Christmas Wedding Part 4- Two Soldiers free porn video

It had been a long 10 weeks for Scott Nelson at Ft. Leonard Wood. For the first time in his life he had been alone, with his closest family over 1,000 miles away in Winnisimmet after their own graduations from Advanced Individual Training for their jobs as US Army Horizontal Construction Engineers. He was proud of them for choosing to do a job that was needed but a little jealous that they had less to learn in a shorter amount of time compared with him. He missed his fiance, Stacy Lopez, immensely, with the two struggling to keep themselves together as the time wore on. She flew out to him over Thanksgiving weekend so he had some company, joining Austin Woods, a longtime friend of their pseudo-grandfather Sean Kelly. She needed that brief time with Scott, giving both a chance to relax their anxieties and fears that had built up. Austin kept Scott grounded in his longing for Stacy, knowing how he felt about missing his girlfriend during long days of training. It was something all military families endured, it was something you dealt with or were driven to the point of danger. Scott had to learn how to go without her and hold on to the fact that he would see her again, it was just a short amount of time apart for a long time together. Stacy treated Austin like he was her grandfather, letting him tell her about some of the old days and his teammates especially the trickster Sean. The man's history was surprising but within reason given his love for protecting the kids of the family. She loved to learn about Sean, especially as he was so quiet about his past beyond a few known facts: he was friends with Louis Reagan, Walter Gorman, and Brent Finn, he was an abused boy who fled his family and joined the Army, and he became a doctor after ten long years of being a special forces soldier. The stories were never retold to anyone as Stacy didn't want to upset Sean by sharing what he felt was something personal. He knew that she was told a few things as she looked at him different, almost with a gleam in her eye. She hadn't said anything to him about what she was told, which only made him respect her more as there were some things that weren't for others to hear and were only for Sean and he to tell, especially his embarrassing pranks towards troublemakers harming people he cared about. Scott and Austin talked every weekend with Scott often spending his time at Austin's house, helping him with basic household chores that the man was having trouble keeping up with. It was what Scott needed as he was focused on the computers and maps but not on seeing things from the eyes on the ground. Austin knew this feeling, it was one that some soldiers learned the hard way as they didn't think in 3D anymore after looking at maps for a while. Scott regaled him with tales about the city, particularly about the Finns and how involved they were with his family and others. He had a strong reverence for John Finn, unknowingly showing his jealousy at John saving Jaimie but not him. It was a deep secret within him, he was jealous for years that Jaimie had been saved from her living hell as a boy in foster care while he was forced to live with his sadistic father, "Big Scott" West, for years without any help. Austin asked about his mother and caused Scott to see that there was more to the story and if things had turned out the way he had wished for he'd never have had his aunt, uncle, and cousin as his adoptive mother, father, and sister. Scott then groaned as he realized another issue, Stacy and he wouldn't have been able to date because he would essentially be dating his cousin. That thought alone made him see that it wasn't worth it, John was a great dad but not worth losing the love of his life over. The man treated the 18-year-old like a grandson, even if he wasn't blood. He was like one in his mind, since he was family to people he considered blood brothers and one man who he owed his life to. He agreed to keep an eye on Scott for the family when he talked with Sean during Sean's family's visit over the summer, and held true to his word...even if he benefited from it with housework and companionship during the weekends of taking. Scott had a tough time dealing with his family's issues during the fall as he listened to his parents talk about his newly adopted sisters and their issues. Austin kept him grounded and got hi to see that they were in great hands thanks to his uncle and father, Scott going home without permission wouldn't help anyone and there was nothing that he could do anyway. It was a rare time that Scott was in the wrong but without Austin there to give him that guidance, the girls knew that he wanted to help them but it was for the best that he waited until they were ready to meet him. The news that Scott was being encouraged to take his accrued two weeks leave during the two weeks around Christmas caused him to almost shout at the Army for finding ways of making things difficult. He was going to have to endure his family and friends and the kids for two weeks. He would at least get time with Stacy, more so than he had thought of before which was the only good thing out of it. Austin grinned and happily pointed out that the Army was trying to help out the drill instructors instead of punishing them during the holidays. They are the ones who benefit, they get time with their families while the recruits get a break that will cost them in later on as they lose leave time. It wouldn't cost Scott since he was due the time anyway since he had been training continuously since June and was due the two weeks, so it was a push for him instead of a loss. Scott and Austin worked out a plan for heading East and decided to fly out of the Wayneville-St. Robert Regional Airport, conveniently on the base, then transfer to a flight to Boston. Scott had to hold off John Finn sending a private plane to get him, he tried to do so but his own sons had to convince him it might be a little showy for Scott. John did so anyway, telling them to get some troops from the Boston area who couldn't afford flights or couldn't get tickets due to lack of available seats and take them with them so it wasn't just the two alone on the jet. Austin had to fight a laugh as Scott realized he was outfoxed by John's thinking. Scott asked around and got two dozen people from Eastern Massachusetts to join him. Austin shook his head at the reality of the situation, John had figured it all out and let Scott walk himself into the situation then figure a way out of it that benefited others as well as himself while John got to spoil him. The flight was mostly quiet as there wasn't much to talk about due to the soldiers all relaxing. Austin recognized the looks on many of the others, it was them being exhausted yet still in military mode and ready to drop and give him 20. Even Scott was on edge, but he had a good reason- Stacy was driving them in and Austin expected that she may very well knock Scott over as she saw him again. They arrived on time in Boston and were given their instructions for when to return for the flight back to the base. In the terminal there were a lot of crying families as the other soldiers tearfully reunited with loved ones. It drew the attention of the news crews covering a small fire the parking garage that caused panic but was classic Boston media overreaction, giving them a better story to cover. The soldiers, all in uniform and hugging and kissing wives, girlfriends, mothers, and sisters, were videoed then interviewed by the media about what was going on. Austin was the one appointed by the soldiers as their voice, and was happy to explain about it being a gift from the wealthy uncle of the fiance of one of the soldiers and who didn't want to waste space on the plane so he asked that other soldiers from the area who weren't able to get home join them for the flight. The name "John Finn" and "Finn Foundation" got the reporters to see that it was what it was and the reunions were what mattered, not the probing questions about the rich flaunting their wealth again. Austin let out a deep sigh of relief when the furor died down and they were able to get away. He grumbled to Scott and Stacy, "I swear, they are twice as vicious than they were in my day. A bunch of soldiers returning home unexpectedly didn't get questioned, it was praised. Nowadays, they demand to know who paid for it and why. I am glad John thought about that, those privates all deserved this gift." Stacy drove them in to Winnisimmet, with Austin marveling at only the variety of cars changing in the neighborhoods rather than the buildings. It looked like he remembered, but with an air of calm. He was glad that the old bat who ran the city from her living room was toppled and the city rebuilt from the inside out over the span of the past 30 years with John's family leading the final changes. Sean greeted them at his house as Austin was dropped off. He was quick to declare, "You chose yourself a heck of a place to retire to. Boca! LA! Las Vegas! Any of those places would have been better choices than this rat infested, flea bitten, dumpster you call home! You really haven't changed, old buddy." The two hugged deeply while Danielle Kelly tried her hardest to keep a straight face over the two old soldiers having a needed embrace. Austin looked around and shook his head, declaring, "I know you really wanted to get revenge on that piece of garbage but I see that it was taken care of on its own. You really need to tell me the whole story, I am dying to know what actually happened here." The two went inside while Sean called Louis Reagan, another old friend of Austin's, but not the close brotherhood that Sean and Austin had. On the phone, Louis could only offer a meek, "I'll tell Tamara to pick me up in Sudbury, I know you guys wouldn't take me to a place I know well so Devens is out. Just make it quick and at least offer me a skinned animal or something for warmth." Sean had to fight hard to contain himself but Austin lost it. He happily told Danielle, "We wouldn't do that to Louis, Sudbury is a bit too far. Maybe a quick boat trip to Little Brewster Island and a plea to the Coasties at the lighthouse for a ride back home would do. It'd be more fun that way, the SBS guys and SEALs taught a few tricks with boats that'd get us into and out of the harbor before anyone notice." She just shook her head, it wasn't far fetched given how much they trained alongside other groups like themselves. She simply got the coffees ready, knowing they'd be there for a while as the two had a lot to talk about. It was a long time coming, and it needed to be said. Louis arrived with Tamara in tow. Austin could only grin and ask, "Are you two the luckiest guys in the world or what? Next you are going to tell me Lillian Gorman is still the beauty queen we all knew her to be." Louis was going to say a joke but the ladies both shut him down. Sean chose his words carefully so as to not endure the ladies' wrath, telling him, "She's just as beautiful, but our wives are just as lovely. She and Walter are also coming to the wedding, he's staying here for good. He's officially retiring in January but unofficially he's off the clock on the 22nd. He will be flying into DC to file his paperwork after offering his notice of resignation to her majesty. He will be doing his best imitation of a pack mule as he carries with him gifts from her majesty for the bride and groom, probably in their new coat of arms since the young man got himself knighted!" Austin just shook his head and asked firmly, "When did he start making it a habit of not listening to your advice? I recall you telling him to avoid politics entirely and particularly a job in England since it'd be 'boring' for him." Louis shot back a happy, "As soon as his enlistment ran out, he got an offer that he couldn't refuse for a job doing some grunt work for some state representatives and worked his way up the food chain from there. He earned his job as an ambassador by saving the skin of a few influential guys who were dumb enough to fall for the tricks of one of the mob-connection Southie politicians." Tamara explained further, "He was the least tainted by that witch, she couldn't go after him and if she tried to he had enough people loyal to him to get her attacks countered and cost her everything in retaliation. It's also why Louis wasn't touched, Walter's friends were more than happy to help Louis out and let him gather his own steam before he was able to stand on his own. It only took one election to do so. Once he had been out in the city and talking with people not even her most violent threats were enough to get people against him. It's only grown since then, he's the only alderman that was