Return

Prompted by 'neighboursfan27' and set late 2015/early 2016, this covers Chris' (albeit brief) return to Erinsborough following the birth of his child. Obviously a lot of the details are my own invention, so continuity-wise, it's a bit vague and not entirely accurate, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Susan was slightly unnerved by the grin on Paul's face as he approached her in the complex.

"Merry Christmas" he greeted cheerily as he slowed down

Susan quirked an eyebrow, "Merry Christmas" she replied suspiciously, wondering why he was in such a jolly mood.

"Have you heard about Lucy?" he asked

Susan shook her head, "Why? What's happened?"

"She's had her baby girl" Paul announced, still grinning

Susan smiled in return, "That's great!" she exclaimed, then paused, "Wait, why would you think that I'd already know about it?"

Paul shrugged, "I thought that maybe Chris would have told Nate and Nate would have told you or something" he replied casually

Susan shook her head, "Well considering that they broke up because of the baby, I doubt that Chris would have told him about it"

Paul considered this, "Good point" he agreed

Susan shook her head dismissively, "Anyway, when did she have her?"

"Last night" Paul replied, "Chris only called me about an hour ago though"

"Have they chosen a name yet?"

Paul nodded, "They've decided on Katie Natalia Robinson-Pappas"

Susan smiled fondly, "'Katie' after Kate? That's lovely" she commented

Paul nodded thoughtfully, "I'm just glad she has 'Robinson' in her name"

Susan scoffed, "As if they'd get away with not using it" she pointed out

Paul nodded, "Yeah, I'd have made sure that she's a Robinson"

Susan chuckled, "I'm sure you would have. So are you going to visit them at some point?" she questioned

Paul shook his head, "Actually, they're coming back to Erinsborough in the new year" he revealed excitedly

Susan was surprised, "Really? With a newborn?"

Paul nodded, "Well Chris' parents celebrate Christmas in January and they're insisting on seeing the baby so they're popping back for a visit"

Susan smiled, "That's great" she responded softly, "Make sure you take lots of pictures"

Paul grinned, "I will. I've made sure that I've got plenty of space on my phone to store them"

Susan laughed before saying her farewells and heading back home. However, on her way back, she deliberated whether or not she should tell Nate about his ex's immanent return, and was conflicted about her decision.

xxx

Kyle was annoyed by the sound of knocking on the front door around midnight. Tiredly, he staggered to the door and opened it to reveal Chris on the other side. Kyle's eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing his friend opposite him, "What are you doing here?" he exclaimed

Chris looked offended, "Cheers, mate" he began sarcastically, "I've just flown halfway across the world with a screaming baby and this is the welcome I get!"

Kyle laughed and opened the door wider for him to enter, "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see you"

Chris shrugged, "I wanted it to be a surprise"

"Well it was definitely that" Kyle chuckled, "It's great to see you"

"You too" Chris replied

"I take it you're back to see your parents" Kyle enquired

Chris nodded, "They're desperate to meet baby Katie" he replied

Kyle smiled, "They're not the only ones" he responded, "I still can't believe you have a daughter"

"Me neither" Chris exhaled, "She's only a couple of weeks old but I'm already exhausted"

Kyle chuckled, "I take it that Lucy's got the baby then"

Chris looked worried, "I hope so, otherwise we've got a problem" he joked

Kyle sniggered before asking, "So how long are you in the area for?"

Chris pulled a face, "Probably not too long, it's only supposed to be a fleeting visit"

Kyle nodded in understanding, "Well you know that there'll always be room for you here, right?"

Chris nodded gratefully before pulling Kyle into a hug, genuinely pleased to be back in Erinsborough.

xxx

Kyle was slightly taken aback to find Chris eating at the kitchen table early the following morning.

"Wow, this is early for you" Kyle commented

Chris shrugged, "I'm still a bit jet lagged" he admitted whilst glancing at his mobile, "My body thinks it's lunch time"

"That explains why you're eating a sandwich" Kyle pointed out, "Unless that's just what Americans do"

Chris chuckled, "Well 'brunch' is quite popular over there"

Kyle smiled, "That's suits you down to the ground then"

Chris sniggered, "Do you want me to make you one?"

