Hello...Here's another update...since I left you with a cliffhanger last time....I wish I could say there won't be anymore...but there probably will. Happy Reading :-)

Charlie continued to paint and joke around with the kids as he watched a plethora of emotions fly across Ryan's features. Charlie couldn't believe Ryan didn't know Kelsi had been waiting for him. It actually made him feel pretty sorry for the blond haired man. He had always sympathized with Kelsi's side of the saga. But after gaining a little insight from Ryan's point of view, he was able to see how devastating the ordeal was not just for Kelsi, but Ryan too. In Charlie's mind, both people were technically in the wrong, they had both run away. Kelsi ran away from Ryan to Chicago, opting for self preservation. And Ryan had run from his feelings; too scared of jeopardizing his friendship with Kelsi and relationship with his fiancée. It would seem these two had a lot to work through. Charlie just hoped they would be able to do so in a professional manner, after all they were going to be working quite closely together. Charlie's thoughts were taken away from his present musings by a tiny hand pulling on the sleeve of his arm. Charlie looked down to meet the wide blue eyes of Matthew.

"Charlie, I have to go potty." Matthew said.

Charlie was aware Matthew was about three weeks in to potty training...Kelsi had had quite a few humorous stories to tell in regards to the young boy's bathroom shenanigans.

"Sure thing buddy." Charlie started before shifting his gaze to Ryan...who still seemed to be off in his own world. "Hey Ryan?" Charlie questioned, breaking through Ryan's inner revelations.

Ryan looked up surprised, he had forgotten where he was for a moment...he had been so wrapped up in memories of him and Kelsi. Memories consisting of how things used to be between them. How easy everything had once been. There was a time when verbal communication had not been necessary between the two friends, it was as if they had been on their very own wave length. Comparing their old conversations to the one they attempted to have not 30 minutes ago, Ryan was flabbergasted by how much had changed. Ryan never could have possibly imagined speaking to Kelsi would be so tension-filled. Forcing the scene from his mind, Ryan forced his attention back to Charlie.

"Yeah?" Ryan said in response, looking up at Charlie in question.

"Could you keep an eye on Lauren for a minute? I've got to take Matthew to the bathroom. I would call Kelsi back down here, but it may be too late by the time she gets here." Charlie explained motioning to Matthew, who was holding the front of his pants somewhat comically.

"Charlie....I've got to go peeeeee!" Matthew said, adding little hops to the picture he was making.

Ryan looked at Matthew with alarm, before responding to Charlie.

"Of course, it's no problem. As long as it's okay with Lauren?" Ryan said, focusing his gaze on the little girl. Ryan had been aware of the unsure feelings coming from her earlier in the day.

"Lauren was watching her brother with a smirk. Honestly, he could be soooo dramatic. Lauren thought it hilarious how everyone flocked to Matthew the moment he needed to go to the bathroom. She shifted her green eyes from her little brother to Ryan.

"It's fine." Lauren said in response to Ryan's earlier question.

With Lauren's consent, Charlie linked Matthew's hand with his as they headed out of the theater and towards the bathrooms.

Ryan stole a glance at Lauren, watching the girl's small hands wield her paintbrush quite efficiently.

"You and your brother come here a lot don't you?" Ryan asked, interested in what kind of relationship the children had with Kelsi.

Lauren still wasn't sure she trusted Ryan. Kelsi acted so different when he was around. Despite this fact, Lauren still decided to answer Ryan's question honestly.

"Kelsi takes us here whenever we want. We go to a lot of other places too...museums, the zoo, the library. And then sometimes we just stay home and play. I don't really care all that much about what we do, as long as we're with Kelsi." Lauren told Ryan honestly.

"It seems like you and your brother really love Kelsi." Ryan stated, choosing to not put the sentence in the form of a question.

Lauren took a moment to think before she spoke, making sure she expressed herself accurately.

"We love her so much...as much as she loves us. And we always tell each other we love one another. Kelsi says when you feel love, you tell the other person...because love is the best gift there is." Lauren explained, having no idea how much she had just affected Ryan with her simple and honest words.

Ryan looked at the young girl in surprise. He never thought to ever hear words of wisdom from a protective and precocious 5 year old. Lauren's comment struck a huge chord with Ryan. It was impossible for him not to think of that night so long ago when Kelsi had pretty much professed her love for him. She hadn't said the words exactly, but Ryan had known her well enough to know that's where the conversation had been heading. Why had he been so frightened? What about Kelsi and her feelings had scared him so deeply? Ryan found his eyes locked with Lauren's as he thought this question through.

