Chapter Ten

A.N. Okay if this chapter seems to skip a lot (because it does) it's because the first scene was intended to be at the end of the last chapter and I'm just a dolt! Anyway, enjoy! Also thanks so much for the reviews, they mean a ton to me! I have two reviews that I want to respond to: XjamisonparkerX I've never had a biggest fan so thanks so much for saying that, it rocks! And then to tardychick thank you so much for all of your reviews, I think you've reviewed every chapter of every story I've written, thank so much! Also the stuff in italics I don't own, I borrowed it from various episodes, I had to slip a couple of the things in there to let you know what they're thinking about!

Okay if this chapter seems to skip a lot (because it does) it's because the first scene was intended to be at the end of the last chapter and I'm just a dolt! Anyway, enjoy! Also thanks so much for the reviews, they mean a ton to me! I have two reviews that I want to respond to: I've never had a biggest fan so thanks so much for saying that, it rocks! And then to thank you so much for all of your reviews, I think you've reviewed every chapter of every story I've written, thank so much! Also the stuff in italics I don't own, I borrowed it from various episodes, I had to slip a couple of the things in there to let you know what they're thinking about!
"So this'll be fun," Amy states as she takes a seat in the passenger seat of Ephram's new car, after having just dropped their kids off with Andy and Nina. "Our first class."

"Yeah, fun," Ephram responds sarcastically as he starts the car.

"What?" Amy glances over at him.

"What, what?" Ephram asks avoiding her eye contact.

"Oh my God!" Amy laughs, "you're nervous!"

"Nervous why would I be nervous?" Ephram asks.

"I don't know, you tell me," Amy retorts, still laughing.

"I'm not nervous."

"You are too, Ephram that's so cute! You can preform in front of sold out audience, record music for dozens of major motion pictures and compose music for three tv shows but you can't play the piano for a bunch of teenage girls to dance to."

"Do we remember me in high school?" Ephram questions.

Amy is nearly doubles over with laughter by now, "you're nearly thirty years old and you're afraid of some high school students. Classic Ephram, that's just classic."

"It's not like I've changed since high school."

Amy nods, "yes you have. We both have," she falls silent for a couple of minutes before she eases the seriousness that has fallen over the car by asking, "so when Alyssa and Antonia are teenagers will you be scared of them too?"

"Of course," Ephram responds, "a single father with two teenage daughters, sounds like something to be terrified of to me."

"Well, don't worry about it, if they get to be to much I'll step in and run interference," Amy's words hand in the air, they'd been living together for two weeks now and she was officially the first one to insinuate that this might be something other then short term. "What I mean is, I play on staying in Everwood...not that ten years from now we will still be living together."

Ephram nods, "I understand."

"We're here," Amy states as Ephram pulls up in front of the dance studio, "are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be I suppose."

"Just remember," Amy teases, "they can smell fear."

"Ha ha," Ephram rolls his eyes, "let's go."

"So punctual," Laura meets them at the door, "excellent. The girls know they have a new teacher but they don't know who you are so I thought it would be a lovely surprise." Amy and Ephram exchange glances as she continues talking, "you guys are early so none of the girls are here yet, which will give you a chance to set up. So here it is, Ephram there's your piano. I have a class of six-year-old down the hall but if you need anything don't be afraid to ask for help." And with her brief words she's gone.

Ephram sits down at the piano briefly playing the scales as Amy stretches out for several minutes before she wanders over to him. It feels weird to be back in this studio again, I spent so many years of my life completely focused on what happened in this studio."

Ephram is about to respond when several girls start filing into the room, the first girl to enter stops the others with her statement. "I told you that they were back in town and that they'd be teaching the class."

"You're Ephram Brown and Amy Abbot, right?" A second girl asks as the group of four crowd around them.

"Um, yeah," Amy responds, she hadn't expected all of the attention and judging by Ephram's reaction neither had he.

"Oh my god," a girl mutters, "that's so cool. We watch your video every years as inspiration for the talent show."

"Do you think you could do it for us now?" The final girl asks as the other three girls chime their positive words of encouragement.

"I don't think so," Amy shakes her head at the request of her four favorite students, the same four who had walked into class early on that first day and made the same request to Amy.

