Somebody That I Used To Know [Maureen]

[DREW SOLOMON]

Maxi had asked Drew to show Maureen around the city and he was more than happy to do so. It was kind of weird needed to show the sights to someone who he’d always thought of as a local, but he had to remind himself that she was pretty much a stranger. Seeing her at dinner the night before last had been a dream come true. He’d thought about it on occasion over the years—what if one of the McManuses had escaped that awful shipwreck? What if one of them was still alive out there? But as the years passed, he accepted that they were most definitely not coming back. Yet he’d been proven wrong! Not that it didn’t happen often enough, but he was happy to be wrong this time. Spending more time with Maureen just the two of them would be nice and he might get to tell her more about Maxi that maybe Maxi didn’t tell Maureen herself. Not only that, but he would get to know her again. That thought kept the smile on his face as he walked from where he parked on Peanut Street to the Tree of Enlightenment. It was the meeting point where Maxi told him he would find Maureen.

It was a cool day, but not as cold as it had been when the darkness first fell. His green eyes lifted to the swirling clouds overhead, frowning at the rain threatening there. It would be rain this time for sure; it was too warm for snow, but it would be a bitter cold rain. He lowered his eyes once more, his hands in the pockets of his flannel lined leather jacket thick enough to keep him comfortably warm. There were a few people out and about on his walk, including a couple of his past students who he waved to, but for the most part the streets were deserted. Where it should have been a sunny, warm early September day, it felt like a bitter, dreary late November day. The weather couldn’t get him down, though. He was determined to show Maureen the city she used to know and have a good time doing so. He just hoped she wouldn’t be as nervous as she seemed at dinner the other night when she first met him again. Drew didn’t like making anybody, not even his students, nervous. He was good at making others comfortable, but there was something about Maureen that motivated him even more. Perhaps it was the memories he had of her, but he wanted her to be the happy, vivacious girl he knew all those years ago, or at least some version of that. A couple nights ago they had gotten to that point by the end of the meal and he was hoping it could be that way at the start of their time together today.

As he approached the tree, he saw only one figure standing before it, looking up at the crack in the trunk. The crack was ominous and foreboding and Drew was positive it had everything to do with the darkness weighing all of them down. Scary as the crack looked, however, he was more fixated on the tiny, auburn-headed form standing before it. Drew had always admired the color of Maureen’s hair. It was very much like her father’s but more vibrant. “Maureen!” he called, getting her attention. When she turned and looked at him, he could see how surprised she was to see him. And there was the blush…he was making her uncomfortable and nervous again. He kept a safe distance when he stopped in front of her, not wanting to invade her space like he did the first time he saw her. “Hey, Maxi sent me as your tour guide instead. She forgot she had a meeting with Gertie scheduled, but she didn’t want you to miss out on the tour.” He smiled wide and warm, completely at ease in his casual stance, hands in pockets and a little slouched. “So I guess this is the first stop! What do you think of the Tree?” His eyes wandered to the crack once more then to the tall, bare branches. It looked so old and wise…what stories could this tree tell?

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

Maureen had been more than a little excited about the day she had planned with her sister. She had to go back home in a few days but today would be all about the two of them revisiting old hang outs and getting to relearn the place she had grown up. She was hoping that being around some familiar turf might jog her memory and she hoped that the night would end with her and Maxi curling up on the couch looking at old photos. She was desperate to see the videos and pictures, hoping something would ring a bell. The stories alone had done very little, and even meeting Jamie and Drew had done nothing to bring back memories. Even at night she had no dreams about her past, not ones she could remember anyway. She had a dream with Maxi in it, but she couldn't remember and Maxi looked like Maxi currently did. Sara, her sister-in-law, had been kind enough to listen to her babble all evening on the phone as she gushed about how happy and excited she was for finding her real family. The Aberdeen's were all thrilled with the discovery if not a little worried she would up and leave them to go back where she belonged. She promised she wouldn't, knowing her heart now belonged in Friday Harbor, but it wouldn't stop her from coming down, and often. Plus Maxi could come up and visit! It was a long drive, but it was manageable for a long weekend.

Maureen arrived at the tree a little early, having been excited for the meeting. She had to stop and pick up some extra winter stuff, not having packed enough considering the time of year, and knowing she would be in the elements quite a bit today. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and a fluffy navy blue, white and magenta scarf graced her neck. She wore fuzzy navy gloves and a warm, puffy white jacket. Jeans sprouted from below the coat and her warm boots hugged her petite feet.

She looked up at the tree in awe. It was huge and beautiful despite the large crack. She didn't exactly remember it, but there was something strangely familiar about it, like she'd been there before. Maureen often got a strange feeling of deja vu when something seemed familiar but simply wasn't. She knew deep down it was her minds way of remembering something, but the memories had a hard time moving to the surface. Her brain tried to remember, but often failed usually leaving her feeling confused and wanting for more.

“Maureen!” She heard her name, but the voice wasn't one she expected. It sounded so strangely familiar... She turned and saw Drew walking her way and her cheeks immediately flushed. What was he doing there? Where was Maxi? “Hey, Maxi sent me as your tour guide instead." Her jaw dropped a little. Maxi did what? That little witch! "She forgot she had a meeting with Gertie scheduled, but she didn’t want you to miss out on the tour.” Drew smiled wide but Maureen knew her little sister had ulterior motives and she would have to scold her for it later! “So I guess this is the first stop! What do you think of the Tree?” She looked back at the tree and then back at Drew. "It's big." She said pushing a smile on her face though she felt a little shy and she was a little peeved at Maxi for thrusting him at her like this. She knew she thought he was cute, and she knew that she didn't think it was a good idea to date. Why was she putting them together this way? "And broken." Maureen added with a shy little laugh. She knew she would need to ease up if she wanted today to go smoothly, and she really wanted it to despite who her guide was. She would have preferred Maxi, but then again Drew had been like a big brother to them, hadn't he? Surely he would be as knowledgeable. "It's vaguely familiar, but I don't really remember it." Maureen moved a little closer to Drew and hesitated before reaching to hug him as he had done when he had both met her and left her last. "It's good to see you again, Drew. Thanks for coming to show me around. Maxi could have rescheduled, though. I certainly don't mind you showing me around but.. I hope it isn't putting you out in any way. If it is we could end things early.."

