Thomas and his parents, Gwen and Nathan, communicated via a combination of snail mail and (terse) phone calls. It took a few rounds of back and forth, but evidently, there was enough desire on both sides to meet after so many years.

Thomas’s parents had agreed, cautiously, to see them. Both Gwen and Nathan would be flying down to Madison, Wisconsin (Where the Parkers lived) to meet their estranged family in a neutral location. The arrangements had been awkward, the phone calls filled with even more awkward conversation, but there was a flicker of hope.

Sarah and Thomas had been surprised at their willingness, but Emily—and by extension Daniel—took this as a positive sign. As such, a few weeks later, Thomas et al found themselves driving to an agreed upon park in the city.

That being said, the air was thick with tension as they made their way to the park even though the car ride was mostly quiet. Emily saw her father tense, as his hands gripped the steering wheel almost turning his knuckles white. Her mother sat beside him, her hand occasionally resting on his arm, seemingly trying to offer comfort, or perhaps self soothe as well. Emily herself felt nerves - a combination of excitement, nervousness, hope and fear - all at once. At that moment, she was quite grateful for Daniel’s presence as she felt it hovering protectively, gently trying to steady her as the moment they were all anticipating drew near.

Emily’s spirits brightened when the family arrived at the park. It felt alive; families enjoying the day—children playing, and the scent of freshly cut grass filling the air. The sharp, lively, positive sensory contrast was a welcome respite to the quiet tension of the car ride. As the family walked together, Emily felt a surge of hope as she gazed at the life around her, almost as if the universe itself was encouraging her, perhaps prodding her, to help her parents see this meeting through.

Somehow, she now knew that they would be okay - that this meeting would work out. She smiled as she felt Daniel hum within her, radiating similar hope and positivity.

Thomas, Sarah and Emily (and of course, Daniel) slowly walked to a pre-agreed meeting spot, not exchanging a word - the silence was enough. Sarah held Thomas’s hand in her own, from the looks of it trying to steady him, while Thomas walked slowly, with a blank expression, his eyes darting as he looked in the vicinity. As the family came around a bend, Thomas froze his eyes locked onto something in the distance, his face white.

Emily followed her father’s line of sight, her stomach twisting as she caught sight of the older couple on the bench. She didn’t have to search - there in the distance, she spotted a couple first—an older man and woman, sitting awkwardly on the bench, looking around nervously. Emily felt her stomach lurch and she swallowed as emotions welled deep within her - there was no mistaking it, those were her grandparents. Older, more tired, but they were in fact, the people in the photo album.

Her father’s parents. Her other grandparents.

Thankfully, they had not spotted Emily or her family giving the Parkers a moment to reconvene.

“Dad” Emily began softly, glancing at her other father. “Is that, them?”

Thomas didn’t answer at first, his body stiffening as he caught sight of them. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He seemed to instinctively take a few steps back around the bend and for a moment, it looked as though he might turn around and leave altogether. His eyes stayed locked on the ground, his face white, his breathing shallow.

Sarah leaned in, her hand squeezing his arm once again. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You can do this, Tom. We’re right here, every step of the way.”

Thomas however, remained frozen, his feet rooted to the ground, his eyes wide and breathing unsteady. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he replied, his voice cracking - “I can’t do this”.

Sarah reached over, her hand more firmly on his arm. “Tom, you can,” she said softly, her voice steady. “You are one of the strongest people I know. Look how far you have come, just a few more steps.”

Despite the emotions of the moment, Emily couldn’t help but marvel at her mother’s unyielding strength. “Yep” Daniel agreed softly within “Her own nerves must be a mess but she is one tough cookie. Look at her still trying to support her husband.”

Still, Thomas didn’t move - or perhaps couldn’t move. Emily could see raw fear in his eyes now, panic began to radiate from him.

“He’s freezing,” Daniel's voice echoed in her mind, calm yet serious. “Panic attack incoming.”

“Yeah, not unexpected,” Emily murmured back, her own nerves now on edge.

A moment passed, after which Daniel replied, his voice softer but determined. “I think you may need to take the lead here, Shrimp. But... let me talk to him for a minute.”

