2 Friends United Through Family

[Rachellovesalfie]

There was a new face in summer bay. She wore a pink and purple polo jumper which came down to just below her bum, worn jeans and a scarf even though it was one of the hottest days of the year so far.

Her nose and mouth were almost identical to those of Kane Philips, whilst her hair was identical to Tasha Andrews. Her eyes however were familiar to everyone in the town, yet no-one could work out who they belonged to.

She had a confidence around her. Even in the town she had only just stepped foot it, it already felt like home. She stood at a little over 5â€2, however her small figure did not dampen the look of age. To any onlooker she could have easily passed for 18.

It was a Thursday afternoon just after New years when she first walked into the dinner. A short, plump old lady took her order before she settled down in one of the bays. A different lady however brought it out to her. She had rusty red hair and a nice smile.

‘Thank you’ the girl said as her coffee was placed in front of her.

‘Ah a brit!’ the waitress exclaimed hearing her accent.

‘Oh not me!’ The girl replied, ‘I was Australian born, British raised.’

‘Oh well you a tourist round here, love?’ The Waitress asked.

‘Not exactly.’ The girl started, ‘I’m doing a concert at Sydney Opera House in a few days time, thought I might stag here for a while afterwards.’

‘Oh really!’ The waitress said finally think that she had met a star, ‘I’m Irene, by the way, Irene Roberts.’

‘I’m Louisa, Lady Louisa Willgrass.’ The girl said in reply.

‘Oh I’ve never met a Lady before.’ Irene exclaimed.

‘We’re not that exciting really!’ Louisa blushed.

‘Irene could I have some help in here please.’ A Greek looking lady from the kitchen cried.

‘I better go’ Irene said, ‘Hope to see you around!’

‘Yer, you too!’ Louisa called after her.

Louisa finished off her coffee in record speed, as it had gone cold as she and Irene talked. She purposefully hung around, to ask Irene something. She had decided that Irene would be a good person to ask as she seemed to know everybody.

The dinner had started to fill up. As Irene rushed back towards the kitchen, Louisa called out her name.

‘Mrs Roberts?’ She called

‘Please Darl, call me Irene.’

‘Ok, Irene, I was wondering if I could ask you something?’

‘Go ahead girly, shoot.’

‘I was wondering if you knew a girl called…..Tasha Andrews?’

‘No her!’ Irene squealed, ‘She’s my foster daughter.’

‘You don’t think I could meet her, do you?’ Louisa asked cautiously.

‘Course you could Darl, stop by my place for dinner tonight.’

‘Thanks Mrs Roberts!’ Louisa said jumping down from her chair.

‘I’ve told you Darl, it’s Irene!’

‘Sorry Irene.’ She said with the same smile that Tasha so often gave her.

‘By the way’ Louisa giggled feeling slightly embarrassed, ‘Where is your house?’

[Rachellovesalfie]

Louisa had always been taught never to be late, and today she made a special at being on time. As she rolled up Tasha was looking excitedly out of the window.

‘Irene, there’s someone in a Limo outside.’

Irene looked over her shoulder. ‘That’s probably Louisa. I met her at the diner today. I invited her over for dinner. She asked to meet you!’

‘Why did she ask to meet me?’ Tasha asked inquisitively.

‘Who wouldn’t?!’ Robbie suddenly replied pulling himself away from the T.V for a second.

‘Shut up Robbie!’ She said playfully chucking a pillow at him.

‘Hey Irene.’ Robbie started ‘Is she like mega rich or something, ‘cause I don’t know anyone that rides around summer bay in a Limo!’

‘She’s a British Lady okay, guys but I don’t want any of you asking her about money, alright!’ She said sternly.

There was no reply as Robbie went back to the T.V.

Moments later there was a knock at the door. Before Irene could turn round, Tasha was at the door welcoming their guest in.

Tasha took her coat as she kissed her on each cheek. Tasha looked slightly bemused by this. Louisa caught hold of her confusion however.

