A/N- Finally I can log onto my account again. I don't know how long it will last but at least I got this chapter uploaded. Sorry it took so long. Blame the site, not me. Hope you enjoy.

At first I didn't understand what was happening. One moment my mind was buzzing pleasantly with the feelings of euphoria that liquor and being held by Cappie had created. The next I was spinning around to the sound of someone calling my name. All the warmth left my body as Cappie pulled away from be so abruptly I stumbled in my inebriated state and he had to grab my arm to catch me.

" I was wondering what happened to you. " Will said, taking me from the one person I wanted to hold me and gathering me to him instead.

I tossed him a look that said quite plainly I was going to kill him the next time we were alone together. I caught a grimace trace across his face and knew that my meaning wasn't lost on him.

" I needed a bit of fresh air. " I commented blandly.

He looked down at me, amusement clearly evident in his eyes. " Yeah, I think maybe what you need is a bed. You've had a little too much to drink, my Dear. "

Cappie was shuffling slowly away from us, expanding the distance between us with every move. I wanted to scream at him to stop, to tell him that I didn't want him to go, but I didn't. I couldn't. Cappie was dangerous. And deep down I knew I needed to keep myself apart from him.

" I think maybe you're right. Will you take me back to the hotel ? "

Will nodded and inclined his head towards Cappie. " Thank you. I appreciate you looking after her like that. Let everyone know that we'll see them tomorrow at the picnic ? "

He gave a half hearted salute. " Anytime. Once upon a time, it was kinda my thing. And yeah, I'll tell them. " Then he turned and went back inside without another look back.

" You have the worst timing in the world. " I complained. " All I needed was one more minute. Just one more. "

He turned me towards him so that he was looking directly into my face. " Is that what you really want, Casey ? " he asked, " If it is, I'll back off. I'm only here because you asked me to be. If you don't want me here let me know. "

I buried my head in his shoulder and let out an exhausted breath. " No, of course that isn't what I want. Cappie just makes me crazy. He clouds everything up. "

" I wondered why you never mentioned this guy before. Now I get it. I never pictured you as one of those before. " He mused.

" One of what ? What are you talking about ? " I demanded feeling myself getting angry.

" You still have a thing for your old college flame. Now I get why you're still alone, never married, turning down ever guy that asks you out. " he answered.

I realized that we were moving down the street, heading towards his car and I planted my heels, not ready to leave yet. " Piss off, Will. " I hissed. " My being alone has nothing to do with Cappie. I'm just concentrating on my career right now. I don't want to be distracted. "

He laughed. He was laughing at me and I wanted to slug him. " That is such a load, an easy excuse. "

" Will you please stop ? I don't need to be analyzed right now. I'm just drunk and tired and I want to go home. " I whined.

" Alrighty, then. Let's get you to bed. " He was still laughing as he opened the car door for me.

It was so bright and sunny and beautiful it was like the weather itself was mocking me, having a big joke at my expense. I was in no mood for bright and sunny. I was definitely feeling more like thunderstorms and gloom and lots and lots of clouds.

But there it was shiny down at me, the sun full and huge in the cloudless blue sky. As if saying, ha, I don't care what kind of mood you're in, I'm happy, so there !

I looked over at the handsome, sandy haired young man sitting on the bench beside me eating an ice cream cone and finally I relented and smiled. His feet were dangling above the ground, although not far above it. He was going to be tall, like his father and his messy hair was falling into his eyes, just like his father's. And when he looked over at me and smiled back, he had ice cream on his nose, just like his father did when eating a cone. God ! How was that even possible ? Okay, the hair I got. The eyes, of course, sure they were the same sapphire blue and so emotional and expressive. I understood that. Genetics, I get that. But how was it even remotely possible that he ate ice cream the same way. That he sat the same way, with one leg tugged under him most of the time. That he walked the same, with that casual, loping gate that said he didn't have a care in the world.

How was all that possible ? He had never met his father. He didn't know him. How could he be so very much like him ?

" What did I do ? " Zach asked as he rubbed his sleeve across his nose to remove the cold wetness.

