Okay so here's an update! it took me forever i know but hey atleast I got it done right?

disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kyle grumbled as he walked home alone. Tess had stayed behind wanting to hang out with Isabel and throw herself at Max…again.

So it was a complete surprise to him when he saw Tess speaking to a golden haired girl he'd never seen around before.
As he walked closer he noticed her boots, dusty and beat up and looking exactly like the boots he had in the closet. The ones he used to wear when Nikki would grab his hand and drag him down to the old junk yard that was their secret base.

A hesitant smile stretched her lips blinking away the shock and forcing herself to realize the blue eyes looking at her now where not the same as the blue eyes she had grown up looking into.

"Oh sorry, I thought this was the house I was supposed to be meeting my brother at."

The blond haired girl before her smiled politely though her eyes remained sharp, "ah, well if you need help looking for someone I'm sure my roommates father can help you."

"Oh?"
Kathryn stood taller willing herself to look more confident.

Tess nodded, "he's the Sheriff, if you'd like to wait he'll be here soon."

"Oh not necessary," Kathryn waved off the offer, "I'm sure he'll pick up his cell this time."

Her hand went to her back pocket pulling her beat up cell phone out.

Tess shrugged her eyes still sharp but the smile on her lips more genuine, "I'm Tess by the way."

"Kathryn," she offered her hand as she noticed a guy coming closer, one with a backpack and wearing dusty cowboy boots, "well I should go," she stepped back waving a hand behind her, "my brother Angel doesn't like it when I'm late."

"Of course," Tess smirked, "it was nice meeting you Kathryn."
Kathryn spun around forcing herself not to run or walk too fast.

Kyle reached Tess as the golden haired girl started to walk away, "Who was that?"

"Hmm," her eyes narrowed , "one of the people Max wants to keep an eye on."

He found himself checking the girl out, his eyes landing on the hand that held a phone up to her ear.

Turquoise beads.

Perhaps it was all the remembering he'd done that day, or maybe he just hadn't fully let go of the possibility of his Nikki coming back someday.
Like she'd promised.

But Kyle handed his bag to Tess and went after her.

'Stupid! Stupid Stupid Stupid!,' Kathryn grumbled mentally.

Now wasn't the time to go down memory lane, nor was it the time to reconnect with old friends. No matter how important they were…had been…'whatever'.

Kathryn sighed; her shoulders sagging just a bit as she mentally pulled herself together.

Nor was it the time to get romantically involved with someone who lit her on fire. All that had to wait, would have to wait till whatever was happening was stopped.

Fast footsteps reached her ears as she was about to cross the street.

"Hey wait up!"

Kathryn turned around just as the guy reached her.

"Yes?"
"Nikki?"
That name felt like a bucket of cold water hitting her body and giving her those rare goosebumps that really hurt.

Looking into goldgreengoldgreen eyes confirmed what those turquoise beads on her wrist did.

Kyle noted the changes, the color of her hair, her noticeably light skin tone. He noted them and remembered his best friend. Sister.

For Kathryn the note of hopefulness in his voice marked him for who he was. Standing before her was her brother from another mother, her best friend.

He was average in height, still taller than her with brown hair darker than she'd last remembered or seen.

Thinking fast Kathryn shook her head, "I'm sorry I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Kyle shook his head, "you know," he let out an ironic chuckle, "I would have believed that, really I would have. If only I hadn't seen your eyes. That little gold band around your green eyes, isn't common, or so I was told anyway."
Her heart was thumping so loud now, Kathryn didn't know what to say.

Didn't know how to say 'sorry' or how to explain in all the chaos and craziness that had become her life she'd simply forgotten to write or to call him.

"Say something Nikki," his eyes watering as the shock still hadn't faded from hers, "I need you to say something."

"It's Kathryn now," the words spilling out hurting her throat as if they'd been made of glass.

She blinked and looked away, the open expression and sadness on his face too much for her to handle.

"My mother tried to rename me Hope, but because I wasn't going to stay with her and I didn't want to keep the name Monica I renamed myself."

"Kathryn," Kyle mumbled the name, repeating it in his head. It fit her more than the name Mr. and Mrs. Parker had given her.

She nodded, "Kathryn Summers O'Roark. The 'Summers' is my fathers last name and the 'O'Roark' comes from…is my brothers last name."

"Your brother?" he was still somewhat stunned that she was in fact standing right in front of him.

Glancing around she found that she couldn't bring herself to talk freely, not on the street anyway, "come on,"
Kathryn muttered grabbing his hand and pulling him in a direction she never thought she would walk again.

Michael had been heading to the Crashdown when he saw her.

Dressed in a simple white t-shirt that was a little to big, short jean shorts and beat up cowboy boots.

Her hair flowing behind her as if she was in a hurry to be somewhere, his heart quickened just at the picture before him.
Until he realized she was in a hurry and she wasn't alone. His Kathryn was pulling someone behind her.

Someone he recognized very well, considering he'd just seen him at school.

An ugly feeling twisted his stomach into a knot.

What the hell was Kyle Valenti doing with Kathryn Summers O'Roark?
Michael stifled a growl and followed, his face set into a stone mask.

