So this is a one shot. I'm not too impressed with the writing, grammar, spelling, flow, blah blah blah.

But I really felt like writing a happily ever after story. All my other stories are either angst at the moment and I have quite a bit to write before I can get to happy parts. And I really had to write something happy, but I couldn't write for the other fics because I wanted to write happy stuff so much that I would end up rushing the in between part and making it dreadful.

This is a normal what if? I don't think it's anything original. I was going to write kinda 2 parts. The second part being future life getting married, having kids etc. But I got to a certain point and I just thought...that's quite a good ending. Usually I hate it when things end on like we got back together kinda moment, I always want to know more about what happens after, which is why I absolutely love the endings of Notting Hill and Wimbledon. But I realised that that could go on forever. End with having kids, what happens to the kids? I guess to really finish the whole chain off I would have to write up until their deaths...and as my whole objective to writing this was to write something happy I believe that death may be a little inappropriate. :)

I'm currently playing with an idea in which the story is based around the Butterfly Effect. Not the movie (even though I do love that movie) but the theory of the Butterfly Effect. Wikipedia it if you're not totally sure what it is. The basic principal is that something seemingly small and insignificant like a butterfly changing how fast it beats it's wings can make completely different effects on the future...hard to explain. :)

Please review. It's an awesome feeling to see an email from saying 'review alert'. I love it. It's great.

Fresh Starts, Endings, Decisions and Beginnings

Turn around. Go back. Don't let her go again. You're so dumb. You'll never see her again.

It's the right thing. You both need time. She'll come back. You don't work.

My mind was screaming different things at me as I pulled up into the driveway. Thoughts jumped around, constantly changing sides. I couldn't stick on one decision. Listen to your heart. How the hell was I meant to listen to my heart when all I could hear were thoughts revolving around my brain?

The pain was unbearable. It wasn't a sharp pain. That had come when she had first told me she was going to Greece. It wasn't the sharp pain that had come when I found out what had happened with Trey. It wasn't the sharp pain I got when I broke up with her after Johnny. It wasn't the same sharp pain as I got every time I had seen her in someone else's arms. It was a dull, lengthy and drawn out pain. The type of pain that hurts the most. It was the type of pain I'd got as I slowly watched her drift away with Oliver. The pain when I lay in bed in Chino, thinking about nothing but her. The pain I felt as we had slowly drifted apart. The same pain I got from being just a friend.

That's all we were now. Friends. Friends let friends go off to foreign countries. Friends drop friends off at the airport without thinking twice about it.

So, if that's all we were, just friends. Then why was I still sat in my car instead of just getting on with the day? Why was I hurt by the fact that she didn't want to stay? A part of me figured I was one of the reasons that she had to go. She had to find herself. I was one of the factors that had made her lose herself in the first place. At least that's what I told myself. It was ironic to think that a couple of years ago I would have argued with Julie if she had said exactly that...and now I was telling myself.

I looked out the window and at the house. It was like a palace. I had gotten used to it. But I never forgot how lucky I was. Not once. I guess that's what having nothing does to you. You experience bad things so that you can distinguish between bad and good. You experience bad to experience good.

I'd experienced life with Marissa and then without her. Then being with her again. It felt even better than the first time round. Because I had been missing her. At least when I was in Chino I didn't know she existed, I couldn't miss her. But now...now I'd miss her for all eternity. Something from a chick flick she had forced me to watch at some point became lodged in my mind

It's like I've taken love heroin and now I can't ever have it again

That was how I felt. I had become addicted to Marissa Cooper. She made me forget every other trouble in the world. She was my legal high. Seeing her could brighten up any day, no matter what was going on around me.

I was too busy in my own thoughts to notice Summer until I heard a gentle tap at the window. Her face was close to the glass, sympathy in her eyes. I wound the window down.

"Hey,"

"Hey," I replied.

"Want a driveway parking partner?" Summer offered. I shrugged. She walked around and got in the passenger seat. "So where we going?"

"I...nowhere. We're in park," What was she talking about?

"Everyone is going somewhere. What I meant is...are we going to sit here and talk...about...stuff. Or are we going to go into the house and pretend we're both totally fine with her moving away? Or are we going to start up the car and turn around and drive full speed back to the airport, hoping to catch her in time to tell her she's being an idiot and we all need her more than she could ever know?" I looked at her. Those were the exact questions I had been asking myself. "You know, I'm pretty sure that you could make it to the airport on time," It was as if she had read my mind. As if she had known which option I wanted to choose and we just forcing me to take it, making sure I didn't give up.

