Robbie POV

I red-eyed my way back into town from Acapulco at 3AM this morning and picked up both my cars and have already parked them in the driveway.

It's only 9 AM.

I'm not tired at all. On some level I'm still seething about Cat. She seems to think that the hard work of music, will magically happen.

She sent me an email 2 days ago, giving a list of possible songs to cover and dates that would work for her.

What about my schedule? She seems to think that if she asks my schedule will magically clear. Not so Ms. Valentine.

Why do I have to be the one to edit it anyway? Andre can, and Beck is learning but he can do most of what she's looking for. I would tell her to ask them but the 6 of us haven't hung out since Cat got out or since Christmas really because Tori, Andre and Jade are ALWAYS in the studio. New ideas, writing down random bursts of inspiration. Kind of like her file folder she took to IMG the first time we saw them except ongoing.

"I'm back, hope I can see you guys in the next 2-3 days." –Robbie.

Sent to: Tori, Jade, Andre, and Beck.

I guess the reason she wants to edit and record with me is because we've been through so much together. I was there when she was hired, started all this off and got fired. She could be comfortable with me.

Maybe. But I still wish she could work a bit harder. In fairness, I purposely didn't ask her to do any music stuff because she still hasn't relaxed.

Buzz Buzz.

Great. Who could that be?

I tap my screen to see one new message from Jade.

"If you want to avoid Cat, get out ASAP. She saw your message. Idk if you sent it to her but she sprinted out of my place towards her car."

Craaaap. That's just great. Always the hasty one. Haste makes waste, as the saying goes. Now she's rushing into this, not knowing what I'm trying not to be mad about! I don't want to be mad, I…I'm furious though!

No use in leaving. She knows what both of my cars look like. She'll just follow me until I have to stop then she'll talk to me. Might as well stay here and have our conversation in private.

I start unloading my suitcase and put on jeans. The cold, dreary weather is still here. Meteorologists say it's either El Nino or La Nina. Too soon to call. But it's likely we'll be in for bad weather all summer. It's killing agriculture everywhere in California. Everyone is back to where we were before the economy picked up again. On the surface it's better, but down here things haven't really changed. Which is a shame. This area deserves some good fortunes.

Knock Knock Knock.

That would be Cat.

I make my way downstairs and to the door.

"Hello." I say conversationally,

"Hey. Nice to be back?" She smiled at me, stepping inside.

"Haven't been back long, kind of too soon to tell." I shrug.

My hands are barely shaking, but I'm not sure why. I'm not mad per se, I…

"Hungry? I brought pancakes." She asked, displaying a bag from Andre's favorite Pancake and breakfast café down the street.

"Not really, can you put them under the hot lamp though?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." I politely said.

Now the conversation has to begin. Doesn't it?

"How was Acapulco?"

"Sunny and warm." I placidly said, taking out two glasses for orange juice.

"Thanks. Why'd you go without telling anyone?"

"How do you know I didn't tell anyone?" I snapped back, grabbing the orange juice with a little more force than necessary.

"Because I had to ask Jade, and then ask you, and when you didn't tell me I had to lie to your parents!"

"So why do you have to know now? Why is it so important?" I asked.

"Because I was worried! You just up and left without telling anyone! You could have been kidnapped! Or shot! You scared me to death Robbie."

"I needed a break from things, like everyone. Sometimes you gotta be spontaneous. Did you drive your SUV?" I replied, voice slightly edgy.

"Yeah, what else would I have drove here?"

"May I see the keys?" I politely asked.

"May I see the keys?" She replied.

Wait…what?

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You changed the locks. May I see the new ones? I'd like a copy."

"No. Who says I want you to have one?"

Crap. That might have been too harsh.

Good going Robbie.

Much to my surprise, she didn't shrink. She seemed to fluff up.

"Oh!" She said, in a fake surprised tone. "You don't want me to have a key? Why not?"

"I don't want you getting laid in my bed again."

WHOA! That wasn't what I meant! I…oh crap. This could be getting ugly.

"Why here? Your new bed isn't as comfy as your old one. I could just go there."

"How is he, by the way?" I quickly asked, voice acidic.

Cat opened her mouth, then abruptly shut it and went pale.

