Fate

A/N: To clarify, this is not AU. This is canon up to the current season only. Then I go off the tracks. A lot of information was given in the first chapter, Discovery. The premise is based on The Parent Trap. Who do you think Elliot's girlfriend is? Leave a note. Remember Noah is pretending to be Elliot's son and visa versa, when reading this chapter. Sorry for the delay.

Chapter 2: Switched

Noah smiled nervously as the school bus pulled into the school parking lot where the student's parents were picking them up after their week away at dance camp in upstate New York.

Noah stared out the window, trying to clock the man who had raised his identical twin brother. He ran a hand over his recently chopped hair, grimacing at how short it was. Unfortunately it was a necessary step in their plan.

The two brothers had spent the remainder of their week planning and plotting. They shared as much information as they could, it would be hard to deceive most people, but trying to dupe two highly decorated detectives was a Herculean task.

The bus pulled to a stop, and Noah sighed, "It's now or never," he whispered under his breath.

He briefly wondered how his brother was fairing. He was on a different bus, heading to a school closer to where he lived with his mom.

They didn't have cell phones but they both had tablets and a few games in common. They found they were able to message one another through one of the games on their iPads. It gave Noah a sense of security, knowing he could contact him at anytime.

Noah grabbed his brother's duffel bag and walked down the narrow aisle to the open door with all the other students.

He jumped from the bottom step, still looking for Elliot, when a loud booming voice broke through the crowd.

"Oliver, over here!" Elliot called, jogging towards him.

Noah spun on the spot, and barely had time to drop his duffel bag, before he was being lifted into Elliot's arms, his feet off the ground, in a great big bear hug.

Not wanting to draw any suspicion, he flung his arms around his 'dad's' shoulders.

"I know it's only been a week but I missed you little man!" Elliot hummed, squeezing him tighter.

Noah smiled, this man really loved his son.

"I missed you too Dad!" Noah exclaimed. The word felt weird falling from his mouth. He had never called someone 'Dad' before.

Elliot held him for a couple more seconds before lowering him back to the concrete parking lot. "Alright, I don't wanna embarrass you anymore. How you doing kid? How was your week? Did you grow? I swear you're taller."

"Daaaaaad," Noah groaned.

"Come on, let's get going, you hungry?"

Noah nodded.

Elliot grabbed his duffel and leaned his arm across Noah's shoulders as he directed them to his car.

"You've been eating nothing but camp food for a week, you want McDonalds? Or a home cooked meal?"

Noah and Oliver had talked about their food preferences in detail and knew the answer to this immediately. Apparently his dad and siblings cooked a lot so Oliver took any opportunity he could to eat fast food when it came along.

"McDonald's please?"

Elliot smiled at him.

Good, Noah thought, he had passed his first test.

"Alright, well you can tell me all about your week on our drive home then."

"Sounds great Dad, thanks," Noah beamed at him as he got into the backseat of Elliot's car.

Elliot threw his luggage into the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat.

He pulled the car into the lineup of other parents leaving the lot.

"So how was it? Any cute girls…?"

Noah laughed, "Dad!"

"Alright, alright, girls still have cooties, good to know," Elliot joked.

Over in Manhattan, Oliver's knees were jumping up and down as he waited for his bus to come to a full stop. He could already see her standing in the parking lot, waving at him with the widest smile on her face.

As soon as the bus stopped Oliver grabbed Noah's backpack and bounded off the bus. She was older than the photo he had seen depicted but he thought she was just as pretty. Where his Dad's hair had definitely thinned and receded over the years, it looked like hers had basically remained the same.

"Noah!" she cried, squatting down to his level and pulling him into her open arms.

"Mmmm Mom!" Noah exclaimed happily, his words muffled by her hair.

"I missed you my sweet boy!"

Ah yes, Noah had told him that was a nickname she called him.

"I missed you too Mom, so much." He couldn't help thinking how odd that title felt leaving his mouth. He'd never had a mom before. He squeezed her shoulders one last time before releasing her and taking a small step back.

She brought both her hands up to frame his face, "Oh my gosh, what happened, you cut your hair?"

Oliver laughed, "Uh yeah, I didn't mean to, but I got some gum in it."

"Oh baby!" Olivia sighed, just happy to have her son back in her arms again.

"Do-do you like it?" Oliver inquired.

Olivia smiled, "Of course it looks great sweetie."

Oliver grinned widely, "I like it too."

