Author Notes: Hey, Gone_Wilde here. ^^ Before we get started I wanted to recognize two important readers. I couldn't reply to their review comments through PM so, I wanted to do it here. Sorry, that it's belated!

Also, I apologize if this latest chapter jumps a bit. I've been having trouble focusing mentally. And balancing out all of that dialogue was simply crazy. lol. Still, I hope it didn't turn out too bad. ^^;

OriNa: Thanks! I'm so relieved that you like it since this is my first attempt at a fan fiction and, honestly, I wasn't sure how to go about it. haha. Yeah, it was actually really fun to write Marissa's inner feelings and watching as she slowly became more desperate. It gave me a chance to show her take on things, as well as mess with her just a bit. lol. =P And, well, here's a new chapter for you. I hope you keep reading! It means a lot to me.

Vanamo: I agree completely! Together, Malex was adorable. But, seperately, although Alex will forever be cool, in my opinion, Marissa sort of lacked... something. Depth, maybe. I never learned much about her, outside of how she attracts drama and likes to piss off her mom. haha. But, that's okay. It left more room for my imagination to roam free. To hear (err, read) that you think I made Marissa likeable made me very happy. Thank you! ^_^

To everyone: Please, keep reading and reviewing! Your comments inspire me and give me the motivation to continue writing. =)


Alarms sounded off in Alex's head, rationality practically screaming at her to pull away. But, once their gazes locked, her body surrendered - frozen; lost within every fleck of color in Marissa's eyes, which was magnified by the gentle shimmer of the sun slowly setting beyond the horizon.

Although it's true that no one can ever really know the depth of another's heart, the feelings which rushed over Alex in that instance ran deeper than words could describe. It led her to believe that this was more than just a simple chance encounter, or a reminiscing of the past. Despite the lies, the self-denials, the "I'm completely over her" lines she'd been repeatedly feeding herself with since the moment she cornered Marissa in the alleyway, there was no use running anymore. In the end, she reached the same conclusion everytime...

What existed between them 2 years ago, still remained.

And that both excited and frightened her. Because once a heart is broken, is it possible to go back to the way things were?


In response to Marissa's statement, Alex lifted her hands, waving them back and forth, while unconfidentally confessing, "Oh, I don't know how smart I am."

'After all...', her mind silently continued.

"I let you go..." What was meant to be an unspoken truth, somehow managed to slip past her lips in a barely audible whisper.

Not quite sure what the blonde had just muttered under her breath, Marissa arched forward, inquiring, "What?" A perplexed expression lined her features. Realizing she had allowed her train of thought to get the better of her, Alex quickly brushed aside what was said, "Huh? Oh, um, it was nothing."

Trying to save what little was left of her composure, Alex made a rapid subject change. "So! How is everyone else doing? It seems like it's been ages ago since I last saw Newport." At this point, she was relieved to not have been sitting in a lie detector chair. Because the truth is, there were many times when Newport was still so vivid in her mind, it was as if she never left.

"They're good." A softness came over Marissa upon speaking those words; visions of her friends filling her mind. And as if the two were telepathically connected, they both inwardly chuckled at the irony. For most of the years Marissa actually spent living there, the girl from Harbor could think of nothing more than hijacking her father's boat and sailing away. She didn't care to where. So long as it took her as far away as possible from the life that seemed unchangeably mundane.

Whereas Alex, after the break-up, wanted nothing more than to forget... Maybe, at one point, she believed that by erasing those familiar places from her life, she could erase the memories made there.

'But, some things just stay with you...', the once-lovers exchanged knowing glances.

Despite all of its shortcomings, there was no doubt that Newport was and, perhaps, would always be one thing to both girls... Home."Hey, did I tell you about Seth??", Marissa's voice excitedly broke through Alex's trip down memory lane.


"'Chicken arms'? How's he doing? Hopefully, staying out of trouble and not trying to pull off being a "bad boy" again. Because last time... Eh, that didn't go so well for him. heh." Alex rolled her eyes before smirking into her drink, as she lifted the glass to her lips.

'Bad boy?', the brunette noted with a bit of confusion, followed by a twinge of jealousy shortly after. 'It seems Seth and Alex had their own share of inside jokes, too...' The logical side of her knew this was natural. After all, they had da.. dat- 'My goodness, I can't even form the word in my mind!' Resisting the urge to pout, Marissa refocused and kept the conversation flowing.

"Actually, he and Summer got hitched."

Choking in utter surprise, Alex accidentally sprayed strawberry smoothie across the table, just stopping short of the young woman sitting in front of her. "To each other?!", was what came out after the blonde's first gasp of breath. "Nooo, Seth married Ryan. Of course, to each other! haha." Marissa fell backwards into the cushiony chair, wrapping her arms around her stomach and laughing uncontrollably.

