Boreal Springs

Mary O`Hanlon is relieved that the trial involving her husband, Derek, is finally over and that it was revealed he wasn’t the murderer at all.  In fact, there was no murder, Katy had spooked herself to death.  Gina Saunders isn’t completely convinced, but she knows her brother didn’t do it.  Julie and Asia are joining the family and Julie has something to tell her parents.

“I’m sorry for doubting you,” Mary said, feeling incredibly guilty.  “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to believe, but my job and the evidence–”

“It’s all right,” Derek assured her, happy to have his name cleared and the tension gone from the house.  “I can’t blame anyone for not believing me… it all pointed at me.”

“Sara did,” Mary frowned.

Derek smiled, “that’s because she’s stubborn as a bull, like me.”

Julie was happy the house was back to normal with the trial over and done with, but she knew her news would turn everything upside down.  When she arrived home with her bags and Asia, she told Asia to wait a moment while she spoke to her mother alone.  It wasn’t easy, but Julie told her everything.  Mary was suitably flabbergasted.

“Asia… is–you’re… engaged?” She blinked, several times, unable to recooperate from the shock of it all.  “I think, I think I need to sit down.”

“I know you’re probably upset that I didn’t tell you, but I thought you’d disown me or something.  If you’re worried about the name, there’s this–”

“No, no,” Mary said, raising her hands up.  “Just… let me have some time.  Let it sink in…”

Julie wasn’t sure what to think about her mother’s reaction.  Derek had been a lot more understanding, but then again, Aunt Shaniqua was also a lesbian and in a relationship with a mutual child.  She just wished her mother didn’t have such a stigma.  She wanted to tell Mary that she couldn’t give it away–the name, the house–to Marla, because she was an alcoholic.  But Julie couldn’t throw her twin under the bus like that.

She’d just have to wait it out and hope her mother came to terms with it on her own time.

Meanwhile, Julie and Asia were joined in matrimony.  They wore contrasting suits instead of traditional dresses and even did away with the traditional arch.  Nothing about them was rigid and traditional, so why maintain the guise?  They were happy with one another and their differences from everyone else.  It was certainly easier because Shaniqua Saunders and Florence Anderson had paved the way.

The entire family showed up with their respective spouses.  Sara was especially pleased, as now that someone had gotten legally wed Mary would stop breathing down her neck about her unsuitable relationship with Nathaniel.  How Mary could be so rigid was anyone’s guess, it likely had to do with her own background and the whole mess with Derek.  She likely didn’t want her children to suffer the same way.

Mary did her best to go along with the idea that she was getting a daughter-in-law instead of a son, but it wasn’t easy.  She still couldn’t understand how they’d have children.

Marla was there to support her twin, but her beau was not accompanying her.  Julie asked and Marla simply said that he was busy finalizing his divorce.  She assured her that she’d meet him soon enough.  Julie was skeptical, but Marla seemed happy–and significantly less buzzed–than usual, so she wasn’t going to push it.  She was just happy to see her again.  Aperture seemed like it was too far away–they’d never been so far apart before.

After all the wedding hubbub died down, life resumed as usual.  Asia got a job as a G.P. at the newly built Aperture Hospital and Julie still hadn’t decided on a career.  Gina and Derek had a quiet breakfast one morning where Gina finally decided to confront him.

“I want to know what really happened, Derek,” she began, not unsympathetically, “I know you didn’t do it, but I know you were involved.  I don’t know what happened at the trial and I don’t want to.  I just want to know your involvement.  We’re getting old, brother, and the time for the truth is waning.  Don’t you want to get it off your mind and ease your soul?”

He sighed, thinking about it for a moment.  She was right–as always.  Gina had this uncanny ability to read people with such precision it was startling.

“All right, Gina.  I’ll tell you the truth of it.  It all began when Katy and I arrived back from University…”

————

Note from Mao: Uneventful round.  You have no idea how long I’ve waited to use the contrasting suits!  And now you know a bit about what happened at the trial.  Yay.

Mary O`Hanlon has the unfortunate fate of being opposite her husband, Derek, in the courtroom while questions are raised as to his involvement in Katy Saunders’ death.  Gina knows more than she lets on, but isn’t about to offer up the information.  Marla’s hanging out with Katarina Anderson and Julie is keeping a secret that could jeopardize her role as heiress.

