Hi guys! Here's Chapter Three (finally)! I've been busy with finals, and it's taken me for-freakin'-ever to finish this, but...here it is. And it makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy too. You know what makes me happier than finishing this? Reviews. They make me extremely happy. And it only takes two seconds. (And by two seconds, I mean two minutes, but that's close enough). Now, it's the usual disclaimer and all-AJ's lifeislikeaboxofbertiebotts, Beth is mine. Chuck, sadly, isn't either of ours'. If he or the show was, Papa B would never have died, and Shaw would have really been killed. Or nonexistant (but that's a rant for another day). Let's see...I think I've covered everything. Oh! No I haven't! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my wonderful reviewers so far: wassupchuck, CoolMushroom, Night Lotus Blossom, and chuckfan56 (And you too, lifeislikeaboxofbertiebotts, but that goes without saying, I think-you suffer through my writer's block and random tangents).

Now, I've said all I need to say. So...enjoy!

I scrambled around the apartment, trying to find something appropriate to wear that wasn't considered too dressy or too relaxed for a nice dinner. I mean, it was my first time meeting Chuck's sister and her friends; I wanted to make a good impression. I finally settled on a flowing white skirt, plain except for the trail of embroidered daisies along the bottom hem. I was pulling on a yellow V-neck when Casey passed by my room, still in his Buymore uniform.

"You're not wearing that, are you?"

He grunted. "I just got off work."

Shaking my head, I gave him a frown. "Let me rephrase that. You're not wearing that, are you?"

Without giving him time to reply, I started tugging him back into his bedroom, rambling as we went.

"Honestly. What were you thinking? It's a dinner, and you were gonna wear that? It doesn't take too much to change."

I reached his closet first and rummaged around. Wow, that's a lot of black. And white. Does the man even own a color? Oh, a brown polo! No…brown wasn't a good dinner color. I glanced at the clothes then gave Casey the once over. Bad idea. I had to admit, he was a good lookin' man. Real good lookin'. Green may not be his color, but his polo did showcase his arms quite nicely. Okay Beth, snap outta it. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a short sleeved button down shirt, I tossed both in his direction.

"Wear those. Casual, yet still nice."

I turned to leave then suddenly remembered a question I had. "Casey, AJ mentioned how it was odd that I call you by your last name and I thought—dear God, where did you shirt go!"

I think my jaw might have dropped, but I couldn't be sure. I knew his arms were defined…I did not know, however, that he had such a nice chest. And quite a few scars as well. But that chest…

"Like what you see, Daniels?"

I slowly dragged my eyes away from his chest and faced him. Ignoring his question, I continued what I was saying before I was distracted.

"It's Beth. Most roommates call each other by their first names, so Beth is what you're gonna be calling me. I was thinking about it because I don't call you by your first name, but then, no one really does so…"

I trailed off, realizing whatever brilliant monologue I had ready in my head, it had left as soon as Casey took off his shirt. Well shoot. And now he was looking at me. Like I was saying something important. Which I was. Damn.

"Have a point to this?"

"Er, yes! It's Beth. Just plain ole' Beth. Not Daniels or any other name you may think to come up with. And would it, would it be alright to call you John?"

He gave an appraising look, and I rocked back on my heels. Please say yes, please, please say yes. Why was he giving me that look?

"You'd call me John anyway."

"Well, yeah…is that a yes?"

"…yes."

I started to reach forward to hug him, and remembered myself. Whoa, no hugs for John Casey. I awkwardly took a step back.

"So then, we, uh…I still need to get ready a bit. Then we can go. Yeah, I have to run a brush through my hair. And throw on some earrings. Then we'll go. Right? Right. Cool."

I was out of there like a rocket. That was embarrassing. As if I couldn't make a bigger fool out of myself. Well, on the bright side, we were on a first name basis! Well, by technicality only. But still, that was better than nothing.

The door opened and a smiling brunette answered.

"John! Come on in!" Catching sight of me, she pulled me into a hug. "You must be John's new roommate! AJ and Chuck have told us so much about you."

"Oh!" I returned the hug hesitantly. "All good, I hope. I haven't been in town long enough to cause trouble, I don't think."

