Title: Different [6/10]

Author's Notes: This was a personal favorite of mine to write. It was really fun to write and I hope you all enjoy this part as much as I loved writing it. (By the way: the dog comment is my opinion, I lost a loved pet because of that, if you love your pets keep them leashed and watch them.)

6

"Hey, you've reached Colin and Casey. We're not home. Leave a message and we'll get back to you." I hear Colin's voice, his answering machine message coming through the line. Before the 'beep' comes, Casey barks and there's a muted "I'm not recording the damn message again, stop barking Case!" The beep comes and I try not to laugh—even though I've heard this a hundred times by now.

"Hey, it's me. I know I told you I had to go away for a few days on business, but I just got back home. I'm in the car, on my way home," I say, trying to balance my cell phone on my ear. "I'm sorry I couldn't call you; I didn't get a chance to reach a phone," I try, cringing when I remember just what I was busy doing. "I hope you and Case are fine, I'm sure you missed me terribly, but I hope you survived. How'd that football game go, did you win? Oh!, and what happened with Viv, is she okay? I know things were ... tense, but remember she is your sister—let me know, okay? Also, I'm going to bring you over some mangos. Eric and another idiot from work ... you know what, I'm not even going to try. I'll bring you some—just don't ask, okay? And ... this message is probably too long and it's going to cut me off any second, so I'm almost home—call me, bye."

I'm on my way home from another mission. It was different, almost, because I hadn't been on a mission in a while. It wasn't as if things were slow, they weren't. I just wasn't necessary or involved in the cases that were the most important. I wasn't going to complain, I was able to take at least 2 or 3 actual lunches each week. I was lucky enough to be able to meet Colin and eat with him. If that weren't enough, I even got a day off most weeks. It was like a vacation I'd needed forever—a little mini break during my busy week.

There weren't any new, real, leads to my missing two years. I was resigning myself to the fact that we may never know what had happened, or why. But right now, I have to get my keys into the lock so I can open the front door. It doesn't really matter what happened those two years, I am here now, and I can live now even if I don't remember living those missing years.

Just as I'm stepping inside the house I hear my answering machine: "Hey, you've reached me. I'm not home right now. But leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a nice day!"

The 'beep' goes off and the message begins. "Hey Syd, Little Miss Phone Screener, don't discriminate, pick up the phone!" He is quiet for a second, but I can hear some noise in the background. "I just got your message; I was able to get home early." I'm trying to make my way to the phone, who puts in phone jacks anyway? They're almost always in the oddest places and farthest away from where they'd be most convenient. "Okay, maybe you aren't home. I am, you can call me, okay? We can make mango smoothies!" Expecting the machine to click off, that the call had ended, I hesitate in picking up the phone. "Are you there? Syd?" he asks, again. Yes, I'm here! Just as I pick up the phone I hear him on the machine, "No, I guess not."

Before he could get to his typical good bye, I catch the phone. With a smile, I speak into the receiver, "Hey."

"You are home! You were screening, weren't you!?!" he accuses me.

"No, I just got home—honestly. I heard the machine pick up as I was walking in."

Truth list: 13. Phone tag isn't fun.

"Good, come on over then. Bring those mangos and we'll have some fun. Downtime Syd, it happens and it's good. I'll bring you over to the dark side, just give me a chance." I know he's smiling, I can see his grin even if I'm not with him.

"You're off for the rest of the day?" I question. I'm tired, I'm allowed to be after the last 36 hours I had. If he's only home for a few minutes I'm not even going to bother.

"Of course! Come on, stop stalling, I'm not going to torture you over here, promise!" he snickers.

"Fine, fine!" I sigh. Jingling my keys next to the phone, I ask him, "Hear that? Those are my keys, and this is me leaving the house." Hanging up the phone I can't help but smirk. Shut the door. Get into the car. Five, four, three, two—cell phone rings. I knew it! "Yes, Col?"

"You're so bad!" he laughs.

"Yeah, so?" bitch, thy name is Sydney. "I couldn't help it, forgive me?"

"Only if you're here in the next 30 seconds."

"If you're pouting, I swear Col," I begin. "I won't be there for the next 30 days!" Was I a bit too stern?

"I'm not," he cries, amazingly with a mature tone. "I've just missed you," he half whispers.

So maybe I was a little too stern, this is Colin, not some thug. "Oh, I missed you too. I'm sorry Colin. It was just a hard, long ... bad trip. You know, it's hard for me to let go of that sometimes."

"S'kay, I put up with you—god knows why—but I do. Just, get here." He's so sweet sometimes. It's nice to come home, knowing there's someone that cares where you are. "I'll hang up now," he tempts.

"Well, I'm almost there, so it's okay. You may have missed me, but I think you can take a minute or two of not hearing my voice." He doesn't say anything to that. "Look, I know it's been a rough few weeks. I'm sorry. It's just been ... I had to go with Michael this time."

