GHOSTS OF THE PAST: THE REUNIFICATION OF EBENEZER AND RANI SCROOGE

joy and grief

"Really?! Josh, that's great! Congratulations! Is this your very first natural born kid?" Stephens smiled over the phone.

"Yeah, I found out just yesterday. Mary's three weeks along." Joshua said.

"That's awesome, man. Hey, I gotta go, but I will definitely come and visit you guys."

"All right, that would be great!"

So Stephens did, and happily beamed with the others who shared their good news when the parents found out that their baby was going to be a girl.

Soon, Tammie had her baby girl, in the early hours of July 4th, 2000. The girl, named Mei Chiyo Williams was happy and healthy, but alas, the baby's father had died an hour after he held her from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident.

Mei's father was cremated and his ashes were in an urn. Joshua and Mary had volunteered to become Mei's godparents for her baptism. The baptism came and went.

Stephens kept on with being a special education teacher, always putting his nose to the grindstone, but in the good way. He always made time to visit Joshua and Mary whenever they needed help or just to visit.

One night on Christmas Eve, he went to sleep, and when he woke up on Christmas morning, he was...different.

He looked around in confusion at the place he lived in, and wondered where his office was, where his partner Bob Cratchit was.

He spent the next day and the 27th, puzzling over who he was, where he was and what his purpose was, and how long it was since...since he existed. This man that had replaced Edward Stephens was indeed a reborn Ebenezer Scrooge, but alas, to Lottie's disappointment, the curse made him forget her, and it made him forget his little Rani. He then decided to keep his current name and situation, listen and learn the ways of the 21st century, and get with the times. After all, he did have Stephens' memories.

Finally on the 28th, he came to the visit Joshua and Mary's house, via Joanne's request. It was past Christmas and not yet the new year, he knew, but where was Joshua and Mary? He wondered.

"Joshua and Mary went to Vancouver for Christmas vacation, and there, they had their baby, and she was born the same date as her Daddy." Joanne answered.

"On Christmas Day?! Oh, boy! She's going to be spoiled rotten, yes?" Scrooge smiled.

"I think probably so!" Joanne laughed.

"The girls always get spoiled, but we love them anyway." Liam, Joshua's younger brother said.

"Did you ever want to raise a family, Ed?" Joseph, Joshua's youngest triplet brother said.

Ah yes, that's my name. I must answer by this name. Scrooge remembered.

"I would have loved to, but I was always scared of ending up like my dad. As I've told you, he really wasn't...he wasn't around much. Didn't like the holidays." Scrooge explained.

"Ah, so you grew up with a real Grinch in the family." Brianne, Joshua's mother, red haired, green eyed, pale and Irish said.

"Yep."

Soon, the couple's car pulled into the driveway, and to Joanne and family's shocked faces, and Stephens as well, they saw, not one-not two—THREE babies, all of them girls!

"NO! No way!!!! WHAT?!! You're kidding me!!!" Joanne gaped and laughed as she took one baby seat.

"WHAT?!!!! THREE BABIES?!!!" Scrooge yowled.

"MAZEL TOV!!! THERE YOU GO!" Joshua's father, Jim burst into joyful laughter.

"Three babies, man?! HOLY SHIT!!" Joseph said before he got an elbow to the rib by Brianne for cursing. He apologized.