AN: Jram: I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far. Sorry for the delays. I have uploaded 2 chapters today as a thank you for waiting for me :)))

The Way We Were

Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were

Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another

For the way we were

"So you still love him?" Donna asked

"What do you think?" Kelly groaned

"I don't know. I knew there was feelings there, but I thought..." Donna sighed, "I thought it was just painful to see your ex. I didn't think your feelings were that strong."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you." Kelly scoffed

"Kelly..." Donna soothed, "Just stop. Stop torturing yourself. Just come and talk to me, okay? We got over him before, we'll do it again."

"I don't think I ever did." Kelly began to tear up. It seemed like all she had been doing lately was fight. Fight to forget, fight to stay strong, fight to be happy.

Donna walked over and hugged her. "I don't want to add salt to the wound, but Kel... we're not kids anymore. He's married."

"I know!" Kelly cried, "He's married. He's married to Brenda. And I'm divorced... Sometimes I can't believe it..." She began pacing around again. "I know I put him behind me. It was hell and I somehow made it out alive. But... I feel barely there. I feel like my life flashed before my eyes and I just survived. I didn't live. He was mine... We were so madly in love and it all just crashed and burned and now... What am I left with? The ashes?"

Kelly took a long bubble bath when she got home that night. It was a relief to let it all out to Donna. To finally say what she was fighting so hard not to say. But opening that gate may not have been her wisest decision. So she did what every rich Beverly Hills woman would do: a little yoga, draw a bubble bath, light some candles and pour herself a glass of wine.

The wine definitely wasn't a wise decision. She was already on her fourth when the doorbell rang. She made sure her bathrobe was closed before opening it.

Of course, there he was. Dylan.

"What are you doing?" She said in an exhausted tone

"You haven't returned my calls." He said, letting himself in.

"I'm doing you a favour." She mumbled. He saw the bottle of wine on the coffee table. He then proceeded to grab a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some wine once he sat on the couch.

"Well, help yourself." She said sarcastically

"I remember where everything is." He grinned

"Yeah... this house has many memories with wine glasses. Mostly Jackie's."

"Surprised you'd move back."

"Well, Steve was a romantic when he wanted to be. I wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise." Kelly thought about all the sweet things Steve did back then. Bought her childhood home back so they could raise Pamela there. Not to mention how he took care of her after the adoption. "Anyway... He's moved on. He's... happy."

"Right." Dylan took a sip as Kelly observed him

"Should you be drinking?" She asked, wondering if this was a pattern he only seemed to adopt when he came over to her house.

"Relax. I can handle a couple of drinks every now and then." He grinned

"Ah... you're all cured now." Kelly couldn't help but hide her bitterness. "So why are you... here?"

"Like I said, you disappeared. Wanted to check on you." He sighed

"Well don't." The wine was definitely taking over her at this point

"What?" He chuckled anxiously

"If I don't answer you, it means I don't need you coming over. Unless this involves Cameron, there's no reason for us to talk."

"Why are you saying that?" He crinkled his forehead, "We've been through so much together... Why are you pretending like there's no reason for us to see each other."

"Give me a reason why there is?"

"Because... it's... well, us."

"Us?" She scoffed

"Yes. Us." He said firmly. "Now we share a child. I thought we were good."

"Well that's history. Which has been made very apparent to me by your wife."

"Kel, what is going on with you?" He shook his head

"I just.. I need to not be around you." She said nervously. Dylan observed her and took a deep breath.

"So we can't even be friends?"

"No, we can't."

"Why not? Because friends aren't supposed to want to sleep together?" He joked

"We don't!" Kelly exclaimed nervously

"We don't want to? Or... we just don't." His eyes locked with hers.

"Dylan... please leave. This isn't funny." She got up and he followed suit.

"Kel..." He pleaded, "I was just teasing."

"No." She said sharply, "You don't get to. You don't get to waltz in here and pretend it's all good. You're married. You got to go off and have the happy family. You're sober and healed and everything's just perfect. Well what about me?" She began to tear up as her voice grew louder. "Did you even think about me when you left? Do you think about me now? I lost everything. I lost Cameron. I got the empty life. I can't make real connections because I can't trust anyone. I can't be the mother I thought I'd be. I became everything I hate about this shallow, privileged town. The trophy wife whose husband now ran off with someone else. And you think it's okay to walk in here like nothing happened?"

