" Jake! Jake, honey!" Jane pounded on his apartment door, worried out of her mind. She'd called him yesterday to check up on him and he seemed exhausted, and she worried that he sounded unwell. When she called again this morning, after a long night of hoping he'd get a good night's rest, he didn't pick up his phone. And he hadn't picked up his phone for the rest of the day. She finally became worried enough to make the drive over and check up on him.

And now he wasn't answering the door.

" Jake! That's it! I'm coming in!"

Jane reached into her purse and removed the spare key to Jake's apartment he'd given her. She opened the door hurriedly, her eyes searching around the familiar room anxiously. She didn't see him.

She ran through the living room, frantic, searching for him, until the last place to check was his bedroom. She swung open the door.

She would've cried with relief if her anger didn't quickly take its place.

" Jake Marie English! You cum-guzzlin' sonofabitch! I'm gonna kill you!" She stomped over to the bed, where the shape of a human was visible underneath piles of blankets. She didn't care if he was asleep or just laying there, she was pissed he had let her worry all day. She grabbed the comforters in her fists, and with one swift yank removed them from the bed.

She had expected to be angry and give Jake a thorough verbal lashing, but she hesitated when she actually saw him.

Oh, dear. He looks just awful.

Jake was laying in the fetal position, curled in on himself, holding his hands against his chest. His knees were up to his chin, and his usually shiny hair was dull and messy. His face looked sunken, as if he hadn't eaten in awhile, and his chin and jaw were covered in stubble. The sheet beneath his face had a large water stain.

" Jake. Jake, honey." Jane, anger gone, shook Jake's shoulder, gently as she could. " Wake up, darlin'." She shook again, and watched. His dark, lovely lashes lifted slowly, revealing disoriented forest green eyes. He didn't move though, not even to sit up. He didn't even give his usual smile greeting. He just opened his eyes and laid there.

Jane kicked off her shoes and got onto the bed with him.

" What happened, Sweety?"

Jake blinked, his eyes still heavy with sleep. When he spoke, Jane had to lean forward to make out what his soft words were.

" Dirk. Dirk.. I saw him.. doing some woman. Outside Club Nomad." He whispered into the mattress, clenching his eyes together tightly, as if remembering hurt him.

Jane was take aback. That wasn't right. Her mind worked to figure it out.

Dirk must be on the rebound. Trying to get over Jake. Oh, dear.

" When was this?"

" Last Friday."

It's been four days since then. No wonder he sounded so awful the last time I called.

" Don't tell me you've been here, sulking in self pity ever since?"

Jake didn't say anything, glancing away from her gaze.

" Jake!" She exclaimed, exasperated. No wonder he's a mess! I bet the only times he'd gotten off this bed were to go to the bathroom! " Have you at least eaten anything?"

" I'm afraid I haven't an appetite."

" Jake, it's been half a week. You can't lay here forever. You'll get ill."

" It doesn't matter." He whispered, his face grimacing. " Dirk said he loved me. But then this.." Jake's eyes began to fill with tears. " It's obviously he doesn't now." The tears leaked from his eyes and his voice began to tremble. " How could he do that to me?" He began to sob, clenching his eyes shut, and covering his face with one hand.

Jane sighed with sympathy. Of course he's upset. Anyone would be. But still, there's not enough reason to justify him wasting away to death out of misery. And from Dirk's point of view.. well, he's got every reason to do what he's doing.

She felt her chest clench in guilt.

If only she hadn't been seduced that night, none of this would have happened.

…

" Jake, what are you doin', you lil rascal, you?" Jane giggled. Her and Jake had been left alone for an entire month. The foursome had dissipated into pairs because Roxy and Dirk had decided to take a short little getaway to an anime convention a few states over.

Dirk and Roxy usually took a trip together twice a year, each picking a location, to have some good best friend time together without the stress of work and home life. Dave had gone to stay with his friend for the time they were away. Dirk had begged Roxy to do this trip with him, and Roxy said she would if they could make it a road trip because it would be more fun, and because it would be combining both their vacations into one long one, and it was easier to get time off from work for it.

Jake and Jane had been left at home. Normally these vacations didn't bother them, but this one was the longest they'd ever taken. Jake and Jane spent a lot of time together, more than they normally would, just because the rest of their group was missing.

That night, three days before Dirk and Roxy were due back, they'd decided to go out to Club Nomad to have a few drinks.

Upon arriving, they decided to do the Club Nomad Challenge, which was to drink one shot of every hard liquor in the bar. If they could complete the challenge, the drinks were free. Jake challenged Jane, ribbing that as the male, he could probably drink her under the table.

Jane laughed, accepting his challenge, and they sat down, and told the bartender.

10 shots later, and Jake was completely done. He was so heavily drunk, Jane had to carry him to the taxi. She herself, was very drunk, but not as shit-faced blackout plastered as Jake was. He was so far gone, he'd told the taxi driver he remembered him from his previous life, and that they were brothers and their wives were sisters and went on and on about this so called other life that the taxi driver almost had an aneurism.

She'd gone to her own apartment, and lugged him up the elevator and into her room, before throwing him on the couch. He'd woke up though.

And now, here they were.

" Me? Why, nothing at all!" Jake giggled, pulling her hand to pull her onto the couch next to him. " I was just thinking that you look ravishing tonight."

Jane gave a drunk giggle, " Is that so, Mr. English? You flatter me."

It's remarkable how everything seems funny and wonderful when you're drunk.

" No, no, it's the truth. You look ravishing all the bloody time."

" Mr. English, I do think your eyes must be going." She batted her eyes, playing along, wickedly amused.

" No, they're functioning fine, and I know this because if they weren't.." He suddenly leaned in, and kissed her. " I wouldn't have been able to see your lips."