"Wha—wha—what do you mean?" She croaked out.

"The guy in the pizza parlor. The one who hugged you. I assume you raced back to him after we got back here. How is he?"

It didn't take long for the gears in her head to see my sarcasm. "You don't care. You're mad I even met him."

"Why would I be mad? Meeting new people will help you get back to normal." I said, even keeled.

"So I'm not back to normal! You blew me off last week!"

"Yeah…that's what happens when you don't want to talk to someone about something." I rolled my eyes.

"So your mad about something. Tell me Robbie. We can work this out." She said suddenly, voice going back to her scared, compassionate tone.

"Nah, I say we focus on you."

"No!" She howled. "Enough about me! I'm fine! I'm worried about you!"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Liar." She snapped.

"This is true."

"Then tell the truth Robbie!"

"It's best I keep quiet Cat. Sometimes you have to lie."

She took a step back and gave me a weird look. "When did that become the truth?"

"It's always been the truth. I just didn't realize it for awhile."

"Like Michael and Colton when they threatened us! Tell me Robbie!" She howled.

"No."

"ROBBIE!"

"No Cat…"

I moved to turn away, but she grabbed my collar.

"No no, you aren't getting out of this. Tell me!"

"Fine. Rex got in my head back when we broke up." I snapped, feeling like throwing something.

Cat's shoulders sagged. "Robbie…why didn't you tell me? I love you…you can tell me anything."

"You don't love me Cat."

"How can you say something like that?" She asked, sounding hysterical.

"Cat, there's no way you didn't spend the last week having sex with your new guy."

It's pretty obvious I am right. She quickly looked awkward, and started messing with her hair.

"See? It's not hard to figure you out after all. Sex, pizza and movies."

"Robbie…I…"

I'll keep quiet so she can have her say.

"You don't trust me. You don't believe in me."

Tears started streaming down her face. She looked like the world just collapsed on top of her.

It's true. I don't think she can be successful with how stiff her competition is.

"You have something you want to tell me…That's why you went away. I left, and that made you realize something." She squeaked out, tears still falling.

True…you can't help but throw yourself at guys, and you don't have the drive to make yourself a successful artist.

She reached out and grabbed my hand. Hers was trembling like mad.

"Please tell me Robbie. Pleease. If there's anyone who can help me fix something I don't know is a problem it's you."

"Cat…you won't want to hear it." I said darkly.

"Please…Robbie…." She begged, squeezing my hand.

"Well…there's two." I sigh, moving to sit on the couch.

"Ok…"

"I wish you would respect yourself more."

"What do you mean?"

"Cat, you barely know this guy. I saw you meet him for god's sake. He just came to you in that pizza shop and suddenly you slept with him for a week."

She retracted her hand and swallowed.

"Cat…I honestly think you are the best girl in the world. You have the best personality I've ever seen, and I love you. How much, I don't know. But it kills me to see you throw yourself at guys when you could go out and get the best guy in the world."

"What do you mean love?"

"Cat. I wish I could give you a straight answer. I just can't ok? I'm so mad at what you are doing to you and your future I can't tell whether I love you or hate you."

"Future? Is that the second one?" She squeaked out, tears streaming out steadily.

"Uh huh."

She moved to sit indian style, holding onto my hand.

"I…I don't like your odds in music."

"Robbie…" She said…sounding stunned I would suggest it.

"Cat, I'm here looking at the facts. You have Bieber, Carly, Selena Gomez, Tori, Miley Cyrus, Greyson Chance, Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga. All those people and thousands more are all vying for the slice of audience you are looking for. We haven't gotten a single ready. Yeah…Put Your Hearts Up is close…but we don't know what the reaction will be. If they like it…you will have to fast-track a complete 15 to 16 song album. We're not even close…I don't like our cards."

"But I can sing. Some of those people you mentioned can't sing."

"But they have dedicated fans, which is what counts. I'm not seeing a weapon in our arsenal big enough to make you into the star we want you to be."

She was quiet for a moment.

"Is this about me not having much music ready?"

I think she gets it.

"Yeah. I know it's hypocritical of me to say that…I kept you away from music so you could reacclimate, and now I'm here saying you should have done more…but I'm just giving you my opinion and the facts I have."

