Ricardo walked through the fields of SBHS, feeling nostalgia at every corner. He remembered being a student and having played football and baseball, dating cheerleaders, and doing everything a typical teenager did…….he had lived the life of a happy teenager. He felt good. He hadn't felt this good in a very long time. The time in Miami had helped him to come to terms with most of what had transpired between Antonio, Gabi, and himself. He was still dealing with a lot still but the majority of the pain and suffering had passed and he had gotten his life back in order. As he approached the baseball diamond, he saw his brother picking up the equipment and placing it in the proper bags. Antonio was frustrated because the boys had once again neglected to put the gear away, causing him to have to do all the dirty work. "If I've told those kids once, I've told them a thousand times, put the gear away after practice!" Antonio was livid.

"Do you always talk to yourself on the diamond?"

Antonio swung around to see Ricardo standing 5 feet in front o him. He was so surprised at seeing him that he dropped the bat he was holding onto his foot. Antonio winced in pain as he tried not to kick and scream. He quickly forgot the pain in his foot and concentrated on Ricardo. He was actually here, standing in front of him. "I can't believe you're here." And he couldn't. Antonio wasn't sure if he would ever see his brother again.

Ricardo was starting to become nervous. It had taken a lot of strength to come out and see him. But he had too. He had wanted too. "Yeah, I'm here. I just got back in today. A few hours ago in fact." He was shifting nervously from one foot to the other. "I went to see Maria at the loft and….a…….mama was there." He remembered back to the loft and the strange encounter he had had with Carmen. "Maria mentioned you were out here….so I thought….what the hell? I'll see what a real life school teacher and baseball coach look like." Ricardo cracked a small smile that quickly faded.

Antonio smiled at his words. He was looking from the ground to the fence to everywhere. His gaze then finally fell upon Ricardo. "Yeah…..I took a job last semester. It's been fun. They needed an assistant baseball coach too. So since I had a lot of time on my hands, I decided to do it." Antonio stopped nervously. He didn't want to make the mistake of thinking they were back to normal. They weren't. Ricardo was extremely uneasy and so was he. Although he was very happy to see his brother. Every time he looked at him, he was flooded with warm feelings for him. He was trying to remain cool but his emotions were starting to build.

Ricardo was feeling the same way. Seeing his brother was difficult. There was still a part of him that couldn't fully get pass what had happened. But he had healed enough to at least see his brother and talk to him a little. "I'm glad you're doing something you love again. It's important that you find that." He wasn't sure what else to say. He wanted to ask about…..no. He couldn't. He couldn't take that step just yet.

Antonio sensed his wanting to ask about Gabi. He tried to make it easy for him. "Have you been by to the station?"

"No….no not yet. I was planning on heading there soon. I need to report back to the chief." He stopped thinking about what he was going to say next. "You still hang out with any people from the station?" Ricardo held his breath as he looked at his brother, slightly scared at what he might say.

"Yeah….a few. Spence and I go for beers. Oscar and I play racquetball almost every week and ……." Antonio plugged on, " Gabi hangs out with some of the teachers I hang out with. So I see her too."

At the mention on Gabi's name, firecrackers went off inside Ricardo. He hadn't expected such a rush of emotion upon hearing her name. He was a little upset with himself that she still had the same effect on him. But he couldn't help himself to learn more. "Is she still working at the station," he asked softly, without looking at Antonio.

"Yeah…she is, but only part time. She's a fulltime student at UCLA. She's on her second semester. She seems to be really enjoying it." Antonio didn't know how much detail he should give. He didn't want to push too hard. He had to ease into everything slowly. His brother was still fragile, he could see that clearly. He didn't want to push to the point of pushing him away again.

"That's great," Ricardo didn't know what else to say. He suddenly became uncomfortable and wanted to leave. Maybe he wasn't really ready to face his brother yet. He quickly made an effort to back out of their brief conversation. " Well….uh…I better get going. I just wanted to see what was going on with you. Quite honestly, I'm not sure why I even bothered. Sorry to bug---"

"I'm glad you came by." Antonio took a deep breath and sighed. "I know this was hard for you, but I'm glad you came to see me. It means a lot to me. Maybe this is our first step." He saw Ricardo look right him a little coldly after making this comment.

"I don't know Antonio." Ricardo stated matter of factly.

Ricardo started walking away and Antonio felt helpless until something flashed through his mind. He quickly called out to Ricardo. "Ricardo!! Wait!" Ricardo stopped but did not look at him. Antonio had to get one thing straight. He needed some sense of hope from his brother. He cleared his throat before beginning.

"Remember how you and I used to play catch?" Ricardo looked over at him like he was crazy for bringing something like that up now. Antonio ignored his facial expression and went on. "We used to play into the night. We would literally throw a baseball around while it was pitch black. Most people would have thought we were crazy. We couldn't see two inches in front of our faces and we'd still play. We played under crazy conditions because we knew exactly where that ball was going to be thrown. All we had to do was place our gloves five inches to the left of our face and that ball would hit smack down the palm of our glove. I trusted you to throw that ball in the exact same place every time and you trusted me to do the same. We had it down to a science. We never once missed our target. I knew you would never hurt me by throwing that baseball anywhere but in my glove. That kind of trust is rare. But we had it. In the dark, we knew the ball would never miss." Antonio had a huge lump in his throat as he was getting ready to let his tears flow.