Kyle shook his head, "No thanks, I'm going to have some toast like a normal human being"

Chris pulled a face at him and checked his mobile before returning to his sandwich.

After a few moments, Kyle broke the comfortable silence, "So apart from preparing for the baby, what else have you been up to these last nine months?"

Chris shrugged, "Mainly work" he replied quietly before glancing at him, "Actually, you'll be quite pleased to know that I've learnt something from your trade"

Kyle glanced at him, bemused, "Oh yeah?" he enquired

Chris nodded, "I managed to put together a steady cot" he revealed proudly, "And it only took me three attempts"

Kyle laughed, "Third time lucky, huh?"

Chris nodded and picked up his mobile as Kyle joined him at the table.

"How's your hand by the way?"

Chris glanced up at him then put his mobile down and stretched his right hand, "No problem" he responded, "I mean, it's been over a year since the attack but it's almost like it never happened"

Kyle smiled, "I'm glad" he told him honestly, "Are you getting back into mechanics then?"

Chris shrugged, "I've been thinking about it and although I loved being a mechanic, it's not right for me at the moment" he began, glancing at his mobile again, "At Lassiter's I've got a stable job that pays well so I can provide for my family better than I could if I was working at a garage. You know, I might go back to it one day, but for now the hotel is where I should be"

Kyle nodded in understanding, but his eyes narrowed as he realised that Chris was distracted by something on his mobile.

Once Chris had gone to have a shower, Kyle put his plate in the sink and heard a buzzing noise from Chris' mobile. Cautiously, he approached the table before picking up the mobile and noticing that Chris had a new message from 'Jem'. Kyle placed the mobile back down and wondered who 'Jem' was.

xxx

Kyle watched as Chris picked up his mobile and smiled slightly.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" he asked casually

Chris glanced up at him, "Nothing important" he replied dismissively, "Are you around this afternoon? I'm thinking of bringing Katie over so you can meet her"

Kyle nodded eagerly, "Sounds good" he replied, "Do you want to invite a few other people? I know Gran and Nomes want to meet her, and I guess Susan and Karl would too"

Chris nodded, "Sure, let them know we'll be back around six"

Kyle hesitated, "What about Nate?"

Chris shifted uncomfortably, "I doubt he'll be interested" he replied quietly

Kyle glanced at him, "You can't avoid him, you know" he pointed out, "He lives right next door"

Chris shook his head, "I'm not avoiding him" he argued, "If we run into each other then we'll talk, but I'm not going to go out of my way to see him"

Kyle nodded, "Fair enough"

Chris suddenly cleared his throat, "Look, I should head over to the Penthouse to pick up Lucy and Katie, but I'll see you this evening"

Kyle nodded and waved as Chris left, but was concerned for his friend who was obviously hiding something.

xxx

Susan tried to hold back the coo that threatened to emerge when she laid eyes on the new baby. However, watching Chris and Lucy looking proud of their infant reminded her that she and Karl were keeping their return a secret from Nate. It wasn't intentional, but Susan wasn't sure whether Chris wanted Nate to know, or how Nate would respond to the idea of his ex being back after nine months with a baby.

"She's adorable" Kyle commented softly as he crouched in front of the carrier.

Chris smiled and chuckled as baby Katie grasped one of Kyle's fingers in her hand

"She's going to be a stunner" Susan commented

Lucy grinned, "You think so?"

Sheila nodded in agreement, "Well you two are attractive, so of course she's going to inherit that"

Lucy and Chris exchanged a pleased glance whilst Karl narrowed his eyes, "Actually, speaking of 'inheriting'" he began, "Did you pass on the spinal muscular atrophy gene to her?"

Lucy shook her head, "No, she's absolutely perfect" she replied happily

Chris nodded, "There was a one in four chance that she would have it, but it was a risk that was definitely worth taking"

Suddenly Katie began to cry and everyone laughed, "Spoke too soon" Naomi chuckled

Chris picked the baby up out of her carrier, "I think she needs to be fed"

Lucy pointed to the kitchen, "Her formula's in the bag"

Chris nodded and carried the infant to the kitchen, Lucy in tow. The others chatted amongst themselves for a few moments before there was a knock at the door. Kyle headed over to it and was taken aback to find Nate on the other side.