"And it can always grow back my sweet boy," Olivia reaffirmed, trying to comfort him.

Oliver nodded, as she stroked her fingers through his closely cropped hair.

"You tired, hungry, wanna get out of this cold and head home?" Olivia proposed.

Oliver agreed, and held Olivia's hand as they walked to her SUV. He tossed his backpack on the floor in the backseat and climbed in.

Olivia pulled the vehicle out into the late Manhattan traffic.

"So sweetie, aside from an unplanned haircut, how was your week? Did you make some new friends?" Olivia asked him curiously from the front seat as she kept her eyes on the cars in front of her.

Oliver nodded even though she wasn't looking at him. "It was great, probably the best week of my life Mom."

"That's great! So you'd want to go back?" Olivia confirmed.

"Mmhm, sure." Oliver was distracted by his surroundings. This wasn't part of the city he was familiar with. Him and his Dad lived in Manhattan too but him and Noah were in different school districts. He had only been back in the states for 8 months. He had grown up in Northern Ireland for the first 7 years of his life, with his Dad. His Dad has been stationed there with the FBI. His older sister Kathleen had moved with them too, but she had stayed when they returned to the US. He missed her a lot but she had met a local man, fallen in love, and started a family of her own.

His Dad disappeared at times when they lived there. Sometimes for months. His sister took care of him then. He never knew where his Dad went, he told him he couldn't tell him but he always came back.

His train of thought was broken by Olivia calling his name repeatedly.

"You okay?" she inquired when he finally responded.

"Sorry Mom, just as much fun as I had, it's great to be home."

He knew he said the right thing when Olivia smiled warmly at him through the rear view mirror.

Elliot sat down next to him on the couch, and together they chowed down on their dinner and watching the Rangers game. Despite his new love for dance Noah still liked other sports too.

Elliot coughed, "So, uh Oliver there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Sure Dad, what is it?" Noah inquired.

"Well, while you were away, I was given a new assignment buddy."

"That's great Dad!" Noah exclaimed, hoping that Oliver would react that way.

"Yeah, yeah it is, except we'd have to move again," Elliot explained cautiously.

"Wh-where?" Noah asked frowning.

"California, San Diego to be precise. Wouldn't that be cool though, Lizzie and Dick are in California too so you'd be able to see them more."

"Is your girlfriend going too?" Noah asked hesitantly.

Elliot nodded, "Yeah she was offered a position as well. In fact she was going to drop by in a bit, I left some files at work that I need and she wanted to see you, welcome you back home!"

"Ho-how did you guys meet? I know you told me but I forgot Dad," Noah made up an excuse, this woman was a cop, he wondered if his mom would know her too.

Elliot chuckled, "Well actually I worked with her years and years ago briefly. Uh my partner had just left and I worked with a couple people, she was one of them. I didn't see her for years, she left the unit rather suddenly, but then I ran into her again and we reconnected. We're both older and wiser I guess."

"Do you love her?" Noah asked.

Elliot shook his head, "No Oliver, it's still very new and despite the fact we may both take these jobs in California, we're still trying to keep things light."

Noah's frown grew more prominent. If Elliot took this job then Oliver would be clear across the country from him. He didn't know how far away California was but they had studied the United States that year in school and he knew it was on the opposite coast.

"You're not happy?" Elliot spoke softly trying to read the expression on his son's face.

Noah looked across at Elliot as he put his empty plate on the coffee table. "I like it here. I like New York."

Elliot grimaced, "I know buddy but I gotta go where the work is, this could be a good opportunity for me. Look I have some time to decide, we have to go to a conference here for a quick certification before we leave anyways, on Monday at the Four Seasons in Manhattan."

"Wh-when do you have to tell your boss by?" Noah gulped, he barely had any time with Oliver and now he was going to lose him all over again. He had never had a sibling before, just his Mom's friend's kids. Now he had a brother, and not just a brother but an identical twin.

"Next Friday-"

Elliot was interrupted by a knock on his door.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Noah questioned.

Elliot nodded and chuckled, getting up to answer the door, "She has a name you know…" he trailed off as he welcomed the woman into his apartment.

Noah didn't pay much attention. He had to message Oliver, and let him know about this new development. They had to abort this crazy plan immediately or else HE, Noah would end up in California, not Oliver. They had to switch back.

A/N: Cliffhanger. Any guesses on who Elliot's girlfriend is? I tried to plant a few clues. Yes, Elliot named his son Oliver, I wonder after who…All reviews are appreciated.