Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Fifty-seven, Family
Rating: NC-17 [violence, swearing, nudity, sexual situations]

Summary: Alyssa's family suddenly expands.

Previous Chapter Protective

Current Chapter Family

Next Chapter Re-arrangements to be Made

Looking at the front of the envelope, Alyssa noted that it was addressed to Chris, which would explain why he had already read it. Turning it over, she lifted the broken seal and slide the letter from the folds. It was a few pages long, how many she was uncertain. And the handwriting.... the handwriting was so very familiar....

Dear Mr. Cornell,

Before I get to the point of this letter, I want to tell you what it's NOT about. This is not a request for money or anything of that nature. We're hard-working folks and have no reason to claim anything you yourself have earned. It is all about... family.

You see my wife and daughter were watching tv one day, I can't remember if it was Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood, but that doesn't really matter. Anyways, the picture of you and your wife-to-be was shown along with something or other. I wasn't really listening to the words. It was her eyes that grabbed me. Eyes so very much like my sister's.

Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Caleb Mitchell and Emilie Mitchell Morgan was my twin sister. She is the baby of the family, of which there are seven of us all together. My family and myself have lived in Spokane Valley for decades, only Emilie leaving. I have three daughters myself, all happily married and beginning families of their own. I could go on, but you probably don't care to hear our life stories. At least not yet.

The crux of the matter is that from what my wife said, Alyssa is claimed to have no family, no mother, no father. While we had learned that Emilie had sadly passed, we were not aware that Howard had as well. Our condolences to your fiancess. Howard was a very good man. Not many men would love a child not his own as much as he did. But Howard did, accepting Judith as if she were his daughter.

Alyssa's eyes shot to Chris, "Who's Judith? I don't know any Judith."

"Keep reading, love," he instructed.

Alyssa probably has not told you much about her family. But not for lack of want. The last time we saw her, she was only a year old. We wrote. We called. But every chance of contact was thwarted by ... Emilie.

I would rather not go into detail about the rift between our families, and by that I mean the Mitchells and the Morgans, with Emilie and Howard. That is something better done in person. I merely wanted to reach out to Alyssa, through you, to see if she were willing to learn of her family, to know she's not as alone as she thinks she is.

If by chance you think on it and come to the decision that would be a good idea for you both, please contact me at....

Her eyes went back to him, "I have a family?"

Chris nodded slowly, "An extensive one at that, Lyssa. Six aunts and uncles on your mother's side alone."

The letter dropped to her lap, "I.... I don't... I've never heard any of this before. Ever."

"I thought as much," he replied.

"I want to meet them."

"I thought that as well," Chris smiled. "So your uncle, three aunts, and seven cousins will be here tomorrow."

"WHAT!?" she gasped.

"Well not here, here. But LA. I called them earlier and arranged everything. We'll meet them for an early dinner and see where to go from there," he explained.

"Wow," she muttered. "I have family."



Pacing back and forth next to the car while Chris buckled the kids in, Alyssa chewed on her fingernails. She had never been a nailbiter before. But now... now she was. Why was that?

Suddenly a warm hand closed over her wrist, causing her pace to stop as well as her hand to snap out of her mouth. Rich brown eyes looked up to Chris and she smiled weakly.

"Let's go, love," he smiled genuinely. "I'm just as excited as you to meet your family."

"You really sure that Chapter 8 is the right restaurant to take them too?" she asked, moving towards the now open passenger door.

"You wanted some place nice and their food is really good," he replied, before closing the door behind her.

Waiting until he slid into the car next to her, Alyssa replied, "But isn't it a bit much with the kids?"

"The kids will be fine," he assured her.

"Maybe I should just stay home," she stated, though really didn't have the chance as the car was backing out of the driveway.

"Everything is going to be fine, Lyssa," Chris claimed, glancing at the kids in the back. "Huh guys?"

"YAY!" Toni exclaimed, not that she really knew what her dad was asking.

"It's not them that I worry about," she said under her breath. "It's this Judith that worries me."

"Nothing to be worried about, I'm sure," he replied, just as softly.

Alyssa nodded but didn't believe him at all. Instead she just looked out the window, watching the scenery breeze by. Before she knew it, they were pulling into a parking lot, the car was turned off, Chris's hand was on her arm. Turning to him, she smiled and exited the car.

With Nick balanced on her hip, Alyssa headed up to the front of the restaurant. Her brown eyes darted over those lined up outside, as if she would find someone familiar in queue. She did recognize people moving in and out of the restaurant, but that was more likely from their professions than from any familial memory.

