Future Past Perfect

Past: Six

The more things change, Nathan West thought staring up at the cinder block building, the more things stay the same. He hadn't been at the Port Charles Police Department in more than a year and he wasn't entirely sure he should be there now. It wasn't the first place he had gone when he returned to Port Charles. He'd gone home first, to the apartment, and been met with the sight of Maxie with Spinelli sitting on her couch, holding hands. He couldn't shake that image no matter how hard he tried.

He had known that things would be different. Frisco had warned him and the little info he'd had of Port Charles while he was gone had pointed to big changes around town. Still, he had hoped and dreamed that he could just knock on her door and everything would be as it was before. Seeing her with Spinelli though made Nathan realize that he couldn't just waltz back into her life. Maxie would have grieved and moved on with her life. What right did he have to mess with it now? He left without her knowing he had been there and headed out into the city.

He had no idea where he would go. Maxie had always been first and foremost in his mind since leaving the WSB but there were others still in town that he wanted to see. Both his mother and Nina were still here. Instead, he ended up at the station. He wasn't sure this was the right place to step back into his old life but Dante and Anna were here. He needed their friendship and reassurance before he marched back into Maxie's life.

Shaking off his momentary doubt, he headed into the building. Muscle memory carried him through the halls to the detective bullpen and his old desk. Someone else probably had it now. Dante, though, still used the same desk. Nathan paused at it, looking down at the framed picture on Dante's desk. He picked it up, smiling at the grinning face of Rocco Falconeri. The kid was getting big.

"Hey, what are you doing there?"

Nathan turned smiling broadly at his old partner and his best friend. Dante Falconeri stood in the doorway of the interrogation room with a dark scowl on his face. "Just visiting," Nathan said watching the wariness on Dante's face turn to surprise and then drain of color completely. "Got an old friend here. At least, I hope he's still a friend." He stuck his hand out feeling foolish for a moment while Dante stared at him and his outstretched hand.

"What the hell, man?" Dante blurted out. "You're supposed to be dead."

Nathan dropped his hand to his side. He was prepared for the questions and he had no plan to do anything but tell the truth. "I should be. I think I may have been for a minute."

"You look different."

Nathan scrubbed at his jaw. "It's the beard," he said with a grin. "I think it looks good. Doubt I'll get confused for a rookie anymore."

Dante wasn't interested in joking just yet. "Where've you been for the last year?"

"It's a long story."

Dante shook his head, barely hiding his anger that had flared to life. "We thought you were dead. Nikolas said you went over that cliff. But now you're here, looking pretty damn alive to me. You want to explain that? Where the hell have you been?"

Nathan had expected something like this but he imagined the questions coming from Maxie, not from Dante. Still, he wouldn't flinch from telling the truth now that it was all over. He would endure everyone's anger if he had to. "Dante, I didn't have a choice. Things at Windemere went south really fast. The things that were going on there...." He trailed off not wanting to dig up those memories just yet. "Look, the WSB got involved and Frisco Jones showed up out of nowhere. I didn't have much of a choice of anything once he was on the scene."

Dante blinked once, the implications of what Nathan was saying hitting him full force. "Frisco Jones," he said in understanding.

"I've been in Greece for the last year."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you're done now, you know since you're here."

Nathan nodded. He needed Dante to understand. It was never his choice to leave but thanks to Frisco and the Cassidine family, he had to make sure everyone was safe. Nathan had always known he would personally pay a price but he hoped everyone he loved would understand why he had done it.

"Welcome home." Dante pushed his hand out towards Nathan. He exhaled and accepted the handshake, pleasantly surprised when Dante pulled him into a half hug. Dante clapped him soundly on the back and released him, grinning at him.

"Dude, I missed you. I haven't had a decent partner since you left!" He paused as a thought occurred to him. Dante's forehead wrinkled in question. "Was this was the first place you came after being dead for a year?"

"I went home," Nathan answered dropping his gaze. "I went home to Maxie but she was there with Spinelli," he added practically spitting out the name. "So I left without saying anything. I expected things to be different but-"

Dante cut him off. "Dude, we have to get over to The Floating Rib. Now."

"Why?"

Dante reached for his keys, turning a deadly serious gaze on Nathan. "Maxie saw you. She's been going around town telling everyone you're alive trying to find you. No one believes her, Nathan, no one. She's in trouble."