A/N-

Just a quick note before you start reading this. This is a redone version of Past Meets Present, awhile back I had gone back and re-read it along with the reviews and the private messages I had received. I realized pretty quickly that there was a lot of things I would change if I could go back and rewrite it. Instead of taking Past Meets Present apart and redoing it part by part I decided to just completely redo it. Please read this with an open mind if you are a fan of the original, there have been characters that have been replaced by others, certain storylines have been redone, and other things have been tweaked. I hope you enjoy it as much as you did the original. Any reviews, favorites and follows are greatly appreciated. If you have any feedback or something you loved in the original that you want to see in the redo please drop me a private message and I'll do my best to make sure it makes it in. Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered to read this and gave me such positive feedback. Happy reading!

March

-Pony-

As soon as I get off the phone I go back outside grabbing the stack of mail out of the box, I have a really bad habit of letting it pile up, if Ryleigh doesn't check it, it will stay there for a week sometimes longer. I sort through the pile of junk mail and bills, until I find what I'm looking for. Even if I hadn't known what it was I would have recognized the square envelope as a wedding invitation. Being twenty-nine all my friends are either married or getting married, the past few years have been a constant stream of invitations and weddings. Tossing the other mail aside I rip it open, reading it then chuckling to myself. I had sworn the phone call from Two-Bit had been a joke, one of his pranks it had to be. But no he's actually getting married to Marcia, I hadn't even known they had been together. In all honesty I'm really bad about keeping in touch with people back home besides Darry and his wife Kate, I really don't talk to anyone. Occasionally Two-Bit but that's about it. Actually come to think of it I haven't so much as stepped foot into the state of Oklahoma since I left for Boston almost fifteen years ago, I really have no reason too. Soda had enlisted as soon as he was old enough, he had briefly gotten shipped overseas but never saw any real action. He was back in Tulsa a few years later by the time he got back I was already attending Harvard. Soda hung around Tulsa for a few years helping Darry get his business off and running and with some nudging from Kate went back and got his GED. When one of his army buddies called asking Soda if he'd be interested in helping manage a bar he had just opened in Chicago, Soda went and has been there ever since. Kate and Darry had gone to the courthouse and gotten married, and since then no reasons to go back have come up. I glance at my watch and then dial Darry and Kate's number. After a ring or two Kate answers, "Hello?" Kate and Darry dated all through high school, when mom and dad died Darry had broken it off with her, he already had to much on his plate. The two of them stayed friends and not to long after I left for school they picked things up again and got married a couple years later. Darry now has a thriving construction business with Kate running all the administration aspects for him. Kate is the sister that Soda and I never had.

"Hey it's me." I reply.

Hey." Kate replies, than pauses a minute, "It's not Sunday why are you calling is everything ok?"

"Yeah everything is good." I assure her. "I just got off the phone with Two-Bit, I can't believe he's actually getting married." Kate laughs,

"We were a bit surprised too. We knew they were dating but I don't think any of us realized it was that serious. But then again nothing is every truly serious with Two-Bit."

"That's true." I agree.

"Did he ask you to be a groomsmen? He said he was planning too."

"Yeah he did, he mentioned he was going to call Soda later."

"He also asked Darry and Steve. You did agree to it right?" Kate questions.

"Of course I did." I reply.

"Good. Ryleigh going to be able to make the trip with you? I know how crazy her work schedule is."

"I haven't actually gotten to talk to her yet, she had court today so who knows when she's going to be home."

"Well you know you both can stay here, we'd love to see you."

"I will definitely be there and I'll do my best to make sure Ry comes as well."

"I hope so. You guys doing anything fun this weekend?" Kate questions.
"We leave tomorrow for the Cape, we're taking a long weekend."

"That sounds like fun." Kate and I talk for a few minutes before we hang up, I haven't started packing yet and I'm expecting Ryleigh home at any minute and I had promised her that morning I'd be packed so we can leave first thing tomorrow morning. I've just started packing when I hear the familiar sound of heels on the stairs. Ryleigh pauses at the bedroom door,

"How was court?" I ask digging through my dresser drawer.

