FicWad

"So are you gonna tell me where we are going?" Kara asked looking across at Bob. He didn't look away from the heavy traffic but smiled at her question.

"What kind of a surprise would it be if I told you?" He was really hoping she would be happy when she found out what he had planned.

Kara looked out the window and tried to figure out where they were. They had been driving towards New York but she was unfamiliar with this area. Suddenly she noticed an exit sign for LaGuardia Airport. Bob took the exit and she looked over at him with a surprised look. 'We're picking up someone at the airport?" she guessed.

He just smiled and continued on to one of the long-term parking lots. Once the car was parked he turned to her, "We're going to Chicago. I want you to meet my family and see my house." He looked deeply into her eyes, "It will be our house soon."

Kara felt tears come to her eyes, "Oh Bob, what a wonderful surprise. I've never been to Chicago. Hell, I've never been on an airplane."

"So it's a good surprise?" he asked seeking her approval.

Kara put her arms around him, "Robert Nathaniel Bryar it's the best surprise I've ever gotten." She kissed him gently. "I want to meet your family so much but do you think they'll like me?" Insecurity laced her words.

"They will love you as much as I do. Come on, let's catch the shuttle to the terminal we have a plane to catch."

Once seated on the shuttle Kara began to think more clearly, the surprise had caught her so off guard. "Bob I don't have anything with me, no clothes or makeup."

He laughed, "Well I just planned this yesterday afternoon so I really didn't have time to figure out how to get you a suitcase packed. I was gonna ask Kelly to do it but then I just thought to myself, whatever she needs I'll just buy for her. We'll go shopping and you can buy clothes and stuff." He said with boyish enthusiasm. "Gerard said he thought you would be OK with the idea."

Kara laughed, "Well Gerard was right. Oh Bob, I'm so excited."

They got off at the US Airways terminal and checked in. Kara was overwhelmed by everything and grabbed Bob's hand. He looked down at their intertwined hands and remembered Kelly's words, 'She does love you'. He smiled knowing that she made him feel complete. Their love was true.

After Ray finished his lunch he decided it was time to explain to Christa about Liv. He looked over at her and cleared his throat, "Christa I want to explain to you who the woman was that came to see me last night."

Christa looked away from the TV hanging on the wall, "Am I gonna be upset?"

Ray blinked at the question, "Why would you be upset?"

"Well, was she an old girlfriend? That would maybe upset me if she was an old girlfriend that I didn't know about and you still had feelings for her. Of maybe she is your ex-wife that you forgot to tell me about. Or maybe she is you wife and you forgot to tell me you had one. That would definitely upset me."

Ray waited until she took a breath; he had learned that sometimes you had to just let her go until she paused. "Christa, I don't have a wife or ex-wife. However she is an ex-girlfriend."

Christa frowned, "Oh do you still have feelings for her?"

"Oh hell yeah." He answered quickly. He saw the pain in her eyes, "Christa, she's not my ex-girlfriend, she's Gee's." He went on to explain just who Liv was and what she had done to his friend. Christa listened to the whole story without speaking. When he was done he asked her if she thought he should tell Gerard or not.

"He's been through so much lately" she thought a minute, "Ray, this has to be your decision. I honestly don't know what I would do in this situation. It just seems sort of weird she would come to you and leave that kind of message. It's almost like she didn't really think you would tell him but she wanted to say it anyway. Sort of like getting something off her chest."

"But why, what does she have to gain?' Ray asked quietly.

Christa thought a moment, "Absolution?"

Two hours and twenty-one minutes after the flight took off, Bob and Kara's plane touched down at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. It took them another hour to find Bob's bag and rent a car. When they finally pulled into Bob's driveway it was getting dark. "I wish you could see the house better" Bob said peering through the windshield.

Kara had love the Chicago suburb the minute they had reached it and she loved the house. "Bob, I can tell it's a great house." She leaned over and kissed him tenderly.

He brushed her hair away from her face, "I'm glad you think so, I was hoping that when we get married you would want to live here. I mean I wouldn't expect you to live here when I'm on the road. I'm sure you will want to be by your mom and Donna and Kelly but when I'm really home I thought this would be where we would live."

Kara smiled, "I just want to be with you." They got out of the car and headed towards the house that would become their home.
It wasn't until almost nine that Kara called her mom. "Mom, the house is beautiful and Bob did all the decorating himself. I just love it."

Monica who had fallen asleep while watching T.V. tried to make sense of the conversation, "Kara honey, what are you talking about?"

"Bob's house, mom. I just love it and I love the neighborhood. Tomorrow he's taking me to meet his family. I gotta admit I'm kind of nervous but he's says they'll love me."

Suddenly it hit Monica that Kara was talking about Bob's house in Chicago. "Kara where are you?" she demanded but already knew the answer.

Kara was shocked, "In Chicago, mom."

"Look Kara I understand you are eighteen but that doesn't give you the right to just fly off to another city with your boyfriend without asking me." She stood and began to pace.

"But Mom I thought you knew. Bob set this all up for me as a surprise because he knew I didn't have school tomorrow or Friday. He said Gerard told him I would love this surprise." Bob motioned for her to hand him the phone. He had been listening to the conversation and knew something was wrong.

"Monica, I wouldn't just fly Kara to Chicago without asking. When I asked Gerard he said it was fine. I assumed he had talked to you about it. Look, I'm sorry about the mix up."

"He didn't say anything about this to me" her tone was icy. "Tell Kara to call me later." She hung up and wondered just where Mr. Way was. He had been watching TV with her before she had fallen asleep but a quick check through the house confirmed he was gone. She dialed his cell and waited for him to pick up. When he answered she lost her cool, "Gerard did you give Bob permission to take my daughter to Chicago?"

He flinched at the anger in her voice, "Uh honey, I'm talking to Frank right now. We'll talk about this when I get back." He hung up and stared down at the phone in his hand.

"What was that all about?" Frank asked

"I told Bob it was all right to take Kara to Chicago to meet his family." He explained.

"So ....what? Monica's regretting the decision now?"

Gerard took another drink of his Diet Coke, "Actually she didn't know. I told him it was OK."

Frank narrowed his eyes, "Let me get this straight. You gave Bob permission to take Kara to Chicago without talking about it with Monica?"

Gerard nodded, "Yeah"

"Oh boy are you in trouble. Wouldn't want to be you, buddy." Frank popped a nacho in his mouth and chewed, "You are so screwed."

Gerard just sat looking at the nachos and thinking. Maybe he should have asked her but didn't he have the right to make decisions concerning the girls? He sighed and took another drink, he guessed he better head back to his mom's. He didn't want Monica to get any angrier with him then she already was.