Fixing Problems

Prompted by 'Tori' and set in early 2016, this is another idea of Chris returning with Lucy and their baby. This time they're back to fix a problem at Lassiter's, just as Nate and Aaron are hitting a rough patch in their romance.

Chris climbed out of the taxi with Lucy and baby Katie in tow. As quickly as she had climbed out, Lucy rushed off with their daughter to get her cleaned up and fed, leaving the younger man to sort out the luggage. Chris helped the concierge load a trolley with their bags, remembering how it felt to be doing that job last year and how much he would have liked people to help him sometimes when the bags were too heavy. The concierge gave him a grateful smile - which was returned by Chris - before wheeling the trolley into the hotel. Chris looked around the complex with a smile on his face and let out a deep breath: it was great to be back in Erinsborough.

xxx

Nate and Aaron were interrupted from their pashing session in the hallway by Tyler exclaiming "Oi love-birds, get a room!"

Nate chuckled as he pulled away, "Good morning to you too" he quipped, "And I'm leaving anyway, so I'll see you guys around"

Nate kissed Aaron a final time before heading out, with Aaron and Tyler watching him. As Aaron turned around he saw his younger brother dancing triumphantly.

Aaron recognised the routine, "Do you have to do that every time you see me and Nate together?" he sighed

Tyler nodded, still dancing, "It's my 'I told you so' dance, that's the whole point"

"Yeah, but it's been going on for months" the older man pointed out

Tyler shrugged, "So?" he questioned as he twirled around, "I was still right when I first set you guys up"

Aaron sighed, "Ok, fine. You were right" he muttered, then put his hands up and pretended to bow towards Tyler's feet, "I bow down to your superiority"

Tyler stopped dancing, "See, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

Aaron chuckled as he stood up and shook his head in exasperation, "You're an idiot"

Tyler shrugged, "Look, as long as you guys are happy together then that's all that matters" he assured him

Aaron nodded sombrely, "Yeah, thanks" he murmured as he opened the fridge

Tyler raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem too certain about that" he noted as Aaron stood up with a jug of juice

Aaron shook his head and opened a cupboard, "No, we have fun" he replied

"But…?" Tyler prompted

Aaron sighed as he took a cup out of the cupboard, "That's it, it's just fun"

"I thought that's all you wanted" Tyler pointed out

Aaron nodded, "With him, yeah. But I guess I want to find a long-term partner and not just some fling"

"And is Nate a 'fling'?" Tyler questioned

"I don't want him to be" Aaron admitted, "But even after being with him these last few months I can't imagine him as anything else"

Aaron filled his glass with juice quietly, not realising that he was being watched by his younger brother pensively. Tyler was inwardly worried about the result of setting his brother up with his best friend, but hoped that they would sort it out.

xxx

Nate was deep in thought as he sat with his coffee going cold in Harold's. He was brought out of his trance by Susan appearing behind him.

"Have you moved out then?" she joked

Nate practically jumped out of his seat in surprise, "What?"

Susan sat down opposite him, "You've barely been home this week" she pointed out, "I take it you've been at number 24"

Nate nodded, "Yeah, sorry" he muttered, "I should let you know whether I'm going to be in or not"

Susan shook her head, "It's not a problem, I was just checking"

Nate smiled slightly, "Were you worried about me?"

Susan considered this, "In some ways, yes" she admitted, "I mean, I know you can take care of yourself but you're family and you're important to us, so we like to know that you're ok"

Nate couldn't help the fond smile that appeared on his lips, "I appreciate that" he replied

Susan studied him for a moment, "Speaking of 'moving out', since you spend more time with the Brennan's than us, have you thought about moving in with them?" she asked tentatively, "I mean, you and Aaron have been together a while now so it makes sense"

Nate quirked an eyebrow, "Are you trying to get rid of me?" he questioned jokingly

Susan shook her head, "Of course not – and we'd welcome you back – but it seems silly to have all your stuff with us if you're not with us"

"I don't know" Nate sighed, "Moving in with someone is something you do when you're in a committed relationship"

