I don't want this moment

To ever end

Where everything is nothing

without you

I'll wait here forever just to,

to see you smile

Cause its true,

I am nothing without you

After wandering some more in the park, they all headed for lunch and eventually headed to their respective homes. Since Sara and Aurora came to the diner in a taxi, Michael offered to drive them back home.

They drove in comfortable silence until the song started playing from the radio. Sara's eyes widened at the familiar strings being plucked. She held this song close to her heart because it was the song that she and Michael had danced to.

It was the junior year spring dance in a week and Sara had decided, after much consideration, that she was going to ask Michael to the dance. Not as friends but as a couple. It had been a year since she came to a realisation that she was in love with him, her feelings for Michael went beyond their friendship so consequences be damned.

She had enough of the girls constantly throwing themselves at him, couldn't they get the hint already!

She smiled and walked to their spot. She could see from afar that he was already there, sitting under the big tree waiting for her. As she observed and walked closer, she could see that he wasn't alone. There was a girl sitting next to him, trying to stroke his arm. As she moved closer, she finally made out who the girl was. Nika.

Sara's heart sunk; how could he be with someone else under their spot. Sara mentally slapped herself, why wouldn't he, it's not like he shared this spot with his girlfriend. Sara forced a smile as she approached Michael and Nika.

"Hey guys." She gritted through her teeth.

Nika leaned over to Michael and kissed his cheek, "I can't wait Michael!" Michael rolled his eyes while she got up and greeted Sara before walking away.

Sara waited for a second before sitting down and asking Michael what Nika was talking about. "What was that about?"

Michael let out a pfft sound, "She's been asking me to the dance next Friday all week, to be honest I said yes so she can finally leave me alone."

Sara's heart sank. Well there goes her plan… maybe they weren't meant to be.

X

Sara sipped on her caramel and vanilla shake as she approached her house. She decided to ditch the dance for a movie and an early night in. Sure, she had been asked to the dance, but it wasn't with who she wanted it to be, so she left. She decided against going in through the front door, if she did she'd be met with questions that she just could not be bothered with so she headed for the door to their garden.

To her surprise, Michael was sitting on the bench.

"Michael, what are you doing here?" Sara asked, eyes wide with surprise.

Michael stood up from the bench. "I couldn't find you at the dance, are you okay?"

Sara still in shocked, nodded and lifted her caramel and vanilla shake. "I'm fine, I just got bored."

"Yeah, I don't know why you said yes to Paul in the first place, that dude is a bore."

Sara raised her eyebrows, "And Nika isn't? What are you doing here Mike?"

He chose to ignore her Nika comment, he didn't understand why she was being... like this. "Well you left without giving me that danced you promised." Michael's lips turned upwards into a smile.

Sara smirked, "Well maybe because I wanted to keep my toes."

Michael's eyes shone in amusement. "Toes are overrated." Michael joked.

Sara laughed and placed down her shake on the bench. Michael offered her his hand and she smiled as she accepted. Michael slid his arm around her waist as she placed her other hand on his shoulder. "Try not to step on my toes okay?" She teased.

Michael pulled her closer so that their bodies were almost touching. They could hear the faint sound of a song blasting through the speakers in Natasha's room. Sara rested her chin on his shoulder as she tried to make out the song.

Thoughts read are spoken, forever in doubt

And pieces of memories fall to the ground

I know what I did, and so I won't let this go

Cause its true: I am nothing without you

Being in his arms like this made her feel high that she didn't even notice the rain droplets fall on them. As the rain began to fall heavier, she felt Michael pull her closer, flushed against his body. She closed her eyes as they continued to sway slowly together in the rain...

Michael glanced at Sara and noticed that she had her very far away look face on. He wondered about what was running through her mind and as the chorus came on, he remembered. He smiled, she'd been acting crazy nearly all week and he had no idea what he'd done wrong. But then they shared that dance in the rain in her garden and she went back to her normal self the next day.

When the song finished, he reached over her. He gently placed a hand on her knee trying to get her attention.

She turned to Michael as he briefly rested his hand on her knee.

"Are you thinking about what I'm thinking?" He whispered.

She smiled at him, "Spring dance junior year?"

Michael nodded and smiled. That had been the first time he danced like that with a girl, he was happy that it had been with Sara.

As Michael came to a stop outside the Tancredi's house, Aurora unbuckled her seat belt in the back.

"Thank you for breakfast this morning, Michael." Aurora called back from the back, interrupting their thoughts.

"You are most welcome." Michael smiled.

"So, will I see you on Saturday?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He turned his attention from Aurora to Sara, frowning after realising he didn't know where they lived. "Would you like me to pick you up?"

Sara pondered and then smiled. If they were going to make this work, it would take the both of them to make an effort. "Yeah, sure if that's not any trouble to you?"