[DREW SOLOMON]

“It’s big.” Drew grinned, nodding his head and looking up at the tree too. Maureen seemed a little nervous, but he thought her simple answer was funny. “And broken.” He looked back at her, chuckling quietly. She was being flippantly obvious and reminded him just a little bit of the girl he used to know. “Yeah, that was due to recent events,” he replied a little cryptically. He wasn’t sure how much Maxi had told Maureen about the events in the city or even how the darkness fell over them. It all led to that crack in the tree. “It’s vaguely familiar, but I don’t really remember it.” He smiled warmly down at her, nodding. “Maybe you will someday,” he reassured quietly. She shouldn’t feel bad for not remembering. As she moved closer to him, he was a little surprised by the gesture. It was nice to have her reach out for the hug this time and he gladly put his arms around her in a friendly embrace. She was so tiny he felt like he could break her if he squeezed too hard, but it was a firm hug. She smelled really nice too. It was weird for him to notice her smell, though, and he was a little confused by it; all girls smelled nice, so why would he notice Maureen’s specifically. Odd…but he released her as she began to talk.

“It’s good to see you again, Drew. Thanks for coming to show me around. Maxi could have rescheduled, though. I certainly don’t mind you showing me around but…I hope it isn’t putting you out in any way. If it is we could end things early…” He waved his hand and shook his head. “No, it’s fine! Really, I’m happy to do it. It’s more time I get to spend with you and getting to know you again.” His grin was wide and welcoming. “Besides, Maxi asked me to bring you to her house after. She said something about you two looking at pictures and watching movies when we’re done with the tour. I don’t think I’m invited for that, though.” He chuckled a little and then looked back to the tree. Nodding slowly, he indicated the crack in the tree with his raised eyebrows. “That right there is the reason it’s so dark and cold around here. This darkness came right out of the tree, though some humans refuse to believe that. It’s been months and still no change. I’m beginning to wonder if it’ll end.” The thought depressed him—he didn’t want Scriptor Bay, his home, to be left in perpetual darkness and cold, rendering him unable to use his special abilities. He didn’t want to depress Maureen, though, so he looked back down at her with a smile. “It certainly wasn’t cracked the last time you saw it. In fact, we used to come here all the time. You, Maxi, Jamie and Gus liked to race to see how high you would get in the tree. Maxi and Gus usually fell behind because they were smaller, but you and Jamie were like little monkeys when you got in the branches.” Looking up into the branches, he could almost see the scrawny figures navigating the wise old tree. It made him grin wide before he looked back down at Maureen. He lifted an arm and placed his hand in between her shoulder blades as he gently guided her away from the tree. “I’ll show you the museum. It was one of your favorite places when you were little.” His hand slipped back into his pocket when they were underway, though he noticed how pink her face was. How was it that he was still making her uncomfortable?

“I didn’t get a chance to ask the other night, but what age children do you teach at the hospital? I imagine it’s a pretty large age range.” It sounded like Maureen was something like a tutor for the children while they were unable to attend school. The job itself was so noble, he couldn’t help but admire Maureen’s kindness for doing such a job. It must have been difficult to work with children of so many ages, but she seemed to have the patience of Mother Theresa. “And here I thought it was difficult to go from freshmen to seniors on a daily basis.” He grinned for her. “Is it hard for you to do what you do?” Drew was genuinely curious about the life she led now. It had been twenty-five years! He wanted to know what kind of woman Little Maury had grown to be.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“No, it’s fine! Really, I’m happy to do it. It’s more time I get to spend with you and getting to know you again.” She smiled bashfully at him, managing to keep the pink from her cheeks, if only a little. It was really sweet how much they all wanted to see her, but she supposed she couldn't blame them. Had it been reversed she would have likely been the same way. “Besides, Maxi asked me to bring you to her house after. She said something about you two looking at pictures and watching movies when we’re done with the tour. I don’t think I’m invited for that, though.” Her smile was bright and she wanted to jump. It was what she had been really looking forward to! "No, you're not." She said in a playfully teasing voice. "No boys allowed, just us sisters." Her smile was sweet and genuine. It would be a fun time later, and it would give her ample time to chastise her baby sister for thrusting her into this uncomfortable position!

Drew was looking back at the tree and Maureen turned to look back at it as well. Maxi had mentioned the tree was the reason for the darkness. She had told her the story but she didn't remember it completely. There were so many thing to remember that some of it just got jumbled up in her mind. Maureen was able to retain new memories, but her brain often forgot small details. She didn't know if she was like that prior to the accident or if it was a quirk she had picked up afterward.

Drew was looking at her with a smile and she smiled back at him, not entirely sure what they were smiling about. "It certainly wasn’t cracked the last time you saw it. In fact, we used to come here all the time. You, Maxi, Jamie and Gus liked to race to see how high you would get in the tree. Maxi and Gus usually fell behind because they were smaller, but you and Jamie were like little monkeys when you got in the branches.” He was looking at the branches and she looked up with him. She used to climb that tree? Maureen had never been much of a climber. In fact she didn't do many daring things. She never wanted to be lifted in cheerleading or go too high onto anything. She had been friendly but quite the scaredy cat, and she knew that was probably from the trauma she had suffered. She thought of Jamie and wondered what he'd looked like as a boy. She would find out soon enough. "Climbing is definitely something I did only here." She explained gently staring at the old branches.

