Affirmation Part 5a
Next part ready to be viewed - a long bit for everyone to enjoy.
This also brings the end of chapter 5, so here it is - in which there is panic at the Sanders house, Melissa brings in reinforcements, Julie's dream come true, and Melissa's e-mail friend is revealed.
Title: Affirmation
Author: Shinigami518
Rating: PG-13, but with some bits of R in it.
Main Character(s) and/or pairings: Ryan/Colin (which'll happen near the end), Ryan/Pat, Colin/Deb, Tony/Paul (later chapters), Jeff/Greg (one-sided)
Summary: A crazy woman abducts Ryan, Colin, their wives, Greg, Drew, Wayne, Brad, and Chip. Pat and Deb are released with only minor injuries, but the guys are still missing. Three college students end up stumbling into this crazed plan by accident and have to help the guys find a way to escape, but there are several big problems they have to overcome.
View the last parts here on my journal (and don't forget to comment on them if you haven't):
Prologue
Part 1a
Part 1b
Part 2a
Part 2b
Part 2c
Part 2d
Part 2e
Part 2f
Part 3a
Part 3b
Part 4a
Part 4b
Part 5a
Later that day…
5:02PM.
Sanders home.
Julie walked from the kitchen into the dining room, a can of Diet Coke and a can of Sprite in her hands. Sam sat waiting for her by the computer desk, where Julie’s computer was located.
“What do you think Melissa’s got planned?” Sam asked once Julie placed the sodas on the large, circular kitchen table near the computer.
“Wish I knew. Hell, sometimes I wish I knew what was going on in that screwy little mind of hers.” Julie answered, plopping down in her metal computer chair.
“You think we’ll save the guys?” Sam queried. Julie frowned and looked away, eyes softening.
“Truthfully?” Julie asked. Sam nodded. “No.”
“No?” Sam repeated in surprise. Julie launched herself to her feet.
“Take a look at us, Sam. Do we look like the kind of people who can go in, break seven men out, get them out, and take on a psychotic chick who we now know can kill us!?” Julie stated angrily and miserably. Sam said nothing, but stared at her friend still with a more controlled look of surprise on her face. Julie let out a small sigh and slumped back into her chair.
“Sorry. It’s just that… with Nan dying and now this, my emotions are all on the fritz.” Julie apologized softly, holding her head in her hands. Sam reached over and patted Julie’s left shoulder.
“I know. It’s hard for me, too. Hell, I haven’t even told my folks about this.” Sam told her friend. Julie forced a small smile at her friend as she raised her head back up.
“Can’t bear to tell them about this?” Julie asked.
“Don’t want them to freak out. I mean, can’t you imagine that conversation. ‘Hi mom, dad, guess what? Julie, Melissa and I found those missing celebrities in the basement of one of the buildings on the SUNY campus, but a psychotic woman with a itchy trigger finger is holding them hostage and two of the guys are heavily pregnant.’” Sam answered. That finally caused a small laugh from Julie.
“They’d lock us up and throw away the key.” Julie stated, finally giving a true smile. Sam nodded with a small laugh.
The sound of a dog barking broke their reverb.
“Augie, shut the hell up!” Robert turned in his red cushioned easy chair to the old black lab mix that was barking at the window closest to the front door. The dog didn’t hear his command and continued barking loudly. Will got up from the red cushioned couch and looked out the window in annoyance.
“If that’s Gus you’re barking at, you idiot, I swear I’m gonna- Oh shit!” Will cursed, looking out the front window. Janet looked up from her off-white leather recliner, moving her laptop off her lap.
“What is it?” Janet asked worriedly, placing her laptop onto her side table.
“A whole bunch of folks are coming this way.” Will exclaimed. Julie and Sam exchanged fearful looks, both having a pretty good idea who the people might be.
“Fuck, it’s gotta be Lolita and her goons!” Robert swore. Janet shot out of her chair and ran over to her daughter and friend.
“Get into the bathroom, quick! We’ll stall them!” Janet quickly said, grabbing the young women by their wrists and pulled them out of their chairs. Robert ran to the door and grabbed a wooded baseball bat by the door, while Will struggled to calm the barking dog. Janet then shoved the two younger women with all her strength through the small archway separating the dining room and kitchen before rushing back into the living room.
Julie and Sam ran into the pastel yellow and sea green painted bathroom, Julie shutting the door behind her, and huddled together in the open space - a seven foot distance - between the sink and toilet. The young women sat down and pulled their legs up, their arms encircling their bent legs. Unsure about who would be coming over at this time, they kept as silent as they could.
