Chapter 1: An Unexpected Surprise

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I thought it would be cool to give you two chapters instead of just one since the prologue is so short. Here you'll find out what the surprise is and how it changes the girls' lives. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: See prologue

Valia Dounas was looking out of the window trying to sketch the birds as they looked for food. It wasn't easy because the birds rarely stayed still, but Valia was able to get a picture of one bird as it searched for its food. As she was sketching the wing, she heard the sound of a delivery truck as it made its way down her street. The noise frightened the birds, and they scattered to the trees. Valia was disappointed that they had left, but she soon became intrigued as the delivery man exited the truck and approached her house. Valia hurried to the door to answer it, wondering what was going on.

"Is this the home of Lena Kaligaris?" the delivery man asked.

"Yes, but she's Lena Dounas now," Valia replied. "May I ask what you need her for?"

"I have a package for her," the delivery man replied and gave the package to Valia. "Please let her know it's for her."

"What's in it?" Valia inquired. But the delivery man didn't answer and instead went back to his truck and left.

Valia was puzzled by this. Why would her mother get a package? Was it some art supplies, or something from Greece?

Lena Dounas came out of her studio. "Who was that, Valia?" she asked.

"A delivery man," answered Valia. "He said this package is for you." She held out the package for her mother.

Lena took the package and studied it. "I wonder what it could be," she mused. She carefully opened the package and looked inside, giving a gasp of surprise. "Oh my God!" she whispered. "It can't be!"

"What it is, Mom?" asked Valia.

Lena pulled out a pair of jeans. "It's the Traveling Pants," she replied.

"The ones you tried to find in Greece?" prompted Valia.

Lena nodded. "Yes, the very same ones," she said. "I have to tell the others. They'll be so excited." Then a look of pain crossed Lena's face. "I wish Tibby were here to enjoy this."

"Mom, is it okay if I take the Pants to Carmina's?" asked Valia. "I think my friends need to know about this, too."

Lena smiled at her daughter. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea," she responded. "It's time for the Pants to work their magic on you and your friends now. Go on and take them, sweetheart."

Valia smiled and put the Pants back in the package. Then she hurried to Carmina's to spread the good news. Her friends weren't going to believe what had just happened.

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"It's about time you got here!" Carmina Sawyer scolded as she let Valia into the house.

"Well, I was kind of held up by this," Valia replied as she held up the package.

"What's that?" Marly Richman asked.

"Something that used to belong to our mothers," Valia answered.

"Seriously?" Bailey McBrian asked in awe. She was excited to see what her mother owned with her best friends.

"Seriously," Valia responded.

"Let's go to my room," Carmina suggested. She led the girls upstairs to her room, and they arranged themselves on the bed while they waited to see what Valia had brought. Valia pulled out the package and pulled out the Traveling Pants.

Bailey burst out laughing. "It's a pair of jeans," she said.

"They aren't just any pair of jeans," Valia explained. "These are the Traveling Pants."

"Whoa," Marly breathed. "The same ones our mothers wore every summer?"

Valia nodded. "Yep, those are the ones."

"I can't believe it," Carmina whispered. "I wonder if they'll fit us."

"There's only one way to find out," replied Bailey. She took the Pants from Valia and tried them on. As she put them on, she couldn't help but imagine her mother wearing these exact same Pants so many years ago. After she zipped them up, she looked in the mirror and gasped. The Pants fit her perfectly. She traced her finger over the heart that was sewn on the Pants and the three little words below it that said, "Bailey was here." She knew about her mother's friend, Bailey and how much Bailey meant to her mother. She was the one who had sewn the heart on the Pants. She rubbed her hand across it and closed her eyes, trying to see if she could feel her mother's presence nearby. Bailey didn't believe in heaven or God, but maybe her mother's spirit had taken shape in the form of these Pants.

"Wow, Bay, you look awesome in those Pants," Marly remarked.

"I just can't believe they fit," Bailey replied.

"It's definitely awesome," Valia added.

"It's unbelievable," Carmina whispered.

"So, who wants to try them next?" Bailey asked them.

"I do," Marly singsonged. She took the Pants from Bailey and slowly pulled them up. She thought for sure that they wouldn't fit because of her athletic build, but they went right up over her hips with no problem. She gasped and looked in the mirror just as Bailey had done. It definitely felt weird to be wearing these Pants, but it also felt right to Marly.

