New beginnings
Prompted by 'aphass' and set after Chris' departure, this is a one-shot of how different characters responded to Chris moving to New York.
Chris had tried to hold himself together when he met Lucy at the airport. She was so excited about the pregnancy, and it was so contagious that Chris couldn't help but smile. However, once the reality had set in that he had broken up with the person that he'd thought that he would spend the rest of his life with and was going to New York, Chris couldn't keep his feelings hidden any longer. Although Lucy tried to comfort him on the journey, Chris knew that he had to deal with his emotions on his own.
Memories of growing up in Erinsborough flashed through his mind during the journey, almost like a near-death experience (which he had been through several times over the years). Erinsborough wasn't just the place where he was raised, it was the place where he discovered who he really was, where he had experienced love and loss in equal measure, formed lifelong friendships and became the person that he needed to be for his child. That profound thought made Chris freeze in his place, petrified of the future and what was in store for him away from the security of his old life.
xxx
Once Chris had officially arrived at his new home and had looked around, Lucy glanced at him uneasily, "What do you think?"
"It's nice" Chris responded, voice barely above a whisper
Lucy smiled slightly, "How are you feeling?" she asked gently
Chris couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, "On top of the world" he murmured sarcastically
Lucy nodded in understanding of how Chris was feeling, "Silly question, sorry" she apologised, "Why don't you unpack your stuff and I'll order us some food or something?"
Chris wanted to refuse. He felt exhausted, empty, scared, heartbroken and a million other emotions all at once. The last thing he wanted to do was unpack his possessions and eat; instead, he wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep until his mind made sense of the past twenty-four hours.
Before he could even open his mouth, Lucy pointed a finger at him, "Don't even try to tell me that you're not hungry" she warned him, "You're always either hungry or eating, sometimes both at once"
Chris sniggered and Lucy gazed at him pleadingly, "I'll order a load of comfort food and chocolate ice-cream, we can curl up on the sofa and talk things through" she paused as she noticed Chris' reluctant expression, "Or we could not talk about anything at all" she suggested
Chris nodded, "Sounds good" he replied
Lucy grinned, "Great, I'll get the food sorted out so go and unpack" she instructed firmly
Chris smiled in return before heading into his new bedroom. He was so thankful that Lucy had made him feel at home in such an alien place: he didn't feel quite so lost or alone anymore. Lucy watched after him thoughtfully, trying to think of other ways to cheer him up: whatever she could do for the father of her child, she would do without hesitation.
Nate practically threw his clothes off of the shelves in an attempt to find a comfortable outfit for lounging around in. He had planned to spend yet another day reclined on the sofa, watching his way through a box-set that he had received from Karl and Susan at Christmas in an attempt to distract himself from the heartbreak of the end of his relationship with Chris. Nate stopped suddenly as he unfolded a black t-shirt with Elvis the pig printed on the front: this was another Christmas present, except it was from Chris. Nate chuckled as he remembered Naomi causing havoc for them a few months earlier by fooling them into buying each other expensive gifts, when monetary value didn't really matter to either of them. Nate also remembered exchanging the presents back in January when Chris invited him to his parents' home for (a late) Christmas.
xxx
Chris and Nate had decided to exchange their presents in the garden so that they could be away from the havoc inside. However, when the finally found the opportunity to swap their gift bags, they did so quite reluctantly.
"It seems a bit pointless to do this now considering that we know what the other person bought" Chris pointed out
Nate nodded grimly, "Thanks to Naomi"
Chris pulled a face, "I would have suggested punishing her, but considering that her mum's just suffered a heart attack, it's probably not appropriate"
"Yeah, you're right" Nate murmured
Chris nodded to the bag that he had given Nate, "Anyway, you first"
Nate reached inside the gift bag and pulled out the Elvis t-shirt and jar of scorched almonds, "Wow, I was not expecting this!" he exclaimed sarcastically, then smiled softly at Chris and added seriously, "Thank you"
"You're welcome" Chris chuckled before looking coy, "But to tell you the truth, I kind of planned for the almonds to be for us to share"
Nate raised his eyebrows, "You mean for you to eat the majority of and for me to be left with the crumbs?"