"That only happens in movies," I leant my head against the glass window pane.

"It must have happened in real life at some point...otherwise where would the first movie to show it get the idea from?"

"An imaginative writer,"

"Oooooh. We're onto imagination? Ok...why don't you imagine a life without Marissa? I wonder if you'll still think imagination is so far from the truth once you've done that. I'll imagine a life in which Coop isn't here. There'll be no escape from Cohen. You'll never be yourself again,"

"Huh?"

"Ryan, you're never yourself when you're not with her. I'll give you credit, you do try your best, but you still fail. It's like you guys complete each other and without each other you're just...you're just..."

"Not whole?"

"Exactly. And I don't want that to happen to either of you."

"I...if you're being so wise can I ask you a question?" Summer nodded. I wasn't quite sure why I was opening up to her. "If two people love each other, but they just can't seem to get it together, when do you get to that point of enough is enough?"

"Never." She said without hesitation. "If people are truly, madly, deeply in love with each other, they will find a way." I sat in silence. "Why aren't you driving?"

"Driving?"

"You STILL need more stuff to make up your mind. Christ, you're slower than Seth." My mind finally stopped racing. Finally I knew. My mind clicked. "Good luck," She got out the car. I stared at her for a minute. "Go on!" Summer shouted. I paused for a second, before quickly turning the key and reversing out of the driveway. I drove as fast as I could.

The drive took about half an hour. I had to be on time. I stopped the car right outside the entrance.

"YOU CAN'T PARK THERE!" Someone shouted behind me. I didn't even turn around to look at them, I just ran through the doorway, into the light and clean airport. People bustled around me, some clearly wandering around trying to fill in time before their flight, some running to their destination obviously late. Then I looked over to the arrivals area. Parents greeting children, friends greeting friends, lovers greeting their other halves. I looked at a mother who held her young daughter in her arms. A man ran towards them. He managed to envelope both of them in a hug. He placed a kiss on his daughter's head and one on his wife's lips. In my mind I swapped their faces with mine and Marissa's. I quickly shook the thoughts out of my mind and set about finding which gate Marissa's plane was leaving from. He didn't need to. The speakers buzzed and a voice spoke.

"Last call for Flight 182 to Athens departing from gate 6. Last call for Flight 182 to Athens departing from gate 6." I looked up at the signs...gate 6 to his left. I ran as fast as I could, weaving in and out of people. Finally I reached it. People were queuing to hand in their boarding cards and get on the flight. I stood up on my toes. I spotted who I was looking for.

Her.

Her golden hair hung down her back. She was the desk. She went through and walked down the tunnel. I ran up to the desk.

"I've got to see that girl," I said quickly.

"I can't let you through sir," The woman said apologetically.

"Look, I'm not going to go on the plane, I just need to..."

"Sir, I can't let you through." I looked at her quickly, before running around the booth and down the tunnel after her.

"SIR! SIR!" The woman shouted behind me. I ignored her just as I had the guy who told me not to park my car where I had. Marissa turned around, obviously wanting to see what the commotion as about. She was greeted with me running toward her. I stopped in front of her.

"Ryan what are you doing here?" She asked confusion in her eyes.

"Marissa...I...I..." I realised I had no idea what to say to her. "I...I...these past few weeks...months...I...I've been really scared. I haven't told you how I feel, I haven't been who you want me to be...I wasn't there for you when Johnny died because I was scared...I...I was scared of losing you...I was scared of you realising I wasn't good enough...and then...I mean...you...you could hurt me more than anyone else in the world...I mean you have more of me than anyone...and I was scared that if I didn't end it you'd hurt me even more...and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to cope with that...but now...now... it scares me that I might not find another you...but...but I realised I don't want another you...I want you."

"Ryan..."

"What do I have to do to make you stay? I'll do anything...anything..." I pleaded. She was crying now.

"Ryan, I need a new start...you know that,"

"I know that...but...a new start for you...it's...it's an end for me,"

"I need this Ryan..."

"I know, but..."

"I'm messed up, I need to sort my life out...maybe then...maybe then we'll deserve each other...maybe then we'll be good enough,"

"Marissa. You're perfect. To me you're perfect. I don't need you to change. You're...you're perfectly imperfect..."

"I'm not perfect Ryan. Someday you'll find a perfect girl, someone who makes you happy,"

"Love isn't about finding someone perfect...Marissa...love's about seeing an imperfect person perfectly,"

"Ryan...you said you're self you were scared of me hurting you even more...I've hurt you so much...I don't want to hurt you anymore...and I will...I will...no matter how much I try...I always end up hurting you..."