untouched by the corruption and graft that was going on letting him set up the new council after receivership and keep his job ever since. He's been helping people so long that the first kids are parents and some grandparents. The Finns are just a few of the thousands he helped out, but always his favorites." Austin accepted that, the man was a builder of friends and supporters and had won over Sean simply by not bothering to hide his need for help yet refusing to ask for it when needed. Austin asked about the one who wasn't able to speak, Brent Finn, causing all to grow quiet and solemn and ask that he speak with the only person who could truly speak about Brent: Victoria Castillo, the man's sister-in-law and the only person who ever gave Austin the sense of being more dangerous than she appeared and who truly scared him in her actions at times. After another delay and the arrival of Victoria and her husband Jorge, Victoria groaned and asked, "Are we the last to get invited or did the dirty truth finally need to be dug up for the last time?" Austin gave a hearty laugh and asked, "Do you come with a filter that you take out when you eat of is that mouth always unmuzzled?" Victoria gave him a smirk while Jorge heartily told him, "Nobody has been able to muzzle her, the only one who ever did was John and that was done because she stepped over the line and earned it. She's not even the worst in her family, you will see what I mean soon- just watch." Austin hugged the only person ever to beat him in a war of words. She was a great person who was not afraid to get in your face and force you to do the right thing. She also happened to be a fiery youth who would have made an excellent soldier had she not fallen in love with the dashing Jorge so young. Austin asked Victoria about Brent, getting a solemn, "He took to alcohol and was wasted most of the time for several years, eventually getting forced to go to rehab by the state or risk prison due to a trumped up charge for assault on a cop. As you can guess, the cops were in my cousin's pocket and the judge gave him the only option to clear his name that wouldn't risk Victoria sending people after him. It worked but he was a broken man, never being in the best of health and struggling with Catherine to raise their four kids. He died too young, barely meeting his first two grandchildren." She shed a tear then explained further, "She forced him to dig into Catherine's inheritance to pay for a home and food. When that ran out he worked odd jobs to support the family, earning enough to keep them in a small apartment but not really enough to survive. Catherine worked once the kids were in school but her mental health started to fail and eventually she wasn't the greatest of minds. When Brent started to get sick his youngest, Roland, took advantage of this and ran amok, causing chaos in he family for several years until he was cast out by John standing up to him. Catherine was broken but she kept her health for a few more years and managed to meet her namesake, and Roland's elder daughter." Jorge took over from there as she was getting too emotional. He muttered a sad, "She and Brent were always strapped for cash and he could never work for long before being let go due to his poor health. His VA benefits were fiddled around with and his unemployment checks always being held up making the family struggle. He had four kids to feed and worked himself to the bone when he should have been recovering his health on the government's dime yet she forced him to work or the family would be out on the street and the kids removed from his care." Louis then explained, "They tried their hardest with the kids but it was tough for them as they had their issues. Roland spent 14 years terrorizing the city as a street thug and pusher for Victoria. He stupidly impregnated two women, one at a college in New Jersey and the other a drug addict in Chicago, then used John to get clean while also trying to get himself set up to take over the city's drug business- most likely when Victoria died. He had a man killed then tried to kidnap and extort a teen boy who at the same time was becoming John's son. He ended up confessing to his misdeeds in a bout of boasting and pissed his pants when he found out just who he tried to kidnap and harm- John's newly adopted son." Austin couldn't help but grin at hearing that, it was something he would expect to happen. He asked about John and the others, being told, "Leslie is the eldest and worked at a department store after high school before quitting to become John's nanny, then finally opened up a daycare center and preschool with John's sister-in-law. Karen was briefly married to a man named Harold Morris Jr. but he sadly died leaving her with 1-year-old fraternal twins." Austin knew the name, Danielle added, "His father was Lillian's cousin. She never knew that either had died and would have taken in Karen and the twins to help them had she known. Hell, she would have helped Catherine if she had known. I kept them away because Brent wanted Walter to be untouched by his actions, Victoria wanted him and would not touch Walter if Brent stayed away. Karen dating Harold was a quick affair and done during a lull in my involvement with Brent so I didn't know the twins were related to Lillian until Harold had died and Brent had passed on, by then they were overseas and unable to help despite the claims that they could have." Louis had a lot of regret in his voice which Austin knew was his own anger at not being strong enough to fight back against Victoria Williams when he could have done it. He had the people to do it, he had the political support behind him hoping that someone would get at her, he even had the money lined up if he every go her run out of town. But he didn't do it, because Brent wouldn't let him risk his career for someone who wasn't going after him. Austin asked about Karen again, wanting to not dwell on what could have been. Louis grinned as he admitted, "She worked alongside Leslie then got a job with Scott's mother at her new investment firm. She helped build the firm up from below, doing all of the office work and schmoozing clients. When Greta partnered with James York, a young stockbroker who was in need of a fresh start after doing the right thing and standing with his sick wife and getting millions of dollars in fraud exposed, Karen ended up doing a lot of her own work to build up a client base. She earned a hefty finder's fee alongside her salary and became quite wealthy. She then up and fell in love with an English nobleman and his daughter making Walter's life a lot more fun and finally connecting Brent's kids to Walter." Austin gave them a look of disbelief to which Victoria now explained, "John and several friends saved their lives while in England. Karen ended up falling in love with him while nursing him back to health and eventually married and adopted one another's children. She gave birth to another son, adopted his young orphan nephew, and adopted her in-laws' junior maid. Bryan and Hannah are now married to the strapping Pete and lovely Paige and are both titled in their own rite through Pete and Bryan inheriting Bryan and Hannah's great-uncle's titles and estate after his death. They are also expecting twins- each!" Austin could see it happening in a roundabout way, but it was a wild ride to say the least. He finally got right to the heart of things and asked about John. None of them wanted to say anything so Jorge did. Being his godfather, he felt right to tell him, "He had a very rough childhood and was in a bad place in his mind for years. It wasn't until he won the lottery and headed out on his own for a soul-searching trip that he was able to find himself. He met and fell in love with a beautiful young mother of an 11-year-old boy then started to teach kids before taking in one of them to help him overcome his mental issues. It was during this help that the boy was found to be transgender and with John's support she was able to start down a road to becoming her true self. She started to impact this city, making people ashamed of themselves for not giving to programs that needed funding and then getting a similar teaching program to the one John started created here. Eventually they had a fight with the state over her and ended up winning, marrying his dream girl, and adopting one another's children." Victoria took over and added, "They adopted Miles two years later, after Valerie gave birth to twins, John's only biological children. Then they adopted two young kids after their mother was murdered by a budding godfather over money her ex-wife was laundering for him. He's dead so you can't help, as are those who were responsible for her death- her brother and her ex-wife, his lover. Logan is what John could have been as a kid, had Roland not tormented him and others tried to help him more. We have trouble calling him Logan, we keep almost calling him 'John' whenever we see him. He's the boy John was at the same age, only without the fear and with a father who can do what Brent couldn't do." She grinned and added a happy, "John is becoming a grandfather in three months, and again in May. His son Michael is the reason you are here, but his daughter Jaimie is going to become a mother to her boyfriend's daughter. He and the young lady carrying their daughter were the victims of a sexual assault ring involving a fraternity and a bunch of rotten girls. They got what they had coming from the state, they are guests of the Commonwealth for several years. Anyway his granddaughter is being treated as a surrogate due to Jaimie being unable to have children so he's already grandpa times two." The Finns were complex and Austin hadn't even heard the full story about them. He knew they had a lot of money, Jorge sighed and explained, "The kids are all rich. They got their money the hard way, via blood and tears. Logan and his sister inherited theirs via their mother and dirty uncle, Jaimie through lawsuits, Miles through his father stealing it from Roland as well as casino winnings, Michael through John's lawsuit against the corrupt county trying to take Jaimie away from him and send him to jail. The twins, thankfully, haven't suffered any kind of abuse or humiliation like the others have." Jorge thought it best to tell about Leslie again, further explaining, "Leslie met and married a man a couple of years ago. He was Jaimie's former social worker who moved East to start over after nearly being set up for a crime he didn't commit after he exposed his department and county as being corrupt. They now have a lovely young son by the name of Marcus. Before they married Leslie fostered then adopted two teen girls who were in a tough spot due to their families. Iris' family wanted to kill her because she is a lesbian while Rachel's was mentally abusive to her and tried to help get Leslie and Iris killed. The two girls helped expose a multi-million dollar church fraud that was harming gay and transgender children and trying to convert them to extort money from their rich parents. They were taken in by Leslie and fell in love with her then became close, getting adopted by Leslie's husband Mark when they married." Austin had his fill and knew that there was a lot more to the story but he had the biggest bit of information given to him. They called it a night with Danielle cooking dinner as she rushed Sean out before he tried to make Sean and Austin's favorite dish, "Ham and motherfuckers", or know to non-military folks as lima beans and ham. She learned to make it for them so the horrible food they received in their rations would be more like a reminder of home than something to dislike, but it wasn't the right time to have the dish and Sean wasn't exactly the best cook and Austin put too much Tabasco sauce in the food making it a big mess that she didn't want to clean up. They ate a simple pasta and salad meal while talking about the days gone by. Austin asked about their kids and grandchildren, noting that none had come by so far. Sean just smirked while Danielle told him, "They are out with friends and boyfriend. William is doing some research up in Lowell, Amanda has to prepare for her students' recital, Ben is with Benny at the doctor, and Beth is busy grading tests. Our niece Kennedy is likely keeping out of here so you didn't have to hear about some more of the things that happened in the city especially since her husband and her were involved in them." Austin had to know now that she brought it up. Sean explained, "The witch's biggest enforcer, got her to get him appointed chief 25 years ago and ran the department into the ground and made it the most corrupt on the east coast. He overextended his hand when he ordered his goons to