AN: this is part three in a series that includes my stories All We Are and When In Rome. I highly suggest reading When In Rome before you read this, because so much happened in that story that will be mentioned in this story.

The Way Back to You

Chapter 1

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to the airport?" Adam asked as he closed the trunk of the taxi. He turned to Fiona, who was standing on the curb next to him.

"I'm sure," she told him. "If you're there, I won't get on the plane."

He sighed then nodded, taking a step away from her. "Call me when you get settled."

"As soon as I get off the plane," she promised. She kissed him then hugged him tightly. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love you," he said, holding her just as tight. He slowly released her and she stepped away from him, getting in the cab. "I'll see you soon?" he asked as he leaned in the window, wishing he could prolong their goodbyes, but they'd already stretched their time together as far as they could. Her belongs had already been shipped to her home in New York and her classes were starting in a week.

She nodded and kissed him again. "Soon."

He stepped back as the taxi pulled away. Fiona looked out the back window and waved as the taxi disappeared.

0o-0o-0o-0o

Adam sat at a table at The Dot with Clare and Eli. Clare watched her friend with worried eyes as he stared at his cell phone, waiting for it to ring.

"Her plane should have landed by now," he mumbled.

"Relax, man," Eli said. "If it crashed, we would have heard about it."

Clare hit him in the arm while Adam glared at him.

"What?" the older boy demanded.

Adam rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he looked back down at his phone.

The table fell silent as the trio looked at the silent phone.

"I wonder if I can blow it up with my mind," Eli mumbled, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Clare hit him again.

"Why are you so violent today?"

Adam ignored them as he bit his fingernail. He grabbed the phone and pressed a button to make sure it still worked. He sighed and put it back on the table when the screen lit up.

Eli checked his watch and sighed. "Come on, Fiona," he whispered under his breath. He'd never seen Adam so anxious.

Finally his cell phone rang. All three of them jumped and Adam quickly picked up the phone, fumbling with the buttons before pressing the talk button. "Hello?" he asked breathlessly, holding the phone to his ear.

"Hey."

He smiled when he heard his fiancée's voice. "Hey. I was starting to get worried."

"Starting?" Eli asked, moving quickly away from Clare before she could swing at him again.

"Sorry," Fiona said. "My parents took me out for an early dinner. We just got back."

He smiled. "It's ok." He stood from the table and walked out of the tiny restaurant. "I miss you," he said as he sat on the curb.

He heard her sigh. "I miss you too," she said, then she laughed.

"What?"

"We've only been apart for a few hours."

He smiled sadly. "I know. I wonder if it'll ever get easier." After a short pause, he answered himself. "Doubt it."

"Probably not," she said at the same time he spoke.

Fiona rolled over in her bed. She had pillows piled up next to her to even out the space she had to move in. She kicked one and it fell off the bed. She instantly laughed, she would sometimes kick him as she slept. He would kick back. Oddly, it made her miss him more.

She rolled over to check her clock. It was past midnight, too late to call him. Frowning, she crawled out of her bed and got her laptop from her desk, hoping for some kind of distraction. She walked back to her bed with it and laid down, propping it on her legs.

She logged onto Skype and noticed he was online. She smiled as she clicked his screen name.

"Hey," he said when his picture popped on to her screen, looking surprised to see her.

"Hi." She smiled broadly. "What are you doing awake?"

He shrugged. "Not tired. You?"

"My bed's too big," she said with a sigh.

He smiled. "Lay down," he told her. "I'll talk to you until you fall asleep."

"You don't have to."

"I know. Lay down."

She smiled and pushed the pillows off the side of her bed, resting her computer next to her as she laid down.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Fiona…"

to be continued...

AN: and there was chapter 1. As always, it might (and probably will) get a rating boost at some point. Every chapter will probably be laid out like this, with the "line break" switching locations.