Disclaimer: Yes, well, I own nothing IaHb related. 

Note: This sequel will be way shorter than "Second Chances" was.  I never expected that one to turn out so long.  Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed it.  I hope this follow-up does it justice.  Thanks to Ivy Leaves for reading this chapter for me, even though I hadn't read it over myself yet.  So, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one.  Don't forget to review.

Kiandra sat in the living room of the apartment.  She sat slouched on the old couch and stared straight ahead.  Slowly, she raised the remote control to the television and aimed it at the small box.  Pressing the 'on' button, the television sprung to life.  People and colors moved very fast across the screen, assaulting her eyes as she tried to understand exactly what it was they were trying to sell.  Kiandra had never liked commercials all that much.

She clicked the channel button, hoping that something a bit more entertaining would be on.  Nothing.  She clicked the channel button again.

Normally, Kiandra didn't watch television.  She was usually so busy doing other things that she didn't have time to waste sitting in front of the television, getting wrapped up in some show's storyline.  But, today was different.  Today, at that minute, Kiandra was attempting to waste time.  Her roommate was due home any minute now and Kiandra couldn't wait to see her.  She couldn't wait to hear all about what had happened at the reunion.  Of course, Kiandra already knew some of what had been happening since Val had called her twice since leaving for Kingsport.  But, after that, the phones had been suspiciously silent. 

Kiandra had been sure after her last conversation with Val, she would get another phone call before Val left the reunion.  After all, it had been Kiandra who had given Val the idea to invite Tyler to return to the city with her.  And Val had been so adamant in saying that she was not going to ask Tyler anything of the sort.  But, Kiandra knew her friend well and she knew that her friend would eventually cave in.  Wouldn't she?

Kiandra had been so sure that Val would call to say that she was bringing Tyler home with her.  She had been so sure that Val would have wanted to call and allow Kiandra to gloat about it.  If Tyler were coming with her, Kiandra thought as she changed the channel again, wouldn't she be so excited that she would call and tell me?

She had sat on the couch, within reach of the phone for what seemed like hours now.  Kiandra had waited, her patience slowly draining, for the call in which her roommate would be way too chipper and excited.  Her roommate's voice would be high with excitement as she explained how they would be having a guest for a while.  And then Val would tell Kiandra that she had been right and that she should have listened to her all along.  Kiandra had had it all planned out.  And yet, the phone was still quiet.

Perhaps, Kiandra thought for the first time since talking to Val last, Tyler is not coming with her.

But, even then, Kiandra would have expected a phone call.  Val would be very upset, Kiandra knew, if she had had to leave Tyler.  In such a case, Val would have called Kiandra and cried, right?

Kiandra shook her head and sighed.  She clicked the television off and welcomed the silence of the apartment.  She wanted so badly for her roommate to be happy and she knew that the only way that would happen would be if Val brought Tyler home with her.  She hadn't even met the guy in person yet, but she could already tell how happy he made Val.  And to Kiandra, that was all that mattered.  Within her life of long working hours and business meetings, Val deserved a little bit of happiness.  And Tyler seemed to be just what she needed.  Kiandra just hoped that Val would not try too hard to focus on whatever option seemed to make more sense.  She hoped Val listened to her heart instead.

I'll just have to wait and see, Kiandra thought sighing again as she slouched down deeper into the cushions of the couch.  She just wished that Val would hurry and get home so that she would finally know for sure what Val had decided about Tyler.

……………………………..

Tyler glanced at Val before turning his eyes back to the road.  He smiled to himself as he thought of everything that had happened over the weekend of the reunion.  He remembered how he had been so nervous to see Val again and to give her the box of letters.  After all, those letters explained exactly how he felt for her.  And then when he had finally given her the letters, he had been afraid of what she would think of him.  But, he thought as he guided the car on the highway, it all worked out in the end.

He looked over at Val again.  She was facing away from him, looking out the window.  But, he knew that if he simply whispered her name, she would turn and he would see the beautiful face that he had fallen in love with.  The thought made his heart jump.  She was his-finally.  After so many years of wondering if he would ever have a chance with her, Tyler finally had his answer.

Tyler reached out slowly with his right hand and gently touched Val's left hand, which sat idle in her lap.  As he suspected, she turned and a smile graced her beautiful face.  And his heart jumped again as he realized that that smile was solely for him.  He interlaced his fingers with her own and then turned his attention back to the road.  In his opinion, life could not possibly get any better than that.