Chris looked annoyed, "Darn, you saw right through my cunning plan!" he joked
Nate laughed before pointing to the bag that Chris was holding, "Come on, it's your turn"
Chris removed the tissue paper surrounding his sandwich press and removed it from the bag, "Whoa, a sandwich press!" he exclaimed sarcastically, copying Nate's reaction, "How did you know?"
Nate shrugged, "It doesn't take a genius to see that you love cheese toasties" he retorted
Chris grinned and took a step closer to him, "And that's not the only thing I love" he murmured before kissing him tenderly.
They were interrupted by George clearing his throat loudly. Chris and Nate pulled apart awkwardly, unsure about how Chris' dad would respond to them. However, George was more concerned by the presents that they were holding.
"What's with the pig t-shirt?" he asked, pointing at the black t-shirt that Nate was holding
Nate pulled a face, unsure of how to explain it, "It's kind of an inside joke" he replied slowly
George nodded, still confused, "Ah, right. I won't question that any further" he replied, then noticed Chris holding the sandwich press and laughed, "Is that for Chris? That is perfect!"
Chris grinned and nodded at Nate, "A lot like the person that it's from, then" he remarked softly
George gazed at his son fondly, pleased to see him so happy and in love; especially after the last few months, "Anyway, I'm just letting you guys know that lunch is being served" he began, "So you should try and grab some seats before everyone else does"
Chris and Nate nodded before George turned around and headed inside. Nate looked confused, "Hang on, how many people are there?" he asked, having not seen many people around
"Everyone, both sides of my family" he replied, "You're lucky I don't have any siblings otherwise there would be no space left for us"
Nate nodded nervously, "So have you invited many people round for Christmas before?" he enquired, referring to any of Chris' exes
"Nope, you're the first" Chris replied, then noticed Nate's expression, "Don't look so worried, it's gonna be fine" he assured him before joking, "They're only a little bit terrifying"
Nate pulled a face, "Thanks for the pep-talk" he murmured
"Any time" Chris grinned before moving towards the door, "Now come with me… if you dare!" he teased
Nate gulped heavily before taking his hand and letting Chris lead him inside.
xxx
Nate remembered that afternoon being one of the most exhausting afternoons that he'd experienced in a long time. Meeting all of Chris' family members, learning about the Greek culture and answering personal questions about himself whilst trying to keep calm was quite difficult. Fortunately Chris was there the entire time, holding his hand reassuringly and taking over when the questions became too much. Despite that, it was one of the best days that they had spent together, and he wouldn't forget that in a hurry; nor would he ever forget Chris and everything that he had done for him. Nate fought back the tears that welled in his eyes as he threw the t-shirt back into the drawer and pulled out another one. He needed time and space to move on properly, but hoped that Chris wasn't struggling with it as much as he was.
Number 26 seemed emptier somehow, even though only Chris was missing from the house. Dinner together for the first few nights after Chris had left was quieter than usual, and the empty chair didn't help matters. Sheila instinctively made four servings of dinner for the first few days – having been in that routine for a long time – which made Chris' departure even more difficult to cope with.
A couple of nights after Chris had left, Kyle looked around Chris' bedroom sadly. Although Chris had only taken the most important items to New York with him and left quite a lot behind, the room felt bare already without him around. Kyle could still remember the night that Chris had finished unpacking all of his belongings in the room - nearly two and a half years earlier - as if it had happened yesterday.
xxx
Noticing that Kyle was still recovering from his break-up with Jade, Chris and Aidan had insisted on going to a club together to take his mind off of his love-life. Although Kyle had put up a fight, preferring to stay in and wallow in self-pity, he eventually relented after realising that they weren't going to give up.