A really buff blonde man spoke from across the room. "I don't know, heard you ruffled some feathers with your festive choice of paint."

I blushed. Well, I liked yellow. Really bright yellow. "In my defense, John said no pink. He didn't mention all colors of a vibrant variety were to be ousted as well."

Casey stepped forward, taking the two drinks Chuck was holding out, and handed one to me. Taking a sip, I scrunched my nose up. I never had been a champagne person; I much preferred the sweeter tastes of wine or mixed drinks. Champagne was a little too…dry for my tastes. I could have sworn Casey chuckled under his breath, but my attention was suddenly distracted by Chuck beginning to make introductions.

"So Beth, I heard you've met AJ already."

I tipped my glass in the short-haired brunette's direction. "Yes indeed, soon to be Orange Orange's most valued customer."

AJ laughed. "Someone's got to eat your share of yogurt. Though I don't know how much of a customer I'll be if I never have to pay."

"I think of it as an investment. If you eat it, I don't have to look at it. Plus, you always have funny Buymore stories to tell. Which helps with boredom. And I like talking to people. It's fun, and social. And"

"—you're rambling."

I stuck my tongue out at John, and started singing, "Oh I was born a ramblin' wo-maan…"

He growled, and I shrugged. "What, you're not a fan of country? Though you're right, I probably was rambling. On with introductions?"

Chuck nodded, and pointed out the girl who had hugged me and the buff man. "These are—"

"I'm Ellie, Chuck's sister. It's wonderful you've moved in; I hope we'll be seeing you around more, with you and AJ around, the girls aren't outnumbered anymore." Pointing out to the blonde man, she continued. "And this is Devon, my fiancé."

"Awesome to meet you. Good to see Casey's got a roommate now, a lil' lady love in his life is always good."

I was about to reply that Casey and I were not roommates in that sense, but Ellie interjected about how they worked at the nearby hospital, and how the last member of our little posse would be arriving soon. Until then, I joined in a conversation AJ and Chuck were having about whether Nintendo, Xbox, or Playstation had the best video gaming systems. I myself was a Nintendo girl, and told them so.

"No way Playstation or Xbox could win; it's Nintendo all the way. You can't beat the originals: Donkey Kong, Mario…that's where it's at. And with the Wii, you can really get into your games, instead of just being a button masher." As an after thought, I added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm a button masher myself."

"But Xbox's graphics! Three words: Call of Duty."

AJ shook her head. "No dice, Chuck. What else can Xbox do besides play Call of Duty, Fallout, or those other games? The only thing it's good for are gore games with no sense of purpose except to shoot things. Playstation though—on the PS3, you can play DVDs, PS2and 1 games, it has a better sound system. Not to mention, you have a balance of mature and more family-friendly games, unlike Nintendo, where you only have the basic puzzle games."

"You have a point about the Xbox, AJ, but not about Nintendo. Granted, the Wii can't play movies, and its sound system may be basic, but it has more than just puzzle games. It has its fair share of RPGs—look at Legend of Zelda and Tales of Symphonia. It may not have shooting games, but honestly, what's so fun about sitting all day shooting people?"

I caught Casey's glance, and smirked. I had a feeling he probably didn't mind spending all day shooting people; it seemed to be something he excelled at. I turned back to the conversation as I heard a new voice interject.

"An argument over which system is better?"

Chuck nodded. "C'mon buddy; you're on my side, aren't you? Because Xbox has the best graphics. Besides, gamers have bought more software for the Xbox 360 (24.3 million units), than software for PS3 and Wii combined (19.8 million units)."

"Yeah, because they get tired of the Xbox games easily. Morgan, you're going to choose my side, right? Because Playstation has the best of both worlds—graphics, better sound, RPGs, Halo…you know I'm right."

My eyes widened in reply as the guy (Morgan, apparently) shook his head at both of them. "Gotta be Nintendo, man. You guys of all people should know that."

"Morgan!" "No way!" "Pardon?"

I sized the short, bearded man up—did he really take my side? Hmm, I may really start liking this town. I nodded at him. "Good choice; I wholeheartedly approve."