I shook my head and tousled his hair. " Nothing. I was just looking at you. "

" Well, quit. It makes me feel weird. When is Uncle Rusty getting here ? "

" He's probably already here. " I answered. " They just haven't found us yet. "

" Can I go look for him ? "

" Are you done with your ice cream ? " I looked at the melting cone in his sticky hand and grimaced.

" Yeah, I'm done. Can I go find Uncle Rusty ? "

" Go wash your hands in that bathroom first. " I pointed to the restroom not far from me. " Then yes, if you don't go too far, you can go look for them. "

He darted away from me like he always did, running a mile a minute. I was fairly certain he had not stopped moving since before he was born. He was a whirlwind, constantly in motion, until finally he fell asleep exhausted. And that was the exact way of it. One minute he was talking or playing and the next he was just out, so quick I could barely keep up.

I watched him go into the restroom and emerge a few minutes later. He swept past me with his hands spread out for me to inspect as he flew by. I laughed as he moved out of my sight.

Then the worrying began. And I had to stop myself, push it back down where it belonged. But it was hard. I raised him most of his life in L.A.. There, there was no way I would have let him out of my site for even a moment in a crowded park. But this was different. It was like a different planet in fact. Here I could afford him a little of the independence he always craved. And despite the crowded condition, these people weren't stranger, not really. Everywhere I looked was another familiar, albeit, older face.

So I forced myself to sit back and relax, taking in the sun in all its mockery.

I was barely alone for a minute before I heard Ashleigh giggling and Will's boisterous laughter approaching the bench.

" Where's Zach ? " Will asked as he sat on one side of me and Ashleigh took the other.

" He went to find Rusty and Jenn. " I said, tiredly.

" How are you feeling this morning ? " Ashleigh asked a little louder than was necessary. " Are we realizing we aren't as young as we once were ? "

I hadn't woken up with a hang over and I informed her of it smugly.

" Well that's good. " she commented, though her tone said just the opposite. She was disappointed at not being able to torture me all day. Ah, friendship. " Are you flipping out right now ? "

I turned towards her and eyed her carefully. " Why would I be flipping out ? "

" Well, it's just a matter of time before Cappie meets Zach for the first time. That has to be a scary thing. "

Still I eyed her. " Why would that be a scary thing ? "

She cut her eyes over her shoulder like she was afraid of being overheard. " You know. "

I sighed in exasperation. " Ashleigh, what exactly are you expecting to happen here ? Do you think Cappie is going to take one look at him and just know ? "

She shrugged. " It could happen. "

" Maybe in one of your books, but not in real life it doesn't. I'm sure it will be fine. " I was so very, very proud of myself. I sounded like I believed every word I had just said. I sounded convincing and not even the least bit worried. Man, I was a good liar. " Besides, " I continued. " What makes you think you know who Zach's father is anyway. "

She looked at me like I had just grown a brand new head and she wasn't amused by it. " You're kidding, right ? I'm not really supposed to answer that, am I ? "

" What does that mean ? I told I didn't know for sure who is father was. " I demanded.

" Yeah, and I bought that right until he stopped looking like an alien and started looking like a real boy. Now, I mean, look at him. "

Great, everyone else had noticed it, too. This was not going to go well for me.

" What do you mean ? Does he have a sign written on him that I haven't seen ? " I asked, trying to brush it all off, pretend like it wasn't there. I was very good at ignoring the huge pink elephant sitting in the middle of the room. I prided myself on that fact.

Will put his hand on my shoulder. " Honey, I have only met the man twice, but even I can see it. He's like a mini him. Same hair, same eyes, same nose, It's all there, just a little smaller. In fact, are you sure he's yours ? "

I laughed sarcastically. " Very funny. Do you think Cappie will notice ? "

Now I sounded worried.

" Um, " Ashleigh worried her bottom lip between her teeth. " I think we are about to find out. "

I looked over to where she was looking and my heart sunk into my stomach, did a flip and returned to my chest, beating wildly from its antics. Then my tongue filled my throat to the point that I felt like I couldn't breath. Will was squeezing my shoulder,but even that was a vague impression, like he was far away.

Walking towards us, with Jeremy on his hip and my child's hand in his, was Cappie. Rusty and Jenn were trailing along behind him. But he was in front, letting Zach pull him along as he babbled wildly.

