Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the drama and tension I'm going to cause. Enjoy.

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Chapter Three

"Do you ever just think I'm fooling everybody?"

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"Home sweet home." I grinned as Mattie uttered the very words I'd been thinking. Pulling up at the surf club (our pre-arranged meeting spot) I marvelled at how little had changed in Summer Bay.

"Behold" Mattie said from next to me "The town where time stands still." She finished rather thoughtfully as we both took a moment to breathe in that fresh sea breeze, to wonder at the untouched strip of beach that we'd spent summer after summer on. As we looked towards the cloudless sky, the clear blue shining beneath us, it whispered home.

"Is that my girls?" I heard Beth cry as she and Sally appeared at the door of the club.

"Showtime." I said to Mattie, flashing her a grin as we pushed the doors open and stepped out into the sunshine, preparing ourselves for the family. Because that's what we were in the end…family.

I felt Sally's arms wrap around me instantly as I was pulled into a warm, loving hug. I returned it gladly, knowing, realising, how much I'd really missed Summer Bay… how much I'd missed its people, its places, its everything.

"Oh don't you ever not come home for that long again." I heard Sally mumbled into my ear as she squeezed me tighter. I smiled into her neck, feeling happier than I had in a while. When Sally finally pulled away, I watched her wipe a few stray tears from her eyes. "Oh that's great, you're crying already!" I exclaimed, laughing a little as Mattie threw in "She's not the only one, Mum's in tears too."

She was laughing so hard now, as I watched Beth try to scold her. "Its not our fault." She said, jumping to the defence of Sally and herself. "If our babies came home more often we wouldn't act like this."

She began to continue, but Mattie's attention was already lost.

"Babies." She cried happily. "Aunty Mattie's home." She squealed as she ran inside.

I imagine my face must have lit up too, as I ran towards the surf club only to see Pippa stumbling out into the sunlight.

"Cass Cass." She cried, throwing her arms up towards me. I scooped her lovingly into my arms and spun her around as her small body clung to my own tightly. Giving her one final squeeze, I placed her down on the step in front of me and leant down to her eye level.

"Now, let me have a good look at you." I said seriously as she giggled and spun around in a circle. "Yep, you've grown, haven't you?" I continued as she nodded, obviously proud of her added height. "And" She said confidently "I began dancing." She said, leaning forward and whispering to me "My teacher says I'm the best in the class. Daddy's so proud." She said happily, a playful, mischievous glint in her eyes.

I smiled lovingly down at the previous five-year-old and picked her up in my arms once more. "Oh sweetie, I'm sure he is, I'm sure he's so very proud of you." I finished, hugging her tightly before placing her down and taking her hand, leading her into the surf club.

"Mummy says it like that too." She said, her childhood innocent shining through. She couldn't grasp the significance yet, but once she did, I knew that I'd always be there for her, to tell her the many, many stories of how much Flynn had loved her, and how he'd always be watching her.

"Will Ric be coming back soon? I want him to see me in my pretty dress that Aunty Leah made for me." She asked, her wide eyes looking up into my own. "He should be here soon." I replied, gulping down the lump that formed in my throat the moment his name was mentioned.

I can do this, I told myself, I have to do this. Pausing, I crouched down and looked Pippa in the eyes. They are Flynn's, no doubt about that, they have his sparkle and everything, and for a moment I just want to hug the small child once more.

"Now, are you sure you just want to show him the dress… or do you want to be spoiled by him all over again?" I asked, and the innocent biting of her lip gave me all the answered I needed.

She leant forward and planted a huge, sloppy kiss on my cheek and whispered in my ear "I'm glad you're back Cass Cass." Before running of through the club, obviously happy to go and torment someone else with her adorable cuteness.

I looked up to see Matthew and Belle climbing all over Mattie as she collapsed in fits of giggles. Walking over to her, I scooped Matthew up in my arms and sat down next to her, as Bella crawled into her lap, playing with loose strands of her hair.

"I've missed you baby girl." Mattie cooed at Bella. "Yes I have, and we've got all summer to get reacquainted with one another, and plan yours and Matthews wedding." She sighed happily as Bella snuggled down in her lap.

"Married ay Mattie?" I asked, rocking an eyebrow as she nodded at me grinning.

"Someone's got to have a fairy tale." She said, almost sadly. "And these two were born destined for one another, weren't you?" She said, hugging Bella close to her, "Yes you were."

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"So," I said to Mattie as I felt the warm sun soak into my skin.

"Yeah." She replied sleepily, her hands under he resting head.

"Just like old times." I said, and Mattie threw me a wry grin.

"Yeah, only there's no chance of us being thrown into that icy cold water." She said bitterly "That's something I know I won't miss."

I grinned at her, knowing that deep down, she really was still expecting his arms to scoop her up… because I was too.

It had been hard to let go. But I'd managed it… or so I thought… but being back here… home, Summer Bay, it had made me start to wonder again. Wonder if things had always been so black and white in our lives… wonder if fate had really wanted it to end this way.

"I'm bored." Mattie groaned from next to me, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Old times, you say?" I replied mockingly as she threw me a look of disgust.

"I'm serious." She said, pushing herself up into a sitting position and stretching her neck. "I thought that once we got back here we'd be able to fall back into that lifestyle, you know, the lazy one we missed completely this year?" She asked, as I nodded at her pushing her to continue. "But I can't. We've been out here for what? An hour? I'm too bored already. I need to occupy myself. I need a summer job." She said finally, gleefully.

"A summer job?" I asked finally, stunned by her declaration.

"One for you too, of course. Just for January, maybe the end of December even, in that cute little boutique shop on the main road in Yabbie Creek?" She said finally as she began to ramble, but I interrupted her, stating the facts she'd apparently looked over.

"Mattie, its almost Christmas. Every store would have been through the hiring process by now, and beside, how do you intend to get a job for a month and a half anyway? They'd be a fool to hire you…"

"Us…" She said, cutting me off. "Two for the price of one." She continued as I looked at her quizzically, until it hit me.

"No way." I replied stubbornly, crossing my arms over my chest. "Not ever going to happen Mattie."

"Aww come on Cass." She pleaded with me "It'll be a good way to make some money and make sure we spend plenty of time together and not get bored"

I turned to look at her pitiful face as she grovelled at me, but what I saw was something more. It was a cry for help.

She didn't care about being bored, she cared about being reminded, every hour of every day we were home, that things had changed. She needed somewhere to escape to. Maybe we both did. After all, the girlfriends were coming home, and if we didn't have a plausible reason, we'd be stuck sunbaking and small talking with them all summer.

"Mattie," I said finally "I think you might just be on to something."

"Yay." She squealed excitedly as she triumphantly smiled at me. "See," She said "I am so the brains of this operation." She said happily, as I smirked at her. "So I guess that makes me the beauty." I said, as she shot me a look. "If you wanted to, you could have just come out and said it Mattie. I know I'm gorgeous." I said not so modestly.

"Oh Cass." Mattie replied. "How naïve you really are!"

"I'm going to let that one slide, because I'm nice." I said playfully as Mattie beamed up at me.

"Okay, so about this boutique…" She asked, as I smiled back at her.

Suddenly, the summer was looking up.

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AN: Thanks to Jade for proofing. Don't hate me, they'll meet. Soon, I hope. As always, thanks for the reviews!