A Family Apart - Bonus Chapter
By Hunty
Neko(dot)inc(at)gmail(dot)com

Bonus Chapter - A Part of A Family

A/N - First off, let me explain why this took so long to write: My sister got out of prison recently, and now we're trying to help her get her life and son back together. Because of this, it will take me much longer to write anything at the moment, so just be patient and stick with me.

Almost immediately after I posted the final chapter of this story, Reaper's Shadow hit it right on the head that it was indeed Stella that posed for Playboy Magazine.

•Felicia couldn't have posed for Playboy because she'd never do it! Despite her low self-esteem in the story, her self-respect would be too high to be in a sleeze magazine.
•Loretta posing for it would be totally OOC and I wasn't in a mood for OOC witch-hunters...
•And it was obviously NOT Jonathan. I just put that option there on the poll for laughs.
•Stella posed for Playboy because things didn't work out with Jonathan, so she gave up on him and decided to start her life over...

So, as promised, the bonus chapter. Enjoy!
Hunty

The Nifty Fifties...

While Loretta moved back to Spain, Stella decided to stay in the States to try to start her life over. She started work at a burger joint. Her uniform was a blouse, a poodle skirt, a pair of roller skates, which would take some practice. The job looked fun, but in actuality, it was just a crappy minimum-wage job, where the customers thought it was funny to harass the waitresses. Men flirted and tried to peek beneath their skirts as their gals giggled at them. Couples would also make out just as Stella would be bringing them their food.

It was a busy Saturday Night as Stella. It was not her best night, as she had been working a long shift already. After a few very rude customers, as usual, her blood boiled, wanting a reason to lash out. She skated back and forth, her muscles straining as she carried large plates of burgers, dogs and fries.

"What the hell's taking ya so long, lady?!" A customer shouted out of a car window. "Hurry it up, willya?!"

Stella was trained to ignore the customers when they get rude, but she could only put up with so much of it. Her patience quickly wore thin as she glared in the general direction of the customer before she took a plate and dumped the food on a windshield.

"What the hell!?"

Her eye then caught one of the more patient customers. Ignoring the outbursts of the others, she smiled at the young man. He was a regular at the burger joint and had always been kind to her. Little did she know that she would be working for this gentleman in the near future. She stood up straight and smiled at him.

"How are you this evening?" She greeted cheerfully. She quickly pulled out a pen and notepad and asked, "Double Cheeseburger Deluxe and a large milkshake, as usual? Everything but onions, and salt on the side for your fries?" She grinned.

"Ah, yes, you've memorized it!" The man exclaimed, visually impressed.

Stella nodded, scribbling his order in the notepad. Once she turned her back, the gentleman swiftly lifted her skirt and grabbed Stella's behind, making her lose balance and fall flat on her face.

You got jokes too, eh? Stella thought. I got somethin' for you too.

Stella had to keep smiling, though. If she got angry at the man, he'd quickly notice. A few minutes later, the cook in the kitchen handed her a plate with a large strawberry milkshake. The parking lot grew empty, so it was her chance to give this pervert a taste of his own medicine. She shot a glance at the man, reading a newspaper. She quickly skated to the back of the restaurant spitting in his milkshake. She stirred it so it wouldn't be noticeable. She skated over to the car and smiled.

"Enjoy, sir," Stella's tone was suspiciously cheerful.

The man quickly took a sip of his milkshake. His eyebrow quickly twitched. "Mmm, amazing as always," He said. Before Stella could return to the kitchen to punch out for the night, he handed her a business card.

"Give me a call sometime. I think I have something lined up for you."

Stella giggled. "Okay, I will.." Nice one, Stella. Once she turned her back, that giddy little smile turned into a disgusted frown. I spit in the milkshake of someone that could possibly get me out of this shithole... Then the image of that pervert grabbing her flashed back into her head. Hmmph! Serves him right for touching me! He probably wants me to be a hooker or something...

A Small Distance Away, in the early evening

I can do it...I'm almost there.. The sharp pain on her side caused her to slow down as she was jogging up a hill. The more she resisted, the sharper the pain became, as she was running out of breath. Once the pain became too strong for her, she stopped to catch her breath.

"GODDAMN BREASTS SLOWING ME DOWN!" It was Felicia who shouted into a nearby meadow, her voice echoing. She sighed, quickly taking a look around, she realized that she was atop of something. "...I made it on top...I MADE IT!" She decided to actually to do something about her weight other than dieting, which didn't work for her. She started jogging around her home and around the ranch they inherited from Quincy Morris. Beyond the ranch, a series of rolling hills were set, where Quincy took John many times to watch the sun set.

"I'M THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD!" She exclaimed, realizing her accomplishment.

But this hill Felicia jogged on was a bit...small.

In fact, it was the smallest hill on the ranch. John called it, 'Little Bunny Hill', because he and Eric would play on that hill when they were children, chasing after the rabbits that would come along.

She then happily walked down the hill and headed back home to find her husband sitting outside, waiting for her. His hair was cut to neck length, he had grown a moustache that curled at the ends; looking like his father, Quincy, now. He was out there laughing at her. She slouched. Did he see what I was doing?

