Family and Protection

Chapter 20: Jacey's Discovery

Jacey sat facing Jay and Lonnie. All three of them were silent. Jacey wiggled her thumbs together in her lap as she sat there nervously. What were the two of them going to tell her? Jay seemed to be unable to look Jacey in the eyes. Lonnie looked at her husband.

"Do you want to say something, or do you want me to start?" Lonnie asked.

"Sure," Jay responded.

Lonnie took a deep breath before starting. This entire conversation would affect her very own life as well as Jay's and Jacey's. "So Jacey," she started, "tell us about yourself."

"You're starting there?" Jay questioned.

"I honestly don't know where to start with this. I don't think any of us know how to start," Lonnie whispered.

"Well," Jacey responded, "I'm an orphan, as you know. I'm fourteen. I was given up when I was a newborn. The only friends I've really ever had are Brelyn, Elaina, and Cayla."

There was an awkward silence. Jay and Lonnie didn't really know where they were going with this. Jacey could really feel the tension in the room as she breathed heavily and slowly. Jacey noticed Lonnie's eyes begin to tear up.

Jay then decided it was time for him to speak up. "Anything else you could tell us," he said putting his arm around Lonnie as comfort.

Jacey thought about it for a second. "I'm not like most girls here at Auradon." Both Jay and Lonnie seemed to be intrigued by that comment. "I'm not the pretty princess stereotype a lot of girls say I need to be." She began to tear up herself. "I-I enjoy playing sports. I'm a sword fighter. Tourney is so much fun for me." By now, Jacey was full-blown crying. Crying wasn't something she was known for.

"I like jumping across things. I enjoy running around. I don't enjoy being 'a perfect princess'. I enjoy being different," Jacey cried. "I'm sorry." Jacey wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No no, you're fine," Lonnie said with tears in her eyes as well.

"I-I just never really understood why I'm so different. I know Elaina, Cayla, and Brelyn are different in their own ways too, but I'm just so different. I just feel like if I knew where I came from I would know why. I need to know this part of my life that has been missing for my entire life y'know."

"Yeah," Jay responded. "We know. Well, I can tell you this..." Both Lonnie and Jacey looked at him.

"You sure?" Lonnie whispered.

Jay nodded. Jacey was now crying and confused. "Jacey," Jay started, "I think we'll be able to fill that missing piece in your life."

"How would you be able to do that? You don't even know me."

"We know you more than you think," Lonnie explained.

"I don't understand," Jacey stated. "How would you know who I am? I'm just some generic orphan kid that was left at a local orphanage fourteen years ago."

"That's because we're the ones that left you at that orphanage," Lonnie said.

"What?"

"Jacey," Jay started, "w-we're your parents."

Both Jay and Lonnie were looking into the crying teenager's eyes. The young girl had both confusion and sadness in her eyes. She didn't know how to respond with the information she was just given seconds ago; especially information that practically could change her life.

"Now, I know you must be mad," Lonnie started. Jacey didn't respond. She couldn't respond. "Jacey? Jacey, please say something."

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just...in shock. How do I know for sure you guys are my mom and dad?"

"Maybe this will do," Jay said pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to Jacey.

Jacey looked down at the paper that was being given to her. Suddenly, everything in the world started to make sense. "Is this my birth certificate?" A smile started to appear in on her face. Her name was printed in large letters with her birthdate. Jay and Lonnie seemed to smile as their daughter did. "This is my birth certificate!" Jay and Lonnie were right. Their names were right there under mother and father. "My middle name is Lynn? I like it."

"Yeah," Lonnie said silently. "That night that we had to give you Brelyn away was the worst day of our lives. We never wanted to give you away."

"It was for your protection," Jay explained. "We thought a threat was made against Mal, Evie, Carlos, and I. We had to get you four away from us before we put your lives in danger."

Lonnie spoke. "You probably hate us for it but-" she was cut off by Jacey who ran up to her. She was hugging her. Lonnie was being hugged by her daughter that she hasn't seen in fourteen years. Lonnie was in shock. She didn't know how to respond. She then began to embrace Jacey in her arms. Both her and Jacey were crying tears of joy in each others' arms.

Jay then joined the hug embracing both his wife and daughter. "Jacey," he began, "you are not that different from your mother and I. Your personality matches up perfectly with your mom."

Jacey looked up at her mother who was still crying. Jacey couldn't help but smile at her. That missing piece from her life had finally been filled. She still was in shock. Jacey didn't know how to respond except smile. She giggled which made Lonnie and Jay laugh as well. "I never thought this day would ever happen in a million years."

"Neither did we," Jay replied.

"I'm just glad I finally got to meet you guys. You guys are better than I could have imagined."

"I'm just surprised you were never adopted. You are such an amazing kid," Lonnie said.

"I've had fifty different couples reject to adopt me throughout my life." Jay and Lonnie were both surprised to hear that. "But that doesn't bother me anymore. I have you guys now."

Jay laughed. "We're glad to have you back."

"Wait!" Jacey said realizing something and putting pieces together. "D-Does that mean that Elaina is Evie and Doug's daughter?"

"Yep."

"Cayla is Carlos and Jane's?"

"You got that right."

"And Brelyn is Mal and Ben's of course. I should've known with that purple hair. I guess I should've known with Elaina's and Evie's blue hair."

"Come on," Jay said getting up. "The others are probably waiting for us."

The family got up and headed for the door. Jacey walked in the middle of her long lost parents and held both of their hands on their way out. Jacey didn't think she could be anymore happier than she was in that moment.