Chapter 3: Dads Words of Wisdom

~No One's P.O.V.~

It was Sunday and Ari just got done doing a run through the woods by her house. Coming up to the door she was stopped by her dad who was sitting on her front porch swing. Crap. The meme of Ralph Wiggim from the Simpson popped in her head with the famous line of I'm in danger came rushing through her head. "Hey daddy." She said panting a little with a sweet smile. Only to be greeted with that look that told her it wasn't' going to work. No one beside Preston and Brently knew her like the back of their had like her dad. "How's it going? You hungry?" Coming up unlocking the door which he already had a key for which just went to show she was in real trouble now and wanted her to feel the fear of seeing him there in person. "I could go for a drink. Then you can tell me why you have been so quiet all week." He said with a kind strict voice.

Getting a soda for them both and sitting across her kitchen bar counter to look at him as he sat on the tall stool. "I'm not ignoring you dad, or mom. I've honestly been busy and tired with work. That run was the first time I had any minute to myself. I just need to think." She told him. "I understand that kiddo but you can't expect your mom and I to be ok with you not checking in after what happened last week. I don't know what we do if anything worse happened to you. You know your mama blamed herself for the whole damn thing like she struck the plane down herself." He said with a big chuckle.

"She blames herself you know. For the conversation you two had of her hurrying you home." He said with his head down in a raspy tone. "I told her it wasn't her fault and even then told her to leave you be. No one knows what you are going through other then you. We all need time to heal in our way. BUT when we call you pick up the damn phone! I watched you coming in this world bloody and screaming I have no problem letting you leave the same way." He joked to her making her laugh hard with some tears coming to her eyes. It was heartwarming hearing her dad use her mother's famous line.

"Well if it wasn't for my new friend you may have missed that oppurttunity last week." She told him sadly. "I know you told me what happened but why do I get a feeling you holding back from me baby girl? Something about you is different, off. Something off." Looking at her father. "You are just so good at that. How is it mom is the therapist?" Looking her in the eyes knowing he would never judge her. She's always been open with him like a friend to both her parents. "It's Xavier." "The 'new friend' from the plane. The one who saved you, after getting you on it in the first place." He asked using air quotes not asking but using his tone as a direct statement. "Yeah… See he woke a few days ago after everyone. You know, and he seemed to have some different opinions about us." She sad looking down. "What kind did he have?" He asked getting a little on guard. "He thought I was his wife." "I'm sorry he thought you were his what?"

"His wife. He woke up flipping out because he couldn't find me and was yelling at the staff trying to find me. He looked up to where I was and squeezed me into a hug like I would float away if he let go. He kept checking me over making sure I was alright he said he saw all these images and that we were married and all kinds of other things. It threw me off." "Well, ok. You know most people who have near death experiences come back from comas seeing and knowing all kinds of things. Maybe his brain just got some things crossed over. Is he alright?" "He's fine. We are still friends I will be helping him make full recovery. I think it would you know also help being around someone who just went through the same things I just did." "You sure you're ok with all of this kiddo? I mean what do his folks think with him thinking y'all together?" Her dad asked leaning back in his chair.

"Well at first I think his mom when she asked me about us was kind of hoping there some truth was in there. About his claims. His dad thinks I could be good for him. So on the parent front I think I got the approval. Got that going for me." Ari said sarcastically while holding thumbs held up and a big smile making her dad laugh. "That's good I guess. I mean that's a whole other world there with those kind of people though Ari." "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what that means. They come from a high society love bug. They are used to being around politicians, actors, other people who are worth billions of dollars and you get pist off if you have to spend over twenty bucks on a pair of jeans and eighty dollars on a bra. How well do you think that would go at one of them cancer galas with all those uptight designer dress chicks? You get agitated when you have to go to medical galas and dressing up. How would you feel doing that a few times a month with a straight face? You like your privacy and hate being around people. He has paparazzi who hound the poor man to all ends. If this got out how well do you think you could do without clocking one of them damn vultures right in the nose?" Her dad laughed to her.