They heard voices from outside the room in the living room - the visitors had entered the house. The voices were muffled by the walls in between the rooms. The two women still kept silent, trying not to make their presence known to the new visitors.
The door opened slightly, causing both women to gasp and almost jump out of their skin.
A soft meow made their visitor recognizable. Julie sighed in relief.
“It’s only, Scooter.” Julie smiled, looking at the thin black cat that had opened the door. Scooter began to meow louder as he trotted into the room and jumped on the toilet seat, staring around the room in curiosity. He then let out a few more loud meows.
“Scooty, shush!” Julie hissed, trying to keep the cat quiet.
“Julie, someone’s coming!” Sam whispered in fear. Julie cursed under her breath and grabbed her cat from his place and pulled him close. Scooter immediately began to squirm around, not wanting to be held. Sam shut the door quickly and as quietly as possible. The two women were quiet, fear racing through their body.
Footsteps were heard outside the bathroom and they heard a soft “hmm?” from behind the door. Julie closed her eyes and pulled her black cat close to her body, praying that it wasn’t Lolita or one of her cronies.
The door opened. Sam let out a soft “Oh shit.” Then Julie heard a new voice.
“Hello?”
Julie opened her eyes slowly, staring at the pastel yellow and sea green wall in front of her. Scooter finally got free from Julie’s grasp and ran past the two women out the room.
“Julie? I don’t think she’s with Lolita…” Sam whispered to her friend, staring at the person who entered the room. Julie said nothing, knowing the voice was familiar, but couldn’t place it.
“You better bloody believe it, hun.” The person, a woman, stated. It then hit Julie like a bolt of lighting. She KNEW that voice.
Slowly she turned to the door and gasped, her face turning pale.
“It… It can’t be…” Julie whispered, her brown eyes widening.
“You two are Julie and Samantha, right? Melissa has told me and the others a lot about you two. Nice to meet you.”
Sam looked at Julie. “You know who she is, right?” she asked.
“That’s… Josie Lawrence…” Julie gasped, a smile finally appearing on her face. Josie smiled in turn, happy that the young woman knew who she was.
“Yes I am. And which one of you is Julie?” Josie confirmed, brushing some strands of curly brown hair behind her ear.
“I am!” Julie exclaimed, holding out a shaky hand to shake Josie’s hand, which Josie accepted.” Oh wow… You have NO idea how much I’ve wanted to meet you, Josie. Miss Lawrence” Julie smiled, fighting back the urge to hug the British woman.
“I can imagine. And you, Samantha?” Josie asked.
“Hey, from what Julie told me about you, you’re an incredible woman. I’ve seen some clips of you on the show and you got a great voice.” Sam replied with a slight shrug.
Josie looked touched by the comment. “Why, thank you.”
“What’re you doing here anyway?” Sam asked, tilting her head slightly with an arched eyebrow.
“Your friend Melissa sent an e-mail to a mutual friend of mine - Alicia Hardy.” Josie replied. Julie and Sam looked at Josie in surprise.
“Her pen pal? The one who had the aunt who worked on the British version of Whose line?” Julie exclaimed in astonishment. Josie nodded. Julie blinked and shook her head. “This is fucking incredible! That’s why she-.” Julie whispered.
“Hey, Josie, you find ‘em yet?” a voice from the living room asked.
Sam looked up. “NOW who was that?!” she asked, a bit worried.
“Josie… was that… Paul?” Julie began to ask. Josie nodded. A grin spread across Julie’s face that could put the Cheshire cat to shame, and she ran past her friend and Josie out of the bathroom, thru the kitchen and dinning room and stopped at the archway that separated the dinning room and the living room.
“Oh. My. God.” Julie gasped as she gazed at the people that had joined her parents and Will in the living room.
At first she almost didn’t recognize him, but Mike McShane was standing next to her father, both men obviously had become friends in the past minute they’ve meet.
Sandi Toksvig was talking with Janet; both blonde’s sharing a pleasant conversation as Julie, now joined by Josie and Sam, entered the living room.
Paul Merton and Jeff Davis were sitting on the couch with Will, who was working on Melissa’s laptop. Jeff had made friends with Augie, petting the black lab and scratching the dog’s ears. Paul, however, was watching Will work before glancing up at Julie and Sam.
