Eddie Munson - A Collection of One-Shots!

019. I Didn't Run This Time.

"You RAN from me!" She cried.

"You ran away, you left me there to die!" She shouted, angry and confused.

"NO! NO! I didn't leave you there to die!" I argued back, my voice raised.

"What did you do then huh?! It looked to me like you ran away and you didn't come back! You didn't come back for me!" She asked, a deep furrow in her brow.

"I ALREADY THOUGHT HE'D KILLED YOU! Your eyes! I saw blood.... They were white! You were limp and I thought he'd killed you right before my eyes! I couldn't STAY there. I couldn't PROCESS that!" I roared.

"Don't fucking lie to me!" She spat.

"Okay! Okay! I was scared. Terrified! I didn't want to see him kill you, so I ran. You happy?!" I asked, exasperated.

"Did you just say am I happy?!" She asked.

"I didn't mean it like that!" I said.

"Enlighten me on the context then because I'm struggling to understand anything that comes out of your mouth!" She replied.

"You wanted me to admit that I was terrified that I ran? I ran, because I wasn't strong enough to protect you? Because I was too scared to try and reach you? You wanted me to admit that and I just did! I'm not proud of that! I'm a coward, and I'm struggling to make my peace with it. I'm a coward. I'm not a hero. I'm not built to be one. But I make a damn good coward apparently. You think I'm proud to stand here and admit that I couldn't see him murder you before my eyes, that I couldn't stay or try to stop him?!" I asked.

"Take a good look at what he did to me, Eddie. Take a good look, and then leave." She demanded.

She roughly pulled her hooded sweatshirt over her head, and in a flash she'd tugged her sweat pants down her legs and invited me to look. Her eyes were filled with anger, but her face was creased with pain and her bottom lip was trembling.

There was a fierce scar around her neck, and she was littered with healing cuts and fresh, white scars.

"You know what the worst part of this truly is?" She asked me, as my chest heaved with sadness.

I was distraught, despite there being no tears.
I was disappointed, sad and angry at myself.

And she was angry at me too, which just made me hate myself.

"What?" I asked, as she leaned down to pick her discarded clothes from off the floor around her feet.

"If this had been the other way around, I'd have tried to save you. And when you think about it, I actually did, more than once. I saved you from the bat storm, I got you out of there so you're Uncle didn't have to bury you. I hid you from the cops. And when the one time came where I needed you, you weren't there. You bailed on me." She said, her voice breaking at the end of her statement.

Her voice broke at the exact same time my heart did, hearing the hurt I'd caused.

"You've always looked after me. In a way that I've never quite been able to look after you in return. I bailed on you, like my parents bailed on me. Apple never rots far from the tree, sweetheart." I said, ultimately being self deprecating.

I'd tried to say it with a hint of lightheartedness, in true Eddie style and because I had always been unable to handle a serious conversation.

And it had been received as I'd expected.
She clutched her clothes to her chest, covering herself with them, her eyes burning holes in my face.

Her gaze was intense, but I knew I'd broken her heart. I hadn't even tried to save her. Couldn't even manage one attempt.

And so I tried to shoulder it as best as I could.
Instead of running like I always did, I tried to shoulder some accountability.

"What I didn't do for you, will always be my biggest regret. And I know that you've given me more than I'll ever deserve..... I can't tell you just how sorry I am." I continued.

"I want you to leave. And I never want to see you again. I never want to talk to you again." She said, with a cutting tone.

I already knew we were over.
Of course we were.

And there was nothing I could say.

And so I watched my girlfriend of three years walk away from me, knowing there was nothing I could do about it, nothing I could do to stop her.

********************************************
Seven years later.

Eddie's POV.

When I thought about her, which was still just as often, seven years on, I thought about how we'd met when we were kids, had grown up together and discovered feelings for each other from when we were around fifteen. We were together for three years.

The best three years of my life.
I often thought about us, on the day we broke up, on the day she asked to never see me again, both eighteen and experiencing heartbreak for the first time.

Well, we'd both experienced heartbreak, but this had been different; it had been a different kind.

She'd felt like I'd walked out on her, left her behind, left her to die.

I had told her the truth; potentially seeing her die in front of me was something I'd decided I couldn't have watched or witnessed.

It had been a selfish decision and I still believed it was to this day.

I'd stood there, both horrified and terrified, the world crashing around me and us.... And it was just one crash, one loss too many for me.

Vecna had stood over her, on the brow of the hill and he'd been strangling her slowly but surely to death in front of me. To this day, I wasn't sure how she'd gotten out, but she did. And the first thing she'd done after that was to avoid me for days.

Until we'd had that monumental showdown.
The showdown that had been the last time I'd seen her.

She didn't blame anyone else, just me.
Because I'd been the only one with her at that time. I'd been the only one she'd seen running away.

Everyone else had either been fighting somewhere else, injured, outmanoeuvred, ambushed or dead.

We were just kids. Kids, taking on monsters, trying to save the world; trying to save each other.

We'd lost people, and we'd all seen far too much.
We'd all reached our breaking point, at some time or another.

We all still had lingering trauma, to this day.

Trauma that sporadically loomed over us, because only we knew what the world could have been like; only we knew what and who we'd lost to get to this point.

And for seven long years, I hadn't laid eyes on her or talked to her, once.

I'd hear whispers from amongst my friends, but she wasn't in a great deal of contact with them either.

I wondered what she looked like now, at 25 years old. I wondered all the time if she'd changed much; if she was still a feisty little sass pot, if she was still funny, bold and brave.

I always hoped she hadn't changed.

I was still the same old Eddie, perhaps a little more considerate and brave these days, but otherwise still just the same, hopeless, beyond help, Eddie Munson.

Everyone had their own lives now, grown up lives.

Me? The same old life I'd always had.
Shit never went right, and shit was guaranteed to always go wrong.

When I wasn't busy working my ass off in the garage I'd built from the ground up, and I wasn't tending at the Hideout, I was the same old Eddie.

The guy who's ex girlfriend hated him.
Hated him because he ran out on her.

If she hadn't wanted me to forget that, it was alright because I hadn't. I wouldn't let myself forget. I punished myself for it every day.

I wondered if she'd met someone new, if she had a family now, and just generally what she was doing with her life.

I knew that it was likely she didn't think of me as much as I thought of her, and I was somewhat alright with that.

One day I hoped that we could sit down as the older people that we were now, and have the conversation I very much wanted to have. Where we could hash it out, and move on.

Get closure, if needs be.
Heaven knows I needed it.

******************************************
God, I wasn't even sure where to start.
Seven years worth of events? Jesus.

Well after almost dying, managing to save my own skin, splitting with the one guy I'd ever truly loved, and moving out of Hawkins entirely would be a good place to start.

What happened after that?

A month later, I was sick. Real sick.

What I'd thought had been some kind of after effect of Vecna, had turned out to be something totally different and unexpected.

There'd been a baby growing inside of me.
My ex boyfriends baby.

No matter how betrayed I'd felt, I'd written to him twice a week, for two years to tell him he had a son.

We had a son.

I'd even tried to call.
He hadn't answered a single letter and he hadn't picked up or returned any of my calls.

There was only so long I could cope with hearing the line ring and ring, only so many times I could write and not get a reply.

I'd wanted to tell him, because he deserved to know and my kid deserved his father.

But that hadn't come to fruition, and so I'd been raising him single-handedly ever since.

He was almost six, and it was nigh on impossible to deny that he was Eddie's.

He had a mop of brown curls, and deep chocolate brown eyes. A wild, boyish smile, he was tall already, and had the same slim, long build as his dad.

And his name was Oscar, or Ozzy for short.

Oscar 'Ozzy' Theodore Munson.

His fathers name was on his birth certificate, he had his fathers surname and I'd reserved his fifty percent share in parental rights incase he ever wished to be in his sons life.

Ozzy deserved it. And I very much wanted it for him.

Fate had brought us back to Hawkins, as my mom, Ozzy's beloved grandmother wasn't well and we were in the process of moving her into an assisted hospital. My mom, had early onset dementia, and it had hit us all hard.

I was going back to help my dad.
I knew that it would be likely that I'd bump into old friends and potentially Eddie, but I'd had to quash that fear and that panic, because my mom needed me; my dad needed me too.

We walked up the familiar drive a week later, and I knocked on the door of my childhood, a bag in each hand.

"Mommy, can I play in the yard?" Oscar asked.

"When we get inside Oz, let's just say hi to nonna and pops, okay?" I asked, as he clutched his Optimus Prime figure in his hand and nodded.

The door open and my father greeted us with a huge smile; he looked tired though, even if he was trying to hide it.

"My two favourite kids!" He cried, ushering us inside excitedly.

"Pops, can I play in the yard?" Ozzy asked.

"Sure you can my man." My father said.

After he'd skipped outside happily, my dad embraced me with relief, and sighed softly.

"How is she dad?" I asked.

"It's a bad day today." He said, as I looked around at the packed boxes in the living room.

"She settled in bed?" I asked, as he nodded.

"She's sleeping." He said.

"How are you?" I asked, sincerely.

"We're doing the right thing, aren't we Jodes?" He asked, a little distressed.

"She's been home with us for over a year. I think that now, we need people who can help." I said.

"I don't like it, none of us do. But she needs care, and we can only give her so much." I added.

"How are you?" He asked me.

"I'm fine dad, honestly. We both are." I said, smiling weakly.

"The Munson boy still not been in touch?" He asked.

"There's no change on that front." I said, not wanting to talk about it any further.

"That's a real shame." He said, shaking his head.

"It is what it is. I couldn't make him pick up the phone or a pen dad, could I? I suppose I could have come back here personally..." I said.

"Don't do that. You tried to contact him. You didn't have to come back here to do that. You had commitments; you still do. You have a life and a job back home. You tried, Jodie." My father urged.

"We left on bad terms, real bad terms." I said, sighing.

"A lot happened back then, it was real crazy. With the quake and everything. It was like the end of the world. It's no wonder, it took its toll on all of us." My father said.

It was almost the end of the world.
My parents just didn't know it.

My parents didn't know that we'd tried to stop it.
They didn't know the real reason behind the scars I had. They'd faded over time; the scar around my neck was still visible, if you looked close enough.

"He still lives around here?" I asked.

"I haven't seen him for a good while. Maybe." My father said.

"We're not here for that, I don't know why I asked." I said, waving him off.

"It's natural to be curious." My father said.

"I see Dustin every now and again. Shit that kid is tall now." He added, with a soft chuckle.

"You mind watching him why I take our stuff to my room and check in on mom?" I asked, motioning to Oz outside, kicking a football around on the grass, Optimus Prime still firmly in his hand.

"Course honey, no problem." He said,

I took our holdalls up to my old room, and unpacked our toiletries and clothes.

We'd be here for a week longer, before moving my mom into her assisted hospice room.

As I was putting Oscar's clothes on the top of my vanity in a neat pile, my eyes fell on a photo, pinned to my old memories board and my breath caught in my chest.

My heart clenched painfully; I tried to breathe through it, but it was throbbing, and I could hear my pulse loudly in my ears.

Oh god, was he the most beautiful guy I'd ever seen or met. The first thing I noticed was his smile; the same boyish grin he'd gifted my son with.

Our son.

I traced his face with a finger from my shaking hand, and an all over body tremble overcome me.

"Fuck..." I whispered, before becoming frustrated.

And through blurred eyes, I ripped the Polaroid of my memories board, and threw it onto the floor.

It landed face down, much to my relief, as my eyes fell on another.

"Sorry, Harrington." I said, wiping my face roughly.

I reached for it, tearing it down in the same fashion and that too landed face down onto my bedroom floor.

I sank onto my bed, as my heart clenched over and over, and the anger and frustration bubbled through me, rendering me stationary on my bed, unable to move or do anything except to try and not think about him.

As much as I was grateful that my parents had never changed my old room, it had been a long time since I'd stayed over and so I hadn't been in here much to even look at what was still actually in here.

But everything was in the same place it always had been, and it was painfully bittersweet.

"Jodie, is that you?"

I quickly wiped my eyes, mentally fixed myself and turned to my dishevelled, disoriented mother who was in my doorway.

"Yeah, ma." I said, acutely aware that my voice was still slightly thick with frustrated tears.

"You should get ready for school, you'll be late." She said, as I shook my head.

"I don't go to school anymore, Ma." I said.

"If you want to skip, you'll have to do better than that, sweetheart." She warned.

"I'm not skipping school mom, I left school seven years ago." I corrected.

"Let's get you back to bed." I added, crossing the room towards her, guiding her back to her room.

She wordlessly climbed back into bed and I helped her to put her legs under the covers, before tucking her in.

"School, go on." She said, waving me off.

I decided to humour her at least once today, despite doctors saying we shouldn't.

She was my mom.

"Alright, I'll get going, I promise." I said, as she sighed softly.

"Thought you'd get out of it didn't you." She said, with a coy smile.

"You're too smart for me Ma." I said, with a smile.

When I was sure she was comfortable, I stroked her hand until she settled back off to sleep and then headed back downstairs to my father and Oz.

"Hey, everything alright?" He asked me.

"She got up, told me to get ready for school. You mind if I just nip to the store?" I asked.

"No problem. We're good here. We're gonna have a kick around together shortly." My father said, smiling.

"I won't be long." I said.

"Jodie, take a couple of hours, for the love of god." He urged, impatiently.

****************************************
Hawkins really hadn't changed.

I'd been to the store, and without further purpose or cause to be in town, I was lost on what to do next.

My dad had insisted I take a little time, and I was trying to abide by that, but I was so used to Ozzy's routine and always being so busy with him that I was finding it hard to figure out what to do to pass the time just by myself.

And so as I wandered down the street, I saw Family Video, and I noticed that there was a cut out of Optimus Prime in the window.

A small signed was tacked underneath it, stating that the second movie was now available for rent.

I decided that I'd rent it for Ozzy, to watch tonight.

Finally with something else to do, I pushed the door of Family Video open, and came fsce to fsce with none other than Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley.

I froze on the spot and so did they.

Robin dropped the stack of videos in her arms, her mouth agape. Steve dropped the phone that was nestled in the crook of his shoulder and his mouth too fell open.

He quickly, clumsily recovered and reached for the receiver again, pressing it to his ear.

"I gotta go." He said, before placing it back onto the handset.

"Jodie?" Robin said, her voice hushed.

"Yeah?" I asked, equally as hushed and surprised.

"It's really you?" She asked.

"It's really me." I answered, stunned.

"Jodie?" Steve said.

"Yeah I think we've confirmed it's Jodie." Robin said to him.

"You're all grown up." He said.

"So are you." I said.

"Is this awkward? It feels alittle awkward." Robin said, grimacing.

"I'm sorry, it's the shock." I said.

Steve seemed to recover further as he rushed from behind the counter, bundling me in his arms.

"It's SO good to see you!" He cried, as I struggled to move or compute.

"Do you need to sit down? I do." Robin said, peering over him.

"Yeah." I said.

She rolled his chair from behind the counter and I sank into it gratefully.

Steve rushed into the back to make three coffees and Robin wheeled her chair out, rolling it next to mine before sitting down.

"What are you doing back here?" She asked.

"My mom, she's not well." I said, as her shoulders sank slightly.

"I'm sorry. Did I put my foot in my mouth? I always do this, my mom still rags on me about it." She said.

"Robin, it's fine. You didn't." I said, urging her to calm down.

If she did, then I could.

Steve emerged from the back with three coffees on a tray, and he set it down on the counter before handing them out. He rest against the counter in the same spot I'd first found him in, and he eyed me excitedly.

"You're back." He said, as Robin shot him a glare.

"Her moms not well." Robin said for me.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry. Did I put my foot in my mouth?" He asked, regretfully.

"You two spend way too much time together still." I remarked, as Robin smiled.

"Well, we are best friends." She said, as Steve grinned.

"Course we are Buckley." He said.

"How long are you staying?" She asked me, as we both sipped coffee from the mugs in our hands.

"A couple of weeks. I came in here for the new Transformers movie. My kid, he loves Optimus Prime." I said, without thinking.

I felt the air suddenly fall still, and that same stunned silence from when I'd first walked in, returned all too quickly, and my chest tightened with nervousness.

"Shit....." I whispered, wide eyed.

"You have a son?" Robin asked, as I swallowed hard.

"Yes." I said, breathing through my nose as I pressed my lips together.

"What's his name? What's he like?" Steve asked, suddenly excited.

Whatever judgement I'd been waiting for, it didn't come. Just a mild, shocked, awkward silence that didn't last as long as the first.

"His name is Oscar. Ozzy for short." I said.

"He as cool as his mama?" Steve asked, with a smile.

"Cooler." I answered, slowly relaxing.

"Well I love his name. And he's got to be cool with a name like that." Robin commented, with a small squeak of excitement.

"And he loves Optimus Prime. That's badass." Steve said, as Robin nodded.

"I put a copy behind the counter for me, Harrington. Jodie can have that to rent." Robin said.

"You're sure?" I asked.

"Absolutely. I can wait." She said, waving me off.

"I always knew you'd be a good mom." She added.

"I know that being at my parents house right now isn't really the best environment, but I'm on my own, so I haven't had much of a choice in that." I said.