Practically in tears and coming off from her laughter induced high, Marissa finally managed to settle down and allow Alex to get a word in. "Sorry.", she apologized sincerely, somewhat embarrassed, as she began cleaning up the mess she had created. "Heh, it's okay." Taking a few more napkins from its shiny metal dispenser, Marissa expressed with a bright smile, "If anything, I should be thanking you. I can't remember the last time I ever laughed so hard."

"Well, whenever you need someone to spit out a beverage at you, give me a call. I'd be happy to oblige. heh."

"You never know, I just may take you up on that offer." Shifting forward, Marissa rested her elbow onto the table and nestled her cheek into the palm of her hand. Returning Alex's sweet smile, she ever so slightly tilted her head to the side, completely unaware of the effect she had. It was then that Alex was reminded of how absolutely adorable the brunette's mannerisms could be.

Before becoming hopelessly fixated on her, the blonde forced her gaze off of Marissa to stare out the window. Reminiscing and talking like this, it felt as though time had stood still between them. And, yet, somehow amidst it all, day had turned into night; the only light lingering emmitted from a few lampstands bordering the pier.

Picking up right where they left off, Alex continued, "Seth and Summer, huh? Wow, now that is something."

Marissa wasn't blind to the other girl's actions and noticed how she suddenly broke eye contact but, decided that it might be best not to read too much into it.

"Yeah, I could hardly wrap my mind around it myself when Summer first broke the news to me. But, as opposite as the two of them are, they just work, you know?" Alex nodded in understanding. In fact, no one probably understood as well as her. Since that description is how she once viewed herself and Marissa.

'Once...' A word that described something past tense. Still, here they were in the present, leaving Alex with an endless amount of questions and conflicting emotions. Why were they here? Was it simply to discuss Seth and Summer? To reflect back on what was? Or had they both been wishing for something more? Those were but, some of the numerous thoughts racing through her mind. She was in mental chaos, when a single simple gesture calmed it all.

The feeling of softness traced the corner of her mouth. "Heh, you're a mess, Kelly.", Marissa teased, as she slowly ran her thumb over Alex's lower lip, wiping away bits of froth left behind from the smoothie spraying incident. And there it was... The butterflies in the pit of her stomach, the hitching of her breath in her chest, and the longing that only her eyes could perfectly convey.

Alex took a shaky hand to the one Marissa still held at her lips, hoping that the brunette wouldn't mind her apparent nervousness. And, then, came the invitation which made both girl's hearts race with eager anticipation, "Would you like to take a walk with me on the beach? It's such a beautiful and clear evening, it's practically begging to be enjoyed."

It had the makings of deja vu. But, for Marissa, the repeated sentiment meant so much more to her this time around. Because rather than holding the promise of a first kiss, it held the hope of a second chance...

"I thought you'd never ask."


Shoes in hand, they walked down L.A.'s seashore, neither releasing the other's grasp. Just then, a cool, salty breeze gently caressed their skin, as the sand mixing with their barefeet added to the already peaceful atmosphere. It played out like one of the many fantasies Marissa imagined after losing Alex. What was incredible, though, was that this time everything was for real.

"Marissa...", Alex's subdued call eased through the silence.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been wanting to know." The tone she took made Marissa anxious inside. And when she heard the words which proceeded it, she knew why...

"You... and Ryan..." Suddenly, the brunette's heart dropped.

This was proving harder to ask than Alex originally thought it would be. Instead of expressing what she really wanted to, the defensive walls around her heart built themselves up again, causing her to put on the "friend" act, as if it didn't hurt her to talk about Ryan. "How is he? He must be missing you. After all, you two were practically inseparable. Heh, Newport's ideal couple."

Marissa felt the sting.

Perhaps, what she hated most, though, was knowing that that's the impression she last left Alex with. Sure, the blonde reached that conclusion on her own but, what killed Marissa was how she didn't deny it two years ago.

"I wouldn't say that..."

Out of all her dreams about reuniting with Alex, this was the part she always anticipated and, yet, dreaded; When she would have to face her mistakes, and the regret that inevitably came with it.

"Ryan and I... We don't really keep tabs on each other much these days. Last I heard, was that he has a new girlfriend and is doing well for himself in studying architecture at the University."

"But, I thought you..."

As if reading her train of thought, Marissa finished, "Got back together? No. We realized we weren't right for each other. You'd think after, oh, I don't know, a million failed attempts, we would have figured that out sooner. heh."

