Alright, we are back with the latest installment! This chapter begins 2 months after Alejandro and Heather got engaged at the end of "Trials and Tribulations". And this will be the start of some 'familiar faces' from the series being introduced into my fanfic. Make your guesses now as to who the first one will be before you read. ;) Anyway, hope you enjoy it! :)

({No POV})

While everything was still icy cold and snow covered in Toronto, it was surprisingly a nice and sunny day out.

The university students were going about their business of returning to term for a new semester. One of these students, Shane Watson, was just returning from a class back to his student studio apartment.

He readjusted his backpack over his shoulder and looked ahead to get ready to enter his apartment building, well… until he saw who was waiting out front that made him both confused, intrigued, and hesitant all at once.

Then those feelings increased ten fold as she looked over and made direct eye contact with him.

Heather.

Although maybe a little strange to be feeling all those emotions under more normal circumstances seeing any other person… Shane felt justified in his hesitation at the moment with Heather.

After all, he hadn't seen her in over 2 months and considering the last two times he interacted with her was when she kicked him in the balls at his parent's house on Christmas and then assisted Alejandro with helping him get Heather to talk to him via Alejandro kicking down her door and dragging her out of the room… then that ultimately resulting in Alejandro and Heather getting engaged.

Otherwise Shane hadn't talked or seen Heather since.

So… he was wondering what she was doing there?

Because while their 'friendship-ish' dynamic was just as complicated as it ever has been, it didn't mean that Shane still didn't have a (while still complicated) respect and sense of regard for Heather as a person who helped him break out of his once social anxiety induced shell as a child and helped him become the stronger and more confident person he is today.

Though it still begged the question to him.

What was Heather doing here?

While guarded, Shane cautiously approached Heather as she seemed to compose herself until finally the two were within a 2 to 3 foot distance of each other.

At first it was still silent, mainly now Heather seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him as a look of guarded confliction crossed over her and to him almost seeing a hint of 'remorse' in her eyes. Suddenly, it became clear to him why she was here. Almost to confirm this, he watched as Heather reached into her oversized Lounel purse over her shoulder and pulled out what looked like a bottle with a note attached to it.

Heather held it out to him, still not looking at him directly, but clearly giving him the hint to take it.

Once Shane grabbed it, his eyes went wide as he looked at the bottle. It was a bottle of his favorite craft beer from the micro-brewery in their hometown.

He kept looking at the bottle until he looked at the note attached to the neck of the bottle and read it to himself:

You know I suck at this, so can we consider this bottle of your weird-ass hipster beer a 'sorry' and not talk about it anymore?

Although in most other dynamics, this would seem very confusing and hardly seem like an apology that was in any way sufficient enough.

But to Shane (a guy who has known Heather for the vast majority of his life thus far), this left him as flabbergasted as the time Heather wrote that nice yet still passive aggressive as all get out note in his yearbook on their last day of high school.

Though to Shane, a guy who has never personally seen Heather genuinely apologize in his whole life… this was the most he had ever seen Heather show any form of remorse for something she's done and even going to the point of using a 'gift' as an olive branch between them.

As much as Heather would never admit it genuinely outload and as complicated as things still are, Shane knew that in her own way… Heather still respected and cared about him too.

Not wanting to push his luck or make Heather regret what she did. Shane just looked back at Heather and put a hand on her shoulder before grinning and nodding his head slightly at her, giving her the subtle confirmation that it was 'apology accepted'.

Mainly Shane kept it subtle since (unlike Heather) he usually hates drama and 'making waves', but also because he knew when it comes to his interactions with Heather that the key was always to keep it 'straight and to the point'.

Heather, who was finally looking at him again, gave him a nod back and felt an overwhelming sense of internal relief that Shane wasn't making a big deal about her 'kind of sort of apology'.

They stood in silence for several moments until Shane started, just trying to make conversation, "So… how did you find me? I didn't think you'd be in Toronto?"

Heather shrugged before responding, "I have my ways. Also… I live here now anyway."

"With him?" Shane asked, even though he knew his assumption was probably right that she was living with Alejandro now.

Heather decided not to try to make a huge 'thing of it' as she confirmed, "We're staying in Toronto until after Alejandro finished grad school in 2 years. And also after… something else."

Shane quirked up an eyebrow as he saw Heather reach into her purse again as she held out an envelope to him with 'Shane Watson' written in Heather's usual concise cursive.

"I'm giving you 2 years notice so you better be there." Shane was confused for a few moments until he opened the envelope and saw what was inside.

It was a save the date card for her and Alejandro's wedding in June two years from now. Shane just looked at Heather and smirked as he started, "Wow… 2 years notice on a save the date."

Heather shrugged before replying, "We have it all planned. After Alejandro graduates and the wedding, we're moving to Spain. I'm already starting the citizenship process. He wants to go back to start his career… and so do I. Considering I can't find anyone or anything useful here to get my show pitched successfully, Spain will at least give me 'fresh options'. I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

Heather crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in annoyance at the end, showing how much she has no desire to stay in her home country and wants to leave the first chance she gets.

