As Ben starts to calm down, I can't help but think about the last thing Arlene had said to me when I saw her last. It had been such an innocent remark. Yet here I was, in the hospital, after a near death experience. I couldn't wait to see her again, couldn't wait to hug her. It's really shitty that it takes almost dying to get you to realize what's important in life.

So I swear to myself as I sit there, hugging Ben, that I'm never taking anything--or anyone--for granted ever again.

~

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, literally. I want to shout out in excitement but I don't want to distract Arlene.

"Fuck," Orion says quietly, his eyes focused intently on the TV. As he talks, his voice gets louder until he's shouting. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

He throws his controller. Arlene jumps to her feet and does a little dance. "Ha! Beat yo ass!"

"Get a room, I don't wanna hear that!" Amy shouts from upstairs.

"Shut up!" Orion snarls loudly as Arlene laughs. "We're playing video games, not having sex!"

"Well I didn't know!"

"Who's that?" Arlene asks.

"My annoying little sister," Orion replies, pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes a moment.

"Sister?" She screws up her face. "I didn't know you had one of those."

"Neither did I for a while." Before Arlene can say anything, Orion whines at her. "Come on, four out of five?"

"Ha! Are you a glutton for punishment? C'mon, Orion, admit it. I'm better at this game than you are."

He whines, putting his chin to his chest.

"I do gotta say," I droll at them, "I'm pretty impressed. I've literally never seen anyone beat Orion at a video game."

Arlene's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh really?"

"Alright that's it, gauntlets off," Orion says, pulling out his cell. "I'm getting Ben and Jake over here, too."

Arlene looks at me questioningly.

"The band," I tell her.

"Oh damn. I get to meet the band now, too?!"

"Hey Jake," Orion says into the phone, "come here and play video games. On your way grab Ben. Okay bye."

Arlene gives him the side eye. "Damn you're bossy...Is that how you always talk, or does it come with being a rockstar?"

Orion looks at her and then chuckles, shaking his head slightly. "I've known them since High School. It comes with the territory."

"Ah..."

Shortly thereafter we're all in the basement. Amy has even come down to join us. Any residual weirdness between Orion and Arlene has completely disappeared, and I couldn't be happier. Arlene fits in seamlessly with the group. It's like she's always been there.

I'm not surprised. She's one of the most down to Earth and beautiful human beings I know. She was my original rock before Orion came around. She's the only one I willingly allow myself to break down in front of.

I was a little worried about her meeting him admittedly. She's fiercely protective of me. Arlene would take a bullet for me, literally; it's like that with us. So her meeting the man who crushed my heart, well...I was worried words would be said.

Now as I sat here though, all of us playing video games and laughing together, I feel guilty. I should have known that Arlene would prove once again she was a woman of class. She might not look it, with her partially dyed, punked out spiky hair, nose ring, ripped jeans and over-sized shirt... But I should have known she would put any reservations about Orion she held aside for me.

As the day progresses into night night we start to karaoke. Arlene and Orion end up singing together for most of it, with mixed results. I found out that night while there are many things Orion can do, rapping is not one of them. We all end up laughing at him, Amy throwing popcorn at him and booing him.

One of the last songs they end up doing together is Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars, and they both really lay on the drama. It's like they're trying for an Oscar. The results are hilarious, and by the end of the song Arlene is rolling around in the ground, reaching out dramatically for Orion who is on his knees, also dramatically reaching out to her. Everyone else is laughing so hard we're crying.

After that we play some bowling. By the time we're done it's almost three in the morning.

"Holy shit," Arlene says, looking at her smart watch. "I'm gonna turn into a pumpkin. I gotta go."

"Go?" Orion whines at her.

"Yeah," she says with a wink, "some of us have lives we have to keep up with..."

He sticks his tongue out at her and she laughs, crinkling her face. "Mature. Real mature."

Orion hugs her then, and she gleefully returns it. "We'll see you again, right?"

"Damn straight!" she replies, beaming. "This was a ton of fun, thank you so much for having me."

"Of course! The more the merrier!"

I give her a bear hug and lift her off her feet, causing her to squeak. It's no easy task; she's nearly as tall as I am, and she's fit because of the physical demands of her job. When I put her down, she slaps my shoulder.

"When do you go back to work?" I grin at her.

She makes a face. "Day after tomorrow..."

"What? No!"

"I know. I'm still in Vermont for a few weeks but it'll be work work work. Then from there I gotta go to Chicago."

"Beautiful city," Orion comments. "Ever been?"

"No." Arlene looks at him in disbelief. "Isn't that murder capitol of the US?"

"One of them," he admits. "But the not shitty parts are nice, like downtown and stuff."

She waves a dismissive hand. "Whatever. I'm gonna keep my head down, thanks."

I chuckle and then look at my bestie. "When are you off next?"

"No fudging clue."

I frown and then pull her into a hug. "I miss you so much..."

"Ooooo, I know, I miss you something fierce, too." She stops hugging me and holds me at arm's length. "But hey, it's not like we'll never see each other again, right?"