Episode 1

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so...

Boston

Zack slumped against the door frame in complete and utter shock seeing his ex-girlfriend standing there. He knew that Maya had said she was going to come see him soon, but seeing her standing there when he opened the door was the last thing he could ever have imagined happening. More than that though, actually seeing her standing there practically left him speechless and caused his mind to go blank. After about a minute, he was finally able to mutter a single word.

"Maya?"

She gave him a small smile. "Hey, Zack...Surprise."

He just continued looking at her. "You can definitely say that again. But...how...what...I..." He shook his head to gather his thoughts. "What...what are you doing here?"

Maya just looked at him. "You got my letters at Christmas and after the Super Bowl, right? I told you in them that was going to come and see you as soon as I could. Well...here I am."

Zack tried to clear his head and make sense of this. "But...but you're supposed to still be in Africa. I thought you were going to be there for another year?"

"I was, but I cut my time there short." She paused. "Would it be okay if I came inside so we could talk?"

Zack was just speechless again, but he opened the door for her. And when Maya walked inside the suite, Cody and Bailey finally saw who it was for the first time. Both just turned and looked at each other in surprise. Maya had the same small smile on her face when she saw them.

"Hey guys. I...ummm...Congrats on finishing your first year at Yale. And Cody, a belated congrats on finally getting accepted in to there."

Cody paused. "Yeah. Thank you." He swallowed and turned to Bailey. "I think we should...ummm..."

She nodded. "Yeah...we should...ummm..." She racked her brain trying to think of something...of anything to give them a reason to get out of there. And then, she blurted out the first thing to came to her mind. "...go get some trash bags and start cleaning up the new suite!"

Cody silently thanked her to himself. "Yeah. No time like the present to get started on that. We'll let you two have some privacy to...talk."

And just like that, both jumped up off the couch and out the door. Once they were gone, Maya turned to Zack.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about my welcome here, huh? I mean...especially after everything that happened..."

Zack was using the kitchen table to prop himself up. "I still can't believe you're here..."

Maya sighed. "Like I told you in my letter, I had to come see you and talk to you. To apologize again for what I did. I know there isn't a good enough reason for what I did, but I wanted to try to explain to you what I was thinking."

Zack was very unsure, but he made his way over to the couch and sat down. "Alright. You came all this way. I'll let you say what you want to say."

She nodded and sat down next to him. "Zack, I never meant to hurt you like I did. I had no idea you would react the way that you did..."

He interrupted her. "You didn't?"

"No, I didn't. I know we were exclusive with each other, but I didn't realize just how serious you saw things until I saw the look in your eyes that day. In that instant, I wanted to take back what I had just said, but I knew I couldn't..."

"You really hurt me when you wouldn't even consider a long distance relationship. I thought we had something special, but I guess I was the only one who felt that way."

Maya shook her head. "You weren't! Like I said in my letter, I got scared. Zack, we both know what your past history was, and..."

He interrupted her again, and this time he was a little angry. "I thought we had dealt with that and moved on from it!"

She sighed. "Consciously, I had. But it kept gnawing at my subconscious. I tried to fight it, but when I heard how you flirted with Woody's sister when she first arrived on the boat and then how much time you spent with one of those twins at the Gemini Project, it got even worse..."

He just looked at her and paused. "Okay, maybe some old habits die hard, but I never did anything with either of them! Willa had her eyes on Cody while those twins there had literally lost their minds..."

"I know that. But that little voice in the back of my head kept asking me if you would do stuff like that while I was still around, what would you do when I was half a word away for two years?"

Zack glared at her. "So...you're saying instead of talking to me about it, you just made a decision to cut me loose?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. And I have regretted doing that ever since I did it..."

Zack paused and stood up. "Alright. You've said what you wanted to say. I think..."

This time, Maya interrupted him. "Not all of what I came here to say! Zack, I want another chance with you! Another chance for us!"

Suite 2316 (Zack and Cody's New Suite)

Cody and Bailey were both picking up trash, but it was obvious that both had what was happening down the hall on their minds. Bailey finally sighed and turned to Cody.