Drew suddenly had his hands on her again and was guiding her away, making her blush a little at the sudden closeness they shared. “I’ll show you the museum. It was one of your favorite places when you were little.” She nodded and thought about it. That would have made sense, at least with who she was now. Maureen loved museums and an place dedicated to memorializing history. History interested her, but she had a terrible mind for remembering facts, so it wasn't something she was necessarily drawn to, but it did interest her. As did science.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask the other night, but what age children do you teach at the hospital? I imagine it’s a pretty large age range.” She nodded in agreement as they walked. "It is." She said sliding her gloved hands into her own pocket and looking around at her dark surroundings. "I majored in early childhood education and minored in secondary, so really I'm qualified to teach an elementary school class but I can tutor all ages. It really depends on who's in the hospital at the time. My course load changes a lot so I could have a kindergartner and a
senior at the same time. They don't usually place older students with me since there is a secondary education teacher in the hospital as well, but it's not unheard of if she has a large load and I need to take some of the burden. Before I left I had a first grader, a third grader and two seventh graders. They were doing mostly summer school stuff so it wasn't difficult. They usually have to do classwork through the summer to catch up on what they had missed during the school year, but I always try and make it as fun as possible for them. No one likes doing homework in August." She said with a genuine smile. “And here I thought it was difficult to go from freshmen to seniors on a daily basis.” Drew teased and she smiled up at him. He had a sweet smile she noted. Friendly and understanding; he was probably a wonderful teacher.

“Is it hard for you to do what you do?” She shook her head and then pursed her lips and gave a sort of unsure nod. "The job isn't difficult and often it's a lot of fun, but it's never easy watching your students suffer. I've even watched a couple pass away over the years which was extremely hard. But you learn to move on and you can rest easy knowing you made a difference in that child's life for their short stay. The best is when they get a clean bill of health and leave the hospital. We always throw a little party, it's very bittersweet." She explained giving Drew another small smile. "Sometimes I envy you school teachers. It would be nice getting to know a student all year and watching them truly flourish. There weren't many teaching jobs in my area when I was looking which is how I ended up at the hospital, but I'm certain it had been my calling. Otherwise I would have loved to teach second or third grade. I love that age." She confided seeing the Museum approaching. She looked at it, and though there was no tell tale sign it was the museum, she instinctively knew. Could she remember it? It seemed familiar. "What made you choose history?" She asked seeing the stairs of the museum and having the sudden urge to run up them Rocky style. She hated that sick sense of deja vu.

[DREW SOLOMON]

Drew listened attentively as Maureen explained about her job. He felt his heart sink when she talked about losing some of her students. He didn’t know how he would handle one of his own students passing away. He was an emotional guy and he hated the thought of it. “But you learn to move on and you can rest easy knowing you made a difference in that child’s life for their short stay.” She sounded so strong. For someone so seemingly frail, he was amazed at her statement. It said a lot about Maureen and he was proud she’d grown up so strong. “The best is when they get a clean bill of health and leave the hospital. We always throw a little party, it’s very bittersweet.” He smiled wide and nodded down at her as she looked up at him. “I imagine it would be. It’s kind of like when students graduate from the high school.” At the end of the year, it was always a little sad to see the kids leave knowing they would probably never come back and go out into the world to start their best adventures. “Sometimes I envy you school teachers. It would be nice getting to know a student all year and watching them truly flourish. There weren’t many teaching jobs in my area when I was looking which is how I ended up at the hospital, but I’m certain it had been my calling. Otherwise I would have loved to teach second or third grade. I love that age.” He chuckled a nodded his head. Drew could definitely see Maureen surrounded by a gaggle of seven, eight and nine year olds all vying for her attention. It was a sweet image and he looked down at his feet. “Yeah, that’s the best part of being a school teacher. I love watching the kids learn and grow and I love getting to know them. It’s what I always enjoyed the most about tutoring you and Max and all the other kids.” He smiled down at her again, before looking up at the museum, following her gaze.

The museum had always been one of his favorite places in the city. It was beautiful and so were the artifacts it housed. He looked up the stairs, remembering how Maureen and Maxi would race Jamie and Gus up the stairs; Maxi had fallen flat on her face tripping up the stairs one time and did a number on her knee and her lip. She always had big lips, which made the cut in hers all the more prominent back then. “What made you choose history?” The question drew his eyes back to the little woman beside him and he bobbed his head from side to side as if thinking. “Well, I always had a really good mind for dates. When I started to learn about American history, it just sucked me in. I love knowing and studying where we came from, how we got to this point. Everything about it from the way people lived to the weapons they had available to the way they dressed just interests me. That and I like learned about specific, interesting people: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee…it all just makes me think about how much the times have changed. What made a man back then was very different than what makes a man now…” His eyes had wandered back to the building, but he looked down at Maureen again and chuckled, scratching his head. “Sorry, I tend to ramble when talking about it. You can imagine my classes usually go a couple minutes over because I won’t shut up. I had a couple students give me a timer as a gift a few years back as a joke. I still keep it on my desk. Actually I have a lot of mementos from students cluttering my desk.” He smiled wider; every gift he got from a student, he cherished. It was a great way to remember the students that had touched his life and moved on with theirs. They never knew how much an old man appreciated them…