"His dad isn't around?" Steve asked.

"No, he isn't." I answered, feeling the atmosphere grow sad again.

"No, I refuse to be sad for him. He has a kickass mom, and that's all he needs." Steve said, snapping out of it.

"Thanks Harrington." I said, sincerely.

"Two parents sometimes aren't better than one." He said, referring to his own parents.

"I tried to reach his dad, but he wasn't interested I guess. But you're right, he does have me. And if I can be confident about anything, it's that he's never wanted for anything. Shit I'm here now, getting him the next Transformers movie to watch. That's gotta get me brownie points right?" I asked, lightening the mood.

"Uhm, yeah." Robin said, with a smile.

"Hundreds of brownie points for Momma Jodie." Steve said, in agreement.

"You gonna catch up with anyone else whilst you're here?" Robin asked.

"I can think of at least one little butthead that would just love to see you." Steve said, with a grin.

"I bet he's not so little now though. My dad says he's tall." I said, with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, he's grown." Steve said, as we all laughed.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I wasn't sure if I was planning on it or not." I said.

"It's been a long time since you were here. I mean we know that you headed down here for like a day or two over the years, but this is the longest you'll be staying in a good while. No offence taken." Steve said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Although I am glad you happened to stumble in here." Robin said.

"No, I am too." I said, as she smiled.

"It's your choice." Steve said, before dropping it.

"It would be good to see Henderson though." I mused, as Robin squeaked again with excitement.

"Well that's good then." She said, her eyes on the window.

"Why?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Cause he's outside. And he's seen you." Steve said, just as the one and only, newly tall Henderson strolled in with the same kid like grin plastered on his face.

"Oh my god." He said, excitedly.

"Henderson!" I said, as he raced over to me.
I rose from the chair I was sitting on and met him halfway in a tight, happy embrace.

I squoze him tight, before releasing him, smiling at the trademark curls tucked under his cap.

"As if you still wear your camp cap." I said, laughing.

"It's vintage, duh." He said, as though it was obvious.

"I should probably just tell you though, that uhm.... Eddie is in the music store next door and sort of meeting me in here after." He said, his smile drastically fading.

Robin stood to attention then, as I forgot how to speak and instead looked all around me in a panic.

"I'll stall him." Dustin said immediately, holding me by my shoulders.

"Can I stop by later?" He asked.

"Sure." I said, as Steve quickly checked out the Transformers movie and handed it to me.

"Go." He said, giving me a look that said it was okay.

Dustin hurried out of the door, casting a hurried glance all around and he beckoned me forward.

And just as I was rushing to my car, he made a final statement that I couldn't ignore.

"He's never forgotten about it. And he's always said he would talk it over with you someday." He called.

And I got into my car, and precariously pulled out of the parking lot outside of Family Video.

I pulled up at the curb, and wound my window down.

"If that was true Dustin, he'd have returned at least one of my phone calls." I called back, before driving away.

***************************************
Eddie's POV

As I walked out of the music store, I saw Henderson talking to a woman in a Camaro, and I frowned slightly.

"Who was that?" I asked, as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"She was just asking for directions." He said, with an uneasy grin.

I walked with him into Family Video, Robin and Steve greeting me with the same uneasy smiles.

"Munson." Steve said, as I frowned.

"Okay, what's going on?" I asked, huffing slightly.

"Nothing." Robin said, as I spotted three mugs on the counter.

"Who was the third cup for?" I asked.

"Oh, mine." Dustin said, as I shook my head.

"No. Stop. What's going on?" I asked, annoyed.

"Okay, promise you won't get mad." Dustin said, relenting reluctantly.

"Just tell me what's going on Henderson." I demanded.

"Jodie was here." Robin said, sighing.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, blinking rapidly with surprise.

"Jodie was here." Steve repeated.

"When?" I asked, surprised.

"She just left. That's who I was really talking to in the Camaro." Dustin said.

"Jodie is in Hawkins?" I asked, unable to comprehend.

"Yes. Listen Eddie, her mom isn't very well, man. And she isn't sure if she wants to catch up with everyone. She's here for a couple of weeks. So whatever you're thinking of doing, don't." Steve urged.

"But she came in here, had a coffee with you guys?" I asked, a little offended.

"She didn't expect us to be here. She came in here to rent a movie, and happened to see us. We sort of ambushed her with the coffee. She stayed to be polite." Robin explained.

"She wasn't here long." Steve said.

"So why were you all trying to keep it from me?" I asked, as Robin shifted nervously.

"Out with it Buckley." I demanded.

"You guys didn't end on good terms. And she sort of panicked when Dustin said you were next door." She said, awkwardly.

"She also said that you hadn't returned any of her phone calls." Dustin said suddenly.

"If she'd called, I would have." I said, confused.

"She said she'd called." Dustin said.

"Henderson, she's not called me once in seven years." I argued, vehemently.

"Okay, I think that we should respect why she's here and that it's not a social visit. She's here with her son, visiting her mom, she's on her own and I think she's having a hard time." Steve said.

And when Robin elbowed him roughly in the ribs, shooting him a glare, I realised that it was a detail Harrington wasn't supposed to have said.

Henderson and I, were stunned.

"Son?" I repeated.

"Way to go, dingus." Robin said, rubbing her face in frustration.

"It slipped out." Steve bleated with a grimace.

"Jodie has a kid?" Dustin asked.

"Yes." Robin said, seeing no reason to continue hiding the fact.

"She's on her own, and she's doing her best. She's visiting her mom. If she wants to meet up, we have to let her decide that." Robin continued.

"I understand why she doesn't want to see me, I get it, I do. I made a huge mistake and I doubt she'll ever forgive me for it. I don't blame her for running out of here when she knew I was next door. I just don't get why you'd try and hide that she was here." I said.

"Because Munson, we care about you too." Steve said.

"We know that you were scared, we don't blame you for running. But you didn't run from us." Robin said.

"We didn't want to offend you." Dustin interjected, as I sighed softly.

"I'm not offended. I know I deserve this, but it still hurts. Fuck." I said, averting my eyes to my feet.

"I did tell her that you'd talk to her, if she wanted." Dustin said.

He always had my back.

"Thanks Henderson." I said, squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm gonna go, I'll see you guys later." I said, with a deflated, disappointed sigh.

They waved me off, and as I clambered into my van, I shut the door and slammed my fist down onto the dashboard.

"DAMMIT." I hissed, frustratedly.

**************************************
Dustin came around, and I'd not long put Ozzy to bed, letting watch his Transformers video.

There had been a purpose to it; I wasn't ready for Dustin to meet him.

Dustin was a smart kid; one look at Oz and he'd know. He was close to Eddie, always had been.

And I knew that any of them would only have to look to know Oz was his father's son; but perhaps Dustin more than anyone.

"It's so good to catch up! Thanks for letting me come over." He said, as my dad let him in.

"What a strapping young man! How are you?" He asked, as they shook hands.

"I'm well Sir, how are you?" Dustin asked.

"Have you heard this?" My father said to me, in disbelief, as I smiled broadly.

"Sam is fine Dustin, really." My father said.

We sat down together, and after the pleasantries, a long evening of catching up took place, lots of laughter and reminiscing, which was nice.

But I'd relaxed perhaps a little too much, as a small flurry of stripes and brown curls headed down the stairs and called for me.

The boy in the striped onesie with messy curls wandered into the living room, clutching his Optimus Prime.

"Momma? I accidentally leaned on the control and I can't get the film to play again." He said, sounding disappointed.

"Oh no! We can't be having that. I can help?" Dustin immediately offered.

"Oz, this is Dustin." I said, biting the involuntary bullet.

"Momma's school friend." I said.

"Hey Ozzy. Pleased to meet you." Dustin said, with his best smile.

"You want Dustin to help?" I asked.

"Yes please." He said, shyly.

"Come on then, let's go sort this out for you." He said, as he led Ozzy back upstairs with him.

And on his return, he seemed on cloud nine.

"He's such a cute kid, oh my Lord." Dustin said, excitedly.

"Thank you. He's a good kid." I said, shyly.

"He has better curls than me." Dustin said, as I laughed.

"I don't know about that. He might wear a onesie better than you though." I argued, as he grinned.

"I'd better get going anyway. Thanks so much for having me, I've had a really nice night." Dustin said, as I rose to my feet to see him to the door.

And as we were at the door, we hugged and there seemed to be something on his mind.

"His dad never returned your calls?" He asked me.

"No, he didn't. The doors open for if he ever wants to, I'd never take that away from either of them. If he wants a relationship with Oz, the option is there if he wants to take it." I said.

"He's missing out." Dustin remarked.

"What will be, will be. I fought for two years, and decided enough was enough. But I never closed the door." I said, as he leaned in for one last hug and I watched him walk up the driveway.

*****************************************
Eddie's POV.

It was around 11:00pm when I heard a hammering on my front door, startling me as I awoke abruptly from an impromptu nap on my sofa.

"Alright, alright, I got it!" I grumbled loudly, shuffling sleepily to the door.

I opened it and a concerned looking Dustin was on my perch, nervous and shifty.

"Sorry.... But I really need to talk to you." He said, pushing his way in.

"Come on in." I said, sarcastically as I shut the door behind me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, as he paced my living room.

"I might be way out of line here and potentially telling you something she might have wanted to tell you herself... and I could be wrong, but the more I picture it in my mind, I don't think I am. I can't be." He said, rambling.

"You gotta be more clear man. What are you talking about?" I asked, as I crossed the room and sank onto the sofa.

He continued to pace infront of me, seemingly gearing himself up to tell me.

"Okay, I went to see Jodie, tonight. For a catch up, and it was a really nice night. And just before I left, her son came downstairs." Dustin said.

"Okay?" I asked, unsure what the issue was.

"Real cute kid, striped onesie. Massive brown eyes, curly brown hair. I mean, real cute." Dustin said.

"He sounds it. Why are you so freaked?" I asked.

"Eddie.... " Dustin started to say, before hesitating.

"What?!" I asked, impatiently.

"Eddie, he looks just like you." Dustin said, sadly.

"What?" I asked, unable to believe it.

"He is your double. Literally." Dustin said, with emphasis.

"He has your eyes, your hair. The same smile, everything. She said his father isn't in the picture, she's on her own. She tried to get in touch, but he never—"

"Returned her calls." I said, finishing his sentence, as I realised, finally.

I knew what he was going to say.

"Oh god...." Dustin said, wide eyed.

"I didn't return her calls." I continued.

"So she's raised him on her own." Dustin said, catching on.

"Henderson.... She means me. She means me doesn't she?" I asked, as he nodded gravely.

"Yeah, I'm thinking she does." He said, in agreement.

"He's my son. That's my boy. Our boy." I said, as he nodded, open mouthed.

"But you said...." Dustin started to say.

"I don't know why, or what happened, but I promise you, I never received any of her calls. I'd have answered, I promise you that. I would have answered." I insisted.

"I believe you. And I have an idea." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We need to go to your old trailer." He said.

"What, why?" I asked.

"Because I think I know what's happened here. I think I know why she called and you didn't answer." He said.

"We're going now?" I asked, as he headed to the door.

"I know it's late, but worst case? They don't answer and we go back tomorrow." He said.

I was already on my feet, eager to find out what his plan was, but also in shock that I had a son.

I was a father.

"Dustin wait.... What's his name?" I asked, needing to know.

Dustin smiled broadly, as I waited apprehensively.

"Oscar." He said, as I found myself starting to smile.

"Ozzy for short." He added, with a grin.

My smile turned into a broad grin and my heart suddenly swelled.

Despite our terms, and despite our split, our differences and the anger she had towards me, it felt like she'd still thought about me.

She'd still took me into account when she'd thought of his name.

For my undying love for Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath.

I felt the familiar rush of love creep over me, the rush of love that I still had for her even now, and followed Dustin out to my van.

We drove to Forest Hill's and walked to my old trailer, as my nerves grew wildly in the pit of my stomach.

We reached it and there were lights on, which give me hope.

Dustin knocked on the door, and came level with me, as we waited.

A dishevelled woman answered, and eyed us carefully.

"You know what time it is?" She asked, disgruntled.

"We do and we're really sorry. It's just, this is pretty urgent." Dustin explained.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"Has anyone ever tried to call here, or sent mail here in my name? There'd have been say a letter a week, several phone calls a day?" I asked, giving her an approximation.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Eddie Munson." I said, as she had a sudden lightbulb moment.

"Wait here." She instructed, disappearing inside.

And on her return, she had a bunch of letters bound with an elastic band that she handed to me without question.

"We tried to catch the mail guy, tell them there was no one here by that name. We weren't sure where to forward to, and we weren't sure where you'd moved to." She said, slightly softer and sheepish this time around.

"We probably got around 2-3 calls a day, we were having trouble with cold calls at the time and we weren't answering any unknown calls. Letters? Roughly 2 a week came through." She continued.

"Thank you for keeping hold of them." I said, sincerely.

"I'm sorry we didn't know who to forward them onto. The mailman, I'm sure he was a whippet, he'd be in and out of here in a flash. We tried to catch him several times. We even waited to see if you'd knock on." She said.

"Yeah, he was a pretty quick guy, when I lived here." I said, smiling weakly.

"I hope you find them." She said, with the same kind of smile.

I muttered a small thanks and we climbed back into my van.

And braving it, before I drove off, I decided to open the one at the top.

I opened it and unfolded the letter, before taking a deep breath.

I read out loud, to save Dustin reading over my shoulder.

"Eddie,

I can't come there to tell you this, I just don't think I can face it. I've been sick recently, real sick and I thought that maybe it was some kind of after effect of everything that happened; I thought it was because of Vecna.

But it's not.

Eddie, I'm pregnant. I know that things ended badly but I wanted to tell you, so that if you're wanting to be in our baby's life, you have the choice and the option.

I tried to call, but you didn't answer.
So I'm writing this letter and I'll try to call again later this week, to give this time to reach you.

Jodie.

P.S Please call, Eddie."

I lowered the letter and my shoulders sagged with regret and pain. Dustin squoze my shoulder to comfort me.

I pulled the last letter from the pile, knowing it was the last letter she'd sent before giving up on me. I opened it and there was a lot more writing than the first.

"Eddie,

Your son turned two today.

Two years old. Gee, time flies.

This is the last letter I'll be sending you, I think I've tried to reach out enough. I know I could have come out there, but we have a home, and a life here. I have a job, rent to pay, commitments and so on, and if I thought I couldn't face you when I first found out I was pregnant with our son, I know I definitely couldn't face seeing you now.

Two years of being ignored, hearing the phone ring and ring, with no answer. I don't feel sorry for myself, I feel sorry for Ozzy.

He deserves a father, he deserves you.
I haven't been calling or writing to ask you for anything; I don't need or want money or child support from you. If that's what's stopping you from contacting, rest assured that I'm only asking you to return a single one of my phone calls, to acknowledge your son and tell me if you wish to have a relationship with him.

Please read this letter, and get in touch.
Put me out of my fucking misery.
I've tried for two years and I can't hear the phone ring out any longer.

I can't write another letter, with no reply.

The door is open, and should you ever change your mind, you can reach me on 555-67543.

For now, this is goodbye.

There'll be no further correspondence from me, after you receive this. I can't keep knocking on an unanswered door, Eddie.

Jodie."

My hands were shaking, my voice was uneven as read aloud and I acknowledged the anguish, the pain and hurt she had clearly been feeling towards me; the anguish she was feeling for our son. She genuinely believed I wasn't interested.

"This wasn't your fault, Eddie." Dustin said, sensing I was already blaming myself.

"I could have reached out. I didn't think she'd want me to and that always stopped me." I said.

And so it had officially now transpired that she had wrote to me, for two years, and she'd also rang my old landline.

The people who'd moved into our trailer after we'd left, had never forwarded the letters onto me, and they'd assumed that they had been getting a ton of prank calls; they didn't answer unknown numbers and so her phone calls had been left unanswered, much like her letters.

She'd tried to tell me.
She'd assumed I'd been ignoring her.

All of that was acutely clear to me, and I felt a similar anguish.

I'd missed so much.
I'd missed out on milestones, birthdays, my kids first words, his first crawl, his first steps.

I'd missed almost 6 birthdays.
Six years he'd gone without his dad in his life.

I'd not been there.

"I think you did what anyone would do. You respected her wishes. And Ozzy has paid the price for that." Dustin said.

"I have to make this right." I said, as he sighed.

"Her mom is moving into a hospice next week. I think that you should let them do what they need to, and perhaps approach it after." He suggested.

"She has early onset dementia." He added.

"Jesus." I said, unable to believe it.

"Let them do what they need to. Then broach it. You need to time this right.... As much as you can." He said.

"And process this yourself, too." He added.

"I know, I will." I said.

******************************************
Eddie's POV.

I'd spent the next week, reading through the stack of letters.

I'd read one over and over, taking in every single minute details.

"Eddie,

Your son was born two days ago, 12th June.
He was 6lbs 2oz, healthy and perfect.

Brown hair, and lots of it.
He's beautiful, and he looks just like you.

We got home yesterday and we're just settling in.

