Ellie flew down the freeway in the rented Mercedes. She'd rented it at a lot near the hotel, somehow producing both a current driver's license and money. She had her sunglasses on and the windows down, exactly as Lucas did. They'd slipped Lucas' mixed disk into the car's player and Ellie sang along.

"Where are we going?" Lucas asked.

"Hollywood," she replied.

He sat up straight. "Seriously?"

She nodded with a smile as she switched freeways. Soon they came to their exit and Ellie pulled off. It had been so long since he'd been in a car, it was a strange feeling. He nearly hung out the window as they drove through the surface streets and into a parking garage. Ellie found a spot and pulled in.

"Okay let's go."

Lucas jumped out of the car, feeling like a little kid going to the zoo. He looked around him eagerly. Ellie started to walk away and he quickly followed her. They reached the street and Lucas stopped dead in his tracks.

"Holy cow…" he said, looking around him. So many lights and billboards, shops selling trinkets and other souvenirs, nightclubs that weren't open yet, and so many people. "You could do a whole sociological study right here," he commented.

"Yeah, you could. That's the great thing about it. Now come on, I thought you were hungry?"

"I am but…wow."

Ellie took him by the hand and pulled him down the street as he looked around him. He wanted to see everything. "We'll look at those later, I promise. But we need to get to the place before lunch starts." Lucas turned his attention forward again and followed her.

"Here we are," she said, stopping in front of a diner.

"Here?" he asked.

"Yep, come on."

Lucas shrugged as she opened the door and walked in. His stomach went crazy at the smell of food. They sat down at a booth next to the windows so that Lucas could look out at all of the passing people. He scanned the menu and decided to order a portabella mushroom sandwich and a soda. Ellie ordered nothing, and it puzzled Lucas for a moment until he realized that she didn't need to eat anymore.

"Wait," Ellie said to the waitress. "Don't bring him any old soda, bring him a cherry limeade." The waitress nodded and walked off.

"A what?" Lucas asked.

"You've never had one?"

"No, I've never even heard of such a thing."

"Oh then you're in for a treat!"

The waitress returned with a pink, fizzy drink and set it in front of Lucas. He looked at it dubiously.

"Try it; I know you'll like it."

Lucas pulled the straw out of the paper and stuck it into the pink concoction. He hesitated a moment before finally taking a sip of it. What hit his taste buds was something he couldn't even have imagined. Where had this drink been his whole life?

"Oh man…"

"Good isn't it?"

"Good doesn't do it justice," he replied, quickly drinking more.

Ellie chuckled. "Your father, Gavin, loved those. I did too. Sometimes there was nothing better on a hot day. We used to come here a lot."

"Tell me more about him?"

Ellie smiled but seemed pensive, as if thoughts of him could still cause her pain. "Well, he was like you in some ways. Very smart, loved the sea and loved science. He liked music of all kinds, computers, driving fast. He loved chocolate, often had a dark sense of humor, loved movies and reading."

"Is that all?"

"No, but I can't really describe him well to you. You had to know him to really understand him. He was a very complex and multi-faceted man. You don't really take after him that much, except in the looks department. You're mostly like me."

"I've noticed our similarities," he said softly.

"He would have loved you Lucas, you two would have gotten along very well. Many of your facial expressions, your mannerisms, your way of speaking, the way you perceive the world around you; all Gavin. He and I were so much alike that sometimes it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Maybe that's why I can't think of anything much to say about him that you don't already know by knowing me."

Lucas was quiet. He'd never known two people to be that alike. Cynthia and Lawrence hadn't been much alike at all and so they'd never really spent much time doing things together. Now that he thought about it, Lawrence wasn't at all like Ellie either.

Ellie, seemingly reading his mind once again, replied, "I think Lawrence liked not being with someone who shared his interests. As long as you had other interests, you could pursue them and leave him alone."

"That makes sense and sounds like him. Stupid reasoning though."

"I agree. When you marry Lucas, do it for love, promise me?"

"What makes you think I'll get married?"

"You will, someday. You have a girlfriend don't you?"

"Yes, Juliana. I should probably call her."

"Probably. Ooo! If you do, I want to be there."

"Why?"

"'Cause, I can check her out and tell you what I think."

Lucas was intrigued. Would Juliana pass muster? "Sure, if you want."

Ellie didn't have time to answer as the food came and Lucas dug in like a man who hadn't eaten in a year. Ellie occupied herself by watching the people go by. Finally, Lucas sat back.

"Wow, that was good."

"Did you even taste it?"

"Very funny, yes."

"Lucas, I think we should go find Sean now."

"Why?"

"It's important that you see him, and I think he'd love to go around with us to show you the sights. Some of the stuff I'm thinking of may not even be here anymore," she replied with a touch of sadness. For the first time Lucas realized just how hard this must be for her, coming back to a place she'd known so well only to see it drastically changed in some ways.

"Okay, we can do that."

"You have his address right?"

"Yeah, we can put it into the car's navigational system."

"Good."