The Way Back

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"What do you mean us?" Eve asked softly as she turned towards Chris. She placed the cup of coffee before him before taking a seat at the table.

"No, it didn't," He replied as he looked into his coffee cup, "We used to get along just fine."

"What happened to us, Chris?" Eve asked as she looked back to him, "How did we let our relationship get so bad?"

"Both of us with our ideas of finding love," She replied, "Our so-called significant others caused us to fall apart."

"You are not to be trusted," Eve narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She then laughed softly, "How do you do that?"

"It's a gift," Chris smiled, "There were times when breaking the ice with you was the thing I looked forward to the most."

Eve met his eyes and smiled, "There were other things you looked forward to more.....like hoping that maybe I'd keep stringing you along."

"Hmm," She nodded, "You liked it when I'd bait you in then give you absolutely nothing. You like being toyed with."

"I know," She replied with a smile, "I just never gave you the kind of prize you truly deserved."

Chris shook his head, "I don't know about that, Eve. I think Phillip is the kind of prize I've waited a lifetime for."

"Yeah, like when his little ego is going full speed ahead, or when he gets in over his head but refuses to admit defeat," Eve smiled as she thought of her son, "There are times when he smiles that I can see you in him so clearly. He looks at me sometimes with the same kind of approval that you gave me."

Chris smiled as he watched Eve talk about Phillip, "You're very proud of him, aren't you?"

"Yes I am," She answered as she looked back to him, "He's everything in the world to me."

Eve met his eyes and let her smile slowly fade, "Do you think we can manage to get along as parents?"

The parents watched one another for a moment, making a silent but binding agreement to do their level best for their son.

"You were in late last night," Stacey crossed her arms as she stared at Chris pointedly. She flipped her thick auburn braid from her shoulder with a quick motion of her head before nailing Chris with another stare, "Care
to explain?"

Chris walked across the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, "Since when is there a curfew Mom?" He teased.

"Stacey, let's not get into it this morning, okay?" He replied as he sat beside her at the table, "I'd much rather hear about what you have planned today."

"You're not getting out of this one, bud," She said firmly as she poked him in the shoulder, "Spill it, Chris, before I rip it out of you."

"Violence? So early in the morning? I thought you didn't start the bloodshed until after lunch."

"Chris, I'm serious," She said as she slammed her fist down upon the table, "Quit jerking me around."

"Stacey, this is adorable," Chris smiled, "I had no idea you were so protective of me."

"Don't get your overblown ego revved up, Chris. I was just letting you know how it feels to be watched like a hawk and for someone to demand that your every action be accounted for."

"Don't Stacey me, Chris. Tell me who you were with last night before I start questioning every woman in town."

As Chris saw his sister's eyes flaming with curiosity, he grinned. He shrugged, "She's someone I used to know a long time ago."

"Eve La......Oh...." Stacey groaned, "Please tell me that this isn't going to begin another six month crying jag with you."

"Okay, so it was more of a pity party. Chris, I swear if you get hung up on this woman again, I'll have to kill you myself."

"No, listen to me," She softened her tone as she touched his hand, "Chris, I watched you nurse your broken heart. I saw how much it hurt you to lose her. I don't want to watch you go through that again. Please don't get sucked into it."

"Try me," Stacey urged as she squeezed her brother's hand, "Chris, you know that I love you, and I only want to see you happy."

"Is this where you tell me that I should take my own advice? Well spare me, Stacey," Chris replied as he downed the last of his coffee, "I'm your big brother. It's my job to look after you."

"Stacey, I just want to look after you. That's all. Does that really make me such a bad guy?"

"It's not your intentions I question, Chris," Stacey said as she allowed him a soft smile, "But it's your methods that I don't approve of."

"I'm an adult, Chris," She sighed, "Don't you think I should be able to decide what is in my best interest?"

Chris frowned before he leaned over and pecked his sister on the cheek, "I won't apologize for keeping you safe." He stood and placed his cup in the sink.

"Chris.....please don't walk out on this conversation," Stacey pled with him as she turned in her chair. She frowned before she heard the door close behind him on his way out. She shook her head and leaned back on the table, "Eve Lambert.......damn."

Chris stood at the end of the hallway, watching Eve as she spoke with a patient. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, thinking about the son he had never known he had. Phillip was perfect in every way. Chris only wished he had gotten to know him from birth.

He glanced down the hall towards Eve and smiled. She was the mother of his child. It was odd that he had never considered the fact that she could have been pregnant with his baby. She had been son convinced that she was carrying Ian's child. He had always wanted to be with Eve, dreamt of holding her in his arms for the rest of his life, but he had never thought that she might have his child.

He was so entranced with watching Eve, he didn't notice Paige standing at his side with a beaming yet prying smile upon her features. She nudged him gently and smiled, "What exactly happened to you last night?"

"What?" Chris asked as he watched her, his smile refusing to be hidden, "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you tell me, Chris?" Paige smiled, "Did you and Dr. Lambert make amends?"

"With the way you've been snapping at her, I had to wonder," She grinned, "Just what exactly happened between you two last night?"

"Paige, it's not about what happened last night. It's more like something that happened years ago."

"So you're just going to stand here and stare at Dr. Lambert with a goofy smile on your face?" Paige crossed her arms.

Paige groaned as she turned and walked back down the hall towards the nurse's station. Chris laughed softly to himself before he felt the nudging from his side. He looked back and met the beautiful brown eyes he'd once fallen in love with.

"You only wished you could get so lucky," Eve rolled her eyes as she turned away from him and walked down the hall.

"No, you blew it now. I don't want to hear it," She pretended to ignore him as she walked towards the nurse's station.

"I don't want you to do anything," She spoke defiantly as she took a file from the nurse's desk.