"You're so silly, Felicia..." John said between laughs. "If you really want to lose weight, you should go up the bigger hills."

Felicia sighed. "But a hill is a hill..."

"You wouldn't lose much weight going up that one, honey." John insisted. "Come sit in my lap," He gestured to her her. "You know I always liked the junk in your trunk."

"Mmmm...you're just being nice," Felicia turned around to stroke her fingers against his otherwise smooth-shaven face. She sat on his lap and sighed.

"To be honest, I can't see you...thinner." John snaked his arms around her waist, slipping beneath her breasts.

"You...you can't?"

"No...you'd look...out of place if you were thin," John tried not to sound rude.

"What do you mean by that?" Felicia was so tired, she wasn't up to taking any hints.

"You'd look like a skeleton, if you were thin." He gently pulled her chin towards his and gave a consoling, yet passionate kiss. "And then, where would you be able to fit that even bigger heart and radiant soul of yours?"

"John..." She kissed him again but was quickly turned off by the thick hair overshadowing John's lips. "Get rid of that ridiculous moustache - I don't like kissing your facial hair..." Her lips pressed against his again as she trailed her lips up his jawline, to his ear where she gently nibbled his ear. Before they could do anything else, Felicia's weight forced John's chair to fall backwards into the grass. Felicia had quickly grabbed onto him as she and John laughed together; something they haven't done in so many years.

Jonathan sighed. Charlotte was still in school, no longer a student, she was now a teacher at the Mage Academy. Eric had kept him up all night screaming as Anya slept so soundly, he woke up every other hour to make sure she was alive. No more kids, Jonathan thought. The twins are plenty of work for us. He suddenly took a whiff of a foul smell from Eric's direction, laying on Jonathan's chest.

"I hope you just made a poot rather than a poop," He murmured. Spoke too soon. As he smelled again, being reminded of the last time he smelled it. He carefully picked Eric up in his arms to carry him to a counter in the bathroom to change him. He pulled out a clean diaper cloth and a washcloth. Jonathan shuddered at the thick odor awaiting him as he un-pinned the diaper, closing his eyes. Suddenly the smell was gone. He opened one eye to find that there was nothing to be grossed out about.

Until he suddenly felt liquid squirt his face. "Why me, Eric?!" He whined. It was the third time that Eric peed in Jonathan's face. Eric laughed as Jonathan quickly wiped him up, changing the cloth diaper. Then he lifted him to put him in the crib with his sleeping sister, going to washed his face. Once he had finished, Jonathan glanced to find Eric sleeping. He sighed in relief as he plopped on the couch. His eyes were heavy, but he forced them to stay open, but only for a short time as Jonathan fell asleep.

Charlotte arrived home an hour later. She intended to rant to Jonathan about one of her students, but seeing her husband and children sleep peacefully erased everything she had on her mind. She smiled as she carefully put down her advanced spell book she was carrying, and snuggled up next to him.

Her warm breath tickled Jonathan's neck, waking him up. "Mmm, how was class?"

Charlotte sighed. "Class went fine as usual, except this one student." She turned to him and nuzzled her nose against his. "How were the kids?"

"Anya only woke up twice for feeding and a diaper change, and Eric was screaming as usual. He peed on me again."

Charlotte giggled softly. "You must have done the same thing to your father when you were a baby."

"I'd rather not know," Jonathan grumbled. He traced his fingers against Charlotte's hair. "C'mere."

Charlotte turned towards him as Jonathan gently pulled her chin towards his and kissed her with a bit of tongue and some gentle caressing. They were careful not to get too hot and bothered, in case the babies woke up. Jonathan pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair, resisting the same thing that brought the kids into their lives. Charlotte giggled, noticing this.

"Mmm, you can't fool me," Charlotte whispered, nibbling his ear. She planted butterfly kisses on the side of his neck, sending chills down his spine.

"What're you talking about?" Jonathan asked, feigning innocence.

"Wait til the kids are asleep tonight."

About a week later, Stella decided to give the young man from the restaurant a call. There was nothing else to do, and despite that he came out as some sort of pervert, it could be some kind of opportunity. Maybe this could help her get over her lingering heartbreak from Jonathan. Whenever she thought of Jonathan, she became depressed. When other men found her attractive, she never believed them.

She dialed the number rather quickly. There were two rings until a man answered.

"This is Hugh Hefner speaking."

"Um, hello, this is Stella from the burger joint, how are you?" Stella's voice shaking slightly.

"Ah, so that's your name!" The man exclaimed. "Miss Stella, how would you like to be a part of an upcoming venture of mine? It's a series of mail order magazines."

Stella's eyes widened. A Magazine? A REAL Magazine?! Visions of herself in fashion magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair flashed in her mind. "What magazine is it?" She asked.

"It's...erm...a Men's entertainment magazine. We will also be featuring Marilyn Monroe as well and I was looking for other young ladies like you to be a part of it...that are proud of their bodies."

"...Men's Magazine..like..smut?" Stella raised an eyebrow. Despite that she was a troublemaker, she couldn't see herself showing off her body for money. Then again, she was a lot shapely than Charlotte and her sister, and if she had it, why not flaunt it?

