I'll be braving the winters the best that I know

What: A return back home
Where: The apartment
When: After Matthew being discharged from hospital


Although the clothes he'd arrived to at the hospital had been washed and dried since they were all he had, there was no getting out the stains of blood mostly around the cuffs and down the front of his shirt. It was nice to be wearing them dry for a change though since he had spent so much of the last few weeks absolutely soaked to the bone.

As Alissa's car pulled up at their place, Matthew couldn't help but feel a little uneasy for some reason. Nothing here had changed in the last two weeks or so, but it still felt weird to have been gone for so long. It felt like something really should have changed after he'd been through so much and the knowledge that it was all the same seemed odd to him.

Matthew looked down with distaste at his arm still trapped in the sling. His broken collarbone obviously couldn't be put in a cast at all and so needed to be immobilised in some way. At the hospital, he'd been given painkillers, antibiotics and extra bandages since the infected wounds around his wrists needed to be cleaned and re-bandaged every so often. It was one big hassle. And he still had no idea what to be expecting from the explanation of Alissa's bruises.

What: Aftermaths and being Reunited
Where: Starting at Adrian's townhouse and picking up later at hospital
When: Roughly a week after Alissa's initial visit


Adrian had been right. Finding where Matthew had been take was not easy in the slightest. there had been a lot of dead ends, lies and general dicking around but eventually he'd found out and sent in his guys to work their magic to pull that oaf out of there. It wasn't the kind of place Adrian himself would get caught dead in, nor did he have anything to do with getting that man to a hospital. He didn't even know how bad off Matthew was and he didn't care at all.

What he did care about was the spoils he got from his little victory. Having Alissa for a night had been a treat and he had enjoyed himself thoroughly the whole time. He had the decency to let her shower and get dressed the next morning while he went down to find some breakfast and some coffee. No doubt Alissa would want to be running off as soon as possible to find whatever remained of that oaf, but perhaps he could coax more time out of her with breakfast. After all, she still had no clue where that idiot was.

Sitting at the large table in the dining room, he'd been made bacon and eggs with some good toast, just the way he liked it and he spread out a newspaper beside him, glancing it over as he ate, just waiting atiently for Alissa to finish up what she was doing and come to find him.

Who: Alissa, Adrian and Elaine
What: Lending a helping (albeit grudging) hand
Where: Alissa's office


It had been a strange thing to get a request for one of Elaine's readers to help with something, even less usual was the fact that Alissa had been asked for by name by a particularly prominent author. It was strange, but in a business like this, a writer really was some kind of royalty (even if they didn't deserve it in some cases.)

So Elaine had called for Alissa to come to her office to discuss the situation and was currently waiting for the younger womn to show up. I was strange, yes, but it was really a fantastic opportunity and Elaine couldn't really ask for much better a person for it to go to.

What Meeting Non-Evil people, for a change
Where Julian and Christine’s House
When: A month and a half after the issues with Adrian


Matthew was still just a little edgy about Alissa going to work at her new job, just in case the worst were to happen again and all day at work, all he ever really thought about was getting home and seeing her. There had been quite a few things to work through, not just including new jobs, a place to live and the hassles of relocation. But also issues of guilt over what had happened all throughout that horrible week. They’d had several very long talks over the whole thing and while things weren’t all entirely smoothed out just yet, they were getting there.

Today was the start of a new job, the typical kind of revamp people underwent in their backyards once they got enough money together for it. It was a nice house, as they usually were, but both the front and the back yards left much to be desired. But, that was what they were all there for. It would probably take a couple of weeks to bring Jeffrey’s plans together but from what he’d said, the couple they were working for wouldn’t be the kinds who stuck their noses into everything and make it impossible to get things done. So that was a real plus. The last place had been terrible for that.

After they’d taken a good look around the place, the first thing that needed to be done was to clear out all the crap that was already there. The old grass would need to be pulled out, the rotting wooden borders on the flower beds taken apart and removed and all the old concrete path would need to be broken up and all tossed. The only problem was that before anything could start, they needed to wait for the damn skip bin to arrive. And, of course, the stupid thing was late.