"Hey mate" Nate greeted, "Tyler and I are planning to head into the city and wondered whether you wanted to join us"

Kyle glanced around awkwardly, unsure how to respond, and Nate was puzzled, "What's going on?" he asked as he glanced inside to find Karl and Susan shifting uncomfortably, "What are you guys doing here?" he asked

Karl began to open his mouth when Lucy and Chris entered from the kitchen. They both stopped abruptly when they noticed Nate, and Nate stared back at them in shock. Sheila cleared her throat, "Well Katie can't be the only one needing some food, let's go and get something to eat" she rambled

Kyle, Naomi, Karl and Susan nodded as they followed him into the kitchen. Lucy gently pushed Chris in Nate's direction and Nate entered cautiously.

"Hey" Chris greeted quietly

"Hey" Nate replied, then nodded at the infant that Chris was holding, "This is the baby then?"

Chris nodded, "This is Katie"

Nate studied her, inwardly resenting the little girl in his ex's arms. Although he had initiated the break-up, he realised that he was staring down at the reason for it in the first place. He knew it was stupid to resent a baby, but he knew that if it wasn't for her, he and Chris might still have been together now.

He forced a smile onto his face, "She's cute" he replied

"Thanks" Chris responded, then glanced into the kitchen to spot the others laying out the food and acting as though they weren't eavesdropping, though both Chris and Nate knew that they probably were.

"So how have you been?" Chris asked

Nate shrugged, "Good, what about you?"

"Good, thanks" Chris replied uncomfortably, cringing inwardly at how awkward the situation was.

There was an uneasy silence before Nate suddenly asked, "How long are you in Erinsborough for?"

Chris glanced away, "We're actually planning to head back to New York first thing tomorrow"

"You never mentioned that you were coming back to visit" he noted

Chris shrugged, "It was kind of spontaneous" he replied unconvincingly, "My folks wanted to meet her, so it seemed logical to come back for a couple of days"

Nate nodded in understanding and realised that this was probably the last opportunity that he was going to have to get his feelings out in the open, "Look, Chris, there's something I need to tell you"

Chris stared at him expectantly and Nate took a deep breath, "These last nine months have been hell without you, and I st-"

Lucy suddenly raced in, holding Chris' mobile. "Chris, it's Jem"

Chris spun around to face her before glancing back at Nate regretfully, "I should probably take this" he whispered

Nate nodded, "Sure, of course"

Chris handed Katie over to Lucy in exchange for his mobile, then rushed into his bedroom to answer his phone. Nate watched after him and Kyle stepped forwards.

"Who is this 'Jem' person?" he asked, "I noticed that they sent Chris a text earlier"

Lucy swallowed heavily before admitting, "Jem is Chris' boyfriend"

Everyone in the room was slightly taken aback by the news, "How long have they been together?" Nate asked curiously

"About nine months" she replied, "They met a couple of weeks after Chris arrived and got together quite quickly"

To Nate, that sounded very similar to his history with Chris considering that they became a couple shortly after he arrived in Erinsborough, "How does he feel about the baby?" Nate questioned bitterly

Lucy shrugged, "At first he was a bit freaked out, but he and I were quite close beforehand anyway and he kind of embraced the idea after a while"

"So that's why Chris didn't come back after a couple of weeks like he said he would" Kyle realised

Lucy nodded, "Well the baby stuff and his relationship kept him pretty distracted, so those nine months flew by before we even realised"

The others nodded in understanding and Chris returned from his bedroom with a grin on his face.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, looking intrigued

"He's been trying to get through to my phone all afternoon, but the connection's been pretty dodgy from his end" Chris began, "He got the photos of Katie that we sent him and he says that he can't wait to meet her"

Lucy smiled excitedly, "That's great!" she exclaimed, then glanced between Nate and Chris awkwardly, "Uh, I told them about Jem"

Chris nodded uncomfortably, "I was gonna tell you guys"

"Is it serious?" Kyle asked, sensing that Nate wanted to ask but realised that it would make him sound jealous if he did

Chris shrugged, unsure of how to reply, "I guess"

Nate cleared his throat, "Look, it's been great seeing you guys, but I've made arrangements with Tyler so I should probably head off" he murmured, not even attempting to hide his bitterness.

