2007
The air had a crisp chill to it as Fancy Crane sat in a chair by the pool, drinking a glass of white wine and thankful that she had no reason to go out tonight for Halloween. Her party girl days were far behind her, besides it was probably the one night her sister Pretty could go out and not get the disgusted looks she claimed she normally received. Everyone seemed to be out, revealing in the drama of their lives. Fancy instead was reflecting on hers. She enjoyed the oak flavor of her wine as she wrapped her cardigan sweater tighter against her body, watching how the fog seemed to be hugging the moon.
"I thought I might find you out here." Noah Bennett hand his hands in his pocket as he looked at his former love.
She smiled up at him, "What brings you here tonight?"
"I'm not really sure. I just felt like I had to see you." He sat on the chair next to hers, watching the mist over the pool.
"I'm glad you were drawn here this evening." She gestured to the bottle, "Care for a glass?"
Noah poured himself some of the white wine, "So, what has you sitting here on Halloween night?"
"I'm thinking."
"What could be on that mind of yours?"
Fancy looked into her glass, studying the way the moonlight reflected against the golden liquid. "Life, love, whose meant to be, whose not."
Noah nodded and leaned back in his seat, "Come to any conclusions yet?"
"I love Luis, I know that and as wonderful as it is, something just isn't in place."
"I understand, I feel that way about Paloma. I love her, I want to spend my life with her, but every once in a while I'll be stepping out of the car, or buying milk and I get this feeling that a piece of the puzzle was in place but got taken away."
Fancy took a long sip of her wine, "When was the last time you felt like that particular piece was in place?"
Noah leaned forward, his knees touching Fancy's. "Honestly?"
"Yes, of course." She leaned forward, bringing herself closer to him then she had been in a very long time.
He reached over and brushed the bangs from her eyes, "When we were together. How about you?"
Fancy watched as he tried to hide his confession with his sip, or more like chug of his wine. "When I was with you." She placed her hand on his knee.
Noah looked at her hand, covering it with his. "But we didn't work out before."
"I know." Fancy put her wine glass down on the ground, "We were such different people then Noah. I'd like to believe that we've grown up since then."
"We have, how could we not after all we've been through and seen."
She nodded, not really sure what to say right now. All she knew was she felt a warmth creeping through her body as she studied his eyes and wondered if his lips still felt the same as they once had.
Noah watched her eyes darting back and fourth and then before he really knew what he was doing, he found himself kissing her.
2008
Noah Bennett secretly enjoyed the way the fog would roll in at night, especially on a night like tonight. Throughout the air he could hear the echo's of children yelling Trick-or-Treat and the moans and groans of the adults forgetting themselves at the bars. It was only a matter of time before everything closed and his solitude was disrupted.
"Night off?" Officer Fancy Crane stood a few steps away, in her uniform, obviously on patrol.
Noah smiled, he had avoided her as much as possible the last year, it wasn't always easy they shared a brother after all. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the insanity of the evening."
She sighed and joined him watching the water, "Oh I know." She paused, "How are you doing, with Paloma gone?"
"She made a choice, and in the end I think its much better for both of us." He looked at her, the way the street lights reflected in her eyes, "How's Luis?"
"You'd have to ask my Aunt Sheridan, you're father even put us on separate shifts so we wouldn't have to even see each other."
Noah nodded, "Probably for the best."
"I'm the one that broke up with Luis." She confessed, I knew a year ago that he wasn't the one.
Noah took his eyes away from the water and focused specifically on her, "A year ago?"
"I know I ran away from you after we kissed by the pool, but that was because I was scared. I was scared to deal with the feelings and emotions that came with it."
"That's why I couldn't commit to Paloma the way I should have." He made his own confession, "All I could think about, was how you looked by the pool that night, how your lips felt, everything."
Fancy nodded, "Where does that leave us now, Noah?"
"We're both here, single and very much drawn to each other, right?"
"Right."
Noah took her hand, "Then perhaps, this is a chance for us to give it a second try."
She tried to hide the smile on her face, "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
"Good." Noah leaned down and kissed her, for just a moment before her walkie-talkie went off.
"I'll be back." She looked down at the device and walked off into the fog towards one of the shops down the boardwalk.
Noah watched her, this was it. This was his chance to spend forever with Fancy, and he wasn't going to let anything or anyone screw it up this time. He couldn't let her go again.