As edgy as he was, Matthew couldn’t stop fidgeting. He had the idea that Alissa was probably fine and loving things at her job and everything...he still couldn’t relax at all and in his worried fidgeting, he was all but completely unraveling one of the sleeves in his shirt. Having nothing to do while they waited too, did not help matters in the slightest.

Who: Alissa, Matthew, Adrian, James and Rocco
What: Bad, evil times
Where:Alissa and Matthew’s Apartment



Matthew was still a little paranoid about Adrian trying to do something to Alissa once she got away from work and so he’d taken to driving her to and from work. Since they were more or less on the same kinds of hours at the moment, it was easy to keep up with. And so far so good. It was nice to spend that little extra time with her in the mornings and in the afternoons although they were both tired. Any time he got to spend even a few minutes extra with her were always welcomed.

Once he’d parked the car and turned it off once they’d arrived home, Matthew smiled over at Alissa. “I don’t know about you,” he started before taking off his seatbelt and leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. “But I’m so ready for it to be the weekend. These last few days have just dragged like anything.”

Who: Adrian and Alissa
What: Evilness Abounds
Where: A fancy schmancy hotel


Everything had been going so well so far. Alissa had done well with all the tasked he'd given her that day and she didn't suspect a thing about where she would be staying that night. She'd agreed to dinner, as she said she would and Adrian couldn't be happier with the way everything had gone. There was the smallest itch to his fingers now in that he wanted to reach out and touch her but that would be showing his hand too early. He had to play this exactly right. And he would, without a doubt. He'd been nothing but perfectly charming to her all day, and... well, look who he was. There was no way she could deny him now.

After the plates from dinner had been cleared away, Adrian picked up his glass of wine and took a sip as he smiled over at Alissa. She really was such a beautiful woman and she suited a setting like this. She suited him perfectly, was the main thing. "So. Enjoying your day so far?" he asked her with a smile.

Who: Alissa and Matthew (kiddy version)/ Adrian
Where: Back at their apartment/ At Alissa's office
What: Scary, impossibly bad news about maybe babies/ A first meeting


Ever since Alissa had graduated and they'd moved out of that tiny little shoebox trying to be passed off as an apartment, things had just seemed to be getting so much better. Alissa had recently got a job doing something she really wanted to be doing, Matthew had gone back to working in Landscaping and their new place was just great for them. They actually had room to more, places to put stuff and even a bed Matthew didn't need to curl up to fit on. It was incredible. For the moment he was so happy. He lived with someone he loved more than anything, had a job he really enjoyed and lived somewhere comfortable. He couldn't ask for anything more.

Matthew was back a little later than usual on this day, having needed to pick up a couple of things on his way back. He knew Alissa had been nervous about her new job so he'd decided to get her something to hopefully cheer her up a little, which he set on the counter while he started to put away the groceries while he waited for her to get home.

Who: Carolyn, Wendy and Matthew
What: An unpleasant visit from Carolyn's Part Acquaintance
Where: Random Restaurant about town


Matthew wasn't quite sure what he wanted to make of this kind of thing. After having gone shopping for some school supplies for Carolyn, the original idea to get some dinner somewhere had seemed like a good one. but thinking on it now, Matthew couldn't help but be a little strange about the whole thing. Isn't that just what families did? Weird, in a word.

Matthew couldn't help but fidget with his sleeves after they were all seated, it really being the only indication he gave that he found all this a little strange. "So. I must have been told about a hundred times already, but I keep forgetting. When does school actually start again?"

What: A new place and figuring things out



By the time Matthew made it home, he was absolutly filthy. The location for a brand new apartment building was dusty as anything and in the heat of the day, dirt clung to practically everything after being kicked up by the constant movement of both workers and machinery. The project had only recently been started and Matthew was happy going into something that was such a departure from his last job. It was hard, dirty and at times dangerous work, but it was work Matthew liked and was particularly good at.