"I don't mind the hypocriticalness of it Robbie. It's the truth. Can I give you some truth?"

"Sure."

"I don't mean to throw myself at guys. I can see how it can be seen that way by you. You like me, and I meet a guy and I quickly am with him. You don't like it. But from my perspective, my history with guys sucks, and I think I have found the right guy. I'm just doing it in a way you despise."

That doesn't help me.

"What I think doesn't matter Cat."

"You said that last time you liked me and you had to give me up."

No point fighting that one. I can't say I love her, I'm too mad. I'm just done with her act and her guys and…her really.

"I'm sorry I piss you off so much."

"Cat." I snap.

"What? I stress you out, then you can't have me. It's amazing you don't hate me."

"Don't say that."

"Say what?"

"I don't hate you."

"You should."

"Damn right I should!" I snap, causing her to jump. "You're just little miss sunshine, everything will work out. But I don't think it will."

"It will! Have faith Robbie!" She said, getting to her feet.

"Cat!" I hop to my feet too. "Take off the rose tinted glasses, close your damn legs and look at the facts!"

"WHACK!"

Ow. She slapped me. She slapped the hell out of me.

"DO NOT SAY THAT AGAIN!"

"What? Truth hurts. Deal with it."

"WHACK!"

"OW!"

"Shut up!"

"No! You need to grow up. Either that or go to Vegas. Tons of guys there."

"Are you calling me a whore?"

"No! You're approaching slut territory, but you are not one."

"You're jealous! Or mad about stuff that happened long ago!"

"No, that stuff happened way too far back to matter. I'm done with that Cat. My issue is with you. You need to fix these issues."

I swear, it was like a light bulb went off. She went from a pissed off woman to a tearful teenager in seconds.

"Sniff…" She started towards me.

"Do you mind hugging me?" She croaked out, looking up at me.

I lightly hugged her.

"I…I'm really really sorry Robbie. I…I'm a mess. I know you care about me and that you only want what is best for me. Can we make a deal?"

"How about a promise? More incentive to keep it." I suggested.

"Sure. Can you give me some time to prove to you that I really can be a successful singer, and that I have found my guy?"

"I guess so. How long do you want?"

"A month. If not I'll let you do what you want."

"Ok."

"Is that it then?" She asked, attempting to crawl into my chest.

I roughly pushed her away.

"No. It's not Cat. I'm leaving."

She quickly looked crushed.

"Why…"

"Because I can't seem to compel myself to yell at you like I really should be. I'm so pissed off about all of this and more but I can't let you have it. I don't know why, so I'm going to get away."

"And do what?"

"I DON"T KNOW! Something! Get away from you! Geez, I don't have ALL the answers Cat. I don't even know where I'm going. Just away from you. That's all I know."

"Ok. Would you like me to leave?" She asked, looking like she felt like curling up and crying.

"Yes please."

Without further complaint, she stood up and walked out, closing the door softly behind her.

Where AM I going to go?

That's a good question.

I grab my phone out of my pocket and glance at a map of the United States.

Miami?

No, too many memories of Cat.

New York?

Nope, family is there. Family I don't talk to for that matter.

New Orleans?

Could meet some hot girls…nah. I just came from a place with the same attractions.

Chicago?

Good food…sleazy people…Odd weather…Nope.

Houston?

I met a couple of people from Houston once…they definitely had their own thing going on. Cool, but different.

Seattle?

Wait…

Seattle!

That's it! The only part about Cat's flaws that ate at me was the music because I held her back, thinking it was for her own good. Which I stand by. But Carly, Sam and Freddie are there and I could pick up some ideas to assist Cat. What kind of ideas? I don't know! But I have a hunch this will be a good thing.

I think I have Freddie's number around here somewhere…

Aha! Got it.

"…"

Dialing.

"Hello?"

"Hey Freddie?" I spoke up. I hope this can work.

"Yeah, who's this?" he asked.

"Robbie."

"Robbie! How are you man, what's up?"

"Actually, a whole bunch. How are you?"

"I'm good, what's going on? I assume that's why you are calling."

"Yeah, I just had an idea…"