Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Everwood characters. This is merely for personal entertainment and not meant to infringe on any copyrights in relation to this show.

Chapter One: Friend in Need

Characters: Ephram, Colin

Chapter Summary: Ephram and Colin become aquainted in the is chapter during a late night walk/snack binge.

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[Everwood, Colorado had always been a quiet little town… After the demolition of the old footbridge excitement had pretty much been weaned from the community. However one young man had changed all that simply, some say, by taking a long nap and waking up a new, a different person. ]

Ephram Brown set in his room contemplating his decision of telling Amy where to go for what he considered poor handling of their current situation. In a way he had come to believe that she did use him, but he also saw the pain in her eyes. He wondered if maybe somewhere along the way she had unexpectedly fallen for him.

Still, she had returned to her reign as the queen of the "popular" table as far as he was concerned. It made him sick to think that he has feelings for this girl who is now so distant, so cruel. All she cared about now was Colin a worthwhile pursuit, but she was going after it without care to the people around her. Perhaps even Colin…

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Colin set on his bed contemplating where he now found himself, a strange room filled with posters of rock stars he wasn't sure he even liked, most looked to bizarre to fathom. His stomach twisted as he looked at all the trophies and pictures of football games, he had no clue about. He took another long look around and decided he really didn't like this room. He put on his coat and headed out his bedroom door.

"Mom, I am gonna go for a walk I need to clear my head, I'll be back soon"  Colin called to his mom.

"Take your cell phone, and don't stay out too long it's too cold" came her response.

Overprotective parents held new meaning to Colin, except now it was more like living with two strangers. They couldn't or wouldn't stop and see that this was not their little boy, this was a young man living in a strange town with a growing stomach ulcer. He had to get away from all the pressure!

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Knock Knock* ding dong*  ding dong*

Ephram opened the door but this was the last person he was expecting. Colin had wanted to be his friend yes, but to come to his house was completely different, out of the way for one but very different.

"Uh, Hi! You doing alright man?" Ephram managed to fumble out.

"Yea… I'm fine I just needed to get away for awhile mind if I come in." Colin spoke slowly in low tone that indicated he wasn't just fine… as if heaving a long sigh.

"Sure," Ephram said. Stepping back and pointing towards the dining room.

Ephram looked at the clock it was 12:00 a.m. he was used to being up this late, waiting for Delia to drop off and his Dad to give up on late night TV finally head for bed so he could study in peace. But why was Colin out so late, more importantly why was he here?

"I bet you are wondering why I am here?" Colin said as they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Normally, I would try and find a polite way of saying yea, but for now I will just stuck with yea." 

"Well, I told you the other day I wanted to be your friend cause you didn't expect anything from me. That's why I'm here cause I am tired of being constantly reminded of a person I never knew and am not sure I want to."

Ephram didn't know how to respond… his mouth moved but no words came out.

"It's ok you don't have to respond… truth is I just want to hang out."

"That's cool…. I don't know how entertaining I will be, but feel free to hang out all you want."

"Thanks." Colin said with a degree of sincerity humble gratitude the cleared the air.

Ephram started to say something, "Look before we do this, this thing where we are both friends outside of the little circle I like to call the trinity, there is something I think you should know about me."

"It's okay Ephram I know about you and Amy" Colin replied casually. "Everyone, at school is talking about how tight you two were and now that I am back she dropped you like a 100 pound lead weight into the ocean."

Ephram just looked at Colin again mouthing wordlessly.

"I don't expect you to understand, but as far as I am concerned Amy could be my sister, cousin, neighbor or a complete stranger. Even if tomorrow this all comes flooding back to me I think I will remember two things that you were my friend, your father saved my life, and that you were at least there for Amy when I couldn't be. But for right now the truth is I don't like Amy very much."

Ephram snorted, which attracted Colin's attention, "Join the club!" to which Colin appeared mildly shocked. "That was three things not two, and that's a 150 pound lead weight thank you." He blurted out smirking at his last statement.

Colin just looked at him somewhat puzzled half smiling.

Ephram continued, "No offense I still think Amy is one of the greatest girls I have ever known or will ever know, but since you have been back she hasn't been very, how can I say it, "Amy like" I guess. But I am thinking of the Amy I spent 2 months with for all I know this is how she was before. If that's the case then I don't think I want to know her anymore but I just can't help but thinking the other Amy is the real Amy."

Colin just nodded, "I wish I could help you there, bro, but the truth is I am just as lost as you. And like I said the way she has been acting here of lately doesn't seem like anyone I would want to be friends with let alone go out with."

"Well now that we have cleared the proverbial air I say we get something to nosh on," Ephram suggested hoping he had not upset Colin further remembering he had come here to escape.

"Sounds great," Colin responded, "what you got in the way of noshing?"

"A little Chinese a little Italian… leftovers mostly… sound good?"

"Sounds great."

"Alright you want egg rolls, sesame chicken, and fried rice; or would you like a slice of four cheese pizza with a side of meat balls and spaghetti."

"Meat balls and spaghetti with a side of fried rice, if you don't mind?"

"Absolutely," Ephram said laughing slightly, "I just never figured you for the meatball type." Ephram said as he stood up out of the fridge with half a meatball in his mouth. Colin started laughing.

They split the box of fried rice and each ate 3 racquetball-sized meatballs. They talked for hours. Colin wanted to hear all about the town from Ephram's point of view, having moved here from New York.

