Chapter 24 - Reunions

            Grace looked around. The town, as a matter of fact, was a small town, with a warm feeling very similar to one in the Ohio Valley on a warm day. They were at the highway, with one at a dead end and one continuing. Grace spoke first.

            "Uh, Heliodor, did you ever use the transport crystals before?"

            "No, but I educated myself about them. Why do you ask?"

            "I'm getting a funny feeling we're nowhere near Alaska or Norway. I need to change."

            "Well, let's get going and find out where we are."

            Heliodor took Emily's hand, and they walked down the road.

            They began to walk down the ended road, and soon found out they were simply on the southern end of Nicholasville, Ky.

            "Emily, did you somehow see this and not tell us?"

            "Well, yeah. Say, let's find a phone and I'll call my parents."

            At that moment, a car stopped beside them. Inside was none other than one of Emily's old UK teammates. Sandra Wilmore was in the car, getting ready to use her phone.

            "Emily Vanderbilt? How did you get out here? And without a car? And in winter clothes?"

            "It's a long story. Listen, can I use your phone? I got free without one."

            "Oh, sure. Here ya go."

            Emily made a phone call straight to the jewelry store. Since it was about eight in the morning, there was somebody there. As a matter of fact, it was Lord Kunzite.

            "Vaziri's Jewelry and Appraisals."

            "Hello, is Mr. Vaziri there?"

            "Yes. Is this Emily Vaziri?"

            "Dad? Is it you?"

            "Yes, darling, it's me. I've waited so long to hear your voice."

            "I've missed you too."

            "Well, let me call your adoptive family and get them here. Who's with you?"

            "There's four people with me. One of them is Grace Adler. No, it's not Grace Adler from Will and Grace. Then there's Blossom Stratford, Juliana Buchinsky and Heliodor. I'm gonna need a ride for all of us. We'll wait for you."

            "Okay. I'll get someone to bring you. See you soon."

            "Bye Daddy." Emily hung up the phone.

            Sandra took the phone back, and she called a friend.

            "Hey, Mom, I'm gonna be late. I got Emily Vanderbilt and some of her friends waiting for a ride on the south end of town. Yes, the girl who went missing four months ago. She's got friends and they need someone to wait for them. What? The news? Why?"

            Emily grimaced. "No press. Not yet."

            "Okay Mom. Don't call the news yet. I'm sure there's a reason. Okay, Mom. I love you. Bye."

            Sandra hung up and shook her head. "She's gonna call the press. I'm sorry."

            "It's okay. We can handle it."

            A van with several seats came and turned around for them. In it was a man with boyish looks and curly blond hair.

            "Hey guys. Looking for a ride?"

            Heliodor recognized him immediately.

            "Dude, it's Lord Jadeite! We're okay!"

            As the others piled into the van and put on seatbelts, Emily finished with Sandra.

            "We're okay now. Let's make it lunch sometime."

            "How about tomorrow at Berger's?"

            "Okay. I'm up for it."

            "Two, okay?"

            "Sounds good. Bye!"

            As Sandra drove off, Emily joined the others in the van. The only available seat was next to Heliodor; the other girls were piled in the back.

            "Watch your hands, buddy."

            Emily's seatbelt was in place, and they went through town. They arrived at the jewelry store with their fathers waiting. They all came out to the van, with enthusiasm. As the girls went over to their fathers, it was clear whose child was whose, and they began to reintroduce themselves. 

            Grace had the most questions, such as why the family she was in, and so forth. Nephrite was clear and straightforward. He was under Beryl's control so much, that Beryl had to make the decision for him. He regretted joining the Dark Kingdom for that very reason. At one point, Zoisite saw tears streaming down his face. He came over and hugged Grace and Nephrite to console them, as Blossom joined in.

*****

            Later that evening, they went out to a big dinner and enjoyed everybody's company. Even Endymion was there. He was shocked at Heliodor's presence.

            "Good God, boy. You look so much like your mother."

            "Boy? Who the hell are you to call me boy?"

            "You might want to learn a little respect when you-"

            Lord Kunzite interrupted them. "Forgive me, your Majesty. I don't believe you have ever met Heliodor. He has just celebrated his one thousandth birthday."

            "Forgive me, but I never even met you during my time in the Kingdom."

            "My mother was very distant, and kept me shielded when she controlled her missions."

            "Do you know anything about my presence down there?"

            "Only that I was about to have a new Dad."

            "Well, one of these days we'll find your real father."

            "I've been told he was a prince of the Golden Kingdom."

            "That's about six choices to choose from."

            "I'm okay. Lord Kunzite was kind of a father for most of my existence."