"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you" Kyle muttered after they stepped off the bus and began the short walk to the club
Chris was confused, "Us? Why?"
"For convincing me to go clubbing with you" Kyle grumbled
Chris smirked, "Were we that persuasive?"
Kyle shrugged, "Well you didn't give me much of a choice"
"Come on, we're hardly dragging you kicking and screaming, are we?" Aidan pointed out
Kyle shook his head, "No, but I'd rather be at home playing video games"
"No way!" Aidan exclaimed, "This is the first time Chris has wanted to go clubbing in ages, you can't let this opportunity slip away"
"Hey! This isn't about me going clubbing, this is about Kyle and I getting to know each other better" Chris argued, "We're officially housemates now so this is a good opportunity to hang out"
"But do we really have to 'hang out' somewhere that neither of us actually wants to be?" Kyle questioned
"It's better than staying in and being miserable" Chris shrugged, "Though playing video games does sound good"
Kyle stopped walking, "Great, we've got that in common" he cried, "Let's go home"
"Don't be so boring!" Aidan complained, practically grabbing Kyle's arm and pulling him along, "We're almost there anyway"
Although Chris knew that Aidan enjoyed partying, he was puzzled by the change in his boyfriend's demeanour and stopped him in his tracks, "What's going on with you?" he questioned, "You're not usually so full-on about clubbing"
"I just haven't gone out in a while" Aidan replied hesitantly, not wanting to admit the truth about needing to let off some steam from the stress of what was going on at work, "I've missed the atmosphere, that's all"
"Because I'm such a bore?" Chris snapped
"I didn't say that" Aidan sighed
"Then what is it?" Chris questioned
"Oh, now you're fighting" Kyle huffed, annoyed that he was witnessing a couple arguing after everything that had happened with Jade, "Great, just great"
"Sorry man" Chris apologised before glancing between the two men, "Look, why don't we go in for a bit and see what happens? It might be fun. And if it's not, then we'll go back home"
Kyle paused, not wanting to ruin the evening for the other men who had gone out of their way to try to cheer him up. Eventually, he nodded reluctantly and let them guide him to the club, not particularly looking forward to the night ahead...
Chris and Aidan didn't like to admit it, but the sight of Kyle moping around was quite funny, even though they did feel sorry for him. However, in an effort to cheer him up, they convinced him to partake in the human auction that the club was having. Unfortunately for Kyle, his downcast manner meant that he wasn't quite as popular as he could have been, and eventually he was 'sold' to a middle aged man for $100. Chris and Aidan couldn't stop laughing at the idea of Kyle having to go on a date with a middle-aged man.
"It's not funny!" Kyle whined as he picked up his beer
"No, it's hilarious" Chris chuckled
Kyle took a gulp of his drink, "I can't believe I'm only worth $100" he growled
"Wait, that's the bit you're upset about?" Aidan questioned, "Not the date with that guy?"
Kyle shrugged, "Yeah, well I'm not really ready to have a girlfriend yet" he admitted, "And there's no chance of anything happening between me and that dude"
Chris glanced over at the man, who was watching Kyle intently, "Yeah, I don't think he realises that" he sniggered
Kyle sighed, "I guess I'll just have to tell him 'thanks, but no thanks'" he replied
Aidan nodded, "At least you're being polite" he murmured, "And it's good that you're not homophobic after all" he added, remembering Kyle refusing to let Chris take the room at first because Chris was in a relationship, and Chris assuming it was because of his sexuality.
