Trent finished going over the words on the paper and scratched his head trying to figure out what to say to his best friend. Jesse had come to him with what looked like a letter that he had written and wanted to turn it into a song. Trent understood trying to get the feelings out and he had wanted to help his friend as best as he could. They had been holed up in the basement for hours after the two sisters had left and Shalah had said that she would be online talking to friends, while Jane was meeting someone on a date. Trent scratched the back of his head.

"Do you want to talk about her or something?" Trent had approached it with as much tact as he could.

"No point. It's done." Jesse had his trademark locks pulled back into a ponytail.

"You're still coming by for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, right?" Trent had never seen Jesse so out of it over a girl. Jesse usually had a good time with them, then moved on. Rarely was there ever any negative backlash on his part.

"I don't know. I was thinking about just chillin' at home and watchin' the game."

"Come on man, you can help me out." Trent coaxed.

Jesse knew that Trent was trying to cheer him up and make him feel less alone. Truth be told, he didn't want to stay at home and have his mother try and fix him up with another one of her friends daughters or cousins or something, but he didn't know if he could handle being there…..with her. In the end, he knew that even if it meant only seeing her, he would be there. He gave a curt nod and looked at the papers that Trent held. Those lyrics pretty much summed things up for him.

"Good thing, it'll be great." He clapped Jesse on the back and they went back to arranging the music to go with it.

Last Stop

I feel nothing.

I feel, not think.

What's the difference?

You're not mine,

Never was, never gonna be

I went to you,

You weren't there.

I went to find you,

You were with him

No words passed between us

What would be the point?

You're with him,

But don't feel sorry for me, cause:

Chorus:

She might not have your face,

She might not have your smile,

But she is here.

For tonight she is here

So I'll lose myself in her,

But I'm not using…..her

You keep walkin'

I'll keep singing

You probably don't even realize it anyway.

I was a pit stop for you,

But you were the last stop for me.

Thanksgiving Day

"Hey Jesse," Shalah said as she stepped past him to get into the refrigerator for her much needed Gatorade. "Has anyone seen my strawberry lemonade Gatorade?" she called out.

"Oh- sorry," Jesse held up the now empty bottle that he'd just sat on the table after drinking the contents. "I thought it was Trent's. I'll go get you another one."

"Don't worry about it. I'll grab one on my way back from my run. Just don't tell Jane," she mock whispered the last smiling at him. She had liked Jesse and the gentle quiet reassurance from the moment that she'd met him. In many ways he reminded her of Duncan.

"She sleeping in?" He tried to sound as casual as possible.

"Well….. Not sleep, but her date must have went well because she is laying there grinning ear to ear, but there's no sketch book or easel in her hand." Shalah left to go on her run.

"Enter," Jane said to the knock at her door.

Jesse entered the familiar room and went to sit next to where Jane was sitting on the bed.

"Heard your date went well."

"Yeah, it was nice."

Look at how she's smiling. She looks so happy… So fucking happy….. Damn….. What the hell am I doing here? I should go- shit she's touching my arm. Her hair smells so good.

"I know that I haven't seen much of you, but I intend to make up for that today. We are gonna watch the game together and completely pig out on all of that delicious stuff that Trent made." Jane announced her plans as she leaned against the muscular arm that had always been there for her when she needed it. Trent had told her that Jesse was in a funk over some girl and she had felt bad that she had pretty much skimmed past him by allowing other things and people to get in the way. You don't ever flake out on the tried and true friends, for they are few enough as it is. "So what do you say partner? You and me, the rest of the world be damned for the day?"

"Well, except that we will be around other people….. it is Thanksgiving."

She could always get her way with me.

"Well, if you want to get technical," she elbowed him playfully in the ribs. He responded by doing tickling her until she could no longer stand it and they were in a playful wrestle. He was stronger, but she was quicker and managed to get him pinned down. "Say it Moreno."

