Disclaimer: Yeah, the usual. I don't own anything IaHB related.
I must say that Hank, out of all the characters in this fic, was the hardest to write about. Hmmmm. Maybe they need more Hank storylines on the show.


Hank had been psyched about coming to the reunion since the day he received the invitation in the mail. He had guessed that it was close to the time for a reunion anyway. The reunion meant a chance to see everyone that Hank hadn't been able to see since graduating. He couldn't wait to see Tyler and Val and Jamie and Catie. At least, he expected that all of them were coming. Why wouldn't they come to their own reunion? It never entered his mind that any of them could possibly doubt going.

For himself, Hank had done his part. He had stayed in touch with his four best friends as well as possible. Of course, it wasn't as if Hank had an easy schedule himself. Being one of the most sought after pediatricians in the Chicago area was taxing sometimes. Hank's life was mainly his work. But, he always managed to find some down time for himself every week and that was usually when he would try to contact his friends. Val was constantly in a meeting, Jamie looking at a site, Catie at a book signing, and Tyler in class. Over the years, Hank had become a pro at leaving messages and waiting for his friends to respond. Sometimes, it was hard with their busy lives for them to write or call him back. Yet, Hank never worried. He knew that eventually (in their own time) he would hear from each of them and he always did.

That's why the reunion was so important. He'd be able to see all of his friends face to face for the first time since graduation. And man, it felt good.

Hank had hung the invitation on the bulletin board next to his desk in his office. It hung right next to a small 3x5 picture of him and his friends at graduation. They all wore their caps and gowns still, as the ceremony had not started yet. Hank's mom had taken the picture, knowing that Hank would miss his friends dearly when he went away to school.

Hank looked at the picture now and wondered what everyone looked like. He had only talked to them in letters and over the phone for the last few years, but he had never seen a picture of any of them. He wondered if Jamie still had his spiky hair and if Val looked like an angel. Did Tyler still look like he should be elected Prom King and was Catie still.....Catie?

He smiled as he remembered all the different fun times he had had with these people. All the laughs they had shared and how they had always made one heck of a team.

He hoped that when they saw each other again, the same old comfortable feeling of friendship would be there. Hank was pretty sure it would be.

..............................

Hank walked in the doorway, psyched to be in the old gym. He couldn't wait to see his friends again. It had been so long since he had seen any of them and he wondered what they were all up to.

He scanned the large room, looking for the old gang. His eyes fell upon Jamie and Catie, standing next to the refreshments table. Jamie was holding Catie's hand and they were both staring at each other with wide eyes.

"Well, well, well," Hank murmured as he watched his two friends stare at each other in awe. He recognized the look in their eyes way too well. "Looks like things are going to be interesting tonight," he whispered softly, smiling.

Hank chuckled as he continued to watch Jamie and Catie stare at each other. Wasn't it just like them to take this long to realize how much they meant to each other? Hank could have told them years ago that they belonged together, but they wouldn't have listened. They would have denied it, pretended that the obvious connection was not there. After all, Catie and Jamie were the two most stubborn people Hank had ever met. Maybe, he thought, that's why they got along so well.

Of course, he added in his mind, if they don't move soon, I'll have to go over and check for their pulses.

He chuckled again and decided to give them just a couple more minutes to themselves before making his presence known. Hank was no fool. He knew that if he went over there, he'd break the trance that Jamie and Catie seemed to be in. And he definitely did not want to do that. No way, not when it looked as if Jamie and Catie were finally truly seeing each other for the first time.

A couple more minutes, he said in his mind and then glanced around the gym to see if there was anyone else he could recognize. There were a few faces here and there in the crowd that looked vaguely familiar, but Hank could not remember their names. Hank wondered where Tyler and Val were and he quickly scanned the gym for them. Of course, what with all of the people in the room, it was hard to really pick anyone out from the crowd. He did see Heather, though, who looked as if she were about to commit murder. Her whole face was red with anger and her eyes darted around the gym as if she were looking for someone in particular. Man, Hank thought, I'm glad I am not who she is looking for.

Hank was just about to go look on the other side of the gym for Val and Tyler when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hank," The voice said, as smooth as velvet.

Hank turned around, expecting to see some forgotten classmate behind him. He readied himself to pull a name out of his mind quickly. Yet, the person standing before him did not look familiar at all. Not even in the deep reaches of his memory could he pull out a name for this person.

