Just A Dream...
Family Feud

Chapter Six: To Ruislip

 The next morning dawned fine and clear, with a gentle breeze adding a slight chill to the air, and the four musicians, though somewhat half asleep were up and ready to go by nine, Sylva having even managed to find time to straighten her long hair, slipping a clip in each side to hold the wisps back from her face. Aaron grinned at her when he saw it, commenting that he'd hardly recognised her, and she returned the grin playfully. Aaron was very much like a big brother to her these days, despite her dubious relationship with Nancy.
Jetta met them at the front entrance, eying them all in approval.
"You're on time." She observed. "C'mon. We're catchin' the tube, an' I 'ope you're prepared for a lengthy trip."
"What's this friend of yours like, Jetta?" Sylva asked as they walked the short distance to the tube station.
"Laura? Well, she's sane." Jetta said dryly. "She's been me best mate since I was six years old, an' that's more years ago now than I want to be countin', I'll tell you."
"Does she have kids?" Copper wondered.
"Yes, four." Jetta nodded. "And I think they'll all be there today. Cameron certainly will, since 'e's 'elping them decorate. 'E's 'er eldest, I think 'e's about twenty, an' 'e's a student at the University 'ere."
"He'd better watch out, Syl's about." Topaz grinned, and her friend swatted her in mock indignation.
"Give me some credit!" She protested. "He might be ugly!"
"You are hopeless." Copper giggled. "Poor guy, being dismissed before you even meet him!"
Jetta laughed.
"You're not much like your mother, Sylva." She observed dryly. "She was always so shy..."
"Syl's got the biggest mouth of anyone I ever met." Nancy nodded. Sylva frowned.
"Mom's always been kinda reserved." She admitted. "She's good at what she does and she's the best mother...but sometimes it amazes me that she was such a vibrant part of such a successful rock group...it doesn't seem her at all."
"She 'eld us together long enough." Jetta said with a smile. "We were all people with different ideas an' ambitions an' not much respect for the 'uman race, in all truth...by the time we finished up the band we were friends, an' I know that were Stormer's doin'. I don't know 'ow she did it, but she 'elped each of us in 'er own quiet way...an' I reckon we're probably all better for it, too."
"Mom's like that." Sylva said proudly. "She knows when people are hurting or in trouble and she helps them out. That's why she's such a good writer, she understands that kind of stuff."
"Shame you didn't inherit it, else you could help me write." Nancy told her offhandedly, bringing her back down to earth with a bump. Jetta smirked.
"You two." She said, shaking her head. "You're like me an' Roxy in the Misfit days...I swear there's more Roxy in you than Stormer, Sylva."
"Well Aunt Roxy's been there as long as I can remember." Sylva shrugged. "I feel like she really is my aunt, even if it isn't through blood, like she is to Nancy. She's more an Aunt to me than Aunt Aja, since she lives so far away."
"You get on better with Aunt Roxy than I do." Nancy frowned. "She's never liked me."
"She don't like many people." Jetta observed. "'Ere, this is our stop...come on, quit laggin, unless you want to spend all day on the blinkin' circle line with that robot voice doin' your 'ead in."
"I thought we were going to Ruislip." Sylva looked confused as they got off the train.
"We have to change." Aaron told her. Jetta nodded.
"Yep. We want the Metropolitan line now." She replied.
Topaz fished her tube map out of her pocket.
"What colour's that?" She asked plaintively.
"Dark purplish colour." Jetta told her, looking amused. "You'll get the 'ang of it by the time we leave, Topaz."
"It goes all which ways." Copper peered over her friend's shoulder. "Which train do we get? Uxbridge or Watford or Chesham or what?"
"Uxbridge - come on." Jetta instructed. "Follow me."
"It's a good thing your mother knows this city inside out." Copper fell into step with Aaron, who grinned at her.
"She's behaving like she never left." He observed. "It's funny...she's spent so long in the states, and yet it's never affected her accent one bit. She's as much a Londoner when she comes back here as she's ever been, even though things must have changed a lot since she left."
"I guess it's cool for you and Nancy to see the other side of your roots like this." Copper decided as they made their way across Baker Street station to the platform that served the Metropolitan line. Aaron nodded.
"It is." He agreed. "I wish we could come here more often. I mean, I feel like an all American guy, to be honest, but it's cool to know the other side of my family origins, too, and I know Nancy's never really commited herself to either half of her heritage, even if she talks American."
"Right." Copper dimpled. "I went to Mexico twice when I was a kid, and I loved it both times - my grandparents have relatives out there and it was like a home from home. I've never been to Spain, mind you, so I've not had a chance to see Dad's side of the coin, but one day perhaps Jewel will do a European tour. His family are from Valencia...I so want to go there and see it."
"I bet." Aaron squeezed her hand. "All the more since he can't tell you about it himself, I guess."
"Well, right." Copper agreed slowly. "Though he wasn't born there...he only visited it a few times."
The tube journey was indeed long and tedious for the group of teenagers, and all were glad when Ruislip station hoved into view through the window of the cylindrical train. Stretching their legs on the platform, Jetta hailed a taxi cab and somehow they all squeezed into it as the executive gave the driver her friend's address, taking the front seat.