"Did we do the right thing by getting out of there?"

Cody paused. "Bails, to be honest, I don't know. On the one hand, what's going on in there is between the two of them and none of our business. On the other hand, I have the urge to be there to make sure she doesn't hurt him again."

"Maybe she has no intentions of doing that? Maybe she is serious in wanting him back?"

"Maybe. But Zack's come so far in the past year in getting over her. I don't want to see him relapse."

"Neither do I. He's finally got direction in his life. I just want our couch to be there for us to sit on when we're older..."

Cody smiled at her. "But, I do have to say. I'm glad for once the drama happening doesn't involve us."

Bailey just looked at him and shook her head. "Good one, Cody. You probably just jinxed us!"

He kept smiling. "Even if I did, I'm not too concerned. We've proven that nothing can come between us for long...even ourselves."

"True, but just to make sure, why don't you knock on some wood?"

Cody nodded and knocked on the broken table in the middle of the room. And when he did, he accidentally knocked a hole right through it.

Bailey sighed and laughed. "Add a new table to the list of things we'll need."

But Cody was grinning. "You have your phone on you? Take a picture of this. I want proof to show people that it was actually me who knocked a hole in it!"

Back Down the Hall

Zack just looked at Maya and shook his head.

"I just don't know, Maya. If this had been a year ago, I would have been all about doing what ever it took to keep us together. But its not. A year has passed, and a lot has changed since then."

"How I feel about you hasn't. In fact, its only grown stronger."

He nodded. "I believe that's what you believe. But the fact is you don't know me anymore. In the past year, I've changed a lot. Other than a brief relapse over Halloween at Yale, I think I've really matured over the past year. Right now, I have a job and I'm beginning BU later this summer. A year ago, I didn't have a plan for my future. Right now, I do. And I have to keep my eye on the prize."

"And I completely understand that. Zack, I meant it when I said I was so proud of you when I heard you were taking classes. And when I heard you were going to be attending BU, I thought I might burst."

Zack frowned. "Speaking of which, who exactly has been keeping you informed of what's been going on around here?"

Maya shrugged. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know. I just know that every couple of weeks, an envelope arrived with my name on it. And it was all typed out, so there was no way to try to match handwriting styles. But whoever did it, I'm glad they did. It was link back to my old life when I was so far away from home."

"Still..."

"And Zack, I would never ask you to take your eye off your goals now. I want to be the person who is by your side supporting you and helping you achieve them."

He sighed. "But how would that work? I've already told you. My life is here in Boston. Even if you are back permanently from Africa, your home is still New York."

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. My parents came over to Chad and visited me over the holidays. And I broke down to them that I knew I had made a mistake. They fully supported me if I chose to return to the states and get you back. Zack, I'm prepared to move to Boston and begin a life here. I've already applied to several universities in the area, and I'm just waiting to hear back from them now. My best case scenario is that I get to go to school at BU with you."

Zack slumped back into the couch. "But that still doesn't negate the fact that we are two totally different people now. I know I've changed, and I'm sure what you've done for the past year has changed you as well. Maya, right now, we are essentially two total strangers to each other."

She smiled at him. "Well, then I guess we can just take our time getting to know each other all over again."

"And what if we find out that we don't like the new versions of each other? What then?"

Maya paused. "Then we know we gave it our best shot. We'll know that if it didn't work out, it wouldn't be because we didn't try."

He sighed again. "Maya...still...I just don't know."

She scrounged up all of her courage and asked the question she was dreading. "Does this have to do with that girl Amanda?"

New Haven

Gertie had sunk back down into her desk chair as she just continued staring at the picture in her hand. She just shook her head and silently berated herself.

"How did I not put two and two together that Tapeworm was Captain America? I mean...shouldn't I have recognized that his voice was familiar?" She sighed. "And of course, I would discover this right after everyone else had left for the summer..."

She paused and looked at her desk. "Maybe I'm making a mistake here and have this all wrong. I could be making a big deal over nothing. Maybe I should call Bailey. She'll be able to tell me if I'm right or wrong about this..." She reached for her phone and then pulled her hand back.

