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                     Swans Crossing: the Reunion	
		      Chapter 10: Goodbye To Yesterday
		           By Michelle Rutherfurd

CAUTION! This story contains some profanity and adult themes/situations.

        "J.T., what's wrong?," Mila finally questioned her date.  
"You've hardly said a word all night.  And when you do, you're quiet 
and withdrawn.  Please, just tell me what's up."
        "Well, I'm sorry about this Mila, but the truth is I miss 
Glory.  Maybe I didn't do the right thing..."
        "NO!" she nearly yelled, surprising herself.  "No!  I mean, 
you did do the right thing.  You, uh, followed your heart and all, and I 
think that..."
        "Pardon the interruption, folks," their waiter said, hushing 
the flustered Mila.  "Mr. Adams, you have an emergency phone call."
        "Thank you.  Mila, I'll be right back."  And with that, J.T. 
hurried off.  He made his way to the front desk in the lobby of the club 
where the phone receiver sat off the hook.  "Hello?" he answered it.
        "Is this J.T. Adams?" a strange voice he didn't recognize 
asked.  
        "Yes, this is him.  How may I help you?"
        "I'm calling from Swans Crossing Hospital's ICU.  Your 
fiance, Glory Booth, has been hospitalized."
        "What?!  What happened?"
        "She passed out from alcohol poisoning, and is currently still 
unconscience."
        "Yes, thank you.  I'll be right there."
                            *   *   *   *   *
        "J.T., calm down!" Saja instructed his friend.
        "But she could be in a coma!  This is all my fault!  I just need 
to be with her."
        "And you will, but speeding and killing us both is not gonna get 
you there any faster!"
        Saja had run into a rushing and frantic J.T. in the parking lot of 
the club, and as soon as he heard of Glory's condition, he decided to go 
with J.T. to the hospital.  Yet, even through all this, his mind kept 
wandering back to the tears streaming down Sandy's face.  He hoped she 
could get over it ok.  Because he had no intention of getting back 
together.
                            *   *   *   *   *
        Owen and Sandy still sat at their table in the club an hour later.  
Sandy's crying had died down and the two had been silently comforting 
each other.  Nervously, Owen looked at Sandy with a half smile on his face 
and fianlly got up the nerve to speak.
        "You know Sandy, Saja's a good friend of mine, and I love him 
to death.  But he shouldn't have done that to you.  He could've tried 
to work things out and I think it was wrong of him to end things like that.  
I want you to know that I'd never hurt you like that."
        "Thanks, Owen," Sandy said quietly, as another tear streamed 
down her face. 
        "But I do think he was right about one thing.  You and me."
        "What," Sandy asked, her face twisted in confusion as she came 
out of her daze.  "What do you mean?"
        "Well, I think we would make a great couple, so..."
        "OWEN!  This is the worst day of my life!  My boyfriend of seven 
years just dumped me because he thought you and I were together, I've 
spent the last hour crying, and now you have the nerve to ask me out?!"
        At this she quickly stood up, turned, and headed for the exit.  
        "Then I don't think it would work, Owen.  Not if you can't 
wait more than 60 minutes after the worst breakup I've ever experienced 
before asking me out!"  And as she shouted those last words, she ran out 
of the club leaving a bewildered Owen behind.  All he could mutter was, 
"Ooopps."
                            *   *   *   *   *
        Sydney brought the steaming cup of coffee over to Garrett, who was 
sitting with his head in his hands in the hospital waiting room.
        "Here's your coffee," she said as she looked at him 
worriedly.  "Don't worry.  Glory's gonna be just fine, Garrett."
        "I hope so.  If not I'm really gonna have to kill rocket 
boy!" he exclaimed, referring to J.T..  Mila had met up with them at the 
hospital and filed them in on all that she knew.  Now she stood up for 
J.T..
        "It wasn't his fault!" she said a little to loudly.  "I 
mean, he didn't feel right about things.  Why should he continue on in 
an empty relationship?  That's no good for anyone!"
        Sydney swallowed hard, thinking of James waiting for her back in 
Paris.  But being the always helpful Sydney, she swallowed the lump in her 
throat and found her voice to say, "Mila, I'm sure Garret doesn't 
mean it--he's just upset.  Why don't you go home and put on something 
a little more comfortable--and warmer--and relax awhile, get something to 
eat, and then come back.  There's not much that you can do here 
anymore."
        Mila glanced regrettably at the door to Glory's room where J.T. 
was, then back to Sydney, and silently and reluctantly grabbed her purse 
and left.
        "Garrett, is there anything I can do?" she asked with concern.
        "Not really.  I just feel so helpless!  If anything would happen 
to Glory, I don't know what I'd do!  But I do think it's about time 
that that asswipe get out of her room and let someone else visit her!"
        "Calm down, I'm sure he'll be out soon.  Besides, Glory did 
say that she really needed to talk to J.T. as soon as she woke up.  I'm 
sure there's a good reason for this and you'll get to see her soon 
enough.  Are you sure there's nothing else I can get you?"
        "Actually, I think I'd like some cream for my coffee.  Could 
you run back down to the cafeteria and get that?  And I suddenly feel 
hungry, too.  Would you mind grabbing me a doughnut or something?"
        "Not at all," she said, pecking his forehead.  "I'll be 
right back."
        After she left, though Garrett was worried about Glory, he 
couldn't help but think about how wonderful it was to finally have 
Sydney back.  As Garrett got lost in thoughts about Sydney and the way 
things used to be with them, he was startled by the sound of a phone 
ringing.  It took him a moment to figure out what it was, but he soon 
realized that it was Sydney's cellular and went through her purse to 
find and answer it.  
        "Hello?" he nearly shouted through the bad reception the phone 
was getting.
        "Sydney, love, I miss you so much!  When are you coming back, 
baby?" 
                            *   *   *   *   *
