at first sight

It was Eli's idea, and it was a thrill to see Camille give him the OK. He wanted his own radio show.

"It would be about mental health issues, mostly, but the physical aspect of it, too. You know, how..how unpredictable life can be, due to injuries or..you know, what we inherit from our families." Oh, he was on a roll and she loved his idea.

But when she asked if he was going to MC the show, he shook his head no. He wanted to find someone professional. He knew he couldn't do it. And that's when he met Landon on a random trip to the hospital.


"I don't know if I have the voice for it." Landon shrugged on their first meeting, when they met at the Campus Coffee shop.

"Are you kidding me? Of course, you do." Even now. Eli didn't know he had it in himself to be so animated, but that was the kind of guy Landon was. So easy to talk too. Eli was possibly giddy just thinking about him.

Of course, it helped to put his mind at ease and not to think so much about Deiter's sudden departure. He went back to Germany. It was so unplanned and Eli was left on his own with the loft. So many sudden changes, but Landon made everything smooth. Especially, when Eli said he needed a new roommate.

Were they that compatible?

Naturally, Martha was worried. She didn't quite believe it could be over between Eli and Deiter.

"What if he comes back?" After all, Deiter's yoga studio was vacant now, with quite a few confused clients wondering why and where had he gone.

"I won't worry about it, until it happens." Eli decided.

Of course, his sister called every day with the exact phone call as the day before. "Everything is just happening so fast."

"What do you mean? You or me?" Eli would always smile about it. After all, it was different with Landon.  He couldn't get enough conversation with him and well, there was the other thing that Martha didn't really need to know about.

"I'm just worried about you." Martha would finally say.

"Stop worrying so much." And then it was dinner with Landon. Wine with Landon. Sleep with Landon.

feeling a bit under the weather

It was quite a transition. Honestly, Dustin's back had not felt the same since moving in with Halie and the baby. He was hurting. God, how he missed his bed. And nothing was quite as beautiful as he thought it might have been with Halie.

Not that he'd put up a fuss about it. But he was cramped, and there was never ever any peace, where it was just the two of them. He really felt he needed to be respectable around Alec. After all, he was a bit of a father figure..he guessed. He'd never actually had one, but that didn't stop him from trying the best he could.

He pressed his back against the counter, hoping the weight would bring some comfort, and it did, if only it was a bit of a relief.

"Can I bother you?" A voice with a hint of French made Dustin slightly flinch as he was putting away a wine glass in the shelf above him.

"What?" He turned to see it was Marco, his mum's boy toy, he imagined.

"We haven't really met, and I know its... my fault, you leaving, like you did, and your mum really misses, you... terribly." Marco glared at him as if he was trying to be remorseful, but Dustin couldn't really believe him.

"Oh. Its you." Dustin said ever so dull. "What do you want?" He couldn't help but scowl. He could be in his own bed tonight if it wasn't for this bastard.

"A coffee, if you've got it."

"We don't make it quite like you do." Dustin didn't feel like being kind to the Frenchman.

"It will be fine. I was just trying to impress her, you know." Marco shrugged.

"Really?" Dustin couldn't help to snarl as he reached for a mug and poured him some coffee, as if he did need to do his job.

"I'm afraid so. See, the older you get, the harder it is to meet the right one." He told him.

"What's so right about her?" Dustin wanted to know as he reached for the cream and the sugar too, but Marco only drank it black.

"She's kind and she makes me laugh." Marco's smile was genuine as he spoke of her. "And she has, you and I really really didn't want to come between you two. Cause, I know..where you're coming from. My sister raised me-"

"Yeah, well..she's not my sister, she's me-Mum." Dustin snapped.

"And you really want to leave it like this?" Marco's eyes were serious.

"Yeah, well..I'm..I've moved on." Couldn't think of a way to get out of this with Halie now. He really did want it to work with her. He did see a future. He just wanted things a little more quiet and a baby who wasn't watching them going at it, under the covers.

"How could that be?" Marco's stare got the best of Justin.

"Look, Halie needs me..and Mum needs you. And..well..." Dustin sighed.

"I must say, you're quite a remarkable bloke, taking in another man's child. And you're so young. I mean, I would have never have been moved.. to do such nonsense." Marco let a grin slip as he cradled his coffee.

"I figured as much. You, just wanted to see the world I guess. We're nothing at all, alike." Dustin festered a small frown.

