Nick's life had gone back to what it was before. Gambling, late nights with women he didn't love, money and hotel rooms. Seemed about right.

But he couldn't help but think of the love lost scenario between him and Ellis. He had never let onto the kid that he liked him, hut he had, there was just something so magnetic about Ellis. It didn't matter how many years had past, he missed him.

He was currently sitting at his usual watering hole, drinking and contemplating seeing Ellis again. He wondered if he ever found his friends. Keith and some dude from up at the mall? Couldn't remember. But he was definitely thinking of making the trip south to go and see him. As soon as Savannah was cleared, Ellis of course, returned. Nick had drifted from place to place, settling in California, then moving around before going to Nevada and then settled in New York. He liked New York, but was also sick of it.

He drunkenly decided after seven years of separation, he would go south to the place that started it all.

…

He remembered what Savannah was like as soon as he stepped foot out of the car. He exhaled, glad that he had kept in sort of contact with Ro, who gave him Ellis and Coach's address. Coach had moved back too.

He looked at the small home and smiled. It certainly looked like a home Ellis would have chosen. It had such a warm feeling, one Nick had never known.

He walked up the front path and knocked on the door before realising there was a doorbell, so he rang that too.

He wished he could, but couldn't hear anything. This is what he gets for coming down on a Saturday, probably at work or hanging out with his buddies. He ran his palm over his face, when the door opened.

"Nick?"

Nick nodded. Seeing Ellis felt like it jumpstarted his heart. "Ellis. El… how are you?"

"I'm great, come in. Sorry my house is a mess, I wasn't expectin' no one. Sorry."

"That's fine." Nick stepped inside and went to remove his shoes.

"Don't worry 'bout it."

He nodded and straightened up. He looked around at the floor, which was littered in children's toys. He frowned.

"So, what have you been up to Nick?" Ellis asked, sitting on the lounge.

Nick looked at the TV and saw children's cartoons playing.

Ellis muted it. "Yeah, drives me a bit mad sometimes" he chuckled. "You feelin' okay man?"

He looked at Ellis. Although Ellis was now thirty something, he still looked great. "Yeah, I am fine" he finally smiled. He sat next to Ellis. He was just about to ask Ellis to explain the kids shit everywhere, but he realised what it meant the second a pretty brunette wrapped in a white bathrobe walked into the room.

"Oh, El… you have a friend over?" she smiled. "Hi there, I am Catherine. Sorry I just bathed the kids so I am a mess" she chuckled. "I am sorry. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

She definitely wasn't a Southerner. Hell, she spoke like she was from New York. Nick couldn't help but stare awkwardly at her. Sure, she was beautiful… but Ellis? Nick wanted Ellis. He sighed. "No, I am fine."

"I can get you a beer. It ain't too early is it?" Ellis smiled.

"No thanks Kid, I'll be driving back home today."

"But you just got here. We got a spare room y'know. Keith lived here for a bit til he got his own place."

"So you found Keith?"

"More like he found me. After you left the quarantine, I got a letter from another evac from Keith! He had been sendin' 'em out hopin' the right Ellis would reply, so I sent him one startin' with 'remember the time' but I can't remember what story I wrote about" he chuckled.

Nick smiled.

Within seconds, two young girls rushed into the room, the older one jumping on Ellis' lap.

"Daddy, who is this?"

"Remember Nick from my stories? This is him."

Nick felt Catherine's eyes on him at that moment. He looked around at her and her brows were furrowed and her lips parted in slight confusion. Or was it hurt? He looked back at Ellis, suddenly feeling awkward. He didn't know what to say.

"These here are my little angels. This one here is my little troublemaker Belle, an' this one here is Hope. Ain't they the cutest? I think so anyway, but I guess that's bias since I'm their pa."

Hope looked at Nick, eyes wide. Then she climbed up and sat on his lap. He blushed and looked at Ellis.

Ellis just smiled. "Means she likes you. She is four, but she don't like to talk much. Belle is six in two weeks. She is jus' like me. Don't know when to stop talkin'."

Nick felt an unhealthy stab of jealousy. Of course Ellis wanted kids. It hadn't even fuckin' clicked with him now, but Catherine was pregnant. That was why Ellis wanted a wife. Children. That were his own.

He sighed.

"When you left us at the quarantine… well, I met Catherine. She is from New York and she is a reporter, worked with Ro for a while. She introduced us actually."

"When did you two get married?"

"We ain't just yet. I keep knockin' her up an' she don't want to be pregnant in the wedding pictures."

Nick just looked at Ellis, frowning. "Nice choice of words. They are so you."

Ellis chuckled. "Sorry. Anyway, we are gon' wait til all our kids are older so they can be in the weddin' ain't that right?"

"Yes. Ellis' idea." She walked over with cookies and milk for the kids. She set them down on the coffee table. She frowned at Hope's choice of seating. "Sit and have your food." She walked back out of sight.

Hope clambered off Nick's lap and started eating. She held a cookie out for Nick.

"Oh, I am fine thanks, Hope."

She nodded and continued eating.

Ellis smiled and looked at Nick. "I missed you."

Nick sighed. "I missed you too El."

Belle finally joined her sister at the coffee table.

"So, you know if the next one is gonna be a girl?" Nick asked, trying to form a conversation without being angry at himself.

"I want another girl" Ellis chuckled. "I like the name Esther, but Catherine thinks this one is gon' be a boy. Ain't that right?"

"Yeah. We don't have a name for it if it's a boy though."

