Family Matters

Chapter 24

"I don't think it's appropriate," Ellie said sternly. "Poe shouldn't have to see him like that."

Everything over the week had gone smoothly, much to everyone's surprise, and the day of Bastian's trip was steadily approaching when the first roadblock popped up. Bastian's mother, who was still in South Africa, wanted Poe to say goodbye to her father and she wanted to see it. Ellie understood, in a way, since Poe never met any members of his family but it was crass and morbid in the ways she didn't enjoy. While making plans together, Kyle and Ellie, while not exactly becoming friends, had grown more understanding of each other.

"She wants to see it," Kyle said firmly.

"I don't care," she stomped her feet. "Poe is MY daughter and you know Bastian wouldn't want to scare her like that anyway." Ellie countered. "This has been hard enough on me and her without adding this. Besides, what is the old bat gonna do?"

"She could do a lot," he said warningly, "And she's giving you an assload of cash to take care of yourself and Poe."

"I don't want that money," Ellie spat, "And Poe isn't coming up here. If his mom has a problem with that, tell her to fly over here her goddamn self."

Kyle laughed and shook his head. "She can't, with the lawsuits and criminal suspicions they have over here she'll never come back. It's why they had him run the show and why he's takin' the medi-flight back alone."

"Exactly," Ellie shrugged as a nurse came down the hall behind her. "I don't want him to go," she whimpered, "And I wish I could take care of him, but I can't take her there and I can't give her this last memory of her father."

Nodding, Kyle pointed behind Ellie, "Yeah, I get ya. I think you're needed."

She turned with a fake smile on her face and moved a few feet away with the nurse. "This is the last one," the nurse smiled as Ellie signed the final form. "Are you going to say goodbye?"

"No," she said with a trembling chin. "I've said my goodbyes."

The nurse smiled and gave her a handshake before heading back toward the administration office. Ellie peeked in the room and felt her stomach twist as she took one last look at Bastian.

The drive from LA was better than she expected. With the windows down and volume up, she sped back to Charming feeling optimistic for the first time since Bastian came into her life.

There was very little down time during the transition. Ellie returned to Charming, ate quickly, and ran out to meet Happy to view a few rental properties. When she arrived at the first house she knew immediately it wasn't Happy's bike by the curb, it was Juice's.

"Everything okay?" She asked, saddling up beside Juice, as he walked the perimeter of the yard.

"Oh," he jumped, "Yeah. He was late, said he'd be at the second place in less than an hour."

Ellie smiled and gestured to the backyard and elbowed him in the stomach. "How's the security?"

"It's actually good," he laughed. "You can't see anything through the windows from the street. Even if you didn't have blinds or curtains all that's really visible is the ceiling and molding."

"That's always good," she said. "I don't plan on making any enemies here, though."

"You don't always have to try," Juice warned.

Ellie gave him a dirty look before heading around to the front door. She knocked loudly, a smile on her face and, as soon as the door opened, introduced herself and Juice. He wasn't too interested as the realtor walked them through the house but he paid attention and followed dutifully.