Emily hesitated - her brother’s ‘offer’ was an unexpected development. Was this really the right moment to ‘re-introduce’ Daniel, given her father’s stress? Nevertheless, she had learned to trust her brother - he didn’t make such requests unless the situation absolutely called for it.

As such, she nodded, closing her eyes and letting Daniel take over.

As Daniel’s consciousness slid into the driver’s seat, Emily’s posture straightened—her demeanor softened, yet carried a calm confidence that was unmistakably Danny.

“Hey, bud, Daniel here - need a second…” Daniel began gently, communicating to Thomas, using Emily’s voice but with his distinct tone. He glanced toward Sarah, offering her a playful wink, earning a mock glare and a head shake in return, although she couldn’t help but smile.

Thomas meanwhile stared at Emily - or Daniel in this case, his jaw instinctively falling open, eyes wide in shock.

“Daniel?” Thomas asked slowly, hesitantly, in disbelief. “No no - I’m not ready for this” he added, shaking his head and taking a few more steps back. “Not now, not here - this is too much!”

Daniel paused, unsure if he should continue, that perhaps he had picked the wrong time to emerge. He turned around and looked in the direction of Thomas’s parents - Emily’s other grandparents, and felt his resolve harden.

“Oh, to hell with this. No time to waste,” he muttered, turning back toward Thomas. He took a deep breath, steeling himself."

“I’m sorry bud - but shock and awe it is” he muttered before reaching out and grabbing one of Thomas’s hands.

As they connected, Daniel felt a shiver pass through him. The touch—it felt surreal, like stepping into a space he wasn’t meant to enter. A connection he hadn’t yet earned.

He realized that he hadn’t truly physically interacted with Thomas since his arrival in this universe - for that brief period he accidentally hijacked Emily’s body.

However, the gamble worked. His daughter—who looked and sounded exactly like his daughter, yet wasn’t at that moment—froze him in place as he tried to process.

“Hey! Just hear me out for thirty seconds okay!” Daniel quickly continued more assertively. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep this up for long,” he continued , taking a deep breath as he cautiously stepped a little closer to Thomas.

Before Thomas could respond, Daniel added “Look, I know you’re scared. It’s okay to be. But you’ve already done the hardest part—you reached out. Honestly, man, you’ve been braver than I ever was.”

That did the trick - Thomas ‘unfreezed’, tilted his head but nevertheless paused - now listening despite his reservations.

Daniel smiled and continued. “Look, I get it—deep down, the kid in you is scared. You want your mom and dad’s approval, but you also have a family to protect, and you don’t want to get hurt again. Bro, I totally, one hundred percent get this.”

Daniel took a breath, making his voice as firm and confidence inspiring as he could muster acutely aware of how high pitched it sounded.

“Mom is right, you’re not alone in this. You have backup, visible and invisible. You’ve got mom, Shrimp, and believe it or not me. We’re your team.”

Thomas stared at Daniel—well, Emily—but it was Danny’s voice and energy in that moment. His face registered confusion, his shoulders stiff, trying to process what he was witnessing.

Daniel’s voice softened a bit, but he didn’t lose his sense of urgency.

“Yes, I’m real. Yes, Emily is part of me, and I’m part of her. Blah blah blah. It’s confusing, I know. I didn’t plan to introduce myself this way but, you looked like you needed a mano to mano pep talk. We can hash it all out later okay?”

He squeezed Thomas’s hand and continued, his voice light but serious. “Right now, you need to be present for this. You can push past the fear, alright? You’ve got this.”

Daniel’s words hung in the air for a moment, he waited for them to sink in.

“You’ve done way more than you give yourself credit for,” Daniel continued, his voice gentle.

“You’ve started your own business, moved to a new place, built a life with mom, raised an amazing daughter, and honestly managed this whole dual consciousness thing without running for the hills.”