"What are you thinking?" Lauren asked, her voice pure and honest...resembling what Ryan imagined a fairy's laugh sounded like.

Ryan answered the little red head seriously, not quite sure if she would understand his answer.

"I am thinking about how love can sometimes be scary." Ryan answered.

"Why would you be scared of love, it's so simple?" Lauren asked, confusion evident in her tone.

Wow, thought Ryan...and epiphany from the mouth of a child.

Ryan was quickly drawn away from the conversation when Charlie and Matthew joined them back on stage.

"What did we miss?" Charlie asked, having no idea how loaded that question really was.

"Oh nothing much...Ryan and I were just talking about love." Lauren answered.

Charlie looked from Lauren to Ryan with surprise. Before he started to laugh with a loud joyous sound.

"Of course you were." Charlie stated with a laugh, leaning over to place two kisses on each of Lauren's freckled cheeks.

Ryan had the grace to look chagrined before resuming his work on the set.

----------------------------------------------------------

Kelsi had been more than relieved when Charlie had given her the possible option of leaving Ryan's presence...she had been grateful. Charlie had given the excuse of helping Reilly, but Kelsi knew that wasn't something she necessarily had to do. More than anything, Kelsi wanted a few minutes of time to herself. It seemed that in less than 24 hours Kelsi's whole world had been tilted. This morning she woke up, ready to have a normal day with the kids. Then Martha called with news of not only her and Jason's impending arrival, but also the inclusion of Ryan as well.

Ryan...that was a whole new can of worms. People may say the old saying "Out of sight, out of mind" is accurate, and Kelsi would probably about half way agree with them. When she had first moved to Chicago, Ryan was pretty much included with every other thought that entered her mind. And then, after about 6 months, she may have thought of him sporadically throughout the day. When a full year had gone by, Kelsi had forced herself to start dating again. She had been thrown right into the social scene...that was pretty much a given to anyone who worked within a small theater community. Through friends, she had been able to meet people. She even dated one guy for almost a month...and then broke things off. She hadn't felt it was fair to let things progress when she still had such strong feelings for Ryan. Now it was two years later, and while she would still sometimes find her head (and heart) wandering towards musings of Ryan...those thoughts were now few and far between. That was part of the reason why Kelsi had been so shocked by the tidal wave of mixed emotions and memories that seemed to turbulently come hurling towards her upon first contact with the man she used to love. Kelsi paused for a moment, pondering her last thought. Did she still love Ryan? Her pride wanted to immediately say "no." But in her heart she was forced to admit that she wasn't sure. It was somewhat hard to separate past memories from the present.

Kelsi wasn't surprised when she found herself in the the rehearsal room. Whenever she was in any kind of inner turmoil, she always sought out a piano first. Kelsi sat at the bench, ready for the peace that was sure to encompass her the moment her fingers touched the keys. Kelsi didn't really know what she was playing, she was just letting the melody come naturally to her. After a few refrains she realized she was playing the song "I'm Not That Girl" from "Wicked." That was appropriate, Kelsi thought mockingly. And yet she kept playing the song.

Reilly had been checking the costumes for the show when she heard the music. She had heard the song so many times before, but never played in such a heartbreaking manner. Reilly was aware of who was playing the song, what she didn't know was what had driven Kelsi downstairs to musically vent. Reilly wasn't sure whether she should disturb her small friend. As she peeked her head into the room, she witnessed the varying emotions that seemed to be flowing off Kelsi. Deciding to trust her gut on the situation, Reilly cautiously entered the room. She knew Kelsi was completely unaware of her presence. That fact was apparent by how unguarded Kelsi's demeanor was. Reilly watched as Kelsi's whole body seemed to envelop the music. Kelsi was not a graceful person, she was actually quite clumsy. But in that moment, seemingly so lost in her music, Kelsi personified the word "grace." Even though Kelsi and Reilly were close, Kelsi was not the type to be completely open with her feelings. In all honesty, this was the fullest Reilly had ever seen Kelsi express herself.

Kelsi ended the song, unaware until that moment of the tears that were trailing down her cheeks. She hadn't realized how much she needed that release. She didn't feel back to 100%, but she was better. And given the circumstance, she was more than willing to accept "better."

Kelsi jumped in surprise when she heard the quiet applause. Unintentionally hitting her knees on the piano and knocking over the piano bench simultaneously.

"Ow." Kelsi said, gently rubbing her knees with her palms.

Reilly rushed over to her friend's side, worry evident on her face and in her tone.

"Kelsi, ohmigosh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I guess I just got overcome by the music." Reilly paused, as she picked up the fallen piano bench and sat down, gesturing for her friend to assume the seat next to her. "That was beautiful, by the way."

