Living in a city like New York wasn't easy for Maddie at the best of times, but as Family Guy became more and more popular, she saw his face in DVD, poster, album advertisement and film trailer. It was impossible to forget Seth. It was worse in California; she hadn't told anyone connected to Seth she was living there.

Maddie had moved to California after her husband of 2 years had passed away. One of her former Broadway co-stars had moved there and, had a plan to open a dance and theatre school in Pasadena. Dean Martin, whose parents had named him after the Rat Pack singer, was Maddie's dance partner made the move to California after marrying his wife Sharon who lived there, and since moving he had begged Maddie to help him start up a dance business. At the time of her husband's death, their son, Tyler, had only just turned one. They hadn't started kindergarten so Maddie decided to move across the country, away from the memories of New York but close to her friends and brothers to embark on the dance business Dean had spent so long trying to convince her to do.

Sean, a flamboyant gay man, had been Maddie's best friend since their school days. When Maddie found out she was pregnant, it was Sean who bought her chocolate pancakes whenever she was craving, and it was also him who moved down with Maddie after Daniel died. He had held her had through thick and thin so had to move down to California when Maddie made the decision to start a new life with Tyler.

7 years later, 'A Handful of Harmonies' had become a very successful theatre school, so much so, that Maddie was earning a very comfortable living as a dance coach, being able to afford to send her children to private school. Despite being successful in her career and as a mother, she was still very lonely, even though her best friends and brothers were always around her helping her out. A couple of times over those 7 years, she had wanted to call Seth, but had always found a reason not to. Little did she know that Seth had been thinking about her and that right now, him and Rachael had begun their own mission to track her down.

Rachael was struggling to find Maddie, and after a while, she and Seth had both stopped looking for her. He was getting stressed with work especially releasing one movie and trying to manage 3 TV shows. Rachael intensely searched for a few days, but slunk back into her family life with her husband and daughter. Even though they had both stopped searching, they were unaware that everything was about to change for them when Rachael's daughter Bella said to her parents 'Mom, I want to dance!'

Maddie's day was like any other. She packed Tyler's lunch, dropped him off at school, gone to the dance studio to find their secretary Alison on the phone filling in more applications to the school, and Dean beginning his second class of the day. She took herself into her dance studio and changed into her dancing clothes waiting for her advanced Jazz class to arrive. She was stretching in front of the mirror, when Alison came walking in with a bunch of papers.

'Only a couple of new applicants today, is there room in your "ages" 4-5 ballet class?'

'Funnily enough, I have two places left. Those two people there have got lucky!'

'Great! I'll call them right away and tell them they start tonight.'

Maddie smiled as she took the papers from Alison and put them on her side table in the corner of the studio. Her class filed in and Maddie ordered them to rehearse their exam piece. This they did several times as Maddie looked over the application forms of her two new young students. She didn't bat an eyelid when she saw the surname Macfarlane on Bella's form. It just didn't occur to her to think about whose child this might be.

3.45 came, and Maddie picked Tyler up from school, and dropped him off at Sean's house for the night. Maddie and Dean jointly taught 2 evening classes a week, so Sean took Tyler for her. When she arrived back at the studio her class had begun to arrive with parents getting their children ready to dance and gossiping at the side. She greeted them with enthusiasm before walking over to her table. She was sifting through a file when she heard a voice she knew she recognised.

'Hi, I'm here to enrol my daughter, Bella.'

Maddie turned and said 'Oh yes of course, hi there I'm….'

'Maddie Reynolds!'

'Oh wow! Rachael!

The two old friends hugged and smiled liked the Cheshire Cat.

'Did you get married? The name on the school is Miguel.' Rachael's plan to find out about Maddie instantly snapped back into motion as she began to pry about her life.

'Uh, long story, but yes. I did the unthinkable and took my husband's name!'

'Mommy' Bella tugged on her mother's jacket 'who is that lady?'

'Bella, this is one of my old friends'

'Nice to meet you Bella' Maddie crouched down to her level. 'So, you want to learn to dance, do you?' Bella nodded her head shyly and hid behind Rachael who held her hand. 'Most of the class are here so we might as well get started!'

Rachael watched with the other parents while Maddie and Dean taught their ballet class, and thought about what a coincidence it was to see Maddie in California. She could hardly believe her luck that she had tracked her down, but worried about how Seth would take the news that she was married with children. The class ended and Rachael walked with Maddie to the front desk ready to pay for Bella's lessons, all the while making sure she found as much out about Maddie as she could.

'I can't believe you're teaching here, Maddie! The last I heard you had taken Broadway by storm and declared it home!'

'Yeah I know, but duty calls!' said Maddie taking a picture of Tyler out of her purse.

'Wow!'

'He's older than Bella, that's just an old photo.' Maddie looked at the picture proudly with Rachael, who lifted her daughter up on the counter so she could see.

'He looks like you.'

'The ginger hair, I know, but he got most of his dad's looks actually.'

'Between the two of us, we haven't done so bad, have we? Both made it out of Connecticut alive and have settled down with good jobs and husbands!'