And he couldn't believe that any of it was really happening.  Just hours ago, he had been convinced that he would lose Val forever.  He had been sure that after the reunion he would have to go back to the dull monotony of his life without her.  And then everything had changed.  Now here he was, driving with her back to the city.  He was going with her under the premise that he was going to meet her roommate.  Yet, both of them knew that that was not the real reason he was going.  The real reason was to stay with the one person he loved more than life itself.  They were buying time to stay together.  Nothing more, really.  All he and Val wanted was to be together for a longer period of time than the reunion weekend would allow.  Meeting Kiandra was just a perk, Tyler reasoned.

According to Val, Kiandra had been the one to give Val the idea of inviting Tyler back to the city.  I'll have to thank Kiandra for that one, Tyler thought, squeezing Val's hand slowly.

"So, tell me about your roommate," Tyler said and Val smiled warmly.  Her roommate had always been very special to her. 

Val had met Kiandra in a very ordinary way.  Val had needed a roommate to help pay the rent every month.  So, she had put an ad in the newspaper and had hung some small sheet paper signs around the neighborhood.  Not even two hours after the last of the signs had been put up, Kiandra had called Val.  They met and had become instant friends.  And although Kiandra's friendship with Val would never be the same or better as Caitie's friendship with Val, it was still special in its own right.

"Well, she's definitely interesting," Val responded laughing.  "But, she's great.  I think she knows me better than I know myself."

Tyler chuckled and automatically dismissed the last statement as a simple joke.  But Val was the one to really laugh inside at what she had said.  In her mind, she thought back to the last few conversations she had had with Kiandra.  Before she had left for the reunion, Kiandra had bet Val five dollars that Val would end up dancing with Tyler.  But, then the ante had increased to ten more dollars if Val spent the whole reunion with Tyler.  Val had scoffed at both bets, thinking that she would win them easily.  She was very, very wrong.

Then at the reunion, Kiandra had introduced a whole new bet on top of the other two.  And this one was the biggest one of all.  Val had been so sure that she would win the fleece sweater, which was the prize to the winner of the bet.  She had even told Kiandra the color of sweater to buy her when she won.  She had just been so sure.  But, again, Val was wrong.           

And, Val thought wryly as she glanced at Tyler in the driver seat, Kiandra has won another bet.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not win a bet against Kiandra.  And she had tried many times in the past.  But, the other girl had always won.  Thus, Val was not totally kidding around when she had told Tyler that she thinks Kiandra knows her better than she knows herself.  Kiandra always seemed to know what Val would do in a given situation.  And she always used that information to win a bet against her good friend.

Val glanced out the passenger window of the car and watched as trees and road signs whizzed by.  They were getting very close to the city, as Val could recognize some of the different buildings on the side of the highway.

"Oh, speaking of Kiandra knowing me so well, could you take the exit right up here, please?"  Val asked Tyler.

Tyler looked at her questioningly for a second before returning his eyes back to the road.  He obliged her by turning his blinker on and getting in the exit lane.  "I thought you said your apartment was off exit 18.  This is only 16."

Val smiled, knowing that eventually she would have to explain to him about all the bets based on him that had taken place that weekend.  But, now really was not the time to go into the whole silly story about how Val could not win a bet to save her life and how her roommate had somehow known that Val would end up falling in love with Tyler all over again at the reunion.  "I know," she said quickly, pointing to the exit sign, "but I have to make a quick stop at the mall first."

………………………………….

Marge had been in the clothing business for years.  And she loved her work.  Some people would have sneered at the fact that at 52, Marge was still working at a clothes store in the mall.  After all, the tiring complaint said, wasn't that the sort of job for kids returning from college for the summer?  To the critics, clothes retail was not a job for an older woman.  Yet, Marge ignored all such whispers of the younger generation as they walked out of her store.  She knew the true lessons that this job had taught her.

Ever since she had been a little girl, Marge had been fascinated by clothes.  She had been amazed by the different colors and designs that could be put together in order to make a new style emerge and take over the industry.  During her teen years, Marge had spent all of her weekly allowance on magazines at the local newsstand.  She would flip through the magazines every night and study the fashions that the models were wearing.  And she would dream about what she, personally, could do to those styles and colors to make them better.