He made sure to take his shoes off as soon as he got inside, not wanting the dirt to get all over the floor of the apartment. For this same reason, he left all his tools in his car. It wasn't like there was much room for them inside anyway. But the place was okay enough for the moment and damn sight better than living with Alissa's parents. Even for as short time as that was, her mother made it impossible. Once he'd taken off his shoes, Matthew set the box he'd taken his lunch in that day down on the counter before searching for a glass. It felt like dirt had coated his throat and he wanted to get rid of that feeling before he did anything else.

What: Back to Alissa's old house
Where: Alissa's parent's place
When: A few days after the cheatsville discovery


Matthew pulled his car in behind Alissa's, having been nervous about this whole thing for last last 100 miles, give or take. In the time driving that wasn't spent talking to Alissa on the little walkie talkies they had, he'd allowed his mind to drift over the events of the last few weeks and the worry he now felt for facing Alissa's parents again after he'd pretty much just disappeared those few years ago and if it weren't for that little fact, none of what the two of them had been through would ever have happened. And now he was asking to stay for a while? It seemed rather forward to him and he as convinced he'd be told no. He'd been preparing himself for that since they'd left the hotel after that first night.

He sighed a little before he got out of his car, tucking his keys in his pockets as he headed towards Alissa's car. If it wasn't for her, he knew this whole thing with finding out what Evie and Ian had been up to would drive him to do something more than a little stupid.

What: Confrontation!
Where: On Campus
When: The week before summer break


Evie knew she had done well in her exam, even though it had been a little difficult to keep her mind on things after the call from Ian saying Alissa had found out about what was going on. But at least Matthew was kept away from that little bitch and h would stay away from her until she was completely out of the picture. How sad Ian was found out, but Evie wasn't about to let the same thing happen to her. Matthew had no reason but to believe everything Evie told him and if things started to go too far south, there was always the threat of prison dangling over his head. Evie was confident things weren't going to be over with her and Matthew. So Ian got caught. That wasn't her problem.

What: A treacherous weekend away
Where: A hotel in the city


After saying a rather long and involved goodbye to Matthew, Evie had joined Ian not long afterwards. There was still a small part of her that felt guilty about the whole thing. But this was a great opportunity, both for business and for pleasure and it was difficult not to be excited about it all. The drive was a little longer than she'd anticipated but it had been pleasant enough with the bouts of talk and silence between herself and Ian. Evie wasn't a woman to get nervous about much and so the prospect of meeting his family was more or less water off a ducks back. She could certainly hold her own around anyone.

She reached out to place her hand on Ian's leg as they got closer to the hotel they'd be staying at and she smiled over at him. "I'm rather excited about all this. I think it'll be fun."

( Evie slammed open the door, rattling one of the pictures that hung on the wall as she stormed inside, throwing her bag down on the couch before she turned around to face Matthew. )

( The last place Matthew wanted to be was at some crappy bar with Evie and her friends. )

( Matthew was just sitting on the couch after a long day at work. )

What: Asking for bail
Where: Police Station


This was just ridiculous. Ridiculous and infuriating and it was just such a bad situation to be in and he had to wonder what the hell was going to happen next. obviously Ian had some real pull around here and it was going to be so difficult to get away from that. Especially with Ian spouting that bullshit about him attacking Alissa on top of everything... it was just disgusting. He felt sick to know that while he was stuck in here, any number of things could be happening to Alissa. Matthew looked down at his hands, covered with the ink used to take his finger prints and the knuckles of his right hand a little reddened from where he'd punched Ian. He had never hit someone else in the face before, never with the intention to hurt them either and he really did not like it at all. It had been well deserved, bad he was just as Ian was.

After a few hours had passed, Matthew was told he was allowed that one token phone call for someone to come bail him out. And that left Matthew with a really bad serious of questions. Who did he call? Would Evie be home to call her? How pissed off would she be with this? Was it worth her coming to get him or would it be better to just stay in jail? Could he call Alissa? Would Ian find out? Would Alissa even come when she was scared of what Ian would do to her? Would she be angry about what Matthew had done to Ian?

