Chapter 1: I'll Stay Forever

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor did I create the show Switched at Birth and it's various characters that are featured here. They are the property of ABCFamily, Lizzy Weiss, and various others. I am merely using the general plot and characters as a coping mechanism for the real show and as an outlet for my never-ending imagination.

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Chapter Notes: This chapter mostly focuses on Ty and his friendship with Mary Beth. Includes some Bay as well.

Chapter Titled Inspired by: Enchanted- Taylor Swift

Chapter Warnings: Mild swearing and a non-graphic mention of suicide.

Author's Note: This is my very first fanfiction that I've published, so please be gentle when reviewing. Also, Ty might seem out of character. If he does sound that way, it's because I'm still trying to properly grasp his voice. The guy is a bit mysterious after all.

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I slowly shuffled my way through the thick crowd, carefully eyeing all of the people milling about my favourite off-base hangout of Maui Kansas. It had been only about nine weeks since my return from Kabul and crowds still set me on edge, particularly the groups of carefree giggling girls who always seemed to frequent the park.

"Hey Ty!" A voice called out to me excitedly. Turning around, I saw that the voice belonged to none other than Mary Beth, the younger sister of Justin (who was one of my closest friends that I'd made while serving overseas). Mary Beth and I had met at the biweekly group therapy sessions that she'd started attending after Justin had killed himself a little more than three months ago. Because Justin was like a brother to me out there, taking care of his sister like she was my own was the least I could do in his memory. Smiling slightly, I sent her a weary wave.

"Hey MB," I greeted, stepping forward to squeeze her shoulders.

"How are things going?" she asked kindly as she slowly eyed me up and down, making me feel particularly exposed and vulnerable. My gaze flickered away from her soft eyes as I shrugged my shoulders and tried not to let any emotions show across my features.

"Ah, one of those kind of days then," she remarked sadly.

"It is what it is, " I replied somewhat bitterly, looking away from the nearest games booth that was filled clean stuffed animals. Sighing, I turned back to face Mary Beth, only to find her thoughtfully gazing at me yet again.

"What!?" I snapped angrily at her inquisitive expression.

Startled, she flinched violently at my tone and turned crimson. "Shit, sorry Mary Beth." I quickly replied in response to her reaction. I'm just... ya. Sorry." I finished lamely, rubbing the back of my neck. She casually waved off my apology, even though I could tell she was still upset.

"Are you... alright?" I quietly inquired.

Chin quivering, she tentatively nodded her head and ducked her eyes. "Are you sure?" I gently prodded, gripping her elbow in my hand.

"N... no." She admitted quietly. "It's just... It's just that I really miss Justin. We use to hang out here together on the first day of summer, playing games and just... talking. I- It's not that you're not nice company, but he was just him. Justin. The only person who understood me." As tears dripped down her face, I was slightly stunned, and unsure of what exactly to say or do that would help comfort her. Deciding that a hug was best, I opened my arms and she stepped into them, tucking her head on my shoulder.

"I miss him too," I whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. She clutched me tighter for a moment before letting go, and then swiped at a few stray tears. "I'm sorry for getting like this," she said ashamedly, gesturing towards her damp face.

"Hey, hey, hey," I soothed gently. "It's fine. Holding all that in isn't healthy anyway," I replied, trying my best to smile. Mary Beth opened her mouth to respond to me, and I immediately knew what she was going to say before she even uttered a word.

"Ty-," she started.

"Want some pineapple whip?" I interrupted before she could get more than a word out.

Closing her mouth, she nodded, glaring at me slightly. I internally sighed in relief that she was letting the subject drop without a fight.

"My treat," I said, grinning at her as we comically linked arms and walked off.

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I sat perched on a bench, side-by-side with Mary Beth while we both enjoyed our cups of pineapple whip as she chattered aimlessly about school and funny YouTube videos. Letting her words surround me like a warm blanket, I allowed myself to relax slightly, and comfortably rested my back against the bench.

Like usual, I allowed my gaze to flit over the guests, sweeping from one direction to the next. As I looked towards the tilt-a-whirl, a mass of long, dark curls startled me and caught my attention. Could Bay be here in Maui by some chance of fate?

My heart thumped erratically as the girl walked ever closer, her dark hair swaying hypnotically with every step. As she turned away from her friends and quickly glanced at me, I felt my body sag with disappointment. The girl had large blue eyes, heavy makeup, and tanned skin, all things that definitely did not define Bay Kennish in any manner whatsoever.

Mary Beth's hand gently patted my knee. 'Were you expecting someone Ty?" she asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose slightly.

"No... not exactly," I said slowly. I could feel Mary Beth looking at me curiously. "I was umm... hoping to run into someone more like it," I admitted shyly.

"Is it the girl who Justin said you talked about a lot?" She guessed. I nodded slightly at her.

"Well I'm sure you'll find her soon Mendosa," she quipped. "After all, how hard will it be to find the girl that lays claim to the only key to your heart?" I gaped at her. How had she already figured that out? Blushing furiously, I glanced down at my grease stained fingers.

Smiling softly, Mary Beth bumped her shoulder against mine. "Not that it's any of my business, but have you even told this girl that you're back now? I'm sure she'd love to see you." I silently shook my head. Not only was I not... well enough in the head to see her, but I wasn't sure if I could handle all those old emotions rushing to the surface, leaving me completely at the mercy of the beautiful Bay Kennish. Mary Beth quickly jumped up, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Well I'm on shift now Ty. Thanks for the pineapple whip, and good luck!" She chirped, her mood vastly improved from earlier in the day.