"Amy you've been saying that all semester," Karen states.

"Come on Amy, as a Christmas present?" Cassey pouts.

Amy glances at Ephram, "can you still play it?"

Ephram nods, "of course, can you still dance it?"

Amy nods as well, "of course."

"Yes!" All four girls cheer before settling themselves on a spot of the floor out of the way to watch.

Amy takes her position as Ephram begins playing the song that starts out sad and haunting.

"So this is your boyfriend?"

"Ephram Brown, meet Colin Hart."

"The only miracle in my life right now is the fact that your dad looked at a map, and of all places, he decided to move here."

"It's like when you're nice to me there's nothing I can't do, and when you're mad at me it's all I can think about.

The girls watch breathlessly as the song loses the sad tone and slowly moves toward a cheerful and happy tone, Amy's body moving gracefully with the music.

"You're coming to New York with me?"

"See, I've never been to Times Square and I'm dying to see Avenue Q and you never shut up about how good the pizza is. Plus I'm not good at the whole waiting thing.

"All this time I've been thinking. Thinking about what would happen. How you would feel. How I would feel but I'm not thinking now."

"I know."

"I'm just here with you and I'm not scared."

And as Ephram stops playing and Amy stops moving the girls erupt into cheers and applause, but Amy and Ephram don't notice it. Their eyes are locked on one another lost in a thousand memories of a lifetime ago. They'd both felt it, the love that had been there when the song had been composed and the dance choreographed. And if the girls had known what was going through their minds at this exact moment they wouldn't have interrupted, but how was anyone else to know when they hardly knew what was going on themselves?

"You guys are amazing," Erin leads the girls to the space in-between Amy and Ephram, the other three chattering away as well.

"Emily Rose Gibbs and Antonia Marina Brown if you don't get your little butts down here for breakfast I'm writing a letter to Santa and telling him not to bring you a single present this Christmas!" Amy yells up the steps the morning of the last day of school before winter break.

"And I'm taking back all of the Hanukkah presents!" Ephram yells his piece from the kitchen.

Amy leaves her post at the bottom of the stairs when she hears steps approaching them from overhead. It had been two days since she'd danced at the dance studio, neither she nor Ephram had made a comment about the moment after the dance was done. But luckily the three days since had been so chaotic that there had been no room for awkwardness, especially since the day immediately following Amy had been informed that while the divorce was final Mark was petitioning for custody of Emily.

"I have a meeting with my lawyer today after my last class," both Amy and Ephram had started teaching part time at the high school. "Do can you pick up the kids?"

"Not a problem," Ephram responds as he fills three bowls on the table with cereal, "It's fine, Ames. They won't let Mark have custody of Emily, the lawyer told you that's not a chance in hell they will."

"I know," Amy responds, "it's just, that, well what happens if they do?"

"They won't," Ephram assures.

"I never reported him for the abuse, so I can't count on that."

"Amy, stop," Ephram orders gently and lowers his voice as the girls come in, "if that happens then we leave the country."

"Ephram!" Amy exclaims.

"Amy, I'm serious there's no way I'll let that bastard have custody of Emily, and if taking all of us and leaving the country is the only way we can do that then so be it."

"Ephram I..." Amy is cut off by the phone ringing.

Emily jumps to her feet, "I got it. Hello? K, hang on. It's Uncle Bright," she holds out the phone.

"Em, who does he want to talk to?" Amy asks.

Emily just shrugs and sets the phone on the counter and turns to return to her bowl of cereal. Ephram, who is closest to the phone, picks it up, "hey Bright. I dunno about that. No I'm not sure...with every thing that's going on. Fine. Yes. Fine. I'll tell her. Yes. Bye, Bright."

"What was that?" Amy asks.

"Bright, inviting us to their New Years Eve party, he wants me to inform you that "no" is not an acceptable answer."

Amy shrugs, "whatever, I'm sure I can get one of the girls to come sit for us, if not we'll find someone."

"Daddy, the long arm is on the twelve again," Antonia informs.

"Seven already? Shit we're going to be late for school, again."

"Um, um, um, um, um!" Emily and Antonia's jaws drop at Ephram's use of a swear word.