go after Jaimie in retaliation for ruining a deal he had with the city for street cleaning, but his last minute orders to take away police escorts was questioned by Willie Pena. When he was threatened and showed the orders to Kennedy they were put in danger from the chief's thugs. They ran to Westover and got help from a friend who then setup a sting that trapped the people after them while the state went after the chief. Eventually he was exposed and put in prison, with Willie getting appointed as the new chief and working to fix the department. Kennedy and he stopped fooling themselves and married soon after, moving two houses down from me but not knowing I was Kennedy's uncle." The trio let it go after that and simply relaxed in front of the TV before retiring for the evening, with Austin enjoying his time with his friends. He loved the two as siblings and felt some pangs of jealousy that they had gotten together after so long apart. He longed for that connection, but the one that got away was long gone. Scott was nearly trampled by Rebecca Lopez when Stacy dragged him inside her parents' home. The 16 and half year old missed her frequent sparring partner, he was the only one among her sister's friends to be able to go back and forth with her without getting upset. Seeing him there in uniform took a bit of getting used to but it was only adding onto his rugged good looks, making her blush at the image in her head of her future brother-in-law. Scott hugged her and kissed her cheek, causing her to go off to her room to cool off while he waited for the next tackles. They came quickly as Julio and DJ Lopez almost toppled Scott with their hugs. The boys were happy to see him come back, wanting him to play with him but running off when Stacy gave them a nod to do it another time. Melanie and Dan Lopez hugged Scott as well, sitting him down and asking about the flight. He had to hold off blushing as he told them they accidentally got themselves on TV as they got their bags, their timing was simply coincidental to not get noticed by them. Melanie had to laugh as Dan grumbled, "So that's what the phone call from your parents about what Scott and John had accidentally done." They were going to ask about Austin but Scott told them firmly, "He's visiting Uncle Sean and Aunt Danielle and have some places to visit on his own before the wedding. It's more than just seeing his friend, he has some graves to visit down in Bourne and up in Devens. I know he will see Uncle Louis as well, so if you see them don't bug them." He was clear in his meaning, it was too personal. The man had to do a pilgrimage to pay homage to his fallen friends, then visit those who passed on like Brent Finn. The last thing he needed was a bunch of people whom he didn't know trying to meet him and play 20 questions with him before he was ready. Dan asked about his parents, getting a firm, "They know I'm here. They are a little busy with Fiona and Flora right now so I told them I'll meet them later. The girls need some more time to get used to the family, they know I'm here but given what those animals did to Fiona it's not the best idea to meet yet." He hadn't even met the girls yet he was ready to kill those who hurt them. They'd understand why he stayed away, they needed more time with their parents first. He'd meet them before the wedding and be happy to spend as much time as they wanted after, he couldn't help but do that for them. Turning things around, he asked Dan how his new electrician was working. Dan nodded in approval and happily explained, "Angus Campbell is a good worker and knows his stuff and should have been a guy that was snatched up early by any of the local companies. Their loss is our gain, he will give us a lot of room to expand down new avenues of contracting." Stacy added a needling, "He also happens to be pretty handsome." Scott gave her an angry look which Melanie angrily told Stacy, "Not smart. How'd you like it if someone told you he was hanging around with a pretty, talented girl? You wouldn't." Properly admonished, Stacy slunk away in shame. Scott got up and kissed her cheek, telling her, "He's a decent guy, a bit dirty at times tackling tough. I think he and Michael exchanged some cleat marks in our last game against his school." Stacy snorted as he got her to laugh again. The two went on to his own home and got him settled before Stacy drove home. His housemates, Eric Vincent, George Daniels, and Will Bollinger, were at home and finishing up some preparations to their own uniforms when he walked in but didn't make a big deal about him being there. Eric did tell him, "Grandpa saw Austin, I guess they had a meeting of the olds." Scott nodded, then told them, "It had to be done. It's his own history too. A lot of what happened to Uncle Louis and the others was due to what Austin was involved in. There's a big thing that happened then, but he doesn't talk about it. He's making peace with it when he has his visit to old friends." The guys didn't talk further as Scott relaxed in his bed, one not actually slept in until that night. It was his new room, his old one having been surrendered to his new middle sister Fiona when she moved in with his parents three weeks before. He hated not having met either Fiona or Flora yet, but they needed to get used to the family and having him come to see them only to go off again and not see them for a month and a half was not worth the pain to them. Scott ate a light dinner brought over by his father who hugged him and went on his way, knowing Scott didn't want to keep him from the girls and have them start to think the worst about him. He slept well that night and awoke early to Will, Eric and George stretching for their daily run. He did the same, with the two telling him that he had better keep in shape or it'd cost him which he agreed with. The run was long and quiet, getting odd looks and a few snide comments about the military and those who served in it. Scott ignored them, they were the typical "peace" people who blamed the military for everything but were not afraid to get violent at protests when they can't get their way. They preached "peace" but were more violent than those who they claimed were violent and dangerous. The four ran for five miles then walked two more back home, eating breakfast then relaxing. Will complained about having to go to the recital that night, but it was more about not being given a chance to decline by his fiance that irked him more than going. Scott smiled at the complaints, it was definitely something he missed about Will that nobody else would admit to missing. The guys relaxed until their girlfriends came over, all but dragging Scott off while the three were left to fend off the younger kids trying to come by. Stacy was all smiles while Scott's sister Jessica, who was also Eric's fiance, casually told him that he was expected at their parents' house. Claire Peterson, Will's fiance, told him not to worry about the girls as they were off seeing their friends. They arrived at the Nelson home a few minutes later, and were almost run over by Greta Nelson as she rushed to hug Scott. Scott blushed and tried to act like it was no big deal, but he hugged her tightly giving her a, "I missed you too, mom." He was led inside as Greta dried her tears. Quentin Nelson was inside reading some work reports and didn't look up as they entered. Scott knew that he was trying to hide his happiness as he didn't want to unintentionally upset Fiona and Flora later, but it was tough to do. Scott hugged him and let him get back to work, content with his reasoning. Greta asked about his training, getting a sigh and complaining, "Long, boring, and structured. But it's important so we can't complain. It's at least easier on the body now, I know a few guys who were hurt in the other schools and I can't even begin to think about what the guys in the Chemical Corps go through in their training. They have to see and deal with stuff that would kill us 100 times over." Greta got what she wanted, he was simply getting anxious for it to be over. He wanted to return home and start college, but he still wanted to serve. It wasn't like the others, his was a more complicated job that would impact hundreds if not thousands if he was wrong so he needed to be right and the perfectionist in him wanted him to get it right the first time, every time. Quentin finally entered and told him to not think too much into the monotony as it would become second nature and he needed to have that heaven forbid he ever have to go to war and use it. Scott appreciated that from Quentin, he knew what to say without it having been mentioned. Quentin did know what he was talking about, he worked with enough former soldiers to know the need. Scott and his parents talked about what happened in the Fall and early Winter that he had missed out on, getting a hearty laugh at the idiocy at times by others trying to get one up on their friends and family or who were harming those they cared about. It was quieter than years past, but it was still active. Fiona and Flora finding their way to Greta and Quentin was the toughest for all of them, they had a long road ahead of them to regain their trust in both guys and people in general but Scott hoped for the best for them. It was a long two hours but eventually Scott grew bored and knew the guys would want to know where their girlfriends were. Scott didn't go home, instead going with Stacy to her house and spending time alone. The two enjoyed a loving embrace, followed by Stacy leading him to bed where both finally consummated their relationship after nearly five years together. Neither said anything when they finished, just showered and dressed. Claire and Jessica also didn't say anything but Jenna Connors asked if they were smart enough to use protection as she didn't want Scott to have to seek asylum up in Canada if he got Stacy pregnant from their little bit of fun. Scott realized he didn't but Stacy shot her an angry look, she had said something that shouldn't have been said as it was their own business. Stacy got up and left, with Scott following behind her feeling ashamed at what they had done. Stacy was in tears in the car, somberly telling him, "I knew you weren't wearing a condom. I figured that if I was going to get pregnant then it was meant to be. I love you and can't bare to lose you." He hugged her tightly, giving her the solace she needed. He sighed, and told her, "I would have wanted to wait until we were married but I couldn't deny your request. I love you and want to be the father of your children, but not if it's going to cost you a future. You are brilliant and will go far in the scientific world if you let yourself. I don't want you to give that up to have our children." She stopped her crying and drove him home. At her house while the couple was driving, Jessica finally realized what was going on and had to hold off screaming at Jenna. Finally calming herself, she firmly told her best friend, "Stacy wants his baby! Don't you see? She planned this for months. It's not the right day for her though so she won't be pregnant from it but she still wanted Scott's child. She doesn't want to lose him or risk not having a piece of him should anything happen to him." Jenna felt bad, knowing that she was doing for Scott what her own mother had done for her father and did have the worst happen to her as he was killed shortly after Jenna's birth. Jessica looked at her and realized that she had done something the others hadn't thought of, they only tried to leave their fiances with some sex before leaving for training. Jenna just slumped down on the couch and cried, hoping that she hadn't destroyed a six-year-old friendship with Stacy. Claire confessed to the two, "I tried to do that with Will but he refused. He was going to face even more dangerous situations than Scott, Eric, or George but didn't want to leave me burdened with a child. Don't think that Erik and George didn't think the same thing, especially George. They love us enough to not want us to be stuck with kids we can't support. We have trust funds and inheritances, but that's just a small part of what we need- help, support, and childcare. We'd give up a lot, they don't want us to." The three sat in silence until Stacy came in, to which Jenna tearfully hugged her and tried to beg for her forgiveness. Stacy hugged her back, knowing that her reason for her trying to have a baby with Scott had hit her right in the heart. The two settled down with the four just relaxing as the tension eased. Scott relaxed in the living room with Eric, George, and Will and endured the three giving him weird looks as Stacy was upset as she dropped him off. Being the boldest, Will asked what he did to Stacy. The