"You're just posing nude. The only men will be the photographers, and the pay will be a lot better than what you make in a month at the restaurant." He paused. "Well, if you're not comfortable, that's fine. I thought you looked to be what a real man wants."

"And what's that?" Stella asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"A gorgeous woman with attitude. I lifted your skirt as a test. You got back at me by spitting in my milkshake, you passed with flying colors. We men love a woman who's sexy yet can hold their own."

Stella swore, then shrugged. If that was a compliment, then she'd suppose it was alright. There was a pause for a few minutes, as she began to get undressed. Once she was completely bare, she took a long, hard glance at herself in the mirror. Stella was busty, and the rest of her body had oompf. She imagined herself in a lounge chair covered in diamonds and pearls, her arms and legs strung by golden chains. The short daydream made her feel hot and bothered. It felt good and it gave her confidence to make her decision.

Why the hell not? Jonathan's missing out on everything I have!

"Alright, Mr. Hefner," Stella said, breaking the silence. "You got yourself a deal."

The next day, Stella arrived at a small studio. As she stepped inside, she saw that it was quite hectic; makeup artists rushing to finish up several models, as several staff members scrambled around like chickens with their heads cut off. No one noticed her, which made Stella feel out of place. Before Stella could turn back, Hugh spotted her, greeting her with a smile.

"I see you've made it," He said. "Let me introduce you to the other ladies." He then lead her upstairs to a dressing room. The vibe was warm and the environment was surprisingly friendly. There were several other women wearing very little or nothing at all. The room smelled of perfume and a few other things she couldn't place her finger on. It was lined with mirrors as each woman had their own makeup.

"Ladies," Hugh's voice caught their ears. "I'd like for you all to give a warm welcome to Miss Stella Lecarde."

"Ummm...Hi!" Stella's voice squeaked. She felt like the new kid at school.

"Hello, Stella," Their voices were warm and united...or so Stella thought. She was just as nervous as she was when she admitted her feelings to Jonathan. They're just a bunch of models, Stella...what're you getting scared for?

"I'll let you get to know them," Hefner turned to her, smiling. "They won't bite. I'll see you at the photo shoot."

Stella only waved nervously as he left. Um...Now what? They're all so pretty...

"Have a seat," A gorgeous blond woman reached for her hand. "Don't be shy.." Her bright smile and charm that could even make a woman melt, was no other than Marilyn Monroe. Without question, Stella moves to sit down. "Put your things down and stay awhile."

"Ah, th-thanks," Stella stammered. What gives?! I'm NEVER this nervous... They're all posing in the same men's magazine. Maybe I'm so nervous because, so far, the models are acting all nice. I'll bet they're all just money-gouging bimbos...but so am I, technically. Come on, Stella, don't think the worst of them just yet...I'd be doing what Father did with that cow Felicia!

Marilyn then showed Stella where she would have her spot to put her belongings - right next to Marilyn's. Stella wasn't sure whether or not to feel lucky to be around her, but the aura she sent gave her the hint that she very well should. Little did she know that this woman would be famous worldwide soon enough.

"Ah, don't you feel constricted with all those clothes on?" She then asked Stella. "It's just us women here." She began to unbutton the plaid shirt Stella had on. Stella thought of protesting, but Marilyn had a point. Hefner did say it was a nude magazine. "Did you think you were just modeling for a fashion magazine?" After she unbuttoned her shirt, she pulled it off her shoulders, revealing a white-lace bra, framing her near perfect breasts. Stella normally wouldn't allow anyone to remove her clothes unless it was Jonathan, but for some reason, she didn't have a problem with it this time. Strangely enough, Marilyn's touch felt good.

"N-no, I knew what was going on..." Stella said. "I had no idea models would be nude 24-7.."

"As I said, it's just us. Men aren't allowed here, and Hefner won't put up with peeping toms..." Marilyn then unlatched Stella's bra, revealing her breasts. She then undid her poodle skirt, showing off her shapely legs. "You look like a goddess behind all those clothes."

"Oh, I'm not that pretty," Stella tried to be slightly modest. "If there's anyone that looks like a Goddess, it's you, Marilyn."

"Aww, Stella, that's too much..." Marilyn paused briefly. "It is my debut and everything, but I'm as new with this as you are. Just smile and see yourself as the Queen, everything that a man could ever want. Show some confidence and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Marilyn," Stella smiled.

"Oh, and we'll be taking our shots separately, so if I don't see you after this - good luck with anything else you decide to do in your life, if you don't like this." This was to be the last smile from Marilyn she would see. After that, it was time to take the photos for the first issue of Playboy Magazine. Stella took those words of advice to heart and kept them in mind as she continued to proudly exhibit her body for men to see, to fantasize and Jonathan to regret what he had missed out.

But with personality, intellect, self-respect and most of all, love, all of which from Charlotte, - Jonathan didn't miss a damn thing.

End note -THERE. I. DID IT. I'm really sorry this took an eternity and a half. Now, get up off your butts and read my prequel! :P