*Disclaimer*

Most of the dialogue for the chapter come directly from TPIS and was not written by me

It had better be just aesthetically, because you promised no romance. You've been fine up until now. Don't blow it." They're sitting on the dark staircase. Skye is studying the calculator watch, which is already strapped to her wrist.

"I know I promised, and I'm sticking to it." He's lying, the only reason he knew that the color of the watch would match her eyes is that is the color he sees whenever he closes his eyes, even if only for a moment. He stares down at his thumbs waiting for her to say something, desperate for her to fill with something. A feeling comes over him, almost like he's about to vomit. "It's just that it's hard for me to be with you and not want-" What is he doing, she hates this kind of stuff, and he knows she doesn't want to hear it. Against his better judgment, he continues. "You're so beautiful, you know." Even now, when she's glaring at him, she captivates him, her hair messily sticking up in awkward places. She tenses, like she's preparing for a fight.

"No, no, no, Jeffery, no." She shakes her head, and throws her hands up.

"And there's no one else? You're certain?" He looks down; ashamed of the question he's asked.

"You just promised-" She says crossly, her temper already shortening.

"I know, but-"

"I hate this. It's like my best friend has been taken over by an alien." Skye's voice catches and she stands. Turning away to hide her face, she takes a huge, shuddery breath. "You have to go back to Boston now. I don't want you here anymore." Her words cut through him like a knife; he can't believe what he's hearing. His best friend, the girl he's in love with, turning him away from her, from her family, from the only family he's really ever had.

"If I have to leave, I will…" He trails off, wanting her to contradict him.

"Not forever just until you calm down." She begins to walk away, her arms crossed in front of her. He sighs.

"What if I don't ever calm down?" She pauses, and he can see her shoulders get even tenser. "Okay," he lowers his voice. "Forget I said that, and I will leave tonight if you need me too. But smile for me first, Skye, so I know that you'll forgive me someday." He walks around her, instead of a smile; she bites her bottom lip and stares at him, brow furrowed. He takes half a step back. "No? I really can be your best friend and love you, too, you know." He says sounding more heartbroken than she's ever heard him.

"No, I don't know. Obviously you can't." She snaps, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. He reaches out to wipe them, but she steps back. Her message is clear, 'Don't touch me.' He knows he should stop, but there's still one huge question weighing him down.

"Do you ever think about falling in love? I mean, not with me necessarily, but anyone." He says anyone, but he doesn't really mean it. He tries to imagine her with someone else, another scientist with whom she can sit up all night and she won't have to point out every constellation. He tries to imagine her kissing someone else, marrying him, she'd come over and he'd have to pretend he doesn't love her anymore, when he's sure he still will. He has no doubts that he will love her forever. He can't even fathom feeling this way about someone else.

Skye groans. "No, I don't. Not yet. Not now." She raises her hands to her head in frustration, and he studies his feet.

"Ever?" He looks up at her, in what he hopes is a 'puppy dog' look.

"Jeffery, my best friend wouldn't be torturing me like this." This hurts the most, guilt runs over him like a wave you don't see coming at the beach. It tackles him, and when he tries to escape for air, he just keeps getting knocked under. "How many different ways do I have to explain that to you that I don't want to talk about this?"

"I just want to understand." He murmurs.

"You want to understand? You really want that?" Skye's voice is gradually getting higher in pitch, he knows what's coming. It happens every time she begins to lose her temper. Her fists clench, and her eyes darken, she presses the fists to her forehead. "Then listen to me. This is what happens when people fall in love. They get married, right? And they're really happy and they have great jobs, and they have babies and they're still happy and they love the children," He's confused, I mean Skye's never been crazy about kids, but he knew that and it never bothered him. She continues. "And then with no warning- out of absolutely nowhere- the mother's suddenly going to have another baby even though she already has three perfectly good daughters. And that would be bearable except that it turns out she also has cancer…" Tears are flowing down her face. Jeffery reaches out for her hand, she tries to pull away but he takes it anyway. It's shaking. He shouldn't have pushed her this far. He knows how distraught this topic makes her.

"Skye," His voice is so soft; it's only slightly above a whisper. "You don't need to say all this. I'm so sorry. I'll just go now." He pulls away, but she keeps holding onto his hand. Surprised, he turns back around.

"But if you want to understand, I do need to say all this." She takes a deep breath and continues, keeping a tight grip on Jeffery's hand. "The mother has cancer and she's pregnant and because treating the cancer could hurt the baby, she has to make a decision. And she never asks her daughters what they think- or ever her husband for, all I know- and she decides to protect the baby and let the cancer kill her. So she dies. She died. And in exchange-"

He's shocked. He grabs her other hand too. "Don't say it Skye, please I know you don't mean it." She meets his gaze defiantly, her eyes red from crying.

"Why wouldn't I mean it? It's true. In exchange for our dead mother, we got another sister, just what we didn't need. We got Batty." As soon as the words leave her mouth he can tell she regrets them. Guilt flashes across her face.

"You don't really mean that do you?"

"Yes, no, I don't know. I mean…"

"It's complicated?" She nods, and hugs him, burying her face into his sweatshirt. He hugs her back. They don't move. She mutters something into his sweatshirt.

"What was that?" She pulls away, and looks down at their conjoined hands, confused like she's not sure what they mean. Neither does he, but he can ignore all that.

"I know how…how I want to feel, but I'm afraid? Don't try to tell me you know everything is going to be okay, because you don't know, you can't know. I just…I'm just confused, and having you here is only making things worse. I need time, Jeffery, time and space." Solemnly he nods.

"You don't need to tell me that relationships are hard, mother has pounded that message into my head time and time again. Even Alec can't keep a girlfriend for more than half a year, they take work, but I'm willing to put all that work in with you, Skye." When she still looks uncomfortable he adds. "I'll leave to go back to Boston, tonight, if that's what you need."

"Thank you." She wipes her running nose on her shirt.

"No problem, just, even if you don't have…" He thinks even saying the word 'feelings' is a risky move. "uh…a fondness… towards me, I still hope that we can still be best friends." She looks him in the eye again, and smiles.

"Only if you promise to respect my choice, no matter what it is." He smiles back with his crooked smile that she secretly adores.

"Promise." He holds out his hand for a handshake. She takes it.

"Promise."

Author's Note

Takes place on the same timeline as Staying In For The Weekend.

I re-read this scene and realized that we only hear the dialogue, and we don't get to see what they're actually doing and that it cuts off. And as you all probably know, there are a few...mistakes...with TPIS. *cough*Skyffery*cough* I might as well fix them. There will probably be a few more chapters on this theme.

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Happy Reading, Avionyx :)