Chapter One

And a special note to DellaVie: Your first guess was actually pretty close, as you're about to find out in this chapter and the next. There were a couple things in your guess, however, that were a little off. I hope you enjoy this chapter, you smarty-pants!

Just so you know, I'm making up all last names (except Priestly, Trucker, Julia and her dad, and Fuzzy22) because there weren't any in the movie.

Piper James set the dry plate down and picked up the next wet one. Today was her dish duty day. She and Tish Hawkins usually took turns. They each had their unspoken, unlabeled jobs at the sub shop. Tish and Piper took turns waitressing and doing the dishes, Boaz Priestly was the cook, Jen Merold was the order-slash-computer girl, and Trucker Hancock was in charge of the store and the books. The five of them got along so well; they were like one big family. In some cases, literally.

It had been six months since Trucker and Zo Rosen got married on the beach that beautiful, sunny day. Everything was really starting to look up for them all. Piper and Noah Miller were starting to really grow close. Even Noah's daughter Julia was beginning to look up to her as a mother figure. Priestly and Tish were getting serious, so much so that it was bringing out a side of their smartass, dyed Mohawk-wearing, tattooed, pierced friend that they rarely saw. And Jen and Jeff Kenline…Well, that was the topic of conversation tonight as they got ready to close.

"So, the guests are gonna throw birdseed since rice gets stuck in the birds' throats, swells and then chokes them," Jen told them from her spot at the computer.

"Good idea," Tish told her as she passed on her way to a table with a plate of food.

"And the reception will be at Trucker's place since he's got that beautiful backyard," Jen went on.

"And don't worry," Trucker told her from the back booth where he was balancing the revenue numbers. "I'm paying the neighbor's kid to cut back the weeds on Saturday. It'll be all ready for your big day, angel."

"Thanks, Trucker," Jen smiled at him.

The tiny bell at the door jingled as it opened, and two men walked in. Piper noticed that they looked pretty tired, yet they seemed on guard. She figured ex-military; a soldier's training taught them to be ready for anything. She'd seen it enough in her father to recognize it on others.

The older of the two looked to be in his early fifties, yet still in shape. Piper imagined that when he got older, he would be one of those silver foxes like Harrison Ford or George Clooney. The younger, on the other hand, was extremely cute…and tall. Piper thought Priestly was tall, but this guy managed to top him, even if it was only by a few inches. The young man that appeared somewhere between twenty-one and twenty-five had some similar facial features as the older man.

Father and son, probably, Piper thought.

"You're not closed, are you?" asked the father.

"Nope, you still got time," Trucker told them. "You'll have the place all to yourself." He gestured at the empty dining room.

"Thank you," the son told them, approaching the counter with his father.

"What'll it be?" asked Jen, abandoning her wedding plans on the computer to write down their order.

"A six inch Italian beef," the father told her.

"I'll have a ten inch veggie sub," the son said.

"Alright, one Italian beef, one veggie," Jen told them, writing it out on her pad.

"Coming right up," Priestly said, not having turned from the stove behind the counter.

Piper watched the son glance over Priestly's plaid kilt, hot pink shirt, tattoos, and the back of his green Mohawk in amused interest before he and the father headed for a table by the door, taking a seat and discussing something in hushed voices.

"You know, Jen, I was wondering," began Priestly. "Once you and Fuzzy get hitched, does that mean you're throwing out the computer?"

"Well, we still get online orders, so…no," Jen told him. "And his name is Jeff, Priestly."

"No, I'm sticking with Fuzzy," said Priestly, scooping the beef from the grill and plopping it back onto the surface.

"Just don't call him that to his face," Jen told him with an affectionate smile.

"Works for me," said Priestly, throwing the veggies onto the grill to cook.

"Okay, so…" began Jen, turning back to the computer, "I got my two bridesmaids Tish and Piper, my sister Angie as the maid of honor, Julia as the flower girl, Trucker is giving me away, and Priestly will be getting his friend's band to play at the reception."

"Sounds like a plan," Piper told her, grateful that Jen had included her surrogate daughter in the wedding.

"I'm sorry you couldn't participate more in the wedding," Jen told Priestly.

"Hey, I'm just happy to help out," Priestly told her as he finished grilling and put the separate ingredients on the sandwiches. "You need anything done, cal me. I'll be your errand boy."

Tish stepped up next to him and grabbed the two plates of food. "Aren't you just the sweetest?"

"Always," said Priestly, leaning his head down and giving her a kiss.

Piper smiled at the show of affection as Tish took the plates to the guests' table.

"Enjoy," Tish told them as she headed over to the counter again.

"You and Priestly seem to be doing great," Piper told her.

Tish picked up a towel, drying dishes with Piper. "We are. There's just this…side to him I've never really noticed, you know?"

Piper did know. They never really talked about it since it wasn't really all that important, but they all could sense something about Priestly, something that he didn't talk about. They didn't notice that side of him very often, so they never brought it up.

"He was right," said Tish. "I was too busy admiring the wrapping paper that I never stopped to enjoy what was inside."

"Wow, deep," Piper said, turning to set some dry dishes on the stack behind them. "So, what's it like being with a guy and not just screwing him?"