"So you don't think I could ever actually be with a man like Xavier Holden?" " I think any man in this world would be the luckiest man to be with you. I just want you to make sure you can also be the type of woman a man like that needs. You are strong, independent, funny, humble, sweet, kind, stubborn, sarcastic, amazing and beautiful woman kiddo. But you will also have to step out of your comfort zone and be just a little more lady like in a world like that. It's not about him being good enough for you in my mind it's about being willing to step up once in a while to be the woman he needs in the moment he would need her." He took a deep breath before he continued looking her straight in the eye.

"See baby girl. You women are incredible creatures the reason we can't figure you out is because we are not meant to. You are many things. You are a chef, you are a philosopher, teacher, house keeper, warden, lovers, body guard at times both physically and mentally for us men. The best thing you are is a friend. Somehow you will know what you need to be and when you need to be it. To be with a strong man like that. Let me tell you something about strong men. We don't get the option to break but when we do we need a woman just as equally strong in all those ways we can't to be able to help piece us back together. Right now that friend of yours is no different. If you are going to get emotionally invested into this man you need to be able to be that type of strong baby girl. Be smart in your choices. I trust in you."

"Are you worried that I'm actually going to end up marrying Xavier Holden dad? The man has the whole world at his feet, he could do a hell of a lot better. I'm sure he was thanking the lord this week that it was all in his head." Ari told him taking a drink and placing it down. "I'm not worried. If it happens, it happens. I will meet him see what type of man he really is and even give you my blessing if it's what makes your heart and soul truly happy. I don't think he is too happy about not being real though. You said he was scared when he woke up and clinging to you like you would disappear that doesn't sound like a man who isn't interested Ari that sounds like a man scared to lose what he thinks is his, or haves." Callan told her looking at her lifting one eye to prove his point. "You know men don't act like that with just anybody that wasn't worth the world to them. Anyways besides the Holden thing how are you holding up? Still using work as a crutch?"

Taking a big sigh. "Yes dad. I'm still using work as a crutch not that it is too hard since I have so much left to catch up on." Sleeping good?" "Good enough." "Eating." "Food is life. My ultimate soul mate." Ari told him batting her lashes. "You joke but there's way too much truth to that." "Yeah." They both bust out laughing hard. "You want to catch dinner with me sometime next week?" "Yeah." She told him softly as they calmed down in a peaceful silence. "Call your mama. She may be busy for the next two weeks so text her. She misses you." "I know dad. I will I promise." Kissing her on the head he made his out the door. "Maybe you should get a dog?" "I'm not that lonely dad and it would be unfair if I'm too busy for him." "True." He said shutting the door.

Looking around the house as it sat in silence which normally she loved seemed a little empty now. Maybe I should get a dog. A bearded dragon lizard something maybe a little less high maintenance, or more effort to care for. Like a fish. She thought to herself as she got herself ready for a shower. Maybe I do need to put myself out there, get a man or something. As much as she did not want to admit it when Xavier thought they were together and hung on to her like a life line it was nice to have someone be worried and there for her, maybe there was a lot more to life missing then she thought there was. Help me out here Brently.

Xavier

Looking around he found himself lost. Looking down to himself he noticed he was in a nice suit, holding a drink in his hand. Drinking from it he smiled to himself. Why would I be drinking Apple Cider at a fancy ass Gala thingy? Looking deeper it seems to be an event he's been to a million times. Strange not to remember how he got here. He noticed he was in a corner away from people. It took the familiar sound of the voice he's been waiting to hear making a smile come to his lips.

"How did I know you would be waiting in the corner?" Ari said in a beautiful dark blue dress strutting up to him in a playfully sweet way hands behind her back. "You just know me so well I guess." "Is that for me?" "Depends on what you're willing to do for it. You know this kind of stuff is not easy to find in a place like this?" He smirked to her as she stepped closer to him. "Well since we've been together not hard. Once people found out you would make an appearance if this will be there everyone has made it practically mandatory law to have it." Taking it and drinking it slowly. "Now why would anyone do that?" He was confused at how silly it was. "Really, why? Once you found out how much I adore Apple Cider over actual alcohol you always made sure to let me know it would be around to help lure me to be your date. Smooth move it really was." "Sounds like a smart man move." He was smirking to her as she wrapped an arm around his neck, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Looking into her eyes deeply he was still shocked by her beauty. "You know Mr. Holden It still amazes me when you look at me like that. Like the day we met and I crashed into you, even after all this time." Ari running her tongue through her lips to keep stop them from being too dry. "How much time exactly would that be?" He tried to ask playfully so not to get into trouble since he was still unsure what was going on. "Well three years officially married in three days, but as of today officially together four years. I still can't believe you would not let us get married until a full year and only on the day you woke up thinking we were already married. A full year engagement because you wanted certain things." "Hey now if you got the perfect woman then it only makes sense to have everything else try to be as perfect as she is." Kissing her the back of her hand.