He nodded towards the stairs before looking back down at Maureen. “You, Maxi, Jamie and his cousin Gus used to race up these stairs all the time. One time Max fell so hard, she had to go to the doctor to make sure she hadn’t broken her kneecap. Two weeks later, she was racing up the steps again, busted knee and all. You almost tripped a bunch of times, but you never hurt yourself like that. Usually you’d just pout because you lost the race.” He grinned, remembering the way she would poke her lip out and cross her arms tight over her chest in frustration. “Then I’d carry you up the rest of the way piggyback and you’d be fine.” She and Maxi had loved piggyback rides and he smiled wide at the memory. “If you wanted, I could still give you a piggyback ride.” He was teasing, obvious by the grin on his face and the twinkle in his eye. Looking up the stairs again, he raised his eyebrows. “Do you want to go in or keep exploring?” Drew honestly didn’t care what they did next as long as Maureen was having fun.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

She listened with interest as Drew explained why he chose History. Her sapphire eyes panned to him watching the gentle curves of his face. He was strong, but there was something soft about him and it eased the girl. For the first time she really notice the small gentle lines of his eyes, ones she had noticed on her sister, and herself. They may all look young but there were definite tell tale signs of their age for those who were looking hard enough for them. "...it all just makes me think about how much the times have changed. What made a man back then was very different than what makes a man now…” It was a true statement, one she would expect to hear from a man who loved history and she smiled warmly at him. He was sweet, and she was drawn to him as she had been to Maxi. Maureen wasn't sure how much of that was memory and how much was their natural pull.

“Sorry, I tend to ramble when talking about it. You can imagine my classes usually go a couple minutes over because I won’t shut up." Maureen let out a soft laugh. "Please don't apologize. I asked and I wanted to hear." She explained before he continued. "I had a couple students give me a timer as a gift a few years back as a joke. I still keep it on my desk. Actually I have a lot of mementos from students cluttering my desk.” Drew's smile was infectious and she smiled back. She too loved the momentos given to her by her students when they left. Not all of them left her with a tangible gift. Many simply touched her heart, but what few gifts they had given from the heart graced the small shelves of her bookcases at home.

Drew was looking at the museum and Maureen's gaze followed. “You, Maxi, Jamie and his cousin Gus used to race up these stairs all the time." His words made her feel almost dizzy; she had just been thinking how she wanted to run up those stairs. It was a strange sort of urge, too. And here she found out she used to do it all the time. How terribly odd.. "One time Max fell so hard, she had to go to the doctor to make sure she hadn’t broken her kneecap. Two weeks later, she was racing up the steps again, busted knee and all. You almost tripped a bunch of times, but you never hurt yourself like that. Usually you’d just pout because you lost the race.” He grinned, and she was surprised to find she too was smiling as she looked at the steps. After that first night she was finding the memories easier to listen to, and surprisingly it wasn't as sad coming from Drew. She knew Drew had probably missed her, but Maxi's life had been ruined by her disappearance. Everything seemed more difficult coming form her since she constantly felt guilty for not having been there despite it not being entirely her fault.

“Then I’d carry you up the rest of the way piggyback and you’d be fine.” Maureen let out a soft laugh looking back at Drew. His smile was beautiful for a man. “If you wanted, I could still give you a piggyback ride.” He teased, making her blush through her own smile. "Thank you, but I don't think I need on today." She said back playfully. The thought made her stomach squirm. It was strange to think he had carried her up those stairs countless times on his back in the past.

“Do you want to go in or keep exploring?” Maureen stopped to think about it for a moment before shaking her head. "As much as I'd love to see the museum, I think that's better suited for a day when we've planned for it. I know if I walk in there I won't get to see anything else today. I guess I still love museums." She bit her lip and looked up at him before nodding for them to keep walking.

"We sounded like a rowdy bunch." She said her tone slightly amused as she looked ahead, her breath visible as she breathed through her mouth. She looked up a little nervously at Drew, almost afraid to ask the next question. "Did the fun all end when I disappeared?" She ask softly, watching his face. It was a question she wouldn't dared to have asked Maxi.

[DREW SOLOMON]

Drew waited patiently for Maureen’s decision. “As much as I’d love to see the museum, I think that’s better suited for a day when we’ve planned for it. I know if I walk in there I won’t get to see anything else today. I guess I still love museums.” He smiled wide and nodded, thinking it was cute that she still loved going to museums. In so many ways she had changed, and yet in so many others she hadn’t. He liked the idea of doing something like this with her again, though. Spending the day with Maureen at the museum for the first time in twenty-five years would be an awesome day. The sooner the better too, if the weather kept up like he suspected it would; there was nothing better to do on days like this than hang out in the museum. Maureen nodded her head for them to keep walking, so they did, heading in the direction of Peanut Street.

“We sounded like a rowdy bunch.” Drew grinned and nodded, chuckling. “Yeah, you were. But it was good for me.” Having a bunch of small, hyper kids around had saved him from the pain of losing his mother. He wouldn’t be who he was today without that gaggle of rambunctious children, not to mention Jamie’s brothers and sisters and the Periwinkles. The unsure look she gave him caught his attention and he looked down at her curiously. “Did the fun all end when I disappeared?” His face fell at the question and he looked down to the ground as he remembered that time. He hated remembering it. A small pained smile came to his face when he looked back down at her, his eyes sad and heavy. “For a long time, it did.” His answer was honest and he looked back ahead, willing himself to tell her what it had been like. “We were all devastated by it. All of us knew and loved your parents, but I think what affected us the most was your disappearance. We saw you almost every day and then you were just…gone. But Maxi…she was never the same. She used to be so much happier and brighter. Not that she isn’t happy and bright now, but a part of her died with you guys. I think she partly felt guilty that she was the only one left, and partly she wished she had been on that boat with you guys. Then she wouldn’t have had to live without you. For two months she didn’t even speak. When she came back to study, that first day she broke down in tears. She stopped smiling and she always had this blank look on her face, like she was dazed. She was just…surviving.” It had broken his heart to see Maxi that way, despondent and blank-faced. She only ate enough to keep her alive, but she got terribly thin in those first few months. He turned his eyes back down to Maureen and saw how much he was upsetting her. His smile came back, gentle.