"But you and Aaron aren't?" she enquired

"We're barely in a relationship full-stop" he replied

"Don't you want to be?" Susan asked

"I don't know" Nate muttered, "You've seen us, even though we're not winding each other up anymore, we can barely hold a normal conversation with each other without some kind of conflict"

Susan shrugged, "But that's just because of your differences" she pointed out, "Surely if you found common ground then it wouldn't be such a problem"

"But this has been happening since the day we met, over six months ago" Nate reminded her, "I just don't think we can force ourselves to find common ground with each other, especially not now, it should be natural"

"Which it's not with Aaron?" she clarified

"Honestly? No" Nate confessed, "And I don't think there's a future for us, or at least I don't see a future with him"

Susan sighed, trying to think of a way to help her nephew who was clearly confused. However she glanced up as she noticed the door opening and a young man walking in, carrying an infant.

She recognised him instantly and gasped, "Chris!"

Nate whipped his head around to spot his ex-boyfriend holding a baby, and Chris smiled brightly, "Hey guys" he exclaimed

Susan kissed his cheek, "Not that we're not pleased to see you but what are you doing here?"

"There was an issue with the hotel to do with legislation and risk assessments, all the fun stuff" Chris explained sarcastically, "Lucy and I have had to rush back here to sort it out"

"That's a shame" Susan replied, then back-tracked, "I mean, not for us obviously"

Chris smiled and glanced at Nate, "Is that right?"

Nate nodded slightly and looked away, whilst Susan gazed at the baby, "So this is your daughter?" she enquired, stroking the baby's cheek

Chris nodded, "Yep, this is Katie"

"She's gorgeous" Susan commented, "So how long are you back for?"

Chris shrugged, "We're not sure yet, which is why we had to take Katie with us" he replied

"Well if you get too busy with hotel stuff, feel free to leave her with us" Susan reminded him

"Thanks Susan" he replied gratefully, "Now I need to feed this little one, and myself obviously"

"Some things never change" she chuckled, "You can take my seat, I'm heading off anyway" she suggested, "You two probably have loads to catch up on"

Chris and Nate nodded uncomfortably while Susan smiled, "It's great to see you again"

"You too" he whispered

Susan gave a quick wave before leaving the young men with only each other for company. Nate gestured to the empty chair opposite, "Take a seat" he suggested, "What can I get you?"

"You don't have to" Chris assured him

"It's fine" Nate replied dismissively, "The usual?"

Chris was slightly taken aback but nodded, "Yeah, thanks"

Even Nate was surprised by the fact that nearly a year after their break-up, he still remembered what Chris used to order from Harold's. He gave a small smile before hurrying over to the counter, leaving Chris holding his baby whilst watching Nate thoughtfully.

xxx

The silence was deafening between the two men as Chris fed his child. The mere act of the freckled-faced man feeding his daughter unnerved Nate, though he had always known that Chris would be a natural father, and it was obvious by the loving smile on his ex's face as he fed the infant that he was supposed to be a dad. They had made standard small-talk, giving each other a brief summary of what had happened over the past eleven months such as Nate quitting his job at the nursery and taking on a new role as the trainee manager of The Waterhole, whilst Chris told him about the progress of his hand, including the news that he was getting back into mechanics – though it was still only a hobby whilst he was working at the hotel. Baby Katie proved to be a distraction from the awkwardness, but for Nate it was just another reminder of their break-up. After an uncomfortable silence, Nate feared that the situation would be made worse when Aaron entered and spotted Nate.

"Hey" he greeted before planting a lingering kiss on his lips which surprised Chris, "I didn't expect to see you here, are you working today?"

Nate nodded, "Yeah, I'm on my way"

Chris scoffed, "Taking a detour to check out the competition?"

Nate sniggered and shook his head then glanced between the two young men in a slight panic, "Oh yeah, Aaron, this is Chris" he began nervously, "Chris, this is Aaron"

Chris shook Aaron's hand firmly, "It's good to meet you"

Aaron nodded, "You too, I've heard a lot about you"

Chris grimaced, "I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing"

Aaron chuckled, "It's mostly good" he assured him casually, "And this is your kid, isn't it?" he asked, pointing to the baby in the carrier

Chris nodded, "Yeah, this is Katie" he told him

Aaron bent down and smiled softly at her in greeting before glancing at Chris, "I heard you live in New York, what's it like there?"

