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Ellie shouted walking into her house in Bangor.

"Hey!" Stephanie Gaffney came running and hugged her. "Oh we missed you."

"I missed you too," Ellie said. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing the dance of the snowflakes at some state theater?" Stephanie looked at her and stuck out her tongue.

"I decided to do the Sugarplum Fairy at my old studio instead while teaching snowflakes, flowers and the Christmas part, missy, and you better come tomorrow night," Stephanie pointed. "Rather than dancing in the chorus of some pathetic state theater production."

"Right," Ellie laughed. "Is TJ here?"

"No, he's in Minnesota," Stephanie said. "Kevin grabbed Gabe at the last minute so, the three of them decided that they should all be home, limit the Rick fall out."

"Ugh, that's tough," Ellie said. Stephanie nodded. "Are Mikey and Denise here?"

"Everyone's at the restaurant," Steph shrugged. "I said I'd wait for you." Elisa looked at her.

"God, I hate the Rileys sometimes," she muttered. Steph laughed. "I saw him, it was weird, and Hunter was over so then it got weirder." She plopped down.

"You and Hunter didn't sleep together again did you?" Steph asked.

"No," Elisa sighed, "no, I mean, I came on to him, told him I didn't mind, which was I lie, because I do." She curled up and put her head in Stephanie's lap. "And I know that it's bad, OK? I know that I only want Hunter when I can't have him, or when I get into a twist about some other guy, but I love him so much."

"I know honey," Stephanie said, stroking her hair. "But he's with Anne, and maybe now that Eddie's going to be around, you two can give it another shot."

"It's always the same with Eddie," Elisa sighed, "it can't ever be simple with him. It always has to be some grand gesture. He has to make a big speech and Eva and David's wedding, or move to California, he can't ever just pick up the phone and say, 'hey, Elle, I miss you.'" She sighed, "and then I fall for it, and we're together and he takes everything for granted and I can't go through that anymore."

"That's fair," Steph said, "but do you really want to be Hunter's mistress?" Elisa looked at her aunt. "I mean, sweetie, he and Anne are in it for the long haul, you know that. You'll always be the other woman in that equation. And God only knows how long Anne will put up with it, and then you won't even be able to keep your friendship with them. Ask Kevin Reed, you don't want to get in between destiny."

"Yeah," Elisa sighed. "I know."

"Daddy!" Gabriel said as Kevin unbuckled him out of his booster seat.

"Hey buddy," Kevin hugged him. "Oh, I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Gabriel said. PJ smiled getting out of the drivers seat.

"Hey PJ," Kevin said. "Gabriel, why don't you go inside, Mama and Pop are waiting for you?" Gabriel smiled wide and rushed in. "She couldn't even come herself?"

"It's Sunday man, and a home game, she had to be there," PJ said. Kevin nodded. "My family's down here, I was coming anyway." Kevin nodded. "You doing OK?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Kevin shrugged. "You want to come in? Say hi to my parents?"

"Yeah sure," PJ nodded they walked into the townhouse.

"And then Santa came," Gabriel detailed, "and I told him everything I wanted."

"That is the way Santa works," Fulton laughed, holding his grandson on his lap. "Hi PJ."

"Hey Mr. Reed," he nodded. "Congresswoman."

"Hi PJ," Tanya smiled. "Bella had to stay in New Jersey?"

"Gordon had an important game," Gabriel said. "Mommy was sad though. I think she wanted to come down."

"Mm," Tanya said scooping up Gabriel, "we miss you and Mommy so much down here!" She kissed him. "Do you want to come to a special Christmas party tonight at the White House?"

"Whoa!" Gabriel said. "Will I meet the president?"

"Probably not buddy," Fulton laughed. "But you never know."

"Cool," Gabriel nodded.

"Why don't I help you unpack?" Tanya said. "You're going to sleep in your old room, is that OK?"

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded. "Thanks Mama. Bye PJ, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, bud," PJ high fived him. "I'll see you back home. Mommy and Gordon are going to pick you up OK?"

"OK," Gabriel said. Tanya kissed him and carried him upstairs.

"I should get back to the office," Fulton said. "Good to see you PJ."

"You too," PJ nodded and shook his hand. He walked out. "They seem good."

"They're in a good mood," Kevin laughed.

"Does Bella know that the White House was in the plan?" PJ grimaces. Kevin shook his head.

"It was enough of a fight to get him down here," he said. "I didn't feel like having the politics fight too. I don't like it any more than Bella does, but it's a reality. Mom wants to show her grandson off." PJ laughed. "How are you doing man? I'm glad you decided to go up there, it's good for Gabe."

"It's fine," PJ shrugged. "He's started preschool so a lot of my job is cut in half. And Bella's only taking like two classes, so mostly I just have to keep him busy while she's studying."

"Sure," Kevin nodded.

"He worries about you," PJ said. Kevin looked at him. "He thinks you're lonely." Kevin laughed. "Plus he gets nervous whenever Bella's on edge, which given Gordon's sack stats this season, is a lot." Kevin laughed.

"He got creamed last week," Kevin shook his head. "He's always been too slow on running passes." PJ laughed. "In high school I had his back, you know? I was faster than any offensive line man in high school." He smiled. PJ looked at him.

"I've never seen you smile when you talk about Gordon before," PJ said. "I mean, he's a good guy, but I don't blame you for hating him."