A smile appeared on Tish's face. "Amazing. I never thought it could be like this, you know? At least not till middle age when I find that one perfect person, but…"

Piper narrowed her eyes at Tish's secretive look. "What? Come on, spill."

"I think he might be the one," Tish told her.

Piper gave her a smile. "No way! Really?"

"Yeah, " said Tish. "I mean, he's kind, funny, incredibly loving, passionate…I think this might be it."

"I'm so happy for you!" exclaimed Piper, giving her a hug. "You've come such a long way!"

"And proud of it," said Tish as they went back to the dishes.

Sometime during their hushed conversation, the discussion at the other end of the counter had turned from wedding plans to Elvis Presley.

"Come on, Priestly," said Trucker, who had finished his paperwork and was standing next to Jen at the counter. "The coroner's records say he suffered a cardiac arrest, most likely from an overdose. Why would they report that if he was still alive?"

"Duh, the coroner was in on the take," Priestly argued, having now turned towards Jen and Trucker.

"You're saying someone paid them off?" said Jen dubiously.

"Obviously," Priestly told her. "RCA Victor was losing money. The guy had gotten fat, drug-addicted and lazy. They were losing their biggest meal ticket."

Tish and Piper shook their heads fondly as Priestly rambled on.

"They paid him to disappear and made a fortune from his records," Priestly continued. "After all, an artist's work never sells better than after they're dead."

Piper glanced over at their two customers to see if they were doing okay, and she found the cute son staring with wide eyes at Priestly. She tuned out the conspiracy theory at the counter to hear them.

"Dad, I'm not seeing things, right?" said the son. "That really is him?"

The father was narrowing his eyes at Priestly, frowning in confusion. "I don't know, Sam. But I think it might be."

Sam, what a great name, Piper thought before shoving that thought aside and focusing on what was important. Do they know Priestly?

"Isn't that a little overkill?" suggested Jen.

"Hey, people are greedy, selfish bastards," shrugged Priestly.

"Fake-killing Elvis so his record sales will skyrocket?" Trucker said with a brow raised.

"Well, it's not like he minded," said Priestly. "It gave him an excuse to sit at home with his drugs all day. Plus, he probably gets a cut from the sales."

Piper watched as the guy named Sam slowly stood and halfway approached the counter, hope seeming to shine from his face.

"Dean?" said Sam slowly.

Piper frowned. Dean?

This guy must be mistaken. He probably mixed him up with someone else. All the same, Sam still stared at Priestly with longing promise.

Piper looked over at Tish, who had noticed Sam's odd behavior by now.

"Priestly, it's a known fact that Elvis died in 1977," Trucker told him. "There are witnesses and records."

"I'm telling you, they were all bribed with hush money," Priestly defended.

"Dean?" Sam tried again, a little louder this time.

Piper stepped forward towards her three friends, who were still oblivious to Sam's presence. "Is everything okay?"

Sam's father joined his son in front of the counter. "Is that really you, Dean?"

The argument had frozen at Piper's question, and all five of them now stared at the two men.

Priestly frowned at the stares directed at him and glanced around him before looking back at them. "Excuse me?"

A smile broke out on Sam's face. "Dean, I can't believe we found you! We were starting to think you were dead!"

Priestly tilted his head a little as his frown deepened. "Um…I think you got the wrong guy. I don't know any Dean. My name's Priestly."

The relieved expression began to falter on Sam's face. "But you…" He looked at his father. "It is him, right?"

"He doesn't remember…" the father stated with a stunned look on his face.

Piper glanced at Priestly as an unreadable expression glanced across his face very quickly, practically imperceptible.

"Okay, I really think you guys have the wrong guy," Priestly told them, his face growing wary of the two strangers.

"Dean, you have to believe us," Sam urged, stepping up to the counter. "We've been looking for you for two years."

Priestly's eyes narrowed slightly. "Okay, this isn't funny—"

"Scar on your left bicep, looks like something cut you?" said the father. "Birthmark that looks like a crooked star just under your right shoulder blade?"

Priestly's eyes widened as he just stared at him, his head shaking back and forth ever so slightly.

"You have a little bronze head amulet on a necklace?" said Sam.

Priestly's head froze as his jaw dropped open a little.

"It's us, Dean," Sam insisted. "Your dad and your brother."

Piper turned wide eyes onto Priestly, hardly believing her ears. Were these two men really Priestly's family? He never did talk about any family. But, then, why were they calling him Dean?

Priestly stared in what looked like disbelief at these two men before he suddenly brought his fist forward into Sam's nose. The four grill-mates watched in stunned alarm as Sam reeled back, whipping his head back to give Priestly a shocked and affronted look.

"Where the hell were you?" Priestly yelled at him, a pissed and yet spooked look in his eyes.

Sam and his father stared in incomprehension as Priestly shouted.

"What kind of people abandon their family?" Priestly yelled. "I was completely alone…for months! How dare you!"

Priestly turned and stormed past them all into the back room. Piper glanced back at the two men who had upset her friend before hurrying after Priestly with the others as Trucker kicked the two guys out of the shop.

What the hell just happened? Piper thought.