“Don’t worry, Maureen. Your grandparents were there for her and we never left her side. It took two months, but she began to talk again. After three months, we managed to get her to smile. I think Jamie got her a leather-bound Shakespeare collectible that year for Christmas and it was the first smile we’d seen since you all disappeared. After four and a half months, she was laughing again. She was never quite as cheerful as she had been before, but she came alive again. The fun came back; it was never as much fun, but it was as close to it as we could get.” With a big, warm smile down at her, he put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in tight against him in a one-armed hug. “It’s good to have you back again. It really, really is.” He looked down at her to give her a kind smile, but it was weird. Having her that close, he noticed how blue her eyes were. Maxi had the same eyes, so why would he notice them so much on Maureen? And her hair looked so soft, even held up in a ponytail. Really…she was so pretty. Tiny too…and warm…

Suddenly it felt weird to have her under his arm like that, but he hid his discomfort with a smile and released her. Clearing his throat, he looked ahead as they approached Peanut Street. “Up ahead, that’s Peanut Street. There’s a bunch of little shops and cafes there, even a bakery where they have the best cupcakes ever. I swear, it’s like eating a little piece of heaven. The first time I ate one, it was the first time I’d heard angels sing. I think the secret ingredient is the horn of a unicorn finely ground.” He grinned wide, trying to make her laugh. It had gotten depressing there for a minute, so he wanted to cheer her up again.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“For a long time, it did.” She had expected the answer, but it didn't make it any easier to digest. She didn't like knowing that the fun ended on her account, but she knew it was likely inevitable. She knew she wouldn't feel much like doing anything if she'd lost her family and actually remembered it. The only reason she likely thrived with the family that found her was because she had the luxury of simply not remembering what had happened to her and who she'd lost.

It was sad listening to Drew speak. She had no idea how very close she had been to these people. Drew had been with her almost daily it seemed, as had Jamie and his siblings and little Gus. Gus was talked about as if he were some sort of baby, but she knew he was probably an adult now. "..But Maxi…she was never the same." A lump formed in her throat and she felt her stomach sink. She had wanted to know what had happened to Maxi, and it killed her to listen to Drew explain, but she just needed to know. "For two months she didn’t even speak. When she came back to study, that first day she broke down in tears. She stopped smiling and she always had this blank look on her face, like she was dazed. She was just…surviving.” It stung. All of it hurt knowing that she had been only seven hours away recovering while Maxi was down here simply surviving. They were both struggling to survive in different ways and it was all so, so sad. Her poor sister..

“Don’t worry, Maureen. Your grandparents were there for her and we never left her side. It took two months, but she began to talk again. After three months, we managed to get her to smile. I think Jamie got her a leather-bound Shakespeare collectible that year for Christmas and it was the first smile we’d seen since you all disappeared." She smiled lightly, but it was a sad one. She was glad that Maxi had found solace somehow in those difficult months. While Maureen was learning to talk again, Maxine was learning to live again.

Drew slid his arm around her shoulder and she bit her bottom lip a little, not blushing this time as he pulled her into a one armed hug. “It’s good to have you back again. It really, really is.” She looked up into his kind smile and offered one of her own. "It's good meeting you again. Even...if I don't remember the first time." She smiled and the blush crept into her cheeks finally. He must have realized she was a little shy about the gesture and he pulled away. Even though they used to be like siblings, he was still very much a stranger and she had the feeling he was constantly being reminded that she just wasn't who she had once been.

They continued walking and Drew cleared his throat as they came up to a nice looking street where there were some people scattered about. “Up ahead, that’s Peanut Street. There’s a bunch of little shops and cafes there, even a bakery where they have the best cupcakes ever. I swear, it’s like eating a little piece of heaven. The first time I ate one, it was the first time I’d heard angels sing. I think the secret ingredient is the horn of a unicorn finely ground.” His smile was wide and she let out a soft little laugh. "That sounds disgusting!" She insisted, shaking her head. "I prefer my cupcakes without unicorn horns ground into them. But I love cupcakes.. I could use one right now, too. Want to take a quick break? My treat, a thanks for showing me the city instead of my flaky sister."

[DREW SOLOMON]

Drew chuckled when Maureen laughed. “That sounds disgusting!” He laughed loudly then as she shook her head. “I prefer my cupcakes without unicorn horns ground into them. But I love cupcakes…I could use one right now, too. Want to take a quick break? My treat, a thanks for showing me the city instead of my flaky sister.” His grin was wide and he gave a playful shrug. “Sure, why not? I can brag about it to your flaky sister later.” He chuckled and continued down Peanut Street, pointing out the shops as they went. The thrift store, the baby store, the café…when they came to the tea and bath shop, he smiled as he pointed to it. “If you like tea and handmade soaps and lotions and stuff, this is a good place to go. I don’t go in the store very often, but Maxi loves this shop.” He was smiling when his brow furrowed at the sign on the door. Closed? The shop was never closed…The sign said due to illness, but Drew had a sinking feeling in his gut. He frowned as he wondered if the little lady who ran the shop was a Therian or an Avisaille. He’d never known, but it wasn’t like you could tell just by looking at someone. Still, he actually hoped she was sick instead of locked away in one of those camps. He’d bought a lot of baskets from her to give to Maxi for Christmas and her birthday.