"Always the charmer, and perfectionist that had nothing to do with me and you know it. It was all you and the band could squeeze us in the schedule, and food so it would be in season. The weird ass fireworks you had made." Ari laughed hard in his arms as she put the glass down and they started to slow dance to the music that was in the back ground. "About four years of waking up to my angel, huh. Tell me my love do you ever regret it?" She asked him. "Regret what?" "Regret us, all of it. Any of it? Me?" "Not once. Never cross my mind to have a future with you not in it." Kissing him deeply he stood still using his hand to go to the back of her head fingers lacing through her hair. Feeling all the sparks go through his body. Then looking back to her like he was finally in heaven until she broke away from him. "Still just as great as the first time."

"You know I was taking a mental walk-through memory lane before you showed up. Can I ask you a question?" "You were not but shoot." Smirking to him as they continued in their dancing groove. "What made you finally agree to be with me or want to be with me. You know, I know you probably told me before it's just something I need to hear for a minute. You know back when I thought we were already married and probably scared you off. What made you stick around to take the chance?"

"Yes we have covered this, but I can humor my sexy husband." Shaking her head looking away for a minute before looking back to him. "I guess I was lonely and my heart just woke up and got done with being lonely. I begged so long for a sign to show me down a better way. I needed a way where I couldn't feel my heart cry at night. I needed the change in my life. Brently was always trying to get me on. Not to mention there were signs and I think fate played a big part of it. We went through a lot together and it only pulled us closer. I am thankful you never gave up on me and kept trying. I was interested. I wanted to take the chance. I just had a lot of trouble taking that leap when everything happened all at once."

Taking a deep breath before she continued. "I guess between the crash, and Brently leaving me it was too much at once. I needed someone to see me through and I didn't even know how to start, or to learn to pick the pieces of me left up. I felt as broken as a shattered mirror; I couldn't even recognize myself some days the image I saw didn't feel like me. Not to mention all the crazy success you were getting at the time. I mean it felt to me like you could do so much better being all crazy smart and all." She said making them both smile. You seem to know everything I needed and you gave me everything I needed like time to trust in you and in this and now every day I wake up I am so grateful that I did. You are hands down the best thing that has ever happened in my life or to me." Kissing him deeply again making him smile when she pulled away.

Xavier was so caught up in the moment his heart felt full. To have someone so beautiful and wonderful, someone so in real love with him just for being him. He never wanted this moment to end. Noticing a man watching them with a kind smile who lifted his glass noticing he was the only person in the room to seem to have noticed them in their own little corner hidden away. He was brought back to her attention when she spoke up again.

"There the love wolves are." Nix said with a smirk. "I think you mean birds." Xavier chuckled as the two people in front of him gave him a confused look. "No bro I mean wolves remember Aris obsession with wolves and how she thinks they mate for life like some lobster or some shit and how when she's reincarnated she wanted to be born again as a wolf and your whipped ass wanted the same thing because you and I quote 'think the souls mate for life.' Always wanted to be linked with her." Nix asked looking at him like Xavier had lost his mind.

"I think you will have to excuse Xav tonight he seems to be more spaced out tonight then I thought." Ari laughed off. "Yeah I'm bored already, but you know how these old couples get at their anniversary parties. Look at them dancing like they just got married." Nix said with a smirk. It was one of Xavier's dads friends he noticed dancing smiling deeply to a woman he thought of as an aunt beaming the same pride back to him. "They wouldn't even noticed or cared if everyone left right now." Ari said with a big smile and content sigh observing the happy couple. "That will easily be us soon." Xavier whispered to her and nipped her cheek making her blush.

