A/N: I'm ba-ack!!! This isn't exactly the full story that tells about the next chapter of Andrea Morrison's life - it's something I think needs to be published in order to understand her relationship with Riley. Only read this if you have read 'In a Woman's Eyes' and 'In an Older Woman's Eyes'. This story contains twelve consecutive years involving Andrea and Riley. The last chapter will be one taking several years after the twelfth year.

Each chapter's named after a song. Name the song's singer and you get a virtual cookie! Also, it might help if you listen to the song when reading this. Thank you!!!

Chapter 1: (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry

August 5th, 2001:

"Remind me again why I'm meeting your new intern, Uncle Ben," fifteen-year-old Andrea grunted, making a show of glancing down at her wristwatch. "I'm missing an important Quiz Bowl session. You're the one working with this guy, not me."

Ben took a sip of water, smiling into his glass. "Be patient, sweetie. This guy isn't like the last few interns. I think that he can easily help us find the Charlotte."

"That's what you said about the last intern, and things with him didn't end very nicely, now did they?"

"Just go with me on this, Andrea," Ben insisted. "I promise that he's the real deal."

His niece bit her lip to restrain from commenting. Over the slim amount of the past four months, Ben had already hired three different interns, each being fired after an interesting and dramatic event – much to Andrea's glee. She didn't mind if it was only she and Ben tracking down the Charlotte. It was their thing.

Ben peered over at the far side of the dining room and excitedly waved to someone at the room entrance. "That's him over there."

Andrea turned in her seat to pick out her uncle's new employee, but at the last minute, a horde of waiters blocked her view as they gathered around a nearby table, singing 'Happy Birthday' to a customer. "Where is he?"

But she didn't need an answer to her question. She automatically spotted a skinny young man navigating around the waiters, nearly tripping over his own feet. He was still too much of a distance away to pick out his facial features.

"He looks a lot like Intern Number 2, Ben," Andrea fibbed as she turned back around, just to annoy Ben. "The one who practically burned our only hints of Charlotte's location – remember?"

"I've had enough of you, missy…" Ben snatched up a roll from the bread basket in the center of the table, jamming it into Andrea's mouth to keep her quiet.

As Andrea caught the roll from falling out of her mouth, she could hear the intern's voice from behind her. "Hi, Mr. Gates, sorry I'm late…"

Andrea whirled around to face this stranger, and she did just in time to see the young man approach, completely unaware of the waiter in his path. Andrea's mouth fell open as the intern obliviously collided with the waiter, who was carrying a tray full of soups.

The waiter yelped as he fell to the ground, his tray flying upwards. She watched as the bowls' liquids sloshed out of them. There was a large clatter as the numerous bowls each fell to the ground, some shattering into little pieces.

The soups, however, landed on Andrea's head and shoulders, and as the hot creaminess soaked through her clothes, she gasped and shot to her feet. Ben still sat, looking horrified.

Flicking French onion soup out of her eyes, Andrea could finally see the new intern in front of her. She was so infuriated that she could this guy's eyes out. Her anger level rising, she glanced up in the direction of the soup culprit, hands clenching into fists.

He was young, no doubt about that. She spotted no wrinkles on his face or grey hairs on his head. His eyes were a nice color, she'd admit that. His two pupils seemed to shine nervously at her that moment.

There was a defying moment of silence dragging on until the man finally stretched out a hand to her. "Hi. I'm Riley – Riley Poole. Um…I'm sorry…about all of this…" He gestured towards the dripping soup varieties daringly.

"You should be sorry," Andrea found herself saying. When someone peeved her off, she didn't care about first impressions at all.

"Er, Riley, meet my niece, Andrea," Ben rose, gathering together napkins to clean his companion off. "She usually isn't this…crabby."

"Well, she is wearing the lobster bisque, I see," Riley pointed out musingly.

Andrea growled haughtily. "I swear, if we weren't in public…"

"Go and clean yourself off now, Andrea," Ben interrupted, thrusting the napkins at her. "Feel free to leave for your Quiz Bowl afterwards, if you want…"

"Oh, you bet I'll leave," Andrea grabbed the napkins and her purse and left for the women's room in a huff. If Riley Poole wasn't going to be fired for that blunder, then it probably meant he was going to be around for a long time…

Interesting first meeting, eh? Please, please review!