'The husband part isn't true, but yeah the rest is.' Rachael looked confused at this statement and stopped smiling when she realised what Maddie was on about.

'So, you're divorced?' Rachael whispered, scared that she would cross some sort of line.

'Not exactly. My husband Daniel died.' Rachael gasped and put a hand to her mouth. '7 years ago now. Tyler was only one. If it hadn't been for him, I don't how I would have got through it.'

'Hell Maddie, I had no idea. I'm sorry.'

'Don't be sorry. He was ill for a long time, so we expected it, which in a weird way made it easier to accept he was gone. But, Tyler has uncles and is doing well in school so it's all fine.' Maddie forced a smile but Rachael could tell she didn't want to talk about it at all.

'So how's your brother?' said Maddie changing the subject. Rachael just looked at her. 'C'mon Rach one of us had to mention sooner or later.'

'He's ok.' Rachael smiled 'very busy, but ok. You, know he was talking about you a few weeks ago. You two should meet up!'

'Oh, I don't know Rach, last time we saw each other it didn't really go that well.'

'It was 14 years ago, and you two have grown up, I'm sure you could have a mature conversation.'

'Mature?'

'Yeah, now that you say it, it doesn't sound right does it?!'

The girls laughed briefly. 'I'll see. I have your number so maybe I can call you when I decide if I want to meet with him again?'

The girls hugged once again and vowed to meet up again with each other to catch up properly. Rachael had wanted to find Maddie for Seth, but she too realised how much she missed her friend. Bella waved at Maddie and Rachael led her daughter out, all the while thinking "Maddie is single. She is here. And Seth wants to see her."

The next morning Rachael almost ran into Seth's office to tell him that she had tracked Maddie down. Seth was on the phone when she arrived but she let herself into his office anyway and sat, impatiently waiting for him to get off the phone. This bothered Seth a little and he finished his call quickly and put the phone down.

'Jesus Christ Rach, what is the rush?'

'I found Maddie!'

'Oh my God are you serious?'

'Yes! Last night. She's here in Pasadena. She's one of the founders of the dance school I enrolled Bella at!'

Seth looked at his sister in disbelief. 'Is she ok? How does she look?'

'She's fine; Looks the same as she did 14 years ago.'

'Is she in a relationship?' Seth asked this with butterflies. Rachael's pause lasted for a couple of seconds, but to Seth it felt like time had stopped.

'She isn't in a relationship, but she's not alone either.'

'What do you mean?'

'She has a son.' Seth looked shocked. 'But she's not married. I mean she was but he died.' Rachael added quickly to avoid Seth sinking into sadness.

'Do you know how long she's been here?'

'7 years, I think. Tyler is 8.'

All of a sudden Seth's temper rose and almost aggressively said 'So Maddie has been here for 7 years and I didn't know? And why didn't she look for me? She knew I lived here, she must have done! I haven't exactly lived a secret life!'

'Hey, don't get angry with her! She's had a lot on her mind, what with a baby and a dead husband, so no offence but you probably were the last thing on her mind!'

Seth felt guilty about what he said and Rachael's answer had brought him back to reality. 'I suppose.'

'Are you going to go and see her?'

'Yes.' Seth said instantly. 'I have too.'

'Yes!' Rachael nearly punched the air. Her brother was going to see the love of his life and was going to finally be happy in every aspect of his life.

'How do I see her though? I can't just walk into her class without a kid!'

'Rachael thought about it for a moment and then piped up 'pick up Bella on Thursday night! Double bonus, you get to be a good uncle and you get to talk to Maddie!'

'Well, that's a much better excuse than saying I'm here because I'm doing research for an upcoming episode where Stewie want to learn to ballet dance! Ok, tell Bella Uncle Seth will pick her up Thursday.'

'7:30! Don't forget!'

Rachael left his office so that Seth could get on with his work, but he couldn't concentrate. He had to wait 2 days before he could see Maddie. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, but what he did know was that he didn't want to wait for 2 days either. Only he and Rachael knew why he was so distracted, but he was pretty sure that a few people had figured it out. Alex Borstein gave the game away when she commented pretty lazily 'who's the girl this time?'

That afternoon Seth left work early. He couldn't wait anymore. He drove without thinking to the studio where Maddie worked. When he got there he didn't know what to do. He saw a few people walking out of the studio, some alone, some picking up children, and some in groups gossiping. Seth just sat in his car and muttered to himself 'this doesn't make me look creepy at all!'

A few minutes later, he saw Maddie leave the studio. Rachael was right. She looked the same as she did 14 years ago. Still tall, with long ginger hair, that curled half way down her back. Seth couldn't believe how little she had changed and thought to himself how beautiful she looked, even from a distance. She was followed by a man, who Seth didn't recognise, running to catch up to her, they chatted for a while and then hugged before going separate ways. Seth thought about getting out of his car to go and speak to her, but when he saw her hugging another man, he froze. It was in no way a romantic hug, but a small part of him told him not to say anything. Instead, he just watched Maddie get in her car and drive away. He had let her go again, just like he had 14 years ago; the day they broke up.

He let his head fall to the steering wheel and thought out loud 'why didn't I get out and speak to her? She was right there!'