He realized he had just stopped a he looked at Maureen as if he’d just noticed her. “Oh, sorry. The sign threw me off. I kind of know the owner and I didn’t know she was sick.” The smile came back to cover up how perturbed he was, and he took up his stride next to her. Once they reached the cupcake shop, he smiled and held the door open for Maureen. It smelled warm and sweet and inviting inside, pulling him further into the shop. He always loved the smell of the fresh goods they baked in the shop. Behind the counter the bakers were icing cupcakes artfully, embellishing them and mixing more batter and icing. There was a long line ahead of them, which would give them plenty of time to decide what they wanted. He always found it hard to choose which cupcake he wanted most. In truth he wanted all of them, but he knew he couldn’t handle more than one at a time. He did love the pink strawberry ones, though…

“I have to ask, since you’re a girl: is it weird to see men eating pink cupcakes? I find that I like pink cupcakes, but I get weird looks when I’m eating them.” His question was playful and he gave her a smile to show he wasn’t being serious. Honestly, he didn’t care if people looked at him funny; if he wanted a pink cupcake, then he was going to eat it, regardless. Still, he wanted to hear what she had to say about it.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

She genuinely like Peanut Street as they moseyed on down. The shops were all so quaint and cute and the sorts of places she would probably shop in. She wondered if it had been like this twenty five years ago, and if it had been a place she and her family had gone to. She didn't want to ask Drew though, figuring that Maxi could show her around one day and they could shop. Her sister would probably spill then about what they had used to do on Peanut Street.

“If you like tea and handmade soaps and lotions and stuff, this is a good place to go. I don’t go in the store very often, but Maxi loves this shop.” She looked through the dim window at the goods. "It sounds like the sort of place I would love to go to!" She insisted, a little disappointed they were closed. It seemed for illness. She hoped the owner was okay.. She looked to Drew who seemed almost concerned. That wasn't a reaction she expected from him over the store being closed. “Oh, sorry. The sign threw me off. I kind of know the owner and I didn’t know she was sick.” His smile came back and she offered one in return. "I'm sure she'll be feeling better soon." She said softly hoping to ease his mind. She didn't know if the woman would or not, but she wanted to make him feel better.

They arrived at the cupcake shop in no time and Drew opened the door for her. "Thank you." She said softly, sliding inside out of the bitter afternoon and into the warm, inviting bakery. It smelled wonderful in there! She moved easily to the glass case displaying the various types of cupcakes and her mouth watered at the site. She wanted to try them all! “I have to ask, since you’re a girl: is it weird to see men eating pink cupcakes?" Maureen looked up and giggled at him. "What?" "I find that I like pink cupcakes, but I get weird looks when I’m eating them.” There was a playful smile on his face and it warmed her. It was hard not to like Drew. He was funny and sweet and there was something comforting about simply being near him. "No." She told him gently. "A real man feels confident eating any color cupcake he pleases." She said with a deep nod, trying to hide her smile. She turned back to the case. "There are so many! Okay.. okay let's be fat. How about we each pick one and then agree on one...and we can split all three?" She looked up at him and wondered if he would go for it. She might want to pick more than three!

[DREW SOLOMON]

“No. A real man feels confident eating any color cupcake he pleases.” The way Maureen nodded deeply afterward made Drew laughed softly, seeing that she was trying to hide her smile. He was relieved to see that she was relaxing around him now. She wasn’t blushing as much, which he took as a clear sign of her getting more comfortable around him. As she looked into the case, he did the same, feeling his eyes getting big. Man, he wanted one of each. “There are so many! Okay…okay let’s be fat. How about we each pick one and then agree on one…and we can split all three?” She looked up and him as he looked down at her in surprise. Playfully, he looked like he was wiping a tear away and then he hugged her dramatically. “You’re perfect!” he sobbed mockingly. When he released her he was grinning and laughing a little, looking down at her as he patted her back gently. “That’s not being fat, that’s being normal. Most girls come in here worried about ruining their figure. A few cupcakes never killed anybody.” He chuckled a little, looking back to the case and letting his arm fall to the side. His eyes fell on the pink strawberry cupcakes he loved so much. It was taunting him, and he was taking the bait.

“Okay…since I was already talking about them, I’m getting a pink cupcake, because I’m confident enough to eat what I want.” He grinned at her playfully before looking back to the case. What could they agree on? Some of the cupcake flavors were a little out there, like the strawberry-kiwi and the pomegranate-lime, but there were some simple ones too. Maureen seemed like a simple person, though she looked like she might pick one of the “out there” flavors for herself. His eyes fell on the simplest flavors they had in the case: chocolate and vanilla. Of course, they weren’t just plain chocolate and vanilla. There was a double-chocolate fudge cupcake, a chocolate and hazelnut cupcake, and a chocolate cupcake with almond and butterscotch frosting. For vanilla, they had vanilla with raspberries, vanilla and butterscotch, and vanilla and lavender cupcakes. He was in a pretty vanilla mood today…

“Would you like to try the vanilla and lavender cupcake? Your sister was raving about that a couple weeks ago. I think that’s one flavor I’ve never tried before.” There were a couple he’d never really been interested in, like the apple flavored cupcakes and the carrot cake cupcakes, but some he just hadn’t gotten around to trying. If he ate there every day, he’d be as big as the jolly old baker who doubled as Santa Claus on the holidays. “I’m open to trying anything, though.” His smile was warm as he looked down at her, genuinely interested in what she wanted to suggest.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

Maureen let out a sincere little laugh as he pulled her into a dramatic hug. “You’re perfect!” he sobbed playfully and she squirmed in his arms. "Oh, stop!" She hissed with a laugh. He really was a goofball and she adored it about him. Would this be normal if they had continued their friendship over the years? She hardly noticed when he patted her back, the two of them still giggling as they looked in the case and she realized to the other patrons they might actually look like a couple instead of two people who were intended to be like siblings. “That’s not being fat, that’s being normal. Most girls come in here worried about ruining their figure. A few cupcakes never killed anybody.” His chuckle was sweet and she nodded. "I suppose they didn't, but these aren't regular cupcakes, Drew! Look at them, they're easy the size of two or three regular cupcakes!" She gushed. She would definitely leave there feeling full.