“Well you two finally showed up.” Paul remarked. Julie was amazed that not only were these four in her living room, but that Paul was sporting a pair of glasses on his face. She then noticed the fifth visitor in the room, a person she didn’t recognize at all.
A young woman, a bit older than Melissa, was talking with Melissa, who was shedding her red down jacket. She had sandy brown hair tied back in a messy bun and almond brown eyes. She was a bit taller than Melissa and was removing a navy blue wool jacket. She looked up and smiled once Julie, Sam and Josie were in the living room.
“Oh, hello there, you must be Samantha and Julie. Nice to meet you finally.” The woman smiled, walking up to the women. “I’m Alicia Hardy, pleasure to meet you.” She extended a hand to shake.
“Julie Sanders.” Julie introduced herself, shaking Alicia’s hand. Samantha then took Alicia’s hand once it was free.
“Samantha London, call me Sam.” Sam smiled, shaking Alicia’s hand.
“About time you two came out. Where the hell were you?” Paul stated from his spot on the couch, leaning back into the red cushions.
“Um, hiding.” Julie blushed.
“We were wondering if you two were ok.” Jeff added, and then went back to playing with Augie. The big dog playfully licked the young man’s face, making Jeff laugh.
“Well, we thought you were someone else, sorry.” Sam explained, feeling a bit embarrassed over hers and Julie’s original reactions to their arrival.
“Melissa, you bitch, I swear I’m gonna kill ya. What the hell are these guys doing here?!” Julie asked, smiling and feeling excitement surge through her veins.
“Hey, we needed help. Why not get some that can help out in some unique ways?” Melissa answered with a smile. “Besides, I told Alicia if there was anyway she can help and she was the one who got everyone together.” She went on, walking up to her friend and placing her hands on Alicia’s shoulders.
“Well… there IS strength in numbers.” Alicia replied shyly.
“Julie, who are these people?” Janet asked, standing up. Julie was stumped by her mother’s question. She knew Melissa was going to find out someway to help Ryan, Drew and the others. She didn’t expect her to call her pen pal, have her travel across the ocean, and bring several Whose Line alumnus AND Jeff Davis.
“Well… ah…” Julie began, sweating a bit. Melissa gave a look of surprise and ran behind Julie.
“Shit, there’s still one you haven’t seen yet!” Melissa exclaimed, removing Julie’s glasses and covering her eyes. Melissa casually handed Julie’s glasses to Sam, who took them with perplexity. Julie let out a yelp as Melissa forced her to spin around.
“Melissa, what the hell?!” Julie shouted, trying to pry her friend’s hands off her face.
“Just hold on a sec, will ya?” Melissa told Julie, still not removing her hands from her eyes.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked, trying to figure out what was going on, especially in Melissa’s head.
“This last guy is one Julie’s been dying to meet for a long time!” Melissa smiled, winking at Sam. Julie blinked several times from behind Melissa’s hands.
“How the hell did you contact Shawn Michaels?” Julie asked bluntly. Melissa laughed whole heartedly.
“No, no, not him. Someone else.” Melissa answered.
“I knew she was going to say that…” Will whispered to Paul.
“And who is he?” Mike asked Robert.
“Wrestler she’s been a fan of since the mid 90’s.” Robert told Mike, who then nodded in recognition. Alicia walked up to Josie and stood next to her. She looked over at the back room that served as Robert’s office and laundry room.
“You can come out now.” Alicia called out. The door opened. Julie could hear the sound of approaching footsteps that stopped in front of her. She squirmed a bit, trying to break Melissa’s hold over her eyes.
“C’mon, Lis, this isn’t funny! Who is it you’re hiding from me?” Julie demanded, frowning.
“I was stuck in that room with that cat there and it began screaming at me!” a new voice, the one belonging to the person in the backroom, stated.
“Are you sure it wasn’t hissing at you?” Paul asked, looking smug.
“No, it screamed! I’m sure about it!”
“That’s Hurley’s little quirk. He doesn’t meow, he screeches and cries.” Will explained, as a gray tiger stripped tabby trotted into the room and jumped on the ottoman. Julie’s lost all color in her face. Her jaw dropped; she recognized the voice right away. Of course, it sounded a bit different, but she knew who it was.
“I… it can’t be…” Julie whispered.
“Julie?” Janet asked, concerned.
“It’s alright, Mrs. Sanders.” Alicia assured Janet, stopping her from getting up.
