, she immediately had gone to open the bag again to place something else in it. I thought back to that moment and how I had held my breath and prayed that she wouldn’t open that one section. Once she had finally zipped the bag back up and left the bedroom I had let out a sigh of relief. The worry over her finding it in the bag had now been replaced with fear of the luggage being lost on our way there.

So there I stood, at the baggage claim in Paradise Island, praying the next bag that came around the curve happened to be ours. I intently stared at each bag and startled when a hand touched my arm.

“You know, they say a watched kettle never boils. . .” She joked and I jerked my head to look at her and she jumped a little. “Are you always so stressed about finding your luggage?” She joked again. If she had only known the item that I had placed in there, she wouldn’t have joked about it. 

I tried to smile. “It’s just that we’ve seen some of these bags before and I’m starting to wonder why it’s taking so long for ours. . .Trev already has his.” I looked over at Trev. His bag had been one of the first to come down the line and he had moved off to the side to get out of other people’s way. 

“Hmmm. . .well, I don’t think we’re going to have to wait much longer. . .” I turned to quickly look at her and she pointed down the way at our bag. I impatiently waited for it to come slowly down the belt to where we stood and snatched it up the first moment I could reach for it. We walked over to where Trev had moved to and I couldn’t believe my luck when Steph whispered to me that she needed to use the restroom. I waited until she had gone inside before I made a mad dash to open the suitcase.

George - Chapter Twenty: New Beginnings

****Some possible NSFW pics. ****

****George****

I stood in the bathroom and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t usually stress over what to wear, but today was a big day; it was my first day of work at the hospital. I had always tried to dress professionally when I worked at my practice in Appaloosa, but I could have dressed however I liked since it was my own. With now working for someone and meeting with patients who didn’t know me, I felt I needed to make sure I was presentable. I was finally satisfied with the image that stared back at me and I opened the bathroom door. The sight I saw made me smile; Steph had woken up and was cooking us breakfast.

“You don’t have to cook breakfast.” I tried to reason with her.

“Nonsense! It’s your first day! You can’t go to work hungry.” She argued. 

“But you worked last night.” 

“So.” She stopped what she was doing and turned around. “You can stop trying to convince me to not make you breakfast, it’s not going to work.” She said and smiled at me.

I laughed and decided to make us some tea while she finished cooking. 

“Are you nervous?” She asked as we sat down to eat.

“A little.” I admitted. “But also excited.” 

“You’ll be great!” She enthused.

George - Chapter Nineteen: Welcome Home

Three days had passed since I had interviewed for the job at the hospital. I hadn’t expected to hear anything immediately following it, but as the days went by I found that I was more and more anxious about hearing from them. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted the job until I told Steph about it and once I realized it, I had trouble thinking about much else.

One thing that helped keep my mind occupied was packing. I had returned again to Appaloosa to finish packing up the last of my stuff. The next time I returned to Bridgeport it was for good. Steph, Ethan, and Charlotte were coming in two days to help pack the last little bit of my things and then the next day my stuff was going in storage at Bridgeport until the new apartment was ready. We still had at least two weeks before we could move in; in the meantime, I was going to be staying at Steph’s place. As I was finishing packing up a box, I heard my phone ring. I hurried over to answer it but was baffled by who it was. I didn’t recognize the number but it had the same area code as Bridgeport and even though I normally didn’t answer numbers I didn’t recognize, I chose to this time.

“Hello?”

“Dr. Davila?”

George - Chapter Seventeen: Happy Birthday, Steph - Part Three: The Best Birthday Present, Ever

- So we've  come to the last part of Steph's birthday chapters. I hope you've enjoyed reading them; I certainly had a fun time writing them.

- The only warning I'll give is that if you don't want to know what happens in Jeff's story, don't look to hard at some of the pictures. . .You'll understand as you get further down. I promise. If you're like me, and you want to know spoilers, than look really hard at some of the pictures. Lol!!

- I will have the next chapter out as soon as I'm able. There are several things I need to build for it but I'm hoping it won't take too long.

- Thanks so much for reading!!!

****Steph****

I had just finished taking a shower and had walked into the bedroom to find something to wear. I was surprised to find George there and that he had already showered and gotten dressed. “How did you already get cleaned up and dressed?”

“I used one of the other bathrooms.” He admitted with a smile.

“Why didn’t you use this one?” 

He shook his head. “Let’s just say that I needed to get ready quickly and that doesn’t happen when we’re in the same bathroom. . .” He hinted.

“I have no idea what you mean.” I joked before walking into the closet to find a dress to wear. I found one that went with what George was wearing and walked back out of the closet and I noticed that George was coming in from the living room. “How much time do I have?” I asked.

“Take as much time as you need. We’re not in a hurry.” He smiled and I wondered what he was up to.