Years of studying fashion design had led her here, to own her own little corner of the mall.  "Fantastique", was her store, her baby.  She had created it out of her own mind and had borrowed the name from a word she had once heard a French model say.  It had seemed to fit the store quite nicely, seeing how Marge would not let anything but the best merchandise in her store.  Sure, it was a little pricey.  But, Marge thought as she folded a soft golden wool sweater and placed in lovingly on the shelf before her, you have to pay a bit more for the best.

She might have been older than most of the other employees at the mall, but she knew what she was doing.  And there was no way in the world that she was going to allow some college kid come in and try to push her out of her own domain.  No way.  She knew the business inside out.  And she had The Eye. 

Yes, the eye was a very important thing to have in this business.  The eye for detail had to be sharp and constantly on the lookout for anything that stood out from the rest of the crowd.  But, it also had to make sure that every blouse, skirt and shoe that went through the store was in perfect condition –100 %. 

Marge had trained herself over the years to have such an eye.  And after so many years of working hard, she could say with much pleasure that she had one of the best eyes in the business. She was constantly making sure everything in her store was perfect.  After all, paying attention to detail was her job.

That is why when the couple entered the store Marge's interest was suddenly peaked.  They were young, she could tell, just a few years out of high school.  And they stood close to each other holding hands as if they were new at it all.  Marge smiled at them as they passed her and walked to the back of the store where the fleece sweaters were kept.  Ah, she thought, young love.

It was refreshing to see such a couple, she thought as she watched them out of the corner of her eye.  They seemed so nervous, every move around each other was tentative as if they were afraid that they could possibly break out of the dream world they had created around them.  They acted like twelve year olds on their first date.  Yes, Marge thought, it was very nice to see.

She turned and watched as the blond girl picked up the red fleece sweater and held it up for her boyfriend to see.  She said something to him, but Marge was too far away to hear what the girl had said.  Whatever it was, the boyfriend smiled suddenly and leaned down to kiss the top of the girl's head. 

Marge grinned.  She didn't have any idea who they were.  She didn't know where they came from or where they were going in life.  But, Marge knew one thing for certain.  Those two young kids in the back of the store staring at each other in pure love were going to make it.  They were going to be together forever.  Marge would have staked her whole store on that bet.  She could see it in their eyes as soon as they walked in the store.  And the way they acted around each other….  Yes, Marge thought as she folded another golden sweater.  Those two are going to be together forever.

And no one would have argued with Marge either if she had voiced her opinion to any of her colleagues.  Everyone knew that Marge had The Eye for detail.  Sometimes, as in this case, The Eye worked for more than just a loose thread on a shirt or a missing button.  Sometimes it worked for human nature as well.

Marge set the sweater she had been folding on the shelf in front of her and then walked slowly to the register at the front of the store.  She could tell that the girl was right behind her, following her to the register to pay for her purchase.  The red fleece sweater was hanging over her right arm.

She smiled a welcoming smile as the younger girl came near and placed the fleece sweater on the counter between herself and Marge. 

"And how are you today, dear?"  Marge asked as she began to ring up the girl's purchase.  She always liked to be civil with her customers, to treat them as if they really mattered.  In so many other stores, clerks sometimes did not even acknowledge the buyer's existence other than the take their money or credit card from them.  But, not in "Fantastique".  Everyone mattered in that store and Marge liked to show them that she did care.

"Oh, I am good," Val returned with a small smile of her own.

Marge nodded and placed the sweater in a plastic bag bearing the store's logo.  "That will be $53.50, my dear."

Val reached into her wallet and pulled out her credit card.  She handed the card over to the nice older lady behind the counter and watched as the lady ran it through the machine.  A small voice in her head seemed to groan as the transaction was completed.  After all, Val had wanted to sweater so badly.  And she had been so sure that she could win that bet.  But, again Kiandra had won.

The cashier pulled out the receipt from the machine and placed it (and a pen) on the counter in front of Val to sign.  Val leaned over the counter and slowly signed the small sheet of paper in front of her. 

"The sweater will look beautiful on you," Marge said as she watched the young girl sign her credit card receipt. 

The girl looked up abruptly.  "Oh, it's not for me," she simply said before returning to the task at hand.  The girl finished signing and handed the pen to Marge.  "To tell you the truth, it is for a friend of mine who never loses a bet," Val added warily.

Marge cocked her head to the side a bit and wished that the girl would continue.  Obviously, there was a story behind buying the sweater and Marge wished more than anything to hear it.  She loved a good story.

