Summary ~ When a fatal accident occurs, many lives are forever shifted. Elizabeth must take on the challenge of a new role, and Tess must learn how to adapt to her new life.

Genre ~ Mark/Elizabeth/Tess/Kate

Disclaimer ~ Every person you have heard of before are not of my creation. The characters you have not heard of before are mine, although I borrowed their names from Centreville High School.

Need to Know ~ This story takes place in 2015. The last episode that applies to this story is April Showers.

Feedback ~ Why would we write these if we didn’t want to hear from you? Do us a favor and tell us what you think! Send any and all negative or positive comments about this story, another story, or the site in general to greeneblob707@yahoo.com. If you could please put the title of the story you wish to comment on in the subject box that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The air was sharp and crisp. The scent of Christmas still lingered in the air. Christmas trees were out on the street, waiting for the garbage man to take them away. The last few houses were taking their lights down, and the excitement of the kids’ presents was wearing off. The last bit of cookies were being eaten and the last of the leftovers were thrown out. January had arrived, and was in full swing.

It was freezing outside; ice lined the sidewalk. Children carefully made their way home from their first day back in school. Julia had entered right on time, and as usual Michael had taken his time coming home. Julia’s cheeks were bright red and her hands were beginning to sting as they warmed up. She threw her book bag on the chair and her jacket on the coat hanger. Her gloves and hat and scarf were cast haphazardly in the corner. She knew her mother would tell her to pick them up later, but she didn’t care. Why mess with tradition?

She stepped into the living room and said hello to her mom, then walked into the kitchen and began searching the pantry, all the while blabbing about something in school. Never about schoolwork, just something that happened in school. Then she would grab her book bag and head upstairs.

Almost as soon as Julia would head up the stairs, Michael would enter the house. He put his belongings in their normal spot, then plopped down on the family room sofa to tell his mother about what he did in school. Elizabeth knew that one-day he would stop telling her everything he did during the day, so she tried to savor what little time she had left.

Julia was 12 and Michael was 8. Julia was in the seventh grade; it was her first year in middle school. She was beautiful girl, especially to her mother. She had deep blue eyes that would sparkle when she got excited or happy. Half her beauty and wonder was in her eyes. And her hair was like her mothers, only Julia’s wasn’t as curly. He grades were good. And if you asked her they were great. She was a fairly good girl, although she did have somewhat of a temper and lost her patience very easily. But most of her flaws were small. Michael was in the second grade. He was a practical joker and somewhat of the class clown. At first this alarmed Elizabeth, but then she just realized that that was who Michael was.

Elizabeth had managed to get off at two that afternoon. It was by a sheer act of God that she managed escape from County. Mark was still at work, but his shift ended at seven. Most days Elizabeth got off at around seven. If she didn’t, then Mark did. Julia was old enough now to be home alone for a few hours. She just had to make sure that Michael didn’t reek havoc in the house, and that he did his homework. It was a rather nice arrangement; they were all happy with it.

At about four that afternoon the telephone rang. It was a phone call that would change all their lives forever. Elizabeth answered it with a cheery hello, thinking maybe that it was Mark calling to see how things were going. When she heard an unfamiliar voice on the other line she wasn’t startled or worried. People she didn’t know called all the time. And most of the time, Elizabeth hung up on them.

“Hello, is this Dr. Elizabeth Corday?” the women asked.

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“This is Jordana Gross, I’m from The Department of Children and Family Services in Seattle Washington.”

“Seattle Washington?” Elizabeth said, trying to remember anyone who could be calling from Seattle. Suddenly, it hit her.

“Yes, do you know a Doug and Carol Ross?”

“Doug and Carol, yes, I know them. Why, what’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked, her voice beginning to shake. She was so afraid of what she might say.

“Dr. Corday, I regret to inform you that Dr. Ross and his wife were killed in a car accident last night.” She said, her voice filled with little emotion.

“Oh my God, that can’t be possible.” She whispered, trying to grasp the situation.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

“Oh God.” She said, she could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered the girls and asked, “The twins, are they okay?”

“Yes, the girls are fine. Just a few cuts and bruises.” Elizabeth sighed in relief. Suddenly, the women interrupted her thoughts. “But the twins are why I am calling ma’am.”

“Why, what is going on?” her mind raced.

