"She's gone," Spiederman whispered when he showed up at G-Major later that morning. "She's gone and I'm moving back to the loft."

"Spied," Jude said, hugging her best friend. "It's gonna be okay."

He pushed her away. "No, it's not gonna be okay, dude! She's gone! Nic is gone! And I'm having a baby with my ex-fiancé! What is okay about that, huh?"

Tommy heard all the yelling and joined them from his office. "Hey, what's going on out here?"

"Tell your wife she needs a reality check," Spiederman spat, going to lock himself in studio C.

"Your sister is halfway to Helena right now," Jude explained. "And obviously, Vin ain't taking it so well."

"No one is," Tommy noted, looking around the room. "It's like someone died."

Wally was strumming someone's old acoustic on the couch while Kyle sat next to him, staring off into space. Darius' office door was shut, as was Portia's, and even Julia, the receptionist, was just kind of there.

"This is gonna be apocalyptic," Jude mumbled, leading her husband away to studio B to record.

When Nic arrived at the train station in Helena, her Montana hometown, waiting for her at the platform was Kiley Walsh, her local best friend, wearing super short cut off jean shorts and a lime green tunic. It was an odd look, but Kiley always could pull off the odd ones.

"Hey, beyotch," Kiley smirked. "You look like death warmed up."

"Aww, thanks," Nic rolled her eyes, falling into her friend's arms. "How are you?"

"I started my own PR firm, which, in Montana, is like birthday parties for ponies, and finally dumped Charlie," Kiley explained, helping Nic load her luggage onto a cart.

Nic's eyes widened. "No! Did you really? Well, good, it's about time, Ki; Charlie Gilmore is a tool."

"Yeah, but his family owns half the land in Helena, so it was a superficial thing," Kiley shrugged nonchalantly. "The only problem is I'm now living with Regan Holley and we fight about everything."

"Ooh, Regan Holley," Nic shuddered. "She's the sole reason I hate Orlando Bloom movies."

Kiley chuckled. "You mean because she like, dated him in high school? God, it's awful." She paused. "We should totally get a place!"

"For now, I'm just gonna stick with Allen and Lydia," Nic told her. "I need to know I'm gonna be okay before I start really settling myself into a permanent life here."

"I understand," Kiley nodded. "How did Spiederman take it this morning?"

"Uhh, better than I did," Nic admitted, following Kiley towards her red Saturn Vue. "I was a mess, and so was he, but he held it together better."

While Kiley drove her towards her aunt and uncle's estate, Nic dialed Tommy.

"Hey," he answered, turning down the speakers in the sound room as the SME boys recorded. He spun around so his back was to them. "Did you get there okay?"

"Yeah," she told him, leaning her head against the window. "Umm, is he around?"

"They're recording right now," he confirmed. "You want him?"

She sighed. "Give me Kyle first."

"Hey, drummer boy, come here," he said into the microphone. "Phone call."

Kyle joined him in the sound room and took his phone in confusion. "Uhh, hello?"

"Hi," Nic whispered.

"Hey!" he cried, sitting down on the couch. "We miss you." He eyed Spiederman through the glass, who was just looking down at his shoes sadly. "Especially one of us."

"Yeah," she said, her voice cracking slightly. Kiley reached over and took her hand comfortingly. "How's he been?"

"It's like someone took away his guitar," Kyle said. "And he watched them throw it into an inferno."

"Oh," she mumbled. "I feel like the guitar."

Spiederman looked up and saw Kyle still on the phone. "Dude, come on. I'm supposed to meet with Monica tonight about when she wants me to move back in."

"Put him on," Nic said quickly. "Hurry, before I change my mind."

"Spied," Kyle called, waving him. "Phone."

"Fine," Spiederman rolled his eyes, put down his Fender, and walked in. He took Tommy's phone and held it to his ear. "Yeah?"

Nic was quiet for a minute. "Spied."

"Nic," he said, his impatience diminishing at the sound of her voice. "Did you get there okay?"

"Yeah," she answered. "My friend Kiley is just pulling up to my aunt and uncle's now."

"That's good," he told her.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Umm, I know you're busy, but I just wanted to let you guys know I was here. Tell Wally I said hi and that I miss everyone." She hung up before she started crying again.

"Hi, sweetie," Lydia Cameron, Nic's aunt, smiled when she walked into the house a

minute later. "Hi, Kiley."

"Hey," Kiley greeted. "Nic, I'm gonna start bringing in your stuff, okay? You can just settle."

Instead of spending time with her aunt and uncle, Nic walked up the stairs to her old bedroom and closed the door behind her. Nothing about it had changed, at all. There were old pictures of her and Kiley all over, including a few of her and Tommy from when they were little and some of her with her parents before everything that had happened. It was a total pre-college teenagers room, complete with Britney Spears posters and old copies of Seventeen magazine.

"Hey," Kiley said softly, letting herself in. "Man, everything looks exactly the same."

"I know, right?" Nic laughed half-heartedly. "It's like I stepped into a time machine and am 17-years-old all over again."

Kiley laughed. "Haven't you always been 17?"

"I always thought so," Nic confirmed. "But these last few days have made me grow up and I think I finally actually feel older than Jude."

"Jude," Kiley repeated. "Your brother's wife?"

"Yes," Nic nodded. "Also known as Jude Harrison-Quincy, the biggest musician in Canada."

"Not much into that kind of music, but I know," Kiley confirmed.

Nic rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you're not still a die-hard Beyonce fan?"

"Duh," Kiley replied. "Nic, come on. My goal is to somehow get to New York and plan her wedding to Jay-Z. You know this."