others were ready to help or fight depending on what happened but wanted his version of events. Scott sighed deeply and confessed, "We had sex. She wanted to get pregnant just in case something happened to me so there would always be a part of me with her. Jenna made a comment about her ending up pregnant and caused Stacy to get upset and leave. It's not her fault, I should have put on a condom. I already told her i didn't want to ruin her future because of my pleasure." George told the others, "Jenna was out of line, she's doing what Aunt Anne did for Jenna's father. If she didn't then Jenna wouldn't be here. I'll talk with her. And I guess she forgot about what she wanted to do the night before we left, she said 'what happens, happens' but I refused to do it." Will complained, "Claire did the same thing with me and tried to make me see that it was due to danger and wanting to always be with me even if I was gone. I wouldn't let her. She was legitimately scared that I'd be killed in training. I can't say that it wasn't without danger, I did almost lose my air supply and got burned a couple of times because of bad communications." Eric was the only one who didn't have the girls making a move on him. Jessica was more conservative and restrained but did give in her fears and tried to seduce him. Eric gave her a pleasure filled sendoff that she needed, even if he didn't get off. The guys kept Scott busy during the next three days with the recital, shopping, and cleaning. Tuesday they received a call they had dreaded receiving ever since returning from training- their unit was being activated due to flooding, mudslides, and other weather related cleanup that the upper Essex County towns couldn't handle. Scott wasn't supposed to be activated but they needed every body available and he was free, so he got activated alongside them for temporary state service. Austin was with them when the call came in and drove up with Scott while Sean drove the other three. Scott was sent to a different location, working to coordinate sandbag and road clearing crews. They didn't get far beyond the rendezvous point before they had to stop as a car accident happened directly in front of them, sending the car off the side of the road into the swollen stream several feet below. Austin called for help while Scott got rope from the trunk to use to get the family out of the car. Austin anchored the rope while Scott walked along the edge of the road and down into the creek to get the family out. They were only dazed, bruised, and scraped but the doors wouldn't open, trapping them inside the car. Austin flung the lug wrench at Scott who broke open the windows, letting the youngest kids out and walking them up the rope to the road where Austin put them in Scott's car to keep warm. Scott did the same with a baby, pulling the car seat out while the screaming infant wailed at the shock of the accident and excitement. The toughest job was their parents, who were dazed and bleeding. The car started to slip making Scott have to fight the seat belts loose before pulling out the man and woman. He had to swim in neck-deep water to get them to safety but he made it as the first sirens from state troopers and firefighters arrived. After a cursory glance and taking their statements, Scott was sent on his way. Austin pointed out that a gas station across the road captured he accident, which the troopers thanked him for as it made their job easier. The local cops tried to keep Scott around to try to pin the blame on him for the accident for making them look bad at not responding sooner but his ID card that stopped him from being detained in an emergency and call from Scott's superiors got the locals to back off with their tails between their legs and answering some questions from the troopers about their own lazy response. Scott didn't say anything to his fellow soldiers and airmen about what happened, it was all business and being one of the few geospacial engineers in the state who was available he was busy. It took hours but eventually the proper equipment made the dents in the flooding and protected all those that they could, allowing them to be relieved. Austin was waiting, he was all but stranded in the command center and was put to use by the volunteers keeping the operations flowing with coffee and food. The news had gotten the story from the state police about the daring rescue by Scott and Austin. Scott was lucky to have been unavailable for comment due to his necessary work but once he was relieved he was free game for them. The public affairs officer and spokeswoman wanted to play up his heroism but Scott made it clear that he just wanted to go home and rest, and it was part of the job of a soldier to help out when needed especially when lives were in immediate danger so he did what he did because he had to help them. Scott's quote made the rounds of the media up to the national level and got him immediate attention from the brass. He had to meet with his battalion commander regarding the incident to give his official statement then told them that he wouldn't allow what happened to be used by others to promote anything. Scott's lack of cooperation was complained about to his major but the man just grinned. Scott was a virtual prisoner for the next day but he was saved by Christian James, the governor. He told the media just who had saved the family and why he did it. It was exactly what Scott would have said and the more he listened, the more it was likely that Austin relayed it on his behalf to the right ears. Christian was able to get the media to back off as the fact that he personally knew Scott and that Scott had done it because he was right there and reacted as anyone would and didn't want to be a hero was enough to cause the story to die out naturally. Scott still laid low and only went between his house, Stacy's house, and his parents' house during the rest of the next few days. He enjoyed a guy's night out at the Bay State Bowl with his friends as they cheered on Miles Finn as he played in his self-declared final game for any team. He was recognized but the sports media showed just how much his friends and family were special by relating several known facts about them. His actions saving the family wasn't even the first time someone had done that in the family, as they related Michael Finn's own saving of lives in stopping a carjacking in England. Austin was kept busy while Scott relaxed. After a quiet first night with Sean and Danielle, he enjoyed a busy day as he met Sean's grandson's friends and their families as Sean kept an eye on them before the evening's dance recital. Benny Herman took a liking to the old man with his grandfather, calling him "Grunkle" because he couldn't say "Austin" which Austin liked a lot. The boys were good with Austin and he had a knack for handling them like Sean but with his own flair. The recital itself was what he expected, but it was nice to see the sheer number of people there with everyone giving him his privacy and only a couple coming over to meet him. They had a good reason for doing so, he was around their kids and they wanted to ensure he was alright after dealing with the boys all day. It wasn't until Sunday that he was able to make his long awaited trek to his old friends' final resting places. Sean had to go with him out of honor, some of those buried were his teammates as well and he had a few words he needed to say to them that he never got to say before. Danielle went with them for moral support and to drive them to their second stop, down in Bourne, as she knew they would be in no condition to drive after the first stop. The drive was quicker than expected and Austin had to shake his head at the changes that happened to the fort in the years since its closure. Only a couple of buildings and the cemetery remained from his time there. The place was one of if not the smallest non-island or coastal defense forts in the Army but it always seemed much bigger than it really was. The two said their piece to their departed friends and shed tears over the memories of what they had done before. Danielle helped them to the car as Sean finally broke down over blaming himself for several of them passing on because the guy who replaced him after he went to medical school wasn't as good as he was and made a lot of mistakes. Austin consoled him, he wasn't good but they died because of bad intelligence and dirty contacts not from inferior covering fire or medical care. The drive to Bourne took 90 minutes, but it was enough time for the two to recover from the grief and prepare themselves for their next bout. The walk to Brent Finn's grave was slow, with both taking stock in knowing that the man worked himself to an early death because someone just couldn't give up a grudge against him. It brought clarity to both, they had been lucky in life while some who deserved that luck had not had any and paid the sad price. Sean said a few words about John and the others while Austin offered his harshest self criticism over not being man enough to stand up for what was right. Brent deserved better in life, but he did the best he could. He taught his kids what was right and through this act several thousand lives had changed, including those of his own children. Back at Sean's home, Louis came by with his family to take Austin out. Sean had to hold off a grin as Louis introduced Austin to the whole family, with his cousin Joshua Raymond giving him a big hug after not seeing Austin for nearly 30 years. Seeing Joshua's wife Peggy, Austin had to admit that the man had good taste in women which only caused the couple go blush as their four oldest grandchildren gagged as their grandmother's big compliment. Austin guessed that Peggy was his second wife after seeing Joshua's elder daughter. He didn't ask about her but the family ensured he had a lot to talk about. Joshua pointed out discretely to Austin that his eldest granddaughter, Sam York, was dating Brent Finn's granddaughter Iris Sylvester making Austin nod in approval as it was another example of the man's influence living on through his children. He did notice something peculiar about Joshua's granddaughter Mia Flynn. Something was off about her as she was always looking to see if Austin would have a reaction to her or not. It was almost like seeing a ghost until it hit him- she was like the young lady who inspired Brent's influence on others. Louis could sense Austin had figured out Mia's secret and went to the restroom with him. Austin asked if she was like Leslie Brown, the woman who was murdered because she was transgender and a friend of Brent's. Louis nodded, then added, "As is my granddaughter Trinity and her mother Katie. Mia is with her parents because of a similar attack to Leslie by her birth parents, she's Jorge's great-niece. Katie is Leslie's spiritual successor in inspiring people to help those like her, Jaimie is Katie's, and Trinity is Jaimie's successor. They didn't mean to help others but they ended up doing it anyway." When they returned, Katie was given a nod which signaled it was alright. As they left, Austin hugged the girls with their mothers assuring them it was alright. Katie was told softly, "The old goat knew just who to help when he needed to take direct action. You might be his greatest achievement. You turned out beautifully." Katie tried to brush it off but her wife led her off with a smile. Louis asked what he meant, getting told, "If he is anything like his father, he'd never let you call him your greatest achievement because you didn't intervene yourself with him. With Katie, you made her your own daughter. Knowing it, it was for protection. She helped so many from being helped by you, even with his millions in donations if it wasn't for Katie only a fraction of people would have been helped. She is your greatest achievement- the catalyst for changing lives instead of the ability to change them." Austin finally got to meet the Finns himself midweek. It was a great time for him as he met each of Brent's grandchildren, not realizing that he had seen Iris and Rachel Sylvester already and didn't even realize that Logan Finn was one of the boys who were cared for by Sean earlier in the week. He could see a lot of Catherine Finn in John and his sister Leslie while their sister Karen strongly resembled their father Brent. The image of their incarcerated brother Roland only caused him to silently curse as he was Brent's spitting image, the one who by all rights should have carried on his father's legacy but he chose against it proving he was more Williams than Finn. John's eldest weren't blood Finns but still were family regardless, which was enough for Austin. Jaimie was simply gorgeous and it was tough to see her as