"Yes, you do," Chris said as he leaned onto the desk and gazed across the desk at Eve. He smiled wickedly, "You want me to beg you to listen to me."

"To listen to you? As if you're going to shut up long enough for me to not hear you," Eve half laughed.

"You heard it quite well," He nodded, "So what's it going to be? Are you going to sit here and eat all alone?" He smiled, "Or are you going to have lunch with me at Caitlin's Cafe?"

Eve crossed her arms on the desk and leaned towards him, "I accept your invitation," She smiled as she closed the file and stepped beside him, "But don't let your ego grow, Chris. It was my invitation to begin with, remember?" She smiled as she tapped him on the shoulder and walked on by.

Chris glanced over his shoulder and half laughed before Paige leaned over the desk and smacked his arm.

Chris chuckled softly before taking a new file from the desk and getting back to work.

"It usually is," Chris nodded, "Caitlin's got the best food in town, and every one knows it."

"Well, would you look what the cat drug in?" Caitlin asked as she finished the crowded room's welcome of the doctor and his companion.

"Hello to you too, Caitlin," Chris smiled as he pecked her on the cheek after waving to other patrons, "Do you have a table open for two hungry doctors?"

"Well...." Caitlin spoke as she narrowed her eyes at him, "If it were just you, I'd say no. But I happen to like the beautiful doctor you're with," She smiled at Eve, "How on Earth did you get hung up with this one?"

"You'd better take that back, or I won't buy you lunch young lady," Chris watched her over his shoulder.

Caitlin smiled, "She's got your number, Chris," She chuckled, "You can have that table over in the far corner. It's kind of private."

"Thank you," Chris smiled as he urged Eve in that direction. On his way by Caitlin, he gingerly smacked her on the bottom with a smile before walking on to take a seat opposite of Eve. A waitress made her way by and took their quick order before leaving them alone.

Eve sipped a glass of water and smiled, "You and Caitlin seem to be pretty friendly."

Chris smiled, "Caitlin is someone I've come to trust quite a bit. She's a wonderful lady," He paused as he watched her across the cafe, "She kind of becomes a mother to everyone she meets."

"She did, did she?" He asked as he looked back to her, "Is that when you started being jealous of my little sister?"

"It's okay," He said as he tore a small piece from a bread stick and began to chew upon it, "It's cute."

"Yourself would be a good start," She pointed out as she picked up a bread stick and tapped his hand.

Chris smiled, "You don't have to try to hide from me, Eve. I can see it when you look at me."

He avoided the question, "Why don't you tell me what brought you all the way out here to Montana?"

Eve took a slow deep breath and studied the bread before her in depth, "My life fell apart, and I needed to start over."

"I need to tell you everything about Phillip," Eve redirected the conversation with a soft smile, "You need to know absolutely everything about our son."

Chris sensed her need to change subjects and he nodded, deciding to get the real story later.

"How did you figure out that I was Phillip's father?" Chris asked as he studied their lunch upon the table.

"The morning you left, I had gone to Dr. Neuman for an ultrasound. She told me that I was thirteen weeks along, not eleven like I'd guess I would be," Eve paused, "I figured backwards, and I realized that my child was conceived the night you and I spent together."

"Once I figured out the date he was conceived, I knew that the only time could have been that night. It took me a while before I actually remembered what happened," She gazed across the table, "What I did remember is being back in my hotel room and the look in your eyes when I reacted to the thought that we might have slept together."

"Only because I was so in love with Ian that I couldn't get my head on straight, Chris."

"That's not true, Chris. When I realized what happened between us, when I remembered making love to you," She paused as she met his eyes, "All I could think about was how perfect it had been. My only regret is that I didn't remember it then. If I had," She paused as she reached out to him, placing her hand over his upon the table, "I never would have let you go."

Chris looked at her hand upon his then slowly looked up to meet Eve's eyes. He blinked for a moment as he processed what she had just told him, "What?"

"Chris, that night proved to me just how perfect we are together," Eve squeezed his hand gently, "It didn't occur to me when you asked me to marry you that you really meant it in your heart. I was so lost in my own
stupidity that I couldn't see the truth looking straight at me."

"Chris, let me finish. I've been waiting five long years to say this. Please just let me finish it," Eve pled with him as she held his hand in hers, "The day that I discovered you were Phillip's father, all the times I had shared with you raced through my head. I thought about all the times you had fought for me when no one else would, the times you sacrificed for me and I had failed to thank you," She bit her lip gently as she tried to fight tears that were springing up, "I realized that when we were at the cabin and you looked at me and told me that you loved me...." She smiled, "You meant it. You really meant it deep in your heart. I had
felt so special that day. You'll never know how important it was for me to hear you say that," She lifted her free hand to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear, "I went to your apartment, ready to tell you that I knew the truth, that I had realized just how special you are and how very lucky I was to have you in my life, but you weren't there. I found out that you had gone to the airport and I raced there, determined to keep you in my life."

"Chris, I realized that day that I loved you. I had always loved you, but look at my track record," She paused as she wiped her tears again, "Everytime I find someone truly good inside, I lose them. I did not want to lose you. I couldn't bare the thought of going through my life without you. And then I lost you anyway," She said as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Chris moved his chair closer to her as he wrapped his arm around her, "I may have left Port Charles, Eve, but you never lost me."

"I don't hate you, Eve," He assured her softly as he tenderly swept a tear from her cheek, "I've only ever hated not being able to show you how I really feel."

"Eve," Chris paused as he cupped her cheek in his hand, "I love you. I have always loved you."

"Oh Chris....." Eve's smile was out done by her relieved tears as she wrapped her arms around him and held on, terrified that she would lose him again if she didn't hold on for dear life.