Kelsi felt a warmth rush to her face at the compliment. She very rarely allowed herself to get lost in the music in front of an audience. Ryan was actually the only other person to ever see her go to such a vulnerable place.

"Thanks. I guess I kind of needed to express myself. Usually that happens the most effectively with music." Kelsi said quietly, not completely looking at Reilly while she spoke.

Reilly placed a comforting arm around her friend, smiling slightly when she felt Kelsi's head rest on her shoulder.

"What brought on the beautiful music in the middle of the day?" Reilly asked, not wanting to pry, but wanting to offer support.

"Ryan's here." Kelsi said by way of explanation.

Reilly immediately presumed Kelsi was referring to Ryan Evans. Even though she hadn't yet figured out the connection between Kelsi's need to vent and the new male lead in "Mary Poppins."

"I don't really understand Kels?" Reilly said, confusion lacing her tone.

Kelsi lifted her head from her friend's comforting shoulder, turning her gaze to meet Reilly's.

"Ryan Evans is my Ryan...from back home." Kelsi supplied.

Reilly's mouth dropped open in shock. She totally had not been expecting that.

"Oh...wow...I don't even really know what to say." Reilly stated honestly.

"You don't have to say anything." Kelsi said. "But would you mind if I rested my head on your shoulder for a bit longer?"

Reilly drew Kelsi to her in a comforting hug, supporting the petite girl as quiet sobs started to wrack her body.

"It's okay Kelsi...everything will be okay, you'll see." Reilly whispered the promise into Kelsi's brown curls.

Kelsi didn't know how or why, but hearing Reilly utter those few soft words made her feel better. Not great, but better.

----------------------------------------------------------

Kelsi didn't know how long she sat in the rehearsal room crying. After a while, her sobs subsided, and Reilly left to finish the task she had come downstairs to do in the first place. Kelsi knew she needed to go back upstairs and join the children. Even though they were undoubtedly having a blast and not missing her too much; Kelsi felt the need to check on them. She never liked leaving them for too long. Even going home for the weekend was tough. The truth of the matter was Kelsi depended on those kids just as much as they depended on her. They were a unit...a three person unit.

Ryan was wondering where Kelsi was. It was impossible for him not to. Pretty much the moment she walked, or escaped off the stage he had been missing her. It wasn't an off feeling for Ryan. Over the last two years he would find himself missing Kelsi at odd times. Usually when he saw something that reminded him of her. Okay, that wasn't completely honest, the truth was he would find himself wondering about Kelsi without any prodding at all. He had known when Kelsi left that the loss of her from his life would be hard....he hadn't counted on it being quite so crippling. Their years together, mixed with the memories they had created, made Kelsi a permanent fixture in Ryan's heart. It was unfortunate he hadn't recognized this until after Kelsi left.It seemed Ryan wasn't the only one who was missing Kelsi.

"Where's Kelsi?" Matthew asked, his big blue eyes round with curiosity.

"She said she went to help Reilly." Lauren supplied.

"I can go find her if you'd like?" Ryan offered, looking at the young boy.

Ryan didn't know what prompted him to go on the impromptu Kelsi search. He was aware that it probably wasn't the smartest idea, and that he was most likely the last person Kelsi would want to be found by. But he had offered anyway. It was as if the offer was out of his mouth before he even had time to think on it. Which was probably a good thing, if he had taken the time to think, he may have stayed silent.

Charlie looked at Ryan with an uneasy expression. Charlie liked Ryan, but he didn't know if it was wise for him to be the one looking for Kelsi. Charlie could almost picture the blistering lecture he would later receive from the tiny woman...and possibly Reilly too, if they found out he had allowed Ryan to be the one who led the search. The intelligent thing to do would be for him to take the kids and find Kelsi himself. Charlie snuck a glance at Ryan. He was able to recognize the dueling expressions going to battle on the blond man's face. It would seem this was a task Ryan was unsure of as well. And it was because of this that Charlie opted for Ryan to look for Kelsi. There was unfinished business there...things were in definite need of being cleared up. It could be beneficial for the two ex-friends to have some time alone to talk.

"She's probably in the rehearsal room downstairs Ryan."

And with Charlie's short sentence, Ryan knew he had the other man's support.

Ryan should have known Kelsi would seek the solace of the rehearsal room. That would have been her course of action in the past...obviously some things hadn't changed. Ryan had been given a tour that morning of the theater, so he knew exactly where the rehearsal room was.