anything but a beautiful, buxom young woman that she had become physically. Miles was as he expected, but Austin suspected that there was something more to the young man that the others hadn't told him. It nagged him for hours as he thought Miles had a strong resemblance to Stacy. The two youngest Finns were a riot as JD Finn didn't really care too much about Austin meeting him, he was more interested in playing with his cousins. Cat Finn, though, had an interest in him. She was very inquisitive and asked if he was Sean's friend and if he knew her Grandpa Brent, making Austin laugh at her candidness. Austin casually admitted, "I thought Vicky was bad, she might be worse than her. That girl could talk your ear off and come at you with a dozen questions you didn't think of. It must be something in the blood, I know that attitude has to be genetic." John was going to make a joke but thought better of it as Valerie grinned at him. John just shook his head in defeat, telling him, "You are right. I'd say more but I risk angering all four of the girls. Hannah alone makes you want to run off to a remote monastery for salvation." Courtney Bollinger was dropped off by her father Zeke while they were joking about Cat. Austin eyed him closely, he had a gut feeling about the man that upset him. Valerie read his reaction and whispered to him, "He's a Williams. You beat the crap out of his father years ago. He's the youngest among them not counting Roland and John, which they don't. Courtney and Michael are technically third-cousins through John and Zeke but neither are blood and Zeke swore off the family by taking his wife's name." Austin just nodded in understanding. Zeke asked what that was about to Sean, getting a harsh, "It's just something your father did years ago. The man beat up a woman like Jaimie staying with his hated cousin Catherine but was stopped by us. Those six missing front teeth he had? They were a gift from Austin's knee. He could have given him the full kick but held back to painful not lethal." Zeke just laughed and told him firmly, "The bastard would tell anyone who would listen that he was beaten by a group of drunks on the way home from his sister's apartment. Nobody believed him, not after you strung up one of the guys with a snare. He didn't go out after dark without a gun for years and had to pay off a few cops to keep from getting arrested for gun charges because of it." Michael didn't say much as he had little to add but Austin did note the family resemblance between Ella Finn, Logan, and Michael. Austin allowed the eager Marcus to climb on him for attention, letting the toddler burn off energy and get his fill before he was put down for bed. He was eager to please Austin and listened to his mother when she put him down for the night, getting a, "Good boy" from Austin. The last who arrived were the Smith branch with Daisy and Claire Peterson in tow. Austin didn't need to be told who the Petersons were related to, they were Karen's nieces. Hannah was a younger Karen, but the way she carried herself she was her own person, much like her great-aunt. Hannah sat down after the introductions and listened, giving John a smirk that caused him to proclaim, "I didn't say any jokes about you being like your grandmother!" Hannah just continued to smirk, with Austin telling John, "It's definitely in the blood. I fear for those poor boys, their twin sisters are going to be a terror to them for years." Hannah gave a, "Damn right" look which was definitely her Williams side showing. She was a Finn but that Finn X couldn't counter the Williams X. Austin just hugged her, letting her know she was alright and he was just joking about her being so much like her great-aunt and grandmother. Austin didn't say much to the younger Smiths as Nigel Jr. was more interested in playing and Ethan and Nichole were mopey about being there and missing their fun. Nichole was beautiful in his eyes, he knew of her story from before and seeing her in the flesh blossoming gave him a happy feeling. Hannah and Bryan were quiet but polite and listened as John joked and told Austin some of what Jorge and Victoria hadn't told him. They were careful to not say anything when Austin asked about the whole Missouri thing with Hannah looking away, needing her husband Pete to calm her. He was happy to see the reaction, her involvement was strong and went a long way to show him she was a Finn more than anything else, even if her Williams personality comes out a lot. Austin spent a couple of hours at the Finn home before leaving for dinner. The kids finally asked Sean, "Is he related to Uncle Richard?" after Austin was far enough away, getting a solid, "Possibly. This is something that they have to do for themselves. I think there might be a couple of people who are in for a rude awakening though, if my hunch is right." The next day, Austin ended up answering that question by the kids when he encountered Dr. Richard Samuels at an emergency appointment for a sick Benny. Austin stopped cold, saying he'd wait in the car as Danielle handled the cranky Benny. He had to gather his thoughts about what he saw, he had seen the face of a man he had not seen in ages and had a strong anger towards. When Danielle returned, she asked what that was all about. Austin sighed, then confessed, "He looks just like the man who cost me the love of my life, the only girl that I ever loved. She and I married, but he never liked the idea of his daughter marrying a solider- especially one whom he couldn't exploit for his personal gain and who'd cost him his pack of lies that he'd built his campaigns on." They waited until they were back at the Kelly home and Benny safely asleep before talking further. Austin confessed, "She was just 18, fresh out of high school and upset at the idea of being forced to marry a man that her father demanded she marry 'for the good of his business'. She hated her family and wanted to be her own person. We met by accident as my platoon were conducting covert training operations just outside of downtown Heath and fell in love. We spent months together, marrying in a ceremony in Prescott with only my platoon and the bases chaplain as witnesses. When I was away on a mission she disappeared. Her father said she was angry at me leaving her alone and never wanted to see me again. He threatened to have me court martialed or worse if I tried to locate her. I never did, it was too painful to remember. I loved her, even to this day I love her." She let it go but decided to do some probing of her own. She asked Richard's wife Olivia about Richard before she married him, getting a disturbing, "He ran away from home at age 12 and was taken in by an elderly farmer and his wife. They adopted him, letting him take their name as his own. He hasn't talked about before he was found by his parents, but it didn't sound too good." Olivia thought for a minute and grinned. She couldn't be fooled, asking, "Does he know?" Danielle gave a saddened, "He doesn't, but it'll be hard not to tell him. Talk with Richard if you can." When Richard got home, Olivia let him settle down before she asked him, "I had an odd request about you from Danielle. I know it's painful, but I really need to know some things about you before age 12." Richard steeled himself, then admitted, "My father was killed overseas during Vietnam when mom was pregnant with me. He never married her so she couldn't get survivor's benefits. Grandpa hated me, he said I was an unwanted kid and should have been put up for adoption. He had mom committed to an asylum, claiming she was unfit to care for herself. He beat me every chance he had, blaming me for what happened to my mother. When I turned I couldn't stand it anymore and ran off." Richard sighed and asked, "Austin's my father, isn't he?" Olivia couldn't answer that, but Richard told her, "He acted odd when he saw me. You start asking questions about me before my parents took me in. It's not hard to put things together, my grandfather lied to me. My father was always alive. The bastard just wanted us away from him!" Nothing more was said that night, but the next day Richard sought out Austin to talk. Austin freely admitted, "You look just like your grandfather, he was a rotten man who only saw his daughter as a way of making more money and getting more influence over the Pioneer Valley beyond Heath. I know he is still alive as I saw him on TV last night. He's a big shot Senator on Capitol Hill." Richard growled, "He's a fraud. He doesn't care about kids or their plight, he doesn't care about the environment since the man owns stocks in multiple mining companies. He never met a campaign contribution he didn't like and takes money in that he never declares, pocketing it. The worst thing is that the man champions being anti-military and against war and in favor of families but hid his only child and abused his grandson all because she dared to fall for a soldier. I'd love to take him down." Olivia sat him down but Richard had an evil smile that sent a chill down her spine. Richard, in a cold tone that she had never heard before, told her, "I want revenge on that man. He hurt my mother for no reason other than falling in love with the one person who could destroy his carefully built fraud. That man has finally returned and knows the truth. It's time to take him down." Olivia hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek as he calmed down. Their son Thomas and daughter Al listened and texted their older brother Rick, who told them to not ask about the conversation. The two didn't have the heart to disobey them, especially if it was going to upset Richard any more than it had. The two worked on a plan, knowing that it would be tough to get information with the man being all but a king in the Pioneer Valley. They had allies, dozens of state police troopers who were willing to pay back a favor for getting them commendations and awards the past two years. The ones in Holden and Northampton, in particular, were eager to help after earning them praise and awards for their help given to the family over the past 13 months. The two made a plan of action and would use their neighbor and friend Cameron Byrne-Toro to act as their lawyer. Cameron simply asked for verification of his identity then would seek his birth certificate. Once they found it, they would use that to seek information about his mother and go from there. Olivia asked about potential issues, Cameron smirked and told her, "There aren't any. He has a right to know about his mother as her next of kin, especially as what happened to her was against the law since her father had no right to commit her or even treat her in such a way. You need to get Austin to prove he was married, if he can show that they were married then only he could do those actions. His father-in-law would then have to prove he had the right to do what he did, otherwise he's facing some tough questions. Either way, the man is going to be seeing the end of his political career." He wasn't going alone to the town hall. It just so happened that David Peterson had time off after his latest case got an indictment. David wouldn't let them deny the request and would happily inform his bosses about the abuse of power going on in the smaller, overlooked towns in that region. The next day, Cameron set out for the small town of Heath. As expected, the two were met with delays and claims of missing the information as well as claims of not having the right to access the records. David just grinned and texted someone, who then called the office and sent them into a frenzy as they were going to either help or end up facing inquiry from the state. Cameron grinned and asked, "Did she threaten to rip them apart or just bring down a select few?" David just shrugged, he suspected the latter but knew it was both. Kennedy Pena didn't mess around when it came to the government being abused by those who were elected to run it. The record was located and sure enough, Austin was named on it as was Richard's mother. There were claims that they could not disclose the information or they would regret it, David showed his badge and asked, "Are you threatening us? He is here on behalf of his client, what his client does with it is none of your business and as you felt the need to threaten him any action against him will ensure a response from us regarding said action. You were warned not to violate his client's rights, you just did." The two walked out and found themselves grabbed from behind by several large men. David had a smirk on his face as they listened to the men threaten them while they punched them several times in the stomach. David simply flashed his badge and proclaimed, "You are under arrest for assault and criminal conspiracy. Your