‘Don’t worry, it’s an old stuffy, English tradition!’

‘Is it nice in England?’ Tasha asked quite out of the blue.

‘Not nearly as nice as Australia!’

‘Really, you think that!’ Tasha asked genuinely inquisitive.

‘Yeah, I really do.’ Louisa said as Irene ushered them to the table.

‘Kirsty, Kane, dinners ready.’ Irene called.

A young couple immerged from a bedroom off from the main lounge.

‘What have we got here, a Tasha double.’ Kane exclaimed.

‘Do you think we look a like?’ Tasha asked him.

‘Yeah, you do Tash, you’re practically identical!’ Kirsty cried.

Louisa desperately wanted to overt the conversation away from her looks.

‘Hi’ She said standing up and offering her hand in a hand shake to Kirsty. I’m Louisa. You must be Kirsty and Kane.’

‘Yeah that’s us.’ Kane said sitting down.

‘She a proper English Lady!’ Tasha blurted out.

‘Really?’ Kirsty asked, not quite believing her.

Louisa nodded, embarrassed.

Irene quickly served out dinner and the conversation was flowing well.

Irene suddenly turned to Louisa. ‘There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.’ She said to Louisa, ‘How did you know Tasha’s name.’

‘Oh, it wasn’t hard to find. Look on the internet, search through a few records it wasn’t hard.’

The guests shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

‘But why Tasha, darl?’ Irene asked nervously.

‘I started when my mum died…’ Louisa started

[Rachellovesalfie]

‘Oh I’m sorry, girrly. Don’t go on if you don’t want to.’ Irene said suddenly realising all the feelings that she must have brought up.

‘She died about a year age.’ Louisa continued. ‘We, my Dad and I, we going through some of her old things, sorting out all her belongings. I found a piece of paper, which, in the beginning I didn’t think was very important. When I opened it up, it was my birth certificate, except, it didn’t have my parents names on it, there were two names that I had never seen before. Not only that, but it wasn’t a British birth certificate, it was Australian. I wanted to find out more about my family. My fathers, it seemed, had all turned into criminals so I decided not to go down that route. The only route left was to track down my relatives on my mums side. A half brother, and a half sister named Tasha Andrews!’ Louisa finish as a tear rolled down her cheek.

No one at the table moved. Louisa could see that everyone was shocked, so decided to leave.

‘I better go!’ She said, standing up addressing Irene.

‘No wait there one minute, Lady, you’re not going anywhere in that state!’ Irene declared.

Louisa sank back down into her chair.

‘Kirsty, Kane, Robbie! If you don’t mind.’ Irene said signalling towards the door.

Kirsty and Kane stood to leave, Robbie however stood fixed staring at her in his chair.

‘Robbie!’ Kirsty ordered as Kane practically pulled him from his chair. Robbie’s eyes didn’t leave Louisa until he could see her no longer.

‘Angie was your mum!’ Tasha said speaking for the first time since Louisa had made te announcement.

Louisa nodded slowly unsure of what to say.

‘Louisa, Tasha, are you both alright.’ Irene said worried about how the other two would cope finding each other after all this time.

Louisa nodded with out saying a word, where as Tasha replied in her usual happy voice, ‘Yeah, why shouldn’t I be, I always wanted a sister!’

Louisa let a single tear fall from her eye. ‘I’m sorry.’ She muttered to Tasha, ‘I know she’s dead and everything, I just wanted to meet my sister!’

Whilst Tasha seemed over the moon to have found her sister, Irene was a little more unsure.

‘Louisa, Darl, I’m not one to judge or anything but you can’t be that much younger than Tasha, are you sure you’re related!’

‘I thought you might ask that.’ Louisa said summoning up her voice. ‘I brought my birth certificate with me.’

She handed it to Irene who read it allowed.

‘Louisa Marie Willgrass…..Born 24th April 1990….Biological Mother Anglea Russell, Biological Father…’

At this Irene stopped. ‘What is it?’ Tasha asked.