The meaning was clear to Ricardo and he started to get the same lump in his throat too. Antonio's analogy hit home and he didn't know what to say. He wanted to trust his brother.….but he still needed more time. Ricardo cleared his throat before he spoke. "You missed once."

Antonio shut his eyes. Yes, he did miss once. He had hit Ricardo with the worst crushing blow any person could ever had been hit with. In this case, the ball was represented by Antonio's betrayal. "Yeah I did miss once." Antonio was now letting his tears flow. "I can't change that but I can try and make sure that ball never hits you again. Antonio desperately hoped for his brother's forgiveness and trust. He managed to say one last thing, "Do you think we'll ever be able to play catch in the dark again?" Antonio was practically begging as his voice was packed full of emotion.

Ricardo looked his way and stared right at him, looking almost hopeful. All he managed to say before walking off was, "I hope so Antonio. I hope we can play catch in the dark again one day"……

Antonio was walking back to the equipment room to store everything away for the night. He was thinking about the conversation he had just had with Ricardo. They were both saddened at not being able to feel more comfortable around each other. That was apparent to both of them. But Antonio couldn't help but feel full of optimism that one day, he and Ricardo would be able to get the relationship they once shared back. It would always be different but at least he hoped they could communicate effectively again. He opened the equipment room door with his key and began to place all the bags inside. His thoughts switched over to Gabi. For a moment he had to stop and think. He and Gabi had formed an even stronger bond when Ricardo had left. It had been difficult at first when she discovered he had left for Miami. Gabi went through a depression over having lost Ricardo and Antonio had been there to support her through it all. It was hard for him to have to see her in so much pain because he loved her so much. But as time went on, she regained her strength and took charge of her life again. She became the Gabi that he remembered and she had decided to go back to school. He was proud of her. Now here they were, both getting their life back together and happier than they had been in a long time. He still thought of her as more than a friend but his feelings were slowly but surely converting to the kind of love she had for him. He took comfort in knowing that they had once loved each other as more than just friends and no one could take that away from him. He shut the door to the equipment room with a sad smile on his face. He turned to go the coache's office when all of a sudden the door flew open and hit him square on the head. He fell back to the floor, not knowing what had hit him, completely in a daze.

"OH MY GOD!! I am so sorry! I didn't think anyone was here any more. Here let me help you get up."

Antonio looked at her with a look of confusion and bewilderment. He was still dizzy from the shock of being hit. He let her slowly help him up and then he got a better look at her, focusing on her face. He was mesmerized by her beauty. He quickly realized he was staring impolitely and shook his head a few times to be able speak with sense. She had a worried look on her face. "That's ok. It was my own fault for not paying attention more closely." Antonio couldn't help but smile at her. There was something about her that instantly drew her to him. He hadn't seen her before and was wondering what she was doing there. "Pardon me for asking, but ahhhhh……are you new here? I think I would remember you if I had met you before." Antonio asked, his curiousity peaked.

The woman gave him an embarrassed smile which unexpectedly sent a small rush through him. "No I don't think we have. I was just hired to be the girl's varsity softball coach. In fact I was just finishing filling out the paperwork." She also couldn't help but smile at him. " My name is Karen…..Karen Gurich." Karen stuck her hand out.

Antonio immediately shook it. "I'm Antonio Torres, I am the assistant coach to the boys varsity team." He was looking slightly mischievous as he gave her his trademark boyish smile." Let me be the first in welcoming you to Sunset Beach, Mrs. Gurich."

Karen laughed a little. "Actually, it's Ms. Gurich, but please just call me Karen." She was smiling fully now and flirting a little.

Antonio's smile was from ear to ear now. "Well, I guess we'll be sharing buses to away games. That should be fun."

"Yes it should be…….Well….Antonio I must go, but it was very nice meeting you. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other…..bye for now." Karen walked off still eyeing him as she turned the corner. Antonio turned to follow and stood there watching her walk to her car, still beaming at her. "Oh yes……you'll definitely be seeing me."

Gabi was in the evidence room of SBPD doing some inventory. She was whistling one of her favorite songs while writing on her clipboard. She loved the fact that she was still able to work part time at the station while being a fulltime student. She was in her second semester at UCLA and totally loving it. She was about 10 years older than the average freshman but Gabi was frequently getting asked out by the 18-year olds in her class. She would always be very careful to not hurt their feelings, smile and say no very politely. She was finally getting her life back in order after everything that had happened and things were definitely looking up.

"Let's see…sounds like your whistling a Luis Miguel song." A voice came from behind her.