"See you on Wednesday, MB!" I called out to her as she walked away. Smiling, she waved and walked off towards whatever duty she had that day.

I checked my watch, and noticed that it was only just past noon and that I had a good nine hours of salute free time left. Heaving myself off the bench I decided to see if Mack had any odd jobs I could do today, ensuring that I stayed as busy as possible in order to avoid any of the dark thoughts that sometimes plagued me.

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As I wander around the grounds, I curiously wonder if Bay would like it here. I can clearly picture her rolling her eyes at all the cheesy Hawaiian decor, with a very snarky comment thrown out every once in a while. The thought of Bay making a crack about the giant Tiki statue brings a smile to my lips. No matter how much she's moan and groan about it here, I have a feeling she'd love it just about as much as I do. If the switch hadn't happened, I'm still sure that she'd love it. Maui would've been our place; a place where we'd cherish memories from happier times. I can't even begin to recall all the countless good memories that Daphne and I have in this place, which was a rare place of happiness in my otherwise crappy childhood. From eating a pound of cotton candy, to going on the rollercoaster a dozen times in a row, to winning a stuffed animal that was bigger than my entire bed, the memories here were some of my fondest from before I'd met Bay.

As I reach the Shark Surf booth I find Mack splayed across the counter, unsuccessfully trying to convince the various passerby's to part with some of their cash.

"Mack," I greeted tersely. "Got any work for me today?"

"Well 'Sergeant McDosa', Loco Nuts requires a new air compression tank as the last one pretty much sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. One's scheduled to be delivered in about 5 minutes. Could you pick it up and surf it down to Mary Beth, whose obviously working in the Loco Nuts stand?" Mack stated, his voice and expression completely serious.

Suppressing a snort, I nod my head and begin to head towards the loading 'docks'. "Hey Mack," I called out, angling my head over my shoulder, and fixing him with a look that was as serious as the one he gave me just moments before. "You might want to sit up. People are probably getting the wrong idea about your enthusiasm." I hear a thump followed by a string of curses as I continue walking on, and I allow the barest hint of a smile to grace my lips.

As I exit the main entrance to the park, I slowly scan the area for the delivery truck. Before I can even inspect half a block north, I see a dark ponytail that belongs to none other than the one and only Bay Kennish.

My heart constricts painfully as I hide myself in the shadows of the Maui Kansas sign, making sure that Bay can't see me. I hold myself perfectly still as she dances around her smoking car, barking into her cell phone. I can't help but smile at her comments that her car knows her well enough that she needs a break, and asks AAA to take as long as they need to get here. I'm still lost in thought as I see her walk into the park, eyes alight with sparkling wonder. I shake myself from my reeve at the sound of a loud horn honking, and slip out from the shadows.

Hands shaking, I quickly sign off on the papers for the air compressor, and rapidly deliver it to Mary Beth before I quickly dash into the nearest washroom, praying that Bay still hasn't seen me.

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I lean over the sink and splash cool water on my hot face. Glancing up at my reflection in the mirror, I internally debate if I should reveal myself to her or not. On one hand, seeing her could assist me in my journey to gain some form of normalcy. Plus I just want to see her, and I know that she'd be ecstatic to see me (even if I haven't contacted her in 11 weeks). On the other hand, I know Bay well enough that she'll try her best to help me, even if she gets hurt in the process. I'd almost rather die than cause her any unnecessary pain, particularly after I'd caused her a great deal of pain a couple of years ago.

Trembling, I decide to take a chance and reveal myself to her, assuming that she is still somewhere in Maui. Walking out of the washroom, I take a calming breath and head in the direction of the games closest to the entrance.

I immediately spot her at Mack's booth, handing him three tickets from her sheet. Her ticket sheet is still mostly full, and I hope that it means that she plans on staying here for a few hours. I slowly walk up behind her, appreciatively roaming my eyes up and down.

When Mack sees me approaching, he opens his mouth to say something, but I quickly shake my head, smile, and point at Bay. He rolls his eyes, and continues making snarky comments towards Bay about her shooting ability, which is frankly terrible. She completely misses the sharks, and is instead hitting the surfers, leaving her with a pitifully low score. Her poor shooting ability actually reminds me of my first few cracks at the target range, and I decide to coach her from behind before I reveal myself to her in order to win one of the big prizes. Crossing my fingers, I open my mouth and begin to speak.

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Longer Author's Note:

*waves* So first off, thanks for reading, and if you review, thanks for that too!

This is Ty centric story. Bay will also play an extremely predominant role, and Ty/Bay will be featured quite heavily. Mary Beth, Regina, and Daphne will also play significant parts. Expect cameos for most other characters, including Justin.

I will try to stay canon compliant in general, with the exception of dialogue (quoting word-for-word isn't any fun). Later on you should expect several deviations in regards to the plot as those changes fit in better with the direction I want to take this (and frankly, the direction I wish the show was headed). Also, Ty is very corny and lovey-dovey for a particular reason. You'll find out why later on. Also, as a Canadian, I will be using Canadian spelling. If I put a Canadianism in here (i.e. saying Thanksgiving is in October), let me know and I'll fix the error.

Next chapter should be up around Thursday, depending on how my work schedule, writing, and editing goes in the next few days.