"Oh, Syd," he says, apologetic. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's not like you forced him with me," I try. He makes this noise, this 'I don't believe you, I know you too well for you to think that'll work on me' kind of noise. "I'm fine, really. He's just not doing well, there's a lot going on with him. And it was ... it wasn't good between us."

"Good would be getting rid of that guy! If I'd have—" he starts.

"Don't, Col. I just wanted to be home. With you, I would have had fun. With him I was just ... unhappy. I'm done now, things went longer then expected but it's over. I'm turning the corner ... and now I see the park ... the ice cream man just passed on the other side. Okay, I see—" approaching his house I see him. "Hey, I see this handsome man out in front of this really nice house. He's wearing this great shirt and he's got a big old dog next to him. You have any idea who this guy is, maybe you could introduce me to him—what'd you think Col?"

"Don't you start," he scolds me. "I'll hold Case while you park," he offers, knowing I'm always mad at him for not always keeping Case on a leash—afraid that I'll run him over. Finally I park and I'm about to turn the car off when I hear him huff at me over the phone, "Hurry it up; we're waiting out in the sun for you."

Truth list: 14. Always keep your dog on a leash, it'll save their life.

"No problem," I tell to my cell phone—which is now in my purse. Carrying the bag of mangos I threw in the back seat I get out of the car.

Casey's already made it to me, just shy of his record time. "Hey there Case," I cry. "I know, I know," I confide, trying to calm down the beyond excited dog. He's big, and he thinks he's a lap dog; the damage he does and doesn't realize is amazing. Finally, he's calmer: butt down, tail thumping, leaning against me. "I know! I missed you too!"

"Are you forgetting something?" Colin asks, shadowing over the figures of both Casey and I.

"Nah, just getting to that now," I inform him, standing up and moving over to him. Casey isn't as calm as I thought, apparently, because he's rushing over to me, again. He knocks me into Colin, as we had both moved to each other at the same time. Colin's face is right there and mine is so close and ... oh ...

"Hi," he tries lamely. I'm in his arms, Casey forgotten at our side. My lips are tingling from that 'accident'.

"Hi," I respond, just as lamely. "I, uh ..."

He pushes us both back up and takes a firm grip on my hand. Casey tags along behind us, narrowly making it into the door before Colin had closed it. I am lead to the couch and then promptly deposited there. I look up at him—his tall figure standing in front of me.

His smile could light this whole house up for a week. "So I know you're not 16, and I might act like I am sometimes," he says, jovial and beaming. "But I'm really not," he confides, and then whispers, "don't tell anyone that."

I'm still taken aback by everything, temporarily muted. All I can seem to do is weakly nod my head. He's got so much more control over the situation then me right now. He's talking and moving and focused; I'm just—

He leans down, so that we're almost eye level. I've always had a thing for guys that were taller then me. "Syd," he half asks half states. "I can't believe how lucky I've been this year. From the moment Casey laid eyes on you, my life's just been brighter and better. I didn't know anything about you, but we had this instant connection—"

"I know!" I exclaim, interrupting him. I'm finally in control of my voice, only I'm able to use it at the wrong moment.

He only smiles at me. He moves to sit besides me on the couch, continuing the constant eye contact, and caries on. "There was something about you that I just needed to be around you, to protect you, to be there for you. You fell apart that afternoon in my arms and I felt like I had a purpose." He looks so satisfied; it shocks me that he really feels this way. "You trusted me," he breaths, letting off a nervous laugh. "God knows why—I'm just an awkward, funny guy." He's getting this serious look again and I don't know what's coming next. "But you did trust me, and you let me be a part of your life. I knew you were hurt, and you let me in. You let me try to help you. And I think I fell in love with you." He's looking right into my soul right now; I can feel his gaze piercing my heart. "I fell, hard," he says, sincerely. "I know you're still mending, I know the last thing you need is someone else to play with your heart, but you've had mine for so long now, I just ... you should know," he finishes. He can't quite meet my eyes anymore. Instead, he's looking slightly up and to the right, past me.

Truth list: 15. Life can sneak up on you, watch out or you may never realize it's there.

Mirroring his own actions of so many months ago I lift his face to mine and bring his eyes level to my eyes. "I can't say I'm worth much of anything, but just so you know, I think you've had my heart for a while too." I'm taking control and making sure this doesn't get glossed over and forgotten as a moment of embarrassment. Before, I didn't want anyone, not after everything I'd been through. But I had this amazing friend that I couldn't be away from too long or a piece of me started to ache. It took him delivering his soul to me on a silver platter, and a goofy dog, to get me to realize the truth of the matter: I fell in love.

He leans into me, slowly. Just before our lips meet I hear him whisper gently, "thank you."

tbc