The smile on his face was priceless. It was so familiar and strange at the same time.

For a moment I didn't know where I was, everything faded from my view except for him and Zach hurrying up to me. It was like I was lost in the many, many dreams I had experienced of this exact moment.

" I think I found something that belongs to you. " he said as he came close enough for us to hear.

" Yeah, Most of the time, I claim that. " I forced a smile and grabbed Zach as soon as he was close enough, pulling him to me tightly.

" Only most of the time. " He let his eyes fall to Zach. " Don't tell me you give your poor Mother trouble ? "

" No more than any normal hyperactive boy with only a loose concept of how to follow the rules. " I answered. Now the smile was easy. Talking about Zach always made the smile come easy.

" That sounds very familiar. " Cappie mused as he handed Jeremy back to his father.

And the smile was gone, the heart thumping was back, though with a vengeance.

" Well, he is just a little smarter that is good for him, I think. " Will commented.

Cappie dropped down to the grass in front of us and smiled brighter. " Again, that sounds familiar. "

I nudged Will. He wasn't helping. God, what did Zach do that was totally unlike Cappie. I racked my brain and came up with nothing. Okay time to stop talking about Zach.

" I see you finally met your Godson. " I nodded towards Jeremy who was wiggling around so much in Rusty's arms, he barely had a good hold on him.

" Yeah, we met, had a talk. He pulled my hair, burped in my face, then spit up a little on my shirt. I think we're going to get along just fine. It was like he already knew me. " Cappie laughed.

After a few welcome back speeches and all the food we could possibly want, provided by several of the Fraternities and Sororities on campus, I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Cappie rolling around in the grass with Jeremy and playing Frisbee with Zach and Beaver's two kids.

It was in these hours that the guilt set in. It was completely obvious to anyone that saw him, how very much he was enjoying playing with the kids, letting them climb on him, picking them up, pushing them on the swing set, sending them rocketing down the slide. I had robbed him of all that. I took it away from him, without even waiting for hear what his opinion was. Seeing him with Jeremy was the hardest. Those were the moment I stole from him, down on all fours, letting the baby ride on his back, getting him down in the grass and tickling him like crazy. I took all that away from him, selfishly.

Then another thought occurred to me as Zach joined in with the tickling. I had robbed him, too. Cappie would have been a wonderful father, someone Zach could have really looked up to. But the timing had been so bad. By the time I found out I was pregnant, Cappie was marrying a Vegas showgirl he had only known a few weeks and starting his own life. I couldn't bring myself to ruin everything for him.

But as I looked at the two of them, playing in front of me, I realized that there was no way Zach could have ruined Cappie life. I had been wrong.

" You look pretty far away. " Will said, over my shoulder. " Care to share ? "

" I should have told him. " I muttered vacantly. " I should have told him about Zach in the beginning. "

" Yeah, " Will answered. " You probably should have, but you didn't and it's done. There is no going back now. So, suck it up, Sparky. And go play with your men. "

That was Will. The perfect answer as usual. I loved him because of that. There was no coddling with Will, no pitying allowed. He just told me like it was and left it at that, for me to either take or not, my choice. And this time, I took it.

I took it gleefully, flinging myself in the middle of what was apparently a dog pile on Zach as everyone from Beaver's kids to Rusty and Cappie to Jeremy was launching themselves at my laughing, squirming son.

I found myself laying on my back, the smell of the grass filling my nose, a body laying over me. My eyes were closed and the sound of laughter from every direction assaulted my brain. I had never had so much fun.

Then I let out an, " Humph, " as a much larger body landed over mine and I opened my eyes to find myself looking up at Cappie as he looked down at me with a laugh on his lips that died the moment I opened my eyes.

Time literally stopped. Every other nose and smell and feeling was suddenly non-existent. All I could take in was the smell of his cologne, the feel of his body pressing into mine and the look in his eyes that said he felt exactly the same way.

It was just us there for what seemed an eternity.

Then just as quickly as the night before it was over when a random knee collided with my side and I jerked out from under him with a cry of pain.

I cursed silently and wanted nothing more than to climb back under his heavy protective body for just a few more moments, but it was too late, once again, the spell was broken.