Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Forty-three, Out With the Girls
Rating: NC-17 [violence, swearing, nudity, sexual situations]

Summary: Alyssa takes Toni and Lily out to meet up with her best friend from college, Andrew, and to find a wedding dress.

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Chris looked up from the newspaper as Alyssa shuffled into the kitchen. Her hair was a mess, as if she had tossed and turned all night. While her bed activities the night before had been active, it had nothing to do with sleeping. And was precisely the cause of her crawling from bed at ten rather than eight like normal.

"Morning, love," he grinned at her.

Her eyes flicked to his and she smiled weakly, "It's still morning? Huh. Wouldn't have expected as much."

Chuckling, Chris stood, moving towards her, arms slipping around her waist, "That is is. You only slept a little later."

"The kids?"

"Watching cartoons," he replied, kissing her neck gently. "What are your plans today?"

"Wedding dress," Alyssa responded. "I need to find a wedding dress."

He stopped kissing her, "I have a tux fitting and you don't even have a dress yet?"

She nodded, "Can't really go dress shopping with you. And haven't really had the chance to look at more than magazines. And I don't want a magazine dress."

"Understandable," he replied, though he really didn't understand. "So you're going wedding dress shopping. Alone?"

"Nope. You get Nick today. I'm taking Toni so I can fit her into her flower girl dress and picking up Lily too."

Chris went completely rigid, "You're picking up Lily too?"

"That is what I just said," she replied, turning in his arms to face him. "Something wrong with that?"

"I just... I just didn't think Susan would allow something like that with all that's going on," he replied.

"Regardless of this ongoing feud, Lily is still your daughter. And in accordance of such, she'll be in our wedding. She's already very excited about it," Alyssa declared. "And I convinced Susan of it. You deserve as much a part of her life as ever, no matter how the legal shit goes."

Chris thought for a moment, "And how are you picking her up? You don't drive."

Alyssa laughed, "Darling, there is a reason I pay a salary to a driver now."

Pulling out of his arms she moved to get her morning tea.

"Who else are you going with? It won't be easy having two little girls surrounded by dresses," he proclaimed.

"Don't worry, love. Andrew will be there too," she replied, setting her mug in the microwave.

"Andrew?"

"Don't act like you don't know him. I only spent my entire four years at UCLA hanging out with him when you were away," she declared, hitting buttons on the microwave. "We've kept in touch and he's moved back to the area, so we're meeting up today."

"Is he gay?"

Alyssa turned, grinning, "Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?"

"No!" he replied quickly.

She laughed, "Don't worry. Andy's straight, but in a committed relationship."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "So was I when I met you."

"Which is precisely why it took us ten years to get here now."



Balancing Toni on her hip, her other hand clasping Lily's, Alyssa headed up to the cafe where they were to meet Andy. Sure they had kept in touch, writing letters, emails, and occassional phone calls, but she hadn't really seen him in about three years. Would she recognize him? Would he recognize her?

Stepping into the cafe, she released Lily's hand to push the sunglasses off her nose. Scanning the room, her hazel eyes settled on a familiar form. With a grin, she grabbed Lily's hand again and headed over to the blonde man wearing a bright blue polo shirt.

"Only someone who's colour-blind would wear something like that," Alyssa declared, watching him jump at suddenly being spoken to.

Grinning he jumped out of his chair and embraced her, "Funny, I don't remember you telling me anything about pooping out kids, Lyss."

She rolled her eyes, "Andy, this is Lily, Chris's oldest daughter, and Toni, his younger daughter. Girls, say hello to Andy."

"Hi," Lily said shyly, ducking behind Alyssa's leg slightly.

Toni merely grinned before reaching to pull Alyssa's sunglasses off her head to play with.

"Some reason when you said you would have the girls with you, I thought you meant girlfriends, not your lover's kids," he winked.

"The kids are far better company," she declared. "Have you eaten yet?"

He shook his head, "Waiting for you, of course."

"Good," she turned to Lily. "Why don't you choose a chair to sit in while I get a booster for Toni?"

The six year old nodded and silently climbed into a chair. A few moments later all four were sitting around the table. Lily was quickly distracted with crayons and the children's menu. Toni was more focused on Alyssa's sunglasses.

"So you go from career woman to momma all in a matter of a blink of an eye," Andy commented, sipping his iced tea.

"Yeah, something like that," she shrugged. "We always knew this would happen eventually."

"Well duh. You and Chris are perfect together. No one has taken better care of you and I've never seen you care about anyone as much as him," he declared. "You tell him about the time in Seattle yet?"

Her eyes widened slightly, having completely forgotten about that incident, well not really forgotten, more like repressed. But instead of answering Andy's question, she smiled up at the waitress and ordered lunch for all the girls.

"Ring," Andy declared. "Let's see it."

She held her left hand across the table.

"Ah. He does love you," he teased. "You have my blessing."

"Because I sooo needed it."

"You did," he grinned goofily. "And our plans today are....?"

"Find me a wedding dress."

Andy gasped, "You don't have a dress and you're getting married in three months!?"

"Um, yes. Why does everyone find that so surprising?"

"I've been dating Jennifer for ten months now and she already has hers picked out," he stated.

"I never thought I was going to get married, least of all to Chris."

He frowned, "Never thought you would marry? Come on, Alyssa. I don't believe that for a minute. Not with as much love as you're capable of. I always knew that you would get married. And if not to me, then at least it's someone as perfect for you as Chris."

"He is perf— wait, you thought you and me would get married at some point?" she asked, watching the waitress set the two kiddie cups in front of the girls.

Andy flushed a little, "Yeah. After we met in the Critics Corner, I kinda harboured a crush on you. Never really let it surface since you and Jonathan seemed set for the marriage route. Had I not been with Lisa when the two of you called it quits, I would have been all over you like white on rice."

"Would have been helpful if you had been in the same city as me too," she pointed out, taking a sip of water. "I really never knew you had feelings like that towards me."

"Yep. Sure did."

"And now?"

"You're one of my best friends, Lyss. I wouldn't ruin that or what you have going on with Chris finally for anything," Andy declared.

She smirked, "Then we'll keep your little crush to ourselves. Wouldn't want Chris to decide he needs to beat you up or something."

"Lyss-Lyss?" Toni spoke up, holding out the sunglasses. "We get ice cream?"

Accepting her glasses and returning them to her head, she nodded, "After we eat some lunch, we will. Then we'll go try on princess dresses."