Family Ties

Chapter Three - The Royal Scandal

| Hey all, don't get too excited, I'm only updating so quickly coz I wrote
them both at once and had to split them up! I love all your comments and
votes, thank you so much! I'm still working on my Gabe fic, & I have my
next two fics planned as well, so it's all the Alaskan Bush People stories
from here on in! Thanks again for reading! |
| Love Lazybug x |

Matt was up and off Kenny's couch at the crack of dawn. He managed to catch Maisie as she was heading to the early morning ferry.

'You'll be back, right?' he asked, and she nodded.

'I have to be in Juneau this afternoon and all of tomorrow, but the day after, I'll bring Samuel here and we'll stay for a while. Is that okay?'

'Yes, that would be great,' he told her, handing her bags over to be put on the ferry. They stood facing each other.

'I'm sorry to just... drop this on you and then leave,' she said, pulling her coat tighter around her thin frame.

'As long as you come back... with him, of course,' Matt said with a nervous laugh. She smiled warmly at him.

'I promise,' she said. Her eyes lit up as she remembered something, and she fished a piece of paper from her pocket. 'I'll print you a proper photo in Juneau, but the guy who runs the hotel had a printer, so...'

He unfolded the paper and stared down at the grinning face of his son, laughing and clutching a very worn, stuffed grey bunny. He felt himself involuntarily smile, and he tucked it in his pocket.

'Thank you,' he said appreciatively. 'It means a lot to me that you've come out here to let me be a part of this,'

'Well, you're his dad, Matt. You both deserve to know each other,' she told him, reaching up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He watched her get on the ferry with a small smile, and waited until it had completely disappeared from view on the water before heading back to Kenny's for a well deserved coffee before heading back to Chicagof to tell his family the news.

#

Matt had never been so nervous to see the familiar beach of home. Kenny had reassured him the whole way home, but now, standing ankle deep in mud and seeing Bear come running through the grass to meet him, he desperately wanted to just turn around and run.

'You don't look too smug for someone who spent the night with royalty,' Bear teased. 'Did she kick you out?'

'No, we had dinner and caught up... That's it,' he replied, holding onto his photo tightly in his pocket. He had decided that he would tell his parents first before letting any of his siblings know. Bear shrugged, and took off again at high speed, whooping and laughing the whole way. Matt moseyed along behind him, trying to work out how to tell Billy and Ami.

'Matt? You okay?' Rainy asked as soon as she saw him. He flashed her a bright grin.

'Course, where are Mum and Dad?'

'Inside,' Rainy said simply, clearly not believing him. He headed into the main house where his parents were sitting at the table, and he sat himself down opposite them.

'Hey, when did you get back?' Billy asked with a warm smile, glad to see his eldest son back in one piece.

'Only a few minutes ago, I just wanted to talk to you guys about something kinda important...' Matt said, running his hands through his curls.

'Course honey, is everything okay?' Ami asked, concerned. 'Did something happen with the young lady?'

'Maisie,' Matt clarified without thinking. 'And yeah, kinda...'