‘Biological Father Gus Phillips!’ Irene finished.

Tasha let out a little gasp.

[angela342]

Great story!!! Can't wait for more!!

[Rachellovesalfie]

‘What?’ Louisa asked unsure of what was going on.

Tasha and Irene looked at each other unsure of whether to tell her the whole truth or not. It was Irene who eventually spoke.

‘You remember Kane who was here earlier?’ Irene asked

‘Yes, nice young chap.’ Louisa remarked, still unsure of where the conversation was going.

‘Well Louisa, Gus Phillips was his father. Now listen to me Louisa.’ Irene said towards a shocked Louisa, ‘He beat Kane, framed him for armed robbery last year. Kane only got out by the skin of his teeth!’

‘I know’ remarked Louisa simply.

‘What?’ Irene asked. Had Louisa known all along that Kane was her brother?

‘I knew all about what my father did. I just didn’t know Kane was Kane.’

Irene breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Listen to me girlly!’ Irene warned. ‘Under no circumstances are you to go looking for Gus Phillips, Ya hear me!’

Louisa nodded. All of a sudden Tasha jumped from her seat and ran to the door.

‘Hold it right there Missy, where do you think you’re going?’ Irene asked.

‘To find Kane! He should know that he has a sister!’ Tasha blurted out.

‘Oh no you’re not! Not at this time of night!’ Irene said sternly.

‘Please Irene’ Tasha begged

‘I said no! Ring Kirsty, but you’re not going out!’

Tasha bound towards the phone and dialled the number.

‘You okay love?’ Irene asked Louisa.

‘Yeah, Yeah, I’m ok!’ Louisa muttered.

‘You can stay here for the night! I’m not letting you go back to the city at this hour!’

‘Thanks Irene!’ Lousia said, truly appreciative.

‘Sit yourself down on the couch and I’ll bring you some Cocoa’ Irene cooed.

Louisa remember sitting down on the couch but after that everything was black, until she heard voices.

‘So she’s my half sister.’

‘Looks like that darl.’

‘What about her dad, doesn’t he wonder where she is.’

‘I was going to ask her, but she fell straight to sleep.’

‘Irene, can she stay here, I mean forever!’ A voice said, unmistakably Tasha’s.

‘Tasha calm down. We can talk through everything in the morning. For now just get her a blanket will you.’

That was the last thing Louisa remembered from that night before she fell back to sleep.

[Rachellovesalfie]

Louisa woke next morning to the smell of bacon.

‘Good morning’ Irene said cheerfully.

Louisa just grunted.

‘You should get up, it’s gone 10’ At this Louisa jumped straight up.

‘Mind if I use your phone?’ Louisa asked in a hurry.

‘No go ahead’ Irene said pointing to the phone

Louisa grabbed the phone and dialled a number.

‘Hey Doug it me.’ She said when it was answered. Continuing she said, ‘I stay at a friends last night…….Yes I know I’m going to be late……..can you send Geoff to pick me up…….yer the place he dropped me last night.’

Louisa hung up.

‘Breakfast?’ Irene asked.

‘Thanks Irene.’

‘You know news spreads fast in small towns.’ Irene said ‘You’ll be the talk of the Bay this morning.’

‘What is there to talk about?’ Louisa asked.

‘Well Tasha never knew she had a sister for a start, neither did Kane for that matter!’ Irene explained.

Irene placed a plate of food in front of her.

‘Is Kane still here?’ Louisa asked between mouthfuls.

‘No he’s gone to work. I’m passing by that way when I go to work, I could drop you off if you like.’

‘That’ll be good thanks.’ Louisa couldn’t explain Irene. ‘Irene?’ She asked ‘Why are you being so nice to me?’

‘Just a nice person, I guess.’ Irene said smiling. ‘Grab your coat, I can’t be late for work again.’