Again, like you he's abit of a night owl two days in, and I'm already tired.

He has big hands, even bigger lungs and the appetite of a mountain lion. But he's beautiful.

His name, is Oscar.

Oscar Theodore Munson.
I'm thinking Ozzy, for short.

And ode to your favourite legend, Ozzy Osbourne.

I just wanted you to know that he's here, safe and now out in the big wide world, and he's loved so much already.

The door is still open for you to change your mind.

Yours, Jodie.

P.S he also has your wild, wide brown eyes.
Full of curiosity and he sure is nosey."

She was still trying, despite whatever issues we had outstanding between us.

That letter was folded up in the front pocket of my leather jacket, and I'd kept it on me, with me, for the past week.

I wanted those details of my son, close to my heart.

Today, I was going to try and make some semblance of peace with Jodie, and hopefully try and mend some broken bridges.

And hopefully arrange to finally meet my son, as well as explain just how much I hadn't been ignoring her.

And when I shakily stepped out of my van and onto the curb outside her fathers home, the same space I always pulled into when I'd pick her up for school, to spend time together, to sneak off or for a date, I was nervous, and super anxious.

There was a lot of potential for this to go badly.

She was idly checking her fathers mailbox, with a coffee in one hand, her long, raven black hair loose around both shoulders, dressed in a black crop top and plaid pyjama bottoms, slippers on her feet. She was wearing an oversized white cardigan and I could see that her nails too were painted white.

And as I approached and my feet stepped onto her fathers driveway, she looked up and froze on the spot.

The mail and the coffee fell from her hands, the mug smashing on the concrete at her feet.

"Jodie... please, I've just come to talk." I pleaded, my hands raised in surrender.

She backed towards the house, and I followed slowly, talking to her as calmly as I could.

"I just wanted to explain." I continued.

"I can't do this." She said.

"I know I've shown up here unexpectedly and I know that you're going through a lot right now, but I just want to talk. Can we talk?" I asked.

She was looking at me much in the same way she did when I ran from her.

That same fear and anguish was etched across her face. And it was killing me.

"No, no..... no I'm not doing this with you now." She said, unsteady on her feet as she reached the front door.

I heard the air leave her chest in both shock and sadness, as she gripped onto it as though her life depended on it.

"I just want to talk." I urged, raising my hands in defence.

"I'm not here for that. I'm really not here to talk to you." She said, flat refusing.

"We don't have to talk now. I just wanted to come here and ask if we could. It can even be when you have a moment. I know you're here for your mom, but I just wanted to reach out..." I said.

"Reach out to me for what?" She asked, defiant.

"Jodie.... I know about Oscar." I said.

"Henderson...." She whispered, as her eyes widened with realisation.

"He's my boy.....isn't he?" I asked, hoping she'd confirm it for me. I needed to hear it, from her.

She swallowed hard, fighting internally with herself.

"Yes." She answered, truthfully.

My heart both leapt with happiness and also swelled with relief; I needed to hear it from her.

I needed to hear her say it, not just in letters.

"I tried to tell you and you just ignored me for two years." She continued.

"No, you don't understand...." I started to say.

"I told myself that there was any time you could be interested and I'd do the right thing. But now that moment is suddenly here.... I don't know what to do!" She said.

"This isn't for me to lead, this is on yours and his terms." I said.

"Since when were you so considerate? Then again, you always did let me take the lead. Let me save you and then when the time came for you to return the favour.... You ran out on me. I'm not surprised you practically ran out on your kid too." She spat.

I hadn't wanted to, but I could feel myself growing angry and hurt.

"Hey, that's not fair! I didn't know about him!" I cried, angrily.

"How did you not know?! I contacted every week for two years!!" She cried.

"God dammit Jodie, I DIDN'T KNOW!' I yelled, loudly.

Her hand flew out towards me, and I heard a loud crack rip through the air.

I felt the hot sting across my cheek from the impact of her hand, and I clenched my jaw, breathing through the pain, through my nose.

She'd struck me, her face red with anger.

"Why do you always LIE to me?!" She cried.

"I'm not lying to you Jodie!" I cried back.

"I swear to you! I didn't know! If I had, I'd have come to you! I'd have been there! Even if it was just to co-parent! I'd have been there for you and our son! I'd have paid child support, I'd have done whatever I needed to to help you both!" I shouted.

She started to rain frustrated, heartbroken punches against my chest and for a moment I let her, she backed me into the side of the house.

My back slammed against it and I grabbed her wrists, begging her to stop.

"Stop...." I urged, struggling with her as she struggled against me.

"Stop.... Jodie.... Jodie, STOP." I said, gripping her by the shoulders.

"I called! Wrote to you! I tried!" She continued.

"Jodie, I didn't get your letters. I didn't get those calls." I said, tiredly.

"Bullshit!" She cried, frustrated, angry tears spilling from her eyes.

In a last ditch attempt to get her to listen, I shook her slightly and she stopped hitting me, blinking rapidly in surprise, her breath hitching in her chest.

"What are you doing?" She asked, as I forced myself to stop, holding her stationary by her shoulders. Her mouth turned downwards as it quivered, tears rolling down her face.

Her beautiful face.

I forced her to look at me and paused for a moment, before calmly explaining. I lowered my voice, and changed my tone.

"We moved, Jodie. We moved a few weeks after you left. Wayne was issued with a pension he didn't realise he had, and we moved into a proper place. I saved up from both of my jobs and got a place of my own. The people who lived in our trailer after, never forwarded your letters or told the Mail man we didn't live there anymore. They never answered your calls because they didn't recognise the number and thought they were just cold calls. I didn't know you'd wrote or called me." I said, staring into her crying eyes.

I was crying myself, trying to get her to understand that I genuinely didn't ignore her.

I wasn't ignoring her or our son.
I wasn't shirking my responsibilities; I simply didn't know about him.

"W-What?" She stammered.

"We moved. I was never ignoring you, or my son. I was never intentionally ignoring you. I didn't know you'd sent those letters. I didn't know you'd called. But when I found out, I went to our old place and I asked them." I said, before reaching behind me, pulling a stack of letters from down the back of my jeans, bound with an elastic band.

"They passed these to me." I said, holding them up so she could see.

And she broke down into heartbroken tears before my eyes, and I felt that same helplessness I did that day.

But I chose to do something about it this time.

"Jodie, I'm so sorry..." I said, my face creasing with genuine sadness as I wrenched her to me, holding her to my chest tightly, embracing her.

She cried into my chest, real heavy sobs and her legs buckled slightly.

"They didn't know where to forward them to, and they didn't answer your calls because they were getting a lot of cold calls, and weren't answering calls they didn't recognise. They couldn't find me, to pass them on." I said, as she sobbed.

We sank down the side of her fathers house, coming to rest on the veranda floor, and I held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

"I thought you didn't care...." She said, distraught.

"If I'd known, I'd have found you. I'd have done all I could to find you, or respond. I would have Jodie." I urged, sadly.

"Jodie, I'm so sorry...." I said, holding her tightly, crushing her against me.

I'd missed her smell, the feel of her and her touch.

Her arms were wound tightly around me, and she was holding me equally as tight.

We remained on the floor of her fathers veranda, and he found us after a while, more composed, wondering what all of the noise had been.

When he'd seen us both, red eyed and hiccuping softly, he excused himself quite politely, and we moved off the floor, and onto the chairs.

There was a brief silence, mingled with our heavy breathing, and she turned to eye the letters on the floor.

"Did you read them?" She asked.

"I did. Every one." I answered, honestly.

"I've kept one in my pocket for the past week." I sat, patting the breast pocket of my leather jacket softly.

"Which one?" She asked, wiping her cheek softly, to catch new, escaping tears.

Her face was red, blotchy and her eyes were slightly puffy. I was sure I probably looked the same to her too.

"When you told me Ozzy had been born. The letter with his name, his eye colour, his weight.... The details I don't ever wanna forget." I admitted, sniffing slightly, my nose congested.

I looked down at my feet for a moment, resting my elbows on my knees as I clasped my shaking hands in front of me, the sunlight catching the rings on my hands.

"I'm sorry for just showing up here. But I couldn't let you think I didn't care or wasn't wanting to step up, for a moment longer." I said.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. That was out of order. I shouldn't have put my hands on you." She said.

"I think that's been a long time coming." I said, waving her off.

"Don't do that." She said.

"Do what?" I asked, meeting her eyes.

"Shoulder it, take it because you think you deserve it. I shouldn't have hit you." She said.

"I accept your apology then." I said, as she ran a hand through her silky raven locks, and sighed deeply.

"I never thought we'd get here." She said.

"No I don't suppose you would. But we are, Jodie." I said.

"I know. Listen Eddie, my mom went into a assisted facility last week, things aren't great. I don't know how long I'm gonna be here. Longer than I expected, my dads a mess..... I have a home, a job, and a life out of town." She said.

"I'd travel. I'd absolutely travel. All the way there, halfway, wherever, whenever. I want to be a dad, Jodie." I said, imploringly.

"I wasn't going to stop you. I just meant that it's gonna take time to figure this out. And right now, my life's a little upside down. I don't know if I'm gonna go back, I don't know if I'm gonna end up back here to help my dad with my mom...." She said.

"Oh..." I said, feeling a little selfish and foolish.

"Dustin said your mom has early onset dementia...?" I added, as she nodded.

"Dustin clearly told you a lot." She said, but her tone was slightly playful and she chuckled slightly.

"Not out of malice, I promise." I said, hurriedly.

"I know that." She said.

"They're gonna help your mom?" I asked.

"In the ways that they can. But in terms of her memory, it's an aggressive disease. She thinks I'm still in school. But she could tell me something crystal clear from twenty years ago. It's just awful, it steals the person you love right before your eyes. She still remembers my dad and me. But this week, she didn't know who Ozzy was." She said, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to fight the sob threatening to escape, and instinctively, I reached for her shoulder and squoze it reassuringly and sympathetically.

"I know it's been seven years, and I know there's a lot of hurt between us, a lot of things I did and have done wrong.... but you should still know that you never need to hide your feelings from me." I whispered.

"We're losing her Ed...." She said, before breaking down again.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry...." I whispered, sadly.

Her head fell into her hand as her elbow rested on her knee, and she cried into it, her shoulders racking. I leaned over to her and wrapped an arm around her, resting my head against hers.

My free hand clasped one of her knees, and I let her cry. I let her get it all out.

And at the distant, faint call of her name, she suddenly looked up from her hands.

"Mommy!"

I wiped her eyes, with the fondness and care I still very much had for her, as she strained her ears to listen.

I was a little too distracted to hear it the first time.

But when it rang out a second time, as clear as a bell, I realised I was hearing my son's little voice for the first time.

"Mommy?"

"I have to go." She said.

Not wanting to run before I could walk, or push her, I respected it and let her rise to her feet, releasing her from my arm.

"When you have the time, when you're feeling emotionally and mentally ready.... When you wanna talk.... You'll let me know?" I asked, apprehensive.

Holding out my number on a piece of torn off paper.

"Mommy?"

I forgot myself, and sighed softly at the sound of his little voice, my heart fluttering as I clasped a hand over my chest, relishing the sound.

She watched me carefully, watching my reaction in its entirety before parting her lips to speak.

"I'll let you know." She said, finally.

And she leaned forward, and took the paper from my hand.

And as she headed towards the front door, I asked her one final question.

"Jodie...?"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Is he as cute as he sounds?" I asked.

She turned and she smiled broadly, before nodding.

"He is." She said, fondly.

*****************************************
It hadn't been the reunion I'd wanted or asked for, but it had happened.

And it had been an emotionally charged one.
There had been a lot of tears, anger and hurtful words said. And then ultimately we'd reached a truce, and instead he'd supported me.

He'd let me cry, let me get out whatever I'd been pushing down, and he'd sat there with me, letting me.

Something I hadn't expected.

Something else I hadn't expected, as he stood on the driveway in a fitted black T-shirt and ripped jeans with battered white trainers, was just how much he hadn't changed.

His hair was the same shaggy mop of natural brown curls, it was still long and it had looked just as soft.

I remembered how we had lain on his bed or mine, for hours as I played with those curls, always wishing to get lost in them. And more often than not, I did.

He still had those chocolate brown eyes, wide with curiosity all of the time, the chiseled jaw line and full lips. His hands still bore the same rings he'd worn in high school; including the two that had been gifted to him by me, for a birthday and one Christmas.

He was still of the same build, just a little more muscular in the arms. With the same pale, clear, soft skin. He still smelled the same; mints, cologne and mild cigarette smoke.

The smell I'd craved when he wasn't around, the smell I'd breathe in on my pillow when he left for the night, the same smell I used to notice on his duvet and pillows, when I'd bury myself in his bed, never wanting to leave.

His hands were still strong, and just as loving.
His arms still felt safe. As safe as they'd always felt. And his voice.... His voice..... still just as deep and the sheer sound still gave me butterflies, no matter how angry I'd been.

He'd walked down that driveway, not intending to but looking like the rock god I'd fallen in love with as a teenager. It was effortless, and he'd never noticed the effect from just his presence.

He never had believed me when I told him that he only had to appear in a room, or anywhere, and in an instant my knees would turn weak and I'd be trembling.

And he'd had that same effect on me, today.
But I'd also been horrified, terrified and angry.

I'd spent the afternoon in the garden with my dad, and I'd brought him up to speed on what he'd walked out on, and why there'd been such an explosive argument on his doorstep.

"I already know what you're going to do, so I'm just gonna tell you, that I agree and I'm behind you." He said.

"I know it's more of a case of when." He added.

"Just don't put yours and his life on hold. We're still here, so do what you have to." He continued.

"It's Oscar's decision too." I said.

Later on that evening, I'd bathed Oscar and as I was pottering around, he was moseying around in my room, singing quietly to himself, being a little goofy before bed, when he suddenly asked me a question.

"Mommy, who's this?" Ozzy asked, with a white card in his hand.

I realised it was the Polaroid of Eddie.
He'd found it on the floor.

My curious, nosey kid had discovered it.
I perched on the end of my bed, and beckoned him over. He climbed into my lap, and I encouraged him to show me the photo.

"That's..... That's your dad." I said, as he gasped in surprise.

"Now, there was a problem with the Mail man. And the telephone service. Your dad moved into another house, and the people who lived in his old house, didn't forward these on, or find your dad to pass them over. They didn't answer my calls because they thought I was a telesales person. So he hasn't been around, because he didn't know about you. Now, that's not his fault, and it's not mine. But I have seen him recently, and he does know about you now. And he very much wants to meet you." I explained.

His wide, brown eyes stared down at his fathers face and I let him take a moment to try and digest what I'd said.

"My dad didn't have a very good mail man." He remarked, as I suppressed a laugh at the childlike innocence.

"No baby, he didn't. But I've heard that he doesn't work on that run anymore." I said.

"Me and your dad were together when we were younger." I added.

"Were you in love?" He asked, as I smiled and nodded.

"We were. Very much so, even though we were quite young. I left here and we weren't exactly friends, things ended and I moved away. A little while later I realised that I was having you and I tried to reach out to him. But he'd moved too, and I just didn't know." I said.

"Because the mail man didn't find out where dad lived?" He asked.

"Something like that. But he has all of my letters now, and if you'd like to, you can meet him." I said.

"I could see him?" He asked me, with surprised eyes.

"Would you want to?" I asked.

"You could meet him, spend some time together and then perhaps meet after that, and see how you get on. You're quite grown up and your dad has missed quite a lot about you. So it'll take time to get to know him, and it'll take a while for him to get to know you." I explained.

"I'd like to meet him." He said, without hesitation.

"You also have a grandfather." I said.

"Another one, Mommy?" He asked.

"You do." I said.

"Wow. Can I meet him too?" He asked, hopeful.

"I think he'd very much want to meet you." I said.

"When?" He asked, eager.

"I'll need to call your daddy and tell him." I said.

"Can I keep this photo of daddy, mommy?" He asked.

"Of course baby." I said, as he clutched it to his tiny chest.

"Mommy? Why was it on the floor?" He asked.

Too curious and too alert for his own good.
For my own good.

"I think it had just fallen off." I lied.

And so I left him staring down at the photo in his hands, that was now his to keep and downstairs, I made a phone call.

"Hello?"

"It's Jodie. Ozzy wants to meet you. And Wayne." I said.

"Really? Oh.... I mean, that's great! Sorry, just a little surprised. When?" Eddie asked, falling over his words.

"Tomorrow. For a couple of hours. So I can introduce you both to him. Eddie, it's gonna take time, do you understand that?" I asked, firmly.

"I know it's gonna take time, and I know that I've missed out on so much of his life. But however long it takes, I'm down for it. I want to be in his life, Jodie." He insisted.

"2pm tomorrow. At the park." I said.

"We'll see you then." He said.

And as I went to hang up, I heard him say my name.

"Jodie?" He asked.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Thank you." He said.

"Bye Eddie." I said, mentally accepting it as I hung up.

"That's progress then." My father said, from behind me. He'd said it positively, and I was in agreement with him.

I explained to him then what exactly had happened and my dad sighed softly.

"I feel sorry for all of you. I really do." He said.

"But we can make this right." He added.