Daniel took a breath and pressed on “Not to mention everything you’ve done for those around you —you handled Emily’s injury, helped her heal, somehow you still helped your patients, mom, the world. You’ve been strong, even when you didn’t feel like it. You’ve seen worse, you’ll get through this and it will be okay. I promise”

Thomas’s posture loosened slightly, his brows furrowed but his eyes softening. Daniel could see that some stress was beginning to dissipate, understanding drawing in Thomas’s eyes.

Daniel gave him a firm nod. “You’ve got this, alright? Don’t let fear win today.”

Through Emily, he held up his fist—a simple but powerful gesture of camaraderie and encouragement. Thomas, looked at the fist, stared at it a full minute.

“Don’t leave me hanging here bud” Daniel quipped lightly. “You got this.”

The light nudge did it, Thomas let out a soft, shaky laugh - balled his own fingers into a fist and bumped it against Daniel. Small and automatic, in that moment, it sealed their shared determination to move forward.

Then, with a smirk, Daniel turned to Sarah, “Mom, we can catch up later but Shrimp says you guys owe her a warm, gooey chocolate chip muffin for what we are about to do next.”

Before she could respond, Daniel quickly stepped forward, giving Sarah a hug through Emily’s body. “You’re awesome too mom, thank you for being his rock. This family’s rock.”

“Danny...my boy” Sarah whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she closed her eyes and hugged him close in Emily’s body, feeling connected to both her children.

Daniel pulled back, gave Sarah a nod, then turned to wink at Thomas.

“Alright, time to let Shrimp take the reins again. Just remember—you’ve got this. We’ll get things rolling, so be ready to catch the ball.”

With that, Daniel faded back, leaving Emily blinking as she returned to the surface. She shook her head, as though disoriented from the switch. “Gosh, that never gets old... ugh, I hope it gets easier,” she muttered, shivering slightly as she readjusted to her body.

Looking up at her parents, Emily grinned, now fully in control. “This isn’t how I wanted you to meet Danny, Dad, but he was insistent on the man-to-man chat. So, sit tight. We’ve got this. And yes—you really do owe me that chocolate chip muffin.”

Before either of them could protest, Emily had started jogging towards her grandparents, her heart pounding but her mind clear. She slowed as she got closer toward Nathan and Gwen with purpose, her nerves steeled by Danny’s earlier presence, ready for what was to come.

–

As Emily walked towards her grandparents, her heart pounded in her chest. “Danny,” she thought to herself, “that was pretty awesome, helping Dad push forward, but what’s the plan?”

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Emily felt Daniel grow a little sheepish through their link. “You didn’t think that far ahead, did you?” she mentally groaned.

“I’m… winging it, Em - he was about to have a panic attack and I just had to do something” Daniel admitted with some reluctance. “For the record, I don’t like pushing people like this but - this family needs healing.” He paused and added “He needs this.”

For a brief spell, they both sat with the responsibility of it all. Then, almost like clockwork, Emily felt Daniel's mischief flicker. She couldn’t help smiling, “You’ve figured out a plan didn't you?”

“Well, when you don’t know the map, you just troll and shoot up a few NPCs’ and collect points along the way…and before you know it, you’ve leveled up.”

“Danny!” Emily groaned. “English, please? I may have your memories, but that doesn’t mean I automatically speak ‘Geekanese.’”

With a chuckle, Daniel added, “What I’m trying to say, Shrimp, is that we’ve got nothing to lose.”

“All we have to do is get everyone in the same place and let things play out. We’ll adjust the conversation, step in, nudge things if they start to go off the rails. For now, you just play the cute little girl card—get them to follow your lead. I dunno, pretend to be a little lost or something...and uh…troll them?”

Emily stopped walking for a moment, a little stunned by Daniel’s almost cavalier attitude. Slowly, though, she began to understand what he was saying: their job wasn’t to fix the situation—they were just guides.

The cute card, huh? I got this,” she thought, feeling her own mischief kick in. With a grin, she added, “Watch and learn, old man.”

—

Emily slowly approached the bench, taking a deep breath before releasing it. She widened her eyes, let her lower lip tremble just slightly, and put on her best lost little girl act.

"Hi!" she squeaked, her voice a mix of hesitant concern—though she couldn’t quite keep a touch of excitement out.