"No matter how much you treat me like shit...I can't help loving you..."

"JUST KISS HIM!" Someone shouted behind us. I ignored them.

"Marissa...I need you to know that I love you...even if you still go away...know that I'll be waiting here for you...that when you come back I'll be right here..." I looked into her eyes desperately. Trying to look for a sign. Did she want me to kiss her? Did she want me to just go away?

"KISS!" People behind us started chanting. "KISS! KISS!" I blocked them out, focusing on just her.

"I...if you're going...don't kiss me...if you kiss me then...I won't be able to let you leave...so...if...if you want to stay...kiss me...but if you're not...don't..." I hoped she'd kiss me, but instead she turned around and walked away...heading towards the plane. I couldn't watch her walk away. Not twice in a day. Not ever again in my life. So I turned around and headed back the way I had come.

Someone tapped my shoulder gently. I turned around and before I could take a proper look at who had done it her lips were crushed against mine.

************************

Ouch.

I woke up. I'd fallen out of bed. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Marissa had leant over the bed and she was looking down at me, laughing.

"It's not funny," I mumbled.

"It's kinda funny," She giggled.

"It's really not," I grumbled, rubbing my back as I sat up. She laughed again and gave me a quick kiss. I yawned.

"Someone had a late night," She giggled.

"You should know," I smiled at her, causing her to giggle even more. I clambered back into bed and wrapped my arms around her. "You're cold," I observed.

"Well, I'm not wearing my flannel PJs, am I?" She laughed. "You do realise I'll have to leave in like an hour and I need to get ready,"

"Why do you need to get ready? You're just sitting on a plane for 5 hours,"

"Because I'm looking at the possibility of joining the mile high club with whichever hot guy is sitting nearest," She teased.

"Go for it,"

"Seriously I should get ready,"

"Surely you'd rather fly looking like a tramp and have a few extra minutes with your amazing boyfriend who you're not going to see for at least another month,"

"You saying I look like a hobo?"

"My very beautiful hobo," I smiled and kissed her. "I guess you should get ready,"

"I guess I should," She got up, slid into a pair of my joggers and slid my Harvard hoody over her slender frame. She walked out of the bedroom and into my tiny kitchen. I got up sluggishly and put on some boxers and an identical hoody, just in a different colour. I yawned as I walked slowly to join her.

"Coffee?"

"Please," I replied as I began preparing a bagel each.

"When do your lectures start again?"

"Wednesday,"

"Nice,"

"Last semester before my internship,"

"Do you know where you're going yet?"

"Secret," I teased.

"Come on, you said you'd tell me when I was here," She pouted.

"I know and I will,"

"But my plane leaves in..." Marissa checked the clock on the wall. "3 hours and 5 minutes. We'll be saying goodbye in like 3 hours. Just tell me now," She pleaded.

"I promise I'll tell you before you leave,"

"Promise?"

"Promise," I reiterated.

"Ok," She smiled.

******************

"Goodbye," I said, her arms looped around my neck.

"Not yet,"

"You're plane is boarding,"

"You haven't told me where the internship is,"

"Oh yes. That," I smiled knowingly at her.

"Spit it out," I hugged her and whispered into her ear.

"San Fran," She jolted back.

"San Fran!? As in San Francisco!? As in 10 miles from Berkley San Francisco?" I laughed at her shocked face and nodded with a huge grin across my face. She crushed her lips against mine just as she had done the day at the airport. "But...you never even suggested it or...I mean this is so...this is...I mean...we'll live right near each other and...I mean...we won't have lived so close since...since...since high school..." She was having a reaction like a young child; I wouldn't have been overly surprised if she had started jumping up and down on the spot.

"You might want to calm down before the next bit,"

"There's MORE!?"

"Erm...yeah...I mean...I figured...I mean, I need to place to live...you're going to be in your last year...I mean you don't really want to spend your last year in a dorm...I..."

"Is this your way of asking if I want to move in with you?" She grinned.

"I...guess,"

"Yes," She smiled gleefully. A member of staff politely reminded us that 'Madam must board'.

"I'll see you as soon as my semester ends,"

"I'll countdown the days,"

"I love you,"

"I love you more," She kissed me one final time before letting go and queuing up.

It was so like that night, the night I got her to stay. But it was different. Before when I saw her queuing up I felt dead, like she was slipping away, like it was the end. This time it felt so much better. It felt like it was just beginning.