From a light-hearted tone, her voice soon lost strength as it softened under the weight of what this moment could mean for both of them. "But, sometimes, love can blind you. It makes you see what you want to, and not for what it truly is. I fooled myself into believing that what Ryan and I had was real and worth saving when, really, it was a part of my past that I should have laid to rest a long time ago. If only I had known sooner..."

Suddenly, Marissa's footsteps halted, and out came the confession that had been on the tip of her tongue the entire evening. "I would have never let you go..."

"But, you did.", the blonde replied weakly. Alex didn't intend to sound cold or bitter. In fact, her reaction surprised even her. She expected better from herself, believing she could play it cool. But, the feelings that the memory of their break-up stirred up were still so raw.

"Yes, I did...", Marissa lowered her head, feeling ashamed.

No one said this would be easy. And she didn't expect it to be so. Which is why just a second later the determination in her eyes returned as she continued with conviction, "And there hasn't been a day since where I didn't regret it. I miss you, Alex. I miss this." She took both of Alex's hands into her own, clasping them together, as they stood there face-to-face.

"What do you want me to say, Marissa?", Alex sighed heavily. There was actually so much she wanted to express but, it somehow stayed knotted in her throat.

"That you've missed me, too. That this is not the end."

She mimiced Alex's sigh but, with a bit more desperation. Marissa knew the more she spoke, the more she was risking. Her heart was on the line. But, she couldn't stop. The words kept overflowing after being pent up all this time...

"From when I was young my path was mapped out. There wasn't anything to decide because the decisions had already been made for me. My future was set. I was to attend college, get a prestigious, high paying job so, I could live in luxury as I always had, and marry some great guy who'd sweep me off my feet. Then, you came along..."

"And, you weren't part of that plan, Alex..." Marissa released her hold on Alex and walked a few steps ahead. Her back turned away from the girl, she reflected back on their relationship. How it all began that night they sat on the couch watching an old horror movie together. How the blonde's gaze met her lips, evoking feelings inside of her that she had never experienced before with a woman. The memory brought a soft, passing smile to her face.

Whipping around, the brunette speaks up over the crashing waves, "Suddenly, my world was turned upside-down! I thought being with you meant giving up my familiar lifestyle. I realized too late that that wasn't a bad thing. You weren't taking anything away from me. You were offering me a new life, a better one! One which included you."

"But, I was scared.", Marissa's eyes welled with unshed tears. "Things were changing so fast, and when I couldn't keep up, I ran back towards what was safe."

"To Ryan...", Alex said with a mixture of sympathy and knowing.

"Yes, to Ryan, to Harbor... to everything. And I pushed you away so, I could live as the 'old Marissa' again."

As her eyes fluttered close, tears which lingered at the edge of her lashes began to flow. They streamed down her flushed cheeks, falling to the ground. The sight was almost too much for Alex to bear. She ran to Marissa, holding the girl close, as she buried her face against the blonde's shoulder. Choking back the sob which threatened to escape, she apologized, "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Alex."

And just like that, despite how many unanswered questions remained, one thing was made certain: She had meant something to Marissa. She still did. And deep down, Alex knew that the girl from Newport who had managed to capture her heart, never fully lost it. Marissa still meant something to her, too.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay, Marissa.", she comforted in a soothing voice, while threading her fingers through the brunette's silky strands.

And with that simple statement, Marissa was finally met with relief but, most of all, forgiveness.

Pulling back in Alex's embrace, she stared into those beautiful ocean blue-green eyes which she could now admit in her heart that she had sincerely come to love. In effect, giving her the courage to admit something even more important... "Alex.. I don't want to just live anymore. I want to feel alive."

"The way I felt whenever I was with you..."

Swept up in the moment, Marissa raised a hand to the other girl's cheek, caressing the smooth skin, and allowing the warmth of her touch to brush just behind her ear. Sighing in contentment, Alex's eyes involuntarily closed at the pleasurable sensation. Leaving no room for hesitation or second-guessing, Marissa slowly leaned in until, they could both feel the unmistakable heat radiating between their bodies. And as her lips were about to close the last distance between them....

*bzzz! bzzz! bzzz!*

Alex's cellphone, which was on vibrate, started to go off, breaking the spell. The blonde immediately snapped back to reality to check the incoming call. And within a split second glance to the caller I.D., the atmosphere completely changed. Suddenly, Alex grew pale and her throat went dry. Observing the shock and fear written on her face, Marissa asked with concern, "Alex, what's wrong? Who is it?"

Cellphone still in hand, Alex's arms dropped to her side, as she uttered what would alter their lives forever...

"It's... my fiancee."


Author Notes: Don't hurt me. haha. So, what do you think of this twist of events? Did you see it coming? heh.