"I know dad, I'm sure gonna try to." I said.

"Of course you are. You're my kid, I know you'll do everything you can. I know Eddie too; he's a good kid, no matter how bad things ended. This can turn around, for the better." He said.

And before I went to bed, I found an old photo frame and secured the Polaroid of Eddie inside of it, and placed it on the side table, next to Oscars's bed, where he lay sleeping soundly.

I gazed down at him for a moment, as he lay on his back, mouth open, one arm above his head, his hair fanned out on the pillow and I remembered the countless times I'd seen and had watched Eddie sleeping in the exact same way.

"You're just like your old man." I whispered, chuckling softly.

I crept out of his room and wandered into my own, my eyes falling on the other photo that was still face down on my bedroom floor.

I picked it up and turned it over in my hands, gazing down at the guy I knew deep down I was still madly in love with.

The goofy, wild, opinionated, intimidating, caring, loving, misunderstood teenager that he'd been, back then.

I smiled to myself, remembering how at odds they'd both been at the start, before becoming firm friends when the world started to end around us.

I pinned it back on my memories board, staring at it for a moment longer, before climbing into bed myself.

I lay on my back, looking up at the ceiling, one thought prominent in the forefront of my mind.

Yeah, it was without a doubt.
I still loved him. I'd never stopped.

The hurt had just been in the way, all of this time.

********************************************
Two PM came around, and Oscar was rattling with excitement and anxiousness as we walked down to the local park, with my father in tow.

We stood on the main field, looking around for a glimpse of either Eddie or Wayne, and I caught sight of a man in a cap and a truckers jacket along with a shaggy haired guy, wearing his high school Hellfire club t-shirt, and there was no mistaking either of them.

"This is them, hon." My father said.

"How are you doing Wayne?" He asked.
Wayne smiled and tipped the beck of his cap.

"I'm good Sam, and you?" He asked.

"We're getting there." My father said.

"Eddie, good to see you." He said, as Eddie immediately extended his hand.

My father shook it firmly, with a warm smile.

"It's good to see you Sir." Eddie said, as his sheer manners made my heart flutter slightly.

There was a moment before Wayne suddenly looked down and clapped eyes on Ozzy, as he stood by my side, leaning against my legs, clutching Optimus as normal, a little shy.

Wayne removed his hat from his head, wringing it in his hands, with tears suddenly in his eyes, as he stood on the grass, at Eddie's side.

"What a fine young boy. My god. Oh my god.... I'm so blessed to be here. Jodie, thank you." He said, his voice hushed, as his bottom lip quivered slightly.

He approached me and I welcomed his embrace, hugging him tightly back.

"How are ya, little lady?" He asked me, genuinely pleased to see me.

"Not so little." I answered, with a smile and glassy eyes.

"How are you?" I asked him.

"Oh I'm good now, I am good now." He said, turning to Ozzy.

Eddie hung awkwardly and came to stand in-front of me, before clearing his throat.

"Hey Jodie." He said, with a small, nervous smile.

"Hey." I said, before preparing myself with the relevant, necessary introductions.

"He's literally you, Ed. A real, Mini Munson." Wayne said, unable to believe it.

I smiled and nodded.

Didn't I just know that already.

"Oscar, this is your granddaddy Wayne." I said.

"And this is your daddy." I said, pointing at Eddie, who was a little apprehensive of Ozzy's reaction and also equally intrigued.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward as our son wandered over to him, just as intrigued.

"Hey Ozzy." Eddie said, trembling slightly.

"Hi." Oscar said, still a little shy.

"Is that Optimus Prime, you've got there?" Eddie asked.

Jackpot.
The way to our kids heart.

And it had taken Eddie all but a few minutes to find his way there.

"Yeah, it is." Ozzy said, eagerly showing Eddie his figure.

"He's so cool. He's my favourite." Eddie said.

"Wow, he's my favourite too." Ozzy said.

"I've just watched the new movie. It was really cool." Ozzy added.

"I haven't seen it yet, but I'll take your word for it." Eddie said, slowly finding his feet.

The ice was slowly breaking.

"Will you play soccer with me?" He asked them both, suddenly.

They were both a little surprised, but also pleased.

"I have an old boys ticker, but I'll try my best little guy." Wayne said with a smile.

"I'm definitely up for a kick around." Eddie said, impressively covering his slowly fading nerves with a warm smile.

And so I stood by, watching them slowly get used to one another, watching them kick the ball around, hearing Ozzy's laughter and theirs, too.

"Wayne, our goal is the other way!" Eddie cried, as Wayne kicked the ball into the opposite goal post.

"Lord dang it!" Wayne cried, as I snorted slightly with laughter.

"Grandpa, you're so goofy." Ozzy declared, laughing hysterically.

"Oh my, did you hear that?" My father asked.

"I did." I confirmed, unable to stop smiling.

"That's real lovely." He said, sighing with happiness.

"It is." I said.

"You're okay with this?" He asked.

"Dad, I'm fine honestly. This was what I always kept the door open for." I assured him.

They slowed eventually, all growing tired, Wayne sitting on the grass, breathing heavily, and it would seem that Ozzy and Eddie were plotting something, a little ways away, huddled together in hushed laughter and whispers.

"And that's an even lovelier sight." My father said.

"He always was good with kids." I said.

"They're up to something." I added, with a grin.

I could see Eddie encourage Ozzy towards an unsuspecting, distracted Wayne and he ushered him over stealthily, the two of them clearly in some kind of cahoots.

Ozzy jumped on Wayne, and he jumped, clearly startled. Ozzy wrapped his arms around Wayne's neck, and Wayne feigned an injury as he rolled back in the grass, taking Ozzy with him and I could hear them both laughing.

Eddie was standing by them, arms folded across his chest, sniggering, clearly pleased with himself.

And when he saw Wayne and Ozzy laughing and hugging, his beautiful brown eyes widened with both fondness and awe, watching them much like we were.

With happiness.

We'd all needed this, in our own ways.

We needed to remember that we were all still living, and sometimes we needed to live for these kinds of moments, to go along with the pain and the stress.

It put the necessary balance to things.
And balance was what we'd all clearly needed.
Balance, and a little closure.

Wayne clambered to his feet, and Ozzy reached for his hand, as the three of them walked back over to us, exerted and a little hyped.

"Man that was fun." Eddie said, laughing breathlessly.

"Almost gave me a damn heart attack." Wayne said, as Oz grinned, still holding onto his hand.

Wayne wasn't rushing to let go either.
In fact, I watched him tighten the hold and secure my sons small hand in his, reconfirming the connection.

Ozzy looked up at Eddie, his big brown doe eyes meeting his fathers identical pair, and he smiled.

"Could I hold your hand too, Dad?" He asked.

And it was like time stopped for Eddie.
And for me.

The world stopped for Eddie, as he took the question in, processing it.

Hearing our son call him Dad.

"I'd love that." Eddie said finally, extending his hand out to our son.

I watched Ozzy take it and he looked up at me, coy and happy.

"Shall we get your ball, and go for a walk around?" I asked him.

He nodded, really pleased and we all started to walk slowly, engaged in light, casual conversation.

Ozzy and Eddie seemed to be quite wrapped up in each other though, and Ozzy let go of Wayne's hand and migrated towards Eddie, falling into his step with him, and they walked together, a slight distance away from us.

Wayne took this opportunity to catch me in a conversation and I let him take it.

"Thank you for this, from the bottom of my heart." He said, sincerely.

"He told you what happened?" I asked.

"What a mix up that was, huh? I guess it wasn't really their fault, but I did go up there and give them a piece of my mind. They could have asked around." He said, shaking his head.

"The letters weren't for them. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose." I reasoned.

"Maybe. But this is the happiest I've seen him in a long time. Thank you for letting him do this." Wayne said.

"I know you wouldn't ever do what some mothers have done, and do. I know you're not like that, never thought you would be. We just know that you have a lot going on, we know you've got it tough, so to take this time for us to meet Oscar and spend time with him, we appreciate it. We really do." Wayne continued.

"The door was never closed." I said, as we watched father and son interact, pointing at the birds in the sky, and down at the bugs and flowers in the grass.

They were in their own little world, as I stood by and watched.

"This is the best day of my life Jodie. Thank you." Wayne said, getting a little emotional again.

"I know you ended on bad terms, I know he did some foolish things and all.... But I'm real proud of him. He's my boy... and if there's one thing he's always done, he's always tried his best. He might have failed at it sometimes, but he's always tried again. Always been misunderstood, but god I love him. And it's an honour to watch him with his own boy now, meeting him, getting to know him. Best day of my life." Wayne continued, his bottom lip quivering, his shaking hands wringing the cap off his head.

I reached out and clasped my hand over both of his, steadying them, with a sympathetic smile.

"I know." I said, with certainty.

My father clasped a hand on Wayne's shoulder, squeezing it, with a weak smile.

"You've always been an honest, honourable man, Wayne. Someone I'd consider to be a dear friend. This is a day I doubt I'll ever forget. All of us here, fixing things. Oscar will grow up and remember that we did this. And we'll never forget this day." My father said, reassuringly.

"You're my friend too Sam." Wayne said, as I watched happy and sad tears roll down his face.

I looked away, as the tears rolled down my face, and I took a deep breath, calming myself.

It was bittersweet.
Because it had been six years.

They had a lot to catch up on and they both knew that. But they were happy and glad to have to the opportunity to make up for it, and they were thankful for it.

And later, we invited them back to our home, and we all sat in the garden.

I overheard a private moment, as I watched Wayne playing with action figures with Ozzy, and my heart clenched painfully.

The private moment between my father, and Eddie.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I know what it's looked like all of these years. But we moved and she was writing to and calling the wrong address. I cannot apologise enough." He said, sounding devastated.

"Son, clearly this was neither of your fault. Lost in translation I'd say it was. You can't go back and change it. It's what you do, from now." My dad said.

I watched them from the corner of my eye, and noticed that Eddie's shoulders had sagged slightly.

"You're not your fathers son. Your Wayne's." My father added, giving him a knowing look before reaching out and squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

"And trust me boy, it shows." My father said, before heading back inside the house.

It was quite the final statement.
One that weighed on me, as much as Eddie.

And as he sank into one of the loungers next to him, I turned to him, and our eyes locked.

"It's time to move on from that. It wasn't your fault, and it wasn't mine. We got lost in translation somewhere along the way. And what's done is done. Now is what's important, Ed." I said.

"You'll never know how much this means to me, Jodes." He replied, with a mutual nod, using my old nickname.

*******************************************
One month later.

Eddie's POV.

It had been a month, and in that time, I'd seen a lot of Oscar and had been spending days with him, playing with him, getting to know each other, and Jodie had briefly gone back to her home, terminated the lease, left her job, and had secured a home near her fathers.

It had been decided; she was coming back to Hawkins. Despite her initial refusal, myself and Wayne had paid for the U-Haul rental, and I'd also put some money towards the deposit on her new home so that she wasn't so out of pocket.

Her employer had been really kind, even given her what was in her pension with them, given her two weeks in hand and her final wage.

I just wanted her to use that wage to tide her and Oscar over, until she found a job around here.

I'd been to the bank, I'd opened an account for Oscar, and had placed £500 dollars in to start him off. I'd given the checking book and card to Jodie, telling her that I'd continue to pay into it weekly.

I was glad that I owned the garage, had regular custom and also had a second job tending at the Hideout, because I'd been able to give Ozzy a head start from myself. I'd had the means to start making up for lost time.

Jodie wasn't expecting it; I'd known she wasn't.
She'd made it very clear that she hadn't wanted anything from me, but I'd wanted to provide.

And I was starting to do that; I was making it clear that I was.

Her belongings had been transported to her new home, and we'd helped her move in.

She was settling, unpacking, in between visiting her mother in the assisted care facility.

And she was there today, her father ringing around for a place for Ozzy in a school around here.

So when they were occupied, I called my friends, her old friends and asked them to help me with something.

Something I wanted to do for her, so she didn't have to worry about it.

And as they all clambered out of their respective cars with huge smiles, I greeted them on the driveway with a similar smile and a wave.

"Hey there Daddy Munson." Steve said, shaking my hand.

"How are you?" Nancy asked, with a smile.

"Good, really good." I said.

"Everything else is in here?" Steve asked, pointing to the U-Haul truck by the curb.

"Yeah, some is inside, she just hasn't had a lot of time." I said.

"Let's do this." Robin said, rolling up her sleeves.

"Thanks guys." I said, sincerely.

"No problem." Nancy said, as one by one they walked to the truck.

*******

Mike and Dustin were tasked with unpacking and arranging the kitchen.

Steve was working on the living room, with me.

Lucas and Max were unboxing and arranging Ozzy's room.

Robin and Nancy were unpacking Jodie's belongings and arranging her room and the bathroom.

We eased her sofa down, and I laid a white fur rug down on the floor in-front of as Steve was connecting the TV on the stand, to the socket in the wall.

"Must have been a shock finding out, man." Steve said, blowing air through his teeth.

"It was, a little. But we're making progress." I said.

"You happy she's back here?" Steve asked.

"She's not back here for the nicest of reasons, and it's selfish, but yeah I really am. Hawkins hasn't been the same for me, without her." I admitted.

"You've still got it bad for her, haven't you?" He asked, with a crooked smile.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

"Sorta. You'd be helping with all of this, even if you didn't. That's the kind of guy you are. I know you're helping your son too. You'd do this for any one of us, if we needed it. The only obvious thing I'd say for me, that I've noticed, is you always had this look, whenever you thought about her or talked about her." Steve said.

I looked over to the window and was lost momentarily as I thought about her.

"Yeah, that exact one." He said, chuckling softly.

"I saw that look for three years. It's the same." He continued.

"And before you say anything, I know you're not doing this in the hopes you get back together. I know you're doing this to help them, to help your son and his mother." He added.

"I know, I'm not. I just want to be in my sons life, help her as his mom, as his dad." I said.

"We know, man." Steve said, gripping my shoulder.

He turned back to the TV then, adjusted it on the stand and turned it on.

The Home Screen came on and he celebrated for a moment.

"Heeeey.... Voila!" He said, triumphant.

"What's next?" He asked, as I rolled my eyes.

"Curtains, cushions, bookcase and books." I said.

********

It took several hours, but we got there.
We did it.

Jodie, even though she didn't know it, was officially unpacked and moved in.

We'd all admired each others handiwork, and myself and Steve decided it would be nice for Jodie, her father and Oscar to come here to a BBQ.

And so we'd set it up in the garden, we'd all rallied around to find enough chairs for us all to sit around, and Wayne had driven over with a fire can, and meat and buns for the BBQ.

It was around 7pm, when we heard footsteps in the house, and gasps of surprise.

We all crept to the patio doors, and peered inside to watch their reactions.

"Surprise!" Steve shouted, with a crooked grin.

"You guys did all of this?" Jodie asked, turning full circle in the kitchen.

"We did." Dustin said, happily.

"Burgers are on the way, you fancy something to eat?" Wayne asked, brandishing the tongs in his hand.

"I could eat." Sam said, with a smile.

"Daddy!" Ozzy cried, rushing through the kitchen towards me.

I sank to my knees, catching him in my arms and scooping him up. His small arms wound tightly around my neck and I could hear him giggling in my ear, as he pressed his face into my hair.

"My dude." I said, hugging him tightly, happy to see him.

And when I set him down on the floor and he wandered immediately over to his ball on the grass, Nancy and Robin were staring at him, teary eyed and in awe.

"Oh my god.... Isn't he just the sweetest thing?" Nancy gushed.

"Baby Munson." Robin said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He looks just like you." Mike marvelled.

I couldn't help but smile, as Dustin chuckled softly.

"Handsome like his old man." Dustin said.

"I don't know about that." I said, laughing.

"And less of the old." I added, as Dustin grinned.

"You want something to eat Jodie?" Steve asked, as she stepped outside.

I turned and she took my actual breath away.

The sunlight fell on her silky, raven hair, illuminating the natural red and brown tones that ran through it, bouncing off the ray bans that sat ontop of her head, the oversized denim jacket loose off her bare shoulders.

The white crop top that settled above her toned, petite waist, encasing her equally petite chest, the matching mom jeans that sat snug against her waist.

She shifted slightly on her feet, encased in white low top converse, as she smiled broadly, showing her perfectly white, straight teeth.

"I can't believe you all did this. Thank you so much." She said, in disbelief.

"We wanted to. So sit, have a burger for Christ's sake." I said playfully, rolling my eyes.

She chuckled softly and she stepped onto the grass, greeting everyone she hadn't seen for the first time in seven, long years.

The last person she hugged, was me.
I hadn't expected one. But she hugged me all the same.

"Ozzy is gonna love his room." I said, in a low voice.

"I'm sure he will." She said, squeezing my arm gratefully, when she released me.

"No, I mean, really love it." I said.

"What did you do?" She asked, as I smirked.

"Let's just say, I dug out some of my old action figures.... He has a couple of new but old, Primes to play with." I said.

"So he really was your favourite?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said, with a soft chuckle.

She sank into a chair and she eyed me before mouthing a sincere, genuine thank you.

And before I could stop myself, I winked at her.
Winked at her like I used to.