Dylan slowly breathed out, stunned by her outburst.

"Why even come here?!" She paused, trying to calm her breathing. "...Tell me, Dylan. You got the happily ever after. It all worked out for you and Brenda..." She walked over to him. "Why not us? Why couldn't you do it for me? ...Why wasn't it me?"

"Kel, I..." He closed his eyes, "I can't do this. I'm sorry."

"I got it!" James picked a movie from the cupboard.

"What's on the classic movies night itinerary?" Dylan asked

"Popcorn and The Way We Were." Brenda came over from the kitchen, placing a bowl of popcorn in front of them.

Once James put the film on, they were all snuggled up on the couch.

"I forgot how good this movie was." Brenda uttered after a mouthful of popcorn.

"You and dad sure do have good taste in movies." James nodded

"That we do..." Dylan smiled

Your girl is lovely, Hubbell.

Dylan shuddered at that line. It seemed in that moment, he couldn't get his fight with Kelly out of his head.

"Where've you been, I left a message for you." Kelly said once Dylan crept behind her as she washed the dishes.

"Well, I went fishing all day with Brenda, it was fun."

"Oh." Kelly pursed her lips.

"Kel, we're just friends, remember?" Dylan thought about how he stood on the pier with Brenda. He looked into her eyes and realized in that moment that he was no longer in love with Brenda. They got the closure Brenda needed in that moment. They promised to stay friends and they did.

Dylan couldn't shake that memory. He realized that while he and Brenda managed to stay close and platonic, he and Kelly didn't. In fact, he and Kelly never got any closure. Every time they tried to move on, something would remind them of the way they used to be.

He looked over at his family, Brenda had both her boys on either side. This beautiful, intimate moment. Then, he thought about Kelly, and how upset she was earlier. Was this the way it was supposed to be? Was he always going to end up safe and married to his best friend? Was his passionate affair with Kelly always going to be never quite fulfilled?

It was bittersweet. Maybe Kelly was right. They can never be friends. After all, he was always going to want her and she was always going to want him. Maybe he should really try once and for all to let her be.

Dylan drove Brenda and James to the airport. They were about to spend the Summer with Jim and Cindy in Minnesota.

"Be good over there, kid." Dylan warned James. "Make grandpa Jim proud of his namesake."

"I'll try, dad." James laughed

"And you... you behave as well." Dylan joked turning to Brenda

"Can't promise anything." She winked.

"Hey!" They all turned around and spotted Pamela calling them from her convertible. She got out the car and ran over.

"I'll be right back." James said before turning to head towards her.

"Don't be long!" Brenda called after him.

"Take care of yourself, honey." Brenda said hugging Dylan

"Don't worry. Call me when you get there." He kissed her.

"I will. I love you!"

"I love you too babe." He grabbed Brenda's suitcases and lifted them onto the conveyor belt.

"I'm sorry I missed your call!" Pamela said running over to James.

"Well, you're here now." He grinned, "Listen... I just... I wanted to tell you. I love you."

She stopped and smiled at him, "I love you too."

"I don't know what's going to happen but... If we can make it apart for the whole Summer, maybe that means we'll... make it." He smiled

"You better call me." She playfully nudged him. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too!" He kissed her before they parted.

Dylan was on his way back from the airport. He was driving past the playground. He decided to park and go over there. Maybe a little playground fun was a good way to clear his mind.

He turned to head over to the swing. Once he got closer, he saw her.

There was Kelly, her blonde hair flowing.

"Hi." He whispered. She didn't turn around. She knew exactly who was behind her. She held onto the chain of the swings and rested her head back on his stomach.

"You can never just leave it alone, can you?" She moaned

They both remained silent, she looked up at the stars, he looked down, gazing at her.

After a few moments of quiet, he took a deep breath.

"...I don't want to hurt you. I don't mean to... I wish I had a better explanation for why things turned out the way they did. And I'm sorry that I didn't think of your feelings when I come over unannounced - it's just... Sometimes I just feel this magnetic pull." Dylan began to walk around to face her.

"I just... I want to be with you... Feel you next to me." He continued after a beat "...It's the only way I can still, in some way, hold onto the way we were."

Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we?
Could we?

Memories
May be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply to choose to forget

So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were - Barbara Streisand