"No. I can't do that right now. If she tells me that it was him, I don't know how I would handle that. What would I do? What would I say?" She shook her head again. "I need to think about this some more. If I act too rash, I could end up regretting it. Maybe this summer is just what I need so I can figure out what I need to do."

And no sooner had she said that, she began laughing. "Oh, who am I kidding? Captain America was the guy I've been trying to find since Halloween, and now I have." She paused. "But what if he just wants to be my friend? What if that is all he sees me as? I mean...can I even see him as more than a friend?" She began flipping through the pictures again.

"Well, he is kind of cute in his own way. And we do get along great...as long as the Ravens and Pats aren't playing each other. He's fun to hang out with. And I've never had more fun on a Valentine's Day, and all we did was just eat chicken wings and see a classic comedy." She paused again. "Yeah, I think I can definitely see him as more than just a friend..."

She sighed again. "But that does me no good if he can't do the same. So, what should I do?" She looked at the pictures again, and that's when it hit her. "Wait a minute! Didn't Bailey tell me that Cody devised a six month plan to win her over?" She grinned as a plan began to form in her mind. "I hope Cody doesn't mind, but I might just have to borrow his idea..."

The Martin Suite

Zack just looked at Maya in sort of surprise.

"I guess whoever has been keeping you updated knows everything."

Maya paused. "That wasn't an answer to my question. Is there something going on between you and this girl?"

Zack shook his head. "She's my friend. Actually, she's become a real good friend of mine. We have an awful lot in common. Both of us have twin siblings who like to set the bar high, and..." He smirked. "...we both had our significant others dump us to pursue an opportunity of a lifetime out of the country. We've bonded over that and helped each other move on with our lives."

Maya winced at that. "I guess I deserved that. But, do you have any feelings for her other than friendship?"

"To be quite honest, after the number you did on me, I've kind of avoided women. I guess I was afraid of putting myself out there again and getting burned." He paused and smirked again. "Oh, I guess I could have gone back to being a player again, but that really had no appeal to me any longer. Maybe it was because my self confidence was a little shattered..."

She exhaled. "Again, I couldn't be any sorrier about what happened than I am right now..."

He laughed. "The funny thing is her ex-boyfriend showed back up into her life last week. I felt sorry for her having to deal with that, and here I am dealing with the same thing."

"Maybe he realized his mistake too and wants her back?"

He shrugged. "Maybe he does? But that's not his call, is it? In fact, she wants some payback against him. She's asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend to get a little revenge. And of course, I agreed..."

Maya paused. "What does that mean exactly?"

"I'm not sure. I just told her to tell me what she needs me to do." Zack thought of something and looked at her. "What about you? You claim that you regret what you did and wanted me back? How do I know you weren't seeing someone over in Africa?"

Maya began laughing. "Oh please! The only guy around my age was a fan of Bob Marley if you catch my drift. Some people might like rastas, but I'm not a big fan of dreadlocks. Besides, I think everyone over there was getting sick of listening to me talk about you."

"That may be true, but all I have is your word on that..."

"Zack, you can trust me on that..."

He looked at her again. "Can I? Because I don't think I can. I trusted you once before and look where it got me..."

That silenced Maya. "Wow. I knew you were hurt, but I'm just now realizing how hurt you were. I guess I was thinking about me and how I thought you felt. But I can see it was much worse than that..."

"Well, it is. You really shook me to the core, Maya. You want to hear the truth?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I do. As painful as it might be, I need to hear it."

"Right before graduation, I was scared too. I had thoughts of breaking up with you two, but I talked with Cody about it before I did anything. Thanks to his help, it dawned on me that I more than just liked you. It dawned on me that I loved you. That night when you dumped me, I was going to tell you that. Talk about having the rug pulled out from underneath you..."

Maya put her hand up to her mouth and gasped. "I had no idea..."

"Would it have made a difference to you that night?"