"Wow, Mar, you look so hot in those Pants," Bailey joked.

Marly smiled as she twirled around in the Pants. "Yeah, they do look great on me," she remarked. "Valia, why don't you try them next?"

Valia nodded and took the Pants from Marly. She pulled them on and zipped them up, amazed that they would even fit her. "Maybe these Pants are magical," she whispered. "It's impossible for them to fit all of us at once."

"Well, we still have Carmina who hasn't tried them on," Marly teased.

"Yeah, and I have a feeling they won't fit over my huge ass," Carmina joked. Although she had a nice figure, she'd inherited her mom's huge butt and often lamented that she wished her butt was smaller. Her mom was sympathetic and told her that in time she'd accept herself for who she was and not worry about her big butt.

"So, are you going to try them?" Bailey asked her.

"Yeah, I am," Carmina replied. She took the Pants from Valia and drew out the moment afraid that she'd rip them or that they wouldn't fit her. But to her surprise, the Pants went up without any resistance. She looked in the mirror and was stunned at what she saw. "Whoa, this is crazy," she whispered. "These Pants are definitely magical."

Suddenly, there was a knock on Carmina's door, and her mother asked, "Carmina, can I come in?"

"Sure," Carmina replied.

Carmen Sawyer came into her daughter's room and gasped as she saw her daughter wearing the Traveling Pants. A look of nostalgia came over her face as she remembered the day she and her friends had tried on the jeans. "So, do they fit all of you?" she asked.

Carmina nodded. "Yeah, they do," she replied. "Mama, are you okay?"

Carmen snapped out of her reverie. "I'm fine, sweetie," she said. "And I think I know how to get your summer started."

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Gilda's Aerobics Studio hadn't changed one bit. By sheer luck, it had remained standing in the same spot, though it had been turned into a full time gym rather than an exercise studio for pregnant women. The place was dark as seven figures made their way toward the building. Bridget smiled at her daughter and handed her the bobby pins so she could open the door. Marly smiled back and picked the lock perfectly. When they were inside they walked up to the aerobics studio, their hearts pounding in anticipation. It was crowded with gym equipment, but they all managed to find a space to sit. Lena lit the candles, and Bailey took out her video camera and began filming. It was just like the old days except it was Bailey filming and not Tibby.

Carmen cleared her throat and began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the return of the Traveling Pants. We never thought they would come back to us, yet they have. Tonight, we pass these Pants down to our daughters so that they may continue the legacy we started as the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. We hope that our daughters will find magic in these Pants and that they will cherish them for as long as they live. And, Tibby, we know that though you aren't with us in body, you are with us in spirit. If you're the one who sent us the Pants, thank you. This is just what our daughters needed."

Bailey pulled out the Manifesto that the mothers had written so long ago and laid it on top of the Pants. They observed a moment of silence for Tibby and then Lena read the rules that they had written down. Valia and her friends laughed at the no picking your nose rule because it was so silly.

"So, how are you going to pass down the Pants?" Bridget asked them.

"Maybe we should do it by birth order," Valia suggested.

"Sounds great," Bailey replied. "So, I get them first. Then they go to Marly, then Valia, and then Carmina."

"How long should we keep them for?" Marly inquired.

"Why don't you start by sharing them for a week and then keep them longer if you need to?" Lena suggested.

"That's a good idea," commented Valia. "We'll do that then."

With this settled, the girls and their mothers ate snacks while the mothers talked about some of their adventures with the Pants. It felt good for all of them to be together like this and sharing memories. For their mothers, it was remembering the good times and passing down a legacy to their daughters. For the daughters, it was about taking on a new legacy and continuing the Sisterhood as they learned more about their mothers and how the Pants had changed them. For Bailey especially it was about learning more about her mother and how the Pants had really helped her in her life.

After the memories were shared and it was time to end their gathering, they all joined hands and recited the oath of the Sisterhood: "To honor the Pants and the Sisterhood and this moment and this summer and the rest of our lives together and apart."

And so, the next generation of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants set off on their first summer apart and began new adventures. It was a summer that none of them would ever forget.

A/N: Yay! Another chapter is finished! I'm so excited to be writing this. Once again, if you have any questions, please ask them in your reviews or via private message, and I'll be sure to answer them as soon as I can. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.