“Okay…since I was already talking about them, I’m getting a pink cupcake, because I’m confident enough to eat what I want.” He was being playful again and she giggled. "Good, because that one looks amazing! And I like pink as much as you, my confident friend." She teased looking back at the case. There were certainly a lot to choose from. When he suggested the vanilla lavender her eyes widened and she nodded, especially knowing Maxi enjoyed them. "Yes! That sounds excellent. You'll look very masculine with pink and purple frosting on your lips." She teased with a little wink.

She wasn't sure which to pick! Strawberry, vanilla... it seemed almost obvious. "Chocolate hazelnut sounds delicious. Like nutella! I could eat an entire jar of nutella on my own, you know. It's my favorite!" She gushed and smiled brightly at him. "That's what I want!" She moved past him to the counter and put their order in for the strawberry, vanilla and lavender and chocolate hazelnut. She also ordered two glasses of milk for them, checking with Drew first to make sure he drank milk. Her stomach was already bubbling with excitement!

The woman set the food on their tray, and they had been kind enough to cut the cupcakes all in half for them! "I don't think I've ever been so excited for cupcakes before." She gushed lightly as Drew took the tray and brought it to a little table. She took a seat and reached for her milk, taking a sip and looking over the three very beautiful, delicious looking cupcakes, not sure which to try first. "Okay.. well, since you raved about the strawberry I think it's fair to start with that." She reached for her half and brought it to her lips taking a bite. Maureen was certain in that moment that she heard the angels begin to sing. Her sapphire eyes widened slightly and she looked at Drew in awe. "This is amazing!" She said, her mouth full of cupcake, a smidgen of icing on her lips. She took another big bite and giggled, watching Drew enjoy his own. She placed the cupcake down and looked across at the boy accompanying her, chewing slowly and enjoying their afternoon treat. "I would say other than finding my family, this is the best thing about coming down here." She joked after swallowing, icing still on her face.

[DREW SOLOMON]

“Yes! That sounds excellent. You’ll love very masculine with pink and purple frosting on your lips.” Drew laughed at Maureen’s comment, thinking about how that was going to look. He might have to find a little girl to tote around so he could blame his pink and purple lips on her desire for princess cupcakes. Or maybe he could blame it on Maureen. He knew in reality, it didn’t really matter. “Chocolate hazelnut sounds delicious. Like nutella! I could eat a whole jar of nutella on my own, you know. It’s my favorite!” Drew’s smile showed the warmth her sweet gushing filled him with. She still had that childlike excitement that made him see her as the little girl who had first captured his heart. “That’s what I want!” With her announcement, she moved to the counter to order their cupcakes and two glasses of milk. It was like she read his mind and he nodded when she looked up at him for affirmation. He hadn’t expected for this stop to happen, but he was glad it did! Any chance he had to make Maureen smile like that was worth it. She was practically bouncing around without the sugar! At least this snack would give them plenty of energy to explore. The woman began loading their tray, but Drew was more watching Maureen’s excited face. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for cupcakes before.” Drew could think of a couple more times where she and Maxi would go into one of their excited shrieking spells at the prospect of getting cupcakes. Instead of bringing it up, though, he just grabbed their tray and headed for a table.

When he set the tray on the little table between them, he took his seat across from Maureen and also grabbed for his glass of milk. He took a sip and eyed the cupcakes hungrily, deciding which one he wanted to devour first. “Okay…well, since you raved about the strawberry I think it’s fair to start with that.” Drew nodded in agreement, reaching for his half when she reached for hers. “Get ready for it,” he warned playfully, mimicking her movements and bringing the cupcake to his mouth. As he bit into it and chewed slowly, he hummed a sound of approval. They were still the best cupcakes he’d ever had. When he looked at Maureen, her big eyes were wide, making him smile ear to ear. “This is amazing!” Even though her mouth was full, she was raving about the cupcake and it made Drew laugh. “I told you!” he replied, also with a full mouth. As soon as he’d swallowed, he bit off a huge chunk of cupcake and again chewed slowly with another sighed moan. He loved those cupcakes. Hearing Maureen love them too with her giggling made it even better. “I would say other than finding my family, this is the best thing about coming down here.” He gave her a playfully suspicious look, finishing off his cupcake half and using a napkin to wipe off the tiny flecks of icing from his fingers. When the food was sufficiently chewed he said, “I hope I’m included in that family bit.” He smiled afterward to show he wasn’t really suspicious or anything.

A snort came from him as a stubborn smudge of pink icing clung to the side of her mouth. “You liked it so much, you’re going to wear it, huh sugar?” he teased, grinning at the look on her face. “Here.” He reached across the table, his smile still intact as his fingers gently tucked under her jaw as his thumb wiped across the smudge to remove it. It took a long moment of trying to clean her face to realize that he was brushing the corner of her lips with his thumb. His movements suddenly slowed as he noticed for the first time how pouty and sweet her lips looked. He stared at them for a brief minute, gulping at the way he suddenly felt his stomach flip. Almost as quickly as he began to have thoughts of how soft they looked, he snapped out of it and his cheeks flushed somewhat. Drew’s green eyes must have looked surprised as he gazed across the table at those big sapphires. His hand fell away as he gave a small, nervous laugh. “Uh, sorry. You just…frosting. There was frosting on your face.” He cleared his throat, reaching for his glass of milk and taking a long drink. What the hell was wrong with him? Maureen had always been like a little sister! Guys didn’t have thoughts about their little sister’s lips! It flustered him, but the cold milk slowed his heart rate a bit and he told himself he would just have to focus on something else. Cupcakes! “So, which do you want to try next? Lady’s choice.” He smiled wide as he set his glass of milk down. He could be cool and play off his awkwardness.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“I hope I’m included in that family bit.” He smiled and she returned the grin with a nod. "You are." She said a little bashfully. She had to think of him like a brother. It's how he saw her, how Maxi saw him and that's what was to be expected. It seemed he and Jamie were both siblings in a sense. Family.