tipsters ensured they are seeing the inside of jail as well." David had eyes on him to which he signaled for help. The men and women came out and slapped some handcuffs on the four assailants then went inside to arrest the town secretary for her role. As they were hauled away, the five were dumb enough to proclaim they'd get out fast. The troopers were quick thinking and had them explain who was going to get them out and why. They stupidly boasted that Senator Heath was going to ensure that he got his way, nobody would know what they had found and nobody would believe it. They set up the man for a fall as his grandson was the spitting image of him as was his great-grandson, making it tough to hide the truth anymore. Troopers secured the information and ensured that the copy in that was held at the state's archives in Boston was in special secure storage and nobody could destroy it. Just to be safe, the copy in Boston had to have a copy made and put in a specific area set aside for specific situations like Richard's. It was overkill, but necessary given the man's support. With the certificate in hand and a court order from the federal district court to examine the records courtesy of Kennedy's assistants, Richard sought the court records of his mother over at the Franklin County courthouse in Greenfield There was some delay as one clerk was removed for trying to refuse them without reason and another had trouble finding the actual filing but it was actually the clerk trying to hide the transcript from the file. There were further claims that he had no right to get the records, but the court order made those complaints moot as the federal judge happily assisted Richard. The group went to private office owned by a friend of Cameron to read the transcripts. Cameron noted that in the records that his grandfather claimed that Austin was dead and his wife was unable to care for Richard due to her mental issues yet had no supporting declaration issued. The judge should have never allowed that claim to stand and refused to grant custody or control over Richard's mother yet did so. It was damning evidence to read for Cameron. The judge granted the order to send Richard's mother away and had Richard placed in his grandfather's care without so much as an attempt to look into the father's life to see if there was any next-of-kin to object. It was a complete inside job, the two knew one another making it all the more vile as the records were sealed. In ensuring it was sealed the only person who could seek that file without a court order was Richard, his grandfather lost the right to control it when Richard turned 18. His grandfather couldn't hold the can of worms closed any longer, his past misdeeds were about to be exposed by the one person who had a right to do it. Richard wasn't normally vindictive, but the man cost him his father then his mother so earned his comeuppance. The drive back East was scary as they were being followed by several cars. When they hit I91 the state police intervened and pulled the cars aside, allowing them to drive on without their tails. They made it home without incident but expected trouble when the man himself made an appearance that evening. Austin had made himself busy by filing paperwork seeking records regarding his wife's location and all information about her care. He had a trusted friend find the his marriage license in his hidden safe then ship it overnight to him. It was then compared to the copy on file with the town he married in, Prescott, which was one of the few towns not under the influence of his father-in-law, and was a perfect match. When Richard arrived, Austin showed the marriage license with his mother's signature on it. Richard shed a tear as it was clear that his father had been out of line in everything he had done, keeping his mother from her husband by lying about his death then keeping her from her own son because she dared to disobey him. Austin was his father, there was no denying it now. Olivia had the news that the test results would come in the morning and the lab would not allow anyone to handle it anymore. They made copies of it to ensure it wasn't "lost" but they could do as many tests as they wanted on it. The lab was in the area of influence but being tightly controlled there was no way for the man to directly influence the results and Solomon Grande, the man handling them, was known to the family and had the backing of the company making any threats against them pointless. That evening, United States Senator Ezra Heath IV, the man himself, demanded to speak with his long forgotten grandson. Rick, Al, and Thomas refused to leave, making Ezra angry but not to the point of causing a disturbance. Rick smirked at that, he was about to explode at Richard and would likely step over the line with the right prompting which his father would gladly provide. Conveniently next door Willie Pena and his wife Kennedy were visiting with the Byrne-Toros. He fully expected trouble as he could tell the men with the elderly man were not bodyguards. He called in for help, it would get ugly fast if he tried to claim them as personal protection people and able to rough up any threats to him but he being a witness to their actions would counter the claims or being protection. Rick nodded to his father that he was recording, to which Richard proclaimed, "I'm recording this so that I have some form of legal protection from retaliation by you. I spoke with multiple lawyers about this, it's legal and admissible in court. Speak your piece and leave, I ran away at 12 to get away from your abuse and constant control so you have no reason for being here. Why are you really here?" Richard led him directly into a trap as he went right for him, growling, "How dare you claim that! I hit you to show you who was boss and to shut your trap about crying for your pathetic mama. She was a cheap slut who got knocked up by a baby killer, you don't have to know more. So what if he's still alive and I kept you from him! Keep away from him or I'll ensure you end up in prison for 'illicit behavior with the patients in his care' or whatever it is they use to hide molestation allegations. It doesn't matter that it'd be exposed as a lie, just the mere whiff of an allegation will kill your career and ruin your life! Grandson or not, cross me and I'll break you!" He had just admitted to knowing Austin was alive and abusing Richard. Richard went for this, asking, "How did you hide the social services claims against you? They had me removed multiple times yet you somehow got them to shut up and back off. The right people know and will seek answers from you." He couldn't help but boast, "I own those bastards! They paid their lip service because your teachers complained, but I owned them. Hell, it's how I got away with doing whatever I wanted with your mother. Nobody in the region will go against me, they all know their place! Cross me and they get taken out. You know how many 'accidents' I caused to people who disobeyed or crossed me. Half of the town cemeteries in the region are filled with people who pissed me off!" Richard went after him lying about Austin, getting an angry, "I paid someone to kill him but the bastard got killed instead. They managed to make it look like suicide but I know damn well that they staged it. When he went off on a mission that he couldn't talk about it was easy to claim that he died and have my people spread word to the right people that your mother was dead or ran off because she couldn't stand being left alone all of the time to keep him from sniffing around for the truth. It was easy to do, he made a few enemies and they weren't afraid to take out people to keep him from coming back." Richard had enough playing around and asked, "For all of that careful planning, you never thought to check to see if they were married. Congratulations grandpa- you broke who knows how many laws in doing what you did to her! You didn't have any right to institutionalize her! Your buddy the judge is about to see himself in hot water for allowing her to be put away and he will happily squeal to save himself from prison for whatever else you had him do." The color drained from the man's face. Ezra got up, and boldly told him, "End your little inquiry. I am not going to let you ruin my career or legacy because you can't learn your place. Your mother was just a tramp, live with it. Continue and I'll have your ass beaten and ensure you are sent to prison for what you did to those poor little girls. It doesn't matter that you never laid a finger on anyone, I'll have a dozen girls claim you did it and have your nurses back me up. All it takes is the right bit of muscle and money, there's no shortage of people willing to lie to give you what you want." As he stepped out, his thugs stepped in to prove his point. They made a mistake in trying to go after Al to smack her, getting a hard kick to the groin from her while Thomas and Rick both punched out the next closest two. Willie rushed in and arrested the men, then had Ezra arrested for extortion, criminal threats, and criminal conspiracy. There was a fight as Ezra claimed Willie had no right to arrest him, he was a US Senator! Willie just shook his head and proclaimed, "Nice try but that only prevents you from being arrested during a session of Congress and only to keep you from your duties as a Senator- not from being arrested for all crimes, the Senate is in recess until January 3rd when the next one is seated as you well know." Willie wasn't afraid of what the man could do to him, he had faced tougher people and survived and knew Ezra's carefully crafted empire had already crumbled the second Austin's marriage was confirmed. Austin was shown Richard's birth certificate naming him as the father, then shown that Richard's name was not Woods but Heath, like his mother. It was fine with him, he was his father and it was only a name. Richard had gotten a new name from his adoptive parents, ones who actually loved him, and Austin had no problem with the people who raised him being the ones to have their name carry on. The two embraced with Richard crying into Austin's shoulder. Austin couldn't speak, he had a legacy that he had hoped to one day have but never achieved. He was a grandfather of three and in a few months was going to be a great-grandfather of one. The two broke their embrace and walked off, leaving Al, Thomas, and Rick to tell their friends to back off from any questions about what as going on for a while. Those who knew were not about to tell anyone else without their approval, they would tell everyone when the time was right. Rick did tell his fiance Jaimie as she was the only one who would not accept any misdirecting and would be the one to keep others away as they tried to figure it out through her. The day was tiring and ended with Austin leaving with Sean and Danielle. Jaimie greeted them as they drove into their driveway, telling them that everyone would wait for word but it was probably already suspected. She had trouble keeping Cat at bay, which only caused Austin to grin with happiness at her being so much like her great-aunt that it was like seeing the rambunctious Vicky Williams again. The news in the morning was one of shock as the media reported about the arrest of a beloved senator for extortion, criminal threats, attempted assault, and criminal conspiracy. It helped further that the arrest reports were obtained through legitimate channels and painted a damning picture of a man who had gone to great lengths to keep his daughter from her husband and was abusing his only grandson. The fact that the longtime family-friendly politician was willing to ruin the life of an innocent man because he wanted to know the truth about his parents was almost too much to bare for many in the media, but the man's words said it all. Kennedy being involved wasn't a surprise, but her being a witness to the attempted assaults was. At the arraignments the defense attorney tried to paint it as a family issue blown out of proportion but her being there along with Willie made the claims moot as they saw and heard everything that happened. She had a spotless reputation, she wasn't afraid to fight back against a powerful politician just because s/he had a lot of clout and supporters willing to line up to praise his/her every movement. The fact that he tried to go after his own great-granddaughter simply because she was there and witness to the extortion was too much for his supporters as he quickly saw himself losing support from fellow politicians and key donors. When the media were played the recording of the conversation and how the man had systemically ensured that his own flesh and blood was removed from the lives of everyone they