“Oh, this outta be interesting…” Sandi softly told Mike, who nodded in agreement.
“Close your eyes, Julie, and don’t open them until I tell you.” Melissa told Julie. Julie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Melissa removed her hands off Julie’s face and gestured to Sam for Julie’s glasses. Sam handed them to the blonde, who placed them on Julie’s face with a smile.
“Melissa… is this guy… who I think it is?” Julie asked, excitement coursing through her body, making her body shudder in anticipation. Melissa just kept smiling, standing right behind Julie.
“Oh, stop torturing the poor girl and let her open her eyes!” the new voice complained.
“Yeah, she’s clearly been through a lot already. Let her see him!” Jeff agreed. Melissa sighed in annoyance and defeat.
“Ok, ok, you can open your eyes, Julie. And yeah, it’s who you think it is.” Melissa told Julie, giving her a playful slap on her back. Julie slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the person in front of her.
“Hello, Julie.” The new person, a man, smiled. Julie stumbled back slightly, her face now porcelain white.
“I… it’s you…” Julie whispered, eyes wide in shock.
“Who?!” Will asked, bewildered and annoyed. Julie was trembling, tears threatening to escape her eyes. She closed her eyes and looked down, shaking her head.
“Melissa, Alicia, I am going to kill you two…” Julie whispered, and then took a deep breath, a tear trailing down her face. She then yelled at the top of her lungs “BECAUSE I HAVE JOSIE LAWRENCE, PAUL MERTON, JEFF DAVIS, MIKE MCSHANE, SANDI TOKSVIG, AND TONY FUCKING SLATTERY IN MY LIVING ROOM!!!”
Tony just smiled and shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his throat. “Well, it’s been a while since anyone’s ever called me ‘Tony Fucking Slattery’.” Tony stated.
“Not surprising it’s from a woman.” Paul put in, nonchalantly. Jeff just stared at Julie in confusion, not sure if he should say anything. Julie, meanwhile, had lowered her head and was fighting back sobs that were aching in her chest.
“Is she ok? I mean, she did threaten to kill you?” Josie asked Melissa, worriedly. Melissa just shrugged.
“She’s threatened me before when I kept spoiling her about what I heard about this one series she was really into a few years back, but never came thru with the threat.” Melissa explained, truthfully and not even worried.
Tony, however, was leaning forward; making sure the young brunette was well.
“You ok?” he asked softly and considerately. Julie, taking a deep breath to calm down, smiled through the tears in her eyes and looked up at Tony’s face. Two sets of brown eyes locked in a strong gaze, confusion meeting excitement. Julie, tentatively, reached up and touched the side of Tony’s face, almost afraid that he would possibly disappear. She felt his face, feeling the warmth of his skin through her fingertips, and she knew it had to be real. She let her hand drop down to her side.
“If this is a dream…” Julie whispered, catching Tony, Josie, Sam, and Melissa by surprise. The way she was talking made it seem that she was not the least bit afraid and nervous like she was when she had meet Colin. She blinked once, letting a few more salty tears fall.
“…Then no one better wake me because of what I am going to do!” Julie exclaimed.
…And then wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck, pulling the taller man close into a huge hug, burying her face into his left shoulder. Tony, once realizing that the young woman was alright now, wrapped his arms around Julie’s body, unifying the embrace.
Josie just smiled and let out a soft “Aww” at the cute moment. Janet and Robert stared at each other in confusion. Will just blinked a few times before going back to working on the laptop. Mike and Sandi just stared at each other, blank looks on their faces. Jeff smiled and nudged Paul to see how he was reacting. Paul still wore his indifferent expression, but there was a slight smile on his face.
“Well how about that? I’m indirectly responsible for another one of Julie’s dreams coming true. I must be Santa Claus.” Melissa said, a bit smugly with her hands on her hips.
“Hardly.” Sam stated coldly, arms crossed. Melissa’s face fell, her arms dropping down to her sides.
“You suck.” Melissa pouted, glaring at Sam.
“Quiet!” Alicia hissed at the two. She pointed back to Tony and Julie, who were now pulling apart from the embrace. Julie was now blushing like crazy while Tony just stared at her with a smile on his face.
“You ok now?” Tony asked.
“Yup.” Julie whispered with a nod.
“Good. Now can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?!” Janet asked a bit loudly.
“Crap, I knew I forgot something!” Melissa cursed, hitting herself upside her head with her fist.
“Oh brother…” Julie moaned, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.