"Before Bella, Gordon and I," he shook his head. "We were like brothers. My dad and Charlie Conway, Charlie was fast, but skinny, and kind of a spaz, Dad had his back. Gordon was smart and driven, I was tough, hard," he smiled. "We were a good team." He stopped. "He hasn't taught Gabe to throw a football has he?"

"No," PJ said. "Gabriel's three, he can't hold a football, let alone throw one." Kevin nodded.

"Good, because I call that," Kevin said. "Teaching him, at least, then Gordon perfects it. Gabe's built like a quarterback, he should learn to throw like one."

"I'll keep that in mind I guess," PJ nodded. "I didn't sign up to play messenger between you and Bella. I love Gabe, I love you guys, I'm not doing this until he's ten."

"We'll have it worked out by then," Kevin said.

"She's not going to leave him, Kevin," PJ said. "They're happy. They love each other, but she hates that you're unhappy, it bothers her, and Gabe picks up on it, he doesn't understand exactly, but he knows Mommy gets sad when she talks to Daddy." Kevin nodded.

"They didn't have to move," Kevin shook his head. "That was her decision. You definitely didn't have to move."

"You could have moved," PJ said. "You got into Fordham Law, not just GW, you didn't have to stay in DC. You did it to piss her off and to force her hand, make her choose. And yeah, I did have to move," he shrugged. "I'm here for Gabe, Kevin, not for you and Bella to kick around. See you." He stood up and walked out.

Bella walked quietly into the house she grew up in and swallowed.

"There she is," Dean Norris walked over with a smile. Bella laughed and hugged him. "How's it going kid?"

"Oh I missed you," she whispered.

"Where's my godson?" Dean asked. "I have a present for him and everything."

"He's with his father," Bella said, "don't bring it up, I already went ten rounds with my dad, OK?"

"OK," Dean nodded. "But I thought you got Christmas?"

"We're still working on the details," she shrugged. He nodded.

"And your husband?" He asked.

"Coming," she said, "he has practice, but he's flying in tonight." Dean nodded. "I'm glad you're here. Is your mom here?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "She and your mom are already like two bottles of wine in." She laughed. "Allie Cole too." She smiled.

"What about your dad?" She asked. Dean nodded. "And Evie and David?"

"Yeah, you're the last one in," he laughed. "Why?" She sighed. "Oh, right, the two daddies thing." She nodded. "I'm sure Dad will be happy to advise Gordon on being a kick ass step father, however, as your Kevin is not a dead beat like David's dad, the situation is a little different."

"True," she grimaced. "I didn't think of that. Kevin would shit if Gabriel ever called Gordon 'Dad' and David calls your dad that all the time."

"I don't think Patrick was ever happy about that though," Dean shook his head. "You doing OK?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I just miss him," she sighed. "I miss him being a phone call away, being able to talk to him without yelling or threatening. He should have been Gordon's best man at the wedding, instead he didn't even show." Dean hugged her. "He was my best friend for so long, and now he doesn't want anything to do with me and it sucks."

"OK first of all, Kevin was your best friend?" Dean raised his eyebrows.

"Fine," she said, "second best friend, you are my always best friend." He grinned.

"Better," he put his arm around her. "Come on, it's Christmas, let's get sloshed." She laughed.

Gordon was sitting in a bar waiting for Connie when she walked in. He smiled and hugged her.

"I'm sorry I missed Bella, and Gabe," she said. He smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Did you watch that game?" He asked. She laughed. "No, I'm pretty good. I'm just," he looked down. "Bella's not happy." She nodded. "And I can't fix this, I can't make Kevin stop acting like a horse's ass every time there's a speed bump." She sighed.

"That must be hard," she said.

"And I love Gabriel," he whispered. "I do, but I mean," he closed his eyes. "I'm not his father, and I want act like his father, but I don't want to take away from Kevin and it's confusing." She smiled. "Did you dad ever feel that way?"

"Logan?" She said. He nodded. "No," she shook her head. "Charlie though," he looked at her. "Gordon, I love you, but Charlie is not my dad, Logan is, he taught me to ride a bike and kissed me when I had nightmares. And when I went to Eden Hall and met Charlie and Connie and you and Casey, I love you all, and I know it must have been torture for them to not you know, have a say in what I did. They didn't approve of me dating Donovan and didn't want me going to Yale, but they couldn't say that. They weren't my parents."

"I never thought of it that way," he whispered. She smiled.

"You didn't have to." She said. "I did, I had to be sensitive to it." He nodded.

"How's Henry?" He asked. She shrugged. "Why isn't he here?"

"Cause he's pissed at me," she whispered. "It's not a big deal we'll get past it." Gordon looked at her. "Kevin told me he wanted me back in his life. Henry doesn't love that prospect."

"It's not a fun prospect," he shrugged.

"It's not his decision," she mumbled. "Kevin needs someone right now. Everyone he loves is gone. We don't need him turning to certain blond distractions, now do we?"

"I've never had a problem with Anne," Gordon laughed. She frowned. "Didn't know you did." She sighed.

"I guess I don't," she said softly. "Just that at least they got that one last night, you know? That chance to see if they still had a spark. I'm jealous of that. Anyway, Henry and I are not breaking up, it's a blip, we'll get past it. I always use you and Bella as my example, I mean, you two got past her having another man's child." Gordon laughed.

"You can't stop destiny," he shrugged. "That's what Dean always said to me anyway."

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Chapter 3: Destiny