"I still can't believe you had no idea I was gay." Andy laughed, his voice slightly fuzzy from the transatlantic connection.

"I still can't believe you knew I was." Bonnie pretended to complain.

"It helped that the first time I walked into class, I saw you checking out Stacy Morgan's bum." Andy playfully teased. "Still ... I should have said something, rather than assuming you knew about me."

When the brunette had walked in on her supposed boyfriend, locked in a naked clinch with Butch the Pool Boy – who names their kid Butch, anyway? – she'd exploded with outrage, spewing curses that would have driven her father to apoplectic rage and her mother to have a 'nice lie down' (and probably a stiff drink). She'd ranted and raved and accused Andy of every kind of betrayal imaginable. Then she'd burst into tears.

Andy had held her until she'd stopped, and when she'd finally calmed down, they'd talked for hours. Poor Butch had gone back to his pool-cleaning duties, blue-balled and completely confused.

"Not your fault." Bonnie insisted, for what felt like the fiftieth time. It seemed as if Andy apologized for that day almost every time they spoke. "You know that when it comes to affairs of the heart, I haven't got a brain."

"Hey now." Her former beard clucked disapprovingly. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I'm a lesbian who has only ever had relationships with men." Bonnie pointed out. "And –" she continued, injecting a little humor into her tone. "- the most successful of those relationships was with a man who's fruitier than one of Carmen Miranda's hats."

"At least he was devilishly handsome." Andy laughed. "But I guess you didn't call me just to talk about old times, right?"

"No." The brunette sighed and slumped down on her couch. Sometimes living so close to the campus felt a bit stifling, but this was one occasion where she was glad her home was only ten minutes' walk from work. She tilted her head back and gently rubbed her temple with her free hand. "I met someone -"

"That's great!" Andy interrupted excitedly. "Who is she? What's she like? How long have you known her?"

Bonnie sighed. "Wait ... wait a second, Andy. I met someone ... I met someone I'm really interested in. But I think I've already messed things up."

The whole sorry situation spilled out of her, disjointed and meandering, as new thoughts and memories occurred to Bonnie. Andy listened almost silently, only occasionally speaking to guide her back on topic when she became sidetracked.

"You really like this Joss, don't you?" He said at last, when the former cheerleader had finally talked herself dry.

"Yes." Bonnie whispered, then cleared her throat and spoke again, more clearly. "Yes. I do."

"And you're sure it's not ..."

"Sure it's not just that she's Kim's cousin?" Bonnie forced down a flare of annoyance at the question she'd known would come. Andy knows about all the stupid stuff I did in high school. It's not unreasonable for him to ask. "Yeah, Andy. I am. That's not what this is about. I was attracted to Joss before I knew who she was, and I like her for herself, not because of what I felt for Kim."

"Okay." Her one-time boyfriend accepted her response without dispute, showing more trust in Bonnie than she felt in herself. "... from what you've said about her, it sounds like she's very open about her sexuality. You're -"

"Not?" Bonnie suggested, giving an embittered chuckle at her own expense.

"Not currently." Her British friend agreed, his tone mild. "But to be with this woman, that would have to change. Joss is out of the closet, and there's no way back in once you're out ..." he gave a wry chuckle. "Trust me on that one. My father would have stuffed me back in there if he could."

"Is he still having trouble with it?" Bonnie frowned, her concern for her friend distracting her for a moment from her own difficulties. Andy had finally come out to his father shortly after he finished his time at Huntsville and returned to England. It had come as a great shock to the older man, and his reaction at the time had been none too accepting. I hope it hasn't stayed that way. They used to be so close.

"He'd definitely prefer it if his son and heir wasn't a great big whoopsy." Andy's tone was dry. "But he's trying. Can't ask for much more than that."

"Give him my love when you speak to him."

"I will." Andy paused, then returned them to the original topic of conversation. "The thing is, honey, that Joss doesn't sound like the kind to hide her light under a bushel ... if you want to date her, you're not going to be able to hide who you are any more."

"I ..." Bonnie trailed off, feeling her stomach clench as the truth of Andy's words sank in. "I'm not ready to do that."

Andy gave a sympathetic sigh. "Oh babe, I'm sorry ... but you know what that means. You can't be with her -"

"And I can't stop her from being with someone who can." Bonnie groaned and rubbed her closed eyelids. "Why am I such a screw-up?"