Part 6 will be posted soon, so stay tuned...
This also brings the end of chapter 5, so here it is - in which there is panic at the Sanders house, Melissa brings in reinforcements, Julie's dream come true, and Melissa's e-mail friend is revealed.
Title: Affirmation
Author: Shinigami518
Rating: PG-13, but with some bits of R in it.
Main Character(s) and/or pairings: Ryan/Colin (which'll happen near the end), Ryan/Pat, Colin/Deb, Tony/Paul (later chapters), Jeff/Greg (one-sided)
Summary: A crazy woman abducts Ryan, Colin, their wives, Greg, Drew, Wayne, Brad, and Chip. Pat and Deb are released with only minor injuries, but the guys are still missing. Three college students end up stumbling into this crazed plan by accident and have to help the guys find a way to escape, but there are several big problems they have to overcome.
View the last parts here on my journal (and don't forget to comment on them if you haven't):
Prologue
Part 1a
Part 1b
Part 2a
Part 2b
Part 2c
Part 2d
Part 2e
Part 2f
Part 3a
Part 3b
Part 4a
Part 4b
Part 5a
Later that day…
5:02PM.
Sanders home.
Julie walked from the kitchen into the dining room, a can of Diet Coke and a can of Sprite in her hands. Sam sat waiting for her by the computer desk, where Julie’s computer was located.
“What do you think Melissa’s got planned?” Sam asked once Julie placed the sodas on the large, circular kitchen table near the computer.
“Wish I knew. Hell, sometimes I wish I knew what was going on in that screwy little mind of hers.” Julie answered, plopping down in her metal computer chair.
“You think we’ll save the guys?” Sam queried. Julie frowned and looked away, eyes softening.
“Truthfully?” Julie asked. Sam nodded. “No.”
“No?” Sam repeated in surprise. Julie launched herself to her feet.
“Take a look at us, Sam. Do we look like the kind of people who can go in, break seven men out, get them out, and take on a psychotic chick who we now know can kill us!?” Julie stated angrily and miserably. Sam said nothing, but stared at her friend still with a more controlled look of surprise on her face. Julie let out a small sigh and slumped back into her chair.
“Sorry. It’s just that… with Nan dying and now this, my emotions are all on the fritz.” Julie apologized softly, holding her head in her hands. Sam reached over and patted Julie’s left shoulder.
“I know. It’s hard for me, too. Hell, I haven’t even told my folks about this.” Sam told her friend. Julie forced a small smile at her friend as she raised her head back up.
“Can’t bear to tell them about this?” Julie asked.
“Don’t want them to freak out. I mean, can’t you imagine that conversation. ‘Hi mom, dad, guess what? Julie, Melissa and I found those missing celebrities in the basement of one of the buildings on the SUNY campus, but a psychotic woman with a itchy trigger finger is holding them hostage and two of the guys are heavily pregnant.’” Sam answered. That finally caused a small laugh from Julie.
“They’d lock us up and throw away the key.” Julie stated, finally giving a true smile. Sam nodded with a small laugh.
The sound of a dog barking broke their reverb.
“Augie, shut the hell up!” Robert turned in his red cushioned easy chair to the old black lab mix that was barking at the window closest to the front door. The dog didn’t hear his command and continued barking loudly. Will got up from the red cushioned couch and looked out the window in annoyance.
“If that’s Gus you’re barking at, you idiot, I swear I’m gonna- Oh shit!” Will cursed, looking out the front window. Janet looked up from her off-white leather recliner, moving her laptop off her lap.
“What is it?” Janet asked worriedly, placing her laptop onto her side table.
“A whole bunch of folks are coming this way.” Will exclaimed. Julie and Sam exchanged fearful looks, both having a pretty good idea who the people might be.
“Fuck, it’s gotta be Lolita and her goons!” Robert swore. Janet shot out of her chair and ran over to her daughter and friend.
“Get into the bathroom, quick! We’ll stall them!” Janet quickly said, grabbing the young women by their wrists and pulled them out of their chairs. Robert ran to the door and grabbed a wooded baseball bat by the door, while Will struggled to calm the barking dog. Janet then shoved the two younger women with all her strength through the small archway separating the dining room and kitchen before rushing back into the living room.
Julie and Sam ran into the pastel yellow and sea green painted bathroom, Julie shutting the door behind her, and huddled together in the open space - a seven foot distance - between the sink and toilet. The young women sat down and pulled their legs up, their arms encircling their bent legs. Unsure about who would be coming over at this time, they kept as silent as they could.
