Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to a very special group of women. Thank you to Dawn, Mika, Michelle, Caroline, Elle and especially, Lauren (aka my lifeline); you guys made the day of the luncheon 1000 times more amazing than it already was. You're all wonderful and I adore each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

This chapter is a little short but I hope you like it anyways :) As always...say it with me now...ENJOY!
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

Life is so short, so fast the lone hours fly, we ought to be together, you and I.
~Henry Alford
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It was one of those very rare times that both Parker and Mattie had their days off together and since they were used to getting up early anyway they decided to take a morning walk along the shore before getting breakfast at a diner on the pier. Making as little noise as possible they headed out after leaving a note for Molly and Carly to let them know where they were going.

The beach was relatively empty, at least by Santa Monica standards in the summer time. Then again, at barely 7:15 in the morning on a Wednesday it wasn't wholly unexpected either.

They silently strolled along the surf, the light breeze causing them both to huddle into their summer weight sweatshirts until the sun warmed the day up a little more. Every now and then, one or the other would point out a lone surfer or a person on the beach of particular interest, but for the most part it was just them walking in a companionable silence.

They were about at the halfway point along the beach that corresponded to where the diner was on the pier when Mattie spoke up.

"You excited to see J.J. and Sage this weekend?" Mattie asked, looking over at him. Parker shrugged and squinted in the early morning sunlight.

"Yeah, I guess. It's gonna be weird having J.J. stay but send Sage back home."

"I'm sure. But you know she'll have a much better time at camp than she would have here with everyone working and J.J. helping Brayden out at the surf camp." Mattie said sympathetically.

"I know, but it's still weird." Parker replied, shrugging again.

"What did you get her for her birthday?" Mattie asked, stopping a second to bend down and peel a piece of seaweed off of her calf. Parker immediately reached out to steady her and she gave him a wide smile of thanks before they started walking again.

"Oh, I got her an iTunes gift card." Parker said casually. In fact, he said it a little too casually.

"Uh-huh, what else?" Mattie asked stopping again and quirking an eyebrow at his overly innocent face.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Parker said, glancing at her as he stopped too then looked away again as he tried to hide a smile.

"Yank, I know that look." Mattie said pointing a finger so that it almost touched his noise. He playfully nipped at her finger and she gave a small yelp, pulling it back quickly and mock glaring at him. "Confess!"

Parker rolled his eyes but grinned.

"I might have gotten her a few things from that store 'Smacked', over on Holworth, to take to home with her for the practical joke war at camp." He said and laughed when Mattie rolled her own eyes.

"You Americans are too weird."

"Hey, don't knock it! It's camp tradition." Parker laughed again. "The team that J.J. and I were on two summers ago won, and then J.J.'s team won last year. Sage has to carry on the Snyder family name in victory!"

Mattie let out a laugh too and nudged him with her shoulder. He fake stumbled a couple of steps before coming back to swing his arm over her shoulder. They walked a few seconds more before Mattie tossed him a hesitant look.

"Speaking of carrying on the Snyder name, how do you think your mom is really doing? Not that stupid smile act she's had for the past few weeks."

She felt Parker become rigid beside her but after letting out a long sigh she felt the arm along her shoulder relax again with the rest of his body.

"Okay, I think. I mean, it's definitely better since she and my dad talked last week. Not anywhere near where it could be, but at least they're not avoiding each other like the plague anymore."

"Do you think she'll tell him about being the baby's father soon?" Mattie asked, frowning slightly. "Now that he's had enough time to calm down from the shock like Molly suggested?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Parker said, frowning a bit too. "Of course, it's not that easy when Lee comes out every weekend now."

This time it was Mattie who stiffened and she shrugged off Parker's arm.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mattie asked, turning to glare at him. "Uncle Lee has done nothing but try and help this entire time. Besides, I like when he visits. You have your mom, Molly, and soon J.J. will be out here too. Then you have your dad, Sage, and the rest of your family back home. But in case you forgot, Uncle Lee is all I have!"

"Hey, Oz, hold on a second would you?" Parker said holding his hands up in shock at her sudden attack. "That's so not what I meant!"

Mattie's green eyes glittered in indignation and he tentatively reached out to take one of her hands in his.