She paused. "Honestly, I don't know. But I know if you said it to me right now, it would make all the difference in the world to me..."

Zack had a small smile. "I'm not sure I feel that way anymore though..."

Suite 2316

Cody and Bailey were finishing tying up the last of the bags of trash to take out to the garbage shoot. And as they were doing that, Carey stopped by the room to take a first look at it.

"From the way you guys were talking, I expected this place to be much worse. But it just looks like some cosmetic damage at most."

Cody sighed. "Oh, it was. These two bags bring the total we've filled to..." He paused to think.

Bailey answered though. "Thirty-eight. And that doesn't include the kitchen table we took apart and threw out by itself."

Carey's eyes went wide. "Thirty-eight? Did they have a party or Woodstock?"

Bailey laughed. "We have no idea, but fortunately, none of the plumbing, wiring or electrical outlets have been damaged. Cody and I were just figuring it up that we could get all the spackling and repairs done tomorrow. And if we're lucky, the first coat of paint. Then a second coat on Thursday morning. And then give it 24 hours to air out and dry. If all goes well, we can begin bringing up appliances, furniture and accessories on Saturday morning."

Cody nodded. "That would give me Sunday morning to move my things in here before starting work at the Tipton Clinic the next day..."

Carey paused. "Sounds like you two have a plan then. But since this was all Zack's idea, shouldn't he be here helping you guys do this?"

Cody looked and Bailey before turning back to his Mom. "Ummm...Zack's kind of busy right now."

"Busy doing what?"

"He's got a visitor..."

"Who?"

Cody hesitated. "Maya..."

Carey's eyes went wide. "Excuse me? I thought you just said Maya."

Bailey spoke up. "He did. She just showed up out of the blue. We got out of there to give them some privacy."

Carey was confused. "But I thought she was still in Africa..."

"So did we. But, I guess we were wrong. She and Zack are down the hall talking right now."

Carey shook her head. "My poor baby boy. He was doing so well and moving on with his life..." She turned back to Cody. "Why didn't you stay there so we'd at least know what they're talking about?"

"No offense, Mom, but there are some moments where people deserve some privacy."

"I suppose." She paused. "How long are we supposed to wait? I look good in this dress, but I was looking forward to just changing into my sweats and relaxing..."

Cody shrugged. "I'm not sure. We were just going to throw away these last two bags and head up to the penthouse. I was just going to crash on the couch up there tonight..."

Carey just looked back and forth between Cody and Bailey. "I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. I understand you two love each other, are in a committed relationship and are adults now. But I think we all know that Cody won't be crashing on the couch, now don't we?"

The Martin Suite

Maya just looked at Zack in earnest. "But you might still feel that way though, right?"

He sighed. "Maybe. I don't know. You just can't turn off feelings like a water faucet. But they can fade over time..."

"But they aren't completely gone yet. So, there is a chance to reignite them. And Zack, that's all I'm asking for right now is that chance. I know you and I can be great together. I'm all in, and that's what I want. The question that needs to be answered is will you give us a second chance?"

Zack shrugged. "Maya, I just don't know. What's the old expression? Once bitten, twice shy? I'm scared right now. I'm scared of opening myself up to you again and being hurt again."

"That won't happen!"

"Actions speak louder than words..."

She paused. "You're right. They do. And I'm going to show you with my actions that I won't ever hurt you again. One way or another, I'm moving up here to Boston. And one way or another, I'm going to integrate myself into your daily life again. I'm going to make it so that you can't live without me again..."

"Maya..."

"I mean it. Cody and Bailey are proof that if two people love each other enough that they can overcome anything and everything. I think that can be us too."

Zack paused. "Maybe. Maybe not. We aren't them."

Maya looked him directly in eyes. "My vote is for maybe. And I know when we first met, it was me who was skeptical, and you had to convince me that you were worth it. Well, now the roles are reversed. This time, its you who is skeptical, and its my turn to convince you that I'm worth the risk. And Zack, I am going to convince you of that! And when I do, it will make it all that much sweeter. Fight me all you want, but I am going to get you back!"

To be Continued...