They heard voices from outside the room in the living room - the visitors had entered the house. The voices were muffled by the walls in between the rooms. The two women still kept silent, trying not to make their presence known to the new visitors.
The door opened slightly, causing both women to gasp and almost jump out of their skin.
A soft meow made their visitor recognizable. Julie sighed in relief.
“It’s only, Scooter.” Julie smiled, looking at the thin black cat that had opened the door. Scooter began to meow louder as he trotted into the room and jumped on the toilet seat, staring around the room in curiosity. He then let out a few more loud meows.
“Scooty, shush!” Julie hissed, trying to keep the cat quiet.
“Julie, someone’s coming!” Sam whispered in fear. Julie cursed under her breath and grabbed her cat from his place and pulled him close. Scooter immediately began to squirm around, not wanting to be held. Sam shut the door quickly and as quietly as possible. The two women were quiet, fear racing through their body.
Footsteps were heard outside the bathroom and they heard a soft “hmm?” from behind the door. Julie closed her eyes and pulled her black cat close to her body, praying that it wasn’t Lolita or one of her cronies.
The door opened. Sam let out a soft “Oh shit.” Then Julie heard a new voice.
“Hello?”
Julie opened her eyes slowly, staring at the pastel yellow and sea green wall in front of her. Scooter finally got free from Julie’s grasp and ran past the two women out the room.
“Julie? I don’t think she’s with Lolita…” Sam whispered to her friend, staring at the person who entered the room. Julie said nothing, knowing the voice was familiar, but couldn’t place it.
“You better bloody believe it, hun.” The person, a woman, stated. It then hit Julie like a bolt of lighting. She KNEW that voice.
Slowly she turned to the door and gasped, her face turning pale.
“It… It can’t be…” Julie whispered, her brown eyes widening.
“You two are Julie and Samantha, right? Melissa has told me and the others a lot about you two. Nice to meet you.”
Sam looked at Julie. “You know who she is, right?” she asked.
“That’s… Josie Lawrence…” Julie gasped, a smile finally appearing on her face. Josie smiled in turn, happy that the young woman knew who she was.
“Yes I am. And which one of you is Julie?” Josie confirmed, brushing some strands of curly brown hair behind her ear.
“I am!” Julie exclaimed, holding out a shaky hand to shake Josie’s hand, which Josie accepted.” Oh wow… You have NO idea how much I’ve wanted to meet you, Josie. Miss Lawrence” Julie smiled, fighting back the urge to hug the British woman.
“I can imagine. And you, Samantha?” Josie asked.
“Hey, from what Julie told me about you, you’re an incredible woman. I’ve seen some clips of you on the show and you got a great voice.” Sam replied with a slight shrug.
Josie looked touched by the comment. “Why, thank you.”
“What’re you doing here anyway?” Sam asked, tilting her head slightly with an arched eyebrow.
“Your friend Melissa sent an e-mail to a mutual friend of mine - Alicia Hardy.” Josie replied. Julie and Sam looked at Josie in surprise.
“Her pen pal? The one who had the aunt who worked on the British version of Whose line?” Julie exclaimed in astonishment. Josie nodded. Julie blinked and shook her head. “This is fucking incredible! That’s why she-.” Julie whispered.
“Hey, Josie, you find ‘em yet?” a voice from the living room asked.
Sam looked up. “NOW who was that?!” she asked, a bit worried.
“Josie… was that… Paul?” Julie began to ask. Josie nodded. A grin spread across Julie’s face that could put the Cheshire cat to shame, and she ran past her friend and Josie out of the bathroom, thru the kitchen and dinning room and stopped at the archway that separated the dinning room and the living room.
“Oh. My. God.” Julie gasped as she gazed at the people that had joined her parents and Will in the living room.
At first she almost didn’t recognize him, but Mike McShane was standing next to her father, both men obviously had become friends in the past minute they’ve meet.
Sandi Toksvig was talking with Janet; both blonde’s sharing a pleasant conversation as Julie, now joined by Josie and Sam, entered the living room.
Paul Merton and Jeff Davis were sitting on the couch with Will, who was working on Melissa’s laptop. Jeff had made friends with Augie, petting the black lab and scratching the dog’s ears. Paul, however, was watching Will work before glancing up at Julie and Sam.