"Man remember the last party here in this room I thought you would surely go to jail for murder over the whole thing." Nix laughed a little taking his drink. "What do you mean?" "Come on bro you must really be out of it if you can't remember the whole Tilman fiasco." "Eric Tilman?" Xavier asked confused he knew of him in the business world as he was surely making his way up the chain right now, or than in his time period. "Yeah man he tried everything in his power to knock you down and off the top of the food chain man. I can't believe it all started with Newman thing. Once you rejected Newman, Eric came up and tried to get on some deals with you. But some of them were not what you called realistic for you and our company. Which only made him go after the same bids you went after. He started to know everything about you because of his damn mole. He was a crafty, manipulative fox. He went out of his way to flirt with Ari here and even drug her ex through your mind for mental torture I guess. I am so happy you are good at reading him and never made a deal with him or we would be eating a lot more ramen then we did in college." Nix told him laughing deeply.

"Who was the mole. "Oh yeah Dylan figured that out. No one wanted to believe him but Ari though. You guys fought a lot over that." "Dylan?" "Yeah Dylan my head guy back then in security you had him tail this beautiful woman around making sure she was ok, and he still is her guard to this day. She's the god mother to his adopted son. Come on man get it together did you bump your head or something?" Nix was starting to get worried. "Naw bro, I'm good who was the mole again?" "Donovan Russo." "Donni?" Xavier asked shocked. "Donni like Uncle Isaac's son. Who we grew up with Donni? Man his dad is like a brother to my dad how did they take that?" Xavier heart was sunken down hearing that.

"Well no one wanted to hear it at first but information was getting leaked for over a year and we were looking like we may be stuck doing business with Eric which was turning you into a work-o-holic asshole. Snapping at everyone. Got you two fighting bad. Which was everything that little pissant wanted. Then when Dylan started going through things months way before that it was actually a few weeks after you woke up actually from that plane crash. He noticed something off in the security systems and when he was doing a report he tried all year to bring it up but no one would listen to him except Ari." Nix said smiling at her.

"Your dad and Isaac didn't want to hear it without proof that was a pretty life shocking thing for his son to turn on both your company's and his father's just to get his own pay out. Even more shares from his dad who in the end if things stayed the way they were would have had to sell to Eric to stay afloat. Luckily you came to your sense went through all the evidence and got him caught. Now had you had just listen to Dylan in the beginning and Ari for that matter when she said she didn't like him. You would have saved so much heart ache and money, and man power. Some people really hated doing business with us after that. If we had nipped it the first time it happened everything would be so much less awkward at meetings with partners now a days only certain ones though." Nix told him in a laugh. When the band played the drum set really hard on a note. He felt himself suddenly start falling. Metal poles were now going through him again, as he felt himself being blown from the plane back into the water.

Catching his breath as he shot up on the bed looking around drenched in sweat looking all over his body for new wounds. Only to have pain come his shoulder and his casted booted thigh. "Fuck." He said slamming his body back down on the bed. Wrapping his mind around he crazy dream he had everything felt so real. Shooting straight back up looking around he caught his though. "Everything felt so real. Rushing to get a notebook he started writing everything Ari and Nix told him. For some reason he couldn't help but to describe the man who smirked at him but never said a word too. Turning to the kitchen in a cabinet away from the stove where he had his medications and took the ones he needed to especially the ne for pain.

Making sure he didn't bust his shoulders sutures he started wondering about what Nix about Ari's ex who was he? Why would he be in the picture? When he met her she told him they were broken up for a while. How would he even be back in the picture since she moved back home. Crazy. That was his only conclusion he was just crazy. Ryder and Jace would be in his office with Preston by Thursday for a call-in visit to check up on him. He would have more information on that thinking to himself. When he heard his front door open and shut to see a happy faced Ryder and Nix in front of him.

"What's go you so happy this early?" Xavier was looking at him lifting his eyebrow. "First off we just in a good mood you damn grinch." Ryder told him with a look and a chuckle. "Second off it's like two in the afternoon and you haven't been answering your phone you dick. We been trying to check on you we even old your mama that we'd drop in and make sure you good, fed, showered, and took your meds. SO PLEASE call her and tell her you did all that and we can go get lunch if you feel up to it or maybe make something here bro which ever just pick quickly we hungry man." Nix said in a pleading tone and tossed his phone at him.