"I like Zac without an 'h' at the end, but then Catherine said that Zac is jus' short for Zachary an' that has an 'h' in it so I don't know."

"Ellis originally suggested Nicolas. Guess that's because of you?"

Ellis blushed a deep red.

Nick raised a brow.

"Uh… well, Coach didn't have the same effect" Ellis shrugged. Ellis didn't know why Catherine had tried to embarrass him. Before they had started dating he had told her of teammate who he had admired, but they had gone their own ways. But this wasn't about that. This wasn't a reunion of lovers. They were just friends from a long time ago. They, well, Ellis, he had no ideas what Nick's interest in him was, but Ellis had never wanted to tell Nick that he loved him. The rejection would hurt and humiliate him.

Nick just nodded. "It's because you thought you would never see me again, right?"

Ellis sighed and nodded. "It's been seven years since you left at quarantine. Hell, I missed you somethin' awful Nick."

Nick nodded. "I left… for stupid reasons. But I wish I could have taken back that I left, because I was just so stupid."

"I was too. If I'd just been honest." He shrugged. "Oh well. Times have changed I s'pose."

Catherine walked back over. "Can I get you guys something to eat?"

"Cat, have you checked on Arianna?"

"Who is that?" Nick asked.

"Our little one."

"How many kid do you have?" Nick asked.

"We have three, almost four. Arianna is sleepy and naps twice a day. She is two. Total opposite of me at two. Ma always said I never slept. Drove her mad."

"I checked on her before. She is fine" Catherine smiled, sitting on his lap.

Ellis wrapped his arms around her waist, hands settling on her stomach. "Love this" he said, rubbing her belly.

She smiled. "I know."

Nick looked at the TV as brightly coloured characters bopped around the screen soundlessly.

He couldn't believe it. Well, he could, but… this wasn't how he wanted this reunion to go. But Ellis looked happy, and so he felt happy. It was a strange happiness though. It hurt his chest, but he truly wanted to push that negative, selfish feeling down deep so he wouldn't think of it.

"I am going to start of lunch, soup okay?"

"Sure is" Ellis smiled, looking up at his girlfriend.

She stood up and walked to the kitchen, the young girls following her.

Ellis sighed loudly, his gaze turning back to Nick and smiled. "I am real happy that you made the trip here Nick. Means a lot to me. I… I would love to ask you to stay longer, but that is selfish of me, isn't it? I really wanna catch up, but… if you have to leave…" he shrugged, his smile fading slightly. "I understand."

"I am really happy for you Ellis" said Nick, dismissing what Ellis had said. "Shit, you settled down, had kids, bought a really nice house… you must be really happy Ellis."

Ellis nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I am. Are you sure you wanna travel back today? It's a long drive?"

"Might have a stopover somewhere else" he shrugged, not really thinking it through. "Might stop and see Coach."

"His house is just a couple blocks from here, I can give you directions when you leave" Ellis offered.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks."

"So, Ro told you he was back in Savannah too?"

"Yep. She did. You see her often Ellis?"

"She has no family left, so we catch up at Christmas and she comes down several times a year when she is off from work. She is the godmother of our little ones."

"Coach the godfather?"

"Don't have one. Wanted it to be you" he said rather nonchalantly.

Nick was definitely surprised.

"Coach agreed with me. You know I always thought so highly of you Nick."

Nick smiled sadly. "You did? You shouldn't have. I'm still… I still have to get my shit together."

"One day Nick" Ellis smiled. "Sometimes… things just take time."

"Yeah… maybe that's all it needs." Like he needed more fucking time. Early forties and not one part of his life meant anything. It was a life wasted. He sighed and leaned back, too comfortable in the mechanics presence. He shouldn't have come here. He should have known that Ellis, the man he wanted, was with someone else. Someone who really deserved him. Someone who loved him and got to share a home and a family with him.

Then he realised that he really had to let go. All that time spent wondering about Ellis, wanting to see him… well, now he had. He was happy to see the mechanic so fulfilled in life. Something he would never achieve.

He stood up. "Sorry Ellis, I didn't want to have to leave so soon, but… I am going now" he decided. He would briefly visit Coach, and perhaps he would move again. Move somewhere far away…

"You will visit again, right Nick?" asked the surprised looking mechanic. "You can stay a little longer if you want-"

"Thanks for the offer."

"Come by whenever you want. Please."

Nick smiled, his heart breaking all over again. "We'll see" he decided on, knowing it was a slightly rude way to phrase it.

Ellis frowned, realizing this was probably the last time he would see the man he admired so much. "I see."

"I am glad I got to see you today. I am Ellis."

Ellis blinked back tears. "Yeah, me too. I missed you a lot."

"Me too. Me too."

"I'll walk you to your car."

"Thanks."

"Right, I will give you the directions to Coach's too" he rattled off the directions, still not looking at Nick.

"Thanks Ellis." He looked directly at him. "Goodbye El."

"Nick… I will see you again one day."

"Yeah." Nick got in his car. He waved to Ellis for the last time.

Ellis waved until Nick was out of sight. He sighed wiping his eyes. In his mind he was sure he would see Nick again, but his heart felt otherwise.

"Ellis?"

He looked around at his fiancé. "Cat-"

"He didn't-"

"Sorry, Cat. I needed this."

She nodded.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." She looked up at the man she loved, the father of her children, and saw someone she had never seen before. "El-"

He looked at her with his usual chipper smile. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah… I'm fine." They walked back towards the house, but she couldn't help but look back at the road leading to Coach's.