            Lord Kunzite interrupted. "So, why is Emily not like a sister to you?"

            "I have none of your powers, sir."

            "Very well." He was not too pleased.

            "Say, how are you at a game of darts?"

            "Sounds good. Is there a board?"

            "Right over there."

            The two of them went over to play darts.

            As Emily and Kunzite spoke again, she was none too happy about his dislike of Heliodor.

            "Father, he's my business."

            Kunzite took Heliodor to the side, and warned the younger, "You break her heart, and I'll break off your family jewels."

            At that moment, a woman stepped into the bar, of Japanese origin. She went over to the men playing darts, and spoke to Endymion. Then, she came over to the rest of the families. The fathers bowed to her, and the daughters decided to curtsy. She giggled.

            "Well, I'm not used to such reverence yet. But being a bride, I could use some help when my mother passes."

            Emily spoke. "I don't know about my friends, but I know exactly who you are. You're Usagi Tsukino."

            "Actually, it's Chiba. Usagi Chiba."

            "I'm Emily Vaziri. Some people call me Emily Vanderbilt."

            "Well, that's stupid people for ya."

            The two of them giggled. How did she know what she went through?

*****

            When they were finished, they went back to the place outside Georgetown to relax for the evening, but soon, there was a reporter waiting for them.

            "Excuse me, are you Emily Vanderbilt?"

            "Yes?"

            "I'd like to ask a few questions, please/"

            Suddenly, there were a great number of photographers swarming out of nowhere, taking pictures of the van, the cars and the people inside. Most of them were scared out of their wits.

            As Lord Kunzite shielded his king and queen from photographers, tape recorders, cameras and microphones, Emily decided to deal with the swarm herself.

            "We have just returned from celebrating our release. I would like to hold a press conference three days from now, at two o'clock. There will be no comments until then."

            With a groan, the swarm went to the others, who immediately followed suit. As they finished piling into the house, Emily repeated her announcement.

            Grace came back out with a large rifle and yelled, "Get the hell off the property before I call the cops!"

            The reporters scattered.

            Emily glared at Grace. "Did you have to pull out a gun? That's so Russell Crowe."

            Inside, the others were astonished.

            "What are you, some sort of celebrity around here?" asked Usagi.

            "I was a former basketball star for the Wildcats before I got injured. I've got a bad ankle still."

            Grace said, "Whatever she did back then was big news. She pretty much was the whole team."

            Blossom asked, "Okay, what's with the name switch? You're no Vanderbilt."

            "When I applied to college, it was 2001. Nobody was sure if they would let an Arab girl play basketball, especially in Kentucky."

            "Did you give them a chance?"

            "Not when there have been attacks on women in head wraps. I did not leave the house in anything but flag gear for two whole years. I was desperate. There were people spraying nasty graffiti on our house. I received death threats through email and snail mail both."

            Juliana tried to explain to Blossom how this was.

            "When you've been put down, backstabbed, called names, threatened, and attacked at school because you can fit under some label, you'll understand."

            "Don't call me a racist."

            "See, you've been through this sort of thing, too. I never said anything about you being a racist."

            "Well, just because I don't run around and torture myself for being white doesn't mean I'm a racist either."

            "Who did that to you, anyway? Those people have been the same way towards Emily."

            Blossom stopped. "Oh, that's what prejudice is about. Hating people for things they never did, because they have something like those who do."

            "Exactly. Now do you understand why Emily changed her name?"

            "Yeah. I guess you got some of that $*&%, too."

            "Well, when people call you Miss Piggy, Chi Chi, heifer, Blubber, Free Willy and Shamu all through high school, you're bound to get into a few fights."

            Grace stepped in. "I like to call it Hell School, of you know what I mean. I get that sort of thing in my former family."

            Everybody was shocked. "Former family?"

            "Yeah. Ever since they revealed I was adopted, they were nice to me, giving some things for a while, then they stopped-like I don't exist."

            "Really?"

            "Yeah. They are centered right here in this town, and nobody has called me."

            "Yeah. I guess my mother wasn't good enough for them, and neither was my grandmother."

            "What's the name?"

            "Well, they're the family of Melody Milton. She was Melody Jackson in the last 60 years of life."

            Emily entered back in with information. "I heard that family is the most despicable group of people ever to not get 25 to life. Why would you want to get their love?"

            Grace got mad. "That's my family you're talking about."

            "We'll talk about your family later. Remember this, my dear: blood may be thicker than water, but the stone is thickest of all."

            Grace smiled, and went to powder her nose.

            "She's got a lot of issues with family. I don't blame her."