"I hope it isn't far." Sylva grimaced. "This is like playing sardines only without the fun...watch it, Nancy, you're gonna mess my hair!"
"Oh, grow up." Nancy rolled her eyes. "It's only a short way from the station, Mom said. It's only because you were complaining about cramp that she decided to get a cab from the tube station instead of making you walk anyway."
"from the what?" Aaron gazed at his sister in amusement, and Nancy blushed.
"From the Underground." She said sheepishly. "Man, I guess I'm beginning to absorb Londonisms."
"Hm...so their guys are blokes and their trains are tubes." Topaz grinned. "This is cool...by the time we go back to California noone will understand a word we're saying."
"Maybe we'll all talk British." Sylva giggled, attempting a very bad imitation of the London dialect, and sending her companions into fits of laughter.
"That was awful, Syl!" Nancy exclaimed. "This is how you do it properly!" And she proceeded to do an almost perfect imitation of her mother's accent.
"Hey, that was uncanny." Topaz remarked. "You'd blend right in, Nance!"
"Well, I've lived with Mom long enough." Nancy dimpled, as the car pulled to a stop. "Hey, guess we're here."
Laura was waiting for them on the front doorstep, and she welcomed them all into her house, offering them tea with a warm smile while Jetta made the introductions, and eying Nancy and Aaron with some amazement.
"You're all grown up!" She exclaimed, making both of them blush furiously. "Nancy, 'ow old are you now...eighteen?"
"Yes...nineteen in September." Nancy nodded. "And Aaron's twenty in June."
"Wow, I feel old." Laura laughed. "Go right on in, take a seat..sorry it's a bit messy, but our front room is bein' redecorated and everything's gotten dumped in the back like this. I'll just go see to the tea."
And she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her guests to make themselves comfortable.
"This place is nice." Aaron decided, looking around him. "Bigger than I remember Aunt Laura's house being."
"They've moved in the last year or so." Jetta told him. "'Ello, 'ere's trouble, too.  Mornin', Cameron."
"Hi, Aunt Sheila." Cameron lounged in the doorway. "I thought I 'eard you all arrive...thought I'd come say hi. Everyone else is out except Kyle, who's being antisocial in 'is room...Dad's gone in search of new paintbrushes, we're decoratin'."
He glanced around, casting Aaron a smile. "It's been a long time, Aaron."
"Yeah, last time we met we were playing airplanes round the tree of your old house." Aaron grinned. "Remember Nancy?"
"Sure do." Cameron offered Nancy a smile. "I didn't recognise you, kid, without your pigtails."
At which juncture Nancy went beetroot red, much to Sylva's evident delight.
"Come sit down, Cameron." She said with a dimple. "I'm Sylvina, by the way, and these are Copper and Topaz...we're Nancy's bandmates."
"I 'eard all about this band." Cameron sounded interested. "You kids any good?"
"Well, we've had three or four top ten hits in the States, and a platinum debut album, so not bad." Topaz said dryly. Cameron looked impressed.
"Neat." He acknowledged.
"You're a medical student, right?" Copper asked, as Jetta headed out to the kitchen to help her friend and exchange gossip. Cameron nodded.
"Broke as 'eck and livin' on pot noodle and junk food, but yeah." He said with a laugh. "Dad reckons I'm mad, but it's all I've wanted to do."
"You must be pretty clever, then." Sylva observed. Cameron shrugged.
"I dunno...I guess I always worked hard as I could to get where I am." He admitted. "University life ain't bad, too. We got a good guild, plenty of clubs an' societies, lots of places for a good night out...it's not all books an' study."
"I guess we kinda vetoed going to College in favour of music." Topaz smiled. Cameron returned the smile.
"Am I gonna get to 'ear you girls perform, then?" He asked. He grinned at Aaron. "Or are we gonna get Aaron to sing lead?"
"God, no way! Have mercy on our ears!" Nancy exclaimed. Aaron shrugged goodnaturedly.
"I'm tone deaf, as my sister will tell you." He said. "She got all of Mom and Aunt Roxy's musical genes."
"I reckon we could play for you...but we don't have our instruments." Sylva said.
"Well, I've an old acoustic guitar in my room someplace, from a phase I went through in my teens." Cameron grinned. "I don't really play, mind you, but you're welcome to use that if it's any use. An' my sister Stef 'as a piano in the spare room - can you work with that?"
"We wouldn't be very good musicians if we couldn't." Nancy told him curtly.
"What about Copper's drums?" Sylva demanded. Copper laughed.
"I'll clap rythmically." She joked. "C'mon, I vote we give it a go. It's a challenge, anyway."
"Well, I'm in." Topaz grinned. "So long as I don't have to fight with the guitar - I'm not real good."
"I'll take strings, you sing." Nancy told her. "We'll do 'Any Other Way', that's your song anyway, and the melody line's pretty simple."
"Cool. I'll go get me guitar." Cameron smiled. "Might need tunin', mind you. See you in a few!"
"Where's 'e harin' off to?" Laura asked, as she and her friend reentered the room, mugs of tea in hand.
"He's getting his guitar." Sylva said with a smile. "Jewel are going to play for you."
 


 PART FIVE: FAMILY FEUD
Chapter One: Invitation To England
Chapter Two: Exploring London
Chapter Three: Taylor
Chapter Four: A Surprise For Nancy
Chapter Five: Jetta Explains
Chapter Six: To Ruislip
Chapter Seven: Romance
Chapter Eight: The Stranger
Chapter Nine: Kidnap!
Chapter Ten: The Aftermath
Chapter Eleven: Bad Blood
Chapter Twelve: An Unlikely Hero
Chapter Thirteen: A Family For Taylor

JEWELFIC MAIN PAGE:
Copper, Nancy, Sylvie, Anna, Blade, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series.