Before he was even thinking about it he was punching in Alissa's number, leaning against the wall as he listened to it ring. Alissa was going to hate him for asking and putting her in such a horrible situation because of him. He could just ask if Ian was there and if he was... he'd just have to hang up and leave it.

What: A costume Party
Where: Some stranger's house


It had been a couple of weeks since Evie had found Alissa and Matthew together, and things had been a little bit tense since then. Nothing was resolved, nothing ever way, but they had at east started talking to each other again. This party thing was something Matthew really hated the thought of, but Evie had brought up the fact that he owed her so much for having found him with another woman and he was going to this thing with her without argument and he wasn't going to just stand against a wall like he usually would. Of all the things for this party to be... it had to be a costume thing. That just made it even worse and Matthew hadn't felt quite so stupid in such a long time. But he did need to make a few things up to Evie so he was trying not to complain. But being dressed as a cowboy was so far down on his lit of things to be wanted to do on a Saturday night.

After they had got out of the car, Matthew was fidgeting with what he was wearing, a frown appearing on his face. After having fixed her hair a little, Evie, dressed as Helen of Troy, noticed the way Matthew was fidgeting and tugging at his clothes and sighed a little as she moved her hands to fix his collar and smiling up at him. It was hard not to think he was adorable at times like this. "Stop fussing so much," she told him, smiling up at him warmly and reaching up to tap him on the nose. "You look great." She linked her arm with his, leaning her head against his arm for a moment before leading him inside.

What: Getting Caught
Where: On Campus


It was the last day of work on the college campus which involved a few finishing touches which meant they could get out of there by just after lunchtime. That was a good thing since Matthew was well aware by this point what times Alissa had classes and where. He should have been more excited about the time to see and spend more time with Evie, but she had told him that once again she'd be studying for a long while in the library. He'd only just annoy her if he went looking for her.

Since he hadn't told Alissa that they were finishing early that day, he thought he'd surprise her by waiting outside the room her last class of the day was held. He still had paint covering his clothes and his arms even though he'd tried to get the worst of it off with turpentine beforehand but there was still rather a lot of it that remained.

What: The beginnings of backstabbing.
Where: At College.
When: A couple of years after broken contact.

It was a rather nice day outside and Evie had a break in classes for a couple of hours. It didn't make much sense to go back home only to leave again later so she set herself up outside under one of the trees with one of the books she was studying in her next class. But she was unable to concentrate so much on the work. She was far more occupied with the thoughts of having just moved in with Matthew. It had been just over a year, after all and it was the logical thing to be doing. She at least had some sort of stable relationship to keep her grounded. Even if it was dull sometimes. They'd have to move again soon though. The place Matthew was living would not be good enough for her. Things had to change.

What: A surprise visit
Where: Matthew's new apartment
When: A few weeks after leaving


Matthew sat on his couch as he looked around the more or less completely bare apartment. He had needed to fork out for a few things in the way of furniture, but since he never really expected to be needing to impress anyone, they were the cheapest things he could find and very sparse. It was a good thing the apartment wasn't all that big or it would look even more pathetic.

He sat with the journal Alissa had given him just before he'd left, reading it over for what had to be the hundredth time since he got here, it being really the only source of comfort he got around the place. There were the phonecalls and the letters as well which helped. But that journal meant more to him than just about everything else. Especially after Alissa had called to say she couldn't make it to the place they'd planned. He understood her reasons, but still. He had really been looking forward to seeing her again and not knowing when he was going to get another chance was getting difficult. Plus, it left him with a couple of days with absolutely nothing to do. He couldn't even go to a bar to drink. It was only a matter of time before the walls started getting so oppressive he'd have to leave to at least do something. There was nothing more depressing than sitting in a virtually empty apartment and pining.

He started tugging at the sleeves of his shirt as he read over Alissa's words again, trying to make it less obvious that they didn't even come up to his wrists anymore. From the state of most of his clothes now, he had grown a little taller since coming out here. He never really paid attention to that kind of thing, but now that his clothes were starting not to fit it was difficult to ignore. Maybe he should actually go out an get some clothes. He was starting to look ridiculous.