Chapter 15

The Police and the other guests asked Keith and me many more questions. They only seemed partially satisfied when they left.

“I thought they’d never leave. How about you and I relax at the local swimming pool?” I turned to Keith and he looked mad. I touched his shoulder, “Are you okay?”

He grumbled a bit then said, “I think I need to talk to Miss Simmons.”

“Why?” I asked.

He gave me a look that made me shiver.

“Sorry. I think it’s important to find out if she had known about your connection. They are seriously considering taking you away from here and sending you to live with her. I mean she had claimed you as her baby’s aunt. She must have known. Why didn’t she say anything?” Keith said more to himself than to me.

“I don’t think she really knew. At least I hope she didn’t. Do you really need to talk to her?” I said.

He nodded, “I don’t want to do this but I do need to. I need to find out if she’s going to try and take you from me. I’m going to talk to her alone. I think your presence there might make things harder for the both of us. Please let me do this.”

“Just promise me you won’t go to her angry. Take time to destress for a bit. For me. Please?” I asked.

He nodded, gave me a hug, and said, “I promise. I love you.”

I watched as he left and thought, “He loves me?”

Twenty minutes later I got a call from April, “Hey, Heather. You feeling better?”

“Sure am. Thanks for calling. And if you’re looking for Keith he’s not here at the moment. Not sure when he’ll be back,” I said.

“What’s wrong?” was all she said.

“Nothing’s wrong. Why would you ask?” I asked.

“I know you well enough to know when something’s wrong. Spill the beans girl,” April practically demanded.

I let out a huff and said, “The Police and I believe social services or something came over today. They said that they may have a lead about where I come from and who my parents were. Who my Dad was at least.”

“Seriously? Did they actually find anything or was it all a dead end?” April asked.

A few more deep breaths, “They showed me some pictures of people who reported a missing person matching my description. And the last picture I looked at...” Was I hyperventilating now? It took me a while to continue. “Brought back some memories. I remembered who my parents were. Well, I don’t really remember my mom much but my Dad...”

“Who is your Dad?” she asked.

“I uh, mm. In my early years, I didn’t have very good memories of him. But after he introduced me to my older half-brother things changed. He changed. He was nice. He actually showed that he loved me and my mom. Um,” I said.

“Okay just breathe. Picture yourself on the set of our fan film. You’re watching Keith filming his scene. After filming he walks over to you and smiles that wonderful smile of his. Okay, I hear your breathing is back to normal. Can you tell me who your father is? Do I know of him?” April guided me.

I nodded and rolled my eyes when I realized that she wasn’t able to see that. Then I said, “I don’t think you know him personally. But I think you may know of him. It’s Zeke Simmons. Stephanie and Steven’s Dad.”

“Holy sh...” her voice was muffled then she said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. But when we found you. Steven was. Oh my goodness he and Stephanie ... Wow. Are you okay with knowing that? I assume you’re positive that Zeke is your father.”

“I’m pretty sure. Keith is insisting on a DNA test. I guess that’s why he’s going to talk to Stephanie. God, I hope that’s why he’s going to talk to her,” I said.

“Okay calm down April. Take your own advice and breathe. Okay. I think I know something that will help calm us both down. The director and others who shall remain nameless would like you to try out some of your costumes. Well, a few different alien looks. They want to keep you guessing on what species you’re going to be playing so you’ll be trying on a few different types. That or they want to see which one you’re more comfortable with. Are you up to trying those out?” April asked.

“Will you be bringing them to me or will I need to go there?” I wondered aloud.

“You’d have to come here. We’re not wanting to bring that kind of attention to your place just yet. Gosh. Maybe we should wait until Keith is back home. He is your guardian after all. We don’t want him to worry when he gets back and finds out you’re not home. I guess I could bring some of the smaller ones over,” April said.

“I could call him and let him know I’m going to spend time with you. Or you could come here. Either way, just promise me that none of my costumes will bust open and expose my breasts again,” I said.

April laughed, “Don’t worry. We’ve taken special measures to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I’ll be ... Speak of the devil. I just got a text from Keith. He would like me to pick you up.”

“So he thinks I need a babysitter now? I am nearly eighteen years old now,” I grumbled.

“Hold on there. I don’t think he meant it that way. He wouldn’t do that to you. I can’t really say what he said in the text but it’s not that,” April said.

“Relax. I was only kidding. That and I just got a text from him too. I’ll see you soon,” I told her.

I read over the text I got from Keith, “You were right about what you said before I left to ‘talk’ with Stephanie. We talked and I believed her when she said that she didn’t know that you were her half-sister. I need some time to think so I asked if April could pick you up and we’ll all meet up at the studio. I did mean what I said before I left. I do love you. Later. P.S. I hope you don’t mind that I asked April to pick you up.”

I was at the studio in a changing room looking at the first alien costume that April handed me.

“You have got to be kidding me. You want me to dress as a Wookiee?” I said.

I could almost see a smile cross April’s face before she said, “It’s just a test remember. So could you at least try it on?”

I nodded. I stripped down to my underwear and bra. Then I put as much of the Wookie costume on as possible without help. I moved around for a bit. I tried some kicks, spins, and other Jedi-like moves. But the costume just seemed wrong. After several hours of mostly practice and rehearsals in that outfit, April took me back to the changing rooms.

Once the outfit was off I collapsed on the couch, “I have no idea how Peter Mayhew was able to make it through all those appearances in a costume like that.”

“It wasn’t all that bad was it?” April asked.

“Hmm. I guess not. It was kind of fun being a Wookiee. I did look cute in that costume. It’s just that something about it felt weird. If they want me back in that thing they’d have to alter it a little bit. And don’t ask me where. I’d rather not think about it. What’s next? I said.

She opened a big box and pulled out a rather huge item, “How about this?”

“No. No way. I’m not going to be a Hutt. Slugs freak me out” I said as I shivered.

April laughed, “Okay. But would you be willing to provide the voice for her?”

The shivering was less severe this time then I said, “I’ll give it a try.”

She smirked then handed me my next costume. We tried at least five different costumes and looks before it was time to leave.

“This was an interesting day. You wouldn’t happen to know if any of these were what my character will be, do you?” I asked eagerly.

“I can’t say that I do. But I do have one partial costume for you to take home with you. We’d like you to try moving around outside of the studio. And when you return let us know how it felt. And we’ll try it here too. Then on to the next costume,” April told me.

On the drive home, April talked about the application process of my test costume. When I got home Keith was working in the garage and I went to the room I use when Keith and I don’t sleep together. I was surprised to see headgear that could belong to either a Twi’lek or a Togruta. It was hard to say which it was because this was just a partial piece. They had deliberately made it hard to tell.

I watched Keith working in the garage for a few minutes before I asked, “How did things go with Stephanie?”

He jumped. When he calmed down he said, “She practically trapped me into listening to her side of things.” He smiled then said, “That is one beautiful baby she has. She asked me to hold little Tiffany. Said it might be good for me and the baby. Following your suggestion and holding that baby I just didn’t have any fight in me. Especially when Tiffany fell asleep in my arms.”