She noticed though. And there was a long glance my way after that.

Before she seemed to remember something and she withdrew her eye contact from me and turned to Wayne.

"God Wayne, is my burger ready yet?" She asked playfully, feigning impatience as she smiled broadly.

We all laughed and Wayne turned to her with the tongs.

"It's coming, keep your damn skirt on." He growled, before laughing with us.

********************
After an evening of good food, courtesy of Wayne and Sam, a few beers, laughter, memories and plenty of joking around, Ozzy was in bed with every single one of his Primes, and everyone had gone home, promising another cookout the following weekend.

It was only myself and Jodie left now in the garden, still sitting in the garden chairs, watching the remnants of the fire that had been going all night.

Her face was lit up with oranges and reds, and she looked pensive.

"This was your idea, wasn't it?" She asked me, breaking our silence.

"Guilty as charged." I said, raising my beer bottle in a toast.

"You were right, Ozzy really does love his room." She said, as I chuckled softly.

"He does." I said.

"Eddie.... You remember when I said that I'd have stayed, when you didn't?" She asked me.

"I do." I answered, swallowing hard as I realised a difficult, emotional conversation was about to take place.

"I don't think I could have. I don't think I would have." She answered.

"You still saved me a couple of times." I reasoned.

"No you don't understand.... I'd have ran out on you too. I don't think I've been angry all these years because you did. I think I've been angry all of these years because I saw you do, what I knew I'd have done too. I know I wouldn't have been strong enough, to try and get to you. And I was angry I think, at just how true that was. I was angry at myself." She explained.

"We were kids, Jodie. There were no rules on how we were supposed to deal with all of that. We'd taken on a monumental task, and we were kids. There was going to be mistakes. We all made them. I made a huge one that day, and I've punished myself a lot for that mistake. I've never let myself forget it, I've always used it to push myself along, keep myself going, to do what I needed to." I said.

"I was so angry when I thought I was gonna die... so angry because I just wasn't ready. I remember thinking, no, this can't be it. This isn't how I go. I'm too young, I've not done anything I wanted to do with my life and this... this evil thing, this monster was taking my chance. And when I saw you there, in anguish, in horror.... I didn't want you to see it. But I didn't want you to run either. I didn't want you to do what I knew I'd have done, if it had been you." She said.

"How did you escape, Jodes?" I asked, hoping she'd answer a seven year long burning question.

"Survival instinct. I took the only shot I had, and that was to grab the nearest thing to me. There was a rock in the grass. I reached for it, and I hit him on the side of the head. He let me go and I ran. Eleven did the rest, in the end." She said.

"I knew you'd have been brave. You always were. You still are." I said.

"I'm not as brave as you think." She said, dismissively, as her eyes fixed on the dying flames of the fire.

"You raised our son for almost six years, on your own. You grew him, nurtured him, gave birth to him, and you did that, you did that by yourself. He's kind, he's curious, he's funny, his manners are to die for. You did all of that." I said.

"I've only ever seen glimmers of myself in him, over time. He's always been mostly like you. Curious, inquisitive, nosey..." she said, chuckling at the last part.

"He's always had your eyes, your hair, your smile...." She said, trailing off.

"I always did have a killer smile." I joked, as she chuckled softly.

"Always so modest." She said, equally as playful.

"Listen, with what I didn't have, I had to make good and capitalise on what I did." I argued.

"Oh of course, and we both know you always did." She said, as we laughed together.

"I'm so sorry that I bailed on you. You were my person, and I left you behind. I was scared, and I wasn't strong enough for the both of us when I should have been." I said, as she sighed softly.

"That was too much to have ever asked of you. Because if anything was true, it was what you said. We were kids. And when we're kids, there's a lot we're afraid of. We saw a lot, we did a lot." She said, looking down at her lap.

"It was the failure, that's why I ran. I didn't protect you, and he got a hold of you. I thought to myself that if that day was the day you died..... a real big piece of me would have died too. I ran, so I didn't see it happen. I didn't want to be numb, lost or a shadow... I didn't want to see myself lose you. But I did lose you. And instead of mourning you, I grieved you in a different way." I said.

"But I used it to push myself, to get myself where I needed to be. I worked at the garage I own, helped Jerry when he almost had to close... I bought it from him, and asked him to stay on as my boss. He retired a few years later, and I still own it, I still run it and work there. I wanted you to see who I'd become, if you ever happened to see me again. If you ever came back." I continued.

"You should be proud of yourself Eddie, you've done so much for yourself." She said.

"I did it to prove to myself that I was still worthy of you. I felt I had to prove my worth to myself again, too." I said.

"And you have, tenfold." She assured me.

"And you don't need to prove to me that you can be a good dad. I always knew you would be. You already are. You didn't need to open the bank account, you didn't need to deposit so much, you don't need to prove to me that you want to be in his life. You always would have wanted to, I think I knew that deep down.... you just didn't know about him." She added.

"I'm only doing what I would have done, if I'd know about him from the start." I assured her.

"Just please let me." I added.

"Okay." She said, searching my eyes with hers.

"Thank you for doing all of this. I wasn't sure if and when I'd have the time." She added.

"It was no problem at all." I said, waving her off.

"What was your pregnancy like?" I asked her, after a mutual pause.

"I enjoyed it. I was a little scared obviously, but yeah.... Heartburn a lot of the time, which made sense with the amount of hair he came out with. Paid the price for him to have curls like he does." She said.

"Did you have any weird cravings?" I asked, chuckling softly.

"Slushies were a big one. I can't tell you how many times I made late night trips to the 7/11 for one of those. And peanut butter." She said.

"We always used to go and get slushies." I said, as she laughed.

"We did. You'd have every flavour." She remarked.

"What can I say, I was greedy." I said, with a shrug.

"You always get half and half and you'd let me try it and I'd always secretly wish I'd done the same." I added.

"Sometimes I did let you have mine." She said.

"You did." I said, in agreement.

"So tell me, is there a girl in your life?" She asked me suddenly.

"Me? No. You?" I asked, a little too hurriedly, perhaps.

"Is there a girl in my life? No." She said, playfully.

"You know what I meant." I said, rolling my eyes.

"I did. Apparently I still like playing your own jokes on you." She said, chuckling.

"No, there's no one." She added.

"Did you ever meet anyone?" I asked.

"I went on a couple of dates I guess..... but I guess I wasn't interested. I had more important things in my life." She said.

"Oscar." I said, understanding.

"Yeah, and both guys got real twitchy when they knew I was a single mom." She said, rolling her eyes.

"God, that's a turn off even for me, and I'm a guy." I said, grimacing.

"That's pretty shallow." I added.

"Yeah. They did me a favour though, in some ways." She said.

"Did you see anyone, after?" She added.

"Sorta. I had a couple of dates with a girl who I used to work with, at the bar. Just never felt like my heart was in it." I said.

"God there's no hope for either of us." She said, as I chuckled softly.

"There never was." I said.

"No that's true." She said, with a sigh.

"I should probably get going, it's almost midnight." I said, checking my Casio.

"Alright Cinderella." She said, with a coy smile.

She saw me to her front door, as we walked slowly, in step with each other.

"Thank you for everything you did. All of you." She said, with a sincere smile.

"I didn't want you still living out of boxes in a months time. You've got a lot on right now, so if I can help, I'd want to." I said.

"You have. Thank you." She confirmed.

"I need to see my mom in the morning, my dad can't go. Would you maybe want to take Oz to school tomorrow?" She asked, as I bobbed excitedly.

"Absolutely, I'd love to." I said, gleefully.

"He has to be there for 8:45. He'll be ready for around twenty past." She said, chuckling softly.

"I'll be there for then. Thank you Jodie." I said, sincerely.

"Anytime. Plus you'd be doing me a favour." She said.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said, reaching out to stroke her cheek softly, forgetting myself.

A blush crept across her nose the moment she realised she'd leaned into my touch, and I released her.

"Goodnight, Jodes." I whispered.

"Goodnight." She whispered back, as I walked through her open door.

I turned back to wave, just before she closed it, to find her watching me leave, leaning against it.

She seemed to hover as I climbed into my van, and as I pulled off the curb, she gave me a small wave and I watched her close the door.

She still gave me butterflies.
To this day.

***************************************
"Jodie, are you skipping school again?" My mom asked.

"Ma, I don't go to school anymore. I'm 25." I insisted.

"You've never used that excuse before." She remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not an excuse ma, it's the truth." I said.

"Oh god, I just don't know where I am these days with anything." She said, frustratedly.

"I know. But it's okay ma, we're all here to help." I said.

"I want to go home." She said, sounding sad.

"That's not possible ma." I said, sadly.

"Why?" She asked.

"You're not well." I answered.

"Oh Jesus not you too. Your dad said that yesterday." She said.

I was impressed that she'd remembered.
But that was the funny, but heart wrenching thing.

Sometimes she did, most of the time she didn't.

"I could always leave. All I do is lie here." She threatened.

"Hey, you don't just lie here. You go on a walk around the grounds every day, you have a couple of hours in your chair by the window, and you have a couple of hours in the common room where you sit with other people here. You don't just lie here." I argued.

"I'm gonna die in here, I just know it." She said, shaking her head.

"You can't talk like that." I said.

"Jodie, I'll die in here, because I'm here. I can't stand it." She snapped.

"You're in the best care possible ma. You need the help." I said, rubbing my face in sadness and frustration.

"I'll be back later on tonight." I said, rising to my feet.

"You mark my words girl. If I stay here, I'm dying in here and I hope you're happy knowing that." She snapped.

I couldn't answer; I was frightened of what I'd say.

And as I walked to the door and bade her goodbye, she was suddenly vacant in the face.

"Sorry dear.... Who are you?" She asked.

I left before the sob escaped my mouth.

********************************
Eddie's POV.

Jodie had called me not long after she'd gotten home, and asked if I fancied a coffee in town.

I'd obliged without hesitation, and when I arrived, there was a coffee already on the table for me, and she was sitting opposite it, sitting with her elbows on the table and her head in her hands as she stared down into her own mug.

And when she looked up to see me as I sat down, she looked lost and quite upset.

"How'd it go?" I asked, sensing it hadn't gone well.

"She was irritated, asked me if I was skipping school again. Told me the longer she stays there, she's gonna die there. And then at the end, it was as if her mind just erased the entire conversation..... and me. And she asked me who I was." She said.

She was sitting in a smart tartan blazer, with blue jeans and sandals, and her hair was loosely styled into neat curls.

"What do I do with that Ed?" She asked me.

"Take it as it comes, I'm gonna say." I said, before sipping my coffee.

"I hope you don't mind this, but I did research dementia. And no day with a dementia patient is the same. I'm sure you know that already, I'm not saying you don't. But I'm saying that you need to be a little easier on yourself too, when your mom has bad days. Because tomorrow will be different again, and she'll be different. It's unpredictable and it's a thief of a disease." I said, as she eyed me carefully.

God she was beautiful.
Beautiful when she was sad too, and that seemed cruel of me to think so.

But it was more that no matter what, she was beautiful to me. There was beauty in that as well.

"I don't mind, not at all. And that was some pretty sound advice." She said, delicately turning the ring on her finger around, with her thumb.

Her delicate, pale arm resting on the table.

"I needed to hear it. So thank you." She added.

"Drink your coffee, decompress. Take an hour, take two. We can talk and sit here as long as you want. Well until 3pm because Oz finishes school at 3:15." I said, with a small chuckle.

A smile crept across her lips and she nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"It's just hard. It was harder when she didn't recognise Oz. Tomorrow is a different day, and this is what we were told would happen. She's developed bed sores too, they're not turning her often enough. So I did bark at the nurse before I left." She said.

"I shouldn't have..... because they do get her out of bed, they take her to the common room, they take her for walks. They help her into her chair... just when she's in bed, she's in one position for far too long. I think I was just projecting." She added, her thumb and finger pressing into the corners of her eyes, as she sighed.

"They understand. You won't have been the first and you won't be the last. It's not just hard on the patient, it's hard for the family too. And they see that all too often. It'll have been forgotten about." I assured her.

"Listen, if you wanted me to take Oz for a few hours, give you some time to just relax and have some quiet, I can do. You need time for yourself too." I added, as she smiled weakly.

"I've already stolen you from work for this coffee. And you took him to school for me." She argued.

"I'm his dad. And my own boss. You're not asking me to do anything outside of either remit, Jodes. You're not asking, I'm offering, anyway." I said, as she chuckled softly.

"I can pick him up from school, and he can have his dinner at my house. I'll bath him, get him ready for bed and bring him over before bedtime tonight." I continued.

"And before you say anything, I have everything I need at mine. He has everything he needs, his own room, clothes, the lot." I added.

"I'll wash his uniform so it's ready for tomorrow too." I said.

"That would be great yeah. I need to grocery shopping and clean the house." She said.

"It's not a deal then. If you go home and relax, take some time, then it's a deal." I warned.

"But...." She started to object.

"Write me a list now, and I'll do your groceries." I interrupted, as she shifted in her chair.

"The cleaning can wait. It's one day Jodes. Take it. Read a book, sit outside in the garden all day, take a stupidly long bath, have a nap. Something for you, I'll take care of the rest." I continued.

"Why would you do that?" She asked.

"Because I care about you. I care about you, and you as the mother of our son. And I want to do this, I want to take care of him equally as much as I want to take care of you." I explained.

She agreed eventually, and she slowly drank the rest of her coffee as we lightly chatted about various other things.

By the end of the conversation, she'd written me a list, albeit still a little reluctantly and slid it across the table to me.

"I care about you too." She said, with a small smile.

"I'm glad we've settled that." I said jokingly, with a playful grin.

"You're such a dingus." She said, rolling her eyes.

"But even so, thank you." She said, as I tugged her to me and gave her a tight, reassuring hug.

She melted into my arms with relief and hugged me just as tightly in return. She rubbed my back softly and when we started to release each other, she looked up at me, and I leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm here for you." I whispered, so only she could hear, after pulling away.

Her eyes were full of surprise and sincerity as she nodded with certainty at me.

"I know, Eddie. I'm glad that you are." She whispered back.

******************************************
Eddie's POV.

Oz burst through his mothers front door around 7pm, and ran straight to her as she sat on the sofa, a blanket draped across her.

I followed shortly after, armed with his clean uniform, his school bags and the groceries.

She rushed to help me after they'd greeted each other, and after I'd parted with some of the groceries, she led me into the kitchen, where I helped her to put them away.

Ozzy padded into the kitchen with the tiny patter of bare feet, and tapped me on the hand.

"Dad, are you sleeping over tonight?" He asked.

"No little guy, I'm going in around an hour." I said, apologetically.

"Momma, can we have a sleepover?" He asked her, as I remained silent.

"You'd really need to ask Daddy if he's okay with that." She said.

"Dad are you okay with that?" Oz asked, without hesitation.

"I'd love to." I said, with the same immediate response.

"You can sleep on my floor." Oz said, as she suppressed a laugh.

"The floor isn't altogether comfortable Oz. Perhaps the sofa might be better for Dad?" She asked him, as I smiled.

She knew as well as I did that I had a knack for being able to sleep anywhere, and even during the war in the upside down, we'd all learned to take sleep where and when we could, and that had never left any of us.

"You can have a boys night in your room, and then when you go to sleep, dad can come down and sleep on the sofa." She added.

"YES!" Ozzy cried, dancing around the kitchen.

"You're okay with that?" She asked me.

"Absolutely. Always down for a boys night." I said, with a grin.

*********
We did have a boys night. We had action figure fights, a picnic dinner on his bedroom floor and by 8:30 he was in bed, fast asleep after I'd had the pleasure of reading him my first bedtime story.

"He's out like a light." I announced, when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"You guys have fun?" She asked, curled up on the sofa again.

There was bedding neatly folded at the other end, and I moved it to sit down next to her.

"We did. I appreciate you letting me stay. That's the beauty and the innocence of him being a kid and not knowing anything about the history we have." I said.

"I've told him a little bit. I told him that we were young when we were together, we were in love and then we unfortunately weren't friends and I moved away." She said.

"How'd he take it?" I asked, curiously.

"Surprisingly well. I explained the situation with the calls and the letters and he like me, thinks that the postman at Forest Hill's trailer park needs firing." She said, as we both chuckled.

"Worst mail man ever." She added.

"I suppose we're getting somewhere now and that counts for something right?" I asked.

"Of course." She said.

And upon that, we had a few beers together, talked about anything and everything until she bade me goodnight around 11:00pm, and I settled on the sofa.

I stared up at the ceiling, hearing her soft footsteps as she walked to her room, and sighed softly.

What I wouldn't give, to be climbing in bed, beside her. Curling my arms around her, pressing my body up against hers like we used to, tucked up under the covers, holding each other.

Talking in whispers until one of us fell asleep.
I still wanted that. I'd never stopped.

********************************************
Ozzy was a very lucky boy.

I woke the following morning to a phone call from the school about a burst pipe and that it was closed.

My father had been very excited and had planned a nice afternoon out for them both.

I had a shift at Family Video, for a couple of hours a little later on, Eddie had to open the garage too for a few bookings.