She was normal height, but in her short black dress, her legs seemed long. Her thin body fit into the dress perfectly, as if it had been made for her special instead of just store bought. Her long brown hair hung straight to her waist. And her almond colored cat shaped eyes caught Hank's attention and held it there.

He watched as those eyes disappeared for a moment while their owner blinked. Then the lids rose again and Hank almost sighed with contentment as he was given the opportunity to look upon them again.

Hank had no idea who she was, but man, she looked good. And she apparently knew him since she had said his name. Too bad he couldn't remember who she was.

"You don't remember me, do you?" She asked in the silky voice of hers. Hank's heart pounded in his chest and he tried very hard to think about what she had just asked him. It was hard, though, when those eyes were focused on his and that voice was sending him into shock.

Focus, he told himself, trying to think of something to say to her in return. He knew that he did not remember her. That, it seemed, was not the problem. The problem was being able to tear his gaze away from her eyes so that he could remember how to talk again. But, he was afraid he'd miss the chance to look back at them.

Hank shook his head.

And she laughed. The stunning creature before him laughed, reminding him of a thousand flutes playing a dozen short notes. Her laugh was high and powerful. It was the best sound Hank had ever heard in his life.

"You took me to homecoming one year, even though you really didn't want to."

Hank searched through the archives in his brain desperately, trying hard to come up with a name. Homecoming, yeah, he remembered that. He remembered how he had gone with Melanie Chung to homecoming. He hadn't wanted to go with her. But, when she had asked him, Hank had not been able to say no.

This woman before me is definitely not Melanie, Hank reasoned in his mind. There was no way she could be. The Melanie Hank remembered had had short brown hair, cut above her shoulders. She had worn brown glasses and weird clothes. And she had had a high voice, not like this seductress in front of him now.

And yet.......and yet, when Hank stared deep into the eyes of the person before him, he could almost see the old familiar twinkle that had always been present in Melanie's eyes.

"Melanie?" he asked slowly, surprised that he had even found his voice. God, she was absolutely beautiful.

She laughed again and Hank thought he might just have a heart attack. "So, you do remember me," she said, smiling.

"You look so....so..." Hank started, trying to find the right words.

"Different? I know. It's amazing what contacts and a workout can do for you."

Hank smiled back at her, his eyes wide with surprise. This was Melanie Chung? This was the girl who he had run from before? Man, Hank did not feel like running now. If anything, Hank felt as if his feet were permanently glued to the floor. There was no way that anything was ever going to pull him from that spot. A hurricane could have come and blown everybody else away. But as long as Melanie was there, Hank would be too.

"I saw your picture in the paper not too long ago. Resident pediatrician. Very impressive, Hank," she said with another smile that seemed to whip through Hank's heart. "Doctor Beecham has a nice ring to it."

"Oh, that's no big deal," he answered modestly. "What have you been up to?"

"I'm a model now. International."

She was a model. An international model. Melanie Chung was an international model. Of course she's a model, Hank thought not surprised at all. After all, the girl was fine. And she was talking to him, a guy who had not even remembered her name. Well, Hank thought, I won't forget her name ever again. Or her lips, or her eyes.

Ah, those eyes. The one feature of hers that he still had not taken his own gaze off of. They were so intriguing. They pulled at Hank, enticing him to look closer. Hank felt as if he could stare into them forever, lose all contact with real life and still be the happiest person around. But, none of that now, Melanie was talking again.

"You know, doctor Beecham," she started, a hint of humor in her eyes, "I have a confession to make."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Hank asked, wondering what this beautiful person could possibly have to confess.

The beautiful brown eyes closed and then opened again as Melanie blinked. She returned her gaze to Hank's eyes and Hank almost sighed.

"I was hoping that you would be here tonight," she said slowly.

Hank smiled, pleased that she had thought of him years after she had seen him last. He cocked his head a bit and looked at her, waiting for her to go on.

"I wanted to tell you that I have always wondered what you were up to. See, I used to......have a huge crush on you in high school and it never totally went away," she finished.

All of the sudden, Hank's legs felt like Jello.



Suddenly the crowd that had separated Hank from Tyler and Val opened and Tyler got a quick glimpse of his old friend as he hurried the rest of the way over to Val. Vaguely, Tyler wondered who the girl was that Hank was talking to, but he didn't have time to mull over the question. He still had had to beat Lean Dean from getting to Val first. Just a few more steps.......



Hehehe. I hate to leave Hank there, but it's Tyler and Val's turn. Hopefully, I will have the continuation of their storyline out soon. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks guys!