Kyle nodded, "Yeah, I'm sorry for giving you guys the wrong impression" he apologised, "Sexuality doesn't matter to me, it's happy couples that I'm not comfortable with right now"
Chris nodded in understanding before nodding at the middle-aged man who had moved closer to them, "And on that note, we should leave you to your date" he teased
Kyle pulled a face at them as Chris led Aidan away. Fortunately for them, Kyle had loosened up and cheered up, which was a triumph in their eyes.
xxx
Kyle chuckled at the memory of that middle-aged man and the most awkward 'date' he had ever been on. However, he was inwardly glad that Chris and Aidan had been there to drag him to the club and pull him out of his stupor in an attempt to help him move on. In fact, Chris had been there for the majority of his relationship troubles, which he would never forget. Kyle blinked away the tears in his eyes as he turned off the lights in Chris' bedroom.
Georgia was sorting through Hospital records when she came across Chris' name. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be snooping but she opened his file anyway. Her eyes widened in realisation of how many times Chris had been admitted over the years, particularly after being beaten up. However, the part that surprised her the most was the counselling appointments that he had received at the beginning of 2013. Georgia remembered finding out that Chris was showing symptoms of PTSD a few months after his car accident, and offering to organise counselling sessions for him. She also remembered pushing him away after everything that had happened with Scotty, and how much she had hurt him because she had felt betrayed even though none of it was Chris' fault.
xxx
Chris emerged from his counselling session and immediately bumped into Georgia, causing her to drop the pile of papers that she was carrying onto the floor.
"Sorry!" they both exclaimed simultaneously, then smiled coyly at each other
They both knelt down to pick up the papers and Chris grimaced, "Have you been given the task of filing these by any chance?" he asked
Georgia nodded, "Yep"
"Well I'm sorry if they're out of order because of me" he apologised
Georgia shook her head, "I didn't actually put them in order, I was just going to do that as I went along" she admitted, "And luckily I did, otherwise I would have had to start all over again"
Chris chuckled, "And you probably would have had a break-down" he added as he handed over the papers and stood up
Georgia nodded grimly, "Definitely" she agreed before standing up, "So how was your appointment?"
"It was good" Chris replied casually, "The counsellor says I'm making progress, and I do feel a lot better than I did a few months ago"
Georgia smiled, "Yeah, you've come a long way" she replied, "It takes a long time to recover from PTSD, if there even is a recovery at all"
Chris nodded, "I know, and I'm just glad I can get into a car without having flashbacks now" he began, "I've found ways of dealing with the accident as well as everything else that's happened lately"
"Like what?" Georgia questioned, confused because she had assumed that it was just the accident that had caused the PTSD
"Like Summer, Tash and Andrew leaving, and Aidan and I breaking up" he replied, "All of that must have got to me more than I first thought and just triggered it"
Georgia nodded, "That's understandable, you've been through a lot" she murmured
"So have you" Chris responded softly before clearing his throat awkwardly, "Actually, I was talking to my counsellor just now about what happened with Scotty. I kept you anonymous but I told her that it had affected our friendship"
"And what did she say?" Georgia asked hesitantly
"She told me to give you time and space to process everything, and to be there for when or if you decide that you can forgive me" Chris replied slowly, "But to also be prepared for you to not be able to forgive me"
Georgia shook her head shamefully, "You don't have to worry about that" she assured him, "You did nothing wrong, Scotty was the one who lied to me – to himself – for years, and I'm the one who's not able to let it go"
"But you loved him" Chris pointed out, "You were together for ages, it's gonna take a while for you to get your head around it. But you know I will always be here for you no matter what, right?"
Georgia nodded tearfully, "I know, thank you" she whispered before placing the pile of papers down on a nearby surface and hugging Chris tightly. Although she was still feeling confused and insecure about everything that had happened, she was glad to have someone there who cared for her and allowed her to figure things out in her own time.
xxx
Georgia hastily closed Chris' file, convincing herself that it was because she didn't want to get caught. However, the reality was that she knew that if she carried on reading and reminiscing that she would be too upset to work. Instead, she hurried outside to send Kyle a quick text, inviting him to The Waterhole after her shift. Georgia hoped that Kyle would be able to change her mood and make her forget about her freckled friend, obviously unaware of how her husband was actually feeling.