I was sitting outside, basking in the morning sun, letting Oz have a minor lie in, as I smoked a cigarette.

Eddie stepped outside with a mug of coffee and lit a cigarette of his own, exhaling slowly as he stretched.

"Mornin' Jodes." He said, with a refreshing smile.

"Morning, sleep good?" I asked.

"I'd give it a four star review." He said, chuckling softly.

"Glad to hear it." I said, smiling.

"Mommy?"

"Hey you." I said, as Oz approached me, still half asleep. I stubbed out my cigarette quickly and wafted the smoke away from him.

I rubbed his back softly, as he rubbed his eyes free of sleep and yawned softly.

"You don't have school today. Grandpa is gonna take you somewhere fun for a few hours." I said.

"Wow, really?" He asked, his eyes now wide with excitement.

"Yeah." I said, as Eddie chuckled.

My fingers ran over the hem of his pyjama's and frowned.

These weren't the ones I'd dressed him in for bed.

"Hey, did you change your jammies?" I asked him, as Eddie shook his head, subtly, eyeing me carefully.

I took the hint and looked back at Oz, who's shoulders sunk as his face creased with minor sadness. I knew what had happened.

"Your breakfast is on the side. It's okay baby, you'll get there. It's just an accident. Go on inside and eat. You'll get it don't worry." I reassured him, as he nodded, still a little glum.

I stroked his face, and he hugged me tightly.

"You'll get it baby.... You're a good boy. I love you." I whispered.

"I love you mommy." He said, as I released him.

He trudged inside and Eddie toked on his cigarette before parting his lips to speak.

"I met him on the stairs in the middle of the night. I was going to the bathroom, and he was on the landing. He told me he was wet, and so I changed his sheets, got him some new pjs and underwear and he changed into them. I sat with him for a while, read him another story until he'd gone back off to sleep. I hope that was okay?" He said, keeping his voice low.

"The sheets and his pjs are in the wash, they should be done by now actually." He added.

"Of course it was okay. You're his father Eddie. And you helped him. And me. So thank you." I said.

"I just didn't want to tell you in front of him, I reckon he's already embarrassed enough." He said.

"He's been doing really well, but we have the odd accident occasionally." I explained.

"He'll get it eventually, I'm sure." He said.

"Thanks for letting me stay." He added, as he sank into the lounger next to me on the veranda.

"He wanted you to. It was no problem." I said.

"Did you want me to?" He asked, as I shifted nervously.

"I know it's been seven years, but I do enjoy your company Eddie." I said.

"That's not really what I asked, sweetheart." He said, seeing right through it.

"Did you want me to stay, for just Ozzy.... Or did you want me to stay, for you too?" He asked.

And in perfect timing, my dad pulled up outside.

He climbed out of the car, and walked happily down the driveway, with a wide smile.

"Is the little guy ready for an adventure today?" He asked me.

"He's just finishing his breakfast. He'll need to wash and change and then he's good to go." I said, smiling.

I went to rise from my chair, when my father stopped me.

"I can handle it. Stay there, relax." He urged.

I sank back down, and in a somewhat comfortable silence, we shared a cigarette together, like old times, sitting on the front porch.

Until he broke it.

"Just for the record, you were never good at avoiding an answer to a question. You're still not." He said, in a low voice.

The same low voice that always would send a shiver up my spine. And it had done now.

He saw the familiar shudder; he saw my body tense and tremble.

********************
Eddie's POV.

Oscar and Sam had left on their little day out, and we were in the kitchen, cleaning up the breakfast plates.

"In answer to your question. Yes I did want you to stay, for me too." She said, eyeing me for a moment.

I couldn't deny how happy that made me inside, but there was caution etched on her face.

"Talk to me. What's on your mind?" I asked, encouragingly.

"Well, it's not like we could rush into anything Eddie. Oscar doesn't miss a trick. And he knows that for the last five years, mommy's been on her own with him. He's at an age where he sees things, and somewhat understands them. So it's even more important that we don't rush into anything because we're his parents. I don't wanna confuse him." She said.

"I don't want to confuse him either. He's only just getting used to this set up. He sees me weekly, sees us getting along, we all spend time together as a family, me and him have had a couple of days where we've spent time on our own together..... I like where that's all going, I really do. I'm not wanting to confuse him, but I can't deny that I still feel something for you either, Jodie." I said.

"What if we tried it and it didn't work? He sees that?" She asked.

"Then we make a deal right now. If both of us still feel something for each other, then we take it slow. We stay as we are, when we're around him and our friends, when we're around Wayne and Sam..... and say once a week, like today, your dad or Wayne has Oscar for us, and we do something. We do something to reconnect, get to know each other again. And if we're sure that there's something we could build on, and we both want to continue, we can. If we don't, we continue to co parent as we have been." I said.

"And you'd be okay with that?" She asked, a little surprised.

"I have you both in my life. I'd take that in whatever format, so you remain in my life." I said, honestly.

She seemed to mull it over as she washed the dishes in the sink, and I came to stand behind her, my hands gently rubbing her arms as I pressed up against her slightly.

I just wanted to let her know that whatever she decided, I'd be okay with and she didn't have to worry about telling me if she didn't want to pursue anything again.

But it seemed to have been received in a way I hadn't anticipated.

This was close proximity for us, minus the few embraces we'd recently had; this was and felt different.

She sighed deeply, and she paused as she seemed to relish my touch.

I felt the goosebumps rise on her skin under my fingers and I smiled to myself as I pressed my face into her hair, kissing her head softly.

"It still feels the same.... It still feels exactly like how you used to touch me." She whispered.

"I haven't changed." I whispered, and I went to release her, when she issued a warning.

"Don't you dare stop, Munson." She whispered hurriedly.

"We said if we were going to, we'd take this slow." I said, chuckling softly.

"I haven't given you an answer." She reminded me.

She removed her hands from the dishwater, hurriedly dried them and turned to face me, her body brushing against me, my skin suddenly on fire.

"No, you're right, you haven't." I whispered, her face inches from mine.

"I'm scared that if I kiss you.... Or you kiss me..... I'm not gonna want this to stop." She whispered back.

"If you kiss me, or if I kiss you, there'd be no going back for me." I said, truthfully.

"But you said...." She started to say.

"Oh I meant it. I'd take whatever format was on offer.... But my heart would be yours." I said.

"It would be mine?" She repeated, her voice hushed with shock.

"Baby girl.... It's always been yours." I whispered.

She shuddered at another old nickname I used to call her by, one that was apparently still, her favourite.

"Either way, I'll never run out on you again." I whispered.

And I slowly bridged the gap between us, our previous conversation partly thrown to the wind along with our individual caution, I lowered my face a hairs breadth away from hers and I felt my lips touch hers.

Even this fleeting touch, made me feel more alive than I had done for a long time.

I paused slightly, feeling her breath on my face, before I finally plucked her lips into my own.

I kissed her deeply, slowly, softly, my hands blindly running up her arms to hold her around her shoulders, holding her close to me.

I broke from her momentarily, wanting to see if we were to continue or stop, and she shook her head hurriedly.

"That shouldn't feel like that." She whispered.

"Like what?" I asked, a little paranoid.

"Like it used to. But better." She said, as I laughed softly.

"I thought I'd kissed you all wrong or something." I said, very relieved as I sighed deeply.

"I've ruined the moment haven't I." She said, with a sheepish grimace as we hung together a little awkward.

"Absolutely fucking not." I said, in a heavy whisper as I caught her lips again, pinning her up against the sink.

And a slew of feverish, hurried, deep, urgent kisses followed, her hands weaving into my hair as she stood on her tip toes to reach me. One of my arms held her to me around her back, the other snaked down so my hand could curl around one of her pert butt cheeks.

I squoze it generously and I slipped my hand under the baggy blue T-shirt she was wearing that came down to her knees.

I could feel the beautiful soft skin of her behind, and it was as if my hands knew where they wanted to go; I couldn't stop them or myself.

I picked her up by her ass and settled her onto the countertop. She was breathless and surprised, as well as clearly, very aroused.

I pulled her to the edge and my hands clasped her knees as I gently encouraged her to part her legs.

She did as I wordlessly instructed and she leaned forward, parting her lips to speak.

"Do you still remember what I like?" She whispered, searching my eyes with a burning curiosity.

I answered her by sliding my hand under her T-shirt, slipping her underwear to the side, something that used to be quite the turn on for her, fluidly sliding a finger inside of her.

"How could I forget baby girl?" I whispered back, as she bit down on her bottom lip.

She held onto the handle of the cupboard behind her, her head leaning against it, as she let me work her in the way only I knew how.

Her other hand gripped my shoulder, as I curled my finger upwards, swiftly adding a second, twisting both into a beckoning movement and that's when I heard the soft moans I'd missed so much.

"Don't you.... Don't you...." She tried to say, as I leaned forward to meet her gaze, understanding.

"This moment is about you. Just you." I answered.

"I don't think I can hold on...." She whispered.

"Then don't princess. Don't." I assured her, as I caught her lips, kissing her softly.

She clung to me and her chest started to heave deeply.

"Don't keep it from me...." I whispered.

She was indirectly trying to edge; she was trying to keep herself from peaking too soon, and I could tell she wanted to feel this for longer than her body was allowing her.

"No one else has touched you except for me have they?" I asked her, against her lips.

"No....." She whispered back, trembling.

That turned me on just thinking about it.
She was still exclusively mine.

And she suddenly moved my hand from inside of her and slid off the countertop, hurriedly pawing at my jeans.

"Baby...." I whispered.

"I want this moment to be about us both." She said, urgently.

And so I helped her unbuckle my belt, and I slipped my jeans and boxers off of my hips, as she turned to face away from me.

I slid her underwear down her legs and she quickly stepped out of them.

And after positioning myself, I slid inside of her, closing the gap between us, as I reached around to gently grip her neck, holding her to me as I gently started to thrust in and out of her.

Our moans and deep breaths of arousal synced immediately, like they always used to, her hands gripping the countertop, when I picked up the pace slightly.

"Oh god.... Oh god I've missed you...." She said, her voice strained with pleasure, and from the position I was holding her head in, by her neck.

"I've missed you so much baby girl....." I whispered back, my voice uneven.

It wasn't long before I heard the familiar sounds as she climaxed, and I felt her tighten around me; she pushed her hips towards me, riding the last of her orgasm and unfortunately, it was enough to tip me over the same edge.

It had been seven years; I wasn't necessarily at the top of my game. And so it was short, but it was definitely sweet.

And she definitely wasn't disappointed; she told me as much, as I held her for a moment, my arms wrapped around her from behind, kissing her shoulder softly as we recovered.

"It's been seven years for me too...." I said, as she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter.... It was amazing." She assured me.

"Did we go against what we proposed?" I asked her.

"Just the take things slow part. That wasn't slow." She wagered with a slight smile, as we headed upstairs to freshen up and re-dress.

"It doesn't have to continue this way, we could draw a line under this and call it what it was." I said.

"What would you call it?" She asked, as she changed into an off the shoulder, loose black jumper and plaid sweatpants.

My old sweatpants.

"Finding you again." I answered.

"What would you call it?" I added, intrigued.

"What I've waited seven long years for." She answered, as my breath hitched in my chest in surprise.

"You really mean that?" I asked, as she nodded.

"I left, and I was an angry kid. A real, angry kid. Angry at you, myself, the world, everyone. That anger faded the moment I stared down at that positive pregnancy test. That anger faded when I wrote my first letter to you, and made the first phone call. I wanted you to answer, so I could tell you just how sorry I was, for expecting too much of you. For expecting you to stand here and watch me die, knowing deep down that if the shoe was on the other foot, I'd have ran too. I'd have ran so far away from that. Because there wouldn't have been any coming back from it. I was scared to face it, to face you. And I wanted you to know that you were going to be a dad. It was the easiest decision; not telling you never crossed my mind. I wanted you to see what we'd made together, out of all of that evil, and darkness. We'd made a baby, and he was perfect. Small, pink, wrinkly and perfect. We did that. And that was so much better and worth so much more than being angry, being upset, being hurt." She said, as I stood on the opposite of the room, in total surprise and awe.

"I know I've been quite late to the party.... But I want to make up for that, so much." I said, desperately.

"Good...... because I don't want to do this without you anymore. I don't want Ozzy to grow up any further, without you there to see it." She said.

"So what's the plan?" I asked, as she rushed over to me, burying her face into my shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around her, kissing the top of her head softly.

"We reconnect. One day a week, and we see how it goes. Let's go with your proposal. I'm in." She said.

"Oh I'm so in." I answered, with certainty.

***************************************
One month later.

"Okay, I have a question." Robin said, from behind me.

Turns out there was a job going at Family Video and I'd taken it, happily.

One I needed the money, and two, I was working with two of my favourite people.

Steve and Robin.

I'd taken a second job, as a receptionist two days a week, in addition to the three shifts at Family Video, so my Mondays through to Fridays were spent working, and weekends were happily spent with Eddie and Ozzy.

Friday nights were a night for just me and Eddie, but only my dad knew that we were working on things. No one else did.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked, as she eyed me carefully.

"It might be intrusive." She said, faltering.

"Out with it." I demanded, as she sighed softly.

"You're different lately. Settled I'd say is the word." She said.

"Relaxed, perhaps. Yeah, definitely relaxed." She added.

"I sense that you have a theory, Buckley." I said, as Steve emerged from the back room, eyes down on the clipboard in his hands.

"Actually we both do." He said, without looking at me.

"Share with the newbie." I said.

"Well what you've said so far is hardly intrusive." I added, as Steve looked me dead in the eye.

"Our theory is that you and Munson have possibly slept together." He said, as I felt the air leave my chest.

"I take it back, that was intrusive." I said, feeling myself start to sweat.

"We don't think it's a bad idea at all. Far from it actually. I for one, think it's wonderful." Robin said.

I leaned on the counter, reminding myself how to breathe.

"How do you even know?" I asked.

"When you've kept it a secret you mean?" Steve asked, as I nodded.

"Your entire demeanour has changed. You're not angry, you're not uptight, you don't panic at his name or his presence. And at the cookout last week, I saw how you were with each other." Robin explained.

"Subtle touches, secret glances, the casual hand on your back for a few seconds. He tries real hard to stay away from you, and it's obvious he tries. But that kid has it SO bad for you, that within seconds he's back at your side and he just has to be touching you. And I don't mean that as though I think it's creepy. It's actually really damn sweet." Steve said.

"And you do the exact same." Robin added.

I looked up at them both, and frowned slightly.

"I do?" I asked.

"You both look exactly like you did in school. Always together, always close." Robin said.

"Well, we're trying not to do that.... Not around Ozzy anyway." I explained.

"No that's understandable. You don't want to confuse him and we get that. But having these days every Friday.... I guess now you're both struggling to remain neutral around him and everyone." Steve said.

"You've just slot right back in together and picked up where you left off." Robin added.

"That's how I'd describe it, yeah." I answered, feeling it was an accurate description.

"But it's been just over a month. It's too soon, to introduce that to Ozzy." I added.

"Don't feel as though you need to hold back, no one's saying to do that, when Ozzy isn't around. We're just saying that if it's obvious to us, it's gonna eventually be obvious to him when he's around it. He's almost six, kids see more than we'd like to admit." Robin said.

"Kids are clever, man." Steve said, as though he'd always thought it.

"Can I ask one more intrusive question and then I swear, I'm done." Robin said, as I sighed softly.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Is it.... Love? Or just more of a like? An intense like?" She asked.

"Oh man....." I said, squirming a little.

Did I say it?

"It's love." I said, as they both suddenly got excited.

"Oh my god." Robin said, beaming.

"A continuation of love. It's never stopped for me." I added.

"And for him?" Steve asked, hopeful.

"Dingus, it's obvious." Robin said, rolling her eyes.

"The same." I said, with a nod of confirmation.

"Seven years and you both still loved each other. You both still love each other." Steve said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He's my person Steve. He has been since I was fifteen." I said.

"We're happy for you. We're just nosey, and wanted to know. We'd have understood if you'd told us to keep our noses out." Robin explained.

"No, that's okay. If it's been obvious to you, it'll have been obvious to everyone else too. We're just gonna have to try and act more like friends until we're ready to tell Oz." I said.

"You're doing great mama." Robin assured me.

"He's the happiest kid on earth. He's reunited with his dad, they've bonded immediately and he already worships Eddie." Steve said.

"Eddie worships that kid, too." Robin added.

"Oh god, he does." Steve said.

"Wayne's also smitten." Robin said.

"Has he stopped crying yet?" Steve asked.

"Still gets emotional when he sees him every week." I said, chuckling fondly.

"Eddie's a good dad. Always knew he would be." Steve said.

"He is." I said.

"Your happy ending is on the horizon, Jodes. Just wait a little longer." Robin said, as I nodded.

"I'll just have to swat him away like a pesky fly when he comes around me." I said, playfully.

"Oh we have a fly swatter actually." Robin said, rummaging around under the desk.

"I was joking. I'll just probably tell him." I said, as I laughed, Steve laughing too.

"Not everything we say is literal, Buckley." Steve said, rolling his eyes.

She wasn't listening.