Chris watched after Nate despondently as he turned around and shut the door firmly behind him.

"Awkward" Karl chanted quietly from the kitchen, receiving at swift nudge in the ribs from an irritated Susan.

xxx

Lucy noticed Nate tending to his bike outside number 28. When Chris arrived with their bags for the taxi she nodded over to him.

"You should talk to him" she suggested

A part of Chris desperately wanted to, whilst another part of him didn't, "Why?"

"Because you don't know when you'll next be back" she pointed out, "This might be the last chance you have to clear the air"

Chris nodded gravely in agreement before wandering cautiously over to Nate.

"Hey" he greeted quietly

"Hi" Nate replied, "You're off then?"

Chris nodded and Nate glanced at Lucy, who was carrying the baby, "Have a safe trip"

"Thanks" Chris murmured, then he fidgeted, "Look, I'm sorry for the weirdness last night"

Nate shook his head, "Don't worry about it, I was the one who turned up unannounced"

Chris shrugged, "I'm sorry I didn't invite you, or even tell you I was back in Erinsborough" he apologised, "I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me"

"I did, but if I'm being honest, I didn't really want to see the baby" Nate admitted, "She's just a reminder of our break-up"

Chris nodded in understanding, "I get that" he agreed, "Seeing you the other night did make me wonder 'what if'?"

There was a pause before Chris cleared his throat, "Actually, I was wondering what you were going to say to me last night before we were interrupted"

Nate shook his head, "It doesn't matter"

Chris raised an eyebrow, "It obviously does" he argued

Nate sighed, "Well now I knew you're in a serious relationship it'll sound a bit tactless"

"It doesn't matter, it's clearly important" Chris pointed out

Nate nodded, realising that he probably won't have the opportunity to admit his true feelings, "I wanted to say that I didn't even realise it, but even after all this time, seeing you last night made me realise that I'm still in love with you"

Chris' eyes widened slightly before confessing, "And here was me thinking that it was only one-sided"

Nate looked confused, "But you're in a committed relationship" he pointed out

Chris nodded, "I know, but you can love more than one person in different ways" he responded, "You stood by me during some of the toughest times I've ever faced, and you'll always be important to me"

"Really?"

Chris smirked, "Of course, why else would I have suggested 'Natalia' as Katie's middle name?"

Nate quirked an eyebrow, "After me?"

Chris nodded, "It was the closest female equivalent" he told him, "We wanted to use names that meant something to us, and you mean everything to me"

Nate smiled, "Same here" he replied

Lucy called over to Chris, warning him that they should set off.

Chris nodded and turned to Nate, "I'd better go" he announced, "Take care of yourself"

"You too" Nate replied, then swallowed, "I hope you and Jem will be happy together, you deserve it"

Chris smiled gratefully, then hugged Nate tightly.

"Bye Teddy" Nate murmured into his shoulder

Chris sniggered at Nate's use of the nickname that he had given him about a year earlier before he let go of him. After giving Nate a reassuring smile, he headed over to Lucy and climbed into the taxi with her and the baby. Nate watched after them, the tension inside him melting away to produce a more calm, refreshed feeling. As he retired to the house to return the oil for his bike, he felt rejuvenated somehow – like that conversation with Chris was a closure of sorts – and he was ready for whatever the future had in store for him.

Thanks for reading, and thanks 'neighboursfan27' for the prompt: I actually had this idea before your prompt so I started writing it then suddenly got your suggestion, so it kind of ended up intertwining both of our ideas. Anyway, I hope that this was close to what you were expecting (and that you weren't too put off by the 'twist'; after all, I didn't like the idea of Chris sitting around mourning his relationship for nine months) and that you (and everyone else) enjoyed it. As usual, if anyone has any ideas for Chris related stories then feel free to let me know, and reviews are always welcome!