"It went well, as well as can be expected. Mr. Miller was held in contempt and had to be escorted out but I think we all figured that would happen." I look up at her. Ryleigh just graduated from Harvard Law School last year, and pretty soon after she got offered a job at a firm that deals mostly with Family Law. "How about you? How was your day?" She asks sitting down on the edge of the bed, and refolding the shirts I had balled up and thrown in my suitcase.

"It was good. Nothing crazy like yours." Staying in Boston had always been my plan, even before I met Ryleigh, her being here just sealed the deal. By sheer luck I had gotten offered a job teaching at Harvard, and after I got my PhD had gotten promoted to co-chair of the English Department. "You think you'd be able to get a few days off in like a month?"

"It shouldn't be a problem. What's going on?" Ryleigh asks.

"Remember I told you about Two-Bit?" She nods, "He's getting married and he asked me to be a groomsmen." I pause, "And I think it's time for you to see where I grew up."

"I'd love too. It shouldn't be an issue I'll talk to Dean when I get back to the office on Tuesday." She stands up, "I'm going to go start dinner." I think for a second,

"We are both home why not leave for the Cape tonight?" Since we are going to Ryleigh's family's house it's not like we have to worry about hotel reservations getting changed or not being able to find somewhere to stay. "We can grab dinner before we leave." A smile crosses Ry's face,

"Let me change and we can go." She tells me. Within an hour we are on the road to the Cape.

-Soda-

I swear the elevator in our apartment building is exceptionally loud when I get home from work in the early hours of the morning, then it sounds a lot like a jet plane taking off. It can't get to the tenth floor fast enough, I am half way through the door before it even fully opens. As quietly as I can I put the key in the lock and open the door, surprised when Paige is fully dressed for work standing in the hallway. "I was wondering when you'd be home." She greets.

"White Sox home game don't ask." I say kicking my shoes off. "You get called in?" Paige nods,

"Apparently Amy got sent home sick again." Paige and I have been together for four years living together for just about two. We met three years after I moved to Chicago she had taken a part-time job bookkeeping at the bar I was managing while she was working through nursing school. I had been interested instantly, it was hard not to be. Paige on the other hand refused even a date while we were working together, so the two of us had plenty of time to get to know each other. On her last day at the bar she marched in and asked me out, the rest is history we've been together ever since. Paige gathers up her stuff then pauses, "Oh before I forget you have mail, it's got a Tulsa return address that's not Darry's. It's on the kitchen counter." I have no idea who in Tulsa would be sending me mail, Steve is definitely not the letter writing type, and if Kate or Darry wanted to get a hold of me they'd just call.

"Why didn't you open it?" Paige smirks at me,

"My name isn't Mr. Soda Curtis, or I would have." She answers smartly. She follows me into the kitchen, I study the envelope not recognizing the name or address on the backside of it. "My guess is it's a wedding invitation." Paige says.

"Who the hell is getting married in Tulsa that would have invited me?" I question out loud as I open it, I read it then throw it on the counter. "Son of a bitch. Tw0-Bit."

"He the crazy one?" Paige asks. I nod,

"Yeah. Never thought I'd live to see him get married." I pause, "I'll call Pony in the morning and see if he got one." Paige shakes her head, her dark hair fluttering around her shoulders,

"Him and Ryleigh are going to Cape Cod this weekend, I talked to Ry earlier today they won't be back until Tuesday." Ryleigh and Paige are thick as thieves they had met when Pony and Ry had come to Chicago to visit me, at the time Paige and I had just been friends but her and Ry totally hit it off. They actually talk more than Pony and I do. "I bet it happens this weekend." I would never tell Pony but Paige and I have a friendly bet about when him and Ryleigh will finally get engaged. They've been together seven years or something like that, so we all know it's coming.

"Nah." I reply. Paige nods her head adamantly,

"Remember if I win we're going to Vegas." She looks at her watch, "I got to get going. I'll try and get home before you have to be back at work." She grabs the front of my shirt pulling me in for a kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too." I reply. Paige grabs her purse and her keys and leaves, I lock the door behind her, before going into the bedroom to take a shower and crawl into bed. The phone ringing wakes me up, I look at the clock it's barely past 10am. "Hello?" I answer trying to wake up.

"Shit did I wake you up?" A familiar yet unexpected voice says.

