Author's Note: Okay, so here's the finished product of "Back Where He Belongs", which has pretty much been my favorite project for the last few months. I'm so sad its over! I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Five, part two

Life Keeps Spinning On, part two

Vince took a seat next to Spinelli on the picnic table at the basketball court where they had played quite a few games in the last couple of weeks. She just sat there silently, waiting for him to talk.

"What did you do to your hand?" Vince asked, bewildered as he noticed the ace bandage wrapped around her hand.

"Great way to start a conversation," Spinelli sarcastically told him, not wanting to answer the question.

"Sorry," Vince shrugged, "I came here to apologize for last night. Apparently, I have the whole dumb jock thing down very well. At least that's what Gretchen told me."

"It's okay," Spinelli grinned at him, "he was bound to find out sooner or later."

"So it is TJ?" Vince asked, "because I assumed that it was. But, I also wasn't totally sure."

"Of course its TJ," she shook her head, "but, of course, he doesn't like me back."

"What?" Vince asked, shocked, "are you sure?"

"That's what he told me last night," Spinelli shook her head, "it is kind of hard to mistaken I don't want to hurt you for I like you."

"Weird," Vince muttered. He had known about TJ's crush on Spinelli in grade school. Not to mention the fact that the two had grown so close over the last two weeks it seemed hard to imagine them not becoming a couple.

"Whatever," Spinelli dismissed, "so, what about you? Who did you have a crush on?"

"Well ... that is none of your business," Vince answered, laughing. He then stood up and began to shoot baskets.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Spinelli argued, "I so told you."

"And who's fault is that?" Vince asked, shooting the ball and turning to her mockingly as the ball swished into the net.

---

"So, Griswald, are you going to tell me about this sex you had?" Gretchen asked as the two sat on his couch, watching TV.

"Like I said last night, it was a long time ago," Gus protested, "before you and I were even talking again."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me before this though," Gretchen shook her head, "I thought we were going to be honest with each other, and you don't even tell me about the girls in your past."

"You didn't tell me about the boys in your past either," Gus pointed out.

"There were no boys in my past," Gretchen said, "you were the only one. See, that wasn't so hard, now tell me about your girls."

"Two girls," Gus sighed, "one dumped me for a jock, the other for a guitarist in a band. Not much to tell. Didn't really care about either of them that much, just felt like I needed to be in a relationship."

"So, you had sex because you felt like you needed to be in a relationship?" Gretchen asked, disgusted, "and you didn't really care about the girls? You are a pig."

Gretchen shook her head in disgust, but Gus immediately tried to calm her down.

"Look, I'm sorry," Gus apologized, "I was in that phase of acting out against my dad and it seemed like the right thing to do. I realize now that it was a bit jerky on my part, but I am the one who got dumped in both scenarios. And now I have you, and I do care about you, and you have helped me change a lot."

"I guess," Gretchen reluctantly said, but with a smile, "I'll let this one pass. But, any more secrets from your past like that resurface, we will definitely have more problems."

---

"You've spent everyday for the last two weeks with Ashley Spinelli and you can tell me you feel absolutely nothing for her?" Mikey asked TJ. TJ was playing with his kids on the floor.

"I feel like she's a friend," TJ shortly answered, while tickling Vince.

"And that's all?" Mikey demanded to know, "because the way you two act it seems like a lot more."

"Do you see the two little children right here?" TJ asked, "these are my reminders of my past. I love them to death, but ...,"

"I get it now," Mikey said softly, "you're going to feel as if you are betraying Lane if you love Spinelli."

"That's not it all," TJ said, unconvincingly, "I just ... I don't know."

"Then let me give you a hint," Mikey said, "Ashley Spinelli likes you. You like her, but you're afraid of betraying Lane because of the whole thing. Talk to Spinelli. At least give her your side on the whole issue."

TJ looked away, but he knew his friend was right.

---

"Ashley Spinelli, you are one hard girl to find," TJ said quietly as he stopped behind the girl, who was standing at the graves of her brothers, looking down at the one with Joey's name on it.

"Only when I don't want to be found," Spinelli listlessly replied, turning around to see TJ, "what do you want?"

"Well, you cut right to the chase," TJ laughed nervously, "I came to talk."

"Didn't we do enough of that last night?"Spinelli asked bitterly, "just tell me whatever you need to. I mean, how many ways can you possibly say, 'I don't like you like that.'"

"I'm sorry," TJ blurted out, "I should have handled the whole situation better. Its just ... I have this past. And its right in my living room. I have two reminders everyday of everything that has happened in my life."

"And I don't?" Spinelli laughed, on the verge of psychotically, and gestured to the grave stones, "these are two very real reminders of my past. Or, if you don't like those, go to my house, walk in the door, see my mom sitting on the couch watching some beauty pageant and my dad upstairs, watching wrestling on my tv. They haven't even said ten words to me in the last year. We all have past things we have to deal with TJ. You're the one who taught me that."

"I know," TJ said, regretfully, "but, Lane was pretty much everything to me for so long ... and I feel that if I give that up, if I just move on with my life, then I'm not being true to her, or to my kids, who will never know their mother."

Spinelli's face softened as she spoke up again, "Teej, I don't want to put you in a situation you're uncomfortable with. But don't you think Lane would want you to be happy? It's been over a year and a half."

"But it feels like not enough time has passed," TJ sighed, "Spinelli, I look at you, I see this beautiful girl, this person with a heart of gold that she doesn't like people to see she has. But, I also look at you, and I feel guilty. I want to date somebody else, I want to be with somebody else, and I really want that person to be you ...,"

"But," Spinelli interrupted, "you aren't ready to move on yet."

"I'm sorry," TJ said, looking down at his hands.

"Hey," Spinelli said, putting her hand on TJ's arm, who, for the first time noticed the bandage wrapped around her hand, "I can deal Teej. I know the past is something that is hard to forget. And I am your friend above anything else I am or could possibly be."

"There's the whole heart of gold thing coming out," TJ smiled, wrapping his arm around Spinelli's shoulder and guiding her out of the cemetery, "so, what happened to your hand."

"Stupid mistake," Spinelli shrugged as the two walked in the direction of TJ's house.

TJ looked at the girl for a moment and knew things were going to be all right. Maybe he wasn't ready to move on yet. Maybe he wasn't ready for a new relationship. But, he sure as heck knew that Spinelli was the girl for him, even if it took a little time. He was definitely back where he belonged.