As I finished getting ready I noticed that George kept leaving the bathroom and bedroom to go back out to the living area. I had given up on trying to figure out what was going on. All I knew was he seemed to be running around the house.

I was taking one last look at my makeup in the mirror and I saw him walk up behind me. “How did I get so lucky?” He asked as he looked at me in the mirror.
 

I turned around and smiled at him. “I think I’m the lucky one.” I admitted and kissed him.

“God, I love you.” He whispered when we broke apart.

I put my hand on his chest over his heart and looked up at him. “And I love you.” I whispered back. He smiled at me and then gently put his hand around mine. We walked back into the bedroom and on the bed was a wrapped box. He motioned for me to open it but before I reached for it, I reached for him and kissed him purposefully on the lips; almost causing him to lose balance.

George - Chapter Sixteen: Fears and Dreams

A few notes before the chapter and there will also be several after.

***This chapter is NSFW***
- If nudity and sex aren't your thing, do not continue. You've been warned. :)
- This begins a story arc for Steph. She had a mini one at the beginning of this generation, but now we'll begin to follow her through this new transition of hers and George's relationship.
- Shouldn't be a big surprise that this is a long chapter since that's what I tend to write, but I thought I'd warn for it anyway.

Thanks for reading!!

*******

****Steph****

I couldn’t keep myself from pacing back and forth between the kitchen and living room while keeping an eye on the door. George had called almost two hours ago to tell me that he was leaving the rehab facility and I had no idea how he was still going. When I had talked to him earlier in the morning, he hadn’t slept at all. Trev had spent the rest of the night in and out of consciousness and when he was awake, George had said that he was hostile and irritable. He had also said that was normal and that he expected Trev to change his mind about going into rehab by the time he was discharged, but he and everyone had been surprised when Trev had said he still wanted to go. 

Beyond that, I didn’t know anything. George had called me long enough to tell me that he was riding with Trev to the facility and that he’d call me back when he left.  That had been around one in the afternoon. When he did call, he had been up 36 hours and I could only imagine how exhausted and emotionally drained he was.

I had gone into a trance as I paced back and forth and barely heard the knock on the door. It didn’t take me long to walk over and open it and what I saw was shocking. 

 
He was standing there slumped over and there were dark circles under his eyes. He quietly made his way into the apartment and placed his bag down while I hurriedly closed the door. He leaned against the wall and it looked like it was all he could do to stand there even with the wall holding him up.  

I grabbed his hand and led him into the living room to the couch where he tried to sit up but I gently put my arm around his shoulder and eased him down till he was lying down with his head in my lap.

He looked up at me as I started running my fingers through his hair. “Did he get there okay?” I asked him and he nodded. There were so many other questions going through my head but I knew he needed to sleep. In less than a minute he had closed his eyes and I continued to sit there and run my fingers through his hair as I looked down at him. I had never seen him asleep and I had to fight the urge to touch one of his cheeks, not wanting to wake him up.

  

I lost track of how long I sat there, running my fingers through his hair and listening to him lightly snore but eventually my legs started to hurt from sitting in one position too long and I began to wonder if I could get up without him waking up. I eased my hands underneath his head and tried to keep it level as I tried to scoot off the couch. He moaned a little as I finally got free and placed his head down on the sofa. 

George - Chapter Fifteen: A Constant Voice

I've pretty much stopped giving language warnings, but half of this chapter is from Trev's point of view and he is a fan of very colorful language. Just wanted to warn readers in case it offends some people. :)

****Trev****

I was aware that I was surrounded by a blinding white light.  That was all I knew. I didn’t remember anything before that. There was no noise, just this really annoying light everywhere.

“What the hell!” I complained as I circled around staring into. . .the same God damn white light. “Hello? Is anyone there? What the hell is going on?!”

I heard a noise behind me and I turned around. “Hello? Who’s there?” I squinted, and for a moment I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. The light seemed to dim slightly and in front of me was a blank screen. “I don’t know what stupid ass trick someone’s pulling on me but it’s not fucking  funny.” At that very second the screen flickered on. There was no picture, just more white. “Damn it! Charlotte? George? Are you guys playing a trick on me?” I asked as I turned to look behind me but there was still a blinding light surrounding me. The only thing visible was the screen. 

I heard a crackle and turned around. The screen came to life with what looked like a waterfall and I instantly recognized it. It was Cinnamon Crest Falls back in Appaloosa.

“What the. . .” The image on the screen fast forwarded through town till it arrived at Mom’s house. But it looked different. The bushes weren’t as big as they are now and the house overall looked newer. I watched as the image fast forwarded again as it went through the front door and up the stairs, eventually turning into what was now the music room. But what I saw when the door opened wasn’t musical instruments, it was a nursery and my heart stopped beating when I saw who was in there.