"Alright man." "You good man? Looking a little I don't know something aint' right there." Ryder added taking him in better. "Yeah man just uh, guess still tired or something. I did just take my meds though I'll shower tonight. Hard not to get this thing wet." He told them moving his bad thigh as they nodded. "Well we could help you if you need. No homo though man." Ryder told him with his hands up in the air. "Maybe we just call that physical therapist and have her give him a hand in the sponge bath man." Nix wiggled his eyebrows up and down with a wink. Shaking his head at him and throwing his phone back at him. "Careful man." Nix said in a chuckle. "I had the craziest dream and it kind of threw me that's all." Xavier told Ryder to ease his mind. "Like a special dream of the future?" Ryder asked him as he took a sit at the bar in the kitchen as Xavier shook his head in disbelief.

"Maybe it sure did feel like the other ones. The images. I was still married to Arabella and even your bitch ass was there." Xavier told Nix. "Well that sounds like half dream half nightmare to me." Ryder shrug as Nix threw oven mitt at him. "Was it anything useful?" Nix asked him. "Maybe something we should know?" He was a little concerned. "It was about how I got Ari to be with me. Also it was about some business things. You guys remember Eric Tillman?" "Yeah you keep passing on his projects and everything as he tries to get business with us. Why?" Ryder asked him. "We just need to keep our eyes on him. Also keep turning down his advances and really keep eye on him. Nix you told me he really tried to screw us every way possible and almost did. He gets his claws on a mole and almost costs us more than I am ever willing to give up." Xavier told them both with a serious tone.

"Did I at least tell you who the mole was?" "Yeah I'm not going to worry about it for a while though we go time if everything is true in the dream. I will wait when the moment comes and pull you guys all in. I need to make sure things play out to make sure that we nip this all quickly if or when if it in fact does happen." Xavier stressed the last point out the best he could. "Alright man. Just whenever your ducks get in a row give us a holler. We got you man." Nix told him nodding slightly to him. Xavier was always thankful for the three clowns he called his best friends because he knew how lost he'd be without them. "Now go call mama Ellie we hungry man seriously move your big ass." Ryder told him as he and Nix kept calling out names to him.

Picking up the phone he took a deep breath and pushed the send button as soon as he got dressed. "Boy where the hell have you been that you could not pick up the phone?" His mother snapped at him that made him flinch through the phone as if she was near him to smack him like she wish she could have. "I'm sorry mama I was sleeping hard until like two. The guys are here and we are just about to go out and get food. I'm ok mama I didn't mean to worry you so much. I'm sorry. I took everything I'm supposed to. Done everything like I promised I would. I'm fine mama." Xavier said in the most loving voice he could muster.

"You better." The line was silent for a second. "You sure you ok? You know you can come home and we can help you out son. I know how hard it must be to try to move around that kitchen with one bad leg and one bad shoulder. You could just." "Mama no. I appreciate the love and the worry but I swear I am ok. I'm doing good. I'm getting around just fine." "MMhmm. I bet you if I was to ask your little doctor wife therapist you would be all too happy to come home." "Well… yeah." Xavier laughed as his mother did too. "Can I ask you something son. Do you have anything going on with her that maybe I should know about?" "Uh well technically no. I just met her few days ago and spent like few hours with her like maybe seven hours randomly all together. But I don't know I just really like her and something in me is telling me she is going to be something really special to me. I want there to be something more between us but you know hopefully in time." Xavier trailed off.

"You know I asked her the same question and she told me you guys were just newly friends. You know son you two just have been through something very traumatic not just you but those who love you as well. Dr. Ari there seemed very shook up and I think you need to maybe take easy steps with her. I got to speak to her a lot actually as she was running all over the hospital and such this past week I got to say. I really like it. I enjoyed speaking with her your dad did too. So if this woman is the one you think you see yourself with down your road there. Were happy for you and support you on that. She is so down to Earth, smart, humble and kind. You may have your work cut out for you." She laughed at him handing the phone off to his dad who was standing by smiling to them.