"It's amazing" Chris replied thoughtfully, "It feels like a world away from Erinsborough though, and I've missed it here"

"Yeah, I get that" Aaron agreed, "I've been to loads of different places but Erinsborough has a real community feel to it that I've never experienced anywhere else"

Chris nodded in agreement but was intrigued, "Wait, are you not from Erinsborough?"

Aaron shook his head, "I was brought up in Port Lincoln, then went travelling for a while until I moved here about six months ago" he replied

"He's Mark and Tyler's brother" Nate informed Chris

Chris smiled, "Ah, I should have guessed" he teased, "You look like a Brennan"

"Uh, thanks… I think" Aaron replied uncertainly

Nate sensed a lull in conversation and stood up hastily, "Look, I should be heading to work"

Aaron and Chris nodded in understanding, "Ok, well hopefully we can catch up properly before I go back to New York" Chris murmured

Nate nodded in agreement, "Sure, are you staying in the penthouse?"

"Yeah, I was tempted to go back to number 26 but it makes more sense to stay with Lucy and Katie" Chris replied

"Ok, well I might see you around then" Nate suggested

"Cool" Chris responded casually

Aaron put an arm around Nate, "I'll walk with you, and then I can be your first customer"

Nate rolled his eyes jokingly, "Fine, but no freebees" he warned him

Aaron pouted, "What happened to mate's rates?" he whined as he held the door open for Nate. As soon as the door shut, Chris closed his eyes and sighed in dismay, realising that Nate had well and truly moved on.

xxx

Nate had already been told off a couple of times by Sheila for spending too much time flirting with Aaron rather than serving customers. One of the things that Nate enjoyed about his fling with Aaron was the thrill he felt when he was doing something a little bit naughty. He initially assumed that it had something to do with being filled with adrenaline whilst he was in the army, but remembered telling Tyler several months earlier that he wanted to experience the rush you get when you're really into someone again, and although he had never considered that it would be with the guy's brother, he realised that he did have that feeling with Aaron. However, realistically Nate knew that it wasn't a feeling that could last, and the fact that he couldn't see a future with him suggested that once the feeling subsided there would be nothing left.

Sheila was more than happy to finally allow Nate a break, though he may as well have been on a constant one considering his lack of work. The guys certainly took full advantage of it by sneaking outside and making out in the secluded patio area. Apparently it wasn't secluded enough though because Chris noticed them as he approached The Waterhole. He felt his heart fall at the sight, but took a deep breath and walked straight into the pub where Sheila greeted him with a massive hug and insisted on getting him a meal on the house. After a quick catch-up, Chris tried to casually bring up Nate and Aaron's relationship and Sheila rolled her eyes as she told him about how Nate was more focused on his boyfriend than his job. Chris nodded along bitterly and Sheila caught onto his true feelings.

"I don't think it's serious" she reassured him sympathetically

Chris' eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you kidding? They can't keep their hands off of each other!" he hissed, "They're in love"

Sheila shook her head slowly, "I wouldn't go that far"

"How long have they been together?" he asked

"About four months" Sheila replied uncertainly

Chris scoffed, "Well about four months into our relationship I thought we were going to start a family" he told her quietly

Sheila shook her head, "Time doesn't matter when it comes to love" she pointed out, "Sometimes you fall in love almost immediately, but sometimes it takes a while, or doesn't happen at all. I mean, they didn't even like each other at first"

"Obviously that changed" he grumbled

Sheila sighed, "He's happy" she told him, "That's not to say he wasn't when he was with you though. His relationship with Aaron is completely different from his relationship with you, so there's no point in comparing"

Chris glanced at her with an unconvinced expression and Sheila served him another drink before seeing to a customer, leaving the young man wallowing in his own thoughts of what could have been with Nate.

xxx

Once Aaron had planted a final rough kiss on Nate's lips, he snuck off and left Nate to regain his composure before heading back into The Waterhole. However, not paying attention to where he was going, Nate walked straight into Chris.