"Say what?" Jesse wanted to keep this going for as long as possible. He missed this…. He missed her. "Ow!" he felt the sharpness of her knees dig into his sides. "Okay, okay! Jane is number one."

"Louder, please," Jane demanded.

"Jane is number one!" He said and was disappointed at how quickly she removed herself from straddling his chest, even if it were only in play.

"Now if you don't mind, Miss Number One here has to get into some clothes before everyone gets here." She swatted his bottom with a triumphant smile as he left the room.

"Trent, you're here," Jesse said seeing his friend in the kitchen when he emerged from Jane's room.

"Uh, yeah. I live here, remember?" Trent smirked glancing back at his buddy while he was stirring something on the stove and taking a look in the roaster at the turkey. Everything was starting to smell really good.

"You weren't in here before." Jesse said and wandered over to look in the pots that had begun to awaken his ever present hunger.

"I was at the market getting some more chocolate sauce." Trent swatted Jesse away from the pots. "There is a nice cold cut sub that I made for you in the fridge. I want this dinner to be really nice." Jesse took out the sub and cut it in half, offering up Trent half of it, but Trent declined so Jesse put the other half back in the fridge and began eating the other.

"So is your girlfriend coming?" Jesse teased.

Trent shot him a look.

"Nah, her family is doing their thing. We have plans later," he said with a nonchalant air that Jesse knew was baloney.

"You guys finally decided to go for it huh? It took you long enough." Jesse continued eating his sandwich. "I thought for sure that you two would have hooked up way back at the beach that time. What happened there?"

"Well," Trent said thoughtfully, "she was away at school and I really didn't want to mess that up for her. She was doing really well and Janey said that she had just gone through something with that guy that she'd been seeing. I didn't want to be just the rebound guy." Trent looked at his friend. He seemed a lot better, maybe today would be good for him after all.

"You need any help with anything?" Jesse offered finishing up the sandwich.

"Nah, I got it." Trent returned to the busy workings of the kitchen, while jotting lyrics that came to mind on his ever present notepad as he happily got dinner ready.

Jesse and Jane were in the den yelling choice words at the television and Shalah had volunteered to set the table, so that the two wouldn't be disturbed. Max and Nick had just come in and were putting the beer that they'd brought in the refrigerator. Everyone was here, Trent thought, all we need to do now is eat. Everyone talking over one another and enjoying the meal, it was everything that Trent could want, with the exception, of course of his missing leading lady, but they would have their time….. later. For now he would enjoy the sounds of those he considered family. His sister was her usual self, bringing her own sense of bawdiness to whatever situation that she chose. Shalah seemed to be enjoying herself and the attention that she was receiving from Max and Nick. Trent had seen it before, they were both interested in the same girl, but eventually one would back down when they saw whom she was really interested, it was only a matter of time. Jesse was still in his jovial mood, thank goodness. It was a lovely sight, Trent mused to himself looking at everyone.

"A toast," Jane said standing suddenly with glass in hand, "to the best meal that I have ever tasted and I know why, it's because it was prepared with nothing but genuine love." She looked at the people around the table and became suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "I don't think that I realized how much I missed you guys until this moment….. anyway- to family."

There was a round of here here's as everyone drank for the toast.

"Don't you have plans?" Jane said to her brother when she entered the kitchen and saw him with the dishes.

"Yeah, she just left and I wanted to get this done real quick."

Jane leaned against the counter next to him and studied his profile for a moment before placing a hand on his arm. He looked at her curious.

"Go, I can handle this here."

"No second date tonight?"

"It's a one-time only offer," she stated taking the dish rag. Now was not the time to discuss her love life.

"Thanks Janey." He went to shower before heading out.

"You're a good sister," Jesse was standing in the doorway.

"Maybe….."

Jesse went and began to help Jane by drying the dishes. They never needed too many words. Things just always seemed to work for them on some level. They were on the couch watching tv again when Trent told them bye on his way out the door.