When he grinned again she cocked her head to the side. What was so amusing, she wondered. “You liked it so much, you’re going to wear it, huh sugar?” She blushed and her hand moved instinctively to her face but she didn't feel anything. “Here.” He said before reaching across the table and taking her chin in his hand. She bit her pouty bottom lip as his thumb removed the bit of icing there. It was such a strange gesture, one she knew he was doing out of kindness, but Maureen didn't know Drew as well as Drew thought he knew her. He might see her as a brother, and she knew she was intended to see him the same way, but to have a man brush her face like that made her stomach squirm in a way that she was certain Drew's touch wasn't supposed to.

"Thanks." She said in a soft, bashful whisper. He was watching her, his hand still there and suddenly he blushed. Her over sized eyes watched him curiously as his hand dropped away and gave a nervous sort of laugh. “Uh, sorry. You just…frosting. There was frosting on your face.” He cleared his throat and drank from his milk and Maureen did the same, looking down at her partially eaten half of cupcake. "It's okay." She told him softly, chancing a look up at him. “So, which do you want to try next? Lady’s choice.” He smiled brightly and it was as though the weird, awkward moment had passed, but Maureen still felt it. This wasn't right what they were doing; pretending to be something they weren't anymore. She knew Drew still wanted to see her as the little girl from his memories, but she wasn't that kid anymore. She'd grown up and she'd changed. Probably a lot.

"Chocolate hazelnut." She said reaching for the cupcake and trying to forget the situation at hand even though it was suddenly eating away at her more ferociously than she was at the cupcakes. She smiled and then took a bite. Maureen practically moaned her satisfaction, her eyes shutting and her shoulders slouching. She enjoyed the sweet treat and then swallowed, a satisfied sort of smirk on her lips. "That.. is good." She said and let out a small laugh, licking her lips to make sure she got all the frosting off.

Maureen watched Drew for a moment and then placed the cupcake down, reaching for a napkin and wiping her hands clean. "You want to see me as her still but you don't, do you?" She asked softly, meeting his green eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze. "Drew I'm never going to be the sister to you I once was, or to Maxi or Jamie or anyone. I might look like that Maureen and maybe my memories will come back someday, but I won't be her." She looked up, searching his eyes. "In many ways you're still a complete stranger to me. We have to start over.. so if the sister thing is weird then how about just friends? I'd like more friends." She offered softly, hoping she wasn't offending him.

[DREW SOLOMON]

For a moment, Drew was afraid Maureen would confront him for being forward. He decided that was the right word to describe what he’d done. It was weird having to remind himself that this girl, whose death he mourned, was not who she once was. He was a stranger, and stranger didn’t wipe frosting off of girl’s mouths. “Chocolate hazelnut.” He was relieved to hear her answer and he smiled wider with a little sigh. Okay, so maybe she hadn’t been put off by it. Why did he always have to make things more awkward than they needed to be? They reached for their cupcake halves at the same time and when Drew bit into it, the rich, thick taste of chocolate and hazelnut filled his mouth. He saw Maureen’s eyes slip closed as a little smirk appeared on her lips and he had to smile. She certainly was a fan of these cupcakes, which made him feel awesome about suggesting it. “That…is good.” He chuckled a little at her comment and nodded his head deeply and vigorously. “Mm-hmm…” he replied, licking the frosting off his lips too. Maybe she could eat a whole jar of nutella by herself, but he could eat a whole batch of chocolate hazelnut cupcakes by himself, he was certain of it.

He took another bite, noticing she was placing hers down again. Maybe she was getting overwhelmed by the sweetness? Either way, his eyes came to hers to see if that was the only issue. She looked like she had something to tell him. “You want to see me as her still but you don’t, do you?” His brow lowered curiously and he stopped chewing for a long moment. Was she talking about what he thought she was talking about? “Drew I’m never going to be the sister to you I once was, or to Maxi or Jamie or anyone. I might look like that Maureen and maybe my memories will come back someday, but I won’t be her.” Her big eyes came back to his and he felt his stomach drop some. He hadn’t been willing to admit it to himself, but she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she wasn’t Maureen McManus. She was a woman, Maureen Aberdeen from Friday Harbor, and while this eased his conflicting thoughts about her being attractive, it made him sad as well. “In many ways you’re still a complete stranger to me. We have to start over…so if the sister thing is weird then how about just friends? I’d like more friends.” He gave a sad smile, hating to admit that she was a stranger. He’d seen her grow, taught her, loved her…and yet she was so different, so unlike Maureen. It seemed to him that Maxi and Maureen had switched places over the years and Maureen became the shy one while Maxi became the bold one. But even if she wasn’t the same Maureen, she was sweet, smart and funny; definitely someone he would want to be friends with.

He nodded finally, swallowing the cupcake in his mouth hard and then lightly sucked his teeth clean. “Okay…we’ll be friends.” The agreement was softly spoken. Perhaps it would be better this way. He was feeling strangely towards her and being just friends would allow him to explore that feeling a little further. Would this have happened if she’d continued to grow in Scriptor Bay? Probably not. The years apart were allowed him to see her as a woman, not the little girl she once was. It was becoming a struggle to see her as that little girl when the woman she’d become was so obvious in front of him. She was right; he wanted to see her as a little girl, but he just couldn’t anymore. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” His voice was soft, bordering on bashful but for the most part just sounding genuine. He’d never intended to upset her.