"Well, it just has to be, you know? It was the original. Well, not the original—that was Pong. But Nintendo revolutionized the gaming world, and because of that, my choice goes with Nintendo."

Before Chuck or AJ could retort, Ellie called for dinner. They all took places at the table—Devon sat at the head, with Ellie, AJ, and Morgan on one side. Across from Ellie sat Chuck, with Sarah next to him. Casey sat at the opposite end, which left me in the corner, sandwiched between Sarah and Casey.

"So, Beth, have you been this far west before? Sarah told me you're originally from TN."

I looked up from my meal to answer Chuck's question. "Well, not this far, exactly. I lived in Sugarland, TX before I moved here. And before that, I lived in Debrie, Montana for about two months. So I've lived West-ish, just not this west."

"Do you like it?"

I nodded. "Mostly. It's…different. The only other big city I've lived in was Boston…I'm not completely sure if I like the hustle and bustle lifestyle."

"Burbank's not actually a lot of hustle and bustle."

I looked to Sarah, who had spoken. "If this isn't hustle and bustle, I'd hate to ask what is."

Laughing, she nodded. "Fair enough. But really, it's a good city. There's a nice downtown area, but if you drive northwest for about one hundred miles, you hit the Los Padres National Forest, if that fills your country kick."

Morgan chimed in from across from me. "And further up is Sequoia National Forest—it's about a four and a half hour drive, but well worth the trip."

Hearing our conversation, AJ chimed in. "Morgan's right—we took a trip with Mr. B when we were younger there. The trees really are as big as they say they are."

"Wasn't that where Chuck dared you to climb one of the trees?"

Glaring at him, AJ shook her head. "No, that's where he dared you, but you were too chicken to do it, so I ended up climbing up the tree, only to tear my jeans in the process, get the forest rangers mad at me, and get the scolding of a lifetime from Grandma in the process."

Morgan looked slightly abashed, while Chuck grinned. "She's right, buddy. Wasn't that when Dad stitched up the hole with- "

"—with a paperclip—"

"—and a piece of Ellie's hair ribbon," AJ finished.

Chuck looked at Ellie. "I didn't think you remembered that."

Scoffing, she nodded. "Of course I did! How could I forget—you three were always getting in trouble; it was all Dad and I could do to keep you two in line, but with AJ in the equation, it was impossible."

I smiled at the camaraderie between them. I could easily envision a young AJ, Morgan, and Chuck, causing trouble for Ellie and their father. It was probably something compared to how I acted…Mama always said I was a troublemaker.

"Well?"

Crap. The table was looking in my direction. I must have zoned out again. I really needed to stop that. Hmm, I could play it off, or just straight up…

"—they were asking about your move here."

John's voice rang next to me. Well, that made it easier for me to answer the question. Mostly. I had startled, but tried to play it off. "I know, John. I was just…thinking."

He raised an eyebrow. "You had to think about why you moved?

I glared at him, and didn't answer right away. Rather, I took a bite of chicken. Mainly to give me more time to answer. Sometimes food was helpful.

"Well, it wasn't that I was thinking about why I moved, but more so I was trying to fit it into words. There were a lot of reasons I moved here to Burbank. I mean, Sugarland was amazing…it's this little one-horse town. Everyone knows everybody—I mean, I didn't even need a menu at the café; after so many visits, Brenda, the matronly waitress who worked Sundays, knew what I ordered for breakfast. But a town like that, it can get stifling. Something in me told me it was time to move on, see something different. I guess it was a bit of wanderlust."

Morgan grinned. "And a little bit of our boy Casey, right?"

"Well," I wondered how I could ignore the question without saying that I hadn't actually known John Casey till I arrived. "I have to admit, Burbank wasn't on my list of cities to see. Then again, I don't really have a list. I go where the wind takes me. And when I had the opportunity to come here, I just…said yes." More or less. They didn't have to know I actually fought tooth and nail not to come to Burbank. Because that was a technicality. And those didn't count.

"That's awesome. But, why'd you say yes?"

I turned to Devon. "Well, I can't exactly say for sure. It just…felt right. I mean, I couldn't pinpoint why I chose to say yes. Well, I could make some cock-and-bull story about the scenery being beautiful or it being a place of fresh air and frivolity, but honestly, I didn't feel like I had a choice. It was a need, not a want."