“We see that Doug and Carol have you and your husband as the legal guardians of their girls.”

“Oh my God.” She gasped. She had completely forgotten about that. When the twins were about a year old Carol had called them to ask them to be Tess and Kate’s guardians. Elizabeth had said yes of course, never thinking that anything bad would actually happen. No one even thinks about those things. But here she was, having a conversation with a total stranger about her dear friends’ deaths and her taking the girls. She felt as if she had just been punched in the stomach.

“Do you remember agreeing to that?” the women asked.

“Yes, yes, of course I do.”

“Okay, then you and your husband are now responsible for Tess and Kate Ross.” Elizabeth sat down on her sofa. The women went on about the legal things involved and about what exactly would be happening. Elizabeth didn’t hear any of it. She just kept thinking of how all of their lives would never be the same again.

When Mark came home that night he found the house quite, almost desolate. He walked through the foyer into the family room. He saw Elizabeth sitting on the sofa. The room was dimly lit. Just the light of the moon that cascaded through the half open curtains. A trail of light ran across the floor and up Elizabeth’s leg. She was sitting staring at the wall, her hand placed across her bottom lip. She seemed to be deep in thought. Mark was afraid to disturb her, but eventually he inched closer and softly said, “Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth looked up but didn’t say anything. She then looked from his face back to the wall and resumed her deep concentration. “Where are the kids?” Mark asked, unzipping his jacket.

Elizabeth said, “Michael is at James’ house for dinner. Julia is upstairs working on her homework.” She never moved her eyes from the stare they were currently fixated in.

“Elizabeth?” Mark said, his voice full of concern. He sat down next to her and continued, “What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth looked over at her husband. Several seconds passed before she answered. She finally got out, “It’s Doug.”

“Doug?” Mark questioned. What was wrong with Doug? They hadn’t seen Doug since Thanksgiving.

“And Carol.” She added.

“Carol? Elizabeth, what’s wrong with Doug and Carol?” his voice was full of concern and dread. In his mind he was praying for her not to speak the words that he thought she was going to say. But his prayers went unanswered.

“They’re dead. They died in a car accident last night Mark.” She didn’t blink while telling him that. The hardest thing she ever had to tell him, and she didn’t flinch.

Mark looked like someone had just told him that the apocalypse was coming. She could see the devastation in his eyes. This was no doubt, the biggest shock of his life. She had a hard time believing it as well. This wasn’t supposed to happen to them. It wasn’t supposed to happen to any of them. Doug and Carol had spent every day of their lives saving lives. They had treated countless numbers of car accident victims; never thinking that one-day they would be the ones on the table. That they would be the ones who coded.

Elizabeth was in shock. She thought she would have been more prepared for something like this. She dealt with death every day, both she and Mark. And yet they could not be more unprepared for these deaths. She never wanted to feel the way she felt at that moment. It reminded her of the feeling she felt when Mark first told her about his brain tumor. The helplessness she felt then was something she had never felt before then and something that she hadn’t felt since then. Until that moment.

“What about the girls?” Mark asked

“They are fine, just a few cuts.”

“Thank God.” Mark said with relief.

Elizabeth hesitated before telling him. She knew he had also forgotten about what they had agreed too. She finally said, “We’re their legal guardians, Mark.”

Mark looked up at Elizabeth, his eyes widened. “Oh God, they asked us to do that for them didn’t they? When the girls were still really little.”

“Yep.” Elizabeth said quietly, “Never thought this would happen though.” Mark didn’t respond. A tear ran down his cheek. “I, uh, I haven’t told the kids yet.” She finished.

“What are we going to tell them?” Mark asked.

“The truth.” She said. “The funeral is Thursday. Tess and Kate are staying with a neighbor till then. I got tickets for tomorrows eleven o’clock flight to Seattle. They come home with us after the funeral. I figure we can take the kids with us. I think they are old enough to handle it.”

Mark nodded his head. He then choked out, “Oh, those poor girls.” Elizabeth nodded in agreement. She didn’t want to imagine what those girls were going through. She could never imagine loosing both her parents so quickly and so violently. It was such a huge burden on such little girls. They were only 14 years old. No 14-year-old should have to go through that. No one should have to go through that. Elizabeth sat back, and let the tears she had been holding in come out. Three tears dripped down her already damp cheek. She took a deep breath in, then sighed.

Part Two