Jane giggled. " Nope, I bet they're broken!"

He kissed her cheek. " Nope!" He kissed her again, on her neck.

" Broken!" She laughed, continuing to be covered in sloppy, wet kisses.

" Nu-uh!"

In her fit of laughing and trying to dodge the playful kisses, she hadn't even realized she'd slipped down on the couch, and that Jake's body was most leaning over her. He kept kissing her, her neck, her face, her lips. And she didn't push him away because it felt too good. It had been too long since she'd been touched like this, and she was relishing the feelings that were just beginning to course through her.

Jake didn't even hesitate. There was no pause or relapse in thought when his kisses got deeper, and he took off his clothes. No second thoughts when he undressed her, and helped himself to her body. Looking back, she regretted her own actions. But at the time, Dirk had only crossed her mind on the back burner, so to speak. She'd been so intoxicated, by the alcohol, by the kisses, by the promise of sex, that she'd have slept with anyone at the time, and the only person around was Jake.

Jane didn't think Jake even had memories of that night. She'd later told him what had happened, and he'd given her this blank stare, as if he didn't know what she was talking about. Jane thought that if he'd been in a rational state of mind, there was no way he would ever have put the moves on her, much less transition without second guessing from the playful kisses to the first stages of actual sex. She bet as he was kissing her, instinct from memory had taken over, and he had just gone with the flow.

When she told Jake she was pregnant, he'd looked horrified. He almost started crying. They got into a huge fight about whether she should keep the baby, him saying neither of them were suited to be parents. Jane had known that, but as soon as she knew she was going to be a mother, she loved the baby. She loved her baby so much. And she was keeping it, regardless of what he'd said.

Jake had calmed down, and they had a adult discussion after their fighting was done. He had said there was no use denying it, and he would take responsibility. He also had told her out front he wasn't ready to be a father. She'd told him he'd have nine months to get ready. And that was it.

And he had. He'd gone to the appointments with her, and helped with the naming and paperwork and medical bills and baby shower and everything.

But both of them knew it was only a matter of time before the shit hit the fan.

Jake didn't know, but Dirk had been in love with him since they were kids. Head over heels, do anything to make him happy, kill for him, kind of love. And only recently, within the past year, had Jake began responding to Dirk's flirting.

Jane, however, had known ever since Dirk had told her and Roxy, all those years ago.

To be honest, Jane didn't know where their relationship had stood when they had slept together.

But if Dirk's reaction when he'd found out was anything to go by.. at the very least, Dirk had thought they were together.

…

" Jake, you'll die if you keep laying around on your ass. Get up." Jane scooted off the bed and onto her feet. She glanced at Jake, who was still a blubbering mess, crying into his pillow.

" If you're not up in five minutes," She told him, heading to the door. " I'll get Roxy to come over here and drag you out of bed herself. I'll help, of course." Then she shut the bedroom door behind her.

Jane didn't know what she was going to do to fix this whole thing. On the one hand, she couldn't change the past, and even if she could, she wouldn't. She loved her son with all her heart. On the other hand, her and Jake's actions had potentially destroyed Dirk and Jake's over 10 years in the making relationship.

That, and how was she supposed to attend school in the fall if John's father was still heartbroken and unstable?

She sighed, sitting on the living room couch.

Dirk had every reason and right to hate her and to hate Jake. She'd betrayed his friendship, and Jake betrayed.. whatever their relationship had been. After over ten years of knowing how hard he'd fallen for Jake, Jane was the biggest perpetrator.

Especially since for most of those years, Dirk thought he didn't have any chance because he had been under the impression Jake only swung for girls. To finally not only get a chance at acting on his feelings, but to have Jake recuperate them and return them, (to what degree, Jane was still unsure, but obviously the blubbering mess in the other room did return his feelings), must have been Dirk's dream come true. And Jane had crushed his happiness with a single action.

She had to fix this.

She pulled out her phone and messaged Roxy.

gutsyGumshoe [GG] started pestering tispyGnostalgic [TG]

GG: Roxy, how do I fix this?

TG: fix what?

GG: The pile of washed-out emotional flesh in Jake's bedroom.

TG: not takin it well huh

GG: You know?

TG: oh yeah i kinda set driky up on a date

TG: *dirky

GG: A date? With who? And he actually went?

TG: weell not reallt a DATE date but like some hot girl at the nomad totally wanted to do him

TG: *well

TG: *reelly

TG: *really

GG: Oh dear. Well, Jake told me he saw them, ahem, 'doing it'. So he's really upset.

TG: oh no that totes sucks like omg

TG: but who can blame him not me I cant

TG: sides dirk needed to get outta the house ad I figured this was the way to do it

TG: he was gonna leik die if he stayed there any longer

TG: *like

GG: So how do we get Mr. Misery and Mr. Heartbroken to talk to each other again? Because it's obvious they're miserable without each other.

TG: i dunno. call dirk maybe hell be for it

Jane thought a moment. She didn't think that would work. Maybe she could talk to him herself, and just explain some things that she doubted Jake had brought up. Then let him make his own decision himself.

GG: No, I doubt that would work. But I do have an idea now, so thank you!

TG: see? no probs like I knew you'd come up w/ somethin

GG: Yes, thanks a bunch Roxy!

TG: no probs bff xoxox lov ya!

gutsyGumshoe [GG] ceased pestering tipsyGnostalgic [TG]

Jane took a deep breath before sending the message.

GutsyGumshoe [GG] started pestering timaeusTestified [TT]

GG: We need to talk, hun. Meet me at Cafe Nomad, tomorrow morning at nine. No option.

GutsyGumshoe [GG] ceased pestering timaeusTestified [TT]

TT: …

TT: Guess I'll be there.