“Well you two finally showed up.” Paul remarked. Julie was amazed that not only were these four in her living room, but that Paul was sporting a pair of glasses on his face. She then noticed the fifth visitor in the room, a person she didn’t recognize at all.
A young woman, a bit older than Melissa, was talking with Melissa, who was shedding her red down jacket. She had sandy brown hair tied back in a messy bun and almond brown eyes. She was a bit taller than Melissa and was removing a navy blue wool jacket. She looked up and smiled once Julie, Sam and Josie were in the living room.
“Oh, hello there, you must be Samantha and Julie. Nice to meet you finally.” The woman smiled, walking up to the women. “I’m Alicia Hardy, pleasure to meet you.” She extended a hand to shake.
“Julie Sanders.” Julie introduced herself, shaking Alicia’s hand. Samantha then took Alicia’s hand once it was free.
“Samantha London, call me Sam.” Sam smiled, shaking Alicia’s hand.
“About time you two came out. Where the hell were you?” Paul stated from his spot on the couch, leaning back into the red cushions.
“Um, hiding.” Julie blushed.
“We were wondering if you two were ok.” Jeff added, and then went back to playing with Augie. The big dog playfully licked the young man’s face, making Jeff laugh.
“Well, we thought you were someone else, sorry.” Sam explained, feeling a bit embarrassed over hers and Julie’s original reactions to their arrival.
“Melissa, you bitch, I swear I’m gonna kill ya. What the hell are these guys doing here?!” Julie asked, smiling and feeling excitement surge through her veins.
“Hey, we needed help. Why not get some that can help out in some unique ways?” Melissa answered with a smile. “Besides, I told Alicia if there was anyway she can help and she was the one who got everyone together.” She went on, walking up to her friend and placing her hands on Alicia’s shoulders.
“Well… there IS strength in numbers.” Alicia replied shyly.
“Julie, who are these people?” Janet asked, standing up. Julie was stumped by her mother’s question. She knew Melissa was going to find out someway to help Ryan, Drew and the others. She didn’t expect her to call her pen pal, have her travel across the ocean, and bring several Whose Line alumnus AND Jeff Davis.
“Well… ah…” Julie began, sweating a bit. Melissa gave a look of surprise and ran behind Julie.
“Shit, there’s still one you haven’t seen yet!” Melissa exclaimed, removing Julie’s glasses and covering her eyes. Melissa casually handed Julie’s glasses to Sam, who took them with perplexity. Julie let out a yelp as Melissa forced her to spin around.
“Melissa, what the hell?!” Julie shouted, trying to pry her friend’s hands off her face.
“Just hold on a sec, will ya?” Melissa told Julie, still not removing her hands from her eyes.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked, trying to figure out what was going on, especially in Melissa’s head.
“This last guy is one Julie’s been dying to meet for a long time!” Melissa smiled, winking at Sam. Julie blinked several times from behind Melissa’s hands.
“How the hell did you contact Shawn Michaels?” Julie asked bluntly. Melissa laughed whole heartedly.
“No, no, not him. Someone else.” Melissa answered.
“I knew she was going to say that…” Will whispered to Paul.
“And who is he?” Mike asked Robert.
“Wrestler she’s been a fan of since the mid 90’s.” Robert told Mike, who then nodded in recognition. Alicia walked up to Josie and stood next to her. She looked over at the back room that served as Robert’s office and laundry room.
“You can come out now.” Alicia called out. The door opened. Julie could hear the sound of approaching footsteps that stopped in front of her. She squirmed a bit, trying to break Melissa’s hold over her eyes.
“C’mon, Lis, this isn’t funny! Who is it you’re hiding from me?” Julie demanded, frowning.
“I was stuck in that room with that cat there and it began screaming at me!” a new voice, the one belonging to the person in the backroom, stated.
“Are you sure it wasn’t hissing at you?” Paul asked, looking smug.
“No, it screamed! I’m sure about it!”
“That’s Hurley’s little quirk. He doesn’t meow, he screeches and cries.” Will explained, as a gray tiger stripped tabby trotted into the room and jumped on the ottoman. Julie’s lost all color in her face. Her jaw dropped; she recognized the voice right away. Of course, it sounded a bit different, but she knew who it was.
“I… it can’t be…” Julie whispered.
“Julie?” Janet asked, concerned.
“It’s alright, Mrs. Sanders.” Alicia assured Janet, stopping her from getting up.
“Oh, this outta be interesting…” Sandi softly told Mike, who nodded in agreement.