"Yeah you did Two-Bit. It's cool though, I needed to get up anyways." I reply. "Got your wedding invitation. Congratulations." Two-Bit laughs,

"Thanks. I'll keep this short I want you to be a groomsmen, you down?" I rub my eyes,

"Absolutely. I'll be there." I tell him there is no way I am missing this.

"Awesome." The two of us talk for a few more minutes, before Two-Bit hangs up stating he has to get to work before Darry kicks his ass. I had almost forgotten after Two-Bit had gotten out of jail and his parole officer told him get a job or else Darry had hired him on, after warning him if he got out of line he would personally kick his ass all the way back to county. After I hang up I roll over and go back to sleep.

-Pony-

Ry and make it back into the house before the clouds let loose with rain, thunder and lightening not far behind. Ryleigh stands watching the storm out the glass doors that lead to the pool and behind that the ocean. When I first met Ryleigh I had been paranoid that once she found out I had basically come from nothing she'd bail. As far as upbringings go ours couldn't be more opposite. Ryleigh was born and raised in Cambridge, her dad is a hot shot defense attorney her mom is a pediatrician. Her and her brother Will had attended a prep school until they graduated high school after which Ry went to Harvard and Will went to Dartmouth. Ry's mom comes from old money, her grandparents are seriously wealthy. They grew up with more money then they knew what to do with, and yet you'd never know. They are totally unaffected by it, and Ryleigh and her family were completely not phased by the fact I grew up with none. A particularly loud clap of thunder makes Ry jump back a bit, "I hope we don't lose power, that always creeps me out." She remarks turning around towards me. She pauses as the lights go off leaving us in complete darkness before they flicker back on a few seconds later. "Not cool." Ryleigh is a city girl, it's never completely dark in Boston and it's never completely quiet, Cape Cod during the off season is probably the most secluded place she's ever been.

"I'm right here you're fine." I tell her. Ryleigh mumbles something before going to the fridge getting a bottle of wine and a glass.

"You want one?" I shake my head,

"Nah I'm good." She goes back to the fridge digs through it and slides me a beer. "I'll take that though." She pours herself a glass of wine and takes a sip. I look out the door the storm certainly seems like it's getting worse. "Tell you what I'll go start a fire just in case the power goes out, why don't you go change into pajamas and meet me back down here."

"Ok but I'm taking a flashlight with me." She says digging through the kitchen drawers until she finds what she's looking for. Twenty minutes later I've got a fire going as Ryleigh comes back. She plops down on the couch next to me, and not two minutes later the power goes out.

"We are sleeping down here. It's pitch black dark upstairs."

"Since when are you afraid of the dark Ryleigh?" I ask.

"I'm not afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of what I can't see in the dark." She replies. I laugh to myself this is the same girl who has no problem going into bars in the worse parts of Boston, and could careless about getting herself into the middle of a contentious custody battle but turn out the lights and she's a mess. I put an arm around her waist as she snuggles in close to me. We sit quietly for a few seconds watching the fire,

"So I've been thinking Ry." She turns so she can see me,

"What about?"

"You and me." She takes the last sip of her wine putting the glass on the coffee table, "And I think it's time."

"Time for what exactly?" She questions, I can tell by the tone of her voice she's confused, then it dawns on her. "Oh no not now I'm in pajamas." She protests as I maneuver myself onto one knee.

"You look beautiful Ry." I tell her, as I watch her dark blue eyes fill up with tears, "I've loved you since the first day and I'll love you till the last day. There is nothing I want more then to spend the rest of my life with you. Ryleigh will you marry me?" I reach into my jeans pocket and pull out the ring,

"Yes. Oh my God yes of course I'll marry you." I take her left hand sliding the ring on her finger, kissing it gently. I've wanted to marry her for years, I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't rush it and would wait until we were financially stable. It had been hard as hell to wait, and I know Ryleigh thought I would never ask, but I had to do it right. I had to make sure I was fully able to take care of her in the way Ry deserves to be taken care of. I sit back down on the couch and Ry scrambles into my lap her arms around my neck her fingers running through my hair. "I love you." She murmurs.

"I love you too." I reply closing the gap between us kissing her.