Georgia shouldn't have been surprised that Kyle was still upset by Chris leaving. After all, he had known Chris longer than she had, and they had lived together for a while before she moved in. Even Sheila had known Chris longer than Georgia had, and had built up a solid relationship with him over the years, so Georgia felt slightly uncomfortable when the barmaid joined them in their conversation about Chris. Sheila ignored the fact that she should have been working so that she could reminisce with Kyle and Georgia about Chris, from jokes about his insatiable appetite to evaluating his ex-boyfriends. Their trip down memory lane eventually led them to late 2013 after Chris' behaviour had spiralled out of control following Hudson's arrest, causing problems for many people.
xxx
"Do you think it worked?" Sheila asked as she joined Kyle and Georgia at the kitchen table
"It better had" Kyle grumbled, "Taking Chris to see Hudson was the last resort, so if that hasn't worked, nothing will"
Georgia shrugged, "Well Kate seemed quite positive about it, but who knows?"
"Why does he want us to meet him here?" Sheila asked
"So that I can apologise" Chris announced as he entered with a couple of bouquets of flowers and a six-pack of beer.
"With flowers and beer?" Kyle questioned
"Actions speak louder than words, don't they?" Chris pointed out as he handed the flowers to Sheila and Georgia before passing the beer to Kyle, "Seriously guys, I am so sorry for how I've been acting lately. I've been a complete wreck and pushed you away instead of being grateful that you were there for me at all"
"Yeah, well if it was any of us going through what you went through, you would have done the same" Georgia replied
Chris nodded, "Because we're a family" he responded, then paused, "Well we're a weird, unrelated family, but a family no less. We look out for each other and don't take any crap from each other"
The others nodded in agreement and Kyle passed the drinks around, "Hear, hear" he exclaimed as he lifted his beer into the air. The others laughed and tapped their bottles together in a celebration of putting the past behind them and moving forwards.
xxx
Kyle, Georgia and Sheila finished reminiscing when they were interrupted by one of the waitresses. Sheila rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed breath as she returned to work. Kyle and Georgia watched after her in amusement, then Georgia turned to Kyle worriedly.
"Are you ok?" she asked
Kyle nodded, "Yeah, I think so"
"Chris did leave quite suddenly, it's still a shock to the system" Georgia admitted
Kyle nodded but realised that he needed to voice his feelings out loud, "This is gonna sound really soppy but I never actually told him how much he means to me" he confessed
Georgia was taken aback, "Should I be jealous?" she joked
Kyle sniggered, "A little bit" he retorted before looking more serious, "He was my best mate, I was closer to him than I was to Honga or most of my own family. Him not being here every day, it feels like a part of me is actually missing"
Georgia nodded in understanding and rubbed his back comfortingly, "Well I wasn't as close to him as you were, but I'm finding it difficult to not talk to him every day so I can only imagine how you're feeling"
Kyle managed a smile, "Well at least we have each other, right?"
"Absolutely" Georgia replied before kissing him and letting her husband wrap an arm around her shoulders.
Chris admired the cot that he had finished constructing. It had been just over six weeks since he had arrived in New York, and he felt like he had always lived there. He still felt nostalgic whenever somebody mentioned Australia, but he didn't get upset anymore. Chris managed to stay in contact with his family and friends from Erinsborough (even including Nate), but his life was in New York now. He had a steady job, a great support network, a wonderful boyfriend and a baby on the way: there was nothing else that he wanted or needed anymore. Although Erinsborough had been the place for the first twenty-odd years of his growth and development, Chris new that New York would be equally as (if not, more) important for him.
Thanks for reading, and thanks 'aphass' for the prompt: this was quite challenging to write, especially inventing moments that weren't seen on screen without messing up continuity – so I hope you enjoyed it! As usual, if anyone has any ideas for one-shots, then please let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!