"Ah hah! I told you." She said, holding a bright blue swatter up in her hand.

"Good old whack with this and he'll get the message." She added, handing it out to me.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" I asked her.

"Oh you weren't being literal were you?" She asked.

Steve turned on his heel, and I could see him in the aisles, shaking his head.

"For the love of god, Buckley..." I heard him mutter as she awkwardly put the swatter back.

"No honey, I wasn't." I said, with a grin.

"Listen to the room Buckley." She said to herself, with a deep sigh.

"I love you, Buck." I said, with a fond smile.

"Love you more, Jodes." She said, returning the same smile.

******************************************
"Oh damn.... We've been that obvious?" Eddie asked me, later that evening.

"Yeah, we have apparently." I answered.

"Okay, well.... We're gonna have to work on that, until we tell the little guy." Eddie said.

"Yeah, I think so too." I said.

"We'll just have to save it for our Fridays." He said, with a mischievous grin as he approached me at the sink, and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my shoulder.

"And the evenings when our favourite boy is in bed." He added, as I laughed softly.

"Fridays are my favourite day of the week you know." He said, with a glint in his eye.

"Well you're out of luck, because it's Wednesday." I said, shrugging casually.

He pouted, feigning sadness and I leaned forward, pecking him softly.

"You should get going, your bar shift starts in half an hour." I reminded him.

"I don't wanna." He said, sounding like a spoilt child.

"You gotta. You're a working man." I said.

"Alright, you've convinced me." He said, pecking me back on the lips.

"See you tomorrow after work?" He asked.

"You bet. Ozzy said he wants you to take him to the park." I said.

"Just me?" He asked, as I chuckled softly.

"Oh I wasn't invited." I explained, as he grinned broadly.

"I love our kid." He said, with a sigh of contentment.

****************************************
Eddie's POV.

Friday night soon came and instead of going out, there was apparently only one place we were heading for.

Jodie had come to my house, and we'd wasted no time in rushing up the stairs, giddy and aroused.

I'd already got the idea in my mind to make the second time this happened, feel more personal and intimate, and not on a last minute spur of the moment. And I wanted it to last, a little longer than it did the first time. I wanted to make her feel good; I wanted to feel good too.

And so, even though we were both eager, I gently encouraged that we take our time, take the night to fully immerse ourselves in this moment, see it through it it's entirety.

Neither of us had been with a single person since we'd broken up with each other, and that had predominantly been through choice.

She hadn't wanted to be with anyone else; neither had I.

And so, I wanted tonight to be special.

And when we were free of clothes, we'd kissed every inch of each others skin, touched each other in every single place we could find, the second time began and it was even better than the first.

It was passionate, sensual, and I felt like we had finally found our way back to each other.

Jodie and Eddie, were one again.
The dynamic duo, back together.

We were lying together, the covers lazily draped over our bodies, as we toyed with each others hands, staring into each others eyes.

"Do you remember when we first got together?" I asked, as she chuckled softly.

"Over milkshakes at Huckleberry's." She said, smiling fondly.

"It was quite the pitch, Munson." She added.

"I remember. I came up with this whole argument, for, against and conclusion." I said, laughing softly.

"Arguments for, was that we knew everything about each other already, we got along as friends, we were best friends, did everything together, we knew each others secrets, likes, dislikes and it would make sense to be together. We'd kissed at a couple of parties, and had started to have flirty moments." I continued.

"Arguments against was that neither of us wanted to potentially ruin the friendship if things didn't work out. We'd kissed a couple of times, but was that enough?" She said.

"And my conclusion?" I asked her with a grin.

"Your conclusion was that we'd been friends for years, and you wouldn't let me hate you. You wouldn't let us fall out if it didn't work and you'd make sure we figured out how to get back to being friends. But ultimately, you wanted to be with me, you had feelings for me and you didn't want to go out with anyone else." She said, chuckling softly.

"I didn't. I really didn't. I only saw myself going out with you. You were the only girl for me." I said, unabashed.

"Remember how we both said we'd wished we'd lost our virginities to each other?" I added.

"Oh god yeah.... And do you remember who we lost them to?" She said, as I watched her both internally and externally cringe.

"Amber Townsend." I said, with a shudder.

"You got so much shit for that, because she was a cheerleader." She said.

"She tried to deny it for a good while." I noted, shaking my head.

"And let's not forget Darius Evans. Jesus H Christ." She said, as I snorted with laughter.

"It's not funny. It was so fucking awkward. I thought, you know.... I'm in good hands here, kid knows what he's doing, he told me so. Fucking asshat lied." She said, as the snort turned into a belly laugh.

"Darry sure talked the talk." I said.

"He didn't walk the walk, I can assure you." She said.

"I think we just wanted to get it over and done with." I said.

"I know I did. I knew I liked you then, I knew you'd slept with someone already. I thought, I wanted to be prepared, so I knew what I was doing, and what to expect incase we ever did." She said.

"That's why I did it too." I said.

"We needn't have bothered." She said, chuckling softly.

"For what we both got out of it, no." I said, in agreement.

"I remember when we did though, finally." She said.

"Oh... me too." I said, as we both seemed to fondly reminisce for a moment.

"Okay, I'm back." She said, as we both laughed coyly.

"There were so many times after that." I said, as she smiled.

"Everywhere." She added, grinning broadly.

"We sure christened the van." I said, as she laughed loudly.

"Thank god no one ever took a black light to it." She said, as I belly laughed again.

She had a knack for it; she knew how to make me laugh so hard, my stomach would ache.

"It would have looked like a Jackson Pollock painting." I surmised, as she giggled, punching me softly in the arm.

"You totally stole that joke." She said.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I'm a Marvel fan. And a fan of the Star Lord himself." She said.

"God, you're so cool." I said, with a fond sigh.

"But technically, you stole that joke too." I added.

"Alright, I guess I did." She said, with her infamous playful, eye roll.

"Do you remember when you first told me you loved me?" She asked, as I smiled broadly.

"I do." I said, as she smiled back at me.

"It was sweet." She said, clearly reminiscing again.

It had been in the summer, six months to the day of when we'd first started dating. I'd been in love with her before that time, but the point I voiced it out loud to her, seemed like the perfect moment.

Six months to the day of her agreeing to be my girlfriend.

We'd been to the roller rink, and we were walking home with blistered feet, having skated all night in the wrong kind of socks, every step followed by a wince or a cry of pain, and then laughter at each other.

I'd walked her home, and as we'd sat together on the swing chair, on the veranda of her parents house, we'd sighed with relief at the weight being off our feet, laughing at how I still had to walk back to my trailer.

We'd shared a cigarette and a number of kisses, giddy with joy and as I'd tucked a strand of her raven hair behind her ear, I'd looked her dead in the eye and told her I loved her.

I told her how I loved being around her, being with her, and how I loved just how much she filled my time, days and nights with her laughter and her infectious, happy energy.

She'd brightened my life, I'd said.

And she'd blushed madly, with a smile that seemed too big for her face and she'd told me that she loved me too.

"I still love you, princess." I whispered, truthfully.

She turned to me in surprise and I saw her eyes glaze over with tears as they searched mine.

"I do. I never stopped. I meant it, my heart would be yours. It is yours." I added.

"I still love you, too." She whispered.

"I've loved you all this time." She added.

I pulled her to me, encasing her in my arms as I kissed her softly on the mouth in response to her admission, pressing our naked bodies together.

I pulled away from her, to cup her face in both of my hands and I looked her in her sweet, bright blue eyes and wanted her to understand and remember one thing.

"I will never, and I mean never, run out on you again. If you want me, I'm here for the long haul, baby girl. I'd be here forever." I whispered.

"I want you, for forever." She whispered back, with certainty.

******************************************
Eddies POV.

"Babe, I found this yesterday, in my box of Polaroids. You've gotta see it!" I said, as she walked down my driveway, looking as beautiful as always.

"What?" She said, curiously.

I'd been sitting on my front porch, waiting for her to arrive, to show her.

"It's you." I said, before passing it to her.

She peered down and smiled broadly.

"This was outside of your old trailer." She said, as I peered down at it with her, my hand on her shoulder.

"I remember pretending to be a over the top, annoying photographer do you remember?" I asked, laughing as she snorted.

"The camera loves you honey! Look this way, oh yeah do that again. Just perfect! Wow, so photogenic!" She said, mimicking me.

"Okay, you remember it scarily well." I said, as we chuckled.

"I had this in my van for ages." I added.

"You did, I remember." She said.

"It's my favourite photo of you." I said.

She passed it back to me, blushing slightly before falling into my arms, kissing me softly.

"What was that for?" I asked, when she pulled away.

"Because I love you, Ed." She said, simply.

Flattered, I hungrily scooped her back up into my arms and picked her up off the ground, feeling her slender legs wrap around my waist.

"You wanna go inside?" I asked invitingly and a little huskily, against her lips.

Hinting at what I really wanted to do when we were in there.

She nodded wordlessly and hurriedly, and I walked with her inside the house, wrapped around me as I blindly kicked the door shut behind us.

******
I watched as she slipped her arms back into her denim jacket, and she slid her legs into her jeans, pulling them up to her hips, buttoning them.

I savoured the view of her in a lemon yellow thong before they disappeared under the denim, and she pulled her raven hair from out of her jacket, adjusting it. The black tank top with a nostalgic smiley face on the front made me smile, for a moment.

I was dressed, though still lying casually on the floor, resting on an elbow.

We hadn't made it upstairs.
We'd writhed around my living room floor instead, which for me had been equally as fine as if we had made it to my room.

"Seeing as you have an impromptu day off because Family Video is having a minor refurbishment, and Oz is at school..... and seeing as I got the garage covered, fancy a roller rink date with me?" I asked her, as her eyes lit up like the Fourth of July.

"I'd love to." She said, beaming.

"And milkshakes at Huckleberry's?" She added.

"Absolutely." I said, all in.

****************************************
The rink was exactly as I remembered it, and I couldn't get the skates on quick enough.

I was first in there, hoping it would just come back to me like riding a bike, and after a wobbly start, I found both my feet and my stride and by the time Eddie had stepped on, I was skating around the empty rink to Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac, completely lost in the music.

He watched as my body started to dance in time to the song as he skated to my side, skating alongside me.

He took my hand and we skated around together, like we used to, as teenagers.

The nostalgia was paramount; and it made me feel warm, happy.

I was happy he was with me.

"Oh I called your dad, Oz is coming here after school, so he can have a skate with us." He said to me, with a grin.

"Oh my god! I can't wait!" I said, squeaking with excitement.

"You've never forgot how to do this, it didn't take you long to find your feet on here." He said, as I smiled.

"Neither have you, sweetheart." I noted, nudging him playfully with my shoulder.

"I mean we're no Torvil and Dean, but we're alright aren't we?" He asked, holding our entwined hands up, kissing the back of mine.

"We are." I said, smiling.

"I was thinking we could have a good old fashioned burger here, sit in a booth, relax and then have a skate with Ozzy and take him to Huckleberry's for a milkshake." He said.

"That sounds amazing." I said, sighing softly.

I broke from him, as INXS started to play, Never Tear Us Apart and started to mouth the words to him from across the other side of the rink.

'Don't ask me, what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart....'

'I, I was standing....
You were there, two worlds colliding,
And they could never, tear us apart...."

And it seemed my challenge was accepted, as he smiled broadly and mouthed back to me.

'We could live, for a thousand years,
But if I hurt you, I'd make wine from your tears....
I told you, we could fly, cause we have all wings....'

And he brought his fists up and dramatically mouthed the next line, as I laughed loudly.

'But some of us, don't know why...' He mouthed, as he pointed towards me.

'I, I was standing, you were there, two worlds colliding. And they could never, tear us apart....' He continued, as we skated the full length of the rink before coming together in the middle, hands entwining as we fell into a comfortable standstill and he wrapped his arms around me, his eyes on my lips.

"C'mere." He said, seductively.

I obliged and kissed him deeply, hearing him groan into my mouth, which made my knees buckle slightly.

"That's some sweet sugar, baby girl." He whispered against my lips as he nuzzled his nose against mine.

"I love you." He whispered, as I ran my hands through his curls.

"I love you." I whispered back.

Smalltown Boy started to play, and he gently pushed me back, smiling widely.

"This was my favourite song to watch you skate to. The floor is yours, m'lady." He said, taking a playful bow.

And I made sure not to disappoint him.
He leaned against the barrier of the rink, and simply watched me skate around, as I danced.

And as the chorus hit, I let the skates take me around, my arms in the air, my eyes closed.

My hair whipped around my face from my speed, and I just let myself go, knowing he was watching me from afar.

"You are beautiful, baby." He called, as I whizzed past him.

******************************************
Ozzy joined us after school, as Eddie had promised and after being kitted out with learner skates, knee and elbow pads and a little helmet, he was more than ready and eager to get onto the rink.

He took his dads hand and Eddie led him out, and gently led him around, to familiarise him.

I waited by the barrier and after a while Eddie pointed to me and seemed to ask him a question.

"Momma, Oz wants to see you skate." Eddie called.

"I told him you're the best at it." He added.

Jesus, I had to live up to these sudden expectations now. I chuckled and nodded, stepping back on.

I always tended to find a good rhythm, depending on the song that played; that always helped with the motion and at first I simply skated around, which perhaps made it seem like Eddie had oversold my talent.

"You're making me look real silly right now." He called, as I laughed loudly.

"Just give me a minute." I called back, as Oz waited expectantly in the middle of the rink, holding Eddie's hand.

And then Erasure's A Little Respect started to play and I smiled broadly; this I could work with.

The minute I kicked one skate off the ground, Ozzy was in total awe.

I skated around to the timing of the song, dancing and singing, hands in the air, clapping occasionally and after my third circle around them, Eddie slowly started to take Oz around in a circle of their own.

And when Oz was confident enough, he was able to skate and also watch me.

I upped the ante and started to both skate and dance backwards, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

"Mommy is so cool!" I heard him say to Eddie, as Eddie smiled.

"She is." He said, in agreement.

The song finished and I skated over to them, sinking to my knees, pulling Oz into a tight hug.

"Hey baby." I whispered.

"Mommy..." he whispered back, his hands in my hair.

"Are you having fun?" I asked.

"Yeah, lots." He said, eagerly.

"Well isn't this quite the family outing."

Eddie turned to his left, and we saw Darius Evans and Jason Carver casually leaning on the barrier on the outside of the rink, watching us rather amusedly.

"Jodie, it's been a while." Darry said, as I nodded casually.

"It has." I answered.

I subtly took Ozzy's hand and turned him so he was behind me, and Eddie closed ranks next to me.

Mama and Papa bear, both at the ready.

"Did I see a little Munson?" Jason asked, with a grin.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Munson senior." Darry said.

I bit the words back that I wanted to say, and Eddie remained stony faced.

"If you're asking if he's my son, you'd be correct." Eddie said, calmly.

"I always did say you two were an odd pairing." Jason said, motioning to us both with a smile.

"That's the thing with opinions Jason, everyone has one. It doesn't mean they matter to us. Yours never did then, and they don't now." I replied, coolly.

"I mean, take you for example, far too pretty." Darry said, chuckling softly.

"For what exactly?" I asked.

"For him." He said, nodding towards Eddie.

"Still just as shallow, huh Darry?" I asked.

"If you don't mind, we're taking our kid around the rink, so we're gonna go back to doing that, and you can both go off and do whatever it was that you were doing." Eddie instructed.

"Since when were you back in Hawkins, anyway?" Jason asked me.

"Since I decided to be." I shot back.

"Missed him that much did you?" He asked me, nodding towards Eddie.

"Cause from where we were standing, you didn't care about that when you got outta dodge. Left on real bad terms from what I heard." Darius said, a little too amused for me.

"Things change Darry. Well, some." I said.

"Meaning?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Meaning, you probably still can't find your way around a girl no matter how much you say you can. Meaning, you're weirdly all too interested in what we're doing, after seven years. Meaning, your life has just stayed exactly as it's always been, and well.... It was going to wasn't it? Boring, aimless, big talk Darry. Like I said, things change. Some things, anyway." I said.

I saw Eddie fighting a smirk in my peripheral, and cleared my throat, trying not to do the same.

Darry went to interject and Jason was eyeing me a little like he used to in school; it was obvious to me, and it had been obvious to Eddie at times.

Jason didn't like us together.
Jason was aggrieved because Eddie had captured my heart and my attention, back then.

The fact that he still had both, just wasn't sitting well.

"And yet he wasn't good enough to not knock you up at eighteen. Pull out game ain't so strong Munson." Jason said, casually before Darry could talk.

"You can pull him apart all you want. But thats what went on with you. Couldn't graduate, couldn't just pull out and shoot your load on the bedsheets. Instead you shot a kid straight up her and here you both are now, such a happy little, weirdo family." He continued, with a small sneer.

"You've got a real short term memory Carver. Because you're pull out game wasn't so strong back then either was it? Didn't Sarah Barnes have a termination, after Spring Formal?" I asked him, as his face paled.

"Oh, didn't think I knew about that did you?" I asked him, feigning surprise.

A hand clapped on Jason's shoulder then, and my father cleared his throat behind both him and Darius, and they both froze.