Val leaned over the counter more and lowered her voice.  "This past weekend was my high school reunion and I saw that guy over there for the first time in years."  She pointed to the back of the store where Tyler stood, studying the men's shirts.  "I only wanted to prove to myself that we could be friends again, even though I had not heard from him since graduation.  But, I did not really plan on falling in love with him again."

Marge's eyebrows lifted.  Aye, this story was a good one.

"But somehow," Val continued, "somehow my roommate had known that it would happen.  She even bet me that I would bring him back with me to the city.  I thought that was crazy.  I mean, why would he want to leave everything he had worked for to come with me?  So, my roommate bet me this sweater that I would ask him to come with me.  And, as you can tell, I lost the bet."

Marge smiled and she handed the bag with Val's purchase in it across the counter top to the young girl.  Sometimes, she thought, the young ones have it backwards. 

"Perhaps you are wrong," Marge said slowly.

The younger girl looked up at her, a small frown forming on her lips.  Marge could just guess what the girl was thinking.  Wrong?  How could she possibly be wrong?

"Perhaps you are the one that won.  After all, you are the one who has found a way to stay with the one you love.  That, in itself, makes me think that perhaps you have won the bet," Marge concluded.  She watched as the young man of the couple joined the young girl in front of the register.  His hand touched the young girl's arm lightly and she turned to smile at him.

"Yes," Val said after a moment and she looked back at the older woman before her.  "I think you are right.  I did win what was most important after all."

Marge bade the couple a good day and then watched as they walked out of the store, hand in hand.  She chuckled as she thought back on the condensed version of the story she had just been told.  How clever the roommate was to think of such a scheme to get the young girl to bring the young man home with her, Marge thought.  Perhaps the roommate has an eye for details as well. 

………………………………

"What was that all about back in that store?  About you winning and all that?"  Tyler asked as he and Val walked down the hallway of the mall to the main entrance.

"Oh nothing," Val responded, still not wanting to give away the bets that had taken place between her and Kiandra.  "Just girl talk."

…………………………..

Kiandra paced the floor of the living room.  She wished that the darn phone would ring so that she knew that Val was all right.  She should have been home by now, she thought as she turned to resume her pacing in the other direction. 

Worry melted through Kiandra's mind.  Where was Val?  Wild thoughts flew through her head of every worse case scenario.  She didn't like it one bit.  What if Val had been so upset over having lost Tyler that she got into a car accident?  Kiandra would never forgive herself if something like that happened.  Oh, where is she, she thought silently. 

Kiandra just hoped that her roommate was okay.

………………………………….

"Okay," Val started as she positioned Tyler in front of the door.  "You just stand here like that and hold the sweater up like this."  She positioned Tyler's hands around the sweater until he was holding it chest high. 

"Good," she whispered and then reached in her pocket for the fifteen dollars.  She reached up and tucked the bills into Tyler's right hand as it held onto the sweater.  Val made sure the denominations were sticking out in plain sight.  "Perfect," she said, trying to stifle a giggle.  She knew Kiandra would get a kick out of this one.

"And exactly why am I standing like this?"  Tyler asked, more than a little confused.  He felt like a total fool because he had no idea what was going on.

Val giggled.  "Don't worry about it," she said.  "I'll explain it all to you later."

Then before Tyler could protest anymore, Val knocked loudly on the door in front of them and them jumped back out of sight.  This was going to be good, she knew.

……………………………….

Kiandra heard the knock on the door and walked briskly across the room to it.  So, she thought angrily, on top of worrying me to death, Val seems to have forgotten her key?  Well, I will tell her exactly what I think of that.

Kiandra threw open the door and started yelling before she could even see anyone before her.

"Girl, you had better explain why you------"  Kiandra cut off in mid sentence as her eyes fell upon the stranger outside her doorway.

He was cute- blond hair, blue eyes.  Kiandra reached into the back of her mind for a name.  Had she met him somewhere before?  She could not remember anything.  And she realized that he was a complete and total stranger to her.  She had never seen him before.

And then her eyes fell upon what he was holding.  A red fleece sweater was stretched out between his hands.  And in his right hand was fifteen dollars.  Kiandra stared at him for a minute, wondering what to make of this situation.  Then she noticed the very confused look on his face and everything seemed to fall into place.  She laughed as she realized who was standing outside her door and why he was holding those particular items. 

In that second of time, all the worry she had felt went away.  Everything was fine.  She could tell.

"Well, hello.  You must be Tyler," she said sweetly.  "I am so glad to see you here in the city."   

Well, what do you think?  Please review.  The next part will be about Jamie and Caitie.