"You're such an idiot," Nic shook her head. "Thanks, Ki, for bringing in my stuff."

"Anytime," Kiley replied. "Well, I figure you'll want to settle in and kinda relax, so call me whenever you want to get together, okay?"

Nic hugged her friend and nodded. "Okay, I will."

Sunday afternoon, Nic walked through the terminal in the airport, hoping to dodge the paparazzi she knew staked out there. She was back in Toronto already, but unfortunately, not to stay. She was only in town until the next day, as there were no flights back to Montana that night, and she was only there to get some more of her stuff. She hadn't even told anyone she was coming, figuring that was the best way to keep messy things from getting messier.

On the taxi ride to her apartment, she rode past G-Major and sighed. Even though it was Sunday, she knew the band and Jude were inside, probably re-recording something for her fourth album, which was set to be released in May.

"Miss, is this it?" the driver asked as he stopped at her complex. "No bags or luggage?"

"No, I'm going back tomorrow," she explained, paying him generously. "Thank you."

Inside, everything was still the same. Pictures were in the same place, the TV was still dusty, and an old can of Diet Mountain Dew, which she knew was from the previous Tuesday, was still on the window seat.

"Gross," she muttered, laughing all the same.

Suddenly, the phone on the wall rang, causing her to jump slightly. She read that it was just a telemarketer and ignored it, walking back to what was their bedroom. It was dark and cold, but nothing had changed there either. The bed was unmade, meaning he'd slept in it the night before, his cell phone charger was still on the dresser, and the closet doors were flung open, with his clothes piling out.

Later that night, Nic laid in the bed, taking in his scent that was on his pillow. She missed it and was trying to think of ways to sneak the pillowcase back when the bedroom door opened.

"Spied?" she whispered, looking at the clock. 1:15.

"Yeah?" he replied, kicking off his shoes. "Who is that?"

"Do you have different girls here nightly?" she joked, sitting up in the bed. "It's me, you idiot."

Even though she couldn't see him, she could feel him smile at her. "Nic? What are you doing here? Are you coming back? No more Montana?"

"Whoa, slow down, Sparky," she laughed. "Umm, I needed to get a few more things, I'm not here to stay, and I leave for Montana in the morning. I had planned on leaving tonight but there weren't any flights."

He sat down next to her. "Were you not going to tell anyone?"

"No," she answered quietly. "I figured it would be easier if I came and went, not causing any more problems." She sighed. "Are you still staying here instead of the loft?"

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "I've been to the loft, umm, three times since you left, I think. I bought it and nothing about it has changed, but it's so different now."

"I'm sure," she agreed, sliding back down to her pillow. "But isn't it weird to be here?"

"Not anymore," he said softly, climbing into bed with her. "Can I stay here with you tonight?"

"You better," she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. "What's one last hooray?"

He let out a long sigh. "God, this just feels right. I don't even think I would be able to get both arms around Monica."

"Spied, she's only four months along," she pointed out. "She's barely even showing at all."

They laid in silence for a while, just happy to be together, even if only for a night.

"So, what happens tomorrow?" he asked, finally breaking the quiet. "I mean, do you go back early?"

"8 AM," she sighed. "And I need to you to promise you won't tell anyone, especially my brother, that I was ever here."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. It makes me feel special to know you're only seeing me." He kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay in Montana?"

"Not really," she answered. "I mean, I'm back at work, as a freakin' photog editor, and I hate it, but I'll deal."

"You'll be fine," he assured her, taking her hand under the covers. "And eventually, things will be okay."

Nic sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of; that you and I will be able to just move on, like nothing happened."

"Please," he scoffed. "Nic, I'll be 94-years-old, wearing Depends, and I'll remember everything about you. You're my girl."

"I know," she whispered, failing to suppress a yawn. "Think you can get away from Darius to drop me at the airport tomorrow morning?"

"Duh," he smirked, tightening his grip around her tiny waist. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, baby."

Even though she knew it would complicate things more when she left, she looked up at him and kissed him softly.

"I needed that," he assured her. "Even something so small is huge."

Nic closed her eyes. "Good night, Spied."

"Night," he sighed, resting his head on hers as they fell asleep.

Ironically, the sun was shining brilliantly the next morning when her cell phone alarm went off at 6:15.

"Oh, awesome," Spiederman said dryly, using the comforter to block them from the light. "It's so early."

"I know," she yawned, "but we gotta get up, doll."

He threw back the cover and whined. "Aww, man."

While she quickly showered, he dug around the pantry for some bagels and cream cheese while putting on a pot of coffee.

"Are you ready?" she asked after eating. "It's 7:00 now and my flight leaves at 8:00."

"Let's go," he nodded, leading her out the door. "This sucks, again."

"I know," she whispered, climbing into his Jeep. "Gosh, it's only been a few days and I miss this little baby."

He laughed. "It misses you."

"Duh," she smirked, stealing his tagline. "I make this Jeep look good."

Spiederman looked over at her. "Yeah, you do."

Their ride was short, as the complex was close to the airport, and as they walked towards security, media flashbulbs went off like crazy in their faces, but Nic was lucky to keep her anonymity.

"They never quit, do they?" she joked, stopping in front of the metal detectors. "So, this is it."

"Deja vu?" he smiled. "Alright, this time, you're gonna go and not look back and I think that's good."

Nic nodded and hugged him, kissing his stubbly cheek as she did. "Sounds good."

"Be good," he said as she turned to walk away. "If you meet any boys, they can't be musicians."

"I'm done with them," she called over her shoulder. "I miss you already!"