cared about just because they disobeyed him caused the rest of his supporters to evaporate. By the end of the day he had dozens of calls for his resignation, most from his own party, and had both the President and President-elect making demands of their own. Austin expected the backlash to happen and accepted it when it came. He had people threatening him over his father-in-law's downfall, people who needed his political clout to keep their riches flowing. Austin refused to back down, telling those who threatened him to try it- better men had failed and the few who got close enough to achieving their threats were met with his own support base who were even more ruthless than him. When word reached the media that the man who was wronged for decades was also the same man who helped Scott save the lives of the family three days before, things turned ugly for Ezra. Austin's service record and long list of awards and decorations painted the real picture, one of a man who dedicated his life to his country and who served with distinction. His connection to Richard was exposed with his son's own long history of being a leading doctor in his field and overcoming his terrible start in life showing that the two were linked by more than blood- they were linked by personality and inner being. Richard saw his entire hospital support him and show that he was one of their greatest doctors and someone who would one day have an entire building named after him for his achievements. All nurses and staff sang his praises with those who knew him best telling of a man who was the figure kids needed while there. He was the man who was the doctor all wanted to have while there. Richard was visited by several men who were employed by Ezra's political party and had to endure the men strongly suggesting that he stop his charade and back away from the allegations or his own family history would bite him in the ass. He knew what they were talking about then countered with, "Go ahead and try. If you are using either my future daughter-in-law or my daughter against me then I'll have your asses in court for violating their rights. Whatever you found in your digging is stolen and I will ensure that you are all sent to prison for it. Try me." The men weren't fazed, but Olivia added a firm, "So be it. I'll contact the FBI about this breach of our daughter's rights then call John about them violating Jaimie's rights." Olivia had her phone out before the men could threaten her, with John all but shouting, "They just killed their careers. All of them are going down now. Louis isn't letting them out of this, neither is Walter. They have their own support and won't stop until those men are gone The party will not stand for it or they will be out on their asses." Louis had already spoken with the highest ranking officials in his party and had a war of words with them over what was going on. They tried to demand it stop as they didn't want to lose a valuable seat but Louis wasn't going to let them sweep it under the rug. He had already contacted everyone who would be able to do something and only a select few were trying to keep him in his seat, they all were owed favors from him and would never be able to collect on them and with his support of them gone they would be out of office within weeks as their support jumped ship. When John called, Louis went at them hard and heavy and called in every supporter that he could find making it an overwhelming display of support against the actions. If they were willing to violate the rights of two youngsters who had never done anything politically, anyone was now fair game and it would become a nightmare for all. They weren't going to let this go unpunished, there would be change at the top and the heads of the committee were the first to go. The meeting devolved into a war of words and saw those who were fighting for the disgraced Ezra all but alienated and powerless. The new heads of the party chose to take a stand and called off the goons with those who had shown up in Winnisimmet being thrown to the wolves. Their new federal extortion charges would stick, they had no way of getting out of them and if they did they were unemployable by anyone anymore and see their party all but marginalized as a political entity as supporters left. Earlier that same day Walter Gorman was dragged into a meeting with the President and President-elect regarding the senatorial situation in Massachusetts. He tried to avoid it but there was no way out of it. He stood his ground and refused to let it die nor would he get Austin or Richard to back away, and he would not get Louis to ease off his attempts to shatter the "good old boy" network at the top of the state-level party leadership or the national leadership. There was no way he would let his old friend get hurt regardless of it being an order from the President or not, the outgoing President had washed his hands of politics and the new President was not someone he would let push him around just because she was the President. She had no power over him once he retired, he was a free citizen and would do as he pleased. He was firm in his stance, if she didn't like that Walter stood with them then she would harm herself. The President-elect didn't waver, she asked about replacements and who would best serve. The list was short and those on the list were the most sycophantic climbers in the party, none of whom could carry the popular vote regardless of how much support they had. Louis' name was on there but he knew damn well that the man would never accept the appointment. She didn't expect anyone on the list to be appointed anyway, Christian James was from a different party and would appoint someone from his own party to take over. It was suspected that there would be some backroom deals to prevent that form happening but until the special election in five months to finish the term they would endure someone else or be forced to endure someone for another two years. She had her eye on someone taking the seat, a compromise person that was perfect for both but didn't say who. She finally told him, "He's done. I'm going to call for his resignation and seek an investigation into his dealings as this is costing us dearly. He was always a jerk and used Vietnam to get elected then used his family's influence to force him into the statewide game. The Heaths were known to be dirty so it's not a surprise that he would be. The gloves are off, a lot of people will be taken out after this." Walter agreed and went on his way, finishing his exit interview and taking the last pictures with the Secretary of State and his chosen successor before retiring to his hotel. His wife Lillian informed him that he had to attend an emergency meeting in Boston when he got home and that Austin would need to have a few words with him about the whole mess. He feared the meeting with Austin more than any of the other meetings, if he had known that Austin had been married to the Ezra's daughter he would have forced the issue and made the man do the right thing with both Austin and Richard but they had drifted apart after Walter left the Army just as Louis had. Walter flew up the next day with Lillian and their gifts. Austin met them at the airport and just hugged him deeply, letting years of emotion overtake him. Lillian fared no better as she was hugged just as tightly and kissed on her cheek, giving her a momentary bout of the vapors. Sean settled their car and drove them in while Danielle drove with Austin. They settled in at Sean's and prepared for the inevitable fight. Austin just sat down and asked, "Did you know about him?" Walter steeled himself then proclaimed authoritatively, "No. I didn't know she existed nor that you had married her. If I had, you can bet your ass that I would have told you. He kept her marriage a secret and ensured that only a select few knew about Richard's birth. The man controls the area with an iron fist, he could kill someone and get away with it if his underlings muddied the waters enough. Only his daughter and Richard dared to go against his orders and they paid the price for it." Austin knew this to be true, Ezra had covered his tracks well and may very well have torched Prescott Town Hall to ensure the marriage license was destroyed had he ever found out about it. Walter was innocent, he would have gone to the ends of the Earth to help Austin and Richard. Richard shared some of the blame there in that he never told Walter about his lineage, had he done so before this could have been avoided and they have given Austin the family he needed long before. The reunion was ended when Walter's phone rang and he confirmed his meeting with the governor and his staff. Walter was expected to be Christian's voice of reason to keep him from choosing someone who would polarize the Senate and alienate Christian for the next two years. He drove on, with Lillian going with him for moral support. The meeting was tense as the few names suggested by Christian's party were either inflammatory or inexperienced to do much of anything in their time. The ones from the other party were just as bad, they were just who had been presented to Walter and he didn't hold back in his complaints. Nobody could be agreed upon by either party as everyone was out to get something from the job. Walter finally told Christian, "Stop beating around the bush and give your choice, you know these were never going to work." Christian just smirked and put down the last file, one with Walter's name on it. He had pulled the same trick he had pulled on Willie back when Willie was being groomed as the new police chief, a test of character and intentions and Walter had done exactly as expected of him. Walter tried to refuse, but Christian proclaimed, "I spoke with the President-elect and she has agreed that you are the only person who has enough clout to serve our state and have no agenda for yourself. You are without ties to anyone except your party and even then you are your own person. I would not ask you to do this unless there was no other alternative. Please do us this honor and become the Senator we need in this time of chaos." Walter was left with no choice, there was nobody left to appoint. He had to accept for the good of the people and as he had no intention of running in the special election there was little reason for anyone to stand against him in his own party or in the opposition. He had to accept. Lillian hugged him and kissed his cheek, forcing him to proclaim, "After consultation with my wife, I am hereby accepting your request to serve the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as their acting United States Senator until such time as the voters as a whole can choose whom they want to fill out the rest of Senator Heath's term. I will not run again so the Commonwealth has no worries about distractions as I will focus solely on the will of the people and what is right for our nation." Both signed the appointment and anticipated the resignation letter being brought before Christian. Ezra was escorted in by state troopers and deputy sheriffs, his bail having been revoked due to his further attempts to get back at Richard and Austin being foiled by state troopers and FBI agents keeping tabs on him. His high opinion about himself was cut down in front of dozens as Judge Matthews eagerly told him that his bail had been forfeited and he was remanded to jail. Ezra growled at Christian as he was escorted inside, loudly taking his seat while his shackles jangled against the heavy wood chair. Seeing Walter, Ezra knew Walter was going to ensure that his legacy was quickly forgotten and the successor's legacy was their own creation, not what he wanted it to be. His own legacy was about to be one of corruption and extortion, with his hometown and region upended in the process as the real face of the man was exposed for all to see. Christian asked if he knew why he was there, getting an angry glare. Christian laid out the charges and their impact on the people of the Commonwealth. He officially asked for the resignation, read over the resignation letter, then laughed at the claims of false accusations and men pretending to be his son-in-law and grandson as well as their attempts to extort him and ruin his legacy of helping the people. Christian kept the paper for the archives, then handed another letter. This one stated clearly that he could no longer serve the people of the Commonwealth in good faith and would accept his trial by peers and any potential outcomes that arise from it. It made no mention of his legacy or of the accusations being false, only that there were accusations against him. Ezra was forced to sign the resignation, with Christian officially accepting it and filing it with the