Not The End ~ Aching To Be Whole Again

Author's notes: I hadn't intended on ending chapter 2 here but, it was getting quite lengthy so, I figured it'd be best to continue the rest in the following chapter. I hope you don't mind. ^^ Oh! And I'd love to hear feedback about the style of this chapter. Prior ones were more descriptive and driven by the characters thoughts. But, with Alex and Marissa finally face-to-face this chapter has a lot of dialogue in it. I tend to have difficulty finding a balance between dialogue and description. So, was it a success? Or did I completely fail?

Disclaimer: I wish I could say Alex Kelly was mine. haha. But, sadly, I cannot. =( For I do not own The O.C.

CHAPTER 2

It wasn't the type of fateful meeting either had imagined or expected but, Marissa didn't care. All she needed to know was that this was real. It wasn't a dream. The gap between them had been closed and Alex was really and truly standing before her, mere inches away from touch.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?", Alex backed off of Marissa, slightly embarrassed by her rash behavior. The other young woman found amusement in this and teased further while dusting off her blouse, "Well, I always knew you liked to play rough, Alex." Suddenly, Alex was thankful the alleyway shielded her from the sunlight which would visibly reveal the blush that managed to creep its way across her cheeks.

Marissa took the initiative to step back onto the sidewalk. "It's been a long time." "Yeah... It has.", the blonde followed suit after regaining her senses. Not that she should have been stunned. Losing ones senses was a typical side effect of the addiction known as 'Marissa Cooper'. Her presence alone could be considered more intoxicating than any drug. No one had learned this fact better than Alex Kelly. But, simply knowing it doesn't make you any more prepared to deal with it a second time around.

"So, what brings you to L.A., anyways?", was Alex's best attempt at being cordial.

Greatly downplaying what would come as news to her former lover, she replied nonchalantly with a shrug, "I live here."

'What the hell?? Did I just hear right? She lives HERE?!', was what echoed through her mind but, she settled for the less dramatic, "What? Since when??", as her response.

"After graduation, I moved out of my family's house, left Newport, and came here to attend college. I'm renting a small apartment not far from here, actually." Eager to direct the conversation elsewhere, Marissa quickly changes the subject, "How about you? What brings you here? I mean, not 'here' as in L.A. But, out here tonight."

"Oh. I'm just picking up some dry cleaning."

With a smirk, she cleverly points out, "Funny, I never took you for the halter dress wearing type."

"Huh?" Alex follows Marissa's gaze to the clear garment bag slung over her shoulder. Running her fingers through her bangs and combing it back, she admits, "Oh, I'm not. That, um, actually belongs to a friend of mine. She asked if I could get it dry cleaned along with my stuff."

"Ah.", she nodded in understanding. After a torturous moment of awkward silence ensued, seemingly extending on endlessly, Alex broke it. "Well, I should probably get going. It was nice seeing you again, though, Marissa."

But, Marissa had waited too long and prayed too hard - to any and every known and unknown god in existence - to just let this opportunity pass by. "Hey, wait.", she called out, grabbing hold of Alex's arm from behind. Something she should have done 2 years ago... "I was hoping we could grab a drink and maybe talk a little bit more. You know, catch up."

Alex stopped to turn around but, the reluctance in her eyes was still very much present so, Marissa swiftly grasped for an idea, anything which could keep the girl by her side a bit longer, "Aren't you curious about how Seth, Summer, and everyone else are doing? I know they miss you. We all do. And I'd sure like to tell them something about how you've been. Other than the fact you haven't turned into a halter dress wearing fanatic." Her sarcasm masked the anxiousness she felt within. If this didn't work, Marissa was seriously considering taking a lesson from Jodie and placing her hands upon Alex's hips, pulling her close, and pleading, "Stay." Stay? It sounded more like a dog command than a request. But, that's how desperate she was at this point.

Fortunately, for her, though, she wouldn't have to stoop to such a low. Not, yet, anyways...

Alex hesitates with good reason but, eventually consents. "Hmm, alright. I guess one drink wouldn't hurt." She never could resist Marissa's charm.

"Awesome." And now the girl from Newport was in heaven.


Seeing as how Alex had walked from her apartment and didn't bring her jeep, they opted to hop into Marissa's silver convertible instead, which was parked right across the street from where they were standing. Marissa made herself comfortable, settling into the plush leather driver's seat while starting the ignition as Alex opened the passenger side door, surprised by the sight that met her. There, on the seat and down below on the car mat, was everything from a pair of high heel shoes, a fashion magazine, an umbrella, a few books, a jacket, purse, even a ziploc which contained what looked like her leftover lunch... from a few days ago, no less.