        Just outside of the Tool ‘n Die, unaware of all the trauma taking 
place in the SC Hospital, Jimmy and Callie lay on their backs staring at 
the stars the way they had a long time ago.  The two stayed silent, just 
staring up at the beautiful heavens, holding hands.  
        Callie was thinking about how good it felt to be with Jimmy.  She 
had grown so lonely for him that she couldn't stand it.  Sure, now she 
had to be lonely for her father, but it was worth it to be with Jimmy 
again.
        Jimmy was thinking about the future.  J.T. and Glory would be 
married by this time next month, and then they'd all fly out to France 
for Sydney's wedding with that one rich guy, and then the next spring 
him and Callie's turn would come.  It seemed everybody was making big 
steps.  It was weird to imagine that things were almost exactly the same 
as they had been the summer of 92, and yet so different.  That was the best 
summer of Jimmy's life, for he had met Callie then, and now here they 
were seven years later.  The twelve of them still close.  Most of them had 
coupled off.  And that's how it should be.  Jimmy decided that that's 
exactly the way he wanted it to be.  the twelve of them: friends forever.
                            *   *   *   *   *
        "Nancy, hey what's up?" Neil asked as he found her in the 
living room of Mila's very large, very pink house.  "The butler let 
me in."
        "Oh, hi Neil!  What's up?" Nancy asked as she quickly tried 
to wipe the tears off her face before he noticed.
        "Well, I just wanted to come here and say that I've been 
thinking about you a lot.  Nancy, I really like you."
        "I really like you, too, Neil," she replied, a sweet smile 
spreading across her face.
        "I really feel like we're connecting, and I've never felt 
this strongly for anyone before.  I don't wanna freak you out or 
anything, I just had to tell you that.  You're a one of a kind person, 
Nancy.  You're amazing.  And don't let anyone ever tell you 
differently." 
        As he said these kind words, Nancy's mind flew back to a fight 
her and Michael once had.  He had beaten her until her face, arms, and 
back were covered with large, purple bruises and blood dripped from her 
lip.  Just when Nancy thought she couldn't take anymore, he picked her 
up and slammed her against the wall, holding her up by her neck.  
"You're a horrible, worthless whore, and you don't deserve shit!  
You're lucky to have me--you'll never do any better!  You won't!  
You're a bad person, Nancy.  And don't let anyone ever tell you 
differently."
        "Nancy!  Are you ok?" Neil asked in a worried tone as Nancy 
had gone into a daze with tears streaming down her face.  "Nancy?"
        Suddenly, she flashed back to reality.  When she noticed what had 
happened and what was going on, she began to run towards the stairs.
        "I'm sorry, Neil.  I have to go.  You should leave now--I'm 
sorry.  Good-bye."
        Neil looked after her with concern and confusion.  "What was 
that about?" he wondered as he made his way to the door.
                            *   *   *   *   *
        And that very moment, only miles away Glory's frail, week body 
was lying on the hospital bed underneath several large blankets.  But the 
color had come back to her cheeks and she gained enough strength to speak 
to her ex-fiance.  
        "J.T., there's something I need to tell you."
        "What is it, Glory?  You can tell me anything."
        She was amazed at how much he was acting like the old J.T., the 
one she loved.  She went on, "I don't know how you're going to 
handle it, though."  She had to build it up to make it more believable.  
After all, just as Glory hardly ever drank before, she had planned on 
waiting until her and J.T. were married to have sex.
        However, a couple of years ago at Sydney's senior party, the 
last party of the year and right before her mother died and she dumped 
Garrett and left America, both J.T. and Glory drank a little too much, and 
ended up having sex.  They talked about it afterwards, and both decided it 
was a mistake and they would wait until they were married before they would 
let themselves do that again.  And so far they had done just that.  
        Until a couple of months ago.  J.T. and Glory had had a fight and 
to make a long story short, they momentarily lost control of their senses, 
got caught up in the moment, and ended up "making up" the next night.  
And now Glory planned to use that mistake to her advantage.
        "Do you remember that night in April?  Right after our fight at 
the Scientists Annual Benefit Dinner?"
        "Yes," he answered, immediately knowing what she was referring 
to.  
        "Well, we both agreed that it was a mistake.  And now it's 
more of a mistake then we thought it would become.  I know you don't want 
to be with me anymore.  And I got the idea that you're interested in 
Mila.  And that makes this really hard to tell you.  But before I do, I 
want you to know that I don't need your sympathy and I don't need your 
help.  And I don't want this to affect out relationship, meaning I 
don't want you to feel obligated to do anything."
        She paused as a nurse came in to give her some pills, which she 
took with a glass of water, and then returned to what she was saying.
        "I know it's over.  And I don't pretend to know why you 
ended it.  I don't understand the reason that you gave me at all.  But 
I do know this: I still love you and I always will.  But things have 
changed.  You've changed, I've changed, Mila's changed," she said 
as her eyes darkened.  "We've all been trying to hold on to the past 
and stay together when really fate wants to tear us apart.  We're not 
kids anymore, J.T..  It's time for us to let go.  That's why I'm 
moving out to my parent's place in California and staying with them for 
awhile."
        "Glory, don't do that.  I don't even know what I want right 
now.  I just need time to think.  But I do still care about you."
        "Well, none the less, I have to do what I have to do.  And right 
now I think I would rather have my mother help me through this than you."
        "Help you through what?"
        "J.T., I'm pregnant."


		      Copyright: Michelle Rutherfurd 2000

If anybody has any questions, comments, or ideas, please write me at 
glitter495@aol.com!  I'd love to hear from you!  And Happy New Year!  
Have a great 2000!!!!!  = )