-Ryleigh-

I had just gotten back to my office from court when my secretary Lily stops me, "Miss. Harris you have a message." She says waving a piece of paper towards me.

"Thanks." I reply taking it from her smiling when I realize it's from Paige, I sit down at my desk and dial her number hoping she's home. Paige works crazy hours in the ER and a lot of times it's almost impossible to get a hold of her. I'm surprised when she answers after the first ring,
"Hello?"

"You called Miss. Reynolds. You know you can just use your first name." Paige giggles,

"I know but I like to sound fancy, and Paige is so boring." She replies. "How was your guys weekend?"

"It was fantastic I was actually going to call you tonight."

"He proposed didn't he?" Paige asks immediately.

"Actually yeah he did." I reply.

"I knew it. Did you love the ring, I told him you would." Paige stops short and chuckles, "Forget I said that."

"Oh my God you totally knew about this."

"Well, kinda I mean I knew it was coming, I just wasn't sure when. When Pony came to Chicago for that weekend when you couldn't come. And by the way I missed you so much." I roll my eyes at her through the phone as she continues, "He asked my opinion on a ring, and when we saw that one I knew you'd love it." She pauses, "You do don't you?" I look at my left hand, the ring is absolutely gorgeous and it's exactly what I've always wanted. A perfect oval diamond in a halo setting on a rose-gold diamond band. It's classic and so me.

"You know me to well Paige. I do I love it." The first time Paige and I met it was like being with someone I've known forever, I adore Paige. She's smart, sharp, funny, a total blast to be around and a really good person. She has the knack to make everyone feel like they are her best-friend.

"I knew you would. Have I told you how happy I am for you guys."

"Thanks Paige." I pause, "Are you guys going to Tulsa for the wedding?"

"We are, I guess Soda and Pony are both in the wedding or that's what Soda told me. We'll have to find ways to entertain ourselves, I'm sure Kate will be game for it." I laugh,

"I'm sure she will." I sigh when my intercom goes off alerting me to my next client, "I got to get back to work. I'll give you a call this week."

"Talk to you then. Bye." I hang up and buzz Lily to send them in.

-Paige-

I smirk as I hang the phone up, I go in the bedroom and jump on the bed, where Soda is still passed out. "Hey wake up you owe me a trip to Vegas." Soda opens his eyes slowly,

"Come again Paige."

"Your brother proposed, you owe me a trip to Vegas." I repeat. Soda rubs his eyes sitting up, I feel bad for him. Baseball season is busy time for the bar which is a block away from where the White Sox play, when there are home games he's lucky if he's home before the sun comes up.

"Pony proposed for real?" I nod,

"I told you. I knew it." I look at Soda, "So when are we going?" Soda laughs sitting up,

"When we get back from Tulsa we'll plan it ok Paige?"

"I'm gonna remember you said that and hold it to you."

"I know you will." He yawns, "Can't believe it took this long for him to do it, can't believe Ry waited around for so long."

"I've never seen anyone so in love with someone as Ry is with Pony and vice versa." It's the truth, the two of them are perfect for each other. Ryleigh is all about flowers and romance and being swept off her feet and Pony gives her that while still remaining a steady solid foundation for her. He accepts the fact that Ryleigh is an over achieving workaholic who plans her life out months in advance. They accept each other for all their flaws and really focus on the good things. I love Soda with my entire heart but there's definitely something different about Pony and Ryleigh, they are the kind of people that give you faith in the whole happily ever after thing. "She would have kept waiting."

"Probably. Don't worry Paige I won't make you wait seven years." Soda says giving me a kiss. I had gone through a pretty constant stream of boyfriends before I met Soda, I knew he was the one almost immediately, I just had to be stubborn and refuse to date him for almost two years. He was definitely worth the wait,

"When you take me to Vegas we should just get married, you me and Elvis." I tell him,

"Really Paige like any girl really wants that." Soda calls after me as I go into the bathroom to start getting ready for work,

"In case you forgot I'm not just any girl." I reply. He gets out of bed as I come out of the bathroom, putting his arms around me.

"Oh I know Paige Marie, I know." He leans down kissing me until I can't think or see straight.

"I've got fifteen minutes you better make the best of it." I tell him as I push him back onto the bed.