Well ladies and gentlemen, here's a brief of one-shot of a couple that I adore, but that isn't explored much...Trent and Courtney. Even though I hate DuncanxGwen, this couple is just nice. So I've decided to help Alexex in his quest to add TrentxCourtney stories to this site...but I am determined to prove an inovator, since this will be the first TrentxCourtney story in the world to not make Duncan a bad guy.

Enjoy.

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There she was. Courtney Stein, my best friend and the love of my life. Thing is, I'm not the love of her life. The love of her life died a year ago. Duncan Nelson was her husband and the love of her life. Despite his criminal record he managed to get a job in the Toronto Police Department and soon became detective. It was precisely this that killed him, since he died when he got shot during a bank robbery. They got him to the hospital but he couldn't make it and died hours later, with Courtney at his side.

Courtney had been depressed for an entire year and I don't blame her. If I lost her, I'd probably feel the same. To make matters worse, Courtney was there at the hospital crying at his side. Before he died, Duncan told her to move on and find somebody else to be happy with. I know he meant me.

Duncan had known I loved Courtney for a long time, but he knew I wouldn't do anything while he was with her. But now, it was my time. Courtney had been down for too long and I just wanted to get her out of this hell she was in. See if she could feel about me in the future what I feel about her now and always.

But I think I'll explain further. I first met Courtney when I moved to Toronto when I was fourteen. I can't really remember when I started falling for her. Was it the spring? Or maybe the summer? I can't remember but even if I was in love with her I couldn't do anything, since she was dating Duncan. Throughout all high school those two fell more and more in love and I got more and more used to the fact that all I'd ever be was her best friend. In the end, I surrendered all my hopes of being with her when she married Duncan when they were twenty four. Now three years later, she still weeps her husband dying two years after their happiness began. But I would try to bring the sunshine back into her life.

But well, Courtney Stein, my best friend and love of my life was standing in the balcony of her house. Ever since Duncan's death, it became a habit for me and her to eat dinner many times together. I would visit, to keep her company and keep her happy. Now was one of those days when I came to have dinner with her at her house, but I didn't find her anywhere when I came in until I checked her bedroom balcony. The balcony overlooked the quiet suburban street where she and Duncan had previously lived and I knew the balcony was the most special part of the house to her, since it was where Duncan had proposed.

Today I was planning to tell her what I felt, so I brought my guitar, to do it in the best wasy I could.

"Hey Court, how are you?" I asked her.

She turned to face me. She hadn't noticed I had come in, so she didn't have time to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Hi Trent." She said, wiping her eyes clean. "I forgot to cook dinner."

"Don't worry Courtney, we'll just order in. But now, there's something I want to tell you." I said.

"What?"

"Courtney, it's been a year since you-know-what happened..."

She slightly sobbed at this and her eyes grew teary again for a second, but she wiped it off and continued to hear me.

"...and you've been terrible ever since. Now, I want to help you get better, since you're my best friend and it kills me to see you like this."

What I said was true. Before Duncan's death, Courtney had been an independant, feisty tough woman, but now she was too emotionally unbalanced and weakened. It wasn't her. She ahd to get back to ehr old self. Her happy self.

"I know Trent. It's just that Duncan was everything to me. And I miss him." She said and began to cry again.

I hugged her and held her for a while until she finally let it all out and stopped weeping. Then I said:

"Look Courtney, when Duncan passed on he said he wanted you to find somebody else to make you happy. I know you'll never love anybody as much as you ever loved Duncan, but I want to make you happy so..."

She stared at me in wonder as I pulled on my guitar and began to play.

Where it began, I can't begin to know when.
But then I know it'a growing strong.
Oh, was it the spring? And spring became summer.
Who would believe you'd come along?Hands touching hands. Reaching out.
Touching me, touching you!
Oh, sweet Courtney Stein.
Good times never felt so good.
I've been inclined to believe it never would.

And now I, I look at the night, whoo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when you're hurt
You can rest it on my shoulder.
Don't wanna see you cry when I'm with you!

Oh one, touching one. Reaching out.
Touching me, touching you!
Oh, sweet Courtney Stein.
Good times never seemed to good.
I've been inclined to believe it never would.

Oh, sweet Courtney Stein.
Good times never felt so good.
Oh, sweet Courtney Stein.
Don't you know that I love you.

For the first time in a long time, Courtney smiled a sincere smile. Tears of joy sprang from her eyes as I finished and she then embraced me and let her lips rest on mine as the biggest dream of my life was fulfilled and we kissed.

"Trent, I love you too. But I don't think it's fair for me to be with you since I'll never love you as much as I love Duncan." She said.

"Courtney, I don't care you'll never feel so big about me as you did for Duncan, I know you won't be able to. But I want to be with you and I want to make you happy, even if you can't ever feel the same way about me as I do about you." I explained to her.

She smiled again and kissed me once more.

"I love you, Trent."

"I love you to, Courtney."

We hugged then and remained in each other's arms for a while.

At that moment, I could swear I heard Duncan's voice saying:

"Thanks for making her happy again, man."

You don't have to thank me Duncan. Loving Courtney and making her happy is enough for me.

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Review please.

The song used is a lyrically altered version of "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.