“Close your eyes, Julie, and don’t open them until I tell you.” Melissa told Julie. Julie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Melissa removed her hands off Julie’s face and gestured to Sam for Julie’s glasses. Sam handed them to the blonde, who placed them on Julie’s face with a smile.
“Melissa… is this guy… who I think it is?” Julie asked, excitement coursing through her body, making her body shudder in anticipation. Melissa just kept smiling, standing right behind Julie.
“Oh, stop torturing the poor girl and let her open her eyes!” the new voice complained.
“Yeah, she’s clearly been through a lot already. Let her see him!” Jeff agreed. Melissa sighed in annoyance and defeat.
“Ok, ok, you can open your eyes, Julie. And yeah, it’s who you think it is.” Melissa told Julie, giving her a playful slap on her back. Julie slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the person in front of her.
“Hello, Julie.” The new person, a man, smiled. Julie stumbled back slightly, her face now porcelain white.
“I… it’s you…” Julie whispered, eyes wide in shock.
“Who?!” Will asked, bewildered and annoyed. Julie was trembling, tears threatening to escape her eyes. She closed her eyes and looked down, shaking her head.
“Melissa, Alicia, I am going to kill you two…” Julie whispered, and then took a deep breath, a tear trailing down her face. She then yelled at the top of her lungs “BECAUSE I HAVE JOSIE LAWRENCE, PAUL MERTON, JEFF DAVIS, MIKE MCSHANE, SANDI TOKSVIG, AND TONY FUCKING SLATTERY IN MY LIVING ROOM!!!”
Tony just smiled and shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his throat. “Well, it’s been a while since anyone’s ever called me ‘Tony Fucking Slattery’.” Tony stated.
“Not surprising it’s from a woman.” Paul put in, nonchalantly. Jeff just stared at Julie in confusion, not sure if he should say anything. Julie, meanwhile, had lowered her head and was fighting back sobs that were aching in her chest.
“Is she ok? I mean, she did threaten to kill you?” Josie asked Melissa, worriedly. Melissa just shrugged.
“She’s threatened me before when I kept spoiling her about what I heard about this one series she was really into a few years back, but never came thru with the threat.” Melissa explained, truthfully and not even worried.
Tony, however, was leaning forward; making sure the young brunette was well.
“You ok?” he asked softly and considerately. Julie, taking a deep breath to calm down, smiled through the tears in her eyes and looked up at Tony’s face. Two sets of brown eyes locked in a strong gaze, confusion meeting excitement. Julie, tentatively, reached up and touched the side of Tony’s face, almost afraid that he would possibly disappear. She felt his face, feeling the warmth of his skin through her fingertips, and she knew it had to be real. She let her hand drop down to her side.
“If this is a dream…” Julie whispered, catching Tony, Josie, Sam, and Melissa by surprise. The way she was talking made it seem that she was not the least bit afraid and nervous like she was when she had meet Colin. She blinked once, letting a few more salty tears fall.
“…Then no one better wake me because of what I am going to do!” Julie exclaimed.
…And then wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck, pulling the taller man close into a huge hug, burying her face into his left shoulder. Tony, once realizing that the young woman was alright now, wrapped his arms around Julie’s body, unifying the embrace.
Josie just smiled and let out a soft “Aww” at the cute moment. Janet and Robert stared at each other in confusion. Will just blinked a few times before going back to working on the laptop. Mike and Sandi just stared at each other, blank looks on their faces. Jeff smiled and nudged Paul to see how he was reacting. Paul still wore his indifferent expression, but there was a slight smile on his face.
“Well how about that? I’m indirectly responsible for another one of Julie’s dreams coming true. I must be Santa Claus.” Melissa said, a bit smugly with her hands on her hips.
“Hardly.” Sam stated coldly, arms crossed. Melissa’s face fell, her arms dropping down to her sides.
“You suck.” Melissa pouted, glaring at Sam.
“Quiet!” Alicia hissed at the two. She pointed back to Tony and Julie, who were now pulling apart from the embrace. Julie was now blushing like crazy while Tony just stared at her with a smile on his face.
“You ok now?” Tony asked.
“Yup.” Julie whispered with a nod.
“Good. Now can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?!” Janet asked a bit loudly.
“Crap, I knew I forgot something!” Melissa cursed, hitting herself upside her head with her fist.
“Oh brother…” Julie moaned, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.
Part 6 will be posted soon, so stay tuned...