"Sorry!" Nate gasped, then looked confused, "Wait, how long have you been in there for? I'm sure I didn't see you come in"

Chris shook his head, "I came in just after you and Aaron went outside" he admitted, causing Nate to blush

Chris chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna report you to Terese for inappropriate behaviour or anything" he assured the taller man

Nate let out a laugh, "Thanks, it won't happen again"

"I don't think Aaron would be too happy to hear that" Chris pointed out teasingly

Nate shook his head, "I didn't mean it like that, I meant…" he broke off, realising how weird the conversation sounded, "You know what I meant. Anyway, how's the stuff with the hotel going?"

Chris nodded, "It's pretty much sorted" he announced, "There's just some paperwork that needs checking over, then we just have to deliver it to the Lassiter's in New York and it should be done"

Nate smiled unconvincingly, "Great, I bet you're glad to be heading back home soon"

Chris nodded slowly, "Yeah, it's been awesome to come back here – even just for a short visit – but my life is in New York now"

Nate nodded, "Oh yeah, you're still seeing that guy, aren't you?" he questioned

"Actually, not anymore" Chris admitted, "We ended it a little while ago"

Nate pulled a face, "Sorry to hear that" he lied, "But New York's a big place, I'm sure you'll find someone else in no time"

Chris managed a small smile but shook his head, "I don't want anyone else" he murmured

Nate was taken aback, "You might feel like that now but if you just broke up then you should give it time and-"

Chris shook his head again, "I wasn't talking about him, I was talking about you" he confessed before sighing, "Sorry, this is completely wrong. You're with Aaron, I shouldn't be doing this"

He began to walk away but Nate put a hand out to stop him, "No, you should at least get this out in the open before you go back to New York" he insisted, wondering if Chris was about to say what Nate suspected, "You can tell me anything"

Chris held his gaze, "I'm still in love with you" he admitted quietly, "I've tried to move on, believe me. I've dated other guys and been in a pretty serious relationship, I've thrown myself into work and being a parent but none of it gets you out of my head"

Nate couldn't help the smile growing on his face despite the fact that he and Aaron were together.

"I don't expect anything to happen" Chris reminded him, "You belong here in Erinsborough with Aaron and all of your friends and family. Our lives are completely separate so I should just go back to New York so that we can get on with it"

Before Nate had a chance to say or do anything, Chris rushed off to the hotel and left Nate with a massive dilemma.

xxx

Tyler opened the door to find Nate wringing his hands nervously. Tyler stepped aside casually to let Nate in.

"Aaron's not here in case you're looking for him" he pointed out

"Actually, I'm not" Nate replied flatly as he entered

"Oh, ok" Tyler muttered, then grinned, "Hey, guess what? I added some new moves to my 'I told you so' dance, so now it goes like this-"

Tyler began to dance but Nate put a hand out to stop him, "Chris is back" he revealed

Immediately, Tyler stopped dancing and stared at him in shock, "Chris? Your ex?"

Nate nodded and Tyler looked confused, "But I thought he'd gone for good"

"That's what I thought too, but he's back with Lucy and their baby to sort out some stuff at the hotel" he replied

Tyler considered this, "Ah, so how awkward was it between you two on a scale from one to ten?"

Nate paused, "Twelve"

Tyler shrugged, "That's not too bad" he replied jokingly, then grimaced, "But I wouldn't want to be around when he meets Aaron and the claws come out"

"Actually, they've already met" Nate told him, "And it was fine"

"Ok, so what's wrong?" Tyler asked

"I still love Chris" Nate confessed helplessly

Tyler was slightly surprised but nodded, "I guess that's understandable. I mean, things ended quite suddenly between you so it's normal to have those unresolved feelings; you shouldn't feel bad about it" he assured him, "Besides, it is possible to love more than one person at a time"

Nate shook his head, "I don't love Aaron" he muttered

Tyler didn't even look surprised and Nate was puzzled, "Well you can't help how you feel" Tyler replied

"I'm happy with him" Nate insisted, the sighed heavily and shook his head, "Or at least I thought I was. I don't know what to do"

Tyler grimaced, knowing that he had information about how Aaron felt that could help Nate. However, he didn't want to break his brother's confidence by telling Nate what Aaron had said about their 'relationship'.