Ephram rolls his eyes at the girls antics, "get your coats we're gonna be late for the last day of school."

As the older girls hurry off to get their coats Amy cleans Alyssa up, "how is it we're always running late?"

Ephram shrugs, "guess that's our New Year's resolution."

Amy nods, "so do you want to take Alyssa to your dad and Nina's or the girls to preschool?"

"I'll take Alyssa, the girls are bound to decide they want some intricate braid done to their hair."

"And you're useless in that department," Amy nods. "We're having dinner with my parents tonight so if you wouldn't mind tossing them in the tub when they get home? Because I can't even remember the last time they bathed." At Ephram's nod Amy yells, "girls, now!"

"Okay, Lys is ready to go, so I'm just gonna take her and go. I'll see you at school, lunch?"

Amy shakes her head, "I had a student miss her dance exam yesterday she's making it up at lunch."

"I think we overdid the presents thing," Amy comments as she and Ephram wrap presents on Christmas Eve.

"You think?" Ephram asks sarcastically.

"Linda warned me not to," Amy refers to the councilor she'd been seeing for several months now.

"Linda's your financial advisor? Man, that woman does everything," Ephram laughs.

"No," Amy laughs as well, "she said we'd try to compensate for the last year with presents."

"I think that's an accurate evaluation," Ephram nods, "unless of course you're Sophie and then you just don't acknowledge the holiday at all."

"Has Antonia said anything about her not calling or anything?" Amy asks.

No," Ephram shakes his head, "not to me, at least."

Amy sighs and the two fall silent, wrapping the mound of presents most of which were for the three girls sleeping upstairs, but some were for the Abbots and Browns who would be coming over in the morning to join in the Christmas celebration. "You know this time last year I was in LA recording, I didn't even get to spend last Christmas with my girls."

"Ephram you can't keep beating yourself up for stuff that happened last year, this year is different."

"I know, if someone had told me last year that I'd be living here with you I would never have believed it."

Amy nods, "I know." She bites her lip preparing to say something she'd kept to herself for the months since she'd seen Ephram in Mama Joy's the morning after she'd arrived back in Everwood. "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't wish I hadn't been stupid enough to walk away from us."

"Amy..."

"Ephram, I know this confuses this and I wish it was true, God do I wish it had changed being back here and seeing the reality of the situation. But..."

"It hasn't," Ephram finishes for her.

"I'm sorry, Ephram," Amy whispers tears flooding her eyes.

"Amy," Ephram moves across the floor towards her, "since I was fifteen-years-old you're the only girl I've ever really wanted. I lied to myself about Sophie, I didn't want to be in love with you anymore so I convinced myself that I was in love with her and not you." He's right in front of Amy now, one hand gently touching Amy's cheek the other resting on her hip, "it didn't work."

The instant their lips touch a thousand memories wrap around the both of them, as Ephram's hands run through Amy's hair everything seems to fall back into place. And as Amy leans back Ephram's hands slide under her shirt and over her stomach both feel no inclination to stop this from going any further.

"Mommy!" Emily's terrified scream, the product of weekly night terrors, is followed by Antonia's startled cries as well.

Ephram rests his forehead against Amy's as they both let out sighs, their bodies are still yearning for the kisses and touch but a moment later Ephram moves off of Amy and gently pulls her to her feet, "duty calls."

"I'll be back," Amy squeezes Ephram's hand kissing him gently, "give me five minutes to get everyone calmed down."

"Mommy, Mommy," Emily's arms immediately wrap around Amy's neck when she sits on her bed.

"Amy," Antonia cries, Emily's screams usually startled her possibly more then Emily's own nigh terrors.

"Okay, everyone in Emily's bed," Amy keeps her voice calm as Antonia crawls into bed and both girls snuggle into Amy's arms. Ten minutes later Ephram stands in the doorway watching the three sleeping figures on Emily's tiny bed, he smiles gently quietly moving through the room to cover the three with a blanket before taking a seat in the rocking chair between the two beds and it's not long before he's asleep as well.

A.N.2 Don't hate me, okay? I know you probably hate me, I drag you through nine chapters of them not being together and then they almost get together and the kids get in-between them...but hopefully an update will be up soon! (Not that I can promise all wrongs will be right in the next chapter)