Louisa grabbed her stuff and ran off after Irene. Irene dropped her off at the wharf, but it took her a long time before she was able to speak to Kane.

She watched him as he worked on the boat. The light from the water light up his face. She eventually forced herself onto the wharf. He had spotted her before she could say anything.

‘Hey’ He said unsure of what else to say.

‘Hey’ She replied. There was a long silence.

‘I’m sorry about what I said about your family last night.’ Louisa eventfully said.

‘No worries.’ Kane replied ‘I don’t like them much either!’

Louisa laughed.

‘So to think,’ Kane said dreamily. ‘All these years I’ve had a sister!’

Louisa nodded, ‘It seems that way.’

Again there was silence. Louisa’s phone rang.

‘I better get this.’ She said embarrassed.

‘Hello….I’m at the wharf….yeah the place with the boats and the water….just talking to a…’ she looked up at Kane ‘Just talking to a friend….well if I’m late, why don’t you get a move on and come and pick me up….whatever.’ She retorted hanging up.

‘Dad?’ Kane asked.

‘Driver.’ She explained. ‘My dads back in England attending business meetings to I get to hand out with my wonderful driver Geoff.’

‘That bad hey?!’

‘No not really. We have a laugh, me ‘nd the guys.’

A car horn beeped behind them

‘I better go.’ Louisa explained.

‘Am I going to see you again?’ Kane asked, desperately wanting to know more about his little sister.

‘I’ll drop some tickets off at Irene’s’ Louisa shout behind her.

Kane watched until he could see her no longer. ‘Tickets?’ He questioned getting back to work

[Rachellovesalfie]

Kirsty arrived home a little after 1 that afternoon. Whilst making herself a drink she noticed and envelope on the Kitchen table. It had five names written on the front:

Irene

Tasha

Kane

Kirsty

Robbie.

She opened the envelope and took out 5 tickets. She read them.

VIP backstage pass.

Admits one.

Sydney Opera House

Presenting

Mcfly

Supported by

Lady Louisa Willgrass

Friday 8th January, 7.30pm start

Kirsty squealed as Irene walked through the door.

‘Kirsty, are you alright?’ Irene asked concerned rushing over to her.

‘Left us VIP backstage passes to Sydney Opera House for tonight!’ Kirsty squealed.

‘Oh My God, Darl!’ Irene shouted.

‘What to wear, what to wear.’ Kirsty started panicking.

‘Calm yourself, Kirsty! You go find something to wear and I’ll ring Tasha, Robbie and Kane.’ Irene said brushing Kirsty into her room.

Just over 4 ½ hours later The motley crew stood in Irene’s Kitchen.

Irene was gathering up her keys when there was a knock at the door. A man in a suit stood there with a piece of paper in his hand.

‘Mrs Irene Roberts?’ He asked looking at the paper.

‘That’s me!’ Irene said looking slightly worried.

‘Your life has arrived.’ He announced.

Irene walked outside to be greeted with a white limo.

Irene walked over the limo and gently stroked it. ‘Well come on guys, I can’t fill this whole car up by myself!’ She said beckoning the forward.

They all climbed in and were whisked away for the times of their lives.

[Rachellovesalfie]

‘Third door on the left.’ Their driver instructed them as they pulled up to a back door of the opera house.

Irene stepped forward and knocked on the door.

‘Come in!’ Came the voice from inside.

The gang stepped inside.

‘Oh hi!’ Louisa said ‘I thought you weren’t going to come!’

‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world!’ Tasha said happily.

There was silence in the room. No one knew quite what to say. The silence was broken by Kirsty.

‘So you sing then?’ She asked

‘Yeah, a bit!’ Louisa replied nodding.

‘5 minute warning.’ A man said popping his head round the door.

‘I better go.’ Louisa started. ‘You can watch from the wings or the pit, I don’t mind, stay here if you like.’

‘’Course we’ll come see you.’ Tasha said following her. ‘Where did you get that skirt from, it’s gorgeous.’

