Authors note: Hello again. So I have an update for you all finally. As for who is going to have what relationships in this, well you're just going to have to trust my judgement aren't you and see where it goes. Don't you trust me? ;p

Please review as usual!

2 weeks later and Ryan and she had become firm friends. He loved the bar, she knew. It wasn't fancy and it wasn't Newport at all, and that was why he drank there. It reminded him of who he was, and what he had left. She wondered if it reminded him how lucky he was, or if it made him miss it.

Later that night they sat in Alex's now furnished flat and played play station.

"Do you miss it?" Ryan paused at Alex's question before putting down the controller and turning to face her.

"Sometimes," It was the truth, sometimes, he did miss it. But usually he remembered the bad and suddenly didn't miss it anymore. It was his turn now though, she'd asked a personal question, he had answered. This took it to the next level. The more than drinking buddies level.

"Do you miss her?" Ryan focused his gaze on her eyes as he asked. He couldn't miss the flash of pain that crossed across her face.

"Sometimes." Alex paused and took a deep breath.

"Not sometimes, all the time. I miss her like you'd miss a leg if you lost it. I miss her so much, it hurts to drag myself through each day. Except for this, when you're here, I can forget, or at least, not need to forget."

Ryan sensed this was as far as it was going to go. She couldn't be pushed. He knew well enough that after saying something like that, all that was needed was quiet acceptance. He picked up his controller again and continued the game. Alex relaxed, and retrieving her own controller lost herself once more in the playstation's world.

Ryan understood not talking. It was something he did very often. Around people he was comfortable with, it was comforting to not have to talk. Among people he wasn't comfortable with, it kept him safe.

Alex understood not talking too. Though had almost forgotten it. From Seth to Marissa, both had an inexplicable urge to detail every aspect of life with words. Seth had been insane in that respect. But it was an endearing form of constant babble that streamed from his mouth. Ryan however, was quiet. He was took the subtle hints and he understood them. Ryan, was like her.

Marissa called Ryan for the 6th time that day. Yet again there was no answer. He always answers for me. He has to, he's Ryan. Slamming the phone shut again she leant against the railing. She was at the pier again, somehow it was always here that she wandered to be alone with her thoughts. It was always here she came when she wanted to think of her. She would stare out to sea and watch the gulls wheel and dip in the air.

They always look so graceful, but so lonely. If I could just, fly away with them, cliché as it sounds, maybe I would be able to forget her. With the wind in my face, maybe I could forget the smell of her, and her smiles. Maybe I could forget us.

Marissa was sick of being depressed. She was sick of being heartbroken. After all, it was Alex who had left her. Alex who had driven away from what they had. Perhaps it was better this way.

Ryan sat on a barstool and listened to the band. He was starting to think he could like this whole live music thing. The very mention of the idea had sparked Alex off into a rant about indie culture and emo before she ran off to find him at least 10 cd's he HAD to listen to. To hear her talk you would think that to not have heard them already was some form of death. He supposed, for her, it was.

A voice came from beside him.

"Hey, broodmeister. What are you thinking?" Ryan laughed at the nickname, he didn't brood around Alex, in fact, the opposite, but still the name stuck.

"I was thinking, that I'm not the one who's been brooding lately" Ryan immediately cursed himself for bringing up such a sensitive topic. To his surprise, Alex laughed bitterly and spoke.

"I just, I do miss her."

"I'm not enough for you?" Ryan laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"God no, but hey, if you started to like good music, and maybe changed a few things here and there….and oh who am I kidding!" Alex laughed as she playfully punched Ryan in the shoulder. Instinctively he reached out, his hand folding over hers with ease.

Alex froze. Ryan's hand. Was on her hand. Ryan's hand. The hand of Ryan, ex boyfriend of her ex girlfriend and reason why that girlfriend was ex. By all rights she should be freaking out right now. She wasn't, she was just frozen.

Ryan saw Alex tense up as his hand covered hers. What was he doing? This was Alex, and it wasn't even like it meant anything, all he'd done was grab her hand. That's what friends do. Ryan released his grasp and laughed, his nerves giving it a slightly harder edge than he'd been going for. Alex unfroze and relaxed.

The band had finished long ago and Ryan was walking Alex home before heading back to the Cohens'. As they reached her door and he turned to leave a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Before he realised what was happening Alex had pulled him into a tight hug. Bewildered now he wrapped his arms around her, one hand patting her back awkwardly, the other finding no other place to rest but the back of her head. Soft hair, and she smells good too.

"Thankyou" The words came out as a whisper, breath causing his hair to stand up as she put her mouth close to his ear.

"For being here, for hanging out with me, for, you know, understanding."

Ryan couldn't think of any response just then, so all he did was lightly stroke her hair and match his breathing to hers. Abruptly, Alex let go, and pulled back towards her open door.

"I guess you better get going then."

"I guess." Ryan lifted a hand in a small goodbye gesture before turning towards his car.