"Right." Marco nodded. "I was stubborn. And selfish, quite a prick when I could be." Marco just said as he took a sip of coffee.

Dustin didn't have time to listen to this.

"Look, I'm going back to Paris. Just to tie up some loose ends, but I will be back. I hope you can find some time to spend with your Mum. I have asked her to marry me."

Dustin said nothing, but went on with his work behind the counter. He hated the thought of the changes to come, but there would always be changes. He looked back at Marco.

In his head, he thought of his mum crying. Dustin knew it was all his fault, but then again, he knew who was comforting her and he knew he would never be able to comfort her like Marco could.

really now

Dean felt as if he was on auto-pilot, as of late. It was weird being here. Actually, he didn't even want to come home because after all, it didn't feel like home.

There were no little ones running around, taking over the house. So much had changed. Ren was with Gage's dad and they were practically married.

"I'd really love it, if you could be here for the ceremony." Ren told him.

"I don't think that's possible." Dean was stunned. Wasn't it enough? He'd showed up with Brad. Married. This was his family now. But he could see in Ren's eyes that it would mean so much.

"Yes, you could. Tomorrow. We could do it tomorrow. Here. You, could walk me down the stairs." Ren smiled as she hugged him tight.

"I guess." He sighed. He couldn't look back. He didn't want too. Here were all the foster kids he'd actually known for such a long time. Gage, who looked quite charming now. Not even with a sheepish grin as if he might be up to some harm. And Vada.

Did he really want to catch a glimpse of her?

Oh, he needed to be next to Brad's side. She was... after all his anchor.

Things had really turned out so much better than he ever thought possible. Both were in nursing school. It didn't feel quite real. But he was a married man now and very much in love with his wife. He didn't want anything to change.

Still. He didn't want to hurt anyone here, either. And he felt it might go that way. But Josie was with Sky and he liked her smile now. There was a certain confidence he hadn't seen before and Sky was quite the natural. He was full of laughter, and it was nice to see them together.

"I think you've gotten taller." Gage shook his hand as he loomed over Dean.

"No, I think you've gotten taller." Dean grinned, "Who's this?"

"Macy." Gage said he worked with her at the grocery store.

"And you can still stand to be around him, during off hours?" Dean kept smiling although, he could see Macy didn't get his humor, but she shook his hand. Then when he turned, there was Vada.

"My boyfriend knows all about you." He thought he heard her say.

Dean remained closed lip. Maybe he was just hearing things.

Its just dinner

Gage stared at Macy with a longing smile. Valentines day had really been quite simple for the both of them. But she'd given him a picture she'd made, for just him. It was of a house, he'd talked about, that he grew up in. The one he'd burned. Actually.

But she'd listened. And it was all he'd remembered. And he loved it.

"God, I'm so glad you didn't draw me." He sighed as they got ready to go to this dinner of Ren's, for Dean and his new bride.

"Well, I like to think..I sketch." She clarified.

"OK, sketched." He didn't want to fuss with an artist. Gage kissed Macy on the side of her forehead. He held her hand, so proud to show her off to his oldest friend. But there was Vada with her new guy. He guessed her old beau.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced." He then said to Vada's fellow.

Naturally, Vada looked at him, totally pissed.

"Oh, this is Macy. Sorry, I haven't...I'm Gage." He shook his hand.

"Good, to meet you. I'm Alo." There was a hint of an accent. Gage really wasn't expecting Vada to be seeing a foreigner.

"Cool."

Of course, Vada gave him a cold indifferent look as to why on earth would he say what he said. Just cool?

Macy said nothing, but Alo shook her hand, too as they made their way in. As he looked back, he saw Josie and her new guy were coming up the steps.

After all, this was Gage's home, and yet he felt a visitor at the moment. Seeing Dean was like looking at a past memory that he didn't know anymore. But there would be plenty to eat. Ren always had plenty to eat.

It was so true, Vada wanted to hide behind Alo. Let him do all the talking. She really hated being here. Especially. seeing Gage with a girl who he hardly deserved. Why didn't the girl see what he was? He was arrogant and such an ass, in Vada's eyes.

And then she saw Dean who hadn't changed a bit, but that girl was so fat.

No one had told Vada that Bradly was pregnant. And what kind of name was Bradley, anyway?

Oh, it left a bad taste in Vada's mouth. There was no way she could smile. It would be such a terrible evening. Vada knew she needed to keep quiet. And not say a word to Dean. After all, Josie showed up with Sky.