Kane rolled his eyes at Robbie knowing this conversation could go on for hours.

Louisa stepped out onto a dark stage. Mist rolled around her ankles as a single beam of light poured down on her.

‘This song is for a group of people, I met just yesterday, yet have taken me into their hearts so kindly.’ She said as she prepared for her song.

The music started from the orchestra pit.

Alls fair in love and war,

You broke my heart,

But I care no more.

I thought the world over,

I thought I was going to die,

But then I realised,

You’re just another guy.

Alls fair in love and war,

My friend don’t care,

No ones there no more,

So here I am,

I’m tell you:

Alls fair in love and war,

I’m fighting my heart,

‘cause I always want more.

You are gone,

You walked out the door.

But I’m still here,

And I keep on missing you.

Alls fair in love and war,

My friend don’t care,

No ones there no more,

So here I am,

I’m tell you:

You broke my heart,

You made me bleed,

Like a bullet to my head,

I’m fallin’ down.

You broke my heart,

You made me bleed,

Like a bullet to my head,

I’m fallin’ down.

Alls fair in love and war,

My friend don’t care,

No ones there no more,

So here I am,

I would tell you,

But you’re not here any more.

The crowd cheered. Louisa looked over to her side and saw the gang smiling and clapping for her. Louisa continued with her performance.

[Rachellovesalfie]

Louisa looked up after her final number. She couldn’t see past all the lights. All she could hear was the sound of cheering. She walked off stage in a daze forgetting the events of the last few days.

‘You were amazing.’ Robbie congratulated her, patting her on the back.

Louisa looked up at him dazed and confused. ‘Sorry, do I know you?’ She asked.

‘I’m Robbie!’ He said confused.

‘Are you alright, Louisa?’ Kirsty asked.

‘Yeah, yeah I’m fine!’ Louisa said plummeting back to earth.

‘You need your sleep love.’ Irene told her. ‘Here’s my number,’ She said writing it down. ‘Call anytime you like.’

Louisa took the piece of paper from Irene before turning back and walking away.

When the gang got back into the limo the mood was a little more sombre.

‘Will I see her again?’ Tasha asked Irene.

‘I don’t know love, I just don’t know.’ Irene replied.

Robbie did his best to comfort Tasha, but nothing seemed to work. He hadn’t seen her this upset since she had met her dad, Ian Osborne.

No one wanted to stay up when they got home. They all went straight to sleep.

The next morning was just as bad. Tasha didn’t speak to anyone, and by lunchtime she had gone missing.

It was Kim Hyde who eventually found her.

‘You alright Tasha?’ He asked as he watched her, watch the ocean.

‘You wouldn’t understand.’ Tasha told him.

‘Try me!’ He replied.

‘If I told you me and Kane were related, would you believe me?’

‘Yeah, course I would Tasha.’

‘If I told you I had a sister, would you believe me?’

‘You know I would Tash! What’s this all about?’

‘Kim the other day this girl turned up and said she was my sister. I didn’t believe her at first but then she showed me her birth certificate and it said her mum was Angie.’

‘Are you okay with that?’

‘Yeah. But then Irene read the birth certificate and it said that her dad was Gus Phillips.’

‘Kane’s dad right?!’

‘Yer. So we went to this concert of hers last night, and she was really good, I mean really good! But then when she came off stage it was like she didn’t know who we were.’

‘Right!’ Kim said not knowing what else to say.

‘Kim she’s my little baby sister, I don’t wanna lose her!’

‘I know you don’t Tash, but she’ll come back in good time, she bothered to find you didn’t she?’

‘Yeah I guess.’ Tasha replied as she and Kim shared a warm hug.

Robbie was watching from the top of the sand dunes. He wanted to know how his best mate always seemed to be able to cheer up his girlfriend so much better than he could.

[Liz]

Great idea for a fic! How tasha like a reaction is, "can she stay here forever?"?! Bless.