He knew she was in there before he saw her. It was as if his body recognized her nearness before she was even in his peripheral vision. Ryan's heart started to beat erratically as he felt a warmth spread throughout his body. He walked through the doorway and instantly spotted her. Kelsi sat facing the piano, away from the point in which Ryan stood. She wasn't playing, it was as if she were simply lost in thought. Her hair had gotten longer. It was an odd thought for Ryan to have and definitely something he wouldn't normally notice. But he had always loved Kelsi's hair...all of those soft and crazy curls.

Kelsi's back stiffened as she realized she was no longer alone. She didn't need to turn around to recognize who was in the room with her. Many things had changed in the last two years, but Kelsi's innate awareness of Ryan was not one of them. She unconsciously took a deep breath, taking in Ryan's familiar scent. He always smelled like rain, and not a light drizzle, more like a free falling down pour.

She opened up conversation, her back still to the man in the doorway.

"What are you doing here Ryan?" Kelsi asked, her voice devoid of any noticeable emotion.

"Matthew was wondering where you were, I came to find you." Ryan answered, his gaze focused on the small of Kelsi's back.

"I'll go find the kids in a moment, I am sure they are happy as clams with Charlie. You didn't answer my question though." Kelsi said, turning to face the man who used to know her better than anyone else.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, honestly not understanding what Kelsi was getting at.

"What are you doing here Ryan? What are you doing in Chicago and in this theater...the very theater where I happen to work?" Kelsi asked, suspicion lacing her tone.

Ryan was taken aback...this was a whole new facet to Kelsi's personality. Kelsi never used to ask so many pointed questions, it just wasn't her way.

"I am in Chicago for work. I joined the touring company of "Mary Poppins", and I am going to be in many places within the next couple of years touring...not just Chicago. I came early because I needed to have some time off and find a place to stay while I'm in town. I figured it would be nice to know my surroundings a bit before the show started its run. And as for being in this theater, I had nothing to do with that. You and I working together again is just a simple case of chance. I would be lying if I were to tell you I didn't know you were living here, but that didn't have anything to do with me taking the job. Not to say that it wasn't a bonus." Ryan paused when he saw the shocked look that came over Kelsi's face with his last comment.

"Wow...that's...blunt." Kelsi offered, not able to think of a better word.

Kelsi didn't know what she was feeling at the moment. She was a bit offended she wasn't a reason Ryan was in Chicago...but that didn't make any sense...did it? The fact that Ryan mentioned her as a "bonus" made her feel somewhat like a consolation prize. And that didn't make much sense either. Kelsi felt like her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She was surprised she still remembered her own name.

Ryan held his breath...he had just told Kelsi a lie, a blatant lie. A huge part of the reason he accepted the offer to join the tour was because he knew there was a chance he would see Kelsi again. He had missed her friendship. He hadn't realized exactly how much until he had seen her on the train. With that simple chance sighting, all of the wonderful memories they had formed together came flooding back, as well as how empty his life had felt since she left.

So why did he lie. The answer was simple...Ryan didn't know how to tell her the truth. For that matter, he didn't know how she would take the truth.

"I'm hoping we can work together peacefully, without too many hard feelings." Ryan started. "I think it will be easier for everyone involved with the production if we could form some sort of truce. We used to be great friends Kels-" Ryan was cut off by Kelsi.

"The best," Kelsi started, "we were best friends."

"You're right. No one knew me better than you. And no one has since. Do you think we could try to be friends again Kels...or at least friendly?" Ryan asked, somewhere between dread and hope in regards to her answer.

Kelsi understood what Ryan was asking. Could they move on and put the past behind them. And in all honesty, Kelsi didn't know if she could. She doubted they would ever be able to get to the level of closeness they once possessed, there was too much baggage attached to their relationship to manage that...way too many unresolved issues. But could they be friendly acquaintances? Kelsi had the feeling that's what Ryan was really asking. And even though he wasn't asking too much out of her, Kelsi still didn't know if she was capable of even that.

Ryan and Kelsi stood stock still, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. An invisible electric current seemed to be strung from Kelsi's middle to Ryan's. As if a bind that was beyond either of their control was in charge of the situation.

Kelsi brought her mind back to Ryan's original question. In reality, it was such a simple request. It wasn't like they were expecting a ton from one another. But then why was there such hesitation on both ends? It was because both Ryan and Kelsi innately knew this "truce" was destined to change everything. Emotional walls that had been built could possibly be tumbled. Both parties were going to have to challenge themselves and each other to forgive. There was more than a "simple" question between them...this was a life change.

Kelsi answered Ryan as honestly as she could.

"I think I can try."