What Happens in Aspen Lasts in Reefside

Christmas Eve was a week later and still Anton and Cassidy had hardly spoken. Not because they didn't want to anymore, but because they were convinced the other still didn't want anything to do with them.

"Going now!" Trent called to his father as he was about to be on his way to the Christmas party at Hayley's Cyberspace where he knew his friends already were or would soon be.

"Have fun, Trent," Anton told him as he came into the living room, carrying a book in his right hand as he soon took a seat on their black leather sofa.

"You're not going?"

The well dressed blonde haired man shook his head. So much had happened this past week and the last thing he felt he needed was a party.

"Okay, well, I'll be home around midnight, I guess," Trent told him.

Anton nodded. "Have fun and drive safely."

"Always. Later, Dad," he told him before he made his way out of the large home and was soon on his way to the cybercafé.

Long moments passed as Anton tried to lose himself in the pages of his book, but the words were blurring together. It wasn't so much that he was tired, but his memories of that night in the cabin with Cassidy kept coming back.

He tried to force them away again and again, but the images of how the bronze glow fell over her as she tended to the fire, how perfectly she fit against him, how warm she felt and was.

The memories of their nights at the lodge quickly followed and he could hardly take any more. But it was then a knock at the front door shook him from his increasingly heated thoughts of his younger lover.

"Trent?" he asked, surprised to see him at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I forgot I locked the door after me and apparently the gifts I promised the guys. Would've been kind of embarrassing to show up empty handed," he chuckled just before he quickly made his way to his room and back again with the wrapped boxes.

"Of course," Anton replied.

"Alright. I'm good to go," he said as he made his way to the door again. "This time I'm gonna go and hopefully not be back for a couple of hours."

"Enjoy the party, son."

"Thanks."

The party already seemed underway when Trent arrived. Tommy was dancing with Kimberly who was laughing with him about something. He saw Conner talking to Ethan which surprised him, until he saw Kira beginning to take the stage.

Cassidy was there, too, but was again confused to see Devin dancing with another girl he recognized from school. Though she did seem pretty down, which hardly made sense to him with how much everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves.

With the others occupied, Trent left the gifts he had brought on the table with the others and made his way over to the petite blonde who was sipping her bottled water, seeming a million miles away.

"Hey, Cassidy," he told her, trying to get her to make eye contact with him.

"Hey," she replied sadly, still hoping to see Anton walk in.

"Want to dance?" he asked as he heard Kira strumming her guitar, beginning 'Freak You Out'.

Getting asked this question by the adopted son of the man she hadn't been able to stop thinking about for the last two weeks hadn't been what she'd had in mind when she decided to come here tonight. But she also knew that she couldn't turn Trent's offer down without telling him why. "Sure."

Everyone cheered and applauded when she finished her song, but Kira was currently more interested in making something right. She didn't mind that Cassidy was dancing with Trent, she considered herself to be with Conner now. But it did hurt her to see how sad Cassidy still was. She knew she wanted her to go to Anton, to get her to tell him how much she obviously still cared about him. But she could hardly leave the stage right then.

"No," Cassidy breathed as she heard her begin to play 'Patiently'.

"What's wrong?" Trent asked her.

"She played this in Aspen," she replied, knowing what song was likely to be next. Already she was remembering how Anton had held her through their own dance to this song and while Trent was a good dancer, he wasn't his father.

"You know, neither of you have been the same since we got back," he told her.

"Neither of us, who?" She knew playing dumb wasn't any use, but she was desperate.

"You and my dad. Both of you have been really quiet. I don't know, it just seems like you're both missing something."

Could he really be missing her? Cassidy couldn't understand it, not after the things he had said. She thought back to that final day in Aspen, the few things they said to each other when she was packing up Tommy's rental car.

He had said he hadn't meant to hurt her. That he wished he could go back and change all that had happened, just to keep from hurting her.

She had felt the same and told him so. But their conversation had ended there. They hadn't even spoken on the plane since they had been seated rows away from one another.

Once back in Reefside, again they had gone their separate ways, not having said anything to each other in this last week and it had been weighing on both ever since.

Seemingly only a second later one of Cassidy's fears was confirmed. Kira couldn't believe she was doing this to her friend, but she hoped in the end it would work out for the best and she would forgive her.

"I have to go," Cassidy said before Kira could get to the end of the first verse of the song she had written in Aspen.

"Why?" Trent asked her as he watched her move out of his gentle hold.

"Because I can't handle this song. There's somewhere I have to go. I guess I'll see you later," she told him before she grabbed her long pink coat and made her way to her car.

The scientist stood with a sigh as he made his way to the door at the sound of another knock minutes later. Will he ever remember his keys? Anton thought to himself as he made his way over. "Cassidy?" he breathed, nearly shocked to see her there instead.

"Hi," she replied softly as she looked up at him.

"I thought you would have been at the party."

"I was. But then Kira played 'Patiently' and I was dancing with Trent." Anton couldn't help but stare as she seemed to drift off again, looking away from him as the memories played in her mind. "All I could think about was you. How we'd danced to that song and I was missing it."

"Why don't you come in?" he asked as he stepped aside to let her in. He could tell she was a little distracted, but he could see she was shivering and refused to let her freeze.

"Thanks," she told him with a soft smile. Though once he had closed the door, she went back to telling him what had made her come to him tonight. "She played the other song she played in Aspen right after that and I couldn't take it. I couldn't dance with Trent to that song. I couldn't hear that song and be with you. I know you say this is wrong, but you're the only one I want or need."

She was nearly in tears again and that was a sight he couldn't take. "I'm so sorry, Cassidy," he told her softly as he moved closer to her and put his arms around her.