Julie eventually finished her car, much to her joy.  She was free to roam in it and she took advantage of that.  Her parents didn’t have cause to worry, though.  Julie was good about letting them know where she’d be and how to reach her.  She was different from Marla when it came to keeping secrets about the company she kept…

Marla spent her nights away from home and in the company of Katarina Anderson and her rich friends.  They did all the stuff girls their age shouldn’t be doing–partying, drinking, getting into clubs.  Marla wasn’t nearly as cut loose as Katarina, but she still hung out with her.  They were friends, best friends, and Marla wasn’t going to risk losing her popularity because Katarina was a little wild!  It wasn’t like her parents knew about her sneaking out, anyway.

They were too caught up in their own issues.  Derek was under immense scrutiny due to the case of his former wife’s death being reopened as a murder.  Being the DA, Mary didn’t have a choice as to which side she catered to.  She had at least managed to get Derek put under house arrest instead of being thrown in jail–he was now their prime suspect.  Derek was not pleased with this.

“I don’t know what you want me to do,” Mary said, exasperated.  “I’m just doing my job.”

“I’m your husband, Mary!  Do you really think I killed Katy?”

“N-No, Derek, but it’s the law.  No one is saying anything yet.  You’re innocent until proven guilty and since you didn’t do it, there’s no proof.  It’s just legality we have to push through–all this senseless rooting and digging for evidence that’s not there.”

Julie, meanwhile, was worried about her twin.  Marla was living large, sure, but it wasn’t healthy.  She was up all night and barely got enough rest for school in the morning.  Julie was no ‘good-two-shoes’, but she sure didn’t like what Katarina was doing to her twin.  She wished there was something she could do, but Katarina’s hold on Marla was strong.  It was the typical high school popular crowd BS that Julie despised.

Julie was also carrying her own secret on her shoulders.  Anytime she considered confiding in her parents, she was reminded just how much turmoil her family was in.  So she kept quiet.  She couldn’t just blurt it out–it could bring everything crashing down around her.  She didn’t want to destroy what was left of her family.

The tension between Mary and Derek intensified as days went on.  They never found any proof, but Derek refused to talk and so that didn’t help his case any.

Julie had tried to deny her feelings, but it was impossible.  They had been there for so long and now that they’d escaped, she didn’t know how to make them go away.  She couldn’t just make them disappear!  So she struggled to work on silly things like high school math and college applications.  It wasn’t easy knowing she carried the weight of her lineage on her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Derek tried to keep the peace between Sara and Mary.  It wasn’t easy, Sara was extremely temperamental and she refused to listen to reason.  Sure, Derek was upset, too, but Sara was outraged.

“Don’t say that about your mother, Sara,” Derek scolded into the receiver.  “She’s just doing her job.  You know she loves you.”

“Then why would she do this us!?  To you?!” Sara wailed on the other end.  “She’s being selfish!”

“Sara, please, calm down.  If you don’t want to do it, quit.  It isn’t like Nathaniel is hurting for money.”

Sara fell quiet for a moment, “but… I like working.”

“So find another job then, get your mind off of things.”

Julie had a confrontation of her own in mind planned.  One morning, when Marla actually managed to wake up early enough for breakfast, Julie decided to bring up all her late nights.  The response she got was hardly understanding.

“Don’t even start!” Marla snapped.  “So what if I go out?  They’ll never find out if you don’t tell.”

“I won’t,” Julie sighed.  “I’m just worried.”

“Whatever,” Marla rolled her eyes.  “The only reason you won’t is because I know you’re little secret.  I’d hate to have to break it to mom and dad that their chosen child is a lesbo.”

Julie’s eyes narrowed, “shut up, Marla.  You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure I do.  You’ve got it bad, and don’t think it doesn’t show.  Mom and dad are just too busy with their own dramas.  They’ll figure it out soon enough.”

Gina found her brother reclining on his bed and joined him quietly.  They sat for a moment before she spoke.

“Did you do it, Derek?”

Derek closed his eyes, “no, I didn’t.  I didn’t kill Katy.”

“I heard you on the phone–you were talking about it…”

He turned to her, “you were eavesdropping?”

“Not intentionally, no.  I was going to the bathroom and I happened to hear the tail end… but it was enough.  Derek, what have you done?”

“I didn’t do anything!  I didn’t kill Katy!”

Gina moved to the side of the bed and shook her head, “I hope for your sake that’s the truth.”

Julie couldn’t deny who she was and she knew Marla was right.  She had known for awhile and it was even more clear after she met Asia.  She was in love–teenage love, sure–but it was love all the same.  Asia wasn’t nearly as sure as Julie, but that was okay.  If Julie could just convince her to come to University with her, she was sure she could make her see it was okay.  If only she had as much confidence when it came to telling her parents the news.