"Hey kid." "Hey dad." Xavier's dad walked into his office so his wife couldn't hear them. "You know son I got a couple things I want to ask you or run by you that have been plaguing through my mind here." "Sure dad." "I'm not going to ask about the whole Newman thing or any work thing though so don't worry about that. It's about a thing or two I noticed about the hospital and it's just sticking to my soul here." "Like what?"

"Well for starters. When you woke up and you yanked all your I.V's and things you running around like a whack nut looking for Arabella. That was the only time you had an effect or any strong type of emotions of what happened through the whole incident. Just when you thought you couldn't find your 'wife'. Now as a husband or at least a real one I should say I can get that I understand 100% where you coming from there. Especially with everything that happened days before last things you remember going through your head. The thing that bothers me son is once you found the truth that was the only thing that bothered you." His dad said plainly

"I'm missing the question dad." "You just got out of a very bad plane wreck. Losing a good family friend. Three other people died you could have died at least twice that I'm aware of there or three if you would have bled out to the hospital you know you nicked a very bad vein there Xavier that they were able to fix and control. You went into a coma to heal for a few days. Then when you wake up and everything settled or was settling you were just I don't know like you were already over it. Like none of it just happened. I thought maybe it was shock at first but you still just haven't responded the way a normal person would son. I'm going to ask you once and I want an honest real answer. I'm not your mother son I know when you lying to me. Are you really ok?"

"Ok dad. I'm going to level with you. I am perfectly fine. I am going through something I don't quite understand and it's throwing me for a loop. But the reason I am not responding normally is because my brain at the time was already over it. Like you guys said my wires or something probably got cross and I saw things that haven't happened yet apparently and now they slowly are happening. Dad I have bigger things going through my mind then the crash that already happened and that another version of me was already over it. I am having dreams about the future dad. So I am having trouble of knowing where I pick up from in the dreams to where it's going to be put into play in like the actual day. That's why I am being the way I am being." Xavier told him flatly with his inside being so nervous he could feel his heart in his stomach.

"Ok. Well alright. Is there maybe something I can do or we can look into to help you maybe sort through some of it to make better sense?" Looking at the phone making sure the phone call was still going. "That's… that's all you got to say on that? You believe me just like that with all the craziness that just came out of my mouth?" "I told you already I know when you're lying to me. You're a logical man. Now if you believe you're having future or premonition type things. You must have seen or have some proof of it. My only concern right now is making sure you're ok Xavier. You are the only thing I have in this world that is not replaceable. Once you become a parent and your kid becomes an adult that doesn't mean you're job is over. The worrying, the stress, the need to help them in hard times that doesn't go away once they reach eighteen son. It's a life time job. Now any idea on how we can help you through this?" His dad asked him trying to figure out how to work through it together.

Xavier felt his heart strings tug a little eyes getting a little watery feeling the deep parental love from both his parents. It really dawned at him that he really did grow up with everything he needed. "Actually I think I'm doing ok with it and I just need some time right now. What." Xavier cleared his throat to try to cover up the deep emotion he was feeling. "What was the other things you wanted to ask me?" "I wanted to know if maybe seeing a therapist would be ok in a few weeks if you're still feeling thrown off, because maybe future you is over it, but we aint in the future right now son and I want you to promise me if you get a lot of nightmares or anything planes crash related gets worse, or you're visions let's say get worse promise you will go talk to someone." "I promise dad I will go talk to someone if I come across the line.

"Did you pull out of the deal with Newman because you saw it falling through?" "Yeah. I did." Dante shaking his head in understanding on the other end of the phone. "You know what that's enough for right now son I don't want to stress you out or have you working too hard right now. We can talk more about this later. Oh wait one more thing. The doctor is she really that important to you? Or is she someone who will be." His dad asked curiously with a smirk. "Right now 'technically' she's my friend. Honestly she'll be my everything. Dad I've seen it. Hell I think I even felt it when I first met her how special she is. I've seen the life we have. Then when I wake up to find out it's not. That we're not. It makes feel I don't know a little broken." Xavier told him trying to figure out how to use the right words making himself both sad and mad at the same time coming to terms with the truth.