"Then are you planning to stay here awhile?"

It was Ellie who had asked. She seemed genuinely curious. That was sweet of her. "I think so. I don't plan on going anywhere for awhile—I'm happily settled in, and I mean, I have a job. I can't just pack up and leave. Plus, there's a lot of this town and area that I have yet to explore. And, well, cheesy as it sounds, but I feel…settled. I don't have the burning need to jet off and just travel, to follow the setting sun. So I think I'm gonna be staying here for awhile."

"I'm glad! It'll be nice to have another girl around. And you'll love Burbank—it's a good place to live. Close enough to the big cities like LA, but far enough away so you can get some peace and quiet too."

Sheesh, made it sound like the perfect city. But I couldn't blame her, from what I'd seen, it was a very pretty place. Minus the yogurt shops. And lack of good barbecue. Heath-conscious Hollywood-wannabes. I don't care how much I weigh; I'm not forgoing my tasty pulled pork for rabbit food. Not that I have anything against a good salad or soup—I just don't want it overtaking my diet.

We chatted about the city for awhile, had dessert (I brought a red velvet cake), and planned the next get together (Ellie decided on a girl's night two weeks from the past Thursday, because she didn't have free time until then) when Casey stood up. Taking that as my cue, I too, stood up to leave.

"Leaving already?"

Casey grunted, "Early shift," so Ellie looked to me. Shrugging my shoulders, I spoke. "Yeah, I mean, I'm still suffering from the time change a bit. Plus, I'm working the early shift too—and if I don't get my eight hours, I become somewhat of a demon."

I heard a scoff, and Casey grumbled, "Somewhat?" I ignored him, but couldn't ignore the smile on my face. "John, just because I almost beat you with a spatula because you stole the last of the coffee doesn't mean you have to be bitter about it."

"Merde!"

AJ stared at me as if seeing me in a different light. The others, too, wore similar expressions. "What? He took the last bit of coffee, and didn't make more. In my view, that's a cardinal sin. Plus, I was already tired…and it's not like I really hurt him…I only threatened."

"If I recall, you said you'd 'split my entrails open and use them as sausage casings."

Well…hmm, yeah, I guess I did tell him that. But he took the coffee. Morgan laughed outright, and the rest of the group joined in. I blushed in embarrassment, and glanced heavenward. "Okay, so, maybe slightly more than a demon. But did I mention—last bit of coffee. Gone. None at all. It was depressing. A tragedy of my life. And then I had to go to work and work with…that clumpy milk product some people call food."

AJ laughed. "But good food. It's healthy. A little taste of heaven."

"Yeah, with the texture of hell."

After a few more similar comments on the pros and cons of yogurt, I told them that I really did need to get home so I could sleep. John left first, and I followed, stopping by the fountain to look up at the stars for a moment. It was weird—in Sugarland, the stars went on for miles. Back home in TN, you could see a million of them. I expected for Burbank to be like Boston—no stars in sight because of the city lights, but there were stars. Not as many, granted, but they were there, twinkling down on me. Jamie, my last partner (and probably the closest thing I'd ever had to a sister) always said stars were like fireflies: they were always there. Whether you could see them or not, stars would be there, just waiting for you to look a little closer. As always when I thought of Jamie, my mind flashed back to the last time I saw her. A knot formed in my stomach—too many emotions; no way to get them out. No, I didn't wanna think about it right now. Not when I still had to face someone—let those thoughts come in the dark of night—let me handle them my own way.

I caught my breath and started to head indoors. I didn't know how long I'd been standing outside, and I wouldn't put it past John Casey to send out a search party. Or just hunt me down himself, cause he seemed like that type of man. I gave one last parting glance to the stars before heading inside. No matter where I was, the stars would be there, like fireflies: always there, shining brightly, just waiting for me to see.

Love it? Hate it? Think Morgan should have sided with AJ because PlayStation is better? Find it funny that Beth almost killed Casey with a spatula? Intrigued about this Jamie character? Let me know-push that pretty little review button! :)