Nathan and Gwen turned toward her, their faces curious but guarded.

"Well, hello, young lady," Gwen said with a warm smile. "Who might you be?"

"Oh, my name is Emily!" she replied, almost brightly, adrenaline spiking from both the complexity of her act and the excitement of seeing her paternal grandparents for the first time.

She quickly course-corrected, dialing back the enthusiasm and slipping back into a softer, more hesitant tone.

“Wow… they look just like Thomas,” she heard Daniel murmur inside her.

“Shut it, Danny,” Emily quickly shot back. “I’m trying to focus.”

Taking a breath and mustering the most vulnerable, lost-little-girl voice she could, Emily continued, "I’m trying to find my family. I’m pretty sure they’re this way," she gestured in the direction of Thomas and Sarah, "but everyone seems a little lost."

Nathan blinked, clearly confused. "Your family?" he asked, glancing around the park.

"Yes," Emily said, keeping her voice steady even as nerves crept up her spine.

"I just need help finding them. They’re around here somewhere, but I don’t want to do this alone. There are so many people, and—" she hesitated for effect, "the ranger station is closed."

Gwen tilted her head, still evidently unsure of what to make of the child. "Did they lose you?" she asked gently, her gaze softening.

Emily smiled softly, cranking up the doe eyes just a little more. "Well, it’s kind of on me… my dad was moving slow, and he got in his own head, and I kind of ran off." She sighed, letting just a hint of guilt seep into her voice. "I could use some help finding them. I’m just not sure I can find them all if I’m alone… and I don’t know who to ask. But you seem like nice people—so..."

She dropped her voice to the smallest, sweetest tone she could muster. "Do you think you could… help me find them? They should be here?" she added, pointing vaguely in the direction where Sarah and Thomas were ‘hiding’.

"You little actress, you…" Daniel chuckled inside, trying not to laugh. "You’re milking this…"

"Oh, wait till you see this," Emily shot back, emboldened.

She took a tiny, hesitant step closer, her voice carefully layered with just enough pleading.

"I’m sure they’re waiting for me, and they’d be so grateful if you helped." She let a beat of silence stretch, then added sweetly, "And I think they’d really like to meet you, too."

"Mic drop!" Daniel shouted in glee. Emily nearly smiled for a second before catching herself.

Her charm and innocence started working their magic.

Nathan and Gwen exchanged a bemused look but nodded, appearing intrigued by the charismatic child in front of them. “You do seem very sure, dear.” her grandmother said. “There’s something familiar about you...” she added curiously.

"Well, okay Emily. We’re waiting for our own family, but it seems like they’re running late..." Nathan added with a sigh getting up from the bench and helping Gwen stand up.

“I’m sure our family can wait a few minutes longer…let’s help you find yours…”

Quietly, he murmured sadly, "We’ve waited over ten years anyway. what’s a few minutes more.."

Gwen immediately reached for his arm, a gentle, encouraging touch—a gesture so familiar, so much like the way Sarah had steadied Thomas earlier, that it made Emily’s chest tighten.

However, the weight of his words hit her and by extension Daniel hard, as she felt a wave of empathy and sadness wash over her.

“If you ever wondered if we were doing the right thing….” Danny quietly murmured to Emily, any trace of humor absent. “I think you just got your answer. This family wants to and needs to heal.”

Emily quietly nodded as she began walking with her grandparents. "Just a few more minutes, grandma and grandpa, you’ll see them soon enough" she thought to herself, her heart aching for the reunion that was about to unfold.

—

Emily meandered with her grandparents—still blissfully unaware of her identity—sometimes leading, sometimes following, sometimes accidentally skipping. She largely maintained her facade, but as they walked, she couldn’t help but chatter with growing excitement. She spoke about her school, hobbies, favorite books, and friends, sharing humorous anecdotes from her daily life—all of them laced with affection for her family and her world.

(Of course, she purposefully left Daniel out of the equation.)

"And one time, Dad tried to cook dinner, thinking he was being clever by microwaving eggs without cracking the shell," she recounted with a near snort, her eyes tearing from suppressed laughter.