Somehow she made it into the restaurant. And once she was in there, it was no longer that surprising Chris had booked their reservations at that particular restaurant. Alyssa did find it weird that a steakhouse would blend with a dance club. But she had heard good things about that place and Chris assured her that food was excellent. She hadn't even paused to ask how he knew. And he had booked the private dining room, something Alyssa wouldn't have even considered. But that was one reason to have him at her side.

"Right this way, Mr. Cornell," the waitress smiled, showing them to the private dining room. "As requested, service is set for sixteen is set and the chef has been informed of your particular needs tonight."

"Which are?" Alyssa looked to Chris, who then motioned to the kids.

"We didn't have a high chair nor a booster seat at the time of your reservations, but that has been remedied," she claimed, stopping and motioning to the black table situated in the centre of a circular class room.

"Thank you," he smiled cordially at her, before moving to set Toni in the booster seat. "I appreciate you making accomodations for my family."

"Not a problem at all, Mr. Cornell," she responded. "Please relax and get comfortable. I will have drinks brought in while we await the arrival of the rest of your party."

"Thank you," he repeated, watching Lily choose to sit on the opposite side of Alyssa from Nick.

The kids were soon distracted by colouring books they had brought along and Alyssa returned to be nervous once more. Her eyes darted to every form that passed by the beaded glass wall. Her heart caught whenever a person would pass by the entrance to the dining room. Chris reached across the table, touching her hand. Her eyes snapped to his and she smiled crookedly.

"Don't worry, love. At all."

"Mr. Cornell?" a masculine voice drew attention.

Chris stood, offering the hand that had just been touching Alyssa's, "I am. You must be Caleb?"

The man nodded, shaking Chris's hand, "I am. This is my wife, Lynda, two of our daughters, Lisa and Monica, my sister Rebecca and her son Trent, my sister-in-law Kelly and her sons Robert and Matthew, and Charlie, Will, and Ashley."

Chris shook hands with everyone, smiling and greeting them as warmly as he had Caleb. Alyssa and the kids remained quiet, still seated, eyes wide on the new group of strangers.

Turning Chris grinned, "Everyone, these are my daughters Lily and Toni, and my son, Nick. But most importantly, my fiancee, Alyssa Morgan."

There was a gasp among the older of the group along with a few mutterings of 'she looks just like her father, only prettier.' Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she smiled and stood, offering her hand. Caleb however would not accept a handshake and moved around the round table to embrace her.

"You look so much like your daddy, Alyssa," he commented. "Well had he been a beautiful woman that is."

"Thank you," she replied softly, eyes looking over the man.

There were many similarities in his features to her mother. The straight nose. The gray eyes. The high cheekbones. The largest difference was the fact he was smiling. She couldn't remember her mother ever smiling.

"You look..."

"Well he should, they were twins," one of the women, Rebecca Alyssa thought, spoke up, a grin on her face.

After everyone had embraced Alyssa and said something to the kids, they all settled around the table. Alyssa remained quiet, letting Chris lead the conversation. They talked of flying from Washington, the differences of their valley and the valley they were in now, and even a small arguement over who was going to foot the dinner bill. All seemingly innocent topics, discussed for the mere purpose of getting acquainted and settled with each other's presence.

By the time appetizers arrived, the topic of family finally began to rear its head. Alyssa tried to ignore it, hoping maybe it would go away. But they were persistant, and they included Chris.

"Well, it's a rather long story," Caleb claimed. "And maybe not the best one to share over dinner."

"You've got to tell her something, Caleb. We can't come all this way without giving her even a hint as to the story," Kelly stated.

He sighed, "Well the short of it is that your mother and father severed all ties to both families because of certain things that happened, prior to their wedding."

"Like?" Alyssa heard the words pass her lips before she could halt them.

"What do you know of Judith?" he countered.

"Nothing at all. I hadn't heard that name until yesterday," she answered, sipping her martini.

"She was your mother's first child."

"I have a sister?"

"Half-sister," Lisa corrected.

"And had," Lynda added.

"I'm confused."

"Judith died .... I think she was seven or eight. You would have just been a baby," Caleb replied. "Car accident. Or at least that's what we were told."

Alyssa stared at him for a moment, "There's no pictures or anything. Not that I've ever seen."

"Did you parents ever talk about their childhood?"

She shook her head, "Daddy would sometimes tell me stories, but not that often at all."

"Your parents met in high school."

"That I know."

"Your mother was pregnant when they graduated."

"She was?"

"And your father wasn't the father."