"Son is it at all possible that maybe you're coming to terms with a near death experience and finding maybe you got some things missing from your life. Maybe you're not where you really thought you would be by now? Are you just lonely son?" "I asked myself the same thing but no it's not a lonely thing. I mean I am lonely now that I have seen everything I could be having right now. After seeing everything I know I will have. I don't just want to be with someone dad. I want to be with Ari. Trust me down the road you will love her more than me." Xavier told him with a deep chuckle. "Son maybe you should get a dog in the meantime or something a cat maybe." "Hell no on the cat, and I aint got time for a dog right now. Look dad I got to go get some food. I promise to call in in a couple of days or maybe see you around the office." "Take it easy son." Getting dressed he got downstairs.

After a long relaxing lunch with the guys. Xavier walked in through the door and noticed the deafening silence it was about almost seven when he walked in and looked around. 'Maybe I should get a fish.' Xavier called an Uber and got ready looking up the closest pet store. Walking in the door and hearing the bell go off he found himself slowly looking around the store until he heard voices by the fish tanks. Curiously he peaked his head over and couldn't help the smile coming upon his face as he saw his angel herself asking questions about lifespans of the fish and what they needed to live in or eat. Clearing his voice to get their attention. They both looked up to him. "I'll be right with you sir. Also we will be closing an hour." The older man told him with a sweet smile.

"Actually sir I was hoping to get in on your conversation see I'm also in the line of a pet fish and have those exact questions my good friend here has asked." He winked to Ari who was blushing like a school girl. "How's it going Ari?" "I'm well. How you doin' Xav? You should really be on bedrest right now." Smiling widely to her stepping closer to the pair. "Doing a lot better now. Now about these fish." Xavier asked the man who told them everything there was to every know about any fish ever.

They both opted out of buying on one that evening and stood outside the shop as the man locked the doors. "Can I walk you to your car?" Xavier asked her. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She teased looking down to his cast like boot. "I Ubered actually kind of hard to Drive with this thing and to turn with the shoulder. Not that safe." "Well can I give you a lift home then?" She offered. "That would be great thank you. It's a nice tonight." "It really is. The breeze feels so refreshing. I like to leave the windows and doors open a little longer when it feels like this." She told him smiling at nothing looking forward walking slow to his pace.

"Me too. This and Fall is always my favorite time of year." "Same." "What brought you out for a fish?" "What brought you out?" "I'm stuck at home for one night and noticed how empty my house is. It's like I noticed the…the quiet." Xavier said laughing a little scratching the back of his neck looking at her for her turn to answer. "Going to leave me hanging like that after putting myself out there now?" He chuckled to her making her laugh. "I came to terms that. I'm a sad lonely pathetic person." She sighed. "I don't know about sad or lonely but you are not pathetic. I know that well enough by now. Me too though." "You of all people are not pathetic, maybe sad. Possibly lonely but not pathetic." She looked to her side real quick to make sure he knew she meant that.

"You hungry? Have you eaten yet?" Xavier asked her no looking at her before he lost the nerve to make a harmful move. "I could eat. Would you like me to stop somewhere on the way to take you home grab some dinner?" She asked him. Playfully grabbing his chest with his good hand he used the best shocked voice he could muster. "Is THE Doctor Alderman asking me out on a date. Oh heart beat still." He was starting to sell it pretty well when she stopped laughing long enough to joke with him. "Well normally when I find out I'm married I always think it's good to at least date the man once." "Oh damn got jokes for days on that." He said shaking his head lightly looking down with a blushful smirk. "Dinner sounds great though thank you." Helping him in the car and getting in herself she buckled herself laughing still.

"Where to stud muffin?" "Where ever the wifey wants. It's her 'date'." He joked back to her with a wink. Shaking her head at him one last time as they laughed he whole time grabbing their food. It was such a good time he almost didn't want it to end. Waking up the next morning on the huge couch in his theater room he wondered how he got there from just being in Ari's car. When he heard the sound of his alarm going off to get up on his cell phone. Looking at the food wrappers from the night before to his right side. "Turn in off." Xavier's head snapped to the woman to the right of him as she groaned turning to her side. Ari was lying next to him on the couch a movie credits that have well since ended hours ago probably. Wearing one of his old shirts and long shorts. Quickly grabbing his phone realizing it was just the next day Monday. Looking back down at her he couldn't help but wonder 'what the hell happened last night?'