"Look, you need to talk to them" Tyler suggested, "And you need to make a decision about what you want – who you want"

Nate held his friend's gaze and nodded sombrely in agreement, before taking his mobile out and scrolling through his contacts, trying to decide what to do.

xxx

Aaron was surprised to find Nate watching one of his performances as the guy hadn't shown much interest before (unless Aaron was giving him a 'private performance'). However, Nate kept his distance until Aaron had finished in the Community Centre and was packing up.

"That was a really good show" Nate called out

Aaron turned to him and smiled, "Thanks, but I wasn't expecting to see you here" he replied

Nate swallowed, "Yeah, there was actually something I wanted to talk to you about"

That was a segue that most people would dread to hear, but inwardly Aaron was half expecting it.

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, folding his clothes and acting oblivious

"Are you happy with me, with us?" Nate asked suddenly

Aaron hesitated, "Why do you ask?"

Nate pulled a face, "Is that your way of saying 'no'?" he questioned, realising that answering a question like that with another question was usually a way of avoiding the truth.

Aaron glanced at him, "Honestly? I like you, which is something that I didn't think I'd say six months ago" he admitted, "But I'm not really sure if there's a future for us"

Nate exhaled, "That's exactly how I feel" he replied

"Wow, we've both been feeling the same way yet not saying anything" Aaron realised

Nate nodded, "I guess no-one wants to be the first person to say something like that out loud"

"True", Aaron agreed, then considered this, "Wait, does this have anything to do with Chris?"

Nate shrugged, "Well I've been feeling like this even before he came back, but now that he's in town it's made me realise that he's the only person that I've ever been able to see a future with" he confessed shamefully

Aaron nodded, "Then go for it" he commanded softly

Nate looked confused, "What?"

"If you can't see a future with me but you can with him, then be with him" Aaron elaborated, "Go and create that future that you want"

Nate was surprised, "Are you sure?"

Aaron chuckled, "Aren't you?" he questioned, "I want you to be happy, Nate. And if that's not with me then that's ok"

Nate let out a deep breath and hugged the shorter man, "Thank you" he whispered

Aaron squeezed him back, knowing that even though it was over between them, they both now had the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

xxx

Chris and Lucy were engrossed in their packing now that the issues at the hotel had been sorted out. They were both relieved because it meant that they didn't have to worry so much about Katie and whether they had taken enough of her clothes, toys and food with them. However, Chris was hesitant about leaving Erinsborough: it truly was his home and when he had left for New York the first time around, he hadn't been prepared to say goodbye to it forever. But even more importantly, he didn't really want to leave Nate even though he had moved on and Chris knew that nothing was going to happen between them.

Katie's crying interrupted their progress and Lucy sighed, "I'll see what she needs"

Chris nodded and Lucy hurried off to take care of her daughter. A few moments later, Chris was alerted to someone wanting to come up to the penthouse and was surprised when he found out that it was Nate. Apprehensively, he let the other man up and waited as the elevator rose. Once it had reached the penthouse, the doors opened to reveal a determined-looking Nate staring at him. After holding their gazes for a few moments, Nate marched over to Chris and pulled him in for a longing kiss. Chris kissed him back for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Wait, what about Aaron?" he panted worriedly

Nate shook his head, "It's over" he breathed, "There was no future for us"

Before Nate could kiss him again, Chris stepped out of his arms, "But that doesn't mean there's a future for us" he pointed out, "The reason we broke up was because we wanted different things, so what's changed?"

"Everything" Nate replied, "I've changed, I'm a different person from the guy I was a year ago"

"So you want to go to New York and be involved with Katie?" Chris questioned

Nate hesitated and Chris shook his head, "That's the problem, Nate. A lot of things have changed, but if that hasn't then there's no future for us either"

Nate took a step towards him, "Ok, I'll definitely miss Erinsborough, Karl and Susan, Tyler and all of the other friends I've made around here" he admitted, "And maybe I'm not ready to be a step-dad yet, but I do know that I want to give it a go as long as it means that I get to be with you"

Chris smiled in relief, "That's what I want too" he breathed, "But are you really ok about leaving?"