"I just want to be with you," she replied as she laced her arms around him in return, accepting his offer of comfort.

"Are you sure that's what you really want?" he asked her, now feeling that he needed her to say that despite the problems they would face, she was choosing him. Just as he knew he should have done for her the week before.

Cassidy nodded against his chest. "I didn't choose to be with you because I couldn't be with anyone else. It was because there was no one else I wanted. There still isn't. This whole week was hell and I missed you every second of it." She had never anticipated telling him that much, especially not in this way, but it was too late to take it back.

Softly, the scientist smiled to the petite blonde he still had in his arms. He couldn't quite believe she cared so deeply for him, but he knew he felt the same for her.

Pulling back from him slightly to look at him, a question dawned on her. "Why weren't you at the party?"

"I haven't been feeling rather festive myself lately."

"What about now? Still feel like skipping the party?" she asked.

He nearly laughed. "You feel ready to face all of them again so soon?"

"If I'm with you, yes. Or we could just stay here," she suggested with a smile as she looked up at him.

"You never fail to amaze me."

"It's Christmas Eve, they wouldn't care that you were dancing with me. In fact, I think Kira would be happy to hear about her plan having worked," Cassidy replied, now realizing that had to be why she played that song.

Clever girl, Anton thought to himself. Though since she had been partially responsible for their fight in Aspen, he knew it was right that she had brought them back together. Even if in an unconventional way. "Still, I think I would rather have a quiet night here," he told her softly.

"Well, if you'd like me to go, I can. I didn't mean to -"

"No, Cassidy, it's alright. After all, you and I have been known to share a quiet night or two," he told her with another smile. Though no sooner had the words fallen from his lips did Anton mentally kick himself for them. He couldn't shake the images and while part of him hoped she wanted to spend the night with him, the last thing he wanted was to push her. "Care to join me?" he asked as he motioned to the sofa.

She nearly giggled. Did he really think she would say no?

"What do you and your family have planned for tomorrow?" he asked as he took a seat beside her.

"Probably waking up before sunrise, hearing my little brother shrieking about getting whatever it was he wanted most. Dinner's at five or six, I think. Other than that I'm not too sure. What about you and Trent?"

"I'm not sure, honestly. Trent mentioned something about going to see Krista tomorrow afternoon. It's typically rather quiet here. Even during the holidays."

She smiled slightly. "What about tonight?"

"What do you mean?" He had an idea of what she meant, but again didn't want to assume.

"When are you expecting Trent home?"

"Not until midnight or so."

Within seconds she was slowly leaning into him and soon claiming his lips in a tender kiss part of her was worried he would break.

But he didn't. He needed this as much as she did, having missed it as much as she had. He knew they didn't have it in them to continue this upstairs. It was still too soon and both were still feeling the need to get their bearings with the other again, remembering how good it felt to have the other's lips against theirs, feeling their pulses race as their subtle passion began increasing.

Still they hated this night had taken so much out of them. But now though this was as far as they knew it would go tonight, it was enough. They were together again and knew now it was how they belonged.

"Merry Christmas, Cassidy," Anton told her as she nuzzled sleepily into his comforting hold as she began to awaken the next morning, still beside him on his black leather sofa.

"Merry Christmas, Anton," she replied with a soft smile. "Mmm, what time is it?"

Glancing to his watch, he answered, "Almost six."

"I guess I should go then," she told him, her voice reflecting her disappointment.

He nodded as he stood to walk her to the front door. "Thank you for forgiving me, Cassidy," he told her once he had opened the door for her.

She smiled. "Thank you for wanting me to and for letting me," she replied before leaning into him for another kiss. "You know, if you and Trent don't have any plans for tonight, you're both welcome to join my family for dinner."

"Do you think that's really a good idea?"

"Mom always makes so much, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste. We always have family friends over anyway and my parents like you, so if you want to, it's okay. If not, that's okay, too." She wasn't ready to be without him again so soon, though she had an idea he wouldn't take her up on her offer, still she felt she had to ask. Just in case.

"At five, you said?" he asked with a smile, realizing he again felt the same. Granted, he knew it wouldn't be easy seeing her parents now, but he was willing for Cassidy.

"Yeah," she replied with a broad smile and relieved laugh.

"In that case, I'll see you then," he told her, his smile yet to fade. She nodded and finally began to step away, heading towards her car. Then he heard the soft words fall before he could stop them, "I love you, Cassidy."

The petite blonde closed her car door and watched as Anton headed back into his spacious home. As she watched him close the door, she heard herself reply, "I love you, too, Anton."

It wasn't for another week that they could finally bring themselves to say those words out loud to one another. Just after their midnight kiss on New Year's Eve at Hayley's Cyberspace Café.

While surrounded by friends and classmates, it didn't matter to them. Though they didn't want to flaunt their relationship, they refused to keep it completely hidden. Not after it had nearly cost them one another in Aspen.

"Is Trent only just getting in?" Cassidy asked as she heard the front door close while she continued to lay in the arms of her lover New Year's Day morning.

With a smile, Anton replied, "I suppose he and Krista enjoyed their time last night."

"Like us?" she giggled as she nuzzled into him.

"Not an image I need," he groaned as he held her closer. Though he couldn't deny that this, lying beside her once again with her in his arms, was an image he hoped never to lose. Especially not when he could see the same love he had for her reflected in her eyes as she looked back to him.

They were one then. Just as they knew they would be from that day forward. Despite Mesogog, despite how others saw them. None of that mattered to them when they knew they wouldn't trade their time together for anything.

The End