"Instead, he blew the microwave door clean off!"

She giggled as she continued, the memory playing vividly in her mind. "There was egg EVERYWHERE! On the counters, above the cupboards, in the sink, on the window—some even got inside the lampshades. Oh man, you should’ve seen Mom’s face."

Her expression softened, her voice turning fond. "But you know, Dad is also an amazing cook. He makes the best chocolate chip pancakes. I don’t know how he does it, but they’re always perfect—sweet, fluffy, and just the right amount of gooey chocolatey goodness."

Gwen chuckled, clearly charmed by the energy of this charming girl with her.

"He sounds like quite the character," she noted with a warm smile. "Destroying the microwave one second, then making perfect pancakes the next?"

"Oh yeah, Dad is hilarious. And he’s still so smart. And Mom? She’sa superwoman! I don’t know how she does it all—a job, a very difficult job, Dad, dealing with me, running the house, dealing with Dann—" Emily caught herself just in time, quickly correcting, "—Dad’s jokes."

She rushed ahead before either grandparent could notice the near slip.

"And somehow, she does all this without losing her mind! Well… unless you accidentally curse."

Nathan softly laughed and exchanged a glance with Gwen. "Sounds like your mom is a lot like my wife here… Moms are amazing." With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "And yes, Gwen over here—my wife—also turns into a little demon if I curse."

Emily grinned and nodded enthusiastically, keeping the conversation going as they “searched” for her parents. She carefully observed them as time passed, making sure that Nathan and Gwen had ‘relaxed’ enough, that they were letting their guard down, trusting the moment.

Finally, she took a deep breath and led them around the bend.

—

Nathan and Gwen rounded the bend, casually at first—but then Emily saw it happen.

They froze. Their posture went rigid, eyes narrowing in confusion—before widening as disbelief gave way to certainty.

For just beyond the curve, hidden from view until now, stood Sarah and Thomas—nervous, hopeful, yet unable to take that final step forward.

"No… it can’t be," Gwen muttered, her hands instinctively pressing against her chest. She stepped forward—her feet moving before her mind could catch up.

Emily glanced at Nathan, watching as he stood there, his mouth moving soundlessly, mouthing the same word over and over again - "Tom."

She turned toward her parents.

Thomas stood locked in place, his gaze never leaving his parents. His face was heavy with emotion, his eyes slightly misty.

Sarah stood beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder, whispering to him—likely quiet encouragement, a reminder to breathe, to stay steady.

For a moment, no one spoke, the silence deafening, feeling thick with years of unspoken words, lost time pressing in on all sides.

Emily took a step forward, her expression turning mischievous.

She glanced up at her grandparents and quipped—"Hey, look! We found my parents!"

She paused dramatically before adding with a wink, "Oh, I forgot their names aren’t ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad.’ They’re Sarah and Thomas Parker."

As her words sank in, she saw the shift.

Nathan’s eyes widened further, his jaw falling slack. Gwen looked at Emily, then back at Thomas, her expression stunned—though tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

"Tom?" Nathan finally said, his voice shaky, seemingly strangled under the weight of lost years.

"Tommy?" Gwen whispered, one hand covering her mouth, her shoulders trembling.

Emily turned back to her father. For the first time in her life, Thomas looked small - more vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

His hand raked awkwardly through his hair, and when he finally spoke, his voice came out rough, uncertain—"Hey, Mom. Dad. It’s good to finally see you."

The silence stretched again, thick with fear.

Emily felt the hesitation, the weight of it pressing down on everyone in the space between them. She took a breath, then reached out—gently taking both of her grandparents’ hands in her own.

"Hey," she said softly, gently tugging. "It’s been ten years, but it’s just a little further. They’ve missed you. We all have."

Nathan and Gwen stared at their son, their bodies appearing as though frozen —yet somehow they followed Emily’s lead, her small, steady hands anchoring them.

As they stumbled forward, still uncertain, Emily continued softly "They aren’t complete without you." She squeezed their hands just slightly, reassuring them as she added -

"None of us are."