Gabi was startled and dropped her clipboard. She went to retrieve it at the same time he bent down to get it for her. She looked up and there, right in front of her, was Ricardo. She instantly felt a cold rush of air run through her entire body and her hands started shaking. She could not believe he was right there. She could barely take her eyes off of him. She realized she was staring and quickly stood up, with her arms folded across her. Ricardo picked up the clipboard and handed it to her. "Hi Gabi….."

She was still in shock. She reached over and grabbed the clipboard from his hands. As she did, her hands brushed against his fingers and she felt an electric charge zoom through her body. "Ricardo? Hi……" She cleared her throat. "Sorry for being so clumsy, it's………I wasn't expecting any one to come in." She didn't want to say much for she felt her voice quivering.

The same effect Ricardo was having on Gabi was mutual. After he handed her the clipboard, Ricardo had to put his hands in his pockets. They were shaking uncontrollably and he could barely look at her without feeling flushed with nervousness. He wasn't sure what to say. He was trying very hard to stay cool and collected. That had been his plan before deciding to come look for her. But his plan was slowly being thrown out the window.

"When did you get back?" She had to say something to break the uncomfortable silence that was looming in the air.

"Today. It was unexpected. I finished up a case and decided it was time to come back home, " He was shifting from one foot to other not really able to focus on her out of fear of what emotions might be stirred up. "Plus the chief wanted me back. I guess they want to give me a promotion."

Gabi's face lit up at his news. "Ricardo, that's fantastic! Congratulations….,"She realized she was getting too excited and brought her excitement down a notch. "I'm happy for you."

They both stood there, now unable to stop really looking at each other. The feelings they thought they might be able to suppress came rushing back in full force. It was as if time had stopped when Ricardo had left and automatically resumed when he came back. The feelings were still there if not stronger now, and they both felt it. The love penetrated through their entire being and it was difficult to not let the emotions overflow. So much time had passed, yet the love was still there. They wanted to throw their arms around each other and feel the familiar sense of each other's touch. But something still prevented Ricardo from being able to do that and Gabi sensed it, so she did nothing. She merely stood there, relishing at being able to take part in a conversation with the man she loved. The man she would love forever.

"Ricardo…." "Gabi…"

They both spoke at the same time and laughed a little and smiled sadly at one another. Ricardo looked down at the floor and breathed a heavy sigh. He then looked back up at her, lightly chuckling to himself, "How did things get so screwed up?" He was asking her the question but he was also asking himself.

Gabi couldn't control her emotions any longer, she let out a tear that had been forming and looked up at him. " I don't know….things just got out of hand…..we all hit rock bottom and now it's just a matter of climbing up the ladder again." She was holding her arms across her body again, looking up at the ceiling. She gazed over at him and saw him thinking with a smile on his face. "What are you thinking?"

Ricardo chuckled lightly again. "I'm thinking you're probably right. We've all hurt each other Gabi, we've been through hell and back." He stopped as a lump starting forming in his throat. " But now I truly believe that time can heal most wounds……I really have to believe that." He was getting emotional and didn't know if he was going to make it.

Gabi leaned closer to him. The closer she came, the more love for him washed over for her. She lifted his chin with her hand to look at her. He was looking at her vulnerably, his eyes slightly red from the tears wanting to break through. "Are you healing Ricardo?" Her voice cracked as she became mesmerized by his gaze on her.

He was overwhelmed. He loved this woman with all of his heart. "I'm not quite there yet….but …..yeah……..I'm healing Gabi." He slowly wrapped his arms around her and they both silently cried in each other's arms. It was still too soon to do anything about what they were still feeling for each other. He still needed time to deal with everything that had happened and Gabi reminded herself of that But as Ricardo held her, she grew almost euphoric and slipped into a dream she had been having for months now. In her dream, she was once again walking down the aisle. She could see Ricardo waiting at the altar, with a loving smile on his face, waiting for her. She saw Carmen sitting in the front row, defeated, but noticeably smiling at her new daughter-in-law to be. She saw Maria, one of her bridesmaids, looking over at her beaming from ear to ear waiting to take her bouquet. And she saw Antonio, standing right next to his beloved brother, looking happy for her and Ricardo. Then she reached Ricardo and he placed her hands in his. He stared deeply into her eyes and she melted, just as she always did when he looked at her. She felt love from every angle of the church especially from her angelic mother, who was floating above them smiling down upon her happy daughter.

Gabi dazily came out of her fog as Ricardo gently released her from his arms and stared into her eyes. He pulled away and began walking to the door, never once taking his eyes off of her. It was too soon but it was a start. Perhaps she and Ricardo would never reunite, she accepted that and took it in. Little did Gabi know that one year from now, her dream would come true. She would once again stand at the altar and they would say their vows again, this time the words packed with emotion. A year after that she would give birth to their first child…..a boy. Gabi would feel happy again. Happy because she was spending her life with the man she loved…..Ricardo Torres.

But Gabi and Ricardo did not know that was their fate then. For now, time was still a factor and they were ok with that. As Ricardo opened the door of the evidence room, he looked at Gabi one more time. They locked eyes and smiled softly at each other before he walked out the door. Hope and love was with both of them. A love that would always bind them together.

THE END