But as much as Heather wasn't showing the 'full extent' of how she felt, Shane knew deep down Heather was much happier and excited about that prospect than she was showing.

Sure, he remembered Heather's 'Europe dream' from when they'd trade essays in junior high English class peer-editing, but he knew more than anyone that Heather wanted to leave Canada, and just North America in general, the first chance she got to fulfill her desire to at the very least live in Europe.

And while Shane would not want to push things too much right now, he simply smiled slightly before commenting, "Well, if I know anything about you, you always have a plan."

Eventually Heather just gave him a slight smirk and shrug before replying, "Is there ever any doubt?"

Shane smirked before looking back at the card and then tucking it into the inside of his winter coat, replying in confirmation, "I'll be there."

Heather smirked and said, "Great, see you there then. I have to go now though. I have other fish to fry."

Then just as abruptly as the conversation began, Heather started walking off. Shane was about to question it until he just rolled his eyes and shrugged it off before shaking his head in confusion.

While Shane was happy he and Heather were officially back to being on good terms with each other, he still had to concede one thing about Heather.

It doesn't matter whether they are little kids or young adults, Heather was just as much of a 'dark horse' now as she ever was.

15 minutes later across downton Toronto

Heather was standing in front of a row house in an eastern downtown Toronto near the harbor for Lake Ontario.

She looked at her phone just to confirm she arrived at the right address… and also to take a moment to question her sanity at what she was about to do.

But, Heather made her decision and she was determined to go through with it.

She even acted on it as she wasted no time in approaching the door and ringing the doorbell. Heather straightened up and put up the strongest front she had as she wasted no time as she prepared for anything.

The door opened only for the person to answer the door to pause dead in their tracks.

Although now having shorter hair and having a few more piercings on her ears than Heather remembered the last time they saw each other on season 3, she was still very much unchanged.

Leshawna.

The two stood in an awkward and tense standoff for several moments. Even Heather being the person who sought her out, seemed like she was even slipping into a slight state of hesitancy. Though the two were past their 'intense rivalry' they had in their mid to late teens, it still didn't mean that things were no longer 'complicated' between them.

Eventually the shock of Leshawna seeing Heather show up to her doorstep seemed to wear off as Leshawna quirked up an eyebrow and leaned in her front doorway while crossing her arms, trying to figure out what 'Heather's deal' was with showing up before inquiring in unsure and guarded confusion, "Uh, girl?… Do ya want somethin'?"

Even though Heather was still keeping her front up and knew what she wanted to do, she was trying to come up with a way to do it.

Eventually, like with most things, Heather decided to just cut to the chase as she pulled out an envelope similar to the one she gave Shane but instead addressed to 'Leshawna Harris'.

Leshawna's look of confusion seemed to continue to contort until Heather proposed, clear and to the point, "Look… I have something I need to ask you."

And enter Leshawna! Let's give her a hand everybody! :D I'm not going to say too much for now and I'll leave what Heather wants to ask Leshawna about up to your guesses for now, but 21 year old Leshawna is officially introduced into my fanfic universe. I know due to inconsistent writing, Leshawna's character and her 'friendship' with Heather was always a little 'inconsistent' and in TDA I really didn't like how the writer's derailed her character a bit. Mainly since I LOVED Leshawna especially in TDI. As much of a hardcore Heather fan I always have been since episode one of TD… I love Leshawna's character A LOT! She was the perfect rival for Heather to have and just their whole TDI rivalry in particular was just ICONIC! Leshawna, before Alejandro, was another character who was never afraid to stand up to Heather and show her that she wasn't going to let Heather blindly boss her around. I mean, c'mon, she was practically the first person to stand up to Heather and toss her off the cliff in the first challenge when Heather refused because she didn't want to 'ruin her hair'. And as much as her and Leshawna clashed though all things aside, I always saw Heather especially having a secret respect for Leshawna and even Leshawna toward Heather in an odd way too. Again, the writer's derailing her character a bit aside, Heather was the only person who really came to Leshawna's defense when she was making those side comments to her cousin in the limo on TDA after the hospital challenge and Leshawna even extended an invitation of 'friendship' to Heather after her elimination in TDA. You know before the writer's just forgot about it in TDWT (One of the few things that irked me about the season along with the damn Duncan, Gwen, and Courtney Love Triangle that was a terrible hot mess from the start and permanently ruined Gwen's character in my opinion). But… I digress. Lol. XD Anyway, what is Heather doing showing up at Leshawna's house? Make your guesses everybody! ;) And I also hoped how you liked Heather showing she's slowly growing as a person to start owning up to her actions and apologizing to Shane. Sure Heather may never completely change, but I wanted to show how she's slowly but surely getting to a better place mentally and emotionally now that her and Alejandro worked through things and are now engaged. Either way… she's growing. :) Anyway, Thank you so much for reading and constructive reviews are always appreciated.

Stay classy and safe everyone!

Dexter1995