Issac was just out of the shower when his cell phone rang. " Hello?" he answered it. "Hi, Issac. You wouldn't happen to know where Jaimie is, would you?" Jade asked. "Hi, Jade. She's probably with Tay. He said they were going to breakfast." Ike answered. "Is everything okay?" he asked her. "Yeah, fine. Have you heard from Josh?" she asked. "No. I figured he was sleeping whatever bug he's got, off. He didn't call you?" Ike asked. "No. But it's not seeming to bother me right now. I was really just wondering about Jaimie. My friend said...well...her dad might not be in the best shape this morning so I thought I'd call and see if she needed anything. But when she didn't answer her phone I thought maybe she didn't know. I'll let you go, now that I know where she is. If you talk to Tay, will you ask him to have her call me?" she asked. "Sure thing, Jade. How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, not wanting to end this conversation. He dried and dressed quickly as she assured him she was NOT coming down with Josh's cold. He loved the sound of her giggle when she pointed out the fact that she hadn't actually SEEN Josh since before he got sick. "True." Ike chuckled back and then a thought nagged at the back of his brain. "Have you heard from Angel?" he asked. "No. She sounded awful. I imagine she's sleeping. I'll call and check on her later. I was more worried about Jaimie." Jade answered. "Oh. Well what are you up to today?" he asked her, changing the subject, not wanting to think the worst of anyone in his family. "Work. Same old crap, different day. Patti being here all day makes it..interesting.." she giggled again, making Isaac smile. "Cool. You're not gonna get reamed for making PERSONAL phone calls are you?" he asked. "Nah. But I do have alot of files to work on, I should get going." she told him, not really wanting to end the converstion either. Ike sighed, and Jade's heart skipped a beat. "I'll see you later, Jade. Have a good day." he told her. "You too, Ike. Don't forget to have Jaimie call me, please?" she asked quickly. "I won't. Bye, Jade." he sighed again, wistfully. "Bye Ike." Jade said softly, then hung up the phone. She spun in her chair to find Patti gaping at her. "What are you looking at me like that for, dweeb?" Jade giggled. "Oh. My. GOD." Patti laughed. "You WANT him." "He's a friend you geek." Jade rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Uh-huh." Patti smiled and turned back to her computer. "SHUT UP! He's Josh's cousin for pete's sake.." Jade tried to defend herself, but she knew she wasn't very convincing. "OKAY.." Patti, rolled her eyes. "Sheesh." she said, then grinned to herself when Jade turned back to her computer. 'Buh-bye, Josh' Patti thought as she began to type. "Hey Jame?" Taylor called to Jaimie, who had been sitting in silence for the last twenty minutes, though she'd never let go of his hand. Jaimie sighed. "Yeah?" she looked deeply into Taylor's eyes and heard Jimmy's nagging voice in the back of her head. She closed her eyes to keep the tears back and resumed looking out the window. She gave his hand a squeeze to reassure him, that whatever was wrong it was NOT him. "Hungry yet?" he asked. She shook her head. "No, thank you Taylor. If you are hungry please eat. It will not bother me at all." she gave him another weak smile. "That's not it, Jame. You usually are not this quiet. How often does he...I mean...your dad...does he?" Taylor swore, frustrated. "You know what I mean, Jame." he finally said, looking at her. "I do." she answered. "Not often, just when stupid uncle Frank comes over with a couple of cases to reminisce." she muttered angrily. "Uncle Frank? Well who's Mongo?" Taylor asked, just to get her talking. Jaimie chuckled. "Uncle Frank." she answered. "He's a monster of a man. My dad started calling him that after they got hammered and watched 'Blazing Saddles'. My grandma wasn't real thrilled with that." she said. "Uncle Mongo is so big that a case leaves him only slightly buzzed, but Daddy tries to keep up with him and winds up trashed, then he forgets what time it is and that Jimmy and Momma are NOT coming home." she sighed, trying not to cry again. "It broke her heart when her dad got like that. He missed his wife and son terribly, but sometimes in his grief he forgot that Jaimie had lost her mother, as well as her best friend, her brother. "So.." Taylor began cautiously, trying to keep to a subject that wouldn't reduce her to tears, since she seemed determined not to let him see her cry again. "Who does Uncle Mongo belong to? Your mom? Or your Dad?" he asked. She grinned up at him, a slight gold sparkle in her warm, amber eyes. "He's Momma's, though she tried to deny it on several occassions." she laughed. "Ooooo-KAY!" he grinned. "I can't wait to meet him." Taylor said. "Oh, sure you can.." Jaimie rolled her eyes and chuckled. Taylor pulled off the highway and drove his car away from the city, and Jaimie looked at him questioningly. "You'll like it. And we'll be able to talk without being interrupted. I just need to make one quick stop, okay?" he asked. "Anything you want, Tay. I'm just glad to be out." she smiled and laid her hand on his thigh. "Good." he smiled back and drove on, until he reached his destination.

"Josh! Dude, you look like shit." Ike grinned as Josh peeked from behind the front door of his apartment. Jossh groaned when he realized it was only Ike. "Thanks man." he answered sarcastically. "Only reason I answered the door was cause I thought you might be Jade." he said and stepped back to let Ike in. "Sorry to disappoint you." Ike teased. "I wouldn't plan on Jade coming by out of the blue, though. You have some serious groveling to do. She was quite clear that she was still upset after you left last night." Ike handed Josh a large box. "Mom says eat the soup and take the medicie and you'll be like new day after tomorrow, " Ike explained. "Thank her for me." Josh, grumbled, his body protesting any movement he made. "Kay." Ike answered. "Hey Angel sounded like crap too...what did you do? Drink out of her beer the other night or something?" Ike asked.  Josh shrugged. "I dunno, man. All I know is I feel like death on a stick and I wanna go back to bed." Josh wiped the sweat off his forehead, then put the things that Ike brought him away. "Dude, if you want anything, mom says call, okay. I'm getting out of here before I catch whatever it is you have." Ike told him. "Yeah...it sucks. Later, man. Oh, and would you have Taylor tell the princess of darkness to have Jade call me?" Josh pleaded with his eyes. "Sure. Go to bed." Ike said and flew out the door, before he let Josh know that he and Jade were capable of getting in touch with each other on their own. Josh grabbed his pillow and blanket and dragged them to the couch, put the phone near his head where he could hear it and quickly fell into another fitful sleep. "Shit." Ike muttered to himself as he got into his car. "What am I thinking?" he pulled out of the parking lot and drove home, wrestling  with his emotions. He thought about Jade, and how drawn he felt to her. He thought about the kiss they'd shared the night before and he KNEW she felt the same way. He felt a knot start in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to fight what he was feeling, and he was sure that Jade didn't either, but then there was JOSH. And to go behind his back was WRONG. It was wrong of him to take advantage of the situation and kiss her like that, but it was happening before it registered in his brain so he could stop it. The thing about it was, Jade had not WANTED to stop. She responded to him. As he thought about the whole thing, he could feel her hands sliding up his back, her body pressing against his, her tongue chasing his as eagerly as he pursued hers, before she had sense enough to stop him. He sighed heavily as he pulled into the driveway at home. Damn. Tay was still gone. Isaac really wanted to corner his brother and make him explain the look he'd given him when he mentioned that Jade was still dating Josh. It meant SOMETHING and Ike wanted to know what. he shut off his engine and went inside to find Zac. Maybe playing some video games with him could numb his brain for a while. If not, he'd at least sit down and try to write.

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