"I just meant that every time he comes out here it just adds on more and more to the act about him being the baby's dad." Parker said, not sure he was phrasing it exactly right but hoping his meaning got across. "I like Lee, a lot, you know that. It's actually pretty cool that he and Molly are dating. It's been a long time since she's been this happy."

Parker thought back to the only other man who had made Molly smile the way Lee did now. Everyone probably thought that Parker had been too little to remember Jake McKinnon but he had very vivid and fond memories of the giant teddy bear of a man that his mom's cousin had married.

A lot of them came from the time when his mom had been held captive by that crazy Dr. Weston. Of course, back then, Parker hadn't known what was going; he just knew that his mom was gone and all the grownups seemed to be worried all the time. To make him feel better, whenever he had seen him, Jake had greeted young Parker with a toss high in the air that always made the little boy laugh. Parker had never feared that he wouldn't catch him, despite not really having known Jake a long time before he became family. Parker remembered because there were only two other men in his life that had ever made him feel that safe before and both of them had the title of "Dad". And so, even at his young age, he had known that when they lost Jake they had all lost a man who was truly one in a million.

Mattie had noticed the brief flash of sorrow that crossed Parker's face and despite her annoyance with him she still squeezed his hand in reassurance. He seemed to refocus on her and gave a small sad smile.

"Sorry, it's just…I know it's a really old cliché but sometimes I wonder why bad things really do happen to good people."

Mattie gave him a small soft smile of her own and shrugged. Thinking back to her own past, the one she didn't like to talk about, she sighed sadly. "I don't know, Yank. I've been asking myself that for a long time now."

Parker looked at her closely and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her nose into his chest, squeezing her eyes tightly as she forced unwanted memories away.

"You know, you were wrong before." Parker's voice reached her ears and she pulled away from him slightly to look up into his face. "Lee isn't the only one you have."

He paused and then, his decision made, Parker leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to hers. Lifting his head again, his brown eyes searched her face and watched as she nibbled on her lower lip.

Oh my god, what did I just do? He thought, panic suddenly filling him. Had he just ruined the best friendship he had ever had? What did he say? Did he apologize and laugh it off?

He knew he had to say something and he was just about to just blurt out anything that came to mind when Mattie elevated onto her tiptoes and kissed him again, this time moving her arms to wrap around his neck. After a moment she pulled away and settled back down.

"What took you so long?" Mattie asked and Parker just stood there, his jaw hanging open in shock. A giggle bubbled up in her throat and then she let out a full blown laugh. "Yank, you look like an idiot standing there with your mouth open like that."

Parker finally seemed to come back to his senses and finding his voice, he grinned at her mischievously. "Oh, yeah?"

Feeling braver than she probably should have, Mattie stuck out her chin and smirked. "Yeah!"

Parker's eyes narrowed impishly and her own widened as she let out a small shriek before running with Parker close on her heels. She didn't get far before he caught her around the waist and swung her around in a circle. Mattie long hair flew out behind her and she laughingly clung to Parker's shoulders.

"Okay, okay, stop! I'm gonna be sick!" She cried and Parker slowed to a stop, catching his breath as he allowed her to slide down to touch the sand again.

Parker grinned down at her and rolled his eyes.

"Wuss."

"Bully."

But Mattie smirked as she said it and ran her sparkling green eyes over his face before leaning in and kissing him again gently.

On a bench up on the boardwalk that ran parallel to the beach, an old couple sat drinking their coffee in their own early morning routine. The old woman nudged her companion and pointed at the beach.

"Aww, look at those two kids. Remember when we were like that, James?"

James rubbed the spot where his wife's elbow had connected with his ribs and grumbled about her almost spilling his coffee. Casting a glance out to the two kissing teens, he grunted.

"Nope."

Juliet Simms looked over at her husband and glared. He might have been approaching 80 but she knew that his mind was like a steel trap and he remembered everything.

"Oh, you do too and you know it."

James looked at the kids again, who were now walking hand in hand to go closer to the water's edge. Then looking at his wife he shook his head.

"Nope."

Juliet just made a noise in her throat and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Grump."

"Nag."

James saw the twitch of a smile on her mouth from the corner of his eye and with his eyes twinkling he placed an arm around her. After a moment, she leaned into him and he pressed a kiss to her silver hair. Together they watched the two young kids that reminded them both of themselves over 60 years ago, chase each other a few moments more along the surf before heading back up the sand and towards the boardwalk.