Liz ran a hand through her hair as she waited nervously for Isabel and Max to arrive.

Today was the day.

Today she would reveal a little more of herself to Max and Isabel Evans.

Beside her Maria held the remote flicking through the TV channels, her eyes darting over to Liz every ten seconds.

"Chica please," she whined, not at all liking how nervous her bff was, "they'll understand and Izzy will help you."

The brunette nodded, willing herself to believe in the positive, "I know."

"Good now stop sighing and fidgeting," Maria nudged her with her shoulder, "they'll be here."

Kyle found himself at their old secret base.

Old rusted up cars parked hazardously in a big lot with patches of overgrown grass littered around.

The pair walked to the back of the lot, where as kids they'd built a make shift shack made out of old dry wall and blue tarp. Even some old tires stacked as chairs.

Nostalgia hit Kathryn hard as she took in the stacked tires and the little shack that wasn't a shack anymore. There were half dug little holes littered all around, reminding her of the times they'd dug looking for the gold she was convinced had been buried in the junk yard.

"Do you remember this place?"
His voice forced her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," she answered softly, her eyes watering for the innocence she'd lost to the world outside their hideaway.

He didn't know what to call her anymore. Kathryn. That was her name now, not Nikki.

"…" he opened his mouth willing himself to speak but no words came out.

Sensing his struggle she turned to look at him, "I'm so sorry Ky," tears falling as she forced herself not to cry out right, he'd never been comfortable with her crying.

He winced seeing the little tears leak out of the corners of her eyes, it had been along time since he'd had to handle a crying girl.

Kyle reached out, hugging her close, "Shh-Shhh," the rock in his throat making it hard to swallow.

"I meant to call, to write, anything I did I swear," she knew she was sobbing in earnest now, "but I couldn't. My life got so crazy so fast Ky, I missed you everyday."

"I know, I know," he mumbled into her hair as he hugged her tight, his own tears falling finally.

They stood like that for what felt like hours, soaking in each others presence.

Clearing his throat Kyle rubbed circles into her back, "you know you're going to have to tell me everything right?"

Kathryn sighed snuggling closer like she used to do when she was 10 and she'd just had a nightmare, "everything?"

"Everything," his tone firm.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you everything," she mumbled, her eyes sealed shut from all the crying she'd done.

Kyle thought of getting shot, of the three aliens that he went to school with and thought, he'd believe her because she was still his Nikki, "try me."

A soft smile toughed her lips, he was still the brave boy that taught her the basics, still the one who wanted to protect her, still the brother that she had imagined, "okay."

"Good," Kyle slowly untangled himself from her, "now tell me does anyone else know you're here?"

She scoffed, making a face and shook her head, "nope."

He sat on one of the stacked tires and snickered at her face, she'd done that too every time she'd appear at his house unannounced with a teddy bear in her arms, "good I guess, sit and talk to me."

Kathryn giggled wiping away the tears that had yet to dry on her face, "alright but remember that I warned you."

"Yeah yeah," Kyle waved her off, "come on sit down."

Michael grumbled as he noticed he wouldn't be able to follow them into the junk yard without being seen and headed towards his apartment instead.

An ever present black cloud following him.

He resolved not to go looking for her today but tomorrow so that when he asked her about Kyle she wouldn't be so shocked. Or worse bitchy about his asking.

Isabel studied the little picture in her hands, the girl couldn't have been older than 3 with dark blond locks and chubby cheeks.
"This is Monica?"

Liz nodded, her eyes darting over to Max for a moment, "she was my adopted big sister. Monica ran away when she was twelve and I've always wanted to know if she's okay, if she's alive…maybe even why she left."

Through out the exchange Maria had been silent, not sure if she should say anything.

The ice princess could almost recall this same girl, older and inviting her to her birthday party, wanting to be friends.

Isabel opened her mouth just as someone at the door knocked.

Max cleared his throat, "I uh asked Michael to get Alex, I thought they'd want to be here for this."

Maria wanted to curl into herself as Max said Michael's name, her ex hadn't shown any sign of coming back to her side. In fact she was sure he was seeing someone knew, she just didn't know who it was.

"It's fine Max," Liz sent him a small smile, she hadn't wanted to invite Stonewall Guerin.
Maria was having a hard time with the break up and wasn't quite herself around him anymore.
But Alex as her best friend had known about Monica, he could remember her and how Kyle and Monica had pulled away from them.

Turning to the issue at hand Liz re focused on Isabel, "So will you do it?"

"Dream walk the missing Monica Parker?" Isabel contemplated the request being asked of her, "Sure. Are you going to want to go with me?"

Taking his seat beside her Alex looked around and found that even Michael, late to hear what was going on, was curious, "Can we all go with you?"

"Its up to Liz if she wants you there," Isabel shrugged her shoulders, all eyes drifting to the girl in question.

Liz looked at her friends gathered before her, these people that trusted her with their secret, "if Isabel can pull you all in then sure, why not."

"We'll do it tonight then," Isabel confirmed with a gentle smile and a hope that she wouldn't regret this.

Well there you have it...chapter 9. yaaaaay!

So if there is anybody still interested in this please...review.