For notes and disclaimer, please see part one.

Well... Okay, apparently Downy doesn't want to go away entirely. This particular chapter is un-beta'ed, and from a slightly different point of view.

While Downy probably won't be a regular weekly feature as she once was... her claws dug deep. She wanted to come out and be seen and heard... So... Who knows how long this series will go! Periodic updates will most likely be around holidays and other random times.

Also? I blame, in the nicest way possible, PlotBunny. :)

Here's a couple things you might need to know or maybe you just forgot: The inevitable finally happens. Ellie and Casey act on their feelings for each other.

Holding On and Letting Go

She sat and watched as clothes were flung from the closet into the open suitcase on the bed. UCLA tee shirts. Scrubs. Suits. She shrank further into the shadows when she heard him cry out in frustration, in loss. It was a painful situation for everyone involved, she knew. The whole atmosphere had shifted.

And he blamed her.

Not that she could do anything about it. She hadn't meant for it to happen. It had just been a warm place to stay on a cold, stormy afternoon. She'd craved the heat, the love.

Devon sighed when he zipped the suitcase closed. It wasn't just the stuff he was packing up, after all. It was the reality of what his life had become.

His wife had cheated on him. Well, it was a kiss. It wasn't a wild, torrid affair. It had been a slow build, something that became inevitable the longer it went on. All that time that Ellie spent with Casey, all that time that had been theirs, and theirs alone. While he hadn't been invited, he hadn't been forbidden. There were several steps along the way when he should've stepped up, when he should've stepped in. He just never would've imagined his Ellie falling for Casey.

Although, maybe that was the problem.

Clearly, she wasn't his anymore.

He would've loved to blame brainwashing, but he knew he couldn't.

His relationship with Ellie had started out with such a bang. A one-night stand in the middle of the afternoon, skipping class at medical school. She'd been wild Ellie then, a party girl okay with his fraternity scene.

If he were honest with himself, he'd know that wild Ellie wasn't really Ellie. She was responsible Ellie. Family Ellie. She was the rock, the center of the universe. She was home. Responsible Ellie hated his partying ways, that he was still that guy. That awesome guy. The one who wanted adrenaline, who wanted adventure and crazy fun.

What was worse, he still wanted those things, even when Ellie lost her recklessness, her abandon.

The way he had aged, the way he had wised up, however, meant that he wanted not to see her face when he spoke about the next great trip, the next rush that he craved. The disappointment in her eyes, the concern tugging at the corners of her mouth, dragging them down instead of up.

As he tossed his books, trophies and other belongings into a box, he caught sight of her, still in the shadows of the room. "Hey, you."

Downy emerged from her hiding spot at the sound of his voice.

"You'll miss me when I'm gone, too, y'know. No more tuna-milk smoothies..."

The cat blinked.

He sighed. Easing onto the floor, he sat down in front of her. "I don't blame Ellie."

Downy tilted her head curiously.

"I don't. We... We always were different. I kinda figured, even after our initial... meeting... in the janitorial closet that she was a phenomenally awesome babe. But, I knew then, just never said, that she wasn't like me. She never joined a sorority. She never fully let go. The one time she did, she freaked. And trust me, Ellie is a master at the freak-out. I always tried to teach her that there was a time to work and a time to play, but she never could just... enjoy life. Not like I wanted her to."

Downy meowed.

"She's a great gal. Really. And Casey..." He sighed. "I know he'll protect her. Hell, that he'd probably die for her. I can't really begrudge them that, y'know?"

She moved slowly-almost hesitatingly-reaching one paw out and then another, until she was sitting in Devon's lap.

He'd never really pet the cat, never let his fingers run through her soft multi-colored fur before. He'd never really engaged her, not unless he was giving her an occasional smoothie treat. He inhaled slowly, deeply. "I can tell you're a good influence on her, too. I think you helped her more after her father died than I ever could."

Downy purred loudly, closing her eyes.

"Y'know, I always thought Ellie was a little crazy, talking to you... but you're a great listener. And I'm sorry I wasn't what Ellie needed, that I held on when I really shouldn't have."

She was supposed to be at the Red Cross meeting, talking about the next fundraiser, the next event, the next drive. Ellie'd been ready to jump in head first, into the charity meeting, to show that, even though her marriage was crumbling around her, she was still strong, that she was still standing.

Even if she'd wanted to, the meeting had been canceled at the last minute. So, instead of staying at the hospital an extra hour or two, she'd gotten home early.

Devon had wanted the time to pack up without her. She understood. She didn't want to cause him anymore discomfort. The admission of what she'd done had been painful enough. She didn't want to add to it, to compound the problems.

She'd planned on grabbing a change of clothes and going over to Chuck and Sarah's for a little while, but when she heard Devon talking, she'd stopped.

When she realized he was talking to Downy, she froze.

When she heard the magnitude of what he was saying, it was both painful to hear, but healing, all in the same breath.

Silently, she padded back down the hall and out the front door into the courtyard.

Stay tuned...