"Oh I think we're more than done here, boys." My father said.

"Oh hey, Mr Leland. We were just catching up." Jason said, swallowing hard.

"Really? What I heard was you insulting my daughter, my grandson, and my grandson's father. Have I gotten that wrong?" My father asked, feigning innocence.

"No, no not at all. We were saying how lovely it was to see them both again, and your grandson." Darry argued, awkwardly and unsuccessfully lying.

Which my father, didn't like.

He approached them both, closed the gap between the three of them and issued a warning in a low voice.

"Don't lie to me, when you're fucking terrible at it, Darius. And you know what? Don't lie to me, full stop. I'll spare you that, because I heard everything. Every syllable. And Jason, if you'd wanted to go out with my daughter, instead of behaving like a royal, entitled little ass, you should have asked. Now, she'd have said no, but you'd have asked either way and you'd have asked her the right way. So I'm gonna say that you two should really get going now, and you'll notice the warning tone." My father said, before releasing them.

"Because I ain't gonna warn you twice." He added calmly, with a sweet smile.

Knowing that my dad had served in the military, they didn't question him.

Jason cast a glance my way, and I furthered my fathers words by crossing my arms across my chest, making it clear I wasn't impressed nor was Eddie or I hearing or taking a further syllable from either of them, and he tugged on Darry's shoulders, sheepishly walking away.

Eddie and I stepped aside, revealing Ozzy behind us, and my father smiled broadly.

"Who's ready for a milkshake?" He asked.
"Me!" Ozzy said, raising his hand.

"Heard everything didn't you?" I asked him, eyeing him carefully.

"Oh I wasn't really listening mama." He insisted, as my father belly laughed.

"Alright little man, if you say so." He said, as I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go." I said, with a sigh.

And as we skated to the barrier, Eddie's fingers curled around my wrist and he held me back.

"Hey... you okay?" He asked, his face creased with concern as I smiled weakly and nodded.

"Yeah, I just hate guys like that." I said, sighing.

"Was it my pull out game?" He asked jokingly as I suppressed a smile.

I knew he was trying to make whatever negative feeling I was harbouring, disappear.

And it was working, even though my next statement, was quite serious.

"We never chanced it..... come on we were at least sensible about that if nothing else. You always wore something. I reckon one had just split or had a hole in or something, and it happens more than you realise. It was nothing you or I did." I said.

"We have our son either way, I don't care how it happened." He said.

"Neither do I." I admitted.

"Let's go get that milkshake." He said, with a smile.

***************************************
We had a lovely evening, with milkshakes and laughter and when Ozzy's eyes started to grow heavy, we headed home.

Eddie bathed him, and I tucked him, the two of us perched on his bed.

I looked at Eddie and he nodded, giving me consent to say what I was about to.

"Mommy.... Are you and Daddy still in love?" Ozzy asked, as Eddie suppressed a smirk.

How was my kid this clever?

"You're friends now right?" He added, curiously.

"We are friends. We wanted to be friends and look after you together. I've looked after you for a while, but daddy is here now too." I explained.

"And now, mommy and daddy have realised that they still love each other very much, and we're gonna be together again." Eddie added.

"Will we have more sleepovers now then? More boys nights?" Oz asked.

"Of course, that's what I'm most excited about. All the sleepovers were gonna have! Boys nights rule!" Eddie said, excitedly.

Ozzy giggled and bounced in his bed, just as excited.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

"I want my mommy and my daddy to be friends." He said, as I smiled.

"We are." I assured him.

"And you're in love?" He asked, as Eddie smiled coyly.

"We are, my dude." He said.

And with that, Ozzy Munson gave his parents his blessing. I read him a bedtime story, Eddie perched next to me as he listened and just as Ozzy was falling asleep, he had one more thing to say.

"Daddy?" He called softly.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning as we reached his doorway.

"I love you." He whispered, as Eddie laughed in both disbelief and surprise, holding a hand over his heart, as he gazed at Oz fondly.

"I love you so much, my man." Eddie said, as I blinked back tears of happiness.

***************************************
Two weeks later.

My mom wasn't getting better, and the sores were getting worse. The doctor had upped her morphine dosage and she wasn't always lucid.

When she was, she cried out in pain and was almost delirious with it.

Eddie was working, Oz was in school, and I'd quickly head into the grocery store to get a few things, before heading over to the care home.

And just when I'd gotten to the freezer section, I'd received a call, and I just stopped dead, suddenly forgetting how to function.

"Miss Leland, your mother.... She's deteriorated rapidly this afternoon and we think that you should all come here. We're really sorry..... but we don't believe she has long left. The vicar has been and he's read her her last rites... but we think that you should come down as soon as you can."

"Twice in a week, should I be honoured?"

For the love of GOD, not now.

And when I didn't answer, and simply stood in a complete stunned silence, clutching the shopping cart in my hands, my knuckles white, the infamous prick that was Jason Carver, apparently didn't have the heart to say anything further.

Anything negative, anyway.

"Jodie.... Are you okay?" He asked, sounding distant in my head.

"Jodie? Jodie can you hear me?" He asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

Coming out of it, I slapped his hand away and he stepped back, in surrender.

"Stay away from me." I urged.

"What's happened?" He asked.

"I need to go." I said, releasing the cart from my grasp.

"It's my mom...." I explained.

And I saw a rare expression of sympathy crease his face and he sighed softly.

"Where do you need to get to?" He asked.

"Maddison Rain care home." I said, feeling distressed and confused.

"I think it's best if I drive you there." He suggested.

"Listen, I don't know what dimension this is or why you're being so nice all of a sudden, but I don't need your help, Jason." I said, finally lucid.

"I might be the worlds biggest prick, but right now you need help." He argued.

"Oh well lookie what we have here..... I wondered if I'd bump into you again.... Wanted a little chat with you about how you insulted me at the rink the other week." Darius said, appearing behind me.

I said nothing, and neither did Jason.

"See, you liked it at the time. I didn't hear a single complaint. It was only because Eddie was there that you down played that night." Darry continued.

"So I want you to apologise to me." He said.

"Darry man, not now." Jason interjected.

"You heard her the other week. She always did have a smart mouth." Darry argued.

"Not now." Jason said, through gritted teeth.

"I have to go." I said, attempting to move past them.

Darry pulled me back and pushed me into the shelving behind, and as he reached for me, grabbing me by the throat, Jason stepped in, gripping his arm.

"Let her go, man." He urged.

"Have you gone soft?" Darry asked, in disbelief.

"How's not the time." Jason said, not answering his question.

"Let her go, and let her leave. You can pick this up with her another time." Jason said.

I wasn't fighting him.
Jason noticed.

"Aw does she have somewhere to be?" Darry asked, with a sarcastic sneer.

"Actually, yeah she does." Jason said.

"Munson can wait." Darry said, dismissively.

"Her mom can't though. Now fucking let her go, man." Jason snapped.

And when Darry initially didn't move, Jason wrenched his hand from my throat and I slid down the shelving.

"What the fuck man?!" Darry cried.

Jason held him back and turned to me.

"Go, Jodie." He said, hurriedly.

And as I fled from them, they became embroiled in a fight of their own.

************************************
Eddie's POV.

Sam had called me, and I'd arranged for Ozzy to stay with Wayne.

I'd met Jodie at the care home and she was shaken up. Her neck was red and she seemed scared.

I decided I'd find out why, later.
Now wasn't the time.

We walked slowly to her mothers room, and she was shaking; she seemed lost, small.....

It was already heartbreaking.

"Hey ma...." Jodie said, softly, as we walked into the room together.

We sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chairs and her mothers eyes opened.

She immediately looked for Sam and for Jodie, relaxing when she saw they were both in the room with her.

And then her eyes fell on me, and she smiled slightly.

"Jodie...." She whispered, her voice hoarse.

"I'm here ma..." Jodie said, reaching for her pale, frail hand.

"You know.... All I wanted, was to see you two together again. Raising that beautiful boy.... Together. It was the only wish I had... for myself, and for you.... My sweet, strong, beautiful girl...."

Her breathing was laboured, and I knew, even though I didn't have the heart to voice it, that Jodie's mother, was leaving them.

"I'm glad I got to see it." She continued.

She turned her head slowly towards me again, and smiled fondly at me for a second time.

"Tell me that you're better at answering the phone these days..." She whispered as we all laughed, despite the tears.

"I am, I promise I am." I said, as Jodie reached for my hand.

And the way she squoze it told me that she too, knew it was time.

Margot, was remembering things, which just told me that she was nearing the end of her time with us, with her daughter, her grandson and her husband.

She had a certain clarity, something I now believed you only had when you knew you were dying.

"I love you." She said to Jodie, before turning to Sam.

"And I love you. My wonderful husband..." she whispered, as Sam leaned over to kiss her head.

"I love you, my honey bear." He whispered.

Her eyes closed, the grip on his hand loosened, and her chest fell still with her last breath.

I heard Jodie's breath hitch in her chest and I held her to me as she started to sob.

Sam leaned upright and stared fondly down at her, crying softly.

"My wonderful girl." He whispered, before sobbing heavily into his hand.

Jodie rose to her feet and rushed over to him, consoling him as she sobbed too, and I let them have their moment, wiping the tears from my face, that were falling; I was powerless to stop them.

I rose to my feet, clasping my hands infront of me, and nodded in respect towards Margot.

"Rest well, Mrs Leland. You've earned it." I whispered.

Jodie parted from her father and I met her in a tight embrace, in the middle of the room.

"I've got you.... I've got you...." I whispered.

*****************************************
Eddie's POV.

I saw them both, casually leaning on the railing outside of the hardware store, and I was pissed.

It had been a couple of days before she'd told me what happened; mainly when I wouldn't stop asking.

I'd been persistent and in the end she'd told me.

Darius was laughing about something and Jason saw me before he did.

Jason, it appeared, was expecting me.

"Listen man...." He started to say.

"You're fucking lucky this time Carver. Only because you defended her." I spat, enraged.

"But you...." I said, turning to Darius.

"Whatever she told you, she's lying." He said, casually.

"She make those bruises around her neck, herself huh?" I asked, squaring up to him.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" Darry asked.
He looked at Jason, laughing and Jason shook his head.

"Dude, he ain't playin' around..." Jason warned.

"He's right, I'm not." I said.

"Come on... I barely touched her." Darry objected, looking at us both in turn.

And when he turned to look at me again, I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and head butted him between the eyes.

He fell back, landing on a stack of empty crates and I stood over him, hearing gasps of shock from other bystanders.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he groaned, out of it.

"Yeah? And I barely touched you." I spat, before turning to Jason.

"There's no need. We'll stay well clear." He said, raising his hands.

"I'm glad we understand each other. She's lost her mom, keep well fucking clear of me, her, and our family. You stay well away from my son." I hissed.

I turned to leave, and Jason called out to me.

"I offered to drive her there.... That day. I started off being a dick to her, and then I could see something was wrong. She was in shock, she'd just come off the phone and she could barely talk or move... I told him to leave her alone, I told him to let go of her. I forced him off.... In the end. And then we had a fight... if she'd have needed me to, if she'd have let me, I'd have drove her there." He explained.

"You want me to thank you?" I asked, incredulously.

"No. Not at all. Just tell her I'm sorry." He said.

"When the time is right.... And only when it is, I'll tell her you send your condolences. But until that time, you steer clear. Got it?" I snarled.

"Loud and clear, Munson. Alright?" He said, hands raised in surrender.

I walked away then, having delivered the warning as I'd intended.

Now, I could fully focus on my family.

*****************************************
Three months later.

The next few months were a rollercoaster for me, for us..... the funeral had been a very personal service, and we celebrated my mothers life exactly as she'd wanted.

Ozzy was aware that his grandma was in Heaven, and had gained her wings. Eddie had bought him a book, and it explained to children in the nicest, easiest and most sensitive way about losing a loved one. It was really helping him to understand, and I doubted I could love Eddie more for the thoughtfulness behind it.

Id seen Jason around, Darry too, expecting repercussions..... surprisingly I didn't get any.

I had my suspicions.

"So uhm, the Kray twins are giving me quite the wide berth lately. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" I asked.

"Me? No, nothing." Eddie said, clearing his throat.

"You're a terrible liar. What did you do?" I asked.

"I uhm.... Might have sorta... kind of... head butted Darry, outside the hardware store." He said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

I clasped a hand over my mouth in shock, before snorting with laughter.

"You head butted Darius Evans?" I asked.

"Yeah.... Yeah I did. I couldn't forget what he'd done to you. And also, for not telling you how I felt before you slept with him." He said.

"That's bugged you, all this time?" I asked.

"Might have." He mumbled.

"You did it to get it out of the way, I did the same. God if I'd just told you before that, maybe things would have been different." He added.

"Things played out how they should have. Plus I didn't count it, he had no idea what he was doing. I always see the first time I slept with you, as my first time. You didn't need a map, you didn't need any instructions. You seemed to know what you were doing. You were confident, you took the time to find out what I liked. And you instinctively rolled with it." I said.

He flipped his hair then, and smiled.

"Tell me more." He said, playfully.

"You know exactly how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you." I said, giving him a pointed look.

He wrapped his arms around me, and grinned.

"I do, princess." He said, nuzzling his nose against mine as I looked up at him.

Ozzy whizzed past us, and drew Eddie's attention away from me.

"Hey Oz, could I talk to you for a second?" Eddie asked, as Ozzy skipped over.

"Sure, dad." He said, smiling.

They wandered off together, and I laughed at gis bed hair and his pj's.

When he emerged from the kitchen, he was wearing a different T-shirt and holding a small black box in his hand.

I frowned slightly, as Eddie casually leaned against the doorframe.

"Go on, pass that to Mommy." He whispered, encouragingly.

"What's going on?" I asked, as Ozzy handed me the box and pulled his T-shirt down.

"You have to read it, mommy." Ozzy said, with a big smile.

I peered down at his T-shirt and my mouth fell open in shock.

'Mommy, will you have Daddy's last name too?'

"You're shitting me." I said, as Eddie leaned up off the doorframe, where he'd been standing, casually and nervously waiting for my most anticipated, reaction.

And when he reached me, both he and Ozzy dropped straight down on one knee, staring up at me.

"Will you marry Daddy, Mommy? I said you can." Ozzy said, as I opened the box, and a diamond ring was nestled in the centre, catching the light immediately.

I laughed through the sheer tears of happiness that we're rolling down my face and Eddie stared up at me with nothing but love and adoration for me, shining in his eyes.

"He's asked, and now I'm gonna ask. I told you that from here on in, I'd never run out on you again. And this is me, showing you just how much I meant it, and still mean it. You're the one for me, sweetheart. It's as simple as that. I want us to be the family we both always wanted, and I want your last name, to be mine... ours." He said, gesturing to himself and Ozzy.

"Yes." I said, as he jumped to his feet, with a smile as bright as the morning sun.

"Absolutely, yes." I said, as he hugged me excitedly.

He removed the ring from the box in my hand, and I held my left hand out so he could slip it on.

It fit like a glove, and we both peered down at it for a moment.

Ozzy rose to his feet and Eddie reached for him, hoisting him off the ground and into our arms as we all hugged.

"I love you." I whispered, to both of them.

"We love you babe. And we'll love you forever." Eddie whispered back, with certainty.

******************************************
Epilogue.

One year later.

"If I could just have everyone's attention, I'd like to make a toast of my own, if that's alright?" Eddie asked, tapping the champagne glass in his hand delicately with a knife in the other.

Everyone stopped chattering, and he adjusted his suit jacket, placing the knife down on the table.

"Before I thank you all for being here, I just wanted to say a few words, for and about my beautiful wife. We were friends as children, we grew up together and it wasn't really until we were around fifteen, where we figured out that we actually liked each other, more than friends. We were together for three years, and the quake happened, which separated us for seven, long years. In those seven years, she was never far from my thoughts, never off my mind.... She never left my heart. When we met again, it wasn't exactly how I'd imagined it, but I'm glad it went how it did, because despite that, despite everything, we found our way back to each other. I have the pleasure of informing everyone, particularly Jodie and Oz, that the mail man at Forest Hill's trailer park has been demoted from that run, and is now delivering parcels in the same ninja type stealth in the next town.... So he's now their problem and not ours." He said, as some of us laughed, knowing what he was getting at.

Others were just laughing at the amusement of the statement, and nothing more.

He turned to address me then, and smiled.

"I can say quite confidently that I'll never miss a single letter you might write to me again, and I'll always answer your calls. From this day forward, I'll be by your side, for as long as you bear my family name. For as long as you are a Munson, I'll be here. We've weathered the worst of the storms baby girl, and from here I promise there will only be sun, and blue skies for us, for you. We have our boy, our amazing boy, and we have each other. I'm here, for as long as you'll have me, for as long as you want me. I love you." He said, before raising his glass.

"To my beautiful wife, Jodie Munson." He announced.

"TO JODIE MUNSON!" They all chimed.

Eddie sat back down and turned to me immediately, and we chinked our glasses together.

"Are you ready for forever, baby girl?" He asked me, as I smiled happily, and contented.

"You bet that sweet ass I am, Munson." I replied.

THE END. ❤️