Dad. He was standing by the windows with his back to me. “DAD!!!” I called out to him but he didn’t turn around. “DAAAD!!” 

He turned a little but didn’t turn completely around. I could tell then that he was holding something, but I couldn’t quite make it out. It was then that I realized that I was now in the nursery.

“How the hell. . .?” I turned around and saw a screen but this time it was showing the place with the blinding white light. It was like I had traveled through the screen into the nursery. I was baffled how that had happened but I was more interested in the fact that I was now in the same place that Dad was. “DAD!!”

He still didn’t turn around but I heard him say something. “So, what do you think, Trev? You think we’ll play a couple of football games in the yard someday?”

“What?! What the hell are you talking about?!”

He turned completely around and looked at what he was holding. “Maybe you’ll even play high school ball like your old man.” I watched as the boy looked up at Dad and smiled. 

“This is fucking insane!” I yelled as I watched Dad continue to talk and play with me as a toddler. “I must have drunk too much last night.” I closed my eyes and tried to pinch myself, hoping that when I opened my eyes that I would be lying in my bed. 

I slowly opened my eyes and grunted at what I saw. “UGH!!! Not again!!!” I was back where the blinding white light was. The screen in front of me fast forwarded again through some things with Dad and me but I didn’t remember them . I eventually did start recognizing things though. The time dad and I played catch at the falls, Dad and me fishing during one of our vacations, Dad and me entering the pie eating contest. . .it all flashed across the screen and I watched as I got bigger and he got older.

George -- Chapter Fourteen: Dust to Dust

Again, so sorry this took so long to publish! I did want to make a quick note about this chapter before you read it. I originally wrote this chapter as a filler chapter. I sometimes write out what other characters are doing in between chapters to help with interactions that occur later in the generation without any intention of publishing it. That's what this chapter started out as but as I kept writing it, I realized that there were too many key events that occurred and I felt that it needed to be shared. Not only does it go into how George felt after his and Trev's confrontation but it also has some important relationship changes between George and Steph.

I'm also providing the song that helped inspire this chapter.

Thanks for being so patient! Hope you enjoy!

****George****

When Uncle Charlie and I planned on bringing Trev to the club, I had hoped that I would be able to stay till closing. After what happened between Trev and me, there was no reason to rush back to his apartment so I hung around and when the club closed, I helped Steph, Charlotte, and Ethan close up. As we walked out the front, Charlotte tried to talk to me.

“Do you think Trev’s cooled off by now?”

I huffed. I was pretty sure that he was still probably pissed and he could be even drunker than he was when he and Uncle Charlie left.  “I seriously doubt it.”
 

“What about you?” She asked me.

“What about me?”

She sighed loudly. “Where do I start. . .have you calmed down? Are you going to be okay staying there tonight with him? Are you okay?” 

It was my turn to sigh. “I’m not the one who got pissed off; Trev is. I never needed to calm down, he did. I’ll admit, I’m not thrilled right now about staying there, but I’ll deal with it.” I paused before answering her last question. “I suppose I’m as good as can be expected.”

She nodded. “Well, if you want to stay somewhere besides his place, you can stay at my place.” I noticed Ethan and her exchange a look and it was obvious that the thought of me staying at Charlotte’s place made him react uncomfortably, and I guessed that probably meant that he was staying there too.

“No, that’s okay.”

“Just let me know if you change your mind.” She offered again and I nodded.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that and I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. It was as if the three of them knew something that I wasn’t in on. “Well. . .I guess we’ll get going. Do you want a ride or would you prefer to take a cab?” Ethan asked.

Before I could speak up Steph was answering him. “No, thanks for offering but I’m okay taking a cab. Is that okay?” She looked over at me.

“Sure.” Although I didn’t understand why we wouldn’t all ride together. The three of them were acting strange and I was racking my brain trying to figure out why.

“Alright, well, goodnight. And I mean it George, if you want to stay at my apartment, just let me know.” Charlotte again offered. I nodded and Steph and I watched as they walked hand in hand to the parking garage.

I quickly turned toward Steph. “Okay, what in the world was that?”

“What?” She looked confused.

“The whole uncomfortable thing after Charlotte offered for me to stay at her place, and then why wouldn’t we all ride together to your apartment building.”

She smirked as she responded. “Surely someone as smart as you can figure that out.”

“Well, I was sure that the reason that Ethan and she exchanged a look after she offered for me to stay there was because he’s probably staying there. But that doesn’t explain why we wouldn’t ride together.”

“Maybe they’re not going back to the apartment.” She hinted.

“Oh. . .” I said as I realized what she was saying. “So Ethan realized that if I stayed at Charlotte’s apartment that I would learn not that they were staying together at her apartment but that they’re together at his apartment.”

She smiled big. “Yup.”

“Why would I care?”