'Was this the same Marissa? The one who cringed at the sight of dirty dishes piled up in the sink. Or who got after me whenever I'd leave my clothes lying around on the floor when we lived together.', Alex couldn't help pondering. She was pulled from her thoughts, though, as Marissa smiled sheepishly, admitting, "Sorry, for the mess." before throwing stuff onto the backseat. "It's no problem." The blonde-haired girl took the initiative to lay her dry cleaning in the back along with the other items which were now scattered across the car's carpeted floor. Once the passenger side seat was completely cleared, Marissa joked, "As you can see, I obviously live in my car. heh." Alex grinned while getting in, suppressing a laugh, although her eyes sparkled with apparent amusement. And as she closed the door, they were off...

They rode together in relative silence, stealing occasional glances at each other. The only sounds breaking through the all-too-quiet atmosphere were of cars passing by, the rhythmic hum of the engine, the faint music playing in the background from the radio, and the most noticeable, at least to Marissa, was the deafening pound of her heart beating in her ears. She knew she should say something. But, what? There was so much to be said she hadn't a clue where to begin. Thankfully, Alex wasn't as much at a loss for words, as she questioned, "Where are we going?" Not wanting to give away the surprise, Marissa kept the other girl's curiosity peaked with the vague answer, "You'll see." Alex raised an eyebrow to this response, but played along.


"The pier?" Out of all the destinations Alex pictured Marissa taking her to, this certainly was not one of them. A club, maybe. Perhaps, even a local bar. But, here in a relaxed setting, with the ocean sea breeze lightly drifting in, it was definitely an unexpected scene for Marissa to be caught in. Different, yet refreshing, at the same time.

"Mhmm. They have this cute little smoothie shop there that I discovered just a few weeks ago on one of my regular trips to the beach.", the brunette explained while pulling into a parking stall. "Come on, trust me. You'll love it! I'm sure of it." Now how could Alex deny such a display of confidence and enthusiasm? Taking the girl's word for it, she slides her hands into her front pockets, as they walk side-by-side across the wooden planks which lined the pier. Their arms brushing dangerously close to each other at one point, reminds Marissa and Alex of how easy it would be to take the other's hand into their own. Fortunately for both, they arrived at the fruity drink shop before the desire could be entertained.

As Marissa swings its glass door open, a bell chimes; welcoming them into the cozy, old diner feel which permeated. With a smile, Marissa beams, "I've been dying to share this place with someone and I'm glad you're that special someone, Alex." Special? That's obviously the word Alex's mind zeroed in on first. 'Had I really been special to her?', she wasn't so sure. Being around Marissa once more was causing old insecurities to resurface. Ones she believed she had left dead and buried upon her departure from Newport. Suddenly, Alex second-guessed whether this was such a good idea. But, it was too late to turn back as Marissa scooted into a corner booth and gestured for her to follow suit.

After the waiter promptly took their order, the two young women engaged in small talk, trying to break the ice and reconnect in some way. Staying true to her straight-forward nature, Alex was the first to take a stab at it...

"You said you're attending college now... So, what are you majoring in?"

"Fashion design."

"Of course. heh.", her tone reflected how obvious that answer should have been.

Marissa opened her mouth in an exaggerated manner, while placing a hand against her chest and feigning shock that Alex was actually mocking her. Rolling her eyes, she added fuel to the embers which would soon become a fire, "Well, it was either that or getting into architecture so I could design apartment buildings with big enough closets to actually fit all of my shoes. But, I decided to play to my strengths and opted for designing clothes instead. heh." The blonde hair girl easily caught the reference and both were thrown into a fit of giggles.

By the time the refreshments arrived, it were as if Marissa and Alex had stepped into a time machine, rekindling the effortless chemistry they once shared back at the ripe age of 17. Any previous feelings of awkwardness faded away into non-existence.

"Mmm..." Marissa took a sip of her strawberry smoothie before inquiring, "How about you? Did you go back to school like you said you would?"

"Yeah, I did. Studying was never my thing but, I did a lot of cramming and got to graduate early. At least now when I assure my boss that I'm smart, he actually believes me because I have a piece of paper to prove it.", the strong-headed, if not to say 'stubborn girl', scoffed at the fact.

'Ever rebellious.', Marissa inwardly noted with a smirk. And without really thinking, she reached over, gently cradling Alex's hand under her own while admitting, "I always knew you were smart, Alex. A lot smarter than me, that's for sure..." Her voice trailed off at the end, softening to an almost unnerving degree, as it hinted towards the mistakes she's made. Alex found herself melting beneath the other woman's touch. Such a simple gesture overwhelmed her senses, filling her entire body with an undeniable yet, familiar warmth. It was all starting to come back to her now...