Alright everyone this is the final chapter of Falling for the Past. I have truly loved writing this book and reading all of your reactions as you read about the ups and downs in Stephanie and Charles' relationship. I hope you will all keep an eye out for when I begin working on Loving the Past. I am not sure when it will be posted (remember I do have both college and work to take care of as well) but I will try and begin brainstorming for the first chapter. Hope you all enjoy this!

All rights got to the creators of Full House and Fuller House!

Chapter Five

Silence filled the room.

Neither Gia nor Charles dared utter a word to Stephanie. They waited for her to make the first move. Her boyfriend used to be engaged to her best friend. This news could be taken either way. Stephanie could be upset, or she could be okay with the news. Either way the two had to patiently wait and see her reaction.

Stephanie was still slightly shocked by the news. She never expected this. Gia never told her that she even had a boyfriend while in college. Why hadn't she told her? Charles had mentioned having a serious relationship, but he left out the entire engaged bit. Personally, thinking of how well she knew the two people in front of her, Stephanie never would have expected them to ever get together and date, let alone get engaged.

Jackson, who was still sitting at the kitchen table throughout all of this, awkwardly stood up. "You know I think I should leave you two alone." He picked up his notebook and textbook and left for the living room.

"You were engaged." Stephanie spoke the words as if saying them would solve some great mystery. "Why didn't either of you tell me?"

"I wanted to," Charles spoke up. "I just honestly didn't know how. It doesn't change anything though. Gia and I met in freshman year. We shared a few of our classes together and, well, one thing lead to another and we eventually began to date.

"We were friends until sophomore year," Gia added. "We actually didn't even get together until then. It wasn't even an official engagement. Junior year came and it seemed like all of our friends were getting engaged or seriously dating people. Everyone was discussing the future and I guess in a way we felt pressured to do it."

Charles nodded. "It's true. We never discussed a single wedding detail and I never even got her a ring. It wasn't until a mutual friend's wedding that we discovered the truth. We didn't want to be married. We honestly just let the peer pressure and fears of the future get to us."

He stepped toward Stephanie and took her hand into his. "I'm not saying this to be rude, but Gia and I breaking up was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Gia stood straighter. "First of all: ouch!" She joked. "Second of all: it's true. We would have both been miserable if we had gone through with getting married. We were always better off as friends."

"So why is it the best thing that ever happened to you?" Stephanie asked Charles who smiled.

"Because I was able to fall in love with this beautiful, funny, loving, caring woman in front of me." Stephanie sent him a loving smile.

"You love me?"

Charles caressed her cheek lovingly. "I do. I love you Stephanie Judith Tanner."

Stephanie pulled herself closer to him. "I love you too, Charles." She leaned up and kissed her boyfriend deeply.

Neither noticed when Gia left the room to give them some privacy. The couple eventually pulled away from the kiss but remained in each other's arms. Taking his hand in hers, Stephanie led Charles to her basement bedroom so they could have true privacy.

Two weeks later unexpected news came from Stephanie's father. Stephanie sat at the island with Kimmy while DJ made the coffee that morning. They had gotten the call from their father earlier that morning and now they are discussing the news.

"I can't believe dad is making us house him," DJ grumbled. "Where are we supposed to put him?"

"We can put him in the nook where Joey used to sleep when he first moved in," Stephanie offered.

Her sister shrugged. "I guess we'll have to. We have full vacancy otherwise."

"So why is he suddenly moving back to San Francisco?" Kimmy asked.

"I guess he got a job transfer and dad wants him to stay with us until he's able to find his own place," Stephanie remembered her dad's words.

"When was the last time you saw him?" DJ asked her sister.

She thought about it. "Three years ago. Remember dad invited him to the Christmas party that year. . . ."

"That's right!" Stephanie jumped at Kimmy's voice. "You both got so drunk that you started making out and Deej and I had to keep your dad from finding out!"

Stephanie nodded grimly. "Before that it was high school when we broke up."

"Are you going to tell Charles?" DJ leaned against the counter with her cup of coffee in her hand.

"I think I have to. He was so honest about his engagement with Gia. Now it's my turn to be honest with him. I don't know how I am going to do it, but I have to. I have to tell Charles about him." Stephanie rested her head against the palm of her hand.

"That man loves you more than a clown loves the circus," Kimmy spoke up. "I'm sure you two will be just fine."

She nodded. "I hope so, but I'm not looking forward to telling him about Rusty. Not at all."

Later that night Stephanie was staying with Charles in his apartment. They both lay on the bed cuddling and enjoying the peace of the night. Charles watched his girlfriend. She had been quieter than usual tonight, and for her that is very odd.

His fingers ran through her blonde hair as he placed a soft kiss onto her head. "You're quiet tonight," he observed. Stephanie didn't respond to his words. Careful to sit up without disturbing her, he noticed that she was staring off into space.

He gentle caressed her arm. Stephanie's blue eyes looked up at him in surprise. "Sorry," she apologized quickly. "What did you say?"

Brown eyes met blue. A look of concern met one of confusion.

"Are you okay? You've been a little spacey."

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah I'm sorry, I just – I have a bit on my mind."

"What's going on?" his counselor instincts said.

She smiled at that. "Nothing really. I just feel that you should know that an ex-boyfriend of mine is moving back to San Francisco soon."

Charles nodded at her words. "Could it perhaps be an old flame that rhymes with Crusty?"

Stephanie leaned against her elbow to give herself extra height. "How did you know about Rusty?"

He laughed at her tone of surprise. "It wasn't hard to figure out. The last few times you mentioned him it kind of felt like you weren't giving the entire story. It wasn't hard to put two-and-two together."

She nodded at his words.

"So what's the story between you two?" he asked.

"Well as you know Rusty's mom, Cindy dated my dad for a couple of months and Rusty caused quite a bit of trouble for all of us during that time. Rusty's parents were going through a pretty messy divorce and my dad stepped up and became a father-figure for him. His dad usually cared more about work than anything else which is why he and Cindy got that divorce in the first place.

My dad and Cindy broke up later that spring. I didn't know it at the time, but my dad had kept in touch with Rusty and sometimes on the weekends they would meet up, go to games, that sort of thing." Charles nodded at her words. "I didn't actually see him again until my sophomore year of high school. He transferred to my school for his senior year and we ran into each other there. Luckily he had matured in those years," Charles chuckled at her words. "Dad kind of began to play match-maker in that time and kept inviting Rusty over to do things on the weekends. Eventually, his plan worked and we began to date."

"So why'd you break up?" he wondered.

"Distance." She uttered the word as if it explained everything, which in a way it did. "While I was finished high school, Rusty was taking classes at the local community college. After he graduated with his associate's degree, he decided to go back and try to get his bachelor's only the school he decided to go to was in New Mexico. At the same time, I had decided to take a year off and go to England. So at that point, we decided to make things easier and mutually break up."

"Have you seen him since?"

"Once. A few years ago I was visiting for Christmas and Rusty was visiting his mom and dad invited him for our Christmas party that year," she said.

He raised an eyebrow sensing something else.

"We both got drunk and made out," She told him bluntly.

Charles laughed at her words. "I love you."

She beamed at him. Not all guys would be okay with being told the complete history of a past relationship, especially when the two made out last time they saw each other. Charles wasn't like most men though. He didn't even blink an eye at her words. He still loved her, and she honestly doubted if anything could change that.

"There is one more thing though," she added. He looked at her. "Dad invited Rusty to stay at the house with us until he found his own place."

"Wait. What?"

I know this chapter was a bit short, but I truly hope that you all enjoyed it despite that!

Remember keep an eye out! ;)

~Kaylee