"You're not." Andy spoke emphatically, his tone almost stern. Then he gave a light chuckle. "Though if you were, I'd blame your father."

Despite her own grim mood, the glib remark surprised a chuckle out of Bonnie. "Harsh! And he really liked you, too. The last time we spoke he was still asking why I let you get away."

"Pity you don't have any brothers." Andy joked. "Then I could have become the son-in-law he's always wanted."

"I doubt he'd agree." Bonnie shook her head. God, daddy would probably have an aneurism if that happened.

"Hey ..." Andy's voice took on a contemplative tone. "When have you next got some time off?"

"Huh?" Bonnie blinked at the change in subject, then mentally shrugged and went along with it. Might be good to think about something other than Joss for a while. "... um, October mid-term break, I guess. But I'll be pretty snowed under with marking, then. First real time off I will have is at Thanksgiving."

"That's around the end of November, right?"

"Yeah." Bonnie instinctively nodded, then rolled her eyes at her own action. Yeah, like he can see you over the telephone. "It's a Thursday, but they give us the Wednesday and Friday off so we get a five-day weekend."

"Got any plans for it? Going to see your family or anything like that?"

"God, no." The university lecturer gave a shudder at the thought. Bad enough I have to suffer through Christmas with my sisters. There's no way I'm ruining Thanksgiving, as well. "Why d'you want to know? Are you thinking of coming over?"

"Actually, I was thinking you could come visit me. I can't promise that the weather will be as good as you're used to ... in fact I can guarantee it'll be pretty miserable ... but I could show you around my favorite haunts and it would give you a chance to meet Eric."

"Eric?" Bonnie's eyebrows shot upwards. "What happened to Pierre?"

"Alas ..." Andy spoke in a melodramatic tone. "The Anglo-French Détente is over. Too much drama and Catholic guilt. Give me a nice, sensible German boy instead."

"Well, at least you're doing your bit for European relations." Bonnie teased. She expected an instantaneous quip in response, and was surprised when Andy was silent for a moment. When he did speak again, it was in a much more serious tone than she's expected.

"I really like him, Bon." There was a wistfulness and warmth that Bonnie had never heard Andy use when speaking of his many paramours. "I think this is going to be something special."

"Well then, I definitely need to meet him." The brunette replied. As she spoke, she reached into her bag and fished out her checkbook. Flicking it open to the last used check, she gave an involuntary wince when she saw the balance. "I'll have to check my budget. I'm not sure I'll have the cash for a ticket -"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Andy sniffed dismissively. "I'll get the tickets."

"I can't ask you to do that ..."

"You aren't asking, I'm offering." Her former boyfriend pointed out. "Besides, I have so many air miles, I don't know what to do with them all."

"Oh, so I'd be doing you a favour." Bonnie snorted.

"You would." Andy blithely agreed. "I mean, I really want you to meet Eric, so if you don't agree to come here, then I have to buy tickets for both of us to come to see you."

"..." That was a point that Bonnie hadn't considered.

"C'mon, Bon." Andy coaxed. "It'll give you a chance to meet Eric, and the three of us can hit the clubs ... maybe find you a holiday romance."

"I'm not sure about that -"

"I was kidding, love." Andy clucked his tongue. "Well, mostly. It wouldn't be that bad an idea, you know. No-one knows you here. You can come out with us, let your hair down ... flirt a little. It's just what the doctor ordered."

"Andy ..."

"I'm booking your tickets now."

"You're not!"

"I am." He insisted, cheerfully. "I'm on the website as we speak. This won't even make a dent in my miles, Bonnie. And it would mean a lot to me if you came. Say yes."

"Gah." The brunette growled softly, then slumped back on the couch. "Fine. Yes, I'll come."

"Fantastic!" Andy exclaimed, happily. "I'll e-mail the ticket details to you. Trust me, Bonnie. You won't regret this ... we're going to have a great time!"

Author's Note: This chapter has been sitting half-finished for a while, but I wanted to update "Most Wanted" before I completed this.

So, Bonnie's off to the UK for Thanksgiving. Wonder if that's going to be significant to a future chapter? *dodges falling anvil* :-)