Nate nodded slowly, "Obviously it'll be hard to say goodbye to everyone, but it'll be worth it"

Chris nodded; after all, he had been in the position of saying goodbye to Erinsborough and understood how difficult it was. However, the fact that Nate was prepared to leave everything behind was really touching, and Chris inwardly promised to never take him for granted as he pulled him in for another kiss.

xxx

Susan was devastated by the prospect of losing Nate, especially so suddenly. She had been shocked when he and Chris had told her that they were going to New York and had sorted out his visa problems. Susan was thrilled for them but it almost surprised her how intense her emotions were; Nate was a very distant relative but over the past year and a half they had developed a deep connection which she found difficult to let go of.

"Is this really what you want?" Susan asked worriedly as Nate checked that he had packed everything

Nate glanced up at her and nodded, "I know it's sudden, but if I don't do this now then I never will"

Susan nodded in understanding and Nate slung his backpack over his shoulder; the same backpack that he had when he first arrived what felt like a lifetime ago, "I'm gonna miss you" he murmured, "I never really thanked you for everything you've done for me. You gave me a home and a family, and you went out of your way to help me with my PTSD. You're one of the main reasons that I've become the person I am now and I can't thank you enough for it"

Susan shook her head, "Don't thank me" she argued tearfully, "Just go and have an amazing time, keep us up-to-date and carry on being the awesome guy that we all know and love"

Nate chuckled and pulled his aunt in for a hug, "Tell Karl and Ben I said 'goodbye' and that I'll miss them and Karl's music"

Susan quirked an eyebrow and pulled away from him, "Will you though?"

"In some ways, yeah" Nate replied, "I'll probably never be able to get 'Free as a river' out of my head though"

Susan grimaced, "I've had that problem for the last twenty-odd years" she joked before glancing at Nate's bags, "So, have you got everything?"

Nate nodded, "Yeah, I think so" he exhaled, "Chris and Lucy are waiting outside for me, so I should get going"

Susan nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as she realised that this was actually happening, "Call us as soon as you can, ok?"

Nate nodded, "I will" he assured her, then let out a breath, "I don't really want to leave, I love you guys so much and it feels like my life is here now"

Susan shook her head, "But you never know, you might fit right in over there" she pointed out

"Hopefully" Nate whispered

Chris knocking on the door interrupted them, "Hey, are you ready to go?"

Nate took one last look around the house that had become his home over the last year and a half before nodding, "Yeah, I am"

Susan smiled a watery smile at her nephew before kissing his cheek, "Take care of each other, ok?" she choked out

Chris nodded, "We will" he assured her before picking up some of Nate's bags and opening the door for Nate to leave. The taller man gave one last smile and wave to his aunt before heading out and leaving his aunt alone for the first time in ages. Once the door had shut, she let her tears fall and reached for her mobile to let Karl know that Nate had left for good.

Nate stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed Aaron stretching outside number 24. Their eyes locked for a moment before Aaron smiled and nodded in a silent acknowledgement of the fact that his ex was leaving.

This didn't go amiss by Chris, "Are you ok?" he asked in concern

Nate nodded, "Yeah, of course" he assured him, "It's just a lot to take in, that's all. Leaving Erinsborough, starting our new life together, it's gonna be-"

Nate didn't get to finish his sentence because Chris kissed him firmly in delight that he was referring to it as 'our new life'. Chris knew that they still had a lot to work through, but New York would give them the opportunity to figure it all out together.

Thanks for reading, and thanks 'Tori' for the prompt: I know you wanted a permanent return for Chris, but when I read your idea, I was inspired to write a possible departure for Nate (if Meyne decided to leave, which I hope he doesn't for a long time), so I hope you enjoyed it anyway! As always, if anyone has any ideas for one-shots (regardless of whether or not they involve Chris) then just let me know; and remember that reviews are always welcome!