"We've never really talked about it." Fred began. "It's not because I'm hiding anything, I just never saw the point in discussing it because it doesn't matter to me anymore. But I should still tell you."

Mia waited.

"Natalie," Fred said. "She's in the past but my dad just told me the past have a way of creeping into the future. So, to avoid any future quarrels...we have to talk about it."

Future.
Mia smiled.

"She came into my life four years ago when AFTech had grown and was still growing. Andre and I had never taken our eyes off the ball since we graduated because we had a goal and when we achieved that goal, other things like women, which we had taken a break from, finally started to matter again. I met Natalie and she was the kind of woman who would have been out of my league before AFTech. She was fun, easy to talk to, a great listener, and always there when I needed her. Things got serious and we moved in together after six months." He sighed. "Andre started warning me and I was in love with her by then and just ignored his warnings. I was so blinded by my love for her and her sensuality, I didn't notice what was lacking. Later, four months after we moved in together, I started to notice she was barely home, she would leave the city for weeks and return to the bed only to be out the next day. I gave her everything she asked for without question but after a while, I cut back and just studied her. Andre had been right, she had not only changed, but she had also moved on. That's when she started fighting me on little things. I had someone uncover everything and when I confronted her, she lied to my face and tried to distract me. I dropped the evidence in her hand and the keys to the apartment; told her to lock up when she moved out the following day and no longer."

Mia looked down at his other hand between hers as she caressed the back of his hand. She hadn't even realized when she took his hand.

"I swore never to fall in love again." He said.

Mia shook her head.
"I don't think that worked out for you."

Fred laughed and kissed the top of her head.
"It didn't. And I'm glad it didn't."

Mia looked to him with a smile.
"There was no reason for you to tell me but I'm glad you did."

"I thought you were mad when you left my dad's room."

"I was giving you two some time to talk." She said. "And your dad bringing up Bitch-alie seemed like the perfect time."

Fred frowned.
"You wanted me to think you were mad."

She bit on her lower lip to stop from smiling.

"You wench." Fred grabbed her waist and pushed her down on the sofa making her squeal.

"Fred, the shake," Mia said as she laughed. "You're going to spill it everywhere."

He hovered above her, smiling. He took the shake and placed it on the floor then looked at her. He sighed and brushed her hair from her face.
"I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"Nothing." She said. "Pretty much what I'd do without you."

He smiled.

"I never apologized."

Fred frowned.
"For what?"

"For being so damn stubborn." She said. "Stubborn to see what was in front of me, stubborn to give us a try, stubborn..." She sighed. "Just so fucking stubborn."

"You've cussed thrice."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"It depends." He said. "Is this the good you or the bad you?"

She smiled.
"The good me."

He leaned in.
"Then let's make you bad so I wouldn't have to do anything about it."

Mia laughed and he smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. They made out for a while before pulling apart.

Silence drifted between them.
"I am sorry."

Fred shook his head.
"Everything that has happened up until this moment has happened for a reason. We both did a lot of growing after you left Leicester; I had to deal with being in love with you and realize that whatever happened with Natalie shouldn't affect my ability to fall in love with anyone, fall in love with you. She's my past and that's where she's staying. You had to deal with achieving your dreams and I'm so proud of you for going for it. A lot of people are afraid of failure but I watched you get even more motivated to achieve those dreams after your first bar exam."

Mia smiled.
"We grew."

He nodded.
"If you had stayed back in Leicester, you wouldn't have your job, I would have had a problem with being in love with you after Natalie and you would have hated me down the road for giving up on your dreams so early."

Mia sighed.
"So it all worked out for the best."

"It did."

"You let me go once and we found our way back to each other." She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer.

"And I am never letting you go ever again."

"Oh Frederick Zahn, I am never letting you go again."

"Deal."

"Double Deal." She smiled.

He squinted his eyes at her.
"Triple Deal."

"Quad..." Fred kissed her then, shutting her up. His hands pressing her hips into the sofa as the kiss deepened.

"Fred!" Mia pushed against him.

"What?"

"I'm in Chicago, you're in Seattle." She said. "How is that going to work out?"

He was quiet as he watched the wheels turn in her head.

"I could get another job in Seattle. Or come over every weekend, whichever works best."

Fred stared at her shocked.
"You would quit your job to be with me?"

"I once quit you for this job." She said. "Now I know which is more important, so yea. And I would apply for new jobs."

Fred smiled.
"Mia, you're not quitting anything."

"But how..."

"Shut up woman and let me kiss you."

"Ok." She pulled at his neck and kissed him.
They would talk about it later.