Colin said he would really have liked to meet Ephram's mom. He figured she would have been someone that he would have gotten along with well. Ephram agreed laughing saying that his mom had a thing for over achievers.

Colin asked if it was ok if he spent the night he wasn't in a hurry to get home. He explained the he had told his parent's he was spending the night at Bright's. Ephram said it was fine with him and showed him where his room was pulled out a sleeping bag and laid it across the floor next to his bed. He told Colin to take the bed, which they argued over for about 20 minutes. Finally Colin gave in and took the bed, but felt a pang of guilt. Here had taken this guys girl, his life, and now he was taking his bed. Ephram was already in his t-shirt and some scrub pants. Colin stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers. He crawled in the bed and looked around the room. There were pictures of Ephram's mom with her family everywhere. His keyboard and a telescope that looked extremely expensive. He liked this room a lot better than the one he had left. A lot better.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Everwood characters. This is merely for personal entertainment and not meant to infringe on any copyrights in relation to this show.

Chapter Two: Fallen

Characters: Ephram, Colin, Dr. Brown

Chapter Summary: Ephram and Colin have an unexpected encounter. Neither quite understood but both enjoyed.

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Ephram woke up one seemed like only 5 minutes later but by looking at the clock realized an hour had pasted it was 4:47 p.m. according to his watch hanging from the lamp on his nightstand. But Colin was not in the bed. He got worried. He walked around to the other side and saw that he was lying on the floor on the other side. Ephram panicked but then realized he had just rolled out of bed he covered him up with the comforter from the bed. Colin looked up and saw him half groggy.

Ephram just grinned, "Go back to bed man… it's ok you just fell out of the bed."

Colin looked worried; "I had a dream, a bad dream. Do you mind if I come over there by you?"

The expression on Colin's face, his knuckles were white from where he had been gripping onto the floor, while his face was drained of blood. It was the look of terror. He had only seen it one time before, when he saw his reflection the night he found out his mother died.

Ephram just nodded and grabbed the comforter and brought it back to where he had been laying. His room was plenty big enough. He grabbed another blanket off the bed and laid it across the floor next to his sleeping bag. Colin lay down quietly, pulled the cover to his face, and just stared at the ceiling. Ephram laid in the sleeping bag next to him doing the same.

"What was your dream about man?" Ephram finally worked up enough courage to ask.

"I dreamed I was in a town where I didn't know anyone… and they were all expecting me to be this super hero. Then I met someone who I liked a lot but wasn't supposed to and now I don't know if I should tell them."

Ephram swallowed, "Well I know we are new at this friends thing, but the way I figure it I am the closest friend you have right now. If you want to tell me I listen well. Or at least I have been told I do."

Colin turned his head toward Ephram speaking clearly and quietly, "It's you. I like you. I like everything about you. I want to know all about you. You are so interesting. You are the person I wish I was discovering was me."

Ephram turned over as Colin spoke and looked him in the eyes. Colin leaned forward and kissed Ephram on the mouth. Ephram's stomach churned with a great degree of force, shock and fear. What was he doing? He had to stop this. Ephram pulled away, "I don't think this is right… I mean you don't know who you are, and I am certainly not sure about this. I think it would just hurt us both."

Colin looked toward the ceiling and spoke with the same quiet clear voice, "I refuse to believe the one thing that I am sure about right now is wrong. Ephram Brown is the one thing I am sure about and I refuse to believe you hurt me anymore then I already am."

He looked at Ephram, who was still digesting the situation, everything that had happened, this whole weird night. Ephram looked back at Colin and this time it was he who leaned forward and placed a kiss on Colin's mouth. They locked arms around each other's shoulders and kissed for what seemed like hours but lasted only minutes.

***

That churning sensation appeared in Ephram's stomach again when he heard his father's footsteps down the hall it was 5:30 in the morning time for his morning round and then off to the clinic. He looked at Colin with extreme fear. Colin understood and crawled back onto the bed quietly. Ephram passed the blankets to him and then recoiled back into his sleeping bag. Colin pulled the comforter up and covered his head fully. Ephram's dad stuck his head in the door and saw Ephram on the floor.

***

He nudged Ephram. "Hey, what is this about?"

Ephram pretended to have been asleep and groggy. Which was not hard to do considering the time he had actually slept. "It just Colin dad. He needed a place to crash. I hope it was ok?"

"Sure son," his father whispered smiling, and walked out of the room.

Colin looked at Ephram and grinned. Ephram grinned back and buried his head back into the covers. It was Saturday he could sleep for hours and maybe not have to worry about the event's of the night before until oh say after lunch. Colin and Ephram drifted off to sleep. Neither knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

***

After a couple of hours passed Colin quietly got up and dressed. Pulling his clothes on and forgetting his miner's jacket, he was too happy to think about it. Ephram lay on the floor sleeping peacefully. When his alarm clock went off playing "Rockabye" by Shawn Mullins.

"Everything is gonna be alright Rockabye… Everything is gonna be alright Rockabye… Rockabye…Rockabye!!!"

Ephram instinctively reached up to the night stand and hit the off button and then quickly looked toward the bed realizing that Colin must have left. He rolled over and pulled the cover back over his face to hide his smile. Colin peered back around the corner of the door. Then quietly made his way down the hall.