Jimmy woke up with stiffness in his neck. He fell asleep on the downstairs couch after he had blabbed his feelings to Kenzie. All night his dreams were plagued with memories of their time together, including the summer she had fallen off the roof while helping her father and brothers fix a few loose tiles and broke her collar bone. He went over everyday with books and movies on every historic event from the civil war to the end of WWII.

He'd never forget the look in her eyes just before she shut the door again. Her mouth hung open and her dark brown eyes were wide with shock. He moved his neck around trying to loosen his muscles when Pamela walked in wearing tight jeans and black low cut tank top with 'The Ramons' printed on the front.

"Want me to work those out for ya?" He couldn't believe she wasn't getting the idea. That after he ignored all her advancements, she was still trying to get into his pants.

"Look Pamela. I'm sorry to put it this way but back the hell off! In case you didn't hear me last night, I don't want to be with you."

"Well it seems that Mackenzie doesn't want you. Why are torturing yourself with his Jimmy? She doesn't deserve you. Look at all her relationships. They all ended when they only lasted what, barley a year?"

"You don't know a thing about her. So don't talk about her like that." He growled.

Kenzie woke up cold in bed. She missed waking up next to Jimmy as she had every morning. Tears fell out as she wished she had handle his news better. He wanted her. He didn't want Pamela, who was by far prettier then her.

The reason she walked away last night is cause she was afraid. Her previous relationship with Alistair was not only because he would hit her when they were together, but also he made he feel like she was nothing, saying no one would ever love her and Andi would try and pull a Jedi mind trick to get her sleep with him.

Only Jake ended their relationship on good terms. He joined the Army about a week after he turned 18 for money for his mother and sister. He didn't want Kenzie to put her whole life on hold waiting for him. They remained good friends until his death.

Which made her think back to Jimmy. He had been there when Jo, Cassie, Ash, and her received news of his death. He immediately took her in his arms as she cried. He was the one who came over everyday one summer for two months when she broke her collar bone, bringing her history books and movies they watched as they laid on her bed. He was also the first one she called when the family dog Rumsfield died in his sleep.

He had, in a sense, showed his devotion to her for years and it took her this long realize he loved her and deserved to know how she felt. Climbing out of bed she walked down the stair hearing Jimmy defend her when Pamela bad mouthed her.

Jimmy watch as Kenzie walked right into the room and tapped Pamela on the shoulder. Once she turned around, she got a right hook to the eye and went down like a sack of potatoes. Rufus and Ash rushed in and saw and unconscious Pamela lying on the floor and Kenzie shaking her sore hand and looked at Jimmy.

"I'm ready to talk when you are. Just let me change." She earned a nod and quietly went back upstairs only to hear him follow her. She turned just few steps up and bumped right into him. "Any reason why you're following me?"

"My bag's upstairs. I'd rather not talk to ya wear yesterday cloths." He explained.

"Right. Sorry." Knowingly nodding and turned to continue walking when his hand on her waist stopped and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I missed not waking up and you being the first thing I see." He mumbled into her hair.

"Me too. I'll explain why I reacted the way I did." The two release each other and went to their room to change; Kenzie in the bathroom while he changed in the room itself.

She was walking out just as he was slipping on a grey t- shirt and she felt her knees go weak at the sight of him shirtless. He had the perfect toned torso without a speck of hair on his chest. He didn't have rock hard abs, but you could definitely see some muscle there. She didn't know what was wrong with her, she had seen him shirtless plenty of times before, but now that they were alone and he had more or less proclaimed his love for her, things between them were different. They could never really go back to the way things were before.

"Kenzie? You okay?" his voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she shook her head to clear it.

"Yeah. Just thinking about something." He was leaving the top few buttons undone, showing off a little bit of his naturally tanned skin.

"Well there's a light shower outside so I guess we better take these." He held up his favorite 'Marvin the Martian hoodie' while handing her her zip up batman hoodie. Their fingers lightly touched as she took the garment from his hand. (A/N: I saw a photo of Misha wearing a 'Marvin the Martian and couldn't help myself!)

It took all his strength to not take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. He honestly didn't want to go outside to talk. He wanted to carry her to the bed, lay beside her before engaging in a full make out session, climb on top of her to see what she felt like underneath him.

He watched as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of her hoodie, wishing that it was his neck those beautifully toned arms were wrapping themselves around.

They quietly slipped out side as Pamela was coming to. Gordon looked pissed as he had just been informed of Pamela's actions.

"You're lucky it's just a black eye Barnes. Had their brother's heard ya, well it wouldn't matter if you're a women or not cause you have your ass kicked."

The two friends walked in silence along the path by the house. Ash was no more then 15 ft behind them, far enough to give them space but close enough to protect them as well. He wanted his two friends to be together. In all the years he had known them, they never had a 'brother/sister relationship.' They would always be hanging off one another laughing or whispering stuff to one another. The age gap between never seemed to bother them.

He had to admit in high school he had a slight crush on Mackenzie. She was the type of girl all guys would love to go with. She hated chick flicks, unless it had Sandra Bullock, preferring violent movies, never worried about what she ate, and loved to go to sporting events, especially her dad's softball games.

"So are we just gonna walk around with out hands in our pockets, or are we actually gonna talk about last night?" She leaned against a tree trunk, crossing her arms under the yellow and black Batman logo.

"Guess I'm trying to find the right words without sounding like an idiot." He shoved his hands through his hair and kick a damp clamp of dirt. "Man! This is not how I wanted this to happen!"

"Jimmy, it's ok." She tried to comfort him by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"No it's not! Kenzie, I love you. I have for so long that I've lost track of the years.

I have dreams almost every night of being with you, and I don't mean us just hanging out! I'm talking about I am so deep inside you that when I wake up I can still smell that sweet pea soap you always use, I can taste that 'Juicy Fruit' lip balm you like, but mostly I still feel you all around me.

I see us as a family with a bunch of kids and we still make love every night." At this point he gently grabbed her for arms and pinned against the tree she had been leaning against.

"I love you so much that it hurts when I'm not with you. The sound of your voice or laugh makes even the crappiest day I've ever had instantly better. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and last thing I think of before I fall asleep."

He looked at her face and winced inside. She was biting her lower lip, which she only did when she was trying not to cry. Her eyes avoiding looking at him a few tears spilled out.

"I just one question for you."

"What?"

"Why did you have to wait until my psycho ex boy-friend is after me to admit all this to me? You have the worst timing Novak!"

"What?" He was really confused, especially now that she looked like she was trying not to laugh. "What are you laughing about?"

"I'm sorry Jimmy. Really I am. I'm laughing about the situation." She had to take a deep breath before speaking again. "Jimmy. I love you too. Unlike you, I know how long I've loved you. About eight years now."

"You mean that one summer?"

"Yeah. Even during the hottest days that summer, when everyone was going to the pool or beach, you came over everyday and kept me company in my sauna of a room."

"Why did you tell me?" He gently stoked her jaw with fingers.

"I was scared that you didn't feel the same or it ruin our friendship. You're my best friend Jimmy and I don't want to lose you."

"Kenzie. I promise you will never lose me." He gently took her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. He moved forward so their foreheads touched. Their lips were barely touching as he tilted his head one way while she tilted the other. They had briefly touched when:

"Ahem!" Ash cleared his throat.

I know I promised an update weeks ago, but my sister was having computer problems which made my dad, younger sister and I have to spend an entire Saturday with her, my dad had to go to the hospital for having trouble breathing from a bad cold, Mother's Day and work. Plus I really wanted this to the chapter when everything comes out.

I hope the next chapter won't take as long.