"Of course not." He smiled. "What's your address?"

Sara smiled back at him, already looking forward to spending Saturday with him and Aurora. Aurora looked at her mom and sensed that Michael was waiting for her mom to give him their address, so she lightly nudged her mother in the shoulder. All day long, she noticed that her mom would be gazing too much at Michael, like they, a man and a woman, would do on soppy TV shows her aunt Natasha would watch.

"Here is fine, we usually spend Friday nights here at my parents." Sara paused for a second, "Would you like to come in?"

Aurora suddenly perked up in the back, "Would you Michael!? You can meet my grandparents' dog; he is so cute! I want one at home, but mommy is too busy." As she said this, her mother turned around to her who playfully stuck her tongue out at the young girl.

Michael let out a nervous chuckle which Sara sensed. She, without thinking or even realising it, sought Michael's hand that rested on the gear stick. "I'm sure mom would love to see you."

After a second, Michael decided he would go in. If they were angry at him then so be it. How could he get mad at them for that, they had a hand in raising his beautiful child? And for that, he'd be forever thankful. He unbuckled his seat belt, got out and met Sara and Aurora at the top of the house's pathway. Aurora ran to the door and rang the doorbell while Sara waited for Michael who walked deliberately slow. She sensed his nervousness and reached for his hand, gripping it tightly showing her support. She led him to the house he'd been in hundreds of time, but this time it was different. He was no longer the boy they used to know. He's now the guy who abandoned their daughter and granddaughter. God know he had a lot of making up to do and it didn't stop with Sara and Aurora. He took a deep breath as he reached the door, and watched Aurora embrace her grandmother.

Grace separated from Aurora when she immediately saw Michael. Michael took a deep breath and before he knew it Grace had engulfed him with her warm embrace. He hesitated for a moment before sliding his arms around Grace, the woman he had once considered his second mother.

Aurora watched her grandmother embrace Michael; it was as if he had been one of her kids. She tugged on her Sara's hand; her blue eyes filled with confusion.

"Why is Meema crying, mom?

Sara crouched down in front of her daughter, blinking back her own tears. "Because it has been a long time since she's seen seen Michael, that's all."

"God it's so good to see you Mike." Grace beamed.

"You too, Grace." He smiled at her.

Grace collected her bearings; she couldn't believe he was back home. She definitely missed Michael, after almost eleven years of him constantly at her house everyday was something she missed. He became one of her own. "Let's go in! I've got a rhubarb pie waiting to come out of the oven." Grace knew her granddaughter loved her rhubarb pie and she remembered so did Michael. She turned back to Michael, "You still like rhubarb pie, Mike?"

He smiled and nodded. "Especially yours."

"You like my Meema's pie, Michael? It's my favourite too!"

Michael nodded at his daughter, "It's the best."

They walked inside the house and shrugged their jacket and shoes off before entering the living room. Silence filled the air as Michael and Frank came face to face. Aurora sensed a bit of tension but forgot about it as she ran to her grandfather's side. "Hi Bap." Greeting him with a tug on his arm.

Frank immediately looked at his granddaughter. The only thing stopping him from knocking Michael out. He crouched on her level and gave her a bear hug. "Well hello to my favourite granddaughter!"

Aurora giggled, "Bap! I'm your only granddaughter, Uncle John has all boys!" She said as a matter of fact.

"Yes, that's right, you are my only granddaughter. Why don't you wash up and maybe your Meema will give you a slice of her rhubarb pie!"

"Okay!" Aurora said as she ran off to the downstairs powder room leaving the adults looking at each other.

"Dad…" Sara said quietly.

Michael cleared his throat, "Frank. Sir…"

"You know Michael, when my daughter got pregnant and you were nowhere to be found I wanted to find you myself and drag you back here. Because I know if your mother had been here, she would have done so herself. But then again you wouldn't have run away if your mom was still alive." Frank paused, he did not want to upset Michael but if he was going to be in his daughter and granddaughter's life as his wife informed him, they were going to need a clean slate and for that the older man had to get this off of his chest. "I just want to make sure that you're here to stay this time. Otherwise, it's not just my daughter's heart your breaking but my granddaughter's. I can't and won't tolerate that." Frank cautioned.

Michael nodded, "Understood sir."

After a pause, Frank opened his arms to the man who was once like a son to him. Michael watched as Frank opened his arms to him, apart from Lincoln, Frank had been the only constant male figure he's ever had since his father had left before he was even born. Michael's eyes shone with tears as he embraced Frank.

As soon as her father spoke, she held her breath in. Her father had been furious with Michael for so long, she hoped that her father would put that aside for the sake of Aurora. Next thing she saw warmed her heart, her father embracing Michael.

She felt her mother's arms engulfed her. And just like that, the slate had been wiped clean.