Secretary of the Commonwealth accepting it immediately. Ezra was led out in shame, with reporters there capturing his angry, smug face as he left. Christian then released word that he would have his replacement appointment named immediately, with Walter being shown out to the assembled press. Walter endured the dog and pony show and proudly proclaimed he was not running for the remainder of the term that May and would not support candidates in either party. His only reason for accepting the appointment was his duty to the people and would not taint it by influencing their choice for his replacement. It was a brilliant masterstroke as he took out all potential hazards by showing that he was not going to let either party schmooze him or attack him. He was doing his job and his job only. He left to Sean's home and went about his normal business, delivering the special gifts for Michael and Courtney's wedding from Her Majesty and a reluctant Prime Minister. Austin couldn't help by feel great pride in Walter blushing deeply as he endured Cat Finn eyeing him as he told them who the presents were from but it was expected from her. Cat had gotten Walter to flinch, which was what she wanted. After a calm and orderly rehearsal and wedding, things calmed down for Austin and Scott. Austin made time to talk with him, getting Austin's take about what happened between him and Stacy. Austin could only admit, "It's pretty common, the ladies are justifiably in fear and would do that. Richard is the very image of that, as is your friend Jenna. It just shows that she loves you enough to do that for you." Scott eased up on it and grew more loving towards Stacy, but still held back at times. She was happy to see the old Scott return and offered him plenty of loving embraces and long, deep kisses during their time alone. He did enjoy some more intimate moments with Stacy, but always ensured that he used protection despite her happily accepting his seed into her womb. The DNA test returned on the 26th and proved Austin was Richard's biological father confirming to the courts that Ezra was out of line and illegally had his daughter committed to an asylum. The Samuels family shared a mutual hug with Austin, who was in tears as he read the results. It was the greatest news he had ever received, all of the Army decorations for valor paled in comparison to the news that his beloved wife had given him the greatest gift of all- fatherhood. It took a lot of searching and lawsuits to uncover the truth about Mrs. Woods but eventually they found her location. Austin and Richard broke down when they were told the news that she had died from a bad infection, caught during one of her frequent electroshock therapy treatment. They were given after blanket approvals for drugs and experimental or harsh treatments by Ezra, with the doctors never questioning the impact on her. The news brought closure to the two as she was at peace. It pained them to know that she never learned the truth but given Ezra's arrogance it is likely that she did know the truth but wasn't allowed to do anything about it as he paid off the doctors to keep her locked up. She couldn't be harmed anymore and she gave Austin what he needed most, a piece of her to live on forever. Austin helped Walter find his new home, with Walter selling his old house that he had barely stepped foot into in past 20 years as he worked his way up in the ranks of his party. Austin knew it was just Walter's way of always having a place to call home and having a reason to return to Winnisimmet, but it was still sad for Walter to sell the old place. He made a killing on the sale, it was undervalued when he bought it and with the right people fixing it up it had blossomed to $500,000. Walter bought a new house, this one close the family and allowing him a chance to see his surrogate nieces and nephews frequently. Lillian would opt to remain in the house instead of going to with him down to Washington after the New Year. She hated the place and didn't want to be around the snobby senatorial wives unless it was absolutely necessary. The family helped Walter move into his new home and enjoyed him finally relaxing among them. It was what he needed and despite being the newly appointed US Senator he was still their Uncle Walter. He just smiled as the assembled Woods, Finn, Reagan, and Kelly grandchildren gave him the most relaxation that he had had in decades with their simply being themselves and there for him. Eventually, it was time to fly back to Missouri. Sean offered Austin a permanent place to stay, but it was Richard who offered him what he needed most. Richard insisted that he move East to be with his family and enjoy his time with those who cared about him, especially his grandchildren. It was tough to refuse as Richard offered the heartbreaking, "Dad" to Austin. Austin gave in, he had only his clothes and a few mementos left in his small house just off base. Austin would return in a couple of weeks, after cleaning and selling his house. The flight west to the fort was uneventful but the reception they received at the airport wasn't. Scott had a summons from the base commander as well as the training regiment headquarters for him to speak with them. He knew what it was about, and had Austin going with him as both witness and support. The two were escorted into the office with the major general asking them to be seated. Scott was presented with the report regarding the rescue from the state police as well as confirmation that Scott was en-route to his duty station before the incident and was activated for the day by his commanding officer in conjunction with his state constitution. Scott did not deny any of it, he was still in active federal training but his regular unit needed manpower and he was the only one able to do the job. Taking a deep breath, the general calmly stated, "You are still in training and officially seconded to the training regiment for another month. You were on leave yet you were activated. You had the right to decline yet you chose to go against normal regulations and be used in the role you are not fully qualified to fill. Do you have anything to say about that?" Scott didn't bother to come up with an excuse, he boldly proclaimed, "My fellow soldiers and innocent civilians needed help and I was one of the few in the Commonwealth who was familiar with what needed to be done. I may not be qualified yet but I am still able to perform basic functions of my job that I have qualified for already. These were what I was working on and assisting those who were fully qualified. I chose to go because if I didn't then someone would have had to have been dragged in from another state to help. It is my job and I will not run away from my duty. I am a soldier, but my duty is to the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts first and foremost when not in service to our country. I would gladly do it again as I would rather endure the stockade than see someone hurt or die because I chose not to answer the call of duty." Scott was defiant in his tone, daring the general to say something further. This wasn't necessary, as the general read, "In light of actions in the service of our country that resulted in putting his own life in danger in an attempt to save the lives of five people who were in mortal danger of drowning in a swollen creek, Private First Class Scott Nelson is to be hereby awarded the Soldier's Medal." Scott was astounded while Austin grinned. The general then turned to him and declared, "For his role in saving the lives of five individuals and helping them remain warm, Sergeant Major(retired) Austin Woods is to receive the Lifesaving Award with bronze oak leaf cluster." Austin cringed at the reminder, mumbling to Scott, "I saved the life of a couple of drunks who fell into the river behind North Station when I was en- route to Devens for the first time." The general dropped the formalities and asked how Scott had gotten so much attention regarding the awards. Scott sighed then explained, "His Honor, the governor, is a close family friend and refused to let me talk him out of recommending that I be awarded the medal. I suspect that the regular Army general staff were forced to move the award forward due to Presidential pressure thanks to Senator Gorman and my friend Michael, who met with the President days ago. It was in the national media and was not going to be allowed to go unrewarded and once the President got involved it was unavoidable." It fit with what had happened, only the President himself put the award in. He couldn't get around it and he put through a memo to the brass to not get in the way of the award without a valid reason. Anyone who did get in the way were not advancing up the ranks. At the regimental office, Scott underwent the same scrutiny, only this time he was met with anger over performing his job without their approval. Scott didn't hold back, telling him, "I was on leave and ordered to report for duty. I did my job as my commander-in-chief requested and would do so again. I am not regular Army, I am Army National Guard. When my state needs help I have to respond. I did my job and I did it well and did it the way your drill instructors instructed me to perform." He dared the lieutenant colonel to say something further. As he was going to say something he received a phone call from the training division commander inquiring as to why he was berating a soldier who had been authorized under the US Code to act in his capacity as a soldier in protection of his state. It took all of his energy to muster a lie but that was shot down and the man forced to admit he had no justification except that it made him look bad for allowing the yet-to-graduate Scott do his duties early. Scott was free to go and a reprimand placed in the lieutenant colonel's file for acting out of line and for punishing a soldier who had higher authorization to act. It was essentially the end of his career but it was a tough lesson to learn. Scott simply let it go and went back to drilling alongside the others. At the graduation ceremony, Scott was called before the assembled engineers and had his medal placed on his uniform. He accepted it without emotion, letting the dog and pony show go on while he thought about getting home. He wore his service ribbon and other standard issue ribbons as well as the ones that he had been authorized to wear due to his service to the state, with the exception of soldiers who had been retrained into their new jobs Scott was the most decorated among his graduating class. Scott left with little fanfare, with Austin again joining him for the flight but this time carrying all of his possessions. Austin was quiet during the flight, Scott simply let him have his solace as the man was going to be doing something that he had not considered happening to him in his long life. The man was about to move in with his son's family and be among people who loved him, giving him his deepest desire and setting right decades of wrongs. Austin was mobbed at the airport by Al who had a hard time quelling her enthusiasm over her beloved grandfather being home for good. She wasn't alone, as Austin endured Olivia's deep hug followed by Richard's own. Rick was the only one who didn't go overboard, instead he and Thomas just let the man have his peace. Scott was met by Stacy and the need to talk. As they drove in she stopped off at her house and spoke with him alone as the others walked out in silence. She grew solemn, and in a barely audible voice admitted, "I'm pregnant. The girls were wrong, I was fertile when I seduced you. I told my parents and dad isn't upset at you, he knew why I did what I did and is proud of you for not taking advantage." Stacy was in tears but Scott just kissed her deeply. He offered a soft, "I swore I'd stay with you forever and I will hold true to my promise. We will get married, and you will finish your degrees and be the best chemist the field ever saw. You deserve nothing less." The two kissed as they awaited the others to come inside and see Scott's reaction. Scott wasn't angry and his tears were a good sign. He finally announced, "I told her we were getting married and she is not going to stop her education just because she is pregnant. We will work out something." The group hugged the couple as the realization that they were only a short time away from their own announcements. It was inevitable among them, they were ready for the next generation of kids. Scott and Stacy were simply doing as they always did, blazing the trail for all of the others to follow. Michael and Courtney then Rick and Jaimie opened the door, but Scott and Stacy burst through it and made their mark. The dynamics of the 14 friends had now changed for good.