Nathan and Gwen stopped completely, their gazes instantly dropping down to Emily.

And in that instant—Emily smiled, as she saw recognition finally dawn.

—

For a moment, Nathan and Gwen simply stood there, absorbing her words. Then as recognition hit them in earnest - they both gasped simultaneously. Gwen’s hand instinctively rose to her mouth, while Nathan took a step towards Emily, his hand reaching out. They saw it now - In her eyes, her smile, her very presence—they saw the echo of their son, the connection to the family they had lost years ago.

Emily smiled sweetly and then casually said the words that broke the tension.

“Oh, I never introduced myself properly, did I?” she said, now positively beaming at her grandparents. “My name is Emily Parker. Emily..Gwen Parker.”

She tilted her head for added effect and added “It is nice to finally meet my grandparents..”

Gwen’s breath caught in her throat, tears instantly welling in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, her entire body trembling with emotion. Nathan’s face softened, his expression crumbling as he processed what he’d just heard.

“We have a granddaughter?” Nathan mumbled, his voice barely audible. He looked at Thomas with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Thomas nodded, seemingly struggling to find his voice. “Yeah. Yeah, you do” he said softly.

“You... you named her after me? After us?” Gwen followed, her voice breaking, tears spilling down her cheeks in earnest.

Thomas gave another small nod, a small smile now beginning to play on his lip. “Yeah, Sarah... insisted on it,” he said in a hoarse voice.

Gwen and Nathan looked from Thomas to Sarah and back again, their eyes wide as a maelstrom of emotions clashed within them. They felt it all - shock, gratitude, excitement, delight, and a touch of hurt.

“She…she is beautiful” Gwen finally whispered, gently placing her hand on Emily’s head. She shuddered as another wave of emotions passed through her. “Oh my God, Tom, Sarah - we have a grandchild? She is…she is…” her voice trailed off as she gently cupped Emily’s face.

Nathan stepped forward as well, placing his own hand on Emily’s head - his breath heavy. “So many years gone, wasted - for what? God, Emily I wish…I wish…” as his own voice tapered off, hesitant that the moment might shatter if he said anything more.

Emily didn’t let them hold back for long. She stepped forward, hugging both of them tightly at the same time - squeezing tightly, a a bridge between past hurts and future healing.

“Let’s not waste any more time then. Let bygones be bygones.” she whispered, her voice full of warmth and sincerity. “I really, really want to get to know you, Grandpa and Grandma... just like Mom and Dad want to get to know you again too. They’ve missed you and wanted to talk to you for years, but you gosh darn adults make everything so complicated…”

Nathan and Gwen clung to Emily, their emotions overwhelming them as years of silence and regret began to unravel at the possibility of reconciliation. “Oh Emily - yes, yes please, we would like to get to know you too” cried out, her tears drenching Emily’s hair. “And we’ve missed your dad…and your mom..again.”

The tenderness hung in the air for a beat—and then Emily looked up and grinned cheekily. “That’s good! That’s really good ” she said, with a naughty twinkle in her eye, “Honestly, you gosh darn adults complicate the sh*t out of everything.”

“EMILY! Language!” Sarah immediately scolded, appearing half mortified, half amused - a small smile playing on her lips despite the tears welling in her eyes.

Before anyone could say more, Nathan let out a deep, startled laugh. “No, no, Sarah, she’s right,” he said, shaking his head with a grin. “We adults do complicate the sh!t out of everything.”

Gwen blinked, momentarily shocked by the exchange, then a soft giggle escaped her. Thomas and Sarah exchanged a look; half-teary, half-amused. before they, too, joined in the laughter.

Nathan wiped at his eyes, still misty with tears, but now with a grin on his face. “Well, I suppose she takes after your side of the family,” he teased Thomas, who could only shrug with a sheepish smile.

“Yeah, she really does,” Thomas admitted, his voice soft but lighter now. Sarah, shaking her head with a mix of tears and a grin, added, “You said it not me!”

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the heaviness that had loomed over began lifted. Laughter and tears mingled together, there was still work to be done - but brief, shining moment, it felt like they were all on the same page—ready to move forward.